Thetford Town Newsletter

No. 43  September 2007

SELECTBOARD NOTES

**Mark your calendars for the annual Labor Day Parade and Barbeque in Post Mills, on Monday, September 3, sponsored by the Thetford Fire Department.**

 

 

SECOND SATURDAY STROLL  ·   SEPTEMBER 8th  ·   11AM
The Hughes Forest
Sponsored by the Thetford Conservation Commission

Charles Hughes bequeathed this ~300 acre forest containing brooks, vernal pools and a beaver pond.  The Conservation Commission is currently performing an ecological inventory of this special property.

The Stroll will travel along the brook on the North side of Sawnee Bean before exploring the abandoned beaver pond.  It will not follow a defined trail but will be moderate with only one steep section.  

Directions:  Meet at the junction of Poor Farm Road and Sawnee Bean (~3/4 mile up Sawnee Bean).  Bring sturdy shoes, bug dope, water.
Questions:  Li Shen 785-4950

Submitted by Heather Carlos

 

BELLY DANCE CLASS

Fall Belly Dance Class Starts Thurs., Sept. 20, at 7 pm.

Learn the ancient art of belly dance right here in Thetford! Gina Capossela will be teaching a 10 week class for adults (12 and up). The curriculum includes the beginner vocabulary of movement, as well as fun combinations and choreographies. 

No previous dance experience is required. 

All ages, shapes and ability levels are welcome. 

Classes will be held at the Outback. 

Call Gina at 802-763-8691 or go to www.GinaDances.com for further info.

 

UPPER VALLEY RIDESHARE:

Consider Carpooling if you are interested in significant saving on gas costs while generating less carbon emissions. Upper Valley Rideshare, the local broker for Vermont Rideshare, is a free service working to connect commuters in 170 Vermont and New Hampshire towns in the Connecticut River region.

For more information, or to register, visit our website at www.UpperValleyRideshare.com or telephone extension 206 at either 802-295-1824 or 800-571-9779.

 

KEEP DIDYMO OUT OF THE OMPOMP
What, you may ask, is Didymo?

For those who have not seen the news articles, Didymo, short for Didymosphenia geminata, is the newest invasive water plant to hit our region. It's not what we visualize as a typical plant - Didymo is a type of algae. It has no leaves or stems, instead it is a single, microscopic cell that attaches to surfaces by a slimy stalk. Unfortunately this tiny plant can grow and divide giving rise to enormous colonies. The stalk multiplies along with it, and the result is a mass of slime-like substance, giving Didymo the common name of 'rock snot.' The mucus-like stalks are very resistant to degradation and there is no know way to eradicate the algae once they have established themselves in a river.  Didymo cells can detach from their mass and stick to other things, facilitating their transport from one body of water to another.

Didymo has appeared in the Connecticut near Bloomfield, VT and also in the White River, on the mainstem between Stony Brook in Stockbridge and Cleveland Brook in Bethel. It is not a threat to human health. However its smothering mass can blanket riverbed rocks and gravel and make the river uninhabitable both for fish and the water insects they depend on.  In Rapid Creek in South Dakota a significant decline in the brown trout population has occurred since Didymo infestation began in 2005. In addition, rivers full of slime are no longer
pleasant for recreation.

Didymo looks like a thick white, light gray, pale yellow-brown, or beige (not green) mass, which may cover over 90 percent of the river bottom. Once
established, it may appear like a brown shag carpet covering the whole river or stream bottom. It frequently forms streamers that turn white at their ends and resemble lengths of toilet paper. Although Didymo looks slimy, it actually feels rather like wet cotton wool.

 

It would be a tragedy if Didymo took hold in the Ompompanoosuc River. A simple precaution against inadvertently spreading it on wading shoes, sandals and
clothing is to soak these items in hot soapy water for 30 minutes. Hard surfaces like boats, fishing gear and tubes should be washed well in hot soapy water and allowed to dry thoroughly. 

A solution of 3/4 cup per gallon of hot water of laundry or dish detergent, or antiseptic hand soap is needed to kill the algae by washing. Note that boats and kayaks need to be washed INSIDE as well as outside.

Your pet, if it goes into water that contains Didymo, must also be thoroughly washed and dried.

Submitted by Li Shen
Thetford Conservation Commission

 

TA NOTES

*Here we are again back at school …both Thetford Academy and the Elementary School welcomed students and staff back on August 29 for the 2007-2008 school year.  Please take extra caution when driving on Route 113 and Academy Road, especially early morning and mid afternoon.
*Thursday, September 6, is the night for 7th grade Parents' Welcome Night, followed by the Welcome Dance for students in grades 8-12 on Friday, September 7, from 7:30-10:00 pm.
*Senior College Night for Parents and Students will be on Monday, September 17.  The evening will start at 6:30 pm and will be held in the TA library.
*Monday, September 24, marks the start of the annual TA Magazine Drive.  Classes sell magazines to raise money for events during the school year.  Please help support student activities and purchase a magazine subscription or two.

 

Submitted by Wendy Cole

 

BECOME A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER

Would you like to help your neighbors and their families in the Hospice Program? The gift of your time can make such a difference for people who are in the final stages of their lives.

The Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire needs volunteers to provide emotional support and practical help to Hospice patients and their families.

 

Volunteers provide companionship or read to a patient, prepare a meal, run errands, assist with Hospice mailings or sit quietly with a patient so the family caregiver can have a break.

 

New volunteers are asked to commit to trainings on Thursdays from Sept 6 - October 11 at the VNA and Hospice office at 66 Benning St. in West Lebanon from 5:30-8:30pm. Training is free, with no obligation, to all interested in learning more about the Hospice Program. Light refreshments will be available.

 

For more information or to register: 

Judy Adams, Coordinator of Hospice Volunteer Services at (603) 298-8399 Ext. 2063 or email jadams@vnavnh.org.  

 

DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

Thetford Democratic Reorganization Caucus
Thursday, September 6th
Thetford Center Community Building
Potluck supper at 6:30 pm

Updates at 7 pm from Margaret Cheney  (on the Natural Resources & Energy Committee) and Jim Masland (vice chair of the Transportation Committee)

Margaret's topic: The Next Steps for Vermont's Energy Policy.
Jim's topic: Current Status on Vermont's Roads and Bridges.
 
The Democratic re-org caucus, which will begin after Margaret and Jim reports, should start between 7:30 - 7:45 pm and finish by 8:30 pm

The Vermont Democratic Party reorganization caucus is required by statute and is an opportunity to energize and expand our Party's base. We will form our town committee, elect officers and elect delegates to the county committee.

For more information or RSVP call 333-9004
Sherry Merrick, Thetford Democratic Committee Chair

 

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.