Buy Local, Buy Fresh
Welcome and celebrate the coming of the summer season at the Richmond Farmers’ Market. The Market will be held every Friday June 8 through October 12, 3 pm to 6:30 pm in front of the bandstand on Volunteers Green. Come and meet your Local Growers and Buy Local. Are you craving fresh local lettuce, asparagus, spinach, rhubarb, radishes, herbs or beets? Has it been a while since you have had some fresh out-of-the-oven homemade bread, cookies or pie and graced your table with fresh cut flowers?
Don’t forget, Father’s Day is right around the corner. This year the Market will have an even larger variety of fresh local produce, meats, prepared foods, flowers, plants, and entertainment for the whole family. All products available at the Market are locally grown, baked or made. The following special events are free of charge and are all supported by the local Farmers’ Market vendors, businesses, families and agencies.
On June 8, opening day, the Richmond Farmers’ Market will feature Ted Sargeant’s Tractor Day. Hop aboard a kid-friendly vintage tractor. Ted will bring his collection of pedal and garden tractors. Thank you Ted!
Also, from 4 pm to 5 pm, the talented Kelly King will return to the Market to paint faces. Get a new look with one of her whimsical, artistic creations.
On June 15, the Market will host Vermontica, the calf, and Dairy Day. Vermontica loves all the attention she will get. Stop by for some free milk and giveaways, thanks to the Department of Agriculture. Vermontica will share the stage from 3 pm to 4 pm with face painter Kelly King.
On June 22, Bill Myregaard and Joe Carlomagno, aka, Dark Star will perform 4:30 to 5:30. Dark Star is a talented acoustic duo who plays folk and Grateful Dead-related songs. Later on in the season you may again see Bill Myregaard who also plays with The Willoughbys, a four-piece band playing music from the American landscape.
On June 29, the Richmond Farmers’ Market will welcome back the ever-popular Rebecca Padula. She is a folk singer/songwriter, with a hint of jazz and will play on stage from 4:30 to 5:30. Her beautiful voice and harmonizing guitar will accompany her and wow the crowd. This event is sponsored by Attorney David Sunshine and Jon Fath, owner of Toscano Café Bistro.
For further information or questions about the Richmond Farmers’ Market, contact Carol Mader at 434-5273 or cmader@surfglobal.net |
River Study to Continue this Summer
The Huntington River Conservation Partnership (HRCP) has again received a LaRosa Partnership grant from the State of Vermont which will allow for a continuation of E. coli monitoring this coming summer. The Huntington River Study, now in its sixth year, together with the addition last year of the Richmond segment, is beginning to provide a wealth of information.
The long term HRCP goal is to work with landowners along the river to improve river stability, ensure water quality and otherwise strive for human and property safety. Details of activities and findings to date can be found at the HRCP website: www.huntingtonriver.org. From the website, you can join the Huntington River listserv – an automatic email service to stay informed about river related news, events and volunteer opportunities. As a result of studies to date, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has added a segment of the river as officially "impaired" (Huntington Lower Village to Huntington-Richmond Town Line) and in need of a clean-up plan. The State of Vermont is now tasked with developing a plan, referred to as a "TMDL."
The EPA classification opens the strong possibility that the Huntington River will be included in an EPA-State project to track sources of E. coli along the river, using DNA analysis. This would allow a more thorough assessment of contamination sources: human, domestic animal or wildlife. The 2007 summer study will be carried out much as in past years. Volunteer sign-up will begin in early June with sampling to start late that month and continue for 14-15 weeks. Main study sites will be sampled weekly. Feeder streams and other sites identified as potential sources of contamination will be sampled on an as-needed basis. The success of HRCP efforts depends on the volunteer participation. This will be especially important during the sampling period this summer.
Those who have volunteered in the past to help gather samples or who are now on the Huntington River list serve and receiving HRCP announcements will be contacted automatically. Others who are interested in participating should contact Bob Low for Richmond (bob.low@uvm.edu) or Aaron Worthley for Huntington (aaron @arrowwoodvt.com).
