Thetford Town Newsletter
No. 33 November 2006
SELECTBOARD NOTES
Thetford Selectboard is
seeking candidates for the following committee appointments. Letters of
interest should be sent to the Selectboard at Town Hall or by email to thetford.clerk@valley.net
for the following committees.
1. Senior/Affordable Housing Committee - A new committee to be formed to
evaluate housing needs and options in the town utilizing available funding
opportunities for feasibility studies and future housing options.
2. Recreation Committee - to coordinate town recreation needs, and those of
Thetford Youth Sports and Thetford Ski Program including scheduling, insurance
and use of existing facilities. Identify needs of the town as well as future
facilities and a possible town recreation department.
3. Conservation Commission - seeking two members to fill existing vacancies.
Important Dates:
Deadline to register to
vote: October 30th by noon
Early and Absentee Ballots can be requested until 5pm on November 6.
Clerk's Office open
November 6 from 8:30am - 5:00pm (no
evening office hours)
Deadline to vote absentee: November 6, 5:00pm
General Election Voting: November 7, at Town Hall, 8:00am - 7:00pm
Closed Friday, November 10 (Veterans Day)
New to the General Elections this year is the availability of the
Vote-by-Telephone system. This means that voters who need audio rather
than visual ballots will be able to vote privately and independently AT the
polling place (NOT from home).
If you or someone you know may need such a system, please contact the town
clerk for phone number and access information for the practice from home
system. Practice at home is strongly recommended, as well as a
familiarity with the ballot.
The
Town Clerk can be reached at Town Hall, 785-2922.
TES SHAKESPEARE PLAY
This year's Shakespeare
double feature "Empire Two" is Thursday, Nov. 16 and Friday Nov. 17
at 7:00 in the TES Gym/Theater. As an Artist-in-Residence, David Kelman is
directing shortened versions of two plays. "The Conspiracy" is from
Julius Caesar, a tragic tale of betrayal and death, followed by "The
Twins", from The Comedy of Errors, a lively confusion of twins. Although
the Shakespeare production was in the spring during the last school year, it is
back to the fall as it was for many years when David first directed these
plays. Come enjoy this outstanding performance and wonderful community event.
Submitted by Pam Kneisel
WHEN THE RED LIGHTS ARE FLASHING, STOP FOR THE SCHOOL
BUS!
The Vermont School Transportation
Association offers the following:
You must stop when the alternating red lights are flashing - even
in a school yard (the most dangerous area for students!), and even on a
two lane road. Fines up to $1020.50 may apply.
Submitted by Jim Lanctot, Thetford Police
Chief
PLANNING COMMISSION CLERK WANTED
Six plus hours per month.
Duties include but are not limited to; taking minutes of evening meetings,
filing, data entry and correspondence.
Send resume to:
Planning Commission, Town of
Submitted by Wayne Parks
LATHAM LIBRARY NOTES
LATHAM LIBRARY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS -
The Latham Library needs
volunteers to staff the library from 5-8:30 THURSDAY EVENINGS. Please
contact Peter at
785-4361 if you’re
interested!
THANK YOU!
The Latham Trustees would
like to thank everyone who made and bought pies and other goodies for our
DRIVE BY PIE SALE. It was a great success netting $700. We
appreciate all your support!!
Submitted by Gina Sonne
LATHAM LIBRARY “COMMUNITY CORNER”
November 9th:
Mahlon Hoagland, M.D., Molecular Biologist, Artist and Author of The Way Life Works
November 30th:
Wendy, Bob, Chris and Emma Wells share stories and pictures of their trip to
“The Community Corner” is a
project of the Latham Library Program Committee. Our goal is to strengthen
interest in the library community through informal presentations by Thetford
residents.
Submitted by the Latham Library Trustees
Storytelling Workshop with
Simon, Grades 3-5, Tuesdays, 11/7
– 12/19
Learn how to tell stories with Thetford Librarian and storyteller, Simon
Brooks—and tell your story at the Winter Solstice Celebration. In the
workshop we will look at where to find stories, how to remember them and how
each person can tell them. Sign up required (sheet at Latham and Peabody) or
call Simon at Latham 785-4361,
PJ Storytime, 11/21, 7:00 -7:45
Listen to Simon tell stories
before you get tucked into bed.
Suitable for all ages.
Submitted by Stacey Glazer
NOVEMBER 4 AT 1:00PM
Pre-viewing starts at
noon. All profits benefit the Thetford Volunteer Fire Department.
Refreshments will be available
for sale.
Submitted by Kathy Ouellette
FINAL 2006 RICE’S MILLS POTLUCK AND SLIDE SHOW
Sunday, Nov. 12 at 6PM at the
Rice's
Please remember to bring a dish to share as well as
your own plates, cups and silverware.
Dinner will be followed by
slides from
You will also be able to see
the newly renovated greenhouse, restored sash, new storm windows and curtains.
Hope you can join us!
For more information on RMCA or use of the Community Center, contact Bob Walker
at
BobWalker@valley.net or 785-4126.
OPEN FIELDS FALL AUCTION
November 11th
12-4PM at the
Silent Auction/Live
Auction/Refreshments for
Submitted by Mary Daum Ford
TA NOTES
*Thanks to all the wonderful
volunteers who worked at the cross country events in October. TA could not
host these events without the tremendous community support we have; we appreciate
all your efforts.
