The Commons/issue of Jan. 13, 2011

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Brattleboro, Vermont Wednesday, January 12, 2011 • Vol. VI, No. 2 • Issue #83

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

News

Rockingham library seeks more funds

Brattleboro

New energy efficient lights for parking garage

Director cites need to repair, maintain historic building

page 3 Bellows Falls

Three picked as possible successors for Obuchowski page 3

Voices Editorial

Are we getting the town government we deserve? page 6

By Allison Teague

A new

direction Optimism, tough decisions mark the start of Shumlin era as county politicians look ahead at the agenda

Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons

Gov. Peter Shumlin is greeted by House Speaker Shap Smith as he takes the podium at Thursday’s inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier.

By Olga Peters The Commons

Viewpoint

Vermont pols react to shooting in Arizona page 7

Life & Work Mush!

Wardsboro couple runs dog sledding business page 9

Sports basketball

The Commons

M

ONTPELIER—A sense of excitement, mixed with the sobering reality of a hefty budget crunch, pervaded the Statehouse last Thursday.

Elected officials, dignitaries, campaign volunteers, administration officials past and present, and press crammed onto the floor of the House, on the balcony, and spilled into the lobby.

And then cameras flashed as Gov. Peter Shumlin took the oath of office.

In his inauguration speech, Shumlin, the 81st governor and the first to hail from Putney since George D. Aiken in the 1930s, spoke optimistically about Vermont’s bright future without flinching from a challenging $150 million budget deficit.

“Vermonters are a rugged people with an abundance of spirit and toughness. Each day is another day in which we can excel,” Shumlin said.

Earlier in the day, the Legislature bid a bittersweet adieu to Rep. Michael “Obie” Obuchowski, D-Rockingham.

Obuchowski banged the House gavel to close out the day’s abbreviated session, symbolically ending his 38 years of service to the people of Vermont.

“May the Vermont style of government, based on mutual respect and trust, and an unrelenting interest in the public good, never perish. The

outcome is in our hands and those who follow,” Obuchowski wrote in his resignation letter to House Clerk Don Milne.

Obuchowski moved into his new appointment as the commissioner of Buildings and General Services, effective that afternoon.

Rep. Dick Marek, D-Newfane, said colleagues would miss Obuchowski, describing his delegation-mate as a “state treasure.”

Goals for the biennum

In general, the Windham County delegation expressed hope for the next two years.

One observer described the delegation members as “bouncing off the walls with excitement” at the prospect of seeing many of their initiatives, which had withered under the former Douglas administration, flourish with support from the incoming Shumlin administration.

Marek, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said the upcoming legislative session should prove “interesting.” Vermont Yankee had been, and probably will be, one of the topics on the committee’s slate this session, he said.

Rep. Carolyn Partridge, D-Windham, chair of the Agricultural Committee, said the committee hopes to design an alternative system to the potentially punitive fee structure proposed in the latest federal food safety bill that passed the Senate in late 2010.

The federal bill requires farmers to pay operating fees. Opponents to the bill say these fees favor mega-farms and penalize small operations. n see priorities, page 2

BELLOWS FALLS— Rockingham Free Public Library director Celina Houlne recently asked the Rockingham Selectboard for an increase of $30,925 over the level-funded budget that the library has been operating under for the past two years.

Houlne said that while the funding has remained the same, costs have increased. If the RFPL is not granted their request, Houlne said that “we’re going to have to cut back on our services.”

She added that she has been assured by interim Town Manager Francis “Dutch” Walsh that the cost of repairs and renovations from a burst water pipe on Dec. 12 that devastated the library’s local history collection will be covered by insurance, and have no effect on the library’s need for a budgetary increase.

“Property and liability insurance, health insurance, utilities and heating, as well as technology costs have all risen dramatically in the past two years,” Houlne said. “We’ve been cutting and cutting as much as we could, but the costs keep going up and up. I know it’s a tough economy. I understand that. But what are we supposed to do?”

Houlne said the plan for renovations continues to move forward. “We’ve been meeting with architects looking at the systems we use throughout the building, and how best to design them so we don’t have to re-do them again 10 or 20 years down the road.”

“SMP Architects came highly recommended. They know about preservation of old buildings,” Houlne said of the Philadelphia architectural firm. Indeed, their client list includes the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Oxford (Pa.) Public Library, among many others.

Houlne said SMP has been very helpful in “making this a green building. We are looking at putting solar panels on the flat roof [at the back of the library], and making the building

By Thelma O’Brien

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Police chief pleased with BF results Lake lists achievements in past 3 years

By Allison Teague The Commons

BELLOWS FALLS— Entering his third year leading the Bellows Falls police, Chief Ron Lake was enthusiastic in his assessment of how the department is doing.

He listed animal control, increased speed enforcement on Route 103, past and upcoming “blue light” contracts for road construction projects along Interstate 91, continued drug sweeps, and being appointed Truant Officer by the WNESU board (with Officer Scott Symonds assisting), as accomplishments for 2010.

Lake said the Village has also added three speed warning signs funded by a donation from a community member which are located at Rockingham and Westminster streets, as well n see police, page 4

Treasure Hunters Roadshow leaves disappointed patrons in its wake

page 11

P.O. Box 1212, Brattleboro, VT 05302 www.commonsnews.org

n see library, page 4

Let the seller beware?

Rough weekend for Colonel girls in Essex

Vermont Independent Media

as energy efficient as possible.”

She also described using a “heat pump” for heating and cooling the building, “similar to how refrigerators function,” as one idea she is discussing as part of the systems of the building.

“We can heat each floor, even rooms, separately,” Houlne said.

“Or cool them.”

Kohler and Lewis Engineers

B Thelma O’Brien/The Commons

An unidentified employee for the Treasure Hunters Roadshow examines some coins brought in by a patron on Jan. 4.

RATTLEBORO— The over-the-top media package that preceded the Treasure Hunters Roadshow’s (THR) five-day blitz at the Quality Inn was designed to get attention.

A slim black box sent to The Commons, with embossed images of golden coins on the front, included a Confederate bank note and a buffalo-head nickel.

Opening the lid of the media kit exposed a DVD of a “syndicated

television show” and pages of information for the press and triggered a recording of a man with a British accent inviting one and all to an event much like the setting of the long-running PBS series Antiques Roadshow.

But at almost every turn, the pages of information contained in the portfolio — and documents filed in a federal lawsuit by the public television station that holds the U.S. rights for the British Antiques Roadshow franchise — contradicted the actual events on the THR’s first day in town Jan. 4. n see ROADSHOW, page 8

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

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NEWS

2

T h e C ommons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

WINDHAM COUNTY IN THE STATEHOUSE 139 Main St. #604, P.O. Box 1212 Brattleboro, VT 05302 (802) 246-6397 fax (802) 246-1319 www.commonsnews.org Office hours by appointment 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday Jeff Potter, Editor

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Deadline for the Jan. 19 issue Friday, Jan. 14 About The newspaper

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n Priorities Although provisions have been made for small-scale farms, said Partridge, more needs to be done to help Vermont farmers.

As chair of the Windham School Board, Partridge said she will continue fighting to ensure small schools receive the funding they deserve.

Health care reform remains important to Partridge. She said Vermonters’ access to high quality comprehensive health care first spurred her to run for office 12 years ago.

Rep. John Moran, D-Wardsboro, said he felt pleased about Shumlin’s appointment of Annie Noonan as commissioner of the Department of Labor, saying she looks out for working Vermonters. Before her appointment, Noonan served as the executive director of the Vermont State Employees Association.

Economic development, expanded broadband Internet and cell phone service, property tax reform, and health care reform are issues on the top of Moran’s list.

Moran cautioned that the state’s economic health will dictate a lot of decisions this year, as Vermont will receive a smaller amount of federal assistance.

“But we’re equal to [the challenge],” he said.

All the same, the state can’t forget its “fundamental responsibility” to provide essential services to Vermonters, he said, adding that he believes the human services budget has been cut as much as it can be.

Moran is authoring a bill with Rep. Ann Manwaring, D-Wilmington, to increase transparency in the property tax system.

Newly elected Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, talked health care reform and tax restructuring while he pointed to the graffiti in his desk in the Senate chamber vacated by Shumlin. Among the names etched into the desk’s wood were some of his predecessors from Windham County, including Edward G. Janeway, Nancy Chard, and Rod Gander.

Galbraith reiterated that he hopes to see a single payer or state health-care plan with a public option as a potential interim step.

“Such comprehensive reforms you can’t put into effect overnight,” he said.

Rep. Oliver Olsen, R-Jamaica, said he was excited about the new legislative session.

“People are usually energized by change,” he said.

from page 1

But Vermont also has some “big challenges” ahead, he said.

“There are no easy answers.

There will be some tough choices,” he added.

Olsen said he wants to reverse a tax on ticket sales for nonprofit organizations enacted by a previous tax bill.

The property tax burden has hit a number of Olsen’s constituents, he said. He awaits the Blue Ribbon Commission tax report, which is due out later this month.

Olsen said he is glad Shumlin is “sensitive” to the negative impact of tax-free New Hampshire on Connecticut River Valley communities.

He said Shumlin’s inauguration, wherein the new governor promised to stay away from any new broad-based taxes, was good, but overshadowed by the $150 million budget gap.

“That’s a different equation to solve,” he said.

Despite the Senate’s 2010 vote to not allow the Public Service Board to issue a certificate of public good to Vermont Yankee, Olsen said he didn’t regard the matter as closed.

“The Senate vote was in no way binding,” he said, indicating that the matter can be revisited by both the House and Senate in this new biennium.

High on the list for Rep. Mollie Burke, P-Brattleboro, is the Complete Streets legislation also supported by AARP. The legislation focuses on making streets friendlier for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists through advanced planning.

Improving public transportation and climate change also top the list of Burke, who serves on the Transportation Committee.

She said better public transportation could improve connections between areas in Vermont and cut exhaust emissions contributing to climate change.

“It’s an exciting time to be thinking about this,” she said.

In an e-mail, Rep. Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, wrote that “the governor’s inaugural speech lays out a bold framework need to get our economy in gear and let Vermont take its place in the 21st century.”

Mrowicki said the governor recognizes the importance of bringing broadband to the last rural mile and replacing the current health care system — in danger of bankrupting Vermont if left unchecked — with a financially sustainable system.

Sen. Jeannette White, D-Windham, will continue as chair of the Government Oversight Committee and was

Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons

House Speaker Shap Smith congratulates Gov. Peter Shumlin after Shumlin was sworn in at Thursday’s inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier. also assigned to the Judiciary Committee for the first time.

She said this would be the session for constitutional amendments.

Freshman Rep. Michael Hebert, R-Vernon, who replaced Rep. Patty O’Donnell, described his first day as a representative as a blur. By the second day, he could sit back and appreciate things more, he said.

He said Shumlin did an “exceptionally good job” setting up the goals of his term and choosing the members of his administration.

Although Hebert does not agree with Shumlin 100 percent, he found Shumlin’s “apolitical” inauguration speech encouraging and hopes the new governor maintains the positive atmosphere.

He said he was glad Shumlin recognized Vermonters can’t afford to pay any more taxes.

Hebert will sit on the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, one of the committees concerned with the operation of Vermont Yankee. He considers VY’s closing “inevitable,” whether the gates shut in 2012 or in 20 years. Either way, Vernon’s economy will take a hit.

Hebert, who also chairs the Vernon School Board, thinks the school budget will weather the change. The town took the plant off its grand list a few years ago, so the school has already adjusted the budget to accommodate VY’s absence.

“I do think the town has to

do some preparation, but is better off then they think they are,” Hebert said.

Saying goodbye

At 4:30 p.m., on Thursday, a half hour before the end of nearly four decades as a representative, Obuchowski stood on the House floor talking to colleagues.

“I feel the same excitement for the future that people feel for

me, but I also feel that same sadness,” he said, his arms crossed in his characteristic stance.

He will miss all the people, he said, because after 38 years, the House and his constituents felt like a family. He said that constituents have told him their stories, and some of them had been hard to hear.

“Being in a position to help people, I’m going to miss that,” he said, his eyes watering.

But Obuchowski said he looked forward to being a fulltime father to his twins and serving the public in a different capacity in Buildings and General Services.

He smiled and said changing his loyalty from the legislative to the executive branch would be an interesting transition.

Some of his new employees started calling Obuchowski “boss” during his first visits to the agency he was minutes from leading.

“I’m not your boss. I’m a team member,” he said he told them.

Obuchowski said he will begin his appointment with a “listening and learning” tour.

His last day as a representative reminded Obuchowski of an anecdote from former House Speaker Ralph Wright’s memoir All Politics Is Personal. Wright said he had walked the House floor so often he could find his way through with the lights off.

Obuchowski joked he should celebrate his last few moments as a representative by shutting off the lights and seeing if he could find his way through the dark.

Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons

Outgoing Gov. Jim Douglas and his wife Dorothy listen to Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inaugural speech.

Shumlin feels the love in Brattleboro Supporters pack museum for party on the eve of local victor’s inaugural

By Fran Lynggaard Hansen The Commons

BRATTLEBORO—The revelers who packed the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center on the night before Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inauguration came in droves.

They were wearing everything from three-piece suits to Carhartt work pants, cocktail dresses to blue jeans, and their hands held seltzer and wine, canes and infants.

They were a teensy bit unruly; so comfortbale with the guest of honor that they shouted out comments in the middle of his welcome speech. That spoke to the familiarity of the guest of honor to the crowd.

“I feel like this is a community event and that Peter, governor or not, is a part of the party,”

said Steve West, host of the WKVT-AM radio program Live and Local, and owner of Fearless Computing. “I like that it’s regular people here. What do we call him now? Mr. Governor? Pete?”

Shumlin, while enjoying the crowd’s welcome, took it all in stride as he waded through the crowd greeting his friends.

BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld yelled above the crowd, “Please give it up for your governor-elect!” and the more than 300 people in the museum went wild with enthusiasm.

