Cabot Historical Society

← 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.

• Open Letter from — 440w
• Cabot Ambulance — 431w
• The Cabot Chronicle is a home-delivered — 365w
• RETURNS TO THE — 365w
• Contract Awarded, Construction — 238w
• Celebration — 149w
• YEAR NAME — 190w
• Centennial — 116w
• PROPERTY TAX BILLS DUE — 125w
• District Name — 134w
• Tax Figures Available — 117w
• Rate — 80w
• William E. Feltus — 78w
• Alan J. Joyal — 67w
• Andre T. LaPrade — 99w
• EMORIALS — 255w
• Cabot Ambulance’s — 483w
• Future? — 780w
• Legislative Visit — 612w
• Legislative Visit — 228w
• Executive Sessions — 793w
• Festival Concerns — 1002w
• Livestock Ordinance — 494w
• Rec Field Restoration — 505w
• Cabot School Principal — 514w
• Programming — 413w
• Jennifer — 60w
• Best Fundraiser Yet — 234w
• Anniversary — 316w
• Registration Begins, Work — 147w
• Duties: — 73w
• We want you!! — 67w
• Day on October 21 — 165w
• Calling All Veterans - Mark — 95w
• OPERATIONS COORDINATOR — 286w
• FREE CDL TRAINING — 231w
• Cabot Veterans: — 98w
• at the Harvest Hub — 576w
• Winton Walbridge — 723w
• Returns to Willey — 111w
• Gardening - Bulbs — 45w
• Soil and sunshine — 56w
• Planting depth — 51w
• Planting orientation — 46w
• Predator protection — 122w
• Building — 135w
• Special instructions for garlic — 56w
• A popular bulb to avoid — 158w
• Rebuilding After — 378w
• the Flood — 380w
• Wednesday 2 - 6 p.m. Thursday — 71w
• October - Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:30 — 62w
• New! Beading with Mary Rogerson- — 58w
• Club (ages 7-11) - Thursdays - Sep- — 67w
• New! StoryWalk - October – Cabot — 62w
• L IBRARY N EWS — 98w
• Sundays 10:30- 11:45 a.m. - — 63w
• Ericka Nichols - Frazer – Erika Nich- — 239w
• Marshfield Harvest Festival on Sun- — 48w
• Crock Pot Cook-off contest . Trophy — 114w
• October 18 at 7 p.m. — 80w
• But come early to make simple view- — 45w
• Wednesday, October 25 at 6 pm — 53w
• Fridays at 10:30 a.m. — 51w

Open Letter from

By now, everyone is well aware of the demise of the current fire station due to flooding. The select board is working closely with FEMA to build a temporary and a permanent municipal services building. The fire trucks and ambulance are now stationed elsewhere in the interim. Both Fire Department and Ambulance have continued to serve the Cabot community despite the current challenges. The ambulance is a private business that has served the community for 57 years. Each year they ask for an appropriation to help defray expenses. This sum is roughly 1/3 of what other services charge their communities. For example, Cabot asks $25 per capita (per person); Barre Town, one of our mutual aid services, charges $76 per capita, which would be $122,000 for the town of Cabot. All EMS agencies are currently experiencing a shortage of trained members, recruitment and retention is a common challenge. Several years ago there was discussion about building a new building & merging the Ambulance with the Fire Department. Now that there is discussion of a new building again, this topic has been brought back to the table. One would think it would be simple to house the two in the same building but, due to the FEMA policies, a private entity cannot benefit from being in a FEMA funded structure. The select board and the fire department have suggested the ambulance merge with the fire department. What does this involve? According to the select board, it means dissolving the current leadership structure and becoming part of the current fire department. Sounds simple, but it’s not. The current ambulance membership is split on the idea to merge. In multiple ambulance meetings for discussion of this topic, all opinions were heard and discussed. Younger and newer members were in favor, but there was reservation on the part of seasoned members in making any decisions too quickly without due consideration of all the aspects on the how leadership would change, dynamics of the squad, and legal implications for the town. Some felt it was way too rushed and that it felt like a forced decision. After much discussion and a vote, it was decided to remain private at this time, seek further clarification from the select board and to seek an alternative home for the ambulance. The head of service reached out to the select board, offering a compromise proposal of a few simple requests for a merger that would perhaps make such an action more acceptable to many of the ambulance members, would be of the most benefit to the community and

DEADLINE: 15th of the month prior to production

Coordinator: Jeannie Johnson

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Cabot Ambulance

not disrupt medical coverage. It would have satisfied and reassured most of the experienced, trained personnel who were present at the meeting. Without a compromise, many of the senior members feel this is not a workable situation and that they would not be able to serve under such circumstances. Chief Deasy quietly stated that the fire department would recruit others to replace any ambulance members that might resign. However it should be noted that there is no magical pool of available medical personnel. He did not answer the question if ambulance members would have to become fire department members and train accordingly. In the past it was stated that they would have to take Firefighter 1 training. This would eliminate a number of ambulance members right from the get-go; there would be no choice – “no turning back”. It is very concerning that the select board knows this and continues to push for a merger. The suggested compromise was flatly refused in about five seconds by a majority of the select board The current by-laws of the ambulance state that, in the event of the dissolution of the ambulance, the equipment would be sold, and all funds be donated to the non-profit of choice of the executive board. There is a significant value of the ambulance, the inventory & money in accounts. Any other business, if asked to just hand over those kind of assets or that kind of responsibility to others without input or some sort of assurances, would logically have some reservations, to say the least, and perhaps be a bit irritated with the lack of information. Many questions remain unanswered and time constraints with FEMA decisions added pressure to the demands of the select board. The ambulance was asked to submit a letter of intent, a legal document, on a rather short time frame. Once done, there would be “no turning back”. The president, Jennifer Miner, was asked to override the squad vote and commit to merger right then and there during the meeting without consultation with the squad. Highly unusual and not awe inspiring. There has been some financial information passed to the select board by the fire chief. This info is stated to be from previous town reports of the 2018 vintage. Without proper background information, this portrays a negative image of the finances of the ambulance which is inaccurate. It fell in the timeframe when previous plans of merger disrupted things and because of that no appropriation submission took place that year. This is when the ambulance was rumored to close down and lost us

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The Cabot Chronicle is a home-delivered

our coverage of parts of Marshfield, Peacham and Walden as well. The merger then fell through when the squad rallied with a new president and a determination to keep an ambulance in town. with We then went the entire year no money from the town. The ambulance survived and is now in stable financial condition. figures to attempt To use those old to paint the ambulance to be in current dire financial straits is deceptive and inappropriate. This has caused a vote of no confidence in merging and trusting current fire department leaders. Chief Deasy has also stated that if the ambulance did not merge, the medical coverage would be contracted out to another service. To depend on another service located far from our community delays medical help AND if they do not have an available unit to send, other back up services such as Waterbury, Montpelier, Northfield, etc., would be in line. That is if THEY are not also busy in their own service areas. There is no magical solution or available equipment and personnel available to our beck and call. services are struggling with the All same issues we are. We are not unique by any means. Dwindling recruitment and retention for a high stress, high risk and often volunteer service. We are all in the same boat. Speaking of finances, our current situation is stable, we have the most money that we have had in recent years, we have a good accounting of all our funds with a trustworthy secretary/ treasurer. We have sufficient for our current needs and, if need be, can go on for many more years with good management practices. It is our intent to improve that situation, to seek grants & donations. The ambulance has only ever billed insurance for what we could, we never charged a base price for calls, no transports, etc. We have done this for 57 years in this community. It is vital to have an experienced, well-trained EMS service and ambulance in the community. There have been several recent cases where, if we had not had one right in town, the patient would not have survived. The ambulance compromise is a simple one:

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RETURNS TO THE

monthly and is provided locally free

05647 ~ Published by the Cabot Community

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

newspaper devoted to telling the The ambulance could become a municipal arm of the community, working independently but in tandem with the fire department, retaining full medical control and leadership of the medical team. The Town clerks could control the checkbook just as they do with the fire department funds. Billing would be submitted just as it is now done, with the agency billing the town. I feel that we would be better able to train appropriately to our specific field and govern the medical end of things, as we are already well versed in this area. This would provide a seamless transition to a municipal entity better than a merger with the fire department. Having the fire department trying to govern medical would be no different than medical governing fire department. To think that the fire department is better able to run the ambulance is like taking your personal medical care out of the hands of your physician and putting it in the hands of a veterinarian. Similar, but different skill sets altogether. Having sat on the select board side of the table in past discussion on this topic, I feel well informed of all aspects of this discussion, both present and past. While relations have recently improved between the ambulance and fire department, there are still some things that can be improved, and we hope to be included as part of that process in the future to help the citizens of Cabot feel they are in good hands. Whether that means in a joint manner or separately will be determined by how everyone is willing to work towards a respectful, functional working relationship. The ambulance is under no obligation to change its current ownership and leadership and will, for the time being, continue to serve the community in the manner it has been doing for so long.

