Welcome to The Plymouth Press Online

Plymouth Emergency Management has created a new email account specifically for COVID-19.  If anyone has a COVID issue or would like to be put on a ‘at risk’ list, please send an email to covid19plymouth@yahoo.com . This email will be monitored on a daily basis and we will respond to your concerns as quickly as possible.

We are ready to help in any way we can and will direct you to other resources if we cannot do it ourselves. These are very trying times and we want to do what we can to make life easier for all our Plymouth households.

Mercy: If you have two cloaks and your neighbor has none… (Luke 3:11)

Tyson Community Church has temporarily closed in response to the governor’s call for social distancing.

However, we have not abandoned our worship altogether. As the church’s pastor, I have been posting my weekly sermons on the church’s Facebook Page since beginning our leisurely exploration of Mark’s gospel, where they have been read by a larger community than ours. During this closure, I will continue to prepare and publish weekly sermons, and I am going to experiment with providing an audio file version, too. Stay tuned!

Our small faith community has also been fortunate to attract the musical talents of Erik Johannson who plays multiple instruments, including guitar, harp, recorder, and (of course) organ. He is a gifted musician and a long-time writer of worship songs – a number of which have been published in worship song compilations. Last Sunday, our first after closing, he provided us links to online hymns and songs by email that complemented the sermon theme. Whenever he is able to continue doing so going forward, I will include the links with the week’s sermon.

Using social media to keep our connections during this challenging time is brand new for us. We are exploring and experimenting, and learning as we go. Meanwhile, we are pretty darned happy with who we are becoming as a worship community, and we’re eager to remain connected in spirit even if we must be physically separated.

https://www.facebook.com/TysonCommunityChurch/

Reprinted with permission of The Vermont Standard

3/16/20

Well, it’s Monday morning – a new day and a new week begins. The sun is shining brightly and the birds are happily chirping. Perhaps the sap will run today and sugaring can continue.

There are some things that continue unchanged, yet there is so much that is constantly changing. This COVID 19 outbreak has caused considerable disruption in most of our lives. The interconnectedness of the world has both pluses and minuses.

The fact that life has slowed down a bit might be considered a positive occurrence, however. The need to evaluate what it is important to do now and what can wait can be another plus. How wonderful that we still have so many ways to communicate with one another so that physical isolation does not mean a lack of connection. It has been heartwarming to hear from friends with offers to shop for us – many folks are reaching out in so many ways.

As most of you have likely guessed, the 3/19 Community Luncheon has been canceled. Feel free to wear green on the 17th even if you simply remain at home, though! The corned beef had already been purchased, but is safely in the freezer, so we plan to use it next month.

Please note also that Tyson Church will be closed at least until the end of the month.

In the meantime, may the promise of spring and the beauty of VT help to ease frustration and fear. Be well and blessed.

• Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, much like the flu. At this time, the risk of COVID-19 in our communities is low; in contrast, the risk of flu is high. Unlike the flu, COVID-19 is not particularly dangerous for children; however, It is dangerous for older adults and those with lung conditions.  It is therefore wise to practice ‘calm preparedness’ in protecting ourselves and our community. The below information is applicable to both COVID-19  and the flu.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol). As soon as soap and water are available wash your hands. Hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water.
• Avoid touching your face which includes eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Maintain a six foot distance.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• If you feel sick call your health care provider and follow his/her directions.

Printed with permission from The Vermont Standard

3/8/20

Balmy weather over the weekend and the sap is running! It is amazing how little snow is left, especially if you travel from our immediate area. Our course, you turn up Dublin Rd and it still looks like winter! By the way, so nice to have those couple of huge holes filled in – thank you.

Well, Town Meeting moved along rather quickly and all of the articles passed, most without much discussion. Selectman Rick Kaminski reviewed the survey results that hopefully will provide direction for town leaders. With a fairly new Board of Selectmen, (welcome Jay Kullman), we were advised of their plan to examine the town finances in more depth within the coming months. It was nice to have time to chat after the formal meeting was adjourned.

There were no local contests, so everyone on the ballot was elected. In reviewing the presidential primary election results, it was interesting to see that Trump and Biden received 48 and 47 votes respectively, while Sanders received 70. Assorted votes went to other candidates and some were turned in blank.

Tyson Ladies Aid met on Thursday, 3/5, after having to cancel the February meeting twice because of the weather! Discussion centered on the Good Friday Bake sale that will be held outside Rite Aid in the shopping plaza in Ludlow on April 10th from 10:00 until noon. As usual, there will be an amazing array of goodies from which to choose – pies, cakes, cupcakes, and other adorable Easter treats. Mark your calendars!

