Jericho considers unpaving Browns Trace

    Jericho News: You heard it here (April) First.

     With the cost of paving at about one million dollars per mile, the small town of Jericho, Vermont, being  prudent in wanting to maximize the town folk’s tax money, is considering un-paving Browns Trace.

Folks is figurin big city folks will flock to town where the blacktop ends – sitting high with their oversized mud tires, fancy high galoot galoshes

and digitalized rut finders just to spread a little Vermont spring mud about their attire. 

“Bring country back to the country” is one proposed slogan to celebrate Jericho’s proposed Browns Trace returns to a historical oversized cow path.

The Jericho Country Store (rumor has it) fully supports the change and soon plans to install a few horse ties – them being less expensive than electric charging stations. 

One concern – upon removal of the asphalt speed hump/bump - traffic might slow down too much as to risk pedestrians crossing the road to the store. The pedestrians might run into a slow-moving car going by.

Horse owners will be asked to ride down the middle of the dirt road, one for their safety, and two, to the benefit of the town highway. You see, horses tend to leave a few droppings along the way. The town highway crew did not favor adding scoop the poop to their resumes. Therefore as a win–win, by having horses straddle the middle of the road, the (stuff) left in place will create an impenetrable (who would want to drive over it) brown line in the center of the road.

Maintaining a connection to route 2 and route 15 will require roundabouts given the expected traffic increase. Instructions on how to drive on a dirt road will be dispersed via an automated dispenser placed in the middle of the roundabouts. Slow will be spelled out in 124 languages and include an audio podcast for those not quite understanding the term.

Given the high amount of traffic on Browns Trace (currently nearing that of Madison Avenue and the San Diego Freeway*), the dirt and gravel require a reinforcement material. Local Maple Syrup (donated by Tom Baribault), and sheep wool (donated by Jericho Settlers Farm) make a fine durable and permeable fabric to bolster soil stability, maintain permeability, and sweeten the drainage. The wool component may help keep the roads from freezing in the winter.  
*Recent traffic count shows about 4,000 cars per day pass along Browns Trace.

To further aid in cost reduction, all able-bodied citizens of Jericho are asked to attend a tar-busting event. 

Bring your own picks, shovels, pitchforks to the community center for a grand celebration. The picks, shovels, and pitchforks should be cleaned after road demolishing work, and before these utensils are placed in the community swimming pool-sized potluck of food. 

No plastic cutlery - think sustainable. 

And please chew slowly - because like driving through Jericho, going   S L O W L Y  is better!

Visiting Jericho? Stop by our famous Country Store, sit a spell on our town center green, and taste locally grown foods at Jericho Settler Farm. The scenery, from local well-kept 100+-year-old homes to gardens of flowers and vegetables galore, to startling scenic views of Mount Mansfield will inspire you to stop, look, and listen (or at least slow down and enjoy life a bit more). 

Even our Browns Trace is sweet and (the runoff) edible (or will be soon). Just go slow the paint in the middle of the road is often fresh, steamy, and not dried yet!

Next up, A Covered Bridge in front of the Jericho Store and Cows on the Jericho Green – cause this is Vermont. Read the full story next April 1 – 2020. And remember to tell'em you read it here (April) First!

* Read the (April) First 2018 edition here. (Mountain Resort seeks Jericho approval for Browns Trace Ski Slope.)

 Caring, and sharing, plus contribution (And a wee bit of humor/fun) equals community: genuine relationships, trust, a place of belonging.

Jericho Settlers Farm

Laugh, Dream, Try, and do good.

