Top Stories for Tuesday July 9, 2013

Walking the Trails of Vermont’s First State Park Mount Philo
By Cookie Steponaitis
It is a sunny Saturday morning and Ranger John Frigault is on duty at the base of Mount Philo in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. A break in the rain has brought people out in droves and he greets each with a smile and enthusiastic support for their walking, hiking, driving or exploring the Mt Philo State Park where he has worked for the past two seasons. Frigault, a veteran ranger with nine years involvement with the fifty-two different state parks is drawn to Mt. Philo not just because of the, “world class sunsets,” but because it really is the place where it all began. Mount Philo is the prototype for all of the fifty-two parks in the state.
Mount Philo’s 968 foot views and 237 acres of woodlands became the first park in the state in 1924.
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Oh! Those Heavenly Strawberries!!!
By Cookie Steponaitis

Part of the fleeting sweetness of summer is the brief weeks when Vermonters go to the local berry farms where strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and yes, even peaches are there for the picking.  Often Vermonters pick in bulk eager to eat their fill and store the remainder away for the winter months. However, this year the Vermont grown berries are in danger  and not only is the rain making it near impossible to harvest a full crop but the Spotted Wing Drosophila fly which is an invasive species lays its eggs in the soft, ripe fruit and damages raspberries and blueberries. It was first seen in the state in 2008 and can reproduce in a twelve-sixteen day period.  And, with more numbers being reported each year berry growers find themselves facing not only Mother Nature but an Asian fly that results in the berries becoming inedible.

Next Middlebury Arts Walk of 2013 Season on July 12th

The 2013 Middlebury Arts Walk season continues with the season’s third event taking place on Friday, July 12th from 5 to 7 pm. Festival on the Green’s first performance that evening immediately follows the conclusion of Arts Walks and participants are encouraged to stay downtown for the entire night to enjoy Middlebury’s cultural wealth.
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