Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | JANUARY 24FEBRUARY 6, 2013

IN THIS ISSUE
COSTS OF THE COMMON GOOD Can we pay for our care?

HEALTH+WELLNESS
THE PRICE OF LIFE:
Can We Afford It?

45

THE DOC TAKES STOCK Allan Ramsay on Vermonts health care system

6
BENEFIT EXCHANGE : YES OR NO ? Malek and Sterling offer opinions

9
DEATHLY DECISIONS The importance of advance directives

14
ILLUSTRATION BY KEN RUSSELL

PRSRT STD CAR-RT SORT U.S. Postage PAID Montpelier, VT Permit NO. 123

fter my dad died, my brother and I visited his corpse, as it lay on the platform, in the funeral home in Brandon. Two days had passed since I had flown back from California. He seemed at rest, finally. He had avoided hospitals for years, knowing that the doctor would tell him to quit drinking, quit smoking and to lose weight. He would talk with the family doctor, over the back fence. Dad lived the small-town life. When his dear friend, a true character who served in the Vermont legislature, died, Dad built a pine coffin for him and helped give him a simple burial. The hospital did catch up to Dad. After collapsing on his tractor and being rushed to the Rutland Hospitalit was an aneurysmhe looked up at my mom and said, It was the creamed eggs, dearie. He went fast, but with grace. He never did give up scotch or cholesterol. I try to be healthy, myself. I try to eat well, whole foods without sugar or industrial additives. I could exercise more. I, too, try to keep hospitals at bay. They seem alien, overbuilt, but Im glad they are there. They saved my grandmother two or three times. They saved me. Born in 1967, at Mary Fletcher, I was one of the last Rh babies, kept alive by the unique research of UVMs Dr. Lucey, who developed ultraviolet lamps, which helped my blood recover.

The Bridge P.O. Box 1143 Montpelier, VT 05601

As I write, my mom is preparing for day five of a grueling treatment that could keep her walking. We just now talked about her experience, about my dads death experience and about doctors and health. I do wonder, sometimes, whether this whole push for eternal life is a modern indulgence, but I am grateful to have loved ones around longer. I moved back to Vermont to be with my family because of a distinct feeling that mortality made more sense here. I remember seeing livestock on my brothers farm, on Gods green earth, here, in Vermont, and thinking that this made so much more sense than the overbuilt, death-defying culture of California. As I cut my carrots, meet my local farmer and enjoy the sweet Vermont commons, I count my blessings, glad that I live in this peaceful, enlightened state. I savor a political system that focuses on moral issues and rejects the overreaches of power. May I live out my final days, peacefully, on the land. May my dear home state continue to lead with common sense. In this issue, we will talk about having it all and keeping it simple. May we find that balance. Ken Russell, guest editor

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THE BRIDGE

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Got More Health? The next issue of The Bridge, February 7, will be the second of two health and wellness issues. The issue will focus on local practitioners. Interested in advertising? Call Carolyn at 223-5112 or e-mail carolyn@montpelierbridge.com. Have a story idea? Call Nat, Bob or Max at 223-5112 or e-mail editorial@montpelierbridge.com.

STREET
Goddard Support Staff Votes on Unionization

HEARD ON THE

Nature Watch

t press time, Goddard Colleges support staff was voting by secret ballot on unionization. If the vote is affirmative, the support staff will be represented by the same union that represents the Goddard College faculty, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2322. The colleges administration rejected a UAW request on the support staffs behalf in November, saying that they wanted to ensure that all support staff were interested in UAW membership. Support staff members have expressed concerns that the schools administration has deliberately misled and pressured staff members in an effort to prevent unionization. The college counters that it has encouraged discussion and transparency throughout the process but has also stated fears that the unionization effort might hamper fundraising and development efforts.

ot so many birds in the yard this winter. I cant think about it without seeing the history: the too early, rain-scarce heat this spring, combined with the previous dry winter and no snow melt and a drought all summer, with almost the only rain coming in nonsoaking downpours. Then the continuing record heat all summer. It all added up to no apples, no tree seed, almost no weed seed and no native flowering fruit. There is nothing out there for birds other than insect eaters, and I dont know what the status of insect larvae is either. Perhaps poor. Its sad to see. Id be happy to see a string of less dramatic weather, several years worth, and a normal plague of seasonable blackflies and mosquitos to fatten up migrants and feed nestlings. And a normal amount of rain to fill the streams and soften the ground for worm-eating, earth-probing robins, woodcocks and snipe. Bring it on. I promise I wont complain! Nona Estrin

Petition Drive Opposing Tar Sands in Vermont

A New Years resolution you can keep:

petition drive to keep the state free of tar sands is being organized by 350 Vermont. The drive seeks town meeting resolutions, in Montpelier and other Vermont communities, that will officially express opposition to the transport of tar sands oil through Vermont, press for a phase-out of tar sand oil use on both local and state levels, and call for environmental impact reviews of tar sandsrelated pipeline proposals. A crude oil pipeline built in 1950 currently runs through the northeastern corner of Vermont from Portland, Maine, to Montreal. Plans to reverse the flow of the pipeline so that it could accommodate tar sands oil from Alberta were abandoned in 2009, but 350 Vermont alleges that the plans have been revisited by Enbridge and the Portland-Montreal Pipeline. The pipeline would be used to transport diluted bitumen (Dillbit), a corrosive material that 350 Vermont likens to liquid sandpaper due to its abrasive nature. Dillbits viscosity and thickness require it to be conveyed at higher temperatures and pipeline pressures than conventional crude oil, making it more susceptible to pipeline leaks and spills.

ADVERTISE WITH US IN 2013!

We have lots of great discounts, packages and special issues in store. For more information, contact our sales representatives: Carolyn, 223-5112, ext. 11, or carolyn@montpelierbridge.com.

Mayors Say No to Guns

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For a one-year subscription, send this form and a check to The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Name___________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City____________________________________ State_____ Zip____________ I have enclosed a check, payable to The Bridge, for: $50 for a one-year subscription An extra $____ to support The Bridge. (Contributions are not tax-deductible.)

n January 14, 2013, Montpelier mayor John Hollar, Barre mayor Thom Lauzon, Rutland mayor Christ Louras and Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger announced their membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 800 mayors from big cities and small towns across the nation. The coalition advocates for what it terms broad national gun reforms that will save lives, support law enforcement and protect public safety, while also preserving the cherished Second Amendment rights of Vermonters and Americans. The coalitions agenda includes legislation that will require every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check, get military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and make gun trafficking a federal crime.

Art Gallery Opens on Barre Street

heres a new art gallery/studio opening at 6 Barre Street, Monday through Friday, 26 p.m. The artist is Glen Coburn Hutcheson, who works at Skinny Pancake by day. Hutcheson studied sculpture at the New York Studio School and painting at Haverford College and will maintain both a studio in the back and a gallery in the front of the space through July.

Grian Herbs and Green Mountain Medicinals Merge

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 Phone: 802-223-5112 | Fax: 802-223-7852 montpelierbridge.com; facebook.com/montpelierbridge Published every first and third Thursday
Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham General Manager: Bob Nuner Editorial Associate: Max Shenk Production Editor: Kate Mueller Sales Representatives: Carolyn Grodinsky, Rick McMahan Graphic Design & Layout: Dana Dwinell-Yardley Calendar Editor: Dana Dwinell-Yardley Bookkeeper: Kathryn Leith Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro Website & Social Media Manager: Dana Dwinell-Yardley Advertising: For information about advertising deadlines and rates, contact: 223-5112, ext. 11, carolyn@montpelierbridge.com or gabriela@montpelierbridge.com Editorial: Contact Bob, 223-5112, ext. 14, or editorial@montpelierbridge.com. Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall. Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
Copyright 2013 by The Montpelier Bridge

linical herbalist Iris Gage has announced that she bought local businesses Grian Herbs and Green Mountain Medicinals and has merged the two to form Grian Herbs Apothecary. The owner says the apothecary, located at 34 Elm Street (Tulsi Tea Room) will be central Vermonts source for bulk herbs, herbal supplies and holistic health information. The two businesses have provided herbs to the local community for over 10 years.

Animal Town

ontpelier now has its own producer of dog treats. The new dog barkery, Bongo & Blankets Bakehouse, produces wheat-free, preservative-free, gourmet dog biscuits. The bakery says, on its website, that its biscuits are handmade from human grade, nutrient dense ingredients, free of corn, wheat, soy, added refined sugar or salt. They never contain any by-products, fillers, preservatives or additives. For more information, visit bongoand blanketsbakehouse.com. If you prefer wildlife to domestic animals, North Branch Nature Center advises that theyre closing in on 200 bird species sightings in Washington County. (Theyre currently at 199.) To help get involved in the bird quest, visit northbranchnaturecenter.org or call 229-6206.

Tree Board in Need of New Members

ontpeliers Tree Board cochair, Sarah Hoffmeier, let us know that the board could use additional interested community members. Their monthly meetings occur the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Room of City Hall. For more information, call 522-5840. third item by Richard Sheir; all other items by Max Shenk

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THE BRIDGE

The Money Tree on the Common

by Ken Russell
Eternal Life The fountain of youth or eternal life has been a universal theme in the human experience. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about it; Jesus Christ was said to represent eternal life. In 1513, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon embarked on a search for the fountain, which led him to discover Florida. Here in Vermont, the quest may be a bit more humble, but the basic urge remains. We want to live a long and healthy life, and the medical system is a big part of that. We seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to achieve this, and yet we live in an age of limits. We are becoming aware of the limits of the planet, our shared resources, including our health care dollars, which, in Vermont, take up one-fifth of the economy. According to the Joint Fiscal Office, health care spending occupied 19.1 percent of the Vermont economy in 2009closing in on $6,000 per personup from 10 percent in 1992. A report in the 1930s raised the alarm that if health care rose to 4 percent of the economy, there would be a crisis. In addition, there is a big push to provide health care to all. Health care is a human right has been a rallying cry, with a push to treat health care as a common good. As a common good, there is a related need to treat common resources responsibly. It is to that end that we explore the attempts at cost containment in the health care system. The Stakes Al Gobeille, who serves on the Green Mountain Care Board, has a very personal understanding of the stakes when it comes to the availability of affordable health care. My son almost died. We were at Fletcher Allen. Everything had to go right for him to live. And they were flawless. One hundred years ago, we [would have lost our] son, said Gobeille. Ive described the doctors as magicians and wizards. When you have a loved one whos very, very ill, and a doctor or other health care professional saves their lifetheres no one else in society who can be that for you. Yet, Gobeille represents the business community and is a strong voice on the board for fiscal restraint. The board itself has been tasked by the Vermont legislature to bring down costs and provide broad access to quality care. It is a powerful body and will be a key player in moving the health care reform efforts forward. Gobeille thinks the biggest threat to the nation is rising health care costs. We simply cant afford these rising costs, he said. They cant be two to three times the rate of inflation. You own a company and it goes up 12, 13, 15 percent every year: It becomes such a driver for your business. That being said, can you imagine life without antibiotics, and treatment for things like polio and cancer? Thank God that we live in a time with these treatments. Gobeille has raised the alarm about medical costs for business. After pointing out that businesspeople have been the biggest philanthropists to hospitals, he warned, The day is coming at some point where businesses will turn on the hospitals . . . [i]f at some point, the business owner cant afford to stay in business and the people running the hospitals are driving expensive, foreign automobiles. He likened health care spending to spending on a wedding: somebody needs to be in a position to set a budget and say no. At the same time, Gobeille is aware of the importance of health care: I know the system has to change, but we also never have to disrespect the providers that work in the system because they are the most altruistic people in the system. Im talking about the individual doctor and the individual nurse. The Public Good Champions of the push to single payer, such as the Vermont Workers Center, which has worked for years on this issue, advocate the treatment of health care as a public good, one that is governed by morality and that would adhere to five principles: universality, equity, accountability, transparency and participation. To them, universality means, for instance, that health care should include the whole body, including adult dental benefits. The Vermont Health Benefit Exchange is mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the big health care legislation passed at the federal level, known as Obamacare. The exchange is meant to be a one-stop marketplace for Vermonters in certain categories, providing a uniformity of benefits. For Vermont policy makers, the exchange is a step toward their goal of single-payer health care, which they cannot enact, under ACA, until at least 2017. (See accompanying opinion pieces on page 9.) A budget is a statement of priorities, says Peg Franzen, longtime advocate for singlepayer health care and president of the Vermont Workers Center. She is concerned that the governor has not signaled his intentions for financing a single-payer system. She points to a financing proposal offered by the Healthcare Is a Human Right organization, which advocates that financing be equitable, in that wealthy people and corporations pay proportionately more into the health care system than poor people. Heather Pipino, also of the Workers Center, stresses the need not to view health care as a commodity, Certain things are a common good for society, including health care. Generally speaking, the free market has failed. In the current system, there are incentives to keep people unhealthy, and people wait to see a doctor until things become more severe because of the costs. Under this model, there is a long-term effect on the health of our society. One way to reduce costs is to have everybody in and to share the burden through equitable financing based on your ability to pay. We want to make sure that its there when we need it and barriers are reduced so that people can access the health care that they need. Walter Carpenter, another Vermont Workers Center advocate, talked about difficult health care choices that brought home, to him, the seriousness of the health care access situation. Carpenter had no health insurance (this was before VHAP, Vermonts subsidized insurance program) when he developed a liver ailment that was fatal without treatment. He was faced with either losing his life or incurring a huge medical debt. I had to face the question: How much is your life worth to you? said Carpenter. When you face that question . . . you understand what the public good really is.

Trimming Health Care Costs for the Public Good

When youre dealing with human life, cost becomes a very secondary issue. Dr. Allan Ramsay, who serves on the Green Mountain Care Board, emphasized that his concern is about quality of care, not cost, especially when it comes to expensive treatments of chronic conditions, such as cancer, lung disease, heart disease, ALS and dementia. In those situations, he said, Its never about cost, never. No one wants to put a price on a human life, and we all want quality care, which makes the budgetary calculus all the more difficult. The Tragedy of the Commons While everyone seems to be committed to providing universal access to good quality care, there is a concern that, absent constraints, people may overuse health care resources. Health care expert Steve Kappel, a primary player in the governors health care reform initiative, warns of the hunger for health care spending. As long as the general economy is growing, and theres enough money to buy all the other things that we want, we can spend an insane amount of money on health care, said Kappel. Its when people begin to perceive that its taking money away from other things, which its starting to do [that we will hit the crisis point]. In economics, the tragedy of the commons refers to the depletion of a shared resource by individuals, who act in their self-interest, without regard to the long-term consequences of depleting a common resource. The phrase comes from cattle, owned by individuals, being allowed to graze freely on commonly owned landthe commonsuntil the land is overgrazed. For Kappel, this economic theory has much resonance around health care: Because the costs are distributed, and the benefits are localized . . . [everyone else] pays into [their] insurance plans so I get something I want, which means the classic market restraints arent on me. Kappel warns that if we treat health care as a right, then the entire fiscal state becomes the commons, subject to reckless depletion. If theres absolutely no consequence, if everybody from the bottom of the income scale to the top of the income scale gets, quote, free health care, you aint seen nothing yet [in terms of health care costs], said Kappel. He mentioned the metaphorical money

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tree, popular in fiscal circles: Theres only a finite amount of money hanging in that tree. Containing Hospital Costs At the January 9, 2013, meeting of the Green Mountain Board, hospital representatives discussed the special challenges hospitals face. Hospitals are required to serve certain patients, such as those with psychiatric needs, and they do so, at a loss. Hospital representatives describe their mission as moral, about how they serve people, such as those with mental health conditions, for no cost, and how they are downstream of some of societys unaddressed challenges. There was much discussion about providing people with ready access to more appropriate and less expensive health care, thereby avoiding unnecessary trips to the emergency room (ER). One health care provider talked of social workers intervening with certain members of the frequent flyer population, those with mental health problems who use the ER as a place to go, when all else fails. A weekly appointment at a community health clinic can be far cheaper for public coffers than frequent, and medically inappropriate trips, to the ER. Dr. Deb Richter, who has served as president of Physicians for a National Health Program and has been a leader, with the Workers Center, in the fight for single-payer health care in Vermont, talked of the structural work needed to contain costs. [Hospitals are the] best place to start because it is the fastest growing sector in health care. And we are spending much more per person than the national average, said Richter. Vermont spends $1,000 more per person on hospital costs than the national average. That alone would save $600 million. Were not using the hospital more; its not a utilization problem. We have too much expensive infrastructure. Most costs in hospitals are fixed, that is they are staffed for a certain capacity that doesnt vary if fewer people use that service. So once in place, the costs exist whether patients are in the beds or not. The board discussed with CEOs of hospitals a hard target of a 3.1 percent rise in hospital budgets. The hospitals want flexibility, including consideration of exemptions, such as for some capital cost needs. They also asked for a movement on payment reforma move away from fee-for-service toward global budgeting. At the end of the meeting, the hospitals and the boards agreed that the hospitals would come back with a multiyear plan for beginning to bend the cost curve. Protecting the Commons Green Mountain Care Board chair Anya Rader Wallack is working hard, under the legislative mandate, to protect the states economic resources. Health care has a cost . . . We all want it when we need it, and its not cheap to make a full array of services and technologies available, she said. According to Wallack, switching to a publicly funded system or reducing administrative costs will not magically solve this problem. Its like a family budget, she said. [We] cant just pretend we have more money. We have to decidewhether its five billion, six billion, or four and a half. Wallack discussed the need for a cultural change in the health care delivery system. Weve got a HC system that has been built up around fixing problems after they occur, throwing a whole lot of resources at them, she said. She referred to end-of-life care, where a severely ill individual ends up in a hospital and is put through expensive tests and treatments. We put them in intensive care; we dont have conversations about, Hey, what do you want, what does your family want? said Wallack. Our whole system is oriented around that rather than what our patients need. Wallack thinks people need to have a good primary care provider and incentives to remain healthy and to take care of health problems early, rather than wait and rely on technology. Kappel agrees that getting the population healthier and reducing demand for health care services is a step in the right direction. The central care process has to change, said Kappel. So I go into the doctor and [say] I saw this really cool test on television, and I want this test. Does the doc spend half an hour to talk me out of this? Or does the doc say, I think its a really bad idea but if you really want it, since youve got insurance and youre not actually paying for it, [well do it]. Kappel argued that people tend to think more is better, and theyre more concerned about getting too little care than too much. When asked if suggesting to people that they be more conservative about what health care they seek is akin to asking them to wear a cardigan instead of turning up the thermostat (a reference to President Jimmy Carters malaise speech, in which he implored the nation to conserve energy, during the late 70s oil crisis), Kappel replied that [i]ts analogous to saying you cant have everything you want. Kappel said that hard choices will need to be made about what services are provided, when and for whom. Do we want to expend our resources on a 95-year-old to do open heart surgery? asked Kappel. Im not the guy to say yes; Im not the guy to say no. But if you think about it from a where do we get the most benefit to the most people, thats not a good investment. When this reporter suggested that Kappel was crossing a huge line, Kappel responded, Its ethics in a whole different way . . . ethics traditionally is about personal relationship . . . [governing] the way you, the doc, and I, the patient, interact. [This expanded ethics] pushes the question to [how] you, the patient, and the rest of society interact. Kappel said that we still need to figure out how to distribute our limited resources,

