WESTMINSTER — At its recent annual meeting at the Patch Farm, the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association honored Ray Hitchcock of Cambridgeport as its Volunteer of the Year.
Each year, the Pinnacle Association recognizes one individual from among its many, essential volunteers as deserving of special attention.
In presenting the award, a framed panoramic view from Paul's Ledges, Pinnacle Association Trustee James “Silos” Roberts of Athens mentioned a host of reasons why Hitchcock was the obvious choice this year.
In addition to providing Pinnacle with many excellent photos of its properties and of people enjoying them - all of which are valuable for educational and publicity purposes - Hitchcock designed the new information pages for the Athens Dome and Windmill Ridge maps, and helped write the application for the Pinnacle Association to become formally recognized in the Vermont Trail system.
Hitchcock also has been very active in the Pinnacle Association's Athens Dome at Grafton Conservation Committee. He created the original brochure introducing the Athens Dome project to the public, wrote the recent Act 250 application for the new trails in the Athens Dome and Bald Hill areas, and has been a dedicated recorder of minutes for the Athens Dome at Grafton Conservation Committee.
Known for his succinct and dry wit, Hitchcock has made those committee meetings a most enjoyable and informative experience.
Along with his wife, Adrienne, who is treasurer of the Athens Dome at Grafton Conservation Committee, Hitchcock has been a most willing and active Pinnacle supporter: doing careful and detailed research, completing complicated applications, securing supportive evidence, and arranging appropriate handicapped access to various Pinnacle properties.
Dedicated volunteers such as Hitchcock are the determining factor in enabling the Pinnacle Association to both protect large parcels of land for the benefit of people, plants, and animals, and create and maintain a growing trail system with educational programs that encourage people to enjoy, and become stewards of, the land and its resources.