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The Cabot Chronicle

December 2021/January 2022 · Issue Record

← From the Cabot Chronicle

The community record for this issue of the Cabot Chronicle, extracted from the original pages. Reprinted with permission from the Cabot Chronicle.

Original issue: Download the December 2021/January 2022 pages (PDF)

Automated extraction, spot-checked. Advertisements, the business directory, and puzzles are omitted; obituaries appear as individual entries.

In This Issue

Position Office Incumbent

Selectboard 2 years Matt Nally 3 years John Cookson Lister 3 years Jeanne Johnson Delinquent Tax Collector 1 year Susan Carpenter Grand Juror 1 year David Pike Cemetery Commissioners 3 years Deb Bothfeld 3 years Angela Ward 3 years Frederick Pike School Directors 3 years Chris Tormey 2 years Michael Taub Lisa Olson/replaced 3 years by Ellen Cairn Library Trustees 3 years Linda Gabrielson 3 years Jeanne McCallum Willey Building Committee 3 years Paul Wade

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Vote***

*Petitions for Australian Ballot votes are due Thursday 1/13/2022 by close of business (5:00 p.m.) This is the last day for voters to file a petition with the town clerk to have an article appear on the ballot. 17 V.S.A. 2642(a)(3)(A) (47 days prior to town meeting). Petition must contain signatures from at least 5% of registered voters in the municipality.

**Candidate Petitions and consent of candidate forms for town offices must be filed with the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., January 24, 2022 (sixth Monday before the election). 17 V.S.A. 2681(a)(3)

***Assumes a Town Meeting gathering, rather than virtual meeting. Decisions about Town Meeting will be made at a later time by the Selectboard.

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Authorizing Municipal Mask Mandates

By proclamation, Governor Phil Scott called a special session of the General Assembly November 22, 2021, for the single purpose of expressly granting each individual municipality the narrowly crafted, and time-limited, authority to mandate the use of facial coverings indoors within their jurisdiction. (For more on the Governor’s stand on this issue, see https://governor.vermont.gov/ governor-scotts-blog/transcript-governor -phil-scott-continues-encourage-stepsprotect-risk.) He agreed to support legislation that is clearly and narrowly crafted to do the following: Legislation is limited to facial covering requirements indoors within a municipality’s jurisdiction (except schools, which shall remain governed by the policies set forth by the local school board) for the specific, and exclusive, purpose of addressing COVID-19. Second, the legislation allows each municipality to enact, by action of the municipality’s governing body, a mask mandate beginning Monday, November 29, 2021, or upon passage, whichever is earlier. Third, the legislation and authority to impose a local mask mandate shall sunset on April 30, 2022. Fourth, the statute passed in special session mandates a rule adopted shall remain in effect for not more than 45 days following its initial adoption and requires the governing body of the municipality to reevaluate and vote to extend or rescind the policy on a month-tomonth basis. If not acted upon after the 45- or 30-day period, the rule will expire.

The House and Senate met in the State House (masked) and over Zoom to act on S.1. The bill was passed by both the Senate and House and sent to Governor Scott for signature. Senators Pollina and Perchlik voted no, Senator Cummings voted yes. Representative Pearl voted yes. While legislators reported that Vermont League of Cities and Towns and some communities were asking for this authority, the Cabot selectboard is unlikely to act without hearing from community members.

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the Cabot Chronicle?

Looking out our panoramic room at the Burlington Hilton on our 36 th anniversary! Cathie and Israel Helfand

nine times a year and is provided locally free of charge.

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express written permission from The Cabot Chronicle . Publisher is not responis contingent upon publisher’s approval and agreement by advertiser claims based upon contents of advertising. Publisher does not assume liability for occupied by individual item in which the error appeared.

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Barbara Pastula

Barbara Decker “Bobbi” Pastula, 86, of West Danville, passed away on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at her home. Barbara was born in Hartford, Conn., on April 26, 1935, daughter to Robert and Laurette (Malone) Decker. She was raised and educated in Connecticut, graduating from Bloomfield High School, Class of 1953. She attended the University of Connecticut and completed Hartford Secretarial School. Bobbi

considered her primary occupation that of Homemaker. On Nov. 3, 1956, Bobbi married Donald E. Pastula. The couple shared 65 years together. Bobbi liked reading, sitting outside looking at the White Mountains, and especially enjoyed boating. She and Donald spent many years on their boat, the “Solitude.” She was very involved with her Church, first at Sacred Heart in Bloomfield, Conn., and then Queen of Peace in Danville. She also volunteered at The Open Door. Above all, Barbara loved her family.

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Kenneth Talbert

Kenneth Talbert, lifelong resident of Cabot, left this world on Monday, November 15, at the Maple Lane nursing home in Barton, Vermont, where he had been a resident for the past month. Born at home on June 23, 1939, to Wesley and Helen Talbert, he gradually migrated up the road to his grandfather’s farm, which he operated while still a high school student. The farm was his greatest treasure and where he remained until his final month. Ken could have a gruff exterior at times, but all who knew him knew he was a softy with a big heart, who loved children and animals of all sizes, and treasured his time with family and friends. Since his teen years he always had a love for speed and competition. As a young man, he and his friends built a coupe race car and traveled to Northeast Speedway and other local tracks, having recruited a driver who wouldn’t wreck every week. For many years afterwards he enjoyed and was successful in the horse pulling ring, usually lead by his favorite pony, “Spike”. In the 1990s, he was able to combine his passions for horses and speed and entered into harness racing. He raced at

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EMORIALS

www.holcomb-desgroseilliers.com/ obituary/Joseph-Berg .

She is survived by her loving husband: Donald E. Pastula of W. Danville; two sons: David Pastula and wife, Karen, of W. Danville, and Douglas Pastula and wife, Dawn, of Danville; two daughters: Susan Pastula D’Anna of Woodstock, Vt., and Carole Pastula Kasper and husband, Christian, of Lincoln, Mass.; 10 grandchildren: Meghan Pastula Elliott, Katharine Pastula Bishop, Sarah Pastula, James Pastula, Melanie Pastula, Erika Pastula, Cassandra Pastula, Lily D’Anna, Jonathon Kasper, and Nicholas Kasper; 4 great-grandchildren: Juniper Bishop, Isaac Elliot, Lincoln Gilbert, and Rylie Gilbert. Barbara was predeceased by her parents: Robert J. Decker and Laurette Decker; and a sister: Penelope Decker Smith. A Mass of Christian Burial took place on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, in Danville, VT. Burial followed at Danville Green Cemetery. Memorial Donations can be made in Barbara’s name to The Open Door, c/o Ollie Wolfson, Box 264, Danville, VT 05828, or Good Shepherd Catholic School, 121 Maple Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819. Condolences may be shared with the family at saylesfh.com.

local fairs in Vermont and Maine, with an occasional foray to a parimutual track. down, He always said that handsharness racing was the most fun he ever had! Ken is survived by a son, Chuck (Lilly) and their son Willem of Cabot Vermont, a granddaughter, Samantha (Tim), also of Cabot, as well as in-laws, nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss him dearly. He was predeceased by his parents, Wesley and Helen Talbert, his sister Barbara Lord, his sister Beverly Boudreau, his beloved wife Rose, and their son Brian. No formal service is planned, as was his request. Instead, some of his ashes will be scattered in his favorite places, and a celebration of life will be planned for a later date.

