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Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

11/15/21

Snow or no snow?  I was coming home from WRJ on Saturday evening and the rain was unrelenting at times.  The glare in the dark on the wet pavement was frightening because it was difficult to see the lines on the road.  It was not until I arrived at the Plymouth border that the rain turned to snow.  The saving grace was the newly painted lines on 100A, plus the fact there was little oncoming traffic to blind me!

I noticed a fire truck coming up the Notch hill and later learned that there had been a roll-over on Messer Hill.  When emergency personnel arrived, the occupants of the car were no longer there.  I am not sure if a penalty of some kind will be the result of leaving the scene.  

Snow had been forecasted for the wee hours of today (Monday) and there was some, but it melted by dawn.  Momentary flurries have filled the air this morning, but nothing of consequence.  I paused in writing and now it is momentarily hailing.  Of course, winter weather is nipping at our heals.  I hope that folks are preparing for the season with good tires and such.  I just put my snow brush in the car, plus an emergency bag of items in case I become stranded somewhere.

We had a delightful conversation about spy Sonya & spies in general when the Reading Group met last week.  Rose hooked us up to Zoom, so a member in FL was also able to participate.  We also welcomed a new member Haylee and appreciated her comments & insights.   The next meeting is planned for Wednesday, 12/8 at 6:30 pm at the Community Center, when we will discuss the book Blue Desert by Celia Jeffries.  Consider joining us – the more the merrier!

Well, I was excited to learn about several more Nov birthday.  I missed Brian Hayes, who turned 16 on 11/4 and his sister Crystal will be 17 on 11/23.  Missy Lynds shares the 17th for her special day. I also missed Karen Evans (11/7) and Lonnie Ennis (11/14)  Art Lynds  and Patrick Donnelly share 11/15.  Best wishes to all!

I wanted to share the news that the Tyson Store will be closing on 11/30.  It is understandable that running the place is difficult now, but it will be greatly missed, as will be seeing Tina, Brooke and Ashley.  Tina said she is selling some items, too, since the potential buyer will not be running a store..  My grandsons wanted to where they will register their deer now.  It was always so nice that Tina took their pictures, too.   Arrangements have been made to handle the snow plowing piece, so that appears to be all set.  Sending well-wishes. 

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

11/8/21

What amazing weather!  I had my grandsons this weekend and we spent much of the time outside enjoying the warmth and beautiful sunshine.  We played disc golf on Saturday and miniature golf on Sunday.  I hit a hole-in-one, which is pretty incredible for me!  

It is interesting that some trees are completely bare now, but others are holding onto their leaves despite the wind and rain.  I do love the reds and oranges, but right now the golden glow is lovely.  I was coming through Ascutney on Wednesday when there was a two minute deluge of tiny sleet balls hitting my windshield.  It didn’t last long, but I understand that snow covered the ground in Mt Holly for a time.

This week will be the gathering of the Book Group to discuss Agent Sonya — Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben McIntyre.  It was eye-opening to learn the intricacies of spy work and that all countries seem to do it – some with more success than others.  We will meet at 6:30 PM on Wed, 11/10 at the community center and thanks to Rose, Zoom will be an option.

Belated Happy Birthday to Willow Bascom (11/2) and warm wishes to young Julia Baldwin (11/20) and Joan Day (11/30).  I admit that I am not very good at keeping track, so feel free to send me a reminder, so I include your special day.  Thought for the day:  “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There will be a meeting for folks interested in helping set up the first seed exchange at the Plymouth Community Center on Sunday, November 7th at 2pm.

Items to discuss include picking a Springtime date, helpful info to send out beforehand, format, suggesting gardeners plant an extra row for the food bank, possibility of having a canning session together at harvest time and your ideas.

35 School Drive, Plymouth

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

11/1/21

A new month is upon us!  So glad to see the sun (Monday), after a damp and gloomy weekend.  Hoping to get my outdoor items under cover now that they can dry out a bit!  My wind-chimes are playing loudly today with this brisk wind.  The possibility of snow and the changing of the clocks (fall back) next weekend  will surely bring winter into focus.  

So glad to be able to pass on news about the grange turkey supper that will be take out only on Saturday 11/13.  Many of us think this is the best turkey dinner around! To place your order call Alice at 672-6223 by 11/11. The cost is $12 and orders can be picked up starting at 4:30 PM.

Schuyler Hagge rides again and wins!  The final Northern New England Mountain Bike series was held at the Vermont Academy in Saxtons River on October 30.  Of the 16 teams in the league, Woodstock is the only public school.  The Woodstock placed third overall and Schuyler took first place for the A girls. Apparently she could handle the muddy conditions!  I wish I had more news about our young people, so consider contacting me.

