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The Cabot Chronicle

November 2024 · Issue Record

← From the Cabot Chronicle

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

Original issue: Download the November 2024 pages (PDF)

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

In This Issue

Cabot Mentoring Advisory Group

Introducing the Cabot Mentoring Advisory Board: Mary Ann Tormey, Caitlin Ackermann, Kelly Griggs, Anna Helfand and Randilee Raynor. Much thanks to these folks who are volunteering in an advisory role for Cabot Mentoring! Please feel free to reach out to any of them if you have questions about the program. Mark Christensen, Cabot Mentoring Coordinator cabotmentoring@gmail.com

cabotmentoring.org

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Cabot Community Theater

Due to a national touring production of The Music Man, Cabot Community Theater has gotten word that we won’t be able to perform that title this year, and instead, our spring show will be The Little Mermaid! This delightful stage musical is based on the Disney version of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale. Look in the December issue of the Chronicle (and FPF) for performance dates and information about January auditions! We are excited about the opportunities for thinking creatively about the technical aspects of the show, and are looking for more people to help out! The key positions we still need to fill are:  Set and lighting designers, to transform CSPAC into realms under and above the sea in a way that looks great but is easy to change between scenes. We have people happy to do painting

out a simple online form at CabotVermont.org or contact the CCA at

Residents can search the directory to support local businesses by visiting CabotVermont.org and click on Local

monthly and is provided locally free of

05647 ~ Published by the Cabot Community

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

newspaper devoted to telling the and setwork, but need someone (or a team of 2 or 3) skilled at combining imagination and practicality to make a workable plan for the show.  We would love to have some apprentice choreographers to help create dance/movement for some of the musical numbers, working with an experienced mentor. These could be young people who have been studying dance for several years, and would like the opportunity to try their hand at simple choreography, and bring some new ideas to our stage.  And as we will be doing some creative costume creation/construction for this show, we are looking for assistance from people with sewing skills to help make that possible! (Assistance with costume coordination from those without such skills is welcome, too!) If you (or your mature child) are interested in helping out in these or any other ways, please reach out to us at info@cct.aroundvt.org and we’ll be in touch! CCT strives to be a welcoming, inclusive theater group, and aims to provide excellent, affordable performances for the community, while having a great time doing so!

**Saturday, November 30, 2024, is Small Business Saturday – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. Please join the CCA and organizations across the country in supporting your local small businesses by shopping at a small business.

charge.

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Pransky for Ziobrowski

Dear Editor: I have known Tom Ziobrowski for over forty years. He is thoughtful, considerate, moderate, reliable and most importantly, a problem solver. With his wife, he has raised and nurtured two children. As a primary care physician he has experience managing challenging situations, as well as tailoring his response to the particular needs of individuals and their families. In the community he has served as Danville Town Moderator for sixteen years. He has led Danville’s Citizen Senior Housing for even longer, as well as volunteering with the Vermont Food Bank and the Saint Johnsbury After-School Music program. Tom’s considerable talents and experience are highlighted by his passion for understanding and responding to people’s needs. He is deeply aware of the struggles and challenges of moderate and low income earners. Tom is also deeply concerned that the struggles our citizens face each day regarding the issues of affordable housing, food and necessities as well as insurance and healthcare costs that are impacting and overwhelming the health and well-being of our citizens and their families.

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Toll in Support of Ziobrowski

Dear Editor: Please join me in supporting Tom Ziobrowski for the Vermont Legislature. I have known Tom for over forty years. He has a life-long history of caring for people and working to promote healthy communities. As a primary care doctor, Tom knows firsthand how people worry about paying their bills, staying in their homes, and coping with serious health issues.

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HAZEL M. GREAVES

in the Community Commentary (LTE), those of this newspaper or its affiliates.

Vermont is facing very serious fiscal issues that will directly impact every one of us, which will only add to the strain of recent increases in property taxes and escalating costs for food, housing, insurances and fees. We can count on Tom to advocate for all of us as he takes on the role of State Representative. He will advocate for practical, sensible, forward-thinking and equitable solutions to the most pressing issues that face all of us daily. He will help us to face and find solutions to the housing shortage and the cost of housing. He will stand strong for public education, reproductive freedom, protecting and advocating for our civil rights, family and child services and affordable healthcare. He is a tireless advocate to help our citizens understand and take on the importance of Climate Change and the roles we must all play in changing the trends that are currently bringing our planet to the brink of self-destruction. Tom Ziobrowski will work tirelessly to make Vermont as affordable and equita-

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SERVICE

ble as possible for all of us and ease our struggle and concern over caring for, feeding and housing our families and protecting our environment. And most of all Tom will stand strong for all of our citizens...Keeping Vermont Strong! Judy Pransky

Tom will bring compassion and inde-

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EAST HARDWICK

pendent thinking to Montpelier, and he will ensure affordability in his decisions. Tom works effectively with others, has an all-inclusive, thoughtful approach to tackling pressing issues impacting those in our state, and will be a strong voice of reason for our rural communities. A vote for Tom is a vote for integrity, common sense, and fiscal stability. Kitty Toll

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Two November Community

by Karen Mueller-Harder The Cabot Community Contra Dance will host TWO dances during the month of November, both held in the wonderful third floor space in the Willey Building (Cabot Town Hall, 3084 Main Street). Our regular second Friday dance on November 8 will feature the wonderful calling of Luke Donforth, a favorite of this dance community! Live music is provided by a great group of local musicians--you can just come and listen if you like! The dance is 7-9:30 pm; if you’ve never been to a contra, you are encouraged to arrive right at 7:00, as we will start with the simplest dances, and then we’ll build upon what you learn throughout the evening. And we will be holding another afternoon Family Dance on Saturday, Novem-

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Great News for Cabot!

The Town of Cabot has been awarded a $5.1 million dollar grant from USDA Rural Development under Community Facilities Disaster Funding that will be applied towards the building of a new Public Safety Building. As you are aware, the Town had to raze the old Fire Department Building due to the effects of the July 2023 flood. The Cabot Fire Department currently resides in a temporary building on the South Walden Road. Selectboard Chair Michael Hogan and Fire Chief Dean Deasy have been working with the USDA Rural Development the past few months to submit information required by the program.

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Dances!

ber 2, from 3-5 pm! This is for families who find evening dances too late for them, and anyone else who would enjoy some daytime frolicking with people of all ages! While all our events are familyfriendly, this one will feature active dances especially well-suited to the youngest members of the community. Our teacher will be Erin Smith, who loves leading family dances, and we’ll have the same great live music we enjoy for the second Friday dances! Everyone is welcome, and all dances are taught, and easily learned, even if you’ve never danced before! Admission is on a sliding scale, $5-10, or you can bring some finger-food refreshments to share at the break! Masks are welcomed but not required, and we’ll have the windows open for ventilation. Hope to see you at a dance!