Bernie



Related headlines:

• Jericho Vt in taking a step back in time considers un-paving Browns Trace in an exasperated effort to slow traffic.
• April Fools or an attempt to make the best of mud season and get an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records? Jericho VT considers un-paving Browns Trace - main road in the historic village.
• Similar (2016) news from East Montpelier  https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/why-one-vermont-town-tearing-asphalt-instead-repairing-potholes

Comments (sent via email)

• Bernie, I've always opposed paving roads. Seems to me that mud season presents an excellent test of whether or not people should be living in Vermont. Same for cars: if a Prius can't follow a tank, don't own it. Happy April Fools day.  ~Doug

• As one who listens to the 4000 cars going by my bedroom window, I say, Right on, Bernie!  I’ll be there with my pick and shovel!   Love a winter morning when snow covers the asphalt and you can almost imagine a sled will come by at any moment. ~All the best, Cathy
  [*Sledge - A vehicle on runners for conveying loads or passengers over snow or ice, often pulled by draft animals.]

• Love the Tar Busting event idea! Good to hear from you, Bernie!  ~Judy

• Un-paving Brown’s Trace - That was a fun read   ~Andrew B.

• April Fools! ~Debbie H.

• Haha! You got me for a minute 😊   ~Linda S

• Thanks for sharing.  Given that highly accurate traffic data, the story must be true. ~Todd
• Thanks for the morning chuckle. I especially like the image of the horses going down the middle of the road, etc! ~Julia
• Hope the drivers drive SLOW! When we visited you in early fall - saw cars went by pretty fast! Geez! ~Susan

• Thank You for the whimsy and humor on a cold April Fool's Day. ~Mary Jane

• I'd wield a pickax with verve and glee to break up roads, to get rid of cars, to get rid of exhaust fumes, gasoline/oil spills, to get rid of the acres of paving that create the heat islands that contribute mightily to global warming.  I wish it weren't an April Fools' Day riff!  ~Pam, Boulder Co.

• I thought it was brilliant. ~C.L.

Her First Bird by Bernie Paquette

                             Her First Bird

Lily awoke to a dim, overcast, light-starved day. Her bedroom walls screamed of silent musicians, ballerinas that froze dance with their toes forever locked in place, while the ceiling tried but failed to grant wishes with green luminescent stars. However, nothing inside her room awakened her spirit enough to lift the bedspread cover - though the unicorn surrounded by a rainbow seemed poised to lift off into the sky. The quiet was the only thing that could draw her out of bed now that she was awake. Lily could not stand the quiet, alone in her own head was too much solitude. “Compee, (her pet name for her voice-activated computer) what time is it?” she queried, slightly curious why no light entered her window and no sound livened her room.

     “It is 5 A.M.,” responded the lifeless stoic machine. 

     “Why did you wake me up so early?” Lily berated her mechanical companion. “I must be the only living thing awake at this hour,” she continued. 

     

     “Ms Lily”, the computer formally responded, “There are multitudes of living animals awake and about at this time – why not you? Might I list some of them for you?”

     Without waiting for an answer, digital nature spewed out. “Birds for instance, in your very backyard, including perhaps Northern Cardinals as red as cherries, tuxedoed woodpeckers, chickadees first to the breakfast table, nuthatches racing down trees, juncos, Mourning Doves, bluejays, and…” Before the listing could finish, Lily cut short the nature lesson requesting music to lift her up out of bed. The computer speakers remained silent. Before Lily could reprimand the machine, her ears caught an unfamiliar sound. Was someone whistling to her at this early hour?

     Dreamily Lily put one foot to the floor, then two. Walking felt like floating as she moved toward the sound at her bedroom window facing her backyard. Now she heard a tapping sound like tiny hail hitting the window. The floor creaked as she moved. Funny she never noticed the floor creaking before. Even the curtains whispered – what - a warning, or good morning. 

     Slowly, cautiously with two nimble fingers, and one leg outstretched in the opposite direction in preparation to run away from the window, she opened the curtain just enough to see a sliver of red. “Horror of horrors”, she screamed and darted back to her bed and covered her-self, including her head, in the billowing puffy bedspread. Even the unicorn quivered and shivered in fright.