Don’t forget the special town meeting at 7:00 PM on Monday, 12/6 when these three articles will be discussed:  Article 1 To see if the voters will authorize the Select Board to assign fund balances in accordance with 24 V.S.A. § 2804.  Article 2 To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of $950,000.00 for repair of the town hall roof, completing deferred maintenance, performing energy/weatherization upgrades, and the addition of solar.  Article 3  To see if the Town will approve a short-term rental ordinance.  Check the town website for instructions regarding attending via Zoom.  The polls will be open for voting by Australian Ballot on 12/7 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Many folks have been expressing interest in the articles to be voted in December and the Select Board is anxious to provide some clarification, so I am including a message from our Selectmen:

“Article One is to approve money for deferred maintenance, structural repairs, insulation, alternative energy/heating sources, and a new roof for the Town Hall.  With an ongoing problem of roof leaks at the Town hall, independent contractors had advised the current and prior Selectboard that Town hall needs a new roof.  It was also recognized that a lack of insulation was contributing to ice dams causing the leaks.” 

“The Selectboard discussed several options and decided that we should have a more comprehensive look at the building to make sure we were looking at both the capital expenditure for a big project and the ongoing operating costs of the building (the Plymouth Town Hall uses approximately twice the energy of the average municipal building in Vermont).  Additionally, improved insulation to combat ice dams would leave much more snow on the roof potentially exceeding the design loads of the building.”

“The Selectboard hired an architect and their consulting engineer to do a full-envelope analysis, the results of which are posted on the Town website. The subsequent report notes that significant structural upgrades should be made to prevent a building failure.  Upon closer examination, roughly $400,000 in deferred maintenance should be completed.  We were advised that the current propane boiler serving the offices is at the end of its useful life, as are the heaters in the Fire department bay and Garage.  The overhead doors are also showing significant wear, and daylight is visible from the inside.” “Voting 2-1, the Selectboard chose option D, as designated in the aforementioned report. The two Selectmen voting for option D thought it made the most sense when looking at the project from the angles of capital expenditure and long-term operating costs.”

October 26, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department in September completed the repairs of a dry hydrant on Hale Hollow Road that was damaged during the spring runoff. The repair of this dry hydrant is part of a comprehensive program to improve and maintain fire protection in Plymouth.

The Fire Department is continuously improving fire protection in Plymouth by installing and maintaining dry hydrants to improve the availability and accessibility of water for firefighting purposes. The Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force through the Northern Vermont Resource Conservation and Development Council provided assistance to the Fire Department in developing a plan to improve water supply in Plymouth.

The Vermont Legislature approved appropriations to assist communities in installing dry hydrants to improve fire protection in the rural area of Vermont.  The Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force with the assistance of the Northern Vermont Resource Conservation and Development Council administers the grant program.

 Dry hydrants are a preferred method of providing water for’ firefighting in areas where there are no water mains. A dry hydrant consists of a 6 to 8 inch pipe with a fitting to which a pump/ tanker truck can attach. The pipe connects to a water source (Pond or stream) that can supply at least 60,000 gallons under drought conditions.

This is but one example of the service your fire department provides in preparation for the next alarm.

If you have any questions about developing a rural water supply in your area, please contact the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force at 802-828-4582 , dryhydrantguy@yahoo.com , or visit www.nvtrcd.org/vtrfptf.html .

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

10/25/21

Although a bit late this autumn, the first frost of the season has arrived.  A brisk morning (Sunday), but the sunshine was bright and beautiful.  I am not quite finished with outdoor projects, but I did manage to pull in plants that would have been in jeopardy.  

I noticed that last week’s VT Standard contained articles listing the availability of help with heating costs such as https://www.uppervalleywoodbank.com and Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) (802) 722-4575 or 1-800-464-9951. Fuel prices are escalating and I was annoyed with myself for waiting to have my tanks filled.

Youth Hunting Weekend was this past Saturday and Sunday and by mid-afternoon Tyson Store had 9 deer registered, although Tina felt there might be more before the day ends.  My grandsons, Owen and Landon were both part of that count, with Landon getting his very first deer on Sunday.  Congratulations to all who participated.

Traveling on Rte 100A this week was delightful with the new pavement.  The news on Rte 100 is disconcerting, however.  I am noting a statement from the Select Board: “The Plymouth SB met with Kristin Higgins from the Structures Division at the Agency of Transportation or AOT. We were informed that the road will remain closed until November 27th due to contractor delays.”

“The Select Board inquired about legal action, additional help, or anything else that might move the project along.  AOT has advised that they are pressing the contractor and providing support however, there is no immediate solution. AOT did contact the Department of Forest Parks and Recreation (FPR) to request that the CCC road to Shrewsbury remain open.  FPR advised that they would honor that request as long as the weather cooperates and the road is passable.” 

Don’t forget that the new dates for the special town meeting are:  Monday night 12/6 at 7 PM for the informational meeting, then voting will take place on Tuesday 12/7 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  Some information on the Short Term Rental proposal and the repairs to the Town Building can be found on the Town website.  I understand that there will be no need for new taxes or a bond issue in order to accomplish the needed upgrades and renovations.