40th Anniversary Celebration of Barr Hill Preserve

The 40th Anniversary of the Barr Hill Nature Preserve is being celebrated on July 22.   The Preserve was established in December 2011, and is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy of Vermont.

Barr Hill, which was immortalised in Wallace Stegner’s book Crossing to Safety, was donated to the Conservancy in 1972.   As the highest point in Greensboro,  there is a stunning, nearly panoramic view that sweeps from Spruce and Signal Mountains at Groton State Park to the southern Green Mountains, Woodbury Mountain, Camel’s Hump, Elmore Mountain and Mount Mansfield.   But it is its place in picnics and walks in our collective memories which makes it so special.

 The Nature Conservancy, The Greensboro Land Trust, the Greensboro Historical Society and the Northern Rivers Land Trust are cosponsoring a celebration to which everyone is invited. Festivities will start at 4:00 p.m., followed by a guided walk over the Nature Trail and then picnics at various campfire sites. To ease traffic congestion, bus transport will be provided every 15 minutes from the Barr Hill farm.

 

Circus Smirkus announces 25th anniversary tour

Circus Smirkus  is continuing their tradition of bringing joy and magic to towns all over New England and New York in 2012!   The 2012 show theme is “Topsy Turvy Time Travel!”  where audiences will hop aboard the circus-powered Time Machine  and explore endless eons of fractured fun throughout history and beyond!  For information about Smirkus and the Big Top Tour, go to the website.

As always, the season will commence in Greensboro on July 1, 2012, with a 2:00pm and 7:00pm show – and will end its tour on August 18 and 19 with shows at 2:00pm and 7:00pm both days.   All performances are at the Circus Barn on Circus Road (off Craftsbury Road north of Greensboro).  Tickets are available online for all shows.

Click here to see the full tour schedule.

The 2012 Newsletter is on its way

Look for the 2012 Greensboro Association Newsletter in your mailboxes (electronic and post office) this week!   Lots of news about Willeys Store, Swimming Lessons, Fourth of July, the inaugural Community Fun Run, the Library, etc. etc.

Tracking Wallace Stegner’s footprints in Vermont’s Earth

LA Times: Vermont Travel
Wallace Stegner  is known for his depictions of the American West, but he spent summers contemplating and writing in neighborly Greensboro.
By Mike Ives, Special to the Los Angeles Times
April 8, 2012
Greensboro, Vt. ——
Wallace Stegner
wrote books about the American and Canadian West, so it’s understandable that people consider the longtime California resident a Western author. Read more

Community will gather to discuss Underage Drinking Issues and Trends

The Hardwick Area Community Coalition (https://haccprevention.com/) is sponsoring a discussion on Underage Drinking Issues and Trends on March 28 at Hazen Union High School at 6pm.  The overall purpose is for the community to learn more about what our children are facing.   Topics will include the scope of the problem, what parents say about underage drinking, the number of alcohol highway deaths, statistics about teens riding with a drunken or a stoned driver and teens driving impaired, and trends in youth drinking in the U.S. and specifically in Vermont.  Other topics will include what teens drink, where they get it, drinking in the US compared to other countries, 2011 Youth Risk Behaviour Statistics, and a update on the tobacco and alcohol industry, including hot new marketing of alcohol products, internet purchasing of alcohol, and new products (alco-pops, energy drinks, 4 Loko, etc.)    The evening will end with a discussion of some possible solutions and national and local efforts.

There is a giveaway of $50.00 Gas Card Coffee & Cookies after the presentation.

Sugar on Snow Party

Come join the fun at Craftsbury Community Care Center’s annual Sugar on Snow Party on Saturday, March 31st , 2 to 4 PM. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. In addition to fabulous maple syrup over fresh snow, there will be a Chinese auction of delicious baked goods. This year’s raffle features a beautiful handcrafted walnut and cherry mirror, a framed Vermont country photograph, and a hand-quilted hen and basket of eggs made by the CCCC Knit Wits.

Ice Fisherman catches 15″ long perch on Caspian

The number of huts on the ice of Caspian Lake shows that ice fishing season is well underway.  On January 28, 2012, Chris Bissell from West Danville caught a 15″ long, 1 lb 14ounce perch at 10am in the morning.  The girth on the fish was close to 12″!  For further information, log into the Master Angler section of the Vt fishing and wildlife website.   (A picture in included for all those who might otherwise believe this is a fishy story).

Greensboro Funky Fourth and Fireworks date set

The Independence Day Celebrations for 2012 will occur on July 7. The Funky Fourth Celebration will include the parade, the UCC chicken barbeque, the festival and fair on Town Hall Green, and for the first year a Fun Run. Check back for further information, and join the Association for Email Updates of events.

Town meeting warned for March 6, 2012

The 2012 Town meeting for Greensboro will occur March 6, 2012 at 10am in the multipurpose room at Lakeview Union Elementary School.

Craftsbury Outdoor Center will maintain Highland Lodge XCC trails this winter

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has agreed to maintain most of the over 60km  winter trail system that Highland Lodge has set up and maintained over these past fifty years.   The Outdoor Center will maintain the Marathon Trail over Barr Hill, through Skunk Hollow and back toward Craftsbury through the Fisher Sugarbush, as well as many of other commonly used Greensboro trails. The frequency of grooming will vary depending on when the snow comes and how much use the trails get, with a minimum goal of having the trails in good shape for the weekends and major holidays.  The Center will collaborate with a volunteer group to keep a warming hut (former ski shop) behind the Lodge open and manned, at least, on weekends and vacation weeks; they hope to provide some shuttle service between the hut and the Outdoor Center.

Maintaining the Greensboro trails will cost the Craftsbury Outdoor Center about $10,000 this winter. Many Greensboro winter residents have volunteered to raise that money, man the warming hut, work on the trails in the fall and spring and join the Center.    The Greensboro Association has contributed $1000 as seed money to get this effort up and running.   However, all who are interested in maintaining this wonderful resource should consider at a minimum joining the Craftsbury Outdoor Center as a member, and also should think about contributing with a tax deductible donation to help defray the Outdoor Centers costs.  The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is a non-profit organization whose mission includes both life-long sports and land stewardship.   Yearly membership (as little as $25 for students and seniors) grants year-round access to the trails, rowing opportunities, ski rentals and a broad variety of programs.  For more information on memberships, please go to www.craftsbury.com .

 

 

Cabin Fever Follies at UCC

Shake off the yucky weather blues on February 18  at this annual mid-winter shakedown at United Church of Christ in Greensboro! Potluck dinner begins at 6pm – the show starts at 7pm and this year we’ll feature a variety of performances, from piano to theater, poetry to bluegrass. Bring a friend, and call us if you’d like to perform! (533-2223). All proceeds will fund our summer campership program.   Suggested donation is $8.  

Highland Lodge Announces It will Close

It was announced today that the Highland Lodge is closing its doors effectively immediately.   The immediate cause according to the press release is “a bad economy combined with an innkeeping format which is no longer sustainable in today’s tourism climate.”   The decision, which has been under consideration for some time, was made with great sadness by the Smith Family, who have run the inn for 57 years with 4 generations of family.

The hope is to find a buyer or buyers for the property who will preserve the character of the land and buildings and who will be both environmentally conscious and a good fit with the town of Greensboro. The Greensboro and Vermont Land Trusts and the Preservation Trust of Vermont are all being asked for their perspectives.

Further information regarding the future of the site will be announced at www.highlandlodge.com.