These monies will cover a large portion of the required building costs with the remainder being raised through other federal programs. This is a great gift to the Town of Cabot and its residents and will give us a facility that will be a multi-purpose Public Safety Building that will house all Cabot’s’ municipal emergency agencies. It will benefit not only Cabot but the surrounding area. The Town appreciates all the help from the USDA, especially Shaun Fielder, who helped us navigate through this process. More details to come later. Mike Hogan- Chair Cabot Selectboard.

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Nancy N. Dix Perry

Nancy N. Dix Perry, 86, of Marshfield, passed away at her home on September 4, 2024. Born on July 27, 1938, she was the daughter of Leon and Madeline (Cassavoy) Dix. Nancy has three siblings, Norman (predeceased), Myrick. Dennis and Diane

She was married to Vancil “Bunky” Perry (predeceased) and later divorced. She had two children, Shawn Perry (Debi) of Marshfield and Valarie Roberts (Tim) of Marshfield; five grandchildren, Evan, Kelsey, Tyler, Ciara and Kyle (predeceased); five great-grandchildren, Leighton, Jayden, Rosemary, Brody and Kainen. Nancy had a great love for horses and rode in the Plainfield parade for many years. She enjoyed sharing her flowers from her large flower garden. She en-

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Cabot Tree Warden

In my last article in August, I wrote about the upcoming Municipal Tree Inventory scheduled for September.. On September 4 and October 2, 2024, a new Municipal Tree Inventory was created by Joanne Garton and myself. The inventory was created using the apps ArcGIS Field Maps and Survey123. These two apps are needed to input data on tree location, tree species, tree health, and planting date. It took two days of survey work and the inventory is now complete. The inventory is now uploaded and published to the Urban and Community Forestry Municipal Tree Inventory web page. The inventory includes the trees in the town green spaces as well as trees in the public rights of way in the Cabot village. The trees along Elm street and Main street, the recreation field, the temporary Fire Department building, the town green, and the Willey building were included in the inventory. To view the Cabot Municipal Tree Inventory go to the URL below. A map will come up and you then need to zoom until Main street in Cabot is shown on your phone, tablet, or computer screen. Little green tree images should load onto the page with numbers on the images. These represent the trees in Cabot’s public spaces which are counted in the inventory. https://anrmaps.vermont.gov/websites/ MuniTrees/

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SILENT AUCTION

joyed volunteering at the Jaquith library and helping with the yearly plant sale. Later in life she learned how to play the fiddle and loved to share a song with anyone who would listen. She loved having tea parties with friends, being called “Fancy Nancy” and making homemade donuts to sell like her mother Madeline did. Nancy loved cats and had just lost her favorite Mr. Gibbs. Special thanks to Judy Dix, her good friend and sister-in-law, for all she did to help Nancy. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Twin Valley Senior Center Meals on Wheels or Central Vermont Humane Society. A graveside service was held Friday September 20, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Eaton Cemetery in Marshfield. Arrangements are in the care of Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home in Barre. Those wishing to express online condolences may do so at www.pruneaupolli funeralhome.com.

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T REE W ARDEN

There are many other web pages available on the Urban and Community Forestry website regarding Municipal Tree Inventories. The URL below will load their webpage on the many uses of a Municipal Tree Inventory if you are interested in learning more. There are numerous uses of a tree inventory, including tree maintenance history and a data record of the trees planted. Both common uses of a Municipal Tree Inventory. Other useful data includes photos of trees, which will show growth over the life of the tree as photos are periodically uploaded. Also, the removal of badly damaged or dead trees is shown for two of our trees with a blue circle indicating a planting site.The inventory is also a good way to document any maintenance required on the trees such as pruning or removal of dead branches. https://vtcommunityforestry.org/ municipal-assistance/inventories-andmanagement-plans/municipal-treeinventories/using-your The two trees needing replacement show as planting sites include, one of the four cherry trees on the town green died around the fourth of July, and one of the four northern pin oaks at the Willey building which was hit last winter by a car that slid off the Whittier hill road. Both trees have been removed. Replanting of the northern pin oak at the Willey building will take place in May of 2025.

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Town Budget Preview

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer Before the regular Selectboard meeting on October 8, the board held a special budget meeting at 5 pm. Mike Hogan presented the board with a printout of the current fiscal year budget, and explained that it showed what the town had spent to date. He also explained that there was no co-mingling of monies, and the money for the 2023 and 2024 floods were being kept separate. He stated that there will be a separate accounting of the money for the floods in the town report next year. He concluded with “It takes a lot of money to run a town.” The board was silent for a few minutes as they reviewed the budget papers. As they read, Mike said he wanted to pivot to something else and said they got the surplus numbers for FY23. He said it was $225,465, and for the previous year it was $72,306. R.D. Eno asked if that included the sale of the Masonic Hall, and Mike confirmed it did. R.D. sought clarification on what other accounts there were aside from the flood accounts, water and sewer. Mike responded that the cemetery and CCIF accounts were separate too. Mike then asked Amy Monahan, Town Treasurer, how much the town had borrowed for the flood. Amy listed four loans consisting of $1,000,000, $500,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000 respectively. She added that the first million dollars had been paid off because the town received a $9,0 insurance check. She also noted that each loan was a 12-month loan, and the next one is due for payment on November 20, $500,000 plus interest. Mike said that realistically the town would not be able to pay off that loan, and noted that FEMA is paying the cumulative interest. Amy then said the other two loans come due in February of 2025. Mike also said that they are starting to get reimbursements. Amy added that to date they have received just under $52,000. She said that aside from the Menard Road project, which is being reimbursed at 100%, the Blodgett and McQueeny roads are only being reimbursed at 75%. Mike noted that the town will get 90%, and will only be dealing with 10%, and that most likely will be 5%. Amy then said there were three projects that have reached the obligated state, and those will be reimbursed at 75%. She said that totals a little over $85,000 due to the town. She said the other 12 projects are in various stages. Mike then talked about some things he wanted the board to think about. He said that one of the Fire Department vehicles, the rescue, has had some issues. He also said they have to do something about the tanker and noted that

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UPDATES

should be another thing that is warned for a town vote. Dean Deasy presented the board with a couple of rough estimates. He said to replace the rescue with a rarely new, but used, vehicle was about $300,000. Dean added that they hoped they could get around $100,000 for the existing rescue. He then told the board that the tanker needs to be replaced, and that it is beyond its service life and doesn’t carry much water. Dean said that they are starting to put money into it, and the Fire Department's budget is through the roof for truck repairs. Mike stated that grants are going to be the thing that helps offset the cost of new vehicles. Dean said they had applied for a grant, but haven’t heard back yet. He said the grant application was for $225,000 to replace the tanker. Dean noted that the chances are slim. A $500,000 grant to replace the tanker had been applied for back in 2022, and the status of the tanker was communicated to the Selectboard then. The Chronicle reported upon the discussion in the June edition of 2022. The discussion eventually moved onto the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget. Mike said that wastewater was going to be a whole different thing, and that the town had received the 100% engineering report for the wastewater plant. Fred and Karen talked about the problem with speeding, and other illegal activities happening on, and to, the back roads. Karen wanted to know if they should talk about a policing contract and Fred said they needed to spend more money. Mike pointed out that the problem was the amount of available resources. Karen expressed concern that someone was eventually going to get killed. She said it wasn’t the risk to the drivers, but more-so the neighbors and pets. Mike also noted that they expect at least two articles for Town Meeting. One for the tax exemption for the Neighbor’s in Action building, and another one from a petition that is currently up in the library. The board had to end the meeting due to the time, because the scheduled regular meeting started at 6 pm.

