April, Come She Will.” For someone who loves music as much as I do, I’m surprised that I only learned of this song recently. It’s a Simon & Garfunkel tune, written by Simon and sung by Garfunkel. I’m happy that this song will pop into my head on a regular basis for the next 25 days, and happier still to know that there is so much good music out there for me to continue to discover!
Well, April, come she has. Though you’d hardly know it looking out the window. Sure I see more and more grass every day, and the color of the ice on the pond across the street has become that rare green-blue-gray, which tells me it’s getting thinner. Soon, I’ll start to see pockets of dark water peppering the surface. But this morning, Sunday, the sky was frantically spitting snow. Through the snow, I spied my garden at the top of the hill. It’s still buried. In two weeks, I want to plant my peas and lettuces in the ground. I’m not holding my breath. I am, however, crossing my fingers.
While we are awaiting true spring, the Reading Recreation Commission and, I’m sure, the people who attended the Reading Bunny Hop were thrilled that the weather last Saturday was spring-like.
Despite the warmth and the rain of last week, Bartley Field was still snow covered. We decided on Friday to have the event at the school. I left the grounds five minutes before the event started to go to Bartley Field to let any happy hoppers who went to our original location know that the venue had changed. When I left, there were a handful of people milling about the front of the school. When I got back, literally seven minutes later, the place was teeming with celebrants. You could say, fittingly, they seemed to multiply like rabbits.
Perhaps it’s my personality, but I am always nervous before these events get started. What if no one comes? What if people don’t have a good time? What if it’s chaos? When the events are done, I am always relieved and very happy. Everyone seems to have a great time. Last Saturday was no exception.
Special thanks to Sue Mulder for helping the Recreation Commission stuff candy and little surprises into probably 800 eggs (I wasn’t counting). Thanks also to Molly Brockman who plays a very important role every year. If it were not for her, I can honestly say the event would not have turned out as well as it did.
With the Reading Bunny Hop and March behind us, let’s look at what will come for the rest of the April.
The Reading All Terrain Sportsmen are sponsoring a safety course for ATVs. The training happens on April 21, but you need to register for it by April 9. For more information, contact Dani Luce at 802-477-5075 or by email at dluce@vtvasa.org.
Don’t forget to file your Homestead declaration by April 17. The declaration determines your educational property tax. The rate is different for people who live here compared with people who have property as a second residence.
The Selectboard will hold a meeting on Monday, April 16, at 6pm to hear comments regarding the proposed changes to Reading’s Zoning Ordinances. The meeting will be held at Town Hall. You can download a copy of the proposed zoning ordinances at http://swcrpc.org/reading-proposed-zoning/ if you want to review ahead of time.
Jumping ahead to the last weekend of the month, on April 27, the American Red Cross Blood Drive takes place from noon to 5pm at the Reading Fire Station. You can schedule your appointment at http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood. There is also a lot more information about the process on the Red Cross site, so be sure to check it out. For more information, contact Lanie Wadelton at 802-484-1226 extension 119 between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday. You can also contact Lanie at lanie@sbfvt.org.
After you’re donated blood and if your heart can handle it (it can), be sure and have some fun at the Reading Recreation Commission’s second monthly Game Night. It happens on April 27 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Reading Public Library. The event is co-sponsored by the library. There will be popcorn.
And if you’re not feeling woozy from donating blood (you won’t be) on Sunday, come get some nourishment and even more community time at the Soup Supper, sponsored by the Reading PTO. The deliciousness runs from 4pm to 6pm at the school and will feature a variety of soups and homemade bread.
At the event, the PTO will be selling raffle tickets for a CSA share from Sunrise Farm. Tickets are $5 each for 6 for $25. The lucky winner will receive 26 weeks of local organic veggies. You can choose different vegetables every week. There will also be other options to choose from. Sounds wonderful!
Of course, April will be more than just these events. I look forward to writing about them in the coming weeks.
Happy birthday to Christian Crowley (April 8).
Comments