Maple Corner Net

Date: June 3rd 2008

The Maple Corner Net Newsletter is now being published 2 times a month, usually on the 2nd and 16th, depending on how much info I get, and how busy I am. You can easily contact me with news, comments, criticism, or compliments, by just replying to this email. This Newsletter now has 444 subcribers.
Please Note: If you change your email adress, you will need to re-subscribe. You can do this directly at www.maplecorner.net. I erase all undeliverable addresses after each issue. To help prevent spam filters from blocking delivery, it is a good idea to enter my sending address in your email whitelist, if you have such a thing.

To search & read archives of past newsletters, see:
http://www.songseek.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?f=list&l=maplecor or www.maplecorner.net

Address Change: I am eliminating some of my older email addresses, including steveg@songseek.com , which Ihave used for 7 years, and some of you may have in your address books. To find out my new email, go to www.songseek.com and click on the "contact me by email" link. There will be a form there which you can use to email me. I will reply with a working email. - Steve Gallagher

As of right now the Newsletter is being sent from steve@maplecorner.net , which is working, but may be changed in the future.

Contents:

• Maple Corner Community Market
• Look at what is coming to the Kent Museum in June!!
• A cookout! - August 9, 2:00 PM - At June & Alden's, in Maple Corner
• Calais Public Meetings June 2008
• Capitol Comment – May 2008
• My Notes and Occasioanal Comments: Calais Selectboard meeting, Monday, May 26, 2008, by Peter Harvey
• The 5th/6th graders would like to thank their families, the CES staff,the Calais community, and the following local businesses
• looking for a sturdy but small wood hauling cart
• Open Soccer At the East Calais Rec Field
• Canoe for sale
• Housemate wanted
• Cozy Corner Gardens
• House for Lease
• George Balentine retirement party, Calais Elementary 8 am Friday June 13
• Looking for Housesitter or Animal Care
• A nicely renovated basement apartment in Maple Corner

 

Reminders and Updates:

• Maple Corner Community Center Spring/ Summer Potluck Schedule!
• Rabbit Run Garden Seedling Sale

 

• Important Calais Web Links
  
  
• Community Quote of the Week
  

 

 

Maple Corner Community Market:

We are offering our front yard (porch in rainy weather) for a local market on Saturday mornings, 9-12. Vendors of vegetables, arts, food, etc wanted. No need to commit to every week. Our idea is to provide a forum for local commerce, and the more the merrier! Please bring a table and chair for your sales. You can just show up, or if you want more info, call Steve or Sarah Gallagher at 223-0505. Let's shop locally!

- Sarah and Steve Gallagher

 

 

Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:05
Subject: Look at what is coming to the Kent Museum in June!!

Sunday Events:

June 1   3:30 pm: Historic Tour of the Kent Museum by John Dunville,  Historic Sites Opertion Chief, VT Division of Historic Preservation.   5:00 - 7:00 pm: Opening reception: meet the artists

June 8   2:00 pm:  Artist Talk:  Charles Shackleton ( painting) and Miranda Thomas (pottery) talk about their artist history and inspirations.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008
Subject: Capitol Comment – May 2008

Capitol Comment – May 2008

Rep. Janet Ancel

Early Adjournment and woodchucks. We finished our work on May 3, making this one of the calmest and earliest adjournments in many years. This meant a substantial savings since we had budgeted enough money for another two weeks. It also meant a more orderly process – more thoughtful, less rancorous, and I believe, with better results.

And it meant more time to work on raised beds for the vegetable garden – I’ve vowed not to spend another summer weeding – and to watch the spring flowers, both wild and cultivated, come to life. Unfortunately, though, the new raised beds have attracted a hungry family of woodchucks. If anyone has advice on woodchuck removal, we’re getting desperate.

End of Session Report. I’m working on a more thorough end of session report, which will highlight what I see as the real accomplishments of the session. I’ll distribute it as usual – stores and town offices – and would be happy to mail or email one to you if you’d like. Just email me at janetancel@earthlink.net with your name and address.

Budget. The worsening economy really dominated much of the past session. We received two revenue downgrades: $14 million in January and an additional $24.5 million in April. The budget that emerged protects the fiscal integrity of the state while also:

Avoiding hidden property tax increases by holding town highway funding harmless from budget cuts and adding an additional $1 million to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program

Continuing our commitment to affordable housing and conservation by restoring the $5.2 million cut from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) under the governor’s proposed budget

Protecting elderly Vermonters from increases in pharmacy co-payments and protecting Vermonters on Medicaid from doubling premiums, both of which were proposed by the administration

Adding $10 million in bonding to be used to address our crumbling roads and bridges

Refusing to increase the impact of the "bed tax" on Vermont’s non-profit hospitals, a move proposed by the administration

Avoiding additional pressure on private health insurance premiums by refusing to increase the cost shift from Medicaid to private insurance.