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Cabot Ambulance

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer

The topic of “Ambulance Quarterly Report” was on the agenda for the October 8 Selectboard meeting. The status of Cabot Ambulance had not been discussed openly at Selectboard meetings since August, when the board approved signing the contract with them after Karen Larsen made the agreed upon updates. At the October 8 meeting, Mike Hogan stated that Cabot Ambulance had sent a copy of the report based upon the contract they had recently signed. He proceeded to read from the reports: “July, August, and September; number of runs 36, number of transports needed: 14 patient refusals, … 19 to CVMC, Copley and NVRH. Number of mutual aid transports, 2 unique emergencies transported for us. Number of mutual aid assists, 2, we assisted EM (East Montpelier) on scene.” Mike said that Ruth Goodrich had sent a copy to him and to Betty Ritter, Town Clerk. He added that “for the record” Jenn Miner had resigned from the ambulance service. Karen Larsen then spoke about it being challenging, and is a work in progress, to meet the reporting requirements of a new contract. She went on to say that the reporting requirements are detailed in section 14, and proceeded to read from the contract. She then said that what is missing is the year to date data, the total number of EMS incidents, and some clarification language. She then expressed that the Selectboard can

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CCIF Change Proposed

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the previous Selectboard meeting on October 8, R.D. Eno stated he had written a new version of the CCIF plan that he didn’t want to make public until after he presented it to the CCIF Committee later that week. At the October 15 meeting, Mike Hogan began the discussion by noting that everyone should be aware that the UDAG fund had been renamed to the CCIF fund several years ago. Mike went on to say that he believed the money had always been meant for economic development, and noted that he and R.D. had talked over the summer about making changes to it. R.D. said he had sent copies to everyone on the Selectboard, and then proceeded to review the contents of his draft CCIF plan. He stated that the plan is more compact than previous plans, and then said that the plan combines the two funds, the general fund and the education fund, into one fund that is to be used exclusively for economic development, in particular for capital investments. He went on to say that the plan defines capital investments and the role residing, doing business, and visiting of our town. members informed about issues to listen in person. Instructions for

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Report

look forward to an update, adding that the report was a great start, but it was incomplete. R.D. noted that he thought they hadn’t stipulated a calendar year or fiscal year for the reporting. Mike said he thought they were submitting the report based upon the fiscal year since that is when the contract started. Karen responded that there are just a couple of missing pieces and that the data is publicly available. The board then turned to Fire Chief Dean Deasy and asked how the FAST squad was proceeding. Kris Schmitt responded for the Fire Department and said that they have an agreement in place, and just need one more agreement signed. She added that they started ordering gear and doing background checks. She estimated that if everything goes smoothly they will be operational by mid to late November. Dean said there were 12 people interested in the FAST squad that are currently members of the fire department. Mike then noted that he and Dean had been working on a USDA grant for funding 75% of the building costs for the permanent fire station. The Selectboard had held a USDA required informational meeting on September 23 regarding the USDA grant. In attendance were three selectboard members, the fire chief, and the town clerk. There were no members of the public, aside from the Chronicle staff writer, at the meeting. The total cost of the project, and what 75% amounts to, was not presented at the meeting.

the Selectboard will play. R.D. stated that it will be up to the Selectboard to find and consider projects for capital investments and present them to the community. He added that there is a checklist of information that the Selectboard needs to present to the voters, and the voters will approve any expenditures at Town Meeting. R.D. also said that capital investments can be in the form of loans or grants. He also said that the rules and procedures will be defined by the Selectboard in consultation with a number of representatives from other groups and committees. Mike wanted to review the objectives and read from the draft, “the creation of new commercial enterprises, expansion of existing enterprises, job creation, development of property for commercial use, development of multi-family housing, and the enhancement of municipal infrastructure.” He then said that this has been “magnified since the floods.” He said it was an important movement forward, and the town was fortunate to have the funds.

(see ‘CCIF Change’, page 6)

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CCIF Change

(continued from page 5) R.D. then noted the most striking difference in the plan was that the CCIF committee would no longer be elected, but rather appointed by the Selectboard. He added that the treasurer would be a member ex officio (Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “ex officio” to mean "as a result of one's status or position"). R.D. also said the members of the CCIF committee need not be residents of Cabot, and the committee would be responsible for investing and managing the fund. He then talked about a discussion he had with the CCIF committee regarding the wastewater account, which was supposed to be a liability to the wastewater fund of $475,000. He said the amount was to be repaid to the UDAG fund, and he thought it was supposed to happen in 2029. The Chronicle verified in town records that $405,500 is due to be returned from the wastewater fund to the CCIF fund in 2027, and another $75,000 is due to be returned in 2031, for a total of $480,500. Then R.D. explained how the wastewater fund money was invested. He said the original investment was in Treasury Bills known as zero coupon bonds, which are bonds that pay out interest, but the

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Speeding to Dams, and

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer In the recent meetings of October 8 and 15, the Selectboard covered a multitude of topics, of which a few are captured in this article. Prior to the October 8 meeting, the room was full with members of the public, with the board members sitting around their table. There were many discussions among community members going on at the same time, while the board discussed the ownership of the West Hill Pond Dam. Since the meeting hadn’t started, and the room was loud with other discussion, the Chronicle can’t fully report upon the board's discussion. Part of the discussion focused on how the town could take ownership, and R.D. Eno proposed sending a tax bill, and when it isn’t paid, the town could take ownership. Mike Hogan proposed using eminent domain. Karen Larsen spoke a little about inspections, but the rest of the conversation was drowned out by the noise in the room. After the meeting started, Cheryl McQueeny spoke during public comment about the teenagers spinning donuts up by the cemetery on Cabot Plains Road. She said that a lot of damage was done after Sid did all the work putting in a new culvert. She noted that many know who the responsible parties are, and that it is a group of teenagers. She proposed the town could send them a letter stating they will be responsible for damages. The board discussed the matter with Cheryl, pointing out that this is a problem on many of the roads in Cabot. The board said the Sheriff is aware of the situation, and Betty said that they are starting to patrol on back roads.

