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Brattleboro, Vermont Wednesday, November 17, 2010 • Vol. V, No. 29 • Issue #76
W ind h am C ounty ’ s A W A R D - W I N N I N G , I ndependent S ource for N ews and V iews IN THIS ISSUE
VERMONT
HOLIDAY
Traditions Activities Celebrations Gifts Faith
Supplement to
November 17, 2010
• Celebrating the light • A guilt-free Thanksgiving feast • Events listings • First Christmas in a new land
Voices Viewpoint
Shumlin won with hard work, not luck page 6 ESSAY
Vermont’s weather isn’t for wimps
Setting standards for Vermont Drumming up maple syrup
business
Industry looks at a syrup certification process — an inevitable need if farmers in the state want to remain in the marketplace, some maple producers say By Olga Peters The Commons
A
farmer collecting maple sap from wooden buckets in a snowcovered maple grove. It’s an iconic Vermont image gracing postcards, maple syrup containers, state marketing materials and even the back of the Vermont state quarter. Despite the iconography, Vermont’s maple industry has evolved and expanded in the last 40 years. First, metal sap buckets replaced wooden ones decades ago, and now food-grade tubing snaking from tree to tree has almost rendered any buckets obsolete. And in this litigious age, the development of a certification program for farmers wishing to sell their syrup wholesale threatens to render the culture of an
autonomous cottage industry to memory. The Vermont Maple Industry Council (VMIC), an association of maple packers who buy syrup from farmers and sell to consumers, is spearheading a proposed set of certification standards for farmers. Members of the Windham County Sugar Makers unveiled the standards at their annual meeting last week. No timeline exists to put the program into action, but Arnold Coombs, a seventh-generation maple farmer and a member of VMIC, said most packers wouldn’t purchase syrup from uncertified farmers within the year. Coombs said it’s not the packers’ intent to force certification, but also “not our intent to hire [quality assurance] staff.” Vermont’s maple industry contains every size of producer
A new plan to divide expenses at the Bellows Falls Opera House may lead to more performances at the historic theater
n see maple, page 2
Grace Cottage Hospital explores Life & Work expansion plan page 7
Extra! Extra!
Training tomorrow’s journalists page 9 Doggin’ around
Furry reading aide helps students page 9
Sports
By Thelma O’Brien The Commons
TOWNSHEND—From somewhere between the bottom line and the bottom of the heart, Grace Cottage Hospital has been dispensing health care in the West River Valley and beyond since 1949, when Carlos Otis, its first doctor, delivered its first baby, Aug. 8, the day after the then-12-bed hospital opened. More than six decades later, Grace Cottage is still devoted to providing family care as well as serving as a critical-access hospital — and planning for its future with a new medical building program. Despite an incalculable number of changes to health care and its delivery in that time, the hospital’s official mission statement remains: “Excellence in health care and well being, putting people first. To be the standard for
ALLISON TEAGUE/THE COMMONS
A view of the backstage rigging at the Bellows Falls Opera House, a venue that holds more potential than has been realized since the historic building was restored from 2005 to 2007, said new event coordinator Howard Ires (inset). By Allison Teague
patient care.” Today, GCH has a 19-bed inpatient hospital, employs more than 160 people, including 14 practitioners of family care, internal medicine, pediatrics, mental health, and hospice services; rehabilitation departments that provide physical, occupational and speech therapists; laboratories and a radiology departments. Services include a 24-hour emergency department and residential facilities for its full-time Rescue Inc. crew. The full-service Messenger pharmacy is across the street, and, newest of all, the Community Wellness Center, offers nearly a dozen classes, from yoga to strong bones to belly dancing. More than 7,500 individual Vermont patients were seen at GCH in fiscal 2009, according to Andrea E. Seaton, vice president for planning and development n see grace cottage, page 4
The Commons
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E L L O W S FALLS—A new policy will make the Bellows Falls Opera House more viable and more attractive to a wider range of performers and events — a goal that offers significant promise for financial return to the local economy and creative stimulus to the community, organizers say. At a recent board meeting, the Rockingham Selectboard accepted a proposal put forward by incoming Event Coordinator Howard Ires, who worked as a technical director on stage in New York theater for 20 years, to improve the way the Opera House does business. Under the new policy, the events coordinator will supply promotion, lighting, stagehands and ushers for shows
The champs
and concerts. An agreed-upon, guaranteed split of ticket sales would go to the performer. Ires said ticket sales online will soon be handled by a vendor through www.bfoperahouse.com. Under the former business structure, the theater was rented “as four walls,” meaning that an act had to provide or rent everything needed for their show, essentially paying for the privilege of performing at the Opera House. “Obviously, that’s not a very popular way to get performers and events to come to the Opera House,” Ray Massucco, of Vermont Festivals LLC, which produces Roots on the River, told the board. “Performers don’t want to pay to perform.” “Most acts will agree to a guarantee of a split of box office,” Ires explained. The policy change “does more than allow the theater to start making money,
‘Tink’ Austin remembers the days when every Brattleboro kid dreamed of soaring off Harris Hill
Page 12
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said Interim Town Manager Francis “Dutch” Walsh. “It changes the manner in which we will be marketing, selling tickets, and booking events,” he said. “Yes, hopefully, revenue can start to be generated,” Walsh continued. “More importantly, we can stop withdrawing money from the Enterprise Fund for operations of the theater.” The theater’s cash balance has dropped “a little over $100,000 over the past five years” in the Enterprise Fund that supports the Opera House, Finance Director John O’Connor said. But, O’Connor also noted, “the theater is a resource for the community. Because it is not 100 percent able to support itself does not mean it’s failing its purpose.” “Prices there are much lower here than other places,”
B
RATTLEBORO— At first it was the Norwegians, immigrants to the Midwest in the late 1880s, who had the passion for ski jumping. Americans had never heard of the sport. Courtesy photo Some of the oldest ski jumping Brattleboro ski jumpers in Montreal in 1946: Left to right, Donald Allen (a clubs in the nation were started real estate agent who grew up on Walnut Street), Benjamin Buck (from the in places like Red Wing and St. Claremont Outing Club), Tink Austin, then 23 years old, and Alan Sergeant, Paul, Minn., and in Ishpeming, who ran the ski jumping part of the Outing Club at the time. Mich.
It’s easy to understand the thrill of flying off a hill, or in the case of some of these jumpers at the time, large rocks. Human beings have always dreamed of flying through the sky. The Wright brothers wouldn’t be up in the air at Kitty Hawk, N.C., for another 15 years, and so jumping off a hill wearing skis was the only way to fly. Meanwhile, around the same time over here in Brattleboro, Fred Harris was born. Eighteen years later, Harris — who was a n see norwegians, page 10
PA I D A D V E R T I S I N G • T O P L A C E YO U R A D , C A L L ( 8 0 2 ) 2 4 6 - 6 3 9 7 O R V I S I T W W W . C O M M O N S N E W S . O R G Gathering in Gratitude: The Night Passage mystical theater performance Sat Nov 20, 2 & 7 Sun Nov 21 2 pm the Stone Church, Brattleboro
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n Maple from a family taping enough trees to supply one household to producers with over 25,000 taps supplying syrup to an international market. Vermont sugarmakers produced 890,000 gallons of syrup in 2010, according to data collected by Coombs, who works as director of sales and marketing for Bascom Maple Farms, of Brattleboro and Alstead, N.H., a leading bulk maple company. Those gallons equate to 1.43 gallons per Vermonter, the highest-per-capita production in the United States, according to Coombs.
Outside pressures
Coombs said times are changing for the maple sugar industry. “It’s a CYA world,” said Coombs. Luckily for Vermont producers, he said, the state stands at the forefront of quality control. He describes the 1½ pages of proposed criteria as a “pre-emptive strike” against future, less achievable, criteria imposed by agencies without a grasp of sugarmaking. He said it will ensure farmers produce a better product, not change how they make the syrup. Coombs said recent foodcontamination scares, like the E.Coli-covered spinach a couple of years ago, helped push the decision to develop criteria despite the fact maple syrup is not as susceptible to contamination compared to other food products. According to Coombs, most sugarmakers and packers he’s spoken to want to keep maple syrup producers under the auspices of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture rather than the Vermont Department of Health. The Agency of Agriculture, he says, remains the appropriate overseer because it understands farmers and sugarmaking better than the Department of Health. He said the beauty of producing maple syrup is the production method of boiling down the sap and packing the finished syrup at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that pasteurizes and kills bacteria. But, said Coombs, he remains concerned Vermont’s entire sugar industry will get tarred and feathered if one producer’s pump leaks chemicals into the sap lines or a producer uses peanut oil as a “defoamer,” potentially turning
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the product deadly for someone with allergies. Defoamers are oils used during the evaporation process to keep sap from boiling over. Producers are expected to stay away from fats containing dairy or nut oils like peanut that contribute to common allergic reactions. People will point fingers at “Vermont sugarmakers” not “John Doe operator,” said Coombs. Farmers have invested in their sugar operations and don’t need earnings to decrease because of one operator, he said. “We’re trying to protect the industry from the one or two bad [maple sugar] operators out there,” said Coombs. Developing certification criteria for producers has ranked as a top issue since the 1990s. According to Coombs, approximately 50 industry members first tackled the issue at a two-day retreat in Burlington. At the time, there had been problems with one company’s tubing used by sugarmakers to carry sap from tree to collection tank and, sans central certification, the industry lacked “a good way to contact all producers.” Coombs said the industry waited for the state to take the lead. It has not. According to Tim Wilmot, University of Vermont Extension’s maple specialist, the push is coming primarily from the big packing companies in the state who sell large quantities. Wilmot said a number of buyers, like General Foods, unfamiliar with the innate sterilization of maple products, expect farmer certification because they’re “used to certification of any food stuff they buy” like meat. Coombs said most sugarmakers resist the idea of certification until they understand the need.
Developing standards
The writers of the proposed certification based their recommendations on Ontario and Québec’s guidelines. Coombs said not all of the Canadian requirements (Ontario’s booklet has 200 pages worth) are necessary for quality. Vermont’s 1½ pages of proposed certification focuses on quality control. Wilmot said the proposed standards are not about dictating to farmers but about being proactive and continuing Vermont’s role as an industry leader. For example, the state advocated using food grade materials in all aspects of maple production before other states.
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Arnold Coombs works in his family’s sugarhouse in Whitingham. “It’s a matter of keeping the strong image Vermont has of quality and safety,” said Wilmot. Wilmot chaired the five-member committee of the VMIC charged with developing and proposing the certification standards currently circulating among producers. Industry professionals Jacques Couture, Richard Green, Haven King, and Elissa Valentine also served on the certification of maple operators committee. Wilmot said the committee would like to see the process in the hands of sugarmakers who understand and can realistically appraise their own industry. The committee, said Wilmot, developed the standards working from “tree to product” and based the standards on how most sugarmakers produce their wares. He said the majority of Vermont sugarmakers should already qualify under the proposed standards without any, or a few minor, changes. The packers informed the certification standards, Wilmot said, by suggesting producers incorporate some of the packers’ best practices like adding shatterproof coverings over light fixtures. The committee also proposed an education program on cleaning agent safety, said Wilmot. Some of the cleaning chemicals used on equipment like the evaporator or reverse osmosis machine need to be properly flushed from the machinery before use and then safely stored or disposed of afterwards. Wilmot said the proposed certification is not a license. Wilmot said the committee fulfilled its charge once it developed the standards and does not want to dictate to the farmers, leaving it up to the packers to initially discuss the process with farmers and buyers. “It’s a process we feel it’s time to move along,” said Wilmot. Wilmot also feels present and general food safety worries have pushed the desire for certification
Southern Vermont
standards. For example, organic maple syrup is no different in quality, he said, from regular maple syrup, but some people feel buying organic is necessary. Wilmot has not heard individual consumers express foodsafety fears about maple syrup, but buyers, like grocery stores, are applying pressure to the packers. “This isn’t going to happen overnight,” said Wilmot. Many details still need ironing out like who will conduct the farm inspections, the timeline, and the hows of program funding. Wilmot feels certification will be less of a cultural shift for farmers than people expect. Some farmers already go through processes like the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s certification of organic farmers or the Vermont seal of quality, discontinued in March. Packers have told Wilmot that they want maple producers of all sizes to obtain certification because they want to retain current customers and not simply purchase from the big growers. The next step will be communicating with sugarmakers and helping them understand the necessity for certification. “We’re not trying to hit them over the head with anything,” said Coombs. If farmers chose not to become certified, they could still sell syrup direct to consumers but, ultimately, packers won’t want to buy from uncertified farmers, said Coombs.
to retailers, comprise stage two. In the third stage, grocers and other merchants buy maple products from packers to sell to consumers either directly, or to use as ingredients in other food products. Large grocery stores, said Coombs, already inspect packers and refuse to buy from uncertified companies. As a result, maple syrup products come with pedigree-worthy allotment numbers, providing a tracking system for each bottle in the event of contamination. Coombs said so far, grocery chains have accepted sugarmakers’ lack of certification. But, he said, “it’s only a matter of time” before the grocery chains stop accepting maple products that originate from uncertified farmers. “Because that store won’t put themselves on the line for some farmer in Vermont. We don’t want to be caught blindsided,” Coombs said. Internationally, standards are tough for maple syrup. Coombs is working on a deal with an Australian grocery chain with so many quality-control requirements that it employs 50 people. “Try reasoning with a lawyer,” said Coombs. Currently, UVM Extension and the Vermont Maple Sugar Association, founded in 1893, offer three yearly sugarmaking seminars, but Vermont has no requirements for sugarmakers looking to make and sell syrup. And Coombs feels this lack of certification shows in less-thanstellar products on the market. He points to the International Maple Sugar Institute, based in From tree to table Ontario, which disqualifies 40 Broadly speaking, maple percent of the syrup entered into syrup must pass through three its annual competition. levels to get to consumers. “And that’s supposedly the In the first stage, farms collect best of the best,” said Coombs. maple sap and boil 40 gallons to create a gallon of syrup. Moving too fast? Maple-sugar companies Coombs estimates two to like Bascom, Maple Grove or three years before the certificaButternut Mountain Farm, tion process is up and running. called packers, then buy the But, some industry professionals syrup in bulk, bottle it, and sell say, “Slow down.” it (and other maple products) Bruce Bascom, the head of
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The production line at the Bascom Maple Farms syrup bottling plant. Bascom Maple Farms, hopes the industry will move slowly on the certification standards, allowing the process to evolve over years. Maple syrup, said Bascom, is one of the few food products falling under state jurisdiction, not federal Food and Drug Administration inspections, because it tends to be viewed as a cottage-industry product. People are unlikely to get ill from maple products, said Bascom. The boiling process sterilizes syrup and anything that could fall into it, like wood chips from the boiler, he said. The filtration process removes these foreign objects and, even after the syrup has sat stored in bulk containers, it is heat-packed and thus sterilized again. If syrup should ever ferment, a re-boil and filter will put it right again. “The beauty of maple is even if you do it wrong, it still doesn’t harm you despite your incompetence,” said Bascom. Bascom understands the move is a pre-emptive one to keep the industry out of the federal jurisdiction. Still, he has concerns about what will happen “if this thing is pushed through without thought.” Bascom feels questions need answering: Who will conduct inspections? What about the micro-producers? Most inspectors with strapped-resources don’t feel the small guys are worth
the effort. Bascom predicts that only the levying of fees against the farmers will compensate inspectors. Bascom described the program as well intended but one that “needs to get thrashed out,” pointing to Vermont’s five-year phase-out of galvanized storage barrels as a good process. Vermont may risk isolating its producers if the program is forced through because it will be easer to buy from New York, New Hampshire, Maine or Canadian producers, said Bascom. Right now, he said, Bascom Maple Farms requires producers to sign a paper saying they’ve met certain requirements in a form of self-certification process he’s happy with. Bascom agrees a decentralized state-controlled approach is better. U.S. Customs agents recently locked down a load of Maine syrup sent to Bascom’s, he said, because the truck passed through Canada on its way from Maine to New Hampshire. The customs office in Boston sent a fish inspector to check the syrup barrels. Bascom showed the inspector how to open and test the syrup and then waited a month before customs released the load. If Vermont or New Hampshire had sent an agricultural inspector familiar with maple products,
things would have gone more smoothly, said Bascom.
Sugaring season
Coombs said certification will create one more selling advantage over uncertified states, because it signals buyers “we take care” of maple products. “It will be a big positive [in the end],” said Coombs. Coombs said there’s no denying that previously autonomous farmers will need to make a culture shift. For the industry to continue expanding, said Coombs, farmers will need to continue to modernize. But the maple industry has grown to where farmers can focus on one product and make a living — something unheard of 40 years ago, Coombs said. He hopes a certification process will allow more farmers to thrive economically and the program will protect everyone. “We don’t want to force heavy rules on any sugarmaker,” said Coombs. The certification standards may change as the project moves forward, said Wilmot. Prior to January’s Maple Congresses, Coombs will write a piece for the industry newsletter explaining the issue to farmers and listing the certification standards. “A lot of this is a matter of getting people comfortable with and understanding why certification may be necessary,” said Wilmot.
