To the following organizations and individuals who have generously donated to our campaign to help fund the new Addison County Visitor Center as of March, 10.
The Addison County Economic Development Corporation
The Addison County Regional Planning Commission
Birds of Vermont Museum
Blueberry Hill Inn
Bread Loaf Corporation
Community Bank, Vergennes
Dakin Farm
James H. Douglas
FLORA Cannabis
Gaines Insurance Company
Hare and the Dog
Hall Communication Radio and Digital
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Linda's Apparel
Maple Landmark Inc.
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
The National Bank of Middlebury
Olsen's Ice Cream
Otter Creek Used Books
Otter East - East Middlebury
Otter Creek Bakery & Deli
ONE Credit UnionVergennes
Rack N Reel
Robert Frost Mountain Cabins
Sabai - Sabai Thai Cuisine
The Strong House Inn
Margaret G. Summers
3-Squares Cafe
Town of Panton
The Vergennes Opera House
The Vermont Book Shop
Vermont's Own Gift's & Goods
Vermont Teddy Bear
Vergennes Wine
The Waybury Inn
Want to be part of it?
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Each month, "Behind the Scenes" features an interview with a leader in our community designed to provide readers a glimpse into his/her interests and passions inside and outside of the workplace
This month, "Behind the Scenes" sat down with Becky Dayton, owner of the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury
Where did you grow up?
As a child I lived in Connecticut, in what was then a rural suburb of NYC, but I have lived in Addison County since my late teens and consider it my "hometown." I never return to CT and I don't think I'll ever leave here.
Where did you go to school?
Public, private, boarding, state university, UK uni, private university, small women's college... Where didn't I go to school? I like to say I took a buffet approach to my education. Were I to do it over, I'd make other choices, but I'm not sure it would impact the outcome: I possess the obligatory credentials and have a robust intellectual curiosity, to which all of the institutions I attended contributed.
First ever job?
I babysat and did other odd jobs as a kid, including passing hors d'oeuvres for Martha Stewart in the early days of her catering business, but the first job for which I received a W2 was answering phones at a midtown Manhattan buyer's side-only real estate office owned by two entrepreneurial, if ethically-challenged, women. Those ladies were sharks. Three months into that position, my parents bought a home in Cornwall and I high-tailed it out of New York, declaring it, "the worst place in the world."
Who was your greatest inspiration growing up?
I had an English teacher in boarding school with whom I had a complicated and, unfortunately, damaging relationship, but he inspired my passion for books and reading, so it would be disingenuous to ignore his outsized impact on my life.
BECKY DAYTONWho do you most admire?
Idolatry or anything that smacks of hero worship is one of my great pet-peeves. I reserve my sincerest admiration for people close to me, whose faults I know, and whose achievements and values touch my life and my community. I especially admire my women friends who create and lead in Addison County. They are too many to list; our community is full of strong, capable women.
Favorite vacation spot?
Each year I return to a lakeside cabin in New Hampshire, the same one my family rented for many years of my late childhood and adolescence. For a week I do, in solitude, only what moves me: read on the dock, go for a run with my dog, explore the hilly terrain on my gravel bike, paddle my boat. I simultaneously wallow in nostalgia and indulge in who I am now.
Favorite TV Show/Movie?
I own a bookstore; I should claim I don't even own a TV, but I was raised by TV, in spite of my mother's prohibition. I still watch way too much of it. I have an outsized affection for The Great British Baking Show.
Typical work week?
Aside from the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my work weeks are determined by store staffing levels (I'm fortunate to have a great team) and my task list. I typically work 4 days in the shop and one from home. I strive to have a rich and satisfying life outside work, so I protect my personal time pretty fiercely, but like most small business owners, it's on my mind 24/7. I do at least some work almost every day.
Biggest career challenge?
Definitely, the biggest challenge of my career was establishing my credibility and taking real ownership of a legacy business. It took more than ten years, but I eventually had the knowledge I needed in order to do the actual work that defines VBS.
Greatest risk taken in your career?
Oh, for sure, it was buying VBS with no relevant experience. Fortunately (up 'til now, would say my husband), it has worked out.
What's the one thing you would change about your industry/mission?
I'd abolish the Amazon monopoly and their stranglehold on publishing and bookselling.
Danielle Pattavina and Erika Dunyak are the owners of Schmetterling Wine Shop at 48 Main Street, Middlebury. Danielle has worked in the food and beverage industry for over 20 years; Erika is an agricultural attorney with a focus on cooperative ownership. In December of last year, Danielle and Erika hosted the inaugural Vermont Wine Fair in Bristol. They plan to hold the second annual festival this August.
Danielle & Erika, tell us a little bit about the journey to opening Schmetterling.
We actually hadn’t planned on opening a wine shop in the summer of 2022. It just kind of happened, the stars aligned. It was more of a far off dream, we’ve had a business plan on the back burner. On a cold morning in March, the listing popped up. We got into 48 Main that afternoon to see the newly renovated space and on the drive back home to Shoreham we decided the time was now. The Kickstart Middlebury grant was the real reason we could open our doors. We applied for the grant and when we heard back that we were among the recipients, we signed the lease. The grant made it possible for us to move quickly.
