Central Vermont best of
spring 2014 volume 2, no. 2
communities and lifestyle in the heart of the Green Mountains
Orchard Valley Waldorf School Trend Watch Homeowners’ Guide Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design
Contents f e at u r e s
33 66 72
Cover photo by Jay Ericson
trend watch homeowners’ guide
build, remodel, decorate, landscape compiled by mary gow
madsonian museum of industrial design Saving the Best for the Future By Cassie Horner
orchard valley waldorf school
educating the whole child By mark aiken
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departments
11 Editor’s Note 12 Contributors 14 community hub 18 Occasions & About 20 Out by Cassie Horner from the kitchens of neci
24 cooking with maple by susan reynolds
in store
28 green envy boutique by susan nye
taste of the town
78 J. Morgans Steakhouse by Dian Parker
on stage
84 green mountain film festival by phyl newbeck
89 dining & Entertainment guide calendar
92 arts and entertainment chat
96 with Emily Kaminsky by stephen morris
24 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
spring! 64 splendid Shopping and fun things to do in Central Vermont
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Central Vermont best of
spring 2014 | Volume 2 no.2
Coffee Table Publishing P.O. Box 1460, Quechee, VT 05059
(802) 295-5295
www.bestofcentralvt.com Publishers
Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch Editor
Kate Carter Copy Editor
Elaine Ambrose Creative Director
Ellen Klempner-Beguin Art Direction/Design
Robbie Alterio Advertising Design
Hutchens Media, LLC Web Design
Locable Advertising
Robin Gales John Gales (802) 295-5295 coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net Keep us posted. Best of Central Vermont wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to letters to the editor, Best of Central Vermont, P.O. Box 1460, Quechee, VT 05059. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing ctpublishing@ comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Central Vermont is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, Š2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Central Vermont accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
SFI-00665
SFI-CS-A-HC
editor’s note
W
e had an unusual winter this year, with record lows and little snow. Winter didn’t really arrive until February, when it finally started to snow and I actually put my new snow shovel to use. Better late than never, I suppose. It seemed this year I would not get a chance to enjoy my favorite winter sports, crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing. But it did eventually snow, turning the backcountry into a beautiful winter playground, just in time to get in the mood for the Winter Olympics. Speaking of winter records, Vermont certainly set one this winter, with the most Vermonters ever participating in the same Olympics—15 in all! If you lost track of how they all did, you can read our followup of Vermonters at the Winter Olympics on our website, www.bestofcentralvt.com. It’s mid February as I write this, and my seed catalogs are spread out on the kitchen table. I’m planning my gardens and getting ready to start tomatoes, petunias, and Brussels sprouts under grow lights. I’m also thinking about changes I might make to my landscaping this summer—moving a baptisia to a sunnier spot, taking a chain saw to those darned invasive honeysuckles once and for all, and planting a few more blueberry bushes. It’s also a good time to start planning outdoor projects, such as replacing the lattice work around the deck (thus preventing the newest four-legged member of the family from escaping from the yard), embellishing the outdoor shower with a platform and some shelving, and installing trellises on the side of the house. Maybe this will be the year for a pergola and kiwi vines. For inspiration, I’ve had the good fortune to edit all the stories and photos for Trend Watch, our special section that starts on page 33. We are featuring the latest trends in home building and remodeling, interior design, and landscaping, with ideas and information from professionals who live in Vermont. Mary Gow of Warren compiled the information, and I’d like to give her a shout-out for her tireless attention to detail. A big thanks also goes to Ellen KlempnerBeguin of Hancock, New Hampshire, who designed the template for the section’s layout. As always, our art director and designer, Robbie Alterio, did a beautiful job laying out the pages. Kudos to Robbie! The professionals who shared tips, advice, and photos of their finished projects also get a big thanks for their contributions to Trend Watch. Check them out in these pages for your own inspiration, then pay them a visit for help on your special projects. Spring is here, and it’s time to shed all that winter clothing, get outdoors, and enjoy the longer days. Pick some daffodils. Steam some asparagus. Whether you’re gardening, installing a fire pit, biking, or hiking, I hope your spring is full of fun activities.
Kate Carter, Editor editor@bestofcentralvt.com
www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont
@bestofcentralvt
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Photo by Jeremiah Johnson
contributors
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be s t of centr al vermont
Journalist and freelance writer Mary Gow is an arts correspondent for the Times Argus, contributes to numerous regional magazines, and is the author of history of science books for middle school students. Mary lives in Warren and can be reached at mgow@gmavt.net.
A former flatlander from New York City, Phyl Newbeck lives in Jericho where she has learned to stack a mean pile of firewood. She writes for several local weekly, biweekly, and monthly publications and is the author of the book Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving.
When he’s not freelance writing for regional and national magazines, Mark Aiken of Richmond, Vermont, teaches skiing at Stowe Mountain Resort and trains for marathons with his wife Alison. They recently became involved in a new endurance sport, parenting. Contact Mark at aikenaction@gmail.com.
Susan Nye writes for
Photographer Orah Moore lives in Hyde Park and owns Haymaker Card and Gift Gallery in Morrisville. Her book, Stowe: A Vermont Town for all Seasons, is available throughout Vermont. When not hiking or driving Vermont’s back roads in search of the perfect photo, Moore is often paddling her kayak in photographic pursuit of another passion, loons.
Cassie Horner is a writer,
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
magazines throughout New England. She shares many of her favorite recipes and essays on her award-winning blog Around the Table at www.susannye.wordpress.com.
editor, and publisher, and the author of Lucy E.—Road to Victory, a historical novel. Her roots in Vermont go back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and three dogs—an English Shepherd and two dachshunds.
online hub
www.bestofcentralvt.com
48-Hour Film Slam
perfect sauce
www.bestofcentralvt.com
Online Exclusive
recipe
Visit www.bestofcentralvt.com to see previous contestants in the 48-hour Film Slam at GMFF.
Get J. Morgans Steakhouse’s Perfect Sauce recipe at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
cooking with maple
eNewsletter
trend watch
recipe
gallery extra
Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com for four mouth-watering maple syrup recipes from NECI.
Many more beautiful photos online at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
orchard valley waldorf School
Vermonters at the olympics
Sign up for our newsletter www.bestofcentralvt.com Our newsletter includes up-to-date info on: • Local event listings from our online calendar • Special offers from Best of Central Vermont and local businesses • Insights from our communities and towns, and much more . . .
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CLICK ON OUR ONLINE CALENDAR TO SEE LOCAL EVENTS APRI HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN EVENT FREE!
gallery extra
online exclusive
See our photo gallery at www.bestofcentralvt.com
For a recap of how Vermonters did at the Olympics go to www.bestofcentralvt.com.
blogger wanted? Best of Central Vermont magazine is looking for a prolific blogger. If you like to write about Central Vermont, outdoor activities, theater, music, food, people, pets, and any other topics of interest to our readers, contact our editor, Kate Carter, at editor@bestofcentralvt.com for more information about this unique writing opportunity.
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occasions
All photos by tiana cross
Ladies’ Night at the Museum The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum held a fundraiser, Ladies’ Night at the Museum, last November 25. This was the second year for the wildly popular event, which helped to raise $5,000 for the nonprofit museum. The night offered a fashion show of skiwear and après winter wear from Winterfell, AJ’s Ski and Sports, Skiershop, Nordic Barn, Well Heeled, Green Envy, Burton Snowboards, and Skida. Dancers from the Stowe Dance Academy modeled the clothes and trotted on the catwalk like real pros. For more information about the museum, please visit www.vtssm.com. 1
3
1 Stowe’s Nordic connection (left to right): Trina Hosmer, Carrie Nourjian, and Carol Van Dyke.
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4 5
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2 Alison Beckwith in one of the many outfits she wore that night.
3 The models from Stowe Dance Academy: Coach Kristi Lovell, hugging squirrel mascot (Ginny Chenoweth). Back row, left to right: Morgan Klein for Winterfell; Abigail Dunham for Skiershop; Natalie Herwood for AJ’s Ski and Sport; Meaghan Driscoll for Nordic Barn; Emma Hinkson for Burton Snowboards; Annika Norden for Green Envy; Rachael Barr for Well Heeled.
4 Stowe’s Laura Goddard and Alison von Puschendorf putting on the dance moves.
5 Pascale Savard of Creative Events organized Ladies’ Night on behalf of the museum.
6 Here is Stowe’s Natalie Herwood modeling ski clothes for AJ’s Ski and Sports.
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
We’d love to hear about your event. Please send photos to editor@bestofcentralvt.com
out and about
by c assie horner
1864: Some Suffer So Much The Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University in Northfield continues its series of Civil War exhibitions with 1864: Some Suffer So Much, which opened Monday, January 13 and will run through December 2014. This exhibit, the fourth in the series exploring Norwich University’s contributions to the war effort, is built around the stories of Norwich alumni during the heavy conflicts that took place in 1864. The stories of military surgeons are told through artifacts, photographs, and ephemera. These men treated soldiers on the battlefields and in three Civil War hospitals in Montpelier, Burlington, and Brattleboro. The exhibit also follows the history of post-traumatic stress disorder from that war to the present day. Complementing the exhibition is a series of free lunchtime lectures during the academic year. For example, on Wednesday, March 5 at noon in the Museum Rotunda, Norwich University History Professor Steven Sodergren will give a talk titled “The Horrors I Have Witnessed: Union Soldiers Respond to the Battlefields of 1864.” In 1864, the Civil War in Virginia reached a new level of intensity that led to the battlefields of Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor, with over 55,000 Union casualties in a matter of weeks. This unprecedented slaughter left Northern soldiers reeling from the immediate trauma of surviving some of the hardest fighting of the American Civil War, and years later these men still found themselves struggling with the reality of survivor’s guilt when they chose to write about their experiences. This program series is sponsored by the Sullivan Museum Associates and is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be provided. The Sullivan Museum and History Center is located on Norwich University’s Northfield campus and is open free to the public Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, and Saturdays 11am to 4pm during the academic year. For more information about the museum and the schedule of presentations, call (802) 485-2183 or visit www.norwich.edu/museum. 20
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Top: A medical case carried in the Civil War by a contract surgeon with the 98th New York Volunteer Infantry. Photo courtesy Sullivan Museum & History Center Collection. Bottom: Medal of honor recipient Edward B. Williston, Norwich University, 1856. Photo courtesy of Norwich University Archives. Opposite: This 1847 Norwich uniform coatee belonged to Francis Minor Lincoln, Norwich Class of 1850. Photo courtesy Sullivan Museum & History Center Collection.
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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out and about
Stowe Weekend of Hope For the 14th year, Vermont’s medical community and Stowe’s hospitality community are partnering to offer the Stowe Weekend of Hope for cancer survivors and their families. This year, the event, which brings people together for a weekend of inspiration and education, is scheduled for May 2 through 4. The weekend’s slogan is “A celebration of life and learning for cancer survivors and those who love them.” The activities of the three-day event include nationally renowned oncologists from New England and leading Vermont researchers in the field presenting lectures and seminars on cancer prevention and treatment. Also presented will be support systems that bring comfort, healing, and spiritual connectedness, and a health and information fair offers links to health organizations, authors, nonprofits, and other resources. Ecumenical services, sporting activities, and live music are also included. The goal of the weekend is to offer an opportunity for cancer survivors and their families to spend time with profes-
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
sionals and others learning about the disease that has such a major impact on all their lives. The weekend is funded in order to allow attendees to participate without burdening them financially. Sponsors are very welcome. The event is presented by Stowe Weekend of Hope, Inc., in cooperation with the Vermont Cancer Center, Cancer Patient Support Program, Copley Hospital, Central Vermont Medical Center/National Life Cancer Treatment Center, and the Stowe Area Association. For more information about the event, including the schedule of activities and details about how to register and how to become a sponsor, visit www.stowehope.org.