Shumlin said, as he took the microphone, “Thank God for Windham County!”

The group roared its approval.

Shumlin has often said that it was the voters in his home county that eventually pushed the numbers in his favor to narrowly win both a hotly-contested

Democratic primary, as well as the general election against Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie.

Shumlin followed this remark with a sigh and moment of personal truth: “Who would have thought a dyslexic kid from Putney would become the governor of the state of Vermont?”

Moving from personal comments at the start to a nod to the agenda he campaigned on, Shumlin went on to remind the crowd of promises made during the election that he has every intention of keeping.

“I just got back from ‘Baby Governor’s School,’” he said. “I believe I was the only person in that room that had a different vision of what health care should be, and it was clear to me that the other baby governors are already in the hands of the health-care lobbyists. I am not in their hands.

We are not in their hands.”

The crowd thundered its approval.

As he continued speaking, Shumlin moved from words that sounded more at home, as he was speaking with his friends, to more formal comments suggestive of the power of the office for which he elected.

He acknowledged another son of Putney — George D. Aiken, who served as Vermont’s governor from 1937 to 1941, and then as U.S. Senator for 34 years.

“I will walk in his shadow, every single day,” Shumlin said.

After the speech, Shumlin attempted to move though the crowd to greet and thank his guests. His progress was hampered by television cameras and microphones overhead to catch his every word.

He called friends by name, doled out hugs and handshakes, and even held babies for photographs.

Gordon Bock of Northfield, who does not personally know

Shumlin, made the trip to Brattleboro so that he could introduce the Governor-elect to his six-month-old daughter, Samantha.

Shumlin gave the tot a crowdpleasing traditional peck on the cheek, as she smiled and sat cradled in his arms for a moment.

He also posed with a mother who asked for a photograph for her children, telling Shumlin that her kids had made sure to vote absentee.

“Tell them I love them,” he said with a smile.

Meanwhile, the hundreds of revelers enjoyed locally made foods, while vendors served up beer made at McNeil’s Pub over on Elliot Street and Windham Wines popped corks from bottles from its store on Main Street.

Friends and political supporters Larry and Marilyn Cassidy of Dummerston were in charge of the event.

“Everything for this celebration was donated,” said Cassidy. “This is such a great time for Peter to come south to thank everybody prior to his inauguration.”

Nearby, small business owners Kristina and Kelt Naylor, who own Sidehill Farm, a maker of jams and jellies at the Cotton Mill complex, suggested why they had supported Shumlin.

“We felt it was important to support Peter in this campaign,” said Kristina. “The health care piece is so important, and there are many other issues to small business owners in Vermont that we feel he understands,” she said.

Anne Latchis, board member for the Brattleboro Arts Initiative, was happy to support the celebration as well.

“It is so great to have a familiar face in Montpelier. It’s been a long time,” she said.

Many children also attended.

Willem Thurber, 5, was

more interested in the “Gerb’s Gadgetry” exhibit, which included sculptures made from recycled materials that whirled, buzzed, and clanged as he pressed the magic buttons near the sculpture.

Still, the young Thurber, whose parents, Ross and Amanda Thurber, run Lilac Ridge Farm in West Brattleboro, was thoughtful about his reasons for attending the event.

“We have a new governor,” he said with a big smile, “but you better ask my parents about that.”

Ross Thurber, Willem’s father, thought it was a great opportunity for his children, who also include Henry, 7, and Isabella, 10, to learn about local politics.

“I told them that it was important that they make political decisions on their own,” he said, “but I also felt it would benefit their worldview to be here tonight.”

Many people suggested that the reception held that night was likely far different from the other “baby governors” with whom Shumlin had recently spent time.

Julie Wesley, chief of staff to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, said, “We always knew Peter Shumlin is a leader. He is an astute politician, and I truly think with his sound fiscal skills and belief in social responsibility, he’ll achieve positive economic growth.”

Former state Rep. Gini Milkey of Brattleboro suggested the new governor would have a lot of help.

“His appointments were fantastic, really great, smart, people,” she said.

Mara Williams, BMAC’s chief curator, summed it up for many.

“Of all the new governors in the entire country, I am so happy that Peter Shumlin is ours,” she said.

T h e C ommons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

NEWS

3

WINDHAM COUNTY IN THE STATEHOUSE

Barnett, Trieber, Groenewold named as potential successors to Obuchowski

By Allison Teague The Commons

BELLOWS FALLS— Windham-4 Democrats gathered on Saturday at Village Square Booksellers to nominate Lamont Barnett, Matthew Trieber, and Suzanne Groenewold as potential successors to former state Rep. Michael Obuchowski.

Gov. Peter Shumlin will choose one of the three to fill out the remainder of Obuchowski’s term, although Shumlin does have the option to select someone else.

“Whoever gets appointed will have big shoes to fill, but we are delighted in the quality of all three of the nominees,” Shumlin said on Monday. “We will be interviewing all the candidates over the next few days. We will be selecting the most qualified and make the best choice based on that. We need a voice for the empty seat. We want to put them to work as quickly as possible.”

Obuchowski officially resigned his seat on Jan. 6 to become commissioner of the state Department of Buildings and General Services. Shumlin selected Obuchowski for the post late last month.

Saturday’s caucus consisted of town Democratic committees from Rockingham, Grafton and Windham, as well as individual Democrats from Athens, Brookline, and North Westminster. In all, 28 registered town committee members, and about 20 other observers from around the district, were in attendance.

Rep. Carolyn Partridge, D-Windham, Windham-4’s other lawmaker, and newly elected state Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, were also present.

The top vote-getter was Barnett, followed by Trieber and Groenewold.

Barnett said he was “deeply honored to be given the nod.”

“I want to thank all the town committee members, especially

from other areas,” said Trieber, who currently serves on the Rockingham Selectboard. “Their support means a lot.”

“I’m very excited,” said Groenewold. “I look forward to talking with governor about my plans.”

Voting questions

The evening was bittersweet for all who attended, and some were clearly there to just say thank you and good-bye to Obuchowski.

Several attendees said they came “to see democracy in action,” while others arrived assuming they would be able to vote only to find out that their names were not on the list.

Lamont Barnett, chair of the Windham County Democrats, replied to Ray Massucco’s challenge that he should be able to vote, saying his name was “not on the list.” Attending a meeting in the past year would have put his name on the town committee list to be able to vote.

According to Paul Obuchowski, Massucco was listed as attending last in 2009.

Massucco declined to pursue it further in the interests of getting the business at hand completed.

As County Chair, Barnett would normally have presided over the caucus, but recused himself because he was putting his name forward to be voted on by the caucus. Michael Obuchowski was named and seconded with no objections to take over as chair of the Caucus.

While dignified and serious, Obuchowski was clearly enjoying his last political event in the Windham-4 district.

He began the meeting with a simple thanks to those who first voted for him 38 years ago, and to those who had kept him there for “almost four decades.”

“This is the moment I’ve been looking forward to,” he said.

“To be looking into the eyes of those who allowed me to serve you …and without whose support I would not have been here

for four decades, almost two generations.”

“You asked me to serve. You had the confidence in me,” he went on. “A small boy from a small town showed that things can happen for a small boy from a small town [when] associated with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Not a final decision

Dennis Harty of Rockingham suggested that the voting be opened up to everyone present, but it was noted that the meeting should then be called to end and re-warned for a future date so that all those who wanted to vote, could.

As one member said, “I know several people who aren’t attending because they knew they couldn’t vote.”

Another member made the point that “the last time this happened 13 years ago, we put names forward and the governor chose someone else.”

Five names were nominated by town committee members: Barnett, Groenewold, Alan Ternes, Trieber, and Reed Webster. Candidates were given three minutes to make their case.

Barnett, business owner and resident of Rockingham, was the first to speak. He listed his years of service and living in the community as Selectboard, Destination Bellows Falls, and Great Falls Chamber of Commerce member, as well as the Chamber’s Person of the Year in 2001. He also cited his involvement “from the beginning” in development projects in downtown Bellows Falls, specifically of the Exner Block and the Waypoint Center.

Groenewold spoke next, citing her involvement as president of the board of Falls Area Community Television (FACT-TV), as well as serving as videographer, editor, and producer. She spoke of her long association with Obuchowski on their weekly State House

BR AT TLEBORO Town completes lighting upgrade for Transportation Center BRATTLEBORO—The town recently completed work on a lighting upgrade in the Brattleboro Transportation Center, replacing 101 standard bulbs with higher efficiency LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures that last 3 to 5 times longer than the fixtures they replace.

The lighting fixtures in the three-story parking garage on Flat Street were installed by Tyler Electric of Brattleboro.

Breakfast to discuss jobs, the economy PUTNEY — Putney’s economy will be the focus of Putney Jobs, a new series of monthly breakfast meetings to start in January.

The first breakfast will be held Thursday, Jan. 13, from 7:158:45 a.m. at the Putney Inn. The ongoing breakfast series will explore the many sides of Putney’s economy, including the jobs people hold and the places they work. The purpose of the breakfasts is to start a discussion about the nature of the Putney economy and how the town can help build a resilient and vibrant economy that provides desirable jobs for residents.

The first meeting will feature a presentation by Kate McCarthy, a planner with the Windham Regional Commission. She will draw on recent studies that help show where Putney residents work and who holds job located in Putney. She’ll also provide an overview of Putney’s major employers that form the backbone of Putney’s economy.

Future breakfast speakers will be drawn from within Putney and outside Putney. The focus will be on innovative ideas that may provide models for Putney, helping the town build a strong social and economic life for all Putney residents.

The cost of breakfast is by donation. The series is being supported by Transition Putney and the Putney Inn. For more information, contact Bob Lawson at rb@sover.net.

According to Paul Cameron of Brattleboro Climate Protection, the new fixtures will save 69,584 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, a 38 percent reduction in electricity usage.

He said the town will save approximately $6,674 in electric costs, along with 44 tons of carbon emissions, per year.

The project’s $57,033 cost was funded by a grant from the American Recovery and

and issues.

“There’s no way I can hope to fill Obie’s shoes,” he said. At 30, Treiber is eight years older than Obuchowski was when he served his first term.

Webster, a heavy equipment operator, read from a prepared statement noting that he had been an activist since 1979 for social justice issues, and was currently involved in the Vermont Workers Center’s campaign to bring single-payer health care to Vermont.

However, at the end of the evening, he admitted he was friends with and supported Barnett. Webster said he had put his name forward only to “divide the vote” as “we weren’t sure how it was going to play out.”

Partridge noted that she would mentor and counsel the new member as much as needed to get the business and concerns of the district addressed. “They will have my unwavering support,” she assured the members.

Reinvestment Act of 2009, and through an incentive from Efficiency Vermont, which also provided project support.

“Brattleboro recognizes the viability of LEDs in parking lot and town lighting,” Efficiency Vermont’s Energy Consultant Bhima Nitta said. “Not only will the town save a tremendous amount of energy, but will also greatly cut down on its operating expenses.”

Gifts for Obie

Allison Teague/The Commons

It’s not a relative, but the man in the portrait presented to former state Rep. Michael Obuchowski

by Chris Wallace looks like he might be.

Conversations program that aired on both FACT-TV and WOOL radio. “I now know how the Legislature works, how to introduce a bill,” she said.

Groenewold said having children in the schools and serving as PTO president in the local area gave her a personal perspective on education.

“I will bring a fresh breath of air” to Windham-4, she said.

She added that she was a personal friend of Shumlin, whom she has “known for 10 years.”

Energy and education were her main focus, as well as creating jobs in the district, and universal health care.

Speaking of his history in the area, Ternes noted that he was most involved with conservation and environmental issues, notably as editorial assistant for the Connecticut River Watershed Council newsletter, Currents and Eddies, as well as working locally to get more trails established. He serves as Justice of the Peace as well.

He stated he was concerned for the working class and the aged, and would “do anything to see that nothing diminishes public services” for them. He said he would work to absorb and respond intelligently to constituents’ concerns and needs.

Trieber spoke of his “electability,” citing his recent successful

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bids for first a one-year seat, then a three-year seat on the Rockingham Selectboard last fall, following spending “hours and hours spent knocking on people’s doors hearing their concerns.”

He said he would finish out his term on the board “as other Democrats [such as Toby Young and Partridge] have done,” and spoke of a “less demanding family life” that would not hinder spending the required hours in Montpelier for the seat.

Trieber said he believes that “government operates best with respectful communication.”

He pledged to fight to keep the Windham-4 seat a Democratic seat, and would work closely with Partridge to find the best way to tackle the district’s concerns

Before things wrapped up for the evening, Obuchowski observed, “I thought my last day on the house floor was like attending my own funeral. Here tonight, I feel like I’m presiding over my own funeral.” His words were met with affectionate laughter.

Obuchowski was presented with several gifts. He received a gold wristwatch from the Democratic town committee members for his “almost four decades of service to Windham 4.”

He also received an old photograph that was wrapped for presentation in the pages of the recent front-page feature article on Obuchowski in The Commons.

The portrait was discovered in an antique store by Chris Wallace, vice-chair of the Grafton Democrats.

“I thought he looked just like you,” he said, laughing, as he presented the image.

Obuchowski smiled, slightly abashed. Indeed, the centuryold portrait looked strikingly like him, mustache and all.

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NEWS

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• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

ROCKINGHAM/BELLOWS FALLS n Police

rockinghamlibrary.org

Damage on the ceiling of the Rockingham Free Public Library from the recent flood. The town will recoup the cost of repairs from insurance money, officials say.

n Library

from page 1

of Keene, N.H., she said, have Telecommunications Authority a rapid end.” done many projects throughout to use $33.4 million of stimulus The library has made evVermont and New Hampshire. funds to “develop, own, main- ery effort to cut other budget They have designing energy ef- tain, and operate a 773-mile fi- line items, including an 8 perficient systems for old buildings, ber-optic ‘middle mile‘ network cent cut in purchases of books including libraries, and are con- in southern, central, and north- and audiovisual materials, and sulting with Houlne. eastern Vermont.” a 9 percent cut in staff hours, “If we invest now,” Houlne “Once they’ve put in the fiber Houlne wrote, and budget gaps Depot St. schools Brattleboro, VTbeen covered by using the said, “we can save later.” optic55 cable for [the and have Since savings.