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UPDATE UPDATES UPDATE SS S

principal is preserved. He added that when the bonds mature, the principal comes back at the end of 30 years. R.D. said that at some point, and we have no records, those Treasury Bills were liquidated. He speculated that somebody thought the town could make more money with a different investment. He reiterated that there is no record, and they only know that the funds were moved around and today reside in an investment account at Union Bank. He stated that the account is called the Town of Cabot Wastewater Fund and roughly has a value of $413,000. R.D. said the CCIF committee was upset to learn that the full amount due back to the CCIF fund was not there in total. He added that he is not sure how it would affect the wastewater budget should the funds be withdrawn and returned to the CCIF fund. Mike noted that there could be some pushback regarding CCIF committee members not needing to be town residents. He also said he didn’t see why there needed to be so many people involved in the creation of the rules and procedures. Mike added that when they talk about the budget, it might be good to also talk about an article for Town Meeting. He felt that one million dollars could open up some doors.

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Discussion Between

The board also discussed flood hazard mitigation and the recommendation from SLR Engineering to remove the debris from the Main Street tributary, and to widen the VAST trail bridge. The board agreed to spend the $10,000 they had set aside to hire Steve Hogan to remove the debris. Mike abstained from the vote. Betty Ritter opened the bids for the town lawn mowing, stating there were three bids. After opening the bids, she realized that two of them were for the cemetery, and only one bid had been received for the town mowing contract. The bid came from DR Property Maintenance, which is the current contractor, and the board approved it. The Board also discussed having the contractor mow the recreation field once before winter. They decided to defer the decision to Chris Tormey, who had been coordinating recreation field recovery. During “Other Business”, R.D. notified the board that the grant application to buy out Cabot Garage had been approved. He noted that they now had to figure out where to relocate the business, and that should probably be discussed at some point. R.D. also said the grant to buy the Winston property had been received, but the granting agency is out of money, and won’t have more money until December. Also during “Other Business”, Karen asked about the trees the board had discussed being planted to mitigate sound and light for the residents of Elm Street. Dean said the tree warden had ordered 50 trees and will determine where to plant them to create a solid screen. Dean was not sure what type of tree had been ordered. Karen also spoke about the drafting of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the West Hill Pond Dam, pointing out that it is a requirement of the state. (A quick search on the internet indicated in Vermont, dam owners are responsible for developing, maintaining, and exercising their EAPs. They work with local and state officials to create the plan). She said the West Hill Pond association is

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School Budget Outlook

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The School Board received a brief update regarding the budget from Micheal Concessi, the CCSU finance director, at the September 23 regular meeting. Micheal started by reviewing the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) status. He said that revenues finished ahead of plan, mostly due to the investment income and interest income. Then he talked about what drove expenses over budget. Micheal said that repairs to the oil burners, and the need to burn fuel oil because the biomass furnace was offline, cost around $77,000. He noted that when they created the budget the prior year, there was an expectation the biomass furnace would be running. Micheal summarized the deficit as a combination of the deficit from the prior year, plus FY24 deficit, the total was around $122,000. He explained to the board that when he drew up the budget for the current fiscal year (FY25), he estimated $100,000 for the total deficit from prior years. He said the good news was that most of the deficit has been budgeted for, but pointed out that they will have to figure out how to cover the extra $22,000. The board then reviewed the document that Michael had sent them, and they discussed the special education costs. Ellen noted that the budget missed it by over $100,000, though that is less than 5%. She speculated that it was probably due to third party services. Ellen recalled they couldn't hire a speech language therapist and the school had to contract one. Matt Foster added that the supervisory union also had to contract a psychologist for the entire year, too. Ellen then asked about Medicaid reimbursement for special education services. She said she had heard that many schools often have coding issues that cause problems getting the correct reim-

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Merger Study Committee

by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer At the September 23 meeting, Ellen Cairns asked the board for a motion to form a 706b study committee. She expressed that she wanted the motion on the floor so they could start a discussion. Ellen relayed that she heard from two people, and relayed what Chris Tormey told her. Chris was not in attendance at this meeting. Ellen stated that Chris was not necessarily opposed to a merger, but is concerned if Cabot School merges with Twinfield School, and the merger does also having separate concurrent conversations on how to proceed because the dam safety program only deals with the dam owners. She added that the dam is currently privately owned, and the town did reserve $20,000 to help pay for dam repairs. Karen also said she discovered how the sluice gate was repaired, and stated that there was a piece of rolled steel put in place over the hole.

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UPDATES

bursement. Matt responded that they tightly monitor all reimbursable expenditures, and noted that the supervisory union has a full time position, funded by Medicaid, to handle Medicaid reimbursements. He said that the total Medicaid revenue is close to $400,000. Micheal then briefly spoke about the FY25 budget and said it was too early to make any predictions. He said that as long as the biomass furnace is running, they shouldn’t run a deficit in that area. Michael then turned to the FY26 budget. He explained, for the new board members, that the process starts at the supervisory union level. He said that they first need to understand what expenses are unreimbursed so they can figure out how much to charge back the individual school districts. Micheal said that process is currently underway. He continued to say that the process should be complete later in October and he will be able to present a Cabot School budget at the November meeting. He noted the October meeting would be too early. Ellen wondered if it was worth scheduling a special meeting earlier in November, and asked Matt to let her know if they have a budget earlier so they can schedule a meeting. The conversation then turned to the governor’s letter, where Governor Scott explained how the state borrowed 69 million dollars last year to keep the school budget increases down across the state. The letter warned School Boards that even with no budget increases, the state could drive a 7% tax increase for all town school taxes. Matt added that health insurance rates are expected to increase again, and noted that the bulk of the budget is tied to salaries and benefits, and the school district does not control benefits. Ellen concluded the conversation by saying that Cabot School district runs a pretty lean budget.

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Postponed

not include Danville School, then the Town of Cabot would not have enough seats on the merged board to counter moving middle school to the union school. She also expressed that many community members have also voiced the same concern, and their desire to keep middle school in Cabot. Ellen said the merger committee can look at many options, as well as consider concerns, to develop their merger recommendation. Ellen postulated that the recommendation could include middle school (see ‘Merger Study’, page 7)

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Merger Study

(continued from page 6) students at Twinfield coming to Cabot. She emphasized the study committee was just responsible for studying the options, and if the committee does create a recommendation, it could include what a merger would look like. She also relayed an opinion she received from Rory Thibault, a former school board member, that starting the discussion of a merger now would be more destabilizing for the school and voiced support for a board retreat including the Twinfield School Board. Ellen noted that her response to Rory acknowledged the board is getting a late response on the subject. She added that the sustainability committee has been looking at how to bring more kids into the school from other school choice towns, or from home school families “But, last year when we were looking at a big budget increase,” Ellen countered, “what we said to the town was, if you pass our budget this year, we promise we won’t rest on our laurels and just keep coming back to look for more. We will do the hard work looking at what the options are.” Ellen stated that she didn’t want to start reducing the quality of education because the board needs to cut positions. She expressed that it doesn't mean they have to do a merger, but felt they should start the discussion. Erica Fucello said that if the study committee comes back with a recommendation, it doesn’t mean it will happen. She noted that anything has to be voted upon by the town. Ellen agreed that the committee just has an advisory role. Ellen also said that Danville for the first time ever expressed the possibility of participating on the study committee. Alicia Heber said it might be worth waiting for the November community sustainability forum if the public ultimately decides. She felt that they should get a better gauge from the community before going forward with a study committee. She also said the school choice vote last March got 40% of the votes out of the 600 votes. Alicia expressed that since the board said it would look at all options, that choice can’t be excluded from the conversation. Erica related to the promises she personally made that the board was going to look at all options. She added that she doesn’t want to delay, and questioned how fast it could be formed after the sustainability forum. Ellen brought up the letter they received from Governor Scott reminding school boards that there was at least a 7% school tax increase from the state. Ellen said there are only about seven preK-12 schools left in Vermont. She also pointed out that most high schools in Vermont are union high schools, and 495 towns in Vermont have decided they can’t run a high school on their own. She emphasized she isn’t pushing for a merger, and that the board can reject any recommendation the study committee presents. Erica asked if a board retreat with the Twinfield school board could be sched-

