Thetford
Town Newsletter
No. 38 April
2007
SELECTBOARD NOTES
Town Plan:
After four public hearings, the Selectboard unanimously adopted the updated
1999 town plan at its March 19 meeting.
The 2007 Town Plan can be
viewed on the town website at thetfordvermont.us. Copies will be available at
town libraries and Town Hall in early April.
Thank you to all who participated in the
many hearings, meetings and redrafting of the plan. The Planning Commission
will begin work shortly to develop accompanying Zoning By-laws.
The Selectboard will hold an open discussion
regarding the bridge design, emergency access and construction schedule on
Monday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m. at Town Hall.
TOWN CLERK NOTES
This summer we are expecting
the construction project (insulation) of our vaults to be going on which will cause
closing the office for a week or so. We will do our best to serve you, and to
keep the interruption of services as short as possible. **As always, if you’d
like to receive email about office closing or special hours, please email me at
townclerk@thetfordvermont.us
and I will add you to my mailing list. **
LATHAM LIBRARY UPCOMING
EVENTS
April 19th at 7pm - Latham library Travelog
"Botanic travels in the Amazon
Rainforest” with Dale Gephart MD, a Post Mills resident.
This remarkable river system is essential to our world climate. We
will get close to what happens at the river's edge and see the essence
of bio-diversity.
The trip will go up the
Thursday April 26th @ 7pm, Community Corner Elmer Brown, long time resident of
LATHAM LISTSERV - The Latham Library has started a listserv to help people keep up to
date with the happenings of new programs.
What is a listserv?
A listserv is an automatic
mailing list server. When e-mail is addressed to a listserv mailing list, it is
automatically broadcast to everyone on the list. As a member of the listserv,
when you send an e-mail to the list it goes to everyone else on the list and
vice-versa.
To become a member of the listserv, or subscribe, all
you have to do is:
- Send a blank email addressed to:
latham-friends-subscribe@lists.valley.net
The message doesn’t have to say anything, it doesn’t even have to have a subject. - A little while later you will get an email back
from NPOGroups List Manager with the subject: Please confirm: [auth
ee5e6047 subscribe latham-friends ] (the numbers won’t be the same as you
see here, but that’s what it looks like)
- Reply to the confirmation email.
You will get another e-mail
from NPOGroups List Manager with the subject: Welcome to list latham-friends -
And that’s all there is to it, you are subscribed to the list. If you want to
send a message to everyone else on the list just address an email to:
latham-friends@lists.valley.net
The welcome e-mail contains a
randomly generated password for you to use if you want to access the list site.
You might want to do that, there’s a calendar there that we’ll be using. The password is complicated so you can go
to the site and change it to something that’s easier to remember.
Open your browser and go to:
http://lists.valley.net/lists/info/latham-friends
Log in with your e-mail
address and the password in the Welcome email, probably something like
initb919a19c. (You might want to just copy and paste it from the e-mail)
Submitted by Gina Sonne
In celebration of National Poetry Month, come and read your favorite poems
aloud at a gathering of poetry lovers at Peabody Library on Wednesday, April 11 at 7:00 PM.
The poems can be something
you have written or perhaps a favorite by someone else. Or just come to
listen. The library is located on Route 113 in Post Mills.
Submitted by Margo Nutt
HEALTHY LAWNS AND GARDENS
The Upper Valley Household
Hazardous Waste Committee promotes safe and healthy lawns and gardens.
**Eliminate or reduce the use
of products that can cause harm to your family's health and the
environment.**
Contact 1-888-NO-POISON,
pesticidefreelawns.org, beyondpesticides.org or visit us at UVHHWC.org.
Submitted by Joy Gaine
TA NOTES
*Twenty-four
Thanks to all who joined the fun!
*Spring Recess will be April 16-20. A group of TA
students and their advisors will be traveling to
*"Talk with TA" will be held on Thursday,
April 26, in the TA library. Please join the TA Trustees for this
question and information session at 6:00 pm, to be followed by the quarterly
meeting of the full Board of Trustees. The public is invited to attend.
*Operation Day's Work will happen Wednesday, May
2nd. Monies raised this year will be used to support The Human Capital
Foundation's Selmata Children's Home in
Submitted by
Wendy Cole
RECYCLING /TRASH NOTES
It seems Northeast Waste has raised the price for
their trash disposal tickets to $3.75 without any notice. Therefore, Thetford
will now be charging $3.75 per ticket effective immediately.
