november 2019 email: [email protected] volume #7...

November 2019 Email: [email protected] Volume #7 Issue #11

Town Meeting March 2020!

Town Meeting will be here before we know it! Town Meeting will be held on Monday night,

March 2, 2020, followed by Australian Ballot voting and the Presidential Primary on Tuesday,

March 3, 2020.

Have you considered becoming more involved in your community and running for an elected

office? While we always hope that the folks currently holding an elected office will choose to run

again, that is never a given. The following elected positions will be open for election/re-election:

Select Board – 3 year term (current member John Choate will not be running for re-election)

Select Board – 2 year term

Town Constable – 1 year term (office currently vacant)

Town Moderator – 1 year term

Town Agent – 1 year term

Grand Juror – 1 year term

Town Clerk – 3 year term

Town Treasurer – 3 year term

Cemetery Commissioner – 3 year term

Cemetery Commissioner – *2 years remaining on a 3 year term

Cemetery Commissioner – *1 year remaining on a 3 year term

*Curing previous term errors and allowing for a return to staggered terms.

DEADLINES: If you would like to run for an elected position, you must file a petition with the

Town Clerk signed by at least 1% of the voters (12) by January 27, 2020. The Town Office can

assist with petitions, just contact us!

January 16, 2020 is the last day to file a petition with the Town Clerk signed by at least 5% of the

voters (55) for articles to be included in the Town Meeting Warning. There are VERY specific

state requirements for this type of petition, please contact the Town Office for more information.

THE BOLTON Gazette The Town of Bolton, Vermont

“The Land of bouLders and bears”

3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway, Bolton VT 05676

Town thank yous! Thank you to Linda Baker and Jill Drinkwater

for putting the Town Office gardens “to bed” for

winter.

Thank you to the Conservation Commission and

the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department for

helping to organize and host a recent VT Hunter

Safety Course at the Bolton Fire Station.

Eighteen folks attended the course, and all

eighteen were successfully awarded their Hunter

Safety Course certificates!

A HUGE thank you to Rachel and Jenny from

the VT State Archives and Records

Administration office, who spent a whole day

with us (Amy & Carol, all wearing respirators!)

tackling the records that had been stored off site

for numerous years, that were moved to the

Town Office shed. We completed a full

examination of nearly 50 boxes of records, and

were able to distinguish between those to be

shredded, saved, or conserved. Among the

treasures recovered: a bound book of Town

Reports 1907-1929 (ours only went back to

1927), a missing Grand List from the 2000s, and

many documents pertaining to the construction

of I89 in Bolton.

Phoebe wonders!

Phoebe’s Kids’ quesTion

of the month!

Did you know that there was just a REALLY BIG,

IMPORTANT vote at Smilie School? It was for the

Town of Bolton’s 2020 Dog Tag shape!

Hmmm…I wonder what shape won the vote? Find

out in next month’s issue!

WOOF! Woof!!

Please remember that November is hunting

season for deer and bear. Make sure that both

you and your humans can be seen in the

November woods, I always wear my blaze orange

bandana or vest and my humans do too!

Last month’s answer: Did you figure out what the

“mystery thing” was? Did you think it looked like

it had a ladder? Well it did have ladder, that went

WAY, WAY, up into the sky! My humans and I

found our way (there is no trail!) to the summit of

Mt. Stimson, where there is still this old airway

beacon tower, with a ladder that goes way up to the

“Crow’s Nest” on the top. Learn more about the

Mt. Stimson tower on page 13!

CLerK’s Corner Amy Grover * Town Clerk & Treasurer [email protected]

November 2019

A shout out and thanks to the Curtis Hunter family

for the use of their pop-up tent for the day!

Hmmm…what will the

2020 dog tag shape be???

smilie school news Harvest Season: We have had a wonderful harvest season in our

Smilie gardens! Students have been busy picking carrots,

tomatoes, cabbages, squash and golden raspberries. We are using

all of these fruits & vegetables in our fresh salad bar each day!

