A Guide to Electric Vehicles • Page 7
S eptember 6 –S eptember 19, 2018
Climate
IN THIS ISSUE: Will Climate Refugees Be Heading to Vermont
Pg. 4 Fighting Climate
Change with the Law
in the Future? by Phil Dodd
I
f the global climate continues to warm, as many scientists
expect, Vermont will face several challenges of its own
Pg. 10 Living Car-free in during this century, including longer-lasting storms and
Montpelier consequent flooding. But some parts of the country, and many
places on the globe, may become uninhabitable due to hotter
temperatures, higher sea levels, and desertification. People will
Pg. 15 Michael Arnowitt at need to move.
the Barre Opera House Because Vermont is not on the ocean and should remain cooler
than locations to our south, and because we have farmland for
growing food plus ample water supplies, some Vermonters who
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit NO. 123
have been thinking about the topic say we could see an influx
Montpelier, VT
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS
of environmental migrants heading to Vermont and other far
northern states in the next 10, 25, or 50 years.
“We might be a sweet spot for climate refugees for some kind
of interim period,” said Roger Hill, a local meteorologist. “We
could be a lot better off than people near the coasts, who will
experience rising sea levels, stronger ocean storms, and flooding
near rivers. People are going to move uphill.”
He noted that climate change is already causing migration
around the globe. “Micronesians are moving to Hawaii in
droves,” to escape rising sea levels, said Hill, and many North
Africans are on the move as deserts spread there. “The geopolitical
ramifications of climate change are in play big-time.”
Brian Shupe, executive director of the Vermont Natural
Resources Council (VNRC), said he and his staff have been
talking internally about the issue “quite a bit.” He used the same
Montpelier, VT 05601
term as Hill, saying Vermont could be in a “sweet spot” because
it is not on the coast and has ample groundwater and will have
a longer growing season.
P.O. Box 1143
The first wave of climate refugees could be “affluent refugees
The Bridge
from the coast or the south,” people who have the means to
We’re online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com
move and buy property in Vermont or who already have a
second home here,” Shupe said. “I’ve heard anecdotally about
people buying second homes here with future climate change in
mind,” he said. “It makes sense.”
Shupe thinks that any new wave of property buyers could create
tension around land management issues, which are important to
the VNRC. “Historically, when we have had an influx of new
residents and development pressure, Vermont has responded
with things like Act 250 in the 1960s, Act 200 and the Housing
and Conservation Board in the 1980s, and then promotion of
smart growth and downtown development in the late 1990s,”
he said.
The possibility of another influx of people is one reason Shupe
is glad the state has formed a commission to re-examine Act
250, the state’s land use law. The commission is holding
hearings around the state and is expected to issue a report on
possible changes to Act 250 by the end of the year. Shupe, who
is on an advisory board for the commission, said he expects the
VNRC will offer suggested changes to Act 250 related to forest
fragmentation and the expected impacts from climate change,
among other things.
Sen. Chris Pearson (P/D, Chittenden) is vice-chair of the Act
250 commission. He, too, has been speculating about possible
changes to Vermont’s demographics that could result “if other
populated areas become much less hospitable.” He also thinks
that Vermont must be prepared if a natural disaster, such as a
strong hurricane hitting New York City, sends thousands of
people to Vermont overnight. He said he and other legislators
pushed the state Department of Public Safety to develop an
emergency plan for that eventuality, and it is now in place.
Continued on Page 13
PAG E 2 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Nature Watch by Nona Estrin

Birds on the Move

Quietly, without much
notice, a great tide of birds
has started moving south.
As early as the heat and
drought at the end of July,
thrushes started to move,
a couple of weeks early,
eating alternate-leaved
dogwood berries as they
went. Young warblers now
are showing up at our bird-
bath, and we watched seven
migrating nighthawks over
Wrightsville Beach area
last evening. Something is
up, change is in the air!
But winter is still a world
away!

Watercolor by Nona Estrin

T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 3

HEARD ON
THE STREET
Montpelier Restaurants Continue to Disappear
It’s a tough time to be a restaurant in Montpelier, it appears. After just four
months of wowing local palates, Banchan—run by An Na, her mother Jin Suk,
and sister, Jin An—closed its doors in August after Suk decided to retire and
return to California. This comes after the closing of Barre Street’s Beau in June.
In the past few weeks, two more culinary blows have fallen, with the closure of
DeMena’s on Main Street and Asiana House on State. The reasons are still a
mystery but whatever the case, that makes two prime decks open in a city with
very few.

New Rec Center Takes a Step Forward

The Barre Street Rec Center has been a source of concern for years, as the
facility ages less than gracefully, bringing into question its structural integrity
and capacity to serve the community’s needs. Finally, there is some movement,
as the city council has approved a contract with Colorado-based Ballard*King &
Associates to determine the feasibility of constructing a new center. According to
Assistant City Manager Sue Allen, this study will look “at what residents want
for recreation services, how much that might cost, likely enrollment and usage,
willingness to bond, revenue sources, potential sites, regional interest, and more.”
The study will cost $47,500. Significant public input will be solicited through
surveys, meetings, and focus groups.

Down Home Kitchen Celebrates Third Birthday with the ACLU

Three years in, Down Home Kitchen remains one of Montpelier’s top dining
spots, and it plans to celebrate its birthday on September 15, 4‒9 pm, with a
retro-themed party that also raises funds and awareness for the important work
of the Vermont ACLU. The free event is open to the public and will include live
music from swing band Lewis Franco and the Missing Cats, vintage birthday cake
recipes from Down Home’s bakery, games, swag, and plenty of culinary treats.
Dogs are welcome.

Schoolboard Seeks New Member

Owing to work and family commitments, school board member Peter Sterling
announced his resignation in late August. School Board Chairman Jim Murphy
hopes to welcome a replacement in time for budget season. The board put out a
call on September 5 for applications to the position and hopes to make a choice
on the 19th, with the city council confirmation on the 26th. Interested candidates
should contact Jim Murphy at jimmurphy@mpsvt.org.

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PAG E 4 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Fighting Climate Change with the Law
“T
his is a fight,” says Vermont
Attorney General TJ
Donovan, as if on the stump,
rather than the well-worn sofa in his
office on the third floor of the Pavilion
Building in Montpelier.
At stake is Vermont’s legacy of placing
environmental protection ahead of
industrial profit, a value that is under
increasing threat given the current
political atmosphere in Washington.
In one corner of the ring is a group of
attorneys general from primarily “blue
states,” such as Donovan; in the other
are the forces of corporations, lobbyists,
and politicians backed by the fossil fuel
industry and their ancillaries, which
now includes the executive branch of
the federal government. Indeed, the past
two years have seen significant efforts by
the Trump administration to dismantle,
undercut, and roll back decades of
environmental regulations, from easing
restrictions on air and water pollution
to allowing more energy drilling and
mineral extraction on public lands.
And that’s just the tip of the melting
iceberg.
Some efforts are successful, some not, but
ever more end up in the courts, which
have become the front line in the battle
over climate change and environmental
policy. That attorneys general are part
of the process is nothing new, but the
significant uptick is perhaps surprising to
those who traditionally saw that role as a
function of the legislature.
“Why you see the acceleration of
actions by attorneys general,” Donovan
explains, “is that it’s in response to what’s
happening [in Washington],” where
Congress, the executive branch, and
environmental agencies have largely been
abdicating responsibility or not enforcing
their own laws. “The powers and tools
have always been here, but you are seeing
them used in an unprecedented way and,
frankly, in a much more public way.”
by Mike Dunphy
For Donovan and many of his colleagues,
the courts then become the arbiter of
justice.
“When you talk about it in the frame
of justice,” he points out, “people have a
fundamental right to clean air and clean
water.”
This concept of justice achieved additional
prominance in Vermont in 2007, when
environmental protection became a
stand-alone division in the attorney
general’s office, on equal footing with
the five other divisions: civil, criminal,
public protection, human services, and
general counseling and administrative
law. Prior to that the attorneys who did
environmental protection work were part
of a unit within the public protection
division.
Another reason attorneys general around
the country have stepped deeper into the
fight is that they actually have the tools
and powers to bring to it.
“We have the legal recourse,” Donovan
explains. “We can go to court and force
the federal government to implement
and enforce the Clean Power Plan and
stop them from rolling back emissions
standards and dismantling the EPA.”
There will be wins and losses, though,
Donovan admits. On the win side,
Washington Superior Court approved
the attorney general’s settlement with
Moretown Landfill in May, resulting
in $180,000 in civil penalties and
a $20,000 allocation to fund a
supplemental environmental project
to provide residential compost bins,
food scrap collection buckets, and
kitchen countertop compost containers
to Vermonters at a discount. A month
earlier the attorney general announced
a settlement with County Waste and
Recycling Service, aka, Ace Carting,
for violations of Vermont’s waste
transportation rules, netting the state
$49,500 in civil penalties.
In the loss column is a ruling in July by
Washington Superior Court Judge Mary
Miles Teachout, who ordered the AG’s
office to pay almost $66,000 in legal
fees in three cases over access to public
records, a ruling Donovan accepts with a
hint of humility and defiance.
“I may have a political and a philosophical
debate with those folks,” Donovan
reflects, “but I will defend their right
to access the legal system and hold us
accountable when we make a mistake.
And we are going to do the same with
them.”
Putting aside the legal and moral
question of access to public records, it’s
important to note that the aim of this
litigation was to challenge the attorneys
generals’ own investigations of Exxon
Mobil’s denials of climate change, and
that it was filed on behalf of the Energy
& Environment Legal Institute—a coal-
funded non-profit that claims to be a
“key part of President Trump’s transition
team ensuring sound and reasonable
energy and environment policy-making
returned to Washington after decades of
overzealous regulatory action”—and the
Free Market Environmental Law Clinic,
which “seeks to provide a counter-weight
to the litigious environmental movement
that fosters an economically destructive
regulatory regime in the United States.”
Nationally, Donovan has joined several
attorneys general in multiple lawsuits,
as in 2017, when Vermont, New York,
Maryland, Washington, Massachusetts,
Continued on next page
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 5

and the District of Columbia challenged the EPA’s overturn of a ban on the pesticide the folks,” Donovan said. “We have a long way to go to finish that job and get clean
chlorpyrifos, despite the EPA’s own studies that show the chemical to have dangerous drinking water to the other half. That’s a big deal and something that I care about.”
effects, particularly on children. This effort was successful, thanks to a ruling on Then, of course, there’s the election in November, when Donovan will be running
August 9 that ordered the EPA to revoke all tolerances and cancel all registrations for against Republican state representative Janssen Willhoit, who was chosen by the party
chlorpyrifos within 60 days. to run for attorney general in the general election after primary winner H. Brooke
August also saw Donovan joining a coalition of 20 attorneys general to challenge the Paige withdrew his candidacy to run for secretary of state.
federal government’s plan to roll back limits on tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. Should Donovan win re-election, Vermonters can expect the same aggressiveness on
In a press release, the Vermont Attorney General’s office wrote, “This decision upends environmental policy going forward—a trait Donovan intimately links to his Green
decades of cooperative state and federal action to protect our residents. We are prepared Mountains upbringing.
to go to court to put the brakes on this reckless and illegal plan.”
“It’s a value of our state that we protect our landscape. We’re not going to stand by and
Coalitions like this not only give added media coverage and weight to the challenge, let this happen without a fight.”
but also provide a stronger case, Donovan says.
“It has been a force multiplier in terms of legal resources, tools, and, frankly, the
intellectual firepower. We wouldn’t be nearly as successful if we didn’t have the
collaboration and partnerships with other states. It’s not just the number,” he said,
referring to the combined resources several states together can bring to bear.
Next on Donovan’s environmental to-do list is the PFOA pollution case in Bennington.
Perfluorooctanoic acid, used in the production of Teflon and similar materials, was
detected in private drinking water wells in the area around the former Chemfab/
Saint-Gobain facility in North Bennington. The potential effects on human health
are many, including the growth, learning, and behavior of babies and older children,
the lowering of a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant, interference with the body’s
natural hormones, increased cholesterol levels, harmful effects on the immune system,
and increased risk of cancer.
A partial settlement was reached in 2017 that forced Saint-Gobain to fund municipal
water line extensions, costing an estimated $20 million, and required it to conduct an
expedited investigation in the eastern portion of the Bennington site.
“We’ve made some progress and have gotten access to clean drinking water for half VT Attorney General TJ Donovan. Photo by Renee Greenlee

