We took some visitors from Rhode Island to Goodrich's Sugar House over on Rt. 2 this week. While not altogether unfamiliar with the maple syrup/sugaring process, our guests were fascinated by the history, displays and technology. Neither Glen or Ruth were there, but Rick Young (pictured above) was both knowledgeable and entertaining. He doesn't have quite the same dry, Vermont sense of humor Ruth and Glen do, but you see, he isn't a native. Rick told us he hails from Colebrook, N.H. originally, but met Ruth when she was down south helping out after a hurricane. When Rick and his wife experienced one storm after another, they contacted Ruth and Glen about relocating to Vermont. They now have a beautiful post and beam home just above the Goodrich's sugar house, on land the Goodrich's sold to them, and Rick works part time with them.

Back to the museum. That huge slab of maple tree on the wall beside the two ladies, Ora and Kate, was taken down on the Goodrich farm. The dark spots that circle the piece are from the many years of tapping. Each mark indicates where a spout was inserted into the tree. There are lots of photos and a nice display of sugaring equipment showing how the industry has changed over the eight generations the Goodrich family has been making maple syrup.

Glen has developed a super efficient evaporator that conserves energy by using the steam that normally would be exhausted out of the building. His invention not only uses less energy, it also processes the sap into syrup much more quickly, and that makes a much higher quality maple product. Maple sap has a high percentage of water, and Glen's equipment extracts a large amount of that water before the sap goes into the evaporator. Rather than discard this water as waste, Glen will soon be adding bottled water to their product line. Yankee ingenuity, by golly, if I ever saw it.

Stop by sometime when you've got a half hour or so to spend. They do "tours on demand", so you won't have to wait around, and you can ask as many questions as you can think of. They didn't have samples of the different grades of syrup for us to taste this time, but when I take tour groups there during Fall Foliage Day (October 3) they will have them out so you can really choose the grade syrup that suits your taste buds best. Plan to come along on October 3rd. I'll be taking a group to Goodrich's and the Gallery at Loon Cove that afternoon; in the morning I'll be taking folks by bus on a garden tour to two different locations in Cabot, with lots of great photo ops, if the foliage and weather cooperate. Tours leave at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. You're more than welcome to come along.

The JPA pavilion was packed tonight with voters wanting to know more about Rich Tarrant, candidate for U. S. Senate. Steve Larrabee introduced Mr. Tarrant, and everyone had an opportunity to ask questions and speak with the candidate.

Homer writes that Sue and family are leaving today to go back to Salt Lake City. Here's what he had to say:

Sure has been great to have them next door in their new place for 2 1/2 weeks. Sue will see her oncologist tomorrow to get her chemo schedule etc. We sure do hope and pray all goes well for her.

Many friends have dropped by to see them and also to see their real nice new retirement home next door to my camp. Thanks to all of you for stopping to visit and also for your great remarks about their new place. I could very easily live there. Windows make the pond visible from the living room, dining area and the kitchen. Also the porch with the roof makes it possible to sit out in the rain.

Thanks again for everything.

Love to All,

Homer

Have you been to Robert Lyon's web site recently? There are some exceptional aerial photos of Joe's Pond there. The photo on our home page is one of his, used with his permission. His web site is www.robertlyonsphotography.com There is a link under the picture on our home page, too.

Watch for a new page on our web site. At the JPA board meeting today, Tom came up with the idea of having a "Lost and Found" page. We'll have not only lost and found items, but if someone is looking for something like a used boat or a section of dock, or when something floats onto your shore, we'll put that on, too. We've had such notices on from time to time, but we're hoping this will grow into a useful tool for finding a home for all sorts of items. We'll have it up soon.

Here's a link to a web site I think you'll appreciate. Some of you may be familiar with Harry Newton's "In Search of the Perfect Investment" column on the web. Harry thinks he may have found the answer to his search - or at least a possible answer, and it's very familiar to Joe's Ponders and a few others here in the north country. Scroll down past the picture of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains and you'll be surprised. http://www.technologyinvestor.com/login/2004/Apr18-06.php

Notice the new look of the web site? It's a "work in progress" so I hope you'll explore some of the links - and then let us know what you think. We like the changes and think it's easier to navigate. Hope you agree.

The cold weather over with for now - we can enjoy a bit more summer before the real fall weather sets in. Tomorrow, Tuesday, there is a Sugar on Snow party at 5:30 p.m. in Cabot at the church and a concert afterwards at 7 o'clock. The Historical Society museum will be open from 5 until 7 p.m. It's Old Home Week in Cabot all this week, with a supper at the church on Thursday and on Saturday the annual "Christmas in August" sale. Lots going on, so stop by.

