Weathersfield Weekly Blog February 20 edition

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at 
The Moody Center in Austin, TX on Thursday, February 16, 2023. 
More photos below from our Austin Music Adventure.


Mark Your Calendars


Town Reports are Out

Annual Town Meeting will be held on March 4, 2022 at 10am (School) and 12:30pm (Town) at the Weathersfield School.


Annual Town Meeting will be held in person & virtually on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Weathersfield School. 

The School meeting will begin at 10am and the Town Meeting will begin at 12:30pm. 

If you plan to attend Town meeting virtually, the link is meet.google.com/ikz-mniv-ogv. If you plan to call into the meeting, the information is: Phone: (US) +1 413 752-0273 PIN: 604 283 179#.

The School Annual Meeting Warning can be found here & the Town Meeting Warning can be found here. 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at Weathersfield@weathersfield.org or (802) 674-2626.


Selectboard meets Tuesday, February 21

With President's Day on Monday the Selectboard will meet Tuesday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Martin Memorial Hall. The agenda and packet are posted on the town website.



The Poor Cousins will be at the Copper Fox in Springfield VT on Sunday, February 26 5-8 p.m.

Springfield Library Events

43 Main Street - Springfield, VT 05156
Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE

Maximizing Social Security
Tue, Feb 21, 5:30 PM

Vermont Flower Show March 3-5

At the Champlain Valley Expo: https://goo.gl/maps/n4KBpq97JKe1jQ789
Essex Junction, VT


Show Hours:
March 3  Friday:  10am – 6pm 
March 4  Saturday:  10am – 6pm 
March 5  Sunday:  10am – 4pm 

Tickets will also be available at the door.
Pre-purchased tickets redeemable at the door.

The Vermont Flower Show is quite unique among flower shows in the U.S. and we will be ready to usher in the Spring of 2023! 

VNLA members and associates build a 15,000 square foot themed landscaped display (equal to about an acre). A committee works on the design and we receive hundreds of donations of plants, time, materials and labor. A group of volunteers then comes together for 3.5 days to build this display – quite a feat if you watch our time-lapse video below from the 2019 show. 

Along with the grand garden landscaped display, the show offers a wide variety of features and activities to choose from (see highlights below).
  • Grand Garden Display (over 15,000 s. ft.) filled with flowering bulbs, shrubs, trees, and water features!
  • Local artists will be painting live in the Grand Garden Display.
  • Over 100 vendors related to the horticultural/gardening participate in the Flower Show Marketplace
  • Over 35 educational seminars and hands-on workshops on a variety of topics.
  • Experts on-hand all 3 days to answer your gardening and landscaping questions.
  • Family Room with craft and planting activities all 3 days as well as scheduled entertainment.
  • Local bookstore will offer a great selection of books to choose from.
  • The Federated Garden Clubs of VT display
  • Plant Sale at the conclusion of the show on Sunday.

WPL Announces Annual Town Challenge
Saturday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Weathersfield School. So get your TEAM together and brush up on your trivia.

Little Mermaid Jr. March 24-25 at WS
The WS students will be performing the play The Little Mermaid Jr. on March 24 and 25. Rehearsals began on January 10 after a record number of students auditioning for positions.

Zilly Zonka and the Chocolate Factory, May 10

The Zack's Place Theatre Guild presents "Zilly Zonka and the Chocolate Factory", Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. The performance is free but donations are gladly accepted.

If you haven't been to a Zack's Place performance, you'll want to attend this one. The shows are always well done and are a great community resource.

Here are some photos from previous performances: Zack's Place Theatre Guild

Concerts

February 13-18, 2023

So we went on an adventure to Austin, TX looking for some great live music. And we found it. 


We flew from Boston to Austin and arrived very late Monday. We stayed at an airport hotel then moved to the Hotel Magdalena.




It's a funky hotel just off Congress, centrally located for food and the Continental Club-our first music destination.

The The Continental Club in Austin was our first stop on our "tour" for back to back nights of James McMurtry. McMurtry plays at the club every Tuesday night with his band and every Wednesday night solo, when he's not on tour.



