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ARTS+LEISURE The Addison Independent
October 6, 2016
Larry Plesent, owner and founder of Vermont Soap in Middlebury, has been creating and introducing new organic soap products to the nation and world since its founding in 1992. INDEPENDENT PHOTO/TRENT CAMPBELL
Vermont Soap: Thinking outside the bar
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BY EMMA COTTON
aying a visit to the Vermont Soap factory off Exchange Street in Middlebury is a bit like visiting the orderly, fragrant and incredibly clean lab of a mad scientist. Lining the shelves of the factory are company founder Larry Plesent’s creations: the world’s first organic pet shampoo, the first cleaner for yoga mats, “top shelf” organic deodorants, toilet cleaners and a powdered toothpaste alternative whose first ingredient is salt.
On a table near the rows of bar soap stands a meat grinder, which the team uses to grind up soap scraps to create “Sudzy Putty,” the world’s first totally recycled soap product, with the tagline “Sculpt it! Play with it! Wash with it!” “This one is for cleaning your food,” Plesent said, plucking a bottle from the rack, “which is a remarkably sane idea.” After Vermont Soap’s first facility caught fire in 2014, Plesent didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, he moved to a new factory down the street, increased production, and continued the company’s legacy as one of the largest organic soap producers in the country.
The new facility is fire-proof from its ceilings and walls to the product storage rooms. Though devastating at the time, the fire has given the company an opportunity to rethink its structure. It may have lost a few customers in the weeks following the fire, along with many of its products, but its expansive new space has allowed Vermont Soap to make up for the losses, plus some. “We went from dead stop to full production in four months. None of this existed when we came in,” Plesent said, gesturing around the floor of the factory to tall white plastic barrels, labeling machines and pastry carts full of thousands of bars of soap. And the now two-year-old factory is still under construction. Plesent has added several offices and a meeting room in a loft-like space on a second level overlooking the facility’s main floor. The new space has enough room for the company’s dynamic team, complete with lawyers, engineers and graphic designers. Entirely electric, the facility has enabled Plesent to consider installing solar panels on the roof, a decision that is permit-pending. If approved, the factory would run using 100 percent solar energy. SEE SOAP ON PAGE 13
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
Sabra Field FIELD AND ALVAREZ PRESENT 'WHERE DO THEY GO?' A CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT THE END OF LIFE
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dgewater Gallery is proud to present artist Sabra Field and author Julia Alvarez for the official launch of Where Do They Go? A children’s book of poetry and illustrations created by these Vermont luminaries, this book asks possibly the hardest question there is about the end of life. Saturday, Oct. 15, Field and Alvarez will read and discuss their project from 2-4 p.m. at Edgewater Gallery on the Green. The authors will sign copies of the book after the talk, which will be sold at Edgewater by the Vermont Bookstore. From 4-6 p.m. on the
BY ISABEL LOWER
same day, an opening reception will be held for Sabra Field and the five other artists showcased in their October featured exhibit, “Of the Land.”
phenomena are a sign of their loved ones.
The prints that Field created for Where Do They Go? will be on display at Edgewater. These 10 prints are bound together in a standing accordion sculpture; this set is one of only two proof copies that the artist made for the book. They feature children of all races of gradeschool age who are comforted by featureless figures of the departed, formed as negative space or in clouds. These figures interact with elements of the natural world: snowflakes, raindrops, feet in the sand as the surf slides in. Alvarez’s poem begins by asking if these
The prose broadens to show how grief changes with time, and how we grow by it.
“Do they go where the wind goes when it blows?”
“Sometimes, very briefly, I catch just a glance in the hills’ quiet stillness, in a storm’s dark advance.” Field’s final prints in the series similarly expand to full views of mountains, the sunrise, and the road ahead. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Addison Independent
ART CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Field came to Vermont to attend Middlebury College, and has lived in the state since 1969. She has been widely collected by museums, and received accolades from many institutions, including honors from two Vermont governors. An octogenarian, Field continues to publish her hand-pulled woodblock prints from her studio in South Royalton. In a recent interview, Field answered questions about her collaboration with Alvarez, her new pieces on view at Edgewater on the Green, and what she is still finding at work in the studio after an extraordinary career. Your work is well known, stemming from a career that spans decades: do you still find anything new in woodblock printing technique? I try to solve a new problem with each new print. I’ve never lost interest in the medium but I do use gouache sometimes or linoleum. And in terms of subject, how has your inspiration and focus changed over the years, and how do you choose what to work on now? As I get more experienced I can suggest more illusions, so less subjects seem daunting. I can go from illustration to poetic simplicity and that keeps my interest. What is a recent work you have enjoyed making?
is the five part landscape presented in a fold out frame reminiscent of Renaissance altar pieces. It is a pastoral landscape titled “Gilead” (which is the land of milk and honey.) It’s my way of saying to Vermont, “Thank you for taking me in.”
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 3
Where Do They Go? What: Sabra Field and Julia Alvarez will read and discuss Where Do They Go? an illustrated children's book of poems about the end of life.
The “Sheep Farm Suite” is a dynamic set of four seasonal prints. Could you speak to the inspiration behind these works? The suite of four is called the “Farm Suite” and “Sheep Farm” is the autumn subject, a Greek Revival farm house suggesting the 19th century era when sheep were King of Vermont Agriculture. “Wind Farm” has beautiful big wind turbines, kinetic sculptures on a ridge line over a summer scene of corn and hay. It says “We want to take care of our energy consumption without exploiting places other people live.” The winter image, “Star Farm,” has a huge crop of stars filling a night sky over a snow bound house and barn. And “Horse Farm” has mares and foals on a spring green meadow at sunset. The prints are sold singly or as a group to hang side by side. The size is the Japanese “Oban” 15” x 10” like several of my seasonal suites about Vermont. How was your collaboration with Julia Alvarez on Where Do They Go? Julia wrote a remarkable poem about death from the point of view of a child experiencing the loss of someone important to him or her. The confusion and sorrow at the beginning are transformed into a perception of the world as rational and hopeful. I think the poem speaks to us all. I tried to internalize the emotions and bring them to life in the persons of many different children. I’ve had one of the two proof copies prepared to exhibit as an accordion bound stand up “sculpture’ which will be for sale. And books published by Seven Stories Press will be available which Julia and I will sign.
The piece I am most pleased with at Edgewater
Isand in a Sea of Stars, archival pigment print from woodcut, 34" x 34".
Where: Edgewater Gallery on the Green, Middlebury PHOTO / BILL EICHNER
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 from 2-4 p.m.
The subject matter is very heavy — do you think visual art can address difficult subjects like death in a way that words can’t? Sorrow and despair are addressed by art better than by newspaper accounts or photos. Maybe better than by traditional religions. The greatest war reporting and the most compassionate war image is, for me, Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica,” an account of the bombing of innocent civilians during the Spanish Civil War. Especially the two outstretched hand with flowers in it, which is a simple graphic that says “peace” without words. For her participation in the “Of the Land” group show at Edgewater Gallery, Field has selected recent works of her best known subject matter — the Vermont landscape. Field’s vibrant portrayals of our fields, mountains, and sky have gained her renown around the world as a premiere printmaker, and a monument among Vermont’s rich arts community. — Isabel Lower works at Edgewater Gallery.
