Ice Fishing Fever . PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 65 GRANVILLE, NY 12832 CATCH IT! POSTAL CUSTOMER See our special ice fishing section on pages 7-9. LAKES REGION Bob Williams of Williams Hardware invites you to check FreePress out his money-saving True Value sale circular inside. Vol. 31, Issue 5 Friday, January 31, 2020 Woodchuck Fest this Saturday In honor of Groundhog Day, dors who cater to everyone,” cially for the festival – will be every year West Pawlet spon- said Morgan Hosley, festival greeted by Hosley, West sors its Woodchuck Festival. organizer. “You can come out Pawlet’s own “Fire Woman.” This year’s event is the town’s and have a great meal, and kids The Rupert/Mettowee Valley 17th and it will take place on can color while you shop.” 4-H Club will run a bottle drive Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to The Kid’s Corner will have from 9 a.m. to noon, so bring 3 p.m. at Mettawee Community activities to engage children, your empty bottles and cans School on Vermont Route 153. including a coloring contest with you to the festival. The festival features excit- and a visit from the West The Woodchuck Kitchen will ing activities for young and old, Pawlet Woodchuck, who will offer chuckburgers, chuckdog- including Valentine and Super arrive via a big red engine, gies, woodchuck stew, corn Bowl raffles, a silent auction, weather permitting, at 1 p.m. chowder, macaroni and cheese, Mr. Woodchuck – awakened great food and shopping. A sleepy West Pawlet Woodchuck arrives at a Woodchuck “It’s a family event with ven- from his winter slumber espe- See WOODCHUCK, pg. 3 Festival a few years back. He’ll be back on Saturday. Poultney 2020 COMMUNITY GUIDEBOOK & PACC MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Lincoln the Goat, Fair Haven’s current pet mayor The Lakes Region FreePress on Facebook is the official Facebook ‘Vote Goat’: page of the Lakes Region! Be sure to “like” us and check us Mayor Lincoln out daily for the latest news updates and events seeks reelection Lincoln the Goat has happening in your community. announced her intention to run for a second term as pet mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont. Her number-one priority has been gathering funds for the Public Notice playground behind Fair Haven Grade School, and she is very West Haven Board of proud of her accomplishments, Adjustment to meet having raised more than $1,540 on the playground’s GoFundMe See page 2. page, $150 at the town parade where she greeted townspeople and $1,457 on T-shirts so far, for a grand total of $3,147. In addition, the town’s bud- Check out the Go Online get has experienced no stress to view this manchesternewspapers.com from Mayor Lincoln. To wit: edition! poultneyareachamber.com money-saving inserts money spent on grain: $0; from McDonald’s* and money spent on hay: $0; tax increase for the playground: $0. Big Lots inside! Said Mayor Lincoln’s admin- istrative assistant and cam- paign managers Sally and Attention Poultney residents! Chris Stanton: “The citizens of Your all-new 2020 Poultney Community Guide* is inside this week’s edition of the Fair Haven have only one ques- tion to ask themselves, ‘Under FreePress. This 40-page keepsake magazine is packed with everything you need to Mayor Lincoln, am I better off know – and more – about living in the Town of Poultney. today than I was a year ago?’” *inserted in Poultney zip codes only They encourage Fair Haven’s * not in all areas residents to “Vote Goat.” EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS BY ADVERTISING IN THE FREEPRESS – CALL 518-642-1234 2 - Friday, January 31, 2020 - The Lakes Region FreePress FreePress Letters Capital Region Independent Media Mark Vinciguerra Publisher/President Thank you from Fair Haven Knights of Columbus Jane Cosey To the editor: of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Stonehedge Indoor Golf and Production Manager The Fair Haven Knights of and St. John the Baptist Taps Tavern. Columbus Council #810 would Catholic churches, Castleton Thank you for your gener- Deb Brosseau Dee Dee Carroll Sarah Waite like to thank everyone who Beauty Shop, Aubuchon ous help and may God bless. Julie Cogswell Office Manager Advertising Design helped with the Toys for Joy Hardware, Fair Haven Fitness, Advertising Sales program this Christmas season. Liberty Street Market, Fair Fair Haven Knights of Established 1989. Published every Friday by Manchester News papers. We thank the parishioners Haven Eagles Freedom Riders, Columbus Council #810 Subscription Rates - $75 for 52 weeks. The Lakes Region assumes no financial responsibility for any typographical errors in advertise- ments but will reprint that part of an advertisement in which the Poultney ‘Tree of Giving’ project a success typographical error occurred. Advertisers please