Middlebury is a great location for Schmetterling. With other small businesses like Little Seed, Sabai Sabai, Flora, and Haymaker thriving, we knew there was ample foot traffic and like-minded business owners. Additionally, the Middlebury Co-op attracts a conscious customer and we’re starting to see those same folks come over to Schmetterling: people who don’t want to eat (or drink!) pesticides/herbicides and care about their impact on the environment.
What kind of wine can we find at Schmetterling, how is it different from other wine shops?
We’re really not that different! We have natural wine, which is just wine. Wine has been made since 6000 BC but in the past 100 years humans have chemically intervened. The wines at Schmetterling are chemical-free. We carry wines from all over the world and varietals you know and hopefully some that are new to you. We have Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley and Pinot Noir from Oregon. We also have Saperavi from Georgia and Coda di Volpe from Sicily.
Danielle and Erika
What do you mean chemical-free?
It’s alarming to realize that there are chemicals in your food and wine. But alas many agricultural practices rely on pesticides, herbicides and chemical modifiers to turn out large quantities or to cover-up industrial farming practices (or to make processed foods). There are over 100 approved chemicals/additives (stop by the shop, we have the catalog here) that winemakers can add to wine. Things like: stabilizers, colorants, oak chips, acidifiers… They aren’t required to be on labels.
The winemakers we work with don’t use chemicals on their vines or in the winemaking process. Natural wine is not a fringe category and most likely some wines you like are naturally made. It’s traditional winemaking. Typically these wines are grown and made on a smaller scale both the property size and the amount of wine produced. In fact, we have natural winemakers here in Vermont making great wine and ciders.
How do I know if I’ll like natural wine?
If you like wine, you like natural wine. It’s not a different product. Do you like the organic lettuce your local farm grows? Or the wild raspberries you find on your summer walk? That’s the difference. If you take care to choose the food you eat, you should care about the wine you drink. It’s no different. Wine is an agricultural product.
You can taste before you buy on Saturdays. We hold tastings every Saturday in the shop from 11:30AM - 5:30PM. We typically charge $5 for 3-4 tastes. You can drop by anytime during the tasting and sample what we have open. We hope you’ll stop by and say hello!
What are your hours? Can I shop online?
Right now we’re open Wednesday through Saturday 11AM - 6PM. We will continue to expand and will hopefully be 7 days a week over the summer. We do have an online shop and you can shop from home and take your time to read the descriptions we’ve written. We can even bring the wine out to your car, if you let us know when you’re coming. Our website: schmetterlingwine.com
We love collaborating! We’re hosting an event with Beth Hankes on April, she owns Salt + Earth in Burlington. We’re also hosting Sparrow Hawk Farm’s flower CSA this summer (stay tuned for signups). We have 2 wine clubs: Zusammen, which pairs a record and a bottle, or two, of wine and our Wine CSA, next enrollment is June, it’s a 6 month club (at a very good price). We had the opportunity to host pop-ups at Haymaker last summer and we hope to do some events this summer, in Middlebury or locally. You can stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter on our website or visiting our Instagram page: @schmetterlingwine
The Waybury Inn first opened its doors in 1810 as a stagecoach stop and was known as The Forest Tavern. James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was in the White House and working on the Bill of Rights. There has been a great deal of history that has passed through the doors of the Waybury Inn but one thread that has constantly been nurtured, that of hospitality, quality lodging and fine food and drink.
The Waybury Inn staff are anxiously awaiting the lovely weather and outdoor dining that comes our way in spring. Our outdoor Terrace and Deck overlook well developed lawns and gardens and is a pleasurable dining experience. Our dinner menus offer sophisticated and casual fare prepared by an exceptional culinary staff. We provide catering, dining, and creative bar services throughout the year in all of our four dining areas and, of course, on our Terrace in the summer and fall.
Waybury Inn – follow us on Facebook, visit us
With the greying of Vermont, nearly every family in our region is concerned about caring for an elderly relative.
And according to the Vermont Department of Disability, Aging and Independent Living, 9 out of 10 Vermont elders “strongly prefer to live in their own home even when they need physical care.”
It is the mission of Elderly Services, located in Middlebury, to offer families of our region superior quality adult day care. To develop, operate, and support programs which help elders be involved, content, active, independent, and in their own homes and communities; to serve as an information, education and resource center on aging; and to advocate locally and regionally for elders.
ESI Programs include: Project Independence Adult Day Care Center, ESI College Lifelong Learning, Eldercare Counseling, Geriatric Needs Evaluation, Geriatric Mental Health Counseling, and an Aging Education Center.
The largest program, Project Independence, is the Adult Day Center of Elderly Services, which provides a closely supervised, “home away from home” adult day program that helps elders stay in their homes, and avoid potential nursing home placement.
