Things To Do!

Summer is here - the weather is getting better every day and there are so many things to do in the communities around Joe's Pond - so here are just a few that I've had notice about and will share here.

Today the Cabot Historical Society building will be open for visitors from 1 to 3 o'clock. Our friends and members, David and Cindy Young will be there to welcome visitors - Amanda and I will be there for a bit to work on a few things, and we hope word is getting out that the building will be open every Saturday from one to three o'clock this summer. It will be open all day on July 4th - and there are new exhibits we hope you will stop by to see.

Tomorrow, Sunday, June 28, there is an evening service at the Old North Church in North Danville. Liz Sargent let me know there will be special dulcimer music at the 7 p.m. service.

Then, on July 4th, North Danville Community Club will have a parade and so much more at their annual Fourth of July gathering. This is always a great event - good food, lots of music, fun floats in the parade, vendors, and fun for everyone.
 

This morning I had a note from Marti Talbot who is hoping to revive the custom of having luminaries along the shore of Joe's Pond to help celebrate this special Fourth of July. These were popular a few years ago, but like so many wonderful customs, became a thing of the past. A few of us remember how pleasant and beautiful it was to see a ring of flickering lights all along waterfronts on all three pond. She hope people will set them out on the 3rd when the fireworks will also be going off, weather permitting, and then light them again on the 4th. Marti points out that since we are being asked to restrict boating because of the Eurasian watermilfoil infestation (EWM), setting luminaries along waterfronts will be an added celebratory nod to this special Fourth - the 250th Anniversary of our Nation. Luminaries are available at Hastings Store in West Danville, or get in touch with Marti at  802-563-5022, and her cottage is at 1279 West Shore Road, if you want to pick some up from her. They are $1 each, and proceeds will go towards the expense of fighting EWM. The luminaries are fun and so pretty along the shoreline. They are the original fairy lights - the real deal, a candle in a white paper bag with a little sand to hold them in place! Fun for the family to put together and sent out - space them 3-4 feet apart along your dock and waterfront area. The more home owners who participate, the more beautiful the effect. If you have never experienced seeing our pond dressed up with a "ring of fire" you have a real treat in store. Let's make it happen! Happy 250th Fourth!

Sunfish Results & More

 The first Sunfish race of the 2026 season began at 1 p.m. today. The weather had looked doubtful and at times during the morning there was little or no wind and scattered rain showers. This was Jamie Stewart's first time as Commodore, and not knowing exactly what to expect, he enlisted the aid of Jamie Dimick (former buoy-boy) who was also filling in to place buoys for this race. With a careful ear tuned for thunder, buoys were set and finally, with no sign of worrisome storms, the race began as scheduled at 1 p.m.

Acting Commodore Jamie Stewart sent this report:

 Here are the results of the First Race of the Season.  The weather changed to a partly sunny day by 1:00 pm on Sunday.  The wind was fairly strong and consistent. After the third leg and heading to the finish line it started to rain on the Cabot side of the pond but the Danville side stayed dryer.  The wind was squirrely and the usual Joe's Pond weird. The sailors finished with smiling faces but were drenched.

 

Singles Race:

1st Place - Jules Chatot, Sr.

2nd Place - Jack LaGue

3rd Place - Jules Chatot, Jr.

4th Place - Rob Stewart

5th Place - Phil Crosby

6th Place - Sharon Trull

Doubles Race:

1st Place - Josh Ventrice & Scott Spencer

 And after I finished posting this, I found more emails from Joanne - so here is another photo. Also Joanne said they were particularly pleased to have two sailors from Wolcott, Josh Ventrice and Scott Spencer, and one from Parker Pond, Sharon Trull, join today's race. That is great, I hope they had a good time and will come back! 

Joanne also said that there was a slight mishap when one of the Jamies wind breaker flew overboard as they dashed up the pond. Fortunately, sailor Jack LaGue saw it and retrieved it - I hope it didn't cost him time and that's how he ended up in 2nd place! It's all in fun and Jack is a good sport.

The picture above right is Jules Chatot, Jr. and in the background you can see there seems to be a rain storm descending on the sailors. Also notice the sky in these photos as the weather changed from blue skies to dark, threatening clouds in a matter of minutes. Very normal at Joe's Pond. One last photo  - Jamie Dimick looks like a wet ride by the end!