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PAG E 6 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE
8 Questions about Climate Change for Meteorologist Roger Hill
Compiled by Mike Dunphy and Larry Floersch
S
ince 2000, meteorologist Roger Hill has been forecasting the weather for the
listeners of Radio Vermont (WDEV, WLVB, WCVT). He also contracts with
Vermont Electric Power Company, the company that provides the backbone for
all Vermont electrical utilities, and freelances for local municipalities, schools, outdoor
event organizers, and maple sugar makers. In the heat of August, The Bridge spoke with
Hill about climate change issues facing Vermont and its possible futures.
The Bridge: Are we doomed? And, if so, what does doom look like?
Roger Hill: If we don’t really make hard policy decisions, we are on a trend that could
lead to doom. If folks want to live in the places they live now, a hundred years from
now that might not be possible. Vermont could be so changed that it could be very
hard to live here.
There are a number of different ways things could go. Probably it will get wetter and
then at some point we’ll get drier. The whole interior of the United States in a century
or two centuries probably will be a desert resembling present-day Australia. A lot of
the areas where we grow the corn and wheat to feed us and to help feed the world will
probably be in Canada.
Is Vermont, by its geography, somehow protected from the worst effects of climate
change?
Hill: We’re probably sitting in a much better place than people out in California and
Arizona and many of the western states, which are undergoing summertime wildfires
followed by drought alternating with atmospheric rivers of incredible moisture that
come off the Pacific Ocean. So they’re going to switch back and forth from flood
to drought. We’re going to stay in that sort of wet, occasionally flooding mode, and
probably our winters are going to change toward being wetter, but on the way there
we’ll probably have some pretty big snow years and in other years not so much, with
a lot of variability.
In a deeper dive into Vermont, most of our towns, our villages, and our roads are
along our rivers because of our mill-town history. Those rivers are going to see more
“thousand-year” floods. That means houses that are built in floodplains will be taking
a lot of infrastructure damage, and at some point there will be a tendency to move away
from the rivers and streams.
In addition to the intensification of weather already in Vermont, will there be
some completely new phenomena?
Hill: Yes, and this is something that we haven’t really been delving into. What if
we have a drought that goes on for two or more years, and we have massive forest
fires like the ones out west? Nobody is considering that. The fact is we’re seeing a lot
more variability in our weather. The tendency is a generally wetter scenario, but that
doesn’t mean it can’t be interspersed with these super dry periods in which very little
precipitation falls, whether it’s rain or snow. Just imagine if we had the kind of fires
that go on out west with birch trees and the kind of fuel that is really very flammable.
That could really be a problem.
Is this an abnormal year so far is it the usual trend?
Hill: I think this year is kind of verifying what a lot of the climate models were showing
back a couple years ago to be happening roughly about this time. We’re living in a kind
of told-you-so moment when we’re seeing more heat waves and setting new records.
The last time we spoke, during one of those unrelenting deep freezes, you told The
Bridge the polar vortex holding the cold air up at the North Pole had weakened
and the cold air was spilling down.
Hill: Yes that's right. That’s also because of the North Atlantic sea surface temperatures
and the Gulf Stream and thermohaline circulation, where we have a lot of fresh water
being dumped in the North Atlantic Ocean, and it’s messing with the conveyor belts
of the ocean currents. Right now the Gulf Stream is slowing, and that slowing Gulf
Stream is piling up warm water on the eastern seaboard, especially in New England. At
the same time that’s taking place, a lot colder water is coming in off Greenland because
of the melting of the ice. So that’s interfering with a lot of natural processes that have
set up with the conveyor belts.
So what may happen is we may see periods where very cold winter conditions blow in
here. But it’s going to be on a more regional basis rather than on a hemispheric basis.
That regional basis might mean that eastern parts of Canada and parts of the northeast
United States, including Vermont and northern New England, will be seeing really cold
winters from time to time because of the other things that are going on at a regional
scale. All of this is kind of dancing around, if you will, over a long-term warming.
How confident are you in your assessments? Do you think this is probably what
will happen or is there a chance it may not?
Hill: I’m fairly confident that things are going to get more variable. We’re going to have
more extremes. Nothing is calendar-like anymore.
Are we putting too much confidence in solar and wind energy as a solution? Are
there other technologies that you see coming out that could have an even greater
benefit?
Hill: I can’t speak to all the technologies out there. I can say that we in Vermont have
made a lot of progress already through the power grid, I think, and we’re in a good
trend. You might say increasingly even we as a country are in a good trend. However,
we’re kind of dragging our feet on policies in terms of what the government does. Now
that coal is being pushed again, that might be good for a meter of sea level rise. We have
to stop putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the trends are that we are
doing so, but we’re pretty late on the train. The train has not quite left the station, but
it’s getting ready to leave, and the conductor’s tooting the horn, and we’ve got to jump
on the train that will allow us to change our ways in terms of adding more greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere.
What could Vermonters do on a personal level that would have some kind of
positive impact on the situation?
Hill: Probably trying to live more sustainably by eating our own agricultural products
rather than constantly shipping in everything. In other words, our land practices, what
food is grown, and how we buy food. Because those places where our food is grown
now could be starting to lose viability at some point.
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 7

Electric Vehicles: An Emerging Marketplace Offers New

Choices for Getting Around by Jake Brown

Y
ou may have noticed a little bump Drive Electric—a Great Source of Info
over the past couple of years in the You will find a wide range of information
number of electric or plug-in electric on driveelectricvt.com, including a buying
cars (EVs) humming around town. Well, guide, benefits for Vermont, locations
you are onto something. of charging stations, dealers, advice on
Across Vermont in the past year there has leasing versus buying, car prices, and more.
been a 50 percent jump in the number of driveelectricvt.com
registered EVs. As of July there were 2,612 Bottom Line
EVs according to Drive Electric Vermont,
a clearinghouse of information on electric You can spend $50,000 or more for a
cars in Vermont. By comparison, just five new EV, but many of the cars, if bought
years ago there were just under 500. new, fall in the $30,000‒$40,000 range
depending on options. A new Toyota Prius
The electric-powered car—today a tiny slice Prime (plug-in electric hybrid) for example,
of overall auto sales across the country—is sells for about $28,000; a new Nissan Leaf
gaining traction in the marketplace because or Ford Focus (both all-electric) would run
of improving technology and is likely to about $30,000.
change the complexion of the automobile
markets significantly in the coming years. Slightly more expensive would be the all-
electric VW eGolf, coming in around
Just over the past several years, EV $33,000. The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in
technology has changed quickly, from electric hybrid, runs about $35,000; its
the consumer perspective most notably in cousin, the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt,
terms of battery range, with the new Nissan comes in at about $38,000. All of these
Leaf offering a range of 151 miles and the Owner of a Nissan Leaf, Geoff Beyer of East Montpelier prices are before any discounts and tax
Chevrolet Bolt, 238, for example. Today’s credits.
marketplace also offers more options of prices, styles, and designs—both all-electric
and plug-in-hybrids—than ever before. The increased competition is likely to be good There are used cars on the market, too. Because Nissan has produced the Leaf for
for consumers in the coming years. several years, there is a decent market for these all-electric cars. A recent search on
Edmunds.com yielded three used Leafs within 50 miles of Montpelier, ranging in
Why would anyone consider an EV? Lifetime cost may be one factor. The total cost price from $11,245 for a 2015 model, to $9,998 for a 2013 model. There were two used
of ownership of an EV is generally less. Drive Electric Vermont estimates the average Chevrolet Volts (plug-in hybrid) nearby; a 2015 model for $17,000 and a 2017 model
fuel cost, for example, is equivalent to paying $1.50 per gallon. And maintenance costs, for about $35,000.
because there are fewer moving parts in an electric car, tend to be lower as well.
The EV marketplace is new enough that it makes sense to do some research ahead of
Reducing your environmental footprint is another reason to go electric. Because the time, and then contact dealers (or do searches online) to find available cars in the area.
electric grid that powers these cars continues to get cleaner, a car bought today will
become “greener” over time. Improved performance is another reason. The Chevrolet
Bolt can go from 0 to 60 in about 6.3 seconds, rivaling the Tesla Model 3, which takes
5.6 seconds to get to the same speed.
A Battery of Choices
There are three basic designs of electric-powered cars:
Hybrid: The most familiar to Vermonters is the standard gasoline/electric hybrid car
that’s been on the market for over a decade. These cars have batteries that store, and
use, electricity that is generated by the car itself. They do not take electricity from the
electric grid. The main source of fuel is still gasoline, but generally at slower speeds
the car switches to use electricity that’s stored in its battery. The standard Toyota Prius
hybrid is a common example. The range on these cars is roughly what you might get
with any gasoline-powered car.
Plug-In Electric Hybrid: These cars run on electricity until the battery is depleted,
and then run on their backup gasoline engine. The main difference between a plug-in
electric hybrid and a traditional hybrid is that the plug-in car’s battery power comes
from the electric grid. In other words, they are charged, much like a cell phone, by
being plugged into an outlet at your home, workplace, or other charging location. A
Toyota Prius Prime or Chevrolet Volt are good examples.
All Electric: These cars do not have an internal combustion engine, but instead use an
electric motor. It’s fueled solely with electricity from the grid. The Chevrolet Bolt and
Nissan Leaf are examples.
What’s My Incentive?
Vermont utilities offer a range of incentives for purchasing EVs. The electric utility that
serves Montpelier, Green Mountain Power, offers free home charging equipment (and a
related deal of $19.99 per month to charge your car), a $5,000 discount on a new Nissan
Leaf, and GM discount pricing for Chevrolet electric vehicles at Alderman’s Chevrolet
in Rutland. You can learn more about these incentives at greenmountainpower.com/
products-all
If you are a customer of another electric utility, be sure to check out their incentives.
There are also significant potential federal tax credits available as well.
PAG E 8 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