BRATTLEBORO—Four Windham County towns have been chosen to receive approximately $52,000 in grant funds to help reduce their carbon footprints, reduce overall energy consumption, and save money on heating costs in municipal buildings. The grants, awarded by the Windham Regional Commission, are part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 via Vermont’s Clean Energy Development Fund. The Windham Regional Commission’s Energy Committee reviewed 15 applications, totaling over $170,000 in requests, from ten towns seeking to “green” their town offices, garages, fire stations, town halls, and schools. The Grafton Town Hall, Londonderry Town Office, Marlboro Town Office, and Newfane Town Office have been selected to receive a portion of the $52,000 in grant funds. Funds will be used to help
Winter Farmers’ Market planned in Putney PUTNEY— Following the success of its opening season, the Putney Farmers’ Market will hold two indoor Winter Markets, just in time for the holidays. The dates are Sunday, November 21st and Sunday, December 19th, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the indoor retail space of Green Mountain Orchards on West Hill Road. In addition to the many seasonal offerings available at the orchard, such as hot cider, fresh cider donuts, wreath making and horse drawn wagon/sleigh rides, shoppers will be treated to the area’s best in local, handmade and homegrown goods. Set your holiday table with locally raised turkeys, artisan bread and cheeses, rustic tarts and pies, fresh eggs, whole chickens, maple syrup, and late season root crops. Find something for everyone on your gift-buying lists, including handmade jewelry, homespun and dyed yarns, maple cutting boards, and handcrafted herbal preparations. Take a break from the bustle with a chair massage, and treat yourself to a gourmet lunch from one of our fabulous food vendors. Linger over dessert by the wood stove, and enjoy live music by local artists. Keep up with what’s happening by checking out www.putneyfarmersmarket.org or their Facebook page. The Putney Farmers’ Market is a project of Transition Town Putney.
towns button up their buildings with improvements like air sealing, foundation and attic insulation, and wrapping heat ducts. By completing these retrofits, it is estimated that the four towns will achieve a total annual savings of approximately $9,000 and 37 tons of CO2 – the equivalent of nearly 3,000 gallons of heating oil each year. These savings will also help reduce the local tax burden associated with rising fuel costs. The grants for weatherization are an extension of a successful program earlier this year, where seven towns received grant funds to conduct energy audits on fourteen buildings to help them understand where they could save energy and money. Those towns not selected to
receive retrofit funding may still choose to independently complete renovations recommended by their energy audits. Each energy audit includes the projected costs of retrofits and anticipated fuel savings, allowing towns to evaluate the long term financial benefits of making retrofits now to avoid fuel costs in future years. The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) is an association of 27 towns, and is one of the state’s 11 Regional Planning Commissions established by the Vermont Municipal and Regional Planning and Development Act. The WRC’s mission is to assist member towns to provide effective local government and to work cooperatively with them to address regional issues.
USDA designates county a natural disaster area Status due to summer drought The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Windham County as a natural disaster area due to losses caused by drought and excessive heat that began June 1 and still continues. Rain in the region has been significantly below normal levels for the past six months, and this July and August were among the hottest months on record. “President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to vegetable crops, forage and pasture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week. “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses.” Farmers in the following Bennington and Windsor counties in Vermont, Franklin County in Massachusetts and Cheshire and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous to Windham County. All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas as of Nov. 4, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. The Brattleboro office is located on 28 Vernon St., in the Marlboro College Tech Center building. They can be reached at 802-254-9766. Additional information is also available online at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
CORRECTIONS • In the Nov. 10 story “Saying ‘thanks’ with music,” the home town of Brian Bousquet was misidentified. Bousquet lives in Westminster. • In the Nov. 10 story “Landlord takes the long view,” Jonathan Chase’s correct middle initial is “D.” Also, the 16-percent commercial vacancy figure
given in the story applies to Brooks House, rather than the entire town of Brattleboro. • In the Nov. 10 Voices section, contributor Castle Freeman Jr.’s biography incorrectly listed the publisher of his most recent novel, All That I Have. The book is published by Steerforth Press in Hanover, N.H.
Wilmington to hold special election WILMINGTON— The town will hold a special election in mid-January to fill the vacancy on the Selectboard created by the resignation of Bruce P. Mullen. Anyone interested in running for the remainder of the term, which expires at Town Meeting in 2012, can pick up a petition from the Town Clerk’s office, or at the town website, www.wilmingtonvermont.us. Petitions are due in the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6.
32nd�Annual� Susan Ramsey and Jim Rabiolo/Special to The Commons
Bruce Bascom, of Bascom Maple Farms of Alstead, N.H., stands near a display of other state’s maple products.
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NEWS
4
BELLOWS FALLS
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
TOWNSHEND n Grace Cottage
from page 1
and president of Grace Cottage Foundation. That number does not compute patient visits, but numbers of people. It also does not include users from out-ofstate or some second-homeowner patients. Eighty-eight of the state’s 251 towns sent residents to GCH. As its home town, Townshend (population 1,149), not unexpectedly, sent the highest number, 1,205 patients; next was Newfane (population 1,680) with 1,187. Twenty-eight mostly far-away towns sent just one person www.gracecottage.org apiece. (The population fig- Grace Cottage Hospital, the state’s smallest ures are from the 2000 U.S. facility, is looking to expand. Census.) What more could one want? How about a new two-story medical office building? Allison Teague/The Commons
The sightlines from the balcony at the Bellows Falls Opera House.
n Opera House
from page 1
O’Connor said. “It’s here to pro- relocated to New York City to vide entertainment for the com- pursue her performing career munity, not unlike the recreation full-time. center.” Right now, the theater stands empty on Wednesday and Renovations Thursday nights when, Ires in 2007 and Massucco said, they could The Opera House underwent book events “and, maybe once $3.7 million in renovations to a month, pre-empt a Saturday accommodate both movies and night movie” for a bigger event, live performances, O’Connor ex- Ires said. plained. The project was partially funded in 2005 with a $2.85 Economic stimulus million bond. The theater now This summer, “I came boasts state-of-the-art movie to open the theater for the projection, sound, rigging and Sandglass Theater [children’s lighting equipment. puppet show], and there were With the new business model, people standing outside who had “there’s a potential of $1,000 to driven up from Connecticut and $2,000 per event” going back Massachusetts wondering where into the Enterprise Fund, Ires they could get a bite to eat,” Ires said. said. Ires’ background taught him Ires told the board that peo“everything from lighting to ple will drive from northern stagehand to props,” and he Vermont and out-of-state to see worked as “even a roadie,” he some shows. said. “People often want to plan So when he books acts for ahead,” Ires said. “This way, the Opera House, “it’s pretty a series of monthly Saturday hard to put anything over on events could be booked, and me,” he said. “I know what they people can buy the series, for should be providing and what example.” we should.” Massucco agreed, but pointed Massucco said he supports out that, while the best booking Ires’ new business model. “The seasons will run from December more activities we can book [in through April, the weather crethe Opera House], the better it is ates an economic risk, as it does for the town,” he said. “Business all over New England. owners tell me their best busiHe also described July and ness is done during events at the August as a not-great time to Opera House. Everyone benefits book indoor events. from having more events.” Massucco noted that putting together a long-term schedule Old model not takes a lot of work, communicaworking tion and coordination. Massucco said he has pro“We don’t want to be conflictduced more shows at the Opera ing with any event within a half House than anybody, but the hour to 45 minutes from us,” he theater was still not making the said. “It does us no good to do money it could and has been that. It’s good for everybody if underused. we can provide variety [of events] With the former business locally.” model, the theater made more The Stone Church in Bellows money on a good movie night Falls, the Green Mountain than it did booking live events Festival in Chester, the Colonial — even big-name acts, on which Theater in Keene, N.H., and the “it was barely breaking even,” Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro all Massucco said. produce events, and Massucco Former events coordinator said their respective scheduling Kali Quinn, who worked in that needs have to be considered. role from November 2007 unIres said one has to beware of til she resigned this summer, some agents who will not diswas not involved in promotion close when their performers are or booking events. Quinn has scheduled to work nearby in a
different venue the night before, thus compromising potential ticket sales. “It’s in their best interest to tell us [for ticket sales], but some won’t,” Ires said. “You have to be careful.” The town is providing seed money for promotions of $5,000, which Massucco predicts will be recouped within a year. “With the new business model, an event can bring in between $1,500 and, with a big name, $5,000 a night,” Massucco suggested. “The risk to the town is less with this model.” For a nonprofit, underwriting grants are available that would not be available to a for-profit business, Ires pointed out to the board. Massucco said he looks at the Bellows Falls Opera House as a promotional tool for the town.
Historic theater
A tour backstage revealed a “full-height fly-space with rigging grid and catwalk” — the original wooden structure from when the theater was built in 1926, Massucco said. The theater “has really great acoustics” Ires points out. “Rusty DeWees [a comedian and musician who recently performed] doesn’t use a sound system, and you could hear him perfectly throughout the theater.” Ires noted the vaudeville acts for which the theater was originally built didn’t use sound systems, either. “Performers just love coming here because they don’t need them,” he said. The theater can seat 553 guests — 372 on the main floor and 181 in the balcony. It accommodates small-to-medium-sized entertainment acts, and provides the audience with a more intimate experience with the performances than larger venues. Ires pointed out thoughtful architectural touches, like the stage floor, with its 2-degree cant toward the front, which allows people seated anywhere to see the feet of performers on stage. But Massucco says the town and the theater still face strong challenges to the Opera House’s financial success.
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Bottom line
The medical building project, according to Chief Executive Officer Mick Brant, would not only enforce the bottom-of-the-heart part of GCH — such as the wish to provide private rooms for all patients for privacy and infection control — but would also strengthen the bottom line component by keeping services viable for a future that presages longer, healthier lives. In other words, for a future that calls out for wellness care — which Brant says “in its infancy” and has not yet proved to be a bottom-line enhancer. The proposed building would also provide space for deeper rehabilitative services that do help to strengthen the bottom line. The hospital also expects that chronic care and hospice services will comprise a big part of its future. Brant defined four goals going forward: expand and consolidate rehabilitative services, consolidate the physician clinics (there are now three), provide private rooms for all patients (there are now three private and 16 semi-private rooms) and control patient traffic (for example, the front door of the hospital is also the emergency and ambulance entrance). More specifically, Brant talked about a “one-practice, team-care collaborative so that a patient’s records are seamless and electronic.” Seaton and Brant emphasized the ever-changing regulations from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and how those agencies, as well as state laws, pretty much establish what protocols the hospital follows. Conceding that not everyone has health insurance, they believe that, given Medicare’s huge presence in the delivery of “People who come for theater want a place they can eat either before or afterwards,” he said. “We’re in short supply. We need more restaurants.” Massucco admitted this is a conundrum, but not having places to eat can influence whether someone from away chooses entertainment in Brattleboro, Keene, White River
www.carlosotisclinic.org
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Grace Cottage founder Hospital CEO Mick Dr. Carlos Otis. Brant. and reimbursements for care, Seaton believes, “the country is really operating under a singlepayer system now.” “There is no particular dominant diagnosis now,” Brant said. “We see everything — diabetes, hypertension, conditions that require stabilization, such as stroke and heart diseases. We have seen an increase in major trauma, such as chain saw accidents and ski and car accidents.” He and Seaton attribute this to population growth. “It’s purely anecdotal,” Brant says, “but in my three years, I’ve seen a higher level of complexity and a higher level of trauma.” Seaton strongly believes “there are critical issues to be resolved” and a new building would go a long way toward that resolution. “We’ve done an awful lot of just getting by with inefficient use of space and energy. It’s not the best environment.” Seaton explains that plans for the new building remain just that — plans. There’s no cost estimate. “It’s still too early to tell,” she said, but anticipates an area of about 70,000 square feet. The two-story structure will rise between Stratton House and the hospital and use a small portion, perhaps six spaces, of the
57-space gravel parking lot at the north end of the hospital campus. The hospital itself was the last major construction at GCH. Opened in 1998, the 18,750-square-foot structure cost $2.5 million. “That was 12 years ago,” Seaton noted, “so we can expect the new building to cost more.” Seaton mentioned the 2010 annual fair raised $50,000 for new medical imaging equipment to be use for a new 15-slice CT scanner to replace the four-slice machine now is use. She also emphasized the need for major increases in emergency room space. “We estimate that use has about tripled in the past couple of years,” she said. Brant reported that Eide Bailly, an accounting and business planning company with offices in nine midwestern states, has been hired to determine affordability and how to obtain financing. Options include government agencies such as Housing and Urban Development, rural health development agencies, as well debt financing and donations. Brant and Seaton agree that a four-year plan is a realistic goal.
Junction or Hanover, N.H. over performances in Bellows Falls. He said restaurant owners in town generally look at more restaurants as a good thing. One owner told him, “People generally don’t eat at the same place when they come to town. They try out different places. If someone is sitting across the street eating and looks out the window
and sees my place, they are going to say, ‘next time, we’ll try there,’” Massucco recounted. But new means of marketing, combined with a diminishing supply of similar venues, could bode well for the Opera House. “Live theater outside of Vermont is dying out because theaters are being torn down,” Ires said. “That means [with the new business model], people from outside of town can buy tickets online to see live theater or a concert here.” Plus, “if we get more interesting performers, people from out of town, we could actually start making money,” Ires said. He said he would pair local performers with bigger names. “It’s good for everybody that way.” “From the moment I got the job, people who knew about the theater asked about getting a gig here,” Ires said. “It’s a gem of a theater. They did such a good job renovating it, and it even retains the original sandbagging and wood gridiron,” he pointed out. “It was on the Vaudeville circuit for 20 years.” “My goal is to see the theater utilized to its greatest potential,” Ires said.
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T h e C ommons
NEWS
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Training for warming shelter volunteers
5
Westminster vote: ‘knee-jerk’ decision Bellows Falls should consider Not harmless Confronting youth attitudes about marijuana Obuchowski asks forSchool’s your vote proposal Compass WeLife all need to see the world A shameful shade of green Honoring son in Afghanistan lessons Activists’ Shumlin cherry picks worthy jobs through gender neighbors the massive Hydro-Québec qualifyMaking downtown Touring voicesShould missing from the an lens ofUneasy forbeing the state’s ‘renewable energy’ status? safer for everyone On a redneck A room Happy birthday, Like many Vermonters, Coyote fromRuralVY story AfricanDover! dancer identity as a badge of honor Vermont of good‘helping’ and bad, ugliness Why one adult is working to create a skateboard park, stop usand b The legislature makes Please the of her own Early education: An investment Encountering good will and why Brattleboro should support and respect the effort official town’s bicentennial that pays hugeYankee dividends Blinded with CaroVernon Diallo residents know the town, and For one young woman, by Wishful thinkingAdoes makefrom youngnot journalist VY, better than Peter Shumlin does a chance for stability, Weary of elections Galbraith brings depth Our literary campfire Northpower Carolina offers us safe with nuclear privacy, and a home the need for Taking life to economic Festival, Vermont Reads program offer development The political process discourages some impressions Racine: No empty ways to view our lives, our histories, our world Marching for peace Public art, an honest debate about the issues someone special for granted in everypie-in-the-sky promises Legislature was paying attention • We should have brought the soldiers home An older sense of single woman in in Bellows Falls A birthday present Democracythe worked in VY votefor a good cause How might a once-industrial space by the Embracing search of companionship the phrase One race ends, Among Connecticut River be used for the good of the Students write about their reactions falls for a scammer and whole community? Some citizens respond. social ofArgentina disability to a memoir about suffering and survival. schoolchildrenand a bigger race begins Themodel women of pays for her mistake RESOLUTION
BELLOWS FALLS— Greater Falls Warming Shelter will hold a third training session for overnight volunteers Monday, Nov. 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the shelter’s location in the basement of the Athens Pizza building at 83 Westminster St. Volunteers are needed to staff the shelter in two nightly shifts from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., or 1 to 7 a.m., or for the entire evening. Volunteer duties include being awake and available to supervise those sleeping at the shelter and doing some light duties involving the serving and cleanup of the evening meal and snacks. How did they relate the book to their lives? ‘If you are typically abled, I sometimes feel that weJew liveconfronts Businesses learn about alcohol, tobac A snarky, gay Volunteers can sign up reguRove-style politics in Vermont? Follow the charter Thanks worlds apart. But it doesn’t be that way.’shock larly or as their schedules permit. culture whileits denial of a The have Publictosome Service Board discusses Festival of Squashes‘Simply raises funds for library Anyone interested in volunteerfrom volunteering at a school no uncertain language’ Certificate of Public Good for now-off-the-table VY plan A fog of blind faith prevails, mistake that despite ing is required to attend oneAn of honest evidence for the World Trade Center tragedy a in rural Uganda parade The Judge of rules that Brattleboro Selectboard erred in keeping statistics from even proponents the training sessions. job is overwhelming, yet it is treated solely as a theo raises deeper questions citizen referendum question from town ballot What would make us truly happy? No experience is needed other man-made globalof warming The perils organizers Demanding change to state’s • A voice against a $60 billion tragic misuse than a concern for the homeless Republican transportation policies big money in elections in the community who are outThe company I work forAnti-global-warming writer side during the winter months. Coming to understand an increasingly Volunteers will work with a popular Japanese Asembraces the school Feeling hot, hot, hotyear starts, Vermont’sElectronic steer us wrong, in many ways dance — one that respondsdevices to rebuttal ‘Uninformed’? We just didn’t agree staff coordinator who has over- the contradictions in our complex world Teacher of the Year offers some thoughts all responsibility. This training An apostrophe — please! What if VY had to apply Union: Shumlin used VY stance is mandatory for all volunteers, MMI benefit concer Former volunteer A veteran broadcaster volunteers new or previous. as litmus test for other labor issues disillusioned with Salmon ‘a total success’ for original approval today? at Brattleboro Community Radio Vermont Yankee needs to remain The shelter plans to open and likes what he sees (and hears) Plastic bags litter the who the Skeptics Nov. 22 and remain open every Learning from Lessons from the partquestion of state’s energy mix Dummerston needs strong plan VIEWPOINT night until April. Questions recountry and take oil climate change Woodward case with open-space protection Northeast Kingdom garding the training or the shelHow Vermont avoided to manufacture VIEWPOINT ter in general can be directed to substitute rhetoric for What other areas of Vermont can learn In support of the worst of the recession about making agriculture viable bfwarmingshelter@yahoo.com.
