If You Build It, They Will Come

A quick tech update . . .

Only days after posting the last entry about the lack of Internet service some rural parts of the state, Great Awk Wireless announced a major initiative to bring increased and improved wireless Internet service to the tri-mountain area. This initiative was spurred in part by Oliver Olsen (Vermont State representative representing parts of Londonderry, Weston, Winhall and Jamaica) and a group of existing subscribers, after GAW initially announced that it would be eliminating or decreasing service to the area because of a lack of customers. The problem, as I see it, was that no one knew about GAW. If you build it, they will come. If you don’t know about a service, how can you purchase/subscribe.

So, on December 1, 2010, we were hooked up to GAW’s wireless Internet. It’s pretty fast. Fast enough to stream Netflix! We’re still in the midst of our trial/money-back period, but I think we’re going to stick with it! We are now, officially, part of the 21^st century.

Technology Needed - Vermont Lacks Internet Access

Technology Needed - Vermont Lacks Internet Access

I was hit with my first (and, hopefully, my last, cold of the season. It came on fast and has lasted far longer than I had hoped. I spent Sunday feeling lousy and then left work early on both Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday has dawned dark and dreary and the cold still lingers. I’m whining a little, I know, but the biggest problem is that if and when I go home sick, I have no Internet connection and I cannot work from home! Work be damned. 

Landgrove, for all its charm and beauty, is still in the dark ages. Neither cable nor DSL is available for the majority of the town and those that truly need Internet service are forced to subscribe to pricey and unreliable satellite service. Between the cost for the hardware and the installation, coupled with the lengthy contract they require, you’re into it for several hundred dollars before you’ve even opened your first webpage or downloaded your first email. And, the speeds are reportedly too slow to really call High Speed. Streaming movies is clearly not an option.

I try not to be too political unless it’s the right opportunity or the right forum, but I have to say that our state and federal leaders have failed us. Greatly. More than three years ago, sitting but retiring Vermont Governor Jim Douglass promised us that Vermont would be an E-State by the end of 2010 – promising cellular and Internet coverage in all but the most remote parts of the state. Well, Jim, we’re 45 days from the end of 2010 and much of Vermont still has spotty cell-phone coverage and no high-speed Internet service. How can Vermonters compete with the world, much less our own countrymen and –women when we can’t work from home, when our kids can’t do their homework, and when vacation-home buyers are starting (seriously!) to consider buying in other parts of the state, region and country so that they can be assured of Internet and cell coverage. This is a disgrace!

This country, and Vermont in particular, needs to spend federal stimulus dollars on getting its citizens up and running technologically. I’ve been in the wilds of Mexico, the islands off the coast of Venezuela and the mountains of rural Canada with better access to technology. Why is that that every other person in the developing world, including most of Asia has better access to cell and Internet service than those of us lucky enough to call Vermont our Home?

Snapshot of the South/South-Central Real Estate Market

A snapshot of today’s south/south-central Vermont real estate market . . .

As of today (October 16, 2010), there are 619 residential properties on the market within a 20-mile radius of Weston, Vermont (our home base). This number does not include condominiums. They range in size and price from a tiny seasonal camp on 1.8+/- acres in Windham to a palatial country estate on 24 acres in Dorset listed for $5.8 million.
• 147 (24%) are priced between $69,000 and $250,000
• 240 (39%) are priced between $250,001 and $500,000
• 164 (26%) are priced between $500,001 and $1 million, and
• 67 (11%) are priced over $1 million.

Of the properties listed for sale in the 20-mile radius around Weston, the are located as follow: 20 in Andover, 44 in Chester, 81 in Dorset, 24 in Grafton, 18 in Jamaica, 8 in Landgrove, 62 in Londonderry, 80 in Ludlow, 97 in Manchester, 49 in Mount Holly, 16 in Peru, 24 in Weston, 24 in Windham, and 72 in Winhall.

Remember, these numbers do not include condos; there are currently 275 condominiums on the market ranging in price from $19,000 for a 300-square foot one-bedroom unit at the Hawk Resort in Plymouth to 4000-square foot 4BR/5BA Mountain Reach unit at Stratton listed for $2.2 million.

In the past 12 months, 239 properties have been sold. The sales range from a very rough, unfinished house in foreclosure on 0.3 acres sold for $19,000, to a large country village contemporary on 239 acres in Weston that sold for $2.375 million.
• 29 properties (12%) sold for less than $100,000
• 109 properties (46%) sold for between $100,000 and $300,000
• 52 properties (22%) sold for between $300,001 and $500,000
• 36 properties (15%) sold for between $500,001 and $1 million
• 13 properties (5%) sold for more than $1 million
Interestingly, these figures show that 58% of area sales in the last 12 months were for less than $300,000.

Living in a Small Town

Living in Small Town America

I love living in a small town! There. I said it. And, I meant it. Let me give you a few different examples and maybe you’ll be able to figure out why . . .

1. Earlier this week I called my favorite “deli” in a neighboring town – okay, it’s al Ducci’s in Manchester! – and the owner answered the telephone by saying, “Hi, Claudia, what can I get for you today.” They obviously have caller ID and some people might be horrified by the invasion of privacy . . . but, not me. I wiped a sh**-eating grin off my face in time to sputter, “The usual, please!” Well, this being a small town, they know who’s calling and they know what my usual is. Attention to detail and friendly service – what more can you ask for? Editorial aside: Their tomato, basil, mozzarella panini is heavenly, especially with local produce in season!

