Joe's Ponders Make Front Page News

I heard this morning that on Mt. Washington they've had a record year for snowfall in the month of June - already. And the month isn't over! The weather station there is so high, they get snow when the lower levels of the region are getting rain. I can believe they've had over 8 inches of snow fall there this month. I think we've had a flake or two here at Joe's Pond this month, too.

The Caledonian-Record had a nice front-page story this morning that highlights the generosity of two Joe's Ponders - Ernie Thurston (Point Comfort Rd.) and Bill Dimick (West Shore Rd.). The project came to be when the ReSource group was working in St. Johnsbury at a property owned by Ernie and Bill. The six-week course teaches mainly adults skills needed to get jobs, and earns OSHA certification. Bill saw the work that was going on there and knew the school's existing picnic tables were old and  weathered and needed replacing, so he and Ernie offered to donate the lumber for three new tables if the ReSource Construction 101 group would build them. Waterford School was happy to accept the collaboration and ReSource participants Nicholaus "Alex" Thielen, Abbey Guillette, Shakiah McCullough and Kyle Lowe completed the tables last week under the direction of leaders Jeff Schake and Barb Greenia.

Pictured here after the tables and benches were delivered to the school on Thursday are in the back row, Waterford School students Caleb Decker, Avery Stacey, Kyle Bean and Max Bugbee; seated in front are students Kenzi Lasnier and Tangeni Dimick with Principal Chris Miller. (Photo by Dana Gray for the Caledonian-Record.)

(Full disclosure, Bill Dimick is my oldest son and brother to more Joe's Ponders, Jamie and Bob Dimick; Tangeni is my granddaughter.)

Today was the last day of school at Waterford, and Tangeni will be a junior high school student next year. She is looking forward to a fun summer and spending lots of time at Joe's Pond, one of her favorite places to be. She is the fourth generation of our family to enjoy Joe's Pond. Grandparents Bill and Dot Dimick owned The Hideout on Cove Road, where Jeremy & Lori Grenier built. Dot and Bill were camping in a tent at Joe's Pond when that area was a popular picnic/tenting spot called Lakeside Park, in the early 1900s. Our family enjoyed that camp until about 1962 when my parents bought the camp on West Shore Road that now belongs to the three Dimick boys. Fred and I lived there year around for almost 18 years.

Ernie and Barb Thurston have been at the pond many years, as well, and are enthusiastic supporters. Barb's parents, Bill and Dot Cutting, owned a cottage that Barb and Ernie still own, at the junction of Route 2 and Point Comfort Rd., so Barb and Ernie have a long history at the pond, too. 

 Bill and Ernie also donated 200 Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest tickets for the school students and staff this past spring. Principal of the school Chris Miller used the tickets to enhance classes in math and science, and the students and staff were all involved. None of their tickets won, but Bill and Ernie plan to donate tickets so they can try again next year. If one of their tickets wins, the money will be used for the overall benefit of Waterford School.

Way to go, Bill and Ernie!