Mountain Manifesto presented by Vermonters for a Clean Environment Pages 1522
April 20May 3, 2017
Getting A Bigger Slice At Cabot Creamery
IN THIS ISSUE: Innovation Equals More Sales
Pg. 4 Montpelier Zoning
CABOT Whats better than sliced bread?
Sliced cheese!
Pg. 7 Hunger Council That fairly recent way of packaging and selling your favorite
pre-sliced cheddar is upping the bottom line in the U.S. cheese
industry in general, and helping Vermont dairy farmers in
Pg. 8 All About Dirt particular.
People are busy. When they get home, they want their cheese
Pg. 10 VCFA Writing already sliced, said Nate Formalarie, brand communications
manager, in a recent conversation with The Bridge. Pre-sliced
Program cracker-cut cheese comes in a resealable package, so customers can
have a slice then reseal the package and put it back in the fridge.
Pre-Sliced Cheese
It all came about when Cabot trend watchers noticed how the
countrys biggest cheese conglomerate, Kraft, was gravitating
CAR-RT SORT
Permit NO. 123
Montpelier, VT
toward pre-sliced cheese. So Cabot tested the waters by sending
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
whole chunks of cheese to a third party to slice, package and
PAID
distribute. The result? A 25 percent increase in sales.
So the company decided to invest in equipment. Now, after
months of testing and tweaking, Cabot has its own cut-and-
wrap facility and can make the cracker-cuts in-house. Pre-sliced
sandwich-size cheese is also produced in the Cabot facility. We
moved some things around in our current facility, Formalarie
said. Production people are already doing it. They learned a new
machine. We are pretty excited about it. We are hoping it takes
off.
This is an important move in an economic climate where
dairy farmers have been struggling. Cabot Cooperative is owned
by 1,100 farms, 240 of which are in Vermont. Milk prices
are currently low, which has put a
strain on farmers. So our focus is
Montpelier, VT 05601
on making those products as best
we can and to return money to the
farm, Formalarie said, adding that
P.O. Box 1143
anyone who works at Cabot shares
The Bridge
the mission of getting the most value
out of their products.
We're online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com
Food
and
Farming Photo courtesy of
Cabot Creamery
by Carla Occaso
The company grows about 2 to 3 percent per year, Formalarie
said.
Whey Protein Powder
In another act of inspiration and innovation, rather than spread
the whey as waste on the fields of the Northeast Kingdom, Cabot
is turning the whey into protein powder. Whey is a byproduct of
the cheese-making process the liquid that remains after milk
has been curdled and strained. It is also, according to Formalarie,
where all the protein is. The company condenses the liquid whey,
then dries it into a powder form.
The company has recently started parlaying this former waste
material into cash by selling it, both wholesale as an ingredient
to food manufacturers, and through retail outlets to health-
conscious customers. As an ingredient, whey protein powder can
be used in everything from granola bars to dog food.
It is also hugely popular in the retail fitness market. Whey protein
powders are marketed heavily to both weightlifters and to people
trying to lose weight. The product is often purchased in a large
package and put in smoothies. Cabot has been selling whey
powder for the past year in the Northeast to test its popularity.
Whey is a big growth product for us, he said. It was an
investment we made to bring more money to our farmers. We
are able to use another part of that milk that is coming into
our creamery. It is a value-added product that helps bring more
profits.
Making powdered whey also has a positive environmental impact.
Since the water is being removed from the whey to put it into
powdered form, that water can then be used to clean the plant
rather than just go down the drain
or on the farmers fields. We are
reducing our strain on that well
system in Cabot, Formalarie said.
He added that the story on the
farm side is that it is using milk to
its fullest. Every part of the milk
is creating revenue and allowing
farmers to keep farming.
PAG E 2 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE

Nature Watch by Nona Estrin

Spring Garden Time

F
ox sparrows are still passing through our yard, with flocks of juncos, all
on their way North to breed. And our menus are sparked by the many
dishes made with the tender leaves of marsh marigolds or from wild leeks
from the woods below the house. They are in soups, frittatas, even shepherd's
pie. I've planted the early crops in our little kitchen garden, and though it's only
25 by 30 feet, we will be eating from it for most of the summer and fall. In fact,
after a long life eating from our gardens, from childhood on, sometimes only a
small 10 by 10 patch, I don't know how to manage without one.

Bookmark:
montpelierbridge.com or
vtbridge.com
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Downsizing Group To Meet May 13
MONTPELIER A group of area residents interested in
moving in the next few years into smaller living quarters
such as condos, apartments and small homes will be holding
another meeting on Saturday, May 13 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The public is welcome and there is no admission fee.
The agenda for the Montpelier Downsizing Group meeting will
have time for group discussion and presentations by developers,
including Doug Nedde, who has plans to turn the second and
third floors of the TD Bank building in downtown Montpelier
into market-rate apartments.
The meeting will be held in the Noble Hall lounge at Vermont
College of Fine Arts. Noble Hall is located at 39 College St. on
the east side of the college green.
For more information, or to get on the groups email list, send an
email to MontpelierDownsizingGroup@gmail.com.
Choral Society To Perform Brahms
BARRE The Burlington Choral Society will cap its 40th
season in April with performances of beloved music. Richard
Riley, artistic director, will lead the chorus, soloists and two
pianists in Johannes Brahms' Requiem.
A musical journey from sorrow to consolation, the piece will
be sung in English, as it was in 1871, just three years after its
German premiere. Also on the program is Brahms' passionate
Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny).
Performances are scheduled for Sunday, April 23, 4 p.m., at the
Barre Opera House. This will be the chorus's first performance
in Central Vermont.
Pianists Claire Black and Diane Huling will be side-by-side at the
keyboard playing Brahms' own four-hand piano arrangement.
Huling has a piano studio in Cabot. Sarah Cullins, soprano, and
Geoffrey Penar, baritone, are the soloists.
Riley is a resident of East Montpelier. The chorus has singers
from several towns including Montpelier.
Barre tickets are available at the Opera House box office, online
at barreoperahouse.org or by calling 476-8188. Prices are $25 for
adults and $20 for students and seniors.
Youth Lobby Rally For The Planet
MONTPELIER Roughly 1,500 youth activists from 50
Vermont schools gathered on the green of Vermont College
of Fine Arts April 12 for a Youth Lobby Rally for the Planet
march to the State House. Under a cloudy sky with slight
drizzle coming down, they first listened to music, then lined up
by school on the pathway that bisects the green before slowly
heading down East State Street.
Today is Youth Rally for the Planet, Zoe Werth, grade 12, of
Northfield Middle High School explained to The Bridge. It is
to get kids passionate and educated about climate justice because
it affects our generation more than any other.
A group of four girls stood in front of College Hall with a sign
stating, carpool to the prom. Sarah Clauss, Renee Dauerman,
Ali Drew and Olivia Voth, all eleventh graders at Champlain
Valley Union High School, said their school prom is May 6.
Speakers included several youth activists, U.S. Congressman
Peter Welch, former state representative and lieutenant governor
candidate Kesha Ram and climate change activist Bill McKibben.
Montpelier Alive Announces BIG July 3rd Parade
Competition
MONTPELIER This year's Independence Day parade is
going green! In honor of the 18th annual Independence Day
Celebration in the Capital City, and in an effort to showcase
more local talent during the July 3rd parade, Montpelier Alive
is inviting the local Vermont community, non-profits, schools,
businesses, community groups, churches and individuals to enter
The Red, White and Blue Goes Green Parade Competition.
Competitors are challenged to create patriotic floats, costumes,
decorations and banners showcasing green initiatives and/
or artistic talent. We are seeking entries that use items that
are reclaimed or repurposed, or discarded items that will be
recyclable after the parade; and/or move through the parade
using an electric vehicle, animals or people power (pulling,
cycling). Competitors are also encouraged to show off their
artistic and performance talents through music, dancing,
puppetry, clowning, cycling, gymnastics and more. Whatever
your talent, we want to see it!
There will be two awards: 1. Best Performance Award; and 2.
The Goes Green Award. Each grand prize winner will receive
$1,000 in cash, post-event press, a trophy and most importantly,
bragging rights!
Winners will be chosen by judge and by spectator voting.
To learn more about the competition and voting criteria, visit
montpelieralive.org.
Our community is so creative, and were excited to see what you
come up with!
Volunteers Sought For Conservation Camp
MONTPELIER Each year the Vermont Fish and Wildlife
Department looks for weekend volunteers to help at the
Green Mountain Conservation Camp to get everything ready
for the season. This year, the Kehoe workcation weekend
will be May 13 to 14, and the Buck Lake weekend will be
May 20 to 21.
Volunteers can participate for as long as they are able to
one hour, one day or both days. Volunteers are welcome to
stay overnight in onsite cabins, or they can bring their own
tents. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
The Kehoe camp is on Lake Bomoseen in Castleton; the
Buck Lake camp is located in Woodbury. This is an excellent
community service opportunity for Boy and Girl Scouts, as
well as for high school and college clubs.
The conservation camps are seeking help with general repairs,
construction, landscaping, painting, plumbing, cooking,
firewood, electrical work and gardening. Participants are
encouraged to bring their own tools, though the camps will
have some available.
For more information, please email Caroline.Blake@vermont.
gov, or call 461-6487.
The program is directed by working biologists, foresters,
wardens and conservation educators, and is designed to teach
young people about forests, wetlands and wildlife through
interactive activities. The program is sponsored in part
through a grant from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Program.

Be Sure To Look For the Lipstick Logo!

This is the Place to Find Montpeliers Summer Construction Info.

Downtown Montpelier is Open For Business during this summers construction!

Montpelier Alive and the Montpelier Business Association invite you to Shop Local
as our roads and sidewalks get beautified.
For any questions and updates, and to receive notifications, contact the official
VTrans project outreach coordinator, Francine Perkins, at 479-6994.
Look for weekly updates every Thursday.
Mark these pages for up-to-date construction information:
http://www.montpelier-vt.org/923/2017-Construction-Communications-
Homepage
https://www.facebook.com/makeovermontpelier/
https://www.facebook.com/MontpelierAlive/
Note:
Customers and patrons will always be able to access their favorite stores, restaurants
and downtown businesses occasionally with a little more effort
Giveaways and fun activities are planned for #MakeoverMontpelier
The more you shop and eat downtown during construction, the better chance you
have to win one of the many promotional giveaways
We can look forward to smooth roads and improved sidewalks this summer

Support The Bridge

Become a Community Contributor!
Name______________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State_____Zip__________
Email_________________________________

All community contributions, whatever

$25 $50* $100 $150
suits your budget, will be welcomed.
$200 $250 Other $________

*Contributions of $50 or more are eligible to receive a one-year subscription.

Please mark the box if you have contributed $50 or more and would like The
Bridge delivered to you. YES, Send me every issue of The Bridge for one year!
Friends of The Bridge will be periodically acknowledged in future issues of
The Bridge. I wish to remain anonymous
Send this form and your check to:
The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 Thank
Donations may also be made online at montpelierbridge.com You!
PAG E 4 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Zoning Hearing Draws Mostly Opposition
MONTPELIER On the hot-seat once
again before City Council was Mike Miller,
planning director. Again, he explained and
defended the new unified development bylaws
before a crowd of about 30, who were of
mixed sentiment but largely against the
new proposals. The development bylaws are
popularly known as zoning.
The general debate was over whether or not
the new rules would allow for aggressive
new development that might transform the
character of Montpeliers more traditional
neighborhoods. While most agreed theres
no overly aggressive push for development
at the moment, the fear is that by allowing
some changes it could escalate into larger
transformations of whole neighborhoods.
I can guarantee you that over time, and it
may be talking 20 or 30 years, that change
will exponentially increase and at what point
do we say that our neighborhood is lost? said
resident Sandra Vitzthum.
Vitzhum is a resident and landlord in the
city who spoke twice during the evening.
Her fear is the new zoning would allow for
many ordinary two-story homes to become
less attractive flat-roof three-story buildings,
which would be much out of character with
existing homes. She also questioned the citys
overall capacity for growth.
What is our capacity for water? What is
our capacity for sewer? What is our capacity
for schools? What is our capacity for police
and fire service? And ambulance? And roads?
Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:
Arts/Mother's Day
In Circulation May 4 to May 17
Parking? How do we measure if this is going
to work or not? Vitzhum said.
Another attendee, Michael Read, also
presented his opinion during the hearing. The
Bridge obtained a written copy of his remarks:
I think it is safe to say that the proposed
changes will allow a dramatic change in our
neighborhood. Now, it is true that no one is
required to fill in their lot with additional
houses, and the planning commission stated
that because of this it was unlikely that the
proposed increase in housing densities would
actually happen. I find this reasoning to be
rather strange. There are plenty of examples in
other communities where neighborhoods are
undergoing wholesale transformation when
the economics are right. He later went on to
recite, I realize that the Planning Commission
has worked hard on this plan. However, the
plan is flawed, and the fact that it took a long
time and hard work does not justify moving
forward with it. There are good things in it,
and I support modest development in the
walkable areas of the city. But, we should
remember that what many people like about
Montpelier is that it is a small city. We need
to make sure that growth does not destroy
the character that we so much admire. He
also wrote, that, in his opinion, more people
oppose than support the new plan.
Miller and members of the Planning
Commission got some responses in. Barbara
Conrey, Montpelier Planning Commission
member, addressed some of the growth
concerns.
by Michael Bielawski
After the hearing, the council started asking
questions of planning commissioners and
Miller after most of the public had left.
The frustration for me is listening to all of
these comments because theyre only looking
at one factor, they are looking at the actual lot
size, she said. They are not looking at the
fact that half of that lot might be a 30 percent
slope so that means that your lot is only half
as big as you thought it was. And they are not
looking at frontage or all of the other things
that limit development.
Conrey said ultimately these new rules should
keep new development consistent with existing
neighborhoods. She said the new restrictions
on building footprints is one way this will
work.
Basically, you cant build a 6,000-square-
foot building in a neighborhood that has
3,000-square-foot buildings, she said. So,
the footprint is basically whats on the ground,
and so keeping whats on the ground consistent
in scale with the other buildings.
Miller also responded to the critics.
Under the new zoning, a multi-family
structure would be a conditional use, under
the zoning today its a permitted use, which
means under the new zoning she (Vitzthum)
has more rights and her neighbors would have
more rights to participate.
Other residents were supportive of the new
zoning. When they spoke, they got few if
any applause, suggesting the crowd overall
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE
RESERVATIONS DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 28.
For more information about advertising deadlines,
rates and the design of your ad, contact one of our
representatives:
Rick McMahan: 249-8666 rick@montpelierbridge.com
Michael Jermyn: 223-5112 ext.11 michael@montpelierbridge.com
was very much against the proposals. Those
in favor felt that development in Montpelier
has stagnated and these zoning rules might
allow for much-needed new development to
be kickstarted.
In fact, rather than calling it a sustainable
level of development, I think what we are
facing is stagnation, said Jack McCullough,
Montpelier resident. Were in a situation
where, I dont want everyone who can afford
to live in the city to be as old or older than me.
Im concerned thats where we are getting to.
Council member Rosie Krueger, District 1,
gave her take on the zoning documents. She
said she hopes that the zoning encourages new
development to be sufficiently energy efficient.
She and others in the audience had referenced
a goal to make Montpelier a net zero city in
regards to energy usage.
Miller said that new development, even
those of more complex designs, are generally
more energy efficient under todays building
standards.
One statistic repeated a few times throughout
the evening was that the citys total population
from 1910 to 2010 had a net change of just one
citizen fewer.
City Council intends to continuing reviewing
the zoning documents starting at 6:30 p.m.
at each of their meetings for the foreseeable
future. They indicated that next time there
may be a little less public comment and more
council discussion. The next council meeting
will be on April 26 starting at 5:30 p.m.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 5

Montpelier-Roxbury Merger
Vote Likely June 20 by Phil Dodd

MONTPELIER/ROXBURY If all goes as expected, residents of Montpelier and Roxbury

will be voting June 20 on whether to merge the school districts of the two towns, as well as
electing a potential new school board for the unified district.
The decision to move toward an Act 46 merger vote was unanimously agreed to, 70, by the
Montpelier-Roxbury merger committee at its last meeting on April 13. The committee plans
to finalize an agreement to merge at its next meeting, on April 27, and then send the proposed
merger to the state for review in May. Approval by the state would lead to a June 20 vote.
The committees decision to put the issue to voters was something of a surprise. At the previous
meeting, all of the Montpelier members present had expressed hesitation about the move, with
one saying a new citizen-led push for a Montpelier-U-32 merger was raising doubts about the
chances for a Montpelier-Roxbury merger vote to succeed.
Steve Hingtgen of Montpelier was one was one of those expressing concern about holding a
merger vote this spring. If we take this to a vote soon, it will fail, he said at the late March
meeting. He later told The Bridge he thought the matter should perhaps be put off until fall.
But Hingtgen had changed his mind by last week. We got to the point where we trusted
the numbers more, he explained. He also said merging with Roxbury now would protect
Montpelier from being forced into some other Act 46 merger by the state at a later time. This
keeps us in control, Hingtgen stressed.
In Hingtgens view, the match is a good one for Montpelier because Roxbury parents value
a good education. He also noted Montpelier would have much more voting power than
Roxbury on the new school board. The small town of Roxbury is located 17 miles south of
Montpelier, on the other side of Northfield.
Other Montpelier members are less enthusiastic, but were willing to put the matter to the
voters. There is no significant downside financially or educationally for Montpelier, if the
numbers hold, committee member Tina Muncy said. There is also no significant reason to
do it. I concluded that the people can decide for themselves.
One Montpelier resident who plans to vote against the merger is Heidi Tringe, who has been
advocating for a Montpelier-U-32 merger instead. The Roxbury merger makes no geographic
sense and I dont believe it benefits Montpelier, she said. She also said she that, despite
assurances from school board members to the contrary, she feared it could complicate efforts
to merge with the Washington Central Supervisory Union, which operates U-32.
Tringe has collected over 150 signatures from residents of Montpelier and U-32 towns on
a letter supporting the exploration of a Montpelier-U-32 merger. She said the group will be
having an organizational meeting in May to discuss strategies, and said people interested in
signing the letter or attending the meeting could email her at heidi@mmrvt.com.
To take effect, the Montpelier-Roxbury merger has to be approved by voters in each town.
For Roxbury, a merger if approved will save its property taxpayers a significant amount
of money, keep the local school open for grades K4, and avoid having the state determine
Roxburys future. Both Roxbury members of the merger committee were strongly in favor of
taking the merger proposal to the voters.
A vote on June 20 would cover not only the merger itself, but would include election of a new
school board of seven Montpelier members and two Roxbury members, who would serve if
the merger is approved, according to information Muncy has received.
People interested in running for the new school board will have to submit a petition to the
town clerk between May 10 and 20. If the merger passes, the two existing school boards
would still exist during a transition year, along with the new unified board, but then would
be disbanded.