PAGE 4 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
OUT OF TOWN
‘Fame: The Musical’ takes the Rutland stage An unmistakable title from the unforgettable film and television franchise, “Fame The Musical” inspired generations to fight for fame and light up the sky like a flame! Catch this show on OCT. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m. at the Paramount WEDNESDAY Paramount Theater, Rutland Theater in Rutland.
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Conceived and developed by David De Silva — now known affectionately to the planet as “Father Fame” — this high-octane musical features the Academy Award-winning title song and a host of other catchy pop numbers. The show follows the final class of New York City’s celebrated High School for the Performing Arts from their admission in 1980 to their graduation in 1984. All of the struggles, fears and triumphs — from prejudice to substance abuse — are depicted with razor-sharp focus as the young artists navigate the worlds of music, drama and dance. Fame is an international sensation that continues to reach new
generations of performers and audience members. The show provides great opportunities to feature a diverse talent pool and showcase artistic mediums like dancing, singing, acting, rapping and musicianship. Tickets: $40, $45. More info at www.paramountvt.org.
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Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 5
IN TOWN
Church Walk blesses Middlebury HENRY SHELDON MUSEUM LEADS SUNDAY TOUR OF EIGHT HOUSES OF WORSHIP This Sunday, don’t just go to one church, go to eight! The Henry Sheldon Museum is sponsoring a walk on SUNDAY OCT. Sunday, Oct. 9, featuring All around Middlebury eight houses of worship in Middlebury village, notable embodiments of two centuries of religious culture and architectural craftsmanship. The tour is organized by Glenn Andres, Middlebury College Professor Emeritus of History, Art and Architecture. Participants may visit the eight churches in any order between 1 and 5 p.m.
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The walk highlights: the Congregational Church (1806-09); St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (182607); St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (18921912), exterior only; the United Methodist Church (1892-03); Memorial Baptist Church (1905-06); Mead Chapel at Middlebury College (1916); Havurah Jewish Congregation (1876 / 2001); and the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (2009). At each location local hosts will be on hand to explain features and stories of the buildings and their histories. The walk provides an introduction to a cross section of significant religious architecture in a compact context that is paralleled in few Vermont communities. Middlebury had to wait some twenty years before building the first church. Services had been held in barns, taverns and courthouses — it then produced a remarkable heritage of fine buildings, some of the most notable in town.
The Middlebury United Methodist Church is one of eight churches featured on the Sheldon Museum’s Middlebury Church Walk on Oct. 9. PHOTO / COLLECTION OF HENRY SHELDON MUSEUM
Spanning two centuries of church construction, these buildings represent the work of notable Vermont, New York, and Boston architects. Their styles and arrangements have much to say about the evolution of national religious patterns and tastes. Their high quality design, stained glass, furnishings, and historic organs and bells embody a precious legacy that speaks of the aspirations, sacrifice and generosity of
generations of Middlebury citizens. Maps will be available and tickets will be on sale in advance and on Oct. 9 at $25 per person at the Sheldon Museum, One Park Street in Middlebury. The walk will conclude with a reception at the Sheldon Museum where paintings by local artists of the featured churches will be offered for sale.
one two three THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW CELEBRATE HISPANIC & LATINO HERITAGE MONTH Did you know we’re in the middle of National Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month? No? Well now’s you’re chance to catch up. The Marquis Theater in Middlebury is hosting two more weekends of free movies, music, food and drink. Friday movies are free and begin at 7 p.m. “100 Cuban Sonnets” shows Oct. 6 and “90 Miles Live at Cubadisco” shows Oct. 13. Cuban musician, DJ and radio and TV host Toni Basanta will be in the cafe on Saturdays, Oct. 8 and 15 from 5-9 p.m. playing free live music (dancing encouraged, of course.)
DWIGHT & NICOLE PERFORM LIVE IN NEW HAVEN
VERGENNES CHILI & CHOCOLATE FEST ON THE GREEN
FRIDAY 14 OCT.
SATURDAY 15 OCT.
Dwight & Nicole will perform live at Tourterelle next Friday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. Nicole Nelson and Dwight Ritcher play American indie-soul/blues. Don’t take these guys lightly, they’re the recipients of the 2016 Band of The Year award from the New England Music Awards, and the Boston Music Award’s Female Vocalist of the Year. Before Dwight & Nicole get too big for Vermont, catch them live in New Haven starting with a BBQ dinner at 6:30 p.m. $15 cover. Tourterelle, New Haven
Sample chili and chocolate from the area’s finest chefs and chocolatiers on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m. in Vergennes. Come and vote for your favorites. Celebrity judges will be Rick Norcross and Jamie Lee Thurston. Thurston will also be performing live country music on the bandstand. Tickets are $7 in advance (search Vergennes Chili & Chocolate on Eventbright.com) or $10 at the door. Ages 8 and under are free. Tickets are limited — first come, first served. City Park, Vergennes
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
T HEATER
OWN HALL
Merchants Row, Middlebury, VT Tickets: 802-382-9222 • www.townhalltheater.org Fri 10/7 7pm $17/$10 Students
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE : HANGMEN
Very funny, dark play about the second best hangman in England. Encore presentation captured live from London.
IN THE JACKSON GALLERY
ASHLEY WOLFF : Following a Thread
Opening Reception Friday, October 7th 5–7 pm
Sat 10/8 Noon $24/$10 Students MET LIVE IN HD ON THE THT BIG SCREEN:
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
A new production by Mariusz Treliński, starring Nina Stemme. A free talk about this opera will be given in the studio on the lower level at 11:15 AM by Greg Vitercik.
Thu-Fri 10/13 & 14 7:30pm & Sat 10/15 2pm $40-$50 OPERA COMPANY OF MIDDLEBURY
THE MAGIC FLUTE
OCM completes its 13th season with a staged-concert version of Mozart’s classic comedy.
Thu-Sun 10/20-22 7:30pm & Sun 10/23 2pm $22 MIDDLEBURY ACTORS WORKSHOP
MACBETH
One of Shakespeare’s most beautifully written and tautly constructed tragedies.
Sat 10/22 1pm $24/$10 Students MET LIVE IN HD
DON GIOVANNI
Pre-show talk at 12:15 in the Byers Studio
Fri 10/28 7pm $17/$10 Students BRANAGH THEATRE BROADCAST
EXHIBITS ADDISON COUNTY IN PROFILE: SILHOUETTES FROM THE HENRY SHELDON MUSEUM ARCHIVES. On exhibit through December at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, 1 Park St., Middlebury. 3882117 or www.henrysheldonmuseum.org. BLOOM AND DOOM: VISUAL EXPRESSIONS AND REFORM IN VIENNA 1900. On exhibit through Dec. 11 at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, Overbrook Gallery. 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 4435007. COLORS OF FALL. On exhibit Sept. 1-Oct. 31 featuring works by artists Judith Reilly, Joan Drew and Christine Holzschuh. Brandon Artists Guild, 7 Center Street, Brandon. (802) 247-4956. EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART. Ongoing exhibit, featuring landscapes by American painters Jasper Cropsey and John Frederick Kensett alongside sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European religious and devotional images and American and European sculpture. Cerf Gallery at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007. FOLLOWING A THREAD. On exhibit through Nov. 13 featuring paintings by Ashley Wolff. Opening reception Friday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m. Jackson Gallery on the lower level of Town Hall Theater, 68 South Pleasant Street, Middlebury. 802-382-9222. OF THE LAND. On exhibit for the month of October featuring the works of Julia Purinton, Tom Marrinson, Sabra Field, Tom Dunne, Gary Hall and Jen Violette. Edgewater Gallery on the Green, 6 Merchants Row, Middlebury. 802-989-7419. PEDALING THROUGH HISTORY: 150 YEARS OF THE BICYCLE, THE GLENN EAMES COLLECTION. On exhibit June 21-Oct. 16 at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, 1 Park St, Middlebury. 388-2117 or www.henrysheldonmuseum.org. POST POP: PRINTS OF KEITH HARING. On exhibit through Dec. 11. Following the illustrious career of Keith Haring from 1982, when he made his first silkscreen prints, to his death from AIDS related complications in 1990. Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007. QUAKER MADE: VERMONT FURNITURE, 1820-1835. On exhibit starting Sunday, July 10 at the Rokeby Museum. Route 7, Ferrisburgh. 877-3406. ROBERT F. REIFF GALLERY OF ASIAN ART. Ongoing exhibit of East Asian ceramics. Middlebury College Museum of Art, 72 Porter Field Road, Middlebury. (802) 443-5007. THE CREATIVE WORLD OF STEPHANIE STOUFFER. On exhibit Sept. 2-Oct. 29 featuring Stephanie Stouffer’s original paintings, along with selected licensed products from her 35 year career as an illustrative and decorative artist. Compass Center, 333 Jones Drive, Brandon. (802) 247-4295. HERE & THERE. On exhibit for the month of October featuring the paintings of Timothy Horn. Opening reception Oct. 6, 5-7 p.m. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls, 1 Mill Street, Middlebury. (802) 458-0098.
THE ENTERTAINER
Starring Kenneth Branagh, John Osborne’s modern classic conjures the seedy glamour of the old music halls for an explosive examination of public masks and private torment.
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Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 7
Ashley Wolf
JACKSON GALLERY WELCOMES NEW EXHIBIT 'FOLLOWING A THREAD' Prolific artist, author and illustrator Ashley Wolff will display “Following a Thread” at the Jackson Gallery from Oct. 7-Nov. 13. Rich in their color and pattern, the images in this show began to emerge in the autumn of 2014 after the death of a beloved dog and evolved over the next two years. Using gouache on watercolor paper, Wolff combines animal imagery from the Mexican Dia des los Muertes (Day of the Dead) tradition, Ukranian Pysanka (decorated eggs,) and her Vermont rural environment. The poem The Way It Is, by William Stafford, first heard at the Town Hall
New Year Cat
Theater 2014 performance of Night Fires was a huge influence in several of the pieces. Wolff has been a visual artist since she declared herself one at the age of 5. She grew up in Middlebury and holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Wolff is the author and/ or illustrator of over 60 children’s picture books including Baby Bear Sees Blue, Baby Beluga by Raffi, Stella and Roy Go Camping,
When Lucy Goes Out Walking, I Call My Grandma Nana, Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals and the beloved Miss Bindergarten series by Joseph Slate. Her books have won numerous state and national awards.
introduction to media in the Children’s Picture Book Writing & Illustration Summer MFA and certificate programs at Hollins University. She lives and works beside a lake in Leicester.
Wolff teaches writing and
The Jackson Gallery is
located in the lower level of The Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., and an hour before any public events in the building. For more info, call 802-382-9222 or email jacksongallery@ townhalltheater.org.
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
CALENDAR top pick TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND TO VISIT ADDISON COUNTY ARTISTS' STUDIOS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM 10 A.M.-5 P.M. SEE WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS AND ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO KNOW.
ANTIQUES
“UP COUNTRY” VERMONT FURNITURE IN FERRISBURGH. Sunday, Oct. 9, 3 p.m., Rokeby Museum. Vermont’s own auctioneer and collector Duane Merrill takes participants for a stroll through three decades of finds, highs and lows, gems and surprises in the Vermont antiques trade. Admission $2 program only or free with museum admission.
ARTS ARTIST RECEPTION IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 6, 5-7 p.m., Edgewater at the Falls Gallery. Opening reception for Timothy Horn’s solo exhibition “Here and There.” Info: 4580098 or www.edgewatergallery-vt.com. GALLERY TALK IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30-7 p.m., Vermont Folklife Center. Reception for the opening of “GEOMORPH / Things Change and They Change Again” by Chris Triebert. Triebert creates visual and emotional order from the chaos of Tropical Storm Irene.
More info and a map to guide you at www.vermontcrafts.com.
GALLERY RECEPTION “FOLLOWING A THREAD” IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., Jackson Gallery at Town Hall Theater. Prolific artist, author and illustrator Ashley Wolff will display a series of paintings with a common thread. FALL OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Middlebury. Addison County artists welcome visitors to their studios for open studio weekend. Participating Middlebury artisans are: Mike Mayone, Trillium Art & Beyond, Norman Jean Rollet and Danforth Pewter. Bristol artisans are: Dale Helms Fine Furniture, Robert Compton Pottery, Art on Main. Orwell artisans are: John Chiles Glass and Mud Puppy Pottery; and Big Sky Farm Handweaving in Shoreham. The open studio map/guide is available at participating studios or at www. vermontcrafts.com. JULIA ALVAREZ AND SABRA FIELD IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m., Edgewater Gallery on the Green. Julia Alvarez and Sabra Field, author and illustrator respectively, will present their new book, “Where Do They Go?” They will also take questions and sign copies of the book.
CRAFTS TWIST O’ WOOL SPINNING GUILD IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m., 49 Wilson Road. There will be a John Chiles glass is based in Orwell .
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO OCTOBER 6-16, 2016
general meeting and show and tell, followed by a spinin and/or a how to take care of a spinning wheel. All are welcome. Info: 453-5960.
DANCE CONTRADANCE IN BRISTOL. Saturday, Oct. 8, 7-9:30 p.m., Holley Hall. David Kaynor will be calling to live music by Red Dog Riley. $5-10/person (sliding scale). All are welcome Info: 462-3722. HONKY TONK SHOWDOWN IN VERGENNES. Saturday, Oct. 15, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. An epic evening of music and dancing featuring the Starline Rhythm Boys with opening act the Hokum Brothers. Tickets $15 advance, $20 at the door.
FILM BEST OF THE FEST DOCUMENTARY WINNERS IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival “Best of the Fest” will present “Phil’s Camino” (short) and “Walk With Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith” (feature).Tickets $12. FREE MOVIE FOR HISPANIC AND LATINO HERITAGE MONTH IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Marquis Theater. Second in a series of free Friday night films related to the Cuban music community. This week’s film is “100 Cuban Sonnets.” “ANOMALISA” IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 8, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Dana Auditorium. In this animated feature, an inspirational speaker becomes reinvigorated after meeting a lively woman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who shakes up his mundane existence. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/ arts or 443-3168. FILM SCREENING IN FERRISBURGH. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2-4 p.m., Ferrisburgh Town Offices and Community Center. The Ferrisburgh Historical Society will be screening the 1996 Vermont film classic, “Man with a Plan,” featuring Fred Tuttle. When faced with both his father’s medical bills and the future of their declining dairy farm, Fred decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. John
Addison Independent
O’Brien of Tunbridge wrote, edited, produced and directed this comic but insightful favorite. Info: 425-3380. DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING IN MIDDLEBURY. Monday, Oct. 10, 4:30 p.m., Dana Auditorium. Filmmaker Thomas Keith’s new documentary, “The Empathy Gap: Masculinity and the Courage to Change” will be shown. Q&A with the filmmaker as well. FREE MOVIE FOR HISPANIC AND LATINO HERITAGE MONTH IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m., Marquis Theater. Third in a series of free Friday night films related to the Cuban music community. This week’s film is “90 Miles Live At Cubadisco.”
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE ARTS LECTURE IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 6, 4:30 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125. Ara Merjian, associate professor of Italian and art history, NYU, will give a talk titled “The Insensitive Chaos of Objects: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Arte Povera, and Paleo-aesthetics.” LECTURE IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 7, 12:15 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre. Victoria Reed will give a lecture titled, “Lost and Found: Research on NaziEra Looting and Restitution at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.” COCOON IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Robison Hall. Inspired by the popular storytelling phenomenon The Moth, Cocoon is an evening of true stories told live without notes. Tickets $12 public, college ID holders $10, students $6. “LEGENDS OF KINTAMANI” IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Robison Hall. The Vermont premiere of Legends of Kintamani, a new cello concerto by Middlebury Professor of Music Su Lian Tan. Tickets $20 public/$15 college ID holders/$6 students. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 9
FREUD’S COLORS: DESIGN AND PSYCHOLOGY IN 19TH CENTURY VIENNA IN MIDDLEBURY. Monday, Oct. 10, 4:30 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125. Eric Anderson, assistant professor of art history, Rhode Island School of Design, will give a lecture on Sigmund Freud’s Vienna office. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168. PLEASE TOUCH THE ART: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE JOHNS HOPKINS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IN MIDDLEBURY. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 4:30 p.m., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125. Sanchita Balachandran, curator of the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, discusses recent projects where undergraduate students worked hands-on with ancient art from the museum’s collection. Free. Info: www.middlebury.edu/arts or 443-3168.
MUSIC HISPANIC MUSIC PARTY IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 8, 5-9 p.m., Marquis Theater. Cuban musician, DJ and radio and TV host Toni Basanta will play music in the Main Street theater’s café; dancing encouraged.
top pick LOOKIN' FOR SOME GOOD HONEST FUN THIS SATURDAY? DON'T MISS THE CONTRADANCE AT HOLLEY HALL IN BRISTOL. LET GO OF ALL YOUR STRESS, PUT ON A SWINGIN' SKIRT AND SKIP ON OVER WITH (OR WITHOUT) A PARTNER.
“THE MAGIC FLUTE” IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Opera Company of Middlebury will present a staged concert version of Mozart’s classic comedy, “The Magic Flute.” A free talk about the opera is offered one hour before each performance. Tickets $40-50 and are available at www.townhalltheater.org, in person or by calling 382-9222. “THE MAGIC FLUTE” IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 14, 7:309:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m., Town Hall Theater. Opera Company of Middlebury will present a staged concert version of Mozart’s classic comedy, “The Magic Flute.” A free talk about the opera is offered one hour before each performance. Tickets $40-50 and are available at www. townhalltheater.org, in person or by calling 382-9222. HISPANIC MUSIC PARTY IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 15, 5-9 p.m., Marquis Theater. Cuban musician, DJ and
SEE CALENDAR ON PAGE 15
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
Meet the cheesemake
Marjorie, Marian and Lauren from Orb Weaver
O
rb Weaver Farm sits on 100 acres in the Champlain Valley, the rocky top of Camel’s Hump Mountain visible towards the east. It was founded in 1981 by Marjorie Susman and Marian Pollack. They are the driving force behind the farm, with help from farmhand Lauren Slayton.
The farm’s patchwork fields are bordered by hedgerows, dotted with Jersey cows, bales of hay waiting to be picked up and a green tractor tilling the earth. Straight garden rows are planted with lettuce, swiss chard, tomatoes, peppers and flowers. The 200-year-old farmhouse sits across the yard from the weathered barn, and the cheese cave is carved into a hillside, fronted by huge stone slabs.
BY EMILY LANDENBERGER
“The life of a farmer is both simple and vastly complex, dependent not only on planning and muscle but also on what falls from the sky and what pushes up from the earth,” reads the farm’s welcome page on their website. “This is Orb Weaver Farm, the farm we have built with our hands for over 30 years, our small piece of the beautiful Vermont earth. “We’ve been practicing sustainable farming since we began,” the homepage continues. “We cultivate our organic gardens and sell the produce to local restaurants and markets. We compost all our culled vegetables, cow manure, and whey (a byproduct of making cheese) and eventually return their nutrients to the gardens and pastures.” Here’s what Marjorie and Marian have to say about their delicious cheeses and the cows that make it possible:
FARMHOUSE CHEESE When farmers use milk exclusively from their own cows to make cheese, it’s called “farmhouse cheese.” That’s what we’ve been doing at Orb Weaver Farm since 1982. We milk our Jersey cows to make rich, raw milk cheese with a slightly tangy, full-bodied flavor. More moist than cheddar, our Farmhouse Cheese has a natural buttery color and smooth, creamy texture. It is delicious with wine, melts beautifully to complement any recipe, brings grilled cheese sandwiches to new heights, and distinctively tops nachos and pizza.
did you know?
Marjorie Susman, left, Lauren Slayton, center, and Marian Pollack, righ cheese based out of their farm in New Haven.
ORB WEAVER FARM HAS HAD AROUND 15 GENERATIONS OF COWS BORN ON THE FARM. THEY USE FAMILY THEMES AND NICKNAMES FOR EVERY COW. THE COWS AT ORB WEAVER CURRENTLY ARE WIZARD, TIMOTHY, HERSHEY, UBU, FOXIE, BOSCO AND YOOHOO. WE ALSO HAVE CALVES NAMED YOYO, FROLIC, PRANCER AND ORBIT.