Clockwise from top right: Ladies in leis having fun at Stowe Weekend of Hope. Guest speaker Roz Grossman (right) of The Neshamah Center, with a Stowe Weekend of Hope attendee. Kimberly Luebbers, with guest speaker Dr. Elise Everett, both of the Vermont Cancer Center. Manon O’Connor, Charlie Brooks, and Kimberly Luebbers of the Vermont Cancer Center.
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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from the kitchens of neci
by Sus an Re ynolds
ph otos co ur t e s y o f NECI
Cooking with Maple 24
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Clockwise from top: Chef Kat preparing Maple Shortbread. More sweets from NECI’s kitchen. Maple syrup, a stable in NECI’s pantries. Chocolate and raspberry cake. Opposite: NECI’s La Brioche Bakery and Café in downtown Montpelier offers a feast of freshly baked pastries and cakes from their baking and pastry students.
How Sweet It Is!
Kathleen Kessler—Chef Kat to students and colleagues at New England Culinary Institute—grew up in Monkton, Vermont on a dairy farm. Long before the words “local” and “organic” entered the culinary conversation, Chef Kat was shaking the dirt off the carrots in her parents’ garden, scratching her hands on raspberry vines, eating wild strawberries, and milking cows. One of her favorite childhood memories is eating breakfast for dinner on chilly winter evenings. Homemade sausages and last year’s maple syrup were the stars of the show. Today, Chef Kat, department chair of the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at NECI, remembers that there wasn’t a lot of time on the farm for fancy baking. “If I wanted chocolate chip cookies, I had to make them,” she laughs. “I also had three siblings who liked to eat!” She says the most important qualities for any good baker are curiosity and accuracy. “You can’t be afraid to try new things. And you have to follow through with accuracy and precision.”
A precious ingredient Maple syrup was often served at home—on oatmeal and pancakes and anything else that needed sweetening. Her parents traded wood with a neighbor for syrup, but it didn’t
NECI Restaurants Chef’s Table 118 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-3188 La Brioche Bakery and Café 89 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 229-0443 NECI on Main 118 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-3188 www.NECI.edu
take little Kathleen long to realize, like every Vermonter, that an awful lot of sap produces very little syrup. “It’s a precious ingredient,” she admits. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it. Maple syrup is an honest, important ingredient with a very high caloric content.
It is made,” she reminds us, “by evaporating maple sap into syrup. Maple sugar results from evaporating maple syrup even further, until it is granular, almost like table sugar. It has a very intense, distinctly maple flavor.” Chef Kat has never lost her amazement that this delicious ingredient comes from a tree. At her wedding, bride and groom gave the guests containers of the precious syrup. “Maple syrup is symbolic of good old Yankee ingenuity and resourcefulness. We’ll use anything! We don’t like to waste!” As for grade, Chef Kat prefers B. “It’s darker and has a smoky flavor. It’s more well-rounded. When used in baking, that intense flavor really comes through. There’s a woodiness, a complexity, an earthiness,” she says, as if she were talking about vintage wine. “Several flavors pair beautifully with maple,” she adds, “including star anise, bourbon, fig, nutmeg, and apricots. And the list goes on!”
Distinct qualities While maple syrup is a delicious ingredient, it can’t just be substituted for sugar, molasses, or corn syrup in baking, Kat warns. You can put it in whipped cream, you can reduce it, you can use maple sugar, but you have to respect the fact that maple syrup has very www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Maple shortbread, maple sugar tart shells, finished maple sugar tarts.
different qualities from granulated sugar. “It’s important to use recipes that have been welltested and developed.” For recipes calling for granulated sugar, she suggests that you experiment with substituting N to L of the granulated sugar with maple sugar. To add a maple flavor to recipes calling for brown sugar, blend K cup granulated sugar with two tablespoons dark maple syrup, and substitute this mixture for K cup brown sugar, increasing the amount as needed. Chef Kat suggests buying your maple syrup at a local sugarhouse, while getting in touch with your neighborhood producers. Maple sugar looks like brown sugar but is very dry; it can be found at some sugarhouses, co-ops, and markets. “Try to buy the Vermont stuff,” she says. “And like any goodquality ingredient, a little goes a long way.” Chef Kat has four treasured recipes featuring maple syrup. They are not your usual waffles or acorn squash, but sophisticated, unusual creations that highlight the pure flavor of her beloved maple: Maple Sugar Tart, Maple Soufflé, Maple Shortbread, and Maple Mousse. “The soufflé,” Kat says, “is great for impressing people. And the maple is surprising. The shortbread is an easy twist on a culinary classic—we make it in my classes. The Maple Mousse, with its pure vanilla and maple flavor, is a sure hit. And the Maple Sugar Tart is the Vermonter’s version of Tarte au Sucre.”
want more info? The four mouth-watering maple syrup recipes mentioned above are available online at www.bestofcentralvt.com.
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
in store
by Sus an Nye
Ph otos by O r a h M o o re
Green Envy Boutique
Looking Gorgeous
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Owner of Green Envy Mary Lou Baraw with personal stylist Jo-Anne Smith. Opposite: Stef Carrell (left) helps Kori Lantas with Tata Harper skin care products. Bangles by Alex and Ani.
We want you to look gorgeous without a lot of effort
I
t looks deceptively small from the outside, but step inside and you will see that Green Envy is big on style, selection, and service. Beautiful contemporary clothing and accessories fill four sunny rooms. Throughout the store, care and attention has been paid to every layer and detail. “We want you to look gorgeous without a lot of effort,” says owner Mary Lou Baraw. Mary Lou started the business almost five years ago. After many years on the distribution end of retail, she was happy to stay close to home with her own shop. Beginning with jewelry and accessories, Mary Lou quickly grew Green Envy into a full-service boutique. Wether you are looking for a new Longchamp bag, Tom Ford sunglasses, a Kate Spade scarf, a Susana Monaco dress for a wedding, or a great pair of jeans, you will find it at Green Envy. She even has cashmere and denim for him. “Green Envy is the first full-time local thing I’ve done,” Mary Lou says. “I love it that I’m not on the road and away from my family.” She adds, “And I love Stowe. My husband grew up here and my children were born here. It is a very active town with a strong sense of community. It’s a great place to raise kids with all the outdoor activities, as well as a great school system.” Throughout the year, Mary Lou stays involved in the community. “I love being part of a small community and have enjoyed being involved in so many of the town’s events, charities, and programs like Stowe Weekend of Hope, Stowe Education Fund, and Helen Day Art Center, to name a few. The community has been so important to Green Envy’s success, and we are so happy to have the opportunity to give back,” she says.
Green Envy is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm. To see what’s new or what’s on sale, and for online shopping, visit Green Envy’s new website at www.vermontenvy.com or stay in touch on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreenEnvyVt or Twitter@greenenvyvt. www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Green Envy’s main floor is filled with clothing and accessories. Kori Lantas tries on a pair of silver earrings.
Look Great, Feel Fabulous Green Envy was voted the number one Women’s Apparel Store by Champlain Business Journal and won the Seven Days Daysies Award for Best Casual Women’s Boutique outside Chittenden County. Mary Lou is proud that her store is a favorite among locals as well as tourists and second-home owners. “It’s important to me that Green Envy is a part of the town,” she notes. “Green Envy has fans and customers of all ages and body types. We strive to have a little something for everyone. “Our style is contemporary, and our goal is to help you find things you love,” says Mary Lou. “It’s very rewarding when someone tells me that the clothes they’ve bought here are among their absolute favorites.” The store does not carry a lot of formal wear, and most of what Mary Lou sells is a bit dressy but still casual. 30
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Green Envy is filled with beautiful clothing you want to touch. “We are very particular about our fabrics,” says Mary Lou. “There is no reason that you can’t be comfortable and still look fabulous.” She gravitates toward soft, natural fabrics. In the spring and summer, you’ll find lots of cottons, denim, linens,
and silks, as well as fine-knit cashmere and leather. Some of her favorite lines include Joie, Vince, Theory, AG, Tom Ford, Kate Spade, and Alex and Ani. Want to wear your loyalty and look good doing it? Mary Lou carries Stowe-branded outdoor wear from Alp-n-Rock.
A Liebeskind leather studded belt. Owner Mary Lou Baraw showing the new spring collections from Trina Turk and Milly.
In addition to beautiful fabrics, the store provides a nice balance of neutrals, colors, and patterns. “Neutrals are the foundation to a wardrobe,” advises Mary Lou. A pastel color palette for this season would include a soft tan, ivory, or grey, which are great neutrals for spring. Not only will you find comfortable clothing, Green Envy is a comfortable place to shop. The
staff will never hide behind the counter and ignore you. The women who work at Green Envy know the store and the merchandise inside and out. With each shipment—and they are weekly—everyone carefully inspects all new items, paying close attention to the different cuts, colors, and fabrics. Liz Atkins has been working at Green Envy for three years. “I think that it is our
service that sets us apart. We want you to feel welcome the minute you walk in the door. We want to help our customers find that perfect something. More than a boutique, we can dress you from head to toe, and we want you to have fun doing it. Or just have fun looking around.” “This store is amazing,” enthuses Stowe resident and Zumba instructor Simone Youkel. A frequent visitor to the store, Simone loves the cuts and fabrics at Green Envy. “The clothes make you look great, and the fabrics make you feel great!” Like Simone, many customers stop by to say hello and see what’s new. Mary Lou insists, “It’s about the experience, not about the sale. We want our customers to find something they love when they walk through that door. If not this time, then the next time. We want women to have fun and feel welcome.” Every four to six weeks, Mary Lou takes it a step further with a Girls’ Night Out. “It’s all about getting women together for a fun evening,” explains Mary Lou. Refreshments www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Find it at Green Envy! Tata Harper Made-In-Vermont Skin Care Products Made in small batches from 100-percent natural organic ingredients, Tata Harper’s skin care products are making waves across the United States and around the world. Celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow, Lake Bell, and Julianne Moore love her products and O, Vogue, and Vanity Fair rave about them. Born and raised in Colombia, Tata now lives and works on a 12,000-acre organic farm in Addison County, Vermont, with her husband Henry and their children. Many of the herbs and flowers found in her skin care products, including meadowsweet, calendula, lemon balm, and lavender, are grown on the farm. Additional ingredients come from all over the globe. For all-natural good looks, try Tata’s Rebuilding Moisturizer, Hydrating Floral Essence, Rejuvenating Serum, and Restorative Eye Créme. See Tata Harper’s complete line at www. tataharperskincare.com.
are served and there are raffles and a special presentation. Sometimes it’s mini facials with Tata Harper products. Other times, personal stylist Jo-Anne Smith will drop by to give tips or talk about new trends. Whether you’re looking for a fabulous headto-toe outfit for a special occasion or a fun bauble, or you just want to look around, stop by Green Envy to see what’s new for spring.