We've been following McMurtry for years and finally seeing him with a Texas crowd was fun. It's been on our bucket list for quite a while-glad we finally got to do it.

More McMurtry photos: CLICK HERE

Between McMurtry gigs we ate some great food at some of the cool spots within walking distance of our hotel.

Lunch and breakfast at Joann's Fine Foods





Ice cream at Jeni's




And ice cream at Amy's


Breakfast at the Magnolia Cafe





More photos from around Austin: CLICK HERE

Thursday afternoon we moved hotels to the Hilton Garden Inn Austin University to be closer to the Moody Center. It's a nice hotel with a great rooftop lounge area. The views were amazing. But it was cold and windy so we didn't stay up there too long.
(Vermont was warmer Thursday then Texas was!)



So why did we need to be closer to the Moody Center, well there was this band in town...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are on tour! And performing at the Moody Center. 
The show started at 7:45 p.m. George Strait introduced the band but did not sing a song with them. 

(A few days before this show Nils, Suzie and Stevie were out on COVID protocol -for this show no Jake Clemons- he was out with COVID but Nils, Suzie and Stevie were back)


The band hasn't toured since 2017 (we were at the Sydney and Brisbane Australia shows in February 2017). And the band hasn't toured the US since 2016.

Tickets are available using Ticketmaster Verified Fan app (OY) and are very expensive (double OY) but if you can afford it, the 2.5-3 hour shows are so worth it. 

Some venues sellout really quickly, others you can get tickets the day of the show through Ticketmaster resale. Tickets are by phone app making it harder for third party scalpers but Ticketmaster still charges BIG fees. Northeast dates are coming up soon check Bruce's site for dates.

We were lucky (way to go Jay!) and got two tickets for the Moody Center and added it to our "tour" calendar.

Bruce closed the show with: I'll See You In My Dreams

More Bruce photos: CLICK HERE
Bruce videos: CLICK HERE

After recovering from the Springsteen show, we rented a car and drove to Brenham TX. What was in Brenham? Well, Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group were playing at a small theater there.

Lyle is on tour with his Acoustic Group and they happened to be performing an hour outside of Austin-not a problem for us road warriors- at the Barnhill Center at the historic Simon Theatre.

We've been following Lyle for many years, but this is the first time we've seen him in his home state. 

The acoustic group is a MUCH smaller version of his Large Band but equally as entertaining. (I think his BEST shows are with John Hiatt! Always a fun evening!)




More Lyle photos: CLICK HERE

Brenham was a fun town to visit. We had a lovely lunch at Must Be Heaven.

 I had to get a slice of pie...the sign told me to

A nice walk around town



A yummy pizza at 30 North Gastropub



And a lovely stay at Main Street House B&B





The flight home was uneventful; Boston traffic SUCKED and we're glad to be back in the 802!


News You Can Use
ICYMI (In case You Missed It)

Town/School News


Hey Weathersfield dogs (and their humans)
Officer AJ says, don't forget to renew your dog's license before April 1

By law, all dogs and wolf hybrids six months of age (if first rabies vaccine 3 months) or older must be licensed by April 1st each year in the town where the dog resides. Licenses are only available through the Town Clerk's Office and may be purchased in person or by mail if there is a current rabies certificate on file. Licenses are available after mid January each year. 

Weathersfield does not currently license cats.

In order to license your dog you must present the following items:
A copy of a valid rabies certificate (unless one is already on file).
Proof of Spay/Neuter certificate (if applicable)
Cash or a check made payable to "Town of Weathersfield"

Fee Before April 1st:
Neutered/Spayed: $5.00 + $5.00 state = $10.00
Male/Female: $9.00 + $5.00 state = $14.00

Fee after April 1st:
Neutered/ Spayed: $7.00 + $5.00 state = $12.00 Male/ Female: $13.00 + $5.00 state = $18.00

Local and State News

State cannabis regulator seeks information about alleged ties between Russian oligarch and Vermont dispensaries

 Fred Thys reporting for VT Digger

Vermont’s Cannabis Control Board has contacted authorities in Massachusetts and Connecticut to find out what, if anything, they have discovered about an apparent connection between a Russian oligarch and a company that operates two cannabis stores in Vermont.