CAVE-AGED CHEESE In 2001, we took a new step into an age-old tradition and began making cave-aged cheese. Using stones from neighboring Panton, we built a cave in a small hillside on our farm to replicate as closely as possible the aging process used for centuries before refrigeration. Cave conditions are warmer and more humid than those for our standard farmhouse cheese, and the aging cycle is longer — up to a year for a 10-pound wheel. We don’t wax caveaged cheese, but instead turn and brush the wheels every other day for several months, creating a natural rind. The end result is
heaven for cheese lovers: a robust, complex array of nutty, earthy flavors and a firm, slightly drier texture that makes our cave-aged cheese a true delicacy. Cave-aged cheese may require more time and TLC, but we think you’ll agree the results are more than worth it. We make our cheeses simply, in the European tradition. We stir, form, and date-stamp each wheel by hand — we don’t use mechanical stirrers or hydraulic presses. Our wheels age from 6 to 12 months and, since we do everything ourselves, quantities are limited. We make cheese from November through May. We give
our cows, and ourselves, a organic gardens.
THE HERD
In our experience, Jerseys cheesemaking, with more from other breeds. Becaus we’re always using the pur quality farmhouse and cav
We feed our cows sweet-t hay to produce the most s won an award for the bestwe milk a small family of se best milk, and so our Jerse whenever they’re not rotat
We love our farm in Vermo an era when family farms a that our small farm is thrivi
— Emily Landenberger works in m
Co-op. This piece originally publish
Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 11
ers
r Farm
Marjorie and Marian, circa 1976.
MAC AND CHEESE From Orb Weaver Farm. Visit their website for more recipes.
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
1 pound penne or elbow pasta, cooked 3 cups cheese sauce* 3/4 cup Orb Weaver Cheese 1 cup bread crumbs
Cheese Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add hot milk, and stir until sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper, lower heat. Stir in 1 cup Orb Weaver Cheese, and cayenne. Cook 2-3 minutes, until cheese melts.
CHEESE SAUCE:
ht, are the three masters behind Orb Weaver PHOTO / EMILY LANDENBERGER
a break every summer while we tend our
give the highest quality milk for butterfat, protein, and vitamins than milk se we care for our own Jerseys, we know rest, most nutritious milk possible for fineve-aged cheeses.
4 tbsp butter 4 tbsp flour 2 cups hot milk salt and pepper to taste 1 cup Orb Weaver Cheese pinch cayenne pepper
BREAD CRUMBS Mix 1 cup bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toast in a 300 F oven for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 2 1/2-3 quart casserole. Put the cooked penne into the casserole, pour the cheese sauce over it, and mix gently. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top and spread the bread crumbs over the cheese. Bake uncovered, until the top is golden, and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
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388-7755 Delivery daily from 5pm • CLOSED MONDAYS www.ninospizzamiddlebury.com
21 MACINTYRE LANE • MIDDLEBURY
PIZZA WE MAKE IT FRESH!
tasting, sweet-smelling grain and organic savory milk. That’s one of the reasons we -tasting milk in Vermont. For cheese, seven Jerseys. Happy cows make the eys enjoy the sounds of classical music tionally grazing 30 acres of clover pasture.
Meatlovers • Mexican • Taco Z Special • Veggie • Hawaiian Thin or Greek style crust, our dough is made daily from King Arthur Flour.
Gluten-Free Crust Available
ont’s beautiful Champlain Valley. During are quickly disappearing, we feel blessed ing.
Pizza • Pasta • Subs • Soups • Salads • Calzones
marketing and education for Middlebury Natural Foods
hed on the MNFC’s blog “Under the Sun,” Aug. 18, 2016.
Marian with a cow, circa 1976.
00 NY $18. 50 Sicil ian $19.
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PAGE 12 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
4th annual
COCOON
brings true stories to the stage
M
iddlebury College hosts the live performance event Cocoon, inspired by the popular storytelling phenomenon The Moth, on Friday, Oct. 7, at the Mahaney Center for the Arts. Six OCT. FRIDAY hand-picked storytellers will tell a Mahaney Center for the Arts diverse range of stories around the theme of “revelation.” The audience is invited to a reception with the storytellers after the show.
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This year’s storytellers will include: Middlebury College students Dominick Tanoh ’18 and the brother-and-sister duo of Kai (’16.5) and Olivia (’18.5) Wiggins; alumna Rachel Liddell ’15; and community members Elizabeth Christensen and Eric “Mort” Mortensen. Ambient guitarist and Mahaney Center for the Arts Technical Director Mark Christensen will provide the musical interludes. Celia Watson ’17, August Hutchinson ’16.5, and Tabitha Mueller ’18 of the Middlebury Moth-UP are co-organizers and co-hosts of this event,
along with Liza Sacheli of the Mahaney Center for the Arts. This community-wide event is coordinated by the producers of Middlebury College’s student storytelling organization, the Middlebury Moth-UP. Since 2010, the Middlebury Moth-UP has brought students, professors, alumni and members of the greater Vermont community together to tell stories on a given theme. The event has two rules: one, all stories must be true; two, no notes. For the fourth year running, MothUP has joined forces with the Mahaney Center for the Arts to produce Cocoon for an even larger audience. Support for the event was granted by Middlebury’s Committee on the Arts. Cocoon will take place on Friday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m., in Robison Hall at the Mahaney Center for the Arts. Tickets are $12 for the general public; $10 for Middlebury College ID card holders; and $6 for Middlebury College students. For tickets or more info, call (802) 443-MIDD (6433) or go to go.middlebury.edu/arts.
Addison Independent
SOAP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Perhaps more impressive than the factory is the company’s forward momentum. With 172 certified organic products on the market and even more inprocess, Plesent has taken an innovative approach to product development that stems from his deep-rooted passion for quality soap. His zeal is a result of a personal condition — what he has formally termed a “reactive body.” “It’s like body asthma,” he said. His book, called The Reactive Body Handbook, explains the susceptibility he feels to most unnatural chemicals. “Reactive bodies feel and perceive the world more intensely than most,” it reads. “This hyped up sensitivity increases the risk of becoming over stimulated and exhausted.”
he remembers being exposed to insect foggers and cigarette smoke. In college, he cleaned the windows of commercial high-rise buildings, using compounds that made his skin dry and itchy. Now, he swears by the organic recipes at Vermont Soap. “Even though you’re in a highly fragranced area, you’re not reacting, you’re not sneezing, your nose isn’t itching or running,” he said on a tour of the factory. “There’s nothing artificial here.”
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 13
“REACTIVE BODIES FEEL AND PERCEIVE THE WORLD MORE INTENSELY THAN MOST ... THIS HYPED UP SENSITIVITY INCREASES THE RISK OF BECOMING OVER STIMULATED AND EXHAUSTED.” — The Reactive Body Handbook, by Larry Plesent
Plesent is committed to making products that allow sensitive body types to avoid artificial soaps and detergents. His job, he said, is to think outside the box, and his ideas push beyond the run-ofthe-mill bar soap. Several of his projects have yet to hit the shelves. One will help ease the itching and dryness that comes with eczema. Another is called “Stump Care,” meant for people with prosthetic limbs.
“Our marketing method is we’ll come up with a product — ‘world’s first certified organic pet shampoo.’ It’s ahead of its time. Nobody cares. We’ll put it on the Internet. Maybe we sell a thousand a year for the first three years. And then, the times catch up to us, and people start saying ‘organic pet care, I’ve gotta have that.’”
“It helps the itching, the infection and the offodors that come in the interface between the stump and the prosthetic limb.”
Though the market seems to be shifting in response to Plesent’s creativity, he recognizes that the process isn’t always speedy.
Plesent considers his team to be ahead of the market when it comes to their products:
“We don’t try to change everything at once. It’s one product at a time.”
Plesent grew up in a New York suburb, where
ARTS+LEISURE The Addison Independent
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PAGE 14 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
‘Legends of Kintamani’
“Legends of Kintamani” will feature animated murals of mythical Bali, created by Middlebury College students.
CONCERT BLENDS MUSIC AND ANIMATION OF MYTHICAL BALI
T
he Middlebury College Performing Arts Series will present the Vermont premiere of “Legends of Kintamani” — a new cello concerto by Middlebury Professor of Music Su Lian Tan — on Saturday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m. in Robison Hall at the Mahaney Center for the SATURDAY OCT. Arts. The music, inspired Middlebury College by travels to Southeast Asia and specifically Bali, will be accompanied by large animated murals produced by Middlebury students in the Digital Liberal Arts Initiative’s Animation Studio. The five-movement story depicts a return to a more innocent time, where mythology and reality
8
combine in fairy tales. The concert is the result of a unique collaboration between Middlebury College’s Digital Liberal Arts (DLA) Initiative, the distinguished cellist Darrett Adkins, and the Burlington Chamber Orchestra (BCO), with guest conductor Evan Bennett. Audiences can learn more when the artists discuss their shared process in a free pre-concert panel. The Middlebury College students who created animations specifically for this project include Hosain Ghassemi ’17, Ruben Gilbert ’15, James Graham ’16, Sofy Maia ’16, and Coumba Winfield ’17, as well as Middlebury Union High School student Justin Holmes, with guidance from Arts
Technology Specialist Daniel Houghton ’06. Their work will be projected on a large screen during the concert, creating a multi-media performance for the eyes as well as the ears. To round out the evening, the BCO will also perform Bela Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances and César Franck’s Quatre Pieces Brèves under the baton of orchestra director Yutaka Kono. A free, pre-concert panel with the artists starts an hour before the show at 7 p.m. in Room 125. Tickets are $20 for the general public; $15 for Middlebury College ID card holders; and $6 for Middlebury College students. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (802) 443MIDD (6433) or go to www.middlebury.edu/arts.
live music Orange Julians. Friday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., 51 Main, Middlebury. Chazz Chenney Quintet. Friday, Oct. 7, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main, Middlebury. The DuPont Brothers. Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., Burnham Music Series, 52 River Road, Lincoln. Myra Flynn. Saturday, Oct. 8, 7-9 p.m., 51 Main, Middlebury. The Dave Keller Band. Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., Brandon Music. Sarah Simmons. Oct. 9, 7:30-9 p.m., Burnham Hall, Lincoln. The Good Medicine Band. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 8-10 p.m., 51 Main, Middlebury. David Bain. Friday, Oct. 14, 7-9 p.m., 51 Main, Middlebury. Dwight & Nicole. Friday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., Tourterelle, New Haven. Myra Flynn plays at 51 Main in Middlebury on Saturday.
Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 15
CALENDAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
radio and TV host Toni Basanta will play music in the Main Street theater’s café; dancing encouraged.
NATURE CAMPUS TREE TOUR IN MIDDLEBURY. Friday, Oct. 7, 4:306 p.m., Franklin Environmental Center (FEC), Middlebury College. Campus tree tour led by Middlebury horticulturist and tree expert Tim Parsons. Stick around after the tour for a tree planting and enjoy hot cider and fresh local donuts. “DINOMAN DINOSAURS” IN BRANDON. Sunday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m., Brandon Town Hall. Vermont resident Bob Lisaius presents a magical journey through the Mesozoic era. Tickets $7 adults/$5 seniors, students, military.
SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES ANNUAL PUMPKIN, BOOK AND BAKE SALE. Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Orwell Free Library. Delicious baked goods, a great selection of used books and pumpkins will be for sale to benefit the Orwell Free Library. CHILI AND CHOCOLATE FEST IN VERGENNES. Saturday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m., Vergennes City Park. Join us to sample chili and chocolate from the area’s finest chefs and chocolatiers. Jamie Lee Thurston will perform live on the bandstand and will also serve as celebrity chili judge. Rain or shine. Purchase tickets at: www.vergennesdowntown.org. Tickets $7 advance/$10 at door. Kids ages 8 and under free.
top pick
EVER WONDER HOW PEOPLE USED TO SCARE THEMSELVES WAY-BACKWHEN? COME EXPERIENCE A HORROR FILM WITH NO SOUND AT THE BRANDON TOWN HALL NEXT SATURDAY. THEY'RE SHOWING "THE MAN WHO LAUGHS" AT 7 P.M.
performed by Conor Lovett. Tickets $20. Info: playhouse@ vermontcoffeecompany.com or 398-2776 ext. 819.
THEATER
SAMUEL BECKETT’S “THE END” IN MIDDLEBURY. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m., Vermont Coffee Company Playhouse, 1197 Exchange Street, Suite 3. Gare St. Lazare Ireland will present Samuel Beckett’s “The End,” an absurdist tale of old age, loneliness and survival. Directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett and performed by Conor Lovett. Tickets $20. Info: playhouse@vermontcoffeecompany.com or 398-2776 ext. 819.
“Hangmen” live from the National Theater in Middlebury. Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. Town Hall Theater. An encore broadcast of “Hangman” from the National Theatre in London featuring Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh. Tickets $17/$10 students.
“HUIS CLOS (NO EXIT)” IN MIDDLEBURY. Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:30-9 p.m., Wilson Hall in McCullough Student Center. The 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre, “Huis Clos (No Exit)” will be performed. In French. The performance will be free and open to the public.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE LIVE FROM THE MET IN MIDDLEBURY. Saturday, Oct. 8, noon-4:30 p.m. Tristan und Isolde opens the Met season in a new production by director Mariusz Trelinski. A free talk about the opera will be given in the studio in the lower level before the broadcast at 11:15 a.m. by Greg Vitercik. Tickets $24/$10 students.
“CHILLER THEATER” SILENT FILM SCREENING IN BRANDON. Saturday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Brandon Town Hall. Showing “The Man Who Laughs” (1928), a creepy Gothic thriller starring Conrad Veidt. Live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free but free-will donations are accepted to help with ongoing renovation of the town hall. Info: www.brandontownhall.org.
SAMUEL BECKETT’S “FIRST LOVE” IN MIDDLEBURY. Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., Vermont Coffee Company Playhouse, 1197 Exchange Street, Suite 3. Gare St. Lazare Ireland will present Samuel Beckett’s “First Love,” which recounts an episode early in a man’s life where he meets a young woman on a bench. It is a perfect blend of tragedy and comedy. Directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett and
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| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
the movie THE HOLLARS — RUNNING TIME 1:28 — RATING — PG-13 With The Hollars, a talented group of filmmakers has turned the ordinary into a memorable bit of magic. Will you rush off to the theater if I tell you this is a movie about a dysfunctional suburban family? Of course not. What if I add that every character in the movie is a small story in itself, each dealing with the ups and downs in his/her personal life in relation to the others? The chemistry that evolves as they are drawn together by the matriarch’s illness bubbles to life until we realize we are watching something very unusual, and if you think a matriarchal illness is a negative, I promise you this is no ordinary matriarch. So right up front the credit goes to John Krasinski who directs and stars, to James C. Strouse who wrote without cliché and with much imagination, and to actors who endow their characters with genuine originality. There isn’t one of them – in small or big parts – who fails to catch our interest. What will happen to him – to her? To this whole gang that is not a close family? The fact that we care is a salute to everyone involved. Frustrated artist John Hollar (John Krasinski) comes home as the family gathers for his mother’s brain surgery. He is joined soon by his loyal pregnant girlfriend Rebecca (Anna Kendrick). We meet grumpy unemployed brother Ron (Sharito Copley), father Don (Richard Jenkins), and Reverend Dan (Josh Groban) who is the live-in boyfriend of John’s old girlfriend. Above and beyond all we meet actor Margo Martindale who creates ailing mother Sally Hollar in short bursts of wisdom and comic skill. There’s not a cliché in this woman’s head. Her delivery of insights in short, thoughtful bursts shows us the intelligence and humor that brought the whole family together. Richard Jenkins creates the weak but devoted patriarch who can’t stop crying when he thinks about losing his wife. He gives us a man who drew any strength he had from her and finally says, “It’s terrifying to find out this late in life what you should have done.”
Anna Kendrick and John Krasinski in The Hollars (2016).
John Krasinski wraps John Hollar in an appealing insecurity about being an artist but also makes him a man who responds with deftness and strength to what he finds when he comes home. His direction of Strouse’s clever script is subtle. Together they hand us fully realized family, and not one of them has the feel of a supporting player. Until, that is, we realize we are watching a rare performance of sophisticated subtlety by Margo Martindale as Sally, mother in spirit to all the rest. Martindale builds her performance slowly without ever appealing for sympathy. She offers short, sharp observations that reach both her family and the audience. It isn’t often that writers, directors, and actors combine to bring such pleasure to a small movie. We may be lucky enough to see Margo Martindale again during the approaching awards season.
the book NEWS OF THE WORLD — BY PAULETTE JILES In crackling yet spare prose that feels as though it came from another era, Paulette Jiles recounts the tale of Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Kidd, now 71 years old, circles through northern Texas, reading aloud the news of the world at various venues, charging a dime for his services. Kidd finds himself tasked with returning a young orphan girl, taken captive by Kiowa at age 6, to her relatives, strangers to her now, in San Antonio. Their 400-mile journey, through harsh terrain and dangerous territories, forms the backbone of this book. The girl, Johanna, now 10 years old, is sullen, has forgotten the English language, and presents many challenges to Kidd as he also deals with thieves and other outlaws bent on harming him and his property. The two form a bond that is critical to their survival. Reading this book feels like stepping into another time, and the details create an authentic atmosphere. Jiles has a captivating writing style. This is a book was a 2016 National Book Award Longlist Pick for Fiction, and you’ll want to savor every page. — Reviewed by Jenny Lyons of the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury.
— Reviewed by Joan Ellis
FACTS ABOUT ARCHER MAYOR Presumption of Guilt, released Sept. 27, 2016, is the 27th book in the New York Times bestselling Joe Gunther series. He is a death investigator for Vermont’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, a detective for the Windham County Sheriff’s Office, the publisher of his own backlist, a travel writer for AAA, a volunteer firefighter/EMT, a scholarly editor, a researcher for TIME-LIFE Books, a political advance-man, a theater photographer, a newspaper writer/editor, and a medical illustrator. His novels are based on actual experience in the field. Open Season, the first Joe Gunther mystery, was published in 1988.
Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 17
of the worst homeowner habits for buyers. And redoing it is a pain and expensive to hire out.
COMPULSIVELY BUYING BARGAINS
A
date with a glass of wine and your favorite curry dish while watching the latest season of “Orange Is the New Black” may seem like the perfect way to spend your evening — until you hear something alive in that leaning tower of plates you’ve been ignoring all week. Why, oh why, do you keep procrastinating dish cleanup night after night?! Don’t beat yourself up too much. Bad habits are just way easier to maintain than good ones. They’re “the opposite of what makes you happy. They’re what make you miserable,” says M.J. Ryan, author of Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realize Your Goals. Especially when they cost you money. Here are 5 habits to break now for a happier you and a fatter bank account:
SHOWERING WITHOUT PRECAUTIONS Spending 20 minutes in the steam may be good for your pores, but it’s also great for mold and mildew. Run the exhaust fan while you’re singing in the shower, squeegee the walls afterward and scrub that grout every few months. Grungy grout is a big turnoff
Finding a deal feels so good, but cheaper isn’t always better. In fact, budget buys might cost you more in the long run. For instance, dollar paintbrushes will leave annoying streaks, requiring a costly re-do.
RUNNING A HALFFULL DISHWASHER You get a gold star for always remembering to start your dishwasher before bed, right? Clean dishes every morning! Go you! Yeah, about that: Your dishwasher wastes water unless it’s completely full. Dishwashers do save more water than washing by hand (just try telling that to your mom), but most machines use the same amount of water regardless of how
many plates you’ve stuffed inside, making a half-empty cycle significantly less efficient.
MEGA-MULCHING A “tree volcano” might sound like a grand ol’ time, but it’s actually damaging your foliage. Too much mulch suffocates your tree, causing root rot and welcoming invasive insects. Your trees really are precious. Each one can add $2,000 or more to your home’s value.
PACK-RATTING You know clutter is bad, but you just… can’t… help it. You had to put that exercise bike in the spare room instead of by the road as a freebie because what if? Plus, there’s so much in there already, and decluttering seems like such an insurmountable goal — even though every jampacked square foot is space you can’t enjoy.
PRICE REDUCED
37 BEAUTIFUL ACRES
Idyllic winterized cottage for SALE!
Charming, peaceful setting on Burr Pond in Sudbury, VT. Property is 0.84 acres with over 100ft of lake frontage and new dock. Open floor plan with up lit cathedral ceiling in living room. Large main bedroom, secondary twin bedroom and mezzanine loft with space for additional twin beds. New roof, convection heating system plus wood burning stove. Detached one car garage and storage shed. Low property taxes, high quality of life. Start a blissful living in this beautiful cottage with panoramic views for just $205,000.
Contact: Mr & Mrs. Karran at susankarran@yahoo.co.uk Jack Chase at 802-779-5348 or Patrick Burke at 802-775-5066 www.Facebook.com/idylliccottage
M O SE TIV LL AT ER ED
TERRIFIC BRANDON NEIGHBORHOOD POST & BEAM W/ APPLE ORCHARD Master Ensuite plus Shoreham – Converted 3 additional bdrms, 3 Vermont Barn w/ open baths, bonus room, biliving anchored by level deck, 2 car garage. massive double fireplace, Nicely updated. So much loft, huge master, 2 car house for the money! garage, studio, outbuilding. Theresa Ouellette Sue Mackey $229,000 $374,000 802-236-0301 802-989-1417 www.c21jack.com 173 Court Street, Middlebury
802-388-9836
PAGE 18 — Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016
realestate
ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE.
CALL 802-388-4944
70 Court Street, Middlebury, VT 40 ACRES Loaded with charm and style. Scenic terrain and mountain views. 2 impressive bedroom suites, 4 bedrooms overall, formal dining room with bar, country kitchen, and stylish living room with wood stove and hearth. Two barns, fenced pastures, 25 acres in Current Use.
$375,000
802-989-7522
NEW LISTING!
champlainvalleyproperty.com REDUCED
Beautiful country setting for this open and bright log home and 2 car garage. Front deck with mountain views and back deck overlooks a small pond, picnic area, and fruit trees. Wood stove on a stylish hearth, great kitchen cabinets and hardwood floors.
$179,000
Please call us at: 802-247-3449 Email: Marty@RoweRealEstate.com • Web: www.RoweRealEstate.com
MIDDLEBURY
$293,000
Well maintained, recently renovated, 4 bedroom, 3 full bath home with large rec room in finished basement, in-ground pool with privacy fence, mountain views, tasteful landscaping and new shed/outbuilding. Desirable neighborhood close to town.
REDUCED
PRICE
IN ST LI EW N
MIDDLEBURY MIDDLEBURY: Well maintained, 2 BR 1.5 BA Twin Circles condominium. Large kitchen, sun filled living room, hardwood floors, private deck perfect for entertaining, and back yard that abuts Battel Woods. Detached garage. Come experience the in-town conveniences of condominium living. $189.900
THERE WERE ALMOST 28 PERCENT FEWER SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES LISTED IN AUGUST THIS YEAR COMPARED TO AUGUST 2015. HOWEVER, LISTINGS OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES YEAR-TODATE HAVEN’T FALLEN QUITE THAT MUCH; FROM JAN.AUG. 2015 THERE WERE 457 LISTINGS COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME-FRAME THIS YEAR WITH 444 LISTINGS — THAT’S ONLY A 2.8 PERCENT DECREASE.
G
BillBeck.com
PRICE
did you know?
$199,000
This one level ranch is tucked into secluded neighborhood but still within walking distance to downtown Middlebury. A great family home with three large bedrooms and 1 ½ baths. This home has hardwood floors throughout, a beautiful brick fireplace, and a lovely back yard. There are a few projects to finish up but this is a great opportunity to live in a very private “in-town” home.
For more information visit www.houselogic.com or www.acbor.org.
NEW
LISTING
BRANDON: Renovated 1799 Post & Beam Federal w/5BR, 3BA on 2.3 acres. Room for animals and gardens, yet short walk to village center. Large formal DR, 2 parlors w/fireplaces, foyer and upstairs hall w/spacious window seat. Attached carriage barn w/space for workshop/studio. $375,000
ADDISON: Enjoy panoramic lake & Adirondack views from newly added sunroom on this 4-BR/2.5 BA home. Large stone patio with in-ground pool and a screened gazebo overlooks the lake. Living room with a stone fireplace gives you a 2nd place to relax. This 6.9 acre parcel is at the end of a private, dead-end road with 140’ of lake frontage. Detached 2-car garage plus other outbuildings provide ample storage space. $625,000
802-388-7983 Bill Beck Real Estate
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MIDDLEBURY
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
$79,500
A 2.25 acre lot in the middle of a nature preserve. Minutes to downtown, but a very private lot on a gravel road with over 100 acres of conserved land surrounding it. New septic design is approved.
Simple is elegant. Declutter your ad. Call us today. ads@addisonindependent.com
802-388-4944
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or persons receiving public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD Toll-free at 1-800-424-8590. For the Washington, DC area please call HUD at 426-3500.
Addison Independent
| ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, October 6, 2016 — PAGE 19
NEW PRICE!
www.midvthomes.com 62 Way Lane, Bridport
Seasonal Lake Champlain camp w/50’ of frontage & land on both sides of the road! $139,900
1968 Lake Street, Bridport
Bonnie Gridley 802-349-8646 • bgridleyvt@gmail.com Kristine Kimball 802-349-7505 • kkimballvt@gmail.com
NEW Featured Listing
An open palette oversized garage on .62 acres of land with Lake Champlain frontage. $134,900
NEW PRICE!
Land Lot’s 3 & 4 Ezra’s Way, Bristol Two beautiful village lots on private dead end drive. Southern exposure & designed septics. $79,900 & $85,000
NEW PRICE!
2407 Monkton Road, Bristol
Generational Vermont Farmhouse perfect family starter or renovation opportunity to customize as you like! $169,000
2926 Lake Street, Shoreham $129,900
Views of Lake Champlain located across the road from the State Boat Access.
NEW PRICE!
Land Lot’s 1-5 Hillside Drive, Bristol
Endless options, all lots come with state engineered septic designs #1(3A) & #2(2A) $65,000, #3(5A) $85,000, #4(2A) $90,000, #5(13A) $110,000
72 Main Street, Middlebury
Thriving retail business since 1978. A staple in Middlebury to carry on for generations to come! $150,000
275 N. Hemenway Road, Bridport
Beautifully sited, custom built manufactured 3BR/2BA home on 13+ acres. $209,900
NEW LISTING!
125 Stickney Road, Whiting
Unique investment opportunity! 3 Apartment unit home & 2 mobile homes all on 10A. $249,900
NEW PRICE!
208 Mead Lane, Middlebury
Large & versatile 4BR multi-level home with rental opportunity. $269,900
63 Main Street, Middlebury
Highest commercial visibility in the heart of downtown offers endless potential! $899,000
1627 Downingsville Road, Lincoln
Big mountain views from this 4BR energy updated home on 10 private acres. $334,900
RE/MAX North Professionals • 101 Court Street, Middlebury • (802) 388-0505