Green Envy Boutique 1800 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-2661 www.vermontenvy.com 32
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Central Vermont
trend watch best of
BUILD, REMODEL, DECORATE & LANDSCAPE
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of di Stefano Landscaping 3 www.bestofcentralvt.com
by Elizabeth Hewitt Photos by George Soules
B
lake Hackerson and Alex McKenzie of Waitsfield-based Newschool Builders may be younger than many of the other building contractors on the local
scene, but the partners, both in their late twenties, are well-versed in the traditional principles of construction. With more than a decade of experience each, Hackerson and McKenzie have learned the ins and outs of residential construction from master tradesmen in Vermont and beyond. Newschool Builders, now six years old, insists on superior craftsmanship in every project they take on, whether building a deck, installing a roof, or doing a complete remodel.
Combining Old-School Tradition with New-School Vision
Award-Winning
Newschool Builders 34
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Clockwise: The exterior of the award-winning remodeled home in Fayston features resilient and beautiful Western red cedar clapboard and shiplap siding. A classic, functional style for any kitchen, a deep farmhouse-style sink was a must-have for the clients. Custom-milled heart pine flooring was installed throughout the newly remodeled open floor plan for the first floor.
“We do it all,” says Hackerson. “We really shine on seeing a project all the way through. We use old-school fundamentals combined with new-school vision. We really believe in building things that last and are beautiful and functional. You see houses built 100 years ago that are still strong. That is what we are doing today.” With their combined experience, Newschool Builders has the expertise to complete projects from framing to fine finish details. Blake and McKenzie were high school buddies at Harwood Union in Moretown. After graduating, they found themselves working as carpenters together and have been a team ever since. McKenzie comes from a long line of woodworkers. His great-grandfather, Lynwood Smith, founded the Shelburne Craft School, and his grandfather, Lynwood (Woody) Smith, is a well-known local woodworker. “I started in carpentry when I was 14. Woodworking is in my blood and it’s my passion,” says McKenzie. Hackerson and McKenzie’s strengths complement each other. “Blake is really good with the big picture. He’s good with clients and subcontractors, and he really keeps things flowing, while I excel in the finer details of a project. Our different personalities and abilities make for a balanced and complete team on the job site,” says McKenzie. www.bestofcentralvt.com
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The Next Generation of Homebuilders The young company had its chance to shine on a renovation/addition project in Fayston last year. The high quality of their work earned them the 2013 Better Homes Award for Best Residential Renovation in the $251,000 to $400,000 category from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Northern Vermont. “The property is gorgeous, and the structure is incredible,” says Hackerson. The home’s new owners wanted to lighten up the house, have a bigger kitchen, a master bathroom, and radiant heating. To personalize the home to meet their needs, the owners turned to architect Andrew Volansky at Cushman Design Group in Stowe. Volansky and the Cushman Design team worked closely with Newschool’s Hackerson and McKenzie throughout the extensive remodeling. The Newschool team brought their own skills to the home, as well as those of other local craftsmen. McKenzie, who specializes in custom furniture, built the dining room table from reclaimed wood that he and the homeowners found at salvage yards. The boards for the heart pine flooring were milled locally. 36
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
The kitchen was designed for space, entertaining, and comfort. The two-inch-thick wood island top has a prep sink. Tradition is incorporated in a copper ceiling and Shakerstyle cabinets. Two window seats with pull-out storage drawers tie in seamlessly with trim styles and colors. The master bath features a six-foot-long claw-foot tub, his and hers custom cherry vanity, and walk-in shower with built-in bench and custom niches for soap. The dining area was transformed with a custom Shaker-style mantel, wrought iron lighting, and a unique 200-year-old table made of wood locally sourced from Shelburne.
“There aren’t many construction companies as young as we are,” says Hackerson. “We see ourselves as the next generation of fine homebuilders. We may be a young company, but we have learned from the masters who have inspired us to be driven towards creating innovative and beautiful designs and to take pride in every project that we undertake.”
Newschool Builders PO Box 494 Waitsfield, VT (802) 496-7770 www.newschoolbuilders.com
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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creators & dream makers
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Landshapes
architects • builders
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Cushman Design Group Photo by Carolyn Bates, courtesy of Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
Photo by Jim Westphalen, courtesy of Wagner Hodgson Landscape
F
resh colors, clean lines, elegance, and harmony. This spring, even more than usual, it feels like time to refresh and renew. As we get outdoors and enjoy the delights of spring and summer, our home projects, big and small, energize us and
enhance our lifestyles. Elegant simplicity prevails indoors and out. Design experts are seeing sleek clean lines in interior spaces and furnishings. Multifunctional spaces and open floor plans give homeowners flexibility for daily living and entertaining. Palettes are light and bright. Vivid and versatile accents bring lively PHOTOS – for this section, please
splashes of color to a room. Sumptuous deep chairs and sofas transform
chose from Cushman and Bliss photos,
outdoor living. Landscape designs create gathering spots around fire pits,
as well as:
water features, and quiet tranquil oases. Energy efficiency and sustainability are now cornerstones of new and remodeled homes. Homeowners today have abundant options for minimizing energy use, vastly reducing their fuel bills without compromising comfort or style. Our local architects, builders, decorators, landscape designers, and other experts know the trends and the timeless essentials to truly make our houses our homes. Take a journey through these pages with us and see what the Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Cushman Design Group
experts are doing. You will be inspired by their skills, knowledge, and talents. www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Cushman Design Group
architects • builders
“Open floor plans integrating the kitchen as the focal point of the living space are a continuing trend,” says Dave Kerr, owner of Bliss Carpentry in Montpelier. “We have also noticed that counters seem to be moving away from slick granite surfaces to warmer stones like limestone, marble, and slate, and converting to a spa bathroom with a large walk-in shower and roomy bathtub seems to be on everybody’s to-do list.” — Dave Kerr, Bliss Carpentry Montpelier, VT
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Photo by Angelique Lee Design, courtesy of Bisbee’s Home Décor Center
Room Flow
Photo courtesy of Bliss Carpentry
“Repurposing of reclaimed objects, the creation of new products using materials in non-traditional ways, and looking for ways to make unique statements in the architecture is a continued current trend,” says Andrew Volansky, architect for Cushman Design Group. “Whether using old metal minnow traps as light fixtures, corrugated metal roofing or diamond plate steel as wall panels, or overhead garage doors to create a generous connection to the outdoors, we have had lots of fun with our clients imagining new ways to provide interesting design solutions.” — Andrew Volansky Cushman Design Group, Stowe, VT
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Cushman Design Group
courtesy of bliss carpentry
Green Flooring “Greener options in flooring, such as reclaimed lumber and natural local stone, are in demand.” — Dave Kerr, Owner Bliss Carpentry, Montpelier, VT
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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architects • builders
Photo by Angelique Lee Design, courtesy of Bisbee’s Home Décor Center
Go Big with Tile “Large-format tile in interesting shapes and sizes is a new trend in bathrooms, kitchens, and flooring. Among the new styles, we are also seeing a range of more wood-looking and plankshaped tiles. These can be laid in different patterns, including herringbone, giving your floor a distinctive look.” — Beth Nordahl, Bisbee’s Home Décor Center Waitsfield, VT
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Photo by Angelique Lee Design, courtesy of Bisbee’s Home Décor Center
Team Up “If you’re building new, bring your whole team on board at the beginning. When you select an architect, pick your landscape architect, too. They’ll work together and you’ll get an even better project.”
— Keith Wagner Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture Burlington, VT
Photo by Angelique Lee Design courtesy of Bisbee’s Home Décor Center
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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interior design
design for your home
Photo by RLPhoto
courtesy of landshapes
“We gave up a lot when polyester was introduced. We moved away from natural fibers to ones that were produced with petroleum-based products. We lost the knowledge of how to clean and care for natural fibers. One of the most common questions we are asked is ‘Can I wash this?’ ” We have forgotten that everything was once washed! There was no ‘drip–dry’ and there were no dry cleaners. Natural fibers do not hold odors, stains can be removed more easily, and they last longer, but they take more care. The last 50 years have been dedicated to doing things faster but not better.” — Susan Dollenmaier Design Center at Anichini, Quechee, VT
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Where we live is who we are. Our homes are our sanctuaries where we can relax, unwind, and just be. Interior design trends are leaning toward locally sourced products, durable materials that will last for many years, and energy efficiency.
“Radiant Orchid is the Pantone color of the year, but to tell the truth we were very surprised,” says designer Lindsay Anderson of Design Matters. “We are seeing a lot more blue, especially cobalt blue. Blue is one of those colors that everyone goes back to, and it’s easy to design with it. With our long dark winters, vibrant colors are especially welcoming. Vivid accent pieces and window treatments can transform a room. We love to use Company C for their colorful rugs, furniture, and accent pieces!” Lindsay Anderson, Design Matters, South Burlington, VT
“We love the trend of wood treatments, such as whitewashing, bleaching, and cerusing to lighten and finish wood while enhancing the natural grain,” says Michelle Holland of Michelle Holland Interiors in Shelburne. “Transitional lighting gives modern sensibility to a traditional home. Look for simple forms and finishes that can fit with either a historic or contemporary setting.”
Photo by Jane Beiles Photography. Interior Design by Nantucket House Interior Design Studios.
— Michelle Holland Michelle Holland Interiors, Shelburne, VT & Nantucket House Interior Design Studio, Nantucket, MA www.bestofcentralvt.com
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interior design
global style “Anichini has worked with the finest mills and small artisanal weavers from around the world for over 25 years. They showcase the genuine article, ranging from the finest Italian bedding, hand-spun and hand-loomed cashmere from Nepal, and linen from Lithuania, just to name a few. The Anichini style has long been a proponent for global style, a meeting place for natural materials, travel finds, and exotic textiles. An array of patterns from different cultures feels modern and fresh when combined.� — Susan Dollenmaier Design Center at Anichini, Quechee, VT
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Photo by Jane Beiles Photography. Interior Design by Nantucket House Interior Design Studios.
clean lines “Simplicity: muted colors, natural fabrics, clean lines. I always place emphasis on paint and pillows, which are easy to change year to year and offer maximum impact for minimal cost. Recently, I have been using lighter, clearer paint colors with white trim for a clean, modern look. Pillows are larger but simplified. The emphasis is on plush fills and quality fabric, rather than embellishment.” — Michelle Holland Michelle Holland Interiors, Shelburne, VT & Nantucket House Interior Design Studio, Nantucket, MA
new school builders
bliss carpentry
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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ask the experts
2014
What one tip would you give homeowners as they look ahead to their 2014 projects?
