Son of former Thunder Road winner is honor roll student, multi-sport athlete

By Guy Page

At just 13 years old, TJ Haggett of Waterford claimed his first career victory Thursday night September 18 at Thunder Road. Haggett piloted his stick-shift Ford Mustang to the Street Stock checkered flag, edging veteran Tommy “Thunder” Smith on the final points night of the season, as reported by the Caledonian-Record.

The Good Shepherd Catholic School eighth grader turns 14 on September 27. He is one of the youngest winners in track history, joining Kaiden Fisher, who won at age 12.

Haggett, a multisport athlete and honor-roll student, made the jump from go-karts to full-size cars only a year ago. His father and crew chief, former Thunder Road winner Chris Haggett, said he was moved watching his son celebrate in Victory Lane: “I had tears in my eyes, and he was just smiling.”

More photos and information are available at the Haggett Motorsports and Cote Motorsports Facebook pages. 

Peak foliage October 6? – For what it’s worth, the Smoky Mountains National Park Fall Foliage Prediction Map estimates peak foliage in Vermont at about October 6. Not surprisingly, it shows peak foliage beginning in the north and working its way south.

Drought impacts likely to remain – It’s raining this week, but apple picking and Vermont agriculture in general is likely to continue to feel the impact of the extended late summer drought, said a Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Food Markets official last week.

Spokesperson Scott Waterman confirmed this week that drought conditions have reduced apple yields and fruit size across the state, though most pick-your-own orchards are continuing operations as planned.

“We’ve heard that apple crops are less plentiful with smaller fruit generally, but most pick-your-own operations were planning to operate as normal for the season, with the knowledge their offerings would be drought impacted,” Waterman said.

He suggested growers and the public check with the Vermont Tree Growers Association or UVM Extension specialist Terry Bradshaw for the most up-to-date information.

Waterman emphasized that the drought’s toll extends far beyond apples. Farmers have reported hay failures, pasture burnout, reduced feed supply, declining milk production, dry wells, and concerns for both maple foliage and the coming sugaring season.

“The agricultural impacts run the gamut,” Waterman said, “and are mostly already set in stone no matter what kind of rain we get the rest of this year.”

Buffet dinner precedes weight loss talk – Little Rivers Health Care will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting tonight at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, with dinner buffet at 5:30 p.m. and meeting from 6-8 p.m.

The Journal-Opinion reports that guest speaker Jamie Kane is co-founder and COO of Luro Health — a transformative weight management program designed for Medicaid and Medicare patients, supporting the under- and uninsured in achieving their health goals through integrated medical and mental health care at Little Rivers. This event is open to all — community members, partners, and supporters.