Expect some whitening in Whiting

It appears that our first significant snow of the season is on its way. The Whiting, Vermont, area had some snow showers yesterday, and could experience some squalls tomorrow (Friday) morning. But the real fun is expected to start around midday on Saturday. Between then and Sunday afternoon, we're expecting up to half a foot of snow statewide, perhaps more in some areas.

Meteorologists are keeping an eye on two moving air masses - a clipper descending from Canada and a hefty snow-making storm sweeping in from the Midwest. (Some areas of western and northern New York State are already experiencing lake-effect snows and could be buried under a couple of feet of the white stuff by the time the storm passes.) When and where the two systems collide will determine where the snow falls and how much piles up.

Whiting Post Office hours

The Whiting Post Office, 3 South Main Street (at the corner of Main and Leicester-Whiting Road), currently maintains business hours six days a week.

Retail operations are conducted 

Monday-Friday 

7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 

2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Saturday 

8 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

Lobby hours (P.O. Box access) are 

Monday-Friday

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Saturday

7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

The office is closed on Sunday.
You may check on changes to office hours on the USPS website by clicking here.

Otters notch fourth blowout win

BRANDON, VT, Oct. 19, 2013 - The Otter Valley High School varsity football team completed a 5-2 regular season (5-1 division record) with a 48-7 victory over the visiting Oxbow Olympians on Saturday afternoon at Markowski Field in Brandon. It was the fourth consecutive blowout win for the Otters, who outscored opponents 237-63 during that stretch.

Otter Valley led Oxbow 14-0 after the first quarter and added 21 more points before halftime. The score was 48-0 in the final quarter, when the Otters JV went in to finish up, allowing an Oxbow touchdown and PAT.

The Otters concluded their regular season with a 3-1 record at home. (Their only home loss was a 36-20 season-opening defeat against Division II opponent Fair Haven.) Oxbow, 3-5 overall, did not have a win on the road in four tries this season.

Otters varsity football regular season 2013:
1. Loss 36-20 vs Fair Haven-Div II (0-1)
2. Win 42-14 vs Bellows Free (1-1)
3. Loss 33-12 at Mill River (1-2)
4. Win 77-24 vs Mt. St. Joseph (2-2)
5. Win 65-13 at Poultney (3-2)
6. Win 47-19 at Winooski (4-2)
7. Win 48-7 vs Oxbow (5-2).

Whiting's early history

An early history of the Town of Whiting has been incorporated into this website. The history was originally published as Chapter 37 of History of Addison County Vermont: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, edited by H.P. Smith (Syracuse, NY: D.Mason & Co., 1886). Formatting and a few web links have been added. Visit the history by clicking on this link or by selecting the "Early History" tab above.

This site also includes the page images for the Vermont State Register of Historic Places' 1992 booklet, The Historic Architecture of Addison County: Whiting. This booklet includes a brief history of the town, along with a map, descriptions and some photographs of significant historic structures. Visit the booklet by clicking on this link or by selecting the "Historic Buildings" tab above.

The earliest document relating to the Town of Whiting is also preserved on this site. It is the Colonial Era town charter, issued in 1763. Visit the charter by clicking on this link or by selecting the "1763 Charter" tab above.

Finally, we have included images and descriptions of the Whiting-related portions of three United States censuses: U.S. Census of 1790, U.S. Census of 1800, U.S. Census of 1810.

---

Update: The website of the Town of Whiting contains information relating to town history and local genealogy. A Whiting "Early Town Genealogy" document is a lengthy listing of Whiting families dating back to the 18th Century. "A Complete Listing of the Stones in the Whiting Cemetery" is an ordered and indexed presentation of the grave markers from the late 18th Century through the 20th Century. Both documents were compiled by Grace Simonds. The website also lists the historic Whiting maps that may be viewed at the Town Office.

Whiting's historic buildings

I am happy to announce that the 1992 pamphlet, The Historic Architecture of Addison County - Whiting (Vermont State Register of Historic Places) is now available online, with kind permission from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

I hope to do a bit more to draw attention to the proud and distinctive, old structures in the town of Whiting, but I feel this is an excellent start.

The document is stored as a PDF file on the Scribd online document sharing service now included on this site. You can link to it by clicking on the "Historic Buildings" tab at the top of this website or by clicking on the cover image at the right.

EEE shows up far from Whiting swamp

Beginning to get the feeling that the EEE virus can 
be found wherever you take the time to look for it?

The State Department of Health announced in the middle of last week that a horse in Highgate, VT, was euthanized (on Aug. 30) after becoming ill from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The health department's press release indicated, "This is evidence the mosquitoes in the area carry the virus."

This should not be a surprise. The state has documented the presence of EEE antibodies in deer and moose collected from all over Vermont, revealing that those animals had been exposed to but fought off the virus (probably recently, but no one seems to know how long the antibodies linger). However, state efforts to track the EEE virus and combat it (through aerial spraying of insecticides) have been concentrated in the area of the Whiting swamp in portions of Addison and Rutland counties. This seems designed in large part to quiet fears, because two area residents died in 2012 after contracting EEE.

