Top Stories for Tuesday July 28, 2015

Derby Fever Is Catching
By Cookie Steponaitis
It is apparent that summer is truly moving along when people in the Champlain Valley begin to exhibit signs of the annual, predictable and non-curable condition known as DD Fever. And for those not familiar with this condition, the subject begins to exhibit a passion for collecting seemingly wrecked vehicles in the four, six and eight cylinder size. Then they spend hours, grouped with others suffering from this condition with wrenches, torches, paint and tools to fix these metal shells into vehicles deemed derby ready. Neither heat, nor rain, nor working overtime will stop the advancement of this condition and DD Fever reaches its peak during August 4- 8th. While not everyone in Addison County gets DD Fever to the full extent, the rest of the county comes down with DD Watcher which is a lesser case but none the less addictive.  [ more ]

Hobby SteamBoaters Have Fun Down By The Riverside
By Cookie Steponaitis
“It’s not where you are going. It’s how you get there,” expressed North American SteamBoaters Association (NASA) member Russ Steeves this past week while standing at the docks at River’s Edge Cottages & Campground in Vergennes, Vermont with fellow NASA members Rich Richardson and Rich Hubbard. Tied to the docks were five of the fifteen steamboats that made the trip to Otter Creek for the ten day event which has occurred annually for close to two decades.  [ more ]

Hook Line & Sinker For Fishing Vermont's Waters
By Cookie Steponaitis
There is a rare breed of people in America who develop a passion when they are young and find a way to incorporate it into their lives on a daily basis. Vermonter James Vladyka is one of those lucky people and runs a fishing guide business that is active 365 days a year. He was handed his first fishing pole by his father when he was about three or four years old, remembers landing a fish when he was five and credits his father for giving him the fishing bug for Calico Bass or Crappies as they are called today. He grew up in Benson which afforded him access to Lake Champlain and many inland waterways. Before he had a drivers license he would ride his four wheeler to near by Lake Champlain or hitch a ride anywhere he could to put a pole or tip up in the water.
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