Best of Central Vermont Magazine - Winter 2014

Central Vermont best of

winter 2014/2015 volume 3, no. 1

communities and lifestyle in the heart of the Green Mountains

Where Bears Hibernate Challenges for Young Athletes A Historic Home for a Fine Arts College

Cover by Yankee Image / Skye Chalmers

f e at u r e s

38 56 64

winter Academies mold top athletes GMVS and MMWA have both placed graduates on the US Ski Team, and NAHA graduates have made national hockey teams. by mark aiken

vermont college of fine arts High marks for a young college By elizabeth hewitt

for the love of bears

How Sugarbush supports local black bears By lisa densmore ballard

Contents

30 47

D E PA R T M E N T S

71 13 Editor’s Note 14 Contributors 16 online hub 18 Occasions & About 22 Out

by Cassie Horner holiday recipes

28 gingerbread cookieS inn touch

30 green mountain inn by tony lolli

bright ideas

71 health care hubs on main street

by Elizabeth Hewitt

in store

78 inside out gallery by mary gow

84

dining & entertainment guide calendar

88 arts and entertainment chat

92 with jim douglas by nicola smith

54

community

47 stowe trading company by stephen morris

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

winter surprises Shopping and fun things to do in Central Vermont

Central Vermont best of

winter 2 0 1 4/2015 | Volume 3 no.1

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

(802) 295-5295

www.bestofcentralvt.com Publishers

Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch Editor

Meg Brazill Copy Editor

Elizabeth Hewitt 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 emailing ctpublishing@ comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Central Vermont is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, Š2014. 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 | winter 2014/2015

SFI-00665

ed i to r ’ s n ot e

If you dream

about spending your days on the ski slopes or traversing cross-country trails through deep snow, you’re in luck: ‘tis the season! Central Vermont is particularly rich in the kind of topography that makes for a great variety of outdoor activities from alpine skiing to ice skating to ice fishing.

Outside, the scents of pine garlands and woodsmoke fill the air while indoors, the fragrance of cinnamon, spices, and hot chocolate fill our senses, bringing alive childhood memories.

The holiday season is not just about remembrances though; it’s even better for making memories.

Start by warming up with food and conversation with friends around a fireplace or the wood stove.

Every year, I look forward to keeping warm in the kitchen, baking cookies with my daughter, or making and sharing a meal with friends.

As the world grows quiet under a snowy blanket, winter changes are underway. In this issue of The Best of Central Vermont, you’ll read about how and where a large population of black bears goes into hibernation (page 64). Then discover the flip side of hibernation in three mountain academies that are very much awake: Green Mountain Valley School, Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy, and the North American Hockey Academy (page 38).

Another group of students—this time from Stowe High School—surprised us with the story of their new venture, Stowe Trading Company, operated and run by teenagers (page 47). Now that’s enterprising! While you’re there, the Inside Out Gallery (page 78) is right down the road.

The light-filled gallery sparkles with glass and metal objects, giving it a festive appearance yearround. If you’re out shopping for family and friends, both shops might be this year’s go-to places for holiday gifts.

The countryside is lovely in winter, but it’s fun to go to the city to get into the holiday mood. Montpelier has free horse-drawn wagon rides on Saturdays in December and a new family event planned for New Year’s Eve. There’s even free parking on some days throughout December. Check out our events calendar or look for more events on our website. For a winter walk, take in the hilltop campus of Vermont College of Fine Arts, which is a rising star in graduate arts education (page 56).

Whatever way you enjoy spending winter days and nights, be sure to enjoy the little gifts the season offers—the smells in the air, the sparkling snow on a moonlit night, animal tracks in the mornings. And don’t forget to stay in touch with friends and neighbors. Hibernating is for the bears!

Meg Brazill Editor editor@bestofcentralvt.com

www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont

@bestofcentralvt www.bestofcentralvt.com

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co n t rib u to r s

14

LYNN BOHANNON began her photographic career in Boston, studying at New England School of Photography, assisting commercial photographers, and color printing in photo labs. Originally from West Virginia, she worked her way north, finally landing in the hills of Vermont, where she has a studio in Woodstock.

Her current assignments include photographing people, product, and art. www.

LynnBohannonPhotography.com.

Former U.S. Ski Team member, LISA DENSMORE Ballard, spent years skiing and racing throughout Vermont. When she’s not writing about, photographing, or filming skiing and other outdoor activities, she races on the masters circuit and hosts “Your Turn” women’s ski clinics throughout the United States. Over 6,000 women have learned to ski better through the program and none have seen a bear on the slopes! www.LisaDensmore.com.

MARK AIKEN is a freelance writer from Richmond, Vermont, who drives past Mount Mansfield Winter Academy and the North American Hockey Academy every day of the winter on his way to work as a Stowe ski school supervisor. A recreational hockey player and marathoner, Mark and his wife Alison (also a distance runner) are involved in a new endurance sport—parenting. Contact him at aikenaction@gmail.com.

STEPHEN MORRIS is a writer, editor, and publisher who works from an office on the banks of Gilead Brook between Randolph and Bethel. His company, The Public Press, publishes books (most recently The Wrath of Irene) and the quarterly journal Green Living. Reach him at Stephen@ThePublicPress.com.

ELIZABETH HEWITT is a freelance journalist and native of Warren, Vermont. She has written and reported from three continents, and recently worked from Istanbul, Turkey. Among her favorite subjects to cover are the people, environment, and businesses of her home state.

Contact her at elizabeth.hewitt@ outlook.com.

TONY LOLLI is an author, columnist, and freelance writer.

His writing has appeared in several regional magazines. He writes columns for On The Water Magazine and The Northwoods Sporting Journal. He’s written six books on fly fishing, one of which was selected as one of the three “Best Outdoor Books for 2012” by the New England Outdoor Writers Association. Tony Lives in Cabot, Vermont and can be reached at tonylolli@yahoo.com.

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

visit us o nl ine

www.bestofcentralvt.com ont Central Verm WINT ER

2014/ 2015

VOLU ME

online extras

3, NO. 1

best of

COM

STY LE AND LIFE MU NIT IES

UN TAI GRE EN MO RT OF THE IN THE HEA

NS

Black Bears Hibernate Where Bears s Young Athlete Challenges for College e for a Fine Arts Hom A Historic

In winter, Central Vermont is home to a large population of hibernating Black Bears. Find bear photos starting on page 64, courtesy of Lisa Densmore Ballard and Vermont Fish & Wildlife, and more online at www.bestofcentralvt.com

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• A summary of our most popular articles and comments from our readers • Local event listings from our calendar • Special offers from Best of Central Vermont and local businesses • Exclusive insights into upcoming features and articles, and much more . . .

Green Mountain Inn Discover the legend of Boots Berry, a tap dancing ghost who is said to inhabit the Green Mountain Inn at www.bestofcentralvt.com

Top Training for Young Athletes in the Green Mountains Three mountain academies train young, aspiring athletes as competitive skiers and hockey players. It’s as much about the rigors of academic life as it is about the sports. Follow their progress online with videos and more at www.bestofcentralvt.com

Join the conversation online . . .

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9

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

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o cc a si o ns

Celebrate!

SPA Annual Holiday Season Show The annual holiday members show at Studio Place Arts (SPA) brings together works by more than 75 member artists, exhibited in galleries on all three floors of the historic building in downtown Barre. Fine art and crafts produced by Central Vermont artists make for a festive display.

Find that perfect, local, one-of-a-kind gift.

Studio Place Arts November 12 – December 27, 2014 Tuesday-Friday: 11am-5pm Saturday: 12-4pm* Special late hours in December-check website 201 North Main Street, Barre (802) 479-7069 www.StudioPlaceArts.com

Clockwise from top left: Pamela Wilson, SPA studio artist, contributed her porcelain vessels last year.

Celebrate! is displayed on all three floors of SPA. Guests and artists mingle in the SPA galleries.

At the 2013 show, Scott Crocker’s bearded wizard was a standout sculpture.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Mountain Road Marketplace is A 1/2 mile filled with locally owned shops, eat

. shop . dine . spa .play

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

the heart ot the Mountain Road galleries, restaurants, services, and more stay

. drink . dance . laugh . enjoy

All located at 1613 - 2251 Mountain Road in Stowe!

o u t a nd a b o u t

by c a ssie h o rner

10th Annual

Touch of Vermont

Holiday Gift Market

Beautiful jewelry, exquisite blown glass, intricate quilting, locally made food products, and high quality Vermont wine, mead, rum, and vodka from craft distillers and fermenters—all of this and more can be found at the 10th Annual Touch of Vermont Holiday Gift Market on Saturday, December 13 from 9am to 4pm at Montpelier City Hall.

Over 45 vendors entice an average of 2,500 customers to “gift local,” with an array of delights in this juried show. Vendors also donate lots of items for a raffle. All money from the sale of raffle tickets benefits O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, an advocacy group for sexually abused children. People are encouraged to buy raffle tickets when they arrive at the market because drawings are held every half-hour throughout the day. At the end of the day is the big drawing.

“The market started because I wanted a place to sell my goods in the days before there was a winter farmers’ market in Montpelier,” explains Claire Georges. “It’s also an opportunity to trade with other people. We give each other’s products as gifts which is a way to support locals and introduce people to their goods.”

The show is juried, ensuring a high level of quality and diversity. The review process favors applications for quality of artwork, a good balance of products, and a range of prices. Vendors do best who have a range of low to higher cost items.

Touch of Vermont Holiday Market has become a tradition, connecting the community with its artists.

For more information about Touch of Vermont, visit www.touchofvt.org.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

It takes months of preparation to create work for the Holiday Gift Market (below).

Kids and adults will find wonderful gifts from quilts to clothing, pottery, chessboards, jewelry, and dried wreaths, and many other items (opposite page).