Respectfully submitted, Ruth Goodrich, Currently one of the most senior ambulance members

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Contract Awarded, Construction

Winter is coming and the Selectboard, Fire Department and Ambulance are moving forward with ensuring heated shelter and staging for all emergency equipment in a secure and central location. As a reminder, our historic Public Safety Building was severely compromised by the July floods and all personnel and materials were evacuated at the direction of State officials. Since July, our public safety trucks and materials have been staged throughout the community, and our first responders have done excellent work in maintaining their usual high level of dedicated and profession service under difficult circumstances. The construction of a temporary Public Safety building, with potential longterm use for the community of Cabot, will begin in October 2023. The building will be located at 121 South Walden Road on the north parking lot adjacent to the Recreation Field, below the Pavilion. A public bid for construction, with specifications drafted by both FEMA and the Town of Cabot, was advertised in early September 2023. lengthy review of submitted After a bids, Conner Contracting was awarded the bid to erect a wood-frame building. Other bid options, including a leased tent-style structure, were also reviewed in detail but were ultimately turned down due to the snow load specifications and the need to maintain efficient heating throughout the winter. The bid from Conner Contracting stands at $1,045,247.18, 75% of which will immediately be reimbursed by FEMA under the Town Rehabilitation Infrastructure Program. FEMA is, how-

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Celebration

Come help us celebrate the 100th birthday of the Willey Building on Saturday, October 14. This Celebration is an opportunity to honor the history of our most beloved building, and to further the legacy created by Charles A. Willey and the Ladies of the Judith Lyford Woman’s Club in 1920. It will also be a chance to enjoy a great afternoon and evening of community, camaraderie, music, and food! All with a 1920’s flair! The afternoon starts at 4:00 p.m. with the dedication of The Memorial Bench in front of the Willey Building. Inside, there will be exhibits and speakers with a wealth of information about the building and the people who brought it to life. Outside, there will be vintage vehicles on display, and a food truck! Get your Garbo groove or your Valentino vibe on, and take advantage of specials at the Den and Headwaters for patrons

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YEAR NAME

close communication with both FEMA and the Governor’s office and the net result is that we expect between 90% and 100% reimbursement for the cost of the temporary building. The plan is for our equipment and personnel to move into temporary building in late November 2023. The construction of a temporary Public Safety Building will provide safe staging for first responders for the next 16-18 months as construction -also with FEMA reimbursement- begins on Cabot’s permanent Public Safety Building. A preview for the community: when our permanent Public Safety Building is complete, our first responders will vacate the ‘temporary’ building and we will have a collective opportunity to decide on the possible reuse of the ‘temporary’ building. In line with FEMA requirements and State and local statute, the structure will have one ADA accessible bathroom (with an option to add more if needed) a roof system that will hold Cabot’s snow rating, an open meeting space, and a thermal envelope which will meet efficiency building standards. The potentials for reuse are many, varied, and exciting. We look forward to continuing the conversation about the ongoing use of this valuable resource!

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Centennial

dressed in 1920’s fashion! And to top it all off, join us for a concert and dance with Miss Maybell and the Jazz Age Artistes performing at 7:00 p.m. in the Willey Building auditorium! It’s going to be the bee’s knees! To make sure this is the best wingding since the end of Prohibition, we are hoping to raise $6,000 to cover costs. If by good fortune we raise more than our goal, the extra funds will go directly toward making much needed updates to the facilities. Please help by donating to our GoFundMe campaign at https:// gofund.me/e6549b8d. Or scan the QR code for easy access: We hope to see you on the 14 th !!

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PROPERTY TAX BILLS DUE

to delay mailing tax bills due to the flood rather than the originally-planned July The new due dates for property tax ~ THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Caledonia 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington 2022 Washington *2022 Most Recent

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District Name

d a e t s e m o H E T A R X A T t n e d i s e r - n o N E T A R X A T L AP I C I NU M E T A R X A T

Barnet Barnet Barnet Barnet Lyndon

Lyndon St. Barnet FD #1 Barnet FD #2 Barnet FD #3 Barnet FD #5 Lyndonville Village Lyndon Highway St. J Spec Johnsbury Serv Dist Marshfield Marshfield Village Montpelier Montpelier Dwtn Impr Montpelier Montpelier Swr Separat Montpelier Montpelier Swr Benefit Barre Town Roxbury Sutton Barre City St. Johnsbury Ryegate Walden Groton Marshfield Danville Barnet Wheelock Newark Stannard Lyndon Northfield Waterford Sheffield Burke Kirby Peacham Berlin Woodbury Plainfield Montpelier Hardwick Worcester Fayston Cabot East Montpelier Middlesex Waitsfield Calais Waterbury Moretown Warren Duxbury

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Tax Figures Available

1.176 1.4123 0.7648 1.2234 1.3238 0.8277 1.2386 1.3408 0.6088 1.3187 1.5837 2.018 1.3256 1.5427 1.0343 1.3454 1.4551 0.7353 1.3507 1.3124 0.4881 1.3679 1.4795 0.6141 1.3786 1.4205 0.6008 1.3844 1.4528 0.519 1.3844 1.3452 0.684 1.4149 1.5316 0.7464 1.4339 1.5521 0.6851 1.4522 1.5264 0.9164 1.4966 1.6201 0.4613 1.4969 1.6954 1.0621 1.5098 1.467 0.4807 1.5344 1.661 0.2536 1.5673 1.6966 0.7842 1.5812 1.5525 0.446 1.5819 1.5298 0.6196 1.6144 1.5446 0.6323 1.6636 1.638 0.654 1.6667 1.7174 0.8374 1.6776 1.8153 1.2585 1.6831 1.6574 1.3264 1.6902 1.6172 0.6298 1.6978 1.6336 0.31 1.7013 1.6669 0.6484 1.703 1.6294 0.6796 1.7045 1.6309 0.5921 1.7109 1.6463 0.5288 1.7479 1.6724 0.7626 1.7622 1.6956 0.5317 1.7737 1.7066 0.51 1.7874 1.7198 0.393 1.8078 1.7394 0.7695 from Vermont Department - Page 3

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Rate

r g A e t a R l a c o L xa T t c e t a R i r t s i D xa T

0 0.0575 0 0.1647 0 0.06 0 0.02 0 0.8391 0 0.332 0 0.6009 0 0.2003 0 0.0515 0 0.07 0 0.02 0.0021

0.0041 0.0139 0.0027 0.0033 0.0041 0.0025 0.0048 0.0028 0.0051 0.0024

0.0044 0.0174 0.0022 0.0012 0.0008

0.0011

0.0042 0.0011 0.0101 0.0009 0.0002 0.0035 0.0028 0.0024 0.0035 0.0073 0.0017

0.0019 of

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William E. Feltus

William E. Feltus, aged 79, passed peacefully with his family by his side in Lecanto, FL. Born February 7, 1944, he died August 13, 2023. William was raised in Harvard, Mass. He raised his own family there and worked for the family automotive business until his retirement. William retired to Lyndonville and built his own home as well as other construction projects. He spent his time working on his land. He enjoyed snowmobiling, old trucks and cars, riding

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Alan J. Joyal

Alan J. Joyal, 58, of Littleton, NH, and formerly of Barre, passed away unexpectedly on September 5, 2023, with his family by his side at Littleton Regional Healthcare in Littleton, NH. Alan was born May 3, 1965, to Lyman Joyal and Marie (Morel) Joyal. Alan graduated from Spaulding Highschool in 1983 and then went to Champlain College where he graduated with an associate degree. He then went

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Andre T. LaPrade

Andre T. LaPrade, 75, loving husband and father, passed away on Friday, September 1, 2023, after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family. Andre was born to Xavier and Madeline (Beaudin) LaPrade. He attended St. Monica School, Marion High School and Spaulding High School. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Marine Infantry where he served his country in the Vietnam War. Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Sherry Ann (Magne), siblings, son, grandchildren and extended family. The Mass of Christian Burial to honor and celebrate his life was held September 15,

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EMORIALS

motorcycles and being among friends and family. He lived with his partner Debra Van Houten and they began traveling south for the winters and moved to Lecanto, FL. William was predeceased by his brother, Allen Feltus, sister, Marion Evans, and second son Rodney Feltus. He is survived by his sons: Edward Feltus (Alicia) of Cabot, Timothy Feltus of Lyndonville, William Feltus of Colchester; and his grandchildren: Andrew, Jesaiah, Lilian, Clara, Ella, and William; greatgrandchildren Amari and Louisa. He will be placed to rest with his brother and sister in Bellevue Cemetery, Harvard, MA. A Celebration of Life will be held in Cabot on September 30.

on to marry the love of his life Christine Benedini on April 23, 1994. Alan is survived by his son Ajay and his partner Justine and her son Brayden, siblings and extended family. He is predeceased by his cousin, Cabot resident Bonnie Dannenberg. A service in memory of his life was held on Wednesday, September 13. Burial followed in the Durant Cemetery in Cabot, VT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Barre Youth Sports Association. Arrangements are in the care of Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home, 58 Summer St. in Barre. Those wishing to send online condolences may do so at www.pruneaupollifuneralhome.com.

