Photos by Nanci Blog

Weathersfield News February 24, 2016 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net By now you should have received your Annual Town Report in the mail and in a few days the voters in town will, for the first time in recent years, be gathering at the Weathersfield School in Ascutney on a Saturday for the annual Town Meeting. In 2015 the voters, by voice vote,  approved Article 6 and moved Town Meeting from the Monday night before the Australian Ballot vote on Tuesday to Saturday in hopes that more folks will be able to attend. Vermont is unique in that some towns still conduct all their annual town business by voice vote at Town Meeting, however, Weathersfield only votes on non-money articles at Town Meeting. There are arguments on both sides favoring and opposing conducting all business at Town Meeting but it is what it is. Weathersfield's Town Meeting is more an informational meeting before the ballot vote. For 2016, there are 25 Articles to be voted on; Artic...

Weathersfield News February 17, 2016 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net Sadly, I witnessed another old Weathersfield farm house burn to the ground on Monday. We lost Larry Moore, our beloved school bus driver in December and now his house is gone too. A fire broke out at the vacant farm house on Route 131 early Monday morning on February 15, 2016. The 911 call went out around 7 a.m and quickly went to three alarms.  The house was fully involved and fire companies from both sides of the Connecticut River responded. Fire fighters battled the subzero temperatures; getting water on the flames proved a challenge. The fire hoses kept freezing up and many of the Towns’s dry hydrants were frozen. In addition, West Weathersfield Chief Engineer, Josh Dauphin reported that 4 or 5 engines had frozen pumps. Tankers from surrounding towns responded. Dauphin thought between 15-20 companies were called to the scene. The fire is believed to have b...

Weathersfield News February 10, 2016 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net Ascutney Rope Tow Dedication- check; Super Bowl 50-check; Bruce Springsteen in Albany, NY-check; NH Primary-check; Art Class in Reading-check; Bruce Springsteen in Hartford, CT-check; Northern Stage's Mad Love in WRJ-check. Whew, what a week. Time to settle down and open all those seed catalogs that have been stuffing my mailbox. I love looking through my box of seeds and perusing my garden journal to see what worked and what didn't last year. If this crazy winter continues I'll be planting my seedlings in April rather than late May. We'll see; only time will tell.  Ascutney Rope Tow Dedication More images from the Rope Tow Dedication:  https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/VermontStandard/February-2016/Rope-Tow-Dedication/ Bruce Springsteen's Tour Hits TU Center in Albany NY More images from Bruce:  https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/BruceSpringsteen/...

Tuesday February 9, 2016 Reading Elementary School Reading, VT In an era where school's are cutting out art and music from their curricula to "save money", schools in our area are actually adding more art and music time to the student's day. I spent an afternoon with the students of the Grade 1/2 and Grade 5/6 art classes of Ms. Lisa Kaiji at Reading Elementary School and I witnessed the outright joy these students were experiencing during their time creating something of their own. In our age of electronics and over stimulation from watching "blue screens", having children sit down and create something spectacular from bits of paper, crayons, thread, clay, or whatever media they choose can only enhance their minds flexibility. And create a very cool environment for all us spectators to enjoy. Cheers to our Art and Music Teachers! More images from my magical afternoon with the RES Students:  https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/VermontS...

Saturday February 6, 2016 Ascutney Mountain, West Windsor VT The mountain is back. That's what folks attending the Rope Tow Dedication were saying on Saturday. After a couple of years of planning and fundraising, Ascutney Mountain has a rope tow and folks can ski again on this hill (if we get some snow!) Ascutney Outdoors worked with Trust For Public Land  to help purchase the land. Doug Hart, pictured above said all 11 of his grandkids learned to ski at Ascutney. Dennis Brown (brown jacket) seen here with Rope Tow engineer and designer Ross Stevens said he's been working at the mountain since 1963. I heard many similar stories on Saturday, how folks grew up on this mountain, learned to ski here. "dropped their kids off and picked them up when the graduated high school" here. It was a family mountain and if this event is any indication, it will continue to be a family mountain. Charlotte MacLeay hugs her brother Eugene Ely (their father helped st...

Monday February 6, 2016 Times Union Center Albany, NY With the release of   Bruce Springsteen 's epic “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,” a seven-disc comprehensive look at the 1980 double-album, folks have been eagerly scooping up tickets to the few venues in the US that will be hosting the tour. I was lucky to grab a ticket to the SOLD OUT Times Union Center show in Albany NY on Monday night . This was my 57th time seeing the Boss, and while it wasn't the best show I've seen it was mighty close. Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage at 8 p.m. and didn't leave until after 11:30 p.m.. (Remember, the core members of this band are in their 60s; their energy and enthusiasm on stage put some of the 20-somethings in the crowd to shame.) On this tour, Springsteen is performing "The River" in it's entirety then following with the BIG HIT show songs and a few gems. Opening with "Meet Me In The City", the first two hours covered ...

Weathersfield News February 1, 2016 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net How did your Ground Hog Day go? I'm not sure what to make of these warm temperatures in January and February but I for one am not complaining too much. I have a bunch of people around me asking what happened to winter, these are the same folks who complained that the winter of 2015 went on for ever. I guess even Mother Nature can't please everyone. Cheer up folks-pitchers and catchers report in two weeks! Select Board News: The Board met Jan. 18 to go over the FY 2017 Budget to be presented at Town Meeting on Feb. 27 and to be voted on Mar. 1. Discussion included the Capital Replacement Plan and Long Term Debt Schedule. The replacement well and heating system for the highway garage are on the warrant as a separate article for $55,000. If the article passes, the debt schedule will include the $18,333 per year payments for three years. The five years of loan payments for the...