Photographs courtesy of the Touch of Vermont Holiday Gift Market

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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o u t a nd a b o u t

Information about the falls & Granville Reservation on the walkway (top); Moss Glen Falls on Route 100 near Granville (top right & bottom) Photographs by Cassie Horner

Moss Glen Falls A secluded, narrow valley is the definition of “glen,” with its Scottish Gaelic and Irish roots. Located on Route 100, about 3 miles north of Granville, Vermont, is the breathtakingly lovely Moss Glen Falls, a 30-foot waterfall that gleams in summer light and freezes into a massive ice sculpture in winter. The access couldn’t be easier: park just north of the falls and use the bridge and walkway to reach the viewing spot at the bottom of the falls.

This section of Route 100 includes the impressive Granville Gulf. The overhanging rocks are perfect spots for dozens of mini-ice sculptures—mini when compared to Moss Glen Falls.

Moss Glen Falls is part of the 36.5-mile Mad River Byway that can be followed from Granville to Middlesex. The falls originate in the Deer Hollow Brook watershed, located about two miles above them in the Green Mountain National Forest.

They are part of the Granville State Reservation. The geology of the falls can be traced to the Hazen’s Notch formation, and is comprised of schist with black graphite and pyrite.

Redfield Proctor, Jr., governor of Vermont from 192325 (his father, also a governor, founded Proctor, Vermont), provided the core of the Reservation with a donation of 900 acres and the falls in 1928. The State of Vermont purchased additional land to create a 1190-acre tract of land.

Moss Glen Falls has been attracting travelers for decades.

Join the cavalcade and don’t forget your camera.

If your interest is piqued by the Granville Moss Glen Falls, check out the falls by the same name located in Stowe.

Turn off Route 100 onto Randolph Road and then turn onto Moss Glen Falls Road. The easy 1-mile round trip hike is open year round.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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h o l iday recipe s

A Family Favorite GINGERBREAD CUTOUT COOKIES There's nothing quite like the smell of gingerbread filling the house during the holiday season. Gather the family and your favorite cookie cutters to make these festive and delicious cookies. â–ˇ MAKES 5 dozen O cup butter, softened O cup packed brown sugar

1

I n a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2

n a lightly floured surface, roll dough to V-inch thickO ness. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3

ake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. ReB move to wire racks to cool. When completely cool, decorate the cookies with icing. If you wish, use food coloring to tint some of the icing red and some green.

1 egg O cup molasses 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp ground ginger 1K tsp baking soda 1K tsp ground cinnamon O tsp ground cloves N tsp salt Easy Cookie Icing (recipe follows)

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Easy Cookie Icing 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 4 tsp milk 1 tsp vanilla Mix with a fork to combine. Add more confectioners’ sugar to make it thicker or more milk to make it thinner.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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inn to u ch

by to n y lo l l i

Ph otos co ur t e s y o f Green M o un ta in Inn

Green Mountain Inn

More than 150 years of Hospitality in Stowe

In the heart of Stowe Village, the Green Mountain Inn boasts more than a century and a half of service, a 275-guest capacity, 104 accommodations spread over eight buildings— and a tap-dancing ghost.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

W

ith its two-story columned porches, handsome brick façade, and historic architecture in the heart of Stowe Village, the inn is the image of classic New England ambience. The inn itself is woven into the town’s history; of the property’s eight buildings, three are on the National Register of Historic Places. It takes just a bit of imagination to envision a stagecoach pulling up to the front door. Given its august history, the inn’s loyal following comes as no surprise.

“Many of our long-time guests consider the inn to be their Stowe home,” says innkeeper Patti Clark, recounting an insight she has gained over her 25 years working at the Green Mountain Inn. “Our most frequent guests may visit three or four times each year, some more often.” This group of long-time guests has averaged between 200 and 300 room-visits. What accounts for such loyalty?

Some guests first came here as children with their families and developed an emo-

tional bond. “And now they’re here with their own children,” Patti says. “It’s a legacy factor. They adore the inn, the village of Stowe, and the memories.”

That emotional bond extends to the staff, and many guests enjoy visiting with longtime members of the Green Mountain Inn family. It’s not unusual for people to stop and spend time with Paul, the welcoming face at the front desk, catching up on events since their last visit. That level of guest appreciation extends to all the staff for their lengthy

service. “I know that’s true because I hear it from our guests all the time,” Patti says.

In the Beginning From the time the original brick structure was first built in 1833, the property has been a bustling attraction in Stowe village. After more than half a century operating under several different names, it became the Green Mountain Inn under the ownership of Mark Lovejoy in 1893. Famous guests over the inn’s history include the likes of President www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Top: The Green Mountain Inn looks much like it did in the 19th century. On a quiet snowy night, it feels like time has stood still. Bottom: Good cheer and great service await guests at the inn.

Chester A. Arthur and a young Gerald Ford, then on assignment as a model for Look magazine.

In 1982 Canadian Marvin Gameroff visited Stowe and fell in love with the inn. He had a vision of what the village experience could be. Gameroff bought the property and later transferred it to the Gameroff Trust, the Inn’s current owner. Over time, several more buildings were acquired and renovated.

The inn helps to keep the Stowe community’s history alive. Works by renowned watercolor artist Walton Blodgett hang throughout the buildings. Blodgett moved to Stowe in 1941 and took inspiration from the area’s vistas and homes. His own studio on Route 100 offered a magnificent view of Mount Mansfield, his frequent subject.

The inn’s collection of Blodgett’s watercolor paintings is a unique permanent exhibit that deftly depicts the scenery and backdrop of rural Vermont life during the 1940s and 32

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

50s. Many of the paintings depict landscapes and farms still found in the area.

But Gameroff’s vision extended beyond the Inn to the historic village itself, and he believed that the property could be an important resource for the community. In 1986, when the post office considered relocating outside of the town center, Gameroff led an effort to keep it in the village.

“He had a sense that this immediate area is the heart of the village,” Patti recalls. “Our guests want to experience the village and its history.”

Great Expectations: Delivered The Green Mountain Inn attracts guests who want to savor Stowe Village itself, and yet, the inn also offers many of the features one might expect to find in a destination resort, from the year-round outdoor heated pool and two 10-person Jacuzzis, to the outdoor fire pit, to its recently updated health club. In addition, the inn’s Main Street location means guests can walk to a variety of restaurants and shops.

Patti frequently hears from guests surprised by how much the inn surpassed their expectations. “They told us they knew what we had to offer but their experience was so www.bestofcentralvt.com

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The inn gets fully decked out for the holidays, with garlands and Christmas trees. The Main Street Dining Room gets all the trimmings, too, and offers special holiday dinners.

much better,” Patti says. “These days, guests know everything about the inn as a result of what’s being written online about us, but the total impact of their stay is even more than they anticipated.”

The numbers themselves speak for the impressive following the Green Mountain Inn has attracted.

More than fifty percent of their guests are repeat customers.

Renovating for Style and Comfort Across the property’s eight buildings, the inn offers a wide range of accommodation types from classic, deluxe, and luxury rooms, to luxury suites, apartments, and townhouses. Over the past several years, the Green Mountain Inn team has undertaken an expansive renovation project.

No matter how often a guest has stayed here, they can see how the inn is constantly looking to improve their comfort. “We stay on top of trends,” says Patti. “For example, we have a beautiful new linen program with 300 thread count Egyptian cotton bedding.”

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Every guest room has been re-done within the past three years: everything from new floors, to fresh paint, to recently installed flat screen TVs. All bathrooms have been revamped and now include granite countertops and state-of-the-art tubs. Two years ago the year-round outdoor pool area was improved.

Additions included a kiddy pool, an inground spa, and a poolside bar.

Home for the Holidays — At the Inn It’s easy to imagine that Bing Crosby had the Green Mountain Inn in mind when he crooned “White Christmas.” Guests travel from around the world to experience a white Vermont Christmas, and the staff goes all out to meet their expectations. The two-story front porch is festooned with lights, and garlands and wreaths adorn the balcony rail and outdoor areas. A “Christmas in the Village” package includes Christmas dinner, sleigh rides, and breakfast.

Holiday festivities continue on New Year’s Eve, when the inn hosts two dinners in the Main Street Dining Room. The first, which

Main Street Dining Room Run by a culinary team passionate about their work, the inn’s Main Street Dining Room is open for breakfast and holiday dinners. The inn’s breakfast has its own local reputation in Stowe. The Country Inn Breakfast is an expansive buffet every morning: homemade baked items and granola, fresh fruit, various cereals, yogurt, fresh eggs, bacon, maple-flavored sausage, and home-fried potatoes, or diners can choose to order from the á la carte menu. Complimentary afternoon tea is available for peckish guests to indulge in tea, cider, and homemade cookies every afternoon. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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The year-round outdoor pool is enticing even in winter. Recent additions poolside include an in-ground spa, and a poolside bar.

caters to the whole family, begins in the early evening. A fine dining menu for parents and a special kids menu culminates in a New Year’s toast when Big Ben strikes 12am in London—that’s 7pm in the Green Mountains. The second seating at 9pm commences the grown-up celebration, complete with dancing, a four-course gourmet menu, and, of course, a midnight champagne toast.

online extra Discover the legend of a tap dancing ghost who is said to inhabit the Green Mountain Inn at: www.bestofcentralvt.com

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Winter festivities at the inn don’t end with the holidays though. Snow-sport enthusiasts generate over ninety percent of winter business, with guests flooding in to ski and ride over the holiday weekends in January and February.

Valentine’s Day in the restaurant attracts numerous couples and there are almost always a few marriage proposals that occur sometime between appetizers and dessert.

A few result in arrangements for wedding receptions at the inn.

Green Mountain Inn 18 Main Street Stowe, VT (800) 253-7302 or (802) 253-7301 www.greenmountaininn.com

by Tony Lolli

Nothing takes the chill off a cold winter’s night like a hot meal—and maybe a cocktail for some added warmth. At the Whip Bar & Grill, you can warm up by the fireplace first, then order from an extensive menu that’s prepared using Vermont food products and fresh ingredients from local Vermont farmers. The Whip, which serves lunch and dinner daily, and brunch on Sunday, provides fine dining in a casual atmosphere. The restaurant is adjacent to, and part of, the Green Mountain Inn, but it’s open to the public as well as to guests of the inn.