The legislature’s budget makes the best possible use of our limited resources while maintaining our commitment to reducing the pressure on property taxes and protecting those who are most vulnerable. It is the right budget in a challenging fiscal environment.

Personal Note. I do plan to run for another term, and I’ve started to collect signatures to get my name on the ballot. In spite of frustrations at times, I love what I’m doing and I consider it an honor to represent and serve the people of Calais, Marshfield and Plainfield. I also feel there is a great deal more work to do – especially on health care, but also on energy costs and on finding ways to support our rural economy. I hope to be back to work on solving these problems.

I do want to hear from you. Please continue to keep in touch: I can be reached at janetancel@earthlink.net or call 223-5350.

 

 

 

My Notes and Occasioanal Comments: Calais Selectboard meeting, Monday, May 26, 08, members present (clockwise: Paul Hannan (chair), Anne Winchester, Denise Wheeler, Cy Lamberton and John Brabant. Rose Pelchuck, the Board's paid meeting secretary, took the official minutes. There were 6 people in the audience tonight: Dot Naylor, Ben Naylor, Jeremy Weiss, Tim Howe, Marge Garfield, and myself.

MINUTES: The Board approved the minutes of May 12, 08 with several minor clarifications, 5-0.

PLANNING COMMISSION APPOINTMENT: The Board met, interviewed, and appointed Jeremy Weiss to the Planning Commission this evening to the open position ending 2011,  5-0. Jeremy, his wife and two children, live in East Calais. He told the Board that he was intrigued by the Planning Commission's presentation at their public hearings on their Build Out Study during February and March. He is interested in local food production and preserving the core forests. He works for High Mowing Seeds. He told the Board he would bring to the Commission his experience managing a community garden while in college and farming garlic for 5 years.

CALAIS ANCIENT ROADS TEAM REPORT: Marge Garfield handed out her written report and explained to the Board how she and Sandra Robinson (the research team) have been reading town records, plotting surveys, and organizing files of all the road surveys and discontinuances in Calais for almost a year. They began with the very first records (1780s) and are now up to 1905. They have recorded "approximately 250 road events" to date. They hope to conclude their research of all the town records up to and including the most recent one in less than a year. The next phase of the study is for another team to test their findings in the field. The goal of the study is to find all the "unidentified corridors" in Calais. "Unidentified corridors" are legally created roads that are not readily obviously marked by stone walls, tree lines, or other physical features. The State Legislature has passed a law giving all the towns until 2015 to identify and claim "unidentified corridors" or lose them, however there is an earlier goal of Feb. 2010 for reporting roads to VTrans for mapping. The motivation behind this law is the problems that have happened when people have bought land and built on it only find out later that a public road still legally existed on that property. A valuable side benefit, as Paul pointed out, is that the town will have an extensive compilation of records on all the Town roads that will be useful in other ways, such as knowing the history of our town roads, how wide they are, when and how they were altered,  and know what roads have been discontinued. Paul said that the Board will involve the public in several lengthy meetings when the research is done and the Board has to decide what to do about these found roads.

CURB CUTS:
- Tim Howe: Since the last meeting, Tim Howe submitted a new application for a curb cut on East Hill Rd, moving it just north of Bowen's driveway. The Board approved it 5-0, stipulating that he install a 30 foot, 15 inch culvert and build a 20 foot entrance to the road with a less than 3% grade.
- Marilyn Turcotte: The Board approved, 5-0, a curb cut on the west side of Bliss Rd. just south of a camper, with the usual 20 foot, less then 3% grade entrance and required her to cut the road side brush for visibility. No culvert is required for this road cut.

- Lisa Levangie: The Board approved a road cut, 4-1 (Denise voted no), at the east end of Bayne Comolli Rd. with the usual 20 foot, less than 3% grade entrance. Meeting with the applicant at the site preliminary to tonight's meeting, the applicant agreed to move the curb cut to the crest of a knoll for better sight distance. Denise, who lives on that road, voted no, saying that cars build up speed to make the hill in winter and she didn't think this was a safe enough placement. Other Board members said that this was the safest place to put the road cut. This prompted a discussion about what to do in the future. Zoning Administrator Dot Naylor suggested that language be added to the Zoning Regulations requiring a "safe curb cut" for the newly created lots when applying for a lot subdivision permit.

OTHER BUSINESS:

BORROWING IN ANTICIPATION FO TAX REVENUES: As they do each year, the Board signed notes in anticipation of borrowing money this summer to pay Town bills while waiting for tax moneys to be collected during the next fiscal year. The notes authorize Town Treasure Eva Morse to borrow $290,000 at 2.69% interest. Paul explained that Eva regularly deposits the money in higher interest CDs until it is needed.