The health department acknowledges, "Active mosquito surveillance is limited to those parts of Addison and Rutland counties and much more limited surveillance in parts of Franklin and Chittenden counties, so it's possible that EEE and West Nile virus are present in other parts of the state."

Highgate, sitting on the border with Canada, is almost as far as one can get from the Whiting swamp and still remain in the State of Vermont. (I shouldn't have to point out, but will, that the international border does not include mosquito netting, so EEE likely will be found in Canada too.)

It may be time for the state to put away the bug spray and launch a more comprehensive study of EEE in Vermont. It would be nice to know if this virus is a new threat to human health or if we actually have existed along with it every late summer for decades but only recently acquired the expertise to identify it.

McAllister history in Whiting

While wandering around the Web, I spotted an interesting family history website that relates to Whiting. The site author, Ed Galvin, tells of his ancestors, the McAllisters. He notes that some of the McAllister clan, originally from New Hampshire, settled in Whiting in the 1800s. (A few remain in the Whiting Community Church cemetery.)

Some of the family history relates to the former Henry Wells farm on South Main Street approaching Murray Road. According to Galvin, William Ira McAllister moved to Whiting in the 1820s and became a successful farmer of merino sheep. On Oct. 1, 1835, he purchased an 86-acre farm in Whiting from Amos E. Walker. (The farmhouse was built quite near to a blacksmith shop, just to the north. Amos Walker retained ownership of a large farm north of the McAllister farm, and the Walker family expanded its land holdings northward toward the village over the years.) By 1860, McAllister had expanded that parcel to 100 acres and was producing significant amounts of wool, oats, rye, potatoes and corn.

The "Henry Wells homestead" - once the William Ira McAllister home.

The farm was sold to Fanny Sweet on Aug. 18, 1864. It was later sold to Henry Wells. The Henry Wells homestead, still in use as a farm today, played a role in the preservation of Whiting history. It was at that location that Harold and Elizabeth Webster (Elizabeth was a granddaughter of Henry Wells) authored the local history, Our Whiting, in 1976.

Galvin also discusses Lyman and Isaac McAllister, brothers, who purchased 164 acres in southwest Whiting on April 8, 1865. A few years later, Lyman and his wife Frances sold the large farm and purchased a home on 13 acres near the South School (Murray and West Roads), as well as 58 acres of farmland nearby in Orwell. They mortgaged their properties in 1871 and lost them to foreclosure in 1880.

Home once owned by Lyman and Frances McAllister.

Note: I believe both of the homes discussed here are included in the Vermont State Register of Historic Places. The William Ira McAllister home is believed to have been built around 1845, which was during the McAllister's ownership of the farm. The Lyman McAllister home dates from about 1850 and would have been approximately 20 years old during the McAllisters' ownership.

See: Ed Galvin's McAllister Genealogy Page

Whiting Census of 1810

The 1810 U.S. Census listed a total of 565 residents in The Town of Whiting. The most numerous age-category - accounting for about one-third of the town population - was also the youngest. There were 93 males under age 10 and 95 females under age 10. Young adults were the second largest segment of the Whiting population. With 67 males and 66 females between the ages of 16 and 25, this group claimed 23.5% of residents. Older children, ages 10 through 15, were the smallest segment of the population, just 13%.

Children of all ages amounted to about 46.4% of Whiting's population. This figure remained fairly constant between 1800 and 1810. The percentage of older adults - there were 80 residents over the age of 45 - climbed a bit. It was 11% in 1800 and just over 14% ten years later.

The U.S. Census of 1800 showed a total of 404 residents in the town. So, Whiting had grown by 161 people, or almost 40%, through the decade of 1800-1810. The population had more than doubled (increasing by 127%) since the first U.S. Census in 1790.

The last two columns of the Whiting census were unused. They were designated for Non-White Free Persons and Slaves. Whiting had neither in 1810 (slavery was never permitted within Vermont). Its one non-white resident of the 1800 Census did not show up in the document 10 years later.

(See the related posts for the 1800 Census and the 1790 Census.)

Otter Valley Boys Soccer Schedule 2013

WCAX reports on mosquito spraying

Last night's WCAX broadcast on the aerial mosquito spraying over swampy areas of Whiting.

 WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Personal note: I am glad that the EEE threat is getting attention from state government. It is a subject that requires careful research. But I cannot help but feel that the spraying program is little more than an elaborate and expensive pacifier.

EEE does not originate with the mosquitoes. A certain type of bird-loving mosquito appears to pick it up from infected birds and then deliver it to other birds. But birds cannot carry it for long without dying. No one seems to know where the EEE resides over the wintertime, when there are no mosquitoes to move it around and the time is long enough for infected animals to pass away. In back-to-back years, EEE has merely popped up in the Whiting-area swamp in August, with no idea of the path it took into the swamp and no idea if it traveled beyond the swamp.

I also have not heard whether EEE has been found to be transmitted by other types of mosquitoes, such as those that directly bother humans, though that hypothetical "secondary vector" has been targeted by the CDC. (We know that one of last year's victims lived on a farm that raised large birds especially susceptible to EEE.)