The Book Group will be meeting this Thursday, 3/12 to discuss Boo Walker’s Red Mountain. It was a very different book from our last one, so it will be interesting to hear the comments and gain different perspectives. These discussions really enhance our understanding of the characters!

Plans are underway for the 3/19 Community Luncheon to take place downstairs at Tyson Church. I understand that the corned beef has already been purchased and the work schedule set for prep of the traditional boiled dinner in honor of St Patricks Day. For those who attended last year, Michelle is using the same delicious recipe and she will have assistance from Nancy Hagge. Dessert will be a delightful surprise and I am still working on the music piece!

Reprinted with permission of The Vermont Standard

2/28/20

Early deadline and I really don’t have much news! More birds are back and now house finches with their flamboyant pink color, along with goldfinches. Our Christmas cactus has decided to bloom again and other indoor plants are coming into bloom as well – signs of spring….

For some reason February seems to have lasted a long time for me this year and I am sure it is not simply that it is leap year! Our oldest grandson’s basketball season has just come to an end, after four consecutive nights of games, A pretty tough schedule since he’s only eight. Not to fear, however, there will not be a dearth of sports events to watch because baseball practice begins next week!

Please note there are books collecting at the Town Hall that are for the bringing and taking. There is not an abundance of space on the table, but it is worth taking a look.

I suppose the gusty winds of the last couple of days are preparing us March. What will the new month hold for us? Well, first of all, it signals the time to get out and vote. It can also mean socializing with folks we may not have seen for a time. I always look forward to that piece of Town Meeting. See you there!

Reprinted with permission of The Vermont Standard

2/23/20

Our unsettled and unpredictable weather continues! A couple of nights were pretty nippy and the windchill made it feel well below zero. It was interesting that when Tom and I were tapping trees on 2/13, it felt cold, but the sap appeared to be running. Who knows what this sugaring season will hold! More tapping going on over the weekend and especially on Sunday, the weather has been incredible. I guess the turkeys think so, too, because half a dozen departed from eating the fallen seeds from under our feeder and marched up into our woods when I arrived home from church!

There have been significant wind gusts at times and apparently there was an electrical issue with a transformer at Jackson Gore on Friday morning that delayed the opening of the lifts for a time. Perhaps the cold temps kept skiers from complaining too much.

I can’t understand what is happening at our bird feeder lately. It hangs high off the ground and we fill in from our dining room window. Until the other day, massive numbers of finches have been present, necessitating refilling the feeder several times each day. The last two days I have seen no finches, mainly chickadees and the seed consumption has decreased dramatically. I did notice a blue day the other day and wonder how that fits into the equation….

Well, I am afraid that I goofed! I noted the wrong book for this cycle of the Reading Group. Girl Waits with Gun will be for a subsequent discussion. The next selection is actually Boo Walker’s Red Mountain. The beautiful setting of eastern Washington state is the backdrop for the story of four “complicated” people, whose lives intersect. Copies of the book are at available on loan at Town Hall. Discussion will take place on 3/12.

The Town reports are in the mail and perhaps already delivered. You can also see all of the pertinent information on the Town website, including the school district report and sample ballot for the school budget and other school related items to be voted by Australian ballot on 3/3. If you would like a better understanding of the school piece, you can attend the District informational meeting on Thursday, 2/27 at 6 PM at the Woodstock Union Middle School library.

It was a hungry group who gathered for the recent Community Luncheon – both soups, all of the salad, and the beautiful chocolate heart cake made by Teresa Ennis were all devoured! If you would like to order a cake designed by Teresa, you can reach her at teresa.ennis99@gmail.com.

We also had a delightful discussion about love that included shared stories about meeting our special sweethearts. It is such a dedicated group of volunteers that some of our “cooks” weren’t actually unable to attend, but they made sure the food got to the table. Thanks to one and all.

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

2/16/20

So many people have come to our area for this Holiday weekend and vacation week that navigating Ludlow has not been easy. The Shaw’s parking lot was full by 11 AM on Friday and 4 registers were open – all with lines. Good for local businesses, however, those of us who live here know to shop early, then get out of town!

There were 10 of us at the Book Club meeting last week and I think that might be a new record. The discussion of A Gentleman in Moscow was animated, with everyone having enjoyed it and making interesting observations. It really enhances a book when others add their perspective. The next book is Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart. Reviews indicate it has “a great combo of dialogue and description”, as well as “wonderful development of characters”. The discussion will take place on 3/12.