Like The Bridge on Follow The Bridge

Facebook:
facebook.com/ on Twitter:
thebridgenewspapervt @montpbridge

Poetry
A Published Poet
I couldn't tell you
what his sonnet addressed
if you paid me
in cash
instead of copies
of the journal
All I knew
is that
unlike so many
of my male friends
He actually did what he
claimed
by Reuben Jackson, host of Friday Night
Jazz on Vermont Public Radio
See page 28 for PoemCity: Painting With
Words Workshop, a workshop on April 26
with poet Reuben Jackson
PAG E 6 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
A Message From City Hall
This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.
Update on the Zoning Process
by Michael Miller, Planning Director
T
he City Council is now well underway in their review of the draft zoning regulations
that were submitted to them by the Planning Commission in February. There is still
plenty of time to comment though. The Council expects to continue to take input for
at least the next four meetings and will hold more if necessary. Also, the Council understands
that it can be difficult for the public to participate if public hearings start early or if the public
needs to wait for other items on the agenda to be finished. In response they have decided to
have their regular meeting start at 5:30 PM and to have the zoning review begin at 6:30 PM.
As always, if you cant make it, written comments are always welcome.
The schedule over the next months include a continued discussion on Part 2 on April 26. That
section includes items such as the zoning map, zoning districts, densities of development, and
design review. Assuming the Council completes their discussion of part 2, the meetings on
May 10th and 24th will be the general regulations in Part 3. The general regulations include
discussions of things like environmental regulations to protect riparian areas, steep slopes,
wetlands and vernal pools as well as construction rules such as driveways, curb cuts and
parking. Part 3 also includes the rules that apply when someone needs to have a site plan
approved, needs conditional use approval, or when someone want to subdivide, among other
rules. Later in June the Council will review parts 4 and 5 which are the process rules (most
set by statute) and definitions.
We would also like to take a moment to respond to some of the comments we have already
received about part 2 (Zoning map, districts, and densities). It appears some people have
some misunderstandings on the draft regulations notably the questions of densities in the
neighborhoods, Sabins Pasture, and the idea that these rules will radically transform our City.
Densities of the Neighborhoods
After taking public comment in 2015 the Planning Commission set out to establish
dimensional requirements that would be similar to what we have on the ground today. There
were two factors at play- first, the public had been clear about wanting more housing and
this had been expressed many times from the City Plan to Council goals. The second was
that the public was concerned about impacts of additional growth on the character of their
neighborhoods. The Planning Commission set about to solve this by looking at our current
zoning rules and to look at what already exists on the ground. What they found was that
most of the zoning in effect today does not reflect what we see today. For example, 33% of
all parcels in the city dont meet minimum zoning requirements and in some neighborhoods
this can be as high as 85% or more. In the case of residential densities some zoning district
were much higher than what was found on the ground and others were lower. They also
found some buildings dont meet setbacks particularly rear setbacks - which means costly
variances for building simple things like decks or sheds and this was a particular problem for
accessory buildings. Overall this meant that Montpelier could make room to increase some
housing by simply changing density and dimensional requirement to allow future growth to
match what is already on the ground today.
They chose four changes to accomplish the two goals of adding housing and protecting
neighborhoods. First they doubled the number of residential zoning districts from 3 to 6.
Rather than only having densities of one unit per acre, 4 units per acre and 29 units per
acre they now had many more densities to pick from. A neighborhood that has eight units
an acre can now be placed in a district closer with their requirements (7 units an acre in
this case) rather than choosing between 4 units per acre or 29 per acre. Second, they placed
neighborhoods in districts that most closely matched what exists on the ground today. This
has concerned some resident in neighborhoods where the zoning today is much higher than
the densities you see on the ground. Towne Hill, for example, has zoning today that is one
unit per acre but 65% of the properties dont meet minimum zoning requirements for that
density and a full third of the properties are less than a half-acre. By setting zoning densities
to match what is on the ground we can allow infill that matches what appears on the
ground. The Planning Commission felt that was fair and achieved both goals of housing and
protecting neighborhoods.
The third change to allow infill housing and protect neighborhoods was to add a requirement
for maximum building footprints. This rule came about in response to a proposal that had
a large lot in a neighborhood of smaller lots. The large lot entitled the developer to more
residential units and they propose to put them all in one large building which was out of
character with the neighborhood. In response the Commission added this provision to force
developers to break up their units into smaller buildings so they would not overwhelm the
neighborhood.
Finally the Planning Commission added some additional architectural standards to help make
sure new commercial residential structures
(single family or two family homes are exempt
from architectural requirements) would need
to meet better design requirements. Good
design allows density to happen without
overwhelming neighborhoods. The Lane
Shops, for example, are one of the highest
density developments in the city at 48 units
an acre but most people would not consider
them to be an area of concern.
To wrap up densities, we hope the public
understands the balance that the Commission
took in developing these rules. Many districts
had minimum lot sizes reduced because so
many areas simply dont match what we
see today. Regarding residential densities
there is a mix including places like Towne
Hill where zoning densities increase but
also others that decreased like the Meadow,
properties around Liberty and Hubbard,
and First Ave to Ridge Street. Remember, the zoning was changed to match what is on the
ground. The Commission is proposing to allow development to match what is on the ground
and the zoning today would not allow that to happen in some places.
Sabins Pasture
The second set of comments has been about Sabins Pasture and this was not unexpected.
People have been concerned about development of this area for many years. The Commission
considered this area very carefully and came to the designation they did based on character
of places like Sabin Street and the College Hill area of Liberty, Marvin, and College Streets.
These areas have built out at a residential density of one unit per 6,000 square feet of property
and are very desirable places to live. If Sabins was to be developed for housing, building at
these densities would be appropriate. But, some may say, what about making some of Sabins
into a park? The Planning Commission does support this as well but zoning is not the tool to
make that happen. In fact, it cannot be used to make that happen. Up until just a few years
ago communities could require some developments to turn over portions of their property
for public use in exchange for development permits but recent Supreme Court rulings have
clearly said that is now unconstitutional. So the Planning Commission is going to work this
summer to try to adopt a different tool called an official map which will give the city a right
of first refusal on properties that have been identified for parks, trails, roads, or any other
public good. The City still needs to pay for it but it does make the process more upfront to
the people who own those lands and clearly sets out the Citys plans and expectations.
In summary regarding Sabins Pasture, zoning is a tool to manage growth but cannot be
used to create public open space. If the City wants a park they will need to pay for it and the
Official Map will give them the right to do that. If the City does not want to pay for a park
then the Planning Commission feels it would be best for this area to develop like some of our
other great neighborhoods.
The Demise of Montpelier As We Know It
Finally, we wanted to take a few minutes to discuss the doom and gloom that some have
presented that this zoning will be the end of Montpelier as we know it. There are claims that
developers will buy up our buildings and tear them down to make new large buildings in
their place and that these rules are a radical shift from where the City is heading. While these
rules are a complete rewrite of the zoning bylaws and many things are different, the actual
changes are a modest and measured step forward. As discussed above, the zoning densities
are increased but only to match what is on the ground. We cannot have infill of a unit here
and there if even the houses today would not be able to get permits. With the new density we
have added many protections that dont exist today such as multifamily being a conditional
use rather than a permitted use, and the addition of building footprints and architectural
standards discussed above.
They have also wanted to use the full build out of the zoning (what if every parcel was
developed according to the maximum allowed under zoning) and judge the zoning on that
scenario. A full build out of our zoning today allows something like 14,000 possible units.
Those zoning rules have been in effect since the 1990s without wholescale demolition of our
community. A buildout was conducted for an older draft of this zoning which was closer to
16,000 units. Since the time of that buildout the densities were lowered (i.e. made less dense)
and unbuildable land has been removed from the calculation of density meaning the number
of possible units may even be less than todays zoning. Because of the cost of hiring someone
to run a buildout analysis and the fact that it doesnt provide information that is useful, we
have not run another analysis. Our goal was to look at our neighborhoods and find out how
we could responsibly add some infill housing.
In closing, please continue to participate and ask questions. Although I have described above
why the Planning Commission made the decisions that they did, these regulations are now
in the hands of the City Council and they are the ones looking to hear from you. Im sure I
can speak for the Council when I say that we all continue to look for areas where these rules
could be improved. They are long and complicated but that is somewhat the nature of these
types of regulations today. Thank you for taking time to review them and taking the time to
talk to your Councilors about your questions, concerns, and support.
Thank you for reading this article and for
your interest in Montpelier city government.
Please feel free to contact the City Manager
or your elected officials with questions or
comments about the City Government.
City Manager William Fraser can be
reached at wfraser@montpelier-vt.org or
802-223-9502. Other city officials email
addresses and phone numbers are available
on the web.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 7
Where Hunger Intersects with Health
BARRE We have it within our reach to improve our health if we can just change our
behavior or help our neighbors change their behavior concerning food choices, activity
levels and tobacco use. That was the ultimate conclusion of a recent gathering at Down
Street Housing and Community Development in Barre concerning health and hunger. The
Hunger Council of Washington County and a panel of local health experts met to discuss the
connections between hunger and health on March 31.
Joan Marie Misek, a district director at the Vermont Department of Health, illustrated some
of these connections through the 3-4-50 campaign. The campaign identifies three behaviors
(tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor nutrition), which lead to four diseases (cancer,
heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and lung disease), which result in over 50 percent of
all deaths in Vermont.
Misek told the Hunger Council, which is a project of Hunger Free Vermont and coordinates
with nine other regional hunger councils, that medical costs related to the four diseases in
Vermont were estimated at $2 billion in 2015. All of the diseases are preventable, and when
people have access to and support in engaging in healthy behaviors, those behaviors can lower
the risk for disease, she noted.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the most common determinant of health,
at 40 percent, is behavioral patterns, including those identified in the 3-4-50 formula. This is
followed by genetics (30 percent), social circumstances (15 percent), health care (10 percent)
and environmental exposure (5 percent).
Co-chair of the council, Eileen Peltier, noted that the allocation of money in the current health
care system, where 90 percent of funds are directed to medical services, is not reflective of the
particular social determinants of health that have the most impact on individuals.
Misek shared data on the health behaviors that contribute to chronic disease and the
percentage of residents currently diagnosed with those diseases. In Washington County, 76
percent of adults do not eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 42 percent do not
get the recommended amount of physical activity and 18 percent smoke. Fourteen percent
of adults in Washington County are currently diagnosed with lung disease, 14 percent with
diabetes, 7 percent with heart disease and 8 percent with cancer.
Socioeconomic factors, including food insecurity, have the greatest impact on an individuals
health and his or her ability to engage in healthy behaviors. Representatives from Central
Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) described partnerships that are making fresh produce and
local foods available to community members who may be experiencing food insecurity.
The Vermont Food Banks Veggie Van Go project makes monthly stops at the hospital
from January through June. The farm at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps provides
free weekly community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares from July through September
to eligible community members through the Health Care Shares program. The season is
extended with monthly shares of fall and storage crops from October through December. The
shares were delivered by CVMC through seven sites in the area to approximately 150 families
in 2016.
by Julia Barstow
In 2017 the number of applicants for the program may surpass the number of available shares.
The council members suggested ways to support applicants that the program will not be able
to serve, including providing them with information about the subsidized CSA program
offered by Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT).
Peter Youngbaer, Executive Director of the Peoples Health and Wellness Clinic, spoke to
the Hunger Council about the free clinics holistic approach to patient health. Youngbaer
identified helping people get health insurance as the most effective socioeconomic intervention
the clinic can provide. Reducing the pressure of medical costs can alleviate other household
stressors, including food costs.
Council members gave updates on how both federal and state funding proposals for programs
that serve children, the elderly and low income Vermonters may be affected.
Erica Campbell, from the office of Senator Sanders, described proposed cuts to federal
community block grants, which would significantly impact Vermonts community action
agencies and weatherization and heating assistance programs. There are potential restrictions
to the SNAP program (formerly the food stamp program and called 3SquaresVT in
Vermont), including block grants and drug testing requirements. Senator Sanders is resisting
those proposals, as well as $200 million in funding cuts that could be faced by the Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides food assistance and nutrition education.
Forty percent of pregnant women in Vermont benefit from the WIC program.
Fay Conte, of Hunger Free Vermont, shared that a farm-to-school bill, S.33, to expand the
grant program to childcare providers and to establish a grant program that helps schools
improve participation in their nutrition programs, has passed in the Senate and is currently in
the House Committee in Agriculture and Forestry.
Did You Know?
The issue The Bridge publishes on the third Thursday
of each month is mailed to every 05602 residence.
Perfect for promoting your business,
event, store sale and more!
Advertise in The Bridge:
249-8666 or rick@montpelierbridge.com
223-5112 ext. 11 or michael@montpelierbridge.com
PAG E 8 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dirt
by Beth Champagne
When the world wearies, and ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden. Mary Azarian
I
t was in the 1970s, post-Vietnam, when
Mary Azarian set these words beneath one
of her early woodcuts, beautifully colored.
Back-to-the-land transplants, at that time
settling all over Vermont, were with alacrity,
and much gratitude, accepting instruction
from old-time Vermonters on how to take
down a tree, put in a vegetable garden or
butcher a hog.
Vermont today has more organic farms for
its population than any other state, and the
farming is informed and inspired by
a new generation of soil scientists. Fifty years
ago, soil science was the poor relation of
rocket science, yet now everything from your
digestion and immune system to soil biology
and the planets carbon cycle are making news
and presenting stunning discoveries.
One of those discoveries is that organic
farming works to reverse climate change by
supporting soil health and anyone with
a lawn or garden, field or forest, can get into
the act!
Keeping green plants growing on the land
removes carbon dioxide from the air, and
keeping chemical fertilizers (and chemical
weed- and insect-killing products) off the
land allows soil to come alive. Plants, powered
by solar energy, break down carbon dioxide.
Liquefied carbon sent down through roots,
is food for soil microbes that deliver essential
minerals to the plant. That carbon builds new
topsoil. The oxygen remains above ground,
released through leaves back into the air.
One 70s back-to-the-lander, Grace Gershuny
of Barnet, pulls it all together when she
speaks on Organic Farming for the Planet.
Organic, she insists, is all about soil and
as the writer of organic standards, in the
early years of NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic
Farming Association, Vermont) and then in
Washington, D.C. she should know.
Gershuny, whose work helped bring organic
into the mainstream (have you seen the
round, green-and-white U.S. Department of
Agriculture organic label?), knows the USDA
standards: organic farmers, to maintain
certification, must maintain or improve soil
health.
She tells a favorite joke, in which climate
scientists ask each other, over coffee, What
if we cleaned up the land, the air and the
water, worked with nature instead of putting
down poisons, grew enough good food to
feed everyone, and restored abundant water
to degraded, sun-baked land, bringing back
wildlife and it turned out climate change
was a hoax?
The answer? There would be thriving soils,
rich in organic matter (carbon), capable of
absorbing tremendous amounts of rainfall,
and Gershuny points out capable of
keeping green growth flourishing through
droughts. Already, and not only in Vermont,
visionary farmers have been practicing
carbon-sequestering agriculture long
enough to be seeing these quite dramatic
results.
One soil scientist, quoted by Kristin Ohlson
in her 2014 book, The Soil Will Save Us
(Rodale Press), asserts that this kind of soil-
building, practiced on just a fraction (11
percent) of the worlds croplands, could
capture 50 tons of carbon dioxide per acre
enough to offset all of humankinds carbon
dioxide emissions to date.
Then theres water vapor, carbon dioxides
co-conspirator in overheating the planet.
Vermont-based writer, Judith D. Schwartz
of Bennington, has traveled the world
interviewing farmers and scientists for her
two books.
Animals, plants, soil, and air, Schwartz
observes, have long collaborated to regulate
our climate by stimulating the water cycle
until we disrupted their partnership ...
Water, I have come to understand, can be a
particularly powerful ally as we grapple with
climate change.
She quotes an Australian farmer and
author, Peter Andrews, who writes, Every
plant is a solar-powered factory, producing
nourishment essential to life, and also a
pump . . . raising water from the ground to
keep the factory operating.
Plants have always managed the heat reaching
the planet, Andrews explains, through their
participation in earths water cycles. As
they pull carbon from the air, plants of
every form and height pump water from
underground, providing moisture and cooling
above-ground.
Protecting water resources, by increasing
soil carbon, notes Schwartz, increases the
power of soil to absorb water. Effective land
and farm management practices can revive
degraded soil and desertified land.
Graham Unangst-Rufenacht of East
Montpelier, who with his partner, Aaron
Guman, raises beef and consults on organic
soil management, offers key strategies to
nourish gardens and lawns:
1. Avoid tilling or digging disturb only
the soil surface to protect the underground
networks that sustain soil life.
2. See plant problems as symptoms. Rather
than attacking symptoms, treat what is
literally the underlying cause: lack of soil
health. Start feeding the soil. Although
putting covers over seedlings, for instance,
does work to protect against flea beetles,
adding compost tea and other inoculants to
support soil life will support plant health.
Well-nourished plants will not release the
pheromones that attract insects.
3. Create edible perennial beds, which nourish
the soil and need only mulching, not tilling.
Start with asparagus, and rhubarb, then try
sea kale (native to the British Isles) or other
hardy, edible perennials. Less work, less soil
disturbance!
4. Mow the lawn less often. Let grass stand
three or four inches tall, and leave clippings
where they fall, to be broken by soil
microorganisms, adding organic matter to
the soil.
5. Celebrate dandelions! Their deep roots rot,
creating space for air and water needed by
the soil. Their blossoms provide pollen that
nourishes bees and other pollinators. Leave
insecticides and herbicides in the store, and
seek out information on alternatives!
6. Keep doing what's already working:
Compost non-meat kitchen waste and
apply it spring or fall to garden beds,
mulching with leaves for the winter, for the
delectation of all those unseen soil critters!
Your plants will thank you.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 9