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Wastewater Upgrades

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The Selectboard has been discussing needs of the wastewater plant for several meetings, and the possibility of using ARPA funds to facilitate repairs and upgrades. On October 19, Jim Brimblecombe from the company H2O was present to discuss the needs of the wastewater plant and the water system. Before the discussion reached any specifics about wastewater, Mike Hogan talked about ARPA money and that there is so much grant money available that the board should consider hiring someone to do some grant writing. He mentioned there is money available for wastewater, but the process is very technical, and involves a lot of reading. Mike said he would put together a list of available grants. When the discussion turned to wastewater, Mike asked Jim how time sensitive the actions are he is proposing. Jim said the engineering study must be done by 2024; the review would cost $48,000 and the state will refund half the cost. Jim summarized what the review entails. He said they go through all the equipment and determine if something needs to be upgraded in the next so many years. For instance, they look at manhole degradation. Mike asked when the last review was, and Jim answered it was when the plant was built. He added that all the permits ended due to the thing with Lake Champlain. Mike then asked for Jim’s recommendation, and Jim replied, “the sooner, the better.” He was not sure if there were time constraints on reimbursement from the State. Jim went over the whole list of items he is recommending for upgrade. He started with wastewater and said the controls and alarms systems on all the pump stations need to be upgraded because they have been obsolete for close to ten years, and they only have one spare. He added that he can’t find parts for the pump controls. With new controllers, Jim would be able to log on remotely. Then Jim talked about the water system and stated the pumps are also obsolete. He said they are recommending amp monitors for the pumps so they can see when things start to get plugged. When the amps increase, they can catch things before it becomes a problem. Mike asked about the time needed to make all the upgrades. Jim answered that the water side can be done during this winter, but the wastewater is weather dependent. That could probably be done next spring. Jim said it would be about $30,000 to replace all the water pumps at the reservoir and the pump stations. But he added it isn’t critical, so why not wait to see if we can get grant money? Fred Ducharme asked what else Jim would like to add that isn’t on the list of necessities. Jim then spoke about the promotes their mission to enhance is to empower Cabot residents to participate to cover select board and other meetings, able to attend. Most meetings during meetings virtually through Zoom are

ultraviolet light. He noted they became obsolete in 2005 and it's hard to get parts for them. He can still get bulbs and tubes, but the controller is around $50,000 to replace. He noted it is expensive because it must be certified for wastewater and a specific output. Currently, they have three units and can keep one on standby. The conversation changed to wastewater volume. Jim noted it’s currently about 25,000 gallons a day, and the plant was designed for 50,000 gallons a day. He hasn’t seen a huge increase, but they can’t tell where the additional water is coming from. He noted that the springs don’t generate that much water. Fred asked if they have a right to look in people’s basements. Jim answered that he can check with other towns and talk to the State. He added that the wastewater plant is currently at 50% capacity, and if it gets to 85%, an engineering study is required to develop a plan for future users. Jim returned to the November 11 meeting to continue the discussion. At that meeting, Jim announced that, on top of the 50% reimbursement for the engineering study, the State will loan the rest at no interest, and not require any payments for five years. The discussion then continued around grants and replacing water pumps. Fred asked if the pumps had outlived their normal life and Jim replied that St Johnsbury has some pumps that are 40 years old. He noted that each of Cabot’s stations has a backup. Then Mike brought up a new piece of information about Cabot Creamery and their interest in taking advantage of the extra capacity and pumping some of their wastewater into the system. Jim noted the current used capacity is around 50%, but he has concerns about what the Creamery would add to the system. He mentioned the system wasn’t designed to handle dairy waste, specifically high fat content. The board concurred the engineering study needs to be done first before any proposal from the Creamery could be considered.

JANUARY 2022 IS NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

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Public Parking Policy

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The issue of the use of town-owned parking lots for public parking has been a topic of discussion at various town committee meetings and Selectboard meetings, as reported by the Chronicle in the October 2021 issue. The Selectboard returned to the subject at their October 19 meeting. Mike Hogan started the discussion by stating they wanted to develop a temporary public parking policy until the Planning Commission can come up with new language for the zoning bylaws for Town Meeting vote. According to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT), “a policy is a course of action, guiding principle, procedure, or strategy that is adopted by a municipal public body. Policies are executive in nature and are oriented inwards to guide internal decision-making processes. Generally, policies apply to employees, town facilities or the public body itself.” Mike read from the proposed policy and said that Jenn Miner, chair of the Planning Commission, had put the language together. He read, “authorizes utilization of parking areas on municipal

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Child Care in Vermont

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The topic of child care was brought to the Selectboard by representatives of the School Board at the November 9 meeting. Frank Kampf spoke as the representative of the School Board. He started the discussion by explaining child care had been discussed at School Board meetings, and at the last meeting, it was concluded the topic was beyond their purview and they wanted to present it to the Selectboard. Frank noted the Cabot Creamery had representatives at their meeting, as well as representatives from “Let’s Grow Kids”. He explained the Creamery expressed a need for both affordable housing and child care to attract employees. He continued by explaining that Let’s Grow Kids works with programs and businesses to start up child care. Frank noted the need for “birth to preK” and after school child care. He added the school is expanding after school programs to help fill the need for child care,. He had also seen information about the library expanding after school programs. Frank relayed that during the School Board’s discussion of child care, the question “does the school even have capacity, if they so choose, to have a daycare.” He reported the school doesn’t have space nor the budget to support a child care program. The idea of being a landlord for a child care business had been discussed, but given the space limitations, it was not possible. He noted the School Board concluded the idea was beyond their purview. However, as one of the larger employers in town, the school has an interest in child care much like the Creamery. Frank mentioned that Let's Grow Kids spoke of ARPA funds being usable for child care. He noted the first hurdle was 2021/January 2022 - Page 5

residing, doing business, and visiting of our town. members informed about issues via Zoom for those who would like to or you can call the Town Clerk's office

properties located at 3048 Main Street (Willey Building) and 39 Main Street (Masonic Hall) in the village of Cabot. Parking at these properties is permitted outside of the hours of operation for the current occupants of these properties.” Jenn added that she thought they should address that when a business is having an event, they should have some sort of sandwich board telling people where to park. She clarified that it could be just something the town implemented and doesn’t need to be in the policy. Mike pointed out they can change the sign in the parking lot, and Ian Ackermann added that the side of the lot could be indicated as public parking and in the back the signs could state the space was for Willey building parking when it is open. Matt Nally brought up the issue of overnight parking. Mike proposed a change to the policy wording to indicate “any vehicles shall not be left overnight.” The board approved a motion to adopt the policy with the one line change. The full text of the policy is available from the Town Clerk, as it is not posted on the web site at the time of this writing.

finding a physical location, and then Let’s Grow Kids would be able to work with the community to find an operator. Mike Hogan asked about the two vacant buildings mentioned in the handout Frank responded by stating the brown building owned by the CCA, and the building owned by the town that has been a possible site for a new fire station, are two known buildings that are vacant in the village. Frank then discussed a proposal to the Selectboard for a work group that had representation from the major interested parties as a community effort. The members could include the School Board, the Selectboard, CCA, Creamery, and PTO. They could be tasked with determining a viable location used for a child care facility and exploring the possibility of a public/ private partnership, where the town might own the building and a company or non-profit would run the child care - much in the same way Faith in Action has used the Masonic Hall over the years. Mike asked how the child care would be sustained over time. Frank answered that it would be the responsibility of the operator. Mike stated he thinks child care is important, and he can see a need for it, but he voiced concern over the requirements for running a child care facility. Frank addressed that concern by saying Let’s Grow Kids would help find the operator and help get the facility licensed. Frank concluded that he felt the next step was deciding if this is something worth looking into, and if so, getting a group of people interested and representative of the town to start the process. Mike said he would check into the possibility of ARPA funding being used for child care, and that they will discuss this as a board in future meetings.