The Lighting House
bisbee’s home décor center
Interior Design “The most economical design tip is to edit. De-cluttering and rearranging can put a fresh face on a familiar space.” — Michelle Holland, Michelle Holland Interiors, Shelburne, VT “The state of Vermont has a lot of rebates in place to help clients with costs for LED. We offer instant rebates in our store. Stop in and let us show you the options available in LED lighting. We can answer all your questions.” — Roger Corbitt, The Lighting House, Shelburne, VT “You don’t need elaborate draperies; shades are a great option and save on energy costs. Some of the shades, Hunter Douglas for example, even qualify for tax credits.” — Lindsay Anderson, Design Matters, South Burlington, VT “What you want is worth waiting for. Don’t settle for something just because it has a shorter lead time.” — Joanna Revers, Design Center at Anichini, Quechee, VT
Kitchens “Educate yourself about the wide range of quality countertops made of natural materials. There are a lot of really cool stone products you can use for your countertops. With the right knowledge about how to care for and maintain them, you will have beautiful countertops for decades.” — Mike Richburg, Burlington Marble & Granite, Burlington, VT “Grey is the new beige! Grey is an easy choice when trying to set a neutral palette for your kitchen. It complements stainless steel appliances and metal finishes.” — Haley Pryce, Bisbee’s Home Décor Center, Waitsfield, VT
Landscape “A fireplace or grill pit is an elegant addition to an outdoor living space. When planning for one, there are a few things you should consider. Think safety first, and be sure the location can handle the heat, and that the
ann roche
size and style fits the scale of the space and surrounding environment. Also consider making the location a destination place in the landscape— close enough that it will get used but far enough away to draw folks into a new space. Know your options, from simple match lit and log burning to fully automated gas burning.” — Chris di Stefano, di Stefano Landscaping, Underhill, VT “Whether to use stone or concrete in your landscape is a matter of personal taste. The more-intricate outdoor designs right now tend to be natural stone, but there are good options in both.” — Eric Mootz, Trowel Trades Supply, Colchester, VT “For swimming pools, new systems are available that use a salt chlorine solution. There is no odor, and the water is soft on your skin and not hard on your eyes.” — John Leduc, Landshapes, Richmond, VT “Be sure to take the final step . . . find time to enjoy the garden. Listen to the water, smell the grass, plant a tree, stroll about, and strive for resiliency in 2014.” — Megan Moffroid, Broadleaf Landscape Architecture, Waitsfield, VT
Outdoors “Buy the best that you can afford. Cheaper materials won’t last as long.” — Paul Koenig, Koenig Cedar Company, South Burlington, VT “With the new LED technology, you can have outdoor fixtures that last for 30 to 40 years and use a fraction of the power of old systems.” — Jeff Hodgson, Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, Burlington, VT “Plan ahead! Assess your budget and put together a wish list. Come in to our showroom, and we will guide you in creating a plan to achieve your ideal outdoor living space. Nothing can take the place of sitting in the furniture and touching the textiles. Our prices are extremely competitive, and most companies give a 15-year warranty on their frames.” — Ann Roche, Ann Roche Casual Furniture, Shelburne, VT www.bestofcentralvt.com
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kitchens
the heart of your home
The kitchen is the heart of the home. That has never been truer than it is today. A kitchen island provides a family gathering spot—a space to prepare food, cook, dine, do homework, or play games. An island also provides extra storage and even a hiding place for appliances.
courtesy of landshapes
Photo by Jim Westphalen, design by Peregrine Design Build, courtesy of Burlington Marble and Granite.
What’s Hot? “White marble! You can do so much around white. White is bright and from a design standpoint, it opens up possibilities for your cabinets, backsplashes, and flooring. In the past, people worried about stains on white marble—that you would set down a bottle of red wine and have a stain forever. Now, between the material itself and new great sealers on the market, staining is not an issue. — Mike Richburg Burlington Marble & Granite Burlington, VT
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— Mike Richburg Burlington Marble & Granite Burlington, VT
Photo courtesy of Bisbee’s Home Décor Center
brown and davis design
“Vermont is famous for our own white marble quarried in Danby,” says Mike Richburg of Burlington Marble & Granite. “Danby marble is predominantly white, but it has about nine varieties. Each one of these is unique. They have different veins of color— from green to very subtle grey and brown. It is astounding material, famous worldwide for its beauty and practicality. Here in Vermont, we have the granite capital of the world, the best slate in the world, and superb Danby marble.”
“Mix rustic and natural finishes with clean contemporary lines. Textures of rough natural stone contrasted with glass and polished surfaces create visual depth but are still easy to clean and maintain.” — Haley Pryce Bisbee’s Home Décor Center Waitsfield, VT
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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bathrooms
Create a luxurious bathroom with a spa-like feel. Frank DeAngelis, owner of Close to Home, shares tips and advice.
RELAX AND UNWIND
“The renewed demand for USA-made faucets has brought about the rise of many fine, high-quality American faucet manufacturers,” says Frank DeAngelis, owner of Close to Home in South Burlington. “Our showroom represents USA faucet lines such as Watermark, Sigma, California Faucets, and Waterstone, all made in America with pride! These manufacturers deserve our support because not only are they creating American jobs, but they are also adhering to very strict environmental laws, and many of them have been cited with ‘Green’ awards.” photos courtesy of close to home
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global style “Many of our customers are opting out of having a master bathtub and are instead putting in a great master shower,” says Frank. “Since a bathtub is important for a home’s resale value, a standard alcove bathtub is usually installed in a secondary bathroom.” Master showers are incorporating glass walls and doors along with multiple showerheads, with the rainhead still being the most popular at Close to Home. “Rainheads can come out from the wall or drop down from the ceiling, and recent offerings are much more streamlined and clean-looking than earlier versions,” Frank says. “Clients are also enjoying the benefit of a thermostatic valve, which allows them to set water temperature and precisely control the volume of water.”
Lighted mirrors put the light right where you want it for applying makeup or shaving. Available dimmers can create a peaceful bathing mood or a nightlight.
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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interior lighting
not all led Fixtures are created equal Photo courtesy of The Lighting House
“The best advice we can give folks with new projects coming up is to learn their options for the uses of LED bulbs and LED fixtures. We see people cringe when we bring up LED. They think that they are going to see a bluish light. The bulbs we use look just like regular bulbs and will save the clients an average of 85 percent in energy costs compared to conventional bulbs.” — Roger Corbitt, The Lighting House Shelburne, VT
Photo courtesy of The Lighting House
“The hottest things in lighting design are the choices of polished nickel and chrome. The vintage look with reproduction vintage bulbs is also popular. Antique brass is also seeing a little resurgence.” — Roger Corbitt, The Lighting House Shelburne, VT
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Photos courtesy of Barre Electric and Light Supply
“Almost everyone has heard of LED lighting by now, but take note: Not all LEDs are created equally. LED lighting gives you the same look as your incandescent lighting, but for a fraction of the cost. When shopping for LEDs, keep in mind the differences in color, beam-spread patterns, and shapes and sizes, or simply let us pick the right one for you. We know there are lots of light choices out there, and we’ll help find the right one for your application.” — Greg Isabelle, Barre Lighting Barre, VT
www.bestofcentralvt.com
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landscaping
integrating your home into the outdoors
“One design trend that continues to intensify each year is enhancing the landscape as an extension of the indoors. More and more people wish to relax, entertain, cook, dine, sit in front the fire—even take showers—in the outdoors. Growing in popularity are sofas, daybeds, kitchens, fireplaces, showers, stereo speakers, soothing flower fragrances, and the meditative sound of trickling water for creating beautiful living spaces in the fresh air.” — Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design, Burlington, VT Photo by Carolyn Bates, courtesy of Cynthia Knauf Landscape and Design
Photo by Susan Teare, materials by Trowel Trades Supply, design by Landshapes
“The trend to integrate the home into the landscape continues, with homeowners making more outdoor living spaces. But now we’re taking it to a new level. Homeowners are adding a lot more components—more landscape lighting, fire pits, built-in spas with stonework around them, and pools and swimming ponds. With these features, homes are becoming vacation spots.” — Jason Hutchins, Landshapes Richmond, VT Photo by Kirsten Seibert, Broadleaf Landscape Architecture
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“Foremost in our list of essentials is weaving multiple project ideas together through the development of a master plan or site plan. A plan helps the homeowner prioritize, phase, and budget projects, as well as edit and refine ideas. The site/master plan should be responsive to the homeowner and the functions, as well as make the most of opportunities that are presented by the natural environment, such as a microclimate, a wet spot, typography, or a great tree, to name a few.” — Kirsten Seibert, Broadleaf Landscape Architecture Warren, VT
Kirsten Seibert, Broadleaf Landscape Architecture
what’s hot “Well . . . the sun is certainly hot, and we see more extremes in the garden, from dry to saturated. For gardens and landscapes to be resilient through these extremes they need to be well balanced, installed in structurally sound environments, and nourished long enough to develop a good root system.” — Kirsten Seibert Broadleaf Landscape Architecture Warren, VT www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Photo by Jim Westphalen, courtesy of wagner hodgson landscape architecture
landscaping “Recent advances in lighting technology have opened up entirely new design possibilities. We can do a lot of things with light that are very low energy and take little maintenance,” says Jeff. Adds Keith, “Lighting can be very dramatic. It can also be cost effective. You get a big bang for your buck if you have a good landscape lighting plan.” — Jeff Hodgson and Keith Wagner, Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, Burlington, VT
Photo courtesy of Ann Roche Casual Furniture
“The migration to the outdoors calls for comfortable furniture. The current color trend is white. It is fresh and timeless and can coordinate with anything. Lime greens, navy blues, and aquas are bright and cheery. I recommend a solid fabric on large furniture pieces with patterns on pillows for emphasis.” — Ann Roche Ann Roche Casual Furniture Shelburne
Photo courtesy of Koenig Cedar Company
“Decking is hot! People are installing new decks. The all-important cedar decking and tropical hardwoods, including mahogany and ipe, are superb choices for your outdoor space. Hidden fasteners to attach the deck are concealed on the side; these give your deck a clearer surface and a cleaner look.” — Paul Koenig, Koenig Cedar Company South Burlington, VT
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Trends “A trend that continues to grow is the desire to help protect and/or rejuvenate our natural environment. More of our clients are asking us to design landscapes that will not harm the environment. Some communities actually require it, for example, by requesting that additional storm water generated by a new landscape is contained within the property boundaries. This requirement helps to keep pollutants out of our streams, rivers, and ponds, and Lake Champlain. Rain gardens and pervious pavers catch storm water and allow it to infiltrate the ground below them. Folks are also interested in minimizing air pollution by reducing or eliminating lawns and using local materials that require short deliveries to the site.�
photo courtesy of wagner hodgson landscape architecture
— Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design Burlington, VT
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landscaping “We are seeing a lot more designs incorporating the fire pit into the natural stone patio. By bringing the fire pit close to the house it becomes a more central part of your living space. Your outdoor space can be your retreat—a relaxing oasis filled with warmth and soothing surroundings.” — Eric Mootz, Trowel Trades Supply Colchester, VT
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Trowel Trades
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of di Stefano Landscaping.
“Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits can really expand a home’s outdoor living space and extend the outdoor living seasons. A fireplace or fire pit adds a great focal point and gathering place for grilling, roasting marshmallows, or just enjoying a drink while stargazing. Who doesn’t like to gather around a fire? People use them even in the wintertime.” — Chris di Stefano, di Stefano Landscaping Underhill, VT
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“With new full-automation systems, you can control your pool, lighting, and other features from your phone or tablet. We even have a fire pit you can remotely control. If you’re on your way home and want to heat up your spa, you can turn it on and it’s ready when you get home.”
