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The Summer News Weekly For All People… In All Seasons

Craigville Village, Massachusetts February 2012

Red Lily Pond Project: A “Great Pond” To Preserve

This has been an unusually mild winter, so the pond has not frozen over as yet. Our lone swan accompanies lots ofCanada Geese and many different species of ducks (some that we see only in the winter!) that visit the pond eachday. This morning, a lone angler practiced his craft on the causeway. We can't help but feel that they all enjoy the ease of movement upon the surface of the pond, made possible bythe hydro-raking that was completed last fall. We attended the annual meeting of the Centerville Civic Association this week, and encouraged all attendees tosupport our efforts to confirm the status of the Red Lily Pond (North Bay, Middle Bay, and Lake Elizabeth, once allcontiguous) as a "Great Pond" (i.e. more than 10 acres--the last survey confirmed the pond to be 13.1 acres) at thepublic hearing on February 15th, 2:00 PM at Barnstable Town Hall. This "Great Pond" status protects the pond from overdevelopment, and enables non-profit groups like the CCMAand the RLPP to apply for state and federal funds to protect and preserve the pond as a community resource forfishing and other recreation, rather than allowing anyone to own it and then possibly sell it to make a profit. Now that corporations are people, we wonder if a corporation can row a boat on the pond, or swim out to the raftfrom the beach? It's a brave new world; but our mission is still to protect the pond. The Great Pond status may be akey asset as we apply for federal funds for wastewater control --i.e. the sewer that has been coming our way for thelast ten years or so. Red Lily Pond has been a community resource for everyone in the Craigville neighborhood for hundreds ofyears, and our mission to preserve and protect it is in that context. If you live locally, please join us at the hearing.

-Steve Brown, RLPP President

CCMA Projects Update: A More Stately ManorThe Manor has been completely re-shingled, the front door has been replaced, the entry porch flooring andstructural supports have also been replaced. The exterior trim is the next item to be addressed on the Manor. The CBA beach house renovation project began on Monday, February 6th.

-Jim Lane, CCMA President

Craigville Cottage Owners: Your Dues Make A DifferenceWATCH THE MAIL! Within the next few weeks, you'll be getting our annual CCOA dues notification. In addition toall the good things your dues do for our Village, they provide insurance when emergencies happen ... last yearthey funded a major cleanup from the storm Irene. They also support the fabulous programs planned for yoursummer enjoyment, as well as helping to maintain our special village. Please respond as soon as possible; yourcontributions go to what makes this place so special.

-Lee Williams, CCOA President

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Craigville Retreat Center NewsThe weather has been very good for the economic side of the Retreat Center, with low heating bills.We are very busy most weekends throughout the spring with many church and private school youth retreats.Due to the new website http://craigvilleretreats.org/ the office has been busy fielding phone calls and giving sitetours to many potential new groups that are excited to see Craigville.Many buildings are being spruced-up with paint and some new flooring.We would like to welcome Alison Bissett as the new Executive Housekeeper. Alison worked for us part time off andon for many years. We are excited that she accepted the full time position.Damon is busy exploring many new ideas to save money and be a good steward to our environment. One product– Hydretain - will be used on all the Retreat site lawns to help save water and money. Several otherenvironmentally-friendly ideas are being looked at as well, in our efforts to have environmentally-friendly lawns atthe Retreat Center. On the personal side, my 4th grandchild was born on Dec 1, 2011: Maxwell Joseph Guevremont, at 7 pounds 14oz. He is my daughter, Jennifer’s, 2nd child ; she also has a 2-year-old daughter, Lyla Grace.

-Mary A Woodbury, Director, Craigville Retreat Center

Many Craigville Villagers Gathered for the Annual Christmas Celebration!(See a larger photo posted on the community bulletin board this summer)

Craigville Post Office ShopThe warm temperatures of this winter are a tease, for they make one think of Spring, then summer, when our OldCraigville Post Office opens up for business. Any ideas of things you would like to see sold in the shop would bemost welcomed. We are going “retro” by bringing back a few of the items sold years ago, like the small umbrellas.If you wish to contribute your ideas please contact me at dcalmy@comcast.net.

-Debbie Almy (Chairman)

AROUND THE TOWNFirst, the sad news, as we extend the sympathy of our community to two local families:

Alice Gates, age 91, mother of Clark Gates, passed away on January 5, 2012 in Hilton Head, N.C. Herhusband, the Rev. Matthew Gates, as well as Clark and his brother and sister survive her, and there will be aninterment in Osterville, MA sometime in the spring.

Douglas Banks, age 61, brother of Valerie Lane, passed away in Connecticut Hospice on January 29, 2012.As a teenager, Doug vacationed in Craigville in the 1960's.

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And some wonderful news to report:The Trulls will be celebrating their daughter, Kawan's, wedding to Mike Tonzola in Centerville next September 22,2012. Friends and family will be coming from all over, and the Trulls are looking for cottages to rent in the village.Please contact them at 978-771-9217 or ann.trull23@gmail.com if you would be interested in renting your cottagefor the weekend of September 22. Think summer!

