Hello and Happy New Year! I trust everyone survived the holidays and had pleasant visits with family and friends.
I wrote at the beginning of December that it is one of my favorite months. And that’s true. The second part of that declaration, which I always realize later in the month, is that I’m so happy for it to be over. There are many reasons why this is so. First, all the eating! Second, as much as I enjoy Christmas, it can be stressful. Third, the early sunsets have gone from being part of the seasonal transition to being soooo early. Fourth, the eating.
Not surprisingly and not uniquely, I’m looking forward to January every year for a fresh start. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, per se, but I do resolve to do a lot in January and the coming year. You may read about them here as my “to do” list gets done.
Before we get into January, one note of thanks to Junior Sanderson and Garrett Mulder for placing candles in the windows of the Universalist Church. It was one more festive touch in what I think was a very festive Felchville for December.
Okay, focusing on January. Sunset on January 1 is still ridiculously early. Four-twenty-eight to be precise. As early as that is, it’s 14 minutes later than our earliest sunset in mid-December. By January 31, it’s 5:00. Thirty-two minutes later than January 1, and 46 minutes later than the earliest sunset. That’s something to look forward to!
Here are a few other things that you may or may not be looking forward to, but you should keep in mind.
Though the winter parking ban has been in effect since November 1, the three storms we had in December make it worth repeating as we head into a typically snowy month.
To summarize, you cannot push, dump, or accumulate snow onto a road maintained by the town for winter travel. You cannot leave a car on a road or public area in such a way that it would interfere with plowing. If there is an issue with the car that makes it inoperable, you have 24 hours to remove it. After that, if you don’t move your car, it will be moved—but not as a favor to you, if you know what I mean. You cannot park in a truck turnaround or a public lot. Any vehicles left beyond 24 hours will be sent to a place where they will be parked safely and out of the way. In short, know the winter parking ban rules (they are spelled out in the January Informer), and be sure to follow them.
If you’re looking to get out in January, you can always join your neighbors on Monday, January 8, at 7pm, for the planning board meeting. At this meeting, held at Town Hall, you can learn more about and comment on proposed changes to Reading’s Zoning Ordinances. If you can’t make it or want to bone up on what’s in the changes, you can see the plans at Town Office or review them online at http://swcrpc.org/reading-proposed-zoning.
If you do have comments, but can’t make it to the meeting, you can always email them to readingvtplancomm@gmail.com.
If the cold is too much and you prefer to stay home and stay warm, here is some wise advice from Esther Allen (who suggested this when I emailed her in a panic for column ideas). In this frigid weather, be extra careful with your wood stoves and fireplaces. Also check on your neighbors, especially the older ones.
Similar to Esther’s advice, Prescott Nadeau, senior firefighter of the Williston Fire Department, suggested on “Vermont Edition” last week that if you use your chimney a lot in the course of a year, you should get it inspected and cleaned annually. If you don’t use your chimney much, you should take care of it every other year. Sounds like good advice to me. If you want to hear the whole story, visit vpr.net and click on “Vermont Edition.”
On to 2018! I’m looking forward to it!
That’s the news from Reading! See you next week!
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