The feeling of freedom
Renewing the riverfront
Art work
VOICES
Decoding the warmist agenda
Nixing Enexus
What if?
The changing role of education in aNew life for the old Grange A different Call the pain the cure global society Lost souls in the woods
Hot enough Harder to say for you?
way to run More than a station weThe need border-lands of insanity A local look at mental illness Engaging Telling kids that it gets better in the 19th century Young adults and their faith young voters
than The God gay’ scientific A pastor ponders her spiritual-but-not-religious Disabled like me evidence A tale of two plants Partridgegeneration within‘I’m ‘Where do wenuclear fit in?’ power Obuchowski, Taxation in Vermont:
Oyster Creek and Friel did a great job Takingplatform On the A search for a place to go, upLet community stand against asks one college student Growing gay in the VY are both ofRepublican the at Oak Grove School VY signs go far beyond The numbers don’t lie Dover holiday measures To the poorhouse L E T T E R S graffiti FROM READERS a place beyond hollowness message of anti-semitic same vintage — war horse, and both must go South was bad. The constant lights contest against an Lessons learned from working for and emptiness, when Kruger not given appropriate respect Shumlin consistently backs early-childhood education the rich and famous on Poverty Ro galloping epidemic Auditor candidate says: the silence speaks Town should help dogs in cars DOVER—This holiday seabullying? That was worse. son, residents are invited to light Moran: a politician who gets Pay-as-you-throw and the will invest It’s about the ethics Shumlin in all across the globe Restorative Justice program: up the town in its third annual into the gutter — literally Making broadband available to everyone rising cost of trash disposal infrastructure technology a no-brainer for society Bright Lights of Dover holiday LETTERS FROM READERS Diplomacy at resources in Vermont makes good economic sense Card fees drain Tired of ridiculous, false arguments lights contest. the dinner table, Who really cares about the companyfrom small businesses Organizers are looking for Would the Cleavers come here? State representative urges you to vote courtesy of Fox News you work for if it can’t tell the truth? both commercial and residenWinning over conservative parents A guy who sacrifices for others tial properties to decorate their A squandered opportunity Memorial Day thanks with small-town values Celebrating Windham College’s legacy buildings with holiday lights. Theuniversal Stop settling for What could be going underground with the sewer pipes judged competition offers prizesWhite has championed mental health issues would continue county’s Shumlin offers leadership Racine: L E T T E Ra S F man ROM REA ofD E action, RGalbraith S priorities, and values The long dance of farmers and customers, of $500 for first place, $300 for lack of leadership ‘Buy local’ role of leadership in Montpelier second, and $200 for third. all building relationships around food this election on Vermont Yankee issue Come on, Selectboard — reconsider lights Peter, feelsout budget sting Robbing paying Paul changes that need to GulfLibrary oil spill points need for The competition is open to any The over-reaching White, Youngcandidate for Senate business or residence in town. It new energy measures, says seat With David Snow’s death, be made must be done on a national level must be an exterior display visfamily forever changed ible at night using any color. An autistic woman searches for kindred souls
The last 5 percent
Can dairy crisis To market, to market become a catalyst for change?
(LED lights recommended.) Registration must be submitted by Nov. 29. Judging will take place on Friday, Dec. 10. Hand in registrations at the Dover Town Office on the corner of Route 100 and Dorr Fitch Road or mail to Bright Lights of Dover, P.O. Box 428, West Dover, VT 05356. Contact Patrick Moreland at (802) 464-5100, ext. 4, or Linda Anelli at (802) 464-1219 with any questions.
Bag sale planned in Saxtons River SAXTONS RIVER — The Worn Again Thrift Shop at the St. Edmunds Catholic Church on Main Street is having a $3 Bag Sale on Thursday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Thrift Shop also wants shoppers to know that they are accepting cans and non-perishable packages of food to be donated to area food shelves. On the 20th, TARPS (The Animal Rescue & Protection Society) will be in the shop for demonstrations and giving out literature. The thrift shop offers an assortment of mens, womens, childrens and infants footwear and clothing for all seasons. Also offered are costume jewelry, kitchen utensils and small appliances, sheets and pillow cases, blankets, bed spreads, pillow, and fabrics, many type of books, coffee mugs, and knick-knacks. There is also an assortment of wearing apparel and things on the “Free” shelf. The Worn Again Thrift Shop is run by volunteers from the West River Missions, which include Catholic churches from Saxtons River, Putney and Townshend.
Halifax serves monthly senior meal on Nov. 19 HALIFAX— The monthly Halifax Senior Meal will be served on Friday, Nov. 19 at noon at the Halifax Community Hall at the intersection of Branch and Brook roads. On the menu is roast pork and gravy, potatoes, vegetables, rolls and dessert. Everyone is welcome, the cost is $3 for seniors over 60 and $4 for diners under 60. Reservations are appreciated, call Joan at 802-368-7733.
I
n Voices, we offer an unusual editorial and op-ed section, one that presents a wonderfully sprawling array of personal expression. That’s only fitting, because Windham County readers have a wonderfully sprawling array of ideals, political views, and interests. Are you a radical, a reformed hippie, a liberal Republican, a moderate, a Progressive, a Reagan Democrat, a Tea Partier, a none-of-the-abovewhat-business-is-it-of-yours-anyway? Name your label — we don’t care. If your opinion is relevant or interesting, if your life experience is compelling, we want to hear from you, because we believe we can all learn from one another even if we don’t always agree.
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6
VOICES
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
OPINION • COMMENTARY • LETTERS Join the discussion: voices@commonsnews.org
VIEWPOINT
SATIRE
Not luck — hard work
Winning does not just happen — it comes to those who actively fight for change. And even then, success is not assured. Bellows Falls Julie Waters blogs on Green Mountain Daily (www.greenmountaindaily.com), set me on edge one morning shortly after where this piece first appeared. She also works as a musician, the election. I had written about Vermont photographer, and web developer. maintaining Democratic control of both houses and regaining control of the Governor’s which I respect. The dialogue office. One reader responded got me thinking, and I feel as that Vermont was lucky. though the broader issue of Lucky? what it takes to build moveNot lucky. ments and foster change is We worked our asses off for worth discussing. this outcome, on multiple levPolitical change doesn’t genels. This was one of the most erally come from luck. It comes engaged and active races we’ve from years, sometimes deseen here since Howard Dean’s cades, of work. Nor does this last election as governor. work guarantee victory. It just Elections aren’t about luck. makes you more likely to win. They’re about extremely difA lot of people all over the ficult, scrappy work and carecountry worked ridiculously ful planning. We have tea party hard in this election and lost, groups here, but they don’t big time. It’s brutal, it’s painful, have power — not because we and it can just wreck your day, are more left-wing than the rest if not your whole damned year. of the country (we are not), I once worked on a union but because our left wing is ex- drive for two years, a drive that tremely active, engaged, and our opposition managed to disinspired. mantle with $30,000 of taxThe original commenter payer money in two months. It apologized for the comment, was devastating. Sometimes,
A
blog comment
Jeff Potter/Commons file photo
Governor-elect Peter Shumlin.
no matter how much work you put in, you lose. But not always. And that’s what makes the work worth it. Ten years ago, we enacted civil unions here, and the aftermath was horrendous. Howard Dean came close to losing his seat. The Statehouse changed hands, moving into Republican control. In two years, all that was reversed. Dean stepped down to get ready for his presidential run, and we ended up with a Republican nightmare in the governor’s seat, while Democrats regained majorities in the legislature. Since then, the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force has been incredibly active. Nine years later, in a state in which civil unions were a source of bitter, divisive controversy, not only did the legislature upgrade civil unions to full marriage, but the Democrats had rebuilt majorities to the point that they managed to override a veto by our conservative governor. This wasn’t something that just happened by luck or circumstance. Things changed. The Freedom to Marry Task Force engaged candidates and worked to keep them in office while doing broader educational issues. (Full disclosure: I did some temp work for the task force a few years back.) They built a movement to push civil unions to the next level. In the meantime, anti-gayrights groups were losing steam, not because they were unwilling to work, but because they had nothing left. They were wrong because they predicted dire consequences that never came to light. When marriage equality was passed, they targeted candidates for defeat, focusing on primary challenges to Republicans. They failed. The vast majority (over 90 percent) of candidates who supported marriage equality
EDITORIAL
Why won’t Congress fully fund heat assistance programs?
I
t’s mid-November, and winter is around the corner. According to the state Department of Children and Families, more Vermont households than ever before will be receiving home heating assistance this season. As of earlier this month, nearly 19,000 Vermont households will have received money through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), compared to nearly 16,000 households at the same time last year. Part of the increase is due to higher income limits for receiving aid — from 155 percent of the federal poverty level to 185 percent. Unfortunately, with a finite amount of money available and more households signing up, all recipients will get a smaller benefit. Benefit amounts are lower this year, not only because more people qualify for assistance, but also because federal funding has decreased. The U.S. Congress approved only $15 million for
Vermont’s Fuel Assistance Program, substantially less than the $25.6 million the state received last year. Chances are that Congress will not be sending more to make up the nearly $10 million shortfall in LIHEAP money. And it would not be surprising if, in the name of deficit reduction, Congress cut funding even more in the coming months. All of these factors mean even more pressure on private funds, such as the Windham County Heat Fund run by Richard Davis and Daryl Pillsbury, and on local social service agencies, such as Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA). The county heat fund helped 350 families last year and works closely with SEVCA on behalf of those in need. Unlike those in charge of LIHEAP, Davis and Pillsbury have more latitude in delivering aid, and they will need every bit of wiggle room possible this winter. As we reported a few weeks ago, more than 10
percent of Vermonters live below the poverty line and one in four Vermonters are either unemployed or working part-time involuntarily. One in five children in Windham County lack access to enough food to meet basic needs. And the number of food stamp recipients in Vermont is at an all-time high at about 87,000. Local food shelves such as the Brattleboro Drop-in Center and Our Place in Bellows Falls are seeing record demand. This is what Vermont looks like after three years of a persistent recession that, while not as severe as it has been in some places in America, is still bad if you or your family are one of the unlucky ones who are jobless, homeless, and hungry. As a community, we usually manage to pull together to help our neighbors when they are in a jam. Congress ought to apply that same spirit and restore the missing $10 million to Vermont’s share of LIHEAP.
craigslist.org
You never know what you’re going to find on Craigslist, and last Friday some regional viewers got a little political commentary in the form of a classified ad for Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee. Shortly after it appeared, the post was “flagged for removal,” a double entendre that pleased some who advocate the closing of the plant. (“Call it an omen,” one reader commented on iBrattleboro.)
won re-election, and Peter Shumlin, the man who sponsored the legislation and worked his ass off to make it law, just got elected governor of Vermont. This happened because the Freedom to Marry Task Force put an immense amount of effort into supporting the Shumlin campaign and the campaigns of those who supported marriage equality. Similarly, groups such as United Professionals of Vermont/American Federation of Teachers’ Early Childhood Educators United with its Kids Count on Me campaign did work supporting candidates at multiple levels. They met with politicians, understood their positions, and promoted the candidacies of those who supported their goals. (Again, disclosure: I have multiple ties with this organization, both professional and personal.) Movements happen because of sweat and tears. They happen when we work for them. We write. We talk. We walk. We knock. We communicate. We call. We do. We are not lucky. We are active. We know the numbers. Republicans are not more popular than Democrats. But they did better in many races in terms of turnout. A lot of them voted. Not as many of us did. We won in Vermont because we were active, interested, and engaged. We had a five-way primary that brought diverse candidates together to do honorable battle with one another. The one with the highest negatives won, despite those negatives, yet still we took the day, because we, and they, worked so very hard to do the right thing and to build the future we need to thrive as a state. Most of the people who voted for Peter Shumlin were not in love with him. But they could see the lay of the land and knew that having him in office was so much better than the alternative. He received 25 percent of the vote in the primary, but all four of his opponents worked to see him elected. Not hoped. Not wished. Worked. I recently got a note from Peter Shumlin’s campaign. “This victory is your victory and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was the best get-out-the-vote effort ever executed in the state of Vermont,” he wrote. “We won, in part, because of the many volunteers and dedicated organizers that assisted them in reaching out to neighbors, knocking on doors, making those phone calls and e-mailing friends. The hard work that you put in over the course of these many months convinced Vermonters that we had the best plan for the future of our state.” We’ve got a new governor. We earned it. n
LETTERS FROM READERS
More thanks from politicians • John Moran
M
y thanks to the voters of Dover, Readsboro, Searsburg, Somerset, Stamford, and Wardsboro for re-electing me. Thanks to all who worked on my behalf, and thanks to Geralyn Sniatkowski for giving constituents a choice in this election. I will continue to work for our district on educational funding reform, economic development, and balancing the budget in a responsible manner. Soon I will be setting up an office schedule to be available to everyone during our legislative session. Please be in touch with me
with any questions or suggestions: 58 Hi-Hopes Road, Wardsboro, VT 05355, (802) 896-9408, jhnm590@aol.com or the Statehouse, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-5201, 800322-5616 (in Vermont only), jmoran@leg.state.vt.us. Again, my thanks, and I look forward to continuing to represent our district in Montpelier. John Moran Wardsboro The writer, a Democrat, represents the Windham-Bennington-1 district in the state House of Representatives.
• Valerie Stuart
I
want to sincerely thank everyone in District 1 who voted for me in the primary and general elections. I feel honored to have been selected to serve our district and to receive the opportunity to collaborate with Windham County’s dedicated group of legislators. I want to express special appreciation to our state representative, Gini Milkey, for serving our district so capably for the past two decades and for sharing her time and wisdom with me to ensure a smooth transition as I move into her seat in the Statehouse this January. I also wish to acknowledge my respect for all the individuals who recently ran for public office because of their desire to make a positive difference in our society — individuals that include my opponent, Rick Morton. To those of you who donated to my campaign, wrote letters endorsing me, offered to put my signs on your lawns, and shared your concerns about the issues we face as a community, a heartfelt thanks. I enjoyed meeting every one of you. As I made my way along the campaign trail, connecting with you reminded me of how much I have always enjoyed working as a member of a team on behalf of something larger and more important than myself. Whether raising money in partnership with the board of a nonprofit organization such as Youth Services, or building awareness of an issue I care deeply about such as protecting Vermont’s agricultural landscape, I have always found working on projects or causes I believe in extremely gratifying. Thank you for giving me the chance to do what I enjoy most.
I will work hard to address your needs to the very best of my ability. I hope to hear from you regarding your concerns, and I look forward to listening to your thoughts on how we can address the challenges we face, both as a community and a state. I feel fortunate to be joining an excellent team of legislators, and I look forward to combining my talents with those of Brattleboro’s state representatives, Sarah Edwards and Mollie Burke. I know the three of us, in collaboration with the rest of Windham County’s devoted legislative delegation, and our new governor, Peter Shumlin, will serve on a strong team that fights hard to meet the needs of the residents of Windham County and our great state. Valerie A. Stuart Brattleboro The writer, a Democrat, will represent Brattleboro District 3-1 in the Vermont House.
Send us your letters
Got something on your mind? Send contributions (500 words or fewer strongly recommended) to editor@commonsnews.org; deadline is Friday to be considered for next week’s paper. When space is an issue we give priority to words that have not yet appeared elsewhere. • Letters also appear this week on the facing page.
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
VOICES
7 MORE LETTERS FROM READERS
VIEWPOINT
Banana plantations don’t need evacuation plans
H
Mary Alden-Allard/Creative Commons license
A scene from the 2008 ice storm in Westminster.
