Village looking to boost Sunday-Monday food options
After a recent decision by the Woodstock Village Trustees, permits are allowed for up to two food trucks to serve the public at the Village Green on Sunday and Monday, from now through October.
Jeremy Sigl, manager of The Lazy Cow, hands an ice cream to customer Steve Panouchek at the Woodstock Village Green on Monday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
After a recent decision by the Woodstock Village Trustees, permits are allowed for up to two food trucks to serve the public at the Village Green on Sunday and Monday, from now through October.
One such permit was approved for The Lazy Cow, a "mobile ice cream cafe", which began serving customers Sunday and Monday this week next to the eastern end of the Green.
This new permitting for the Green was prompted by staffing shortages in the restaurant sector, resulting in fewer eateries being open on Sunday and Monday. The Trustees are hoping this new effort can help fill in that gap during the summer and fall. However, Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn noted this wasn't a permanent decision.
"It is not perpetual, it's an experiment to see how things go this summer," Kahn said. "Maybe we'll renew this permitting, maybe we won't."
The Trustees are hoping a food truck serving lunch will apply for a permit, but none has been able to commit to the two days in Woodstock, because a number of them are having trouble finding help, Kahn added.
The specific hours for Sunday and Monday are up to the food trucks themselves. The Lazy Cow plans to be there from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays. (The schedule is different on Sunday, July 4, when they'll be at the Woodstock Fourth of July Celebration.)
The Lazy Cow is owned by Ashley Sigl, a 2015 graduate of Woodstock Union High School living in Hanover, NH, who said this past Sunday and Monday brought "perfect ice cream weather" and lots of customers.
"With the upcoming holiday weekend, and people wanting to go to the quintessential Vermont town, it all very much helps," she said. "We're happy to be back in the community again."
Her brother, Jeremy, manages the business on-site during the summer, and he's enjoying the two days in Woodstock early in the week.
"It's good to see some familiar faces," he said at the Green on Monday. Their full schedule is online, including hours in Reading and other locations in southern Vermont and New Hampshire.
— Gareth Henderson
The steady move into summer, like a river
As seasons grow and change, and new challenges come about, sharing the good we have is the path toward continued progress. It shows us, and teaches us, that light is always there.
The Ottauquechee River, as seen from River Road in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
In this year of progress, the seasons have come and gone at a rapid pace. But come and go they must — on Sunday, the first day of summer arrives. Life marches on, sustained by that profound, natural momentum we all can feel.
The transition from spring to summer is, indeed, the least pronounced of the seasonal changes. Though beautiful and always much-anticipated, the differences between fall, winter and spring are decidedly more stark.
But when it comes to human activity, like traveling and traffic, you see the change more clearly, especially with summer holidays coming up and people heading for outdoor adventures. While running some errands on Friday, I went down River Road by the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, and saw a number of people walking and biking. The most noticeable change, though, was seeing a couple of groups enjoy the rope swing into the river. That's an activity I shared with family on a regular basis, while growing up in the area. That one observation showed me that, those favorite pastimes with friends and family don't disappear, they come back — just like the blooming flowers and vegetation we've seen all around us in recent weeks and months. That's part of that momentum, like a steady river current urging us toward progress, as the warm season advances and the post-pandemic era approaches.
Indeed, all these changes track with natural progress, a collective opportunity that can't be taken away from us. Sometimes, it seems hidden for a while, like the sun behind a group of foreboding clouds. But progress, goodness, love, compassion — they still abide there, cultivated in their abundance, and quietly doing their work as we press onward. Over time, these qualities gently urge us to learn from each other and grow as a result, sometimes against great headwinds.
At those times of struggle, when the path is steeper, it's most important to claim our innate goodness and trust it to guide us forward, knowing others will recognize it and correspond to it. As seasons grow and change, and new challenges come about, sharing the good we have is the path toward continued progress. It shows us, and teaches us, that light is always there.
— Gareth Henderson
An encouraging summer
This warm season is surging ahead, like it always has, but this summer momentum is different: It's giving us something new to cheer for, after the struggles of 2020.
(Gareth Henderson Photo)
With the sun shining beautifully, and the early-morning air just right, I recently went on my first run of the season. It was a brief jog, up a road near my home, and I could feel the air getting ready to warm up. Just like summer itself.
This warm season is surging ahead, like it always has, but this summer momentum is different: It's giving us something new to cheer for, after the struggles of 2020. And every day shows us more of what's to come. We know travel is picking up, and people are looking to spend much of their time outdoors. People are out running, zipping by on their bicycles, enjoying the tennis court, or maybe visiting lakes and ponds to fish. Parks are a big attraction as well.
In Woodstock, Vermont, numerous people have been visiting the trails of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in recent days, including a number of families.
"At the National Park we continue to see an increase above our seasonal norms in the number of community members and visitors taking advantage of the park’s 20 miles of carriage roads and trails," said Christina Marts, the park's acting superintendent. "This builds on the trend we were seeing at the height of last summer when a beautiful weekend day could inspire over 700 walkers and hikers to hit the trail."
