Thetford Town Newsletter

No. 28                                                                                                             June 2006

 

TOWN CLERK SUMMER HOURS

Monday 6-8pm

Tuesday - Thursday 8:30-3:30 or by appointment.

(Closed Fridays).

 

TREASURE ISLAND
Welcome back to another summer! Treasure Island officially opens Saturday, June 17 - Can you hear us calling out "lifeguards on duty"!?

Please stop by the beach and enjoy the park, one of our community treasures.

Lifeguards will be on duty from 10-5pm weekends and 12-5 weekdays. We are open everyday in summer from 10am-8pm. Admission fees are $2.00/adults and $1/children; seniors and under age 2 are free. Season passes are available for purchase at Treasure Island or at Thetford Town Offices. Thetford residents: Family - $50, Individual - $30; Non-Residents: Family - $65, Individual - $45. Purchase a season pass before June 1 and save $10 on a Family Pass and $5.00 on an Individual Pass.

Thank you everyone who turned out for the Community Work Day!! Our next event is the Non-Resident Swim Lesson Sign-up which takes place at the beach from 10-12pm on Opening Day, Saturday, June 17. Non-residents must purchase a season pass to be eligible for swim lessons plus a $15 lesson fee. Residents who missed the sign-up dates in May can sign up on the day, or anytime after at the beach. Lessons fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sorry, we cannot accept telephone registrations.

Weekly Children's Events:

Arts and Crafts - 10-12pm Tuesdays
Peabody Story Hour 10:30 Thursdays,

Field Sports - Fridays, 12:30

For more information, call us at 333-9731.

 

Submitted by Ann and Scott O'Hearn

 

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

Puddles, pools and pollywogs

For as long as I can remember, a large puddle has persisted through the summer on Poor Farm Road, where the class 4 section passes through a wet hollow. Four-wheelers and ATVs find entertainment in driving through it and I had assumed it was a dead body of water. However, one spring a few years back, I happened to peer into this puddle and was astonished to see that it contained numerous jelly-like clusters of eggs. As summer progressed the water was full of tadpoles, pond skaters and even a water beetle larva or two. Far from being dead, this puddle was acting like an ecosystem known as a vernal pool.

So what exactly is a vernal pool?

'Vernal,' from the Latin for spring, indicates a pool that holds water in the spring, but dries up later in the year. This would seem a most unfavorable nursery for tadpoles, but remarkably, several species of amphibians, crustaceans and mollusks have evolved to depend on temporary pools. Because they dry periodically, these pools are free of fish, which are very significant predators of tadpoles. By avoiding fish, amphibians that breed in these pools increase the survival of their offspring. Not every large puddle is a vernal pool, even though amphibians may be fooled into laying eggs in them. The pool has to retain water long enough for tadpoles to undergo metamorphosis into adults that live on land. A minimum of three months of standing water are needed and some amphibians need longer. Vernal pools also must be free of pollutants, be lined with leaf litter and remain cool, 40 degrees is ideal. Lacking green aquatic plants to make oxygen by photosynthesis, life in vernal pools depends solely on oxygen absorbed from the air, and cold water takes up oxygen more readily. Pools must also be surrounded by the habitat of the adult amphibian’s moist, shady forest.

What animals use vernal pools?

These small bodies of water are hotspots of biological diversity and harbor a food chain composed of an amazing variety of species, starting with small or even microscopic creatures that feed on submerged leaf litter. The different species in a single pool outnumber those in the surrounding 5 acres of forest. These pools are highly productive; one pool can shelter thousands of tadpoles that eat the smaller life forms. The amphibians that emerge are a food source for more familiar creatures such as shrews, songbirds, hawks and snakes.
Some of our more spectacular amphibians, the so-called 'mole' salamanders depend on vernal pools to breed. Their tadpoles are major predators of mosquito larvae. Most common in Vermont is the Spotted Salamander, which superficially resembles a stout lizard. Its scale-less, moist skin is gray to black and two rows of bright yellow spots run from head to tail tip. This salamander can reach nine and a half inches in length and live for 25 years. Less common is the Blue Spotted Salamander, which has blue spots or flecks on its black skin and can reach five and a half inches. The rare Jefferson's salamander is grayish chocolate brown and up to eight inches long. Most people have never seen these salamanders, which spend their adult lives under forest leaf litter, hence the term 'mole' salamander. They travel above ground only to reach vernal pools for breeding, under cover of darkness and rain.
Wood frogs and tree frogs also depend on vernal pools for breeding. In fact breeding is the only reason that these leaf-litter dwellers enter water.
Other examples include the fairy shrimp, a small crustacean that hatches when the pool is filled with water, breeds, and survives the dry spells as an egg. The fingernail clam is a tiny mollusk about half as wide as a pencil eraser. It is apparently dispersed on the toes of salamanders. Many other animals also make use of vernal pools, but do not absolutely require them. These include aquatic insects, turtles, newts, other frog species, wood duck and the rare ribbon snake and four-toed salamander.

