Some thoughts about Silent Night at 200
Two hundred years ago this Christmas Eve, the beloved Christmas carol “Silent Night” was sung for the first time…
A family christmas
All was calm, all was bright We showed one another our treasures: wooden puzzles that we could rarely…
Buckthorn, blitz
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Thompson’s Point Leaseholders Association and the Charlotte Invasive Collaborative, sponsored an Assault on Buckthorn Day on Thompson’s Point.
Falling back
So here we go again … right around the first of September, the Big Guy Upstairs hits the thermostat, and Presto! The nights get colder, and in the daytime we go from too hot to just about right, and in the back of our minds lingers the memory of what lies just beyond autumn.
The engines of summer
So I recently walked into the barn and counted the number of internal combustion engines thereby residing therein: eleven. How is this possible, you ask? Well, a man has certain needs, and these often revolve around the urge to cut, hew, chop, mow, and otherwise vanquish the greenery of Vermont. (Yes, I know I said “man.” Just let this one go, please—it’s a narrative thing.)
The state truck
So it’s been a year since I sold my last truck, a wonderful 30-year-old Silverado—it was a guaranteed extra 10 minutes at the gas pumps as folks weighed in on the beauty of classic designs in years gone by. But the Silverado didn’t really work for me in Vermont, for the simple reason it was rust-free and I felt guilty about driving it in winter as in no time flat the salt on the roads would have it for breakfast. So off it went to a collector, and I tried life in Vermont without a truck.
The secret language of cemeteries
Charlotte’s historic cemeteries have a lot to offer the living. The gravestones celebrate our history, and their carvings are a form of art, rich with beauty and mystery. It’s worth considering that, for humble 18th- and 19th-century farmers, these stones were likely the only available public art.
Statewide VT walk/bike summit to be held in White River Junction
In partnership with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and a number of other participating organizations and sponsors, the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission and the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission will host the 2018 statewide Vermont Walk/Bike Summit on May 4, 2018, at the Barrette Center for the Arts through a partnership with Northern Stage in downtown White River Junction.
Green Mountain Bicycle Club day touring rides in May
All riders must wear helmets and obey the rules of the road. Please do not ride two abreast if there is traffic in either direction.
Listening to the sounds of the March for Our Lives: Montpelier
On Saturday, March 24, 2018, 14 youth and adults from the Charlotte Congregational Church (UCC) assembled with thousands of others at the March for Our Lives: Montpelier. It was a solemn event, held simultaneously with similar events all over the country, in the wake of the shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and in the wakes of countless other mass shootings in the U.S. I can’t speak for others, but I participated in this event for many reasons.
The Creative Writer: Sherlock, the Clever Little Squirrel
There is an old sugar maple outside our house with a lower branch that reaches out over the lawn. It is a perfect structure in many ways, stately and well-formed. I pamper this tree by enforcing No Parking near its root system and only tapping it for sap every few years.
Town Bites
Charlotte heads the state in median wealth – UVM economics professor, Art Woolf wrote a column recently that appeared in the Burlington Free Press on December 20 in which he analyzed the various types of households and their median incomes for 2016.
Town Bites
Ricin danger at Wake Robin is under control – The resident at Wake Robin, who manufactured the toxic drug ricin and tested it on at least three neighboring residents to determine whether it had the desired poisonous effect before using it on herself, has been removed from the residence and is in custody awaiting trial.
Ricin found at Wake Robin retirement community in Shelburne
On November 28, 2017, first responders were called to Wake Robin, a retirement community located in Shelburne, VT to investigate a report of a possible Ricin exposure.
Surviving the holidays: Breathe deeply
The holiday season is upon us! How will we ever survive the family gatherings, parties, large meals and the ever-dreaded shopping? Relax. There are a few things you can do to survive this short yet stressful period. One, remember that this too shall pass and that you will survive. Cut yourself some slack, and remember that no matter what you are going through someone else is going or has already gone through it as well. If you remember to take time for yourself, breathe and drink plenty of water, I promise you’ll make it.
The great Charlotte gravestone mystery
Erich and Whitney Finley are renovating their circa 1790s home on Greenbush Road. Neither has been surprised by the occasional find of old newspapers, theater posters and debris. They were surprised, however, when they discovered their front porch steps were gravestones.
Nothing gold can stay
These hues of autumn were taken on Greenbush and Church Hill roads in Charlotte in October.
Charlotte Repair Café set for Nov. 11
If you are anything like me you have some things around your home that are no longer functional but you can’t bear to part with them. Perhaps you have a favorite sweater with a few too many holes or a toaster or other appliance with a frayed electric cord or a bicycle with dysfunctional brakes. Do you hate the idea of sending these items to the landfill and don’t have the time to research who can fix them? Transition Town Charlotte has a solution for you! On Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Charlotte Congregational Church there will be a “Repair Café”—an opportunity for community volunteer fixers to come together and help those of us with things to fix.
Tenth annual Great Diaper Drive supports COTS Kids
Believe it or not it’s almost that time of year again. We are about to start our tenth annual Great Diaper Drive in support of COTS Kids. Last year we were able to donate over 54,000 diapers, bringing our nine-year total to over 250,000 diapers.
Vermont Works’ inaugural Vermont Investors Summit
Charlotter-owned Vermont Works Management Company LLC, in partnership with Big Path Capital, hosted the first Vermont Investors Summit on Oct. 16 at the new Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center.