September scenes: Biking to school, Sunzilla, free books & more
September 29, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti & Gordon Miller 
September marks the start of new routines and somehow, it’s zipped by. Before we completely dive into October, here are some September Scenes Around Town including: Waterbury LEAP’s first Walk and Bike to School Day, the Rotary’s Hunt for Sunzilla (and the other Green Monster) and the Children’s Literacy Foundation’s first community event since its grand opening in Waterbury Center earlier this year.
And of course, Gordon Miller captured some special moments in his travels as well like a blue heron flying past the Winooski River spilling over the Bolton Falls dam, Canada geese taking off at sunset and some quiet visitors at Vermont Artisan’s coffee roastery in Waterbury Center.
Click through to enlarge images and see captions in the galleries below.
Walk & Bike to School
On Wednesday, Sept. 13, around 200 students and their parents from Brookside Primary School and Crossett Brook Middle School turned out at Rusty Parker Memorial Park bright and early for bagels, fruit, juice and cider to start the morning. Afterward, they left the park in groups to walk, bike or scooter to schools.
The Local Energy Action Partnership (LEAP) group organizes these events each fall and spring. To get involved, contact Alayna Howard at alaynahoward@gmail.com. Click to enlarge photos courtesy Waterbury LEAP.
The Hunt for Sunzilla & the Other Green Monster
Sunflowers at Grenier’s on Guptil Road. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
Thursday, Sept. 14, was a busy evening in and around Waterbury and attendance at the Rotary Club of Waterbury’s 30th annual Hunt for Sunzilla (and the Other Green Monster) Contest was sparser than usual. With the Waterbury Farmers Market already ended for the season and a large back-to-school event at Crossett Brook Middle School, Rotarians at Rusty Parker Park outnumbered contestants several times over—but that didn’t dampen their spirits.
“We’re disappointed but not discouraged” with the turnout, contest organizer and Rotarian John Malter said. “The weather this summer didn’t necessarily cooperate with growers of sunflowers and zucchini.”
Those who took part, however, left with prizes and bragging rights.
With some help from his dad Edward and black lab Doug, 9-year-old Alex Greiner from Moretown and Waterbury presented his winning sunflower. Crowned “Sunzilla,” it measured 105 inches (8.75 feet) tall and its flower tipped the scale at 3 lbs. 12 oz.
Susan Bettmann from Middlesex had the lone entry for the Other Green Monster contest: a 5-pound, 20-inch zucchini.
A surprise twist came just as the judging was wrapping up as Jen Dean from Duxbury pulled in with husband Garrett MacCurtain, a sunflower stalk poking out from a side window on their Subaru. The Sunzilla award already decided, contest officials welcomed the additional entry. Dean was happy with second prize for her specimen that turned out to be the taller of the two at 124 inches, but its flower weighed in at just 3 lbs. 2 oz.
Rotarians handed out award certificates and Malter distributed prizes from Sunflower Market, Evergreen Gardens and Waterbury True Value Hardware including a gift certificate, a reusable shopping bag, bird houses, and of course, birdfeeders with sunflower seeds to fill them.
“We look forward to everybody out there getting some extra Miracle Grow and starting soon for next year,” Malter said.
Free books, stories & library card signup
On Sept. 14, the nonprofit Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF for short) held its first community event outside at its new headquarters on Vermont Route 100 in Waterbury Center.
They reported that a small crowd of children, caregivers, CLiF staff and volunteers gathered for a storytelling session with CLiF founder Duncan McDougall, a book giveaway and donuts from Cold Hollow Cider Mill across the street. Librarians from the Waterbury Public Library also attended and signed up several young readers for their very first library cards.
For more than two decades, CLiF has provided books and programming to nurture reading and literacy among children, particularly those in rural Vermont and New Hampshire communities. Watch for more such events at CLiF in the future. More information online at clifonline.org.
Photo by Gordon Miller