Calling On Everyone to Scramble in the Street by Harris Webster

I
learned about scrambles several years ago when my sons family enjoyed participating in Seattles Street To find out where this beautiful grave is,
Scramble. As a walker and leader of walks in Montpelier, by the way a fabulous place to walk, I have participate in the upcoming pedestrian scramble.
for a long time dreamed of Montpelier having its own pedestrian scramble. Finally in this last year or Photo by Michael Jermyn
so I persuaded the Pedestrian Committee and its successor, the Complete Streets Group, to sponsor such a
scramble and have worked to design this first Montpelier one.
My self-assignment for this Bridge article is to persuade you to participate in the first pedestrian scramble on
this May 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. What do I mean by you? You could be an individual, or even better, a group
of people. You could be of almost any age. There are few excuses or reasons not to participate. Families and
group of friends are especially welcome.
What is a scramble? Its an event where participants gather at a central location, receive a street map and a
sheet containing a list of possible destinations along with one or more questions about each destination. Each
destination has a value attached. This is a semi-competitive event and one goal is to receive the most points.
That requires you to walk to destinations in the most efficient manner and answer the questions. There will be
a 15 minute period to plan your route and a 105-minute period to walk to and from some of the destinations.
This is far more than a competitive event. You will learn to appreciate more about our community from
the almost perfect perspective of a pedestrian. I guarantee you can and will notice new great things about
Montpelier while scrambling as well as noting things that need improvement. You will become a better citizen.
You will also engage in a healthy activity. Though yoga is beneficial to our health no doubt, some experts
point out walking may be even more so. We also welcome runners, bicyclists and all other exercise devotees
to this walking event.
If this article has whetted your interest either a little bit or a lot, I urge you to pick up a more detailed
explanation of all scrambles and this particular one at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library Community Table along
with an application. To sign up ahead of time, which we would prefer, you can fill out the application and
return it to the city clerks office on the main floor in city hall before May 6, or it is also okay to sign up just
before the 2 p.m. Start in the gathering area in front of the city hall. Help the Complete Street Group, which
is sponsoring this event, by participating in this pedestrian scramble.
PAG E 10 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Julianna Baggott to Lead MFA in Writing and Publishing
Program at VCFA
First Group of Full-Residency Students Slated to Graduate in May
by Nat Frothingham
V
ermont College of Fine Arts President Thomas Christopher Greene announced the
appointment of Julianna Baggott as Faculty Director of the colleges relatively new
(two-year) residential Master of Fine Arts in Writing and Publishing program. Baggott,
who will have a full-time presence at the college, will eventually move to Montpelier with her
husband and the youngest of their four children; their older kids are in college and beyond. She
will begin her new position on August 1.
The Writing and Publishing program breaks new ground for Vermont College of Fine Arts. For
years, the college has championed its low-residency graduate programs with students who work
at their own home locations, with academic help from faculty mentors, and then assemble for
concentrated 7- to 10-day periods at the Montpelier campus.
The program is new. Its both full-time and residential, with students arriving at the campus at
the end of August and leaving in May. The first class of the
MFA in Writing and Publishing program will graduate on
Saturday, May 13.
From what Greene wrote in a recent press release, and from
his additional comments during a face-to-face interview,
his enthusiasm for Baggotts appointment comes across as
almost unbounded.
In Greenes press release, he wrote:
Im thrilled to have Julianna join us as Faculty Director for
our MFA in Writing & Publishing program. Many of us in
the writing community have been in awe of Julianna for her
incredible range and singular talent as an author. She is not
only an amazing novelist who writes for adults and children,
but also an accomplished essayist and poet. Few people I have
met know more about the publishing industry than Julianna.
I look forward to Julianna bringing her experience and
creativity to VCFA.
Baggott, writing about herself in the third person in a
blog she calls The Collected Mind of Julianna Baggott
describes how she got her start in writing. (She) began
publishing short stories when she was 22 and sold her first
novel while still in her 20s.
From those early beginnings, Baggotts career in writing,
teaching and publishing has been amazingly versatile and productive.
Shes a short story writer and a novelist who writes for both adults and children. She has a
well-developed public voice as a widely published newspaper and magazine writer, columnist
and essayist. Baggott has also been a radio personality and has a broad knowledge of and many
contacts in the publishing world. She has also published four collections of poetry.
Her achievements in the academic world are no less impressive.
Baggott holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is an associate
professor at the College of Motion Picture Arts at Florida State University and is listed as a
screenwriter. She also currently holds the H.P. Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters
at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.
During a recent phone interview with The Bridge, Julianna Baggott's remarks was sparkled with
high intelligence, insight and wit.
Talking about her new appointment she said, VCFA has been on my radar for a long time.
They are doing things differently.
Ive always been a little restless at academe, Baggott said, noting that traditional university and
college programs dont always prepare students for all the opportunities to make a life.
Making a life was something of a theme as we talked.
In other institutions, she said. Ive always been pushing my colleagues not just to engage
students in the (writing) craft, but how to build a life as a writer.
Based on her astonishingly productive and diverse writing career, Baggott will have years of
experience and valuable advice to offer students in the MFA in Writing and Publishing program.
As part of his interview with The Bridge, Tom Greene explained how the two-year residential
MFA in Writing and Publishing program works. Greene said that the college has attracted an
excellent group of faculty to teach in the MFA Writing and Publishing program.
Every three weeks, students experience different faculty with a wide range of viewpoints. These
teachers visit Vermont College of Fine Arts from such places as New York or Los Angeles, and
stay in Vermont for three weeks at a time.
During these three-week modules, students can focus on how to edit written material, how
to workshop peer submissions and how to select and organize their material for publication
as a book. In a three-week block of time, they might get deeply into poetry, science fiction,
or something else. The MFA in Writing and Publishing program also offers practical field
opportunities to pursue an internship in numerous writing and publishing situations.
Greene said the two-year Writing and Publishing MFA is for beginning writers as well as for
those who have been writing for a while. Its for people who want to take it to the next level
who have gone as far as they can on their own and who need the critique of people with more
experience. Its the ability to take a quantum leap to jump start your career.
For writers who have been working essentially alone, the program offers a supportive context.
The most important piece an MFA can provide is a sense of community a port in the storm,
Greene said.
During her phone interview with The Bridge, Baggott articulated her own belief in what
students can achieve as part of a writing community. I think we need to support each other as
writers in all points of our career, she said.
Ive started to give talks on efficient creativity, she said. I believe in engaging students with
their own individual process so they can sustain their art. I think many teachers ignore it; they
ignore their own creative process.
Ive learned to be adaptable, she said about her career. I think Ive been published by almost
every major publishing house in New York City. I know small presses from publishing poetry. I
also know a good bit about the film industry and entertainment. Talking about her use of pen
names, she said, One of my pseudonyms has been a radio personality.
For Baggott, storytelling is at the center of the writing pursuit.
It always comes back to storytelling for me. If theres a way to tell a story that I havent tried,
Ill probably try it. Im very bullish about storytelling.
Baggott is looking forward to moving to Montpelier.
Its compelling to make the move, she said. She told
The Bridge that she and her husband grew up in small
towns. I like the idea of knowing the people in your
town, walking down Main Street, knowing the people
by name. That part feels like it will be familiar and
comforting.
But she wasnt forgetting Florida. I love swamps, she
said.
I am now used to the cold, she said about living
in northern New England. Vermont is a productive
place. We want to live in a place thats progressive.
Then aware that she was talking to me and that I am
a newswriter and editor, she told me that she and her
husband had worked on a local newspaper in Newark,
Del.
We pronounce it different than Newark, New Jersey.
In Delaware, its pronounced New-Ark, she said.
Julianna Baggott
Photo by Carlos Alejandro Again, storytelling we loved telling stories that were
local.
Toward the end of our conversation, Baggott talked about teaching. I bring a lot of joy to
the class. If were not laughing, theres something wrong. I do what I do with as much joy as
possible.
Then she shifted her focus a little. We also go very deep. Sometimes people have to feel they
can go deep and take risks. Students have to take risks. Sometimes it can be heartbreaking.
Student Testimonial: Gina Tron
Gina Tron is a professional writer and a student in the Writing and Publishing
program. As a local reporter she has worked for the Barre Montpelier Times-Argus.
She has also published three books with small publishers. She is nearing the end of
her first year at VCFA.
During an interview with The Bridge, Tron said overall of the program that I like it
a lot. Im getting a lot out of it.
About her writing background, she said, Ive worked as a writer and reporter for
years, but I was never trained in writing. Everything I learned about writing was from
trial and error. Sometimes what I wrote was accepted; sometimes it was rejected. I
learned from this experience. But I felt my writing wasnt as good as it could be. Its
cool that theres this community of writers and mentors, said Tron.
Being part of a group thats small, motivated and just passionate about writing
we ask each other for advice and support. We all know each others work really well.
Everyones style is different. Were not in competition.
Some of the students like Tron have been news writers. Others are poets. Were so
different, Tron said. And yet were all serious about writing. For me, its something
I feel compelled to do. Its what I want to do with my life. I feel thats pretty much
shared. Were dedicated to the writing life.
Faculty chair Trinie Dalton
introduces a reading in Caf Anna.
Photo by by Anthony Pagani
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 11

Make Way for Makeover Montpelier by Carla Occaso

MONTPELIER Its not construction, its a makeover. Thats
the word from Montpelier Alive and the Montpelier Business
Association pertaining to the plethora of paving and other road
work scheduled for summer 2017.
But local merchants dont want a perceived inconvenience
to keep away customers, so they are planning an array of
enticements to offset any possible challenges to an otherwise
hassle-free shopping experience. Downtown businesses have
been coming up with imaginative ideas since last fall to bring
more fun and excitement to their shops. Things like activities
and giveaways are planned for #MakeoverMontpelierMondays:
the more you shop, the better chance you have to win one of
many giveaways.
I think one of the most important things to keep in mind is that
this is not digging, said Ashley Witzenberger, executive director
of Montpelier Alive. That is why we are saying makeover.
The scheduled work includes sidewalk improvement, repaving
the main streets and more, all of which Witzenberger says will
create a fresh new look for the city.
This is really good for us, so we have to stick together,
Witzenberger said, recollecting how, when some other,
more major construction projects, like District Heat took
place, they caught people off guard. An apparent lack of org/923/2017-Construction-Communications-Homepage.
communication created frustration with people who werent Also, be sure to look for other ways to get information on page 3
expecting inconveniences like street closures. This time around, in each issue of The Bridge for the duration of the construction.
VTrans (The Vermont Agency of Transportation) has entrusted
Francine Perkins with the job of communicating, from the lead State and city officials want to make sure the public is as
informed as possible. We need to continually remind people
contractors out to residents and business owners, so people will
know what to expect, Witzenberger said. that it is coming, Perkins said. She is also the spokesperson for
this summers repaving project in Barre, which is very similar
According to information from the City of Montpeliers in that all the main state routes (302 and 14), aka Main Street,
website, the noise ordinance has been waived to allow nighttime will be done.
construction because some construction, particularly around
State and Main, will be done from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. So even though we might have to deal with flaggers, street
closures or noise, come fall, drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians
Francine Perkins, project outreach coordinator, said the can enjoy a smooth surface.
contract between the state and the contractor is coming out
this week. Perkins is tasked with disseminating the most
authentic and up-to-date information; she can be reached
at 479-6994. The newly named contractor, Pike Industries
(with offices on Granger Road), will be working on schedules
that still need to be submitted to the state for approval, said
Perkins. Because of that, Perkins said she cannot confirm a
start date yet. Community members who want to get a sneak
peek at the scope of work may look at maps and estimated time
frames on the citys website page: http://www.montpelier-vt.

Make Montpelier A Coherent, Uncluttered Community

by Brenda Thow, Montpelier

Opinion
T he last issues opinion piece on Place Making by Ward Joyce was very
informative.
It has given me the opportunity to express ideas Ive had for a long time about
Montpelier.
Ward relates how Montpelier wants to test ways to make Montpelier a better city to live in,
make it more pedestrian and bike oriented, reduce the dominance of cars and parking in our
public places and re-implement street uses from 100 years ago.
Commendable. Before they go any further, I strongly recommend everyone involved in the
process read The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler. Kunstler describes
the evolution of a nation of Main Streets and coherent communities to a land where every
place is like no place in particular.
Before the automobile, a community could sustain itself within a half mile. Think of
everything you do or need in a weeks time. Could all of your needs be met in downtown
Montpelier?
Daily we hear stories of people not being accepting of different cultures or people of different
economic means. Kunstler describes how store owners and their families lived over their
stores and an employee and their family often lived over a storage building behind the store.
This brought acceptance and understanding. Imagine the possibilities for the floors above
Montpeliers stores.
There was a time when business owners and employees took pride in their appearance and
gave thought to how their customers perceived them. It takes seven seconds to make a first
Painting with Words Poetry Workshop
With Reuben Jackson At The Bridge
You, the reader, can participate in a poetry workshop Reuben Jackson will be leading
at The Bridge on April 26 at 6 p.m. It is sponsored by PoemCity based in the Kellogg
Hubbard Library. Please register ahead of time by emailing carla@montpelierbridge.com.
All ages and abilities welcome. See calendar listing on page 28.
impression. Many times everyone looks like no-one in particular. If you have a
creative business, look creative. Wearing black or gray doesnt say Im creative.
If you are a professional say a pharmacist look like one. A fine example is
Steve Simpson at Kinneys. He is always impeccable from his white pharmacists
coat to his shoes. Remember Norma Reynolds and First Impressions? Often we
would see her walking to work and my husband would say: There goes First
Impressions.
Montpelier should also be able to sustain tourists. Ask yourself why would a tourist want
to visit or shop in Montpelier? What is different here from other tourist destinations? Not
much. With all the talent in Vermont we should be able to present the tourist with exciting
opportunities. I still love to shop and look around. When being a tourist I like to bring back
something I cant find at home. Look what I found in _________. Can you imagine that!
Tourists often see things that we become immune to by living here. Clean, sparkling windows
are a sign of a well-run business. The ones at Parkers Quick Stop are a good example.
Montpelier is good at having water dishes for our dog population. However, they are often
empty and dirty. Take a walk across the Bailey Avenue Bridge and stop to look for fish in the
river. Then notice all the cobwebs on the railings. At one time store owners would sweep the
sidewalk before they opened. When they lived upstairs, they had an added incentive it
was also their home. Speaking of homes, many arent kept to previous standards. They kept
clutter off their porches and lawns and used those spaces for the purpose for which they were
intended. I refer to the current standard as the dirtying of America.
Please read The Geography of Nowhere before dismissing these thoughts. It will hold your
interest and show you how the automobile has made huge economic, social and spiritual costs
to our nation.
PAG E 12 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE

The Walking City by Michael Badamo, Montpelier

I Opinion
n 1910 Montpelier actually was a walking
city, a description todays planners and
developers claim as a goal.
In 1910 horses still plodded down State Street,
while a few automobiles edged slowly through
pedestrians who walked freely just about
everywhere. A small trolley loop ran around
town. But mostly people walked to work,
school, church or the tavern.
In 1910 there were no housing clusters on
Town Hill Road, upper Terrace Street, upper
Berlin Street and other places. So where
did everybody live? A partial answer can be
seen in photos from the period. Many of
them lived right downtown, on land that is
now consumed by parking lots. We had few
building regulations and no zoning. Housing
ranged from brick rooming houses to little
more than shacks, conditions not acceptable
today but contributory to making work,
shopping and socializing all within an easy
walk.
By 1950 the city ballooned to 8,599, an increase
of 743 people over 40 years. Some of the
old walking city still existed on life support,
but parking lots and car-crowded streets were
taking over. The post-WWII suburbanization
of America was taking root. Montpelier
attempted to follow this trend, which seemed
to provide such abundant profits elsewhere for
large-scale developers and car dealers.
Montpelier tried to follow but just couldnt
seem to pull it off. By 1980 the
population fell to 8,241. Old
houses were still being pulled
down to make room for parking,
while expensive new houses
in our puny suburbs went up
very slowly. The big demographic changes of
day-time commuters from surrounding towns
and tourists mean that the citys daytime
population today is over 20,000 and they
all need parking spots.
The citys population in actual residents still
declines below the 2010 census. For many
years this fact has worried legislators in City
Hall as mayors and councilors came and went,
but all that seems to have come from this
concern is words. Today we have a new set of
words on the table that wont accomplish the
goal of increasing population either, and may
further contribute to making Montpelier a less
attractive living environment.
The new set of zoning regulations, now in
public hearings, appears to double down on
1950s encouragement of suburban sprawl
while paying lip service to the walking city
of fond memory and future aspiration. The
motive behind the proposed changes is to
somehow stimulate population growth within
city limits. It wont of course, but might
very well damage the citys quality of life
by decreasing Montpeliers attractive 19th
century remnants.
There are 4,239 dwelling units
in town. That is about two
people on average per house,
apartment, or rental room with a
few left over. The proposed new
zoning allows for an additional
16,158 dwelling units. At the current average
of two people per unit this proposal anticipates
an additional 32,000 people living within city
limits.
The problem is where new growth is encouraged
by use of lot size, setback reductions and the
potential destruction of some of our most
attractive open space.
The new regulations make some small gestures
toward increasing residential density within
walking distance of downtown, but thats
the area where it is most difficult to build
more units. All those parking lots (mostly in
floodplain), as well as the historic attractiveness
of surrounding nearby areas, make for some
seriously challenging design problems that
are not particularly attractive for profitable
development.
The major increase in density is proposed
for the peripheral areas of town, completely
undeveloped in 1910, by cutting minimum lot
size and allowing more development. While
potentially more profitable for developers, it is
not anywhere near walkable. Will allowing
increased density on upper Terrace Street,
Town Hill Road and Sabins Pasture add
the desirable population increase of 500 or
1,000 people? Maybe or maybe not, but a
few scattered houses and apartments on the
outskirts will certainly not add to the livability
and walkability of Montpelier. Rather, we will
be encouraging a spotty landscape of isolated
eyesores, dependent on cars to go anywhere.
This approach has not worked in the past to
increase population and seems unlikely to
work now. Its not hard to get a picture of why.
One needs only to climb to near the top of
North Street, a little above Mary Hoopers
house. The view is truly wonderful and can
tell us everything we need to know why
walkable, livable, historic Montpelier cannot
grow suburban style. We can see most of the
city stretched along the Winooski and the
North Branch, a thin band of flat land that
includes some small hills covered with houses
and trees.
Diving sharply down into the river valley
on all sides, much higher hills confine our
small valley with easy exits only along the
rivers. Then mountains rise beyond the high
hills. Montpelier sits in a very small pocket,
surrounded by daunting terrain. This is the
beauty of our small city, but it is also the main
limitation to suburban development.
It would be a good idea for our city councilors
to take a look at that view from upper North
Street for a while before diving back into that
dense book of new zoning regulations.

