BRGN ASKS FOR ITEMS FROM SEASONAL RENTERS

Submitted by Christine Fuller

With the ski season coming to a close and many of the seasonal rentals coming to an end, Black River Good Neighbor Services is asking that you keep the area needy in mind while cleaning out your rental.

“Items of food, clothing, household goods, cleaning items and furniture are always needed” said Audrey Bridge, Director of the Thrift Shop and Food Shelf.  Furniture can be picked up arranging for a mutually convenient date and time by calling Audrey at 802-228-3663. Please do not donate any items that are stained, ripped or broken.

All other items can be dropped off the Shop which is located at 105 Main Street, Ludlow.  Black River Good Neighbor Services serves the towns of Cavendish, Plymouth, Proctorsville, Ludlow and Mt. Holly and is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4PM.

THE GREAT LUDLOW EGG HUNT

Submitted by Ludlow Rec. Dept.

This event is for children ages 0-10 and will be held on Saturday, April 11th at the Ludlow Elementary School beginning at 10:00 AM (sharp!).

We will hide over 2,500 chocolate filled eggs throughout the playground and baseball field (inside the gym if inclement weather).

If you would like to donate a prize, assist with the morning’s events, or if you have any questions concerning this event, please feel free to call the Recreation Department at 228-2655.

 

BRAM Announces 2009 Calendar

Black River Academy Museum (BRAM) announced its special events program schedule for the 2009 program year.
 
The current weaving classes will be run throughout the month of April, featuring classes conducted by Wendy Regier every Saturday during the month.  According to BRAM Director, Gloria Brehm, interested persons may still participate in these classes even if they were unable to attend the first several sessions.
 
Official Opening
 
Brehm indicated that the official opening of the Museum will occur on Tuesday, June 2.  Museum hours for the 2009 season will be from 12 Noon to 4 pm.
 
Other planned events for this season include:
 
June 4 - a cemetery walk with Black River students explaining the background of some of the Ludlow and Mt Holly residents interred there.  A similar event last year was very well received by a large number of attendees.
 
June 13 - a chair caning program.
 
June 27 - a Crown Point Road talk which will deal with the historic impact that road had on the area.
 
July 10 - at 7 pm at BRAM, Nancy Tanzer will discuss her trek to Manchu Pichu.
 
July 15 - at 4 pm, BRAM will conduct its second annual tour of historic homes and buildings in Ludlow Village.
 
July 25 - at 1 pm,  Tea With Grace Coolidge. Mimi Baird of Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation will portray Grace.
 
Aug 8 - from 10 am to 5 pm, Old Home Days-Coolidge Homestead, Plymouth.
 
Aug 11 - at 7 pm, a Ludlow Slide Show using historic photos to depict Ludlow's past.
 
Aug 15-16 - from 10 aqm to 4 pm, ZucchiniFest - Black River Academy Museum will serve free ice cream with admission.
 
Sept 5-6 - Fireman's Auction
 
Sept 12 - 10 am to 4 pm, Cheese and Harvest Festival - Coolidge Homestead.
 
Oct 10 - at 4 pm, BRAM will conduct a repeat tour of historic homes and buildings in Ludlow Village.
 
Nov 13 - at 6 pm, BRAM Annual Meeting and Pot Luck Dinner - 6 pm. Jackie Calder of Vermont Historical Society will speak on J. Goddard Rugg.
 
Plans for the annual Christmas celebration will be announced in the future.
 
For information, call 802-228-5050.

Poet Frost Subject of Fletcher Library Discussion

Submitted by Dianne Krupp

Third Thursday Program

The Friends of the Library and the Vermont Humanities Council are co-sponsoring the Third Thursday Program at Fletcher Memorial Library for April.  The Program is Who Was Robert Frost and Who are We?  Writer Geof Hewitt will lead the audience through an informal talk and group discussion that will include a reading of several Frost poems. Please join the Friends on April 16th at 7 pm in the Community Room. Please enter from the rear of the building.  All our programs are fee, open to the public and accessible to people with disabilities.  Call Dianne Krupp 228-7272 for information.

Book Discussion

The book chosen by the Friends of the Library for April is Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende.  An orphan raised in Valpariso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849.  She enters a rough-and-tumble world whose newly arrived inhabitants are driven mad by gold fever.  With the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese Doctor Tao Chi`en, Eliza moves freely in a society of single men and prostitutes, creating an unconventional but independent life for herself.  The young Chilean’s search for her elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of journey, and by the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide who her true love really is. The discussion will be led by Patsy Kuntz.

