The Bridge, December 3, 2015

R emember ing
R aymond
A lva r ez
Page
12
December 3 December 16, 2015
Basic Needs: Motherhood, Homelessness and Worth

by Carla Occaso
IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 4 Hunger Mountain
Co-op Bylaw
Change Defeated
Pg. 8 Dot's Dowtown
Beat
The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
PRSRT STD
CAR-RT SORT
U.S. Postage
PAID
Montpelier, VT
Permit NO. 123
Pg. 11 Ultrarunner
Newton Baker
MONTPELIER Poverty is the wind that

knocks the cradle off its fragile bough. Some
people find themselves only a payment away
from being unable to afford food and shelter. Nevermind clothes, heat, electricity and
telephone or the internet, which many of us
take for granted. Never mind taking care of
young children.
No Electricity
My friend Valerie Coolidge sat down to talk
with me at her home on Sibley Avenue. Just a
couple of weeks prior I had gone to her house
in mid-morning and found a pink shut-off
notice stuck to the door. Her electricity had
been turned off by Green Mountain Power.
She had less than five hours to fix the problem by nightfall. No lights. No stove. And
she has four children, with two under the age
of 10. At that moment she was physically up
at Lyndon State College trying to tie up loose
ends with her three-year-old daughter in tow.
She is trying as hard as she can to finish the
degree she was unable to complete because
her life had come unraveled as a younger
single mother. I contacted her about her immediate electricity problem and offered to
help make calls for her so she could deal with
the college and her three-year-old.
The bill had run up higher than she could

afford, and she needed to come up with a
boatload of money by 5 p.m. to get the electricity turned back on. She didnt have it. She
was overwhelmed. I stepped in to help and so
did another friend, and we pooled what we
had. The children waited in the darkening
house with their teenage brother while Valerie rushed to the bank to make the payment.
Meanwhile, I called around to agencies and
churches on her behalf and found some that
were willing to come through, while others
wanted the paperwork that she found so
daunting to organize with all the crises closing in on her.
Motherhood comes first. Paperwork, though,
is necessary to get ahead. And getting ahead
is not so easy. I feel like, in so many situations, the only reason I am not taken seriously is because I am poor. My children have
different fathers. I am stereotyped, Valerie
said.
If you spend time talking to Valerie, you note
that she is poised. Stylish. Intelligent. She
could also be described as unconventional.
Her steady brown eyes peer out of what
my grandmother used to call communist
glasses those thick black-rimmed kind
that lack pretension. She has red hair and
a spray of freckles across her aquiline nose.
And she is from what everyone may consider
to be a good family a direct descendent
of Calvin Coolidges ancestors who share
her last name, which all of her four children
also possess.
So in a modern story that vaguely unfolds like Thomas Hardys tale Tess of the
DUrbervilles, in which Tesss ancient aristocratic family lines fade into history and the
descendent, Tess Durbyfield, contends with
pregnancy, homelessness and social expulYOUR BOX AD HERE!
Advertise in this space by
calling The Bridge's
advertising department at
223-5112 ext. 11
sion, so too does Valerie Coolidge. She is not

afraid to talk about it.
It (homelessness) has happened twice. I was
living in an old farmhouse in Barnet with
housemates. There was a series of events that
came together a series of unfortunate
events, she told me as I sat in a comfortable,
cushiony red chair next to her as she perched
on the couch. Her youngest children were
running around the house wearing costumes
and role playing various situations. Intermittently, they would call to her to ask a question
or to get them something. She asked them
to wait just a minute more or explained how
they could get or do it themselves.
On Being Homeless
About 10 years ago, when Valeries oldest son
was seven and her oldest daughter was three,
she lost her home and her car. And then, as
a consequence, she lost her job and her kids.
While living with housemates in Barnet, the
landlord died, and suddenly everyone was
forced to move out. She had no family or
friends with a spare room who were willing
to take her in. One of my housemates took
my car when I was out of town, Valerie said,
peeling an orange thrust into her hand by
her youngest daughter. Keeping her job had
depended on having a car. That was the beginning of the downward spiral. Since I had
no vehicle, it was a struggle to get to school
and finish school. I had two kids. It pretty
quickly devolved into a situation where I was
staying in tents. My children were staying
with other family members. All of my belongings were in a storage locker . . . many of
our belongings got lost in that move. I dont
know exactly how or where. I found myself
Continued on Page 9
The Law Office of Amy K. Butler,
Esquire, PLLC
Bankruptcy Family Law
Estate Planning
64 Main St., Ste. 26, Montpelier
802-371-0077
akbutler@amykbutlerlaw.com
PAG E 2 D E C E M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R 16 , 2 015
Bookmark: montpelierbridge.com
THE BRIDGE
D E C E M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R 16 , 2 015 PAG E 3
T H E B R I D G E
If You Can, Please Help

Us Bridge The Gap
HEARD ON THE
STREET
Dear Friend of The Bridge,

Here is our situation:
Montpelier State House Ice Rink Closer to Reality
As this year ends, we are facing a $15,000 gap.

That is the gap between our income from advertising and subscriptions
and what it costs to write, edit, publish and distribute the paper.
We publish The Bridge twice each month (except for a single issue in July)
or 23 issues a year.
We are three things: Free, independent and very local.
At this busy time of year, we are hoping you will take a moment to assure
the continued existence of Montpeliers only print newspaper. Your contribution in whatever amount will help us reach our goal and will give us a
strong start as we come out of the gate on January 1, 2016.
Our readers sometimes tell us how important the paper is to them. Here is
a note from a recent letter:
Thank you, Bridge People, all of you I send many issues off to my
sister a prodigious and critical reader. She reads every word and wishes
she could live here.
Thank you in advance for your help,
And have a happy holiday season,
Sincerely,
Nat Frothingham, Editor and Publisher
P.S. We are offering a copy of the new Adamant cookbook to anyone who
makes a contribution of $150.00 or more. Please let us know if you would
like a copy of the Adamant cookbook.
MONTPELIER The Montpelier Alive Put a Rink on It committee, which is spearheading an effort to put an ice skating rink on the State House lawn, submitted a final
proposal to the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services, the state agency
tasked with reviewing the plan on November 4.
Its an exciting moment, said Kim McKee, a Put a Rink On It committee member. We
are so pleased with the amount of support we received in putting the proposal together,
and how we were able to create a plan that truly represents a vision of so many members of
the Montpelier community.
The proposal includes letters of support from the City of Montpelier, the Montpelier Business Association and Montpelier Alive. We believe the rink is a very important to the
health and vitality of Montpelier and Vermont as a tourist attraction, wrote Montpelier
Alive Executive Director Ashley Witzenberger. In addition to community building, we
know that the rink will be an economic stimulus for Montpeliers downtown and business
district.
We hope that as winter settles in this plan will go from vision to reality, said Nate Hausman, another Put a Rink on It committee member. Lets skate.
From a press release
Solar Company To Open Pop Up Store

MONTPELIER SunCommon, a local residential solar company, is opening a pop up
store and art gallery on 13 Main St, Montpelier. SunCommon is opening the temporary
store to help fill an otherwise empty storefront during the holiday season and create an
unlikely partnership with local art as a fun way to provide community education about
going solar. SunCommon will be hosting events including local food and drink tastings
and educational workshops. The store will be a designated stop for Art Walk on Friday
December 4. It will be open five or more days a week from November 28 through the end
of December. More information about Suncommon and a listing of events can be found at
http://suncommon.com/events/.
Trees and Kid-Made Wreaths For Sale

MONTPELIER Looking for a handmade tree or wreath that will also benefit a worthy
cause? You can find the tree, kid-made wreath and bake sale to benefit the Montessori
School this Saturday, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a spot just past Agway on
Route 2 headed out of town.
For more details, check out https://www.facebook.com/events/106555373047775
As-Needed Winter Parking Ban In Effect

MONTPELIER This seasons as-needed based winter parking bans has been in effect
since November 15. Parking is allowed overnight on city streets except during inclement
weather or snow removal activities. When a ban is in effect, parking will be prohibited
between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. on all city streets. Every effort will be made to notify residents
by 6 p.m.
Nature Watch
O
Failure to remove a vehicle from a city street may result in a $15 ticket and a $65
towing charge. Vehicles may park in the designated areas, which may be viewed at
www.montpelier-vt.org.
by Chip Darmstadt
Please visit www.vtalert.gov to choose your preferred notification method. A recorded message will also be available by calling 262-6200.
Finches Arrive With Frosty Mornings
ur frosty mornings are now coinciding with the arrival of winter finches.
Our resident American Goldfinches have been joined by Pine Siskins,
Purple Finches and Evening Grosbeaks. Listen for the nasal, ascending calls of Pine Siskins and the loud chirps of Evening Grosbeaks as
they fly overhead and perhaps stop to descend on your bird feeders.
Siskins are brown and streaky, sporting
flashes of yellow, while the grosbeaks
resemble oversized goldfinches with
large, white wing patches. Cone
crops to the north dictate which
finches come to Vermont in any
given season. This year the low supply of White Spruce seeds is sending
the siskins our way.
Our regular "Nature Watch" columnist,
Nona Estrin, will be away until midJanuary at which time she will resume
sharing her insights with Bridge readers.
In the meantime, please enjoy this "Nature
Watch" piece by Chip Darmstadt.
Sketch by Nona Estrin
Chip is an avid naturalist with an insatiable

interest in everything from butterflies to birds.
He is the director of the North Branch Nature Center
on Elm Street in Montpelier. Visit NBNC on the Web
at NorthBranchNatureCenter.org or call 229-6206.
Call Chip to participate in this years Christmas Bird
Count on Saturday, December 19.
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THE BRIDGE
Co-op Members Defeat Proposed Bylaw Change
by Carla Occaso
MONTPELIER Hunger Mountain Co-op members had their say and the controversial proposed bylaw change was soundly defeated. The gist of the proposed change was
to switch from floor vote style (in which only those who attend in person can vote) to an
electronic online or paper ballot vote open to members who do not attend the meeting.
They held their annual meeting November 15 at Montpelier City Hall.
The original bylaw reads, amendments to the warned proposed Bylaws amendments
considered at Annual Meeting may be made only with the approval of 90 percent of
those present and voting. The proposed new bylaw read, Voting will be by paper or
electronic ballot and will commence ten (10) days after the Annual Meeting or speciallycalled meeting and will continue for 30 days.
During the meeting, the options were discussed, according to a report sent to The Bridge
by Kari Bradley, general manager of Hunger Mountain Coop. Advantages to widening
the vote from just members who attend the meeting to members who do not attend the
meeting included that it would allow more members to vote, it is a more convenient
way to vote and a longer voting period allows ideas to be debated and shared more
widely. Advantages of the existing system included it is more important for the Coop
to encourage more members to attend the annual meeting than to offer ballot voting,
in-person deliberation is essential and allowing 30 days in which to deliberate online
might lead to a quagmire of large volumes of opinion that would become impossible
for mere mortals to comprehend.
According to the document titled Bylaw Change Discussion, those supporting a
change to an online system felt that taking it to the Net would be a move to embrace
new technology while those who opposed it cited fears that discussion may become
uncivil. In any case, those who favored the old New England way of doing things in
person at the meeting won out. It was a clear enough majority, said Bradley, who said
the vote was conducted by a show of hands. About 240 people attended.
In addition to bylaw changes, some new faces were elected to the Hunger Mountain
Coop Council, including Carl Etnier, Tyler Strange and Marci Young. Re-elected were
Council President Alex Brown and Treasurer Scott Hess. The council has nine memberowners who set policy for the co-op and give recommendations to the general manager,
according to the website hungermountain.coop.
2015 Hunger Mountain Coop Annual Meeting at Montpelier City Hall.

Courtesy of Hunger Mountain Coop
Central Vermonters To Join

Jobs, Justice and Climate
Rally
by K.C. Whiteley (with Margaret Blanchard)
n Saturday, December 12, climate activists, labor unions, faith communities

and racial and social justice groups will come together in Boston from every
corner of New England to call for bold climate solutions to create together jobs,
justice and climate actions.
As the United Nations Climate Conference closes in Paris, U.S. activists plan to keep
building a grassroots climate movement for solutions to move away from fossil fuels
toward renewable energy sources. The rally has been endorsed by over 75 labor, workers'
rights, social justice, faith, environmental and climate groups in the northeast. The rally
will wrap up at the Massachusetts State House steps.
Following the rally, the Boston Climate Defense action will host creative, non-violent
direct actions including theater, music and poetry. One example is street theater which
includes a scenario set in 2030 when, due to sea level rise, transit stations are converted
to ferry stations. These actions will run until 5:30 p.m. Buses will depart at 6 p.m. to
return to Vermont.
350Vermont has reserved five buses for Vermonters to join the December 12 rally. The
bus from Montpelier leaves Saturday at 8:30 a.m. from the Department of Labor parking lot on Green Mountain Drive, arriving in Boston at noon. Buses return to Vermont
at 9 p.m.
Reserve your seat on the Montpelier bus at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bus-trip-tojobs-justice-climate-rally-march-tickets-19641750003. To avoid the Eventbrite service
charge, you can pay by check: 350VT, 255 S. Champlain St., Ste 11, Burlington, VT
05401. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you need a subsidized ticket,
contact brittany@350vt.org or call 444-0350.
Norwich Hockey Team To

Support Cancer Research
MONTPELIER The American Cancer Society is holding a fundraiser in cooperation with the Norwich University mens hockey team New Years Day. The event, called
Skate for the Cure, will kick off at the Steak House (Barre-Montpelier Road), who will
donate lunch. Then, Richard Swenson, event chair for the American Cancer Society, and
comittee members will make a presentation to the Steak House and to the men's hockey
for their community support, Swenson told The Bridge in an email. After the meal and
presentation, the team and other attendees will hold the Skate for the Cure event at the
Civic Center ice rink on Gallison Hill Road. It will run from 7 to 9 p.m. The team will
also spend an hour or more with the community, skating and signing autographs, as
well as raffling tickets off for their tournament games and much more, Swenson wrote.
We have a great team that everyone loves doing good and supporting their community
that has stood behind them not just on the ice, but off the ice, he stated. Details can be
found at www.relayforlife.org/centralvt.
T H E B R I D G E
Eminent Domain: Public Tool or Economic Weapon?

by Gerard Renfro
Opinion
f "the public good" is the motive, smashing the beverage store is not
the right means. Bicycle use here in Montpelier is never going to be
adopted by the mainstream in any significant way. Montpelier could
not even get a freely offered bike share program to succeed. Most people
do not have the desire to fight gravity every time they want to go to work
or shop. If we should ever kick our automotive addiction, the routes used
by people will be those flat main arteries that already exist. At both of
the two public meetings held, there were no supporters for removing the beverage store.
Ironically, eminent domain was used for the mindless promotion of the highway system
that we now want to replace.
stores exist in abundance not because of a local economic interconnectedness, but because of a disconnect between the desires of Montpeculiar's
upperclass and its other class. We have numerous high priced eateries and
luxory stores, but few basic needs stores (and those have many of their
products made in some sweatshop). Saying that development does not
effect us is the same as saying we have nothing worthwhile that could be
affected. This is nothing to brag about. This type of economic disconnect could not exist if it were not for the wealth that comes from the statehouse economy
(which includes lawyers, lobbyists and non-profits) all of which which is funded by the
public. This welfare economy is not all that different from the French Block deal.
That said, I think there are unpleasant economic issues that should be in this discussion:
Thus, the real issue here is how our short-term decisions serve the long-term public good
and how "the public good" means different things to different socio-economic classes.
With taxes unpaid because of empty buildings and unfunded payments in lieu of tax
program, and even before the national economy crashed, Montpelier has been getting
squeezed. If we had those state taxes paid and our own buildings filled, we would have
a much better local economy that could better serve all econonmic classes in town. If
Montpelier had a more self-contained economy, it would require less waste to maintain
compared, to say, driving off to Wal-Mart and Staples.
One issue is the renovation of the stagnant "French Block" which will involve both nonprofit assistance and federal money. Another issue is the flawed payment in lieu of taxes
program, wherein the state has failed to pay its share of taxes for our towns facilities.
Another issue is the overpriced downtown space that has chased off decent local business.
These issues are significant because Montpelier has been struggling with its tax base for
years. Meanwhile, we have a large area right smack downtown that has been sitting idle.
At no time over the past two decades was eminent domain used to force the owners of the
French Block to clean up their act. Meanwhile, the state government and all hangers-on
have been using Montpelier's resources but not paying their fair share of expenses. Yet it
is these same taxpayer-supported non-profits using our federal money who arrive on the
French Block to save the day decades late.
One final issue is the false perception about Montpelier's local economy. The November
19 Bridge has people making comments about large scale development and its effect on
Montpelier business: "Montpelier will continue to be the authentic small town," "I doubt
(development) will have much effect on Montpelier, since we have more 'specialty stores'
(and we were NOT put out of business by Walmart...)," "I shop at the mall for products
that aren't available in Montpelier." These comments seem optimistic but actually betray
the reality that Montpelier has a disfunctional local economy.
Put these many issues together and you get ... Montpeculiar. Montpeculiar's "specialty"
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The bicyclists/environmentalists should focus on local projects that serve a wide range of
incomes, and not quicky feel-good projects. The bike path is purely recreational. It was
made, along with that ugly new building, by plowing over the green area that was used
by Barre Street residents to walk themselves and their pets. The bike path used relief
funds that should have been used for the revitalization of Montpelier after the big flood.
Thus, even the genesis of the bike path, although well intended, was questionable. Let us
not double the error. Eminent domain is a thoughtless way of getting something fast, in
place of getting something respectfully. I would submit to the bicyclists/environmentalists (especially the ones who ride naked) that knocking down a business that recycles our
consumer waste is not an environmentally wise long-term decision.
Gerard Renfro lives in downtown Montpelier and used to ride a bicycle while fully clothed,
including uphill.
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on Twitter:
@montpbridge
THE BRIDGE
Singer/Songwriter David Mallett To Perform
Also On Stage: Violinists Alexander Romanul, Annie Rowell and

Roy MacNeil
GREENSBORO The Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency presents famed singer/
songwriter David Mallett in concert December 12, 7:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary of
the Greensboro United Church of Christ. Returning by popular demand, Mallett, a
40-year leader of America's folk scene, has recorded 17 albums, performed on broadcasts
such as National Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion, and provided material
for notables such as Pete Seeger, Alison Krauss, Emmy Lou Harris, Kathy Mattea, John
Denver and The Muppets. Mallett will be performing songs from his new album as well
as his original standards he has made famous. Acclaimed classical violinists Alexander
Romanul, Annie Rowell and Roy McNeil will open the concert.
David Mallett
Photo by Jill Wenner
A reception to meet the artists will follow immediately after in Fellowship Hall at the
church. Mr. Mallett will also be visiting Lakeview Elementary School on Friday, December 11, as artist-in-residence. The Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency, under the
artistic direction of Sabra Jones, is currently constructing the Mirror Theater, an intimate
Elizabethan style theater located in Greensboro. Creating a home for the companys own
productions and for artists and organizations throughout the Northeast Kingdom, the
Mirror will allow The Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency to realize its mission of
providing cultural and economic opportunities to the surrounding community.
A Maine native, David Mallett has been described as one of America's greatest troubadours. In a career spanning four decades, he has created a notable body of work,
including the American folk classic Garden Song. He has performed in clubs, concert
halls and festivals across the U.S., Canada and Europe, including such major venues
and broadcasts such as Barns of Wolf Trap, Newport Folk Festival, and Prairie Home
Companion. Folkwax Magazine voted Mallett 2003 Artist of the Year and his album
Artist in Me as 2003 Album of the Year, and he has been recognized by the Bangor
Daily News as One of the 58 Most Memorable Mainers of the 20th Century.
Also performing will be violinist Alexander Romanul, who was born in Boston into a
distinguished musical family of historic Romanian lineage. After making his debut at
age 13 playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the New England Conservatory
Orchestra under the direction of Gunther Schuller, he was invited by Arthur Fiedler to
play as a soloist with the Boston Pops, soloed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in
Symphony Hall as winner of the Youth Concerts Concerto Competition, and performed
as soloist with the National Symphony of Ecuador, where critics acclaimed him a poet
of the violin. Subsequently Romanul was awarded fifth prize in the Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland and has performed widely as soloist and chamber
musician in Europe and the Americas.
Romanul will be joined by talented local violinists Annie Rowell and Roy MacNeil. The
Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency was founded in 2005 with the sponsorship of
the Mirror Repertory Company. The Mirror Repertory Company, originally founded
in 1983 by Sabra Jones McAteer, is the spiritual successor to Harold Clurman's Group
Theatre and Eva Le Galliennes Civic Repertory.
Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency is proud to say that they now operate year
round, employ Vermont-based staff, and that their productions, including performers
and audience members, have brought together thousands of people from towns all over
Vermont; they are also constructing a permanent home in the form of a world class Elizabethan style theater to open Summer of 2017.
For more information, contact Mirror Repertory Company Greensboro Arts Alliance and
Residency Mirror Productions Greensboro Writers Forum at 646-688-4365 or 533-7487
or online at mirrorrep.org gaar.info.
Welcome,
Kirby
Occaso!
The Bridge would like to welcome

Montpelier High School Student
intern Kirby Occaso, grade 12, to
our workforce. Kirby was also an intern with The Bridge last year along
with fellow student Dillon Rafferty.
His duties include archiving old
copies of The Bridge, database design, data entry and subscription
recording and fulfillment.
Disclosure: Kirby Occaso is the son of
Managing Editor Carla Occaso.
T H E B R I D G E
Zero-sort Recycling?
ecycling is now mandatory. So what does that mean

to all us recyclers? To me it meant the company that
hauls away what I incorrectly refer to as my garbage
replaced my old recycling and trash cans with a big new zero
sort recycling bin and a new, smaller, trash bin. The
message seemed to be that with zero-sort recycling,
I would need more space for my recycling and less
space for my trash, most of which I am supposed
to be composting anyway. That got me to thinking
about how we had to do things in the old
days and how far weve come.
(at the recycling

center) ... you got
to meet a lot of
your friends and
neighbors on
Saturday mornings
and see what they
had been drinking
all week.
Back before I convinced a trash hauling company to send a truck backwards up my long
driveway by giving them lots of money each
month, I would haul my own garbage. In the
earliest days I would haul it to what was then
called the dump, where I had to dodge huge
earthmovers with steel tires that looked like
the bottom of football shoes and unload my
car in a swirl of a bazillion seagulls. There was
no sorting at all everything got dumped
onto the pile and what was not consumed
and therefore composted by the seagulls got
smooshed by those steel tires. If I remember correctly, the fee was quite small.
I should have suspected things were going to get more complicated when the dump
changed its name to landfill. For a while, going to the landfill seemed a lot like going
to the dump. I still had to dodge the earthmovers and the seagulls. But then things went
even more upscale and they built a recycling center down the road, where everyone
could take their garbage and stuff and only dodge each others' Volvos and Saabs rather
than seagulls and earthmovers.
by Larry Floersch
My giddiness over the new system was dashed the next time the trash hauling truck arrived. The men on the truck got out and opened my zero-sort container. They then sorted
through what I had put in the zero-sort bin and threw most of it into the trash hopper on
the truck, while occasionally giving me glances that conveyed what a pathetic recycler I
was. It was worse than getting yelled at for throwing things into the wrong dumpster at
the recycling center.
Other things have changed too. It seems like only last year items like dead fluorescent
light bulbs had to be returned to places that sold them. The other day I took a bundle of
such bulbs to a large home improvement store located many miles away. When I asked the
sales associate where I should put the bulbs, he gave me a rather blunt answer that is the
kind of joking men do amongst themselves in locker rooms or at large home improvement
stores. The longer answer is they no longer accept such items for recycling.
So I guess zero sort means that what goes in the zero-sort bin doesnt have to be sorted
because you have already sorted it before you put it in the bin. And from what I can tell,
a lot less is considered recyclable than what I previously thought. My refrigerator door
now sports several brochures that explain some of the new recycling rules, because I must
constantly refer to them when taking out the garbage. And a ruler, so I can measure things
(who knew that plastic lids had to be 2 inches or larger or corrugated boxes had to be in
pieces 2 feet or smaller).
The brochures also assure me that this new zero sort system is easier. I try to keep that in
mind as I sit on the lid of my smaller trash bin trying to get it to close.
Featured Photo
The recycling center was a bunch of steel dumpsters as big as 18-wheelers, and you had
to sort your garbage into trash and recyclables and throw things into the correct
dumpster. The trash was easy. There was only one dumpster with a built-in smoosher.
Recyclables were a different story. Plastics went into one of several dumpsters depending
on the recycling number on the bottom, empty wine bottles (of which we produce a lot
of here at my house) and pickle jars (of which we produce somewhat less) went in another,
cans in another, paper in yet another. There was always a friendly and watchful attendant
on duty to encourage you to avoid mistakes by yelling at you. As a bonus, you got to meet
a lot of your friends and neighbors on Saturday mornings and see what they had been
drinking all week. I learned a lot about wine and beer and my friends in those days, and
we all had a lot of satisfying fun smashing glass items as we talked about hangovers. Also,
the recycling center charged you more to allow you to sort your garbage and recycle, so
you felt you were making an important contribution to saving kittens and baby whales.
Then one day the landfill became a transfer station, a name that gave me the impression my garbage was merely changing to a different line on Bostons T. I noticed
on those occasions when I would have to go to the transfer station itself rather than the
recycling center that things had changed there. The seagulls were gone, and now you had
to dodge the earthmover in a big shed, which you backed into to dump your trash. That
made things a lot more exciting and challenging, kind of like a computer game, because
the earthmover nearly filled the shed and was constantly in motion and you could only
use your rearview mirrors to steer. Also, they would weigh my little pickup truck on a big
truck scale when I entered and when I left and charge me according to the difference in
weight. That truck scale and the amount they charged me to unload my truck gave
me visions of buying a big rig and taking to the road as a second job to help meet the
expense.
Now we have zero-sort recycling. When I heard about it, I was relieved that I would no
longer have to go to the recycling center and sort things into the correct dumpster. I threw
everything recyclable into my new zero-sort recycling bin.
Nature's limbs interlock.

Photo by Daniel A. Neary, Jr.
THE BRIDGE
The Five Senses of Montpelier

story and photo by Dot Helling
hile cruising the streets of Montpelier I am often struck by the impacts on

my senses. In Montpelier we have an inordinate array of sensory experiences
to gratify and challenge the five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.
Most of those experiences are palliative, some creatively stimulating and a few flare my
nostrils. Want to be inspired? Settle yourself into a downtown bench or stroll around and
take in the following.
In the sight department, the lofty steeples and spires of the downtown fill our horizon and
cityscape with breathtaking, soaring architectural beauty. There is also the Statehouse
with its golden dome topped by Ceres and its beautiful surrounding seasonal gardens.
Montpelier is embraced by the green hills and forests of Hubbard and North Branch parks
and by distant views of Camels Hump, Worcester and Hunger mountains. But over and
above these features, this city in the spring with all of its blossoming trees in full regalia
is breath-taking, as when the pink peonies later bloom. The beauty of flowers is carried
on in the downtown planters and in peoples gardens. This year, the wildly pink petunias
on State Street were beautiful and fun. Year round there is beauty to behold in our buildings and parks, in the many talents of Montpelier artists at venues such as the T.W. Wood
Gallery and Arts Center, and simply in the characteristic faces of our residents.
Notable sounds of the city include the chiming of the courthouse clock tower on the hour,
every hour, twenty-four seven. Some may remember chimes from City Hall, although
not always in sync. We have ringing church bells on Sundays. The Montrealer sounds
its horn as it approaches town and it and the granite trains chug as they pass through.
Not too long ago, the fire department sounded a siren every workday at noon, and in
earlier days the siren also wailed at curfew. Montpelier is a city of talented musicians
of all kinds, from Kathleen Keenan belting out Patsy Cline, to Patty Casey and Colin
McCaffrey doing folk, the country and juke joint sounds of the Starline Rhythm Boys,
world-renowned classical pianist Michael Arnowitt and many others with a myriad of
styles, from the porch picker to the professional. A wide variety of affordable music venues
including Charlie Os, Sweet Melissas, Positive Pie, Bagitos, The Skinny Pancake, the
Christ Church courtyard and City Hall stage these performers. We have the migrational
sounds of geese and other avians including seemingly thousands of cawing crows resting
on the way to their winter homes. The sound of running water from falls and the brook
can be found within the city proper. And then there are sounds that are not so appealing,
but necessary, such as the Monday morning garbage trucks, snowplows, early morning
construction, fire truck and ambulance emergency responses and the crosswalk beeps and
directionals that often forget to give pedestrians the green light.
Taste is a given in this city. The plethora of ethnically diverse and tasty restaurants cater
to every palate. Morning breakfast options include southern fare, traditional American,
French pastries, coffee shops, bagels and diner menus. Lunch and dinner brings out the
Asian fusion. We have an influx of Asian eateries including Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai
and sushi in the downtown. We also have excellent Cuban, Italian, Mexican and other
eclectic and organic choices. An array of bars, burger joints and a steakhouse rounds out
the downtown epicurian scene. In addition to our restaurants, we have culinary delights
available in our local supermarket, neighborhood markets, co-op, sidewalk carts and at
the weekly farmers market.
The highlight of smell in the downtown includes those blossoming trees in spring and the
early summer peonies. In the mornings the aroma of bread from the ovens at Manghis
and New England Culinary Institute wafts through the air. I miss the Capitol Grounds
coffee roaster that made Montpelier smell like Waterbury with its Green Mountain Roasters plant (Capitol Grounds moved its roaster to East Montpelier several years ago). If you
take a morning walk up the hill above Liberty Street you can savor the baking smells
coming out of Heaton House. What doesnt smell so great is the exhaust pipe on lower
East State Street, the sanitation plant near Dog River on hot, still dog days of summer,
second hand smoke in establishment doorways and the skunk patrol. You can still enjoy
wood smoke on cold nights, although the heavy coal and smoky fire smells of the olden
days are gone.
In town I relish the touch of hugs from friends and acquaintances. There are also lovely
sensations associated with brushes or taps from others and solid handshakes. Such contacts are a large piece of what makes this city friendly and special. These contacts are
especially dear when you encounter friends who have been in hibernation, or perhaps
when you yourself have come out of a winter den. We all know the feel of a cold, dark
winter. The other touch I am responsive to is the rays of the sun, especially when joined
with balmy breezes. The sun warms our hearts and raises our spirits. We soak it in when
its here and wait longingly for it to reappear and touch us again. And so, with the shortest
days of the year upon us, we shall await this satisfying touch of Montpelier life. Hopefully
it will bring on a shorter, warmer winter.
I myself am escaping the winter as a different kind of snowbird. I leave soon to work in
the Colorado mountains. Its not as warm as Florida but sunnier and warmer than here.
I cant promise any columns while Im away, but expect me back in the spring with lots
of juicy pieces!
T H E B R I D G E
Basic Needs: Motherhood, Homelessness and Worth
Continued from Page 1
in a situation where I couldnt come up with first and last months

rent, she recounted. Trying to come up with a loan for a car
was next to impossible. I ended up having to split custody
with my childrens fathers, and basically began a long
multi-year court battle with their lawyers. That was the
beginning of it. I ended up being homeless for eight months.
My kids were separated from each other.
Getting Up Again
To begin pulling herself out of this situation, Valerie applied
for subsidized housing. She then asked her father for a loan
to get a car, which he gave her with interest and lawyers involved. He had been, for the most part, out of her
life since she was a baby. She got a job doing respite for
a woman who had autism and earned some money. Once
I earned a little bit of money, I could prove I could pay an electricity bill, then I could get
an apartment. Then I began the court process of fighting to get my kids back, she said.
But then came another battle: Depression. I was prescribed medication that had adverse
effects, she said. This led to her being fired and then losing her apartment. I was homeless again. I dont remember why I ended up without a place to live.
I also didnt have a car then. I was sort of couch surfing, she said.
However, she got a job at the clothing manufacturer Garnet Hill
in Franconia, New Hampshire, and commuted from St. Johnsbury to Franconia. Finally she met a woman who owned a
three-story apartment building in Lyndonville. The woman
waived the security deposit and allowed Val to move in with
her two young children. It really helped us get on our feet, she
said, adding that at this time she was also pregnant with a third
child. She lived in Lyndonville for several years before moving to
Montpelier, to Sibley Avenue. Then her fourth child arrived. Now
38, she still struggles to pay the bills, finish school and keep enough
fuel in the tank to keep the furnace going one five-gallon jug at
a time.
Along the way there have been organizations
she has turned to who helped her, she said.
My Mom has always tried to help, but she
couldnt give me a place to live and she didnt have any money.
Poverty and Basic Needs

I think the message is ... the struggle of being poor. Losing one
piece of the puzzle takes all of your stability away. Poverty is so
precarious. It is constant juggling. Your basic needs are always
going to be there with you. If something disappears then everything goes. It is like dominoes, she said. When you dont have
friends or relatives who have credit, or who have an extra bedroom
you can stay in. And the kids. Child support is an endless fight. It
is not one I am going to win.
All photos and artwork courtesy

of Valerie Coolidge and family
Got a news tip?

We want to know!
Send it to us at:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com
The Future
Valerie is determined to try to finish her college degree in liberal arts from Lyndon State
College. Then she wants to study law. I want to help people who are poor. I want to help
people who are stuck in the system. Who dont have a voice and give them a voice. I want
to make the laws accessible to people who cant afford lawyers. I want to interpret law for
people who cant afford it, she said. It encourages me that in Vermont, you can at least
read law and if you can pass the bar you could be a lawyer. But for now, as the bleak days
of winter descend around children who grow larger each year needing mittens, coats, boots
and Christmas presents, Valerie is determined to meet their needs.
Book
Review
THE BRIDGE
Vermont Moments: A Celebration of Place,

People, and Everyday Miracles
by John OBrien
M.
Dickey Drysdale who published and edited The Herald of Randolph for 43
years (from Nixon to Obama) has written a first-rate book, Vermont Moments: A Celebration of Place, People and Everyday Miracles. His book is
a collection of his stories that appeared in The Herald, Vermont Life, The Boston Globe,
as well as a peck of lovely poems that have been kept under a bushel until now.
Lets begin with the author. Everybody round these parts calls him Dick or Dickey or
M. D., but in attempt to sound professional, I will refer to him as Drysdale. Drysdale
is a legend in Orange County and not unknown beyond Snowsville (hes in the New
England Newspaper Hall of Fame). Like Ross Connelly of The Hardwick Gazette or
Chris Braithwaite of The Barton Chronicle, publishers and editors of Vermonts weekly
newspapers are all Rube Goldberg contraptions amalgams of Katharine Graham and
Ben Bradlee, possessed of Googles memory, housed in offices out of Norman Rockwell
that miraculously produce, every seven days, something that is black and white and
read all over.
Reading the applause on the back cover and the advance praise on the inside, I was
struck by the breadth of blurbers. A fistful of fellow journalists are there the hearty
cheers from the fraternity but there are also encomiums from a Ms. Kunin, a Mr.
Dean, and a Mr. Douglas. Before I had opened the book, I was struck by my first Vermont moment: Three governors, three thumbs up.
I wont compare Drysdale to this essayist or that poet, but reading his stories and poems,
I can tell you who he likes to read himself: E. B. White, James Thurber, Robert Frost,
Edward Thomas, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Ogden Nash, Thoreau and Emerson (Drysdale celebrated his first birthday in Vermont and has been here ever since,
but he was born in Concord, Massachusetts), Mark Twain, Sherwood Anderson, Billy
Collins, Donald Hall, May Sarton, Thomas Hardy, Russell Baker, Peanuts and The
Far Side.
In his foreward, Tom Slayton writes about Vermont as fabric, how the people and
the places of our state are woven together into a complex weave and how well Drysdale
understands it all. I suspect reading Vermont Moments as a Vermonter is a different

experience than if an Iowan picked up the book; the Iowan might enjoy it just as much
as I did, but the delight would be from comparison and recognition, not from being part
of the 802 crazy quilt.
Reading Vermont Moments is not unlike reading the weekly newspaper: my eye seems
trained to pick out familiar names in print.
In Driscoll Reid, Drysdale writes an elegy to his friend and family dentist. Driscoll
Reid once filled a cavity of mine.
In Christmas Party at the Freight House, Drysdale describes a jam session at an old
railroad facility in South Royalton, hosted by woodworker Randy Leavitt. Randy Leavitt
pressed my apples into cider this year.
In Wind Harp on a Chelsea Hill, Drysdale describes the building of this mystical
instrument in 1971, and the builder, Ward McCain. I remember, as a kid, hiking up to
see the wind harp and thinking how wonderful and wonderfully odd it was. The wind
harp was erected on Warren and Anna Mattoons farm. Anna Mattoons brother, George
Lyford, starred in my film, Nosey Parker.
In Harold, a poem about the celebrated Vermont fiddler Harold Luce, Drysdale describes the six speeds Luce could play. The top speed, Luce explained, was needed for a
wedding party where the receptions dancing got pretty hot in a potato patch. Theres
a scene for a future movie, but perhaps its better left on the page and to imagination.
The one piece that is missing from Vermont Moments is one that would feel so at home
in the book: an appreciative, humorous profile of M. Dickey Drysdale. Its not as if
Dickey would write about himself, Norman Mailer style, but hes lived a life (hes in his
70s, but still awfully lively) thats every bit as compelling as the Vermonters he writes
about, and, like many of his subjects, its a life small town newspaper publisher
that feels like we may not see its like for much longer.
T H E B R I D G E
Ultrarunner Newton Baker
Newton Bakers Love Affair

with Running
by Nat Frothingham
MONTPELIER On January 16, retired Montpelier schoolteacher, Newton Baker,

was one of 12 men and women who set forth stride-by-stride to run a supermarathon from Huntington Beach, California to Fredericksburg Park, in Washington
D.C. a distance of 3,100 miles.
Of the 12 runners who started out seven runners including Baker and Baker was
the oldest runner at 73 completed the 140-day journey on June 2.
The cross-country strength-fitness-and-endurance official USATF race was sponsored
by the California not-for-profit organization Run-Walk Events, Inc. to raise public
awareness of childhood obesity and the need to encourage young people to be and stay
physically active.
The super-marathon followed a generally southern route across the United States. After
leaving Huntington Beach, a seaside city of about 200,000 people not far from Los Angeles, the runners traversed all or parts of these states: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas,
Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Then the route turned north
through South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia and ended at Fredericksburg Park,
across the street from the nations capital in Washington, D.C.
For Newton Baker, running has been a major pursuit and so also has been school
teaching. For 35 years, from 1970 to 2005, Baker taught grades three through six at
Union Elementary and Main Street Middle schools in Montpelier. And for 34 of those
years, Baker was a runner and still is a runner.
He started out running in 5- and 10-K events. The K stands for kilometers or 1,000
meters thus there are 5,000 meters in a 5-K race and 10,000 meters in a 10-K race.
But slow down. A meter is much longer than a foot almost 40 inches long. That makes
a 5,000 meter race about equivalent to a 3.1 mile race. Many people who follow sporting events will remember the celebrity status of British runner Roger Bannister when he
broke the four-minute mile on May 6, 1954.
Imagine then a 5-K race which is about 3.1 miles long with the best current times in the
mens division at 12.57, a shade under 13 minutes. Imagine also at 10-K race (10,000 meters) with the best current times in the mens division at 27.19, a shade over 27 minutes.
Having run the 5-K and the 10-K, Baker was ready for longer distances. In 1984, he ran
the width of Vermont starting from the Connecticut River town of Bradford, then west
through Orange, East Barre and Montpelier. Then he ran along Route 2 all the way to
Lake Champlain.
Bakers next challenge was to run the length of Vermont from Route 5 at the Canadian
border, then to Newport, then along Route 100 all the way to the Windham County
town of Whitingham that borders northern Massachusetts.
Bakers success with these longer running challenges gave him confidence about this
years cross-country super-marathon.
Baker who comes across as physically fit is candid about his health. I have several
medical conditions, he told The Bridge. Then he added humorously, Im the sickest
healthy man.
Baker has an inherited voice condition called spasmodic dysphonia which causes halting
speech. Hes had successful prostate surgery. He broke an ankle ice skating in 2008. And
for the past 12 years hes been a stage zero chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient. I have
regular check-ups and Im hoping for the best, he said.
But back to running. It was during his run down the length of Vermont that he discovered the joy of running as he put it People along the road, farmers, people waking
up, people going to work, talking to people along the road. It was really an unfolding
mystery whats going to pop up next?
Baker reckons he is one of about 300 people who have run across the country. And like
other distance runners, hes often asked, Why do you do this?
Bakers answer was short and sweet, I love to run. It makes me feel good.
Thank you for supporting The Bridge!
THE BRIDGE
Remembering Raymond N. Alvarez, the Alv
few days ago I talked by phone with James Alvarez, the eldest son of Raymond N. Alvarez, and James related his fathers life to the larger American
immigrant story and to a time and an era in Montpelier that appears to
have largely passed.
The Alvarez immigrant story began in 1911, when Raymonds father, Narciso Alvarez, then a 16-year-old youth, left Navajeda, a small town in northern Spain, for a
new life in America.
After coming to America, Narciso married Josephine Ghiringhelli who came from
an Italian family. Anyone who remembers Villa and the Capital Market that he
opened in 1927 at 116 Main Street will remember Josephine Alvarez and Josephines sister Rose.
Raymond N. Alvarez (Villa and Josephines son), was born in 1927, the very year
that Capital Market opened. Except for a five-year break after he graduated from
Montpelier High School, Ray spent his entire life in Montpelier. Growing up,
he worked at the Capital Market. He became the stores meat cutter and later he
became the stores owner and proprietor. As owner and proprietor, it was he who
decided to close the store after the 1993 Montpelier flood.
Four years before he died, Ray talked to The Bridge about working at Capital Market as a boy.
I probably started working at the store when I was 14 years old, pecking potatoes, as he put it, and sweeping the floor. Talking more about handling potatoes, he said, The potatoes came in a 60-pound bran sack and were dumped into
the cellar through a chute in the sidewalk. It was young Raymonds job to peck
potatoes into 10 or 15-pound bags. And that, he remembered, was back at a time
when a 10-pound bag sold for 49 cents.
When Ray graduated from Montpelier High School in 1945, he enlisted in the
United States Marines and completed his training at Parris Island. He was on a
troop train headed west no doubt headed for combat in the Pacific Theater
when that troop train was stopped at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It was sometime around
August 15, 1945 (VJ Day) when the news of Japan's surrender was announced.
It was a good thing, said his son, Jim Alvarez, about the sudden end of the war.
Had the war not ended, His story (Ray's story) would probably have ended in the
Pacific.
After the World War II until 1948 Ray Alvarez served the rest of his enlistment at
the U.S. Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico. Then he attended Vermont College and
after that he studied accounting at Burdett College in Boston before coming back
home to Montpelier and working at the Capital Market.
But back to the immigrant story. Rays son, James, described the Capital Market
as a family store that represented what James called the immigrant mentality.
The idea of work had nothing to do with an eight-hour day. As James put it in his
own words, Family was work. Work was family. Everything revolved around that
store for 60 years: the Depression, the War, the Post-War it was all part of the
American immigrant experience.
Jim Alvarez remembered the hard work in the lead-up to Thanksgiving when hundreds of native turkeys were brought into the store. The turkeys had to be cleaned,
plucked, hung and tagged. There was much work to do before they could be stuffed
into the Capital Market meat case.
Ray, himself, talking to The Bridge four years ago, remembered the turkeys at
Thanksgiving and the fruit baskets at Christmas. I would be there from 6 in the
Ray with his mother, Josephine

Alvarez, at the Capital Market
Ray Alvarez with his father, Villa Alvarez,

in front of Capital Market
T H E B R I D G E
varez Family and Capital Market

morning until 12 midnight, he said.
And yet it wasnt all work either.
In 1956, Villa bought what the Alvarez family now calls camp and camp was a
place that Rays son, Jim, said, dominated his fathers life dominated the familys life for the next 20 years and was a place Ray loved. Elaborating on this,
Jim said, Boats, water skiing and fishing filled the 24 hours Raymond spent at
camp each week and on summer vacation.
by Nat Frothingham
customers. Elderly people and shut-ins who couldnt get out of their homes to shop
would phone the market and Ray would shop for them at the store and then deliver
these groceries to their homes.
Everyone knew Ray, he knew them and in Rays service and in the Capital Market
itself, Newcomb saw a kindness and grace part of what he called the old
Montpelier a time and era that has now largely passed.
Ray Alvarez trapshooting. All photos courtesy of James Alvarez
Then there was trapshooting, which was for Ray, much more than anything
like a hobby. Here, we turn to Dennis DeVaux, one of Rays longtime trapshooting friends who talked to The Bridge by phone and described what the
sport meant to Ray. It was big in his life. It was huge. He was passionate
about it, said DeVaux, who first met Ray in 1969 when DeVaux himself had
first started shooting.
According to DeVaux, Ray was very good at trapshooting, winning several
Vermont titles. Ray travelled and competed throughout New England. He
went to the National Grand American Trapshooting Tournament in Vandalia,
Ohio. Then when it moved to Sparta, Illinois, he went out to that. Ray went
to Florida. He went out west to Nevada, Arizona and Texas.
After Ray turned 65, he qualified for the Veterans category and won some of
the veterans titles in Vermont and New England. He loved the Montpelier
Gun Club, said DeVaux. He was active in making improvements to the Club
in remodeling the bunkers that is the machines that throw the clay
pigeons out.
On the personal side, DeVaux appreciated Rays sense of humor. He was
quite a conversationalist. He was good for a chuckle, a joke, a story. He loved
people. He loved travelling, eating. He loved the good restaurants across the
country.
Tim Newcomb, who works in Montpelier as a graphic designer and lives in
nearby Worcester, was a longtime customer at Capital Market before it closed
in 1993 and shared a few of his memories of Ray with The Bridge.Newcomb
took note of the kind of service that Ray and the Alvarez family offered their
In Memorium
R
Raymond Alvarez
March 8, 1927 November 13, 2015
aymond N. Alvarez, 88, of Westwood Drive in Montpelier, died on Friday, November 13, 2015 at the Birchwood Nursing Home in Burlington, Vermont.
delivered meats and produce to the restaurants in town and at the daily meeting with
other Montpelier merchants at the Coffee Corner.
He was born on March 8, 1927 in Montpelier, the son of Narciso (Villa) and Josephine
(Ghiringhelli) Alvarez. He graduated from Montpelier High School in the class of 1945.
After high school he enlisted in the United States Marines and served until his honorable
discharge in 1948. He then attended Vermont College and Burdett College in Boston,
MA where he earned his associates degree.
Raymond was a member of the Montpelier Gun Club and had a passion for trapshooting. He traveled throughout the United States to compete in trapshooting events. He
was considered one of the top shooters in the U.S. and frequently won Senior Veterans
Category at shoots he attended.
On October 25, 1953, Raymond married Maxine Norton of Putnamville, Vermont. She
predeceased him in 1993.
Raymond was the proud owner and proprietor of the Capital Market on Main Street, a
business that was started by his father in 1927. Raymond, or Rico as he was known, was
a lifelong Montpelierite. For 50 years he could be seen in his white butchers jacket as he
Thank You for Reading The Bridge
Survivors include his long time devoted companion and friend, Francese Setien of Montpelier and Barre; sons; James Alvarez and significant other Patricia Freeman of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Jeffrey Alvarez and his wife Ellen of Knoxville, Tennessee;
granddaughters, Emily Gensler and Grace Alvarez; sister, Evelyn Trono and her husband,
Al of Burlington, Vermont; and several nieces and nephews including Marianne and her
husband Ivin Silver, Nancy Trono, and Raymond and his wife Theresa Trono.
Granite City Groove
THE BRIDGE
A Local Business: The Inner Workings of

Co-prenuers
by Joshua Jerome
eing entrepreneurial requires dedication to your vision and the confidence to

educate consumers and potential funders about whatever kind of widget you may
be producing. It also requires optimism and the ability to take chances. But what
about married entrepreneurs co-preneurs? I was curious to learn about the decisionmaking process and the difficulty of being co-preneurs, so I caught up with such a couple,
Rebecca Kerin-Hutchins and Scott Hutchins, to hear about how they make all three of
their businesses Hutch Brothers Concrete, Yellow Dog Properties and K5 Consulting
run.
Scott Hutchins grew up in Barre City and learned about the concrete business from
his father, Richard Hutchins, who owned such a business until 1993. Scott worked at
Bombardier and in the granite industry and even opened up his own boutique archery
shop in downtown Barre. In 2002, Scott was working with his brother at a granite shed
when the shed owners undertook an expansion. Scott and his brother used their concrete
knowledge to do the concrete work and, after the job was done, decided to start Hutch
Brothers Concrete.
Fast forward five years to 2007, and Rebecca was a busy mother of three young children.
A conventional 9-to-5 job simply did not provide enough flexibility, so she started K5
Consulting, a bookkeeping and consulting business. Scott and Rebecca met in 2008 and
it soon became apparent that they not only shared a tremendous work ethic, but love
for one another. From a business perspective, Scott had been operating Hutch Brothers
Concrete efficiently, and his good reputation and quality standards helped the business
grow steadily. Bringing Rebecca into the business was not just bringing in a spouse, but
a different skill set based on non-concrete industry applications.
The two of them were running both of their businesses out of their house. Hutch Brothers employees would show up at the house at 6 a.m. and meander through the kitchen as
Rebecca was fielding calls and preparing lunches for the kids. It was soon apparent that
they needed to separate the family unit from the business unit, and in 2011 they took that
step by purchasing the old East Barre school house. The acquisition represented their first
foray into property management with their third business, Yellow Dog Properties. It also
would allow sufficient room for growth. And, with Barres Main Street reconstruction
about to be in full swing, they would need that room.
During the Big Dig, Hutch Brothers Concrete doubled in size to 24 employees. These
days, the company maintains a heavy workload of 12 to 15 jobs at any given time during
the busy season. As technology in the concrete industry has advanced, so have the opportunities to bring new products into the marketplace. From stamped and dyed concrete
to advanced application machinery, Hutch Brothers Concrete has remained educated
about trends in the concrete industry around the country. Scott and Rebecca attend annual trade shows and often bring several employees along with them. Its an investment
in human capital they tell me, an investment that is only possible because of the close,
mutual respect exhibited between employee and employer.
I asked Rebecca and Scott about how theyre able to manage their family of six and three
businesses. Rebecca said, We are always asking ourselves what can we do differently and
how can we improve this aspect of working together, a point that Scott followed up on
by saying, Rebeccas the only woman that ever made me stronger. The mutual admiration they share was apparent, all while two phones kept ringing and numerous employees
kept coming through to keep them abreast of the mornings activities. They told me it
gets much more chaotic in the busy season, when they often take upwards of 80 calls a
day. I asked, When do you shut off; when is it just, husband and wife? I was told 8:30
or 9 p.m.
Not only did I admire their respect for one another, but also their ability to finish each
other's sentences. I learned a lot about concrete, and Scott and I talked deer hunting a
bit, but mostly I learned about the right way for co-preneurs to make life work, and I am
grateful for that.
The writer is executive director of The Barre Partnership.
Scott Hutchins and

Rebecca Kerin-Hutchins
T H E B R I D G E
Covering events happening December 3 December 19

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier Bicycle

Advisory Committee. First Thurs., 8 a.m. Police
Station Community Room, 534 Washington St.,
Montpelier. 262-6273.
Solar Siting Task Force Public Meeting. 10 a.m.
noon. Vermont State House, Room 10, State St.,
Montpelier. Open to the public.
Beginner's Guide to The Alexander Technique.
Deepen your understanding of natural movement
with self awareness. Explore developmental floor
practices, daily activities and group dynamics.
Hands-on guidance. Welcoming interest for new
class beginning in Feb. 5:307:30 p.m. Bethany
Church Chapel, 115 Main St., Montpelier. Suggested donation $225. Pre-register: http://atclass.
eventbrite.com. 223-7230. katie@balancefbeing.
com. www.balanceofbeing.com
Movie night and Discussion: How to Spark the
Love of Learning. Join the Pacem School community for a conversation about fostering curiosity,
celebrating creativity and honoring diversity in
our educational communities. Watch a TED talk
by Sir Ken Robinson, International Education
Advisor. 6:30 p.m. Pacem School, 32 College St.,
Montpelier. Free; open to the public. 223-1010.
lexi@pacemschool.org
Diabetes Support Group. First Thurs., 78 p.m.
Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical
Center. 371-4152.
Seafood Night at NECI on Main. Seafood specials.
Student-inspired. NECI on Main, 118 Main St.,
Montpelier
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
Death Caf. Group discussion about death with

no agenda, objectives or themes. First Fri., 11:45
a.m.1 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2,
Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Bring your
own lunch or eat at the center for $4. 223-3322.
Holiday Farmers Market. Free admission, live
music. A variety of local wares for your enjoyment.
37 p.m. Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite St., Barre.
Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your
own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.
First Fri., 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist
Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and enter
at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@
comcast.net.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier

Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room,
1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.
Old Fashioned New England Holiday Fair. Handcrafted wreaths and gifts, coffee, baked goods,
sit-down lunch and live music throughout the day.
9 a.m.2 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,

Montpelier. 223-7861. ucmvt.org
Home Share Now Information. Curious about
home sharing? Stop by Home Share Now's table.
9:30 a.m.noon. Montpelier Pharmacy, 69 Main
St., Montpelier. 479-8544.
information@homesharenow.org
Maple Corner Community Center Holiday Craft
Fair. Meet local artists and crafters. Holiday shopping in a cozy environment with great food. 9:30
a.m.3 p.m. Maple Corner Community Center,
64 W. County Rd., Calais. hernalser@aol.com
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Pick up
local foods for your holiday feast and crafts for
gift-giving. Over 30 vendors in all, more than
half of them selling farm products. Music by Patti
Casey. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39
Main St., Montpelier. montpelierfarmersmarket.
com
The Manor Annual Holiday Craft Fair. A range
of vendors and local artisans featuring handmade
jewelry, crafts, quilted items, a white elephant
table, a bake sale and homemade preserves, pickles
and baked goods from The Manors Grammas
Kitchen delicious items made by residents.
Live music. 10 a.m.3 p.m. The Manor, 577
Washington Highway, Morrisville. 888-8700.
themanorvt.org
Holiday Stroll Story Time, Crafts and Music at
the Waterbury Public Library. Bring the kids
to the Waterbury Public Library during your
stroll through town for stories, crafts and music
featuring Lesley Grant. 10 a.m. 30 Foundry
St., Waterbury. Free and open to the public.
waterburypubliclibrary.com
The Science Behind Why Our Children Are So
Sick ... and What You Can Do About It. With
Dr. Bradley Rauch. Are you concerned about
the explosion in chronic health problems seen in
our children today, including allergies, ADHD,
autism, obesity, asthma, diabetes and skin conditions? Join us to gain an understanding on how
our culture has engineered an unnatural lifestyle
that is costing us our health and what you can
do about it. 10 a.m. Plainfield Opera House, 149
Main St (Rt. 2), Plainfield. Free.
Northeast Storytellers. Writers, readers and
appreciators of prose and verse meet regularly
the first Saturday of every month. The public is
welcome to attend and new members are always
encouraged to join. 11:30 a.m.2 p.m. Catamount
Arts, 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury. 751-5432.
brookequillen@yahoo.com.
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides. (Dec. 5, 12 and 19)
Courtesy of Montpelier Alive. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Leaves from City Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier.
Free.
Santa Arrives & NECI Cookie Decorating. The
New England Culinary Institute continues the
Performing Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY
Dec. 3: Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

Presented by Lost Nation Theater. City Hall Arts
Center is transformed into a 1940s broadcast
studio as five versatile actors and one busy sound
effects wizard bring Frank Capras classic to life
in front of a live studio audience (thats you!). 7
p.m. Montpelier City Hall Arts Center, 39 Main
St., Montpelier. $10 advance; $15 day of show/at
door; children 11 and under per accompanying
adult free. 229-0492. lostnationtheater.org
Dec. 4: Extempo. Locals tell short-format,
first-person, true stories live on stage without any notes or reading. 8 p.m. Espresso
Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $5. 479-0896.
events@espressobueno.com. espressobueno.com.
Dec. 5: DANCE! Faculty/Student Works in
Progress. Professional dancers and advanced
students share works in progress in an intimate
setting. 7 p.m. Contemporary Dance & Fitness
Studio, 18 Langdon St, 3F, Montpelier. Donation
benefits floor fund. Adults $10; $5 kids. 2294676. cdandfs.com
Montpelier tradition of a cookie decorating activity as we anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus!
First, learn from the best of the best as Chef Kat
and NECI students help kids and families make
beautiful holiday cookies. Then, Santa Claus
arrives in Montpelier and visits with each awaiting child to hear what they want for Christmas!
12:304 p.m. City Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier. 223-9604. events@montpelieralive.org.
montpelieralive.org
Osteoporosis Education and Support Group.
For those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, have a family member who has
been diagnosed or want to learn about osteoporosis. Learn from a variety of guest speakers and
medical specialists. First Sat., 13 p.m. Community National Bank, Community Room, Crawford
Rd., Derby. 535-2011. mary@betterbonesnek.org.
betterbonesnek.org.
Echo Valley Community Arts presents "A
Child's Christmas in Wales" V. Two dramatized
readings of the humorous and classic poem by
Dylan Thomas. Tom Blachly, Nat Frothingham,
Elizabeth Wilcox, Cydney Ferrer, Leo Parlo,
Naomi Flanders and Diane Holland will bring
comedic skill to this hilarious and unforgettable
Christmas tale. Carol Dickson, Tracy Loysen and
Lila Brooke will provide fiddle music and song.
Dec. 5: FEMCOM. Comedy by women for women

(and enlightened men), featuring the standup
of Kathleen Kanz, Nicole Sisk, Mae Barron,
Bryanna Doe and Annie Russell. 9 p.m. Espresso
Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. Free. 479-0896.
Dec. 11: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy
Night. Montpelier's longest currently running
monthly Comedy Open Mic. Please support local comedy by performing or watching those that
do. Sign-ups 7:30 p.m.; show starts 8 p.m. The
American Legion Post #3, 21 Main St., Montpelier. Free; donations welcome. Bob: 793-3884.
Dec. 18: Stroke Yer Joke. Sign up in advance
on facebook, or sign up at the door a half hour
before show time, and try five minutes of your
best open-mic stand-up comedy before a live audience. 8 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St.,
Barre. Free. 479-0896. events@espressobueno.
com. espressobueno.com.
AUDITIONS
Dec. 78: General & Youth Auditions for Hairspray. Actors, singers, movers age 12+ for Hairspray, the musical. Prepare a short monologue,
1632 bars of a song and optional short dance
sequence no longer than two minutes total. Bring
a headshot and resume. By appointment, 59
p.m. Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall
Arts Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. Sign-up:
229-0492 or stagemanager@lostnationtheater.org
4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plainfield Opera House, Rt. 2,
Plainfield. Suggested donation: adults $10; kids $5.
An Evening at the Library! Fundraiser for the
Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Complete with food,
drink and music this catered gala marks the beginning of the holiday season. This year the library
honors Vermont cartoonist Ed Koren whose distinct work has filled the pages of the New Yorker
and the New York Times for years. 6:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. $60. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org
Espresso Brain-o. Muster your best small team,
and come eat, drink and think your way through
this dynamic live trivia game! 7 p.m. Espresso
Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $5. 479-0896.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6
Waterbury Road Walk with Green Mountain

Club. Moderate. 5.3 miles. The Waterbury Center
Loomis Hill road loop has numerous ups and
downs with rewarding views. Bring water and
lunch. Meet at Montpelier High School, 5 High
School Dr., Montpelier. Contact Reidun and
Andrew for meeting time: 223-3550.
Central Vermont Council on Aging Pancake
Breakfast. Regular or gluten-free pancakes, maple
Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. Open mic every Wed. Other shows T.B.A.
bagitos.com.
Dec. 3: Colin McCaffrey & Friends (folk/American/swing/bluegrass) 68 p.m.
Dec. 4: Jazz Duo Art Herttua & Ray Carroll
(guitar/percussion) 68 p.m.
Dec. 5: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; OhAnleigh
Celtic Quartet, 68 p.m.
Dec. 8: Nick Clemens (folk rock) 68 p.m.
Dec. 9: Daniel Rahilly & Ty Cicia (acoustic
blues) 68 p.m.
Dec. 10: Tim Brick (alt country) 68 p.m.
Dec. 11: Squirrels Crackers (blues/country/bluegrass) 68 p.m.
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Michael Arnowitt (classical/jazz piano) 68 p.m.
Dec. 13: Bleecker & MacDougal (folk ballads)
11 a.m.1 p.m.
Dec. 15: Old Time Music Session, 68 p.m.
Dec. 16: Papa GreyBeard Blues, 68 p.m.
Dec. 17: Dave Loughran (acoustic classic rock)
68 p.m.
Dec. 18: Pinedrop (folk/Americana/bluegrass)
68 p.m.
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Reid (singersongwriter) 68 p.m.
Charlie Os World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Mon.: Open Mic Comedy Caf, 8 p.m.
Every Tues.: Karaoke Night, 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 8: Abby Jenne & Doug Perkins (folk rock)
6 p.m.; Starline Rhythm Boys (honky tonk) 8:30
p.m.
6 p.m.; Township (rock) 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: Nechromancer, DJ Crucible (industrial
metal) 10 p.m.
6 p.m.; Pistol Fist/Violet UltraViolet (rock) 8:30
p.m.
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 4790896. Free/by donation. events@espressobueno.
com. espressobueno.com.
Dec. 12: Dan Weintraub (folk) 7 p.m.; Mark
LeGrand (Americana) 8 p.m.
Dec. 19: The Metal Outlaws (country/rock) 8 p.m
syrup, bacon and beverages. 810 a.m. Morse
Farm, 1168 County Rd., Montpelier. $6. All
proceeds go to free home-delivered holiday dinner
and gifts for seniors in need. Monetary donations, gifts of food (turkey, potatoes, stuffing or
vegetables) and shoeboxes filled with toiletries, gift
cards, nonperishable foods, warm hats, gloves or
socks are warmly welcomed and will be collected
at the breakfast to be delivered on Dec. 25.
Plainfield Holiday Farmers Market and Trunk
Sale. Support your local herbalists, crafters and
farmers and get fabulous handmade crafts, foods
and other gifts for the holidays and beyond. 9
a.m.1 p.m. Plainfield Opera House, 18 High St.
(Rt. 2), Plainfield. https://www.facebook.com/
events/172220149791262/
Waterbury American Legion Post 59 Auxiliary
Bingo Games. Doors open 11 a.m.; quick games
noon; regular games 1 p.m. 16 Stowe St., Waterbury. 244-8404
Dance, Sing, and Jump Around! An intergenerational fun afternoon. A lively time for folks of
all ages. Circle and line dances, singing games,
snacks, music by Kenric Kite and friends. 34:30
p.m. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 18 High
St. (Rt. 2), Plainfield. Suggested donation: $5; $10
per family. No one turned away. maryks@yahoo.
com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
Last Day of Robins Nest Nature Playgroup.

Offers parents, caregivers and children ages
birthfive an opportunity to play outside and
discover the sights, sounds and sensations of
the forests and fields at the NBNC. 9:3011:30
a.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St.,
Montpelier. Free; donations welcome. 229-6206.
northbranchnaturecenter.org.
Parent Meet-Up. Come meet other parents, share
information and chat over light snacks, coffee
and tea. First Mon., 1011:30 a.m. Hayes Room,
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. mamasayszine@gmail.com.
Calendar of Events
Positive Pie. 10 p.m. 22 State St., Montpelier.

229-0453. positivepie.com.
Dec. 4: Barika (world) $5
Dec. 5: Hot Neon Magic (80s) $5
Dec. 11: Winter Break Rave with GaGu & Jawz
(electronic) $10
Dec. 18: Oneness: A Conscious Dancehall with
Satta Sound, $5
Whammy Bar. 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. 31
County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.
com.
Every Wed.: Open mic
Dec. 3: Kris Gruen, Katie Trautz, Brian Clark
Dec. 4: Chad Hollister
Dec. 5: Mad Mountain Scramblers
Dec. 10: Dave Keller (blues/soul)
Dec. 11: Kava Express (dance/soul/rock)
Dec. 12: Stovepipe Mountain Band
Dec. 17: Paul Cataldo (singer-songwriter)
Dec. 18: Big Hat No Cattle
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dec. 4 and 6: Vermont Philharmonic Chorus.
Handels Messiah. Conducted by Lisa Jablow.
Dec. 4: 7:30 p.m. NEW LOCATION: Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier (Location
changed from St. Augustines Church)
Dec. 6: 2 p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
St., Barre. Adults $15; seniors/students $12;
kids 12 and under $5; family $32.
Dec. 5: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein. On the
program are Schumann's Scenes from Childhood, Bach's French Suite #5, Four Impromptus,
Op. 90 by Schubert, and a new work by Dinnerstein's composer friend, Philip Lasser. 7:30
p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73 Main St.,
Randolph. Adults $40; students $10. 728-6464.
chandler-arts.org
Dec. 5: Bettye Lavette. Legendary singer delivers an evening of blazing hot blues and soul.
7:30 p.m. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center,
122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. $2054. 760-4634.
sprucepeakarts.org
Dec. 5: Contradance. Dance to the calling of
Will Mentor and the music of The Stringrays.
811 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 VT Rt. 12,
Montpelier. Adults $9; children 15 and under $5.
744-2851. ttaska@pshift.com
Dec. 56: Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Winter
Concerts. 229-4191. info@fiddleorchestra.org.
fiddleorchestra.org
Dec. 5: Benefit concert for the Second Congregational Churchs Steeple Fund. 7 p.m.
Hyde Park Opera House, Main St., Hyde Park.
Adults $10; seniors/students $5; preschoolers
are free.
Dec. 6: 4 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. Silent auction, refreshments.

Adults $15; $12 seniors/students; ages 12 and
under are free.
Dec. 56: Montpelier Community Gospel
Choir. An ecumenical community choir with
members from over 19 Vermont towns. Combining soul, jazz and original and traditional gospel
music, the choir is known for its powerful, exuberant concerts that invite you to get up and dance.
Suggested donation $10; families $25. 778-0881.
vtgospel.com
Dec. 5: 7 p.m. First Church of Barre Universalist, 19 Church St., Barre.
Dec. 6: 4 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main
St., Montpelier. Reception and silent auction
follow.
Dec. 56: Anima: The Soul of Winter. Anima,
the central Vermont womens vocal ensemble, will
present a concert of Medieval and Renaissance
music for the Advent season. Admission by donation. 373-7597. info@animvermont.org
Dec. 5: 7 p.m. Green Mountain Monastary,
Hillcrest Rd., Greensboro.
Dec. 6: 6:30 p.m. (immediately after the treelighting). Cabot United Church, Cabot Village.
Dec. 6: Michael T Jermyn. 46 p.m. Local 64, 43
Main St., Montpelier.
Dec. 6: North Country Chorus Christmas
Concert. J.S. Bach's "Magnificat" and "A Child's
Christmas in Wales" by Matthew Harris. Alan
Rowe, Director. 34:30 p.m. Peacham Congregational Church, Church St., Peacham. Adults
advance $11; students advance $5.50. Advance
tickets at catamountarts.org. Adults at door $12;
students at door $5. 603-989-5523. claire.mead@
alumni.duke.edu. northcountrychorus.org
Dec. 8: Book Signing & Musical Concert. Join
author M.T. Anderson for a discussion of Dmitri
Shostakovich, Andersons book Symphony for
the City of the Dead and a performance of
Shostakovich's 8th Quartet. 7 p.m. Vermont
College of Fine Arts, Caf Anna, 36 College St.
$20 advance; $25 day of performance. 229-0774.
bearpondbooks.com/event
Dec. 11: Ben Winship & Eli West in Concert. An
acoustic duo primarily mandolin, guitar and
two voices playing a mix of traditional, obscure
and original stringboard music. 7 p.m. The Old
Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., E. Montpelier.
$10. 229-9593. oldmeetinghouse.org
Dec. 11: Jazzyaoke. Sing the standards backed by
a live six-piece jazz band; all lyrics provided. 7:30
p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $5.
479 0896. events@espressobueno.com. espressobueno.com
THE BRIDGE
Dec. 12: Green Mountain Youth Symphony.

The Repertory Orchestra, conducted by Paul
Perley, opens the concert, followed by the Concert
Orchestra, under the baton of GMYS Artistic Director Robert Blais. Featuring storyteller Willem
Lange, pianist Diane Huling and soprano soloist
Avi Isaacs-Corcoran. 3:30 p.m. Barre Opera
House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. Adults $15; seniors
$12, students K12 $5; children under 5 free.
barreoperahouse.org
Dec. 12: Christmas Benefit Concert. Harpist
Judy Byron, Unity Band. Classical Christmas
intrumentals and hymns. Carol sing-a-long. 7
p.m. The Red Door Church, 67 S. Windsor St.,
S. Royalton. Free; donations welcome. Benefits orphans and widows in Kenya. 763-7690.
unitedchurchofsoro.org
Dec. 12: The Glenn Miller Orchestra. The most
popular and sought after big band in the world
today for both concert and swing dance engagements. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73
Main St., Randolph. Adults $25; students $5.
728-6464. chandler-arts.org
Dec. 12: David Mallett in Concert. Famed
singer/songwriter David Mallett will perform a
concert to benefit the Greensboro Arts Alliance
and Residency. Acclaimed classical performers
Alexander Romanul, Annie Rowell and Roy Macneil open. 7:30 p.m. Greensboro United Church
of Christ, 165 E. Craftsbury Rd., Greensboro.
$15. mirrorarts.org
Dec. 12: Anonymous 4s The Last Noel: Stellar
A Capella Harmonies for the Holidays. The
last season of shows for Anonymous 4. 7:30 p.m.
North Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury.
$1539. $3 off for seniors. Students 18 and under
free. http://kcppresents.catamountarts.org/anonymous-4-holiday-concert/
Dec. 13: Christmas Day Gloria! The Bethany
Vocal Quintet with Lynnette Combs, organist.
Bach Motet VI and new arrangements of music
for Christmas. 2 p.m. Christ Church, 64 State St.,
Montpelier. Admission by donation. 622 0376.
arthurzorn@hotmail.com
Dec. 17: Bacon Revival One Night to Revel.
Bacon Night returns to Nutty Steph for one night
only! Beer, bacon ad music from Two Cents in
the Til. 6 p.m.midnight. Nutty Stephs, 961
US-2, Middlesex. $5; limited space. https://www.
facebook.com/events/534626363371235/
Dec. 19: Stories for a Winter's Eve with Patti
Casey. Original Vermont stories and music with
Patti Casey and guests in ta warm lovely setting.
3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Old Meeting House, 1620
Center Rd., E. Montpelier. $15 advance; $18 at
door; $50 4-pack. 229-9593. oldmeetinghouse.org
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open

to anyone who has experienced the death of a
loved one. 6-7:30 p.m. Conference Center. 600
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.
and snacks. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135

Main St., Montpelier. Free. kellogghubbard.org
6:308 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, East

Montpelier Room, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Becoming a Father. Join us for a conversation about starting a family, share our hopes
and fears, and what to expect with our new
identity as dad. Offered by Josh Miller. 68
p.m. Central Vermont Good Beginnings, 174
River St., Montpelier. Free. Register: 595-7953.
gbvcinfo@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/
events/963862593676205/
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
COVE Government Workshop. An interactive

presentation covering topics such as: functions
of the three branches of government, how a bill
becomes a law, advocating for your needs and
interests and communicating with legislators.
Led by the Community of Vermont Elders. 10:30
a.m.noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; open to the public.
Pre-register: 223-2518.
Montpelier City Council Meeting. Second and

fourth Wed., 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers,
Montpelier City Hall. 39 Main St., Montpelier.
montpelier-vt.org.
Classic Book Club. New members always welcome. Most first Mon., 68 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151 High St. (Rte. 2), Plainfield. Free.
454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org/resources/bookclub.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8
Poetry Class Reading. Members of the two

MSAC poetry classes share from work they have
created this quarter. 10:30 a.m.noon. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free; open to the public. 223-2518.
Welcoming Volunteers to Central VT Adult
Basic Education. New volunteers welcome. Find
out about CVABEs volunteer opportunities. This
is also a chance for current volunteers to share
their experiences and inspire others. Noon1
p.m. CVABE, Waterbury Learning Center, 141 S.
Main St., Waterbury. 476-4588
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 34:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.
479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Second Tues., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Wesley Methodist Church, Main St.,
Waterbury. 476-1480.
Book Launch: "Tonight Not Even My Skin"
poems by Leanne Ponder. With Geof Hewitt
and background jazz by Michael Arnowitt. Coffee
1950s As Seen on Film: Good Night and Good

Luck. 2005 dramatization of Edward R. Murrows exposure of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Presented by Rick Winston. An Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute Program. 12:302:30 p.m. 26
Main St., Montpelier.
Snowflake Workshop. Celebrate the season by
crafting paper snowflakes. Led by Betha Hedenburg. Students from River Rock School will be
joining us as well. 1:302:30 p.m. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free; open to the public. 223-2518.
Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With
Lisa Mas of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wed.,
4:306 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. lisamase@gmail.com.
Quilting Group. Working meeting of the Dog
River Quilters. Second Wed., 5:30 p.m. Community room, Brown Public Library, Northfield.
Jean, 585-5078 or jeanjolley@myfairpoint.net.
Bereaved Parents Support Group. Second
Wed., 68 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd.,
Berlin. Jeneane Lunn 793-2376.
Young Adult Book Discussion. Open to anyone,
any age, with an interest and passion for young
adult literature. The goal is to inspire a rich, lively
discussion from people who bring varied perspectives to the books because of diversity in age,
life experience and reading tastes. Second Wed.,

11:30 a.m.noon. During the Trinity Church
community meal, 137 Main St., Montpelier. 4798544. information@homesharenow.org
Soap and Lotion Making. Learn to craft moisturizing lotions, a rich nourishing cream and
hand-milled olive oil soaps using only the best ingredients. Participants take home a lotion, a thick
nourishing cream and an assortment of olive oil
herbal soaps. 13 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. $15 materials
fee. Pre-register: 223-2518.
Rodan+Fields Launch. Find out why our
clinically-proven products have become the fourth
largest and fastest-growing premium skincare
brand in America. Giveaways, refreshments, information. 5:306 p.m. North Branch Caf, 41 State
St., Montpelier. laura.myrandf@gmail.com
International Dancing at the Unitarian
Church. Free instruction of a variety of international folk dances. All dances will be taught; its
not necessary to have dance experience or a partner. Learn dances from Macedonia, Bolivia, Israel,
Serbia and Greece. 7 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. saddleshoes2@gmail.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11

12:302 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, 623
Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier. 479-8544. information@homesharenow.org
T H E B R I D G E
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through Dec. 5: Monique Van de Ven, Gleaned

Near South Royalton. Ceramics. Royalton Memorial Library, 23 Alexander Pl., S. Royalton.
Free. 763-7094. librarian@royaltonlibrary.org
(Photo caption: Goodbye to the Sun, an abstract in acrylic by Randolph artist Erica Sears)
Through Dec. 12: Erica Sears. Vibrant collection of abstract works in paint and collage. Gifford Medical Center art gallery (just inside main
entrance), 44 S. Main St., Randolph. 728-7000.
Through Dec. 15: Phyllis Chase, Life in Vermont. Oil paintings and framed limited edition
prints. Capitol Grounds, 27 State St., Montpelier. phyllischasefineart.com
Through Dec. 18: The Paletteers of Vermont
Fall Art Show. Open during regular library
hours. Aldrich Public Library, Milne Room, 6
Washington St., Barre.
Through Dec. 23: ANIMAL: Photo Retrospective Exhibit. ANIMAL is dance-based interdisciplinary project directed by Montpelier-based
artist Hanna Satterlee. A two-year creation
period was used to draft the work in public indoor and outdooe performances. Contemporary
Dance & Fitness Studio Foyer Gallery, 18 Langdon St., 3F, Montpelier. Donations welcome.
hannasatt@gmail.com
Through Dec. 31: Neysa Russo, Felt Tapestry Exhibit. The tapestries are created using a
combination of wet felting and needle felting
techniques using mostly local wool. Bagitos,
Main St., Montpelier. 249-4715. neysa.russo@
live.com. spinningstudio.com.
Friday Night Group. For youth age 1322 who

are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation.
Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers
from Outright VT. Second and fourth Fri.,
6:308 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035. Micah@OutrightVT.
org.
Italian Traditional Village Dance. Learn
traditional Italian village dances still being
danced in mountain villages today. 7 p.m. Old
Labor Hall, 46 Granite St., Barre. Free; donations to the Old Labor Hall accepted. 229-1490.
dance@italianvillagedance.com
Winter Book Sale Begins at Kellogg-Hubbard

Library. 10 a.m. 135 Main St., Montpelier.
kellogghubbard.org
Calendar of Events
Through Dec. 31: Bob Aiken, Vermont Impressionist. Vermont landscapes depicting rural
fields, rivers, mountains and small villages.
Acrylic with palette knife. Mon.Fri., 11 a.m.3
p.m. Festival Gallery, #2 Village Square, Waitsfield. 496-6682. vermontartfest.com
Through Dec. 31: The Governors Gallery
Presents Interface. Works by Almuth Palinkas
and sculpture by Jeanne Cariati. Photo I.D.
required. Art Walk Reception: Dec. 4, 47
p.m. The Pavilion Building, 109 State St., 5F,
Montpelier. david.schutz@vermont.gov
Through Dec. 31: Celebrate. Annual local arts
exhibit featuring a wide variety of fine art and
crafts created by SPA member artists. The show
is on all three floors of the historic SPA building
and includes hundreds of one-of-a-kind gifts.
Tues.Fri., 11 a.m.5 p.m.; Sat., noon4 p.m.
Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 4797069. studioplacearts.com
Through Dec. 31: 1st annual MSAC Member
Art Show. More than a dozen MSAC members
will showcase their work, including photographs,
pastels and watercolors. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Through Jan. 4: Larry Golden, Traditional
Painter. Landscape paintings on canvas. Gallery
hours: Mon.Thurs., 9 a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.
2 p.m. The Gallery at River Arts, 74 Pleasant St.,
Morrisville. Free. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Through Jan 9: Holiday Group Exhibition.
Eight Vermont artists bring cheer to the holidays
with sculpture, assemblage, collage and more.
Artist reception: Dec. 4, 68 p.m. Axels Gallery and Frame Shop, 5 Stowe St., Waterbury.
axelsgallery.com
Through July 19: Blue Ribbons & Burlesque:

The Country Fair Photography of Charles
Fish. Black and white photographs capture nature and nurture, theatrical illusion, the pursuit
of excellence and even the guilty pleasures of fair
food. Vermont History Museum, 109 State St.,
Montpelier. Free with admission to museum.
828-2180. vermonthistory.org/calendar
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dec. 4: Montpelier Art Walk. Holiday art walk,

baked goods theme. Enjoy local art and Vermont
made baked goods at local shops in downtown
Montpelier. Art Walk is a self-guided tour, enjoy
Montpelier's quaint downtown while taking in
the art. 48 p.m. 223-9604.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
attend. 6 p.m. U-32, Rm. 131, 930 Gallison Hill

Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.
Snowshoe WoodstockPomfret with Green

Mountain Club. Moderate. 7.6 miles. Snowshoe
or hike to Winturi Shelter via the Appalachian
Trail. Bring lunch and water. Meet at Montpelier
High School, 5 High School Dr., Montpelier.
Contact Michael for meeting time and place: 2490520. chernick5@comcast.net
Montpelier's 45th annual Community Carol
Sing. Family event. 6:30 p.m. Bethany Church,
115 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 622-0376.
arthurzorn@hotmail.com
Chandler Film Society presents Safety Last!
Considered to be one of the great comedies of the
silent era. Also showing will be a Buster Keaton
short film The Scarecrow. Commentary by Rick
Winston follows. 6:30 p.m. Chandler Center for
the Arts, Esther Mesh room, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. $9; $5 for members.
Planting Hope's 22nd Solidarity Craft Fair

and Silent Auction. Over 35 local artisan and
fair-trade vendors at two venues, silent auction of
local gift certificates, merchandise and handcrafts. A used toy and book room for kids' gifts.
Homemade lunch supports Planting Hope's
projects in Nicaragua. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Bethany
Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier and Unitarian
Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. 778-0344.
beth@plantinghope.org. plantinghope.org

Noon3 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St., Barre. 479-8544. information@homesharenow.org
EarthWalk Craft Party. Participants are invited

to make natural crafts while listening to live music. Delicious baked goods will also be available
for purchase. 14 p.m. Christ Church, 64 State
St., Montpelier. Suggested donation $10; $25
family. 454-8500. info@earthwalkvermont.org.
earthwalkvermont.org
Dec. 12Jan. 18: Blake Larsen, Introducing

Color. Color saturated abstract expressionist and
abstract figure paintings. Sat.Sun., noon5
p.m. Bundy Modern Gallery, 361 Bundy Rd.,
Waitsfield. 583-5832. info@bundymodern.com
Dec. 4: Art Show: Wemosphere. The work

of Jonathan VanTassel. Part of Montpelier Art
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides. Courtesy of Montpelier Alive. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Leaves from City
Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
Through Jan.15: Mathew Peake, Barbara

Baker-Bury and Scott J Morgan, Turn, Turn,
Turn Art Exhibit. Includes paintings that have
been turned in the making, resulting in finished
pieces that can be viewed with interest from
any direction. A unique rotating frame allows a
viewer to see the painting one way, and invites
the viewer to easily turn the piece any number
of degrees, to view it from completely different
perspectives. Gallery hours: Tues.Sat., noon4
p.m. T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery@gmail.com.
twwoodgallery.org
Through Jan. 15: Cross-stitch and Multimedia by Heidi Chamberlain & Upcycled
Christmas Stockings by Nancy Gadue. Heidi
Chamberlain is an eclectic artist who does
collages and cross stitch. Nancy Gadue, crafter
Walk Middlesex with Green Mountain Club.

Moderate. About 6 miles. Circumnavigate Dumpling Hill. Route depends on conditions; traction
of some sort or snowshoes may be needed for one
section. Meet at Rumney School, 43 Shady Rill
Rd., Montpelier. Contact leaders John and Kathy
for meeting time: 229-0725. vicepresident@
gmcmontpelier.org
11th annual Touch of Vermont Holiday Gift

Market. With nearly 50 Vermont artisans. uy
your holiday gifts from Vermont craftspeople
while helping to raise money with an amazing
raffle benefiting the Family Center of Washington
County. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Montpelier City Hall,
39 Main St., Montpelier. info@touchofvt.org.
touchofvt.org. www.facebook.com/TouchofVermont
extraordinaire, creates Christmas stockings

with boiled wool and recycled sweaters. Opening Reception: Dec. 4, 48 p.m. Cheshire
Cat, 28 Elm St., Montpelier. 223-1981.
cheshirecatclothing.com
December 14December 24:

Enjoy FREE parking in
downtown Montpelier while
you do your holiday shopping!
Dream Enactment Group. Curious about what

your dreams mean? Act out each others dreams
and you might discover your own unique message from the unconscious in your dreams. With
dream analysts Mary Kay Kasper and Jackie
Earle-Cruickshanks. 5:457:45 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, Hayes Room, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. 522-6889
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Poetry Clinic. The first hour of the clinic will be

devoted to generative poetry writing exercises; the
second hour will be devoted to respectful critiques
of work you bring to or make in class. Every first
and third Tues., 68 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 1011:30 a.m. Conference Center. 600
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.
U-32 School Board Meeting. Open to the public

and community members are always welcome to
Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Third
Thurs., 1:302:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfmanagement. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death. Third
Thurs., 67:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical
Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin. 2230924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Third Thurs., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137
River Arts Photo Co-op. Gather, promote and
share your experience and knowledge of photography with other photography enthusiasts in an
atmosphere of camaraderie and fun. Adults/teens.
Third Thurs., 68 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Songwriters Meeting. Meeting of the Northern
VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Songwriters
Association International. Bring copies of your
work. Third Thurs., 6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts,
St. Johnsbury. John, 633-2204.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
Family Fun Day at Middleground, Middlesex.

Red Hen, Nutty Steph's, The Hive, Montpelier
Mudd, Regal Flower Design and Heise Metal
Sculpture will share the love with free activities
and treats for children and kidults alike. 36
p.m. 961 US-2, Middlesex. https://www.facebook.
com/events/435949789946922/
Walk. 47 p.m. Vermont Supreme Court Gallery, 111 State St., Montpelier. Free. 828-0749.
jack.zeilenga@vermont.gov
Dec. 4: Muralist Mary Lacy. Muralist Mary
Lacy discusses large pieces including a 28-foot
tall ruby-throated hummingbird. Part of Montpelier Art Walk. 5:306:30 p.m. T.W. Wood
Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 262-6035.
twwoodgallery@gmail.com. twwoodgallery.org
Dec. 45: Cheap Art Holiday Sale. Dec. 4, 47
p.m.; Dec. 5, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Christ Church, 64
State St. Montpelier. 225-6628. baleber@gmail.
com
Dec. 11: Artist Reception and Talk: Elements
and Allies. Artwork made with wild-crafted art
materials by local artist and author Nick Neddo.
See the art tools he makes from scratch and view
his recent artwork: paintings and drawings made
from pens, inks, paints and paintbrushes from
the landscape. Reception 6 p.m.; Talk, slideshow
and book signing 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library,
122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581
Through Dec. 12: Northfield Artists Holiday
Show & Sale. Nine area artists have filled the
dance studio in Northfields historic Gray Building with a paintings, fiber art, wood carvings,
reed work, ceramics, photography and creative
gift ideas. Sat.Sun, 10 a.m.4 p.m. 168 N.
Main St., Northfield. 485-8387
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Chandler Gallery in Randolph, Vermont seeks

submissions for Salvage, a show of works made
by found and arranged materials. From collage
to assemblage, surface to sculpture, how does
the reimagining of salvaged parts come together
in your work? Deadline: December 9th by
midnight EST. Salvage will open in January
and run through March 5th. Submissions can be
made to salvage.chandler@gmail.com
55th Plainfield Christmas Bird Count. We will
scour the greater Montpelier area for every bird
we can find, leaving no chickadee uncounted in
our attempt to census birds in central Vermont.
7 a.m.5 p.m. Potluck and results take place at
Grace Methodist Church, Plainfield. For information: northbranchnaturecenter.org Pre-registration
required: 229-6206
Additional Recyclables Collection Center. Accepting scores of hard-to-recycle items. Third Sat.,
9 a.m.1 p.m. 540 N. Main St. (old Times-Argus
building), Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org.
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Pick up
local foods for your holiday feast and crafts for
gift-giving. Over 30 vendors in all, more than half
of them selling farm products. Music by Kick em
Jenny. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39
Main St., Montpelier. montpelierfarmersmarket.com
Holiday with the Animals. A fun, familyfriendly holiday party with food and festivities. Enjoy some holiday refreshments, greeting
shelter animals, face painting and fun with other
Humane Heroes. Special guests: Santa and Mrs.
Claus! Please bring donations to help spread good
cheer to shelter animals. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Central
Vermont Humane Society, 1589 VT Rt. 14S, E.
Montpelier. centralvermonthumane.org
Send your listing to

calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is Dec.10.
Send information for events
happening Dec. 17Jan. 9
Weekly Events
ART & CRAFT
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
Drop-in River Arts Elder Art Group. Work
on art, share techniques and get creative with
others. Bring your own art supplies. For elders
60+. Every Fri., 10 a.m.noon. River Arts Center,
74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. 888-1261.
riverartsvt.org.
BICYCLING
Calendar of Events
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),

4:305:30 p.m.
Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.

Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds
benefit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues. and
Fri., noon1 p.m. Live music every Tues., 10:30
11:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+ free with $7
suggested donation; under 60 $9. Reservations:
262-6288 or justbasicsinc@gmail.com.
Community Night. Fresh pasta dinners in support of local non-profits and other community
causes. A portion of the evenings proceeds will be
donated to a selected local non-profit. Every Sat.,
5:308:30 p.m. North Branch Caf, 41 State St.,
Montpelier. 552-8105. thenorth-branch.com/
upcoming-events/
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place

for individuals and their families in or seeking
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Wed., 46 St., Barre. 479-7373.
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
67:30 p.m.
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Early Bird Bone Builders Class. With Cort
Noon1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Richardson. Osteoporosis exercise and prevention
Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard program. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
shoes. Light weights provided or bring your own.
All ages. Every Mon., Wed. and Fri., 7:308:30
English Conversation Practice Group. For
a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rt. 2, Blueberry
students learning English for the first time. Tues.,
Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. Cort: 223-3174
45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Educaor 238-0789.
tion, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St.
223-3403.
Bone Building Exercises. All seniors welcome.
Every Mon., Wed. and Fri. 10:4511:45 a.m.
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
and share some good books. Books chosen by
Montpelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.
group. Thurs., 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult
org.
Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center,
100 State St. 223-3403.
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
Every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m.; Mon. and Wed.,
5:306:30 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
BOOKS & WORDS
BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
Computer and Online Help. One-on-one computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury.
Free. Registration required: 244-7036.
Personal Financial Management Workshops.
Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building and repair, budgeting and identity theft,
insurance, investing, retirement. Tues., 68 p.m.
Central Vermont Medical Center, Conference
Room 3. Registration: 371-4191.
FOOD & DRINK

Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.
Free.
Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
11 a.m.1 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
11:30 a.m.1 p.m.
Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St.,
11 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St.,
11:30 a.m.1 p.m.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St.,
11 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.

Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every
Mon., 2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@
montpelier-vt.org.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier.
552-3483.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually
overcoming overeating. Note meeting days and
locations. Every Tues., 5:306:30 p.m. and Sat.,
8:309:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of the Good
Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249-3970.
Every Mon., 56 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115
Tai Chi Classes for All Ages. Every Tues. and
Thurs., 1011 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier.
Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors@myfairpoint.
net
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral
testing. Thurs., 25 p.m. 58 East State St., Ste. 3
(entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222.
vtcares.org.
KIDS & TEENS
The Basement Teen Center. Safe drop-in space

to hang out, make music, play pool, ping-pong
and board games and eat free food. All activities
are free. Mon.Thurs., 26 p.m., Fridays 3-10
p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. BasementTeenCenter.org
Baby & Toddler Story Time. Snuggle with your
baby or toddler as we sing, tickle and bounce our
way into a lifelong love of language. Get ready
for high-energy literacy with songs, active rhymes
and stories. For ages 036 months. Mon., 10
a.m. Waterbury Public Library, 30 Foundry St.,
Waterbury. Free. 244-7036.
waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Read to Clara. Sign up for a 20-minute slot and
choose your books beforehand to read to this
special canine pal. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665
or at the childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.
Story Time and Playgroup. With Sylvia Smith
for story time and Cassie Bickford for playgroup.
For ages birth6 and their grown-ups. We follow
the Twinfield Union School calendar and do not
hold the program the days Twinfield is closed.
Wed., 1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122
School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Story Time for Kids. Meet your neighbors and
share quality time with the pre-schooler in your
life. Each week well read stories and spend time
together. A great way to introduce your preschooler to your local library. For ages 25. Every
Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151
High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.
Lego Club. Use our large Lego collection to
create and play. All ages. Thurs., 34:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Preschool Story Time. Join us as we travel to
new places through books, puppets and felt
boards. Well shake our sillies out with movement-based rhymes. A craft may be provided. For
ages 36 years. Fri., 10 a.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 30 Foundry St., Waterbury. Free. 2447036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative
exploratory arts program with artist/instructor
Kelly Holt. Age 35. Fri., 10:30 a.m.noon.
River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
888-1261. RiverArtsVT.org.
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
books, use the gym, make art, play games and if
you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.
Musical Story Time. Join us for a melodious
good time. Ages birth6. Sat., 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79 p.m.
Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for
location and information.
MUSIC & DANCE

Barre-Tones Womens Chorus. Open rehearsal. Find your voice with 50 other women.
Mon., 7 p.m. Alumni Hall, Barre. 223-2039.
BarretonesVT.com.
Dance or Play with the Swinging Over 60
Band. Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the
1960s. Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.
noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal.
New chorus members welcome. Wed., 45 p.m.
Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more
information.
Piano Workshop. Informal time to play,
refresh your skills and get feedback if desired
with other supportive musicians. Singers and
listeners welcome. Thurs., 45:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free; open to the public. 223-2518.
msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.
light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.
RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of hardto-recycle items. Mon., Wed., Fri., noon6 p.m.;
Third Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m. ARCC, 540 North
THE BRIDGE
Main St., Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.

For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc.
RESOURCES
Onion River Exchange Tool Library. 80 tools
both power and manual. Wed., 46 p.m.; Sat.,
911 a.m. 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 661-8959.
info@orexchange.com.
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Womens Group. Women age 40 and older
explore important issues and challenges in their
lives in a warm and supportive environment. Facilitated by psychotherapist Kathleen Zura. Every
Mon., 5:307:30 p.m. 41 Elm St., Montpelier.
223-6564. Insurances accepted.
SPIRITUALITY
Christian Science Reading Room. You're invited
to visit the Reading Room and see what we
have for your spiritual growth. You can borrow,
purchase or simply enjoy material in a quiet study
room. Hours: Wed., 11 a.m.7:15 p.m.; Thurs.
Sat., 11 a.m.1 p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier.
223-2477.
A Course in Miracles. A study in spiritual transformation. Group meets each Tues., 78 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State St., Montpelier. 279-1495.
Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only:
479-0302.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those
interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or
current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed.,
7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St.,
Barre. Register: 479-3253.
Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text study and discussion on Jewish
spirituality. Sun., 4:456:15 p.m. Yearning
for Learning Center, Montpelier. 223-0583.
info@yearning4learning.org.
SPORTS & GAMES

Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking
Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up.
No experience necessary. Equipment provided:
first come, first served. Sat., 56:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate
free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.
YOGA & MEDITATION

Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths
welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ Church,
Montpelier. 223-6043.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues., 78
p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. New location: Center for
Culture and Learning, 46 Barre Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137. montpeliershambala.org.
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.
Submit your calendar

listing by using our
online submission form at
montpelierbridge.com/
calendar-submissions
OR
OR
send listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is
Dec 10.
Send information for events
happening Dec. 17Jan. 9.
T H E B R I D G E
Classifieds
Text-only class listings
and classifieds are
50 words for $25.
To place an ad,
call Michael,
223-5112 ext. 11.
Design & Build

Custom Energy-Efficient Homes
Additions Timber Frames
Weatherization Remodeling
Kitchens Bathrooms Flooring
Tiling Cabinetry Fine Woodwork
ARTS
A POCKET CHATAUQUA
Internationally recognized folk performing artists present theater of the mind in an intimate
setting. Adults, children, and multigenerational
audiences, your place or ours. Tim Jennings
and Leanne Ponder are simply Vermont treasures, 7 Days. Two of the best Times Argus.
www.folktale.net
CLASSES
CLASSES IN SPINNING, KNITTING, FELTING AND SILK PAPER are being offered this
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PAG E 2 0 D E C E M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R 16 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Why Did a Group of Elmore Residents Work to Defeat the

Merger? (Between Elmore and Morristown school districts)
by Jan Miller
he reason is simple because we want Elmore to remain a viable and sustainable community that continues to offer unique
educational opportunities to its children and families
in other
words, to maintain the Vermont tradition of small towns caring for their
own.
What does the Elmore community look like?
Opinion
The village center is about two blocks long with Route 12 running through the middle of
it at Christmas time, one bell light is strung across the road from the Elmore Store to
the Lake School a tradition. The Elmore Store is the only business in the village. The
owners, the Millers, offer a place for residents to exchange ideas and connect. They reach
out to the community in a special way they provide coffee and doughnuts during Town
Meeting Day, they help plan a community chicken barbecue and for the past few years,
have helped support an impressive 4th of July fireworks display over Lake Elmore. Elmore
operates the last one-room school in Vermont. It is the heartbeat of our community and
connects the generations the school performances are the community entertainment.
Parents are eager school volunteers. It has also been recognized in the state for academic
excellence in the three grades that it operates. Elmore is a true school choice town allowing students in grades 7 through 12 to choose public or private schools that meet their
academic needs that help them prepare for college or careers. Elmore is one of more
than 90 school choice towns remaining in Vermont pretty impressive for a small state.
Our town hall hosts our town meetings, school performances, bingo in the summer, a
Halloween party for the children and Elmore native, Martha, makes sure the flowers are
perfect in the front. Elmore has one church, the Elmore United Methodist Church its
doors are always open and the church provides a community Thanksgiving dinner and an
incredible Christmas Eve pageant. This is rural, small town Vermont its residents give
us all these special things not because they have to but because they want to we are
connected by a special sense of community which town residents voted to keep.
that happened almost immediately after the vote was defeated was more
distressing. Those who were selling the Yes vote, didn't accept the voice
of the community, but immediately portrayed those who didn't agree
with their position as liars. Rather than regroup, look at viewing new
options that reflected the will of the majority, they implied the majority
vote of educated people had somehow been tricked and led astray.
All of that is history now. But we are faced with a new vote for the very
same option we defeated. This isn't how good government should work. The school board
could have viewed this as a message to look at a different way to move forward. There are
other viable options for tax relief and retention of our true school choice. I am voting
No again, hoping the merger is defeated not only in our community but in Morristown,
too. And then, maybe then, we can all put our heads together in a positive way and do
a merger that respects the Vermont traditions of this small town called Elmore and the
unique and wonderful residents it holds.
Editors Note: This opinion piece relates to a November 3 vote in which Elmore residents voted
to defeat a school merger plan that would have formed a new Elmore-Morristown Unified
Union School District with neighboring Morristown.
The plan, which Elmore voters rejected 197-164 and Morrisville approved 251-247, would
have ended school choice in Elmore for grades 7 through 12, according to an article by Bruce
Parker in watchdog.com.
When we voted No, we did so with purpose. A Yes vote in our educated opinion, was
the beginning of erosion of the very things we love here in Elmore. And the startling thing
Life These Days

by Constancia Gomez
hanks to my Psychology class at the University of Vermont, I can

understand American society a little bit more.
As a teacher and a mother, I see everyday kids struggle. Kids struggle

with simple things. Take these examples: rushing, transitions, choosing
what to do with free time or bedtime or eating. These are simple things I
really took for granted when I was a child. But over and over I ask myself,
What is going on? And I realize that everything starts at home.
Opinion
family visits. Everything is scheduled. Everything is planned. And why

do we want our kids to adapt? Are we doing what we want to do? Are
we spending sufficient, loving family time with each other? Do our kids
have the connection with their roots? How can we stop and connect?
I connected with my mom through cooking and dancing. We used to

turn up the music really loud and clean the house for hours and it was
fun. Also, we connected through cooking, making chip or empandas. According to reWhen we are little who teaches us what to eat? Who introduces us to new food? When search, these connections are going to last a long time in your childs brain. So find out
I was growing up, it was my mom who did these things. She stayed at home with me and what they like and share the love.
only worked part-time.
Constancia Gomez, a Latino immigrant from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a teacher at PACEM
Why cant we go along with the flow? Or like my young friend Sasha, who is 21 and who School. She is also the founder of a Spanish music program called Spanish Musical Kids. She
lives in the Boston area, said to his single mother, Mom, we are like trees that go with started a goat farm call La Lu Farm. She is also a dancer and writer who chooses everyday to
live in beautiful Warren, VT with her husband, daughters, dog, goats and chickens. Please
the wind. They adapt, change, grow, move along.
share your thought by going online to constanciag@gmail.com
But on the other hand we are so strict about dinner time, bath time, school arrival time,
Have something important to say? We want to hear it!

Send it to us at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com
Poetry
(For my brother Al..

He died 11/19/13)
Cooking beans and rice A gloomy fall afternoon.

Music holds my hand.
Where did death take you A treehouse with no address?
GPS -free zone?
When I was a childI imagined many things.
Not your empty house.
Sifting though CDsa harvest of photographs.

Afros rise and fall.
When a loved one dieseven the arguments end:
Donald Byrd- No, Miles!
No one is looking.
I allow myself to dream Bunk beds made of clouds.
by Reuben Jackson, host of Friday Night Jazz on Vermont Public Radio
T H E B R I D G E
Editorial
Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled

Masses Yearning to Breathe Free!
(Thank You, Governor Shumlin)
The New Colossus

by Emma Lazarus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she
With silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
o those words even mean anything anymore? They are the words chiseled on the
base of our Statue of Liberty, the gorgeous green Mother of Exiles a gift to
our country from France that stands towering over New York Harbour to greet
and shelter immigrants coming into America through the port of New York City that for
the past 129 years has welcomed all.
by Marichel Vaught
How many of us are here because America opened their doors to our grandparents and
great-grandparents who were looking for a better life for their families? How many of these
ancestors fled persecution from their homeland and were willing to work low-paying jobs,
while faced with discrimination, just to acquire the basic necessities which were far better
than where they came from? How many of us wouldnt even be here if each state denied
entry to them?
Yes, we are in a different era and our population has grown since the late 1800s. And of
course I believe in following the proper channels to obtain entry into the U.S., as my family did. But when your very life is in danger, the process should be expedited. Is it humane
to deny safe haven to the threatened and dying?
In terms of the Syrian refugees, these people are coming from a society where the political climate is unlike anything we can begin to understand. The number of Syrian deaths
since the start of their civil war is staggering close to a quarter of a million, included in
that number is about 12,000 children. More than 10 million left their homes and sought
refuge in neighboring countries. More than 700,000 risked their lives fleeing to Europe
to get as far away from their government as possible. Things have to be pretty bad to do
that. There is no economy, no education, no health care everything just collapsed.
Why is this our problem? Because were human, and theyre human. And although many
of us feel we cant afford for it to be our problem, there are still many who can afford it.
And in the long run, wouldnt educating more children contribute to the future economy
of the country?
Some people have this perception that refugees and immigrants are going to come here
and do absolutely nothing but drain our resources. But what about contributing to our
resources? Its very likely. In our history books, we learned that tens of thousands of
Chinese helped build the transcontinental railroad in California for measly pay. They
labored for years under harsh conditions. After the project, the Chinese became victims of
discrimination and government betrayal with the Chinese Exclusion Act, which excluded
immigration from China for the following 10 years. What a reward! (Note the sarcasm.)
And what about the contribution Italian immigrants made to the Vermont city of Barre?
And the Scottish immigrants to Caledonia County? The list goes on. Our hospitals, police forces and schools are filled with professionals who came here to attend our schools
and colleges and have gone on to work productively here. Look at what Montpelier High
School is doing to create a balanced budget: Importing students from other countries to
attend our great school and pay tuition to alleviate our citys tax burden.
I grew up with the belief that America is the melting pot the land of opportunity
where all people of varying cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds can come together
and continue to shape the countrys economic and moral fabric. America was supposed to What makes some Vermonters reactions more appalling is the time of year in which this
is all being expressed. Did we forget what the holidays are all about? Have our morals bebe a world leader, influencing the greater good; a force to be reckoned with.
come skewed because we would rather pummel each other the day after Thanksgiving, or
In mid-November, our governor, Peter Shumlin, declared that Vermont will help Syrian
as early as on the day itself, for vegetable steamers and electronics made overseas? Perhaps
refugees. Soon after, Shumlin posted a video on Facebook showing him meeting and welwe need a reminder. We are appalled when we see a video of a woman on Black Friday
coming refugees from around the world who have recently settled in the Green Mountain
snagging a hot item from a little girl among a melee of shoppers. But we are all doing just
State. It made me proud.
that to every person we deny refuge to watching something so valuable being ripped
And then I read the comments to the video. Out of the volumes of comments posted, a from someones hands and doing nothing about it.
majority expressed negativity and berated the governor for allowing refugees into the state.
We should live up to the promise declared by Lady Liberty and remember the not often
As far as I know, its a federal decision to take in refugees, not state, although a number of
recited entirety of the poem written by Emma Lazarus that is scribed on a tablet embedded
U.S. governors are signing petitions not to allow refugees into their state.
on the pedestal on which the statue stands.
Someone wrote, ...lets let our own citizens go cold and hungry and lets bend over backThank you, Governor Shumlin for understanding humanity and for supporting refugee
wards for these losers. Someone else called Shumlin a traitor to our country. Another
resettlement here in Vermont. For those who know me, publicly thanking the Governor
person said, The majority of refugees polled sympathize with ISIS, and there is no reliis HUGE for me since many of my political beliefs dont typically align with his. But in
able vetting process (no criminal records exist to look through). ISIS has also been bragthis case, I am grateful and even more proud to be a Vermonter.
ging for months that they plan to sneak in sleeper cells disguised as refugees. There were
some responses praising and commending Shumlin. But it was the number of remarks that This editorial was written by Marichel Vaught who is the graphic designer and calendar editor
for The Bridge. Managing Editor Carla Occaso also contributed to this piece.
bashed Shumlins support of refugees that made my blood boil.
Opinion
Giving Thanks
sk anyone in Vermont about his or her favorite educator, and you are likely to get
an animated response. In fact, chances are that if you ask people about who had
the greatest influence on them, many will name a teacher. Even Governor Peter
Shumlin has attributed much of his success to the skill and patience of a teacher. In this
holiday season, when you sit down to enjoy a hearty meal with family and friends, give
thanks to our educators. We send our most precious thing our children into the
care of our educators. They shoulder the responsibility of preparing our children for good
careers, higher education, and civic responsibility. They meet them as they are, and give
them support and caring and challenge. They mentor and coach them.
However, in a state where opiate abuse is continually in the news and more than 25,000
children under 18 live in food insecure households, teachers also go above and beyond
every day to make sure our most vulnerable students get the extra help, support and opportunities they need to thrive alongside their more fortunate peers. Our educators spend
countless invisible hours making sure our students are safe and supported.
by Rebecca Holcombe
to get them clean. The childs story of homelessness and need would break your heart.
Our state is full of educators who quietly go above and beyond to support our children,
knowing that if they dont, nobody will. In one schools classrooms, teachers place baskets
of snacks in the back so children, whose families cant provide enough food, can take what
they need. At another school, the afterschool coordinator keeps extra toys and snacks, because sometimes the buses bring back children for whom no adult was present to receive
the child at the end of the day. Other teachers spend their own time developing opportunities for enrichment or finding resources to share with students, because these children
crave learning beyond what is available in their homes or classrooms.
In many places, our educators challenge us to grapple with how our unexamined prejudices
might systematically disadvantage some children. Others confront the scourges of racism
and discrimination by working a little harder and lending a little of their own privilege, so
that all young Vermonters feel safe and valued in classrooms and, ultimately, in life. These
educators protect our children, so that in turn, our children grow up and build a safe and
civil Vermont. Lets remember as we give thanks that educators continue to need our support. As Luke Foley, 2014 Vermont Teacher of the Year, said: it still takes a village to
raise a child. Please join us in giving thanks to our Vermont educators, for supporting all
of our children through their daily challenges, taking the time to know them personally,
appreciating their uniqueness and helping them prepare for success in the future.
Recently a member of the Agency of Education completed a site visit to a needy middle
school afterschool program. Thirty-five or so exuberant middle schoolers, from all walks
of life, ate snacks, shouted at each other (in a good way) or read quietly, while others shared
stories from the day. Later students practiced lines from a play, others were tutored in
math, and a large bunch of students were doing martial arts. While all these things were
happening, our staff member learned that the afterschool director and school nurse were Rebecca Holcombe is the Vermont Secretary of Education.
selflessly washing and drying clothes in the basement for a student who had no other way
PAG E 2 2 D E C E M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R 16 , 2 015
Letters
Hey Bridge, Rep. Kitzmiller,

Say I Apologise
Editor:
I read your story and found it informative
and positive. I was shocked however that
you printed highly the insulting comments
from Rep. Warren Kitzmiller. The owners
and tenants of the mall work very hard to
provide the best atmosphere and value to the
residents of Central Vermont. Your choice to
print his ignorant comment that he only goes
there to get cheap plastic crap is an insult
to us all, especially the merchants. It is also
a very negative reflection on you and your
publication.
He and you owe us an apology.
Ken Simon
Heidenberg Properties Group
Closter, New Jersey
Editors note: The Bridge cannot rightly apologise for publishing someones opinion. Nor can
it ever be part of The Bridges mission to censor opinions. However, The Bridge can express
the sincere hope that the proprieters, shoppers
and owners of the Berlin Mall have a terrific
holiday season financially, spiritually and
with friends and family. (I took a quick poll
and all of us at The Bridge offices shop at the
mall on occasion.)
THE BRIDGE
Israel and Palestine:

An Alternative Story
Editor:
At a recent presentation in Norwich, two
medical doctors, Alice Rothchild, a JewishAmerican activist with Jewish Voice For
Peace, and Palestinian author and activist
Hatim Kanaaneh, gave up-to-date, eyewitness accounts of Israel's ongoing abuse
and oppression of Palestinians. Mainstream
news, they said, including public TV and
radio, is often subsidized by pro-Israeli interests, and thus heavily biased. Ms. Rothchild
suggested visiting any of three alternative
online blog-sites: Mondoweiss, +972 and
Electronic Intifada, for a very different take
on oppression and hope.
strophic consequences for humanity. I have

three grandchildren. I shudder to think what
their lives and future will be like, especially
if we do not take decisive steps now to curtail
the use of fossil fuels.
Vermonters who oppose a carbon pollution
tax cite economic consequences, but do not
take into account the short and long-term
costs of adding more CO2 to the atmosphere.
They do not address the fact that most of the
money spent on fossil fuels leaves the state
because none of the fuels are produced here.
I for one would rather see that money stay in
Vermont. This is money that could be used
to enrich our communities, businesses and
individuals. The carbon pollution tax will be
used to reduce other taxes in the state on our
businesses and individuals. Its a win-win.
Let us pull together as citizens to encourage
the leaders of the world, our country, and
our state to place a price on carbon pollution.
Neville Berle
Montpelier
Support Carbon Tax

Editor:
I write to support a carbon pollution tax on
fossil fuels coming into Vermont.
I find it incomprehensible that major fuel
producers and distributers are allowed to
profit from providing energy that contributes
to global warming and are not held responsible for the cost to society and the world. Climate change is a reality that is undeniable.
Good citizens must take action to mitigate
the greatest tragedy of human history.
The increase of CO2 is causing the strengthening and frequency of storms. Sea levels are
rising and the oceans are becoming warmer
and more acidic. All of this adds up to cata-
David Murphy
Montpelier
Spend Fewer Tax Dollars,

Mr. Smith!
Editor:
Recently, Vermont Speaker of the House
Shap Smith chastised Vermont Yankee for
accessing the decommissioning fund to pay
its bills. Vermont Yankee, no longer in the
business of making electricity, now must
remain solvent and meet the requirement to
safely decommission the plant. The federal
government is the final decider in decommissioning trust fund spending, and it has
permitted retiring plants to access the decommissioning funds to pay bills.
Cody Chevrolet Congratulates The Bridge

On Over 20 Years of Business!
How about Shap Smith stop raking leaves

into the wind by spending less of our tax
dollars in the endless challenges against Vermont Yankee? Perhaps his drive to protect
the trust fund balance should be redirected
to ending the State of Vermont's heavy taxation and our growing debt.
George Clain
Barre
Pondering Pipeline
Public Relations
Editor:
I have been pondering the meaning of what
Vermont Gas and the Department of Public
Service mean when they use catchy lines
and phrases to convince the Vermont Public
Service Board and Vermonters that the Addison Natural Gas Project is actually in
the interest of Vermonters and current VGS
ratepayers. Here is what I have come up with
as a translation guide for those who are as
confused as I was:
What VGS says: "On-schedule
What VGS means: Two years late
What VGS says: On-budget
What VGS means: Twice the proposed cost
Jane Palmer
Monkton
What Do You Think?

Read something that you would like to
respond to? We welcome your letters
and opinion pieces. Letters must be
fewer than 300 words. Opinion pieces
should not exceed 600 words. The Bridge
reserves the right to edit and cut pieces.
Send your piece to:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
Deadline for the next issue
is December 11.
D E C E M B E R 3 D E C E M B E R 16 , 2 015 PAG E 2 3
T H E B R I D G E
Montpelier Real Estate Transactions: April 1August 31, 2015

Seller
Buyer
Address
Date
Price
Type
Jennifer Burton
Canton Associates LLC
269 Elm St
4/1/15
240,000
Mult (3)
Linda Edelman
Alice Dodge & William Alexander
231 Bliss Rd
4/1/15
305,000
Single
Jeffrey W. & Joan E. Sabin
Lalitha Mailwaganam
50 Liberty St
4/15/15
210,000
Multi (2)
Douglas McArthur
John & Annette Rhoades
32 Freedom Dr
4/16/15
159,000
Condo
Dhiresha Blose
Stephen A. Ribolini
4/28/15
76,000
Single
Karen B. Abell
Lawrence Webster
Paul A. & Andrew R. Clack
Kenneth M. & Nancy L. Willey
78 Barre St LLC
Canton Associates LLC
Joshua T. Howe
John & Wendy McGuiggan
Kenneth S. & Andra A. Smith

Phillip & Alison Truckle
183 River St
90 North St
5/8/15
147,500
Single
199 Berlin St
5/15/15
159,000
Single
78 Barre St
5/15/15
304,589
Comm/3 Apts
795 Gallison Hill Rd
5/21/15
175,000
Single
Joseph C. & Andrea B. Dorwart Crane
205 Main St
5/21/15
118,000
Single
Gloria Mitchell
113 Freedom Dr
5/22/15
198,000
Condo
Patricia E. Greene-Swift
Stacey L. Desrochers
125 Freedom Dr
5/22/15
165,000
Condo
Lauren Moye
David Carlson & Leslie Osterman
508 Elm St
5/29/15
259,000
Single
Maureen Dougherty
Cathryn E. Gauruder
174 Sherwood Dr
5/29/15
162,000
Single
Michael J. & Jean M. Benoit
Barbara Vernile - Vernile Revoc Trust
16 Hubbard Park Dr
6/1/15
307,500
Single
Anthony & Gertrude Otis
WJ Properties LLC
24 Sibley Ave
6/1/15
275,000
Multi (3)
Susannah K. Noel
Barbara Loecher
6/2/15
145,000
Condo
Bettie S. Barnes & Robert B. Thomas
Austin A. & Casey M. Nava
6/4/15
327,000
Single
Gregory & Deborah Riley
Kristofer T. & Mary K. Mohlman
145 Westwood Dr
6/5/15
375,500
Single
Daniel D. & Karen L. Keene
Brian & Mary Christine Doyle
182 Forest Dr
6/5/15
380,000
Single
Michael & Denise Mercadante
Lisa D. Pompei
77 Terrace St
6/8/15
246,000
Single
Brad C. Giresi & Robyn J. Peirce
Steve C. Bronstein & Sandra L. Paritz
95 East State St
6/10/15
225,000
Single
Robert A. Jr. Cerro
Samuel Markewich & Theresa Ouellette
6/12/15
154,000
Single
Raymond McNulty & Ellen Harris
Amanda Kitchen
35 Spring Hollow Ln
6/12/15
350,000
Single
Anne C. & Joshua J. Ward
Daniel C. & Margaret A. Burke
13 Deerfield Dr
6/15/15
276,000
Single
Kevin & Tanya Morehouse
James G. & Laura B. Murphy
Buyer
DKH
LLC
Address
207 Berlin St
6/19/15
365,000
Single
Fernandez Family Trust
Jonathan P. & Emily M. Harris
223 Berlin St
6/26/15
168,500
Single
Theodore & Jenna Bravakis
Ruth Einstein & Bryan M. Pfeiffer
6/30/15
270,000
Single
Cheryl A. Barrows
Junction Associates LLC
6/30/15
121,500
Single
Kristali Cameron
Nagendra K. Kondaveeti
20 Isabel Circle
6/30/15
262,000
Single
Timothy & Donna Heney
Theodore A. & Jenna L. Bravakis
55 Windham Dr
7/1/15
388,000
Single
Eugene F. Troia
Arthur R. & Patricia J. Wright
46 Terrace St
7/1/15
243,000
Single
Hunt H. & Sarah B. Blair
Jeffrey B. Crocke r& Lily M. Sojourner
7/9/15
222,000
Single
Brian C. & Susan V. O`Regan
Alyson H. Richards & James A. Pepper
7/15/15
354,000
Single
James E. Davis Estate
Andrew S. & Stephen A. Ribolini
7/15/15
188,000
Multi (2)
Donna Morgan
David H. & Janice M. Guyette
7/20/15
166,000
Condo
Kimberly A. Clark
Pamela J. Fecteau
7/22/15
130,000
Condo
Brian & Heather Aros
Eva S. Zimet
7/24/15
490,000
Single
James W. & Mia T. Moore
Leigh W. Seddon & F. Aspell
7/24/15
120,000
Land 3.31 AC +
Andrea Grisham Estate
Nathan Segale
671 Gallison Hill Rd
7/27/15
225,000
Single
Justin B. Monteith & Emmanuelle Soumeilhan
Robert B. Hubbard
190 Main St
7/28/15
296,000
Single
Adelaide & Spencer Halstead
Robert H.& Patricia A.Moog
30 Sibley Ave
7/29/15
345,000
Single
Pearson Living Trust
Hood & Ayer LLP
15 Vine St
7/30/15
285,000
Multi (5)
Robert L. & Patricia A. Pierce
Jeffrey I. Brown & Shira Louria
7/30/15
245,000
Single
Elaina M. Yenkavitch ET AL
Joshua E. Chamberlain & Katherine M. LaCreta
462 Sherwood Dr
7/31/15
187,010
Single
Constance D. Weems
Timothy L. & Sheila R. Beavin
447 Elm St
8/6/15
135,000
Single
Sandra S. Lipman Family Trust
Kendall T. & Melissa A. McGibney
11 Parkside Dr
8/6/15
412,500
Single
Claudia Lovell
Hunt H. & Sarah B. Blair
55 Connor Rd
8/7/15
370,000
Single
Bruce Rowe
Emily Byrne
4 Peck Place
8/7/15
225,000
Single
Harold P. Shea Family Trust
Mark & Gail Pettersen
3 Walker Terrace
8/12/15
318,000
Single
Jay S. & Alison R. Hollingsworth
Peter Sterling & Andrea Proulx
8/14/15
200,000
Multi (2)
58 2 College Street LLC
Sarah Ellen Bancroft
8/18/15
210,000
Condo
Seller
Nora
Wilson
Buyer& Margaret Osha

Stuart
Date
8/21/15
Price
132,000
Type
Condo
Catherine C. Mayo Revoc Trust
Jennifer Drewitz & Philip Stimac
6 Hubbard St
8/24/15
268,000
Single
Jan H. Perry Estate
Robert Solomon & Amy Lee
4 Charles St
8/24/15
197,000
Single
Peter Demasi & Linda Rhines
Norman Ellms & Sara Fox
8/27/15
160,000
Condo
Arthur G. Hull
Patrick J. & Sarah J. Lawrence
5 Dairy Lane
8/27/15
274,500
Single
Jaron L. & Megan L. Foster
Nadia A. Al Aubaidy
38 Freedom Dr
8/28/15
182,500
Condo
Robert C. & Tracy A. Fisher
Jacqueline Li
77 Freedom Dr
8/31/15
160,000
Condo
Patricia L. Coughlin
James Brady
99 Prospect St
8/31/15
158,000
Single
Beth A. Merrill & Josue A. Hoyes
Dana Dwinell-Yardley
4 Franklin St Unit 3
9/1/15
102,000
Condo
Flora B. Stecker
Cara L. Armstrong & Edna E. King
404 Cityside Dr Unit 79
9/1/15
286,000
Condo
Blue Ridge Construction LLC
Adnan & Becky Palic
249 North St
9/3/15
229,900
Single
Brynn M. & Erica M. Hare
Amy L. Handy
27 Marvin St
9/4/15
330,000
Single
Margaret N. Highter
Patricia J. Schricker
48 Colonial Dr
9/8/15
186,000
Single
Rilla A. Murray
Theodore P. & Mary B. Smith
9/10/15
343,500
Single
Newton & Diane Baker
Robert Ruel & Andrea Green
41 Colonial Dr
9/17/15
168,000
Single
David C. Mosely & Elizabeth J. Helrich
Joseph & Doreen Merrill
504 Elm Street
9/21/15
253,100
Single
Samn S. Stockwell & Jaqueline Johnson
Brittany Tremblay
199 Hill St
9/24/15
185,000
Single
TD Bank N.A.
Nedde/Essex LLC
90 Main St
9/24/15
1,550,000 Comm
Lawrence & Lisa Martin
Lucas & Christiana Martin
28 First Ave
9/30/15
250,000
Multi (2)
Terrace St Realty LLC
Quaker Hill Building Inc.
Terrace St
9/30/15
52,000
Land 1.04 AC +
Benjamin Doyle & Angela Shea
Lars C. Torres & Cathleen M. Maine
16 Terrace St
9/30/15
240,000
Single
Jamie Sherman ET AL
Corrine P. & James F. Sheridan
13 Mountainview St
9/30/15
160,000
Single
James G. Thetford
Lawrence & Lisa Martin
6 Mechanic St
10/1/15
375,000
Multi (6)
Virginia C. Himmelsbach
Benjamin Doyle & Angela Shea
3 Chapman Rd
10/1/15
320,000
Single
Karen J. Kevra
Kelly L. Tackett
11 Cherry Ave
10/2/15
320,000
Single
Helen S. Husher
Marni Leikin
35 Loomis St
10/13/15
305,000
Single
Dwight A. & Janet A. Cross
Willis F. Backus
10/14/15
210,000
Single
Dawn & John Fairbanks
Shelley Mehlenbacher
10/16/15
157,000
Single
SellerV. Hudson Estate

Dana
1 N Franklin St Unit 7
20 Winter St
147 Berlin St
8 Redstone Ave
Date
6/26/15
2 Hillhead St
301 River St
231 Main St
96 Hackamore Rd
128 Barre St
75 Freedom Dr
2 N Franklin St Unit 4
334 Murray Hill Dr
Leap Frog Hollow
2 Isabel Circle
140 Barre St
58 College St Unit 2
Address
2 N Franklin St
Unit 5
58 College St Unit 1
228 North St
281 Main St
19 Pleasant St
Price
240,000
Type(2)
Multi
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R emember ing

December 3 December 16, 2015

Basic Needs: Motherhood, Homelessness and Worth

MONTPELIER Poverty is the wind that

The bill had run up higher than she could

sion, so too does Valerie Coolidge. She is not

If You Can, Please Help

Dear Friend of The Bridge,

Montpelier State House Ice Rink Closer to Reality

As this year ends, we are facing a $15,000 gap.

Solar Company To Open Pop Up Store

Trees and Kid-Made Wreaths For Sale

As-Needed Winter Parking Ban In Effect

Finches Arrive With Frosty Mornings

Sketch by Nona Estrin

Chip is an avid naturalist with an insatiable

Thank You for Supporting

All community contributions, whatever

Friends of The Bridge will be periodically acknowledged in future issues of

Send this form and your check to:

Co-op Members Defeat Proposed Bylaw Change

2015 Hunger Mountain Coop Annual Meeting at Montpelier City Hall.

Central Vermonters To Join

n Saturday, December 12, climate activists, labor unions, faith communities

Norwich Hockey Team To

Eminent Domain: Public Tool or Economic Weapon?

Like The Bridge on

Follow The Bridge

Singer/Songwriter David Mallett To Perform

Also On Stage: Violinists Alexander Romanul, Annie Rowell and

The Bridge would like to welcome

ecycling is now mandatory. So what does that mean

(at the recycling

Nature's limbs interlock.

The Five Senses of Montpelier

hile cruising the streets of Montpelier I am often struck by the impacts on

Basic Needs: Motherhood, Homelessness and Worth

Continued from Page 1

in a situation where I couldnt come up with first and last months

Poverty and Basic Needs

All photos and artwork courtesy

Got a news tip?

Vermont Moments: A Celebration of Place,

understands it all. I suspect reading Vermont Moments as a Vermonter is a different

Ultrarunner Newton Baker

Newton Bakers Love Affair

MONTPELIER On January 16, retired Montpelier schoolteacher, Newton Baker,

Thank you for supporting The Bridge!

Remembering Raymond N. Alvarez, the Alv

Ray with his mother, Josephine

Ray Alvarez with his father, Villa Alvarez,

varez Family and Capital Market

Ray Alvarez trapshooting. All photos courtesy of James Alvarez

March 8, 1927 November 13, 2015

Thank You for Reading The Bridge

Granite City Groove

A Local Business: The Inner Workings of

eing entrepreneurial requires dedication to your vision and the confidence to

Scott Hutchins and

Covering events happening December 3 December 19

MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier Bicycle

Death Caf. Group discussion about death with

National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier

9 a.m.2 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,