What a difference a few days can make, especially when you’re in Vermont in December. From 60 degrees mid-week to snow, snow, snow on Saturday, it felt like moving from fall to winter in a single week. The rapid change in weather meant Cambridge Elementary School had two-hour delays both Thursday and Friday, all of which reminded me of being a kid and being glued to the transistor radio, which was always set to WDEV, hoping to hear my school added to the list of closings during “The Trading Post” and “The Farmer’s Almanac.” As I recall, we were usually one of the last districts called in Caledonia County.
My daughter came in on the train Saturday, and we figured, with the storm coming, it would likely be at least half an hour late arriving in Essex Junction. But lo and behold, they were on time or a minute early, which is the most accurate they have ever been in the nine years she’s taken Amtrak home for the holidays.
It was lovely to have it so, and even more so because this will be her last trip. In the new year, she and her boyfriend are relocating to Syracuse, N.Y.
The Cambridge town clerk’s office will be closed from Friday, Dec. 24, through Friday, Dec. 31. Phone and email will not be checked on a regular basis. This is to give the staff a well-earned and much-deserved rest.
I wholeheartedly endorse this break. One aspect of teaching at Champlain College I found beneficial was the annual email sent out during finals week reminding everyone that in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the only emails that should be sent were emergency ones. People were not expected to check email or be in the office. It was a time to focus on family and friends and engage fully with them, and it really helped us all recharge.
As reported last week, Mark Schilling won’t be seeking re-election at town meeting. Schilling has been not only town clerk and treasurer, but also collector of delinquent taxes. This last position was combined with the other two at some point during Jane Porter’s tenure. At the Dec. 7 selectboard meeting, there was brief discussion of possibly separating the three positions for the March 2022 vote. As a reminder, anyone with serious interest in the elected full-time position with benefits should contact Schilling at mark@cambridgevt.org.
Cambridge Elementary School will hold a preschool developmental screening for children turning three or four by Sept. 1. Two time slots are available for the approximately one-hour screening: 8-9 a.m. or 9:30-10:30 a.m., on Monday, Jan. 10. Call Liz no later than Jan. 7 at 802-521-5613 to make an appointment.
While children are being screened, parents fill out a brief developmental questionnaire and have time to ask about their child’s skills and learn more about the Cambridge Elementary preschool program.
Scout Troop 39 is recruiting children 11 or older. If you are interested in a wide variety of outdoor activities, as well as training on the climbing wall in the Cambridge Elementary gym, contact Roger Allen at rallen@thexyz.net.
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