·
 1st Annual Groton Potluck Picnic
69 people gathered to share food, good company and to
honor fellow citizens at the 1st Annual Groton Potluck Picnic,
Wed. evening July 20th.
Groton State Forest, Parks and Recreation offered the Boulder Beach
Shelter as  a
meeting site. It proved to be a
perfect spot for the Community picnic.
Attendees came by boat from around the lake as well as the more
traditional road method. It was a hot
night and the kids enjoyed swimming at the fabulous beach. The gathering was a great opportunity for
new, old and outlying Groton residents to come together and share common
ground and delicious home cooked food.
It was suggested that next year everyone should bring their recipes
and we’ll make a cookbook. The picnic
was a wonderful success and will become an annual function.
17 town officials and emergency services volunteers that
have worked in the service of Groton for 20 years or more were honored with a
short ceremony and  awards
at the picnic. Groton was honored to have Firemen Deane Page-51 years and Harold
Puffer- 48 years and retired town clerk Ida Dennis at the event. Mountaine Meadows Pottery donated plaques
and the Upper Valley Grill and Brown’s Market Bistro donated gift
certificates to their restaurant.
Robin Edwards made the lovely certificates documenting years of
service. It is truly humbling to
realize how many people have given so many years of service to the town. Groton couldn’t run without them.
20
years of service to Groton
Town officials:
Allen Gandin JP
over 30
Richard Montague –
27 Energy Coordinator,
Moderator, Library Trustee
Wayne Dyer –
20 Auditor, Lister, Board of
Adjustment, Moderator
Mary Grant –
21 Collector of Taxes, Select
Board, Treasurer, Auditor
Ida Dennis –
36 Town Clerk
William Randall –
20 Health Officer, Deputy Health
Officer
James Downing –
32 Firemen, Fire Chief, Fire
Warden
Fire Department:
Deane Page – 51
Harold Puffer – 48
Brent Smith – 30
Phillip Palmer – 28
Dorothy Knott – 26
Wayne Knott – 26
Jeremy Darling – 21
Dennis LaChance –
25
William Palmer – 26
Charles Frost Jr. –
23
·
Groton Volunteer Fire Dept. Report
On the 22 August
2005 the Dept responded with the Engine, the Tanker and seven fire fighters
to an alarm at Seyon Ranch. After thorough check of the structure revealed no
fire it was determined that the alarm system had malfunctioned.
On 24 August
2005 the Fire Dept responded with the Engine, the Tanker and six fire
fighters to a structure fire on Thaddeus Stevens Rd., Peacham. We
provided the Incident Safety Officer and crews for interior fire fighting and
water supply. Lynn Palmer and Sue Ann Beck arrived with our supply of re-hab
drinks--Gator Aid, water etc.
Firefighters
from Danville, Ryegate, St. Johnsbury and Barnet also responded with mutual
aid, to the Peacham Fire Dept. The Incident Commander was Jeff Berwick,
Peacham Fire Chief.
It was a
stubborn fire and took several hours to totally extinguish. The center
portion of the structure was totally destroyed, but the fire was stopped at a
breeze way and a significant portion of the structure was saved.
Groton Fire Dept
was released from the incident at approximately 2:00AM on the 25th. It
was 3:00AM by the time our equipment was put back in order, trucks re-fueled,
etc.
On 31 August, 1
& 2 September the Dept responded to three separate, unrelated, alarms for
car fires. The first was apparently extinguished by the owner.
The other two required action by the Dept to extinguish an engine fire
on one and the total involvement on the other vehicle.
While working
the third fire, 2 Sept, we received a mutual aid alarm for a barn fire in
Ryegate. Fortunately, that was quickly controlled by Ryegate Fire Dept.
and the alarm cancelled.
·
Summer Fun in Groton
By Christle Brooks
Summer in Groton, and in Vermont for that matter, is a
precious thing. After the cold of
winter breaks, Vermonters seek refuge in the out of doors. Groton is a great place to spend your time
during the summer months. But, what
is there to do in Groton?
For me, the best resource for out door family fun in
Groton is in Groton State Forest.