Please join the friends April 23 at 7 pm in the Community Room of Fletcher Memorial Library.  New people are always welcomed warmly.

Photo by Jeb Walllace-Brodeur

OKEMO HOSTS THE HATCHERY EASTER EGG HUNT APRIL 12

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

On Sunday, April 12, Okemo Mountain Resort will celebrate spring with an on-mountain egg hunt sponsored by The Hatchery, one of Ludlow’s favorite spots for breakfast and lunch. Some lucky bunny who finds a specially marked golden egg in the Easter Egg Hunt will be going home with a new pair of skis or a snowboard.

Hundreds of colorful eggs filled with candy and coupons for The Hatchery will be strewn along some of Okemo’s easiest ski and snowboard trails on Easter morning. The person who finds the one oversized, specially marked golden egg will win their choice of a new snowboard or pair of skis.

Announcement of the golden egg’s discovery will be displayed on the resort’s digital signboards and on Twitter.com for followers of OkemoMountain.

OKEMO HOSTS GIRAFFIC PARK INVITATIONAL

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

Springtime brings out the wild side of people and Okemo Mountain Resort’s most loyal skiers and riders are no exception. Two dozen top skiers and riders will showcase their exceptional talents on a specially prepared 80-foot cut-away true table jump made entirely of snow. The invitational photo and film shoot event named Giraffic Park will take place on Okemo’s SoBe SuperPark on Nor’easter. The massive jump will be sessioned over the best two days between April 1 and 3, depending on weather and conditions.

“The size and nature of this event is scarcely seen on the East Coast,” says event organizer Chris Marks. “For the second year in a row, Okemo is putting forth a massive effort to build an exceptionally large terrain park jump.”

All pro skiers and riders will be hand picked and invited athletes include team members from Rossignol, Burton, Rome, Nordica, and Electric to name a few.

Presenting Sponsor of Giraffic Park is EC Headwear and additional sponsors include: Killarney, OMARA, 4BI9 Media, New Intelligent Group, Ludlow Village Pizza, The Boot Pro, Sports Odyssey, Stalker Image Productions, Totem Pole Ski Shop.

NITKA’S NOTES FROM THE STATE HOUSE

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County,    March 27, 2009

On Town Meeting day, March 3rd, many of you completed Senator Bill Doyle’s annual poll. Senator Doyle has been making a survey available to Vermonters for forty years this year.  He is now in his early eighties and as enthusiastic as ever in calculating and analyzing the results which have come in from all over the state. Estimates are that there will be about 13,000 responses in all when he gets to the bottom of the numerous piles. Hand delivery to the towns by legislators and friends of Senator Doyle is traditionally how the distribution is done in order to keep the costs low. In Windsor County, generally 13 or 14 towns of the 24 towns participate and the number of respondents in the towns varies depending upon how visible the survey is to attendees.  The Rutland county town of Mt. Holly always has a high number of respondents for their size; this year 180 and Sue Covalla, the Town Clerk says her citizens love to do the survey.

The poll, while not scientific, provides some very good numbers as to how the state’s citizens are feeling about some of the frequently reported topics in the news. Some questions are on for several years while others are one timers. In 2008, the question, “Should VT Yankee’s licensee be renewed in 2012?” had 4888 saying yes, 3521 saying no and 2849 as not sure. This year, the response so far is 40% yes, 40% no, and 18.85% not sure. (I’m not reporting blanks.) 

Although not all of the participating towns are tabulated, all of the towns reported here been totally tabulated. The statewide results of some questions are included here with some local town comparisons.

Should drivers be prohibited from using cell phones while driving?
Yes 74%,   No 18%,  Not Sure  7%
(Hartford answered:  Yes  86 %,  No  5%,   Not Sure  9%)

Should the drinking age be changed from 21 to 18?   
Yes  37%,  No  54%,  Not Sure  7%
(Baltimore answered: Yes  17%,   No  74%,  Not Sure  9%)

Do you support same sex marriage?
Yes  53%,  No  40%,  Not Sure 6%
(Springfield answered:  Yes  41%,  No  46%,  Not Sure 11%)

Should the gas tax be increased to improve our roads and bridges?
Yes  52%,  No  38%,  Not Sure  9%
(Chester answered:  Yes  44%,  No  43%,  Not Sure 13%)

Are you satisfied with VT’s public schools?
Yes  40%,   No  40%,  Not Sure  19%
(Weston answered:  Yes 34%,  No  37%,  Not Sure  27%)

Are you satisfied with your health insurance coverage and cost?
Yes  43%,   No  52%,   No Sure  4%
(Ludlow answered:  Yes 19%,  No  81%,  Not Sure  0)

Reduce VT’s prison population through alternatives for non-violent offenders?
Yes  70%,  No  17%,  Not Sure  12%
(Windsor and Springfield which both host prisons were in line
with the above statewide numbers on this.)