Coping with Vermont weather — and the ‘hothouse flowers’ Grafton Annie Hawkins, a writer and storyteller, contributes frequently to these pages. to Vermont in December of 1999, I felt a twinge of trepidation. native species and wildflower Although I find beauty in meadows in their yards. every season, I love the big One April, they raised a bloom of summer best: the fracas about the “noise” of heat and light and wide open the peeper frogs, those muwindows and the whirr of sical inhabitants of wetlands ceiling fans. I like sweating in who herald the arrival of the barn and the luxury of let- spring with their gorgeous ting the garden tell me what choruses. What were the to make for dinner. elected officials expected to I’d visited Vermont often do? Pave the wetlands? Arrest enough in winter to know it the peepers? was no-fooling-around cold. This news was reported I’d come in mud season, in the local paper. The next too, slogging into camps in week, three pages of letters to Jeffersonville and Westford, the editor defended the peepmaking sport of the journey, ers’ right to life and song. seeing how far I could travel One writer asked, “When you before my boots got sucked handcuff a frog, do you cuff off my feet. him in front of his back or beDid I have sufficient vigor hind it?” to be a full-time resident? These missives gave me My Magic 8-Ball said, “The heart, but not enough to stay. outlook is cloudy.” But if you want to live in a habiMuch to my dismay, tat sparsely settled by huthere are hothouse flowers in mans, you gotta go where the Vermont. A few Decembers weather is, and you can’t be back, an ice storm knocked whining when you get there. out power on our road for three days. I drove into Friends from my home Chester, where power had turf in Chester County, Pa., already been restored, and I knew I had an essentially overheard a young woman tropical soul. When I antalking to a shopkeeper. nounced my departure, they “I couldn’t take a shower thought I’d taken leave of my for 24 hours, and there was senses. no TV,” she mewled. But the turf had gotten The shopkeeper murmured crowded with new neighbors sympathetically. I sealed a who appeared to shun the piece of metaphorical duct weather and all of nature. In tape over my lips. the pricey developments that Ask anyone who makes a surrounded my small house living out in the weather how on three secluded acres, the they are, and they’re likely to only visible signs of human say, “No use complaining.” life were the “lawn doctors” Farmers, farriers, veterinardousing the preternaturally ians, loggers, utility crews green grass with chemicals — the men and women who and the professional landhave reason to complain, scapers whizzing around on don’t. huge, buzzing mowers. In an unusually wet spring, The citified meteorologists, you might hear a farmer fret broadcasting from windowabout getting his hay in, but less studios in Philadelphia, he doesn’t take the rain as sounded as though they hated a personal affront, as if the weather. In the midst of pro- weather had set out to ruin longed droughts they rehis life. ported the likelihood of rain Before I moved to Vermont apologetically, as if it were a I exercised racehorses six curse. mornings a week. I rode with “It’s going to be a gloomy stellar riders. We sweltered day. A 100-percent chance of in the humid summers. We rain,” they intoned, looking shivered in the damp winters far gloomier than the day. despite being bundled in layMeanwhile, the few reers of fleece, wool, and down. maining farmers in the When it rained, our hands county were gathered before slipped on the reins while the dawn at the local coffee joint, horses pulled our arms out of raising their cups to the sky. their sockets. A racehorse doesn’t care My father occasionally if the rider is cold, wet, tired, referred to people who lived hung over, or heartbroken. inside lives as “hothouse She or he just wants to gallop flowers.” The new hothouse forward. The rider’s job is to flowers did emerge from persuade the horse to gallop their houses to attend townat the prescribed pace, using ship meetings, where they finesse and, sometimes, an protested the “stench” of the equal measure of muscle. few dairy farms left standRiders never whined. It ing. They lodged complaints was an unspoken rule in the against their neighbors who code of riders’ conduct. We had the foresight to plant got on our horses and rode.
W
hen I moved
A couple of weeks ago, a n’oreaster blew through Vermont. That morning I was in the barn mucking stalls, and the rain was music on the metal roof. Wind propelled warm air through the open doors. The sky was the shade of gray that only nature can paint on clouds, doves, and kittens. The summer had been too dry. The ground was hard and the grass was brown. My neighbors’ well dried up. When the earth is parched, I feel parched, too. No matter how much water I drink, I can’t get enough moisture. I feel edgy, out of balance. The rain was restorative, a reason for celebration. As I hauled a muck tub out to the manure pile, I felt grateful I didn’t have six bumptious horses to gallop. I remembered one of my favorite literary characters — the Whether Man in Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth. When he meets Milo, the young protagonist, the Whether Man asks Milo, “Do you think it will rain?” “‘I thought you were the Weather Man,’ said Milo, very confused. “‘Oh, no,’ said the little man. ‘I’m the Whether Man, not the Weather Man, for after all, it’s more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be.’” I stopped, tilted my head upward and let the rain fall on my face. It was more soothing than a day at the spa. Later that morning, back at my desk, barn chores and the day’s writing done, I opened my e-mail. A friend from “away” was visiting in Danby, entertaining the idea of moving there. We had tentatively planned to meet for lunch. “Sorry I didn’t get back to you,” she wrote. “The weather is godawful.” Two months earlier, she’d been lamenting the lack of rain. Were we living and breathing under the same sky? There will be weather, I thought, contemplating the odds of her surviving a January n’oreaster, snow blowing and drifting and temperatures below zero. Humans are a contentious species. We hate what is foreign to us. We shun it or kill it or try to. Harry Emerson Fosdick, an American Baptist minister born in 1878, said, “Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.” Hating the weather is equally destructive. n
oward Shaffer’s Viewpoint piece [“The Banana Menace,” The Commons, Nov. 10] questioned whether nuclear energy foes will ever put Vermont Yankee’s tritium leaks into perspective. Consider what follows to be an attempt to do just that. What we’re dealing with is not simply the tritium (and cobalt, cesium, and strontium) that has been leaking into the public domain groundwater and probably the Connecticut River. The attention to tritium may simply be because the word tritium attracts more public attention than a scientific discourse on curies, picocuries, and roentgen equivalent men (rems). VY’s tritium leaks from underground pipes (that company officials initially denied even existed) suggest that some of the 38-year-old plant’s infrastructure might be lacking in proper maintenance. Pipes might be corroding, regular inspections might have been neglected, and there could be metal fatigue. And to the extent that these variables could be applied to the plant as a whole — e.g. underground cables not
certified for submersion in water — there is certainly cause for concern. Also, let’s not be fixated on the exact number of picocuries in a liter of tritiated water. We’re all subjected to a certain amount of background radiation (granite bedrock or solar rays, for example), which isn’t necessarily inconsequential. But to knowingly add to that body burden of radioactive exposure might be construed as inflicting premeditated harm. The National Academy of Sciences in its seventh Biologic Effects of Ionizing Radiation report noted that no amount of ionizing radiation can be considered safe. It is a joke to suppose that citizens opposed to Vermont Yankee would be picketing local supermarkets because of radioactive bananas. Bananas, like dental X-rays or crosscountry flights, are elective. VY’s radioactive emissions are not. But we’re not supposed to complain. Issues of safety, we’re told, are the exclusive province of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. And consider this: banana
plantations don’t require evacuation plans or security guards with machine guns. Terrorists probably aren’t scheming to blow them up. They don’t produce waste material deadly for a million years, nor material useful for making bombs. Banana plantations don’t require eventual decommissioning. The government doesn’t need to bother monitoring fence-line banana radiation. Mr. Schaffer stated that “regulations on emitted radioactivity protect the public with a huge margin of safety.” One doesn’t get that impression from reading The People of Three Mile Island by Robert Del Tredici or Chernobyl: The Forbidden Truth by Alla Yaroshinskaya. It’s not simply about the tritium. It’s not about bananas. It’s not about somebody’s “political agenda.” It’s about the menace of nuclear power and the imperative to develop electrical energy, as soon as possible, which doesn’t threaten the health and safety of people or planet. Bill Pearson Brattleboro
Mexican food, film festival: success
B
y all measures, the Brattleboro Rotary Club’s Mexican Film & Food Festival held on Nov. 7 was a total success. Close to 150 folks came to the Latchis Theatre and Brattleboro Museum & Art Center to see Mexican films and sample Mexican fare. Between the program book advertising and ticket sales, we achieved our goal. In April of 2011, through Casita Linda, a Mexican
nonprofit organization that builds adobe brick homes for families in and the surrounding areas in the state of Guanajuato, our club and students from the Windham Regional Career Center will be building one home for one family. The program book has been posted to www.brattlebororotaryclub.org so you can not only support our advertisers who supported us but also read about the films
and Casita Linda. Muchas gracias to Howard Printing for the generous donation of the program book printing and to Brattleboro Country Club Chef Steven Reynolds for preparing a real taste of Mexico. Martin Kohn Brattleboro The writer serves as chair for the Rotary Club’s International Film & Food Festival.
Squash festival grateful T
he first Westminster West Festival of Squashes, a fundraiser for the Westminster West Public Library, held Oct 16 in Westminster West village, was a great success. Festival-goers enjoyed a wide range of dishes at the squash café. The squash identification treasure hunt introduced children and adults to the diversity of squash that can be grown in our region, and children also got to exercise their creativity in designing intriguing squash sculptures. Neil Taylor provided festival-goers and organizers with much needed chair massages. Longtime Westminster farmer Howard Prussack presented a slide show detailing his experience growing squash over 39 years to an appreciative audience, and fielded many questions about timing of planting and harvesting and management of pests and disease. Thai chef Aew Ladd demonstrated her delicious steamed custard-filled winter squash which was enjoyed by all, and author Crescent Dragonwagon wrapped up the event with equally delicious squash poetry. This event could not have happened without the generosity of many many individuals W NE ! M ITE
who cannot all be mentioned here. We are most grateful for your help! We particularly want to thank all of the creative cooks in our community who donated food; Susan Talbot, who co-managed the café; the vendors who added their wares to our festivities; Peter Stamm, who prepared specialty coffees, and the following local farms who donated ingredients: Harlow Farm, Allen Brothers, Holton Farm, Green Mountain Orchards, Walker Farm, High Meadows Farm, Old Athens Farm, and Livewater Farm.
We celebrate your hard work and thank you for recognizing with your support the essential role the library plays in the culture of our community. Tatiana Schreiber Westminster West The writer submitted this letter on behalf of the board of trustees of the Westminster West Public Library, which also includes Carlene Raper, Mary Ceglarski, Alison Taylor, Jim Taylor, Collin Leech, and Barbara Rogers.
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Births, deaths, and news of people from Windham County
• Thomas Boyd, 77, of
Whitingham. Died Nov. 11 at the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation in Bennington. Husband of Clara Boyd. Father of Steve Boyd and his companion Debbie Sillanpaa of Whitingham; Tonia Martin of Worcester, Mass.; Bonnie and Marty Stuart of Brattleboro; Randal Boyd and his companion Julie of Hinsdale, N.H.; and Kent Boyd and his companion Heather Berry of Whitingham. Brother of Joe Boyd of Hinsdale; Ralph Boyd of Springfield, Vt.; Mildred Stark of Shelburne Falls, Mass.; Leola Garland of Spofford, N.H.; and Shirley Franklin of Guilford. Predeceased by siblings Linden, Burton and Marjorie Boyd. Born in Wilmington and received his education at the Dix Schoolhouse in Wilmington. Worked as a logger for many years for Joe Moore, Cersosimo and Ovide Dupuis. Also ran the yard at Sawyer-Bentwood for many years. In his retirement, Tom worked part time in the produce department at Shaw’s and Grand Union. He also helped his son deliver the newspaper in the Deerfield Valley and ran a salvage auto parts yard. Memorial information : A funeral service was held Nov. 16 at Covey & Allen Funeral Home, with burial in the family lot in Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington. Donations to the Whitingham Ambulance Service, c/o Covey & Allen Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363. Condolences may be left at www. sheafuneralhomes.com.
• H e l e n P. Courtemanche, 64, of Hinsdale,
N.H. Died Nov. 10 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of Alfred Courtemanche for 45 years. Mother of Michael Courtemanche and his wife, June, of Vernon. Sister of Sophie Standow of Bedford, N.H. and Maryann Wallace of Hinsdale. Predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Nellie Kolnacki Pelis; three brothers, Frank, John and Joseph Pelis; and a sister, Shirley Walker. Graduate of Hinsdale High School, Class of 1963. Worked her entire career in banking and was employed as a financial services representative for Merchants Bank in Brattleboro, retiring in 2008. Previously, she had been employed at Vermont National Bank for 35 years. M e mori a l inform ation : A funeral Mass was held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hinsdale on Nov. 13, with burial in St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, New England Chapter, 60 Walnut St., Wellesley Hills, MA 02481, or www.jdrf.org. Condolences to the family may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Alexander “Sandy” Hawthor ne Hadden, 85, o f
Grafton, Died Nov. 4 at his home. Husband of Shirley O’Brien Morgan and Susan Heiser Hadden. Father of Kate, John and David Hadden and Jane Geisse. Brother of Elizabeth Alexander. Predeceased by a daughter, Betsy, and a brother John A. Hadden, Jr. Born in Cleveland, he graduated from Milton Academy in 1942. Served as an Army infantryman in France and Germany during World War II. He was caught behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge and spent his 21st birthday attempting to locate his infantry company. He took charge of the situation and led five men to safety, an act for which he was issued a Certificate of Bravery. He finished out the war in Berlin serving on a detail protecting President Truman’s “Little White House” during the Potsdam Conference, and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant. He drew on those experiences in 1999 when he wrote and published “Not Me: The World War II Memoir of a Reluctant Rifleman.” Graduated from Yale after the war, and from Case Western Reserve Law School in 1951. He joined the Cleveland law firm of Baker Hostetler and eventually Serving Windsor & Windham Counties
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Londonderry. Died Nov. 10 at the Gill Home in Ludlow. Wife of the late Harold Warner Sr., and the late Cecil C. Landon. Mother of Harold G. Warner Jr. of Londonderry, Richard Landon of Wallingford, William Landon of Amsden, Jacquleyn Griswold of Andover and Virginia Mizelle of Tennessee. Also survived by 25 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren. Predeceased by a daughter, Lorraine Young and a sister, Mildred Tefft. Graduate of Chester High School, Class of 1930. Was the owner and operator of Warner’s General Store in Londonderry from 1947 until 1970. Enjoyed baking, crocheting, quilt making, tatting and genealogy. Memorial information : A funeral service was held at the Andover Community Church on Nov. 12, with burial at Simonsville Cemetery. • Earle William Stebbins, 86, of Townshend. Died Nov.
4 in Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Husband of Louise Stebbens for 65 years. Father of John and David Stebbins. Predeceased by a sister, Rachael. Survived a double hernia operation at the age of 9 months and overcame a sickly childhood to work as a logger, woodcutter and later a master carpenter for many years. Was a great storyteller, a meticulous craftsman and made friends everywhere he went. Memorial information : A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family wishes for nothing from anyone, but to have you think of him from time to time.
consumption is lower than at any point since the start of World War II. Nonetheless, roughly 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 teenagers in the U.S. still smoke. Lung cancer remains the Number 1 cancer killer among men and women. If you are a smoker, the Smokeout can help you improve those statistics. For more information about the Great American Smokeout at Grace Cottage Hospital, contact the Community Wellness Line at 365-3649.
Rockingham honors stewards of their historic properties ROCKINGHAM—On Nov. 13, the Rockingham Historical Commission honored the seven winners in its 13th Old House Award contest at an awards ceremony at Vermont Academy’s Leavitt House. The contest is open to property owners in Rockingham and Bellows Falls. The commission said it was difficult to select winners out of a pool of 23 nominations, but that all the nominees have done well to maintain and improve the curb appeal of their historic houses and commercial buildings. Leavitt House was awarded the 2010 Special Stewardship Award in recognition of VA’s stewardship of the many historic buildings on the Long Walk on Vermont Academy campus. It is so named for Headmaster Laurence G. Leavitt, recommended by Dartmouth College President Ernest Martin Hopkins when Vermont Academy was in financial straits and required someone who could turn the school around. Leavitt took over as headmaster in 1934, and his friend, architect Howard Clinch designed their house with the intent that
Henniker, N.H. Brother of Minnie Podmore of Hinsdale and Flossy Higgins of Las Vegas. Predeceased by siblings Harold, Howard and Elton Stephens and Edna Deyo. Born in Ashuelot, N.H., he was a lifelong resident of Hinsdale. Worked as a plant engineer at the Erving Paper Mill in Hinsdale, retiring in 1983. He enjoyed woodworking, and had replicas of many historic Hinsdale buildings. Memorial inform ation : A private graveside services will be held at the convenience of the family. Donations to Rescue Inc. of Brattleboro.
it be a gathering place for the school as well as the home for the headmaster and his family. The Leavitt House was completed for the Leavitt’s to move in the day before Christmas of 1936 and became known as “The House with No Key,” as hundreds of gatherings were held at the house – music evenings, alumni re-unions, trustee meetings, dinner parties, students’ birthday parties, faculty coffee hours and so on. Current Headmaster Sean Brennan appreciates that heritage of the Leavitt House, and is re-initiating that symbol of hospitality. Immediately upon hearing of the awards ceremony, Sean offered the Leavitt House as a venue for the event. The Best Large Commercial Property Award went to Tony Elliott, Erik Leo and Jay Eshelman for the classic revival (circa 1890) Brown Block off The Square, currently housing Sovernet and Village Printers. The Best Small Commercial Property Award went to Wayne Ryan for his circa 1920 building at 65 Rockingham St., in Bellows Falls, currently Nick’s. The Long Term Maintenance
Award went to the Linda McIntosh Family Trust and their circa 1865 Classic Revival at 2 Pleasant St., in Saxtons River. The Best Large Residence Award went to Jonathan Potter for the circa 1853 Classic Revival home at 7 School St., in Bellows Falls, whose current first floor was added years later underneath the now second and third floors. The Best Small Residence Award went to Campbell and Hillary Peters for their circa 1900 Queen Anne Victorian at 12 Cherry St., in Bellows Falls. The Best Apartment House Award went to Sigmond and Antoinette Ponek for their circa 1890 three-unit apartment house at 80 Atkinson St., in Bellows Falls. The Rockingham Historical Commission also recognized the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust with a certificate for their thoughtful and energy saving restoration of 5 buildings on Pine St and Williams Street Extension, which were added to the Historic Neighborhood District and entered on the National Register of Historic Places in July of this year.