We regret the increase and have been pursuing
alternatives. Unfortunately, there aren't many. We will continue to review the
possibilities.
We encourage you to recycle as much as possible to
reduce waste.
Submitted by Mary Spata, Recycling
Committee
There will
be a special collection of Big Trash
(price depends on weight) and Tires ($2 car tire, small truck $3, rim double)
Sat., April 28th, 9am-noon at the Thetford Town Garage.
The Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste District truck
will be at this collection to collect electronics (starting at $5 or $10/system,
large TVs $11-$12) and fluorescent light bulbs (free), as well as selling
composters and recycling bins.
Save up your household
hazardous waste for a Thetford HHW Collection, May 19th at the Town
Garage.
And remember that summer recycling hours (8am - noon)
start Memorial Day weekend.
Submitted by
Bob Walker
VT Green-Up
Day, Sat. May 5 10AM
Please bring a rake and gloves. Snack and beverages
provided.
Getting ready for summertime: Swimming
Lessons!
Interested in swim lessons? American Red Cross
Learn-to-Swim lessons are offered daily this summer at
Save the date:
Swim Lesson Registration takes place on Saturday, May 12 from 10-12pm at
Town Hall, and on Wednesday, May 16 from 3:00-6pm at
Lessons fill on a first-come, first-served
basis. Sorry, no telephone registrations accepted. If you miss the
above dates, please come to the beach June 16 (Opening Day) or later to sign
up.
Dates for the swim lesson sessions are: June 18 - 29
// July 2 - 13 // July 16 - 27 // July 30 - August 10
Lessons run everyday for two weeks, and are 1/2 hour
in duration. All classes take place between the hours of
10am-12:30pm.
Please plan to sign up for one session. Children
must be at least age 4 to participate. Fee is $10.
Non-resident children (or residents who missed the
above dates) may register for swim lessons on Saturday, June 16 from 10-12pm at
Submitted by
Ann O’Hearn
RMCA 2007 EVENTS
Another season of Rices Mill Community
Association monthly potlucks, social events, classes and building renovations
is underway!
We just got the attic and wall insulated and the
floors sanded and refinished.
Now for the fun stuff. Our
monthly potlucks will start in May. We will send notices to our list and
this newsletter. We are planning one or two talent nights, a badminton
tournament, slide shows and ballroom dance lessons. If you would like to
organize an event in conjunction with one of our potlucks, or separate of one,
or a class, or if you want to get on our list, please contact Bob Walker at bobwalker@valley.net or 785-4126.
Our first social activity for the year-
DO YOU WANNA DANCE??
RMCA is hosting a regular Mostly Waltz Dance Time (with a little swing and
one step and blues)
This will be an informal time to just dance. We'll have CD's for the most
part unless some musicians want to practice playing for us. Hopefully
several times a year we can arrange for a guest teacher.
The first session will be Sunday
April 15th from 3-5pm. No partners necessary. The plan is to
alternate an afternoon and an evening practice time.
With a newly refinished floor RMCA will be a fabulous dance venue. Suggested
donation to the RMCA building fund:$5, $3 for seniors.
Call Gina
Sonne for more information or to help out. 785-4220
ENERGY COMMITTEE
THETFORD
STEPS IT UP!
Shake out that mud season brown and think green!
Saturday,
April 14 is "Step It Up" day in Thetford. From 6 AM to 1 PM, the Thetford Energy
Committee and friends will host a series of activities to inform and promote
action addressing the national challenges of energy efficiency and climate
change.
Below is a partial listing of events. Please see posters or check the
thetnet and thetfordvtspeaks listserves for details and updated lists of
events.
Morning Walks:
Enjoy hiking and conversation about how to meet the energy/climate change
problem.
7:00 AM Hike up Bill Hill in
Thetford Center and "Valley Quest" search
8:30 AM 2 hour hike in Post Mills Nature Area, hosted by the
Conservation Commission
8:30 AM Free light breakfast at Thetford Community Center and
"Valley Quest" search
10:00 AM Hike from Thetford Community Center to Thetford Hill Green
(Other morning events tying into Step It Up are encouraged.)
Kids'
Activities
There will be games and other
activities for young children, teaching in a fun, low-stress way the value of
energy conservation. Please see event updates for more information.
Local Vendor Market
10:00 AM-1:00 PM, Thetford Hill Green.
Try out locally made food and products and meet the
people who sell them. (Thetford vendors are invited to participate.)
Thetford Hill Green Gathering
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Join this community-wide event featuring guest
speakers addressing the challenge of climate change and entertainment including
live music and dancing. Bring your own picnic or buy lunch from local vendors.
(Parking at TES, TA & Thetford Congregational Church)
In the spirit of the day, please consider walking, biking or carpooling to
these events.
If you are a vendor or otherwise want to support
"Step It Up" day, please contact Scot Zens at 784-4012 or zens@dartmouth.edu.
Volunteers
welcomed!
For information about Thetford Step It Up go to: http://events.stepitup2007.org/events/show/1022
. For info on the national Step It Up effort, see www.stepitup07.org
Submitted by
Bob Walker
THETFORD CONSERVATION COMMISSION
The Inaugural
Second Saturday Stroll
Saturday April 14th, 8:30am at the Post
Mills Natural Area. This Stroll will explore the parcel's open fields,
riparian zone and upland forest.
Learn how this "natural" area is being
managed for wildlife and non-motorized recreation.
This event is being held in conjunction with Step it Up, a National Day of Climate
Action.
Directions:
The Post Mills Natural Area is located on Route 113, approximately 4 miles
north of Town Hall. The access is on the right as you enter Post Mills from
Thetford Center and is the old landfill site just before "Sunshine Corner
"and the Malmquist Mill. Carpooling
is encouraged as parking is limited.
For more information, please contact
Jennifer Davey at 333-9607 or Jennifer.Davey@dartmouth.edu
(please email before noon on April 13th).
Submitted by Heather Carlos
EXTRA TAX
BREAK FOR CONSERVATION IN ‘07
I wonder how many readers have pondered whether they should conserve all or
part of their land. There are natural features in Thetford that
particularly need conservation,
including open wetlands, wooded swamps, vernal pools, riverside gravel
beds and the acreage bordering rivers, lakes and ponds. The different types of
wetlands provide essential habitat for at least 57 species that are identified
as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in
Those who have been contemplating land conservation will be interested to know
that a new federal law passed in August of 2006 expands income tax benefits for
land conservation. However, these changes are only in effect till
December 31st 2007. There is no guarantee that the government will
extend the law beyond this time.
By way of introduction, the most common form of land conservation is through giving
a conservation easement as a charitable gift to a public agency or land trust. In order to qualify as a charitable
gift, the donation must be irrevocable and cannot have any strings
attached. The easement also has to meet certain standards and conservation purposes (e.g.
open space, public benefit) although it is not necessary to provide public
access.
The value of the conservation easement is calculated
as the difference in fair market value of the land before and after donating
the easement. Under the old law, the maximum amount of tax relief a donor could
claim in one year as a result of a conservation gift was limited to 30% of
their adjusted gross income. If the value of the easement was equal to more
than 30%, the remainder could be used to claim tax relief for up to five
additional years.
Under the new law the amount a landowner can deduct
for donating a conservation easement jumps to 50% of their adjusted gross
income. Furthermore, farmers, ranchers and owners of working forests can
deduct up to 100% of their taxable income (i.e. pay zero tax) provided that
this income is generated by farming, ranching or forestry. The
carry-forward period in which a donor can claim tax deduction for an easement
is also extended to 15 years. This extended period helps people who have
modest incomes to obtain the most tax relief from a conservation gift.
Land appraisals for purposes of seeking a charitable tax deduction must be
performed within the 60 days before the easement is donated, or at any time
after the donation. The appraisal should meet IRS regulations and appraisal
standards for such gifts to be tax-deductible. Some of the expenses incurred in
making the donation, such as survey costs, legal fees, and appraisal fees may
be deductible under "Miscellaneous Deductions" (although they are not
charitable deductions) to the extent that, in combination with various other
miscellaneous deductions, they exceed 2% of adjusted gross income.
The short space of this article only allows an outline of the major features of
the 2007 conservation incentive. I suggest that anyone interested in following
up on this should contact the Upper Valley Land Trust (603-643-6626; info@uvlt.org), the Vermont Land Trust
(802-223-5234; 800-639-1709; info@vlt.org) or
a financial advisor.
Submitted by Li Shen
Thetford Conservation Commission
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.