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Year in Review (First

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer This is a summary of the actions taken by the Selectboard over the first half of 2021. The record of all meetings are the minutes, which are posted on the town website. It should be noted that minutes from some meetings are missing on the website. To show the record, this article quotes all motions as recorded in the posted minutes. Vermont Secretary Open Meetings: According to the of State Guide to

The open meeting law requires that minutes “give a true indication of the business of the meeting,” covering all topics that arise. must include: At minimum, minutes the names of all members of the public body who are present at the meeting; the names of all other active participants; all motions, proposals, and resolutions made, and their dispositions; and the results of all votes, with a record of individual votes if roll call is taken. 1 V.S.A. § 312(b)(1). This article covers motions made by the board that carried but does not cover motions that involve town meeting articles, appointments, agendas, and minutes. Elections - Due to the pandemic a number of actions were taken by the board regarding elections. In January the board passed a motion to eliminate all town meeting voice votes: “Mike motioned that all positions normally voted on Town Meeting and utilizing a voice vote from the floor shall be cancelled for the 2021 Cabot Town Meeting due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. Those positions and their terms shall be extended one year until Town Meeting 2022. Positions extended are as follows: Lister, Delinquent Tax Collector, Grand Juror, Cemetery Commissioners, Library Trustee, Recreation Committee, CCIF, and Willey Building, with a second by Ruth. ” Another motion was passed later in the discussion but is not clearly documented and the preceding text doesn’t indicate what the motion was about: “ Mike wants to vote on the motion.” Regarding mail-in ballots, the board took the following action: “ A motion was made by Fred that we mail them to all registered voters with a second by Mike.” Highway - a number of actions were taken by the board concerning the maintenance of roads and highway equipment. Initially, the board took action to hire someone to do town property plowing: “ Ruth moved that we hire someone specifically to plow Recycle Center, Willey Building, Masonic Hall, and sidewalks and hydrants. Mike seconded.” But this was rescinded by the board at a later meeting: “ Rescind snow plowing motion – A motion was made by Mike with a second by Matt.” The board also took action to authorize an upgrade to one of the trucks: “ Aldo’s truck can have a brake box for around $300 so he can then use his truck for hauling a trailer.... Fred approved that we put the box on with a firm quote of not more than $300 with a second by Matt.” The board also had to authorize paying for repairs for the grader, which broke down during the summer: - Page 6

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Water/Wastewater

spent a lot of time this - The board past year talking about repairs and upgrades to the water and wastewater plant. During the first half, they took action regarding the rate paid by users. “ A motion was made by Fred that we increase the base fee from $110 to $130 with a second by Mike.” Additionally, changes to the contract with the company that maintains the facilities were approved: “ H2O Innovations (formerly Utility Partners) has asked for an Increase with it being retro back to July. A motion was made by Ruth with a second by Mike to accept this increase.” and “ New Addendum to Contract Betty went over the contract and the increase over the next five years. A motion was made by Fred and Second by Mike.” Library - The pandemic restricted usage of the library for the residents of Cabot, and the library sought ways to provide services under pandemic limitations. Thus, the library requested permission from the board for outdoor programs: “Library proposal for outdoor gathering for preschool children approval:. A motion was made by Fred to approve this program with a second by Ian.” “Library proposal for a story walk: A motion was made by Fred with a second by Ian to approve the walk.“ Health Orders - The board tackled a health issue with a property in Cabot and had several discussions over several meetings. One action was taken during the first half of 2021: “Betty discussed the health order that we now have. We have noticed that someone is living in the second floor. A motion was made by Ruth to discuss this with the attorney with a second by John.” Masonic Hall - The board had been discussing selling the Masonic Hall to Faith-in-Action. They put an article on the 2021 Town Meeting Ballot which failed to pass, but have sought other ways of selling the building. At the same time, Faith-in-Action is a tenant paying rent, with an annually renewed lease: “Fred and Mike went to see Cynthia Stuart for Faith in Action contract. Fred believes that $850.00 is more than fair. The building is in good condition. Mike moved that we have the contract be level funded for the following year with a second by Fred.” After a discussion with Faith-in-Action, the board took action regarding an appraisal: “Masonic Hall Building Discussion held on June 4 – we would have to have the building appraised would be the first step. A motion was made by Fred to appraise the building, with a second by Matt.” Events & Permits - The board is responsible for approving Liquor Licenses and some events held in the town. The following actions were taken by the board during the first half of 2021: “Approval of Liquor License – Harry’s Hardware and Searles Village Store Liquor and Tobacco: A motion was made by Fred with a second by John.” “Green-Up Day – A motion was made to have John to Green Up Day. A motion was made by Fred and a second by Ian.” “Ride the Ridges, September 12, 2021… Mike motioned that the Ride the Ridges would comply with the governor’s orders and dependent on changes in the pandemic. A motion was made by Ian and a second by Fred to approve the Ride the Ridges for 2021.” Rights-of-Way - The board is responsible for all town property, which includes the rights-of-way along all town roads. The following actions were taken by the board during the first half of 2021: “Moving of Two Poles – A motion was made by Ruth with a second by Matt that we accept these changes with Green Mountain Power, put guards around the anchor and reflective tape for visibility at night, motion carried.” “Washington Electric Permit for Right of Way on West Hill Pond. A motion was made by Fred with a second by Matt to approve the Right of Way” Town Properties - The board must approve all sales of town property, and during the first half of 2021, one property was sold: “Bid Opening – We had a bid opening for the Grader Shed that is presently owned by the Town of Cabot. The bids were due at 5:00 p.m. on February 23, 2021. Betty stated that we received only one bid and that was from Dan Dunham. Betty opened the bid from Dan and it was in the amount of $56,000. A

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Cabot Community Theater

See St. George battle a dragon! Enjoy some foolishness and rollicking fun, with the return of Cabot Community Theater’s Mummers’ Play at Cabot’s Twelfth Night Celebration! A mummers’ play is a comedic skit from England, with stylized characters full of bravado and gumption, often performed at solstice, Christmas, or Twelfth Night celebrations. Our play will contain some parts you may remember from 2020, mixed with newly created material to keep you on the edge of your seat!

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and select Cabot Community

motion was made by Mike with a second by Ruth to accept the bid.” Taxes - The board is responsible for approving loans and approving changes to the grand list, which is used for property tax calculations. The following actions were taken by the board during the first half of 2021: “ Line of Credit paperwork – this will take the place of our Tax Anticipation Note. We will renew it through Community National Bank at 1.05% and will use only as needed. A motion was made by Fred with a second by Matt.” “Jan 8. Errors and Omission – two cases that need to change. Mike and Ruth approved; motion by certificate – Mike, second Fred” Executive Sessions - The board entered executive session twice in the first half of 2021. According to the Guide to Open Meetings, “a motion must be made in open session that indicates its reason for doing so....” The following lists the executive session motions: 1/5/21 - “ A motion was made by Mike to go into Executive Session with a second by Ruth .” 2/16/21 - “ Executive Session – legal matter – A motion was made by Mike to go into Executive Session with a second by Ruth. ” Actions cannot be taken during executive session, and must be done after returning to an open meeting. However, no actions were recorded after these executive sessions.