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Births • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Nov. 3, 2010, a daughter, Tacomie Bulma May Milbauer , to Crystal and Kurt Milbauer of Grafton; granddaughter to James R. Milbauer Jr. and Heidi Milbauer of Grafton, and Roger and Nancy Swanson of Vernon. • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Oct. 29, 2010, a son, Tristan Kenneth Harrington, to Mellany (Hallock) and Michael D. Harrington of Brattleboro; grandson to Kenneth and Diane Hallock of Dummerston and Dennis and Penny Harrington of Brookline; great-grandson to Vera Harrington of Newfane and Henry “Skip” Eaton of Jamaica.
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• George “Jim” Stephens, 92,
of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Nov. 12 in Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following an illness. Husband of the late Marjorie (Smith) Stephens and Ethelyn (Barrett) Stephens. Father of George “Pete” Stephens of Roanoke, Va., and Douglas Stephens of Hinsdale. Stepfather of Kenneth Fales of
NE NLY B R AT T L E B R
community is invited to the hospital’s lunchroom and West Crispe Porch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that day to learn about tobacco cessation programs and products. Free samples of nicotine replacement products and other giveaways will be available, and anyone quitting tobacco will be supplied with a cold turkey sandwich. Many Americans now understand the dangers associated with tobacco use. An estimated 46 million adults are former smokers, and per-capita cigarette
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Died Nov. 7 at Valley Cares Assisted Living in Townshend. Husband of Virginia Mulford for 68 years. Father of Lynn Barrett of Dummerston Center; Russell Robinson Barrett, III and his wife Dorothy of Northfield, Vt.; and Randi Barrett and her partner Joanne Pereira of Elmore. Predeceased by siblings James, Kathleen, Molly and Patty Barrett. Grew up near New York City and graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1939 and joined the Navy as a pilot. From 1940 to 1942, he flew PBY Catalina flying boats in Patrol Wing 10 in the Philippines, the only Navy aviation unit to fight the Japanese in the early weeks of World War II. After the Philippines were overrun by the Japanese in early 1942, he and the surviving members of his unit escaped to Australia. In early 1944, after a stint as a flight trainer stateside, he returned to the Pacific to join Rescue Squadron 3 as Executive Officer and proceeded to operate in support of the invasions of Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He rose to command his own squadron, VH-1, at the end of the war. He left the Navy in 1949 at the rank of Commander, and was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and was seven times awarded the Air Medal. He settled in Westfield, N.J., and started a successful real estate business, Barrett & Crain Inc. Moved to Grafton in 1969 and founded Barrett & Co., a local real estate firm. Was president of the Grafton Historical Society for seven years, a trustee of the Grafton Church, and a founding member with the Windham Foundation and the University of Vermont of the Grafton-Barrett Wildlife Coverts Project. Memorial information : A graveside service will be held on Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. at Houghtonville Cemetery in Grafton, with a reception to follow at the Old Tavern at Grafton. Donations to either Valley Cares Assisted Living in Townshend or to The Grafton Historical Society, Brick Church project.
TOWNSHEND—Every November for the past 34 years, smokers have quit smoking by joining the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. The Smokeout has played an important role in raising awareness about tobacco’s deadly consequences and helping bring dramatic changes in Americans’ attitudes about smoking. Grace Cottage Hospital will celebrate this year’s 35th Anniversary of the National Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 18. The
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• Russell Robinson “Bob” Bar rett Jr., 96, of Grafton.
specialized in trial and appellate practice, during which time he argued two cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. While a partner in the firm, he served from 1964 to 1970 as General Counsel to the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, and in 1970 became the become Secretary-Treasurer and General Council to Major League Baseball under Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He participated in several landmark decisions including the Flood v. Kuhn case, the beginning of free agency and negotiating broadcast TV rights in Japan. In 1985, he was named Deputy Commissioner of Baseball by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. After his retirement in 1986, he moved to Grafton, where he was a founding member of OINK, (The Order of International Noble Knoshers, a club of like-minded local foodies,) and one of the founders of Grafton’s cross-country “ski-athons” (during which time he often got fellow skiers lost in the woods.) Memorial information : A private service will be held for family. Donations to the Grafton Rescue Squad at: Grafton Rescue Squad, Attn. Anne Craven, P.O. Box 54, Grafton, VT 05146.
The
Editor’s note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge.
his home. Husband of Helen Kiendzior Brusco for 64 years. Father of Dr. Elizabeth E. Brusco of Tacoma, Wash.; and the late David J. Brusco. Born in Westfield, Mass., he grew up in Brattleboro and graduated Brattleboro High School in 1941 as Valedictorian of his class. Served in the Navy during World War II as an Electronic Technician’s Mate aboard the U.S.S. Dixie, stationed in Shanghai, China. After the war, he attended Northeastern University, graduating with top honors and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering in 1947. Worked for Bigelow Sanford Carpet Co. for 25 years as a manager, planner and eventually, vice president for manufacturing. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Nov. 13 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Westfield, with burial at Pine Hill Cemetery. Send tributes, memories and condolences to www.vanemburghsneider.com.
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
NEWS AND NOTES
MILESTONES
Obituaries
T h e C ommons
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010 • Page 9
LIFE & WORK
Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons
Josh, left, Meara, center, and Bonnie, are members of the Red Clover Times, a monthly newspaper published at the Academy School in Brattleboro.
Hannah, left, and Jasper are two members of the Red Clover Times staff.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Read all about it!
Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons
After-school program introduces area elementary students to journalism
H
Brattleboro ey look,” said one parent to another while waiting to pick up their children at the end of the school day at Academy School, in West Brattleboro. “The kids did a newspaper.” I knew I was in the right place. I was at the school to volunteer to both interview the kids, and to teach a writing lesson. Hot off the presses was this school year’s first edition of The Red Clover Times. As I made my way through the halls to the library to meet with the young journalists who created the newspaper, I observed several parents and one teacher deep in thought, reading their school news as I attempted to find the library. I got lost. I asked directions from a bunch of kids waiting to be excused for soccer practice. “Where do I go to meet the kids who run the school newspaper?” I ask. “They’re meeting in the library,” one boy volunteers, a big smile on his face and
Fran Lynggaard Hansen contributes regularly to the pages of The Commons. She also volunteers, researches local history, and, in the summer months, serves as executive director of the Green Mountain Camp for Girls. Editor’s note: By way of transparency, we acknowledge that Vermont Independent Media, the nonprofit organization that helps choreograph the student newspaper programs mentioned in the story through its Media Mentoring Project, also publishes this newspaper. genuine excitement in his voice. “We just got their paper,” he adds, “go left here.” Clearly this newspaper staff has done an admirable job; certainly their work has pleased these sports fans. I wait for the writers in the library. These youngsters have sat at desks and busied their brains all day long at school — and yet, after dismissal at 3:15 p.m., they bound into the library, ready to engage in an hour and a half of their own time to put out The Red Clover Times. Josh, 9, and Derrick, 10, arrive first, their energy and excitement palpable. Derrick has a poll piece in the Red Clover Times, giving readers for choices in answer to the age-old question, “How
much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” Josh has recently joined the staff of the newspaper. I ask him why. “To be honest, I saw the kids in the library last week and they all had their shoes off, and I wondered why. When I found out they were the newspaper group, I asked them if I could join. I think I want to write a poll like Derrick did for the next issue,” he shares. Soon Meara, 10, arrives, with Archer, 9. Archer and Meara tell me they both enjoy drawing cartoons. In the first issue, Archer has written an article about the Academy School Garden Program.
Bonnie, 11, and Jasper, 9, arrive next. Jasper “likes using anything electronic” and serves as the paper’s photographer. Bonnie “loves to write” and has contributed the longest article in the paper about the chefs in the kitchen at Academy School. Eric Pero is the parent who has taken the kids’ work, assembled it into a four-page format, and had 440 copies printed for distribution. He owns and operates ESP Media, which publishes the local flyer called The Wanderer. “It’s great working with Academy’s Red Clover Times team. They’re excited about the paper, interested to learn more about writing and working hard to produce each issue,” he says. “This kind of work is so important because these kids are going to be the next generation of journalists and writers in this country,” Pero adds. “The earlier we can get them started, the more successful they can n see school papers, page 10
Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons
Eric Pero works with members of the Red Clover Times at the Academy School.
A reader’s best friend Therapy dogs help schoolchildren By Thelma O’Brien The Commons
TOWNSHEND—Who knew that therapy dogs can help earlygrade kids improve their reading skills? Apparently, almost everyone, from one shining shore to the other — or at least from the West River to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where the Reading Education Assistance Thelma O’Brien/The Commons (R.E.A.D.) program was Kirsten Munson, 8, reads to Puma, a black lab reading therapy dog, at the Dogs launched. Townshend Public Library.
A convincing and charming demonstration of the canine/kid reading phenomenon took place last week at the Townshend Public Library, which sponsored the event, Paws for Reading, with the Townshend Elementary School. The exercise featured Puma, a two-and-a-half-year-old black lab therapy dog and her polymath owner, Pastor Mark Herrick of Marlboro. Puma and Herrick are not part of R.E.A.D. but
have gained training in other programs. A perceptive third-grader explained she was a little less than at grade level as far as her reading was concerned. “I know because I hear how the other kids read. And when I mess up with a word my mom usually corrects me. The dog doesn’t really care if I mess up.” Then how does she know she’s made a mistake? “I usually go back and n see therapy dogs, page 11 n see ENTERGY, page 9
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LIFE & WORK
10
n Norwegians dynamic leader at a tender age — found himself at Dartmouth College in the winter of 1909. Harris told his classmates that he’d always had “skeeing on the brain.” He enjoyed fashioning his own equipment, making eight foot long skis out of ash or hickory and using them on the local hills and fields of Hanover, N.H. When he was a junior, he wrote an editorial in the college newspaper, suggesting that during the winter, students form an Outing Club where they could all learn to ski and snow shoe, and that a Field Day be created to celebrate the skills the students would learn during the winter months. The idea caught on. In 1911, Harris’ senior year, the Outing Club decided to create a Winter Carnival that would celebrate all winter sports, and would also include inviting female guests, as Dartmouth was an all male institution at that time and women would not arrive on the campus as students for another 59 years. Harris graduated in 1911. Nine years later, National Geographic would recognize his idea of a Winter Carnival as a first in the nation and dubbed it, “the Mardi Gras of the North.” The Carnival was filmed in 1939 and released as a major motion picture. Harris would go on to start the Brattleboro Winter Carnival in 1955, but that’s another story. Having experienced such great success incorporating his ideas into reality, it is no surprise that when Harris came home to Brattleboro, he would be looking to have his friends and neighbors involved in getting a ski jumping hill started in his home town. Ski jumping fever began to spread throughout the nation. Even though he was successful in his career as a stockbroker, and was also known as a talented sailor and tennis player, he focused his efforts on creating the perfect (for its day) 270 foot, or 90 meter, hill. This was the big time. Back in Michigan in the 1880s a “big” jump record was 60 feet. Twenty years later, in 1889, that record had grown to 117 feet. By 1917, a Norwegian immigrant in Steamboat Spring, Colo., jumped 203 feet. As Harris constructed his hill, he could only have thought that jumpers would likely never be able
to exceed the jumping limits of his hill. By 1922, after spending just $2,200, Harris Hill had its inauguration. In 1923, Brattleboro hosted the Vermont State Championship and the Eastern Amateur Championship, and recouped the money spent to build the hill in a single day of receipts from an excited crowd. It was the Roaring Twenties, and Brattleboro was living it up just like the rest of the country. In 1924, Paul Whiteman’s Famous Orchestra played at the Ski Jump Ball at the Town Hall in downtown Brattleboro (torn down in 1953, now the site of Candle in the Night). In 1927, Reginald and Carol Kendall of Norwich took a toboggan ride off Harris Hill and soared through a flaming hoop. Ski jumping records were being broken and the sport seemed to be taking off, and yet it was still in its infancy. Enter Richard “Tink” Austin, who was born in 1923, the year of the first Harris Hill event, in Lyndonville, and moved to Brattleboro just after the flood of 1927. “We lived on Horton Place and I walked to Kindergarten at Green Street School,” remembers Austin. “Not too soon after that, we moved to Myrtle Street, and of course, by the time I got to be 10 or so, Fred Harris was still fixing up the hill in the woods out behind my house. Me and my buddies Bud Thomas and brothers Art and Robbie Fairbanks who lived on Spruce Street, used to go up and jump on Haskell Hill (which bordered Spruce Street) and fly through the air in cardboard boxes. Now it’s all trees, but then we could take off and sail quite a ways.” And that’s the way future ski jumpers in Brattleboro were raised. While young men were flying through the air off Harris Hill every winter, future athletes all over Brattleboro were building their own backyard jumps. “I was 16 years old on my first real ski jump. My younger brother Ken had ski jumped, but he didn’t really take to it. I remember one time at the foot of the hill, he just left one ski in the middle of the snow and he was done,” said Austin. “We started competing after that, but we really didn’t have a sense of how new this sport was. We didn’t realize we were really the second generation
T h e C ommons
n School newspapers from page 1
of jumpers, because we had grown up with it. The sport felt established to us, but really, it was still all pretty new. And we were just having fun, like when the three of us went off the hill at once.” Austin is referring to a picture taken in 1946 when a young Austin said to his equally young buddies, Phil Dunham and Cy Dunklee, “Come on, let’s do a triple jump.” “I said I’d go first and the other two got on either side of me, and there happened to be another guy who snapped the picture. They never allow shenanigans like that, these days,” says Austin with a broad grin. How did they stay warm in an era when clothing for use in winter was also in its infancy? “We wore mostly long johns and a gabardine or ski pants that floated in the breeze. They weren’t really waterproof, but the snow wasn’t all that wet, you got up as quick as you could to stay dry,” says Austin. Though interrupted by World War II, Austin came back home and continued ski jumping. “I went from flying on toboggans as a kid to co-piloting a B-17 bomber in Europe. I flew 35 missions over Europe in the Eighth Air Force. When I got home, I went right back to ski jumping and flying through the air. My first jumping skis were used and cost three dollars. One was six inches shorter than the other, “Austin remembers. As the years flew by, Austin married and began raising a family, but he still managed to jump at national competitions. Later in the 1960s, he and friend and fellow jumper Alan Sergeant mentored elementary school jumpers. His own son David won the high school championships in 1971, just as his father did before him in 1941. The current record for distance in ski jumping is held by Bjørn Einar Romøren of Norway, who flew 239 meters, or 784 feet in 2003, 13 times the very first ski jumping record. Today, Tink Austin contents himself with watching his ski jumping on television. “The kids today now fly so much longer than we did. We were the start of extreme skiing, we just didn’t know it. Can you imagine that?”
become.” Last to the table is Eileen Parks, Academy’s librarian and the official advisor of the group. Why is she shepherding these students into newspaper writers? “I got the idea that a school newspaper appeals to all kinds of kids at school. It’s a large school, and it offers something for a variety of kids. Our newspaper has all this potential. The more opportunities you have for kids to express themselves, the better. The kids are learning that when one puts in the effort, it’s really challenging, exciting and positive, and yet it’s rarely easy,” she says. “Eileen and I are both paid by the grant through Vermont Independent Media. I enjoy teaching these kids and it’s important work. We’re very thankful for Vermont Independent Media. Without their support, the Red Clover Times program might not exist,” says Pero. Vermont Independent Media (VIM) is a nonprofit organization that publishes The Commons and also organizes the Media Mentoring Project (MMP), which promotes journalism and media literacy skills in Windham County. Betsy Jaffe is the manager of VIM, a role that includes spearheading the Media Mentoring Project and orchestrating the operations of this newspaper. Prior to her work locally, Jaffe earned a master’s degree in education and worked on grant-funded public school initiatives in New York and Boston. Parks and Pero meet on Wednesdays to write elementary school curriculum for the Media Mentoring Project and on Thursday afternoons, they meet with their students to test the lessons. When she first came to VIM four years ago, she was intrigued with the Media Mentoring Project, already under way. “The founders of Vermont Independent Media knew it was important to offer media literacy and journalism programs in Windham County, along with establishing The Commons, in order to ensure community members were empowered to better understand and contribute to local media,” Jaffe says. Monthly workshops for adults have run at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro and the Rockingham Free Public Library (and some other
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An excerpt from the middle school newspaper curriculum that Vermont Independent Media has produced. Academy School Librarian Eileen Parks and parent Eric Pero are writing the elementary-school counterpart as they help their students produce the Red Clover Times. venues) over the years, and MMP expanded to meet the needs of youth in 2008, working with the Boys & Girls Club and Windham County schools and libraries. “Ultimately, we wanted to formalize the program to ensure high standards and quality resources for educators,” says Jaffe. Funding to develop the curriculum was received from the New England Network for Child, Youth, and Family Services, a nonprofit organization that “works to support and advance child and youth services throughout New England,” according to the group’s website (www.nenetwork.org). The website of the Thompson Trust, a charity that also supports MMP, states that the organization’s trustees “look favorably upon collaboration and synergy that may exist between small organizations operating in the same geographic area, particularly if they have common purposes and routinely share ideas, referrals, staff and facilities to gain operating efficiencies and strengthen program outcomes.” Jaffe wants to see school newspapers throughout Windham County. “If we provided a structure and framework for a writing program that could work inside or outside the school day,” she says, “we might be able to overcome some challenges and help more local youth to get interested in journalism, helping them find their voice.” And so, working with New England Networks to develop youth-oriented programs, the grant money was used to unite educators and youth workers in Windham County to create a curriculum for elementary, middle school and high school students, and to oversee writing projects in schools. Two curriculums have already been created. Julianne Eagan, a Brattleboro Area Middle School teacher (and cofounder of Parent Express), developed the middle school curriculum. Nancy Olson, who chairs the Brattleboro Union High School English department, wrote the high school program. Each program has 10 lessons, provides background and support materials, and is aligned with state and federal gradelevel expectations. For example, in the middle school version, students are asked to learn about the variety of writing types found in newspapers by looking at feature stories, editorials and interviews. These are not lecture-style lessons. Instead, they engage students with scavenger hunts, looking through a variety of newspapers as teams. Deborah Leggott is principal of the Townshend Elementary School, whose kindergarten through sixth-grade program serves 90 students. “We had our very first edition of the Townsend Elementary School News in 2008. At that time, local writer Deborah Luskin joined Vermont Independent Media staff members Betsy Jaffe and Jeff Potter for an afternoon school program to get us started,” she says. As part of the grant writing process, Jaffe researched test scores for schools in Windham County and found that in 2009, some local schools were as much as 50 percent behind in their students’ literacy skills.