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of Landshapes.
Photo by Susan Teare, courtesy of di Stefano Landscaping.
— John Leduc, Landshapes, Richmond, VT
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news & awards
The skilled architects, builders, and designers in our region are working on some exciting new projects and earning recognition for their good work.
Cushman Design Group is working on a 23,000-square-foot addition and renovation to the Sun and Ski Inn and Suites in Stowe. The project includes new and unique hotel rooms, an all-new lobby and porte cochere, and a face-lift to the existing hotel facility. The goal of the addition is to connect all three of the existing buildings already on site and to provide many new amenities, not the least of which will be a new, eight-lane bowling boutique and associated lounge to create a trendy, family-friendly experience with a European touch for the food and beverage selections. Cushman Design Group is also designing a small, remote pavilion located in Lowell, Vermont, that will be a retreat center for performing various types of group activities, including therapy, gatherings, yoga, and more.
Newschool Builders won the 2013 Better Homes Award for Best Residential Renovation in the $251,000 to $400,000 category from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Northern Vermont. Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design has had two of their landscape projects featured in popular design magazines. Their Home in a Meadow was featured in New England Home, Nov/Dec 2013, in an article titled “Perfect Harmony,” and their Traditional Urban Sanctuary was featured in Vermont Magazine, Nov/Dec 2013, in an article called “Old Bones, New Energy.” Traditional Urban Sanctuary will also be featured in Old Home Journal this spring.
Broadleaf Landscape Architecture won the Green Works Vermont Nursery & Landscape Association 2013 Exceeds Excellence Award in the Large-Scale Residential Design category for their work on a residence in Waitsfield. The house was designed by Ellen Strauss of Sanford/Strauss Architects of Waitsfield and constructed by Birdseye Building of Richmond. The judges cited the project’s sensitivity to the architecture of the home, as well as to the site, plant palette, integration of stonework, creative grade-change solutions, and the development of seating areas. Additionally, several of Broadleaf’s projects have been published recently in a new Taunton Press publication titled Landscaping Ideas That Work by Julie Moir Messervy.
Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture received a national American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) design honor award for their Quaker Smith Point residence. ASLA is a national professional society that represents the landscape architecture profession.
Design Matters hired a new designer. Lindsay Anderson graduated cum laude from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science in interior design and a concentration in sustainable design. After working as an intern during her senior year at Endicott, Lindsay was offered a job as an assistant designer at Andra Birkerts Design in Wellesley, Massachusetts. There, Lindsay was exposed to high-end residential design, where she learned about materials, building codes, color, and customer service. After a year with Andra, she moved to Vermont to work as a designer in Stowe, where she had the opportunity to work directly with clients, design reps, electricians, and builders. Michelle Holland of Michelle Holland Interiors & Patina in Shelburne is expanding her Shelburne design business and antique shop by taking over her family’s business in Nantucket. Nantucket House has been providing interior design and fine country antiques for nearly 40 years. Michelle and her husband, Tucker, are looking forward to bringing the Nantucket establishment into the next generation.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Splendid Spring
Shopping & fun things to do in Central Vermont!
Salaam Clothing Company Tonewood Maple Tonewood, an artisanal maple purveyor, has created award-winning products like its Maple Wafers, a 2013 sofi™ Awards Finalist for Outstanding Confection. The company jewel that could change some of the economics of sugaring in Vermont is Tonewood’s maple tree adoption program, a collaboration between Tonewood and maple producers in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. It provides financial support to family-owned Vermont sugar bushes and, through “1% for the Planet” membership, funding for climate change research efforts at the University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center. Enter promo code: BCVTMAR for specials!
A savvy boutique on State Street, Montpelier, featuring our own locally made Salaam Line, as well as a fantastic selection of clothing, jewelry, and accessories for women by your favorite brands, such as Citizens of Humanity, Free People, and Lucky Brand. 40 State Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-4300 www.salaamclothing.com
301 Glen View Road Waitsfield, VT (855) 755-5434 www.tonewoodmaple.com
Copy World Copy World can help you personalize any special gift! Canvas prints, photo calendars, and custom photo birthday cards make the perfect unique gifts for your loved ones. Copy World has great gift ideas for every budget. 59 North Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-3615 www.CopyWorldVT.com Open 7 days
Vermont Farm Table Make it yours. Love it. Beat it up. Fill it with family and friends, then plan on passing it down. Custom tables and kitchenware that work just as hard as you do. Made to order here in Vermont. Flagship Store: 206 College Street Burlington, VT www.vermontfarmtable.com (888) 425-8838
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
T-ja’s Studio T–ja’s Studio Full Service Salon and Tanning is excited to offer hair extensions and full hair pieces from Top Secret Hair. If you have thinning hair or just want a beautiful WOW look call to schedule your complimentary consultation or drop in to see Tanja and let her show you just how easy and affordable a hair extension or piece is. You’re not going to believe how far hair extensions have come! 77 South Main Street Barre, VT (802) 479-2819 Cell: 802-249-2269 www.tjasstudio.com www.facebook.com/Tjas.Studio
Mason Brothers Offering a wide selection of reclaimed and antique building materials, Mason Brothers architectural salvage warehouse’s 13,000-square-foot space is filled with fireplace mantels, stained and beveled-glass windows, lighting, hardware, columns and pillars, marble and pedestal sinks, claw-foot tubs, windows, furniture, and unique artifacts. 11 Maple Street Essex Junction, VT (802) 879-4221 www.greatsalvage.com
Morse Farm It’s our time of year at Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks! We’re making syrup the traditional way here at Morse Farm. Every golden drop of maple syrup we make is boiled over a wood fire. Our season is short, so don’t pass up the chance to drop by, whiff the heavenly aroma of boiling sap, and have a taste. We’ll also tell you the whole story of Vermont maple syrup from “tap to table.” Our eight-generation story is a “can’t miss” here in the heart of maple country! 1168 County Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 www.morsefarm.com
Vermont Furniture Designs VFD is a small, high-quality furniture manufacturer using age-old techniques. We have supplied national chains with their highest-quality solid hardwood furniture for over 40 years. We have a large showroom and factory store at the shop in Winooski, and we can ship our furniture right to your home. 4 Tigan Street Winooski, VT (802) 655-6568 www.vermontfurnituredesigns.com
bright ideas
by C a ssie Horner
Ph otos co ur t e s y M a dso ni a n Museum
The Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design
Saving the best for the future
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The shows in the museum’s main room are changed throughout the year, such as this chair collection, with chair designs by Eileen Gray, Dave Sellers, Frank Gehry, and Mies van der Rohe. Inset: Museum Director Ashley Roark and Museum Founder Dave Sellers (photo by Stefanie Schulman). A Waverly Petit Point Iron c. 1941, an Art Deco streamline design. A Hoover vacuum model 700, c. 1926.
What do a sleek streamlined iron, a cutting-edge 1950s’ washing machine, a Frank O. Gehry chair made of corrugated cardboard, a shiny black Model T, and an egg beater have in common? It’s a three-part answer. All of these items are beautifully designed, made to last, and on display at the Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design on Bridge Street in Waitsfield.
“We humans are the only species that can’t survive on the planet without things,” says museum founder Dave Sellers, an architect who teaches architecture and design at Yale University and at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont, and who was named one of the 100 foremost architects in the world by Architectural Digest. “With product design, once something passes the initial rigorous test, it has to be manufactured in multiples, be marketed, and be affordable, and it has to last so it doesn’t get a reputation as junk. These are all high bars, so things that pass those bars are amazing.” This is part of the philosophy and worldview that brought about the Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design in 2011 and guides its growth. “The museum’s mission is to showcase great designed manufactured goods and the designers behind these objects. By doing this we hope to start a dialog about what we choose to make as a society,” says director and curator Ashley Roark. “We look at things designed to be beautiful and that we keep around us, and also the process of how something is discarded, passed along, or recycled.” For example, a display of early mixers in the Come on Home exhibit (through April 20) features a Hamilton Beach mixer that has three extra brushes inside a replacement part for the motor, an indication of the expectation that this perfectly www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Clockwise: A display of kitchen items from the exhibit Come on Home, which celebrates the very best of home-ware design. A Beetle Cat Sailboat designed by John Beetle. A Kenmore Tip-Toe-Matic Mangle, c. 1950s. The front of the Madsonian Museum, located on historic Bridge Street in Waitsfield.
constructed piece of kitchenware would have a long life. “We start a dialogue with adults and children about the design behind objects,” she says. “We enhance our lives with beautiful design, and we enhance the environment.” Sellers, an ardent collector of objects, conceived the idea for the museum after he put together an exhibit of beautifully made sports equipment at the Norwich University School of Architecture and Art called The Art of Sport, The Shape of Work. “It was a huge hit,” he says of the exhibit. “I decided we were missing a museum in America that was dedicated solely to industrial design. It is not a museum of technology but a place to show the best objects that last and are inspirational.”
No velvet ropes At first, Sellers thought New York City should be the site for the museum. Then he decided the best place would be a notable object—the 68
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Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, California. He attempted to buy it with the idea of selling the thousand staterooms as condos and sailing the ship to New York. Although this idea turned out to be within the realm of possibility, it quickly became apparent that making it happen would be a complex, decade-
long project. Luckily, inspiration struck again. “I was sitting on the Waitsfield Covered Bridge thinking I would never put this together, when I saw a ‘for sale’ sign on the property next to the bridge,” Sellers recalls. When he approached the owner, she said the house was not for skiers. When he told
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A 1934 Chrysler Desoto Airflow and an Electrolux vacuum model 30, 1937, designed by Lurelle Guild, are two of the items on display at the Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design.
her he wanted it for an industrial design museum, she was quickly on board. The whole project, from purchasing the 1840s’ house to establishing the nonprofit museum, took six months. The name Madsonian was created from a blend of the location (Mad River Valley) and an iconic American museum (the Smithsonian Institute). “The museum was instantly popular,” Sellers says. Initially, his collections made up the entirety of the exhibits, but people flooded 70
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in with offers to loan their collections, ranging from irons to the Model T and even egg beaters from a woman who has a collection of 100. Today half of his items make up the exhibits, while half are items from others. Looking at the wide range of items on display, including toys, a reed organ, a 1951 television, and a slot machine confiscated by a sheriff years ago, brings up an important goal of the museum. These items have survived because people care about them, and they are
antidotes to the throwaway mind-set of our culture. “We mine the earth for resources to get us what we need,” says Sellers. “We have limited resources and eventually they will all be gone, and what will be left is recycling what we already have. There is another way to look at this: We can create things sustainably, things that last so we are not continually throwing away and making again.” How people interact with the handsomely made objects in their lives is what the Madsonian is all about. There are no velvet ropes here, so visitors are free to explore what they see. “I hear so many stories from people visiting the museum that are triggered by the objects,” Roark says. “So much is brought up for them by what we have. These items are not just things in a room; they are about what we keep and the memories we have.” The Madsonian is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 4pm, and also by appointment. Visit www.madsonian.org for more information and to learn about upcoming exhibits and classes.