We are making good progress getting the research corner organized at the Historical Society building. I'll be working there tomorrow, so stop by and see some of the very interesting items reflecting Cabot's past. And, if you like maple syrup, you'll want to experience the old fashioned treat of "sugar on snow".

A good report from Homer Fitts -

Hi -

[Daughter] Sue and Eric are doing great ! They just love their new place next door at Joe's Pond. They have been busy buying the necessary things needed in it. Really happy with the builders, Fenoff and Hale. Everyone that has visited them to see the place seem to love it also.

Sue looks great and is feeling good right now. Still hard to believe she got here two weeks after her operation in Salt Lake City. She has an appointment with the oncologist on the 22nd, the day after they get back home. They sure are feeling positive having a super great person who she has known for years as the oncologist.

Thanks to you all for being concerned about Sue's cancer.

Homer

Unruly Dogs Distress a Neighborhood

We're told there has been a problem with unruly dogs on the Danville side of the lake. A few years ago we had problems on the Cabot side. It's been a little while since we've put a reminder in the JPA newsletter asking people to keep their pets under control at all times, so I'll mention it here.

Even though your pet is normally gentle, remember that being in unfamiliar surroundings or situations can cause any pet some anxiety and that's when they may exhibit uncharacteristic behavior. For the safety of your pet and other animals or humans, please be sure to use a leash and keep the animal within the boundaries of your property. Neighbors don't appreciate doggie-do on their lawns, nor do they want to be on the alert when meeting or passing you and your pet. So be a thoughtful pet owner and your neighbors will appreciate you and your pet.

Yesterday we posted a link to Danville's web site and their Animal Ordinances. You'll find the link on the home page. We will try to include some of Cabot's rules and regs, as well. Setting up the web pages takes a bit of time, and my web master (husband, Fred) is presently spending a good part of every day cutting wood to keep us warm in winter.

We started a fire in our wood stove this evening. (We have a nice little Hearthstone, manufactured in Morrisville, Vermont, that heats the whole main floor of our house throughout the winter.) It seems to be a little early to start up the stove, but it certainly felt good to take the chill off - and it was very pleasant eating dinner by the fire. Quite a change from just a week ago. Last Friday at this time it was pretty hot and steamy, and tonight my thermometer is reading 50 degrees and still creeping downward. The forecast is for temps in the 40's, with frost in some low-lying areas; but apparently the Northeast Kingdom, for once, is not included as being in danger of frost bite. I've noticed a definite blush of color on several maples in our area, though, so I think we may have a more colorful foliage season than we did last year.

Fred found where a bear had dug a bee's nest out of the ground down on our lower lawn area near the woods. It happens just about every year - we find where the sod has been torn up and there are remnants of the honeycomb scattered about. Sometimes in our woods we find where the bears have torn apart an old tree stump to get at the insects. We haven't seen a bear this year, but we know for sure they are working the area.

UPDATES ON THE RAIL-TRAIL,
Courtesy of Andy Rudin

From the Rutland Herald-Times Argus

Rail trail hearing is Monday State to lease land to VAST

August 6, 2006

By Peter Hirschfeld Staff Writer

MONTPELIER – A former rail bed that stretches 93 miles from Swanton to St. Johnsbury is about to undergo a $7 million overhaul that state officials say will make it a prime recreation trail in Vermont.

Improvements will be made under the auspices of the Vermont Snow Travelers Association, however the Vermont Agency of Transportation must lease the 36,000 square feet of trail area to the snowmobiling organization before VAST can access $5.8 million in federal funds appropriated for the project last year. A public hearing Monday will give citizens an opportunity to weigh in on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail before the groups finalize their lease agreement.

"It's an opportunity for them to weigh in, to give us any input they have, and then for us to make adjustments," said John Zicconi of the Agency of Transportation. The hearing is at 6 p.m. in Montpelier and will be broadcast via Vermont Interactive Television. "The public may bring up something we didn't see."

VAST will use the federal money, along with $1.2 million from its own coffers, to fix washouts, upgrade bridges and improve conditions along the route. The 30-year lease agreement will grant day-to-day operations and maintenance to VAST while upholding the agency's public oversight of the trail.

Zicconi said the four-season trail will be a boon for local outdoor enthusiasts and the tourist economy.

"It's another amenity they can add to menu to help invite guests to the state," he said.

The trail will also supplement a VAST trail network that has seen its mileage shrink as landowners develop open parcels and restrict access.

Controversy over the use of all-terrain vehicles has dogged the project in recent months, but Zicconi says that issue won't be part of Monday's forum. Because the trail will be improved with federal funding it is subject to federal laws governing ATV use. The federal government has deferred ruling on whether ATV use would be allowed on trails like the rail trail, and the debate in Vermont, Zicconi said, will have to wait until a decision is made.

