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IN THIS ISSUE:
Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | MAY 1MAY 14, 2014
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page 2 May 1 May 14, 2014 THE BRI DGE
Got a news tip? We want to know!
Send it in to The Bridge at:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com
THE BRI DGE May 1 May 14, 2014 page 3
HEARD ON THE
STREET
T
hese damp spring days can be misleading. I'm never prepared for the sudden vivid
beauty of the small patch of rich woods next to our house. Today, in spite of the
gloom, wild green leeks are up, and the flowers of hepatica, trillium, blue cohosh,
Dutchman's britches and wild ginger transform the woodland floor in their rush to flower,
become pollinated and start the setting of seed. All this must happen before the leaves
overhead burst their leaf buds with countless small umbrellas against the sun. But where
are the carpets of simple willing bloodroot, which for at least 30 years gladdened this forest
edge? I've not seen them here since the record hot and powder-dry March/April of 2012
wiped them out. Each year I think this sturdy dependable plant will reappear again, but
no. At least not here. At least not yet. Nona Estrin
Nature Watch
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Watercolor by Nona Estrin
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
O
n Saturday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a household hazardous waste
collection at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury. The event is being put on by
Mad River Resource Management Alliance and is open to all Alliance residents and small
business owners from Duxbury, Fayston, Moretown, Northfield, Roxbury, Waitsfield, War-
ren and Waterbury. There is a limit of 10 gallons of waste per person. For more information,
contact John Malter at 244-7373.
Rocket Hockey Takes Home Gold
O
n April 19, the Rocket Hockey Mites team, consisting of 8- and 9-year-old boys, mostly
from the Montpelier (CVSA) and Barre (BYSA) youth hockey programs, took home
first place medals from the three-day Coca-Cola tournament in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
The roster also sported players from the Essex, St. Albans and Mississquoi youth hockey pro-
grams. During the fall and winter, these programs play against each other, so this spring tour-
nament was a great chance for the kids to represent Vermont youth hockey collectively. And
they did it well. The final tilt was a nail-biter down to the final buzzer. Aidan Kresco (Barre)
had a goal and River Sciarrotta (CVSA) potted two marks, including the game-winner, as
Rocket Hockey beat the Maine Stars 3-2.
Professional Writing Program Comes to
Vermont College of Fine Arts
T
he Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) has acquired, a leading graduate writing
program from the University of Southern California that will bring full-time graduate
students to the low-residency fine arts college, according to a news release from VCFA. The
new program will bring students to Montpelier for two years, with the first class arriving this
September. The program is called The School of Writing and Publishing. Those interested in
learning more about the program should check out vcfa.edu.
Seeking Submissions for Summer Gallery Exhibit
T
he Chandler Gallery is accepting submissions for its Floral Seductions exhibit, which
will open in late June and run through Aug. 24. Chandler is seeking artistic renditions
of all things related to gardens and plants. Applications are due by Friday, May 23, and can
be submitted to Emily Crosby at outreach@chandler-arts.org
Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition Accepting Entries
T
he Valley Arts Foundation is now accepting applications for its annual watercolor exhibi-
tion. This years exhibit will be held at the Big Red Barn Gallery, at Lareau Farm Inn
in Waitsfield from June 29 through July 27. For more information and the prospectus for
submission, go to www.vermontartfest.com or contact Gary Eckhart at fineart@moosewalk-
studios.com.
ANR to Take Public Testimony on
Citizens Petition to Protect Berlin Pond
C
oming up on Tuesday, May 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Berlin Elementary School
is a public hearing called by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to hear public
comment on a petition from Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond. That petition calls for full pro-
tection of the Pond from public uses that it is argued could compromise the qualityh of the
drinking water drawn from the Pond. Berlin Pond supplies drinking water to the the 8,000
residents of Montpelier and to an estimated 20,000 people who visit the City each day. The
Pond also supplies drinking water supplies to parts of Berlin and to the Central Vermont
Medical Center.
State Legislature Grapples with State
Budget Bill as Session Nears Adjournment
A
proposed $5.5 billion state budget for FY2015 awaits final approval by the Vermont Sen-
ate before being sent back to the house. The state budget bill which originated in the
House as H.885 contains layer upon layer of separate funding items, for education, health
care, road maintenance and the like. The massive bill, typically dubbed, the Big Bill would
raise overall state spending by 4.2 percent, said a vtdigger.org article by Anne Galloway. In
the same article, Galloway reported, The state is committing more than $1.5 billion for
public education, and about $89 million more for higher education.
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The Bridge at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com
T
he first of May is an opportune time
to shine a spotlight on some of the
labor-related bills that are still afloat
as we approach the end of this years legisla-
tive session. After all, its May Day which is
not only a spring festival day, but also In-
ternational Workers Day, a public holiday
celebrated in more than 80 countries. In the
Vermont Legislature, now is the time when,
in the words of Sen. Anthony Pollina, Prog/
Dem.-Wash. County, the bills you worked
so hard on either work out or everything
comes tumbling down.
The prevailing wages bill would have re-
placed the states current prevailing wage
statute with the federal Davis-Bacon Act,
bringing construction workers wages for
state construction projects in line with fed-
eral minimums. However, the bill did not
make the date for crossover into the Senate
and was placed instead in the Senate Rules
Committee. Contrary to the expectations
of supporters, the Senate Rules Committee
voted against sending the bill forward to
committee, keeping it from seeing the light
of day. It wasnt clear from conversations
with supporters whether this bill will be
taken up again next year.
Another bill that has garnered significant
public attention and support is the Earned
(or paid) Sick Days bill. For Stauch Blaise,
a volunteer member of the Vermont Work-
ers Center, which supports the effort, this
bill was gaining momentum only to be
stopped dead in its tracks in the House
Committee on Appropriations on March
21. Having heard that the bill might not
pass the committee, Blaise and other Work-
ers Center volunteers attended the meet-
ing and read a statement in support of the
bill. Then we put tape over our mouths
and stood in silence, said Blaise. The
chair immediately summoned the sergeant
at arms to escort us out of the committee
room for being disruptive.
But Blaise and the organizations that sup-
port earned sick days arent dissuaded.
Were going to come back next year stron-
ger than ever, he said with confidence.
The bill or the lack thereof, has a personal
impact on Blaises family. My wife has
been sick for 12 days; were 12 days behind
on everything. Darya Marchenkova of the
Vermont Workers Center said, We think
we can have both the minimum wage in-
crease and earned sick days.
The Early Childcare Provider Union bill
passed the Senate and currently sits in the
House Committee on General, Housing
and Military Affairs. The bill allows child
care providers to form a union so they
can negotiate higher reimbursements from
the state. Vermonters for the Independence
of Child Care Professionals is against the
bill, citing a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the concern that a union would assess
fair share dues or agency fees on provid-
ers who choose not to join the union but
benefit from any negotiations the union
might undertake with the state. Rep. Tom
Stevens, D.-Waterbury, believes this isnt a
given: The reality is agency fees are not a
given. They are a bargainable item, he said.
Were pretty certain the bill will move
forward. We are just trying to make sure
we have that support on the floor. Its been
a long road and a lot of work to get it where
it is. Were confident well have it out before
the end of the session, he said.
Finally, the effort to increase the states
minimum wage has seen bills introduced
on both sides of the Legislature with en-
couragement from the administration in
light of President Obamas call to increase
the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to
$10.10 by 2017.
We were thinking about a bill and were
floating it around, said Rep. Paul Poirier,
I-Barre, and then the governor asked for
one.
While the House bill initially sought to in-
crease the state minimum wage from $8.73
to $12.50 effective Jan. 1, 2015, the target
was soon amended downward to $10.10
with incremental adjustments from then on
based on the Consumer Price Index or 5
percent, whichever is smaller. A similar, al-
beit more, conservative bill was put forward
by the Senate Committee on Economic De-
velopment, Housing and General Affairs,
which Senator Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland,
chair, called the best version out there.
Their bill brings the minimum wage up to
$10.50 by 2019.
While some feel that the Senate didnt go
far enough, others felt the measure unnec-
essary. We prefer existing law, said Jim
Harrison, president of Vermont Grocers
Association.
Harrison represents grocers who, he said,
would be negatively impacted by a large
increase in a short period of time. These
bills just propose transferring money
around. Theres no new money. We dont
own printing presses, he said, suggesting
that increasing the minimum wage is not
an effective way to increase real wages for
average Vermonters. A stronger economy is
what is going to increase wages, not push-
ing up the minimum. If it were that easy,
we would have done it earlier.
Pollina disagrees. Raising minimum wage
is an economic development strategy and a
way to begin to close the wealth gap, he
said. Increase the pay of working families
so that they can take care of themselves and
pay their bills. And, theyll have some left
over to make purchases.
Stevens, who is on the House committee
that created the $10.10 by 2015 bill, said,
The state economists report was very clear
that our bill would have a negligible im-
pact on businesses. Stevens expects that
theyll be sorting the different versions of
the bill with the Senate in conference com-
mittee. Their version of the bill doesnt
really do much. Raising the minimum wage
to $10.10 by 2017 is really only $9.60 in to-
days dollars. We have every indication that
raising the minimum wage makes small
businesses more competitive and raises the
quality of life for average Vermonters, he
said.
The clock is not on our side, said Poirier.
Well get to at least $10.10. The question
is how long will it take.
Labor Bills Still Afloat as Session Comes To a Close
by Emily Kaminsky
Hollar Talks About Moving Forward
with the Carr Lot Development by Jerry Carter
T
he other day, The Bridge sat down
with Montpelier Mayor, John Hol-
lar, to talk about how the city is
moving forward with the development of
the Carr Lot. Below is a transcript of our
conversation.
Carter: How does the payment between the
developer and the city work?
Hollar: The developer will pay us develop-
ment fees. We will be partnering with Red-
stone, and they are going to develop that
part of the parcel. We will own the transit
centers first floor, and they will own the
floors above that, and they will pay the city
some amount.
Carter: Is that a set amount that all bid-
ders knew about going into the proposal
process?
Hollar: No, we will be negotiating that. We
had some estimates from both developers,
but a lot of that is unknown until we know
exactly how much space is going to be used
and what the use is going to be.
So, for example, Redstone has said that if
you build a hotel, you will have more rev-
enue and more that will flow to the city. If
it is commercial, office or residential space,
that will produce less revenue, and that will
be less revenue to the city.
Carter: The Carr Lot is currently used
as a parking lot for about 120 state em-
ployee cars; when it is converted into a
multi-modal transit center, where will those
people park?
Hollar: Im hoping that the state will agree
to build a garage. In fact, we are meeting
with them tomorrow [April 29]. We have
had ongoing discussions with them about it
and it is something that I have been push-
ing for for a number of years.
Carter: Where would the proposed parking
garage go?
Hollar: The one that we are thinking about
right now is across the street [from the Carr
Lot] on Taylor Street behind the Peoples
Bank building. It is state-owned property,
so ultimately it is going to come down to
the states decision regarding whether they
want to do it or not.
Carter: Would the city chip in at all with
that?
Hollar: Yes, I think that there is a need
in Montpelier and we would support that
through the fees that we get through long-
term parking permits.
Carter: Did any part of your decision to
initially support DEW over Redstone have
to do with DEWs plan to not include a
hotel?
Hollar: Well, it was a small part of it.
There were a couple of things. One, they
[DEW] were further along on the park-
ing issuesthey had actually talked to the
state and I think had more developed ideas
about how to deal with parking. So, their
plan involved less parking on the site itself
[and] that was attractive to me. The design
of the building itself was one that they put
a lot of thought and detail into, and I liked
the design. I thought it would be a great
addition to the community. I have concerns
about the hotel proposal, primarily because
the Basharas own a piece of property that
we need to access in order to build the bike
path. The bike path is going to be criti-
cal to this whole development, because the
bike path enables us to build a new bridge
over the North Branch and Winooski to
connect to the development on the east
side of the North Branch, behind Main
Street. Without that bike path segment, we
are really just building a transit center and
some commercial development and that is
it. That was a factor.
Carter: Part of Redstones plan is the in-
stallation of a national chain hotel. Is that
something that you think would fit in with
Montpelier, or do you think it is something
the people of Montpelier are against?
Hollar: I think it is too early to tell. I dont
think that we would want a hotel branded
chain. I think there probably are ways to
create affiliations so that a private prop-
erty might be affiliated with a chain, but
have unique style and brand that would be
unique to Montpelier. I dont really know
anything about the hotel that is proposed
to go on this site. I dont think we want a
prominent chain hotel in downtown Mont-
pelier. I think that is pretty clear. I have
concerns about a hotel, as I mentioned.
This is going to be a very public process
over the next two months, where as a com-
munity we will talk about this, and I think
hopefully get some idea about what people
in the community want.
Carter: Realistically, ground will not be
broken on this project until next summer
(2015), right?
Hollar: Thats right, next summer.
Carter: Regarding the farmers market, in
the Redstone plans, the proposed spot is
smaller than needed. Is that something that
is open to adjusting?
Hollar: Yeah, I mean none of these plans
are fixed in stone yet. There is some ques-
tion about whether there is enough space
there for the farmers market. What I have
asked them [Redstone] to do is to reach out
and work with the farmers market to make
that preliminary decision about whether or
not there is space there. If there is, and they
[Redstone] are interested, then we should
continue to have that conversation about
whether we can accommodate the farm-
ers market, whether they [farmers market]
want to be there, whether it works, and
what are all of the other uses that could
be made on that site. If it doesnt fit, then
we will move on and keep working with
them to ensure that they have a good place
downtown. They have my full support to
continue to have a viable place to continue
to be in downtown Montpelier.
Carter: Does the ability for them to fit in
that space depend on the chosen proposed
project?
Hollar: Yeah, it all has to fit together, but we
have to make sure that we have enough space
for whatever use that property is going to have
to make it work for the city. We need an ad-
equate transit center, there are conversations
with the state to have a visitors center there,
and you have the commercial development, so
this is going to be a pretty big footprint for a
building on Taylor Street.
Carter: Do you favor a hotel, or would you
rather see another option go into that spot?
Hollar: Im not a big proponent of another
hotel. My primary concern is a practical one.
We need the cooperation of the Basharas to
move forward with this project, and I am
concerned that if we choose to build another
hotel, we are very unlikely to get that coopera-
tion and that is going to stall the project. It
is a very simple, practical view that I have. I
think that if another developer wants to come
into town and build a hotel, then more power
to them. I think it would be a great idea for
a hotel, and maybe there is the demand, but
I do have some concern about using the citys
resources to create an entity that would di-
rectly compete with essentially one business
that is right next to it.
Community
Participation
Events
Scheduled
by C.B. Hall
I
n a press release issued jointly
with project partners Redstone
commercial properties and Gos-
sens Bachman Architects, the city
of Montpelier has announced four
public meetings to develop a com-
munity-driven site design and plan
for the development of One Taylor
Streetthe Carr Lotinto a tran-
sit and welcome center. The site, a
1+-acre triangle wedged between the
Washington County Railroad tracks,
the Winooski and the North Branch,
could also include a permanent home
for the Capital City Farmers Market
and, as a revenue generator, either of-
fice space, residential units or a hotel.
The meetings have been scheduled as
follows:
Tuesday, May 6 at Christ Church
Parish Hall (64 State St.): focus-
ing on large-scale community
issues and opportunities for the
project.
Wednesday, May 21 at Lost
Nation Theater (39 Main St.):
taking input on a site specic
and immediate neighbor scale.
Tuesday, June 10 at Christ
Church Parish Hall (64 State
St.): focusing on site and build-
ing specics and scale.
Wednesday, July 16 at Bethany
Church Fellowship Hall (115
Main St.): with the architects
presenting the results of the three
preceding programs.
All the programs will run from
6 to 8:30 p.m. The first two will
include a walking tour of the
site.
Proposed Redstone Carr Lot plan. Photo
courtesy Montpelier City Managers office.
Photo courtesy of John Hollar
W
e represent the owners of Barres
Granite City Grocery, a coopera-
tive with a vision of a downtown
grocery store that could provide affordable
and accessible food to the whole Barre com-
munity, while strengthening local business,
local farms and the ongoing revitalization of
downtown Barre. We are proud to say that we
are diligently working toward reaching our
next major milestone: 600 owners by June 30.
We are focusing on growing our owner base
and expanding community awareness to so-
lidify the support we need to create a sus-
tainable business venture that is responsive
to our communitys needs. Working with a
nationally established food co-op consulting
group, we are using a widely tested
and proven development model that has dem-
onstrated its effectiveness in starting numer-
ous food co-ops in the past decade, including
the Monadnock and Littleton food co-ops in
New Hampshire. By following this model,
with appropriate tailoring to the unique
Barre community, we are confident that we
will build a successful, carefully developed,
cooperatively-owned grocery store that will
contribute to the ongoing and exciting revi-
talization of Barres downtown.
The City Place building, which is a lovely new
addition to Main Street, was on our radar
screen as a potential site when we first began
to organize. However, we soon realized that
there are many more steps to take before final-
izing a location, including recruiting a certain
number of owners, conducting a market study
and creating a financial model. Prudence dic-
tates a careful and methodical site analysis
and selection process, linked to progressive
ownership goals. Granite City Grocery will
find a location downtown, filling an open
niche and contributing to the remarkable
transformation that promises to bring busi-
ness, revitalization and new faces to Barre
City. Although we cant put an opening date
on the calendar yet, we are following a clear
business plan that has us on track to open
with a solid financial and market footing,
ensuring that the grocery store will become
an enduring feature of downtown Barre life.
We encourage you to learn more about Gran-
ite City Grocery and the hundreds of house-
holds in Barre and the wider community who
have purchased a share in the co-op to make it
a reality. Every new owner makes a difference
and brings us one step closer to opening day!
Please visit our website at www.granitecity-
grocery.coop, or call 279-7518, and consider
becoming an owner today. You will help bring
affordable and local food to downtown Barre,
support Vermont farmers and other local pro-
ducers, and help build a strong, democratic
and resilient community founded on local
spirit and shared effort.
The Granite City Grocery Board of Directors:
Chris Riddell, President, Vicki LeClair, Becca
Pincus, Nick Landry, and David Rubin
Barre Coop
by Granite City Coop Board of Directors
V
oters in Waterbury are being asked to
rescind a town meeting vote authoriz-
ing issuance of $2.95 million in bonds
to expand the 1890 Dr. Henry Janes House, a
local architectural landmark that now houses
the town's library, into a municipal complex
encompassing an enlarged library, town of-
fices and the Waterbury Historical Society.
The rescission could succeed with a smaller
voter turnout than at town meeting, making
every ballot count and raising the decibel level
in the pre-vote debate.
The bond measure passed at town meeting
on a 809617 tally. For the rescission to pass,
however, its backers need to win the revote
with as few as 540 yeas, two-thirds of the
809 approving the bond measure at town
meeting. The rescission could thus succeed on
a 540539 vote.
The relative ease with which rescission back-
ers could win is also accountable to the state
law, which mandates a rescission vote when
only 5 percent of a town's registered voters
sign a petition demanding one. Waterbury
has witnessed three rescission votestwo of
them successfulsince 2005, prompting the
Waterbury Record to headline an article on
the bond-vote redux: Here we go again.
Voting will end on May 13. Advanced voting
is already in progress. The local discourse has
remained essentially civil, but the undercur-
rent of anger is easy to detect.
What's sad is, we've got to go through this
whole exercise, says resident John Malter.
He terms as excuses the rescission backers'
concerns about toxic wastes at the project site
as premises for cancelling the bond autho-
rization. It's absolutely a money issue, he
concludes.
Town consultant Barbara Farr, among those
spearheading defense of the bond issue, says,
What [the rescission campaign] is doing is
delaying the project and making the price go
up. She adds that the borrowing costs, for
example, are apt to increase.
Rescission advocates cite the presence of coal
ash, lead paint, radon and asbestos at the
siteFarr notes, typical findings for an old
Vermont houseas a likely source of cost
overruns, making the issue one of money, as
Malter says.
Rescission supporter and former Waterbury
Village trustee Everett Coffey calls for frugal-
ity. The need for a project of this size is not
here, he says, although he also cites unre-
solved environmental issues, such as the non-
completion to date of soil borings that could
determine the feasibility of the construction.
He termed the complex, as currently envi-
sioned, a Taj Mahal, Cadillac model.
The project has its origins in Tropical Storm
Irene, which left the old municipal building
unusable. In a June 2013 vote, citizens re-
jected a $5 million bond proposal that would
have funded, in another location, a replace-
ment larger than the one now under consid-
eration.
Chief among the rescission opponents is the
town itself, which is taking out three half-
page ads in the weekly Record to urge a No
vote. In an interview for this article, Farr
terms the ads fact sheets. Given that this is
already the municipal complex project's sec-
ond incarnation, the town's statement, in an
April 24 Record ad, that rescission would
mean the municipal building complex proj-
ect is terminated, raised the question, how-
ever: what's a fact and what's a tactic designed
to get project supporters to the polls?
Responding, Farr hastened to clarify that the
rescission would only mean that we're back
to the drawing board in advancing the proj-
ect.
It's misinforming, Coffey responded to the
ad. If [the bond measure] were rescinded,
that particular design would not go forward,
but there are a lot better alternatives for more
efficiency and less cost.
It's gotten to be a very bitter contest, he
concluded. There are a lot of scare tactics
being used.
Bond Measure Revote
Stirring Debate in
Waterbury by C.B. Hall
A Note to Our Readers
We publish The Bridge twice monthly, on the first Thursday of the month, and on
the third Thursday of the month. This schedule will continue through June. After
July 4th there will be a brief interruption to this pattern, but we will still be putting
out two issues a month. They simply will not be on the first and third Thursdays.
We do not typically mail our first monthly issue. Instead, we distribute that paper
in racks at locations throughout Washington County. But we do mail our second
monthly issue: the paper that is published on the third Thursday of the month. Find
us in your mailbox or at a drop site near you!
T
ommy Walz, a former longtime Barre
teacher and administrator, was ap-
pointed by Gov. Peter Shumlin in
April to fill Tess Taylors spot in the House.
I met with Walz at The Wayside restaurant
the other day to talk about his recent ap-
pointment. A transcription of our interview
follows.
What are the circumstances
under which you were
appointed?
I've been active in politics since John F.
Kennedy's election. He was my inspiration.
I've been chair of the Barre City Demo-
cratic Committee for over 10 years and have
worked on the campaigns of a number of
Vermont Democrats. I've also considered a
run for the House but never took that leap
for a couple of reasons: When Barre voted
for its reps by ward, Paul Poirier and I were
in the same ward and I was not interested
in running against him. Later, when we
became a two-member district, Tess Taylor
and Paul were our reps, and again I had
no interest in challenging either of them.
When Tess resigned, that was an open-
ing and I asked the Barre City Democratic
Committee to consider me as a candidate.
When Governor Shumlin interviewed me,
I think he liked my responses and he chose
me from the three names that were submit-
ted to him.
What do you think readers
would like to know about you?
I have wide and varied interests, and I like
to base decisions on data rather than emo-
tion or ideology. I want to hear all points
of view.
I'm in my second term on the Spaulding
High School Board (now vice chair) and I
am on the Barre Supervisory Union School
Board.
I believe in leaving the world a better place
than when I entered it, and think my teach-
ing career has had some impact in that di-
rection. I also have been involved in many
aspects of community service. I joined the
Barre Lions Club in 2003 and am cur-
rently the district governor for District 45
(Vermont) Lions and its 38 clubs around
the state.
What do you hope to accomplish
in the Legislature?
How can you help Barre?
These questions are intertwined. I want to
represent the people of Barre City, ALL of
them. I do think government has an im-
portant and essential role in setting public
policy and promoting the public good. I
can work with all sorts of people, including
those with whom I might not agree.
What are the issues nearest and
dearest to your heart?
Education, because of my long history in the
field, is my primary one. Then health, labor
and employment issues. The educational
funding formula is broken and needs to be
fixed. School districts are decreasing their
budgets, but because of the funding formula,
taxes can still go up. Barre City is unique.
We pay less in school taxes than in municipal
taxes. Barre schools have always been run
very economically, ranking at the bottom of
per-pupil spending for the 32 communities
that have union high school districts. Unfor-
tunately, the message never gets out to Barre
City voters. Barre would have to spend $1,200
more per student just to get to the state aver-
age. Montpelier spends more than the aver-
age. Despite being so frugal, even in Barre,
taxes go up. I think the property tax is the
wrong base. Maybe a mix of sales and income
is the answer, but to put the burden solely on
the property tax is wrong.
Do you think the Barre schools
are still delivering a quality
education?
There is not a one-to-one relationship be-
tween quality education and spending.
Good teaching trumps everything. We have
a high percentage of children on free and
reduced lunch. The predictors for the suc-
cess of a child in school are socioeconomics
and the educational level of the mother, not
race or ethnicity.
What have you been working on
in the Legislature?
I've landed right in thick of things. In the
first couple of days, I voted for the mini-
mum wage and prevailing wage bills. I've
been assigned to the Committee on Agri-
culture and Forest Products, but Barre City
doesnt have any farms. I've had to get up
to speed on issues that are quite new to me.
Were looking at a bill now, which would
allow producers to deliver pre-bought raw
milk to the farmers markets. The farmer
would have to get certified, and the con-
sumer would need to visit the farm to be
informed. Weve heard a wide range of tes-
timony from, This is a product that will
kill you, to No ones been sick. Its some-
where in between.
Our committee is also looking at the bill
on labeling genetically engineered foods,
and that has been an interesting learning
experience . . . Its far more complicated
than people think it is . . .
People are convinced that if it passes, Ver-
mont will be sued because the companies
dont want to scare off customers. A suit
could cost the state a lot of money, espe-
cially if it loses. The Senate is trying to
carefully write the legislation so it passes
constitutional muster.
What legislation would affect
Barre the most?
Anything that helps unemploymentjob
training, doing more to get people off the
UI (unemployment) rolls, promoting new
businesses and getting rid of empty store-
fronts. That means more jobs and shopping
opportunities for people. I do think Barre
has come a long way with the opening of
City Place. Thats a boon for Barre: There
are a lot more people coming to Barre, and
theyll eat lunch and shop.
Theres something else thats important. We
dont need just jobs, but a living wage. I voted
on raising the minimum wage and prevail-
ing wage bills for government contracts. The
minimum wage bill affects and helps only
20,000 Vermontersthose who who earn less
than $10/hourso this doesnt affect many,
but there are interesting ramifications. Many
say this bill would kill jobs, but it might do the
opposite. Studies have shown that when peo-
ple have more money, they buy more goods,
which thus creates the need for more jobs.
Henry Ford paid his workers a living wage
so they could buy his automobiles. Those
20,000 Vermonters hold 31,500 jobs; many
work more than one job because they have to.
If they receive a larger salary, more jobs would
be freed up, so you would have more people
working. Getting to a living wage will help
the employment picture, which is opposite of
what you hear from conservatives.
An Interview with Tommy Walz,
Barres New Representative to the VT House by Joyce Kahn
Dr. Steven Sobel, DC
Chiropractic Physician
Holistic Chiropractic care for all ages
Functional Neurology
Safe and effective treatment of back,
neck and extremity conditions without
the use of drugs or surgery
Sports, work and auto injuries
Most insurance accepted
1 Blanchard Court, Montpelier
(located above First in Fitness)
drsobel@aligntohealth.com
229-6800
Dr. Steven Sobel, DC
Chiropractic Physician
Holistic Chiropractic care for all ages
Functional Neurology
Safe and effective treatment of back,
neck and extremity conditions without
the use of drugs or surgery
Sports, work and auto injuries
Most insurance accepted
229-6800
1 Blanchard Court, Montpelier
(located above First in Fitness)
drsobel@aligntohealth.com
(802) 454-7874
www.easthilltreefarm.com
Bl ess up the Earth.
Spring is here and it is time to plant!
We have a wide selection of apples, pears, plums, cherries, blueberries, raspberries,
chestnuts, hazelnuts and more. All available as bare-roots ready to transplant with many
more varieties available in pots. Come by, check the website or call for more details.
Get your edible landscape planted this spring.
East Hill Tree Farm
Nursery for fruit trees, nuts, and berries
BARE ROOT SALE!
Saturday and Sunday May 3-4th
Located at 3499 East Hill Rd, Plainfeld
OPEN: Sat. 9-4:30 & Sun. 10-4:30 or by appointment
Barre Representative, Tommy Walz.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Walz.
Incoming Planning Director:
Montpelier Has Unrealized Opportunities By Carla Occaso
M
ontpeliers newly named Plan-
ning & Development Director
Michael Miller said he sees op-
portunities and challenges ahead for Ver-
monts capital city. Montpelier City Man-
ager William Fraser introduced Miller in a
press release on April 18 that explained he
was chosen from a pool of 27 candidates to
replace former Director Gwendolyn Hall-
smith, who held the position from 2006
through 2013. We have observed the great
work Mike has done in Barre and we were
delighted when he expressed interest in
Montpelier, Fraser stated. Miller will start
on May 19.
Miller has served as the director of permit-
ting, planning and inspection services for
Barre since 2008, and during that time
he worked on multiple undertakings, not
the least of which were helping downtown
businesses survive what he calls The Great
Recession and Barres Big Dig. Miller told
The Bridge about some of his other signifi-
cant projects.
Miller helped secure the money to rebuild
the city block that now houses City Place
the newly-minted home to the Vermont
Agency of Education and other tenants.
That was the site of a vacant blighted
building when I arrived, and I identified
it as a key location for redevelopment,
Miller said. He explained that he applied
for Neighborhood Stabilization Program
funds of $700,000 to purchase the proper-
ties and demolish the buildings to lay the
groundwork for putting up a new structure.
After Tropical Storm Irene gave Barre lem-
ons, Miller worked with the citys officials
to make lemonade by getting several proj-
ects done. The creation of City Place stands
out as the one in which he played the big-
gest role. It was very rewarding to see the
building open this spring, he stated.
But Miller does not claim credit for himself
regarding any of the recent renaissance ac-
tivities. Instead, he claims that everything
he has done has been in collaboration with
the city manager, mayor and other munici-
pal department heads.
Before working in city government, Miller
worked for seven years at Lamoille County
Planning Commission in Morrisville as the
senior land-use planner. He also ran a con-
sulting company part-time.
But for now, he is setting his sights on
Montpelier. Miller said he is ready to fol-
low up on existing project plans in order
to bring them to fruition. My skills and
talents are in helping communities realize
their visions. I emphasize constructing and
completing projects as opposed to just mak-
ing plans to fill shelves, he said. Montpe-
lier has plenty of ventures bubbling beneath
the surface, including economic develop-
ment, affordable housing, flood hazards, a
zoning update, downtown parking and the
master plan update.
When I looked at Montpelier I saw a com-
munity in great shape but with many unreal-
ized opportunities. I think the pieces are all
in Montpelier just waiting for someone to
help put them together, Miller stated. Fur-
ther, Miller said growing jobs, boosting the
downtown and building affordable housing
arent impossible to achieve but will require a
clear path to get there. That potential is why
I chose Montpelier. He noted that one of the
best things about Montpelier is its residents.
He said he realizes he will be working with a
very engaged citizenry. In fact, according to
Miller, one of the bigger challenges of the job
may well be balancing differing views of some
very active citizens.
As for saying goodbye to Barre, Miller
said he will miss all the friends he made who
persevered with him through economic and
natural disasters. Sticking together through
those years with colleagues and associates
led to a camaraderie among those who be-
lieved in making Barre a better place.
Miller lives in East Hardwick with his wife,
Sarah, who runs their mini-farm. She is a
sixth generation Vermonter who adopts res-
cued animals such as goats and sheep. He
grew up in Colchester, Conn., but came to
Vermont 18 years ago to attend the University
of Vermont.
Juanitas
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802-476-3900
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Got a news tip? We want to know! Send it in to
The Bridge at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com
Montpeliers new planning and development director,
Michael Miller. Photo courtesy of Michael Miller.
223-3447
clarconstruction.com
New CoNstruCtioN
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woodworkiNg
geNeral CoNtraCtiNg
That's Life Soup by Nat Frothingham
I
n the question-and-answer exchange that
follows, Montpelier restaurant owner Pam
Root of Thats Life Soup talked with The
Bridge about her adventure of opening and
running a restaurant in downtown Montpelier.
Thats Life Soupwhen did you
start out in Montpelier?
September 2006.
What was your dream for the
restaurant?
My dream was to bring healthy food to the
Montpelier community.
Im a follower of Weston A. Price. He traveled
around the world to 29 different cultures
cultures as different as the Eskimos, the South
Pacific islanders and Siberians. He found the
common denominator in cultures that ate
healthy foodfermented food, broths from
grass-fed livestock and saturated fats like but-
ter, chicken fat and lard. I wanted to bring
that to Montpelier.
What kinds of commitments did
you bring to the restaurant?
Oh, philosophical, emotional, financial
thats true for any business
What happened in the eight years
of running the business?
There was the economic downturn of 2008
to 2009, two floods, new construction that
would descend on you without warning.
There was an influx of restaurants in Mont-
pelier. There were 22 restaurants when I wrote
my business plan. Today there are well over 40
restaurants.
What did that mean for you?
Our population hasnt increased. The pie is
only so big.
Youve mentioned parking.
Montpelier is marketed as a tourist destina-
tion but we dont have any parking.
Ive got patrons who say all the time, We
cant finding parking. Can I park in a private
lot?
No, I say.
When are you closing?
June 20th.
And your feelings about that?
Well, I have to say one thing. I rather wish
that the city of Montpelier would embrace a
City Plan that works for everybody.
However, Im actually looking forward to my
next adventure. And originally we were going
into a restaurant in (New Yorks) East Village.
What happened was kind of a joke. I was wor-
ried about climate change and somebody said,
You should go on a boata barge. Thats
what were going to do. Its going to be totally
self-sustaining. Its going to have solar panels,
a permaculture garden and a generator that
runs on hemp oil.
Where will it be docked?
I think were to be docked north of Manhat-
tan. This move was also inspired by a barge
that was sailed down Lake Champlain and
the Hudson River by Eric Arbus picking up
fresh eggs and Vermont produce and eventu-
ally docking in New York City.
Pam, theres got to be a
constructive lesson to take from
your experience in Montpelier.
Whats the lesson?
There are so many restaurants serving locally-
based, healthy foodgrass-fed beef, fresh
vegetables and the city of Montpelier could
pull these restaurants together and market its
downtown that way. And the city could help
them solve their common problems. Finan-
cially healthy restaurants are the backbone of
a community.
Whats been fun about running a
restaurant in Montpelier?
I research soup and one soup I discovered
is called PHO, a Vietnamese noodle soup.
And I enhanced it with local meats and veg-
etables and its become really successful.
The rest of the world has been eating for a
long time and every culture eats soup. When
you eat soup it digests very quickly. Even
in hotter climates they know that when its
digested quickly it doesnt raise your metabo-
lism. So you dont get hot.
Other positives, Pam?
I have incredible customers who have sup-
ported Thats Life Soup and I have fun, smart,
interesting employees. And that makes me
happy. Soup is nutrient-dense food. This is
food people should eat every day.
Bone marrow? Ive always used bone marrow.
Now, people are talking about bone mar-
row. Grass-fed beef? Thats become popular
as well. Im not a great marketer. Ive done all
these things.
You hear a lot about Farm to Table. That
makes me laugh. Its all farm to table. But the
question is What farm? What table? But I
do think that people are going to understand
the importance of eating nutrient-rich food.
Theyre going to have to.
Hours:
Open weekdays 4 to 6 pm, & weekends 9 am to 2 pm.
Other times by chance or appointment