Favorite menu items include: Homemade New England Corn Chowder, Chilled Lobster Cobb Salad, the Starr Sandwich (fresh roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise served on homemade honey oatmeal bread), Black Angus grilled steaks, Pecan Crusted Salmon, and Baked Stuffed New England Cod. The menu changes twice each year, seasonally, offering summer and winter specialties.

Stop in for Sunday brunch specials from Belgian waffles and buttermilk pancakes to the Whip Benedict (sliced beef tenderloin, poached eggs, house-made English muffins, Canadian bacon, and rosemary hollandaise sauce) to Pecan Crusted Salmon.

There are fresh homemade breads and incredible desserts to indulge your sweet tooth too. Homemade

The Whip Bar & Grill choices include Blueberry-Apple Crumb Pie and Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, to name a few. And then there is the famously decadent Sac de Bon Bon—a chocolate bag filled with chocolate mousse, served with fresh fruit garnish and dessert sauces, to add the finishing touches to a deliciously memorable meal.

The decor is reminiscent of a traditional stagecoach inn of the 18th century, featuring dark paneling, fireplace, Vermont green marble floors, and more than three dozen antique horsewhip and riding crop accents.

This past year the Whip received new lighting, a new bar, and a renovated patio. The 20-foot bar is topped with Vermont granite and complemented with Colonial-style stools.

The bar boasts eight Vermont brewed beers, a Vermont brewed cider and Vermont distilled vodka, bourbon, and gin. Of special note is the popular house cocktail, The Whip, an Old Fashioned made with Vermont maple syrup.

Early American-style tables and chairs encourage guests to sit by the fireplace and linger over meals and cocktails.

The Whip Bar & Grill 18 Main Street, Stowe (802) 253-4400 x615 Open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Reservations are recommended.

Wait Until Spring Immediately adjacent to the Whip is an outdoor patio with a full awning creating a New Orleansstyle courtyard that provides tables with dappled sunlight through the summer. The patio is an outward extension of the Whip and its success necessitated an expansion of the kitchen to accommodate the additional diners in the popular outside seating area.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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By Mark Aiken Photographs courtesy of the three academies

Winter Academies Mold Top Athletes … And More

The landscapes surrounding the communities of Stowe and Waitsfield—equidistant, but in opposite directions, from Exit 10 on Interstate 89—are rugged, mountainous, and beautiful.

It’s no surprise that the region attracts active, athletic-minded, and outdoorsy residents.

Indeed, ski the slopes, run or snowshoe the trails, or ride the bike paths of these mountain towns, and you’ll encounter Olympians and former professional and collegiate athletes enjoying the places they now call home.

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I

t should also come as no surprise that young, up-and-coming athletes would look to the same communities as places to develop and mold their own athletic futures. Sure enough, the area is home to three unique high school academies: Waitsfield’s Green Mountain Valley School, Stowe’s Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy, and Stowe’s North American Hockey Academy.

GMVS and MMWA have both placed graduates on the US Ski Team, while NAHA graduates have made national select hockey teams. Look at the student bodies of these three academies, all of which boast highly respected academic and athletic programs, and you’ll find goals and sights set high, with coaches and teachers primed to help student-athletes achieve these goals.

And you’ll find motivated students, focused young minds, and driven athletes—all rolled into one.

GMVS and MMWA provide rigorous athletic training and academic support to ambitious young racers

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Green Mountain Valley School

What makes them unique. The idea that the renowned ski academy Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) is solely a winter institution is a misconception. GMVS is as much a year-round private high school as Andover, Exeter, and Holderness, with a beautiful campus in the shadow of Sugarbush Resort.

GMVS students—grades 7 through 12 (although there is a winter semester program offered for 7th graders only)—arrive in August and stay until May, and every one is an accomplished ski racer. Meanwhile, before the snow even thinks of flying in Vermont, GMVS packs up its coaching staff, several teachers, and nearly its entire student population and flies to Valle Nevado, Chile 40

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

to study and train, taking advantage of lateseason snow in the southern hemisphere.

Academics. Although some GMVS attendees may have Olympic aspirations, headmaster Dave Gavett knows—as does everyone at GMVS—that Olympics don’t happen until later. “We believe in the development of the whole child,” says Dave. The school’s enrollment of 130 students allows it to offer a full complement of classes in all subjects, but with low teacher-to-student ratios.

“Our smallness allows for the development of incredible relationships with students,” says assistant academic director and English teacher Kerry Jackson. “There is tremendous potential for growth.”

Balancing a demanding course load, taxing training, and a constantly changing schedule (every ski racer is aware of the fickleness of winter snow) teaches students to manage their time and to communicate with their teachers. They develop discipline, focus, and independence. “We keep hearing that college is easy in comparison,” says Dave.

Athletics. Last fall, GMVS opened the doors to a new $10 million sports training complex that houses weight rooms and spinning equipment, workout spaces, top-rate equipment tuning apparatus, and a physical therapy office. “You have to constantly reimagine and re-invent your programs,” says Dave. “We’ve done that with our facilities

as well.” Along with the training facility, GMVS has a satellite campus in Kössen, Austria where athletes get exposure to European competition. Finally, GMVS offers “shoulder season” sports—soccer and lacrosse—along with a full theatrical musical production. “We try to support students’ other interests too,” says Kerry.

What makes them proud. On the first day of school, rather than hitting the books, GMVS students spend the day doing community service projects. Dave believes that GMVS, with students and families that come from all over the world, is an economic boon to the area. “We also try to give back to the area through community service,” he says.

Green Mountain Valley School Waitsfield, Vermont www.gmvs.org

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy What makes them unique. Imagine you are an elite high school alpine ski racer. On one hand, you know that you need world-class coaching in order to achieve your skiing goals. On the other hand, you are happy with your home high school, and you certainly don’t want to leave your family. What is a young skier to do? For Lori Furrer, executive director and founder of Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy (MMWA), family is most important.

“Parents and students choose MMWA because they don’t want to send their kids away for a full school year,” Lori says.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Opposite page: Top, MMWA students train with coaches from MMSC. Bottom, MMWA students start their season in Vail, Colorado, then train at Mt. Mansfield.

Academics. MMWA, says Lori, focuses 110 percent on academics. That is because all of the ski coaching and instruction responsibilities fall on Mt. Mansfield Ski Club (MMSC). “We are separate entities and organizations,” says Lori. “But we are joined at the hip, and we’re both in it for the best interests of the students.”

With an enrollment of 45 students, MMWA does not offer classes. Each student follows the curricula of his or her home high school. That’s 45 students, 45 different curriculums, and 45 separate schedules. Students quickly learn to manage their time and to block out distractions. “These are skills that put them ahead of their peers when they get to college,” Lori says.

Athletics. MMWA athletes start their season in Stowe by leaving for Vail, Colorado.

The Vail camp happens before Vermont typically has enough snow for serious training and one week after the winter semester starts—just enough time for students to get their academic bearings so that they can keep up with their studies while out west. Upon returning to Stowe, they train six days per week on the mountain with dedicated MMSC coaches on world-class terrain. RB Klinkenberg’s daughter Ingrid is a senior at MMWA. “The winter term offers the best of both worlds for her,” RB says.

She gets dedicated instruction from topflight coaches. And she’s still able to be part of a diverse high school. After all, says RB: “Not everyone’s a skier.”

What makes them proud. “Watching our students blossom,” says Lori. “We have some truly gifted student-athletes, but it’s really a humble community.” Lori is proud when students return to their home schools within a week of the home schools’ curriculum.

Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy Stowe, Vermont www.mmwa.org www.bestofcentralvt.com

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North American Hockey Academy What makes them unique. “No other hockey program follows what we call the ‘winter ski academy model,’” says Jesse Driscoll, director of recruiting and U16 coach for the North American Hockey Academy (NAHA).

NAHA follows the same winter term schedule as MMWA. Jesse’s father Bill Driscoll and Lori Furrer started their academies as a joint venture 21 years ago, and now they’re next-door neighbors on the mountain road in Stowe. Most high school-aged girls with aspirations of playing collegiate hockey attend boarding schools with strong hockey programs. Like MMWA, the winter term concept allows athletes to focus on hockey for part of the school year but attend their home high schools for the rest.

Melissa Bizzari, director of hockey operations at the University of Vermont, attended NAHA for four years. During her playing career at Boston College, she could hardly play a game without recognizing a friendly face on opposing teams from her NAHA days.

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“Even though we’d be wearing different color jerseys, we’ll always be teammates,” she says.

Academics. Like their neighbor, MMWA, NAHA has a full staff of educators who work with the 40 NAHA enrollees (two 20-woman teams, one older and one younger) on a one-on-one basis. Teachers know the hockey game schedule—which is rigorous—and help players plan accordingly in order to stay on top of their studies. By the time NAHA grads get to college, Melissa says, they know how to get homework done on road trips, and how to communicate with professors about missed classes.

Athletics. NAHA teams spend an hour and a half on the ice and another hour in the weight room every day. The coaching staff features experienced coaches and former professionals.

Meanwhile, NAHA contracts a local gym to mentor athletes in fitness and nutrition. “Bill wanted to take the resources typically available just to Olympic athletes and offer them to high school athletes,” says Jesse.

Melissa credits these resources for making her a better player. “The competitive high level of hockey was unlike anything I had ever played before,” says Melissa. One day per week, she says, the younger players had the opportunity to mix with the older.

“As an underclassman I was able to practice with girls who were entering college in a year or two,” she says. “There is no better opportunity to learn and grow than to be challenged by players better and more experienced than you.”