Jaffe hopes VIM’s programs can help raise those scores. “Learning about your community through the eyes of a school newspaper is a very positive force for students. Taking ownership over their learning within their workplace is a great and wonderful thing, but that work needs supporting,” says Leggott. “We were so happy to get the project started.” After the first edition of their newspaper, the group transitioned to volunteer Dan DeWalt, a teacher at Leland & Gray Union High School who also serves on VIM’s board of directors. “We’ve had four issues produced over the past two years. In our last edition, we even had a paid ad from one of the wonderful people who helped put the newspaper together, but it wasn’t enough to keep our program going,” laments Leggott. “Our school budget is pretty thin, and I simply can’t ask teachers to take more time out of their day to support the newspaper. Our school volunteers are busy with so many other projects that I don’t want to load it upon them.” Because the Townshend project wasn’t yet ready to be handed off to teachers or volunteers, VIM has begun to think about creative funding through student-paid tuitions, private donations, and/ or grants to keep the newspapers afloat. “VIM is committed to ensuring that no child is turned away because they cannot afford programming,” Jaffe says. “Delivery models for the program vary and are still being considered as the project learns from its first efforts.” Back at Academy School, young writers’ minds are far away from budgetary concerns as they try a mapping exercise to give them story ideas. Colorful markers are distributed with large sheets of paper, as I ask these cub reporters to draw circles coming out from their names and put information inside their drawings about who they know, what they wonder about, what is going well, and what challenges them about being in their school community. Eight young bodies are stretched all over the library floor as they create their personal writing maps. Moments later we meet back at the table. The excitement is high. Bonnie is thinking about Thanksgiving, its history, and what foods people might be preparing for their meal. Derrick is wondering if anyone has ever seen any paranormal activities at Academy School. Hannah is more enthusiastic about candy, in all its forms, as the holiday season begins. Jasper is focused on the photo opportunities during the school’s Halloween parade. Hannah sums up the mood. “I don’t exactly know a lot about newspapers, but I do know that it’s fun to do, especially the interviewing,” she shares. Deborah Leggott heard the same types of comments from the students in Townshend. “It was a great experience for those who wanted to be a part of it. Good writing is such an enriching activity.” By the end of our meeting, each student has an idea for a story which they will begin working on so that when they meet again in seven days, the second edition of the Red Clover Times will be well under way. n
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
LIFE & WORK
11
n Therapy dogs
Thelma O’Brien/The Commons
Isabela Schmidt, 9, reads to Puma, a black lab reading therapy dog, at the Townshend Public Library.
ARTS CALENDAR Performing arts
• Gathering in Gratitude at the Stone Church: Community players from age six to elders will perform in “The Night Passage” on Nov. 20 and 21 at the Stone Church in downtown Brattleboro. The play is the fourth annual Gathering in Gratitude performance, with performances at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 for individuals and $30 for families, with proceeds going to Project Feed the Thousands. They can be purchased at Verde (cash or check only). The play is jointly produced by Mahalo Art Center and Marlboro College, and is dedicated to the late Chief Jake Swamp. “This year’s Gathering in Gratitude is a communally crafted story of loss and the soul’s journey to new levels of wholeness and light,” explained director Luz Elena Morey. “It is very profound, and takes place entirely at night, in a dark forest – but there is comic relief throughout.” The performance features singers, dancers and musicians. While it includes some serious themes, the play contains no violence, and is appropriate for all ages. It is inspired by the Iroquois Thanksgiving Address, which Morey learned about more than a decade ago. Her work with this theme was sanctioned by Mohawk Chief Jake Swamp, a teacher and spiritual leader who died in October. For more information, visit www.MahaloArtCenter.com or contact Morey at 802-254-1310. • Annie Hawkins returns to stage: On Sunday, Nov. 21, at 7
p.m., at the First Universalist Parish on Route 103 North in Chester, Rural Vermont hosts “Winter’s Fire: Stories of Love, Land, and Food to Warm the Cold Nights” with master storyteller Annie Hawkins. Admission is $5-$10 sliding scale, and all proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. On a chilly November evening in 2009, folks from the Chester community and beyond gathered at the First Universalist Parish to listen to Hawkins’ stories that honored the change of seasons, the bountiful harvest, and our relationships with the natural world. Last year’s event was such a success that Rural Vermont is doing it again. Following the onehour performance, stay for a reception with homemade refreshments. CDs will be available for purchase, and a percentage of each sale will be donated to Rural Vermont. Hawkins began her storytelling life when she was a wee sprite dressed in Doctor Denton pajamas and regaling her parents’ dinner guests with her fantastical madeup stories. She is also the author of published short stories, poems and essays. Her column Renegade Poet was published in The Kennett Paper in Kennett Square, Pa., for five years. She contributes regularly to the Voices section of The Commons. Rural Vermont is a statewide nonprofit group founded by farmers in 1985. For the last 25 years, Rural Vermont has been advancing its mission of economic justice for Vermont farmers through advocacy and education. For more information, call 802- 223-7222 or visit www.ruralvermont.org. • NEYT alumni perfor m again: Three daring New England
Youth Theatre alumni — Nick Bombicino, Jessica Callahan, and James Gelter — will present a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest love story, Romeo & Juliet, on Nov. 26-28. When the cast of the Royal Canadian Shakespeare Company’s production of Romeo & Juliet, fails to get through the U.S. border, their Master Electrician, Stage Manager, and Production Assistant jump on the chance to perform the show themselves. Being a dedicated tech crew, who knows every cue and even every line by heart, they traipse through the unforgettable love story
while falling into one of their own. The trio will perform on the NEYT stage in downtown Brattleboro. Bombicino, Callahan, and Gelter are no strangers to the NEYT stage. Seven years ago, now alumni Callahan and Bombicino took on similar roles at NEYT’s old Main Street location during a 2003 production of the bard’s tale of starcrossed love. Gelter is also an alumnus of the NEYT programs. All three are currently on staff. All tickets are $10 at the door. You may reserve seats by e-mailing theplaysthething.vt@gmail.com, or calling 802-380-5090, with your name and the number of seats you are requesting. Reserved seats will be held until 6:50 p.m. If not claimed, they will be released to the waitlist.
recognize it,” she explained. “I’ll do this class again. Maybe I’m a little behind, but I’ll catch up.” It was a little like having a conversation with Herodotus. This was the second time around for Puma and some of the Townshend kids, a first for others. Sandy Sperry, a para-educator, was there, as was Jennifer Iolaro-Heidbrink, a counseling intern in a master’s program at Antioch Graduate School in Keene, N.H. Librarian Karen LaRue was organizing everything, including initiating the program, suggesting books, setting out graham crackers and water for the kids and loving Puma whenever the dog was released from her “I’mhere-to-serve…” mode by some mysterious owner-signal and was allowed to mingle to everyone’s delight. Puna even managed to get a bite of her owner’s lunch — doubtless a R.E.A.D. no-no, but there it was. Four or five kids showed up for this Paws for Reading session. They each read once or twice for five or so minutes, either straight to the attentive dog, which sometimes looked back at them or sometimes the kids just read to the world in front of them while Puma glanced around the room. Sometimes she lifted her head in some meaningful dog way, but only once in the 60-minute-plus session did she get up without permission. She was gently admonished and she returned to her appointed spot. LaRue reported that at the first session, one little girl was scared of the dog and wouldn’t go near her. Eventually, LaRue said, she got closer and closer to
artwork into prints and the popular Tales from Woodfield notecards sold at the bookstore. Hendrick grew up in the hills of western Connecticut in a pre-revolutionary farmhouse. There were few other houses around but there were hundreds of acres of woods and fields to explore and observe the many animals that lived there. And there was always a succession of wounded or lost animals coming through the house, which gave the artist the chance to observe to East Montpelier, Vt. • Archer Mayor in animals up close. Art was always present in her Dummerston: Newfane author home. Both parents were paint- Archer Mayor will discuss his latest ers at one time, and Cindy’s father suspense novel, Red Herring, and was a cartoonist. Gardening is also various other interesting topics on a favorite pastime and many of the Monday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. in the background flowers in the illustra- Dummerston Community Center, tions come straight from her garden. 156 West St., West Dummerston. Autographed new and recent novToday she lives in a 200-year-old farmhouse (Woodfield) in Alstead els of Mayor’s will be available for with her husband and various ani- purchasing. A portion of the proVisual arts ceeds benefit the center. For more • Cushing presents ex- mals, wild and domestic, overlooking information, call Ann at 802-254hibition in Grafton: After the Connecticut River Valley. Call 2415 or Jean at 802-254-9212. The 802-463-9404 for event reservations. three successful shows in Spain this • Lange visits area book- center is handicapped accessible. year (Drap Art 2010, N2Galeria Barcelona, N3Galeria Madrid) and a stores: Beloved author and raBest In Show win at The Exhibition dio commentator Willem Lange at Grafton Fine Art Show in August, will present his Christmas folktale Sculptor Bryce LeVan Cushing is book for children, “Favor Johnson: presenting the fine art show Alien A Christmas Story” on Sunday, Intersection at The Old Tavern’s Nov. 21, at Everyone’s Books in Brattleboro and at Village Square Phelps Barn in Grafton. The show, featuring the sculp- Booksellers in Bellows Falls. At 11 a.m., Lange will be at tures of Cushing along with the textile art of Frances Alford Holliday Everyone’s Books to sign copies of and the watercolor paintings of Peter his book. Call 802-254-8160 for Jeziorski, opens on Nov. 21 and runs details. At 2 p.m., he will read at through Nov. 28. Cushing’s sculptures are com- Village Square Booksellers. Call prised of antique items that are 802-463-9404 for book and broken and repurposed into re- event reservations, as last year’s cycled art. His new Grafton Forge event was standing room only. Alien Series will be featured in the Or reserve a book online http:// Alien Intersection show. Cushing www.villagesquarebooks.com/ has toured the United States exten- book/9781593730826. Lange is familiar voice as comsively with gallery shows in Boulder, Colo. (Blink Gallery), Philadelphia mentator on Vermont Public (bahdeebahdu, 12 Gates Gallery), Radio and New Hampshire Public 119 Main St., Brattleboro Tucson, Ariz. (DeGrazia Museum), Television, and his Christmas story 802-258-2211 The Niagara Falls Arts and Cultural has been a public radio staple for Center, Le Petit Versailles (New 25 years. After 40 years in New www.mysteryonmain.com York City) and many others for the Hampshire, he and his wife moved past seven years. On Sunday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., several spaces will be open in town to celebrate their lives in Grafton with the show Alien Intersection. Visitors will be welTimber Framing and Carpentry, L.L.C come to tour the Hunter Gallery, Embellishments Studios, the Jud GUILFORD, VT Hartman Gallery, the Grafton Forge and the Phelps Barn, all of which are Energy Efficient Additions, Renovations located in Grafton Village. The main and Fine Home Building location of the show will be The Old Tavern at Grafton’s Phelps Barn loSince 1998 cated at 92 Main St. From Nov. 2228, the show can be seen at Phelps mathestfc@gmail.com • 802.254.7424 • 802.380.1319 (cell) Barn at The Old Tavern from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details on the event can be found at www.OldTavern. com or by calling 802-843-1162.
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Puma and agreed to read aloud from a distance. Then, pretty soon, she moved closer to the dog and read from the customary distance of about a foot or two. “I wasn’t scared of her at all anymore,” the girl said this time. And she plans to come back. Therapy animals are not a new concept, and research into the healing powers of dogs and cats has led to them now being commonly seen around hospitals. Then there are service animals such as dogs and monkeys, and those that demonstrate predictive qualities, especially relating to seizures. And not to forget the inspiring seeing-eye canines that are familiar everywhere. But there is a difference between service dogs and therapy dogs, say trainers, and reading therapy dogs are different still. They receive specific training, can apply to R.E.A.D. for certification training programs, or other local programs such as Paws for Reading. LaRue found out about Puma and Herrick from Dawn Slade, recreation and activities coordinator at Valley Cares, the residential independent- and assisted-living establishment in Townshend. Puma visits the assisted living quarters once a week.
Puma was not a reading therapy dog but did receive training from the Monadnock Humane Society in Peterborough and Swanzey, N.H. Herrick acquired Puma, one of an 18-puppy litter born in Vernon. It was the 8-year-old mother’s first litter and, Herrick says, almost all of them have been adopted. He said Puma was the first non-damaged dog he’d ever owned and he was thoroughly taken with her charms. Herrick lives in Marlboro and is the pastor of what he calls the multi-denominational, Christian, non-congregant Mountain Ministry. He received his Ph.D from Freedom Bible College in Rogers, Ark. He’s been a police officer, a guardian ad litem in Windham Family Court, and more recently he suffered a serious logging accident that almost destroyed his left leg. This has given him disabled status so that he now has time for his therapy-dog work and for his ministry. “I’m not in a normal sense an evangelist,” he said. “I believe in free will — you make your own decisions.” And, he says, quoting Proverbs, he thinks, “A soft answer turns away wrath.”
Thelma O’Brien/The Commons
Pastor Mark Herrick of Marlboro, Puma’s handler, takes a lunch break.
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• Hendrick visits Village Square Booksellers: Alstead, N.H., artist and notecard illustrator Cindy Hendrick of Woodfield Press will be visiting Village Square Booksellers on Friday, Nov. 19, at 5 p.m .as part of 3rd Friday Bellows Falls. She will discuss how she turns her
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T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, November 17, 2010
SPORTS & RECREATION County school teams win big • Rebels win first-ever Division III boys soccer title By Randolph T. Holhut The Commons
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eland & Gray Union High School’s boys soccer program has a long and storied history, but one thing has eluded it — a state championship. That changed last Tuesday night at Castleton State College’s Spartan Stadium with a comefrom-behind 2-1 win over the BFA-Fairfax Bullets to take the Division III title. The hero for Leland & Gray was — who else? — senior striker Noah Chapin. He scored both of the Rebels’ goals in the second half. It took some time for the Rebels to adjust to the artificial turf on the Castleton field. The Bullets took a 1-0 lead when Justin Bolam took a pass from Daemon Young, beat a defender and put the ball past Rebels goalkeeper Jared Van Osdol in the 18th minute. The sixth-seeded Bullets had a 7-1 edge in shots and a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks in the first half, but Leland & Gray seized control of the game in the second half. The equalizer came through a little bit of trickery on a direct kick in the 46th minute. Colin Nystrom and Tyler Miller each pretended to boot the ball before Chapin stepped up and blasted it into the left side of the net from
about 25 yards out. Chapin then got the game winner in the 57th minute. Nystrom sent in a crossing pass in the penalty area that was bobbled by Bullets goalkeeper Cameron Loller. Chapin pounced on the loose ball and poked it into the net. It was his 23rd goal of the season, with four of them coming during the playoff run. Nystrom, Chapin’s cousin, added 11 goals to the Rebels’ season tally. The Rebels’ defense then made that goal stand up with solid play in the last 20 minutes. Van Osdol finished up with five saves. Rebels’ coach Chris Barton has led the team for 13 years. The Rebels made two trips to the championship game in that span — in 2003 and 2005 — but fell short. This year, the Rebels won the Josh Cole Tournament and a share of the Marble Valley League title on their way to a historic season. Leland & Gray, the top seed in the Division III tournament, finished with a 15-2 record. The squad that complied that record included Drew Ameden, Kevin Ameden, Jake Huston, Zachary Wilkins, James Crowther, Thomas Pentoney, Eric Ginter, Nicholas Lawley, Seth Jerz, Joshua Fontaine, Robert Culver, William Nupp, Michael Bergeron, Weixlang Yu, Matthew Bizon, Nolan Edgar, Roger Turner/Special to The Commons Hunter Buffum, Tyler Scott, and The Leland & Gray Rebels celebrate after receiving their championship trophy. Chayse Jarvis.
