From the dark mists it was oozing, in a long steady thread of sweetness, finally. Two days after beginning the fires at my homemade arch and a week after drilling my first taps, maple syrup had arrived from my own maple trees surrounding my home. The idea was simple enough: make a gallon of syrup this year, at home. The devil, it turns out, is in the execution. But having good friends and family along for the ride makes for a memorable effort.
Perhaps the title says it all about aging—both the interesting and the pesky things we must recognize and adjust…
I wish to thank the voters and citizens of Charlotte who voted at Town Meeting to approve the funds to install emergency generators at the Senior Center and the Town Office. As Selectman Fritz Tegatz and others explained at Town Meeting, two generators allow the Senior Center to function as a community resource center and warming shelter during times when storms take out the power. The installation of the generator at the Town Offices provides power so that the town’s administration functions can continue, and it ensures that the septic system pumps that serve the Senior Center, the fire station and the Town Offices will function when the power is out. This investment in emergency power gives our town administrators, town clerks and emergency service providers the capability to better serve Charlotte residents should we experience an extended power outage. Given the recent pattern of extreme weather events, this investment is prudent and timely.
Town Meeting isn’t over until it’s over. Kudos to Meghan Nelly, who reported on all the events at Town Meeting 2018. This is in noticeable contrast to “the other” paper, which saw no need to mention the advisory motions on the Spear property and the ban on assault weapons. Of course, these items were passed after the meeting had been active for more than three hours, but once we get through all the official reports and public reaction to those reports, Town Meeting always takes the time for ideas from individual citizens. A newspaper that does not find these ideas “fit to print” is not doing its job.
Protesting gun violence – I believe CCS should march and protest gun violence in school on March 14. On February 14, a deadly mass shooting took place at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The lives of 17 innocent people were taken that day, by the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz. No one did anything to stop it, but can we fix the problem now?
Don’t let the current hubbub and steady stream of misinformation from Washington distract you from reality. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama Care, is working and will not be done in by the recent tax bill. Medicaid continues to expand, increasing the numbers insured. Tax credits will hold premiums steady for the majority of Americans. Young adults can continue to remain on their parents’ insurance until they turn 26. Those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage. Premiums will not depend on health status. Safeguards are also in place to penalize insurers who cherry-pick and look to insure only those in good health.
It started simply enough. Two little things made me think I could renovate the downstairs bathroom by myself. The first was a piece of linoleum that was curling up, practically begging to be lifted up and removed. Of course, I naively thought, with that one curl of the floor the whole thing would just come off in one glorious sheet.
Did you ever wonder how kids pick out their likes and dislikes? No, I mean real likes and dislikes, things that become central to their lives, things that they often can equate with momentous occasions.
With snow falling and icicles dripping, what’s a passionate gardener to do in the depths of February? It’s still a bit early for seed starting. The houseplants have limited needs right now. I have a suggestion: there is something I’ve found invaluable for years now and want to encourage you to try. Do you have a garden journal? How about a compendium of your special plants? I actually have both, and they are not as time-consuming to maintain as it would seem.
When I was nine years old I spent my first two weeks away from home. Eagerly, I arrived at horsemanship camp, where I would enjoy the peak of summer. Naturally, I was afraid to be separated from my parents and my life at home. What I discovered was the deep bonds of friendships, a second home, a place of peace and a new sense of independence.
Electric cars—not only are they coming, but they were here first. Very early automobiles were, in fact, electric. We got a little sidetracked into the whole internal combustion thing for about 130 years, but not to worry, electric cars are back, with a vengeance.
My Grandmother Hiles and Auntie Pasco, her companion of 50 years, were inveterate travelers in the early 1900s. A worn postcard recently surfaced, written to father in spidery handwriting from his mother: “Unable to attend your Yale graduation. We’re riding camels in the Gobi Desert. Hope to catch up eventually.”
It was in the spirit of Olympic fever with which I watched the video of my son, Sam, launching himself off ski jumps, spinning, flipping and soaring. I watched this Instagram post of his over and over thinking to myself … I gave birth to this?
Stormwater runoff is a serious water quality problem in Vermont that demands action. There is a fine balance between moving forward with urgency and unnecessarily compromising on cost-effective solutions. We must use the best available science and technology to ensure we select the most efficient path to clean water. I think Vermonters want us, and expect us, to invest their money wisely.
Regarding “Stop the new energy plan” – Hans Ohanian’s recent letter [Jan. 10 Charlotte News] , titled “Stop the new energy plan,” pointed out a mistake in the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s (CCRPC) June 2017 draft Municipal Energy Data Assumptions and Methodology report. There was indeed a math error in the graphic on page 19 from the Bennington County Regional Commission’s draft energy plan. Bennington County has since corrected this graphic in its final plan. CCRPC was unaware of the error and used the graphic to explain how regional renewable energy generation targets are developed.
My Grandmother Hiles followed her own rules and lived an extraordinary life. She stood tall, straight and thin, with unruly gray hair on top of her head. Keen, penetrating eyes peered over the top of her gold-rimmed, owly glasses. When she turned her attention to you it was best you made sense. Her nose was beaklike, reminding me of an eagle. Frankly, I don’t think she liked children.
Fifty years ago Buffalo Springfield said something was happening here and asked everyone to look at what was going down. What did they find?
They found something close to today’s climate in Vermont where the scent of revolution is in the air. Secession may well have returned to people’s minds. Vermonters may be considering becoming the Switzerland of North America.
What are the practicalities of the carbon tax bill? It would be difficult to disagree with the words of Rep. Mike Yantachka in accepting an award for supporting passage of the “carbon tax” bill in the Legislature. No question, there is a need to reduce human consumption of fossil fuels.
From oceans, lakes (“great” and “pretty good”) to rivers, ponds, creeks, icecaps, glaciers and, yes, the human body itself, water is a central element in our planet’s structure and function. We don’t always appreciate how much of a role water plays in our existence, and it has taken warming trends in the atmosphere to jolt us awake.
My husband, John, and I paused on Park Avenue in front of Mr. Saitys’ store with its enticing American Indian and Tibetan jewelry. I pressed the buzzer and Mr. Saity unlocked the door. He welcomed us as if we were former friends, although we’d never met, and began sharing the history of his jewelry. He took a prominent piece from a case.