What makes them proud. “Watching their dreams come true,” says Jesse. “It’s great to see them learn to take care of themselves and to see them prepared to make the most out of their experiences at college as studentathletes,” Jesse says.

North American Hockey Academy Stowe, Vermont www.winter-hawks.org

The staffs at these three academies know that dreams don’t come true on their own. GMVS, MMWA, and NAHA have built programs geared towards helping young people achieve their dreams. Although these dreams are usually athletic in nature—that is, after all, why each of the programs came to be—graduates of all three programs realize an important side effect. They emerge with skills that help them succeed in all aspects of college and later in life.

Previous page: Students are split into two 20-person teams. This page: Top, NAHA students bond with their classmates and teammates.

Middle, NAHA operates on a winter term schedule.

Bottom, alums often run into each other playing for their college teams.

online extra Find a video and news about these mountain schools online at: www.bestofcentralvt.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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co mmuni t y

by S t ephen M o rris

Ph otos by ly nn b o h a nn o n

The Stowe Trading Company

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Where Teenagers Rule the World ...

he small, freestanding building on the Mountain Road, halfway between Stowe Village and Mount Mansfield, looks like many other specialty boutiques, except for the black-caped, skeleton mannequin out front. And, except for the little pink, smiling whales on the shelves. And, except that no one on the staff looks older than 16 or 17.

That’s because no one on the staff is older than 16 or 17.

Welcome to the Stowe Trading Company, a retail store staffed, operated, and managed by area students. These fresh-faced kids are also responsible for placing wholesale orders, displaying merchandise, waiting on customers, and designing the website.

There is no direct adult supervision. The teenagers are in charge.

The Stowe Trading Company is a partnership between the Stowe Middle and High Schools and Stowe Kitchen, Bath & Linens, the business that owns the building where the boutique is housed. Every purchase adds to a fund administered by the Stowe Education Fund (SEF), a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and enrich education in the Stowe public school system. Through fundraising and community involvement, it collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, and the community to achieve the short- and long-term educational goals of the Stowe schools. SEF shares the belief that strong public schools are an essential asset to the quality of life and future well-being of the community and seeks to help community children become productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

A Whale of a Tale The first question the core group of young entrepreneurs needed to answer was, “What will we call ourselves?” The management team decided to celebrate their local identity with “Stowe” then determined that being a “Trading Company” would give them more flexibility to respond to ever-changing fashions and seasons. The next question was, “What are we www.bestofcentralvt.com

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going to sell?” The response was unanimous.

“We all wanted Vineyard Vines,” says Hunter Carpenter, who functions as both chief financial officer and “one of the guys.”

This explains the pink whales. The story of Vineyard Vines is like a salt water Ben & Jerry’s. Two guys, brothers in fact, grow up spending idyllic summers on Martha’s Vineyard. They work corporate jobs in the big city. They are fed up with the rat race and quit, returning to the carefree island 48

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Opposite page: Top, (from back left to right) Hunter Carpenter, Alexander Carpenter, Aiden Bernheisel, Natalie Herwood, Kate Carpenter, Story Reynolds, Dylan Whittaker, Emily Gershman.

Below, Hunter mans the till.

This page: Moriarty hats, a classic Stowe ski style, are back.

to figure out what comes next. They have no business plan, only a determination to dedicate every day to the pursuit of fun and adventure. They buy a bunch of ties, sell them, and buy more. They feel good.

“Every day should feel this good” becomes their slogan, pink whales their logo.

The brand is quite exclusive, available only at the company store in Edgartown, on their website, and at select retailers. The Stowe Trading Company is only their second outlet in Vermont. The staff, scrubbed and polished, dress in the “uniforms” of the Vineyard Vines pullover with trademark vertical zippered pockets.

Asked to explain the brand’s appeal, store co-manager Aidan Bernheisel answers without hesitation, “It’s so preppy.” Fellow manager Dylan Whitaker chimes in, “And colorful.” When informed that “preppy” wasn’t considered cool a generation ago, they shrug in the universal, teenage gesture of “whatever.” Vineyard Vines is indisputably hot with cool kids these days.

“We’ve known each other since elementary school,” says Story Reynolds, like a lot of kids from small towns all over Vermont. “In addition to school, we’ve played on all the same sports teams.” Story, along with Chad Haggerty, is one of the trading company’s public relations specialists. Either they are natural born PR flacks, or there’s just something refreshingly newsworthy about this venture.

In addition to stories from the local media, there have been inquiries from national media outlets. It doesn’t hurt that Stowe is a four-season destination resort, frequented by well-connected people from media centers like New York, Boston, and Montreal.

CFO Hunter clarifies that titles at the store tend to be informal, and duties, along with decisions, are shared responsibilities. As he phrases it, “We all take our turn at cleaning the bathroom.” www.bestofcentralvt.com

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From left to right: Dylan adjusts merchandise on the rack. The staff handles every aspect of the business, from establishing vendor relations to managing the books.

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Next Gen: Funding the Future

Evolving Ideas

The funds that accumulate in this account will ultimately be distributed as grants to students pursuing entrepreneurial ventures.

Applications for these grants will be evaluated by a board of directors consisting of the students working at the Stowe Trading Company.

The Stowe Kitchen Company opened its doors over thirty years ago in 1983. A shop for professional and amateur cooks, the store carries name brand cookware and cutlery, gadgets of all sorts, and tabletop linens, dinnerware, glassware and serving pieces. It’s the perfect diversion for anyone

who prefers cooking or shopping to sliding down a frigid mountain. The business grew organically, adding new merchandise and departments. In 1996, a separate bath and linen store, including spa items, opened in the same building. The two stores were combined in 2000, creating Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Kate Carpenter has owned the business since 2008, when her family relocated to Stowe from Telluride, CO. Over the past five years, the separate outbuilding destined to become the Trading Post, housed a variety of retail ventures including a jewelry store, a high-end consignment shop, and a candle store. The idea of a partnership with the schools and Stowe Education Fund evolved from a venture to sell merchandise associated with last winter’s Junior Olympics.

“The Trading Company is not in any way a financial extension of our store,” says Kate.

“The kids choose the merchandise, establish the vendor relations, manage the books, and schedule the staff. We’re just here if they need us.”

The staffers are quite comfortable slinging around the universal jargon of retailers.

They talk in terms of “margin, mark-up, and discounts.” They had a “soft opening” (a shakedown period during which a business quietly opens the doors to customers while the inevitable kinks are worked out of the business systems) over the summer, while the TA-DAH! of the Grand Opening was saved for foliage season.

It’s hard to know whether to refer to the staff as “kids” (sounds too young and immature), “young adults” (too stodgy) or “teenagers” (too many negative associations).

Whatever the description, they love what they are doing, and knock themselves out to provide their customers with a worthwhile experience.

The kids are reveling in the opportunity to get what they call “real world experience,” but the truth is that this is much better than “real.” This is a place where teenagers rule the world.

Stowe Trading Company 1813 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-8050 Monday-Sunday, 9:30am-5:30pm 52

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Winter Surprises

Shopping & fun things to do in Central Vermont!

Morse Farm Whether you’re sharing the taste of Vermont with friends and family across the country or across the street, Morse Farm has a selection of the finest Vermont products in gift combinations for any budget. Stop by or shop online.

Salaam Boutique A fashion-savvy boutique on State Street, Montpelier, featuring our own locally-made Salaam Line, as well as a fantastic selection of clothing, jewelry, and accessories for women by your favorite brands, such as Citizens of Humanity, Free People, and Lucky Brand.

40 State Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-4300 www.salaamclothing.com

Sure, there’s the finest Vermont maple syrup you’ll ever taste, but there’s so much more to choose from. Looking for a corporate gift that makes an impression? Contact Morse Farm for a quote on Vermont Maple Syrup packaged with your company’s logo.

1168 Country Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 maple@morsefarm.com www.morsefarm.com

VersaPro Spray-On Tanning at Granite City Styles No headaches, no laying in a booth over and over. Book your space today for the VersaPro Spray Tanning. It hydrates the skin for longer lasting color. Only takes minutes to do, and very affordable! Plus you can customize your tanning. Only the legs, only the face … NO PROBLEM!!!

VersaPro is THE latest in tanning and you’re going to LOVE IT! Call Tanja today to book your space.

77 Main Street Barre, VT (802) 249-2269 Tanja (802) 479-2819 Granite City Styles

The Knitting Studio At The Knitting Studio, in lovely downtown Montpelier, our shelves are filled with gorgeous yarns in a multitude of colors. We carry brands such as Berroco, Cascade & Malabrigo, Vermont-made products, and a full selection of needles, hooks, notions, bags, buttons & more. Come get inspired to knit, crochet, weave, or felt something amazing!

112 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 229-2444 www.vtknits.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Tonewood Maple Tonewood, an artisanal maple purveyor, has created award-winning products like its Maple Cube and Maple Wafers, and most recently received the sofi GOLD award for Best Product Line at the NYC Fancy Food Show. The company jewel that could change some of the economics of sugaring in Vermont is Tonewood’s maple tree adoption program, a collaboration between Tonewood and maple producers in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. It provides financial support to family-owned Vermont sugar bushes and, through 1% for the Planet membership, funding for climate change research efforts at the University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center. Enter promo code: BCVTDEC for specials!

Mad River Valley, VT (855) 755-5434 www.tonewoodmaple.com

Vermont Farm Table Make it yours. Love it. Beat it up. Fill it with family and friends, then plan on passing it down. Custom tables and kitchenware that work just as hard as you do. Made-to-order here in Vermont.

Flagship Store: 206 College Street Burlington, VT (888) 425-8838 www.vermontfarmtable.com

L.L. Bean

Stowe Village Massage Stowe Village Massage offers exceptional bodywork by certified, professional massage therapists. We have an expanded treatment menu, including relaxation, deep tissue, aromatherapy, and couples massages, plus scrubs and wraps. Now offering private yoga sessions.

60-minute massages starting from $75. Gift certificates and packages available!

