Central VT Catholic School Announces Golf Tournament

For the fifth consecutive year, a fund raising golf tournament will be held to benefit education in Central Vermont. This year, the tournament will benefit the Central Vermont Catholic School (CVCS) which is the newly-formed union of St. Michael School, in Montpelier, and St. Monica School, in Barre.

The event will be held on Friday May 23, 2008 at the Country Club of Barre. Registration is at 9:00 a.m. with the Shotgun Start at 10:00 a.m. The tournament is co-sponsored by the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center and Cody Chevrolet-Cadillac.

The CVCS Golf Challenge is open to any individual or team of four and is a scramble format. A hors d'oeuvre reception and live auction will follow at 3:00 p.m.

Individual players are $125 which includes 18 holes of golf with cart, bag lunch, hors d'oeuvre reception and golf gift. Tee sponsorships are $175. A corporate or family team is $600 which includes a tee sponsorship and a foursome of golfers.

In previous years, the Golf Challenge has raised over $50,000 for the school.

Central Vermont Catholic School, through the two campuses, has provided quality education for over 133 years through academic, extra-curricular and spiritual activities leading to a greater preparedness for life-long learning.

To register, or for more information, please contact CVCS in Montpelier, at 223-6430.

Would You Like to Help Stock Salmon Fry?

Here's a chance to help contribute to fisheries conservation efforts in Vermont. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are asking for volunteer help with the stocking of landlocked Atlantic salmon fry into the Huntington River on Saturday, May 24.

The inch-long salmon fry will be scatter-stocked into shallow areas where they will grow for two to three years before migrating out to Lake Champlain to mature and eventually return to the rivers as adults.

Landlocked salmon fry have been stocked annually in the Huntington River since 1998 in an effort to help restore landlocked salmon to Lake Champlain. Fisheries biologists from both agencies hope this effort will contribute to increased returns of adult salmon to the Winooski River and provide increased fishing opportunities in the lower Winooski. Many of the returning adults will be collected in the Winooski One Hydroelectric Facility's fish trap at the "Salmon Hole" in Winooski. They will then be trucked upstream past three dams and released, giving them access to spawning areas in the Winooski River drainage, including the Huntington River.

Volunteers are asked to bring a clean five-gallon pail. You also may want to bring a pair of hip boots or chest waders, but they are not necessary if you don't mind getting your feet wet and cold. Unless water flows are unusually high, stocking will take place rain or shine.

Interested people should contact Nick Staats at the Essex Junction Fish & Wildlife Office at (802) 879-5679 or toll free instate at 1-800-640-3714.

Public Meetings Set for Discussion of Big Game Plans

Vermont's big game management plans for deer, bear, moose and turkey are being updated, and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking for your help. Fish & Wildlife staff are holding five "open house" public meetings starting May 7th to share information and get your input.

Fish & Wildlife is holding five public meetings to discuss issues and gather comments on wildlife management goals for Vermont's four big game wildlife species. The information you provide will help Fish & Wildlife develop a 10-year plan for black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and moose that incorporates the biological needs of the species and the interests of public.

The management plan will serve as a "road map" for wildlife managers and the public to follow over the next 10 years to bring about desired outcomes such as population goals, habitat conservation, and nuisance animal policies that are biologically and socially acceptable. A draft plan is being developed to describe the management history behind each of the four species and the species-specific issues facing them over the next ten years.

All of the public meetings below will run from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.:

May 8 - Berlin Elementary School Library

Turkey Hunting Safety Tips for May 1-31 Season

For 16,000 Vermont hunters, May first is almost as important as the opening of firearms deer season, and while turkey hunting accidents are rare, extra precautions are needed. This is due, in part, to the fact that wild turkeys are not the fools popular myth makes them out to be.

Turkeys have keen eyes that easily detect movement and out-of-place colors, making camouflage or drab-colored clothing almost mandatory, at least when calling them. Unfortunately, camouflage has the same affect on other hunters as it has on the turkeys.

"Almost all turkey hunting accidents are caused by hunters who don't positively identify the target before they pull the trigger," said Chris Saunders, Hunter Education Coordinator. "And the victim is usually another hunter, often a friend, trying to stalk a turkey call."