notify the man- agement of any errors which may occur. To the editor: High School for collecting toys because of the community sup- The Poultney Woman’s Club at the school and helping us port we receive. All of the par- Third class postage paid at Granville, New York, Post Office. Mailing would once again like to give a wrap gifts for senior citizens. ticipants in this project should address for Lakes Region: Box 330, Granville, NY. heartfelt thank you to the Also supporting us every year be very proud to be able to Main Office: 14 E. Main St., Granville, NY 12832. Phone: (518) 642-1234 E-mail: news@manchesternewspapers. Poultney community for all of are the many monetary gifts as make a difference for so many com. their help with our “Tree of well as the many elves who take in our community. Giving” project. names from the tree. Until next year – have a This endeavor is supported The project was able to serve happy and healthy new year. by many clubs, church groups, 29 families, 88 children, as well We look forward to working Pawlet library meeting to discuss organizations and businesses. as to recognize 24 senior citi- with everyone again next year. Thank you to Ms. Mason and zens in our community. Sincerely, accessibility improvements the Interact Club at Poultney This event is possible only Poultney Woman’s Club The Pawlet Public Library vices for the community, invites the public to an infor- including many public pro- mation meeting on Sunday, grams for adults and children Poultney resident proud of her town Feb. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. to pro- and access to materials not vide details about the proposed only from its collection, but To the editor: stepped up to lend a hand and so many of us attended high library building accessibility from all Vermont libraries For 26 years I’ve called this help ensure that Poultney school, caused havoc and gos- improvements that will be on through interlibrary loans. glorious little town home – I remains a wonderful place to siped when we should have the Town of Pawlet voting bal- Library card holders also was born and raised here, live. been listening, the room fell lot on March 3. have free access to a wide stayed in the area throughout Thanks to our friends at silent. A silence that filled the The meeting will begin with range of digital resources like college and bought my first VCRD and their amazing work room because people were so a presentation by the library’s e-books, audiobooks and refer- home right in the village in guiding Poultney in a posi- genuinely interested in the board of trustees who will dis- ence materials. The library where I reside today. For 26 tive direction, there were topic, interested in how they cuss the need for accessibility offers meeting space for com- years I’ve loved this town, but countless people who raised could get involved, and spark- improvements, the options the munity groups. These services this past week, I fell in love their hands to join various ing hope for the future. trustees have considered and are made possible by a combi- with it all over again. task forces around positive For 26 years I’ve watched the reasons they support build- nation of the library’s fund- As we all know, Poultney efforts in Poultney. college students fill the streets ing an enclosed addition with a raising efforts and tax dollars has been faced with some hard Topics included boosting of Poultney with energy, pas- hydraulic lift and adjacent that provide the salaries of two times this past year. downtown businesses, build- sion and willingness to learn – stairwell that will serve the part-time staff members and Almost exactly one year ing a co-working space, college students who are no library’s main floor and the maintenance of its public ago we heard the news of the increased broadband, develop- longer filling our streets. But lower-level Matt Waite Room, a building. closure of Green Mountain ing a bank and supporting this night, I watched residents finished meeting space. The most recent Vermont College (GMC) – what I consid- town-wide recreation. of this town fill a room with Trustees also will address Public Library Annual Report ered the “anchor of our town” Last week, more than 100 that same energy for the posi- the professionally estimated (FY 2018), published by the for as long as I could remem- individuals and families came tive things happening, show construction cost of $295,000 Vermont Department of ber. I’ll never forget that day; together at Poultney High passion for a town they love and the anticipated reduction Libraries, documents that the what I was doing when I found School to hear the updates of and a willingness to learn how of cost to taxpayers from the Pawlet Public Library has 4,800 out about the closure, the fear the work that’s been going on they could get involved.