Located at 49 Depot Street, Stowe, VT (802) 253-6555 Book online at: www.stowevillagemassage.com info@stowevillagemassage.com Open daily from 9am-7pm

Burlington Town Center welcomes Vermont’s first L.L.Bean, adding to the mall’s mix of exclusive stores found nowhere else in the state. The 18,290-square-foot store will feature two levels showcasing an assortment of active and casual apparel and footwear and outdoor gear including hiking, fly-fishing, kayaking, and camping products. It will also include L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools, which will offer a wide variety of demonstrations, clinics, and introductory hands-on activities like kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, archery, and fly casting, all designed to make it as easy as possible for people to engage in outdoor activities for health, fitness, and recreation.

49 Church Street Burlington, VT (800) 441-5713 www.llbean.com/btc

by Elizabeth Hewitt Photos courtesy of Vermont College of Fine Arts and Jay Ericson

On an unseasonably warm autumn evening, students and faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts mingled at a lively reception that marked the opening of a gallery exhibition of student work. Away from the noise of the cocktail party inside, the co-chairs of the graphic design program chatted quietly to each other on the steps of College Hall, looking out across the expansive green.

“There’s an overt mission of nourishment and growth here,” said Ian Lynam, a graphic designer and writer who travels from his base in Tokyo to Montpelier several times a year to fulfill his duties as faculty co-chair. “At other design institutions, it’s just about becoming ‘excellent.’”

“Excellent,” it turns out, is an apt adjective for the young college. Just four years after the graphic design program enrolled its first students, Print Magazine ranked it among the top 11 programs in the country. And the high esteem is not limited to the discipline. Since 2008, when VCFA took over the historic Vermont College campus overlooking downtown Montpelier, it has risen to prominence as a pillar of advanced arts education in the United States.

“Some of the most important writers and artists in the country are coming through Montpelier on their way to shaping the culture,” says Tom Greene, president and founder of VCFA. “We’re growing at a time when other colleges are not.”

Educational Legacy Housed on a 31-acre hilltop campus that was once the site of a Civil War hospital, VCFA inherited a legacy of education extending back to 1834 when Newbury Seminary, the predecessor to Vermont College, opened its doors in Newbury, Vermont. The seminary, then known as Vermont Conference 56

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Vermont College of Fine Arts High Marks for a Young College

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This page: As part of the low residency program, students travel to the Montpelier campus for five residencies over two years of study. Photos pages 5758, courtesy of VCFA. Opposite page: Many students have professional backgrounds in their field before beginning their studies at VCFA. Photo by Jay Ericson.

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Seminary, moved to its Montpelier location in 1868. From seminary, to junior college, to Vermont College of Norwich University, the institution underwent several incarnations over the ensuing 140 years.

In 2006, when Vermont College faced closure, Greene, an alum of the writing MFA program and then a department head, began to rally the college community. He and Bill Kaplan, the college’s current senior vice president, raised $13.5 million to purchase the property and the college’s three nationally acclaimed MFA programs. The college launched

as VCFA in June 2008, offering advanced degrees in writing, writing for children and young adults, and visual art.

As VCFA expanded to include music composition, film, and graphic design MFA programs, it embraced the low-residency model that had been pioneered by Vermont College’s MFA writing program in 1981. The system works like this: over the course of two years, students do most of their work remotely with guidance from faculty advisers. Students and faculty come together on the Montpelier campus five

times over the course of the program for ten-day residencies, packed with lectures, workshops, and exhibits.

“In some ways it’s a very old-fashioned education. Think of young Melville writing to his hero Hawthorne,” Tom says, referring to the famous correspondence between the 19th century American authors.

Students enroll from all around the world, and come from all different backgrounds, whether they are young artists hoping to kick off their careers or mid-career professionals looking to further explore and refine their art. Likewise, the flexibility in VCFA’s schedule allows each department to assemble a diverse faculty made up of experts from around the world, many of them well-established artists and experienced www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Above, graphic design students display their work in the College Hall gallery. Below, Matthew Monk came to VCFA from RISD to launch the graphic design program. Photos by Jay Ericson.

educators at top institutions.

“This allows them to have a foothold in both worlds,” Tom says of the balance VCFA faculty members keep between their art and their teaching. “There’s an enormous benefit in exchanging ideas with other artists. It helps inform their own practice when they get home.”

A Community That Embraces Art For many, the sessions in Vermont are a reprieve from daily life where they are given the opportunity to focus exclusively on their art. In its quiet setting in the heart of central Vermont, the Montpelier campus is a special spot. “This is a community that embraces the arts,” says Tom. “There is something about central Vermont that 60

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is very attractive to people in the arts. They want to be here. They feel it’s a magical place.”

With its sweeping quad and configuration of historic brick buildings, the institution is a central fixture of the capital city. The grand and symmetrical College Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is among Montpelier’s most recognizable landmarks. VCFA is poised to undertake a $3.5 million renovation project intended to enhance the historic campus with the amenities and services of a contemporary art school. “We have this great old campus that has a real spirit to us,” Tom says. “When artists and writers are here they identify with it.”

Meanwhile, throughout the year, VCFA opens many of its events to the Montpelier community. Graphic designers display their thesis projects at a pop-up gallery space on Main Street, and the college frequently

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exhibits student and other work in its own gallery space. During film residencies, VCFA hosts screenings and discussions in the Savoy Theater. For writing residencies, the college invites high profile guest lecturers, who give public readings. Recent guests include film actor and director John Turturro and authors Cheryl Strayed and Richard Russo.

Building A Dream Team The college will further expand its academic range next year when it launches two new programs: an MFA in writing & publishing, and a Master of Arts in Teaching/Master of Arts in Art and Design Education program.

Within each new discipline, the college has the opportunity to build a new academic team from scratch, as Matt Monk discovered when he came on board as the founding faculty chair of the graphic design program.

“We told him, ‘We want you to put together your dream team,’” Tom recalls. “I realized it would be my only opportunity to build a program exactly as I wanted to,” says Matt.

He came to VCFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where he had been a professor for nearly two decades. When it came to assembling the graphic design faculty, he simply looked to designers and educators that he respected and wanted to work with. All of them agreed to come on board, and the team has continued to grow as many of them have also brought in contacts of their own.

Now the academic dean of VCFA, Matt believes that the aspect of the college’s experience that most sets it apart is its pedagogical model of student-centered learning.

Using the world-class faculty as a resource, each student is given the chance to tailor the curriculum to suit his or her particular goals and needs.

For information on Vermont College of Fine Arts advanced degree programs, or for listings of upcoming public events, visit vcfa.edu.

Vermont College of Fine Arts 36 College Street Montpelier, VT (802) 828-8600 62

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Graphic design students exhibit their independent work during residencies. Photo by Jay Ericson.

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by l is a densm o re b a l l a rd P h oto gr a p hs by L is a D ensm o r e B a l l a r d e xc ep t w her e n ot ed

...for the love of bears

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Sugarbush Resort supports local black bear habitat

T

Black bears are forest dwellers. They depend on trees for shelter, food, safety, and communication with other bears. Photos by Tom Rogers (opposite), Jack Ballard.

he ski patroller barged into the meeting room in the base lodge at Sugarbush Resort with the force of a winter blizzard. I feared someone in my ski program was hurt, but then I noticed she carried an open laptop. Her whirlwind was due to happy excitement, not slope-side emergency. In fact, the focus of her fluster had nothing to do with skiing.

“One moved!” she shouted to no one in particular. The din from 25 jabbering, coffeedrinking, lunch-munching women ceased.

“What moved?” asked a gal from the middle of the room.

“The mother!” the ski patroller said, turning her laptop screen toward the curious women. On the screen, a streaming video showed a denning black bear with three newborn cubs somewhere in Minnesota.

The reason why a patroller had burst into a room where a women’s ski clinic convened had nothing to do with the women or the clinic. She simply wanted to share the bears with someone. She had come to the right place. Within minutes, we had her laptop hooked up to a large wall-mounted television. The bear family mesmerized everyone in the room. The jabbering, coffee-drinking, and lunch-munching resumed, but conversation was now about the hibernating bears, perhaps because the video footage revealed one of the mysteries of our natural world: what really happens inside a bear’s den. It was live and we were witness to it. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Clockwise from top left: Black bears are the only wild bears in Vermont. Adult females (sows), weigh up to 180 pounds compared to this 400-pound male (boar). Photo by Lisa Ballard. A biologist with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife department rescues an orphaned cub. Photo by Tom Rogers. Skiers preparing for a mogul competition at Sugarbush Resort would never know if a bear hibernates nearby.

Photo by Mary “Bear” Simmons.

Mothers and cubs “It’s a miracle of physiology,” says Forrest Hammond, a biologist and black bear project leader for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

“Mother bears usually give birth at the end of January. The newborns are hairless at first and depend on their mother for heat and nourishment. The sows suckle their young and keep them warm though they’re not eating, urinating, or defecating for up to five months.”

Bear cubs remain with their mother for 16 months, which means they’ll den as a family for two winters. The first winter is the riskiest. If a sow is disturbed in her den and leaves for too long, her five-pound cubs will die from exposure.

Although the action on the screen was limited to a paw sliding an inch every few minutes, the cubs struck a chord with the skiers, perhaps because the young bears looked so unaware and vulnerable in their winter slumber.

“Next time you ride the Slide Brook chair, just think, you might be going over a den like this one,” said another woman in the room to everyone. “Aren’t bears there?”

“Oh yes,” the ski patroller affirmed.

“That’s how I got so interested in bears.”

The Connection During the mid-1990s, when Sugarbush Resort constructed the Slide Brook high-speed chair that connects Lincoln Peak to Mount Ellen, ensuring a low impact on the black bears in the area was a criteria of the permitting process. The ski area has three different permits governing Slide Brook. An “inter-tie” permit dictates when the chairlift can run (Thanksgiving to April 15), when the work roads can be used, and how emergency evacuation would work. A guide permit allows ski and snowshoe tours in the Slide Brook area in the winter, and a forest management permit allows the resort to actively manage the area for timbering.