How Green Are Our Green Mountains? by Sarah Davin

“L
et us live to protect her Gas Emissions Inventory Update
beauty,” sings our state reported a 10-percent increase
anthem, “These Green of greenhouse gases from 2014
Mountains” by Diane Martin. through 2015. Total emissions
Just like the lyric, Vermonters rose 16 percent since 1990,
love to boast about our natural making it difficult for Vermont to
beauty, and gazing at the forested reach its goal of being 50 percent
mountains, listening to the dense below 1990 levels by 2028.
chatter of wildlife, dipping our Vermont currently has lower per
toes in cool swimming holes, and capita carbon dioxide emissions
taking deep breaths of mountain than the national average, but the
air, there seems to be ample report shows that the difference
evidence of this organic, Eden- has been decreasing.
esque vision. Forests
But is it true? Pride aside, are According to the website
we keeping our oath to protect Vermont Climate Assessment,
Vermont’s water, air, forests, and the average annual temperature
wildlife? in Vermont has increased by 1.3
Water degrees Fahrenheit since 1960
While 72 percent of Vermonters and 45 percent of that increase
are served by community water has happened since the 1990s.
systems, Vermont is unique in Because of the general trend
the fact that 37 percent of those toward warmer weather, some
community systems are “smaller Vermont trees, such as oak,
systems” that serve fewer than 3,300 people, far more than the national total of 9 hickory, and red maple, will benefit while other species, such as spruce and fir, will
percent. However, these systems are harder to maintain because of their complexity, suffer. The rising temperatures will also increase Vermont’s chances for wildfires. As
costs associated with regulations, and need for repairs. According to the Vermont our state witnesses more summer dry spells, the danger grows.
Department of Environmental Conservation’s 2017 Annual Report on Public Water This summer, there has been a lot of focus on the emerald ash borer and its devastating
System Violations, the Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division issued a effect of our local ash trees. While it is important to address the threat of the borers, ash
total of 767 violations in Vermont. trees are not the only ones in danger. Last year, according to the May 2018 Forest Tent
And as beautifully as Lake Champlain shimmers at a distance, it would be a bad idea Caterpillar Update, issued by the Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation, the
to drink the water. The lake is plagued by cyanobacteria, better known as blue-green caterpillars defoliated 60,584 acres, more than twice the previous year’s total. According
algae, which releases toxins into the water. Lake Champlain isn’t the only body of water to data from the 2017 moth traps, we can expect more widespread defoliation this year
to be affected by the toxic algae, which is fed by phosphorus from agricultural runoff as well. Tent caterpillars can affect maple sugar production, increasing the mortality
and other sources. Vermont’s Environmental Health Division also includes Shelburne of maple trees and decreasing the amount of sugar present in the maple sap as trees try
Pond and Lake Carmi in its weekly, online cyanobacteria reports. to heal the damage.
The result of this pollution has seen some beach-going Vermonters turned away from Wildlife
the shore on steamy summer days, as well as the mass deaths of fish and mussels According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's 2015 Vermont Wildlife
in Missisquoi Bay. There’s some good news in the $8.4 million of federal funding Action Plan, overall, the health of Vermont’s wildlife is looking good. Species of
allocated in July 2018 through a bipartisan amendment authored by Rep. Peter Welch animals that were once scarce are now thriving in the state’s forest environment. These
and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York for the cleanup of Lake Champlain, but it’s a drop reintroduced or recovered animals include wild turkeys, beavers, and fisher cats. The
in the bucket compared with the amount needed, and federally required, to clean up white-tailed deer population appears to have grown by an estimated 10,000 since last
the state’s freshwater gem. year, too.
Air Unfortunately, not all of Vermont’s animals are thriving. In 2015, nine species of
In terms of our air quality, Vermont does have a reason to breathe a sigh of relief. bumble bees were added to the Species of Greatest Conservation Need list, and it
Burlington was named one of the cleanest cities in the country by the American Lung isn’t just the small pollinators that are struggling. Our local moose population has
Association in its “State of the Air 2018” report, with zero days of ozone and particle been suffering from an epidemic of ticks, creating the “ghost moose”—the result of
pollution for three years. This stands in contrast to the rest of the nation, where half of 20,000 to 60,000 winter ticks on its body draining it of blood and health. This year,
Americans live with unhealthy levels of air pollution. the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department only issued 14 moose hunting permits for
the fall season, which is drastically lower than previous years, such as 2015, in which
While our current air quality is something to be happy about, trends in Vermont’s Vermont Business Magazine reported that 225 moose hunting permits were issued for
greenhouse gas emissions are concerning. The June 2018 Vermont Greenhouse the regular season.
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 9

To Save our Ash Trees, Cut or Treat?

by Dot Helling

S
hortly after I wrote a piece this spring warning about the threat of the emerald
ash borer, borers were found in Montpelier near National Life. Since then our
tree board and tree warden have been tirelessly working on an emerald ash borer
management plan. With the help of many volunteers, their recent survey identified
450-plus ash trees along streets in our beautiful city of trees, in addition to 200-plus
along park pathways, plus a previously estimated 2,700 on private property. What are
the steps being taken to address this crisis? Why act and not just let nature take its
course?
According to John Snell, tree board chair and ash borer first detector, if nothing is
done to combat the ash borer, all of our ash trees will die in the next ten years. There
are a number of ways to address the future of an ash tree, depending on whether or
not it is infested and to what extent. Early discovery of borers is critical to extending
the life of these trees that provide our downtown with shade, stormwater control, and
canopied beauty.
But, once discovered, what’s the best method of treating?
Vermont municipalities are taking different tacks. Rutland is taking a proactive
approach and removing all of its ash trees citywide before detecting the presence
of borers at an estimated cost of $90,000. This decision is a financial one, having
determined that the removal of live ash trees before any infestation is more economical
than waiting, treating, and removing dying ash. Williston plans to remove 42
percent of its ash trees and replace them with maples, elms, and other diverse species.
Burlington estimates it has 1,275 ash trees within the city. City officials anticipate a
long-term cost of $400,000 to $720,000, with plans to treat 50 to 75 percent of their
ash trees and remove the rest.
Whatever approach a municipality takes, timing is critical. Infested trees should not
be moved during flight season—May through November—and must be treated in the
spring prior to the adult borers laying eggs on the trees.
The Montpelier Tree Board proposes to slow down the infestation by treating 15
downtown ash trees and others in Hubbard Park with a chemical called emamectin
benzoate, aka TREE-äge. The tree board advises residents to use professionals if they
want to treat their personal trees and under no circumstances use any neonicotinoids
(“neonics”) such as imidacloprid or dinotefuran, which will kill pollinators and pose
carcinogenic dangers to humans and wildlife.
Although treatments in Canada and other parts of America have failed to save the ash
trees, treating with TREE-äge can extend the lifetime of the trees without posing a
threat to the public. It is injected into the tree under controlled conditions to ensure
no direct exposure to humans or wildlife.
Ash trees are protected from the borers only as long as they are treated. Montpelier’s
plan is to treat in order for downtown ash to survive as long as it takes for replacement
trees to sufficiently establish themselves and hopefully avoid what tree board members
visualize as a “moonscape” or “wasteland” in the downtown if all the big green ash trees
were to go at once. There is also a possibility that unknown advances in treatment may
become known within the near future.
The treatment plan proposed for Montpelier’s 15 trees would cost an estimated $1,000
per year for TREE-äge, which would be re-injected every two years beginning in the
spring 2019. Fifteen trees total a cost of about $15,000 over the course of 10 years for
the chemical. In addition to treatment and application costs, there is the eventual cost
of removal when the trees die. There is discussion about using “trap trees,” which might
draw the emerald ash borers to trees that are treated in order to destroy them.
There are no easy answers. Either way is a trade-off. Choose not to treat, and we lose
our grand ash trees sooner. The bottom line is all about the money. Do we spend what
some perceive as unrecoverable dollars on forestalling the inevitable, or do we grab at
the “hope” of extending the life of our trees and holding onto some of our precious
treed canopy up to a decade longer, perhaps even saving an ash tree or two?
Some see this as a debate between treehugger and taxpayer, in a city where high taxes
are making life unaffordable. Add your voice and come to a city council meeting that
has the emerald ash borer as an agenda item, talk to the tree board and warden, and
certainly take a proactive role in identifying the presence of borers and managing
infested trees on your properties.

