Celebration in Cabot!

There will be a special church service and celebration this Sunday at the United Church of Cabot to honor 175 years of service to the community. There will be a hymn sing at 10:00 followed by a service at 11 followed by lunch. After lunch, the Cabot Historical Society will be open from 12:30-3:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there.

Congregational gatherings were first held at the Center of Town, in a large meeting house that served for the church, the school, and other town gatherings. By the mid-1800s most of the business in Cabot was being conducted in the valley by the Winooski River where there was power for mills. The old meeting house was moved from the Center to about where the present school building is today. Later, to gain more prominence in town, the building was taken down and a new one built where it stands today, close to the street. Above left, Old Home Week Celebration in 1901; at the right, a more recent photo, as it looks today, with the Civil War monument in front.

For many decades, the Congregational Church and the Methodist Church, which stood diagonally across the town common from each other, were in competition for members. Each Sunday the bells of the two churches rang out, calling their members to worship - even the church bells were rung in competition, each congregation declaring their bell had the best tone. Eventually, as attendance dwindled and it became too expensive to keep both buildings operating, the two churches merged. The Methodist building became part of the school campus with classrooms there, and what was originally the sanctuary became a gymnasium. That was still our gymnasium when I was in high school. Our basketball games were held there, Halloween parties, and proms. After the new gym was built, the old Methodist church building was eventually sold to a private owner, and is still standing today.

The United Church of Cabot still overlooks the town common next to the school. When I was in school, we had a close connection to the church. I remember having public speaking events there, debating contests, and Christmas parties. It was a welcoming and very busy part of both the general and the school community. The downstairs dining room hosted numerous dinners, teas, and luncheons, and high school students often volunteered to wait tables or work in the kitchen for those events. There were weddings, funerals, and other celebrations. It was also where Rev. Nickerson gathered news to print in his newsletters for those from Cabot who were serving in the military during WWII. The newsletter was called "Contact" and was full of town news, letters from service men and women, silly jokes, and just the right amount of prayerful reassurance for those lonely, frightened young people serving our country. We weren't aware of differences in religion then. It didn't matter. We weren't worried about exposing students to religion; it was a kinder, gentler time and we were grateful, even as teenagers, for Rev. "Nick" and his quiet, strong support as news came of someone we knew being sent to Europe or Japan, or worse, being injured or killed during the war. There is a full set of "Contacts" at the historical society if you'd like to see them.

I was never particularly religious, but it was important to me to be married in the church at Cabot, and family funerals were always held there. It was familiar, reassuring, welcoming. 

The church building functions differently today - there is a daycare in the dining room that used to welcome a variety of organizations for their meetings, and wonderful meals that were prepared and served during Fall Foliage Day and other celebrations. Meals are still prepared there, but they are either served outside under tents or are take-out only. The sanctuary is still lovely. There is a balcony that is accessed by narrow, creaky stairs, and beautiful stained glass windows. The organ is a very special instrument, and I've attended wonderful recitals there, evening hymn-sings, and enjoyed services in the past. The historical society used to promote lectures and special events there - I remember a quilt exhibit one year. There were dozens of quilts displayed at the front of the church, some draped over pews - it was quite a sight. And there were dozens of people there. Another time, a Mark Twain impersonator performed for us. And of course, Christmas pageants and special services. You will be impressed with our small but beautiful church - stop by and celebrate it's 175 years standing on that spot.

And now I have some sad news about our loon family here at Joe's Pond. It seems that the one chick that the pair of loons hatched in the third or largest pond, is no longer with us. Nobody seems to know what happened, but Gretchen Farnsworth told me she and Jim were gone for a few days and when they got home, the chick was missing. Unfortunately, none of our loons were successful in raising their chicks here this year.

A quick addition:

Cabot Road Closure/Work Update

Ducharme Road is back open as of 4pm. We got the washed out section by the guard rails back to two lanes this morning with the exception of a top coat of gravel going up through. Which put us behind, so we only got one of two culverts changed today. So this means next Tuesday after 8am, Ducharme Road will be closed for the day so we can change the upper culvert that failed this spring after mud season.

While Aldo and I kept plugging along on washouts, I had Tom run around town this week with the roadside mower to cut down wild parsnip and hog weed patches we have around town. He used a blower once he mowed a spot before moving to the next to further try to prevent the spread of these invasives. Once we get to mowing all the back roads, we will mow these sections again to keep the second round from maturing and spreading their seeds.

Next Monday we will get back to Whittier Hill to hopefully wrap that road up, however neither gravel pit near us have ditch stone yet so it's getting kind of hard to complete these projects without that stone being readily available. There are a few small spots left to finish up on the back roads and a handful of spots on the blacktop to complete this years flood work.

This last Tuesday we had a pre-bid meeting on Blodgett and the Upper Jug Brook Rd. culvert site for permanent structures to be built this year. Bids are due next Thursday and hopefully if everything goes to plan, the select board can approve a bid by the first meeting in August to get the ball rolling to complete these this construction season. We will continue to grade rough stretches and as we go to get the roads healed back up for pleasurable driving.

We still have a ton of work to do including 3 grants to complete by September 30th for the state.

Have a great weekend everyone. As always, thank you for your appreciation and understanding. 

Sid Griggs, Cabot Road Foreman.

Last Call!

 Where has the summer gone? Each year the Joe's Pond Association schedules three great dinners and one final social gathering which is a cocktail party. It's hard to believe that Saturday, July 27th will be the final JPA dinner this season!! It is a Roast Pork Feast! Really. Mounds of roast pork, piles of sweet corn, and plenty of sides that make the meal truly delicious from start to finish, ending with an assortment of desserts. You won't get a better meal anywhere - and certainly not for that price - $20! If you haven't already made your reservations, better do it tomorrow because Tuesday is the last day they are available. By end-of-day Tuesday, Mary Anne needs to give the caterers the final count so they can prepare the correct amount of food. Grab your neighbors who perhaps haven't gone to one of JPA shindigs, or corral some friends and family to go with you - and then get on the phone to Mary Anne (802-684-2195) to reserve your tickets. Of course, there are always wonderful appetizers - all kinds of interesting and delicious little munchies to try. Bring an appetizer to share if you can, and your own beverage, but you will find water and possibly lemonade or some other non-alcoholic beverages available for youngsters and teetotalers. This is a last call reminder!

Road Work and More

 Cabot Road Foreman Sid Griggs posted this Friday evening: 

Good evening everyone. Here is an end-of-week road update.

Jug Brook road is open to all traffic.
Houston Hill is open to all traffic.
Blodgett Road, on the class 4 section, was finished up today and is now open.

Please use caution as there is quite a bit of new gravel and it will be loose over the weekend.

There are still spots on West Shore Road, Sandy Beach Road, Urban Road, Whittier Hill, and Ducharme Road that will be tended to starting Monday.

Whittier Hill, Ducharme, and Sandy Beach all have culverts that need replacing, which means the roads will be closed for lengths of time. We will start Tuesday with road closures, and I will let you know Monday which ones and when as early as I make my mind up on how the week is going to go.

Thank you. Have a great weekend.

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Old Home Day

at the Old North Church

Sunday, July 28th!

Special Events:

5pm Danville Town Band Concert

6pm Light Supper by donation

7pm Historical Talk by Toby Balivet

Old North Church Ornaments will be for sale at $10 each.

 This is all to help support the Old North Church painting project this year.

(Please help spread the word and invite family and friends to this truly unique enjoyable experience!)

As many of you know, the Old North Church is a beautifully preserved 1800s church where services are still held on and special occasions are celebrated during the summer months. It stands in a very rural setting and has no electricity, so going there is like stepping back in history some 200 years. If you cannot attend but would like to help support the painting project, contact the Danville Historical Society.

This morning is bright and brisk. My thermometer at almost 8 o'clock is showing 67F. The humidity is high again this morning, but there  is a bit of light ground fog, and that will disappear as the sun gets higher and stronger. It was disheartening yesterday when Gary Sadowsky, weather man on WCAX reminded us that the days are getting shorter now. Of course - summer is half over and we'll be into fall weather soon enough. Summers are short in Vermont - and this one has been anything but "normal" as far as weather is concerned. All the rain alternating with very warm, sunny days has kept us lush and green, and not much danger from wildfires. We seem to be getting a grip on handling our water problems, but some areas will never be the same after last year's flooding and the repeat performance this year - on the same day, no less!

Have a wonderful weekend, be safe and enjoy whatever you are doing with people you care about. Life is good, but sometimes cut short. Make the most of every day.

 

 

 

 

Help Needed

 I received this notice yesterday:

The town landing (by the bridge and rail trail) is an important feature that's available for anyone to land their boat close to the village, and is used every day by dozens of Joe's Pond people and visitors to our pond. The West Danville Community Club is a small, dedicated group of neighbors who are stretched to the limits overseeing the beach, conveniences at the parking area, and keeping things looking neat and inviting throughout West Danville Village. Losing the dock is a big blow to their limited resources. Please help if you can. Any amount you can give will be appreciated, and if you cannot give money, perhaps you can contribute materials or time. Check with Deb Stresing at the Joe's Pond Craft Shop (joespondcrafts.com) or call her at 802-684-2192 to find out how you may be able to help.

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

What a difference in the air today! Yesterday felt much less humid, but today is almost fall-like! My outdoor thermometer is reading 59.2F, and the humidity is reading 82% - and that seems weird. I expected the humidity to be lower. The sun is beginning to break through and I can see there is fog close to the ground, which accounts for the humidity reading, I'm sure. Years ago I never paid much attention to the humidity. Driving to work from Joe's Pond there was usually fog in the early mornings - and as the sun got higher, it would "burn off" and everything dried out nicely - that was normal summer weather. We had occasional wet summers or dry summers - but nothing as intense or prolonged, it seems, as we experience now. 

Before I began working with CoCoRaHS, taking precipitation, temperature, humidity and wind readings every morning at 9 a.m., it was just whatever the day presented. Now every morning, year around, I get to report unusual storm events like the recent flooding, heavy snowfall, ice storms, hail storms and I track wind velocity and know to be on the alert for "straight wind" or tornado events. I poke a ruler into the snow on bitterly cold winter mornings, melt snow to get a precipitation reading, use calipers to measure ice on tree limbs. And in the summer, I keep my umbrella handy so I can read my rain gauge without getting drenched, and every morning, write a little summary of what the day is like. I even have a couple of certificates congratulating me for sticking with the program - now about 15 years. Each winter I say, this will be my last winter doing this - I'm tired of shoveling my way to the snow board. But each year I keep going. I'd miss doing that 9 a.m. report every morning. And I tell myself, why not? 

Don't forget to make your reservations for the Roast Pork dinner a week from tomorrow - reservations  need to be in to Mary Anne Cassani by next Tuesday.

On Roast Pork & Reading

 Mary Anne Cassani reminded me of the Roast Pork Dinner coming up at the Joe's Pond Pavilion on Saturday, July 27th. This is traditionally a really great dinner - I wouldn't miss it!! In order for the chef to make his/her plans, Mary Anne is asking that reservations be in by Tuesday, July 23rd. Please call her at: 802-684-2195. See you there!

While we were talking, Mary Anne told me about a visit she had while at the little Brainerd Library near the beach. Hannah Substack visited our little library in West Danville recently and told Mary Anne it was the 100th one on her list. She is on a quest to knit in all of Vermont's libraries. She spent some time there, chatted with Mary Anne and knitting (!) and later shared the post on her blog, Knitting in Libraries. It's a unique approach to visiting libraries - I don't think of knitting as the usual activity in a library, but they serve many purposes these days, and why not go there to knit!? I can certainly understand librarians taking their knitting with them when they are on duty, so why not patrons, as well?

Last February, Hannah visited the North Danville library, the North Danville Charles E. Brainerd Library.

I needed to go to Danville this morning. I hadn't been over the construction for a while and today they were working along the flat by Point Comfort. There was a very deep trench down the middle of the road, and it seemed they were building the road up so it will be considerably higher than it was before.  I am very impressed with the way the curves between Point Comfort and West Shore Road are now widened and banked. There will also be a rumble strip in the center of the highway. I think it will be much safer traveling that route. 

Someone recently asked about a bike lane, and I went to the VTrans website, but I don't see anything specific about a bike lane. However, with extended shoulders and the road bed widened considerably, it will certainly be much safer for cyclists. 

 

The Beach is Open!

 This is unexpected! I heard from JPA President Joe Hebert that this morning Danville Health Officer Eric Bach took down the signs closing the beach for swimming. Apparently the test came back ok. I guess it is now a matter of using your own best judgement wherever you are on the pond, whether you feel the water is safe for swimming. Be vigilant for blue-green algae blooms, and report any sightings of a suspicious nature to Nicole Begin (802-535-4916), or Dorothea Penar (802-598-9636).

After I finished this post, I found the following in my mailbox:

GREENSBORO — Caspian Lake water quality testing shows mixed results, with elevated levels of E.coli in places, some too high to recommend swimming, reported Christine Armstrong, Greensboro’s Deputy Health Officer, in a July 15 post to Front Porch Forum.

photo by Paul Fixx Thunderstorms began over Greensboro in the afternoon of July 10 and continued well into the night, bringing floodwaters from Caspian Lake’s tributaries into the lake and raising its level near the top of the dam, but not overtopping it near noon on July 11. Lake levels slowly began dropping by July 12 and continued into the following week.

She wrote, “The first round of 'After the Flood’ Caspian Lake water quality test results are in. The most recent flooding was on Wednesday, July 10. Testing was performed on Thursday, July 11 and will be repeated on Monday, July 15 with results expected on Wednesday, July 17. The turbidity is improving and the high water level is receding. “The threshold for safe swimming are E.coli levels of less than 235 E. coli per 100 ml. “Four areas of Caspian were tested: Cemetery Brook delta had a test result of 60. Highland Lodge Beach had a test result of 3. The public beach had a test result of 53. The cove south of Black's Point had a result of 980. “The public beach E.coli test results are higher than is typical and tells us to swim with caution.

We will not be closing the public beach at this time.

“It is inadvisable to swim in the cove south of Black's Point.

“It is inadvisable to drink untreated water from Caspian Lake.

“Water testing will continue throughout the summer. “