2023, in St. Monica Catholic Church in Barre. Following the service, inturnment took place in Hope Cemetery in Barre. There were no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be

06541. Arrangements are by Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home. For a memorial guestbook, please visit www.hookerwhitcomb.com.

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Cabot Ambulance’s

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the September 5 meeting, Mike stated that he invited Jenn Miner to come and discuss what is going on with Cabot Ambulance. Jenn, the Cabot Ambulance president, started the discussion by stating that when the firehouse was compromised, the Ambulance was relocated to Goodrich’s Sugar House. She added that Ruth and Glenn live right there, and if they are available, then they get the truck out sooner. Jenn said she wanted to be transparent with the community as they are working with the Fire Department and their own organization to keep the community safe. She stated they met a couple weeks ago to talk through some questions that came up at the Cabot Ambulance member meeting. What is in the best interest for the community?. Does that mean it stays as a private entity, or joins the municipality? Karen Larsen said that public safety is one of the top priorities for FEMA. She added that, as they look at the temporary structure and a permanent structure, FEMA money cannot be used to benefit a private company. She said if Cabot Ambulance remains private, it cannot use the buildings. Jenn concurred that if Cabot Ambulance decides to remain private, it would need to find its own housing. Karen responded that there isn’t a frantic nature to this choice, but wanted to know the timeline on a decision. Jenn said that the ambulance members met a couple weeks ago and presented questions to Fire Chief Dean Deasy, and will have another meeting to review the answers. She expected that a decision would be made in September, but wanted to ensure all the members had all the information before they vote. Karen queried if there was anything else needed, and Jenn responded that she felt they had enough information to know how Cabot Ambulance would look in the event of a merger. She noted that it's not just about the membership, there are licensure requirements that need consideration. R.D. asked about licenses and Jenn explained that a timeline is important so they can tell the licensure board when Cabot Ambulance will cease to exist, and Cabot Town Ambulance would become active. There was more discussion about when the town could begin the license application, and Jenn did not have the answer yet. Dean said that the Fire Department would work closely to ensure there is no interruption. Judy Pransky asked who pays for EMT classes, and Jenn said that the organization tries to pay, or augment, the costs. She explained that EMT classes are over $1000. She also noted that when it comes to billing for ambulance services, the reimbursement is a 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

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Future?

fraction of the cost. Mike said the training would be part of the town budget and operating costs would go up. The discussion resumed at the September 19 meeting, ‘though it wasn't on the agenda. Thus it was discussed during other business. The board gave Jenn the floor and she proceeded to describe the current state of Cabot Ambulance. She mentioned that there had been several meetings with Mike, the Fire Department, and the ambulance personnel had two meetings. She said the organization voted on the question to remain private or become part of the town. She said the vote was 50/50 and as president she was the deciding vote, and voted to remain private. Jenn explained that there was still a lot of concern from membership on how this would impact them, and expressed concern that they would lose members no matter which way they go. She said the number of people eligible to vote was 13, out of a total of 18 people on the roster. The board was presented with a letter from Jenn, and she asked for the board to give it consideration. The letter included several points:

We Could consider having The Cabot Ambulance Association become a municipal entity with the following stipulations:

1. We would remain a separate, but municipal organization independent of but working in tandem with the FD 2. We would, as our bylaws state, sell the equipment, possibly to the town for a reasonable price. 3. We could continue to run as a volunteer, not a paid service. Should the town ever decide to make FD a paid service, then the ambulance would have equal treatment; become paid as well. 4. We would have our financial operations – billing, checking, etc., handled by the town clerks in the same manner as the FD. 5. There would be an ambulance chief that would answer to the Selectboard directly just as the FD now does.

R.D. Eno asked if the letter represented a consensus of the membership. Jenn said that it did for one side, which is not saying they don’t think it’s in the best interest to merge, but that they want to be included at the table. R.D. went on to say that it seems like there is some urgency to reach a resolution. He said that if Cabot Ambulance finds it agreeable, then there is paperwork and something has to be done before the temporary structure is completed. At this point Kris Schmitt spoke and said that as Vice President of Cabot Ambulance, she knows nothing about this letter. R.D. was going to read the letter aloud, but Karen Larsen stopped him from making it public. Karen then went on to talk about the 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.

problem of parking a municipal resource on private property, referring to the ambulance. She added that she is also concerned about the response time from Route 2. She then said that the board doesn’t want to pressure the organization, but that the only reason they are having the discussion was because Cabot Ambulance cannot use the temporary building due to FEMA regulations. Karen then spoke about the proposed structure of the ambulance and fire departments, and articulated that no matter the structure, the board is “the boss”. And there can be no guarantee of the future of any organization structure because the selectboard can change, and can change the structure. Mike asked if there was a drop dead date for the decision and Dean Deasy responded that he had hoped the decision would have been that night. He expressed that is the way the cookie crumbles, and that they are moving forward with the temporary building and it's all coming to a head. R.D. asked Dean his opinion of incorporating the ambulance as an independent organization. Dean said he felt there would be some redundancy and would not be best for the taxpayers. Karen proposed a possible phased approach. Fred asked if it was normal to have fire and ambulance in the same organization. Both Dean and Jenn agreed that it was normal. Mike said that they were in a pinched situation, and it was FEMA doing the pinching. Jenn was asked why she was there, and Jenn responded that at the last meeting she said she would communicate the result of the vote. She added that there is a possibility of another vote, if someone calls for another vote. Jenn expressed that it sounds like there was

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Legislative Visit

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Selectboard invited Cabot’s state legislative members to a special meeting held on August 30. In attendance were Senators Ann Cummings, Anne Watson, and Andy Perchlik, along with Representative Henry Pearl. There were about 25 people in attendance from the public. The meeting started with Mike Hogan providing updates on the flood. He explained that the town had been through a lot since July 10, but felt the town was in a good place. He emphasized that they tried to be transparent through the whole process, and that he and Karen had put out a lot of information. Mike also showed the legislative members pictures of Harry’s Hardware from the 2011 and the 2023 floods, to show them how similar the incidents were. Next Gary Gulka, Conservation Committee Chair, talked about the Winooski watershed, and handed out maps of the different stream watersheds in the town which related to the flooding of the vilresiding, doing business, and visiting of our town. members informed about issues to listen in person. Instructions for

some discussions that did not include Cabot Ambulance and said that she is willing to convene as many meetings as needed. R.D. expressed support for bringing in the ambulance organization as an independent organization, but Karen said she was not. She said she would only support a phased approach. Karen said that the board is not there to force Cabot Ambulance to do anything, just Goodrich to make a decision. Ruth responded that they simply opened the door on how it could happen, rather than accept one condition. Karen then said organization mergers are complicated and take conversation and time. Jenn noted that they have not been part of all the conversations, and only have been told about the FEMA requirements. Karen noted that the FEMA conversations have been with the leadership. The conversation then turned to the structure of the Fire Department board. There was a proposal for an EMS captain to sit on the board, along with the Chief, the treasurer, and two elected department members. At this point, Kris spoke again and expressed distress over the letter. There was some back and forth, and it was noted that all of the members of Cabot Ambulance were not on the same page. R.D. asked if the membership needed to hear something from them to change enough minds. Jenn said that based upon the current discussion, there were building points and that there was openness. She cautioned that, however the vote turns out, it turns out. Mike ended the discussion by proposing to discuss the topic again at the October 3 meeting.

lage. Gary summarized that the Winooski watershed encompassed about ten percent of the state area and has seven major tributaries. Gary went on to talk about how the land in Cabot has changed over time, from a cedar swamp surrounded by forested hills before the 1700s, to the 1800’s when the village was moved from up on the hill down into the valley. He noted that about 80% of the land was cleared, and the rivers were dammed and straightened. He said that is when the river lost connection with its flood plains. He noted that today you can stand in the river in lower Cabot and the banks are ten feet high. Gary described all the watersheds that fed downhill to the village which contributed to the flooding. He then talked about the need to figure out ways to slow and divert water and allow the streams to access the flood plains. He pointed out that areas that were heavily forested didn’t sustain much, if any, damage. (see ‘Legislative Update’, page 6)

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Legislative Visit

(continued from page 5) He also added that there is a need to find ways to stop the debris from blocking culverts, and concluded by talking about the need to learn to meet with other towns. Up next was Karen Larsen, who spoke about rebuilding resiliency. Karen talked about broadening the discussion from Cabot to the entire watershed. She pointed out that Cabot sits at the top of the watershed and everything that happens here flows downstream. Ann Cummings shared her sentiment, and said the issue is so large that it needs to be a state solution. She added that everyone is going to have to work together to figure it out and how we are going to pay for it. Anne Watson said she loved that the town is asking about a coordinated effort. She said that she isn’t hearing from other communities. She noted that there isn’t great communication across municipalities, and it might be best coordinated by the Regional Planning Commissions. Andy Perchlik spoke about how most people don’t know what a watershed is, and many people in Montpelier are talking about dredging the river or walling it off. He agreed with Gary that we need to slow the river down and allow it to access the floodplains. Andy said he thinks the state really needs to be involved because there are no county governments.

