Jodi Fleurie-Wohlleb Recognized For Community Impact

By Joshua Smith

Jodi Fleurie-Wohlleb has been recognized as one of 2026’s Outstanding Women for her ongoing efforts to support neighbors and strengthen her community in Groton, Vermont.

Fleurie-Wohlleb is known for leading the Re-Treasure Community Closet, a free resource that offers clothing, household items, diapers, hygiene products, food, and other essentials to those who need them. In an interview with WOKO, she said the project began as a long-held idea. “Re-Treasured Community Closet was a seed that I planted when I was in college,” she said, explaining that she later worked with her daughter and husband to bring it to life.

The community closet operates through donations and serves a wide range of residents. Fleurie-Wohlleb told WOKO that some visitors are people who are unhoused or recovering from difficult situations, while others come in for a meal, conversation, or connection with others in town. “Because we’re so small, they’re there to get the town gossip, share some coffee, have something from the crockpot,” she said.

In addition to the closet, Fleurie-Wohlleb has organized prom outfit giveaways for students, holiday stockings for children, school-break breakfasts, crockpot meals during open hours, and community meals. Her work has focused on meeting both practical needs and creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.

Supporters say her efforts have helped bring people together. One nomination described her as “a pillar of her community,” while another said, “Neighbors are coming together because of Jodi and her amazing work supporting all of us.”

Through these projects, Fleurie-Wohlleb has become a steady presence in her village, offering both resources and connection. Her recognition reflects the impact of service rooted in compassion, consistency, and community.

Groton and the Great Depression

By Deborah Jurist

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GROTON - While doing research on the Page Chain Company, I found myself intrigued by what life was like in Groton during the Great Depression.
Sewell Page, owner of the Page Chain Company, died suddenly in 1934, leaving his wife Alice with 2 teenaged boys and one 3 year old girl named Marge. The boys, Russell and Ronald, decided to drop out of school and get jobs in order to provide for their Mother and little sister, thus preventing them from having to become dependents of the town. They were successful, Russell joined the Army Air Force at 16, and Ronald, just 14, began a long career as a successful farmer. His farm has become the central part of Newbury’s Four Corners Farm.
Source: Cindy Orr, Ryegate Postmistress and Sewell Page’s granddaughter

I asked myself the question, what did it mean for Alice Page and her baby to become dependents of the town?

Reading Groton town reports for the years 1931, through 1934, a picture began to form of what life during the Great Depression might have looked like.

We had an “Overseer of the Poor” who was elected at Town Meeting. Listed in the Reports, were the costs of services and goods provided to people who needed them. In other words, Groton citizens raised funds through the collection of taxes to provide for the poor, both those who lived in Groton, and for those who were listed as “Tramps”, transients who arrived by train. .

Many people boarded with families or individuals. People who took others into their homes were paid for this service by the taxpayers. Those who needed help were often in need for multiple years. There were sometimes children with no parents needing care, as well as the elderly, oftentimes people died during the time they were being cared for.

Groton paid for hundreds of gallons of milk from Blanchards, JK Whites, and EC Frost. Dozens of cords of wood came from individuals. Taxpayers paid for medical care, trips to the Cottage and Brightlook Hospitals, tobacco, telephone calls, clothes, a stove, moving expenses, legal advice, shoes, grave digging, manure, dental care, and glasses. The Overseer of the Poor was paid for a trip to St. Johnsbury to pick up government issued pork
One family appears over and over again. There seemed to be no father, and at first the mother received financial help for caring for her family. Then the Overseer of the Poor was paid for taking one child to New York, then for taking one to the Barre Sanatorium and eventually for taking the rest of the children “away”..

Tramps were “cared for” by individuals and the taxpayers footed the bill, oftentimes in groups. Once there was a charge for 50, once for 27. It looks like the cost for taking care of one tramp was $.75. The service provided was not defined.

In 1995 a 7th grade student, named Emily Dyer, wrote a paper called “Memories of the Depression”. She interviewed several people who had lived in Groton during the 1930s. Among those people were Norma Hosmer, 89 years old, Evelyn Frost Ricker, 75 years old, Margaret Blanchard Miller, Peggy Smith and Raymond Page, who had been an Overseer of the Poor.