Littlewood Farm
end of Recreation Field Road, Plainfield
littlewoodfarm.org 454-8466 littlewoodfarm@gmail.com
LITTLEWOOD FARM
Growing and selling organic seedlings since 1990
Greenhouse Sale
Opening Saturday May 10th
Over 36 hybrids and heirloom varieties of
tomatoes and peppers, as well as leafy greens,
cabbage family, onions, melons, squash,
sweet corn, herbs and annual flowers.
The selection is good and the prices are, too.
Open Memorial Day!
Owner Pam Root outside of her restaurant, Thats Life Soup.
Photo by Nat Frothingham.
A
s part of remembrance activities to
mark the 20th anniversary of the
1994 genocide in Rwanda, a 100-
day period of terrifying ethnic strife that
claimed up to one million lives, Rwandan
civil leader Hope Tumukunde will visit
Vermont from May 12 to May 16.
Tumukundes four-day visit to Vermont ac-
knowledges close ties that have been built
up between Rwanda and the Green Moun-
tain State over the past 10 years. During
that period there have been a number of
exchanges between Rwanda and Vermont,
with Rwandans visiting and sometimes
studying here, and with Vermont students,
teachers, health professionals and others
travelling to Rwanda and working on a
number of projects. As part of Tumukundes
visit, she will be speaking on such subjects
as reconciliation and the role of women in
political power in post-1994 Rwanda.
Tumukunde is the elected vice mayor for
social affairs in Kigali, Rwandas capital
and largest city of one million people. Prior
to that, she served for four years as one of
seven commissioners at the Rwanda Na-
tional Human Rights Commission. She
was previously the provincial governor for
Kigali-Rural province and later the south-
ern province. She has held several posts,
primarily in the local government sector
and has been instrumental in the local gov-
ernment reform process. She has been active
in human rights and womens organizations
in Rwanda and serves on the boards of sev-
eral organizations such as the Rwanda Local
Development Support Fund, the Rwanda
Tourism Institute, and the Rwanda Associa-
tion of Local Government Authorities.
Tumukunde has a masters degree in public
administration from New York Universitys
Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
and was the 2008 convocation speaker. She
first graduated from Makerere University in
Kampala in 1999 with a bachelor of science
in psychology and mathematics.
The purpose of her visit is to further nur-
ture and extend the good working relation-
ships already taking place between many
Vermonters and the people of Rwanda, ac-
cording to Dr. Glenn Hawkes, who for a
long time lived in central Vermont. Hawkes
is director of the Ward Brook Center now
located in Danvers, Mass., and has been
a principal organizer of Tumukundes up-
coming Vermont visit.
When asked what he hopes might material-
ize from Tumukundes visit to Vermont, he
said he sees the visit as a chance to thank
Tumukunde for the way she has welcomed
Vermont visitors to Rwanda. He hopes her
visit will, in his words, strengthen the net-
working opportunities she has always of-
fered to others. He is hoping that Vermont-
ers will be able to meet Tumukunde, listen
to her speak and learn from her firsthand.
This, said Hawkes, is a privilege that
many Vermonters have experienced when
working with her in Rwanda.
Rwandan Leader
Hope Tumukunde to
Visit Vermont by Joyce Kahn
Hope Tumukundes
schedule and
presentations,
Free and open to the
public:
Monday, May 12: 12 noon
at the Montpelier Rotary
Club
The Role of the Rotary in
Rwanda's Recovery, 1994
2014
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30
p.m. at the Beth Jacob
Synagogue
"Reconciliation in Rwanda,
19942014"
Wednesday, May 14, 7
p.m. at Burlingtons Con-
tois Auditorium
"Women in Political Power
in Post1994 Rwanda"
For further information about
the Ward Brook Center, con-
tact Dr. Glenn W. Hawkes at
(978) 774-3547.
Hope Tumukunde,Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs.
Photo courtesy of Hope Tumukunde.
P
lans for a new Central Vermont Medi-
cal Center (CVMC) branch clinic at
the base of Norwich University's former
ski hill have advanced with issuance of a
conditional use permit by Northfield's Zon-
ing Board of Adjustment on March 27 and
approval by the town's planning commission
on April 21. The plans, which have rankled
some owners of abutting properties with the
prospect of annoyances such as all-night light-
ing, will now move on to the District 5 En-
vironmental Commission for consideration
under Act 250.
With the project picking up speed, attention
among disgruntled abutters has shifted from
trying to stop it to mitigating its impacts
including, indirectly, any decrease in abutting
properties' values. The project will bring with
it a Dumpster, an outdoor HVAC apparatus,
a 52-car parking lot and a stormwater runoff
pond, along with the all-night illumination.
They've done a good job, said abutter Lise
Ewaldwho had raised objections to the vari-
ous annoyancesafter meeting with devel-
oper E.F. Wall & Associates and a landscaping
consultant twice in recent weeks. She termed
the landscaping plan pretty generous.
The project represents a relocation of CVMC's
Green Mountain Family Practice (GMFP),
currently located just around the corner from
the project site, which forms part of a larger
outdoor recreational area owned by Norwich
University. The university rehabbed the rec-
reational facility two years ago, but relocat-
ing the GMFP offered a nice merging of
interests, in the words of Norwich Chief Ad-
ministrative Officer Dave Magida. Norwich
will retain the land and lease it to CVMC.
E.F. Wall will own the building and lease it
to CVMC.
E.F. Wall and Norwich have aimed at a Sep-
tember start date for construction, after the
Act 250 review. Assuming the September
start date holds, CVMC spokeswoman Susan
Kruthers told The Bridge, the doors will open
by June 2015. At the environmental commis-
sion, which will handle the Act 250 review,
Assistant Coordinator Susan Baird described
that timeline as tight but doable. She
noted that the project will likely also require
Agency of Natural Resources permitting, giv-
ing the developers a long list of items to check
off before the facility receives its first patient.
While the project now has momentum, dis-
sent lingers. Northfields Conservation Com-
mission and Zoning Board of Adjustment
member Ruth Ruttenberg cast the lone No
vote at the latter body's March 27 meeting
for procedural reasons, but expresses other
reservations about the undertaking. I was
very concerned, she said, when Norwich
and E.F. Wall said they didn't look at any
other sitesand then placed the project on
prime recreational land.
Such misgivings over the siting will persist
with many community members, but little
doubt exists at this juncture that the project
will reach fruition.
Northfield Medical Facility
Clears More Hurdles by C.B. Hall
Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!
D
owntown Montpelier has always
lacked a key ingredient for a strong
downtown: a public park where peo-
ple can sit, congregate, exercise and relax.
While a long-term solution to this problem
has yet to be found, the folks who make up
the Downtown Improvement District (DID)
are hoping to offer a short-term solution. In
order to find this solution, they reached out
to local event planner Megan Schultz. Her
magic bullet, for this seemingly unsolvable
problem of limited green public space, was to
take over the street.
On June 21, Park in the Street, a new city-
wide celebration, will take over State Street
between Main and Elm streets. As a way to
celebrate the summer solstice and all that
Montpelier has to offer, local merchants and
residents will repurpose State Street parking
spaces and, in place of cars, create fun and
interactive spaces for people to come together
and enjoy the season.
The Bridge caught up with Schultz to find out
a little bit more about this, hopefully annual,
event. Seated in the North Branch Caf, sip-
ping warm tea while a steady cool mist hov-
ered over the event space in question, Schultz
informed me about the details of the events
with enthusiasm and excitement.
I want it to be creative, engaging and fun,
sshe said, I feel that this is a great opportu-
nity for them (retailers) to really harbor good
long-term relationships with their customers.
Retailers will get the chance to transform a
parking space that sits outside their storefront
this year for free. Schultz hopes draw in a
larger number of participants this year by
making it free. Once people see how great
the event is, she hopes to be able to charge for
the spaces in subsequent years to help fund
the event. Attendees of the event will have
the chance to vote for their favorite space, a
process that she hopes will one day hold some
prestige. There will be a little bit of friendly
competition here, she said.
In addition to parking spaces that will be
transformed into things as diverse as outdoor
massage parlors, lounges and kids games, the
event will also have a big stage with live music
throughout the day, turning out great music
to set the tone for the laid-back communal
event. Artisan kiosks, public seating spaces
and potted plants will line the center of the
street.
Schultz hopes that these components will
create a regional draw and bring people to
Montpelier from all over. But, she said, the
whole idea is that I want it to really emphasize
Montpelier and what it already has, and not
necessarily bring more stuff in from outside.
She doesnt want it to just be another generic
festival, but rather a celebration unique to
Montpelier.
Schultz draws a lot of influence in planning
her events from the time that she spent living
in Bozeman, Montana, after graduating from
Boston University. She felt that the regular
community gatherings and celebrations that
Bozeman had, both in the summer and in
the heart of the ski season, gave the city its
own flair and excitement that helped solidify
its identity. Schultz sees the Park in the Street
event as hopefully being the beginning of
something like this.
Montpelier already boasts a vibrant and ro-
bust farmers market and if Park in the Street
is successful, the city might explore making it
a regular occurrence, closing down the section
of State Street between Elm and Main to traf-
fic. Schultz hopes that this is the case and is
looking forward to how the event is received
by the city.
The event is still in the early stages of plan-
ning and there is plenty of time for peo-
ple to sign up for parking spaces. If you
are interested contact Megan Schultz at
megsevent@gmavt.net.
by Jerry Carter
BRIDGE 5 X 8.5
130 Fisher Rd / Med Ofce Bldg A, Suite 1-4
Berlin VT 05602 / 802-371-5961
A CVMC Medical Group Practice / cvmc.org
Central Vermont
Womens Health
Central Vermont Womens Health providers
know that every step on your path to
childbirth is an important one.