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department urges hunters to review the following safety tips during the May 1-31 spring turkey hunting season:

- Never try to stalk a gobbling turkey. Your chances of getting close are poor, and you may be sneaking up on another hunter.

- Stick with hen calls. A gobbler call is intended for special situations and might attract other hunters.

- Don't be patriotic. Avoid red, white or blue. A tom turkey's head has similar colors.

- Avoid unnecessary movement. This could alert turkeys and attract hunters.

- Don't hide so well that you impair your field of vision.

- Wrap your turkey in some blaze orange cloth for the hike back to the car.

- Always sit with your back against a tree trunk, big log or a boulder that is wider than your body. This protects you from being accidentally struck by pellets fired from behind you.

- If you use a decoy, place it on the far side of a tree trunk or a rock so you can see the birds approaching from all directions, but cannot actually see the decoy. This prevents you from being directly in the line of fire should another hunter mistakenly shoot at your decoy.

- Never shoot unless you're absolutely sure of your target. Since only turkeys with beards are legal during the spring season, lack of positive identification could result in shooting an illegal bird, or worse, another hunter.

- Consider wearing hunter orange while moving from set-up to set-up. Take it off when you are in position.

Remember, only turkeys stalk turkeys! Keep hunting safe in Vermont and make it even safer.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department Honored for Wetlands Conservation

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has been singled out for its efforts to protect wetland areas important to migrating waterfowl.

The department picked up the 2008 Bronze State Grant Award from Ducks Unlimited at the 73rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference last month in Phoenix.

In presenting the award, the department was lauded for its share of conservation funding that "has produced visible, on-the-ground results in the Canadian waterfowl breeding areas."

Since 1992, Fish & Wildlife has contributed more than $100,000 of state waterfowl stamp funds toward the conservation of more than 4,000 acres of wetlands in Quebec. A large portion of the waterfowl that migrate through Vermont nest in Quebec.

"Birds don't pay attention to borders, and we know how valuable these wetlands are for their survival," said Commissioner Wayne Laroche. "Many of the black ducks, mallards, Canada geese and snow geese that nest in Quebec provide excellent hunting opportunities here in Vermont during migration."

Ducks Unlimited and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department have a longstanding partnership to conserve wetlands. In addition to the Canadian projects, DU has provided funding for 20 different wetland conservation projects in Vermont, including the acquisition and restoration of 63 acres along the Barton River in Coventry, which is expected to be completed within the year.

The Vermont Waterfowl Stamp program has raised more than $3 million since it started in 1985. Most of the revenue was generated through the sale of collectible, artist-signed prints in a national market that evaporated by the mid-1990s. Only the interest on this fund is spent on wetland conservation projects. More than 8,000 acres of wetlands and adjacent upland habitat have been conserved, benefitting many species of wildlife.

New Web Features Bring State Parks to Your Living Room

New interactive tools on the Vermont State Parks Web site give visitors more information at their fingertips and make it a snap to plan park visits and make camp site reservations.

Visitors planning a camping vacation or day trip to any one of the 52 statewide parks can now view a state map that links directly to a chart of recreational amenities and services at each park; visit interactive maps of each campground that link to photos of many of the available campsites; and link directly to Google Maps to see the exact location of each park.

A family looking to spend a week camping, hiking, swimming and fishing at a Vermont State Park, for example, could click on the amenities map link at www.vtstateparks.com and check off the activity options they want. With a list of the parks meeting their vacation requirements now showing on the map, they could immediately see their geographic options and click on any park to visit that park's site page. Once there, they can look at the campground map to choose their campsite, see what other activities they might want to include on their vacation week agenda; what the current weather forecast is, and print driving directions.

From there, returning to the home page and clicking on the "Make Online Reservations" button takes them to a page with complete instructions and a place to make their reservation on the site's encrypted system, run on a secure server.

All that's left after that is the packing.

Director of Vermont State Parks Craig Whipple says, "This is a wonderful way for our visitors to plan their next trip to a Vermont State Park. Online reservations and planning are at an all-time high, and these are great tools to make it fun and easy."

To check out these fun new features or to get more information on Vermont State Parks or upcoming events visit www.vtstateparks.com or call 802-241-3655.