Remembering Anne
Anne Dockery, New Yorker, Times Ink columnist, friend of myself and my family died in her apartment on 110th St. and Broadway on April 20, 2007 following many years of failing health. She was 57 years old. I present here a glimpse of the person I knew. Anne arrived in Wilder, Vermont from New Jersey in ninth grade. It was obvious that her rigorous Catholic school academic training put her miles ahead of the rest of the class. Anne was fearless and merciless toward a weak argument presented by someone in authority. Well read and intellectually ruthless, Anne could seriously humiliate a pompous teacher. She was a challenge to teachers and classmates alike in terms of academic ability but she relished small town life and the friendships she formed in high school. She became team manager for basketball, student director in theatre and editor of the school paper. At night and on weekends she worked as a "Marion Brown" at the Mary Hitchcock Hospital. "Marion Brown" was the intercom code name used to call a checkout maid (they were always female) to clean a room following the discharge of a patient
In the steampipe-hung bowels of the hospital basement, she sat at her station repairing holes in the linen while waiting for her next call. She enjoyed the mending, already having the sewing skills to make her own wardrobe. Anne saved her money to pay for college. Charles Dickens, one of Anne's favorite writers at the time, might have found inspiration in her character.
As a scholarship student at Bennington College in the fall of 1967, Anne began her passionate connection with politics joining the presidential campaign of Eugene McCarthy when he ran against Lyndon Johnson as an antiwar candidate. After a winter work term in another Dickensian setting, Goodspeed's Bookstore in Boston where she repaired antique books, Anne continued to grow more radical and committed in her political thinking. Midway through her second year at Bennington, Anne left for New York and stayed. Now deeply involved in the antiwar movement, she joined the Liberation News Service collective as a photographer.
The group published articles and photographs for various underground newspapers in the U.S. Anne went on assignments to Northern Ireland and North Vietnam, which put her in serious danger both for her life and citizenship. Anne returned to school in the late seventies to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees in social work from Columbia. She worked for several years in NYU's hospital as a social worker and then as a union organizer for hospital workers. Failing health cut her working life short but she traveled to visit friends whenever possible and always kept up her correspondence.
Even as she traveled the world Anne carried her friends and sense of place with her. Her letters and postcards came postmarked from England, Ireland, Cuba, Italy and Hungary to name just a few. She decorated her apartment with maps and souvenirs of her travels. Despite over 30 years residence on 110th St. Anne loved Vermont and was delighted to come back and visit even if only in the pages of The Times Ink. She and I wrote the Times Ink column, The View from Here from October 1992 until October 2004. Anne loved to hear news of any readers who asked about her or commented on the column. She even corresponded with some of them. Every year in her Christmas cards, she sent a copy of one of the columns and a solicitation to her friends to subscribe to The Times Ink to help support the paper and read the column. And so Anne, in the pages of The Times Ink, I thank you for your generosity, your loyalty, your courage, your concern for social justice, and your friendship. —Peggy [Peggy Curtis of Railroad Street and Anne Dockery of New York City wrote a popular monthly column in The Times Ink for 12 years.]
New Play Reading
Celebrate the end of mud season with the reading of a new play set atop Camel’s Hump. Ruining My Apocalypse by Huntington resident Danielle Sertz was one of the products of Huntington Valley Arts Grant program in 2005. This full-length play (about four people trapped at the peak of Camel’s Hump at the end of the world) will be read by some very talented local actors on Saturday, May 26, at the Huntington Public Library at 6 pm, and on Sunday, May 27, at the Richmond Free Library at 3 pm
Richmond Selectboard
Reported from Minutes
The Richmond Selectboard held a Special Meeting on April 27, at 7:30 am. It reviewed the year end projections which showed a deficit of approximately $56,000. Options to reduce the deficit include employee layoffs, setting a two-cent deficit tax for FY08 or stopping purchases. The Board felt that the deficit tax would allow town services to continue at current levels and clear the FY06 deficit of approximately $24,000 as well as the projected $32,000 FY07 deficit. The Board noted that the FY08 budget does not include any delinquent tax revenue, which had historically been anticipated to be received to meet operational expenses in the amount of $60,000 per year or more.
