⚲  Open Saturdays 1–3 p.m. · 3216 Main Street, Cabot, Vermont Contact Us
Established for the People of Cabot

Cabot Historical Society

Preserving the history of Cabot, Vermont · Founded 1965

The Cabot Chronicle

October 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 October 2022 pages (PDF)

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

In This Issue

Two House Candidates:

(continued from page 1) this area, so I would support increasing the minimum wage to $15. 2. What will you do to support highquality affordable childcare? Alison Despathy: A family's ability to access high quality, affordable childcare is essential and top priority. In this situation, there needs to be a defining line between school and childcare. In the past several years, there has been intensive implementation of regulation on childcare facilities which forced many to close due to costs and in some cases unrealistic and unnecessary requirements. First, I believe this degree of regulation needs to be reevaluated. We absolutely need to ensure safe, comfortable and positive environments for our children and we also need to ensure that starting a childcare facility is realistic and attainable for those willing. every childcare facility has to be a Not school with an emphasis on education, licensed teachers and higher rates There is of course a place for this and it is an option however there are also many local families and retired individuals who, for affordable rates, are willing and able to help with childcare after school or even during the workday that would make a big difference for working parents. Seeking these types of community options that help children, allow extra income for those offering this service and overall build community is another path toward available and accessible, high quality, affordable childcare. Having a healthy snack after school and some outside play and relax time with a local family or community member is a viable option. Many families in the past have relied heavily on this method of childcare. There are Vermonters who would love to help and would benefit from some extra income today. This option should also be fostered and supported in my opinion. Additionally with regards to childcare centers and preschool, having taught in the Vermont State College system for over 20 years, I have had many early education students. The programs are in place at our local schools and creating clear paths and incentives for these students upon graduation is another method of helping to expand and ensure high quality childcare opportunities throughout our communities. Henry Pearl: We know there is a direct correlation between access to childcare and Vermonters entering the workforce. In order to fill the vacancies in our jobs market and improve the economy there must be adequate and affordable childcare. Families are constantly torn between working and raising children. I would support legislation that could im-

DEADLINE: 15th of the month prior to production

Coordinator: Jeannie Johnson

↑ contents

Cabot Chronicle Mission Statement:

prove access to high quality affordable childcare. 3. How can the State facilitate development of workforce housing? Alison Despathy : My thoughts on this are twofold. This past June, the Governor signed bill S.211 which dedicated 84.5 million dollars to Workforce Development. Ensuring that these funds are used wisely and as intended to help develop workforce housing, technical and trade programs and support overall workforce development for all Vermonters is critical at this time. There are many homes and buildings in this state that remain empty; private, business and available state funds to renovate and make housing available will be necessary to allow for the growth and support of the existing and any incoming workforce. There are also Vermont businesses who are in a position to develop and offer workforce housing and short term tax incentives to enable this action will also help to expand housing options. Finally – one of my goals if elected will be to work towards initiating and promoting conversations around sustainable living communities in which people and land can live together and mutually benefit each other. In this regard, Vermonters are offered safe, reliable shelter that does not compromise the environment and works with instead of against nature. This could be a possible solution to work with Act 250 regulations and expand our housing opportunities. There are integrated system designs and many talented Vermonters who could contribute input towards this potential goal to help the current workforce housing issue we face while simultaneously supporting the environment and encouraging stewardship.

↑ contents

Henry Pearl:

Like with most things, this is a complicated process. The legislature has allocated funds to VHCB and other housing programs to try and help. There have been some changes made to help local town governments improve zoning in hopes to improve development and access to housing in village centers. Going forward, the states best option may be help businesses connect and work with private developers and non profits to provide housing for their workforce. those need with There is funding available to entities and if businesses that workforce housing can collaborate them it may be the most viable option. 4. How can the aging school infrastructure be updated? Alison Despathy : See answer to question 5 below.

↑ contents

The Cabot Chronicle is a home-delivered

passed act 72 which in short is an attempt to collect all the data needed to thoughtfully solve this problem. It also tasks the secretary of education to update the school construction facilities standards by January 15, 2023 and also requires that an assessment of all school buildings be done so we know exactly what the needs are. There is much more to this, and could fill many pages, so I would encourage anyone interested in learning more to reach out and I can provide you with more in depth details of the process. 5. How can towns be supported for the added financial burden of maintaining roads with high industrial truck traffic?

↑ contents

Alison Despathy:

-I believe that the answers to questions number 4 and 5 are very similar. Our schools and roads are of the absolute utmost priority in our communities for reasons related to safety, healthy growth and development of people and communities, access, employment and the education of our children. At this time, Vermont has a very large bureaucracy and although many positions are justified and useful, this fact is also one of the reasons that towns do not see the state taxpayer or federal funding to the degree that they should. This situation needs to be reevaluated and there is much proposed legislation that must be scrutinized because it seeks to create more positions and grow the already large state bureaucracy. For example, if H.715, the Clean Heat Standard, had passed, $1,200,000.00 would have been funneled to the Public Utilities Commission for solely funding new positions in the first year. That is a tremendous amount of money that could offer meaningful on the ground benefits and services to Vermont towns. We need to ensure that the available funding is distributed appropriately and properly to towns and not hung up within the state bureaucracy. The schools and roads within our communities absolutely deserve more support; the money appears to be there and I will work to ensure it makes it to the towns. Despite the influx of federal relief funding, unfortunately the legislature did not disperse enough aid to these crucial infrastructure issues that many Vermont towns face. Prioritizing funding through all of the potential avenue streams will be essential to ensure that towns can cover these property infrastructure costs. I will absolutely work hard to get the towns and people the money they need to ensure that the children are in a safe and supportive environment in order to grow and thrive and that all residents can safely travel to and from their homes. I also believe strongly that if possible the work on this infrastructure maintenance should be offered to local

nine times a year and is provided locally

05647 ~ Published by the Cabot Community

express written permission from The Cabot Chronicle is contingent upon publisher’s approval and agreement claims based upon contents of advertising. Publisher does occupied by individual item in which the error appeared.

↑ contents

subscriptions $12.50 ~ www.cabotvermont.org

newspaper devoted to telling the contractors and tradespeople to help keep the local economy supported and circulating. There are many costs that could be reduced if working with local businesses during this process; there is also a lot to be said for community members investment in their town's success. With regards to specifically addressing towns with high industrial truck traffic, a percentage of the industrial/corporate state tax should be guaranteed back to these towns in order to maintain and repair damage from this degree of truck traffic. Henry Pearl: Trucks are obviously an important part of our local economy, but as a previous select board member I am aware of the challenges that are presented with heavy loads on our rural roads. There had been much work done to try and help our local municipalities to improve and maintain our roads. However maintaining roads here, with our topography and climate are challenging and expensive. I will continue to advocate for our small towns’ need for funding to maintain and improve our roads. 6. How can the State help towns deal with the budget impact of lowered CLAs created by the COVID-19 real estate surge? Alison Despathy: With regards to the common level of appraisal (CLA) which is an attempt to ensure that each town pays and receives an appropriate amount of education tax into and from the state Education fund, there will be impacts on access to funding and education tax rates related to recent real estate sales and how they compare to grand list values. This is compared and determined for each town in a yearly study known as the Equalization Study in which results are then used to determine the education tax rate and the amount of funding the town will receive from the state Education Fund. It is vital to look to Act 60, "The Equal Educational Opportunity Act" and the subsequent Acts 68 and 130 all of which map out this process. All of these Acts set an intention of achieving a statewide balance of educational funding available to each town regardless of their wealth. This essentially creates a pool of education funds that can then be equitably dispersed to all Vermont towns to help achieve and ensure equal opportunity to high quality education throughout the whole of Vermont. With the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting real estate surge from often out of state buyers purchasing property at higher than grand list rates within towns, an imbalanced and atypical CLA percentage will present which will then ultimately compromise the education tax rate as well as the town's available funding from the (see ‘Two House Candidates’, page 3)

free of charge.

