Margo Marrone’s Plymouth Report

Posted on 04/13/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

Republished with permission from The Vermont Standard

4/9/12

I am writing this article on Monday & watching the weather vacillate between April showers & snow showers. What crazy weather! Perhaps it will lessen the danger of fires if the rain predicted for this week does materialize.

In speaking with Joe Rebideau, our fire warden, he indicated that burning is not currently advisable. This time of year when things have not greened up yet, the ground is dry, & the winds are frequently blowing, provides a perfect scenario for even small fires to get out of control. Don’t forget to call for a permit – 672-5148.

The Ladies Aid Bake Sale was quite a success – thanks to everyone who baked & those who supported it! So many people pass by when we are set up outside Shaw’s & Rite Aid, It is fun to visit with folks, as well.

This is the time of year when many establishments take a break. Although open for lodging, the Echo Lake Inn restaurant it closed until June. I understand that the River Tavern at Hawk is still open on Friday & Saturday evenings.

I want to thank those who helped to make our Easter service one of celebration at Tyson Church. The cross made several years ago by Shawn Ellison & Linda Hastings was decorated beautifully with flowers by Linda & Denise & Maddie Dean. At the end of church, folks were encouraged to leave their burdens at the foot of the cross & to take some of the flowers as a reminder of new life in Christ. Our choir quickly practiced a hymn prior to our service, that greatly added to our Worship!

Just a reminder that the Selectmen’s hearing on the Town Plan is taking place at 6:30 PM on Mon, 4/16. There will be discussion at 6:00 PM about changing the Unknown Soldiers Rd from class 3 to class 4.

Belated birthday wishes to Anne Brown, whose birthday I missed last week! In case you are interested in obtaining a VT Strong license plate, you can obtain one from Bill Jenney at his office at the Historic Site. This time of year it might be helpful to call ahead – 672-3773. The fee of $25 provides funds for the VT Food Bank & the VT Disaster Relief Fund. They are to be placed over your front license plate.

The 1st Farmer’s Market meeting was held 4/2 & Sue Poirier was selected to be the coordinator. Despite the permits & other regulations that will need to be put in place, the group seems excited & willing to put forth the effort. Consideration was given to planning the market to coordinate with the hours of recycling. Produce/food & crafts would be included & there was talk about selling CSA shares, too. The next scheduled meeting is 4/24 at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall, so consider getting involved.

No shortage of community events taking place in Plymouth! The 1st Strawberry Festival planning meeting (4/10) will be over by the time this goes to print & hopefully I will be able to include information about it next week. In any case, mark your calendar for Wed, 6/20! Please note that the Historical Society will be having an informative program on 5/6 at the town hall – more info to follow…..

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Margo Marrone’s Plymouth Report

Posted on 04/07/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

4/2/12

A new month & right on cue – April showers, although there were a few snow flakes mixed in! Some folks have flowers up & blooming already. I wonder if the plant world is equally as confused as we are with this strange weather. It is nice to have the birds back, too. I haven’t seen any bears, but bird feeders are attractive to them this time of year!

Speaking of flowers, Tyson Ladies Aid will be distributing plants for Easter to those who are having health issues or are not able to get out very often. Don’t forget their Bake Sale will take place on Friday morning, 4/6, in front of Shaw’s in Ludlow. There are many excellent bakers, so there will be all sorts of goodies!

I had a nice chat with Jessica & Hunter Melville (formerly of Plymouth) the other day as they were walking their dog up Dublin Rd. They had been to see Sandy Lampert, Jessica’s mom. Speaking of dogs….. I heard that Linda Sedder’s dog, Playboy recently had some teeth pulled. Aging takes it tolls on people & animals as well. Our cat, Snickers, can’t hear or see very well these days, which means she doesn’t panic over the vacuum cleaner any longer, but she keeps walking into things.

There seem to be a number of birthdays this month. Best wishes to Liza Ward (4/12), Cheryl Bishop (4/13), Brandon Bergey (4/19) & Kathy Lynds (4/29). Congratulations also the Jen & Jay Flaster, who are expecting their 1st child! That also is a good reason for someone to volunteer to help Jen with the Plymouth Press, since their lives will become a bit busier in the next couple of months – Jen is due 7/3! Please do consider offering assistance – it is such a wonderful vehicle for disseminating local news.

I haven’t been to that end of town this past week, but Chet & Meredith Hathaway’s former mobile home was resting at the pull-off at the top of the Notch the week before, awaiting a new location elsewhere. I guess a new residence will be erected on its former site on Messer Hill!