How common are vernal pools?

Having spent time in the woods searching for them I get the impression that they are none too common.
Historically, it is estimated that 85 percent of vernal pools have been eliminated since the settlers arrived. Until about 20 years ago vernal pools were ignored due to their temporary nature and were not given the protection granted to permanent wetlands. Over the years many lowland pools have been filled to make way for farming or development. In wooded uplands, vernal pools can be rendered worthless by logging operations. Denuding the site of shade trees results in overly warm water, premature drying up, and removes the moist, cool environment that enables adult frogs and salamanders to live on land. And the deep ruts left by heavy equipment are insurmountable barriers to crawling salamanders.
Landowners who wish to protect a vernal pool should also conserve surrounding forest. The most critical area is a 100 foot wide zone around the pool that ideally should not be disturbed (very light thinning may be performed) however protection does not end there. The terrestrial habitat of a salamander extends as far as 600 ft from the pool. It is recommended that tree harvesting be limited in this zone to maintain at least 70 percent of the overhead tree canopy. Heavy equipment may be used only when the ground is frozen to avoid creating ruts or exposing bare soil that allows silt to run off and fill in pools. It is also critically important to minimize compaction of the leaf litter layer, where salamanders burrow and to leave branches and tree limbs on the forest floor to provide additional cover for forest amphibians.
This is the time of year when temporary pools contain eggs and tadpoles of wood frogs and salamanders. Salamander egg clusters look like irregularly rounded, translucent or whitish masses that appear to be enclosed in a membrane. The developing eggs often have a pale underside and a black upper surface. Frog eggs look like individual globes of jelly in huge clusters.
Unlike wetlands, almost nothing is known about the frequency of vernal pools in Vermont. Therefore conservation commissions in several towns are in the process of documenting the numbers and locations of pools. If you think you have a vernal pool on your property and would like to share this with the Thetford Conservation Commission, please contact me at 785-4950 or lilian.shen@dartmouth.edu

Submitted by Li Shen
Thetford Conservation Commission.

 

FOOTBALL AND CHEERLEADING BAZAAR

 

Thetford Jaguars Football and Cheerleading will be holding a Bazaar on Saturday, June 17 from 1pm-3pm on the Thetford Hill Green.

A rummage sale, food sale, auction, raffle and more will be taking place as well as face painting for the kids!!

 

Donations of saleable items for the rummage sale and New items for the auction are very much appreciated.

 

Please call Diana at 785-4404, if you need to have something picked up or for more information. Otherwise all donations may be dropped off the morning of the event.

 

Thank you and hope to see you there!!

 

Submitted by Diana Kimball-Anderson

 

 

LATHAM LIBRARY ANNUAL APPEAL

It's time once again to ask for your financial support for Latham Library.

 

Latham Library currently receives support funds from the town but not enough to cover our full budget. Community members' contributions are crucial for us to operate.

 

Please consider contributing to Latham Library. Our address is PO Box 240, Thetford, VT 05074.

Submitted by Maureen Morse

 

 

2nd Annual Thetford

Town Artists Exhibit

3 Months

21 Artists

One amazing community art exhibit!

Join us at the Opening Reception

Friday, June 2, 2006 5-7 p.m.

Latham Memorial Library Art Gallery Thetford Hill, VT

 

Gallery Hours:

Monday 2:00 - 8:30

Tuesday 2:00 - 5:00

Wednesday 10:00 – 5:00

Thursday 2:00 - 5:00

Friday 10:00 – 5:00

Saturday 10:00 – 1:00

 

Submitted by Marla Ianello

 

ANNUAL KIDS FISHING DERBY for kids 15 years and younger!


June 4th, 9:00am -Noon

Rain or shine at the Upper Valley Fish & Game Club Pond on Five Corners Road, Thetford Center


Submitted by Doug Stone

 

 

TA NOTES

 

Thetford Academy proudly graduates 62 scholars from the Class of 2006 on Friday, June 9th. The ceremony starts at 6:30pm and weather permitting, will be held on the lawn in front of the White Building. Baccalaureate will be held on Sunday, June 4, at 7pm at the Thetford Hill Church.

 

TA Alumni Day is Saturday, June 10 and lots of exciting things are in the works. Contact Frank Hoffman, TA Development Director, at 785-2600 for details.

Saturday, June 3, the TA Chorus and Select Choir will present their spring program under the direction of Peter Estes at 7pm in Anderson Hall. This wonderful performance is not to be missed!

Challenge Exhibitions, the annual show of independent work done by TA students in the self-directed study program, will be presented on Tuesday, June 6. Works will be displayed in the Shark Tank Theater, starting at 7pm.