Our prenatal care and birthing classes at the
Garden Path Birthing Center will prepare you
well for labor and delivery.
We want you to have the birth experience
you desire. Our CVMC Garden Path
Birthing Center offers:
- Doula trained nurses to help coach you
through labor.

- Labor tubs ready to help you
through labor.

- CVMC anesthesiologists
available 24/7 should you seek
help with your pain.

- A team of highly skilled
obstetricians with decades
of combined experience and
knowledge. You and your
baby may never need
specialized care but take
comfort in knowing that our
board certied physicians intervene
only when absolutely necessary and have a
proven record of good outcomes.
There is nothing more important to
us than your health and the health
of your baby.

Please call Pam, Nicole or Emma at 371.5961
to schedule a time for us to get together.

Pregnancy is so much more
than just your due date.

Best
Hospital
Roger Knowlton, DO

Image by Jess Graham.
The Center for Leadership Skills
BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Lindel James coaching & consulting
Taking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm
802 778 0626
lindel@lindeljames.com
lindeljames.com
A
s it enters its third year, Sylvan Tree
Care, a local Vermont company thats
based in Marshfield, appears to be
establishing itself as a growing business with
an impressive track record of safety and a
growing list of satisfied customers. Backed
by these achievements, why wouldnt Sylvan
Tree Care owner and operator Lincoln Earle-
Centers be looking forward to another year
up in the trees?
As a boy growing up in Asheville, North
Carolina, Lincoln was never happier than
when climbing trees. I climbed for pleasure,
Lincoln told The Bridge.
As a kid, then as a teenager, he built tree
houses and rope walks between trees. I was
a recreational tree climber before I became a
tree professional, Lincoln said. It was quite a
pleasant surprise when Lincoln realized there
was a trade to learn in climbing trees.
Ever cautious of the danger, but fascinated,
even attracted to the heights, Lincoln said,
I would always climb the tallest tree in the
woods just to get to the top and see the view.
From North Carolina, across the country to
California, then to Idaho, Lincoln climbed
trees wherever he went, whether it was sleep-
ing in hammocks high above the ground,
or climbing an irresistible tree on a whim,
or tree-sitting to protect a giant, old-growth
redwood, he found enjoyment and a connec-
tion to the trees around him. For Lincoln, no
doubt its his feeling and convictions about
trees that inform his professional work as a
tree care specialist.
I love being in trees; the energy of trees; the
structure of trees. Its a thrill to discover a
particularly good climbing tree and finding
an uncommon view. My passion is tree pres-
ervation so that people can live safely around
healthy trees, Lincoln said.
Lincoln moved to Vermont from Idaho seven
years ago in search of a place to settle and
raise his kids, a place (and these are his words)
with the right mix of beautiful deciduous
forest and great people. He feels lucky to have
landed in Vermont. I cant imagine calling
anyplace else home, he said.
During his time in Idaho, Lincoln met the
man who would introduce him to the art and
profession of working as an arborist. It was
Mark Germain who hired Lincoln to learn
the ropes with Rembrandt Tree Care, a small
family-owned operation. Lincoln remembers
Mark as a truly talented old-timer who grew
up logging in the redwoods, and who had
become one of the highest regarded men in
his region. After three years of working with
Germain, Lincoln, with his climbing back-
ground, had learned the basics and was ready
to act as foreman and take responsibility as
the head of the crews and as the companys
lead climber.
When Lincoln moved to Vermont, he took
a pause from his career as an arborist and
worked as a builder. But he continued to take
on tree work here and there. Random tree
work wasnt what he wanted. Lincoln was
anxious to get back into the trees full-time.
Thats when he started Sylvan Tree Care.
Its been such a pleasure taking the plunge of
starting a new business, Lincoln said. And
having it take off the way it has. I always
dreamed of getting a business like this going
when I came back east. What a wonderful
thing to do what you love for a living.
From his time in Idaho, Lincoln had learned
the ethic of keeping his business small and
simple. Out west he had specialized in climb-
ing large and hard-to-reach trees without the
help of bucket trucks or cranes. We were
often called in when outfits who were heavily
reliant on machines and equipment couldnt
reach or get access to a job. I learned to do
any job with the use of simple rope and pulley
rigging, by hand, Lincoln said.
Lincoln has applied that learning to Sylvan
Tree Care. When removing large limbs or
whole trees, Sylvan Tree Care uses plenty of
chainsaw power. But for everything else,
Lincoln said, we have hand tools, pruning
poles, ropes and lowering devices.
By foregoing the use of large equipmentand
Sylvan Tree Care even hauls all their brush
in a trailer rather than using a chipper
the atmosphere of the work environment is
transformed from one of loud and dangerous
machines to one where tree care workers are
employed in low-impact, low-cost, human-
powered tools, ropes and devices.
I dont want to yell at coworkers and clients
over the sounds of loud equipment all day,
every day, Lincoln said. I dont want to be
disconnected from the tree Im working on by
hovering in a bucket over a heavy truck on the
lawn, or having an aggressive chipper pulling
limbs out of my hands. There are times when
renting a chipper makes sense, or subcontract-
ing a crane.
But day-to-day we operate with basic equip-
ment.
Summing it up, Lincoln said, That feels safe.
And our clients appreciate the low impact on
their property and the lack of noise. And its a
low-overhead cost model that lets our prices
stay low in doing work where hiring a profes-
sional is often the only option.
Lincoln has been recently recognized as a
certified arborist by the International Soci-
ety of Arboriculture. After a decade of being
a professional in this field, it feels great to
become personally certified through the most
prominent organization in my line of work,
he said. As Lincoln talks about his tree care
work, theres an unmistakable enthusiasm for
what he is doing. Its work. But its more than
work.
Or as Lincoln puts it, Then theres the sheer
joy of climbing into a tree, of quietly moving
from place to place. My job can be a medita-
tion, a thrill. It can also be exhausting. But
keeping things at a pace and a scale that fits
each job is the trick. At the end of the day, I
want to leave a tree thats been cared for. And
leave, also, a happy customer and get safely
home to my family.
For further information about Sylvan Tree
Care, or to get free estimates or consultations
call Lincoln at 802-279-7818, or go online to
SylvanTreeCare.com
Sylvan Tree Care Goes Back to the Basics by Nat Frothingham
Lincoln in a tree. Photos courtesy of Lincoln Earle-Centers.
Lincoln in a tree.
Photos courtesy of
Lincoln Earle-Centers.
BARRE CITY
Doug LaPointe
Spaulding High School
476-4811 x2115
dlaposhs@u61.net
Bags at City Clerks oce, Spaulding HS,
Merchants Bank, ReStore. Leave bags on
roadsides, city workers pick up bags for
3-4 days after GU Day.
BARRE TOWN
Brenda Larira
476-8104
Bags available at Town Oces.Leave bags
along roadsides. BBQ/picnic at noon on
GU Day for volunteers.
BERLIN
Twin City Subaru 142 Berlin Mall Road
(Bag pick-up and drop-o) Green Up
bags available at Twin City Subaru. Re-
freshments for all volunteers!
BERLIN
Rob Young
223-7278
rsyajy@gmail.com
Pick up bags early at Town Oces or at
Elem. School library. Refreshments and
bags Sat morning 8-12. Bags may be left
along roadsides or put in the dumpster at
the Town Oces.
CABOT
Gary Gulka
563-2284
Gulka@fairpoint.net
Pick up bags at Town Oce, drop o at
re station 9-2 on GU Day.
CABOT
Chris Du
563-2647
cdu@fairpoint.net

CALAIS
Fletcher Dean
456-8924
etcherd@hotmail.com
Pick up bags at General Stores and Town
Clerks Oce week prior to GU Day. DO
NOT leave bags on roadsides. Drop o
bags 9-12 at recycling depot on Moscow
Woods Rd. in E. Calais.
DUXBURY
Audrey Quackenbush
244-7512
audreyq@myfairpoint.net
Bags available at the Town Oce, Dux-
bury Country Store, and a private resi-
dence to be announced on the No. Dux.
Group Site. Drop o bags at the Town
garage, railroad pull-o on River Rd., or
pull-o leading to the track/recreation
eld immediately across from Harwood
Union H.S.
EAST MONTPELIER
Chris Racanelli
225-6032
jumpinracash@gmail.com
Bags available at Town Oce. Free com-
munity lunch for all volunteers. Drop o
bags 9-3 at East Montpelier Elem. School.
FAYSTON
Nicolle Migneault
496-2083
rmigneault@aol.com
Green Up bags placed at street intersec-
tions a few days prior to GU Day. Last
bag pick up is Monday morning by the
road crew.
MARSHFIELD
Tony and Pat Mayhew
426-3849
Contact Tony and Pat for bags.
MIDDLESEX
Barry Goodman
229-1095
bmggood@aol.com
Bags available at Town Clerks Oce.
MIDDLESEX
Dave Shepard
229-1744
shep@pshift.com

MONTPELIER
Montpelier Alive
Pinky Clark
595-0441
pinkclark1946@yahoo.com
Bags are picked up at our registration table
at the Farmers Market and full bags can be
left curbside for the DPW to pick up.
MORETOWN
Mike Dimotsis
496-2812
dimotsisjane@yahoo.com
Bags available at Town Clerks Oce.
NORTHFIELD
Don Wallace
485-8990
wallace@norwich.edu
Bags available starting at 9am on GU Day
behind rehouse. Return bags to rehouse
by 12, light refreshments.
PLAINFIELD
Becky Buchanan
479-4326
beckyb60@gmail.com
Pick up bags at the Rec Field from 9-12.
Deliver full bags, debris, tires, etc, to
Town Garage until 3pm.
ROXBURY
Claire Chomentowski
485-7779
woopiect@gmail.com
Pick up bags at Claires house or Town
Oce, leave by roadside. Activities at
Comm. Center all day, free picnic at Fire-
house at noon.
ROXBURY
Kim Livellara
485-4935
kimmike@tds.net
WAITSFIELD
Valerie Snapp
496-2280
valsnapp@gmail.com
Bags available at the Town Clerks Oce.
WARREN
Warren Town Oce
496-2709
clerk@warrenvt.org
Bags available at town clerks oce and
East Warren Market. Bag drop o at
Earthwise Transfer Station, or the East
Warren Market 9-1 on Green Up Day,
along with a few other sites.
WASHINGTON
Paul Beede
883-2355
Bags available at Town Clerks Oce,
Roberts Country Store, or the Library.
Full bags can be brought to Fire Station
8:30 to 12 on GU Day. No household
trash please!
WASHINGTON
Carol Davis
883-2218
washingtontownclerk@gmail.com
WATERBURY
Lisa Scagliotti
244-1444
lscagliotti@comcast.net
Bags at town clerks oce, library & Sun-
ower Market. Drop-o at town garage
8-3 on G U Day, Guptil Rd. No house-
hold waste, haz. waste or electronics. Bag
returnables separately, if possible.
WOODBURY
Patti Garbeck / Janine Gallagher
456-1549
patti@vtlink.net
Pick up bags at town clerks oce &
Woodbury Village Store. Drop o at
Woodbury Elem. 8-12 on Green Up Day.
WORCESTER
Colleen Kutin
229-0173
clumpykut@yahoo.com Get bags
at dump week before and/or on Green
Up Day. Pick an area you want to do or
contact coordinator for areas that need at-
tention. Leaves bags on roadsides or bring
to dump on Green Up Day.
Green Up Day Activities
EMAILED ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISING INSERTION ORDER
Thomas Hirchak Company
FROM: Matt Chaney
Phone: 800-634-7653 Fax: 802-888-2211
COMPANY: The Montpelier Bridge
1C=2.39; 2C=4.937; 3C=7.494; 4C=10
TODAYS DATE: 4/22
NAME OF FILE: ReynoldsBRIDGE
DATE(S) TO RUN: 5/1
SIZE OF AD: 2X4
EMAILED TO:
carolyn@montpelierbridge.com
SECTION: REAL ESTATE
THOMAS HIRCHAK COMPANY THCAucton.com 800-634-7653
Grand 5,600 SF Victorian Home/Office with 7BR/7BA
Thurs., June 26 @ 3PM
102 S. Main St., Barre, VT
Built in 1892, this
5,600 SF grand home,
situated on 0.50
acre, boasts 7 BR & 7
BA. Near amenities,
fabulous woodwork,
parlor, dining room,
ballroom, fireplaces,
hardwoods, a great
yard, full basement,
garage, room for living
quarters & 3,000 SF
barn. Public water &
sewer. Easy access from
I-89 (exit 7) & Rte. 302.
Plenty of opportunities
for offices, apartments,
home occupation, this is
gorgeous.
60 Lake St, Burlington 540-0188 89 Main Street, Montpelier 262-CAKE
skinnypancake.com
PA
TIO
S
A
R
E O
PEN

FO
R
TH
E S
EA
S
O
N
!
SAT 4.19
WOODY PINES
w/ Tommy Kodak
& The Loaders!
$7 online
$10 at the door
9pm Btown
4t-skinnypancake041614.indd 1 4/15/14 4:17 PM
$5 Heady
Topper
and live music
w/ Jay Ekis (6pm)
Every Wednesday!
60 Lake St, Burlington 540-0188 89 Main Street, Montpelier 262-CAKE
skinnypancake.com
PA
TIO
S
A
R
E O
PEN

FO
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TH
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EA
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O
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!
SAT 4.19
WOODY PINES
w/ Tommy Kodak
& The Loaders!
$7 online
$10 at the door
9pm Btown
4t-skinnypancake041614.indd 1 4/15/14 4:17 PM
MONTBEERLIER
3PM TO 9PM
saturday may 3, 2014
f
i
f
t
h

a
n
n
u
a
l
!
R
A
R
E

C
A
S
K
S
&

s
p
e
c
ia
l
d
r
a
f
t
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live music by:
the mad mountain scramblers
AND The Mike Lorenz Trio
Grilled Artisan Meats of Vermont sausage sandwiches
served all day
Lost Nation Brewing
collaborative brew
Accvssovivs vov Ho:v, Sviv ~xb Svivi:

Freshen up your home for Spring!
25% off ALL rugs
2 days only, May 3rd & 4th
Rag rugs, Persian rugs,
Flat weave, Plush & Scatter rugs
l
Find us on Facebook for special deals
9 langdon street 229-2777
open 7 days a week
P
H
O
T
O
S

B
Y

J
E
B

W
A
L
L
A
C
E
-
B
R
O
D
E
U
R
May 3: Opening Day
of the Capital City
Farmers Market!
60 State Street, Saturdays,
9 am1 pm, MayOctober
50+ vendors: get your seedling starts,
perennials, spring produce and more
Stop by for breakfast, lunch or a sweet treat
Check out the fne crafts and artisan goods
Right in the heart of downtown, its the
community green!
montpelierfarmersmarket.com
nd us & like us!
Come join the parade dressed as your favorite species and celebrate
our interdependence with all of lifes bountiful diversity.
Noon - 1 pm Hubbard Park & Parade line up
2 pm Parade Main & State streets
2:30 pm Birth of Spring Pageant, Statehouse
alltogethernowvt.org
27th Annual All Species Day Parade
& Spring Pageant Sunday May 4, 2014 Noon - 4 pm
Thanks to the Montpelier Community Art Fund
may 3-4 weekend
v bring
i
n