It appears from the available research that EEE may exist in some form apart from birds and the feared type of mosquitoes. (For all we know, we humans may be the over-winter carriers!) Until we have the answers, periodically reducing the mosquito population through spraying may make people feel better about the threat, but it may not really be addressing the threat at all.

Mosquito spraying plan

UPDATE (8/22 4:36pm) We had been told that rain could cause postponement of the mosquito spraying, but Health Department just tweeted: "Weather conditions are favorable for... targeted mosquito spraying tonight. Will tweet progress from start to finish."
 WCAX interviews Dr. Harry Chen of the Vermont Department of Health:
  WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Whiting's 250th birthday party is Sept. 7

These FREE events will take place on the Whiting School grounds

• 4-5 p.m.- Social Hour
• 5 p.m. - National Anthem and Reading of the Charter
• 5:15 p.m. - Free Pig Roast and Pot Luck Dinner (Bring a dish to share)
• 6-9 p.m. - Street Dance on basketball courts (Music by Jam Man Entertainment)
• Dusk - Fireworks.

ONGOING EVENTS:

Historical Display of Whiting, 

Bouncy House, Snow Cones, Pop Corn, 

Fire Department equipment on display.

"Our Whiting" books will be on sale.

Bring your own chairs to watch fireworks and listen to the music.

Otter Valley Football Schedule 2013

Aerial mosquito-spraying announced

The Vermont Department of Health has announced that it will conduct aerial insecticide spraying August 22 and 27 of a swampy area of Whiting in an effort to combat the spread of deadly mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

Spraying of a low concentration of Anvil 10+10 (Sumithrin) will be performed within a two-mile radius centered round the swampy area north of Stickney Road in Whiting. The activity is scheduled to begin at dusk each evening and continue to about 11 p.m. The spraying may be postponed in case of rain.

EEE was detected for the first time in Vermont last year. Two people became ill with the virus and later died. The health department has stepped up testing of mosquito pools in certain areas of the state this year. No EEE was detected through the early summer.

Charts shows results of state mosquito testing in 2013.

That changed with testing of a mosquito pool collected from the Whiting area on Aug. 1. EEE turned up in test results, and the health department warned residents to take reasonable precautions against mosquito bites, including wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts outdoors during times of mosquito activity and using insect repellants.

Today the health department announced that four more mosquito pools from the area, collected on Aug. 10 and 12, have tested positive for EEE. The virus has not been detected in humans or animals so far this year.

"These newest detections only intensify our recommendations to Vermonters to fight the bite, no matter where you live," Health Commissioner Harry Chen said. "We can't kill every mosquito, but targeted spraying may knock back the local population of mosquitoes that are carrying the EEE virus.

"Spraying could reduce risk of infection," he explained, "but it's still important that we all take precautions against mosquito bites."

State health officials believe EEE is present in other parts of the state, but it has so far been positively identified only in mosquito pool tests from southern Addison and northern Rutland counties. Testing is being concentrated in in certain areas of the state (See map).

Mosquito testing: So far so good

Vermont authorities have stepped up testing in targeted areas of the state in an effort to hinder the spread of deadly mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile viruses. The Whiting-Brandon area is a particular concern because EEE was detected in mosquitoes there last year and found its way to human victims. Early testing results announced this week came back negative for the viruses, according to a report by Lucia Suarez of the Rutland Herald.

When announcing the test results, state epidemiologist Erica Berl said, "The Brandon-Whiting swamp areas are moderate risk based on the evidence from last year." Risk levels have been assigned to regions of the state and testing resources will be allocated based upon the perceived risk. Most of Vermont falls into a baseline risk level, in which no reports of mosquito-borne illness in humans or animals have been received. Low-risk areas include those where virus-carrying mosquitoes have been detected within the past two years but no illnesses in humans or animals have been reported.

Current state plans call for consideration of insecticide spraying whenever repeated tests show mosquito-borne viruses in a region or the viruses turn up in humans or animals. "There is not a lot of information," Berl admitted. "We can't spray until we have a good educated guess that it will do something."

Last year, two people - residents of Brandon and Sudbury - died after becoming infected with the EEE virus. After the human infections were reported, the state organized aerial spraying of regions of the Whiting swamp.

Information on mosquito-borne illnesses can be obtained through the Vermont Department of Health website.

Planning Whiting's 250th birthday party

Whiting residents are asked to assist in planning the town's 250th anniversary celebration. An organizational meeting of the celebration committee is scheduled for seven o'clock tomorrow night (Wednesday) at the Whiting Elementary School. If you would like to help but cannot attend the meeting, contact Suzanne Denis at suzannedenis59(at)gmail(dot)com. The town celebration will be Saturday, September 7.

OTTERS WIN!

Otter Valley secures its first 
state baseball title since '76

Otter pitcher Patterson retires 17 in a row

The Otter Valley Union High School baseball team has defeated top-ranked Burr & Burton Academy to take the 2013 Division 2 state title. It is Otter Valley's first baseball championship since 1976.