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Executive Sessions

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The Vermont Secretary of State publishes a guide to open meeting laws, which can be found on its website. The following is extracted from that guide: A public body may also enter into executive session, which is a closed portion of a public meeting. To enter executive session, a motion must be made in open session that indicates its reason for doing so, preferably naming the specific provision of Title 1, Section 313 that gives authority. For a municipal body, the motion must get a majority vote of those present to pass. For a state body, a two-thirds affirmative vote is required. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a). The only permissible reasons for entering executive session are set forth in 1 V.S.A. § 313. One category of permissible reasons requires the public body to make a specific finding that “premature general public knowledge would clearly place the public body or a person involved at a substantial disadvantage.” This finding must be made before considering one of the following permissible topics in executive session: • Contracts. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(A). • Labor relations agreements with employees. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(B). • Arbitration or mediation. 1 V.S.A. § 313 (a)(1)(C). • Grievances, other than tax grievances. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(D). • Pending or probable civil litigation or prosecution, to which the public body is or may be a party. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(E). • Confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing professional legal services. 1 V.S.A. § 313 (a)(1)(F). Andy envisioned a Better River Program, using the Better Back Roads as an example. R.D. Eno spoke about the possibility of the next flood possibly taking out the village. He said the answer isn’t building better culverts. He added that the town faces a challenge of an enormous scale. He speculated that if Cabot can find a comprehensive solution to dispersing water and reducing the velocity, it would provide a template for communities all over the state. Ann Cummings said the challenge is for the state, because this time it was Cabot, next time it could be Warren. She said that Cabot shouldn’t have to do it on its own, because it could be anytown. Andy Perchlik said that it sounded like Cabot is thinking ahead of the curve. Anne Watson added that depending on large culverts is a centralized solution, and what is needed is a distributed solution and a paradigm shift. Henry Pearl talked about work being done by the Agricultural Committee. He explained that they have been working on a payment program for ecosystems. He explained that there is a value to creating systems that don’t create these kinds of problems. The meeting wrapped up with everyone talking about the heroes that made the extra effort during the flood, from those using excavators to the Fire Department.

Other topics a public body may consider in executive session are: • The negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(2). • The appointment, employment, or evaluation of a public officer or employee, provided that a public body must make the final hiring or appointment decision, and explain its reasons for the decision, in open meeting. 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(3). (see guide for complete list) The Selectboard has had three executive sessions during the month of September, thus far. The first was at the September 5 meeting where a motion to go into executive session was carried, but with no explanation. The reason on the agenda was “ Pending Real Estate Transaction and Personnel Issue” and Sid Griggs, the Road Foreman, was present when the door was shut. After executive session the minutes indicate that the board approved a motion to offer Tyler Stecker the position on the highway crew. The next time was at an emergency meeting, called by the Selectboard to discuss and award a bid contract to build the temporary Fire Department building. According to state statute, emergency meetings may be held only when necessary to respond to an unforeseen occurrence or condition requiring immediate attention by the public body. The Chronicle was unable to attend the afternoon meeting and only minutes are available on the town website. The minutes indicated that Mike Hogan, Karen Larsen, and R.D. Eno were present as Selectboard members with Dean Deasy and Will Ameden present. The minutes noted that Fred Ducharme joined later and participated in the discussion and the vote. The minutes state that “Mike advised that as this is a contract decision and needed to go to Executive Session.” which was affirmed by the board. After the executive session, the minutes indicate the board awarded the Fire Department temporary building construction to Connor Contracting. The minutes do not indicate how many bids were received.

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Festival Concerns

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the September 5 meeting, a discussion was held regarding an upcoming event to be held on the Pransky property, scheduled for the weekend of September 15. David Pransky described it as a benefit for the cannabis community which is not getting any funding for damage from the flood, and that it would be a 21 and over event. Ms. Rathbone spoke as an abutter to the Pransky land and said she has been impacted by the noise over the years. She went on to describe that the lay of the land directs the sound to her house. She added that there were issues with people turning around in her yard and parking on Tetreault Road. She went on to say that she could deal with all the issues except the sound. She feels she should be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of her garden. She then expressed worry that the Pransky property is becoming a venue for events. She then said she was asking for a noise ordinance, and an event ordinance. Mike Hogan said that the town currently has no noise ordinance. He mentioned that the board had talked about a large gathering ordinance and noted that the state has one for over 20 people. He explained that they use a conditional use permit for events on the Pranksy property. Glenn McElwain spoke about things that could be helpful for abutting landowners. He suggested that members of the Selectboard come up and stand on their properties during an event. He also suggested there be a phone number for them to call if things get out of hand during an event. He explained he is a musician, but at 2:00 a.m. he really doesn’t want to hear the thumping of a bass drum. R.D. Eno questioned how much tolerance there was for events. Ms Rathbone responded that she has a hypersensitivity to noise and can only tolerate it for a certain amount of time. She explained that if she has to listen to it all day and all night, she becomes frazzled. She doesn’t want to go away in the summer because that is the time of year everyone wants to be in Vermont. She concluded that even if it happened once a month, and it was loud, it would be too much for her. Niel McCallum said that he was also adjacent to the Pransky property. He explained that his experience was mixed. He said that sometimes it was fine, other times the music went on until 3:00 a.m. He said that, as a family, they could leave for that weekend, but if it's going to be a constant thing, and it goes on past midnight, it would be a problem. David Pransky said that he has heard the community and that it’s important to Lastly, the board entered executive session at the end of the September 19 meeting. Again, no reason was given for the executive session when the motion was made. The agenda stated “Pending Real Estate Transaction.” Representatives for Neighbors in Action were present and remained when the board entered executive session. The board generated a work item and list, but did not take any action (motions) after executive session.

him. He said he wants to continue the conversation as a family member and noted that the permit is for amplification to end at midnight, and all music to end at 2:00 a.m. He said that it's the bass that travels. Another community member expressed concerns about public safety, and who monitors if there is a problem. She noted that getting 1500 people in and out of a small road, which is more than live in the town, can cause a problem. Jenn Miner said that, as head of Cabot Ambulance, they had a lot of advance information for past events, but noted that she only heard about this event in the news. She expressed that it is important to partner with the Fire Department and Cabot Ambulance when there are going to be extra people in the community. Robert Rathbone added that he thought it was not unreasonable to have a sheriff on 215 while the event is ongoing. He said he wasn’t in support of the event but asked for the permit to be amended to require a sheriff to patrol 215. The conversation regarding the event and possible ordinances continued at the September 19 meeting of the Selectboard. Mike started the conversation by reviewing the list of possible ordinances, which included noise and large gatherings. He explained that an ordinance is almost like a law and doesn’t have to be a liability on the community. Karen Larsen stated that she had visited the festival and three of the neighboring properties during the event held on the Pransky property. She said that noise can be subjective and noted that she used a decibel (db) meter. Karen went on to explain that normal background noise registered around 26db and if a truck drives by that would increase to 45db. She said that during the event, she measured a range between 50db and 58db on the surrounding properties. She went on to describe how she stood in front of the stage and measured levels from 85db to 100db, but once she was a quarter mile away, the levels fell into the 50db to 58db range. She stated that she believed the event was done by around 12:45 a.m. on Friday, and around 10 p.m. on Saturday. Others disagreed and said the music got louder at 10 p.m. and it went on until 2:00 a.m. each night. Karen did note that she saw comments on Facebook of people on Houston Hill Road and Dubray Road hearing the music. She added that on Elm Street, the creamery registers 65db every night. Mike pointed out that an ordinance can’t be applicable only to the Pransky property and explained that, if the board does anything, it will take time. (see ‘Festival Concerns’, page 10)