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Anya Rader Wallack, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, left, and Al Gobeille, a board member. Photos courtesy Sam Lacy. whether its the public health care or the market model. The word that I love to talk aboutand everyone else runs from the room shriekingis rationing. If . . . were not going to use a market model, because market models maximize efficiency and are completed amoral, . . . the alternative is rationing, said Kappel. You either distribute resources on a willingness to pay or you distribute resources on something else. Political Significance Gobeille and Wallack are in a good position to enact reforms in the system, and the politics have never been riper for such a change. Governor Shumlin was the first governor in the nation to prevail on a platform of single-payer health care. The passage of the Affordable Care Act, under the leadership of Barack Obama, has been declared the law of the land by Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, indicating to many that the political opponents to socalled Obamacare have decided to retreat. Its a significant moment, and Vermont is very much in the vanguard. We are laying down systems in preparation for major systemic change, such as information technology, electronic medical records and regulatory systems. The Green Mountain Care Board is described as ascendant in its power and is key to the implementation of this effort. There are many questions. There is no talk of actually bringing down costs but of only bending the cost curve. Even if the Green Mountain Care Board were to hold the hospitals to a hard 3.1 percent rate of increase, thats still quite a bit of money on top of an already gargantuan piece of the Vermont economy. Insurance rates are still rising at double digits. Theres also a huge structural concern. The hospitals are consolidating their power. Private medical practices all over the state are merging into larger hospitals rapidly, in part to take advantage of the consolidated information technology system. Central Vermont Medical Center is now merging with Fletcher Allen Partners. In September, Fletcher Allen and Dartmouth Hitchock led the creation, with many other health care organizations, including 13 of the 14 Vermont hospitals, into a for-profit entity known as One Care ACO (Accountable Care Organization), to administer Medicaid payments. The formation of an ACO was required by Obamas Affordable Care Act, the for-profit model approved by the Green Mountain Care Board. Wendell Potter, a former communications professional for Cigna and Humana, turned critic of corporate health care interests, raised the alarm on OneCare ACO in an October 4, 2012, blog post for the Montpelier-based Public Assets Institute: What I learned in my career is that for-profit health care organizations know how to do one thing very well: make money. That becomes Job One. Unfortunately, for-profits dont do nearly so well meeting consumers and patients needs. If they did, we would not have 50 million Americans without insurance. And we wouldnt be trailing the rest of the developed world in most measures of health care quality and outcomes. Isnt this consolidation a step toward single payer, enacting the political will voters expressed with the election of Peter Shumlin? Or is this a monopoly, with the same players wearing different jerseys? Indeed, Blue Cross Blue Shield is seeking to be the administrator of single-payer health. Asked whether this is the benign dictator model, Steve Kappel answers, Its either the careful planning model or the command economy model. The answer depends on whether you like the outcomes. Whats the political future of this effort? When asked whether she sees vested interests lying in wait to torpedo the effort, Anya Rader Wallack answers, I havent seen that as much as I expected. Right now, its a pretty cooperative environment. Hospital CEOs are a good example; they know that the current model is not sustainable . . . When you talk about financing single payer, then youre talking about raising taxes, redistributing funds. You cant do that without making enemies, but that will come.

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THE BRIDGE

A Conversation with Dr. Allan Ramsay

by Ken Russell

Getting Under the Hood

to contain the costs: Everybody, the insurer, the payer, has got to be accountable. We have a big stick there in rate review. Hospitals have to be accountable . . . Everyone has to have a willingness to assume some risk and responsibility for how the system has to change. It cant continue this growth, and we cant achieve what we need to achieve unless we slow the growth in costs. Were not going to cut costs out of the system: its impossible. But you can make it more efficient. When asked why Vermont cant afford good country doctors, serving the poorer rural population, Ramsay replied that we can, but that the health care system needs to be more integrated: We just havent been unified in our mission. Hospitals, employed physicians, independent physicians, home health agencies, nursing homesits never been an integrated system, and weve never believed, until now, that not only does it have to be integrated, but it has to be unified. [A] unified system means you get [health care whether youre] old or young, sick or well, employed or not employed, military or not military. Everybodys in and . . . gets a basic . . . benefit package. Achieving a unified health care system means setting some clear targets, says Ramsay: Were asking hospitals to assume risk. Were putting a bet on the table, and saying that you can meet this target. As for the danger of losing high-priced specialists because of the coming health care reforms, Ramsay offers, I dont think theres going to be a big exodus, Id be really surprised. . . . The [Green Mountain Care] board is doing things to moderate the administrative burdens that doctors hate more than losing their salaries . . . Vermonts a great place to live and . . . what were doing is so much ahead of the curve. I believe theres going to be some pretty dramatic rebalancing of salaries everywhere, and I think it will

r. Allan Ramsay is one of two doctors who serves on the Green Mountain Care Board. He speaks with passion about the innovations happening in Vermonts medical system and with optimism about the prospects of meaningful health care reform. We have this big task, and a lot of it comes down to affordability, says Ramsay. In my mind, its making sure that my colleagues are comfortable with the inevitable changes that have to occur in the system and to give them the opportunity to work on new ways of delivering health care that make them feel better at the end of the day. For Ramsay, team-based care is key: Lets focus on team-based care in a family practice office. That means everybody on the team has the same kind of sense of responsibility for . . . focusing on the needs of the patient. It means that everybody on the team works to the top of his or her capability. For instance, lets consider the current flu epidemic. We have the nurse be the screening person, without the doctor seeing [the patient] . . . Thats not going to generate a lot of revenue, but thats team-based care. Thats going to make the quality of the nursing experience better and going to make the quality of the patients experience better . . . It means trusting everyone in the system, breaking down the barriers. It means . . . seamless communication. Based on his 32 years of experience in health care, Ramsay believes in setting hard targets for hospital budgets: I believe that there are efficiencies in the system that can be managed to and can be achieved so that we hit [those targets], so the hospitals soften that rise [in costs] and continue to provide even better care. Ramsay concedes that it will be hard work

Allan Ramsay. Photo courtesy Allan Ramsay. be less here. Ramsay also points to the high number of applications to medical residency programs at the University of Vermont as evidence that Vermont is a desirable place to live. Ramsay says that many students mention the health care reforms in Vermont as a reason for locating here, and he furthermore noted that, in a national survey, doctors expressed a willingness to come to Vermont because they prefer to work in a more unified health care system. Legislators . . . recognize that it is a moral issue, says Ramsay. Every other developed country made a moral decision based on a societal system on what is best. It really is a moral issue on what we do best for Vermonters. It comes right down to that . . . Hospitals feel a moral responsibility, and thats the best thing that can happen.

Next Clinic: Wednesday, Feb. 13 9 a.m.noon

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Health Care by the Numbers

compiled by Max Shenk

5%

$4.9 billion
$7,876
Vermont per capita healthcare costs in 2010

19.2%
Vermont gross state product devoted to health care expenditures in 2010

$2.1 billion

total payments to Vermont health care providers in 2000

national GDP devoted to national health care expenditures in 1960

total spent by Vermont residents on health care in 2010

17.9%
national GDP devoted to national health care expenditures in 2010

50%
Vermont hospital spending accounted for by Fletcher Allen Health Care

$4.8 billion

total payments to Vermont health care providers in 2010

$7,919
national per capita healthcare costs in 2010

33%

physician spending occurring through hospital budgets

SOURCES: The Unsustainable Costs of Healthcare, Social Security Administration Board (ssab. gov/documents/TheUnsustainableCostof HealthCare_graphics.pdf); Central Vermont Medical Center Budget and Financial Information; 2010 Vermont Health Care Expenditure Analysis, Green Mountain Care Board.

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J A N UA RY 24 F E B RUA RY 6 , 2 013 PAG E 9

Vermonts Health Benefit Exchange

The Business of the Health Benefit Exchange

by George Malek

uring this legislative session, the Vermont legislature and the governor will be debating the parameters of the Health Benefit Exchange required by the federal Affordable Care Act. This program, which must be up and running by January 1, 2014, is intended to be a one-stop shop for those currently employed by businesses with fewer than 50 employees, for those currently uninsured and without access to affordable and adequate employee-based health insurance, for legal immigrants, and for those currently in the individual health insurance market, including the 13,000 Vermonters enrolled in Catamount Health. The legislature will consider the scope of the benefits package and the financing. The federally mandated Health Benefit Exchange is the next phase of health care reform in Vermont and is separate from the governors push toward single-payer health care. The single-payer system will be implemented in 2017, assuming the federal government will grant waivers to Vermont for its groundbreaking efforts in health care. The administration is seeking to make the transition into the exchange, and then into single payer, as seamless as possible. Of particular concern to many is the cut in subsidies to those enrolled in the Vermont Health Access Program (VHAP) and Catamount Health and whether the governor will bridge this gap. Senator Bernie Sanders had attempted to allow Vermont to bypass the exchange and move directly toward the single-payer health care system. Some advocates are concerned that confusion over this two-step process will turn people off to the whole health care reform effort. The following op-eds present opposing views on the Health Benefit Exchange. Ken Russell

ermonts coming Health Benefit Exchange is often referred to as a sort of hotwire.com for medical insurance (hotwire.com being a website for discount travel). Unfortunately, the reference is extremely misleading. The most prominent words on the hotwire .com home pagesave and discountdont apply to the insurance exchange. There wont be any savings, and there wont be any discounts. Consumers who pay anything less than the full MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) will do so only because they receive government subsidies. Although the governmental split of the subsidies is a bit cloudy, does it really matter? Vermont claims (again) to be struggling with a budget gap of tens of millions of dollars, and the federal government has, again, arrived at its new debt ceiling of $16.4 trilliona number so huge no one can truly comprehend it. So health insurance subsidies will come from a state thats broke or a nation that borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends. Can you say Bernie Madoff, or housing bubble, or Ponzi scheme? Surely, everyone knows how to say unsustainable. Government has had a heavy hand in health care for decades, and many are calling for Medicare for everybody. They either dont recognize or they choose to ignore that Medicare has been kept affordable only by shifting an ever-increasing share of health care costs to private insurance. When everyone has Medicare, there will be no private insurance and no place left to shift the costs. To paraphrase: We will meet the enemy and find that he is us. The exchange is the first phase in a progression that goes something like this: Premium rates in the exchange will be higher than they are now. For small businesses that currently have negotiated group rates, 20 and 30 percent rate hikes will be the norm. Since many employees of small businesses will be

eligible for significant subsidies, the majority of these businesses are likely to cease providing coverage for their employees. Employees who may never have dealt directly with health care premiums in the past will be shocked to find out how much coverage actually costs, even with subsidies. Since nothing has been done to halt the Medicare/Medicaid cost shift, exchange premiums will grow at the same shocking pace that has become routine for private insurance in recent years. As premiums grow faster than incomes, subsidies will have to increase, and the strapped and indebted governments that provide the subsidies will have to find someone to tax to fund this growth in subsidies. That someone will be business, and the prime suspect will be a payroll tax. Faced with the cost of a new tax and recognizing that double-dip savings can be achieved by reducing payroll expenses, employers will automate, streamline, outsource and otherwise cut payroll. (By the way, at this point in the cycle and amid all the turmoil, say mid-2016, it is unlikely that any more than 90 percent of Vermonters will have medical coverage. Thats about the same percentage as today.) Of course, the pathway out of this mess will be universal health care. With universal care, the bubble will enter its final stageultimately leading to collapse and default. Collapse and default of the health care system wont look quite like the fall of the Madoff empire. It wont come crashing down over a few short weeks, and no politician is going to go to jail for orchestrating this hoax. The collapse will look more like Amtraklimited services, ailing facilities, spotty schedules and periodic derailments separated by an occasional upgrade or innovation. In health care, that will mean fewer physicians, long delays, global budgets, limited research, multiple cost-benefit analyses and deteriorating facilities. The Bowles-Simpson Deficit Reduction Plan would eventually be replaced with the Bowles-Simpson Universal Health Care Reform Plan and receive the same chilly recep-

tion. Unwinding government health care will be about as simple as unwinding AIG or the national debtand far less popular. National health care will only seem tolerable because any alternative will be painted as even worse by one political party or the other. However, this has rambled years further than the question at hand. How will the Vermont health benefit exchange impact business? The majority of Vermonters will be shocked to find that there are no discounts, savings or bargains on this hotwire of the insurance exchange. Those small businesses that continue to provide health care coverage for their employees will pay $1,000 more each year per employee policy or $3,000 more per family policy. After the first year bump, premiums will resume climbing about 10 percent annually. Businesses that stop providing coverage will pay a relatively small tax or penalty that will grow modestly over time, with a huge spike constantly on the horizon. Government will need to raise money to fill the steadily growing gap between increases in premiums and the increases in incomes of subsidy recipients. New taxesalmost certainly on business and most likely on payrollwill be imposed, and businesses will reduce costs by reducing employment. Universal health care will be implemented, and the cycle, with minor modifications, will repeat itself. Universal health care, having replaced Medicare and Medicaid, will stand alongside Social Security as unsustainable in their present forms, and no one will be able to garner the political strength to change either of them. George Malek is president of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the VACE Insurance program, managed by Vermonts chambers of commerce for nearly two decades.

Health Benefit Exchange: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by Peter Sterling

ermonters should be incredibly proud of our place as national leaders on health care reformfrom expanding access to affordable care through publicly subsidized programs like Catamount Health and Dr. Dynasaur to passing legislation in 2011 that puts us on a path to a universal, publicly funded, single-payer health care system. These reforms, and the many others our small state has undertaken over the last 20 years, have proven without a doubt that, by investing public dollars, the State of Vermont can ensure people lead healthier lives and have access to high-quality, affordable care when they need it most. Unfortunately, much of what we have now will change dramatically when Vermont implements the federally mandated Health Benefit Exchange in 2014. I think of the changes on three levels: the good, the bad and the ugly.

vivors live in fear of going broke if they lose their insurance and then try to reenroll at a later date. The exchange will also make subsidies for premiums and other out-of-pocket (OOP) costs available to about 80 percent of Vermont households. This financial assistance from the federal government will undoubtedly help many people, but it doesnt go far enough. More on this below. The Bad The exchange only restructures the current private insurance system; it does not fundamentally change it the way a singlepayer system would. The system we have now has failed to control costs and to deliver affordable care for hundreds of thousands of Vermonters. While the exchange will be more transparent and less predatory, it is still a private insurance market. Carriers, like MVP and Blue Cross Blue Shield, will sell between 20 to 30 insurance products, and they will be regulated by the State of Vermont. Each plan will offer the same common benefit package, with just minor differences. What will differ, though, is the cost sharing of each planthat is premiums, deductibles, copays and so on. Its hard to see how any system relying on private insurance will drastically reduce the number of uninsured Vermonters or the number of people who still cant afford to see a doctor, even if they are insured.

The Good One of the best parts of the exchange is that it begins the process of divorcing access to health insurance from whether or where you work. All Vermonters, whether employed or not, will eventually have access to a comprehensive benefit package, even if their employer doesnt offer health insurance or they cant afford it. In addition, in the exchange, all preexisting conditions clauses The Ugly VHAP and Catamount Health end in 2014 will be eliminated. No longer will cancer sur-

when the exchange starts. The end of these programs means over 30,000 Vermonters will see their OOP costs increase dramatically. These costs (deductibles, coinsurance, copays and so on) are in addition to monthly premiums. Those in Catamount Health could see their OOP maximum increase from $1,050 year to as much as $6,400 year per person. The combination of premiums and OOP costs are about 28 percent of gross income for someone making about $34,000 who reaches the OOP maximum. With OOP limits so high, it can take only one accident or medical crisis to be faced with overwhelming medical debt. Faced with such high costs, Vermonters will not get care when they need it, or simply not enroll and remain uninsured. Vermont is at great risk of going backward on health care reform (more uninsured and more people insured but who cant afford to see a doctor), unless action is taken. What we need is for the governor and the legislature to commit to finding the revenue to fund a state subsidy to bring down the cost of health care for the roughly 30,000 people who are eligible for or are already enrolled in Catamount Health and VHAP and who will be entering the exchange in 2014. Without such a subsidy, many will forgo necessary care or remain uninsured and end up in the emergency room seeking care, both of which are

bad for the health of people and the health care system. In addition, if the exchange proves unpopular with the public due to these high costs, it will undermine the support for moving forward with implementing Vermonts singlepayer system, which is set to begin in 2017. A publicly funded, single-payer system that provides universal coverage is the only way to guarantee that everyone receives health care through a system that will control the rising cost of health care as well. In the best-case scenario, the exchange will serve as a short, three-year transition until Vermonts single-payer system is up and running. However, given the possibility of shifting political winds in Washington, D.C. (and here in Vermont!), there are many scenarios where the implementation of single payer could be delayed. In either case, it is imperative that the exchange be implemented in a way that ensures that low- and middleincome Vermonters will receive affordable health care. Peter Sterling is the director of the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security, a nonprofit organization that works to educate Vermonters about and expand access to public health care programs. For more information, go to catamounthealth.org.

PAG E 10 J A N UA RY 24 FE B RUA RY 6 , 2 013

THE BRIDGE

Community Connections Organization at Risk in Montpelier

by Zachary Beechler

venerable old New Englander named Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, in an article for The Atlantic Monthly, Skill to do comes of doing; knowledge comes by eyes always open, and working hands, and there is no knowledge that is not power. Community Connections, a diverse afterschool organization offering everything from kayaking to book clubs, provides learning opportunities through doing. In addition to after-school study and adventure-based education, Community Connections offers courses in computer skills, fitness, wellness and nutrition, arts and crafts and natural and environmental science, as well as having a school drop-out prevention program, teen mentoring, summer camps and field trips. However, the continued ability of Community Connections to provide their services

to Montpelier students in grades 612 is at risk unless the after-school program begins to receive funding directly from the school district. The organizations economic future, along with the rest of the school budget, will be decided by voters in March. As it currently stands, Community Connections operating budget for its programs at Montpelier High School (MHS) and Main Street Middle School (MSMS) is approximately $90,000 and $76,000, respectively. At $167,000 total, this includes transportation costs, equipment and supplies, the salaries of the two site coordinators at each school and a proportional share of the assessment costs for the Community Connections central office. While there are many reductions being made across the board, the school districts proposed operational budget, at $16,986,916, represents an 8 percent increase from last

year. Because of the increase, as well as perstudent spending in the district being above the state average in Vermont, the budget must be put forth as two separate questions on the March ballot, in accordance with state law. The first line will be for $16,970,522, the second for $389,132. Money designated by the school board for Community Connections, described in the budget as cocurricular activities at MHS and MSMS, will be part of the second vote. Community Connections operates both on- and off-site after-school programs at eight different schools in Calais, Berlin, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Worcester and Montpelier. In Montpelier, it serves a substantial number of students at both MHS and MSMS, as well as at Union Elementary School (UES). The program at UES is a licensed childcare center that charges fees and has access to state child-care subsidies for eligible families,

Montpelier Alive Launches New Festival

by Bob Nuner

Plenty to Do in February
classes, dance lessons and performances, a 5K race, storytelling, a winter hike, a snowshoe obstacle course, ultimate Frisbee and much more. The festival also includes free entrance to the Vermont History Museum on Friday and Saturday, a fundraising casino night and a Parents Night Out (Saturday night child care provided by Montpelier High School students)plus hot chocolate stations at several city sites. Among the many events will be the world premiere, on Saturday evening, of several specially commissioned dance pieces presented by the Montpelier Movement Collective. A complete list of festival events can be found at montpelieralive. org or call 223-9604. LNTs WinterFest series will continue on the remaining three weekends of February.

ontpelier Alive, working with the city, has put together the MontPolar Frostival, a major new community festival for the first three days of February. The weekend festival will open Lost Nation Theaters Eighth Annual WinterFest, a monthlong series of theater performances. The Snow Ball dance party, featuring three different bands, kicks off both festivals on Friday, February 1, at Montpelier City Hall Arts Center. The MontPolar Frostival will feature over 50 activities, including 40 free events. There will be entertainment both indoors and out. Among the festivals many activities will be a community dance, art exhibits, exercise

Performances scheduled include: Long Gone, a dance theater production with Lida Winfield and Ellen Smith Ahern; The Vampire Princess and Other Eerie Tales of Love, with storytellers Jennings & Ponder; and Laugh Til You Die, an evening of physical comedy with Tom Murphy. More information on WinterFest events is available at Lost Nations website: lostnationtheater.org. Tickets for the Snow Ball, the Montpelier Movement Collective contemporary dance premier or a Frostival package deal for both events are offered at lostnationtheater.org/box: click on Winterfest 2013, then select the MontPolar Frostival icon. The three-day event is underwritten by Zachary Beechler is a substitute teacher at National Life Group and the Vermont State MHS and MSMS, and a writer and student Employees Credit Union. living in Montpelier.

which end at age 12. The availability of such subsidies is why elementary school programs are easier to fund than programs for higher grade levels, according to Community Connections director, Ginny Burley. It is just more difficult to get parents to pay for programs for their tween and teen children when they believe they are okay just going home alone for a couple of hours, Burley wrote in an e-mail, and it is especially difficult when those costs represent a higher school budget as well as increased taxes for both parents and nonparents alike. Community Connections was started in 2001, with funds from a 21st-century Community Learning Center federal grant, a highly competitive formula grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. The grant supports the creation of community learning centers to provide academic enrichment opportunities during nonschool hours. Since then, the programs at MHS and MSMS, along with the rest of Community Connections, has been substantially or fully funded by a variety of other grants, which also has covered the central office costs. However, grant funding for the program ended in June 2012, and according to Community Connections staff, there are no new grants on the horizon. U-32 began directly funding the Community Connections program at their school last fall. Vermont is the only state without a dedicated state funding source for after-school programs for middle and high school students, and it will be up to the voters of Montpelier to decide whether or not to keep Community Connections in their community. After 12 years of service at no cost to the district, we are asking that they fund these programs that serve a majority of the students in the schools, said Burley.

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J A N UA RY 24 F E B RUA RY 6 , 2 013 PAG E 11

Library Director Discusses Budget, Union Concerns

by Max H. Shenk

n a recent interview with The Bridge, Montpeliers library director discussed the librarys budget requests and responded to concerns about job changes and alleged union busting. Kellogg-Hubbard Library will be requesting a total of $308,673 from Montpelier at the town meeting in March, which represents a $14,698 increase over its 2012 request. An additional $135,975 is being requested from the five outlying communities that the library serves (Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester). This represents a $24,351 increase from 2012. The library is funded by a combination of public funds and money from the library corporation. Most of the librarys budgetabout 60 percent comes from the corporation. According to library director Richard Bidnick, the requested increase in public funds is due to inflationary pressures and is based on a new funding formula that the library has adopted. The funding formula we had in place [for the five outlying communities] was not equal or fair, Bidnick said. [The new formula] is based on per capita usage and the amount of materials that [patrons in those towns] are actually checking out. The requested budget increases come at the same time that the Kellogg-Hubbard staff union alleged unfair labor practices at the library. As reported in the January 10 issue of

The Bridge, the union filed a complaint with the Vermont Labor Relations Board (LRB), alleging that the library changed the job titles and duties of three union employees, thus illegally shifting them out of the union. A previously scheduled hearing with the LRB regarding the matter has been rescheduled for January 30. A former library staffer, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Bridge that the atmosphere at the library was dispirited with union busting and hours cut. The source also said that short staffing had led to a backlog of unshelved materials, so that when the catalog says a book is in, a patron cant find the book because it is unshelved on a cart. The source further said that new check-in procedures, mainly elimination of date stamping in favor of printed due-date receipts, were leading to patrons inadvertently losing track of due dates, thus increasing the likelihood of patron fines at a time when fine amounts have been increased. Additionally, the job changes meant that three midlevel management positions were added. Theres now one manager for every 2.5 employees, the source said. The library currently employs eight fulltime and five part-time staff people. Messages to the librarys union representatives were not returned. However, Bidnick addressed these concerns. The installation of a new circulation system resulted in the changes in date stamp-

ing and due dates, said Bidnick. The new system generates a printed receipt, and while individual items are no longer date-stamped, Bidnick said that patrons can check due dates and renew materials online or renew items over the phone. As for the charges of union busting, Im not even sure what that means, Bidnick said. Quite frankly, its kind of ridiculous. Never has there been any discussion of anything like that. Staff position changes, said Bidnick, were not an attempt to shift jobs out of the union but were promotions to better paying positions with more responsibility. People were promoted, which I think is a good thing. You take talent from within and you promote them up, said Bidnick. The new positions were intended partly to remedy what Bidnick called a flat level of management at the library. Bidnick said that before he came to the library in July 2012, there were two codirectors: an executive director and a head librarian. These jobs were merged into a single directors position, said Bidnick, so that when he started at the job, it was only me and everyone reporting to me. Although the three new positions were filled internally by staff, the staff positions those employees previously held have not been cut. There have been no [positions] eliminated, Bidnick said. We have a contract thats going to be coming up, and if there

are going to be changes in job descriptions or removal of a [unionized staff] position, thats the time that it would be negotiated. Bidnick discussed Destiny, the librarys new Online Public Access Catalog system, which has streamlined the check-out and check-in process and aided in refining the librarys budget request for the upcoming year. Bidnick said the new circulation system allows the library to look at the number of actual borrowers we have from each community, and how many items theyve been circulating. This enabled Bidnick to calculate budget requests for the aforementioned five outlying communities based on per capita usage of the library. Before, some communities were paying significantly more than others; now, a per capita figure of around $25 is the same for all five communities. This years budget procedure will be slightly different, according to Bidnick, because the library is shifting from a calendar year budget to a fiscal year (July 1June 30) budget. This will put us on par with the cities and towns that support the library, Bidnick said, which will make our budget planning much more logical and easy. The budget for the first six months of this year is $422,000. As for the 2013/2014 budget, that will be determined after the town meeting. The library did an 8 percent cut in 2012, and we are taking a 5.75 percent cut for the first six months budget of 2013.

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PAG E 12 J A N UA RY 24 FE B RUA RY 6 , 2 013

THE BRIDGE

Wind Power in Vermont: Yes or No?

The Pig Is Out of the Poke
by Steve E. Wright

t is now abundantly clear that the socalled renewable energy industry and its sycophants (the pig in this analogy) has escaped the poke, the sham of effective climate change action in which this industry has swaddled itself for the past 10 years or so. Let me explain. The planet has a serious problem: climate change (global warming to some). We are told by the scientific community that the responsibility for such warming (2012 was the warmest year on record) lies in the byproducts of burning fossil fuels and cutting of forests. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect by reflecting the suns heat back on the earth. It is a serious problem, and according to scientists worldwide, most notably the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is irreversible. The remedy has been to reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned and forests cut. Some of the burning occurs in the generation of electricity, so the

call has been made to the electric industry to convert to renewable sources: no more burning things to generate electricity. Vermont does not generate or import much fossil fuel for generating electricity. The states carbon footprint is the lowest of the 50 states. We do, however, burn fossil fuels to generate other types of energyheat, for example. The sources of 93 percent of Vermonts carbon and greenhouse gas emissions are cars and trucks, home and structural heating and agriculture and commercial/industrial processes. So, to reduce our home-generated emissions, it would make sense to focus on these sources. By the way, electrical generation in Vermontand that importedis only responsible for 4 percent of our total emissions, more reason to focus on those other sources. Thats where the benefit lies. Heres a simple analogy. If you wanted to pick strawberries, would you go to an autoparts store or would you go to a commercial strawberry patch in June? And heres the problem. The renewable industryon its face a good thinghas tasted

the dollar and seeks to gorge itself while the table is heavy with federal subsidies. In Vermont, developing the states meager wind resource means, literally, blowing up mountains in order to affix turbines on these higher elevations. And heres the finale. The wind industrys sales pitch is that building more renewables in Vermont will reduce carbon emissions and hold back climate change. That is the poke in which they, the pigs, have hidden themselves. Such a claim only serves the industry, not an effective climate change strategy and certainly not the people of Vermont and its Green Mountains. Industrial wind is the biggest landscape ripoff in Vermont since sheep and cows denuded the state in the 18th and 19th centuries. Rather than blow up the landscape (in order to save it from climate change, as wind advocates offer), Vermont must reduce

Opinions

carbon emissions at their respective sources, mentioned above. Altering our landscape, especially the uplands, is a ticket to even greater climate change effects. We need this moratorium in order to reassess the existing policy. Senator Bennings bill, S30, will do just that. When someone yells, Jump, jump, jump!, doesnt it make you a bit suspicious of his or her motives? You will hear just this sort of rhetoric from various elements of the renewable folks right here in this newspaper, and it has nothing to do with effective climate change action. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, You can always count on Americans to do the right thingafter theyve tried everything else. Steve E. Wright is president of Ridgeprotectors, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to protect Vermonts ridgelines from industrial and commercial development.

Washington Electric Co-op Opposes a Wind Moratorium

Editors note: What follows is the Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) official statement regarding the proposed wind moratorium. This statement was adopted by the board of directors of WEC on January 9, 2012.

EC reaffirms its support for responsible development of renewable energy generation in Vermont, including commercial scale wind. Climate change is already affecting our planet and its impact is being felt in Vermont. The Vermont Legislature has for many years strongly encouraged and promoted the development of clean and renewable generation sources and set aggressive goals for our state. These goals now also guide and direct Vermonts State Energy Plan. They cannot be achieved without incorporating some commercial scale wind projects into our landscape at selected and appropriate locations. We recognize that the siting of large scale wind projects on Vermont ridgelines has en-

vironmental and aesthetic impact, as does the siting of any power plant, major construction or development. These impacts must be considered and weighed along with the benefits a wind project provides to Vermont and our region. Since 2002, three Vermont Governors have each established an open process for discussing wind siting issues, establishing criteria and encouraging public input. Although the commission established by Governor Shumlin is still at work, the efforts conducted by the Douglas and Dean administrations have been heeded and respected as projects have been considered. Vermont has now been considering, planning, debating, legislating, implementing and regulating wind generation for well over ten years. Vermont should not and has not rolled over for developers of wind projects, and the projects that have been approved have been subjected to tough rigorous review. It would be a serious, regressive and damaging mistake to enact an arbitrary mora-

torium, or to set conditions whose apparent intent is to make sure no wind projects can get built. Climate change is already affecting us, as Vermonters, and as utilities responsible for reliable delivery of power. As Vermont rightly begins to also focus more attention on other uses of energy besides electricity such as transportation, we will see significant new demand for electricity, as much as 30% more for transportation alone. In order to move meaningfully and quickly to a cleaner and sustainable energy future for electricity, thermal and transportation uses, we need to use the full range of renewable generation technologies, small and large. Really tackling climate change is an enormous and urgent undertaking that does call for some industrial-scale measures. It means we may have to look at where some of the power actually comes from, rather than expecting it to come from elsewhere, or just not caring where it comes from. Washington Electric Co-op supports and

will actively participate in efforts to make the siting and approval process for energy generation projects as open and transparent as possible, and to assure that projects that are built meet the highest environmental standards. A moratorium on wind projects is not the way to achieve that goal, or to make progress towards a cleaner, sustainable energy future. Founded in 1939, Washington Electric Cooperative is a consumer-owned electric utility governed by an elected board and serving over 10,500 member households and businesses in 41 towns in Orange, Washington and Caledonia counties. WEC began receiving power from First Winds Sheffield project in October 2011. The co-op owns and operates a landfill gas-generating plant in Coventry and a small hydro facility at the Wrightsville Reservoir. Its other power sources include Vermonts independent power producers, Hydro Quebec and the New York Power Authority (large hydro).

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THE BRIDGE

J A N UA RY 24 F E B RUA RY 6 , 2 013 PAG E 13

Black Males in the Green Mountains

Vermonts Institutional Racism in the 21st Century
intolerance and bigotry. She opens the book reminding the reader that Burlington is known as the birthplace of John Dewey, whose enlightened views about education reached far beyond the Green Mountains to impact schools. Yet there exist many unsavory examples of equitable education deferred for a small but growing population. Black males, especially, have not been treated fairly suffering in silence as a disproportional number are shunted away from opportunities such as college-prep courses and instead, into special education, the principals office, and out the door due to suspension. She goes on to write that her book seeks to answer the question: What is truly going on for black males in Vermont public schools? Only those who were students in public schools across the state can really answer that question, and their perspectives help shed light on the condition of black males in predominantly white rural spheres experiencing similar shifts in racial demographics across the nation. Says Paul C. Gorski, reviewer and founder of EdChange and associate professor of education and social justice at New Century College, George Mason University, What makes Black Males in the Green Mountains important is the authors ability to incorporate contemporary racial equity theory into an exploration of everyday, on-the-ground and place-specific realities, something so often missing from similar works. What makes her book extraordinary is its voice and tone, at once reflective and critical, unsettling and inviting. I cant wait to use this book in my multicultural and social justice education courses! Dunbar traveled to Vermont in the early 1970s following the call to join with both nature and progressive thinkers in a somewhat provincial setting and seeking the touted idyllic lifestyle among the Green Mountains. Over a short period of time, however, the utopian mystique that held me captive wore off, opening my eyes, revealing the states pretty checkered history, in terms of race re-

by Cassandra Hemenway Brush

inesburg resident Denise Helen Dunbar has recently released a scholarly text, analyzing institutional racism in Vermont called Black Males in the Green Mountains. She has received accolades for the book because it not only analyzes Vermonts checkered history with race issues, but it also takes on the first-person perspective from many of the subjects about whom she writes. One voice . . . that is apparently missing from the social discourse in the area of Vermont public schooling, writes Dunbar, is the collective voice of what is in many ways a growing demographic: student voice and students of color voice in particular. As Dunbar herself describes the book: Mention the state of Vermont and images of maple syrup, scenic mountains, and progressive politics come to mind. But in addition to skiing, farming, and fall foliage, there is also a startling history of racial and religious

lations, writes Dunbar in Black Males in the Green Mountains. After many personal hits and misses across the racial divide, I learned rather quickly that there actually exists a uniquely troublesome history, a seamier side of the green mountain state. If there were one critique Id have about this book, it is the price. Published by Peter Lang Publishing in November 2012, the book sells as high as $139 in hardcover but is available in paperback for under $50, fitting in with the standard, expensive, pricing structure for academic texts. Dunbar has 30 years of experience in the field of social justice education, working to facilitate the transformation of equitable communities where all students have opportunities to achieve. A scholar, advocate and consultant, Dunbar founded Just Transformations, an organization dedicated to training educators to successfully foster equity and excellence within their schools.

Ta-dah! Gravity-Fed Randomizojustificator at Studio Place Arts on January 25

ou are invited to attend an opening reception on Friday, January 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Studio Place Arts (SPA) in Barre for an on-the-spot demonstration of the high-teck magic of artist, thinker and innovator Ben Matchsticks Randomizojustificator. The Randomizojustficator: whats that, pray tell? Well, if you drop an infused marble into Cardboard Tecks justificator it will tell you your fortune or, as Matchstick says, . . . it will justify your life, your profession, your family . . . Matchstick says that the justificatory dates back 5,000 years before cardboard. Lets say youre consumed by mad ambition. The justificator will deal with that dangerous passion. Or a genetic anomaly? Drop another infused marble into the justificator. Or you might be suffering from academesia: perhaps you have forgotten every-

thing you once knew about trigonometry or calculus. Not to worry. As Matchstick guarantees, The limitations are endless! The Randomizojustificator is the centerpiece of SPAs main floor gallery exhibit, Thinking Out of the Box, featuring art made from cardboard. Two other shows, featuring collage and photography, will be running concurrent with the cardboard exhibit. In addition to the January 25 opening reception, Matchstick will present additional performances on Saturday, February 2, 2:30 to 4 p.m.; a show for kids on Saturday, February 9, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; a show on Friday, February 15, 3 to 5 p.m., with drinks afterwards; and a closing reception on Saturday, February 23, 3:30 to 5 p.m. The events will take place at SPA, 201 North Main Street in Barre. For more information, call 479-7069 or visit studioplacearts.com. story and photo by Nat Frothingham

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Making Decisions: Advance Directives and End-of-Life Care

by Ken Russell

hen people are faced with serious injury, a terminal illness or any condition requiring heroic measures to stay alive, such as feeding tubes or intubation, sometimes patients, or their families, choose the cessation, or avoidance, of hospital care. For over 30 years, Bettina Desrochers has given end-of-life care and has attended hundreds of peaceful deaths of old and terminally ill patients. For seven years, she ran Elder House, a small hospice and respite care home out of her house. These days she travels the country speaking on end-of-life issues and works as an end-of-life coach. Desrochers talked about the importance of deciding, before you get sick, what kind of treatment you want and of finding an alternative to dying in the hospital. Otherwise, you, or a loved one, can risk getting caught in the health care system, receiving unwanted procedures or being in an environment not of your choosing. Once you get stuck in the medical field, its really hard to get out, said Desrochers. It can be a real nightmare. Theres health care and then theres dying. Sometimes dying has nothing to do with doctors and nothing to do with nurses. Your life is coming to an end. Just being able to go somewhere and die, just being allowed to die, not accepting medical care, making sure the folks around you know what you want and what you dont want, and having good, honest conversations, long before you even think about being sick. Taking a look at your environment, taking a look at yourselfsometimes thats the best thing.

Cindy Bruzzeze, executive director of the Vermont Ethics Network, a nonprofit organization that promotes better understanding of ethical issues and choices in health care, spoke of the need to plan ahead, to decide what medical treatment we want and when to cease it in these difficult situations. She stressed the importance of writing up an advance directive, which can provide a roadmap for health care providers. This is especially important when a patient is too sick to provide direction. The Vermont Advance Directive combines and improves upon the earlier forms, such as a living will or medical durable power of attorney, and is meant to be more enforceable and useful for helping to direct decision making during end-oflife situations. Bruzzeze discussed some of the considerations regarding health care near the end of life and in other situations involving serious illness: Certainly our technology and our medical capabilities are always improving. We can keep people going, probably longer than they would ever imagine they would want to keep going, said Bruzzeze. The medical system is incredibly complex, and I dont think that everyone fully understands what it means when they say, I want everything. If they havent thought about it in advance at all, and then theyre in a critical health crisis and health care providers say, So, what do you want to do?, and the family says, Well, do everything. I dont know if everybody really knows what everything really looks like, what that really means, and that everything isnt really what they had in mind. Like Desrochers, Bruzzeze emphasizes the

need for honest conversations ahead of time. Often I think it boils down to the fact that every treatment has benefits and burdens, and the individual has to try to figure out what kind of burden they are willing to endure for what kind of benefit, said Bruzzeze. At some point, theyre willing to endure quite a bit of burden because the benefit, the payoff, is really good, but at some point, this whole equation kind of flips; the burden begins to outweigh the benefits. So how [do] we [have] these conversations with patients, not when theyre already at the very end of life, but sooner in the process, when theyre beginning to face illnesses that will shorten their life? Advance directives, said Bruzzeze, are an opportunity for individuals to share what their goals and values are when it comes to their health care in different situations. She noted that people generally fall in three categories when it come to treating serious illnesses. At one end of the spectrum are generally young people who want whatever it takes to help them recover; at the other are often older people whove lived a long life, dont want heroic measures and may feel its their time to die. But in the middle is a gray area. I see a whole group of people who think, Well, it just depends, depends on what technologys available at the time, what itll take to have my life be better, said Bruzzeze. In deciding how much care you want to receive, Bruzzeze says it helps to think about possible situations and get specific, to think about what makes life valuable and how you want to live the last period of your life. If you knew your time were short, would you want all of these things anyway, just to extend it? Even if it meant being unconscious in the ICU, would you want that? asked Bruzzeze. I can only speak anecdotally, but I would say that in the majority of the work-

COURTESY DAN BARLOW

shops that I do, about 100 percent say, If my situation were one I could not recover from, I would not want just to exist, just to depend on machines. For family members and health care providers, its important to know what the patient wants. Its not a matter of the medical costs, said Bruzzeze. Its: Did we know whether this is what those people wanted? Are we using those resources even though they didnt even want it? How do we respect those patients preferences? How do we give good patient-centered care that respects their goals and values as they move from being fairly healthy, to being sick enough to die, to being terminally ill? People are all along that continuum, and how do we match the appropriate medical care with their goals and values? For more information on creating an advance directive, go to starttheconversationvt.org.

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J A N UA RY 24 F E B RUA RY 6 , 2 013 PAG E 15

The Montpelier Movement Collective, which will be premiering its new work, Co-Lab 1: The People Gallery, at the MontPolar Frostival, Saturday, February 2.

Upcoming Events
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
Goddess Meditation Group. Join Lydia Russell-McDade for a sacred journey of myth, mantra and meditation exploring the divine feminine in the yogic tradition. Free intro class to a nineweek series. Yoga Mountain Center, 7 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 229-6300, yogamountaincenter.com or saprema-yoga.com. Story Time Dance. Kids age 36 move it, shake it and sing it during a lively hour hosted by the Waterbury Public Library. 1011 a.m. Waterbury Congregational Church. Free, but registration required: 244-7036. Art and Author Night: The Grist Mill Guys. Art opening of Michael Schumachers work, followed by author Vince Feeney reading from his short story The Peddler and the Priest. Refreshments served. 6 p.m. art; 7 p.m. reading. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. Free. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Social Pathways: Transcending Punishment. Explore ways to foster respectful and harmonious relationships within our school communities. Cohosted by Orchard Valley Waldorf School and Wellspring Waldorf School. 6:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, Barre. Free. cathy.d@ovws.org. Full Moon Snowshoe Hike. Explore Montpeliers hillsides by lunar light with nature center sta. Night activities illuminate how wildlife survives the long nights of winter. Snowshoes and hot chocolate provided. 78:30 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-6206.

Stand-up Comedy with Jason Lorber. Jason has opened for Joan Rivers, headlined at the Green Mountain Comedy Festival and triumphed at the Vermonts Funniest Comic Contest (advancing to New England Funniest Comic in February). 7:30 p.m. Chandler Upper Gallery, 7173 Main Street, Randolph. $12. Tickets at 728-6464.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26

Craft Workshop. Sue Premore shows teens and adults how to make beaded jewelry. All materials provided. 911 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free, but registration required: 244-7036. Free Womens Car Care Clinic. 9 a.m.noon. Auto Craftsmen, 326 State Street, Montpelier. autocraftsmen.com. Central Vermont Seed Swap. Get ready for the gardening season: bring labeled, non-GMO seeds purchased or saved from your own plants and pick out new ones (extras donated by High Mowing Seeds). Potluck soup lunch, veggie slaw demo, kids crafts, minifarmers market and more. 11 a.m.2 p.m. Old Labor Hall. Granite Street, Barre. 279-7518 or granitecitycoopvt@gmail.com. Wisdom of the Herbs School Open House. Learn about the schools unique nature-based experiential programs, eight-month certication program and wild edibles spring intensive. 13 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. Free. wisdomoftheherbsschool.com. Mad Hatters Tea Party. Wear a hat or costume that reects your love of theater for the annual meeting of the Montpelier Theatre Guild. Prizes for best hat or costume, election of new ocers, theater games, a bit of business, refreshments and a singalong. 13 p.m. Auditorium, Union Elementary School, Montpelier. facebook.com/montpeliertheatreguild.

Bob and the Trubadors. Bob Murray, Jeremiah McLane and Jim Goss oer up a fertile brew of original folk-based music inspired by archetypal dreamwork, with shades of blues, jazz and world music. 13 p.m. Red Hen Caf. 961 Route 2, Middlesex. 2235200. Everybody Wins! Vermonts Eighth Annual Read-A-Thon. Family fun with entertainment by the Swing Peepers, prizes and refreshments. Help break last years record of 990 books read. 13:30 p.m. National Life Building, 1 National Life Drive, Montpelier. Pledge collecting encouraged (but not required): National Life will match all funds donated. 229-2665, info@evwt.org or ewvt.org. What Is a Movement? A Community Conversation. Reections on contemporary social movements, discussion of what weve learned, whats unnished business and how our movements can ow together. Everyone welcome: labor, civil rights, peace, womens, environmental, indigenous, gay, occupy, etc. 35 p.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. Tea Intensive Class: Oolong. Tea taster and importer Matthew Frayer of Stoneleaf Tea House leads an exploration of the wide spectrum of Chinese and Taiwanese oolong teas. 4 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. $15. Preregister at 223-0043. Yoga Workshop: What Is a Bandha and How Do I Do It? Learn how to engage core energy centers, work with bandhas and meditate comfortably. 68 p.m. Studio Zenith, 50 Main Street, Montpelier. $25. Katy, 272-8923 or fusionstudio.org. Annual Latin Dinner and Dance. The U-32 High School music department presents a gourmet Mexican meal with live Latin music, followed by a brief lesson in Latin dance styles, such as meringue, salsa and cha-cha, and continuing with Latin grooves into the evening. 6:30 p.m. U-32 High School, 930 Gallison Hill road, Montpelier. $15 adults, $7 students, $35 family. Reserve ticket with Sara, 223-0321, ext. 5179, or swolf@u32.org. Free Movie Showing: Repo Man. Emilia Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton star in this classic tale of young punks caught up in a bizarre hunt for a car with an alien in the trunk. Part of the Punk Movie Nights series. 7 p.m. Sovversiva Open Space, 89 Barre Street, Montpelier. Worst. Song. Ever. Perform a cover version of a bad pop song. Bring your own musical instrument(s) or sing a cappella. Audience voting and trophies for best, worst and more! 7 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 136 North Main Street, Barre. Free. Advance sign-up required: 4790896 or playtrivia@gmail.com. Simone Dinnerstein. Chandler audiences welcome this extraordinary pianist back for a performance of Bachs Goldberg Variations. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 7173 Main Street, Randolph. $32 in advance, $35 day of show. Tickets at 728-6464 or chandler-arts.org. Dance Party. Party with DJ Tater Tachoo (otherwise known as DJ Square-Hip). Animal theme. 8 p.m. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre Street, Montpelier. $5 suggested donation; benets the Freeride Bicycle Co-op. Traditional New England Dance. Adina Gordon calls an uncommonly good selection of old and unusual dances to tunes by the Homegrown Chestnuts house band (musicians welcome to see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 16

COURTESY CD&FS

27. Hours: Thursdays, 26 p.m.; FridaySunday, 10 a.m.6 p.m. blinkinglightgallery.com. CHANDLER GALLERY 20-30 / 2D-3D, juried show of work in a variety of media by Vermont artists in their 20s and 30s. 7173 Main Street, Randolph. Through March 13. Hours: Friday, 35 p.m.; SaturdaySunday, noon2 p.m. 431-0204 or outreach@chandler-arts.org. CITY CENTER Cabin Fever: Love It or Leave It, group show by the Art Resource Association. 89 Main Street, Montpelier. Reception during Art Walk, Friday, February 1, 48 p.m. artresourceassociation.com.
COURTESY DOMINIQUE GUSTIN

NYC through February 2; Good Eats February 2March 2. curator@capitolgrounds.com. RIVER ARTS CENTER Abstract paintings by Stowe artist Lisa Forster Beach. Left, Cultural Energy. 74 Pleasant Street (upstairs), Morrisville. February 7March 25. Reception Thursday, February 7, 57 p.m. Hours: MondayFriday, 10 a.m.2 p.m. 888-1261 or riverartsvt.org. STOREFRONT STUDIO GALLERY New, experimental public studio/gallery by

Abstracts by Michael Lew-Smith. 201 North Main Street, Barre. Through February 23. Reception Friday, January 25, 57 p.m. 479-7069 or studioplacearts.com. SULLIVAN MUSEUM & HISTORY CENTER Useful and Elegant Accomplishments, landscape drawings by 19th-century Norwich University alumni and their contemporaries. Norwich University, Northeld. Through June. 485-2183 or norwich.edu/museum. THREE MOUNTAIN CAFE Seen in Vermont, plein air paintings in oils and pastels by Jan Ghiringhelli. 107 Mad River Green, Waitseld. Through February 3. 496-5470 or 229-5209. TULSI TEA ROOM Shades of Pussy, delicate owers in watercolor by Fiona Sullivan. 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. February 1March 31. Reception during Art Walk, Friday, February 1, 48 p.m. onasullivan.net. VERMONT HISTORY MUSEUM Freedom & Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories, experience a full-sized Abenaki wigwam, a recreation of the Catamount Tavern, a railroad station complete with working telegraph, a World War II living room and more. 109 State Street, Montpelier. $5 adults, $12 families; free admission during Art Walk, Friday, February 1, 4-7 p.m. 828-2291. VERMONT SUPREME COURT The Eye of Senator Leahy, Patrick Leahys photographs of people both illustrious and ordinary from his insiders perspective. 111 State Street (rst-oor lobby), Montpelier. Through February 28. Hours: MondayFriday, 8 a.m.4:30 p.m. 828-0749.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE & FITNESS STUDIO Ever Moving . . . Ever Changing, digital art photos by Linda Hogan. 18 Langdon Street (third oor), Montpelier. Through February 25. 229-4676 or cdandfs.com.

Art & Exhibits

BIGTOWN GALLERY Holiday show of small works by BigTown Gallery artists. 99 North Main Street, Rochester. Extended through February. Hours: Wednesday Friday, 10 a.m.5 p.m.; Saturday, noon 5 p.m. 767-9670, info@bigtowngallery.com or bigtowngallery.com. BLINKING LIGHT GALLERY Photographs by Theodore Teo Kaye, featuring highlights from his travel and work in Central Asia. 16 Main Street, Plaineld. Through January

FESTIVAL GALLERY Intertwined, a collection of innovative work from 12 of Vermonts premiere ber artists. 2 Village Square, Waitseld. Through March 9. 485-9650 or vermontartfest.com. GOVERNORS GALLERY Eye of the Beholder, pastels by local artists Anne Unangst, Cindy Grith and Marcia Hill comparing the same scene in their dierent styles. 109 State Street (fth oor), Montpelier. Photo ID required for admission. Through March. Reception Tuesday, January 29, 35 p.m. 828-0749. GREEN BEAN ART GALLERY NYC 19982012, photographs of Manhattan by Amy Lee, followed by Good Eats, playful food-inspired sculpture by Mary Jo Krolewski. Capitol Grounds, 27 State Street, Montpelier.

COURTESY GLEN COBURN HUTCHESON

artist Glen Coburn Hutcheson. Drawings, paintings, sculpture and more. 6 Barre Street, Montpelier. Opening during Art Walk, Friday, February 1. Hours: MondayFriday, 36 p.m. 839-5349 or gchneart.com STORROW & MANEY STUDIO Works by Missy Storrow. 108 Main Street (above Three Penny Taproom), Montpelier. Open studio during Saturday, February 2, 36 p.m. carystorrowart.com. STUDIO PLACE ARTS Thinking Out of the Box, art made from cardboard; Winter: 20 Years of Collaged Postcards by Beth Barndt (through February 6: followed by Inspiration by Dennis Hedding); and Accidental

PAG E 16 J A N UA RY 24 FE B RUA RY 6 , 2 013

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UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 15 sit in). No experience needed. Bring shoes not worn outdoors and dessert to share. 811 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. dance instruction/refresher. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northeld Street), Berlin. $4$8 at the door; $20 family. Merry, 225-8921.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27

Ski for Heat. Trail fees go toward heating-fuel assistance in central Vermont and will be matched up to $5,000 by the WARMTH fund at Green Mountain Power. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Morse Farm Ski Touring Center, Montpelier. Kate, 793-7674 or kate.sfh. cv@gmail.com. skiforheat.org. Feldenkrais: Pelvis Power. Rene your ability to sense and work with the muscles of the pelvic oor and the surrounding muscle structures. Also benecial for those with hip or lower back pain. 1:303:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center, 7 Main Street, Montpelier. $30. Register at 735-370 or info@vermontfeldenkrais.com. Ice on Fire: Winter Festival. A snowy celebration of community: childrens activities, winter games, theater, song and storytelling, food, hot beverages and more. Snowshoes provided; bring cross-country skis and sleds. 25 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm Street, Montpelier. $1$5 suggested donation. 223-0577. New Community Members Potluck Dinner. Bring a dish to share (with an ingredient list) and your own plate, bowl, cup and utensils. Plaineld residents of any duration welcome: lets get acquainted! 6 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151 High Street (Route 2), Plaineld. Free. 454-8504, cutler.library@yahoo.com, or cutlerlibrary.org.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28

Homeschoolers Book Circle. Read The Wanderer, by Sharon Creech, with other homeschooled/unschooled readers age 712. Books available for loan at the library. 11 a.m.noon. Kellogg-Hubbard childrens library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Linda, 223-4665. Herbal Support for Wintertime Sleep. With Rebecca Dalgin, clinical herbalist. Learn about herbal support for healthy sleep while sampling relaxing herbal teas. 57 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $8 co-op member-owners, $10 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or info@hungermountain.com. Adult Book Group. Copies of the book available at the library. New members welcome. 78 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, Old Schoolhouse Common, Marsheld. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclib rary@gmail.com. Event happens every fourth Monday.

Street, Barre. Register at 479-9813 or info@vwbc.org. vwbc.org. Sponsored by the Vermont Womens Business Center: Montessori Elementary Curriculum Panel Discussion. Montessori educators present an overview of the curriculum, the preparation of the child and the practical application of the philosophy and method being used at the Montpelier Montessori School. 5:307 p.m. Montpelier Montessori School, 89 Karl Circle, Berlin. Free. 223-3320 or info@mscvt.org. Flower Essence Clinic for the Winter Blues. With Fearn Lickeld, certied ower essence practitioner. Take home a custom blend of ower essences and tools to remember your radiance and resilience. 67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 co-op member-owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or info@hungermountain.com. Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program Open House. For youth age 1218 interested in learning more about aviation, leadership and service through the cadet program of the Civil Air Patrol. 68:30 p.m. National Guard Readiness and Regional Technology Center, Cram Drive, Norwich University, Northeld. 426-3159 or gocivilairpatrol.com. Business Building Blocks: Finding Your Market. Learn how to get your business known so customers will come to you. 68:30 p.m. Central Vermont Community Action, 195 Route 302, Berlin. Free, but registration required: sign up with Margaret, 477-5214, 800-843-8397 or mferguson@cvcac.org. Turn Your Lawn into Eden! David Fried, founder of Elmore Roots, talks about turning your lawn into a edible landscape and what fruit trees, berries and nut trees are the easiest to grow. 6:308 p.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. Pat, 496-5965. Sponsored by the central Vermont chapter of the UVM Extension Master Gardener program. Jews in Early Modern Europe. Historian Lars Nielsen describes the uneven evolution of Jewish hardship and opportunity in a European landscape marked by change and continuity. Part one of a four-part Jews in History series. 6:308:30 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison Avenue, Montpelier. Free. 279-7518 or bethjacobvt.org. A Vermont Humanities Council program.

Waterbury: The First 125 Years. Kick o Waterburys 250th year with a slide show and historical narrative of Waterbury by David Luce and Betty Jones. Winter meeting of the Waterbury Historical Society precedes program. Refreshments served. 7 p.m. meeting; 7:30 p.m. program. Senior Center, Stowe Street, Waterbury. Free. 244-8089.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29

Telemark and Alpine Touring Ski Demo. With Clearwater Sports and G3 Ski Company. 10 a.m.3 p.m. Mad River Glen. Free. 496-2708 or clearwatersports.com. Business Wisdom Circle. Lightly structured networking and mentoring opportunity for women in business to learn and share with each other. 46 p.m. Quarry Grill and Tavern, Main

Craftsbury Marathon Waxing Clinic. Swix/Toko rep and expert wax technician Drew Gelinas covers the techniques needed to make your cross-country skis as fast as possible for this years race. 6 p.m. Onion River Sports, 20 Langdon Street, Montpelier. Free. Matt, 229-9409 or events@onionriver.com Free Movie: Beyond Conviction. The Montpelier Community Justice Center presents this lm about resolution and healing through victim-oender dialogue. Discussion and refreshments follow. 6:308:30 p.m. Memorial Room, City Hall, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-9606 or jgibson@montpelier-vt.org. Film Discussion Series: Callas Forever. A homage to internationally acclaimed opera diva Maria Callas. Discussion moderated by lm acionado and library director Richard Bidnick. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org. Event happens every last Wednesday through May.

Improving Transportation Efficiency in Central Vermont. Presentation and dialogue on how to improve transportation in the region. Hear about business success stories and learn about incentives and free resources to reduce the cost and environmental impacts of transportation. 5:307:30 p.m. National Life Cafeteria, National Life Drive, Montpelier. Deb, 658-8487 or dsachs@ecostrategiesllc.com. Sponsored by Go Vermont. Do-It-Yourself Localvore Body Care Series: From the Neck Down. With Dana Woodru, community herbalist and health educator. Using pronounceable, familiar and ethical ingredients, learn how to make your own massage oils, deodorant, body butter, scrubs and more. 67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 co-op member-owners, $12 nonmembers, or two Onion River Exchange hours. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or info@hungermountain.com. The Life and Training of a Modern Druid. Find out more about the Green Mountain Druid Order, a school of druidry and a vibrant earth-based spiritual community in Worcester, and learn about a new druid class starting in March. 68 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. Fearn, 5058011 or fearnessence@gmail.com, or greenmountaindruidorder.org. Film Screening: Wake Up Darkness. A documentary by Sterling College alum Israel Kacyvenski of a Christian fundamentalists personal apocalypse when faced with scientic ideas by 11 of Americas top thinkers on religion, psychology, physics, disease, evolution and humanitys place and purpose in the cosmos. Followed by a conversation with the lmmaker. 6:30 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org. Off Piste in the Alps. Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson present a multimedia slide show of their bicycle-powered skiing adventures in Switzerland and Italy, followed by a rae of gear and tickets for outdoor adventure. 78:45 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Free; rae tickets $5. emberphoto.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1

MontPolar Frostival. Kick o the winter festival with a bluegrass coeehouse, a jazz dance and concert, Montpelier Art Walk or the fancy-dress Snow Ball. Full schedule on the back cover of this issue or at montpelieralive.org. Festival continues Saturday, January 2, and Sunday, January 3. Reiki Clinic. With Lynne Ihlstrom, reiki master. Noon4 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. $15 for a half-hour session; walk-ins welcome or make an appointment at 522-0045. Kava Kava Cocktail Night. Herbal infusions and elegant cocktails mixed from the kava kava root, renowned for its euphoric and relaxing properties, complemented by raw desserts and confec Alchoholics Anonymous, Sundays, 8:30 a.m. Making Recovery Easier workshops, Tuesdays, 67:30 p.m. Wits End Parent Support Group, Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous, Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Open daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main Street, Barre. 479-7373. Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming overeating. Fridays, noon1 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-3079.

Support Groups
BEREAVEMENT
Bereavement Support Group. For anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Every other Monday, 68 p.m., through December 17. Every other Wednesday, 1011:30 a.m., through December 12. Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre. Ginny, 223-1878. Bereaved Parents Support Group. Facilitated by Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice (CVHHH). Second Wednesdays, 68 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Road, Berlin. Jeneane Lunn, 793-2376. Survivors of Suicide. Facilitated by Cory Gould. Third Thursdays, 56:30 p.m. Board room, Central Vermont Medical Center, Fisher Road, Berlin. Karen, 229-0591.

1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. 225-5449. Cancer Support Group. Third Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Potluck. For location, call Carole MacIntyre, 229-5931. Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Group. Third Wednesdays, 68 p.m. Conference room 2, Central Vermont Medical Center. 872-6308 or 866-466-0626 (press 3).

DISASTER

Hurricane Irene Support Group for Recovery Workers. Get peer support and help processing emotions, strengthen relationships and learn coping skills. Every other Monday, 3:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. 279-4670. Hurricane Irene Support Group. Share your story, listen to others, learn coping skills, build community and support your neighbors. Refreshments provided. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Berlin Elementary School. 279-8246.

CANCER

KIDS

Kindred Connections. For anyone aected by cancer. Get help from Kindred Connections members who have been in your shoes. A program of the Vermont Cancer Survivor Network. Call Sherry, 479-3223, for more information. vcsn.net. Living with Advanced or Metastatic Cancer. Second Tuesdays, noon to 1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. Lunch provided. 225-5449. Writing to Enrich Your Life. For anyone aected by cancer. Third Tuesdays, noon

Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. First Wednesdays, 10 a.m.noon, Barre Presbyterian Church, Summer Street. Second Tuesdays, 68 p.m., Wesley Methodist Church, Main Street, Waterbury. Third Thursdays, 68 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street. Child care provided in Montpelier and Waterbury. Evelyn, 476-1480.

Bancroft; day group facilitated by Kathy Grange and Jane Hulstrunk. Evening group meets rst Mondays, 5:307:30 p.m., DisAbility Rights of Vermont, 141 Main Street, Suite 7, Montpelier, 800-834-7890, ext. 106. Day group meets rst and third Thursdays, 1:302:30 p.m., Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier, 244-6850. NAMI Vermont: Connection. A peer-led, recovery-oriented group for individuals living with mental illness. First and third Thursdays, 67:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 800-639-6480 or connection@namivt.org. NAMI Vermont Family Support Group. Support group for families and friends of individuals living with mental illness. Fourth Mondays, 7 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center, room 3, Berlin. 800-639-6480 or namivt.org. Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With Lisa Mas of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wednesdays, 4:306 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. lisamase@gmail.com. Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on self-management. Open to anyone with diabetes and their families. Third Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. The Health Center, Plaineld. Free. Don, 3226600 or dgrabowski@the-health-center.org. Diabetes Support Group. First Thursdays, 78 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. 371-4152.

SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY

HEALTH

RECOVERY

Brain Injury Support Groups. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Evening group facilitated by Marsha

Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place for individuals and their families in or seeking recovery.

Womens Group. Women age 40 and older explore important issues and challenges in their lives in a warm and supportive environment. Faciliatated by Amy Emler-Shaer and Julia W. Gresser. Wednesday evenings. 41 Elm Street, Montpelier. Call Julia, 262-6110, for more information. Mens Group. Men discuss challenges of and insights about being male. Wednesdays, 6:158:15 p.m. 174 Elm Street, Montpelier. Interview required: contact Neil, 223-3753. National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier Chapter. First Saturdays. Lane Shops community room, 1 Mechanic Street, Montpelier. 229-0093. Families of Color. Open to all. Play, eat and discuss issues of adoption, race and multiculturalism. Bring snacks and games to share; dress for the weather. Third Sundays, 35 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Alyson, 439-6096 or alyson@suncatchervt.com.

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tions. Coincides with art opening; see Exhibits section for more info. 69 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. Free; cocktails and desserts for sale. 223-0043. Naturalist Journeys Lecture Series: The Geology of the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Greg Walsh, local geologist with the USGS, transports the audience to northern Africa in his lecture/slideshow. 7 pm. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. By donation. North Branch Nature Center, 229-6206. Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages. 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street, Montpelier (park and enter at rear). Free. Dick, 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@comcast.net. Event happens every rst Friday.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2

MontPolar Frostival. A full day of active fun for the whole familyincluding a snowshoe obstacle course, a 5K race, dancing, tness classes, sledding, skating, hiking and morefollowed by a chili dinner, a contemporary dance premiere by the Montpelier Movement Collective, the Extempo storytelling tell-o, contra dancing, a casino night and more. Full schedule on the back cover of this issue or at montpelieralive.org. Festival continues Sunday, January 3. Green Mountain Club Snowshoe Festival. Beat cabin fever with free snowshoe demos, o-campus guided hikes, events for younger adventurers, a bonre, nature hikes and tracking tutorials, dog sledding and live bird-on-glove demonstrations. 8:30 a.m.5 p.m. GMC headquarters, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road (Route 100), Waterbury Center. $8 GMC members, $10 nonmembers. Megan, 244-7037, or Nika, 241-8327. Travel Talk: Palestine and Israel. Yvonne and Sandra Lory give a slideshow presentation of the West Bank, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea through rsthand experience of the landscape, healing plants and foods. 13 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free; donations for Herbalists Without Borders are welcome. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or info@hungermountain.com. Plant Spirit Yoga. Join yoga teacher and herbalist Lydia Russell-McDade for a cleansing and clearing yoga practice with the spirit of birch in celebration of Imbolc. Intermediate-level asana class, full of stories, myths and lore. 35 p.m. Yoga Mountain center, 7 Main Street, Montpelier. $20. Preregistration required at yogamountaincenter.com. 229-6300 or saprema-yoga.com. Occupy Central Vermont: General Assembly. 35 p.m. Guerrilla garden park, next to Charlie Os, Main Street, Montpelier. Heather, facilitation@occupycentralvt.org. Event happens every rst Saturday. Getting Ready to Meet the Future: Transition Town in Vermont. Gail England talks about the Transition Town movement and how it is preparing Vermonters to adapt to whatever the future brings. Potluck follows. 5:30 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Northeld Street (Route 12), Berlin. Free. Marj, 229-0782. Yoga Workshop: Safe Headstands. For those who have been practicing yoga for two years or longer. 68 p.m. Studio Zenith, 50 Main Street, Montpelier. $25. Katy, 272-8923 or fusion studio.org. Groundhog Day DJ Dance and Potluck. Potluck dinner, screening of the lm Groundhog Day and dancing to tunes

by DJ Richard Pitonyak. Benets post-Irene refurbishment of the Moretown Town Hall kitchen. Coee, tea and hot cocoa provided. 610 p.m. Moretown Town Hall. By donation. Pat, 496-5965. Shape-Note Sing. Ian Smiley leads tunes from The Sacred Harp. All welcome; no experience necessary. Event happens by RSVP only: please call or e-mail to conrm. 6:308 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. By donation. Ian, 882-8274 or smileyira@gmail.com. Event happens every rst and third Saturday. Contra Dance. All dances taught; no partner necessary. All ages welcome. Bring shoes not worn outdoors. 811 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northeld Street), Berlin. $8. 7446163 or capitalcitygrange.org. Event happens every rst, third and fth Saturday. The Last Ride of Buck Corduroy: A Country Music Saga. A tribute to country music and the way it aects our lives. Brought to you by the same folks who created last years Blues Brothers performance, this original show features a full band and 22 original songs by local songwriters. 8 p.m. Barre Opera House. $18; four for $54. Tickets at 476-8188.

COURTESY KIM SMITH

Parade at the Ice on Fire festival, happening Sunday, January 27, in Montpelier.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3

MontPolar Frostival. Wrap up three days of winter fun with a winter bike race, contact improv, unicycling, swimming and more. Full schedule on the back cover of this issue or at montpelieralive.org. Montessori Open House. For children age 312 and their families interested in the Montessori approach to education. 10 a.m.noon. Montpelier Montessori School, 89 Karl Circle, Berlin. Free. 223-3320 or info@mscvt.org. Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus: From the Romantics to the Present. Works by Wagner, Beethoven and Schubert, paired with Blue Cathedral by contemporary composer Jennifer Higdon. 2 p.m. Barre Opera House. $15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 for students. Tickets at 476-8188, vermontphilharmonic.org or at the door. Family Circus Sunday. A monthly gathering of folks interested in unicycle riding, juggling and slack-lining. For all ages; beginners invited. Equipment provided; bring your bike helmet. 4:306 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Gym, 55 Barre Street. $2 individual, $5 family. 223-3456. Event happens every rst Sunday.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Parents Group and Meet-Up. For central Vermont moms and dads looking to share ideas, advice and information. Kids welcome. Coee, tea and snacks provided. 1011:30 a.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. mamasayszine@gmail.com. Event happens every rst Monday. Classic Book Club. 6 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plaineld. Free. Daniel, 793-0418. Event happens every rst Monday.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Cross-Country Ski with the Montpelier Section of the Green Mountain Club. Moderate outing at Stowe Mountain Resort. Various distances. Pass or trail fee required; come for a full day or a half day starting at 1:30 p.m. Contact leader Fred Jordan, 223-3935, for meeting time and place. POSITIVE PIE 2 22 State Street, Montpelier. 229-0453 or positivepie.com. Saturday, January 26 Mint Julep (jazz/swing/Latin), 10:30 p.m., no cover Friday, February 1 First Friday dance party with DJ Bay 6 and DJ Jah B, 10 p.m., 21+, no cover Saturday, February 2 Zach Dupont Band (contemporary folk/ singer-songwriter), 10:30 p.m., 21+, $5 SKINNY PANCAKE 89 Main Street, Montpelier. 262-2253 or skinnypancake.com. Every Wednesday Jay Ekis (country/blues) Every Sunday Old-time sessions with Katie Trautz and friends, 46 p.m. (intermediate to advanced players welcome to sit in) THE WHAMMY BAR Maple Corner Caf, 31 West County Road, Calais. All events free unless otherwise noted. 229-4329. Every Tuesday Trivia night, 6:30 p.m. Every Wednesday Open mic, 6:30 p.m. Friday, January 25 Big Hat, No Cattle (country/Western swing), 7 p.m.

Beating the Sugar Blues for Valentines Day. With Marie Frohlich, health coach. Drink chaga chai, learn how to make delicious herbal bonbons and explore ways to help make your digestion valentine-healthy. Bring your own favorite sweet recipe for a healthy makeover. 5:307 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 co-op member-owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or info@hungermountain.com. Womens Circle. Women and mothers discuss all things related to the childbearing years. Women only, please; children are welcome. Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and Hannah Allen. 68 p.m. Emerge Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River Street, Montpelier.Event happens every rst Tuesday. Author Reading and Signing: Sarah Gillen. The Montpelier-based marriage and family therapist introduces her new book, From Hurt to Joy. 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 229-0774. The Abolitionists: Hear the Panelists! Screening of excerpts from the new PBS miniseries The Abolitionists, followed by discussion with local abolition scholars Jane Williamson, Ray Zirblis and Lyn Blackwell. 7 p.m. Vermont History Center, 60 Washington Street, Barre. Free. Amanda, 828-2180.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Live Music
BAGITOS 28 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-9212 or bagitos.com. Every Wednesday Blues jam with the Usual Suspects and friends, 68 p.m. Every Saturday Irish/Celtic session, 25 p.m. Friday, January 25 The Hubcats, 68 p.m. Saturday, January 26 David Kraus and John LaRouche, 68 p.m. Sunday, January 27 Brunch with Eric Friedman, 11 a.m.1 p.m. Tuesday, January 29 Michael Jermyn and friends, 68 p.m. Thursday, January 31 Ken Tonnissen, 68 p.m. Friday, February 1 Generations, 68 p.m. Saturday, February 2 Charlie Messing, 68 p.m. Sunday, February 3 Brunch with Molly Durnin, 11 a.m.1 p.m. Tuesday, February 5 Smooth Jazz, 68 p.m. Thursday, February 7 Colin McCarey and friends, 68 p.m.

BIG PICTURE THEATER 48 Carroll Road (just o Route 100), Waitseld. 496-8994 or bigpicturetheater .info. Wednesday, January 30 Valley Night with Jacob Green (acoustic/roots) CHARLIE OS 70 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-6820. Every Monday Trivia Every Sunday All-request dance party Wednesday, January 30 Abby Jenne (solo acoustic) Thursday, January 31 Mr. Yee and Danny Bick (hip-hop) Friday, February 1 Starline Rhythm Boys (honky-tonk/rockabilly), 9:30 p.m. CIDER HOUSE RESTAURANT Route 2, Waterbury. 244-8400, Every Saturday, February 2March 2 Dan Boomhower (piano), 6 p.m.close NUTTY STEPHS CHOCOLATERIE Route 2, Middlesex. All shows 710 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 229-2090 or nuttystephs.com. Every Thursday Bacon Thursday, live music and hot conversation, 6 p.m.midnight POSITIVE PIE 69 Main Street, Plaineld. positivepie.com. Thursday, January 31 Open pick night (acoustic jam), 7:30 p.m.

Small-Town Newspaper Challenges in the Electronic Dawn. Presented by editor Steven Pappas. Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 1:30 p.m.; doors open at 12:30 for brown-bag lunch. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. $5 suggested donation. Whole series: $40 single, $70 couple; half price for rst-time attendees. 223-1736 or clb247@cornell. edu. Series continues every Wednesday through May 8. Apples and Honey Family Program: Preparing for Purim. Families with children of all ages experience the joys of being Jewish. 56:30 p.m. Montpelier. Suggested donation $22 per family. To register or for more information, contact Tobie, 223-0583. Winter Wellness: Community Herbalism Workshop. With Shona MacDougall, clinical herbalist. Learn how to keep your whole family healthy with tonic herbs, supplesee UPCOMING EVENTS, page 18

Theater
AUDITIONS FOR THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Echo Valley Community Arts seeks singers for leads and chorus. Performance dates are October 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13. Saturday, January 26, 10 a.m.2 p.m. Taplin Auditorium, Christ Church, State Street, Montpelier. For more information or a private audition, call Naomi Flanders, director, at 2256471. EDWINAS FOLLY Plaineld Little Theatres premiere production of a new play by Vermont playwright Tom Blachly, in which the matriarch of a small rural community theater in Vermont has died, and her grown childen and the actors are left to pick up the pieces. ThursdaySaturday, 7 p.m., February 716. Union Elementary School Auditorium, 1 Park Avenue, Montpelier. $15 adults, $12 students/seniors, $10 children 12 and younger. Tickets at 426-3955 or blachly@together.net.

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UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 17 ments and superfoods. 68 p.m. Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, 250 Main Street (suite 302), Montpelier. $10 VCIH members, $12 nonmembers. Preregistration required: 244-7100 or info@vtherbcenter.org. vtherbcenter.org. Classic Film Night. Showing of the 1952 Western directed by Fred Zinneman and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly (call the library for the title), followed by discussion with Tom Blachly and Rick Winston. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. Free. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@ gmail.com. Calvin Coolidge: More Than Two Words. Drawing from Coolidges letters, speeches, press conferences and autobiography, Jim Cooke brings Coolidge to life and helps us understand why Will Rogers said, Mr. Coolidge has more subtle humor than almost any public man I ever met. 7:30 p.m. State House, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org. A Vermont Humanities Council program.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Summer Reading Program Planning Meeting. Bring your ideas for activities and plans for the summers theme of Dig into Reading. 6:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard childrens library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Linda, 223-4665. Jewish Genealogy: The Greenbergs of Piater/Lost and Found. Fern Blood shares her genealogy research in present-day Ukraine and her personal quest to research her roots. Diane Sophrin has spent 10 years tracing the threads of her family back to Europe. Both will share information on their sources and recent ndings. 6:308 p.m. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison Avenue, Montpelier. Free. 279-7518 or bethjacobvt.org. Local Author Series: Book Reading by Robert Belenky. Belenky presents his book Collective Memories of a Lost Paradise: Jewish Agricultural Settlements in Ukraine During the 1920s and 1930s, documenting a personal and poignant journey and stories told by people whom time and history would have forgotten. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org.

Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teaching, fellowship. 79 p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel Drive, Barre. Free. 479-0302. Event happens every rst and third Thursday.

Submit Your Event!

Send listings to calendar@montpelierbridge.com. The deadline for our next issue, February 7, is Friday, February 1. 50 words or less, please. Listings may be edited for length, clarity or style. Events happening in Montpelier have priority, then events in surrounding communities. High-resolution photos also welcome for possible use. Have a class series youd like to advertise? Get it in the classifieds: call Carolyn at 223-5112, ext. 11.

Weekly Events
BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Have a bike to donate or need help with a bike repair? Visit the volunteer-run community bike shop. Mondays and Wednesdays, 57 p.m.; Tuesdays, 68 p.m. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre Street, Montpelier. By donation. 552-3521 or freeridemontpelier.org.

HEALTH

Free HIV Testing. Vermont CARES oers fast oral testing. Thursdays, 25 p.m. 58 East State Street, suite 3 (entrance at the back), Montpelier. vtcares.org. Affordable Acupuncture. Full acupuncture sessions with Chris Hollis and Trish Mitchell. Mondays and Wednesdays, 27 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.2 p.m. 79 Main Street, suite 8 (above Coee Corner), Montpelier. $15$40 sliding scale. Walk in or schedule an appointment at montpeliercommunityacupuncture.com.

LANGUAGE

English Conversation Practice Group. For students learning English for the rst time. Tuesdays, 45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State Street. Sarah, 223-3403. Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and practice your language skills with neighbors. Noon1 p.m. Mondays, Hebrew. Tuesdays, Italian. Wednesdays, Spanish. Thursdays, French. Fridays, German. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 223-3338.

SPIRITUALITY

BOOKS

The Basement Teen Center. Cable Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your TV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun reading and share some good books. Books events for teenagers. MondayThursday, 36 p.m.; chosen by group. Thursdays, 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learn- Friday, 311 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-9151. ing Center, 100 State Street. 223-3403. Story Time at the Waterbury Public Library. Mondays, age 1836 months. Wednesdays, age 018 months. Fridays, age 36 Beaders Group. All levels of beading experi- years. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free. 244-7036. ence welcome. Free instruction available. Come with a project for creativity and community. Sat- Story Time at the Kellogg-Hubbard urdays, 11 a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plaineld. Library. Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. 454-1615. 223-4665. Events for Teens at the Aldrich Library. No-obligations teen book club on Mondays; game night on Wednesdays. 5 p.m. Ecstatic Dance. Freestyle boogie with Aldrich Public Library, Barre. 476-7550. DJ using Gabrielle Roths meditative dance form, 5Rhythms. Wednesdays, 79 p.m. First Youth Group. Games, movies, snacks and and third Wednesdays: Worcester Town Hall, music. Mondays, 79 p.m. Church of the Crucied corner of Elmore Road and Calais Road; second One, Route 100, Moretown. 496-4516. and fourth Wednesdays: Plaineld Community Story Time and Playgroup. For chilCenter (above the co-op). $10. Fearn, 505-8011 or dren age 06. Story with Sylvia Smith, followed fearnessence@gmail.com. by playtime with Melissa Seifert. Wednesdays, 1011:30 a.m.; program follows the Twineld calendar and is not held on weeks when the school is closed. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Free Community Meals in MontpeMarsheld. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gm lier. All welcome. ail.com. Mondays: Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Baby Play Playgroup. For children birth 11 a.m.1 p.m. to age 3 and their adults. Thursdays, 9:3011 Tuesdays: Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, a.m., through June 13. St. Augustines Church, 11:30 a.m.1 p.m. Barre Street, Montpelier. Christopher, 262-3292, Wednesdays: Christ Church, 64 State Street, ext. 115. fcwcvt.org. 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. Storytelling Arts and Crafts. Thursdays: Trinity Church, 137 Main Street, Nature-themed playgroup with child educator 11:30 a.m.1 p.m. Ellen Bloom. Recycle household goods into art Fridays: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre Street, and bring them to life through story. Thursdays, 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. 10:3011:30 a.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Sundays: Last Sundays only, Bethany Church, Montpelier. Free. 223-0043. 115 Main Street (hosted by Beth Jacob Syna Dads and Kids Playgroup. For chilgogue), 4:305:30 p.m. dren birth to age 5 and their male grown-ups. Noon Cafe. Soup, fresh bread, good company Free dinner provided before playtime. Thursdays, and lively conversation. Wednesdays, noon. Old 67:30 p.m., through June 13. Family Center of Meeting House, East Montpelier. By donation. Washington County, 383 Sherwood Drive, Montpeoldmeetinghouse.org. lier. Christopher, 262-3292, ext. 115. fcwcvt.org. German Brunch: A Community Meal. Cub Capers Story Time. Story and All-you-can-eat buet of fresh fruit, bread, song for children age 35 and their families. Led salmon and local meats and cheeses. Mimosas by Carrie Fitz. Saturdays, 10 a.m. Childrens room, and other drinks available for purchase. Sundays, Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Street, Montpelier. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Nutty Stephs, Route 2, Middlesex. Free. 229-0774 or jane@bearpondbooks.com. $10 adult, $5 children 12 and under. nuttystephs Story Time at Onion River Kids. .com. Outdoor adventure tales and childhood classics. Sundays, 10:30 a.m. 7 Langdon Street, Montpelier. 223-6025.

KIDS & TEENS

MUSIC

CRAFTS

DANCE

Sing with the Barre Tones. Womens a cappella chorus. Mondays, 6:30 p.m. Alumni Hall (second oor), near Barre Auditorium. 223-2039 or rjmorgan1956@comcast.net. Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Rehearsals. Prepare for the orchestras 10th anniversary celebration. All ages and levels of string players welcome, as well as intermediate ute players; no audition. Mondays, 7 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. $70 for season. 877-343-3531, info@vtddleorchestra.org or vtddleorchestra.org. Friday Night Community Drum Circle. Open drumming hosted by the Unitarian Universalists of Barre. Everyone welcome. Fridays, 79 p.m. Parish house, Barre Universalist Church, Main and Church streets, Barre. Follow your ears, or follow the signs. Accessible venue possible with advance notice: 503-724-7301.

Christian Science. Gods love meeting human needs. Reading room: TuesdaySaturday, 11 a.m.1 p.m.; Tuesdays, 58 p.m.; and Wednesdays, 57:15 p.m. Testimony meeting: Wednesdays, 7:308:30 p.m., nursery available. Worship service: Sundays, 10:3011:30 a.m., Sunday school and nursery available. 145 State Street, Montpelier. 223-2477. Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text study and discussion on Jewish spirituality. Sundays, 4:456:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center, Montpelier. Rabbi Tobie Weisman, 223-0583 or info@yearning4learning.org. Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths welcome. Mondays, noon1 p.m. Christ Church, Montpelier. Regis, 223-6043. Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Instruction available. All welcome. Sundays, 10 a.m.noon, and Wednesdays, 67 p.m. Program and discussion follow Wednesday meditation. Shambhala Center, 64 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137. Zen Meditation. Wednesdays, 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River Street, Montpelier. Call Tom for orientation, 229-0164. With Zen Aliate of Vermont.

SPORTS

PARENTING

FOOD

Mamas Circle. Meet and connect with others experiencing the joys and challenges of new motherhood. For infants up to 1 year old and their mothers (toddler siblings welcome). Snacks, drinks and parent education materials provided. Thursdays, 10 a.m.noon, through April 19. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, 174 River Street, Montpelier. centralvt.goodbeginnings.net. Parenting Children Age 14. Class focuses on the Active Parenting Method, emphasizing open communication and raising condent, cooperative children. Wednesdays, February 6, 13 and 20, 6 8 p.m. Family Center of Washington County early childhood building, 383 Sherwood Drive, Montpelier. $15 individual, $25 couple; includes the book Parenting Your 1- to 4-Year-Old. Child care available upon request at no extra charge. Register with Christopher, 262-3292, ext. 115.

Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up to try out the action. No experience necessary. Equipment provided: rst come, rst served. Saturdays, 56:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre Street. First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com. Coed Adult Floor Hockey League. Adult women and men welcome. Equipment provided. Sundays, 35 p.m., through April 21. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre Street. $52 for 13 weeks or $5 per week. bmoorhockey@gmail. com or vermontoorhockey.com.

TAXES

Tax Return Preparation Help for Seniors. Volunteers from AARP assist with the preparation and ling of 2012 federal and Vermont income tax returns. Mondays, 7 p.m., Fridays, 9 a.m.4 p.m., February 8April 12.Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. Appointments at 223-2518.

RECYCLING

YOGA

GAMES

Apollo Duplicate Bridge Club. All welcome. Partners sometimes available. Fridays, 6:45 p.m. Bethany Church, Montpelier. 485-8990 or 223-3922.

Free Food Scrap Collection. Compost your food waste along with your regular trash and recycling. Wednesdays, 9 a.m.5 p.m.; Saturdays 6 a.m.1 p.m. DJs Convenience Store, 56 River Street, Montpelier. cvswmd.org. Dollar Days. Bring in odd and sundry items for reuse, upcycling and recycling, including toothbrushes, bottle caps, cassette tapes, books, textiles, batteries and more. Mondays and Fridays, 12:30 p.m.5:30 p.m. Additional Recyclables Collection Center, 3 Williams Lane, Barre. $1 per car load. Complete list of accepted items at 229-9383, ext. 106, collino@cvswmd.org or cvswmd.org.

indicates new or revised listing

Yoga with Lydia . Build strength and exibility as you learn safe alignment in a nourishing, supportive and inspiring environment. Drop-ins welcome. Mondays, 5:30 p.m., River House Yoga, Plaineld (sliding scale). Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., Green Mountain Girls Farm, Northeld (sliding scale). Tuesdays, noon; Thursdays, 6 p.m.; Fridays, noon, Yoga Mountain Center, Montpelier. Rates and directions at 229-6300 or saprema-yoga.com. Restorative Yoga and Meditation. With Lori Flower. Mondays, 910 a.m. River House Yoga, Plaineld. By donation. 324-1737 or sattvayoga.wordpress.com. Community Yoga. All levels welcome to this community-focused practice. Fridays, 5:306:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center, 7 Main Street (second oor), Montpelier. $5$20 sliding scale. 223-5302 or yogamountaincenter.com.

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Class listings and classifieds are 50 words for $25; discounts available. To place an ad, call Carolyn, 223-5112, ext. 11.

Classes
LEADERSHIP
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP Where do your skills, knowledge and passion meet the needs of the world? A daylong retreat at All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne, Vermont. February 2, 8:30 a.m.4 p.m. Early registration by January 25: $95 (full fee $125). Information and registration: Fran Weinbaum, fran@vermontwildernessrites.com or 249-7377.

Classifieds
EMPLOYMENT
DRIVERS: CDL-B Great pay, home time. No forced dispatch. New singles from Plattsburgh, New York. Passport/ enhanced license required. 888-567-4861 or truckmovers.com. HELP WANTED: ADVERTISING SALES The Bridge is seeking a well-organized, detail-oriented, friendly and energetic person with strong

communication skills to join our advertising sales team and help us increase our sales. Ideally that person will help us establish solid business and advertising relationships with members of the community. This is a part-time position with potential for additional hours. Interested? Please send us an e-mail message detailing work history and interest to Nat Frothingham, editor and publisher, at nat@montpelierbridge.com.

info@vtherbcenter.org or 224-7100. vtherb center.org.

SERVICES

HOUSE PAINTER Since 1986. Small interior jobs ideal. Neat, prompt, friendly. Local references. Pitz Quattrone, 229-4952. SNOW REMOVAL Small driveways, walkways, roofs, decks. Careful, responsible, insured. Andy Plante, 223-5409. SOMETHING SEW RIGHT Formerly of 35 Elm Street in Montpelier, has moved to 29 West Street in Barre (left of court house). Serving central Vermont since 1986, owner Patty Morse oers quality alterations and repairs at fair prices. Hours: 10 a.m.5 p.m. MondayFriday and Saturday by appointment. 476-1111. STUFF TO SELL? Wish you could have a yard sale, but its getting too cold to hold one outside? Call us at T&T Repeats Thrift Store. We just may be able to help you out. 224-1360.

FOR RENT

HOLISTIC PRACTITIONER OFFICES Three oces for rent at 252 Main Street (Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism), Montpelier. $300$400/month depending on size. All utilities (except phone) included. Shared reception area, wireless Internet, private phone line if desired. Lease to start February 1. Contact

Connect with ensemble partners Subscribe to learn Notation software Introductory lesson at no charge!
performance ~ ensemble ~ theory ~ composition
Openings now for NEW STUDENTS and TRANSFER STUDENTS More than 45 years of experience with beginner and intermediate students Sarah Williams, 223-5307 active member, Vermont Music Teachers Assoc.

Piano Lessons in Montpelier

THRIFT STORES

T&T REPEATS Bikes, name-brand clothes, small household furniture and more. At least two free parking spaces for T&T customers. 116 Main Street, Montpelier, or call 224-1360. TRINITY COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE New hours as of January 8: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street (use rear entrance), Montpelier. Donations accepted during normal business hours. 229-9155 or tctsvt@yahoo.com.

Chevy Volt
the all-new

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229-5721 Takeout and fullservice restaurant

15 Barre Street Montpelier, VT angelenospizza.com Since 1982

Healthy foods, healthy ingredients.

Vermont fresh, Italian inspired.

Food News You Can Use

Tiny Bites

hinking about planting a garden this spring? Join the Barre Seed Swap this Saturday, January 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Old Labor Hall. Bring non-GMO seeds, packaged and labeled with name and year, and a pot of soup to share at the potluck. All are welcome to attend this family-friendly event, even if they do not have seeds: there will be plenty to share. The swap is a team effort between Food Works, Barre Farmers Market and Community Gardens, and Granite City Grocery. These organizations will educate participants about their programs during the event. To get involved, contact granitecitycoopvt@gmail. com

N
V F

ortheast Organic Farming Associations Vermont Winter Conference

takes place February 15 to 17 at the University of Vermont in Burlington. This event showcases local food growers and consumers and offers learning, inspiration, good food and great conversation. This year, Generations of Innovation features speakers such as Clara Coleman and hosts over 70 workshops with topics ranging from Farming for a Changing Climate to Stretching Your Meat Dollar. For details, visit nofavt.org. ermont Technical Colleges Institute of Applied Agriculture and Food Systems has been hosting GroundWork, a series on cultivating a sustainable future through education, applied research and innovation. These conferences address the educational needs of agriculture, food production, waste disposal and energy production businesses in the region. Vermont Technical College is hosting another event on March 12 called Aligning Needs with Resources. For details and to register, contact ivansteamburg@vtc.edu or call 728-1339. ood Works sponsors the Good Food Good Medicine Program at Green Acres and Highgate Housing in Barre. This program offers cooking, gardening, food preservation and medicinal herb education. Participating families assemble a meal from scratch with produce from the community gardens, discuss nutritional qualities of the ingredients, then sit and eat together. To learn more about this program and contribute to Food Works mission of helping community build lasting, local food security through farm, food and nutrition education, visit foodworksvermont.org.

food labels let consumers know that animals are raised in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the United States, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent family farm. This farm is home to a small herd of Randall Lineback cows, an endangered native breed of Vermont. Milk is for sale at the on-site farm store. There are 13 AWA-certified farms in Vermont, offering a range of animal products, from eggs to lamb. For farm listings, visit animalwelfareapproved.org. compiled by Lisa Mas; send food news to lisa@harmonizedcookery.com

tar Dairy in Hardwick is now certified as Animal Welfare Approved (AWA). AWA

Community Herbalism Workshops

at Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism Classes cost $10 members/$12 non-members and take place at VCIH (250 Main Street, third floor, Montpelier) unless otherwise specified. Preregistration required. Contact 224.7100 or info@vtherbcenter.org. Class descriptions at vtherbcenter.org.
WINTER WELLNESS with Shona MacDougall, VCIH clinical herbalist. Wed., February 6, 68 pm. APRHODISIAC HERBOLOGY with Andrew Wolf, VCIH graduate. Wed., February 13, 68 pm; $8 materials fee. LUXURIOUSLY HEALTHY HAIR: SIMPLE HAIR CARE RECIPES with Joann Darling, Green Sylk Soap Company. Mon., February 18, 68 pm; $5 materials fee. THE HEART OF THE MATTER: PERSPECTIVES AND STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH ANXIETY with Sarah VanHoy, LAc. Wed., March 6, 68 pm.

Take a look at our new Short Courses for Self Care, posted on our website!

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Hands-On Gardener
Tips, Revelations and Resolutions
by Miriam Hansen

t is time once again to order seeds, toss old seed packets (three to five years old, depending on the vegetable) and start planning the garden. I order my seeds in January because I dont want to miss the lower prices Fedco offers on some of the hotter varieties. Even that approach doesnt always work! This year, in spite of ordering super early, Fortex pole beans (a stringless French bean that produces extra long pods) were already sold out. Ill have to get the more expensive packet from Johnnys Selected Seeds and pay a second set of shipping charges. Lettuce, spinach, mesclun mixes and cilantro have continued to produce well through mid-January in my single-ply greenhouse and cold frames. Were slowly working our way through two freezers of frozen vegetables, and Ive been converting some of our stored squashes into delicious pured soup, which I freeze and pair with empanadas for weekend treats. The beautiful sweet purple onions, Rossa Lunga di Tropea, are not very good keepers, so I chopped them up when they started sprouting in December and froze them to use when the Copra and Varsity storage onions run out. The Ailsa Craigs, arguably the best sweet onion on the market, are just starting to sprout and may go to the end of February. For an onion that doesnt store well, thats pretty impressive. A tip I recently shared with a young friend is to wring out frozen vegetables after youve defrosted them. They will be crisper and taste fresher. I run the frozen vegetables under hot water long enough to break them up. Then I just grab a handful over the sink and squeeze hard enough to get a stream of water out but not so hard that they get mushy or disintegrate. It gets rid of the extra moisture, which can make frozen vegetables soggy. I used to only do this with summer squash but have discovered it works equally well with everything from Brussels sprouts to cauliflower, green beans and snap peas. This year, my seed order reflects how much I have come to appreciate annual flowers, the workhorses of the perennial garden. Ive spent so many years trying to plan perennials to keep the color parade going, forgetting that annuals not only give continuous bloom but will continue to bloom long into the fall. Many flowers, such as poppies, cleomes and nasturtiums, will also self-seed so you can move them around in early spring. In general, annuals are plants that germinate, flower and set seed in one season. Perennials bloom for a short time but come back year after year. Biennials flower the second year, set seed and die. Foxgloves, lunaria (money plant) and clary sage are biennials that self-seed copiously. With biennials, the trick is to start the plants from seed two years in a row. That way you have blooms every year. Just when you think youve got it all straight, some annuals are described as hardy,

tender and half hardy. Level of hardiness just refers to how much cold they can withstand in the spring. Hardy annuals, like alyssum and violas, can be planted in the very early spring. Half-hardy annuals, like cosmos and petunias, can be directly sown outside when all danger of frost has passed but the ground is not yet warmed up. Tender annuals (most bedding plants) cant be planted until the ground has warmed up. Then there are half-hardy perennials like dahlias, geraniums, tuberous begonias and sword lilies that must be planted each spring after danger of frost has passed, and you have to lift their bulbs in the fall before a hard frost. Some folks think this is too much trouble, but if youve ever breathed in the fragrance of the white-flowered sword lily, dancing in a breeze with backlit rosy pink Japanese anemones, you might think its worth the bother. Some of the colorful, prolific flowering annual varieties Ive chosen this year include, Profusion Series Zinnias, Durango Marigolds, Sparkler Hybrid Cleome, Twinny Snapdragons and Chantilly Snapdragons to plug into perennial beds for color through the summer and into late fall. It is reassuring to note that after almost 40 years of gardening, I continue to receive revelations. Last fall, a commercial flower grower explained why my sunflowers did not hold up well in bouquets. Apparently, certain sunflowers are naturally pollenless or male sterile. These sunflowers dont shed piles of yellow dust, are less apt to be allergenic and hold much better in bouquets. The Sunrich series from Johnnys Seeds, as well as Soraya and Zohar, are some of the varieties Ive chosen for cutting. Of all the books on perennial gardening, my hands-down recommendation is The Art of Perennial Gardening by Patrick Lima. Still, for an education from A to Z, my favorite reading at this time of year is garden catalogs. When I have a specific gardening question, I type my question into the computers search engine and check out the gardening forums where gardeners share tips, discuss and disagree. For more advanced gardeners, Johnnys has some very helpful planning, planting and growing guides available at johnnyseeds.com/t-interactivetools.aspx. Every year, my resolution remains to grow the flowers I truly love and the vegetables and berries that I and my family really like to eat. Ive begun growing some vegetables commercially, and that adds another layer of complexity to planning the garden. But whether youre a home gardener or commercial grower, Happy gardening in 2013!

every Wednesday $5 Heady Toppers . . . $2 o Heady Hotdogs . . . and Live Music with Alec Ellsworth!

Hump Day!

W! NE Heady

Power Tro of Contemp upe o Folk Musicrary ! 4Tet: An Even in

g with Brittan y Hass, Jordan Tice, Cl eek Schrey an d Nic Gariess with sp ecial guests K atie Trautz and Mic hael Roberts. Thursday, Fe bruary 7 710 PM

City Center building, 89 Main Street, Montpelier Hours: 8 am9 pm, seven days a week 262-CAKE | www.skinnypancake.com

Miriam and her husband, David, live in East Montpelier, where they grow most of their own vegetables, berries and meat on less than one-quarter of an acre. Your questions and comments are welcome. You can reach Miriam at freshair460@gmail.com.

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A Message from City Hall

This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

Municipal Budget Lowers Spending Rate, Invests in Infrastructure

pair a failing sewer line on River Street. This bond would be paid out of the water and sewer fund. Because the majority of municipal expenditures are personnel, it was necessary to reduce staffing to meet the citys fiscal challenges. The proposed budget makes a net reduction of 4.22 full-time city positions, none of which requires layoffs. These positions are in the agencies of fire, police, public works, planning and administration. While it certainly is not preferable to make reductions in city staffingand these changes will have some impact on city serviceswe have received assurances from our city manager and the heads of the police, fire, planning and public works departments that they will not adversely affect the citys ability to meet basic public health and safety needs. Finally, the budget provides approximately $100,000 in funding for a variety of nonprofit organizations that provide services to Montpelier residents and $20,000 for arts programs and organizations. These are the same amounts that were budgeted last year. Rather than requiring separate ballot initiatives for each funding request, the City Council has created the Montpelier Community Fund Board to evaluate requests and approve grants to organizations. Additional details about the budget can be found at the citys website at montpelier-vt.org. the year, or about 0.5 percent of the total. The argument by some firefighters that this reduction will put our residents and firefighters at risk is simply not true. It is the responsibility of the city manager and council to develop budgets and determine appropriate staffing levels for city departments. If the council added (or reduced) city staff positions in response to ballot initiatives, it would undermine the integrity of the budget process. Our staffing levels could become subject to annual petition drives. Moreover, it is unfair to the other city departments that are experiencing reductionsand are doing so without complaintfor the fire department to single out one position for a citizen vote. Arguments could be made to restore every position that has been proposed for elimination. This ballot item looks at only one item in isolation and fails to consider the larger context of the budget. The City Council cannot allow individual groups to dictate staffing levels for specific positions or departments. Citizens, of course, have the opportunity to approve or disapprove the budget in its entirety, but our municipal charter does not allow for lineitem staffing changes to be made by referendum.

ANNIE TIBERIO CAMERON

by John Hollar, mayor

he City Council has approved a budget for FY14 that meets the needs of the city while also recognizing the significant financial challenges we face. The budget addresses two fundamental issues that face our community: a tax rate that is very high relative to other communities and an infrastructure that is need of greater investment. Our median tax bills are the highest in the state. They have risen by an average of 5 percent per year over the past seven years, while at the same time, average household incomes have fallen. The average taxpayer now pays nearly $1,000 more in property taxes since 2007 with an income that has declined by $3,000. Our budgetary problems are compounded by the fact that our infrastructure has been significantly underfunded during that same period. The city manager has estimated that we need to spend $800,000 to $900,000 more than we currently spend each year to adequately maintain our roads, sidewalks, storm drains and retaining walls. In response to these challenges, the City Council directed the manager to propose a budget that provides for an increase equivalent to the change in the consumer price index, with all increased revenues dedicated to infrastructure investments. The budget that the council has proposed meets those objectives. The budget would increase by 2.2 percent over this years spending plan (requiring a two-cent increase in the tax rate). All of this increase would be dedicated to improvements in roads, sidewalks, retaining walls and culverts. The budget includes two bonds: One bond for $710,000 would be used for sidewalks, retaining walls and storm drains and culverts. A second bond for $670,000 would be used to re-

Response to Firefighter Petition

group of firefighters has circulated a petition seeking to restore a firefighter position that is proposed to be eliminated in the FY14 municipal budget. The person who now holds the position is retiring. The proposed staffing change will have a minimal impact on fire responses. The department will move an operations employee (someone who typically does not respond to fire calls) to a shift position (someone who does respond). Both the fire chief and the city manager have said that this staff change will not create an undue risk to the citizens of Montpelier. Based on call data from last year, the fire department will have one fewer person on duty for simultaneous, or second calls, about 10 times out of 2,000 calls over the course of

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Tech Check
Its That New-Gadget Smell
You probably wont see much from me on CES 2013, as I rarely write about things that I dont experience first hand. I did follow everyone elses coverage, though, as its my job to know where this industry is headed. After all, people expect it. And I hate to disappoint. A World Without Wires There are any number of ways to get Internet access. Depending on where you live, most people have access to dial-up, satellite, DSL or cable Internet providers. You can find wireless Internet access in most homes and businesses. For many people, having wireless Internet access is far more important than speed or which company provides it. As most of you know, wireless technology allows your laptop or tablet to access the Internet at, for example, a coffee shop. This same technology is used in all manner of devices, allowing them to communicate with you and each other, all without the inconvenience of running wires. If you dont have wireless Internet access, its as simple as adding a device called an access point, which costs less than $100, to any Internet connection other than dial-up. Some people prefer to have their main Internet device, or router, already outfitted with wireless capabilities. Either way is fine; 99 percent of users wont detect a difference between these different wireless technologies. Sometimes, a larger home or business may need more than one access point to adequately provide coverage. For most home users, using a wireless repeater is a simpler do-it-yourself solution than adding a second access point. Wireless repeaters do exactly what you think: they grab a weak wireless signal and repeat it, sending it along so that other computers can make use of it. There has been some criticism of wireless technology, with claims that the frequencies can cause harm to people, especially children. There have been no conclusive studies showing that this is the case. If youre concerned, though, you can purchase network cords in very long lengths. For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wireless_network. Jeremy Lesniak founded Vermont Computing (vermontcomputing.com) in 2001 after graduating from Clark University and opened a store on Merchants Row (Randolph) in May 2003. He also serves as managing editor for anewdomain.net. He lives in Moretown.

by Jeremy Lesniak

any of you know that, in addition to my position at Vermont Computing, Im the managing editor for a tech journalism site. This is an exciting time of year for many in the tech journalism industry, as the Consumer Electronics Show recently finished up several days of technology exhibition in Las Vegas. A number of my colleagues were in attendance. CES, as many people call it, has historically been the preferred venue for tech companies to announce the products theyll be releasing in the next year. Its a technology-lovers paradise, as you get to sample goods that are not only unreleased but, in many cases, unannounced. As exciting as this sounds, I didnt go. My duties in Vermont kept me here. Maybe next year! Why should you care about CES? Well, if youre interested in gadgets, the news that came out of CES will be exciting for you. As a business owner, you should keep your eyes open for new technologies that could improve, or in some cases hurt, your business. This isnt some rinky-dink operation, either. Nearly every electronics company youve heard of, and a whole bunch you havent, were at CES. Over 3,000 exhibitors registered for the event. Some of the announcements will never make it to market. Some of them will be released at the end of this year. In many cases, the announcements will be revolutionary and exciting. You might want to pay attention. Curious? Here are some of the sites you may want to check out for CES coverage: ces. cnet.com, engadget.com/tag/CES and anewdomain.net. Now that CES is finished, there are some great analysis pieces.

The Center for Leadership Skills

BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Lindel James coaching & consulting

Taking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm 802 778 0626 lindel@lindeljames.com lindeljames.com

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Real Estate Transactions

SELLER Cowan, Joffrey D. & Susan B. Fish, William W. & Lynne G. Chater, Myles & Lori Wheeler, Aaron A. & Polly Welters, Oliver & Jana Stevens, Thomas D. Wishinski, Paul R. & Diane M. Brondyke, Aaron J. & Zachai, Christine A. Krajewski,John & Jean Abrams, Alec & Carly Cherson, Debra L. & McSweeney, Edward A. Dwinell, Jane & Yardley, Stephen K. Foster, Raymond M. & Kristina J. Foster, Raymond M. & Kristina J. Foster, Raymond M. & Kristina J. Foster, Raymond M. & Kristina J. Kennedy, Barbara J. Lindner, Dan C. & Judith C. Kadlec, Peter J. BUYER Glass, Robert F. & Kimberly A. Stanton, Ryan & Catherine Murray, Marna & Lofgren, Matthew T. Finney, Sarah E. Guidry, Marguerite L. Karia, Mona Congo, Ross W. & Stephanie R. Ellis, Kevin K. & Hackett, Kimberly Wishinski, Paul & Diane Stangel, Peter H. & Jing J. Asay, Bridget C. & DiStefano, Mark J. Streeter, Daniel J. Trust J & H Properties LLC J & H Properties LLC J & H Properties LLC J & H Properties LLC Heath, Shane R. & Hierl, Lauren A. Chatterton, Jordan Giresi, Brad C. & Peirce, Robyn J. ADDRESS 150 Connor Road 168 Northfield Street 62 Wheelock Street 230 Sherwood Drive 4 Franklin Street, #4 23 Towne Hill Road, #3 3 McKinley Streer 4 Edwards Street 140 Murray Hill Drive, #30 7 Meadow Lane 12 Pearl Street 1 Bingham Street 12 Downing Street 10 Downing Street 16 Downing Street Downing Street 20 Deerfield Drive 23 Roberts Street 95 East State Street DATE 7/18/12 7/19/12 7/19/12 7/24/12 7/24/12 7/25/12 7/26/12 7/30/12 7/30/12 7/31/12 8/1/12 8/1/12 8/1/12 8/1/12 8/1/12 8/1/12 8/2/12 8/10/12 8/10/12 PRICE 313,500 230,000 168,500 216,000 112,000 110,000 299,000 257,200 232,500 265,000 232,500 275,000 330,000 235,000 235,000 25,000 235,000 177,000 215,000 TYPE Single Single Single Single Condo Condo Single Single Condo Single Single Single Multi (6) Multi (3) Multi (3) Land 0.31 AC+ Single Single Single

Growing Your Business

Consider a Business Dashboard to Set You Up for Success
by Lindel James

Make 2013 an extraordinary year for you and those you love!
Build condence, courage and direction in work, relationships, nances, and personal wellness. Coaching packages starting at $99. 50% o six-month Personal Wellness Coaching and/or How to Coach self and others! 229-5256 or jo@greenmountainlifecoach.com

f you are not using a dashboard to drive your business, I urge you to start using one this new year. What is a dashboard? you ask. Well, a dashboard is a tool that will help you stay grounded in your business. It becomes the focal point you can count on and go to when day-to-day, week-to-week interruptions and distractions begin to play havoc, creating chaos in your mind and causing you to become confused around your priorities. Your dashboard becomes the holder of your vision and your mission. It is the track to run on and the source to help you stay true to your company vision and mission. It is the reminder of your primary responsibilities and of those tasks you should be delegating to others. Today, we all face immense pressures on a daily basis. Life and business markets are changing rapidly, and clients require and expect more. Competition is stiff, and businesses must excel; there is no room for mediocrity. A dashboard keeps you on track and responsive to the work that really matters. It is based on your annual planning for success. It holds you true to your vision and the values you have established for your business. It is also a tool to manage your performance and

your relationships. And it ultimately teaches you how to be most effective in your business. I use a 10-step process to get grounded, which includes: crafting a long-term vision; identifying your businesss mission; identifying what values mean the most to you; defining your performance indicators; identifying important professional relationships; determining areas for professional development; drafting an initial plan; getting feedback on that draft plan; and finalizing that plan. When you dont take the time to set up a dashboard, you can easily lose your perspective. As a business owner or person in a leadership position, you need to use tools such as the dashboard to keep yourself grounded, thus creating the ability to stay calm and focused and be prepared for interruptions and changeto be prepared for success! At the risk of repeating a well-worn clich, I will remind you that most failures dont plan to fail, they fail to plan. Get your plan to action with a dashboard today! Happy New Year! Lindel James is an executive coach, leadership development and business growth strategist, trainer and speaker. She is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and Trainer. James can be reached at 802-778-0626 or centerforleadershipskills.com.

We make your colors right!

How do I go about painting old kitchen cabinets?
You may want to take the doors and the hardware o rst. This way you can lay the doors at. The paint will level out better and show fewer brush marks. Be sure to number the doors so they can be put back in the same openings. The next step is to scour the doors and cabinet boxes. I usually recommend Brillo or SOS pads and hot water. The soap in the scrub pads with hot water should dissolve any built-up grease associated with kitchen cabinets. The steel wool pads will also scu up the surface, making it easier for your paint or primer to get a bite on the surface. Be sure to rinse with fresh clean water and allow time for the surface to dry. Now you can paint. We recommend Californias Ultra Plate. Because Ultra Plate is a modied acrylic urethane, there is no need for primer. Two coats will give you a smooth, factory-like, satin nish. One more tip: after you are done painting, let the paint dry 24 hours. Apply a little baby powder to the shelf surfaces and around the edges of the doors. This will break the surface tension. When you put your dishes and cups back on the shelves, the paint wont stick to them and doors wont stick either. It smells good, too. True Colors is Montpeliers only independent, locally owned paint dealer. We have been making your colors right since 1989!

True Colors

223-1616 141 River Street, Montpelier, VT

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Editorial

Letters
The Citys Budgetary Restraint Appreciated To the Editor: Id like to thank Montpeliers city manager, department heads, the mayor and the City Council for developing and supporting a proposed municipal budget that holds the line on spending and begins to address Montpeliers neglected infrastructure needs. Their efforts to limit our proposed municipal tax rate increase to no more than the 2.3 percent rate of inflation, while also spending more on infrastructure, is important in light of the fact Montpelier already has the highest median residential municipal tax bill in Vermont (see Appendix A of the Citizen Budget Review Committees report on the city website). It appears Montpeliers proposed residential school tax rate increase may be four times higher than the rate of inflation, so the city governments budget restraint this year is doubly appreciated. Phil Dodd, Montpelier Bottle Bill Good for Bicyclists To the Editor: The Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition is just thata coalition. We believe that Vermonters are interested in supporting bicycling and walking for diverse reasons. The same is true for recycling, and in particular the bottle bill: people can view it from many different perspectives and still find something worth preserving and expanding. In one respect, cyclists are especially aware of the impact of the bottle bill; roadside litter affects our safety. You would be hard-pressed to find a cyclist who has never gotten a flat tire from a stray piece of glass on a road, sidewalk or shoulder. And perhaps more important than flat tires, a cyclist trying to navigate a narrow corridor between a curb and automobile traffic faces a difficult decision, when coming suddenly upon a broken bottle in his or her path, of swerving, stopping short or riding through. None are good options. In the last four decades, Vermonts bottle bill has reduced litter by over one-thirdrepresenting many difficult and dangerous cycling situations that never had to happen. We all can agree that anything that increases recycling is good for all of us in terms of reducing energy use and climate change impacts. But we hope that we, as cyclists, can bring awareness of one more reason to support keeping and expanding the bottle bill. We encourage the legislature, and the Agency of Natural Resources, to consider the many benefits the bottle bill provides to Vermont. Nancy Schulz, executive director, VT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, Montpelier Anne Watson Running for Reelection To the Editor: Im delighted to report that I am running for reelection to continue to serve the city of Montpelier on the City Council for District 2. During my time on the council, I have gained valuable experience. I have the advantage of knowing how the system works, and yet, as a relative newcomer to the council, I continue to bring a fresh outlook and perspective to that body. One of the highlights of my service thus far has been participating in the district heat vote, in which the council voted to complete all of the phases of the project. Not only will this reduce the citys long-cycle carbon footprint, I believe this project will also be important for our future economic stability. As you may have read, this year has been a difficult one in terms of the budget. In line with what I heard from many residents, I, along with other council members, asked for a level-funded budget, with a small increase for streets and sidewalks. I know our city staff worked very hard to reduce city spending, while maintaining the quality of city services. Im thankful for their work and am pleased to support the budget they put forward. By the time this newspaper is in print, I will have had the honor of attending three meet-and-greets at homes in District 2. If you are interested in discussing city issues, please give me a call or an e-mail (both are available on the city website). As an honest and hardworking representative, I look forward to the opportunity to serve the residents of District 2, working to make our city a more socially, economically and ecologically healthy place to live. Anne Watson, Montpelier The Last Ride of Buck Corduroy: A Country Music Saga at the Barre Opera House To the Editor: Community theater is a Frankenstein jolted to life by the excess energy of your friends and neighbors. In communities all across the globe, theater really is alive and staggering around looking for love. Very often Frankenstein can actually sing and dance and entertain and is just looking for a little attention. At its best, theater is about exploring values, sharing and celebrating in a community. Which is a good thing. Maple Corner has a long history of community entertainment, and that Frankenstein has long since lurched from the stable. Recently, this time last year, the Blue Barn Players, of Maple Corner, mounted The Blues Brothers: a singular show in that the players attempted to re-create, with no budget, the movie, with a 100-car crash chase scene (among other big-budget considerations). We were granted permission by Dan Ackroyd and Judy Belushi themselves to perform our version of the movie and raise money for a new roof for the Blue Barn in Maple Corner. This time we dont have to ask anyones permission but our own, which we have graciously given ourselves. Thats because we wrote the thing ourselves. This is our very own monster. We dared ourselves to write something. At first there was a lot of staring out into space and asking What happens next? To which the reply would be I dont know. But little by little a (little) story emerged that lent itself to song titles. In our corner of the woods, like in many corners of Vermonts woods, there are a lot of guitars (and ukuleles). Theres a lot of strumming going on. We had a little creative burst and put some of that strumming to productive
see LETTERS, page 27

Losing a Needed Generation of Younger Vermonters

s part of his inaugural remarks to the Vermont Senate chamber on January 10, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott talked about the states current economic crunch. He then went on to describe the exodus of Vermonts young professionals. While campaigning, a recurring message I heard, and Im sure many of you heard, was the anxiety over affordability. The margins are getting smaller. And with the recent 2 percent rise in the Social Security tax, disposable income has shrunk for all of us in the workforce. Another problem we face is the exodus of our young professionals. According to state census data, our 25-to-44 age group lost 30 percent of its population in the last decade. Thats 28,000 Vermonters who left our state and took with them their buying power, their innovation and their children. Many of our elementary school classrooms echo with their absence. At Peacham Elementary School, outside Washington County but not too far from Montpelier, numbers at the K6 school now stand at 39 students, and a local petition has been circulated to close the school. In nearby Cabot, there are 59 students in grades 9 through 12. On Monday, March 5, Cabot voters will be asked to consider the following item: Shall the Cabot School Board be directed to close the Cabot High School prior to July 1, 2013 and to provide for high school education of the high school pupils (grades 9 through 12) residing in the District by paying tuition in accordance with law to one or more public high schools in one or more school districts, to an approved independent high school, or to an independent school meeting school quality standards, to be selected by the parents or guardians of the pupil, within or without the state? Across rural Vermont, public elementary and high schools are at the heart of community life. Their closing has far-reaching consequences. As a state, it is clear that we can no longer ignore Lt. Gov. Phil Scotts timely warning about the exodus of the vital generation of young people who ought to be staying here in Vermont in greater numbers and launching themselves into their working, family and civic lives.

Quizzical Expressions
In which we investigate the origins of curious phrases and idioms in the English language. Phrase: Start from scratch. Meaning: Begin (again) from the beginning; embark on something without any preparation or advantage. Origin: In cricket, the batter scratches a crease on the ground to mark out the pitch. John Nyrens 1833 book Young Cricketers Tutor quotes a 1778 work by Cotton: Ye strikers . . . Stand firm to your scratch, let your bat be upright. Source: phrases.org.uk Bill Reinecke of Middlesex contributes Quizzical Expressions for The Bridge.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Read something that you want to respond to? Worked up about a local issue? We welcome your letters and opinion pieces. Letters must be 300 words or fewer; opinions, 600 words or fewer. Send them to editorial@montpelierbridge.com. Deadline for the February 7 issue is Monday, February 4, at 5 p.m. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity or style. In many cases, we will work with you to make sure your piece meets our journalistic standards.

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Opening Night for Edwinas Folly on Thursday, February 7

by Nat Frothingham

arshfield playwright Tom Blachly describes the critical elements in his new play as a struggling theatre, a dead matriarch and the dreadfully important question that follows, Must the show go on? The play, Edwinas Folly, will have its premiere run of performances this February at Union School Auditorium, at One Park Avenue, Montpelier. The show opens Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m., followed by evening performances on February 8 and 9, plus three more performances the following week, on February 14, 15 and 16. The play starts with the recent death of Edwina, who, along with her daughter, Julia, has been a key champion of a struggling rural theater. Her death leaves the fate of the theater deeply in question. In the aftermath of Edwinas death, her family gathers at the theater to figure out what to do. Edwinas family consists of, in addition to Julia, another older daughter, Marguerite, a TV sitcom artist living in LA; Marguerites teenage daughter, Emma; and Edwinas son, Charles, a Boston banker. But there are others in the mixa small group of theater camp followers who, by fits and starts, relate and dont relate, behave and predictably go off the rails as the play ensues. The ending? Lets not reveal the end or the on- and off-stage drama that gets us there. Instead, go see the play.

Detail of art from a promotional poster for Edwinas Folly. Image courtesy Tom Blachly. Many readers of The Bridge will recognize son and Elizabeth Wilcox. ter. For ticket information, phone 426-3955 one or more of the following local notables On the poster that promotes the play, Tom or e-mail blachly@together.net. who have parts in Edwinas Folly, among Blachly has added a caution, and its a caution them Patti Casey, Ben Scotch, Brooke Pear- that should be heeded, Adult Subject Mat-

Vermont Fuel Dealers Association Opposes Heat Tax

by Matt Cota

he recently released Thermal Efficiency Task Force Report proposes several ways to raise the cost of heat, including a carbon tax (10-cents-per-gallon tax on heating oil, five cents for propane), a BTU tax (12-cents-per-gallon tax on heating oil, eight cents for propane) or require homeowners to pay the Vermont sales tax on heat, which would add approximately 20 cents per gallon. In 1977, the Vermont legislature rescinded the sales tax on residential sales of heating fuel because it agreed that, much like

clothing and food, heat is a necessity, not a luxury. However, there is an influential lobby in Montpelier that supports higher fuel prices by whatever means necessary as a way to make the fuel we sell unaffordable, thus forcing people to use less. This political philosophy is written by those who havent had the misfortune of living from paycheck to paycheckor the responsibility of signing the front of one.

Opinion

The task-force report fails to recognize the measurable reduction in heating fuel consumption that has already occurred, without a costly tax or government program. Over the past 40 years, the average per home consumption in Vermont has declined by more than 60 percent, according to data obtained from the Energy Information Administration. (For more information go to vermontfuel.com/tax.) The report also fails to rec-

ognize that extracting $276 million in taxes from Vermonters will have a significant adverse impact on the states economic health. In a letter to the Department of Public Service, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association (VFDA) voiced these and other objections. On behalf of our member companies, their employees and the more than 400,000 Vermonters that depend on deliverable liquid fuels for warmth, VFDA encourages lawmakers to reject the heat tax. Matt Cota is the executive director of the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association.

The Time Is Right for Affordable Heat

by Sandra Levine

ermont is poised to take a big bite out of the high cost and pollution of heating our homes and businesses. Slashing a full one-quarter of both lies within our reach. Now is the time to act. Over the past decade, the cost Vermonters pay for staying warm has more than doubled. This strains our pocketbooks, our environment, our health and our security. It is time to stop seeing our dollars go up in smoke and

stop draining hundreds of millions of dollars annually from Vermonts economy. What can we do? Building on the enormous success of Vermonts electric efficiency efforts, which has saved over $775 million since 2000, we can improve the heating efficiency of our homes and businesses. While some efforts have begun, most of the savings opportunity remains on the table. Stepping up our game on affordable heat will save Vermonters real dollars. It is also the lowest cost and most effective strategy for Vermont to

Frostival Volunteers Needed

rganizers from Montpelier Alive are seeking volunteers to help with the upcoming MontPolar Frostival, scheduled for February 1, 2 and 3, a fun-filled weekend of indoor and outdoor doings: dancing, biking, sledding, skiing, swimming, face painting, art, music and more. The Frostival also kicks off Lost Nations WinterFest 2013. Volunteers will receive two complimentary tickets to the Snow Ball on Friday, February 1, with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra and Sideshow Bob. To volunteer, visit montpelieralive.org, call 223-9604 or e-mail director@montpelieralive.org.

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Throughout Vermont, heating efficiency has saved the average homeowner about $1,000 a year. But we are far shy of our goal of weatherizing one-quarter of our homes and businesses (80,000) by 2020. The new report of Vermonts Thermal Efficiency Task Force provides a strong roadmap for jumpstarting heating efficiency and renewable heat for our homes and businesses. The task-force recommendations show how Vermont can stretch its heating dollars further and provide over $1.4 billion in direct savings. Thats $1.4 billion that is not going up in smoke, literally leaking out of our homes and businesses. Making heat affordable means lowering bills. Every year, Vermont struggles to fund low-income heating assistance (LIHEAP). With affordable heat, Vermont can reduce the funds needed and can use LIHEAP dollars to help more Vermonters. Cutting fuel use by one-quarter means that for every four

Opinion

homes that are weatherized, help is available for one additional family. Affordable heat reduces pollution. Every gallon of fossil fuel we dont burn means less pollution. Whether we are adding solar to our roofs or insulating/weatherizing our homes, we leave a lasting positive legacy for our children by taking seriously our responsibility to tackle climate change and reduce pollution. The long and short of it is that Vermont and Vermonterscant afford to keep wasting energy, wasting money and wasting clean air. Vermonts commitment to affordable heat is our ticket to more comfortable homes and businesses and a thriving and affordable clean energy economy.

Sandra Levine is senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation.

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Prudent Energy Action Key to Vermonts Past and Future

by Lori Barg

agree with Guy Page in his opinion piece (Prudent Energy Policy Is Key to Vermonts Future, January 1023, 2013, The Bridge) that Vermont has excellent prospects for strong and sustained economic growth and high quality of life. After that good beginning, however, we differ. He states: Nuclear energy is the only local fuel source. Has someone been backyard uranium mining recently? He further states: Prices of energy in the region are double those of some southern U.S. states. Page is probably referring to Tennessee, where cheap, affordable hydroelectric power brings retail rates down to almost a nickel per kilowattmuch lower than Vermonts nearly two dimes. But according to Vermonts Energy Plan, Vermonts in-state hydro costs less than four cents a kilowatt. This local fuel source falls from the sky and uses gravity. Hydroelectric power has been the backbone of Vermonts economy, almost since its inception. Is there still undeveloped hydroelectric power potential in the state? The short answer is yes (see Vermont Renewable Energy

Atlas or Idaho National Labs study for estimates ranging upward of 400 megawatts [MW]). Vermont missed an opportunity for affordable electricity when Governor Douglas decided not to buy the Deerfield and Connecticut River dams. These dams provide over 520 MW of peak hydroelectric power, or the equivalent of over half of Vermonts peak power load, for only $320 million. There is some hope. During the 2012 session, the legislature passed a bill for the State of Vermont to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which regulates hydroelectric power. This MOU could make real change and protect our resources. It could give developers a better process with fixed time lines and guidelines. This would interest the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, who found many towns are interested in redeveloping their hydro potential but are daunted by the existing process. It is time for new ideas. Vermont could take some tips from across the big pond and lead the way on this side of the Atlantic. In Scotland and England, the permitting of a

hydro plant takes three to four months. The FERCs default process (Integrated Licensing Process) takes a mandatory five years. Vermont wont progress without a permitting process similar to Englands or Scotlands. I am a river geologist and care about rivers. I know we dont need more dams (we have over 1,200). I know there are hundreds of viable sites that can be redeveloped if we had a process that enabled, rather than discouraged, the development of hydroelectric power. Those against hydro development and those who promote environmentally sound hydroelectric power spent months together in 2008, when the legislature convened the Stakeholders Hydroelectric Interested Party Process. Many difficult hours of discussion resulted in recommendations and points of agreement that have yet to be implemented. While the legislature has passed several bills that encouraged hydro, real gains are still like molasses in winter.

Opinion

Here are some opportunities: Vermonts peak load is a bit over 1,000 MW. The Northfield Mountain pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in Massachusetts produces over 1,000 MW; Bear Swamp Hydroelectric Power Station, another pumpedstorage facility in Massachusetts, just south of Bennington, produces over 700 MW. Vermont has no hydro pumped storage but could develop it at existing quarries. I do agree with Pages ending, Vermont can and should have a bright future . . . We also owe this to our children, so they can find the jobs, quality of life and opportunities here in the Green Mountain State. But my vision is hydroelectric pumped storage, river hydro at existing dams and at existing drops and a permitting process that protects our resources and enables potential developers to move forward. Or maybe I should start digging for uranium?

What Can We Do to Slow Global Warming?

by Jules Rabin

heard Bill McKibben, the extraordinary Bill McKibben, speak recently at a private home, a large, well-ordered one, on a dark, wild hill in Brookfield, Vermont. The occasion was a meeting of the HarvardRadcliffe Club of Vermont, with 50-odd members and spouses attending, to consider the problem of global warming. McKibben addressed us for an hour, pacing between the two tall white posts and under the broad lintel of a double doorway separating the two main rooms of the house, one packed with guests, the other deserted: the doorway defining an informal stage suited to our speakers lankiness and restless energy. McKibben is a tall thin man in his late fortieslarge-featured and homely in an Abe Lincoln way and charming for that, and hes vital, informal and immensely lithe of speech. He spoke without notes, outlining and cataloguing the situation, brilliantly, I thought: the science and politics and economics of global warming. Amazingly, he footnoted detail after detail of our common danger and careless idiocy, down to the tenth of 1 percent, in the case of more than one figure. A display, he was, of one of the best our civilization can produce, combining an exceptional brain, moral concern, crystal language and an easy informality. So there it was, McKibbens talk and the gigantic everything that it portended. McKibben thinks simply and, at the same time, complexly that the worldthe world of our civilization and its delicately poised physical structures, all those wires, pipes, roads, bridges and other connectivities and the myriad structures and machines hooked up to themmay be changing faster than we can manage because of the seemingly unstoppable rate at which global warming is galloping down on us. Ten years ago may already have been too late to avert the catastrophe. Now, our awkwardly numbered new century shows us to be helpless, heedless, thumb- and fingerless, and ultimately brainless and will-less in the face of what appears to be our doom: our demonstrated inabilityno, refusalto forestall the global calamities that are cumulatively being brought about by our mania for combustion of fuels, a combustion that is a colossal magnification, for many of us,

of the elementary powers of our own smallreach bodieshands and legs, fingers and mouths. McKibben, it appears, is doing his all for the great cause of saving our necks. Hes all over the place, constantly, with, for example, twice as many citations on Google as our senior Vermont senator and four times as many as our flamboyant junior senator. By that reckoning, we have, in effect, a third senator from our little state to speak for us, to the rest of the country and to the world besides. And as for the rest of the 50 who attended the meeting that night. There was good food, warmth and light against the winter dark, plenty to drink, plenty of gentility and plentymore than I, somehow, would have

expectedof informed discussion following McKibbens remarks. Leading to where? To good intentions and wistfulness, at the least, from what I could make out. How, after all, do you lay hands on an incoherent beast, a menace no less big than the everything that the developing threat of global warming has become, with its droughts, floods and typhoons; a menace that the evidence and most people now acknowledge to be real and impending, if not already in process? At the end, after a lot of one-on-one jawing

Opinion

up and down the room, we shuffled out into the snow and eased down the mud-rutted road in our 40 separate carsmade a little edgy, at the very least, by the example of Bill McKibbens life and his demonstration that what may be developing into the greatest problem of our epoch could really, truly, swing our lives right around and do a lot of us in besides. During the long drive home, I thought: What fraction, what part, of the whole thing do I, does any of us, take hold of, while theres still, possibly, time? Thats McKibbens implicit question.

LETTERS, from page 25

use. Eight strummers actually wrote a total of 22 songs specifically for the show we were creating. Full disclosure: I am a theater person. I really enjoy the process (my wife keeps asking me dumbfoundedly, You do this for fun?). Upping the ante by creating something new is especially fun. The way I look at it is that if I put on a classic, say Shakespeare, and it isnt spine-tinglingly scintillating, then it is clear who is to blame (and it isnt Shakespeare). But a brand-new show, well. Kudos for trying. As some of the co-creators (Nancy Toulis and Chris Miller), who have an aversion to any kind of pretension, like to believe, We may not be good, but we are entertaining. Indeed, with a band led by Artie Toulis and cameos by Lewis Franco, JC Myers, Dot Singleton, Erin Galligan-Baldwin and many others, there is a lot of entertainment value in the baby Frankenstein that we are presenting on Saturday, February 2, at the Barre Opera House called The Last Ride of Buck Corduroy: A Country Music Saga. Come see if it deserves to live or if we should chase it through the woods with torches. Come and see if Buck Corduroy can win back the hearts of his ex, Arlene, and his daughter, Terri Plunderwood. Come see his buddies from Nashville, Flem Hawkin, Rad Lavender, Minnie the Pearl and KC Twang, help him to inaugurate the brand new opry at the Barre Opera House for one show

only, Saturday, February 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets are for sale at the Barre Opera House for $18. Call 476-8188 for more information. You can leave the torches at home. Chris Colt, Maple Corner

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