Norma remembered eating lots of parsnips and potatoes, but her Mom also made sour cream cookies and cake with apple frosting. Evelyn Frost’s mother made grape sherbet. Margaret Miller’s Mom made donuts, pies and cakes once a week. Raymond Page, who raised 4 children during the Depression remembered hasty pudding, johnny cake, and milk toast. He mentioned that some people the town had supported, paid the funds back, and some of the transients worked on the roads for $.30 an hour.
In 1932 there were roughly 145 entries for payment to individuals, mostly local men, for work done on the roads.
In 1933 the Civil Works Administration, what we usually refer to as the Civilian Conservation Corps, brought 43 men to Groton who worked on the Westville School, the Hatch Brook Rd. and what they referred to as Ricker Rd.

Mrs. Blanche Miller, recalled the work of Harold Miller, who came from NY to work with the CCC Boys..
In Groton he became a stone mason and helped build fireplaces at Stillwater Campground, and the stone tower and steps to Owl’s Head, dragging the stones up the path by hand. Harold Miller and Margaret Blanchard married in 1935, they were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary the year Emily Dyer wrote her essay.

Local people were skeptical about how the CCC boys would fare in rural Groton. It turned out they did great. Alice Lord Goodine recalled that her husband Henry, the barber, would go to the CCC Camp once a week to give the boys haircuts and the young men often came into Groton, and spent money after they were paid.

In conclusion, there was a clear commitment to taking care of “our own” as well as those who came to town because they were homeless. Groton, being a farming town, probably fared better than many urban areas during the depression because food production was common.

As we face the new needs of our neighbors and those who land here without means, we have an opportunity to carry on the tradition set by Groton during the last century.

Care for the poor expenses. The cost of maintenance of local roads is listed for reference.

Community Rallies To Revitalize The Groton Rail Trail

By Trish Griswold

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Members of the Buckaroos of 302 Snowmobile Club repaired the Stephen Hatch Memorial Bridge, providing safe, dependable snowmobile access to the Cross Vermont Trail.

GROTON - Neighbors helping neighbors has been a long-standing tradition in the small, rural community of Groton, VT, and newly-elected Selectman Mike Nahmias, who moved to the area in 2017 and has served as Planning Board Chair for several years, has had the privilege of experiencing first-hand the power of many hands making light work for the Town.

“Groton has got a lot of heart,” remarks Nahmias, who estimates that, over the last 50+ years, 250 of the town’s 950 citizens have been directly involved in helping Groton’s Gateway Project, a grass roots economic growth initiative, come to fruition. The intent of the Gateway Project was to upgrade Groton’s portion of the Cross Vermont Trail (CVT), a four-season, multi-use trail network that spans the State of Vermont, east to west from the Connecticut River at the Vermont/New Hampshire border in Wells River to the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington. The CVT follows the railbed in Groton for 10 miles, the longest segment of the CVT in any town.

“Groton is located at the highest elevation on the trail, the summit, and we are a destination for trail users as we have campgrounds, lakes, ponds, hiking trails, and the forest,” explains Nahmias. “I see us as one of the anchor communities along the trail. Having the new surface in both the town and the forest, we really have the best segment at this time along the trail.”

The Gateway Project has been a collaborative effort, states Nahmias, who has spearheaded much of the Project in recent years and shares a common vision for the future of Groton with Gary Lamberton from the Buckaroos of 302 Snowmobile Club, Groton Recreation Commission’s Mike Gaiss, and Greg Western, Executive Director of the Cross Vermont Trail Association (CVTA). “This project was the genesis of several like-minded, hardworking Groton residents who were in the right place at the right time.”

Nahmias also credits previous Groton Selectboards, Planning Commissions, and other Town Officers for “their forethought in acquiring the railbed from the State of Vermont when it was offered to the Town in the 1980s, for putting an ordinance in place to preserve the railbed as a recreational property with limited access for vehicles, and for drafting a Town Plan with goals and strategies that laid the groundwork for the Town to continue to maintain and improve the trail and embrace its presence as an economic driver for town businesses.”

Funding for the Gateway Project was made possible through a $225,000 grant from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC), a state-run program managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). One of VOREC’s primary goals is to “strengthen connections between Vermont’s outdoor recreation resources and the benefits that come from participation in outdoor recreation.”

According to Nahmias, the Gateway Project is multi-faceted with many different segments. One portion of the project was to regrade sections of the existing railbed, install and replace eight culverts along the railbed, and install two barrier gates. A landslide in 2023 and a major flood in 2024 caused delays to this portion of the project, but townsfolk and volunteers have persevered despite these challenges.

Another key component of the Gateway Project was to build a 60’ by 100’ all-season parking area near the Village Center (at the old stump dump) and a trailhead with 10 parking spaces, making the CVT fully accessible to snowmobilers, bikers, snowshoers, cross country skiers, horseback riders, walkers, runners, dog sledders, etc. Crucial to the project was acquisition of the lower Groton hydroelectric power station property, a 3-acre parcel of land formerly owned by Green Mountain Power, and the development of a master plan for the proposed 12-acre Groton Gateway Park, which includes the former stump dump and gravel pit as well as retention of its current emergency management use.