     After a few minutes of quiet, Lily decided her eyes must have deceived her. Perhaps a piece of red plastic, whipped up by wind, splattered against the windowpane. “Computer, what is on my window?” she nervously asked. No response came from the box of silicon chips.  With mounting courage, Lily thought “Darned computer. I will just have to look again for myself.” Once again, one foot touched the floor, then another. Once again the floor squeaked. Once again, the curtain whispered. Again, the ticking, tapping, now drumming sound came from the window. Summoning up the bravado of her cartoon superheroes, she whipped the curtain open – a flash of red cape streaked away and upward towards the leafless oak tree a few feet from her window.

      Now more curious than fearful, Lily stopped, looked, and listened. She of course was not unaware of cardinals, but never had she been so upfront and personal with one.    She wondered why it had nearly entered her bedroom, her domain. The cardinal raised a tuffet atop his head, stretched his neck and beak upward, and released a loud string of clear down-slurred and two-parted whistles, often speeding up and ending in a slow trill. The song lasted two to three seconds, with a brief pause then resumed. Lily thought “He sounds like he is singing, cheer, cheer, cheer, or birdie, birdie, birdie.” Suddenly a flash of black and white landed close to the cardinal, which responded with a loud metallic chipping to warn off the unwanted guest from his territory. “Well”, thought Lily, “Compee was right, there are other creatures awake and about. I wonder what other nature neighbors are nearby,” she mused. 

     As the wind rustled up freshly fallen snow, a Carolina Wren, bearing the cold, patronizing the seed, suet, peanuts , and peanut-butter restaurant in Lily’s backyard, voiced a loud 3-part phrase sounding like “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle”.    

As though announcing, spring will come. This gave Lily a warm feeling and she even imagined the smell of a wisp of peppermint and rose hips in the air.

     Another reminder of breakfast landed on a feeder perch, a male Purple Finch with a raspberry pink-red head, mixing with brown on the back, and cloudy white on the belly.  

This bird had a powerful conical beak and a notched tail. It seemed to be singing hear me?-see-me?-here-I-am. Lily imagined the bird reached into her neighbor Gaye's fresh homemade raspberry jam and fell in headfirst. 

     Throughout each new bird’s visit, chickadees darted in and out, weighing each seed carefully then darting off to a nearby branch to remove the shell and devour the sunflower seed.  Lily never witnessed such an eating frenzy except when dad tackles a lobster. Lily thought, “That little bird must expend almost as much energy getting the seed as it obtains in calories from eating the seed. They sure do look trim, fit, and full of energy.”

 To which the Chickadee replied a simple pure 2 or 3-note, whistled hey, sweetie and then, chickadee dee dee dee in alarm when a Goldfinch landed nearby.   

     Goldfinches looping in-flight dropped down onto the oak as though they were falling en masse from the sky then rising as though on a volcanic upthrust. Their worn faded yellow feathers had begun to rejuvenate into golden yellow. Lily thought, “Goldfinches remind me though the sun may fade, or fail to shine some days, time will restore the warm gold rays.” As they later flew away, they expressed their contact call, sounding like po-ta-to-chip.

     Deep in thought, Lily began to ponder, “Why have I not heard such songs before? What might a woodpecker song sound like?” As if on cue a medium-size woodpecker (Hairy Woodpecker) with a square head, a long straight, chisel-like bill, and stiff, long tail feathers used to lean against on tree trunks – began to tap against the oak tree with a bill nearly the same length as its head. The rapid and even pace drumming consisted of about 26 beats in one second. This, being a form of communication and not an attempt to drill into the tree for insects, was in response to the cardinal.  Both viewed each other as intruders. Lily asked aloud, “Should I too sing or tap on my window to defend my territory?” She giggled at the thought, but the birds paid scant attention to her. 

     As Lily’s attention turned to what she might wear today, she looked to the birds for fashionable ideas. She noted that the woodpecker wore contrasting black and white. Black wings checkered with white; the head with two white stripes. Being a male, it had a flash of red toward the back of the head. A large white patch ran down the center of its black back.  “So Goth”, thought Lily in appreciation of the uniqueness of this formidable-looking bird. “But mom would definitely not approve of such an attire on me,” she laughed.

