Friday, April 16, 2021

Winter Wonderland or Spring Shock?

 Just as many of us thought, we awoke to a white world this morning - Mother Nature's gift of drought relief that keeps on giving as the heavy, wet snow continues to fall. (Pictures of my lawn taken a few minutes ago.) 

We desperately need the moisture, and it looks like we will end up with a fair amount of it. Rain began here around noon yesterday, Thursday, and continued gently into the night. As the temperature dropped, the rain turned to snow and this morning I measured four inches. It is continuing to snow and we will possibly gain another two or more inches today, even though the temperature I recorded at 9 a.m. was 35 degrees. Needless to say, this is a wet, heavy snow that will likely take down some trees - and there is a bit of wind that will add to our misery as it works on weak branches and vulnerable laden trees to take them down.

Yesterday as I was coming home from a dentist appointment, I was noticing all the limbs and trees along West Shore Road that have come down in the past few weeks (and some during the winter). Nature will prune and cull out trees for us, but sometimes not in a good way. The old, rotten or damaged branches or weakened trees will be taken down and left to decay on the ground - or in the roadways. There are always evidence of wind or snow damage as spring arrives. I'm sure many Joe's Ponders will find their work cut out for them clearing their driveways and lawns when they arrive back at their summer homes here. No surprise - it happens every winter.

I have been following the discussion going on in Danville about changing the mascot of the Danville school's sports teams from "Indians" so some other, politically acceptable, name. The decision was made after several meetings of the school board with residents back in March, but recently another group of Danville residents got together a petition asking that the decision be reversed. Yesterday I read in the Caledonian Record that the school board will not rescind their decision.

The mascot, a symbolic image of an American Indian in full headdress, is symbolic of Indian Joe who was a member of the Abenaki Tribe. He and his wife, Molly, lived and hunted in our area in the 1700s. Joe was a scout for George Washington's soldiers during the American Revolution, and was well known for his help to not only the military, but also to early settlers in our region. Joe's Pond and Molly's Pond were named for him and his wife. This was done out of the utmost respect for the couple as a way to honor them.

However, in the modern-day climate, using a symbolic image of an "Indigenous American" is unacceptable. Consequently, most of those images were apparent removed from use at Danville School some years ago when this issue first came up.

When Dave Shilling, now principle at Danville, began his tenure at the school in 2018, he found a file with some sample logos that were apparently under consideration at the time the issue was first addressed but that had not been used. He adapted one of those images and began using it on leterheads and other school-related communications. (See image on the right.)

No definitive decision was made at that time by the school's board and the issue faded into the background; but it never went away. It was raised again this spring and Zoom meetings were  held and opinions noted.  At one of the recent discussions, two representatives of the Abenaki Nation, Dr. Ruth Moore, a tribal therapist and representative for the Koasek Traditional Board of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation, and Chief Richard Menard of the Missisquoi Abenaki, clearly had no objections to the use of the original mascot. However, in the present climate of "pliitical correctness," the school board decided to proceed with making the change. Some Danville residents, including former students at Danville, recently raised objections and a petition was  circulated to  gain support for keeping the original mascot. However, the school board intends to stand by the previous decision and a committee will be formed to explore  acceptable mascots that will be officially adopted by the school. 

Does this make you wonder how long before someone protests Joe's and Molly's name on our beloved ponds? Perhaps since "Indian" is not part of the names of either of the ponds, those will be exempt from scrutiny. At least twice in years past there has been a suggestion that "Joe's Pond" be changed to the more sophisticated "Joe's Lake;" and one other time a camper  suggested the name should be changed to "Lake St. Joseph" to give it more class. Both were used briefly; "Joe's Lake" appeared on Joe's Pond Association meeting minutes all of one summer season, and "Lake St. Joseph" was used for a short time by a Barre newspaper when reporting on events here. That said, it would not be surprising if items such as books or tee-shirts with a stylized image, no matter how long-standing, are likely to be banned or at very least shunned.  Those of us who have those items may want to hold onto such items, or even acquire more as they will become rare and valuable one day as a part of history.

On a snowy morning at Joe's Pond, I will now attend to more pressing business - like shoveling away the now six inches of snow from my doorways.


 


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