NY to Maine
Saving lives
Georgia couple finishes the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
“No offense ... if one of your bad qualities is killing, you gotta go.”
MONTPELIER — A series of violent thunder storms triggering a tornado warning and releasing heavy amounts of rain pounded Vermont’s central and western sections during the early morning hours of May 27. “The W inooski River and its tributaries have spilled over their banks in the city of Montpelier and r esidents ar e being evacuated,” said Mark Bosma, of Vermont Emergency Management. “Route 2 west is curre ntly flooded fr om Bailey Avenue, and the river has not yet crested.” In addition to Montpelier r esidents, Barr e and Berlin residents were also being evacuated because of flooding. “Swiftwater r escue teams ar e being utilized in areas and others are standing by if mor e help is needed,” said Bosma. Emergency shelters of the Vermont Emer gency Management agency were opened in Montpelier, Berlin and Barre. The following state roads were closed: •Route 302 (Barr eMontpelier Road): flooding •Route 302 / Route 25 in Orange: flooding •Route 302 in Gr oton from Route 232 to Powder Spring Road: flooding •Route 2 in Danville: flooding •Route 2 St. Johnsbury to Lunenburg: flooding •Route 232 in Gr oton: flooding •Route 14 in Barr e Town in the vicinity of Gillies Marine: flooding •Route 12 Montpelier to Northfield Falls: flooding •Route 5 St. Johnsbury Center: mudslide
Ferry reopens despite high water By Lou Varricchio
newmarketpress@denpubs.com CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte, Vt., to Essex, N.Y., ferry, operated by Lake Champlain Transportation Co., reopened May 26 after being closed for almost a month due to the flooding of Lake Champlain. The ferries were back in service just in time for Memorial Day tourist traffic. Deck cr ews w elcomed r eturning commuters aboar d the M.V . Gov . Aiken and the M.V. Grand Isle, both 30-vehicle-capacity vessels plying the 2.75-mile-long passage between the shores. “The volume wasn’t too heavy today—seven to nine vehicles per fer ry—pretty normal for the start of the season,” said veteran ferry deckhand Philip McKenzie. “It’s going to take a few days befor e everyone knows w e’re b ack i n b usiness. B ut it’s business as usual now.” McKenzie said the lake water was the highest he’s ever seen, at least during his 15 years as a ferryman. “The water is high—very high.
The ferry approaches Charlotte, Vt. from Essex, N.Y. on May 26. Photo by Lou Varricchio
Ash borer a looming threat to Vermont’s forests Test traps erected
By Lou Varricchio
newmarketpress@denpubs.com
A purple ash borer trap. Photo courtesy of the USDA
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MIDDLEBURY — Like the insectoid alien invaders depicted in the 1995 sci-fi movie “Star ship Troopers,” the dreaded ash borer is lurking on the northern and southern fringes of Vermont waiting to pounce. This destructive insect pest has been spotted north and south of us, so the State of V ermont isn’t taking any chances in gearing up for the coming war. Emerald ash bor er or EAB : scientists cal l it Agrilus planipennis. It’s an exotic beetle that looks like a stubby grasshopper with a very nasty attitude. Adult EABs chew on ash foliage with not much damage, but look out for EABs little ones, or larvae—they feed like demons on the inside bark of ash tr ees. There its 24/7 chewing cycle blocks water and nutrients to the trees. The ash trees—of which V ermont has millions in the wild—die of starvation. EABS are illegal alien animals; they arrived in the USA fr om China inside wooden crates aboard cargo ships at ports of entry in the east-
ern U.S. and Canada. The bugs wer e first found in Ohio in 2003, then Indiana in 2004, Illinois and Maryland in 2006, Pennsylvania and W est V irginia in 2007, Wisconsin, Missouri and V irginia in summer 2008, Minnesota, New York, Kentucky in the spring of 2009, then on to Iowa in spring of 2010 and Tennessee in the summer of 2010, next— where? Is Vermont the next battle zone? A former Middlebury tr ee war den, Peg Mar tin, reports that traps for the ash bor er insect can be seen in Addison County. “This evil beast is headed our way and unfortunately it is only a matter of time,” Martin said. “There is just about zero chance of avoiding the ash borer, but it may be possible to control it. For See LOOMING THREAT, page 7 Emerald ash borer adult: A bug with a nasty attitude
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June 4, 2011
By Lou Varricchio
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