According to multiple news reports, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich — a subject of international sanctions — invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the U.S. cannabis industry. The chief beneficiary, according to those reports, was Curaleaf, a Massachusetts company that owns Phytocare Vermont, in Bennington, and Vermont Patients Alliance, in Montpelier.

Asked for comment about a report in Vice this week detailing the alleged connection between Abramovich and Curaleaf, Cannabis Control Board chair James Pepper told VTDigger he had been unaware of it but after VTDigger’s inquiry instructed board staff to contact Massachusetts and Connecticut to determine what they had learned.

Pepper said Curaleaf had not mentioned Abramovich when it applied for an integrated license to operate in Vermont’s adult recreational cannabis market.

“Abramovich never appeared in any of their filings,” he said.

Applicants for licenses must disclose owners and principals, according to Pepper, including those with an ownership interest of 10% or greater. Being untruthful with the board would probably result in the revocation of a license, Pepper said.

READ MORE

Vermont’s congressional delegation urges top US postal officials to address statewide mail delays

Kate O'Farrell reporting for VT Digger

Vermont’s congressional delegation is demanding answers to the postal problems that have been plaguing a number of the state’s residents.

On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., along with U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., sent letters to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and to the U.S. Postal Service board of governors, seeking information about prolonged postal service delays around Vermont.

“These delays are nothing short of life-threatening for Vermonters who rely on the Postal Service for prescription medication delivery,” the delegation wrote in a letter to DeJoy.

“In fact, we have heard from multiple constituents who have been forced to order emergency prescription replacements because their original medication never arrived or arrived in unusable condition. That is an outrage,” the delegation wrote.

Issues with mail delays and understaffing have been especially prevalent in Chittenden and Windham Counties, with the town of Hinesburg experiencing a backlog of over 1,000 packages, the delegation said in its letters.

Merrily Lovell, chair of the Hinesburg Selectboard, said she started to notice significant issues with the postal service in October, but things really worsened around December.

“I was getting mail once a week, maybe. And other people were getting mail once every other week, so it has been a real hardship for many people in town,” Lovell said.
 


Brattleboro’s Harris Hill ski jump rises above tree-tapping thaw

Kevin O'Connor reporting for VT Digger

With more wins than any other late-model stock-car racer at Barre’s Thunder Road Speedbowl, Gov. Phil Scott has plenty of experience with speed sports. But standing at the base of Brattleboro’s Harris Hill over the weekend, he apologized for not taking a turn at Vermont’s sole Olympic-size ski jump.

“I fully intended to compete,” the 64-year-old Scott told a crowd of thousands upon Saturday’s start of the annual Presidents Day weekend competition. “But unfortunately, I left my skis at home.”

That left 17-year-old Slovenian Ozbej Kotnik to leap nearly 90 meters on Sunday and win the 101st annual tournament memorializing the hill’s late founder, Fred Harris.

“This is one of the best competitions of my life,” said Kotnik, who flew 4,000 miles from his homeland as part of a field of 30 competitors from seven states and two European countries. “The crowd, they pump you up.”

Kotnik bested 23-year-old fellow Slovenian Vid Vrhovnik, who landed the longest jumps of the weekend, only to see one shorter 82-meter leap pull down his overall score.

“It’s nice,” Vrhovnik said of the century-old Brattleboro hill in a sport dominated by ramps atop scaffolding. “The new ones are all the same.”

READ MORE

A ‘Vermont perfect storm’: Statewide data shows record spike in housing prices

Dominic Minadeo reporting for VT Digger

A new report from the Vermont Housing Finance Agency shows the median home price in Vermont rose 15% in 2022 — the largest annual jump since the state began tracking home sales data in 1988.

