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The Cabot Chronicle

September 2023 · 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 September 2023 pages (PDF)

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

In This Issue

Journalist for UVM Extension

If there is one word that can be used to describe Jimmy and Sara Ackermann, it’s resilient. Although only in their mid-thirties, these hard-working Hardwick dairy farmers have the same dogged work ethic of generations of old-time New England farmers, something that was not lost on the judging committee for this year’s Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year award. Neither was their commitment to sustainability and making decisions to ‘right-size’ their operation to fit both their farm and family goals. The award, which was first handed out in 1962, is a coveted one that signals that the recipient is an exemplary dairy farm, one worth taking notice of for its outstanding herd, quality milk production, enviable pastures and commitment to dairying. It is presented annually by University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry

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Performances

by Karen Mueller-Harder

On August 4, two world premiere theater performances took place in Cabot, as 26 local kids participating in Cabot Community Theater’s summer program brought characters to life in a pair of plays by Colleen Hughes! The younger actors (ages 6 to 12) performed the fantastical “Puzzles and Portals,” in which two groups of kids find themselves trapped in a mysterious world populated by strange creatures,

DEADLINE: 15th of the month prior to production

Coordinator: Jeannie Johnson

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SERVICE

Association in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program to a farm that epitomizes overall dairying excellence. While the Ackermanns might argue that for them, dairying is simply a way of life, evidence that they are well de-

They currently milk 60 to 65 Holsteins, which consistently average 70 pounds of

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27 DOW DRIVE

milk a day year-round, for a rolling herd average of 22,600 pounds. Their butter- EAST HARDWICK VT 05836 fat is 4.1 percent and protein, 3.1 to 3.2 percent. They’ve been operating Ackermann Dairy, a 120-head organic dairy farm, for 16 years, including nine at their current location, a hillside farm with 100 tillable acres. They rent another 200 Cabot Arts acres in Hardwick and Cabot so are able to grow enough grass to supply all

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Show and Tell

of three tons per acre of haylage. (see ‘Ackermann Dairy’, page 14)

and have to use their ingenuity and creativity to escape. In “Backstage Pass,” the older actors (ages 10-15) played characters grappling with a variety of realistic challenges and insecurities as they prepare for opening night of a play-within-a-play. Both groups rehearsed and put together the plays in just one week, and did a wonderful job, impressing the au-

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at Janet VanFleet's, 32 Thistle Hill Road

dience which filled CSPAC to see them! The cast of “Puzzles and Portals”.

The Cabot Chronicle is published monthly and is provided locally free of charge.

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Cabot Fire….Remotely!

I wanted to express how lucky I am (and the town) to have a crew of 27 fully dedicated fire department members. These vested volunteer members of Cabot Fire Department have accrued the same losses that, sadly, many have experienced within our community, and have also contributed over 800 combined hours contributed to storm-related emergency rescue/recovery events. Often leaving their own clean-up till weeks later. Amid this, Mother Nature also devastated our station. She moved the path of the Winooski River directly behind our station, now undermining the 12 feet of embankment left of the 29-foot drop off to the river. Our station (CFD home) was one of six buildings the State of Vermont tagged in Cabot. Listing our building “in danger of collapse due to erosion” as they went door to door with State inspectors shortly after the July 10 storms. Dealing with not only orchestrating the ongoing recovery detail utilizing hundreds of man hours, I was now given the additional task to relocate the entire Cabot fire department's daily operations while balancing seamlessly the life safety protection for the community. There have been many sleepless nights studying maps of Cabot while overlaying average response times to maintain public safety for the entire community, intertwined with meetings, along with endless phone calls. Add to that avoiding cost to the taxpayers of Cabot who are

already struggling and attempting to rebound from their own devastation like so many within the state of Vermont. Utilizing the State of Vermont Emergency operation center (SEOC) activated by the governor on July 9, I began requesting assistance for the Cabot community. With over 56 phone calls that I have made, I must pause momentarily and acknowledge “Brian S,” within the 24 – 7 SEOC for his dedication to helping fulfill our requests on behalf of Cabot and even the many 3:00 a.m. return phone calls following up on requests I made earlier that day. A new friendship and respect were developed for sure. Via the SEOC I was connected to many FEMA representatives, including a supervisor for FEMA who oversaw all New England. Discussing with him the CFD situation, he flew in from Kansas and assessed for himself firsthand the hardship that our community has experienced and Cabot's damage to its life

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of the Chief of

safety infrastructure. Assuring us that Cabot will be rebuilt and that the town's own infrastructure for public safety in Cabot has ranked very high (#2 on his top three) on the list. It was on that night I believe I got my first straight four hours of sleep. No place to call home . . . . Currently, CFD apparatus is stationed around town in five places. Many of the one million dollars of assets entrusted to us by you are placed in folks' front yards. I am grateful for the temporary use of those properties and their security as we move forward, as well as the overwhelming donations that have been coming in. Thank you, community!!! A special thank you to Cabot Creamery for assisting us with the removal of some of our heavy stationary equipment from the station. Some equipment is also squeezed in temporally up at the Town garage (thank you Sid!) and at four other sites around Cabot. We are working to get a temporary building at the north end of town at lightning speed (three months). This is a priority due to cold weather approaching soon, as we navigate the future of a more complete permanent building. You will notice that the Town Siren has not been sounding for several days, but we have had several calls. This is partly due to delicate integrated equipment being removed from the station. This siren plays an extremely important role (like in Hawaii) in notifying our members of an emergency due to the mountain terrain of Cabot. In many locations, our phones have no coverage and our towers from Woodbury, Walden, or Blue Cross building in Montpelier cannot activate all our pagers in the hollows. Reengaging the siren is another task placed on my officers. As we continue, my primary task as Chief always has been and will continue to be continuous life safety operations for our members and the community . Regardless of what Mother Nature can throw our way. Be Safe Dean Deasy, Chief Cabot Fire Department Chief@Cabotfiredept.com

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Cabot Fire Station

by R.D. Eno for Cabot Selectboard During and after the Great July Flood, while Cabot Firefighters were pumping basements, clearing asphalt and managing rescue and recovery operations late into the night, the swollen Winooski River was eating its way toward the Fire Station itself, eroding the embankment and destabilizing the land behind it. An examination of the Fire Station by Ben De Jong, the Vermont State geologist, shortly after the flood revealed that the land is in “active movement” and significantly unstable. Reinforcing fill deposited after the Flood of 2011 has begun to fail, and many of the red flags placed to mark the fill line have slid down the embankment, showing clearly how the land is shifting and the embankment collapsing. Cracks have appeared in the floor and foundation of the building, the corner web bracing has buckled, and a vertical I-beam can be observed leaning toward the river. On July 28, the Vermont Department of Public Safety stepped in and condemned the building. Fire equipment and vehicles have been moved to available shelters

no further use may be made of the Fire Station. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has promised to financially assist the Town in erecting a temporary Fire Station, demolishing the old Station and constructing a new Public Safety Building (PSB) at 2466 Main Street, the site already purchased by the Town for that purpose. Quotes are being solicited for a temporary structure, which will be situated on the parking lot just above the Rec Field. It should be up in about three months. The Fire Department expects work on the new PSB to be completed, and the Fire Department to be permanently rehoused there within 24 months. Meanwhile, Fire Chief Dean Deasy has assured the community that both the Department and Cabot Ambulance will continue to respond to emergencies.

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Agri-Mark/McCadam

We had an excavator here on Tuesday after the flood focusing on clearing the culvert that was overtopped on Route 215 just below our administration building and fixing a pretty severe washout that was undermining a driveway there. There was a minor land slide that filled a drainage swale that needed to be cleared below the Truck Garage. There was a washout off Sawmill Road, which is the access to our RO permeate storage ponds. That has all been addressed. We were fortunate that the stream that bisects the Cut & Wrap Facility from the Manufacturing Plant and Administrative Building did not destroy the culvert under our main driveway. We were also fortunate it did not completely take Route 215 away with it! Our gratitude to the Town for jumping on stabilizing Route 215 on the downgradient side and later the upgradient side of Route 215 at that location. Like the fire department, perhaps the most significant impacts of the flooding have not yet been fully determined. The bank between Route 215 and the Winooski is showing signs of instability, having sluffed down in the heavy rains and simultaneously experiencing some undercutting from the river. This is threatening the milk truck parking adjacent to the fire department and also our maintenance shop building at 2887 Main Street. The Fire Marshal has restricted use of 2887 Main Street to partial occupancy (no full time occupancy). We have retained an engineer to monitor the building and help us identify some possible funding sources and/or mitigation measures. The building seems stable for now, there are no signs of movement since we first started monitoring it after the flood. We understand the State is also looking at it to see if there’s anything that can be done from the river side, but neither solutions nor really any news has been forthcoming on that front. It is our understanding, based on preliminary discussions with our engineers and the State engineers, that any long term solution likely involves either pinning into bedrock or occupying some of the river, starting at the bottom up and building the bank back up, neither of which are easy or cheap. The problem seems a bit bigger than the Creamery has capacity to take on. We are working with stakeholders including the State and Town to see if there is anything we can do there.

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ERRATA

On page 7 of the August Cabot Chronicle was a typo. We probably don’t catch them all, but we caught this one! The last sentence of the article titled Cabot Well-Represented in Ag Hall of Fame notes Jake Folsom of Cabot was a 2022 Hall of Fame inductee. Well, obviously, that’s Jackie Folsom, not Jake. Our apologies, Jackie.