     Meanwhile, another flying animal planed down to the oak tree. As the cardinal speaks of heart-red, the Blue Jay heralds its name. The large crested songbird with a broad rounded tail landed like an air force fighter plane. White to light gray underneath with various shades of blue, black, and white above. It announced the air FORCE had arrived.  The Blue Jay immediately called out a loud jeer, followed by clear whistled notes and gurgling sounds that made Lily laugh with delight. Seeing the other two birds nearby, the Jay snapped its bill in intense aggressive displays.

     Once each bird adjusted to the others nearby, the Blue Jay began its song, of sorts – a whisper song – a soft quiet conglomeration of clicks, chucks, whirrs, whines, liquid notes, and other calls, lasting longer than two minutes. Remembering when she was a wee little lass, full of health and joy, Lily recalled listening with her grandfather, to Peter, Paul, and Mary. They sang “The Marvelous Toy” with many colors bright, that went zip when it moved, and bop when it stopped, and brrrrrr when it stood still. The Blue Jay’s song stood in good measure with “The Marvelous Toy” song. Lily decided to name her marvelous new blue friend, “Grandpa J”. 

  

     A knock sounded on Lily’s bedroom door. “Are you up already?” her mom asked. “I heard you moving about, but did not hear that loud blasting you call music, nor did I hear you typing on your computer, or talking on your cell phone. Is everything all right?”

     “I’m fine mom. I am enjoying some quiet; I think they call it solitude. I was kind of lost in my own thoughts,” Lily responded.

      “Is your computer not working?” her mom asked.

     “Compee is working better than ever, mom. I asked her for uplifting music. She led me to delightful and cheery spring music. The band is right outside my window. The band members are Northern Cardinals as red as cherries, tuxedoed woodpeckers, chickadees first to the breakfast table, nuthatches racing down trees, juncos, Mourning Doves, Grandpa J, and…”

     “Ok dear”, her mother replied. “Perhaps you had better get a little more sleep. Besides it is a dull dreary late winter day outside - not much to do.”

     “Ah, but mom, on the contrary, spring is announcing itself, my outdoor friends are singing and showing off their new outfits, ground critters are dancing on their toes, and Granpa J is happily blue as ever.”

      Lily’s mother started to wonder what happened to her daughter overnight. Before she could query Lily further, the bedroom door opened. Lily, dressed in a multitude of bright colors, wearing a beaming smile, and whistling a new tune, chirped to her mom “Mom, can I stay up late tonight to watch the ‘real stars’?”

      Her mom replied, “Well, I guess so, given you managed to get yourself up so early this morning. Why the sudden interest in the outdoors?”

     Lily paused, and then responded, “I want to see if the real outdoor stars twinkle and shine brightly, and shoot across the sky. I will wish upon my star, to meet more avian musicians and natural clothes designers and other outdoor nature wonders.”

     Walking away a bit bewildered, Lily’s mother thought, “Well this is a first for Lily, she looks like she is radiating with sunlight. But who the heck is Granpa J?”    

This story was written in honor of a special Lily - may she view the world through nature and come away radiating with sunlight.  

Bernie Paquette

2019

All rights reserved

In promotion of - 

Connecting children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent walking along natural area trails, even backyards, exploring observing, discovering, and learning – outdoors.

Get outdoors – a good way to develop hyper-awareness, and self-confidence. Nature informs all the senses.

“Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life - these are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into children’s lives.” The Last Woods, by Richard Louv

Quotes about Storytelling

·        "There's always room for a story that can transport people to another place." --J.K. Rowling

·        "Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." --Robert McKee 

·        "The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories." --Mary Catherine Bateson

·        "Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form." --Jean Luc Godard

·        "Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle." --Robert Olen Butler

·        Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it." --Hannah Arendt

             Nothing but blue skies coming our way!

Jericho Town Meeting in photos

Chuck Lacy and Tom Cheney, candidates for the Jericho School board tried Ice fishing in front of MMU on Town Meeting Day. Ice fishing, voting: There is seemingly no connection. But folks stopped to talk, Chuck noted.