↑ contents

Six Senate Candidates

(continued from page 1) make it easier for people to commute from home to work. Those are some of the simple issues. And an example of a more complex issue is the fact that a large percentage of homes in our state are 2nd homes that sit empty more than 80% of the time. This is housing stock that puts demands on our environment but does not provide housing for our people. This is an issue that may be beyond the scope of the legislature. Andrew Perchlik: The State is facilitating housing through several programs now, it just is not fast enough given the increased demand. I support increasing support for homeowners and landlords to renovate existing, but unoccupied houses/land, as a way to get new, affordable workforce housing units on the market quicker. Dwayne Tucker : Candidate declined to respond. Anne Watson : I would like to see the State make it easier for development to happen in already-impacted areas like downtowns. This means exempting downtowns from Act 250 (provided their local zoning has sufficient environmental protections), financially supporting refurbishment for second and third floors of downtown buildings, and making it easier for homeowners to add accessory dwelling units for infill development. 4. How can the aging school infrastructure be updated? Paul Bean: Candidate declined to respond. Ann Cummings: Schools presently can be updated through the local budgeting process. Schools bond for the amount needed and the bond gets paid off over the next twenty years. Under our present system of education funding, that payment will be part of the total cost of education and be shared by all taxpayers in the state. However, most of the burden will fall on local taxpayers. There are some equity issues involved because richer communities can better afford their share of the costs while poorer communities who can't, will help pay for it. The cost of remediating the present PCB testing in our schools is bringing this issue to the forefront. We have limited bonding capacity, but it may be time to set some of it aside for school upgrades. Dexter Lefavour: These are situations that must be resolved town by town with the available resources and supplemental resources from the state. Andrew Perchlik: I supported and helped pass the school infrastructure inventory and assessments that are the first steps. We should set-up financial structures (revolving loan fund, state backed bonds, others) of several hundred million dollars that will support cost effective renovations and repairs to schools. These projects should focus first on indoor air quality improvements. Dwayne Tucker : Candidate declined to respond. Anne Watson : This is really a question about money. I'd like to see the State either explore income-based education taxes or reform the tax code in such a way that second homeowners pay a higher property tax rate than primary residences as a mechanism to get the wealthiest Vermonters and out-of-state, second homeowners to pay their share. 5. How can towns be supported for the added financial burden of maintaining roads with high industrial truck traffic? Paul Bean: Candidate declined to respond. Ann Cummings: We need to look at our system of fees and state road payment to towns to ensure reimbursement is adequate to meet the needs of local communities Dexter Lefavour: It is my understanding that towns are currently assisted by the State for the maintenance of certain roads. If this particular instance is not specifically addressed by current policy, I would be interested in developing a proposal to include it. Andrew Perchlik: The state aid to municipalities for local roads is currently based only on miles of road. There could be an additional calculation that takes into account the use of local roads that benefit the State. Dwayne Tucker : Candidate declined to respond. Anne Watson : I am a fan of the models in which those responsible for damage pay their share. Therefore, I would like to see a financial mechanism that would require heavy, industrial trucks to pay more towards road repair. 6. How can the State help towns deal with the budget impact of lowered CLAs created by the COVID-19 real estate surge? Paul Bean: Candidate declined to respond. Ann Cummings: There is a three year rolling average to provide towns with some cushion in times of rapid change in their Grand Lists. The Real Estate market does fluctuate. The challenge is to develop a formula that smooths out the extremes. The Legislature regularly looks at the funding formula to ensure it is working fairly under the present reality. This is an issue for many towns and we will be looking at it again this year. If anyone at the town level has any suggestions, I would like to hear from them. It's the people who are actually doing the work that best understand what's happening. Dexter Lefavour: towns to absorb It's reasonable for modest shifts in tax rates. However larger adjustments from year to year should be moderated through state tax policy. Andrew Perchlik: property transfer The increase in the tax due to the real estate surge could perhaps be used to help with this. Dwayne Tucker : Candidate declined to respond. Anne Watson : In the short term, I'd like to see the State offer grants to municipalities to help with the reappraisal costs if the CLA is too low. As a larger solution, I'd like to see the State explore an income-based education tax, or taxing second homes at a different rate, as I mentioned above. 7. If elected, how will you solicit input from Cabot residents? Paul Bean: Candidate declined to respond. Ann Cummings: I attend local events and try to meet people personally. Last session, the Senate delegation held several Town Hall meetings via Zoom. They were well attended and I intend to continue them this session. I also rely on emails. I try to answer every one I receive from constituents in a timely manner. I also have a Facebook page. Dexter Lefavour: I may be reached by email at lefavourvt@gmail.com, phone at 802 279 3257, snail mail at 42 Dolan Road Middlesex VT 05602, or my website dexter4vt.com. I will routinely at-

↑ contents

Two House Candidates

(continued from page 2) statewide education fund. This could be detrimental for many towns who rely on this money to help ensure access to high quality education and affordable education tax rates. Because the yearly Equalization Study compares the grand list and sales prices for real estate over the prior three year period, hopefully this real estate and subsequent overpriced buying frenzy can be accounted for. If not, then weights of the three years could be adjusted in order to account for the COVID-19 real estate surge experienced in many parts of Vermont that are not reflective of the actual community level of prosperity and economic status. The other possible solution would be a waiting period to reassess the past two years' real estate surge with the next several years before forcing an appraisal on the town or a decrease in the state education fund allocated to towns who experienced these real estate surges. I also believe that in my experience and conversations there are actually not many legislators who truly understand Act 60. A reassessment of this Act and ensuring that rural communities that are not heavily financially prosperous are not left behind and can access funding to ensure their schools and children are properly supported is also a priority. There is a lot to this question but in the very least, there needs to be acknowledgment, time and study done to ensure the current CLA is reflective of the true needs and economic status of the towns because of what has played out with the movement of many from dense urban and suburban areas to the beautiful state of Vermont. No doubt this has resulted in real estate imbalances and we need to ensure that they do not harm our communities and local residents because of their direct effect on the CLAs. I thought this was an especially great question and it should be a high priority in the statehouse this session to ensure that high quality education remains accessible to all Vermont students.

↑ contents

Memorial

Route 2 (High Street) in Extremely reasonable prices - After tend selectboard meetings, school board meetings and community events. Andrew Perchlik: Mainly via email, social media, and monthly zoom and/or inperson events during the session. I invite residents to contact me however works best for them - in-person, phone, text, email, social media, or mail. Dwayne Tucker : Candidate declined to respond. Anne Watson : I look forward to holding town hall meetings both in-person in Cabot and via zoom!

↑ contents

Henry Pearl:

legislative fix There will need to be a to this unique situation and I will certainly support legislation if it is sensible and equitable. The fact is, that this is a problem all across Vermont and so it certainly will be addressed this upcoming session. There are lots of updates needed to our tax system but this is one that effects so many Vermonters and was created due to unforeseen events. Like everything, it’s complicated and will take some time. but I assure you it will be addressed. 7. If elected, how will you solicit input from Cabot residents? Alison Despathy: My campaign website is despathyvthouse.com. As you will see here, I am absolutely and completely dedicated to collaborative government. Civic engagement, conversations, debates and working with constituents is my highest priority. Together we can understand, analyze and develop solutions that will serve all of us. I will promise to be available at all times via email, phone or in person for discussion and input. I will maintain an active website platform for constituents. I will also pledge to write a weekly legislative update that can be accessed via the newspapers, my website and Facebook account, Front Porch Forum and the Community Facebook pages. I am open to any additional suggestions for communication because I am hoping that if elected, this will be a collaborative effort so that we can get there together. stand for democracy, true representative government by and for the people, and constitutional and fundamental human rights for all. Thank you for your time and consideration. Henry Pearl: I will continue to make myself available to all my constituents, if there are questions I can’t answer or issues I can’t help with I will be sure to put people in touch with the right people who can. I continue to be busy with my farm and my family, but I always do my very best to respond to constituents and help in any way possible. The best way to reach out is by email at hpearl@leg.state.vt.us or you can call me

↑ contents

Alan Dorothy Huntley Rose (Salls) Burrington

Dorothy Rose Burrington, 82, passed away on Monday, September 12, 2022. Dorothy "Dot" was born in Hardwick on July 8, 1940 to Myron and Blanch Salls where she and her sisters, Goldie Salls (Chartier) and Sylvia Salls (Joyal) were raised and attended school. Dorothy graduated from Hardwick Academy in 1958 and soon married Morris Herbert Burrington on December 29, 1958. They lived and farmed in Danville until 1972 when they moved to West Danville. Dot stayed busy doing the things she enjoyed which included working in her greenhouse, maintaining her small farm as well as a window repair business. In

↑ contents

Matthew E. Dudley

Matthew E. Dudley (34) Mashpee, MA, formerly of Cabot, passed away on September 12, 2022. Those who knew Matt knew him as someone who loved to bring laughter into every room and who had fierce love for his family. He considered the family camp on Lake Eden, VT, the home of his heart – a special place where life felt easier, and which holds a lifetime of memories. Matt had a lifelong passion for music, enjoyed playing basketball, rugby, and diving for lobsters in Cape Cod, and could often be found with a fishline in the water, waiting for the next big bite. Matt is survived by his wife, Crystal (Ducott) Dudley; his daughters, Evan, Quinn, and Maren Dudley; his mother and stepfather, Barbara and Carl Fielder; his siblings, Amber and Mike