• Bellows Falls Terriers win Division III football title By Randolph T. Holhut
Kilburn quickly made up for the fumble with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Brendan Hackett with 8:41 left in the game to make it 39-8 BF. Hackett had three catches on the day for 50 yards, while Kilburn was an efficient 8 for 11 for 70 yards. Rafus, who scored six touchdowns the previous week against BFA-Fairfax, made the final outcome a little more respectable with a pair of touchdown runs — 59 and 14 yards, respectively, as the game wound down. He finished with 166 yards of rushing, but he only ran for 23 yards on seven carries in the first half as the BF defense
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F
or the first time since 2003, the Bellows Falls Terriers football team are state champs. BF rolled over the Windsor Yellowjackets, the defending Division III champs, 39-22, on Saturday at Castleton State College’s Spartan Stadium. The top-seeded Terriers (8-3) made their first trip to a championship game since losing to South Burlington in the 2005 Division II final. The Terriers last won a title in 2003 with a 43-0 win over Burlington in the Division II final. Saturday’s victory was the 10th state title overall for Bellows Falls, second only to Mount St. Joseph’s 12 titles. This was the third straight trip to the Division III title game Windsor (9-2). Both of their losses this season were to Bellows Falls. The Jacks lost to BF, 200, on Oct. 9 at MacLeay-Royce Field. Windsor won its first state title last year against Springfield. Windsor got themselves in a deep hole with four turnovers in the first half, two of which were turned into touchdowns by BF. BF’s Ryan Hayward, their senior workhorse running back, scored the Terriers’ first touchdown with 4:56 left in the first quarter on a 50-yard run that was set up by an interception by Will Bourne. The two-point conversion made it 8-0. Windsor quarterback Austin Soule then threw his second interception of the day. This time, Bruce Wells swiped the ball and nearly scored before being tackled at the 15-yard line. Hayward ran in a second touchdown, a two-yard run, but the conversion failed to make it 14-0 with 11:15 left in the second quarter. Hayward scored his third
completely neutralized him when it mattered. BF and Windsor made history Saturday, for their game marked the first time that a Vermont state football championship was played at a college facility. Saturday was also the first time that all three high school divisions have played their title games at the same site. Bellows Falls had 12 seniors on this championship team. They are Hayward, Cam Howe, Brendan Hackett, Chandler Mitchell-Love, Leo Barnett, Henry Empey, Peter Falzo, Eric Laurendeau, Justin Dexter, Jake Stratton, Randy Rutkowski and Coty Mellish.
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Ryan Hayward (28), seen here against Windsor earlier in the season, scored four touchdowns to lead Bellows Falls to a 39-22 win over Windsor in the Division III football championship game at Castleton State College on Saturday. touchdown of the day on a 3-yard-run to make it 20-0 with 5:16 left in the first half, and then the BF defense knocked out Soule late in the second quarter after he injured his knee. Windsor finally got on the board with a safety with 1:35 left to make it 20-2, but substitute quarterback Ethan Hill got intercepted by BF’s Joe Aslin to end the first half. Any hope of a Windsor comeback was dashed on the opening
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kickoff of the second half, when Hayward raced untouched for a 92-yard touchdown return. The kick failed, and BF had a seemingly insurmountable 26-2 lead. Hayward would end the day with 97 yards of rushing on 16 carries. With a total of nearly 1,400 yards for the season, he is a cinch to be on the Vermont Shrine team next summer.
BF quarterback Jeremy Kilburn scored on a six-yard run with 5:50 left in the third to make it 32-2. Windsor finally got its first touchdown when Kilburn fumbled the ball after a sack, giving Jacks running back Matt Rafus a short field for his 11-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 32-8 with 1:28 remaining.
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VERMONT
HOLIDAY
Traditions Activities Celebrations Gifts Faith
Supplement to
November 17, 2010
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The Commons
• Vermont Holiday 2010
In the darkness, light As the days get shorter, area faith communities come together to celebrate hope and rebirth By Russell Steven Powell The Commons
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RATTLEBORO— The next few weeks will be filled with celebrations of light that symbolize hope during the darkest time of year. The light symbolizes rebirth and the life-giving presence of God or spirit, whether through the story of Jesus Christ for Christians, Chanukah for the Jewish faith, or ecumenical celebrations like the Feast of St. Lucy. “It is in the darkest period of the year that we need light,” says Rabbi Tom Heyn of the Brattleboro Area Jewish
Community Center, Shir the Jewish calendar (this year Heharim. Chanukah begins Wednesday, Dec. 1, and ends Thursday, Chanukah Dec. 9). Chanukah’s roots are more The menorah is placed in a than 2,000 years old, when the door or window so its light can Maccabees, a small band of be shared with passersby. Jewish freedom fighters, defeated “Probably every religious the army of the Syrian Empire. tradition celebrates light as a When the Maccabees went to symbol of hope and the spirit,” reclaim and purify their temple, says Heyn, whose congregation they had just enough consecrated comprises about 100 families, oil to light the menorah for one primarily from the Brattleboro day. But the menorah continued area, who meet in an unassumto burn for eight days, until more ing farmhouse on a residential oil could be purified. side street in West Brattleboro. Chanukah celebrates this “When other people see the me“miracle of the oil” by lighting norah, they are reminded of what one candle of a menorah each we have in common.” night for eight nights near the Chanukah also symbolizes end of the month of Kislev in Jewish commitment to freedom,
“not just religious freedom, and not just for ourselves, but for others as well,” he says. “We need to live compassionate lives. Humanitarian values are central to our tradition.”
Advent
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas Day (Nov. 28 this year), and continues through Christmas Eve. It is a time for Christians to prepare for Christmas, the feast of the birth of Jesus. But the Advent celebration has Jessamyn West/Creative Commons license (by-nc-sa) pre-Christian roots: early northern Europeans sought the return of the sun at the winter solstice that Christians used fire and light is God’s great gift to humanity.” by lighting candles and fires. It to symbolize Christ’s coming A major theme of Advent, was not until the Middle Ages into the world. Greenwood says, is expectaAdvent’s symbols include an tion, and how you live with it. evergreen wreath lit with can- “There’s a tension between the dles, a reminder of the light of need to be quiet and reflective Christ brought into the world, while you rush around making 4’ LED Lighted Porch Tree 35 multi-colr or warm white LED C6 lights. says the Reverend W. Merritt preparations. It’s important to 9192485, 9192519 Greenwood, interim pastor at find a balance between the two.” St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Christians know that Advent on Bradley Avenue. The wreath culminates in Christmas, and is suspended from the ceiling or that days will get longer, says BONUS 3 Liter Can Get in. Get help. Get on with your life.TM placed on a table, its candles, Greenwood. “But every year Included planted apart at equal distances, brings something new and SPECIAL representing the four weeks of unexpected. Getting used to PURCHASE Advent. that idea can sometimes be As with Chanukah, the Advent uncomfortable.” candles are lit at regular interHybrid Amaryllis Bulb Kit Available in 3 colors. Produces 6”-8” vals, gradually gaining in strength Shared values, Polished Stainless flower. Includes bulb, pot with saucer, until all four shed their light at light and St. Lucy Steel Trash Can planting medium. 7174493 Christmas. The All Souls Unitarian 30L (8 gal.) capacity. Innovated trim ring holds bag tightly in place so it won’t slip and lifts up for fast easy change. 6194351 The themes of light and Universalist Church welcomes Trash Can Liners, 30L, 20 Ct., 6095616 $5.99 lengthening days are essential people at its brick-and-glass Limited quantity available. Sorry, no rain checks. Save to the season, says Greenwood. edifice off of South Street in over % “During this dark time of year, West Brattleboro “wherever $64.99 value. we naturally want to affirm each they are on their spiritual or other and strengthen our rela- life’s journey,” says minister Queen Size Air Bed tionships. We have a need to Barbro Hansson. Their 100-plus 22”H x 60”W x 72”L know we are cared for. Christmas member congregation includes Inflates in 4 minutes.
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• Vermont Holiday 2010
atheists, agnostics, Christians, and Buddhists, among others. “What binds us together are the shared values we strive to live by. We believe in the dignity of all people, for example, and that there is a divine presence in all of us.” All Souls has a special practice around the Advent wreath. Members of the congregation will go into the woods Saturday, Nov. 20, to collect greens, and bring them back to the church to fashion into elaborately decorated wreaths. They make about 100 in all, and sell them at the church’s annual Christmas bazaar on the first Saturday in December. The bazaar is the church’s biggest fundraiser, but it is more important as a celebration of community, says Hansson. People begin meeting in September to make crafts and other items for the bazaar. A native of Sweden, Hansson has brought one of her country’s traditions to Brattleboro, the Feast of St. Lucy. Also called the festival of light, it falls around Dec. 13, near the shortest day of the year. The festival portrays the Christian martyr St. Lucy (283304) with a crown of lighted candles on her head amid great snow and famine. She brings food, shelter, and hope, signified by the candlelight. In Sweden, a family’s youngest daughter is dressed in white on St. Lucy’s Day, and wakes her family with coffee, rolls, and a special song. All Souls will present its version of the story with a childrens’ pageant Dec. 12.
Free Thanksgiving dinner at River Garden BRATTLEBORO—For more than three decades, the annual Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving Dinner has carried on the tradition of serving meals and sharing friendship. Dinner will be served buffetstyle at the River Garden on Thursday, Nov. 25, from noon until 5 p.m. Everyone is invited, and the meal is free. In past years, between 500 and 700 people sat down to the community-cooked meal, feasting
on favorites like turkey (or vegetarian entrees), roasted root vegetables, gravy, ham, mashed Gilfeather turnips, garlic potatoes, apple crisp and pies. Volunteers are still needed on Wednesday, Nov. 24, to prepare vegetables and apples for desserts at St. Michael’s School’s kitchen on Walnut Street. On Thanksgiving Day, volunteers are needed to help set up, transport food between the St. Michael’s kitchen and the
The season is not just about the “UU” congregation, says Hansson. The emphasis on relationships extends to the larger community as well. All Souls donates the full offering from its Christmas eve service to the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center and Morningside Shelter, the two agencies in town that support the homeless. This neatly ties together the story of
Jesus, homeless at the time of his birth, and his compassionate teachings. “It’s not just about us, but our neighbors, too,” says Hansson. “Our Christmas Eve service is a place to come together as a community and hear words of hope connected with the birth of all children — on Christmas the holy birth of Jesus — and celebrate it with light.”
Give the gift of joy to your favorite gardener.
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A
• Vermont Holiday 2010
Brattleboro
for more. Sound familiar? For a few recent years I was able to used to be that all one justify the cream and butter by had to do was roast a explaining to myself that this turkey, add cream and was a once- or twice-a-year ocbutter to everything else, sit currence. But I don’t know if I back, and watch the carnage. can keep it up. C H R I S T O P HE R What made us suddenly The other half of the diconcerned about fat and carlemma involves my intense deEM I LY C O U T A N T bohydrates and fiber and on sire to feed people wonderful The World on My Plate Thanksgiving, for goodness food. It is one of the primary sake? Turning 50. Then turnways I show love. Food is such ing 60. Cholesterol. Blood been eating to excess. a wonderfully simple pleasure. pressure. Gall bladders. I have a relative whose I certainly do not want to turn How gloomy. The holidays Thanksgiving ritual is to get up my table into a glum, moralare a time to celebrate not to from the table in the middle of istic, and boring statement on ponder mortality. But part of the meal, undo his belt, walk nutrition where gravy is to be our very American celebration around the house 20 times, eternally outlawed and people ofBBThanksgiving always Baptist then jauntily return8:42 to the third Baptist has Church:third Church 8/5/10 PMtable Page 1are afraid of a pat of butter. h, the holidays. It
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Let’s start with the turkey. On its own, turkey is a remarkably good choice, low in fat and high in protein. That changes when you start sliding sticks of softened butter under the skin and basting it every 15 minutes with the melted result. The question is, then, can you roast a tender and succulent turkey without adding fat? Yes, you can. (Before you proceed any further, remove the giblets, the neck and heart, and whatever else you find from inside the turkey. Cover all of this with 4 Jeff Potter/The Commons cups of cold water in a sauceIt is possible to roast a tender and succulent turkey pan and add a bay leaf, an onwithout adding fat. ion, a carrot and some salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Cool and refrigBut we do eat too much on and my guests feel righteously Thanksgiving, and it isn’t good healthy before we begin the big erate. This broth will come in very handy later.) for us. I can’t be the only resifeed. Preheat the oven to 400º F. dent of Windham County who It’s truly just the basic meal needs to pay attention to what we are looking forward to: tur- Stick a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, a carrot, and an I eat. So I have set out to diskey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, onion inside the body cavity sect the Thanksgiving menu and a vegetable thrown in for and have designed a meal that color. Then we want a piece of of the turkey. Stick a few more herbs in the neck cavity and I feel can be both satisfying and pumpkin pie. We don’t want fold over the excess skin, then non-fatal. a lot of unrecognizable fancy truss the whole bird so that the One thing I discovered long food, and we don’t want a lot legs and wings are tight against ago about Thanksgiving is that of choices. most people are not interested I believe strongly in the sym- the body. Mix the juice of 1 lemon and in appetizers or a first course bolism of food and its abil2 teaspoons of olive oil. Brush of parsnip soup with frizzled ity to make us feel good about this mixture over the turkey, leeks. A few olives with a small ourselves and the people with array of raw vegetables may whom we share it around a ta- sprinkle with salt and pepper, be enough while people mill ble. The food that is served on and then baste every half hour around, drink wine, and nibble. Thanksgiving can be delicious, with the juices that come out The acidity of the olives perks but more important, it can con- of the bird. If the liquid dries up the mouth, and the spears nect us to a collective past that up, throw in a cup of that wine you’re drinking while you cook. of celery and fennel let me gives us comfort and pleasure After about half an hour reduce the heat to 350º F. Total cooking time should be around 15 minutes per pound, un’ less your bird comes with other rules. As with any meat protein, after you take it out of the oven, let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes. Very simple.
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The sides
Things get more complicated when we move on to what we love to call “the sides.” Just like turkey, potatoes are low in fat. They are also high in fiber and a good source of vitamins and minerals. And they can be fabulous, without their very own small ponds of butter, if you start with fabulous potatoes. Yukon Golds have lots of
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• Vermont Holiday 2010
flavor. Green Mountain potatoes, a Vermont original from the 1800s, are even better. Just don’t use baking potatoes for mashed potato recipes. We now come to what for me is a crucial choice — whether to use what I call “ersatz” food: items like lowfat sour cream or pretend butter made with soybean oil. Not only do I find their manufacture suspicious, I find their flavors inferior to the real thing. Buttermilk potatoes are another matter. Not designed to mimic their fat-addictive cousins, they shine with their own special qualities. Vermont’s Butterworks Farm in Westfield bottles their own, and it works beautifully with potatoes. Buttermilk has a clean and straightforward tangy flavor and a thick, creamy texture; it creates a deceptively rich mashed potato that is somehow simultaneously light and luxurious. To serve eight people, boil around 6 large potatoes that have been cut into thirds — peel them if you must. Save a cup or so of the potato water
when you drain them. Put the cooked potatoes back in the pot and dry them out a bit over a medium heat. Then add ¾ cup of buttermilk. Mash. Add in small quantities of the potato water until you get the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. These can be made ahead and reheated, adding a bit more liquid if necessary. Creating a tasty dressing that isn’t dripping with fat is a more difficult task. My guests want a classic bread stuffing, not some grainy wild rice dish with fruit and nuts. Actually, it is not really stuffing we make anymore, is it? We all stopped putting the stuffing inside the bird when the food police told us we would kill our guests with salmonella. Fine. I will make dressing and call it stuffing. My stuffing has no sausage, no mushrooms, no oysters, no chestnuts. It is just bread and seasoning. And the key to great-tasting, yet not fatty, stuffing is that seasoning. Remember the broth that we made from the giblets? Here’s where you use it. For a 14-pound turkey, start with 1 large loaf of bread, whatever variety you like. Cut it into slices and dry it out at room temperature overnight. Cut it into cubes. Add enough diced onion and celery to make 2 cups and use lots of herbs: poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley – a couple of teaspoons at least University of Minnesota of each, plus salt and pepper to G r e e n M o u n t a i n taste. Mix this all, then add 1½ potatoes, an excellent to 2 cups of that giblet stock, variety for mashing. enough to make the stuffing
moist, but not soggy. Put it all in an oiled baking dish in a preheated 400º F oven and cook for around 40 minutes. This stuffing is savory and earthy with a rich turkey flavor from the broth, a crunchy golden top but no butter. Vegetables are easy, and I serve two. The path of least resistance is a mélange of roasted vegetables. Use any combination of carrots, winter squash, parsnips, some great Gilfeather turnips, fennel, celery root, brussels sprouts, beets, and onions. Cut them into same size pieces of approximately an inch square, toss them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some minced herbs, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated 425º F oven for 35 to 40 minutes until tender and caramelized, turning them once or twice as they cook. You can get fancier and mix them before roasting with some honey as well as olive oil and finish them off with a drizzle of balsamic or sherry vinegar. But they are delicious without that as well. The other is puréed, ovenroasted sweet potatoes mashed with lemon juice and zest, a bit of brown sugar, and a healthy jigger of bourbon. Peel and cube the squash or sweet potatoes and roast in a preheated 425º F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Mash with a squeeze of lemon and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and a good ¼ cup of bourbon, which I find makes most people forget about the lack of butter.