t
h
e

s
p
r
i
n
g

Montpelier Alive coordinates
Green Up Day
Saturday, May 3, 911 am
Please meet up at the Farmers
Market. Sign up for work slots
online at montpelieralive.org
or call 595-0441.
Local 64 Envisions a Center for Constructive Arts by Jerry Carter
C
entral Vermont is full of creative peo-
ple. Many possess skills and talents
that are highly desirable in the mar-
ketplace, but require an exorbitant startup
cost in order to be brought to scale. Starting
a business is costly, risky and complicated.
These impediments, compounded by a high
cost of living and a poor job market, encour-
age people to stay in the job that they have.
Chris Hancock, local developer of educa-
tional and game apps, and Lars Torres, the
owner of the community workspace, Local
64, are hoping to change that. They want to
remove some of the impediments that prevent
otherwise talented and creative people from
starting their own businesses.
Torres and founding members have been able
to create a space that meets some of these
needs with Local 64, a shared workspace in
downtown Montpelier, in which people can
rent space to work. An early partnership with
Montpelier Property Management, the sup-
port of Community National Bank, and a
couple of early investors helped bring Local
64 from an idea to reality.
The opening of Local 64 has freed some local
artists, designers, writers, technology devel-
opers and business folks from the shackles
of leasing or buying office space, greatly re-
ducing one major startup cost. Hancock and
Torres now hope to take this idea one step
further. They want to create a local hub for
the creative economy, complete with facilities
where professionals, hobbyists and students
can physically build some of the prototypes
that they are designing by using communally
owned or rented fabricating machines such as
3D printers, routers, laser cutters and other
expensive tools.
Such a space is called a makers space, and
they are popping up throughout the coun-
try. About a month ago, one was started in
Burlington. The new venture, which received
nearly 900 visitors during its grand opening
celebration, is called Generator. According
to the website, generatorvermont.com, Gen-
erator creates a community of collaboration
between artists, engineers, entrepreneurs and
artisans. Generators objective is to foster a
hybrid hive of activity that creates a fertile en-
vironment for innovation, creativity and idea
fulfillment.
Hancock has long been fascinated by the pos-
sibilities of new architectural directions to
mark Montpeliers downtown as a hub of
creativity and innovation and to carry its rich
architectural heritage forward. The empty lot
on Main Street across from City Hall seemed
to him to afford the chance for a distinctive
new building. So when Hancock bumped
into Danny Sagan, a local architect, at a party
last year, Hancock couldnt help but share
his idea with Sagan, who is also an associate
professor of architecture and a program direc-
tor in the School of Architecture and Art at
Norwich University, Sagan liked the idea so
much that he had an idea: what if Hancock
and Torres pretended to be clients for one of
Norwichs architecture classes?
Hancock jumped at the idea, and this past
fall he and Torres acted as clients to Assistant
Professor Tolya Stonorov and Adjunct Profes-
sor Steve Kredells third semester architec-
ture studio. Torres and Hancock worked with
Stonorov, who also has her own architecture
firm, Stonorov Workshop in Montpelier, to
draw up a list of desired design elements.
Local 64 member Paul Wallich, a writer/tech-
nologist, contributed some additional require-
ments for the makers space. Then Stonorovs
class got to work bringing the structure to life.
After visiting the site, studying the surround-
ing architecture and digesting the ideas of
Torres and Hancock, Stonorovs students cre-
ated their own versions of what could be
Montpeliers first makers space. Torres and
Hancocks request included much more than
just a makers space; in fact, the building that
they envision pushed the limits of architec-
tural space in Montpelier. They envision a six-
story Center for Constructive Arts that would
include a gallery and caf; 1,800 square feet
of makers space; 1,000 square feet of garden
space; 3,600 square feet dedicated to Learn-
ing Touch (the company for which Hancock
is the director of new product development)
and 3,600 square feet for an expanded Local
64. The plans included a main level caf
that grants views into the makers space with
which they hope it will share a floor.
A tall order for even a seasoned architect, Tor-
res and Hancocks request forced Stonorovs
students to really explore ways to create a
space that could be easily adaptable to meet
an ever-changing set of different needs.
Hancock envisions all of these spaces some-
how being drawn together by some design el-
ement that would help transport people from
one type of creative work to the next. It was
part of that theory of how people would get
drawn in, said Hancock, and their interest
with this would be a springboard to then see
that, and so on.
The proposal certainly drew students in, and
Stonorov said that her students took it very se-
riously. A total of 18 students created propos-
als for the imaginary project. Several students
put Hancock and Torres desire to have a ver-
satile space at the center of their design. One
student, David Burke, said Stonorov, came
up with a building that he wanted to be able
to shift and move so that the users would have
the ability to change their space depending
on what they needed. Another, Michelle Lee,
she said, had an idea of making individual
work pods that were on sliding tracks.
Torres and Hancock are hoping to get the
Montpelier community moving when they
host eight of Stonorovs students proposals at
Local 64 on May 9. The Jacobs family, which
owns the property, currently has no plan for
further exploring Stonorovs students plans.
The lot is in a difficult site to develop, because
it is within the floodplain and would require
a significant investment if it were to become a
reality. According to the city website, montpe-
lier-vt.org, New buildings are required to be
built above the base flood elevation.
Jesse Jacobs does like the idea of bringing a
makers space to Montpelier, however, and
feels that the city needs to shift away from
simply catering to state jobs and find ways to
create spaces that embrace a more indepen-
dent, creative entrepreneurial spirit. I think
that what Lars [Torres] is trying to incept in
Montpelier and other communities through-
out Vermont is important, said Jacobs.
Torres, Hancock and Stonorov are hoping
that their event on May 9 will help get people
excited about the future possibilities for new
architecture downtown, as well as the future
of central Vermonts creative economy. With
enough community support, the Jacobs fam-
ily and other developers in town may one
day consider the feasibility of such a makers
space.
89 Main at City Center, Montpelier
artisanshand.com
Facebook for more images
ARTISANS HAND
Contemporary Vermont Crafts
Celebrate the beauty of Spring
hand painted tiles by Carol Keiser
3-D printed part model
by David Burke.
Building component
by Sheridan Steiner.
Next- Envisioning the future of architecture in Montpelier.
By Katie Quebec, Jennifer Bauser, and Keith Stipe.
v bring
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JOHN'S COLUMN:
Family Bartletts by John OBrien
D
anny Sagan and Alisa Dworsky, for-
merly of Tunbridge, now residents
on First Avenue in Montpelier, once
confided to me that a dinner party is a forced
event. With the best of intentions, we all
wake up in the morning swearing that today is
the day we clear off the kitchen table, vacuum
the mudroom and pumice the toilet bowl,
but how often do our to-dos become ta-das?
Thus the forced event. Theres nothing like
the imminent arrival of six guests for us to
get in touch with our inner Martha Stewart:
Theres no toilet paper! Do something with
that dead mouse in the cupboard! Can you
smell the compost from there? Panic is the
mother of hygiene.
I considered forced event such an apt phrase
that I adopted it. Now its part of the family
vocabulary, used for those special occasions
and happily attributed. All families have their
own oral Bartletts, familiar quotations from
friends and family and even strangers that are
referenced almost daily, sometimes annually,
but frequently enough that the clan gets the
joke or understands the patois.
Children, of course, are probably the most
quoted. My stepson, Ira, age 6, is the Oscar
Wilde of our family Bartletts. At three, his
idea of a big number was fortyonehundred.
This passed, amongst his relatives, into com-
mon usage. Now in first grade, exposed to the
new math, hes ramped up. If his brother, Eli,
age 9, has a trillion million of something, Ira
announces, with exactitude, I have infididity.
No I have infididity plus one.
A year or two ago, Ira, or perhaps his cousin
of the same age, Avry, decided that incest
was a lot easier to pronounce than obsessed.
A common observation of Iras: Elis incest
with moken troll. Translation: My brother is
obsessed with remote control vehicles.
Needless to say, around the hollers of Tun-
bridge, you can often hear grown adults pro-
claim, Shes incest with Facebook, or Hes
incest with guns. How many guns does he
have? Fortyonehundred.
Reassuringly unsure about whats fact or fic-
tion, Ira will often ask, For real? after some
adult assertion. If I say, I once shot a man in
Reno just to see him die, Ira will solemnly
question my past, For real? Last week, at
the Roger Williams Park Zoo, watching the
harbor seals lazily swim to and fro, I said with
a sigh, Ive never seen a mermaid or a unicorn
in my life. Ira, dumbfounded at my barren
existence, gasped, For real? One can see that
a childlike For real? is the perfect, family-
friendly response for dealing with toppers,
anglers, salesmen, preachers, politicians,and
athletes named Barry or Roger.
Sober adults are also good for a repeatable line.
A quip is good for a laugh, but the completely
earnest have a staying power all of their own.
Im one of those irritating last-minuters who
barely makes a deadline or just misses it. Years
ago, when the White River Junction post of-
fice was open until 7 p.m., Id often drive
down from Tunbridge to mail a package that
had to go out that day. One day, arriving when
the clock in my car read 7:00, I hustled to
the front door. The front doors automatically
opened. As I zipped towards the counters, a
familiar USPS employeea lookalike for a
medieval executionerslammed the security
portcullis down in my face and informed me,
with a glum satisfaction, Not today, buddy.
The line stuck and now whenever Im turned
back by rejection, literally or figuratively, I
quote this philatelic Quasimodo.
Once, a Tunbridge localIll call him D.
who had spent the day as a flag person on
the Route 110 bridge overhaul, in response to
getting razzed by the construction crew, called
them labians when lesbians was the word
he was searching for. This retort did not go
unnoticed. While D. may have forgotten the
incident, just last weekend, I saw two labians
walking hand-in-hand down State Street.
My partner, Emily, recently discovered an In-
ternet sub-sation (something less than a sensa-
tion) called Las Vegas Barbie. I dont know
what this womans real name is, but she looks
not unlike a Barbie doll. She wants to be a
celebrityand maybe, thanks to the web, she
is. She appears to be a stay-at-home mom. She
also owns a serval. About the size of a bobcat,
this African native, dubbed Zeus, figures
prominently in Las Vegas Barbies YouTube
videos. The comments posted after these self-
promoting shorts range from supportive to
vituperative. One anonymous response leapt
out for its multitudinous wrongness: why
that b**** got a hyena. Every family needs to
occasionally upgrade their WTF, and at the
moment, why that b**** got a hyena is our
trending retort to all that is inexplicable.
The quote I recite the most often comes not
from a person but a postcard. At a Russian
grocery in Nashua, N.H., I found this post-
card depicting a handsome Soviet era comrade
eating steak and peas. In the foreground, an
arm offers the Stalinite a small glass of vodka,
which, with a karate chop frozen in midair, he
declines. Het! is all the card says. Nowadays,
I often ask myself if I want to tackle a chore
and respond with a karate chop and a firm
Het!
Do you want to pumice the toilet bowl
today? Het!
I
n last months column I lamented the
demise of all the spinach and lettuce
seedlings I planted in the greenhouse
last fall. Too cold for too long, I said. Wrong
again! While it is true that everything in the
small greenhouse died, the tiny seedlings I
planted in the big greenhouse very late in
the fall not only survived, they thrived!
Outdoors, weve planted onions, leeks, peas
and a long row of radishes. Anything where
the planting instructions read, as soon as
ground can be worked can be seeded now.
That said, after years of planting carrots,
beets, parsnips and other root crops the
minute I could get outside, I now err on the
side of caution. Night temperatures are still
pretty cold, which means that soil tempera-
tures are pretty cool as well. While these
seeds will germinate between 50 and 75
degrees, ideal temperature for germination
is closer to 70. So Ill wait another couple of
weeks to let the soil warm up a bit.
Another thing to consider when planting
seeds like carrotssmall seeds that require
consistent moisture to germinate success-
fullyis soil preparation. Take the time
to prepare the seed bed as though you are
expecting an inspection from the Queen.
Fork out any clumps of weeds or cover crop
that has not broken down. Then, rake the
bed thoroughly to remove rocks, pebbles
and crumble up any clods of soil that re-
main. The extra time it takes to get the
bed pristine will be repaid in quick, steady
germination.
Consider the size of a carrot seed. When
you make the planting furrow, it should be
no deeper than 1/2 inch. Look at that on a
ruler. Its not very deep. I plant using the tap
methodslowly tapping the seeds to the
top of the seed packet and tapping them out
individually, one by one or at most, two by
two. When the seeds become too numerous
at the opening of the packet, I tap them all
back to the bottom and start again, slowly
bringing them to the top. Its like a Chinese
opera in reverse. The performers spend an
hour laboriously bringing their sleeves up
over their hands and then in a single ges-
ture flop the capacious sleeves back down.
The time it takes to plant sparingly pays off
with little to no need for thinning. Once
Ive planted, I cover seeds lightly and tamp
down the soil with the back of a rake.
Tamping down the soil or in the case of
peas, pushing the peas slightly into the soil
in the furrow, ensures that when the seed
germinates, the root immediately makes
contact with the substrate. I confess that
when I plant, I try to put myself in seeds
place, thinking about what it will take to
be successful. When the seed is successful,
so am I.
Poor germination is usually tied to one or
more of three things. The seed is too old,
youve planted too deep, or youve allowed
the soil around the seed to dry out. Seeds
for root crops like carrots are particularly
sensitive to drying out and notorious for
being slow to germinate. A useful tip is to
plant before a rain, let the bed get good and
soaked and then lay boards on top of the
rows where youve planted the seeds. After
five or six days start lifting the boards to
check for germination. When you see carrot
seedlings remove the boards. Works like a
charm.
Planning the garden is no less important
than knowing how to plant the various
crops. One important rule is to rotate your
crops. Dont plant the same vegetable in the
same place you planted it the year before.
This is sensible when you consider buildup
of pests and diseases. But it is also sensible
when you consider that different plants re-
quire different amounts of, and different
concentrations of, the elements that deliver
the nutrients.
In addition to pests, diseases and nutrients,
plan according to how long the crop takes
from germination to harvest. We situate
deep feeders like brassicas and tomatoes on
the part of the garden where we had either
chicken or pigs the year before. Since garlic
is pretty much done by late July, we plant
that where the chickens will forage in Au-
gust. Next to the garlic we plant the peas
that will also be harvested by the end of
July. Quick growing plants like lettuce and
radishes can be popped around slower grow-
ing ones like cauliflower or broccoli. Those
beds do double duty.
Knowing that peppers need good fertility
but set poorly in areas with too much ni-
trogen, I plant them at the edge of the
chickens foraging pen. The chickens have
fertilized there some but not as much as
right around the coop. There is an art to it.
The longer you garden the more you get a
feel for it. Right now, Im regretting that we
didnt dig any compost into the area where
we planted the peas. But then I remember
that was mostly sunflowers and lettuce last
year. Perhaps the soil is not too depleted.
Time will tell.
Happy Gardening!
Planting and Planning
by Miriam Hansen
Hands on Gardener
Spinach growing in Miriam Hansen's greenhouse.
Photo courtesy of David Hansen.
Its been 10 years!!!
No. 9 Boutique
75 Main Street Montpelier, VT 05601
802-229-0019 www.shopno9boutique.com
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Monday, May 5th-Sunday, May 11th
20% OFF Storewide
other Sale Racks up to 60% OFF
O
n April 7, 2014, security research-
ers announced the discovery of a
substantial Internet vulnerability.
Dubbed Heartbleed, this vulnerability
threatened to affect a large portion of the
Internet in a way we had not seen before.
Ive followed the incident closely and have
put together a short explanation of the vul-
nerability and how it affects you.
What is Heartbleed? Heartbleed is
the name given to the vulnerability dis-
covered in the OpenSSL protocol. Specifi-
cally, this vulnerability was discovered in
a portion of OpenSSL referred to as the
heartbeat extension, hence the name. The
Heartbleed vulnerability allows an attacker
to request and receive bits of information
from affected websites that may contain
usernames, passwords or other data.
Whats SSL? SSL stands for Secure
Sockets Layer and is a very common way
of encrypting a website. If youve ever seen
the characters https:// before a website, the
s is the indication that the website youre
using offers some form of SSL security.
How Widespread is Heartbleed?
The two most prominent web servers on
the Internet are Apache and nginx, which
combine for approximately two-thirds of
the market. Both of these web server prod-
ucts are (or were) vulnerable to Heartbleed.
These web servers are used for any number
of websites, from email, to chat, to more.
Where Did Heartbleed Come
From? Heartbleed was independently dis-
covered by at least two people, one from
Google and one from a Finnish security
firm. The actual code that is vulnerable was
written several years ago. In other words,
this problem has existed for quite a while,
but no one noticed.
How Do I Know if Im Affected?
In short, if you use the Internet, youre af-
fected. The sheer number of websites that
are, or were, vulnerable is staggering. Youve
likely received some communication from
websites you use about whether or not your
information was vulnerable. Unfortunately,
theres no way to know if the Heartbleed
bug was exploited on a particular website,
as the exploitation leaves no trace.
What Should I Do Right Now? Ive
long advocated that you periodically change
your passwords, and now would be a good
time. If youre already doing that, you
might want to check out tools like LastPass
(lastpass.com) that have built-in options to
examine websites for vulnerabilities.
How Do I Know if a Website is
Vulnerable? There are a number of sites
out there that will tell you, this one from
Symantec/Norton is as good as any: http://
safeweb.norton.com/heartbleed
What if My Business is Vulner-
able? Id strongly suggest working with
your website provider/consulting firm to get
the vulnerability fixed as soon as possible.
If your organization uses a VPN (virtual
private network) your VPN implementation
may be vulnerable. Consult your IT staff or
firm to find out.
What Do We Do Moving For-
ward? Unfortunately, theres not much we
can do differently. There are always going
to be vulnerabilities in software code and
so long as theres motivation to exploit those
vulnerabilities, people will. Fortunately
there are good guys looking for the same
holes in the Internet in an effort to plug
them before too much damage can be done.
My recommendations now are the same as
theyve always beenhave good security
policies, verify things on a schedule, backup
and be smart with your data.
If you want to read more about Heartbleed,
there are many sites where you can do so.
Wikipedia, as always, has some good infor-
mation, but its a bit heavy to read through:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbleed.
The website http://heartbleed.com/ is far
easier to read. Symantec/Norton has ongo-
ing communication about Heartbleed and
many will find their response at http://www.
symantec.com/outbreak/?id=heartbleed
worth reading.
Everything You Need to Know
About Heartbleed by Jeremy Lesniak Tech Check
Finally, in an attempt to end this with a bit of humor, a comic on the subject.
[Image from http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/heartbleed.png]
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Lesniak
Chandler Center for the Arts presents
TradNation Project
Friday May 9, 7:30 PM
Dentdelion & Les Poules Colin
Celebrate Qubecs thriving traditional music scene !