Signage and wayfinding for the project were completed in collaboration with the CVTA. This included the design and installation of 50 directional signs on the railbed trail, 6 wayfinding signs, one sign on the road, 2 kiosks, 12 winter trail maps, and a digital map of the railbed trail for the Town’s website. Separate from the grant, Nahmais says, the Buckaroos of 302, whom he refers to as “the unsung heroes of the project,” also repaired the Stephen Hatch Memorial Bridge. These repairs have improved trail accessibility for snowmobilers in the winter months and helped get bikers off Route 302 and onto the trail, increasing safety for everyone.

According to CVTA Board Chair Mike Thomas, the hope is that the newly revitalized rail trail will provide an inviting, safe recreational opportunity for everyone to enjoy the benefits of nature and an active lifestyle. “The Park will be a draw for people to the area, and locals can take advantage of it too with access to the Village of Groton. It ties the community together.”

Former Selectboard Member Deb Jurist is one of many Groton residents who have utilized the CVT for years. “I have been riding my bike on the railroad bed since 1984 when I bought the Stoneshed in Ryegate and built my business, Mountain Meadows Pottery. I have seen a lot of changes over the years for sure. But it still holds true that there is always something to discover on the railroad bed. It might be a green heron, the sound of croakers in the spring, or sumac with leaves in green, yellow and red. The railroad bed never disappoints.”

The revitalized trail, Jurists says, makes for a smoother ride. She recently shared that, decades ago, she and her then 3-year-old daughter nicknamed one of the biggest puddles on the old trail “Sinker.” Thankfully, “Sinker” and the other puddles are gone. “[The railroad bed] is vastly easier to ride on now that it has been upgraded, which makes it much more accessible to me at 75 years old.”

Many local businesses, Vermont-based companies, and community volunteers, including: Berry’s Forest Products, Blue Mountain Excavation, Oliver Landworks, Rise and Run Timber Frames, Robco, SE Group and the Buckaroos of 302, have been instrumental in bringing the Gateway Project to life. “Over 1000 volunteer hours were put into this project,” Nahmias says, “and we couldn’t have done this work without them.”

More information about the CVT, including up-to-date trail maps, are available online at https://crossvermont.org/. Additional information is available on the Groton, VT, website at https://grotonvt.com/.

Repairs to the Stephen Hatch Memorial Bridge have increased safety for nature goers by getting bicycle traffic off the roadway and onto the Cross Vermont Trail.

The “before” picture on the left shows the surface of Groton’s rail trail (between the Village and Pine Mountain) prior to recent changes. The “after” picture on the right shows the revitalized trail roughly one mile east, closer to Pine Mountain.

The newly designed Buckaroos of 302 Snowmobile Club trail map showcases snowmobile trails in Groton as well as other noteworthy landmarks and reference points.

Retired Groton Fire Chief Wayne Knott Leaves a Legacy of Teaching and Learning

By Trish Griswold

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Longtime Groton Fire Chief Wayne Knott (R) recently retired after a 57-year career in fire service. He has enjoyed sharing his passion for firefighting and emergency services with his son, Henry (L), who currently serves as Captain and Training Officer, and his wife, Dorothy (center), who is a Level 1 firefighter and dispatcher for the department. The Bridge Weekly/Trish Griswold

Groton, VT - Former Groton Volunteer Fire Chief Wayne Knott retired from his post in January, following a distinguished 57-year career in fire service, but his legacy of teaching and learning will burn brightly for many generations to come.

“Chief Knott has been a pillar in the Vermont fire service for many years,” remarks Jamie Eastman, a Flight Nurse-Paramedic at Boston MedFlight who got his start in emergency services as a cadet working under the tutelage of Ret. Chief Knott. “He welcomed me into my first EMS role and opened the door to where I am today. He gave me the opportunity to continue my EMS education.”

Ret. Chief Knott’s influence is far-reaching, and his resume is both extensive and diverse. His career began at age 16 when he joined the cadet auxiliary program at the local fire department in his hometown of Barnstable, MA. As a child, he was “scared” of the 1938 Mack fire truck that bellowed down the roads of Barnstable to fires in his area, but he laid those fears to rest when a group of friends convinced him to become a fire cadet. “We were fortunate that we had some excellent people who took this ragtag bunch of teenagers and showed them the pump, the nozzle, and so forth. We were spoiled,” says Ret. Chief Knott, who admits to enjoying the adrenaline rush. “We had a county drill yard, like from [Groton] to Haverhill, so we’d go over to the drill yard, and we would do things we can’t do now because of EPA guidelines.”

Ret. Chief Knott served with the Barnstable Fire Department until 1974 when he married his wife, Dorothy, and they moved to Woodbury Lake in Calais, VT. He worked as a horse logger but decided to return to college and pursue a career as an arborist. Ret. Chief Knott earned an Associate in Arts Degree in Education from Cape Cod Community College, an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Forestry from Paul Smith’s College, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resources from UMass-Amherst. In 1977, the Knott Family moved to Groton, VT, where Ret. Chief Knott became employed at Northeastern Log Homes before eventually starting his own boat and canoe repair business.

In addition to maintaining his full-time job, Ret. Chief Knott devoted himself to building a network of emergency services both locally and throughout the region. He served as a Vermont State Fire Instructor for more than 20 years. He also served on the Board of Directors and the Training Committee for Twin State Mutual Aid and held the post of Vice President and Inspector for Capital Fire Mutual Aid. Ret. Chief Knott was a founding member of the Groton-Ryegate FAST Squad, serving as Head of Services for three years, and a Rural Water Instructor for a private company called Catamount Fire Training for more than 15 years. During his 18 year-career with the Groton Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD), Ret. Chief Knott organized and facilitated a multitude of drills and trainings for the department, including but not limited to: Ice Rescue Team training, Dry Hydrant Program training, DHART Landing Zone training, Flashover training, Firefighter Rehab training, Logger Rescue training, and an Emergency Vehicle Operating Class.

When asked about the accomplishment(s) he is most proud of, Ret. Chief Knott references a bookshelf at the Groton Free Public Library that contains a vast collection of texts and other resources for fire and emergency medical services. The library’s computer system also has a direct link to the National Fire Academy so that “an individual can sit here in Groton and get material from the National Library to help them advance their career…these are resources for the next generation.”

Ret. Chief Knott cites recruitment, retention, and training as the biggest challenges he faced during his tenure. “We’re here to help when people are having a real hard day,” he explains. “We've had some tragedies over the years, but we’ve had some saves too.” In addition to the level of commitment necessary and the emotional toll on first responders, Ret. Chief Knott says the training required for each certification “takes hundreds and hundreds of hours.” He hopes that making education more accessible through the materials offered at the local library will help inspire the next generation to become more involved with emergency services.

According to Ret. Chief Knott’s successor, Chief Aaron Smith, “Wayne's decades of service to the Groton Fire Department has unquestionably been the reason for its continued operational success. For years, Wayne has emphasized outside of the textbook teaching or ‘local training to local realities’ which, beyond a doubt, has saved more than one area family's home. I check with Wayne before clearing off an emergency scene, making sure I have not overlooked something.”

Ret. Chief Knott is undoubtedly a wealth of knowledge and well-respected for his expertise. He has helped train hundreds of up-and-coming young firefighters in the area, and his motto has always been, “When you teach, you learn twice.” If there was a job to be done, he worked alongside his squad members, showing them what to do every step of the way. “Chief Knott is the kind of leader who never asks others to give what he hasn’t already given himself,” Eastman states. “His dedication, his stamina, and his refusal to let his community down are what make him truly extraordinary.”

Ret. Chief Knott is humble and well aware that he could not have been “truly extraordinary” throughout his career without the unconditional love and support of his wife, Dorothy, whose guidance has been instrumental to his success. Dorothy, a Level 1 firefighter and dispatcher, helped Ret. Chief Knott build GVFD “from the ground up.” She has worked quietly behind the scenes, filing paperwork, organizing events, preparing food, etc. “The only way I made it through the universe,” Ret. Chief Knott says, “is that woman right there.”

Together, the Knotts have passed their legacy in emergency services on to countless youngsters, including their son, Henry, a mate with Hornbeck Offshore Services who also serves as Captain and Training Officer for GVFD. “Dad’s time in fire service influenced me in many ways. It taught me that, even on the hottest days, you’re still going to pack up and attack the fire because that’s what needs to be done,” Captain Knott says. “It taught me hard work and preparedness so we are ready to respond when called upon to help people on their hardest days. His time as a first responder above all has introduced me to a group of people who are always ready and willing to drop what they are doing to help their neighbors. I’m grateful to be a part of this community.”

GVFD meetings are held at 7:00 pm every Tuesday at the Groton Fire Station. Anyone interested in learning more about fire service is invited to attend a meeting and/or talk with a member of the department.