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at the

Cabot Community Theater will be performing our own version of this traditional fare at the upcoming Twelfth Night festivities on January 8 at noon, kicking off the family-friendly performances in the Willey Building. Admission for all events is free! Masks will be required at the indoor performances, as well as either proof of vaccination or a n e g a t iv e C O V I D te s t . If you’d like to join our merry band of performers, you can contact Karen Mueller-Harder at karen@praxisworks.org or

have a small number of masked rehearsals in late We will distanced, December/ early January, and we’d love to have you involved!

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Letters to the Editor

Dear Friends, Cabot Arts has been bringing concerts and arts programing to our fair village since 2013. In 2019 when I took over as (an unsalaried) Executive Director, my goal was to offer a greater variety of arts programs to as wide a spectrum of Cabot -area residents as possible. Since then, we have offered music classes, concerts, the Fall Foliage Variety Show, and in January 2020, the first Cabot Village 12th Night Celebration. We have run all these events by selling admission tickets, some small grants, donations and local business sponsorships - all of which we are extremely grateful for. It is undisputed that arts experiences are not only good for your health, The Arts benefit community well-being and the local economy as well. Next July, Cabot Arts will be hosting its first Cabot Arts and Music Festival. We also hope

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VT Commission on Women

Sarah Launderville, Executive Director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living, moderates this dialogue with guests Deborah Lisi-Baker, Winnie Looby, Cara Sachs, and Laura Siegel in the new podcast in the Vermont Commission on Women's (Un)Equal Pay Day series. Introduced by VCW's Executive Director Cary Brown, this episode explores equity and employment through the lens of women with disabilities. In addition to sharing personal experiences, each of the guests is engaged professionally in disability rights in Vermont and brings that expertise to this discussion. Deborah Lisi -Baker was in leadership positions at UVM's Center for Disability and Community Inclusion and as Executive Director for the Vermont Center for Independent Living. Winnie Looby, Ph.D. is a UVM faculty member at the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion in the College of Education and Social Services. Cara Sachs is a Vermont Center for Independent Living Americans with Disabilities Act Advocate and a personal life coach. Laura Siegel is the Vermont

3075 Main St.,

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Pay Podcast Conversation

State Director of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Services. Equal Pay Day is a symbolic day chosen to illustrate the point into the current year to which women must work to earn as much money as men made in the year before, due to the gender wage gap. With these video podcast conversations, VCW hopes to raise awareness about pay equity, and the ways racism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism intersect, creating much larger wage gaps for women of color, women living with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Another goal of the project is to listen to women about their experiences with pay inequity, how it impacts them, and what they think could help. Watch this video podcast on YouTube, or listen on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts. The Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) is an independent non-partisan state commission working to advance rights and opportunities for women and

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Free skates and equipment, and

no admission fee : the rink has a large stock of good skates in most sizes, sharpened each season. Skates are kept in the skate shed: find your size, have fun, and

also keep hockey goals and sticks at the HOURS: rink. The rink is free and open to everyWed: starting in January one, including visitors. Spectate: there are benches at the Thurs: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. rink; come on down to cheer on the figure Fri: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. skaters and the hockey players! Sat: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Donate: you can donate skates and other equipment in good condition. We may also have a fundraiser drive this year; stay tuned. to preorder Sunday Take Home Meals especially for daily maintenance: shoveling, snowplowing, and tidying up of supplies. We also need help with social media and fundraising. To volunteer, contact Susan Socks at cabotfarm@gmail.com.

Be a part of the fun, any way you want. Thanks for supporting our community rink! For more information, check out facebook.com/CabotRink, or contact Susan Socks cabotfarm@gmail.com.

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CV Fiber Update

by CV Fiber website: cvfiber.net

The work of providing fast Internet to our 21 member communities is off to a strong start with progress to report in many areas. First, the headlines. The Vermont Community Broadband Board has approved a $2.8 million preconstruction grant for CVFiber.  The pole inventory in the first five communities is more than 50% complete.  The pole inventory will begin in 12 more towns in November.  The network high-level design is on track for completion by the end of this year.  CVFiber is seeking $3.5 million from member community ARPA grants in 2022. CVFiber’s 2021 Annual Report and 2022 budget are posted on our website.  CVFiber is evaluating bids to operate the network and is negotiating contracts for accounting and auditing services. Twelve communities are targeted for construction and service in 2022.

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Another $2.8 million is on its way

On October 18, the Vermont Community Broadband Board unanimously approved CVFiber’s application for a $2.8 million preconstruction grant. (The VCBB oversees dispersing federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for broadband service.) This is our single biggest grant to date — in fact, it’s bigger than all our previous grants combined. The money will cover the rest of the pole inventory, and both high-level and detailed design for 17 of our member communities but does not include the make-ready work described in the next section. This grant is a huge step toward actual construction and the provision of Internet service in 2022.

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Pole Inventory

Work is more than 50% complete for the pole inventory in the initial group of five towns: Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Moretown and Worcester. The inventory will soon spread to 12 additional communities: Barre Town, Cabot, Duxbury, Elmore, Marshfield, Northfield, Orange, Plainfield, Roxbury, Washington, Williamstown, and Woodbury. That work is likely to begin in November and should be complete by the end of the year. CVFiber must gather precise information on each pole’s location, condition, and available connections to design and build the fiber network. This includes

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Willey Building

Cabot Arts Show and Tell invites things we can see) of all kinds to afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 in the works presented and happenings in - Page 8

poles on private property. Crews will attempt to contact you if they need to enter your property; they are wearing bright construction vests and their vehicles display CVFiber magnetic signs. “We are finding that most poles will require some make-ready work,” said CVFiber project manager Jerry Diamantides. The prep work may be as simple as clearing brush, or as effortful as replacing entire poles. This is not unexpected; Jeremy Hansen, chair of the CVFiber Governing Board, noted that pole improvement is built into the cost projections for the preconstruction process.

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High-Level Design

The engineering firm Vantage Point Solutions is more than 20% done with the high-level design of the entire CVFiber network and should be finished by the end of 2021. The network design is being done in two phases. First, the high-level design will map out the structure of the system. Then, a detailed design will include specific “service drops” to each address. That design should be done in early 2022.

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Seeking Community Support

The construction of the CVFiber Community Network is dependent on grant funding for construction and for lower subscription rates. While CVFiber anticipates the Vermont Community Broadband Board will provide a significant construction grant for 2022, it falls millions of dollars short from the estimated costs to construct the network in the twelve communities in Areas A and B. CVFiber is seeking $3.5 million in contributions from these communities in 2022. Members of CVFiber’s Governing Board are approaching their towns to seek a portion of each community’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The more grants we receive, the less money we’ll have to borrow. That will keep down the cost of subscription rates for CVFiber’s 100/100 Mbps Internet service. Board members are getting a warm welcome from town officials. “My Select Board was very excited about how things are going,” said Siobhan Perricone, delegate from Orange and Vice Chair of CVFiber’s Governing Board. In many cases, town leaders themselves suffer from slow Internet or even none at all. They are especially eager for CVFiber to succeed. If you share that view, please reach out to your elected officials, and tell them that fast Internet needs to be a priority.

