Sip Sip Hurrray!

Last Thursday evening at the Suicide Six lodge, a special event was held that was half fundraiser and half wine tasting party but, above all, it was to honor Phil Swanson, a man who is dear to many in the Woodstock area.

As his primary nurse Lisa Wesinger said after watching this gathering solidify, “I really quickly learned, through his transplant, how loved this man is.”

Most folks have known Swanson as the Woodstock Town Manager for the past 30 years. In fact, according to his assistant Mary Riley, he is the longest-serving town manager in Vermont. After working with him since 1990, she has learned that “if you’re going to work on something with Phil, show up well-rested. He does not hide his determination.”

Read more on Sip Sip Hurray! in the April 18th edition of the Vermont Standard.

Jane Curtis honored by VT Dems

The Vermont Democratic Party honored a well-known and long-time organizer from Woodstock last Saturday.

Jane Curtis was honored at the 20th Annual Curtis-Hoff Leadership Awards Dinner held in Burlington. The award is given to Democrat who best embodies public service, volunteerism, and activism.

Longtime Windsor County Democrat Dottie Deans nominated Curtis for this year’s Curtis-Hoff Award. Deans said that Curtis was someone who always got things done.

Deans recalled once that Curtis wasn’t someone who was going to sit idly by after the 2016 election. According to Deans, Curtis said to a group of women in Woodstock, “What are we going to do about it?”

Read more in the April 18th edition of the Vermont Standard.

Teagle Park welcomes help

The Village Trustees on Tuesday discussed the possibility of rehabilitating a town park, but their plans are on hold because another beautification project is taking first priority.

Village Trustees Chairman Jeffrey Kahn said Teagle Park is “a small gem in the middle of the village” that is in need of help. According to Kahn, the park has been neglected compared to the other parks in Woodstock.

Kahn said there is a broken railing, stairs that are in “bad shape” and dog waste bags laying on the ground. The Trustees have $5,000 set aside for beautification purposes and Kahn wanted to know if the Trustees should spend it towards Teagle Park.

“It’s not been well maintained,” Kahn said.

The steps currently in use are railroad ties but they are suffering from wear and tear, according to the Trustees. A local resident offered the village granite curbing, but Trustee Cary Agin had concerns.

Stover steps down from Woodstock Select Board

A Woodstock Select Board member made a surprising announcement at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting.
Sonya Stover, regretfully, tendered her resignation after two years on the board. Stover is moving to Hanover, N.H. and now the town will be looking for her replacement.

Stover was elected to the Select Board in March 2017. As the youngest member of the Select Board, Stover sought to get younger people more involved in town government.

“I was just someone willing to ask the dumb questions,” Stover said with a laugh. “I got to know how the town works. I learned so much.”

When asked what she would recommend for her replacement, Stover said to get involved.

“Just try it,” Stover said. “It’s not that much time, it’s not that onerous and there’s not that much conflict. It’s lovely.”

For more on the story, check out the April 18th edition of the Vermont Standard.

Citizen scientists protect threatened species

Every spring when the evening temperatures have warmed and winter’s snow and ice have started to fade into memories, the arrival of dusk is met with the “singing” of thousands of frogs across the state. They, and many other small animals, make their way to vernal pools hidden in forested areas to produce the next generation.

Following close behind are dozens of citizen scientists, hoping to determine what amphibians and invertebrates have laid their eggs in vernal pools and if their eggs have hatched in vernal pools — shallow wetlands typically found in forested areas.

Among those citizen scientists are Dick Ruben and his partners, Lynn Parker of Sharon and Becky Lash of Bridgewater.

Ruben and Parker have lived in Sharon for two years. In addition to the vernal pools, the couple are also avid birders and part of a few other avian studies through the Vermont Center for Ecology Studies (VCES) and North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier.

“It is good to get involved,” Ruben said during a phone interview. “It’s kinda fun. It is an opportunity to be a citizen scientist. You get to be a bit more intelligent and have facts when you’re trying to protect the animals. The frogs have been under threat, and they don’t know why.”

For more on the story, check out the April 18th edition of the Vermont Standard.

Mink the bear returns

It’s taken her nearly a year to travel from Coos to Windsor County after being transported from Hanover, NH where she gave birth to and tried to successfully raise two sets of cubs. Nicknamed “Mink”, the black bear sow was spotted in Woodstock village this week after she had denned up in Pomfret over the winter – a temporary shelter known by her GPS and tracking collar.

NH Fish & Game Dept. bear project leader Andrew Timmins posted recently that, in good condition and now looking for spring foods and a new home territory, Mink has moved on past South Woodstock as a result of another sow with cubs taking over the immediate area.

For more details, see our print and/or e-edition April 18….