There are great trails for hiking, ponds and lakes for swimming and
picnicking, and several campgrounds for those who like to spend more than
just a few hours in the fresh air. I
have chosen to highlight for you a couple of different places in the State
Forest that I have personally enjoyed.
This summer, my family and I hiked up Owls Head. We enjoyed this family friendly trail
because you can either park at the bottom of the entrance road and hike to
the top or there is a large parking area about ¾ of the way up and you can
hike from there. This is great for
both families without children or with older children  who
want to hike the full distance or for families with small children who can be
carried in a pack or can climb the .2 miles to the summit.
We have also spent time at Boulder Beach. This beach has lots of sand to build
castles in or if you prefer spending your time playing on the grass there is
plenty of that too. There are picnic
tables and grilling areas so that your family can spend the day or there is a
concession stand for you to buy snacks.
There are also clean bathrooms and changing rooms and plenty of
parking available. In addition to all
of this, there is a pavilion that can be reserved for special events like
family reunions or birthday parties.
If you stay into the evening there are also beautiful sunsets.
 
Although we live in Groton, my family and I have enjoyed
staying at Stillwater Campground in the past. The campsites are spaced nicely apart and are covered with
trees. There are fire pits in each
site and you can purchase firewood and kindling at the front office. The water spigots and bathrooms are spaced
so that you don’t have to walk very far to use them and for those who like to
play horseshoes, there are also horseshoe pits. The shoes can be borrowed from the front office. There are swings and a play area for the
younger children and the campground has a small beach for swimming and a boat
launch for people who own a boat.
So if you’re ever in the area, or even if you live here,
stop in and have some fun. There are
many different things to do and no matter what your age, Groton has something
for you to enjoy.
·
This Ring’s
History
 Here is a 1965
Groton High School class ring that Mark Edwards was asked to return
to it's original owners' mother, Marian Page. Her son, John Morgan, had
passed away years before and the person who had had it in her possession all
those years was his high school sweetheart, Carol Otto from Yalesville,
Connecticut. Carol's parents, Carl and Dedie Otto bought a camp on Lake
Groton when she was sixteen. That same summer she met Donny Wernecke.
Donny mastermind a conspiracy that he asked Carol to go along
with. Later, a literal boat load of boys rode by the Otto camp. She
was on the sunporch when they called out to her Johnny Morgan asked her if
she would like to go to the movies in front of all those boys who had just
bet him that she wouldn't go for it, because word had gotten around that she
was city girl and they speculated that she would not be interested in a
country bumpkin, to everyone but Johnny and Donny's surprise she did agree.
Their was enough money collected to pay their date to the movies and snacks!
Carol says that Johnny Morgan was a perfect gentleman the whole time she knew
him.
Carol went on to marry, have three children and live in West Chester,
Pennsylvania. Her parents deeded her the camp, which she has enjoyed getting
away to for over 40 years. Her husband Lee Webb, a retired chemist; and
children: Virginia Watson, an artist; Ted, a chemist; and Arthur, a
salesman; along with their grandchildren: Amber, just graduated;
and Tommy, a musician; and a slew of friends they have made along the way,
have enjoyed coming to their haven, “Otto's Groto” on Groton Pond.
·
Getting to Know our Neighbors, A profile of Patrick Shattuck
 I admit that when my friend Debra Tinkham told me
that someone was seriously considering opening a bistro in “downtown” Groton
I laughed. But then, I did not know Patrick and Tamara Shattuck. What a
pleasant surprise when a classy little restaurant opened its doors, and
diners began coming from all over to enjoy Filet Mignon au Poivre with Buerre
Rouge, Grilled Maple-Ginger Turkey Breast with Sweet Potato Risotto, or
Sauted Spinach and Goat Cheese Enchiladas with Roasted Corn Salsa.
It was an auspicious day for Groton, when,
back in 7th grade Patrick first noticed the huge Victorian house
on the northern side of Rt 302, the Shattucks now call home. He remembers: he
was driving to Maine from his home in South Burlington with his grandparents,
when he made them turn around so they could take a closer look at the very
house they live in now. He already had an interest in old houses, and his grandfather,
who was a real estate broker, had been taking him out “house hunting” for
years. They rode the back roads together tracking down buildings on the MLS
and documenting them with a Polaroid camera.