After evaluating this revenue source, the actual old delinquent tax revenue that should have been budgeted in past years is between zero and $15,000. The FY06 and projected FY07 deficits are a cumulative result of the town absorbing $45,000 in lost revenue annually. The FY08 decision to not budget for delinquent tax revenue is likely to generate a small revenue surplus in FY08 and in each subsequent fiscal year of between zero and $15,000 if the delinquent tax principal remains at current levels. In other business, the Board approved $4,036.39 for repair of a police cruiser with costs covered by an insurance claim settlement, and $19,651 for a new Chevrolet pursuit vehicle
Climate Change
On May 7, Planning Commission Chair Steve Bower reported on his attendance at a Vermont League of Cities and Towns workshop on climate change. He handed out a summary report of the workshop. Bower noted that efficient energy use saves money as well as reduces emissions into the environment. He stated that when towns make long-term decisions, they can engage community members, encourage enforcement of existing energy codes for buildings and lead other states by taking actions, including thinking of the triple bottom line (a municipality's impacts on its fiscal condition, its people and on the planet).
Bower suggested that the town could participate in various programs to help achieve various energy conservation goals. Town plan and local bylaw tools could have energy conservation incentives, such as waivers and density bonuses. Bower handed out a flyer on street lighting with an opportunity to save operating costs. A community group, the Richmond Climate Action Committee, is forming to help the town and its residents reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy Conservation Policy
Richmond resident Jeff Forward noted that the draft Energy Conservation Policy was ready and that it could be a good model for other municipalities. Forward offered that the next step should be working with department heads and ask for their comments before coming back to the Selectboard for action. The Board agreed that he should move forward with meeting with department heads and with Bower to begin the audits of existing facilities and energy usage, including a final recommendation for actions with cost-benefit factors.
Teen Center
Sue Pochop presented an overview of the development of plans for the use of the basement as a pilot teen center. Pochop explained that, following a site visit with town staff and project manager Don Morin it was thought that the town records should move to the space beneath the town vault and then the teen center could use the rooms currently used for town storage. Town Clerk Linda Parent stated that the space appears adequate for her land records needs.
Public Hearing on the Zoning and Subdivision Amendment
On May 7, the Board reviewed a memo dated May 6, 2007 from the Planning Commmission (RPC) that asked the Selectboard to continue with the current draft and work towards a second draft rather than sending back all amendments to the Planning Commission to start from step one with new planning commission hearings. RPC Chair Cathleen Gent advised that amendments to the density in the agricultural/residential zoning district should be deferred until the major rewrite of the zoning planned to start later this year. The Selectboard voted to close the first hearing and work toward a second draft for a new Selectboard hearing. Highway Department Pete Gosselin and Troy Liberty were present to review the bids for a new dump truck.
Gosselin would like to place an order for the new truck with an expected delivery date by November 2007. The Board discussed the costs and benefits of a tandem-axle over a single-axle dump truck and how to best present the financial arguments to the board. Gosselin advised that the dump truck is an emergency vehicle that needs to be able to respond all winter. Marquis advised that a tandem will save money for the town and Hampton asked for more information to support the financial argument to buy a second tandem. The Board would like to review the additional information
In other business, the Board:
- Approved an access permit for Amy and Ron Rodjenski, for relocation of their existing single-family driveway;
- Approved an agricultural access to a woodlot on Hinesburg Road for Richard Palmer with no town fee as it is an agricultural permit;
- Approved the beer and wine application for the liquor license for On the Rise Bakery;
- Reviewed a proposal from a resident on Tilden Avenue for a 50-50 cost share for tree removal with town costs less than $200. The Tilden Avenue historic elm tree pruning will cost about $1,200 and the Board concurred that both projects should move forward.
Water Resources Board Monthly Meeting
On May 7, two new members Tom Coggio and Harold Irish (replacing Selectboard members Michael Hampton and Bob Marquis) joined the Board. Coggio stated that he has heard a lot of concern over the proposed rate increase (58% in FY08 for a customer utilizing 60,000 gallons per year). He expressed surprise at how closely the facility needs to be run as a business.
Mary Claire Carroll and Jim Oliver appeared to express their concern for stormwater runoff from Jericho Road into Browns Court and into their property and basement which could be solved by repaving. Oliver felt that the town needs to act on its aging infrastructure.
Erik Filkorn pointed out the difference between the responsibilities of the Commissioners and the Selectboard.
The Board reviewed a letter from Donna Saks, dated 4-10-07, asking that the town not raise water rates and that sewer gas be corrected on her property. The rates were reviewed with the shift to the state allocation table and removal of sewer reserve from $25,000 to zero. The Commissioners would like to see the $25,000 for both water and sewer reserves as well as confirmation of the base allocation gallons for the next meeting.
Reporters Needed Reporter needed to cover Richmond Selectboard meetings.
Stipend paid. Must have computer with email, be able to meet the deadline, and write in a somewhat engaging manner to make some rather dry business sound interesting, even scintillating. Other opportunities also available to cover special hearings, presentations and workshops in both Richmond and Huntington. Above criteria apply. Contact: Megs Keir at mkeir@ accessvt.com or 434-3070.
Huntington Selectboard
Reported by Liz Greenberg
The Selectboard held its deliberations about the Camels Hump Right of Way (ROW). Their proposed findings of fact included the facts that: a portion of the Lax/Meuilleur house and much of the porch are located within the current right-of-way; the house, porch, and road existed before a State Statute defined the right-of-way, so action taken by the Selectboard would correct an error caused by the Statute; according to the property owners' attorney, if the situation is not corrected, new owners would not be able to secure a mortgage, so property owners would not be able to sell the property; the property has already been transferred to new owners.
The proposed conclusions were that there is a discrepancy on the mylar plat of the property, which states that the edge of the new ROW is off the southwest corner of the house when it is off the southeast corner of the house. Also, the septic located across the road from the house might be impacted if the road was widened or improved. The property owners would be responsible for expenses related to moving the septic if that is warranted in the future. The Board defined proposed orders to move the ROW based on the conditions that the plat be corrected to reference the new edge of the road correctly (off the southeast corner of the house), that expenses incurred in this process be repaid to the town, and that the new property owners be named in and sign onto the ROW deed. These proposed findings, conclusions, and orders were shared with Town Attorney Jim Carroll for review.
At the May 14 meeting, the Board signed off on a Report of Findings, Order and Return regarding this road alteration.
Old Fire House Huntington Historic and Community Trust Board Member Eliot Lothrop met with the Board to discuss the future of the Old Fire House. Selectboard Chair Roman Livak started the conversation by noting that a potential buyer may be interested in acquiring the parcel of land the Fire House sits on along with the Taylor's adjacent property so that he can develop the whole parcel together. Lothrop set out the possibilities: to take down and store the building or to preserve it in its current location. He would prefer not to see older buildings taken out of their current spot in place of new buildings that might look out of place, but at this point, the HHCT does not have a plan for funding the preservation of the building. It would take $16,000 or $17,000 to take it down and store it. Selectboard member Doug Graver asked what about the building itself was worth saving. Lothop explained that pieces of it are valuable, especially the timber frame. Graver suggested that if the land it sits on was sold, the proceeds could go towards dismantling the building. He suggested reassembling it elsewhere in town, possibly on the Rec Field. This suggestion made sense to others, considering the building is currently being used to store rec equipment. Livak shared that the listers estimate the land's worth at about $30,000. Lothop offered to talk to the interested resident to find out more about his plans. This discussion will be continued.
Huntington Commuter Parking
The Board also met with Wally Jenkins and Tom Pichler about developing a park and ride in an expanded Library parking lot. Jenkins is pursuing a grant which would fund the development of a park and ride, but it would require the acquisition of some land adjacent to the Library lot. Jenkins has spoken with Lister Kermit Blaisdell about the value of the adjacent land the property owners Tom Pichler and Heather Pembrook have offered to sell to the town to allow this project to happen. Blaisdell said the land is worth more to the town than it is to Pichler and Pembrook, and he thought it was a good idea for the town to purchase it. He was comfortable appraising its value at $10,000, with the town also paying for legal costs, surveys, etc. After talking with their accountant, Pichler and Pembrook came up with a sale price of $8000 and a $2000 gift for tax purposes. The town would also give them an assurance to take care of landscaping to screen the parking lot from their property sooner rather than later, regardless of grant funding for this expense. Graver asked if the grant would include everything except the landscaping and the land purchase. Jenkins explained that he will include as much as he can in the grant, but there is no guarantee that he will get the full amount requested. The grant application is due at the end of July and the land transfer can be in process when the grant is submitted. Zoning Administrator Seth Jensen said it's a simple property line adjustment with no need to subdivide. It also will go to Site plan review with the Planning Commission. This process can begin before the property transfer, preferably as soon as possible. Animal Control Officer (ACO) ACO Earl Dionne has resigned because he accepted a new position and is moving out of the area. Town Administrator Ed Wildman contacted neighboring towns in order to find interim coverage for this position. As of the May 7 meeting, he had not gotten a return call from Hinesburg. Mike Mack who covers Richmond is not interested in the position. Wildman will post an ad in local papers. The Board also discussed a letter that will be sent to residents of Taft Road. Many people are letting their dogs run loose. The letter will advise residents that dogs need to be leashed and that there is no current ACO. The Board discussed where dogs could be kenneled in a pinch. Livak offered to capture a dog that was running loose but said he would not want to have to keep it after that. Road Safety Wildman shared an invitation for the town to participate in a pilot program to implement low cost safety improvements. He will be attending Low Cost Safety Improvements workshop sponsored by VTrans, conduct a Road Safety Audit Review, and based on its recommendations, the Agency of Transporation will provide signs and posts free of charge to the town. In other business, the Selectboard:
- Appointed Kathleen Clark to an open auditor position. She will serve until Town Meeting 2008. She is self-employed as a bookkeeper. Auditor Lucinda Hill has talked to her and supports this.
- Reviewed a draft of the job description for the Road Foreman position. This needs to be in place before the Board can conduct a personnel evaluation.
- Discussed the misuse of the Special Services Transportation Agency (SSTA) bus by one new resident to town. The misuse involved using the service to move belongings to a new residence in town, at the taxpayers' expense. Livak noted there has never been a problem in all the years town residents have used the transportation service.
Windmills & Maple Syrup
Submitted by Robert Low
Sugaring season is over. This was a some what strange year, with its late start for many and false end causing some to pull their taps before the best late runs. Up here on Wes White Hill, sugar content was down a bit though appeared to rebound at the end. Overall production was OK and overall syrup quality very good, though a bit below what we are used to up here. Still very tasty. Much discussion occurred around our sugar house about the role of global warming in determining the outcome of sugar seasons in recent years. Much remains speculation, but there is some sobering stuff out there. Alan Betts, President of the Vermont Academy of Science and Engineering, provided a superb overview of the problem of global warming in his recent Talks and Walks presentation at the Richmond Town Center.
Some 30 people attended, including many residents of Richmond and Huntington. We learned about the overwhelming evidence that global warming is real, what might be its causes, how it might affect us locally and what we might be able to do about it. We learned about the various factors that are likely causes of the unprecedented temperature rises that have been occurring with regular frequency over the past few years, as I have described in annual weather reports to The Times Ink, about effects on glaciers, arctic tundra, sea levels and the like. Much of this is summarized in Tim Flannery's very approachable book, The Weather Makers.
We also learned about pending local effects. One that especially comes to mind in syrup season is what will happen to our sugar maple trees here in Vermont. Several scientific studies have been done and models developed that indicate that towards the end of the present century the climate range for sugar maples will have moved north, completely out of Vermont. (see web site addresses listed below for details). There will be maple syrup but not labeled from Vermont. One of the more sobering processes that currently are unfolding involves what is known as positive feedback. In these situations abnormal events spontaneously perpetuate themselves. Think of sneezing: once a sneeze starts there is nothing one can do until it runs its course. Among many others, positive feedback events leading to global warming involve loss of snow on the arctic tundra and glacial melting. However, we also learned about some things that can be done to deal with the problem. We can't really stop the positive feedback event (the sneeze) but we can reduce its impact (such as by covering one's nose). Importantly, there are many things we can do to lessen the warming. Though the often-cited solution of making ethanol from corn will fail (see The Weather Makers) other energy alternatives will be extremely important. A particular solution that is working elsewhere in the world, especially Europe, is windmills, effective producers of renewable energy anywhere there are substantial winds, such as much of Vermont. Aside from their usefulness at reducing the global warming, I find windmills attractive additions to many landscapes, especially as they are a statement indicating we care enough to ask nature to give us a helping hand. Windmills might help delay the loss of Vermont maple syrup. |