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Joshua Mitchell Barnett

Joshua Mitchell Barnett, 33, of Marshfield died in a motorcycle accident on Route 214 in East Montpelier on Sunday, July 30, 2023. He was born on May 4, 1990, in Berlin, Vermont, to Norbert Fred Barnett and Penny (Clark) Barnett. He grew up in Plainfield and Marshfield. He has two brothers, Norbert Freddy Barnett, and Ethan Barnett. He is a father of three beautiful children whom he loved deeply; Westyn, 5, Kay-

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Bonnie Dannenberg

Bonnie Stevens Dannenberg, 76 years old, dedicated volunteer for many nonprofit organizations, passed away at her home in the village of Cabot on Thursday, August 3, 2023, after a long illness. She helped her community and family until her final days. Mrs. Dannenberg was President of the Cabot Historical Society for more than twenty years. She recruited many new members and led the annual Cabot Apple Pie Festival fundraiser, attracting both volunteers and visitors. The society maintains two museums with collections from Cabot’s past. A lifelong Democrat, Bonnie served as chair of a revitalized Cabot Democratic Committee, delegate to the Washington County Democratic Committee, and delegate to the state convention. She was a Cabot Justice of the Peace for several years. Mrs. Dannenberg researched and published a detailed family genealogy, back to the 1676 marriage of Jacques Jouiel and Lady Marie Gertrude Moral in New France, and other family histories. Bonnie and her husband were team leaders for Episcopal Marriage Encounter seminars through the United States and in Canada. A 1965 graduate of Cabot High School, where she was a cheerleader, Mrs. Dannenberg raised funds for the Cabot Alumni Association by hosting fancy teas.

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EMORIALS

Foster whom we lost on June 3, 2023. The celebration will be at the family’s home at 40 Brookside Drive in Walden on Saturday, September 9. The gathering will start at 3:00 p.m. with a potluck dinner. Family and friends will have the opportunity to relate remembrances, stories and special comments they shared with Annette.

dence, 4, and Madelyn, 1. He graduated from Twinfield High School and completed the State Electrical Apprenticeship Program. He was currently employed by Pike Industries as a Journeyman Electrician. His service was held at United Grace Methodist Church in Plainfield, Vermont, on Thursday, August 10, with an immediate graveside service following at the South Cabot Cemetery. Arrangements are in the care of Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home in Barre. Those wishing to send online condolences may do so at www.pruneaupollifuneral home.com.

She earned an Associate’s degree with a concentration in institutional child care. Bonnie was a lifeguard, calligraphy instructor and a 4H leader. Her varied activities also included: gardening, cat shows, fine felting, crocheting, and knitting. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Peter Dannenberg, daughters Allison Joyal and Stephanie Brooke Miller, son-in-law Roy Miller, grandchildren Deborah Walnicki, Caleb Blair, Alexander Monahan, and his wife Jasmine, great-grandson Lucas Monahan, and siblings Kathleen Shepherd, Roland Parent, and Keith Parent, as well as aunts Katherine Vaillancourt and Elizabeth Brown and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Mrs. Dannenberg was predeceased by her grandparents, Harry and Florence Stevens, and Joseph Joyal, who helped raise her, after her father’s death, when Bonnie was an infant. She was also predeceased by her parents, Warren and Margaret Elizabeth (Joyal) Stevens, her youngest sister Gail Parent, and niece Christina Parent. A wake at des Groseilliers Funeral Home in Hardwick was held August 8, followed by a brief graveside memorial at Durant Cemetery in Cabot. A gift to

Cabot, VT 05647 is welcome. Bonnie looks down from the heavens and forever fills our hearts with purpose. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bonnie Stevens Dannenberg, please visit the floral store at https://www.holcomb-desgroseilliers.com/ obituary/Bonnie-Dannenberg/sympathylanding.

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Wayne A. Martin

Wayne Arthur Martin, 75, of Cabot died peacefully, on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. His loving family was by his side. He was born February 10, 1948, in Barre; the son of the late Gordon and Virginia (Shepard) Martin. Wayne attended St. Johnsbury Trade School and Twinfield High School in Plainfield. Following his education, in 1968 he entered the United States Army, serving his country in the Panama Canal Zone. Wayne was honorably Discharged in 1970. For more than 27 years, he was employed as a mechanic for Senter Auto in East Montpelier. Following retirement, he worked part time as a carpenter and a landscaper. On August 8, 1971, he married Marcy Lynne Lovely in Cabot, where they made their home and raised their family for the past 52 years. Wayne attended the United Church in Cabot. He was a member of the Green Mountain Lodge # 68 F & AM, in Cabot: a past member of the Cabot Fire Department and Cabot

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The Willey Building

Emergency Ambulance. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His enjoyments included: black powder shooting, hunting, fishing, and camping. Survivors include: his loving wife, Marcy of Cabot, three children: Jonathan Martin and his fiancée, Bobbi Jo Clark of Cabot, Louanna Dutil and her husband, Rick of Marshfield, and Lynne Marie Larivee (from a previous marriage) of Berlin. Two sisters, Joyce Mattson of Berlin, and Sandy Pollander of Virginia; six grandchildren, Sarah, Tyler, Travis, Evan, Bryce, and Codie; two great grandsons: Braxton and Blake; as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents, Wayne was predeceased by two brothers: David and Robert Martin. To honor his request, all services will be private at the convenience of his family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Cabot

32, Cabot, Vermont 05647. Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences are welcomed at: northernvermontfuneralservice.com.

second child to Neil & Florence (Ainsworth) Parks. He would be followed by six more siblings over the next 19 years. Steve grew up in Walden & St. Johnsbury. He attended a one-room schoolhouse in Walden and later St Johnsbury Academy, where he enjoyed playing basketball.

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Executive Sessions

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer When the Selectboard goes into Executive Session, the public is not allowed to be present, the attendees are not supposed to talk about what was discussed, and minutes are not to be taken. The board is not permitted to take any action in executive session and must return to a normal meeting in order to pass any motions. State statute allows boards to go into executive session only for specific reasons, which are detailed in the statutes. Only individuals invited by the board to be part of the discussion are permitted in the meeting during the executive session. Thus the Chronicle cannot report any matter discussed in executive session. We can only report on the reason stated for going into executive session, who may have been in attendance when the door was shut, and if there was any action taken after executive session, as recorded in the minutes. At the July 25 Emergency Selectboard Meeting, the board approved going into executive session for a real estate issue. When asked for clarification, Mike Hogan would only say it was for a real estate matter, as it was listed on the agenda. According to the state Statute 1 V.S.A. § 313, executive sessions are permitted for “(2) the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options.” Present when the door was closed was Dean Deasy, the Fire Chief. According to the minutes, the board took no action after the executive session. At the August 1 Regular Selectboard Meeting, the board approved going into executive session regarding a contract relating to real estate. On the agenda, the session was listed with the description “Real Estate Masonic Hall Update,” and present when the door was closed were representatives from Neighbors in Action. According to the minutes, the

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Firehouse Yellow Tagged

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Selectboard held an emergency meeting on August 28. Mike Hogan explained the emergency meeting was to discuss what ensued that day regarding the firehouse. Mike turned the meeting over to Dean Deasy, the Fire Chief. Dean started by saying he wanted to assure everyone they are still in full operation. They will respond to any emergency call. He described how the river bank behind the building has “taken a hit” from the storms of the last couple weeks. It became more evident, the Wednesday after the storm, when they started to see large slide offs. He said the concern got to the point that he reached out to the State and asked for someone to come look at it and the State sent a team. He added the 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

board took no action after the executive session. The board again went into executive session at the August 3 Emergency Board Meeting. The agenda listed the reason as “Discuss Real Estate/ Contract.” According to the state Statute 1 V.S.A. § 313, executive sessions are permitted for “(1) after making a specific finding that premature general public knowledge would clearly place the public body or a person involved at a substantial disadvantage: (A) contracts.” The Chronicle was not present at the meeting since the agenda only listed one topic, the executive session. After this executive session, according to the minutes, the board did take action and passed the following motion: Whereas, as a consequence of the recent flooding, the present Fire Station has been declared unusable by the State of Vermont: And whereas a new location for a proposed Public Safety Building is owned by the Town; And Whereas Connor Contracting, previously retained by the Town to manage the proposed Public Safety Building project; And Whereas estimates have been secured for architectural services, civil engineering services, structural engineering services and geotechnical engineering services for which a schedule of payments is as follows: August 2023: $50,450 September 2023: $56,900 October 2023 $80,200 November 2023: $93,400 And whereas the Cabot Selectboard deems the need for new permanent housing for the Cabot Fire Department and Cabot Ambulance a matter of great urgency. And Whereas the Selectboard has obtained a $1 million line of credit. The Selectboard hereby resolves to pay the August through November schedule of payments through the Town's Line of Credit unless public assistance (FEMA) reimbursement is received.

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(Part 1)

state has data from three years ago and took pictures on that Thursday of the river's current location for comparison. Dean went on to describe how the heavy rain on Friday caused more of the bank slide. He said he reached out again and they came out for a third visit. Dean said on each visit they were looking at the ground stabilization, adding flags so they could monitor how fast the bank was sliding. They took the information to UVM and concluded the toe of the slope is beginning to fail. He described how different parts of the banks are turning in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. He noted the trees are showing that rotation based upon how they are leaning. He said the team looked at the cracks in the foundation of the firehouse, how the sheetrock had shifted, met that 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.

morning and determined the ground is still moving. Dean said they were alarmed by the current status and the State yellow tagged the building. Dean explained they were allowed into the building to remove equipment and are housing it at temporary locations. They are going to figure out a more permanent location while this situation is being resolved. Dean thought the building is not able to be fixed. He said there isn’t enough room for bank support, and the trees are being lost. Dean said they are in a serious predicament, adding they have reached out to the US Senate and Representative offices to put them in the loop. He added they have three shipping containers coming for storage of equipment. He concluded that he needs a building, and he needs it right now. Jenn Miner spoke regarding Cabot Ambulance, and said their temporary location is at the Goodrich's Sugar House. She said for a short term it is manageable, but she described concerns regarding response time. The board talked to Dean and Jenn about the situation and Dean expressed concern about the security of the equipment. He said the engine would be situated in the town garage, the rescue would be at a residence on Elm Street, and the tanker would be located on Ducharme Road. He added it would also affect their response time. Karen Larsen asked about the timeline for a new building, should town voters approve funding. Dean said Connor Contracting estimated it would take about 11 months to build a new firehouse. The board and Dean talked about a temporary building involving the National Guard or the Army Corps of Engi-

