Best of Central Vermont - Fall 2013

Central Vermont best of

fall 2013 volume 1, no. 4 $4.95

communities and lifestyle in the heart of the Green Mountains

Fall vermont’s

Season of Color

Norwich University A legacy of firsts

Over 100 Years and Still in Business

Five local enterprises that have passed the century mark

a proud Tradition Area craft breweries make great beer

1/2 mile of shops, restaurants, galleries, services, and more

located at 1613-2251 Mountain Road

Features

Contents

44

a proud tradition Area craft breweries make great beer. by mark aiken

54

100 Years and still in Business Five local enterprises that have passed the century mark. by phyl newbeck

66

norwich university A legacy of firsts. by stephen morris

Contents

62

13 Editor’s Note 14 Contributors & About 18 Out

by Cassie Horner 24

Occasions exercise

26 fitness apps in your pocket by ryan adam

outdoors

28 the marvelous maple by lisa densmore

celebrations

34 halloween pumpkins bright ideas

38 cushman design by david cogger

what’s cooking

50 bravo, risotto by susan nye

dining out

62 cornerstone pub and kitchen

38

by dian parker

recreation

72 stowe soaring by mark aiken

calendar

82 arts and entertainment chat

86 with lee lauber by david goodman

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

fall finds!

Shopping and fun things to do in Central Vermont

Central Vermont best of

fall 2013 | Volume I no.4

Coffee Table Publishing P.O. Box 1460, Quechee, VT 05059

(802) 295-5295

www.bestofcentralvt.com Publishers

Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch Editor

Kate Carter Copy Editor

Elaine Ambrose Creative Director

Ellen Klempner-Beguin Art Direction/Design

Robbie Alterio Advertising Design

Hutchens Media, LLC Web Design

Locable Advertising

Robin Gales John Gales (802) 295-5295 coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net Keep us posted. Best of Central Vermont wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to letters to the editor, Best of Central Vermont, P.O. Box 1460 Quechee, VT 05059.

Advertising inquiries may be made by e-mailing ctpublishing@ comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Central Vermont is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, Š 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Central Vermont accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

SFI-00665

editor’s note

As the warm days wind down and the winter squashes ripen, I find myself reflecting on a summer that flew by like southward-bound geese. Summer may be over, but now we get to enjoy all the wonderful things that come with autumn: low humidity, beautiful colors, no more mowing the lawn. We can rake leaves, instead, and put our gardens to bed.

I am especially pleased to report that Best of Central Vermont has reached a milestone. This issue marks our first full year in publication—still in our infancy compared to the five businesses we feature on pages 54–60, all over one hundred years old. Kudos to them!

Have you ever wondered why maple leaves are so much more colorful than, say, beech leaves?

When you read “The Marvelous Maple Leaf” on pages 28 to 33, you will learn about the chemistry that makes those reds unique to the maple.

When it’s time for a leaf peeping trek, I recommend a sensory extravaganza: Take a drive in search of the perfect red maple (sure to work up a thirst) and while traveling the roads of Central Vermont, visit the local craft breweries we feature in this issue for a taste of remarkable handcrafted beers featured on pages 44-48. (Don’t forget your designated driver.)

This issue also includes a story about Stowe Soaring, whose owner, Don Post, wants to be reincarnated as a hawk. We also share Cushman Design Group’s stunning home designs and building philosophies, along with a look at Vermont’s enduring military academy, Norwich University.

This fall, I’m looking forward to getting to know my new border collie Ben, who came to live with Phoebe and me on August 5 (see photo above; that’s Ben on the left, yours truly in the middle, and Phoebe on the right). Ben was a stray who landed at Glen Highland Farm Sweet Border Collie Rescue in Morris, New York, where I have adopted three other BCs. I don’t know much about his past, but Ben is about to find out that he has a great future here in Central Vermont!

Enjoy this issue and have a wonderful fall season. We’ll be back this winter with more intriguing stories and photos about Central Vermont. Don’t forget to visit us at our website, www.bestofcentral vt.com, and please like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BestOfCentralVermont.

Kate Carter

editor@bestofcentralvt.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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contributors

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be s t of centr al vermont

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Writer and chef Susan Nye lives in New Hampshire and writes for magazines throughout New England. Named one of the Top 100 Foodie Bloggers of 2012

by BlueStar Range, she shares many of her favorite recipes and stories about family and friendship on her blog at www.susannye.wordpress.com.

Stephen Morris is the publisher of Green Living: A Practical Journal for Friends of the Environment. He is also a novelist, whose most recent work, Stories & Tunes, is set in Vermont. It is available at area bookstores and online booksellers. He lives in Randolph and can reached at Stephen@ThePublicPress.com.

When he’s not freelance writing for regional and national magazines, Mark AikeN of Richmond teaches skiing at Stowe, enjoys all the beer he writes about in this issue, and trains for marathons with his wife Alison. They recently became involved in a new endurance sport: parenting. Contact Mark at aikenaction@gmail.com.

Lisa Densmore, who writes this month about the venerable maple leaf, has contributed to publications in Vermont and nationally for over two decades.

She is the author of seven hiking guidebooks, including Hiking the Green Mountains (Falcon Guides, 2009). A former resident of Vermont, she now lives in Montana and returns to the Green Mountains monthly.

Contact her through her website, densmoredesigns.com.

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

dian parker is a freelance

grew up in Montpelier and graduated from Middlebury College. He is Chief Photographer at the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, where he has worked for more than two decades. His work appears regularly in Seven Days, Vermont Life, and other regional and national publications. He lives with his wife and son in Montpelier. When not out shooting, Jeb is usually skiing, biking, or hiking in the Northeast. Contact him at jebcas@gmail.com.

writer for a number of New England publications. A passionate gardener and oil painter, she also reviews art and writes about artists’ studios and gardens. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she has worked professionally in theater for 25 years as a director and teacher. Dian lives near Chelsea with her husband Jasper Tomkins, a children’s book writer and publisher.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

best of central vermont online More than a Magazine—a Community Hub!

Central Verm ont best of

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NORWICH UNI

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A legacy of firsts

OVER AND STILL IN 100 YEARS BUS Five local enter INESS have passed

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A PROUD TRA

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Area craft brew ON eries make great beer

Best of Central Vermont is taking the charm and identity of the towns we live in and giving them a home online, with all the connectedness and convenience of the 21st century. There’s nothing better than the feeling we get from the place we call home. The familiar faces and places we see everyday are the foundations of treasured memories—the markets we visit to buy ingredients for supper, the park where our kids learned to play ball, the trails where we walk our dogs, the coffee shop where we catch up with friends.

Now we’re adding fresh ways to interact with the great people, places, and happenings that make our communities unique. Stay connected and go behind the scenes with us. Comment on articles, enter and vote in contests, and help create a showcase of what makes us special.

At www.bestofcentralvt.com you will find photo galleries of our magazine’s stories, a comprehensive calendar of community events, contests from local merchants, and opportunities to share stories and photos. Here’s what you can look forward to at www. bestofcentralvt.com.

Is Your Business over 100 Years Old? Our fall issue features five businesses that have passed the century mark, but we know there are many more that have achieved the same benchmark. Send us your unique story and photos, and we’ll post them on our website.

Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com for details.

eNewsletter Sign up for our newsletter www.bestofcentralvt.com Our newsletter includes up-to-date info on: • Local event listings from our online calendar • Special offers from Best of Central Vermont and local businesses • Insights from our communities and towns, and much more . . .

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CLICK ON OUR ONLINE CALENDAR TO SEE LOCAL octobe EVENTS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN EVENT FREE!

like us www.facebook.com/BestOfCentralVermont

Follow us on Twitter twitter@bestofcentralvt

Exclusive Recipe Who can resist mac and cheese? Now you can embellish that tried-and-true dish with a special recipe brought to you by Barre’s Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen: Lobster Mac & Cheese! Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com for this irresistible recipe.

You can also interact with us on Facebook!

Do you have beautiful autumn photos?

Now you can show them off! Share them with our Facebook fans—post your best fall foliage photos at www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont and be sure to include where you took the photos.

are you a blogger at heart?

Do you want hands-on experience in the world of professional blogging? If so, this could be your lucky day. Bestofcentralvt.com is looking for a blogger. Is it you? For more information contact Kate Carter, editor@bestofcentralvt.com.

out and about

by c assie horner

vermont archeology heritage center and vermont archeology month

Do you know when Vermonters first used pottery? Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and come across cellar holes and wondered who lived there? Did you ever hear of the Waterbury Hospital Cemetery, where 19th century mental patients who died without family to claim them were quietly buried?

These are just a few of the questions posed by State Archeologist Giovanna Peebles when she talks about Vermont Archeology Month in September. “We have been doing this for many years, and it is an opportunity to discover and rediscover parts of our history we don’t think of very often,” she says. “We offer people the op18

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

portunity to walk, tour, listen, and participate. Archeology is a way of learning about history that was not written about. It is how we learn and tell stories.”

The statewide program of events is complemented by an exhibit called How Do You Know That . . .? You can see the exhibit at the Vermont Archeology Heritage Center at 60 Washington Street in Barre. The center opened last year in the Vermont Historical Society building and houses the state’s archeology collection.

Every Tuesday and Thursday during September, the center hosts “So You Always Wanted to be an Archeologist, But Life Got in the Way: Stories from the Trenches,” with

various state archeologists. The sessions are held from noon to 4pm and begin with an informal brown bag lunch followed by a free open house.

One of the many September events is “Lost and Refound: Remembering the Long-Forgotten Patients at the Cemetery of the Vermont State Asylum for the Insane,” with Rep. Anne Donahue and Deputy State Curator Tracy Martin. The talk and walking tour begins at 10am at St. Leo Parish Hall at 109 South Main Street in Waterbury and proceeds to Putnam State Forest.

For more information and a full schedule of programs for September, visit: historicsites. vermont.gov/or call (802) 828-3050.

out and about

Clockwise from left: A Mount Independence Revolutionary War battle reenactment. A reenactment of a Mount Independence Revolutionary War encampment.

Throwing an atlatl at Chimney Point. Photos courtesy Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

The Colchester Jar, dating between 1400 and 1550 AD, is on display at UVM’s Fleming Museum. Photo courtesy Fleming Museum.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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out and about

Mad dash benefit for the mad river path

The 18th running of the Mad Dash is set for Sunday, October 13, on Meadow Road in Waitsfield. It includes three components: a 5k run, a 10k run, and a Kids’ Fun Run. The atmosphere is light and lively, with an emphasis on having a good time in the great outdoors.

“The Mad Dash is a fundraiser for the Mad River Path Association,” explains Will Flender, the organization’s executive director. “In essence, this is a member-supported nonprofit group that promotes trails in the valley.”