*Fifteen students were inducted into the TA chapter of the National Honor
Society recently. We congratulate these juniors and seniors on their
accomplishments.
*The Mini-Louvre, an exhibition of paintings by the French III students and
staff is hanging in the display case outside the FCS room. The paintings
will be on display for several weeks.
*The TA fall play, "The Skin of Our Teeth," will be presented
November 17, 18, and 19. Please watch for more info on the green and in the
newspapers re: time and location. Set these dates aside NOW;
productions are often sold out well in advance!
*Don't miss the annual TAAA Christmas Craft Bazaar, "Quality Crafts in
Dazzling Variety," Sat., Nov. 18, from 9am till 3pm. Lunch, coffee
and snacks will be available all day; Santa and horse drawn wagon rides from
10am-1pm.
*Students will not have school on Thursday and Friday November 23 and 24, in
order to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. TA takes
this opportunity to thank our families, community members, and others for the
wonderful support and encouragement we continue to receive. This support
has many forms--volunteer efforts; attendance at athletic competitions, drama
and musical productions; academic presentations; financial contributions to the
Annual Fund; and more. We appreciate all that is done for TA and wish
everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Submitted by Wendy Cole
TWO CHANCES TO SEE THE SATTUMA FAMILY FOLK BAND FROM
Sattuma hails from Karelia, a
region of
Spirited Finnish folk songs, romantic Russian waltzes and spry Scandinavian
polskas are all on tap when the folk quartet Sattuma performs.
This dynamic group will
perform for schools, libraries and communities in the New England and
The group consists of Arto
Rinne and his 16-year-old daughter Eila, and Dima Demin and his 13-year-old son
Vlad.
All multi-talented musicians, they perform traditional dance melodies and songs
of both
clarinet, flutes, jaw harp, harmonica, Estonian bagpipes and the Finnish folk
instruments known as the kantele and jouhikko.
For more information check
out these websites.
http://merrickmusicinternational.org
CONCERT DATES:
Thursday, November 2 at 3:30 pm at
The First Congregational
Church of Thetford
Thetford Hill - - No Charge
Sponsored by the Latham
Memorial Library
http://www.thetfordvermont.us/latham.htm
For more information please call 785-4361
Submitted by Simon Brooks
Thursday, November 9
Potluck dinner - - 5:30 pm - - Concert at 7pm
Post Mills Congregational Church
Donations will be accepted at the door
For more information please call 333-4082
Submitted by Sherry Merrick
Citizen Scientists Assess River Health -
A Study of the Ompompanoosuc East Branch June- August 2006.
Most readers, especially residents downstream of the Elizabeth Mine in
Strafford, are aware that a good stretch of the west branch of the
Ompompanoosuc is affected by heavy metals from the old tailings piles. It has
been hard to miss the publicity surrounding the designation of the Elizabeth
mine as a Superfund site, or the orange tint of the riverbed, which has been
designated an 'impaired water' by the state of Vermont.
What is less obvious to the casual glance is that sections of the east branch
of the Ompompanoosuc are also classified as 'impaired,' meaning that the water
in the river does not meet Vermont Water Quality Standards. For example, the
Standards allow 77 E. coli bacteria per 100 milliliters of water and if greater
numbers of bacteria occur the river is classified as impaired. Tests by the
Army Corps of Engineers adjacent to the Union Village Dam periodically show
high E. coli levels in the river leading to closure of the river to swimming.
However the source of the bacteria is not known.
To understand where bacteria might be entering the river, and to obtain a
broader picture of overall river health, a comprehensive survey of water
quality was performed, aided by grants from the Connecticut River Joint
Commissions and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Twelve
volunteers from the Conservation Commissions of West Fairlee, Thetford, and
While not usually a cause of disease, E. coli is present in the intestines of
warm-blooded animals and is the best indicator of fecal contamination in
freshwater. The analyses showed that between West Fairlee and the Connecticut
River, levels of E. coli exceeded the Water Quality Standard and were especially
elevated in the
In the tributaries, E. coli levels were generally equal to or better than the
Water Quality Standard with the exception of Schoolhouse Brook, the only
tributary with levels of E. coli levels exceeding the Water Quality Standard.
Copper can be damaging to aquatic life at concentrations only slightly higher
than those at which it is a trace nutrient. The level of copper in Schoolhouse
Brook downstream from the former Ely copper mine greatly exceeded the Water
Quality Standard and seemed likely to compromise the aquatic ecosystem. In the
Ompompanoosuc, slightly elevated copper levels were found downstream of
Schoolhouse Brook, probably coming from this tributary.
Although manganese and iron were also detected in water from these sites, their
levels were not enough to cause concern. Possible sources of these metals may
be the former
Dissolved oxygen, temperature and acidity were all within Water Quality
Standards for rivers demonstrating minor to moderate impairment of water
quality. However in some reaches of the river the dissolved oxygen levels were
below those ideal for trout larvae, although adult trout will survive at these
oxygen levels. Factors that reduce oxygen levels include decomposing fecal
waste and warm water. As with other rivers in
As a result of this survey the recommended actions are to survey for
malfunctioning septic systems and potential runoff sources of E. coli in West
Fairlee, to look for leaching of iron from the old
Submitted by Li Shen
Ways to stay current on town news and
events include:
THETFORD FORUM - The most current town
commentary and events updated daily electronically at http://lists.valley.net/lists/info/thetford.
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.
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.