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Cabot Tree Warden

Winter is an enjoyable time to get out and work or play in the woods here in Cabot. While recreating or doing woodlot chores this winter, be mindful of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and please look at the ash trees for signs on infestation. Presence of EAB is indicated by woodpecker fletching, bark damage, and insect galleries beneath the bark layer. The Cabot Conservation Committee is working with the Selectboard on an Ash Tree Management Plan for Cabot’s roadside trees, but this plan only pertains to the ash trees in the town road right of way. Landowners are responsible for ash trees on private roads and privately owned land. In Cabot we are fortunate enough to have landowners who are willing to allow us to recreate using trail networks on their private property, please respect that privilege and let them know if you see signs of EAB damage on the ash trees present on their property. Landowners working in their woodlots will need to practice safety more than ever before working around infested Ash trees. Ash trees typically succumb to EAB’s damaging effects over two to three years’ time, becoming extremely dangerous after dying. I cannot stress enough the importance of a handson chainsaw safety training course such as the Game of Logging by the safety and efficiency training company, Northeast Woodlands Training. The four levels, four days training course is a comprehensive training for chainsaw safety and tree felling using a system developed by the late Soren Eriksson, originally from Sweden. The techniques developed by Soren Eriksson will help you work more efficiently in your woodlot and improve your level of safety at the same

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Cabot Conservation Committee

Birds generally do fine feeding themselves, but if we feed them thoughtfully, we can enjoy watching them at home. The varieties of birds we attract depends on the food we offer and how we present it, as well as the location and the time of year. Seeds such as black oil sunflower, nyjer or thistle, millet, peanuts, and cracked corn are commonly available and liked by many birds. Mixes provide variety and are often less expensive, but picky birds may toss the seeds they don’t like on the ground. Suet, usually sold in blocks with seeds mixed in, attracts woodpeckers and other insect-eating birds. Store seed in closed containers in a cool dry place to avoid mold and attracting mice or other varmints. Feeders come in many forms, some for general use and some for particular seeds such as thistle. Generally, putting different seeds in different feeders avoids waste. Some birds feed in trees, some in shrubs and some on the ground, so having feeders at different levels attracts

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T REE W ARDEN

time. The first safety issue stressed in the course is wearing proper PPE any time you are operating a chainsaw, with no exceptions! The recommended PPE includes steel toe logging boots, cutting chaps, gloves, and safety helmet with face shield. A chainsaw is an extremely dangerous tool - these are the minimum to afford an adequate level of safety working in the woods. In this training course, participants are taught many cutting techniques; later, participants use these techniques to fall trees under the supervision of the instructor. Before cutting a tree, participants are required to “make a felling plan” for cutting the tree. The system uses five steps for a felling plan. These include assessing hazards present, tree lean, escape route, hinge information, and back cut plan. To properly assess a tree with this system, one would likely notice an ash tree that has been infested and compromised by EAB. If an ash tree has been killed by EAB, the option of using a machine to take it down becomes the preferred method for all but trained professionals, as EAS killed ash trees are extremely brittle. A note to landowners: This winter would be the time to take down ash trees on your property before EAB infests them, especially if they will be sawn into lumber. If concerned about your skill level and felling an ash tree close to structures on your property, please consider calling a tree service for the tree removal. Below is a link for upcoming trainings. Vermont Coverts Cooperators host trainings, though none are shown on the Vermont Covert’s online event calendar at this time.

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Time

Finch on feeders. Photo by Dawn Andrews

different birds. Hang suet feeders out of the reach of dogs. Mold from damp or old seed can harm birds, so scrub feeders at least twice per year with dish soap and hot water and/or a 10% bleach solution. Be sure to rinse the feeders thoroughly and dry in the sun before using or storing them. Domestic cats kill hundreds of millions of birds in the United States every year. Bells on collars don’t work, so keep your cats inside or don’t feed the birds. (see ‘Conservation Corner’, page 9)

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Drawing Club (Ages 12-14)

Wednesday, January 12 - Wednesday, February 16 - 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Do you love reading graphic novels or drawing your own characters, storyboards or comics? Do you want to talk with other comic-loving kids? Then come join us as we explore new titles and revisit old favorites!

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Community Service Program (Ages

15-18) Second and Fourth Thursday of the month - 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 13 - Thursday, March 24 Learn techniques to calm your mind, relax your body. Get involved in community service projects that make an impact! Hours can count toward H.S. community service requirements.

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January.

Donations - If you have any materials or a particular skill set that you would like to donate or share, please email amandaotto.cabotlibrary @gmail.com or call the Cabot Public Li-

Cabot Book Group – The new series will be African American Experience: The Harlem Renaissance, and will be facilitated by Vermont Humanities Council scholar Gina Logan. All are welcome! “During the 1920s, New York’s Harlem neighborhood hosted an explosion of African-American cultural expression. This series features a history of the era alongside texts that have come to define it.” The schedule is as follows: Thursday, Dec 16 – 2pm When Harlem was Vogue – David Levering Lewis Thursday, Jan 27 – 2pm Selected Poems of Langston Hughes – Langston Hughes Thursday, February 24 – 2pm Plum Bun – Jesse Redmond Fauset Thursday, March 24 – 2 pm Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston In addition to the many new children’s books for you to enjoy over the holidays, check out some of our new adult selections:  Apples Never Fall – Liane Moriarty

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Conservation

(continued from page 8) Squirrels won’t hurt the birds, but they eat a lot of seed. mounted feeders at least Place pole10’ from trees or shrubs and put a cone-shaped baffle at least 17” in diameter on the pole. You can also try feeding the squirrels somewhere else. Window collisions , which injure or kill many birds, are unlikely if feeders are placed within three feet of windows. Decals, mobiles or ribbons can alert

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N EWS

 The Magician – Colm Toibin  Billy Summers – Stephen King  Oh William! - Elizabeth Strout  Blind Tiger – Sandra Brown  On Animals – Susan Orlean  The Book of Form and Emptiness – Ruth Ozeki  Sankofa – Chibundu Onuzo  Child of Light – Terry Brooks  Silverview – John Le Carre  Crossroads – Jonathan Franzen  We Are Not Like Them – Christina Pride  Daughter of the Morning Star – Craig Johnson  Never: A Novel – Ken Follett  Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead  Bewilderment – Richard Powers  The Judge’s List – John Grisham  The Wish – Nicholas Sparks  State of Terror – Hilary R. Clinton/Louise Penny  The Cannabis Encyclopedia – Jorge Cervantes  The Madness of Crowds – Louise Penny  Hunt, Gather, Parent – Michaeleen Doucleff  Harlem Shuffle – Colson Whitehead  A Carnival of Snackery – David Sedaris  Mercy – David Baldacci  Monster in the Middle – Tiphanie Yanique  Seed Money : Monsanto’s Past and our Food Future – Bartow Elmore  Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy – Nathaniel Philbrick  Unbound: My Story of Liberation and Rebirth of the Me Too Movement – Tarana Burke  Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury – Evan Osnos  Shadow Captain, Bone Silence, Revenger — Alastair Reynolds Thanks to a grant from Vermont Afterschool, the library was able to hire The Foundry – https://thefoundryvt.org/ a community-based workshop and makerspace in Lyndonville, to build a new message board for the Cabot Rec Field, where Story Hour has been held over the summer and fall months. Thanks especially to Paul Wade for facilitating the work and to Paul Wade, Jim Schenck and John Grosvenor for installing the new message board. Big shout out to Ila Steinert, Grace Hoffman, Beth Wade and Vicky Palmer for their many hours of volunteer work cataloging new items and helping to rearrange and weed the collection. Many thanks to the Friends of the Library – Sandy Atkins, Mary Lou DeLacy, Beth Wade and Janet Westervelt for funding a Solo stove for use in our outdoor winter programming. Thanks so much also to the Library Trustees for their ongoing work for the library: ,Linda Gabrielson, Jeannie McCallum, Angela Ogle, Kurt Steinert and Beth Wade and our new student representative, Ila Steinert. See you at the library! Kathleen Hoyne – Library Director Amanda Otto – Youth Librarian