Thank you for the report, Jamie S. and Joanne - and I'm so glad it was just a jacket that went overboard! And, Joanne - thanks for the photos. 

 

 

Last night we had the first dinner of the 2026 season at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion. The menu was "Treasure Island Chicken," one of the late Virginia Bently's recipes. It was delicious, served with perfectly-cooked rice, carrots, and a delicious salad. There was a good crowd of happy people and I was able to chat with a number of long-time friends and met some new ones. These are always very nice events. We were a bit worried about the weather and many of us layered up thinking it would be very cool and drafty - but it wasn't uncomfortable at all, and we were maybe even a little too warm as the crowd grew larger. I'm sure the folks in the kitchen were grateful for the cooler temperature. 

I spent a couple of hours at the Cabot Historical Society yesterday afternoon. The building will be open from one to three every Saturday this summer, plus on the Fourth and for Fall Foliage Day. Other times by appointment. It was cool and damp at the building as rain showers passed through, but we had a couple stop by who were driving through Cabot on their way to their new home in Stannard. They have only recently moved to Vermont and were exploring their surroundings. They said they wanted to see where Cabot cheese is made - and just happened to notice the historical building was open. Amanda (Legare) and I had a very nice chat with them. They have no connections to Vermont or Cabot - but were interested in learning about their new state of residence. 

Here's a special event to put on your calendar - it's a few weeks away, but best to plan ahead! This is at the Old North Church in North Danville, on July 26th. North Church is a lovely old church that has been kept in good repair and is much the same as when it was built in 1833. There is no electricity, so the evening service is by lamplight. Be sure to take a flashlight to aid in getting out of the church after the service as there are no outside lights, either. The church is in a very rural setting - no street lights, just starlight or a moon, if you are lucky.

Howard Coffin is giving his presentation, "Vermont Women in the Civil War," and it is very interesting. Howard is an expert on the Civil War and Vermont's contributions to the effort, and always delivers a great story. This will be a very special event - well worth the scenic trip to experience. Set your GPS for 2724 Old North Church Road, Danville, VT and experience a bit of what life was like in the early 1800s. 

When I sat down to write this post, there was sunshine and I was thinking I would have time for a walk around my pond before supper; but now the sky is clouded over, there was a brief rain shower, and even if the sun comes out, the grass is too wet (and maybe slippery) so I've given up on taking my little walk. It is also eerily still outside - not a leaf stirring. That makes me a little nervous - something is brewing in the weather department.

Stay safe, be healthy and happy. 

More News

 There have been some questions since the report on the search for invasive plant species in Joe's Pond was released earlier. I'm posting that again and then our EWM Coordinator, Barry Cahoon's response to the question about signage:

 Arrowwood Environmental has completed an aquatic vegetation survey of the Joe's Pond littoral zone.  

 In summary, the only Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) found on the Third Pond was a few small plants in very shallow water up in the inlet cove.  These plants were removed during the survey.

 Several scattered plants were found in the Second Pond which were marked with buoys and a significantly larger number in the First Pond.

 The takeaways from this survey, from the JPA perspective, are as follows:

 The survey must not be considered a 100% definitive confirmation of the locations of all EWM in Joe's Pond.  The report only documents those plants that were found from a visual surface survey and limited underwater searching at the time of the survey.  Water visibility was not ideal at the time of the survey.

