I Knew It!

Yesterday was too good to be true. This morning we awoke to temperatures in the 20's and snow showers! There was also a bitterly cold wind. West Danville was like a wind tunnel this morning. The wind nearly ripped the car door out of my hand when I opened it. I picked up Ice-Out tickets there and in Walden and Cabot. Even Walden was calmer than W. Danville, and Cabot was like a different world - sunny, warm, very pleasant. The pond was wet yesterday with water on top of the snow and ice, just like it's supposed to be in the spring time; today anybody out there could skate from the big island the three miles to the beach just by holding your arms out for a sail. The wind would whisk you away at warp speed. I'm sure whatever was gained yesterday in melt-down mode was lost today as we retreated into the Ice Age again.

Never mind - better times ahead. Warmer weather is bound to happen, perhaps even tomorrow. Danville had dumped gravel on that end of W. Shore Road coming off of Rt. 2. It's been very bad washboard there and today after they filled the holes and honed it, it was deep mud. It will freeze again tonight and firm up, though.

The Ice-Out Contest is over. The flag and block are out. We thought all the hoopla of interviews was over, but both Homer and I got caught today by Lyndon State College's Channel 7 TV crew. The good news is, we're probably going to have a really big year for total ticket sales. Diane and I have been keeping track of tickets sold in the communities around the pond and what comes in the mail and things are looking good. We'll wait for the final count from Dave and Chico. It will be a few days because just maybe Chico is going to get all those tickets he was yelling "April Fool" about yesterday . . . there is some justice after all!!

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I heard at the store today that Elizabeth Robinson has been ill. "Liz" and Jack own 60 and 74 Birch Bound Rd. I was told she is doing better and is at home. I'm sure she'd like to hear from some of her Joe's Pond friends. Her address is 158 Woodstown-Daretown Rd., Pilesgrove NJ 08098.

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I stopped in at the Cabot town offices to meet Tara Rogerson, the new town clerk. She was very gracious although it looked as if the last thing she needed was someone stopping by for a chat. I didn't stay long, but I did find out that there is a public hearing of the Cabot Planning Commission on April 14, 2008 in the Willey Building at 7 p.m. Apparently there are plans for new zoning regulations. Here are the items that will be discussed: Authority & Purpose [of the commission], Administrative Procedures & Enforcement, Development Review, Zoning Districts & District Standards, General Regulations, Specific Use Standards, and Wireless Telecommunication Facilities & Towers. I brought home a copy of the proposed amendments, so if anyone has a particular interest in any of the above, I will find that section for you and quote it or send it to you. If anyone is interested to attend the meeting, that would be even better and I will see that you have the complete set of proposed changes.

Also while at the TCO I learned there have been objections to the proposed cell tower I told you about a couple of days ago that would go on one of the silos at the former Bolton (then Sousa's and now for sale) farm on the Plain. Some of us were rejoicing that we would finally have cell service along the W. Shore Rd., Rt. 15, and Rt. 2 corridor that is presently dead space for cell service. We don't know how long things will be held up or even if it will fly at all, but it seems it won't be easy, even though nobody lives very close to the place and it was to be placed within the silo, so there would be no visible evidence of it. Apparently the people protesting are concerned about microwaves . . . or something. Perhaps we'll hear from them or at least more about it and I can fill you in.

For now, it's another cold night - 25 degrees - but if it warms up as predicted, tomorrow should be a good sap day, a little gentle melting can go on, and perhaps we can get back to the long-awaited business of spring.