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Growin’ lip hair The Logger goes retro and gets razzmatazzed with a new winter mustache.
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February 12, 2011
Sweet Honor
Women of ‘True Grit’ From Anne Story to Mattie Ross By Lou Varricchio newmarketpress@denpubs.com Tough, gun-toting frontier women have audience appeal these days. Maybe it’s because they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their men to clear the land and homestead the American wilderness. They endured cold winters, swarms of locusts, clouds of mosquitoes, hot summers, Indian attacks, gave birth to babies, and instructed a new civilization in the ways of textbooks and table manners. Vermont’s most famous pioneer woman, Anne Story — who built a cabin and defended her family near today’s Salisbury-Middlebury town line — became a trailblazing icon for women as
Nancy Williams the American frontier moved west during the 19th century. Frontier historian and author Nancy Williams loves women with true grit like Anne Story — even though Story was an Easterner on the northern frontier. Story moved to Vermont from Connecticut via oxcart in 1774. Pioneering females of the old west owe a nod to
Story and other dames who struggled on the colonial frontier, she said. Williams is the winner of the Paul Gillette Award in the 2009 Pikes Peak Writers’ competition for her frontier novel “Grace.” “Hawkmoon,” another frontier work, is her first published novel; it was a finalist for the Colorado Humanities 2010 Book Award. Williams is interested in the historical authenticity of women on the frontier. At the moment, she is interested in the new film remake of the 1969 John Wayne classic, “True Grit.” While Williams said the depiction of its strong teenaged female character, Mattie Ross, is wonderful, “It’s not completely true to history.” Williams said her problem with the character of 14year-old Ross, as played by
See TRUE GRIT, page 7
Towns target diesel-truck idling By Lou Varricchio newmarketpress@denpubs.com MIDDLEBURY — Many Vermont municipalities are on board when it comes to reducing diesel-truck idling. Diesel trucks—from private heavy duty pickups to commercial big rigs—can be found, especially on cold winter days, idling at homes, in supermarket parking lots, at
Dakin Farm’s Sam Cutting IV Vermont Maple Person of the Year
Cutting wins Vermont maple industry award By Lou Varricchio newmarketpress@denpubs.com FERRISBURGH — Ferrisburgh businessman Sam Cutting IV, president of Dakin Farm, was honored by Vermont’s maple industry last week. He was recognized for both his leadership in Vermont’s maple business and for his personal contributions to Operation Vermont Maple Sweetness. Cutting received the 2010 Maple Person
of the Year Award by the Vermont Maple Industry Council. The council protects and promotes the Vermont Maple brand. It announces the winner of the award each year in late January at the annual farm show in Barre. The award is made to an individual who has made significant contributions to the state’s maple industry. “I’ve presented these awards at the farm show before, but I didn’t know I was in the running,” Cutting said.
See MAPLE, page 7
convenient stores, rest areas, and elsewhere around the state. While most diesel-exhaust studies have focused on congested urban areas—not open rural areas—there remains serious medical concerns about the long-term health effects of exposure to fumes. The Clean Air Task Force has claimed that respiratory problems caused by diesel exhaust will cost
See DIESEL, page 12
Record number of skiers ‘lost’ this year By Lou Varricchio newmarketpress@denpubs.com RUTLAND — The Vermont State Police in Rutland have reported a record number of “lost” skiers at Vermont ski resorts and backcountry ski areas since December. Heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions have added to the problem of skiers losing their ways on area mountain slopes. Luckily, there have been no fatalities on local ski trails to date.
On Jan. 31, at 1:32 p.m., the VSP Search and Rescue at Killington finally located Gustavo Oascar Iriarte, 45, of Lyndhurst, N.J. Iriarter, one of eight skiers reported missing and later found within the past week, was found in Mendon near Brewers Corner. The skier, suffering from some exposure, was found on a snowmobile trail. He had been missing approximately 12 hours. Iriarte reported that he had suffered from cold hands and toes. He was
transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center for medical evaluation. The Vermont State Police remind citizens and visitors to ski and ride with care. Killington Resort offered the following reminders for skiers and riders: Ski and snowboard only on open, designated trails, slopes, freestyle and tree skiing areas. Never ski or snowboard alone. Woods and backcountry areas beyond open and designated trails are not maintained or checked by ski area personnel.
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