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UPDATES

uled in October to see how they feel about a merger. Ellen said she had a conversation with them and relayed that if Cabot doesn’t form a 706b committee, then Twinfield might merge with someone else. Alicia reiterated that the board should wait for the sustainability forum in early November. Jason Monico asked how much the committee would cost. Matt Foster anJason said that it seems like there are a lot of things about a merger that haven’t been talked about before, and that they need to hear from the town. He stated that he thought the town said they wanted to keep Cabot the way it is when they passed the budget. Ellen responded that she felt a lot of people voted for the budget because they asked them to give the board time to study all the options. She reiterated that the study committee would not be ap-

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School Playground

swered that he didn’t think it would cost much and identified possible expenses such as surveys. He added that legal expenses would be reimbursed. Ellen said surveys could be done online. Alica expressed that she didn’t want the board to spend a lot of time on a merger and then have it shot down by the voters. Ellen acknowledged that a previous merger vote was approved by voters in Twinfield and rejected by voters in Cabot. Erica asked if it was a rush? Jason stated that maybe the committee could perform the study next school year. Ellen said she didn’t feel comfortable talking to people without having any real data. Alicia returned to the subject of school choice, and stated that many people didn’t vote for choice because they didn’t want to take choice away from students that want to stay in Cabot. She expressed that school choice may get more support to prevent a merger. She said that if we can’t keep Cabot School in its current configuration, I think school choice needs to be discussed. She said the data wasn’t clear as to why it was more expensive, and said the community should see the numbers to make the decision. Erica responded, saying that they did have the numbers, and it was very substantial. She added, if sustainability is the issue, then school choice is the opposite. Matt said that he lives in a school choice town, and noted that school choice impacts the elementary school. He said that high school costs can not be controlled and all cuts happen to the elementary school. Ellen stated that many school choice towns have trouble passing school budgets. She mentioned that three superintendents wrote a letter to St. Johnsbury Academy asking them for a $500 tuition decrease so their budgets could be passed without further cuts to the elementary budget, and St Johnsbury Academy refused. Alicia said that a merger with Twinfield would make Cabot a less desirable town. She added that there was some really awful stuff going on there, without presenting any details. Jason moved to table the motion, stating he wanted to get some cost estimates for the study, the tuition rates, and if there would be any cost savings with a merger. Ellen explained that a merger is different, and Matt said there wouldn’t be a tuition rate. Ellen explained that a merger would create a new high school, independent of Twinfield and Cabot schools. Matt also explained that estimating cost savings of a merger is the task of the study committee. He noted that the combined high school wouldn’t need two teachers for every subject. by Frank Kampf, Staff Writer The interim principal, Jennifer Blake, updated the School Board on the status of the new playground at the September 23 meeting. Jennifer told the board that phase one had been completed. She then explained that after digging through emails, she realized that phase one looked more complete in the plans than the playground currently looks. She stated that phase one is what is in the ground. She also acknowledged that there are plans for phase two and phase three, but that will take time. Jennifer talked about the amount raised through fundraising and donations being a little over $70,000. She went into detail that around $25,000 of material was purchased, but the bulk of the expenditures went to removal of the old playground and installation of drainage for the new playground, which was

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Thursday, November

proving anything, it would just be studying the idea of a merger. Alicia then seconded the motion to table the motion, and added that she thought there would be a lot of resistance from the families because of what is going on at Twinfield. The board voted to table the motion: Alica and Jason voted yes, Ellen voted no, and Erica abstained. Chris was not present at the meeting.

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Update

around $59,000. She summarized that the total project cost was $84,437.19 and only $70,458.17 was raised. She wasn’t sure about how the difference will be handled and noted that they had not finished paying the contractor yet. Ellen Cairns responded, “So we need more money?” Jennifer responded that they will need a budget. Ellen then asked Jennifer if the kids were enjoying it. Jennifer said they are, and explained that parts of the woods are being kept open as part of the playground. There was then a discussion about the red line on the climbing wall, and that the kids seem to be paying attention to it. Matt Foster, superintendent, asked where the height of the red line came from. Jennifer wasn’t sure, but speculated it came from Physical Education. Matt speculated it might be from insurance requirements.

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FREE VETERANS LUNCH

The Cabot Chronicle and Cabot Historical Society are collaborating to thank veterans for their service and collect veterans’ stories, an important component of the fabric of our community. If you are a veteran or have a loved one who has told you about their experience, we’d like to hear from you. Wives, siblings, children – we’d like your tales. Memories about wartime activities at home in support of our service members are welcome, as well. But don’t feel you have to tell a story to attend.

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You can just eat and listen.

We’re planning a casual free lunch on Monday, November 11, noon to 1:30 p.m. It’ll be an opportunity to talk with other veterans, listen to a few stories and receive our thanks for your service. You are cordially invited, and we hope to see you there. Join us for lunch, an expression of our appreciation & shared stories.

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Follow the Pack: Huskies to Coyotes

The American Basketball Association (ABA) announced October 15 that the Vermont Coyotes will begin play in 2025 as they bring ABA basketball back to the Barre Auditorium, the former home of the Vermont Frost Heaves, where team owner Anthony Marques was a staff member under head coach Jeff Strohm. “We are very excited to be back in Barre,” stated ABA CEO Joe Newman. “The community really supported the ABA well before and I know that under the leadership of Anthony it will again. This team should be a great success on and off the court.” Vermont native and former pro basketball player and trainer Anthony Marques owns the new club. He officially announced the team's hires at GM and head coach. U-32 grad and Twinfield-Cabot coach Kris Bador will take the reins as general manager and longtime youth and AAU coach in the Northeast Kingdom, Jesse Palmer, will serve as the bench boss for the Coyotes. They say they're looking forward to the opportunity to bring high level hoops back to the Aud. For more information, go to the ABA announcement at https:// realabaleague.com/vermont-coyotes-tobegin-aba-play-in-2025/.

Its a great way to reach up to 1900 households in Cabot, Advertising in Marshfield, Plainfield, Hardwick, & Danville! Spread the word about your product or service while helping to support a great community resource.

