Woodstock Village Trustees Meeting last night…We’ll re-cap a few items. Let’s say that despite what appeared at first glance a rather dry and boring agenda, we found, due to the often tortured discussion– very small and somewhat larger — “fodder” for our report.
First, you see here a pic of a bonfire on the Village Green: A simple request from Woodstock Rotary, as presented by Beth Finlayson, to have a small bonfire as part of the upcoming Special Olympics weekend. Not really a big deal, you might think…and it isn’t, since the Trustees have certainly approved bonfires in the past. However, OMG, someone (that pesky Village Trustee Bob Pear) asked if there was a plan to put the fire out?
You would have thought he was asking to have children parade nude across the Green. An almost audible gasp as Trustees and Finlayson considered this *surprising* question. Chair Candace Coburn shrugged and said the fire would burn itself out, burn down as it always does. What was the big deal, it seemed?
THEN…we’re not sure who spoke up first, probably Mr. Pear, saying he was a Boy Scout and knew about fires. To which Trustee Trish Compton jumped right in, not to be outdone — “I was a Girl Scout!” So, for a minute or so, a discussion of who had been a Scout as a “cred” to their superior fire knowledge.
Woodstock Early Bird (yes, a former Girl Scout herself) wondered if any of those discussing this critical subject had been a Scout long enough to know one generally douses a fire well and thoroughly upon leaving the camp site? We’re thinking certain “Scouts” didn’t get their Fire Badges given the amount of time dedicated to this no-brainer of a discussion.
Eventually, grudgingly, the Village Trustees agreed that as part of their non-controversial approval of the bonfire for the Special Olympics, they would ask Rotary to please put out the fire so that no one (and no dogs) would fall into any dying embers. Chair Coburn rather impatiently commented, “Oh, just throw some snow on it!”
Phew. We dodged a bullet on that one,Woodstock Early Birds. Headline: Trustees Agree to Put Out Fire. Good job!
In other business…Trustees approved the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce request for what has become annual Summer/Fall Farmers’ Market on the Green. This summer and Fall you will have an opportunity to enjoy 18 different market days. Beth Finlayson says overall receipts were good last season and that the group tries to make sure 60 percent of those who rent booths are agricultural.
We think this discussion took a positive turn in terms of awareness of potential Village Green over-use. Finlayson says they attempt to move tables back and forth each week closer and away from the walkway so as not to overdo the stress on grass. In addition, Town Manager Phil Swanson says efforts will be made this year to make sure more water gets into the soil before rains through use of an aeration machine which can punch holes in the soil. He stated, for the record, “We gotta’ take care of the grass.” You know, Woodstock Early Bird is on board with this idea and applauds Woodstock Village Trustee Bob Pear for asking about it and the Trustees for keeping awareness of Green maintenance as a high priority.
In other business, Trustees and Norman Williams Public Library Director Jennifer Belton agreed to continue a parking lot rental and management agreement with the Village. Swanson told Trustees he has gathered positive financials on meter collections from the arrangement. Belton, showing some humor about wanting to continue the arrangement, which includes snow plowing, said, “We are librarians, we don’t know how to (or want to) run parking lots.” Some discussion recently about the possibility of the parking area being taken over by Windsor County as part of their planned renovation/addition project. However, for the time being, status quo.
But wait, Early Birds, we’re not done! In honor of Valentine’s Day…we bring you “THE CHOCOLATE SCAM.” Police Chief Robbie Blish reports that an individual is going around “selling chocolate with intent to defraud” – Can you imagine? In any case, said individual who apparently took money without delivering the goods, has been apprehended, we think. However, careful from whom you buy chocolate. Accepting chocolates….another story.
We digress, but we’re just warning you that a certain Woodstock Early Bird will, indeed, poke every Valentine’s Day chocolate in a “sampler” to discover its contents before eating. We will, also, leave the sullied remains and move on to less fussy cocoa-based delights. We know we are not alone…
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 