Climate Change: A few weeks ago,

we spent time raising student

awareness about our changing

climate. We read several books

outlining the issues around climate

change and how we all can help slow down these changes. We learned a song together accompanied by

Mr. Menz and Mr. Dubois. We had another tree donated to us by Horsford’s Nursery as our first one

did not make it. We planted the tree on a bright and sunny day and have been taking turns watering it.

Fire Safety Month: Last Friday, we had a presentation on fire safety practices by our Bolton Volunteer

Fire Department. Students were reminded when to “Stop, Drop and Roll”; not to hide when there is a

fire; not to open a door if the handle is hot; to not to fear a firefighter, even when they have all their

equipment on. The students also heard the sound of

oxygen being used so they would not be afraid of that

sound. We ended the presentation by getting to sit in

two of Bolton’s fire trucks! Thanks to all of the fire

fighters and in particular, Deb Andrews and Brittany

Spence, who also work at Smilie!

Smilie news continued on page 7

November 2019 Page 3

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CLerK’s corner continued From Page 2 November 2019

Bolton Up and Down Town Club Holiday Dinner

Please note the CHANGE OF DATE!

Date: Thursday, December 5, 2019

Place: Bolton Fire Station

Time: 5 p.m.

Menu: Ham dinner with sweet potato casserole, regular mashed

potatoes, vegetables and rolls. You are welcome to bring a holiday

goodie to share. We will be having Christmas music, the stocking will

be hung with care, and for those wanting to participate, we’ll be having a Yankee Swap. With the

holiday season fast approaching, we are combining our November and December dinners into one

delightful December dinner, our last for 2019.

Questions? Contact Doris @ 434-3769

property tax reminder Reminder: The second installment of property taxes is due

on Monday, November 18th

. Payments must be received by

4 p.m. on the 18th

or have a federal postmark of that date to

be considered on time. There is no grace period, and late

payments incur the voter approved 1% interest penalty.

Old Man Winter is just around the corner! Even though we’ve been enjoying some balmy fall days,

we all know that Old Man Winter is just around the corner,

so right now is a great time to help out our hard working

highway crew by making sure that the town right of way

on your property is clear of debris, or those summer flower

planters and decorative rocks, and to make sure your

driveway culvert is open and clear. This is also a

reminder that Bolton does not have the resources to

maintain a “bare roads” plowing policy on our 20.5 miles

of roads – you can review the Winter Operations Plan on

the town website at: http://boltonvt.com/documents/

Bolton gazette information Reminder: The deadline for submissions is the 15

th of the month for the following month’s

edition. To OPT IN to receive the Bolton Gazette electronically and in color (help the town save

on paper and postage costs!) email [email protected]

http://boltonvt.com/documents/

mailto:[email protected]

November 2019

2019 holiday Crates of cheer Help support and fill the 2019 Holiday Crates of

Cheer! With your help, the Holiday Crates of

Cheer will be full of food and goodies, and will be

delivered to senior residents and others in our

community a week or so before Christmas to

express the town’s appreciation and support.

You can support this community endeavor by:

Making a financial donation! Checks should be made out to the Town of Bolton

with “Crates of Cheer” in the memo, and can be dropped off at the Town Office or

mailed to 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway, Bolton, VT 05676. Cash donations

may be dropped off at the Town Office in person, or left in the drop box in an

envelope marked “Crates of Cheer.”

Donating non-perishable items! Donations can be dropped off at Smilie School. If

you are wondering about what type of items to donate, foods that are high in protein,

healthy fats and whole grains are always welcome, like; peanut butter, canned

vegetables, soups, canned tuna or chicken, applesauce, pastas, and whole grain

cereals.

Volunteer! Volunteers are needed to organize, publicize, shop, sort, pack, and deliver

baskets. If you are interested in donating your time, contact Anne Clegg

[email protected] or 434-5673, or Leslie Pelch [email protected]

or 802-598-0048.

Do you have a family member, or know a neighbor or

friend facing challenging circumstances who might

benefit from the boost and support of a Holiday Crate

of Cheer?

Do you know a senior you’d like to honor with one?