Brattleboro, The bond to pay55 for Depot the sys- St. libraries], it (802) will be 254-5755 muchVT easier library’s 1946 tems overhaul will hopefully(802) go for other local connections Si tonc acBut Houlne wrote that the e before55 the Depot voters at St. the annual cess it,” Houlne said. costs RFPL’s cash reserve is dwindling Cut254-5755 your this year…

1946 Brattleboro, VTenergy meeting in May,VT Houlne While this is good news, the and “we have less funds available pot St. village Brattleboro, Since byphysical installing (802) 254-5755 Cut your energy costs thissomething year…of more said. aging infrastructure for emergencies, and less interest 19 46 S in ce efficient.

Call Merrill Houlne that St. the RFPL the RFPL, and the services theGas! revenue to contribute to pay op(802) 254-5755 55stated Depot Brattleboro, VT 19costs by installing more 4 6 library is one the “community anprovides, Cutofyour energy thissomething year…

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as at the top of Old Terrace on Route 121.

“They serve as warning devices,” Lake said. “We don’t write tickets and hope it educates the public.”

While Lake admits he continues to struggle with budget concerns — “I always wish I had more money,” he said — he’s optimistic that he is creating revenue and doing everything in his power for community policing in the Village.

Lake said the drug initiative he instituted last year continues.

“We don’t just focus on the Village,” he said. “We cooperate with law enforcement beyond these borders throughout the state and in other states, too.”

He said one recent bust, in which a significant amount of cocaine was seized, was a result of just such cooperation with state drug enforcement agencies.

He said his biggest asset is someone he has known since childhood, and who now calls Bellows Falls home.

“Shane Harris is one of our biggest assets [to the drug unit].

When I heard he was retiring here, I just had to ask him if he would work with us. I feel very fortunate to have him,” Lake said.

But Lake stressed that “drugs are a big problem here,” noting that for “as long as I am here, I suspect I will be dealing with this issue.”

Lake said sweeps have resulted in confiscation of prescription drugs, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the Village. He said the dealers do not fall into one category of offender.

“They are young and old; some are mothers and fathers, some younger in their 20s. Not all are users as dipping into the product, for personal use cuts into profits,” he explained. He agreed that if there were not a demand, there would be no sales.

“We try to get [addicts] the help they need,” he said. “If someone were to walk into our lobby downstairs and say ‘I need help [with my addiction],’ we would immediately get them connected with Health Care Recovery Services [HCRS], and get them the help they need,”

from page 1

Lake said. “When we see someone under arrest who obviously needs help, we try to get it for them.”

But Lake notes that his efforts to curb drug sales in the Village “are only as strong as the weakest link.”

While Lake declined to be any more specific, state cutbacks have made jail time shorter following convictions, with offenders getting back on the street sooner.

“Our drug unit continues to investigate and arrest offenders diligently,” he said. “Of those we’ve arrested, we’ve had no repeat offenders [for the same crime].”

He said there is always someone to step in and fill the gap once a dealer has been arrested.

Whether the motivation is economic or addiction, he cannot say.

“We’re not arresting the same people,” he said.

Lake said the greater Rockingham area “would run with red ink if I were to pinpoint known drug activity on a map,” describing the situation to the Village Trustees at one meeting. “It’s not just in the Village.”

On the bright side, Lake’s assignment as the WNESU’s truant officer comes following no truancy enforcement in “several years.”

Already, he said, he’s narrowed the list down to a handful of truants. Lake’s experience as a father having, at times, six kids at home with him over the years, has helped give him the perspective he needs to help truants see how important their education is.

“My father used to say, when we were having a hard time or didn’t want to go to school, ‘Do you want fries with that?’” Lake quips. “We got the point and went to school.”

Lake understands that truancy, by the time he hears about it, is not a simple desire not to go to school one day. “Obviously, there’s a problem somewhere,” he said. “Getting courts involved is a very last resort. I prefer to do all I can to get the child back in school.” He said that so far, he has not had to involve courts in any of his truancy cases. “I’ll

Eight artists display work at Project Space 9 BELLOWS FALLS—Project Space 9 is displaying a collage exhibit of eight artists through the first week in February.

On Jan. 21, from 4 to 7 p.m., Third Friday-goers may stop by to meet the artists and talk about the process and their work.

Using collage on a puzzle piece by Myra Ashcroft, a picture frame by Joe Eisenberg, and using found wood from forest and beach by Phyllis Rosser, eight artists stretch the process in delightful, serious and whimsical approaches to collage at Project Space 9.

Most of the artists in the exhibit also do other kinds of visual art, having come together to last summer for an “art camp.”

Rooted in early Picasso and Braque artwork, collage deconstructs the world around us, and reconstructs it using found objects, paper, cloth – just a few of the material artists appropriate for creating a collage piece.

Nothing is sacred, as you will see in the exhibit.

The three founders of the yearly “art camp” that yielded

the pieces in 2010 for the exhibit, have met for over twenty years since graduate school and have stayed friends over the years: Robert McBride of Bellows Falls; Valerie Harris, formerly of Paris, now resettled on the southwest coast of France; and Helen Petkas who splits her time between Tribeca in New York City and Ashfield, Mass.

For the 2010 “art camp,” Harris said had been thinking about collage in relation to her painting.

And a show was born.

Joining the original three were Linda Striedieck, Myra Ashcroft, Barbara Tarantino, Rita Gilbride, Phyllis Rosser, Mary Lou Gould and Joe Eisenberg.

Project Space 9 is a initiative of the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) which is located in the lobby of the Exner Block at 9 Canal St. in downtown Bellows Falls. The gallery is wheelchair accessible; call in advance (802-463-3252) for access. The show continues through the first week in February.

Allison Teague/The Commons

Bellows Falls Police Chief Ron Lake. get them all the help I can first,” he said.

He said he put a lot of time and money into getting Officer Scott Symonds trained as a Student Resource Officer before funding was cut for the position and he is now serving as Lake’s assistant for truancy. “He works about 20 hours a week on truancy,” Lake said. “He’s well qualified and does a great job.”

Lake said he requested the same budget increase of $68,000 from the Trustees that he asked for last year. He has yet to hear whether or not he will get it, having been turned down last year.

He mentioned his deep personal pleasure at the safe return of Officer Christopher Brooks from serving in Afghanistan for two years.

“We are very glad to see him back safely and look forward to having him serve with us again,” Lake said.

BAPC workshop offers school success for the New Year BRATTLEBORO — Is helping your child succeed in school one of your New Year’s resolutions? Studies have proven that parental involvement is one of the most important factors for ensuring that children learn the skills needed to succeed in school and in life.

The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) will offer a free, five-session course, Supporting School Success, for parents and caregivers of students in grades K-3 on Saturday mornings, from Jan. 15 through Feb. 12 in Brattleboro.

Supporting School Success is a research-based program designed to improve a child’s academic and social success by teaching parents the skills they need to interact effectively with their child and their child’s school. The first two sessions cover core skills parents need to become active partners with their child’s school. The remaining sessions address reading, homework, and problem solving.

Participants receive a $65 stipend upon course completion. Free child care, refreshments, and parent resources are also provided. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

Contact Sue at the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition at 802-257-2175 or bapcprogram@ yahoo.com to register.

‘Job Search 101’ offered at Rockingham library BELLOWS FALLS — “Job Search 101” is a new series of workshops for young adults ages 15 to 21 that gives the basic information, skills and techniques to begin career planning.

The curriculum and format are designed by the group itself in order to meet their specific employment needs and interests. All aspects of finding a job are covered: resume writing, job search techniques, interviews and building positive, useful, and practical skills in order to obtain and maintain a job.

Job Search 101 is a collaboration of Windham County Youth Services and Vermont Department of Labor, in partnership with the Rockingham Free Public Library. Meetings are at 3:15 p.m. every Tuesday at the library.

The workshops are free and open to anyone between the ages of 15-21. For more information, call Morgan Sailer-Carlisle, 802885-1422, or Rustin Mitchell, 802 258-0732.

T h e C ommons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

BAICA hosts two events for MLK Day BRATTLEBORO — To commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Clergy Association (BAICA) will host two community-wide events: a public forum on social justice issues on Sunday, Jan. 16, and a celebration that includes a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, the screening of a new documentary, and musical performances by local choirs on Monday, Jan. 17.

On Jan. 16, the two-day commemoration begins with a public forum entitled “Faith, Freedom & Responsibility.” Keynote speaker and forum moderator James Calvin Davis is associate professor of religion at Middlebury College and author of the recently published book, Defense of Civility: How Religion Can Unite America on Seven Moral Issues That Divide Us. This forum will provide an opportunity for community members and representatives of local religious and secular organizations to openly discuss the role of religion in public debate over social justice and other moral issues. Light refreshments, a book sale, and book signing will follow the discussion, all of which will take place from 6-8 p.m. at All Souls Church, 29 South St., West Brattleboro.

On Jan. 17, the celebration continues at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St., with a spaghetti dinner from 5-7 p.m. The communal meal, served by the Interfaith Youth Group, will help them raise funds for a trip to Kenya where they will be working at an orphan care center.

After the meal will be the screening of a new documentary, Embracing the Dream: Lessons from the “Not In Our Town” Movement, at 7 p.m., followed by inspiring words and music by local community leaders and congregational choirs. For more information on both events, call 802-490-0231.

Post Oil Solutions hosts 9x12 Garden workshop BRATTLEBORO — For the past two years, Post Oil Solutions has held workshops on the 9x12 garden, a concept developed by local gardening author and columnist Henry Homeyer.

POS will offer it once again on Sunday, Jan. 16, 1-3 p.m, at the Rotch Building of the School for International Training on Kipling Road.

Though this workshop is aimed at the beginning gardener, it is one that people of all levels of skill and interest have found worthwhile, especially those with limited space. It is certainly an option for the urban gardener.

The workshop is led by Post Oil’s garden guru, Robert King.

This 9x12 garden can be prepared on a front lawn and is ideal for the urban gardener. Prepared with hand tools and fertilized with compost, this garden is ready to go for the 2011 season.

Basically, a 3-foot walkway separates two 3x12 beds planted for maximum production. Specific planting diagrams are shown for a salsa garden, Italian garden, salad garden, “roots” garden, pickle garden, potato garden, pole bean garden, and winter squash garden.

Planting schedules, spacing, watering, weeding, mulch, insect and pest control and appropriate hand tools will be discussed and demonstrated. The fee is a $10/$70 sliding scale, with no one refused for lack of funds.

Pre-registration and payment are required, call 877-886-7397.

Payment at the door is $20, if there is room.

For further information about the (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves workshop series, visit www.postoilsolutions.org.

NEWS

5

6

VOICES

T h e C ommo n s

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

OPINION • COMMENTARY • LETTERS Join the discussion: voices@commonsnews.org PRIMARY SOURCE

An ambitious action plan New governor outlines agenda in last week’s inaugural speech

T

Montpelier Peter Shumlin, of Putney, assumed his duties as fore you today as governor of Vermont on Jan. 7.

Vermont’s 81st governor was improbable, and no one can attest to that better than my mom and million shortfall in the next fisdad. My mom reminded me cal year. again on election night that it Our economic challenges are often seemed more likely in my real, and so is my firm commitgrade-school years that I would ment to address them responstruggle to find a job than to sibly and swiftly — with hard run for office. and sometimes painful but susAs a kid who learned differ- tainable choices. There is no ently, I remember well in seceasy or popular path ahead. ond grade being called into the While I am bound and deprincipal’s office with my partermined to put Vermont on a ents to have them be told what sustainable spending path this I already knew, but hoped beyear, balancing the budget is yond hope that they would not our biggest challenge. never find out: that with all the All across our state, too good efforts of my teachers many Vermonters are living in they could not teach me how to fear: fear that they might lose read; that the prospects of my their jobs, face yet another pay being a successful student and cut, fail to keep their homes, going onto college were unsend their children to college, likely, but they would do the afford health insurance or a sebest they could. That was not a cure retirement that they’ve algreat day. ways dreamed of.

I had a single teacher who That fear knows no politibelieved in me. Her name was cal party; it has lost patience Claire Ogelsby; she later bein finding solace in political came Vermont’s teacher of the slogans and false promises, it year. Her husband Mac and takes no more comfort from a daughter Molly are here today. tea party rally in Tallahassee Claire would be here too had than it does from a bickering she not lost her battle with can- government in Washington, cer a year and a half ago.

D.C. After her long days at Vermonters wonder: is anyschool, Claire loaded me in one in government listening? her Willy’s Jeep and took me Can we let go of the political to her log cabin deep in the speak, stop playing pretend, woods on Windmill Hill Road face the facts, and arrive at a in Westminster West. In the common purpose? warm weather we sat on her From Bennington to lawn, in the cold weather we Burlington, Guilford to huddled around the wood Guildhall and Stamford to stove, and slowly and creatively Swanton, our state is uniquely she taught me how to read. united in what we wish for.

What I remember best about Vermonters want jobs and a Claire was no matter how difbrighter economic future for ficult the challenge; no matter themselves and their children. how innovative she had to be or how hard she had to work, The guiding principles she never gave up on me and for my administration’s work therefore neither did I. is simple: we will commit ourselves every day to making the I share that part of my life lives of Vermonters more ecotoday because we are living in nomically secure. difficult times and we need to With the same fortitude and be creative to overcome our creative determination that challenges.

Claire showed in her zeal to Let me be clear about the fis- teach me and other students cal reality that our great state who learned like me, one stufaces at this moment. After sev- dent at a time, I believe in eral years of making necessary Vermont’s opportunity to reand painful spending cuts, we place fear with a bright ecoare still confronted with a $150 nomic future, one job at a time, hat I stand be-

Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons

A view through the doors of the House chamber as Gov. Peter Shumlin, flanked by Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, left, and House Speaker Shap Smith, far right, gives his inaugural speech. and we’ll do it together.