The Madsonian Museum of Industrial Design 45 Bridge Street Waitsfield, VT (802) 496-6611 www.madsonian.org www.bestofcentralvt.com
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Educating the whole child
heart, hands, and head
Orchard Valley Waldorf School
Educa Art an
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best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
by Mark Aiken Photos by Jay Eric son
Art. Music. Movement. Teaching in the oral tradition. “Our teachers must be able to integrate all of these in their daily work,” says Deb Reed, administrator of East Montpelier’s Orchard Valley Waldorf School. The goal, says Reed, is to instill self-confidence and dynamic thinking, and to strengthen the will to persist. On a tour of the school in January, I looked for evidence of these components of the Waldorf education, and it didn’t take long to notice all of them.
Nursery students gather around the table with Early Education Teacher Peggy Roche and assistant Maria Smart. Art and music form key parts of the Orchard Valley Waldorf School curriculum.
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Waldorf Education: A Brief History 1861–1925: The lifetime of Austrian scientist and thinker Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf school movement. April 1919: Steiner visits a Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany, and stresses the importance of social rebuilding after World War I. September 1919: The owner of the cigarette factory asks Steiner to establish and lead a school for the children of factory workers. 1928: The first North American Waldorf school opened in New York City. 2014: Worldwide, there are 900 Waldorf schools in 83 countries, including the Orchard Valley School in East Montpelier founded in 2004. Waldorf is the world’s largest independent educational movement.
W
alking the hallway past classrooms to the main office, I saw artwork on the walls. Before classes began, first through third graders gathered to sing “We Shall Overcome” and other songs of the Civil Rights Movement in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. school assembly.. Visiting various classrooms, I saw students standing at their desks as they recited parts of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech together. Later, despite stinging cold temperatures, students took to the rolling hills that make up their playgrounds behind the buildings for recess. Students were moving, singing, and reciting; these and other tenets of the Waldorf philosophy of education are certainly in evidence at Orchard Valley.
Beginnings in a Barn Orchard Valley Waldorf School is the result of a 2004 merger of two schools, Montpelier’s Child’s Garden and Three Rivers School. Child’s Garden was a pre-K program 74
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with aspirations of expanding to become a pre-K through grade 8 Waldorf school. Three Rivers, meanwhile, comprised a group of parents who incorporated as a school, hired a teacher, and enrolled their kids as students. The two groups came together to purchase the current site of Orchard Valley’s main campus on Route 14 in East Montpelier; the school’s Child’s Garden campus in Montpelier continues to offer a pre-K program. “According to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, you should have two strong kindergartens feeding one first grade,” says Reed, who has served as the school’s only administrator since its inception in 2004. In order to build one strong and sustainable
program in a rural area of Vermont, the two school programs joined forces. One unique aspect of the Orchard Valley Waldorf School is that the property that became the school’s main campus was a Vermont farm. “Important in a Waldorf curriculum are beauty, simplicity, and reverence,” says Reed. These elements are clearly present in the space that has become the program’s main site. The buildings, including two yurts that were added in 2006 and 2010 to house classes as enrollment grew, are simple, but they get the job done. Classroom walls are not poster-covered, and the sparse decorations prompt an appreciation for the beauty of what the building once was—a function-
Clockwise from upper left: First graders playing their role in the Michaelmas Pageant held each October. Welcoming students back on the first day of school. A nursery student and friend during the Michaelmas Festival. Looking through the gate to the farmhouse which houses the nursery and kindergarten classes. The seasonal festivals include crafts tables, with instruction for younger children.
ing dairy barn. Orchard Valley Waldorf teachers adopt personas that Reed describes as “loving authorities” more befitting teachers of a bygone era.
Childhood-centered teaching Jane Hill has been a Waldorf teacher for fifteen years, nine of them at Orchard Valley. She has not only served as a teacher but has also been a parent of two Orchard Valley students. “We chose Vermont to have and raise kids,” she says. “As parents, we chose Orchard Valley because of the energy and spirit of the school. The children are so healthy.” Waldorf schools, say Reed and Hill, are childhoodcentered instead of individual child-centered. “The idea is to meet the developmental stage of each child,” says Hill. Her students, therefore, are 12 going on 13. “This is puberty, just before adolescence,” she says. “There are lots of emotions and soul experiences that are coming to the surface. One way to meet these is to bridge them with the outside world, and that bridge is language.” www.bestofcentralvt.com
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First graders learn to knit. Teacher Jacqueline Gabe speaking to her class at its eighth grade graduation ceremony in June 2013.
In a Waldorf community, great responsibility falls on teachers. First, with no principal, curriculum and programming are teacher-driven and based on the training and expertise of the teachers. Take, for example, Hill’s seventh-grade creative writing block. “This is a standardized curriculum that would be similar to Waldorf schools in Germany, France, or Canada,” says Hill. “However, the choices of poems and stories and how I bring them— these are all mine.” For Hill, the Waldorf curriculum is scaffolding around which to build learning blocks. “My goal is to help them develop writing skills focusing on choice of language, description, observation, and using sensory experience.”
Building a Sense of Place In a Waldorf community, where the objective is to develop the whole child, teachers play 76
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a more direct role in the larger community than conventional teachers. “Teachers meet with parents four times a year,” says Reed. At these group meetings, teachers share information about childhood development, about the current classroom content, and about how parents can help at home. Parents, in turn, raise issues they face. Reed remembers these meetings from when her kids were Waldorf students. “We talked about what we could do instead of popping in a 30-minute video for the kids to watch while we cooked dinner,” Reed says. The answer: “We gave our kids a cutting board and paring knife, and they helped!” Looking back, the notion of involving her kids in household tasks seems obvious, but at the time it was eye opening. “There is tremendous support for families,” she says. Waldorf schools consciously leave electronics and gadgetry out of the curriculum. There are no calculators or computers in Orchard Valley classrooms or in any Waldorf classroom. “This requires buy-in from
families,” says Reed. At the parent meetings with teachers, parents discuss—and come to agreement on—issues like how much screen time to allow their kids at home. Meanwhile, teachers, families, and students grow together; teachers stay with their classes throughout their school experiences—often from grades one to eight. “We really get to know our teacher,” says Talvi Ekis, one of Hill’s seventh graders. “And our classmates are like family now.” According to Ekis, the Waldorf way encourages students to develop creativity. “At other schools, they give students a workbook,” says Ekis. “Here, we make our own workbooks.” To be involved in the Orchard Valley Waldorf School is to experience two parallel influences. The community surrounding the 180 students who attend the school adopts the philosophy of Rudolph Steiner, founder of the first Waldorf school in 1919. And students in a small school in rural Vermont can’t help but feel a sense of place each time they step foot in their school building.
“These are kids of parents who are filled with spirits of independence and initiative,” says Hill. “And they typically have an appreciation for what a special place Central Vermont is.”
Orchard Valley Waldorf School 2290 Vermont Route 14 North East Montpelier, VT (802) 456-7400 www.ovws.org
want to see more? For more photos of Orchard Valley Waldorf School, take a look at the photo gallery on www.bestofcentralvt.com.
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taste of the town
by Dian Parker
Ph otos by Jeb Wa l l ace- B ro deur u nl e s s ot her w ise n ot ed
J. Morgans Steakhouse
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Get Ready to be Wowed! It’s a Sunday morning. Maybe you just walked in off the snowy street with your cheeks burning from the cold, or maybe it’s summer and you just had a brisk walk and want to slide into a cool booth and relax. Either way, you’re relieved to find J. Morgans Steakhouse, with its rich colors and tantalizing aromas. A beaming hostess shows you to your table, and an equally beaming waiter arrives with water. You are enveloped by low lighting and elegant, contemporary décor as you slide into a padded booth with high sides that provide an intimate and cozy feeling. You order a mimosa, and it arrives in a large wine glass. You drink in the chilly mix of champagne and orange juice and begin to relax, warmed by the glow of artistic LED lights and soft music.
Photo courtesy J. Morgans Steakhouse.
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Easter Brunch and Mother’s Day Brunch These two huge, legendary holiday events are spectacular at this establishment. Both feasts are sellouts every year. The Easter brunch features chocolate fountains and more food than a warren of bunnies could eat. With the output from five chefs, there is an abundance of great food, including 45 different appetizers. The Mother’s Day Brunch is decorated with a garden of fresh flowers and more food than a mother might have cooked in her lifetime. These people at J. Morgans Steakhouse sure do know how to take care of you!
But what comes next is so over the top, out of this world, beyond deluxe, that you best not have eaten for a week. It’s the buffet! Laid out on a semicircle of white-draped tables is a cornucopia of food; the grandness of it all is like a Fellini film. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Sunday Brunch at J. Morgans Steakhouse. Come hungry—and come prepared to feast. Belgian waffles, eggs Benedict, crabstuffed sole, quiche, homemade home fries and corned beef hash, sausage, bacon, and maple-bourbon glazed ham, salad, bagels, strawberries with whipped pecan butter and fresh whipped cream. Omelets flipped to your liking right before your eyes, with the ingredients you’ve chosen. And pastries piled high, including plenty of coffee. All this for only $16 a person.
Bustling family business, cheerful staff J. Morgans Steakhouse is not just for brunch. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and din80
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ner seven days a week. This is a family-run business, with 13 members of the Bashara family working there along with extended family members. The Bashara family has Lebanese roots, and the Lebanese people are devoted to family. Witness the entire Bashara clan: Fred Bashara II and wife Mary are the owners of Capitol Plaza Hotel. J. Morgans Steakhouse is a division of the hotel. Executive Chef Fred Bashara III and his wife, their son, two sisters, his brother-in-law, and
cousins all work in the restaurant. Fred III is there every day, cutting meat to the family’s exacting standards. He knows his meats and says, “We have the largest selection of cuts in the state—17!” Everyone on the staff is smiling and buoyant, a sure sign that things are going well behind the scenes. The sous chef, Kate Chase, and her husband, Tyler Chase, kitchen manager, are not family members, but they have elevated the level of this thriv-
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Clockwise: Fresh Strawberry Cake (featured in Bon Appétit magazine). Enter J. Morgans Steakhouse from the Capitol Plaza Hotel & Conference Center. Rod O’Brien has been tending bar at J. Morgans for 13 years. Servers Liz and Caroline Williamson.
ing restaurant for nearly 13 years. Glenn Tosi, a helpful, energetic waiter, is not a family member either, but he’s proud to work at J. Morgans. Says Glenn, “Our kitchen was rated at 98 percent for cleanliness in all of Vermont. It even has air conditioning!” With as many as 20 people sometimes working in the kitchen, this unusual bonus makes for happy workers.
Phoenix rising from a flood The restaurant had its beginnings after the flood of 1992 in Montpelier. The Capitol Plaza Hotel was a Comfort Inn at that time. “We gutted the place and opened the restauwww.bestofcentralvt.com
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Clockwise from top left: Executive Chef Fred Bashara III and his son, chef-in-training Freddy Jr. Bone-in center-cut filet mignon topped with a fresh chive compound butter and served with a side of shoestring fried onions. Photo courtesy of J. Morgan’s Steakhouse.