The Otters celebrate with the state championship plaque.

Otter starting pitcher Brett Patterson was dominant, tossing a one-hit complete game shutout. The Burr & Burton Bulldogs, who have appeared in three of the last four state championship games without winning a title, managed just two baserunners against Otter Valley.

The Otters erupted for six runs in the third inning, which proved to be more than sufficient. They added a single run in the fifth inning, as Jim Winslow, who doubled to lead off and was sacrificed to third, scored on a Bulldog wild pitch. Two more runs were added in the sixth. John Winslow led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a Lonergan triple. Lonergan then scored on another Bulldog wild pitch.

Patterson shut the door on the Bulldogs early and retired the last 17 Burr & Burton batters he faced. The game's last batter went to a full count and then took a called strike on the outside corner.

After the game, the Otters receive individual medals.

Burr & Burton was top seeded in the Division 2 postseason. However, Otter Valley, which was ranked second, had a better overall record and had beaten Burr & Burton, 8-1, during the regular season. Heading into the championship game, no Burr & Burton postseason opponent had scored a run.

A large crowd of Otter supporters attended the championship game, played at Burlington's Centennial Field.


In  1  2  3  4  5  6  7 

OV  0  0  6  0  1  2  0
BB  0  0  0  0  0  0  0

    R   H   E

OV  9   9   0
BB  0   1   1

Photos are screen captures from live game coverage provided by NSNsports.net

Otters are one win from baseball title

The Otter Valley Union High School baseball team will face top-ranked Burr & Burton Academy tomorrow night in the Division 2 state championship game. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Burlington's Centennial Field.

The Otters, seeded second in the Division 2 postseason, defeated the Lamoille Lancers, 8-1, in Wednesday's semi-final game. Starting pitcher Justin Owen fanned ten lancers in the victory. At 18-1 for the year, OVUHS is poised to take the division title. The Otters were victorious against the Burr & Burton Bulldogs when the teams squared off in the regular season.

GO OTTERS!

June 1 rainbow

Yesterday's brief, early evening shower left us this double-rainbow.

Temperature tops 90

Hazy, hot and humid here in Whiting, and it's still May.

Thermometer, kept in the shade, reads 90-plus degrees.

Green down here, but white in the mountains

Mother Nature dumped a good deal of snow on the higher elevations in Vermont and northern New York. Reports indicate that up to three feet of snow fell on some mountaintops. No snow fell here in Whiting, but we're able to see it in the distance.

Snow is visible on the tops of the distant Adirondack mountains in New York State.

OVUHS honors 'excellence'

Otter Valley Union High School paid homage to student "excellence" on the evening of May 22. Awards were presented to OVUHS students for academic achievement and community service. A number of students were recognized for scholarships won from regional colleges and universities.

Personal note #1: We note proudly that our three children were among the honorees: daughter Victoria for her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Brandon Free Public Library, son Alex for his work in English and Spanish classes, and son Francis for his work in a food/nutrition class.

Personal note #2: I fully understand that "this is Vermont" and little allowance is made for occasional uncomfortably warm conditions, and I don't suggest that OVUHS spend a fortune installing central air conditioning for late spring events in its auditorium. But, how about a fan or two? Couldn't it still be "Vermont" even with a couple of fans on the premises? This event was conducted in a jam-packed, sweltering auditorium with no windows and no noticeable ventilation. Due to the structure of the event, in which no one knew ahead of time when their children would be called up for an award and all were instructed to remain respectfully seated for the duration, stepping outside for a breath was a practical impossibility. I note that "hot box" treatment is illegal in U.S. prisons and should also be illegal in high school auditoriums.

Otters LAX defeats Randolph

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity boys lacrosse team defeated visiting Randolph Union by a score of 15-2 yesterday afternoon. The victory was the first of the season for the varsity Otters.

Spring productions at OVUHS

Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, VT, presents Thank You For Flushing My Head In The Toilet and other rarely used expressions & Snapshot, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3. Admission is $5.

Whiting Census of 1800

I pieced together the few pages of the U.S. Census of 1800 that were related to Whiting. They are shown below.

The U.S. Census of 1790 showed about 247 residents in the Town of Whiting (I believe the official count was 249, but I could not find the other two people in the document). Over the following ten years, the population grew considerably. The 1800 Census shows a total of 404 residents in the town (roughly what the population is now). For comparison, in 1800 the neighboring Town of Leicester had a population of 522 (less than current population), while Cornwall had 1,163 (close to current) and Shoreham had 1,447 (more than current).

There were many youngsters in Whiting in 1800 - 77 boys under age ten (19% of the population), 58 girls under age ten (14.3%), 36 girls between ten and sixteen (8.9%) and 28 boys between ten and sixteen (6.9%). The total number of minors was 199, accounting for just under half of the total number of residents. There were relatively few older adults - just 22 men and 23 women aged forty-five and over. These comprised about 11% of the total population. Just one resident of the town was designated as not "white."