Pre-concert dinner at 6 PM. Sweet and savory crepes for sale
to beneft RUHS French students travel to Montral. Cash bar..
Sponsored by:
www.chandler-arts.org
802-728-6464
Main Street
Randolph, VT
Amy Goodman |s the host and execut|ve producer of Democracy
Now!, a da||y, |ndependent, award-w|nn|ng news program
a|r|ng on over 1,200 pub||c te|ev|s|on and rad|o stat|ons wor|d-
w|de. In 2012 she rece|ved the Gandh| eace Award, and |s the
1st [ourna||st to rece|ve the k|ght L|ve||hood Award, w|de|y
known as the "A|ternat|ve Nobe| r|ze." She and
her brother, Vermont [ourna||st Dav|d Goodman,
are co-authors of three New ork 1|mes best-
se|||ng books Amy w||| be |n pub||c conversat|on
w|th Dav|d ta|k|ng about her ||fe and work and
the ro|e of |ndependent med|a |n a democrat|c
soc|ety.
What can we be||eve?
What shou|d we be||eve?
8reak|ng the Corporate Med|a Sound 8arr|er
A Conversat|on w|th Amy Goodman
8rouqht to you by 1he vermont 1own no//
1M
Saturday, May 17, 7 p.m. - Spruce eak erform|ng Arts Center, Stowe
Adm|ss|on |s 510
www.sprucepeakarts.org]
event]amy-goodman]
Amy Goodman
Dav|d Goodman
whot is 1he vermont 1own no//
1M
?
Iounded by four fr|ends, 1he Vermont 1own na|| |s a d|a|ogue ser|es whose goa| |s to br|ng ||ve|y,
engag|ng, pub||c conversat|ons on b|g top|cs to our home state.
MAY 1
MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier
Bicycle Advisory Committee. First Turs., 8 a.m.
Police Station Community Room, 534 Washing-
ton St., Montpelier. 262-6273.
March for Health & Dignity and Day of Action.
Keep government on track toward universal
health care, work with dignity, a healthy environ-
ment and more. A celebration of our families,
our communities and our strength as a peoples
movement. Family-friendly, with music, art and
kid-friendly activities. Presented by Vermont
Workers Center and partners. Noon. State
House Lawn. Montpelier.
Catholic Daughters Rummage Sale. 47 p.m.
St. Augustine Church. 16 Barre St.,
Montpelier.223-5285.
Book Release: The Fourth Liam Dutra Novel.
Montpelier author Kevin Macneil Brown will read
from his latest novel and talk about the process
of crafting mystorical ction. 6:30 p.m. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Diabetes Support Group. First Turs., 78 p.m.
Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical
Center. 371-4152.
Powerful Poems and Decadent Desserts. Select
poems from those on display during Randolphs
PoemTown month will read their poems. Home-
made desserts will be available. 7 p.m. Chandlers
Upper Gallery. 71-73 Main St., Randolph. Free.
728-9878.
Vermont Humanities Council Book Discus-
sion: B.I.G.: Big, Intense, Good Books. Mary
Hays facilitates conversation about George Eliot's
Middlemarch. 7 p.m. Cobleigh Public Library. 14
Depot St., Lyndonville. Free. 626-5475.
What Makes Us Laugh: Charlie Chaplin, Buster
Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Harry Langdon, and
Other Silent Film Clowns. With Circus Smirkus
founder Rob Mermin. Film clips and commentary
about silent acting and pantomime. 7 p.m. Big
Picture Teater. 48 Carroll Rd., Waitseld. Free.
Film Screening: Amreeka. Te MFA in Film at
Vermont College of Fine Arts presents the last
lm of its Spring Residency screenings Amreeka,
directed by Cherien Dabis, followed by a discus-
sion with the director. 7:30 p.m. Savoy Teater. 26
Main St., Montpelier. Free. Ticket reservations are
required: www.vcfa.edu/lm-events. 802-828-
8529. stephen.pite@vcfa.edu.
MAY 2
Catholic Daughters Rummage Sale. 9 a.m1
p.m.; Bag Sale, 14 p.m. St. Augustine Church.
16 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-5285.
Reiki Clinic. Half-hour sessions. Hour sessions
available. Noon4 .m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. $15. By appoint-
ment: 522-0045.
Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your
own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.
First Fri., 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist
Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and enter
at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@
comcast.net.
The Practice of Prayer. Elizabeth Mattis Nam-
gyel, Buddhist author of Te Power of an Open
Question: Te Buddha's Path to Freedom, will give
a public talk followed by a book signing. 7 p.m.
Unitarian Church. 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Free; donations accepted. 333-4521.
vanwaxman@gmail.com.
THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY
May 13: Godspell. An inspirational and
popular musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-
Michael Tebelak. 7 p.m. all three evenings; 2 p.m
matinee May 3. Twineld Union School, 106
Nasmith Brook Rd., Marsheld. $10. 563-9965.
plaineldlittletheatre@gmail.com.
May 2: An Evening with Groucho. Award-
winning actor/director/playwright Frank Ferrante
re-creates his acclaimed portrayal of legendary
comedian Groucho Marx in this fast-paced 90
minutes of hilarity. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music
Hall. 71-73 Main St., Randolph. $25 advance;
$30 day of show; $10 students. 728-6464.
chandler-arts.org.
May 2: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy
Night. Montpelier's monthly comedy open mic.
Please help support local comedy by performing
or watching those that do. Signups 7:30 p.m.;
show starts 8 p.m. Te American Legion Post
#3. 21 Main St., Montpelier. Free; donations ac-
cepted. 793-3884.
May 3: Kamikaze Comedy. Enjoy a fun and
interactive comedy improv show from Vermont's
favorite Improv Troupe. 6:30 p.m. family-friend-
ly performance; 8:30 p.m. not-so family-friendly
performance. Valley Players Teater, 4254 Main
St., Waitseld. Cash at door: $10 adults; $5 chil-
dren. facebook.com/kamikazecomedyvt.
May 4: Meet Eleanor Roosevelt: Wife, Mother
and First Lady. Te Friends of the Waterbury
Public Library are having their annual Spring Tea
and have hired Eleanor Roosevelt to come talk
about her life from 1905 to 1945 as wife, mother
and First Lady. Actress Elena Dodd brings life to
Eleanor Roosevelt in this one-woman drama and
historical interpretation of the four decades of her
marriage to FDR, including her adventures as a
controversial First Lady in the 1930s and 1940s.
2 p.m. American Legion Post 59. 16 Stowe St.,
Waterbury. Free. 244-7036.
May 818: The Last 5 Years. Lost Nation
Teater presents the ground-breaking, award-
winning modern musical Te Last 5 Years. An in-
geniously chronicled, and intensely personal look
at a relationship and marriage, told from both
points of view, and from meeting to break-up -
or break-up to meeting, depending on how you
look at it. Montpelier City Hall Arts Center. 39
Main St., Montpelier. $30 Fri.Sun.; $25 Tur.;
$15 May 8 and matinee May 10. Discounts for
students and seniors. 229-0492.
May 8, 11, 15: 7 p.m.
May 9, 10, 16, 17: 8 p.m.
May 10, 18: 2 p.m.
May 9: Extempo. Tell a 57.5-minute, rst-
person, true story from your own life. Sign up in
advance and come prepared without notes. No
theme. 8 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St.,
Barre. $5. 479-0896. storytelling@extempovt.
com. extempovt.com.
May 910: Red Tape. Presented by Vermont
Vaudeville. Unique combination of comedy,
circus skills, and music not seen in Vermont since
the golden age of Vaudeville. 8 p.m.; Sat. matinee
2 p.m. Hardwick Town House. Church St.,
Hardwick. Advance: $12 adults; $6 kids. At door:
$15 adults; $8 kids. 533-2589. vermontvaude-
ville@gmail.com. vermontvaudeville.com.
DANCE
May 1618: Contemporary Dance & Fitness
Studio 40th Anniversary Performances of
CD & FS, Tis year marks the 40th anniversary
founded in 1973 by Lorraine Neal.
May 1617, 7 p.m: A Reunion and Celebration
to honor Lorraine Neal will be held on May
18, 5 p.m. A special show will be presented in
the theater, followed by a reception in the lobby.
All alumni and friends of the studio are invited.
Barre Opera House. 6 N. Main St., #4, Barre.
$10 Donation.
May 18: Reunion RSVP: 229-4676. reunion@
cdandfs.com.
Performing
Arts
Meet Eleanor Roosevelt: Wife,
Mother and First Lady on
May 4 at the American Legion
in Waterbury. Actress Elena
Dodd brings life to Eleanor
Roosevelt in this one-woman
drama and historical interpre-
tation of the four decades of
her marriage to FDR.
MAY 3
Montbeerlier Festival. Join us for our fth an-
niversary celebration! Epic draught list that will
include our collaboration beer with Lost Nation
Brewing. Music by Te Mad Mountain Scram-
blers. 39 p.m. Tree Penny Taproom. 108 Main,
St., Montpelier. $5 per beer ticket. No cover.
223-8277.
Vermonts Walleye Fishing Begins. Walleye
shing season starts in much of the state and
regulations vary, depending on the water you are
shing. For regulations: vtshandwildlife.com.
National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier
Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room,
1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.
Hike Moscow with Green Mountain Club Mont-
pelier. Moderate. 10+/- miles. Cotton Brook loop
trail. Contact Leader Phyllis for meeting time
location: 223-0020. phyllis@PhyllisRubenstein-
Law.comcastbiz.net.
4th Annual Weekend Flea Market. May 34, 8
a.m.2 p.m. Central VT Memorial Civic Center.
268 Gallison Hill Rd., Montpelier. $1 adults; .50
cents students; free for kids under 10. 229-5900.
cvmcc.org.
Calais Green Up Day. Volunteers can drop o
bags of roadside litter. Metal also accepted (no
refrigerators, liquids or tires on rims). Household
trash and recyclables accepted for the usual fee.
Please do not leave bags on roadsides to be picked
up. Free coee. 9 a.m.noon. Recycling Depot.
Moscow Woods Rd., E. Calais. 456-8924.
etcherd@hotmail.com.
Marshfield Green-Up Day. Bring all trash, metal
and tires to the Marsheld Town Garage. 8 a.m.
Noon. Marsheld Town Garage. 122 School St.,
Marsheld. 426-3849.
Orchard Valley Waldorf Schools 8th Annual
Sweet N Savory All-You-Can-Eat Pie Break-
fast. Fundraiser beneting Orchard Valley
Waldorf School. 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. $8; $30
family; children under 5 free. Christ Episcopal
Church. 64 State St., Montpelier. 802-456-7400.
ovws.org.
Opening Day of the Capital City Farmers'
Market. Te outdoor season kicks o with 53
vendors selling vegetable and ower starts, peren-
nials, greens and root vegetables, prepared foods
and crafts. 9 a.m.1 p.m. 60 State St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-2958. manager@montpelierfarmers-
market.com. montpelierfarmersmarket.com.
MAY 4
27th Annual All Species
Day. Come dressed as your
favorite species and join in
the parade. Noon1 p.m:
Hubbard Park; 2 p.m.:
Parade. Spring, Main and
State streets, Montpelier;
2:304 p.m.: Birth of
Spring Pageant. State-
house Lawn. alltogether-
nowvt.org.
Walk Stowe with Green
Mountain Club. Easy. 10
miles round trip. Stowe Bike
Path. Paved. Contact leader,
Michael Chernick, for meeting
time and place. 249-0520. cher-
nick5@comcast.net.
Northeast Fiddlers Association
Monthly Jam and Meet. Fiddlers and public
welcome. Noon5 p.m. VFW. Pleasant St., Mor-
risville. Food shelf donations welcome.
CSA Open Farm Day. Over 40 farms across
Vermont will open their greenhouses, barns and
elds to community members. Farm activities
may include tours, demonstrations, product tast-
ing, scavenger hunts and more. 14 p.m. Free.
For list of participating farms by county: nofavt.
org/annual-events/CSA-open-farm-day.
MAY 5
Foot Clinic. Nurses from Central Vermont Home
Health & Hospice clip toe nails, clean nail beds,
le nails & lotion feet. 9 a.m.1 p.m. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
$15. Call to reserve 15-min. appointments and
nd out what to bring: 223-2518.
Parent Meet-Up. Come meet other parents,
share information and chat over light snacks,
coee and tea. First Mon., 1011:30 a.m. Hayes
Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. mamasayszine@gmail.com.
Free on the Web Computer Workshop. With
Beth Burgess. Find free stu on the Internet, no
strings attached! Bring a laptop. 34:30 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Register: 223-2518.
Magic the Gathering! With collaboration from
the Book Garden. Part of National Screen Free
Week. Players, you know who you are. 3:305
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. Must sign up ahead: 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Classic Book Club. First Mon., 68 p.m. Cutler
Memorial Library, 151 High St. (Rte. 2), Plain-
eld. Free. 454-8504.
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 6-8 pm. Conference Center. 600 Granger
Road, Berlin, VT 05602. Free. 223-1878.
The Memory Cafe's Steering Committee.
Anyone can attend to help plan future Memory
Cafs. We particularly encourage people with
early or middle-stage dementia to attend the
meetings. Teir input is especially welcome. 6
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre
St., Montpelier. Lisbeth: 229-9630.
New Flowers and Vegetables for the Garden.
Amanda Legare, owner of Amandas Greenhouses
and Perennials, will present a slide show and
discussion about annual owering plants. 6:30
Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
MAY 6
ADA Advisory Committee Meeting. First Tues.
City managers conference room, City Hall, 39
Main St., Montpelier. 223-9502.
Hike Waterbury with the Green Mountain
Club. Moderate. 56 miles. Little River State
Park. Spring wildower and history hike. Bring
water and lunch. Call Leaders George and
Cynthia for meeting time and place: 229-9787.
marlong@myfairpoint.net.
Home Share Now Info Table. Joel Rhodes,
program and outreach assistant with Home Share
Now and VHCB AmeriCorps Member, will be
at an information table at MSAC to discuss the
Home Share program and answer questions.
10:30 a.m.noon. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Spanish Musical Storytime. Sing, dance and
learn Spanish with this burst of lovely, eerves-
cent energy. Ages birth5. 11:15 a.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Library Book Delivery Ser-
vice. First and third Tues.,
1 p.m. See sign-up sheet
near oce for more info.
Montpelier Senior Activ-
ity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 223-2518.
Sushi Snackfest with
NECI Chefs. Make your
own veggie sushi, hear a
Japanese folktale, fold some
origami. Part of National
Screen Free Week. Ages
6+. 3:304:30 p.m. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-
3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Williamstown Historical Society Monthly
Meeting. Featuring educational program by local
snowshoe maker Marie Boutin. Potluck dinner
6 p.m.; presentation 7:30 p.m. Williamstown
Historical Museum. Rte. 14, Williamstown. Free
and open to the public. 433-5565.
williamstownvt.org/histsoc.html.
Womens Circle. Women and mothers discuss
motherhood, family life and womens health.
Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and
Hannah Allen. First Tues., 68 p.m. Emerge
Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River St.,
Montpelier.
Raising Children in the Digital Age. With author
and professor Dr. Elaine Young and journalist,
historian, media studies professor and founding
president of ACME (Action Coalition for Media
Education) Rob Williams. Get practical tips for
digital boundaries and see a holistic landscape of
the challenges and opportunities in our virtual
world. 6:308 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
MAY 7
Montpelier Business Association Meeting. 8:30
a.m. Memorial Room, Montpelier City Hall. 39
Main St., Montpelier. 223-9604.
montpelieralive.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Chil-
dren. First Wed., 10 a.m.noon. Barre Presbyte-
rian Church, Summer St. 476-1480.
Second Part of Freedom & Unity: The Vermont
Movie. Doers and Shapers explores the people
and institutions that pushed boundaries, such as
John Dewey and progressive education. Part of
the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 1:30 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free for members; $5 suggested dona-
tion for non-members. 454-1234.
pdaggett@myfairpoint.net.
Qi Gong. With Edward Kentish. Learn an ancient
Chinese moving meditation. Part of National
Screen Free Week. Ages 6+ and parents. 3:304
Montpelier. Free. Sign up ahead: 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Volunteer with Central VT Adult Basic Educa-
tion. Find out about volunteer opportunities at
CVABE in the Barre/Montpelier area. Tis is
also a chance for current volunteers to share their
experiences and inspire others. 4:305:30 p.m.
CVABEs Barre Learning Center. 46 Washington
St., Barre. 476-4588.
Cancer Support Group. First Wed., 6 p.m.
Potluck. For location, call Carole Mac-Intyre
229-5931.
U-32 School Board Meeting. School board
meetings are open to the public and community
members are always welcome to attend. 6 p.m.
U-32, rm. 131. 930 Gallison Hill Rd., Montpe-
lier. 229-0321.
Montpelier School Board Meeting. 79:30 p.m.
Montpelier High School, library. 5 High School
Dr., Montpelier. 225-8000.
The Wyeths: First Family of American Art.
Shelburne Museum Director Tomas Denenberg
will discuss the inuence of the Wyeth family on
American art and culture. Part of the Vermont
Humanities Councils First Wednesdays lecture
series. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main
kellogghubbard.org.
MAY 8
Program and Book Signing: The Vermont Dif-
ference. Tis new book, Te Vermont Dierence,
oers a dynamic look at the best of Vermont
through beautiful images and engaging essays.
Noon1:30 p.m. Vermont History Museum. 109
State St., Montpelier. Free. 479-8515. mark.hud-
son@state.vt.us. vermonthistory.org/calendar.
Making Felted Wallets. With JoAnn Darling
from Garden of Seven Gables. Part of National
Screen Free Week. Ages 6+. 3:304:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpe-
lier. Free. Sign up ahead: 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Tree Walk. Join John Snell of the Montpelier Tree
Board for a gentle hour-long walk to see, enjoy
and talk about Montpeliers street trees. Walk
leaves from City Hall. 5 p.m. City Hall. 39 Main
Book Reading and Discussion: The Year of
No Sugar by Eve Schaub. Eve challenged her
husband and daughters to join her on a quest to
eat no added sugar for a year. 6:30 p.m. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teach-
ing, fellowship. Second and fourth Turs., 79
p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel
Dr., Barre. Free. 479-0302.
MAY 9
Vermont Veterans Home Info Session. Learn
about Vermonts only veterans homevisuals
of campus life and requirements to become a
resident. 12:45 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activ-
ity Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
The Good Old Days. Join MSAC members over
75 years old in informal chats about the good old
days! 1 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center.
58 Barre St., Montpelier. For transportation or
more info call Mary Alice a day ahead: 223-8140.
Dowsing. With Ray Machell. Hands-on water
dowsing workshop. 24 p.m. Aldrich Public
Library, 6 Washington St., Barre. Free. 476-7550.
aldrichlibrary@charter.net
aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Farmers Markets in
Washington County
Barre Farmers' Market
(Barre)
Vermont Granite Museum, 7 Jones
Brothers Way
Saturday
9 a.m.1 p.m.
MayOctober 2014
Contact: Maayan Kasimov
Phone: 802-225-6574
Market Email: barrefarmersmarket@
gmail.com
Website: http://www.
barrefarmersmarketvt.com
Accepts EBT and Debit Cards
Capital City Farmers' Market
(Montpelier)
60 State Street
Saturday
9 a.m.1 p.m.
May 3October 25, 2014
Contact: Carolyn Grodinsky
Phone: 802-223-2958
Market Email: manager@
Website: http://
Northfield Farmers' Market
(Northfield)
Northfield Common
Tuesday
3 p.m.6 p.m.
Contact: Judy Hewett
Phone: 802-485-8027
Market Email:
northfieldfarmersmarketvt@gmail.com
northfieldfarmersmarketvt.com/
Does Not Accept EBT or Debit Cards
Waitsfield Farmers' Market
(Waitsfield)
Rte 100, next to Mad River Green
Saturday
9 a.m.1 p.m.
Contact: Barbara Conn
Phone: 802-472-8027
Market Email: marketmanager@
waitsfieldfarmersmarket.com
waitsfieldfarmersmarket.com/
Does Not Accept EBT or Debit Cards
Waterbury Farmers' Market
(Waterbury)
Rusty Parker Memorial Park, Main
Street
Thursday
3 p.m.7 p.m.
Contact: Lorelei Wyman
Phone: 802-279-4371
Market Email: vtwmm@comcast.net
waterburyfarmersmarket.com

