The following message came to me from Evelyn and Ray Richer yesterday just as I was leaving for the JPA meeting.  President Tom Dente mentioned it briefly at the meeting, and for those of you who were not there or who are interested in donating for signs re. loon protection, here is more information.  At the end of Eric's message, I've included a link that will take you directly to the Vt. Wildlife website page concerning Joe's Pond.

This is Eric Hanson with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and the
Vermont Loon Recovery Project.We are embarking on a campaign to replace
and repair our aging floating loon nest-warning signs and we would
really appreciate your lake residents' help.We've set up an online
donation box for each lake with a target fundraising goal depending on
the number of signs used on each particular lake.Individuals can go the
website called "Crowdrise" and make a donation to his or her favorite lake.

I am asking your help by sending the announcement below to lake
residents via 1) email, 2) lake e-newsletter, 3) lake website, and/or 4)
paper newsletter.I think the information below is self-explanatory, but
please contact me if you have questions and whether or not you can
assist VCE in this effort.   If you could also let me know approximate
timing of emails, e-newsletters, and mailings.  Our goal for Joe's Pond
is 10 signs at $80 each.    The message below should be able to be cut
and pasted fairly easily.

I'm cc'ing the loon volunteers on the lake so they know this campaign is
happening, and maybe they can help let lake residents know about this
effort as well.

Lastly, I have developed two new pamphlets that I would like to spread
around to boaters and lake shore residents. The first one is focused on
loon natural history and conservation, and the second one is focused
around the importance of shorelines with taller grasses, shrubs, and
trees for both in-water and water's edge wildlife and supporting the
base of a lake's food chain. If there is any way to distribute these by
adding to mailings or other events, let me know. I have 1000s of copies
to hand out. I'd also be available to attend a lake association meeting
in the next year or two.

Thanks -- we could not do loon conservation without so much support from
the communities around lakes.

Eric Hanson, Vermont Center for Ecostudies Loon Biologist.

Here is the link that will take you directly to the page to donate for Joe's Pond signs - but you can explore the website to donate to other lakes and ponds from there.  Joe's Pond sign donations.

We had a very nice meeting yesterday.  There were 35-40 people there and they took time to look over the JPA picture and newspaper clipping albums I brought.  I had included the recent donations of old postcards and deeds from Ted Chase, and also dozens of more recent photos of ice-out seasons and social events over the years that Homer Fitts had given to us.  Members also picked up Ice-Out Tickets - some for themselves, and some took envelopes for neighbors.  Diane and I will mail out the rest, so if you haven't picked yours up at Hastings Store or at a meeting, expect them in the mail soon.
We like you  to have them at least before the holiday season so you can include them in cards or as stocking stuffers, etc.  

After the meeting, everyone pitched in to help put the furniture away.  The pavilion will be buttoned up for winter within a few weeks - the water drained and everything closed up until next May.  As we were leaving, a group of young men came over to the recreation field - it looked to us as if they were getting set up for a ball game.  It was a beautiful day for just about any sport one might want to pursue.  Today is much the same - perhaps a tad warmer, but equally nice.   I've made a short slide show of the meeting.

We stopped at Hastings Store on our way home from the meeting and found Cabot Chronicle reporter, Jeannie Johnson, there, interviewing the Larrabees about their store's upcoming 100th birthday.  Garey showed us the tees and sweat shirts they have commemorating the event.  The shirts have that nice picture of the store on them.