FYI - Whiting's age-group statistics looked very different for the 2000 U.S. Census (the most recent for which already-crunched numbers are available). At that time, children under 16 accounted for just 17.4% of the town population (somewhat lower than the state and national percentage), and adults 45 and older accounted for about 37% (about the same as the state figure but higher than the national figure). The largest age block was adults 25-44, with 31.6% of the population falling into that category (a bit higher than state and national figures).

The final column in the 1800 census contains no information for Whiting or for any other town in the State of Vermont. That column was used to track the number of slaves in each household. Slavery was always prohibited in Vermont.

Otter Valley Boys Lacrosse

Our two sons are now involved in the lacrosse program at Otter Valley Union High School, so don't be too surprised to see some lacrosse coverage here from time to time. The first scheduled game of the varsity season was postponed from this morning (April 13) to the afternoon of May 2. Here's what the season schedule looks like:

Sat	04/13/2013	Randolph	H	11:00 *
Mon	04/15/2013	Vergennes	H	4:00
Mon	04/15/2013	JV hosts Vergennes	H	5:30
Fri	04/19/2013	@ Brattleboro	A	7:00
Thur	04/25/2013	Woodstock	H	4:30
Sat	04/27/2013	MAU	H	11:00
Mon	04/29/2013	@ Vergennes	A	4:00
Mon	04/29/2013	JV @ Vergennes	A	5:30
Thur	05/02/2013	Randolph	H	4:30
Wed	05/08/2013	Hartford	H	4:30
Sat	05/11/2013	@ Burr & Burton	A	11:00
Mon	05/13/2013	@ Mt Abraham	A	4:00
Thur	05/16/2013	Burr & Burton	H	4:30
Fri	05/24/2013	Rutland	H	4:30
Fri	05/24/2013	JV hosts Rutland	H	6:00
Sat	05/25/2013	@ St. Johnsbury (Oxbow)	A	1:00
Sat	05/25/2013	JV @ St. Johnsbury	A	2:30
Wed	05/29/2013	Green Mtn Valley School	H	4:30
Fri	05/31/2013	@ Hartford	A	4:30

Home games are shown in Bold, JV games are shown in Italics.

* 4/13 game postponed to 5/2

Possible pipeline paths provoke public protest

Two of five potential routes for a 24-mile Vermont Gas natural gas pipeline project pass through the Town of Whiting. Those two routes would also take the pipeline south from Middlebury through Salisbury and Leicester, and then west through Whiting, Orwell and Shoreham, on its way to an underwater crossing of Lake Champlain to the International Paper mill at Ticonderoga, NY.

According to a grading system used by project planners, those two routes affecting Whiting are among the more expensive being considered, though they would put Vermont Gas in a favorable position for expansion southward to Rutland.

Three less expensive options would send the pipeline immediately west from Middlebury, crossing through the center of Cornwall and the northern portion of Shoreham. While those options appear to face significant community opposition, two of the three trans-Cornwall routes have highly favorable rankings in terms of construction, permitting process and cost and a somewhat favorable rating for connection to Rutland. Those options have informally been designated as the "most feasible scenarios."

According to a story by John Flowers in the Addison County Independent, the routes under consideration would be part of Phase 2 of a Vermont Gas expansion into Addison County. Phase 1, a 41-mile pipeline from Colchester to Middlebury, is current under review by the  Vermont Public Service Board.

The prospect of access to natural gas (Vermont Gas appears to be planning to service Shoreham village and may add service to the center of Cornwall), has not increased the attractiveness of the project to local residents. Cornwall residents along Routes 30 and 74 have placed lawn signs opposing the pipeline routes.

Vermont Gas officials have been meeting with a multi-town planning group.

Library friends group meets Thursday, April 11

The second organizational meeting of the Friends of the Whiting Free Library is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 11) at the Town Hall. On the agenda is a discussion of organization bylaws.
A half-dozen interested residents turned out for the initial meeting two weeks ago.
A report on that meeting can be found here: Friends group organizes (March 29, 2013)

Health Dept. conducts EEE blood tests

The Vermont Department of Health seeks volunteers in Whiting, Brandon and Sudbury for a blood-testing study into the life-threatening mosquito-borne disease called Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). In the study, blood samples from area residents will be checked for antibodies produced through contact with the EEE virus. Health officials hope to gain a better understanding of the community's exposure to the virus. (See press release.)

EEE appears to be transmitted from bird populations to mammals, such as horses and humans, through the activity of the culiseta melanura mosquito and possibly other mosquitoes. There are few reliable statistics for the human exposure to the virus. Only a handful of people, who exhibit extreme symptoms, are known to infected each year. It is believed that many others are exposed to the virus but suffer slight or no noticeable symptoms. 

Last year, when EEE was detected in mosquito testing in swampy areas of Whiting, two area residents died from EEE. Equine livestock is typically vaccinated against the disease. There is no vaccination for humans.

Three clinics are scheduled in the area to draw small blood samples from volunteer adults:

• April 23, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Brandon Senior Center, 1591 Forest Dale Road.
• May 14, noon to 7 p.m., Sudbury Town Hall.
• May 29, noon to 7 p.m., Whiting Town Hall.