A big thank-you to Chef, Kevin Barnes of the Echo Lake Inn, for taking those unsightly rocks off the church property last week that were placed there by “Irene“. By the way, our Maundy Thursday meal & service will take place 4/5 at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to attend & also to come to our Easter Celebration at 10:30 AM on 4/8.

Another very nice piece of news, Susan Mordecai, through a realtor friend, found a lovely little foreclosure on Dead End Road that was affordable & will allow her to stay in Plymouth! That is happy news for us & she is pleased to be able to stay here, where she experienced such kindness & support after the flood.

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Margo Marrone’s Plymouth Report

Posted on 03/30/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

Republished with permission from The Vermont Standard

3/26/12

Creatures abound!  The other day while Tom & I were out for a walk, we came across a male & a female mallard on Dublin Rd.  They crossed the road to where neighbors formerly had chickens.  The water in the brook was moving very rapidly – certainly not a tranquil pond setting, so they seemed to appreciate the bread Kathy Wasco threw out for them.

At a pond on the other side of town, a young bull moose has been causing some excitement.  The way I heard it from Elaine Gambone, when the moose appeared at the DePaul’s pond, one of the horses was spooked, broke loose & ended up all the way down to the Berkman’s (Fred Pope’s former residence), necessitating a long walk home!

Please note that the Mon, 4/16 Selectmen’s hearing on the Town Plan is taking place at 6:30 PM.  Often meetings start at 7:00, so be aware of this different start time if you want to attend.  I know there are concerned citizens on both sides of the proposed gravel pit issue, so this meeting might draw a crowd, since the Plan includes provisions for the types of businesses seen as appropriate for Plymouth.  It would be nice if the discussion could be courteous & not reminiscent of the incivility of the school debates.  Focusing on the issues & not on personalities, with a desire to hear everyone’s point of view with an open mind, will be important.

I am sad to report that there have been some robberies in our area – local businesses along Rte 100.  The Tyson Store & the Green Mountain Sugar House both had their front doors smashed on the same night.  Although the perpetrators fortunately did not do a significant amount of damage, losses were incurred & the sense of security has been shattered.  Just to set the record straight, we keep no money at Tyson Church…..

Palm/Passion Sunday is 4/1 & Easter is 4/8, both of which will be celebrated at our regular Sunday morning Worship services at 10:30 AM.  Also, all are welcome to attend our Maundy Thursday meal & service, starting at 6:00 PM on 4/5.  We will share in the Lord’s Supper that evening.

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Effort To Reopen Plymouth Gravel Pit Ignites Controversy Among Residents – The Vermont Standard

Posted on 03/24/2012 by The Plymouth Press

The Vermont Standard has launched an e-edition which is free through March 31. This week’s Standard covers the latest on the Gravel Pit:

Effort To Reopen Plymouth Gravel Pit Ignites Controversy Among Residents – The Vermont Standard.

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Legislative Report from Rep. Dennis Devereux

Posted on 03/23/2012 by The Plymouth Press

MESSAGE  FROM  MONTPELIER

Legislative Report from Rep. Dennis Devereux
for Ludlow, Mount Holly, and Plymouth

Our state has seen a troubling increase in embezzlement cases. Some recent notable ones involved the treasurer of the Town of Ira, an employee of the Hardwick Electric Department, and a state employee working in Newport who even directed taxpayer dollars to her own sister.

Last spring Tom Salmon, the State Auditor of Accounts, approached our Committee on Government Operations with some suggestions that would add more oversight and reporting from those in charge of town funds. His office looked into the issue and found that in many cases the crime was not even being reported. Several drafts and a lot more testimony resulted in a committee bill which requires oversight of those officials with authority to receive or disburse town and school district funds. The proposed bill would require the town treasurer to annually complete and provide the selectboard a copy of a one-page checklist furnished by the auditor of accounts to determine if the internal financial controls are in place to ensure the proper use of public funds. The bill would mandate that any officer charged with larceny or filing a claim for recovery under a bond based upon performance to provide the auditor of accounts a copy of charges or claim within 10 days. It would also require the auditor’s office to provide instruction in the fiduciary duties to those in the governing body responsible for accepting a financial report. Another section requires the town treasurer to file this report quarterly, and provide the selectboard a copy of the internal control checklist. The board must review and accept the document that proves the internal controls are indeed in place. The bonding section is updated to add specific language that applies to any officer or employee with the authority as determined by the selectboard.