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“We have two periods I call ‘No Go’ dates, April 15 to June 15, when the bears are waking up, and September to Thanksgiving when the bears are feeding,” says Margo Wade, Director of Planning and Regulatory Compliance for Sugarbush Resort. “No one is allowed in Slide Brook then.”

Bears and Beech Trees Fall is an especially popular time for bears to travel to Slide Brook. Of the 6,000 black bears in Vermont, no one knows exactly how many come there, but the area has proven a vital feeding ground for bruins as they bulk up for their winter slumber due to the abundance of American beech trees.

“We became aware of the importance of the area in the late 1980s when we first began an inventory of bears in the state,” says John Buck, a spokesperson for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, who lives near Sugarbush. John has been involved with Slide Brook since the resort first applied for a permit to install the chairlift.

“Beechnuts provide protein and fat,” explains John. “The bears gorge themselves to put on weight. It’s vital for them to have large fat reserves before hibernation. The bears go back there year after year. They have fidelity to the area and teach their young to go there—and not just the bears that live in the Sugarbush Basin.

Some travel large distances to feed there.”

Historically, black bears could be found anywhere with extensive forests. Today, the bruins travel to Slide Brook because they have limited alternatives. Regions to the west and www.bestofcentralvt.com

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A black bear gorges on berries in preparation for hibernation. Photo by Lisa Ballard. Bottom: A young bear captured for study by Vermont Fish & Wildlife biologists. Photo by Tom Rogers.

south have a wide variety of nut- and berryproducing plants, especially mast (nuts), but less so in central Vermont.

“Slide Brook is certainly good bear range,” says Forrest. “Even if it’s a poor food year, they always come back to den. Beech trees only produce well every other year. Cub production increases after a good food year. That’s one of the reasons why Slide Brook is important.”

The s ki resort recently renewed its forest management plan. During the process, it consulted with both Vermont Fish & Wildlife and Audubon Vermont to make sure it was doing the best it could for the bears, which in turn helps the other birds and animals that inhabit the Slide Brook area.

“The original plan said we couldn’t touch beech trees,” says Margo. “The new plan includes what we can cut or not. Our goal is to have a diverse forest with trees of multiple ages and species. We leave the nut-producing beech trees but also allow younger beeches to grow up. We can now cut diseased trees that are not producing nuts. It’s a sustainable forest. We’re thinking about regeneration.”

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Skiers and Bears During the winter, the odds of seeing a bear while riding the chair between Lincoln Peak and Mount Ellen are extremely low. That said, bears occasionally wander onto a ski trail in the spring. Late in the ski season, if a trail is roped off, even if it appears to still have good snow cover, it might be because a bear is about.

online extra Go to our website for more black bear photos and information about what to do in an encounter with a bear. www.bestofcentralvt.com

“Once in a while, we’ll see them on the slopes when they’re just out of hibernation,” says Margo. “We close the trail to give them space to do their spring thing.”

It’s unlikely that guests of the resort will see a bear, but they can see plenty of bear sign.

During ski and snowshoe tours into the Slide Brook area, guides point out claw marks on beech trees where bears have climbed them, and “bear nests,” piles of branches in the high crotches of beech trees where bears pull in branches laden with nuts to gorge on them.

“It’s a good thing that skiers aren’t seeing bears,” says John. “If they’re up in the winter, they burn excess energy, which weakens them, and that could jeopardize their survival.”

“An area like Slide Brook is not common, which is why it gets special attention,” John explains. “It’s vital bear habitat. Sugarbush has done an excellent job managing the area.

It’s not a hands-off preserve. It’s a place where humans co-exist in balance with wildlife.”

Sugarbush not only takes its land stewardship seriously, it creates opportunities for its guests through its bear care. “The burden of regulations is high but we’re willing to work through them for the good of both the resort and the wildlife,” Margo says. “It’s an opportunity to share with our guests a really cool aspect of the environment here. Skiing is great, but there are other things happening in the woods.”

FOR MORE INFO… Find out more about Slide Brook, and learn about tours of the area guided by a naturalist, at www.Sugarbush.com Learn more about bear conservation programs in Vermont through the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department at www.vtfishandwildlife.com To read more about the natural history of black bears and their interactions with people, check out Black Bears by Jack Ballard (Falcon Pocket Guides, 2013). www.JackBallard.com. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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by el iz a b e t h he w i t t bri gh t ide a s Ph oto gr a phs by Ly nn B o h a nn o n

Health Care Hubs on Main Street Montpelier Pharmacy &q Waterbury Pharmacy

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W

hen Montpelier Pharmacy’s, co-founder, Rich Harvie, talks about medical care, it’s easy to understand why, according to Gallup polling, pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals in America.

Between overextended doctors and medical practitioners and complicated insurance policies, it’s easy for important details to fall through the cracks in the medical system. That is where a pharmacist comes in. “It’s helping people, that’s the bottom line,” Rich says. “If people don’t understand their medicines, they can’t possibly take them correctly.”

Pharmacist-owned and pharmacist-run, Montpelier Pharmacy pushes the limits of what a drug store can provide.

Along with its sister locations in Waterbury and Brattleboro, it is a full-service health care hub on Main Street, where knowledgeable professionals are ready and eager to help patients begin healing.

Early Inspiration: the Drug Store Soda Fountain Rich’s interest in pharmacy piqued early in his childhood in Massachusetts. On Saturdays, he would sit at the soda fountain of an old-fashioned drug store and chat with the proprietor. That spark of curiosity ignited a passion that carried him through his education at the Massachu72

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

Opposite page: Montpelier Pharmacy displays antique apothecary items in the front window (top); co-owner and pharmacist Rich Harvie (bottom); this page: customers can easily meet with pharmacists at the low counter; in-store flu shots and vaccinations are convenient.

Simple But Remarkable

setts College of Pharmacy and led to an impressive career ranging from laboratory research to legislative advocacy at the Vermont state level to teaching crucial customer service skills to pharmacists-intraining.

In 1983, Rich and his family moved to Montpelier, a town that Rich had admired on fly fishing trips to the Winooski River during his youth. He found a job at Brooks Pharmacy, a New England chain with a location in the capitol city. With his in-depth knowledge of the health care system, he became a regular presence at the State House speaking to

legislators about issues from drugs covered

by Medicaid to disposal of opiates. Rite Aid’s 2006 acquisition of Brooks prompted Rich to reflect on whether he wanted to stay on working for a national chain. He realized it could be a good time to open his own store, and ran the idea past a colleague, Jocelyn DePaolis. She was in.

“It took literally five minutes for us to make the decision,” Rich recalls. Rich and Jocelyn found a location in September 2006, and undertook the Everest-sized pile of paperwork necessary to open at the beginning of the new year.

Rich and Jocelyn’s concept for Montpelier Pharmacy is remarkable in its simplicity: provide affordable, comprehensive care to patients. The prominent position of the long, low pharmacy counter is not architectural happenstance; it is part of Rich’s vision to gear their business towards providing clarity, knowledge, and, yes, medicines to customers. A half dozen pharmacists and technicians buzz behind the counter, keeping wait times short and maximizing personal relationships. There are no barriers or raised platforms. When a pharmacist comes to the counter, they are at eye level. The shelves are lined with a thorough range of over-thecounter medical stock.

“When you go in, one of our pharmacists will be within ten feet of you,” Rich says.

“We are right there to answer any questions you have.” www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Clockwise from top left: Waterbury Pharmacy was completely rebuilt after Tropical Storm Irene (left); the Waterbury store is large enough to carry all kinds of conveniences including toys (right); coowner Jocelyn DePaolis encourages customers to ask questions of their pharmacists (bottom).

Community Support Lines Up Business at the Montpelier shop picked up quickly. Members of the Montpelier community queued up to have their prescriptions filled at the new local pharmacy. “As soon as they opened, I transferred,” one Montpelier resident and regular customer says. “I support local people and local business.”

Rich and Jocelyn’s protest against the expansion of large chains earned them a lot of fans in Montpelier and beyond, among customers and other pharmacists. The response from Vermont communities was overwhelmingly positive, so they considered whether there was another community that might also benefit from having a local, independent pharmacy nearby. By the end of 2010, they had found those communities and opened two sister pharmacies, one in Brattleboro and one in Waterbury.

“The jump they had made from Brooks to open their own store was very popular with a lot of pharmacists around here,” says Tom McDonald, one of two pharmacists at Waterbury Pharmacy. “Everybody was rooting for them to make that jump and get out of chains.”

Information, Not Just Medication Without the management constraints of large chain businesses, independent pharmacies 74

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have the freedom to cater their service to the needs of each patient, whether that means checking in with somebody’s doctor about dosage or helping find a more affordable option.

“Pharmacy is not about me taking a drug off the shelf and giving it to somebody,” Tom

says. “In a lot of cases, patients have trouble getting all the information they need from their physicians and nurses, so they pop out of the other end of an appointment with a lot of questions that they didn’t get a chance to ask,” Tom says. “In some cases, pharma-

Tips from Pharmacists “When I hire a pharmacist one of the things I want to make sure is that they have good communication skills,” says Rich. Here, he and other pharmacists at Montpelier Pharmacy and Waterbury Pharmacy offer some tips on how customers can make the most of their neighborhood drug store.

“Ask questions. Write down your questions. Pick up the phone and call us,” Rich says. “Don’t be afraid to ask if there’s something less expensive, or if there’s something I can take once instead of twice. Don’t be afraid to say I have problems understanding this.”

“Definitely use one pharmacy,” Kim urges, noting that incomplete prescription records can cause confusion. “Use that pharmacy with consistency and they have everything that you take on record.”