If you would like results for your town on more questions, please call.  I also have South Royalton results but am waiting for Woodstock to be calculated. Wait a few days to e-mail as 1400 e-mails just came in the last 36 hours.

View bills and committee schedules at www.leg.state.vt.us.  Feel free to contact me at home, 228-8432, or at the State House, 1-800-322-5616, or at [email protected].    Mailing addresses are The Senate Chamber,  05633-5201 or  PO Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149.  

FREE SKIING AT OKEMO FOR APRIL FOOLS – NO FOOLING!

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

When skiers and snowboarders visit Okemo Mountain Resort on Wednesday, April 1, they can ski and ride all day for free when they donate a minimum of three non-perishable food items to Okemo’s April Fool’s Food Drive.

Teams of Okemo Mountain Resort staff members will be posted at Okemo’s Clock Tower base area and at the Jackson Gore base area, where they will collect food items in exchange for a complimentary lift ticket voucher to be presented at the ticket window. All food collected on April 1 will be distributed to local food pantries that service the Okemo Valley community.

As winter wanes, the final weeks of the season offer great spring skiing conditions and April showers of savings on lift tickets.

April 2 – Okemo Skier & Rider Appreciation Day – Ski or ride all day for just $29!

April 8 – VT/NH Wonderful $29 Wednesdays!

Vermont and New Hampshire residents can ski/ride the entire day for just $29. Proof of residency in the form of a valid VT/NH driver's license, hunting/fishing license, or voter registration card must be presented at the time of purchase. 

April 9 – Okemo Skier & Rider Appreciation Day – Ski or ride all day for just $29!

April 15 – VT/NH Wonderful $29 Wednesdays!

Vermont and New Hampshire residents can ski/ride the entire day for just $29. Proof of residency in the form of a valid VT/NH driver's license, hunting/fishing license, or voter registration card must be presented at the time of purchase. 

April 16 – Okemo Skier & Rider Appreciation Day – Ski or ride all day for just $29!

Okemo’s target closing date is April 19.

Cavendish Community Fund Announces Awards and New Application Deadline

Submitted by Peter J. LaBelle

The Cavendish Community Fund awarded two grants recently.  The first went to the Cavendish Town Elementary School to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables to the children as they learn about the farm-to-school food connection.  The grant will also cover the cost of VT FEED (Food Education Every Day) to work with parents and teachers to create sustainable goals for long term nutritional education at CTES.  By incorporating locally produced foods into the school lunch menu and tying the improved nutrition to classroom lessons, the school hopes to positively influence life-long eating patterns.  Parent volunteers have worked with the teachers at CTES to previously plant a small garden at the school, and have run several successful programs on different foods.  CCF is pleased to support this extended effort to provide long term nutritional education at CTES.

Pictured above, George Thompson, Principal of Cavendish Town Elementary School accepts a check from Barbara Dickey, Chair of the Cavendish Community Fund.

The second grant went to the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library to help elevate community awareness of the library and its amenities.  During spring 2009, librarian Katalin Welch will present several classic movies accompanied by a small theme-related meal.  For example, the movie Titanic will be shown accompanied by a bill of fare based on the original menus that the ship presented to each passenger class on the evening of its ill-fated voyage.  Since the library is located in the same building as the town elementary school, children are well aware of its presence.  However, Cavendish adults are less aware of what the library has to offer.  Therefore, the movie series will be aimed at adults and will try to enhance visibility in the community.

CCF has set a deadline for spring 2009 grant applications.  They must be received by close of business on Friday, May 1, 2009.  Submissions should be sent to CCF, P.O. Box 605, Cavendish, VT 05142.  For more information about CCF or the application process, please call Peter LaBelle at 226-7250, or Barbara Dickey at 226-7187.

Ludlow Town Meeting Voting Results

(Editor's Note:  Excuse the delay in publishing this but I was enjoying a 3 week vacation in Costa Rica.  While it may be late, I thought enough readers would be interested in the results to publish them - and many thanks to Ulla Cook for sending me the results!)