TIF District Approved for Montpelier

C
ity and State officials celebrated a decision by the
Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC)
board to approve Montpelier’s application for a
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district that includes the
Capital City’s core downtown and Barre Street corridor.
The VEPC board voted unanimously on Thursday, August
30 to approve Montpelier’s application, opening the door
for the city to focus on improving infrastructure to support
and encourage private development, including affordable
and market-priced housing, business development and
expansion, and more.
“This TIF will catalyze projects in Montpelier's downtown
and beyond,” said Mayor Anne Watson. “This will be a
helpful tool for bringing new businesses into town and
stimulating development, both of which are needed to
maintain a healthy local economy. This puts us on a
level playing field with other communities that have TIF
districts already.”
“The VEPC Board was impressed with the thorough
application that the City of Montpelier presented and was
pleased to approve their District Plan,” said VEPC Board
Chair Stephan Morse. “The plan focuses on important
economic opportunities in the city’s designated growth area
that would not move forward without the use of the TIF
program.”
The first project proposed under the TIF program is a
348-space city-owned public parking garage to be located
adjacent to the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
on Main Street. If a TIF bond is approved by the city
council on October 3 and Montpelier voters on November
6, that garage would enable the Capitol Plaza owners to
build and own a Hilton-family Hampton Inn and Suites
at that site.
As calculated under the TIF program, the bond would
be repaid by the increased property value from the new
hotel, as well as fees generated by the public garage–
not by Montpelier property taxpayers. In addition, it
is expected that other projects, including affordable
housing being considered at Christ Church on Main
Street, would benefit from the garage.
“Montpelier’s TIF district will strengthen the vitality of
our city,” said Montpelier City Manager William Fraser.
“We have needed projects that have been talked about
for decades that can’t go forward without significant
infrastructure work. Now we can move forward with
some of that work and enable economic development,
affordable housing and other important projects to
proceed.”
PAG E 10 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Living a Car-free Life in Montpelier
by Elizabeth Parker
M
any Montpelier residents are choosing to
become “car-liberated.”
According to the 2016 American
Community Survey, 530 households, or about 15
percent of Montpelier, are car free. They live side by
side with those who rely on one, if not two, single-
occupancy vehicles. As many seek to become more
green and more carbon-neutral, we are learning that
sustainable cities are walkable cities.
How walkable is Montpelier? What is it like to be
car-liberated? Since walking is the primary mode of
transportation, I turned to the app Walk Score to
determine the ease and convenience of walking from
home, with a score of a 100 indicating the easiest and
most optimal walk. Each person interviewed has a
car-liberated (CL) and a Walk Score (WS) number
after their name.
Interestingly, the two retired elders interviewed had the lowest Walk Scores. Maxine (CL
6 years/WS 40) and Harris (CL 3 years/WS 1) live at opposite ends of town. Maxine, at
89 years old, lives on Terrace Street and walks to town on average two times a week and
takes the bus a few times more. She enjoys that she has quality conversations with more
people as a walker. Harris walks into town most days and sometimes twice a day, making
the athletic climb to the top of Main Street. He always walked a lot before he became
car-liberated. Now he appreciates the exercise as a benefit of his choice to walk.
Most of the people interviewed are working professionals. The census reports that 16
percent of Montpelier residents walk to work.
Glen (CL always/WS 74) is rather unique in that he has never owned a car. A former
New York City resident, Glen says his quality of life has improved since he moved to
Montpelier. He has learned, like so many other walkers, to allow extra time, because “you
just don’t know who you will talk to on your walk into work.”
Melissa (CL 13 years/WS 74) contributed the phrase “car-liberated.” She works, works out,
shops, and plays in Montpelier. Melissa is interested in keeping her carbon footprint at a
minimum. Her favorite line is, “It is easier to get to Toronto than it is to get to Plainfield.”
She believes that our local public transportation infrastructure has deteriorated since the
1950s.
Glennie (CL 18 years/WS 90) teaches at Norwich University and travels to Europe often,
all of which he manages without a car. Glennie refers to himself as a visual person and
finds his walks around Montpelier visually interesting. He believes that he has recovered
from two illnesses quicker because he relies on walking to shop and get to work. He has
to keep moving.
During the day, our city’s population soars with
professional commuters, many of whom take a break
at lunch to walk the bike path or saunter through
historic downtown up to the roundabout.
What are the disadvantages of not having a car?
Getting to a doctor and walking in winter are common
themes.
Glennie has a specialist in Williston. If he relied on
public transportation, it would take him all day to
get to his specialist. Melissa has a doctor who moved
to Waterbury. The Green Mountain Transit bus only
goes into Waterbury in the morning and evening.
So each must find a friend who can drive them
to appointments. For Maxine, Harris, and Glennie,
advanced planning is key and getting to appointments
takes approximately an hour or more extra time. Also,
Harris is grateful for the offer of a ride home from a
nighttime event on a snowy night.
For everyone interviewed the advantages of being car-liberated outweigh the disadvantages.
Central Vermont AAA estimates that the average cost of operating a car is $8,469 a year.
So there is a significant economic advantage to not having a car. However, for everyone
interviewed, their quality of life as walkers is the greatest advantage. The act of walking,
viewing the city, and interacting with people in our community enriches their lives.
Montpelier celebrates We Walk Week in October with river and historic walks. During
the year, Harris hosts weekly “Walks with Harris” through the senior center. He has
also organized two pedestrian “scrambles,” where family teams are given clues and then
navigate their way through neighborhoods earning points, having fun, and seeing more
of Montpelier.
The school year has started, which means elementary-aged children with their parents,
and gaggles of middle and high schoolers are making the trek to class, bringing additional
vitality to the sidewalks.
Will these be Montpelier’s “car-liberated” residents of the future? What can the city do to
ensure that they have the opportunity to walk in a sustainable city when they come of age?
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 11
OP-ED Housing is a Transportation Issue
W
hen talking to people about energy issues, most of the conversations revolve
around electricity or heating. Transportation, which represents more than
one third of Vermont’s energy consumption, often gets left out of the
conversation. It’s not usually considered the low-hanging fruit, ripe for change in our
society. Our transportation systems are limited by the models put out by a handful of
manufacturers and the choices we have for public transit in Vermont. I’d like to make
the case, though, that there is one other factor that’s important in the transportation
conversation: housing.
On a personal note, I grew up in Essex, and after I got my master’s degree, lived
with my parents while paying off student loan debt. Even after I got a job teaching
in Montpelier, I commuted from Essex for years. One day, while driving to work in
February, I watched a car go off the road right in front of me. I was fine, although a
little shook up, but I decided then that I could no longer take my life in my hands just
to get to work. I started taking the bus from the Richmond Park & Ride to Montpelier
High School. Eventually even that became too much, and I ended up buying a condo
here in Montpelier.
I grew up with the thirty-minutes-from-everywhere mentality, so common to Vermont
living. I did not want that for my adult life. A walkable, bikeable, very short commute
is one of the reasons I moved to Montpelier.
Montpelier has over 20,000 jobs and less than 8,000 residents. Many more people
commute in than out. It’s no wonder that Montpelier has a seller’s market. If we want
to reduce the carbon footprint of Vermonters, we need make more housing available in
OP-ED Montpelier’s Transportation Future
W
hat is the best use of our downtown?
Is it found in that reality you can
see in the red map showing the
current commitment of our open space to
warehousing commuter cars all day and then
lying empty at night? Or could it be in the
image of the winning entry to the recent
Sustainable Montpelier Design Competition,
where we see dense downtown housing along
with riverfront parks and new commercial
spaces?
For most people this second vision is certainly
desirable, but also abstract. Of course it
would be nice to have a more lively, dense,
and sustainable downtown, but, right now,
that vision simply isn’t possible. Our whole
transportation system is built around the
personal car, and there are few, if any, realistic
alternatives. So, even if we might want people
downtown to live, work, and shop, right now
there simply needs to be all those parking lots. End of story.
Maybe, instead, we need to start rewriting that story’s ending. We know global
warming is happening faster as the carbon cost of our transportation system grows.
We need to address the cost of the car on all our lives sooner than later. And we can
do it, if we get together and start creating the transportation options needed for a more
secure and sustainable future.
Right now, we basically have one transportation option: the personal car, and maybe
the local bus service provided by Green Mountain Transit. There are a couple of
cabs and rumors of an Uber driver, but he gets up late. Other than the very popular
LINK Express to Burlington, most of the other options are not considered desirable or
affordable. The current choices are also revenue sinks, that is, all cost while providing
no tax benefit to the city. Since that is the picture in people’s minds about alternative
transport, the prevailing belief is that there will be no demand for any kind of new
services.
Let’s change the conversation. What if we could agree to work together to make new
parts of the local system that would be more convenient and desirable?
Right now the Sustainable Montpelier Coalition (SMC) is organizing an effort to
explore attractive alternatives that could be developed more rapidly than the plodding
pace offered by government services. Government can adequately maintain the
commons but is stretched to innovate or develop. That is the role was once delegated
by Anne Watson
community centers. Beyond providing alternative transportation, reducing the need for
regular long commutes is key for reducing our collective carbon footprint.
During my campaign for mayor I talked a lot about how 30 percent of Montpelier
residents are paying more than 30 percent of their incomes toward their housing. If you
include transportation in that calculation, it becomes even more shocking.
According to the H+T Affordability Index (htaindex.cnt.org/map), the “typical”
Montpelier household spends between 41 and 53 percent of their income on the
combination of housing and transportation. To put that in perspective, though,
according to the same site, Montpelier fares much better than more remote parts of
Vermont. In some locations the “typical” household spends 70 percent of their income
on the combination of housing and transportation. One way to think of this is that
transportation is a hidden cost built into housing costs. It also works the other way
around. The proximity of housing to community centers is a critical element of any
transportation system. Public transportation systems are trickier to set up and less cost
effective when the distribution of houses is more spread out.
Consider that our zoning choices (density, height limitations, etc.) all have transportation
and therefore climate impacts. This is one of the reasons I’m excited about the recent
approval of the tax increment financing (TIF) district. It will open up possibilities for
more housing and development in our community where the possibility didn’t exist
before. More people will be able to live in Montpelier, closer to work, reducing the
impact of Vermonters’ transportation on the climate.
Anne Watson is the mayor of Montpelier
by Dan Jones
to business entrepreneurs. However, our
non-governmental entity, the SMC, intends
to be the social entrepreneur and help
catalyze new services and developments. The
SMC understands the need for new forms
of finance, sustainability, and security that
need to be embedded in any effort that is
going to weather the coming climate and
economic storms.
We envision at least two kinds of
transportation options that could provide
the conveniences we hope for at a price that
is substantially lower than the $9,000 per
year the American Automobile Association
says that it takes to keep a car on the road
in Vermont, One concept is called “micro-
transit,” and it operates on an Uber-type
system that provides shared local rides to
work and all the stuff you do in town
every day. This service would eventually be
provided with electric microbuses. Such services already exists in other place, so should
we want to see it developed here, we will only have to figure out how to finance and
operate it locally.
Another obvious choice is the train. We all know there is a train track through the
middle of town, and occasionally we are stalled in front of Shaw’s supermarket waiting
for the passage of a granite train. On that track, however, we could imagine a well-
run commuter train between Barre, Berlin, and Montpelier. The city is hoping for a
planning grant for such a service but in a 10-year time horizon. We should be looking
at a much faster commitment.
An interim development that can help move the transition along is the creation of
satellite parking lots on the periphery of the city served by a GMT shuttle. There are
a lot of built-in problems with the amount of time people will wait for a shuttle, but
at least something is starting.
Next month we will be convening our next transportation round table to help get
things moving on the real alternatives in a time frame that can make a difference to
our near-term sustainability. If we can make this work, we can start building a much
closer future where those downtown parking craters are no longer needed because our
smart citizens are discovering more efficient and cheaper ways of getting around.
Dan Jones is executive director of the Sustainable Montpelier Coalition.
PAG E 12 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

New Exhibition at the Highland Center for the Arts Goes

“In Search of Old-Time Vermonters”
I
n partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center, Highland Center for the Arts family, community, and tradition. The light in the mountains cannot be extinguished.
presents Driving the Back Roads: In Search of Old-Time Vermonters in The Gallery, It’s been lit too long.”
beginning September 21. Driving the Back Roads: In Search of Old-Time Vermonters runs from September 21
This retrospective of photographer Ethan Hubbard’s time in north central Vermont through December 2. For more information, visit highlandartsvt.org
showcases more than 40 of Hubbard’s large-format black and white photographic
portraits—pulled from some 600 rolls of film that he shot across five decades. Audio
excerpts from 125 of Hubbard’s tape recordings and interviews are available as well—
in some instances paired with a portrait of the speaker, while others play as ambient
sounds filling gallery spaces with thick accents, laughter, and at times, gentle, intimate
conversations.
In barns and fields, from forest walks to kitchen tables, Hubbard’s photographic
portraits and audio recordings transport the viewer to rural Vermont and to the
moments he shared with the people he met there.
Hubbard as documentarian is not an objective observer. His colorful storytelling gives
us personality and relationship in place of objectivity. As a result, Hubbard gives us
perhaps a more honest picture of these people through the unapologetic vantage of his
direct experiences among them.
“I love Vermont’s past, I love Vermont at the present, and I look forward to what
the future brings to us here in these Green Mountains,” writes Hubbard. “There are
generations of Vermonters still to come and they carry the seeds of what matters most:

Romeo Beaudry, by Ethan Hubbard. Photograph is part of the exhibit

“In Search of Old-Time Vermonters”
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 13

Will Climate Refugees Be Heading to Vermont in the Future?

Continued from Page 1

“We also need to prepare for longer term changes,” Pearson said. “I don’t know the
scale or timeline, but scientists suggest the state needs to recognize this will all be
happening in the next 50 years.” Pearson thinks that protecting agricultural land to
provide more local food, protecting forest blocks and wildlife corridors, and improving
decision-making around locating housing are important goals for the state.
Steve Crowley of South Burlington, Energy Chair of the Sierra Club’s Vermont chapter,
has been thinking about the subject of climate-driven migration as a member of the
national Sierra Club’s Climate Adaptation Task Force. The task force plans to submit
an internal report this winter.
Crowley said climate-related change such as higher sea levels, changes to agriculture
and fisheries, and changes to food security pose serious challenges. He also said that
people with material resources will be able to adapt most easily to climate-caused
changes and is concerned that poorer people will be more at risk.
One example of the risk to those without means can be found in Philadelphia,
according to an August 14 article in The Guardian, which said that older, lower-income
housing in that city tends to have poor air circulation and no air conditioning. In
recent years, Philadelphia, along with Baltimore, has led the nation in summer heat-
related deaths. In 2000, Philadelphia had 50 days a year over 90 degrees, but if trends
continue, in 30 years Philadelphia will experience 100 days a year above 90 degrees,
according to the article.
Crowley said some farmland in the Midwest is becoming too dry to grow crops, and
the Southwest has been experiencing a drought. “California grows a huge amount
of our food, and it is drying out there too,” he added. “They get water from their
snowpack, and the snowpack has been dwindling.”
Will all these changes cause some people to choose to move to Vermont, where we
may experience droughts at some times but should still have more water resources
than most? “It is a pretty good guess that people will move north for cooler weather,”
Crowley said. “If we have more people, we will need places for them to live but also
need to grow more food. How will we balance that and where will people live?”
Crowley advocates building more densely packed housing in the future and “preserving
all the agricultural land that we can.”
Governor Phil Scott said a year ago that he thought an influx of new people due
to climate change could be good for the Vermont economy, but not everyone is
excited about the prospect of a higher population. Bob Fireovid is executive director
of the advocacy group Better (not bigger) Vermont, which believes that the human
population in a region should not exceed the limits of the renewable resources in that
area. Vermont is already exceeding those limits, the group believes.
“I understand the issue, and we want to be compassionate, but if we import 95 percent
of our food now, the idea of being able to feed more people will be difficult without
wholesale changes,” Fireovid said. “Another consideration is that people moving here
would have to make a living. What kind of jobs would be available? We could have a
boom in real estate construction, but that is a temporary thing and not a long-term fix.”
Many of those interviewed for this article agreed that the exact nature of climate
change and its effects on Vermont and the rest of the world are still not entirely certain.
For example, perhaps Vermont’s ability to grow crops, while helped by a longer growing
season, will be hurt by more summer droughts.
The Vermont State Climatologist, Lesley-Ann L. Dupigny-Giroux, a professor of
geography at UVM, said droughts are a risk: “As climates continue to change, climate
variability continues to be important. No region escapes natural hazards of one sort or
another. This means that even in places like Vermont, which traditionally receive an
abundance of precipitation throughout the year, droughts of all kinds will continue to
occur, as we have seen most recently in 2016 and again this year.”
“Even in traditionally wet climates such as ours, particularly lengthy and intense
droughts are also characterized by associated hazards, such as very high daytime
temperatures and wildfires. Thus, the exact nature of the migration of climate refugees
is likely to change as the regional attractiveness changes over time,” she said.
While climate change is expected to bring Vermont warmer and wetter winters, along
with hotter and drier summers, there are possible variations that could make the state
less inviting to newcomers.
According to Roger Hill, the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland could dump
enough fresh water into the Atlantic to disrupt ocean currents, including the Gulf
Stream that brings warmer temperatures up the coast. One possibility, he said, is that
climate change could at some point lead to colder water in the North Atlantic, and thus
colder winter temperatures in eastern Canada and northern New England.
In other words, don’t give away your sweaters and parkas just yet.

