Times of Shrewsbury · Dog Licenses are available. it is a State Law: 20 V.S.A. § 3581 A person...

Times of Shrewsbury

February 2020

Times of Shrewsbury

March 2020

Times of Shrewsbury

April 2020

Times of Shrewsbury

May 2020

Times of Shrewsbury

June 2020

Times of Shrewsbury

July 2020

Willie E. Pierce purchased the store in North Shrewsbury on April 24, 1918. That was the time of the Spanish Flu pandemic, and here we are 102 years later

in the CoVID-19 pandemic still being served by Pierce’s Store!

Thanks to Sally, Elana, Staff, Volunteers, and Shoppers!

Times of Shrewsbury ~ May 2020 2

Dog Licenses are available. it is a State Law: 20 V.S.A. § 3581 A person who is the owner of a dog or wolf-hybrid more than six months old shall annually on or before April 1 cause it to be registered. The deadline for Dog Licensing will be extended to May 1, 2020.

The Times of Shrewsbury The Times of Shrewsbury is published monthly from February through December, and compiled by volunteers from material submitted by residents with the goal of informing townspeople of what is happening in Shrewsbury. The views and opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of the editors. All submissions must be accompanied by the name of the submitting person and are printed at the editors’ discretion subject to editing for length and clarity. Letters to the Editor exceeding 350 words will be subject to editing for length. Any information piece or informational political letters (without specific party or vote appeal) will be subject to the guidelines previously described. A writer of a letter that names a Shrews-bury resident or organization in a critical manner must get copies to the resident or organization, and to the Times by the 10th of the month prior to publication or it will not run. If the named person or organization indicates in writing to the writer and to the Times that they choose not to respond, the letter will run. If the named entity responds, the response and initial let-ter will run in the same issue.

There is no charge for: jokes, poems, nature reports, family event announcements, or feature articles or letters that are not commercial. Articles and Advertisements: Deadline for submission is 5pm on the 20th of the month prior to publication; exceptions will be announced in the prior month’s Times. Best Formats: Articles: Word or as an email message with no formatting. Photos: jpeg. Ads: jpeg (preferred) or Word doc-ument. Monthly Advertising Fees: Full Page $80 1/2 Page $45 1/4 page $10 Business Card $5 Classified ad (15 words) $2.50 Additional Fee to create an ad $5 Payment due by the 20th of the month prior to publication.

Chryl Martin ∼ Rich Biziak Times of Shrewsbury, P.O. Box 373, Cuttingsville, VT 05738

Email: [email protected] Online: www.shrewsburyvt.org

Vermont State Senators: Brian Collamore: [email protected]

Cheryl Hooker”: [email protected] James McNeil: [email protected]

Vermont State House of Representative: Logan Nicoll: [email protected]

The Vermont General Assembly is in session January thru June. To view committee member-ships, bills that have been introduced, track each bill’s progress, and review committee agendas go to www.leg.state.vt.us. During the week you can contact your legisla-tor by leaving a message at the State House by call-ing 1-800-322-5616 or 828-2228 (the Sergeant-At-Arms' Office).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United States Senators: Senator Patrick Leahy

www.leahy.senate.gov/contact Vermont Office: (802) 229-0569

Washington office: (202) 224-4242

Senator Bernie Sanders www.sanders.senate.gov/contact Vermont Office: (800) 339-9834

Washington D. C. Office: (202) 224-5141; Fax (202) 228-0776

United States House of Representative:

Representative Peter Welch https://welch.house.gov/contact

Vermont Office: (802) 652-2450 or (888) 605-7270 Washington, D.C. Office: (202) 225-4115

Dog Licenses

Shrewsbury*Mountain*School*Registration

We#are#now#accepting#registrations#for#new#students#in#grades#prekindergarten#through#6th#for#the#202072021#school#year.

If#your#child#will#be#three#years#old#by#September#1st#then#they#are#old#enough#to#attend.#We#have#afterschool#programs#to#fit#

your#work#schedules.

If#you#have#questions#about#our#prekindergarten#program#or#would#like#the#registration#forms#mailed#to#you,#please#email#

Marj#Congdon#at#[email protected]

With#school#closed#we#will#not#be#able#to#have#in#house#regis7trations#at#this#time.#We#will#have#a#meet#the#teacher#time#

before#school#re7opens#in#the#fall.#

Drawing on front page by Grace Brigham


Currently *Mountain School is accepting registrations for new students prekindergarten thru 6th grade May 1 *Dog licenses due May 15 *Last day to submit telephone information form (pg 26) May 19 Postponed Shrewsbury Historical Society Meeting – Postponed until further notice. May 30 8am - noon *Green Up Day May Canceled Vermont Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend on hold *Famous Books Discussion Group at the Library on hold *Science Book Club meets at the Library *see elsewhere in newsletter for details

Meeting House Notice The Meeting House Committee has decided that the Shrewsbury Meeting House, being a public building, needs to follow the Governor’s recommended practices to help keep everyone safe. Even though the virus spread appears to be subsiding, for at least through May, public use of the building is generally not permitted. Very limited use by individuals, or groups of 3 or less, who must use the building out of necessity, such as the monthly Coop food divide, is allowed, provided that those approved to use the building bring adequate cleaning supplies and completely clean all surfaces used. This restriction will be reevaluated before the end of May and an update will be provided in the June Times. If there are questions, please con-tact Julanne Sharrow at [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding. ~ The Meeting House Committee

REGULAR MEETINGS and EVENTS Board of Selectman Meeting 1st & 3rd Wednesdays – 7pm at Town Office Bone Builders Tuesdays & Thursdays – 9am at Meeting House Development Review Board 4th Wed -7pm at Town Office; check town website for agenda Library Trustees Meeting 2nd Tuesday – 7pm at Shrewsbury Library Mill River Unified Union School Board Meeting 1st Wed 7pm @ MRHS & 3rd Wed. 7pm location TBA Planning Commission 1st & 3rd Mondays – 7:30pm at Town Office Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Sundays – 10:00am at the Shrewsbury Library, Upstairs Shrewsbury Community Church Worship Sundays – 10:30am at the Shrewsbury Center Church Shrewsbury Historical Society Postponed until further notice Shrewsbury Historical Society Museum Closed until further notice Shrewsbury Singers Sundays – 9-10:15am upstairs at the Meeting House Shrewsbury Sno-Birds 2nd Tuesday – 7pm at Southside Restaurant, Rutland Shrewsbury Volunteer Fire Department Thursdays – 7pm at the Cuttingsville Station Shrewsbury Conservation Commission 2nd Tuesday at 1608 Lottery Road @ 5pm (February – April)

Shrewsbury Town Website: www.shrewsburyvt.org Clerk’s Office 492-3511 Mon – Thurs 9am – 3pm; Closed Friday Town Garage 492-3656 (Follow prompts to report roadway blockage on non-work days) Listers 492-2009 Treasurer’s Office 492-3558 or 492-3487 Monday 9am-11am Transfer Station (Until further notice) Sunday: 8am-4pm / Wed: 1pm–6pm Library 492-3410 Mon, Fri & Sat: 10am–Noon; Tues & Thurs: 7pm–9pm; Wed: 10am–5pm and 7pm–9pm Meeting House 492-6050 Reservations: 492-3361 or [email protected] News Flash Email List [email protected] or [email protected] [Urgent and reminder news information]

Cuttingsville Post Office 492-3585 Window Hours Mon–Fri 7:30am–10:30am &11:30am–2;30pm; Sat 8am–11am. Lobby Hours Mon– Fri 7:30am–5:00pm and Sat 7:30am–11am

Animal Control Officer: Aaron Korzun 492-3362 1st Constable: TBA Emergency Management Aaron Korzun 492-3362 Green Mountain Power outage 1-800-451-2877 Medical-Police-Fire Emergency Dial 911 Ambulance 773-1700 Rutland Hospital 775-7111

SHREWSBURY COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Deadline for submission to Times of Shrewsbury is by 5:00pm on the 20th of each month.

TIMES OF SHREWSBURY Is online at the town website at www.shrewsburyvt.org


SVCOA Shopping Service for Older Vermonters Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) has launched a new grocery and supply shopping service to support older Vermonters in Bennington and Rutland coun-ties during the COVID-19 issue. The shopping service, which is supported by vetted SVCOA volunteers, is available to anyone age 60 or over, as well as eligible younger disabled individuals. Similar to their home-delivered meals program, this service functions under a set of thorough safeguards that remove all in-person contact and ensure the well-being of both clients and volunteers,.

1. Meals will be delivered once a week (seven meals). 2. Volunteer driver will ring the doorbell, leave meals at

the doorstep and will proceed to wait in their vehicle to confirm that the client has received the meals.

3. If the client does not come to the door within 15 minutes, the volunteer will bring the meals back to fa-cility (this is to prevent any foodborne illness out-breaks).

If you or someone you know is interested in accessing the shopping service, or if you’re interested in volunteering, please call SVCOA at 802-786-5990 and ask to speak with Ellen Green. SVCOA, visit www.svcoa.org.

Living in Place Shrewsbury Contact Judy Emerick 492-2228, Sharon Winnicki 492-3536; Dick Rohe 492-2300. A variety of medical equipment is available for use.

Pierce’s Store; 492-3326: email [email protected] (preferred) or call ahead for grocery orders and food take-out.

SHREWSBURY TOWN OFFICE The Town Office staff: Treasurer, Listers and Clerk will re-main available to assist you by phone and email. Some will be working remotely so there will be added time to some responses. Please call ahead, as situations, directives and responses change on a dynamic basis. To reach Shrewsbury Town Office staff by phone or email:

! Town Treasurer: Linda McGuire- (802)492-3558 [email protected]

! Shrewsbury Board of Listers: Sharon Winnicki, Chair (802) 492-2009 [email protected]

! Shrewsbury Clerk: Mark Goodwin (802)492-3511 [email protected]

As much as possible Town Office business will be conduct-ed by phone, e-mail and snail mail. The deadline for Dog Licensing will be extended to May 1, 2020. The following Town business can be done via mail: tax payments, dog licenses, single document requests, land postings, Green Mountain Passes, etc. Please call or email for specific details. Title searchers, attorneys, notary services and other vital records requests are being conducted by arranged appoint-ment only. Please e-mail the Town Clerk to make an ap-pointment [email protected]. Appointments will be conducted according to health and safety protocols. We encourage everyone to follow CDC and Department of Health hand-washing and social distancing recommenda-tions. www.healthvermont.gov/covid19

Helping Hands and Food Shelf: Shrewsbury Community Church: Rita Lane 775-2578, Sue Kelley 492-3738, Donna Smith 492-3367


HOLD

CENTER PAGE 2

Message from Shrewsbury’s Health Officer The link on the town website goes to the latest info of the Vermont Health department. The websites regarding COVID-19 are updated daily. The health department has done a good job with making them more user friendly, and easier to navigate. Questions that town folks may not find answers to, or want clarification for, they are welcome to call me. If I don’t know the answer I can usually find contacts at the Health Department that can provide the information. The take away regarding behavior, is that providing people with education and directions for specific actions, will allow Vermont-ers to reduce the risk of infection. Enforcement would be needed in extremes circumstances where possible harm to others is apparent. I think everyone in town has been doing their best for their families and neighbors.

Kathy Felder, Shrewsbury Health Officer (492-3633)

For up-to-date info and guidance about COVID-19: www.healthvermont.gov/covid19 and www.cdc.gov/covid19

For non-emergency issues and questions: Kathy Felder, Town Health Officer: 802-492-3633 or [email protected].

If you have questions: Dial 2-1-1. If you have trouble reaching 2-1-1 then dial 1-866-652-4636.

Current Shrewsbury Updates: www.shrewsburyvt.org

If you are sick or concerned about your health: Call your health care provider by phone. Please avoid going to the hospital, except in a life-threatening situation.