Let us know at the Town Office (434-5075) and we’ll

add them to the list.

While we will continue to recognize and thank our

senior residents with baskets, we want to support other

members of our community as well.

Thank you in advance for your support!



NOVEMber 2019 page 6 INTO the woods By ethan tapper

Forest Soils

Some would argue that as a forester, it’s

my job to manage trees. However, I

think that the forest, the whole system, is

a forester’s true responsibility. Forests

include trees but also other resources

like wildlife and their habitat, air, water,

carbon and more. The responsible and

sustainable management of forests

requires you to “zoom-out” in space (to

see how your actions affect all parts of

forests and the broader landscape) and

time (to see the long-term implications

of your actions), and then zoom-in to

consider and conserve all the individual

resources that make the growth of forests

possible. One such under-appreciated,

but foundational, resource that supports

healthy forests is soil.

Besides providing the physical material

that trees to grow in, soils provide two

basic resources that trees need: water

and minerals. Trees use water in

photosynthesis and to transport materials

up and down their stems, and use

minerals like calcium and magnesium to

grow and defend themselves. Too much

or too little water, too few minerals, or

soils with the wrong pH (too acidic or

too alkaline) can limit tree growth.

The size of soil particles --- the little

pieces that make up soils --- has a big

influence on soil quality. Our largest, or

“coarsest” soil particles are sands and

gravels, and our smallest or “finest” ones

are clays and silts. “Loams” are mixtures

of different particles. Soil particles hold

on to minerals until trees can absorb

them, and finer soil particles --- which

have more surface area relative to their

volume --- use their extra surface area to

hold on to more. For this reason, finer

soils are often called “enriched” and are

able to grow trees faster. However, as

those of you in the Champlain Valley

know, soils with too many fine clay

particles can become saturated with

water, which is bad for tree growth.

Soils hugely influence the trees you’re

likely to find on a given site. Species

like sugar maple, basswood and white

ash have adapted to do well on enriched

sites, dominating where soils are moist,

less acidic and more minerals are

available; red oak, beech and hemlock

are more competitive on sites where

soils are drier, more acidic, and less

minerals are available. Most tree species

can grow on a wide variety of different

sites, but are adapted to do the best

under certain conditions.

Continued on page 9

November 2019 page 7 smilie school news continued from page 3

Fall Leaves: Our Preschool and Kindergarten students have been busy gathering leaves to make

patterns together. They chose a bright sunny day to gather their 10 leaves, then went into the

classroom to make leaf patterns! Everyone had a great time!

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner: Smilie's annual Thanksgiving dinner will be on Thursday,

November 14th. Please contact Smilie School for more information on how to sign up to attend so

that we know much food to buy and cook. Thanks for your help, and hope to see you at dinner!

November Delayed Opening: Please remember that on Wednesday, November 13, we will have a

Delayed Opening. School will start 2 hours later than usual, at 9:30 a.m.

I hope you will stop by for a chat soon!

Sincerely,

Barbara Tomasi-Gay, Principal, Smilie Memorial School

November 2019 page 8 summer wraP uP 2019 ∞∞∞∞ The boLTon hisTory grouP

That’s a wrap on cemetery restoration for 2019! This

summer we completed cleaning in the East Bolton Cemetery.

Moving on to West Bolton, we completed 15 headstones in

September for a total of 23 completed there. The East Bolton

Cemetery sure looks amazing as you pass by! 2020 will see

much of the same in West Bolton and we hope we can get the

cleaning completed by summer’s end 2020. This is a huge

task and volunteers will be needed as always, the more

community involvement the better the project will go, so we look forward to more hands

next year! Special thank you to all who volunteered their time, and or praise to this

ongoing project!

The LaFreniere family gathered at the end of September for a

potluck and viewing of 8mm film reels that belonged to Bolton

family members Leo and Bertha (Preston) LaFreniere.

Grandson Ron (Joe) LaFreniere had the films converted to

DVD which provided over an hour of silent film. Some footage

included the Winooski River raft races, farm & family life,

celebration gatherings, logging with horses, and the centennial

wagon and horse parade as they passed by the farm. This winter

may provide a good time to share this silent film with the

townsfolks of Bolton. Stay tuned for details!

Look for

upcoming

winter

meetings and

event details

in future

Gazettes.

November 2019 page 9 In Chittenden County, the story of our

soils is dramatic. About 13,500 years

ago a glacier, which had been covering

Vermont, retreated northward. As the

glacier melted the Champlain Valley

was filled with an enormous glacial lake

called “Lake Vermont,” and then (after

about 1,500 years) a brackish inland sea

called “The Champlain Sea.” Around

10,000 years ago water levels receded to

about what they are today, but these two

bodies of water had made their mark,

causing tons of soil particles to be

deposited throughout the Champlain

Valley. In general, silt and clay had been

deposited in areas covered in deep water,

whereas sand and gravel were deposited

on coastlines, deltas and streams.

As a result of this, we have soils in

Chittenden County which are influenced

by bedrock, glacial deposits and lake/sea

deposits. These diverse “parent

materials” --- essentially the rocks that

break down to create soil particles ---

lead to the formation of a diversity of

soils with different drainage, pH and

available nutrients, which will ultimately

grow different types of forests.

While much of our soils formed long

ago, humans have influenced them in the

relatively recent past. Historical records

in Vermont describe massive soil loss,

erosion and degradation in the 1800’s

and early 1900’s, as about 80% of our

State was converted to pasture. Further

soil degradation has occurred through

pollution, acid deposition, and

development. In the woods, poorly-

managed infrastructure and logging has

led to soil compaction and erosion on

historic logging trails throughout the

County.

Healthy soils are integral to our ability to

grow healthy forests. In the course of

forest management, it is critical that we

protect our soils; from operating in areas

with wet and/or sensitive soils only

when they are frozen, to leaving lots of

dead wood on the forest floor to build

soil and mitigate erosion, to creating

stable, well-designed and well-drained

forestry roads and trails. For more

information on protecting soils in the

course of forest management, check out

the resources at

www.VTCutWithConfidence.com

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County

Forester. He can be reached at

[email protected], (802)-585-

9099, or at his office at 111 West Street,

Essex Junction.

http://www.vtcutwithconfidence.com/


november 2019 page 10

Bolton residents in the news! The Vermont Ski Areas Association (VSSA)

announced that the Ski Vermont Grant,

awarded annually through the Working

Lands Enterprise Fund administered by the

VT Department of Agriculture, Food &

Markets was awarded to West Bolton

resident and logger Kyle Pratt (KJ Pratt

Logging and Tree Service) to help KJ Pratt

acquire a firewood processor “to expand the

low-grade wood division of its business,”

which will help ensure that “most of KJ

Pratt’s low-grade wood products will stay

local and help sustain the Vermont

economy.” Congratulations Kyle! Photo credit: VSSA

Merriam-Webster just added “Bechdel Test” to the dictionary. The

dictionary publisher recently added the term, coined by West Bolton

resident, writer and artist, Alison Bechdel. Not sure what “Bechdel

Test” means? Now you can look it up in the dictionary! But we can also

tell you now – “a set of criteria used as a test to evaluate a work of fiction

(such as a film) on the basis of its inclusion and representation of female

characters. NOTE: The usual criteria of the Bechdel Test are (1) that at

least two women are featured, (2) that these women talk to each other,

and (3) that they discuss something other than a man.” Congratulations

Alison!

.

Vermont Sports magazine announced that Bolton Valley resident

Cooper, a friendly four-year-old Yellow Labrador, and his human,

Jennifer Jones, were runners up in the “Best Story” category in the

magazine’s 2019 Adventure Dog Contest! Cooper is a specially

trained Balance Dog, and with his support, he and his human “have

skied and snowshoed all over VT over the last two years.”

Reminder – if you see Cooper and Jennifer out on the trails, just

give them a friendly wave. Like all service animals, while Cooper is

working, he needs to stay focused on his job. You can follow

Cooper on Instagram @ssd_cooper. Congratulations Cooper and

Jennifer!