2. I’m a volunteer EMT-Intermediate on the local rescue squad and ambulance service (the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad) and the other day I responded to a call that was toned out to respond to my parent’s home address. Slightly panicked, I told a customer who had arrived at my office minutes earlier that I had an emergency and was leaving the office open (Gasp!) and they could look at my listings on their own and they could call me with questions.

Well, I sped up the road and arrived to discover that a neighbor (second-home owner, friend and long-time part-time resident!) had crashed her bike on the road near my family home. I had plans for the evening and was already running late, so I intended only to provide initial treatment and then turn her over to a crew who would take her to the local hospital. But, the look of sheer relief when she saw me changed my mind. Being able to provide comfort and care to a neighbor and a friend is worth ruining the evening’s plans. In the end, we are able to salvage our plans and the ambulance dropped me off in Chester so I could meet my husband and friends at a restaurant in Chester.

3. I’m in a book group with 13 other women. Four of the women I’ve known since before kindergarten; I’ve known 12 for more than 10 years; one is my sister-in-law; three are literally my closest neighbors; seven have been in the group since we started in January 1999; two have left and come back again; and, all 13 would quite practically give their left arm (provided they’re right-handed!) to help any one of us in the group. We’ve seen each other through life’s best and worst times and we’ve always been there for each other. Sometimes books and reading take a backseat . . . and that’s okay. These are my friends and I am eternally thankful for each and every one!

4. It takes me twice as long as it should to go grocery shopping at our local grocery store (Clark’s IGA in Londonderry). Usually, this is a good thing and I’m not complaining. It means I’ve encountered friends in the wine section, “patients” shivering in the frozen food aisle, real estate clients and customers among the produce and too infrequently seen neighbors scouting the organics section. Taking the time to say hello and visit serves many purposes: it makes us feel loved, it connects us to our world and it can, on occasion, provide an idea for dinner!

Starting the Day with a Smile

I had a “moment” this morning on my way to work. Keep in mind, this is a rural commute of less than five miles along one of the area’s prettiest roads. Just as I was coming down Lawrence Hill Road into the heart of Weston village and approaching the intersection with Main Street, I saw a middle-aged, shirtless man in the middle of the street. He looked like he was wrapping up a morning jog; he had a bottle of water in one hand and looked rather damp. Just as I was about to pass him, he kicked a previously unseen soccer ball across the road towards Weston’s Village Green. He missed! The ball flew in front of me and hit one of the railings and ricocheted out into Main Street. Surprisingly, the road was empty at this moment. I scowled at the jogging soccer-dad, mentally admonishing him that our roads were not his playground and it was irresponsible for him to play with his ball in the middle of the street. What kind of example was he setting for children? My MOMENT occurred as I passed him. I glanced in my rearview mirror to see him jog out into the middle of Main Street and kick the ball once again towards the Green. My frown turned upside down into a huge grin when I saw the ball again hit a rail and catapult itself across the road into Main Street. I laughed all the way down the street to my office as I watched the ball aimlessly drift down the center of the street with this poor guy jogging after it!

Happy Bastille Day from Beautiful Southern Vermont

Happy Bastille Day

My mother was a first-generation French-American. Her parents both emigrated from France in the mid-1930’s to find better opportunities in the United States. This was a time in American history when immigrants were especially proud to be American and they did all they could to distance themselves from their native homelands and blend in and assimilate into American life. My mother grew up speaking only English, eating English food, and celebrating American holidays. I didn’t know this until I was in my early teens, when I was stunned to learn that my mother’s love of all thing French and her celebration of life as a Francophile was a learned skill rather than innate! Thank goodness, she passed it all along to me.

July 14th and the onset of mid-summer means two things to me – celebrating Bastille Day and devouring my mother’s “French Trifle.” Usually done simultaneously! I’ve since learned that the Trifle (AKA Tipsy Pudding) is an English tradition, but I still associate it with my mother and given the opportunity will always think of it as French!

I’ve been receiving wedding presents lately and some neighbors dropped off a lovely package from renowned Vermont glassblower Simon Pearce the other day. It was a gorgeous glass bowl – absolutely perfect for a summer trifle. I spent part of my morning today avoiding the filing and bill-paying I should have been doing and searching online for the perfect trifle recipe. I have a feeling my mother’s recipe is tucked away in a family recipe book, and I’ll have to search for it later. In the meantime, I’m going to christen our new Simon Pearce bowl with a delicious “French” trifle in honor of my mother and celebrating the 220th anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille in 1789. Cheers!

The Onset of Summer

It’s July 1^st and barely 50 degrees out! What’s up? So much for global warming. Never mind – not going there!

July 1^st and the upcoming July 4^th holiday week is what we locals typically refer to as The Beginning of the Summer People. Second-home owners arrive in droves, vacation rentals perk up, and day-trippers come and go. And, best of all, our social calendars start to fill up!

July also brings the arrival of fresh produce. Sure, there are a few delicious offerings in June – spinach, lettuce, peas, and my favorite – berries! But, July is when we go to the farmers’ market without a shopping list and have increasingly wonderful things to choose from. I don’t care what I leave with, so long as I leave with a basketful of fresh bounty. Fresh flowers, bounties of fresh vegetables, Grandma Miller’s fruit pies, Sugar Bob’s maple syrup, some Taylor Farm Gouda cheese. And my favorite way to end the shopping expedition is with a delicious burrito made with local ingredients and fresh-squeezed lemonade!

The West River Farmers’ Market is among the oldest and most popular in the area. On Saturdays from Memorial Day through Columbus Day you can spend your morning wandering among the vendors’ stall, visiting with friends and neighbors, making new friends and supporting local families and businesses by purchasing locally grown and made produce and wares. This is a community and there isn’t anything more important than supporting one another!

See you there . . .