Submitted by Ulla Cook, Ludlow Town Clerk

TOWN MEETING RESULTS AUSTRALIAN BALLOT VOTING       
March 3, 2009  
  
Total number on checklist  1633 
Number voted   523 
Number voted absentee (included in above) 65 
 
Moderator 
Martin Nitka (write-in) 99 
Undervotes  398 
Write ins  26 
 
Treasurer 
Ulla P. Cook  464 
Undervotes  58 
Write ins  1 
 
Selectman (3 years) 
John Neal  395 
Undervotes  118 
Write ins  10 
 
Selectman (1 year) 
Douglas P. Ficken 285 
Richard Harrison 238 
Brett Sanderson 281 
Undervotes  237 
Write ins  5 
 
Lister (3 years) 
Margot Martell 437 
Undervotes  82 
Write ins  4 
 
First Constable (1 year) 
Jeffrey P Billings (write in) 53 
Undervotes  443 
Write ins  27 
 
Town Agent 
Martin Nitka (write in) 18 
Undervotes  495 
Write ins  10 
 
Trustee Public Funds (3 years) 
Beverly Stepp  402 
Undervotes  120 
Write in  1 
 
Cemetery Commissioner (5 years) 
John Paige  419 
Undervotes  100 
Write ins  4 
 
LudlowSchool Moderator 
Martin Nitka (write in) 17 
Undervotes  481 
Write ins  25 
 
Ludlow School District Clerk 
Ulla Cook (write in) 13 
Undervotes  496 
Write ins  14 
 
Ludlow School District Treasurer 
Ulla Cook (write in) 15 
Undervotes  488 
Write ins  20 
 
Ludlow School Director (2 years) 
Karen Sherer  363  
Amanda Brown (write in) 33 
Undervotes  629 
Write ins  21 
 
Ludlow School Director (3 years) 
Beth Merrill  391 
Undervotes  120 
Write ins  12 
 
Union #39 School Director (3years) 
Angela M. Benson-Ciufo 413 
Carly Cloutier-Moore (write in) 23 
Undervotes  585 
Write ins  25 
 
Article 2 
Shall the voters of the Town of Ludlow authorize the Select board to purchase a new (replacement) 
Fire Truck for an amount not to exceed $350,000.00?  The cost of said truck will be funded from  
the Fire Equipment Fund ($140,000.00), donations ($50,000.00), sale of replaced truck 
($10,000.00), and a Municipal Bond not to exceed $150,000.00 with a term not to exceed 15 years. 
Yes  333 
No  168 
 
Article 3 
To see if the Voters of the Town of Ludlow will vote to exempt the property owned by the 
Trustees of the Gill Odd Fellows Home of Vermont (Nursing Home) from property taxes for a 
period of two (2) years; commencing with the 2009 tax year. 
Yes  260 
No  250 
Undervotes  13 
 
Article 4 
To see if the Voters of the Town of Ludlow will vote to exempt the property on Rod and Gun Club 
Road owned by the Black River Rod and Gun Club, Inc. from property taxes for period of ten (10) 
years commencing with the 2009 tax year. 
Yes  190 
No  301 
 
River Valley Technical Center School District 
Article 1 
Shall the voters of the River Valley Technical Center School Dristrict approve the sum of two  
million, nine hundred sixty-nine thousand, twenty two dollars ($2,969,022) to defray current expenses 
for the ensuing fiscal year and to apy outstanding orders and obligations? 
Yes  263 
No  217 
Undervotes  43 
 
Union School District #39 
Total Voters Entrance List Ludlow 523 
Total Votes Entrance List Mt Holly 269 
 Total  792 
Less U39 Absentee Ballot not returned 7 
Less Blank   3 
 Total Votes Cast 782 
Article 1 
Shall the Union School District #39 approve $3,616,661 necessary for the support of its school for 
the year beginning July 1, 2009? 
Yes  507 
No  270 
Undervotes  5  
Article II 
Shall the Union Schoool District #39 authorize a bond for renovations of Black River Union High 
School and Middle School not to exceed $500,000? 
Yes  483 
No  296 
Undervotes  3 
 
Article III 
Shall the Union School District #39 authorize placing surplus funds in the amount of $200,000 
into a Capital Construction Fund to defray costs of the proposed renovation to the Black River 
High School and Middle School pursuant to Title 16 § 567 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated? 
Yes  490 
No  288 
Undervotes  4 
Article IV 
Shall the Union School District #39 authorize its Union School District Officers to place all  
unencumbered surplus funds into a Reserve Fund for the purpose of defraying unanticipated 
operational expenses pursuant to Title 16 § 567 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated. 
Yes  521 
No  249 
Undervotes  12