April 1, 2020: Minutes of Selectboard Meeting Present at meeting: Selectboard members: Francis Wyatt, Aaron Korzun, Steven Nicholson; Jamie Carrara, Road Commissioner; Kathy Felder, Health Officer. Members of the Public: None. Meeting convened at 7:02 p.m. Agenda: A. Korzun made a motion to follow the agenda with the addition of the Transfer station report under new business . Seconded by F. Wyatt. Passed. Road Commissioner Report: A. Korzun made a motion to adopt the 2020 Town Road and Bridge Standards and Net-work Inventory. Seconded by F. Wyatt. Passed. The 2002 International dump truck will be sold after the new truck arrives. The old trailer will be sold. Korzun made a motion that due to the Covid-19 emergency the Selectboard will continue to support the Town highway crew payroll of 40 hours per week for the month of April. Se-conded by F. Wyatt. Passed. Operational Processes: A. Korzun made the motion to not have an April 15th nor a May 6th selectboard meeting unless necessary. Seconded by F. Wyatt. Passed. Korzun made motion to allow one selectboard member to sign payroll orders, selectboard orders and road commis-sioner orders for the months of April and May. With the treasurer sending electronic copies of the orders and invoic-es to each selectboard member for review. F. Wyatt second-ed. Passed. The orders will be approved by the selectboard at the next regular meeting. Continuity of Operations Plan: Discussed with the Road Commissioner relocation plans for the equipment and sup-plies at the town garage if that became necessary. Road Commissioner also stated that with three hours of work the old access road to the CCC camp could be put back into use for getting equipment in and out of the garage. A. Korzun will talk to the Church about using the old CCC road that crosses property owned by the church. Open to the Public: None. New business: Transfer Station report- A. Korzun reported for Bert Potter that the transfer station attendants have per-sonal protection equipment- gloves and safety glasses. Us-ers of the transfer station will have to practice “social dis-tancing.” Tickets will be sold at the transfer station by cash, correct change only, or by check. Review of Minutes: The minutes of March 18, 2020 were approved and signed with one correction. Debbie Blecich is appointed by the Town to the Shrewsbury Library board. Review of Orders: A. Korzun made the motion to approve the Selectboard Orders #4 for $5990.46 and the Road Commissioner’s Orders #4 for $27,800.13. Seconded by F. Wyatt. Passed.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Steven Nicholson

These minutes are unofficial until approved by the Select-board at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Editor’s Note: The minutes have been edited for brevity but not content. For complete minutes, go to the Town website www.shrewsburyvt.org

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SHREWSBURY SELECTBOARD MINUTES The Selectboard meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7pm at the Town Office.

NOTICE FROM THE BOARD OF LISTERS The Listers would like to update you on what is occurring as of this writing. We are in good shape as we fortunate-ly developed the ability, in case of an emergency, for remote access to our Grand List (GL) before the Covid-19 crisis hit. It is looking promising that we will be able to meet our typical statutory deadline, meaning that the GL will be filed by the June 4 deadline and grievances will occur in June. This may change and if it does you will be notified. The actual grievance hearing process will most likely change due to the safe distance policy that is in effect. Per State guidance, ALL grievances should be heard via mail, email, phone, Facetime or a video conference such as Skype. Notification will be given to everyone when we are closer to the process itself. Stay tuned; we will keep you apprised of the procedure. As of now, our procedure for this summer of 2020 (per state recommendation) is that no internal inspections will occur. Because so much of the information about this virus is new, we could possibly change this in the fall or winter. We are hoping to send out information as we learn what the protocols will be. Homestead declaration and income sensitivity payment application form deadlines have been extended to July 15. Approximately 60% of our homestead filers have already done so and we encourage you to get them in sooner rather than later if at all possible. Please feel free to contact the Lister Office at 492-2009. Or you may call me at home at 492-3536.

Submitted by Sharon Winnicki Chair, Board of Listers


Reinbow Riding Center With spring here, Reinbow Riding Center usually turns its thoughts to getting ready for the upcoming riding sea-son that generally starts in May, but might start a little later this year. Still, while we wait, the horses are happy the days are longer and once the snow is gone the grass will begin to green and it will be time to ride. Although we have not set any dates for the start of our lessons and our annual Vol-

unteer Open House and Orientation, anyone that would like to volunteer is urged to either go on-line and download a volunteer application to fill out and email or mail to us so you can be ready to get started. Anyone that wants to participate in the program should also go on-line and download our participant application and pa-perwork and get it back to us. If you can’t obtain the paper-work from our website: reinbowridingcenter.org, email [email protected] or call us at 802-236-2483 and we will email or send you the paperwork you need. Our address is P. O. Box 395, Shrewsbury, VT 05738.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday

May 25, 2020

Smokey comes out of retire-ment to give the Easter Bunny

a lift to your front door.

Look in the June issue of the

Times of Shrewsbury for

SHREWSBURY OUTING CLUB

Membership Applications!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday

May 25, 2020



MOTHER’S DAY May 10, 2020






Election Update There has been no specific decision as of yet on how elec-tions will be conducted or even if there will be any dramatic change in protocol (i.e. mailing out ballots to all registered voters versus the combination of Absentee and In-person voting we now have). H 681 allows for the Secretary of State with agreement by the Governor to implement necessary procedures. In any case, we are preparing for count-ing of ballots with the use of a tabulator because the process of hand counting with pairs across tables eating pizza is no longer a sustainable methodology. If there is a requirement to continue with In-Person balloting or drive through voting, Vermont town clerks have been notified that the Secretary of State will be supplying towns with personal protection equipment (PPE) for poll workers. Upcoming Elections: There is a State Primary scheduled for August 11, 2020 and the General Election for November 3, 2020, which will in-clude local Justices of the Peace.

Emergency Election legislation has been passed and signed by the Governor which provides for the Secretary of State in consultation and agreement by the Governor to permit ap-propriate election procedures for the purpose of protecting the health, safety and welfare of voters, election workers and candidates in carrying out elections.

Currently there are no major changes in election procedures, but that status can change in a dynamic fashion. Locally, the Shrewsbury Board of Civil Authority will be meeting to con-sider the approval of the use of a Tabulator to count ballots.

The Department of Elections strongly encourages voters to visit their MyVoter Page https://mvp.vermont.gov/ to check and/or update your current mailing address and to request Absentee Ballots. If you have questions or concerns about you voter status please e-mail the Town Clerk: [email protected]. ~Mark Goodwin, Town Clerk

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Notice from the Treasurer’s Office I am in the office and returning emails and phone calls as needed. If copies of tax bills or other information are needed, please leave a message on the phone (492-3558) or email me at [email protected], if the office is not open.

On March 21, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date is extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. The Vermont income tax filing due dates for the following taxes have also been extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020:

• Vermont personal income tax • Vermont Homestead Declaration and Property Tax

Credit Claims • Corporate income tax • Fiduciary income tax

Linda McGuire, Treasurer Town of Shrewsbury, 9823 Cold River Rd

Shrewsbury, Vermont 05738 Treasurer’s Office 492-3558

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Hours until further notice: Wednesdays 1pm-6pm

Sundays 8am-4pm Punch cards will be temporarily available directly from Trans-fer attendants during the Covid-19 period. Punch Cards will be sold at the Transfer Station. Payment by check is pre-ferred (payable to Town of Shrewsbury). No credit cards. The Reading Room is closed until further notice. The Town is grateful to Brian and Paul for their work during Covid-19. They are there to help us each Wednesday and Sunday, and we appreciate their efforts to manage the Transfer Station during this time.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Curly Light Bulbs are currently being taken at the Transfer Station; put them in the container in the glass area.

Meat Scraps & Bones can be put in: > compost containers at the dump > your trash and thrown down the chute The State is advising not to put meat scraps and bones in your home compost containers. Vermont state law allows residents who compost at home to dispose of meat and bones in the trash even after July 1, 2020.

Household Hazardouse Waste: There is not a scheduled event for Shrewsbury, but one is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 8:30am-12:30pm at Rutland Town Transfer Station, 2018 Northwood Park, off Post Road Extension, Rutland, Vermont (Note: The event scheduled for May 16 has been canceled.) More info: www.rutlandcountyswac.org

ASSISTANT TOWN CLERK

The Town of Shrewsbury seeks qualified applicants for the position of Assistant Town Clerk. The successful candidate must be comfortable working in direct contact with the public and town employees. Successful candi-dates will have knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, ex-cellent communication and customer service skills and be attentive to detail. The ability to organize, prioritize and multi-task is essential. Responsibilities include but are not limited to recording of land records; maintaining the voter checklist; issuing licenses, and VT Certified Copies of records, general filing and maintaining of Public Records, grant administration and assisting with the Town website. Knowledge of local government and statutory processes helpful. Experience in maintaining websites particularly WordPress experience a plus. This is a non-exempt 10-hour per week position, appoint-ed by the Town Clerk. Salary dependent on qualifications and experience. Position is open until filled. Applicants may submit via e-mail to [email protected] with subject line: “Assistant Clerk Position”: US Mail to: Mark Goodwin, Town Clerk, 9823 Cold River Rd, Shrewsbury, VT 05738. Equal Opportunity Employer


Robert D. Perry On Wednesday March 25, 2020, Robert D Perry passed away at the age of 81. Bob was born on May 7, 1938, in

Cavendish VT son of the late Morrill and Gladys (Willis) Perry. He worked at General Elec-tric for close to 40 years starting first in the shop in Ludlow before trans-ferring to the Rutland location. He was very proud of his work at GE and of the many friends he made working there. Bob also served with the Vermont National Guard for 15 years. While in the Guards he learned to cook which became a lifelong pleasure. He was honored to serve his country. Bob volun-teered for many years at

the Vermont State Fairgrounds in the Sugar House sharing his passion for this Vermont tradition of maple sugaring. Dur-ing his retirement years, Bob worked at the Town of Shrewsbury Transfer Station. He enjoyed meeting the local residents, sharing stories and helping to recycle. Bob enjoyed the outdoors and a great lover of animals. He was an avid gardener with a green thumb. His vegetable garden was large. As soon as he harvested, Bob would then begin his deliveries to visit family and friends to share both his vegetable bounty and a story or two. He enjoyed growing heirloom vegetables and trying new varieties. He was happy to grow the favorites of his friends and family. If you men-tioned you liked something, it was in the garden the next year. Bob had his own small apple orchard and enjoyed making cider in the fall. For over 50 years Bob was a sugar maker. He looked for-ward to the spring tap, gathering buckets, canning and mak-ing his delicious maple crème and candy. As a young man Bob enjoyed deer hunting and looked forward to being out in the woods. Bob loved to fish. This love of fishing started as a boy and lasted throughout his life. He made countless trips to Maine, the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain pulling his boat behind and spending many pleasurable hours with his rod and reel and friends on the lake. Bob enjoyed a great fishing trip to Alaska where he found the salmon were even bigger as well the stories that followed. He is survived by his wife Ruth Anne (Williams) Perry of Rut-land, his brothers Emmett and wife Rogene Perry of Rutland and Kyle and wife Nancy Perry of Mount Holly as well as his beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. A celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Burial will be at a later date in the East Clarendon Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shrewsbury Community Church. ~Submitted by Nancy Perry

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Remembering Bob Perry Long time Shrewsbury resident and former Transfer Station attendant Bob Perry was a true “character.” From his inces-sant interest in what you brought to the Transfer Station to leave in the Reading Room…to his sharing walnut planting pods…to his work ethic,,.to his care of the “resident cats,” he was a truly local treasure. His absence is a large loss to the Town. Bob was just” plain a good guy.” ~Robert Balewicz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Big Thanks to Pierce’s Store! A big thank you to Pierce’s Store for supporting Shrewsbury residents and providing such great service when it is most needed! Thanks to the staff and volunteers for the order and outdoor pick up service they have put together, almost over-night, to provide a safe/minimal exposure environment for residents to purchase fresh food and essentials!

~Crystal Kelley ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special Thanks! I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of kindness, love and generosity received in response to re-quests for masks for the Mar-ble Valley Regional Correc-tional Facility! As we continue to work diligently to keep folks safe the staff and inmates are required to wear masks. You need to be careful what you ask for around these parts because you are likely to get it!