A clear vision for job growth and a bold plan to deliver that vision is what Vermont needs right now.

The last Putney boy to become Governor, almost three quarters of a century ago, was George D. Aiken, whose wife Lola joins us here today.

Governor Aiken also had a bold vision for Vermont’s job growth that he shared with this Joint Assembly as he bid farewell as Governor. He said, “Vermont is one of a few states that can sell 4 feet of snow and 20 below at a profit.”

Aiken delivered those words at the dawn of the Vermont snow rush, as chainsaw-toting men carved ski trails and second-home sites into Green Mountains as rugged and majestic as Vermonters themselves. From Killington to Jay, Stratton to Stowe, Mount Snow to Mad River Glen, Aiken articulated a plan that remains a potent economic force almost 75 years later.

As we close out the first decade of the 21st century, Aiken’s world of predictable winters, with 20 below and 4 feet of snow has been slowly but certainly melting away from us.

At Aiken’s home at Vermont’s southern border — at the soil he tilled, the maple trees he nurtured, the ponds he adored — his horticulturalist eyes would gaze in stark amazement at the magnitude of the change.

The elm and butternut are all but gone, the buckthorn is

choking out the young hardwood saplings, and many of the ponds that once bubbled with life are now empty waterways.

While leaders across America, influenced by the extraordinary economic power of oil, coal, and automobile companies, equivocate about climate change, we must not.

That our planet is warming at an alarming rate is undeniable.

I raise this not to engage in an abstract discussion of climate science. I raise it because I believe Vermont’s economic future will be determined by how we respond to this challenge. We will provide the brainpower, make the products, and seize the job opportunities a lower carbon economy requires.

Vermont’s diversified jobs future is bright.

Manufacturing, deployment, and production of renewable energy and efficiency, tourism, technology, and the agriculture sectors — they’re all sectors of our economy with potential for unlimited growth.

As we work to put Vermonters back to work, one job at a time, let us always be mindful that government does not create jobs — entrepreneurs do. What government must do is to make the necessary infrastructure choices that are absolutely essential to job growth for this new era.

This agenda consists of five goals: expanding broadband, containing health care costs, educating our work force, providing tax fairness and credit for emerging businesses, and

EDITORIAL

The local government we deserve?

A

residents who are quick to criticize and second-guess fice at any level but slow to offer construcusually needs a tive ideas. pretty thick skin.

Pillsbury also said But sometimes, espethat “people are getting cially on the local level, it meaner.” seems like you need to be There is a decreasing covered in rhinoceros hide lack of patience in our nato survive as an elected tion, and people seem official. more inclined to shout at You would think that one another than talk civone of those tough-hided illy and rationally. pols would be Daryl The burnout factor in Pillsbury, a salt-of-thetown politics has always earth guy who is generally been considerable. The pay easy-going. But he said he is low, the responsibilities had reached his limit this are high, and there is never year, after he returned to a shortage of kibitzers who the Selectboard after a 10- think they can do the job year absence. better.

Last week Pillsbury said But the aggravation facthat he was getting tired of tor has gotten too great for dealing with the complaints most sane and reasonable of a noisy minority of persons to run for town person serving in public of-

will be a different board politically.

Martha O’Connor, who has served on various town and state boards for many years, said it was time to let someone younger get involved.

Jesse Corum said that three years was enough and he wants to move on.

The three outgoing members have served the town well, and Pillsbury is hinting that this is just a temporary rest from town politics.

In the meantime, the We do know that there new board members must will be three new memanticipate needing the pabers on the Brattleboro tience and wisdom to deal Selectboard after March 1. with an increasingly impaAnd, judging from the peotient citizenry. ple who have already taken out nomination papers, it office. The time-worn aphorism that we get the government that we deserve may apply here. If the concerns of a handful of residents are enough to drive good people out of town affairs, what does that say about Brattleboro?

Elected officials aren’t exempt from criticism, of course. But too often, that criticism can be personalized and turned overwrought, petty, and downright cruel.

supporting a renaissance in Vermont agriculture.

It is big, it is ambitious, and it is achievable if we view it as our common purpose.

Today, I am launching Connect VT, an initiative to deliver by 2013 my promise of high-speed Internet access and cell service to every corner of our state.

If not confronted, our connectivity deficit will relegate us to an economic backwater. Vermont lags behind the developing world and ranks 46th among the 50 states in connectivity.

Governor Aiken, when facing an equally daunting challenge of bringing electricity to every last mile of this rural state in the 1930s, launched a strategy he called “Initiative and Cooperation.”

“A few weeks ago I pulled the switch that started the current flowing through a cooperative electric line that is bringing the blessings of light and power to hundreds of farms and homes in another Vermont community-homes which, in the past, had been almost completely isolated from urban civilization,” he wrote in 1939.

Seventy-two years after Aiken wrote those words, we must display the same foresight to confront an equally daunting isolation.

The spirit that led Aiken to bring Vermont out of the darkness is the same innovative cooperation that is called upon today from our private sector telecommunications providers, the Vermont utilities, regulators, and our citizens, if we are to deliver the new electric current of the modern world to Vermont.

We have $410 million in private, federal, and bonded capital to be strategically deployed.

These resources present Vermonters with a once-in-alifetime opportunity to “initiate and cooperate” by completing the build-out of the Smart Grid: broadband and mobile phone service in a collaborative marriage of the telecommunications and electrical utility sectors to create one shared broadband infrastructure for Vermont.

We will not and cannot compete and prosper in the global economy until and unless we deliver on this promise. We all know success won’t be easy, but Vermonters elected me on my pledge to get tough things done, and we will.

Indeed, we are too small to fail.

The rising cost of health care for Vermonters and Vermont’s middle class and small businesses provides an equally daunting and awesome threat to economic prosperity.

Just ten years ago our little state was spending $2.5 billion a year to stay healthy. Today, we are spending more than

$5 billion. That increase represents an enormous hidden tax on families and small businesses across this great state. If left untethered, the rising cost of health insurance will cripple us.

That’s why we must create a single-payer health care system that provides universal, affordable health insurance for all Vermonters which brings these skyrocketing costs under control.

Let Vermont be the first state in the nation to treat health care as a right and not a privilege; removing the burden of coverage from our business community and using technology and outcomes-based medicine to contain costs. By doing so, we will save money and improve the quality of our care.

Now, some will say it can’t be done.

The special interests; insurance companies, pharmaceutical industry, medical equipment makers; the same lobbyists who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure that real reform withered on the vine in Washington can be expected to exercise their will to protect their enormous profits right here in Vermont.

Others will say reform will destroy our existing health care system.

But logic suggests — and our experience shows — that our current system is unsustainable; that underfunded reimbursements starve our doctors and hospitals; that duplication, waste, inefficiencies, and rising costs will drive more rural providers into bankruptcy and destroy our quality of care, which is the very best in the land. I ask the defenders of the current system to explain how small businesses, municipalities, and taxpayers can sustain doubledigit premium increases year after year.

Shortly we will receive plans from Dr. William Hsiao to help us design a health care system that Vermonters can afford. I’ve assembled a health care team that will invite providers, consumers, businesses, municipalities, insurers, and our congressional delegation to the table to help Vermont build a sensible health care system.

Let’s do that.

I call upon single-payer supporters to resist the temptation to oversimplify the challenge.

I call upon skeptics to challenge us, but to join us at the table. I call upon Vermonters to join together with the common purpose of our state once again leading where others dare not go: universal, affordable, quality health care that follows the individual and is not tied to employment.

In a democratic society, educating our citizens is our single greatest obligation.

I hereby call for an end to the war of words launched from Montpelier that pits propertytax payers against our children,

T h e C ommo n s

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

teachers, principals, and school board members, and invite instead a respectful conversation on how to create the best education system for our future; how to produce the best work force for the jobs we’ve just discussed.

We take pride in Vermont’s quality educational system, which is the envy of the rest of the country. Let’s build upon our success by doing even better. The objective is simple: every Vermonter must have the same opportunities for success that Claire Ogelsby made possible for me — economically, intellectually and socially.

Part of achieving that success is ensuring that our children don’t grow up in poverty.

Almost one in three Vermont children live in low-income households. Without proper nutrition, quality early education, or a stable home, these children too often enter kindergarten far behind their peers, and the spiral begins. They are more likely to drop out of school, abuse substances, and become statistics later in life.

We can make a difference in their lives, and by God, we will.

We can also do better at ensuring the success of all of our students in school. While we are rightfully proud of our outstanding education system, we are not delivering what is required for every student.

Time spent in class does not measure acquisition of skills.

For those who quickly demonstrate clear levels of achievement, let’s accelerate their path to enriched programs in that area of study. For students who do not learn traditionally, and in traditional ways, like myself, let’s support creative approaches that may be outside the four walls of our classrooms.

From early education to higher education, from dual enrollment to technical school, we have the most innovative offerings in the country. Our challenge is to break down the silos into a seamless system that allows each individual

learner to integrate into the array of programs that inspire lifelong learning, and that must be our commitment.

Of course, education extends beyond our schools and to our work force. Herein lies a great challenge.

At a time when Vermonters are facing unemployment and underemployment, many of our jobs creators can’t find qualified employees, and it’s the responsibility of the government to help fix this problem.

Let me be specific: right here in the chamber today we have representatives of businesses who are looking for qualified employees. IBM in Essex is looking; G.E. in Rutland is looking; Vermont Circuits in Brattleboro is looking; Sonnax in Rockingham is looking — and the list goes on and on.

Our job is to have a pool of applicants trained and ready to work.

It should be the policy of the state of Vermont that learning never ends. Working together in a partnership with our educational community we will close the gap between those Vermonters who want work and our job creators who have work to do.

At no time in my memory has the future of agriculture in our state had more potential to grow and make money, despite the extraordinarily difficult times facing our dairy farmers.

Vermont still produces more than 60 percent of the milk in New England, and our dairy community is as unified and focused as I have ever seen.

Working together with our Congressional delegation — the best in the country — we will continue the fight for fair prices for our dairy farmers, and we will get it.

The renaissance in Vermont agriculture is rooted in the growing concern by consumers across America about where and how their food is produced. Consumers are increasingly demanding locally grown, chemical-free, high-quality

T R A G E DY I N T U C S O N

Wikimedia Commons

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), shot in the head on Sunday in Tucson.

Governor, Vt. legislators react to shooting Rep. Peter Welch Gabby Giffords is one of my closest friends in Congress. A persistent and effective legislator, she stands out for her warmth, genuine attentiveness and concern for all. Gabby is one of the best listeners I know.

Her kindness and graciousness know no bounds.

As this tragic situation develops, Margaret and I are keeping Gabby, her family, her staff and the many others involved in this horrific episode in our thoughts and prayers.

Sen. Patrick Leahy Vermonters’ deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families, and so is our solidarity with them.

We hope and pray for the recovery of Congresswoman Giffords and all who were injured. We mourn the loss

of Chief Judge John Roll of the Federal District Court of Arizona and offer our condolences to his family, friends and staff.

This mass shooting at a public gathering targeting public officials, citizens and staff adds another layer of concern to this tragedy. Any assault on representative democracy must not be allowed to succeed in thwarting or muting citizens’ access to their elected representatives.

VOICES

7 PRIMARY SOURCE

Obie’s lessons

Parting words of advice from a Statehouse icon Montpelier Michael J. “Obie” Obuchowski, of Bellows Falls, the Vermont House are the represented the Windham-4 district in the Vermont House of Representatives from luckiest Vermonters in the 1973 until last week, serving as the speaker world. It is an institution of the house from 1995 to 2000. He now whose accomplishments are bounded works as commissioner of the Department of only by our ability to work together.

It is with immeasurable hope and faith Buildings and General Services. in the future and what it portends, that I tender my resignation from the Vermont House of Representatives Windham 4 • Work hard. district effective at 5 p.m. with the swear• Worry the Governor like the wolf ing in of Governor-elect Peter Shumlin worries sheep. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011.

• Keep a line of communication open.

Nearly two generations of service in Listen. the House have taught me many lessons, • Treat the taxpayers’ money as if it some of which are worth sharing with were your own. those now serving and those to follow.

• The House Clerk is always correct.

• Work together for the public good.

Obie’s lessons learned: • Be judicious with the power to tax.

• Do what you think is right despite the And: consequences.

• Remember your constituents are in • Treat each other with dignity and charge. Protect their rights. respect.

May the Vermont style of government, • Be honest. based on mutual respect and trust and an • Never give up. Anything is possible. unrelenting interest in the public good, • Don’t engage in battle over little never perish. The outcome is in our Allison Teague/Commons file photo things. Save it for situations that matter. hands and those who follow. n Michael “Obie” Obuchowski.

W

e who serve the public in

food.

We must take Vermont’s strengths — buy local, farmers’ markets, farm to plate, Vermont Fresh Network restaurants — and expand our view of “local” to everything within 200 miles of Vermont, which includes Manhattan, Boston, and Montreal.

Investing in processing and bottling facilities, combined with a dynamic marketing effort for Vermont quality foods, will bring our farmers the value-added price that they deserve for a hard day’s work, and they will prosper.

Finally, my jobs agenda will expand the ability of emerging enterprises and businesses to access capital and credit when they need it the most. If our Green Mountain State can be recognized by young entrepreneurs as the innovative leader in financing and venture capital for micro-businesses when banks say “no,” small businesses will thrive.

Let me give you an exciting example of what I mean by innovation in financing and venture capital. The EB-5 program, championed in Congress

by Senator Leahy, is an established means of generating capital that is creating jobs.

Thousands of them, right here in Vermont.

We must take this program to levels not imagined by its creators. EB-5 gives us a vehicle not only to raise essential capital, but also to spread Vermont’s stellar reputation from one end of the globe to another.