Project Independence is Vermont’s largest adult day program, serving the region five days a week. Our 7 AM to 7 PM hours offer elders and their families full-day and part-day flexible hours according to the individual needs of both the participant and family members who are balancing care with their own daytime responsibilities.
Our “adult day health” approach combines intensive health/personal care services and transportation with a joyous, entertaining day of fun, food, belonging and human connection. Our four part-time nurses administer medication, oversee oxygen and diabetes, and care for myriad other health issues. Their just-in-time oversight helps elders get the access to affordable, quality health care that they need. Our nurses assess when elders need to see a doctor, go to urgent care or the ER, or sit in a recliner and rest with observation and some electrolytes. The nurses make it their job to educate participants and families about how to manage the everchanging healthscape of old age.
With frail elders, we can’t count on improving their physical health, but we often do. They’re up and walking greater distances than they would at home, just to get from a meal to a variety of activities. Participants are also joining in our exercise, walking group and Bone Builders programs to keep the strength and vitality they have, and moving regularly to play our creative and fun sport games. Physical health is improved as well when our elders eat well and get frequent opportunities to drink water and prevent dehydration. Our creative cooks make delicious, appetizing and healthy meals tailored to the needs of older eaters.
Project Independence has been named a National Model Adult Day Care Center by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and was featured at national conferences for “Best Practices in Rural Adult Day Care.”
For more than 40 years Project Independence has transformed the lives of elders and their families as an award-winning day care center and a quality-of-life alternative to nursing home placement. It is the only adult day care within 35 miles, and the largest of 11 centers in Vermont.
Founded in 1981, Elderly Services was created by a community task force to offer adult day care at a time when this model was in its infancy in the United States. For our first 24 years we rented space from local churches. In 2005 we successfully completed a 7-year, $4.5 million capital campaign. We own a 15,000 square foot specially designed center and small eldercare residence on 5 acres. In a more recent fundraising campaign, through a matching grant with the Amy Tarrant Foundation, we raised another $1 million to keep our building, grounds, and staffing vibrant for another 10 years. The ever-growing population of seniors and the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, create a great need for our county to have services that support families and individuals with dementia and other chronic illnesses. Project Independence fills this niche in Addison County, allowing elders to live at home while getting care to keep them safe, healthy and happy during the day and reducing the stress and financial burden of caregivers.
For more information email us at mail@elderlyservices.org, visit our website at www.elderlyservices.org or call 388-3983.
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In this issue, we introduce you to ACCOC Board Member Marty Kulczyk owner of the Robert Frost Cabins in Ripton.
How long have you lived and/or worked in Addison County?
I have resided in Ripton for 18 years. I commuted to Burlington for the first 6 and developed / operated Robert Frost Mountain Cabins for the past 12 years.
Tell us about your career?
Following four years of duty in the US Army, I spent 12 years working for Texas Instruments at facilities in the US, Asia and Mexico. I specialized in manufacturing “turn-arounds” and problem solving both technical and organizational in nature. My wife and I chose to relocate to Vermont to develop and operate a cabin rental business. The vision was the genesis for Robert Frost Mountain Cabins. We both worked in Burlington as we developed our property and business.
In 2023, what do you see as the most challenging issue(s) facing business in Addison County?
I hear the same thing from businesses across all industry segments. The biggest challenge is staffing. The labor shortage has only gotten worse during and post pandemic.
How long have you volunteered with the Chamber’s Board?
I have served on the Board of Directors since 2018.
The Chamber of Commerce’s role in supporting business and non-profits in Addison County is always evolving. In your view, what should be the Chamber’s strategic direction coming out of the pandemic?
Other than Middlebury College and Porter Medical Center, the businesses in Addison County are classified as small businesses. As such, they need help adjusting to the fast pace of change in technology. It permeates every function and is very difficult to remain current and efficient. Support via seminars and business to business mentoring is critical to our collective success.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
My wife and I chose became part of an intentional community in Ripton. It is the wisest decisions we ever made. We are blessed to live in this “brave little state” in the heart of the Green Mountain National Forest with neighbors of like values.
Marty Kulczyk
Officers
Robert Feuerstein, Kennedy Brothers (Chair)
Megan Mandigo, Marble Trail Financial (Treasurer)
Nancy Foster, Champlain Valley Properties (Secretary)
Adam Rainville, Maple Landmark (Past Chair)
Phil Summers, ACCOC (Executive Director)
Directors
Dickie Austin, Black Sheep Bistro
Amy Carlin: Middlebury College
Doug Dewitt, Bristol Financial Services
Meaghan McLaughlin, National Bank of Middlebury
Ned Horton, Otter Creek Bakery and Deli
Marty Kulczyk, Robert Frost Mountain Cabins
Bethany Dever, Dever Accounting Services
Article IV, Section D Designate Directors
Karen Duguay, Better Middlebury Partnership
Renny Perry, Addison County Economic Development Corp.
Renny Perry, Vergennes Partnership
Bill Sayre, Addison County Regional Planning Commission
Alicia Standridge - Bristol Core
