Did you hear the drum roll at about 12:13 p.m.?  That was when Diane plugged in the new Ice-Out Clock.  The 2013 Ice-Out Contest has officially started.  With a little luck and no power outages, the clock will not stop until the ice melts beneath it or there's enough open water for the wind to carry the ice it rests on away from shore and disconnects the clock.  

Just in case some of you still haven't visited the web cam page, here's what you need to do.  First, be sure you are in Internet Explorer as a browser.  Go to www.joespondvermont.com as you would normally do, and then there are several ways you can get to the web cam page.  You can click on "Ice-Out Web Cam" at the top of the page, go to "JP Assn." and find a link, or scroll to the end of the menu at the left of home page where you'll find a link.  

We are entering the final few days of the contest.  You can purchase tickets at outlets until close of business on April 1st; tickets that are mailed must have a postmark no later than April 1st; and at midnight on April 1st, the on-line ticket option will no longer be available. After the contest closes, we wait for the clock to stop.  We will monitor the clock regularly and keep you updated here on the blog about ice conditions and any important news until we have a winner.  As soon as we have verified a winner, it will be announced here and in the media.  We wish everyone luck in picking the correct time and date.