Chuck went on, We knew it was going to be cold [outside on Town Meeting Day]. It's not any colder than when we go fishin! And we don't get cold when we're out fishin. So why not pretend we are fishing when we're out here. I think it's working. 
(Author's note: Chuck caught the same amount of fish at MMU as he did on Lake Champlain, Ice Fishing). 

740 (17.5%) registered voters cast a ballot - out of 4235 registered voters. 


Mount Mansfield Lodge #26  Served breakfast sandwiches and coffee.



The generosity, caring spirit, and actions of community members are highlighted by the non-profit displays, community members discussions therein, and the many volunteers who spoke at the Town Meeting about the non-profit volunteer work they enjoyed doing. As one community member stated,  I consider this work, "Paying Forward" and hope the same services are available if I need them when I am older. 

And how many other town meetings result in community members offering an amendment to the proposed budget to raise the dollar amount contributed by the town above the amount requested, to a non-profit - as Jericho community members did for Age Well.


Caring and sharing plus contribution = Community: genuine relationships, trust, place of belonging.  



Transition Town Jericho



Jericho Energy Task Force.  FB: JerichoEnergyTaskForce 

                                                               






























Jericho Conservation Commission

Our Community Cares Camp  Serving under-resourced children between ages 5-16 from the towns of Richmond, Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, and Underhill. Facebook.com/OCCCVT





Howard Center Helping with mental health, substance abuse, and developmental needs. 




Jericho Library: A little library with a lot of heart.


Lisa Buckton, Library Director. Librarian, Writer, Innovator.



B A K E S A L E - Goodies Galore 



Civics discussion and lessons real-time at Town Meeting.



Winooski Valley Park District - Cooperative partnership of seven member communities who share a common interest in protecting natural resources in the Winooski River Valley. 


No Photo available: Mount Mansfield Villages - Launching April 2019. Non-profit to provide services that will help members to remain active, socially-connected, and in their homes and communities as long as possible. Providing volunteer opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors. 


Jericho / Underhill Land Trust Conserving our productive landscape, scenic vistas, and important wildlife habitats.



VT State Representatives George Till, Trevor Squirrell, and Chittenden county senator Senate Chris Pearson.



Cub scouts waiting for the cue to walk into the auditorium onto the stage to lead the community in the reciting of The Pledge of Allegiance. 




Jericho / Underhill Fire Department representatives. 

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Visit Jericho's New Interactive town website @ https://www.jerichovt.gov/

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Here are the links to MMCTV recordings of Town Meeting 

Day videos:

Underhill: https://archive.org/details/UnderhillTownMtg03052019

Richmond: https://archive.org/details/RichmondTownMtg03052019

Jericho: https://archive.org/details/JerichoTownMeeting2019

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Resolution below passed: 

Whereas extreme and erratic temperatures, increasingly severe storms, a rise in tick-borne diseases, and threats to farmers and maple sugar makers clearly demonstrate that climate change is one of the most urgent problems facing our state, nation, and the world, and

Whereas the state of Vermont has a goal in the Comprehensive Energy Plan to achieve 90% of its energy from renewable resources by 2050, yet is making insufficient progress towards achieving that goal;

Now, therefore, be it resolved:

The voters of the town of Jericho urge the state of Vermont to:

a. Halt any new or expanded fossil fuel infrastructure, I.e. transmission pipelines, electrical generation plants and/or industrial storage facilities.

b. Commit to 100% renewable energy by 2030 for all people in Vermont, with firm interim deadlines; and,

c. Ensure that the transition to renewable energy is fair and equitable for all residents, with no harm to marginalized groups or rural communities.

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Tom Cheney (Elected to School Board)

Dear Jericho Residents,

As a product of Vermont public schools and a member of a family of educators, I understand that one of the most meaningful and impactful commitments a town makes to its citizens is providing for enriching schools. Over the years, our community has fostered an excellent public education system for our children.

Despite many successes, our district is facing multiple challenges: from the ongoing district merger implementation, to a declining student population, and growing budget pressures.

We need budgets that live within our means, forward-thinking and innovative leadership, and strong community engagement.