Tuesday, June 13, the TA Stage Band, under the direction of Dan Williams, will perform on the Thetford Hill Green from 6-7:30pm.


Please join trustees at the next gathering of "Talk with TA" on Thursday, June 22. The question and information session will start at 6pm in the TA library, to be followed by the Board of Trustees quarterly meeting. All are invited to attend.

Submitted by Wendy Cole

 

 

THETFORD HILL SUMMER CONCERT AND

PERFORMING ARTS SERIES RETURNS!

 

The kick off concert will be the TA Stage Band, June 13 at 6 p.m. on the Thetford Hill Green. Last year many people brought their dinners and enjoyed the beautiful setting, music and people.

 

Three Wheel Drive is scheduled to perform on June 28. There are additional concerts scheduled in July and a special children's performance the end of August - Adults will like this too!

Thetford Academy's Stage Band consists of students in Grades 10-12 and is an audition-only ensemble. Students are encouraged to choose their own material and cover a variety of popular music styles of the last 50 years. Some students occasionally compose their own songs for performance by members of the ensemble.

This year's Stage Band roster includes:
Jordan Bach-Lombardo – piano,

Samuel Chapin - vocals, guitar,

Laura Conrad - vocals, tenor saxophone,

Catherine Craig - vocals, piano, guitar
Anna Gerber-Williams - piano, cello
David Gernhard - trumpet
Daniel Jordan - drums
Matthew Longwell - bass
Ian McDaniels - guitar
Rebecca Sandall - vocals, alto saxophone
Bryan Shay - vocals, guitar, drums
William Wickham - tenor saxophone, guitar, vocals
Hazel Wood - alto saxophone

Submitted by Mary Dan Pomeroy

 

 

TA SEEKS TRUSTEES
Each June a group of trustees' terms at the Academy come to an end. At our June meeting, we elect replacements for any vacancies. We would like to extend an invitation to anyone who has an interest in contributing to the welfare of Thetford Academy and the enrichment of its communities' children, as a trustee, to contact Penny Sirjane, psirjane@worldcupsupply.com, (802) 785-4405 or Scooter Hathorn scooter.hathorn@valley.net, at (802) 333-9176. We will be happy to explain the procedure for becoming a candidate and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for your interest.

 

Submitted by Penny Sirjane

 

 

SUMMER ART CLASSES

Have fun doing art!
Explore a variety of art materials while drawing, painting, creating and having fun.


Art for Kids grades 2-6
Thetford Academy Art Room
July 24-28 9:30-12:30

Art for Teens grades 7-11
Thetford Academy Art Room
July 31-August 4 9:30-12:30

Small class size - $100/week includes materials
Scholarships available

To register call Barbara Mason at 333-9315.

 

RICE'S MILLS

POTLUCK & PROGRAM

On June 18th, Tii Mclane of Strafford VT, will be giving a slide show on Africa following our Special June Potluck!!
Please bring an African Dish and be ready to sock shop!

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin Africa, Tii has made lifetime friendships with community members from the village she worked in. Her slides show the beautiful spirit of the people and the landscape. Tii is presently helping them raise money for their new village school by selling beautiful multi-colored socks created by the Sock Lady in Strafford.

Bring friends and family to share in this educational and fun evening!!

And remember to bring your own utensils, drinks, plates and cups.

Submitted by Gina Sonne

 

 

CENTRAL VERMONT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

 

The Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT), formed in 1987, is an affordable housing organization.

 

Our mission is to create and preserve safe, decent and affordable housing and build strong and diverse communities. Our programs include housing development (building new units and rehabilitating existing units), property management, and homeownership programs (including homebuyer education, down payment and closing cost assistance, and affordable rehabilitation loans).

 

The NeighborWorks® Homeownership Center at Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT), is pleased to announce a $375,000 grant from the Vermont Community Development Program, obtained through a partnership with the towns of Northfield, Bradford and Morristown. These funds will be used to create the Green Mountain Loan Fund, which will allow low and moderate income homeowners throughout Washington, Lamoille and Orange Counties to perform critical health and safety upgrades; such as weatherization, lead abatement, and access modification.

 

CVCLT staff will work closely with interested parties to determine eligibility and with borrowers to determine a scope of work, obtain bids and monitor rehabilitation-related construction, while also providing affordable loan capital to pay for the work.

 

In Lamoille County, the program will be offered in partnership with two local housing organizations, the Lamoille Housing Partnership and the Lake Champlain Housing Development Corporation, to ensure that customers in these areas are able to easily access this new program.

 

If you or someone you know have questions about this program, or would like to receive more information about it, please contact Garrath Gorton at 476-4493 extension 215.

 

Submitted by Susan Gillam

Community Outreach Coordinator

Central Vermont Community Land Trust

802-476-4493 ext. 213

www.CVCLT.org

 

 

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.