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rant 20 years ago,” Fred Bashara Jr. says, “and three years ago we completely renovated the restaurant again.” The renovations are eclectic and classy. The walls are dark, and Chihuly-inspired art-glass lighting dangles from the ceiling. Each table is graced with a daily fresh flower. No matter where you sit in the restaurant, you see trains: paintings of trains on the walls and model trains racing along on tracks mounted near the ceiling, providing
a soothing whirr from childhood. “Lionels are my father’s passion,” Fred Jr. says. “He’s a huge collector. All the trains in the restaurant are his.” The bar also has comfortable seating. You can settle in and order from the full menu from Rod O’Brien, who’s been the general manager for 14 years, or perhaps enjoy a specialty beer, such as Dogfish 90 Minute IPA, a beer Esquire called, “Perhaps the best IPA in America.” There are also cocktails like
the popular Basil Gimlet, or you can make a selection from a 14-page wine list, which includes two pages devoted to reserve wines. Besides being renowned for its steak, one of the signature items from the expansive menu is the jumbo shrimp cocktail. “These are no wimpy shrimp,” the menu states. Or you might try the fat juicy hamburger, or fresh lobster mac and cheese, or a large salad with thick, homemade blue cheese dressing. Be sure to leave room for dessert. Each one is homemade and comes with an orchid. They even have a dessert called S’mores for Two. The atmosphere is easy-paced with an urban flare. The Times Argus voted J. Morgans Steakhouse tops in numerous categories for 2013: Best Steakhouse, Best Seafood, Best Sunday Brunch, and Best Place to Take a Date, to name a few. J. Morgans Steakhouse is not to be missed. Go tomorrow. Dare to be wowed. Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Saturday brunch 7am–noon, $12. Sunday brunch 8–1:30, $16. Reservations recommended.
J. Morgans Steakhouse 100 State Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-5222 www.jmorgans.com
want to see more? For J. Morgans Steakhouse Perfect Sauce recipe, go to www.bestofcentralvt.com.
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This year’s GMFF is March 21 to 30. Viewings are held at the Savoy, City Hall, and the Pavilion. For more information and a schedule of films and special events and to order tickets, go to gmffestival.org or call (802) 262-3423.
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Clockwise: The downstairs screening room at the Savoy Theater. Scheduling film venues and ticket sales. Actor Ricky Jay (right) in conversation with GMFF founder Rick Wilson at a post-show question and answer discussion. A downtown Montpelier window display promoting the film festival. Opposite: The Savoy Theater’s promotion of the film festival. A scene from last year’s showing of the Irish comedy Life’s a Breeze.
by Phyl Newbeck
The Green Mountain Film Festival
Cinema Extravaganza
Let’s face it . . . mud season in Vermont is less than ideal. What is there to do in that brown in-between period in late March, when you’re up to your ankles in mud? One option is the Green Mountain Film Festival, which takes place this year from March 21 to 30 in downtown Montpelier.
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his will be the 17th year for the Green Mountain Film Festival. The first was held in 1997 at the suggestion of three local film buffs and took place at the Savoy Theater. Rick Winston, one of the co-owners of the Savoy at the time, described it as moderately popular, so in 1999 he and his partner decided to try it again, without outside help. The second time was more successful, leading the theater to make it an annual festival under the auspices of the local nonprofit Focus on Film. City Hall was soon adopted as an additional venue, and more recently the Pavilion was added. In 2002, upon the realization that the festival had become too big to be overseen solely by volunteers, the first director was hired.
Behind the Scenes The goals of the GMFF are to provide public film showings of cultural, social, and historic interest, and to sponsor discussions of those films, as well as to provide an opportunity for independent filmmakers to exhibit their works. GMFF Board President Terry Youk says the most popular offerings are sneak previews of eagerly anticipated films that have not yet been released, such as last year’s showing of Kon-tiki, a Norwegian film that was nominated for both Academy and Golden Globe Awards in the foreign language division. Events in all the venues have been known to sell out well before their screening date, which explains why there are multiple showings for most of the films. GMFF Director Paul Boffa says this year’s theme is “creators, innovators, and trail www.bestofcentralvt.com
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The diversity of the 2013 Green Mountain Film Festival was exemplified with films such as The Rocket (right). Photo by Tim Greenwood. Sweet Dreams (opposite), a documentary about a Rwandan community enjoying resurgence after the genocide of 1994, will be shown this year. Photo by Lex Fletcher.
blazers.” He noted that the festival has a reputation for being “a little heavy on the dark side,” so this year they are attempting to bring more color and levity and to reach out to a younger demographic. There will be more “hopeful” films and less reliance on “doom and gloom documentaries.” The festival will also feature a variety of films from distant settings, including Spain and Antarctica. “We’re trying for a travelogue experience,” says Youk, “that will take us places we wouldn’t otherwise get to.” One of the hopeful films on tap for 2014 is Sweet Dreams, a documentary about a Rwandan community enjoying resurgence after the genocide of 1994. With the deaths of so many of the men, the women have set up a matriarchal society in which they have taken over the government, the economy, and drumming, all areas that used to be male bastions. The women sought out ice cream entrepreneurs from Brooklyn and introduced the dessert to a community that had never seen it before. “It’s a Phoenix out of the ashes story,” says Boffa.
Extras For many of their offerings, the GMFF invites filmmakers and others to speak to audience members after the show and answer questions. This year there will be at least
eight such events. One special guest will be Nick Weiss, a Vermont native currently residing in California, who has produced trailers for major studios, garnering him a number of awards. Weiss will talk about the art and history of trailer production. One popular part of the GMFF is the 48Hour Film Slam. At 7pm on the first Friday of the festival, 10 film teams come together to pull a piece of paper out of a hat. The paper lists a particular film genre such as murder/thriller and gives team members a location, a phrase, and a prop. They have 48 hours to produce a seven-minute film which incorporates all three things. The resulting movies are screened by a jury comprised of local filmmakers, critics, and a representative from the Vermont Arts Council. The winning team gets $1,000, followed by $500 and $250 for second and third place. All the films are shown on
Sunday night at 7pm at the Pavilion. Boffa noted that the teams have typically gone 48 hours with no sleep. “They present their films with bloodshot eyes while they’re holding each other up,” he says. Every year the festival shows roughly 70 films, including five of the coveted sneak previews. In addition to keeping track of attendance, the GMFF board surveys the audience to determine their favorite and least-favorite films in several categories, and has discovered that sometimes the movies with the most promise are not the ones that get the greatest acclaim. “That helps us choose for the future,” says Boffa. “There isn’t always a correlation between what people loved and what sold out.”
Credits Festival submissions come from all over the world, while attendees come from as far away as Montreal. Roughly 150 volunteers help the
Visit www.bestofcentralvt.com to see previous contestants in the 48-hour Film Slam at GMFF. 86
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board of directors and steering committee as ticket takers, venue managers, and phone operators. Three weeks prior to the festival a pop-up facility is set up in a Main Street storefront to answer questions and sell tickets. This year festival-goers will be able to buy tickets online and print their tickets at home. The Green Mountain Film Festival brings in 7,000 to 10,000 viewers every year. “It’s the first major event of the season,” says Boffa. “In addition to the theaters, we’re bringing people into restaurants and shops.” Since it is a 10-day festival, it is also the largest sustained annual event in Montpelier. Youk says the festival’s timing in late March is a deliberate one. “By holding the festival this time of year we have access to films that are just about to roll out, as well as providing some relief from the season.” he says. “It’s an opportunity in Vermont in mud season to travel the world.” At this film festival, there’s no red carpet or paparazzi, so you don’t need to worry about fashionable attire. “It’s not an uncommon thing for people to show up with mudencrusted boots,” says Boffa. It turns out, there’s something to look forward to in mud season after all.
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special advertising section
2014
Dining Guide
best of
Central vermont
J. Morgans Steakhouse Serving steaks, seafood, and Sunday brunch since 1994. Our recent renovation opens a new chapter in this award-winning restaurant. Known for exceedingly generous portions, we feature over 20 aged in-house steaks, daily seafood, designer pasta dishes, and mountainous salads and desserts. Located on Montpelier’s historic State Street. $$ Vermont’s Cutting Edge Steakhouse 100 State Street, Montpelier, VT (802) 223-5222 www.jmorganssteakhouse.com
Key to Symbols $ most entrées under $10 $$ most entrées $10 to $25 $$$ most entrées over $25
special advertising section
ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT
Beyond the Menu
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Positive Pie Named in Zagat’s 2014 Best 50 Pizzas in 50 States. Positive Pie is the place for incredible entrees, ´ pizzas, brews, and entertainment with family, friends, or that special date. Three convenient locations. Live music on weekends. Gluten-free pie available. $–$$ 22 State Street, Montpelier 65–69 Main Street, Plainfield 87 South Main Street, Hardwick positivepie.com
Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar
Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen
Sarducci’s is a Mediterranean-style Italian restaurant serving central Vermont. We strive to serve superb food with outstanding service in an informal ambience. We cater to families, special occasions, and travelers alike. Renowned by our community for great food at reasonable prices. $–$$
A modern American pub where friends, families, tradesmen, and business people gather to enjoy great food and craft beers. From burgers and wings to fresh scallops and filet mignon, there’s something for everyone! Come help us revitalize Barre “One Pint at a Time.” $$
3 Main Street Montpelier, VT 802-223-0229 sarduccis.com
47 Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 cornerstonepk.com
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
Dedicated to showcasing local farms and food producers, our menu features award-winning burgers, comfort entrées, artisan cheeses, vegetarian options, and nightly innovations. The Tap Room delivers highly prized and rare beers. “Special Happenins” Wed. nights. $$ 160 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 859-0888 farmhousetg.com
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special advertising section
ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT
Windjammer Restaurant
Guild Meats & Delicatessen
Beyond the Menu
El Cortijo
Featuring American fare, vegetarian and gluten-free options as well as an extensive salad bar. Specialty cocktails, craft beers and a Wine Spectator wine list complement both the restaurant and pub menus. Supporting Vermont farms, producers and businesses since 1977. $–$$
Burlington’s neighborhood butcher shop and deli. Chef Tom Deckman and Master Butcher Frank Pace transform fine Vermont meats into sausages, deli meats, marinated steaks, trussed chickens, seasoned chops, burgers, and more. Housemade sandwiches, party platters, and baked seasonal treats. $$
A vibrant atmosphere featuring tacos, soups, salads, and entrées prepared with local ingredients and expressed as traditional Mexican fare. Freshsqueezed margaritas and handcrafted cocktails. Late-night menu until 1am, Fridays & Saturdays. $–$$
1076 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 862-6585 windjammerrestaurant.com
111 St. Paul Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1645 guildfinemeats.com
189 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1668 CortijoVT.com
Red Hen Bakery and Café Famous hearth-baked breads, plus an excellent selection of freshly baked pastries—croissants, scones, cookies, maple-glazed sticky buns, and more. Soups and sandwiches made in house, featuring local ingredients. Fine wines, beer, cheese, and specialty grocery items. $–$$ 961B US Rt. 2 Middlesex, VT (802) 223-5200 redhenbaking.com
Guild and Company
Farm-to-table steakhouse featuring dryaged, locally sourced beef grilled over Vermont hardwood. Classic steakhouse entrées, seafood and vegetarian options, an innovative cocktail program, and lighter fare, such as burgers & sandwiches for a more casual dining experience. $$$ 1633 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 497-1207 guildandcompany.com
spring calendar
2014
Central Vermont
A r t s & Enter tainment
March 14
The Jasper String Quartet Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
March 15
Comedian Josie Leavitt Spruce Peak Performing Arts, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
March 16
Capital City Concerts: “Borromeo String Quartet & Gioviale Quartet” Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 3:30pm Info: www.capitalcityconcerts.org
March 16
Vermont Philharmonic: “The Family Concert” With the Green Mountain Youth Symphony Barre Opera House, 2pm Info: www.vermontphilharmonic.org
March 21–30
Green Mountain Film Festival Downtown Montpelier Info: www.gmffestival.org
March 22
Assisted Living: The Musical Barre Opera House, 7pm Info: www.barreoperahouse.org
March 22
Cantrip Scottish Trio Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
March 22
Stowe’s TRIP Dance Company Annual Fundraiser Spruce Peak Performing Arts, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
March 22–23
Stowe Relay for Life Nordic Style Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe Info: main.acsevents.org
March 24
Burlington Ensemble: “French Connection” Spruce Peak Performing Arts, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
March 29
An Evening with Molly Ringwald
March 29
Pond Skimming: Annual Rite of Spring Lincoln Peak, Sugarbush Resort, noon Info: www.sugarbush.com
March 29
Mini Mud: Celebrating Young Talent from the Region Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7:00pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
March 29
An Evening with Molly Ringwald Spruce Peak Performing Arts, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
Through April 5
Exhibits at Studio Place Arts, Barre Main Floor Gallery: The Nitty Gritty Second Floor Gallery: Carbon Footprints Portraits by Anne Johnson Cummings Third Floor Gallery: Lights of Home by Jeneane Lunn Info: www.studioplacearts.com
Through April 20
Exhibition: Surveillance Society The Helen Day Art Center, Stowe Info: www.helenday.com
April 1
How to Prevent Fraud and Identity Theft Joslin Memorial Library, Waitsfield, 6pm Info: www.joslinmemoriallibrary.com
April 3
Gastronomy: Novels About Food and Culture Warren Public Library, 9:30am Info: programs@warrenlibrary.com
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Central Vermont Main Street, Winter by Heidi Broner, on exhibit in The Nitty Gritty show at Exhibits at Studio Place Arts.