We all remember that summer, when time spent in any outdoor expanse was a true gift, with a profound impact. With that in mind, perhaps the outdoors will feel even more like a place of refuge in summer 2021, where we can find even greater peace — this time amid new progress. Memorable views like seeing Woodstock from the top of Mount Tom, or hiking up to the Pogue, might carry some special meaning for all of us this year. These scenes are still here to brighten our days, to remain nestled in the constant beauty of nature, never departing, always inspiring.
With Memorial Day Weekend — the unofficial start of summer — right around the corner, more people will head to the Green Mountains to experience our natural surroundings, and how good they are for the soul. Those early sunrises and late sunsets complete the picture of progress we've waited for. Summer is always moving, always evolving. And in 2021, it invites us to cheer it on, renew our joy in it, and share that happiness with others. There's no better way to celebrate this new season.
— Gareth Henderson
Vt. grants coming to expand summer programs for youth
Funding is on the way to expand summer programs for youth in Vermont, as the state continues its effort to help kids reconnect with their communities and recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Federal relief money is fueling an expansion of summer programming for youth in Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Funding is on the way to expand summer programs for youth in Vermont, as the state continues its effort to help kids reconnect with their communities and recover from the impact of the pandemic.
In partnership with the nonprofit Vermont Afterschool, the Agency of Education is organizing the $1.5 million grant program for those camps and organizations not connected with a school, so they can be a part of the overall state effort to enhance these summer experiences. More details will be rolled out in the coming weeks, including eligibility requirements. A strong emphasis is being placed on applications that make the programs more affordable for students and families, according to Heather Bouchey, Vermont’s deputy secretary of education.
“We want all children and youth to participate in something great this summer, no matter their age, their family background or financial resources, their primary language, geographic location, ability status, or specific interests,” Bouchey said at the state’s Friday press briefing.
The state and Vermont Afterschool have launched a “Summer Matters” web page, summer opportunities are listed and kids can look for summer jobs. The site also has a state map showing where participating summer programs are located. A few areas in the state don’t have many local opportunities, and the state is reaching out to those communities to help change that.
To make this statewide effort possible, the Agency of Education is also collaborating with the state departments of health, mental health, vocational rehabilitation, and fish and wildlife, as well as educators and practitioners in the field. The grants are backed by federal COVID-19 relief funding, and all types of nonprofit organizations, community collaboratives and school-community programs will be able to apply.
The state is encouraging local school districts and organizations to collaborate on this effort.
“We know that everyone is tired and certainly needs a rest after navigating this year, but this summer also presents a critical, critical, opportunity for us to further assist students and their families in healing and well-being,” Bouchey said.
Speaking on Friday, Gov. Phil Scott said this is not only a great opportunity for students, but also a chance for communities to get creative.
“Working together, we can have a huge impact and help our kids in so many ways,” Scott said.
The U.S. has tripled federal funding for after-school and summer programs over the next three years, thanks to the recent federal COVID relief bill. On Friday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, highlighted the importance of that funding and the state’s efforts, as he spoke at the briefing by video.
“It is absolutely essential that we do everything we possibly can to support Vermont students in the coming months and years as we recover from these challenges, and that work must start this summer,” Sanders said.
— Gareth Henderson
Vt. eyes ‘more normal’ summer, focuses on helping youth
As Vermont finalizes a blueprint to ease statewide restrictions in the coming weeks, the state is also focusing on the needs of youth as communities emerge from the pandemic.
Summer skies from 2020 as seen from Pomfret, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said a plan to more greatly ease statewide pandemic restrictions in the coming weeks is on its way. At a Friday press conference, Scott said he expected July 4th will mark a new phase, "a time when things will look and feel more normal."
"In the next 10 days, we'll detail the path ahead and show you a blueprint of how we expect to ease restrictions based on the level of vaccinated Vermonters," he said. The approach will remain strategic and closely tied to the advice of health experts, the governor added.
As that plan is finalized, another statewide initiative focuses on the needs of youth. Efforts are underway to organize a statewide program to provide wider access to 2021 summer programs for Vermont students, to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic. The announcement comes at a time when COVID-19 vaccinations are steadily increasing and restrictions are gradually being eased, opening up possibilities for in-person activities this summer.
With the start of spring, there has been a greater emphasis nationwide on the return to in-person learning and the importance of summer programming for K-12 students. Students are eager to reconnect on an in-person level with their friends and school communities, after what has been a year of remote and hybrid learning for many. In the latest U.S. COVID relief package, increased federal funding for youth summer programs is coming to states.
Speaking to the media Friday, State Education Secretary Dan French said planning for the statewide effort is well underway, and it's a high priority for the Vermont Agency of Education.
"In conjunction with the governor's office, we're working with a variety of stakeholders, programs and service providers to design a statewide summer initiative that expands capacity for these programs and extends their availability for all families to participate," French said. "Our hope is to provide a fun, engaging experience open to all students, regardless of ability or economic circumstance."
Currently, the state is working out the details on funding, resources and how to integrate the initiative with what schools are planning. The public can expect more details from French in the coming weeks as plans and partnerships develop.
— Gareth Henderson