“We can help increase vaccination rates and not necessarily increase the demand on a physician’s office,” says Tom. Montpelier and Waterbury Pharmacies regularly offer flu, shingles, and pneumococcal vaccines. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Montpelier Pharmacy has helped pioneer access to pharmacists and wellness programs. Their Medicines on Time program sorts out drugs by the day (or even by the hour) making it easy to follow.

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best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

cists can fill in the blanks. We talk about right drug, right time, right person.”

Tom’s colleague in Waterbury, Kim St. John, joined the team in 2010 after the closure of her uncle’s pharmacy, Vincent’s Drug and Variety, where she had worked for more than a decade. “It’s probably one of the most fulfilling parts of my job, seeing the same people. I see their kids grow up, and their grandkids,” Kim says. “They know that I’m going to watch out for them.”

Pioneering Solutions In the seven years since striking out on their own, Rich and his colleagues across the state have done a lot to try to bring more transparency and ease to Vermonters in the medical system. Take the Medicines on Time program available to customers of Montpelier Pharmacy. Instead of multiple bottles of different medicines, patients get a bubble sheet with drugs sorted out by the day, even by the hour, for a month.

Montpelier Pharmacy was one of the

pioneers, not just in Vermont, but across the country, in making shingles vaccines readily available. These days, all three pharmacies are equipped to administer a range of vaccines, and they stay especially busy at this time of year giving flu shots.

The pharmacies also make an effort to make their presence felt in the community. In both Waterbury and Montpelier, pharmacists have reached out to local schools to offer to teach workshops to young kids on proper use of prescription drugs, part of an effort to reduce opiate addition rates in Vermont.

Independent Pharmacies: Service & Customer Satisfaction Across the country, independent pharmacies account for about 40 percent of the market.

Meanwhile, in rural areas that don’t offer the kind of profits that attract big chains, that figure swells to 60 percent. Local drug stores like Montpelier Pharmacy are critical for keeping convenient and quality medical care accessible for small communities.

Rich hopes to expand the business further, working with local pharmacists to open new locations in some of the more remote corners of Vermont. “Independent pharmacies are strong and growing because we give way better service,” he says. “It’s not even close as far as customer satisfaction.”

Montpelier Pharmacy Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm Saturday, 8am-2pm; Sunday, 9am-12pm 69 Main Street, Montpelier (802) 223-4633 www.montpelierpharmacy.com

Waterbury Pharmacy Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm Saturday, 8am-2pm; Sunday, 9am-12pm 149 South Main Street, Waterbury (802) 244-7701 www.waterbury-pharmacy.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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in s to re

by m a ry gow

Ph otos co ur t e s y o f Insid e O u t G a l l ery

It’s Different It’s Refreshing It’s Fabulous It’s

INside Out Gallery

Question

What do a grand and divinely comfortable chair, a brilliant glass gonzo bird, and a set of Grecian column style candles have in common?

Hint

The chair, inspired by the pharoah’s treasure, is beautifully crafted from polished palmwood, Arabian bronze, and Italian leather. The bird is among the signature pieces of Glasstudio Borowski—a cutting edge contemporary art glass studio based in Germany.

The candles, elegant and clean burning, are made by a 145-year-old family company, famous for their superb quality.

Answer The chair, bird, candles, and dozens of other beautiful homewares, art, gifts, and furniture are among the carefully selected pieces available at the Inside Out Gallery in Stowe.

Enthusiasm for fine design is at the heart of the Inside Out Gallery. Since opening 19 years ago as the Sleeper House Gallery, its 78

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

From left: The bright sunroom at Inside Out is filled with light, showing selections in a gracious home-like setting.

Proprietors Don Rowe and Brad Highberger with Inside Out Gallery’s resident canine, Norfolk terrier Dani.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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From top: A “lucky bird” sculpture dusted with fresh snow sits in front of Inside Out, glowing on a winter evening. A pair of Navajo chairs from Pacific Green invite shoppers to take a break.

owners have been guided by their aesthetic sense and experience to select unusual and outstanding pieces to offer their customers.

Now, with its new name, greater visibility, and the addition of distinctive furniture and more outdoor décor, Inside Out is bringing its style to many new fans as well as to its longtime regulars.

“We have things you don’t see everywhere you go,” says Don Rowe, founder of Inside Out Gallery. “That makes us different. It’s refreshing for people. They come in and have fun. People go out of here saying, ‘This is fabulous.’”

“Our goal is to have the best quality and the best design in a broad spectrum of prices,” says Brad Highberger, the gallery’s co-owner.

Inside Out occupies an 1857 farmhouse at the village end of the Stowe Mountain Road.

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In the early 1990s, the building caught the eye of Don and Bernie Kuehn. From an original plan to renovate and rent it out, as they “retired” to Stowe, Don and Bernie decided instead to bring their personal expertise to

a new venture there. Bernie came from the New York City gallery business. Don was in the high-end wholesale gift business.

Besides its convenient location, the building they bought came with lots of

history, including a past life as a guesthouse. Two 1940s-era photographs of the inn and innkeeper Agnes Sleeper are on display in the store. Don and Bernie’s renovation of the building, preserving its classic lines and features but with gallery suited interior adaptations, earned them an award from the Stowe Historical Society. On Mother’s Day 1995, they opened the doors of The Sleeper Gallery, a moniker honoring the house’s history.

“We both had the same taste,” Don says of the vision he and Bernie brought to the business. They also shared a keen sense of style for homes and vacation homes in the region. “We’re in Vermont, not in Greenwich or Chicago. We take that into consideration,” he notes.

After Bernie passed away a decade ago, Brad joined Don in the gallery. Like the founders, Brad has design in his blood.

His early influences include his architect grandfather and his designer father, whose innovative 1950s office equipment design earned prestigious national awards. Brad began his own career just after college, when he started designing, carving, and selling scrimshaw in Alaska.

Staying true to the original vision of the store and its time tested success, Brad and Don have recently made a few changes— including giving the gallery a new name.

“Sleeper House was kind of a sleeper name. Many people thought we were a bed and breakfast or a bedding store,” says Brad. “We wanted the new name to have depth. The idea of the Inside Out Gallery is that creativity and design come from the inside out. It also fits really well as we’ve always had some outdoor accessories and garden things.”

Recent landscaping also opened the gallery to greater visibility. Evergreens that shaded the old front lawn were moved to the back. Fabulous stone walls and a stone patio transformed its streetscape. “People come in and say, ‘Oh! You’re new!’ But, no, we’ve been here 19 years,” says Don. “We tease them that we have the ‘You’re New Club.’” www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Above, a shopper peruses the main gallery of Inside Out. Right, contemporary and classic – the gallery offers fine selections of art, gifts, furniture, and lighting.

In seeking out superb pieces for their customers, Brad and Don started offering some furnishings. “We’re a gallery, we’re not a furniture store, the whole idea is to bring in stand-out unique, artistic, and comfortable designs,” says Brad. Pacific Green, an Australian based company known for its bold designs, superior construction, and sumptuous materials is finding many fans at Inside Out. From candles to oil paintings, art glass to perfect picnic bags, Inside Out offers an extraordinary selection, every line carefully chosen. Root Candles, with their beeswax blend, natural color palette, and elegant design have earned their reputation, craft82

best of central Vermont | winter 2014/2015

ing candles since 1869—the company’s founder, a beekeeper, was an early supporter of the Wright brothers’ aerial endeavors.

Noted Vermont artist Robin Nuce’s paintings

include some of Stowe’s landmark barns.

Glasstudio Borowski collections include fabulous outdoor wind vanes, witty glowing lamps, whimsical paperweights, and

more. Totes by Picnic at Ascot come with glasses, cheese boards, cutlery, and insulated compartments for taking a moveable feast or light bite to a concert or on a hike.

Along with the superb selection and the gallery owners’ charm and expertise, there’s a pint-sized attraction at Inside Out Gallery. Dani, Don’s Norfolk terrier is the resident canine. As Don and Brad greet shoppers, Dani is never far away. Don has had Norfolks for over three decades. Regulars at Inside Out remember Dickens and his kin. Dani, a distant cousin, now carries on that tradition.

Inside Out Gallery 299 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (802) 253-6945 www.InsideOutGalleryVT.com www.bestofcentralvt.com

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special advertising section

best of

Winter 2014-2015

Dining Guide

Central vermont

J. Morgans 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

ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT

Beyond the Menu

Red Hen Bakery and Café

Positive Pie

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. $–$$

Named in Zagat’s 2014 Best 50 Pizzas in 50 States. Positive Pie is the place for incredible entrées, pizzas, brews, and entertainment with family, friends, or that special date. Three convenient locations.

Live music on weekends. Gluten-free pie available. $–$$

Wood-fired grill featuring dry-aged, locally-sourced beef, pork, and poultry.

Casual tavern fare, classic steakhouse entrées, seafood and vegetarian options, innovative cocktail program, award-winning wine list, and weekly specials. $$

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

22 State Street, Montpelier 65–69 Main Street, Plainfield 87 South Main Street, Hardwick www.positivepie.com

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

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen A modern American pub where friends, families, tradesmen, and business people 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.” $$ 47 Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 www.cornerstonepk.com

Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar

Sarducci’s is a Mediterranean-style Italian restaurant serving central Vermont.

We strive to serve superb food with outstanding service in an informal ambience. We cater to families, special occasions, and travelers alike. Renowned by our community for great food at reasonable prices. $-$$ 3 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-0229 www.sarduccis.com

Guild Tavern

ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT

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 www.CortijoVT.com

Windjammer Restaurant Featuring American fare, vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as an extensive salad bar. Specialty cocktails, craft beers, and a Wine Spectator wine list complement both the restaurant and pub menus.