The median price for a Vermont home in 2022 was $310,000, according to the report. The 15% increase from the prior year is attributed to both the state’s “constrained supply of available homes for sale and an increased demand to live in Vermont since the pandemic,” the report says.

The median data for newly built homes rose even more, a 21% increase from 2021, producing a median price of $555,264 in 2022, according to the report.

Real estate agents attribute the record increase to lower interest rates in 2020 and 2021, and the nationwide realization that working remotely is a possibility as a result of Covid-19.

“We, as a country, have experienced a lot of growth in the real estate market with interest rates being as low as they were,” said Sandy Palmer, a real estate agent for Vermont Real Estate Co., which has offices in Burlington and Montpelier and does business around the state. “So, a lot of people that may have not been able to afford a home before — like renters, first-time homebuyers, retirees who, let's say we're trying to move to Vermont — get in the game.”

Extremely low interest rates and Vermont’s relatively low number of Covid-19 cases pumped up demand in the state’s housing market from out-of-state homebuyers, Palmer said. They were motivated not just by relative safety from the virus, Palmer said, but also because of the realization that working remotely was possible.

READ MORE
 

At public meeting on proposed wake boat regulations, many call for stricter limits

Kate O'Farrell reporting for VT Digger

Supporters of stricter regulations governing the use of wake boats in Vermont came out in droves Wednesday night as the state Department of Environmental Conservation sought input on a proposed rule in a public meeting in Greensboro and online.

They argued that the boats — used for wakeboarding, surfing and waterskiing — contribute to shoreline erosion, spread invasive species and make waterways less safe.

The department’s draft rule would require that wake sports take place at least 500 feet from shore and on bodies of water that have an area of at least 50 acres and are 20 feet deep. That would limit wake boat use to 31 inland lakes in Vermont.

Many of those who spoke Wednesday night said that the proposed rule should go further.

“I have been on Lake Groton for 58 years. I currently live on the lake, and I have never seen erosion the way I have since these boats have been around,” said one participant, Tom Page. “From my experience, 500 feet does not protect our shorelines.”


Over 160 people joined the meeting online, along with those who attended in person at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. That venue sits a mile from Lake Caspian, one of the lakes that would be affected by the draft rule.

Of those who attended and sought to speak Wednesday night, 60 were chosen at random and given two minutes to make their case.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has been developing the draft rule, holding public meetings and soliciting comments since March 2022, when a citizen group, Responsible Wakes for Vermont Lakes, petitioned for new regulations. That group initially sought to limit the boats’ use to 1,000 feet from shore — a distance some called for again Wednesday night.  

READ MORE


Vermont releases top scams of 2022, FBI in New York warn of romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day

Carolyn Sistrand reporting for Seven Days

People are being warned about scams and to think with their heads and not their hearts this Valentine's Day when something seems too good to be true online.

The Vermont Attorney General's Office received 3,685 scam reports last year. 
The top ten were:
Unauthorized order/package delivery
Computer tech support
Sweepstakes/lotteries
Law enforcement imposter
Family emergency imposter
Fake websites/online listings
Debt collection
Deceitful solicitations
Identity theft
Medicare card phishing

Romance scams didn't crack the top ten, coming in at 14. These scams often happen online, primarily on social media or through dating websites. Those occur when someone is looking for a romantic partner and gets taken advantage of for money or other means by someone they believed to have been building a relationship with.

Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark said romance scams are a real problem in the state, and that people are often too embarrassed to report them.

"If your emotional response is being spiked it could be a scam," Clark said. "You haven't just lost money, you've lost this relationship that you thought existed when it didn't exist. That person is not real."

Nationwide, victims of romance scams lost $739 million.