We have a pioneer in this effort, Bill Stenger, of Jay Peak, deep in the Northeast Kingdom. Bill has plumbed this federal program to its fullest potential. Through this initiative he has created more than a thousand new jobs in the highest unemployment area of the state which would not otherwise exist.

Let me say one last word on my economic priorities.

Our choices about taxes directly impact job growth.

Vermont’s tax challenge is not that our burden is not high enough; it is that our tax burden is too high. We must develop tax policies that grow

our customer base and grow wealth. The upcoming report from our tax commission will help us in this task.

Our patchwork of broadbased taxes that have accumulated over the years, combined with overburdened property taxes, require our attention. But let me be clear: as we tackle the difficult challenge of balancing our budget, we must not and cannot succumb to the idea that Vermonters have the capacity to pay higher taxes right now. In order to grow jobs and be more competitive with neighboring states, we must resist the temptation to raise broad-based taxes.

I am the first to acknowledge that this action plan is ambitious, and I have not mentioned many of my administration’s other priorities: reducing recidivism for nonviolent offenders; rebuilding our roads and bridges; reforming our campaign finance laws; and making government more transparent. You will be hearing more about these and other initiatives in the near future.

Our obstacles are many, and our challenges are daunting.

The change we are proposing this afternoon is transformative and systematic. It will not happen quickly or easily.

Yet, as I stand here today to begin a new era of government in Vermont, I remember Claire Oglesby and the many Vermonters who embody her belief that we can overcome adversity with courage and creativity.

Vermonters are a rugged people with an abundance of spirit and toughness.

Each day is another day in which we can excel.

We must intensify our individual efforts to nurture the health and well being of our state and its people.

Together we can be bold.

Together we must be bold.

Let’s begin now. n

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Gov. Peter Shumlin [Saturday’s] shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the deaths of at least five others is a senseless tragedy.

Such hatred and violence has no place in our society.

My thoughts are with Rep. Giffords’ family and the families of the other victims, which include members of her staff.

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According to the press package, “During a visit, local residents are invited to bring their antiques and collectibles to learn their age, place of origin and to ask everyone’s favorite question, ‘What is it worth?’”

But eight or so seekers lined up at the Quality Inn before 10 a.m. last Tuesday only to hear, “We don’t do appraisals.”

And though the press kit said THR’s “treasure hunters are hoping to see item such as coins, paper currency issued prior to 1965, dolls, trains, vintage jewelry, old and modern musical instruments, war memorabilia… swords, knives, daggers, and the unusual,” the representative also told the visitors that THR was particularly interested in coins, precious metals, and jewelry, but couldn’t accommodate paintings or toys, or random objects from the attic.

Discouraged by the staffer’s announcement, John Papale, of Saxtons River, left with a 4-footby-5-foot painting of two women in elaborate period dress, goldframed and with a distinctly recent sensibility.

Papale, who used to own the Brick Tavern and antiques store on the Townshend Green, said he thought the painting was Spanish.

Another group, including a voluble and frustrated young woman, hastily left after their objects were rejected for consideration.

“Look, they gave me an express card,” she said, “in case I want to come back, and I can go to the front of the line.”

She said she had seen ads — designed to look like editorial content — as well as an advance article for the “Antiques Roadshow” in the Reformer.

When it was pointed out that the information printed about THR doesn’t say “Antiques Roadshow,” she said, “Well, it’s totally misleading.”

A young man from Halifax, Joel Nemeblski, came to have his misprinted dollar, a gift from

his mother, valued. He was in the experts’ room only a short time.

“They can’t help me,” he said.

Another woman brought in two rings: a modern, half-inchhigh gold ring with one sizable diamond and some sapphire chips; the other, a turn-of-thelast-century gold ring of elaborate design, attached to a large, flat base filled with many rectangular uncut diamonds.

Out came the loupe, and the examination began. The expert said she had to ask the manager about the rings because one of them wasn’t marked with karat information. The manager, after more loupe exams, told the expert he couldn’t do anything with the older ring because it wasn’t marked, but instructed her to work with the newer one.

The expert asked the customer how much she wanted for the ring, and the customer asked her what it was worth. She couldn’t say, but if the customer named a price she could get an idea from all her buyers online.

The transaction was canceled.

Technical glitches

To be fair, the expert couldn’t put the ring online (if that indeed was her intention) because the Internet was down. For that matter, the heat wasn’t working, either.

THR Field Manager Frank Walton was semi-frantic because of the heat and computer situation which, he exclaimed, “is why I’m losing my hair.”

Earlier, when the troupe opened the room — the room named “Winter” — they found no heat. Space heaters were brought in, but those “blew the circuits,” Roadshow staff was told, and caused the Internet failure.

Walton also said THR didn’t appraise paper money — despite the presence of antique bank notes in the company’s press materials — and that currency mistakes are very tricky to evaluate.

But Matthew Enright, vice president of media affairs at the THR home office in Springfield,

Brattleboro Recreation offers winter programs BRATTLEBORO—The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer the following upcoming programs. To register, or to learn more about the offerings, call the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808, weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 5 p.m.

Gymnastics Registration for the second session of gymnastic classes will be held Thursday, Jan. 20, from 3:30 to 6 p.m., at the GibsonAiken Center, 207 Main St. The classes are scheduled to start Jan. 22. The cost of this session will be $55 for residents and $70 for non-residents. Classes are for children ages 18 months-18 years old. The Gymnastics program also has team levels 1-8 and Prep Optional.

There are two new classes being offered on Friday mornings. From 9 to 9:30 a.m., there will be a class for 3-year-olds, and from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m., there will be a class for 4-yearolds. Stefanie Bailey will instruct the classes.

Lorraine Cote will direct the Gymnastics Program. She has a B.S. in physical education and health and taught gymnastics for 17 years in private clubs. She has been associated with Brattleboro Gymnastics for the past 15 years.

Ice skating lessons Ice skating lessons for children will start again in this month at the Nelson Withington Skating Facility at Living Memorial Park.

Mollie Burke will be teaching the classes on Saturdays starting on Jan. 22. Class dates are Jan. 22 and 29, and Feb. 5, 12, and 19. Class times are 10:30-11 a.m. for beginners (5 years old and up); 11:05-11:35 a.m. for advanced beginners; and 11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. for intermediate skaters.

Lessons cost $40 for Brattleboro residents and $55 non-residents. Contact Burke at 802-257-4844 for more information.

Open Gym and Game Room The main Gibson-Aiken gymnasium is open for basketball each day, while the game room offers ping-pong, bumper pool, foosball and air hockey.

With no school on Monday, Jan. 17, and Tuesday, Jan. 18, the gymnasium and game room will be open for ages from 1:30-5 p.m.

There is no cost for either activity. All sessions are supervised.

Regular times are as follows: • Grades K-6, Mondays and Fridays, 3-5 p.m., and Wednesdays, 3-4:45 p.m.

• Grades 7-12, Tuesdays, 2:45-5 p.m., and Thursdays, 3-5 p.m.

• Adults and Grades 7-12, Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.

A special open gym time for parents and toddlers 5 and under is offered on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10-11:45 a.m., in the second floor gymnasium. Toys provided include a playhouse, blocks, floor foam puzzles, little tike bikes, slides, mats and an assortment of balls. A $1 donation per child per day is requested.

Public skating time With no school on Monday, Jan. 17, and Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Nelson Withington Skating Facility at Living Memorial Park will be open for ages from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Public skating will also be offered at the following times: • Mondays: 7-9 p.m. (Dollar Night) • Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 10:30 a.m.-noon. (adults only) • Fridays: 10:30 a.m.-noon (adults only); 7-9 p.m. (all ages) • Saturdays: 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; 7-9 p.m. (all ages) • Sundays: 1:45-4:45 p.m.; 7-9 p.m. (all ages); 9:15-10:15 p.m. (adults only)

Thelma O’Brien/The Commons

John Papale of Saxtons River heads for the exit during the first day of the Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Brattleboro on Jan. 4. He left after finding out they didn’t appraise paintings.

Ill., contradicted what his staff was telling the customers, first pointing out that he needed to check with his colleagues on the road to make sure they were being quoted correctly.

“It’s true,” he said with gusto, “We don’t do appraisals. But there’s a difference between appraisals and evaluations. What we do is give value to the items by finding out about their age, their background. When we found out who had originally owned a Civil War sword by looking up the number on the sword, then that sword could be worth three or four thousand dollars.”

That process does not substantially differ from the appraisals done, for example, on Antiques Roadshow, he conceded, but he said his company gets definitive proof.

“And,” he asked, “have you ever seen anything actually sold on Antiques Roadshow?” His company buys things, he noted.

He said the company most certainly does deal in evaluating paper money and couldn’t understand why someone was told differently. He said the company tests jewelry that isn’t marked but that the test sometimes discolors the object so the decision to test is strictly up to the customer.

What’s in a name?

Enright was particularly animated about the recent lawsuit brought by the WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston. The PBS member station holds the U.S. license to the British Broadcasting Company’s Antiques Roadshow franchise and has produced the show in this country since 1996. It is accusing THR of trademark violations and seeking amends under laws governing unfair competition and false advertising.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Ill., where THR Associates is based, takes exception to the continued use of the word “Roadshow,” and other infringements and names Jeffrey A. Parsons, owner of the company. “Upon information and complaint, this is done to induce the public to attend Defendants’ events in the mistaken belief it is Plaintiff’s event[s],” the producers wrote in their complaint, filed in February 2010. “Defendants are preying on this confusion and are using it to take advantage of consumers.”

The action also names THR and Associates, as well as other company aliases or subsidiaries: Antique Treasure Hunters Roadshow, Treasure Hunters Roadshow International Collectors Association, and Ohio Valley Gold and Silver Refinery.

It also names “John Does 1–10, persons or entities whose present

identities are unknown.”

According to the U.S. District Court, a settlement is in process.

This is not the first time Parsons and his companies have fought over the use of the word “roadshow.” In June 1999, WGBH filed a civil action against Parsons and his company, International Toy Collectors’ Association, for using the phrase “Antique Toy Roadshow.” The litigation was settled out of court the next year.

According to court documents filed as part of the current lawsuit, the 2000 settlement required WGBH to pay Parsons $21,500 and that required him, after March 1, 2000, to limit its language so that the words “antique” (or “antiques”) and “roadshow” do not appear together, or the word “roadshow” is not used alone. The settlement expressly approved the use of the words “antiques” and “roadshow” separately in other contexts.

Further, for 18 months, Parsons’ companies were required in all advertising to present a disclaimer declaring that they were not affiliated with Antiques Roadshow.

THR’s response to WGBH’s current complaint uses the 2000 settlement as one of three affirmative defenses, noting that the settlement affirms its right to use the word “roadshow” without “antique.”

The company asserts that “the word ‘roadshow’ is [a] generic and/or descriptive term which simply names kind[s] of services or events, and cannot attain any trademark protection, and no one party can claim exclusive rights to the term ‘Roadshow.’’

It describes “Treasure Hunter’s Roadshow” as “a suggestive trademark which does not violate trademark infringement or dilution laws or related contract, unfair competition, and deceptive practice acts.”

In response to WGBH’s complaint that TRC appropriated the Antiques Roadshow treasure chest logo, the company claims that “the use of a treasure chest image is not capable of exclusivity to one party,” and that “the concept of a traveling show where antiques, collectables [sic], and other items are appraised is not protectable nor is the concept of filming such activities.”

Meanwhile, Jerry Jordan, news editor of a Beaumont, Texas,

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weekly, The Examiner, wrote a story that goes into elaborate details relating to coin and gold and silver estimates by THR, which, the article claims, were usually below the going rate elsewhere. The Brattleboro Reformer reprinted the piece last week.

The story was based in part on private undercover operatives from the paper and from selected coin dealers. The story claims that in most cases THR offered prices considerably below other estimates.

Enright, on the other hand, disparaged the article in no uncertain terms.

“What do you know about Jerry Jordan?” he asked. “His best friend is the biggest coin dealer going in Beaumont. What do you expect?”

Taking care not to disparage local Brattleboro reporters, Enright nevertheless said he took a dim view of journalism in general.

“There are no ethics in journalism,” he concluded.

Ethics in evaluations

The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, governed by the nonprofit Appraisal Foundation, establishes quality-control standards and practices for appraisers.

Its ethics rule asserts that “an appraiser must perform assignments with impartiality, objectivity, and independence, and without accommodation of personal interests,” a stipulation that would preclude an appraiser from brokering the sale of an item for which he or she is establishing a value.

Jason Duquette Hoffman, a program official in the Vermont Consumer Assistance Program, part of the attorney general’s office, explained there were specific laws governing so-called itinerant merchants, such as THR, and the right to cancel any purchase within a given period is strongly enforced.

He said that the office has received no complaints against THR, but he advised anyone who feels misused to contact the office at 800-649-2424 or consumer@uvm.edu. Complaints should be in writing, he said.

With additional reporting by Jeff Potter.

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• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

and

n Roadshow

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LIFE & WORK

Pulling together

Husband-and-wife team run a dog-sledding business

By Thelma O’Brien

W The Commons

ARDSBORO—One of the more compelling ways of learning locally about Siberian huskies and the sleds they pull with you in them is to book a ride at Husky Works Mushing Company on Route 100 in West Wardsboro.

For example, how many know that mushers are people, not dogs? You learn that right away at Husky Works.

Or that Siberian huskies are smaller than the Alaskan sled dog most familiar from the Iditarod race, although there have been Siberian husky teams that have run the 1,150-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.

Siberian husky males weigh from 46 to 60 pounds, while females are 35 to 50 pounds; both about 20-plus pounds lighter than the larger sled dogs.

All dogs are thought to have descended from wolves.

Siberian huskies, a recognized American Kennel Club breed, certainly have a family resemblance. Alaskan sled dogs also look wolf-like, but are not pure breeds. Malamutes, often used in races, are a recognized AKC pure breed.

There are approximately 10 distinct Husky breeds, only some of which are AKC recognized, and more than 20 kinds of dogs that pull their own weight and a lot more, according to Wikipedia. They’ve been used for labor for hundreds of years and have been racing for about 150 years.