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Livestock Ordinance

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The Selectboard had previously scheduled a “Hearing on Farm Animals” regarding an issue with livestock running free onto a neighbor’s property. The hearing was cancelled, as Betty Ritter explained at the September 5 Selectboard meeting because one of the parties could not attend. She added that the town really doesn’t have the authority to do anything about the issue. Betty went on to say that Marshfield had a problem like this a while back and created an ordinance. She shared a copy with the Selectboard. Betty then added that she had talked with Ruth Goodrich, the animal control officer, who had talked to the resident, and relayed that he would try to work with the neighbor to find a resolution. Karen Larsen explained that Vermont statue is clear about fencing and animals running at large, and she said she believed the board does have the authority to levy fines. Mike Hogan said the statute is clear and unclear. Karen went on to talk about her conversation with VLCT (Vermont League of Cities and Towns) and admitted that having an ordinance about wandering animals would help the board, but reiterated there are state statutes. She added that, if there is property damage, the owner can sue in civil court. The Selectboard returned to the subject of wandering animals at the September 19 meeting during a discussion on potential ordinances. Mike moved the meeting onto the issue by describing his experience with livestock running through his property over the years. He said it does cause a lot of angst between neighbors. Karen added a recent experience she had when cows broke through a fence and the cows were on her lawn. She went on to say the neighbor was apologetic and it only happened once. She said the situation is different when the owner doesn’t maintain their fence. She added the issue is when there is lack of maintenance of the fence line, where damage has been repeated, documented, and the owner of those animals has not made any good faith effort to take responsibility for the damage. The resident affected by the issue that started this discussion said it has been a chronic issue and nothing has been done to remedy it thus far. Mike said he thinks he knows the reasoning behind Marshfield’s ordinance. He added that there is an impoundment portion, and there are civil penalties on a progressive schedule. He said the ordinance is clean and has all the important pieces. R.D. spoke to the impoundment part of the ordinance, and said he doesn’t even know what half the animals are that are listed in Marshfield’s ordinance. Karen pointed out the impoundment said “may”, which makes it useful depending upon the situation. Mike said the board would put it out as a draft and get comments. He said that he understands if animals get out once or twice, but neighbors shouldn’t have to deal with repeated issues.

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Rec Field Restoration

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The selectboard discussed the Recreation Field at their September 5 meeting. They had invited the Recreation Committee to come and talk about how the field was going to be restored. Shannon Smith, the committee chair, turned the discussion over to Chris Tormey, who had spent time and effort researching the issue. Chris started by saying he is not a member of the Rec Committee but got involved when he volunteered to help clean off the field. He relayed that on one of the days he was working, he had a discussion with the excavator operators working on the field. Chris said that they can get the grass to grow back, but if the town wanted to deal with the drainage issue, it would be best to do that before adding topsoil and growing grass. Chris talked about the history of the field and noted that when the creamery was built the rock and debris material was put on the field. He added that the material is not particularly porous, and the area now has maybe four-to-six inches of remaining slit sand mix on top. Chris said he dug a hole and hoped to find some sod. He said he found that there was just a little bit of sod, and then you hit rocky stuff. He added that after 1 -1/2 feet, you get into this sandy stuff which is poorly drained river bottom. Chris then said he had talked to a guy in Peacham, who has 30 years of experience with the USDA, and asked about drainage. Chris explained that the drainage would probably help but not solve the problem. The recommendation would be for four parallel drainage lines in a trench the length of the soccer field. The pipe would be connected at the end and the outflow directed to the river. He also talked to Dana Caulkins, who could potentially do the work later this fall, and it would cost around $20,000. Chris said it is unclear if FEMA would cover the cost of the drainage, but he found a grant from the state, but it requires a match. Karen Larsen said that $20,000 for 80 yards of drainage sounds like a bargain. Mike noted that they have already spent $20,500 to remove the mud, and $14,800 on damaged equipment. Chris said that another $8,000 to $10,000 of fill would probably be needed. Shannon said the Rec Committee would like to have more events on the field, and that they are partnered with Twinfield, which isn’t in the process of repairing its field. Shannon added that they needed a commitment from the Selectboard to be able to apply for the grant. The selectboard approved $10,000 for matching funds on the $20,000 drainage project. The board revisited the topic of the rec field at their September 19 meeting; Mike said the town was waiting for permits from the DEC for the drainage. He was hoping some work might be accomplished this fall, but that it would be tight.

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Cabot School Principal

We welcomed students in grades pk-12 to campus in late August and have been building up our community in these first weeks of school. Our annual buddy fall mountain day occurred in midSeptember with a day in Groton. Our 8th graders have begun their leadership work through canoeing, a program that continues to be led by Peter Stratman and part of what makes our middle grades experience unique. In addition to continuing traditions, this year, thanks to our continued Community Schools funding, students will continue to have access to high quality after school programming, field trip experiences in Maine, at the Flynn Center for Performing Arts, at the Abenaki Cultural Center, and to the Hulbert Center. Learning outside of the classroom enriches and strengthens our community and our students’ understanding of the world around them. This month, I want to introduce the community to some of the shifts we have made this year to adapt and grow with the help of feedback. Last year we received input from the community around needing more clarity and how we addressed behaviors that interfered with the health of our community. This year we’re looking forward to implementing and continuing to deepen our practices around school culture and project-based learning. Sarah Ainsworth, who has been at Cabot for nearly a decade, will take on leading the work of developing and maintaining positive school culture pk-12. Sarah has been instrumental in this work at the lower grades and will now have the expanded role of proactively addressing school climate with my support. The school culture team, including two instructional support staff (Shani Stoddard and Candice Snay) as well as our guidance team (Lauren Cleary and Jackie Batten - upon her return), and Rory Woodard our school librarian as the teacher representative, will work together to hone our proactive and responsive systems, and you will find a summary of that in the school handbook. We will continue to work proactively to teach, celebrate and recognize, and reflect on student progress in the areas of respect, responsibility, and perseverance. We also heard feedback from families that it was important for them to have more regular feedback on student progress. This year we are piloting a reporting system called Jumprope that we hope to roll out to families after the first semester. This will allow families to have updated information and for teachers to communicate student progress routinely. Prior to the role, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers if you have any questions regarding their academic progress. We have also developed a benchmark document that helps us to define what you should expect your student to know and be able to do by the end of 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th grades. Our last significant change for this year is a shift to a semester reporting system. While this primarily impacts our high school students, it helps us to align with other schools in our region and to maintain the same options for choice. Our Graduation Handbook offers a look at how we address this regarding graduation requirements.

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Programming

Traditions like buddy crew hikes, winterfest, and field day will continue to be highlights of our work across our school. And we will continue to value relationships and connection as the primary way to ensure student learning is holistic. We will continue to emphasize the importance of transferable skills to help students adapt to an ever-changing world within the context of social emotional wellness and connection. Last year we focused on literacy and arts integration in the lower grades. This work significantly impacted the ways in which students experienced literacy learning and we will continue to focus on structured literacy as we continue to deepen students’ learning in the context of projects. In addition to those who are staying with us, we are welcoming seven exceptional members to our teaching and learning team who are either new to us or in new roles. Jonny Flood joins us as an elementary theater teacher with years of experience in teaching, community theater, film production, and summer camps. Dov Schiller joins us as our music teacher. Dov has extensive experience in Vermont and across the country, is a talented performer and has run a successful Rock Band Camp for many years. Amy Richardson has shifted her role from instructional support to our fulltime art teacher. Amy has spent years in the art room and supporting students at Cabot School and beyond. Amelia Blume joins our team as the High School Social Studies teacher. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Arizona, and most recently acted as a long-term substitute teacher at Montpelier High School. Amelia’s community mindedness and creativity will help to usher our project-based program forward. Collin Cole will shift his role from interventionist to full time math teacher at the high school level. He will also continue to support our middle school students, offering a range of electives. Courtney Desmarais will join our team as the Math/Science teacher for the 5th and 6th grade. She has extensive experience working with Illustrative Mathematics, our math program. Sue Polen will act as the secondary guidance counselor while Jackie Batten is on leave for the first semester. Sue rejoins our community after years at VTC and is familiar with who we are and our community. Jeanne Sagretto will join us as the math interventionist for elementary grades. Jeanne has extensive experience as a classroom teacher and teacher leader in both math and literacy and we are excited for her to lead the implementation Rory

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Jennifer

Curschmann will take on the lead position in our kitchen while Brock Miller is on leave, Heather Burak will assist Jennifer in the kitchen and Jennifer Tidd will act as our new Executive Assistant and Registrar. Both of these positions are vital to our daily operations and student success and we could not be more excited for their new additions.

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Best Fundraiser Yet

Paul Wade photo.

by Ry Hoffmann On Sunday, September 10, the tenyear Anniversary of Cabot Ride the Ridges Gravel Cycling Event was held. Though the threats of thunderstorms likely kept some registered riders from participating, we still had over 200 riders attend and ride our beautiful roads. Huge kudos to Road Crew and Volunteers for putting our roads back in tip-top shape following this summer's flooding! This event typically supports the Cabot Mentoring Program; however, this year our volunteer organizers decided to have all proceeds be shared with both the Mentoring Program and Flood Relief Efforts. Cabot Ride the Ridges features four different riding distances, including 100k, 60k, 30k, and 10k distances. Cabot gravel roads are primarily used for all three of the shorter rides, while the 100k used a combination of Cabot, Danville, Peacham and other surrounding community's roads. Riders were able to preregister for this event through BikeReg.com, and this year we had nearly 250 pre-registered riders. Cabot Ride the Ridges also designed and created customized Cabot RTR merchandise, including ten-year anniversary t-shirts, RTR sweatshirts, hats, and Bivo water bottles. Due to the increased interest in the event and the addition of merchandise sales - as well as continued sponsorship from 14 local businesses such as Jasper Hill Cheese, Burtt's Apple Orchard, Cabot Creamery, Woodbury Mountain Toys and more - Cabot RTR organizers believe this year was the most successful fundraiser yet.

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Anniversary

Cabot Ride the Ridges continues to draw interest from gravel cyclists in the New England area and beyond. This year we had participants from Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina, and more. Volunteer event organizers meet regularly throughout the year to plan this event. Huge kudos to volunteers such as Kathleen Hoyne, Mark Christensen, Paul Wade, Kelsey LaPerle, Silas Robbins, Camyrn Hoffman, Ry Hoffman, and Mark Bromley - in addition to our day-of volunteers that help make this event possible and one that riders come back to year after year. One returning rider wrote, "This year's Ride the Ridge, my favorite adventure day of the entire year, was incredible. So many wonderful people riding and volunteering, new merchandise, delicious pizza, familiar faces, new faces, new friends, and everything in between. The overall feel of this event is just so special. I look forward to it all year long and year after year it gets better and better." Not only does this incredible event raise funds for our fantastic non-profit Cabot Mentoring Program, it welcomes visitors to our beautiful town, infuses excitement into our region, and helps support our local businesses. We had riders filling up the downtown on Saturday night, enjoying drinks and food from both The Den and attending the grand opening of Headwaters. We thank all of those who continue to support the efforts of Cabot Ride the Ridges, and invite any local bike enthusiasts, or simply folks interested in supporting this local cause, to join the 11th Cabot Ride the Ridges next September 15, 2024.

officers are in short supply and it’s not an easy issue. R.D. said that he expected the board to address large gatherings, and that the town could craft permits to address the issue of enforcement. If the ordinance is violated, the permit would be null and void.

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Registration Begins, Work

by R.D. Eno,

Even in the aftermath of the Great July Flood, Cabot residents found the wherewithal to contribute over $5,000 to

Child Care Initiative, winning an additional $25,000 from a generous challenge grantor. Thanks to the availability of these funds, the CCA was able to complete renovations to the basement (Fellowship Hall) of the United Church of Cabot, including new flooring and emergency systems. This will allow ABC/LOL, the private provider who will operate the Center, to obtain licensing from the State of Vermont. A target opening date for early November will be announced as soon as all the certifications are in place. Meanwhile, families wishing to register their infants and toddlers should submit letters or emails of interest to R.D. Eno, 32 Thistle Hill Road, Cabot VT 05647 (rdeno@fairpoint.net). Be sure to include your own postal and email addresses so that ABC/LOL can send you

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Duties:

 Strong communication and organizational  Dedication to exploring nature and the  Strong knowledge in developing and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum  Be skilled at time management and be  Work well as a team member  Maintain a positive and encouraging attitude  Demonstrates ability to communicate positively  Ability to plan fun and engaging activities  Great organization skills when it comes This is a full time, year round position,

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We want you!!

The Chronicle Cabot and Cabot Historical Society are collaborating to collect veterans’ experiences, an important component of the fabric of our community. 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 servicemembers are welcome, as well.

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Day on October 21

its registration materials and schedule of fees. This will not obligate you in any way, and there will be a pre-opening reception at the Center to acquaint people with the staff and the facility. When in operation, the Center will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to accommodate working families. Income-sensitive subsidies for child care are available from the State of Vermont. To find an application and to determine your eligibility, visit the Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Care Financial Assistance Program at https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/ ccfap. Installation of a fence around a play area between the Church and the Cabot School will get underway on Saturday, October 21, at 10:00 p.m. It isn’t certain yet what the job will entail or what equipment (backhoes, augurs, tillers, etc.) will be needed, but the call will go out on Front Porch Forum and Cabot Connects. If you think you might be available and would like to help, please contact R.D. at the email above.

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Calling All Veterans - Mark

We want to publish first-hand experiences in the November Cabot Chronicle in honor of Veterans’ Day, and we plan a community event on Saturday, November 11, to hear stories spoken out loud and shared for preservation by the Cabot Historical Society. We hope you will come. We’ve put together some questions to stimulate your thoughts for a Cabot Chronicle article. We can do interviews by phone or in person, or record memories electronically. For those comfortable with a computer, a quick and dirty response have words ture would at

back

per, We Watch event Cabot

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OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Neighbors in Action, a non-profit community organization based in Cabot, Vermont with a secondary location in Lyndonville, Vermont is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as Operations Coordinator. This part-time (10 hours per week) position provides administrative support to the Executive Director and other roles within the organization. Job duties include completing reports, donor communications, filing, tracking information via spreadsheets, and managing day-to-day operations of both locations. The ideal candidate will have excellent people skills and creative problem solving. Must be comfortable utilizing the computer and the internet. Experience with Microsoft Word & Excel, email proficient, and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must be willing to learn new programs/systems as needed. High school diploma and 1+ year of administrative/office experience preferred. Experience with Little Green Light a plus! For almost twenty years Neighbors in Action has provided food shares to low-income community members residing in Cabot and surrounding towns as well as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We offer enriching programming for older Vermonters as well as programs for youth, families, and individuals focused on nutrition, well-being and self-sufficiency skills. Neighbors in Action also hosts an online farmer's market, the Cabot Harvest Hub, which connects local gardeners, farmers, and artisans with their neighbors, which helps to build our hyper-local economy and spur growth of these entrepreneurs. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Elizabeth@NeighborsinActionVT.org. This position will remain open until filled. More information can be found at: https:// www.neighborsinactionvt.org/job-openings.

Neighbors in Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

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FREE CDL TRAINING

The Town of Cabot Highway Department is looking for a full-time road crew worker to maintain and repair Cabot’s highway system and municipal equipment. The applicant should have a CDL Class B or higher, however, the Town is willing to train an interested applicant by paying for a Commercial Driver Training Program CDL B License. The program is an 80-hour course and will cover the cost of the permit, road testing, DOT physical and pre-enrollment drug testing. The applicant must agree to work for the Town for at least three years. If the applicant terminates employment prior to that period, the cost of the course will be reimbursed to the Town by the applicant. The applicant should have general knowledge of heavy equipment, as well as knowledge of grading, trucking, snow plowing and removal along with general knowledge of road construction and maintenance. Overtime will be required as needed to maintain Cabot roads. The Town will train the right person. Health benefits are available, along with paid vacation and sick leave. This position will be supervised by the Road Foreman. Compensation will be determined upon experience. You may call to have an application sent to you, or you may drop a copy of your resume at the Town Clerk’s Office at 3084 Main Street.

Applications and/or resumes must be in the Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on October 16, 2023.

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Cabot Veterans:

your memories in whatever way be comfortable for you. Just call us

and we’ll reach out to you. For the November edition of the pawe have a deadline of October 15. look forward to hearing from you. for a notice about a Veterans Day in gratitude for the service of all 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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at the Harvest Hub

by Sarah Spletzer October marks the end of the Harvest Season and the beginning of an abundance of community events at the Harvest Hub. Our October 14 Farmers Market at 39 Main Street (10 a.m. -12 p.m.) will overlap with Neighbors in Action’s Thanks Giving Community Potluck from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. If the weather allows, we will be outdoors and there will be a chance for everyone to gather around a fire and make bread-on-a-stick! Please join us and bring a dish to share! (And don’t forget to label it with ingredients.) But don’t worry if it gets cold - we will simply gather inside.

Carol Broadfork

Saturday, October 28, will be our last in-person market of the season. It will be a special Halloween-themed market and will most likely take place indoors. Come to buy some local products for the holiday season and stay to make your own little pumpkin at the needle felting activity table! The last full week of October will also be the last chance to buy products from the online store – for this year. So, if there is a special product you like on the Hub – buy it in the next few weeks! We are also asking all our customers who received any credit in the past to use up this credit before it expires by the end of October! We are going to pause the Harvest Hub over the course of the winter and hope to be back with inperson markets in the spring!