Plainfield Farmers Market
Plainfield Village
Friday
4 p.m.7 p.m.
Tentative start datebeginning of June
Contact: Chris Thompson
Phone: 454-9394
For a full list of markets statewide, go to
NOFA-VT at:
http://nofavt.org/find-organic-food/
farmers-market-directory
Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 229-
9212. bagitos.com.
May 1: Colin McCarey and Brendan Taae
(Irish and American traditional with African
rhythms) 68 p.m.
May 2: Shane Carie (Big radio hits, 1950s to
today) 68 p.m.
May 3: Sarah Blair, Hilari Farrington, Bene-
dict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne and others
(Irish traditional) 25 p.m.; Dallas Heron
(alternative folk) 68 p.m.
May 4: Eric Friedman (folk ballads)
11 a.m.1 p.m.
Chandler Music Hall. 7173 Main St., Ran-
dolph. Tickets: 728-6464 or chandler-arts.org.
May 3: Vermont Philharmonic. 7:30 p.m. $15
adults; $12 seniors; $5 students.
May 9: Te TradNation Project. Music from
Quebec's traditional music scene. 10:30 a.m.
and 7:30 p.m. $20 adults; $10 students.
May 11: Te Wailin' Jennys. 7:30 p.m. $40
adults advance; $45 adults day of show;
$25 students.
May 16: Te Next Generation. Featuring
young musicians who have studied classical
instrumental or vocal music. 7:30 p.m. $16
advance; $20 day of show; $10 students.
North Branch Caf 41 State St., Montpelier.
Free. 552-8105. thenorth-branch.com.
May 1: Dave Loughran (smooth classic rock)
78:30 p.m.
May 2: McBride and Lussen (traditional and
contemporary folk) 7:309:30 p.m.
May 3: Maryann Casale (sultry blues, folk,
Americana) 79 p.m.
May 8: Dave Lougran (smooth classic rock)
78:30 p.m.
May 9: Simon de Voil (folk) 7:309:30 p.m.
May 10: Lisa Carlson and Malone (ute, viola,
violin) 79 p.m.
Positive Pie. 22 State St., Montpelier. 229-0453.
positivepie.com.
May 9: Women of Song featuring Elle Car-
penter, Abby Jenne and Sara Grace. 21+. 10:30
p.m. $5.
May 10: APEX (funk, rock, fusion, jazz) 21+.
10:30 p.m. $8.
May 16: Te Main Squeeze (funk) 10:30 p.m.
May 17: Soule Monde (instrumental, organ-
driven funk) 21+. 10:30 p.m. $5.
Sweet Melissas. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier.
Free unless otherwise noted. 225-6012. facebook.
com/sweetmelissasvt.
May 1: O'hAnleigh. 7 p.m.
May 2: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand. 5 p.m.; Te Starline Rhythm Boys
(honky tonk/rockabilly) 9 p.m. Cover.
May 3: Chicky Stoltz. 6 p.m.; Willie Edwards
Blues Band. 9 p.m.
May 4: Mass Appeal Comedy Show. 7 p.m.
Cover.
May 6: Bruce Jones. 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night.
7 p.m.
May 7: Wine Down with D. Davis. 5 p.m.;
Open Bluegrass Jam. 7 p.m.
May 8: DJ Johnny Campbell. 8 p.m.
May 9: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand. 5 p.m.; Mark Struhsacker Bluegrass
Guitar. 9 p.m.
May 10: Andy Pitt. 5 p.m.; Great Western. 9
p.m.
May 13: Michael T. 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night.
7 p.m.
Te Make Mentions. 7 p.m.
May 15: Birdshot La Funk. 8 p.m.
May 16: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with
Mark LeGrand. 5 p.m.; Michelle Sarah Band.
9 p.m. Cover.
May 17: Andy Pitt. 5 p.m.; Leatherbound
Books. 9 p.m.
May 20: Andy Plante. 5 p.m.; Open Mic
Night. 7 p.m.
Open Bluegrass Jam. 7 p.m.
May 22: Seth Yacovone plays Bob Dylan. 8
p.m.
May 23: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with
Mark LeGrand. 5 p.m.; Red Hot Juba. 9 p.m.
Cover.
May 24: Blue Fox. 5 p.m.; Tim Brick Band.
9 p.m.
May 25: Green Mountain Comedy Festival. 7
p.m. Cover.
May 27: Nancy and Lilly Smith. 5 p.m.; Open
Mic Night. 7 p.m.
D. Davis, Carrie Cook and Peter Lind. 8 p.m.
May 29: Fred Braur. 8 p.m.
May 30: Honky Tonk Hour with Mark Le-
Grand. 5 p.m.; Small Change. 9 p.m.
May 31: Blue Fox. 5 p.m.; Sugar Shack. 9 p.m.
The Whammy Bar. 31 County Rd., Calais. 229-
4329. whammybar1.com. Call for performance
times.
May 2: Te Blue Sky Boys
May 3: Cinco de Mayo Party with Lewis;
Franco and the Brown Eyed Girls
ARTISTS & SPECIAL
EVENTS
May 1: Counterpoint. Hear Counterpoint sing
with ne young singers around the state. Joint
concert with U-32 Camerata. 7 p.m. U-32 High
School. 930 Gallison Hill Rd., Montpelier. $5.
540-1784. contact@counterpointchorus.org.
counterpointchorus.org.
May 2: Friday Night Fires with The Glass
Project. Virtuosic jazz collaboration of Gregory
Douglass and Joshua Glass. 79 p.m. Fresh
Tracks Farm Vineyard & Winery. 4373 VT Rte.
12, Berlin. 223-1151. freshtracksfarm.com.
May 2: 4th Annual Contra Dance at Vivien and
Michael Fritzs Barn. With Susannah Blachly
and Susan Reid on ddle, and George White on
guitar. Have lots of fun dancing and listening
to the music. Fundraiser beneting the Jaquith
Public Library. 7 p.m. Call for directions to the
barn: 426-3190.
May 24: North Country Chorus and the St.
Johnsbury Academy Hilltones Present Mozart
and More. Featuring Vesperae Solennes de Confes-
sore, Regina Coeli and several short contemporary
works. $12; $5 students. Advance tickets: cata-
mountarts.org. northcountrychorus.org.
May 2: 7:30 p.m. South Congregational
Church. Main St., St. Johnsbury.
May 3, 7:30 p.m. Wells River Congregational
Church. 76 S. Main St., So., Wells River.
May 4, 3 p.m. Congregational Church.
Church St., Peacham.
May 4: Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra. A
spring concert features works by Beethoven, Ser-
gei Prokoev, Emnuel Mor and Samuel Magill.
2 p.m. Barre Opera House. 61 N. Main St., #4,
Barre. $515; $32 per family. 476-8188.
May 10: EarthWalk CD Release Party. Celebrate
the release of EarthWalk's new CD, Welcome
In, a beautiful collection of original songs by
EarthWalk mentors and performed by EarthWalk
children and mentors. Tese songs celebrate the
seasons, nature, children and the community.
Games, crafts, snacks, rae and, of course, lots of
singing! 46 p.m. Unitarian Church. 130 Main
St., Montpelier. $5; $10 family.
May 1011: Onion River Chorus. Perform-
ing Raine Songs by Burlington composer Don
Jamison and two gems from the baroque period
by Georg Philipp Telemann and Jan Dismas
Zelenka. $12 adults; $8 students and seniors; free
for children under 10.
May 10: 7:30 p.m. First Baptist Church. 81
St. Paul St., Burlington.
May 11: 7 p.m. Unitarian Church. 130 Main
St., Montpelier.
May 11: Second Sunday Concert. Featuring
mother/daughter duo Nancy and Lilly Smith.
Coee served. 9:30 a.m. Bethany Church. 115
Main St., Montpelier. Free.
judy.ribolini@gmail.com.
The Wailin Jennys are Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody and Heather
Masse. Together their three distinct voices make an achingly
perfect vocal sound. May 11 at Chandler Music Hall, Randolph.
Making Magical Teas. With herbalist Linden
deVoil. Blending colors and avors for a yummy
cuppa! Part of National Screen Free Week. Ages
4+. 3:304:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Next Montpelier. Second year Masters archi-
tecture studio class at Norwich University have
been invited to exhibit their innovative designs for
a building in Montpelier. An occasion for local
citizens, designers and planners to discuss Mont-
peliers stylistic, cultural and economic direc-
tion. 47 p.m. Local 64. 5 State St., Montpelier.
nextmontpelier@tertl.com.
Friday Night Group. For youth age 1322 who
are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation.
Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers
from Outright VT. Second and fourth Fri.,
6:308 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035.
Micah@OutrightVT.org.
MAY 10
22nd Annual NALC Food Drive. Te National
Association of Letter Carriers encourages you to
place non-perishable food items at your mailbox
and a letter carrier will pick up that day. Or,
deliver items yourself to a post oce. All food will
be donated to nearest food shelf.
nalc.org/commun/foodrive.
Green Mountain Club Work Hike. Duxbury. All
abilities. 3-4 miles round trip. Spring walk-thru
on the Long Trail to Bamforth Ridge Shelter.
Bring lunch. Wear sturdy boots, work clothes and
gloves. 8 a.m. Meet at Montpelier High School. 5
High School Dr., Montpelier. 223-3935.
trails@gmcmontpelier.org.
Friends Annual Plant Swap. Bring plants to
swap. Make sure to label them, no invasive plants
please. Te date coincides with the monthly Food
Drop, so why not come early and help unload the
truck. 9 a.m.Noon. Jaquith Public Library. 122
School St., Marsheld. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Bike to Brunch: Red Hen Bakery. Join a guided
bike ride to Red Hen Bakery in Middlesex with
Rep. Mary Hooper. 12 miles round trip. All
participants must provide their own helmet and
bicycle in good working order. Rain cancels. 10
a.m. Ride departs Montpelier High School tennis
courts. 5 High School Dr., Montpelier. Free.
262-6273.
Spring 2014 State Surplus Vehicle and Equip-
ment Auction. Items include dump trucks, snow
machines, kayaks, golf carts, tires and much
more. 10 a.m. Agency of Transportation, Central
Garage. Barre-Montpelier Rd., Berlin. Details
and list of anticipated items: bgs.vermont.gov/
business_services/surplus/auctions or auctionsin-
ternational.com/liveauctions.htm#Vermont-State.
Montpelier Memory Caf. Plant pansies and
hear an herbalist speak. For those with memory
disorders (with care provider). 10 a.m. Montpelier
Lisbeth: 229-9630.
Movies for Everyone Series. Films that are fun
for all ages. Second Sat., 11 a.m. Jaquith Public
Library, Old Schoolhouse Common, 122 School
St., Marsheld. 426 -3581. jaquithpublibrary@
gmail.com. marsheld.lib.vt.us.
Open House/Sun Party. Sky gazers join members
of the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Founda-
tion to mingle over a state-of-the-art research
telescope. Second Sat.,through Jun. 14., 14 p.m.
Northern Skies Observatory. 336 Bayley Hazen
Rd., Peacham. Free.
Buddha's Birthday Celebration. Festive celebra-
tion including a procession through the woods,
chanting, conversation and refreshments. 2 p.m.;
optional meditation 1:30 p.m. Shao Shan Temple.
125 Cranberry Meadow Rd., E. Calais. Free. 456-
7091. shaoshantemple@gmail.com.
shaoshantemple.org.
MAY 11
Walk Moscow with Green Mountain Club.
Easy. 45 hours. Cotton Brook Road. Loop
with short uphill stretch. Meet at Montpelier
High School. 5 High School Dr., Montpelier.
Contact Leader Ken Hertz for meeting time:
229-4737.
reasurer@gmcmontpelier.org.
Young Adventurers Club Outing with Green
Mountain Club. Easy. Contact leaders for
meeting time and place. Lexi: 229-9810. Mike:
223-8493.
NBNC Mother's Day Wildflower Walk. We'll
walk through the meadows and woods along
the North Branch to view our spring ora
and learn the folklore behind names of these
beautiful, yet ephemeral, wildowers. Moms,
families, plant loversand dads tooare
invited to join us on this easy and enjoyable
walk. 13 p.m. North Branch Nature Center.
713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10 adults; $5 kids;
free for members. 229-6206. northbranchnatu-
recenter.org.
Mothers Day Spring Wildflower Walk with
Brett Engstrom. Sponsored by the Marsheld
Conservation Committee and the Jaquith Library.
14 p.m. Meet at Stranahan Forest parking lot,
Marsheld. Jaquith Public Library. 122 School
St., Marsheld. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Shape Note/Sacred Harp Sing. No experience
needed. All welcome. Second Sun., 35 p.m.-
Plaineld Community Center (above the co-op).
By donation. 595-9951 or nscottieharrison@
gmail.com.
MAY 12
Public Forum: Downtown Investment District
(DID). Public forum held by Montpelier Alive.
Open to anyone interested in how the $75K DID
budget for the 20142015 scal year is allocated.
Te DID budget, approved at this year's town
meeting, is collected from commercial property
owners in the designated downtown area. Mont-
pelier Alive is looking for input on how to use the
DID budget for the improvement of downtown
Montpelier. 5 p.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier.
montpelieralive.org.
Montpelier Planning Commission Meeting. 5
p.m. City Council Chambers, Montpelier City
Hall. 39 Main St., Montpelier. montpelier-vt.org.
MAY 13
Paddle Marshfield Reservoir with Green
Mountain Club. Moderate. Molly's Falls. Get
your boats in the water for an early season paddle.
Bring lunch and water. PFD required. Meet at
Rte. 2 reservoir boat launch. Contact leaders,
Reidun and Andrew, for meeting time: 223-3550.
African Drumming Storytime. With Chimie
Bangoura of afrikakokoba for some brilliant beats
to get us moving. Story and sound ow together.
Ages birth5. 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Li-
brary. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 34:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through May 2: Artists of GRACE 2014. Featur-
ing works by Merrill Densmore, T.J. Goodrich,
Dot Kibbee and James Nace. All four artists have
participated in programs sponsored by the Grass-
roots Art and Community Eort (GRACE).
Mon. 8 a.m.6 .m.; Tue. 8 a.m.8 p.m.; Fri. 8
a.m.5 p.m. Te State House Cafeteria. 115 State
St., Montpelier. 828-0749.
Through May 9: The Barre Paletteers, Zebra/
Water/Fruit. Te artists have been challenged
to combine these themes in one piece of work.
Other artwork will also be shown. During library
hours. Aldrich Library, Milne Room. 6 Washing-
ton St., Barre. 476-7550.
Through May 16: Poetry StoryWalk Exhibit.
Tis exhibit matches the poetry of Mary Oliver
and Wendell Berry with the work of local artists
and photographers. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518
Through May 22: Fine Art Photography
Exhibit. Featuring photographs by Annie Tiberio
Cameron, Sandra Shenk and Lisa Dimondstein.
8 a.m.4:30 p.m.; closed for lunch Noon12:30
p.m. Lamoille County Court House. 154 Main
St., Hyde Park. Free; photo ID required to enter
building. 223-2204. anniecameronphotography.
com.
Through May 22: Evie Lovett, Backstage at
the Rainbow Cattle Co.: The Drag Queens of
Dummerston, Vermont. Plaineld Community
Center, gallery. 153 Main St. Plaineld. Free.
454-1030.
Through May 31: CVCOAs 5th Annual Art of
Creative Aging. Featuring recent works by older
visual artists living throughout the Central VT
region. 34 artists including Anne Sarcka, Liz
LeSeviget, Judy Greenwald and Mark Markowitt.
Opening Reception: May 1, 57 p.m. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Through May 31: Studio Place Arts Announces
3 Exhibits. It's Black and White, an exhibit
that reveals the stark beauty and dynamic energy
of opposites. Main Floor Gallery; 2014 Silent
Auction Exhibition, benets SPA art programs.
Open through May 9. Second Floor Gallery;
Tangents: Fiber Diversified, an exhibit of inno-
vative textile art by 14 Vermont members of the
Surface Design Association. Tird Floor Gallery.
Studio Place Arts. 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-
7069. studioplacearts.com.
Through May 31: Ana Campinile, Lapins Agile.
Studies of feral hares in their element. Tulsi Tea
Room, 34 Elm St., Montpelier. 223-1431.
Through May 31: Round. An exhibition of ob-
jects of circular shape, from the Sullivan Museum
collection. Sullivan Museum and History Center,
Norwich University, 158 Harmon Dr., North-
eld. 485-2183. Norwich.edu/museum.
Through May 31: John Snell. Photographs
of animals during John Snells recent trip to
Botswana. Chill Vermont Gelato. 32 State St.,
Montpelier. 229-1751. eyeimagein.com. stillearn-
ingtosee.com.
Through May 31: John Snell, Preview of Com-
ing Attractions. Photographs by John Snell of
Spring owers and leaves. Savoy Teater lobby,
26 Main St., Montpelier. 229-1751. eyeimagein.
com. stillearningtosee.com.
Through Jun. 1: Barbara Leber, Twists and
Turns. A show of paintings in acrylic on
masonite. Blinking Light Gallery. 16 Main St.,
Plaineld. 454-0141. blinkinglightgallery.com.
Through Jun.1: Student Art Show Exhibit.
Begins May 2. A month-long exhibit presenting
the extraordinary artistic talents of students in
the greater Stowe area, featuring Stowe Elemen-
tary, Stowe High School, Stowe Middle School,
and guest schools Tatcher Brook Elementary
and Harwood High School. Opening Recep-
tion: May 2, 36 p.m. Regular gallery hours:
Wed.Sun., Noon5 p.m. Helen Day Arts
Center. 90 Pond St., Stowe. Free. 253-8358.
education@helenday.com. helenday.com.
Through Jun. 6: Two Paths, One Vision. August
Burns mediums are painting and drawing; El-
liot Burgs is photography. Using these dierent
modes of expression, they have shared a vision
of the beauty of the human form, and of the
capacity of the human face to convey personality,
mood, and some essential quality of the life lived.
Central Vermont Medical Center lobby gallery.
130 Fisher Rd., Berlin.
Through Jun. 15: Area Artists Show. Tis years
theme is Youve Got Talent! Area artists are invited
to submit one example of their best work to be
included in the exhibit. Opening reception:
May 2, 57 p.m. Regular gallery hours: Fri., 35
p.m.; Sat. and Sun., Noon2 p.m. Chandler Art
Gallery. 71-73 Main St., Randolph. 377-7602.
slwvt747@gmail.com.
Through Jun. 17: Tom Cullins, Recent Works.
Inuenced by the artist's yearly travels to Greece
and reects the aesthetics of place: crisp light,
intense color, cubist composition and the lure of
negative space. An award-winning architect and
artist, Cullins uses paint and photography to
explore form, light, detail and composition. West
Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park, 17 Towne
Farm Ln. Stowe. 253-8943. art@westbranchgal-
lery.com. westbranchgallery.com.
Through Jun. 17: Rebecca Kinkead, Local
Color. West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park,
17 Towne Farm Ln. Stowe. 253-8943. art@west-
branchgallery.com. westbranchgallery.com.
Through June. 29: Robert Hitzig: Paintings
and Paintings on Sculpture. Te majority of
work on display involves three-dimensional wall
art with painted surfaces, with a few strictly
two-dimensional paintings included. Opening
Reception: May 1, 57 p.m. Gallery hours:
Mon.Wed. and Fri., 9 a.m.4 p.m.; Turs., 9
a.m.2 p.m. River Arts Center. 74 Pleasant St.,
Morrisville. Free. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Through Jun. 30: What is This Joy? A tribute
to our fellow creatures and their sacred dance.
Photo-based images on reclaimed tiles by
Maayan Kasimov. Art Walk Reception Jun. 6.
Mon.Fri., 3:308 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.2 p.m. Con-
temporary Dance & Fitness Studio. 18 Langdon
St., 3F, Montpelier. visualrites.com.
Through Jun. 30: Dianne Shullenberger, Re-
Envisioned. Fabric collages and colored pencil
works. Te Governors Gallery, Pavilion State
Oce Building. 109 State St., 5F, Montpelier.
Through Dec. 19: 1864: Some Suffer So Much.
Stories of Norwich alumni who served as military
surgeons during the Civil War and traces the
history of posttraumatic stress disorder. Sullivan
Museum and History Center, Norwich Univer-
sity, 158 Harmon Dr., Northeld. 485-2183.
Norwich.edu/museum.
SPECIAL EVENTS
May 13: Teen Art Studio. With Graphic Design-
er Lance Violette. Get inspired and make art with
professional artists in this free open studio. Ages
1118. 6:308:30 p.m. Helen Day Art Center.
90 Pond St., Stowe. Free. 253-8358. education@
helenday.com. helenday.com.
May 9: B.A.S.H. - Big Arty SPA Happening. A
benet for SPA art programs that includes great
art, music, silent auction and eats. 79 p.m.
Studio Place Arts. 201 N. Main St., Barre. $20
advance; $25 day of event. 479-7069.
479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.
Tree Walk. Join John Snell of the Montpelier Tree
Board for a gentle hour-long walk to see, enjoy
and talk about Montpeliers street trees. Walk
leaves from City Hall. 5 p.m. City Hall. 39 Main
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Second Tues., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Wesley Methodist Church, Main St.,
Waterbury. 476-1480.
Reconciliation in Post-Genocide Rwanda. With
Hope Tumukunde, vice mayor of Kigali, Rwanda.
Hear about Rwanda's inspiring story of reconcili-
ation 20 years after genocide. Co-sponsored by
Rwanda and Vermont Exchange (RAVE). 7 p.m.
Beth Jacob Synagogue. 10 Harrison Ave., Mont-
pelier. Free. 279-7518.
bjprogramming@gmail.com. bethjacobvt.org.
Reading with Ben Bradlee, Jr. Author of Te
Kid: Te Immortal Life of Ted Williams, reads at
Bear Pond Books. 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books. 77
Main St., Montpelier. Free. bearpondbooks.com.
MAY 14
Walk and Roll Day. As part of Walk and Roll
Month, give your car a rest and walk or roll to
work or school. Walk, bike, take the bus, try a
unicycleall in the name of having fun, lowering
your environmental impact and enjoying Spring
on your daily commute! City-wide event.
223-3456.
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open
to anyone who has experienced the death of a
loved one. 1011:30 a.m. Conference Center.
600 Granger Road, Berlin, VT 05602. Free.
223-1878.
Volunteer Meeting for June 7th Montpelier
Fashion Show: Vintage Edition. 3 p.m. Montpe-
lier Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre St., Montpe-
lier. 223-2518. msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With
Lisa Mas of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wed.,
4:306 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Ver-
mont Medical Center. lisamase@gmail.com.
Quilting Group. Working meeting of the Dog
River Quilters. Second Wed., 5:30 p.m. Com-
munity room, Brown Public Library, Northeld.
Jean, 585-5078 or jeanjolley@myfairpoint.net.
Bereaved Parents Support Group. Second
Wed., 68 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd.,
Berlin. Jeneane Lunn 793-2376.
Montpelier City Council Meeting. 6:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers, Montpelier City Hall.
39 Main St., Montpelier. montpelier-vt.org.
Community Cinema: The New Black. Uncovers
the complicated histories of the African-American
and LGBT civil-rights movements. Co-sponsored
by Vermont Public Television and Independent
Lens. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main
kellogghubbard.org.
Middlesex Historical Society Meeting. Busi-
ness meeting, including time for members and
community members to share old photos and
memorabilia. 7 p.m. Middlesex Town Hall,
downstairs. Church St., Middlesex. 272-8074.
pwiley3@gmail.com.
Classic Film Night with Tom Blachly and Rick
Winston. A 1942 lm directed by Preston Sturges
and starring Joel McCrea, Claudette Colbert,
Mary Astor, and Rudy Vallee. A brilliant madcap
farce from the pan of Sturges. 7 p.m. Jaquith
Public Library. 122 School St., Marsheld. Free.
426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
MAY 15
The VT Corporate Cup Challenge & State
Agency 5K Race. Team running/walking event
open to businesses, government and non-prot
organizations in Vermont. Te proceeds from this
event benet the many programs and events of the
Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports. 67:30 p.m. Downtown Montpelier.
Register: vcccsar.org.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on self-
management. Open to anyone with diabetes and
their families. Tird Turs., 1:30 p.m. Te Health
Center, Plaineld. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people aected by a suicide death.
Tird Turs., 67:30 p.m. Central Vermont
Medical Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd.,
Berlin.
223-0924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Tird Turs., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Trinity United Methodist Church,
137 Main St., Montpelier. 476-1480.
Songwriters Meeting. Meeting of the Northern
VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Songwriters
Association International. Bring copies of your
work. Tird Turs., 6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts,
St. Johnsbury. John, 633-2204.
Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teach-
ing, fellowship. Second and fourth Turs., 79
p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel
Dr., Barre. Free. 479-0302.
Transition Town Montpelier: German Timber-
framing: Trade and Traditions. Gerald David
will talk about the trade of timber framing,
explaining the time proven technology used in
joinery and layout. 7:45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-
3338. kellogghubbard.org.
MAY 16
Central Vermont Council on Aging Assistance.
Sarah Willhoit, Information and Assistance Spe-
cialist with Central Vermont Council on Aging,
can help with questions about health insurance
or other senior services. 9 a.m.noon. Montpelier
By appt. only: 479-4400.
Ukulele Sing-Along with Union Elementary 1st
Graders. All are encouraged to attend and join in
singing. 1010:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2518.
Yoga Storytime. Chrissy from Studio Zenith
returns to lead mini yogis and their grownups
in playful poses inspired by story and song.
Ages birth5. 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-
3338.
kellogghubbard.org.
MAY 17
Green Mountain Club Work Hike. Stowe. All
abilities. Various distances. Smugglers' Notch.
Spring walk-thru on the Long Trail /Elephant's
Head and Sterling Pond trails. Wear sturdy boots,
work clothes and gloves. 8 a.m. Meet at Montpe-
lier High School. 5 High School Dr., Montpelier.
