Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard
5/15/23
The weather was delightful again this weekend, although a bit cooler on Sunday than previous days. That full week of rain helped to mitigate the dry conditions, but I think we could use some gentle showers now. Don’t forget that burn permits are needed – contact Forest Fire Warden, Joseph Rebideau at (802) 672-5148.
I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Mother’s Day. I want to thank my family for helping me sift through some of the items in my garage and taking a truckload away! We only made a dent, but it is a start.
Something has been setting off my driveway alarm around 9 PM each night. I was finally able to see that it is a fox, who looks nice and healthy with a beautiful fluffy tail.
There is a Select Board meeting tonight at 6 PM. You can find the agenda on the town website. The town is still one person short on the highway dept staff. Applications are being accept by the Town Clerk.
Tiffany and Chris are readying Camp Plymouth State Park to open on Friday, 5/26 at 10 AM
Here is the latest from them: We are getting ready to welcome all of you for a great season at Camp Plymouth State Park! Day use begins daily at 10am and ends at sunset through October 1st. Prices this year are: Adult 14+: $5, Child 4-13: $2, Child 0-3: Free. Passes are a great way to save and punch cards are an excellent choice if you are an every-so-often visitor.
The playground has been repaired and is OPEN! Dogs are allowed in the park, on the grass, on a leash. Ask staff for areas where dogs can swim.
Concessions and boat rentals will be operating. The hours will vary slightly throughout the season. Generally rentals will start at 11am. Concession items will be similar to last year: ice creams, drinks, snacks.
Fork in the Road food truck will be here Saturday and Sunday opening weekend! They will have their famous street fries with cabbage mint slaw and garlic mayo – a must try They will be here on select dates the remainder of the summer.
Cottage guests will be pleased to know the cottages had some wonderful interior work done this winter! There might even be a few dates left to rent.
Mark your calendars for the Emergency Services Open House from 9 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, 5/13. Come check out the equipment and these wonderful volunteers.
News From the Notch May 5th, 2023
Coolidge liked apple pie—especially apple pie with a Vermont twist. Two Coolidge fans, Rebecca Cox and Jane Hemenway, served apple pie at Coolidge gatherings this spring. Jane “Vermonted up” her pie with a square of Vermont cheddar on the side, an extra gift because a dab of whipped cream decorated the dessert as well. Rebecca for her part offered apple pie made with two other Vermont favorites—maple syrup and bacon lard. Both pies were tested by Coolidge staffers and rated outstanding.The occasion for Jane’s culinary offering (pictured above) was a Women’s National Republican Club showing of the new Coolidge documentary, Coolidge: Rediscovering an American President. Guests engaged in a Coolidge conversation after the main course (New England style chicken). Rebecca’s event was one of many Coolidge jury sessions taking place these past few weeks. And yes, if you’re wondering, there were more 1920s favorites on the menu—from Vermont pickles to chop suey, a novelty in Coolidge’s era. Bravo Coolidge Chefs!A High School to EmulateCoolidge’s education made him—especially his high school education. The emphasis on elocution, declamation, and oratory brought out the shy young man. It was at his high school, Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont, that Coolidge came to see the power of the word, telling an audience at graduation time in 1890: “It would be hardly too much to say, that since the dawn of civilization, the triumphs of the tongue have rivaled, if not surpassed, those of the sword.”
This summer, visitors will have a chance to see the institution that made Coolidge, Black River Academy, and learn about both the Academy and its successor, Black River High School. On June 10, the Black River Academy Museum will open a new exhibit on the history of Ludlow’s Black River High School, which served the town from 1939 to 2020. Visitors will also get a feel for the old Academy of Coolidge’s time. Coolidge Foundation Ambassador Tracy Messer will join the celebration in character as President Coolidge to help bring the Academy’s history to life for the occasion. This special commemoration will begin at 11 AM and conclude at 3 PM. Admission costs $5 for the general public and $3 for seniors and students.North Carolina Students Debate Free TradeHigh school students debated the merits of free trade last weekend at the final regular season tournament of the 2022-2023 Coolidge debate season, which also served as a qualifier to the 2023 Coolidge Cup. Nearly seventy students traveled to Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina to argue both for and against the resolution: Resolved: the U.S. federal government should adopt a policy of unilateral free trade.Making the case for unilateral free trade to debaters, CaptiveAire Founder Bob Luddy shared real world evidence from his life in manufacturing. Coolidge Debate Director Jared Rhoads elucidated the case against the resolution. Students debated in teams of two, with Sofia Cornicelli and Sophia Damian taking the first prize in the High School Varsity division. Ten students earned an invitation to compete in this year’s Coolidge Cup. The Foundation thanks 1890 Society members Justin Marwad, Jaden Rams, and Cormac Lynch for volunteering to help run the tournament. The Coolidge Debate League would not be possible without the help of our enthusiastic alumni community.