Niels and Sarah As we are approaching this break for the Harvest Hub, we would like to thank a couple of people that contributed to the Hub in many ways. Ama and Nate

As the Harvest Hub’s first manager, Elizabeth Vitale has played a crucial role in getting the Harvest Hub off the ground and has enriched its format with her many creative ideas! Niels Larsen has been a driving force in the process of starting the Harvest Hub, as well, and has been our most loyal customer ever since! Sandy Pond from Back Roads Farm, Christina Markwell from Two Hearts 1 Love, Ama and Nate Peyman from Nama Farm and Carol Fairbank from Broadfork Farm have all been leading great classes as part of Neighbors in Action’s workshop series. Thank you for the diverse range of products you brought to the Harvest Hub as well as for your contributions to our local Food Share. And last but not least, we want to express our gratitude to everyone who made a donation to the Harvest Hub; in particular the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation!

Sandy and Greenhouse Back Roads Farm

Neighbors in Action, our mother organization and the place of physical location, is bringing another series of workshops to the community this fall and winter. All groups and workshops are focused around farm crafts, in particular creating with sheep and goat products. Elizabeth Vitale is hosting a weekly Knitting Night on Friday evenings from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Sarah Spletzer is going to lead the needle felting activity on October 28. And Angie Knost from Heritage Farm is going to lead a workshop on soap making with goat milk on Saturday, November 11. We are still looking for a person who would like to lead a class on dying wool. If you are that person or you know of someone - please let us know by contacting Sarah at cabot@neighborsinaction vt.org.

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Winton Walbridge

by Amanda Legare

Winton Walbridge was born 96 years ago at Maple Glen Farm in Cabot, which is now the home of Keith and Johnnye Burtt. He was named after the Winton Motor Carriage Company, one of the first American companies to sell a motor car. He had two older sisters, Eleanor (Blondin) and Barbara (Kovarik) and one older brother, Elton. His mother was Thelma (Farrington) Walbridge. His father, Fred Walbridge, was a dairy farmer. He milked all Jerseys and he was also the largest sugar maker in Cabot with about 7,000 taps. "We would crate the syrup and take it to the train stations in Walden or Marshfield," Winton remembered. Each order was different. "We had one man in Texas who would buy 25 gallons at a time." One of the local legislators took some of the Walbridge syrup to the White House, and Washington, D.C., became another one of their regular customers. They hayed and sugared with horses. His father had experience with concrete and he laid the sidewalks in Cabot. Winton remembers working hard on the farm and playing hard with his friends. "Someone had a big traverse sled that would hold ten people," he said. "We would go from Doc Caffin's house all the way to Lower Cabot. The roads were all ice then, there was no salt or sand." A Model A Ford with chains pulled them back up. Fred Walbridge was one of the first farmers in town to put in a bulk tank. In winter he rolled the roads on Cabot Plains. "The town had a crawler with a big plow on the front and wings on each side in the back with a place for two men to stand and work the wings with chain pulls," Winton remembered. "You'd hear the tractor when it left town and we were the first stop. My mother always had coffee and donuts for the crew." "In school we had a very, very strict principal. He was a little tiny guy, but he was tough." Winton said Winton Walbridge - Amanda Legare photo. ary degree from Cabot School 76 years later in 2018. He was shipped to Okinawa with 3,000 people on a transport. "I was seasick for 13 days," he said. He saw the "tail end of action" and when he returned to Cabot he went to work for the Cabot Creamery under Joe Trombley. "I was Cecile Shepherd's helper," he said. "I worked in the butter room. I would place the butter in the Rosedale molds and put them in the cooler to harden." He also delivered butter all over Vermont and New Hampshire. At one point he had a route in Cabot and Marshfield, collecting milk from the many farmers in the area. One of the largest farms was the Goulds' place on the flats, where he would pick up 20 cans at a time. There were many smaller farms where he picked up half a can every day. When Bob Davis took over, Winton became the foreman for the Creamery. He did this for four years. Eventually he married "a Barre girl," Pauline Hotte, and ended up in sometimes this man Winton Walbridge enlisted at 16. the granite business. He would personally arrange lived in Hardwick and a boxing match between himself and an offending student, to settle a difficult situation. When Winton was 16 and one-half years old World War II was underway and his older brother, Elton, was going to be drafted. Elton was married and had a family and was needed on the farm. "So I volunteered to go in his place, " Winton remembered. His parents signed the papers giving him permission to serve at such a young age. He didn't graduate from high school but was given an honorthen moved to the Trow Hill area of Barre, where he has lived for more than 40 years. He has three children, Kevin, Brian and Gail. These days he enjoys a trip to Cabot, sometimes just to drive around or visit friends. "He likes to go down memory lane," his daughter Gail said. One of his favorite spots is at the top of Cabot Plains, near the cemetery. The ashes of his wife are buried just to the left of the graveyard entry and that's where he wishes to rest as well.

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Returns to Willey

by Karen Mueller-Harder

The Cabot Community Contra Dance on October 13 will feature the delightful calling of Alex Cumming, who is originally from England, and has a wealth of experience in teaching and leading groups. Alex will teach both playful English “ceilidh” dances and simple New England style contra dances. He’s also the Artistic Director of Revels North and devoted to combining tradition with inclusion in all he does! We are excited to announce that the dance will return to the Willey Building (Cabot Town Hall, 3084 Main Street), which is celebrating its 100th birthday! The dance is 7:30-10 p.m., with a short intro session for new folks at 7:15 p.m.

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Gardening - Bulbs

Want spring color and summer garlic? Get your bulbs planted now! by Susan Socks of Garden Goddess Consulting and Gardening October is the perfect time to plant bulbs. With a little planning, you’ll be rewarded with early spring flowers, and a crop of summer garlic.

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Soil and sunshine

Bulbs prefer well drained soil, and plenty of sunshine. The earliest bloomers (like crocus) can be planted in areas that get shady late in spring when trees and shrubs leaf out, so long as it’s sunny when they are blooming. If you have heavy clay soil, or poor drainage, consider a raised bed for your bulbs.

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Planting depth

Check planting depth for your bulbs. Some need to be as deep as 6-8”, while others do fine at 1-2”. If you will be planting deep bulbs, consider investing in a bulb auger. This inexpensive tool fits in a cordless drill, and takes much less work than digging with a trowel.

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Planting orientation

Bulbs have a pointy end, where the spring shoot will emerge, and a flattened end, where the roots will grow. Although sometimes bulbs can grow if just tossed down the planting hole without care, they do appreciate being properly oriented. Flat side down, pointy side up.

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Predator protection

Deer, chipmunks, and assorted rodents love tulip, crocus, and lily bulbs, and you’ll be treating the critters to an expensive snack if you don’t take precautions. Consider planting bulbs they won’t eat: garlic, allium, narcissus (daffodil), hyacinth, muscari (grape hyacinth), fritillaria, camassia, and galanthus (snowdrops). If you still want to grow tulips, crocus, or lily, try these methods:  interplant with the more distasteful bulbs  mix chicken grit (crushed oyster shell or granite) into the soil covering bulbs  dig a planting bed to the depth of the deepest bulbs, line bottom and sides with ½” hardware cloth, plant bulbs, place a section of hardware cloth on top of the finished bed (remove the top section when plants begin to emerge)

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Building

Live music is provided by a a great group of local musicians--feel free to just come and listen if you like! Everyone is welcome, and anyone can dance with anyone (Alex teaches without reference to gender), generally changing partners with each dance. You can come alone, or with a friend or your family! All dances are taught, but if you’ve never been to a dance, you can come to the 7:15 session, when we’ll practice a few basics, and then we’ll build upon what you learn throughout the evening. Admission is on a sliding scale, $5-10; pay what you can! Water and cups will be provided, or you can bring your water bottle. Masks are welcomed but not required, and we’ll have the large windows open for ventilation. Hope to see you at the dance!

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Special instructions for garlic

Unlike most other bulbs, garlic grows as a head of cloves. When planting, you will need to separate the cloves; each clove will become a new plant. Separated cloves are only viable for about a day, so I recommend waiting to separate cloves till you’re in the garden, and ready to plant. After planting, mulch lightly.