DISPATCH RATE INCREASE: Rose told the Board that the fire department is also displeased with the 78% increase in charges from Montpelier and that increase leaves the fire department with a shortfall of $3,300 in their budget already approved by the Selectboard. Denise and Cy will attend a regional meeting of the towns serviced next week where they expect to talk about alternatives.

EMFD INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT: Rose reported that the East Montpelier Selectboard added two changes, for clarification, and hopes to bring the agreement back to the Board for approval at their next meeting.

ROADSIDE MOWING: Doug Grout has submitted a proposal to mow the road sides again this summer for $4,800. Citing the rising costs of diesel fuel, the Board decided to take action on it tonight. It voted 5-0 to sign the contract and ask that he do it in July or Aug. Doug has mowed the Calais road sides for as long as I remember. Only in one year has anyone else ever bid on the job. Last year's contract was for $4,400.

UPDATES:

CURTIS POND DAM: No update.

BATTEN ROAD BILL: No update.

CVRPC HIGH RISK ROAD LOCATIONS: Anne reported that she had talked with the CVRPC (Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission). They have already handed in their list to VTrans (State Department of Transportation), but that list is updated every year and the Board is invited to send in updates throughout the year. The list is used for VTrans to offer up to 100% reimbursement to towns for making safety improvements on Town Roads.

DRB MEMBER REQUEST: Following up on the discussion at the last meeting about the recommendation from a DRB member that the Selectboard follow some DRB cases more closely, Anne talked with the League of Cities and Towns. Some members of the Selectboard had expressed ambivalence about becoming too involved in DRB decisions. Anne reported that Steve Jeffrey had told her that where there is a Town interest, the Selectboard may participate in a DRB hearing by presenting the Town's interest to the DRB as a party to the hearing. The hearing decision is still wholly the DRB's. Paul asked for a member to review DRB applications and bring them to the Board's attention when the Board might be interested in entering its position. Anne agreed to do that on a trial basis. Dot will send Anne copies of all the applications. The Board has, in the last few years, disagreed with the DRB and been involved with several court appeals.

ROBINSON HILL RD. UPGRADE: Ben Naylor complained to the Board that the Road Commissioner had recently done a lot of work on the unplowed section of  Robinson Hill Rd. (often called Cherington Rd.), saying that class 4 roads did not warrant that much work. I pointed out that Robinson Hill Rd. is a class 3 road and that class 3 roads do not have to be plowed in the winter. The Board members referenced their maps and the subject was dropped.

ACT 250 APPLICATION: Denise volunteered to review the Act 250 two lot subdivision for Phil Willey on the east side of Rt. 14, near the Woodbury Town line.

MODEL STORM WATER ORDINANCE: John volunteered to review a model ordinance from the League of Cities and Towns.

Mc CULLOUGH GRAVEL PIT: Denise volunteered to study the letter granting the Town party status in the Act 250 review of the application to expand the gravel pit, turned down by the DRB last year.

WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP: The Board voted to send John to the workshop and pay the fee, 5-0.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: There was no executive session at tonight's meeting.

The Board adjourned at 9:17 The Board will be meeting at the Calais Town Hall for the summer. The next scheduled meeting of the Board will be 7:00 PM, Monday, June 9, 2008. Agendas are posted at the Calais Town Clerk's Office, the 3 stores in town, and the East Calais Post Office. Only items posted on the agenda are voted on at any meeting. Those wishing to bring items before the Board should contact Chairman Paul Hannan at 223-5528. Agenda items for the next meeting need to be received by 6 PM, the Wednesday before that meeting.

 

 

 

Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Subject: The 5th/6th graders would like to thank their families, the CES staff,the Calais community, and the following local businesses

The 5th/6th graders would like to thank their families, the CES staff,the Calais community, and the following local businesses for their yearlong support of the fund raising efforts that made it possible for us to go Boston:

The Adamant Co-Op *** Dubois Glass *** East Calais General Store *** Riverbend Country Store *** M&M Beverage *** Maple Corner Community Center *** Maple Corner Store *** Nel's Flowers *** New England Auto Glass *** Stairway to Heaven *** Syndetic Inc.

- Ceylan Cross

 

 

I am looking for a sturdy but small wood hauling cart with tractor 
hitch that I can use in the woods to bring out firewood and other 
stuff. If anyone has one they want to get rid of or know of one, let 
me know. Andrew Nemethy, Bliss Pond Rd. anem@together.net
Thanks.

 

 

 

Open Soccer
Sundays from 1:30 – 3:00
At the East Calais Rec Field
All ages and abilities welcome.
- Tim Fillbach

 

 

Canoe for sale; Old Town Discovery 174 (red, 17’ - 4” long, 35” wide); constructed of low maintance, closed cell foam sandwiched by layers of high-density polyethylene. It is a stable family canoe with a large carrying capacity, not a lightweight, agile white-water canoe. We bought it about 19 years ago with family in mind, but used it very little as we had a small sail boat given to us. In good shape. It is the base model, which listed for $900. Old Town stopped making them a year or two ago.

For online reviews go to:
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=32
http://www.canoepassagegear.com/boat.asp?BoatID=10

Asking $600 without paddles.

Peter Harvey, 229-4026

 

 

 

Housemate wanted
Private, large, lovely bedroom with deck and view of mountains west PLUS private bath with jacuzzi
On Bliss Road in East Calais - 17 miles and 25 minutes from Montpelier
Share large living room, dining room with deck and view, and kitchen with Linda and 15-year old daughter, Nipa
Exquisite views and sunsets on 100 acres of fields, forest and trails - wildness beyond
Large vegetable garden, berries and herb garden
Great neighbors - close community
garage space for one vehicle - quiet roads all around

$800 plus utilities (heat, electricity and high-speed internet)
Available as early as July 15 - but later in the summer is ok
Must love animals. Pet(s) will be considered - the final decision will be made by the resident pets (two dogs, three cats, five horses)

Contact Linda Wheatley at 802-535-8383 or linda@sweetmangotours.com OR Ehren Miller-Noguiera at 802-456-1414 or emillernog@aol.com (land owner)

Linda Wheatley
Sweet Mango Tours LLC
www.sweetmangotours.com
http://sweetmango.typepad.com/weblog/

PO Box 888
Montpelier, VT 05601
tel: 802.535.8383
fax: 802.229.0883

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Steve,
Thank you for publishing the Maple Corner Net News Letter, which I has kept me in touch during my travels.
Could you please post this offer in the Maple Corner Net Newsletter
Thanks Georg Bakker

Newly renovated Cape House for Rent
(starting in July or August)

3 Bedrooms,
2 Bathrooms
Large kitchen and living room
Large Barn with a 3 car garage
Large garden and lawn
Swimming Pond
Wood and/or oil furnace
Washer/Dryer

Located in Worcester on a quiet dirt road 7 miles from Montpelier
Call Georg at 223-1097

 

 

Please join us for a celebration to honor George Balentine's years of service at Calais Elementary School.For over 33  years, George has been holding down the fort at our school, driving bus, fixing everything and doing it all with a sense of humor. All in the community are asked to join us on Friday, June 13th, 8 - 8:40 am, for a light breakfast (including cake, of course!) and a few skits recognizing some of George's accomplishments. A retirement gift from the school will be presented, but your own cards would be welcome. We hope you will be there to help us recognize this cornerstone of our school!

- Kaiya Korb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008
Subject: A nicely renovated basement apartment in Maple Corner

For rent:

A nicely renovated basement apartment in Maple Corner in Calais with a bedroom, bathroom and hallway area (large enough for an office or sitting area). There’s a walk out door providing a separate entrance and a garage space for your car. Apartment is heated by a propane stove. Washer/no dryer. The house is on beautiful land with gardens (perennial and vegetable). Separate phone line. Dog is possible. No smoking. Rent is $650.00 a month which includes utilities, lawn care and plowing. First, last and security.

Call Anne at 802 - 229 – 1639 (h) or 802 - 249 – 8254 (c) or send email to siamese@together.net

 

 

 

 

Community Quote of the Week:

"The past is never dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner

 

This e-mail newsletter is open to submissions from the public, as long as they are noncommercial, and appropriate to the community. Please remember that it depends on you, the subscribers, to let people know what is going on in town. Have you written something you want to share with the community? Do you know of an upcoming event in our area? Contact me by just replying to this email, or call me, Steve Gallagher, at 802-223-0505, though the actual notice has to be emailed to me. You can get an idea of what has been posted in the past by reading the archives at: http://www.songseek.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?f=list&l=maplecor

You can contact me about this newsletter by just replying to this e-mail. It is sent out about 3 times per month, so if you are sending a time critical message or announcement please plan to allow enough time before the event. If you just recieved a newsletter, the next one may not get sent for 2 weeks. You can subscribe to this list by typing your e-mail address into the form found at www.maplecorner.net and hit subscribe.
-----Steve Gallagher ------

To unsubscribe from: Maple Corner Net Newsletter, just follow this link:

http://songseek.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/maplecor/

Click this link, or copy and paste the address into your browser.