Here we are, back in more normal weather. After the rain took a whopping toll on our snow cover, everything is tightly frozen again, the thermometer is reading 19 degrees in the shade and there's a brisk north wind. I have to go to West Danville later and I expect the wind will be blasting through town like the Daltons and the James Gang with Matt Dillon and his posse tight behind them.

This is our view this morning - there are icy spots showing on the pond and bare spots showing on the hillsides. Our north facing slope has held the snow very well, but there is only about half what there was a couple days ago. No doubt we'll get some back, but we feel sorry for skiers who had the rainy conditions and now very likely some icy spots to contend with.

I had this note from Steve Allen this morning:

Happy New Year!

Still enjoying the blog, and congratulations on the revised JPA website - very nice! Surprised the blog/news haven't picked up on the 24.5% WEC electric rate increase effective 1/1/11. The PSB still needs to approve it - if they don't, then WEC will have to refund any payments already made. But if approved, it's a big chunk of change for lots of Joe's Pond/Cabot folks!

Best Regards,

This will sound lame, but truth is, I've had the notice from WEC on my desk all weekend thinking I'd get a chance to mention it. However, now that Steve has brought it up - yes, it's a very big jump, 23.81% (not sure where Steve got his figure). My first thought was, wait until the Public Service Board rules on the increase before implementing it, but I've always felt that our Washington Electric Cooperative exercised good judgment and I understand that they've held off as long as they could and probably need to have the additional money to operate. No doubt there will be some increase - whether the PSB will grant the full increase is something we'll have to wait to find out. Here's a link you may be interested in: VT Electric Rates

Central Vermont Public Service requested an 8.34% rate increase and the PSB agreed to a 7.67% increase. WEC has resisted raising rates longer than other companies, and that accounts for the very large request now. It would have been less of a shock had they increased more gradually, but we've enjoyed the benefit of lower rates for a while.

I have often wondered at the extent the electric company has gone to help us decrease the amount of electricity we consume. That flies in the face of normal business practices, I would think. On the other hand, one must applaud them for their commitment to "going green," and helping us use less energy.

Washington Electric Rates

Green Mt. Power Comparison Chart

Back to other important stuff: Steve mentioned the new look of the web site, and he's right. Fred has been working hard to bring a fresh look first to home page and now other pages as we start off a new year. He's been working with a new web design program called Joomla! for UVM's Office on Aging, and so is using some of the techniques on our site. It's always good to update and improve - I'll tackle freshening up the blog eventually, but for now I have to finish the Cabot Historical Society site which is going to keep me busy for a while.

And now I venture out into the cold and wind and make my way to Hastings Store.