April 3
VTXC Fools’ 5K Costume Race Trapp Family Lodge, 11am Info: www.skireg.com
April 4
Burlington Ensemble: “Large Czechs” Spruce Peak Performing Arts, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
April 4
John Gorka Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
April 4
Montpelier Art Walk
Ar t s & Enter tainment
through april 5
Exhibits at Studio Place Arts
April 12
Irish pianist John O’Conor Barre Opera House, 7:30pm Info: www.barreoperahouse.org
April 12
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
April 17
Porches of North America with Thomas Visser Vermont History Museum, noon–1pm Info: www.vermonthistory.org
spring calendar
2014
March 14
The Jasper String Quartet
April 26
Beat the Band! Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
April 26
Capital City Concerts: Maids in Vermont Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 7:30pm Info: www.capitalcityconcerts.org
April 26
The Girl in the Other Room Spruce Peak Performing Arts Stowe, 7:30pm Info: www.sprucepeakarts.org
April 5
Helen Day Arts Center Gala 2014: Tinseltown Stowe Mountain Lodge, 5pm Info: www.helenday.com
April 5
Mustard’s Retreat Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 11am Info: www.chandler-arts.org
April 11–13
Vermont Camping & Outdoor Show Barre Civic Center Info: pdaniels@vermontel.net
Arts & Entertainment is sponsored by
Downtown Montpelier, 6–8pm Info: www.montpelieralive.org
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www.bestofcentralvt.com
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spring calendar
2014
Central Vermont
A r t s & Enter tainment
This Spring at Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier April 10–27
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
May 8–18
The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown
June 12
Durang Bang, an evening of Christopher Durang Info: www.lostnationtheater.org
Maura O’Brien and Daniel Sherman in Durang Bang. Photo courtesy of Robyn Osiecki.
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Throughout May Noon Music in May
Stowe Community Church Every Wednesday, Noon to 1pm Info: www.StowePerformingArts.com
May 2
Frank Ferrante in An Evening with Groucho Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
Ongoing starting May 3 Capital City Farmers’ Market
Downtown Montpelier, Saturdays, 9am–1pm Info: www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com
May 3 & 4
Vermont Philharmonic: “The Spring Concert” May 3: Chandler Music Hall, Randolph, 7:30pm May 4: Barre Opera House, 2pm Info: www.vermontphilharmonic.org
May 8–12
Spring Birding in Cape May, NJ North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier Info: www.northbranchnaturecenter.org
May 9
The TradNation Project Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
May 11
Mad Triathlon at Sugarbush Lincoln Peak and the Mad River Valley, 8am Info: www.madtriathlon.com
May 11
The Wailin’ Jennys Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
May 16
The Next Generation Chandler Center for the Arts Randolph, 7:30pm Info: www.chandler-arts.org
Central Vermont best of
advertisers index
All Smiles......................................................................23
Landshapes.................................................................58
Anichini Design Center...........................................47
Lost Nation Theater................................................ 90
Ann Roche Casual Furniture.................................59
Mad River Cabinet Design.................................... 86
Automaster.................................................................... 2
Mason Brothers..........................................................65
Barre Electric & Light Supply.............................. 54
McKernon Group......................................................... 5
Ben & Jerry’s...............................................................77
Midstate Dodge.......................................................IBC
Bisbee’s Home Décor Center............................... 43
Morse Farm..................................................................65
Bliss Carpentry............................................................41
New England Cullinary Institute..........................27
Broadleaf Landscape Architecture....................57
Newschool Builders...................................................41
Burlington Marble and Granite............................... 9
Patina............................................................................ 48
Central Vermont Medical Center.........................83
Positive Pie................................................................. 90
Close to Home.............................................................. 3
Prohibition Pig.....................................................71, 90
Cody Chevrolet......................................................... 94
Red Hen Bakery & Café...........................................91
Coldwell Banker Classic Properties...................BC
Resource.......................................................................83
Co-op Insurance Companies..................................4
Salaam Clothing Company................................... 64
Copy World................................................................ 64
Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar................................. 90
Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen.................................. 90
Shaw’s General Store................................................19
Cushman Design Group......................................... 43
Stowe Area Association......................................... 10
Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design........................61
Stowe Mountain Road Association...............16–17
db Design......................................................................71
Stowe Realty.................................................................11
Design Matters.......................................................... 46
Sundara Day Spa.......................................................32
Di Stefano Landscaping.........................................62
The Carriage Shed................................................... 69
Discover Jazz Fest.....................................................21
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill................................... 90
East Warren Community Market........................ 70
The Lighting House..................................................55
El Cortijo........................................................................91
T-ja’s Studio......................................................... 23, 65
Favreau Design............................................................ 7
Tonewood Maple...................................................... 64
Fresh Tracks Winery................................................ 10
Trowel Trades Supply..............................................63
Glassworks...................................................................93
UVM Summer Classes..............................................13
Green Envy..................................................................87
Vermont Bed Store.................................................IFC
Green Mountain Film Festival................................15
Vermont Farm Table............................................... 64
Green Mountain Transit Authority......................88
Vermont Frame Game.............................................77
Guild & Company.......................................................91
Vermont Furniture Design.....................................65
Guild Meats & Delicatessen....................................91
Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture.....60
Inside Out Gallery.................................................... 69
Windjammer Restaurant.........................................91
J. Morgans Steakhouse.......................................... 89
Winterfell......................................................................... 1
Koenig Cedar Company.........................................59
May 24 & 25
Open Studio Weekend Artists open their studios to visitors throughout Central Vermont Info: www.vermontcrafts.com
For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 295-5295 or email coffetablepublishing@comcast.net www.bestofcentralvt.com
95
centr al vermont chat
with Emily K aminsky
BY stephen morris
receptive and excited. Many others just want a grocery store in downtown Barre, regardless of the ownership model. There’s a third group that thinks a food co-op is synonymous with 100 percent organic and, therefore, expensive food. These folks are concerned that a high-end store won’t work for Barre. That’s why in all our public communications we emphasize that this effort is about bringing fresh and reasonably priced food to the downtown.
Emily Kaminsky is a board member and past president of the fledgling Granite City Grocery, a food cooperative with the mission of restoring access to fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, and affordable packaged goods to residents of downtown Barre. It is a fitting role for Emily. While she is first and foremost a mom (she gave birth to her third child, Ben, in early January), she is interested in anything and everything related to food, including cooking, nutrition, and gardening. She’s also a veteran of more than 10 years with Community Capital of Vermont, a financial institution that provides loans and technical assistance to startups and expanding micro businesses that have difficulty securing conventional financing. Barre has been without a downtown grocery store for over a decade, since the Grand Union on Main Street closed. The closing was not the result of a lack of business or profitability, but rather a reflection of the trend for all major grocers to be adjacent to big-box stores, with acres of free parking, located in suburban neighborhoods. As Barre continues the task of revitalizing its beleaguered downtown, co-op members know that access to food will be key. 96
best of central Vermont | Spring 2014
How is your member recruitment progressing? As of mid January we are at 400 co-op owners. Our short-term goal is to reach 800 owners so that we can move forward on securing a location. How do you summarize the consumer benefits of co-op membership? You get a local store to shop at that reflects your values and your needs. Financial benefits are yet to be determined, but typically, co-op benefits are a patronage dividend (an owner’s share of profits), special offers, and the ability to place bulk orders at a discount. How are you spreading the word? We have sent out press releases; we have a website (granitecitygrocery.coop); and we’re on Facebook (facebook.com/granitecitygrocery), but word of mouth and networking through home gatherings or appearing at community events are the most effective methods for us. We’ve even created some of our own community events. Are people in Barre receptive to the idea of a cooperative, or does the concept need to be explained? People who are already owners or customers of another local food co-op are quite
What are you biggest challenges between now and opening the doors for business? Start-up food co-ops have their own unpredictable time lines. It boils down to how effectively existing owners and leadership can convince others in the community to become owners before the store opens. That is the challenge. People may want the store, but they may not be willing to make a financial commitment until the store is a reality. It’s a catch-22, and we need 400 more people to sign up before we can set an opening date. Doesn’t Barre have a tradition of cooperatives? The Granite City Creamery Cooperative on Granite Street is fondly remembered by many Barre residents as a place to get milk as well as ice cream. Going back further, there is a strong tradition of cooperatives connected to the Old Labor Hall. I’ve heard that the Italian community at the turn of the century cooperatively purchased train-car loads of grapes and olives to make wine and olive oil. Have you ever done a start-up for a new co-op? I helped start a cooperative preschool in Plainfield, but I have never been involved in starting a food co-op. I did study the co-op business model as part of my Master’s degree in Community Economic Development, and I am a member of another local food co-op. When the opportunity to be part of Granite City Grocery presented itself, it made perfect sense to me. Where do you see signs of encouragement? I’ve lived in Barre for 13 years, and the one constant is change. I’ve seen businesses come and go. Business start-ups and business failures are a natural cycle. The recent reconstruction of Main Street released a lot of pent-up energy in the community for change. Things will only get better from here. How do people find out more about Granite City Grocery? Anyone is welcome to call (802) 279-7518 or visit our website, www.granitecitygrocery.coop.
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