↑ contents

David Sayers

David W. Sayers, 63, of Craftsbury passed away on Saturday August 27, 2022, due to a tragic motorcycle accident. Born on January 20, 1959, he was the son of the late Neil and Lora (Lawson) Sayers. David was raised by his late Maternal grandparents Leon and Leona Lawson of Cabot. David graduated from Cabot High School, class of 1977. For the past 30 years he was employed at the Caspian Arms Ltd in Wolcott. He was previously married to the late Patty Sayers of Barre and later married Amy (Foster) Smith of Woodbury. They later divorced. David was a person who had a great need for speed. He loved riding his motorcycle, four-wheeler, dirt bikes and snow machines. He was a member of

↑ contents

EMORIALS

1989 she joined the Caledonia Farmer's Market where she and Morris could be found selling baked goods, crafts and plants. Later into the fall, Dot would make and sell Christmas wreaths that decorated homes throughout the county. Their pride for the community and love of the land inspired Dot and Morris to maintain the Joe's Pond Beach for many years. Dorothy was predeceased by her husband, Morris in 2018. Contributions in her memory may be made to the West Danville Community

05873, for the continued maintenance of the beach and surrounding community. Arrangements are with the des Groseilliers Funeral Home. Higgins, Allison Dudley and Josh Maxfield, and Ian Dudley; and by the many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends that loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his father, Howard Dudley; maternal grandparents, Nancy and Robert Morse; and paternal grandparents, Dorothy and Roger Dudley. A celebration of his life will be held in Vermont at the Willey Building, 3084 Main Street, Cabot, on Saturday, October 1 at 1:00 pm. In Massachusetts a celebration of his life will be held at the Bourne Scenic Park, 370 Scenic Highway, Bourne, MA, on October 16 starting at 12:00 pm. This is a time for sharing stories and fellowship. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Matthew Dudley Memorial Fund (https:// gofund.me/540c6616), established to provide support for his wife and children through this unimaginable loss.

VAST, in which he helped with the maintaining and grooming of trails. He took pride in caring for his family and meticulous care of his home. David is survived by his companion of six years, Trudy King of St. Albans; his daughter Jessica Sayers and her partner Luke Garneau of Barre; Stepson Kyle Foster and his wife Ashley of Hardwick; Sister Crystal (Sayers) Pierce of Ferrisburgh; and brother Neil Sayers, Jr., of Barre. Also, his grandchildren, Jayden Garneau, Eloise Foster, Estella Foster, and Edson Foster. David leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. Per David’s wishes, there will be no calling hours. There will be a celebration of life at a later date. Arrangements are in the care of the Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home, 58 Summer Street in Barre.

↑ contents

Sustainable Power in Vermont

Even as we pursue in state generation, we must rely on the regional power grid, too. New England still has two operating nuclear power plants delivering power to Vermont. North of the border, Quebec offers almost unlimited amounts of reliable, low-carbon power, at reasonable prices. The Vermont Senate must urge our utilities and state government to support these low-carbon power sources. They're not in state, but they are nearby. Let's use them. Make no mistake, if Vermont is to move forward with electric vehicles and electric energy for heat, we will need a reliable supply and lots of it.

↑ contents

Ride the Ridges Best

by Ry Hoffman On Sunday, September 11, the ninth edition of the Cabot Ride the Ridges Gravel Cycling Event was held. Like our past events, all proceeds were raised to support the Cabot Mentoring Program. Cabot Ride the Ridges featured four different riding distances, including 100k, 60k, 30k, and 10k distances. Cabot gravel roads are primarily used for all three of the shorter rides, while the 100k used a combination of Cabot, Danville, Peacham and other surrounding community's roads. Riders were able to pre-register for this event through BikeReg.com, and for the first year, both the 100k and 60k distances were sold out. Also for the first year, Cabot Ride the Ridges offered customized merchandise for sale, including both Cabot RTR hats and cycling jerseys. Due to the increased interest in the event and the addition of merchandise sales - as well as continued sponsorship from 14 local businesses such as Jasper Hill Cheese, Burtt's Apple Orchard, Cabot Creamery, Woodbury Mountain Toys and more - Cabot RTR organizers believe this year was the most successful fundraiser yet. In total, 215 riders rode in this year's event, including visitors from Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, Rhode Island and Quebec. Volunteer event organizers meet regu-

↑ contents

OMMENTARY

in the Community Commentary (LTE), those of this newspaper or its affiliates. In order for us to effectively transition to a larger fleet of EVs and limit thermal emissions from homes we will have to work together to develop systems that will create infrastructure to distribute energy from sustainable sources while providing the most vulnerable Vermonters with the tools or support to do so. As your next Senator for Washington County any legislation that I sign on to or vote for would have to consider those three must haves: reliability, sustainability, and affordability.

↑ contents

Fundraiser Yet

larly throughout the year to plan this event, and plans are already in motion for Year 10! Huge kudos to volunteers such as Kathleen Hoyne, Mark Christensen, Paul Wade, Kelsey LaPerle, Silas Robbins, Camyrn Hoffman, Ry Hoffman, and Mark Bromley - in addition to our day-of volunteers that help make this event possible and one that riders come back to year after year. One returning rider wrote, "Your team effort was over the top so we could ride all those ridges with delight. Perfect combo of fastidious planning and friendly atmosphere. Amazing support from sign up to wrap up with all the signs and stops in between. We met folks who drove up from Virginia, enticed by your stellar reputation and dropped down from Bangor, motivated back for the umpteenth time. We are so fortunate to be living in this magical kingdom with this ride stretching us to new vistas. THANK YOU for putting this together year after year." Not only does this incredible event raise funds for our fantastic non-profit Cabot Mentoring Program, it welcomes visitors to our beautiful town, infuses excitement into our region, and helps support our local businesses. We thank all of those who continue to support the efforts of Cabot Ride the Ridges, and invite any local bike enthusiasts, or simply folks interested in supporting this local cause, to join the 10th Cabot Ride the Ridges next September 10, 2023.

↑ contents

Recycling Center

Selectboard inspects recycling center building.

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Selectboard started talking about repairs to the Recycling Center back in June of 2021; at that time, it concerned the leaking roof. The board had authorized the purchase of some roof panels to replace the leaking panels, but to date they had yet to be installed. This past summer the board continued to discuss needed repairs to the building and in July authorized the purchase and installation of a new side door using ARPA money. At the September 9 Selectboard meeting Mike Hogan began the discussion regarding the Recycling Center repairs by reminding everyone they had talked about it before, mentioning the gate and the roof. Ian Ackermann said he is looking into which kind of gate to propose as a replacement for the existing gates. Mike turned to the subject of the roof and mentioned the board had talked about replacing the whole roof and to decide if the board wants to do more with the building. R.D. Eno mentioned that once people get accustomed to congregating there on Saturdays, it could be another community center. Mike conjectured, if the board puts money into a town piece of property, what is the town getting back? Ian noted they are making sure the building doesn’t fall apart. He also speculated they could spray the roof instead of retinning the whole building. But Fred Ducharme wanted to know what the long-term plan is for the building. Ian reiterated that the floor is rotting where the water is running, and if the roof isn’t fixed it's going to be “a piece of trash.” Betty Ritter noted the town could lose the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management agreement because the cardboard is getting wet. Skip Bothfeld said that if you are going to fix the roof, now is the time to make any structural changes. The board agreed to meet before the next Selectboard meeting at the Recycling Center to look at the building. The board met at the Recycling Center at 5:00 p.m. on September 20 and John Cookson gave them a tour of the building and highlighted the problems. The board inspected the holes in the roof and promotes their mission to enhance is to empower Cabot residents to participate writer to cover selectboard and other meetings, able to attend. Most meetings are available are posted regularly on Front Porch available on the Town website, CabotVT.US

↑ contents

in Disrepair

where water was leaking through the clear panels. They also looked at the side door, which is expected to be replaced when the new door becomes available. The board also mulled over the current usage of the building for storage and whether some of the items could be stored at the town garage in shipping containers, such as the hay piled in part of the building. The ice-skating rink beams and equipment is also stored in the building, as well as other miscellaneous items. After the meeting broke up at the Recycling Center, the board started their regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the Willey Building. There Mike reviewed what they had done at the Recycling Center. He told those in attendance that they were over at the Recycling Center, which is a small portion of a larger building and the Selectboard took a tour. He mentioned there are some leaky roof panels. He added that there are lots of things that can be hauled out and thrown into dumpsters. Then he shared that on the way back to the village, he was thinking about putting something on Front Porch Forum to get suggestions from the town as to what the rest of the building can be used for. He noted that currently it's just being used for some storage of hay, some road crew things, and the skating rink. Mike then said the board needs to decide how to proceed on the roof. He noted there is a $20,000 threshold, beyond which it must go out for bid. He also reminded the board that the trees in the back need to be cut down, and Ian added that a soffit needs to be installed in front. R.D. asked how they would know if we were over the limit. Mike responded that they could just put a limit on it, or just do half. He reminded the board that Dan Dunham had given them an estimate, which gives them an idea of the cost. R.D. wondered if there was any urgency about getting the roof repaired due to the time of year, and Mike responded that he had put on a metal roof in December. The board concluded the discussion without making any further decisions. the quality of community life for those in the governance and management for the purpose of keeping community via Zoom for those who would like Forum, or you can call the Town Clerk's by clicking on "Selectboard Meetings.