I am profoundly grateful to Julanne, Roxanne, Liesbeth, So-phia, Licia, Anita, Cortney, and Martha! I’m sending virtual hugs to all of you ladies! With Love, Sue Ransom-Kelley

Superintendent Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


March started off with Town Meeting, what was a looming pandemic and hope for a great sugaring season. Here we are now with the town meeting done, sugaring in its final cleanup stages, and stay at home orders! In March we responded twice for motor vehicle incidents: a vehicle rollover on Lincoln Hill and a vehicle off the Cold River Rd. We also responded to a mutual aid call for a pos-sible structure fire on Knipes Rd in Clarendon. In April we responded to a structure fire call on Adams Rd.; Clarendon Fire was called for Mutual Aid and also respond-ed. Fortunately, the homeowner reported the fire immediate-ly and was able to contain the fire until firefighters arrived. The very next day the Clarendon Fire Dept requested Mutual Aid response to Mill River Lumber. Multiple departments along with SVFD responded to a request for tankers, ladder trucks, equipment and personnel. This truly shows the im-portance of our Mutual Aid agreements. We also responded to a vehicle accident on Route 103 near Route 155. The last call at this writing was for a possible structure fire on Lincoln Hill Rd. A pellet stove exhaust pipe end cap was dislodged from the pipe allowing hot ash to fall onto the porch! Again, an immediate call to 911 prevented this incident from becoming much worse. Never hesitate to call 911 if you have an emergency! This is spring cleanup time, the State of Vermont is recom-mending no outdoor burning! If you want to burn brush; con-sider the conditions at the time. Has it rained recently, is it windy, do I have enough help to contain the fire? ALWAYS call for a burn permit, the final decision is the Forest Fire Wardens, you can contact Kevin Brown (802-345-8668) or Al Ridlon Jr (802-282-3642). A big THANK YOU to all the townspeople for supporting the articles for The SVFD annual budget items. At this time we are not gathering for our normal Thursday night meetings, if you have any questions feel free to contact any SVFD mem-ber. Thanks again, stay safe, STAY HOME, wash your hands, check on your neighbors and remember ALWAYS STAY FIRE SAFE

Submitted by Jack Perry

MESSAGE FROM MONTPELIER The legislature has now started meeting remotely. For the last few weeks certain committees have been meeting to discuss issues related to the current crisis and on Thursday, April 23, the House officially met for the first time. This is a difficult and stressful time, but I continue to be grateful for the way we are coming together for our neighbors and friends to help find our way through. New technology pre-sents challenges for some and it has taken some adjust-ment. but with our new normal there is also a level of trans-parency that is not generally available. Obviously the state house belongs to all Vermonters and everyone is always welcome to attend any committee meeting or floor session, but for our area that means at least three hours of driving so it is not accessible for everyone. Now each chamber and committee has it’s own YouTube channel where you can watch us live while we are meeting or watch past meetings. https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/ For now we are only working on bills that are direct respons-es to the current crisis. When the Governor declared a State of Emergency it gave him significant authority, but there are certain powers that lie with the legislature and it has required us to learn these new systems quickly so we can continue to pass legislation to get through this crisis. On Thursday the House passed four more bills in response to the crisis, they are related to remote judicial procedures, leniency for the Governor and the State Treasurer to borrow money from special funds, and granting the Commissioner of Taxes the ability to share tax information with the Department of Labor which will assist with the processing for the added unem-ployment benefits passed at the federal level. Obviously the biggest question for a lot of people right now is unemployment benefits and trying to get through to some-body on the phone lines to file a claim or sort out an issue with their claim. Unfortunately I don’t have much to add be-yond what has been in the news already. The Governor’s actions last weekend cleared a lot of the issues that were outstanding and got a lot of checks in the mail but there re-mains a lot of work to be done. For years Vermont had his-torically low unemployment and has been putting off replac-ing the very outdated computer systems that handle our un-employment insurance database. And now we are paying for that delay. If you are having trouble trying to get through please contact me. I don’t have any special access but I would like to know how many people in our area are still hav-ing trouble and at least pass that information along. As always please call me if you have any questions on any of this or any other topic. I get a lot of emails these days but the fastest way to get an answer is always just to give me a call. I am really missing my coffee hours so I am working on setting up a virtual “coffee hour”, but my schedule still changes a lot week to week so I don’t have a reliable timeslot available at the moment.

Logan Nicoll, State Representative Ludlow, Mount Holly, Shrewsbury

802-345-8430 [email protected]

Book Reviews from the Library— Two ways to share: Please share your book reviews by writing them in the journals kept at the front desk at the Library or email to [email protected] THANK YOU!

Book reviews are compiled by Marilyn Dalick

19

From the Library— Shrewsbury’s REVIEW OF BOOKS

This is a selection of reviews from our “Readers’ Pick” journal kept at the Library. Thanks to all the contributors! Thanks to all our Reviewers this month!

Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

by Lynne Cox !!!!!

Great story (true) of Lynne’s intensity, endurance, perse-verance and humility as she takes on long-distance swimming in the most unlikely places—the Bering Strait, the Straits of Magellan, and yes—ultimately, Antarctica. Fueled by the words of a teammate’s mother that she’d someday swim the English Channel, she does that—setting a world record at age 15—and way more. Sci-ence, geography and human nature rolled into one.

Reviewed by Martha Sirjane

Where Did I Leave My Glasses? The Where, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss

by Martha Weinman Lear !!!

This is a good book! Reviewed by Barbara Griffith

Murder in the Marais Murder in Belleville

Murder in the Rue du Paradis by Cara Black (mysteries set in Paris)

!!!!! I LOVE these! I read one on a plane to California, and one coming back—and couldn’t stop reading.

Reviewed by Joan Aleshire

The Beautiful Mysteries by Louise Penny

!! Spellbinding setting—a monastery deep in the forests of northern Quebec—an intriguing premise—a monk has been murdered in the monastery garden—that calls on the skills of the kindly, calm (but haunted) Chief Inspec-tor Armand Gamache. The plot is intricate without being compelling, though—and it gets hard to tell one monk from another! The Chief Inspector is good company, if this mystery, with its DaVinci Code echoes, seems unin-spired. Reviewed by Joan Aleshire

Book Reviews Compiled by Marilyn Dalick

!!!!! Fantastic! !!!! Compelling, page-turner !!! Enjoyable !! Just O.K. ! Not recommended

MARDI GRAS 2013

Saturday, April 27, 2013 7pm to ??

at Town Hall

Music by The Shrewsbury Community Blues Band

Helpers Needed! • CALLERS to ask local folks to bring

food items for attendees to eat • DECORATORS to decorate Town

Hall in festive MARDI GRAS style • COLLECTORS of admission money • KITCHEN / CLEANER UPPERS to

serve food and drinks and help clean up after

• FACE PAINTER for the kids young and old!

• FORTUNE TELLER in your own little grotto

• SOLICITORS request and/or pick up donations from grocery stores, etc.

• MASK SELLER masks will be on hand for sale

Please call Fran Patten, 492-3706 or Roxanne Ramah, 492-3675 to volun-teer. Thank you!

!"#$%&&'(#$)&$*"#$+#,-).*$/#(,#*0,1$)&$/*0*#$

23)4*$230*#-#.*$

!"#$%&'(()&

*+,-#./&0.#1-2$34&5+6#+3.#7&-8&53.3+&'9&:+##.6+&53#++3&

0-;3"+%$+#<&=+#>-;3&(?9('&55567#(67*0*#68*647

FREE Come and pick it up!

A light green LL Bean love seat. In fair condition. Interested?

Call Joyce at 492-3542

SHREWSBURY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

!


! We’re delighted to announce that LUISA and CHUCK FINBERG have joined our Board of Trustees! They will share one position and have one vote: Luisa will come to meetings and serve on a committee; Chuck will fill the staff-ing commitment. It’s wonderful to have their enthusiasm and expertise on our team! ! Through all the distancing efforts of the past month, and continuing, we’re pleased to say that thanks to several trus-tees and volunteers, we’ve been able to supply patrons with reading and viewing material through e-mail ([email protected]) and phone (492-3410) requests. MANY THANKS to LISA SHARROW, GAIL HARTIGAN, DIANNE BARCLAY, BREANNA DAVIS, and LUISA and CHUCK FINBERG for keeping the library running.

Abbreviated Hours: MONDAY 10 a.m.-Noon; WEDNESDAY 5-7

p.m.; SATURDAY 10 a.m.-Noon! ! REMINDERS: You can access audio-books through Lis-tenUp! Vermont using your library card; and can browse the library catalog: koha.shrewsburylibrary.org, without a pass-word. If you want to request a new book, please e-mail Joan: [email protected]. We can’t fill Inter-Library Loan requests until all state libraries are fully operational, but will consider purchasing requests for new items. ! We’re sending best wishes for a steady recovery to our friends GARY and MARGERY SALMON: one of our favorite presenters and one of our most loyal volunteers! Events Postponed and To Be Rescheduled are: ! ELIJAH LACHANCE on his time in Burkina Faso ! CLARE GILLIS on her work as a journalist in Libya ! RANDELL BARCLAY on his medical mission to Hondu-ras Continuing Programs Now on Hold: ! FAMOUS BOOKS BOOK CLUB: These Truths by Jill Lepore Discussion #3. Copies of our next book, The Inferno by Dante, are available by pick-up or home delivery. ! ! SCIENCE BOOK CLUB: Zero: A Biography of a Dan-gerous Idea by Charles Seife. Copies are available for pick-up or delivery. QUILTERS will regroup when they can get closer together!

New Books (for Pick-Up or Delivery) include: ! The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough: Not new,

but new to us, thanks to a patron’s request: An account of a historic disaster that exposed social inequality.

! The Cactus League by Emily Nemens: If you’re missing the opening of baseball season, try this novel about spring training!

! More Myself by Alicia Keys: A memoir by the brilliant singer-songwriter.

! The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel: A best-selling thriller about corporate intrigue.

! Writers and Lovers by Lily King: A new novel by the New Hampshire writer, author of Euphoria.

! The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich: A new novel by the marvelous Native American writer, based on her grandfather’s life.

New DVDs: ! 1917: The acclaimed WWI dramatic feature, directed by

Sam Mendes. ! Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard as a prison warden

with second thoughts about the death penalty. Much more coming; deliveries of “non-essential” items are slow now.


! We’re delighted to announce that LUISA and CHUCK FINBERG have joined our Board of Trustees! They will share one position and have one vote: Luisa will come to meetings and serve on a committee; Chuck will fill the staff-ing commitment. It’s wonderful to have their enthusiasm and expertise on our team! ! Through all the distancing efforts of the past month, and continuing, we’re pleased to say that thanks to sever-al trustees and volunteers, we’ve been able to supply pa-trons with reading and viewing material through e-mail ([email protected]) and phone (492-3410) requests. MANY THANKS to LISA SHARROW, GAIL HARTIGAN, DIANNE BARCLAY, BREANNA DAVIS, and LUISA and CHUCK FINBERG for keeping the library running.

Abbreviated Hours: MONDAY 10 a.m.-Noon; WEDNESDAY 5-7

p.m.; SATURDAY 10 a.m.-Noon! ! REMINDERS: You can access audio-books through ListenUp!Vermont using your library card; and can browse the library catalog: koha.shrewsburylibrary.org, without a password. If you want to request a new book, please e-mail Joan: [email protected]. We can’t fill Inter-Library Loan requests until all state libraries are fully op-erational, but will consider purchasing requests for new items. ! We’re sending best wishes for a steady recovery to our friends GARY and MARGERY SALMON: one of our favorite presenters and one of our most loyal volunteers! Events Postponed and To Be Rescheduled are: ! ELIJAH LACHANCE on his time in Burkina Faso ! CLARE GILLIS on her work as a journalist in Libya ! RANDELL BARCLAY on his medical mission to Hondu-ras Continuing Programs Now on Hold: ! FAMOUS BOOKS BOOK CLUB: These Truths by Jill Lepore Discussion #3. Copies of our next book, The Inferno by Dante, are available by pick-up or home delivery. ! ! SCIENCE BOOK CLUB: Zero: A Biography of a Dan-gerous Idea by Charles Seife. Copies are available for pick-up or delivery. QUILTERS will regroup when they can get closer together!

New Books (for Pick-Up or Delivery) include: ! The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough: Not new,

but new to us, thanks to a patron’s request: An account of a historic disaster that exposed social inequality.

! The Cactus League by Emily Nemens: If you’re missing the opening of baseball season, try this novel about spring training!

! More Myself by Alicia Keys: A memoir by the brilliant singer-songwriter.

! The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel: A best-selling thriller about corporate intrigue.

! Writers and Lovers by Lily King: A new novel by the New Hampshire writer,author of Euphoria.

! The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich: A new novel by the marvelous Native American writer, based on her

grandfather’s life. New DVDs: ! 1917: The acclaimed WWI dramatic feature, directed by

Sam Mendes. ! Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard as a prison warden

with second thoughts about the death penalty. Much more coming; deliveries of “non-essential” items are slow now.

Open Studio Weekend will not happen this year, however pottery is available by pre-order for pick up at the studio anytime by appointment. Please call or email for images and prices. Current inventory includes:

Mugs, tumblers, bowls, pitchers, teapots, can-dle holders, lanterns, ornaments, bottles, vases, canisters, utensil holders, cookie jars, baking dishes, bean pots, compost buckets, ferment crocks, berry bowls, pasta bowls, butter dishes, garlic keepers, soap or sponge dishes, tea strainers, salt and pepper sets, mortar and pes-tles, kombucha crocks, and more!

Also my specialty food products are available by preorder: sauerkraut, kim chi, mole negro, and corn tortillas.

Maya Zelkin, Potter 492-2045

[email protected] 116 Coldham Road, North Shrewsbury

(only one mile from Pierce's Store!)