There is controversy among experts about which of the many breeds of running and working dogs is most directly descended from wolves, as there is about nearly every abstruse fact relating to dogs, breeds, purity, size,

color and other standards.

Fortunately, it’s the small facts that seem to be in dispute, although some of the overly romantic tales of heroic deeds are probably embellished.

But most of this kind of highfalutin information becomes real and useful after you’ve spent a little time with the dogs and their owners.

As soon as you pull into the Husky Works driveway, the land pulls away and below you see the spacious, cozy-comfy pens housing 31 Siberian huskies (27 belong to the family, three are on loan). The pens are chain-linkfenced-off to separate in-heat females from predatory males, puppies from grown-ups, and to fulfill other segregation needs.

Beyond the pens and before a forested hill is the playing field where the dogs get to romp once or twice a day.

In the forest up on the hill are Thelma O’Brien/The Commons nearly five miles of sled trails Laura and Jeremy Bedortha, of Husky Works Mushing Inc. of West Wardsboro, stand with three of their —mostly former logging roads. dogs, Colt, Mya, and Sully.

Some are complex and full of the height and switchbacks that dog They rarely stay still, as they owned River Bend Too, in A ski racer when he was in And this more or less led to sled enthusiasts live for. move about their pens, taking Wilmington, and a small coun- high school at Leland & Gray in the acquisition of more dogs, stock of one another and every- try store in West Wardsboro. Townshend, and at the Stratton and eventually to Husky Works.

Meeting the thing else that moves.

His daughter and Jeremy’s sis- Mountain School, Jeremy said They began sledding just for huskies One afternoon, the Bedorthas’ ter, Sara Bernard, owns and he acquired his first dog, a six- fun and started the business As soon as you walk toward 3-year-old son Tyler joined the runs River Bend Farm Supplies month-old Husky named Storm, about five years ago. Most of their pens, the dogs jump on top group, calling out the dogs’ on Riverdale Road, around the from a kennel in upstate New their dogs are AKC-recognized of their straw-bedded kennels or names and generally dealing eas- corner from the market.

York, when he was a senior at the huskies. run to the fence, some yipping, ily with the busy canines.

The Bedortha family owns University of Vermont.

Jeremy worked at his father’s others barking. They all seem to The Bedorthas bought the substantial property around the “I actually went to get a stores, and did construction and be smiling and examining visitors West Wardsboro house and market, and they all seem com- puppy, but I was encouraged to milling when he wasn’t in school. with their black-rimmed hazel, about 75 acres “because of the mitted to animal care. The many take Storm because someone had He continues a milling business, blue, or brown eyes. Sometimes, trails” Jeremy said, about five horses Bernard owns and boards, adopted him, and then he had an keeping major equipment in a a dog has a combination of eye years ago. in the fields and in her barn, can accident. He returned the dog, so small field next to the house. colors.

They have been together be seen year round in the fields the dog had no home,” Jeremy Laura Bedortha rejected colThis is usually when owners about 10 years, Laura said, and in front of the market. said, adding that he had no in- lege, she said. She was interLaura Bedortha, 28, or Jeremy married for five.

Laura Bedortha explained that terest in dog sledding at the time. ested in photography, so she Bedortha, 34 — after a visitor Oddly enough, they met when members of her family are avid One day, a sled-dog owne, a went to Hallmark Institute of has signed an insurance form — Laura, who is a New Jersey na- winter sports enthusiasts. When customer who used to buy bones Photography in Turners Falls, opens one of the fence gates and tive from Oceanside — where her she was 10, the family bought a for his dogs at the Wilmington Mass. She said she’s done some in you go to be greeted by four father still runs a family grocery place in West Dover. store, invited Jeremy over to commercial work, but now it’s of five affectionate, lively and store — went to work for Paul “We summered in Ocean meet his dogs. Jeremy bought mostly a hobby. gentle dogs.

Bedortha, Jeremy’s father, who City and spent the winter up a sled from him and the owner She said she’d also been interFirst, they jump up. Then owns the River Bend Market in here,” she said, explaining that gave him a dog, Sasha, a smallish ested in cooking and now occathey calm down, but they don’t Townshend. the family store was a seasonal brown Husky that the Bedorthas sionally works for a friend who stay still.

Back then, he also ran and enterprise. still have. n see dog sledding, page 11

ARTS CALENDAR Music

• Long Time Cour ting at Stone Church Arts: The

Boston based all-girl band LongTime Courting will deliver their high energy traditional music from Ireland and beyond on Friday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St., Bellows Falls.

Take four individually accomplished traditional musicians and singers with fresh attitudes. Combine them, and you have the rich, soaring four-part vocal arrangements and high energy Irish jigs and reels that are Long Time Courting.

Bringing together the talents of Sarah Blair on fiddle/vocals, Liz Simmons on guitar/vocals, Shannon Heaton on flute/vocals, and Ariel Friedman on cello/vocals, this Bostonbased band shares a love of traditional Irish and American music as well as contemporary material. They bring elements of these various genres to their traditional repertoire in a way that is seamlessly innovative and fun. To learn more about Long Time Courting, go to www.longtimecourting.com.

Advance tickets are $17 for adults, $13 for seniors and children under 12.

At the door, it’s $20 and $15, respectively. Tickets are available at Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls, Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, N.H., Brattleboro Books, Misty Valley Books (Chester), and at www.brattleborotix.com. For more information, call 802-463-3100.

• Green Zone at Inferno:

0%

The funky trio Green Zone will host a dance party at Inferno on Elliott Street in Brattleboro on Friday, Jan. 14, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.

Green Zone plays a mixture of funk, ska, rock, and reggae, and features Johnny Yuma on drums and vocals, Ben Mitchell on guitar and vocals, and Mark Crowther on bass and vocals. There is no cover charge.

in Brattleboro on Saturday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p,m.

With vocals that have been described as “powerful and intimate,” and lyrics rich with wit and pathos, Sabine has performed roots-based folk music for a decade as a solo act, front man of his original folk-rock quintet and as a member of the vocal harmony trio Relative Strangers.

• Music of Light at Mahalo: Guitarist Aaron Chesley will accomOn Saturday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. at pany him for this concert.

Mahalo Art Center, the sound healCrowell’s broad vocal range and ing temple in West Brattleboro, Luz acoustic guitar create an ethereal exElena Morey will perform her origi- perience — her lyrics and music mix nals and multi-cultural songs in a spe- roots of bluegrass and folk with hauntcial double bill with veteran singer/ ing phrasing and modern melodies to songwriter Damaris Bernhard. create more than the sum of the parts.

Accompanied by guitar, drum and Her latest CD, Cold Front, showcases tamboura, Luz Elena’s music has her broad musical range and has been been described as being earthy, emo- compared stylistically to work by tional, angelic and luminous. Damaris Natalie Merchant and The Cowboy has a humble, finely tuned, direct and Junkies. She is a former vocalist with personal style. Damaris plays guitar, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. claw-hammer banjo and harmonium.

Tickets for the show are $12, Both musicians will share from their $10 for students and seniors. For own stories in ways that resonate with reservations and information, call the shared universal journeys as we 802-254-9276. For more inforcarry our lights so carefully during mation, visit www.claytonsabine. these dark times. com, www.myspace.com/jencrowThe concert is a fundraiser for ellandthewoodsvehicle and www.

Mahalo. Admission is $15 and light hookerdunham.org. refreshments will be served. Visit • Chris Kleeman in MahaloArtCenter.com for more in- Grafton: The Old Tavern at formation, or call 802-254-1310.

Grafton welcomes the Chris Kleeman • S a b i n e , C r o w e l l a t Band, a blues rock band, as part of the Hooker-Dunham: Twilight inn’s music series, on Sunday, Jan. 16.

Music presents a twin bill of two of The show will be held at Phelps Vermont’s premier contemporary folk Barn, the inn’s pub, at 3 p.m. Tickets and Americana singer/songwriters, are $10 or, if guests have dinner at the Clayton Sabine and Jen Crowell, at inn that evening, the concert is free.

Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery Kleeman is a master blues singer

and guitarist. The Old Tavern show will be an unplugged show; Kleeman will team with musicians Bobby G. and Brian Hobbs on drums, bass and harmonica.

Dinner will be served in The Old Tavern restaurant from 6-9 p.m. or guests can dine in Phelps Barn from their Pub Menu from 5-9 p.m.

Updated details on the Concert Series can be found at www.oldtavern.com.

• Celllo-bration: On Friday, Jan. 21, at the Bellows Falls Opera House and Sunday, Jan. 23, at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, the Windham Orchestra will pay tribute to renowned cellist David Wells. The program entitled “Cello-bration” will feature an all-star cast of cellists with connections to Southern Vermont performing a potpourri of works for cello(s) and orchestra.

A musician of great distinction and accomplishment, and winner of both the American Artists and Harold Bauer Awards, Wells is best known for his mastery of the Bach Suites for unaccompanied cello, and for his much-lauded performances with orchestras around the world.

Wells has been a professor of Cello and Chamber Music at Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Hartt School of Music. He is a native of East Chicago, Ind., and has been living in Putney, Vermont for more than four decades where he co-founded the Yellow Barn Music Festival with his wife, pianist Janet Wells.

The Windham Orchestra’s “Cellobration” tribute, directed by Hugh

Courtesy photo

Long Time Coming will be performing in Bellows Falls on Jan. 15.

Keelan, will feature guest cellists Zon Eastes, Timothy Merton, Eugene Friesen, and Judith Serkin; as well as Joan Esch, Michael Finckel, Pedro Pereira, and Sabine Rhyne. David Wells himself will also grace the stage.

Tickets are $15, $7 for students and seniors, and are available in advance at the Brattleboro Music Center, by phone at 802-257-4523, online at www.bmcvt.org, and at Village Square Bookstore in Bellows Falls. For more information about the Windham Orchestra, www.windhamorchestra.org.

$21,1920 - $2,276

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Hubbard Library in Montpelier will reprise POETRY Alive! for 2011 with a text display and expanded programming for National Poetry Month.

This year’s focus is “Vermont Poets: Past, Present, and Future.” If you are a Vermonter who would like to submit your work for consideration, the deadline is Feb. 1.

Send 1-3 poems as MS Word attachments, or in body of e-mail, to Rachel Senechal at rysenechal@kellogghubbard.org.Each poem must be no longer than 26 lines. Include in

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NEWS

10

T h e C o m m ons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

MILESTONES Births, deaths, and news of people from Windham County Obituaries 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.

• Charles Greenleaf Bell, 9 4 , of Putney.

Died Dec. 25 in Belgrade, Maine, at the home of one of his five daughters. Former husband of Mildred MacKenzie. Husband of Diana (Danny) Mason. Father of Nona Bell Estrin and Delia Robinson of East Montpelier; Charlotte Bell Samuels of Fairfax, Calif.; Sandra Colt of Belgrade; and Carola Bell of Santa Fe, N.M. Born on Halloween 1916 in Greenville, Miss., he was the son of Judge Percy and Nona Archer Bell. He attended the University of Virginia in 1933 and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, England. Was a vigorous and athletic polymath who had a long and distinguished academic and literary career, including many fellowships and honors. At Princeton, he had a faculty position for five years at the Institute in physics, concurrent with Albert Einstein and other celebrated physicists. At the University of Chicago, he taught with Stringfellow Barr and stumped for Adlai Stevenson. He found his academic home at Saint John’s College’s Great Books Program, first in Annapolis, Md., and later in Santa Fe. He continued to teach there and present his seminal work, Symbolic History, a series of 80 shows, into his mid80s. He published two novels, The Married Land and The Half Gods, and three books of poetry: Delta Return, Songs for a New America, and Five Chambered Heart. At age 90, his last book was published, Millennial Harvest, an autobiography. His energy, passion and humor were legendary. Memorial information : None available at this time.

• Elizabeth M. “Betty” Cobb, 90, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 7 at

Vernon Green Nursing Home.

Wife of the late Calvin C. Cobb for 19 years. Mother of Calvin Cobb, Jr. and his wife, Janet, of West Chesterfield, N.H., and Leon Cobb and his wife, Susan, of Vernon. Sister of Robert Covey and his wife, Sheila, of Wilmington. Predeceased by a sister, Margaret Green. Born in Wilmington, the daughter of Leon R. and Florence (Reed) Covey, the owners of the Covey & Allen Funeral Home. Graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of 1938. She had been employed as front desk clerk for the Colonial Motel in Brattleboro and previously had worked at American Optical in Brattleboro. On a part-time basis, she had worked as a crossing guard in the vicinity of her home on Black Mountain Road.

Enjoyed knitting, reading, polka music and day trips to Foxwoods.

M e morial information : Graveside committal services will be held in Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington in the springtime. Donations to Vernon Green Nursing Home Activities Fund, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

and most recently Westford.

Was a bus driver for the former Vocell and Bent Bus Companies in Billerica, was a longtime Billerica poll worker and had been active at the Chelmsford Senior Center.

Memorial information : A funeral service was held Jan. 3 at Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home in Billerica, with burial in Fox Hill Cemetery in Billerica. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, • A n n e N o o n e Fa i r c h i l d , 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 83, of Westminster West. Died 02472.

Dec. 28 at Brattleboro Memorial • Margaret E. Schollard Hospital. Wife of the late Robert Pervier, 92, of Guilford. Died Fairchild for 52 years. Mother of Dec. 25 at home. Wife of the late Beth Anne of Melbourne, Fla.; Raymond Pervier for 42 years.