Volunteers must be age 12 and older and must have lived at their current residence in one of the three towns since June 1, 2012. No advance sign-up is required. All results will be kept confidential. Participants will remain anonymous and will not be notified if EEE virus antibodies, indicative of exposure to the virus, are found. No other testing will be performed on the blood samples.

Related stories:

EEE, mosquito-control meetings this week (Nov. 25, 2012)

State officials visit for discussion of EEE, mosquitoes (Nov. 16, 2012)

Mosquito control, EEE meetings in area (Nov. 9, 2012)

More aerial mosquito-spraying tonight (Sept. 7, 2012)

Mosquito spraying tonight (Sept. 6, 2012)

Dick Breen, 87, educator, of Brandon (Sept. 5, 2012)

Aerial mosquito spraying map released (Sept. 5, 2012)

One dead of EEE, mosquito spraying to begin (Sept. 5, 2012)

Mosquito-spraying discussion in Brandon (Sept. 3, 2012)

Two area residents hospitalized with EEE (Sept. 2, 2012)

West Nile virus found locally (Aug. 25, 2012)

Friends group organizes

A half dozen Whiting residents are taking the first steps toward establishing a not-for-profit charitable corporation that would help fund improvements at the historically neglected Whiting Free Library.

The residents attended a preliminary meeting of the Friends of Whiting Free Library last night, briefly discussing the status of the library, the process of forming a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code and possible fundraising events. Library Trustees Tammy Wilbur and Heather Mattison were on hand to facilitate the discussion.

The Whiting Free Library occupies a former Baptist church on Route 30 near the town's four corners. The structure is in dire need of repair and upgrade. It has no electricity, no heat and no plumbing. Due to its shortcomings and its lack of budget for a staff, the library is open only in the summer and only for brief periods. The current schedule includes children's storytime sessions on summer Wednesdays at 10 a.m., "Adult Social" sessions Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and "Summer Activity" on Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m.

Noting the lack of bathroom facilities at the library, Trustee Heather Mattison joked that library visitors "have to plan ahead."

The Town of Whiting has studied a number of possibilities for improvements to the library structure, including moving the library further south on Route 30 to be closer to the Town Hall and the Whiting School. Some thought has been given to incorporating town offices into a new library building. Funding for any improvements is lacking, according to Trustee Tammy Wilbur, who also serves part-time as librarian.

The forming Friends group is hopeful of obtaining financial grants to partly cover building costs and is seeking the assistance of an experienced grant writer.

Members mulled extending the library's open hours through volunteerism, helping to "card" and organize the library's book collections and raising funds through book sales and less typical events, such as a "Kiss the Pig" contest. Wilbur said a number of local personalities already have offered to take part in a "Kiss the Pig" fundraiser, in which residents vote through cash contributions on who must kiss a local hog on the snout. The "winner" delivers the swine-smooch at a public event.

The group decided that its first task would be adopting by-laws. Members agreed to research the by-laws of other Friends organizations and report back their findings at an April 11 meeting, 7 p.m. at the town hall. The group hopes that other interested residents will attend.

LINKS:
Friends of Libraries USA Sample Bylaws
Friends of the Burnham (Colchester VT) Memorial Library Bylaws
Friends of the Platt Memorial (Shoreham VT) Library Website
Friends of the Rockingham (VT) Library Inc. Bylaws
Friends of the Weathersfield (VT) Proctor Library Incorporated Bylaws
New Hampshire State Library Sample Friends Group Bylaws

Whiting Free Library update

Following is the text of a mailing sent by Library Trustee Tammy Wilbur on March 1.

Whiting Free Library

In 2012 many changes took place at the library. We began in the spring with the purchase of some much needed shelving. The shelving was purchased used, but added a fresh new look to all areas of the building. We then spent many hours sorting and shelving all of the books. This was complicated by the need to be very aware of our arrangement of shelving (because of the need for foundation work, the sagging floor necessitates that all of the shelves be arranged close to the outer walls). For this reason, we tried to leave an open area for seating in the middle of the building. 

Whiting Free Library

We also arranged shelving in one of the small back rooms to accommodate a special young adult area. This room connects to another very small room in the back of the building that we hope, this spring, to arrange as a young adult reading area (basically, a couple of chairs and something nice on the walls).

We also began the work of looking into grants and opportunities that would enable us to go forward with the plan to build a new, more efficient and usable library building. We realized that this would take some time as we really wanted to do the best job that we could and we had to do it when we were not working at our "real" jobs. We learned that some grants required matching funds and some needed to be requested from a non-profit organization. For this reason, we are asking for your help to create an organization called the "Friends of the Whiting Library." This would be a 501(C) 3 or non-profit organization whose focus would be supporting the library. We would like to have interested individuals meet on Thursday, March 28, at the Town Hall to begin this work. Also, if anyone has any time and experience with grant writing, we would love the help. 