On July 4, the Foundation will host the Coolidge Cup at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site—culminating a year of qualifying tournaments held from Idaho to Texas to North Carolina. Debaters and declaimers qualified from across the country and will travel to Plymouth, Vermont to compete for prizes and scholarships, with a grand championship round under the big tent capping off the tournament on the Fourth.Move Cal up to the Top Ten? In this centennial year, debaters will argue both for and against including President Coolidge among the top ten greatest presidents in American history. C-SPAN’s presidential rankings poll of historians has consistently ranked Coolidge below the top twenty presidents. Debaters will consider whether Coolidge warrants a top spot.Want to spend more than one day at the Notch? The competition is open to the public, and the Foundation seeks volunteer citizen judges to score the debates throughout the tournament, which runs July 2-4. Don’t have any experience with competitive debate? We will provide all the information you need at each day’s briefing session. Learn more and sign up to judge on our website here.July 4: Fourth of July Celebration at the Notch
To honor the birthday of President Coolidge and the nation that he so loved, the Coolidge Foundation and State of Vermont will lead a memorial procession from the village green to the Coolidge gravesite on the Fourth of July. Speeches about Coolidge’s legacy and declamations of Coolidge speeches will follow. Check the Coolidge Foundation’s website to stay up to date.
August 2-3: Homestead Inauguration CentennialThis August marks the centennial of Calvin Coolidge’s remarkable homestead inauguration. We hope you and your family will consider making a trek to the hamlet where it all took place in this special year. We have a series of family-friendly events planned, including a 2:47 AM reenactment of President Coolidge’s legendary homestead inauguration and a Centennial Gala at the Notch. Click here to learn more about our inauguration events and here to purchase tickets to the Inauguration Gala.
A Chickering Piano President Coolidge was one of the last American presidents to write the majority of his speeches. Indeed, Coolidge took such pride in his oratory that he published three volumes of his speeches, including Have Faith in Massachusetts which was recently republished by the Coolidge Foundation. Coolidge, however, did not write every speech that he delivered. One-hundred years ago, he spoke in Boston to celebrate the centennial of the Chickering Piano Company. Ishbel Ross reports that Grace Coolidge was “amazed at the outflow of comment on composers and rare musical items. She knew that Calvin simply did not have this knowledge. When it was over… she burst into laughter, in which her husband finally joined.”Needless to say, the piano speech never made it into any of Coolidge’s speech books. Click here to read the full speech on the Foundation’s website. Terrifying Tax Forms
Friend of Coolidge and historian of taxation Joseph Thorndike recently wrote an article for Forbes about the federal income tax’s rocky beginnings in the 1910s. Thorndike notes that complexity and uncertainty challenged the taxpayer unnecessarily. Click here to read the full article online.
News From the Notch is the Coolidge Foundation’s email newsletter, designed to keep you connected and up-to-date on all the activities of the Foundation.
We encourage you to contribute to News From the Notch.
You can share stories, photos, tips, or tidbits for inclusion by emailing editor William Pettinger at wpettinger@coolidgefoundation.org.
Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard
5/8/23
Oh, what a glorious weekend after the damp and dreary days of last week! Thanks to everyone who helped me to pull out the picnic table and lawn furniture, plus planters that I will soon fill. The black flies were not a hindrance when I was working outside on Sunday, but I understand they have made themselves well-known in other parts of town.
I have transitioned to my hummingbird feeder, but I have not seen any yet. Joanie has seen them at her feeders up the road. I did find a very confused looking female purple finch sitting on mine, obviously disgruntled about the change.
Although I was not able to attend the 5/1 Select Board meeting, I have reviewed the minutes that can be found on the town website. Please know that the website is becoming a valuable source of information. I decided to note a couple of items.
Pete Fellows was reappointed as 911 coordinator, with assistance from Mike Coleman and Margot Martell. Frank Vetere has been appointed short term rental administrator, while Margot Martell will coordinatethe application process. Dave Ulster presented the town with an AED, donated by Plymouth Emergency Services, that will be installed on the wall of the town building.
Wellcome back to Tiffany & Chris at Camp Plymouth State Park! I can’t recall where I read the misinformation, but the park is located in Plymouth, not Ludlow! We have 2 state parks in town, including Coolidge State Park on the other side of town, noted for its lovely campsites.
Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard
5/1/23
Heavy rain overnight and I understand some roads are flooded, so be careful out there. This info may seem strange with all of the recent rain, but don’t forget to obtain burn permits by calling Forest Fire Warden Joseph Rebideau at (802) 672-5148.
I had a visitor in my yard in the middle of the night (see pic). I imagine he was hoping for some delectable treats. He was not as big as the one in my tree last year, but I do make lots of noise when I come home after dark!
It looks like the Select Board meeting tonight will be dealing with many important issues. I cannot cut & paste the agenda with the new format, but you can go on the Town Website to see it.
Mark your calendars for the Emergency Services Open House from 9 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, 5/13. Come check out the equipment and these wonderful volunteers.