"The feds have said they're not ready to say whether (ATV use) is OK or not," Zicconi said. The lease agreement prohibits the use of ATVs pending the federal decision. "They'll come up with a concrete set of guidelines for this kind of trail. Once we know what those guidelines are, then we can begin the conversation about what we want to do vis-à-vis this trail in Vermont."

A nighttime curfew for motorized vehicles on the trail is among the topics likely to emerge Monday. The draft lease calls for a "quiet trail" between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Once the lease is signed, VAST will begin drafting a management plan to determine how the federal money will be spent.

***

More public discussion sought on ATV use of trail

August 8, 2006

By DAVID GRAM The Associated Press

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has been negotiating a 30-year lease with the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. It was revealed in the lease last year that provisions would allow some ATV riders to use the trail. Photo: FILE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WATERBURY — It was billed as a public hearing on all the provisions of a lease under which a snowmobile group is to manage a recreation trail across northern Vermont.

But the only lease provision that seemed to matter was the one saying that all-terrain vehicles would not be allowed to use the Lamoille County Rail Trail "unless decided otherwise by the state" after getting federal permission and holding public hearings.

Dozens of people turned out at locations from Johnson and Lyndonville to Brattleboro, linked by Vermont Interactive Television, to speak their piece about whether ATVs should get to use parts of the 96-mile recreation trail linking Swanton in the northwest and St. Johnsbury in the northeast.

ATV riders, those favoring "quiet uses" like hiking, biking and cross-country skiing and state officials agreed on one thing: any ATV uses of the trail would be limited to small sections the riders would need to get to parts of their own trail networks on opposite sides of the rail trail.

"The entire discussion has only been about ATV crossings for ATV connectivity purposes," Deputy Transportation Secretary David Dill said in remarks prepared for Monday's hearing. "When the term 'ATV access' is used, it only refers to crossings."

Dill also noted that federal rules — the trail project is getting $5 million in federal funds — currently bar ATVs from trails like the Lamoille Valley. An exception to the ATV ban could be sought from the U.S. Department of Transportation, but such an exception has never been granted, Dill said. No change in that status is expected before next year at the earliest, he added.

Beyond that, agreement was hard to find.

A wide range of views was offered during the evening's early going. At least one person spoke in favor of the trail reverting to railroad use, saying there would be enough commerce to support it. Dill reiterated officials' earlier statements that if a viable railroad proposal were put forward, the trail would revert to that use.

Some speakers said they wanted no motorized uses of the trail at all, including by snowmobilers.

ATV riders said they get what one speaker called "recreational bliss," by riding their machines. They also maintain that as taxpayers, they should have access to a trail being redeveloped mainly with public money.

"What I'm hearing is 'I don't want to share,' one pro-ATV speaker said of those opposing their use on the trail.

Milton Select Board member Randy Barrows, who is also a police officer and ATV rider, said "99 percent of (ATV riders) are hardworking folks who have paid their dues to ride. … If it's bought with taxpayer dollars it should be open to all uses."

He and a few other speakers said what Barrow termed "renegade riders" had created a bad image of ATVs in some people's minds.

ATV critics worry that their experience of the natural beauty along the trail would be destroyed by noisy machines zipping by, spewing exhaust. They also worry about safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and horseback riders.

One speaker from Johnson said it would be "a big mistake, if you want to preserve the serenity of our communities, to have any motorized uses of the trail at all."

The argument about everyone involved being taxpayers didn't sit well with one man from Lyndonville. The state should not be under pressure to provide ATV owners with places to ride, he said. "This is akin to me going out and buying a boat and then expecting the taxpayers to fund building a lake for me."

Many of the comments focused on whether there had been enough public participation in the process leading to the lease talks between the state and the snowmobile group.

Dill promised the state would have a full public process if it gets federal clearance and decides to pursue allowing ATVs to use parts of the trail. He also invited the public to read the draft lease on the Transportation Agency's Web site and to file written comments.

He asked that those comments be sent by Friday, adding that officials hope to sign the lease by the end of this month.

This came to me today from a good friend, formerly from Cabot, now living in S. Carolina. Mothers and school teachers will relate . . .

Boots

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his boots?

He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were.

It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots."

She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream,"Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to.

Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."

She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, "Now, where are your mittens?"

He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."

Her trial starts next month.

Note!
We just posted an rather interesting article about milfoil. You'll see it listed on the home page.

Friends of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail - Update

“To support the development, maintenance, and promotion of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail as a public resource offering a tranquil and scenic year-round multi-use recreation and transportation corridor; and especially to represent the interests of non-motorized trail users.”

Please read this and pass the information along to your friends!