IN THE AREACape Cod SafeLawns is an organic lawn care company (they are taking care of our Craigville Green!) committed tocreating safer, healthier green environments for you, your family or your business. We offer an effective programthat is safe for people, pets and the planet. If you would like to learn more about the program, please call us at 508-775-SAFE (7233) for a no obligation quote (www.capecodsafelawns.com).

Craigville Adventures Spark California Clothing Line ConnectionWe are excited to share our new clothing and accessories line with the people and place that it all stems from. Foras long as I can remember, my brother and I have paid homage to ‘living in the moment.’ From my earliestmemories on the marshes of Craigville up until today, Vinnie and I have come together through excitement,laughter, and adventure. Our Dad taught us as young as I can remember how to navigate the waters that surrounded our summer homein Craigville. This meant non-motorized, man-powered canoes at first. We spent hours at Mr. Ireland's dock and onRed Lily Pond searching for the granddaddy snapping turtle and fishing for anything. Turtle paradise was not easyto get to! We quickly grew bored of the canoe (and lugging it over the midway from one dock to the next). With theboater’s desire flushing through our veins, we finally upgraded to motorboats. Ambitious to hit the open ocean andembrace what the Nantucket Sound had to offer, we signed up for classes to get our boater’s licenses. This meanta whole new set of exploration. Family boating trips helped us learn the channels, the rocks, the sand bars, and thebest spots. We probably could have made our way to Martha’s Vineyard in that 12-footer if we didn’t think our Momwould have killed us. Those days coined Vinnie’s famous line: “I just wanna get down there”. Down to the dock,down to the boat and down to the beach! Our excitement and zeal for adventure was a combination of our parents’ personalities; our mother’sfastidiousness and our father’s love for life. As many of you know, not much has changed. We’ve cultivated amutual respect for one another that has fostered years of entertaining friends and family. We’ve challenged our ownunderstanding of the ideal mariner’s day. And we’ve ultimately created a lifestyle that revolves around an idyllicmind-set to have fun, embrace the impossible, live in the moment, get excited for what’s ahead and ‘get downthere’. With all that said, Mariner's Mirror's true foundation came from our summers in Craigville Village; the people,the environment, and the mere idea of all the adventures we could have in just one day. We want our line toembody an attitude that justifies buying your first boat for "free-tan’s" and Sampson's day trips, that transforms intobeach barbeques and father-son fishing trips, and that encompasses all the dreams you had of one day beingyourself. Mariner’s Mirror is a personal glimpse of possibilities, an excitement of what’s ahead, and the joy of living inthe moment. It’s a feeling of accomplishment, casual prestige, and knowing you are about toexperience...another...ideal day. Thank you for all the great memories and we look forward to creating many morenew ones! Please visit our website to learn more.

Happy exploring, Nicole (& Vinnie) Balsamo www.marinersmirror.com

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WEATHERWIZE: BROWN WINTERBy Doppler Debbie (Almy)

Mother nature has taken pity on the poor souls of New England after punishing us big time last year with 90+ inchesof snow and damaging ice dams on roofs. We never saw grass last year from early December until April and we allwere squealing for relief. This year, the tables have turned; or, I should say, the Jet Stream, the huge trail of air that travels across theUnited States, which determines what weather happens everywhere in the country. Maine to Florida and coast tocoast, and it ha !!s been the prime factor in our unusually mild and snow-free winter so far. The Jet Stream hasprevented the frigid Arctic air from migrating South, so that all the precipitation which last year ended up inhammering snowstorms or blizzards now is just rain events, thanks to the warm temperatures. At one pointrecently, 40 states across the country had temperature readings that were way above their normal numbers and ingeneral, the whole country has seen temperatures considerably above their normal readings all winter long. Nowwhy has this all happened? Well, there are some logical answers to this, the first being the jet stream as I just said.The second is the fact that global warming is indeed taking hold over the whole world and the overall pattern for theentire year has been one of increased temperatures. Another possible answer is that Mother Nature was just tryingto give us all a break from the torture we went through last year; but then again, that third option is just a thought. Now who misses the snow? Not me, for one, for as far as I am concerned the old snow blower can just sit in theshed, filled with gas and just wait its turn, along with the shovels standing idle in the garage. Snow boots and heavyparkas are still tucked away, and with each passing week the hope that they will stay there is increasing. Theeconomy in the Northern States that rely so heavily on snow for much of their income due to the winter sportsenthusiasts are suffering economically, for without the skiers, the restaurants, hotels, gas stations, gift shops all takea serious financial loss. Even when the temperature is cold enough to allow for snowmaking at the ski resorts, thatprocedure is most costly and many communities question the ecological soundness of snow making and the hugewater consumption it requires. Here in MA, the snow plowers are dismayed even though last year’s bonanza of somuch snow, one plower made enough money to buy a waterfront summer home on the Cape. A landscaper whoowns a vast variety of equipment to support for the entire year admitted that most of the profit of his business is insnow plowing, not the mowing, weeding, trimming and lawn feeding of the warmer months. The mountain of roadsalt used by most towns in MA has accumulated to over a mountain in size and each new delivery by ship, normallyanxiously awaited !at this time of year, has become a problem as to where to put it and how to save it for next year.One upside of no snow is that the money allocated by the towns for snow removal is not being used so hopefullythese funds will be rolled over for another year, thus helping with each town’s overall budget. So the lack of snow isa doubled edge sword, by helping some towns to save money while creating deficits in other communities. Also,with no snow to melt in the Spring there may be a water issue in the reservoirs so we may be facing droughtconditions eventually. With each rainstorm that occurs we all thank our lucky stars that this winter may be going down in the recordbooks as a brown one, and for most of us, that is indeed a gift we are cherishing. Of course, we still haveFebruary, and March to muddle through, but our hopes are high that we will set a record for the warmest and mostbrown winter since the 1930’s, no matter what the groundhog says.

FEATHER/FUN FACTS: HARE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW Part II By Debbie Almy

THE FOXESWhen the bunny population suddenly vanished after many years of an abundance in the village, we now had thefoxes roaming about seemingly without a care or any fear of their human co-residents. Of course, a former residentwho took up the hobby of feeding the foxes and allowing them to breed under the house, did not help to

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curtail the booming population. Foxes with their magnificent bushy tails do have a beauty to them, but not at theexpense of our beloved bunnies. There are two common foxes found in MA, the gray and red versions, and they have many similarcharacteristics. The one we are focused on here is the one most often seen in Craigville over the years: the redfox. Foxes weigh about 6-15 lbs., with a bushy tail 14”-16” long. Their black leg stocking, red fur coat with a whitetip on the tail are distinctive markings and their fur is often hunted for coats. They have good eyesight, with anictitating membrane (third eyelid) allowing them to hunt with accuracy, not having to blink to miss their prey, as wellas elliptical pupils which help seeing at night. They have a keen sense of hearing and can detect prey rustling in thebrush from far away. Their pointed ears may lay flat when in a submissive pose and the long “fox face” nose helpswith their sense of smell. They are most agile, and can jump straight up over 6’ helping them get over fences intofarm yards. Foxes breed in late January through mid February, with usually 4 “kits” in their only litter. The babiescannot thermo-regulate (adjust their body temperature to normal) so the vixen (mother) stays huddled with them forup to three weeks to control their body temperatures. Babies venture out of the den after a month !, but the familystays together until the fall, when they all go their separate ways. Foxes are very vocal, with a variety of howls,barks and whines all issued for different occasions, one a warning of danger, and another a mating call. They areactive both in the day and at night, although they prefer the darkness and, although timid in nature, they are mostcurious. They are not a threat to humans, and are not known to ever attack a human, but if one does encounter afox creating a loud noise, clapping your hands or squirting them with water will deter them for the moment anyway.The male fox is called the dog, the babies are kits, pups or cubs, the female is the vixen, and the group is a skulk ortroop. The mortality rate of foxes is very high, and only about 25% of the yearly brood survives into a second year. Foxes are omnivores so they eat rabbits (their favorite food), rodents, squirrels, beetles, berries, bird eggs,vegetation, carrion, and any food left out by humans, which they consider a free gourmet meal. They often burytheir cache of food for storage, and many have been seen digging up their stash, checking it out, then re-burying itfor a later meal. They do not hibernate at all, so they may be seen year ‘round in most areas. Foxes are very cunning and good at trickery; therefore, there are many expressions referring to foxes, such as“sly as a fox”, “out foxed” as someone in competition, and “foxy” as an attractive person, usually a female and, ofcourse, “vixen” implying a woman of question with some nasty qualities.

Summer Calendar ReviewYou may recall that the November edition of the Chronicle included a comprehensive projected calendar of nextsummer’s activities. When you are making plans for summer 2012 with family and friends, you may want to reviewwhat’s going on in Craigville at certain times. You can either refer to the last Chronicle, or you can always find thatinformation by going to Craigville.org. We will print the calendar again in our May edition.

-Alice Brown, editor

THE CRAIGVILLE CHRONICLE IS PUBLISHED FRIDAYS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. WEEKLY DEADLINES ARE EACHWEDNESDAY AT 12:00 NOON OF THE SAME WEEK AS FRIDAY’S PUBLICATION. WE WELCOME ALL NEWS PERTAINING TOCRAIGVILLE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. Remember, we are always on the web at Craigville.org (postings toinfo@Craigville.org). The Craigville Chronicle is sponsored by the Christian Camp Meeting Association and theCraigville Cottage Owners Association, and is produced weekly from the last week in June through Labor Dayweekend. Please e-mail your news to Alice Brown, editor, at aliceb@cape.com (hard copies of news may besubmitted during summer months at Craigville Retreat Center Office in the Lodge). Craigville Retreat Centerinformation can be found 24/7 at www.craigvilleretreats.org.

OUR NEXT EDITION will be produced in May 2012. Have a wonderful winter, and keep us in mind for your news!