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Call to Order and Introduction of Those Present
Consideration of Any Changes, Additions or Removals to Agenda:
Approve Meeting Minutes: a. October 28, 2022 Special Meeting Minutes b. November 21, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes c. December 5, 2022 Special Meeting Minutes d. April 3, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes e. April 17, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes
Coolidge State Park in Plymouth, and Camp Plymouth State Park in Ludlow are all hiring for a commuting Assistant Manager and attendant openings for the 2023 season! Come be part of a summer tradition and help guests create lifelong memories; join the awesome team that makes it happen!
Management positions start at $17.12 per hour, attendant positions start at $16.32 an hour. Positions can start in late April or throughout May and run until Labor Day or early October. These jobs are frequently outside and include a number of physical tasks; interacting with guests is also to be expected. Perks include free camping and boat rentals at our other parks! All ages and experience levels are encouraged to apply.
PAL VT, is a non-profit, 501c3, philanthropic organization, that was formed to Preserve Amherst Lake, one of the more pristine lakes in VT. The lake, in spite of its beauty and irreplaceable resources, was slated to be demonstratively changed by the proposed removal of the dam (Amherst Dam) at its southern end. The dam is one of the many privately owned dams in VT. Over that course of the last year and a half, it became abundantly clear to us that the only course of action to prevent the dam’s removal was through the transfer of ownership of the dam. Hence, the immediate focus for the organization has been to save the dam from destruction by doing what was necessary to acquire it.
Thanks to the relentless work of the members of PAL VT, the transition of the dam ownership to PAL VT took place in January of this year. As the new owners of the dam, we have begun the process of determining the next steps needed to restore the dam to its former glory.
Our hope is to be able to make the necessary repairs to ensure that the dam can continue to regulate the water flows that support the lakes along the Black River and return Amherst Lake to her past water levels that supported the ease of movement throughout the lake.
Our next step is to hire authorized engineers to inspect the dam and provide the necessary information for the State to approve the repairs that will need to be made to, and around the dam. PAL VT has been very fortunate to have a number of members and volunteers who have contributed to our success thus far, but to fully accomplish all that we have set out to do will require the help and support of many of your readers. We have much to do and as the lakes thaw and summer quickly approaches, I hope all the friends and lovers of the outdoors and the lakes and streams in and around our area will go to PALVT.org for further information and to assist in our cause to save the dam. Because if we succeed, we all benefit.
Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard
4/23/23
I hope folks didn’t put away all their warm clothes because we are still in that variable weather time of year. The bears don’t seem to mind, though and have happily come out of hibernation. I have not seen any yet, but they are around and busy destroying feeders and suet baskets!
Lots of people seem to be out picking up twigs, raking torn-up lawns and trying to put things back in order. Three of our fire personnel did their part this past weekend by erecting an informative new sign near the town office building. Many thanks to Steve Radonis, Dave Olster, and Kirk Turner!
The repairs to the Stickney Bridge in Tyson seem to be coming along nicely. Tom at the Echo Lake Inn is hopeful it will be done before his wedding season gets into full swing. The construction on Rte 100 is manageable with the traffic light, but sometimes it takes a bit of time for it to change. I fear I have become an impatient person!
According to the Select Board, the State inspects and issues a yearly report on the condition of bridges. One on the back road by Hawk is slated for repair, too. At the recent SB meeting, Mike Coleman was appointed as 911 Coordinator.
Also at that meeting, Josh Rose brought up the issue of school choice. It was several years ago that Plymouth voted to join WCUUSD, thereby relinquishing our ability to send our youngsters to schools in towns outside the union. There are several families with young children on the Tyson end of town who would opt for Ludlow, but it does not seem that will be possible. There is talk of having a meeting for further discuss this issue, so spread the word.
Don’t forget to wish Kathy Lynds happy birthday on 4/29. Bob has now returned from the Gill Home. Sorry that I missed Sally Dolloff’s on 4/1, so belated congratulations.
Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard
4/17/23
A few April showers today, but the weekend was glorious. Although I had tasks to accomplish indoors, I opted to do some raking instead. I saw many people doing spring cleanup, as well. A special thanks to all of those who have assisted me to get back on track with my septic system.
I don’t believe the agenda for tonight’s Select Board Mtg was posted, but you can find it on the town website. The Reading Group will be discussing Charles F by our own Cassie Horner on Wed, 4/19 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. A heads-up for the Emergency Services Open House on Sat, 5/13, from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Special School Report:
Much appreciation for Margo’s offer to include a Windsor Central Unified Union School (WCUUSD) Board report in her Plymouth column. The District & Board have been very busy this spring. Check out Superintendent Sherry Sousa’s recently released Annual Report highlighting the District’s accomplishments and progress, as well as challenges ahead. WES Principal Maggie Mills has an important message in the most recent Board Book (bottom page 8) from April 3rd. District Library Media Specialist Joyce Yoo Babbit was featured in a Vermont Public’s Vermont Edition story about the 1,2,3 Ready! Read! Review! Podcast she created, featuring students from the District. And lastly, we on the Board welcome community participation and involvement, so feel free to join us (either in person or virtually) at an upcoming meeting. The Board Meeting schedule is here.– Elliot Rubin, MD, FAAP, (a WCUUSD Board Member Representing Plymouth)
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