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Niels Larson

I served in the Royal Danish Guard Horse Regiment from September 1958 to September 1960. By then the horses had been replaced by tanks and Denmark had become a member of NATO, so we were part of an alliance that had first-hand experience with the devastation caused by Nazi Germany, and lived with the Soviet army close to our borders. I am old enough to have vivid memories of the Nazi occupation. When I was 5, I witnessed a company of goosestepping Germans parading in front of my father’s farm-equipment business. I had been frightened when German bombers flew low over our home. Later when my father bought a farm in 1943, an RAF plane was shot down in the forest bordering our farm. So, when I, after finishing a threeyear apprenticeship program, was called up to join the Royal Danish Guard Horse Regiment, I knew I needed to serve, and not just from having so recently experienced the German occupation. The Hungarian uprising in 1956 when Soviet tanks crushed the Hungarians made it clear that Western Europe was threatened. At the time, there were calls for President Eisenhauer to intervene. He refused, not wanting to start a war with the Soviet Union at a time when Western Europe were still recovering. That recovery was greatly helped by President Truman’s and Secretary of State George Marshall’s generous assistance to Europe’s recovery with the introduction of the Marshall Plan. The integration of Europe that for so many years has made the European Union safe for democracy owes a lot to the Marshall Plan. My father had first-hand experience with Marshall aid, having been a member of a group of farmers that received funding to build an Alfalfa Dehydrary to make Denmark more selfsufficient in protein supplement for animal feed. The project had the additional benefit that it provided dairy farmers with a much less labor-intensive cash crop than sugar beets at the time when farm hands were increasingly migrating to factory jobs with better pay and working conditions. From Europe we looked with admiration at the economic boom begun by the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, among other things, through the GI Bill and the Interstate Highway System. During my service there were reminders of the occupation all around us. The Captain in charge of our Boot Camp had served with Field Marshall Montgomery in North Africa and my first captain after completion of Sergeant School had been interned at the German concentration camp in Neuengamme. When he died in a riding accident, his replacement had earned his commission by his participation in one of the most effective sabotage cells of the Danish underground, composed mostly of young communists. I spent a year in Canada after completing military service, returned to Denmark to get an undergraduate degree in Economics and Business Administration, and returned to Canada as a newly-wed. I was accepted for graduate study at MIT in 1967. My wife Doris needed to work to support us during the first year at MIT so the US Consul in Toronto gave her a green card and decided that it would be just as easy to give me a green card, too, rather than the normal student visa. It made good sense to us. However, the consul neglected to tell me that I would be subject to the draft in the USA at the height of the Vietnam war. Fortunately for me, when I appeared before the Selective Service Board and presented them with my 24-month Danish and therefore NATO service I was classified a veteran. I have always wondered whether US veterans would consider me one, too, so I asked Jeannie Johnson who responded with “why not, it is a big world out there” or something very similar. Military service is an important part of my life. Rubbing shoulders with youngsters from all walks of life and family backgrounds is eye opening and enriching. I am still in contact with friends from the service. I believe it was a grave mistake to abolish the draft.

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Richard Ducharme

Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army August 1967. He went to Basic Training at Fort Gordon, GA. He received advanced individual training as an aircraft mechanic for thirteen and a half weeks on Huey helicopters, then volunteered for additional schooling for Hughes OH6A “LOACH” (LOH-Light Observation) helicopters. In May 1968 he was sent to Vietnam, where he worked on “choppers” used as gunships or transport, and would often go up with the test pilots to make sure everything worked properly. He enlisted before he could be drafted to exercise some control over what kind of work he would be assigned. Overall, it was a positive experience, and he is very proud to say he never hurt anybody or fired a rifle in combat. He earned the rank of Specialist 5 (SP5) before returning to civilian life. He was called home on a hardship discharge in 1968 because his Dad needed him on the farm. He’d done his duty, and it was time to get on with farming. Nallys At Your Service Matthew J. Nally, Junior  Enlisted in Navy February 2013 after by Matt Nally

Matt Nally Jr. (left) and Robert Nally (right)

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Robert Henry Nally

 Enlisted July 2019 in Air Force after graduating Cabot HS  Current rank SrA/E4  Security forces  Current command Moody AFB  Several deployments in the Middle East,  Working towards office of special investigations graduating Cabot HS  Current rank Petty officer first class/ E6  Current position SeaBee/Equipment operator  Current command Little Creek amphibious base, VA  Several deployments, including Antarctica, South America, South Korea, Puerto Rico and the Middle East

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Kris (Karlyn) Schmitt

 U.S. Army 1983-1997, Achieved Rank of Sergeant First Class (E-7)  Basic Training and AIT at Fort Jackson, SC  Served at Fort Hood, TX, Butzbach and Frankfurt, Germany, Desert Storm (5 months), Instructor, Fort Jackson, SC, Drill Sergeant School, Fort Jackson  Drill Sergeant, Fort Leonardwood, MO  Drill Sergeant Instructor at Fort Jackson, SC  Served in Germany at the time of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

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Jacqueline Lumbra

Jacqueline enlisted in the Air Force August 1982 because she felt she needed a change, and a cousin suggested service as an option. She attended Basic Training in January 1983 at Lackland Air Force Base, then Technical School at Shepphard Air Force Base in Texas for carpentry/ structures. During the first four months of training she wanted to shoot said cousin! But the service gave her structure, and she was quickly given responsibility because she’d already developed construction skills working for her father. Her service took her to many locations around the world:  Near Biloxi, Mississippi, for Rapid Runway Repair Training  Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida  Panama twice - built a school for locals, rebuilt structures for hospice located on old leper colony. tered quite a few original Encounlepers (one 103 years old), first coral snake (“3- or 5-stepper”), tarantulas and scorpions. A fellow airman accidentally brought a scorpion home in a duffle bag and was bitten when he got home.  Israel - worked on a military base but got to travel on weekends - watched the sun rise over the Dead Sea. Also got to float in the Dead Sea – and what they say about healing properties was proven – a long-standing skin rash disappeared within two days. Visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem (old and new), Jordon River (still has holy water).  Near Bamako, capital and largest city in Mali, located on the Niger River in Africa. One day layover on the way allowed a visit to Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. Worked with local Malians on a former Russian compound with no potable water and 135 degree heat, building a health clinic – locals put on a show with dancing and music and food for airmen at the end.  Macedonia in 20 as part of a huge four-rotation project called “Cornerstone” Kameh Temetihnk, renovating a health care clinic, rebuilding sewer lines, electrical system, hvac, etc. - eight or nine projects during those four rotations of different groups. In charge of putting in an underground oil tank mis-ordered (supposed to be 1,000 gallons, received 10,000 gallon tank!). Jacqueline on her $79.99 bike in Cuba.

 Joint Base Anchorage, Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska - stayed on Army base, worked at Air Force base, traveled around Alaska on weekends.  Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, working on base – found that Devils Lake really WAS a devil: we experienced lost wedding ring, lost camera, lost wallet!  Minneapolis-St. Paul Joint Air Reserve Station in Minnesota – worked on base, got to go tubing during free time during one of the driest summers in history and one-hour tubing outing took three hours.  Spent four years stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base on the Cape as only female among 160 males.  Served at the former Pease Air Force Base, now Pease Air National Guard Base, on a big project to upgrade heating system, fabricating, soldering piping.  Wake Island Air Base in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Guam – worked on base, had a brief period in Hawaii. Enjoyed grilled fish, Thai food and first experience with sushi. A hurricane hit shortly after we left and destroyed most of the base.  Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) 2006-2007 building expeditionary legal complex on an old runway – separate from rest of base with independent power supply, bathrooms, tents, water. 105 degrees when we arrived. Worked in workforce management. Three original Cuban workers from before our arrival still remained on base. Got to ride all over our side of the island on $79.99 bike purchased at Navy Exchange store. Retired in 2012 as Master Sergeant E-7.

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Amy Monahan, Cabot

by Jeanne Johnson

At 2024 Town Meeting, Cabot voters passed Article 10, “Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot allow the Selectboard to appoint the Town Treasurer as permitted by the Vermont Legislature pursuant to 17 V.S.A. §2651 €(d) and (f) for a term of one or three years? (Australian Ballot) Starting July 1, 2024, Amy Monahan has assumed the responsibilities of Treasurer. We thought you might like to know a little about her. Amy and her family had a strong desire to relocate to Vermont from Framingham Massachusetts. She has lived in Massachusetts her entire life, and felt “it was time” The family has a camp in Lunenberg and has spent a lot of time in Vermont – she calls it her “happy place.” She finds the lifestyle here much more laid back – and she’s ready for that Two kids and two grandkids are still in Massachusetts, and three grandchildren are in Vermont. Stepdaughter Melissa Pratt moved to Cabot August 2023, and Amy started spending a lot of time here. Jackie Pratt saw the job posting on Cabot Connects – Amy had been looking for a new job anyway—and Amy sent her resume to the selectboard. She was offered an interview, which lead to being hired. She says she loves the town, and wanted to move to Cabot, but it is not so easy to find a house in town. They ended up with a house in Marshfield right outside of Groton State Forest. Her husband, Steve Monahan, had just retired. He enjoys spending time on the tractor, making trails on their almost22 acres. His whole family lives in Vermont. His father comes from Lunenberg and his mother grew up in Lyndonville. The family built a home in Lunenburg in 1988, then another camp owned by Melissa and Jackie was built in the 50s.

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North Carolina Aide

Following the terrible damage created deep to help, in gratitude for North Carolinians help after the flooding that affected our town. A number of community members brought south, but it was already full and departed ered. So John and Sheryl Graber offered October 12 at Neighbors in Action with NIA stock.

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Town Treasurer

Amy has a 22-year old daughter at home finishing school at SNHU online She persevered through COVID19 at Keene State her Freshman year and one semester Sophomore year, but finds she likes the online experience, also working until the move to Vermont 30 hours week along with school. Hopefully, she will be done January, majoring in criminology with a concentration in human rights and advocacy. The family includes dogs Olivia, 11, a rescue terrier mix, and Hippo, age unknown, a Staffordshire pitbull mix that was brought into Caroline’s workplace as a stray and subsequently adopted by her. Both dogs love it here and enjoy running around, exploring the property. Amy’s experience has been in the legal field, with a variety of legal work. She knows about land record searches and research is a strong suit.

while her husband owned his own company and part time for a local nonprofit. Municipal government is definitely a learning curve, but she’s found it very interesting and she’s learning a lot. Amy’s been very busy since arriving in town, with the move, her son’s wedding, and the births of two granddaughters, one in Massachusetts and one in Kyoto, Japan. Brian, the oldest, just got married this month and lives in Worcester, Massachusetts. Bradley was married last August and lives in Auburn, Massachusetts, and he and his wife have two kids. She’d like to get back into golf and hiking, and looks forward to exploring the Cabot trails – she is proud that her granddaughter has a poem on the poetry walk, and she is looking forward to checking out the trail at Burtts’. The family has a pontoon boat in Lunenberg and they may bring it to Mollys Pond for fishing.

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National Push to Vote in

Vet the Vote is partnering with the U.S. Vote Foundation on a new campaign to encourage Americans to participate in Vote in Honor of a Veteran programs this election season. Currently 14 states, along with counties in Florida and South Carolina, run programs where voters can indicate that they are voting for a veteran or service-member. In 2024, two states, New Hampshire and Mississippi, launched new Vote in Honor of a Veteran programs. “Service members, veterans, and military families have defended our freedom to vote for generations. Vet the Vote is excited to help lift up the many states and counties that have launched programs to honor this service and we hope

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Honor of a Veteran

to see Americans across the country participate in a Vote in Honor of a Veteran program this election.” -Ellen Gustafson, Vet the Vote Co-Founder. When voters participate in these programs, they can help honor the memory or current service of those who wear the uniform. Such programs help underscore how voting is a patriotic civic action that service-members and their families have fought to defend throughout history. Make sure to use #voteinhonor and tag us on Instagram and Facebook letting us know who you're voting in honor of this election season! In Service, The Vet the Vote Team

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You Bet They Are!

by Fred Ducharme I’ve worked with Betty, Michelle and Shirley on elections for years, and I’d like to tell you about the safeguards in place. Ballots were mailed by the Secretary of State directly to voters at the most recent address provided by the voter. Ballots with faulty addresses are delivered by U.S.P.S. to the Cabot Town Clerk, where every effort is made to find a correct address. When voter errors are found on earlyvoted ballots, town officers do everything possible to determine whose ballot it is to provide that voter every opportunity for that ballot to be counted. When voting in person on election day, every voter is checked in against the voter checklist in order to receive a ballot. Once the ballot is filled out, every voter is checked out against the checklist before dropping their ballot into the tabulator. At the end of the voting period, the two checklists are compared and must match. The tabulator is plugged into only an electrical outlet – there is no online or internet connection whatsoever. It can-

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Fair and Secure?

not be remotely accessed. At the end of election day, Cabot election officials gather at the Town Clerk’s office to sort all ballots into piles of 25, counted by a team of two, cross checked by another team of two to confirm the numbers. If the numbers are off, they are counted again. And those tallies are checked against the tabulator totals. All ballots with write ins are put into other piles (Daffy Duck or Snoopy written in), each into their own pile, and those are counted by two teams of two. A list is created with every write-in recorded. Over the last 12-13 years, I have observed that votes are double and triple counted, and if the numbers don’t come out right, they are counted yet again. All ballots are retained in the vault as Directed by Vermont Secretary of State. The Cabot Town Clerk enters the confirmed numbers into the Vermont Secretary of State’s highly secure database before closing out the election in the Town of Cabot, having done everything possible to ensure the capture of every registered voter’s ballot.