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday

May 25, 2020











~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday

May 25, 2020









Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

★★★★★ The two books reviewed in this month’s Times featured strong female characters forced to cope with cruel, troubled fathers. The father in Crawdads abused his wife and children until they left one by one, leaving one young daughter be-hind to cope with a life in the swamp. She drew on her innate intelligence to fend off fear, hunger, and loneliness. The big-gest threat to her safety and survival was from the curious townspeople, especially the young males, who called her “Swamp Girl.” The swamp was a bounty of other life, crea-tures that the swamp girl studied and embraced in an inti-mate world belonging only to her, or so she thought. This harsh tale was written in a lyrical and rich prose, and the ending was surprising and deeply satisfying. Five stars from me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Great Alone By Kristin Hannah

★★★★ The father in The Great Alone is an alcoholic, insecure Vi-etnam vet who moved his wife and young daughter to an isolated life in Alaska for a “clean start.” His idea of a clean start has put them in peril because a menacing Alaskan win-ter is fast approaching. The incredible kindnesses, know-how, and generosity of their new neighbors—the locals—save them by helping them prepare and survive their first Alaskan winter. One of the neighbors, a highly respected self-made man, takes a liking to this man’s pretty wife, and she is attracted to him also. Although the attraction is never acted upon, the enraged and insecure man brutally beats his all-suffering wife while his young daughter helplessly watch-es. Alaska does nothing to change their reality. The daughter eventually grows older and bold enough to resist the ter-ror hanging over them while simultaneously carving out a good life of her own. The happy end-ing isn’t a perfect one, and you can see it com-ing, but it’s still a good read. Kristin Hannah is also the author of The Nightingale and Winter Garden. Four stars for this one. ~reviews by Marilyn Dalick

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the “Snoop dog” Team Recently a brown lab dog went missing, and Betsy Jesser sent out the appeal to her email network to be on the look-out. Following is her notice of the happy ending. If you are not on Betsy’s town wide email list and would like to be, email her at [email protected]

“Good news everyone.. I just got through answering the many e-mails of inquiry as to if CoCo was found yet. Right after I had sent the last reply ...up popped a chat from Carl. He said COCO was home and I do not know the details as yet. I want to thank all of you, who were out looking for him. I am always thankful for being part of this great community. It is really rewarding to be on this end of it for years answering your questions, finding you hairdressers, barbers, babysitters, painters, landscapers etc... You are all the best snoop dog crime watchers I have ever known. When someone is in need there are always several of you, who rise to the occasion and help out. I just want you to know that I appreciate you all. Stay strong and be well.” ~Betsy Jesser

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Facmily Fun Activities

We are not scheduling a Family Fun activity at the Library in May. Please check the June Times for information about upcoming events.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puzzles and LEGO Blocks Available!

We have put together bags of LEGO blocks to donate to families as our stay at home continues. We also have1000 piece jigsaw puzzles to offer to anyone who would like one or two. The puzzles (each in its own plastic bag) and lego bags will be in two plastic bins on the front steps of the library beginning May 29. Please be kind and limit your selection to one of the LEGO bags.

Questions? Please call Doris Perry 492-3440

!!Book Reviews from the Library— Book lovers! Please share your book reviews by writing them in the journals kept at the front desk at the Library or e-mailing them to [email protected]

Book reviews are compiled by Marilyn Dalick

★★★★★ Fantastic! ★★★★ Compelling, page-turner ★★★ Enjoyable ★★ Just O.K. ★ Not recommended

Seedling pre-orders available Regular greenhouse seedling sales will

resume as soon as possible.

Online seedling orders will be available at our website:

https://caravangardens.square.site

Stay tuned!

Contact us for more information: [email protected]

492-3377

.

Caravan Gardens 4536 Rte. 103, Cuttingsville

Hardy Vegetable, Herb,

& Flower Seedlings Also available this season:

• CSA Farm Shares • Organically Raised

Broilers • Pork Shares • Chapelle Farm Seed

Potatoes


Barbara and Barry Griffith model bandana masks that she has made. And if you don’t have a mask, or a bandana, you can create a mask by folding a double strip of an old tee shirt like Nancy Ellery!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many Shrewsbury roads are litter free thanks to Julanne Sharrow who has logged many miles and collected a lot of trash ahead of Green Up Day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharon Winnicki (with bandana mask) and Liesbeth van der Heijden logged many miles on Lottery Road while maintain-ing a social distance of at least 6’.

This photo captures where we are on April 1, 2020.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evening Song Farm has been very busy pre-packaging or-ders for CSAer’s, and the general public when possible, to