birds to the glass. Bird netting hung in front of windows works well and does not impair your view of the birds. Bears that learn to eat from our feeders can cause problems for us and the bears—including the necessity of euthanizing them. They should be hibernating now, but be sure to remove feeders by the end of March or earlier if there are extended warm spells. For more information, try the Cabot Public Library or websites such as Audubon or Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

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Thurs. 3-6; Sat. 9-1

jaquithpubliclibrary.org

jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com Dear Readers, In October we had a Pumpkin Celebration with a book and bake sale on Saturday, October 23rd. Twenty-eight kids and adults decorated pumpkins and made lanterns and 98 people went on a pumpkin walk during the day into the night. We sold $ 305 worth of books and bake sale treats. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the event a success, especially the six students from Twinfield who helped during the day and into the night.

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Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

Welcome to our new Youth Services and Outreach Librarian: Sasha McGarvey. She has two children and comes with a wealth of experience and ideas. She is motivated to provide Covid safe and engaging programming for kids of all ages in our community! Get ready for some fun with Sasha during story and activity time. These science, art, and nature-based programs will encourage creativity, exploration and time for parents and caregivers to share child rearing practices and challenges. We will start with outside programming, eventually moving inside when it is safe to do so. Please bring masks to wear while Covid numbers are still high in our community.

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MEALS ON WHEELS

Twin valley Senior Center in East Montpelier Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning delivering people in your community. The meals are a combination frozen and follow nutritional guidelines and client requirements. drivers are on the road by 9:30 a.m. to deliver the meals About 1,000 meals are delivered each month, so the Twin Valley Senior Center serves the people of Cabot, Woodbury by providing a gathering place to socialize, and on-site meals, just to mention a few. Our goal well-being of senior age citizens. If you or someone you know might benefit from meal for volunteers, so keep us in mind. 2021/January 2022 - Page 9

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Public Library

-built Snow Sculpture & Painting Garden. Snowshoe, ski or walk between each one and take a break for hot cocoa and wrapped refreshments. If you want to build a sculpture or do a snow painting the day of the celebration, call the library and sign right up! It will be fun to see people building.

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Visit our Self-Guided Storywalk!

Laminated pages from a children's book are attached to wooden stakes, which are installed along the Marshfield recreation trail. As people walk down the trail they are directed to the next page of the story. We will change the story every few weeks to pique people’s interest in the project and get everyone walking and reading until the snow gets too deep.

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Makerspace Kits, Games and Puz-

zles Available for Checkout! STEAM-focused catalogued and Makerspace ready for kits checkout! Robotics kit, snap circuits electricity kit, friendship bracelets kit, origami/ Calligraphy kit, toothpick/play dough building kit, pattern block kit, marble run kit and bird watching kit. We also have games, puzzles, snow shoes and more. For a full list and description of Maker kits, click the link and scroll down: https://www.jaquithpubliclib rary.org/new-and-featured-kids.html

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Storytime To Go!

We have storytime kits you can check out and bring home. Each bag contains several books (both fiction and nonfiction titles) with instructions for a related craft or activity, and supplies. Themes available are Snow, Moon, Owls, Transportation, Pumpkins/ Harvest, Butterflies, Music and Dance, Gratitude, Friendship, and Bedtime. Have a theme you'd like to see? Let Sasha, our youth librarian, know: jaquithyouth@gmail.com.

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Available for Sign-Out

We now have a wood moisture meter available for patrons to check the moisture content of their firewood. Wood with moisture content of 20% or less burns hotter, creates more heat, and emits less harmful smoke. Sign out our meter to check your woodpile and see https:// dec.vermont.gov/wood-burning for additional information on clean wood heating. Sincerely, Susan Green, Director Jaquith Public library

is busy every meals to of hot and The and smiles. need is real. Calais, East Montpelier, Marshfield, Plainfield and with activities that include art and exercise classes, is to enhance the social, emotional and physical

delivery please contact us. We are always looking

or twinvalleyseniors@myfairpoint.net.

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Grades 5 and 6:

Kaydance Rathburn, Owen Maxfield, Amyra Simmons I began the year hopeful that this year would represent a return to “normal” for Cabot School. I began the year hopeful that we would see students every day and that COVID-19 was a thing of their past. While we continue to navigate disruptions in learning, our community in school is vibrant and learning. December and January seem like important times to reflect on and reconnect with hope and new beginnings. Students in high school ended their first trimester project studios with two exhibitions. Banned The first exhibition about Books was presented to the school faculty and staff. Students read, analyzed, and assessed books that were on the Banned Book list to form their own opinion. Students in the State of the System class hosted a community conversation about small and doable ways to positively impact climate change in our community. Thank you for all of those who responded to their survey. Students were incredibly excited to see

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Cabot Harvest Hub

by Elizabeth Vitale The Cabot Harvest Hub has finished it’s Summer Pilot program. The results are in, and overall, the program was a success! Producer participation increased over the course of the program from 21 Producers on opening day (June 28) to 38 Producers at the end of the pilot (November 13). Membership increased from a beginning of 59 to over 130 at the end of the season. The overall number of products increased from 121 to 387 and sales grew in an upward trajectory. Through the support and participation of our community, the Cabot Harvest Hub was able to pay local farmers and artisans $7,445 during the summer season. And another Cabot venue has been created for friends and neighbors to meet on Saturday mornings at the Masonic Hall. We are grateful to Faith in Action for stepping in to shepherd the project forward as part of its evolving mission. The Cabot Harvest Hub is a wonderful example of how we can all work together to grow our local economy and support our local producers! Because of the success of the summer pilot, the Cabot Harvest Hub is continuing through the winter with our Winter Market! With products from new producers including microgreens, handmade wreaths, and delicious donuts and many products from producers who have - Page 10

those responses and shape their research and suggestions to local ideas. I learned a lot about Forestry programs. Their brochures will be available locally. Be on the lookout for a book published by the “It’s all about the bike” class with stories, anecdotes, and a how-to guide about how to fix your bike. These projects begin much earlier in our first and second grades with their study of community. They created their own Village with a post office, town clerk, library, pet store, tea shop, and much more. This small village in their classroom was based on interviews, observations, and research they did by taking walks through the village. These first research skills build their own sense of community and citizenship and help them to feel truly a part of our Cabot community. Thank you to the Village business owners who welcomed them in. In all the grades in between students are learning creatively. At the time of this writing, our third and fourth grade students are beginning to work on a museum exhibition of their learning about Indigenous peoples and our fifth and sixth grade students are learning about Greek Mythology through their reading of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, after which they are planning to write and perform their own original play. We look forward to continuing to welcome community members in when we can and always, if you have questions, please feel free to reach out and set up a time to visit.