Photo credit: Vermont Sports.


from the friends of wheeler field – bake sale Success! What a glorious evening it was at the West Bolton Golf Course for the Friends of

Wheeler Field (FOWF) Bake Sale, which was a huge success, thanks to many, many

people coming together.

Special thanks and appreciation to...

Rosa Ricketson: spearheading, organizing, and selling

Delilah Locher: helping throughout the process

Willa Pelschoen: selling and counting money

Bakers: Barb McKennedy, Neidi Suursoo, Willa Pelschoen, Caroline Elder, Farrell

Family, Laura Oliver, Jen D-G, Emmy Woods, Cara Mezitt, Susan Foerster, John Westie,

Delilah Locher, and Bronwyn McKeown

John Westie: the fun kids spin-art activity which drew in the crowds

Cara Mezitt and of course Jeff & Mary Brown: hosting FOWF and suggesting the whole

bake sale in the first place

We raised a grand total of $628.66 which blew Rosa’s personal goal of $500 out of the

water! Rosa did the math and it was about $3.80/item sold. Thanks all who participated

and/or purchased items. Such a sweet success!

It takes a village to save a field-

Friends of Wheeler Field

www.wheelerfield.org

http://www.wheelerfield.org/


Affect Change

The Bolton Planning Commission Seeks Engaged Community Members!

Do you see potential in the town of Bolton?

Are you interested in helping the town and its

community reach those potentials? Are you

interested in your own professional

development and growth?

The Planning Commission is looking for your

help to enhance our Town Plan and regulations

to meet the needs of its citizens as we change

and grow as a community.

This position will inspire many and affect real change in Bolton for years to come. Join

the Planning Commission to provide a vital service to the town and its community.

This Commission offers the right person the opportunity to have a real experience, real

responsibility with real support and real growth.

Help us affect change in our community. Please call or email Kaelyn Modrak, Planning

Commission member, for more information or if you are interested:

[email protected] or 777-1921.

Condolences Our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to…

The family and friends of Georgiana Bagdy,

who passed away on October 2nd

at the age of 96. Georgiana

made her home here in Bolton on Duxbury Road for the last

51 years, and was very involved with her local and church

communities, in addition to running a successful home cake

business (see cake photo!) for 18 years.

The family and friends of Donna Dunn, who passed away on October 12th

, at the age of

64, after a valiant battle with cancer. Donna made her home on Notch Road with her

husband Richard and family for many years.



Mt Stimson tower The old tower atop Mt. Stimson was home to

an “airway beacon;” a rotating light

assembly that was mounted atop the tower.

Electrical power came up the mountain from

the Bolton Valley Access Road; remnants of

the downed power poles can still be found

here and there in the woods between the

road and the tower. These airway beacons

were used extensively in the 1940s and 50s

in the US for visual navigation by airplane

along a specified airway corridor. Here in

Bolton, that probably would have been to

help visually guide airplanes to and from

Burlington through the spine of the Green

Mountains. Approximately 1,500 airway

beacons were constructed in the US to guide

pilots from city to city, covering 18,000

miles.

With the advent of radio navigation, most of

the airway beacons were understandingly

discontinued, but believe it or not, Montana

continues to maintain several airway beacons as navigational aids in their state’s

mountainous terrain!

If you aren’t sure where the tower is

located, the next time you are driving down

the Bolton Valley Access Road, on the

downhill straightaway as you approach the

sugar shack, look directly in front of you

up on the ridge; the tower and the “Crow’s

Nest” are easily visible at on the apex of the

ridge, right as it starts to descend to the

Winooski River Valley. The tower is also

visible from Route 2, but is more difficult

to see from that vantage point. How can

you find the Mt. Stimson tower? There is

no trail, so have a good map and a compass

to find your way!

“Hmmm…this is really HIGH. I think this

is as far up as I am going to climb!

Plus, I was just informed that

one of my shoes is untied!” Tim Grover

November 2019 page 14

New Driveway Culvert Policy Driveway Culvert Policy

Town of Bolton, Vermont

Purpose:

This policy establishes minimum standards for the design,

construction, and maintenance of new and existing

permanent driveway culverts placed within the Town

Highway right-of-way.