In order to look at the matching grant opportunities, we decided that we had better begin some fundraising on our own. This past fall we held a basket raffle that was a great success - we made $1,225. Thank you to all who contributed as well as those who purchased tickets. This event was enjoyed by many and we have decided to make it an annual fundraising event. If anyone has any great ideas for or interest in making a basket this year, please contact us. We will be asking for the items or baskets by the beginning of November.

Our short term goals for this year include the following: 

1. Clean, paint and organize the other entry room as a work room. 
2. Arrange the small back room as a young adult reading room or quiet area. 
3. Organize the "Friends" group. 

Hopefully, you will see these goals met by our open house which will be on Saturday, May 18th from 9 a.m.-noon.

Our long term goals for this year include: 

1. Continued fundraising events. 
2. Continued work on carding and organizing our library collections. 
3. Creating a timeline in which to apply for grants and present to the town our findings.

If you have questions or concerns please contact any of your library trustees! Thank you for your continued support.

Tammy Wilbur

One-act plays at OVUHS

A scene from Crushed at OVUHS.

I enjoyed the One-Act Plays program at Otter Valley Union High School last night. Most of the plays were directed and performed exceptionally well.

The evening started off with How to Kiss a Girl, which comically explored the role of portable technology on a teenager's first date. It was an enjoyable performance, with a few surprises. Corporate miscommunication and greed were tackled humorously in the second play, The Non-Invisible Man. The acting in this play was simply not up to the same standards as the others, but The Non-Invisible Man had its positive moments. The next play, Crushed, involved two spirits/hallucinations giving relationship advice to a couple of depressed and confused teenagers. This was a well-polished production with some very funny material.

After intermission, Reflex Action delighted (and puzzled) the audience with a fast-moving and expertly designed and performed approach to experimental-theater satire. I would have appreciated better timing in the stichomythia portion of the play, but I can't quarrel the slightest bit with anything else in it 

The evening's finale was David and Lisa, which explored teenage emotional illness. The performances and the between-scenes set work in this emotional drama were extremely professional and precise. (Actors managed to remain in character when lights briefly dimmed between scenes and they were shutting pieces of furniture around the stage.) While this was the most impressive play of the evening, a few things didn't feel right (and none of them can be blamed in any way on the excellent OVUHS actors):

• Subject - This is a fairly superficial approach to some very deep subject matter, and I fear it trivializes emotional illness and the recovery process.
• Length - The length of the play and the frequency of the scene changes were fatiguing, coming as they did at the end of the evening's entertainment.
• Writing - The final moment of the play - expected by the audience from almost the very beginning - falls a bit flat as it results from a conscious choice on the part of the main character rather than as an unintended discovery of a change that his experiences have brought about within him. I realize that a decision to be well is part of the play's theme (David erupts at his psychiatrist when that is suggested earlier), but when a split-second decision can be the resolution of all conflict, it makes all the time invested in the play, its characters and its conflicts seem wasted.  

The One-Act Plays program, running about three hours, will be presented again tonight (Saturday, March 2) at seven o'clock and tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, March 3) at two o'clock at the Otter Valley Union High School auditorium in Brandon. Admission is $5.

Annual town meeting March 5

Annual Town Meeting Warning

The legal voters of the Town of Whiting, Vermont, are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Town Hall, in said Whiting, Vermont, on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, immediately following the school meeting to transact the following business.

ARTICLE I	To elect a Moderator for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE II	To receive and act upon the report of the Town Officers.
ARTICLE III	Will the town elect the Officers as required by law in the following order"  A. Select Board for 3 years  B. Lister for 3 years  C. Auditor for 3 years  D. Collector of Delinquent Taxes  E. Library Trustee for 3 years  F. Library Trustee for 2 years  G. Road Commissioner  H. First Constable  I. Second Constable  J. Town Juror
ARTICLE IV	Will the Town give the Delinquent Tax Collector the power to collect the delinquent taxes?
ARTICLE V	Shall the town authorize the Treasurer to collect real property taxes to the Treasurer on or before December 2, 2013, because the 1st is a Sunday (POSTMARKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED)?
ARTICLE VI	Will the town appropriate $325,821.00 expenses and indebtedness of the town of which $67,133.06 will come from taxes?
ARTICLE VII	To transact any nonbinding business deemed necessary and proper when met.

SELECTBOARD: Chair Ellen Kurrelmeyer,

Steve Quenneville and Bob Wood.

Annual school district meeting March 5

Whiting Town School District Warning

The legal voters of Whiting Town School District are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Town Hall in Whiting, Vermont, on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at 7:15 p.m. to transact the following business.

ARTICLE I	To elect the necessary School District Officers: a. A Moderator. b. A school district Treasurer for a term of one year. c. A Town school director for a term of three (3) years. d. A Town school director for a term of two (2) years. e. A Town school director for the remaining year of a (2) year term.
ARTICLE II	To receive and act upon the report of the School District Officers.
ARTICLE III	To see if the voters of the Whiting Town School District will appropriate the sum of Five Hundred Fifty-seven Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-eight Dollars ($557,888) necessary for the support of its schools for the year beginning July 1, 2013. The amount of such sum to be raised by taxes to be offset by special education revenues, state aid and other incomes.
ARTICLE IV	To see if the Whiting Town School District will authorize its Board of School Directors to borrow money in anticipation of the receipt of taxes to meet the obligations of the Whiting Town School District as approved under Article III.
ARTICLE V	To transact any other business proper to be done when met.
Dated at Whiting Vermont, this 14th day of January, 2013.
Received and recorded January 25, 2013 Grace Simonds, Clerk Whiting Town School Dist.	WHITING SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Carol Brigham, Chair (2014) Rebecca Bertrand, Clerk (2013) Elizabeth Curran (2013) Kelly Lu (2015) Cady White (2013)

At sunset on Feb. 17, 2013

Looking east toward the Green Mountains - now red-violet - at dusk on Feb. 17, 2013.

Announcements 'widget'

I just finished programming the Announcements thingamabob you see at the top of the rightmost column of this site. (Not sure of these technical terms. It might be more of a doohickey than a thingamabob.) It was programmed in JavaScript, and, as I am not especially confident of my ability to program in JavaScript, I cannot promise at this point that it will work correctly. I can promise that if your web browser does not support JavaScript (most offer this support, though some people turn it off), it will not work for you.

What it SHOULD do is provide the current date and a few announcements, including scheduled local meetings, office hours, etc.

If you would like me to include an announcement for a function of your organization or agency in this whatchamacallit, just let me know through thunt@gmail.com (also let me know what sort of notice you would want to give people in advance of the date of the function - a day, a week, a month...).

Oh, wait. There's one other thing: I believe I can make an announcement clickable. I haven't tried it yet, but I think it would work. So, if you have a website related to your organization or the function you wish to announce, be sure to let me know so I can try to send some web traffic your way.

Whiting Sestercentennial Resolution

The text of a draft concurrent legislative resolution congratulating Whiting on its upcoming sestercentennial (250th) anniversary is included in the Annual Report of the Town and School District, Whiting, Vermont, January 1 to December 31, 2012. A copy of the resolution has been incorporated into this website (Click Here). Whiting celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding charter on August 6, 2013.

First trip to Kenyon Arena

Yesterday was our first visit to a Middlebury College hockey game at Kenyon Arena. We had a wonderful time watching the Middlebury Panthers defeat the Trinity College Bantams in a NESCAC conference battle. Middlebury College's sprawling athletics complex is impressive, though we certainly would have been grateful for increased visitor parking close to the buildings. (It was a long, cold, dark walk back to the car after the game.)

Much of yesterday's game was played in front of the Trinity net.

With the victory, the Middlebury Panthers (10-8-2 overall, 9-3-2 in conference) extended their winning streak to four games and moved into a second-place tie with Williams College in the NESCAC standings. Middlebury's next two games are a home-and-home series with Williams. Middlebury hosts on Friday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., and then travels to Williams the next day. Bowdoin (17-2-1 overall, 7-2-1 conference) is in first place in the NESCAC.

Much of the hockey game was played on Trinity's end of the ice. While the 3-2 final score does not indicate it, the Panthers dominated play for most of the game, and outshot the opposition, 38-14. In a surprisingly scoreless second period, Middlebury controlled the puck nearly from start to finish and outshot the Bantams 13-1. Far less surprising were tactics employed by Trinity to avoid a blowout loss. The visitors piled up 43 minutes in penalties, including two misconducts and a bench unsportsmanlike conduct after complaining that a Middlebury shot found its way into the Bantam goal through a hole in the side of the net that magically healed immediately afterward. Middlebury was whistled for five minor penalties in the contest.

Panther players wore special "camo" jerseys during the game, in an effort to increase awareness and raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.

(Oh, by the way, hot tea, wonton soup and the excellent dinner combinations at Magic Wok Chinese restaurant provided the perfect post-hockey warmup.)

How cold is it?

Just a few little degrees out there this morning.

So, how COLD is it in Whiting? Well, it's sooo cold...


...that a farmer's breath condensed to a brick of ice in front of him, fell and broke his foot.
...that a woman knocked herself unconscious just by using hairspray.
...that special squads of firemen have been assigned to chiseling dogs free from hydrants.
...that the local restaurants are only serving coffee on a stick. And they're selling soup by the block.
...that even the teeth in my comb are shivering.
...that locals are driving Zambonis to work.
...that we had to spread salt in the hallway.
...that inhaling gives you brain-freeze.
...that the cows are only giving soft-serve.
...that the fire in our fireplace just froze.
...that police at a crime investigation were studying mitten prints.
...that when I went to take a hot shower all I got was sleet.
...that I caught our cat climbing into the toaster.
...that the chowder place down the street has started selling by the slice.
...that an ice cube's chances in Hell are starting to look pretty good.
...that when I tried to read the newspaper, it cracked.
...that flushing has become a distant memory.
...that the birthday boy in a neighbor's house received death threats from his family for trying to blow out the candles on his cake.

Sunset, Jan. 17, 2013

Dawn, Jan. 11, 2013

Another spectacular sunrise enjoyed by early risers in the Whiting area.

Dawn, Jan. 8, 2012