Thetford Town Newsletter

No. 16                                                                                                             June 2005

SELECTBOARD NOTES

 

ANNUAL KIDS FISHING DERBY sponsored by the Upper Valley Fish and Game Club and Watson Auto will take place at the club pond on Five Corners Road on June 5, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. All are welcome.

EMERGENCY 911 ADDRESS
If you haven't already done so, please post your E911 address prominently so emergency services can find you if you need them!

VERIZON CELL PHONE TOWER has been proposed in Thetford and will require an Act 250 hearing and site visit at the proposed location off Quail John Road on June 17th at 8:30am. Hearing immediately after at Town Hall. Zoning board discussion June 28th, 7:15pm.

TREASURE ISLAND


This summer at Treasure Island, in addition to swimming lessons, please join us for several free weekly children's activities.  On Tuesdays, it will be Arts & Crafts from 10-12 in the Craft Shop (located just off the parking lot), Wednesdays will bring Peabody Library Children's Librarian Simon Brooks to Treasure Island at 10AM for story hour on the beach, and Fridays, "Friday Field Sports" at 12:30PM will occur- a collection of pick-up sports activities at various locations around the Treasure Island park.  All activities begin the week of June 20, are drop-in, and no-cost.
 
SAVE THE DATES!  Friday, August 12, will be the third annual Treasure Island Beach Party.  Everyone is invited!  There will be D.J. music on the beach, an island community cook-out, and lifeguard-led water games and children's activities.  Be sure not to miss it.  The party begins at 12PM and continues into the afternoon.  Our rain date is Monday, August 15.  See you there!!

 

We wish to extend our thanks to all the community volunteers who helped on Community Work Day.  Thank you also specifically to the Girl Scouts! So much was accomplished - it was greatly appreciated.

 

PEABODY LIBRARY NEWS

 

The Summer book discussion series at Peabody library begins June 21st.  The book discussion series for this summer is Women's Literature: 25th Anniversary Series and features Interpreter of Maladies; America's Dream; Breath, Eyes, Memory; and Comfort Woman.  Our scholars leading the discussions this summer will be two Thetford residents.  Meetings will be held every other Tuesday evening beginning June 21st.

Also, New! Peabody Library will be open this summer on Saturday mornings from 10-1 beginning June 25th.

Community Exhibit Celebrates Thetford

 

29 Local Artists, from Novices to Professionals, Will Exhibit in a Unique Group Show and Revive a Tradition!

 

“Thetford, 100 Years” is an art exhibit celebrating Thetford and its villages.  A broad cross-section of the community is represented, from a graduating Thetford Academy senior to an 80-year-old summer resident.  This diverse and varied exhibit will have photography, paintings, and sculpture by novices through professionals.  Some works will be for sale while others are for exhibit only.  Many works, including three on loan from the Thetford Historical Society, will show Thetford in years past. 

 

The exhibit concludes on Saturday, July 30 with the Thetford Hill Village Fair as part of celebrating its 100th anniversary.  In decades past an art exhibit was part of the fair.  “Thetford, 100 Years” will revive this tradition.

 

The exhibit runs from June 11 through July 30, 2005 at Latham Memorial Library Gallery, Thetford Hill, VT. Opening reception is June 11, 5-7 p.m. and is open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday 10-12 and Tuesday 2-4.

 

For more information contact Marla Ianello

(802) 785-2912

REMINDER - LATHAM LIBRARY RENOVATIONS

Starting on June 22nd the Latham Library will be closed for renovations. Thanks to a Freeman Grant and private donations, the library will have new carpet installed, walls painted and the space reorganized.  The re-opening is scheduled for July 20th.

The Library is regularly open:
Monday 2:00pm - 8:00pm
Tuesday - Friday 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pm

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - volunteers are needed when the library re-opens.  Please call the library at 785-4361and ask for Peter. There are a variety of activities to choose from that will fit your schedule and interest.  We are also open to your ideas.  Please give us a call.

TA NOTES

 

The annual spring Choral Concert will be held Saturday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. in Anderson Hall. Peter Estes will direct Academy singers in a program of song by soloists, the select choir ensemble, and the full chorus.

A staged reading of the one act play, "Guy Walks into a Bar. . ." will be presented June 8 at 7pm in the Shark Tank.

To be congratulated: Maggie Cawley, winner of TA's Dartmouth Book Award for 2005; Andrew Howland, whose play, "Bonfire of the Vampities," was the featured work representing TA at the annual Vermont Young Playwrights' Festival; and the 127 students who received the Dean's Effort and Attitude Award recently at TA.

The TA Trustees are looking for interested folks to fill positions on the Board. Anyone with an interest in contributing to the welfare of the Academy is encouraged to contact Scooter Hathorn at scooter.hathorn@valley.net.

TA will graduate 63 students from Thetford and surrounding towns on Friday, June 10 at 6:30pm. The ceremony will be held outside if at all possible. (We certainly hope the rain has stopped by then!)

The next session of "Talk with TA" will be held Thursday, June 23, at 6pm in the TA library. The Trustees' Quarterly Meeting will follow at 7pm, and all are invited to attend.

NEW TOWN FOREST IN THETFORD

The Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT), working in partnership with the Town of Thetford and the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy, announced today the protection of nearly 300 acres of land.