My professional life has been devoted to public service, with a focus on improving educational outcomes for children and adults. I bring to the Board experience working on education and workforce development policy at the state and federal levels. That and my current role leading an initiative (based out of VSAC) to increase the number of Vermonters who complete career training or a college degree, has reinforced the notion that innovation and strategic investment within existing budgets is often more effective than simply increasing spending.

The tone and vision the Board sets have a lasting impact on our children. We need leadership that demands that all students, no matter their background or aspirations, feel at home in our schools. It must be an expectation that each high school graduate is prepared for life after high school, whether it be to pursue a credential, apprenticeship, or degree, or to go straight into a career. Our students should be receiving a first-rate education that is constantly evolving with the times.

I am committed to bringing these perspectives to the MMMUSD School Board to help ensure that our schools remain strong and vibrant for my two young daughters, their friends, and all of the students in Jericho and the surrounding towns. I ask for your support.

To learn more about my vision, please check out my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Tom-Cheney-for-School-Board-283161589037475/

Tom Cheney

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Chuck Lacy (Elected School Board)

I served on the Jericho School Board some years ago and hope to serve again in the merged MMU district. Our three children went through the MMU schools. They were well prepared for their next steps and I want the coming generations to be prepared for their futures.

For thirty years I've cared about the success of our students and getting value for money. My strength is planning ahead and raising the tough questions before they become emergencies.

My priorities for board work are:

MAKING THE MERGER WORK. I served as a Jericho representative negotiating with the other towns to create a single merged district to cut bureaucracy. Now our schools can work together. We can adjust our capacity to fit our enrollment. The merger bent the curve on budget increases. Parents can pick the right elementary and middle school for their children. Jericho Elementary School started a Spanish immersion program open to children from all the towns. With the merged district we can make common-sense decisions on spending and sharing resources between schools.

DEALING WITH A SMALLER ENROLLMENT. The student population is down across New England. Families are having fewer children. Elementary school enrollment in Jericho and Underhill is down 40% since the early 2000s. MMU is down over 200 students and could be down another 100 students when our current smaller elementary classes reach high school. Preparing for that future is an educational and fiscal imperative.

To build more opportunities with the budget limits of a smaller enrollment – we need curriculum innovations, distance learning, and joint programs with other districts and colleges. Nothing replaces a good discussion led by a great teacher. But with smaller enrollments new ideas are needed to drive an ambitious curriculum – for all students not just for the college-bound. The latest generation of MMU district teachers is very strong. With the School Board setting clear educational and fiscal goals, I believe our faculty can lead the innovation we need to succeed.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION. Historically our school boards have taken a passive interest in technical education. The MMU School Board must do more than delegate technical education to Essex and Burlington Tech and forget about it. The school board boundaries between technical and academic education should be erased – all students need both to succeed. The School Board should be as focused on technical education and preparation for the trades as it is on AP classes and college acceptances. I will do that.

HUMAN RESOURCES. Currently, the MMU district has one part-time HR person for 500 employees in ten locations. Recruiting and hiring one great teacher helps hundreds or thousands of students over a career. Upfront investment in hiring has a huge payback. I want to be sure we're doing everything possible to find the best people and then helping them build great careers.

MY BACKGROUND: A School Board needs a mix of skills among its members. I bring a mixed bag of mostly business experience and a commitment to planning and decisiveness. My work history includes: President of Ben & Jerry's, President of Barred Rock Fund, Treasurer of Gonofone (which started the largest cell phone company in Bangladesh with over 50 million customers), Founder of Hardwick Beef (marketing cattle for New England farmers), Executive Producer of "The War Tapes" for the Discovery Channel, and President of Money in Motion (which provides banking services low-income people in Bangladesh). After years of producing beef on farms in Jericho and St. Albans, I sold my cows giving me the time to serve on the MMU Board. I never missed a meeting while serving on the Jericho Elementary School Board.

I live in Jericho Center with my wife Gaye Symington where we raised our three children. Please reach out with questions or suggestions.

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