↑ contents

Creamery Use of

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Chronicle originally reported on the Selectboard discussions regarding Cabot Creamery increasing its usage of town water in the June edition. The Selectboard continued to discuss this issue in the two September meetings. At the September 6 meeting, Mike Hogan started by reporting the current water ordinance needs some serious updates. There was some confusion among a few board members as to which was the latest version of the ordinance, and Michelle Leclerc stated that the one on the website is the current ordinance. Mike continued by saying there are a few things addressing limiting capacity expansion and shared that he had gotten a bunch of phone calls from people expressing concern about springs drying up. Mike reiterated that before the board does anything with Cabot Creamery, they need to consider the residents as the primary users of the water. He added that he wants to ensure there are enough safeguards in place that the town’s water supply is protected, and in any contractual agreement, the town must be covered. The discussion then turned to how much water, and how it is measured, is available for each resident on the town water system. Michelle explained there is a meter for measuring water usage at each residence, and the base fee covers the first 10,000 gallons used each quarter. Additional gallons over the base amount are then billed in addition to the base fee. R.D. asked if that meant each resident has a guarantee that 10,000 gallons are available for their use each quarter, and if so, then the town must be prepared to dispense that amount of water every quarter. R.D. stated that he shared Mike’s view, and he also wants to accommodate the creamery, but stipulated that

↑ contents

Sawmill Dam

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the September 6 Selectboard meeting, Keith Cubbon from the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) was present to talk to the Selectboard about the Sawmill Dam. Keith started his presentation by noting that the dam is listed in the town’s hazard mitigation plan and that he wanted to come and have a conversation. He added that the Selectboard is responsible for making the decision regarding the dam. Keith described some photos of the dam, and noted where the outflow is, ice was forming inside the dam last year. He added that whether the dam is taken down or not, it's going to go away. And due to the sediment built up behind the dam, it will probably kill all aquatic life down the stream for two miles. He said there are no structures at risk. residing, doing business, and visiting of our town. members informed about issues to listen in person. Instructions for

↑ contents

Town Water

unless they know what is committed to be dispensed, it would not be wise to agree. Fred Ducharme said the key to understanding the water system capacity is to monitor the well. Michelle added there are 123 people on the water system, and Fred said Jim Brimblecombe would know what is being pumped every day. Fred stated the creamery proposal might double the water usage each day. Betty Ritter reviewed a quote for installing submersible level transmitters for the water supply well to be used for pump tests and long-term monitoring. The total of the quote was $3,300, which includes cables, transducers, and installation. Fred said it would be prudent for us to monitor the well, whether the creamery is involved or not. R.D. added that knowing the reserve capacity in the water system would indicate how much leeway is in the system. The board approved using $3,300 of ARPA funds for this purchase and installation of the water level transducers. At the September 20 meeting, the increase request from the creamery was discussed again, and R.D. said that he is reviewing the ordinance and will make recommendations for changes. Michelle reminded the board that Jim Brimblecombe said if the town has a problem, the creamery could always be shut off. Mike noted that any contract with the creamery needs to be “tight.” Fred recalled the selectboard estimated water usage at about 100,000 gallons a week, and with the reserve tank, the town has a week’s supply of water during emergencies, such as having no power. The board discussed that once they have the water level transducers in the wells, they can create a chart and have information they can work with. It was noted the meters have been ordered. He reported there is about five years buildup of sediment behind the dam. If that silt goes, the stream will become so turbid there will not be enough oxygen for aquatic life due to all the sediment being released all at once. He described seeping around the dam and through it and added there has been a dam there since 1797. Keith said the bridge on Sawmill Road is structurally fine, but he needed to contact VTRANs to learn more about the bridge on Jug Brook Road. He then brought up the issue of the stream behind the dam. He said when the dam finally goes, the stream is going to go where it wants to go, and the snaking stream could pose problems for properties in that area. He said that if the town chose to remove the dam, it could possibly mitigate that effect. He went on to cover the last environmental report, and noted the original (see ’Sawmill Dam’, page 6)

↑ contents

Sawmill Dam

much contamination there. He said most contaminants are water soluble, (continued from page 6) report was wrong, and had a mistake. He said they did find some trace amounts of chemicals, but it is below industrial levels. He noted the original report said they were beyond industrial levels. Mike Hogan recalled when the dam was discussed in the past, there were some sticky issues, since the dam is privately owned. Mike continued by questioning what happens after the dam is taken down. He queried who is going to own the dam at that point? The town of Cabot? What costs are involved? Are there any long-term liability issues due to the sediments? Keith responded that there is no answer to what is in the sediments without a scoping study. He speculated the way water is flowing, there is not likely to be and in the time that dam has been there, most has been washed through. However, he said that was speculation. Mike added that he has been in Lower Cabot 30 years, and he is surprised the dam hasn’t collapsed already. R.D. wondered about the consequence of doing nothing. He asked how long it would take for the river to recover from the sudden kill of aquatic life. Keith suggested contacting the fisheries biologist for this region and added that his point in coming to the board was to start the conversation. Jenn Miner spoke from the public in attendance and said she thinks what spearheaded the whole controversy is the private ownership of the dam. She likened it to the brown building (3065 Main Street) and noted at the end of the day the property owner had to pay to clean the site up. She asked if it is really the town’s responsibility to clean up someone’s private property. The board speculated how the dam could be removed with all the debris on either side of the river. R.D. asked how the town could remove the dam if it was privately owned, and Keith said the owner would have to agree, or the property would need to be bought. Keith added that one option for the Selectboard was to do nothing. Mike suggested the board put together a task force to investigate options. He noted that Gary Gulka has an interest in the dam issue, too. He said he thought it would be foolish to do nothing. Fred said it would be good to clean it up and make it into something. Skip agreed with Fred. The board returned to the subject at the September 20 meeting and created a working group. Mike recommended that Gary Gulka be the chair, and recommended a few other members, including Jenn Miner and Keith Cubbon of CVRPC. The group is to set up their own meeting schedule and report back regularly to the Selectboard.

↑ contents

David Lynn named interim CEO

Agri-Mark's Chairman of the Board, James "Cricket" Jacquier, announced September 2 that David Lynn, SVP Top Operations Officer, has been named interim CEO. Lynn replaces Bill Beaton who stepped down as CEO earlier in September. The Board conveys its appreciation to Bill for his more than twelve years of service to the cooperative and wishes him well in his future endeavors. Agri-Mark's Board of Directors will be initiating a national CEO search. David Lynn has been with Agri-Mark for five years. He started as SVP Operations and was promoted to SVP Top Operations in September 2020. David has nearly 27 years of experience in consumer packaged goods and food manufacturing. Prior to Agri-Mark, David worked for the Kroger Company for 12 years, the last three years of which he was Vice President of Operations for Kroger's subsidiary, Turkey Hill Dairy. David's experience includes roles with L'Oréal USA, Hillshire Farm and seven years in the United States Navy. "Having worked with David for the last five years, the Board is confident that he has the knowledge and experience to lead our business and make this transition as seamless as possible," said Jacquier. "David has tremendous respect for our members, employees and brands. He has been problem solving, building teams and driving change for decades. We look forward to David's leadership and vision in his new role as interim CEO."

↑ contents

Cabot Creamery Cooperative

Members of the Cabot Economic Development Workgroup, a committee of

doing a series of articles on Cabot Creamery. Chronicle Creamery. Earlier this summer the included a history of the The following are questions posed, and answers received, about the products of Cabot Creamery. More articles will follow, in the future. 1.

↑ contents

Creamery manufacture?

Agri-Mark / Cabot Creamery Cooperative manufactures cheese, cultured dairy products like yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese, as well as butter, whey and other milk powders. Products are manufactured and sold under the Cabot Creamery, McCadam and AgriMark Whey and Protein brands. 2. What are its biggest sellers? Our Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar remains our biggest seller! 3. Where are those various products made now, in Vermont and outside the state? We have three cheese manufacturing facilities. They are located in Cabot, Vermont, Middlebury, Vermont, and Chateaugay, New York. In addition to making cheddar, flavored cheeses and specialty cheeses like the clothbound, the Cabot facility also manufactures our cultured products such as our award-winning Greek yogurt, our sour cream and cottage cheese. Chateaugay makes cheddar, flavored cheeses, muenster and our new Colby cheese. The whey from the Cabot and Chateaugay plants is transported to the Middlebury plant where we also manufacture whey powders. Middlebury also make cheddar cheese. Our fourth manufacturing facility is in West Springfield, Massachusetts. This is where we make the best butter in America and bulk milk powders. 4. So...what happens, now, on the

↑ contents

Cabot?