The land, donated to the Conservancy by the late Charles Hughes, is in three parcels with substantial frontage on Poor Farm, Whippoorwill, and Sawnee Bean Roads. Poor Farm Road is flat and well-graded providing easy walking and biking in the woods. Over 2.5 miles of road frontage will be protected from development, offering scenery and serenity to passersby.  “This parcel will be a real asset for the town”, says Bill Bridge, Field Specialist for UVLT and a Thetford resident.  “It’s a large block of forestland situated among several neighborhoods which in the future will be linked by trails and wildlife habitat rather than by roads.”

Honoring the wishes of the late Charles Hughes to permanently protect the property, the Upper Valley Land Trust worked in partnership with the Conservancy and the Town of Thetford. The Conservancy donated the land to the town, and UVLT holds the conservation easement on the property, assuming responsibility for its permanent protection.  Funding for a stewardship endowment and UVLT’s project-related costs were provided by the Stowe-based Freeman Foundation and Thetford’s Conservation Commission. The Commission will take responsibility for day to day management of the forested parcel.

Selectboard member Mary Spata says, “It’s a great opportunity for Thetford. Our new town forest can potentially generate income from timber management, and both residents and visitors can take advantage of the great recreational resources.”

The land is mostly forested, dominated by white pine and hemlock, with some areas of mixed hardwoods. There is a pond of about four acres behind a dam that beavers have taken over and expanded. The woods are frequented by deer, bear, fishers, and porcupines.

On Sunday June 5th please join the three conservation partners for a community walk to explore Thetford’s new town forest. The walk will be led by Jon Binhammer, Director of Land Protection and a naturalist with the Conservancy. Meet at 2pm on the corner of Sawnee Bean and Poor Farm Road.

The donor, Charles Hughes died in 1999 at the age of 99. He was connected with Thetford all his adult life. A music historian who taught at colleges in New York, he first came to Thetford to teach at Camp Hanoum, a music camp for adults, which is now the Girl Scouts’ Camp Farnsworth. Hughes became interested in the local wildlife, as well as in antique tools and local history. He eventually came to live in Thetford Center, while spending summers at this larger property up in the hills. (The conserved land does not include that summer house and ten surrounding acres.)

Hughes gave the Thetford Historical Society, of which he had long been president, his collection of tools as foundation for a museum. He also gave the town the piece of open land in Thetford Center which will serve as a town green and picnic area.

Hughes’ long-time acquaintance and fellow historian Charles Latham, recalls: “He was a New Englander — hard to get to first names with. But he got along with all kinds of people. He was interested in what anyone was doing, and so it was easy for him to talk and ask questions. He was easy to like.”

Additional contacts:

Peg Merrens, Upper Valley Land Trust: 603-646-6626, ext. 112

Jon Binhammer, The Nature Conservancy: 802-229-4425, ext. 110

Jennifer Davey, Thetford Conservation Commission: 802-333-9607

THETFORD HILL STATE PARK

 

Please note the following regulation:

Dogs must be on a leash at all times in the State Park. This included all trails that are in the park.

Direct any concerns to Park Ranger at 785-2266

Thank you, Betty Stone, Park Ranger.

 

THANK YOU

 

A big “Thank you” to all who help make this newsletter a success each month. A special thank you goes to Ann O’Hearn who distributes the printed newsletter every month to businesses and public buildings in Thetford and to Stuart Blood who posted the newsletter and helps see that the newsletter will continue to be available on line.

 

FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD

Friday May 13 turned out to be a pretty lucky day for Thetford Elementary School. TES held its first annual music concert featuring the Songs of Broadway. The Thetford community was treated to choral numbers from each grade and performances from students enrolled in our instrumental music program. There were also cameo appearances of two Thetford Academy students, Sam Chapin, who performed a tap dance number, and Sarah Flickinger, who sang a song from Beauty and the Beast.

A highlight of the evening was the unveiling of Carolyn Enz's mural in the hallway connecting the lobby with the gym. This project was several years in the making, and we are grateful for Carolyn's energy, persistence, and insight for this project. The mural was inspired by themes suggested by the students and was designed to complement the bicentennial quilt hanging in the lobby. Please drop by the school to see the mural; it truly captures the spirit of TES.

Following the concert, the Food Service Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the PTO, held an ice cream social to raise money for a salad bar for the lunchroom. We are pleased to announce that the event raised $676.00. The board and the committee would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Ben & Jerry's and Baker's Store for their donations and to the PTO and the community for their support in this event. We hope to make this an annual event!

 

Ways to stay current on town news and events include:
THETFORD TOWN NEWLETTER: Paper copies are available the beginning of each month at Thetford libraries, stores, bank, town hall, and electronically at http://lists.valley.net/lists/info/thetford or www.thet.net/. Please help us make this a viable publication by submitting community information and events!


THETFORD FORUM: The most current town commentary and events updated daily electronically at http://lists.valley.net/lists/info/thetford. To receive it directly in your email, anyone can subscribe by sending any message to thetford-subscribe@lists.valley.net.

THET.NET: Community web site of town information and resources www.thet.net/ includes Selectboard and School Board Minutes, Thetford Town Plan and other municipal and community resources.

 

 

THETFORD TOWN NEWSLETTER

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The deadline for submissions is the 20th of each month. Send news including contact name and telephone number to Cathee Clement at 785-2668 or turtlepond@netzero.net.

Please list Thetford Town Newsletter in the subject line.