The house he spotted in Groton when he was
12 or 13 years old appeared on his personal radar again 15 years later. It
still had the majesty of its position high on a hill, and the unique line of
its mansard roof, but by then it had been abandoned by its tenants. It’s
doors were open to the weather, and it was in deplorable condition and had a
prominent for sale sign on the front lawn. After their initial inspection,
Patrick remembers commenting that “some poor sucker will have to come along”
if the building was to be sold.
Two more years passed by, the house was
foreclosed on and the price dropped multiple times. Then the Shattuck’s
rescue instinct really kicked in. They bought the house in the spring, worked
on it doggedly for 6 months, and moved in on the first day of school with an
infant, Violet, and their school age son Cosmo.
The story behind Brown’s Bistro is not too
different. It involves an endearing dilapidated old building with one or two
handicaps, a checkered past, and an enormous amount of work. The success of
the Bistro is the product of the whole family’s elbow grease. Together
Tamara, Patrick and Cosmo, cook the food, wash the dishes and wait on
tables.
But there is a bit more to this story.
When Patrick left Vermont to get an
education and to test his mettle in a new challenge he chose the Savannah
College of Art and Design. He studied Architecture and Historic Preservation.
He discovered the powerful effect that restoring a community’s old
dilapidated buildings can have when he became involved in several groups
dedicated to revitalizing Savannah’s decrepit neighborhoods. He also met
Tamara, who was designing the interiors of the historic buildings Patrick was
preserving. Then a funny thing happened, Vermont began to tug at their
heartstrings. The return journey began and ended in Groton.
Many young people leave Vermont in search
of careers and adventure. The ones for whom the love of Vermont drives them
back bring experience and knowledge and a dedication to a rural way of life
unique to our state. Patrick and Tamara have made that journey. They are
using all of what they learned here in Groton. Building Brown’s Bistro into a
vibrant dynamic family business is a great accomplishment. People are coming
to Groton from all over to enjoy its repast and wonderful atmosphere.
I laughed when I was told about someone
opening a bistro in Groton. But like I said, I didn’t know Patrick and Tamara
Shattuck.
·
Tae Kwon Do in Groton
 Groton Tae Kwon Do meets every Tuesday and
Friday at 6:30 in the town hall. We are
lucky in Groton to have a number of families and a good representation of
both male and female. Russell Tinkham
is the instructor. Russell recently
tested for and obtained his 4th Dan rank at an annual state Tae
Kwon Do event in Tunbridge. 4th
Dan black belt is very high ranking and is only one step below a master. Mr. Tinkham previously taught the
Woodsville Blue Wave for 9 years before handing that school off to one of his
black belt students, Guy Brochu.
Groton Blue Wave plans to have a TKD demonstration at the Fall Foliage
Festival and periodic seminars with TKD Masters.
What is Tae Kwon Do?
 Tae
Kwon Do is a Korean based martial art, which has also developed into an
Olympic sanctioned sport. Practitioners begin by learning basic kicking,
punching and blocking, moves. As they progress, these moves are applied to
traditional self-defenses, and sport aspects of the art. A typical Tae Kwon
Do class is a full body workout, consisting of stretching, calisthenics,
aerobic and anaerobic exercising.
As
an instructor, the underlying goal is to use Tae Kwon Do as a vehicle to help
build confidence, courage, discipline, respect and sportsmanship. Tae Kwon Do
is an activity that anyone can participate in. In Tae Kwon Do, everyone is
treated as an individual. Your improvement is based on "how far you have
traveled" rather then a strict set of standards that everyone must meet.
Children
and teens benefit greatly from Tae Kwon Do. The Discipline of Tae Kwon Do
teaches respect and improves both Self Confidence and Concentration. As a
result, Self Esteem, and grades improve. There are many reasons to train in
Tae Kwon Do: if your goal is to get into shape, learn self defense, or boost
your energy level, Tae Kwon Do can help you attain it.