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PAG E 14 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Abridged Vermont: Brattleboro by Mike Dunphy

B
efore becoming editor in chief of The Bridge, I spent more than 10 years in the travel
and tourism industry. I continue to do so on the side, and, indeed, I have just completed
updating the Fodor’s Travel Guide for Vermont. This meant poking around the entire
state for the best restaurants, pubs, hotels, attractions, and activities.
Readers of The Bridge benefit, too. Once a month, Abridged Vermont will highlight what’s the
buzz in one Vermont town or city in hopes of inspiring some weekend getaways. In some cases, the
experiences are sponsored by the venues, but I have selected according to quality and appeal only.

-See-
Grafton Village Cheese Company
This vaunted Vermont cheese company may still maintain a small foothold in its tiny
namesake village, but it now welcomes guests exclusively at the visitors’ center and
production facility in Brattleboro, next to Retreat Petting Farm, just outside of downtown.
The 2,500-square-foot barn-like building opens immediately to the shop and deli, with
enough tasting stations of cheese, dips, salsa, and chutney among a maze of Vermont
artisanal products to make a full meal. Follow the stairs up to the back to a raised viewing
area and watch the cheddar production through large windows, as well as a video explaining
the cheese-making process.
If you are feeling caloric guilt afterwards, find the Timber Lane trailhead off Linden
Street, about a five-minute walk away, and follow the climb to the spooky Retreat Tower,
built in 1887 by patients of the asylum across the street. Rather than enjoying the vistas of
Brattleboro from the top, many leapt to their deaths, causing the tower to be closed to the
public indefinitely and yielding no small number of ghost stories and goosebumps.
400 Linden St. (Rte. 30), (802) 246-2221, graftonvillagecheese.com This year’s fall schedule brings more than 20 one- and multi-day workshops, covering
subjects like pastel farmscapes, plein air landscape painting, screen printing, botanical
printmaking, expressive figure painting, classical oil painting, charcoal drawing, monotype
-Play- and drypoint printmaking, encaustics, paper lithography, glass-bead making, walnut ink
River Gallery School (make and draw with it), and mosaics. The cost of workshops ranges from $20 to $280 each.
For more than 40 years, the River Gallery School has been inspiring and channeling 32 Main St., (802) 257-1577, rivergalleryschool.org
Brattleboro’s prodigious creative spirit with art workshops in a wide range of disciplines and
media. No previous experience is ever required, and all ages are welcome. Plus, the actual -Eat-
product is less important than the embrace and nurture of your own creative process and
expression. Inspiration is easy to find, too, in the views of the river and mountains out the Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery
windows, the work of classmates, and instruction by professional, working, and even world- Perched over the west bank of the Connecticut River in downtown Brattleboro, the
renowned, artists such as Leigh Niland. Whetstone may claim the best dining room view in the state, particularly from the open-air
roof terrace and balcony wrapping around the side. The 1920 Pennsylvania truss-style steel
bridge stretching across the river just below to the forested banks on the New Hampshire
side adds the visual cherry on top.
The on-site “nano-brewery” makes pretty darn good IPAs, double IPAs, stouts, and amber
ales, too. They marry well with a menu of “sharezies” such as poutine and wings, as well
as burgers, brisket, and bangers. It’s an impressive combination, so much so that in March
2018, Whetstone was dubbed the best beer bar in Vermont in the annual Great American
Beer Bars competition conducted by CraftBeer.com, the Brewers Association’s website for
beer lovers.
36 Bridge St., (802) 490-2354, whetstonestation.com

-Dream-
Inn on Putney Road
This 1930 French manse, originally built for the superintendent of the Vermont Asylum
for the Insane—now called The Brattleboro Retreat—hosts Brattleboro’s most elegant and
coziest accommodation. Upstairs are six guest rooms, including one suite, that charmingly
straddle tradition and modernity, with old world tiling, flooring, and furnishings, but the
sugary frills (doilies included) replaced by artsy, boutique flourishes by owners John and
Cindy Becker, who took the reins of the inn in June 2016. A mini-fridge and basket in each
room includes a decent range of drinks and snacks free of charge, which is a nice change
from the usual price-gouging minibars.
Downstairs, a sun-drenched breakfast room dispenses free cookies, coffee, and tea all day,
while the adjacent living room combines a
wood fireplace, plush leather sofas, and a
billiard table. But it’s the surprisingly large
backyard that deserves some time if the
weather permits. Around a central fountain
are bright flower beds, a fire pit, white gazebo,
a massive Japanese maple tree, and pottery
by Stephen Procter. The superintendent’s
original path to the asylum now meanders
along the river and connects to the larger
trail circuit.
192 Putney Rd., (802) 536-4780,
vermontbandbinn.com
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 15

The Fantastic Voyage Home: Michael Arnowitt Returns to

Barre Opera House by Michelle A.L. Singer

C entral Vermont’s favorite classical pianist completes a

“Fantastic Voyage” home this month.
Michael Arnowitt, a 30-year Montpelier resident before
moving to Toronto in 2017, returns to the Barre Opera
House stage September 15 in a performance to open the
Capital City Concerts series.
The 7:30 pm concert, which is also part of the Vermont Arts
Council’s Vermont Arts 2018 program, marks Arnowitt’s
first major performance since relocating to Toronto, a city
in which, despite its size, he is still able to find similarities
to Montpelier.
“Toronto is a city of three or four million people,” he says,
“certainly different than Montpelier, but I picked a few
neighborhoods that had elements of Montpelier so it was
not as much of a culture shock. I looked at places that
had small businesses, restaurants that are not chains, an
interest in organic food, initiatives that play into the zero
waste movement, and grassroots things that remind me of
Vermont. I was pleased to find I hadn’t necessarily given
up things about living in a smaller-town environment by
moving away.”
Arnowitt said he tried to pull together the common elements
of storytelling, imagination, and fantasy for his “Fantastic
Voyage” program. The concert opens with Schumann’s
Fantasiestücke (or “Fantasy Pieces)” Op. 12.
“He took the title from a set of stories written by one of
his favorite authors of the time, E.T.A. Hoffmann,” says
Arnowitt. “This was the early Romantic period, so the
stories had some fantastic elements to them and larger-than-
life characters. A lot of them touched upon music, the arts,
and poetry.”
The concert will also include a major piece by Chopin, “Ballade in F minor,” which Arnowitt
comes back to every 10 or 15 years. Chopin wrote four ballads in his lifetime, and, Arnowitt
says, “This is the last one, so it’s a very mature work that really paints an epic story on a big
canvas. They say about great masterpieces in music that you can come back to them again
and again and keep finding something marvelous and new, and that’s the way it’s been for me
for this piece for sure,” he said.
To close the program, Arnowitt will perform Lowell Liebermann’s Gargoyles, which, Arnowitt
says, “will put the grand piano at the Barre Opera House to good use.” Arnowitt has reason
to know. He was on the original committee that picked out the piano in the late 1980s. “We
traipsed down to New York City,” he remembers, “to the Steinway factory. They present you
with four mammoth concert grand pianos, and you try the same piece on different pianos,
you try different pieces on the same piano, you listen to other pianists play it. We took a
secret vote and all voted for the same piano. It’s a great piano,
and I definitely have quite a few pieces that showcase all 88
keys—the range of the piano.”
Arnowitt’s concert will be enjoyed by a community that has
a special fondness for him, says Susan Bettmann, director
of the 2004 Goldstone Award-winning documentary film
about him entitled Beyond 88 Keys, the Music of Michael
Arnowitt.
“He’s had a really good, responsive audience here in the
Montpelier area especially, and throughout Vermont,”
Bettmann said. “He always puts a lot of thought into
programming, and his way of looking at musical programming
is unique and inventive and really fascinating. It will be nice
to have him back here and see what he’s come up with.”
Part of Arnowitt’s visit to Montpelier will be an outreach
program at Montpelier High School. He will be working
with Kerrin McCadden’s creative writing poetry class,
playing musical excerpts and talking about literary references
in music.
“I’m excited for my students to learn about how the arts can
‘talk’ to each other—where inspiration comes from, and how
to tap into our deep imagination,” says McCadden.
Arnowitt is also promoting his new two-disc album entitled
Sweet Spontaneous, a survey of 14 of his jazz compositions.
Just released in July, it is available at Buch Spieler Records in
Montpelier and will be for sale at the concert.
“I think it’s a really colorful recording,” he says. “There are
five to nine instruments tailored to each song. Hopefully, it
shows the creative ideas I’ve come up with in jazz. Some of
the songs might be compositions people in Montpelier have
heard me play over the last 10 years. Some are brand new, but they’re all going to sound
different because they’ve been arranged for the particular instruments. I’m pleased with it and
hope my home base of Montpelier will check it out.”
For more information about the concert and to charge tickets ($15–$25 each or subscription
tickets— four concerts for $85) go to capitalcityconcerts.org. Tickets may also be purchased (cash or
check only) in person at Bear Pond Books, Montpelier.
“Michael has earned the top spot in the hearts of our Central Vermont audience
for good reason. He is a born pianist with compelling musical convictions,
formidable technique, and the remarkable ability to communicate with the
audience. Time after time he has woven his community building with social
justice, artistry, and imagination by producing concerts with a cause. He is
a hero and a treasure.”
Karen Kevra

“The first time I realized how incredible he was, was when I saw him
conduct Bach’s “Mass in B minor” with no music in front of him. It
was like, ‘How can he remember all that? And how does he get such a
profound experience from the orchestra and the chorus?’”
Sandy Morningstar

“Michael and I did political work together in the ’80s and ’90s. He was
instrumental in getting recycling going in the Central Vermont area, but he
was also very involved in anti-war work when the United States was going to
war against Iraq in the early ’90s. It’s wonderful that he’s coming back to what
I would call his home community, that loves him and has supported his career
since he began, to both enjoy his music but also to see Michael.”
Joseph Gainza

“I was Michael’s faculty advisor in 1984 at Goddard when he was doing

his last semester there. He was very interested in ecology. He was a very
thoughtful, very searching person, and was sincere about social change
and living within our ecological means.”
Sara Norton
PAG E 16 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Playing Dr. Ruth by Maura O’Brien

Photos courtesy of John Snell and Mike Furey

O
n September 6, Lost Nation Theater premiers Becoming Dr. Ruth, about the life
and times of Dr Ruth Westheimer, America’s most famous sex therapist. Playing the
iconic role is Maura O’Brien.
Taking on the role of Dr. Ruth has been the greatest challenge of my career and the
greatest pleasure. I remember hearing her on the radio in the ’80s. This German-Jewish
woman talking about sex in the most outrageous ways. At that time, no one was doing
that. Dr. Ruth was breaking new ground.
In researching this role, I was stunned to learn the details of her life and the obstacles
and challenges she overcame. She was born Karola Ruth Seigel in Germany in 1928
and sent at the age of 10 to Switzerland as part of the Kindertransport to escape Hitler
and the Nazis. Her entire family was killed, leaving her orphaned.
At 17, she moved to Palestine and was there for the birth of modern day Israel in 1948.
She joined the Haganah, the Jewish underground army, became a sniper, and was
almost killed in a bombing. She eventually married, moved to Paris, divorced, and York, which led to a 15-minute radio show. The popularity of that show catapulted her
finally immigrated to the United States (NYC) where she still lives today. She’s been into the public eye, as did newspaper articles, guest appearances, a TV show, and more
married three times. Her third marriage, to the love of her life, Manfred Westheimer, than 40 books.
lasted 36 years until his death in 1997. She has two children and four grandchildren. In playing Dr. Ruth, I agreed with Kathleen Keenan (the show’s director and
Education was very important to Dr. Ruth, and she got her master’s in sociology and producing director of Lost Nation Theater) that this was not about imitating her but
her doctorate in education. A part-time job at Planned Parenthood started her on the rather portraying our interpretation of her. I spent time researching the historical events
journey of focusing on sex education. She eventually trained to be a sex therapist and she lived through to understand what it was like to live in that time. I read several of
volunteered to speak to the community affairs managers of all the radio stations in New Dr. Ruth’s autobiographical books and watched many clips of her shows and interviews
she has given over the decades.
She is such an inspiration! She not only survived tremendous traumas but has thrived.
She exudes and embodies joie de vivre and is passionate about educating people
around relationships and good sex. I hope audiences will leave the theater with a better
appreciation of her accomplishments and indomitable spirit.
Becoming Dr. Ruth runs Sept 6‒16 at Montpelier City Hall; tickets: $10‒$30
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 17
Community Events
Events happening
September 6–22
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Open Ears at Bagitos. Join Montpelier city
councilor Glen Coburn Hutcheson to talk
about the city or anything else. 8:30–9:30 am.
Bagitos, 28 Main St., Montpelier. ghutcheson@
montpelier-vt.org, 839-5349.
Falls Prevention Awareness and Stay Steady
Kick-off for State. “Are You Ready to be
Steady?” Tai chi demo, individual screenings
by the Falls Free Vermont Coalition. Remarks
by MSAC director and Maggie Holt, a physical
therapist with UVM Medical Center. 1–3 pm.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Face the River presentation. The Vermont River
Conservancy is championing a new approach
where we Face the River and restore a healthy
connection between city and town residents and
their rivers. VRC will reflect on the role of rivers in
Montpelier’s history and discuss current projects
and opportunities. 7:00–8:30 pm. North Branch
Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
William Alexander “Festival of Ghosts.” An
Art Walk event. Book signing and reading of
Alexander’s newest middle grade novel. Book
signing 5–6 pm; reading and cupcakes 6–7 pm.
Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. bearpondbooks.com
Bethel First Friday Flicks - Free Family Movie.
Bring a blanket or beanbag if you want to
get comfy (regular chairs available, too). Visit
website or Facebook for each month’s movie.
6:30–8:30 pm. Bethel Town Hall, 134 S. Main
St., Bethel. Donations accepted. bri-vt.org/events
Plainfield Old Home Day: Variety Show. 7 pm.
Plainfield Town Hall and Opera House, Rt. 2,
Plainfield.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Friends of the Winooski River 20th Annual
River Cleanup. Volunteers needed to help
remove trash from local rivers. 8:30–11:30 am.
Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St., Montpelier.
winooskiriver.org. 371-8988
Capital City Farmers' Market. Market
vendors, music, and events. 9 am–1 pm. State
St., Montpelier.montpelierfarmersmarket.com
BA/MA Psychology & Counseling Visiting
Day. 9 am. Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Rd.,
Plainfield. Goddard.edu.
Plainfield Old Home Day: Parade. 11 am.
Followed by BBQ, music, live town photo
“Stand in the Place Where You Live,” games,
and fun for all at the recreation field. Plainfield
Village.
Calendar of Events
Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice. A picnic
and community conversation about the
climate crisis. 11 am–1 pm. State House lawn,
Montpelier.
Fall Forest Storytime. Ian Gauthier will tell
some stories and read an autumnal book about
forest animals getting ready for winter. Forest/
wildlife songs and activities for preschoolers and
their parents. Dress for weather conditions. 1
pm. Meet at the Barre Town Forest parking lot
kiosk, 44 Brook St., Websterville. 476-7550
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Youth Activist Summit. 10 am–5 pm. Barre
Civic Center, Barre.
Shape Note Singing. A participatory a capella
singing form that originated in New England
225 years ago. Anyone is welcome, regardless of
singing experience. 2–5 pm. Christ Church,
64 State St., Montpelier.
Eat Up on The Green at Camp Meade. Weekly
community event series. 4–9 pm. 961 Rt. 2,
Middlesex.
Rosh Hashanah at Beth Jacob Synagogue.
7 pm. 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
bethjacobvt.org
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Rosh Hashanah at Beth Jacob Synagogue.
9 am. 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
bethjacobvt.org
Exploring the Psyche: A Thematic Seminar
with Peter Burmeister, M.A. This course will
conduct a broad survey of the contributions
made by Freud and those who followed him.
6:30–8:00 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. Pre-registration required
by calling 223-3338.
Humanist Service at Beth Jacob Synagogue.
7 pm. 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
bethjacobvt.org
Mad River Chorale Rehearsal. Rehearsal for
the holiday concerts on Dec. 8 and 9. New
singers welcome. 7:30 pm. Harwood Union
High School chorus room. madriverchorale.net.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Rosh Hashanah at Beth Jacob Synagogue.
9 am. 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
bethjacobvt.org
Rising Vermont Voices: Women Writers
Showcase. Chris Bohjalian hosts this showcase
of up-and-coming women writers: Melanie Finn
(The Underneath), Sarah Healy (The Sisters
Chase), Maria Hummel (Still Lives), and Robin
MacArthur (Heart Spring Mountain). 7 pm.
Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier.
bearpondbooks.com
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Margaret Pratt Community Job Fair. Looking
for kind-hearted and professional staff with
a deep commitment to serving the senior
community to join their team. 5–7 pm. Lake
Morey Resort, 82 Clubhouse Rd., Fairlee.
Bereavement and Grief Equine Support
Group Begins. For those who are having a
Performing Arts
hard time in the grieving process, sometimes THEATER, DANCE,
interaction with a horse can help where other
interventions have fallen short. A seven-week
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
Sept. 6–16: Becoming Doctor Ruth at
support group program will meet once a week
Lost Nation Theater. Mark St. Germain’s
for an hour. 6:30–7:30 pm. Rhythm of the
comedy-drama shares the inspirational
Rein Therapeutic Riding and Driving Program,
life of the woman who became famous,
Water Tower Farm, 386 Rt. 2, Marshfield. Free.
grandmotherly sex therapist Dr. Ruth
Register: 426 3781.
Westheimer. Filled with the humor, honesty,
Stone Masonry in the Italian Alps. Thea and life-affirming spirit of Karola Ruth
Alvin and Mac Rood of Yestermorrow Design/ Siegel. Thurs.–Sat., 7:30 pm; Sun., 2 pm.
Build School will take the audience on a visual City Hall Arts Center, Main St., Montpelier.
journey showing the people-powered restoration $15–30. Discounts for students and seniors.
and reconstruction of 16th and 17th century 229-0492. lostnationtheater.org
stone walls, roofs, and vaults in the mountains
Sept. 16: LGBTQLOL Queer Comedy
of Italy. 7 pm. The Savoy Theater, 26 Main St.,
Showcase. A raucous night of laughs hosted
Montpelier. Free.
by Kendall Farrell featuring some of the
Biodiversity University: Fall Warblers – Northeast’s funniest and queerest comedians.
Presentation. With a little guidance and With Veronica Garza, Kathleen Kanz,
practice, you’ll be able to identify most of the fall Rachel Gendron, Suzan Ambrose, Jonah
warblers you see. In this presentation, we will lift Cipolla, and more. 7 pm. Sweet Melissa’s,
the veil of mystery surrounding those “confusing
4 Langdon St., Montpelier. $5-10 suggested
fall warblers,” especially those seldom-seen fall
donation. Reserve tickets: gbtqlolmontp.
migrants. 7:00–8:30 pm. North Branch Nature
eventbrite.com
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. By donation.
Defending Our Democracy: A Conversation
About Election Security with Secretary
of State Jim Condos. Secretary Condos will
discuss the protections Vermont has in place to
secure the integrity of our elections, and what
Send your event
states need from Congress to secure future listing to calendar@
elections. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338 montpelierbridge.com.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Deadline for print in
Open Ears at Bagitos.. See description under
September 6. the next issue
Cutler Memorial Library Expansion Design is Sept. 14.
Kick-Off and Celebration. Community members
can meet the library director and trustees and the
architects who will be working with us to design
our addition. 5:00–6:30 pm. Cutler Memorial
Library, 151 High St, Plainfield.
Authors Reading & Book Signing: Baron
Wormser and Elizabeth Garber. Baron
Wormser, author of Legends of Slow Explosion:
Eleven Modern Lives and Elizabeth Garber
author of Implosion: A Memoir of an Architect’s
Daughter. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
PAG E 18 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Calendar of Events
Visual Arts
Through Sept. 27: Possibilitarian Uprising: Sept. 7–Oct. 7: Backstory—Art at the Kent. Through Nov. 30: Carole Naquin Exhibition.
Post-Apocalypse for ¾ Empire. Peter Backstory is about the artist’s history as well Soft pastel paintings that capture the energy of
Schumann’s woodcuts. Exhibition of woodcuts as of the materials used. Kent Museum, 7 Old sky, river, and field. Meet the artist during Art
on cloth banners, inspired by Albrecht West Church Rd., Calais. kentscorner.org Walk, Sept. 7. Artisans Hand Gallery, Main St.
EXHIBITS Durer’s (1471-1528) engravings depicting Through Oct. 20: Exposed. Outdoor sculpture Montpelier
Through Sept. 8: Reclamation. Contemporary the Apocalypse as envisioned in the Book of
figurative women artists painting women from Revelation. Goddard College Art Gallery,
exhibition. Helen Day Art Center, Pond St.,
Stowe. helenday.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS
their perspective, reclaiming and transforming Pratt Center, 123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield. Sept. 6: Artist Talk with Margaret Bowland.
the way women are portrayed. Helen Day Art artcommittee@goddard.edu. 322-1604 Through Oct. 26: An Artists Journey. A Artist Margaret Bowland, whose work is
Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. helenday.com Warren Kimble exhibit. More than 50 years featured in the Reclamation exhibition, will
Through Sept. 28: Social Justice Art Exhibit. of Kimble’s experience as a fine artist, educator deliver an artist talk at Helen Day Art Center,
Through Sept. 9: Eric AHO: A Thousand Social justice-themed work by Jerry Ralya. and antiques collector. Opening reception: 90 Pond St., Stowe. Donations welcome.
Acres. Paintings that evoke a sense of place Quimby Gallery at Northern Vermont Sept. 7, 5–8 pm; art talk by Kimble at 6 pm. helenday.com
rather than a specific place. Highland Center for University-Lyndon. 626-6487. jerryralya.com. T. W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
the Arts, Greensboro. Sept. 7: Montpelier Art Walk. Artwork
