Another snowy day. This morning everything was covered with ice, but by noon the temperature had changed and we were getting snow - as we still are now. We have had three or four inches of very heavy, wet snow, the kind that clogs up the snowblower. We don't expect that to change much because the temperature is still around 30 degrees. The wind is whipping the snow that's falling, though, so it's a real "March" day - somebody said this is the first day of spring . . . in another world. This picture was taken of our driveway this morning from the garage.

I'll pass on bits and pieces of news. First, this week there was another report in the Caledonian about the Route 2 project. Things have now been moved back to 2010. There was a meeting last week, and apparently while the property owners involved in rights-of-way were all on board back in 2006, now there are new people involved and the state had to go through the process again. The Leahy funds are still available if details between state and local officials are ironed out by the end of this fiscal year - June 30. However, now that prices have gone up the funding in place won't be enough. Sen. Leahy's representative says it's up to the state to find savings so the project will go ahead as designed rather than the community having to give up the original plans. There could be savings if some materials were changed, perhaps landscaping done locally,and cutting the number of street lights from the 107 planned, and/or using smaller trees for the 188 planned. (Where could they possibly fit 188 trees in there?) So there will be another community meeting on March 26, 6 p.m., at the Danville meeting room and then a meeting in April with state officials.

In another report today, Bert Frye has bought the Joe's Pond bathhouse at the public beach. He doesn't know yet what he's going to do with it, but thinks it's too good to give away or destroy. I'm sure Bert will come up with something useful. He is also going to move it and clean up after it so the landscaping project can move ahead this summer. The Agency of Natural Resources has given an $8,000 grant for landscaping designed for shore preservation, and the local committee plans to fund raise to include a pavilion in the landscaping plans.

Several retiring trustees at the Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) were honored in December at the 2007 Annual Meeting. They were Janice Cody, Donald Walker, Suzanna LaGue, Peter Joslin, Dr. Peter Dale, and Dr. John Matthew. Some of you may know that JPA member Don Walker has penned poems over the years, so Dan Bagalio turned the tables and wrote one for Don:

The Don of Central Vermont (written by Don Bagalio)

Donald Walker, known as Don, by most who've had the pleasure
Is much esteemed throughout the land, no matter what the measure.
This fame is owed to many things, but one transcends the rest;
He's spent a lifetime saying "yes" to myriad requests.

He first said "yes" to family, his top concern, you see,
their safety and security were planned from A to Z.
He then said "yes" to Walker Motors, his second family clan,
Who loved him so that working there became a lifelong plan.

He next said "yes" to community, in oh so many ways,
To service clubs, to business groups, to Joe's Pond Ice-Out days.
And "yes" to sports, all kinds of sports, for kids who'd be otherwise bored,
And in the process he finally learned how a basketball game is scored.

But best of all, to us of course, was his "yes" to CVMC,
Thirty years on our Board, both leader and serf, best fundraiser we'll ever see.
So good in fact, that according to Don, some people whose names we won't say,
Almost appear to avoid him, when they see him heading their way.

So we all, of course, want nothing more than to find a way to express,
Our thanks to this man for the things that he's done; our genuine gratefulness.
But there are no words to truly describe this man's remarkable quest,
He't the Don of Central Vermont, you know. He's the one and only, the best!

Ice-Out tickets sales are picking up, as predicted. There's always a rush at the end. I picked up in St. Johnsbury today and at Caplan's they told me people have been waiting for a break in the weather thinking they could make a better guess if winter seemed to have finally broken. No such luck, and for the next couple of days there won't be much change, I'm afraid.

Maple sugar makers are having to get back into the woods to uncover their lines - again. At Hasting's Store this morning Garey said some of the producers have made some syrup but it's been a very slow season so far. We can only hope, for lots of reasons, that spring comes slowly when the weather does finally break. A quick warmup would mean the end of sugaring and the beginning of lots of flooding, not to mention a mud season like we haven't seen in a while.

We met Milt Cochran at the store this morning. Mary was congratulating him on his granddaughter Emily's success in a spelling bee this week. She made it to the second round at the state level contest held at St. Michaels College in Winooski. Milt said there were about 40 youngsters in the contest. Emily is a sixth grader at Walden School. Grandparents, Milt and Betty and her parents, Michael and Laurie, are very proud of Emily. Mary at the store showed me one of the words in the contest and we agreed we couldn't even begin to spell it - and nobody had a clue what it meant, either. Way to go, Emily!

Did you know that some internet providers are having to limit the number of e-mails their subscribers can send? Here's the story if you want to read it:
Internet Problems