The ultimate vision is a path from Moretown to Warren. Some sections are already 20

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

built, including the beautifully sited West Greenway Path, a walk through the idyllic farm meadow along the Mad River, with views of Sugarbush ski trails. Other finished sections are the easy Waitsfield Village Path and the vigorous Millbrook Trail, which begins near Fayston Elementary School. Maps and detailed directions to all of the paths and trails are available at www.madriverpath.com.

Not only is the Mad Dash a fundraiser, it is a way to promote physical activity and encourage people to get outdoors and have fun.

“A great deal of what we do is get people to enjoy the beautiful Mad River Valley,” Flender

says. “The Mad Dash is a low-key, fun event. There is also great food at the end of the race!”

This year the Mad Dash’s date was changed from September to Columbus Day weekend. “This will really enhance the event,” Flender says. “There are a lot of people around here that weekend; Sugarbush Resort has a lot going on, and the foliage colors will be hitting their peak in the valley.”

For more information about the Mad Dash and how to register, visit www. madriverpath.com.

Clockwise from left: The Mad Dash has shorter races for young runners.

A mother and son victory.

Children have their own version of the Mad Dash that takes them over hill and dale.

Photos courtesy John Atkinson www.bestofcentralvt.com

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out and about

Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm The Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm, located in Moretown, was founded in the late 1980s and celebrates the proud heritage of this special breed of horse. In 2010 USA Today included it in a feature story, “10 Great Places to Go Horseback Riding.” People come from all over the country, including many from California and as far away as Europe, to experience the beautiful Vermont countryside on horseback. Trail rides and treks travel the back roads, meadows, and woods.

Karen Winhold purchased the farm in 1994. “I have always been a rider. I was working in the area and thinking of getting a master’s when this opportunity came up,” she recalls. That was almost 20 years ago, and she is still enjoying the opportunity that has grown to nearly 30 horses from eight to ten years old and seen the construction of a complete new facility with a ring and track. Winhold describes the 45-acre property as gorgeous, with perennial gardens, 22

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

a barn, and other features. It also includes the Mad River Inn, a Victorian-style bed and breakfast.

“We have definitely been the lead farm to promote the Icelandic horse in the US,” Winhold says. “People buy horses from us, and we refer them to other farms. We really brought the breed to the US and got it going. I think the important thing is that whether someone is a horse person or not, they are going to appreciate Icelandic horses.”

The breed is special because of the horse’s temperament, strength, and character. “They are very tied to Icelandic history and culture,” Winhold says. “The breed was very important to them as the only horse in Iceland.” Brought to Iceland by the Vikings, Icelandic horses are considered the world’s purest breed.

Guests and clients have a variety of options. They can choose from one-hour rides through a range of offerings up to five-day ses-

Clockwise from left: An Icelandic Horse Farm ride, with Sugarbush ski trails in the background.

Riding a scenic backcountry road in Central Vermont.

Part of a riding lesson includes learning to saddle the horse. Photos by Dennis Curran.

sions. People can book lodging at the Mad River Inn, choosing one of the packages that includes meals, or book lodging elsewhere.

The Vermont Icelandic Farm is open yearround, with riding in winter limited to one-hour sessions. The farm has a riding hiatus during the two weeks of rifle season in November. For more information, visit www. icelandichorses.com or call (802) 496-7141. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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occ asions

Vermont p

This year marks the fifth annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival, to be held September 29 at the Stoweflake Resort on Route 108 in Stowe from 11am to 4pm. Proc eeds will benefit the Lamoille Family Center.

Anyone is welcome to enter the contest, individuals as well as teams. The Grand Prize is awarded to the trebuchet that throws the best for its height, based on a complex mathematical formula.

Pumpkin chuckin’ festivals draw competitors of great diversity, but all are fascinated with mechanical engineering, designing, and building. If this sounds like you, check out the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ blog at vtpumpkinchuckin. blogspot.com. Then sharpen your drafting tools and start designing your own version of the medieval trebuchet.

Photos contributed by 2012 Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival participants.

Weapons of Medieval Destruction of Derby and Newport, Vermont, entered the heavyweight division. Team members include Nick Helms, captain; Bruce Penfield, builder; Mike Minnie, assistant; and Barry Shelton, muscleman.

JJ Spanier of Cambridge, Vermont, setting up Weapons of Agricultural Destruction.

p

p

This trebuchet from team Duck & Cover is made of hemlock and weighs in at about 450 pounds, including its 250-pound counterweight. The unit stands 11 feet, 4 inches tall, and the fulcrum was made from a repurposed bus axle.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival

Team Dante Inferno of Massachusetts won first place in the heavyweight division in 2011 and second place in 2012.

From left: Co-captains Tim Brown and Ryan Brown, and team members Amanda Brown, Dan Choate, Michelle Choate, and Kim Brown.

p

Organizer and Master of Ceremonies Dave Jordan of Morrisville, Vermont, next to Big Red the Treb.

p

p

p

The Angry Pumpkins of Connecticut won Grand Champion in the 2012 Pumpkin Chuckin’ contest. Team member Steven Snowberger holds the team flange in front of their Floating Arm Trebuchet (FAT).

Team Dante Inferno co-captains Tim Brown and Ryan Brown of Massachusetts put the finishing touches on Dante Junior. Dante’s Inferno (senior) is in the background. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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B Y ry a n a d a m

what's new

Your smartphone is with you everywhere you go. Put it to work keeping you lean and mean with these fitness apps.

fitness apps Right in your pocket

CardioTrainer (Android only), FREE with additional premium features, www.noom. com/cardiotrainer Use CardioTrainer to track and record all your fitness activities. Compare yourself to other CardioTrainer users around the world.

An integrated music player lets you listen to music without switching between multiple apps. Add a Polar Wearlink + Bluetooth heart-rate device to maximize the potential of both CardioTrainer and yourself.

Reviews, including those from the New York Times, consistently rate CardioTrainer as the best fitness app for any platform.

Noom Walk (Android & iOS), FREE, www.noom.com/walk By utilizing the motion sensor in your phone, Noom Walk tracks every step you take throughout the day. It works equally well with your phone in your pocket or carried in a bag.

Get inspired and encourage others!

Noom Walk lets you add your friends, so you can trade fist bumps, high fives, and comments—and see who’s walked the most steps. Unlike most activity or distance trackers, Noom Walk does not use GPS, so it’s easy on your battery. This bumps it ahead of the others on this list because you never have to remember to turn it on or off.

It runs all day and uses only as much of your battery power as 3 minutes of GPS or 20 minutes of display.

Noom Weight Loss Coach (Android & iOS), FREE with additional premium features, www. noom.com/products Users have lost over 20 million pounds with

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Noom Weight Loss Coach. It provides a color-coded food logging system, an exercise tracker, unique daily food and exercise tips to help you meet your goals, and programmable reminders to keep you on track.

MapMyRide (Android & iOS), FREE with additional premium features, www.mapmyride.com MapMyRide may be the ultimate cycling computer. If cycling isn’t your thing, you’ll find additional apps for whatever it is you fancy—MapMyRun, MapMyWalk, MapMyHike, and MapMyFitness.

All the MapMy apps work very much the same way. You can see your average, current, and max speeds. Track your distance and make sure you stick to your route with integrated GPS mapping that takes full advantage of preprogrammed routes. Map your own routes or pick ones other people in your area have already ridden. Track your progress against others or your own historical data to see exactly how much you’ve improved. MapMy apps also integrate with hardware devices such as heart-rate monitors.

MyFitnessPal (Android & iOS), FREE, www.myfitnesspal.com MyFitnessPal is an extremely user-friendly electronic food diary.

MyFitnessPal gives you a searchable food database with over three million items. You can track what you eat with just a few taps. Add your own foods and recipes at any time. Log meals and exercise anywhere you go, and keep yourself on track with a personalized diet profile.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Its brilliance s ta n d s o u t from the crowd

A

s the first fall colors appear, the debate begins. When will peak color occur? Will it be better than last year?

Old-timers might declare it the best (or worst) fall foliage they can remember. Dedicated websites and television meteorologists give daily leaf reports, and buses of leaf peepers slow traffic, take over the inns, and give a welcome economic boost to the region before the pre-Christmas doldrums set in—all because of one tree, the marvelous maple. Deciduous trees change color and drop their leaves everywhere in the United States, but it’s the maples that ignite our local landscape with eye-popping reds and oranges. Other trees and shrubs are colorful, but the maples are the stars of the autumn show.

A Special Species Maples are generous, providing sweet amber syrup each spring and shade from hot summer sun. Their pale, grainy wood makes beautiful flooring, cabinets, and furniture, and it burns long and bright in a fireplace or woodstove. Other trees offer edible treats and useful wood, too, but it’s the leaves of the maple that make this species special.

Maple leaves are easy to identify even when they are green. They are broad with three points, whereas oak leaves are elongated with multiple points, and the leaves of birch, poplar, and beech resemble sharp-tipped ovals.

During spring and summer, maple leaves function as other leaves do, absorbing carbon dioxide to produce chlorophyll, which makes them green. Trees and other green plants require chlorophyll to make sugar (plant

Story and photos by Lisa Densmore

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. — Edwin Way Teale

food). They give off oxygen as a byproduct.

And like all other leaves, maple leaves turn color in the fall just before dropping. The similarity ends there, as the color that maple leaves acquire is much more, well, colorful than the hues of other leaves.

Brilliant Hues As the number of daylight hours decreases, a tree’s ability to produce chlorophyll also decreases, eventually ceasing altogether. As chlorophyll production stops, carotenoids that cause yellow, orange, and brown leaf color, and anthocyanins that cause reds (and blues in fruit) become more prominent, depending on the species of tree.

All trees have carotenoids in their leaves all the time, but they are masked by chlorophyll. However, not all leaves contain anthocyanins, which leaves begin to manufacture as chlorophyll production stops. For example, birches do not make anthocyanins, so their leaves turn uniformly yellow before dropping. Staghorn sumac do produce anthocyanins, causing them to turn vibrant red, but maples have a more impressive www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.

—Albert Camus

impact on the scenery because of their larger size and greater numbers among manicured lawns and wild woodlands.

There are several species of maple trees in our region. Fall leaf color is a way to identify them. Red maples turn bright red, whereas sugar maples turn orange and red. Black maples turn yellow, and striped maples simply lose all color.

Temperature and precipitation determine the intensity of the hues. The most glorious display occurs when there’s a wet spring followed by a sunny summer, and a mild fall with nights that are cool, but not below freezing. Certainly last spring qualifies as wet, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess.

do you have autumn foliage photos?

Share them with our Facebook fans.

Post your best fall foliage photos at BestofCentralVermont and please tell us where you shot the photo.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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celebrations

Q: How can you enter a haunted house?

A: With a skeleton key.

Q: H ow can you fatten up a ghost?

A: With ghoulash and spooketti.

Q: W hat is a ghost's favorite ride?

A: A roller ghoster.

Q: H ow can a witch tell the time?

A: By using a witch watch.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Q: W hat is bigger than a monster but lighter than a bird?

A: A monster's shadow.

Q: W hat would you get if you crossed a ghost with a black bird?

A: A scare-crow.

Q. H ow do you mend a broken jack-o’-lantern?

A. With a pumpkin patch!

Jokes are from www.jackolanterns.net

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Fall Finds!

Shopping & fun things to do in Central Vermont!

Lake Champlain Ferries Three ferry crossings on Lake Champlain: * Grand Isle, VT, to Plattsburgh, NY: Open 24 hours daily * Burlington, VT, to Port Kent, NY: Open mid June to September 29 * Charlotte, VT, to Essex, NY: Open all year, ice conditions permitting.

Public cruises and private charters available during the season.

Visit www.ferries.com for more information.

1 King Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-9804 www.ferries.com

Green Envy Green Envy is a full-service contemporary boutique with fabulous clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories, and shoes for all occasions, as well as the leading organic skin care line Tata Harper. We carry top designers like Theory, AG, Hudson, UGG, Longchamp, Joie, Vince, and Free People, and have jewelry from both top designers and local artists. At Green Envy we take pride in our exceptional customer service and an expansive selection of beautiful contemporary clothing and accessories for all ages and body types.

Mon–Sun, 10-6 1800 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-2661 www.facebook.com/GreenEnvyVt

Ben & Jerry’s Catering Looking to add an extra special treat to your celebration? We’ll bring the Euphoria!! Together we can plan a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream social to suit your catering and budget needs—flexible enough to be the dessert portion of your party or the central focus!! From deluxe sundae parties to peace pops or cups and cones, the endless options are sure to delight all party-goers! We’ll set it up, scoop it up, and clean it up!

Chittenden County (802) 222-1665 Central Vermont (802) 882-1240 ext 2287

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Down East Tile Our design showroom features a dazzling selection of eco-friendly products and the latest innovations from international manufacturers in ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, and natural stone tiles. Decorative tiles are our specialty. Service, quality, and price—we have all three. Explore the possibilities at Down East Tile, the biggest little tile shop in New England.

723 Sylvan Park Road Lower Stowe Village Stowe, VT (802) 253-7001 | (800) 561-9257 www.downeasttile.com

Morse Farm Whether you’re sharing the taste of Vermont with friends and family across the country or across the street, Morse Farms has a selection of the finest Vermont products in gift combinations for any budget. Stop by or shop online. Sure, there’s the finest Vermont maple syrup you’ll ever taste, but there’s so much more to choose from. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, stop by with the whole family for sugarhouse tours, the woodshed theater, maple trail, and more.

1168 County Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 www.morsefarm.com

Vermont Furniture Designs VFD is a small, high-quality furniture manufacturer using age-old techniques. We have supplied national chains with their highest quality solid hardwood furniture for over 40 years. We have a large showroom and factory store at the shop in Winooski, and we can ship our furniture right to your home.

4 Tigan Street Winooski, VT (802) 655-6568 www.vermontfurnituredesigns.com

Mason Brothers Offering a wide selection of reclaimed and antique building materials, Mason Brothers’ Architectural Salvage Warehouse’s 13,000-square-foot warehouse is filled with fireplace mantels, stained and beveled-glass windows, lighting, hardware, columns and pillars, marble and pedestal sinks, claw-foot tubs, windows, furniture, and unique artifacts.

11 Maple Street Essex Junction, VT (802) 879-4221 www.greatsalvage.com

bright ideas

by David Cogger

Cushman Design Group

When Milford Cushman started Cushman Design Group in 1981, he was inspired by a lifelong fascination with buildings and how they are tied to place.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

I

n the 32 years he has been in business, his projects have included a 24-house, energy-efficient subdivision in Russia and buildings in the Virgin Islands, Wyoming, Alaska, Maine, and other locations. While most of these projects (about 5 percent of his portfolio) have been at the request of his Vermont clients who have invited him to join them in out-of-state projects, for Cushman, a self-described “curious man,” the work is key to creating a buzz around his office, where nine employees including designers, an architect, and a business manager collaborate.

“Regardless of where I am, I want to know the lay of the land and how it has been used in the past,” Cushman says. Where the sun rises and sets in relation to the building,

local construction methodology, and how people work together are all important. In keeping with his homegrown philosophy, he hires local craftsmen and uses materials found within 500 miles of the job site whenever possible.

The Cushman–Client Connection Some years ago, John and Doren Dolan were scouting property for a second home in Stowe. Having already renovated a number of older houses in their home state of New Jersey, they looked forward to tackling a similar project in Stowe. Their search ended when they found a desirable lot with a building that was beyond repair.

The couple hired Cushman Design Group to design a home from scratch that would

photos by Susan Teare

Elegant design Natural materials Green building practices

meet all their lifestyle needs. Before putting pencil to drafting paper, Cushman had the Dolans complete a 30-item questionnaire.

“He asked us things like, ‘Do you bake?’; ‘Will you need a sewing room?’; and ‘Do you have a dog?’” says Doren Dolan. “I answered no to the dog question, but Milford convinced us that we would wind up owning a dog, and now we do.”

The Dolans’ experience is characteristic of how Cushman approaches a project—in Vermont and elsewhere—by focusing on getting to know his clients personally, the property they have selected, and its history.

For Damon Kinzie, it took some convincing before he agreed to hire Cushman to design his home on a 22-acre parcel in Hinesburg. Kinzie, a financial advisor, was

convinced he could do it on his own and spent hours looking at design books and software. “I thought I could build a home and save that way,” he says. But he came to realize that a home improperly sited would devalue his land. “Milford sketched out some ideas and matched my home to the land, and that was huge.”

Kinzie says would-be homebuilders should consider that designers like Cushman, although seemingly expensive, can help get value back if and when they decide to sell. For Kinzie, the experience of working with Cushman was playful and more fun than he expected. “The experience was indispensible, and I have recommended him to my friends,” he says.

Marian Wright, a self-described “type A

who knows what she wants,” hired Cushman to transform her 1800’s fishing cabin on Lake Caspian from something dark and practical to an energy-efficient retreat known as Haven.

“We wanted to take advantage of the site,” says Wright of the vision she shared with Milford Cushman. Their goal was to have less of a separation between the indoor space and the outdoors, with lots of big windows to open up the house, which is surrounded by water on three sides. It was also important that the place not be an eyesore, according to Wright. The camp is now completely green, with almost everything sourced within 500 miles of the site, including wood milled from trees purchased locally. The cabin has a new roof and added insulation. In addition, all the glues, paints, and finishes are non-toxic. www.bestofcentralvt.com

39

Previous spread: This residence in Hyde Park, designed by the Cushman team, shows thoughtful use of natural materials, abundant natural daylight, the employment of talented local craftsmen, as well as a wonderful color palette. The home also features passive solar orientation, triple-glazed Loewen windows and doors, R-30 wall insulation, R-60 roof insulation, and radiant floor heating from an efficient Viessmann boiler.

Left: Deep and bracketed hipped roofs on this home called Kuma Lodge create shadows and broken horizontal lines.

The textured siding and roof materials, natural colors, and asymmetrical forms echo the picturesque quality of the land on which the house was built.

Above: Damon Kinzie’s design requests for his Hinesburg home were to preserve all healthy trees, to nestle the house into the site and not dominate it, to have a big summer porch with views to Camel’s Hump, and a relatively open main-level floor plan.

The Cushman Design team, from left: Milford Cushman, founder and president; Nick Skwira, designer/drafter; Ryan Beaulieu, designer; Kelley Osgood, designer; Todd Randall, drafter; Terri Gregory, interior design specialist; Chad Forcier, project manager; Andrew Volansky, architect/project manager; Nita Hultstrom, business manager. Photo by Lindsay Raymondjack.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Wright, who has renovated a number of historic properties over the years, appreciates how Cushman thinks about the customer.

“Architects want to design the perfectlooking house without considering how you want to live; Milford, an architectural designer, thinks about what you need at every turn.” Wright has become good friends with Milford and his wife, Terri, an interior designer. “He was never smug about my input,” she says. Wright has another project planned in her hometown of Rye, New York.

“There are a lot of architects down there, and I think I will probably hire Milford.”

Balancing Dreams and Finances Even though Cushman is a design firm, its biggest challenge is almost always managing expectations. “The design work is easy; the true work is balancing financial issues with the reasons people want to build,”

notes Cushman. “It’s all a marvelous unraveling and discovery that is occasionally challenging.”

“Sometimes there can be a disconnect when clients have to adjust their dreams in keeping with what they can spend,” Cush-

man says. In addition, clients’ wishes are often dictated by whether the land is raw and undeveloped or has already been developed.

Many older buildings were not built to accommodate the current desired purpose, and certain corrections have to be made to try to www.bestofcentralvt.com

41

Clockwise from top: John and Doren Dolan commissioned Cushman Design Group to design a traditional-style home based on Vermont´s Greek Revival heritage. A full-time residence, called Farmhouse Revival, the building composition consists of an original main house, several additions, and an attached barn that now serves as a garage.

The owners of this home were influenced by the architecture they had seen in their travels around the world. The design resulted in tranquil spaces within and a building form that would meld into the natural beauty of the site.

When Marian Wright commissioned Milford Cushman to design the renovations to this early 1900s fishing camp, they set forth to provide a clean, modern refuge that still speaks to the simple charm of the original camp vernacular, while using locally sourced green building components.

incorporate the old with the new.

Blake Hackerson, owner of New School Builders in Waitsfield, worked with Cushman Design on a substantial renovation.

Such projects revolve around both physical and structural integrity, he says. “The goal is to make it look like the building 42

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

has always been there, seamlessly blending old and new elements.”

Hackerson says he has never worked with a better architect than Cushman’s Andrew Volansky, who also happens to be a flyfishing buddy. “He came up with solutions for tricky problems; they thought everything

through.” While Cushman’s services are not inexpensive, Hackerson argues that spending a little more up front can help avoid costly unintended consequences down the road.

Once all the pieces come together—reasons for building, client personalities, sustainability concerns, and learning about lifestyle goals—

Cushman aspires to create what he refers to as a “just big enough house” that balances budget and square footage with what clients want and what they have to spend. “It is easy to be seduced by design work, but it is more important to understand what the clients want and what they can pay for. The architecture we create is contextual. We seek to produce designs that are durable and endurable, classic without necessarily being traditional.”

Cushman Design Group, Inc. 100 Mountain Road, PO Box 655 Stowe, VT (802) 253-2169 www.cushmandesign.com

gallery extra To see a beautiful photo gallery of Cushman Design Group homes, visit our website, www.bestofcentralvt.com. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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BY mark aiken

A Proud Tradition Area Craft Breweries Make Great Beer Edward, an American pale ale named for Shaun Hill’s grandfather (1917–2002), is unfiltered and dry hopped, and described as aromatic and flowery, with impressions of citrus and pine.

Photo Courtesy Hill Farmstead Brewery/Bob M. Montgomery Images.

Opposite bottom: Left to right: Helles, Vienna Lager, and Dunkel are the session beers at Trapp Brewery. Photo courtesy Trapp Family Lodge.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Customers eagerly anticipate a flight of beer at Crop.

Photo by Aaron Rohde.

Crop Bistro & Brewery Filling the space formerly occupied by a 40-year Stowe standout, the Shed, is no easy task, but Crop, which opened in January 2012, is making a name for itself with a menu based on with seasonal ingredients and a brand-new glass-enclosed brewery.

J

ust 37 miles separate Warren and Morrisville on Route 100. Packed along this stretch are no fewer than six craft breweries. Twenty more miles north in Greensboro, there’s one more. For those looking to visit master brewers practicing their craft, the heavy concentration offers plenty to choose from—or one heck of a brew crawl.

“We’re in a golden corridor of breweries,” says Will Gilson, brewmaster and manager at Stowe’s Crop Bistro and Brewery. “There are a lot of brewers who really know their business.”

Following is an overview. All together, Hill Farmstead, Lost Nation Brewing, Rock Art Brewery, Trapp Lager Brewery, Crop, the Alchemist Brewery, and Lawson’s Finest Liquids make a significant contribution to what has become a proud Vermont brewing tradition. According to the Brewers Association, Vermont tops the list of breweries per capita. Each brings its own unique personality to the table, or in this case to the bar, reflecting the brewer’s personal tastes and goals.

Brewmaster Will Gilson oversaw the installation of the Caspary brewing system that came straight from Bavaria.

“My initial role was that of carpenter as much as brewmaster,” Gilson chuckles.

But make no mistake, Gilson knows beer.

His specialty? “Ski towns,” he says, having brewed craft beer in Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, and North Conway before settling in Stowe.

Crop offers seven beers on-site only and at Crop-catered events. The 8.5-barrel system is more than adequate for the beer menu, but Gilson sees them growing.

“What’s great is that we are not limited by our equipment,” he says. “We can ask, ‘What’s the best way to make this beer?’

And then do it.”

Best-selling brew: Orval Helles. “Really clean and light, but with a wonderful mouthfeel,” says Gilson.

Try something different: Extrapolator Bock. “Balanced on malt, with a medium finish,” says Gilson.

Noting its 8 percent alcohol by volume, he adds, “In Germany, they believe you shouldn’t know how strong a bock beer is until you stand up.”

Mountain Road, Stowe www.cropvt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com

45

The exterior of Hill Farmstead Brewery.

Right: Brewmaster Shaun Hill. Photos Courtesy Hill Farmstead Brewery/ Bob M. Montgomery Images.

632 Laporte Road, Morrisville www.rockart.com

Hill Farmstead

Sean Lawson adds hops to a batch of beer.

Photo courtesy Lawson’s Finest Liquids.

Lawson’s finest liquids Sean Lawson is all about the beer. No tasting room, no visitor tours, and very little marketing. Lawson puts all his energy into producing his beer. “I’m a one-man show,” he says.

Having worked as a brewer in Breckinridge, Colorado, and Flagstaff, Arizona, Lawson wanted to strike out on his own. “It’s almost every home brewer’s dream,” he says. He knew it would be a lot of hard work, but he says he has a better appreciation for that aspect of the venture now. Still, his goals remain the same: “Create beer from scratch and bring smiles to people’s faces,” he says.

Lawson’s Finest is small, about 500 barrels a year. Turning out a different variety weekly, Lawson says that he sells every ounce of beer he makes.

Best-selling brew: “We don’t have a best seller,” says Lawson. “Double Sunshine IPA is probably the most requested.”

Try something different: Maple Tripple Ale (not a tipsy typo!).

Warren, Vermont • www.lawsonsfinest.com 46

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Shaun Hill brews award-winning beer on a property that has been in his family for eight generations. His relationships with the land and with his ancestors (after whom he names his beers) are his driving forces. “I want to be here,” he says. “I want to spend my life here and continue this bond with the place.”

The Hill Farmstead logo is based on a sign that hung on his great-greatgreat-grandfather’s tavern in the early 1800s. Does the current operation take its values or philosophy from that early Hill venture? “I don’t know enough about the origins,” Hill says. “ ’Tis a romantic idea though.”

Hill’s mission is to handcraft succinct, elegant beers of distinction. To that end, he won’t mass-produce. “We have very few accounts,” he says. “And our beer seems not to last long.”

rock art brewery

Self-taught home brewer Matthew Nadeau founded Rock Art Brewing 16 years ago. “I read everything I could,” he says, and he was a quick study, cultivating his own yeast in test tubes after just four or five batches and carrying cultures for months at a time. “It was just something I loved,” he says.

Situated in a building constructed specifically for the purpose of brewing Rock Art (after outgrowing his original self-designed and self-built brewery in his Johnson basement and a subsequent space in Morrisville), Nadeau’s operation is polished and efficient. “It’s the third try,” he says.

“We made no compromises.”

Best-selling brew: “We brew Edward Pale Ale most often,” says Hill. “But I suspect Abner Double Pale Ale would be equally popular.

Try something different: “George, our American Brown Ale,” Hill says. “It’s an often-overlooked style and beer.”

403 Hill Road Greensboro Bend www.hillfarmstead.com

Rock Art Brewery on Route 100, just south of Morrisville. Photo courtesy Rock Art Brewery.

Find Rock Art beers in stores and restaurants in Vermont and beyond or at their tasting room and gift shop, where you’ll find Vermont aplenty, as well as Rock Art’s signature logo Kokopelli, named for the ancient symbol found etched in stone throughout the Americas. “Kokopelli brought all that was good,” says Nadeau, “abundant rains, healthy crops, fertility, and music. And he brings good beer from Vermont.”

Best-selling brew: Ridge Runner Barleywine Pale Ale. Try something different: Belvedere Big IPA, an 8 percent ABV double IPA, with a big hoppy flavor.

Mountain Road, Stowe www.cropvt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com

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The Alchemist Brewery It takes focus to make great beer, says John Kimmich, owner, founder, and brewer at the Alchemist cannery. Timing also helps. Kimmich and his wife Jen opened the Alchemist on Route 100, just days before floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the Alchemist brewpub in downtown Waterbury. “We’re, quite frankly, happy to be out of the food business,” Kimmich says. “Now we get to have dinner with our nine-year-old every night.”

And Kimmich can focus on what he does best—brewing four-packs of Heady Topper IPA, a hugely flavorful, hugely hoppy double IPA with 8 percent alcohol. New batches go on sale on Wednesdays at the cannery, where customers can sample a 2-ounce Heady and view the brewing operation. Heady Topper is available on draft in just three locations: the cannery, and within walking distance at Prohibition Pig and Hen of the Wood restaurants.

“It’s quite satisfying to see what can be achieved with years of hard work and a total focus on quality in every aspect,” says Kimmich.

Best-selling brew: Heady Topper, the Alchemist’s one and only offering.

Try something different: Check back frequently. Kimmich plans to revive, in small batches, varieties from his brewpub days, available on draft only at the cannery.

Owner and brewmaster John Kimmich monitoring the canning production line. Photo courtesy Alchemist.

35 Cross Road, Waterbury, www.alchemistbeer.com

Lost Nation Brewing Co-founders Allen Van Anda and Jamie Griffith wanted to brew honest, approachable beer. In their taproom, you’ll find six tap lines serving beers with alcohol levels in the 4.2 to 5.9 percent range—low compared to most craft breweries. You’ll also find four lines pouring non-alcoholic alternatives like root beer. “We’re family members with children,” says Van Anda. “We want beer that won’t make us fall asleep on the couch.”

Set up in a 5,000-square-foot historic warehouse, Lost Nation tapped its first batch in May for distribution to restaurants and bars around the state. “We built big to grow into it,” says Van Anda.

Van Anda and Griffith come most recently from Trapp’s Lager Brewery. Van Anda brewed beer at Rock Art and Kross breweries, while Griffith has a natural foods background. “It’s a great crossover,” Van Anda says. “And we couldn’t be more excited.”

Best-selling brew: “We’re new,” says Van Anda. “They’re even. But it’s fun to see people trying whatever we put out.”

Try something different: Pitch Black, a black ale.

Says Van Anda, “Based upon color, people might say they don’t like dark beers. But there’s some great drinkability there.”

254 Wilkins Street, Morrisville www.lostnationbrewing.com 48

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

trapp lagerbrewery Brewmaster John Patrick Williams brews only lagers at Trapp Lager Brewery.

Photo courtesy Trapp Family Lodge.

Johannes von Trapp dreamed of recreating Austrian-style lagers in the mountains of Vermont. In the basement of the DeliBakery at the historic Trapp Family Lodge, his brewing operation is doing just that—producing 2,000 barrels a year, found mostly in Vermont mountain towns.

Trapp offers a slate of lagers year-round—Dunkel, Vienna Lager, and Helles—using hops imported from Czech Republic and Germany, as well as rotating seasonal brews. “Our most pure ingredient is the spring water that comes off our property,” says brewmaster John Patrick Williams.

In an IPA-crazy landscape, Williams plans to stay true to Johannes’s vision. “Lagers take twice as long to brew as ales,” says Williams, who expects the wave of the IPA to one day subside. “In the meantime, we’re bringing lagers to the masters,” he says.

Best-selling brew: Vienna lager. “Its dark color and its sweetness come from the malts we use,” says Williams.

Try something different: “Don’t let the look fool you,” says Williams. “Our Dunkel lager is dark, but it drinks light.”

700 Trapp Hill Road, Stowe, www.trappfamily.com

w h at ’ s co o k in g

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by susan nye

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Bravo, Risotto Menu Mushroom Risotto Risotto Milanese

Risotto!

A

Say the word and mouths begin to water

part of traditional Northern Italian cuisine, risotto is perfect for cozy family dinners and casual parties.

Unfortunately, this delicious rice dish has developed a mystique of being temperamental, even difficult. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, it requires a little attention, a little stirring, but a simple Risotto Milanese takes all of 25, maybe 30 minutes. Âť

www.bestofcentralvt.com

51

•

Mushroom Risotto ▷ Serves 8 as a main course and 12 or more as a side dish or appetizer

1 oz dried porcini, cèpes, morels, or chanterelle mushrooms or a mix

1 lb fresh mushroom caps

Olive oil Sherry vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper About 5 cups chicken stock

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup dry Madeira or white wine

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp cream

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for passing

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 2

Rinse the dried mushrooms in cold water. Put them in a 16-ounce container, fill with cold water, and cover and soak for several hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Put the fresh mushroom caps in a roasting pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Turning once or twice, roast the mushrooms at 375º until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, chop, and reserve.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer, reduce the heat, and keep warm.

Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse, drain, and finely chop the mushrooms. Reserve.

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the Madeira to the rice, season with salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring often, until the wine is absorbed.

Leaving any sediment behind, carefully pour the dried mushroom liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into the rice. Add the reconstituted mushrooms and the thyme, and stir to combine.

Add the stock, ½ to 1 cup at a time, and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Allow the rice to absorb each addition of stock before adding more.

After about 15 minutes, add the nutmeg and roasted mushrooms. Continue to add stock and stir until the rice is tender and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the cream, butter, and cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately. Pass more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for anyone who likes their risotto extra cheesy.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

I was well into my twenties before I discovered risotto. You can blame the late introduction on my mother. Never a particularly adventurous cook, Mom made no attempt to master the art of French or Italian cooking. Or the art of any cooking for that matter. Taking inspiration from Erma Bombeck, Mom’s cookbook collection included such notable titles as the I Hate to Cook Book. Her favorite chefs included a Mrs. Swanson and a Mr. Campbell, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Clarence Birdseye. Her preferred ingredients included cans of condensed soup, frozen vegetables, and Minute Rice.

If there had been such a thing as Risotto Minuto, Mom might have made it. But there wasn’t, and she didn’t.

Finally, on a trip to Ticino, I took my first bite of risotto. Filled with anticipation, I expected something extraordinary, spectacular, and exotic. What I got was rice. It was okay but pretty bland, not unlike Cream of Wheat. Only the rice was maybe a little too al dente, even crunchy.

Singularly unimpressed, I made little effort to master the art of risotto until a few years later when, on a trip to Milan, I discovered what all the fuss was about.

Properly prepared, risotto is heavenly.

And while a simple risotto is wonderful, it is even better with a few additions. On chilly nights throughout the fall and winter, butternut squash or wild mushroom risotto is the perfect comfort food.

Why not put risotto on the menu for your next casual dinner party? Give everyone a turn to stir the pot and enjoy!

Buon appetito!

•

Risotto Milanese ▷ Serves 6–8 as a main course, 12 as an appetizer or side dish About 5 cups chicken stock Olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp saffron threads

4 Tbsp butter

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for passing

1 2

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer, reduce the heat, and keep warm.

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

3

Add the wine and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer, stirring often, until the wine is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup stock and the saffron, and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Continue to stir and add stock ½ to 1 cup at a time until the rice is tender and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the rice to absorb each addition of stock before adding more.

4

Stir in the butter and cheese.

Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, passing additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for an extra cheesy risotto. www.bestofcentralvt.com

53

BY phyl newbeck C O UR T E SY PH OTOS C O N TR IBU T E D

BY THE FE ATU RED B U SI NES S E S

Central Vermont has a number of businesses that have provided goods and services to locals and tourists for generations. In fact, some have been operating continuously for over a hundred years. On the following pages, we visit five local businesses with staying power. Some have been handed down from generation to generation, with descendants of the original owners still carrying the torch.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

five local enterprises that have passed the century mark

Overand 100 Years Still IN

Business

The

Allen Lumber

Clockwise from opposite page: The Allen Lumber loading platform in 1912. Stillman Allen, who owned the company at that time, is on the left.

The original location of the Allen Lumber Company, on North Main Street, Barre.

From left: Tom, Burnie, Steven, Gary, and Paul Allen, the five brothers that own Allen Lumber.

Allen Lumber employees in 1940. Loren Allen, who owned the company at the time, is on the far left.

Company

was founded by Stillman Allen in 1888 in an old general store in Barre. Stillman retired in 1918 and since then, five generations of Allens have been at the helm. Under the guidance of Stillman’s grandson Loren, the company relocated to its current site on North Main Street in Barre, and in 1928 they opened a branch in Montpelier. Loren’s son Bob took over in 1970 and purchased the Waitsfield Lumberyard in 1983. The next year, he turned the reins over to his five sons. Gary Allen is president, Burnie is treasurer, Paul and Tom serve as vice presidents, and Steve is secretary.

Allen Lumber serves contractors and homeowners, and now owns three boom trucks to help service building projects, as well as a fleet of 25 delivery trucks. The company has expanded to include doors, windows, countertops, and bathroom fixtures, leading to the opening of a home showcase. They also have stores in St. Johnsbury and Waitsfield that specialize in kitchen and bathroom equipment.

Steve Allen says the company recently hired extra employees for their window and door department, as well as for millwork, columns, and moldings. The kitchen and bath lines have expanded enough for the company to have a separate website for those products. “We’ve diversified,” says Steve. “We even have a design department where we do drawings for customers.”

The recent recession was hard on the company, but not as hard as the Great Depression. During those years, the company built boat bumpers by bundling different kinds of wood that were sent to naval shipyards. Those bumpers literally kept the company afloat during the lean times. These days, the Allen brothers plan to stick with their current array of stores and products, but they haven’t ruled out future expansion. “We have to see what the economy brings us,” says Paul. www.bestofcentralvt.com

55

Paige

And Campbell Inc

Co-owners Frank Place (middle) and Charles Paige (right) in 1909.

The man on the left has not been identified.

Siblings Jon, Steve, and Brenda Shea were recognized by the State of Vermont with the Vermont Centennial Business Award.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

another insurance agency, started in 1907 in Barre as Paige & Paige, changing its name several years later. Since then Paige & Campbell has opened offices in Bristol and Waitsfield as well as purchasing firms in Barre and Bradford.

The agency has been in the Paige family for four generations. President Steven Shea works with his brother Jon and sister Brenda. Shea says there has been steady growth over the years as the agency works to add to its client base. “Insurance is a very stable business,” he says. Although Shea recognizes that national competitors have flourished of late, he thinks local businesses have an edge in Vermont. “People like the idea of knowing who their insurance agent is,” he says, noting that local agencies have a stronger understanding of property values and a better sense of who clients can call when they have a claim.

Although there have been periods of economic downturn, Shea says Paige & Campbell has weathered the storms. “The economy affects us,” he says, “but people have to buy home and auto insurance every year. It’s not an optional thing.”

Shea is optimistic about the future of his agency. “We’re a personal-service business,” he says. “Insurance is a complex subject that people don’t understand well and don’t want to understand. They just want to know it’s there when they need it. In this kind of business, you want to know the people you’re doing business with. You don’t want a call center in Texas.”

Shea believes the “buy local” ethos in Vermont extends beyond food to things like insurance. “Once you get customers, they tend to stick with you as long as you take care of them,” he says. “It takes a while to get established in the insurance business, but if you work at it for a few generations, it works out pretty well.”

The

Northfield

News

was founded in 1878 and covers Northfield, Williamstown, Roxbury, and Berlin. Editor John Cruickshank says recent years have seen a great deal of change, including the addition of online content in 2007, followed more recently by a Facebook page. Another improvement is the addition of color photos. The printing process has also changed greatly, starting with the move to a letterpress in 1940. In 1985, the News made the switch to offset printing; the work was done in the Northfield office and driven to Morrisville where the plates were made. In 2000 the paper switched to digital production, and the Northfield News is now printed at the Valley News in West Lebanon.

George Richmond was the paper’s first owner, followed by Fred Whitney in 1885. Three years later, Whitney sold the paper but bought it back and held ownership until 1916, when he sold it to Frank Parsons. John Mazuzan purchased the paper in 1929 and did not relinquish control until 1972, when he sold it to his pressman, Bernard Flood. Subsequent owners included Robert Pinto, Jim and Ingrid Wilson, Celia Barnes, John Donahue, and finally Cruickshank. In each case, the owner was also the editor, although Flood and Pinto shared the position with their wives.

Cruickshank disputes the notion that print is dead. He notes that daily papers have trouble because they compete with digital media, but weeklies are still going strong. “Their news is gathered from small towns that wouldn’t have their happenings printed otherwise,” he says. “For that reason, weeklies have been doing pretty well.” Although there was a setback during the recession, Cruickshank believes his paper will persevere. The Northfield News has a relatively small circulation of 1,500, but 1,000 people follow the news faithfully on Facebook, and a similar number view their on-line content.

In 1934 the Northfield News office was located on East Street in Northfield.

The Northfield News is now located above O’Maddi’s Deli & Café on Main Street.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

57

A Noyle W. Johnson Insurance Agency office party at the Danville, Vermont, office in 1955.

Current president Tim Ayer, son of Carroll Ayer, at the Montpelier office.

Carroll Ayer (left) and Noyle Johnson, May, 1969.

The

noyle w. johnson

Insurance Agency

started in 1876 as the Gale Agency, an insurance firm that was secondary to the family’s hardware store in Plainfield. In 1951, Orlando Martin sold the agency to his son-in-law, Noyle Johnson. Johnson changed the name and moved the business to Plainfield. Ten policies soon became one hundred, and Johnson purchased other small, local agencies around the state.

Initially the company had two employees, and as recently as 1980, there were only six people on staff, but the agency has now grown to 42 workers at three locations. In 1994, the Plainfield office closed, and the firm’s headquarters moved to Montpelier.

Noyle Johnson sold the company in the 1970s. Tim Ayer currently serves as president and one of the principals. Ayer says one of the company’s biggest challenges is keeping up with technology. “With the Internet, voice mail, and cell phones, everyone has an expectation that you can meet short time lines.

You’re constantly trying to keep up with the latest technology,” he says. Still, Ayer sees great advantages related to all the technological changes. Invoices that used to be batched and sent to an off-site vendor are now taken care of in house.

In 1980, commission income was $700,000, while recent figures have climbed to over $5 million. “We’ve seen a lot of growth,” Ayer says, “and one of our challenges has been managing that growth. We’ve done it through increased sales, as well as the acquisition of smaller agencies.” Ayer sees a bright future for the firm, in part because they have been bringing on younger employees to learn from the veterans. “You need to have good, internal perpetuation planning to stay in business,” he said. “The Geicos of the world spend millions on advertising, but Vermonters know local businesses bring value to their communities. We have tremendous longevity with our staff. We think it’s important to treat them right, so they’ll treat our customers right.”

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

shaw’s

general

Store

Clockwise from top: H.E. Shaw’s General Store on Main Street in Stowe, 1961.

Gale Shaw, son of H.E. Shaw, and his wife Theresa were the second generation to own Shaw’s General Store.

Howard Elwin Shaw founded Shaw’s General Store in 1895.

H.E. Shaw’s General Store circa 1896.

has operated on Main Street in Stowe under four generations of the Shaw family. Howard Elwin Shaw founded the store in 1895 and passed it on to his son and daughter-in-law, Gale and Theresa Shaw. The current owners, Sal Vespa and his wife Anne-Marie, purchased the iconic storefront in 2005 from her father, Ken Savela.

As might be expected, merchandise has changed dramatically since the early pre-automobile days when Shaw’s sold basic provisions like square nails and flour.

Vespa found a ledger from the early years showing a woodstove that sold for $22 on a payment plan of two dollars each month. Later, the company moved on to larger items like McCormick tractors. In the 1950s, Shaw’s was predominantly a hardware store; later it became an IGA supermarket with an on-site butcher and gas pumps out front.

In the early 1960s, Ken Savela took out the pumps and began to phase out the groceries and hardware in favor of camping equipment and ski gear. Vespa says Shaw’s was Stowe’s first ski shop, selling and renting skis and snowboards. He has a memo from Jake Carpenter offering Savela a chance to stock his new invention—Burton snowboards—and promising to take them back if they didn’t sell. Now the store does a brisk business selling and renting winter boots and ski equipment. “People began coming from out of town when snowmaking started and skiing took off,” Vespa says.

Shaw’s also carries a variety of items including inexpensive old-fashioned toys like potato guns, a sampling of Vermont maple products, Life is Good clothing, and clothing by Patagonia, Woolrich, and othwww.bestofcentralvt.com

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ers. Their extensive shoe department includes Ugg, Dansko, Merrell, and many others.

They also design and produce Stowe T-shirts and sweatshirts. “We’re a tourist town,” says Vespa, “but we have a nice group of locals we do business with as well.”

During the energy crisis in the late ’70s, a drop ceiling and Formica countertops were installed, but Vespa renovated the store to bring back the old wooden counters and pulled out the drop ceiling to show the original wood and tin. The 1890s wooden floors are still in place. “We’ve brought back some of the original character,” says Vespa. “One of the things we have in our store is a certain ambience.”

Allen Lumber Company 502 North Main Street, Barre, VT (802) 476-4156 www.allenlumbercompany.com

Noyle W. Johnson Insurance Agency 119 River Street, Montpelier, VT (802) 552-8294 www.nwjinsurance.com

Paige & Campbell, Inc. 297 No. Main Street, Barre, VT (802) 476-6631

Northfield News 40 Central St, Northfield, VT ‎ (802) 485-6397 www.thenorthfieldnews.com

H.E. Shaw’s General Store 54 Main Street, Stowe, VT (802) 253-4040 www.heshaw.com

is your business over a century old?

Send us your unique story and photos and we’ll post them on our website. Go to www.bestofcentralvt.com for details.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

atCornerstone the Crossroads Pub and Kitchen dining out

BY Dian Parker

p h o t o s by j e b w a l l a c e - b r o d e u r

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Great hometown food and ambience, no matter where you’re from

Opposite page: Chef Rod Morrison plating an order of PEI mussels, cooked in white wine, garlic, and green onion, and served with toasted crostini.

The Vermont Burger—8 ounces of Vermont beef, with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun, with a side of fries.

The Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen is located at the corners of Main and Elm in Barre.

Above: A house special, Lobster Mac & Cheese.

Below: Rich McSheffrey (left) and Keith Paxman are co-owners of Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen.

As time marches on, it changes the face of every town in America. Barre, Vermont, has not been left behind. Two hundred years ago, it was a rural farming community. Granite was discovered in the early 1800s, but the village remained small and isolated until the first railroad line opened in 1875. By 1902, Barre was a booming city with 68 granite quarries. Skilled stoneworkers poured into the city from Italy, Scotland, Sweden, England, and Canada. Popular Italianate and neoclassical architecture, with Romanesque and Gothic motifs, was in high demand across the country. Downtown Barre was alive.

Today you can take a walking tour and visit historic buildings that trace Barre’s early history. In the town’s central green, the World War I memorial, Youth Triumphant, watches over the flow of traffic. Adjacent to the green is the impressive Barre Opera House, with its granite-arched entrance and stained glass windows. On another corner is the columned Aldrich Public Library, built with brick, granite, and heavy timbers. Then there is the post office, considered the “Gibraltar” of Barre granite, paneled with Rutland marble. On yet another corner of the central park was the home of the former Peoples National Bank. It now houses a new restaurant where you can rest your weary, walking feet and feast in one of the best gastro pubs around.

Classic Meets Contemporary At Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen, you’ll find creative twists on old standbys.

The new kid on the block is less than a year old and already a gathering place for Vermonters and tourists, young and old. The atmosphere calls for camaraderie, whether you’re sitting at the long bar paneled in dark wood or relaxing at a table. The restaurant is filled with light from the windows and from the classy Vermont light fixtures from Hubbardton Forge.

With a choice of nearly 30 draft lines and pub fare as well as main courses, the Cornerstone is a place where anyone will find the perfect meal. The fish and chips are top of the line. The haddock is remarkably fresh and moist, and the batter light and crisp. Accompanied by slender, hand-cut French fries dipped, if you like, in aioli sauce, and a side of tangy coleslaw, it makes a hearty meal. The hamburgers are thick and juicy, cooked perfectly to your liking and served with blue or cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and red onion www.bestofcentralvt.com

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The roomy pub has natural lighting during the day and intimate lighting by Hubbardton Forge light fixtures at night.

Bartenders Michael Allen and Mike Bonacorsi, both of Barre, pour beer from a collection of 28 beers on tap.

on a brioche bun. The abundant fixings could barely be contained.

This light, airy new restaurant is the brainchild of best friends Keith Paxman and Rich McSheffrey, both born and raised in Barre. “We wanted to have a great place to eat in Barre,” Paxman says. “Rich and I are big on supporting and rebuilding the downtown. We believe in Barre.”

The Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen has provided 35 new jobs, and there is a waiting list of eager workers. “It takes a community believing in its town to make it grow. We are staying true to our roots,” Paxman adds.

Chef Rod Morrison was trained by the former chef of Cornerstone, Jesse LeClair.

A New England Culinary Institute graduate, LeClair spent years in Atlanta, Georgia, cooking for the Ritz Carlton. Morrison comes from the Cider House Barbecue and Pub in Waterbury and has been with Cornerstone since its inception. Two of his specialties are pan-seared brown trout with pickled chard and rosemary turnips, and blackened catfish with hominy grits and black bean salsa. Water is served in mason 64

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

jars on tables without tablecloths, yet cloth napkins are provided. Soup, bread, and French fries are served on cutting boards.

The two TVs over the bar are small and flicker in silence. The music is uplifting

and young. On the walls hang old Vermont signs. The original sections of brick are offset with panels of deep maroon. The clean lines of the restaurant feel upscale yet relaxed.

“We wanted a gathering place for everyone,” Paxman says, “straightforward, affordable, and done really well. This is our hometown, and we take pride in Barre.” Both owners walk their talk by supporting local charities. They raised $7,000 for the Cancer Survivor Network and rallied support for a family whose home was destroyed by fire.

The Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen is a new spin on the classical pub experience. Here you can bring your family and friends. The chalkboards over the bar list rotating beers on tap, and there are two unique specials everyday, one featuring meat and the other seafood. Regular fare includes the delicious Maryland-style crab cakes, yummy mushroom ravioli with portabella Marsala sauce, and a local favorite—pan-seared scallops with crisped prosciutto and snow peas.

And the desserts! How about handcrafted small-batch ice cream made by Scouts Honor in Waitsfield—salted caramel or Vermont maple. Or try a new twist on coffee and donuts—two mini donuts with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of coffee. The service is consistently good and the prices reasonable.

Lunch is served from 11:30am to 4pm, and it’s a great way to start your Cornerstone experience. If you dine closer to 4, you’ll be so satisfied you won’t need dinner.

Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen 47 North Main Street, Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 www.cornerstonepk.com Open Tuesday through Saturday Lunch 11:30–4pm; Dinner 4–9pm

recipes Cornerstone Pub’s Lobster Mac & Cheese. Get the recipe here: www.bestofcentralvt.com.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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By Stephen Morris by Davidcourtesy Cogger Norwich University Photos

A legacy of firsts

Norwich University Clockwise: A BOT event in front of White Chapel.

Rooks watch from below as experienced Cadets show them "the ropes."

Regimental staff at an entrance to Norwich University.

O

n April 25, 2013, Norwich University President Richard Schneider announced that the school had received the largest financial gift in its 194year history, a $25 million bequest from Colonel (Retired) J. N. Pritzker.

“This gift,” said Schneider, “will transform the university and make a significant impact on future generations of students and faculty.”

In making the gift, Colonel Pritzker added, “There is no other place like Norwich University. This gift demonstrates my dedication to the University, its mission, and my faith in its leadership.”

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photos by Susan Teare

battlefield tactics. At Norwich, classical and military studies were supplemented with courses in civil engineering. The burgeoning nation, reasoned Captain Partridge, needed people with the practical skills to build bridges and roads. It was his philosophy that young military officers trained in a broader scope made better leaders because they were savvy in commerce and able to deal with people both in the civilian and military worlds. The term may not have existed then, but Norwich was the first university to emphasize experiential learning.

In 1820 Norwich created its collegiate military band—another first and still the oldest one in the country. It was the first to incorporate physical education in the curriculum. It was also among the first universities to teach agriculture and to accept international students.

In more recent years, Norwich has continued its tradition of educational innovation. In 1972 it became one of the first military colleges to admit women to its Corps of Cadets. Annapolis, West Point, The Citadel, and the Air Force Academy have since followed. At the time, Norwich’s acceptance of women was widely criticized in military circles. Now, however, it is apparent that the college was simply ahead of its time.

Norwich was an early proponent of offering online degrees, launching its first graduate program in 1997. Students have participated from as far away as Brazil, Canada, the Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, England, Germany, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Norwich by the Numbers

While a gift of this magnitude was a first for Norwich, the institution has recorded many such distinctions since being founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge. It was the first private military college in the United States and the birthplace of the nation’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. It was the college’s system of balanced and practical education, in fact, that became formalized as the great American System of Education.

Norwich was the first private college in the country to offer training in engineering.

Previously, academic institutions focused on the classical studies of letters, arts, and humanities, subjects that were ignored in military education in favor of weaponry and

The campus is located in Northfield, a charming and friendly Vermont community located just south of Montpelier, the state’s capital. The school has approximately 2,200 cadets, civilian resident students, and daily commuters, along with about 1,100 online graduate and continuing education students representing 45 states and 20 foreign countries. Men outnumber women three to one. There’s a low student/faculty ratio of 14:1, with over 68 million dollars in federal grants and loans and Norwich grants, and 98 percent of students receive some form of academic or need-based aid. www.bestofcentralvt.com www.bestofcentralvt.com6767

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The university is grouped into five separate colleges offering 30 bachelor’s degrees, nine master’s degrees, two certificates, two bachelor’s degree completion programs, plus a teacher licensing program and four ROTC programs.

Norwich University graduates who have served as general officers in the US armed forces total 138: 102 Army generals, 11 Air Force generals, 9 Marine Corps generals, and 16 Navy admirals. In foreign military services, 26 graduates have served as generals: 9 Royal Thai Army generals, 1 Royal Thai Air Force general, and 16 Republic of China Army generals.

There’s plenty to do outside the classroom, too. Students can choose from among 80 extracurricular offerings, including academic and professional societies; special interest clubs; literary, theatrical, and musical activities; religious, military, and community service organizations; programming committees; and more.

Norwich has a well-deserved reputation as a sports powerhouse, especially in rugby and hockey, where its teams (men’s and women’s) are frequently among the nationally topranked in NCAA Division III. In all, 20 varsity sports, a variety of club sports, and unlimited intramural sports opportunities are available.

Clockwise from upper left: Students who seek bachelor’s degrees in chemistry or biochemistry embark on a thorough, hands-on, laboratory-oriented program at Norwich University.

The 25-yard, 6-lane Goodyear pool was built in 1962 in honor of Major A. Conger Goodyear.

The Kreitzberg Library houses more than 140,000 print books and about 300 printed periodical titles, and is a selective depository for federal government publications. It’s also a great place to study.

The primary goal of The Mountain and Cold Weather Company is to provide the Army with a select group of officers trained in how to survive in the mountains and in cold weather.

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The juxtaposition of hands-on academics, a rich extracurricular roster, and, for cadets, a military lifestyle can make for widely varying college experiences, especially during the first few months of freshman year.

While day students and civilians adjust to life after high school, those entering the Corps of Cadets begin “Rookdom.” Called “rooks,” they begin two consecutive threemonth processes (Rook Basic Training and Basic Leadership Training) that transform them from civilians to cadets.

Campus life at Norwich is vividly described on the university’s website, where student blogs are published so that prospective applicants can hear the unvarnished truth. Jen Letourneau, from Maine, has a tip for incoming rooks. “Having spent a majority of my life in Maine, I find it difficult to 70

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Civilian Students at Norwich In addition to cadets, Norwich accepts civilian students, both residential and commuters. Whether you’re looking for rigorous academics, championship athletics, or an exceptional variety of clubs and organizations, Norwich offers everything you will find at a large university, with the personal feel of a small private college and supportive community.

At Norwich, civilian students attend school at one of the nation’s foremost leadership learning centers, where they prepare for both academic achievement and success in a competitive global environment.

Civilian and Corps students work together in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and in the campus center, learning and benefitting from each another.

Formation at a BOT event.

Women’s ice hockey; Norwich vs. Middlebury.

Norwich’s Department of Nursing offers a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and eligibility to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

admit that Vermont has a colder climate. In all my life I have never experienced subzero temperatures like I have at Norwich.

This may be due in part to the fact that the campus is located in a valley, which makes the weather a little loopy. However, you get accustomed to the changes fairly quickly, and the gear you are supplied with as a rook will keep you warm . . . well, except for the glove liners. I suggest that if you are an incoming rook, you purchase a pair of very

nice BLACK glove liners. You’ll thank me when you’re the one in your company who doesn’t have frost bite.”

Zachary Leblanc of Shirley, Massachusetts, has the final word on his freshman year: “So, here I am, sitting at home after finishing my first year at Norwich University. I almost never even went to college, but I am glad that I did. Attending Norwich has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made.”

Student blogs are yet another new and different form of experiential learning. The university Captain Partridge founded is continuing the tradition of honoring legacy while promoting innovation by graduating young men and women who are well prepared to meet the challenges of life.

What firsts are in Norwich’s future? No one can say for certain, but Colonel Pritzker’s

recent gift ensures that the university will have the facility and resources to continue to promote innovation.

Adds President Schneider, “This gift will transform the university and have an impact on future generations of students and faculty. We are all here at Norwich for one purpose: to educate America’s future leaders. We are humbled by this charge and grateful for the support as we prepare to celebrate in 2019 the 200th anniversary of our founding.” It will be the college’s first bicentennial.

Norwich University Office of Admissions 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663 (802) 485-2000 • (800) 468-6679 www.norwich.edu www.bestofcentralvt.com

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r ec r e at i o n

B Y M AR K AI K EN

Photos courtesy Stowe Soaring unless otherwise noted

Gliding the

friendly

Stowe Skies

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Stowe Soaring owner Don Post, with his Stemme ST-VT, a two-seat motor glider with a 75-foot wingspan. “The Stemme is the only high-performance glider that also serves as an airplane that flies from point A to point B,” says Post, who has flown it twice to California. The Stemme has a 50:1 glide ratio (feet traveled horizontally to feet descended), cruises at 140 mph, holds 32 gallons of fuel, and gets approximately 30 miles per gallon. Photo by Kate Carter.

Looking north toward Route 108 wending its way through Smugglers’ Notch.

When Don Post dies, he would like to be reincarnated as a hawk. He would spread his wings and ride the thermals, circling above mountains and treetops. For now, however, and for the rest of his days among the unwinged, he will have to enlist the aid of non-motorized gliders. Fortunately, as the owner of Stowe Soaring, a commercial glider operation that does 500 to 600 flights annually, 65-year-old Post is in a perfect position to fly whenever he wants.

I

f you’ve spent some time in Stowe or Morrisville, you’ve no doubt seen the gliders weaving noiselessly around the clouds. In fact, says Post, roughly 20 percent of his business is curious locals who have seen the gliders soaring overhead. The rest are visitors from out of town who have seen a poster at an area business and want to have the experience of a lifetime. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Flight Dreams I asked Don Post how people get into glider flying. “As kids, many of us wished we were birds,” says Post, who had a remote-control airplane. “As teens, many aspiring pilots work at small airports like Morrisville in exchange for lessons and rides. If you’re young and you want to fly, gliding makes sense. You can’t get a flight license until age 16,” he adds. “But you can fly a glider at 14.”

While you’ll find a recreational glider or two at most airports, commercial operations are rare—you can count all of New England’s on one hand. “You’d be crazy to start one,” says Post, who knows it is a seasonal, weather-dependent business. Not only are the views less spectacular on rainy days, but heavy moisture usually means less lift, which is what glider pilots look for while passengers admire the scenery.

“Spring weather often means great lift,” says Post. “Of course, everyone wants to see the fall colors.”

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Pilot Bill Gordon getting ready to take a customer soaring in a Schweizer 232 two-seat glider. Stowe Soaring also has a three-seat glider for people who want to soar together.

A hawk’s-eye view of Mountain Road winding its way up to Smugglers’ Notch.

Looking down on cloud shadows.

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Look closely and you will see hikers on the Long Trail on Mount Mansfield’s “Chin.”

On planes and gliders alike, the wing design creates lift. Without any power, however, a glider is always falling relative to the air. A skilled glider pilot can find pockets of air moving up—either in the form of thermals (warm air rising), ridge lifts (winds moving upwards over mountain ridges), or waves (winds rising on the backside of mountains)—and by riding this rising air, he or she can cover great distances and stay up for lengthy periods.

Gliders in Morrisville The state of Vermont built Morrisville Airport in 1960. Sometime in the early 76

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1970s—nobody agrees on exactly when— gliders joined the fleet of aircraft that made Morrisville their home base. The first Morrisville glider pilots were recreational flyers; commercial rides came later.

In 2005 Dave Whitcomb was managing the glider operation as part of his business, Whitcomb Aviation, which, through a contract with the state, manages all aspects of Morrisville Airport. Whitcomb decided he could no longer be responsible for the gliders. Enter Post, who acquired Stowe Soaring.

Eight years later, Post owns the outfit, pilots rides when necessary, and handles all marketing. Meanwhile, Whitcomb still manages the day-to-day operation.

Stowe Soaring customers don’t need reservations. They can choose any of four glider rides, ranging from $99 to $199: a 10-minute introductory ride, the 20-minute Mount

Elmore East Ridge ride, the 30-minute Stowe Scenic Tour, or the 40-minute Mile High Mount Mansfield Special. “Life changing,” says Post of the Mansfield ride.

In the Sky I arrive and ask whether my footwear is appropriate (I’m wearing flip flops, which is fine), and I help Post push our craft onto the pavement. He ties the towrope to a small prop plane piloted by former Air Force pilot Bill Borden. We jump into our glider, Post giving me just one direction: “Whatever you do, don’t pull this knob.” It’s a lever that releases the glider from the tow plane. He only needs to tell me once.

Everything happens quickly once we board. Taxiing behind the tow plane, I can sense Post’s inner teenager emerging, the same one that hung around airports and

flew the radio-controlled plane. A few brief exchanges with Borden over a hand-held radio, and we’re off. The glider actually leaves the ground before the tow plane, and before long we are heading toward Mount Mansfield.

In the difficult flying conditions of our chosen day, it’s all about searching for lift.

Initially we are hopeful. “It’s bumpy here,” says Post. “Could indicate lift.” We head toward Mansfield, flying close to—but not into—clouds, as sometimes pilots will find thermals nearby. No such luck—Mansfield is totally socked in with clouds, and we circle back toward Elmore.

Post and Borden communicate, and the tow plane releases us. We bank to the right, and then everything slows down.

The wind quiets to a loud whisper. Post tries to catch lift over Mt. Elmore, but there’s just too much moisture. He does a few tricks (when your glider pilot asks if you like roller coasters, hold on!), and we don’t lose altitude, but we don’t really gain any either.

After 35 minutes, Post picks up his handheld: “Glider 16 Juliet about a mile east of airport. Entering left downwind for one-nine.” He turns, and we’re over the airstrip. As quickly as it started, it’s over.

I have hiked and skied the mountains around Stowe and flown over them in a plane. Soaring over our four-season playground and home, and viewing it from a non-motorized glider is an experience of its own. “Most people are struck by the calm and quiet,” says Post. “The windowed canopy gives them better visibility than an airplane.” Meanwhile, for Post, the challenge is finding thermals and seeing how far and how fast he can fly. Whatever your motivation for soaring, it is a truly unique way to see Stowe.

Stowe Soaring 2305 Laporte Road, Route 100 Morrisville, VT (800) 898-7845 www.stowesoaring.com www.bestofcentralvt.com

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2013

special advertising section

Dining Guide

best of

Central vermont

J. Morgan’s Steakhouse Serving steaks, seafood, and Sunday brunch since 1994. Our recent renovation opens a new chapter in this award-winning restaurant. Known for exceedingly generous portions, we feature over 20 aged in-house steaks, daily seafood, designer pasta dishes, and mountainous salads and desserts. Located on Montpelier’s historic State Street. $$ Vermont’s Cutting Edge Steakhouse 100 State Street, Montpelier, VT (802) 223-5222 www.jmorganssteakhouse.com

Key to Symbols $ most entrées under $10 $$ most entrées $10 to $25 $$$ most entrées over $25

special advertising section

dining guide for central vermont

Beyond the Menu

El Cortijo A vibrant atmosphere featuring tacos, soups, salads, and entrées prepared with local ingredients and expressed as traditional Mexican fare. Freshsqueezed margaritas and handcrafted cocktails. Late-night menu until 1am, Fridays & Saturdays. $-$$ 189 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1668 CortijoVT.com

The Farmhouse Tap & Grill Dedicated to showcasing local farms and food producers, our menu features award-winning burgers, comfort entrées, artisan cheeses, vegetarian options, and nightly innovations. The Tap Room delivers highly prized and rare beers.

“Special Happenins” Wed. nights. $$ 160 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 859-0888 farmhousetg.com

Guild and Company

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen

Red Hen Bakery and Café

Farm-to-table steakhouse featuring dryaged, locally sourced beef grilled over Vermont hardwood. Classic steakhouse entrees, seafood and vegetarian options, an innovative cocktail program, and lighter fare, such as burgers & sandwiches for a more casual dining experience. $$$

A modern American pub where friends, families, tradesmen and business people to gather to enjoy great food and craft beers. From burgers and wings to fresh scallops and filet mignon, there’s something for everyone! Come help us revitalize Barre “One Pint At A Time.” $$

Famous hearth-baked breads, plus an excellent selection of freshly baked pastries­­—croissants, scones, cookies, maple-glazed sticky buns, and more.

Soups and sandwiches made in house, featuring local ingredients. Fine wines, beer, cheese, and specialty grocery items. $-$$

1633 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 497-1207 guildandcompany.com

47 Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 cornerstonepk.com

961B US Rt. 2 Middlesex, VT (802) 223-5200 redhenbaking.com

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FALL

2013

Central Vermont

Arts & Entertainment in

September 5–22

Robert Frost: This Verse Business Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier Info: (802) 229-0492, www.lostnationtheater.org

September 5–October 28

Art Exhibit: Carol MacDonald The Gallery at River Arts, Morrisville Info: (802) 888-1261, www.riverartsvt.org

September 14–16

River Arts: Stowe Story Labs Workshops and conversations about getting your film shot and seenin and around Stowe Info: www.riverartsvt.org

September 17–November 2 Studio Place Arts Exhibits

Main Floor Gallery: Rock Solid Second Floor Gallery: Works by Meri Stiles Third Floor Gallery: Works by Susan Bull Riley and Gabe Tempesta Opening Reception: September 20, 5:30–7:30pm Info: (802) 479-7069, www.studioplacearts.com

September 20–November 24 Artists from Cuba

Helen Day Art Center, Stowe Info: www.helenday.com

September 21

Grand Dérangement, Acadian Band Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org

September 21 Trapp Family Lodge Oktoberfest Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, 3­–8pm Info: (802) 253-8511, www.trappfamily.com

September 21 Barre Tones Annual Concert Barre Opera House, 7pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

September 25–October 12 The Pirates of Penzance Stowe Theater Guild, Wed through Sat, 8pm Info: (802) 253-3961, www.stowetheatre.com

September 27 & 28

SIPtemberfest Beer Tasting Mad River Glen Ski Area, Fayston Info: www.siptemberfest.com

September 27–29

Spanish Mustangs Photography Workshop Center for America’s First Horse, Johnson Info: (802) 730-5400, www.CenterForAmericasFirstHorse.org Spanish Mustangs

September 28

Stowe Foliage Artisan Market Main Street, Stowe, 10:30am–3:30pm Info: (802) 253-2275, www.stowevibrancy.com

September 28

ViperHouse at Spruce Peak Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe, 8pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org

September 29

Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival Stoweflake Resort, Stowe, 11am–4pm More info: www.vtpumpkinchuckin.blogspot.com

October 3, 5, 9, 13, 16, 19 Rumors

Waterbury Festival Playhouse, 7:30pm Info: (802) 498-3755, www.waterburyfestivalplayhouse.com

October 3–6 & 10–13 Bye Bye Birdie

Hyde Park Opera House, Thurs–Sat, 7pm; Sun, 2pm Info: (802) 888-4507, www.lcplayers.com

October 4

An Evening with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Barre Opera House, 8pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

October 4

Montpelier Art Walk Downtown Montpelier, 4–8pm Info: www.montpelieralive.org

October 4 Arts & Entertainment is sponsored by

Art Walk at the Vermont History Museum

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109 State Street, Montpelier, 4–7pm Info: (802) 828-2180

October 4–6

Stowe Oktoberfest Jackson Ice Arena, Stowe Info: (802) 249-0812, www.stoweoktoberfest.com

October 5

David Bromberg Quintet at Spruce Peak Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe, 8pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

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FALL

2013

October 8

Beyond Ancestry.com: Using Archival Collections for Genealogical Research Remote Online Lecture, 2pm Info: (802) 828-2180

October 9

Growing Garlic and making Wood Oven Pizza Hartshorn’s Farm, Waitsfield, 5:30–7pm Info: www.madriverlocalvores.org

October 10–27 The Crucible

Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier Info: (802) 229-0492, www.lostnationtheater.org

Montpelior Art Walk

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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FALL

2013

Central Vermont

Arts & Entertainment in

October 11–13

Stowe Foliage Arts & Crafts Festival Topnotch Field, Stowe Info: (802) 425-3399, www.craftproducers.com

October 13

Mad Dash 10K, 5K, 5K walk, and Kids Fun Run Meadow Road, Waitsfield, 10am Info: (802) 496-7284, www.madriverpath.com

October 19

Peak Films Series: The Phantom of the Opera Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org

October 19

Barre Opera House Annual Gala: The Great Gatsby Capitol Plaza, Montpelier, 6pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

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October 19 & 20

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra’s Annual Opera Gala Sounds of Italian Opera and More Sat: Dibden Auditorium, Johnson State College, 7pm Sun: Barre Opera House, 2pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

October 20–26

3rd Annual Stowe Restaurant Week Info: www.gostowe.com/restaurantweek

October 25

The Robert Cray Band Barre Opera House, 8pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

October 25 & 26

Itzhak Loves Mozart!

Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Fri: Chamber Music Concert, 7:30pm Sat: Orchestral and Choral Concert, 6:30pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org

October 30–December 22 Art Exhibit: Paul Gruhler

The Gallery at River Arts, Morrisville Info: (802) 888-1261, www.riverartsvt.org

c ale n d a r

FALL

2013

Lunasa

November 2

Peak Films Series: Love Never Dies Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe, 7:30pm Info: (802) 760-4638, www.sprucepeakarts.org

November 9

Mavis Staples Barre Opera House, 8pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

November 16

Country Jamboree Barre Opera House, 7pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

November 30 Lunasa

Barre Opera House, 8pm Info: (802) 476-8188, www.barreoperahouse.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

85

centr al vermont chat

with judy tarr tartaglia

BY stephen morris

insurance plans that offers varying levels of medical coverage and premium costs. In theory, people will shop for the best coverage at the lowest cost, so premium prices will come down. If it doesn’t work, however, then we will have created yet another huge and expensive bureaucracy that adds to the already skyrocketing health care costs.

How was CVMC impacted by sequestration?

Sequestration has hit CVMC hard. Our payments got cut by $2 million. As a result, we are not meeting our budgeted operating margin this year.

Judy Tarr Tartaglia is a very private person.

She describes her life outside work as “low-key, some might say boring.” Her idea of excitement is “hanging out with my husband in our cabin in the woods in Moretown.” There, she can fantasize about spending more time in her small artist’s studio on the coast of Maine, where she indulges her passion for oil painting.

And who can begrudge this tranquil fantasy? As president and CEO of Central Vermont Medical Center, a mid-sized facility navigating the complex and stormy world of health care during a time of unprecedented change on the legislative, technological, and legal fronts, she has one of the most challenging jobs in the world.

Has Obamacare made your life easier or more difficult?

There are aspects of the Obamacare legislation that are positive additions to the nation’s health care system. Insurance companies can no longer tell you that you’ve “run out of benefits.” Nor can they drop you when you get really sick. Elimination of the pre-existing condition exception is also a good thing, as is allowing young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ plan. This allowed my daughter, Molly, a recent college graduate who is working in an entry-level position, to stay on my health insurance plan.

There are also features of Obamacare with values that have yet to be determined, such as how the health care system will be financed in the future. To help answer that, hospitals and physicians have been encouraged to create “Accountable Care Organizations” (ACOs). The idea is for hospitals and physicians to work with providers to manage the health of entire populations of patients. A health care institution of the future may be paid not for the total tests and procedures but for the overall health of its population. We are currently participating in a pilot program that is experimenting with the ACO concept in Vermont. Time will tell if this new approach achieves the goals of Obamacare.

Health care “exchanges” are also experiments for our future health care. An exchange is a government-regulated marketplace of commercial 86

best of central Vermont | Fall 2013

Are you encouraged or discouraged by the direction Vermont is taking in health care?

I am encouraged by the Green Mountain Care Board’s goals, as outlined by the legislature: to improve the health of Vermonters, to reduce the growth rate of health care costs, and to enhance the quality of patient care. While these are laudable goals and consistent with the Federal Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), I worry about the possible duplication of effort that will prove, inevitably, to be costly. We don’t know what a socalled single payer plan will cost Vermonters. Can we really afford the new health care infrastructure that we’re creating in this state?

Fewer than 15 percent of all hospital CEOs are women. What are some changes you’ve seen in the work environment?

I’ve never considered myself to be all that different from male colleagues.

I’ve just worked very hard and been willing to take a few risks—and lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

When I first became a CEO, I was one of only two women CEOs in my state (not Vermont). Women may be only 15 percent of hospital CEOs nationwide, but 50 percent of my senior management team is female, including our chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and, last year, our board chair. Times have changed!

CVMC is a mid-sized facility operating in close proximity to two much larger ones, Fletcher Allen and Dartmouth Hitchcock. Does this pose any unusual challenges?

We are in an alliance with Fletcher Allen, and I believe that puts us at a competitive advantage. Fletcher Allen and CVMC have a very close working relationship and share some services and medical staff. This benefits the community by providing greater access to specialty care. I foresee even more collaboration with Fletcher Allen in the future.

How would you describe your management style? What is your strongest asset?

Sometimes our own self-image differs from reality, so I asked my colleagues. They say that I am a leader who really leads, a good listener who asks the right questions that encourage involvement, and someone who provides clear, straightforward answers. I am focused on action, but I have a sense of humor. They didn’t say that I can be impatient, but I can be.

I usually want to see improvement immediately and get cranky if things don’t move fast enough. My strongest asset is the ability to recruit and retain extremely talented people. The people who work with me are the ones that make CVMC successful.

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