• It is not surprising that the only plants found on the Third Pond were upstream of the 2025 herbicide treatment area.
• The inlet cove discovery emphasizes that intense vigilance of this area of lakeshore sections G & H must be maintained.  Please  note the AE cautionary statement about the presence of a rare native milfoil (alternate-flowered milfoil) in this area.
• The close proximity of the inlet cove EWM location to the Channel Drive/Islands herbicide treatment zone reinforces the JPA admonition to all boaters to avoid navigating through littoral areas whenever possible including the broad area along the Sandy Beach shoreline all the way around the north end of the lake to the Clubhouse Cove.  This includes the area between the islands and the Channel Drive shoreline which, although very popular with boaters, MUST be avoided.
• The EWM locations found in the Second Pond are outside or on the edge of the JPA-designated navigation channel.  These locations will be a management priority for the JPA EWM Harvesting Team.  Please stay inside the yellow buoys delineating the edges of the littoral zone and the navigation channel.  Better yet, unless your camp is on the Second Pond, please stay out of this part of the lake altogether.
• The vast majority of the EWM found on the First pond is inside the JPA-designated watercraft exclusion area.  It is of utmost importance that boaters honor this restriction, stay out of this area and avoid transporting EWM fragments back up into the Third Pond.  This area will be a priority for the suction harvesting operation scheduled for July 13-17.
• A few EWM plants were found near the Point Comfort rental fleet docks.  These are scheduled to be hand pulled by the JPA this week.
• There must be no diminishment of our monitoring and surveying of the littoral zones in all lakeshore sections.  It is at this time of year that the responsibilities of the Lakeshore Section Coordinators (LSCs) are of paramount importance.  We cannot let EWM get the upper hand on us like it did last year and cause us to choose an herbicide treatment in order to level the playing field and avoid uncontrolled EWM proliferation.  Our vigilance and our effectiveness in suction and hand harvesting can reduce the potential for another expensive treatment.

Our success at effectively controlling EWM spread and growth depends on the contributions of ALL JPA members and your guests and renters and other visitors to Joe's Pond.  Please do your part to avoid causing watercraft-induced fragmentation by traveling through littoral zones only to access and egress your docks or the boat access ramp.

 Thanks everyone for doing your part. 

[The map on the left shows the areas (yellow lines) covered by the survey and the littoral areas (areas shaded  in light blue) that people are being asked to avoid. This includes the shallows near the shore which means you need to stay in deep water. This is inconvenient and makes it difficult getting in and out of your docking area and shows you why you need to stay away from the two smaller ponds unless absolutely necessary. Check regularly for any suspicious vegetation near your own dock area and report it immediately to Barry if you find something. There will be on-going surveys to try to spot any new patches of EWM.]

The message below was in response to a JPA member concerned about why there are no signs warning people to stay away from behind the islands:

 Dear xxxx,

I hear you and your concerns are certainly well-founded. Right now as far as we know the area between the Channel Drive shoreline and the islands is EWM free. It was called out specifically in the message to the JPA membership  because of its proximity to where a few plants were found in the AE survey and its popularity to boaters, but otherwise there is no solid justification to treat this area any differently than the 130 or so acres of littoral zone all around the lake for which the JPA advocates and educates that boating should be avoided in these areas.

 Bottom line is that lake associations have no authority to restrict access to public waters.The JPA feels it has a strong argument to justify putting in place such restrictions when we have good reason such as the documented presence of invasive aquatic vegetation (which we have on the First and Second Ponds). Without the known presence of EWM in the Channel Drive/Island Drive area, we lack solid justification to restrict watercraft usage there and must rely on our educational efforts, in full acknowledgment of their shortcomings.

 It’s the same story on every lake in VT with invasives: the inability and lack of authority to control the behavior of watercraft operators; and which is exacerbated when we experience the extreme volume of boat traffic on this lake. We have to focus on what we can control including our surveying and monitoring, our EWM harvesting and management, and enhancing our ability to prevent additional invasive introductions with a boat wash facility (if we can ever get approval for it), while continuing to keep beating on the drum of education. We’ll keep doing the best we can.

 Thank you for your interest and suggestions.  --Barry

***************

I received this note from Jane Segale yesterday: 

 Sad news. One of the loon babies has died. We were walking along the rail trail towards the bridge around 4pm and saw the mom with one baby. There was something else floating nearby. We realized it was the other baby struggling. I took a kayak out to it to see if we could help. I thought maybe it was tangled in fish line. When I reached it I could see that its neck appeared broken (its head was twisted all around) and there was a large gash across its chest. It was still moving its beak but then sank. Very sad.

Thank you for letting us know, Jane. It's hard to guess what happened to the little loon, but it could have been a large fish or an attach by an eagle. Since there are few boats on the water right now, it is unlikely that it was hit by a boat. It is very sad - we had hoped that our loon couple might successfully raise two chicks this year. Nature can be very cruel. 

******************

And this came from Susan Bouchard this week:

 As many of you know, the Joe’s Pond Sunfish sailboat races began in 1970 and, after a few missed years, were revived in 2016. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the races being restarted.

As mentioned in the JPA newsletter, our 54-year-old trophy, the Caledonian Cup, was beginning to show its age. When I brought it to NEK Trophy and Engraving LLC, owner Kristian Switser and his father, Dean Switser, generously offered to refurbish the trophy at no cost to the Joe’s Pond Association. They replaced all of the nameplates, re-engraved every winner’s name using their new laser engraver, and lightly polished the metal components. The Caledonian Cup looks wonderful once again.

Unfortunately, there is only enough space remaining to engrave the 2026 winners’ names. Please put on your thinking caps and let me know if you have ideas for how we should recognize future winners beginning next year. (See email link for Susan above.)

This year’s race dates are

June 21

July 12

August 2

Final race: August 23

Races start at 1pm sharp. Rain dates will be the following Sundays.

 

EWM Update

The following notice has been sent to all Joe's Pond Association Members: 

Arrowwood Environmental has completed an aquatic vegetation survey of the Joe's Pond littoral zone.  The link to the report documenting their findings is attached to this message including maps and data recording what they found and where. [Link unavailable here. See Joe's Pond Association website.]

In summary, the only Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) found on the Third Pond was a few small plants in very shallow water up in the inlet cove.  These plants were removed during the survey.

Several scattered plants were found in the Second Pond which were marked with buoys and a significantly larger number on the First Pond.

The takeaways from this survey, from the JPA perspective, are as follows:

• The survey must not be considered a 100% definitive confirmation of the locations of all EWM in Joe's Pond.  The report only documents those plants that were found from a visual surface survey and limited underwater searching at the time of the survey.  Water visibility was not ideal at the time of the survey.
• It is not surprising that the only plants found on the Third Pond were upstream of the 2025 herbicide treatment area.
• The inlet cove discovery emphasizes that intense vigilance of this area of lakeshore sections G & H must be maintained.  Please  note the AE cautionary statement about the presence of a rare native milfoil (alternate-flowered milfoil) in this area.
• The close proximity of the inlet cove EWM location to the Channel Drive/Islands herbicide treatment zone reinforces the JPA admonition to all boaters to avoid navigating through littoral areas whenever possible including the broad area along the Sandy Beach shoreline all the way around the north end of the lake to the Clubhouse Cove.  This includes the area between the islands and the Channel Drive shoreline which, although very popular with boaters, MUST be avoided.
• The EWM locations found in the Second Pond are outside or on the edge of the JPA-designated navigation channel.  These locations will be a management priority for the JPA EWM Harvesting Team.  Please stay inside the yellow buoys delineating the edges of the littoral zone and the navigation channel.  Better yet, unless your camp is on the Second Pond, please stay out of this part of the lake altogether.
• The vast majority of the EWM found on the First pond is inside the JPA-designated watercraft exclusion area.  It is of utmost importance that boaters honor this restriction, stay out of this area and avoid transporting EWM fragments back up into the Third Pond.  This area will be a priority for the suction harvesting operation scheduled for July 13-17.
• A few EWM plants were found near the Point Comfort rental fleet docks.  These are scheduled to be hand pulled by the JPA this week.
• There must be no diminishment of our monitoring and surveying of the littoral zones in all lakeshore sections.  It is at this time of year that the responsibilities of the Lakeshore Section Coordinators (LSCs) are of paramount importance.  We cannot let EWM get the upper hand on us like it did last year and cause us to choose an herbicide treatment in order to level the playing field and avoid uncontrolled EWM proliferation.  Our vigilance and our effectiveness in suction and hand harvesting can reduce the potential for another expensive treatment.
  
  

Our success at effectively controlling EWM spread and growth depends on the contributions of ALL JPA members and your guests and renters.  Please do your part to avoid causing watercraft-induced fragmentation by traveling through littoral zones only to access and egress your docks.

Thanks everyone for doing your part.

For the Joe's Pond Association

Joe Hebert, President

Barry Cahoon, Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Coordinator

 

NEWS FLASH!

FROM THE DESK OF PRESIDENT JOE HEBERT:

  It is now official that the new wake boat rules have been approved by the State of Vermont and are effective June 11th, 2026.  As previously indicated this does not ban wake boats from Joes Pond but does prohibit wake sports. Please refer to the attached link for more specific information regarding which lakes are approved and the inspection requirements. As discussed at our spring meeting, this ruling was anticipated but I wanted to notify the membership that it is now official.

Joe Hebert 

President JPA   

***************

 

 Summer seems to be here with glory and some discomforts. It is very hot, very humid, and today hardly a breath stirring. So far we haven't had mini rain showers like we did yesterday, but that's a good thing. In some nearby towns (Hardwick, Morrisville, Wolcott) there was a lot more rain and they have had flash flooding that took out roads and has caused considerable damage. This seems to be "normal" weather, and will probably only get worse. It is costing towns (and government) dearly.

 

So much going on here at Joe's Pond! Gretchen Farnsworth let me know earlier in the week that one loon chick had hatched; then yesterday she announced the arrival of a second chick! (See her photo of the family on the left. This is great news - and as Jack LaGue put it in a message to me later in the day, "New residents at Joe's Pond!" Jack said he got the photo while on a "cocktail cruise" around the pond. That reminded me of years ago when so many people did those evening rides around the pond. It is very pleasant to proceed slowly off shore, sipping a drink and waving to friends on their decks or in their boats. It doesn't get much better than that! Thanks for the photo of the loons, (above right) Jack. It's good to know we have at least two chicks; now we hope they can survive. Only a day or so old and they are already stars!

 

As we have said before, please give the loon family(s) plenty of space - and warn others who may not be as familiar with Joe's Pond wildlife - to not interfere with the birds by going too close, and to always keep an eye out for them when cruising on the water. 

 

My friend, Mary Whitcomb, sent this photo of a Canadian tiger swallow-tail butterfly that she saw in her yard. Mary hosts all kinds of birds, bee, and butterflies, and is adept at photographing them. Thank you, Mary! I'm seeing lots of bees and butterflies around my place this year. The lilacs were especially abundant, and my apple trees bloomed beautifully - but briefly. Along with the good bugs, there are the black flies and ticks. Fortunately, I haven't seen ticks yet, but I keep watch - I'm sure they are out there and will hitch a ride on my shoes or pant legs sooner or later.

 

Middle son, Bob came on Wednesday and trimmed my cedar hedge that we didn't dare trim last year because it was so dry. I lost one large cedar tree at one corner of my house because it wasn't getting enough water, but I was able to save another one that was suffering by transplanting it to a spot close to my pond and it is thriving this year, but we decided not to trim it - it's doing fine and giving it another year to acclimate seems like a good idea. It seems that there is plenty of moisture for everything so far this year!

 

We have lots going on to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation - mostly on the 4th of July. Cabot has their usual parade scheduled on the 4th and the Cabot Historical Society will be open that day (and we are hoping to be open every Saturday this summer, hours to be announced later!) There will be fireworks on the Route 15 side of the middle pond on July 3rd - I'm sure they are still accepting donations, so contact Steve Larrabee (802-684-2247) if you can donate. 

 

Be aware that there is a bear in our vicinity. It has been spotted near my house towards the west end of West Shore Road, and got into some mischief at my neighbor's, but hasn't found anything interesting at either Jamie and Marie's or my house yet. I have seen tracks, but that's all. I take my hummingbird feeder in every evening, just in case. I did find some suspicious smears of mud on my front deck back in May, and a plant was tipped over and some of the plants were gone. Probably they were salad for whatever visitor it was, but there wasn't a trace. They were small cactus plants and perhaps a spring of hoya that I was hoping to preserve. All gone. I also had a small spider plant rooting in that pot, but that is intact. I have enough house plants, so I don't mind losing some to a hungry bear or whatever.

  

Also, we have a colony of beavers in residence on the brook by Ned and Carolyn Hamilton's. They are foraging for food and building materials along the west shore, damaging or taking down precious trees. Kim Bertrand got in touch with the Fish and Wildlife people who are sending someone to help, although Kim didn't know what they will do. We will keep you informed. In the meantime, if you have a nice maple, apple tree, poplar, willow, or other tree you think they might like, you can wrap the base with wire mesh - chicken fence wire works, or even some kind of other wrap might work - just something high enough so they can't chew through or above it. They aren't interested in evergreens or cedar trees. Sometimes they just snack on a tree, but damage it enough so it dies; other times they take the whole thing to use for building their dams and houses. This was their lake long before it was ours, and they do have a place in the scheme of things, so it's sad when they have to be killed. Much better to discourage them around your property or have them moved to a better spot. We will let you know what F&W does (or doesn't do).

As often happens, when I finish a blog and log out, I go back to my email and find something new has come in that needs to be included. That happened this morning, so here is "the rest of the news" for today - a dedication in honor of the late Garey Larrabee by the West Danville Community Club (WDCC): Click on the image to enlarge. 

   

 

 

Treasur Island Chicken Dinner

 

Good Morning Everyone! 

 Peter Crosby just let me know that there are a few tickets remaining for the Joe's Pond Association's first dinner of the season coming up this Saturday, June 20! The menu: "Treasure Island Chicken," that promises to be a delicious meal (as always). This is a change from the mac 'n cheese dinner originally scheduled, and although I've always really enjoyed Marion's mac 'n cheese, the Treasure Island Chicken sounds like an exciting substitute - I believe it's roasted chicken with a sweet-sour, gently spiced sauce that will have us thinking "grass skirts and palm trees." 

You don't have to be a member of JPA - we welcome friends old and new - just email Peter (petercrosby13@gmail.com) or call him at 802-535-4949 so  he can reserve tickets for you. Tickets are $25 and there are always lots of delicious  h'ordeuvres ) Joe's Ponders always come up with wonderful appetizers (so many great cooks!). It's always appreciated if you bring an appetizer to share, but not necessary; but definitely  BYOB (in this case, "bring your own booze") -- non-alcoholic beverages are usually available. Expect a good time and good food, amid good company. 

Social hour begins at 4:30 and dinner will be served at 6. Don't wait until the last minute -  get your reservation now so you don't miss out on this special meal and a chance to socialize with fellow campers and to meet new people and visitors. I hope to see you there!

AI Gets Personal

 Regardless of how we feel about AI, it's definitely here to stay. While it feels intrusive sometimes and occasionally just plain silly, but also pretty scary, it is proving to be a huge assist in some ways. I have experimented using it in writing and sometimes it's helpful, but I really don't trust it and try to find sources outside of AI to confirm and prove facts. It is only as good as the information being fed to it by humans - who sometimes make mistakes.

Yesterday I received notice from Noah Newman (no, not the one on Y&R!) at Colorado Climate Center, the headquarters for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS). I began recording precipitation for CoCoRaHS in June of 2009 - daily all those years with only a few breaks when I was away or like last winter when there were a few days I didn't feel safe going outside to measure with a bum knee. Noah let me know that the information I have been collecting was used to train AI on how to better predict snowfall and snow-to-liquid ratio. In recent studies it's been found that the measurements CoCoRaHS volunteers take and submit daily are more accurate and useful than what the sophisticated weather stations used by the National Weather Service provide. Here's a direct quote from his email:

 “For this study, researchers used data from nearly 1,000 observers in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), a grassroots program of volunteers who measure precipitation in their yards and at other sites.” And  “…published online in January 2026 in Weather and Forecasting, … The authors found that their machine-learning method “outperforms existing methods” used by the National Weather Service.”

Being selected for part of this study was a pleasant surprise. If you go to the CoCoRaHS site, you will see how many daily reports there were for today, so it amazes me that I was chosen to participate. 

 For the last couple of years I've contemplated stopping reporting as winter approaches, but so far I'm still trudging out to shovel off the deck, braving wind, rain, and sleet to take measurements most mornings.I am thankful I'm able to do it - but each year it takes a bit more effort and sometimes I think to myself as snow is swirling around me and I'm pushing heavy snow out of the way, "You old fool, you're out of your mind!" Maybe. But then something like this study comes along and I realize that what I observe is useful in some way to make weather predictions more accurate and traveling safer. Out west, observers' reports help predict avalanches in the mountains. Sometimes "hands-on" is just better than technology, but with AI, perhaps the combination of both techniques will prove even more useful. So I'll probably hobble out there as long as I can and make my report - mostly daily, but sometimes I resort to "multi-day reports" and wait for a break in the weather before going out. The precipitation I'm measuring is relativelly the same, whether taken every day or batched into several! It isn't rocket science, but turns out it's useful.