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Friday, November 8 at 5:30 PM

The Marshfield Historical Society will commemorate Veterans Day with Mo Cerutti recalling World War 1 with firsthand accounts from his family archives. He will display his grandfather's uniform which had seen service in France. He will share photos and read selections of articles describing wartime action and consequent impacts on our region's small towns. Mo will also invite audience members to share their own family stories of WW1. We'll learn together about the toooften neglected world war. Join us for this special program in the Hap Hayward History Center on the second floor of the Jaquith Library. Free and open to the

information.

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Room of the Old Schoolhouse Com-

mon We are looking for clean winter clothing to be dropped off in the upstairs hallway from November 4th through November 9th. Volunteers are needed Friday from 3 to 5 PM to sort and set out the clothes and on Saturday at 1 p.m. to pack up the clothes. We also need two drivers to bring the clothes to

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Friday, November 15 at 7 pm

Ben Koenig, local book expert, will examine the life of Dorothy Canfield Fisher, much esteemed writer and activist, and the controversial 2019 removal of Fisher's name from a children's book award. How do we―in a different time―evaluate positions of well-known people during their lifetimes. Koenig will discuss this difficult and continuing issue of our time.

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Consulting and Gardening

It’s November, and many of us are getting ready to hang bird feeders. There are platforms for jays, cylinders for chickadees, suet cages for woodpeckers. Some are squirrel-proof. None are bearproof (be sure to wait for deep winter before you put feeders out!) But the best feeder isn’t plastic or metal. It’s an oak. At first glance, this may not make much sense. Oaks produce acorns, and while that’s great for squirrels and bears, what’s in it for birds? It’s all about caterpillars. Dozens of species of moths and butterflies eat oak leaves They lay eggs on the oaks, and caterpillars hatch out in huge numbers. Birds eat the caterpillars, which are both highly digestible, and very nutritious. Songbirds with access to

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October 25 through December 25

“I’ve been doing portraits for as long as I can remember. Perhaps the most difficult of subjects, it's the most interesting for me. Nothing more challenging or intriguing than trying to capture a real person’s character on canvas”. Opening on October 25 at 6 pm with a Poetry reading with Bob Messing at 7 pm.

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Tuesdays 4:30 to 6 pm

and the fourth Saturday of every month 11:30 am to 1 pm Bring whatever craft you are working on or start a new project. All ages are welcome if they are old enough to be sitting and working on a craft. Knitting and spinning maven, Donna Hisson from Marshfield, is the host of the group.

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not a Typo!)

lots of caterpillars produce glossy, colorful feathers, which makes them attractive as mates. In turn, they produce babies. And what do these hungry little nestlings need? You guessed it: lots and lots of caterpillars. How many? A pair of chickadee parents need between 60 and 90 caterpillars to raise a nestful of babies, according to research by ecologist Doug Tallamy. Geezum, that is a LOT of caterpillars…. While oaks top the list for hosting the most butterfly and moth species, there are other trees that are nearly as productive. Native willows, cherry, poplar, and dogwood are also great host trees. In fact, if a tree is native to the area where it’s growing, it’s probably a good host for caterpillars. Now you might be thinking, what about seeds and fruit for birds? By all

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Wednesday 2 - 6 pm, Thursday

noon - 6 pm, and Saturday 9 amnoon. Curbside library service is still available during regular library hours. Dungeons and Dragons (ages 9 - 13) Ongoing - Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 pm Join Losada Stoddard as DM for our newest D&D campaign. Learn how to build a Dungeons and Dragons character, and then set out on your Adventures. No experience necessary! Come for the mysteries and magic, tails and talons, puzzles and prophecies! Snacks provided. New members are welcome anytime!

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Snack & Paint with Jen Tidd (ages

5+) – Saturday, November 2 – 12:30 2:30 pm - Cabot Public Library - Join Jen Tidd to create your own harvest themed masterpiece by following step-by -step instructions to paint your own version of the sample art piece. Snacks will be available to help feed your creativity. All materials provided. This program is recommended for children ages 5 & up. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required email amandaotto.cabotlibrary @gmail.com. Many thanks to Cabot Smith Farm for donating pumpkins and Burtt’s Apple Orchard for donating apples for our fall programs. Additional thanks to Losada Stoddard, Stella Heber, Aspen Long and means, plant native shrubs that bear fruit, such as viburnum, and native perennials with tasty seeds, like coneflower and black-eyed susan. These food sources are important for birds as well. But the key food is caterpillars, the protein powerhouses songbirds need to successfully raise babies. If you only have time and energy to plant one thing, make it a native tree. Late fall is a great time to plant trees. The air temperatures are cool, which helps avoid drying and heat stress. The ground is still warm, allowing for some root growth before winter dormancy. Fallplanted trees, especially smaller, younger trees (think of trunks about as thick as your finger) generally don’t need supplemental watering the way spring-planted trees do. In most cases, they don’t even need to be staked; they will put out enough root growth in fall and early spring to withstand most wind. Do remember to protect the tree from rodents, rabbits, and deer, with tubes or screen.

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L IBRARY N EWS

Ella Senkowska for their help with youth programming, and another huge thank you to Thomas Dunbar. Just Getting By , a new Kingdom County Productions documentary film by Bess O’Brien focused on Vermonters struggling with food and housing insecurity – Wednesday, November 20 – 7pm – Q & A after with Director,

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Bess O’Brien.

Vermont has the second highest rate of homeless people in the United States, right after California. One third of Vermonters struggle to put food on the table. The film was shot during 2022-23 by director Bess O’Brien and cinematographer Patrick Kennedy. “We wanted to capture the day to day lives of Vermonters who were living paycheck to paycheck and who were struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their head. We also wanted to show the incredible resiliency and courage of folks who have very little and still manage to get up every day and strive for a better life,” O’Brien says. “We hope by touring the film across the state that we can raise consciousness about these pressing issues of food and housing insecurity with Vermont audiences across the state,” says O’Brien. BIBLIO+ All Cabot Public Library patrons are now able to access a FREE video streaming service called Biblio+ using your library patron number. If you don't know your number or would like a library card, call, stop in or email cabotlibrary@yahoo.com. Biblio+ offers free and unlimited access to films, TV series and documentaries ad-free on any device! And - if you would like to participate in Cabot Public Library's monthly book group for fun, lively discussions, please reach out! cabotlibrary@yahoo.com 802-

Thanks so much to the Library Trustees for their devotion and hard work: Niall McCallum, Angela Ogle, Kurt Steinert, Taeryn Robbins, and Erin Ruddell. See you at the library! Kathleen Hoyne – Library Director Amanda Otto – Youth Librarian

Native trees, shrubs, and perennials won’t cause birds to congregate at unnaturally high density like a typical bird feeder. So you won’t get the “wow” factor of a dozen chickadees or finches all vying for a perch. But they will help birds in a deeper, natural way, supporting them in all four seasons, rather than just a few months mid-winter. When it’s time to buy your next fancy feeder, think about planting one as well. Happy gardening, and happy birding!

This garden article is brought to you by Susan Socks, aka the Garden Goddess. Stay tuned for upcoming cles on artigreen lawn care, pruning, garden tools, edible landscapes, and more. For gardening help, visit

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← From the Cabot Chronicle