Join Team In Training And Raise Funds For Cancer Research

If completing a marathon, triathlon or 100-mile cycling race is on your to-do list but you don't know how to reach the finish line, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training(r) (TNT) program can help get you there. There is no better time to join. TNT is celebrating its 20th Anniversary during 2008, recognizing 20 years of saving lives.

TNT, the world's largest endurance sports training program, provides four to five months of certified coaching, a supportive group of teammates and nutritional clinics to help you complete a marathon, half marathon or century ride. TNT has prepared more than 39,000 participants a year, from novices to accomplished endurance racers, since its inception in 1988. In that time, more than 360,000 TNT participants have raised more than $850 million to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) blood cancer research and patient services initiatives.

The Society's Upstate New York/Vermont Chapter is currently recruiting participants for fall events, including the Nike Women's Marathon, a Race To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in San Francisco, scheduled for Sunday, October 19, and an exciting new event, the Nation's Triathlon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in Washington D.C. on Sunday, September 14. Learn more at a meeting being held on Tues., May 13th, 6 pm: Holiday Inn, 1068 Williston Rd., Burlington

"Team In Training helps participants take on an athletic challenge they might never imagine accomplishing on their own, while giving them the opportunity to help other people," said Maureen O'Brien Thornton. "And being part of the 20th Anniversary of a program that helps save lives makes it even more special this year."

For additional TNT information, call the Upstate NY/VT Chapter at 866-255-3583 or visit www.teamintraining.org.

Leahy Secures Funds for GMC Headquarters

Senator Patrick Leahy has secured a $270,000 federal economic development appropriation to help the Green Mountain Club (GMC) rebuild its Visitor Center, which includes the Marvin B. Gameroff Hiker Center. In January 2003 the Visitor Center, located in Waterbury Center, was gutted by fire.

In preparation for the Green Mountain Club's 100th birthday in 2010, in June 2007 the club announced its Second Century Campaign, with the objectives of raising funds to rebuild from the fire, conservation of Long Trail lands, and increasing funding for future maintenance of the Long Trail, trail shelters, and stewardship of land near the Long Trail.

"I know how important rebuilding from the 2003 fire is to the Green Mountain Club and its programs," said Leahy. "As the oldest long distance hiking trail in America approaches its centennial, the Long Trail is a national treasure. Since the fire, I have wanted to help the club when it was ready to rebuild. Club members work hard to maintain and protect the trail. They and the hundreds of thousands of hikers who enjoy the trail will make good use of a new hiker center."

Construction is slated to begin this summer at GMC's headquarters on Cabin Lane, just west of Route 100, midway between Waterbury and Stowe. The Green Mountain Club is a member-supported non-profit founded in 1910 to build, maintain, and protect the Long Trail as a free public resource. The club currently has 9,500 members. Approximately 200,000 people per year hike on the Long Trail.

GMC Executive Director Ben Rose thanked Senator Leahy for his leadership. "Senator Leahy has always gone to bat for Vermont's mountains and hiking trails. This was a tough budget year, and this appropriation is a testament to Senator Leahy's strong support for the Green Mountain Club. The club is now in a position to go forward this year with over a million dollars of construction. The appropriation leverages significant short-term and long-term economic benefit for this region of Vermont."

"The Long Trail and its corridor are now key components of Vermont's character," notes Andrew S. Nuquist of Montpelier, a Co-Chair of the Second Century Campaign. "Maintaining this natural and recreational resource requires ongoing effort and expenditures by the Green Mountain Club. This award assists the club as we approach the start of our second century of stewardship."

Along with Nuquist, the campaign is co-chaired by Joe Frank of South Burlington. Both Frank and Nuquist are past Presidents of the Green Mountain Club. Bob Northrop of Underhill, a seven-time Long Trail end-to-ender, is Honorary Campaign Chair.

Support for the Second Century Campaign comes from hundreds of individual donors, with corporate leadership from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation, Casella Waste Systems, Carris Reels Foundation, Peregrine Outfitters, Laticrete International, Vermont Country Store, and Sugarbush Resort. Rose notes, "The Long Trail is a great example of public/private partnership."

To contribute or to learn more about the Second Century Campaign, contact Green Mountain Club Development Officer, Shawn Keeley at 802-244-7037 x33. For general or membership information about GMC, refer to www.greenmountainclub.org.