FEBRUARY IN REVIEW

It is hard to believe February is almost over and March is right around the corner….. especially with the recent “bone chilling” cold temperatures….that being said…the cold did not keep us from embracing all of our many activities. We had another great month at Zack’s Place, staying busy, enjoying the winter weather and all the mounds of snow!

We had many fabulous field trips in February, including our wonderful ski program at Suicide 6 every Tuesday with Vermont Adaptive, participants are making leaps and bounds with their skiing skills! We went swimming at Upper Valley Aquatic Center, bowling at Maple Lanes in Claremont, and we had a wonderful visit at the Shaker Museum in Enfield NH. We also had a magnificent “Winterfest” at Norm and Dail’s house which included snow mobile rides, lots of sledding and a hike/snowshoe through the woods! It was a beautiful day! We also had the pleasure of seeing two movies, one at Billings farm “All the wild horses” and one at Pentangle, “Aquaman”. Both were very entertaining!

We stayed limber and fit in February, working out with Bari every Monday and enjoying our new program “Let your yoga dance” with Liz Barker every Wednesday. We had our regular yoga classes Tuesdays and Thursday afternoon with one of our 4 amazing yogini’s, Tita, Lalita, Jamie and Amanda! We also continued with our awesome snow shoe practices Monday afternoons, getting ready for Special Olympics, which is taking place at Pico Mtn. on March 19th.

On the creative, artistic, musical side of things we had story telling with Jools, music with Kerry, music and movement with Kathleen and Mark and drumming with Ted. Art this month included clay with Fiona, art with Caitlin, art with Finnie, art with Lolly and Bonnie and a new art class every Wednesday, an 8 week greeting card and painting program with Lynn Vanetta. We will be displaying a lot of our art work and paintings at the Norman Williams Library Art Show, beginning on April first. We will have more information on that soon!!

Last but not least we had our wonderful volunteer reader, Diane Dugan join us every Tuesday to share books and stories with us.

Overall it was a wonderful month and although we have enjoyed winter and all it has to offer…..I believe we are ready for the sap to start flowing,the ice and snow to begin melting, the sun to keep shining and the signs of springtime to start peeking through!

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Friday March 1st 4PM at Zack's Place!

Come see the new accessible covered walkway and meet the people that helped make it happen!

Thank you to:

The Ausura Foundation

Vermont Community Foundation

Jason Gaddis

Rick Tobiason and Lee Barnum and all the Staff at Colby and Tobiason

Ron Jaynes

Zack’s Place and the Miracle of Gifts

The winter of 2017/18 with its endless snow and rain, freezes and thaws, (being repeated this season) made us acutely aware of two issues: roof leaks into the upper two floors of our three story building, and ice and snowfall into our entryway courtyard. The icicles that hung from the gutters dripped in the sun shine causing black ice on our entryway blacktop and also oftentimes came crashing to the ground with no warning making ingress and egress extremely dangerous.  No amount of salt could keep the black ice at bay as each day it rewound its cycle.

Through the able help of one of our construction minded board members, we were able to patch most of the roof as a place holder pending estimates on repairs and/or replacement. As it turns out a full tear off and replacement was deemed necessary and we have applied for and received most of the $25,000 needed for that through grants. That work is being done this spring.

In addition, it was deemed that the snow and ice fall into the entryway courtyard could not be ameliorated without a significant design change to our sloped courtyard entryway.  The best method involved creating a covered, heated ramp from the sidewalk to the existing handicap accessible door. This project would cost upward of $25,000 and, the need was urgent so the work must be done before the advent of the 2018/19 snow season.

We felt certain we would have to turn to our recently accumulated “Sustain the Miracles” fund to get this project done in time; however, as has so often been the case before, we had two angels arrive at our doorstep with a $25,000 grant directed to this courtyard project. The work started in the fall after permits were granted, and was completed just as the first snows started to fall.   Indeed, we are thanking those two angels at a ribbon cutting on March 1 which, no doubt, will be behind us when you read this report.

This winter of snow and ice and sleet and rain has seen our participants walk, wheel, and dance up and down the heated, covered ramp (a portico) with nary a care in the world about being clobbered with snow or ice, or slipping or falling on black ice. Come springtime, we will do the roof and the rest of the magic with a newly planted garden to enhance our lovely courtyard. Who could ask for more? What a wonderful world we live in here Woodstock, Vermont.  

Come watch us compete on March 19th at Pico Peak from 10A-2P at the Special Olympics Snow Shoe Competition.

Calling all Actors and Actresses!

Zack's Place Musical:

"Jungle Book, The Zack's Place Musical"

Casting, and reading begins March 1st 3-4P. Practices throughout March 3-4:30P on Fridays.

The Musical is Wednesday May 15th at Pentangle at 5:30P

Practices in April and May Monday and Friday 3-4:30P.

We need actors, cameo performers, stage hands, set designers, and Costume Designers.

email [email protected]

All ZP performers that are interested come Friday the 1st of March.

Monday the 4th of March 8:45A-Fairbanks Museum in St.Johnsbury Return to ZP at 2:45P Bring a lunch

Last Ski Day at Pico Peak!

Ski Day at Pico Peak on March 12th with Vermont Adaptive. Leave ZP at 8:30A Return at 1:15P to arrive ZP at 2P. Bring Lunch