Michael of Brattleboro; Douglas Mother of Michael Pervier, and his of Westminster West; Drena of wife, Marlene, of Erving, Mass.; Denver; Kevin of Burlington; Kathleen Viens and her husBrian of Westminster West; band, Daniel, of Leyden, Mass., Richard of Putney; and Carolyn Mary Holloway and her husband, of Westminster West. Born in Scott, of East Hawley, Mass.; and Newton, Mass., she graduated Lisa Novak and her husband, from Boston Latin High School. Ed, of Guilford. Predeceased Attended Northeastern University. by a son, James Pervier. Born in Worked as a specifications super- Worcester, Mass., she was a 1937 visor at an aircraft assembly plant graduate of Shrewsbury (Mass.) during World War II. In the late High School. Worked for Millers 1940s, she moved to Brattleboro Falls Tool Co. as a time clerk. to work as a copywriter. After Attended St. Michael’s Church partnering with her husband in in Brattleboro. Enjoyed crossthe operation of retail businesses word puzzles, bird watching, tag in Brattleboro, the Fairchilds pur- sales and music. She loved anichased the Putney General Store mals, especially her beloved cat, in 1974, which they operated un- Sugar. For the past few years, she til they sold the business in 2000. had attended the Gathering Place She spearheaded efforts to build Adult Day Facility in Brattleboro. an addition to Brattleboro’s Oak Memorial information : A Grove School, and was also in- funeral service was held Jan. 8 at volved in the planning and con- the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church struction of the Brooks Memorial in West Brookfield, Mass., with Library in the 1960s. After mov- burial in the spring in the Sacred ing to Westminster West, she Heart Cemetery. Donations to the was a trustee of the Grammar Gathering Place, 30 Terrace St., School in Putney. In the 1950s Brattleboro, VT 05301. and 1960s, she was active in the • E l a i n e G. Democratic Party; she ran John Ranney, 65, of F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential Dummerston. campaign in Windham County.

Died Dec. 30 In the Putney/Westminster area, at her home. the Fairchilds were known as the Wife of Charles owners of the “Big House” on H. Ranney for the Westminster West Road and 40 years. Sister took pleasure in providing a warm of Carol Faas of Jamaica and meal and good cheer to anyone Phillip Grace of Addison. Born who found their way to her door. in Springfield, Vt., daughter of Memorial information : A Leonard and Marion Cyr Grace. celebration of her life will take Raised and educated in Chester, place in the spring, when she will graduating from Chester High be interred in the Westminster School, Class of 1963, and was West Cemetery beside her hus- a proud member of the Chester band, Robert. Donations to the High School band, playing the Putney Historical Society to help clarinet. Attended Northampton support the rebuilding of the (Mass.) Commercial College, Putney General Store. graduating in 1965, and later • R a c h e l returned to the school after it L . W i t h a m became Northampton Junior Goding, 89, of College, earning her associate’s Westford, Mass. degree. Spent most of her workDied Dec. 31 ing career in banking and had a t W e s t f o r d been employed for 10 years at N u r s i n g a n d Brattleboro Savings & Loan, reRehab Center. tiring from the mortgage departWife of the late Albert B. Goding. ment in 2007 due to her failing Mother of Susan Sullivan of health. Previously, she was a Derry, N.H.; Stephen Goding commercial loan analyst for 15 of Brattleboro; and Thomas years with the former Vermont Goding and his wife, Elizabeth, National Bank. Was a longtime of Springvale, Maine. Predeceased member of the Chester Baptist by a son, David Goding, and a sis- Church. Loved music and playter, Thelma Cibel. Born in Acton, ing the piano, but especially cherMaine, and was a Billerica, Mass., ished time spent with her family. resident for more than 50 years be- Memorial information : A fore moving to Chelmsford, Mass., funeral service was held Jan. 5

at Dummerston Congregational Church. Burial in Dummerston Center Cemetery will take place in the springtime. Donations to the Oncology Department at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Harry Ernest Robins, 69,

of Putney. Died Jan. 1 at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend.

Husband of Diane L. Burke for 44 years. Father of Stacey RobinsWismann of West Wardsboro; Jody Robins of Putney; Patrick Robins of Crestview, Fla.; and Brian Robins of Mastic, N.Y. Predeceased by a brother, Kenneth Robins, and a sister, Shirley King.

Born in Elkton, Md., and raised and educated in Center Moriches, N.Y. He was a graduate of Center Moriches High School, Class of 1959, and served in the Navy. For 31 years, he was employed as superintendent of grounds and maintenance at Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton, N.Y. He was also a master carpenter and previously he worked in the construction industry in New York.

Moved to Putney with his family in 2003. Loved the outdoors and enjoyed gardening, riding on his tractor, nature, birds, and woodworking. M e morial information : A graveside committal service with full military honors will be conducted in Calverton National Cemetery. Donations to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Po r t i a T s e h a i “ Po p py ” Shapiro, 39, of Brattleboro. Died

Jan. 1. Daughter of Dianne and the late Howard Shapiro. Sister of Noah of Springfield, Vt. Born in Brattleboro, she attended schools in Brattleboro, graduating from Chapel Hill, Chauncy Hall in Waltham, Mass. She went on to attend Bard College. She worked for several years in the family business in Northampton, Mass. She then moved to San Francisco in 1995, where she was a self-employed housekeeper. She loved friends and family, reading and writing, cats, and kitsch and was known for her great kindness and loyalty and a wicked sense of humor. Memorial information: A funeral service was held on Jan. 11 at Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home in Brattleboro, with burial at the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community Cemetery. Donations to the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, P.O. Box 2353, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Leo Francis Sikoski, 89,

of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Jan. 2 at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton, Mass. Husband of Cecelia Czernich for 63 years.

Father of Edward L. Sikoski of Erving, Mass.; and Karen F. O’Connor and husband, Brian, of Amherst, Mass. Predeceased by four brothers and five sisters.

Born in Hinsdale and graduated

If you need food or shelter...

ShELTERS Location Morningside Shelter, Brattleboro

Phone 802-257-0066 (24 hours)

day & Time 8 a.m.–11 p.m.

First Baptist Church Overflow Shelter, Brattleboro

802-257-5415

5:30 p.m.–7 a.m., when Morningside is full (until the end of March, depending on weather)

Greater Falls Warming Shelter, Bellows Falls

802-376-4193

7 p.m. - 7 a.m., November through April.

COmmUNITY mEALS/FOOD ShELVES Location Brattleboro Drop-In Center

Brattleboro Senior Meals

Phone 802-257-5415 Food emergency: ext. 225 802-257-1236

Meals on Wheels

802-257-1236

Our Place Drop-In Center, Bellows Falls

802-463-2217

Agape Christian Fellowship, Brattleboro

802-257-4069

Centre Congregational — Loaves and Fishes, Brattleboro

802-254-4730

First Baptist Church — Grace’s Kitchen, Brattleboro Brigid’s Kitchen, Brattleboro

802-254-9566

Second Congregational Church UCC, Londonderry Jamaica/Wardsboro Community Food Pantry Deerfield Valley Food Pantry

802-824-6453

Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Community breakfast, Sundays, 8:30–9:30 a.m.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Third Friday, 1–4 p.m.

802-874-7234 802-464-9675 802-368-2942 802-463-3100

Last Wednesday of the month, 6-8 p.m.

Third Saturday, 9–11 a.m.; Thursday before the third Saturday, 1–3 p.m.

Monday 5 p.m., dinner.

Immanuel episcopal Church, Bellows Falls

802-254-6800

day & Time Monday–Friday, 7a.m.–5 p.m.

Monday–Friday, noon–12:30 p.m.

Breakfast on Tuesdays, 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. (Suggested donation $5; $3 for people over age 60.)

Deliveries to those 60 and older who are “food insecure” and unable to attend community meals.

Weekdays: 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Breakfast and lunch.

Food shelf.

Soup kitchen: Sunday, 1:30–3 p.m. Food pantry: Thursday, 6:30–8 p.m.

Tuesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.

Publication of this community resource is underwritten by an anonymous donor.

from Hinsdale High School, Class of 1939. Served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. Was a custodian at the Auto Mall on Putney Road, retiring in 1995. Previously was employed by the state of New Hampshire as manager of the liquor store in Hinsdale and as a ticket agent at the former Hinsdale Raceway. Was a longtime communicant of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Hinsdale, a member of the former Holy Name Society and held membership in American Legion Post 5.

Enjoyed polka music, fishing, and day trips to Foxwoods. He was also an avid New York Yankees fan. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Jan. 6 at Mary Queen of Peace Parish (formerly St. Joseph’s Church) in Hinsdale. Burial with full military honors will follow in Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish Cemetery in Turners Falls, Mass. Donations to American Legion Post 5, 32 Linden St., Brattleboro, VT 05301 or to, St. Joseph’s Church, 35 Brattleboro Rd., Hinsdale, N.H. 03451. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Walter Russell Smart Jr., 76, of Vonore Tenn., formerly

of Putney. Died Jan. 1 at Ft. Loudoun Medical Center. Marvin Smart and his wife, Katherine, of Winchester, N.H.; Deborah Morton of Waterford, N.J.; Michael Smart and his wife, Robin, of Vonore, Tenn.; and Scott Smart of Keene, N.H. Brother of Geraldine Smart McCullock of Putney and Judy Smart Bell of Green River. Predeceased by his parents, Walter R. and Alta Harriet Graham Smart Sr., and siblings Ramona Bryant and Albert, Stanley, and Marvin Smart. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Brattleboro.

M e morial information : Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Winchester, N.H. • Dorothy M. Spar row, 84,

of Wilmington. Died Dec. 31 at the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation in Bennington.

Wife of Dude Sparrow. Mother of Debra Wilson and her husband, Donald, of Wilmington; Kathy Stearns and her partner Steve Benedetto of Guilderland, N.Y. Born and raised in Wilmington, she graduated from Wilmington High School. She and her husband were the original owners of Dot’s Restaurant in Wilmington.

After they retired from running the restaurant, she worked as a retail clerk at Coombs Sugar House, the Christmas Barn, and Taddingers. She loved golfing, going for rides, shopping, going out to lunch and dinner, going camping with her family, animals, and flower gardening. Memorial information: A private graveside funeral service was held by the family. Donations to the American Cancer Society or the American Humane Society, in care of Covey & Allen Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.

Condolences may be sent to www. sheafuneralhomes.com.

• Shirley K. Stockwell, 89,

of Putney and Fruitland Park, Fla. Died Jan. 3. Wife of Earl W. Stockwell. Mother of Suzannah and Nancy Stockwell of Fruitland Park; and John Stockwell of Leesburg, Fla. Sister of Gertrude Potash of Brattleboro. Born in Ashuelot, N.H., to Polish immigrant parents Wojcieck “John Smith” Kazmierczak and Constance (Sambraska) Kazmierczak. She was raised in Ashuelot and attended grammar and high school there until the family purchased a paper mill in Putney in 1938. Her father moved his family to Putney where they began the enormous task of refurbishing, renovating, and restarting the manufacturing of paper in the small town. She worked in the office and together with family members created the organization that came to be known as the Putney Paper Co. The Stockwells worked side by side until their retirement and the sale of the business in 1984. The business progressed through many phases of growth and expansion under the stewardship of the Stockwells and is still in operation today. After her retirement, she purchased a farm in Ocala, Fla., and became a prominent figure in the breeding and promotion of Polish and Russian Arabian horses. Memorial information : A funeral Mass will be held Jan. 13, at 11 a.m., at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Putney. Committal rites and burial in Mount Pleasant Cemetery will take place in the springtime. Donations to the Putney Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O. Box 875, Putney, VT 05346 or Cornerstone Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162. Condolences may be sent

to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• R e v. C h a r l e s A l l e n Waugaman, 78, of Jamaica.

Died Dec. 6 in Arlington, Va., while visiting his family. Father of Bradford Waugaman of Jamaica, Seth Waugaman and his wife, Angela, of Arlington, Va.; Marlene Gibson and her husband, Ola, of Stone Mountain, Ga.; Peter Waugaman and his wife, Therese, of Aurora, Colo.; and Nathaniel Waugaman and his wife, Martha of Rockville, Md. Brother of Joan Hoiser and her husband, William, of Wilmington, Del.; and Kathleen Jay and her husband, Ernie, of Laurel, Md. Born in Lorain, Ohio, he was a son of the late Rev. John Waugaman and Ruth Callen Waugaman. Graduated from the University of the Arts and from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he was made art director for the American Baptist churches, USA. Graduated from Allegheny College in 1967, receiving a master’s degree in education. Headed the visual arts department at Judson College in Elgin, Ill., and served churches in Maine, Connecticut and Pennsylvania until 1997, when he retired to Vermont. Was a dedicated artist and a widely published poet and illustrator. He authored Time of Singing, a magazine of Christian poetry, and was an ongoing teacher at Baptist writers’ conferences. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Jan. 8 at Jamaica Community Church. Condolences to the family may be sent to his son, Brad Waugaman, at P.O. Box 281, Jamaica, VT 05343.

• Donald Walter Williams, 59,

of Townshend. Died Jan. 4 at his home. Son of June Brown and the late Lawrence Williams. Husband of Patricia Williams for 30 years.

Father of Kristen and her husband, Skip Derry, of Townshend; and Ryan Patrick and his significant other, Katrina Huller, of New Paltz, N.Y. Brother of David and wife, Rindy, of Kentwood La.; Dennis and his wife Barbara of Enosburg Falls; and Douglas and wife, Jane, of East Fairfield. Was born at Grace Cottage Hospital, the first set of triplets born there.

Was a 1969 graduate of Leland & Gray Seminary, and later graduated from the New England Fuel Institute at the top of his class. Was past fire chief and lifetime member of NewBrook Fire Department, past member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, and past president of the Townshend Snowmobile Club. He was employed over the years by Barrow’s Oil and Travis Bristol Enterprises.

Also owned and operated several companies throughout his life, including Newfane Country Services, Don Williams’ Rubbish Removal, and most recently, Affordable Small Engine Repair.

Was an avid hunter, fishermen, gardener, and all-around lover of the outdoors. Memorial information: A memorial service was Jan. 9 at the NewBrook Fire Station, with a private burial in Woodlawn Cemetery in Newfane, in the spring. Donations may be made to NewBrook Fire and Rescue, P.O Box 77, Newfane, VT 05345, or to Grace Cottage Hospital, c/o Dr. Robert Backus, 185 Grafton Road, Townshend, VT 05353.

College news • The following local students were named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2010 semester at Keene (N.H.) State College: Robin Lynn Allen of Brattleboro, Heather Leanne Bertram of Townshend, Amy Duffy of West Townshend, L e i g h a E l i z a b e t h G e n o of Brattleboro, Jocelyn Ashlee Hill of West Halifax, Lenea Brook Jacque of Brattleboro, Kimberly Anne Johnson of Brattleboro, Ignazio Enzo Macaluso of Brattleboro, MacKenzie Carter Prasch of South Londonderry, T r a v i s J o h n S c h w a r t z of South Londonderry, William F. Sevigny of Vernon, Sarah Brooke Szarejko of Wilmington, and Philip Sean Zachariah of Putney.

• Ben Jerome-Lee , a freshman from Dummerston, was named to the Dean’s List with a 3.73 GPA for the Fall 2010 semester at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. Jerome-Lee, a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, is in Quinnipiac’s School of Communications.

School news • Sela Wang , a junior from Putney, was recently been named to the Honor Roll for the Fall term at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn.

T h e C o m m ons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011

11

SPORTS & RECREATION Colonel girls fall in North-South Classic

I

t was a lost weekend for the Brattleboro Colonels as they journeyed to Essex over the weekend to play in the North-South Classic.

On Friday, BFA-St. Albans knocked off Brattleboro, 33-17, while Hartford beat Essex, 3934, in Friday’s late game. Mary Richardson was Brattleboro’s high scorer with 5 points, while Erin LeBlanc and Kelsey Patterson each added 4 points.

The Colonels got a little more offense on Saturday, but lost a close one to Essex, 46-41. Lindsey Johnson and LeBlanc both scored 12 points, while Mariah Lesure chipped in 6.

Conant’s Brooke Springfield scored 35 points, including a 20-for 23 night at the free throw line, to the Orioles to a 56-50 win over the Colonels at the BUHS gym on Jan. 5.

Springfield’s spectacular effort negated a strong secondhalf comeback by the Colonels.

LeBlanc, Richardson and Lesure scored 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively, for Brattleboro.

After heading into the new year at 2-2, the Colonels are now 2-5. Brattleboro travels to Rutland on Friday.

Girls’ basketball

• Twin Valley took care of Mount St. Joseph, 44-28, on Jan. 4. Sam Bernard had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 6 steals to lead the 4-3 Wildcats.

Savannah Nesbitt had 10 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals, Bryer-lyn Crawford has 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals, and Abbi Molner and Kylieblu Crawford combined for 11 points.

• Leland & Gray got by Poultney, 54-49, on Jan 4. Aly Marcucci scored 24 points, including four three-pointers, and had 5 assists to lead the 4-1 Rebels. Ashley Goddard chipped in 14 points and 8 rebounds, Bethany Robinson scored 9 points and Alex Morrow pulled down 10 rebounds.

• Bellows Falls continues to struggle. On Jan. 4, they lost at home to cross-river rivals Fall Mountain, 57-23. Sara Dumont had 12 points to lead

RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT Sports Roundup the Terriers. Last Friday, the Terriers’ game at Otter Valley was postponed.

Girls’ hockey

• After three straight shutouts, the Brattleboro Colonels got blanked by Burr & Burton, 5-0, at Withington Rink on Jan. 5. The Colonels may have been a bit rusty, since this was their game since before the Christmas break.

Brattleboro then bounced back on Saturday with a 7-1 win at Middlebury. Maddie Rollins put on a show with 4 goals and 2 assists for the Colonels. Emily Wilson scored twice, Miranda Moseley had a pair of assists and Jessie Woodcock got her first goal of the season.

Goalie Brianna Snow had a solid game in goal, keeping Middlebury off the scoreboard until late in the game.

Now 4-2, the Colonels are off until Jan. 17, when they travel to Manchester to face Burr & Burton.

Boys’ hockey

• The Brattleboro Colonels came close to knocking off the top team in their league, Peoples Academy, on Friday night at Whitington Rink, only to fall short, 4-3.

Peoples took a 3-0 lead in an extremely physical game marked by lots of hitting and a fight that led to the ejection of Peoples’ best player, James Caldwell. After Caldwell’s ejection, Adam Griffin got the Colonels back into it by assisting on Jamie Martell goal, and then scoring a goal of his own late in the second period.

Peoples’ defenseman Jack Thompson beat freshman goalie Greg DiSilva to start the third to make it 4-2. Senou Lynn scored from Martell for the Colonels with 39 seconds left in the game, but

there wasn’t enough time for Brattleboro to get the equalizer.

On Jan. 5, Hartford beat the Colonels, 3-1. Andy Harris scored the Colonels’ only goal, while DiSilva made 21 saves.

Boys’ basketball

• The Brattleboro Colonels started the new year with a 7130 thrashing of Woodstock on Jan. 3. Twelve different players scored, led by Nate Forrett with 12 points. The Colonels led 26-4 after the first quarter and never looked back.

• Bellows Falls raced past Twin Valley, 74-50, on Jan 6 at Holland Gymnasium. Chris Goldschmidt put on a show for the Terriers with 19 points, including 9 in the first quarter, while Joe Aslin added 10 points. Troy Birch and Tony Bernard led the Wildcats with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

On Jan. 5, the Terriers fell to Fall Mountain, 63-29.

Nordic skiing

• The Brattleboro Colonels closed out 2010 at the Mount Hor Hop in the Northeast Kingdom.

The varsity girls team finished fourth out of the 13 teams competing. Leah Silverman was tops for Colonels, coming in 17th with a time of 20 minutes, 32 seconds. Linnea Jahn placed 18th in 20:33, Emma Straus was 23rd in 20:44 and Maddi Shaw, Helen Manning, and Kara Piergentilli finished in 31st, 43rd and 70th, respectively.

The varsity boys team of Graham Glennon, Jacob Ellis, Anthony Burdo, Sam Green, and Noah Borochoff-Porte skied in the 5K race and finished 10th overall. Glennon was the top Colonels finisher, he came in 32nd out of 90 competitors with a time of 18:07. Ellis was 37th, just was 11 seconds behind Glennon, and Burdo, Green and Borochoff-Porte finished in 54th, 67th and 69th, respectively.

Brattleboro has yet to have a home meet this season.

Saturday’s snowfall came too late for a scheduled race at the VABEC complex off Old Guilford Road. That race was

n Dog sledding does catering. She also does gardening for a number of people.

The ski racing business almost covers their bills, Laura said, but they need to do their outside work to stay liquid.

For the love of dogs

In recent years, there has been some controversy over the treatment and lives of sledding animals. The well-known animal rights groups have protested the conditions the dogs endure during the big races like the Iditerod.

Although the web is full of stories about inhumane treatment of dog teams in general, focusing on the lack of shelter and scarce

food, from every outward sign, the Husky Works dogs are living very well and appear to be deliriously happy.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t love animals,” said Jeremy.

He affirms what almost every website describes: the good nature of Siberian huskies who are most excited when they are about to run.

The principal physical controls mushers have over their dog teams are the brakes — devices shaped like claws or talons; or bars that — when tripped — dig into the snow, effectively stopping the team.

There is also the drag mat, a

n Arts calendar your e-mail your name and city/town of residence. Those who sent poems for the 2010 display are asked include different pieces.

By sending your work to POETRY Alive! 2011, it may use any poem in the text display, in promotional materials, and associated online, print and other media avenues.

In 2010, POETRY Alive! brought together poems by Vermonters into a walkable anthology of contemporary Vermont poetry in Montpelier, as a celebration of National Poetry Month.

This year, they will expand on this and include more readings and other related poetry programming.

POETRY Alive! 2011 is supported

by The Vermont Humanities Council and is a joint project of The Kellogg Hubbard Library and Montpelier Alive.

Books

• The Ski Diva comes to Bartleby’s: Wendy Clinch, creator of the website, theskidiva.com, and author of the Ski Diva mysteries, is coming to Wilmington for an in-store event at Bartleby’s Books on Saturday, Jan. 15, from 3–5 p.m.

Clinch will be promoting her second book in the series, Fade to White, answering any questions readers have about the books. She spent 25 years in the advertising industry before moving

to Vermont, launching her blog and writing her first mystery, which was published last year. The ski diva mysteries, which also includes Double Black, are set in Vermont.

If customers are unable to make the event and would like to purchase a signed copy, either place an order at www.bartlebysvt.com asking for a signed copy in the notes field or call Bartleby’s Books at 802-464-5425.

• Brooks Memorial Library events: Join Author Deborah

Clearman as she reads from her new novel, Todos Santos, on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. (snow date, Jan. 20).

Clearman’s love of Guatemala and Mayan culture is prevalent throughout Todos Santos . Since her first visit to Guatemala in the late 1970s, she’s been many times, recently living there for over a year. Now, between visits back to Central America, Deborah lives in New York and works as Program Director for NY Writers Coalition, a nonprofit organization that offers creative writing workshops to people traditionally deprived of voice in our society.

On Jan. 26 at 7 p.m., Sylvie Weil discusses her memoir, At Home with Andre and Simone Weil. She tells the story of her renowned mathematician father, who was imprisoned for his refusal to serve in the military, and her famous philosopher aunt who died from starvation as a result of her beliefs.

Master knitter, spinner, and fiber

Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons

Brattleboro guard Taylor Kerylow, right, looks for a teammate to pass to as Spaulding guard Page Dessureau closes in during a game last month at the BUHS gym. rescheduled to a later date.

Instead, the Colonels traveled to Rutland, where both the girls and boys teams placed second.

Halle Lange won the girls race, while Jahn finished fifth.

Other Colonel finishers included Silverman (12th), Shaw (13th), Straus (15th), Manning (17th), Piergentilli (24th), Katie Grasso (35th), Shelby Davis-Lane (38th) and Arjeta Rushiti (48th).

Glennon came in eighth overall to lead the Colonel boys. Ellis finished 11th, Anthony Burdo was 15th and Borochoff-Porte was 23rd.

from page 9

rectangular device with teeth-like prongs on the bottom side that can be thrown between the runners to slow the dogs, less aggressively than the braking action.

Voice commands are also essential and there is a regular language, similar to people-to-horse vocabulary.

The harnesses, of which there are many kinds, apart from attaching the dogs to one another, use what is called a gang line to attach the dogs to whatever device the team is pulling — sleds, toboggans, carts, special bicycles, and other wheeled vehicles. The Bedorthas use wheeled vehicles for training. They use basket and toboggan sleds for running.

The mushers, either Jeremy or Laura or a friend who fills in, usually stand on footboards only slightly wider than the narrow sled runners.

Runs are on weekends and on Tuesdays and take between one and two hours. Reservations are necessary. A one-person trip cost $250; a two-person trip costs $475. The website is huskyworks.com.

The family also does what it calls “fun runs” in the middle of the week for themselves, usually in the nearby Townshend State Forest. They pile the dogs and sleds in a truck and harness them up when they get to their destination.

from page 9

blogger Jenny Bakriges will host a discussion on her new book, Spinning

Around — Spinning, Dyeing & Knitting the Classics on Jan. 27 at

7 p.m.

Bakriges worked for years to compile her book. Imagine seeing something you’d like to knit, then having sufficient knowledge and skill to decide which breed of sheep would produce the most suitable fleece for the project, what type of spin and ply will enhance that fleece, and what colors you would like the final garment to be. The book has detailed instructions to take a project from sheep to finished garment.

All three events will be held in the Brooks Memorial Library meeting room. Contact Jerry Carbone at 802254-5290, ext. 101, or jerry@brooks. lib.vt.us for more information.

Performing arts

• MSA offers theater improv classes: Main Street Arts

in Saxtons River is offering a series of theater improv classes for adults and teens four Saturdays in January.

Sam Osheroff and Kris Danford will lead the series from 10:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29. Tuition for the series is $35 for members and $50 for non-members. The class is a series of theater games, exercises and structured play designed to get in touch with each participant’s impulsive, playful side. It

will hone those skills that come from responding in the moment based on instinct, which is at the core of acting.

Further information is available by contacting at Main Street Arts at 802869-2960, MSA@sover.net, or www.

MainStreetArts.org.

Visual arts

• Nature drawing workshop for teens and adults: The Nature Museum at Grafton and Main Street Arts have teamed up to offer a drawing course for teens and adults. The course will take place on Saturday, Jan. 22, 1-5 p.m., at Main Street Arts, 35 Main St., in Saxtons River. Minimum class size is six and requires pre-registration by Jan. 18 by calling the Museum at 802-843-2111.

The course is $20 for museum or MSA members and $28 for non-members.

The nature drawing course is designed for amateurs who want to practice and hone their drawing skills and for beginners who want to learn the basics of a skill that could become a lifetime hobby or profession. The class will include drawing from field specimens, items from Nature Museum collections, and photographs. The instructor is Betsy Bennett Stacey.

Participants should bring a favorite journal, drawing pad, and writing utensil if available; otherwise materials will be provided.

Other Colonel finishers included Green (30th), Oliver Pomazi (34th), Austin Lester (35th), Jeff Kahler (37th) and Jonathon Burdo (46th) also competed for the Colonels.

deer in archery season; 1,725 on youth weekend; and 4,200 during muzzleloader season.

The total antlered buck harvest for all seasons is projected to be about 8,775 bucks, which is very close to what the departWrapping up ment expected. deer season Based on weights of deer • The Vermont Department collected by wildlife biologists of Fish and Wildlife recently during the weekend of youth released its preliminary tally for hunting in early November, the 2010 youth, archery, rifle, the department said Vermont’s and muzzleloader deer hunting deer herd is as healthy now as it seasons. has been at any time since the With 95 percent of the re1940s, when such data were ports in from the state’s big first collected. Deer that go game reporting stations, the into winter with heavier body total projected harvest was weighs are better able to sur15,675, a slight increase of the vive harsh winter conditions. final 2009 figure of 15,237.

The final report is due in March.

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T h e C o m m ons

• Wednesday, January 12, 2011