The other big thing that we do at Cabot, besides making cheese and cultured dairy products, of course, is we package cheese for sale. Most of the Cabot products that consumers see on the shelf are packaged right here in Cabot by our dedicated team members. On any given day we’ve got upwards of 250 people on campus, and the majority of them are assigned to Cut and Wrap. Once our cheese is made, it is then aged. Our team of cheese graders evaluates our cheese and determines how best to use it. When that cheese is ready to be packaged, it goes to Cabot and through the Cut and Wrap facility. The Cut and Wrap team packages cheese made from all three of our facilities. They are integral to the everyday operation of our business and to fulfilling customer orders for our award-winning Cabot and McCadam cheeses. When you pick up a piece of Cabot cheese the chances are excellent that in its lifetime it has spent time in the town of Cabot! 5. What's the range of distribution of products nationally, and internationally? Cabot products can be found in stores throughout the country, though we have a more robust presence on the east coast. Our retail product line is almost exclusively sold domestically, our whey products are used as ingredients both domestically and abroad in over 25 countries. Soon Cabot fans will be able to purchase our products directly from us on-line when our E-commerce site launches later this Fall! In the meantime, folks can visit cabotcheese.coop/where-to-buy to find a store that carries our products. 6. We hear about the cheese awards. Can you offer us a rundown of recent acclaim Cabot's received for its products? We are very proud of our consistent and longstanding reputation for winning awards. From regional fairs, to national industry competitions to international shows, our products consistently bring home blue ribbons for our amazing cheddars, butters and cultured products. This past year we’ve had a tremendous showing for our products. I’m happy to call out a few awards that were announced over the last couple of months. Agri-Mark / Cabot Creamery Cooperative won 14 awards in the 2022 American Cheese Society Competition for our cheeses, yogurts and butters. The American Cheese Society Judging and Competition is the largest event of its kind for American-made cheeses. The 2022 event received 1,387 entries in 120 categories, and of those entries, we brought home 14 awards. We had four first place finishes with our Extra Sharp Cheddar, Triple Cream Vanilla Yogurt (manufactured in Cabot), Salted Butter and Unsalted Butter. Winners were announced in mid-July at the 39th ACS Annual Conference, held in Portland, Oregon. We also had a great showing at the 2022 Eastern States Exposition Cheese Competition (the Big E), particularly in the Flavored Hard Cheese Category. Our hand-rubbed spice cheddars earned a gold (Tuscan Cheddar) and two silvers (Everything Bagel Cheddar and Hot Buffalo Wing Cheddar). A lot of the credit for those cheeses goes to our Cut & Wrap team as they are the ones who apply the spices. Our Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar tied for Bronze in Aged Cheddars, which was the highest award given in the category this year. This is a premier competition between just New England cheesemakers, and the cheeses entered were from our Vermont facilities. A detailed listing of our Cabot product awards is available on our website (https://www.cabotcheese.coop/ourawards/). 7. Can you offer a sense of evolution of the Creamery over time, the changes in growth and distribution of products? This is a great question - we’ve seen some amazing growth since 1919 when the co-op was formed! Check out our t i m e l i n e ( h t t p s : / / www.cabotcheese.coop/celebrating-100years/) to see our evolution.

↑ contents

New Product News:

Cabot Pimento Cheese Spread is launching this fall. We’ve taken a beloved Southern classic and infused it with our award-winning Vermont cheddar bite to create our new Pimento Cheese Spread. This rich and creamy, sweet n’ tangy addition is perfect for your next happy hour, snack time, or grilled adventure. This Southern staple is more popular than ever, and now consumers can enjoy the only pimento cheese spread made with real Cabot cheddar. Perfect for party platters, savory mains, and making delicious memories with friends and family. The spread is available now at our Cabot Farmers’ Store in Waterbury and it will be on-shelf in Price Chopper, Big Y and select independent grocers later this fall.

↑ contents

Creamery Wins:

Agri-Mark / Cabot Creamery Cooperative has earned a $323,875 grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) for Dairy Product Packaging Innovation. We were one of five recipients selected to receive grant funding from NE-DBIC for sustainable packaging innovation. This award will greatly accelerate our exploration of greener packaging options. The grant funds will be used to collaborate with a packaging manufacturer to study sustainable cheese packaging options. They will be investigating both the machinability and the marketability of PCR, recycle ready and compostable cheese film. The study results will be a springboard to providing more meaningful and sustainable packaging to carry our award-winning products to consumers. The findings will directly benefit our Cabot and McCadam brands plus the broader dairy industry in our collective sustainable packaging journeys.

↑ contents

Head Craft Brewery

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery & Cabot Creamery Collaborate on the Perfect Pairing, a Beer Scientifically Engineered to Pair with Cheddar Cheese . . . “ Life is better with cheddar … which is why we’ve teamed up with our pals at Cabot Creamery in Vermont to create THE perfect beer for pairing with sharp cheddar (https://www.dogfish.com/brewery/ beer/perfect-pairing).

↑ contents

Reprinted with Permission from Seven Days

When they accepted teaching jobs in central Vermont this summer, David Conover and his wife, Jennifer, lined up a rental that would accommodate their family of five and their Yorkie, Teddy. They left Oregon in July and were rolling through Iowa when they learned that their rental in central Vermont had fallen through because the existing tenant decided to stay put. The couple weren’t worried; they decided to wait until arriving in Vermont in early August to start looking for a place. But finding that place has been much more difficult than they expected. Like many teachers who accepted jobs this summer at school districts around Vermont, the Conovers are having trouble finding any home at all. So much trouble, in fact, that the five of them are living in a studio apartment at the Marshfield Inn, a Federal-style farmhouse with motel rooms and a commanding view of the Green Mountains. And they need to leave later this month to make way for leaf peepers who have existing reservations. “We’re still holding on to hope,” David said, noting that they are grateful to the owner of the inn for giving them a good deal on rent and trying to accommodate them. When they first arrived in Vermont, the family spent two nights camping out of their SUV at the Onion River Campground in Marshfield. Then they started calling realtors and posting on social by Gary Gulka for non-motorized winter use due to wet media in search of a more permanent areas in the spring. We have renamed The Trails Committee is completing situation. JD Green, a podcaster in the original trail section Rolf’s Trail. improvements on the Cabot Winter Trail Barre, interviewed David on his show, The Winter Trail is currently open for which is now four miles in length and and Mark Mooney, principal at use from December 1 – April 15 (except has road access points on Taylor Road, Twinfield Union School, put out a com- for the Langone Trail, which is yearDubray Road, Menard Road, and Danmunity call for housing ideas. round). The trails are well marked and ville Hill Road. The Winter Trail had its The family spent several days staying provide a great opportunity for snoworigins two decades ago when Cabot in someone’s brother’s basement. But shoeing and skiing. All our trail maps resident and hardware store owner Rolf the Conovers haven’t found anything are available on the CCA web site at Muench laid out a trail between Danville (see ’Teachers Crash’, page 10) www.cabotvermont.org/cabotHill Road and Dubray Road with landtrails.html. owner permission. It’s intended use was

↑ contents

Cabot Volunteer Fire Department

Horse "Skip" recovers after being falling through a wooden bridge in the lifted out to a field. He was stuck for woods of Cabot. Skip is doing well with over an hour while Cabot fire depart- only minor scratches and according to ment with the help of Walden fire de- the vet that responded to the scene expartment, Marshfield fire department pects to make a full recovery. and a local farmer hosted Skip up after

↑ contents

Teachers Crash at

(continued from page 9) available long-term that’s in their price range. The family recently returned to the U.S. after spending seven years teaching in international schools in Ukraine. Russia invaded in February, and the family left Ukraine in early summer. Considering all of that, David said, the couple is aware of how fortunate they are to have their health and their jobs. Jennifer is teaching fourth grade in Barre Town, and David is the new athletic and activities director for the Marshfield and Cabot schools. School started in Marshfield on August 26, and in Barre Town on August 29. “Our story is not unique; there are a lot of people trying to find appropriate housing,” David said. “We try not to complain too much. We’re not victims.” The impact of the housing shortage is well known; this year, Seven Days has dedicated an entire series, "Locked Out," to exploring the issue. Many employers have reported that people they hired have turned down jobs because they couldn’t find anywhere to live. School districts are also struggling with a teacher shortage, and the Vermont Agency of Education has commissioned a study to find ways to make teaching jobs more appealing. Mooney, at Twinfield, has new teachers from Tennessee, Texas and Morocco this year, as well as the Conovers, who spent time with family in Oregon after leaving Ukraine. The teachers from Tennessee and Texas found places, but

↑ contents

Community invited

All are invited to Vets Town Halls in Rutland, Lyndon, and Colchester. Veterans are invited to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what their service means to them. Non-veterans are encouraged to attend and listen. Events are nonpolitical, all perspectives are valued, and are free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided. "We often hear about veterans, but we very rarely get to hear from them, to

↑ contents

an Inn

the teacher from Morocco, who is in Vermont for a year to teach Arabic, bunked with community members and then fellow teachers for weeks before recently finding an apartment in Montpelier. Mooney said he’s had trouble keeping the athletic director position filled in recent years. This year, he combined the role with a teaching and activities position to make it more appealing. “David is off to a good start — other than not having a place to live,” Mooney said. “He’s doing a good job. Hopefully he’ll stay around.” The family wants to stay around. The couple recently visited Lake Willoughby with their kids, ages 6, 8 and 13, and David said he was shocked by the beauty of the lake and the mountains around it. The kids are enrolled in Barre schools. They enjoy the rural scenery, the maple creemees and the friendly people who are trying to help. “People seem genuinely, sincerely nice here. My wife loves the farmstands, and I love the light,” David said. “It’s joyous to look around and appreciate the beauty.” Seven Days is examining Vermont's housing crisis - and what can be done about it - in our Locked Out series this year. Send tips to lockedout@seven daysvt.com. These stories are supported by a grant from the nonprofit Journalism Funding Partners, which leverages philanthropy and fundraising to boost local reporting.

↑ contents

Day

increase communication and Veterans who would like to speak can indicate that when registering. Time permitting, veterans are also welcome to sign up to speak during the events. RSVPs are optional but encouraged at vtvetstownhall.eventbrite.com. Questions may be directed to Kristen Eaton at vermont@vetstownhall.org. understanding between local veterans and the community at large

↑ contents

When/Where:

Sunday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m. at the Godnick Center, Rutland, VT Sunday, October 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the Moore Community Room, Northern Vermont University–Lyndon Sunday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m. at McCarthy Arts Center, Colchester

Learn more & RSVP (optional but encouraged): vtvetstownhall.org Questions: vermont@vetstownhall.org

↑ contents

Cabot Schoolboard

and CCSU Board meetings. The community likes Frank Kampf’s reports of Cabot selectboard meetings. We are looking for a reporter for Cabot issues and decisions at the school board and Supervisory Union to round out our coverage.

by Jane Youngbaer

New Challenges and new teams await! Can you help to start a team in your community? We invite you to join this non-profit program of creativity and teamwork. Kids from kindergartencollege collaborate on Challenges in the Arts, Science, Engineering, Technology, Service Learning, and Early Learning. Each team develops a creative solution to their challenge, which they present in competition or showcase at the annual state Tournament. Teams of up to seven children and teens can be based in schools, afterschool programs, homeschool groups, and other community locations. In Cabot, the director of the Afterschool Program, Sonia Scherr, is ready to start Destination Imagination in the next few months! All that’s needed is a

↑ contents

Professional collision repair, associated

we’ll handle your claim from start The Cabot school board meets on the fourth Monday of the month. The Supervisory Union board meets every other month on the third Monday; the next one is in October. If interested, please email in-

Team Manager. This is a great opportunity for someone with a strong interest in kids, creativity, STEAM, and the ability to facilitate teamwork and organize team meetings. If you are 18 or older, you can apply for this part-time paid position. Please contact Sonia at sonia.scherr@ccsuvt.net. In many locations, Team Managers are volunteers. Our state leadership is all-volunteer. However, if you do Destination Imagination as an employee of an organization that registers a team, you can be paid by them to manage a team. For more information, please contact Jane Youngbaer, Director of VT Destination Imagination at vtdicreativity@gmail.com. Also visit our websites: https://www.destinationimagination.org/, http://www.creativeimagination.org/ and Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/VermontDI.

↑ contents

Fall Season at the Cabot

by Sarah Spletzer-Welters

With the change in weather there are some changes taking place at the Cabot Harvest Hub as well. The pick-up time window for Harvest Hub customers will now be a little shorter: from 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Members of the Harvest Hub can shop food items and artisan goods online from Monday at 12:00 p.m. until Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at www.cabotharvesthub.org and pick up their order on Saturday mornings in town at the Neighbors in Action building on 39 Main Street. The colder weather is certainly not going to hold us back from hosting great events in town! Our monthly Pop-Up Market is taking place on Saturday, October 1, at the Neighbors in Action building from 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

↑ contents

Ama and Nate Peyman established Nama

A year-long WWOOFing trip throughout homestead and farm. (WWOOF stands for worldwide Learning from a multitude of organic them a lot of hands-on knowledge, and an of adapting growing techniques to the prevailing In some way their wwoofing trip illustrates seem to live by: To create community where open and generous ways. It is no surprise then that Nama Farms and chutneys, are made with a variety of to authentic Indian spice blends. If you would like to learn more about preserving open for Neighbors in Action's Capture Please learn more about Ama, Nate and

↑ contents

Sadie Tilden started baking about six

old yet. She learned the trade from working in in 2020 when she was looking for something of the lock-down. First she shared her sourdough bread with joyed it so much that she soon found herself the Marshfield and Cabot community. That's Sadie lovingly calls her sourdough starter charge"! And indeed, Marge has helped sourdough loaves. For a little while now Sadie is also experimenting as focaccias and pretzels. So far these are making them from sourdough as well. You can find SoulHoney Bakery on facebook

If you would like to start supporting local out the Harvest Hub with a free 6-week CAL at the checkout.

Ama and Nate Peyman (left) and Sadie Tilden

↑ contents

Harvest Hub

and yes, it’s rain or shine. Come and buy beautiful and yummy treats from local farmers, food producers and artists and listen to Cabot’s very own Dale Brown playing live music. We are excited to announce that the Cabot Harvest Hub and Neighbors in Action are teaming up with Cabot’s Public Library. On October 18 we are hosting a Story Hour and Senior Adventure at the Neighbors in Action building (3339 Main Street), starting at 10:30 a.m. Participants can listen to stories about seeds and create their own easy-to -make origami pouch in which they can bring home flower and vegetable seeds. The Harvest Hub wouldn’t be what it is – a virtual and at the same time very local farmer’s market – without its local producers. So please allow me to introduce two of them to you:

↑ contents

Farm in Cabot in 2010.

the country inspired them to start their opportunities on organic farms ). farmers -from Arizona to Vermont- gave appreciation for the land and the reality climate. a greater principle Ama and Nate they are and to exchange knowledge in

preserved foods, such as their pickles globally sourced spices - from Lithuanian

food from Ama - keep your eyes the Harvest classes this month. Nama Farm at namafarm.webs.com.

years ago, when she wasn't 20 years

Cafes in Vermont and "brought it home" to keep herself busy throughout weeks

just a couple of friends - and they enbaking bread for a number of people in how SoulHoney Bakery got started. "Marge” – “because she's large and in Sadie make a great many whole wheat

with other baked goods, such made with yeast, but she is working on

and instagram.

food producers and artisans, you can try membership. Simply use code SHOPLO-

(right)

↑ contents

Neighbors in Action

They come in pairs or alone. Some need rides, others are still mobile enough to drive themselves. These are the seniors of our community, and they are all working together to combat one of the most challenging aspects of aging – loneliness. In a rural community this can be especially challenging. To achieve the goal of staying connected, in 1991 Erma Perry approached Neighbors in Action (then Faith in Action) to begin a monthly gathering in Cabot – Senior Adventures. This well-attended program has evolved over the years, drawing from Erma’s years of experience as a teacher at the Cabot School, she has infused the gathering with tidbits she used in her curriculum. I recently sat down with her, and, still to this day, she keeps activity sheets, amusing articles, and games in a cardboard box, ready to get them out and bring joy and learning to the lives of others. Over the years Senior Adventures has had artists in to teach classes, performed short theater

↑ contents

Pros:

Michael J HoganVice Chair VSECU Board of Directors. For those of you who live in the Cabot/ Marshfield and surrounding area and are members of the VSECU (Vermont State Employees Credit Union) – here is some information on the upcoming merger vote on November 8. I am the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and have been part of the process from the beginning to help both VSECU and New England Federal Credit Merge into one great credit union for all Vermonters. Why are we doing this and what will be gained by this merger? I hope some of this information will be helpful and will give some clarity to the benefits of these two great organizations coming together. This is not a takeover but a merger. So here are some reasons: BETTER TOGETHER: Both VSECU and NEFCU have a long history of Vermonters helping Vermonters by joining and participating in our credit unions. When more members come together to save, we have more deposits to fund loans. from The interest income generated those loans is used to pay savers through dividends and savings rates. The more members who pool their resources together in our financial cooperative, the better we can recirculate wealth and the stronger we are for the benefit of each other. TRUE TO VERMONT: We are keeping banking local in Vermont Combining our resources will help protect and preserve our Vermont-based cooperative movement and accelerate financial inclusion for more Vermonters. Together, VSECU and NEFCU can provide the same level of service as the growskits, and of course done many crafts. In addition to themed monthly activities, a delicious free lunch, coffee and snacks, seniors enjoy their favorite game: the Balloon Noodle Game! One of the newest projects of Senior Adventures will be to begin a community quilt. The quilt will capture the memories of our elders and will be proudly displayed at Neighbors in Action upon completion. Senior Adventures is evolving yet again with the help of the Cabot Library! Once a month Kathleen Hoyne, Cabot Librarian, will join us to read to seniors and engage them with new games. And, in October, Amanda Otto, Cabot Children’s Librarian, and Sarah Spletzer-Welters, from the Cabot Harvest Hub, will team up for a special Library Storytime and Seed Saving Activity with the seniors! Starting in October, we will meet the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 10:30 am-1 pm. Senior Adventures is open to anyone who’d like to join us. Bring yourself and a friend or be ready to make new friends! We hope to see you at one of our programs soon!

↑ contents

Yes and No

ing number of outside competitors, big banks, and financial technology companies that are winning over some of our members and exporting our Vermont dollars and decisions out of state. LEADING FROM THE FUTURE: We are investing in our future generations As part of our mission to serve all Vermonters, we need to focus not just on the present, but look five, 10, and 20 years ahead with foresight and visionary leadership. We have a vibrant membership and, in this uncertain and rapidly changing world, need to secure our collective financial strength and sustainability to ensure we can serve our members for the unforeseeable future. We are building on a legacy to make sure your children and grandchildren will enjoy the benefits of banking with a financial co-op, while keeping people and families connected, here in Vermont. ENRICHING QUALITY OF LIFE: We will be the very best for our members Together, we will realize scale and capacity that will fuel our ability to do more than we would be able to do on our own. We strive for excellence, listen to member feedback, and know where we fall short of providing exceptional customer service and helping our members achieve financial independence. Increased capital, additional employees, and a more diverse membership, product suite, and balance sheet, will allow us to invest in you with great rates, low fees, more branches, better digital capabilities, and better and more responsive customer service. More Reasons that this merger will benefit our members: More favorable rates and fees Greater convenience Cybersecurity protection Personalized service New (and familiar) products and services More small business lending Improved technology Sustainable growth

↑ contents

Woodlands for Wildlife

by Gary Gulka

Chances are, you may have never heard of Vermont Coverts, a Vermontbased organization whose mission is to engage Vermont landowners in a longterm commitment to maintain and enhance diverse wildlife habitat. Covert , (pronounced CUH-vert) is an old English word describing a dense thicket providing shelter for wildlife. Originating in 1985 in both Vermont and Connecticut, the program has spread to other states. Vermont Coverts is based on the premise of peer-to-peer information sharing among woodland owners about forest stewardship – improving timber management while at the same time improving wildlife habitat. A centerpiece of Vermont Coverts is its twice annual Coverts Cooperator Training, an intensive three-day forest management training course in the classroom and the field. Graduates of the training are Coverts Cooperators who commit to sharing stewardship knowledge with other landowners in their community by visiting their woodlands, putting them in touch with others who can help, and sponsoring workshops on any number of topics like improving wildlife habitat, finding a consulting forester, managing invasive plants, and timber harvesting strategies. I was fortunate to have attended a recent Coverts Cooperator training, bePlease vote yes to approve the merger. You should be receiving voting materials very soon either in the mail or through an email. You can vote electronically or by mail. November 8 is the last day to cast your ballot.

↑ contents

Vermont Coverts

coming part of a network of over 800 Covert Cooperators. We now have five Cooperators in Cabot, several of which are on the Conservation Committee. We are planning a fall and winter workshop series on a variety of wildlife topics, such as Vermont’s Forests in a Changing Climate, Wildlife Tracking in Winter, Emerald Ash Borer, and Being Bear Aware. Anyone can take advantage of learning opportunities through Vermont Coverts. You don’t need to be a member or take the Cooperator Training. Through the Coverts web site (vtcoverts.org) you can sign up for their e-newsletter that will alert you of special learning opportunities like webinars, walks in the woods, or special training courses. They also have a great on-line video library of past workshops and webinars. Coverts Cooperators are always to lend a hand. And willing

If you have questions concerning the merger or the voting process, please call

hogan547@yahoo.com

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 9 REASONS TO VOTE NO! and THE VSECU FUTURE WE SEE Keep our independence! Keep our identity! VOTE NO! REJECT THE MERGER! CHOOSE OUR INDEPENDENCE!

↑ contents

Council Grant

Village 12 th Night Celebration. These grants support “projects that broaden access to the arts and cultural activities, engaging individuals with limited access due to age, race, ability, income or other factors,” according to the release. The grants range from $1,000 to $4,000. Karen Mittelman, the council’s outgoing executive director, is quoted in the press release: “We are proud and grateful to recognize the outstanding work of these . . . cultural organizations in communities across Vermont,” she said. “They exemplify the depth and breadth of artistic riches across our state, and the remarkable creative spirit that has sustained us all during the pandemic.”

↑ contents

Burtt’s Orchard in the News

Throughout the summer and fall, Vermonters and visitors alike flock to our local orchards in pursuit of fresh fruit like cherries, plums, pears, and tasty apples, plus cider, donuts, and more! But who are the folks who grow these delicious fruits? And what goes on behind the scenes? Find out with DigInVT! We recently heard from several tree fruit growers who are happy to share their experiences with you! From orchard history and how they got into farming to what makes their job both rewarding and challenging, let's hear from the folks who bring these delicious fruits to our table!

↑ contents

Meet the Grower: Burtt's Apple Orchard

We recently heard from Greg Burtt of Burtt's Apple Orchard in Cabot. Learn more about Greg's story and find out what being an apple grower means to him! Please share a little bit about the history of your orchard and where it’s located. We started planting our orchard in 2005 when I was 19. Our farm had been a dairy and

trying something different - apples seemed like a good idea. We opened for picking in 2009 with a few acres of young trees and sold all our apples in just two weeks. That meant it was time to plant more. Now, apple picking at our orchard has become a tradition for many families in our area. How did you get involved with growing tree fruit and what’s the most important thing you’ve learned along the way? Wild apples grow everywhere around our region. We grew up playing games throwing apples at each other as kids - even picking them and trying to sell some to neighbors on the roadside. I got a job after high school working at an orchard and began to fall in love with growing apples and tending to them the right way. In my short tenure I've learned that you never stop learning, orcharding amongst others. What is your favorite apple (or other fruit) you grow and why? St. Edmund's Russet is my favorite apple because of the complexity of flavor and it's meaty flesh. I describe it as a combination of a Snickers bar and Sour Patch Kids. It's also one of those fleeting ones. There is probably a two day window where it can be picked at just the right flavor, and then it becomes more pear-like in taste. What do you grow and how can folks visit? When you come to our orchard, you can pick from over 40 varieties of apples. Not all of them are ripe at the same time so some folks come two or three times to try different apples. We give all our customers a map and a list of all the varieties describing flavors and unique attributes. We also have a farmstand with our own cider, cider donuts, pre-picked apples, cider slushies, pumpkins, sweet corn, and a few other goodies. U-pick pumpkins are also popular at our orchard and we even have tart cherries for picking in late July. Along with picking, we have some fun things to do. There's the golden apple hunt where if you find a golden apple, you get a free cider donut. We have a free apple slingshot, corn maze, and playground, too. What is your favorite thing to make with your apples or other fruit? I enjoy making cider. It's always fun to see how the flavor turns out because each batch that we make has a unique blend of apples. We usually try to mix a couple varieties, but it's fun sometimes to try one variety and learn what flavors are imparted to the juice. Having an orchard is year round work. Do you have a favorite time of the year? My favorite time of year at the orchard is definitely the fall...the energy that comes from families and kids showing up to pick and all the conversations. Enjoying the bounty of the harvest is a special time. What is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a tree fruit grower in Vermont? I think that being able to share the experience of the harvest with so many good people and see it become a tradition that brings families and friends together makes growing apples in Vermont extremely rewarding. I like being involved in the full circle from sun and soil to cider slushies in the hands of kids.

↑ contents

What has surprised you the most?

One day it hit me when I took a moment to breathe in and look up from my hard work. I saw people walking around with smiles on their faces and armfuls of apples. I never thought our farm would become special to other people. But somehow it has.

↑ contents

What is one of the biggest challenges?

Challenges...there's a long list. I have to be good at a lot of things to make it all come together. I may love farming, but if I don't do a good job with accounting and tend to the business end of things, I may not farm for a living anymore. And I have to be people oriented. Not only for the sake of our customers, but for our employees and those who help out as well. Tell us about your crew - who are the people behind the orchard who help make it all happen? We hire as many as 20 part time employees on in the fall. Most work weekends and are in high school or in transition and can work seasonally. Quite a few have come back year after year now and it makes it really fun. Some of the high schoolers have graduated and we've gotten to know them pretty well. It's hard to say goodbye. Our core crew are a few moms and friends that have worked for a number of years. They manage the farm stand, make donuts and cider, and really help us pull through the busy times. Do you have anything new or special planned for this year that you’d like to share? This year we don't have anything too new and crazy happening. We built a new farmstand last year and we will be building a new playground this year!

↑ contents

Burtt’s Orchard in Cabot

Burtt’s orchard, located on a former dairy your-own Vermont apple picking since 2009. Burtt’s includes everything from Honeycrisp The orchard’s trees are grown by espalier, tural practice of controlling woody plant growth frame. Burtt’s includes cider donuts, a flanked by scenic views of northern Washington

Opening day: Burtt’s is currently open daily, Happy Vermont is a travel website and podcast Green Mountain State. Founded by Erica been mentioned in The Boston Globe, Travel Seven Days.

↑ contents

GROWING SQUASH

Choose varieties that have a short growing season; in Vermont, some types such as butternut and giant pumpkin may not have enough time to ripen. Squash can be grown by planting seeds directly in the ground, starting seeds in pots indoors, or buying starts from a nursery. In our region, the most common pest problem is cucumber beetle, and the most common disease problem is powdery mildew. When squash is fully ripe, its skin hardens to the point where it is difficult to dent with a fingernail. To harvest, cut squash from the stems with loppers; if you tear it from the vine, the wound may rot. For best storage, harvest before frost; frost damages the skin and shortens shelf life. To cure squash for storage, let it sit in a warm place with good air circulation for 10 days. Store squash at 50º F in a dark area. stored squash Well cured and well lasts two-four months, with some excellent storage varieties lasting six months.

↑ contents

FUN FACTS ABOUT SQUASH

The earliest evidence of squash domestication dates from 80 years ago. Wild squashes native to Central and South America are the ancestors of modern domesticated squashes. Pumpkins are winter squash. There is no botanical distinction that makes a pumpkin pumpkin…any hardskinned, rounded squash might be called a pumpkin. The current world record holder for largest squash is 2702 lbs, grown in Italy in 2021. Most people eat squash flesh, but the seeds, blossoms, and leaves are also edible. Prior to using pumpkins, turnips, swedes, and potatoes were carved for Halloween lanterns. in the Green Mountain State. Orchards Empire, and heirloom varieties apple picking. live music, yoga, festivals, and views, and more. Here are seven worthy to your fall foliage season must-do list.

Featuring over 40 varieties of apples, to McIntosh to Snowsweet. the horticultural and ancient agriculby pruning and tying branches to a corn maze, activities, and a playground County. (283A Cabot Plains Road,

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. highlighting people and places in the Houskeeper in 2009, Happy Vermont has + Leisure, Vermont Public Radio, and

Most cultivated squash grown in the US are varieties within the species Cucurbita pepo , Cucurbita maxima , and Curcurbita moschata . Curcurbita maxima includes buttercup, turban, candy roaster, and hubbard squashes. Curcurbita moschata includes butternut squash and pumpkins. Curcurbita pepo includes acorn squash, and yet more varieties commonly called pumpkins. The genus Curcurbita includes winter squash, summer squash (such as zucchini), and gourds. The family Curcurbitaceae includes winter and summer squash, gourds, cucumbers, and melons.

↑ contents

Squash custard, makes eight one-

cup servings 4 cups cooked pureed squash (must be velvety smooth) 2-3 cups sweet or sour cream (I use some of each) 1 ½ cups sugar 1 T molasses 4 eggs 1 t salt 2 t cinnamon 1 t ginger ½ t nutmeg or allspice ¼ t cloves Heat oven to 425 F. Blend all ingredients till smooth, using a blender or food processor. Pour into two 9” round cake pans. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake 35 minutes. Let cool for several minutes, then refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is best). This garden article is brought to you by Susan Socks, aka the Garden Goddess. Stay tuned for upcoming articles on green lawn care, pruning, garden tools, edible landscapes, and more. For gardening help, visit www.SocksFamily

↑ contents

C ABOT P UBLIC

The sun Bone Builders with Sue Carey; in The Cabot Public Library is open! is sitting a little lower in the sky as  we turn toward fall and the  nights get cooler; there’s a hustle and bustle happening at Twin Valley. Folks are calling in to reserve a space/table and  it’s looking like our upcoming Craft Fair and Flea Market is going to be a crowd-  puller! All sorts of goodies to peruse with the holidays right around the corner! Be sure to mark your calendar and come on  down October 15 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Join us for lunch at noon every Mon-  day, Wednesday and Friday. We offer door to door transportation year round through GMTA. Call us at (802) 223-  32 and we will make the arrangements. Stop by anytime between 9:00 am-2:00 pm, to enjoy some cribbage, a  puzzle or light banter; all ages are welcome. We also offer several classes, person on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Chair Yoga with Karen Kennedy; in person on Mondays from 3:00-4:00 p.m. (monthly fee of $20) Tai Chi with Pat Boyle; in person on Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Tai Chi with Dyne Sapp; in person on Fridays from 10:00-11:00 a.m. SASH sponsored Bingo with prizes is held every first and third Monday at 1:00 p.m. in person Blood Pressure Clinics are on the second Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mystery Book Club is held in person on the first Thursday of each month Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice provides Foot Clinics on a monthly basis In-person Art Classes are advertised periodically as well We hope to see you soon! Come visit in person Monday 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Tuesday noon – 6:00 p.m., Wednesday 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Thursday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.-noon. Curbside library service is still available during regular library hours. Fall Programming - Be sure to visit our website: cabotlibrary.com and check FPF for updates, registration information and added programming. All programs are free! For more information or to express interest, email amandaotto.cabotlibrary@gmail.com.

↑ contents

Field

StoryWalk is an innovative and delightful way for children and adults to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same Eugene Troia, Executive Director time. As you stroll down the trail, you are directed to the next page in the story. Cabot's StoryWalk features the book Story Boat by Kyo Maclear and starts at the Rec Field pavilion.

↑ contents

Game Club – Tuesdays - Starting

September 27 - 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (ages 12+) Love board games? Want to discover some fun new games to play? Come to the Game Club and enjoy playing games with your friends. You could bring your own or try some of the library's NEW collection. 7 Wonders, Ticket to Ride, The Castle of Burgundy, Carcassonne, Dixit and Concept are just a few of the new games at the library, thanks to the VT Afterschool grant. Snacks and drinks provided.

↑ contents

to Current Use Advisory

Michael Hogan, resident of Cabot and current Chair of the Selectboard, was recently appointed by Governor Scott to fill a vacancy on the Current Use Advisory Board. His term expires 1/31/2025. Mr. Hogan worked in state government for thirty years under various administrations and has extensive knowledge of board governance, having worked with a variety of state agencies and their respective boards. The purpose of the Current Use (or Use Value Appraisal) Program is to encourage and assist the maintenance of Vermont’s productive agricultural and forest land, achieve more equitable taxation for undeveloped lands, and to enable citizens to plan its orderly growth in the face of increasing development pressures. The Board sets the Use Values for agricultural and forest land twice annually with other subcommittee work off season if necessary. Full disclosure: Neither Mr. Hogan nor any of his family have enrolled land in the program.

↑ contents

Community Service Program – Sec-

ond Tuesday of each month (ages 1418) Fulfill your H.S. Community Service requirements at the library! Help shelve books, re-stock take-home kits for kids, tutor kids during H.W. Help, and assist the youth librarian during Game Club and Book Club/Outdoor Exploration Program. To register, email amandaotto.cabotlibrary@gmail.com.

↑ contents

Cooking up a Storm with Brock

Miller – Six Thursdays - 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. November 3 - December 15 Join Cabot school chef, Brock Miller, for this exciting series on cooking some of your favorite foods, snacks and holiday cookies! Sign up in advance as space is limited. Thanks so much to the Library Trustees for their hard work and support to the library: Grace Hoffman, Niall McCallum, Angela Ogle, Kurt Steinert and Beth Wade and our student representative, Ila Steinert. See you at the library! Kathleen Hoyne – Library Director Amanda Otto – Youth Librarian

↑ contents

Board

A little about the program: The Use Program was adopted by the Legislature in 1978. Current use is a property tax incentive program for eligible land. Why does forest land need property tax equity? Land that is not developed but used for forestry purpose should be taxed at its use value rather than at its development value. Current Use assigns this reduced value, which results in reduced taxes, keeping land whole, unfragmented and healthy. How is Current Use value determined? Each year the state of Vermont sets the price per acre of forest land. In 2022, the Use Value for Forest land is $170 /acre. You can use this information to approximate your potential savings. Applications for new enrollments must be submitted by September 1 of each year. If accepted, the land is enrolled by April 1, the start of the following year. You can find more information by going to the Vermont Department of Taxation website and searching for Current Use.

↑ contents

← From the Cabot Chronicle