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Flood Damage Repair

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer A few town residents have brought requests to the Selectboard concerning damages related to the flooding of July 10. At the August 1 meeting, Ama Peyman presented a request regarding a culvert on her property. She showed a map to the board and noted she had been working with the USDA and the NRCS to put in a high tunnel greenhouse. She explained where the ponds are connected and noted that she and Nate had bought a 20 inch by 20 foot culvert to replace the one that had been washed out. Ama said they don’t have the equipment and asked if someone from the Town could help put the culvert in for them. Karen Larsen asked about the path of the water and noted the water came from public infrastructure and went into public infrastructure, through Ama’s property. R.D. Eno asked if they could spare an excavator. Mike Hogan said he would “play devil’s advocate” and felt there was residing, doing business, and visiting of our town. members informed about issues to listen in person. Instructions for

neers. Dean said location would be the most important factor, and there are some possible locations. Mike said he thinks the town will be behind them 100% because public safety is important. Skip asked about the Creamery, and Dean said they have a flat area where they could put storage containers, or even a temporary building. Dean expressed concern about safety when responding to calls. Karen summarized that there are two major threads to address, housing of equipment to maximize the response for fire and ambulance, and pursuing the issue of a new public safety building. She recommended they move forward with both of these. She asked if the board should consider having a town meeting to discuss the issue and vote on funding. R.D. Eno said they need to word the article on which the town would vote before they could call a town meeting. Mike said they don’t have a number, and R.D. said that normally you would ask for bonding authority. Karen recalled there was an amount of about $120,000. Dean said that amount was for doing core samples to test the earth and structural engineering. Dean explained that in order to get an accurate number, they need to have the structural and site engineering completed. Mike said he felt they were in a good place due to all the previous work. Karen asked Dean to pull together the site prep numbers for the following Tuesday, August 1, at the regular board meeting, and asked the board if they could vote then on disbursing funds. R.D. asked if they had the funds to disburse. Mike said they do, because they have a positive fund balance that carried over. The board also discussed that they had a line of credit for FEMA-related expenses.

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Requests

a demarcation between the Town’s responsibility and the resident’s responsibility. Mike worried they would be setting a precedent. Ama said she had Matt Nally coming the following week to do some excavation work, but his estimate for the culvert puts the total beyond their budget. She added they lost their car in the flood, too. Mike then speculated the way the water was running, the work might fall under FEMA public assistance. R.D. said if FEMA would cover it, then they can do it. Karen noted this is water coming off public infrastructure and moving towards public infrastructure, and she recalled the board had just signed off on $168,000 in remediation, gravel, and to pull trees off people's property. She added the board has supported people in other places. She asked the board “when can we offer Nate and Ama a decision?” Mike responded that he would like to talk to FEMA first. At the August 15 meeting, Jeff Reck and Simon Villa presented a request to (see ’Flood Damage Repair’, page 6)

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Hazard Mitigation

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the August 15 Selectboard meeting, R.D. Eno reminded the Selectboard that he had been talking about the creation of a local hazard mitigation task force. He noted this is an opportune time and recommended the board charges the Conservation Committee to create a hazard mitigation task force. R.D. went on to explain the task force should be charged with coming up with a flood mitigation plan exclusively for Cabot. He said he perceived some future flood will wipe out our village. He recalled that 12 years ago when the village was flooded they added a second culvert and new bridge to no avail. Mike Hogan said he worked for the State for a number of years and cautioned the board that they should tread carefully. Karen said she agreed with R.D.; if the town gets another night of 9” of rain, at the very least they should engage in thought to make the damage less. Karen agreed they need to be concerned first and foremost with Cabot, but embedded in the larger conversation.

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Firehouse Yellow

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Selectboard continued their discussion regarding the current state of the firehouse at the August 1 regular meeting. Mike Hogan asked Dean Deasy to give an update on what has happened since the Fire Marshal came out the previous Friday. Dean said basically the Fire Department no longer has a structure to operate out of and he is watching the amount of response time fluctuate with equipment scattered around town. Dean spoke about having five different meetings with the state’s emergency operations center and said they have a list of vendors that could supply a temporary structure. He explained a lot of thought has gone into where to put a temporary structure and said he felt the best site was at 121 South Walden Road. He said that address is the gravel parking lot that is located between the recreation field and the parking lot next to the basketball courts. Dean recommended the Selectboard seriously consider this location. He said there is power at the location which feeds the pavilion and could be redirected to the structure. He added there is town water and sewer there, too. He went on to describe the temporary structure and explained that they would have access to a trailer designed for winter. Dean explained these structures are half solid, half tent. He added the snow load is one thing they are working on. He said the structure that is moving to the top of the list is a structure with center posts to help hold the fabric ceiling, with rigid side walls. Adding they would be able to put in garage bays and there should be enough space for tabletop training and meetings. Dean also said there are some questions regarding the gravel base, and choosing the best surface.

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Task Force

She added they need to pull together stakeholders with knowledge and political capital. R.D. said he thinks the task force should be solely for hazard mitigation: “I’m concerned that our town, our particular needs, could get lost in a much larger agenda. I’d like a task force with the conservation committee at its core.” Mike said he has been on a lot of task forces, and if it doesn’t have clear goals it just spins. R.D. responded by saying those objectives are the first thing the task force needs to define. R.D. moved to charge the Conservation Committee to form a task force and report back to the Selectboard at the first board meeting in September with a roster of participants. Mike seconded it, and the board approved. Gary Gulka, the Conservation Committee chair, said this is a very complex problem. He noted the committee had met the previous night and had already decided they would like to play a significant role in helping the town figure out what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again.

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Tagged (Part 2)

R.D. Eno asked Dean if there was an alternative place and Dean responded that 121 South Walden Road is the best location. Karen Larsen said the Fire Department takes care of the community, and the community needs to take care of the Fire Department. She referred to the decontamination equipment and asked Dean if the structure could hold things that are needed to keep the firefighters safe. Dean said the building has enough space to have the decontamination equipment, and added that it is a heated building. He explained that it is basically just a shell. Dean said everything is very temporary, like extension cords that go up to feed motors for the doors. Mike speculated that the Firehouse will probably be red tagged soon because the bank is so unstable. He said that he didn’t think the temporary structure would impact the recreation field, and said he understood that FEMA is going to cover the temporary building under public assistance. The board approved the location. The board held another meeting on August 3 that appears to be related to a new firehouse. The meeting was held in executive session so only the action taken can be reported upon, which was related to disbursing money to pay for engineering services on the new firehouse. See the Executive Sessions article in this issue of the Chronicle for the details of the action taken by the Selectboard. The board revisited the subject of the new and temporary firehouse again at the August 15 regular board meeting. Dean started by describing continuous failure of the bank behind the firehouse, and some structural damage that is starting to appear within the building. He said they had pulled equipment towards the doors in preparation for loading into shipping containers. Dean said he reached out to the State of Vermont

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Flood Damage Repair

(continued from page 5) have the bridge on Jug Brook Road fixed. Mike recalled back in December the board was looking at reclassifying the roads. He said he looked at the minutes and listened to the recording and said there was no mention of the bridge. The Chronicle reported on the selectboard meetings (November and December 2022 editions) and the hearing (January 2023 edition) that culminated in the decision regarding Jug Brook Road and several other road classifications. In the article regarding the hearing in January, the Chronicle reported that Simon was told the Town would maintain the bridge. Jeff described the situation to the board. He said he and Simon needed to use the bridge to access their properties. He said the Town had always taken good care of the bridge, including replacing the decking in 2021. He continued to describe that the bridge was damaged in the July flooding, making it unusable, and they were not able to access their properties for a week. Jeff said since the flood they had requested the Town make repairs to the bridge through Mike Hogan. He added that after a week, and since Town highway folks were overwhelmed, they did temporary repairs to make the bridge usable, but emphasized the bridge is only minimally functional. He went on to explain it needs a permanent fix to make it usable and safe. He added it is a serious public safety concern in that fire and rescue vehicles cannot cross the bridge. He noted he can no longer have a septic truck service his camp, rendering the camp unusable. Jeff said it was a surprise to him when Mike informed him several weeks after the flood that the bridge was no longer maintained by the Town. He pointed out there does not appear to be a formal decision by the Town to discontinue the bridge maintenance. Jeff concluded by asking the Town to fix the bridge that it owns. Simon then spoke and said Jeff had outlined things very well. He said he wanted to know if the Town did indeed throw up the bridge. He said he had packed logs into the chasm beside the bridge to get off his property. He emphasized it is not safe and needs to be addressed at some point.

and the State is going to come up and red tag the building. Dean then discussed the status of the temporary building. He said he needs to get bids for the temporary structure at 121 South Walden Road. He also said he met with FEMA and reviewed the site for the temporary structure. He explained all the different parts of FEMA gave the green light, and that all he needed to do is get bids and come back to them and they’ll get things in motion. Dean said he also reached out to the State regarding permitting, and they are willing to give a waiver for 24 months to not have a sprinkler system. He explained that a sprinkler system is required in a building where fire trucks are kept, and if they are still there on the 25th month, they would need to install a sprinkler system. He added that afterMike said he wasn’t sure who owns the bridge. R.D. said the Town does. Both Skip and Mike responded, “not necessarily.” Sid Griggs confirmed that the Town did redeck the bridge in 2021 because the boards were rotten. Mike asked if there was anything on the maps that showed the Town owns the bridge. Michelle Leclerc said there was nothing in the deed regarding the bridge. Jeff disagreed and said the map on the Town website shows the Town owns the road and the bridge. R.D. said the question they addressed previously was changing from class 3 to 4, and that statute requires the Town to maintain culverts and bridges on class 4 roads. He surmised that the road crew got overwhelmed, and the bridge on Jug Brook Road was just not a high priority. Simon said he had made it passable, so the Town may not be really aware. Jeff asked where the bridge stood in priority. Mike responded the town is not responsible, and he is basing that upon the minutes. He said in the decision there was nothing about bridges. He said that it is up to what the word “maintenance” means. Karen said it seems the Town has to maintain that structure, and if it was damaged in the July floods, it is not Mr. Villa’s responsibility. Mike reiterated if the board wants the Town to maintain that bridge, it needs to be in the deed, so future Selectboards know. Simon said that on all the maps it shows it is not part of his property. R.D. said he didn’t think it has to be in the deed. He said if it’s in the road, then the Town needs to maintain it. Simon recalled that last year he was trying to get propane over the bridge and it didn’t have a load rating. He said there is no paperwork, and now they are at another meeting talking about the bridge. He wanted to know the plan. The board and Jeff discussed the weight limits of bridges on class 4 roads, which Jeff said was 16,000 pounds. But Dean confirmed that wasn’t sufficient for a fire truck. R.D. said he wasn’t ready to repair the bridge beyond that. The discussion continued about the bridge, the damage caused by the flood, and if FEMA would cover expenses. At its conclusion, Mike asked Sid to look at the bridge so the board could make a decision.

wards the building can be used for other things without a sprinkler system.

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Tax Rate Explained

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

Michelle Leclerc, the Assistant Town Clerk and Assistant Town Treasurer, explained how the tax rate for this year was calculated at the August 1 regular Selectboard meeting. Michelle started by explaining where the numbers come from and then how they figure into the tax rate calculation. She started with the total appropriations, explaining that the four town articles approved last year totaled $1,672,492 (Article 9 - General Fund $701,629; Article 10 Highway $925,863; Article 11 - Library Part-Time Position $25,000; and Article 13 - Cabot School New Playground $20,000). Michelle reported the highway and general income for the Town totaled $362,163. Michelle went on to show that the expense, minus the income, resulted in the “funds to be raised” totaling $1,310,329. She said that number gets divided by the grand list which is $1,798,572.77 and results in a municipal tax rate of 0.7285. She then explained there are tax exemptions that the rest of the town has to pay. First, she said that veterans get a discount of $30,000 off their assessed value. She said there are 12 qualifying

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at Cabot School

by Erica Fucello for Cabot School Board There has been some confusion in the past about Cabot School’s disciplinary procedures. Although they’ve always been outlined in the Student Handbook that is mailed to students’ families at the beginning of each year, there remains some haziness as to what the practice of these procedures looks like, and what the results mean. Historically, schools would use sharp reprimands and sometimes brutal punishments to “correct” a multitude of student infractions. Although progress into a more inclusive, gentler approach has been a bit slow in previous decades, Cabot School has become an example of compassionate and thoughtful disciplinary practices. Today, we have the benefit of thousands of studies, proving over and over how fear and shame-based disciplinary practices lead to long term trauma and deep-seated anger that bleeds into every aspect of adult lives. We have learned that the sense of community and belonging do more to heal a troubled child than any number of detentions or suspensions ever could. And in developing new ways to correct our children, it’s critical to remember that the intent of discipline is to help guide our children, not get vengeance for every rule broken. (Drexler, PhD. 2013. Psychology Today. “Don’t Shame Children in Pursuit of Discipline.”) Cabot’s Student Handbook has an extensive explanation of their disciplinary practices. There’s a clearly outlined rubric for what type of behavior is considered helpful, growth-oriented, and respectful. There’s an even more detailed rubric that gives examples of many different types of poor behavioral veterans, and the amount is multiplied by the homestead education tax rate for a total of $6,422.40, which is .0036 of the grand list. Michelle also said there are historic landmark exemptions, which are the old schools and the historical building. She explained that the total value there is multiplied by the non-residential education tax rate for a total of $1,330.57, which is 0.0007 of the grand list. Those two tax exemption rates are added to the first tax rate calculation, resulting in a municipal tax rate of 0.7328. But Michelle explained the total tax rate includes the education tax rate. She said that for those that claimed a homestead the total tax rate will be 2.5168. And for those that did not claim a homestead, the total tax rate will be 2.5706. The board approved the tax and signed the documents. Mike then asked how the grand list had changed from last year. Michelle said last year it was $1,804,348 and this year it is $1,798,572. She explained that the reason it went down was related to the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) decrease. The CLA is part of the calculation for the utility property assessed value.

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of Discipline

choices and what the response to each of those looks like. Invariably, there is always a conversation held with the student that reflects on their behavior and its causes, as well as the effects on not only themselves, but their peers and teachers. For some small incidents, this is enough to help re-direct the student back onto the path of community and respect. For larger issues, or for students who seem to be struggling with repeated incidents, there are 1-on-1 lunches with a counselor, reparation discussions with peers, or discussions with parents. For the more extreme incidents, there are in-school or out-ofschool suspensions, and of course, the option to expel a student, although that responsibility rests with the superintendent and the school board. No matter how large or small an incident, there is always the expectation of privacy and respect for the student and anyone else involved. Although this can sometimes be frustrating for parents to hear, the school will never disclose any identifying information about students involved in a disciplinary proceeding to anyone, nor will they discuss the chosen disciplinary path with anyone besides the student’s parents or guardians. Cabot is a small school, and in this microcosm, individual moments can sometimes be put under a magnifying glass and distorted. It is imperative to remember that while the goal of a student is to learn, they aren’t just learning about math, science, and literature. Learning social skills is also a critical part of their learning path, and while no system is perfect, we can be assured that our school is constantly striving to help the whole child, not just to bully a student into seemingly docile behavior.

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Cabot School Facilities

by Chris Tormey, for Cabot School Board

Work is being done this summer and fall on improving heating and ventilation systems at Cabot School. Along with increasing energy efficiency and reducing fuel costs, the work will also improve air quality and overall comfort for students and staff. With the town’s support, we hope in the near future to tackle other projects across the campus that will have long-term benefits. Using a grant of $262,813 from Efficiency Vermont, crews this summer will install a ventilation system in the CSPAC building and add new controls to the heating units in all the buildings on campus. These improved controls will allow for more consistent temperatures in classrooms as well as significant energy savings. This fall we will use a $187,000 grant from the Vermont Public Service Department to make several much-needed upgrades to the school’s heating plant. Built in 2007, the plant burns wood chips to heat water that’s piped underground to heat the other 7 buildings on campus. The $207,000 project will replace three key parts of the original system ( the combustor, controls and chipdelivery system) and will allow us to continue to use a renewable Vermont fuel to save money on heating. (This past winter several breakdowns of the wood chip plant forced us to spend much more on oil to heat the school.) Elsewhere across campus, we are in the process of getting estimates on the cost of several other needed renovations/ improvements. What follows is a brief description and rationale for them- over the next several months we’ll decide on which projects’ funding to include in the 2024-25 school budget that will be voted on next March. Built in 1971, our four “satellite” buildings that house the elementary grades and the art classroom are structurally sound, but in need of re-roofing and better insulation. In addition, both

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Cabot, Vermont Afterschool

Like many of you, I’ve had a summer full of ups and downs. It hasn’t all been bad, but the flooding meant that I had to throw a number of summer plans out the window. One of the results of the flooding–no meetings of the Cabot Youth Council through June and July, and some of the work I planned to do related to the Vermont Youth Project (VYP) $40,000 grant, which Vermont Afterschool is giving to young people in Cabot to increase youth friendly community spaces, ended up put aside while I volunteered to help neighbors and friends. As school begins again, and as many enjoy this beautiful end of summer, I’ll start scheduling this fall’s meetings with the Cabot Youth Council. We need to continue to develop and finish plans for

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Update

the original heating and ventilation units should be replaced and upgraded after five decades of service. Along with reducing fuel cost and better regulating indoor temperature and air quality, these steps will also reduce maintenance costs associated with ice buildup and roof leaks. Built in 1938 as part of a nationwide Works Project Administration effort, the high school building is also structurally sound, but its slate roof has required regular repairs in recent years- mainly stemming from ice jams resulting from too much heat escaping through the roof. The solution is to better insulate the building’s attic with a combination of spray-foam and blown cellulose insulation. The 1995 addition to the main building that houses the school library and nurse’s office also needs better insulation and some siding replacement. During the past two years, leaks in the underground pipes carrying hot water from the wood-chip heating plant to the other campus buildings have made it necessary to spend time and money to locate and repair the leaky pipe section. For that reason, another investment we will need to make soon is replacement of this piping system. The school’s parking lot and sidewalks are in need of replacement, having developed many cracks and splits after five decades of use. Finally, the fire alarm system at the school needs to be replaced with a more up-to-date system. We are in the process of investigating various options and their projected cost. As a board, we recognize that our small town is dealing with a lot of infrastructure decisions and costs this year. As we receive cost estimates for these potential school projects, we’ll get that information out to the community before making any decisions on which to pursue next year. Board meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month, and we always welcome input from community members.

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Council

potential projects. I realize that after this summer’s flooding, young folks might decide that some of the proposals they developed last spring should change. They might also have new ideas in response to the flooding. Still, I’m hoping that late this fall or early winter the council can finish their proposal development and hold a vote on which proposals to fund. As a reminder–the Cabot Youth Council is always welcome to new members, and anyone ages 11/12-22 who is interested in joining can contact me at laura@vermontafterschool.org I’m not yet certain what this year’s schedule will be, but we probably will meet during the school day. Cabot has a great group of young people who care about their community and their place in it. I’m really looking forward to regularly working with them again!

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Calling All Cabot Veterans

The Cabot Chronicle and Cabot Historical Society are collaborating to collect veterans’ experiences. If you are a veteran or have a loved one who has told you their story, we’d like to hear from you. Wives, siblings, children – we’d like your tales. Memories about wartime activities at home in support of our service members are welcome, as well. We want to publish first-hand experiences in the November Cabot Chronicle in honor of Veterans’ Day, and we envision a community event on Saturday, November 11, to hear stories spoken out loud and shared. We’ve put together some questions to stimulate your thoughts. We can do interviews by phone or in person, or record memories electronically. For those comfortable with a computer, a quick and dirty response up to 200 words is fine; if you have a tale you’re willing to tell, 4-500 words would be even better. We can capture your memories in whatever way would be comfortable for you. Just call us at 802-279-

For the November edition of the paper, we have a deadline of October 15. We look forward to hearing from you. Watch for a notice about a Veterans Day event in gratitude for the service of Cabot veterans. Military Questions for Cabot Veterans: What was your branch of service? What was your military occupational specialty and rank? How many years did you serve? Can you tell us about your most memorable assignment or event? How do you feel your service has impacted your life?

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Tell us about your restaurant:

We want Headwaters Restaurant & Pub to be a gathering place for Cabot and the surrounding area. We will have four eating areas – the outdoor deck overlooking the headwaters of the Winooski, a New England-style pub room, the Mural Room for fine dining, with a mural of the river painted by Jade Felton and the gentle sound of running water, and a fireplace lounge with woodburning fire to relax and chat. Nelson Cognac is an expert in French & European cooking, so fine dining will feature European and American cuisine, but we will have something for everyone – vegetarian, gluten free, vegan. Nothing will be premade, so if you have a particular allergy or request, we should be able to meet it. Not fast food, but comfortable and fresh, good food. The Pub will have a separate menu of standard tavern fare –burgers, macaroni & cheese, maybe exotic appetizers, ceviche’ not a fixed menu – we will rotate as often as possible, based on whatever’s fresh and available. We’ll have a basic menu plus a menu of the day. We are buying local produce and Cabot cheese – everything possible local from neighboring producers. Salad and spices will come from our own garden outside the restaurant – it will be part of the view from the deck. And we’ve installed a pergola and rainproof curtains and heaters – we expect to stay open outdoors almost until December.

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What brought you to Cabot?

The beauty. I’m a snowmobiler. We ended up buying forest land off Last Road by Molly Road. My wife came out to visit Cabot and we stopped at the Den for lunch, and noticed the restaurant was for sale. We loved the Winooski River, and it’s a terrific town. We realized we picked the right place after the flood. None of our team could get there the day after – we were all cut

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Restaurant

off. Johanna (Thibeault of the Den/ Harry’s Hardware) sent us photos. By the time we were able to get there, people had pulled out shovels and were already digging us out. We can’t express the gratitude we have - we haven’t even opened and already feel part of the town.

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How did you fare in the flood?

We had some damage, but we did better than most people – the basement was flooded and we lost a chunk of the foundation. More volunteers with shovels helped dig out the rest of the mud and the foundation has been repaired. The only thing we’re waiting for is putting our sign up (it’s a beautiful stained glass sign) - we don’t want to put that up yet until the sidewalk has been rebuilt – so we’re waiting for that to be done.

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When will you be open:

We’re hoping within the next few weeks – a lot depends on licenses and the final work being finished – we’re almost ready. We plan to have an event to thank the town for all the help they gave – watch your mail – look for an invitation to sample Headwaters before Restaurant everyone else fare does.

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Do you have any future plans you’d

like to share? We plan to build another deck closer to the river for cocktails, maybe table service. Along with the owners of the Den, we’re committed to make Cabot a foodie destination for people to come and relax, eat and drink, and just enjoy the beautiful scenery and recreational opportunities. Headwaters Restaurant & Pub staff:  Nelson Cognac, Head Chef and General Manager  Chris Porter, Facilities Manager  Stephen "Shane" Baker, Sous Chef (We were fortunate that he lives in Cabot and was able to assist from the earliest time possible)

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Executive Director, Cabot Arts

With the Village still reeling in the aftermath of the devastating flood, on July 29th the Cabot Arts and Music Festival made a last-minute move from the Village Common to Dana and Susan Robinson's home at the Schoolhouse on Rt. 215 in Lower Cabot. The historic schoolhouse, built in 1880, proved to be a terrific (one-time) location. All told, more than 400 people participated in the event. Nine musical acts including folk, singer-songwriters, Celtic, Quebecois, rock and world music, plus a hilarious puppet show from Modern Times Theater filled the grounds with a joyful vibe through the entire day. Vendors' tents, food trucks, and lawn chairs all fit like a glove in and around the gardens. While music played in the big tent, children were absorbed and delighted by the multitude of fun things to do. Sandy Pond's clay table, Mary Saggerson's flower crowns, and Paul Ruta's wagon rides were all a big hit. Kids and adults both walked (and ran) around the labyrinth, whose lights lit up in a spiral as the daylight waned into night. The event began in fair conditions, but gave way to rain through the afternoon. Undaunted, people donned raincoats or found dry seats under the large tent through the afternoon, and were rewarded by the steller performances. During Vance Gilbert's set as the rain cleared, folks were thrilled to see a dou-

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Festival

ble rainbow appear over Cabot. Closing out the festival, people moved the chairs aside and danced to Barika's world music groove. Sincere appreciation to the Town of Cabot, Paul Ruta, Peter and Connie Gould, and Jeanne LeVasseur for providing parking space for folks to use on the day. And a huge shout-out to the nearly 50 staff and volunteers for making the festival the beautiful, joyful and safe event that it was. All in all, the 2023 Cabot Arts and Music Festival was a resounding success! The festival exemplifies the strong and true community spirit of Cabot. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed. Save the dates of July 26 and 27, 2024, for the third annual Cabot Arts and Music Festival on the Cabot Village Common. For a slide show of this year's festival, visit - https://www.cabotarts.org/ festival-gallery-2023.

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Cabot Flood Relief Coordinator

As I sat here and tried to compose a summary of events from July 9 and beyond, I looked out my window and saw a double rainbow. That gave me great hope that all will be well! Having lived in Cabot for over 35 years and survived many hard winters and effects of multiple hurricanes, the July flood was one of the worst in my memory. Only the 1927 flood exceeded this July flood. The Governor called a state of emergency on Sunday, July 9, based on the forecast of excessive rainfall in Central Vermont and other areas of the state. Having received lots of rain prior to this event, the ground was saturated, and the streams were getting higher with each passing day. I couldn’t get out of my area in Lower Cabot as 215 was flooded all the way to the village. Lots of cars were trapped and folks were stuck until the waters receded. By the dawn of July 11, the majority of Cabot’s rural roads were impassable or barely one lane. We have taken hundreds of pictures and they show the story better than my words. I took a drive around Cabot’s roads at first light to inventory their condition and was speaking with our Road Foreman about what he saw for damage. I was shocked at the damage, especially in the village. I did find out that morning that volunteers the previous evening with excavators and tractors removed trees and rocks that were coming down the hill behind the Willey Building and directly in line with the Cabot Garage. If those folks were not there, a good portion of the business district would be gone. (That is a great story to be told another day by those who were there.) When you are in the midst of a disaster of this magnitude, your only concern is the safety of your family and your neighbors. I saw and heard of great acts of heroism of people in this community who put their lives out there to help their neighbors. Cows that were moved to higher ground were helped by neighbors. People rescued from houses and cars were a very common occurrence.

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the Aftermath!

Governor's Scott's cabinet on Friday,

The morning after a storm is usually the hardest day as you face the reality of the damage and what it’s going to do to people’s lives. I’ll try and give a quick overview of what we faced the first day and I will start from Lower Cabot and work towards the village:  The Clarks Sawmill Dam was breached and most of its structure and years of built-up sediment went downstream and was deposited in fields directly in line with the dam. All that debris and more landed in local fields and most likely found its way to Montpelier and beyond. We are hoping there are some mitigation measures in place that can fix some of the damage. The bridge on Sawmill Road sustained little damage and the road was reopened in a few days. The Town is working to have the Sawmill area cleaned up and we are speaking with our attorney on legal questions regarding future ownership.  The Winooski Watershed : The Winooski River (known as the Onion River) is a tributary of Lake Champlain. It is 90 miles long in Northern Vermont. It rises in Cabot and flows southwest to Montpelier. It changes from year to year with various storms and droughts and eventually finds itself as a beautiful body of water utilized by many people for various activities. The July flood changed everything, especially in our area. The amount of erosion of the banks along the Winooski is shocking to the eye. The loss of pastureland in Lower Cabot and widening of the stream bed is a powerful picture of the force of water and what damage it can do unchecked. The undermining of the banks along the west side of 215N beyond the bridge into the village is very serious. The Town is working with the State to address flood mitigation measures through various funding streams. This is going to take some time and will be a lengthy project.  Bridge by Don Mitchell’s home had minor damage and lots of “shot rock” had to be dumped around it to prevent further flooding of that area. That bridge is on the list to be replaced in the next few years. (see ‘July 2023 Flood’, page 11)

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Consulting and Gardening

This growing season was a hard lesson in extreme weather. We started with a late frost that nipped the flower buds of many fruit trees, and damaged hostas and other leafy perennials. Next was a very hot spell in June. July and August have brought relentless rain and unseasonably cool temperatures. While some variability in weather occurs every season, there is little doubt that the greenhouse gases we’ve been pumping into our atmosphere for nearly 150 years are affecting the stability and predictability of our climate. As gardeners and homesteaders, we will need to adapt to a wider range of variables to be successful. In this article, we’ll focus on adapting both gardens and landscapes to excess water.

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Raised beds

Raised beds are excellent for improving drainage, reducing weed pressure, and, if built to waist level, reducing back strain. If you decide to invest in a raised bed or two, keep a few design principles in mind:  Keep the bed narrow , 3’-3.5’ maximum, so you can easily reach to the middle  Make the bed deep, at least 8”, to allow for root growth. 8” is adequate for small plants such as lettuce and radish. Larger plants will need more depth.  Build beds of rot-resistant wood and exterior-grade fasteners, so your investment will last for several years  Fill beds with good soil , either “garden soil” or “raised bed mix”. Avoid “topsoil” which is a heavier soil meant for leveling lawns, not for gardening.

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Mounded beds

Mounded beds are a cheap alternative to raised beds. Just as it sounds, it is a mounded garden bed, without any sides. Mounds of 6” or so will help with drainage, but still keep their shape in heavy rains. Our no-till vegetable garden has mounded rows 30’ long for potatoes, squash, corn, carrots, onions, and beans. It’s important to stay off the mounds in order to keep them, um, mounded…no foot traffic, no kneeling. So keep the mounds narrow, 3’ or less, and make sure to have pathways in between, wide enough for whatever equipment you use. In the fall, I add some compost, and in the spring, loosen with a broadfork tool & reshape with a rake to keep rows straight. With this minimal care, I’ve used the same mounds for the past 10 years.

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Sheet mulch vs landscape fabric

When it just keeps raining, it can be very difficult to weed. It’s best not to work in soil when wet, especially if you have clay soil…the clumps you create in wet clay soil can take years to break down. So avoid weeds and weeding as much as possible. Sheet mulch (layers of paper, cardboard, and other organic material) can keep down weeds, and is

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Change

great for adding organic matter, but may harbor a lot of snails and slugs in wet weather. My favorite solution is heavyduty landscape fabric, with holes cut just big enough for plants. The fabric keeps down weeds, and allows water to pass through, without creating a slug haven. Invest in good fabric that is thick, and UV stabilized (I recommend looking online for Dewitt, Vevor, or similar quality brands, don’t just pick up the first roll you see at Home Depot). Always pull up fabric in fall and store it away from rodents; it can last 20 years or more with good care.

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Wetland plants

With all the rain this season, you may have discovered that some areas of your property retain water. Rather than investing in drainage, consider working with the tendency of the land, and plant things that will thrive in wet and muck. Buttonbush, red maple, swamp white oak, dogwoods, willows, alder, some types of holly, some birches and popples, and certain ferns naturally grow in wet areas. Besides being beautiful, these plants provide excellent food and cover for wildlife. In particular, the spring flowers of maple and willow are important first foods for bees emerging from their winter homes.

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River “debris”

If you have a creek or stream on your land, avoid the temptation to straighten it, or clean it out. Removing bends, boulders, and snags allows water to move faster, with more destructive power. Leave the “debris”: it will help slow and calm the water. Snags provide habitat for fish and invertebrates, too. There are other solutions to excess water, such as drain tiles, ditches, swales, and greenhouses, but these require heavy equipment, some engineering know-how, and a pretty fair amount of money. While they can be appropriate in some situations, I recommend starting with simple and low-cost solutions. You may find that’s all you need! Happy gardening, and may your waterproof boots stay that way. 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 gard e n i n g h e l p , v i s i t www.SocksFamilyFarm.weebly.com or

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July 2023 Flood

(continued from page 10)  The Fire Station was evacuated as the banks behind the building were eroding and dangerously close to falling into the river. The State Fire Marshall yellow tagged the building and allowed limited access, advising that all the apparatus be moved to other locations. The building will be red tagged this week and condemned. The Town is currently working with FEMA to have a temporary building constructed with plans to build a permanent structure. The State Emergency Operations Center saw this as a very important issue as it concerns public safety.  Main Village and Business District :  Willey Building: If you drive through the village this morning, you can see that some of the damage of the storm is still visible. The morning after was another picture. The Willey Building suffered water damage to the Town Clerk’s Office and staff had to vacate to the main floor on a temporary basis. All that damage was assessed, and repairs are under way. The parking lot was filled with deep mud and wrecked cars from the previous nights’ events. A lot of mud and water came down Whittier Hill into the village and made it almost impassable. The parking lot is cleared, and repairs are ongoing to show that things eventually return to normal.  Business District: The damage to Main Street was bad but could have been worse if the double culvert under the road had not been cleaned out by amazing volunteers. The power and force of the water was so great that as we were excavating the pavement that was damaged, we found a large piece of wood that was forced under the blacktop and then the road settled over it. All the businesses suffered damage to various degrees. A wastewater line was destroyed and had to be repaired, which took a number of days due to the damage and debris around all these businesses. Each of them has a story to tell which I hope they do in this or future editions.  Homes in the Village: Most of the homes on Main Street were affected by the flood. Teams of volunteers were sent throughout the village to help pump out basements and muck out lots of mud! Volunteer groups from in state and out of state were reaching out to Cabot, wanting to help. It was amazing to see the unselfish acts of love. FEMA came through and went

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We’ve Been Through

by Jeanne Johnson

In the July 2011 issue of The Cabot Chronicle, Julia Shipley interviewed businesspeople and residents, who share their experiences with flooding the month before. Jane Brown chronicled Cabot flooding through the years. To see what was written then, go to

the Cabot Chronicle, scroll down to 2011 and open the June issue. house to house, getting people signed up for assistance.  215N

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Recreation

Field: My words can’t do justice to the mess at the north end of the village. There were trees wrapped around and under the bridge and in local neighbor’s yards. A wastewater line was destroyed and had to be repaired. The bridge has been inspected and is ok but should be replaced in the next few years. The recreation field was under water and covered with mud and silt. The field is currently being scraped of mud and silt with plans to bring it back to recreational use.  Roads, Bridges and Dams: All the bridges that are in the state inventory have been inspected. Sawmill Dam and West Hill Pond Dam were inspected days after the flood and will have reinspections shortly. Thanks to our Road Crew and the many businesses and volunteers, our roads are all fixed. The major repairs are done, and the final work will be ongoing to get them ready for winter. Lots of culverts were replaced and a bridge was installed over Menard Road. Some of the larger culverts are temporary and will have permanent ones installed next year.  Volunteers: The overwhelming support of this community to reach out and help others has been amazing. Lots of water, tools, dehumidifiers, shop vacs, shovels, trash bags and so much more was donated. Nonstop food was donated by Neighbors in Action for meals day after day. People showing up from out of town looking to help. It was an amazing experience to behold. We had Vermont’s Congressional Delegation visit and observe the flood damage and offer to help in whatever capacity they could. Our own Washington County Senators and Representative have been advised and are offering their assistance. The town is looking at forming a Local Flood Resilience Taskforce to address the specific issues Cabot faces in the aftermath of this storm. There are plenty of streams of grant money we will be applying for to help fix our infrastructure. Finally, FEMA is coming next week to work with the town on public assistance, which is the vehicle they use to reimburse the town for its cost of repairs from the flood, and will help us plan mitigation measures for the future. As residents of Cabot, we should be thankful to have a community that is willing to help one another through a terrible disaster. We will rebuild and be Cabot Strong!

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Registry for Emergencies

Emergencies can take many forms. Ice storms, floods, fires, major traffic accidents and similar events can cause power outages, isolate individuals or prompt the need for evacuation. For elders or people with certain disabilities, such events, if prolonged, can become life -threatening if no one is available to help. The Citizens Assistance Registry for Emergencies program was created to help. CARE helps emergency responders identify Vermonters who might need special assistance in case of a wide-scale event.

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Cabot Child Care

NOTE: Registration in CARE does not guarantee a person’s safety. It is the registrant’s responsibility to call 911 if they have an emergency and need medical, police or fire responders. CARE is a tool designed to assist responders to potentially provide special assistance in the event of a wide-scale emergency. For information on how to register online, visit e911.vermont.gov/care or

for a form to fill out.

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Nears Funding Goal

by R.D. Eno,

The Cabot Child Care Center, a pro-

tion, has come within inches of its inaugural fund-raising goal of $5,000 – to be matched with $25,000 by a generous donor. With plans to open the infants and toddlers day care in the United Church Fellowship Hall this autumn, the CCA has already made improvements to the Church’s safety system and begun repainting the baseboards and window frames. The carpeting will be replaced with interlocking tile flooring, and work should commence next month on an adjacent play area on land leased from the Cabot School. All these renovations are funded by grants and donations, at no cost to the church. Every donation, however modest, will count for five times its sum. You can donate online at https:// www.paypal.com/donate? campaign_id=K4J3XC3W2N2Z4. Or you can send a check (with Child Care on the memo line) to: CCA, Box 245, Cabot VT 05647. Because the CCA is a charitable non-profit, your donation will be tax-deductible. And if you find Cabot Child Care Center too big a mouthful of “Cs”, suggest a better name! If the CCA selects your candidate for “Best Cabot Child Care Center Name That Doesn’t Start With C”, we’ll give you $25 – that’s one-fourth of a C-note!

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Flood Damage Closes Trails

by Gary Gulka and Dana Glazier

The Cabot Trails Committee has closed all trails until further notice due to flood damage and continued rainy weather. This is, of course, a major setback, and has also hampered our efforts to develop two new trails. Most of the trails either sustained erosion damage or are too wet for use, or both, given over 15 inches of rain in July and 4-5 inches so far in the first half of August. Our trails are on both private and public lands, and we hope that we and the town can assist private landowners in repairs. Below is a brief assessment of the damage.  Talbert Farm Trails - Extensive damage to trails leading from Elm Street Cemetery, including culvert washouts, gullies, holes, and a stream that has jumped its banks and is running down one of the trails.  Langone Trail - Between Menard and Dubray Roads, the upper section of the trail has sustained significant erosion through the wooded area, with extensive gullies.  McQueeney Trails - Little structural damage but too wet for use.  Town Forest Trails - Minor to moderate erosion in the area just beyond the parking area. The forested areas of the trail had no damage.  Winter Trail - Extremely wet conditions, but these trails are seasonal and currently not open. The washed-out culvert on the Dubray Road end has been repaired by the Town.  Old Center Trail - This future trail runs behind the Willey Building to Old Center Road off Danville Hill Road. We had planned to complete this trail over the summer, however, the large VAST bridge at the lower end has been knocked off its supports and is currently unusable without repairs. Old Center Road sustained significant erosion.  Burtt Orchard Trail - This 1.4-mile loop trail was planned for construction this summer, but work will not start until November. Our trails network has suffered a major setback, as have other areas of our town, but we are confident that we can come back with the support of the community. We will keep you posted on our progress to restore our trails.

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Executive Director,

The flooding event on July 10 created so much damage, sadness and exhaustion, but did any of us realize how that same event would also remind all of us of Cabot’s strong sense of community and generosity? Donors from near and far, 127 donors to be exact, have contributed to the Cabot Community Flood Cleanup Fund on Go Fund Me*, totaling $33,531. At press deadline, the fund had awarded 54 grants ($27,450) to Cabot businesses and homeowners. Most of the awards were for $500, a couple of requests were for less, and one grant for $1,000 was made to Twinfield-Cabot Youth Sports – to help pay for major field repair and equipment replacement. Donations are still being accepted at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cabotcommunity-flood-cleanup-fund.

serving as fiscal agent for the Flood

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Cabot Harvest Hub Manager

Last month we tried out a new format for our Harvest Hub Farmers Market. Instead of hosting one monthly in-person market, we hosted two markets in August and paired up the first one with family berry celebration. We offered local children the opportunity to be a vendor at this particular market and had some very enthusiastic junior vendors sell their zucchini cakes, artwork and fresh produce from the homestead garden. Families that visited enjoyed the chance to get a face painting and were able to make their own mochi waffles decorated with fresh berries and whipped cream! The musical fatherdaughter duo Blue Fox and Brittany French played a great variety of songs that were enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike. In short: The Market was a full success and Neighbors in Action’s parking lot - where our markets take place became the perfect destination for an

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Town of Cabot Highway

The Town of Cabot Highway Department worker to maintain and repair Cabot’s ment. The applicant should have a CDL willing to train an interested applicant by Program CDL B License. The program is of the permit, road testing, DOT physical plicant must agree to work for the Town terminates employment prior to that period, bursed to the Town by the applicant. The applicant should have general knowledge knowledge of grading, trucking, snow knowledge of road construction and maintenance. needed to maintain Cabot roads. The Town fits are available, along with paid vacation pervised by the Road Foreman. Compensation ence. You may call to have an application resume at the Town Clerk’s Office at 3084

Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on June

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to the Community

Clean Up Fund and is working with the Fund team members (Jess Derick, Jenn Miner, Seth O’Brien, Karen Larsen, and Lori Augustyniak) to award funds to address community needs. If you experienced a loss because of the July 10 raining and flooding and need financial assistance, please visit the link on the Cabot Town website, cabotvt.us . If you have questions, email

*Go Fund Me is an online platform that harnesses the power of social networks and the internet to give people the means to raise funds, help others overcome hardship, and meet aspirational goals. The core principle behind the crowdfunding definition is that you can help a friend or help an entire community.

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Farmers Market

August morning family outing! We are surely going to repeat the kid’s market idea next year. Our September’s markets are going to be paired up with other events as well. For the market on September 16, we invited someone from the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District to teach a workshop on composting – as part of Neighbors in Action’s Grow What You Eat workshop series. And for the market on September 30, we are going to switch our market location to the lawn in front of the Willey building. So come and check out our market if you are visiting the Fall Foliage Festival and Cheese and Culture Festival in town! If you haven’t shopped with the Harvest Hub in a while, we want to encourage you to pick up the habit of checking out our website again. It’s harvesting season and you can find a lot of fresh, local produce at www.harvesthub.lulus localfood.com!

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Department

is looking for a full-time road crew highway system and municipal equipClass B or higher, however, the Town is paying for a Commercial Driver Training an 80-hour course and will cover the cost and pre-enrollment drug testing. The apfor at least three years. If the applicant the cost of the course will be reim-

of heavy equipment, as well as plowing and removal along with general Overtime will be required as will train the right person. Health beneand sick leave. This position will be suwill be determined upon experisent to you, or you may drop a copy of your Main Street. For more information, please and/or resumes must be in the 12, 2023.

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NIA Executive Director

After the flood in July, we saw an unprecedented increase in demand for food. We went from serving an average of 250 families in June, to over 360 families at the end of July and staying strong in the 300’s for August! With the help of the Vermont Foodbank and numerous amazing volunteers, we were up for the challenge. We are happy to say that no one has walked (or driven) away from our food share empty-handed! It was quite a tumultuous summer, and we are planning for a much more rewarding fall. Our very popular Senior Adventures Program, Family Bingo Nights, and Community Dinners will continue. We also are adding in an additional in-person farmer’s market in September to help our local gardeners and farmers sell their garden’s bounty! Be sure to stop by and get a fresh bouquet of flowers, delicious baked goods, and garden-fresh produce from your neighbors. On the second and third Mondays of each month, we will be adding Moving Through Change classes led by Sarah

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Work Locally and

Neighbors in Action, a non-profit community mont with a secondary location in Lyndonville, date to serve as Executive Director. This part-time (20 hours per week) position staff plus over 30 volunteers. The Executive primary spokesperson to the organization's public, manages personnel, establishes and organizations throughout the state and utilizes enhance Neighbors in Action's mission. In addition, this role is responsible for planning and operation of the annual budget, committee meetings, marketing and other and approving contracts for services. Interested candidates should submit beth@NeighborsinActionVT.org. This position information can be found at: https://www.neighborsinactionvt.org/job-openings Faith in Action, Northern Communities tion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, ability, genetic information, pregnancy, or lined by federal, state, or local laws.

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Part-time Project

The Cabot Childcare Initiative (CCI) hours per month) project coordinator to based five-star licensed childcare facility for The project coordinator is a grant-funded CCI board and Vermont State agencies to with the goal of opening this year. The ideal candidate will have a strong Childhood Centers in Vermont, experience tation and project management skills, and stakeholders to build a sustainable program. plans and organizing business aspects of educator who already has experience in five-star

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at

Spletzer-Welters. These are sure to be a great way to bring more movement and flexibility to your life. Chair yoga on Wednesday evenings 5 p.m.-6 p.m. will also continue as well as our Community Walking Group Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. And, just as kids are headed back to school, we are running a backpack program! If your student is in need of a backpack filled with school supplies, just

one! Finally, we are happy to be hosting another American Red Cross Blood Drive on September 15, 12-4:30 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome or call to make an appointment at 1-800-RED-CROSS. All of these programs and more can be found on our website at www.NeighborsinActionVT.org. If you have a community gathering or program idea, we’d love to hear from you! We are always happy to incorporate the needs of our community into what we offer. Please email us at Cabot@NeighborsinActionVT.org with your idea or need and we’ll do our best to make it happen!

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Make a Difference

organization based in Cabot, VerVermont is seeking a qualified candi-

serves as the leadership for a 5 person Director serves as Neighbors in Action's constituents, the media and the general maintains relationships with various those relationships to strategically

strategic planning and implementation, overseeing organization Board and communications efforts, and reviewing

a cover letter and resume to Elizawill remain open until filled. More

prohibit discrimination and harassment sexual orientation, national origin, disany other protected characteristic as out-

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Coordinator

is seeking a part-time (approximately 40 support the creation of a new, evidenceages infant to three years in Cabot. position that will work closely with the draft plans for creating a childcare facility

understanding of licensing rules for Early in program budgeting, outstanding facilithe ability to work with various town They will be responsible for drafting the new facility. A retired early childhood programs would be ideal.

and three references to

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Apple Report

WCAX reported apple season might be in jeopardy after the spring frost. The Cabot Chronicle asked Greg Burtt of Burtt’s Apple Orchard about the local crop, and here is his report: “Happy apple season! Thankfully, after an interesting growing season (to put it mildly), Burtt’s Apple Orchard is open for apple picking! Let’s start with a bit about the interesting growing season. The apple orchard was growing well in the early spring except that the soil was still fairly dry from a lack of rainfall over the last few years. As we entered bloom, the forecast predicted a possible frost event in the coming days. At first, the forecasted low temperature was in the high twenties, but when the night of May 17 came around, the temperature dropped to 22 degrees in parts of the orchard. At full bloom, an air temperature of 28 degrees sustained for a few hours can kill 10% of apple blossoms. At 22 degrees for six to eight hours, 90% of blossoms are killed. Needless to say, when we went out the next afternoon to look at the blossoms, there were a lot of brown pistils in the center of the flowers showing that the blossoms were no longer viable. In the days following, we were pretty discouraged, knowing that we had lost a significant portion of our crop. We wouldn’t know how many apples we would end up with for a few weeks, when the blossoms that had been fertilized set fruit and started to grow. VTDigger came by and checked out the orchard as well, having heard of the widespread crop loss among Vermont orchards. In the meantime, we did what completely helpless people do - pray. Victor, who hails all the way from Jamaica to work the orchard, offered to walk around the orchard and pray with us. It was a powerful moment - realizing how fragile life really is. It’s easy to take the miracle

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History Can Be a

by Brittany Butler for Cabot Historical Society

The Cabot Historical Society was open for the 4 th of July! There were so many people that came through the building and enjoyed the displays, so many “I can’t wait to come back and spend some more time in here” were heard throughout the day. I believe the building was very happy to have people in and out all day long, reminiscing or catching up with old friends. Many members spent long hours in the building getting it ready for visitors. One day in particular, Ruth Goodrich and I were going through some odds and ends on the first floor that were not where they were supposed to be and just trying to get everything in order. I found a bag with WI memorabilia, that’s another story in itself. As I was looking through the bag, amongst the folds of the uniform a grenade was nestled in the middle of the fabric. I was shocked at first, a bit scared but fascinated at the same time, as I had never seen a pineapple grenade. It looked real, I showed Ruth and we both looked at it and deof all the green life growing just fine on its own without us for granted. Bloom is a particularly vulnerable time for an apple orchard, which in turn makes those of us who depend on apples for a living vulnerable. But there’s something beautiful and sweet to be found in that place where you clearly see something you’ve taken for granted all along. In that place, we became more content and whole, I think. It turns out, God answers prayer. We became more content, and we were given enough apples to provide our needs at the farm stand for most, if not all, the season. To boot, around mid-June it started raining more. By the fourth of July the water table was about back to where it normally is. And then we all know what happened a week later. It really rained. The flood waters tore a few places up on the farm, but we were spared in comparison to most others. The orchard itself held up remarkably well with little erosion taking place. Where we can compare is that bit of a feeling of vulnerability. The hope is that all of us can come away from this difficult time somehow stronger through all the devastation. We have seen firsthand how so many have stepped up to help rebuild and repair broken roads, homes, and businesses. The rain helped grow the apples that got pollinated, so that’s good. And now we are starting to harvest the red ripe orbs that we love. We’ve had great people hired this year and many years before this who have been integral to making the farm what it is. On top of that, we have some truly amazing customers who love apples and cider doughnuts. We look forward to a particularly fine fall mix of good people, delicately formed fruit, and those doughnuts.”

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Blast!

cided that bag needed to be out of the area in which the public were permitted. As I said, it looked real, still had the pin and had no holes drilled in it and a yellow line around the top, 100% intact, but why would someone donate a real grenade? We put it upstairs and didn’t think about it for a few days. Ruth decided to make some inquires. She was told to take a picture and send it to Vermont State Police, so she went into the building, handled it again, and took a picture. Not very long after sending the picture she received a call back from an explosives expert from Vermont EOD (explosive ordnance disposal). They were pretty certain it was real, and told us not to go into the building until they could come and secure it. A few days later, two EOD trucks and one state trooper cruiser came out to Cabot to retrieve our WI pineapple grenade that the military stopped making in 1954. Two of the four members of the VSP EOD team went into the building with a metal box and tape, the pin and top of the grenade were taped and then placed into the metal box, the metal box was then placed in a frag bag (bomb containment

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Tell us a bit about

yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies? I have been a fiber artist for decades. I began working with fiber arts as a child, and have enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, and quilting as a young woman. I combined my love of painting (acrylics and watercolor) with fiber arts to create Vermont Floor Cloths (hand-painted canvas rugs), which I opened in 1990. Approximately 20 years ago, I was introduced to the art of rug hooking. I opened Vermont Rug Hooking Studio in 2020.

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How did you get introduced to rug

hooking? My sister-in-law invited me to join her small rug hooking group. At first, I resisted, stating that I did not need another hobby. After hooking my first project, I started dyeing my own wool and creating patterns. My second hooking project, Nature's Harmony , was in Celebration in 2005.

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What was your first project?

My very first project was a small pattern I purchased from a local rug hooking shop—a simple primitive design using five colors of wool. I was amazed by the possibilities of creating realisticlooking roses from a primitive pattern. Is there one rug that stands out as being particularly memorable? I have enjoyed creating all of my rugs, however, Richard’s Rug—The Four Sea-

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5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

(Outdoor dining available and

enclosure), which was then placed into another metal container in the back of one of the trucks. It is very likely that that grenade was carried in combat during WI and then, like so many other unused ordinance, were brought home by the soldiers. We know that this soldier came home in 1945, making that grenade at least 78 years old. The grenade itself will not be back in the museum, unfortunately, as I believe, it being that old, they will not try to disarm it, as the elements inside could be unstable. We are awaiting confirmation that it was in fact

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Class of 2023

sons of Vermont is a special rug. I created this rug to celebrate my husband’s 60th birthday. He takes great pride in the stone walls and Adirondack furniture he has built. We also owned a plant nursery for several years. This rug includes all of his treasures, especially his love for nature and animals and the four seasons of Vermont.

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Is there a particular style of rugs

that you're most interested in hooking? My inspiration comes from nature. I enjoy hooking animals, birds, and realistic landscapes and flowers. I love watching my work come to life as I hook each loop! I find it rewarding to mix textured wools with other dyed wools to create the detail I see in each project. I enjoy sharing my experience with others and have been teaching fine shading for the past 10 years.

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What's your favorite part about

hooking a rug? This is a tough question! I enjoy thinking about my next project, sketching out those thoughts into a pattern, selecting the wool, and dyeing the colors I need. Once I start the new project, I feel very peaceful and enjoy the hooking of each loop!

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$15 Takeout

live music on the Common)

real, if it wasn’t, then we should be able to get it back. There will be a display with the other items in the bag and a picture of the grenade. The men that came said they get these calls two-to-three times a year, as it was very common for the soldiers to bring back unused ordinance and keep them in a box, or the attic, and upon their passing, someone finds them and donates or sells them. Ruth and I are very relieved to have it out of the building and were left with this fantastic story to tell about the time we found a real grenade.

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C ABOT P UBLIC

Please note our NEW HOURS : Monday noon - 6 p.m. Tuesday noon – 6 p.m. Wednesday 2 - 6 p.m. Thursday noon - 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. - noon. Curbside library service is still available during regular library hours. Youth Programming - Be sure to visit our website: cabotlibrary.com and check FPF for updates, registration information and added programming. Also, if you have a skill that you would like to share with youth, please contact us. We would love to have community members facilitate or assist with programs throughout the year.

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Summer Reading Program & Prizes

- We are pleased to announce we had a record number of youth participate in our SRP this year. Congratulations to all 89 of our participants - we’re proud of you! Don’t forget to come in to claim your prizes - we have T-shirts, books and an additional prize for you to bring home.

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Outdoor Exploration & Book Club

(ages 7-11) - Thursdays - September 14 - November 9 - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Join Amanda Otto for outdoor adventures. We'll pack a good book, snacks, and head to the Cabot trails. Participants will also make crafts using natural materials and learn how to identify local flora and fauna. Please email Amanda or call the library to reserve your spot. For more information or to sign up, please email amandaotto.cabotlibrary@gmail.com.

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Artistic Signpost at Main

Cabot is in the running for a Vermont Arts Council Grant of up to $20,000 that could be used to engage a professional artist to produce a more professional artistic signpost for that location or an even better one of our choice. It is meant to highlight and direct travelers to Cabot businesses and sites of interest. The deadline for the grant application is October 15 and Neighbors in Action has agreed to serve as fiduciary agent if Cabot is awarded the funds. Sandy Pond is spearheading the project, but wants the whole community reflected, not just her vision. Please share your thoughts about location and appearance for a more permanent version of the signpost, or your willingness to participate in planning what it should be when it grows up.

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Sean Prentiss

Sean Prentiss is the award-winning author of Finding Abbey: The Search for Edward Abbey and His Hidden Desert Grave , which won the National Outdoor Book Award, Utah Book Award, and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award, and the author of Crosscut : Poems about his work as a trail builder in the Pacific Northwest. He has also written two creative writing textbooks, Environmental and Nature Writing and Advanced Creative Nonfiction , and two creative nonfiction anthologies, The Far Edges of the Fourth Genre: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction and The Science of Story: The Brain Behind Creative Nonfiction . He and his family live on a small lake just on the other side of the mountain from Cabot, and he serves as an associate professor at Norwich University.

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Group

Meets on the fourth Thursday of the month in the Cabot Library. September’s book to be announced – books will be available for pick up in advance at the library. Join your neighbors for fun, interesting conversation. 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 Erin Ruddell and our student representative, Ila Steinert.

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Additional Thanks!

Thanks so much to Louis Searles for helping with so many library projects this summer – especially for helping reorganize the library, cataloguing new books, working at the desk, troubleshooting computer/printer issues, and helping with summer programs. The library looks so much better because of your great work! See you at the library! Kathleen Hoyne – Library Director Amanda Otto – Youth Librarian

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T WIN V ALLEY S ENIORS

Volunteers at Twin Valley Senior Center were busy with a few days of flood clean up, but that didn’t slow down their energy to provide multiple services to residents including baking homemade pies for the first ever Pie-A-Thon sale. This new event is over, but watch for the return next year. Delivering Meals on Wheels and serving lunch on site three days a week goes on. Health clinics, exercise classes, bingo, book club and sing-a-longs are some of the normal on-going activities, but watch for new events being added. September will have a full day cribbage tournament and October will again

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Community Dancing

by Karen Mueller-Harder

The Cabot Community Contra Dance will be returning for the school year: we’ll have dances on the 2nd Friday of every month September through June! We hope to be in the Willey Building starting in November, but while flood recovery continues, we will hold the September 8 and October 13 dances in CSPAC (the Cabot School Performing Arts Center). Dances are 7:30-10pm, with a short intro session for new folks at 7:15. The dance will feature live music by a a great group of local musicians, and the dances will be taught by a variety of New England callers--here’s the line-up for the next few months:  September 8 Karen Mueller-Harder  October 13 Alex Cumming  November 10 Luke Donforth  December 8 Don Stratton  January 12 Lausanne Allen Everyone is welcome, and anyone can dance with anyone, generally changing partners with each dance. You can come to the dance alone, with a friend or sweetheart, or your whole family! All dances are taught, but if you’ve never been to a dance, you are encouraged to

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U PDATES

have us hosting a fall craft fair & flea market on October 14, 9-3. Both events should be fun for attendees. The craft fair & flea market will have raffles, baked goods for sale and food by Blazin Rib Tickle Wagon. If you’re interested in being a craft seller or flea marketer, visit our website. Last year more than 200 people joined in looking for treasures from over 20 vendors. event. A don’t-miss

Twin Valley Senior Center is located at 4583 US Route 2, East Montpelier. For

www.twinvalleyseniors.org.

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in Cabot

arrive for the 7:15 session, when we will have time to practice a few basics, and then we’ll build upon what you learn throughout the evening. No special footwork is needed, and the dances are easy to learn, and are taught by the caller for the evening. (If you’ve ever done a square dance, that’s very similar, except in contra dances, you stand across from your partner, in a longways group.) Admission is on a sliding scale, $5-10, or you can bring some finger-food refreshments to share at the break! Water and cups will be provided. Masks are welcomed but not required, and we’ll be able to open the lovely large windows in the hall for good ventilation! Hope to see you at the dance!

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← From the Cabot Chronicle