1. Legislative Hearing on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail – August 7, 2006 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM

The House and Senate Transportation and Appropriations Committees, in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), will hold what may be the only public hearing on the proposed lease for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) on August 7^th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

It’s urgently important that the voices of non-motorized users of what will be Vermont’s longest recreational trail make their concerns, comment and voices heard. Please try to attend the August 7^th public hearing at one of the 5 Vermont Interactive Television Sites listed in paragraph 3 below. If you cannot attend (or even if you do attend), please submit written comments as outlined in paragraph 4 below and pass the word on to your friends.

2. Position statement of the Friends of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (FLVRT)

The following summarizes the position of the FLVRT on a number of key issues related to the lease and the management of the LVRT. Please consider adding your voice in support of our position and/or offering any additional comments YOU feel should be considered.

1. The FLVRT’s position is that the use of motorized vehicles on the trail, except for snowmobiles during the winter months, is incompatible with the many non-motorized uses of this trail for health, safety and aesthetic reasons. In particular, the presence of ATVs on the trail is objectionable to walkers, joggers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and adjacent property owners, due to the inherent danger of collision and injury, the intrusion of noise on otherwise quiet trails, and the threat of property damage at points of access. Further, allowing ATV use of the trail is inconsistent with public representations regarding the use of the LVRT over the past five years.

2. The FLVRT do not object to a limited number of AVT crossings of the LVRT in carefully selected locations based on a public process and review criteria adopted by AOT as a rule.

3. The most efficient way to expedite the signing of the lease with VAST, and accelerate the development of the LVRT is to eliminate lease language that would allow approval of ATV doglegs or excessive crossings without adequate public process.

4. The public needs to be put back into the LVRT planning process. The lease should be modified to include language that mandates adequate public notice and opportunity for participation in future LVRT development decisions including:

i. The process by which the LVRT management plan is adopted and/or modified.

ii. A commitment to a public review of the lease at two-year intervals, at least in the early phases of the lease.

5. There needs to be a comprehensive evaluation by AOT, the Legislature and local and state law enforcement officials of what resources will be need to enforce public safety on the LVRT for ATV and other issues.

6. We recognize and appreciate the leadership position VAST has taken in helping to make the LVRT a reality. We also recognize that as the lessee, the VAST Board has ultimate responsibility for trail management. However we feel strongly that the proposed composition of the Trail Management Committee, which is advisory to the VAST Board, should be changed to reflect the fact that the predominate use of this Trail will be by non-motorized users. Such users should comprise the majority of this Committee and should be able to select their representatives.

3. Public hearing locations

The 5 Vermont Interactive Television sites at which you can watch and participate in this public hearing are at the locations listed below. Seating capacity at each site is limited so plan on arriving early and bring your friends!

Lyndonville

Lyndon State College, 1001 College Road, 802-473-1222/1221
St Albans
Bellows Free Academy, 4 Hospital Drive , 802-524-0238

Waterbury - State Office Complex, Stanley Hall Bentley Hall, Room 211 , (802) 882-1002

Johnson - Johnson State College Blair Park, 802-635-1432

Williston - 451 Lawrence Place, 802-288-1581

4. Other ways to offer comment on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail

Our goal is to have as many people as possible attending the August 7^th public hearing and speaking up for the interests of non-motorized users of the LVRT. However if you can’t attend or if you want to do more, please consider sending an e-mail or a brief written message to those listed below as well as your State Senator and Representative(s). Please send us a copy of your comments at FLVRT, PO Box 995, Morrisville VT 05661 or FriendsLVRT@aol.com.

Remember this may be our last opportunity to influence this process before a long-term lease for the management of the LVRT is signed. Please offer your views to:

1. Governor James Douglas, 109 State St, Montpelier, VT 05609 or call toll free 1-800-649-6825 or e-mail via www.vermontgov/governor/contact.html

2. David Dill, Deputy Secretary of AOT, 1 National Life Dr, Montpelier, VT 05633 david.dill@state.vt.us

3. Senator Richard Mazza, Chair Senate Transportation Committee, 777 West Lakeshore Dr, Colchester, VT 05446 no e-mail

4. Senator Susan Bartlett, Chair Senate Appropriations Committee (and Lamoille County Senator) PO Box 123, Hyde Park, VT 05655 senatorbartlett@aol.com

5. Representative Richard Westman, Chair House Transportation Committee, 2439 Iron Gate Rd, Cambridge, VT 05444 westman@vsac.org

6. Representative Martha Heath, Chair House Appropriations Committee342 Rollin Irish Rd, Westford, VT 05494 mpheath@aol.com

7. For contact information for your State Senator(s) and Representative(s) call the Legislative Council at 828-2231 or check on-line at www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm