Banjo Talk with Bela Fleck • Page 12

A pril 3 – A pril 17, 2019

Pets &
Wi ld life
Photo Credit: Cat Cutillo

IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 5 Saving Pets at the
Humane Society
Pg. 7 Animal Therapists
Lend a Paw at WCMHS
Pg. 11 Caledonia Spirits Set
to Open Distillery
U.S. Postage PAID
New Animal Hospital Revives
Downtown Garage Space
By Sarah Davin
T
he Capital City Farmers Market will soon buzz with
locals buying cherry tomatoes, honey, and goat cheese,
all while inhaling the mouth-watering smells of hot
enchiladas and spanakopita. Even more excited than the humans
are the collies, spaniels, Labradors, and more, who arrive in as
many varieties as the produce in the market. This year, the
Heney lot will include one more pet-friendly amenity to draw
more business downtown
animals. The Stonecliff Animal Surgical Center will also do
emergency surgeries during their weekday hours. “If there is an
emergency, we will do our best to accommodate them,” said Dan.
One of the assets of Stonecliff Animal Surgical Center is Dan’s
impressive amount of surgical experience. He has a special
expertise in dog orthopedics and has had clients travel to see
him from all over New England,
Photo by Sarah Davin. Canada, and abroad. To better

Permit NO. 123

Montpelier, VT
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS

The red brick former “Garage” understand weaknesses in dogs

will open this spring as the knees, Kelly conducted a study
Stonecliff Animal Surgical comparing the knees of coyotes
Center, thanks to husband-and- with the knees of domestic dogs
wife duo Dr. Dan Kelly and and has spoken in Boston at an
Jodi Kelly, who are reviving the orthopedic symposium about a
long-vacant building at 58 State novel procedure to repair cruciate
Street and also plan to convert ligaments in dogs.
the upstairs into The Garage
Cultural Center to host a variety In addition to serving animals,
of events, particularly culinary the Kellys also plan to use the
ones. space to help seniors take care
of their furry companions. Once
Stonecliff Animal Surgical a week, they will open their
Center space to an as-of-yet unnamed
The new surgical center is the Dr. Dan Kelley and Jodi Kelly. nonprofit to help seniors get their
Montpelier, VT 05601

third animal hospital the Kellys have opened in the area; they pets the care they need. The industry-wide rise in pet care costs
also run Stonecliff Animal Clinic in Bradford and a satellite is especially difficult for seniors because it is often at odds with
P.O. Box 1143

clinic is West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The new center, the fixed incomes of older community members.
currently under construction, will provide surgical care for
The Bridge

Continued on Page 4

We’re online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com

PAGE 2 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Industry Publication to Recognize Quirky Pet Photo by Tom Brown.
Montpelier’s independent pet supply store, Quirky Pet, will be honored as Pet Products
News International’s Independent Pet Shop of the Year in its May publication. It is the
second time owner Cindra Conison (pictured at right) has won the award. “I also won
in 2014,” Conison said. “There will be a full article on me in the May issue. I’m the only
one in the [independent] category who has only one store and the only one who has all
made-in-USA products.”
The State Street shop is well-known for its resident Bergamasco sheepdogs and support
of local endeavors. The store sponsors a young entrepreneur program and is selling
wildflower seeds with a portion of the sales going to support the Save the Bees campaign,
among other efforts.
EarthWalk Vermont Founder Stepping Down as Executive Director
After 14 years as EarthWalk’s executive director, founder Angella Gibbons has made the
decision to transition to a part-time role with the organization and make space to hire
new leadership. Founded in 2005, EarthWalk Vermont is a nonprofit community and
nature-based education organization with a mission to inspire and empower children,
families, and communities to reconnect with and care for one another and the Earth.
Applications to succeed Gibbons will be accepted through April 29.
Berlin Veterinary Clinic Changes Hands
It might be old news to some, but after serving the community for decades, Dr. Steve
Carey has transferred ownership of his vet practice on Barre Street to Dr. Megan
Rumpke and Dr. Nicolas Drolet. The practice is now known as Montpelier Veterinary
Hospital. The new doctors offer evening and weekend emergency services, Saturday
hours, extended Thursday evening hours, and house calls.
Stone Environmental Among Best Places to Work
Stone Environmental in Montpelier was honored in March as one of the 2019 Best
Places to Work in Vermont by the Vermont Business Magazine, the Vermont Chamber

Fundraising Campaign
of Commerce, the Vermont Department of Economic Development, the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM)––Vermont State Council, and Best Companies
Group. “This recognition reflects our talented and dedicated team of professionals and
the organization we have built together over the last 27 years,” Michael Winchell, vice
president of Stone, said in a news release.

Nature Watch
Five months into our $50,000 Bridge to the Future campaign, we are
almost 2/3 of the way to our goal. Thanks to all those who have already
given.
by Nona Estrin
Please send your potentially tax-deductible donation to:
Friends of The Bridge, P.O. Box 1641, Montpelier, VT 05601.

You can also donate online at www.montpelierbridge.com/make-a-donation/

Bridge Community Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 • Ph: 802-223-5112
Editor in Chief: Mike Dunphy
Managing Editor: Tom Brown
Artwork by Nona Estrin. Publisher Emeritus: Nat Frothingham

S
pring is forcing its way into our still snow-clad world. Robins and
red-winged blackbirds arrive daily in vibrant f locks, bringing their
familiar songs and calls. Out in the rose tangle the song sparrows
are singing their claim. We continue to ski on the hard snowpack here,
clomping over bare patches, knowing it won’t last much longer. In the
woods sap is f lowing, but it will be awhile here before the green spears of
leeks first show.
Copy Editor: Larry Floersch
Calendar Editor: Marichel Vaught
Layout: Sarah Davin, Marichel Vaught
Sales Representatives: Rick McMahan
Distribution: Sarah Davin, Amy Lester, Carl Etnier
Board Members: Phil Dodd, Donny Osman, Jake Brown, Josh Fitzhugh, Larry Floersch, Greg Gerdel, Irene
Racz, Ivan Shadis, Ashley Witzenberger
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14 • mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Stone Science Hall.
Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and
mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
montpelierbridge.com • facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
Twitter: @montpbridge • Instagram: @montpelierbridge
PAGE 4 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
New Animal Hospital
Revives Downtown Garage
The first floor will become the animal hospital.
Photos by Sarah Davin.
“It’s been really important for both of
us for the last 30 years to make sure
everyone can afford a level of veterinary
care. Because the human–animal bond
is so strong, it keeps them living; it keeps
them up; it keeps them walking and
getting out of bed in the morning. To
have this nonprofit come in one day and
provide basic dental health and tumor
removal—things they’d just have no way
to afford—is especially helpful. Dental
disease is a serious issue, so we’re pretty
excited to have a program like that,” said
Jodi.
Jodi has put extra effort into shaping the
former garage space into a comfortable
space for pets and their owners while they
are at the animal hospital. Kelly and her
sister-in-law, who is an architect, designed
the space with the comfort of the animals
in mind. For example, in their Bradford
location, the reception area is made to
look like a village square.
In addition to designing their center in an
animal-friendly manner, they also have a
few other tricks to keep pets and people
calm. “Our idea is that when you come
into one of our hospitals, you feel like
you’re in a hospital but you also have the
feeling of home,” Jodi said. “At all our
other hospitals, we bake cookies so that
when the animals get there, they smell
cookies baking and not the medicine. We
do a lot of things to try and remove the
fear of the visit.”
The Garage Cultural Center
Above the surgical center will be a gallery
and kitchen space complete with a staging
room for caterers to set up for events and
parties. “The idea is to make art and
everything that comes with it accessible
Continued from page 1
to everyone and to have a space where
everyone can come together, experiment,
and discover different mediums. I’m into
food photography and I want a space
where photographers can come in and give
seminars,” Jodi said.
Jodi has many ideas for possible uses
for the space. She says she was excited
about the interest she received from New
England Culinary Institute instructors,
some of whom have started their own
businesses, and said they would be
interested in doing events at The Garage
Cultural Center. “I’ve talked to a bunch of
chefs in the area because I really want to
do cooking demonstrations and potlucks
up here. Maybe we’re raising money for
the Vermont Food Bank or the Humane
Society.”
The Kellys planned to meet with the
director of the Farmers Market the week
of March 24 to discuss collaborating with
the nearby market to help educate the
community about different ingredients.
Jodi elaborated, “My idea for the Farmers
Market is we could have a chef go down
there as a workshop, gather up some
The second floor will become the cultural center.
Pets & Wildlife
produce, and show people how to use
vegetables—kohlrabi, for example. It
would help the community learn how to
use the Farmers Market.”
In the future, there may even be events
that bring together dogs and food. One
suggested event would be a community
dog walk. “We’ve been talking about
doing weekly dog walks from the vet
clinic,” mused Dan, “where people would
go Friday afternoon—or whenever we go
out for a 5K walk— and everybody meets
back here, with food trucks and beer
served. It would be a fun thing.”
The Garage Cultural Center will open
May 3 with a sculptural exhibition
Unbound! Four Women Sculptors Let Loose.
The opening date for the surgical center is
simply “spring,” for the time being.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 5
Finding Fur-ever Families
By Cat Cutilllo
L
aurie Garrison knows first-hand the
paw-print an animal can leave on
one’s life. Hanging above her desk
is a framed portrait of her late dog, Mr.
Bumpus, whom she rescued in 2005 from
a shelter in New Jersey, where she was
living and working as an AT&T research
scientist.
“I call him my heart dog,” says Garrison.
“He was really, really a special dog.
Obviously, a special dog because he made
me change my career,” she says.
After adopting Mr. Bumpus, she started
volunteering out of gratitude at the shelter,
joined the board, and eventually fully
submerged herself into a new career as
executive director. Now, she holds that
position with the Central Vermont Humane
Society (CVHS) in East Montpelier, a job
that regularly makes her cry.
“It’s emotional work. Ninety percent of the
time it’s good emotion,” says Garrison.
She points to another framed photo with a
letter about a dog named Morris, adopted
13 years ago from CVHS. Morris died two
years ago at age 16, but his owner still visits
to reminisce about their adventures hiking
and backcountry skiing. “After two years I
stopped crying in the forest, but I still cry
at home,” the letter reads.
“The loss was so powerful because the
love was so strong,” says Garrison. “It can
transform somebody’s life. It really can.”
But Garrison has also seen a staggering
amount of fur-family heartbreak—pets
and people torn apart because a new
landlord won’t allow pets or because a job
loss leads to homelessness.
Fifty-six percent of the 1,028 animals
CVHS sheltered in the 2017–2018 fiscal
year were from owner surrenders in local
Vermont communities. Of those owner
surrenders, 30 percent said the reason
Mr. Luigi, age 7, has taken up residence in the the front office of
the Central Vermont Humane Society where he’s been for about six
months. He is looking for a home. Photo by Cat Cutillo.
was housing or financial issues. Only 13
percent of the surrenders had to do with
animal health or behavioral issues, while
another 22 percent attributed it to “other”
reasons, such as divorce, human medical
issues, or time restraints.
Garrison recalls a woman who became
homeless after losing her longtime job and
was unable to find another.
“She said ‘I realized there was a better place
for my cat than living in my car with me.’
She was just in tears,” says Garrison.
“They bring their animal to us, where they
know that their animal will be warm and
safe, and we’re going to find their animal
a home no matter how long it takes,” says
Garrison.
Another 26 percent of the animals were
transferred from rescue partners in South
Carolina and Maryland, where dogs and
cats were being euthanized for lack of
space. Garrison says no shelters in Vermont
euthanize for space.
Sixty-six percent of animals arriving at the
Humane Society last year were cats and
kittens, 28 percent were dogs and puppies,
5 percent were bunnies, and 1 percent were
small critters.
Garrison says it’s a myth that people
heartlessly dump their animals at shelters.
“People are absolutely heartbroken to bring
their animals in,” says Garrison. “People
come here in tears at the last minute
because they’ve done everything they can.
They call all their friends and their family,
and they’re trying so hard not to have to
bring their pet here,” says Garrison, tearing
up herself.
She wants people who struggle with similar
issues to reach out right away.
“Don’t get to the point where you feel
you’re up against it. Call us first,” says
Garrison who stresses that CVHS provides
services to keep pets and owners together.
It costs CVHS about $805 per animal, per
year, to operate, while adoption fees only
cover an average of $135. Abandoning
an animal in Vermont is illegal. Still,
18 percent of animals housed last year
were strays, predominantly stray cats,
Pets & Wildlife
often starving and suffering from flea
infestations.
“Cats can reproduce so quickly and so
often,” she says. A healthy cat can get
pregnant at just four months of age, and
indoor cats can have up to four litters
per year, which illustrates why another 35
percent of animal surrenders last year were
due to too many pets in the house, mostly
cats.
“We recently had a case where people
had over 20 cats in 18 months. It was
kind of an accident,” says Garrison, who
emphasizes to spay and neuter your pets
and recommends VT-CAN!, a low-cost
clinic in Middlesex open to the public.
Adoption of shy and older animals takes
the longest. For example, Luigi is a seven-
year-old dog that is a fixture in their front
office. He arrived overweight and with a
flea infestation. He’s lost 16 pounds, and
his fur has grown back but remains patchy
on one side. The medium length of stay is
just 14 days. The longest ever stay was 190
days, a number Luigi is fast approaching at
his 144 days.
“Sometimes someone will meet a dog,
and it’s an instant love,” she says. “And
sometimes the animal picks the person.”
One man was devastated after losing his
dog. His wife and daughter fell in love with
a hound-mix named Izzy on the website
and begged him to go meet her. When he
walked in the door, Izzy howled at him just
like his old dog once did.
“He said, ‘She called me and that was it,”
says Garrison. “They just made such a
happy family. She completed their family.
We hear those stories all the time.”
“It’s the best part of the job.”
Visit VT-CAN! at vt-can.org and CVHS
at centralvermonthumane.org to learn more
about adopting and caring for pets.
PAGE 6 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE

School Page By Libby Bonesteel, Superintendent of Schools April 2019

Montpelier High School

I
recently attended a workshop hosted by educators
from Randolph High School. They shared their
positive experiences with implementing “restorative
practices” in building community and strengthening
relationships in their school. Restorative practices focus
on building trust in the community through purposefully
sitting in circles and listening to one another on a
regular basis. As the routine and the community culture
strengthens, communities can then better have the
option of effectively conducting a restorative justice
circle when harm occurs within the community. I could
not help but be impressed and inspired by their positive
shared experience with restorative practices.
Montpelier High School, following the lead of our
own Main Street Middle School, Randolph High
School, and other colleagues around the state, is now
in the beginning stages of making restorative practices
a more conscious part our school community as well.
Despite taking on several other large and important new
initiatives in the past four years, the MHS faculty was
strongly in support of learning more about restorative
practices this year. Our introduction to the work has
been led by several interested MHS students, faculty
members, our school resource officers, and collaborators
among community partners. We have connected with
colleagues at U-32, the experts at our local Montpelier
Community Justice Center, our local Washington
County Diversion Program, and have had students and
staff participate in a class offered by Up for Learning.
In developing more knowledge and experiences with
restorative practices, I see a great opportunity to build
on the already strong relationships among our students
and faculty. The team of faculty members and students
that are leading the way are dedicated to incorporating
restorative practices to build upon the good work of
Main Street Middle School and make Montpelier High
School an even better place to learn and grow.
-Mike McRaith, MHS Principal

Photos Courtesy of MRPS.
Roxbury Village School
Roxbury Village School recently had the great pleasure
to welcome the Vermont Institute of Natural Science
(VINS). This fantastic organization, which now has over
5,000 members statewide, collaboratively works with
educators in Vermont to “excite and engage students.”
This was definitely the case during their visit to RVS
with a few guest birds of prey.
It is a spectacular sight to see a raptor, or bird of prey,
up close and personal. The word “raptor” is derived
from the Latin word “rapere,” which means to seize or
capture. After viewing the intricacies of these animals,
it is easy to understand why they are such good hunters.
Superintendent’s Corner
Let me take this opportunity
to introduce Renee Devore, the
next principal at Montpelier
High School, to the Montpelier-
Roxbury community. Devore has
been a successful administrator
across the United States, most
recently in a suburb of Chicago.
She began her career in education
in an alternative school for
students with significant special
needs. The latter years of her
Renee Devore teaching duties, found her
engaging high school students
These amazing creatures seem to methodically examine listening skills, learn how to perform on stage, and build
everything in sight like a secret service agent observing confidence. Each of the classes has worked with the
the surroundings. You almost do not want to make eye community partner to choose various books and create
contact for fear that they may spot you and contrive a their own original adaptations of the story and perform
plan to attack! The long, sharp talons belonging to the for their fellow classmates, families, and the community.
red tailed hawk or the mesmerizing eyes of the screech In other news, Union Elementary is hosting renowned
owl are enough to send any small animal running for author Michael Thompson, Ph.D., to discuss his
cover. Overall, this was a chance for students to see, documentary Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life
hear, and feel various raptors. I highly recommend of Boys.
educators to contact VINS and set up your experience
today. Main Street Middle School
Union Elementary School This month Main Street Middle School features two
eighth-grade students pursuing their passion for writing.
Union Elementary has been fortunate to work Maddox Montgomery’s interest in World War II history
collaboratively with several community partners this
began one night at home while watching a documentary
year to expand educational offerings. Most recently, the with his father. With his interest piqued, he developed
third grade completed their annual puppet residency
the desire to learn more and he began reading books
this week, working with the No Strings Marionette about WWII. His independent reading on the subject led
Company. This residency has spanned several decades
him to pursue the desire to write a historical fiction novel
and is a UES tradition that is closely integrated with our about WWII. The main character is from Vermont and
literacy standards. The theme this year is “school,” and makes a promise to his family to return home. Along this
students are creating their own fully operational puppets journey, Maddox also had the opportunity to interview
to take home at the end of the three-week residency. three WWII veterans at the Montpelier VFW.
Teachers have commented this experience encourages
While supporting Maddox with his book, fellow middle
students to embrace creativity, improve speaking and school student Rachana Cherian said, “I can do this
too” and is writing a realistic fiction story about a
high achieving, hardworking, athletic girl who when
evaluated for a sports injury learns that she has cancer.
in English class. This past year Devore took some time Rachana shared that her inspiration came from family
off to immerse herself in Mexican culture and learn members who have had cancer. The theme of her story is
Spanish. Her diversity of experiences will be a great asset determination, resiliency, and the fight to never give up.
to the students and teachers at Montpelier High School. Literacy Specialist Adrienne Fortune has been their adult
When looking for her next position, Devore spent time supporter and organizer along this journey. Working
researching education across the United States. What together along with Adrienne’s help to personalize this
she found in Montpelier was her dream—a community experience, these two students have been able to work on
focused on proficiency-based learning, flexible pathways writing their book at school. As educators, it is our hope
to learning, and having evidence to show an effective that we are able to inspire curiosity where students want
MTSS model to support all learners. Her energy to learn more, take risks, and pursue their passion. We
and passion toward these endeavors will only help to can’t wait to read the final copies!
continue and bolster the amazing work that is currently This page was paid for by the Montpelier-Roxbury School
happening in Montpelier High School. District.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 7
Animals Offer a Therapeutic Paw
WCMHS Employs Calming Critters
By Tim Simard
A Aspen the dog.
spen and Bode are two of a kind.
One’s a dog and the other’s a cat,
but for all intents and purposes,
they are as close as siblings. Aspen, a
short and energetic black Labrador mix,
immediately greets you with an excitable
wag of the tail and a determined snout
into your hand as if she’s saying “pet me!”
Bode hangs back a little, ears perked.
Once you sit down, he’s on your lap in
seconds.
Aspen and Bode are two of Washington
County Mental Health’s newest
“employees.” Both work with Dianne
Bouchard—a licensed clinical mental
health counselor at WCMH—as
pet therapists. Bouchard’s office is at
WCMH’s Access Program, which
coordinates directly with Central Vermont
Medical Center’s Emergency Services.
The animals’ unique names come
directly from Bouchard, a downhill
ski enthusiast—Aspen for the Rocky
Mountain resort and Bode for Olympic
ski racer Bode Miller.
Patients, mostly children and young
adults, who experience anxiety, stress,
depression, PTSD, and other mental
health illnesses, have worked closely with
Aspen and Bode as part of Bouchard’s
animal-assisted psychotherapy practice.
She says patients who might have trouble
talking with a counselor sometimes find
it easier to engage when there’s a friendly
animal in the room.
“I’ve seen some really good progress [with
patients],” she says. “I’ve seen kids much
more relaxed, less stressed with Aspen or
Bode. And they talk about things and
feelings that they might not talk about
otherwise. They open up more.”
Bouchard also says many of her younger
patients share experiences that Aspen and
Bode have both faced—bullying, stress,
abuse, and abandonment.
“I don’t take Aspen to the dog park
anymore because the bigger dogs all go
after her since she’s much smaller than
them,” she says. “So right there, kids
might share similar feelings of bullying
and anxiety and can talk about it.”
Bouchard’s pets are also rescue animals.
Aspen came from a litter in Louisiana.
Bode was born locally but didn’t have
veterinary access as a kitten. He was
found with a ruptured cornea which
makes it difficult to see out of his left eye.
Both are just over a year old.
Although Aspen and Bode are new to
WCMH, the organization has been
featuring animal-assisted psychotherapy
for a little more than three years. Bouchard
Photos by Tim Simard.
earned a certification in pet therapy
counseling at Animal Assisted Therapy
Programs of Colorado. While there,
she learned methods and best practices
for incorporating trained animals into
counseling sessions.
“I didn’t just work with dogs and cats, I
worked with horses, goats, rabbits, rats,
guinea pigs,” Bouchard says.
Aspen and Bode will soon undergo their
own certifications. To earn her therapy
dog certification, Aspen will have to
Pets & Wildlife
perform a series of tests to show she’s not
aggressive and listens well to directions.
Bouchard is waiting until Aspen is a little
older and out of her “puppy stage.”
There are no existing therapy cat
certifications, so Bouchard and an animal
certification center in New Hampshire
will develop them with Bode serving as
the model cat.
Prior to the arrival of Aspen and Bode,
Bouchard “borrowed” the pets of
friends and coworkers for sessions. She
also brought patients down to Random
Rescue in Barre as part of their treatment
and to volunteer.
Two of Bouchard’s patients say that
working with animals has helped them
overcome many personal obstacles.
Sammi, a patient who has social anxiety,
says pet therapy has made her less anxious.
“I’m a lot less nervous with animals
around,” Sammi says. “They help me
branch out more, and that makes me
better at talking with people because I’m
more calm.”
For Morgan, helping with rescue animals
and talking with Bouchard also helped
her overcome anxiety and stress. “It
forced me to get out and interact, and
social interaction, even with animals, is a
good thing,” Morgan says.
If anyone is interested in animal-assisted
counseling, contact Washington County
Mental Health at (802) 223-6328.
PAGE 8 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE

News from Fish and Wildlife

Compiled by Mike Dunphy and The Department of Fish & Wildlife
Pets & Wildlife

Archery season will also be expanded in duration and

Photos by John Hall.
location, expanding hunting in more suburban places
and towns (like Montpelier), where deer are getting out of
control. Crossbow use, previously only allowed for hunters
over 50, will welcome all ages. The annual buck harvest bag
limit has been reduced from two to one, but with regional
flexibility on antler point restrictions. The changes are the
result of several years of conducting surveys, holding public
meetings to gather input on existing regulations from
hunters, and analyzing data from the antler point restriction
and its effect on antler development in Vermont’s deer.
Baitfish
A loosening of baitfish rules will make it easier for Vermont’s
fisher folk to harvest and employ baitfish (aka “minnows”).
The proposal establishes two interior zones—an East zone
and a West zone—within which commercially purchased
and wild-caught baitfish can be moved. It would also allow
movement of baitfish between some approved bodies of
water. Previously, anglers could use baitfish only on the
same water where harvested and only species approved

W
ith spring upon us and Vermont’s wildlife
shaking off its hibernal slumber, the Vermont
Fish & Wildlife Department is moving
forward discussions on several changes in state policies,
including the following:
Deer Hunting
Near the top of the agenda are significant changes in deer
hunting rules. Milder winters and suburbanization are
bringing more deer to the landscape at a time when there
are fewer hunters to manage them. As a result, the Fish &
Wildlife Board is proposing two new hunting seasons—
one four-day session for antlerless deer two weeks before
rifle season, and another for novice adult hunters that takes
place during youth season.
for use. The goal of this revision is to strike a better
balance between protection of Vermont’s fisheries resources
when it comes to fish pathogens and invasive species and
opportunities to go out and connect with nature through
fishing (with baitfish).
Bald Eagle Preservation
Bald eagles have not only returned to Vermont but have
flourished, with 23 known nesting pairs producing at least
33 successful young in 2018, according to the Vermont Fish
& Wildlife Department. Thanks to the success, the birds
may be down-listed from “endangered” to “threatened,”
but protections will remain strict, as they are still federally
protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection
Act. Furthermore, the process for listing, delisting, and
downlisting is a lengthy one, with reviews required by the
Bird Scientific Advisory Group of the Endangered Species
Committee, and final approval by Agency of Natural
Resources Secretary Julie Moore.
Bear Warning
Vermont’s bears may be waking up in a foul mood this
spring after going into their dens hungry last fall due to
a low availability of wild foods. That means bears may
be more aggressive than usual in pursuit of food. The
Department strongly encourages taking down bird feeders
from April 1 to November 30, as nature provides birds
ample flowers, seeds, fruits, and insects to live on. A garden
of black-eyed Susans, milkweed, and highbush blueberry
can accomplish the same as a bird feeder without luring the
bears. Electric fencing, however, is strongly recommended
around backyard beehives and chicken coops.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 9
What is a Bug to Do in a Changing Climate?
Taking Inventory of Vermont’s Invertebrates
By Mark Ferguson
Close up: Bumblebee
T
hose with an eye to the
outdoors will notice wildlife
becomes increasingly active as
the weather warms. Our winter resident
birds now fill the morning with song,
skunks are once again skulking, and
even an occasional moth shows itself.
As we move into the growing season,
one of the most iconic sounds of spring
and summer is the soft buzz of insects.
Garnering little notice from humans
(except for mosquitoes and garden
pests), the insect world is incredibly
diverse and boasts more species than
any other group of animals. By some
estimates, we may have more than
20,000 different types of invertebrates
in the state. Worldwide, over two-thirds
of species are insects.
Humans enjoy the benefits of many
insect products such as honey, silk,
and, shellac. More important, insects
and other invertebrates are among
the heavy lifters in keeping nature’s
energy cycle churning—munching
and pollinating plants, enriching
soil, breaking down rotting logs and
animal waste, and keeping each other’s
populations in check—is just everyday
Photo by Kent McFarland.
life to these tiny creatures.
The life of an insect is hardly without
peril. Many dangers, such as predators
and ill weather, are of natural origin
and have been surmounted over time
through adaptation and evolution. This
is, after all, a hardy bunch of animals.
As people dominate the landscape,
however, new threats come at a fast
pace and often on a large scale. Habitat
loss, invasive species, pesticides, and the
unbalancing nature of climate change
are all bearing down on the invertebrate
world. Recent publications have alerted
the world to a potential catastrophic
loss of insects in the near future. While
we are not likely to see insects disappear
in their entirety, there is reason for
concern that more sensitive species will
not fare the storm without help.
What is a bug to do?
One of the biggest challenges for
conserving insect diversity in Vermont
and elsewhere is the lack of baseline
data. To determine how well species are
doing, we need to know what they are,
where they live, and how abundant they
are. Fortunately, the Vermont Fish &
Wildlife Department and partners have
been taking inventory of Vermont’s
invertebrate fauna.
A three-year study of our 17 different
bumble bees compared recent
observations with historical collections,
concluding that several species have
drastically declined or even disappeared
from Vermont, including the Rusty-
patched Bumblebee. A statewide survey
of butterflies from 2002 to 2007
cataloged for the first time the 103
species now known in Vermont, as well
as four giant silk moths. Twelve of
the butterflies were first-time records.
The results of this study will be used
for comparison with future surveys to
identify population trends. One of the
more exciting aspects of the butterfly
and bumblebee studies is that they
enlisted the help of volunteer “citizen
scientists”to collect field data.
So, what’s next? Vermont is embarking
on a statewide survey of native bees
because of recent concerns for native
pollinating insects and the potential
impacts that species losses could have.
The Fish & Wildlife Department
will again be joining forces with the
Vermont Center for Ecostudies and
other partners to tackle this larger
endeavor, with more than 250 bee
species that could be observed. Citizen
scientists will again be recruited to help
catalog distribution and abundance
Pets & Wildlife
data, offering the public an opportunity
to take part in science and insect
conservation. The first year (2019) will
focus on the bees of Chittenden County.
Those interested in participating
can contact the Vermont Center for
Ecostudies at info@vtecostudies.org.
There will be a project workshop for
volunteers later this spring.
In the meantime, while you plan your
garden, you can start thinking about
how you might improve your property
to support beneficial insects. Have an
empty field that you mow? How about
leaving the cutting until mid-October
or later so that insects can complete
their life cycles? Leave those wildflowers
for the bugs; even goldenrods are
important to many species. Watch for
ground-nesting bees in bare soil patches
and leave them undisturbed. Limit your
use of insecticides and watch out for
any brands that contain neonicotinoids
(such as imidacloprid, thiamethoxam,
clothianidin), which are absorbed by
the entire plant and pose a threat to
many bees. Working together, we can
help insects thrive and maintain the
many benefits they provide to people
and nature.
Mark Ferguson is a natural heritage
zoologist with the Vermont Department
of Fish & Wildlife
PAGE 10 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Space is Only the First Frontier in Pet Ownership
By Alana Stevenson, M.S.
I
was asked the other day how I felt
about pets living in small places.
Would it be cruel to a cat or dog
to live in a small apartment? There are
many facets to this question, and I had
multiple thoughts and answers.
From a behavioral perspective, and a
personal one, I believe the quality of
care and the individual attention an
animal receives are far more important
than the amount of “space” they have—
within reason. I am not referring to
confining animals in cages, stalls, or
pens.
Most of the cats I have been privileged
to care for have been former street cats. I
trapped them or took them off the street
personally. I have lived in small rooms
and apartments and had a multitude
of animals—before my work in animal
behavior. There is absolutely no doubt
that these animals were happier, loved,
well-cared for, and in a much better
position than how I found them.
No one likes being cooped up in a small
space. But everyone likes an upgrade.
A cat living in a studio apartment,
sleeping with people or other animals
at night, being well-fed, warm, and
safe has a far better life than the cat
living on the streets scavenging from
dumpsters or living in a large house
perpetually hiding under the bed or in
a closet, frightened, or mistreated.
There is the perception that large dogs
must have yards and live in big homes,
and small dogs can be apartment
dwellers. However, much depends on
the animal’s personality, temperament,
age, and activity level, as well as how
much interaction it has with other
animals and people. A mastiff that is
a couch potato will live quite happily
in a small apartment, whereas a young,
active Jack Russell or Border Collie
might be spinning in circles.
Many dogs are confined in crates
or cages all day when people are at
work, and then again when they go
to bed. Dogs, being social and active
creatures, need mental stimulation,
positive attention, and exercise. A large
dog in an apartment that is exercised
regularly—goes hiking, running, and
walking daily—and that has more social
interactions and less punitive training is
going to be happier than a dog that has
a big yard but is rarely in it, or that is
always in it and completely ignored—or
regularly scolded.
For cats, where food and water are
located, how large litter pans are and
how clean they are kept, how many
surfaces they have to climb up and walk
down are all very important. Cats like
to be up high and enjoy climbing or
walking on surfaces that have nice views
and a better vantage point. If there were
beams and walkways above our heads,
cats would be climbing up and around
them. Adding shelving, cat trees, and
“vertical” platforms can increase space
for cats and offer enrichment, especially
if you live in a small place.
If someone devotes their care to an
animal companion, it’s a responsibility,
really no different than caring for a
child. Dogs can live 12–18 years, and
cats into their 20s. Veterinary care
and expenses can be very high just
for routine procedures, and geriatric
animals require extra veterinary care,
Pets & Wildlife
environmental modifications, and
medication.
A routine feline dental cleaning can cost
over $1,000. I have spent thousands on
animal care and veterinary bills that I
could have spent on savings, vacations,
clothing, cars, dental and medical bills,
travel, school, and so on.
The bottom line is that animals are a long-
term commitment and responsibility.
Unfortunately, people too often view
animals as objects or “stuffed animals.”
Something to be owned for a while,
praised or fawned over, then disposed
of when they become inconvenient,
the person loses interest, a new breed
becomes fashionable, or when too much
work or responsibility is required.
The amount of space that is important
for an animal is the space that animal
actually uses and enjoys. How an animal
feels in that space is equally important.
How an animal is treated and the type
of attention it is given, the conditions in
which it lives, and how enriched its life
is are all as important, if not more so,
than the square footage it lives in.
Alana Stevenson, M.S. is an animal
behavior specialist and dog trainer based
in Charlotte, VT and Boston, and author
of Training Your Dog the Humane Way:
Simple Teaching Tips for Resolving
Problem Behaviors and Raising a Happy
Dog. For more info about her services, go
to alanastevenson.com.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 11
Caledonia Spirits Aims to Open
Montpelier Distillery by June
By Tom Brown
Photo courtesy of Anna Bromley/Caledonia Spirits.
I
t won’t be long before customers
will relax along the banks of the
Winooski River in Montpelier and
sip a Bee’s Knees cocktail made from
spirits produced on site at Vermont’s
newest distillery—and Montpelier’s
newest tourist destination.
The walls are up and the five large
stills will soon be in place at Caledonia
Spirits’ 27,000-square-foot distilling,
research, and bar facility on Barre
Street, where owner Ryan Christiansen
aims to open, hopefully, by Memorial
Day.
In addition to attracting visitors from
around the Northeast, the $10-million
project will triple Caledonia’s
production and provide space for
research and development of new
spirits, Christiansen said. The plant will
replace the company’s current facility
in Hardwick, which did not have the
space needed for tours and tastings.
“That’s part of the design of this
facility,” he said of the spacious bar
area, which will also be available for
community events. “Hardwick is a
very small tasting experience, and it’s
really important to us that everything
Large still arrives at Caledonia Spirits.
is being distilled here. There’s nowhere
else where you can see spirits being
produced all the way to the cocktail
except our facility.”
Caledonia currently makes three
honey-laced spirits—Barr Hill Gin,
Barr Hill Vodka, and barrel-aged Tom
Cat Gin. The expansion will allow the
company to add a rye whiskey and
explore new formulas in its research lab,
Christiansen said.
All of the barley and rye used in
the distillery is locally sourced from
the Greensboro farm of Caledonia
Spirits’ founder Todd Hardie, who
hired Christiansen as head distiller
in 2011. Hardie sold the company
to Christiansen in 2015 to focus on
farming. The honey is purchased from
a family apiary in New York state, as
Vermont beekeepers can’t provide the
necessary volume, Christiansen said.
With the expansion, company officials
hope to create more opportunities for
Vermont growers. As demand grows,
farmers might be willing to expand
or diversify their production, knowing
that there will be an identified market
for their crop, the theory goes.
Caledonia employs 46 full- and part-
time workers and plans to reach around
50 once the Montpelier facility is up
and running, Christiansen said. The
Hardwick distillery produced 16,500
cases of spirits in 2018, and the new
facility will enable a much greater
output.
One of the key features of the new
distillery is the 32-foot Barre granite
bar, crafted by Barre Tile. Comments
from customers while they knosh on
bar snacks and sample Montpelier-
made premium spirits will provide
direct feedback on product quality.
That information is hard to get when
there are distributors in between the
customer and the maker, Christiansen
said.
“It’s a hard business,” Christiansen said.
“You sell to distributors, who sell to
markets, so you are removed from your
customers. That’s the importance of
this operation. When we actually get
to engage and serve a cocktail to a
customer and hear their feedback, it’s
an incredible value for us. This center is
going to allow folks to come in and tell
us what they like about our product,
what they don’t like, how you drink it,
when you drink it, that sort of thing.”
City Deploys Development Strategy
For a city sometimes criticized for
not being friendly toward developers,
Local Business
Montpelier is making significant
investments to lure new businesses of
late. In addition to Caledonia Spirits,
TimberHomes recently opened a new
headquarters on Elm Street, a new
downtown hotel and voter-approved
city parking garage is planned, and
more projects are expected under the
city’s new tax district structure. (The
garage/hotel project is currently on hold
due to a permit appeal filed in court by
a group of city residents.)
“We are hoping to create an atmosphere
where good, responsible development
that fits in Montpelier will feel welcome
and be supported,” City Manager Bill
Fraser said, pointing to the creation
of the Montpelier Development Corp.,
which focuses on housing and economic
development.
The city set aside $466,700 for public
infrastructure improvements and
offered Caledonia Spirits 10 years of
reduced municipal property taxes as
an incentive to locate here. The city
estimates it will recoup $536,000 in the
first 10 years from the new taxes and
water and sewer fees on the facility. The
tax incentive reduces the company’s tax
bill by 50 percent to about $360,000 a
year for the first 10 years, after which it
will pay an estimated $720,000 a year,
Fraser said.
Continued on page 17
PAGE 12 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Dueling Banjos Come to the Barre Opera House
By Mike Dunphy
W
hen Bela Fleck and Abigail
Washburn take the stage,
they could conceivably stand
back-to-back, walk 10 paces, turn, and
fire off a salvo of plucking, raking, and
strumming—thanks to the inherent duel
they present between two distinct banjo
styles—bluegrass and claw hammer.
Fleck plays the classic three-finger
bluegrass style developed by Earl
Scruggs, with attachable finger picks,
while Washburn plays claw hammer, an
older form of banjo playing that reaches
back to the instrument’s West African
roots which uses more open tunings
and rhythmic strumming, and is played
with bare fingers. Fleck summed up
the difference, with a wry grin, in an
interview with Paste magazine as, “Her
playing is natural, but mine is unnatural.”
While the husband and wife may have
initially had some concerns about pairing
the styles, which are usually kept separate,
audiences have been quick to give their
approval, with their 2014 album, Bela
Fleck & Abigail Washburn, winning the
Grammy for Best Folk Album. With
Echo in the Valley, released in 2017, the
duo adopted a banjos-only policy for
instrumentation, with no guest players,
and nothing that cannot be duplicated in
a live setting.
Central Vermonters can witness the
dueling banjo styles on Saturday, April 6,
at the Barre Opera House.
Looking ahead to the show, Fleck was
also kind enough to sit down speak with
The Bridge about his pride in the banjo,
his relationship with Washburn, the
interplay of the two styles, and Vermont’s
musical energy.
Photo by Noelle Panepento.
The Bridge: Steve Martin said you
can’t play a sad song on the banjo. Is
there there any truth to that?
Bela Fleck: None at all. Banjo can do
sad.
After so many years playing banjo,
what continues to draw you to the
instrument?
Fleck: I still love sitting and playing
it. It’s like having a piano in your lap.
The sound is very compelling and the
possibilities keep on showing themselves.
Both you and Abigail have said you
have a lot of pride in the banjo. Can
you clarify what the pride is?
Fleck: Embedded in the story of the
banjo is the story of America, the slaves
bringing it, and all the cultures adopting
it and adding themselves to it. It is
multicultural and an underdog to boot,
due to all the misconceptions about it.
Has playing with Abigail’s claw
hammer style of play changed or
improved your own playing in any
way?
Fleck: Yes, it has given fresh ideas to
try, and a new style to adapt to and
collaborate with.
You’ve referred to the claw hammer
and bluegrass styles as two different
worlds. Have you discovered any
places where they connect? Or have
you forged connections?
Fleck: There are very few songs that
are played on both, but there are a few.
Having both styles in our household adds
to a bigger understanding of the whole
banjo world.
You’ve played in so many different
configurations in your long career.
What are the benefits of playing as a
duo?
Fleck: I love being responsible for
making the music complete with just
two people. I have tons of space to
paint within the songs, sometimes I’m
rhythmic, sometimes I’m the bass player
on the low cello banjo. It’s creative and
fun. I love the duo format. And Abby is
an incredible partner, with solid intuitive
banjo structures I can build on top of and
an honest and beautiful vocal ability.
Music
As you are married to each other, does
the personal relationship manifest in
the music in any way?
Fleck: It’s amazing sometimes to us that
not only do we get to be partners in life
and in raising our children, but we get
to make music together as well, which is
nearly as intimate as the other stuff. We
do have to stay on top of the business, but
we can even enjoy that part.
When it comes to banjo playing and
bluegrass/folk music, does Vermont
have any standing or reputation in
that community?
Fleck: Vermont has its own energy, and
it manifests itself in all the music that
comes from there. I believe that location
does stamp a person in his or her attitude
and what one thinks is important to
express. To me Vermont is iconoclastic,
earthy, and warm.
How do you approach performaing at
a venue like the Barre Opera House?
Fleck: We are happy to get to play there. I
have been there a couple of times but not
Abby, although she’s seen shows there. I
think it will be warm and iconoclastic!
Looking forward to responding to its
unique energy.
Is there anything you want the
audience to take from the show besides
entertainment?
Fleck: We like it when folks leave with
some more connection to roots and
history, and maybe, we can inspire some
ideas. We will also be doing a banjo raffle
for a local nonprofit, so one person will
actually take home a banjo!
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn will play
at Barre Opera House on April 6 at 7:30
pm. Tickets start at $45.50.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 13
Safeguarding the Water We Drink
By J. Gregory Gerdel
B
efore the implementation of
Montpelier’s Water Filtration
Plant in June 2000, people not
having screens on their taps would
occasionally notice some flotsam and
jetsam (bits of plant matter, usually)
floating atop a settled pot of water.
And those with screens on their taps
would occasionally need to rinse that
accumulation from the screen. While
the Berlin Pond water, treated with
chlorine, was safe to drink, aesthetics
and palatability could have been better.
Jeff Wilson, chief operator of the team
of three certified technicians at the plant
on Paine Turnpike in Berlin, is charged
with ensuring that the city’s tap water
is safe and pleasant to drink—in other
words, potable and palatable. The other
longtime certified operators are Michael
Farnham and George Hood.
Wilson was quick to urge the citywide
boil-water notice in February when the
rupture of a main at the intersection
of Elm and Spring streets caused a
significant pressure loss through most
of the system. The protocol for calling
a boil-water notice is established by
the Vermont Drinking Water and
Groundwater Protection Division. “Our
Photo by J. Gregory Gerdel.
mission is customer service. A risk of
contamination comes with low pressure
in the system,” Wilson explains, “and we
are going to err on the side of caution.”
How Sampling Works
In the case of the unusual citywide
notice in February, canceling the boil
notice required sampling tap water at
nearly a dozen locations throughout the
city, the first time such broad sampling
has been required since the opening
of the filtration plant. Wilson says the
sampling is planned in coordination
with the state’s water protection division
and testing is done by both the state lab
and Endyne, a private lab in Williston.
Water samples are collected from the
taps—with permission, of course—
in buildings, including residences, at
locations that will be representative of
water quality throughout the system. It’s
notable that the proactive response by
the city has been successful: No samples
have failed in the 18 years since the
opening of the filtration plant.
About the Source
While the Berlin Pond source of
Montpelier’s water has been the subject
of controversy about recreational access,
Wilson notes that the water treated at
the plant is “moderately hard” and scores
well for palatability, another standard
of water quality that is maintained at
the plant. The relatively high alkalinity
of the water makes it comparatively
easy to maintain the targeted pH of
7.6–7.8. The system uses six to eight
gallons of sodium hydroxide to adjust
the 900,000 gallons of water processed,
on average, each day, Wilson explained.
Montpelier’s water is very low in the
problematic level of carcinogens
found in some water sources around
the state. The city has water analysis
data available on request. “People are
sometimes curious about the water
the city provides, particularly if they
are home brewers, growing plants, or
maintaining an aquarium,” Wilson said.
Wilson has mixed feelings about the
increased recreational access on Berlin
Pond, which has increased the turbidity
of the water coming into the plant. He
notes that the turbidity has declined
some after the initial rush of activity
slacked, but it has required an increase
in the frequency of the backwashing
Public Works
needed to clean the sand filters the plant
uses at the beginning of the treatment
process.
Point-of-Use Filters
If only because they improve the
palatability of city water by removing
the odor and taste of chlorine, point-
of-use filters, such as Brita or PUR,
are widely popular. In fact, water
technicians note that chlorine will gas
off from water in a relatively short time:
“If you fill a quart jar with water, put
it in the fridge for about 20 minutes,
then put the lid on, the chlorine odor
will have evaporated,” Wilson said. Of
course, the carbon and resin filters in
these devices remove toxins, but they
are not designed to provide disinfection.
Tour the Plant
With advance notice (one week is
preferred), the team of certified
operators is pleased to provide tours of
the facility. They have regularly hosted
school groups, other water treatment
professionals, and interested citizens.
The best times are 9 am to 2 pm
Tuesday through Thursday.
PAGE 14 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Net Zero Car Fleet— Easy Talk, Hard Walk
By Mike Dunphy
Photo courtesy of the Dept. of Public Works.
I
n a city and community that proudly
professes a net-zero energy goal, it’s
perhaps surprising that Montpelier’s
fleet contains only one electric vehicle—a
street-rated cart used by the rec
department—and no hybrids among its
70 or so vehicles. That’s especially notable
considering the transportation industry
puts out the largest dose of greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere—43 percent of
all emissions (as of 2015), according to the
Energy Action Network.
It’s not a lack of interest within city
government that keeps any change from
happening, but technology and cost, not to
mention a morass of challenging logistics
that accompany each step forward. First,
most municipal vehicles are heavy duty
and specialized, and adequate electric
and hybrid alternatives do not yet exist,
according to Tom McArdle, director of
the Public Works Department. “The
capabilities and requirements for our
fleet impacts and limits the options
currently available for electrically powered
equivalents,” he explains. “No hybrid
vehicle now on the market will meet our
performance requirements.”
Todd Provencher, director of the city’s
Finance Department, sheds a bit more
light: “The bulk of municipal work requires
vehicles above the half-ton weight-rating
class for carrying tools and equipment
or for construction season and winter
operations.” In these cases, efficiency
inevitably must take a back seat to reliability.
“First and foremost,” McArdle points out,
“the equipment must meet or exceed the
specifications listed in the bid documents.
We also consider reliability, dependability,
life cycles, cost, parts availability, and other
factors. When providing essential services
such as plowing snow or hauling heavy
loads, efficiency is probably not going to be
a deciding factor.”
Things may start to change soon. In
2020, the first hybrid patrol vehicle will
come to the police department, with the
purchase of a 2020 Ford Interceptor—
the first pursuit-rated hybrid police SUV.
This comes after many years of exploring
options with little success, says Montpelier
Police Chief Anthony Facos.
“I’ve been trying to look at effective vehicles
that would meet our police mission, but the
technology has not been there for general
patrol purposes.” The safety of officers is
paramount for Facos, which sets a high bar
for any vehicle, especially considering the
huge amount of equipment that goes inside
the vehicle and the need to be essentially on
the road 24/7. It’s here that the availability
of the technology smacks into the cost,
with the Interceptor running about $5,000
more than the usual cruiser, according to
Facos. “It’s much more than we are used to
spending, and we just haven’t been able to
swing it in the budget so far.”
Public Works also has its eyes on a van
and pickup truck offered by AMP Electric
Vehicles under the brand “workhorse,”
which could replace at least one of the
water/sewer mechanic vans and possibly be
used for non-plowing purposes, but it’s not
on the market in this area yet.
Energy
As for non-heavy-duty administrative
vehicles, Montpelier typically doesn’t use
them, and almost all travel by city vehicles
is done within the city limits for work-
related purposes, Provencher points out.
“When employees travel outside of the
city, it is typically for training or meetings,
in which case many employees use their
personal vehicles and are reimbursed for
mileage.” In fact, only three vehicles could
even potentially become hybrids, but any
transition would have to wait until the
current ones reach the end of their lifespan
and are cycled out. It’s also important
to realize, Provencher notes, that while
hybrids have had significant gains in
mileage during highway travel, there is
far less improvement in efficiency for in-
town driving, which Montpelier’s fleet is
predominantly used for.
Some carbon relief for heavy-duty diesel
vehicles may come through the use of
“biodiesel,” which essentially is made from
fuel made from waste plant-based cooking
oil mixed with regular fossil-based diesel.
Continues on page 16
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 15
The Bridge to Take Over
the “Failing” New York Times?
By Larry Floersch
R
umors began flying on Monday
of this week that this newspaper,
The Bridge, was negotiating a
deal to take over The New York Times.
When asked about it, Phil Dodd,
president of The Bridge board of
directors, said that he had heard those
rumors but could neither confirm nor
deny the move. “You’ll have to ask
Mike Dunphy, our editor and publisher,
about that. Mike does have the power
to operate unilaterally up to a point.
But if he has negotiated such a deal,
he will have to bring it before the
board for a vote,” said Dodd. Josh
Fitzhugh, the treasurer of the board,
added, “And we’ll definitely have to see
the financials. For some time certain
people in Washington [D.C.] have been
saying the Times is failing. If that’s the
case, and it’s going under, we’ll need
to analyze the deal very closely before
approval.”
Phone calls to A.G. Sulzberger, the
publisher of the Times, and Dean Baquet,
the executive editor, were not returned,
but a source close to Sulzberger, who
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spoke on the condition of anonymity,
said, “I cannot confirm the rumors, but
in the newspaper business nowadays,
anything can happen—and usually
does!”
Barbara Floersch, president of The
Friends of The Bridge, said that if
the rumors are true, her organization
would not even consider raising
money on behalf of the floundering
urban newspaper giant without major
changes. “In addition to people saying
the Times is failing, they also accuse it
of being a major source of fake news,”
she said. “There is no way we are going
to put our fundraising muscle into such
an organization without some sort of
wholesale house-cleaning down there to
make sure the news is real.”
Tom Brown, managing editor of The
Bridge, also could not confirm the
rumors, but said if such a merger
happens, he liked the prospect of helping
the editors and reporters of the Times
relearn what local and independent
journalism is all about. He also liked
the idea of an expanded sports section.
“And enough of this focus on nothing
but the Yankees and Mets. What about
the Mountaineers?” he added.
The advertising director of The Bridge,
Rick McMahan, said he relished the
notion of expanding The Bridge’s
advertising market. “Not only are there
advertisers down there in New York
City that might like an opportunity
to advertise in The Bridge, but such a
deal could prove a boon to our local
advertisers. Having the ability to reach
the eyes of New Yorkers with local ads
could be very lucrative. After all, it
seems like most of those folks down
in the city either have ski condos in
Stowe, Waitsfield, or Killington or they
summer in Vermont.”
“It’s not called ‘the gray lady’ for
nothing,” said Sarah Davin, who does
the layout and graphic design for The
Bridge. “The Times is really boring to
look at, especially the front page. Even
though they finally went to color photos
a few years ago, which is a step in the
right direction, I think it needs a more
modern look to lure younger readers.
Fake News
Maybe something with kittens,” she
said.
When finally reached for comment
late in the day at the Three Penny
Taproom on Main Street in Montpelier,
editor and publisher Mike Dunphy
was shocked that the story had gotten
out and immediately said he had been
misquoted. “I don’t know who leaked
this,” he said, “but I told the staff this
morning I was going to buy a New York
Times, not the New York Times.” As he
turned back to his half-finished pint of
Hill Farmstead Edward, he said, “But I
do hope everyone had a pleasant April
Fools’ Day.”
PAGE 16 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Net Zero Car Fleet— Easy Talk, Hard Walk
Continued from page 14
The most common mix is called B20,
indicating 20 percent biodiesel. There
are already two local suppliers—Bourne’s
Energy in Morristown and Black Bear
Biodiesel in Plainfield, which claims to have
displaced 325,000 gallons of regular diesel
in 2018 alone, and 1.25 million gallons
over the past five years. However, the
use of biodiesel remains at the discussion
phase for now, according to Mayor Anne
Watson. “There’s no specific plan yet,”
she explains, “although I have asked Tom
McArdle to come up with a plan.”
For a model, they might look to Keene,
New Hampshire, which powers 68 vehicles
of its fleet with B20 for “the better part of
16–17 years,” according to Jim Mountford,
Fleet Services Operations Manager of
Keene. For Mountford, using biofuel has
been almost a wholly positive experience.
“We’ve had phenomenal luck running
B20 in everything from equipment that’s
dated to 1969 till today,” he declares. He
also pushes back on the many reported
limitations of using biodiesel, starting with
its tendency to gel in winter temperatures.
The answer is “winter diesel,” which comes
in several forms, such as B5, which uses
kerosene in the mix. In Keene, Mountford
prefers adding a chemical mix called K100
to B20, which he’s used successfully over
the past five years.
Since biodiesel acts more as a solvent than
oil, it can also create problems with older
fuel tanks, picking up leftover dirt and
sludge, which then clogs fuel filters. Here,
too, Mountford downplays the issue and
says it’s only for a short period when the
biofuel is introduced. “If you are putting
it in a piece of equipment that’s been
running regular diesel fuel, especially the
old stuff, for 10 or 15 years prior to trying
to run B20, then you are going to have to
change the fuel filters a couple of times in
the worst case scenario. Once that’s done,
which would be a couple of filter changes,
quite frankly, the problem’s over with.”
Of course, bringing biofuel to Montpelier
could require a new fuel tank, and Bourne’s
Energy has actually offered to let the city
use a tank previously used for B5 at the
gas station next to the Agway on Route
2 and transfer it to DPW property—a
move recommended by Montpelier Energy
Advisory Committee in a report “Powering
Montpelier’s Fleet with Renewable Energy,”
published on March 20.
Naturally, this raises many questions and
concerns in terms of where to locate the
tank, what the costs are, and of course,
potential dangers—tank liability, security,
spill containment, fire suppression, etc.
“One of several questions we needed to
answer,” McArdle considers, “is where
a tank of this size could be safely and
conveniently located at the DPW facility.
There are other issues we would need to
explore further if we opt for an above-
ground fuel tank including weather
protection, power supply for the pump, a
fire suppression system, security, liability,
and permit requirements.” Nonetheless,
Mayor Watson wants to keep discussions
going, albeit carefully. “I’m very interested
in this prospect, but I want to make sure
Energy
DPW is comfortable with that plan, and
the council is up to speed.”
Any major step forward toward adding
biodiesel to Montpelier’s car fleet would
also run into budgetary considerations, as
the fuel budget is approved by the city
council and voters. The $1 per gallon
additional cost of fuel, according to
McArdle, would lead to approximately
$5,000 more in the budget if five vehicles
were converted, making implementation
a policy discussion with the city manager
and city council.
“It’s not just about the cost,” says Watson.
“Making a transition to another type of
fuel requires a lot of logistic changes. None
of this is prohibitive, but it will take time
to sort out.”
Read the entire report, “Powering
Montpelier’s Fleet with Renewable Energy,”
at netzeromontpelier.org
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 17
Caledonia Spirits Aims to Open Distillery
Continued from page 11
“There is a very clear payback scenario,”
Fraser said. “It’s in the long-term
financial health interest of the city when
that $360,000 jumps to $720,000 in
taxes that 720 is coming in as revenue,
same with the water and sewer bill.” All
of that is money that would not exist if
the company built elsewhere, he said.
Caledonia Spirits also intends to separate
and ship the 200,000 gallons a year of
stillage remaining from production to
the city’s soon to be built biodigester at
the sewage treatment plant, which will
turn the organic waste into energy.
The city provided a road to the Barre
Street property, improved a railroad
crossing, and upgraded a water line that
was scheduled to be replaced, among
other public items. The company paid
the extra cost of routing the water
main around its buildings and agreed
to provide public access to the river on
its property.
The Barre Street site is on the eastern
end of the city’s recently approved Tax
Increment Finance (TIF) district, but
the project was started before the TIF
status was approved. Fraser said that the
Local Business
project is nonetheless representative of
TIF-funded initiatives that may follow,
and other businesses might decide to fill
in the area between the new facility and
downtown, which is roughly parallel to
the proposed extension of the bike path.
“It was clear to us that it wasn’t just a
factory to make gin,” he said. “It was
clear that they want people to come
to Montpelier, and we want to attract
people to the community. These new
businesses are consistent with Vermont
values, and we think they are going to
be a great addition to the community
and may stimulate other activity in that
area.”
Christiansen said the city has been
welcoming throughout the process.
“Montpelier showed that they wanted us
to be in the neighborhood. We looked
at a lot of towns before we settled
on Montpelier,” Christiansen said. “I
grew up in Plainfield so I’ve heard that
Montpelier is a hard city to work with,
but we had great support from the city.
They have been progressive in solving
problems.”
PAGE 18 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Aging in Place:
A Roadmap for Seniors and Future Seniors
By Peter Kelman Ed.D.
“A
ging in Place” is generally
understood to mean spending
the rest of your life in your own
home. As such, aging in place may seem
primarily about making your home more
senior-friendly. In reality, however, home
renovation is only a small part of a complex
and challenging process that is more about
“aging” than “place.”
Understanding and preparing to address
the challenges of aging in place is further
complicated by our age, health, and finances,
as well as whether we own our home or rent;
live with a partner, housemate, relative, or
alone; live in town or country; own and drive
a car; have a disability or chronic illness; and
and more. Nevertheless, in fairness to our
partners, children, friends, neighbors, and
ourselves, it is incumbent upon us all that we
take seriously the planning needed if we are
to successfully age in place during the final
stages of our lives.
Below are some of the top issues that need to
be understood and addressed by people who
wish to age in place.
Home modifications
It’s never too soon to consult appropriate
experts to help you evaluate your home for
Senior Living
its suitability for aging in place and to plan One of the most emotionally difficult nursing homes, and continuous care or
to make needed additions and alterations, decisions we face as lifetime drivers is lifetime communities
including a ground floor bathroom and knowing when to stop driving and give up Financial and Tax Planning
sleeping quarters; grab bars, ramps, and our car, and, once we have done so, as citizens
wheelchair accessibility; evacuation plan of Central Vermont, we face the challenge of Financial and tax planning might involve
and emergency exits; and personal alert and the paucity of public and private alternatives working with a financial advisor to
home security systems. for getting where we need or want to go and reconfigure one’s investment portfolio to
obtaining the goods and services we need or meet needs throughout an extended old-
Household Tasks age, making a timely disbursement of one’s
want. Transportation is a social, political, and
As we age, we need to recognize when we financial issue about which we all should be modest assets to heirs in order to qualify
can no longer manage some tasks on our more aware and perhaps politically engaged. for low-income programs, consulting
own and need to get help with any amount an accountant about the capital gains
of home maintenance and repairs, including Health Insurance implication of selling a residence that has
regular house-cleaning, seasonal chores, It is critically important for us to understand appreciated versus leaving it to heirs.
organizing materials, heavy lifting, and the ever-changing costs and benefits, pros
Estate and Other Legal Planning
ladder work. and cons, and ins and outs of Medicaid,
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Even people with modest or no estate to
Home Healthcare speak of should be sure to have an up-to-
Medicare, private insurer Medigap and
There is a high likelihood that we, our Medicare plans, and long-term health care date (no older than five years) will with an
partners, parents, or dependents will live policies. If you are enrolled in any of these identified executor and successor executor,
to an age at which we may need help with health insurance programs, you should as well as durable powers-of-attorney, health
some very basic activities of daily life such as review your options annually to be sure you proxies, and advanced health directives
eating, personal hygiene, toileting, dressing, are in the best program for your needs. (registered with the state) in case of one’s
walking, and other movement. If we intend incapacity.
to age in place, we are almost certain to need Long Term Health Care The above article is a condensed version of the
assistance with these, as well as managing It is similarly important to understand the original. To read the full article, which includes
medications and making medically related various institutional alternatives to home more tips and resources for aging in place, please
appointments to patient advocacy. healthcare for one’s long-term physical, visit montpelierbridge.com.
Transportation Challenges mental, and cognitive health care needs,
including assisted living, residential care,
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 19
Community
Events
Events happening
April 3–April 17
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
Orchard Valley Walk-Through Wednesday.
Join us for this monthly open house event during
the school day, and observe main lesson in
grades 1–8. Campus tour and Q&A time, too.
8:30–9:30 am. Grace Farm Campus, 2290 Rt.
14 N., East Montpelier. Pre-registration required:
456-7400. ovws.org
The Christ Church Community Lunch.
11 am–12:30 pm. 64 Main St., Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Democracy in Iran. Professor Misagh Parsa,
author of a recent book on this topic, will
discuss the 1979 Revolution and its outcomes,
current challenges, and a likely path for Iran’s
democratization. An Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute program. 1:30 pm. Montpelier Senior
Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free for
OLLI members; $5 for others.
Free Personal Money Management Classes.
Budgeting, debt management, credit building,
financial future planning, and smart car buying.
6–7:30 pm. Capstone Community Action,
20 Gable Pl., Barre. 477-5215
Mid-Week Movie: If Beale Street Could Talk.
6–8 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5 suggested donation.
highlandartsvt.org
PoemCity: Emily Dickinson: Poet of New
England. One of the greatest American poets,
and probably the most important woman poet
of all time. UVM professor emeritus Huck
Gutman explores what Dickinson can teach us.
7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier
Who’s Your Person? What’s Your Plan?
Advance Care Planning Presentation. Join
us for a short TedMed video and discussion
followed by an overview of advance care planning
(ACP). ACP is a process to help a person in
advance of injury, serious illness, or catastrophic
event to think about and plan for future medical
decisions should they become unable to speak for
themselves. 7–8:30 pm. Jaquith Public Library,
School St., Marshfield. jaquithpubliclibrary
THURSDAY, APRIL 4
Older Vermonters Caucus. Hear about the
legislative issues affecting older Vermonters.
Topic: Tax issues and Social Security expedition.
8–9 am. Vermont State House, Room 10,
Montpelier.
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring
Sale. April 4–6. 10 am–4 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 229-9155
Trinity United Methodist Church Community
Lunch. 11:30 am–1 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier.
VCFA MFA in Writing & Publishing
Community Classes: Wild Minds: Read Like
a Writer Book Group. Dig deeply into texts and
find the craft tools writers use to construct their
stories. We’ll focus on a different novel or memoir
each month, with discussion questions designed
to help you identify craft techniques that will
strengthen your own writing while developing
the skills to “read like a writer” on your own.
Calendar of Events
Performing
6:30–8 pm. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Noble
THEATER, DANCE,
Annex 1 and Conference Room, College St.,
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
Arts
Montpelier. vcfa.edu
PoemCity: CCV Poetry Reading. Faculty, staff April 4–6: Spaulding High School presents
and students of CCV read their original poetry. Into the Woods. Follow some of Grimm’s most
Featured poets include Carol Henrikson, Peter beloved fairy tales to find out what happens when you get what you wish for, and it isn’t what you
Money, Nicola Morris, Carol Potter, and Monica thought it would be. April 4–5 at 7 pm; April 6 at 2 pm and 7 pm. 155 Ayers St., Barre. Adults $10;
students/staff/seniors $7; children $5. shs@u61.org
Stillman. 6:30–8 pm. Community College of
Vermont, 660 Elm St., Montpelier April 4: Extempo. Locals tell short-format, first-person, true stories live on stage without any notes or
Yestermorrow Speaker Series: Talking with reading. 8–10 pm. Bridgeside Books, 29 Stowe St., Waterbury. $5. 244-1441. extempovt.com
Trees. Learn about cultivating a respectful April 5–6: Rumney Memorial School presents Mary Poppins Jr. Filled with beloved, familiar
approach to forests from logger, miller, and teacher songs and dance, and lively youth performers. April 5 at 7 pm; April 6 at 2 and 7 pm. 433 Shady Rill
Nick Zandstra. 7 pm. 7865 Main St., Waitsfield. Rd., Middlesex.
Donations accepted. info@yestermorrow.org April 6: Worcester Mud Season Variety Show. A fundraiser for the Worcester Community Lunch
and Food Shelf featuring performers of all ages taking the stage to help us shake off the winter blues
FRIDAY, APRIL 5 and welcome Spring. 6:30 pm. Doty Memorial School, Worcester. $5; families $15.
Next Steps: A Climate Solutions Walk Begins. April 6: FEMCOM. All-female standup comedy. 8:30 pm. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre.
From Middlebury to Montpelier. Participants can Free/by donation. 479-0896.espressobueno.com.
join for one day, five days, or according to your April 7: The Best of The Second City. Fresh, fast, and always spectacularly funny, The Second City
ability. We’ll use our collective strength, as well as is celebrating nearly 60 years of producing cutting-edge satirical revues and launching the careers of
our connections with each other and the land, to comedy’s best and brightest. 7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
deepen our knowledge of the climate emergency, $25; students $10. highlandartsvt.org
celebrate solutions, and discuss ways to support April 13: Shakespeare’s Ghost. Award-winning actor and playwright J.T. Turner brings Shakespeare
and sustain next steps. 350vermont.org/nextsteps to life and presents an engaging show filled scenes from the Bard’s most beloved comedies, tragedies,
Knitting Group. Make hats, shawls, and more and histories, along with stories of their most interesting productions. 7 pm. . Highland Center for the
for donations to a variety of organizations. Bring Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. $15; students $10. highlandartsvt.org
a small pair of scissors or yarn needle. 9–10 am.
Twin Valley Senior Center, Rt. 2, East Montpelier.
223-3322
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring
Sale. April 4–6. 10 am–4 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 229-9155
Trinity United Methodist Church Community
Lunch. 11:30 am–1 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier.
MSAC Rummage Sale. 10 am–4 pm.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
VCFA Friday Night Reading Series. With
Bianca Stone and Xu Xi. Café Anna in College
Hall, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier.
vcfa.edu
The Story of Vermont’s Quiet Digital
Revolution. The film follows the stories of several
Front Porch Forum members, each from different
walks of life. How does participation on their local
forums transform them and their communities?
Learn more as we host a screening and discussion
with Front Porch Forum staff. 6 pm. Highland
Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St.,
Greensboro. Free. RSVP: highlandartsvt.org
PoemCity: Hearing through the Heart: An
Evening of Poetry & Dance. Through narratives
of racial injustice, social inequality and equity,
poets Rosa Castellano and George Longenecker
and dancers Mireya Guerra and Alana Rancourt
Phinney hope that the heart-opening nature
of poetry and dance will provide a bridge to
compassion so that we can glimpse ourselves in
the stories of others. 7 pm. T. W. Wood Gallery,
46 Barre St., Montpelier.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
The 32nd Annual Vermont Scholastic Chess
Championships. All Vermont students from
Kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible
to compete for State Championships in nine
divisions. Check-in 8:30–9:30 am. Games start at
10 am. Early registration encouraged. vtchess.info
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
2019 LEAP Energy Fair. Tour more than 75
exhibits and talk with experts about solar power,
heat pumps, electric vehicles, biomass, energy
audits, weatherization, pellet stoves, and more.
Several breakout sessions on topics of special
interest. Family-friendly event with children’s
activities. 9 am–3 pm. Crossett Brook Middle
School, Duxbury. Free. waterburyleap.org
MSAC Rummage Sale. 10 am–2 pm.
PAGE 20 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE

Calendar of Events
EXHIBITS
Pleasant St., Morrisville. riverartsvt.org. Council. Vermont Arts Council, 136 State St., Old Schoolhouse Common, 122 School St.,
Montpelier. vermontartscouncil.org Marshfield. 426-3581

Visual Arts
Through April 5: Notweed. A multimedia
exhibit featuring 500 hanging stalks of Japanese Through April 26: Susan Bull Riley,
knotweed, soundscapes, and interactive
contemporary dance by NVU-Johnson associate
professor of digital art Sean Clute. Julian
Scott Memorial Gallery at Northern Vermont
University-Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
Through April 7: Precarious Magic: The
Paintings of Kate Emlen. Painted scenes of the 130 Fisher Rd., Berlin. susanbullriley.com
fields and forests of Vermont and the coast of
Maine. Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
highlandartsvt.org
Through April 9: A People’s History. A
solo collage exhibition by Vanessa Compton
featuring 23 collages on the birth, development, surroundings such as landscape or architecture
and destiny of our nation. Barre Opera House,
6 N. Main St., Barre. barreoperahouse.org
April 9–13: Pin-up: Returning Student
Graphic Design Work on Display. 10 am–4
pm. Alumni Hall Gallery, Vermont College of
Fine Arts, College St., Montpelier. vcfa.edu/
graphic-design
April 9–13: Voltron—Spring 2019
Graduating Student Thesis Exhibition.
10 am–4 pm. Opening reception: April 12,
7–8 pm. College Hall Gallery, Vermont College Montpelier. vermontwatercolorsociety.com
of Fine Arts, College St., Montpelier. vcfa.edu/
graphic-design
Through April 19: Thom Egan, On Making
Pictures. Wood block prints, lithographs,
and colored low reliefs. River Arts Center, 74
Through April 24: Linda Bryan, Deeper
than Blue: Cyanotypes and Printmaking.
Quimby Gallery in Harvey Academic Center at
Northern Vermont University-Lyndon.
Illuminating Wonder. Bull Riley challenged
herself to push past the watercolor’s traditional
boundaries of pure transparency, and her
background in botanical watercolors, to create
large landscapes with heightened surface
complexity more typical of oil painting. The
Gallery at Central Vermont Medical Center,
Through April 26: Ray Brown and Toby
Bartles, Steps on a Journey—An Exhibit
of Two Vermont Painters. Both artists share
much in common with the second generation
abstract expressionists, as they both draw
influence for painterly choices from immediate
to create inner meaning. The T. W. Wood
Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 262-6035.
twwoodgallery.org
Through April 26: Central/Northeast
Kingdom Vermont Watercolor Society.
Works by works of Janice Avery, Lisa Beach,
Joann DiNicola, Gary Eckhart, Terry
Hodgdon, Susan Bull Riley, Michael Ridge,
and more. Opening reception: April 4, 5–7
pm. The T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St.,
Through April 26: Looking North—
Catamount Artists Connect. Nineteen visual
artists from Catamount Arts in the Northeast
Kingdom show their work in the Spotlight
Gallery’s latest exhibition at the Vermont Arts
Through April 27: Mad River Rug Hookers. Through June 1: Thomas Waterman Wood:
Considered both a craft and an art form, rug The Master Copies. A selection of Wood’s
hooking with its variety of colors and textures master copies from the T.W. Wood Art Gallery
appeals to both young and old alike. Numerous collection. While Wood was in Europe he fell
styles and techniques will be on display at this in love with the paintings of the European
exhibition by the Mad River Hookers. Demos Masters, including Rembrandt and Turner.
on Saturdays through April 27, 1 –4 pm. Following current fashion, Wood copied
5031 Main Street, Waitsfield. valleyartsvt.com paintings to learn techniques from the masters.
Through April 28: The Front presents T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier. 262-6035.
SHOW 31. Recent works by the membership of twwoodgallery.org
Montpelier’s sole collective art gallery. 6 Barre Through June 28: Vanishment. Mixed media
St., Montpelier. thefrontvt.com work by Janet Van Fleet Vanishment. Explores
the fraught relationship between humans and
Through April 30: Out, Around, and Back
Again. Paintings from Sally Giddings Smith the natural world, using, in part, materials that
Van Fleet has repurposed from previous bodies
since leaving Vermont 30 years ago. The
Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East of work. Opening reception: April 4, 4–7 pm.
Montpelier. oldmeetinghouse.org 111 State St., Montpelier.
April 15–Oct. 25: The War of Ideas:
Through April 30: Promises of Spring.
Watercolors by Marcia Hammond of Propaganda Posters from the Vermont
Historical Society Collections. Visitors can
Brookfield. Chelsea Public Library, 296 Rt. 110,
Chelsea. 685-2188. examine how posters have been an important
part of the wartime effort, for everything from
April 10–30: Art, Illness & Beauty—A recruitment to support on the homefront.
Personal Account of Recovery through
Vermont History Center, 60 Washington St.,
Painting. Join the Washington County Mental Barre. 479-8500. vermonthistory.org
Health Services Recovery Community in
Through Dec. 21: 200 Years—200
celebrating the art of Alexis Kyriak. Reception:
April 10, 4:30–7 pm at the Barre Opera Objects. An exhibition celebrating Norwich
House. University’s bicentennial. Curated to include
objects from the museum collection, as well
Through May 1: Jane Pincus—Paintings as documents and images from Archives and
From the Past 6 Years. Eight colorful painting/ Special Collections, that reflect and retell
collages. The Drawing Board, 22 Main St.,
the university’s 200-year history. Norwich
Montpelier. aggiesmee@tds.net University Sullivan Museum and History
Through May 2: Ruth Pope. Landscape Center, Northfield. norwich.edu
paintings. Jaquith Public Library,

Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Alpenglow Fitness Intro to Studio Cycling.
An instructor will orient you to the studio, get
your bike fitted properly, and guide you through
a gentle first ride. Learn the positions and lingo.
10–10:45 am. 54 Main St., Montpelier. Register:
alpenglowfitness.com
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring
Sale. April 4–6. 10 am–4 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 229-9155.
PoemCity: LGBTQ Poetry Reading & Panel.
Linda Quinlan, Alison Prine, Toussaint St.
Negritude, and J. Turk, self-identified Vermont-
based LGBTQ poets, will read and take questions.
Noon–2 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier
The Gala®: The Future of Space. Join us for
Helen Day Art Center’s 30th Annual Benefit:
an elegant evening inspired by creativity and
innovation. Cocktail reception, silent and live
auctions, followed by dinner and dancing. Black
tie optional. $135. The Lodge at Spruce Peak.
helenday.com
Contra Dance. Music by Julie Vallimont, Anna
Patton and Ethan Hazzard-Watkin with Don
Veino calling. All dances are taught plus an
introductory session at 7:45 pm. 8–11 pm. Capital
City Grange Hall, 6612 Rt 12, Berlin. Adults $10;
kids and low income $5; dance supporters $15.
capitalcitygrange.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
PoemCity: Whitman Aloud – Song of
Myself. Bill Drislane presents a full reading
of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, joined by
Kerrin McCadden, George Longenecker, Rajnii
Eddins, Meg Reynolds, Lisa Buckton, Mary
Elder Jacobsen and guests. 2–5 pm. Lost Nation
Theater, 39 Main St., Montpelier
Montpelier Song Circle. With Jacob and Gretta
Stone. 6–8 pm. Center for Arts and Learning,
46 Barre St., Montpelier.
MFA in Graphic Design Public Events: Lecture
and Book Signing by Natalia Ilyin. Writing
for the Design Mind. 7:30–9 pm. College Hall
Chapel, VCFA, College St., Montpelier. vcfa.edu/
graphic-design
MONDAY, APRIL 8
Community Lunch at Unitarian Church
Montpelier. 11 am–12:30 pm. 130 Main St.,
Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch. Noon–1
pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Restoring the American Elm. Learn about elm
history and the journey to revive them on VT’s
landscapes. 6:30–7:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-
op community room, Montpelier. Register: info@
hungermountain.coop
PoemCity: As Useful As Spoons: The Poetry
of Cora Brooks. Chard deNiord, Vermont’s Poet
Laureate, and Kerrin McCadden, winner of the
Vermont Book Award will read Cora Brooks’
poetry. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier
TUESDAY, APRIL 9
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Bike Worcester with Green Mountain Club.
Moderate. About 30 miles. Worcester to Elmore
on Rte. 12. Leave at 10 am from the Worcester
Town Office. Eat lunch at the Elmore General
Store. George Plumb: 883-2313 or plumb.george@
gmail.com.
Remembering Robert Frost. Members of the
public, residents of the St. Johnsbury House,
and Northeast Storytellers will share readings,
reflections, history, anecdotes, and experiences
they’ve had with Robert Frost, his works, and his
legacy. 2–3:30 pm. St. Johnsbury House, 1207
Main St., St. Johnsbury. Free. 751-5432
PoemCity: Cora Brooks Birthday Celebration.
Share your Cora stories or read one of her poems
at the gathering. See an exhibit of photos and her
artwork and enjoy some special Birchgrove Bakery
birthday cake. 4 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier
PoemCity: Garret Keizer Book Launch: “The
World Pushes Back.” Enjoy a poetry reading
with refreshments, Q&A, and book signing to
celebrate the release of Garret Keizer‘s debut poetry
collection. 7 pm. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St.,
Montpelier
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
The Christ Church Community Lunch.
11 am–12:30 pm. 64 Main St., Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Woodridge Career Fair. Positions available in
nursing, nutrition services, environmental services,
and more. 2–7 pm. Woodridge Rehab and &
Nursing, Berlin. UVMHealth.org/CVMC
Face the River: Restoring a Healthy
Connection between Montpelier & its Rivers.
Reflect on the role of rivers in Montpelier’s history
and discuss current projects and opportunities
to make a positive impact on the health of
our rivers. 5:30–7 pm. Hunger Mountain
Co-op community room, Montpelier. info@
hungermountain.coop
Free Personal Money Management Classes. See
description under April 3
Mid-Week Movie: Can You Ever Forgive Me.
6–8 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5 suggested donation.
highlandartsvt.org
PoemCity: Vermont Studio Center 35th
Anniversary. VSC has invited Vermont alumni
to participate in an anniversary reading. 35 poets
will each read one poem of thirty-five lines or less.
7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier
THURSDAY, APRIL 11
Older Vermonters Caucus. Hear about the
legislative issues affecting older Vermonters. Topic:
senior centers and adult days. 8–9 am. Vermont
State House, Room 10, Montpelier.
Trinity United Methodist Church Community
Lunch. 11:30 am–1 pm. 137 Main St.,
Montpelier.
VNRC and EAN: Current State of Energy in
Vermont. Discuss the current state of energy in
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 21

Calendar of Events
April 11: DJ Bay 6, 8 pm (jazz noise). 7 pm. 1248 Rt. 2 East, Montpelier April 13: Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Spring

Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9212.
Bagitos.com
April 4: Colin McCaffrey and Friends, 6 pm
April 6: Irish Session, 2 pm
April 7: Eric Friedman folk ballads, 11 am
April 11: Old Time Music Session, 6 pm
April 12: Yuri Kolosovskiu, 11:30 am
April 13: Irish Session, 2 pm
April 14: Southern Old Time Music Jam, 10
am
April 18: Italian Session, 6 pm
April 19: Dave Loughran, 6 pm
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Tues.: Karaoke, 7:30 pm
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479-
0896. espressobueno.com.
April 6: Larks in the Attic (trad) 7:30 p.m.
April 13: Jazzyaoke (live jazz karaoke) 7:30
pm, $5
Gusto’s. 28 Prospect St., Barre.
gustosbarvt.com bluegrass, blues, folk, and reggae. 6 pm. Café at
April 4: Open Mic, 8 pm
April 5: Joe Sabourin, 5 pm; Son of a Gun, 9
pm, $5, 21+ April 4: House Concert. With Greg Rekus
April 6: Eric DeRed, 6 pm; DJ LaFountaine,
9:30 pm. 21+ (punkoustic), Magic User (synth), and Putsch
April 12: Jamie Carey, 5 pm; Mirage, 9 pm,
$5, 21+ Country Campers if headed out of Montpelier
April 13: Stefani Capizzi, 6 pm; DJ KAOS,
9:30 pm, 21+ April 6: Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn.
April 18: DJ Bay 6, 8 pm The husband and wife duo, called “the king
April 19: Tim Brick, 5 pm; My Mothers
Moustache, 9 pm, $5, 21+
Whammy Bar. 31 W. County Rd., Calais.
whammybar1.com
Every Thurs.: Open Mic, 7 pm
April 5: John Smythe, 7:30 pm
April 6: Carol Hausner and Mark
Struhsacker, 7:30 pm
April 12: Big Hat No Cattle, 7:30 pm
April 13: The Picklebacks, 7:30 pm
April 19: Bella and the Notables (jazz
standards) 7:30 pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
April 4: Christ Church Concerts at
Noon. Pastime with Good Company: Early
Music with the Champlain Consort. Part
of the spring series of lunchtime concerts.
Noon–12:45 pm. Christ Church sanctuary, 64
State St., Montpelier. Bring a bag lunch.
April 4: Jeremy Harple. Styles range from
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
St., Greensboro. No cover.
(punkoustic), Chainsaw Bitch Acoustic
(driveway on the right, just before Vermont
toward Plainfield.) https://bit.ly/2VNHxb9
and queen of the banjo.” 7:30 pm. Barre Opera
House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. $26–49.50.
barreoperahouse.org
April 7: Green Mountain Youth Symphony
Spring Concert. The Repertory, Concert,
and Senior Orchestras will each perform their
own musical offerings. The conductors have
programmed music to celebrate spring and
several crowd favorites including selections
from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
2 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St.,
Barre. Suggested donation: adults $15; students
K-12 $5; children under 5 free. gmys-vt.org
April 7: Vermont Virtuosi: The Tao of
Light. A concert of musical enlightenment
from Bohuslav Martinů, André Previn,
Gabriel Fauré, Joaquín Rodrigo, Vermont
composer Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, and Maurice
Ravel. 4 pm. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. $10 suggested donation.
LAMaurerFlute.com
April 11: Christ Church Concerts at Noon.
Colin McCaffrey. Part of the spring series of
lunchtime concerts. Noon–12:45 pm. Christ
Church sanctuary, 64 State St., Montpelier.
Bring a bag lunch.
Concert. Special guest soloists will be Katie
and Corie Pressley. The orchestra will perform
traditional music as well as compositions
by David Kaynor and Katie Pressley. 7 pm.
Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. By
donation. vermontfiddleorchestra.org
April 13: Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas.
Over the last 18 years of creating a buzz at
festivals and concert, they have truly set the
standard for fiddle and cello in traditional
music. 7:30 pm. Old Meeting House, East
Montpelier. $20 advance; $25 at door. $50 for
family of four. oldmeetinghouse.org
April 13: Capital City Concerts presents
Veritable Violin. Featuring violinist Laurie
Smukler and pianist Robert McDonald.
They will perform masterpieces of Beethoven,
Franck and others. 7:30 pm. Unitarian
Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $15–25.
capitalcityconcerts.org
April 14: Burlington Choral Society presents
music for Lent and Easter. Features English
composer Bob Chilcott’s new setting of the St.
John Passion. It spans an enormous expressive
range in telling the story of Christ’s suffering
and crucifixion, according to St. John’s gospel.
4 pm. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Adults $25; students $20.

Vermont and where we go from here.
5:30–6:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-
op community room, Montpelier. info@
hungermountain.coop
PoemCity: “TIDAL_WAVE” 2. Spring has
returned and so too have the poets of Shockwave
Studio Art & Literary program of Washington
County Mental Health Services. Come and
breathe in the vivid verse and blossoms of art and
inspiration. 6 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier
MFA in Graphic Design Public Events: Public
Lecture by Visiting Guest Designer Kevin
Yuen Kit Lo. Graphic Design as Symbolic
Counterpower. 7–8 pm. Noble Lounge, VCFA,
College St., Montpelier. vcfa.edu/graphic-design
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
Knitting Group. See description under April 5
MFA in Graphic Design Public Events: Public
Lecture by Visiting Guest Designer Sean
Yendrys. Gestures, Limitations, and the Obvious.
11 am–noon. Noble Lounge, VCFA, College St.,
Montpelier. vcfa.edu/graphic-design
PoemCity: High Tea & Reading at Westview
Meadows. Shake your cabin fever with an elegant
afternoon of poetry and high tea, including mini
cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream
and jam, and tea. Poets from the Montpelier
Senior Activity Center and Westview Meadows
will read their poetry. 1:30–3:30 pm. Westview
Meadows, 171 Westview Meadows Rd.,
Montpelier. RSVP: 223-1068 ext. 3
Psychodrama Group Forming. Using dramatic
presentation of issues to facilitate individual and
group healing. 6–8 pm. Insight Counseling and
Wellness 2 North St., Barre. $15 sliding scale.
Register: (617) 850-5233
PoemCity: Native Music & Poetry. Join
Abenaki musician Bryan Blanchette and Abenaki
poet Roland Bluto for an evening of poetry and
melody. 6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Worcester Clothing Swap. Get some “new-
to-you” clothing and accessories. Benefits the
Worcester Food Shelf. 9 am–3 pm. Worcester
Town Hall, Rt. 12, Worcester. $1/bag (BYO).
Drop offs: April 11-12, noon–5 pm
PoemCity: PoemCity Poem Recording Session.
Come record your PoemCity poem in your own
voice. With simple digital recording equipment,
Rick Agran, host of WGDR’s “Bon Mot” poetry
program at Goddard College Community Radio,
will capture your poem for posterity. 10:30 am–
noon. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier
PoemCity: #UsToo–New Voices. Poems written
by a class of sexual abuse survivors will be shared
during this reading. 12:30– 2 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier
Chapters in History Three: The Twenties;
Roaring and Otherwise. A free program series
of reading and discussion. April’s discussion
is on Coolidge by Amity Shlaes. 2 pm. Jaquith
Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
Palm Sunday Mass. With solemn procession.
10 am. St. Augustine Church, 16 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
PoemCity: Poetry Crostic Workshop.
Participate in a poetry crostic construction led by
Rick Winston. A crostic is a type of word puzzle,
related somewhat to crossword puzzles. 1:30 pm.
Hunger Mountain Co-op, 623 Stone Cutters
Way, Montpelier
Dance, Sing, and Jump Around! A family
dance for all ages. Circle and line dances and
singing games, all taught and called. Live
traditional music. 3–4:30 pm. Capital City
Grange, Rt. 12, Berlin. $5 suggested donation for
adults; free for children. No one is turned away.
dancesingandjumparound.weebly.com
PoemCity: An Afternoon of Poetry with Local
Jewish Poets. Featured poets include Charles
Barasch, Andrea Gould, Robert Barasch, Nicola
Morris, Judith Chalmer, and Baron Wormser.
4–5:30 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison
Ave., Montpelier. Sliding scale donation.
MONDAY, APRIL 15 poise at work and at home. 6–7:30 pm. Capstone,
20 Gable Pl., Barre. Free. RSVP: 477-5214 or
PoemCity: Voice and Vision: Poetry & Art mferguson@capstonevt.org
with Linda Hogan. Celebrate PoemCity with
a workshop for kids (ages 8–12) at the Hunger The Power of Nature. A presentation designed to
help attendees better understand natural assets in
Mountain Co-op. Explore the magical worlds
of haiku, origami, and collage. Supplies will be their community and how to protect and restore
provided. 9–11 am. Hunger Mountain Co-op, them for improved water quality, flood resiliency,
623 Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier. Sign up: and many other benefits. 6:30–7:30 pm. Hunger
paragrahics@pshift.com Mountain Co-op community room, Montpelier.
info@hungermountain.coop
Community Lunch at Unitarian Church
Montpelier. 11 am–12:30 pm. 130 Main St., PoemCity: Healing the Divide: Poems of
Kindness and Connection. A reading with James
Montpelier.
Crews, Mary Elder-Jacobsen, Megan Buchanan,
Salvation Army Community Lunch. Noon–1 Alison Prine, Patricia Fontaine, Laura Foley, and
pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre. Carol Cone. Healing the Divide is an anthology
PoemCity: FLOW Poetry Reading. FLOW, that urges us to embrace the ordinary moments of
Four Left-handers and One Write, will give a kindness and connection that fill our days. 7 pm.
group reading. Poets are Mary Elder Jacobsen, Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier
Andrea Gould, Susie Atwood, Lisa Mase and Jesse
LoVasco. 6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier
VCFA MFA in Writing & Publishing
Community Classes: Mindful Writing
Workshop Series. With mindfulness educator,
poet, and MFA candidate Rebecca Jamieson.
6:30–8:30 pm. Vermont College of Fine Arts,
Noble Annex I and Conference Room, College
St., Montpelier. vcfa.edu/writing-publishing/news
Tenabrae Service. 7 pm. St. Augustine Church,
16 Barre St., Montpelier.
TUESDAY, APRIL 16
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Bike Orange with Green Mountain Club.
Moderate. About 20 miles. Orange to Plainfield.
Reservoir Rd. to East Hill Rd. to Cameron Rd. to
Plainfield. Lunch at Positive Pie. Return via Brook
Rd. and Reservoir Rd. Leave at 10 am from the
Orange Recreation Area just up Reservoir Rd.
from Rt. 302. Contact George Plumb, 883-2313
or plumb.george@gmail.com.
Speechcraft Workshop: ER...AH...UM...
YOU KNOW... Prepare and present short talks
and practice impromptu speaking in a relaxed,
enjoyable atmosphere. These workshops will help
you be able to communicate with confidence and
PAGE 2 2 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
To the Editor,
I am writing to address the issue of the
tampon tax in our state. I am a 15-year-
old girl from Montpelier High School,
and I am frustrated and confused with the
high tax on feminine hygiene products.
These products are treated as a luxury,
which should not be the case. The average
woman will spend $1,773.33 on tampon
products in her lifetime, plus another
$443.33 if she uses panty liners as backup.
That is already such a large amount, and
if you add the tax the number grows a
significant amount. Through a woman’s
lifetime, the sales tax on tampons will
add up to $124.13 and $31.03 on panty
liners. Products that are considered to be
for men often have a lower price or a lower
sales tax. Things such as men’s razors cost
a significant amount less than women’s.
Feminine hygiene products are a necessity,
and every person who has a period has to
purchase these products.
Letters
To the Editor,
I can understand why people may think What a night it was! A million thanks And most especially, to the fabulous
that the tampon tax is not a big deal, to everyone who came out to support the family of potters who make and donate
one of the reasons for this being the fact Vermont Foodbank at the Sixth Annual hundreds of their hand-crafted bowls
that they have never experienced what it’s Empty Bowl Benefit at The Mud Studio each year, and who worked tirelessly for
like to have a period. People think that in Middlesex. Because of you, we raised months to make this fundraiser the huge
a tampon tax is a distraction, and that $8,775 to help our most vulnerable success it was,
we should be focusing on building up neighbors. BRAVA! BRAVO!
our tax economy. We should be doing To our sponsors, Mike Sullivan and The
this, but because of the tax on hygiene Bonnie Seideman, Empty Bowl organizer
Mud Studio, Black Krim Tavern, Bon
products they are becoming more and Temps Gourmet, Capitol Copy, Central
more unavailable to women. People can’t Vermont Potters, Christ Church, Cold
afford the products, and they are spending Hollow Cider Mill, Hunger Mountain
money that they should be saving for Coop, J. Morgan’s Steakhouse, North
things like food and water. Branch Café, Red Hen Bakery, Regal
Feminine hygiene products should not be Floral Design, Sarducci’s, Vermont
taxed, and as a woman who has to deal Creamery, The Bridge, and The World
with a period I know that it is not, in any Newspaper, we could not do this without
terms, a luxury. you.
Anna Luhr, Montpelier To Susan Reid and Pam Bockes, whose
music lifts us up every year, we are so
grateful.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 23

OP-ED Sugaring Bug Will Run in Your Veins

By John “Josh” Fitzhugh

dark. I brought the turkey pan into the house, poured its contents into a glass jar
and went to bed.
The next morning I examined my harvest. On the bottom of the jar was the blackest
goo you could imagine, a combination of ashes, charcoal, and niter, a grainy residue
created by boiling sap. On the top was a somewhat clearer syrup of the sweetest
flavor you could imagine. “Yes!” I said to all who could hear me. “We’ve got syrup!”
The kids were thrilled, of course; my wife, I think, less so.
As the years passed and we expanded “our” sugarbush from our front lawn, to all of
Liberty Street and North Street, to a finishing pan set up in the Heaton House back-
yard, to a real arch and evaporator on Pearl Street, and finally to a 750-tap sugarbush
in West Berlin, sugaring has become more of a collective effort involving multiple
people and better techniques. We constantly fight against the vagaries of weather
and equipment, spending hours tapping trees, collecting wood, cleaning and repair-
ing sap lines, and, of course, boiling sap down to its essence. None of this for small-
time sugarmakers such as my wife and me makes any economic sense whatsoever.
So do I regret being infected on Liberty Street at 2 am on a March workday in 1983?
Have some pure Vermont maple syrup and you will get your answer.

Photo courtesy of John Fitzhugh. Boiling Sap. Josh and his wife Wibs McLain produce about 200 gallons of maple syrup each spring on
their farm in West Berlin. Josh is a member of The Bridge’s board of directors.

I
have loved maple syrup all my life, but I think I became infected with the sugar-
ing bug at 2 am in March of 1983, when I was 35-years-old, my son Nick was 4,
and my daughter Eliza was a year and a half.
I was living on Liberty Street in Montpelier at the time, and we had two good-sized
maple trees on our postage stamp front lawn. It being spring, we tapped these trees,
hung a plastic milk jug on each tap and waited. I would check to see whether there
was a “run” each day when I returned from work in Burlington.
Of course, collecting sap is only part of the sugaring process. You have to boil it
down. (Every Vermonter knows the ratio of sap to syrup, so I’ll skip that bit.) My
plan was to place some bricks on the driveway, span them with the grill from the
Weber, place a turkey pan on top, pour in the sap, find some dry kindling, and start
a fire.
It was slow going, with me feeding the fire slowly and watching steam rise into the
alley between us and our neighbors. Generally, given my schedule, on weeknights
we’d start late afternoon or early evening. The kids would come out and inspect the
operation before going to bed. I’d stay up until I had something like syrup.
One night I got started late, I guess, or there was an abundance of sap. (Like a lot
of sugaring, the details are lost in the fog of sugarmaking steam. Did I say I also
enjoyed a beer while I sugared?) I fed the fire, came in, laid down on the couch, and
promptly fell asleep, only to awaken at 2 am and stumble back outside.
The night was chilly but thankfully the fire was out and hadn’t left a hole in the
macadam driveway. The sap was thick and, though I couldn’t tell then, extremely

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PAGE 24 • A PRIL 3—A PRIL 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE