Holy week
Folk trio
Peak quest
Local houses of worship have special services planned for Easter. See Page 11B.
Uniquely familiar performers to play Ripton. Page 13A.
A Middlebury student tackled Vermont’s five highest mountains in a unique way. See Page 1B.
ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT Vol. 70 No. 12
Middlebury, Vermont
◆
Thursday, March 24, 2016 ◆ 30 Pages
Porter ‘profitable,’ but tough decisions loom A look at accounting gives more complete picture By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — Less than a week before it convenes its annual meeting on March 30, Porter Medical Center has pushed the proverbial reset button on its top executive position and on a new compensation
plan for providers. PMC officials are also searching for more stability in the institution’s operating budget, which each year is thrown a financial life preserver through a federal drug subsidy program. At issue is the 340B Drug Pricing
Program, which requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations at significantly reduced prices. Large pharmacy companies fund it. It has netted PMC around $3 million annually from 2013 to 2015, according to Steve Ciampa, Porter’s chief financial officer.
But unlike most hospitals in Vermont and New England, PMC has elected not to reflect 340B revenues within its operating budget. Some have argued that in doing this, PMC officials have been portraying a bleaker financial picture in order to justify recent austerity measures that (See Porter, Page 2A)
75¢
College gets feedback on concepts for its town park By ANDY KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY — Almost 50 Middlebury residents on Monday gathered to look at and make suggestions on preliminary plans for a park to be created later this year
by Middlebury College on the site of the town’s soon-to-be-demolished former municipal building and gym. They met in Twilight Hall, a (See Park, Page 17A)
Middlebury to consider hosting Vt. Green Line
Mount Abe hires U-32 leader as principal
By JOHN FLOWERS MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard on Tuesday unanimously agreed to explore a potential agreement with the developers of a proposed high-voltage converter station that would facilitate the flow of renewable energy from upstate New York into the New England power grid. Known as the “Vermont Green Line,” the $200 million project includes 60 miles of buried transmission line. The cable line would originate in Beekmantown, N.Y., flow under Lake Champlain to Kingsland Bay in Ferrisburgh, and proceed under roads to Route 7. There, the buried cable would run south, with current plans calling for it to culminate at a converter station near the junction of Routes 7 and 17 in New Haven. The Vermont Green Line is a joint project of Anbaric Transmission and National Grid. The high-voltage direct current electricity, produced by hydro and wind power, would be transformed into alternating current at the converter station and plugged into the VELCO substation. The power is destined for ratepayers in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Project developers and New Haven officials have been trying to forge a deal to make the converter station acceptable to the town and its residents, some of whom have voiced concern about the noise and traffic the new facility might generate. Any (See Middlebury, Page 12A)
Pledges to provide ‘stable leadership’
SUGARMAKER DON GALE adds fuel to the fire in his large, wood-burning evaporator arch last Thursday afternoon in Lincoln where he and his family operate Twin Maple Sugarworks. The year he saw the earliest start to the season since the sugarhouse opened in 1988. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Steam keeps rising in sugarshacks as season surprises
By the way Weybridge Elementary School will hold its annual tag sale on Saturday, April 9, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., in the school common room. It will feature a wide variety of items, including clothes, toys, sports equipment and household goods. Items can be dropped off at the school after April 7. For more info call 545-2113 or email kmason@addisoncentralsu.org. Vermonters with an interest in conserving wildlife should consider making a donation to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on line 29a of their state income tax form this tax season. The fund helps to conserve some of (See By the way, Page 12A)
Index Obituaries ................................ 6A Classifieds ......................... 5B-9B Service Directory .............. 6B-7B Entertainment ........................ 13A Community Calendar ...... 8A-10A Sports ................................ 1B-3B
ANDY HUTCHISON stands in a cloud of steam as he peers into the pans in his Leicester sugarhouse Tuesday afternoon.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By GAEN MURPHREE “It’s been unbelievable,” said ADDISON COUNTY — From Don Gale of Twin Maple Sugarthe back roads of Lincoln, high works in Lincoln. “Huge volumes, in the Green Mountain National a little bit low on sugar, but volForest, to the plowed-earth fields umewise it’s just phenomenal.” of Orwell sweeping close to Lake SUGARING UP TOP Champlain, the steam is rising from Perched in the trees almost at the Addison County sugarhouses and point of where South Lincoln Road many sugarmakers are working the gets shut down every winter, Solar midnight hours to boil down this Sweet Maple Farm (at just under year’s sweet crop of maple syrup. 1,600 feet of elevation) is among Sugarmakers at all elevations re- the sugarhouses at the highest elevaport excellent color and tions in Addison County. flavor this season and a “It all depends Owner Tom Gadhue good-to-above-average on Mother reports a great year for year so far despite unsea- Nature, that’s maple sugaring, with Sosonably warm tempera- for sure.” lar Sweet’s first boil starttures. There’s been just — sugarmaker ing Feb. 5. What a differenough chill at night and Tom Audet ence a year can make. just enough coolness in “Last year we were the day to keep the sap running for fighting to keep our face out of the the past month or more. snow,” he said. “This year we could At the highest elevations, sugar- have tapped in sneakers.” makers are keeping fingers crossed Despite the mild winter, Gadthat the run could continue for the hue said the frost went deep into next two or even three weeks into the ground, giving the trees the April. At the lowest elevations, dormancy and chill they needed to sugarmakers say that the trees are keep the season going. With 23,341 not yet budding, but they expect taps on 360 acres, Gadhue estimates maybe just a week more of sugar- they’ve made over 5,000 gallons of ing before they begin to see the dis- syrup to date and if good conditions tinctive red on the maple trees that hold out, he hopes to make 11,000 will signal the end of this year’s or 12,000 gallons total. season. (See Sugaring, Page 18A)
Monkton Democrat enters Addison-4 race By JOHN FLOWERS MONKTON — Monkton selectboard Chairman Stephen Pilcher on Saturday officially launched his campaign to win one of the two seats in the Addison-4 Vermont House district, which represents the communities of Bristol, Monkton, Starksboro and Lincoln.
Pilcher, 61, has lived in Vermont for more than 40 years. He attended Middlebury College, where he majored in math and also took an interest in political science. After earning his bachelor’s degree at Middlebury in 1977, he attended graduate school at the University of Vermont, which set him up for a lengthy career in
computer engineering. “When I got out of grad school, I decided I had done enough renting and it was time to buy a place,” Pilcher said. So he set down roots in Monkton in 1986. For 35 years, Pilcher worked for a variety of small tech companies
in and around Vermont, including Irvine Sensors, Ascension Technology and Microprocessor Designs. He found the work fulfilling. But Pilcher recently stepped away from computers in order to do more interfacing with people — as a public servant. (See Pilcher, Page 16A)
By GAEN MURPHREE BRISTOL — Jessica Barewicz, one of two assistant principals at U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier, has been selected as the next Mount Abraham Union Middle/High School principal. She will begin her tenure July 1. Although, as is typical, salary and contract details remain to be worked out, Interim Superintendent Armando Vilaseca said the Mount Abraham board was pleased with the hire. “We were fortunate to have a strong field of candidates who were interested in this position, and the board was unanimous in their choice of Jessica,” Vileseca said. “Jessica joins a strong, progressive faculty and staff that is helping lead all students to be successful. “We welcome Jessica and look forward to her starting her role in leading Mount Abe towards the future.” Barewicz was chosen out of a field of 31 applicants, three of whom were interviewed by the Mount Abe board last week. At a Tuesday night meeting, the board voted to appoint Barewicz. “The Mount Abe school board is looking forward to having Jessica join our team. We really see this as positive movement — she’s going to take us through our course. It’s very exciting,” said Board Chairwoman Dawn Griswold. Griswold and Assistant Superintendent Catrina DiNapoli especially commended the work of the 14-member screening committee, made up of students, community (See Mt. Abe, Page 16A)
VUES picks Addison head as principal By ANDY KIRKALDY ADDISON — The Vergennes Union Elementary School Board on Monday agreed to look within Addison Northwest Supervisory Union for its new principal, choosing current Addison Central School Principal Matthew DeBlois to fill the job. In doing so, the board accepted the recommendation of its search committee and ANwSU Superintendent JoAn Canning, who presented DeBlois, a Ferrisburgh resident, as their top pick on Monday night. Canning on Tuesday said DeBlois, a former Vergennes Union High School French teacher who was hired to lead Addison Central two years ago, had accepted the offer to become the new VUES principal, effective this summer. The VUES principal job, unlike Addison’s 80-percent position, offers full-time, year-round employment, with a corresponding increase in pay. Canning expects that she and DeBlois will soon sit down to work out contract details. Canning said the members of the (See DeBlois, Page 12A)
PAGE 2A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
Bristol pair face federal heroin charges Porter Case tied to injured man on Notch Road
By GAEN MURPHREE BRISTOL — Federal and state law enforcement authorities are investigating two Bristol residents’ involvement in alleged heroin trafficking, kidnapping and assault. The investigation and federal charges against Corrin Laraway, 22, and Justin Stone, 24, follow a 911 call this past Saturday morning from a man who had apparently been storing drugs at their apartment and whom first responders found in the pre-dawn hours injured by the side of Notch Road in Lincoln. Laraway and Stone were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Burlington late Monday afternoon on charges of knowingly and intentionally making their apartment available for use as a place to store and distribute heroin. U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont Eric Miller explained to the Independent that the two are being prosecuted under the federal “crack house” statute. According to an affidavit that FBI Special Agent Christopher Destito filed with the court Monday, Stone and Laraway allowed a man they named only as “John” to store and
distribute heroin from their apart- who’d been staying at 51 Woodland ment at 51 Woodland Drive in Bris- Drive had been shot, and gave the tol. Somewhere around 2 a.m. on dispatcher the friend’s phone numSaturday, the two drove “John” up ber. Soon thereafter a man called 911 Notch Road and dumped him out, to say he’d been stabbed and kidsomewhere on the Linnapped. The man’s coln side of the town Corrin Laraway cell phone number line, Destito wrote. was the same as that As detailed in the and Justin Stone provided to 911, and court document, a were arraigned in the 911 dispatcher neighbor called the U.S. District Court identified the injured Vermont State Police in Burlington late man’s location as shortly before 2 a.m. Monday afternoon Notch Road in Linand reported hearing coln. on charges of “the sound of fightState police offiing” in Laraway and knowingly and cers returned to the Stone’s apartment, intentionally 51 Woodland Drive Apartment 1, and also making their apartment building informed the VSP that apartment and found blood on Laraway and Stone available for use the stairs leading “had just returned to Apartment 1 and to their apartment.” as a place to store blood on the ApartState police arrived and distribute ment 1 doormat. No and observed wounds heroin. one was home. Conon Stone’s face. But cerned that an injured Stone and Laraway both said that he person might be inside the aparthad merely slipped in the shower and ment, officers forced entry. Once the that they’d just returned from Porter troopers got inside the apartment, Hospital, where they had gone to get they observed baggies of heroin, treatment for the mishap. They told needles, firearms, more blood and police that they were going to one of overturned furniture. Officers then their mother’s residences. obtained a search warrant. Shortly before 3 a.m., emergency At roughly the same time, first dispatchers received a 911 a call responders from the Bristol Rescue (See Bristol, Page 3A) from someone who said that a friend
Bridport firefighters battle blaze for 3 hours BRIDPORT — Investigators are still sorting out the cause of a fire this past Friday in Bridport that caused significant damage to a Route 22A home owned by Mark and Heidi Prime. It was at around 5:30 p.m. on March 18 that Bridport firefighters were toned out to the fire, according to Assistant Fire Chief Chris Gordon. The fire originated in the attic of the two-story home and burned very hot, due in part to cedar shingles on
the roof that held the heat inside the structure, according to Gordon. Firefighters from Bridport, Addison and New Haven responded to the home and successfully kept the fire from spreading to the first floor. But Gordon believes the home is likely a complete loss, when factoring in water damage and the age of the structure. Thankfully, firefighters were able to haul a lot of the Primes’ personal possessions out of the abode to
save them from damage. Gordon estimates he and his colleagues engaged the fire for around three hours. No people or animals were hurt in the incident. Gordon credited the Bridport community — and in particular the Earl Audet family — for providing assistance to the Primes in their time of need. The Red Cross was also called to assist.
Middlebury police investigate Monroe Street stabbing MIDDLEBURY — Local police in Middlebury are investigating a stabbing incident at a Monroe Street home early Tuesday morning. Their preliminary investigation suggested that the stab wounds were self-inflicted.
Middlebury police were called to the residence at 6:45 a.m. on March 22. Upon arrival, they found a male in the home with several stab wounds in the abdomen. Middlebury Regional EMS took the male to Porter
Hospital, and he was subsequently transported to UVM Medical Center in Burlington for further treatment, police said. The investigation continues, police said.
The Vermont Agency would like to recognize and congratulate Michael G. Castillo, LUTCF, CFP®, CLU and Michael C. Donnelly, LUTCF of Landmark Financial Services, LLC as 2015 President’s Club qualifiers for helping to Dramatically Impact the Lives of Others. Michael Castillo also received the prestigious Fred S. Brynn Award at the Vermont Agency’s 2015 awards ceremony.
Michael G. Castillo LUTCF, CFP®, CLU
(Continued from Page 1A) that have included the elimination of 17 positions, mostly nurses. A review of the financials shows that Porter had a cumulative “operating margin” deficit of $10.8 million for the four years 2012 through 2015. The cumulative “total margin” for the same time period — when the 340B funds were included — was a AT THEIR ANNUAL meeting on March 30 Porter Medical Center offi$3.7 million surplus, which averages cials will address such subjects as the organization’s tenuous financial $936,000 per year “profit” for these situation and its leadership transition. Independent photo/Trent Campbell four years. While that may sound like a large profit margin to some, “Days cash on hand,” Ciampa ex- to Ciampa. A more acceptable rate of for a hospital with gross revenues of plained, is a nationally recognized annual growth in days cash on hand over $80 million, it is below accept- metric used to determine the number would be a minimum of at least five able norms if the institution expects of days that an organization could days per year, he said. to reinvest in its equipment, software continue to pay its current operating Looking at the industry as a whole, and aging facilities. expenses without the ability to gen- Ciampa said the financial services Porter administrators say PMC has erate additional revenue. Because company Standard & Poor’s sugmaintained the same accounting prac- Porter currently has approximately gests that critical access hospitals tice for 340B funding since it quali- $13 million in outstanding bond debt with publicly funded debt that have fied for the program in 2012, but a (used to fund major building addi- the lowest possible bond rating of different emphasis has been placed on tions more than a decade ago), the BBB- should still have a median how that margin is being perceived as organization has a covenant with its days cash on hand of about 127. of the past several months. bond holders to ensure that its days “Also noteworthy is that per Green “Consistently, from the inception, cash on hand is maintained at a mini- Mountain Care Board records, PorPorter has reported and budgeted mum of 55. Porter had only 40 days ter is among the lowest hospitals in 340B revenue as non-operating in- of cash on hand in 2012, a figure that Vermont for days cash on hand,” Cicome,” Ciampa said. “It is in our has now grown to around 77 days. ampa said. budget, but it is considered non-op“This growth can only be partially Meanwhile, Porter will need to erating income because credited to the total mar- spend roughly $2.5 million annuit’s not considered core gins that were generated ally during next three years for what to the primary service “Everyone in those years,” Ciampa might be considered “routine equipofferings of Porter Hos- knows we said of PMC growth in ment replacements and ordinary need to make days of cash on hand. building improvements,” according pital.” Ciampa acknowledged changes, and “A major part of the to Ciampa. hearing from industry most are eager growth in days cash on A recent assessment by the archicolleagues that PMC “is hand came because of tectural firm Lavallee Brensinger to do that. in the minority” of hossuppressed and deferred identified that the medical office pitals that don’t reflect We know we capital reinvestment.” building at the rear of the campus 340B funds in their op- have to move Based on the overall requires approximately $2 million in erating budgets. But he forward.” age of equipment and its repairs and infrastructure within the qualified that by saying, — Interim CEO physical plant, Porter’s next two years. “For most critical access “Further, the timing is appropriFred Kniffin rate of capital reinvesthospitals, they have not ment in equipment re- ate for Porter to consider a substanoptimized this opportuplacements and building tial upgrade to its electronic health nity the way Porter has. So the dol- renovations/improvements should records system, which is now four lars are nowhere near as significant, have been approximately $3.5 mil- years old, and which will likely which makes the decision less mate- lion in each of fiscal years 2013 and cost approximately $3 million,” Cirial for those other organizations.” 2014, officials said. Instead, Porter ampa said. “On average, total capiPROFITABLE, BUT spent only $1.9 million in 2013 and tal spending needs for the next three CHALLENGES AHEAD $1.4 million in 2014, according to years should be more like $4 million While the 340B funding has been Ciampa. per year.” pivotal in helping PMC remain prof“It is important to note that this That medical records system cost itable, Ciampa identified some cru- strategy is not considered sustain- $7 million, for which PMC has been cial financial hurdles that the organi- able, whereas all buildings and reimbursed $4.1 million. zation will have to overcome in the equipment do routinely age and ulThen there’s the hospital’s pension near future. timately require replacement,” he system. “In short, there must be enough said. Porter’s pension liability stems total margin produced to meet all of During fiscal year 2015, Porter back to 2007, the year in which Porthe following key financial require- generated a total positive margin ter froze its Defined Benefit plan, ments: Appropriate level of capital of $2.2 million and reinvested $3.1 according to Ciampa. The plan has reinvestment, annual required debt million in capital expenditures. This been, and continues to be, underservice payments, pension funding, resulted in PMC’s number of days funded. and continued growth in days cash cash on hand to grow only by rough“However, the level of underfundon hand. (See Finances, Page 3A) ly three days to about 80, according
Porter building a financial cushion
Michael C. Donnelly LUTCF
Michael Castillo and Michael Donnelly are Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives offering securities and investment advisory services through Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 354 Mountain View Drive, Suite 200, Colchester, VT 05446, (802) 864-6819, a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company (NLIC), Montpelier, VT. The Vermont Agency is an office of NLIC. Landmark Financial Services, LLC is independent of Equity Services, Inc. TC89206(0316)1 President’s Club is a recognition program of National Life Insurance Company for associates who have demonstrated outstanding performance. Membership is based on sales criteria.
The red line shows how dollars spent on capital expenses declined then rebounded. The blue line shows how Porter has grown by the number of days it could run with cash on hand from 39.7 four years ago to over 80 days this year.
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 3A
Interim hospital chief sees better days ahead Bristol
By ANGELO LYNN MIDDLEBURY — Assuming the reins at Porter Medical Center at the depths of one of its worst administrative setbacks in decades isn’t for the faint of heart and may require the patience of a saint. Porter’s new interim CEO Fred Kniffin, MD, is known by his colleages to possess both qualities, as well as someone who has experience as a doctor and in the hospital administration as chief medical officer. “I’d characterize Porter’s condition as an acute illness,” Kniffin said in an interview Monday, his first official day in his new job. “But we’ve stabilized the patient, we’re treating the ailments, and it’s going to be OK.” Kniffin’s analogy was to Porter’s recent fallout between its administration under former CEO Lynn Boggs and the nurses’ union and medical staff, which issued a vote of no-confidence in Boggs last week. After nine months on the job, Boggs resigned last Friday and Kniffin was appointed the same day. At issue were proposed changes in physician contracts, plus cuts to staff, but also the manner in which Boggs was implementing those changes. Kniffin was resolute in the need for
Porter to make the necmake,” Kniffin said, essary changes, but op“but we will have a timistic the Porter medchange in attitude and ical community will be we’ll collaborate with able to come together the medical staff and and “get the job done.” providers on devising “This change in leadcontracts we can all ership doesn’t mean embrace. It may take a no more change to the little longer to get there, processes we started,” but we have to send the he said. “On the conmessage — and I truly trary, we have to move believe this — that forward, everyone gets our employees are our that … the nurses get greatest resource. Evit, the medical staff gets “I’d characterize eryone wants to work it, the administration Porter’s condition in a place where you gets it. What we had as an acute feel valued and apprewas a style problem, a illness. But we’ve ciated, and that’s our problem of pace and a goal.” stabilized the disconnect with the culKniffin also emphature here … We have to patient, we’re sized current efforts to do a better job of com- treating the stabilize and rebuild a municating and work- ailments, and it’s good relationship with ing with each other.” the nurses and the nursgoing to be OK.” While Kniffin ack— Dr. Fred Kniffin, es union at Porter. He owledged Porter will Porter’s interim CEO called the nurses and take a step back on the patient support staff at physician contracts and Porter “mission criti“take the time to get it right,” he also cal,” saying that the hospital’s focus noted that Porter needed to improve has to be on patient safety and providits bottom line in the near term. ing “excellent patient care.” “We won’t dawdle on implementKniffin had most recently served ing some of the changes we need to Porter Hospital as a staff physician
in the Emergency Department, but previously had served as Porter’s Chief Medical Officer from 2013 to January 2016. He spent most of his career, from 1993-2013, as the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Porter Hospital, and was a staff physician in that department from 1990-1993. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Vanderbilt Univerity in Nashville, Tenn., studying there from 1979-1987 and graduating with a Doctor of Medicine. He did his residency and training at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont at UVM in Burlington, finishing in 1990. He was also acutely involved in the medical staff governance and on the PMC Board of Directors. He served as president of Porter’s Medical Staff from 1999-2001 and from 2007-2009; was vice-president from 1997-1999, and has been chair of the Porter Hospital Credentials Committee. He served on the PMC board from 1999-2013. He has also served on the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association board of directors from 2000-2004, and several state and regional boards associated within the medical field.
Compared to its peers
Professionals, the union at PMC, said in an emailed reply to the Independent, that she sees no indication that 340B funding is at risk, and that Porter needs to earmark more resources for primary care, prevention and early detection of health issues. “Morale among nurses has been at an all-time low,” she said of the effects of recent layoffs and cost cutting since this past October, but without reflecting on the recent change in administration. The Independent has sought communication with PMC providers to get their take on the impending change in compensation and the organization’s financial health, but few were willing to speak publicly of contracts that were back on the board for consideration. PMC spokesman Ron Hallman noted that while employees are asked to sign a longstanding “code of conduct” that reflects an expectation of “moral and ethical standards … everyone has a right to free speech. Our hope is that if people have concerns, they would exhaust all internal vehicles for resolving them and that speaking publicly would be a last resort.” That said, interim CEO Fred Kniffin, MD, noted the trend lines looked positive for Porter and he was “optimistic” that the board and administration would be able to devise a providers’ contract “that everyone would be happy with and that would work to Porter’s benefit as well.” “Everyone knows we need to make changes, and most are eager to do that,” Kniffin said in a Monday interview. “We know we have to move forward.” On the issue of employee morale, Kniffin was equally upbeat: “I think it will bounce back … We’ve made some big steps recently and I’m committed to listening to the nurses and doctors and collectively coming up with a win-win scenario for all of us. I may be naive, but I’m optimistic we can get it done.” Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindependent.com.
Finances (Continued from Page 2A) ing has worsened in recent years,” Ciampa noted. “The liability changes annually based primarily on three components — market performance of pension assets, changes in interest rates, and contributions made by Porter. The audited financial statements show an outstanding liability of $6.5 million… If Porter wanted to simply pay off this liability today, the actual liability in present value dollars is more like $8 million. In working with our pension consultants and actuaries, we have estimated that this liability could be eliminated in seven years if Porter were able to provide $1 million in annual contributions above and beyond the minimum annual funding requirements.” CHALLENGING FINANCES So here is the sobering financial equation that Porter will have to solve in order to get back on firm financial footing, according to PMC officials: With annual financial requirements such as appropriate capital reinvestment of approximately $4 million; annual debt service of approximately $1.3 million; and days cash on hand growth of at least five, which translates to approximately $1.1 million, Porter’s total margin target should be more in the neighborhood of about $3.5 million. And that figure still does not help to address the underfunded pension issue, according to Ciampa. “This represents a gap versus our most recent margins of about $2 million,” Ciampa said. “Through five months of fiscal year 2016, Porter’s total margin is currently a very modest $79,000, thereby making the gap in the current year more like $3.5 million.” Bottom line: Porter needs to identify a minimum of $3 million in sustainable annual financial improvement in order to meet all of its financial obligations and to properly reinvest in itself to ensure its longterm sustainability, according to Ciampa. A review of the financial performance among the services provided by Porter Medical Center shows that the portfolio of physician practices generated an aggregate loss (“investment”) of $7.3 million during fiscal year 2015. The Medical Group Management Association — which provides guidelines for both privately owned and fully integrated medical practices — suggest that a more reasonable investment should be approximately $4.5 million for those same practices, Ciampa said. “This gap of approximately $2.8 million is the reason that Porter’s administration has been so focused on trying to improve the economics of its medical practice portfolio,” Ciampa said, referring to changes in the providers’ contracts and realignment of nursing personnel. “To put this in everyday terms, this is like the average family trying to pay their routine monthly bills, keep up with their mortgage and care loans, make payments significantly higher than their minimum credit card payment, being able to afford the replacement of key appliances and some major home repairs, while trying to build their savings at the same time,” he added. “In keeping with this analogy, Porter’s margin currently is only satisfying routine expenditures, monthly debt payments and some key equipment replacement.” Patrick Norton, treasurer of the PMC Executive Board, said he and his colleagues are taking PMC’s challenges very seriously.
Porter has less cash on hand than most Vermont hospitals, but it’s growing Northwestern Medical Center North Country Hospital Rutland Regional Medical Center Gifford Medical Center University of Vermont Medical Center Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Mt. Ascutney Hospital & Health Center Central Vermont Medical Center Springfield Hospital Copley Hospital Northeastern Vt. Regional Hospital Porter Medical Center Grace Cottage Hospital Southwestern Vt. Medical Center Median of Vt. hospitals
Days Cash on Hand 2013 2014 312 371 176 211 182 207 186 201 183 197 179 169 138 138 106 120 117 101 80 98 97 97 66 84 72 81 53 62 128 129
Source: Green Mountain Care Board “We have 2.2 months of reserves; that’s it,” Norton said. “In 2012, it was 1.1 months. We have made some progress, but at the end of the day, 2.2 months for an institution that has been around for 90-plus years is probably not a strong balance sheet. That’s the takeaway for me.” He acknowledged that Porter, through the years, “probably should have been a little more explicit on how 340B (funds) were treated.” Norton agreed that board members share a sense of urgency in getting Porter’s financial house in order. That will include negotiating a new compensation schedule with PMC’s approximately 75 medical staff providers. Like at most other hospitals in Vermont and around the country, compensation will increasingly be predicated on performance and patient outcomes, he said. Porter administrators acknowledged they tried to roll out the providers’ contracts too quickly under former CEO Lynn Boggs, and have agreed to work with providers on a more collaborative basis to devise an acceptable contract for all parties. HOW PORTER COMPARES Al Gobeille is chairman of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), which among other things regulates health insurance rates, hospital budgets and major hospital expenditures. He cited the University of Vermont Medical Center as an example of a Vermont hospital that has “for a long time now” been paying its physicians according to a formula that reflects salary and bonuses based on productivity. “Very candidly, what is happening at Porter right now is that literally, ‘Change is hard,’” Gobeille said. “Whenever you take an entire workforce and change the way they’re paid, you had better do that with an incredible amount of skill, or you can end up with a lot of animosity.” Gobeille is very familiar with PMC’s budget and how it reflects 340B funds. He noted the GMCB two years ago began trying to get hospitals on the same page in accounting for 340B funds. It wasn’t as simple a request as the board thought it might be. “The problem is, (the hospitals) all have different auditors who are telling them to do different things for different particular reasons,” Gobeille said. “I would prefer that all
hospitals do it the same way,” Gobeille added. “That makes it easier for me. But there is a lot that goes into (deciding) what is operating revenue … ” Gobeille acknowledged the vulnerability of 340B funds as one of the financial chips that are negotiated in Congress. “If I was on the Porter Hospital board, I’d be concerned that 340B was a big part of our equation,” Gobeille said. “If I was running a hospital, I would start thinking, ‘What would happen if (340B funding) went away?’ Or what if it was cut in half, or by 25 percent? Being dependent on one revenue source that is completely based on federal policy is not necessarily sustainable.” Big pharmaceutical lobby firms are constantly attacking the 340B funding and trying to get it eliminated so their clients can make still higher profits. Kirsten Hartman, communications director for U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., gave this appraisal of the current status of the 340B program: “We’re hopeful that the 340B program will not be cut. Congressman Welch will be fighting hard to make sure those going after the program are not successful.” Alice Leo, president of Porter Federation of Nurses and Health
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(Continued from Page 2A) Squad and the Lincoln Fire Department found a man later identified by authorities as “Cody Toledo” on the side of Notch Road. Toledo was injured, said the affidavit, but neither “shot nor stabbed.” Destito said that authorities did not at this point know Stone’s and Laraway’s role in Toledo’s injuries, but that was being investigated. The Burlington Free Press reported that Toledo was treated at UVM Medical Center and released on Sunday morning. U.S. Attorney Miller did not say if Toledo would be charged with any crimes stemming from this incident, nor did he return calls asking for clarification on whether he was in jail or not. In the meantime, police were on the lookout for Laraway and Stone. Shortly before 6 a.m., Colchester police apprehended the two Bristol residents at a Motel 6 in Colchester. Law enforcement also found several thousand dollars in cash and a “golf ball-sized quantity of heroin” in Stone and Laraway’s room at the Motel 6, according to the FBI agent’s affidavit. Stone and Laraway were interrogated separately and, according to Destito’s affidavit, they admitted that a man they referred to as “John” had been living in their apartment “for at least the previous month” and had used the apartment to store and distribute heroin. Miller said that the VSP is leading the investigation and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Burlington will prosecute the case. Miller also said that the weekend’s investigation and arrest owed much to the efforts of the Addison County State’s Attorney’s Office. “Addison County State’s Attorney David Fenster was intimately in-
volved with the investigation and the decision-making with respect to the investigation over the weekend and provided absolutely crucial prosecutorial assistance as they were seeking warrants,” Miller said. “David and I spoke over the weekend and together decided that at this time it made the most sense to charge these two people under the federal crack house statute. So it was a joint decision to prosecute it federally because of the intersection with narcotics and the heroin initiative that our office is engaged in right now.” FIGHTING DRUG CRIMES Miller emphasizes that the case represents the kind of cross-agency collaboration needed to combat heroin abuse and trafficking statewide. “Drug-related violence is extraordinarily troubling to all of us,” said Miller. “In this instance, I think we can be particularly proud of the good and really fast work that a coalition of state, federal and local law enforcement agencies did in order to effectuate these arrests and the charges being brought in federal court.” Miller continued, “This is a good example of how we will only make progress against every aspect of this epidemic, this problem, when we work together across jurisdictional lines that have sometimes in the past divided our efforts. Heroin addiction doesn’t respect any typical boundaries. It doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, urban or rural, black or white. And as a result, if we’re going to effectively respond to it, we too need to work across jurisdictions, across boundaries, across divides.” If convicted of the “crack house” charges, Stone and Laraway each face a maximum possible penalty of up to 20 years in jail and a $500,000 fine.
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PAGE 4A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
A DDIS ON INDE P E NDEN T
Letters
Editorials
to the Editor
Porter’s golden goose; plus how a $11 million deficit can yield a $3.7 million surplus Ask the average bloke on the street what they know about Porter Hospital’s finances and chances are they would say Porter is close to failing and they heard something about the hospital losing $11 million in the past four years. “Wowza,” they might add. “How can the hospital stay open with that much red ink? Better cut expenses and fast!” That was precisely the effect former Porter CEO Lynn Boggs and her team had hoped to achieve. They needed to change the public understanding of the hospital’s financial status if they were to make significant changes in their operating procedures. What they didn’t want was the public questioning the need to make such drastic changes if Porter was, in fact, profitable and doing OK — which had been the story for much of the past 30 years. From the administration’s perspective the strategy made sense, but it also distorted much of the story. Omitted from the statewide headlines declaring Porter’s financial woes, was this: Porter posted a $3.7 million surplus, averaging $936,000 per year “positive margin” over the past four years. But how can Porter post that much of a surplus, and still have its former CEO claim $11 million in losses? Well, that’s part of the story that’s a bit irksome. In today’s front-page story, we clarify that apparent contradiction — which Porter officials willingly told anyone who asked, and the Independent did report it correctly weeks ago without exaggerating the deficit, though most state news outlets did not — and go on to explain some of the more important financial challenges that Porter faces. Like all things in the medical industry, it’s complicated and detailed. But, from 30,000 feet, here’s the big-picture view of Porter Medical Center’s financial status: • PMC is financially profitable. Over the past four years, it posted a $3.7 million positive balance. Its operating budget was roughly $11 million in the red, but that is not accounting for more than $12 million in 340B money (see story) that helped create the surplus. Most hospitals in the state count the 340B funds in their operating budgets, so it’s unusual that Porter does not, but Porter never has since the program went into effect in 2012. What’s different this year is management chose to make a big deal of its operating deficit, even though there was a corresponding surplus that more than made up for the shortfall. • Even though a positive margin of $936,000 annually seems flush, it is not. To be financially secure and grow as a medical institution, Porter needs an annual positive margin of about $3.5 to $4 million. That would allow Porter to reinvest in capital expenses, software updates and medical equipment; fully fund its pension; build a Daily Cash On Hand balance of 127 days rather than the current 77; as well as other strategic goals. Our story explains those needs. • The financial trend for Porter is on the upswing, and has been for the past two years. As the chart on Page 2A shows, the fiscal decline from 2012 to 2014 shows Porter at its lowest with just 1.1 months of Daily Cash On Hand. Since 2014, it has improved significantly to almost 80 days cash on hand. Similarly, while the annual average positive margin for Porter has been $936,000 over the past four years, in fiscal year 2015 Porter posted a $2.2 million positive margin and reinvested $3.1 million in capital expenditures. That’s a very positive trend. • While Porter’s physician practices will need belt-tightening, the practices are key to Porter’s prosperity. Much of the belt-tightening happened with the cuts of 17 nurses earlier this year. Changes in the physicians’ contracts will also help address current shortfalls. Specifically, Porter’s practices are running at an annual shortfall (or investment) of about $7.3 million, compared to what consultants say should be roughly $4.5 million in operating expense. That gap of $2.8 million is one of the reasons Porter’s management team targeted changes within those practices. While it is a worthy goal to close the gap, it’s important to note the distinction between a “$7.3 million shortfall” and a “$7.3 million investment.” Which is it? Both. That is, while the provider practices are running a collective deficit of that amount (the shortfall), the practices also provide the bulk of the referrals to the hospital (the investment). In a business sense, the providers are the primary sales force for the hospital, though they are not compensated for the business they send. In a holistic sense, a business would not separate its sales force from its production department and suggest one creates a loss while the other segment is profitable. To be successful, one needs the other. So the very notion that these physician practices are creating losses is a misnomer; more to the point is to say Porter needs to improve its physician practices to be as cost-efficient as other comparable practices statewide. ********** None of these points are to suggest there are not critical issues to tackle at Porter. There are, but that is also true at most rural hospitals with 780 employees, an annual gross revenue of about $82 million, and a shifting political landscape that messes with your funding sources. Nonetheless, it’s likely Porter can make the necessary changes to achieve the $2 million to $3 million additional surplus needed to put the hospital on a solid financial ground. The hospital’s finances, in other words, are weaker than they should be, but they are not in dire straights. What was dire a week ago was the mutiny brewing within the medical community that could have sunk Porter’s ship. The heart and soul of Porter is its superior medical staff and excellent care provided by Porter’s nurses and support staff. That’s Porter’s golden goose. Fortunately, interim CEO Fred Kniffin, MD, knows that having a good working relationship between the administration and medical personnel is critical, and addressing that is his immediate priority. With his medical background and support of the medical staff and board, we’re confident he will be able to rebuild that relationship, and then turn his focus to the changes that need to be made — at a pace that brings everyone along for the journey. That’s good news for Porter, for Middlebury and for Addison County. Angelo S. Lynn
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James’ ancestor felt differently The first Edwin James, of Weybridge, Middlebury College class of 1816, would support Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, as his descendent, Edwin James of Shoreham, does not. The first James condemned the capitalist greed of whites in their dispossession of Native Americans and became a lifelong defendant of the right of Native Americans to live their lives. “Is it absolutely necessary that while we invite to our shores and to a participation in all our boasted institutions,” James asks, “we should, at the same time, persist in the determination to root out the last remnants of a face who were the original proprietors of the soil?” James influenced Henry David Thoreau among others and is part of an American radical tradition that Sanders follows and that the Edwin James of Shoreham does not understand. Bob Buckeye East Middlebury Editor’s note: The writer is responding to a letter by Edwin James of Shoreham that ran in the March 17 edition.
New GMO law a needless waste
Sweet steam STEAM RISES AROUND Galen Hutchison as he keeps an eye on the boil in the Mt. Pleasant Sugarworks sugarhouse in Leicester Tuesday afternoon.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Farewell, dear four-legged friend We lost a dear, dear friend at my house last weekend. She had four legs, a tail and fur — a brilliant tortoiseshell coat of black, orange, tan and cream. Yes, we lost a cat. But not just any cat. We lost Blacknose — one of those oncein-a-lifetime pets who’s pretty much a person, just a person of a different species. First, let me explain that stupid name — “Blacknose.” Seventeen years ago, when my husband and I got married in southern Vermont, Blacknose was at our wedding. She was one of the star performers for the gaggle of little girls who wanted to cuddle kittens in between running up and down the long stretch of grass along Green River (which flowed past our house), gawking at the adults, eating as many gooey sweet treats as posBy Gaen sible, and twirling around in circles. Murphree On that perfectly blue and sunny Midsummer’s Day, Blacknose was maybe 10 or 12 weeks old. We never knew quite when she’d been born. We had agreed to foster a litter for the Brattleboro Humane Society and got a mom cat with five-week-old kittens. The tiny things looked a bit like mewling cat-rats, the way baby kittens do, with their eyes shut and their ears folded down. I no longer remember the mom cat’s name, but the humane society had named one of the baby toms “Monroe.” Someone had moved out of an apartment in downtown Brattleboro, leaving Mom, Monroe and sibs behind, stuck on their luck. But ... humane society to the rescue, and we soon had the cat family snug in a blanketlined box in the large (huge) upstairs bathroom in the ramshackle old farmhouse we rented. The farmhouse sat nestled into the wooded hills of Guilford, at the intersection of two dirt roads, right beside a
covered bridge (where we got our mail), across from a little historic church. Having traveled many a back road across our beautiful state, I have yet to see a spot more beautiful nor one that made you see Vermont as it had been in earlier times: a cluster of hard-working hill farms clinging to the backs of old mountains. We swore we were just fostering, not adopting, so we gave the kittens names that were intended to tell who was who without getting any one of them too tightly wrapped around our heartstrings. Mezzo-Mezzo was a long-haired tortoiseshell with a half-black, half-orange nose; Gray Kitty was the gray kitty; Monroe had short black fur, a white tuxedo and white mitts; Not Monroe was the other boy kitty who was not Monroe; Blacknose was the short-haired tortoiseshell with the black nose. Smart, hunh? Because we were not yet parents, we took about as many kitten pictures as we would later take baby pictures. And one of my favorite photos of Blacknose is as a tiny kitten, short tail held up in the air to balance, one pink-padded paw held high. Out of a litter of super-smart, super-beautiful kittens (the mom was so smart, she litter-trained all the kittens herself and we never had even one puddle or poo pile on that ancient linoleum floor), Blacknose was the smartest, the most adventurous, the fastest, the strongest, and the most loving. She was the first one to climb out of their cuddly box, pad down the hall, and come and find us. How could we not adopt her? After that, we tried to change her name. We tried making it French, but “Nez Noir” didn’t work. We held a contest with our friends and family. Nothing stuck. So Blac(See Clippings, Page 7A)
Clippings
Disgust gives way to good deed Last week marked a personal victory: I touched an ary (which I’ve been working on for years) even reads, earthworm. On purpose. “She was most proud of her children and grandchildren, Since I am, at least in a general sense, a gardener, you and the fact that she never touched an earthworm.” would think I am forever touching worms — running That last bit is going to need some editing. my hands through the rich soil and marveling at the serLast Monday morning, I pulled into the parking lot at pentine creatures that tunnel through it, aerating it while work, and there, in the middle of the pavement, 30 feet breaking down the organic matter. from any soil, was a squirming worm. How had it gotten Hardly. there? Was it en route across the lot, taking a shortcut, I know earthworms are highly beneficial creatures. when it cramped up? Had an early bird, flying overhead, There’s just one thing: They’re gross. gotten — and then lost — the worm? Or had the poor I’m not sure why I feel this way. thing, lounging in our muddy driveWhile I am by most measures squeaway, found itself wedged in my tire mish, I am not afraid of touching treads and gone on an unexpected and snakes or frogs or mice or fish. dizzying tour through Middlebury, I do fear critters with numerous ending up in this forbidding blacktop pairs of legs. I freak out when insects landscape? crawl on me, and if a spider touches In any case, I couldn’t leave it out down on any part of my body I react there in the open. Either it would bein a vocal and spastic manner that has, come bird food or, because Lumbrion more than one occasion, prompted By Jessie Raymond cus terrestris is not known for its concerned strangers to call 911. nimble dodging and weaving skills, it But worms don’t have legs. would get run over. I think it goes back to my childhood. In much the way I squatted down and attempted to scoop the worm up that reading “Carrie” turned me off prom, I think reading with the tip of my car key. Just then it twisted and I lost “How to Eat Fried Worms” when I was younger must my leverage. I tried again. A couple of times I got the have something to do with it. I don’t remember much worm onto the key and a foot or so off the ground before of the book, but I think it involved a kid contemplating it fell. If I kept “helping” this poor creature it would be eating worms on a bet and anticipating the awful event dead in no time. I was at a loss. in great worm-eating detail. I believe there was mention I could leave the worm to die in the parking lot. But of ketchup. that went against my general live-and-let-live philosoThe revulsion that grabs me when I think about touch- phy. I could ask someone inside to come move it. But ing worms has inspired me to go 48 years without ever that would mean tarnishing my reputation in the eyes of making skin-to-skin contact with one. Until last week, I my coworkers, who see me as a capable problem solver thought I could keep this up for the long haul. My obitu(See Raymond, Page 5A)
Around the bend
Gov. Shumlin and the Vermont Legislature have recently passed legislation mandating that foods with GMOs must label that fact. This was a needless legislation and a waste of taxpayers’ money that was used to pay legislators’ salaries. The new law suggests that GMOs are bad, when the truth is just the opposite. The science behind GMOs is simple: Simply stated, every plant and every animal is a genetically modified organism, including every reader of this letter. Every time a sperm fertilizes an egg a GMO results, and every time pollination and fertilization occurs in a plant a GMO results. Luther Burbank and Norman Borlaug (who won a Nobel Prize for his work in the Green Revolution) helped to produce bigger and better plants, which we can term GMOs. Centuries ago, when North American natives chose the best kernels from the one-inch corncobs and planted them to eventually produce our present 15-inch cobs, GMOs resulted. As I write this note, biologists are trying to integrate legumes’ genes into corn seeds so future corn plant roots will add nitrogen to soil instead of depleting nitrogen from that soil. The challenge to grow more food globally for exploding human populations necessitates increased scientific attempts at producing more and better GMOs. For Vermont to fight this process is near-sighted and close-minded. Most of the time I am proud to be a Vermonter, but sometimes … David Van Vleck Cornwall
Tips hit skids for ski area workers Growing up in Burlington, I can remember the Salvation Army bell being rung on Church Street during the Christmas shopping season. The bell ringer stood next to a red kettle hanging from a tripod. Early in the shopping season you could hear the clang of coins as they fell into the nearly empty bucket. In the closing days of shopping before Christmas the coins could no longer be heard. There were more shoppers and the mood was more generous as shoppers felt the relief of having completed their mission. In the days before credit cards pockets and pocketbooks were emptied of their change and their bills as relief turned to magnanimity. The bucket was so full there was no sound. In the first year of non full-time work (I am not comfortable with “retired”) I found myself testing my abilities on the easy slopes of a few ski areas in Vermont. One resort I frequented reminded me of the old clang on the kettle. There were a number of food venues and next to each cash register were metal boxes affixed to the counter. They had a slot in the top for tips and were accompanied by the message “thank you.” A few times I dropped change into the slot. The sound of the drop(See Letter, Page 5A)
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 5A
Our hospital seeks port in a storm If Porter were a patient, you I’ve always received excellent would say she needed continuing care in the Porter system, and I medical attention. have a deep appreciation for its The nurses have been unhappy dedicated staff and volunteers, inwith working conditions for sever- cluding the board. al years, and this year the medical As we contemplate Porter’s system’s doctors have gone public future, it’s helpful to understand with their own concerns. what’s happening in healthcare Lynn Boggs, brought in as presi- generally. dent and CEO after the retirement The Affordable Care Act (Obamof longtime CEO Jim acare) is on balance Daily, resigned last a huge step forward. week after less than a Beyond expanding year on the job. She healthcare to millions departed the medical of Americans, though, center in the wake of it’s introduced new public displeasure at mandates. Hospitals the laying off of 17 are awash in a new alnursing, clerical and phabet soup of ACOs, management staff. MACRA, EHRs, PPAHer brief tenure also CAs and other prosaw cuts in insurance grams that complicate benefits for some partthe delivery of servictime employees and es. As Medicare and a vote of “no confiother payers increasdence” by Porter phyingly scrutinize costs, sicians. everyone from hospital Addison County CEOs to custodians is residents have long the pressure. by Gregory Dennis feeling been justifiably proud Nurses have long of Porter. Few comborne the brunt of demunities as rural as livering care. Their ours can boast such a community frustration has boiled over here in resource. Porter has for many years understandable and justifiable efprovided high-quality care close to forts to gain some measure of conhome. It’s a large employer and trol by unionizing. has been an anchor of security. Recently, physicians have begun So what is to become of this to experience similar pressures. institution that has so long been a Having sold their practices to part of our lives? the Porter system — which owns I’ll note here that I don’t have more than 12 practices — many of any special insight into recent our local doctors are now employevents. All I know is what I’ve ees. They’ve been able to dispense read in this newspaper’s solid re- with some of the uncertainties of porting by John Flowers. running their own businesses — Nonetheless, after more than 20 but they’re now subject to new years working in healthcare com- demands. munications, perhaps I can offer Porter needs to be sure the desome perspective on the factors at livery of care is as efficient as play here. possible, and that can entail addi(For the record, my small group tional requirements imposed upon of public-relations professionals doctors. These may involve addirepresents healthcare organiza- tional expectations to see a certain tions, most of them technology number of patients, and to demoncompanies. We talk regularly with strate the delivery of high-quality, nurses, physicians and other hos- evidence-based care. pital personnel around the U.S. As Porter strives for efficiencies, I have no financial stake in what the economic impact is a personal happens at Porter.) one for many residents.
Between The Lines
The part-time employees who lost their benefits are neighbors, family and friends. So are the nurses who had the rug pulled out from under them when they were laid off. Then physician employees were handed stricter employment contracts (since withdrawn by Porter). As unhappy as everyone is about these steps, the cost pressures won’t go away. So where are we? Here are a few educated guesses: • The board’s decision to retain Dr. Fred Kniffin as acting president and CEO was a wise one. He’s got the local cred to work with the medical staff as the system evolves. • Porter absolutely needs to right its financial affairs. I wouldn’t be shocked to see some service cuts over time. • A merger or acquisition may be in Porter’s future. I don’t know anyone who wants to see that happen after so many decades of community governance. But M&A is not just a Wall Street phenomenon anymore. It’s the way of the world in healthcare, with the hope of containing costs without sacrificing quality. And yes, it’s sad that we even have to contemplate such a possibility. • Lower-paid personnel may continue to replace RNs in jobs that require fewer nursing skills — just as nurse practitioners are performing some duties once reserved for physicians. • The Porter board and management have learned they need to move more slowly and communicate more effectively with employees and the public. Whatever comes next, both Porter and the public will, unfortunately, have to endure more changes as this “patient” is put on the path to healing. Gregory Dennis’s column appears here every other Thursday and is archived on his blog at www.gregdennis.wordpress.com. Email: gregdennisvt@yahoo.com. Twitter: @greengregdennis.com.
Letter (Continued from Page 4A) ping coins could not have seemed more cavernous. My coins were not joining any others in the container. Certainly not any bills that would muffle the noise. The prices one paid at the concessions were not quite what is expected when at an airport or major league sporting event but they weren’t inexpensive. Often as not, if families did make it to ski areas this past winter they packed a lunch themselves. I never got the impression that anyone would even think about taking those tip boxes. Even if they weren’t bolted to the counter the effort would not be worth it. They seemed to be an empty reminder of the winter past that wasn’t. So what of the workers that had worked previous winters and knew tips were something nice to help pay the bills, boost morale or give one reason to take pride in their work in
the hospitality industry. Empty tip boxes may have meant some were just glad they weren’t furloughed for the whole season. They might also mean a wait for the new set of radials that is needed for their car. It may mean that instead of new cleats for spring sports for the kids there will simply be thinner socks. What kind of stress and rancor has there been for hard workers who had always rewarded themselves with a 12-pack on weekends but now that reward had become a source of contention? The Middlebury Snow Bowl ended its season on Sunday along with a few other Vermont ski areas. They have three lifts on their mountain in Hancock but it took an awful long time to open even one and for most of the season they had only two open. The third lift was barely open at all and it is no secret that if there weren’t snowmaking at this and other ski areas maybe there would
have been no season at all. Pity the poor ski equipment salespeople who made their rounds hoping someone would need to restock their gear and clothing. The ripples of the coins not falling in the tip box are felt further and further out in our state’s economy. Season ticketholders all over the state, and beyond, are wondering why they put all that money up front. Will they think twice before doing it again? How big an aberration was this winter past? As a novice skier I watched the signs on the lift lines more closely than experienced skiers. But the final sign in this winter seems to be the most ironic: Keep tips up. John Mahoney Burlington
Lucretius: What it means to say ‘Nothing comes to be from nothing’ Editor’s note: This is the fifth arising from no prior circumstance, is not a rigid system but an evolvin a series of essays on Lucretius, hence seeming to arise from noth- ing process. Lucretius anticipated an early philosopher who provides ing. This will be the theme of the Darwin’s notion of descent through modification, whereby species are a link to “lost classics” through next essay. Commonsensical though it may not unalterable kinds, but varieties his epic poem “On the Nature of seem, the principle that nothing that dominate for a time because Things.” The proposition, “Nothing comes comes to be from nothing has sig- of favorable environmental condito be from nothing,” is the funda- nificant contemporary deniers. A tions. Secondly, for Lucretius the prinmental principle of the system of well-known physicist, Lawrence nature that Lucretius presents in Krauss, denied it in a recent book ciple means that there is always titled “A Universe from something. The universe is without De Rerum Natura. The Nothing: Why There Is beginning and end. It consists of principle is of great Something Rather than two parts: matter and void, or inantiquity, which is not Nothing.” He goes on finite space. Matter consists of an surprising, because, on to explain that by “noth- aggregate of atoms, of a variety of the face of it, it seems ing” he doesn’t mean shapes and sizes, although all too a matter of common “nothing at all,” or that small to be perceived, and of an unsense, which may speak there is not anything limited number. well of our species. anywhere. Lucretius describes atoms as I once believed that He applies a more compound bodies made up parts it was first employed subtle meaning to it. He of infinitesimal magnitude that are philosophically by the observes that in the evo- held together by an insuperable coancient Greeks, until I lution of the universe hesive force, which Lucretius does learned that its specubeginning with the “Big not explain. Atoms are in constant lative use is older than Lucretius: the Bang,” which begins, as motion. When untroubled, not disthat, showing up in the Rig Veda and the Upa- nature of things it were, from the very turbed by the impact of another, bottom of things so far they move uniformly in a rectilinear nishads, key parts of An essay by as we can observe, we path. But when they collide, they the religious literature Victor Nuovo perceive things develop- converge and move like streams of of ancient India that were composed about Middlebury College ing from aggregates to water running down an incline toa millennium before, professor emeritus systems of lifeless mat- wards the same point, they form a ter, and then, when we moving mass, a vortex, which genaround 1500BCE. How of philosophy come to our own planet, erates a world, and through a prothe Greeks got it, I do the evolution of life, a cess of evolution that Lucretius cannot know. Perhaps each chain of beings of re- not explain, but only describes, the came upon it independently, guided in both instances by markable complexity and adaptabil- sorts of things that inhabit our world arise and perish. the structure of their respective lan- ity and novelty. Now the evolution of things In the dance of atoms, as in chilguages, Sanskrit and Greek, which are of the same family, Indo-Euro- seems different from the genera- dren at play, or adults at work, rules pean, but also by keen observation tion of things, inasmuch as things or covenants are seized upon, and generated according to a scheme of attain the status of laws of nature. of how things become. The ancient poet-priests of the inheritance are in most respects pre- To identify these laws, and to deVeda did not suppose that “Nothing determined by it, but so far as we scribe how they operate and how comes to be from nothing” is a self- know, universes are not the prod- regular classes and species of things evident truth; some of them denied ucts of procreation except in myths. are formed, as well as world sysit, and there was an ongoing dispute The primal stuff does not contain tems that regulate the motions of among them about it. Likewise, al- the well-defined seeds of all things stars and planets, is the work of though he based his system of na- within itself, and the process is not natural science, for which Lucretius ture on it, Lucretius does not claim intelligently designed or guided, it was here laying the foundation. Lastly, the principle that nothing it as a self-evident truth. For him, it operates blindly and without purwas an empirical truth, confirmed pose; in the evolution of things, comes to be from nothing signifies by experience, which leads to an nature demonstrates a spontaneous nature’s conservation of its primary important point. Philosophical natu- creativity. There is no need of an in- resources, atoms and void. Everyralism is not an established religion; telligent designer, when nature does thing else rises and falls, whereby the death of one thing feeds the therefore, it has no dogmas. Its prin- it all. But, back to the principle that emergence and growth of another. ciples are hypothetical and experimental; they depend upon a careful nothing comes to be from nothing, “Raindrops perish when they fall observation of things, trial and er- what did it mean to Lucretius? His into the lap of mother Earth, and thoughts about it are surprisingly then the bright crops arise, the ror, and on a keen imagination. The principle is often taken to cogent and fresh. First, it signified branches upon the trees grow green, be synonymous with another prin- to him the orderliness of nature and become heavy with fruit … ciple, that everything has a cause; in the generation of things and of and we behold happy cities bloomlikewise with the principle that ev- cosmic events. Flowering plants, ing with children and leafy woods erything happens according to a law animals, earthquakes, storms, all filled with the song of young birds or rule, or in regular order. But al- occur in regular order in spite of … young ones gambol in merry though these three principles large- their suddenness, as often happens play over the delicate grass on their ly coincide, their meanings are not with storms. Chickens don’t spring unsteady limbs, their tender hearts out of crocodile eggs, water must intoxicated with fresh milk drawn quite the same. In any case, these three princi- be carried upwards on currents of from the swollen udders of their ples overlap enough to allow us to air before rain clouds can gather to caring mothers.” These are the wonuse them interchangeably: Nothing shower the earth. This orderliness ders of nature and of nature only. comes to be from nothing; nothing comes to be without a cause; nothing comes to be outside of the lawlike order of nature. And, Lucretius YOU’RE NOT JUST A NUMBER seems to have accepted them all. Yet, once, and only once, he admitted in the scheme of things an exception to one or all of them. The Talk with one of our advisors today. famous swerve of atoms — the random, momentary departure of atoms from their regular rectilinear We offer professional and diverse investment options to match course — is motion without a cause, any business on Wall Street. Our team will pair its understanding according to no rule, an occurrence
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Raymond (Continued from Page 4A) who never falters in the face of adversity. (If you ever saw me trying to put paper in the new copier, you would know this is not true.) I had to save the worm. I shuddered. I cringed. But it came down to one thing: Just because I had never touched a worm before didn’t mean I couldn’t do it. And rationally, I knew it wouldn’t kill me; almost every person I knew who had ever touched a worm had survived. After a few false starts — and after I worked out a plan so that if I blacked out, I would fall in between two vehicles rather than out in the open where I myself might get run over — I picked up the worm be-
tween my thumb and forefinger. Just like that. On the inside I was shrieking like Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween,” but a casual observer would have noticed only a normal human walking purposefully toward a grassy area at the edge of the parking lot. I dropped the worm in a sheltered spot and then hurried inside to wash my hands (just in case worms secrete poison from their pores). I have to be honest: Touching a worm wasn’t that bad, regardless of what I might have read in some fictional story when I was younger. I wish I could say the same about prom.
L to R: Kris Pearsall, Registered Representative; Fred Baser, CFP®; Shawn Oxford, AIF®; Matt Igler & Reese in front.
Board Member Spotlight
For a good quarter of a century, the Parent/Child Center’s programs have epitomized all that is best in our human condition. The Center and its outstanding staff work to improve the lives of our young people and help them realize the full potential of their abilities. At the Parent/Child Center these young people find acceptance, dignity, professional guidance and a caring family. I take pride in supporting the work of the P/CC because I think it is performed at a critical time in the lives of many of these young people and allows them to become happy, productive members of society. In addition, and not incidentally, I support the Parent/Child Center programs because for over thirty years they have saved our government (that’s our taxes) long term social service expenses.
Natalie Peters
acpcc@sover.net • addisoncountypcc.org • 388-3171
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PAGE 6A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
ADDISON COUNTY
William Steadman Jr., 81, Vergennes
Obituaries
VERGENNES — William L. Steadman Jr. of Vergennes passed away, after a brief illness, on Friday, March 18, 2016, at Porter Medical center. William (Bill) was born on March 29, 1934, in Bristol. He was 81 years old. He attended Bristol High School and graduated from UVM. He received a master’s degree in Business Administration from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. In 1955 he married Deanna Danbrooke and together they had three children, Brian, Gary and Eric. Bill retired as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force with 23 years of dedicated service. He served as a navigator and navigator instructor for several tanker crews including the 380th Bombardment Wing, the largest ying wing in the Strategic Air Command. His ďŹ nal assignment was as base operations ofďŹ cer at Plattsburgh AFB. While in the military, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Meritorious Service Medal. Bill’s service included one
Byron McDonald, 95, Seal Beach, Calif. SEAL BEACH, Calif. — Byron Aloysius McDonald, born Oct. 30, 1920, passed away while in Hospice care in his home in Seal Beach, on Feb.1, 2016. Born to parents James Hickman and Theresa (Pittmann) and raised in Pueblo, Colo., Byron, or “Mac� as he was nicknamed, attended Pueblo Central High and the University Colorado at Boulder. Just as the U.S. entered WWII, he was an engineering student enrolled in Civilian Pilot Training, and began his war work at the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. After marrying Phyllis Selma Zimmerly, he transferred to the Naval Air Missile Test Center (NAMTC) at Point Mugu, Calif., where, at age 26, he became senior civilian engineer. By the time he built a house in the Ojai Valley, the NAMTC had moved from nothing to the most advanced testing laboratory on the West Coast. Byron moved his family several times, from Whittier to Encino to San Bernardino, as his work for the aerospace industry took him from Rocketdyne to Hughes Aircraft and air-to-air Falcon missiles, to the Minuteman Missile Program at Space Technology Labs, soon renamed TRW. When TRW branched out in to non-weapon systems, Systems Analyst Byron moved his family to New England, working with TRW’s Medical Regional Program and the University of Vermont. He freelanced, wrote a book on planning, developed and patented a methane gas digester, and developed a
hydroponic garden. After his wife’s death, he spent two years attending Seminary and then moved to California to work for Stanford University. One of his ďŹ nal assignments at Stanford was to be the guy who had to condemn buildings after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. He lived on a boat for several years before his retirement in Seal Beach, where he continued to play a mean game of tennis, three times a week, right up until his 93rd birthday. He is survived by his children, Barry (Barbara) McDonald of Vergennes, Vt.; Georgianna (Lou) Boardman of Sharon, Vt.; Jeffrey (Susan) McDonald of Charlotte, Vt.; Matthew McDonald of Seal Beach, Calif.; and James McDonald of Rutland, Vt. Also, granddaughters, Christen (Roland) Bernier, Eustacia (Kevin) Carleton, and Nina McDonald; grandsons, Jesse (Lisa) Boardman, Tyler McDonald, and Ethan McDonald; greatgrandchildren, Raena, Adrianna, Shannon, Christina, Hailey, Megan, Kiely, Jackson and Charlene Rose; great-great-grandchildren, Joel and Kayden; and brother, William (Patricia) McDonald. He is also survived by many other nieces, nephews and cousins. Byron was preceded in death by his parents; wife; brothers James, John and Richard; and great-grandson Stephen. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2016, at the All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA, 90807.
and college years who will cherish his memory, especially his love of music, both as a performer and fan. He was a talented guitar and piano player, songwriter and singer. A literate and creative soul who studied history, English literature and poetry, Dave loved Shakespeare and Blake. He was known for completing The New York Times daily crossword, in ink, with no errors. An early adopter of all things technological, musical and cultural, Dave had a restless energy. One friend remarked: “He had a sparkle in his eye; he knew something the rest of us weren’t in on.� Another said: “With Dave we had the feeling we were on some kind of mission. He was always antsy to keep moving. Something was just over the horizon and we had to hurry up and get to it.� Dave is survived by his former wife of 17 years, Heidi Hammermeister, his son Austin and daughter Ellary, all of Wheat Ridge, Colo.; father, Richard Suger of St. Augustine, Fla.; brother, Thomas Suger of San Francisco, Calif.; sister Laura Suger Gundaker of St. Augustine, Fla.; and by Heidi’s parents, Susan and Dr. Karl Hammermeister of Denver; and
Burial ceremony will follow at the All Souls cemetery. In lieu of owers, the family encourages donations to the Orange County Rescue Mission, www. rescuemission.org. The family would like to thank the Seal Beach Fire Department, the 24-hour nursing team at the Leisure World Health Care Center, the tireless team at Companion Hospice, caregiver J.C. Castro and the dedicated staff of the Mae Morgan Agency, and neighbors Tanny deSmit, Marcia and George Moriarty, Sandy Young, Debbie and Manny Cienega, and Eve Dinsmore, for their excellent care and friendship. ◊
DAVID HARRISON SUGER many friends. Dave was predeceased by his mother, Susan Powers Suger of Pinehurst, N.C.; and sister Jean Suger Spagnola of Boston. Plans are being formulated for memorial gatherings in summer, 2016.â—Š
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MIDDLEBURY — Eleanor H. Young (Ellie) died surrounded by her devoted family at Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center on Friday, March 18, 2016. She was born on Sept. 19, 1923, in Ticonderoga, N.Y., the daughter of Bradford and Hazel (Sellingham) Catlin. She attended school in Ticonderoga, where she liked to play soccer. She graduated in the class of 1942. This is where she met and married the love her life, Ronnie Holmes. Their relationship fostered three small children, and was expecting another, when one day she received the tragic news that her Ronnie had been suddenly killed in a construction accident. Although devastated and with limited means she continued on with one thought: her children. Ellie was fortunate enough to meet Robert Young (Bob.) He was a widower and had two small children of his own. Bob and Ellie were married and together they raised a mixed family until his death in 2003. Ellie was a homemaker, but oh so much more. She took great pride in her home, she was an avid gardener who always had beautiful geraniums. Sewing was her hobby, and she was very good at it. She enjoyed Tuesday night leagues with the girls, Betty, Peggy, Nellie and Doris, bowling for Ga Ra Machine Co. She loved to read, and over the years loved so many of her dogs, Inga, Chipper, Teddy, and Prince. She did not like to cook but was a fantastic cook. Her large and well attended holiday family meals and desserts were incredible, cherry supreme pie, and oh, those cookies. Ellie’s achievements were many,
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LAS VEGAS — Laura Lee “Coogie� Baker, 58, passed away Sunday, March 13, from complications of being a paraplegic from a 1979 auto accident, in Las Vegas. She was born in Middlebury, Vt. on July 5, 1957, the daughter of Bill and Leona (French) Robinson. A 1975 graduate of Mount Abraham Union High School, she was married in 1983 in Lincoln, Vt. She worked at the Sugar House Restaurant and Sugar Shack. She left her beloved town in 1996 to move to sunny Las Vegas, where she spent the next 20 years. She lived a brave and happy life with her disability. Call to Schedule Delivery
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but if you asked her she would say without a doubt it was her children. They meant the world to her and her love, compassion, and caring for them, even as adults, was unending. Always willing to help, always there to listen. She had beautiful blue eyes and an incredible infectious smile, which she readily displayed. She is survived by her daughters Molly Lapell (Holmes) and her husband Wayne, a very special son-inlaw of South Burlington, and Naomi Young of Indiana; sons Ron Holmes of Middlebury, Tim Holmes and wife Debbie, a very special daughter-inlaw of Salisbury, and Gary Holmes of Malta, N.Y.; granddaughters Becky Bedard of North Carolina, Kathy Holmes of Massachusetts, Kelly Ryan and husband George of Massachusetts, Rosemary Hand of Steamburg, N.Y., and Scott Lapell of New York; a brother, Herb Catlin of Sherrill, N.Y.; a special daughterin-law, Ann Holmes of Florida; sisters-in-law Shirley Hirt and Irene Fissette, both of New York; sisterin-law Edna Holmes of Virginia; 14 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Ronnie Holmes; husband Bob Young; parents, Bradford and Hazel Catlin; a brother, Abe Catlin; a daughter, Wendy Hand; a daughterin-law, Louise Holmes; grandsons Dean Lapell and Mark Hand; and son-in-law Ed Hand. The family would like to thank the many caregivers who were so wonderful to Mom at home, Shirley, Debbie, Karen and Jeanie; the care staff at EastView, Rich, Faye, Cindy, Emily, Kathy and many more; and the care staff, nurses, kitchen crew,
ELEANOR ‘ELLIE’ YOUNG maintenance, social services, activities, the many residents and family members that became our friends at Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation. I have come to know you all and you were so, so wonderful to Mom and I. A special thanks to Sandy, Bill, and Fran for their incredible support. Also the wonderful staff at Addison County Home Health and Hospice, Kathy, Sarah and Tim. A family graveside service was held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Homeward Bound. Mother, you were the best, you made us what we are today, we will never forget you. Arrangements entrusted to the Sanderson Funeral Home. Online condolences can be made at www. sandersonfuneralservice.com. ◊
Laura Baker, 58, native of Middlebury
(802) 453-4884
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may be made to the Vergennes Community Food Shelf — Congregational Church of Vergennes (802) 877-2435. ◊
Eleanor Young, 92, Middlebury
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David Suger, 54, Arvada, Colo. ARVADA, Colo. — David Harrison Suger, 54, of Arvada, Colo., died Wednesday, March 16, 2016, after an illness. Dave was a 1985 graduate of Middlebury College and earned a master’s degree from Bread Loaf School of English in 1992. He was born in Ardmore, Pa., on Aug. 28, 1961, the third of four children of Richard and Susan (Powers) Suger. Dave attended Chatham Township High School in New Jersey, excelling academically and athletically. Dave married Heidi Hammermeister July 27, 1996, in Steamboat Springs, Colo. He held teaching and coaching positions at Fryeburg Academy in Maine from 1988-1991 and St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood, Colo., from 1992-1999. He was employed at Regis University in Denver from 1999-2012. Dave was a loving husband and father, coaching his children’s teams, and he enjoyed biking, hiking, skiing and ying kites as a family. He loved outdoor sports, backpacking, skiing and especially disc golf. Dave was a beloved friend to many peers from his high school
tour in Vietnam. Bill lived a fairly private life but he was deeply devoted to his immediate family as well as his extended family and friends. He will be greatly missed by everyone. He had a great sense of humor and loved his outdoor activities. Bill was predeceased by his father, William L. Steadman; mother, Ruth H. Steadman; and brother Daniel. Bill is survived by his wife, Deanna; three sons, Brian and his wife Lisa, Gary and Emily Bush, and Eric; and two brothers, Allen and his wife Jackie and Thomas and his wife Christine. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Corey, Amy, Michael, Mark, Eric and Kaley; three great-grandchildren: Ellie, Colton and Charlotte; and several nieces and nephews. There will be a small family graveside service in remembrance of William that will be privately held. There will be no formal calling hours. Donations in William’s memory
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Coogie is survived by her husband of 32 years, Douglas M. Baker; her Las Vegas siblings Kim Crowell and husband Randy, and Mitzy Baker; her Vermont siblings Lee Diesi and husband Jerry, Bill Robinson and wife Debbie, and Peter Robinson. Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the United Church of Lincoln. Interment will be in Maple Cemetery in Lincoln. There will be a celebration of Coogie’s life at the American Legion Post 19 immediately after. In lieu of owers, contributions may be made to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, PO Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753. ◊
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Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 7A
Middlebury rail bridges project progressing
Clippings (Continued from Page 4A) knose she stayed, which sometimes morphed to Nokie and then just to Blackie (for a mostly orange cat). When our older daughter, Meigan, came along, Blackie loved nothing more than to curl up beside her and spend hours, literally, grooming her bald baby head. Months after Meigan was born, we put almost all of our belongings in a storage unit and set off for Europe for my husband’s work. Blacknose stayed with us over the next several peripatetic years. She lived with us in Sevilla, Spain, where we soon learned that she and her ilk were a scourge upon our apartment building. The “portero” (doorman/ groundskeeper/maintenance guy) left a scrawling hand-written note (in Spanish, of course) tacked to our door enumerating all the reasons cats were “sucio,” dirty. Our postage-stampsized apartment was on the ground floor of what had been a convent back in the day, and Blacknose used the window onto the courtyard as her cat door, jumping in and out, and in the process leaving paw prints on the butfor-her spotlessly whitewashed walls. Life in the French countryside, while my husband led VBT bike tours, was easier on felines. Perhaps my favorite picture of Blacknose shows her elegantly perched on a Paris hotel balcony, gazing serenely at the street life below. My feline friend came with me, when, baby in tow, I was abruptly called to a suburban street in Colorado Springs to care for my mother, who needed months of live-in care after an accident. Blacknose returned with us to Vermont, where she reigned as queen of our household for the next 14 years. We almost lost her twice, but she always pulled through. Right before the birth of our second child, we bought a house at the end of a quiet, dead-end street. Months later she dragged a hind foot in on Halloween night and we learned from the vet how hard it is to reset cat’s bones because they are so light and delicate. After that, she could never jump or climb, but she seemed happy padding around the garden on sunny days, eating cantaloupe, snoozing on the bed, purring, cuddling, and occasionally giving one of our noses a good chomp. At one point, my two daughters and I accompanied my husband on a two-month travel-writing research trip to Portugal and when we got back she was on death’s door. The vet said she’d stopped eating because we were gone, was heading into liver failure, and the only chance to save her was to spoon feed her until she started eating again on her own. The vet cautioned us it rarely worked, and we’d probably lose her. But we spoon fed her for an entire month until she got back the twinkle in her eyes and, after many, many more months of eating, the wobble in her belly. She seemed to age gracefully, her coat still beautiful, if not quite as well-groomed, as her tongue lost its rough edge, in the way of aging cats. Last Saturday started out like any other day except Blacknose looked wrong. So we took her to the vet, who put her on pain meds and an antibiotic. We stayed close to her all day, taking turns holding her on our laps and petting her. Then suddenly late at night her conditioned worsened dramatically. And in the time it took to call the emergency vet, get the return call, describe what was happening and consider whether to drive Blackie to Brandon or Burlington, she was gone.
Blackie died on the couch, right between me and my older daughter — now 16 and almost grown, once the baby whose little bald head Blacknose groomed and groomed — and my younger daughter close by. It’s funny: I was upset that we didn’t have any idea Saturday was her last day and she went so fast there wasn’t enough time to adjust to her loss and really say goodbye. But when I called my husband with the news — back in our old stomping grounds in France where he was researching a travel guide — he was glad she was spared a long, slow, difficult decline. An autopsy revealed that she had likely died from something with a complicated name I didn’t even know existed, a ruptured blood vessel tumor, hemangiosarcoma. I heard the “sarcoma” part, and couldn’t really process the rest. I guess the blessings are in how you see it. So it’s the death — now I’ve said that word — of a cat and, also, for me I think, sort of an end to an era. Those little girls who scooped up Blacknose and her sibs, whose enthusiastic cuddling left the kittens tuckered out for days afterwards at our wedding? All grown. One is a nurse, another a librarian, another is in college. The ramshackle old farmhouse we rented? Bought by someone with a lot of money who gutted it, changed the footprint and renovated it almost beyond recognition, though Green River continues to run straight along the east side, burbling on its way south to Massachusetts. And the hardworking hill farm up the road, where I once trudged with my snow shovel to aid my 80-something neighbor only to find her out with her boots and snowblower, undaunted? Put on the market for a price only an out-oftown banker could afford. That newborn baby whose bald baby head Blacknose groomed so assiduously? Now one year from completing high school, with a 12-yearold sister, and excitedly looking ahead to the next stage of her life, when she’ll leave home for college and beyond. And that little kitten who scampered down the halls and delighted her way into our arms? The chart in the vet’s office Saturday morning converted her age to around 84 in human years. My favorite poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, has a poem about the profound grief that can settle on us when faced with the mutability of all things — especially the changes that erase, age or decay the places, the things, the people, the animals we love. In the poem, Hopkins calls it “the blight man was born for,” our awareness that everything we love, ourselves included, will, like the leaves on the trees, move from spring’s beauty and summer’s glory to drop and die come fall. But it’s another line from another Hopkins poem I find myself going over and over when I think of Blackie: “Glory be to God for dappled things.” The poem goes on to name, as per the title, all manner of “pied beauty”: brindled cows, finches’ wings, stippled trout, “landscape plotted and pieced.” Hopkins didn’t name tortoiseshell cats, and he didn’t name Blackie. But I will. Thank you, Blacknose, with your pied coat and your brindled fur, for your grace, your beauty, your cat smarts, your cat soul, your companionship. Thanks for being a part of our family. You will be missed.
Money Matters
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I was hired two months ago as Middlebury’s Community Liaison for our downtown bridges project, which will get under way this fall. This position is funded by VTrans, and it has three goals: 1) to provide accurate and timely information on the project to the community, 2) to provide community feedback to VTrans, and 3) to help promote the vitality of Middlebury’s downtown during the project. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to and learning from town residents, business owners, people in town government, and community leaders. I’ve also spent a lot of time in Montpelier, getting to know the people at VTrans and how their world works. In this column I am sharing with you what I’ve learned during the past two months in the form of frequently asked questions. In future columns, I’ll explore specific topics like preservation of our downtown buildings during construction, and I will keep the community fully up to date as planning moves forward. Q: What’s the latest on the project to replace our downtown bridges? A: The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has decided that the vertical clearance of the Main Street and Merchants Row bridges — vertical clearance is the distance between the top of the rail and the bottom of the bridge — needs to be 21 feet in order to accommodate future uses of the western corridor rail line, including auto carriers and Amtrak dome cars. (The current bridge height is about 18 feet. Last year the town of Middlebury gained a two-foot variance from the state vertical clearance standard of 23 feet.) VTrans also felt that the projected savings in cost and time from lowering the bridge height from the planned 21 feet were not enough to justify more time spent examining vertical clearance options. This decision clears the way for VTrans and the town to address in detail those aspects of the project that are truly critical to the town, including preservation of our historic buildings, downtown parking, water quality, quality of town life during construction, and the timeline of the project. Q: Why isn’t the town digging in its heels on the vertical clearance issue? Isn’t that the key to minimizing disruption of the construction project? A: The town feels that what mat-
ters most is the duration of the construction project. While vertical clearance factors into the duration, there are several other ways to reduce the construction timeline. Also, since the state Legislature would need to approve any further variance in vertical clearance and since all engineering design work to date has been based on a 21-foot clearance, the town feels that further debate on vertical clearance would push construction out another year, a significant risk given the deteriorated state of the Merchants Row and Main Street bridges and the rail line.
current “pop-up park”; and a temporary modular parking garage will be built in town (site to be determined). In 2018, track work is scheduled to continue north of Main Street and south of Merchants Row, starting in spring and finishing before the 2018 holiday shopping season. The goal is to complete all construction work in 2018.
Q: W h a t ’s this project going to cost? Who’s paying for it? A: The project is currently estimated at $40 million. The Federal Highway Administration is paying 95 percent of the cost of the project, with the state of The VTrans exVermont paying the reMerchants Row & ecutive team gained a mainder. At town meetMain Street Bridges ing in 2014, Middlebury deeper understanding of the town’s concerns taxpayers approved an Replacement during the lengthy disinvestment of $500,000 Project Update cussion about vertical to help pay for coverclearance, with the re- By Jim Gish, Community Liaison ing the rail line section sult that the town now from Merchants Row has greater leverage in to Main Street with a how the project is organized and ex- tunnel, extending the Village Green ecuted. from St. Stephen’s west to Triangle Park. Q: Who is making decisions on this project on behalf of the town? Q: What are we doing to safeguard A: The Middlebury Selectboard our downtown business community appointed a Local Project Manage- during construction? ment Team to oversee project planA: The Better Middlebury Partnerning and advise the selectboard on ship, the Addison County Chamber of decisions that need to be made. The Commerce, and the town are working LPMT has been made up of select- together to keep the downtown busiboard members Donna Donahue, ness community informed about projNick Artim, and Dean George as ect status and to create special promochair. Ken Perine serves as commu- tions and events to “Keep Middlebury nity representative on the LPMT. Open for Business” during construction. We are also applying for federal Q: What’s the current project grants to support the marketing initiaschedule? tives of local businesses. A: The major construction phase — replacement of the Main Street Q: What are we doing to preserve and Merchants Row bridges — will our historic downtown buildings? begin in April 2017. The two bridges A: We are developing a work plan will be replaced one at a time to al- that includes a pre-construction surlow traffic flow and pedestrian access vey, active monitoring of our historic downtown throughout 2017. Bridge buildings, and the protocol for stopconstruction and related track work ping work in the event of any damage are expected to be completed and that may occur. normal traffic patterns restored before the 2017 holiday shopping seaQ: What will happen to the ACTR son. To prepare for 2017, in fall 2016 bus stop on Merchants Row during an access road will be built from the construction? end of Water Street to the Battell A: After evaluating in detail severparking lot to serve Battell residents, al alternative sites in town, the LPMT those who work in the building, de- is looking at temporarily relocating livery vehicles, and construction the Merchants Row bus stop to South crews; a drainage system will be Pleasant Street during construction. constructed around the site of the A public hearing of South Pleasant
Street residents and property owners provided valuable feedback, and the LPMT is now examining how it might relocate the Merchants Row ACTR bus stop to South Pleasant Street with minimal disruption to the neighborhood. Ideally, the relocation would take place in fall 2016. Q: How disruptive will it be in town during construction? A: To get the work done as quickly as possible, construction crews will work two 10-hour shifts each day. A five-day workweek will probably begin late Sunday evening and come to an end on Friday at 5 p.m. There will be noise, lights, and dust during construction. How much will depend on specific construction activity. The town will do its best to keep residents and businesses up to date on each week’s planned activity and likely impact. Pedestrians and vehicles will be able to navigate town during construction and signage will be provided for residents and visitors. Q: Is passenger rail service coming to Middlebury? A: Yes, the current plan is that Amtrak’s Ethan Allen service will be extended from Rutland to Burlington starting in 2018 and Middlebury will be a station stop. The site of the rail station is under discussion. Q: How can I get involved to help our town through this challenging period? A: Neighbors, Together — a community action group initiated by St. Stephen’s and supported by several organizations in town — is developing a wide range of action plans to involve the community in the construction process. For more information, see www.ststephensmidd.org/ neighbors-together/. Q: How can I get regular updates on the construction project? A: Middlebury resident Jim Gish has been hired as Community Liaison for the Bridge Replacement Project. He will be updating the Middlebury and Addison County communities with regular postings on Front Porch Forum, an online blog available through the town website, www.middleburybridges. org, and in regular contributions to the Addison Independent. He will also be holding various information sessions in the months ahead. You can reach Jim via email at jgish@ townofmiddlebury.org or via phone at 388-8100, ext. 400.
PAGE 8A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
2016 ADDISON COUNTY
RABIES CLINICS A number of rabies vaccination clinics are being sponsored by the Addison County veterinarians during the month of March. Each clinic is open to all residents of all towns. Dogs should be leashed and cats in carriers for the safety of all. To avoid confusion and delay, please bring a copy of the pet’s most recent Rabies CertiďŹ cate. Payment by CASH only, please no checks.
PLACES, DATES & TIMES ORWELL • Orwell Firehouse. Friday, March 25 . 5PM – 7PM . $12 BRIDPORT • Bridport Firehouse. Saturday, March 26 . 10AM – Noon . $12 SHOREHAM • Shoreham Firehouse. Tuesday, March 29 . 6PM – 8 PM . $12
HUGE RUMMAGE SALE! 5th Annual Treasures & Trinkets Sale
Saturday - April 2, 2016
community
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“She Sings to the Starsâ€? screening and “Meet the Filmmakersâ€? event in Middlebury. Thursday, March 24, 6 p.m., Marquis Theater. Meet producer Jonathan Corcoran and writer/director Jennifer Corcoran at 6 p.m., followed by the screening at 7. In this new Vermont feature ďŹ lm a Native American grandmother lives alone in the desert, her half-Mexican grandson is lost between worlds, and a down-on-his-luck magician ďŹ nds himself at her door. Adults $10, seniors $8. Q&A with the ďŹ lmmakers after the screening. Info: http:// shesingstothestars.com. Community gathering in Ripton. Thursday, March 24, 6 p.m., Ripton Community Church. All are invited to come clear away the dark clouds of poverty, sickness, disrespect, war, violence and inequality, and weave the sunshine of support, friendship, health, compassion and joy. Sing songs and share good soup and bread. For info and to share ideas, call 388-6107.
Mar
25
Sponsored by the VUHS Commodore Parent/Teacher Group. Proceeds fund enrichment grants and eductional initiatives.
The Shoreham Inn We’re taking a little Spring Break! We will be closed: Monday, March 21st – Monday, March 28th Reopening: Thursday, March 31st 3ğłŠIJ Ć?ĆŒ t 4ľğĿIJľĎĺ 7ĜĚĚĎĴIJ t Ć?ĆˆĆŠ Ć?Ć‘Ć? Ć?ĆˆĆ?Ɖ t ŀľğĿIJľĎĺĜĝĝ İğĺ
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Edgewater gift certiďŹ cate. RSVP to stacy@edgewatergallery-vt.com. Limited to the ďŹ rst 40 RSVPs. Egg hunt and open house in Vergennes. Saturday, March 26, 10-11 a.m., Cornerstone Preschool and Champlain Valley Christian School. Come hunt for eggs and take a tour of the facility. Music swap in Brandon. Saturday, March 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Compass Music and Arts Center. Come sell, swap and barter anything from vinyl records, CDs, 78s and tapes to new and vintage audio equipment, phonographs, radios, musical instruments, accessories and more. To reserve a space, register by March 24: www.cmacvt.org, 802-247-4295 or info@cmacvt.org. Sugar on Snow Festival in Ferrisburgh. Saturday, March 26, noon-4 p.m., Dakin Farm. Free samples of maple syrup, ham, bacon, cheese and more; boiling demonstrations, live music and more. Info: www.dakinfarm.com/2016-Sugar-On-Snow.dlp. “Rock On Filmâ€? series in Middlebury. Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater. “The Last Waltz,â€? Martin Scorcese’s memorable record of the Band’s farewell concert. Part of a new THT series of the ďŹ nest rock-and-roll ďŹ lms ever made. Tickets $10, available at the THT box ofďŹ ce, 382-9222, www.townhalltheater.org or at the door. Arioso in concert in Brandon. Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music. Central Vermont’s critically acclaimed chamber music ensemble returns to Brandon Music with “Zoologica,â€? a program of animal-titled or –themed works. Tickets $20. Reservations recommended: 802-247-4295 or info@brandon-music.net.
SATURDAY
30
31
Join in March and we’ll waive the joining fee – Save $49.95 - $69.95!
NIA Series: All Saturdays in March 10:30-11:30am Over 30 Classes Each Week – All FREE to Members
Small stories 14 School Street, Bristol VT • 453-5205
Apr
1
FRIDAY
Exhibit opening reception in Middlebury. Friday, April 1, 5-7:30 p.m., Compass Music and Arts Center. Celebrating the opening of “The Girl with the Purple Hair: A Retrospective,â€? works by fabric artist Judith Reilly. Exhibit runs through May 30. Info: www.cmacvt.org. Improv group in Middlebury. Friday, April 1, 8 p.m., Town Hall Theater. The Upright Citizens Brigade, founded by Amy Poehler, performs a night of provocative sketch comedy and absurd, invented-on-the-spot improv. Middlebury College’s improv group, Middlebrow, opens the show. Tickets $35, available at the THT box ofďŹ ce, 382-9222, www. townhalltheater.org or at the door.
Apr
SATURDAY
Apr
SUNDAY
2
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Intro to Personal Training: 3 Sessions for $99!
Call 453-5205 for more information
waterways. Green Mountain Club lecture in Middlebury. Thursday, March 31, 7-8:45 p.m., Ilsley Library. The GMC Bread Loaf Section’s Cecilia Elwert gives an illustrated lecture titled “The ‘Other’ Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro: High Hopes in Tanzania.� Part of the James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series. Free. Refreshments provided. More info: www.gmcbreadloaf.org.
Blood drive in Bristol. Friday, March 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Mountain Health Center, 61 Pine St. All blood types needed. Appointments: redcrossblood. Treasures and Trinkets rummage org or 1-800-733-2767. sale in Vergennes. Saturday, April 2, 8 Free baby/kids’/maternity clothes giveaway in a.m.-2 p.m., Vergennes Union High School Middlebury. Friday, March 25, 4-7 gymnasium. Fifth annual fundraiser for the VUHS p.m., Caring Hearts Pregnancy Commodore Enrichment Grant Program, featurCenter, 52 Merchants Row, Suite ing furniture, household goods, B. Drop in for Fill-a-Bag Friday and take home a free bag of clothes TaeKwon Do K.I.C.K.S. is proud to announce our new Toddler collectibles, adult and kids’ clothing and more. from preemie-5T boys/girls. Info: (18m-3yrs), Preschool (3-5yr olds) and Day Classes (3-adults). Open swim in Bristol. Saturday, deb.caringhearts@live.com or Vergennes Classes are Tuesdays. At Congregational Church: April 2, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Mount 802-388-7272. Artists’ reception in Middlebury. Toddlers 9:15–10:00 and Preschoolers from 10:15 – 11:00. At Abraham Union High School Music and fun for all. Cost Friday, March 25, 5-7 p.m., Christian Reform Church: Family Style Day/Homeschooler classes pool. $3 per swimmer. Children under Jackson Gallery at Town Hall 11:30-12:30. Middlebury Day Classes at VT Sun in Middlebury. 10 must be with an adult. Offered Theater. Celebrating the openToddlers from 10:00–10:45 and Preschoolers from 11:0011:45 by the Bristol Rec Department ing of “Disclosures: Coming out of Obscurity,â€? with works by Lily on Wednesdays. Family Style Day/Homeschooler Classes from on select Saturdays through Check dates at 388-5885, Hinrichsen and Karla Van Vliet. 11:30 - 12:30. Toddler/Preschool Classes are $5/class. Family April. bristolrec@gmavt.net or on Brother-to-Brother event in Day/Homeschooler Classes are $10/class (family discounts) Call Facebook. Also on April 16, 18, 20 Middlebury. Friday, March 25, 6-8:30 p.m., Whirlie’s World, 1232 802-377-0476, email tkdkicks101@yahoo.com or check out and 22. Creative drawing class for kids Exchange St. Middlebury College’s www.tkdkicks.net. of all ages in Orwell. Saturday, Brother-to-Brother organization April 2, 10 a.m., Orwell Free invites all area middle-school boys Library. Children and their parents or guardians for an evening of laser tag, arcade games and are invited to experiment with line drawing, colors pizza. Free. Info and RSVP: btb@middlebury.edu. and light through visual and drawing exercises. Family movie night in Salisbury. Friday, March 25, Community lunch in Cornwall. Short discussion on how to encourage inspiration, 6:30 p.m., Salisbury Community School. Showing Monday, March 28, 11:20-12:15 p.m., freedom of imagination and conďŹ dence. Best for “Inside Out.â€? Children must be accompanied by Cornwall elementary school. Jay Leshinsky children ages 4-10 and their families; those 6 and an adult. Bring pillows, blankets and other comfort will present “Root Crops: Storing the Garden’s younger or with special needs should be accomitems; concessions and popcorn will be sold. Goodness Through Winter.â€? On the menu: beef or panied by an adult. Info: 802-948-2041. “A Celtic Mass for Peace: Songs for the Earthâ€? beet burgers, beet chips with beet ketchup, spring Book sale in Middlebury. Saturday, April 2, 11 concert in Middlebury. Friday, March 25, 7 p.m., greens salad with vinaigrette, and red velvet cake. a.m.-2:30 p.m., Ilsley Library. Featuring over 20 St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Composed by Suggested donation $4. RSVP to lhonican@acsu. categories of gently used books. All sales beneďŹ t Samuel Guarnaccia with lyrics by J. Philip Newell. org by March 23. library programs. Local singers and instrumentalists will perform. Ag lunch in Bridport. Monday, March 28, noon-1:45 Sugar on Snow Festival in Ferrisburgh. Saturday, Info: 388-7200. p.m., Bridport Community Hall. April 2, noon-4 p.m., Dakin Farm. Free samples of maple syrup, ham, bacon, cheese and more; boiling demonstrations, live music and more. Info: www.dakinfarm.com/2016-Sugar-On-Snow.dlp. Green Mountain Club hike on the Met Opera’s “Madama Butteryâ€? live broadcast Community book discussion in Trail Around Middlebury. Saturday, in Middlebury. Saturday, April 2, 1 p.m., Town Orwell. Wednesday, March 30, 11:45 March 26, carpool to starting point on Hall Theater. Famous Puccini opera in which a a.m., Orwell Free Library. Discussion of Weybridge Road, meeting time TBA. The GMC young Japanese geisha clings to the belief that the 2016 Vermont Reads pick, “Shipwreck at Bread Loaf Section offers an easy, 5-mile or her arrangement with a visiting American naval the Bottom of the World,â€? by Jennifer Armstrong. longer hike. Carspotting. Expect a moderate pace. ofďŹ cer is a loving and permanent marriage. Tickets Copies at the library. Orwell Village School Traction devices or snowshoes may be required. $24/$10, available at the THT box ofďŹ ce, 382-9222 students and community members are encouraged Contact leader Kathy Duclos for info and meeting or www.townhalltheater.org. Free pre-show talk in to participate. Lunch provided. Info: 948-2041. time: kduclos@gmavt.net or 802-453-2149. More the Byers Studio at 12:15. Refreshments provided. WomenSafe award celebration in Middlebury. info: www.gmcbreadloaf.org. Chicken and biscuit dinner in Bristol. Saturday, Wednesday, March 30, 5-6:30 p.m., 109 Catamount Easter bake sale in Orwell. Saturday, March 26, April 2, 5:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of Bristol. Park. WomenSafe will honor Barbara Wagner, this 8:30 a.m., Buxton’s Store. Held by the GFWC The church will serve chicken and biscuits, year’s winner of the Kimberly Krans Women Who Orwell Fortnightly Club to beneďŹ t a local project. cranberry sauce, peas and carrots, plus brownChange the World Award. Refreshments provided. Open swim in Bristol. Saturday, March 26, 9:30 ies a la mode for dessert. Adults $10, children Info: 388-9180. a.m.-noon, Mount Abraham Union High School 6-12 $5, children under 6 free. Proceeds beneďŹ t pool. Music and fun for all. Cost $3 per swimmer. Village2Village Project, which supports AIDS Children under 10 must be with an adult. Offered orphans and HIV-positive guardians in northeastby the Bristol Rec Department on select Saturdays ern Uganda. An Old Bones concert follows the through April. Check dates at 388-5885, bristolmeal at 6:30 p.m. Preschool screening in Salisbury. rec@gmavt.net or on Facebook. “Forty Years and a Sawâ€? storytelling event in Thursday, March 31, 6-6:45 p.m., Spring candy hunt in New Haven. Saturday, March Middlebury. Saturday, April 2, 6-7 p.m., Marquis Salisbury school. Parents who have chil26, 10 a.m., New Haven town green. Children ages Theater. Storyteller/logger Bill Torrey mixes enterdren who will be 3 or 4 by Sept. 1 can come learn preschool through third grade, accompanied by an tainment with insight as he brings the audience on about the preschool program. Bring your child’s adult, are invited to hunt for Easter candy. Bring a a narrative journey into the working forest. Free. birth certiďŹ cate and immunization record. RSVP to basket and dress for the weather. Info: 453-5978. Cash bar and food for sale. A related meet and Donna Simpson: 352-4291. Easter bake sale in Hancock. Saturday, March 26, greet is at the Vermont Folklife Center from 5-5:45 10 a.m., JD’s Quick Stop, 529 VT Route 100. Sale “What’s Your Watermarkâ€? documentary screenp.m. in advance of the show. ing and discussion in Ferrisburgh. Thursday, continues until the food runs out. Old Bones in concert in Bristol. Saturday, April 2, March 31, 6:30-9 p.m., Ferrisburgh Town One-day photography contest in Middlebury. 6:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of Bristol. These OfďŹ ces and Community Center. The Ferrisburgh Saturday, March 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Edgewater local country musicians bring their special blend Conservation Commission and Addison County Gallery at the Falls. Former National Geographic of songs, stories and humor to a beneďŹ t concert in River Watch will screen this 37-minute Vermont photographer Jim Blair will judge a one-day support of Village2Village Project, which supports ďŹ lm and then hold a “Water Quality Chat,â€? one “shoot-outâ€? for both professional and amateur AIDS orphans and HIV-positive guardians in northof a series of informal discussions about local photographers. The winner will receive a $500 eastern Uganda. Sam and Zack DuPont in concert in Brandon. Saturday, April 2, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music. This Vermont-made folk-Americana duo performs. Tickets $20. Reservations recommended: 802-247-4295 or info@brandon-music.net. Harpeth Rising in concert in Ripton. Saturday, April 2, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Ripton Community House. The Ripton Community Coffee House welcomes this classically trained trio of woman for an evening of original, gritty lyrics with folk, roots, classical, bluegrass and rock on violin, banjo, cello, foot-percussion, and powerful three-part vocals. Admission $5/$15 generous, $3 kids. Info: www.rcch.org.
Mar
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THURSDAY
LILY HINRICHSEN’S ASSEMBLAGES are a manifestation of the rich and nocturnal world of her dreams and her journal writings. These miniature pieces along with works by Karla Van Vliet together make up the exhibit “Disclosures: Coming Out of Obscurity,� now showing at Town Hall Theater’s Jackson Gallery in Middlebury. An artists’ reception is on Friday, March 25, from 5-7 p.m.
Sugar on Snow Festival in Ferrisburgh. Sunday, April 3, noon-4 p.m., Dakin Farm. Free samples of maple syrup, ham, bacon, cheese and more; boiling demonstrations, live music and more. Info: www. dakinfarm.com/2016-Sugar-On-Snow.dlp. “Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movieâ€? screening in Hancock. Sunday, April 3, 3 p.m., Hancock Town Hall. Friends of the Hancock Free Public Library will be showing Part Two of this Vermont documentary, “Under the Surface.â€? Q&A with the ďŹ lmmakers after the showing. Refreshments. “What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacyâ€? screening in Middlebury. Sunday, April 3, 7 p.m., Town Hall Theater. A compelling documentary about two men, both of whom are the children of high-ranking Nazi ofďŹ cials but who possess very different attitudes toward their fathers. One of four ďŹ lms in the 2016 MNFF Winter Screening Series. Tickets, $12 each or $40 for all four ďŹ lms in the series, available at the THT box ofďŹ ce, 382-9222 or www. townhalltheater.org.
Apr
4
MONDAY Legislative breakfast in Weybridge.
community
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Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 9A
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The beet goes on MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE ORGANIC Farm Educator Jay Leshinsky collects zucchini from student interns on the farm in 2014. Leshinsky will present a talk titled “Root Crops: Storing the Garden’s Goodness Through Winterâ€? at a community lunch (with beets!) at Cornwall’s elementary school on Monday, March 28, at 11:20 a.m. Independent ďŹ le photo/Trent Campbell
Monday, April 4, 7-8:45 a.m., Weybridge Congregational Church. Breakfast at 7, program at 7:30 a.m. Art talk at Middlebury College. Monday, April 4, 4:30-6 p.m., Johnson Memorial Building 304. Cameron Visiting Artist Kenny Rivero will give a public talk. Info: csgriggs@middlebury.edu. Spaghetti dinner fundraiser in Middlebury. Monday, April 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Middlebury American Legion. The Middlebury Union High School softball team is hosting a spaghetti dinner, silent auction and bake sale. Eat in or take out. Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Ages 5 and younger free. Tickets available from any MUHS softball player or at Broughton’s Farm Supply in Bridport or Vermont Natural Ag Products in Middlebury.
Apr
5
TUESDAY
Free foot care/blood pressure clinic in Vergennes. Tuesday, April 5, 9 a.m.-noon, Armory Lane Senior Housing. For Armory Lane residents 9-10 a.m., open to the public 10 a.m.-noon. Bring your own basin and towel. Offered by ACHHH. Lecture on the Hindu deity Vishwakarma at Middlebury College. Tuesday, April 5, 4:30 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125. Professor Kirin Narayan of the school of Culture, History and Language at Australian National University presents “Culture at Hand: The Anthropology of Creativity and the Making of a Divine Craftsman in India.� Free. “UnSlut: A Documentary� screening at Middlebury College. Tuesday, April 5, 6-7:15 p.m., Axinn Room 232. Free screening of a documentary on sexual shaming. Free. Refreshments provided. Info: 802-382-9222 or www. townhalltheater.org.
Apr
6
WEDNESDAY
“Transferring the Farmâ€? workshop in Middlebury. Wednesday, April 6, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Middlebury American Legion. Designed to help farmers and farm families make informed decisions about intergenerational transfer of farmland and farm businesses. Cost $10. Info: bob.parsons@uvm.edu or 802-656-2109. Free foot care/blood pressure clinic in Bridport. Wednesday, April 6, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Bridport Grange Hall, Route 22A. Bring your own basin and towel. Offered by ACHHH. “The Legacy of Rachel Carsonâ€? talk in Middlebury. Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m., Ilsley Library. Dartmouth professor Nancy Jay Crumbine explores Carson’s clarity, courage and brilliance in “Silent Spring,â€? which not only launched the environmental movement but also identiďŹ ed fundamental problems with our relationship to nature. A Vermont Humanities Council First Wednesdays event. Info: www.vermonthumanitiescouncil.org or 802-262-2626. “Daughters of the Forestâ€? screening at Middlebury College. Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m., Dana Auditorium. A vĂŠritĂŠ documentary set in the wilds of rural Paraguay that offers a glimpse of a disappearing world where timid girls grow into brave young women even as they are transformed by their unlikely friendships with one another. Part of the Education Studies Program’s spring ďŹ lm series. Free. See http://daughtersoftheforest.com.
Apr
7
THURSDAY
Blood drive in Middlebury. Thursday, April 7, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Middlebury Regional EMS building, 55 Collins Drive. Appointments and info: redcrossblood.org or 1-800-733-2767. Poetry reading by Rick Barot at Middlebury College. Thursday, April 7, 4:30 p.m., Adirondack House. New England Review and the Middlebury College Creative Writing Program present award-winning author and poet Rick Barot will read his poetry. Free.
Apr
8
FRIDAY
Mars Curiosity rover talk at Middlebury College. Friday, April 8, 5-6 p.m., Bicentennial Hall, Room 220. After 3.5 years on Mars, the Curiosity rover has recently reached exposures of sedimentary rocks that are yielding dramatic new insights into Martian history. Project Scientist John Grotzinger will give an update and take questions. Tzveta Kassabova and Friends dance performance at Middlebury College. Friday, April 8, 8 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts. Assistant Professor of Dance Tzveta Kassabova, joined by Elena Demyanenko and Jennifer Nugent, will transform the theater using raw dance vocabulary, a fascinating visual landscape and a half-mile of rope. Tickets $20/$15/$6, available at www. middlebury.edu/arts or 802-443-6433. Also on April 9.
L I V EM U SIC Beth Duquette and Richard Ruane in New Haven. Friday, March 25, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Peak Vineyard. Paul Asbell Jazz Group in Middlebury. Friday, March 25, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main. The Remedy in Middlebury. Friday, March 25, 9 p.m., Two Brothers Tavern. Patrick Fitzsimmons in Middlebury. Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., The CafĂŠ at the Marquis Theater. DuPont Brothers in Middlebury. Saturday, March 26, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main. The Grift in Middlebury. Saturday, March 26, 9 p.m., Two Brothers Tavern. Caleb Elder and Brett Hughes in New Haven. Friday, April 1, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Peak Vineyard.
ONGOINGEVENTS By category: Farmers’ Markets, Sports, Clubs & Organizations, Government & Politics, Bingo, Fundraising Sales, Dance, Music, Arts & Education, Health & Parenting, Meals, Art Exhibits & Museums, Library Programs. HEALTH & PARENTING Addison County Parkinson’s Disease Outreach Group in Bristol. Last Thursday, 10-11:30 a.m., Mountain Health Center, 74 Munsill Ave. Caregivers welcome. Info: 888-763-3366 or parkinsoninfo@uvmhealth. org. Adult ADHD support group in Middlebury. Second Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Focus Research Center, 135 South Pleasant St. Info: 349-7222 or Debbie@ focusresourcecenter.com. Alcoholics Anonymous. Brandon, Bristol, Middlebury, New Haven, North Ferrisburgh, Ripton, Vergennes. Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings seven days a week throughout Addison County. For times, locations and information on twelve-step, discussion, As Bill Sees It, Big Book, women’s and men’s meetings, call 388-9284 or visit www.aavt.org/ aamtg9.htm#Legend. Al-Anon and Alateen meetings in Middlebury. See vermontalanonalateen.org/meetings.php for meetings days, times and locations. Armchair Yoga in Vergennes. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m., Armory Lane Senior Housing. Register at 802-870-7182. At Wits End. Middlebury. Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. The Turningpoint Center in the Marble Works. 388-4249. Autism Support Daily. First Monday, 7-9 p.m. New Haven Congregational Church. Support for families affected by autism. Online support at www. autismsupportdaily.com. Lynn George, 660-7240; Milly Jackson, 545-2335. Autism Parent Support Group in New Haven. Second Thursday. Sapphire Center, 87 Rivers Bend Road. Childcare not available. Anjanette Sidaway, 388-3887. Blood pressure and foot clinics. Sponsored by Addison County Home Health and Hospice. Bring basin and towel for foot care. Clinics that fall on holidays will be held the week after on the same day. 388-7259. Bridport: Grange Hall. First Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Bristol: American Legion. Second Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon. Middlebury: Commons. Second Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon (9-10 a.m. for Commons residents only). Middlebury: Russ Sholes. Third Friday, 10 a.m.-noon. Vergennes: Armory Lane Senior Housing. First Tuesday, 10 a.m.-noon (10-11 a.m. for Armory Lane residents only). Bone Builders class. Every Monday and Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Brandon Senior Center. Free. Bone Builders class in Lincoln. Lincoln Library, Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Brain Injury Support Group in Middlebury. Second Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Hannaford Career Center, Room 208. For survivors, family members and caregivers. Info: 388-2720 or lisabernardin@gmail.com. Brain Injury Support Group Project of Crown Point, N.Y. Every other Thursday, 6:30 p.m., 1869 Crown Point Rd., Crown Point, N.Y. Call (518) 597-3104 for dates. Breastfeeding CafĂŠ. Third Tuesday, 11:3- a.m.-1 p.m., Ilsley Library. For nursing or pregnant mothers. Dads and siblings welcome. Info: Vicki Kirby, 802-236-4136, naturalkirby@gmail. com; or Elizabeth Curran, 802-349-3825, www. NaturalBeginningsVT.com. Bristol Playgroup. Every Tuesday starting Sept. 10, 2013, 9:30-11 a.m., First Baptist Church. For children from birth to 6 years. Led by David Sandler. Sponsored by the Addison County Parent/Child Center. 388-3171. Car seat safety check in Middlebury. Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association, 55 Collins Drive. First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Childbirth Classes. Porter Hospital offers several options in childbirth classes. Schedules and applications: 382-3413 or www.portermedical.org/ outreach.html. Childcare Class. Thursdays at 4:15 p.m. Lincoln Library. 453-5362. Disabled American Veterans in Middlebury. 388-6401. Otter Valley Disabled American Veterans Chapter 21 meet the ďŹ rst Monday of the month, 6-7 p.m.,
at the Middlebury American Legion. New members welcome. Family Caregiver Support Group in Middlebury. 388-3983. Elderly Services, 112 Exchange St. Third Fridays. Family Support Group in Brandon. Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m., Brandon Congregational Church fellowship hall. For families with a loved one who is struggling with drug addiction. Info: Lois Deitz, 802-247-3797. Foot care clinic, also blood pressure and pulse monitors. 658-2421. Bridport Grange. First Mondays of even months. Hellenbach Cancer Support Group in Middlebury. Call for information and meeting times: 388-6107. HIV Testing in Middlebury. Open Door Clinic. 388-0137. Free and anonymous. Call for appointment. Hope and Help for Hurts, Hangups and Habits recovery group in Brandon. Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m., LifeBridge Christian Church, 97 Frog Hollow Road. Celebrate recovery. La Leche League of Addison County in Middlebury. First Thursday, 10-11 a.m., at Junebug in the Star Mill. Info: 382-1589. Making Recover Easier (MRE) group in Middlebury. Wednesdays, 5:30-7 p.m., Turning Point Center in the Marble Works. A group meeting for people in recovery struggling to decide whether or not to attend noon-step programs. Memory screenings in Middlebury. First Tuesdays, by appointment. Free. Appointments: 385-3711 or nschaedel@hphrc.org. Middlebury Playgroup. Every Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m., Memorial Baptist Church, South Pleasant Street. For children from birth to 6 years. Led by Melanie Root. Sponsored by the Addison County Parent/ Child Center. 388-3171. Monday Playgroup in Brandon. Mondays when schools are open, 10-11:30 a.m. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, downstairs. Run by Brandon Recreation Department, 247-0228. NAMI-VT Family Support Group in Brandon. First Monday. 7-8:30 p.m., Brandon Museum at the Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace. For family members and close friends of a loved one with a serious mental illness. Mary, 247-0180; or NAMI ofďŹ ce, 1-800-639-6480. Narcotics Anonymous Road to Recovery Group. Middlebury. 6 p.m. The Turningpoint Center in the Marble Works. 388-4249. Open Door Clinic. Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Middlebury. Free health care for low-income, uninsured people. 388-0137. Opiate overdose rescue kit distribution in Middlebury. Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Turning Point Center in the Marble Works. Free. Intended for opiate dependent individuals and family members or friends who might be present at an overdose. Info: 802-388-4249. Overeaters Anonymous in Bristol. Saturday, 1 p.m. Downstairs in the Lawrence Memorial Library. Babysitting available fourth Saturday. 349-4545 or 453-7088. No meeting Feb. 25. Overeaters Anonymous in Middlebury. Monday, noon. The Turning Point Center in the Marble Works. 388-4249. Parkinson’s support group in Bristol. Last Thursday of the month, Mountain Health Center, 74 Munsill Ave., Building 1, Suite 100. Caregivers welcome. Info: 802-453-5148 or grayland@gmavt.net. Play group for preschool children. United Church of Lincoln. Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Jen Goodyear, 453-8589. POSKVT (Parents of Special Kids Vermont). Second Monday, 7-9 p.m. New Haven Congregational Church. Parent support group. Topics include IEPs, services offered in Addison County, divorce, parents’ rights, sleep problems, general teen-age issues and more. Join online group at health. groups.yahoo.com/group/POSKVT_MEMBERS. Milly Jackson, 545-2335; An Duclos-Collier, 453-7324. Postpartum group meeting in Vergennes. Tapestry Midwifery, 20 Armory Lane. Second and fourth Fridays, 12:30-2 p.m. Meet other moms and explore a wide range of topics including self-care, postpartum nutrition adjustments at home and newborn care. Info: 802-877-0022. Preschooler Open Gym in Ferrisburgh. Fridays, 9:30-11 a.m. Oct. 3 through end of April. Closed school holidays. Free play in the gum. Bring trikes, bikes, scooters and helmets. Toddler push carts, wagons, ball and Legos available. Baby blanket area. Birth to 5. Snacks for sale. 877-1534 or 877-1312. PTSD Support Group in Middlebury. Monday, starting Aug. 16, 5:30 p.m., Turningpoint Center in the Marble Works. 388-4249. RSVP Bone Builders. Osteoporosis prevention exercise program is offered, several locations. 50-minute classes are free and open to the public. www.volunteersinvt.org/bonebuildclasses.html or 388-7044. Bristol: American Legion, Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.; Bristol Health and Fitness, Tuesday and Thursday, 2 p.m. East Middlebury: Valley Bible Church, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. Middlebury: Community Services Building, Monday and Wednesday, 4 p.m.; Middlebury Fitness, Tuesday and Thursday, 1 p.m.; Vermont Adult Learning, Monday and Wednesday, 4 p.m. Monkton: Friends Methodist Church, Monday,
Things to do before spring cleaning: Clean up your estate plan!
Be sure to check out the fliers in our paper this week! GREAT DEALS FROM: • Middlebury Agway • Paris Farmers Union • Sears ADDISON COUNTY
INDEPENDENT
VERMONT’S TWICE-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Middlebury, VT 05753 • (802) 388-4944 • www.AddisonIndependent.com
7th Annual
Food from the Heart Food Drive Your Local Middlebury Lions Club will be collecting food for our two local food shelves
Saturday, March 26 10am to 4pm Donate canned and/or boxed foods Cash donations also accepted and/or may be sent to Middlebury Lions Club, PO Box 5, Middlebury, VT 05753 We want to thank these donation locations for their support in making this event possible: Middlebury Natural Food Co-Op Kinney Drugs Shaws of Middlebury Pratt’s of Bridport
Sponsored by your local Lions Club
community
PAGE 10A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 201
calendar
Cuba shows us its magnificent wings While traveling through western Cuba recently, I was immersed in a collage of images that together shaped my impressions of this nation of contrasts. In the following paragraphs I share a handful of these images and impressions with readers.
Icebound THE ENDURANCE, WHICH was trapped in ice in Antarctica in the winter of 1915, and the harrowing rescue of its crew led by Ernest Shackleton are the subject of the 2016 Vermont Reads pick, “Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance.” The Orwell Free Library will host a book discussion with Orwell Village School students and community members on Wednesday, March 30, at 11:45 a.m.
nightclub, dancers display extravagant costumes, gleaming faces, headdresses piled high, tail feathers quivering. They undulate and gyrate their sequined torsos, baring ample flesh, writhing like luminous snakes to rhythms that vibrate deep in our rum-filled bellies. Music envelops us We arrive at Jose everywhere, as we Marti International sit in the city square, Airport, wait among while we eat, strolling a sea of travelers in past a café. Trumpets the customs area. wail, voices croon, the Workers parade about, three pairs of strings on their official-looking a tres flutter as congas uniforms emblazoned pound out a syncowith medals. They lean pated yet relentless in towards each other, beat. Couples take to tell stories and laugh, the floor, their bodies ignoring the masses of swirling, hips beating people. Our line goes circular patterns round nowhere. and round and round. Along the Malecón The same force pulls us By Alice Leeds waves splash over the to our feet, where we barrier wall onto our join the pulsing crowd. turquoise-and-white ’57 Ford taxi. It Beyond the city at dawn, women sputters along, fumes floating through thick from childbearing, with faces an open window. Our driver tells us lined and tired, appear on spacious how his grandfather bought the car beaches draped in faded cottons like new, replaced the seats, installed a skin about to shed, eyes searching. four-cylinder diesel engine for better One woman approaches us as we mileage, passed it down three genera- comb the beach for shells. She raises tions, keeps it running still. He tells us four fingers to show her count of chilnot to worry about the open window dren, asks not for money, but for soap — a tourist broke it yesterday. We and clothing. take pictures of our driver standing We dine at tables set with fine beside his cab and set out on foot. fabrics, four-course place settings. As a golden sun sets into the sea, Each meal seems endless: tall mojithe sky swirls with tos, warm breads, rich pastels. Men bean soups, avocado cast bare lines from salads. The meat is the seawall and wait, tender, but every ld men their silhouettes dark bite shares the same kneel in statues against a brilunder-taste, the scent liant backdrop. A hot doorways of this land’s poverty. pink Chevy missSkinny cats and ing one headlight watching our dogs pace about rushes by. We notice, tour bus drive slowly, hoping for incredulous, as four a plump mouse or by. We wave muscular young men table scraps, napping lean into its back to one of them. beneath café tables, fender, their brute He opens into a accepted yet never strength fueling it fed. Somehow they generous smile. forward. survive. Two chickWe step into ens flutter onto a majestic old table in an open-air Havana, its tangerrestaurant. Diners ines, violets, every shade of aqua, gasp but continue eating. its ornate neoclassical structures Alighting on a fence post outside embellished with lacing ironwork, our cafe a delicate mariposa warms lush palms, fuchsia bougainvillea. her emerald wings, their iridescence In San Francisco Square, salsa danc- outlined in jagged black strokes. We ers on stilts parade to the beat of leave our seats, gather around her in golden trumpets and snare drums. awe, then notice her torn back wings Horses decorated with silver medal- and wonder: how can this creature lions carry passengers in cushioned fly? We photograph her from every carriages. angle, admire her shimmering blueJust blocks away, a different city green luminous form, wait long reveals itself: walls crumbling, minutes for her to take flight, but she windows missing, gates bent and remains still. rusted. A woman sits cross-legged Burdened by a damaged beauty, she in a wooden horse-drawn cart as it displays her gifts, striking yet broken. bumps her down the street. Old men Alice Leeds spent two weeks in kneel in doorways watching our tour Cuba with her husband this past bus drive by. We wave to one of them. January. She enjoys hearing from He opens into a generous smile. readers. Email her at aleeds@gmavt. That night at the Tropicana net.
Ways of Seeing
ONGOINGEVENTS
(Continued)
OM
AWOR K
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Wednesday, and Friday, 5:30 p.m. Lincoln: Lincoln Library, Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Information: 453-2665. Shoreham: Volunteer Fire Department, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. South Starksboro: Jerusalem School House, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Starksboro: Starksboro Library, Tuesday and Thursday, 6-7 p.m. Information: Lisa Daudon, 453-3732. Whiting: Town Hall, Monday and Thursday, 9 a.m. Senior exercise class in Lincoln. Lincoln Library, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30-9:30 a.m. SOS (Survivors of Suicide). First Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Hospice Volunteer Services in the Marble Works. Grief support for those who have lost someone to suicide. Info: 388-4111. Speak Up! Addison County. First, second and fourth Thursdays, St. Stephen’s Church in Middlebury. Self-advocacy group for individuals with developmental disabilities. Info: 388-3702. Tai Chi for Arthritis classes. CVAA offers beginner and advanced classes for seniors around Addison County. Call 1-800-642-5119, ext. 1019, for more information. Toddler Playgroup. Brandon. St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Registration: 247-0228 or www.town.brandon.vt.us/recreation.htm. Tot open gym in Ferrisburgh. Fridays, 9:30-11 a.m., Ferrisburgh Central School gymnasium. Info: 877-1312 or 877-3247. Turning Point Center. Monday, 9 a.m.-7:45 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m-10 p.m. Closed Sunday. Marble Works, opposite American Flatbread. Community center dedicated to providing a safe social and educational, substance-free environment for all. Free movie every Saturday, 7:30 p.m. 388-4249. Potluck supper first and third Wednesdays, 6 p.m.; bring a dish if you are able. Food shelf donations accepted as well. Vergennes Playgroup. Every Wednesday, 9:30-11 a.m. Congregational Church, South Water Street. For children from birth to 6 years. Cherie Vachon. Sponsored by the Addison County Parent/Child Center. 388-3171. Vet to Vet. Middlebury. Tuesdays, 6:15 p.m. The Turningpoint Center in the Marble Works. Wits End. Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. A confidential support group for parents whose adolescent or young adult is using alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. Turningpoint Center in Middlebury. 388-4249. Women for Sobriety. Mondays, 6:15 p.m. The Turningpoint Center in the Marble Works. Self-help group for women with drinking problems. Info: 897-5254. Yoga and meditation in Bristol. Wednesdays, 6 p.m., Yarn & Yoga, 25A Main St. A rotating program of meditation, gentle yoga and other consciousness-raising activities. Free. Info: 802-453-7799 or toinfo@yarnandyoga.com. Yoga class in Middlebury. Third Sundays, noon-1 p.m. Otter Creek Yoga in the Marble Works. Free. 388-1961. Yoga class in Middlebury. Every Friday April 15-June 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m., The Lodge at Otter Creek. Free seated yoga class. 1-800-642-5119, ext. 1058. Yoga class in Monkton. Sundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Yoga class in Vergennes. Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Bixby Library. Starts Nov. 22, 2011. Free. Info: 877-2211. Yoga for Community in Bristol. Fridays, 6:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. Phoenix Rising
WELLNESS CENTER
A Center for Independent Health Care Practitioners “Wellness is more than the absence of illness.” 50 Court St • Middlebury, Vt 05753
Center on Mountain Street. $5 contribution. Janet, 453-2419. Young Adult All-Recovery Group in Middlebury. Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m., Turning Point Center. For anyone age 15-25 in recovery. MEALS Bristol senior luncheon. First Thursday, noon, First Baptist Church of Bristol. Suggested donation $4. 453-5276. Free Community Lunch in Middlebury. Summer: Mondays-Thursdays at the Charter House, 27 North Pleasant St. (just north of the Middlebury Inn). 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Eat in or take out. Supported by area churches. Free Community Supper in Middlebury. Fridays, 5-6:15 p.m. Congregational Church Fellowship Hall. Meals provided by over 35 different groups. Info: 388-7634 or 388-7613. CVAA Senior Meals: Bridport: Grange Hall Community Room. Noon meal on Monday and Wednesday. Evening meals on second and fourth Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Reservations: Michelle Eastman at 1-800-642-5119 x615. Transportation by ACTR: 388-1946. Bristol: American Legion. Noon meal on Wednesday. Barb Prime, 1-800-642-5119, ext. 603. Free transportation: ACTR, 388-1946. Middlebury: Russ Sholes Senior Center. Noon meal on Tuesday and Friday, except for the first Friday when a special noon meal is served at the VFW on Exchange Street. Tracy Corbett, 1-800-642-5119 Ext. 634. Free transportation: ACTR, 388-1946. Vergennes: Vergennes Senior Center. Noon meal on Tuesday and Thursday. Michelle Eastman at 1-800-642-5119, ext. 615. Free transportation: ACTR, 388-1946. Bristol Libanus Lodge, F&AM Breakfast. Second Sunday, 7:30-10:30 a.m. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toast, home fries, juice, coffee and tea. Buffet. $6. Benefits local charities. Middlebury Congregational Church Community Supper. Friday, 5-6:15 p.m. Free. 388-7634. Starksboro senior luncheon. Fourth Thursday, 11:30 a.m., January-October, Starksboro First Baptist Church. 453-6354 or mtgazette@earthlink.net. Vergennes Masonic Lodge Breakfast. Last Sunday, 7:30-10 a.m. Pancakes, French toast, home fries, eggs, bacon, sausage and beverage. All you can eat. Adults $6; children $3. Benefits the lodge’s charitable donations. VFW Fish Fry in Middlebury. Third Friday, 4-6 p.m., Men’s Auxiliary, VFW Post 7823, Exchange Street. $9 per person. Proceeds to benefit the post’s charitable donations. VFW Fish Fry in Vergennes. Second Friday, 5-7 p.m., Sons of the American Legion, VFW Post 14, Armory Lane. $10 per person. Haddock, fries, coleslaw and cash bar.
See an extended calendar and a full listing of
ONGOINGEVENTS ONGOING EVENTS
on the Web at
www.addisonindependent.com
O
wellness
directory
Jim Condon ................... 388-4880 or 475-2349 SomaWork Caryn Etherington ................... 388-4882 ext. 3 Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Nancy Tellier, CMT ......................... 388-4882 ext. 1 Therapeutic Massage, CranioSacral Therapy, Ortho-Bionomy®, Soul Lightning Acupressure Donna Belcher, M.A. ............................ 388-3362 Licensed Psychologist - Master, Psychotherapy & Hypnosis Charlotte Bishop ....................... 388-4882 ext. 4 Therapeutic Soft & Deep Tissue ...or 247-8106 Neuro Muscular Reprogramming JoAnne Kenyon ....................................... 388-0254 Energy Work; Relaxing Integrative Massage. www.joanne.abmp.com Karen Miller-Lane, N.D., L.Ac. .............. 388-6250 Naturopathic Physican, Licensed Acupuncturist, CranioSacral Therapy. Ron Slabaugh, PhD, MSSW, CBP........ 388-9857 The BodyTalk™ System Irene Paquin, CMT 377-5954 or 388-4882 ext.1 Integrative Energy Work & Therapeutic Massage. Ortho-Bionomy® & Reiki Master Robert Rex................................. (802) 865-4770 Certified Rolfer™, Movement Educator Gail Rex...................................... (802) 989-1989 Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbal Medicine
If you’d like to be listed in this Wellness Directory, call Pam at 388-4944.
Robert Rex
Certified Rolfer™, Movement Educator Robert introduced Rolfing® Structural Integration to Middlebury over 8 years ago. Rolfing is a hands-on form of bodywork that softens and re-aligns your connective tissue, allowing for more energy, improved posture, and pain resolution. Rolfing—and Robert’s style of Rolfing in particular—meet your body where it is, instead of overpowering it. Robert works with you and your body to achieve your goals, and specializes in trauma release, chronic pain, movement repatterning, neurofascial mobilizations, and soft tissue spinal and bone adjustments. This approach can lead to profound changes, and provide you with new options to move, play, and live your life.
• • • •
Move the way you used to move! Perform the way you want to perform! Age the way you want to age! Rolfing can be a powerful reset button at any stage of your life.
Robert is also a graduate of the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, as well as a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 11A
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Goings on
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Palm Sunday procession ANGEL THE DONKEY and a costumed child prepare to take part in Shoreham Congregational Church’s “Donkey Walk” on Palm Sunday, March 20. The Donkey Walk is a reenactment of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. The Rev. Christina Del Piero, eight children (some in costume) and a group of parishioners and visitors carrying palms walked with two miniature donkeys provided by Ledgewood Miniature Donkeys of Salisbury.
BRISTOL AMERICAN LEGION Commander Ron LaRose, center, presents Bristol Fire Chief Brett LaRose, left, and Bristol Road Foreman Peter Bouvier with 2016 Above and Beyond Awards at a March 12 ceremony at the Bristol Legion.
Legion honors LaRose, Bouvier
OTTER VALLEY UNION High School’s Walking Stick Theater company appears in a scene from their original one-act, “Inevitable.”
OV group to perform ‘Inevitable’ By LEE J. KAHRS BRANDON — The Otter Valley Union High School Walking Stick Theater group is used to excelling in the arena of high school drama. Under the guidance of director Jeff Hull, the group has earned accolades statewide for its work in one-act plays and musicals. And in 2015, there was international praise as well, as the troupe was invited to the renowned International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. But this year, Walking Stick has created an original one-act performance piece unlike anything they’ve done before, and the work is getting noticed.
“Inevitable” began as a series of workshops and discussions last fall. Hull said the students wanted to create a piece they felt was an important issue facing many of today’s teenagers — identity crisis. But “Inevitable” takes that issue a step further, boiling it down to the difficult topic of teenage sexuality. At a time in a young person’s development when they are trying to figure out who they are and who they will become, “Inevitable” dramatizes the many forces, both internal and external, that force and challenge a young person to seek the answers to these questions. The play explores this topic in a
milestones births
• Alisha & Miles Krans, Brandon, March 13, a daughter, June Sicely Krans. • Paige Freegard & Brad Nadeau, Middlebury, March 16, a son, Jayden Aaron Matthew Nadeau. • Elizabeth (Moeykens) & Corey Thacker, Middlebury, March 18, a son, Joshua Bernard Thacker.
non-traditional theatrical style called “physical theater.” This is a genre of theatrical performance that tells the story primarily through physical means, or movement. There is very little dialogue. The actors must rely on movement and facial expression to convey the emotional story. “The company chose to take on this modern style and challenge themselves as artists and individuals,” Hull said. The music was provided by Fesliyan Studios of Sacramento, Calif. The dialogue was provided by Northern Arizona University’s office of LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Allies) Resources and Support. The result is a riveting performance that was unveiled this past Friday at Otter Valley for the grade 9-12 student body. On Saturday, Walking Stick performed “Inevitable” at the Vermont Regional One-Act Festival at Long Trail School in Dorset. The piece has now been chosen for the State Drama Festival on April 8 and 9 at St. Johnsbury Academy.
BRISTOL — Bristol American LaRose was nominated by the result of a promotional function that Legion Post 19 honored two local Bristol Fire Department’s Awards Brett implemented through these residents with its 2016 Above Committee. Their comments funds. Outdated bunker gear, radios and Beyond Awards at the annual included the following: and heavy equipment have been Legion Birthday Dinner on March “Brett joined the BFD on April replaced because of his efforts. 12 at the Bristol American Legion. 5, 1995. It became very apparent “Brett’s involvement over the This award is designed to recognize to the membership that Brett had years is highlighted above, however, public employees those qualities his commitment to the community, or volunteers that “If the American you look for in an dedication to the fire service and exceed expectaofficer: leadership safety of his firefighters can be realtions of their job Legion wants and trust. As a fire- ized from one of the most ambitious or the position they to recognize a fighter, he spent undertaking the BFD and the town hold in the organihis early years as of Bristol has ever taken: building zation they belong public employee an aggressive and a new fire station. He revitalized to. This year’s for going Above k n o w l e d g e a b l e the BFD’s Building Committee. recipients are Peter firefighter. Those Through his leadership he moved Bouvier, road fore- and Beyond, you qualities were the committee forward with a man for the town of would not find quickly recognized goal of bringing a proposal to the Bristol, and Brett and he was voted voters during the March 2015 Town anyone better to LaRose, chief of in as line captain, a Meeting. the Bristol Fire honor than Peter position he held for “The voters defeated this Department. a number of years. proposal, but Brett did not stop. He Bouvier.” Bouvier was During this time, worked with many groups of people nominated by — Therese Kirby, Bristol he challenged and agencies to look at the needs for town administrator and successfully a new fire station. He put in countTherese Kirby, Bristol town admincompleted the less hours then and continues today istrator. Kirby said she has worked criteria to become a Certified Level as his pursuit to build a new fire with Bouvier over the last 10 years 1 Firefighter. station was realized. Construction and could not imagine another town “In 2008, Brett started in the in the state of Vermont having a was voted in as 1st “This (new fire fall of 2015 and better road foreman. assistant chief, and the new fire “He is a tremendously hard in 2013, he was station) project station should worker that continuously has the voted to the rank is one of the be completed in best interest of Bristol residents of chief. Under his June 2016. This in mind; whether it is maintain- leadership, BFD largest Bristol project is one of ing the roads or monitoring his has 27 personnel has passed in the largest Bristol budget, you can be sure he has certified firefighter has passed in it all under control,” Kirby said. 1 and another seven years and would years and would “Peter manages a department with certified firefighter not have been not have been four employees who have a lot of 2. Also, BFD has possible if not for respect for him and the job he does. three members that possible if not Brett’s neverendThe town of Bristol does not have a are PADO certi- for Brett’s nevering efforts. facilities manager, so some of these fied, four personnel “Brett is also ending efforts.” duties fall to the Road Department. certified fire service serving as the — Bristol Fire president of the “You can find Peter chang- instructors and one Department’s Awards Addison County ing light bulbs in Holly Hall, the person certified as Committee F i r e f i g h t e r s library or working with other fire officer l and fire department heads to get a piece of officer 2. Association. He equipment working,” Kirby added. “The BFD, and more importantly has worked and implemented the “Peter is always good natured, kind the town of Bristol, has reaped the automatic mutual aid protocol and considerate. If the American benefits of Brett’s grant-writing across the county. Brett is a long Legion wants to recognize a public abilities. The BFD has received time member of the ACFA Training employee for going Above and thousands of dollars in grant monies Committee. Just like the BFD, Brett Beyond, you would not find anyone as a result of his efforts. They were gives countless hours as president better to honor than Peter Bouvier.” able to gain new members as a of the ACFA.”
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PAGE 12A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
Middlebury (Continued from Page 1A) agreement between New Haven, Anbaric and National Grid will be put to a vote by townspeople. The project would bring New Haven roughly $1 million annually and a number of other enticements, including a $3 million fire station, according to developers’ pitch to the town last December. The Green Line infrastructure is subject to property taxes. Meanwhile, a site in Middlebury’s industrial park has emerged as the developers’ contingency plan if they are unable to come to an agreement with New Haven. Jose Rossignoli, director of U.S. business development for National Grid, met with the Middlebury selectboard for the first time on Tuesday to gauge town officials’ interest in having the converter station in Middlebury. It was Middlebury Director of Business & Innovation Jamie Gaucher who reached out to Rossignoli to ask if Addison County’s shire town could serve as an appropriate site. “I contacted Joe, thinking the Middlebury industrial park would be a fantastic location for a project like this,” Gaucher told the selectboard. Rossignoli described the current negotiations with New Haven as “ongoing” and “progressing,” but added the talks are “taking longer that we expected.” The Vermont Green Line business plan calls for its permit application (through Vermont’s Section 248 process) to be filed this spring. Developers hope to receive a green light from the Vermont Public Service Board sometime next year and have the project operational by 2020. “As time rolls on, it does put pressure on our permitting timeline,” Rossignoli said, pressure that he said is prompting him and his associates to talk to neighboring communities about hosting the converter station. Middlebury selectboard members
all said they are receptive to having the converter station sited in the industrial park, though some expressed concern that their interest might vex their New Haven colleagues, or at least undermine their neighbors’ bargaining power with Anbaric and National Grid. “It seems good that we might have an option here,” Selectwoman Laura Asermily said. “But we want to be mindful of our neighbors in New Haven.” Selectwoman Susan Shashok requested — and her colleagues agreed — to officially inform New Haven of Middlebury’s entrée into the converter station discussions. “I would hate to go forward without connecting (with New Haven) on some level,” Shashok said. Shashok’s comments quickly made their way to New Haven, as representatives of that town attended Tuesday’s meeting and reported back to New Haven officials later that evening. The Independent reached out to New Haven selectboard Chairwoman Kathleen Barrett on Wednesday morning to get her reaction to Middlebury’s interest in hosting the Green Line converter station. “I don’t know how serious they are, or what their game plan is,” Barrett said of Anbaric and National Grid. “We are just going to have to see how it plays out.” But Barrett added New Haven continues to be in almost daily contact with the developers in an effort to reach an accord to bring to voters. “We have been negotiating in good faith and have not been dragging our feet, by any means,” Barrett said. “We have been trying to come up with an agreement that is satisfactory to both sides.” Middlebury officials listened intently to Rossignoli’s pitch. He described the converter station as a three-building complex having the
look of a barn. “It is meant to blend in with local aesthetics,” he said. Rossignoli said the transformer in the station would emit noises in the 30- to 40-decibel range, which he likened to a “quiet office or a quiet library.” He said dusk-to-dawn lighting at the facility would be “shielded, and directed downward.” Current plans call for a 400MW converter station at the New Haven site. But Rossignoli acknowledged the companies would like to have 800MW capability, and might be able to pursue that scale at the Middlebury site. Since the Middlebury industrial park is not a residential area, Gaucher said, the converter station should have minimal or no impact on the surroundings. The Middlebury site developers are exploring contains roughly 20 acres and is owned by Middlebury College. The site, now in agriculture, is located behind Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center’s North Campus. “I think having this project in the industrial park could bring tremendous benefit to Middlebury and the region,” said Selectman Nick Artim. Selectman Victor Nuovo agreed. “Our industrial park seems wellsuited for this,” he said. “It is a proper use of a space we are very fortunate to have.” The board unanimously supported a motion to have Gaucher and Middlebury Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay begin conversations with the Vermont Green Line developers on what a converter station might look like in the industrial park. This, officials said, could culminate in a draft memorandum of understanding between the parties that would have to be reviewed and OK’d by the selectboard. Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindependent.com.
tions are leveraged by a match from a federal grant, meaning that a $50 donation brings up to $150 to wildlife conservation in Vermont.
politics and governance and to imagine creative ways in which we can encourage and increase their participation. The younger students, in keeping with tradition, are asked to create their own rendition of state symbols and posters by thinking about what Vermont means to them. More information about the contest and submission forms can be found online at www.sec.state.vt.us. The deadline for submissions is May 1.
By the way (Continued from Page 1A) Vermont’s most threatened wildlife species such as bald eagles, lynx and turtles, in addition to helping many of the state’s imperiled pollinators such as butterflies and bees. Past donations to the Nongame Wildlife Fund have helped recover peregrine falcons, osprey, and loons in Vermont. They have also helped recovery efforts for Vermont’s bat species that were recently hit with a devastating fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome. The dona-
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SHOREHAM ELEMENTARY SIXTH-graders, from left, John Bergeron, Max Kiernan, Kyle Wells and Asher Rubright evaluate the protein content on a food label recently. As part of a study on cells and nutrition, groups of students went shopping with a budget of $35 for meals and a challenge to create food combinations that provided nine essential amino acids. Right, Shoreham sixth-graders stand in front of H.O.P.E., where they donated the 78 pounds of food they collected during their grocery shopping excursion. Pictured from left to right are, front row iley arrell llie riffin ole hee, Kailyn Laduke, Bergeron and Jae Davis; and ac row ell Emma arrow oo er aroche Kiernan and Rubright.
DeBlois (Continued from Page 1A) search committee — teachers and parents alike — were impressed with DeBlois’ teaching ability, grasp of curriculum, performance in Addison and leadership ability. “They want a good communicator who will bring together the faculty and staff and be a unifier,” Canning said. “They believe because Matt understands this community and the needs that he won’t skip a beat in being able to move forward.” The search committee felt DeBlois had the strong teaching background and the experience to provide continuity to VUES, Canning said. “He is very knowledgeable about curriculum assessment and practices in the Addison Northwest Supervisory Union. Staff report they feel that Matt is bright and knows where we are going in the district and will support the work that we have currently started,” she said. Canning also pointed to DeBlois’ community service and to his 2009 Rowland Fellowship, which came with a sabbatical and a $100,000 grant that he used to help establish the Vergennes Union High School advisory and call-back system.
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MATTHEW DEBLOIS “He’s made a commitment to the community for a long period of time in a number of different roles. And they believe he is student-centered. People are also impressed in his background being a Rowland Fellow, which is a prestigious award that gave him the opportunity to work on a systems-change project, and he was very successful at being able to implement that,” she said. “That was another example of his leadership ability. People want to be led by Matt.” DeBlois, a 1997 graduate of St. Lawrence University who earned a master’s in curriculum and instruction in 2001, will replace Vergennes native June Sargent, who has served as VUES principal since 2012. Canning praised Sargent, who is stepping down for personal reasons but plans after a break to pursue a different career in education. “Her commitment to the kids and families is second to none,” Canning said. “She is always positive. She comes at her work every day with a smile on her face. She goofs with the kids, and she can be serious in making decisions in the best interest of the school. I do know the families and the staff and the students are going to miss her greatly.” According to DeBlois’ résumé, in addition to typical principal’s duties at Addison he also worked to “develop and execute an effective behavioral tracking program” and support a number of initiatives, including “Learners and Learning, Proficiency Based Learning, professional development and the implementation of a high quality local assessment plan.” Before then, DeBlois taught French at VUHS from 2001 to 2014 and had been involved in a number of committees and efforts there, leading the VUHS “Connect the Dots”
program and managing its “Green Mountain Star” process, both of which were intended to assess the school’s strengths and weaknesses and improve it overall; mentoring new ANwSU teachers; and serving as chairman of the world language department for several years. DeBlois addressed leadership in his cover letter to the search committee: “Leading means championing the community. Vergennes Union Elementary School possesses a strong record for academic success, a dedication to challenging work, strong parental and community support and a determination defined by a vigorous work ethic of both students and teachers. As a leader, I aspire to continue the partnership between educational leader and the multiple communities that make up a school.” DeBlois has worked as a Vergennes Area Youth Baseball League officer and coach, a VUHS middle school and JV baseball coach, and a JV assistant basketball coach. In Ferrisburgh he spent seven years with the Ferrisburgh Central School PTO, supported the FCS Math Club, and served as a 3rd- and 4th-grade basketball coach. DeBlois said that his work at VUHS and ACS and those community connections will serve him well at VUES, writing: “I have a working relationship with many VUES staff and faculty members and am aware of their practices and tenets. Likewise, my interests outside of work permit me to develop working relationships in the greater Vergennes area.” DeBlois said in an email to the Independent he found the opening at VUES particularly attractive. “What attracts me to the job at VUES was their stated desire to ‘cultivate a caring and inclusive school community,’” he wrote. “Culture and climate are important factors in the success of students and teachers. I appreciate the possibility of supporting these avenues for the school community.” In reading the qualities the search committee said it was seeking in a new principal, DeBlois said he believed he could be a match at VUES. “I similarly was attracted to the desired traits of a leader, including collaboration, equity-minded and community builder,” he wrote. “These qualities represent some of my best work and model the kinds of schooling that we nurture. The desire on behalf of the faculty, staff, board and community to embrace these attributes make for a good fit.” Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at andyk@addisonindependent.com.
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Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 13A
Movie Review By Joan Ellis
THE FOLK TRIO Harpeth Rising — Rebecca Reed-Lunn, left, Jordana Greenberg and Maria Di Meglio — will come to Addison County on April 2 to perform some old-time music at the Ripton Community Coffee House. Photo by Hudson’s Photo
Harpeth Rising to perform in Ripton RIPTON — For the past six years, Harpeth Rising has challenged the boundaries of folk music and created a sound that is both excitingly unique and surprisingly familiar. Their virtuosic instrumentals of banjo and violin mixed with cello and foot percussion create an exciting and unique blend of musical genres that include folk, rock, bluegrass, classical, and roots music. The trio will perform at the Ripton Community Coffee House on Saturday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. Their original lyrics, conveyed through powerful three-part vocals, are both gritty and poignant. Members of the all-female group met and were united by their eclectic musical interests while studying at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Harpeth Rising’s past
performances include the Cambridge Folk Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, Blissfest, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, The Bluebird, and ROMP Music Festival. The trio has recently relocated from Nashville to Louisville, Ky., to be closer to their southern Indiana roots and join the growing eclectic musical and cultural landscape of the region. Harpeth Rising’s latest album, “Shifted,” debuted at No. 1 on the Folk DJ Charts for August of 2015. The album’s opening track, “I Am Eve (I Am the Reason),” also debuted as the No. 1 song on the same chart. FATEA Magazine has called the album “truly resplendent” and Midwest Record has said the album is “taking back lyric writing as an form … this set is going to blow your
Teen group to host Spring Thaw gala MIDDLEBURY — Addison Central Teens will hold its second annual Spring Thaw gala and raffle on Saturday, April 9, from 7-10 p.m. at Carol’s Hungry Mind Café in Middlebury. Middlebury’s O’hAnleigh will provide the music. Attendees can enjoy farm-to-table hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Neil Solis of Hen of the Wood in Burlington, and limited free samples of some of Vermont’s finest spirits, beers and wines, including Heady Topper, and craft beverages from such notable establishments as the Appalachian Gap Distillery, Lost Nation Brewing, Frost Beer Works, Otter Creek Brewery and Lincoln Peak Winery. The event includes a basket raffle featuring hundreds of dollars of local
goods, services and gift certificates. Five themed baskets are up for grabs: Get Active, Vermont Made, Eat Out/ Take Out, Be Young/Have Fun and Buy Local. Tickets are $3 each or two for $5. Addison Central Teens is helping local youth by providing crucial programming and building connections between young people, adults and the larger community. ACT’s efforts are fostering a sense of responsibility, generating inclusion and creating joy in young people. Tickets to the event are $25 and can be purchased online at addisonteens.com/spring-thaw. Organizers encourage people to buy their tickets early; the Spring Thaw sold out last year.
mind.” The album melds folk, classical music, and rock with such ease that it creates a genre of its own. This constant effort to combine old and new genres of music, technical mastery, thought provoking lyrics, and heartfelt sensibility has earned Harpeth Rising the distinction of one of the more engaging and dynamic new groups in folk music today. The Community House is located at 1305 Route 125 in center of the village of Ripton. Admission to the April 2 concert is $10-$15 at the door and more information is available at rcchfolks@gmail.com. Signups for the open-mic that will be directly preceding the featured performance by Harpeth Rising can be made at 388-9782.
Monkton NEWS
MONKTON — Story Hour begins at the Russell Memorial Library on Friday, March 25, from 10 to 11 a.m. This program for the younger set will be held on the second and fourth Friday of each month at the same time. Children will enjoy a story and a song and participate in a simple craft if they desire. All are welcome. For more information, call the library at 453-4471. Leave your phone number and a message if no one is there and they will get back to you. From the desk of Marilyn Cargill: Transformative things are happening
Have a news tip? Call Liz Pecor at 453-2180
at the Monkton Friends Methodist Church on the Ridge in Monkton and we invite you to join us this Easter Sunday to see what has been going on over the past 8 months. We will start the day with a Sunrise Easter Service at 6:30 a.m. followed immediately by a community breakfast. We will have our normal Easter Service at 8:45 on Easter Sunday, March 27. For the first time this winter we will be returning to the Sanctuary to enjoy the changes that have been brought about by the time and investment of many people. All are welcome.
10 Cloverfield Lane; Running time: 1:43; Rating: PG-13 Finding a good movie to review in the March doldrums is a tough task. With this week’s possibilities mired in dismal mediocrity, “10 Cloverfield Lane” looked like the best bet. Rumors were afloat about the skill of director Dan Trachtenberg and blockbuster producer J.J. Abrams. Reports of a good cast were the final lure. Here’s the official hype. “After a car accident, Michelle finds herself locked in an underground shelter with Emmett and doomsday prepper Howard who tells them there’s something apocalyptic happening outside.” Sitting through a string of imbecilic horror previews leading up to the feature, it was impossible not to be ashamed and angry that Hollywood’s summer menu for the PG-13 population is so thoroughly rooted in guns, explosions, treachery, betrayal and violence of every imaginable kind. These are the blockbusters that spread throughout the rest of the world as well as serving as the summer fare for Americans. Why only this? Where are the clever mysteries, detective stories, spy yarns and stories of triumph over adversity? Hollywood has learned that they can lure audiences by lumping previews of a similar stripe to the feature about to be shown — the irresistibly tasty bait of “If you like this one, you’ll like these.” As the last horrific trailer unspooled, I began to suspect the worst about “10 Cloverfield Lane.” John Goodman is clever as Howard, the nutcase who has spent years
preparing his impenetrable survival house for the apocalypse. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is impressive as Michelle, one of Howard’s two prisoners, and John Gallagher Jr. creates a credible Emmett as the second captive. The movie unfolds as an ugly chess game with Howard claiming he is saving his prisoners’ lives by keeping them in the locked dungeon he calls his safe place. During the bulk of the film, the three of them play games to pass the time while Michelle plots her escape. What will she find when she gets out? Will it be the attack Howard described? Or something else entirely? The admirable actors do their best with a grim premise until suddenly the whole thing explodes into blockbuster mayhem. It becomes what is known as a “sliver” movie — an ordinary movie with a taste of big-time chaos — horror on the cheap. The story turns from a mediocre thriller/ suspense puzzle into an ear-splitting soundtrack for what morphs into a story full of terror, violence and shock When the ordeal is over it is impossible not to reminisce about movies before technology erased storytelling. Remember those enveloping silences that allowed us to sit quietly while we wondered, “Who did it?” Or a spy story rooted in truth? For the real deal right now, you might consider returning to “Bridge of Spies.” Disclaimer: It’s exactly what I don’t like — hitting the audience with high-tech terror. If that’s what you like, then toss this review and go see it. If fear is your pleasure, then “10 Cloverfield Lane” is a banquet.
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WHAT OUR FATHERS DID: A NAZI LEGACY
PAGE 14A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
Blazing the way Couple pioneered a Vermont cheese-making niche back in 1982 Story and Photos by Emilie Munson In the cold Vermont darkness, Marjorie Susman and Marian Pollack slide into endlessly pocketed Carhartt pants and tall muck boots. It is February, and though the snow is gone, the earth is hard when they step out of their small farmhouse. Their breath hangs in faint wisps before disappearing in the early morning air. It is 5:30 a.m. Pollack, 68, heads to the barn to milk their six Jersey cows, Clover, Hershey, Kudo, Pookah, Slinky and Bounty. Her boxy body moves briskly, gray shorn hair standing on end. The barn is cool inside; the only heat comes from the cows’ 1,000-pound bodies. Peering from their stands, the cows seem happy to see Pollack; they want to be fed. They lick each other and bob their heads in anticipation of fresh hay. Pollack tosses hay into the feed aisle before retrieving the milking machine from the milk room upstairs. One by one, she wipes the fleshy teats of each cow and then hooks the milking machine onto their udders. The machine harumphs in a constant rhythm, pulsating to draw out the warm milk. Soon, the sun begins to creep over the mountains with its milky light. Pollack can see the sunrise out of
the eastern windows of the barn. She watches its climb every morning. As the milking machine chatters below, Pollack leans her head against Hershey’s brown hide. Her skinny gray braid falls over her shoulder with the motion. Her eyes droop a bit; she was up late last night watching Rachel Maddow. The news is on faintly now, some talk about Bernie Sanders’s prospects in the upcoming primary. Pollack breathes deeply, the smell of the cow flooding her nose. Her face is serene, its weathered lines relaxed. Her body, for a moment, is still and quiet. She loves this smell. She loves their cows. This is Pollack’s favorite part of her day. A WOMEN’S BUSINESS When Susman and Pollack started their artisan cheese business in the early 1980s, they were one of the few small cheese operations in the nation. Starting with barely any practical farming experience, they built their business from scratch, teaching themselves the ways of the land, crafting their cheese recipe by experimentation. Money was tight. The work tough. The neighbors laughed when the city girls said they were farmers. Susman and Pollack squared their shoulders and plowed on.
A smiling Marjorie Susman, co-owner of Orb Weaver Farm, poses with a wheel of their Farmhouse Cheese in their walk-in refridgerator.
Today, these pioneering women are the owners and operators of Orb Weaver Farm in Monkton. On their 100 acres, these women grow organic vegetables in the summer and raise Jersey cows for their winter cheese operation. A 2-1/2-pound wheel of their cheese sells wholesale for $30. Their ranks have been joined by a growing number of female farmers across the state and the nation. USDA data on farming shows that Vermont has one of the highest percentages of women farmers in the country. Thirty-nine percent of Vermont farmers are women — or nearly 5,000 female farmers. More than 22 percent of Vermont’s
female famers are the principal operators of their farm, meaning that they are the person in charge of the farm’s day-to-day operations. But while women are making significant strides into the previously male-dominated industry of farming, few women own their own farms like Susman and Pollack. Though data on female farm ownership is difficult to find — there are several factors that can complicate identifying a farm’s owner, including the business organization of the farm — anecdotal evidence from sources at the USDA, Vermont Agriculture Association and the Women’s Agricultural Network of Vermont
Top left: Marjorie Susman prepares cheese molds for pressing; top right: Clover, an Orb Weaver Jersey cow is one of six on the farm. Bottom: Marion Pollack, left, and Susman fill their cheese molds.
suggests that the number of female Pollack quietly reaches for a famers in the U.S. and Vermont is jumbo-sized measuring cup of salt, very small. and the conversation slithers back Thus, while Susman and Pollack to cheese. Pollack pours in six cups are part of this growing trend of of salt, as Susman kneads it into the female farmers, they are also an whey, her body folded into a V as she anomaly: Few women work on farms reaches for the bottom of the vat. owned and exclusively operated by Susman’s responses are more females like the Orb Weaver women. muffled now, sounding like they’re Even fewer women have built a coming from down a long pipe as her brand as successful as Orb Weaver. voice bounces around the vat. Soon, On the tide of the locavore and she straightens, grabs a small clump organic food movements, Susman of curd and extends it. and Pollack’s business has exploded, “Try this,” she says. It tastes like demand for their cheese spreading, salted popcorn. national awards celebrating their FROM CITY KIDS TO name. DAIRY FARMERS But despite these accolades, Susman and Pollack both describe Susman and Pollack stuck to their themselves as former “city kids.” principles, selling their cheese only Born in central Connecticut and within a 25-mile radius of their farm. northern New Jersey, respectively, In Vermont, Orb Weaver has a neither woman was raised around reputation for quality. Their cheese, farming or livestock but the zeitgeist still the same recipe from way back, of the 1950s meant that farming was is respected. It is the product of 30 not so far removed from their childyears of backbreaking work by two hood consciousness. devoted women. “We sort of came CURD KNIVES of age in the back“It answered the AND POLITICS to-the-land moveIn the cheese room, ment,” said Pollack. question of what the liquid cheese has “People were startam I going to do congealed like a pale ing to think about yellow Jell-O in the farming.” with my life? It vat. The pair met at just became so Susman, 61, has an Equal Rights been here for hours meetmeaningful to plant Amendment already, sanitizing ing in 1976, and everything that will it was love at first seeds and watch come into contact At the time, them growing up. sight. with their cheese and Pollack was workheating the milk to It just felt so magical ing as a family nearly 100 degrees therapist in western in a way.” Fahrenheit. Bob Massachusetts. Dylan croons from — Marjorie Susman Susman, seven years her iPod. younger, was attend“Yes, and how ing community colmany time must a man look up, lege in Greenfield, MA and working before he can see the sky?” he sings. at a local bank. Both women found Brandishing a curd knife now, their interests increasingly convergSusman bends over the vat, a soft ing around agriculture. look on her round face. Her curvy “I realized that a lot of the Greek body moves slowly, gracefully. myths went back to agriculture,” Her forearms tense as she reaches said Susman, who had begun studyacross the vat and drags the curd knife ing the Classics at the University of through its gelatinous contents. The Massachusetts after her two-year procheese is striped with even slices by gram in Greenfield. “I thought this is the five horizontal blades of the curd what I really need to do.” knife. Susman repeats the motion Soon, Susman transferred to the until the entire vat is sliced and then Stockbridge School of Agriculture at switches to a curd knife with vertical UMass Amherst. Together, Susman blades. and Pollack raised a garden — The result? Tiny cubes of Pollack had been gardening for most coagulated cheese — the curd. of her adult life — and canned the Pollack arrives from the farmhouse fruits and vegetables they grew. just after the cutting of the curd. She The more time they spent gardening rinses the mud off her boots, washes and with livestock, the more her leathery hands and pops on a meaningful it became to Susman. hairnet like Susman. “It answered the question of what Together, they mix the curd by am I going to do with my life? It just hand, as the whey — the liquid that became so meaningful to plant seeds separates from the curd in the cheese- and watch them growing up. It just making process — drains from a felt so magical in a way.” spigot in the bottom of the vat. The The two women decided to leave curds look like cauliflower heads Massachusetts, where they noted floating in a yellow broth of whey. the rapid decline of farming in the The women’s hands stir them until towns around them. They answered they collect in mounds at the bottom an advertisement in the newspaper of the vat, the whey gone. for two milking jobs and moved to a They talk politics while they work, farm in Morrisville, Vt. Pollack sharing with Susman tidbits Susman and Pollack struggled at from her show last night. the Morrisville farm. Not only was “They just said (Sanders) had one the work difficult, but they were economist on his staff and a lot of the woefully inexperienced at the tasks stuff he’s saying, he’s just making they were expected to complete. it up,” said Pollack. “He wants a After just six months, Susman 70 percent capital gains tax, which and Pollack answered another ad apparently is like a disaster.” for a milking job and moved south Susman scoffs. to Monkton. They visited the new “Who doesn’t want free education farm on Valentine’s Day 1981 and and free health care and free this discovered a farmhouse “just in and that, but how the heck are you shambles,” remembered Susman, but gonna pay for that?” asked Susman, they decided to move there anyway. referring to Sanders’ platform. At the farm, then owned by Jim and “Obama couldn’t get anything done.” (See Orb Weaver Farm, Page 15A)
Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 15A
How Orb Weaver Cheese is made:
Orb Weaver Farm (Continued from Page 14A) Margaret Morse, Susman and Pollack were given their own plot of land and were allowed to buy a cow within their first month of employment. They sustained themselves on their farmhand salaries and by selling vegetables from their plot of land to local restaurants. Susman and Pollack struggled with money, but their tight funds taught them to be efficient farmers. After a year, the Morses sold their farm to Susman and Pollack and moved to Virginia. With less than a year of real farming experience, Susman and Pollack now found themselves the proud owners of a 30-acre farm. A CASTLE OF CHEESE Back in the cheese room, Susman and Pollack have begun filling the cheese molds with curd. The work is divided evenly between them, Susman filling the larger molds for the Cave-Aged cheese and Pollack the smaller ones for the Farmhouse. A harmony, honed from 30 years of intimate collaboration, prevails. When nearly all the molds are filled, Pollack prepares the molds for pressing. She arranges molds of the same size in a row, places a board on top of them and begins a new row on top of the board. It is like watching a meticulous child build a castle out of Legos. Pollack slowly bends to examine her work. Her back looks like it aches, but she says nothing. The youthful image disappears. When the cheese castle is complete — two stacked rows of molds with two boards — Pollack lowers the press and attaches weight to it in the form of a gallon-sized jug of water. The entire contraption looks like a kind of torture device that may have been used to crush confessions out the Salem witches. Now, it is crushing any remaining whey out of the cheese. Susman brushes flecks of curd from her hands as she fills the last mold. It is nearly 1 p.m. They have been working for over six hours non-stop.
Pollack and Susman bend into the vat to mix the cheese curds, as whey drains out.
PERFECTING ARTISAN on a learning expedition, pioneering CHEESE MAKING a new cheese recipe as they Susman and Pollack christened taught themselves cheese-making their new home Orb Weaver Farm, techniques. after the orb weaver spider, in 1981 “All we did was work and figwhen their cow Sultana gave birth ure things out because there weren’t and they needed a farm name to people we could turn to for help beregister her calf. cause nobody else was doing it,” “We didn’t realize we were staying said Susman. “We just sort of put and figured we’d our heads down and rename it when went for it.” “Men bring a we moved,” said The pair had dabSusman. “But we different energy to bled in cheesemakstayed, and so did ing in their kitchen an operation. They in Massachusetts, our name.” In 1982, after two and they continued are restless.” years on the farm to perfect their rec— Marian Pollack ipe in their Vermont and one year of ownership, they built kitchen until it was their cheese-making ready for commerhouse, a small red building less than cial production. 100 yards from their barn with a Today, they make cheese twice a cheese making room and a walk-in week from November to May, prorefrigerator for cheese storage. ducing approximately 1,000 wheels They wanted to make cheese of cheese per year. because of its greater market stability Orb Weaver makes two kinds of as compared to milk. While the price cheese. One is the Farmhouse cheese, of milk fluctuated unpredictably — which Susman describes as “a good sometimes dropping as low as $14 all around cheese,” and perfect per 100 pounds of milk, according to for making macaroni and cheese. Susman — cheese prices remained Their Cave-Aged cheese is denser more consistent. and more complex and required the So, Susman and Pollack embarked construction of a cave in 2000 that
strongly resembles a Hobbit’s home. These cheeses are sold at 12 vendors in Vermont, located within a 25-mile radius of their farm. Although there is demand for their cheese in Manhattan and Boston — Orb Weaver cheese has a national recognition because it was one of the first of its kind in what is a now exploding market and for the numerous awards it has won — Susman and Pollack have refused to sell Orb Weaver products there; local is their priority. In addition, Susman and Pollack aim to cultivate relationships with everyone who sells their cheese. For this reason, they will not work with distributors, but instead negotiate directly with the 12 vendors that sell their cheese. The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op was the first retail outlet to sell Orb Weaver cheese and has now been selling their cheese and produce for the past three decades. “Their cheese has always been a welcome product at our store,” said Reiner Winkler, manager of the cheese department at the Middlebury co-op. “What is remarkable about their cheese is … they have always kept their price at a very affordable level.” Nancy Weber-Curth of Sparkling, a wine bar in Middlebury, said she has sold Orb Weaver cheese since her bar opened in 2012 because of the cheese’s excellent quality and Susman and Pollack’s business competence. “They are fair, flexible, dependable and extremely competent,” said Weber-Curth. “They pay attention to details, listen to what I need and are very accommodating.” Susman and Pollack see their identity as business women as critical to their farming operation. “Men bring a different energy to an operation,” said Pollack. “They are restless.” Susman suggested that women are more likely to be content with a smaller-scale business, like Orb Weaver’s, than male farmers. Not everyone recognizes these
Milk the six Orb Weaver Jersey cows: Clover, Hershey, Kudo, Pookah, Slinky and Bounty. Store the milk in a bulk tank to cool. Pump the milk from the bulk tank in the barn to a vat in the cheese house. Warm the milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix in a special cheese starter, to acidify the cheese, and rennet to change the milk to a firm mass, called “curd.” Cut the curd into small cubes with special knives. Stir the curds and whey (liquid leftover from the curds) for about an hour as the vat temperature rises to about 100 degrees. Stir curds by hand as whey is drained from the vat. Mix in 6 cups of salt. The curds taste like popcorn at this stage! Fill cheese molds with curds. Press the curd in the mold with increasing weight overnight, so any residual water is drained and curds become one cheese mass. Remove the cheese from molds and place in walk-in refrigerator. Turn the cheese once daily for a week. If destined to become Farmhouse cheese, wax it and return it to the walk-in for eight months. OR If destined to become Cave-Aged cheese, move it to the cave where it will age for three years. virtues, however. When Susman and Pollack began farming in the 1980s, they experienced much sexism from the local community. “When we moved here, our neighbors thought we were just two rich kids with a trust fund,” remembered Pollack. “But we proved ourselves hard workers.” “Now our neighbors say, ‘We don’t know anybody who works like you girls,’” added Susman. Both women, who consider themselves feminists, said they would encourage any female to try her hand at farming. “We love what we do,” said Susman. “Very few people get to follow their dreams like this.” She added, “It turns out women can do anything.” AGING Susman and Pollack are up at the farmhouse, lunch plates stacked in the sink. Each afternoon, they get about two hours off from farm work. On nice days, they like to go for a walk or sit
on their front porch, basking in the sunshine. But today it is drizzling. February has been unseasonably warm this year. They take up their books instead, a brief moment of rest. In a while, they will resume their chores. Susman will go to the barn this time and perform the same routine that Pollack executed this morning. Pollack will go to the cheese room. She will rotate each mold, ensuring that an even cheese wheel forms. Then, she will add more weight to the cheese press, compressing the curds even more. Then, as she has done hundreds of times before, she will turn out the light, close up the building and let their orb-like cheese wheels age in the dark. Emilie Munson, a senior at Middlebury College, is working with the Addison Independent as part of an independent study.
Orb Weaver Farm by the numbers: 2 owners and full-time farmers 6 Jersey cows 14 Vermont vendors to which they sell their cheese and produce 30 acreage of the farm when Susman and Pollack purchased it 100 current acreage of Orb Weaver Farm 1,000 wheels of cheese made per year 1982 the year that they began making cheese commercially
Marian Pollack carefully adds curd to the cheese mold until an exact weight is reached.
ADDSION COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
Marjorie Susman chops the jello-like cheese with a special knife to create curd cubes.
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PAGE 16A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
Mt. Abe
Pilcher (Continued from Page 1A) It all began with his participation in the much-respected Snelling Center for Government’s Vermont Leadership Institute. The institute was established in 1995 with the goal of stimulating citizen enthusiasm for, and participation in, public service. Pilcher graduated from the institute in 2014. And he has wasted no time becoming involved in various local and countywide boards. He has served as the Monkton selectboard chairman since 2013. He is a member of the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union’s Act 46 Study Committee, which is exploring new education governance options for the Bristol-area school district. Pilcher is also Monkton’s alternate representative to the Addison County Regional Planning Commission and Addison County Solid Waste Management District. Pilcher has long been interested in representing the Addison-4 House district in Montpelier, but has never seen a reason to run against two fellow Democrats who both held seats for more than a decade. But that changed in 2014 when Rep. Mike Fisher, D-Lincoln, was defeated in his re-election bid by Bristol Republican Fred Baser. Pilcher hopes to unseat Rep. Baser and join Rep. Dave Sharpe, D-Bristol, as the new Addison-4 delegation. “There is now an opening for a Democrat to run alongside Dave Sharpe,” said Pilcher, who referred to the veteran lawmaker as “a mentor to me.” He described himself as “fiscally conservative, socially progressive
and community minded.” a lot of sense,” Pilcher said. Not content to simply read about Health care reform, Pilcher acgoings-on in Montpelier or catch the knowledged, remains a conundrum latest on the 6 o’clock news, Pilcher that has been worsened by glitches travels to the Statehouse at least once in Vermont Health Connect (VHC). every two weeks to see lawmakers VHC is a health care exchange dein action. He attends various House signed to link Vermonters with afcommittee meetings to fordable health insursee the genesis of new ance options. But the bills and to get a sense VHC website has ben of parliamentary proplagued by technicedures at the Vermont cal problems that have Legislature. prevented the resource “It’s very informafrom being used effective,” Pilcher said of tively. his observation ses“I don’t think there sions under the Golden is anyone who has Dome. touched Vermont He’s been able to Health Connect who catch debate on some of wouldn’t say, ‘It’s bustVermont’s hot-button ed,’” Pilcher said. issues, including school At this point, Pilcher governance unification, concurs with a statePILCHER health care reform, sohired consultant who is lar siting, Lake Chamrecommending against plain cleanup, property tax reform adding new features to VHC, and and state tax policy. fixing the bugs within the VHC Pilcher is particularly plugged in website and seeing how much it to the school governance issue. He would cost to replace portions of noted residents in both the Addi- the program. son Central and Addison Northwest He does not believe that bailing supervisory unions passed Act 46 on VHC would be a good idea at referenda. Act 46 is a state law that this point. encourages supervisory unions to “Jumping to the federal exchange consolidate their governance under means giving up the state premium one school board and a single edu- assistance,” Pilcher said. “That cation budget. He said the ANeSU would make it more expensive for Act 46 Study Committee on which low- and middle-income users of he serves is still at work, but added VHC.” it’s likely that residents of the BrisIf elected, Pilcher vowed to suptol-area towns will field a unification port legislative efforts to establish a referendum either this November or “livable wage” in the Green Mounnext March. tain State. A livable wage is de“I happen to think unifying makes fined as the hourly wage or annual
income sufficient to meet a family’s basic needs, including food, housing, child care, transportation, health care, clothing, household and personal expenses, insurance, and 5 percent savings. Vermont’s livable wage is currently estimated at $13 per hour, according to Pilcher. Minimum wage in Vermont right now is $9.60 per hour, a rate scheduled to rise to $10.50 by 2018. “That Vermont livable wage is based on two people sharing a household with no kids, and health care provided by your employer,” Pilcher said of the $13-per-hour calculation. “It’s really pretty minimal. We’re talking about $26,000 per year.” Pilcher has been following the progress of a bill this year that would legalize possession of small quantities of marijuana. He agreed with advocates who believe legalization might eliminate black market sales of the drug. And he likes the fact that the Vermont bill would still prohibit the sale of edibles made with marijuana. But while Pilcher agreed with the Legislature’s decision a few years ago to decriminalize medical marijuana, he is not yet sold on its legalization. “I don’t want to see Vermont become a tourist destination for marijuana consumption,” he said. Pilcher promised to be an active campaigner. “I’m looking forward to knocking on doors and getting people’s opinions,” he said. Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindependent.com.
(Continued from Page 1A) board members. The committee was “very committed, very dedicated,” said DiNapoli. “Everybody wants what’s best for our school.” A 2004 graduate of Saint Michael’s College, where she earned a degree in English, Barewicz entered secondary education as an English teacher. She got her start serving as a long-term substitute at Mount Mansfield Union and Milton high schools and went to U-32 in 2009, staying there for six years. In addition to her teaching duties, she became U-32’s curriculum leader in 2013. Last summer, she began her current term as assistant principal. Barewicz in 2014 was awarded a Rowland Foundation Fellowship, including a $100,000 bequest, and focused her research on shared school leadership, collaborative learning communities and positive school culture. Rowland Fellowships also allow teachers to take semester-long sabbaticals to engage in professional development and then return to put in place their findings at their schools, with the goal of transforming schools by supporting visionary educators. The first fellowships were granted in 2009. Mount Abe science teachers Gabe Hamilton and Andrew Jones were selected as Rowland Fellows in 2015, and Library Media Specialist Laura Mina and Technology Integration Specialist Lauren Parren became Rowland Fellows in 2012. Barewicz earned a master’s in education from Saint Michael’s College in 2014 and completed
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advanced graduate study in transformational leadership at Southern New Hampshire University in 2015. In her letter of application to the MAUHS principal position, Barewicz wrote, “I have chosen not to widely apply to every open administrative position in Vermont — this is my dream job in my dream community. Ten years ago I lived in Bristol and eagerly welcome the chance to rejoin this vibrant and engaged community. It could be the chorus to a country song, but I left my heart in Addison County.” Interviewed by the Independent the morning following her selection, Barewicz said, “I’m just absolutely thrilled to be the principal of Mount Abe. This is a phenomenal community that really deserves stable leadership that will serve all students and families in the five towns.” Mount Abe has seen four principals over the past 8 academic years, including the current year, as the leadership baton has been passed from Paulette Bogan to Andy Kepes to Gaynell Lyman to Carol Fenimore. Barewicz said she entered secondary education because she wanted to have “more of an impact on society and children. I went into teaching and I’ve never looked back.” The movement from the classroom to school administration, she said, came about because of her desire to have more of a system-wide impact on learning. “I see a leader’s job to give some cohesion to a lot of different pieces and systems within schools,” said Barewicz. “When you can do that in a meaningful way, it really improves outcomes for students and teachers, so I’ve really felt inspired to engage in that work for the benefit of all teachers and all students.” Barewicz continued, “Going from a classroom perspective to a systems perspective and knowing you can really influence the teaching and learning that happens in the entire building rather than my classroom, which I enjoyed and loved, but to have the opportunity to make everybody more effective and inspired is a real gift.” She added that another aspect of leadership that inspired her to make the shift to administration was “knowing that the leader is in a role of celebrating the amazing work that students and teachers do. I think that pulling back that curtain and celebrating that work is inspiring for the community.” Reporter Gaen Murphree is at gaenm@addisonindependent.com.
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Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016 — PAGE 17A
Park (Continued from Page 1A) only change then with approval of the college building and former Mid- town. Other conditions include that dlebury town school that overlooks existing parking be retained and that the roughly 1-acre site that lies in no buildings be placed on the site. the triangle formed by South Main, Donahue, in response to a quesCollege and Academy streets. In ex- tion, made it clear that it would be a change for its help in paying for con- public park, not a place for the colstruction of the new town offices and lege to put up its own welcome sign. town recreation center, Middlebury “It’s not going to say that,” he said. College will gain title to the triangle “We don’t have that slide.” of town land. FEEDBACK When the brick town Audience members ofbuildings are gone and “One of the fered a series of suggesreplaced with a mostly challenges tions and critiques. open park, Twilight Hall Among the suggestions will become more vis- we’re were rest rooms, outdoor ible from the south end going to skating in the winter, of downtown — the park have is the games such as horseshoes was portrayed at the meetcompetition and bocce, internal seating in slides and on one of ing away from traffic to the easels set up by David of lots allow for quiet sitting Donahue, special assistant of good and picnicking, building to the Middlebury College ideas.” children’s slides into the president, and landscape — David slopes, fountains, more architect Keith Wagner. Donahue room for public art, and Donahue, the chairan attractive “posting kiman of a town-gown adosk” that residents could visory group that has been working use to publicize local events and since September on the park project, could be placed near the narrow end. called Monday’s overflow turnout Donahue said the advisory group “awesome” and “a tribute to the im- would take all suggestions seriously, portance” of the triangular space that but probably couldn’t make use of lies where Middlebury’s downtown all of them. and the eastern edge of Middlebury “One of the challenges we’re goCollege meet. ing to have is the competition of lots Donahue said the meeting’s pur- of good ideas,” he said. pose was twofold: to introduce two Some suggestions made could fall “pretty preliminary” concepts put outside the college’s budget for the forth by Wagner and the advisory property and the guidelines the town group, and to hear from residents. and college have agreed upon — “We want this to be conversation- those might include a visitors center al,” said Donahue, adding, “We want and an underground parking garage. to hear from you.” Critiques included Victoria The advisory group has already DeWind’s question as to why the had formal and informal feedback on a plan it hopes to make final by June, allowing for construction to be wrapped up by this fall. “I’ve heard from quite a few people,” Donahue said. CONCEPT DETAILS Donahue said in creating the “initial concepts” on display on Monday that the group worked from a set of principles, largely spelled out in the agreement between town and college officials. Those guiding principles included using the site’s natural topography; making the park inviting, familyfriendly and different from existing town parks; keeping maintenance costs low; providing a variety of seating options and styles, areas of shade and sun, and flat areas; making it accessible and easy to move around in; allowing for markers to honor the site’s history; and creating infrastructure such as lighting and Wi-Fi. Both concepts showed an open “play lawn” of almost half an acre at the west end and a “hard-scaped” point at the east end that could host public art. In between the drawings included a mix of seating, shade trees, two crossing pathways, play structures, picnic tables and plantings to act as buffering from traffic. The play lawn could host events such as movies, concerts or even a farmers’ market, Donahue said, as well as informal recreation. Wagner added that plans envisioned a space for public art at the narrow end of the park at the downtown end. The preliminary plans also showed two pathways crossing the middle of the park, one of them flanked by a low wall doubling as a seating bench. Pictures on one of the easels showed children playing on boulders and walking on log structures that could double as benches. The proposals also show shade trees scattered around the downtown end, hedges protecting the flat area (and a rain garden on one of them facing College Street), and other seating that includes picnic tables overlooking the flat area and a seating pavilion across from Middlebury Market and Sama’s Café. A play area at the south end of the open space could include play structures. The main goal for the park, Donahue said, is to create “a place where everyone feels included,” residents and college students alike. Another meeting is planned on the campus to get feedback from students, and another gathering in the town is also possible, he said. Donahue said the group as part of its research looked at other parks across the country to see what “energizes those spaces.” The college will pay for and maintain the park, which will remain a park for at least 99 years. Its use can
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MIDDLEBURY PARK OPTION 1 space was being considered separately from the empty lawn on the opposite side of Twilight Hall. “It seems like a lot of people want a lot of this triangle,” DeWind said. “Why not consider it part of Storrs Park?” Donahue answered the advisory group had been aware “that if we try to do everything for everybody we won’t do anything well,” and that is was a fair question to consider what
could happen to the other nearby open space, but one the advisory group itself could not answer. “We should open up a conversation over what should happen there,” he said. “It’s a great suggestion. We will need to bring other people into the conversation to make it happen.” Later, DeWind said the project should not necessarily be wed to its timetable if both areas could be included.
TWO CONCEPTS FOR a park where the Middlebury municipal building now stands both include an open “play lawn” of almost half an acre, a place at the east end that could host public art, and a mix of seating, shade trees, pathways, and more. Option 1, shown here, also includes a rain garden facing College Street.
“You should take the time you need to do it right,” she said. Sam Ostrow said the park should be distinctive enough to give residents and students a reason to make it a destination. Middlebury, he said, unlike more urban areas needs a park that will bring its residents together to socialize and to create excitement, not one to provide an oasis, while this park must also give students a compelling reason to
leave campus. “In Middlebury there is the need for interaction with people,” Ostrow said. “There has to be a really good reason to go here.” Donahue said he was confident the new park would meet those goals. “I agree with you,” he said. “I’m optimistic we’ll have something exciting there.” Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at andyk@addisonindependent.com.
PAGE 18A — Addison Independent, Thursday, March 24, 2016
LINCOLN SUGARMAKER DON Gale is having a great sugaring year and is seeing a tremendous flow of sap from his sugarbush located in the national forest in the hills of Lincoln.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Sugaring (Continued from Page 1A) during a blast of sustained heat. Now in its fourth year of operaGale’s sugarhouse is near the Lintion, Solar Sweet lives up to its name coln General Store but his 5,000 taps by operating, energywise, at close to range from elevations of 1,600 to net zero. Gadhue is deservedly proud 2,400 feet. And he said that condito point out the recycled materials tions have been such that sometimes used to build his dream sugarhouse. the sap has run all night, but more ofAnd the building’s electricity comes ten than not temperatures have gone almost entirely from roof-mounted down into the 20s at night with just solar panels that disenough freeze to keep appear into the black runs going. “That first week theThe standing seam roof. volume of some Gale of Twin Maple when they runs this year has been Sugarworks said that were predicting especially notable. Two so far he’s had such those (warm) years ago, Gale said, he an incredible year that temperatures, had a day in which he he’s pretty much gone gathered 6,000 gallons I thought we’d through his entire of sap. Last year, he woodpile. Gale spoke start on Monday had three days in a row with the Independent and finish on where he gathered 6,000 over a much needed Friday. But gallons of sap per day. cup of coffee, after thank God the This year, he’s had eight boiling until 2 a.m. the weathermen days in a row where he’s night before. gathered 8,000 gallons “At this point it’s were wrong this of sap per day. overwhelming,” he time.” Gale has someone — sugarmaker cutting more wood to said. “That first week Don Gale fire his boiler but — not when they were predicting those (warm) wanting to tempt the temperatures, I thought we’d start gods — said that what happens to on Monday and finish on Friday. the rest of the season is “up to the But thank God the weathermen were big guy above.” wrong this time.” For David Folino, whose HillsGale is one of a handful of Ver- boro Sugarworks of Starksboro taps mont sugarmakers awarded per- 14,800 trees at elevations ranging mits to sugar in the national forest, from 1,100 to 2,300 feet, the story which he’s done since the late 1990s. is similar: 2016 is shaping up to be Gale’s first boil, the earliest in nearly above average. Usually Hillsboro three decades of sugaring, was Feb. Sugarworks makes 5,500-6,500 gal29. Given the unseasonably warm lons of syrup, and early this week weather, Gale had worried that this he was already three-quarters of the year’s season might have been a re- way there. peat of one about seven years ago Like Gale, Folino said he started that shut down after less than a week boiling around Feb. 28 or 29 — the
earliest he’s ever boiled in his 38 years as a sugarmaker. “We’ve never even boiled in February,” Folino said. Asked if the unseasonable weather had sugarmakers concerned about global warming, Folino said that his concerns weren’t the downshifts in temperatures — trees are resilient and the season would just start earlier — but the kinds of violent storms he’s seen in recent years. Folino said that storms in the winter of 20142015 damaged hundreds of trees. IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY Down at lower elevations, the sugaring season is farther along and, sugarmakers estimate as they read the differing signs of returning spring, closer to its end. In Leicester, Andy and Donna Hutchison of Mount Pleasant Sugarworks were looking at the budding lilacs out by their sugarhouse on Tuesday and figuring they’ve got about one more week of harvesting sap. The Mount Pleasant sugarbush sits at an elevation of around 600 feet. This year they put in around 3,600 taps and started to boil with all seriousness on Feb. 17, but they “boiled enough to sweeten the pan” a week earlier. Because of the warmer weather, the Hutchisons started tapping a week earlier than normal. Andy Hutchison noted that the lack of snow cover made the job of sugaring easier. “Last year we were thigh deep in it, but this year was much easier,” he said. The Hutchisons report that this year’s runs have made mostly amber rich syrup with good flavor. In terms
TOM AUDET OF Ledge Haven Farm in Orwell inspects a batch of maple syrup while his brother Gerry stirs. The syrup has just started to boil down into the grade now called “Dark with Robust Taste.” Ledge Haven has been making maple syrup since 1974.
Independent photo/Gaen Murphree
of volume, they expect an average year’s harvest, and they had made close to 1,800 gallons of their target of 2,000 as of March 22. At Shoreham’s Vermont Trade Winds Farm, sugarmakers Tim and Loraine Hescock are hard at work boiling but expect the buds to begin to appear on the maples within a week or two. Tim Hescock grew up sugaring on the family farm and has been operating Trade Winds for the past 13 years. The Hescocks sugar at an elevation of around 300-400 feet and began boiling on Feb. 22, earlier than last year but pretty close to average for their sugarbush. They started to tap Feb. 12. On Tuesday they were about three-quarters of the way to last year’s volume of 1,300 gallons. “It’s been pretty steady since Feb. 22,” Tim Hescock said, and then added, “but not every day.” Looking at the sample bottles lined up from the different boils, Hescock
noted that the change to darker color in more recent boils signals the approach of the end of the season. “The sugar content’s getting weaker,” he said. Hescock noted that the colder weather over the last weekend has helped bring the volume up. While at the highest elevations temperatures dropped enough to drive the frost deep into the ground, Hescock noted that in Shoreham there wasn’t much frost in the ground this year. “The season is probably going to end pretty soon here,” said Tim, “and that’s in part because it’s been such a warm, mild winter. There’s no frost in the ground, whereas the freezing patterns looked pretty good for a while but it might eventually be too late in the season.” Hescock thinks this year’s season might end up a little shorter than in 2015. Out at Tom and Mike Audet’s Ledge Haven Farm sugarhouse in Orwell, sugaring is a family affair — with four generations on hand over the course of the afternoon’s boil. Although you can’t see Lake Champlain from the sugarhouse itself, it’s only a quarter mile or so away as the crow flies. Tom Audet started sugaring with his brother and step-grandfather in 1974. This year the Audets started tap-
ping Feb. 2 and were done tapping by Town Meeting Day. The first boil was on Feb. 28 — quite a bit earlier than last year, when the first boil was closer to mid March. “We could have boiled earlier,” Tom Audet said. The Audets tapped close to 3,000 trees this year and also purchase sap from nearby family members. Last year Ledge Haven made 1,200 gallons of syrup and this year Tom Audet expects to make closer to 1,500. One of the best recent seasons, he said, was a couple of years ago when they made 2,000 gallons. “It all depends on Mother Nature, that’s for sure,” Audet said. Like the other lower-elevation sugarmakers, Audet thinks they have a week, maybe two left in the season. Asked how he knows this, Audet steps outside the sugarhouse and points far across an open field to where a large stand of maples clusters at the edge of the horizon, still standing stark in their winter browns and grays. When those trees start to turn red, he said, the sugarmakers at Ledge Haven will know the season is about to draw to a close. This year’s Maple Open House Weekend will be April 2-3. For more information go online to vermontmaple.org/mohw. Reporter Gaen Murphree is at gaenm@addisonindependent.com.