I do not see snow listed for the day of the Community Luncheon, 2/20, although it is forecast to be cold. So, the fact that there will be two different kinds of soup bespeaks of wonderful planning – on somebody’s part! Feel free to join us at 11:30 AM in the downstairs room at Tyson Church via the Echo Lake Inn parking lot.

Get ready for the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, 3/2, at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall, I believe that Town Reports will be mailed shortly or you can pick one up. Voting by Australian ballot happens on Tuesday, 3/3, at the Town Hall, from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Absentee ballots are available by contacting the Town Clerk prior to voting day.

Sample presidential primary ballots are posted on the Plymouth Website, under Bulletin Board and also at Town Hall. You need to select either the Democrat or Republican ballot. Although there are 13 names on the Democrat one, many have since closed their campaigns. I believe there are still 3 names on the Republican ballot. You can also check out the Town ballot and it should be noted that there are no contested races for local elected officials.

Now that we are part of the Windsor Central Modified Unified School District, (whew!) we no longer have a local school budget meeting either before or after Town Meeting. The District will be holding an informational meeting on Thursday, 2/27 at 6 PM at the Woodstock Union Middle School library to review the 2020-2021 budget, which will be voted by Australian ballot on 3/3. Per the insert in the VT Standard, voters will be asked to approve the $21,783,948 proposed budget (of which $16,896,833 is to be funded with taxes), in addition to several other articles. Also on the ballot will be to re-elect Jen Flaster for a 3 year term as School Director!

More property changing hands….

1) Rte 100 (LAND – 12 ACRES) $36,000 Ross Family Trust to Farm and Wilderness Foundation

2) 63 Lakeview Rd, Birch Landing $286,000 Kathleen Kraez Trust to James Slaminki and Marybeth Schanz

3) 368 Crimson Hawk Rd $212,500 Kevin Brill to Shawn McLaughlin and Katherine Blye

4) 916 Salt Ash Rd $238,800 Jay Nisberg and Alicia Boylan to Sparrow Trading, LLC

Reprinted with permission of The Vermont Standard

2/9/20

Our interesting weather continues! You needed to be quick over the last several days in order to see if the precipitation was rain, sleet or snow. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to find the shoveling easy on Saturday morning since the top layer was fluffy, light snow. Of course, about five inches down I hit the ice layer!

It really did look beautiful although I know some folks experienced power outages. I imagine that more limbs would have splintered and crashed down had the snow been any heavier. On the bright side, the snow glistened in the moonlight on Friday night, plus the sunrise the next morning was lovely. Trees looked like spun glass and many reflected a rainbow of colors when the sun was out.

It has been difficult to keep up with the bird feeder these days. The inclement weather seems to make them ravenous! I admit that I become a bit frustrated when the finches hog the feeder and I been known to knock on the window in order to give the chickadees a chance to swoop in and out to grab a seed or two.

I have not been receiving much information on the students in our area, so please feel free to send some news my way! I noticed that congratulations are in order for Ian Dupont for making the Dean’s List at Champlain college. I am sure there are other achievements that should be recognized, as well.

Hoping that there will not be any snow for the upcoming Community Luncheon on Thursday, 2/20 at 11:30 at Tyson church. It looks like the meal is all set, so I hope that folks will plan to attend and that stories of love will abound!

Reprinted with permission by The Vermont Standard

2/3/20

Well, it’s Monday morning, with light snow falling, after a hyped up and eventful weekend. Viewing the Superbowl with friends provided a good meal and a back and forth game almost to the very end. Without the Patriots being in it, the intensity of my interest just was not there, however.

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow and I would love to believe that winter will end after six weeks, but as a friend often says – his predictions do not count here in VT! None-the-less, the frequent snow flurries are keeping the snow sparkling & very pretty. Just be careful driving because the roads seem to have taken a beating this year. I don’t believe that Dublin Road has ever displayed the ice and ripple effect that dominates it this year….

Plans are coming along nicely for the Community Luncheon on 2/20. There will be two soups, salad and also dessert by Teresa Ennis, which is always a treat. We will have a Valentine theme despite that special day having passed, so come with thoughts about love (past or present) to share!

I truly enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and as several friends have noted, I didn’t want it to end. The Book Club discussion will take place on Thursday, 2/13 at 6:30 at the Community Center.