This policy shall pertain to culverts regardless of when or by whom the culvert was installed.

Process:

The property owner is required to obtain all necessary permits from the Town before the

driveway or culvert is installed.

Permits requiring a driveway culvert shall be forwarded to the Road Foreman or Road

Commissioner, who will inspect the site and specify any conditions that need to be met within 21

days of receipt of the application.

Culverts:

A new or replacement culvert pipe shall be of a type approved by the Town Highway

Department, and shall meet the minimum diameter required by the Town. A larger diameter may

be specified by the Road Foreman or Road Commissioner if drainage conditions warrant it.

Installation, repair and maintenance of culverts:

Initial installation of a driveway culvert shall be done by the owner, at the owner's expense using

a private contractor. The culvert shall be installed in accordance with the curb cut permit.

Culverts installed by private residents will be done under the supervision of the Road

Commissioner or the Town Highway Department and done strictly in accordance with this policy.

New culvert installations shall have a concrete header on the uphill and downhill ends of the

culvert or stone-lined ditches for a distance of four feet (4’) in each direction. A splash guard

shall be installed on the downhill side if needed.

The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining driveway culverts whether the culvert

was previously installed and/or maintained by the Town or by the owner. Maintenance includes

keeping culverts clear of debris that may inhibit the flow of water through the drainage ditch.

Culverts previously installed by the Town in a private driveway will not be replaced by the

Town.

If damage to a town highway is caused by improper culvert installation or by inadequate

maintenance, it is the responsibility of the property owner to make necessary repairs at his/her

expense.

Continued next page

November 2019 page 15

If the Town replaces a failed driveway culvert in the course of an emergency, the Town shall not

accept on-going responsibility for maintenance of the replaced culvert and the property owner

may be billed for the cost of the replacement culvert.

Once a new or replacement culvert is installed, the Road Foreman or Road Commissioner shall

inspect it and either accept it or reject it with needed alterations in writing.

Approved by the Bolton Select Board on October 7, 2019.

Production of The summoning of everyman

Local Bolton resident, John Devlin's production of The Summoning of Everyman will be

running at St. Michael's College, McCarthy Arts Center on November 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 —

admission is free and open to the public; entry may be confirmed

on: http://everymansmc.eventbrite.com

This is John's first time in the director's chair. In addition, he designed the set. The

Summoning of Everyman is a late-5th century morality play. Written before the

Reformation, it’s a not-so-subtle reminder to people that how we lead our lives makes a

difference. The central character is an allegorical representation of all humanity. God

sends Death to call Everyman to a reckoning of her life. Everyman encounters other

allegorical characters, including Fellowship, Kindred, Cousins and Goods, Good Deeds,

Knowledge, Beauty, Strength, Discretion and Five Senses. In the end, only her Good

Deeds remain with her through death and beyond.

Community Calendar

Community Coffee – The Community Coffee is now WEEKLY! Come

join other “Bolton-ites” (this gathering is not just for seniors – all are

welcome to attend!) between 9:30 and 11:00 am every Wednesday at the

Bolton Fire Station. Drop by and have FREE hot drinks, delicious pastries

and congenial conversations. If you have questions, please contact Carol

Devlin [email protected] or at 434-3064 ext. 221 or Martha Nye at

[email protected]. Park on the Bolton Town Office side of the parking lot.

Please do not park near/block the fire station bay doors. We hope to see you there!

Bone Builders – Twice weekly FREE sessions to develop and

maintain bone strength have begun in Bolton! Classes are up and

running at the Bolton Fire Station on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., and

Thursdays at 4:15. Wear comfortable clothing. For more

information, please contact Martha Nye at [email protected]

Reminder - please do not park near/block the fire station bay

doors. Thank you!

Bolton Community Network – Monday, November 25th

at 5:30 p.m. at the Town

Office.

http://everymansmc.eventbrite.com/


tel:434-3064



november 2019 email: [email protected] volume #7...

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