swing by the barn and pick up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ann has been providing USPS services from behind a shower curtain!

~~~SIGNS OF THE TIMES~~~


From time to time I find a bit of history that I feel my readers would also like--especially at this time. Case in point: grateful hearts from a weary nation in 1949, following WWII. Merci Train collection By Nancy Remsen, Volunteer, Ver-mont Historical Society, Vol. 87, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2019 issue of Vermont History. "In February, 1949, an antique boxcar secured on a railroad flatcar, trundled north toward Montpelier carrying a cargo of gifts for Vermonters from France. Hundreds of presents in the boxcar were tokens of gratitude for food, medicine, and clothes shipped from the United States in 1947 aboard the Friendship Train to France and Italy. To say thanks for the post-war aid, the French people sent to the United States the "Merci Train," with a boxcar for each of the 48 states, plus one to be split be-tween Washington D.C. and the territory of Hawaii. The Vermont Historical Society holds a portion of the cargo that arrived in that antique boxcar -- nearly 200 objects ranging from a battered tin tank and crocheted doll clothes to paintings, a chunk of ce-ment said to be a piece of the Arc de Triomphe blasted off during the war, and vases made from artillery shells. The Merci Train arrived on a ship from France at the beginning of February 1949. The boxcars, known as "40&8 cars" because they car-ried 40 soldiers or 8 horses during World War I and World War II, were divided into regional groups to continue their journeys to the various states. Vermont’s car arrived in Montpelier on Feb-ruary 10 where Gov. Ernest W. Gibson Jr. and Count Max de Montalembert, French vice consul in Boston, took part in a welcoming ceremony. The train car, repainted and restored, can now be seen at the Vermont Military Museum in Col-chester. The bounty in the boxcar was put on display at the state mu-seum for the remainder of the winter, and then the Vermont Historical Society coordinated the distribution of many ob-jects to legislators to take back to their communities. Some art was conveyed to the Fleming Museum in Burlington and records show books were sent to the French department at Middlebury College. The rest of the objects, more than twen-ty cartons, reside at the VT Historical Society. Since the beginning of 2019, the entire Merci Train collection has been revisited, photographed, entered into the collection database and repackaged. The objects represent a commu-

nal display of good feelings for a distant country that may be hard to imagine today. For example, twelve white, blue and peach colored handkerchiefs with painted or embroidered pictures were sent by the Communaute des Soeurs de la Charite de Jesus et Marie, a religious order, with the mes-

sage in English, "Thank very much American friends". There are brass candlesticks, a clock, a wool blanket, dozens of dolls dressed in hand-stitched regional costumes, several ornate fans, a red umbrella, beaded hats from several pro-vincial traditions, and a comic puppet in traditional dress. Some gift-givers shared important personal items such as a medal from World War I and a huge medical tome from the 1500s. The College Moderne of Technique sent dozens of objects made by boys and girls ages 11 and 12, according to notes affixed to papier-mache vases, metal trivets, and wooden trays. There are seventeen wind-up toy Renault cars in a rainbow of colors, still in their original boxes. Pieces

from the collection have been dis-played twice since they arrived in that boxcar seventy years ago – in the 1950s and in 1988. Now they are fully catalogued, described, and photographed in the VHS mu-seum collections database. Notes: Veterans of WWII remember being transported for a week or so from or to the battle fronts of the war in this type of boxcar. There were no seats, no windows, no toilets, no sleeping accommodations. Each man and his 39 fellow soldiers had barely enough room to sit down and they had to fit their bodies in a row to have enough room to lie down for sleep. Vermont’s Merci Train boxcar is preserved and can be viewed at the Vermont National Guard Library and Museum, 789 National Guard

Road, Colchester, VT 05446. President Richard F. Lorenz. All artifacts were removed and forwarded to other museums in Vermont; please check their web site. The Friendship Train from the USA to France and Italy in 1947 consisted of 700 boxcars worth of donated supplies collected across the country which were shipped across the Atlantic via donated transport. The idea was proposed by Washington journalist Drew Pearson in his daily column, "The Merry-Go-Round" and taken up by other newspapers in the U.S. The Friendship Train began in Los Angeles on Nov 7, 1947 ending in New York City to be transported to France and Italy on a donated ship to arrive at La Havre, France. Its cargo included donated food, clothing and medicines. And, lastly, there is a 14 minute black and white short film presented on Turner Classic Movies called "The Friendship Train", (1948). ~Submitted by Ruth Winkler

Photo of tin toy cars part of Merci Train exhibit of Vermont Historical Society which was selected by collections volunteer, Nancy Remsen when asked "If you had a chance to pick one thing out of 20,000 from the Vermont Historical Society collections, what would it be?"


“How do I get to Plymouth, VT?” Imagine you’re south of Cuttingsville and your smartphone responds: “From VT 103, turn right at the bridge in Cuttingsville and proceed six miles to North Shrewsbury viilage. At the roundabout take the first exit. Bear right onto the Old Plymouth Road. Proceed seven miles to VT 100 and arrive at your destination”. Ridiculous? Perhaps not, if a series of events in the early 1970’s had turned out differently. During the early 1970’s, 3,400 acres of the land, now part of the Calvin Coolidge State Forest, was privately owned and being actively marketed to become “Plymsbury”, a Tudor-themed second home community, one of the largest such developments in the State. As reported in the Rutland Her-ald, plans prepared by a Vermont engineering firm included homes sites for 11,145 residents, with centralized wastewater collection and a wastewater treatment plant, dis-charging to Great Roaring Brook. The now quiet forest along both sides of the Old Plymouth Road (from Northam to the former Round Top Ski Area) would have had hundreds of housing units, with a labyrinth of roads, utilities and man-made ponds. All traffic to this development would be from Northam Road, the Cold River Road or Rt 100. Shrews-bury’s seasonal population would have increased ten times. The Wall Street Journal front page reported that the devel-opment branch of Boise Cascade had an option to develop this land but did not pursue it for fear of local opposition. Next, two Rutland attorneys and a Burlington car salesman, bought the property for “about $500,000” and actively sought to market it for the expansive development described above. It took the decisive and dogged actions of several leaders in Shrewsbury and Plymouth, then the involvement of hun-dreds of residents in both towns, several local legislators, two Vermont governors, the National Forest Service, and even our Congressional delegation, to negotiate and provide funding for what we now know as “our Plymsbury”. In the late 60’s and early 70’s, speculative second home de-velopment was occurring throughout southern Vermont at a rapid rate, especially near ski areas. The significant impact of some of these developments on local communities and the environment created the need for more local and State review. These were the early days of local zoning and Act 250. In fact, it was this type of development that spurred the creation of Act 250 during Gov. Deane Davis’ administration. The high development potential along the Old Plymouth Road, from North Shrewsbury to Plymouth, would have been evident to any potential land developer. There was already an existing town road from one end to the other. The land is relatively flat. Soils are generally good for building and road construction. The views are spectacular. And, at the time, local zoning and environmental regulations did not ade-quately address large scale development; Act 250 was just in its infancy. The original asking price was $1 million, but the owners later indicated they would accept $750,000 for the 3,400 acres, if a property appraisal could document a much higher value so they could get a “donation” tax break.

A petition, signed by 1,500 persons from Shrewsbury and Plymouth, was presented to Governor Davis, and other State officials, asking that the State take ownership. 95% of the registered voters in Shrewsbury and 66% of the voters in Plymouth signed the petition. Amazing! The State began serious consideration of purchasing the land, including two personal site visits by Gov. Davis himself and Fish & Wildlife staff (including a baked bean lunch reception for the Gover-nor at the Meeting House). Negotiations continued with the owners. However, a professional appraisal commissioned by the State did not give the owners the tax credit they were seeking. Gov. Davis seemed committed to pursuing the purchase and is quoted as saying “taking Plymsbury off the development market has the first priority over other pieces of land in the State which are in the same dilemma”. The Rutland Herald reported that Gov. Davis “labeled Plymsbury as Vermont’s number-one land purchase priority” and that “the land re-minded him of that around his grandfather’s property in Cor-inth”. The negotiations dragged into Gov. Salmon’s term. A letter from both Selectboards implored the new Governor “for im-mediate action to purchase ‘Plymsbury’ before it is lost to Vermonters forever”. Governor Salmon was presented cop-ies of the petition, and letters of support from former Gov. Deane C. Davis, Rutland Mayor Gilbert Godnick, the Shrewsbury and Plymouth Planning Commissions, the Shrewsbury Conservation Commission, the Rutland Region-al Planning Commission, the Ottauquechee Regional Plan-ning Commission, the Sierra Club, former Attorney General James Jeffords, State Representatives from Wallingford, Plymouth and Shrewsbury, Farm & Wilderness Corp., local snowmobile clubs and local environmental organizations. Clearly, there was wide and overwhelming support for the State to purchase the property. Eventually, in 1974, the State acquired the 3000+ acres and annexed it to the Calvin Coolidge State Forest. Today it is open for outdoor recreation, wildlife conservation and timber management. It serves as valuable wildlife habitat and liter-ally straddles the Champlain - Connecticut River water-sheds. It is a place of solitude enjoyed by the entire town year round. When you next walk along the Old Plymouth Road, snowmobile on the VAST trails, or hunt, ski, or snow-shoe on the many trails, stop and think about what it would be like if that same area now housed 11,000 people. The road you are walking on could have been the bypass to Plymouth to avoid Sherburne Pass or Ludlow. Imagine the stream of traffic in front of Pierce’s Store. Many thanks to Peter Erb, who was one of the local leaders in the effort to save Plymsbury and provided information for this article. Also, thanks to Jonathan Gibson who recalled he had a file full of Rutland Herald articles published during the-se years. I will scavenge the Town files after this virus thing is over to see if there is a copy of the engineering plans de-scribed in the Herald and recalled by Peter.

~Submitted by Mark Youngstrom

WHAT IF?: Plymsbury (pop. 11,000)? (Third in a series on proposed land uses that would have greatly impacted Shrewsbury)


A Healthy Tree Future All of the corona virus protection news seems to show peo-ple in enclosures: house arrest, shelter in place, or self quarantine. As this predicament continues into and probably through April and into May you do realize that the quarantine can involve the outdoors as well and not just your living room, bathroom, and bedroom. It is Spring, more than twelve hours of daylight, and warmer temperatures to work outside on two projects that will improve the health of two kinds of trees: apples and believe-it-or-not ashes.

Recently, the ap-ple tree pruners have appeared. The Castleton tree warden in action (Rutland Herald Photo), the tell-tale ladder leading up the freshly pruned tree on the Cold River Road, and of course the flowering crabs in Rutland. For ap-ples and most other fruit trees, tree health can be

enhanced by occasional pruning using four simple rules: re-move all dead wood, remove branches growing back toward the tree crown center, remove branches that rub together (at least one of them), and remove branches broken or cracked. A goal for any tree care is to create a scaffold of branches

for the tree to establish a healthy and long lived crown and a warm spring day before leaf-out is no better time to get started. As Emerald Ash Borer continues to expand throughout Vermont I was reminded recently, as I watched a tree ser-vice company remove a large ash tree in Rut-land, that there is an-other option beyond removal. It’s a systemic insecticide, “emamectin benzoate,” that is in-jected directly into the base of the ash by someone (usually an arborist) with a certified pesticide applicators license. Treatment is not recommended until Emerald Ash Borer is confirmed in or very near an area and the nearest confirmed town for the start of 2020 is Lon-donderry. This has proved thus far to be the only effective treatment to keep ash trees alive and trees must be treated every two years at a cost of about $10.00/diameter-inch/treatment. Like corona virus, ash information seems to change constantly but three things are likely to happen as EAB gets closer. The number of people with certified pesti-cide applicators licenses will increase (Trees Incorporated and Black Bear Tree Service are only local ones at the mo-ment). In infected Grand Isle County a list of Certified Pesti-cide Applicators available to treat ash is available this Spring. The cost of treatment may go down as the demand for treatment increases. And, as with other tree disasters, the number of tree scammers with pick-up trucks and offers to paint a cure on your ash or pour something on the ground to prevent EAB will likely increase. It is the season to take a good look at ash trees in your yard and begin to think about whether to save them or not based on present health, crown shape, and value to you as a yard tree. So the kids are going to be sharing time with you: take them outside for a “walk in the woods” or your yard and enjoy the Spring and your trees. Social Distancing is not required if your friend is a tree.

~ Gary Salmon, Tree Warden

Scaffolding Complete (Rutland Herald Photo)

Not the only option

Pre-order plants for your home garden!

Veggie starts, herbs, flowers and hanging baskets! CSA Shares, too!

Order online at www.alchemygardensvt.com/plants

Curbside pick ups!

224 Frank Lord Road 492-2087 // [email protected]

www.AlchemyGardensVT.com


Skating With The Buffalo Are you tired of the lives we are (or not) living since this Co-rona? Days are certainly moving more slowly than in the past and each invites us to do something spectacular with warmer days and anticipations of the future. We need some sort of key movement to welcome us into Spring and Cele-brate our lives which brings me to composer Roger Miller and his collections of children’s songs. This little ditty from decades ago got me thinking about actions out of the box and even though the word “can’t” (Ya Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd) starts off the song it is the invitation to do something flamboyant that stirs the mind.

Earlier this Spring I was pushed off my “forester thinking” when Brian, at the Transfer Station, out of the blue asked me if I knew anything about Giant Sequoias; specifically if you could plant them in Vermont? At the time my standard conservative answer was “not likely” and that have you ever seen one in Vermont? BUT why not and the answer is that it will not happen if no one does it. So I looked it up and peo-ple are planting giant sequoia trees all over the country. What a great idea for Arbor Day. Plant the largest tree in the world in your back yard. So my friend asked “how big to they grow?” I said “if you have to ask it won’t be and adventure”. Followed by “how fast do they grow”? Answered by “don’t leave your planting shovel in the hole.” A Google search and my credit card quickly found four seedlings for him from a nursery in northern Michigan. Between Roger’s song and Giant Sequoias came a minor setback – heart attack - which left me in ICU and a Cardiac Unit and finally home to recover. Corona virus dominates the medical world and even a heart attack forces families into difficult situations when all a spouse can do is watch as patient is wheeled into an Emergency Room with no chance of visiting and possibly never seeing them again. For the next week I was probed, prodded, pricked, picked up, and otherwise subjected to great medical care without seeing spouse which left a body, when ready for transport back home from Burlington, so sanitized that I looked like Donald Trump after a weekend in Mara Lago in the sun ORANGE. Added to the color list were great yellows and dark purples and a skin that is finally turning white. And of course the abil-ity to breathe again.

So look for the spectacular this spring because you deserve it. “Go out on a limb” and see what you can make happen or create and think out of the box. The “great idea trees” going into the ground this spring are coming from Cold Stream Farm Nursery. Celebrate Arbor Day and remember that the last line of Miller’s song is perhaps more important than all the earlier ones.

“But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.” ~Gary Salmon, Shrewsbury’s Tree Warden

Photo taken by Gary on a trip to Calaveras Big Tree State Park high in the Sierra Nevadas

to view the magnificent sequoias. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backyard Lady Beetle Blitz

Help look for Vermont's missing lady beetles! For information on how to participate in the Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ Backyard Lady Beetle Blitz being held from Friday/May 15--Monday/May 18:

http://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/lady-beetle-atlas/backyard-lady-beetle-blitz/.

The Rustic Rooster Donna and Greg will open The Rustic Rooster as soon as restrictions are lifted which they hope will be around May 15. So…follow them on Facebook and watch the parking lot!

Think BIG!


Spring Lake Ice Out As these photos taken by Theresa Hoffman show, the ice has left Spring Lake. Theresa visited the lake several times dur-ing the first week of April. These photos show the progression, and her eye-witness account shows that April 6 was the official ice out date for 2020! I am sure that we are all dreaming about summer days, but at the present time, we are in a wait and see situation to determine how COVID-19 will effect the Shrewsbury Outing Club and its members plans for the summer at Spring Lake. With the information changing so rapidly, we would like to wait and see how the next month un-folds before we issue any recommendations to our members. We will likely have more information in June Times of Shrewsbury. In the meantime, if you visit Spring Lake, we ask that you follow the state’s current guidelines for social distancing. ~Submitted by Rachelle Patton, SOC Co-president; Photos by Theresa Hoffman

THE SVFD NEEDS YOU! We need new and younger members. The Shrewsbury Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) can provide equipment, training, and support. Whether you’ve had prior experience as a first responder or have no experience at all! We need volunteers.

If you would consider joining, please talk to any current member, or stop by the Cuttingsville or Northam stations on any Thursday evening at 7:00pm to introduce yourself and find out more about what you can do for Shrewsbury.


Recently I went back to my daily journal for a few uplifting signs of spring to hopefully get our minds off the stressful situation we’re experiencing. April 5 , Sunday 40°F It’s a grey damp morning , but as I grumble about the weath-er in April I feel grateful for having the woods, fields and gar-dens right outside my door . With hardly a thought, I am able to get out for a daily walk or poke about in the flower beds. It’s an interesting time we are living in to say the least. Today I walked on the Kieffer Rd and off into the woods in the di-rection of Johnson Pond . With many run-off streams coming down from the hills, the footing was soggy wet. I heard the very first Wood Frogs in a small roadside pond. Most of the-se would be the males who in a frenzy, make their duck like calls in order to attract a female. The water’s surface rippled as the mating orgy carried on. Soon, there will be masses of dark colored eggs seen just below the surface. Scraps of old worn out snow still lurk in the shaded places. Through bare tree branches, snow was visible on the north facing slopes of our Shrewsbury hills. April 8, Wednesday: 38°F Even grey cloudiness, again, calm and damp. There is a jubilant bubbling song from every tree near the house as nearly a hundred American Goldfinches announce spring. I enjoy their antics at the bird feeders and do notice how their plumage is rapidly changing from olive green to vivid lemon yellow. The blue bird boxes have been cleaned out and re-paired and are ready for occupants, whether it be Bluebirds, Tree Swallows or the occasional Black Capped Chickadee. A beautiful pair of Eastern Bluebirds have been visiting one of the boxes since February. They come to the feeders now and then for hulled sunflower seed. My walk today brought

me past a string of small vernal pools on the AT/LT, very

close to the steep drop off to Kieffer Rd. Each pool was still covered with ice, with only the edges free. Tiny, tightly rolled tips of Trout Lily, Spring Beauty and Round-leaved Violet were seen barely poking through the dark deep leaf littler. April 14, Tuesday: 30°F With the heavy rains behind us , the air is fresh, though quite blustery. Hat and gloves needed! An afternoon walk

around Spring Lake offered up a good look at the pair of Loons which just returned from a winter spent on the New England coast. They were quietly skimming along completely una-

ware of us humans and our turmoil. Beavers have been hard at work, felling additional trees that now cross the path. Win-ter Wren and Ruby Crowned Kinglets songs rang out in the woods. Both birds are so tiny, but have such a big voice. As we left the lake, a chorus of spring peepers rose from the nearby beaver pond. April 22, Wednesday: 20°F Snowflakes fill the air, tree tops sway, wind chimes ring. The ground is white, daffodils bent and frozen. Insulting weather. A lone Hermit Thrush moves about in the flower beds, half hidden by shrubs and daffodil clumps. A few running steps, then freezing, then running again in a thrush-like manner. A White-throated Sparrow sings off and on all day here in the yard. Much later, while Greening Up on the East Clarendon Rd with the help of two friends, my reward was the satisfac-tion of cleaning up a mess, as well as hearing a singing Ru-by-crowned Kinglet coming from a roadside thicket and a newly returned Broadwinged Hawk circling high overhead.

Here’s to Spring! ~Connie Youngstrom

ANIMALS ~ BIRDS FISH

#1: • everything is slid down lower on the page, by maybe 1/8". • does NOT give option to save as 2008 • border rolls up instead of clipping off rows of text • 5 6.5 4.5 4.5 • #’s show at bottom PDF & Word • boxes move smoothly

#2,

• that box is farther up on the page: farther away from the bottom-of-page frame.

• Can save with 2008 compatibility • 5 6 4.5 4.5

#1: • everything is slid down lower on the page, by maybe 1/8". • does NOT give option to save as 2008 • border rolls up instead of clipping off rows of text • 5 6.5 4.5 4.5 • #’s show at bottom PDF & Word • boxes move smoothly

#2,

• that box is farther up on the page: farther away from the bottom-of-page frame.

• Can save with 2008 compatibility • 5 6 4.5 4.5


The best way to deal with the problem of tickborne disease in Vermont is to prevent tick bites. Over 50% of ticks tested in Vermont are infected

with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. They also may be infected with other pathogens that can cause illness. The VT Dept of Health recommends to prevent tick bites.

• Wear clothing treated with Permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide that can be safely applied to clothing or gear. (It should never be applied to skin.)

• Use repellents (chemical or natural) that are labeled for ticks, and carefully follow the directions on the label.

• Wear light colored clothing (long sleeved pants and shirts) so that it is easier to spot ticks. Tuck pants into socks, and your shirt into pants. Wear hats and place long hair in braids to minimize access for ticks.

• Stay on the center of hiking trails. Ticks can sense both body heat and CO2 and seek areas of high human or wildlife traffic. Avoid walking through high grass and bushy areas and sitting on logs or rocks, or against trees. Use a blanket or tarp to avoid sitting directly on the ground when resting or picnicking.

• CONDUCT DAILY TICK CHECKS! Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks frequently while participat-ing in outdoor activities, and daily after spending time outdoors. Some ticks that transmit disease are as tiny as the period at the end of this sentence. Check care-fully along the hairline, nape of neck, inside and behind the ears, armpits, groin area, behind the knees, inside your belly button, and between your toes.

• Tick check your gear and clothing prior to getting into a vehicle or entering your home.

• Place exposed clothing and gear directly into dry-er on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks that may be clinging to the fabric. (Research shows it has to be the dryer – putting them directly in the washer does not kill ticks!)

• Shower as soon as you come inside if you have been in tick habitat.

• Avoid sleeping with pets. They may transport ticks onto your bed, increasing your chance of a tick bite.

• Control small mammal and songbird populations in and around your home. These animals can act as res-ervoir hosts and may increase your exposure to ticks.


Pastor’s Message If you are struggling with the very real isolation and con-finement imposed by recent events, know you can find sup-port and comfort in God. Jesus doesn’t come into our lives unless we invite him, admitting our faults and our need for forgiveness. We must trust in a relationship that leads to everlasting life. For those who believe in the risen Christ, there is strength, comfort, and an opportunity to rejoice. Keeping faith in times like this is living in the real world, but living knowing salvation is still in front of us; living hope. We have the reassuring words of Jesus, spoken to Thomas as he insisted on proof before he could have faith, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Virtual Worship Service The Shrewsbury Community Church has suspended Sunday worship service and Sunday/Funday Kids’ program and the Prayer Shawl Group until further notice. Our pastor, Wendy Savery, will continue to prepare a Sunday service for us each week, including a written sermon, scriptures, prayers, etc. All our regular members are receiving that info by email each week so we can carry on together in a virtual way dur-ing this difficult time. If you know anyone else who would like to receive this, let us know and we will gladly include them in the mailing each week (make your request to Roxanne Ramah at [email protected]). Keeping in Touch with Each Other As a church family while we are unable to see each other face to face regularly. We are concerned about those who may be feeling lonely or isolated. Therefore, we encourage you to check in with others during the week. If you or some-one you know would appreciate a weekly phone call or if you would like to be a caller, let us know ([email protected]).

Community Food Shelf Free Community Food Shelf at the Library in the front entry way. Those in need are welcome to help themselves any time the Library entryway is open. Limited hours are:

Mon 10-12; Wed 5-7; and Saturday 10-12

Call Sue 802-661-8399 or 492-3738 to order specific items you need which are not on the shelf. Donations of non-perishable food or toiletry items are always appreciated and can be placed on the Food Shelf anytime the Library entry-way is open or dropped off for placement in the donation basket at Pierce’s Store. Monetary donations are also wel-come and will be used to restock the shelf when donated items need to be supplemented. Send checks as described above for Helping Hand Fund.

Community Needs Wedding, Funeral or Memorial Service Requests: Call Rita Lane 775-2578, Sue Kelley 492-3738, 802-661-8399 or Donna Smith 492-3367. Community Helping Hand Re-quests: Call Rita Lane 775-2578 , Donna Smith 492-3367 or Sue Kelley 802-661-8399, 492-3738. Pastoral Care, Home, Hospital Visitation, Outreach Requests: Call Rita Lane 775-2578, Roxanne Ramah 492-3675 or Ruth Kinne 775-5318 (no in-person visits for now, but consider phone calls, virtual visits, emails, etc).

Helping Hands Fund The COVID-19 crisis and resulting economic upheaval will certainly lead to more requests for Helping Hand as-sistance in town. In order to meet the increased requests, we need to build up the fund which is somewhat depleted after needs this past winter. The Helping Hand Fund is for Shrewsbury residents experiencing financial hardship. Assistance can be given for basic needs such as food, heating, gasoline, etc. If you can make a donation in any amount (none is too small) please make a check payable to Shrewsbury Community Church and write Helping Hand Fund in the Memo. Mail to:

Shrewsbury Community Church Treasurer Karen Lorentz

1300 CCC Road Shrewsbury, VT 05738.

If you or a neighbor are in need please let us know!


For the May issue of the Times of Shrewsbury we asked our superintendent, David Younce, to provide the community with an update. There is a good deal upon which to report as shown by the length of his article. This is indeed a challeng-ing time for all of us. Our hats are off to our teachers who with minimal notice had to pivot and embrace new teaching methods. I have heard first hand how many have not only adapted but have come at this challenge with creativity and commitment. They are learning on the fly, sharing what is successful and together honing their practice. Our students are not just marking time, their learning is continuing. David in his article writes about the challenges before us. As members of the school board our most immediate challenge is the unknown. We do know the state education fund is pro-jected to have a massive shortfall of almost $40 million by the end of the current fiscal year which is June 30. As I write this, we have just learned initial projections for the 20-21 school year estimate the state education fund could be un-der funded by $150 million. There will be some federal assis-tance but at this time these funds can only be spent to cover expenses directly related to the pandemic not loss of state revenues. There is hope Congress will amend the rules to allow states to use the emergency funds to offset budget shortfalls. When our state legislature reconvenes it will face unprecedented fiscal challenges. Even with federal support they will have difficult decisions to make. We wait to learn what the impact will be upon school funding. The unknown is not if school districts will receive less state funding but rather how great the reduction will be. Like so many businesses and organizations, school districts are confronting significant challenges. But I know as Vermonters, we will get through this. Late April 2020: From Mill River Schools Superintendent It goes without saying that these are very interesting and challenging times that we are living through. As a school district, the MRUUSD has been working hard to take care of our students and families while maintaining pro-gress in student learning throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Everyone in our organization, at every level, has found that their day-to-day work has changed and nearly all employees are required to work remotely, which presents challenges that have permeated every aspect of our society and are not unique to our organization. We are grateful for our teachers and support staff who are working from home and navigating their own challenges of family life and struggle while not missing a beat with their efforts at providing educational ex-periences and support for our students. We are thankful for our custodians who are keeping our buildings safe and clean and our food service team for providing hundreds and hun-dreds of meals for students who need them every week. We are far from perfect in our work, but we are doing our best to take care of kids and families in the process, which is what we know our community expects and deserves from us. As mentioned above, we are currently preparing and distrib-uting weekly breakfasts and lunches for about 400 children in our community. A phenomenal team of people has taken

the lead on that process, which includes Tammy Shattuck, our SMS Food Service Director, and even our School Re-source Officer, Deputy Joe Hoffman. As of this writing the Governor has extended the stay at home order to May 15 and instructed us that schools will be closed to students through the rest of this school year, un-less otherwise directed by the Governor. Part of my role as superintendent involves figuring out and responding to what-ever unless otherwise directed means, and our administra-tors are in constant motion planning for contingencies for when students and staff might return to school. It seems at this time that the most hopeful, and simplest, return to school would be a regularly-scheduled August return. We already know that there will be gaps to fill and supports and re-sources to put into place. We will be ready for that reality when the time comes. At the high school level, there is much in flux when it comes to the things that we expect to happen at the end of a school year. At the time of this writing, the Vermont Principals As-sociation has not made an official decision on whether the spring sports season has been canceled. It is reasonable to assume that will indeed happen, but we do not expect an official, final decision until April 30. SAT testing for May and June has been canceled and students will have summertime and additional fall opportunities to make those tests up. AP testing is continuing as scheduled, as The College Board has determined that students will be completing AP tests online from their homes. Those without internet access will be supported by the school district in ensuring that they have what they need in order to not miss that AP testing oppor-tunity. Students who planned to enroll in the Armed Forces after graduation are being given the opportunity to begin their service early (in May) pending confirmation that they are qualified for graduation. Regarding graduation, current thinking holds that a typical graduation ceremony experience as scheduled for June 10 will be impossible. A committee of students, teachers, support staff, administration, board member(s) and community members is being put together to design multiple options for us to utilize in order to best rec-ognize our graduating seniors in ways that are meaningful and supportive of their accomplishments. It is also worth noting that our last day of school for students will be Friday, June 12. The least encouraging news I have to share with you will not come as a surprise. We are beginning to prepare for a major economic crisis that will follow the resolution of the COVID-19 threat. We don’t yet know the extent of that crisis and are faced with the inherent difficulty that funding for schools re-lies primarily on usage taxes (sales, meals and hotels) and property taxes. We are all aware that there will be significant dilemmas coming with those revenue sources, and school funding is complicated further in that the effects of a down-turn tend to lag behind in terms of when a crisis impacts school funding. It is reasonable to expect that we might see an economic recovery at some point, but that school funding will show the echoes of the crisis for multiple years after a

MILL RIVER UNIFIED UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS


recovery has occurred. We are currently expecting that we’ll be able to make it through this school year as designed, but that at least the next two school years will see major impacts financially that we are beginning to prepare and design for. Much is unknown at this time across the state in this regard. If you are not connected to the district through a student in one of our schools, there are a few different ways you can access information about what we have going on: ! Each of our schools has a Facebook page. ! We also have a district Twitter account, @MillRiverSchls. ! We post on Front Porch Forum for Clarendon, Shrews-

bury, Tinmouth and Wallingford ! Our School Board Meetings during the COVID-19 crisis

are being broadcast live on YouTube. The next Board Meeting is Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00pm. The agenda, which will be posted on our website at http://millriverschools.org/mruusd-board-documents/mruusd-agendas/ when it is ready, will in-clude a link for accessing the live stream of the meeting as well as information for calling in if you have public comment to share.

! I send out emails to the parent community somewhat regularly, and if you are interested in the content from those emails, check out our website at http://millriverschools.org. There is a red COVID-19 sec-tion on the main page that has a separate link to the emails that are sent to families. You may find these to be informative.

! We’ve started a podcast recently for internal communica-tion purposes. If you are familiar with podcasts you may find that resource interesting as well. The podcast is called “School is in Session. Right?” and it is searchable and subscribable on iTunes. The podcast is also sent out on our social media accounts whenever released. Epi-sodes feature teachers, support staff, administrators, board members, community members, and possibly even statewide leaders. The goal with the podcast is to con-nect with different members of our local and broader school community to provide different lenses to the work we are doing for the benefit of our students, in this COVID-19 era and beyond.

Those of us in the MRUUSD are grateful to the Shrewsbury community for its unwavering support of the district and its students. We are honored to work on your behalf, and are well aware of the many acts of kindness, charity, support and encouragement that emerge from the Shrewsbury community in particular. We do thank you for that. In times of crisis, kindness shines through even more than usual. We see that light shining every day in the Shrewsbury community. If you have any questions, please don;t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Email is best right now. I’ll quickly get back to you or direct you to the person who can best respond to your questions.

Respectfully Submitted, Dave Younce

SHREWSBURY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

Hello from the (virtual) Shrewsbury Mountain School, where our building is closed but our school community is as resili-ent, dedicated, and collaborative as ever. In the past few weeks, SMS teachers have worked diligently and carefully to design and continually improve distance-learning opportuni-ties for our students. The staff at SMS misses seeing our students so much, but we are working together daily to do everything we can to support them during this time. I want to deeply thank the parents and guardians of SMS, as each and every parent is doing everything in their power to support their student's distance learning and this process has involved a lot of time and work! We appreciate every-thing you have always done to support SMS and truly appre-ciate your unbelievable contributions as we manage this new way of learning together. Thank you as well to the larger Shrewsbury community; your support for our school and stu-dents makes the Mountain School the amazing place it is- both in times of celebration and in times of challenge. In other school news, MRUUSD continues to provide free school meals to children in our district throughout this clo-sure. Meals may be picked up Monday and Thursday from 7:00am-5:00pm at the MRUUSD Office Door: 2321 Middle Rd, N. Clarendon, 05759. We are ready to begin spring reg-istration for new prekindergarten students. If you plan to newly enroll your child at Shrewsbury Mountain School for our next school year, please email Marj at [email protected] and we will mail you a registration packet. Thanks and welcome new students! In addition, we are happy to report that the Vermont Arts Council has extended our grant period and so we are work-ing to reschedule Sayon Camara as artist in residence to SMS for fall of 2020. We are also continuing to partner re-motely with SAGE, Shelburne Farms and the Vermont Community Garden Network in planning around the Agency of Agriculture Farm to School Grant that SMS was awarded this spring. The grant will assist SMS with our garden and compost goals, support farm to school education in our classrooms, and will help us to connect with and support local farmers through increasing the use of local foods in our cafeteria. As the temperature slowly creeps into the balmy 40's and the snowpack melts, we are thinking ahead and making plans to give students everything they need when they return to our building. Our reunion will be a sweet one. In the meantime and as always, please feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions or for more information about any of our initiatives. Thank you so much,

Submitted by Jodie Stewart-Ruck, Principal

MILL RIVER UNIFIED UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS (Continued)


Like many of you, we have been adapting to the changes caused by the pandemic by gathering less and working on projects we’ve been meaning to get to, but haven't previous

ly found the time. We’re expanding our home gar-dens and getting crea-tive! If you’re staying home more these days and cut-ting back on town trips, perhaps the ground is fertile for your home garden too. Well, you’re in luck, plant starts are available in Shrewsbury! Check in with your friends at Alchemy Gardens, Evening Song, and Caravan Gardens for availability, advice, and soil. When Vermont schools

closed last month it meant we no longer could cook with stu-dents, or get our hands dirty in the garden with them either. We’ve decided it is a good time to try our hand at the arts of the small screen with a series of virtual farm and greenhouse tours! We have one video up now on our new YouTube channel and our website, and we have more planned to come. We hope these videos will help students and others stay connected to their agricultural community, be inspired, and maybe have some fun too!

Check out our video page at: www.sagevt.wordpress.com/video-inspiration, for our first video from Alchemy Gardens. We would love to hear student questions on greenhouses and early season planting! For more information about SAGE: contact Stephen Abatiell at [email protected], Joan Aleshire at 492-3550 or visit www.sagevt.wordpress.com. Follow us on Facebook for up to date event details at Shrewsbury SAGE.

Submitted by Stephen Abatiell

Email Request to a Small Town Paper Hello, (to the Times of Shrewsbury!)

I am from upstate NY and I am looking for someone who had posted an ad on craigslist with chicken coops for sale, and he was lo-cated in Shrewsbury VT. I'm wondering if there is a way to put an ad in your publication

or to see if I can find this person. The chicken coops he had looked so well designed and made, and I am hoping to find him if I can.

~~Thanks for your help, Teal ~~~~~~~ Hello Teal, I think I know the person to whom you're referring. If ok with you I'll pass on this email to him and he can contact you. If it's not him then we can discuss placing an ad. ~~Regards, Rich ~~~~~~~ Hello Rich, Wow! That would be great if you could pass this is on him. I took a look at the craigslist listing I had printed, and his name is Jason. Small town goodness! I appreciate your help making the connection very much. Thanks very much.

~~Best Teal ~~~~~~~ Jason, We received an email at the Times of Shrewsbury from someone who was trying to locate a chicken coop builder from Shrewsbury that had advertised on Craigslist. The email mentioned the name was Jason, so I guess you're the one! Please see the email chain below for contact information if you are/are not interested in the business. ~~Regards, Rich (Note: Rich and Jason are neighbors!) ~~~~~~~ Thanks Rich. I will contact Teal. ~~Jason ~~~~~~~Final Note: Teal now has a new chicken house!

HOPE

Nascent buds On flowers and trees Let's be thankful For things like these Spring is here Enjoy its birth Living, blooming Lovely earth Forget, but pray For things unknown God is here We're not alone.

by Fran Patten





Lindsay and Remy on the gardening video

Scott


News from Reinbow Riding Center Hello…..Isn’t It Time for Spring!?! Every few days we get a touch of spring, then Mother Nature reminds us that winter is still not quite over and we wonder if it will ever really get here. Nevertheless, the horses are feeling frisky and ready to start a new season. With the snow gone some like to seek out new pastures and inevitably get back to their old habits of testing each and every section of the fence to see if they can find a spot for escape. Even with new fencing there are two—Fonda and her daughter Sabre--that always know just where to look. It‘s also the season when the new lambs arrive. White, black, a few like chocolate, boys and girls, singles and twins. Give them a few days and they’re ready to explore their world so out into the horse pasture they go along with Smokey, Dollar and Cutie. Smokey loves the little darlings and always keeps an eye on them even reaching over the gate when they are in the barn to give them a friendly nudge and howdy-do. Dollar just thinks they are part of the land-scape and ignores them. Cutie doesn’t mind the little ones and is always trying to grab a mouthful of hay from their bin and when she’s eating her breakfast grain, if they come to help, she steps back out of the way and lets them eat their fill; just a little unusual because she really likes her grain.

So even though we may all be stuck at home, on the farm it is still a busy time and there is a lot of new life starting and even some returning that keeps the days interesting. Wood ducks are back to nest, geese and other ducks are on the lake, and every day it seems there is another, different bird song outside. Since life is a little bit slower these days what a good time to stop and listen to life renewing and returning once again.

Although we have not set any dates for the start of our lessons and our annual Volunteer Open House and Orientation, anyone that would like to volunteer is urged to either con-tact us or go on-line and download a volunteer application to fill out and email or mail to us so you can be ready to get started. Anyone that wants to participate in the program should also contact us or go on-line and download our par-ticipant application and paperwork and get it back to us.

If you can’t obtain the paperwork from our website: rein-bowridingcenter.org, please send an email to [email protected] or call us at 802-236-2483 and we will email or send you the paperwork you need. Our address is P. O. Box 395, Shrewsbury, VT 05738.

Submitted by Janet Upton

CUSTOM CABINETRY

PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICE

FRANK GUNDAL

KITCHEN DESIGNER

Cell: 339-987-7076

[email protected]

FOR SALE

GOODYEAR SPORT SUMMER TIRES Four Tires (235-55-17)

Great Tread Left $200

THULE ROOF RACK’

Two cross bars and rail strap ons $50

TEAC

REEL to REEL Like New!

$100

HARD to find VINYL

ULTIMATE SPINACH “Behold & See”

$50

RHINOCEROUS First and Second Albums

$35 each

Please call Larry at 492-3785


Forest Carbon Sequestration in Shrewsbury Back on November 8, 2019, I gave a talk at the Shrewsbury Library on the topic of forest carbon sequestration. Following the meeting, several of us interested in the topic formed a small working group to explore the feasibility of pursuing a sequestration project in Shrewsbury. Sequestration is the naturally occurring absorption of carbon dioxide by trees, a process facilitated by photosynthesis. Trees absorb and store an enormous amount of CO2, and convert it into the oxygen we breathe. Increasing the rate of natural sequestration is an essential means of tackling cli-mate change by reducing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere (a major cause of climate change). It’s nothing new. What we’re looking at doing is increasing the amount of CO2 the forest absorbs above its current baseline. This is called “additionality.” To ramp up sequestra-tion, management techniques are applied that increase for-est health and resiliency. Carbon sequestration with “addi-tionality” has been aggressively pursued for decades in other countries and the U.S. on a large scale with proven, pub-lished results. It’s recognized as a method for significantly reducing the carbon concentrations in the atmosphere. Our forests, which Vermonters have cherished for centuries, are under a growing range of threats. By enhancing the rate of sequestration with particular forest management techniques, we can better preserve our forests for future generations. What Are We Doing? Below are a few of the tasks we’ve either undertaken or are in the process of undertaking. a) The Working Group is exploring a number of options for

pursuing a carbon sequestration project, from an option involving carbon markets that would yield income for landowners, to an option that is far less complex involv-ing no revenue, but providing forest benefits similar to those of the market program.

b) Under the first option, we would need at least 3,000 acres (ideally contiguous) enrolled to make it economi-cal. That sounds like a lot, but Shrewsbury itself has roughly 32,000 acres.

c) We are exploring whether the health, diversity of trees species and inventory of our forests in town lend them-selves to such a project.

d) We’ve been talking with a number of people to clarify the next steps for pursuing different types of projects. We’ve received advice from a range of experts across the State and around the country

Finally: If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Tim Stout at [email protected] or on my cell at 617-899-1011. I also have an email mailing list to which I will distrib-ute concise information on a monthly basis. If you would like to be included on that list, please let me know. In closing, I’d like to sincerely thank Weezie Duda and the Shrewsbury Conservation Commission for their willingness to consider this endeavor and to the Shrewsbury Forest Carbon Working Group that’s provided excellent counsel and shown great patience. ~Submitted by Tim Stout

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Frist Bear of Spring? The first bear of Spring was caught on a critter camera at five seconds before midnight on March 18, 2020!

~Lavnia Seide ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frist Bear of Spring? The first bear of Spring was caught on a critter camera at five seconds before midnight on March 18, 2020! ~Lavnia Seide


Last Chance! to be included in the new

Shrewsbury Phone Book

Due to the current situation we all find ourselves in, we hit the pause button on the 2020 Shrewsbury phone book. However, we are quietly hopeful for the future and are now looking to

put the finishing touches on the phone book.

We have used the 2015 phone book as our starting point.

If you are in the 2015 edition and wish to have the information remain the same, there is nothing you have to do.

Please fill out the attached form:

• If you were not in the 2015 phone book • OR wish to change your information

• OR wish to be left out of the new edition

• Deliver to: Shrewsbury Library • Mail: Shrewsbury Library, P.O. Box 396, Cuttingsville, VT 05738 • Email information: * [email protected] • Advertisers- Please contact Lisa at the above email for a business form

Choose one- New Entry Information change

(Please Print) Last Name First Name Spouse’s First Name

, ; {Couples with different last names will be listed separately and will need to fill out a form for each person}

Primary Contact Phone Number:

Optional: email address (only one please)

Optional: Children’s names: *

I authorize the Shrewsbury Library to include in the 2020 Shrewsbury Phone Book the information I have provided.

I do not wish to be included in the book.

Signature: Printed Name:

*Signature of parent/guardian is required if children’s names are to be listed, and the signed form must be delivered or mailed to the Library.

Deadline to submit Telephone Information Form: May 15, 2020