Town of Weathersfield


Select Board


All regular meetings are broadcasted live on Comcast channel 1087, VTEL Channel 161, and SAPA.org on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Selectboard Members  
Mike Todd  Chair
David Fuller Vice Chair 
Kelly O'Brien  Clerk
Wendy Smith Member
Paul Tillman Member

Select Board Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month 6:30 p.m.  
February 21 Tuesday (President's Day is Monday) Agenda Packet

*Vermont Open Meeting Law
Minute posting: Minutes of all public meetings shall be matters of public record, shall be kept by the clerk or secretary of the public body, and shall be available for inspection by any person and for purchase of copies at cost upon request after five calendar days from the date of any meeting. Meeting minutes shall be posted no later than five calendar days from the date of the meeting to a website, if one exists, that the public body maintains or has designated as the official website of the body. Except for draft minutes that have been substituted with updated minutes, posted minutes shall not be removed from the website sooner than one year from the date of the meeting for which the minutes were taken.

Weathersfield Police Blotter

Weathersfield School



Weekly Newsletter: February 10

Save the Dates
February 20-24th Winter Break
March 2 High School Fair at Hartland Elementary
March 3 Final Day of Winter Activities


Current Employment Opportunities at Weathersfield School
If you or if you know of anyone that has always wanted to work in a school setting, now is the time to apply. 
WS currently has three different opportunities for employment. 
If you are interested, please apply on https://www.schoolspring.com/
World Language Teacher
Paraprofessional

Weathersfield School Board

Meeting Agendas may be found HERE

Weathersfield School Board meets on Tuesdays
In Person at Weathersfield School (135 Schoolhouse Road, Ascutney)

Location: 135 Schoolhouse RD Ascutney 
February 14, 2023 Agenda
March 14, 2023

School Board Meetings
Meeting Minutes
January 10, 2023  (minutes not posted at press time)
December 13 
November 8
October 11


Weathersfield Proctor Library
Route 5 (5181 US-5 Ascutney VT 05030)


WPL Drop in Scrabble
Mondays at 1 p.m.

Please call Maureen Bogosian for details
@ 603-252-0936

Weathersfield Historical Society
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weathersfieldhistoricalsociety

Weathersfield Center Church and Meeting House
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeathersfieldCenterChurch

Things to Do In and Around Weathersfield
Get Outdoors, Entertainment, Classes, Workshops 

Upper Valley Spike Hikes

The Upper Valley Trails Alliance's Kaitie Eddington checks in with a little gift: a compilation of trails and trail networks good for winter walking and hiking that also have easily accessible parking. 

Eight suggestions, from Hanover's Britton Forest to Woodstock's Ottauquechee River Trail to Eastman's northern trails in Grantham, plus plenty of others. And an added bonus: an updated list of stores in the region that sell spikes for your boots (and other hiking stuff).

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise stated.


NCCT Teens Anything Goes March 3-5 TICKETS

David Sedaris, March 31 TICKETS

Guster, Sunday, April 2, 7 p.m. TICKETS

Youth Education Serie: Dance of Hope, April 6, 10 a.m. TICKETS

Dance of Hope, April 6, 6:30 p.m. FREE TICKETS
(you must reserve a seat to attend)

Paul Reiser, Saturday, May 20 TICKETS

Pat Metheny Side-Eye, Wednesday June 7 TICKETS


Cavalcade July 7-9, 2023 TICKETS
Bizet's Carmen July 16-21, 2023 TICKETS
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel July 27-30, 2023 TICKETS

Exercise

Yoga

Whole Roasted Tro

Within Reach Yoga 

at the 1879 Schoolhouse in Perkinsville, VT

You must Register for each class at least a day ahead by emailing Lisa. 
(Class sizes limited to 7.)


February Classes Mondays and Tuesdays

Candle Glow Gentle Flow
Monday evenings 5:30-6:30 p.m.
February 20, 27

Slow Flow, Rest + Restore 
Tuesday Morning 9-10 a.m.
February 21, 28

Walk-ins can register up to 24 hrs. ahead by emailing Lisa and are available on a first-come, first served basis (classes fill early!). 

Please arrive 5-15 minutes early with your own props and mats.

REFRAIN FROM: Wearing ice cleats (into the building), shoes, perfume, or cologne in the practice space. Do not come to class if you are feeling ill.

Workshops Online

 

Vermont Online Workshops

Lots of events and movies online. Contact: AARP Vermont Email: vtaarp@aarp.org with questions.



Visit Our Local Restaurants

Bistro Midva Midva is open Wednesday-Saturday 4:30-9:30 p.m. (Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) Call (802) 299-1553 or visit their FACEBOOK PAGE for more information.

The Copper Fox 56 Main St., Ste. 1 Springfield, VT 05156 (802) 885-1031
Dinner 5:00pm - 9:00pm  Sunday Hours 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Monday and Tuesday)

Daily Grind Café 
Call ahead for take out (802) 674-9859
93 Pleasant St. Claremont, NH (in the space formerly occupied by Dusty’s Café)
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Harpoon Beer Garden and Brewery 802-674-5491
336 Ruth Carney Drive
Windsor, VT 05089

Inn at Weathersfield (802) 263-9217 
Dine inside or outside Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, call for a reservation 802-263-9217. 1342 VT Route 106 Perkinsville, VT 05151

Maebellines (802) 591-4311
12 Clinton Street, Springfield, VT Open for breakfast and lunch, daily except Sundays.

Outer Limits Brewing (802)-287-6100
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays;  Wednesdays and Thursdays 3-8 p.m.; Saturdays noon-8 p.m. with LIVE MUSIC; Sundays noon-6 p.m..
60 Village Green, Proctorsville, VT 05153 

Springfield Diner-seating inside/outside daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Ice cream shop open Thursday-Sunday 1-7 pm. Daily specials.

Villagers Ice Cream Restaurant-(802) 795-0063 CLOSED For the Season
Tuesdays-Sundays 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. (they stop cooking at 7:30 p.m.)
4261 Route 106 in Perkinsville, Downers Four Corners to the locals.
Unicorn Sundae at Villagers Rtes. 131 and 106, Downers Four Corners, in Perkinsville

Food Assistance

Weathersfield Food Shelf in Perkinsville.
The food shelf is open 2:00 pm-4:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. 
 The Weathersfield Food Shelf is located in the 1879 Perkinsville Schoolhouse at 1862 Route 106 in Perkinsville. The Food Shelf has lots of good food to offer!

Call the Weathersfield Town Office to be refereed to a volunteer, visit the Weathersfield Food Shelf Facebook page and leave a message, email weathersfieldfoodshelf@gmail.com
Donations of non-perishable food are always welcomed and may be dropped off at the facility during open hours or placed in the collection box at Martin Memorial Hall. For more information, call 802-263-5584 or email weathersfieldfoodshelf@gmail.com.

Hartland Food Shelf in Hartland. 4 Corners UU Church Fridays 8-10 a.m., Saturdays 10 a.m-2 p.m.

Reading-West Windsor Food Shelf in Reading. Mondays 2-4 p.m. and Thursday 4-6 p.m. Stone School 3456 Tyson Rd, Reading.

Vermont State Resources and
COVID-19 Response Information

GET VACCINATED
and GET YOUR BOOSTER
Do it for Yourself, Your Family, Your Community


Vermont Department of Health COVID-19 Information Page.

COVID-Vaccine Clinics 


VT Digger Coronavirus Report: CLICK HERE

Mt. Ascutney Hospital Open for Walk-Ins M-F 1-5 PM
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is now offering walk-in service on weekday afternoons for people ages 2 and older, according to a news release.

The visits are available for urgent, but non-emergency medical needs Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. Patients can check in at the hospital’s central registration, through the main entrance.

Some of the conditions appropriate for care through walk-in services are minor cuts and burns; urinary tract infections; strains and sprains; minor fractures; rashes; and ear, sinus and eye infections. In addition, X-ray and lab services are available on-site.

A nurse will be on hand to determine if a patient’s condition calls for transfer to the emergency department.


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Nancy Nutile-McMenemy is an Upper Valley freelance photographer and writer who loves paddle, hike, attend concerts and local events in and around Weathersfield and the Upper Valley.

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