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Pilot Results

been with us from the beginning including meats, breads, and prepared meals, there has never been a better time to check out the Hub. And with the holiday season upon us, be sure to check out the Hub for local foods, handcrafted gifts and cards, and festive items to add something special to your holiday table!

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Cabot School Board Chair

At our September board meeting, the School Board voted unanimously to join the Coalition for Vermont Student Equity. This coalition is comprised of school districts around the state, ranging from Burlington and Winooski to Peacham and Cabot, and is advocating for the adoption of the Pupil Weighting Factors Report during the current, 2021/2022, legislative biennium. A legislative task force is currently looking at how to best implement the findings of this report. The ultimate goal is to correct the flawed formula that guides the distribution of education funds and sets our local tax rate. Cabot, like other districts, has been suffering for years under a system that applies incorrect and arbitrary “weights” to the equalized pupil count. Under the existing “weighting” students in different grades count anywhere from 0.46 to 1.14 equalized pupils. However, these weights are based on grade of enrollment, not actual student needs. In practice, this means we receive no consideration in funding for our above average special education needs – and pay the price at tax time. If adopted, the new “weighting” would finally give Cabot its fair share of an equitably distributed education fund. The recommendations of the UVM/ Rutgers study credit the actual needs of our student population and factor in our rural demographics. Some continue to believe Cabot School is inefficient and that our high per pupil spending is a consequence of size. However, the UVM/Rutgers report has validated what those of us crafting budgets know to be true: that student and community needs vary, with factors like poverty and the number of students requiring special services impacting what must be provided to meet basic student needs. To put this in context, more than 50% of our student body is eligible for free or reduced lunch, and more than 23% of our students require special services, compared to 16% statewide average. In 2019, despite making up just 10% of Caledonia Central Supervisory Union’s student population, we accounted for 17% of the Supervisory Union’s special education expenses. Critically, these are costs and needs that don’t disappear if we merge with another district or tuition kids out to other schools. Vermont school districts are responsible for the costs associated with their student population, period. Hence, the only solution is to fix the system of how funds are distribution and taxes are allocated. As a Board, we feel it is critical for taxpayers to become aware of this report and the proposed legislative changes. The consequences of this unfair system are real, inequitable, and unjust. As a board, we are not sitting by idly, and we encourage taxpayers to voice support for correcting pupil weights in the next legislative session to Senator Andrew Perchlik, who sits on the Task Force studying this issue, as well as Senators Pollina and Cummings, and Representative Pearl.

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COVID 19 and You

by Jennifer Miner In the past several weeks we have watched the number of positive COVID19 cases in Vermont increase by over 60% in the region. The number of positive smaller cases increase in Cabot but it has is still had a good a much time

to remind people that we are not out of the woods yet,

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T WIN V ALLEY S ENIOR C ENTER

 Free Door to Door Transportation  Free Tax Preparation  Health Clinics  Medical Equipment to Borrow  Monthly Newsletter  Meals – Every Mon., Wed. & Fri. 9 am-2 pm  Bingo & Games  Exercise-Bone Strengthen & Tai Chi  Entertainment, Parties and Celebrations 4583 U.S. Route 2 There are several factors that are likely contributing to the uptick in cases nationally. As we know from the past 21 months, cooler weather increases the risk of transmission because people move indoors for more activities. The vaccines were introduced in early 2021, which means many of those that were first vaccinated may be eligible and due for a booster. The mask mandate was lifted in the summer months, so fewer people are wearing masks when around others. As of this writing, the legislature is slated to hold a special session to discuss the option of having the municipalities be able to require masking within their region. This would be another tool in our local toolbox to help reduce the  Get tested if you have signs/ transmission of this virus. symptoms or think that you may As we enter the holiday season, many have been exposed to someone who are asking the tough questions about has tested positive for COVID-19. getting together with friends and family,  Practice good personal hygiene inand how to do so safely if they choose to? cluding frequent handwashing/hand According to the CDC (Centers for Dissanitizing. ease Control and Prevention) and the  Stay home if you are not feeling well. WHO (World Health Organization), the best way to protect yourself and others is Vermonters can continue to do as follows: what is right protect one another  Get Vaccinated /Get your booster and reduce community transmission by following these steps. when you are eligible.  Wear a mask when you are around Respectfully, others outside your household and/or Jennifer Miner are unable to social distance, espe- Emergency Management Director cially indoors. Town of Cabot

Sunday, November 28, 2021 To Monday, December 6, 2021

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It’s Inspection Time Again

by Cabot Board of Listers the one year mark, and need to be renewed. We can do a lot of work over the If you’ve received a permit from the phone, but new structures need to be Zoning Administrator in the last twelve measured from the outside. months to do work on your property, You can wait for us to call or email, or please work with us to update your par- you can just let us know the status of cel’s information by April 1. If your per- your permit work by either emailing us mit is older than twelve months, it at Lister@fairpoint.net or calling 802-

you’ve been working on it during the probably won’t have to deal with teleyear. Additionally, if you’ve torn down phone tag or unexpected site visits. Reany structures on your parcel, you want member, you pay our salaries, so the us to know that, too, so it can be re- quicker we can update your file, the less moved from your file and you won’t be taxpayer money we will waste chasing taxed on it. information, and the better it is for eveWhether you’ve merely started or ryone. you’re done, the Grand List needs to be Jeanne Johnson corrected to reflect any change as of Jacqueline Lumbra April 1 each year. Permits where no Brittany Butler work has begun are no longer valid at

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The Cabot Chronicle Submission Guidelines

The Chronicle welcomes letters written with an economy of words. The maximum length is recommended to be no longer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for clarity and length or returned to the author with suggestions for re-submittal. All letters and commentary published in The Cabot Chronicle represent the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of staff. The Cabot Chronicle reserves the right to reject letters that may contain unsuitable material for our readers. Letters will not be considered for publication unless signed and accompanied by a phone number. We will gladly consider articles and photographs for publication. The Cabot Chronicle is not responsible for errors in submitted material. Nor does The Cabot Chronicle assume responsibility for claims arising in connection with products or services advertised on these pages.