There has been much talk these days, amidst the upheaval and uncertainty, about finding those silver linings. No more so than here at the Shrewsbury Co-op at Pierce’s Store! We are wildly fortunate, in many ways, to find ourselves in this quiet and beautiful corner of the world during these times. The fabric of a community such as ours is woven by the hands of many, together, and is that much stronger for it–we at Pierce’s have been so glad for the ability to continue to contribute, thanks absolutely to the loyalty and adaptability of our volunteers, customers and staff! Over the past six weeks, we have been spurred on by cir-cumstance to stretch our resources further than ever, calling more on volunteers for an extra hand, rethinking ways to use the space to adjust with demand, and exploring alternative methods of sourcing inventory. This has shown us Pierce’s potential for a robust future, and inspired conversations about our hopes and visions for our evolving role in the community, beyond a convenient spot to pick up a few things, or as an emergency resource in times like these. Whatever comes, one thing we know for sure: we look for-ward to the time when we can re-open our doors and contin-ue to provide– in-person!– the legacy that 2658 Northam bears historically and that which Marjorie instilled: a space to source nourishment, whether that is a cup of hot coffee or a heart-to-heart/good joke with a neighbor. April brought our cook extraordinaire, Rob McKain, back to the kitchen after a well-deserved vacation in California. His workweek and output have been streamlined to focus on his most shelf-stable creations like burritos and pizza, along with a few perennial favorites such as his sourdough cheddar cheese rolls and double chocolate brownies. Comfort food is in high demand these days. He’ll continue to supply those staples as well as experimenting with other favorites such as particular soups, tarts, and muffins. If you are craving some-thing in particular of his please let us know! It’s been fascinating to keep tabs on the data as it has changed over the past few months, especially when we compare it to this time last year, which on its own was a pret-ty great quarter for us! Our returning customer base has 2020) but the most significant change is the volume of sales. Though the number of individual sales in the past 6 weeks from this time last year is actually down by almost 1,000, the average size of those individual sales has grown by over 30%. Purchases of prepacked bulk goods like flour, oatmeal, dry beans etc quadrupled as everyone re-learns how to bake bread and make soup from their home kitchens. And the biggest shift by far is in fresh fruit/vegetables/herbs, where sales are over 10 times higher than they were last year, thanks in large part to the continuing efforts of Evening Song Farm who have continued to supply us with their beautiful produce. The month’s not over yet, and we’re still crunching

the data, but it sure does teach us a lot about what we can move with a vibrant customer base. By the time we are sitting down to write the June Times of Shrewsbury article, we will know much more about plans for summer here at Pierce’s, as well the ways in which the store will change–and remain familiar–moving forward. I can bet that our lupines will be blooming and the lilacs around town will be in full swing. The woods will have turned green again, and early home gardens will have begun bearing their nour-ishing fruits. The first brave lake swimmers will have taken the plunge! Much beyond that is hard to predict. What the past few months have taught us here at the store is our ca-pability to adapt and improvise– and that our most excellent community is more than happy to do just that right alongside us! An abundance of thanks to everyone for continuing to sup-port Shrewsbury Coop @ Pierce’s. Here’s to a spectacular summer!! See you at the store!

Submitted by Elana Levin

New Email for Ordering! We have a shiny new grocery ordering email address that we would like to use. We have hopes that it can aid in keep-ing our ordering correspondence separate from the emails we exchange with vendors, employees, volunteers and cus-tomers regarding everything else! So…

Send ordering inquiries to the following address: [email protected]

Email subject line:

your name + Grocery Order + today's date

Please include your telephone number in your order emails Indicate whether you are content waiting until you can get the bulk of your order all at once at the end of the week - OR- whether you'd like to make multiple pick-ups of por-tions of your order as soon as they are ready. Make sure to check on the bottom of your most recent re-ceipt for the balance of your pre-buy to see if you need to add more funds to your pre-buy account. We've had some creative discussions about setting up a true online ordering system for Pierce's with all our inventory added and ways to pay through the website. We're in the process of making that happen (while keeping this train roll-ing!). Thank you all for your extremely helpful input and brainstorming!!

23 Times of Shrewsbury July 2015

Friday Night Dinners

July 3: Lasagna July 10: Mac & Cheese July 10 - Weezie Duda will be making BBQ Chicken with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw July 17: Lasagna July 24: Mac & Cheese July 24 - Nancy Ellery will be making Cod Fish steamed in individual parchment paper packets with chopped Kale, Lemon and Artichokes, served with Bulgar Wheat and a Cookie. July 31: Lasagna Meals will be available on Fridays 5:00 to 7:00pm…and on Saturday until they run out. It’s best to call ahead and reserve your order!

492-3326

! Beginning in the last week of June, we’ll have someone in to custom-make sandwiches Mon-day–Friday between 11 and 1 most days. So stop in for lunch! ! If you see this before the 27th of June, here’s a reminder that Sandy Bragg will host a wine tasting between 5 and 7 pm. He has brought in a selec-tion of Pinot Gris from Oregon. Come join us for the event! Light snacks will be available. ! Special preorder items from Rob’s kitchen for July 4th available on the 3rd: Guacamole Hamburger buns Salsa Cider beans Watermelon gazpacho Coleslaw

“What do you say to inviting the neighbors in for a picnic tonight?” “But we don’t have anything in the house!” “Doesn’t Pierce’s have stuff? Let’s go see.” Here’s what you could check off your list at Pierce’s: Brush to clean off the grill Charcoal & lighter fluid Bug repellent Citronella sticks Paper plates and disposable utensils, cups, nap-kins Hamburger (Smith Farm & commercial) Hotdogs Sausages (McKenzie & Smith Farm) Chicken (Misty Knoll & Copperas Hill Farm) Steaks (Smith Farm) Burger Buns (Rob’s) Hotdog buns (commercial) Chips, pretzels & dips Breads & rolls (Rob’s and commercial) Salad makings & other vegetables (local farms & commercial) Potato Salad and/or coleslaw (made regularly by Chef Rob – always available by order but not necessarily available “today”) Popcorn (microwave and local whole kernel) Brownies and cakes (Duncan Hines mixes) Cookies (Rob’s and commercial) Ice Cream (Wilcox) Syrups, cherries & whipped cream Beer & wine Sodas & seltzers Juices Moxie Ice Cleaning supplies & trash bags (13 & 39 gallon) Alka Seltzer!!!

Daily lunch specials will be announced no later than the morning of the day, earlier if possible and will feature Rob’s homemade Soups or Salads. Regular hot meals in the crockpot: Monday – Chili con Carne Tuesday – Smith Maple Crest Farm grass-fed beef Tacos Thursday – Pulled Pork Sandwiches on Rob’s homemade buns

Specialty Wednesday Pizza Varieties 7/1 Pesto, chopped tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan 7/8 Italian Sausage, marinara and mozzarella 7/15 Sautéed peppers and onions, marinara and mozzarella 7/22 Caramelized onions, mozzarella and gorgonzola 7/29 Louisiana with Andouille, Creole marinara, and mozza-rella

* Soups, Pizzas and Friday meals from Rob’s kitchen change from week to week. During the summer Rob of-ten makes a refreshing salad or cold soup on hot days. Please call the store (492-3326) if you’re wondering what’s on the menu. It will always be posted on our Fa-ceBook page and sent out to the daily email list. If you want to be included on the email distribution please let me know at [email protected].

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Lincoln Hill Short Term Road Closure

The Lincoln Hill Road closure is expected to begin around July 6, 2015 and the closure will remain in place for 28 consecutive days. Please follow the signed detour to be installed by the Town of Shrewsbury. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation throughout this upcoming construction season. Con-tact project outreach coordinator Natalie Boyle at (802) 310-7822 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

Solar Reflections After our initial list printed in the Times last month, we had several more Shrewsbury residents report on their solar usage as well. The townspeople below are great resources if you are considering "going solar" and have ques-tions. Let's keep the list growing!

Shrewsbury Solar Users Joan Aleshire

Sandy & Kristi Bragg David Catellier

Louise & Stan Duda Lily & Eldred French David & Laurel Fretz

Scott Garren & Heather Shay Mark & Carol Goodwin

Mark & Licia G. Hamilton Greg and Galen Miller

Art Krueger & Trish Norton Randy & Deena Page

Russell and Donna Reay Podge & Martha Sirjane

Jeff and Mary Smith / Maple Crest Farm Aaron Schnieder and Marty Anderson

Sharon & Roger Winnicki Ryan Wood-Beauchamp

& Kara Fitzgerald Submitted by the Conservation Commission

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Pierce’s Store Friday Night Dinners

December 13 - Guest Chef Weezie Duda will make Roast Pork with Tomatoes, Fennel & On-ions, Rob's Roll, Mini Cheesecake with Raspber-ry Sauce. January 10 - Guest Chef Hilary Adams (call the store for the menu!) January 24 - Guest Chef Connie Youngstrom will make Mini Meatloaves with Maplecrest beef, baked sweet dumpling winter squash, scalloped potatoes and something green on the side (whatever she can find that's local—spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts perhaps.) Meals will be available on Fridays 5:00 to 7:00pm…and on Saturday until they run out. It’s best to call ahead and reserve your order!

492-3326

if you are interested in making a meal, please contact either Heather Shay at 492-2284 or

Sally Deinzer at the store, 17

Pierce’s Store

Friday Night Dinners November 8: d Chef Carol Calotta will prepare Beef Bourguignon served over egg noodles. It will have carrots, mushrooms and baby onions in the stew and be served with a green salad. November 22: Chef Nancy Ellery will prepare a Seafood Lasagna with a green salad. Meals will be available on Fridays 5:00 to 7:00pm…and on Saturday until they run out. It’s best to call ahead and reserve your order!

492-3326

if you are interested in making a meal, please contact either Heather Shay at 492-2284 or

Sally Deinzer at the store,

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Thanksgiving Specials Rob has developed a pre-liminary menu of special order treats for the holiday. They include: Pumpkin and Pecan Pies Cranberry Sauce Dinner Rolls Holiday Bread (with nuts,

raisins, cranberries & apricots) The store will be open for a few hours Thanksgiv-ing morning—probably until 1:00, but check at the store as we get closer to the day to be sure. In October, I ran a special on wine and in No-vember I plan to do the same with beer. In this case, I’ll break open a selection of 6-packs and let you build your own from a variety of beers. Not all vendors allow this yet, but apparently it’s becoming more common. I need to research a little more to be certain which beers will be acceptable to sell this way and how they can be priced, but I’ll let you know when it’s ready! A big change is coming to the store in November. The check-out process is going to be much smoother as we’ll have a “Point of Sale” system in place. This will mean your purchases will be scanned and the price will show on a display without the volunteer having to enter the price and category of the item. It’s all programmed into the computer. Of course, there will be a learning curve and we’ll find that there are items on the shelves that were missed when the database was being populated. But we’ll get past those in the first month, I hope. This new system will make inventory management much simpler and will give the manager more time to spend on improving the selections on the shelves, refining pricing, promoting items through sales, and many other as yet unimagined benefits. In addition, and just as importantly, it will simplify the job of our volunteers. A big THANK YOU! to Randell Barclay who re-searched alternatives and made the recommenda-tion to invest in this system. Then Randell built the

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system and populated it with our inventory. It would not have happened as easily without him. A Recipe SooFoo – Remember last month I men-tioned this item as a really tasty protein/rice alterna-tive? I found a great way to use it. I had some late zucchinis in the garden—they were a little larger than I like to have as plain vegetable, so I thought I’d stuff them for a supper one evening. I cooked up a half cup of dry SooFoo with some chicken bouillon and olive oil. Then I mixed in some chopped up veggies from the crisper—peppers, a bit of onion, some chopped greens and a few sad tomatoes. I placed the mixture into the seeded zucchini halves, sprin-kled on some bread crumbs and grated cheese and baked them for a half hour or so. For the finishing touch, I turned on the broiler so the top crisped up. Yum! A very good supper indeed. And best, a meal in itself. You can find SooFoo in our “Bargain Bin” because the bags we have are out of date. But I can tell you that the bag I have – out of date – is perfectly fine. I hope you’ll try SooFoo! Finally, we are always looking for more people to volunteer in the store. If you have any interest, please contact Sally at 492-3326 or stop into the store. With the new Point of Sale system, I hope more folks will be interested in joining the Pierce’s team!

Sally Deinzer, Manager

NEWS FROM PIERCE’S STORE

Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm

Sunday 8am-5pm

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During this time of giving thanks and reflection on the past year, on behalf of the Board of the Shrewsbury Coop at Pierce’s Store, I would like to thank the Shrewsbury community for being supportive of our adventure. Nearing the end of the year, it appears that our revenues have continued to grow—accompanied by increased costs of goods, of course—and that we’ll end the year in decent shape. What a wonderful community we live in! Thank you all. Point of Sale System The efforts that Randell Bar-clay put in during the past several months to imple-ment our new computerized inventory system are beginning to pay off. Among other things, this new way of operating will allow us to see how particular items have sold over a period of time. This could lead to changes in what and how many we stock or make. Many volunteers have already attained mastery of the ins and outs of making sales and several are learning other features such as checking in deliveries electronically. As manager, I will appreciate the re-duction in the amount of time I spend “counting” things: it will allow more time to work on inventory changes and adjustments to our pricing. Some customers have experienced longer waits at the register than in the past because we’ve been struggling with the touchscreen monitor, scanner wand, wireless trackpad, and items that are unknown to the system. We appreciate the willingness all of you have shown as we come up to speed. I am sure I speak for the full board when I say that on New Year’s Day we’ll all enjoy resting or playing with family rather than spending a good part of the day at the store counting and recording every item on the shelves. Holiday Specials As in past years, Rob will prepare a number of items from the bakery/kitchen for special order. Watch at the store or on our FaceBook page for what will be on the menu. In addition, we’ll be stocking or offering special treats: a few varieties of festive wines and bubbles; candies and confections; Thomas’s Eggnog; preor-der turkeys and perhaps hams. Please let me know if

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there are particular items you’d like to see in the store. Gifts and Gift Certificates Here’s a gift suggestion: purchase a bulk quantity of your family member’s favorite [fill in the blank!]—members can purchase for just 20% over the wholesale price and non-members get the benefit of the lower price of pur-chasing in quantity. Remember, too, that you can purchase a gift certificate to Pierce’s Store as a gift for someone special. Just ask the person at the reg-ister. Music on Thursdays Do you know that most Thurs-day mornings a group of Shrewsberries bring their banjos, guitars, fiddles or whatever to the store and jam? They take over the café area and have a grand time. Please stop in and listen or join in anytime be-tween about 8:30 and 10. Finally, we are always looking for more people to volunteer in the store. If you have any interest, please contact Sally at 492-3326 or stop into the store. With the new Point of Sale system, I hope more folks will be interested in joining the Pierce’s team! Happy Holidays to all and have a Safe and Happy New Year! See you at the Store.



NEWS FROM PIERCE’S STORE

Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm Sunday 8am-5pm

Sally Denizer, Manager Sally Deinzer, Manager

Closed to walk-in traffic until further notice


Craig & Peggy Angstadt Gary & Minnie Arthur Roy Arthur Steve Banik & Virginia Gundersen Randell & Dianne Barclay Bob Barich Michael & Elizabeth Bedesem John & Mary Beerworth John & Linda Berryhill Rich Bettelli & Fran Patten Rich & Cynthia Biziak Dave & Debie Blecich Sheree Bloch Sandy & Kristi Bragg Dan & Ginny Buckley Jim Bulno Herb & Karen Carrara Marilyn Dalick Sally Deinzer Nils & Pamela Ericksen Gene & Kathy Felder Chuck & Luisa Finberg Liz Flint Eldred & Lily French Scott Garren & Heather Shay

Richard Gile & Sue Brown Mark & Carol Goodwin Michael & Mary Grabowski Peter & Pam Grace Barry & Barb Griffith John & Betty Heitzke Betsy Hinckley Barbara Hoar Carmine Iannace & Rita Gylys Martha Herbert Izzi Jack & Betsy Jesser Jim & Laura Keller Sandy & Al King Art Krueger & Trish Norton Rita Lane Robert & Judith Landon Clare & Ed Mangine Gerry & Chryl Martin Stephen & Patricia Martyn Taffy Maynard Lynn McDermott Michael & Jennifer McDermott John & Barbara Kay O'Dowd Jack & Sharon Perry Russ & Grace Pratt

Roxanne Ramah Reinbow Riding Center Andy & Helen Richards-Peelle Ridlon Family Dick & Lillian Rohe Edward and Judy Ryan Gary & Margery Salmon Suzanne Savage Wendy Savery Brian & Patricia Sedaille Shrewsbury Community Church Library Volunteer Fire Department Bob & Sally Snarski John C. Stewart II Liesbeth van der Heijden Ann Vanneman Lana Vannucchi Howard & Deborah Weaver Michael & Phyllis Wells Nancy & Jim West Lee Wilson Winkler Family Mark & Connie Youngstrom

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