 The Blue
Wave Tae Kwon Do Association is the longest standing and most progressive
martial arts organization in Vermont. After returning from his tour of duty
in Korea, the late Grandmaster Bruce V. Twing founded the Blue Wave. He
opened the first Vermont Tae Kwon Do School in the town of Hardwick in 1969.
Today, the Blue Wave consists of over 11 schools, spanning Vermont, New
Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.
Some Tae Kwon Do students from Groton are shown to the right.
·
Getting to Know our
Neighbors, A visit with Ida Dennis
The following is the introduction to an article by Groton
resident, Robin L. H. Edwards. The
full text may be accessed by clicking here.
 “The
summer I was 16 years old, I got a couple of jobs, one was through the state.
On my first day at that job I was to meet someone at the Groton Community
Building to find out my job assignment. It turned out it was Aut Welch, he
was surprised I was a girl, but he put me to work painting the side of the
building. That afternoon, he told me he wasn’t comfortable having me do work
like that, so he would find something more suitable. He arranged for me to
work, assisting his sister, Ida Dennis, in the Town Clerk’s Office. Ida was
pleased to have some summer help, and surprised me with her trust in me. She
even left the office in my sole care for several hours each week, when she
would normally be closed while she went to Newbury to make necessary copies.
I was put to work recording data with a fountain pen (oh, the pressure) into
the big journals that were kept in the vault. Her unhesitant trust in me was
awe inspiring, and went a long way in developing my personal self-worth, for
that I am eternally grateful.”
·
Goldie and George
Welch with their Grandchildren
See
if you can recognize any of these children who are all grown up now. (Goldie
and George were the parents of Ida Dennis.)
·
Wood Bat Softball
Big goings on at Puffer's Field up by the Upper Valley
Grill. The Big Woody - Wood Bat Tournament was hosted Labor Day weekend
in Groton and S. Ryegate. 32 teams participated. Mizzy
Construction from Conn. won the Upper Division and Blue Moon for the Mt.
League in Randolph won the Lower Division. Trophies and t-shirts were
given for 1st to 4th place in both Upper and Lower Divisions.
The organizers were a bit nervous with all the rain
earlier in the week. Wednesday had Puffer's Field with standing
water. They moved the grass tight to the ground out about 20 feet and
by the first game Saturday the field was barely damp. After a light
shower Saturday morning, the weather cleared off for a perfect softball
holiday weekend. The Upper Valley Grill was hopping and Bill Kane,
owner and operator, says he'd like to see it that busy year round. He
would like lighting installed at the field to extend its season.
This tournament in one form or another has been held since
1979. David Eastman of Eastman Trophy is a key organizer and has a
busy September planned. A Women's Tournament is scheduled for
Sept. 10 -11; a Men's League Tournament Sept. 17 - 18; and a Benefit One
Pitch Tournament Sept. 24 - 25.
If anyone is interested in signing up a league or
tournament give Eastman Trophy a call at 584-4420.
·
Boulder Beach 2005 Swimming Lessons
Another successful year of swimming lessons at Boulder
Beach. 27 children from the area attended the lessons. Groton
residents pay $6 and non-residents pay $35. The town of Groton pays the
park fees and the red cross instructor fees. An average of 50 people a
day associated with the swimming lessons used Boulder Beach for two weeks
this summer. These swimming lessons have been going on for over 40 years and
have taught generations of Groton residents how to swim and enjoy the water
safely.
·
Groton Revitalization: Why, When and What
The Groton
Revitalization project has been documented in more detail and this is
currently available in a Why, When and What format. The following is the first paragraph from the “Why” section. To learn more, click on Why, When or What.
“The present
library was completed around 1955 and originally, it occupied all of the
space currently used by the library and the town clerk’s office. The town later took half the space for
town offices. Over the years it was
able to expand to include a children’s room and book discussion room using
the very limited basement space at the town hall. The need for library services has continued to grow but
available space has actually shrunk. The town offices and library are both
crammed into inadequate spaces with no room left for expansion without going
into the kitchen. So the library
began looking for a solution. “
·
We’re Raising the Roof at the Groton
Library
In fact, workers from Summit Construction have the entire
former Goodine house up on cribbing while they construct a new foundation
as part of a top-to-bottom restoration of the building which will be the
new home to the town’s library next year.