I am disappointed this issue is being discussed so late in our session when there is little chance of it being enacted. The bill would now have to be re-created next January. Going forward, the plan is to apply the same over-sight to nonprofit organizations that also receive state funds. As we see more cases, I am sure this will become a higher priority.

In next several weeks, most of the money bills will be acted on. I think there will certainly be support for more paving projects around the state. However, I see some areas that are cause for real concern, including the downturn in projected revenue from the lack of snow.

Please contact me with a message at 1-800-322-5616, or at home 802-259-2460, or ddevereux@leg.state.vt.us.

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Margo Marrone’s Plymouth Report

Posted on 03/22/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

Republished with permission from The Vermont Standard

3/18/12

I have to admit that this morning (Monday) I really don’t have much news. Looking out my window at bare ground seems very strange. We have already had 2 lunches out on the deck – remarkable for March. It was 74 degrees at noon yesterday! The weather, although very nice in one sense, has impacted seasonal workers & is now creating chaos with sugaring….

It was nice to have Kathy Lynds in church on Sunday & she brought Theresa Steward with her. Speaking of church, these are the Upcoming Events: 4/1/12 – Palm/Passion Sunday Worship at 10:30 AM; 4/5/12 – Maundy Thursday meal & service at 6:00 PM; 4/8/12 – Easter Celebration at 10:30 AM! Everyone is welcome to attend.

I understand that it was decided at the Plymouth Historical Society meeting that they would participate in the bi-annual VT History Expo (6/16 & 17) at Tunbridge – “Vermonters in the Civil War”. They would appreciate local artifacts and/or Plymouth family facts that pertain to that era.

The Reach Out Community Luncheon last Thursday provided a wonderful meal & it was interesting to have Dave Harlow talk about his book, The Way It Used to Be. He brought in a small box that he had made in his youth & explained how he used it to find “bee trees” & obtain honey. It was all very fascinating!

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Public Hearing on Plymouth Town Plan Warned for April 16

Posted on 03/22/2012 by The Plymouth Press

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PLYMOUTH

Notice is hereby given by the Plymouth Selectboard of a Public Hearing to be held Monday, April 16th at 6:30 p.m. at the Plymouth Town Office, Plymouth, Vermont for the purpose of hearing comments on the proposed Plymouth Town Plan. The Town Plan covers all lands within the Town. A copy of the proposed Plymouth Town Plan and maps are available for review on the Town’s website and at the Plymouth Town Clerk’s Office during normal business hours.

Download Proposed Town Plan March_12_2012
Download Proposed_Town_Plan_Current_Use_Map_2012

Outlined below is a list of section headings of the proposed Town Plan:

I. INTRODUCTION
II. LAND USE
III. TRANSPORTATION
IV. UTILITY AND FACILITY PLAN
V. TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES
VI. NATURAL, SCENIC, AND HISTORIC RESOURCES
VII. EDUCATION
VIII. ENERGY
IX. HOUSING
X. ADJACENT MUNICIPALITIES AND THE REGION
XI. IMPLEMENTATION

Dated this 20th day of March, 2012

Ralph Michael, Chair

Plymouth Selectboard

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NY ecologist: Northeast may see more Lyme disease

Posted on 03/21/2012 by The Plymouth Press
From Russ Tonkin, Town Health Officer

March 16, 2012
MILLBROOK, N.Y. (AP) — A disease ecologist says the Northeast should prepare for a surge in Lyme disease this spring. Richard Osfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook says the population of white-footed mice is crashing due to a small acorn crop. That means ticks that carry Lyme disease will look for other mammals to bite, such as humans.
Ecologists at the Cary Institute have been studying connections between acorn abundance, mice, black-legged ticks and Lyme disease for more than two decades.
They say a bumper crop of acorns in 2010 caused mouse populations to soar in 2011. With more mice came more ticks. Acorns were scarce last fall, meaning fewer mice this spring and a lot of hungry ticks. Osfeld says the highest disease risk is May through July.
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Dog Found – Disregard Last Post!

Posted on 03/20/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

Good news! The dog was found – please disregard the last post.

The Plymouth Press

Posted in Community News | 1 Comment

Lost Dog in Plymouth

Posted on 03/20/2012 by Plymouth Press Contributing Writer

LOST DOG-PLEASE HELP US FIND HER

Three year old, cream colored Golden Retriever last seen 9 am Friday morning, March 16th in the vicinity of Plymouth Five Corners Cemetery. Goes by the name of CHLOE. She is very friendly. Has collar and tags and is also microchipped.

Please call if found or sighted: 802-672-3179.

Thank you!

Betsy Tonkin

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