Leader Fred Jordan: 223-3935. trails@gmcmont-
pelier.org.
Montessori School of Central Vermont Open
House. Join us for a tour of our classrooms fol-
lowed by a question and answer period about
our programs. Come learn what Montessori is
all about. Serving children ages 312. 911 a.m.
Montessori School of Central VT. 89 Karl Cir.,
Berlin. Free. By appt. only: 223-3320. info@
mscvt.org. mscvt.org.
MSAC Rummage Sale. 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Drop o
for rummage sale May 1214, 9 a.m.4 p.m.;
May 15, 9 a.m.Noon. Donate home goods,
clothing, shoes, toys, jewelry, music, small furni-
ture, etc. No books! Call to volunteer. Montpelier
223-2518.
Learn to Play Piano Naturally. Do You Want
to Learn Pianoand Have Fun? Free public
presentation about the Simply Music method
with Nicholas Mortimer, certied teacher. All
ages. 9:3010:30 a.m. Christ Church. 64 State
St., Montpelier. 595-1220. nicholas@loveplaying-
piano.org. loveplayingpiano.org.
Bike to Brunch: Postal Caf. Join a guided bike
ride to Postal Caf in Worcester with Montpe-
lier Mayor John Hollar. 18 miles round trip. All
participants must provide their own helmet and
bicycle in good working order. Rain Cancels. 10
a.m. Ride departs Montpelier High School tennis
courts. 5 High School Dr., Montpelier. 262-6273.
Painted cuttingboard from Robert
Hitzigs exhibit Paintings and Paint-
ings on Sculpture on display now
through June 29 at River Arts
Center in Morrisville.
Weekly
Events
ART & CRAFT
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.2 p.m. Te Bead Hive, Plaineld. 454-1615.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome.
Basics taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and
tatting also welcome. Tues., Noon1 p.m.
Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St.,
Waterbury. 244-7036.
BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Tues.,
68 p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89
Barre St., Montpelier. By donation. 552-3521.
freeridemontpelier.org.
BOOKS & WORDS
Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch
and practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Wed., Spanish; Turs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the rst time.
Tues., 45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic
Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100
State St. 223-3403.
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your
reading and share some good books. Books
chosen by group. Turs., 910 a.m. Central
Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier
Learning Center, 100 State St. 223-3403.
BUSINESS & FINANCE,
COMPUTERS
Personal Financial Management Workshops.
Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building
and repair, budgeting and identity theft,
insurance, investing, retirement. Tues., 68 p.m.
Central Vermont Medical Center, Conference
Room 3. Registration: 371-4191.
Computer and Online Help. One-on-one
computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.1 p.m.
Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St.,
Waterbury. Free. Registration required: 244-
7036.
FOOD
Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.
Free.
Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St., 11:30
a.m.1 p.m.
Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St., 11
a.m.12:30 p.m.
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St., 11:30
a.m.1 p.m.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St., 11
a.m.12:30 p.m.
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),
4:305:30 p.m.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place
for individuals and their families in or seeking
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
St., Barre. 479-7373.
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
67:30 p.m.
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 552-
3483.
Growing Older Discussion Group. Informal,
drop-in group to share experiences, thoughts and
fears about aging. All seniors welcome! Tues., 11
a.m.Noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center.
58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518. msac@
montpelier-vt.org.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program
for physically, emotionally and spiritually
overcoming overeating. 223-3079. Tues.,
5:306:30 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the
Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. Fri.,
Noon1 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES oers fast oral
testing. Turs., 25 p.m. 58 East State St., ste. 3
(entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222.
vtcares.org.
KIDS & TEENS
Moretown Playgroup. Tykes burn o energy in
a constructive environment. Mon., 9:3011 a.m.
through Jun. 2. Moretown Elementary School.
940 VT 100B, Moretown. 436-3742.
Story Time at the Jaquith Public Library.
With Sylvia Smith, followed by play group with
Melissa Seifert. Ages Birth6. Wed. 1011:30
a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.,
Marsheld. 426-3581.
Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative
exploratory arts program with artist/instructor
Kelly Holt. Age 35. Fri., 10:30 a.m.Noon.
River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
888-1261. RiverArtsVT.org.
Elementary Open Gym and Activity Time.
Supervised kids in grades K6 burn o energy,
then engage their imaginations with art, puzzles
and books. Fri., 34:30 p.m. through May
30. Jaquith Public Library. 122 School St.,
Marsheld. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.
org.
Te Basement Teen Center. Cable TV,
PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun events
for teenagers. Mon.Turs., 36 p.m.; Fri.,
311 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St.,
Read to Coco. Share a story with Coco, the
resident licensed reading therapy dog, who loves
to hear kids practice reading aloud. Wed., 3:30
4:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665 or at
the childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.
Origami Club. Learn to make magical paper
creations come alive with Kim Smith. Turs.,
34 p.m. Trough May. Kellogg-Hubbard
kellogghubbard.org.
Read with Arlo. Meet reading therapy dog Arlo
and his owner Brenda. Sign up for a 20-minute
block. Turs., 45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
kellogghubbard.org.
Dads and Kids Playgroup. Playgroup for
children ages birth5 and their dads. Relaxed
environment.
Free dinner. Turs., 67:30 p.m. through Jun.
30. Family Center of Washington County. 283
Sherwood Dr., Montpelier. 262-3292 x.115.
familycenter@fcwcvt.org.
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
books, use the gym, make art, play games and
if you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35
p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.,
Marsheld. 426-3581.
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79
p.m. Meets at various area churches. Call 497-
4516 for location and information.
MUSIC & DANCE
Barre-Tones Womens Chorus. Open
rehearsal. Find your voice with 50 other women.
Mon., 7 p.m. Alumni Hall, Barre. 223-2039.
BarretonesVT.com.
Dance or Play with the Swinging over 60
Band. Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the
1960s. Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.
noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Ballroom Dance Classes-Session 2. With
Instructor Samir Elabd. Singles welcome, no
experience needed. Tues., through May 27.
American Tango 67 p.m.; wedding/party
dances, slow dance and Rumba 78 p.m. Union
Elementary School, Montpelier. Registration:
225-8699. Information: 223-292.
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus
Rehearsal. New chorus members welcome.
Wed., 45 p.m. Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for
location and more information.
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Turs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt
Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498.
steven.light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.
OUTDOORS
Spring Migration Bird Walks. Explore
NBNC and other local birding hot spots for
spring migrants, such as warblers, vireos, thrushes
and waterfowl. Fri., 78:30 a.m. North Branch
Nature Center. 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10;
free for members. Call for directions to meeting
locations: 229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.
org.
PARENTING
New Parents Workshop Series: Honoring
Your Birth Story & Birth Healing. New
Parents Workshop Series is intended for
expecting parents and parents of infants less than
1 year of age. Space is limited. Turs., May 1, 8,
15. 68 p.m. Good Beginnings. 174 River St.,
Montpelier. Free. RSVP: 595-7953. gbcv91@
gmail.com.
RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. Te Additional
Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of
hard-to-recycle items. Tues. and Turs., 12:30
p.m.5:30 p.m. ARCC, 540 North Main St.,
Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106. For
list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc-
additional-recyclables-collection-center.html.
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Womens Group. Women age 40 and older
explore important issues and challenges in their
lives in a warm and supportive environment.
Facilitated by Amy Emler-Shaer and Julia W.
Gresser. Wed. evenings. 41 Elm St., Montpelier.
262-6110.
SPIRITUALITY
What is Spirituality All About? Come
listen and share. Audio chat. Tues., May 6, 13.
6:157:30 p.m. Christian Science Reading Room.
Corner of State and Bailey, Montpelier. 223-
2477. csrr_mpv_librarian@myfairpoint.net.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For
those interested in learning about the Catholic
faith, or current Catholics who want to learn
more. Wed., 7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79
Summer St., Barre. Register: 479-3253.
Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun,
engaging text study and discussion on Jewish
spirituality. Sun., 4:456:15 p.m. Yearning for
Learning Center, Montpelier. 223-0583. info@
yearning4learning.org.
SPORTS & GAMES
Apollo Duplicate Bridge Club. All welcome.
Partners sometimes available. Fri., 6:45 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. $3.
485-8990 or 223-3922.
Roller Derby Open Recruitment and
Recreational Practice. Central Vermonts
Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age
18 and up. No experience necessary. Equipment
provided: rst come, rst served. Sat., 56:30
p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St.
First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.
Coed Adult Floor Hockey League. Join
women and men in a oor hockey game.
Equipment provided. Sun., 36 p.m. Montpelier
Recreation Center, 55 Barre St., Montpelier. $5.
bmoorhockey@gmail.com. vermontoorhockey.
com.
YOGA & MEDITATION
Christian Meditation Group. People of all
faiths welcome. Mon., Noon1 p.m. Christ
Church, Montpelier. 223-6043.
Yoga and Meditation. With Katy Leadbetter.
Meditation: Mon., 1 p.m. (unlimited).
Introduction to yoga: Tues., 4 p.m. (four-class
limit). Consultation: Fri., 11 a.m. (one per
person). 56 East State St., Montpelier. Free. 272-
8923.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Aliate of
Vermont. Mon., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St.,
Montpelier. Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Acro Yoga Jam. Led by Lori Flower of Karmic
Connection Yoga. Come by yourself or with a
partner to practice yoga together in a therapeutic
and/or acrobatic way! Tis is a celebratory
practice that builds community and FUN.
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center.
7 Main St., 2F, Montpelier. Donation based.
karmiconnection.com.
Drop-In Meditation Sitting Group. With
Sherry Rhynard. A weekly meditation group
oers ways to nd out more about meditation
and gives support to an existing or new practice.
Turs., 67 p.m. Central Vermont Medical
Center. 130 Fisher Rd., Berlin. Free. 272-236.
sherry@easeoow.com.
Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group
meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues.,
78 p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. Shambhala Meditation
Center, 64 Main St., 3F, Montpelier. Free. 223-
5137. montpeliershambala.org.
Do you know about something great happening in your community? We want to know about events that mat-
ter to you. Submit your performing or visual arts, dance and music events to our calendar. Are there meetings,
groups, gatherings of importance in your community, again, we want to know!
Submit Your Event! Send listings to calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Class listings and classifieds are 50 words for $25; discounts available. To place an ad, call Carolyn, 223-5112, ext. 11.
Classifieds
CLASSES &
WORKSHOPS
ALLIANCE FRANAISE SUMMER FRENCH
CLASSES FOR ADULTS starting June 9. Classes
include French through Songs, French around
Town, Beginning French Review and Interme-
diate French Grammar. *New this summer:
intensive 4-day session in Advanced French in
the Montpelier area July 28-31! Descriptions
and signup at acr.org. Contact Micheline
Tremblay:michelineatremblay@gmail.com, 802-
881-8826.
WRITING COACH. Struggling with beginning,
continuing, nishing? Need tools to start you up
and keep you working from concept to comple-
tion? Art is long, and life short. WRITE NOW is
what we have. Tirty years working in lm, TV,
theater and prose, coaching writers in all genres.
Free initial consultation. Tamarcole21@gmail.com
802-225-6415.
MONTPELIER MUD Come and get dirty at the
Mud Studio. Clay classes for adults, teens and kids
of all skill levels are starting in early May. Call
224-7000, visit www.themudstudio.com or visit
us in person 961 Route 2 in Middlesex, next door
to the Red Hen to sign up.
EMPLOYMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
Environmental Compliance Services, Inc.,
(ECS) an employee owned environmental and
engineering consulting rm is seeking a full-time,
Environmental Scientist for our Waterbury, VT
oce. Te position requires 3 to 5 years of experi-
ence in the area of environmental investigation
and cleanup. OSHA Hazwoper 40 hr certica-
tion required. We oer a great work environment
and excellent benets!
For more details and to apply for the position,
please complete our online application at:
http://ecsconsultjobs.iapplicants.com/
ViewJob-571639.html
An Equal Opportunity Employer
SERVICES
SHIATSU SUNDAY SPECIAL Every Sunday
11am-1pm. 1/2 hour treatments$30. Call Angela
Cicioni 570-447-8339. 56 East Main St.
Montpelier Vt
Since 1972
Repairs New floors and walls
Crane work Decorative concrete
Consulting ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT (802) 229-0480
gendronbuilding@aol.com gendronconcrete.com
229-6575
QUALITY REMODELING
& BUILDING
Conscientious contracting
Int./ext. makeovers & paint
Healthy whole-home solutions
Deep energy retrofits
Kitchens, baths, additions
Doors, windows, roofs
David Diamantis
ph: 229-8646 fax: 454-8646
Certified Green Professional
EMP/RRP EcoStar Roof Applicator
GREGS
PAINTING
Metal Roof Painting
Interior & Exterior
FREE ESTIMATES INSURED SINCE 1990
802- 479- 2733
gpdpainting@aol.com
Rocque Long
Painting
Insured
30+ years professional
experience
local references.
802-223-0389
LI GHT MOVI NG, LANDFI LL
RUNS, AND ODD JOBS.
WEVE GOT THE TRUCK.
Give us a call at: 224.1360
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Submit Your Event!
Send listings to calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Les Church
802-249-1030
dles51854@aol.com
freerangebuilders.com
Remodeling
New Construction
Kitchens and Bathrooms,
Additions,
Doors and Windows,
Ceramic tile,
Hardwood and Laminate Floors,
Stairways and Railings,
Painting
Builders, LLC
A Campaign to Support The
Bridge
Please, if you can, weigh in with a
financial contribution. Please send us
a check made payable to The Bridge
to this address: The Bridge, P.O. Box
1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Please
feel free to drop off a check at our of-
fice. We are located on the lower level
of Schulmaier Hall on the campus of
the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Thank you in advance for considering
this request for needed financial help.
I
n a rehearsal room with 15 cast members,
there are small business owners, a trans-
portation organizer, high school students,
college students, teachers, actors and a mother
and father whose small baby sleeps through
their very familiar voices. This is community
opera. The cast has memorized their parts in
Italian, almost all while holding down day
jobs. A photographer and pianist are pres-
ent, as well as the director and a U-32 drama
student as stage manager. People of multiple
talents do opera, like so many of the arts in
Vermont. They are preparing to perform Mo-
zart's The Marriage of Figaro on May 16 at the
newly renovated Plainfield Town Hall.
The Marriage of Figarothe eighth most-
performed opera worldwide according to
Operabase, an organization that documents
operatic activityis a sequel to The Barber
of Seville, and its story takes place three years
later in the same location near Seville, Spain.
It is a comic opera composed by Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart in 1786 and written in Ital-
ian by his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. They
based the story on the original play by Beau-
marchais. His play was too controversial and
was originally banned for licentiousness.
However, Mozart and da Pontes version made
the Austrian monarchy of the time slightly
less nervous and was well received by the
public, who knew The Barber of Seville well.
Figaro is now considered a cornerstone of op-
eratic repertoire.
The opera is performed in four acts and fol-
lows a day of madness in the palace of
Count Almaviva, played by Stephen Falbel,
and his countess, played by Ellen Blachly.
Its a story of revenge, intrigue and comedic
scheming reminiscent of Shakespeare. Figaro
is to marry Susanna, who is being pursued by
the count. The countess laments, yet has an
admirer of her own. Secret messages, cross-
dressing deception and vengeful planning
twist through the plot until, like all comedies,
it ends with weddings. Yet, perhaps more im-
portantly, the story is carried forward by care-
fully planned and masterful emotional music
that owes its success in part to being catchy.
Victoria Drew is playing the role of the lead
soprano, Susanna. Everything you need to
know about what you are singing is written
into the music, she says. If you are wonder-
ing what you are supposed to be thinking or
feeling in your role, you dont have to look far.
The Marriage of Figaro has so many wonder-
ful duets and pieces that people know and
can whistle along to. She received her mas-
ters degree in opera in Boston but wanted to
continue to live and work in Vermont. She is
able to perform an opera about every year and
a half in addition to running her own busi-
ness and making plans for starting an opera
company in the Burlington area. She has per-
formed various roles in Figaro, but never the
part of Susanna.
Brian Lynam, playing the part of Figaro, is
also singing the role for the first time. He
has recently performed in chorus roles in La
Bohme and Carmen and is excited for the
opportunity of Figaro. He is a music teacher
at Rice Memorial, a Roman Catholic high
school in South Burlington. He teaches band,
jazz band, choir and just directed his first
production in the theater department, Elton
John and Tim Rice's musical Aida.
The director, Naomi A. Flanders, is an opera-
trained singer who earned a bachelor of arts
in the humanities with an emphasis in voice
and literature at Johnson State College here
in Vermont. She says, If anyone told me,
back then, that I would end up studying voice
to sing opera in NYC and directing opera,
I would have just laughed and laughed. Its
funny how one's personal journey can take
you to places you never expected to be! But
actually all that studying of the different ar-
tistic disciplines prepared me for doing what
I do now.
She is a seasoned thespian, running Shake-
speare in the Hills dramatic summer camps
for kids in addition to Echo Valley Com-
munity Arts. She calls directing the opera
an amazing task. She has taken on this
amazing task five times since shes turned 50.
Now, just a little over a decade later, she gen-
erously reaches out to a wide range of artists,
from school kids to seniors, to share and pass
on the knowledge born of years of study and
work. She says of Figaro, Its clear what Mo-
zart put inthe emotion, change of mood,
its all written into dramatic beats musically.
She directs with an eye toward the dramatic
expression of the story as well as the singing.
Im interested in singers that can act, not
just beautiful singers, but a person speaking
from their heart, from where theyre at, she
says. As director and producer, she and the
cast have put over a year and a half into the
preparation of the performance.
A chamber orchestra arrangement will pro-
vide the music of the opera. A string quartet
and piano arrangement will be made up of
Raymond Karl Malone, first violin; Patricia
Reilly, second violin; Paul Reynolds and Mad-
eline McIntire, violas; Michael Close, cello
and Eliza Thomas piano. Thomas describes
Mozarts music as filled with grace and very
beautiful. She agrees with the director and
actors that you can watch the opera in any
language and understand the story because
the music tells the story.
The opera will run May 1618 and 2325,
2014. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays
and Saturdays and Sunday matinees begin
at 2 p.m. Call 802-225-6471 for tickets or
go online at catamountarts.org. The opera
will be presented in Italian with subtitles in
English.
Mozarts Opera Comes to
Plainfield
by Michelle A.L. Singer
Photo courtesy of Erika Mitchell
Photo courtesy of Erika Mitchell
Plainfield
Town Hall
T
he Marriage of Figaro will be the
first major production to premiere
at the newly renovated Plainfield
Town Hall since it closed two years ago
due to damage. For decades, the town
hall has acted as the community's meet-
ing and performance space, but had to
be closed until major repairs could be
made.
David Strong, a Plainfield selectboard
member says, The director of Echo Val-
ley Community Arts, Naomi Flanders,
has been a big supporter of the effort to
upgrade and re-open Plainfield's historic
opera house, and the decision to use the
town hall for this major eventdespite
its current limitationsis another sign
of that support.
Thanks to three major grants, volunteer
labor and $45,000 in community con-
tributions, the roof has been reinforced
and the attic weatherized, rotten floor
joists have been replaced, drainage has
been improved and all the moldy wall-
board and framing has been removed.
The current stage of renovations includes
a more efficient heating system, a double
entry to keep out the cold, a warming
kitchen for catering events in the hall,
a larger lobby for elections and meeting
space, and other lower-level upgrades.
They hope to be complete this summer
in time for Plainfield Old Home Day in
early September.
They have hopes to continue with an-
other phasean addition to the back of
the building that would allow the stage
to have a green room, changing room,
bathroom and storage. There are sto-
ries, he says, of actors exiting stage right
and having to run around the building
to enter stage left! The continued fund
drive would allow for the final phase
of renovations. Its a grassroots effort
inspired by the need of local theatri-
cal organizations and people involved in
arts. We are constantly getting calls to
see if the building is available, and what
the cost is. We want to keep rent af-
fordable so community groups can take
advantage of it.
I love the Plainfield Town Hall/Opera
House! says Flanders. Acoustically, it
is a great space and because it is small, it
lends itself well to an ensemble piece like
The Marriage of Figaro. I have produced
and directed five Gilbert and Sullivan's
over the past two decades in that space. I
am completely thrilled we are doing the
opera there.
Strong and several hundred people have
contributed an enormous amount of
work toward renovating the 170-year-old
building. Today, only $30,000 remains
to be raised. If you enjoy community
arts performances in small, exquisite
settings, go to www.Razoo.com, type
in "Plainfield Town Hall," and make
a contribution to finish the restoration
effort now underway.
A share of the proceeds from The Mar-
riage of Figaro will be used to fund reno-
vation work, and you can see for yourself
what has been done so far and what
remains to be completed at Plainfield's
historic opera house, says Strong. The
raised voices of performers from Wash-
ington, Chittenden and Rutland Coun-
ties who will sing in Figaro will kick off
hopefully another century of memorable
performances and gatherings.
On Thursday, May 15th 2014, The VT Corporate
Cup Challenge & State Agency 5K Race
will take place from 6:00 pm 7:30 pm in
Downtown Montpelier.

Race begins & ends in front of the Capitol.
Runners & Walkers will be using State St, Bailey
Ave, Memorial Dr, Taylor St, Davis Ave., Court St,
Elm St, Summer St, and Pearl St. Some streets
will be closed during the event.
Please Avoid These Areas between 5:30 pm 7:30 pm
Traffc Interruptions
May 15, 2014
Downtown Montpelier
Voluneers Are Needed for More Info. Go To www.VCCCSAR.ORG
OPEN HOUSE & POOL PASS SALE
10% off ALL pool passes
Youre Invied to Bring in Summer!
MONTPELIER RECREATION DEPARTMENT
55 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
1-802-225-8699 www.montpelierrec.org
Bring a non-perishable food item or $1.00+ donation
for the Montpelier Food Pantry
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
8:30 AM 6:00 PM
Saturday Hours are
Now Available!
Kerry Boyle Jenni, L.Ac. and
Joshua Singer, L.Ac
802-223-0954
156 Main Street, Montpelier
www.integrativeaom.com
Integrative Acupuncture
& Oriental Medicine
Remembering Gabo
by Tom Green
W
hen the news came down 10
days ago that the great writer
Gabriel Garcia Mrquez had
died in Mexico City, the social media world
lit up with expressions of sadness and dis-
may that the famous novelist was dead.
My reaction was slightly different, since he
had lived to a ripe old age, which it seemed
to me was the primary thing he wished
for his characters to do. And his work, so
singular and so unique and as fabulous as
the fabulist stories he wrought, was certain
to endure and live on far beyond his 87
years on this earth. Instead of sadness, I felt
a moment of celebration and recognition,
though I did pour a little on the ground for
him, as we Irish say.
I first read Mrquez as a college student,
when for a class on Latin American lit-
erature we were assigned his magnum opus,
One Hundred Years of Solitude. It was
the book that in 1967 launched Mrquez
onto the world literary stage. The novel,
as a form, has existed since the 1700s, but
rarely has it found its fullest expression
than in this novel that traced the history of
one family. Much of the literary criticism
has focused on how Mrquez essentially
managed to rewrite the history of Latin
America; or, more broadly, that he created
something essentially biblical in scope, and
rewrote a history of all people from a Latin
American perspective.
I remember my professor explaining all the
allegorical powers that Mrquez possessed.
But what struck me the most was not the
largeness of the canvas he worked on, which
I saw clearly, but how amazingly he was
able to render both the greatness and infin-
ity of life while also narrowing his lens to
focus on the very stuff of ordinary humans
and, in particular, the nature of love, both
romantic and familial.
To this day, I remember reading the scene
when Ursula discovers her son is dead. To
wit:
A trickle of blood came out under the door,
crossed the living room, went out into the
street, continued on in a straight line across
the uneven terraces, went down steps and
climbed over curbs, passed along the Street
of the Turks, turned a corner to the right
and another to the left, made a right angle at
the Buenda house, went in under the closed
door, crossed through the parlor, hugging
the walls so as not to stain the rugs, went on
to the other living room, made a wide curve
to avoid the dining-room table, went along
the porch with the begonias, and passed
without being seen under Amaranta's chair
as she gave an arithmetic lesson to Aure-
liano Jos, and went through the pantry
and came out in the kitchen, where rsula
was getting ready to crack thirty-six eggs to
make bread.
"Holy Mother of God!" rsula shouted.
John Gardner once wrote that the job of
the novelist is to create the fictional dream.
His concept was that if a writer could skill-
fully build the dream, that within it, read-
ers would believe whatever they were told.
No writer did this as well as Mrquez. A
womans son dies and his blood flows like
a river back to her. What could be more
powerful, more beautiful? This description
illustrates perfectly Mrquez s gift and why
he is credited with being the father of the
school of magical realism, inspiring writers
like Jos Saramango, Isabel Allende, Toni
Morrison and others to push the boundaries
of what can happen in fiction.
One of those writers, Salman Rushdie,
summed it up perfectly in an essay after
Mrquezs death, when he said, He was the
best among us.
Mrquez the man, known as Gabo to his
friends, was as complicated a person as his
fiction was on the page. He was politically
active his whole life and involved in leftist
causes, and had a lifelong friendship with
Fidel Castro, whose oppressive dictatorship
and crackdowns on free speech appear con-
trary to everything Mrquez cared about as
a writer.
Personally, Ive never been interested much
in the actual lives of great writers, other
than trying to understand how and when
they work. Thats not to dismiss those com-
plexities, but more of a cautionary state-
ment against the deification of novelists,
who, like athletes, in my opinion, should
be admired for how they perform and not
necessarily how they chose to live or what
they may or may not have stood for. And
time itself will tellperhaps another hun-
dred yearsMrquez s true influence on
our culture. My best guess is that his stature
only increases with time, and the words
he so carefully laid down, the stories he so
carefully and, yes, magically, told, will not
be forgotten. Instead they will flow end-
lessly and immortally like some great river
from the past, teaching us about ourselves.
Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org
Notes From the Hill
Photo courtesy of Tome Greene
Op-Ed
T
he visionaries who founded our coun-
try did not give women the right to
vote. Nor did they outlaw one of the
most heinous of all crimes: slavery. Proof
positive that even brilliant people sometimes
come up with bad ideas, just like the rest of
us. And Vermonts own history has a few
such ideas as well, such as the plan to build a
road across the top of our Green Mountains.
Looking back, one can only ask, What were
they thinking?
Were it to become law, I believe history
will similarly view the current plan floating
around the Vermont legislature to abandon
the creation of Green Mountain CareVer-
monts publicly funded, universal health care
plan. This proposal keeps us shackled to the
current system responsible for runaway health
care costs and 120,000 underinsured Ver-
monters burdened with high deductibles that
keep them from getting affordable medical
care when they need it most.
Prepared by a consultant to the Vermont leg-
islature, Ken Thorpe, the plan builds upon
Vermonts existing health care exchange (aka
Obamacare). As a navigator who has enrolled
many people in the exchange, there are nu-
merous reasons that using it as the foundation
of reform will never result in affordable health
care for all Vermontersjust one example is
that the eligibility and application processes
mandated by federal law are just too complex
and administratively burdensome.
And, instead of Vermonters collectively saving
$500 million in health care costs from mov-
ing to Green Mountain Care, Thorpes pro-
posal for an exchange on steroids, adds an-
other tax (rumored to be around $200 million
a year) to Vermonters bills. Again, were going
to be asked to pay a higher tax bill to prop
up the current system that has so thoroughly
failed to either control health care costs or
provide affordable health care. As they say,
You can put lipstick on a pig but its still a pig
underneath. And thats what the exchange is
always going to be: the pig constantly at the
trough gobbling up more and more of our tax
dollars for subsidies for Vermonters to buy
health insurance plans from Blue Cross Blue
Shield and MVP.
The exchange is pretty much the mirror op-
posite of Green Mountain Care where every
Vermonter will have access to a single health
care plan that is completely publicly funded.
Think of a Dr. Dynasaur for all types of pro-
gramslittle or no deductibles, comprehen-
sive benefits, no open enrollment periods or
other barriers to getting coverage and widely
embraced by Vermonts hospitals and doc-
tors. We already know that public plans like
Medicare and Dr. Dynasaur provide excellent
coverage at a fraction of the cost of private
insurance plans. This happens in large part
because of their efficiency: only 5 percent of
Medicare dollars go towards administrative
costs, while private insurance requires 1012
percent of every health care dollar for admin-
istrative purposes.
The essence of Green Mountain Care is to
change the way we pay for health care, not
the way we receive itVermont hospitals and
doctors will largely go about their business
as they do now but with an important dif-
ference. No longer will health care providers
have to deal with multiple insurance com-
panies imposing multiple coverage rules or
claims reimbursement rates. Finally, doctors
and nurses will be able to spend more time
treating patients and less time dealing with
paperwork.
I appreciate the legislatures work to kick the
tires on the governors proposal for Green
Mountain Care. Its the appropriate role for
our elected officials to ask hard questions,
think of alternatives and vet them thoroughly.
But, everyday we get closer to showing the
rest of the nation that its possible to create a
system ensuring that everyone has access to
affordable, publicly funded health care. Our
legislature would be performing a grave dis-
service to the health and financial well-being
of Vermonters were it to abandon these laud-
able goals of Green Mountain Care.
Peter Sterling is the director of Vermont Leads,
a nonprofit organization working to create a
universal, publicly funded health care system in
Vermont.
An Exchange on Steroids Helps No One
by Peter Sterling
T
heres an old saying that goes, Every
day is Earth Day for a forester. This
might be a bit of a stretch, but cer-
tainly the benefits derived from the wise use
and management of trees and forests, all the
things that foresters promote through forest
stewardship, make Earth a better place.
It is with this backdrop that I sound an alarm
for invasive pests that threaten our forests.
Asian long-horned beetle, hemlock wooly
adelgid, and perhaps the most destructive,
emerald ash borer, are non-native insects that
have the potential to change the makeup and
functions of our forests. Lets look at the im-
pacts from emerald ash borer (EAB).
It is estimated that there are over 160 mil-
lion ash trees in Vermont; it is one of the ten
most common trees of our forests. All ash
species native to Vermont (green, white and
black) have no known resistance to attack by
EAB. Unless treated with insecticides, most
trees infested by EAB will die within three to
The Importance of Ash Trees, or, What Is
Threatening the Original Vermonter?
by Steven Sinclair
C
ars are great for getaways, but not just
from bank heists or bad dates. In our
cars, we retreat from the world. Win-
dows closed and radio on, we motor forward,
following only the rules of the road. To drive
is to be free, and as Americans, sometimes
thats all we really want when we get behind
the wheel.
But not me. Im an American driver looking
for a meaningful cross-cultural driving expe-
rience. As one of two British parents, I spent
many summers as a passenger in the backseat
of my uncles cars in England, observing the
country from the left side of the road and
crossing intersections via roundabouts instead
of traffic lights. When I moved to Montpe-
lier, I was happy to find that my new home-
town hosted a roundabout on Main Street.
Better yet, the congested intersection at River
Street and the Barre-Montpelier Road was
being replaced with a roundabout. The Brit-
ish sense of practicality had reached the small-
est corners of America, and to my delight,
Montpelier was embracing the roundabout
revolution.
Or so I thought. America understands the
Beatles and Downton Abbey, but round-
abouts remain as foreign and confusing as
cricket.
So first, lets examine how roundabouts work
and why they matter.
In any country, roundabouts are obviously
about moving traffic efficiently. If cars are on
the other side of the roundabout, or better yet,
if the roundabout is empty, a driver is free to
roll in to the roundabout without stopping.
No need to idle at a red light, no need to rev
the engine from a standstill. And because
roundabouts can direct multiple cars at once,
traffic flows fast.
When used correctly, roundabouts are also
safe. Their circular shape forces traffic to slow
to 15 or 20 mph. The awareness and coopera-
tion needed to enter and exit a roundabout
discourages drivers from going on autopilot,
blindly stepping on the gas pedal when the
light turns green without checking for other
drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians. Additionally,
the triangular traffic islands placed at each
entry or exit direct motorists counter-clock-
wise without signed instructions or traffic
lights. Pedestrians can also use the islands as
safe-havens mid-way through street crossings.
However, the numbers tell it all. In a study
conducted by the Ministry of Transporta-
tion and Infrastructure in British Columbia,
roundabouts had 35 percent fewer crashes, 90
percent fewer vehicle fatalities and 76 percent
fewer vehicle-related injuries than similar in-
tersections using four-way stop signs or traffic
lights.
Roundabouts work as intended when drivers
use their right-turn signal to show that they
intend to leave the circle at the next exit. An
incoming driver then knows that the path is
clear and can enter the roundabout without
waiting. As one car rolls out and another rolls
in, an unspoken choreography yields a seam-
less flow of traffic. No wondering if its your
turn, no waiting at the light.
But were blowing it.
In America, drivers rarely use their right-
turn signal to indicate their exit from the
roundabout. When entering the roundabout,
I assume that a driver not using a turn signal
will go past me and continue around the
roundabout. By law, I must stop, and if this
driver then exits before reaching me, I have
stopped for nothing. There go the benefits of
the roundabout.
So is it ignorance or obstinacy that prevents
Americans from using roundabouts as the
Queen intended? Perhaps few people realize
that their turn signal is not used to get on the
roundabout, but to get off it. Or maybe the
tendency to have one hand on a phone and
the other on the wheel makes it tough to use
the turn signal. Both issues seem surmount-
able.
But maybe its more. Maybe our behavior on
the roundabout is a metaphor for our behav-
ior as Vermonters. As much as we appreciate
the ideas of cooperation, safety and efficiency
on the road, we havent quite figured out how
to live them all. With no time carved out to
ponder the meaning of the roundabout, we
stumble through it, using it as we see fit, with-
out wondering why its there in the first place.
In Britain, gas prices are high and cars are
small. Efficient driving, as well as good public
transportation, keep the dense urban popula-
tion in Britain moving without going broke.
In America, where roads are wide, cars come
first, and gas is cheap; we go the extra mile
instead of saving it. The desire to cooperate
and conserve hasnt yet been replaced by the
absolute need to do so.
Roundabouts require skillful driving, artful
communication and the conscious decision
to drie with others in mind. They have the
potential to change how we use our resources
and how we work together on the road. But
without a cultural pressure to examine how
they work or why roundabouts matter, their
meaning is lost. Roundabouts become just
another way to have a traffic jam.
To improve our environment and quality
of life, Vermonters make great efforts to eat
and buy locally, invest in their communities
and appreciate both their working and sce-
nic landscapes. Roundabouts, although not
as high profile, offer an easy way to achieve
these same improvements. So if Vermont-
ers have the compassion to compost, support
local businesses, label GMOs and eat more
kale, surely we can adopt the dance of the
roundabout. In the process, well save gas, im-
prove safety and acknowledge our neighbors
who share the road.
No friendly waves, thoughyour free hand
should be on the turn signal.
Getting on the American Roundabout
by Joanne Garton
five years. Experience in Michigan and other
states has shown that once EAB is detected in
an area, the impacts spread quickly and loss
of ash trees increases rapidly over a few short
years. So far, EAB has not been detected in
Vermont, but has been detected in all states
and provinces surrounding Vermont.
You may ask, why worry; its just one species
of tree. Ash is an important component of the
northern hardwood forest and a number of
other wetland and upland natural communi-
ties. Millions of these important trees can be
found in our woodlots and along our rivers
and streams. Ash was widely used to replace
the stately elms that graced our communities
and were decimated by Dutch elm disease
in the middle of the 20th century, and have
historically been a favorite choice for street
trees in Vermont due to fast growth and salt
tolerance.
A 12-inch ash tree provides an estimated $131
annually in benefits by filtering air pollut-
ants, mitigating stormwater runoff, sequester-
ing carbon, conserving energy and increasing
property values. Ash trees are a valuable re-
source for wood (baseball bats, tool handles,
firewood, black ash baskets), for wildlife, for
water quality, for shade and beauty. Losses
to the ash products industry in the eastern
United States alone are estimated at $25 bil-
lion. Lastly, results from a recent study pub-
lished in the American Journal of Preventative
Medicine suggest that loss of trees to EAB in-
creased human mortality related to cardiovas-
cular and lower respiratory tract illness. This
finding adds to significant existing evidence
that the natural environment provides major
public health benefits.
With partners including the federal govern-
ment; the Agency of Agriculture Food & Mar-
kets; and the University of Vermont, we have
developed an action plan for the inevitable
detection of EAB. If we find it early and slow
the spread, we may have more management
options. Individual high-value shade trees can
be saved by treating them with insecticides,
but they have to be treated before they are
attacked. We have a management method for
slowing the spread of EAB, but it is only
effective on early/small infestations. Eighty
percent of new EAB infestations originate in
or around campgrounds. A Dont Move Fire-
wood campaign encourages campers to "buy
it where you burn it." If we can slow the spread
of EAB and ash mortality, we can buy time
for research to provide us with more options
for managing EAB. Biocontrols have been re-
leased in several states, but results are still to be
determined. Researchers are also investigating
host resistance in ash species native to EAB's
home range.
So, given the harmful impacts from EAB,
what can you do? The Department of For-
ests, Parks and Recreation, along with our
many partners, will be celebrating Ash Tree
Awareness Week from April 27May 3, 2014.
Many local events will be occurring around
the state and a list can be found at vtinvasives.
org. The key is to be observant. Check out the
vtinvasives.org website to learn the signs and
symptoms of EAB. Look out and look up at
your trees and tell us if you see something. We
and the earth will appreciate it.
Steven Sinclair is the director of forests for the
Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Rec-
reation.
After three years of service as Executive Di-
rector of Montpelier Alive Phayvanh Lu-
ekhamhan had decided to step down and her
last day of work was April 18.
For anyone who lives in Montpelier and values
the citys historic downtown with its strong
sense of place and its shops, restaurants, of-
fices, theaters, churches and public buildings
a downtown organization like Montpelier
Alive feels increasingly indispensable.
Is there any other organization that is as pas-
sionately committed to downtown as a vital
place of commerce, meeting and public en-
joyment?
For all of these reasons, here at The Bridge we
want to join others in thanking Phayvanh Lu-
ehamhan for her spirited service to the Mont-
pelier community over the past three years.
In a recent note from Montpelier Alive board
member and past president Greg Guyette, he
wrote, Phayvanh has decided to move on
after three years as our Executive Director
to pursue creative and professional interests
which she is passionate about.
He went on to say, Phayvanh began as a
volunteer with the organizations Promotions
Committee, and over time, grew into her role
as executive director. She served the organi-
zation and the city with dedication and her
contributions will be missed. We wish her
all the best.
Guyette expressed confidence that Montpelier
Alive will be able to deliver on its program-
ming and other priorities for the upcoming
summer season despite its loss of Phayvanh
as executive director. He noted that the or-
ganization enjoys the support of hundreds of
volunteers and a 15-member working board
of directors along with contract coordinators.
Guyette said that Montpelier Alives most im-
mediate priorities were another successful July
3 celebration and the return of the popular
Brown Bag concert series on Thursdays at the
Christ Church pocket park. He also noted
that the Montpelier Alive board of directors
will be meeting during May for its annual
retreat which he described as a deep review
of the organizations mission and vision and
to map our priorities and work plan for the
year ahead.
Thanking Phayvanh Luekhamhan
by Nat Frothingham
Letter Carriers Food Drive
To the Editor:
As Saturday, May 10, draws closer, letter car-
riers in more than 1,200 branches nationwide
are full-steam ahead to get ready for the 22nd
annual Letter Carriers Food Drive.
Last year, with the help of thousands of vol-
unteers, letter carriers all across America col-
lected more than 74.4 million pounds of non-
perishable foodthe second highest amount
since the drive began in 1992, bringing the
grand total to just under 1.3 billion pounds.
In the greater Montpelier area, postal work-
ers will pick up non-perishables on Saturday,
May 10, and volunteers will deliver the food to
the Just Basics, Inc.s (JBI) Montpelier Food
Pantry where it will be distributed to fami-
lies in East Montpelier, Middlesex, Worces-
ter, Berlin, Adamant, Calais and Montpelier.
Schools, neighborhoods and businesses (that
are open on Saturday, May 10) are encouraged
to begin collecting non-perishable items now
in anticipation of the drive. Unexpired foods
such as peanut butter and jelly, canned fruit,
soups, cooking oil, pastas and spaghetti sauce
are popular and much needed.
Although last year set a national record for
collected food items, the number of pounds
collected in the Montpelier area has drasti-
cally declined. Where once our local letter
carriers collected 6,000 pounds of food, they
now collect only a few hundred pounds.
Please support the drive by collecting a gro-
cery bag, box or even a few cans for your
letter carrier. Simply set your donations near
your mailbox for pick-up on Saturday, May
10. And please thank your postal worker for
their efforts on behalf of JBIs Montpelier
Food Pantry.
Theresa Murray-Clasen, Montpelier
Carr Lot
To the Editor:
I was shocked to read that some of the pro-
posed developments to the Carr Lot include
building a chain hotel on the footsteps of a
locally-owned hotel and shrinking by more
than 50 percent the available space for one of
the best things Montpelier has to offerthe
farmers market. Do we need another hotel
downtown? Cant folks seeking the chain-ho-
tel experience stay at the Econo Lodge? And
do we want to encourage or discourage local
farmers, craftsmen, etc., from coming to the
center of our community to enrich us with
their goods?
On another note, I would love to see a bike-
sharing system developed in Montpelier. If
there were a lot to park a car, hop on a bike
and do errands in town, I think that would
partially reduce our traffic issues, not to men-
tion have a positive environmental impact.
Maybe Redstone principal Larry Williams
would consider this, instead of just accepting
the status quo: As much as they like to talk
about it, people dont necessarily really get out
of their cars, he says in the article.
Hopefully some of the proposals that I see as
supporting big-business and not the bottom
line of our community will go the way of the
State Street McDonalds.
J.D. Williams, East Montpelier
Thanks from GMFF
To the Editor:
Green Mountain Film Festival attendants
first, we wanted to thank everyone who came
out to the 17th Annual Green Mountain Film
Festival. Your continued attendance, support
and enthusiasm was much appreciated and
wonderful for the staff and volunteers to wit-
ness. Another important thank you goes out
to all of the businesses in downtown Mont-
pelier and the surrounding areas. We have so
appreciated all of your support over the years,
and hope that you enjoyed this years festival.
We also wanted to thank all of our volunteers!
Without all of your dedication, hard work and
help, this festival wouldnt exist. The entire
festival staff enjoyed working with each and
every one of you and hope that you will return
to volunteer next year.
We had a lot of fun planning the program for
the festival, and have appreciated reading all
of your comments about the individual films,
guests and your overall experience.
The Audience Award for the 2014 Green
Mountain Film Festival was ERNEST AND
CELESTINE! Thank you to everyone who
voted for their favorite film.
We are looking forward to next years festival.
If anyone would like more information about
the festival or volunteering please contact us:
gmffestival@gmail.com
Green Mountain Film Festival, Montpelier
Support H.270
To the Editor:
Research shows that quality early education,
intervention and support make huge differ-
ences in a child's life. As my family struggled
to decide, this year, whether we could afford
Letters
to send our daughter to pre-K, I was out-
raged that quality, publicly funded preschool
wasn't easily and widely available to all kids in
our state. During their first few years, when
childrens brains are developing rapidly, its
important to form healthy foundations for
future learning. Children with strong men-
tal foundations are more likely to succeed in
school, more likely to graduate from college
and therefore more likely to become a healthy
and productive member of our workforce. So
if we want our children to be successful in life,
we need to start by building healthy mental
foundations during the years leading up to
kindergarten! Thats why I strongly support
the passage of H.270 and encourage others
to do the same. Passing this bill would create
universal access to quality pre-kindergarten
programs for children ages three to five in
Vermont. Please contact your senators and tell
them to vote for H.270 so we can give our
children every opportunity to succeed.
Aubrey Boyles, Montpelier
A Different Way to Deal with
Opiates
To the Editor:
It is refreshing to read in the April 17 issue of
The Bridge, Weve Done Enough Talking,
that Governor Shumlin is making the connec-
tion between prescription narcotic use and the
rise in heroin use.
The speech again focused on treatment of
those addicted with no mention of how to
stop the continued newcomers. As long as
pain relief with the use of drugs remains the
centerpiece of treatment options, how will this
change the landscape? Opiates have become
popular in part due to the damage caused by
the use of NSAIDS, such as Tylenol, Advil
and Aleve. So whats next in the world of won-
der drugs? Isnt it time explore treatments that
are very effective, less costly, have a proven
track record and do not rely on drugs? Sounds
like a no brainer! With the proper utilization
of chiropractic services, costs in treatment and
problems of addiction can be greatly reduced.
So lets stop talking, as Shumlin proposes, and
make the necessary changes.
Medical expenses amount to 17.2 percent of
the gross domestic product (GDP) per year,
and with musculoskeletal injuries and related
disabilities accounting for 7.4 percent of that
total, thats 42 percent. Here is the main use of
prescription narcotics and the area where the
greatest savings can be realized in treatment
of these problems, along with a reduction of
drug use. Medicaid currently covers 10 visits
per year for chiropractic services no matter
what the condition, with no further visits
allowed for additional injury. This is gross
underutilization and is forcing people to seek
care at much higher rates where they will be
exposed to addiction.
As for treatment, lets let those who have
caused the problem pay for it. With an annual
marketing budget of $600 billion, it seems to
me the drug companies could afford to par-
ticipate in programs designed to help people
whose lives have been destroyed by addiction.
Whats good for the individual is good for
society. Lets stop talking and act!
James M. Lynch, Montpelier
Thanks from Senior Activity
Center
To the Editor:
On behalf of the 900 seniors served by the
Montpelier Senior Activity Center (MSAC),
our staff and board thank everyone who made
our April 12 Firebox Dinner Fundraiser a suc-
cess! We raised $1025 despite changing from
a ticketed to a free (by donation) dinner event.
We honor the Montpelier Fire Department
(MFD) for limiting the damage in the fire
that struck our centers building in 2009. Our
silent auction of two antique fireboxes contin-
ues through May 19, so theres still time to bid
on one of these pieces of Montpelier history
and add significantly to that total.
At our April 12 event, retired Assistant Chief
Bob Snetsinger gave a meticulously researched,
detailed account of the history of the MFD,
including rare slides of historic equipment and
fires. The children were delighted to try on
firefighting gear and learn about the alarms!
Event support was provided by Chief Robert
Gowans who brought fire safety educational
materials and led a guess the fire challenge;
Glen Marold, who displayed antique collect-
ibles; Paul Carnahan of the Vermont Histori-
cal Society, who displayed MFD archival ma-
terials dating to 1814, Russell and Dan Clar
for the firebox postcard project and Good
Taste Catering for kitchen support. Food do-
nations came from Applecheek Farm, Gaylord
Farm, Greenfield Farm, Tangletown Farm,
Black River Produce, Shaws Berlin and Price
Chopper. Special thanks to volunteers: Lori
Miller, Mariah Lane, Sylvia Kingsbury, Sue
Stukey, Barb Smith, Rebecca Shepard and
Brenda Snetsinger.
The funds raised help us fulfill our mission
to enhance the quality of life for older adults
through opportunities that develop physical,
mental, cultural, social and economic well-
being in a welcoming, flexible environment.
To learn more about the auction and our ser-
vices, stop by 58 Barre Street, call 223-2518,
our visit www.montpelier-vt.org/msac.
Janna Clar, MSAC director, Montpelier
What Do You Think?
Read something that you would like to respond
to? We welcome your letters and opinion
pieces. Letters must be fewer than 300.
Opinion pieces should not exceed 600 words.
The Bridge reserves the right to edit and cut
pieces.
Send your piece to:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
A Campaign to
Support The Bridge
Please, if you can, weigh in
with a financial contribu-
tion. Please send us a check
made payable to The Bridge
to this address: The Bridge,
P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier,
VT 05601. Please feel free to
drop off a check at our office.
We are located on the lower
level of Schulmaier Hall on
the campus of the Vermont
College of Fine Arts.
Thank you in advance for
considering this request for
needed financial help.
And have fun?
Do you want to
play piano?
Nicholas Mortimer, Certied Teacher | 802-595-1220
Nicholas@LovePlayingPiano.org | LovePlayingPiano.org
Do you dream about playing piano? Do you know a child
who wants to play? Simply Music might be the perfect t.
Come nd out about Simply Music
This proven method gets you playing
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Add depth and richness through your fast-growing repertoire
Feel comfortable accompanying friends and peers
Small group sessions reinforce student condence
Instructional CDs and DVDs support practicing at home
From its start in 1997, Simply Music now has over 700 teachers worldwide,
including East Montpeliers Nicholas Mortimer. He is introducing this
comprehensive, fully structured piano method and music curriculum in our
area and is excited to share his love of piano playing with students of all ages.
Next classes begin in June
Quite simply, it works when more traditional methods have not. I have
learned to practice a new behavior, cut myself some slack, be less fearful,
open myself to new experience, relax.
Margaret OToole, Montpelier, VT
I have seen a lot of music programs over the years. Some were fun. Some
were clever. Some were thorough. Heres one that has it all. In terms of
presentation, effectiveness, philosophy you name it theres nothing out
there that compares at all.
Mary Pride, publisher, Practical Homeschool Magazine
Summer
classes start
soon
Saturday, May 17
9:3010:30 AM
Christ Church, 64 State Street, Montpelier
Support an independent voice in your
community, advertise with The Bridge,
your local paper working for you!

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