The library is presently located in the Community
Building, its home for the past 50
years. The library has expanded its book collection and services over
this time, resulting in cramped conditions.
The new library will offer a large children’s room,
separate young adult/tutorial room, reading room, stack room, and community
room. The library's space will
double, and the Trustees anticipate expanding the hours that the library will
be open. Not only will the new library have the needed space for the
traditional services, but the building will also provide an accessible place
for the community to gather. In
addition, the moving of the library will provide needed additional space for
the Town offices.
The restoration of the new quarters for the library will
be funded largely by grants, and now the residents of Groton have
an opportunity to help. The Trustees and Friends of the library have launched
a capital campaign to raise $125,000 of which $70,000 will be spent
for construction and fit- up of the library space. The remainder will be invested in an
operating endowment fund. To date, we have received pledges for more than
one-third of the goal.
Every contribution is important for this community
endeavor, and donors of $100 or more will be included on a plaque in the new
library. Remember, all gifts are tax
deductible.
To make a donation, please make checks payable to Town of Groton,
with Library Building Fund noted on the memo line. Please include your
address, and mail to GFPL Building Fund, Box 6,
Groton, VT 05046.
Please note that specific rooms are available for naming
opportunities by individuals, businesses, and organizations. Please contact any member of the GFPL
Fundraising Committee listed below to discuss any giving opportunity.
Harold and Janet Puffer, Honorary
Chairs
Stewart Gates,
Chair
Fred Bramon
Deb Orelup
Susan Gordon Tracy
Puffer
Deborah Jurist Patrick Shattuck
Brenda Oliver Nancy Spencer
·
A Time to Read
The library has the following bestsellers (as reported by
the New England Booksellers' Association) available for patrons: The
Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, The Da
Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom,
Saturday by Ian McEwan, 1776 by David McCullough, and French Women Don't Get
Fat by Mireille Guiliano. There are
also several copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
·
Cub Scout Thank You
The Cub Scouts
of pack 702 wish to thank community members for their support at the
Groton/Ryegate Recycling Center!
You may continue
to leave your redeemable bottles and cans at the center to be picked up by
the Pack through the winter months. The Cub Scouts will be back at the Center
to help you with your recycling next spring!
·
Did You Know?
·
That 2005 is
Groton's 50th Chicken Pie Supper.
·
That Groton
volunteers have served over 50,000 people and cooked approximately 6000
chickens and 3000 pies for the Chicken Pie Supper.
·
That the Groton
Foliage Parade started in 1929 as part of a fund raiser for the Groton Public
Library.
·
That Groton, with 10 miles, has the longest segment
of any of the 10 towns on the Cross Vermont Trail?
·
That the
Post Office in Groton now accepts applications for Passports and passport
renewals.
·
That the Recycling Center in East Ryegate now
collects plastic bags (labeled #2 or # 4, like from Shaws, Home Depot,
Wal-Mart, etc.)? For more information
on the East Ryegate Recycling Center, click here.
·
 Why
they call it Owls Head Mountain? Take
a look - click on picture to enlarge, and on “Back” to return to this
page.
·
GrotonVT.com Statistics
Statistics on the summer operation of the GrotonVT.com web site:
June
July August
Average visitors/day:
22 33
25
Avg pages viewed per visitor: 4.31 3.28
2.89
Most popular pages in order of their popularity:
·
June: Revitalization, About Groton, Miscellaneous, Town Newsletter,
Business Directory
·
July: Revitalization, Miscellaneous, About Groton, Town Newsletter,
Calendar
·
August: Revitalization, Town Newsletter, About Groton,
Miscellaneous, Business Directory
The busiest hours:
June
1) 7:00-8:00 a.m. 2) 1:00-2:00 p.m. 3) 7:00-8:00 p.m.
July 1) 7:00-8:00
a.m. 2)
2:00-3:00 p.m. 3) 12:00-1:00 p.m.
August 1) 11:00-12:00 a.m. 2)
7:00-8:00 a.m. 3) 12:00-1:00 p.m.
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