Misunderstood gravy
Now we come to the reason for Thanksgiving — gravy. Gravy is a much misunderstood food. People start with way too much fat. To make enough gravy for eight people, you need only 2 tablespoons of fat. You should have around 2 cups of giblet broth left over. You should have quite a bit of fat and drippings in the bottom of the turkey roasting pan. Pour all the liquid into a measuring cup, add two ice cubes, and wait 15 minutes. Most of petesgreens.com Gilfeather turnips (actually, rutabagas), a heirloom the fat should easily rise to the top; measure 2 tablespoons variety developed and grown in Wardsboro.
and put it into a heavy saucepan (a cast-iron skillet is perfect). Throw out the rest of the fat. Keep the drippings. Heat the pan with the 2 tablespoons of fat over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of flour, and whisk until smooth. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the flour has turned a golden brown. Add your giblet broth by the ½ cup, whisking until smooth. You will need at least 2½ cups of liquid, so use the reserved drippings until the gravy is the consistency you prefer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The reward
You have now created all the elements of a classic and delicious Thanksgiving meal with very little added fat. Your reward is a pumpkin pie filled with eggs and cream as well as pumpkin, ginger, and maple syrup. One rich course is allowed in a meal like this one, and people often remember the ending far better than they do the middle. And after such a clean and healthy meal, the richness of this pie will not be lost on a muddied palate. So, here is my recipe for a pie that, although rich in calories, is also rich in vitamin A, calcium, and iron. How virtuous! Start with your best prebaked single pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Preheat the oven to 425º F. Whisk 3 eggs, a 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin purée, ½ cup of maple syrup, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 cup (yes) of heavy cream. Pour this into the crust and Open Weekly Saturday 10-2
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bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350º F and cook an additional 40 to 50 minutes until the center is set. Cool for at least an hour and serve naked; no additional cream is necessary. I have been known to offer a tiny jigger of the bourbon, just to aid in digestion. And as your guests lick the
last pumpkin off their forks, I hope as the cook you can gaze around the table and feel that you have fed your loved ones well. It is a simple menu, I know, but Thanksgiving is about gratitude for life, family, and friends. I would like to help mine live for a very long time.
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So, if there are people on your gift list who don’t need more things, please consider a gift to BAAH. And send your friend a card telling them you’ve done that in their honor. They will appreciate it. And the hard-pressed neighbors your gift will help will have a better new year. Thank you!
Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing PO Box 1284, Brattleboro 05302 We are a volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to ‘BAAH’ are fully tax-deductible.
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• Vermont Holiday 2010
HO L I D A Y H A P P EN I N G S Green River Studio Sale set for Nov. 19, 20
are free. For information or directions, call 802-257-1894. The studio is not handicapped GUILFORD — The 11th an- accessible. nual Green River Studio Sale will take place on Friday, Nov. 19 from 3 to 8 p.m. and on Get your ‘Hetty Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. Greenbacks’ and shop to 5 p.m. Joining the crew this year, BF for the holidays Marta and Josh Bernbaum of BELLOWS FALLS — West Brattleboro, who design Shoppers can begin using a and create works of blown and Shop Local Holiday Card Nov. sculpted glass, will offer their 19 at a number of participating new 2010 ornament designs. businesses, which will stamp off Nancy Detra of Green River dollar amounts, recording lowill show recent paintings and cal purchases. Once the card is sell cards. Nelly Detra will offer filled, the shopper may enter a handmade ceramic orbs and lu- drawing to receive prizes. minaria for sale. The card is available at parMary Ellen Franklin of the ticipating local businesses, Franklin Farm in south Guilford banks, the Bellows Falls Opera will have maple products, Lois House, Green Mountain Flyer Pancake will offer greeting cards Santa Trains, “and perhaps featuring local photographs, and even in your mailbox,” say Carol Schnabel will offer scarves, organizers from the Bellows place mats, and shawls. Falls Downtown Development The sale will take place at 410 Association. Green River Rd. Refreshments The cards will be collected
from designated drop-off stations throughout the season. Prize drawings will take place Dec. 31 at the Village Square Booksellers at 3 p.m. In addition to offering the holiday card/raffle program, the BFDDA will also distribute $5 “Hetty Greenbacks” as a new local currency. Look for the currency at local businesses and at special events in town throughout the season, and use them to save money on your holiday purchases from participating vendors in town.
Historic Brookline Church hosts holiday bazaar BROOKLINE — The annual Historic Brookline Church holiday bazaar will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church on Grassy Brook Road. New this year is a display
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of artwork from the recentlyformed Grassy Brook Artists Association. Also featured are handmade Christmas ornaments, home-baked goods — including homemade doughnuts, coffee and cider — and a final opportunity to buy raffle tickets for the 2010 edition of the queen-size “Moonlight in Vermont” quilt made by the Brookline Ladies Benevolence Society and friends. All proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration and preservation of the Historic Brookline Church.
Holiday farmers’ markets scheduled in Bellows Falls BRATTLEBORO— There will be two more Bellows Falls Farmers’ Markets this season at Boccelli’s on the Canal (across from the BFFM lot) on Friday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Dec. 17, from 4-7 p.m. At the market, you’ll find root veggies, squash, apples, sauerkraut, eggs, beef, chicken, lamb, maple syrup, baked goods, handmade soap, crafted jewelry, kids clothes and more. Free organic coffee and harvest pizza will be served to the first 100 customers, and WOOLFM’s “Professor Funk” will broadcast live.
Boyd Family Farm opens its Wreath Barn Individual and Family Counseling • Couples Counseling Pre-Marital Counseling • EMDR Therapy Support Groups • Therapy using Yoga Techniques Meditation Services • Meeting Facilitation Services 802-254-9071 or bpccvt@gmail.com www.bpccvt.com We accept most insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare. No one is turned away for lack of insurance coverage or due to a limited ability to pay a private fee.
WILMINGTON— The Wreath Barn at Boyd Family Farm opens for the season on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Visit an authentic fifth-generation Vermont hill farm and watch how Christmas wreaths are made. Bows and decorations for wreaths will also be available. The Boyd Family Farm is 125 East Dover Rd. For more information, visit www.boydfamilyfarm.com or call 802-464-5618.
Methodist women host Country Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 20
and treats will have two more shopping choices on Saturday, Nov. 20. The Winter Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro. Come for the local farm produce and homemade products from more than 30 vendors and stay for a tasty lunch and live music. Guilford musician Peter Siegel, who describes his work as “hardhitting, hilarious, and controversial roots music,” will perform on the 20th. The market is accepting donations of locally grown and produced food, which will be taken to local food shelves. Fresh produce and canned goods are also accepted. Look for the “Drop Off Here” signs in the front and the back of the market. Also on Nov. 20, the Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market on Route 9 will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Customers who attend both markets will be entered in a free raffle for market gift certificates.
BRATTLEBORO — The Women of the First United Methodist Church will hold a Country Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Featured among many Christmas items will be homemade crafts and articles, items for children to purchase, “Grandma’s attic,” plants and a food table with “fresh from the kitchen” doughnuts, applesauce, layered jars and frozen apple pies for your holiday convenience. Coffee, cider, tea and doughPost 5 Legion nuts will also be available. Proceeds from the bazaar Auxiliary presents are donated to both local and church missions. The church is craft fair at 18 Town Crier Dr., off Putney BRATTLEBORO — The Road, and is handicapped acces- American Legion Auxiliary Unit sible. For information: 802-254- #5 will hold its annual Craft 4218 or fumc@sover.net. Fair on Saturday, Nov. 27, at the American Legion Home on Street, from 9 a.m.-2 Farmers’ Markets — Linden p.m. Many local crafters will be indoors and outdoors featured. Coffee and doughnuts — set for Nov. 20 will be available in the morning. BRATTLEBORO— With the Homemade corn chowder, hamholidays right around the cor- burgers, hot dogs, french fries, ner, those looking for local gifts onion rings, and homemade desserts will be served at lunch.
Happy Holidays from all of us at
JD McCliment’s Pub... We thank you for your patronage and support Don’t forget to put a JD’s Gift Certificate under the tree or in the stockings!
Putney Craft Tour marks 32nd year with special exhibits PUTNEY — The Putney Craft Tour will add a new twist to a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, Nov. 26 through 28, with special retrospective exhibits by each of the 25 artisans on the tour. The open studio weekend has long been a welcome haven
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of rural beauty and good taste for both Thanksgiving travelers and local holiday shoppers. But this year, the tour is also the capstone event of the year-long Vermont State of Craft celebration. Participants will document their evolution as artisans with photos as well as examples of early work. “The mini-exhibits are a fun way to illustrate the roots of our work and how it has grown and branched out over many years,” said Ken Pick, a clay artist and founding member of the tour. “Visitors can appreciate the evolution of the artistic process, which for some of us spans careers of more than 40 years.” Other founding members still on the tour are glassblower Bob Burch, blacksmith Ian Eddy, painter Judy Hawkins and potter David Mischke. In its 32nd year, the Putney Craft Tour is the oldest continuous tour of its kind in the nation. “This is the ‘grandaddy’ of open studio tours,” explained Pick. “The concept has been duplicated throughout the country, and the State of Craft celebration highlights that key role in Vermont’s contemporary studio craft movement.” In addition to the special exhibits, artisans will show work in progress, demonstrate their respective crafts, and chat with visitors about their work. The group of 25 artisans includes painters, clay workers, glass artists, woodworkers, fiber artists, metalworkers and many others. The tour welcomes four new exhibitors this year: Liz Hawkes deNiord (pottery and painting), Josh Laughlin (woodworking and fine furniture), Deb Lazar (oil painting) and Susan Wilson (clay sculptures and vessels). Each year, the Putney Craft Tour attracts more than 2,000 visitors from New England and beyond. To preview each artisan’s work and for maps, lodging, restaurants and other cultural highlights, visit www.PutneyCrafts.com.
Torchlight parade, fireworks at Mount Snow WEST DOVER— Mount Snow Resort presents its annual torchlight parade and wireworks on Saturday, Nov. 27, starting at
5:30 p.m. This holiday tradition begins with a torchlight parade from ski school instructors, followed by a huge fireworks display and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on the West Dover Fire Department ladder truck. They will take time out of their busy schedule to take pictures and listen to children’s Christmas wishes. The best place to watch is between the Clocktower and the Cape House. Santa and Mrs. Claus will hold court by the fireplace immediately following the fireworks show.
First Congregational hosts Christmas bazaar on Nov. 27 WEST BRATTLEBORO— The 32nd annual Christmas bazaar at the First Congregational Church, 880 Western Ave., will take place Saturday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds go to benefit church
projects. A wide variety of handcrafted and homemade items will be available, including plain or decorated wreaths, partridge berry bowls, ornaments, knitted or crocheted gloves, mittens, hats and sweaters. There will be a drawing of nine items, including a one-seat rustic settee, several twin-sized quilts, a quilted Christmas Table Runner, a quilted “stained glass” wall hanging, a gallon of maple syrup, a set of crocheted twinbed sized afghans, and a still-life painting. The drawing will be a 2 p.m. You need not be present to win. The food sale will feature the usual baked items along with baked beans, fudge, jams, jellies and preserves. The kitchen will be open all day for cider, coffee, snacks and corn chowder, as well as sandwiches, hot dogs and more. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the church at 802-254-9767 between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Guilford Church hosts Christmas bazaar on Dec. 4
GUILFORD — The Guilford Church’s annual Christmas bazaar, on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will include handmade crafts, balsam holiday wreaths, white elephant items, and baked goods such as specialty cookie platters and jams. Carol Crompton will lead a children’s craft table. Coffee and goodies will be sold, as well as homemade soups, sandwiches and quiches. This year’s raffle includes a quilt, a knitted blanket, gift baskets, an American Girl doll, and gift certificates to area businesses. Raffle tickets are $1 each or $5 for six. All proceeds from the bazaar benefit the church, which actively supports more than 15 local programs that serve the
greater community including the Boy Scouts, Hospice, Meals on Wheels, and the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center. Take Interstate 91 to Exit 1 and go south on U.S. Route 5 just past Guilford Country Store, left on Bee Barn Road, then left again on Church Drive.
Go for a sleigh ride at Fairwinds Farm BRATTLEBORO— Fairwinds Farm has several events scheduled for the holiday season. On Tuesday, Dec. 21 from 4:30-7:30 p.m., a Winter Solstice celebration will offer rides in a hay-filled, horse drawn sleigh (or wagon, if there’s no snow). Weaving candlelight, lanterns, fire, voices and music, participants will celebrate the Light.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for 12 and younger. In case of inclement weather, this event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 22. No reservations accepted. On Friday, Dec. 31 from 1-4 p.m., “Last Night” rides will be offered in conjunction with Brattleboro’s Last Night Celebration; no reservations accepted. Sleigh or wagon rides — held rain or shine for 20 minutes — cost $6 for adults, $4 for kids under 12. Horse-drawn sleigh rides will be available throughout the winter by reservation, with halfhour rides through the farm’s snowy woods and fields at $10 for adults, $6 for kids with a $50 minimum. For more information or reservations, call 802-254-9067 or visit www.fairwindsfarm.org.
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First Christmas A young Lao girl can’t remember her first holidays in a new land, but the real gift endures 30 years later
H
Brattleboro Phayvanh
ow does one for-
get 30 years of time? It happened to me. During a recent conversation, I realized that my family had been in the U.S. for 30 years now, as of last Thanksgiving. I have no recollection of our arrival in America, which city we landed in, how long we waited in lines, or who met us at the airport. How strange it must have felt for my parents, scanning the metal and concrete buildings for something familiar: a scent of greenness, sun-warmed wood, broad brown faces, and dark, tender eyes. Maybe they were listening for a few words they might understand. I have no memory of any of this. I imagine I was either fast asleep or crying. Crying in my sleep, perhaps. What I know from others is that it was a very cold winter. There was already snow on the ground. Snow. The world must have unzipped itself in
Luekhamhan, born in Champasak, Laos in 1975, came to this country in 1979. She now lives and writes in Montpelier. This piece appeared on her blog at www.phayvanh.com last December.
my parents’ minds when they stepped into the icy air outside. To grow up all your life in a tropical village you’ve never dreamed of leaving, then muck through the detritus of war to end up in a crowded refugee camp. So many bodies, so many lives on hold. And then to make the impossible decision: to leave, possibly forever. This haunts me when I think about it: the pain of making such a choice. But soon we were flying like a bird through the air. And then we landed at the noisy airport, some Americans coming towards us, trying to pronounce our names. And probably somebody bowed. And then perhaps someone gave us the Laotian greeting,
The author as a young girl, working on an English lesson at the School for International Training in Brattleboro. “Sabaidee.” And a new life began. The world expanded all around us. Our sponsors tried their best to teach us English, show us how to work the light switches, the faucets, the toilets, the stove. They helped arrange jobs for my parents — a janitorial position for Dad and a bakery job for Mom. They also gave us our first Christmas. I wish I could remember it. Perhaps someday it will all flood back. But for now, all I have is this newspaper photo of Dad with a box in his hand. I think the spine says “Monster Puzzle.” Maybe it’s
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for my brother or myself. In the photo, my mother is letting Dad choose and open the gifts. My brother and I are on the floor, waiting for something. What? Our small tree is leaning under the weight of handmade ornaments. Hanspeter, one of our sponsors, leans in, elbow on the table. I gather it was a joyous party, our family the honored guests. We probably had cider and cookies, nuts and cheese. Some coffee. I’m sure it exhausted us and confounded us. We’d been in America for a month. We were the only Laotian refugees in Brattleboro, though that would soon change. And though we were far from our family, we’d found ourselves in a close group of people who seemed to love one another. With a few exceptions, they didn’t speak our language, and they had no reason to love us. I suppose that was the greatest gift we received. Love. Welcome. Hope. Kindness. A Future. All those new friends we made in the early ’80s were so generous. Beyond the gifts of clothes and toys. Beyond what we can touch. They gave us their hearts. I speak for my entire family when I say that we are truly grateful. n