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Articles for Town

This year the planning commission for the Town of Cabot has been working on many projects, such as: clarifying terms and identifying outdated terms in the zoning regulations, reviewing the parking requirements for businesses in the Village Center, and working on a Village Center Designation renewal. The planning commission will be seeking voter approval to change the terminology of ZBA (Zoning Board of Adjustment) to DRB (Developmental Review Board) in the zoning bylaws to align with the current structure and practices that were approved in 2019. When making this change, we also will be correcting typographical errors that were missed during the proof reading of the current zoning . The next item that the planning commission will ask for the voters’ approval on is changing the current zoning regulations related to parking in the Village Center Designation. The goal of this change is to replace the short-term policy recently adopted by the Selectboard for the Town of Cabot with less restrictive parking requirements adopted into the zoning regulations. This will make

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Meeting

the Village Center area more appealing for future business opportunities. The final item the planning commission will ask the voters to support is amending the current Town Plan with the addition of a map that was not included by an oversight. By approving this article, the planning commission will be able to renew the Village Center Designation that has been in place for the past several years. There are benefits to having this designation, including points toward grants in the future and possibly tax benefits for some businesses. If this article is not approved, we will not be able to renew or reapply for this designation without a map. Public Meetings will be held in the future to allow all interested parties to discuss these articles and ask questions on their impact on Cabot for the future. We are eager to hear the voter’s feedback and address any questions or concerns related to these and other zoning related topics. Respectfully, Jennifer Miner Chair, Planning Commission Town of Cabot

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Budget:

The Selectboard is in the midst of constructing a town budget for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023). Various departments and committees that rely on funding have been giving presentations asking for appropriations to fund their particular areas of responsibility. We held our first budget working session on October 12 and have continued to have them two to three times per month when possible. The Library, Recreation Committee, Emergency Management, Highway Department, Listers, CCA, Cabot Chronicle, and Ambulance have shared their needs, and there are more to come as of the date of this article. We are trying to present to the voters a General Fund and Highway Budget that addresses the needs of the Town of Cabot while taking note of the tough economic times we are facing. Planning and allocating financial resources are a delicate balance with so many demands. We appreciate folks being involved in these discussions, as they are all public meetings and warned appropriately under the Open Meeting Law. The budget should be finalized in middle December to meet state required deadlines. More information to follow. ARPA: ( American Rescue Plan Act) Funds : The State of Vermont will receive over $200 million through the American Rescue Plan, with those monies distributed to towns and municipalities by population. Cabot will be receiving $428,361 (Town $150,017.55 and County Allocation $278,343.46) to be used for needs related to the COVID-19 emergency. One half of these funds has already been received by the town and sits in a separate account to be used for only ARPA disbursements. The remainder will be disbursed to the town of Cabot in the spring of 2022. To date, we have disbursed $20,000 to digitize our land records and will have them available on line for property inquiries, land sales and other uses. This is a big project in which the town clerk’s office did all the prep work of scanning thousands of documents to save money as this information is uploaded to the server. We will have further information coming out on this great addition to our vast land records database. The Selectboard is going to allocate funds for needed repairs to our water and wastewater systems. There have been requests from the Willey 2021/January 2022 - Page 13

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Update:

Building Committee to make needed ventilation and heating changes to the building. We have also been asked to allocate monies for electrical outlets on the common to be used for various events and festivals that require electricity. The Trails and Recreation Committee have also asked for money. All of these and future requests will have to be vetted to see if they meet the requirements of ARPA before any disbursement

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Water/Wastewater Information :

Utility Partners (H20 Innovation) of St. Johnsbury, who maintains our Water and Wastewater Systems, is recommending that various upgrades be made to the water and wastewater systems. The first upgrade will be to the Water System which incorporates our advanced ProControl SCADA PLC for primary process control and system monitoring, and interface with existing input/output devices and motor circuits. The monies to fund this upgrade will come out of the ARPA fund and is an acceptable use of this type of funding. This is a plus to the town, as no monies will have to come from our current water users. We are estimating that the cost will be around $28,450. The Wastewater Upgrades will be considered in the spring of 2022, which should amount to around $41,000. In addition, a long overdue engineering review or facility plan of the wastewater system plant needs to be done as soon as possible. The Town is contracting with the Dufresne Group to do the review, as required by the Agency of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation. The amount of the review is $48,750, for which the town has a 50% subsidy, and the remaining amount ($24,0000) will be loaned to us by DEC through a special fund and payable at 0% over 5 years.

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“What’s in a Name”

by Peter Dannenberg, Cabot Historical Society While I very much enjoyed Peter Dannenberg's article, "What's in a Name", being a local Land Surveyor, I think it is worth mention that, while there were in fact 72 equal Original Lots in Cabot, they were each one mile by one-half mile in size, and each contained a total of 320 acres, not 53.3 acres as the article states. Lisa Ginett, RLS

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John H. Senter

by Peter Dannenberg

John Henry Senter was born in Cabot, VT, in 1848. Both parents, Dearborn Bean Senter and Susan Chase (Lyford) Hatch Senter, had earlier marriages. Dearborn had eight children by his first marriage; Susan had four. They had two sons together. John's older brother, William Henry Harrison Senter, was born in 1840. William died in the Civil War, in 1863. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. John was too young to be a soldier. Young John went to common school in Cabot and high school at Concord, NH. He then taught 43 school terms to support himself and his mother. He studied law, largely while a teacher, finishing in the Montpelier office of Clarence Pitkin. Senter was admitted to the bar in 1879, at age 30. He started a legal practice in Warren, collecting debts. Ironically, he had difficulty collecting fees from some clients. Senter was a master of detail, who argued at length to win the day. He amassed a law library of over ten thousand volumes. His interests included education, law, and Shakespeare. He was active in politics, community groups and several Masonic organizations. In 1885, he moved his law office from Warren to Montpelier. Four years later, Senter and his law partner advertised, “lawyers, life, fire, and accident insurance, Remington typewriter agents, and law reporters for the Supreme Court of Vermont for Atlantic Reporter .” Senter was a Democrat, in an era when Republicans won every Vermont statewide election. For more than 20 years, he was Assistant Secretary or Secretary of the Democratic State Committee. Later he became Chairman of the State Committee and Vermont member of the National Democratic Committee. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention several times. Senter held many nonpartisan public offices, too. He was Superintendent of Schools in Warren and, later, in Montpelier. In those positions, he tested teacher candidates and selected textbooks. He encouraged failed teacher candidates to try again but rejected book salesmen who claimed he was “getting a special deal.” Senter fought long and hard for the Vermont Town School System. This law passed in 1892. The law merged hundreds of separate school districts into town districts, improved teacher training, and enacted a uniform state property tax, to equalize funding. It helped small, poor, rural towns. Wealthier, urban areas wanted to keep taxes in their own town. Senter was also longtime Secretary and a director of Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was National Bank Examiner in President Grover Cleveland’s first administration, 188589. In Cleveland's second administration, 1894-98, he became US Attorney for the District of Vermont. He had been US Circuit Court Commissioner until appointed US Attorney.

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Society

John H. Senter (US Attorney for Vermont) In 1898, he was unanimously elected Mayor of the City of Montpelier, reelected in 1899. Senter was Democratic candidate for Governor of Vermont in 1900. He got just over 25% of the vote. In 1906, he represented Montpelier in the State Legislature. In 1903, Senter, as President of the Vermont Bar Association, made an address, Was Shakespeare a Lawyer? By analyzing Shakespeare’s writing about law, for 60 detailed pages, he showed it unlikely that a trained lawyer was the author. A then-popular theory was Shakespeare was a pen name of Sir Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth’s legal advisor. In 1905, Senter revived the Shakespeare Club, a disbanded Montpelier literary society. Renamed “The Club,” its purpose was “...pursuit of ideas, a search for insights and meanings, and renewed acquaintance with events of the past...all with a cordial affiliation.” Each member presented one paper yearly on any topic, except religion or politics. Membership was for men, by invitation, for life, or until resignation. The Club met until 1994. Senter married Addie G. Martin of Warren in 1876. They had two sons and three daughters. John’s widowed mother lived with them until her death in 1904. John Henry Senter had a fatal heart attack in 1916 at age 67. He is in a family plot in Green Mountain Cemetery, Montpelier.

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← From the Cabot Chronicle