Through Sept. 28: Maggie Neale. 28 abstract 262-6035 gcallan@twwoodgallery.org
will be showcased at a number of Montpelier
Through Sept. 13: Soul Inscribed: The Art of oil paintings using color, form and texture to twwoodgallery.org
businesses. 4–8 pm. Downtown Montpelier.
Yako 440 and Baba Israel. Multimedia graffiti express the inner dance of the subconscious. Through Oct. 30: Sumi-e Meditations. montpelieralive.org
art and hip-hop music. Graffiti-based paintings, Art Walk reception, Sept. 7. City Center, Oriental brush paintings by Ronda Stoll.
stencils and music videos. Artist talk: Sept. Montpelier. Sept. 7: Steel and Wood at Axel’s Gallery
The Morrisville Post Office, 16 Portland St.,
13, 3–5 pm. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery at and Frame Shop. Meet the three craftsmen
Through Sept. 28: Northern Vermont Art Morrisville. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org
Northern Vermont University-Johnson. 635- of the Underpass Cooperative. See how the
Association Exhibition. Reception: Sept. 7, Through Oct. 31: Abstract within the Square. collaboration of steel and wood make for an
1469 5–8 pm. T. W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St., Paintings by Maggie Neale. Jaquith Library, intimate and contemporary pair. 6–8 pm.
Through Sept. 26: Oil Paint & Black Walnut: Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery@gmail. Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield. 5 Stowe St., Waterbury.
Abstracts, Works on Paper. Dian Parker’s com. twwoodgallery.org
exhibit features abstract oil paintings on canvas, Through Sept. 30: James Peterson, Through Nov. 3: Familiars: Valerie Hammond Sept. 14: Art and Author Night. Artist
as well as mixed media works on black walnut and Kiki Smith. This exhibition demonstrates reception and author reading. “Abstract Within
Dreamcatcher. Large-scale interactive the uniqueness, as well as the intersections, of
stained paper. Zollikofer Gallery at Hotel the Square” are paintings by Maggie Neale.
installation that was inspired by the magical the printmaking practices that Hammond and “Narrative Songs, Musical Sculpture” is the talk
Coolidge, 39 S. Main St., White River Junction ice caves of Kamchatka in Siberia. The grounds
Smith have developed over the last 20 years. by Delia Robinson. 6–8 pm. Jaquith Library,
Through Sept. 27: Nick DeFriez, Hillsides and of Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 122 Opening reception: Sept. 21, 5–7 pm. Helen School St., Marshfield.
Hexagons. Paintings. Governor’s Gallery, 109 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. helenday.com Day Art Center Main Gallery, 90 Pond St.,
State St., Montpelier. Photo ID required for Through Sept. 30: Show 27 at The Front. Stowe. mail@helenday.com
entry. The collective gallery’s latest show. Now open Through Nov. 9: Mountains, Mesas, and
Send your event
Through Sept. 27: Harry A. Rich, The weekends: Fri., 4–7 pm; Sat.–Sun., 11 am–5 pm. Monoliths: Gold-toned Brownprints of Zion listing to calendar@
Vermont Years, So Far… Large-scale acrylic- 6 Barre St., Montpelier. thefrontvt.com
on-canvas paintings. Vermont Supreme Court
Canyon by Matt Larson. 18 framed, smaller-scaled montpelierbridge.com.
Through Sept. 30: Anita Zotkina. Reception: gold-toned brownprints and 8 large-scale, unframed
Gallery, 111 State St., Montpelier. Sept. 7, 4–8 pm. The Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., gold-toned brownprints of Zion Canyon, Utah. Deadline for print in
Montpelier. 223-1981. cheshirecatclothing.com. Morse Block Deli, 260 N. Main St., Barre. the next issue is Sept. 14.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Sept. 14: Art and Author Night. Artist
reception and author reading. “Abstract Within
the Square” are paintings by Maggie Neale.
“Narrative Songs, Musical Sculpture” is an
illustrated musical talk about the creation of a
new book by Delia Robinson. 6–8 pm. Jaquith
Library, School St., Marshfield.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Biodiversity University: Fall Warblers - Field
Trip in Central Vermont. Taking the tools we
developed during the presentation earlier in the
week, we will spend the morning at NBNC and
nearby locations looking for warblers and other
fall migrants. 7–11 am. North Branch Nature
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier.
Capital City Farmers' Market. See description
under September 8.
Elm Street Cemetary Clean-up. Help clean
344 graves in this beautiful small cemetery. 11
am–5 pm. 207 Elm St., Montpelier. Find event
on Facebook.
Morefest. Free community event featuring a
car show, kids games, live music, vendors, and
fireworks. 2–8 pm. 1040 Rt. 100B, Moretown.
917-3038
Down Home's 3rd Birthday Party. Come
celebrate with live swing music, cake, creemees,
and games. Plus an art sale benefiting ACLU.
4–9 pm. Down Home Kitchen, 100 Main St.,
Montpelier. 225-6665
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
WORDS OUT LOUD. This annual reading
series accompanies the Art at the Kent exhibit
“Backstory” at the Kent Museum. Readings by
Burr Morse and Angela Patten. 3 pm. Old West
Church, 758 Old West Church Rd., Calais. Free;
donations welcome. thekentmuseum@gmail.com
Eat Up on The Green at Camp Meade. See
description under September 9.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
SciFi+ Book Club hosts author Brett Cox:
“The End of All Our Exploring.” Join author
F. Brett Cox or a reading and discussion of his
new collection of short stories. 6:30 pm. Bear
Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
bearpondbooks.com
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Three Penny Taproom Benefit for Goddard
College. Come see your fellow Goddard
College staff, alumni, faculty, and community.
11 am. Three Penny Taproom, 108 Main St.,
Montpelier. 322-1601. dustin.byerly@goddard.
edu
Yom Kippur at Beth Jacob Synagogue. 6:15
pm. 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.
org
Author Reading with Rick Winston, Red Scare
in the Green Mountains. Winston has been
researching this fascinating story, which features
two outspoken newspaper editors, a Tibetan
Buddhist dignitary, a local self-described “Red
Hunter,” two actual Communists from out of
state, and two well-traveled, prolific authors who
were summer residents of Bethel—the Far East
expert Owen Lattimore, and the Arctic explorer
Vilhjalmur Stefansson. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Flu Clinic with CVHHH. Montpelier Senior
Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Yom Kippur at Beth Jacob Synagogue. 9 am.
10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.org
Monarch Tagging and Natural History. Join
NBNC educators and naturalists as we search
for monarch butterflies around the nature center.
3:30–5:30 pm. North Branch Nature Center,
713 Elm St., Montpelier. By donation.
Mid-Week Movie: Faces Places. 7 pm.
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
St., Greensboro. $5 suggested donation.
highlandartsvt.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Open Ears at Bagitos.. See description under
September 6
Central Vermont Climate Action Monthly
Meeting. Take action for climate justice locally.
Node group of 350Vermont meets every third
Sunday. 7:00–8:30 pm. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier.
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Live Music
VENUES
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Tues.: Karaoke with DJ Vociferious
9:30 pm
Sept. 7: John Smyth (acoustic) 6 pm;
Starline Rhythm Boys (honky-tonk) 9 pm
Sept. 8: Heavy Nettles (Americana) 9 pm
Sept. 10: Sex Trivia, 7:30 pm
Sept. 14: Bishop LaVey (dark folk) 6 pm;
Wild Leek River w/ Eastern Mountain Time
(outlaw country) 9 pm
Sept. 15: Mad My Scramblers (bluegrass) 9 pm
Sept. 17: Nerd Trivia, 7:30 pm
Sept. 21: Chicky Stoltz (blues) 6 pm;
Hessian w/ Seax & Reckless Force (metal)
9 pm
Sept. 22: Tail Light Rebellion (folk punk)
9 pm
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre.
479-0896. espressobueno.com.
Sept 8: Jazzyaoke (live jazz karaoke) 7:30 pm,
$5.
Gusto's. 28 Prospect St., Barre. 476-7919.
Ages 21+. No cover unless indicated.
Sept. 6: Open Mic Night, 8 pm
Sept. 7: Acoustic Dinner Set w/ Joe
Sabourin, 5–7 pm. All ages; Chasing Dorothy
(rock original and covers) 9 pm, $5.
Sept. 8: Dance Party w/ DJ Bay 6, 9:30 pm
Sept. 14: Acoustic Dinner Set with Chris
Martin & Company, 5–7 pm. All ages;
Totally Submerged (classic rock) 9 pm. $5.
Sept. 15: Dance Party w/ DJ LaFountaine,
9:30 pm
Calendar of Events
Sept. 21: Acoustic Dinner Set - Elizabeth
Renaud, 5–7 pm. All ages; Bad Horsey
(classic rock) 9 pm, $5
Sept. 22: Robin Sunquiet (pop dance)
9:30 pm
Whammy Bar. 31 County Rd., Calais.
Free. whammybar1.com.
Every Thurs.: Open Mic, 7 pm
Sept. 7: Sky Blue Boys (bluegrass) 7:30 pm
Sept. 14: Kelly Ravin and Halle Jade,
7:30 pm
Sept. 15: Blue Wave Benefit w/ The Laddies
(’60's rock/folk) 7:30 pm
Sept. 21: Bella and the Notables (jazz
standards) 7:30 pm
Sept. 22: Bob Hannan and Friends,
7:30 pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sept 6: BarnArts Music at Feast and Field
Market. Weekly eclectic music series with a
unique farmers market hosted on a working
farm. 4:30–7:30 pm. Fable Farm, Royalton
Turnpike, South Royalton.
Sept. 6: Johnny Burgin. Veteran blues
performer. 7:30 pm. Sweet Melissa’s,
4 Langdon St., Montpelier. $5
Sept. 7: New Music Uncaged. Chamber
ensemble works by 21st Century composers,
including Vermont’s own Michael Close.
Performers will include Luke Rackers, piano;
Michael Close, cello; and additional guest
instrumentalists. During Art Walk.
6:30–8 pm. Center for Arts and Learning,
46 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; donations
accepted. abundantsilence.org
Sept. 8: Colin McCaffrey Solo Benefit
Concert. Benefits the United Methodist
Women’s Fund for Capital Improvements.
Concert preceded by cookout across the street.
7 pm. Moretown United Methodist Church,
962 Rt. 100B, Moretown. By donation. 839-
0560
Sept. 8: Rickie Lee Jones. Two-time Grammy
award winner performs. 7 pm. Spruce Peak
Performing Arts Center, 122 Hourglass Dr.,
Stowe. $40–85. SprucePeakArts.org
Sept. 8: Aaron Marcus CD release concert.
Original music inspired by a number of dance
traditions. 7:30 pm. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. $10–15 sliding scale.
Sept. 11: Remember 9/11 with Tower Bells.
A program of music remembering the victims
of the 9/11 tragedy will be played on the
historic tower bells of Montpelier’s Trinity
United Methodist Church beginning at
9:59 am, when the south tower fell in 2001.
Sept 13: BarnArts Music at Feast and Field
Market. See description under Sept. 6.
Sept. 13: Livingston Taylor. With guest
Tod Pronto. 7 pm. Spruce Peak Performing
Arts Center, 122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. $25.
SprucePeakArts.org
Sept. 14: The Robert Cray Band. Cray has
been bridging the lines between blues, soul,
and R&B for the past four decades with five
Grammy wins and a Blues Hall of Fame
induction. 8 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N.
Main St., Barre. $27.50–55.
barreoperahouse.org
Sept. 15: Michael Arnowitt: Fantastic
Voyage. Capital City Concerts season opener.
Home-coming performance by the pianist.
Includes Schumann’s Op. 12 Fantasy Pieces,
Prokofiev’s Piano No. 7 Sonata, Chopin’s F
minor Ballade, and more. Reception follows.
7:30 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St.,
Barre. $15–25. capitalcityconcerts.org. Tickets
may also be purchased (cash or check only) in
person at Bear Pond Books.
Sept. 15: Swedish Music. Sunniva Brynnel
and Lydia Levins perform. 7:30 pm. Swedish
music workshop before the concert at 5 pm.
Adamant Community Club, corner of Martin
Rd. and Haggett Rd., Adamant. Concert only
$15; workshop only $25; concert and workshop
$35. 454-7103 or 613-3922.
Sept. 15: MadMan & Me. Progressive trance
rock. 9 pm. Sweet Melissa’s, 4 Langdon St.,
Montpelier. $5.
Sept. 16: Balkan Dance Party. With premier
Bulgarian Band. Four master musicians
steeped in Bulgarian music and rhythms from
a young age, bring the very best of Bulgarian
folk music tradition. 3–6 pm. 6612 Rt. 12,
Montpelier. $20; students $10; family $30.
426-3210.
Sept. 16: Blue Wave Concert. Festive
Fundraiser to Win Back Congress. featuring
Rich Maizell, Kelly Ravin, and Halle Jade
playing acoustic folk standards and light rock.
Lovely Calais home grounds open at 4:30 pm
for picnics, trail and labyrinth walking, and
lawn games. Concert starts at 5:30 pm. 1640
West County Rd., Calais. 947-517-7924.
Sept. 20: BarnArts Music at Feast and Field
Market. See description under Sept. 6.
Sept. 22: Elizabeth Renaud. Acoustic.
6–8 pm. Dog River Brewery, Barre-Montpelier
Rd., Berlin. Ages 21+
Sept. 22: Willa Mamet & Paul Miller. Folk,
country, Americana, and grassy soul in one
intimate, acoustic evening. 7:30 pm. Highland
Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St.,
Greensboro. $10. Highlandartsvt.org