Hannaford Donates About 22,000 Units to Foodbank

Donation is part of $135,500 raised to fight hunger
BARRE Hannaford Supermarkets donated 1,012 cases
of food to the Vermont Foodbank as part of a hunger relief
campaign that generated more than $1.3 million in product and
cash donations across five Northeast states, including $135,500
in Vermont. The donation took place at the Foodbanks
headquarters in Barre on Thursday, March 23.
The Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger campaign took place
during the 2016 holiday season, and featured a you-buy-one,
we-give-one component in which Hannaford pledged to donate
identical products when customers purchased specific shelf-
stable items. The food donated included 315 cases of sweet
corn; 98 cases of sweet peas; 361 cases of green beans; 76 cases
of spaghetti; 111 cases of peanut butter; and 51 cases of oats.
The combined cases total more than 22,000 units of food.
Hannaford Supermarkets is committed to working
throughout the year with local food pantries and food banks
to ensure all those who are at risk of going hungry have
access to the nutritious food they need, said Hannaford
Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Brian Fabre.
We are proud that this donation of 1,012 cases of food
will provide thousands of meals to those who are struggling
financially in Vermont.
We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with
Hannaford Supermarkets, said John Sayles, CEO of the
Vermont Foodbank. With one in four Vermonters turning to
the Vermont Foodbank for food assistance, it is critical to have
committed partners like them. Hannaford is a leader, setting
a compelling example of how businesses can leverage their
resources to be a key part of solving hunger.
The campaign included three levels:
Buy One, Give One: Hannaford donated specific products
identical to those items purchased by customers during a
four-week period.
Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Boxes: Customers
purchased boxes of food staples for $10, and chose whether
to have the box delivered to the local pantry or donated
personally.
Register Donation: Customers donated money to their state
food bank, in $5 increments, at the register.
The annual Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger program has
raised more than $7.8 million in food and cash since it
launched in 2008.

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601

Phone: 802-223-5112
Fax: 802-223-7852

Bridge Community Media, Inc.

Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham
Managing Editor: Carla Occaso
Design & Layout, Calendar Editor:
Marichel Vaught
Copy Editing Consultant:
Larry Floersch
Proofreaders: Garrett Heaney,
Brianna Stallings
Sales Representatives: Michael Jermyn,
Rick McMahan
Distribution: Tim Johnson, Kevin Fair,
Daniel Renfro, Anders Aughey
Board Members: Chairman Donny Osman,
Marcia Garlisi, Martin Hahn, Irene Racz,
Margaret Blanchard, Ivan Shadis
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14, or
editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
Location: The Bridge office is located at the
Vermont College of Fine Arts,
on the main level of Stone Science Hall.
Subscriptions: You can receive The
Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out
your check to The Bridge, and mail to
The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT
05601.
montpelierbridge.com
facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
Twitter: @montpbridge
Copyright 2017 by The Bridge
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 13
Agency of Ag Reaches Out To Farmers, Community
STATEWIDE Throughout February and March, the Anson Tebbetts
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets held a
listening tour to gather feedback and ideas about farming in
our state. Over the course of six weeks, the agency hosted
meetings in Lyndonville, Brattleboro, Middlebury, St. Albans
and Montpelier. More than 300 farmers and community
members attended. Now, the agency plans to address listening
tour feedback.
The suggestions and ideas shared by participants were
insightful and covered a wide range of topics, said Agency
of Agriculture secretary Anson Tebbetts. The feedback was
diverse, but four main themes emerged.
Heres what was shared, and how the agency plans to address it:
Vermonters want to ensure the next generation has opportunities
to work in agriculture, and has access to land. They want young
people to feel excited and optimistic about careers in agriculture.
The Agency of Agriculture will work with University of Vermont
Extension, Vermont Technical College, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and the career
centers to promote educational programs that get future farmers ready to take the reins. There
are many existing programs, like 4-H, that do great work to get young people engaged. The
agency has said they would work hard to promote these opportunities and build awareness, to
get more kids involved and to continue to partner with the Vermont Housing Conservation
Board and Land Trust to improve access to land.
In addition, many people who spoke up and said they feel burdened and overwhelmed by
regulations. Therefore, the current administration has made a commitment to limit new
regulations. The Required Ag Practices were adopted in December 2016. Agency officials
vow to work with farmers to implement them in a way that is fair. They have recently formed
the Required Ag Practices Advisory Committee, which includes farmer representatives and
Hunger Mountain Coops Earth Day Celebration:
Coming this Saturday! by Garrett Heaney
W
ith spring upon us, Montpelier is starting to blossom back to life, and with the season
comes the annual Community Earth Day Celebration at Hunger Mountain Coop.
On Saturday, April 22, there will be a number of outdoor activities, a community
swap meet, a whole slew of childrens activities under the kids tent and workshops inside,
including native plant landscaping.
Robyn Joy from the community relations department was particularly excited about the book,
clothing and media swap meet, saying I am so pumped for the swap meet! We get to keep
things from becoming trash in abandoned free boxes and get a new punch to our wardrobes
and bookshelves! Yay!
Folks from the community, owner-members and staff are all invited to bring in their previously
loved books and gently used, clean, spring and summer clothes, used DVDs, CDs, video games
and VHS tapes, and leave with whatever they can make use of.
Also, if youre like me and have a bunch of broken, outdated or simply unwanted technology
lying around, feel free to bring your old cell phones and batteries to the recycling station set
up with Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District. They will be on site to answer
any questions about proper disposal/recycling of your electronics. The District will also be
showcasing their Project Tote project in which schools and people in the community have
repurposed or upcycled their unusable compost totes. These will be spread throughout the Coop
and a vote will be held for favorites. The winners from each group (Union Elementary School,
Main Street Middle School and MHS) will each receive a $250 cash prize.
The real fun begins out in the kids tent, opening at 10 a.m. Shortly after, at 11 a.m. Shirley
from Face Mania will be set up to paint her amazing animal faces by request until 1 p.m. This
is always a favorite amongst kids, so make sure you get there before she has to go! There will also
be a solar-powered bouncy house provided by SunCommon, weather permitting, but as of press
time, all precipitation should be gone by Friday afternoon (not that Vermonters can actually
count on weather forecasts).
The North Branch Center will be there to teach kids (and parents!) about animals and their
natural habitats and Black Dirt Farms will be teaching about high potency worm castings.
stakeholders involved in water quality issues. The role of the
board will be to advise the agency on the roll-out of the Required
Ag Practices, to ensure they are effective and attainable and that
they take into account real-farm practices.
Some people said they find it difficult to get in touch with
key staff, and that the agency needs to do a better job with
customer service. Participants also said the agency needs to work
harder to build positive relationships across the entire farming
community. To address these concerns, the agency has already
begun a comprehensive audit of our customer service practices.
Over the next three months, the agency plans to work closely
with managers, inspectors and technical assistance providers to
identify the ways in which the agency can improve customer
service and relationships. As a first step this week, a contact list
for all agency personnel has been placed on the website, at http://
agriculture.vermont.gov/contact_us.
Because theres a lot going on, farmers sometimes find it hard
to get the information they need. The agency needs to do a better job communicating. In
order to ensure farmers have timely access to the information they need, staff are now mailing
complimentary copies of the internal newspaper, Agriview, to all Vermont farmers on a monthly
basis. Over the course of the next year, a plan is in place to redesign the website to make it more
user-friendly. People can also follow the agency on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
This is just the beginning. Each comment shared with us at these meetings helps inform the
decisions we, as a new administration, make each day on the job here in Montpelier, said Alyson
Eastman, deputy secretary.
We are committed to working with our farming community, to grow the economy, to making
Vermont affordable and to enrich our communities, added Tebbetts. Thanks to all who came
out to share their thoughts.
All children are invited to plant seedlings at the gardening table as well as sit in with Kellogg-
Hubbard Library staff for nature poem writing, storytelling and other hands-on activities.
Inside, there will be workshops in the community room (upstairs) with Erin OHara of Turtle
Hill Native Plant Nursery and John Snell of the Montpelier Tree Board. OHara will be talking
about landscaping with native plants to support wildlife, pollinators and people, while Snell
will be talking about how to successfully plant a tree. These workshops are RSVP, so call or sign
up at the co-op ahead of time if youre interested.
In the evening there will be a Poem City event from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. with Calais singer/
songwriter Bob Hannan, mashed up with the poetry of his friend and neighbor Geof Hewitt,
Vermonts reigning Poetry Slam Champion.
When asked for comment about Hunger Mountains Earth Day celebration, General Manager
Kari Bradley noted, Our cooperation makes it possible for us, individually and collectively, to
make a real difference for the environment. We should pause and take pride in that we have built
a food cooperative that has helped us express and take action on these core values.
PAG E 14 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE

Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 15
 PAG E 16 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
As is well known, Vermont is decidedly a mountainous
state. There is, to be sure, abundance of level ground and
good tillable land, but dominating all are the mountains.
Prof. George H. Perkins, 1918
We hold these truths to be self-evident . These
words of the Declaration of Independence are prelude
to what some have called the single most memorable
sentence in American history, proclaiming universal
values and unalienable rights fundamental to human
aspiration. As self-evident, they are unquestionable
and undeniable, without debate.
We, too, proclaim self-evident truths. This is our
creed, our Mountain Manifesto:
The ecological integrity of the Green Mountains is essential
to the health of Vermonts lands, its air and its waters
and to all the life human and otherwise that dwells
on and in them. For eons, these mountains have been
shaped and transformed by the long, slow evolutionary
forces of geology, ice, wind and water. Now, we are the
greatest threat to Vermonts mountains and have been
since the early days of colonial settlement. And, as the
artifacts of destruction have become more sophisticated,
powerful and readily deployable, humankind can with
ease and within a few months milliseconds on the
geological clock destroy what took millennia to create.
Now is the time to stop this madness.
This is a declaration of dependence upon the
mountains, not of independence from them. For too
long, our arrogance and ignorance have concocted a
fatal brew: an intoxicating fantasy that we are little
less than gods, above and apart from the laws of
ecology, that Vermont is ours to plunder at our whim
and by our ingenuity.
Vermont has a reputation as the Great and Emerald
Oz, a place unspoiled and uncorrupted. Many who
visit here or hear our professions of environmental
virtue inhabit places of great ecological destruction:
the mega-sprawl of the East Coast, the arid spaces of
the West, the paved-over suburbs of urban America,
where the soil is entombed in asphalt, concrete and
steel. Vermont, to them, seems an oasis, a life-
affirming space of verdant mountains, pure waters
and quiet peace. It is an illusion. The wizard behind
the green curtain is an imposter.
Nonetheless, we brag on our Vermont Difference as
if a better-than-environment is good enough. It is
not. In 1981, historian Charles Morrissey described
how Vermont had begun to resemble too many
other spoiled places in America. He questioned
our self-centered sense of superiority, Vermont is
different? The question is
asked sardonically. The
trouble with Vermont is that
Vermont is not different
enough. Since then,
Vermont, as with the rest
of the nation, has further
defaced the land, despoiled
the waters and denied the
inexorable consequences.
Earlier, the Green
Mountains were islands of
safety to many of the early
white pioneers, refuges high
above the swampy lowlands
that bred mosquitoes and disease. Over time, the
settlers moved downhill to populate the valleys and
create the early infrastructure of industry, having
infamously destroyed the high slopes of the hills
for profit and gain. This Great Folly of Vermont
Deforestation is well known. Less known is that some
forests were left untouched, saved not by human
virtue but by geographic inconvenience: The forests
on higher ridgelines and those too distant from
transportation were simply uneconomical to exploit.
Today is different and the same. Today, the
implements of destruction are sophisticated and
abundantly available. Mountaintop destruction is
no longer unprofitable in a purely economic sense.
Green Mountain Power Corporation needed little
more than a wag of the hand to get the State of
Vermonts blessing to use a rumored 700,000 pounds
of ammonium nitrate to blast away the ridgeline of
Lowell Mountain, an act of incalculable ecological
violence. That is one hundred times what Timothy
McVeigh used to blow up the federal building in
Oklahoma City.
Vermonts mountains are again
becoming ecological lifeboats.
Climate disruption is forcing
both flora and fauna to move,
not only northward across the
land but upward, higher on
the peaks. Ironically, when we
most need the mountains, we
have turned against them. In a
race to the top, the migrating
flora and fauna will compete
for space with wind turbines
in those ever more threatened
lifeboats.
Now, foreign corporations and homegrown developers
have turned their eyes on Vermonts highlands.
Their gaze is myopic but calculating. It measures
mountains in terms of board-feet cut, vertical-drop
skied, megawatts generated and condominiums sold.
We take the long view and see something else. Like
the psalmist, we lift our eyes unto the hills from
whence cometh our strength. We will need all that
strength to ensure that what poet and jurist Wendell
Phillips Stafford called our dear little state among
the dark green hills survives.
 T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 17
When you looked at the mountains, we didnt know
anything about mountains, mountain forests, mountain
vegetation.
Hub Vogelmann
Few people knew Vermonts mountains better than did
Hub Vogelmann. When he took a job in the University
of Vermonts botany department in 1955, Hub
discovered Vermonters knew a lot about agriculture
and soils but next to nothing about their mountains.
He learned fast. His great legacy is his work on Camels
Hump, acid rain and the creation of Act 250s special
protection for mountain environments above 2,500
feet. Hub knew, deep down in his soul, something all
Vermonters need to know: Vermont is named for and
synonymous with its Green Mountains, bound to an
identity at once literal, emblematic and virtually
timeless.
They are the most venerable members of our landscape,
most having formed here from 500 to 350 million
years ago, long before life appeared on land. A few
are a billion years old, some of the most ancient on the
planet, formed when Earths most primitive creatures
were just evolving in the oceans. Even the youngest
date back nearly two hundred million years, as part
of the giant supercontinent Pangea, when it came
together, then broke apart as North America drifted
away from Europe and Africa, with the new Atlantic
Ocean filling the widening gap.
Their rocks belie what they were prior to being crumpled
into mountains by these great tectonic upheavals:
marine sediments (now limestones and schists), great
sandy shores (sandstones and quartzites), deep-earth
volcanoes (granites), and many others. As mountains,
some, in their fullness, were higher than the Rockies,
or maybe even the Himalayas. But they have aged,
worn down grain by grain over eons of exposure
and weathering, reshaped by glaciers advancing and
retreating as the climate cooled or warmed. Over this
immensity of time a near eternity to us they
have held dominion over this place we call Vermont.
Bearing witness to the way the continents collided,
Vermonts four main mountain ranges run north-
south, each of different origin, age, and composition,
each part of a longer mountain system in eastern North
America. Hand-in-hand with climate and latitude,
our mountains largely dictate what lives here. Their
forested flanks are distinctly zoned by elevation, with
northern hardwood forests holding sway up to about
2,400 feet, yielding to a realm of mixed softwoods and
birches between 2,400 to 3,000, then to all softwoods
of spruce and fir above 3,000, the trees becoming more
stunted and gnarled as they approach tree line at about
3,800 feet.
Finally, on a few peaks and ridges above tree line, an
arctic-like cover of dwarf trees and shrubs huddles
against whatever Nature metes out. Within these
zones, of course, are innumerable water bodies and
waterways, wetlands, natural areas, and all the plants
and animals associated with them, some very special.
The higher our mountains rise, the harder it is on
what lives there. The soils, built back with excruciating
slowness since the last glacier stripped them away
millennia ago, become thinner and cling more
precariously to the slopes. They become more acidic,
too, making it tougher for plants to obtain nutrients.
The climate and weather become more severe, with
colder temperatures, higher winds, more ice, snow and
rain, and an increasingly curtailed growing season.
The plants are fewer and sometimes of rare kinds, the
animals hardy and adapted, or temporary seasonal
transients. Though typically not visually dramatic
with stereotypical big trees, the tracts of higher terrain
are some of the largest, untouched virgin lands in
the state, thousands of contiguous acres that had been
inaccessible and/or unproductive commercially for so
long in our history. In these wild expanses, far-ranging
wildlife such as black bear and bobcat live and travel in
their seasonal movements; hawks, bats, and songbirds
in great numbers pass through and over in migration;
unusual species, unique to these places, hang on for
dear life.
Ironically, the ages-old toughness of our mountains
translates not into durability, but just the opposite:
fragility. The environment at higher elevations is far
more vulnerable to outside disturbances, both natural
and human-induced, than at lower altitudes: any
damage takes a greater toll on resident life, takes
longer to self-repair (if it ever does), and the effects
compound downhill (or, if towers and wind turbines
are involved, higher, for creatures that fly).
Water at higher elevations is
abundant from rain and snow,
even combed from clouds by
the needles of conifers. If an
area is undisturbed, the water is
held within the pores of highly
organic soils and released slowly
downhill. But if the vegetation
is killed or severely injured, this
touchy balance is upset. Without
protection of shielding vegetation,
the soils are suddenly exposed to
direct force of the elements. Water,
unchecked, overpowers an area,
and as it descends, joins forces with
yet-more water, and collectively
pours downhill in abnormally-
high volumes and speed, carrying
with it ever-more soil and clouding
the once-clear streams and rivers
below. What has taken millennia
to build can be wiped away in a
matter of days or weeks.
When we look at mountains, we
may see simple pyramids, peaks
at the top, widening to bases
below. But from an ecological view,
we should see them as complex
inverted pyramids: the broad
structure of their being rests
depends upon the apex of their
summits. It is a fine balance. Upset
it, and it teeters, then all can come
crashing down.
PAG E 18 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Shifting baseline syndrome, a technical term, describes
how individuals perceive the environment and
ecosystems over time, from generation to generation
and from one period to another. Each succeeding
generation respectively forms its own memory of
the natural environment as it first encounters it.
For instance, not too long ago, someone standing
almost anywhere in Chittenden County could gaze
at the night sky and see the Milky Way. It looked
as if a clumsy celestial being had stumbled and
poured a bucket of milk across the heavens, a thick
stream of stars spilling from his pail. Now, the term
Milky Way has lost its meaning as light pollution
from Burlington and its suburbs obscures the stars.
Similarly, someone who last saw Lowell Mountain
ten years ago would not recognize it today; a person
now seeing it for the first time might shrug his or
her shoulders and think it is normal. This is what
Vermonters do, they might say. They will never
know the mountain as it once was.
Inevitably, the ecological norms of previous generations
open fields, unspoiled mountains and clear lakes
are replaced by a new generations normal
paved parking lots and endless strip malls, hills
degraded by ski areas and power companies, and
once-blue lakes turning green with algae.
Environmental baselines can shift slowly, almost
imperceptibly. Over time, the changes can be
enormous and portentous: Environmental death by
a thousand cuts. Other times, the shift in those
baselines can be swift, changing jarringly and
seemingly overnight as modern machinery and
powerful explosives devastate a ridgeline over a few
months. Lingering decline or a quick execution: The
consequences, though, are significant. Stray too far
from the natural baseline of environmental health
and bad things happen. Kill too many passenger
pigeons, and they go extinct. Fish too many cod,
and the fishery collapses. Pulverize and pave over too
many mountainsides and eventually, the Vermont we
know ends with a whimper and a bang.
 T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 19

(hab-i-tat /habtat/: from the Latin words meaning

it inhabits, to have, to hold. It is the natural
environment in which an organism lives.
Simply put: Its home!