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A popular bulb to avoid

Siberian squill is a commonly planted bulb that makes masses of little blue flowers. It’s REALLY easy to grow, coming back every year in greater numbers. The seeds are spread by ants, who do an excellent job dispersing seeds everywhere, including in your lawn. After bloom, the leaves dissolve into a slippery mush. When there are thousands of plants, it’s a real mess. The bulbs are small, but can get very dense and make it hard for other garden plants to grow. Worse, it can spread to nearby woodlands and outcompete native spring flowers. Siberian squilI is prohibited in some states, but it’s still widely available for sale in most places. I strongly recommend that you don’t introduce this menace into your landscape. This garden article is brought to you by Susan Socks, aka the Garden Goddess. Stay tuned for upcoming articles on green lawn care, pruning, garden tools, edible landscapes, and more. For gardening help, visit www.SocksFamily

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Rebuilding After

by Peg Elmer Hough

Most of the immediate cleaning up, drying out and preventing mold from the July disaster is done! As property owners mull over how to be better prepared for the next time, here's a 4-minute video I created when I re-built after Tropical Storm Irene. Aimed at how to slow down basement inundation from flooding via the bulkhead door, and posted on Vermont's FloodReady website, I describe a few other property design ideas I included as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=4paHkZEluNM The 11" rainfall in Tropical Storm Irene caused the White River to rise 26+ feet above normal. I had an old Capestyle house, built in 1807, that was snuggled in a lovely curve of the river. The river, at flood stage, jumped Route 14 and raged straight through the house. Over a hundred volunteers arrived to help with cleanup during the first week, with many saying, "I've always loved this place! What will you do?" I had lots of decisions to navigate, including whether to "raze or raise" the devastated house. Clearly, in "the new normal" for weather behavior, the old house wasn't a safe location to live. I couldn't, in good conscience, re-build and sell it as it had been, but I had a mortgage on it to pay back. I decided to create a "Climate Resilient Demonstration Project” and re-build the house for the next 200 years. The video above describes some results of the re-building decisions. Although the river did cross the state highway again, in the July flood, the house was fine. While the White River didn't get close to the levels after Irene, it did rise to the first level of the new "breakwater" shown in the video. The new basement remained completely dry! There are two small streams that flow off the steep hill behind the house, which raged during Irene and are diverted around the house now. The new homeowners evacuated on July 10 but were very happy about how well the drainage and basement worked. Here's some information about flood insurance from my experience. The house wasn't in the mapped floodplain, nor is it on the state's new river corridor maps. As a veteran land use planner, and former state official managing FEMA funds, I'd been providing training

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the Flood

on planning for flood hazards for years. That meant that I knew the majority of flood damage in Vermont, at least prior to Irene, occurred outside the mapped floodplain . Rather, much structural damage is caused by streams that drain steep slopes, which pick up debris and go rogue when inches of rainfall dumps within a few hours -- exactly what happened in Cabot in July, and as happened to our Main Street twice in 2011. That knowledge had prompted me to buy flood insurance. My mortgage loan officer had cocked his head when I told him I was buying it, and said, "But why? We're not requiring you to." As a property owner, you have to protect yourself!! The sweet little stream, or pond above you, will go rogue in the major downpours we're experiencing now! Flood insurance doesn't cover any outside damage (my driveway in South Royalton was a new canyon) but it does cover replacement of heating systems, electrical damages, appliances and structural damage. It's like any insurance - the adjusters are trained to lowball the first settlement offer, big time! Find something they missed and request a second offer. Mine was almost doubled. When Irene whalloped me, I also knew that, because I was not in the floodplain, I was not required to follow FEMA standards or town flood hazard by-law requirements. I wasn't going to receive any FEMA benefits, but I didn't have to wait for any approvals before charging ahead with my own solutions. After Irene, I spent the next few years of my land use planning profession devoted to municipal hazard mitigation gathering and providing resources to people in this northern region. There's plenty offered by FEMA, but I found their online library convoluted and difficult to navigate, and the guidance usually designed for structures in much warmer regions. Working with students in the architecture program at Norwich University and several Vermont examples of hard-hit properties, I produced the Property Owners' Guide to Re-building for Flood Resiliency. I no longer maintain the website I'd created of resources, but I can send you a PDF copy of that guide online by request or make it available at the library. If you find this information helpful, please pass it on to others who need it.

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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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October - Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:30

a.m. Cabot Rec Field Pavilion Join youth librarian Amanda Otto for stories, songs, crafts and activities. Stay after for snacks and active play on the swing sets, sandbox and fields for hiking and birdwatching. All are welcome. Join us on Wednesday, October 11 for fresh cider and stories . Many thanks to Gary Gulka in advance for helping to host this event.

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New! Beading with Mary Rogerson-

You’re invited to bead with Mary to create fun projects using pony beads. Projects include lizard lanyards and rainbow keychains. More options are available depending on skill level and interest. Mary has been making beaded crafts and jewelry for five years and is very excited to bead with you. We will hold two beading workshops in October -

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Club (ages 7-11) - Thursdays - Sep-

tember 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.cabotlib rary@gmail.com.

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New! StoryWalk - October – Cabot

Rec Field StoryWalk is an innovative and delightful way for children and adults to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. As you stroll down the trail, you're directed to the next page in the story. This month’s StoryWalk features the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd.

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L IBRARY N EWS

quirks of people, he always does so with appreciation and unwavering compassion. Though his detailed and inquisitive poems are often reflective, they never get mired in nostalgia, but keep looking ahead--to hope, to the future, to the next quietly awe-inspiring event waiting around the corner. Simple Thoughts is Roger’s sixth book of poetry. He started writing shortly after returning from Vietnam, and From the Avenues of the Mind was his first collection. Toothpick Forest , a combination of poetry and short stories was next, followed by Stationary Witness , Who Stayed , and Voice of My Pen .

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Sundays 10:30- 11:45 a.m. -

beginning October 15 How would it be to offer your body the commitment of attention on a regular basis? Let's find out together! Join local yoga teacher Christyn King on Sunday mornings to feel, breathe, expand, balance, strengthen, and energize yourself. All are welcome - beginners enthusiastically encouraged! Mats and props provided. donation Donation based (suggested $10). Sundays 10:30-11:45 a.m. starting October 15.

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Ericka Nichols - Frazer – Erika Nich-

ols-Frazer is the author of the memoir Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness (Casper Press, 2022) and the poetry collection Staring Too Closely (Main Street Rag, 2023). She edited the anthology of mental health recovery stories, A Tether to This World (Main Street Rag, 2021). She holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and a BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. More than 30 of her poems, essays, and short stories have been published in literary magazines. She won Noir Nation’s 2020 Golden Fedora Crime Fiction Prize and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A former journalist, editor, and nonprofit development director, she is now the Writing & Humanities Development Coordinator at Vermont State University Johnson. She has taught writing to learners of all ages and backgrounds and edited books in a variety of genres. She is a mental health advocate and has spoken about her experiences with bipolar disorder and an eating disorder on TV, radio/podcasts, in print, and in person. She lives in Waitsfield with her husband and fur babies. Find her work at nicholsfrazer.com. 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. See you at the library! Kathleen Hoyne – Library Director Amanda Otto – Youth Librarian

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Marshfield Harvest Festival on Sun-

day, October 1, 2023. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free Family Friendly Activities : cider pressing, arts and crafts, field games, music, petting zoo and more! Book sale, bake sale, horse and wagon rides, craft sale, flea market and 50/50 raffle. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food tent:

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Crock Pot Cook-off contest . Trophy

for the winners! Come and sample all kinds of chilis, soups, stews, local homemade breads and village store pizza. $ 8 adults and $ 4 children. 1 1:30 a.m. MUSIC Larkspur: (blend of folk, rock, blues and country) The Larkspurs are a Burlington and Montpelier ensemble-based trio who spontaneously came together in August of 2018 performing impromptu harmonies, emotional vocals and otherworldly guitar solos. 1:30 p.m. MUSIC Atom & the Orbits: (rock & roll) A 2-step dance band based in Bristol, VT. Led by bassist-turned guitarist/songwriter Noah Hahn, their 2020 debut album Let’s Rock! is firmly rooted in the rhythms of 1950’s early rock & roll. 3 to 4 p.m. Talk with Historian Marty

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October 18 at 7 p.m.

Rick Winston's lifelong love of movies led to the creation of one of Vermont's leading cultural institutions, the Savoy Theater in Montpelier, Vermont. With humor and heart, he takes us behind the scenes of the hard and rewarding work of building a film venue over decades in a grateful community. Rick, along with Tom Blachly, programmed a monthly film at the Jaquith for several years. Rick will read an excerpt from the book followed by a question-and-answer period and refreshments.

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But come early to make simple view-

ing devices! Join us at the Old Schoolhouse Common for a viewing party. The eclipse begins shortly after noon and reaches the maximum at 1:20 p.m. and is over by 2:30 p.m. We have eclipse glasses for you to use, binoculars and a solar telescope.

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Wednesday, October 25 at 6 pm

Bring a dish featuring something you grew in your garden or orchard to share at the Marshfield Community Supper. Also bring plain samples of the fruit or vegetable for a taste test - raw for things eaten raw like carrots, peppers, garlic, etc.; cooked for things usually cooked like potatoes or winter squash.

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Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

Get ready for some fun with Sasha during story and activity time. These science, art, and nature-based programs will encourage creativity, exploration and time for parents and caregivers to share child rearing practices and challenges. We will start with outside programming, eventually moving inside when it is safe to do so.

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← From the Cabot Chronicle