Vermont Author Robin MacArthur. MacArthur will discuss her books Half Wild and Heart
Spring Mountain. 7–8 pm. Stowe Free Library,
90 Pond St., Stowe. stowelibrary.org
To see weekly events and
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Cycles of Life. We invite you to join with us in this place of comfort where we can all come
more detailed event listings
together to listen, talk and share about the things in life’s cycle we are all experiencing in our
own way now for ourselves and the earth we live on. Twin Valley Senior Center, Blueberry
Commons, Rt. 2, East Montpelier. 223-3322
visit montpelierbridge.com
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Capital City Farmers' Market. See description under September 8.
Fostering Learning Partnerships Between Classrooms and Authors (and Illustrators).
An Educator Series Workshop with local author Christy Mihaly and elementary
school teacher Susan Koch. 11 am. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier, Free.
bearpondbooks.com
Mountainfilm on Tour. Enjoy a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and incredibly
inspiring documentary short films. Family Friendly Matinee at 3 pm, tickets: $15 adults,
$5 ages 12 and under. Evening screening, 7 pm, tickets: $25. Spruce Peak Performing Arts
Center, 122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. sprucepeakarts.org
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Scrag Mountain Music Presents “The Intersection of

Art and Music”

T
he Scrag Mountain Music season opens on September 22 with “The
Intersection of Art and Music.” Drawing inspiration from the Kent Museum
Fall 2018 exhibition, Backstory, Scrag Mountain Music co-artistic directors
Mary Bonhag (soprano) and Evan Premo (double bass), together with celebrated
Vermont cellist Emily Taubl, offer four intimate mini concerts within the art-filled
walls of the Kent Museum in Calais on Saturday afternoon, September 22.
Each of the four mini concerts feature Lembit Beecher’s song cycle, Three Songs of
Remembered Love, selections from Harrison Birtwistle’s 9 Settings of Lorine Niedecker,
as well as a daring 21st-century remix of the 14th-century song “Douce Dame Jolie”
by Guillaume de Machaut. Throughout the duration of the Backstory exhibition
from September 7 to October 7, a video of Bonhag and Premo performing Lembit
Beecher’s oratorio, And Then I Remember, will be available for museum goers. Emily Taubl
Three Songs of Remembered Love recounts the incredible story of Beecher’s
grandparents’ love during a tumultuous time in Estonia during World War II. Mary Bonhag
The piece makes use of a recording of his grandmother’s voice to tell this story Evan Premo
along with soprano and double bass. The four movements of Harrison Birtwistle’s
piece are about Blackhawk Island in Wisconsin, where poet Lorine Niedecker was
born and spent nearly her entire life. The music shares observations of Niedecker’s
surroundings—the animals, plants, and, of course, the water. Guillaume de
Machaut’s “Douce Dame Jolie” is a bit of a remix by friend and fellow soprano
Ariadne Greif. Just as one of the artists featured in Backstory has collected and
stitched old scraps of fabric together in new ways, this piece illuminates the old by
bringing it into modern times.
All mini concerts are “Come as you are, pay what you can,” with at-will donations
collected at the door. Admission to the museum is separate and by donation at the
door. Advanced sign-up for the mini concerts is required at scragmountainmusic.
org, as space is limited. Please note that the mini concerts will take place on the
second floor of the Kent Museum, accessible only by stairs.

Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:

FALL FOOD AND DINING
In Circulation Sept. 20–Oct. 3
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE RESERVATIONS DUE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14.
For more information about advertising deadlines, rates,and the design of your ad, contact
Rick McMahan Dot Helling
802-249-8666 802-881-8832
rick@montpelierbridge.com dot@montpelierbridge.com
T H E B R I D G E S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 • PAG E 21

Classifieds
FOR SALE BY OWNER
TOTAL RENEWED BUILDING IN CENTER
OF PICTURESQUE GREENSBORO,
Steps from Caspian Lake, retail space,
currently art gallery, Beautiful modern
apartment upstairs, walk-out basement,
(workspace), double garage. Property in
compliance with building code and handicap
accessible.
LIVE AND WORK IN ONE LOCATION.
$ 395,000
802-533-2635 or 941-227-2494
To place a classified listing
call 249-8666
OFFICE SPACE
FOR RENT
FIRST CLASS OFFICE SPACE NEAR
CAPITOL AT 149 STATE STREET,
MONTPELIER, VT.
Perfect location within a 3-minute walk to
Capitol. Beautiful Greek Revival building
renovated throughout. First floor, handicap
accessible, two restrooms, storage. Includes
off-street parking, office cleaning weekly,
heat, hot water, snow removal, landscaping
and full maintenance. Can subdivide the two
units. $16 sf, yr. Call 508-259-7941
THE BRIDGE SEEKS A
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
The Bridge is seeking the assistance of a sales representative to
help cover the Central Vermont region, including Montpelier,
Barre, Plainfield, Calais, Middlesex, Berlin, and Waterbury.
Candidates with sales experience and contacts in the region
are preferred, but we are also open to training someone with
enthusiasm, charm, creativity, and old-fashioned moxie.
We offer generous commissions on each sale and opportunity
for advancement. Furthermore, the job is part-time and flexible
regarding hours.
For more information, contact Mike Dunphy at
mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com

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 2 2 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE
OP-ED Summer with Attitude
I
’m wading cautiously into the pond for the first time in six weeks, purposely
trying to savor every inch of silky water as it envelops me, as though I’m in the
throes of some new-age baptism. Rehabbing a surgically repaired knee has kept
me high and dry for well over a month, and now, as the bright yellow school buses
make their appointed rounds, I realize that as summer ends for students across
Central Vermont, it’s just beginning for me.
As the crystal clear pond creeps up my lower back, I feel a small chill, certainly not
from the water itself—it’s warmer than anyone can remember—more likely it’s the
contrast with the air temperature that’s pushing 90 and me, at 98.6, coupled with an
out-of-whack dew point for the umteenth time in several weeks. Certainly it’s been a
summer to remember; or forget, depending on your tolerance and at what level you
lurch from comfortably warm to hyperthermia.
During a weekend radio show I did for several years, while delivering the forecast on
especially humid days, I’d joke that it felt like Rangoon, which I never really believed.
It just sounded emphatically sweltering. But after having traveled to Rangoon (now
Yangon) in Myanmar—which used to be Burma—and experiencing this very juicy
Vermont summer, I’ve decided the north country wasn’t anything like Rangoon/
Yangon. This year, it’s actually been worse.
This is a serious bummer for anyone who emigrated here from gridlocked metropolitan
areas of the south, fleeing months of just such conditions. After our own liberation
several decades ago, we relished every cool breeze as a small victory, reveling in
50-degree summer nights—“good sleeping weather” as we used to say wistfully (and
infrequently) back then—but our wrestling with choking traffic or steamy public
transportation appeared distant memories. And for a while they were.
Although temperatures everywhere have been inching up the past several years, July
2018 arrived with singular vengeance, stringing together a series of days with highs
in the ’90s and withering humidity, relegating Vermonters to a quest for water like
migrating wildebeests. The relentless heat set several records in Burlington, including
Cody Chevrolet Congratulates
The Bridge On 25 Years of Business!
by Walt Amses
the daily average temperature of 76 degrees, most days above 85 degrees (21); and the
warmest night in the city’s history on July 2, a Brooklynesque 80 degrees.
Usually when I’m feeling borderline hysterical about some aspect of the weather I chat
up Roger Hill, who operates “Weathering Heights” in Worcester, providing forecasts
to a variety of media outlets and outdoor entertainment venues. More often than not
he reels me in with reassurances such as, “Yes, it will eventually snow,” or “Of course,
the leaves will change,” but during a conversation earlier this week he was every bit as
concerned as I was about the heat, but also the long-range implications.
“Since Irene” (which ravaged Vermont in 2011) Hill explained, “we’ve been pretty
lucky, dodging many of the conditions that devastated the rest of the country, but this
is turning heads, and we’d be wise to take notice.” Even the usually cooler, hilly north
central areas of the state were no exception, especially in the humidity department
and, unfortunately, according to Hill, this may very well be the “wave of the future.”
Struggling to find an upside, an obviously frustrated Hill said, “Enduring weather
like this would be far easier if we knew it served as a wake up call. Scientists
overwhelmingly agree that climate change is real, and we will soon reach a tipping
point if we haven’t already. Meanwhile, the administration in Washington and the
party in power act as though environmental regulations are the problem. It makes
me furious.”
I lean forward into the sublime water, pushing off with my good leg, and momentarily
I’m weightless, gliding suspended, as free as I’ve felt since the injury yet, perhaps
because of the knee itself or my sobering exchange with Hill, I’m more fully aware of
both my own vulnerability and how this pristine, glacial pond, like so many similar
treasures, might very well be threatened in the not too distant future.
A clutch of vibrant, red maple leaves dots the shoreline as I lose myself in a late August
daydream, valley mists that mark late summer mornings, the inexorable march
toward the autumnal equinox, and how some things inevitably change while others
need to remain exactly as they are.
Editorial
Recycle
THIS
PAPER!
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Important Step for Downtown

Letters
Editor,
On behalf of Montpelier Alive, the Montpelier Business Association, and the
Montpelier Development Corporation, we are grateful to the Montpelier City Council
for moving forward in the process toward a public vote on a downtown parking
garage. The garage will advance many community needs, including a new downtown
hotel, affordable housing, and convenient parking for workers, residents, and visitors.
The denser parking will provide better access to downtown businesses and enable
creative reuse of current on-street and surface parking for more productive uses and
pedestrian and bike-friendly amenities. The project sets a precedence for public-private
partnerships and the advancement of projects that ensure the continued vibrancy of
Montpelier.
Dan Groberg, Executive Director, Montpelier Alive
Sarah DeFelice, President, Montpelier Business Association
Laura Gebhart, Executive Director, Montpelier Development Corporation
Pokémon Go
Editor,
Adam Grayck and Jessica Knapp of Montpelier have created a new fundraising initiative
that incorporates community involvement and the mobile app game, Pokémon Go.
Grayck and Knapp are administrators of the Central VT PokéGo for Community
group that hosts monthly fundraiser events. Each month, players from around central
Vermont meet at the State House to participate and help raise money for charity. We
would like to thank Hunger Mountain Co-op, the Law Office of David L. Grayck,
and Amy Stephenson for donating a total of $120 to the Montpelier Food Pantry for
our August fundraiser. If you would like to become involved, contact Adam Grayck
at cvt.pokego.group@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at "Central VT PokéGo For
Community".
Adam Grayck, Montpelier
Letters to the paper are not fact-checked and do not
necessarily represent the views of The Bridge.

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 September 14
PAG E 24 • S E P T E M B E R 6 – S E P T E M B E R 19, 2 018 THE BRIDGE

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