Supporting Vermont farms, producers, and businesses since 1977. $–$$ 1076 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 862-6585 www.windjammerrestaurant.com

Beyond the Menu

Prohibition Pig Located in Waterbury, Vermont’s food and beverage crossroads, we feature New England’s largest & best curated selection of craft beer, proper cocktails, and eclectic wines with a full menu featuring barbecue, vegetarian, and cozy American fare. $–$$ 23 South Main Street Waterbury, VT (802) 244-4120 www.prohibitionpig.com

Pascolo Ristorante

Serving handmade Italian cuisine, featuring fresh pastas, wood-fired pizza, house salumi, Northeast seafood, and homemade gelato sundaes. An exciting Italian wine menu complements the casual fare, celebrating everything from the subtle and complex wines of Piemonte to the bold beauties of Italy’s Southern regions. $–$$ 83 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1613 www.pascolovt.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 www.farmhousetg.com

winter calendar spring 2014 A r t s calendar & Enter tainment

2014/2015

montpelier alive

SATURDAYS, DECEMBER 6, 13 & 20, 11AM-3PM

www.MontpelierAlive.org

Free Wagon Rides

with Paul Ruta of Black Horse Farm. Departs from the corner of State & Main. First come, first served; dress for the weather.

December 31

New Year’s Eve

Family fun in downtown Montpelier on the last night of the year.

Check Montpelier Alive Facebook for details.

Arts & Entertainment is sponsored by

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winter calendar

2014/2015

spring calendar 2014 Arts & Enter tainment

helen day art center December 5-28 Gallery Hours: Wed-Sun, 12-5pm

Members Show and Festival of Trees & Light

Over 100 artists are hung salon-style throughout the galleries. Features 11 holiday trees decorated by community members along with Menorahs on display from members of the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (JCOGS).

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1 pm

Family Day - Festival of Trees and Light

Create holiday decorations, play dreidel games, and decorate gingerbread houses. Enjoy the sounds of Javier Bustamante on guitar.

January 16-April 12

Play - Opening Reception: January 16, 6pm An exhibition on the theme of play with interactive artwork from regional and national artists.

January 16-February 22

David Powell & Peter Thomashow

A two-person exhibition of sculpture and collage.

Opening Reception: January 16, 6pm

90 Pond Street, Stowe • (802) 253-8358 www.HelenDay.com Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5pm

Barre Opera House 6 North Main Street, Barre (802) 476-8188 www.BarreOperaHouse.org

December 12, 7:30pm

Holiday Pops

Vermont Symphony Orchestra

February 7, 7:30pm

Shelby Lynne

Best New Artist Grammy winner and New Female Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards swings from country to blues, with some soul, rock, and jazz thrown in.

February 14, 7:30pm

FullSet

A stunning, unique sound full of energy and innovation while also remaining true to its members’ traditional roots. Plus a student matinee and instrument workshop on February 13. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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winter calendar spring 2014 A r t s calendar & Enter tainment

2014/2015

Spruce Peak Performing Arts December 13, 7pm

An Irish Christmas in America December 20, 7:30pm

The Heliand Consort

February 7, 7:30pm

The Woods Tea Co. February 14, 7:30pm

December 27, 7pm

More: Celebrating with the Blue Gardenias

December 28, January 2 and 18, 7pm

February 19, 7pm

Film: Warren Miller’s No Turning Back (2014)

Film: Grazing the Sky (2014)

January 3, 7:30pm

February 21, 7pm

Ruckus – A Cirque Spectacular

Maple Jam, Sweet Vermont A Cappella Jazz January 17, 7:30pm

Chad Hollister Band January 31

Swan Lake, by Rudolf Nureyev State Ballet Theatre of Russia

Film: The Tempest (2014) February 28, 7:30pm

Puttin’ On the Ritz with the Onion River Jazz Band

online extra Want more information about events in Central Vermont? Visit our website for events in our area. www.bestofcentralvt.com 90 best bestof ofcentral centralVermont Vermont | Sprng2014/2015 2013 90 | winter

Central Vermont best of

advertisers index 1 800 GOT JUNK.......................................................35 4orty Bridge Boutique.............................................. 3

Nelson’s Hardware....................................................67

All Smiles......................................................................52

Noyle Johnson Insurance........................................12

Almost Home Dog Rescue & Rehab................. 69

Orchard Valley Waldorf School.......................... 90

Artisan’s Gallery........................................................ 45

Pascolo Restorante.................................................. 86

Artisans Hand............................................................ 90

Peregrine Construction...........................................23

Barre Tile......................................................................83

Positive Pie..................................................................85

Beavin and Sons....................................................... 69

Prohibition Pig.................................................. 51 & 86

Ben and Jerry’s..........................................................75

Red Hen Bakery and Café......................................85

Bisbee’s Hardware.....................................................81

Round Barn Inn............................................................11

Blodgett’s Bath Showplace......Inside Back Cover

Saint Michael’s College...........................................35

Bouchard Pierce.......................................................... 7 Broadleaf Landscape Architecture....................36 Burlington Marble and Granite............................... 9 Burlington Town Market..........................................17 Capitol Copy...............................................................33 Central Vermont Medical Center.........................87 Co Op Insurance........................................................26 Cody Chevrolet..........................................................77 Coldwell Banker/Classic Homes........Back Cover Copy World................................................................ 43 Cornerstone Restaurant and Pub.......................85 db design.....................................................................25 Delair’s Carpet Barn.................................................75 East Warren Community Market..........................81 El Corjito...................................................................... 86 Farmhouse Tap and Grill....................................... 86 Fresh Tracks Winery.................................................12

Stowe, VT (802) 760-4634 • www.sprucepeakarts.org

Morse Farm................................................................. 54

Salaam Boutique...................................................... 54 Sarducci Restaurant and Bar................................85 Smuggler’s Notch Distillery.................................. 46 South End Kitchen....................................................52 Stowe Association.....................................................61 Stowe Mountain Road Association..............20-21 Stowe Realty................................................................13 Stowe Street Emporium........................................ 45 Stowe Village Massage...........................................55 Sugarbush Resort.....................................................87 Sundara Day Spa.......................................................83 The Automaster........................................................... 2 The Carriage Shed................................................... 69 The Cushman Design Group.................................62 The Knitting Studio................................................. 54 Timothy Grannis Jewelry Design.........................81

Glassworks........................Inside Front Cover & 88

Tonewood Maple.......................................................55

Guild Tavern................................................................85

UVM Medical Center................................................27

H.E. Shaw.......................................................................19

Vermont Bed Store..................................................... 6

Hannoush Jewelers...................................................62

Vermont College of Fine Arts..............................33

J. Morgans Steakhouse.......................................... 84

Vermont Farm Table................................................55

Lake Champlain Chocolates..................................51

Vermont Frame Game............................................ 43

Liebling............................................................................ 1

VersaPro Tanning .................................................... 54

LL Bean.........................................................................55

Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture....29

Mayo Health Center..................................................67

West Branch Gallery................................................25

McKernon Group........................................................15

Williams Reavis Realty............................................63

Mid State Dodge.........................................................4

Windjammer Restaurant....................................... 86

Montpelier Pharmacy..............................................53

Winterfell........................................................................ 5

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 295-5295 or email coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. www.bestofcentralvt.com

91

cen t r a l v erm o n t ch at w i t h Gov ern o r Jim D o u gl a s

by Ni co l a Smi t h

Jim Douglas left office in 2011 after serving four terms as governor of Vermont.

Raised in Massachusetts, he attended Middlebury College and graduated in 1972.

He first ran for Vermont state office that year and won a seat in the House representing Middlebury. In all, he spent 35 years in Vermont politics, as a representative and then as Majority Leader, Secretary of State, and Treasurer before running for governor in 2002.

Douglas is back now at Middlebury, teaching a political science class on Vermont government and politics. In 2010 President Obama appointed him co-chair of the Council of Governors. He’s out now with a new book, The Vermont Way (Common Ground Communications), that is part autobiography, part political memoir, and part prescription for how to make government function better. He lives in Middlebury with Dorothy Douglas, his wife of nearly 40 years, and describes himself as busier than he’s ever been.

What is The Vermont Way? I felt there was a broader theme that we’re more civil than Washington, obviously, and other places; maybe it represents a way of governance that’s broader than the environmental concerns that prompted the phrase initially. We’re better than most places, but not as good as we used to be. I remember going as a freshman [representative] 41 years ago and not knowing which parties people belonged to. There weren’t the partisan issues, and the atmosphere is less congenial today. I look at votes in the Vermont House and they’re virtually all along party lines; the Senate, not so much. It’s not as satisfying as it was, but it’s not like the stasis in Congress.

Do you miss politics? Do you miss governing?

I’m asked that often. I guess the answer is, yes and no. I cared about the state; I wanted to make a contribution. [Former governor Madeleine] Kunin wrote that giving up power voluntarily is not a natural instinct, but it’s important to do. I thought it was important to leave when I didn’t have to, and I’m comfortable with that decision.

What are the biggest challenges facing the state?

Principally, demographics. Policy decisions can be worked out, priorities will be set, and budgets balanced, and decisions made. But if we don’t have human capital, and people to fill a work force, then we’re in trouble. [Vermont’s] birth rate is almost the lowest in America, the work force continues to shrink, we’re the second oldest state by median age. We just don’t have that cohort of working families to populate the state for the future. If this were an affordable place to live, more people would choose to do so. It’s not, and quality of life only goes so far.

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What can Vermont teach the country, despite its small size?

We’re the only state in America that absorbs more carbon dioxide than we emit. We do pretty well, compared to other places, on a bi-partisan basis in protecting the natural beauty of Vermont. We’re fiscally responsible; we’re not required to balance a budget but we always do.

We’re quite transparent. The statehouse doesn’t have metal detectors and legislators don’t have private offices. That kind of accessibility is something, I think, to treasure. I wish that our lesson of civility were more powerful but it’s still worth something. It suggests that, in the end, we do the people’s business and move on.

In the book, you wax lyrical about your love of coffee—can’t live without it.

I reminded my wife that I could be addicted to something worse and more expensive. Give me some space here.

The Vermont Way by Jim Douglas, published by Common Ground Communications, can be ordered through: www.thevermontway.us

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

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 59 Hanover, NH