Illustrator Maurice Sendak unwittingly wrote a good, if

incomplete, description of habitat: Where the wild things
are. But, habitats are more than just wild things. They
are complex communities of life, an intricate interaction of
organic life and inorganic features exceeding humankinds
complete comprehension. In plant biologist Frank Eglers
words, they are not only more complex than we think,
they are more complex than we can think.
Sue Morse knows this instinctively. A nationally-known
naturalist and tracker, Morse is literally and figuratively
at home here in the Green Mountains. She understands
them, their inhabitants and their habitats as well as anyone.
When she looks at our ridgelines, she sees with a discerning,
sensitive eye: I describe ridgelines as preferred travel
routes. In Vermont, a lot of our core habitat includes the
ridgeline and animals birds and mammals alike, and
insects use ridgelines as travel routes to get from one
place to another.
In an era of climate change, she reminds us, biologists
now know that we need to maintain connectivity between
core habitats across whole nations in order to provide some
means for plants and animals to adapt. So, what are we
doing fragmenting the very same habitats that we now
scientifically recognize are essential?
PAG E 2 0 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 21

History never really says goodbye.
History says, See you later.
Eduardo Galeano
Often enough, but not every day, a time comes to
stand up for something other than a second cup
of coffee, one more helping of dessert: A time to
step outside ourselves and work in common for
something greater than our individual appetites.
This is one of those times.
Since early colonial times, two historic waves of
human destruction have battered the mountains,
each crest followed by a brief trough of recovery.
With a new swell rising mountaintop
industrial wind Vermonters may have a last,
best opportunity to prevent a third wave of
devastation.
be vanquished by axe and by fire. By the mid-
19th century, our forests were eradicated for
lumber and pasturized by sheep. In 1963, U.S. laws, but it was soon weakened as resistance grew.
Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, reflecting
on the aftermath in The Quiet Crisis, his seminal
book on conservation, wrote Not even in the
cotton and tobacco belt were soils exhausted faster
and forests mangled more thoroughly than on the
hillsides of Vermont. The first wave.
Vermont then entered the Great Twilight, a period
of exodus for some and stagnation for many. After
a century of slumber, the 1960s awoke us from
our sleep as the interstate highways uncoiled
across the land. Like addicts, we had to face up to
our destructive behaviors or continue to decline
and deteriorate.
next year, Act 250 became our Holy Grail, the
first among equals of our many environmental
The second wave.
Now, in the early 21st century, a third wave is
lapping at our summits and ridges. Our ridgelines
are targets for 200 miles or more of blasting,
bulldozing and road building for industrial
wind developments. Unfortunately, many wind
proponents, including a fair share of Vermonts
major environmental organizations, rationalize
this ruin, arguing that Vermont must destroy its
mountains in order to save them. They employ
environmental relativism, justifying skinning our
mountaintops for wind because West Virginia
disembowels its mountains for coal.
It is time to stop, to reflect on our legacy of
devastation and to determine our future. It is
time to answer Walter Hards question, Shall
her mountains die? It is time to ask, despite our
pretensions of environmental virtue, if mountain
destruction is simply and sadly part of Vermonts
DNA. It is, undeniably, time to take a stand
against the third wave.

Shocked Vermonters agitated for change. Walter

Vermonts early settlers must have viewed the
resources of the Green Mountains as inexhaustible.
Having trekked north with land hunger in their
bellies, they discovered what historian Lewis
Stilwell called a whole aristocracy of hardwoods
oak and maple, beech, birch and ash to
Hard, Jr., the legendary editor of Vermont Life,
asked plaintively Shall Her Mountains Die?
In 1969, Governor Deane Davis Commission
on the Environment set the stage for reform and
rescue, calling for a comprehensive approach
to assure development without destruction. The

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldnt put Humpty together again.
The grim, slow motion death of our mountain
ecosystems has begun. The damage we already
have done will outlive us, well
beyond the proverbial seventh
generation. The destruction will long
outlast the temporary usefulness of
the wind turbines whose blink-blink-
blinking red eyes will compete for
our attention with the nighttime
stars. When will it end, and where?
English poet Edward Thomas, a great
friend of Robert Frost, extensively
rambled the English countryside. He
bequeathed us a remarkable poem,
a cautionary tale about taking for
granted that which we see everyday
but often overlook. First Known
When Lost begins:
I never had noticed it until
Twas gone, - the narrow copse
Where now the woodman lops
The last of the willows with his bill.
It was not more than a hedge
overgrown.
One meadows breadth away
I passed it day by day.
Now the soil is bare as bone .
Likewise, once a mountainside has
been pulverized and crushed for
wind turbines, there is no soil left on the site. It
is all blasted rock with lots of fine materials that
forever erode and wash down the mountain. We
will have exchanged the leafy, water-retaining
forests for the sluiceway of a road. We will have
transformed a sponge into a rock.
Dont say, We werent warned. We were.
George Perkins Marsh, in his 1847 Rutland
speech, schooled Vermonters on the fundamental
interrelationships of mountains, forests and
water. Later, a more recent prophet, Governor
Deane Davis, emphasized the special value on
upper-elevation streams, pledging in 1971 to
give as near complete protection to what we call
the pristine streams those streams that are
above elevations of 1500 ft., where the streams
are clean and unpolluted.
What was true then is true today. No amount
of mitigation or promises by profiteers and
politicians will ever make up for the follies of
humankind.
Vermont has made too easy a peace with both
large-scale development and the destruction
it often entails. The euphemistic
working landscape pardons a
multitude of environmental sins:
Mountaintops are scalped for
industrial wind; ski areas metastasize
into high-priced subdivisions and
amusement parks; Lake Champlain,
our Great Lake, turns green from
agricultural and urban run-off.
Who then can lead us? In Travels with
Charley, John Steinbeck marveled at
the wisdom and strength of desert
people, who had learned to live in
a harsh and austere environment.
They could show humans the way
out of the war against themselves,
and the desert might become the
last stand of life against no life. The
desert, according to Steinbeck, could
mother magic things.
So might it be for the mountains, never
easy places to live. Our mountain
people, uphill Vermonters far from
the pavilions of power, might be the
ones to lead Vermont away from this
madness. Let us hope we might say
of our dear little state among the
dark green hills, The mountains
have mothered magic things before
this.
We need that magic. Let us be
magicians together!
PAG E 2 2 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 2 3

RecyclE This Paper!

PAG E 24 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE

Opinion Student Voices

Montpelier High School Social Studies Teacher Heather McLane assigned her students to write paragraphs
sharing their opinion about an issue that they have studied, support their opinion with a bit of evidence
and include a call to action. Below are some of the results.

by Grace Valentine by Riley Craig

O T
ur climate is suffering. Oceans are growing, ice is melting and temperatures are rising.
If we dont do anything to stop global warming, then animals will die, coastal cities
will flood, deserts will grow and water sources will shrink. The global temperature has
risen 1.5 degrees in the last century, and is projected to increase up to three times
that amount in the coming years. Theres a lot that we can do to slow down
these effects, but one of the easiest and most helpful ways is to learn and share
ideas about renewable energy. Vermont is doing a lot to help renewable energy On Climate
he energy we use to light our homes and cook our food is produced using a method
that harms the planet and desperately needs to be replaced. According to the Union
of Concerned Scientists, more than one third of harmful emissions produced by the
United States can be traced back to the production of electricity. Twenty-five
percent of the total harmful emissions is from the burning of coal. Considering
one of our major energy sources harms the planet so much, we need to make a
change. On the other hand, most renewable energy production systems such as

Change
grow and become more widely used in our culture, but we need more help
from you in order to make this happen. There are several bills passing through
legislature at this time, including ones regarding efficiency standards (H.411).
There is also a goal articulated by the Vermont Public Service Department of
making Vermont 90 percent renewable by 2050. These bills and ideas will help Vermonters
to continue their way of living without contributing to the drast effects of global warming. If
you want to help save our planet, you could contact the Vermont Public Service Department,
teach your family and friends about renewable energy and global warming, or even just take
the time to do other simple things such as recycle, save water and compost. These small actions
will make a big difference and are well worth your time.
wind and solar power produce almost no harmful emissions and the emissions
from the entire lifecycle, including construction, maintenance, operation and
destruction are also minimal. If we were to completely make the switch over to
renewable electricity, it would decrease the total emissions of the United States
by more than 33 percent, putting significantly less strain on the planet. Overall, making the
switch to renewable energy would not only help the problems in the United States, but would
have a large positive impact on the rest of the world. If you think this is a serious issue please
support the cause for renewable energy wherever you find it or install some form of renewable
energy production system in your home.

The Bridge will feature more Student Voices in each of the next issues.

Opinion Three Menus and a Maybe: Comparing Film

Festival Documentaries by Gerard Renfro

T
here are two laws that must be
obeyed: that of nature and that of
human dignity Vandana Shiva
(paraphrased).
As always the Green Mountian Film Festival
had some great documentaries. Three
that I watched were "Seeds: The Untold
Story," "Tomorrow," and "Food Evolution."
"Seeds: The Untold Story" and "Tomorrow"
discussed a wide range of agricultural,
environmental and economic issues. I
will focus on the areas of local vs. global
economics, wholistic vs agribiz farming, and
the science of modern/patented genetically
modified organism technology.
"Seeds" and "Tomorrow" discussed how
machine and chemical dependant "green
revolution" agriculture was used to slow the
spread of communism. To be profitable,
large tracts of land produced monocrop food
for export, not local, consumption. (These
'communists' were actually landless peasants
who simply wanted the land returned to
their control and the right to grow their own
food.) The two films explained how local
economic systems were more humane and
stable than global economic systems. They
showed very clearly how wholistic (not to be
confused with merely organic) agriculture
was more environmentally stable and
actually more profitable that conventional
agriculture. Seed saving was considered
necessary to maintaining crop diversity,
the very opposite of patented conventional
or genetically modified organism, profit
motivated monocroping.
On the last day of the Green Mountian
Film Festival, I rushed from "Tomorrow" to
"Evolution," arriving late, but was allowed to
squeeze into the downstairs show to catch
the beginning of a community meeting in
Hawaii. Some bureaucrat was demanding
the locals present their scientific credentials.
The bureaucrat said he wanted "only
scientific facts." My first thought was "how
arrogant," I am one of those non-scientists,
but I know how to read a document (or
watch a documentary). Here in Vermont,
I myself and others have been asking for a
true two-sided science based discussion on
genetically modified organism for 16 years,
and all we got was a worthless piece of
'labeling' legislation (that went no-where,
thanks to the betrayal of Sanders, Leahy,
Welch and Shumlin).
As propaganda, "Evolution" is smoother than
a Vermont politician, and as dishonest. At
first I was annoyed, but then I started taking
mental notes (for the Bridge, of course).
Historical: Monsanto developed Agent
Orange allegedly without knowing its harmful
side effects. Even if true, when Vietnam
vets reported sickness, both Monsanto and
our government ignored them. This denial
went into the 80s, when Monsanto was
developing genetically modified organisms.
Also, "Evolution" had both activists and
credentialed scientists constantly repeating
that there was 'no proof of any harm' from
genetically modified organisms. However,
during the 1980s, the Food and Drug
Administration food safety regulations were
changed. Regulations should require all food
alterations go through long term, peer review
process. A non-scientific regulatory decision
was made to treat genetically modified
organisms as if they were 'substantially
equivalent' to conventional food, with no long
term testing. So whenever anyone asks "is
there proof of harm" the real question should
be "is there adequate proof of harmlessness."
Agricultural: Evolution portrayed genetically
modified organism critics as interfering with
technologies that could save small farms, but
the two farms shown (papaya and banana)
seemed like monoculture plantations.
Monocultures are susceptible to pest and
disease attack because of the lack of plant
diversity and the depletion of soil nutrition,
the very thing that wholistic agriculture
resolves. Monocropping is an agribiz method,
this means the farmers probably do not own
their own land, is not functioning as a local
economic entity and is not growing food for
local consumption, exactly opposite of what
was recommended.
Scientific: Evolution under/misrepresented
critics like Margaret Mellon and Jeffery
Smith. Years ago both Smith and Mellon,
at different times, appeared in Montpelier.
Mellon stated that there was a paltry amount
of research being done on food safety, while
agribiz was getting "a huge chunk of change"
in subsidies. Jeffery Smith related the story
of Arped Puztai, a UK researcher who did
indeed find health problems in a controlled
lab test. Puztai was fired and his lab shut
down after revealing the negative conclusions
of his genetically modified organism research.
(Likewise, in the U.S., Richard Burroughs
of the Food and Drug Administration
questioned substantial equivalence and was
fired.)
Nothing about wholistic alternatives, land
autonomy or scientific suppression was
discussed in this documentary. Afterwards,
I heard people saying "Maybe there is more
to this than I thought." There certainly
is. Regardless of how you camouflage any
issue, the laws of nature and human dignity
apply.
Special thanks to the Green Mountian Film
Festival volunteer who let me into my last
show.

We want to hear
what's on your mind.

Email us at
editorial@montpelierbridge.com
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 2 5

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to Our Spring Fundraising Campaign
The Bridge
In many ways and other people have noted this as well our best and most effective efforts to protect our water and land, to improve our
schools, to provide opportunities for youth, to build a self-sufficient local economy our best efforts, I believe, are the efforts we put out where
we are locally.
At The Bridge we are doing what we can do but we can do more and must do more in covering and explaining the stories that are coming
at us.
The Bridge needs you to continue your valued support of our community project.
Please Help The Bridge Write More Stories
We know that people want us to write more stories than we are presently capable of writing. More coverage of City Hall, the Planning Commission,
arts, culture and education. We constantly hear from people who are suggesting great story ideas. Often we need an experienced writer to dig into
a complicated story and explain to our readers whats important and whats happening. We ask for your help so we can better meet your needs.
Please Help The Bridge Expand Its Online Presence
For a number of years, The Bridge has posted its current and past issues of the paper on its website. We are now posting breaking news stories in
between issues on our website. We need to continue to expand our online news and information presence.
Please Support us in Applying for (IRS) Tax-Deductible Status
On January 1, 2017, The Bridge became a fully-fledged (State of Vermont) not-for-profit organization owned by the community and governed
by a community board of directors. We are now applying for federal (IRS) tax-deductible status. This status would allow us to apply for grants
from foundations and government agencies and the like. It would also make it possible for individuals who donate money to The Bridge to take
an income tax deduction.
Applying to the IRS for tax-deductible status can be a long process and The Bridge needs help to pay for the administrative expenses in qualifying
for tax-deductibility.
We have set a goal of $30,000 for this spring 2017 campaign to benefit The Bridge.
Please help us by writing a check made payable to The Bridge at this address: The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Monrpelier, VT 05601.
Or visit The Bridge office and drop off a check. We are located in Stone Science Hall on the campus of Vermont College of Fine Arts. If you need
help with directions, please phone me at 223-5112.
Thanks in advance,
Nat Frothingham

The Mountain Manifesto

For the past several years in our second April issue The Bridge has concentrated
its editorial focus on our local commitment to Food & Farming.
In addition, as a part of our Food & Farming issue this year as we mark the
47th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 The Bridge salutes a small, but
determined, group of Vermonters who have produced a compelling narrative called
The Mountain Manifesto.
That Manifesto calls attention the heedless destruction of industrial wind
development that is currently threatening Vermonts irreplaceable mountaintops and
ridgelines.
In the spirit of solidarity and resistance, The Bridge both endorses and includes this
Manifesto and its timely call to protect our mountain resource.
PAG E 26 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
On the Road: The Land of the Mouse
by Larry Floersch
Y
ou may have seen those bumper stickers that declare
All Roads Lead to Adamant! There is no Adamant
in Florida, but there is an Orlando, and it seems
almost impossible to drive near Orlando without getting
sucked into it. The sole reason for this is to make you go
to Disney World, whether or not you have kids in tow.
I have been in the Land of the Mouse for seven days
now, and I must remind myself that Orlando was not always this way.
In my youth we would come to Orlando for high school football games. The highlight of
those trips was not to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant. It was not even to come to Orlando,
which we teenagers in Daytona Beach considered a quiet, sleepy backwater of a place with NO
BEACH! (The Beach Boys never mentioned Orlando in any of their songs.) We only looked
forward to a postgame visit to Ronnies Jewish delicatessen in Colonial Plaza, known for its
garish neon lighting and huge ice cream desserts.
Back when Florida was invented, Orlando was left in the dust by places that had beaches.
So Orlandoans had to rely on the towns other assets. Orlando sits on and is surrounded
by wetlands, a technical term that means swamps. Therefore it had many alligators and
mosquitoes. The bedrock under Orlando is porous limestone, which makes it susceptible to
sinkholes. It did have some orange trees and a few air bases left over from the war. What better
place upon which to build Floridas third largest metropolitan area?
Everything changed for Orlando, of course, in 1971, when a guy from California, who had
made caboodles of money producing feature-length animated films about evil queens and
dwarves and witches and cuddly little woodland creatures that talked amongst themselves,
plunked down some extra pocket cash on a huge tract of swampy land southwest of town.
With the creation of Disney World, Orlando suddenly became a destination city THE
place to go; it is now the theme park capital of the world. Over forty million passengers
will move through the Orlando airport this year. Most of them come here for Orlandos
attractions such as SeaWorld, where you might possibly witness 12,000-pound marine
mammals killing each other or their trainers over a bucket of fish; Epcot Center, where you
can, for instance, pretend to be in a Moroccan bazaar if Moroccan bazaars mostly sold Florida
souvenirs; Universal Studios, where you can imagine yourself attending Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry without the risk of being burned at a stake; or the original Magic
Montpeculiar by Carla Occaso
Kingdom itself, where standing in massive lines has been elevated to an artform by hiding the
lines in huge warehouses, all so you can have a knee-slappin' good time (Disneys words,
not mine) watching some robotic cartoon-like bears play and sing country songs for about 15
minutes, after which you are hustled out the side doors to find another line in which to wait
for some other knee slappin good time. Did I also mention this all costs a ton of money?
The artifice of these theme parks spills over into real life. The hotel we are using, the name
of which (when translated into the Seminole language) means the place with bad art on the
walls, is in a complex of hotels near the airport. By all standards it is in a beautiful setting,
surrounded by grass, trees, tropical vegetation and ponds, some of which have fountains. It is
beautiful except for one thing: it lacks sidewalks to somewhere. There are sidewalks within the
grounds of the hotel. They just do not seem to go where you need them to go, such as beyond
the edge of the hotel property. The hotels parking lot is separated from a four-lane divided
street by a grass-covered berm that could thwart a Sherman tank. There are no sidewalks on
either side of that berm. There is a breakfast diner and a pizza restaurant on the other side of
the four-lane street, not more than 100 yards away. There are no sidewalks leading from the
hotel to the diner or pizza joint. To get to them directly you have to climb over the berm, then
dash across the four lanes without the assistance of a crosswalk. Or you could do what most
people do and take your car.
The reason for this lack of sidewalks is that Orlando is not built for people. It is built for people
in CARS, in particular people in CARS GOING TO THEME PARKS. The expressways
that take you to the theme parks are cleverly designed to keep all these cars under control
through the application of toll booths, but dont think about using your EZ-Pass. Florida has
not yet worked out a reciprocal arrangement with EZ-Pass. Only a Florida Sun Pass will do.
You have to pay the toll with money. To make things simple, many of the toll booths require
a Sun Pass or EXACT COINS. Imagine my foolishness when I discovered I did not have 50
cents in quarters and sat waving my dollar bill at the locked and shuttered toll booth as if
that would attract an attendant to make change. The more I waved the dollar, the more I was
encouraged by the friendly motorists behind me with pleasant beeps of their horns.
So Orlando is doing just fine with its theme parks and no beach. Plus, because of one
additional factor, things might get even better for Orlando in the future: the city is 82 feet
above sea level. That means if sea levels continue to rise, Orlando might finally have a beach
of its own and it might finally get mentioned in a Beach Boys song.

T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 27
Community Events
Events happening
April 20 to May 3
THURSDAY, APRIL 20
Paul Sample's Vermont. Steve Perkins discusses
artist Paul Samples vision of Vermont as told
through his mural Salute to Vermont. Noon1
p.m. Vermont History Museum , 109 State
St., Montpelier Free. http://vermonthistory.org
info@vermonthistory.org. 479-8500
Blood Donation Opportunity: Northfield.
The American Red Cross encourages eligible
donors to give blood during National Volunteer
Month. Noon 5 p.m., Northfield High School,
37 Cross St., Northfield. 1800-RED-CROSS.
redcrossblood.org
Real Estate Transactions: Small Bites with
Jeanne Felmly. This workshop is designed
to educate the lay person in the basics of the
real estate transaction. What do I have to do
to prepare my home for sale? How do you
determine a price? How do I qualify myself as
a buyer? And more. 1:303 p.m. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-2518
PoemCity: Introduction to Poetry Slams for
Kids. Join KHL Librarian Nicole Westbom
to learn about slams and write your own slam
poem! 2 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
Film Screening: "Being Mortal." Documentary
that explores the hopes of patients and families
with terminal illnesses and the choices they
face. Discussion follows. 68 p.m.; light snacks
5:306 p.m. Stowe Community Church, 137
Main St., Stowe. www.cvmc.org/being-mortal
Increasing the Resilience of Vermont
Agriculture to Climate Change. Presented by
Joshua Faulkner of UVM Extensions Center for
Sustainable Agriculture 6 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338
What is Justice? Building a More
Compassionate Justice System. A forum on
the dysfunction in the prison system and ideas
for a more compassionate system. 6:308:30
p.m. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. Admission by donation. 249-
5905, nmbe1022@gmail.com
Rare Plants with Vermont State Botanist Bob
Popp. A Natural Marshfield Program. 7 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Rm. 2,
Marshfield. 426-3581.
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
Rights and Democracy Benefit Concert.
Benefit concert for Rights and Democracy and
the Unitarian Church soup kitchen. 7 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
$12 donation at the door. Refreshments
provided.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
Earth Day Celebration at Hunger Mountain
Coop. Discounts, food demos, raffles,
workshops, book/clothing/media swap, kids
activities and more. hungermountain,coop.
Annual Spring Auction and Breakfast. Enjoy
baked egg casseroles, homemade muffins, juice
and coffee. Stick around and enjoy the fun of
a live auction. Breakfast, 89:30 a.m.; auction,
9:30 a.m.noon. Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier.
Charcoal Artist Sticks. Join Nick Neddo, artist,
author, naturalist, primitive skills educator
and craftsman, for a hands-on workshop on
the ancient process of crafting local materials
into charcoal artist sticks. 9 a.m.2 p.m. North
Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier.
Sliding scale fee. northbranchnaturecenter.org
Landscaping with Native Plants to Support
Wildlife, Pollinators & People. With natural
plant communities as our inspiration, we will
learn how to identify, assemble, and maintain
beautiful and useful native plants in our gardens
and landscaping. 1011 a.m. Hunger Mountain
Coop, Montpelier. Free.
Blood Donation Opportunity: Barre. The
American Red Cross encourages eligible donors
to give blood during National Volunteer Month.
10 a.m.3 p.m., Price Chopper Barre, 168 Ames
Dr., Barre. 1800-RED-CROSS. redcrossblood.
org
PoemCity: Earth Day Kids & Poetry. Join
Librarian Nicole Westborn to write poems, listen
to stories, and partake in hands-on activities.
10 a.m.4 p.m. Hunger Mountain Co-op, 623
Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier. Free.
Berry Growing with Jeff Swift. Swift will teach
about choosing a planting site, where to get
plants, how to handle bare-root plants, dividing/
Calendar of Events
cuttings/propagation, pruning, fertilizer and
mulch, and will share his knowledge, experience
and enthusiasm for berries. 11 a.m. Bramble &
Berry Farm, New Hambuger Rd., Plainfield.
Hosted by Jaquith Public Library. For info., call
426-3581.
March for Science. Community members of all
backgrounds, professions, ages, disabilities, and
identities will rally to celebrate science and to
demand support for science research, innovation
and exploration, education and evidence- p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. JSC, Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson. $10. 635-1476.
based policies for the public good. Noon1:30
p.m. Vermont State House lawn, Montpelier.
MarchForScienceVT.org
How to Plant a Tree Successfully. Learn the
basics of successfully planting trees. All skill
levels welcome. Bring questions. We will go
outside for the second half of this workshop
to plant a tree or two, regardless of weather, so
please dress accordingly. Noon2 p.m. Meet
in Hunger Mountain Coop community room,
Montpelier. Free.
Walk Berlin with the Green Mountain Club.
Easy. 5 miles. Walk around Berlin Pond. Meet at
Berlin Pond parking at 1 p.m. Leaders: Mary G.,
622-0585 and Mary S., 505-0603.
PoemCity: The MaUPsh presents Seasonal
Variations. Combines the music and lyrics of
singer/songwriter Bob Hannan with the poetry
of Geof Hewitt 57 p.m. Hunger Mountain Co-
op, 623 Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier. Free.
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
Art Build for Peoples Climate March.
Central VT Climate Action hosts an art
build to make signs, banners, puppets for the
upcoming Peoples Climate March. Materials
supplied, or bring your own. 14 p.m. The
Maker Space, 89 Barre St., Montpelier. Free.
centralvtclimateaction@gmail.com
VCFA Film Screening: One Nine Five Lewis.
A dramatic series about a group of friends
navigating the realities of being black, queer
and polyamorous in New York City. Q&A
to follow with filmmaker Chanelle Aponte
Pearson. 7 p.m. The Savoy Theater, 26 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. Reservations recommended:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vcfa-film-
residency-screening-of-one-nine-five-lewis-
tickets-33277374523
MONDAY, APRIL 24
Blood Donation Opportunity: Berlin. The
American Red Cross encourages eligible donors
to give blood during National Volunteer Month.
9 a.m.2 p.m., Central Vermont Medical
Center, 130 Fisher Rd., Berlin. 1800-RED-
CROSS. redcrossblood.org
Monthly Book Group for Adults at Jaquith
Library. A Spool of Thread by Anne
Tyler. For copies of the book, please stop by
the library. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library,
School St., Marshfield. 426-3581. www.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age. With
Richard Freed, Ph.D., author of Wired Child:
Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age.
Presented by Orchard Valley Waldorf School.
79 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free.
Performing Arts THEATER, DANCE,
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
April 20May 7: David Budbills Judevine. A tribute to and portrait of back roads Vermont, by one
of her best poets, and a 10th Anniversary production of one of Lost Nation Theaters signature shows.
Thurs.Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 2 p.m. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St., Montpelier. $1530.
229-0492. lostnationtheater.org
April 2023: Cabaret. Presented by Johnson State College. Set in Berlin in 1931, Cabaret focuses
on nightclub life during Hitlers rise to power. The 1972 film version won eight Oscars. Thurs.Sat., 7
April 27: AMP Nights! River Arts and Sundog present a series of creative evenings which feature
a special guest artist, musician and poet who will share their work through presentations and
performances. Light fare and drinks available. 59 p.m. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
$10 suggested donation. www.RiverArtsVT.org.
April 2729: Vermont Vaudeville presents Password, Please. The spring production confronts
the realities of the digital age. Thurs.Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m. Hardwick Town House, Church St.,
Hardwick. Adults $15; kids $8. 472-1387. www.vermontvaudeville.com
April 28: Bueno Comedy Showcase. A wide range of talented standup comics, from here and away,
working longer sets. 8:30 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. Free/by donation. 479-0896.
events@espressobueno.com.espressobueno.com.
PoemCity: The Husbandry of Poetry Decolonize Your Mind Honoring the
Workshop. With Julia Shipley. A rumination Abenaki People. Presented by The Good Earth
and discussion of some best practices for the care Collective. Potluck, ceremony, storytelling and
and feeding of poetry. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard live music. Fundraiser for Abenaki Helping
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338. Abenaki. 6:3010:30 p.m. Christ Church, 64
VCFA Film Screening: Little Boxes. An State St., Montpelier. Sliding scale donation.
interracial family struggles to adjust when mcmycelium74@gmail.com
they move from New York City to a small, Indie Lens Pop-Up: National Bird. Film and
predominately white town in Washington discussion. Rare insight into the American
State. Q&A to follow with screenwriter Annie drone program through the eyes of veterans and
Howell. 7 p.m. The Savoy Theater, 26 Main St., survivors. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Montpelier. Free. Reservations recommended: Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vcfa-film-
VCFA Film Screening: The Island and the
residency-screening-of-little-boxes-tickets- Whales. The whale hunters of the Faroe Islands
33277540018?aff=es2
believe that hunting is vital to their way of
life, but, when a local professor makes a grim
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 discovery about the effects of marine pollution
environmental changes threaten their way of
Bike Orange with the Green Mountain Club.
Moderately Difficult. 20 miles. Reservoir Rd. life forever. Q & A to follow with director Mike
Day. 7 p.m. The Savoy Theater, 26 Main St.,
to East Hill Rd. to Cameron Rd. to Plainfield.
Lunch at Positive Pie. Return via Brook Rd. and Montpelier. Free. Reservations recommended.
http://vcfa.edu/film/news/mfa-film-announces-
Reservoir Rd. Wear helmet. 10 a.m. Orange
Recreation Area just up from Reservoir Rd. and free-screenings-during-april-residency
Rt. 302. George: 883-2313 or plumb.george@
gmail.com. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26
Career and Veteran Services Workshop. GED Testing. 4 p.m. Barre Learning Center, 26
Hosted by CCV. Participants will learn job Washington St., Suite 100, Barre. 476-4588
search skills and tips for choosing a career or
major. Also information on marketing military
Groundswell: Community Conversations
about land use, livelihood, food, and the
experience and transitioning from a military
future of Vermont. Rural Vermont will
to civilian career. 34 p.m. CCV, 660 Elm St., present a vision and encourage dialogue about
Montpelier. Free. Kyle: 786-5185 or Marty:
a just transition to a regenerative agriculture
828-0134. in Vermont that meets the needs of farmer,
3 Reasons You're Getting Hurt When Running eater, soil, environment and community alike.
& What To Do About It. If youre running 5:308:30 p.m. Sterling College, Craftsbury
routine is more like a yo-yo of starts and stops Common. Free. Light dinner and live music
because of injuries, come learn the top three during breaks. RSVP: www.ruralvermont.org.
reasons for running injuries, why they happen 223-7222.
over and over, and what you can do about
An Integrative Approach to Lyme Disease:
it. 67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, Navigating the Options with Eleanor Baron.
Montpelier. Free. 68 p.m. Vermont Center for Integrative
Film: Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. The Herbalism, 252 Main St., Montpelier. $12
film takes us on an incredible journey through members; $15 non-members. Pre-registration
the life of a true American icon. 6:30 p.m. required: 224-7100. vtherbcenter.org.
River Arts, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free.
Falling Away. An exploration of mindfulness
RiverArtsVT.org. practice, psychotherapy, and unfolding
 Calendar of Events
PAG E 2 8 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE

Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Open mic every
Wed. Other shows T.B.A. bagitos.com.
April 20: John Lackard Blues, 68 p.m.
April 21: Dave Loughran (acoustic classic rock)
68 p.m.
April 22: Irish Session, 25 p.m.
April 23: Southern Old Time Music Jam, 10
a.m.1 p.m.
April 25: Moulton & Whipple, The Frozen Finger
Boys, 68 p.m.
April 26: Bishop LeVey (alternative punk rock)
68 p.m.
April 27: Italian Session, 68 p.m.
April 29: Irish Session, 25 p.m.
April 30: Jennings & McComber (11 a.m.1 p.m.)
Charlie Os World Famous. 70 Main St.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Tues.: Karaoke, 9 p.m1 a.m.
April 21: Johnny Drop (folk) 6 p.m.; Woodshed
Rats (Americana) 9 p.m.
April 22: The Cop-Outs (Celtic punk) 9 p.m.
April 27: Miss Jubillee's Curious Bingo Night
(benefit) 8:30 p.m.
April 28: The Bridge presents: A Classical
Quartet, 5:30 p.m.; Barbacoa (surf) 9 p.m.
April 29: Scewtape Letters (rock) 9 p.m.
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479-0896.
Free/by donation unless otherwise noted. events@
espressobueno.com.
April 21: Jennings & McComber (indie folk), 7
p.m.; AliT (indie pop) 9 p.m.
Positive Pie. 10 p.m. 22 State St., Montpelier. $5.
229-0453. positivepie.com.
April 28: Lespecial (electronic)
Whammy Bar. 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. 31
County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.com.
Every Wed.: Open Mic
April 21: Chad Hollister
April 22: Fiasco
April 28: Kava Express (funk/soul/rock)
April 29: Micheal Chornoy, Seth Eames
SPECIAL EVENTS
April 20: Noontime Concerts at Christ Church:
Now the Green Blade Riseth. Medieval, renaissance
and traditional music for the coming of spring. With
Anima Womens Vocal Ensemble. Coffee, tea and
cookies are provided. Feel free to bring brown bag
lunch. Noon-12:45 p.m. Christ Church, 64 State St.,
Montpelier. 223-3631. christchurchvt.org
April 21; Rights and Democracy Benefit Concert.
Benefit concert for Rights and Democracy and the
Unitarian Church soup kitchen. 7 p.m. Unitarian
Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $12 donation at
the door. Refreshments provided.
April 22: Capital City Concerts presents Poem
Music. Pianist Jeffrey Chappell is joined by soprano
Mary Bonhag, bassist Evan Premo, and flutist Karen
Kevra in works by Handel, Liszt, Debussy, Faur,
and the world-premiere of Songs From a Mountain
Recluse, a song cycle by composer Evan Premo
on poems by Vermont poet David Budbill. 7:30
p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
$1525. capitalcityconcerts.org. Tickets may also
be purchased (cash or check only) in person at Bear
Pond Books, Montpelier, and at the door.
Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Spring Concert. Under
the directorship of David Kaynor. The Guest Soloist
is Pascal Gemme. The concert will feature traditional
Quebecois music. 7 p.m. Hyde Park Opera House,
85 Main St., Hyde Park. Adults $15; seniors and
students $12; kids under age 12 free. 229-4191. www.
vtfiddleorchestra.org.
April 2223: Burlington Choral Society. Richard
Riley, artistic director, will lead the chorus, soloists
and two pianists (Claire Black and Diane Huling)
in Johannes Brahms Requiem. Adults $25; students
and seniors $20.
April 22: 7:30 p.m. Elley-Long Music Center,
Colchester. flynntix.org.
April 23: 4 p.m., Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
St., Barre. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.org
April 23: An Evening of Italian Opera. Presented
by the the Vermont Italian Cultural Association.
Featuring Meghan McCormack, soprano; Lillian
Broderick, soprano; Erik Kroncke, bass; Mary Jane
Austin, piano. 7:30 p.m. Waterbury Congregational
Church, N. Main St., Waterbury. Admission by
donation.
April 26: Johnson State College Jazz Ensemble.
The JSC Jazz Ensemble and the Funk/Fusion
Ensembles will perform. 7 p.m JSC, Dibden Center
for the Arts, Johnson. Free. jsc.edu/Dibden. 635-
1476.
April 27: Noontime Concerts at Christ Church:
Baroque Chamber Music by Living Woods
Ensemble. Coffee, tea and cookies are provided.
Feel free to bring brown bag lunch. Noon-12:45 p.m.
Christ Church, 64 State St., Montpelier. 223-3631.
christchurchvt.org
April 28: Johnson State College Concert Band. 7
p.m. JSC, Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson. Free.
635-1476,
April 28: Jazzyaoke. Celebrate Jazz Appreciation
Month when you sing the standards to a live six-
piece jazz band! All lyrics provided. Food & drink
by Stowe Street Cafe. 7:3010:30 p.m. Bridgeside
Books, 29 Stowe St., Waterbury. $5. 244-1441.
info@wooo.tv. wooo.tv
April 28: Beginners' Luck: Stellaria Trio in
Concert. Violinist Letitia Quante, cellist John
Dunlop, and pianist Claire Black present the first
piano trios of Beethoven and Brahms, and Ernest
Blochs Three Nocturnes. 8 p.m. Unitarian Church,
130 Main St., Montpelier. Free; donations accepted.
April 2930, May 6. Montpelier Community
Gospel Choir Spring Concerts. 7 p.m. Suggested
donation $10; families $25. vtgospel.com. 778-0881.
April 29: First Presbyterian Church, 19 S.
Seminary St., Barre
April 30: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier
May 6: Old Meeting House, East Montpelier.
April 2930: Vermont Philharmonic
Spring Concert Series. The program includes
Shostakovichs Festive Overture, Sibeliuss Pellas and
Melisande and Dvoks Symphony No. 9. $15; $12
seniors; $5 students.
April 29: 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, Main
St., Randolph. chandler-arts.org
April 30: 2 p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
St., Barre. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.org
April 29: Green Mountain Swing Dance and
Concert Benefit. A 17-piece band will play a
benefit to raise funds for the Green Mountain Youth
Symphony, central Vermonts local youth orchestra.
Styles including swing, Latin, blues and funk. Live
music 7:30 p.m.; dance lessons 6:457:30 p.m. Old
Labor Hall, 46 Granite St., Barre. Adults $15; kids
$10. info@gmys-vt.org. 888-4470.
April 29: Vermont Choral Union: Wings of
Song. Celebrating 50 years of singing timeless a
cappella music. 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. Adults $15; seniors/students
$10; family $40. Tickets available at the door. See
VtChoralUnion.com for advance ticket info.
April 30: House Concert with pianist Annemieke
McLane. McLane will be presenting a new program
of classical pieces entitled Garden Tour. Includes
works by Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Chopin,
Rimsky-Korsakov, Grieg, Debussy, Couperin and
Lecuona. 7 p.m. 2809 North St., East Montpelier.
$15 suggested donation. Reservations: 223-1234 or
taloysen@aol.com.

that looks past eclecticism towards a deeper 8089.

understanding of being and becoming in the
context of ethics, community and consciousness.
67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop,
Montpelier. Free.
Paint n' Sip w/ Liz Lawson's Palette Party. 6
p.m. Charlie Os, 70 Main St., Montpelier.
PoemCity: Painting With Words Workshop.
Reuben Jackson will use instrumentals as vehicles
for self-expression. Limit 15 participants. Pre-
register by emailing carla@montpelierbridge.
com. Montpelier Bridge office, Stone Science
Hall, 62 Ridge St., Montpelier.
I Ching with Baylen Slote. Break the cryptic
language of divination back down to simple
natural symbols. 6:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
Waterbury Historical Society Annual Meeting.
Business meeting and election, 7 p.m.; An
Evening with George Woodard follows. Grange
Cultural Center, Maple St., Waterbury Center.
Free. 244-8089.
VCFA Film Screening: Arrival. When twelve
mysterious spacecraft appear around the world,
linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with
interpreting the language of the apparent alien
visitors. Q & A to follow with sound editor
Sylvain Bellemare. 7 p.m. The Savoy Theater,
26 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Reservations
recommended. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
vcfa-film-residency-screening-of-arrival-tickets-
33277939212?aff=es2
THURSDAY, APRIL 27
Wham, Bam, NO Thank You, Scam! Join us for
some pointers from the Vermont Department
of Financial Regulation on how to avoid being
the victim of a scam. Hear a concise overview
of some of the current scams Vermonters are
experiencing, what to look for, what not to do,
the right questions to ask and who to tell if
you think youve been targeted. 1:303 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free. Pre-register: 223-2518.
Let's Plant an Herb Garden. We will talk about
what herbs to plant in a small herb garden, the
medicinal benefits of the herbs and how to store
them. 67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop,
Montpelier. Free.
PoemCity: Vermont Poets at VCFA. Didi
Jackson, Major Jackson, Kerrin McCadden,
Elizabeth Powell, Alison Prine, Karla Van Vliet,
Diana Whitney. 7 p.m. Vermont College of Fine
Arts, 36 College St., Montpelier. Room TBD
VCFA Film Screening: Priority Infield.
The monumental work by Lizzie Fitch/Ryan
Trecartin commissioned for the 55th Venice
Biennale with support from the Zabludowicz
Collection. Q&A to follow with video artist
Ryan Trecartin. 7 p.m. The Savoy Theater,
26 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Reservations
recommended. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
vcfa-film-residency-screening-of-priority-innfield-
tickets-33278050545?aff=es2
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
Free QuickBooks Workshops. Introduction
to QuickBooks, 8:45 a.m.12:30 p.m.;
Reconciliation, Taxes, and Reports, 1:454:30
p.m. Community Capital of Vermont, North
Main St., Barre. Register for either or both
hands-on workshops. Maggie: 479-0167, ext. 1,
or mfox@communitycapitalvt.org.
Spring Migration Bird Walks. Explore NBNC
for spring migrants, such as warblers, vireos,
thrushes and waterfowl. Learn birding basics,
expand your birding ear and discover more.
78:30 a.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713
Elm St., Montpelier. $10; free for members.
www.northbranchnaturecenter.org
Blood Donation Opportunity: Barre. The
American Red Cross encourages eligible donors
to give blood during National Volunteer Month.
10 a.m.3 p.m., Barre Senior Center, 131 Main
St., Barre. 1800-RED-CROSS. redcrossblood.
org
PoemCity: Writing About the Natural World.
With George Longenecker. Turn environmental
images into meaningful poems. Limit 12
participants. Pre-registration required, call the
library: 223-3338. 14 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Turkey Take-Out Dinner. Turkey and all the
fixings. Pick-up 46 p.m. Waterbury Center
Community Church (next to Cold Hollow Cider
Mill), Waterbury Center. $9. Reservations: 244-
Remedies for Emotional Well Being and
Hormone Balancing. With Accupuncturist
Baylen Slote. Dynamic evening of conversation
and practice where you can learn simple
remedies to create emotional vibrancy and
hormonal resilience. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public
Library, School St., Marshfield. 426-3581. www.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org
Talk: From Debs to Sanders: Fighting
for Change A talk by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Introduction by Vermont Lt. Governor David
Zuckerman. Information from organizations
promoting social justice, labor, and health care
will also be available. 7 p.m. Old Labor Hall,
46 Granite St., Barre. Reservations highly
recommended. 479-5600. oldlaborhall.org. By
donation.
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
Barre Town Household Hazardous Waste
Collection Event. Annual hazardous waste
collection event. Paint can go elsewhere (see
paintcare.org.) Bring your toxics and poisons! 9
a.m.1 p.m. 129 Websterville Rd., Barre. $20/
carload for in-district residents; $100/carload for
out-of-district residents. 229-9383.
FARM DAY at Orchard Valley. Plant seeds, bake
bread, spin wool from our sheep, grind corn for
our hens, meet baby lambs, and hike the land.
Learn about all of the Orchard Valley programs
for infants through Grade 8, and sample

Songs From a Mountain Recluse to Premiere by Nat Frothingham

V
ermont poet David Budbill, who died this David Budbill
past November, will be honored at a Capital Photo by Steve Solberg
City Concerts performance at the Montpelier
Unitarian Church on Saturday evening, April 22 at
7:30 p.m.
The final offering on what is being billed as the
PoemMusic concert will feature the world premiere
of a song cycle called Songs From a Mountain
Recluse, written by Vermont composer, bassist and
teaching artist Evan Premo.
During a recent phone conversation with The Bridge,
Premo was asked to discuss how he wrote his new
composition.
About a year ago, Premo said, Karen Kevra and I
started talking. She wanted to commission me to do a
song cycle. I had composed another song cycle about
10 years ago for Mary and me. We played it at Karens wedding
last year. (Mary is well-known Vermont singer Mary Bonhag,
and Premos wife.)
The original idea for composing another song cycle was to send
out a request for submissions from poets and writers.
But then in November, Budbill died. Soon thereafter Budbills
daughter, Nadine, submitted his poems for consideration.
Premo then read through all of Budbills anthologies and finally
selected five poems that best represented different aspects of
Budbills poetic voice. Premo also mentioned Budbills nature
poetry, his works about life in rural Vermont, and the struggles
of being an artist in the state.
Its a journey through the different perspectives of
David Budbill, Premo said finally about Songs
From a Mountain Recluse.
Budbills daughter Nadine contributed this comment,
My father lived and breathed music: be it playing the
saxophone, trumpet, shakuhachi, bells and bowls; or
collaborating with musicians who infused his poetry
with sound. As one of his poems concludes, Because
we will always have a suffering world, we must always
have a song.
Bringing his poems to life through music is the
perfect way to honor and remember him, Nadine
added.
Premo said he is looking forward to the world
premiere on April 22. Its been a real pleasure and a real
honor. Im excited to hear it come to life.
Premo (bass), Bonhag (vocals) and Kevra (flute) are three
artists scheduled to perform Songs From a Mountain Recluse
premiere. Jeffrey Chappell will play piano.

T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 29
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through April 20: Elliot Burg, Sunset Park,
Brooklyn. Black and white photographs. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Through April 25: Johnson State College Senior
Thesis Exhibit. Mixed-media pieces, mandalas,
photography and other artBachelor of Fine Arts
students. JSCs Dibden Center for the Arts. jsc.
edu/Dibden. 635-1469.
Through April 28: Northern Vermont Art
Association Exhibition. The NVAA currently has
over 100 members and is open to any visual artist
working in any medium, principally those living in
the northern half of Vermont. The mission of the
organization is to encourage the study, improve
the practice, elevate the standards and advance
the cause of creative art. T.W. Wood Gallery,
46 Barre St., Montpelier. For more information
contact the Gallerys Director Ginny Callan at
802-262-6035 twwoodgallery@gmail.com or go
to www.twwoodgallery.org
Through April 28: Following the Rules,
Breaking the Rules. Includes 25 works of 20
artists in pastel, acrylics, oils, photography and
activities for all ages. Animal Geometry for
grades 3-6, 10 a.m.; walk-through of the grade
1-8 curriculum, 10:30 a.m.; Morning Garden
circle activities for parents with babes up to three
years of age, 1011 a.m. OVWS, VT Rt. 14, East
Montpelier. enrollment@ovws.org or 456-7400.
5th Annual Muddy Onion Spring Classic. Ride
starts and ends at Onion River Sports parking
lot. Langdon St., Montpelier. Pre-register: $45,
on bikereg.com until 5 p.m., April 27. $60 day-of
registration at ORS parking lot. 9:30 a.m.
Vernal Pool Exploration. Following slides,
videos and discussion on vernal pool ecology and
conservation, well carpool to Hubbard Park to
visit a vernal pool and observe the egg masses of
wood frogs and spotted salamanders. 10 a.m.
noon. Hunger Mountain Coop, Montpelier. $3
members; $5 non-members; free for children.
Come & Play Day at River Rock School. Tour
our space, meet River Rock staff and discover
how handcrafted education supports growth and
learning. 10 a.m.noon. 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free.
Prescription Drug TAKE BACK DAY. Clean out
your medicine cabinets and safely dispose of
expired or unwanted prescription medications.
(Pills and capsules only) 10 a.m.2 p.m. Free and
anonymous disposal.
Washington County Sheriffs Dept., Elm St.,
Montpelier
Montpelier Police Dept., Pitkin Court,
Montpelier
Barre City Police Dept., 15 Fourth St., Barre
Northfield Police Dept., 110 Wall St.,
Northfield
Kinney Drugs, 800 Rt 302, Berlin
Kinney Drugs, 80 So.Main St, Waterbury
Vermont State Police, 1080 Rt 2, Middlesex.
For more information contact Central VT New
Directions Coalition 223-4949 or http://cvndc.
org
Museum Grand Reopening. Explore and
celebrate the new look at features at the Vermont
History Museum. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Vermont
History Museum, 109 State St., Montpelier. Free.
479-8500. vermonthistory.org.
PoemCity: Poetry Reading - The Catamount
by Sarah Van Arsdale. Perfect for children 8+
and adults. 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338. Free.
PoemCity: Poetry Slam at the Center for
Arts and Learning. Geof Hewitt leads; two
Calendar of Events
three dimensional pieces. The T.W. Wood Gallery,
46 Barre St., Montpelier. For more information
contact the Gallerys Director Ginny Callan at
802-262-6035 twwoodgallery@gmail.com or go
to www.twwoodgallery.org
Through April 29: SHOW 16 at The Front. The
collective gallerys latest show. Part of Vermont
Arts 2017, a project of the Vermont Arts Council.
Gallery hours: Fri, 58 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.8
p.m. The Front, 6 Barre St., Montpelier. www.
thefrontvt.com. info@thefrontvt.com
Through April 30: Susan Wilkie, Inspired by
Sky or Water. Watercolors.Chelsea Public Library,
296, VT-110, Chelsea. 685-2188.
Through April 30: April Art Exhibits at Kellogg-
Hubbard Library. Photographs, Elliot Burg
(through April 20); Poetry Banner, T. Namaya; art
& poems, Berlin Elementary School. 135 Main
St., Montpelier. 223-3338
April 28May 7. Johnson State College B.F.A.
Exhibit. Reception and artist talk: May 3, 3 p.m.
JSC, Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson. sc.edu/
Dibden. 635-1469
Through May 9: Ted Zilius, Jazz and Sad. Mixed
media paintings. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant
St., Morrisville. www.RiverArtsVT.org
Through May 9: Carolyn Mecklosky,Women,
Beasts and Dreams. Acrylic painting. River
pieces of original writing; 3 minute limit;
ages 8+, including adults. 5 p.m. River Rock
School, North Group classroom, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free.
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
2nd Annual Pirate Day. Features a pirate-themed
scavenger hunt and kid-friendly performances by
Rockin Ron the Friendly Pirate. A waffle bar will
be offered at Three Mountain Caf beginning at
7 a.m. 10 a.m.1 p.m. Mad River Green Shops,
Waitsfield.
Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. Spaghetti
with meat sauce, tossed salad, garlic bread and
brownies. Vegetarian meals available. Benefits the
Meals on Wheels program. 47 p.m. Twin Valley
Senior Center, 4583 US Rt. 2, East Montpelier.
$10 eat-in or take-out. 223-3322.
Primo Maggio Celebration Italian Dinner.
Illustrated talk about Italian food by John
Carafoli; popular Italian music. Sen. Bill
Doyle will be honored. 6 p.m. Old Labor
Hall, 46 Granite St., Barre. $25. Reservations
recommended. 479-5600. oldlaborhall.org.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3
Strengths-Based Happiness. Learn how and
why using your own unique strengths and virtues
can help you be more successful and happier in
all you do. 5:307:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain
Coop, Montpelier. $8 members; $10 non-
members.
Information Night at River Rock School.
Join our staff and current parents to learn more
about how children grow and learn at River
Rock School. This is a parents only open house
event. 7 p.m. River Rock School 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Classic Film Series at Jaquith Library. Rick
Winston will introduce each film, and afterwards
will lead a discussion. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public
Library, School St., Marshfield. For film title and
more information contact Tom Blachly: 229-
5290 or blachly@together.net
THURSDAY, MAY 4
Elemental Queenship. Let the four queens of
the Tarot illuminate your path to sovereignty.
Mind, body, soul, spirit. 67 p.m. Hunger
Mountain Coop, Montpelier. $8 members; $10
non-members.
Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. www.
RiverArtsVT.org
Through May 25: Laura Jane Walker, Studies in
the Art of Chance. Works are built on plywood
panels manipulated through staining, burning,
and carving to form a textured background.
Meticulously placed steel nails wound with thread
add depth and geometrical patterns. Reception:
May 5, 47 p.m. Spotlight Gallery, Vermont Arts
Council office, 136 State St., Montpelier. http://
www.vermontartscouncil.org/about-us/spotlight-
gallery.
Through May 26: Paletteers Spring Art Show.
Aldrich Library, Milne Room, 6 Washington St.,
Barre.
Through May 531: Jayne Shoup. Shoup draws
inspiration from the beauty of central Vermont.
Brilliantly colored pastel paintings depict scenes
from her rural neighborhood. Opening: May 5,
48 p.m. Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., Montpelier.
223-1981. cheshirecatclothing.com
Through June 2: Spring Four-Ward. Watercolors
by four award-winning members of the Vermont
Watercolor Society: Lisa Forster Beach, Annelein
Beukenkamp, Gary C. Eckhart and Robert
OBrien. The Gallery at Central Vermont Medical
Center, 130 Fisher Rd., Berlin.
Through June 30: From Nature to Abstract:
Works by Maria Anghelache. Anghelache
FRIDAY, MAY 5
Death Caf. Discussions of events past, present,
and future. All are welcome and discussions are
confidential. 11:45 a.m.1 p.m. Twin Valley
Senior Center, Rt. 2, E. Montpelier. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors@myfairpoint.net
Art and Author Night. See event description
under the Special Events section in Art Exhibits.
Coffee House Benefit Evening. Fundraiser to
benefit Northfield Middle High School students
going to Tanzania, and United Church of
Northfields energy efficiency renovation project.
Coffee, tea, cider and desserts. Entertainment,
music and readings for all ages. 6:309 p.m.
United Church of Northfield, 58 S. Main St.,
Northfield. $4 includes first beverage; family
$20.
SATURDAY, MAY 6
Spring Migration Bird Walks. Explore the Cow
Pasture for spring migrants, such as warblers,
vireos, thrushes and waterfowl. Learn birding
basics, expand your birding ear and discover
more. 78:30 a.m. North Branch Nature
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10; free for
members. Directions to Cow Pasture: www.
northbranchnaturecenter.org
blends abstract objects and form directly from her
observation of the natural world. The Vermont
Supreme Court Gallery, State St., Montpelier.
Through June 30: Jo MacKenzie, Moments.
Watercolor paintings on paper bring the bright,
airy, fresh light of spring and summer. Art Walk
reception: May 5, 47 p.m. The Governors
Gallery, Pavilion Building, 109 State St., 5th fl.,
Montpelier. Photo ID required for admission.
May 2July 7: A Change in the Weather. Joint
exhibit of photographs of the Alaska Arctic by
Adelaide Murphy Tyrol and Richard Murphy.
Opening reception: May 5, 48 p.m. TW Wood
Gallery and Museum, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
262-6035 twwoodgallery@gmail.com. www.
twwoodgallery.org
SPECIAL EVENTS
April 29: PoemCity: Closing Reception of the
Art Resource Association Art Exhibit. Members
of the ARA teamed up with local poets to present
visual art and poetry. 13 p.m. City Center, 89
Main St., Montpelier.
May 5: Art and Author Night. You Are Here,
photography exhibit by Jennifer Barlow, celebrates
the moments in life when we are really able to see
the exquisiteness of this place we call home, 6 p.m.;
Reading with Poet Laureate Sydney Lea, 7 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
Color Run. Hosted by U-32. Color Run Hosts
splash racers with color as they run or walk
through the course. Distance options are 1, 2,
or 3 miles you choose! Registration 9 a.m.;
race starts 10:30 a.m. U-32, Gallison Hill
Rd., Montpelier. Registration $25. Advance
registration includes a t-shirt and color packet.
www.u32mscr@eventbrite.com
Orchard Valley Waldorf Schools Annual Sweet
N Savory Pie Breakfast. 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $8
per person; $30 per family; children under 5 free.
www.ovws.org. 456-7400
11th Annual Peoples' Health & Wellness Clinic
Bowl-A-Thon. Fundraising event. Ideally, teams
consist of five bowlers, and are asked to raise a
minimum of $50 each for a team total of $250.
Form a team and register now! Its time to put
your teams together, have some fun, and help out
a good cause at the same time. 13 p.m. Twin
City Family Fun Center, US. Rt. 302, Barre. All
ages and skills welcome. Register: 479-1229 or
www.phwcvt.org.
Send your event listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com.
Deadline for print in the next issue is
April 27.

PAG E 3 0 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Weekly
ARTS & CRAFTS
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. The Bead
Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Drop-in River Arts Elder Art Group. Work
on art, share techniques and get creative with
others. Bring your own art supplies. For elders
60+. Every Fri., 10 a.m.noon. River Arts
Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. 888-
1261. riverartsvt.org.
The Craftees. Crafts social group led by Nancy
Moran every Fri. Bring craft and potluck. 10
a.m.2 p.m. Barre Area Senior Center, 131 S.
Main St., #4, Barre. $3. Register: 479-9512
Art Classes. Fridays Jan. 27March 3, 35
p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte 2, East
Montpelier. To sign up or for more information
call Susan Crampton at 223-6954 or email
cramptonsr@hotmail.com.
BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Wed.,
46 p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier,
89 Barre St., Montpelier. 552-3521.
freeridemontpelier.org.
BOOKS & WORDS
Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon1 p.m. Mon., American Sign Language;
Tues., Italian; Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. 223-3338.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the first 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. Thurs., 910 a.m. Central
Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier
Learning Center, 100 State St. 223-3403.
BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
One-on-One Technology Help Sessions.
Free assistance to patrons needing help with
their computers and other personal electronic
devices. 30 min. one-on-one sessions every
Tues., 10 a.m.noon. Waterbury Public Library,
28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Free. Registration
required: 244-7036.
FOOD & DRINK
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.
Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds
benefit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues.
Do What You Do Best.
Bookkeeping Payroll Consulting
802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com
Calendar of Events
and Fri., noon1 p.m. Live music every Tues.,
10:3011:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+
free with $7 suggested donation; under 60 $7.
Reservations: 262-6288 or justbasicsinc@gmail.
com.
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.
Al-Anon. Help for friends and families of
Alcoholics.
Sun.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St.,
Montpelier (back door) 6:157:30 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) noon1 p.m.
Wed.: Bethany Church,115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) 78 p.m.
Thurs.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) noon1 p.m
Sat.: Turning Point, N. Main St., Barre, 5
p.m. (child friendly meeting)
Bone Building Exercises. Open to all ages.
Every Mon., Wed. and Fri. 7:30 a.m. and
9:15 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583
U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
Advanced class: every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m.
Beginners class: Tues. and Thurs. 1011 a.m.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E.
Montpelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.
org.
Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.
Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every
Mon., 2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@
montpelier-vt.org.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier.
552-3483.
Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program.
Education and support to help adults at high
risk of developing type 2 diabetes adopt
healthier eating and exercise habits that can
lead to weight loss and reduced risk. Every
Tues., 10:3011:30 a.m. Kingwood Health
Center Conference Room (lower level), 1422
Rt. 66, Randolph. Free. Register: 728-7714.
Tai Chi for Falls Prevention. With Diane Des
Bois. Beginners and mixed levels welcome. 2:15
p.m. Barre Area Senior Center, 131 S., Main
St., #4, Barre. Free. Register: 479-9512.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program
for physically, emotionally and spiritually
overcoming overeating. Two meeting days and
locations. Every Tues., 5:306:30 p.m. and
Sat., 8:309:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of
the Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre.
279-0385. Every Mon., 5:306:30 p.m. at
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier.
223-3079. www.oavermont.org
Tai Chi Classes for All Ages. Every Tues. and
Thurs., 1011 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier.
Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors@
myfairpoint.net
Mooditude Support Group. A professional and
peer-led support group, not a therapy group.
For people with depression, bipolar disorder,
seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia etc.).
Every Wed., 45 p.m. Bethany Church,115
Main St., Montpelier. (downstairs at end of
hallway). Free. 223-4111 or 522-0775.
Weight Loss Support Group. Get help and
support on your weight loss journey every
Wed., 67 p.m. Giffords Conference Center,
44 S. Main St., Randolph. Free. No registration
required. Open to all regardless of where you
are in your weight loss.
Wits End. Support group for parents, siblings,
children, spouses and/or relationship partners of
someone suffering with addiction whether it
is to alcohol, opiates, cocaine, heroin, marijuana
or something else. Every Wed., 68 p.m.
Turning Point Center, 489 N. Main St., Barre.
Louise: 279-6378.
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast
oral testing. Wed., 25 p.m. 29 State St., Ste.
14 (above Rite Aid), Montpelier. Free and
anonymous. 371-6224. vtcares.org.
NAMI Vermont Connection Recovery
Support Group. For individuals living with
mental illness. Every Fri., 34 p.m. Another
Way, 125 Barre St., Montpelier. 876-7949.
info@namivt.org
KIDS & TEENS
The Basement Teen Center. Safe drop-in space
to hang out, make music, play pool, ping-pong
and board games and eat free food. All activities
are free. Mon.Thurs., 26 p.m., Fridays 3-10
p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St.,
Montpelier. BasementTeenCenter.org
Read to Clara. Sign up for a 20-minute slot
and choose your books beforehand to read
to this special canine pal. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Sign up
ahead: 223-4665 or at the childrens desk.
kellogghubbard.org.
Story Time and Playgroup. With Sylvia
Smith for story time and Cassie Bickford
for playgroup. For ages birth6 and their
grown-ups. We follow the Twinfield Union
School calendar and do not hold the
program the days Twinfield is closed. Wed.,
1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122
School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Story Time for Kids. Meet your neighbors
and share quality time with the pre-schooler
in your life. Each week well read stories and
spend time together. A great way to introduce
your pre-schooler to your local library. For ages
25. Every Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial
Library, 151 High St., Plainfield. 454-8504.
cutlerlibrary.org.
Lego Club. Use our large Lego collection to
create and play. All ages. Thurs., 34:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.
org.
Dads & Kids Playgroup. Playtime and free
dinner. Every Thurs., 57 p.m. For Dads and
their children ages birth5. Family Center
of Washington County, 383 Sherwood Dr.,
Montpelier. fcwcvt.org
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.
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.,
Marshfield. 426-3581.
Musical Story Time. Join us for a melodious
good time. Ages birth6. Sat., 10:30 a.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
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. Capital City Grange, Rt.
12, Berlin. BarretonesVT.com. 552-3489.
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. Tuesdays, April 25
May 30. Sponsored by Montpelier Recreation
Dept., Instructed by Samir Elabd. 67 p.m.
waltz and foxtrot; 78 p.m. rumba and swing.
Singles welcome, no experience necessary.
Union Elementary School, Montpelier. To
register, call Montpelier Rec. Dept.: 225-8699.
More info.: 223-2921.
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. Thurs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St. 223-2518.
Barre Rock City Chorus. We sing songs
from the 60s80s and beyond. All songs are
taught by rote using word sheets, so ability to
read music is not required. All ages welcome;
children under 13 should come with a parent.
Every Thurs., 6:308:30 p.m. Church of the
Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt
Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498.
steven.light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.
RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional
Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores
of hard-to-recycle items. Mon., Wed., Fri.,
noon6 p.m.; Third Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m. ARCC,
540 North Main St., Barre. $3 per carload.
229-9383 x106. For list of accepted items, go to
cvswmd.org/arcc.
RESOURCES
Onion River Exchange Tool Library. More
than 100 tools both power and manual. Onion
River Exchange is located at 46 Barre Street
in Montpelier. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9-4. For more information
or to donate tools call 802.661.8959. info@
orexchange.com.
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Rainbow Umbrella of Central Vermont.
An adult LGBTQ group, meets every third
Tues., 5:307 p.m. All LGBT adults and
allies are welcome to attend for socializing,
community building and advocating for
LGBT issues. MSAC, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
RUCVTAdmin@PrideCenterVT.org
Bowling. Rainbow Umbrella of Central
Vermont, an adult LGBTQ group, bowls
at Twin City Lanes on Sunday afternoons
twice a month. For dates and times, write to
RUCVTAdmin@PrideCenterVT.org
SPIRITUALITY
Christian Science Reading Room. You're
invited to visit the Reading Room and see what
we have for your spiritual growth. You can
borrow, purchase or simply enjoy material in a
quiet study room. Hours: Hours: Hours: Wed.
Sat., 11 a.m.2 p.m.; Wed., 57:15 p.m. 145
State St., Montpelier. 223-2477.
A Course in Miracles. A study in spiritual
transformation. Group meets each Tues., 78
p.m. Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State St.,
Montpelier. 279-1495.
Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only:
479-0302.
Prayer Meeting. Ecumenical and charismatic
prayer meeting. Every 1st and 3rd Thurs.,
6:308 p.m. 8 Daniels Dr., Barre. 479-0302
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
Bingo. Every Tuesday. Doors open 5 p.m.;
games start 6 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-
3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
Roller Derby Open Recruitment and
Recreational Practice. Central Vermonts
Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age
18 and up. No experience necessary. Equipment
provided: first come, first served. Sat., 56:30
p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St.
First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.
YOGA & MEDITATION
Christian Meditation Group. People of all
faiths welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ
Church, Montpelier. 223-6043.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of
Vermont. Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St.,
Montpelier. Free. Call for orientation: 229-
0164.
Montpelier Shambhala Meditation. Group
meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Wed.,
67 p.m; learn to meditate free instruction
the 1st Wed. of the month. New location:
5 State Street, 2nd floor, Montpelier. info@
montpeliershambhala.org, www.montpelier.
shambhala.org
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 31

Classifieds
HELP WANTED
TEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT &
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is
seeking a temporary Development
and Administrative Assistant with
other programmatic duties. Based in
Montpelier. Ideal candidate will have
successful development and admin.
experience. Send resume' and three
Rocque Long
references to Search Committee, Box 829,
Montpelier, VT 05602. Painting
Insured
30+ years professional
WORKSHOP experience
SPIRITUALITY FOR DIFFICULT TIMES: local references.
14 PRECEPTS OF THICH NHAT HANH
April 29-30 802-223-0389
Buddhist teacher and author, Elizabeth
Mattis Namgyel, will lead an inspiring and
provocative weekend of teachings, sharing
her insights on navigating todays world,
based on Thich Nhat Hanhs Fourteen
Tell them
Precepts of Engaged Buddhism and on her
own extensive experience as a Buddhist you saw it in
practitioner. All 3 talks available on video
streaming. The Bridge!
Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling, Vershire,
VT bit.ly/pemaosel or call 802 333-4521 New Construction
Renovations
Text-only class listings and
classifieds are 50 words for $25. Woodworking
Call 249-8666 or 223-5112 ext. 11
General Contracting

Design & Build

Custom Energy-Efficient Homes
Additions Timber Frames
Weatherization Remodeling 223-3447
Kitchens Bathrooms Flooring clarconstruction.com
Tiling Cabinetry Fine Woodwork

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
PAG E 32 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Remembrance Gerard Paul Jed Guertin
January 12, 1943 March 30, 2017
G
erard Paul Jed Guertin Jr. passed away at home on
March 30. He was born in Springfield, Vermont, on
January 12, 1943, the son of Catherine McSherry
Guertin and Gerard Paul Guertin. Jed grew up in Shrewsbury,
Mass., where he nurtured an interest in ethics (while hiding his
motorcycle at a friends house). Known as Flex to his coworkers storyteller, novice magician, internet troll slayer, home trash and
at Strands Ski Shop in Worcester, Jed was a competitive water
and snow skier. After college, Jed moved to Burlington, Vt., where
he started The Ski Rack in 1968. Near the end of The Ski Racks
first year, Page Smith wandered in to rent a pair of skis four
months later she and Jed were married. Through a series of careers
and businesses, Jed and Page raised two sons, and Jed earned
his masters degree in Resource Economics at the University of
Vermont.
Along the way, Jed and Page developed their mutual interest
in sailing, and in 1998 they sold their house and most of their
worldly possessions to sail away. They cruised the East Coast for
five years, from Lake Champlain to the Bahamas, marketing Jeds
marine invention and exploring sea and shore. Eventually they
were called back to land by the arrival of grandchildren.
Please support The Bridge by making a financial contribution.
Visit montpelierbridge.com and click on Make a Donation.
Cody Chevrolet Congratulates The Bridge
On Over 20 Years of Business!
Jed was husband, father, silly (and adoring) grandpa, businessman,
salesman, designated hugger for the local little league team,
high school and college ski coach, college instructor, inventor,
sailor, plumbing enthusiast, political wonk, advocate for the color-
blind and whistle-blowers, curmudgeon, cobbler, rough carpenter,
recycling manager, prodigious reader, water quality defender,
tinkerer, Picklehead and very sensitive man. He was a kind
and positive figure in the lives of people, young and old, whose
paths crossed his. An intrepid seeker of truth and justice, he
always followed his moral compass. In the last few years of his
life, Jed worked tirelessly to protect and maintain drinking water
quality for the residents of Montpelier and all of Vermont.
Jed leaves his wife, Page, after 47 years together; sons Jesse and
Christopher Guertin; grandchildren Remy and Laurel Guertin,
and Milo and Juniper Loranger-Guertin; daughters-in-law Kim
Guertin and Jessica Loranger; sister Ann-Marie and her husband
Rob Walley.
Gifts in Jeds honor can be made to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier, Vt.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 33

Photos by Iain Wallace

Brian Prendergast runs a small maple sugar house near his home on Story Road, North and built the sugar house on the banks of Story Brook. Maple syrup making is an integrated
Middlesex. Prendergast, a graphic designer, began sugaring in 2004, when he approached area of study for all Rumney students, K through 5, with each student assisting in the tapping,
nearby Rumney Memorial School, offering to provide students an opportunity to learn about sugar collecting, and boiling of the sap, under the guidance of Prendergast. The syrup is then used in
making. Using funds from a grant he received, Prendergast purchased the necessary equipment the school kitchen in a variety of dishes.
PAG E 3 4 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE
Letters
Lets Get Health Care For All
Editor:
At this present time there is on the books in
Vermont a law (Act 48) that says in 2017 the
state will have in place a universal, single
payer, Medicare for All health care system
in Vermont.
However this is not happening today
because in 2015 the governor delayed it
by saying that the time was not right for
implementing this single payer law.
Well now is the time. The plan is
essentially in place and all it will require is
for the citizens of the state to yet again, direct
their state Senators and Representatives not
to listen to the lobbyists and make it happen
this time.
Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Peter
Welch, our federal delegation, all say they
are very much in favor of Medicare for
All and yet they have had almost nothing
to say about getting it done in their very
own state.
Lets instruct our legislators and the
Governor to take a look at the existing Act
48 law and get it implemented.
We will then have health care for all
Vermonters. It will be more inclusive, more
efficient and less expensive and it will not be
owned by the insurance and pharmaceutical
companies.
Robert Howe, North Bennington
Must Have Wind Energy,
Raise The Sound Levels
Editor:
Wind energy is a critical and integral part
of Vermont's sustainable energy future. We
must have it to achieve our state goal of 90
percent sustainable energy by 2050.
The recent Public Service Board ruling
on sound levels for wind turbines is so
unrealistically low (35 decibels) that it poses
a severe threat to the future use of wind
power in the state, making it functionally
impossible to build new wind projects or
for the 90 percent by 2050 goal to be met.
While a standard for wind turbine sound
levels might be needed, surely it should not
come at the expense of the whole purpose of
wind energy use.
Many states have not seen a need to develop
wind turbine-specific noise regulations,
rather placing turbines under general sound
standards. States which do have a turbine
noise standard have used 50 decibels or
above. Maine, for example, uses a standard
of 55 decibels during the day and 42
decibels at night. Vermonts temporary
wind sound standards set the noise level at
45 decibels outdoors at a residence and 30
decibels indoors. The currently proposed 35
decibels is less than that of a bird's song. If
other sound sources were held to this same
standard, we'd be banning birds along with
roads, dogs, and farms!
By setting sound levels for wind turbines
more realistically above 40 decibels,
Vermont can continue to make a winning
investment in our sustainable, local energy
future and support our resolution of 90
percent renewable energy by 2050.
Anne Jameson, Marshfield
I Work as an LNA For My Patients
Editor:
People ask me why I work as a Licensed
Nursing Assistant. Its for my patients. I give
each patient my all, but with understaffing
my all isnt enough. Being understaffed
not only burns us out it's created a less
functioning work environment that isnt safe
for our patients well-being.
My work style is described as hectic. I run
around the unit all day feeling like I cant
catch my breath. Patients deserve their care
providers to be attentive and present, not
scrambling from one room to another.
Its not just physical demands either I
make my patients feel important and cared
for. This is who I am. I make patients
smile when their day has been nothing but
struggles and bad news. I help them gain
strength and teach them how to adapt to
new obstacles. Our patients deserve the best
care we have to offer, but right now I can't
provide that.
Patient care and safety is lacking due to the
staffing crisis that University of Vermont
Medical Center administration has been
struggling with for too long. Right now
we're unable to provide quality care. Our
nurse managers, nurses and LNAs have
done our best with what we're given from
the administration, but it isn't enough. We
want to become a union because with a
voice at the table, patient safety can be
achieved and patient care wouldn't suffer
from understaffing.
We are the people providing patient care.
Who better to advocate for our patients than
us?
Jordan Schnabel, Licensed Nursing Assistant
at UVMMC, Colchester Resident
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
words. Opinion pieces should not
exceed 600 words. The Bridge
reserves the right to edit and
cut pieces. Send your piece to:
editorial@montpelierbridge.
com.
Deadline for the next issue
is April 28.
T H E B R I D G E A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 PAG E 35
PAG E 36 A P R I L 2 0 M AY 3 , 2 017 THE BRIDGE