Woodstock Magazine - Winter 2022

By Lisa Ballard

By Stephen D’Agostino

Photography by Kelley Ruch/Union Arena.

Mountain View Publishing, LLC 135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 867-9339 www.greateruppervalley.com

Publishers Bob Frisch Cheryl Frisch

Executive Editor Deborah Thompson Associate Editor Kristy Erickson

Creative Director Ellen Klempner-Beguin

Art Director Brad Wuorinen Ad Design Melanie Marston

Web Design Locable Inbound Marketing Manager Erin Frisch

Advertising Bob Frisch

KEEP US POSTED. Woodstock Magazine wants to hear from readers. Correspondence may be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Woodstock Magazine, 135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755. Or email us at: dthompson@mountainviewpublishing .com. Advertising inquiries may be made by email to rcfrisch1@comcast .net. Woodstock Magazine is published quarterly by Mountain View Publishing, LLC ©2022–2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Woodstock Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

It seems like before we know it, summer and fall are behind us and the year is almost over. While winter is here, make the most of it before it slips by. Try adding a new activity to your calendar each week, just for fun. Visit local shops for holiday gifts, browse an art gallery, or meet friends for an evening on the town. If you prefer the outdoors, bring out the snowshoes or the Nordic skis and head for the nearest trail—or blaze your own.

You may want to spend the day skiing the local slopes, but before you do, join us for a fond look back at Mount Tom (page 40) and read about the renaming of Suicide Six, now Saskadena Six (page 44). The Woodstock area is rich in history and tradition. You may also want to take to the ice at Union Arena (page 64), which offers many fun opportunities for all ages.

Clay Hillgrove of Woodstock Beverage is sharing some favorite wine picks for celebrating the holidays (page 34), and Susan Nye lets us in on tips and recipes for hosting an open house (page 70). Keep it simple so you can enjoy the party too. If you’re looking for an extra-special treat, drop in at Farmer & the Bell in Quechee on Saturday morning for freshly made crullers (page 54).

The rest of the staff and I wish you the best of winter and a joyful holiday season. Enjoy!

Deborah Thompson Executive Editor

dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com

LIKEUS

www.greateruppervalley.com/facebook

Anne Richter Arnold

Anne is a writer and journalist who shares her passion for wine through her blog, tasting events, and educational classes. She is also working on her first novel, a psychological thriller set in New Hampshire. In her free time, she enjoys world travel, playing the piano, hiking, kayaking, and creating wonderful meals to pair with wine. She makes her home on the Seacoast with her husband, dogs, cats, and chickens.

A full-time freelance writer and photographer, Lisa is a graduate of Dartmouth College who resided in the Upper Valley for another 25 years. She is the author of 10 books, including Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire and Vermont, Hiking the White Mountains, and Hiking the Green Mountains. She covers all types of outdoor recreation, travel, and conservation topics for more than 25 magazines.

www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com

Pamela has been a journalist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group for 20 years, covering a wide spectrum of subjects, and has a monthly food column in Connecticut Magazine. When she steps away from the computer, Pamela enjoys vacationing in Woodstock, playing tennis, gardening, reading, and spending time with her beautiful daughter, Alexis, and adorable mini Goldendoodle, Rafa.

Pamela Brown

Stephen is a freelance writer living in Reading, Vermont. His work has appeared in local publications in Boston and New York City, museum catalogs, Night Sky magazine, and weekly inthe Vermont Standard. He’s always writing a novel and is working with an agent to get his first book published. When he’s not writing, he’s knitting, gardening, baking, or struggling with his ukulele.

A corporate dropout, Susan left a 20-year career in internation al sales and marketing for the fun, flexibility, and fear of selfemployment. She is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, and cook. Her blog Around the Table (www.susannye.wordpress.com) is filled with her favorite recipes and stories about family and friendship. When she’s not writing or cooking, Susan is skiing or snowshoeing near her New Hampshire home.

Susan Nye

Lisa Ballard

Stephen D’Agostino

Check out these local businesses in our directory.

ANNEMARIE SCHMIDT EUROPEAN

FACE AND BODY STUDIO

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DR. NEELY–HANOVER ORTHODONTICS

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JEFF WILMOT PAINTING & WALLPAPERING, INC.

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KING ARTHUR BAKING COMPANY

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LEDYARD BANK

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MARTHA E. DIEBOLD REAL ESTATE

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MOUNTAIN VALLEY TREATMENT CENTER

MVP MARINE

N.T. FERRO ESTATE AND CUSTOM JEWELERS

REVELS NORTH

RICHARD ELECTRIC

RIVER ROAD VETERINARY CLINIC RODD ROOFING

ROGER A. PHILLIPS, DMD

THE DORR MILL STORE

THE GRANITE GROUP, THE ULTIMATE BATH STORE

THE HANOVER INN AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

THE JACKSON HOUSE INN

TUCKERBOX

WHITE RIVER FAMILY EYECARE WISE

WOODSTOCK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT

YANKEE BARN HOMES

For more information about how your business can get listed on our ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY or for other online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

By Cassie Horner

Wassail Weekend

Attending Wassail Weekend in Woodstock has become a tradition for many people from near and far. It’s a joyous time to come together in fun and festive events including music, singing, a gingerbread house contest, a scavenger hunt, and of course, the parade in the village at 2pm. on Saturday. Billings Farm & Museum plans a fun-filled weekend. This year, the activities run Friday, December 9 through Sunday, December 11.

A popular attraction is the handsome team of Belgian horses owned by the Warren family of Alstead, New Hampshire. The horses Jake and Rudy pull a beautiful classic wagon that holds up to 10 people. There will be wagon rides available on Friday afternoon from 12:30 to 3pm, Saturday from 9:30am to 1pm, and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. The suggested donation is $10.

Adult wassail will be served on the Green on Saturday from 11am to 3pm. There will also be some food vendors, including Knotty Coffee operated by Steven and Hayley Bauer of Woodstock. Women of the Woods, also based in Woodstock, returns this year with its great food.

Jake and Rudy offer valet service at the Woodstock Inn & Resort.

The parade is sponsored by the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and High Horses Therapeutic Riding of Sharon, Vermont. Santa will be a muchanticipated guest of the afternoon.

Pentangle Arts is expanding its Wassail Weekend offerings this year with extra shows. Pentangle kicks off the weekend a day early on Thursday evening with Còig, one of Atlantic Canada’s most exciting Celtic traditional groups made up of four accomplished multiinstrumentalists. With the fiery Celtic high-energy style as its musical core, Còig easily shifts between century-old tunes of past generations to original and upbeat compositions. Prydein, an American Celtic rock group featuring bagpipes, will perform on Friday evening. On Saturday, Sweet Honey in the Rock— the iconic, women-led African American vocal ensemble—will perform.

On Sunday, kids with enjoy the chance to have cookies with Santa on

Dartmouth students from Peru, Spain, and Mexico enjoy the festivities.

It’s a festive weekend in beautiful Woodstock.

the stage of the Town Hall Theatre. Also on that day, No Strings Marionettes will present A Christmas Carol. For ticket information, visit pentanglearts.org.

These events and many more will create a joyous weekend. For more details and a schedule of activities, visit wood stockvt.com.

The Town Crier makes an appearance at Wassail Weekend.

Above: Demonstration of how a bear marks a tree.

Left: Snowshoe trek in Chateauguay.

Expert Wildlife Tracker John

Barnes

Walking or snowshoeing in a snowy field or on a wooded trail is one of the wonders of living in Vermont. Part of the experience is figuring out which creatures made the tracks we see on our winter trek. Fox, coyote, vole, porcupine? How do we narrow down the choices? One fun and engaging option is to hire expert tracker and outdoorsman John Barnes. A longtime resident of Barnard, Vermont, he will take individuals and groups to the site of their choice for an hours-long exploration.

“When I was very young, the man who raised me, Mr. Wilford Cobb, bought and sold raw furs,” John says. “When he was young, he was a trapper. He showed me a lot then I went on to figure things about animals on my own. It was a wonderful learning experience for me. I trapped from about the age of five into my 40s. I also learned about animals from hunting. To become a good hunter or trapper, one has to learn the animals’ habits. People often ask me what type of animals live on their land. Animals leave lots of signs, not just tracks, year-round. There are hundreds of things a trained eye can see if you know what to look for.”

John teaches people how to develop an awareness of what is going on in the outdoors. “I like to leave them with the impression that there is an animal behind every tree,” he observes. “I want them to realize that animals are very quiet. If you sit for an extended period of time, an animal will show up, especially if you are off the beaten trail. I do nighttime tours and am so used to where and how animals

John Barnes and Willow with their catch.

travel that I can find tracks without a flashlight.”

Winter tracks range from voles, mice, deer, and fishers to coyote, moose, and gray and red fox. “Every animal that lives in an area will leave signs of its passing,” John says.

For a personal exploration of a person’s property, John studies a topographical map of that area and selects spots for the tour. For a general trek, he is familiar with a variety of places, including the 55,000 lightly settled acres known as Chauteauguay in Barnard and Bridgewater.

“Most people like a four-to-six-hour trip,” John says. “Occasionally a hard case like myself wants to go for eight hours! I ask people upfront and tailor the tour to slightly less, to allow for the

hills and rough terrain.” Options include snowshoes or cross-country ski adventures. He suggests people bring snacks. He brings some fruit for quick energy recharging. If people request it, he will build a campfire at lunchtime.

“It’s fun,” John says of the tours. “I love taking people out. I’m a mason/ contractor by trade so the guide service is not full-time. I love showing people stuff. I’m a wild teacher. I get everyone interested in tracks. Sometimes I do a quiz asking people to decide which of several sets of tracks came first. It’s amazing to see 32 people on their hands and knees looking at tracks. I help people think about animals and the environment we all share.”

John does other guide activities in cluding bass fishing trips or perhaps

fly-fishing on some beaver ponds for trout. For more information and to ar range a tour, call (802) 234-5219. He requests a few days’ to a week’s notice to prepare for weather conditions and other details.

“I like to leave them with the impression that there is an animal behind every tree.”

—

John Barnes

A hut-to-hut ski trek at Maine Huts & Trails.

Restoring the Academy’s Windows

Just off Route 106 in South Woodstock is a magnificent three-story white building that draws the eye with wonder. Built in 1848, it served as the home of the Green Mountain Perkins Academy until 1898. Thanks to the dedication of the GMPA and Historical Association members and board, this landmark is preserved for future generations.

Among the academy’s remarkable features are its 44 windows. It is easy

to picture the large classrooms with crowds of students relying on the natural light to study in the days before electricity. Along with the beauty of the windows comes the practical reality of maintaining them. That process of renovation started four years ago, and funding continues to keep pace with restoring about five or six each year.

“It was imperative that we restore the windows,” says Mary McCuaig, president of the Green Mountain Perkins

Academy board. “There wasn’t much holding the glass in place. The finished windows are beautiful, and the ‘look’ is 19th century since all the glass is either original or from that time period.”

Charlie Gilley, a painter and longtime resident of South Woodstock, works on the restoration in company with Radek Marzec. The process is painstaking, beginning with the removal of a window sash that is replaced with plywood painted to resemble the window, including the shades. “People driving by can’t tell there is no window,” he explains. He takes the window to his shop and puts it in a steam box that softens the glazing so he can remove it. After that, he removes all of the glass.

Clockwise from left: Charlie Gilley at work. Glass used to restore the windows is either original or from the time period. Photos by Mary McCuaig.

“These are the original windows of the academy,” Charlie says. “Some of the pieces of glass have students’ names written on them in beautiful handwriting.” Some of the glass was replaced over the years, “so I sepa rate out the modern glass that has no character. Old glass has bubbles and waves and multiple imperfections. It also tends to have a color, usually a green cast, that is not in modern glass.” Fortunately, he was able to salvage the old glass from the re stored village schoolhouse so he can replace the modern glass.

Before reaching that replacement stage, the windows are returned to the steam box to remove the paint. The windows are then sealed with a mix of turpentine and linseed oil and sprayed with a coat of oil-based primer. Next, the glass is set in caulk and the windows are glazed with a vegetable-based compound in a slow, careful process and then painted. A major goal is to weatherproof the windows to a high degree.

“There is an awful lot of labor involved,” Charlie says. “We handle the windows so many times. But the finished product is worthwhile. Windows and doors play a big part in the details of the architecture.”

“We are still looking for more funding and welcome people who would like to ‘buy’ a window for $1,000 and receive a plaque with their name on it to be placed by a restored window,” Mary says. “The actual cost was about $1,400 per window even with Charlie putting in some volunteer time. He is also on our board of directors. We have done all of the windows on the south side (10) and six on the front but none on the back and the north sides.”

For more information about the academy and the windows project, call (802) 457-3779 or visit green mountainperkinsacademy.org.

Keep Pets Safe This Winter

The cold weather is settling in, and our furry friends are just as cold, if not colder, than we are. From avoiding ice-melting products to caring for chapped paws, here are some tips from the ASPCA on how to keep your pets safe, happy, and healthy throughout the winter months.

If it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet. Pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, injured, or even killed from being left outdoors in the cold. Keep pets inside where they can stay cozy and safe.

After each walk, wash and dry your pet’s feet and stomach. While on a walk, your pet may step in ice, salt, and chemicals, which can be very painful. Regularly check for cracks in paws or redness between the toes. Massage petroleum jelly into your pet’s paw pads before going outside to help protect them.

Never shave your dog down to their skin during winter. Longer coats provide more warmth. If your dog is long-haired, just trim them to minimize clinging ice balls, salt crystals, and deicing chemicals.

Feed your pet a little extra in the winter months. Our pets work harder to stay warm in the winter and therefore burn more energy. Feeding them a bit extra can provide much-needed calories.

Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially dur ing a snowstorm. Dogs can lose their scent in the snow and easily become lost.

For more tips and information, visit aspca.org.

It’s no surprise that a constant influx of bad news—shootings, inflation, the pandemic, natural disasters, and more—negatively affects mental health. A new study from Spain confirms the negative toll that constantly being plugged into the news cycle can take, and researchers found that one of the most effective methods for managing feelings of depression and anxiety was to take breaks from watching the news. Experts note that there’s an endless availability of information, so it’s important to put the brakes on it every now and then.

Bring on the Squash

may be all about pumpkins, but winter is the time to explore other cold-weather squash varieties. All winter squash is rich in vitamins A and C, antioxidants, fiber, and potassium. Butternut squash is packed with vitamin A, boasting more than 400 percent of the recommended daily value per cup. It’s delicious roasted or added to soups. A short variety with green skin, buttercup squash is sweet and creamy and a great source of magnesium. Honeynut squash, which looks like a baby version of butternut, provides a sweeter flavor than butternut and cooks quickly thanks to its smaller size. Halved acorn squash provides a perfect bowl—roast it and then stuff with wild rice or your favorite grains. The skin is edible, making it an excellent source of fiber.

Fall

Did You Know?

Cross-country skiing is one of the very best cardiovascular activities. It provides a fullbody workout, improves cardio endurance and health, and it’s highly functional, meaning that you’re training your body to move in a way that makes you more capable in your regular daily movements. Check out the Nordic Center at the Woodstock Inn & Resort, which offers more than 45 kilometers of trails for cross-country skiers of all levels plus lessons, tours, and rentals. Visit woodstockinn.com for more information.

A Double Win

It turns out that many of the lifestyle behaviors that help prevent breast cancer in women can also help them avoid heart disease. While some risk factors, like age and family history, can’t be changed, there are several things women can do to lower their risk for both conditions, according to the American Heart Association.

1. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains over refined grains, avoid processed meat, and limit added sugar.

2. Maintain a healthy weight.

3. Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking.

4. Beware of booze—those who drink alcohol should drink in moderation (no more than one drink per day for women) and those who do not drink shouldn’t start.

5. Get screened. Knowing if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes can help prevent cardiovascular conditions, and regular mammograms can help detect breast cancer early.

Be Prepared!

Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. It should include:

•A portable cell phone charger.

•Items to stay warm, such as extra hats, coats, mittens, and blankets.

•Food and water.

•Booster cables, flares, a tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter for traction.

•A flashlight and extra batteries.

•A first-aid kit.

Multivitamins May Preserve Brain Health

Adaily multivitamin may help prevent a decline in thinking skills as we age, suggests a study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. In a trial of more than 2,200 men and women aged 65 and older, taking a multi for three years was associated with better cognition, executive function, and memory. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia affect more than 46 million people worldwide. There are several things we know for sure can help protect our brain, including an antioxidant-rich diet, regular exercise, social activities, and seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Even slight deficiencies in some micronutrients affect our thinking, making a daily multi a worthwhile complement to a healthy diet.

By Anne Richter Arnold

With this holiday season appearing to be the most “back-to-normal” one in a few years, festive holiday celebrations with friends and family are back on the schedule. Special holiday events require special wines. At Woodstock Beverage, owner Clay Hillgrove has stocked the shelves with an abundance of wines perfect to help celebrate the holidays in style.

As a boutique wine shop, Woodstock Beverage offers a curated selection of wines for all wine lovers. After transforming the business from a discount wine and liquor store to an upscale wine boutique with a state liquor store attached, Clay has a regular clientele of wine enthusiasts who appreciate the range of quality wines not often found outside of large metropolitan areas.

Woodstock Beverage’s staff offers personal service and wine recommendations to guide everyone from novices to connoisseurs. Clay is always searching for exceptional wines of quality in a range of price points and tries to bring in wines from smaller producers or from up-and-coming wine regions to bring a wider selection to his clientele.

Wine, especially as part of a festive meal, enhances the experience and creates memories that last long beyond the holiday season. This year, Clay offers the following suggestions for holiday wines.

SPARKLING WINES

Whether you are celebrating with family or friends or looking for a perfect gift to indulge a loved one, nothing evokes the joy of the holidays like sparkling wine. This season, Clay suggests Champagne Andre Clouet Brut NV ($44). This champagne house has a long tradition of quality starting in 1741. “I find this to be easy drinking and affordable,” says Clay. “Also, it is readily available in these hard shipping times. A great gift, as the package is gorgeous!”

Another affordable option is Buffiat Cremant de Bourgogne ($22). “This sparkling wine is made in the traditional (Champagne) method but not from Champagne, hence the lower price point. I like this because it does not have the bready, yeasty nuance most well-known champagnes have,” comments Clay. “It is lighter and more approachable, with crisp acidity.”

WHITES

The Paring Chardonnay ($22.99) from Santa Barbara County, California, is a lightly oaked wine that Clay loves. “The wine maker, Matt Dees, has an agriculture degree from the University of Vermont. These vineyards are owned by the man who also owns the famed Screaming Eagle. This is definitely a happy middle crowd pleaser,” says Clay.

K Vintners Viognier ($19.99) from the Columbia Valley, Washington, made by winemaker Charles Smith, is com-

plex with floral and stone fruit aromas. “Viognier is great for the people who want to try something a little different from chardonnay,” says Clay.

Berthier Sancerre ($29.99), a sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley of France, is an excellent choice for those who want to try something other than the typical New Zealand-style sauvignon blanc. “Because it has been the year of Sancerre if you can get it—shipping issues again!” says Clay. “With 50 percent silex soil (flinty) and 50 percent limestone, this wine is quite full bodied for a sauvignon blanc.”

Clay recommends La Spinetta Vermentino ($21.99) from Tuscany, Italy, “because people need to drink more Italian whites! Its full and savory mouth goes well with fall’s roasted dishes.”

REDS

Josh Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99) is Clay’s go-to wine “because everyone is happy with it. This wine is very approachable and pairs well with many heartier dishes.”

Illahe Pinot Noir ($25.99) from the Willamette Valley of Washington is made by winemakers whose goal is to make wine as naturally as possible, from soil to bottle. The grapes are handpicked with love, and it is lighter, with

only 13.5 percent alcohol.

Saint Damien Gigondas ($29.99) from the southern Rhone Valley of France is a blend of grenache and mourvèdre and is also organic. “This wine delivers well for the price point,” says Clay, “and import-

ed by Mr. Peter Weygandt, the humblest, most down-to-earth wine person I have ever met.”

Tornatore Etna Rosso ($29.99) from the island of Sicily is Clay’s pick from this up-and-coming wine region. It is made from indigenous grapes with oak aging. “Because it is from grapes grown near the volcano, Mount Etna, this wine is complex in minerality,” says Clay. “It works well with full-bodied suppers.

Clay’s “best buy” for the season: Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon ($26.99). “I call this ‘Baby Caymus.’ It is from winemaker Joe Wagner of Caymus fame and delivers top quality at a great price.”

This holiday season, make happy memories and celebrate everyday gettogethers and special events alike with a hand-selected, quality wines from Woodstock Beverage.

Woodstock Beverage

512 East Woodstock Road Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1326 woodstockbeverage.com

Mount Tom Ski Area

Fond memories of many skiers’ “happy place”

By Cassie Horner Photography courtesy of the Woodstock History Center, except where noted

Woodstock is known as the birthplace of modern skiing with the first rope tow in the US set up in 1934 at Clint Gilbert’s Hill just north of the village on Route 12. But anyone with ties to Woodstock from the mid-1930s to about 1981 knows about another small ski area even closer to the village. Known as Mount Tom Ski Area, it was the scene of countless days of joy for locals and visitors. Though long defunct as a ski area, today it is used by sledders.

Mount Tom could have taken the honors as the first ski hill in the US with a rope tow, according to some accounts. The owner of the property, veterinarian Dr. Walter Pulsifer, was

Above: Postcard of a painting attributed to Byron Thomas.

The quick success of the rope tow at Gilbert’s Hill inspired Pulsifer to install his own in the winter of 1935–36 on what was initially called Pulsifer’s Ski Tow. In the 1950s, Maurice Wood of Taftsville leased the ski area and the name was changed to Wood’s Mount Tom Ski-Way.

approached by Bob and Elizabeth Royce of the White Cupboard Inn in the village about erecting a rope tow there but he supposedly declined to remove a fence, so the Royces asked Clint Gilbert. The quick success of the rope tow at Gilbert’s Hill

inspired Pulsifer to install his own in the winter of 1935–36 on what was initially called Pulsifer’s Ski Tow. In the 1950s, Maurice Wood of Taftsville leased the ski area and the name was changed to Wood’s Mount Tom Ski-Way.

Above:

Left: Tickets from Woods Mt. Tom Ski-Way and Pulsifer's Ski Tow.

Right: Ski rack on a car in Woodstock Village. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

“I was in high school,” recalls Maurice’s daughter, Marlene Paul. “Rather than me going home to Taftsville, I went on the Prosper bus to ski after school. My dad liked to ski, and he wanted to help the community. He did a lot to help kids ski. Mount Tom

was dear to my heart.”

Running the ski area was a family affair. Marlene’s mom, Lavina Wood, didn’t ski but she operated the snack bar, selling hot dogs and hamburgers. “She would snag me off the slopes and get me to help her,” Marlene says. Her brother Marlon helped his

View of Mount Tom from the lodge.

Above: Skiers survey the slopes.

Right: Mount Tom and Suicide Six Rates & Schedules.

dad with shoveling and other tasks. On days where there was a lot of snow, Maurice made a deal with lo cal boys. “He would tell them, ‘If you pack a trail to the top and get the rope (for the tow) out of the snow, you can ski all day.’”

Both Marlene and Woodstock skier Don Eaton have strong memories of the warming hut built by Maurice. Don, who grew up across the road from Mount Tom with his brothers, says, “We skied regularly there growing up. The strongest memory I have is that I literally got off the school bus at 3:10pm and went directly to the warming hut to get on my boots and skis. I would ski the half hour or so until dark.” The warming hut, an open space with an oil barrel woodstove, was a popular place on cold days. “Your feet got cold quickly,” Don says. “And you would fall down in wool pants and get very wet.” There was a rack above the stove where skiers would toss hats and mittens to dry. “I remember going in there and smelling the very distinctive odor of hot chocolate and wool and leather,” he recalls.

Another shared memory is of the

challenge of the rope tow. Marlene recalls the scary experience of her friend Pat Burke, whose long pigtail got wrapped into the rope as she ascended the slope. Luckily, there was a safety gate at the top and the motor stopped so people could help her get free to ski down.

MODERNIZING AND EXPANDING Big changes came to the mountain for the 1960–61 season when Laur ance Rockefeller, whose wife Mary had long family ties to Woodstock, purchased the ski area. Plans to op erate it as community ski area in cluded Poma lift, new snowmaking equipment, new base lodge, and new name.

A brochure from the 1960–61 season described Mount Tom Ski-Way with its new 2,000-foot Poma lift, open slopes, and northeast exposure as perfect for “ideal family skiing on novice and intermediate trails.” The ski area, though small, boasted a ski school run by Claude Gaudin, a French mountaineer and alpine ski master who came to Woodstock from St. Adele, a ski area in the Laurentians in Canada. A twohour lesson cost $3. A ticket for a

day of skiing cost $3.50. The ski area featured a ski shop, snack bar, and warming hut with complete “modern” facilities. Expansions continued through the 1960s, adding a new trail and further snowmaking. By now, Mount Tom and Suicide Six in Pomfret offered a joint ticket.

Rockefeller purchased the Woodstock Inn, which was torn down and rebuilt for the 1969–70 season. The inn offered skiing at both of its areas, Mount Tom and Suicide Six.

In 1976, Robert Barton, president of Woodstock RockResorts, announced that the two mountains’ names would be merged to better brand them together with a connection to Woodstock. One reason for the change was to avoid confusion with Mount Tom ski area in Holyoke, Massachusetts. They became Woodstock’s Six and Tom.

Sadly, running two small ski areas proved difficult. On the advice of a consultant, Mount Tom Ski Area was closed to put the focus on Suicide Six (renamed Saskadena Six in 2022; see story that follows). The “Tom” part of the equation, closed by the end of the 1980–81 season, was relegated to a place of memories held dear by its many skiers. “It was a lot of people’s happy place in the winter,” says Marlene. “I know it was mine.”

View of Mount Tom.

Story by Lisa Ballard | Photography courtesy of Woodstock Inn & Resort

Same Ski Area, New Name

Suicide Six is now Saskadena Six

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.

—William Shakespeare (from Romeo and Juliet)

Suicide Six in Pomfret, the greater Woodstock community’s beloved local ski hill, is no longer, at least by name. Last summer, the Woodstock Inn & Resort, which owns and operates this historic ski area, officially abandoned the mountain’s catchy, decades-old moniker. The ski area is now called Saskadena Six. While the name may be new, the place is an elder statesman among ski areas and a legendary ski destination in New England.

Aerial view of Saskaena Six.

Skiers approach the top of Saskadena Six's famous black diamond, known simply as The Face.

Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, a ski coach who lived in the White Cupboard Inn and was instrumental in building and running

the rope tow, is famously credited as claiming it would be “suicide” to ski straight down the face of Hill No. 6.

THE HISTORY OF HILL NO. 6

The first rope tow in the country was built in 1934, just down the road from Saskadena Six, at a farm owned at the time by Clint Gilbert. Gilbert’s farm was on one of six neighboring, skiable hills, numbered one to six, that also included what’s now Saskadena Six.

Gilbert’s farm was selected as the site of the rope tow because it was deemed the most user-friendly to skiers of that era, who until then, climbed uphill on wooden skis without edges and then glided down snowy hillside pastures. The new ski area was named the White Cupboard Skiway after the former inn on Elm Street in Woodstock, whose owners were a driving force in the ski area’s creation. Its 900-foot-long rope

tow was powered by a Model T engine. Skiers paid $1.00 for a full day or $.50 for a half day.

Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, a ski coach who lived in the White Cupboard Inn and was instrumental in building and running the rope tow, is famously credited as claiming it would be “suicide” to ski straight down the face of Hill No. 6. Ironically, two years later, he built a rope tow on that slope, after his relationship with Clint Gilbert soured. He called his new ski area Suicide Six, based on the catchy alliteration connecting his quote to the hill’s number, not because six people had died there.

In 1961, Bertram sold Suicide Six to Laurance Rockefeller, who owned the Woodstock Inn and the gentler Mount

Tom Ski Area nearby. Rockefeller added Suicide Six to the Woodstock Inn’s amenities as a way to offer skiing guests of the inn more variety and more challenging terrain. Rockefeller then upgraded the ski area with chairlifts and a new base lodge. He also had the steep face regraded, which drew criticism from locals who claimed it made the headwall much easier and likened the change to “painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.”

Fifty years after Rockefeller purchased Suicide Six, skiers still challenge themselves on the famous face without any notion that it had a different topography. Rockefeller’s base lodge has since been replaced with a larger, more modern one, and now, the entire ski area has a new identity.

View of the base lodge from the top of The Face.

NAME CHANGE

Saskadena Six is one of hundreds of places around the United States that have recently changed its name because the original name was deemed offensive. In many of these cases, the name change is in deference to Native Americans. For example, Squaw Valley, the mega ski resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California, recently changed its name to Palisades Tahoe because the word “squaw” is considered derogatory by the Washoe Indians, whose ancestral lands include Palisades Tahoe.

In the case of Suicide Six, the own ers of the ski area changed the name in recognition of mental health sensi tivities, but Native Americans played an important role in the new name,

Saskadena Six. The Woodstock Inn & Resort consulted with Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, headquar tered in Barton, but whose homelands include the Woodstock area, as well as the rest of Vermont, New Hampshire, and parts of Maine, Massachusetts, and Canada. Saskadena is the Abenaki word for “standing mountain.” The ski area retained the word “Six” because it was Hill No. 6. It’s a perfect melding of ancient native and historic skiing refer ences to the mountain.

“The [name change] process began in 2021 with outreach to members of the community to participate in a focus group,” says Alice Phillips, a spokesperson for the Woodstock Inn & Resort. “All

A group of friends pauses for a moment before heading down The Face.

understood the need for a name change. The discussion centered around the goal to meaningfully uphold the mountain’s legacy.”

The resort also worked with Origin Outside, a marketing agency in Burlington, to help with the rebranding effort. Origin Outside created the ski area’s new logo, which retains the number six inside a red ball, dating back to the 1960s, but with a contemporary typeface. According to a statement released by the ski area, its “curves speak to the friendliness and playfulness of the resort. The color palette in shades of yel-

low, red, and blue draws its inspiration from the Vermont landscape, grounding the Saskadena Six logo in its natural surroundings.”

This winter, skiers at Saskadena Six will notice new signage around the ski area in conjunction with its new name. In addition, a new display in the base lodge portrays the history of the Abenaki tribe. The grab-and-go portion of the lodge’s food service has also received an upgrade.

“Much time, care, and thought have

been invested in the process to choose a name more representative of our values, one that celebrates [the ski area’s] history, honors the Abenaki tradition, and will welcome future generations,” says Courtney Lowe, president of the Woodstock Inn & Resort. “While the name might be changing, the experiences offered on this beloved mountain are not.”

Saskadena Six still offers 100-plus acres of skiing, with plans to open for the 2022–23 season in mid-December. Its name may be new, but the ride will

A skier checks out the snow at the newly renamed Saskadena Six.

be the same. After all, to skiers and snowboarders, that which we call a ski area by any other name rides just as sweetly, and in this case, the new name sure sounds a lot more inviting.

Ski Saskadena Six

For more info about skiing at Saskadena Six, contact the Woodstock Inn & Resort, wood stockinn.com, (888) 338-2745.

Saskadena is the Abenaki word for “standing mountain.” The ski area retained the word “Six” because it was Hill No. 6. It’s a perfect melding of ancient native and historic skiing references to the mountain.

Frameworks Studio of Woodstock 63 Pleasant Street Barn Woodstock, VT (802) 356-5235

Open Tue–Sat

11 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1901 www.ferrojewelers.com

47 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1298 www.collective-theartofcra .com

Mon–Sat 10am–5pm Sun 11am–4pm

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Red Wagon Toy Co.

41 Central Street

Woodstock, VT (802) 457-9300 www.redwagontoy.com @redwagontoyco

Soulfully Good Café

67 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-7395 Soulfullygood.com

5 e Green Woodstock, VT

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43 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-5700

Mon–Sat 10am–5pm Sun 12–4pm

Pizza Chef Route 4

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Sun– u 11am–9pm Fri & Sat 11am–10pm

Unicorn

15 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-2480 www.unicornvt.com

Mon–Fri 9:30am–5pm Sat 9:30am–5:30pm Sun 10:30am–4:30pm

FH Gillingham & Sons

16 Elm Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-2100 www.gillinghams.com

Mon–Sat 8:30am–5pm Sun 10am–4pm

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24 Elm Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1818 www.princeandpauper.com Cheers to 48 years!

Enjoy Woodstock this Winter

e Yankee Bookshop

12 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-2411 www.yankeebookshop.com @yankeebookshop

Woodstock Recreation Center

54 River Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1502 www.woodstockrec.com

Barnard Inn Restaurant

5518 Vermont Route 12

Barnard, VT (802) 234-9961 www.barnardinn.com @barnardinnrestaurant

Fine Dining - Weddings - Events

e Vermont Horse Country Store

5331 South Road, Route 106 South Woodstock, VT (802) 457-HORS (4677) eStore@vthorseco.com www.vermonthorsecountry.com Please call (802) 356-6748 anytime.

Woodstock Hops N’ Barley 446 Woodstock Road Woodstock, VT (802) 457-2472 www.woodstockhopsnbarley.com

Open daily

Woodstock Scoops

Maple Creemees

20 Central Street Woodstock, VT woodstockscoops.com

e Blue Horse Inn

“In the very heart of Woodstock Village”

3 Church Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-9999 www.thebluehorseinn.com

Anything Printed

2490 East Woodstock Road Woodstock, VT (802) 457-3414 anythingprinted@comcast.net

Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm

Splendid Chaos

58 Pleasant Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-7084 www.splendidchaosvt.com Open Tue–Sat

By Pamela Brown | Photography by Lynn Bohannon

It’s All About the Cruller

Enjoy one soon at Farmer & the Bell

It all started with a delectable French cruller. “We were on a camping trip in Maine and stopped at a café and had a French cruller. It was so amazing—light, airy, but custardy and crispy. The whole combination was so good we said, ‘This is it. We’re going to try making this,’” says April Lawrence, who, along with her partner Ben Pauly opened Farmer & the Bell in Quechee.

Left: Two happy locals with their pink box of goodness.

Below: Every French cruller is hand piped before it goes into the fryer.

Above: Freshly decorated pumpkin pie French crullers.

Right: Ben and April are all smiles after serving up 1,000 crullers with their team.

Above:

“Ben and I have farming backgrounds and we feel very strongly about where our food comes from and celebrating e growers who help contribute to our menu.”

April Lawrence, Farmer & the Bell co-owner

French crullers fresh out of the fryer are cooling down and waiting to be glazed.

Right: Jessica Notargiacomo, photographer and friend, meticulously keeps the crullers organized and ready for boxing.

During the pandemic, April and Ben were looking for a passion project to learn a new skill that also involved something that tasted good and was not readily available. A donut shop fit the bill. They started with a pop-up shop in Woodstock in 2021 and then moved to the Parker in April. “We’re very selftaught. We started with a KitchenAid mixer, and we look back and laugh at how far we’ve come,” says April.

ELEVATED DONUTS

Open only on Saturday during the winter, they make between 800 to 1,000 donuts a day and have lines of customers waiting for their crullers. April clarifies they make French crullers, not donuts, using a distinct pâte à choux pastry. “People are surprised when they bite into it because it’s crispy on the outside and light and airy and custardy on the inside. We use lemon zest and French Madagascar vanilla bean paste. It’s such a unique flavor and texture,” she says.

Above: Regular customer Hunter Rose Wilson orders her box of crullers.

Right: Pumpkin pie, apple cider streusel, maple, and Samoa crullers are all in a box ready for takeaway.

Right: French crullers, fried in batches of 24 at a time.

Ben describes it as an elevated donut. “It’s a way for people to indulge and have a tasty treat. The enjoyment is having one standard, very decadent donut with all these flavors,” Ben says. The crullers are piped, fried, and then topped with either a glaze, a sweet spice, a caramel, a crumble, or a combination. Each week the shop features six different kinds, including two standard flavors, Maple along with Sugar & Spice. The other four change frequently to offer seasonal flavors.

FARMERS AND FAMILY

The crullers are made with ingredients from local Vermont purveyors, including King Arthur Baking Company, Cabot, and Pete & Gerry’s, and McNamara Dairy in New Hampshire. “Ben and I have farming backgrounds and we feel very strongly about where our food comes from and celebrating the growers who help contribute to our menu,” says April.

It’s been a labor of love. April, Ben, and his mother Anna, along with a team of friends, start their weekends making crullers at 3am. Ben’s dad David helps when needed. “Our son Gray, who is eight, helps out too. He loves it,” says April, who prepares glazes and handles behind-the-scenes work during the week.

e name of the shop has a special meaning since both April and Ben come from farming backgrounds. “Bo of our families had a bell that we would ring when it was mealtime, so it was the evocative feeling when you hear a bell ring, it’s time to take a break, sit down, and have food. My grandfather had a restaurant called e Bell that had a bell, and my parents used that bell on our farm to ring when it’s break time.”

April Lawrence, Farmer & the Bell co-owner

Customers of all ages enjoy their pink boxes of treats on the wraparound deck that overlooks the Ottauquechee River.

“It’s such a tight-knit group of people and it’s an enjoyable experience. We put on good music and it’s a fun time to hang out together and sling donuts while we’re doing it,” adds Ben.

Homemade savory croissants are also on their menu, including a Farmer’s Croissant filled with North Country Smokehouse bacon, smoked cheddar cheese from Billings Farm, and herbs from their small garden, and a Forest Croissant filled with sage, mushrooms, and butter cheddar from Billings Farm. Hot and cold-brew coffee and raspberry lemonade are also available.

BRINGING JOY TO THE COMMUNITY

Both April and Ben have a strong background in design and creating experiences. “Both of these things have been persistent throughout our lives and certainly hold true with creating our circles of goodness, which we call French crullers,” says April, who previously designed porcelain dolls for Disney and owned a home goods store. Growing up at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast, Lakeshore Farm, helped her hone her cooking skills. “I took a lot of those

Above: An excited customer looks through the kitchen's double doors. Below: Friends, families, and neighbors all enjoy their chosen treats on the wraparound deck.

practices away with me—meal and menu planning— and a sense of community of how my grandmother brought people together around the dinner table and great conversations happened,” she says. Ben grew up on a farm and is the creative director of landscape and design at the Woodstock Inn & Resort. “I’m moonlighting on the weekends with April to be her donut-frying master. Ever since we met, we’ve been trying to figure out a way we can do something together and everything clicked.”

Lawrence, Farmer & the Bell co-owner

Left: Hand-dipped chocolate glaze will be followed by toasted coconut and ribbons of caramel to create the Samoa French cruller.

Below: Anna Pauly, mother of Ben, who has boxed every single order since their first pop-up at Ankor Wat restaurant in Woodstock, December 2021.

Bottom left: Customers wrap around the porch in a fast-moving line to choose their treats for takeaway.

Both April and Ben have a strong background in design and creating experiences.

“Both of these things have been persistent throughout our lives and certainly hold true with creating our circles of goodness, which we call French crullers.”

April

April and Ben appreciate all that they’re learning and how supportive the community has been since they opened. “We love being here. It’s a beautiful setting. It just feels incredibly good to make things that are joyous, and we want to give people a great experience and to leave feeling warm and fuzzy,” says April.

The couple sees an endless op portunity for growth and creativity. “That’s why we started out small and work to perfect it. We look forward to developing and adding new ideas and growing the business,” says Ben.

“It just feels incredibly good to make ings at are joyous, and we want to give people a great experience and to leave feeling warm and fuzzy.”

April Lawrence, Farmer & the Bell co-owner

Above: Mary, a regular customer and local resident, waits to place her order.

Below: Ben places freshly fried French crullers on a tray to cool properly before glazing.

April agrees. “We know this is a good temporary home and we’re excited to continue. We feel very fortunate to have personally fallen in love with this style of donut and now other people love it as well.”

Farmer & the Bell

1792 Main Street

Quechee, VT

Shop, Dine, and Explore Quechee this Winter

Vermont Antique Mall

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-4147

Open daily 10am–5pm

Free Parking

Perfect

Fur Salon

Dog and Cat Grooming

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 369-2966 www.perfectfursalon.com Visit us on Facebook Mon–Sat 9am–4pm

WhistlePig Whiskey Parlour

1792 Quechee Main Street Quechee, VT (802) 771-4058

WhistlePIgWhiskey.com

Tasting Room and Retail Shop

Vermont Snack Shack

130 Quechee Gorge Village Drive Quechee, VT (802) 280-4188

Facebook @ snacktimeisshacktime Instagram @ vermont_snack_shack

7 days a week 10am–5pm

Wholistic Health Services of Vermont

6985 Woodstock Road (Route 4) Quechee, VT (802) 296-6030 www.doctorrandy.com

Antiques Collaborative

6931 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 296-5858 www.antiquescollaborative.com

Thu–Tue 10am–5pm

The Vermont Spot

Quechee Gorge Village Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

Open daily 9:30am–5:30pm

The Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm Restaurant and Tavern

1119 Quechee Main Street Quechee, VT (802) 295-3133 www.quecheeinn.com

Public House Pub

Route 4

Quechee, VT (802) 295-8500 www.publichousevt.com

FB: PublicHouseVT

Dr. Randy Schaetzke, DC, DIBAK

The Sweet Spot Candy Shoppe

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

7 days a week 10am–5pm

Shepard Interior Selections

9295 East Woodstock Road Route 4 Quechee, VT

For appointments call (802) 457-1116

or email Eleanor@shepardvt.com

Quechee Cuts

6985 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 291-2648

Mon 9am–2pm

Tue, Wed 9am–4pm

Thu 10am–6pm, Fri 9am–4pm Sat 9am–12pm

Quechee Home

Quechee Gorge Village Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

Open daily 10am–5pm

Massage Eminence

6985 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 249-4751 www.massageeminence.com

Jake’s Quechee Market

7161 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 291-9900 www.jakesquecheemarket.com

Open daily 7am–8pm

By Stephen D’Agostino Photography Kelley Ruch/Union Arena (unless otherwise noted)

Home Ice Advantage

During the winter, Woodstock’s busiest place is likely Union Arena. And why wouldn’t it be? It is a location that invites passionate people of all ages, genders, and abilities to be active during months when many of us would rather hunker down.

For skating enthusiasts, Union Arena is the coolest place in town

Curlers practice and compete at Union Arena during the summer season.

WUHS boys varsity team hosts their rivals, Hartford, in front of a packed crowd at Union Arena. Photo by Greg Greene.

From left: Union Arena’s Executive Director EJay Bishop, State Representative Charlie Kimbell, Union Arena Board Vice President Emo Chynoweth, Board Member Harold Mayhew, former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, Union Arena Board President Ryan Longfield, Executive Director of Sustainable Woodstock Michael Caduto, and event MC Robert Hager. Photo by Greg Greene.

High School girls varsity players—both current and recent graduates from Woodstock, Lebanon, Hanover, Hartford, and other surrounding towns—join up once a week during the summer season for a fun, competitive scrimmage.

In many ways, the rink’s role as a community space—and its success—is the result of the hard work of three people: Executive Director EJay Bishop, Assistant Director Kelley

hler. Through their commitment to the building, the love of hockey in this part of the world, and an unlikely vision for a skating rink, Union Arena thrives.

A LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP

Public Skating

The rink is open for anyone who wants to skate on Sunday mornings from 10:10 to 11:30am. On December 11, Union Arena welcomes a special guest as Santa Claus dons his skates for the return of Skating with Santa.

The arena is located next to Woodstock Union High School and Middle School and serves as the varsity team’s home ice. The building begins its day at six in the morning when the high school’s boys’ or girls’ varsity teams take to the ice for practice. The teams fortunate enough to sleep in some mornings use the rink after school.

Many varsity teams’ players may have first experienced the arena through Woodstock Youth Hockey. In fact, some of the seniors on the team may have been born the year after Union Arena opened in 2003. This ice has been a lifelong part of their hockey lives.

In an average year, 100 to 120 kids aged 5 to 18 participate in Woodstock Youth Hockey. When their possible future selves leave the ice after final varsity practices of the day, the youth hockey skaters and the skaters from Hanover Youth Hockey take to the rink for the next four hours. On Saturday and Sunday, teams in these programs play against teams from Vermont, New Hampshire, and a few from other New England states.

The bond between the rink and Woodstock Youth Hockey is a close one. The organization pays for ice time, and during the winter, they use it in some capacity every day of

Following their championship win, the girls varsity team participated in an end-of-season “Girls Clinic” hosted by Woodstock Youth Hockey.

Above: WUHS girls varsity coach, Ian Coates, goes over his afternoon practice plan with the players.

Left: Neighbors team up with friends and family over the holidays and rent the ice for a friendly game of pick-up hockey.

Below: WUHS boys varsity celebrate a goal. Photo by Greg Greene.

Locals and visitors alike come to Union Arena for the annual Skate with Santa event. Every year, the Union Arena Skating Club hosts the event and puts on a show to introduce Santa to the crowd of attendees.

A new look for center ice debuted at the start of the 2021-22 winter season. Woodstock Union High School Middle School's W logo shared center ice with the Union Arena Sustainability campaign logo as the goal of becoming a net-zero rink was achieved.

the week. However, EJay is hesitant to call them renters. “This place was really built for kids in the area,” he says, referring to Woodstock Youth Hockey as the arena’s partner.

COMMUNITY, FUN, AND FRIENDLY COMPETITION

Hockey, though, is not just a sport for kids or varsity teams. For many people, graduating from youth programs or high school or college teams didn’t mean graduating from hockey.

After the youth leagues finish for the day, the adults take to the rink at eight in the evening. By that time, the arena has been active for 14 hours and will be for another three. Adult hockey enthusiasts play in four leagues: one for men, one for women, and two that are co-ed. Of these, the C league is the less competitive co-ed league. It attracts women who

might have started in the women’s league because “it adds a little structure and a little more competition and speed,” Kelley says. “Though they care about the wins and losses, it’s not going to make or break it. They leave with smiles on their faces.”

The C league is also great for parents who have become interested in hockey because their kids have started playing.

Kelley also notes that “new people who have moved into the area find the league an environment to meet people.”

But it’s not just parents who play. It’s also grandparents, adults, men in their seventies who come out for the love of the game, a little competition, and community. “It’s definitely social,” EJay says. “It’s nice to see people from their twenties into their seventies hanging out together.”

Another group that uses the rink is the Puck Hogs, a group for women of all experience levels who enjoy the game through scrimmages and helping others improve their skills. Kelley notes that the women “go out there, have fun, laugh a lot, and don’t take themselves too seriously.” With a name like Puck Hogs, how could they?

Of course, there is more to do on ice than play hockey. The figure skating program, run by the Union Arena Skating Club, attracts upwards of two dozen participants ranging in age from as young as three to as old as 65. The Upper Valley Curling Club also uses the rink in the summer when the arena is open for several weeks.

For people who enjoy the simple pleasure of skating for exercise, relaxation, or nostalgia, the Union Arena is there for them on Sunday mornings. The rink is also available for birthday parties or other celebrations.

A NET-ZERO RINK

All the skaters and organizations that use the rink provide income to help keep the Union Arena afloat. However, a skat ing rink’s unique environment requires a lot of money to maintain it.

The arena is a vast open space that, at the same time, needs to be cold enough to keep the ice frozen and warm enough to keep the people in it from freezing. Creating two climates simultaneously makes Union Arena—and any skating rink—a huge energy consumer. Even when energy was cheaper than now, these competing requirements present a substantial financial burden to the arena.

Despite the challenge, Harold Mayhew, the building’s architect in the early 2000s, committed, in 2014, to make the

rink’s energy use and energy production equal, or net-zero. Solar panels installed on the roof and equipment upgrades that reduced energy use slashed the arena’s energy bills. These changes reduced the reliance on rental fees to keep the arena operational. After seven years of work and renovation, Union Arena became the first net-zero hockey rink in the country. EJay says that Harold said it right when he noted, “If you can make a hockey rink net-zero, you can make anything net-zero.”

Despite the challenges it faces, Union Arena meets three goals. It satisfies the demands of everyone who wants to use it, provides a community space, and serves as a reminder that even the most difficult challenges regarding energy use can be conquered. In hockey, they call that a hat trick.

Union Arena

80 Amsden Way Woodstock, VT (802) 457-2500 unionarena.org

Architect and Union Arena board member Harold Mayhew ceremoniously “cuts the electrical cord” at Union Arena’s Net-Zero Celebration. Photo by Greg Greene.

WYH players line up to cheer on and support the WUHS varsity teams. Captain Skyler Haley gets high fives in between game periods. Photo by Greg Greene.

The Red Menace take on the Green Machine in Union Arena’s co-ed adult hockey league.

By Susan Nye

Celebrating the Season

Open your home, hearth, and heart during the holidays

If you are feeling that you are long overdue to host a holiday party, you’re probably not alone. For the last few years, we’ve spent November and December huddled in our houses to avoid COVID. With vaccines and medications now readily available, it’s time to deck the halls, belt out a few carols, and invite the neighbors in for some holiday cheer.

Since many people will have the same idea, a holiday open house is a good way to celebrate with friends and neighbors. People can come and go, stay for a little while or enjoy the party from start to finish. A low-fuss menu will make it easy for you to enjoy your own party.

Some things to think about . . .

From when to when.

To ensure that as many friends as possible will be able to enjoy your hospitality, open the doors in the late afternoon and keep it going until eight or nine o’clock—or later if you are a night owl. Families can come early before kids get hungry and cranky. Anyone with multiple invitations on the same night can stop by for at least a half hour. Who knows—a few may come, go, and come back. In addition, with a more or less constant ebb and flow of guests, you can invite one and all and still avoid a mob scene.

Kids or no kids. An open house is the perfect opportunity to have it both ways. Encourage families to come early and couples and solos can come by later. You can have child-friendly activities at the beginning of the party. Let everyone know that there will be a craft project or cookie decorating, a kids’ singalong, or a visit from Santa in the first hour or so.

Keep the food simple. Remember your guests will be coming and going. Count on a lot of standing around and chatting. You don’t need an elaborate menu with tray after tray of fussy hors d’oeuvres. If you must, have a

few special treats to pass.

Concentrate your time and effort on beautiful, bountiful platters followed by mugs of soup or chili. Finish with a festive, seasonal sweet or two or three. Your guests can help themselves at their leisure and you won’t need an army of waiters—a good thing since servers are in short supply these days.

Everyone loves a festive cocktail. Again, keep the libations simple. Most everyone will be more than happy with a glass of wine or a beer. Because it’s the holidays, it’s fun to add a pretty cocktail or a traditional favorite. For many, it wouldn’t be December without eggnog.

Santa-tini

Roasted Sugar & Spiced Nuts

¼tsp cayenne pepper 2 Tbsp butter, melted 2½ cups pecans 2½ cups almonds 1 cup pepitas

Others might prefer an ice cold, rosyred concoction. Whatever you decide, make up a big batch in advance. You don’t want to be measuring and mixing punch in the middle of the party. And don’t forget to have nonalcoholic drinks for the kids and designated drivers.

Set up two, even three tables. The first is for food, the second for drinks and a third smaller table, if you can swing it, for dessert. Space them far apart, even in separate rooms, to keep the crowd moving. Don’t forget to stock up on cocktail napkins. Small plates are also handy—your guests can fill one up and move away from the table to chat with old and new friends. Keep an eye on your platters and refresh as needed.

Help!

Hiring a few helpers is always a good idea. The neighborhood’s favorite babysitter can lend a hand with the children’s craft table and/or help manage the line to see Santa. With a buffet you don’t need servers, but it’s a good idea to have someone or two refresh platters and pick up glasses, plates, and trash. They can also do a quick wash and dry to get dishes back out on the buffet table and bar.

Turkey Chili with Pumpkin & White Beans

Depending on your crowd, double or triple or quadruple the recipe. Serves 12

Olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 2 large onions, finely chopped

1 (or more to taste) chipotle pepper(s) in adobo, finely chopped 2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced 2 lb ground turkey

6 cups cooked small white beans (1 lb dried beans or 4 15-oz cans)

2–3 cups homemade (or canned) pumpkin puree

2–3 cups chicken or turkey stock or broth

1½ cups beer, preferably dark beer 1 bay leaf

¾cup sour cream

Garnish: cheddar cheese, toasted pepitas, and/or fresh chopped cilantro

1Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole over medium. Add the carrots, onions, chipotle, spices, and herbs, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from the pan and reserve.

2Add a little more olive oil to the casserole, add the turkey, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until lightly browned. Return the vegetables to the pot, add the beans, and stir to combine. Stir in the pumpkin puree, 1 to 2 cups stock, and the beer, add the bay leaf, and bring to a simmer.

3Cover and transfer the chili to the oven. Stirring a few times and adding more stock as necessary, cook at 350° for about 1 hour.

4Put the sour cream in a bowl. A little at a time, whisk 2 cups of chili into the sour cream. Stir the sour cream mixture into the chili, add more stock if necessary, and return the chili to the oven for about 30 minutes.

Best if made ahead, cooled to room temperature, covered, and refrigerated for serval hours or overnight. To reheat: bring to a simmer over low heat on the stovetop or in a 350° oven.

Let your guests help themselves or pass mugs of chili. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, pepitas, and/or cilantro leaves.

Beautiful, Bountiful Platters

CHEESES

Artfully arrange three, five, or seven different cheeses on a cutting board or platter. Add some green and red grapes for color and some dried fruit for balance. For variety, include a sharp cheddar (after all, this is New England), a semisoft cheese from France or Italy, a local goat cheese, and your favorite blue. If you don’t have a favorite blue, try Stilton.

CHARCUTERIE

Again, artfully arrange a selection cured meats on a large cutting board or platter. Favorites include prosciutto, dried sausages, bresaola, and chorizo. Add some pâté and small bowls of olives and Marcona almonds.

SEAFOOD

If you can find them, oysters on the half shell are a holiday favorite. Include a bounty of shrimp and your favorite smoked fish or gravlax on your artfully arranged platter. Add a few sauces to complement the seafood—traditional cocktail sauce for the shrimp and oysters and a creamy dill or horseradish sauce for smoked fish. Alternatively, you can simplify your life and purchase a sushi tray. Be sure to put your order in early.

VEGETABLES

A veggie platter is a great way to bring some color to the buffet table. Pile a platter high with your favorites—broccoli and cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, radishes, and sliced red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. Add a delicious dip or two—child-friendly hummus and tarragon or basil aioli are good choices.

ARTISANAL BREADS AND CRACKERS

Visit your favorite bakery for a good selection of breads. Slice some of the bread in advance and set in a basket next to a cutting board and add some crackers.

Very Ginger Gingerbread Cupcakes

When it comes to dessert, what could be more holiday-ish than gingerbread?

Makes about 30 regular or 60 mini cupcakes

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1½ tsp cinnamon

¼tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

1Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

2Put the flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the orange zest and crystallized ginger, whisk to combine, and set aside.

½cup chopped crystallized ginger

cup

½cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup unsulphured molasses

¾cup packed brown sugar

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾cup sour cream

Confectioners’ sugar

3Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light. Add the molasses, brown sugar, and fresh ginger and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

4Fill the paper liners about two-thirds full and bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes for minis and 18 to 20 minutes for regular cupcakes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5Just before the party, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

HAPPENINGS Winter 2022–2023

DECEMBER | JANUARY | FEBRUARY

January 28–29

Woodstock VT Film Series: Art & Krimes by Krimes

Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

Online Exhibit: Character: Unforgettable People of Woodstock

An ongoing exhibit featuring some of the unforgettable people who have made Woodstock such a special place throughout its history. Several profiles are on display at the museum; we will continue to add individuals from the physical exhibit to our online version.

Woodstock History Center

WOODSTOCKHISTORYCENTER.ORG

Exhibit: Hindsight 20/20

This exhibit highlights some of the many pivotal events and people in Woodstock’s social, natural, political, and economic history and place them within the context of Vermont’s and the nation’s history.

Woodstock History Center

WOODSTOCKHISTORYCENTER.ORG

Exhibit: Contributions and Sacrifice

Explore the contributions and sacrifices made by both soldiers and civilians during World War II through a variety of media and artifacts, including the stories of nine young Woodstock men who never returned home.

Woodstock History Center

WOODSTOCKHISTORYCENTER.ORG

Exhibit: Fan-tastic

A display of 40 fans from our collection covering 1770 to 1930, including a Chinese brise fan that is double carved, a telescoping fan, vanity fans, and a signed Duvelleroy fan.

Woodstock History Center

WOODSTOCKHISTORYCENTER.ORG

December 31–January 1

Woodstock VT Film Series: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

December 10

Sweet Honey in the Rock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30pm PENTANGLEARTS.ORG

December, January, February

Needlepoint Get-Togethers, Tuesdays

Noman Williams Public Library, 2pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Baby Story Time, Tuesdays

Noman Williams Public Library, 10:30am NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Play Chess & Backgammon, Tuesdays

Noman Williams Public Library, 5pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Toddler Story Time, Thursdays

Noman Williams Public Library, 10:30am NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Play Bridge at Norman Williams, Thursdays

Noman Williams Public Library, 2pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Knitters Meetup—Thursdays on the Mezzanine Zoom, 2pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December, January, February

Qigong Friday with Gerry Sandweiss

Norman Williams Public Library, 8:30am NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

Through December 15

Open Mic Night, Thursdays Artistree, 7pm ARTISTREEVT.ORG

December 6

Read Between the Lines—Fiction Discussion Group

Norman Williams Public Library, 6pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December 9–11

Wassail Weekend

Billings Farm & Museum, 10am–4pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

December 9–11

Wassail Weekend Woodstock Village WOODSTOCKVT.COM

December 13

What’s on Your Nightstand? The Not-a-Book-Club Book Club

Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30am NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December 13

NWPL Recite! Celebrates PSOV’s 75th Anniversary (In Person & Online)

Norman Williams Public Library, 5:30pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December 15

Green Books Discussion Group— Focus on the Environment and Sustainability

Norman Williams Public Library, 3:30pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December 20

Community Debate Club

Norman Williams Public Library, 4:30pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

December 31–January 1

December 3–4, 17–January 1 (except Christmas) Christmas at the Farm

Billings Farm & Museum, 10am–4pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

Woodstock VT Film Series: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 7

Cozy Stews and Breads

Billings Farm & Museum, 10am BILLINGSFARM.ORG

December 4

Vermont Comedy Festival Featuring Joe List Town Hall Theatre, 7pm

December 8 Còig Town Hall Theatre, 7:30pm

December 9 Prydein Town Hall Theatre, 7:30pm

December 10 Sweet Honey in the Rock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30pm

December 11 Cookies with Santa Town Hall Theatre, 12:30pm

December 11

No Strings Marionettes Presents A Christmas Carol Town Hall Theatre, 2pm

December

January 14–15

Woodstock VT Film Series: Citizen Ashe Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 7–8

Woodstock VT Film Series: Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 14–15

Woodstock VT Film Series: Citizen Ashe

Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 17

Geza Tatrallyay: Poems & Short Stories

Norman Williams Public Library, 6:30pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

January 21–22

Woodstock VT Film Series: Bitterbrush

Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 28–29

Woodstock VT Film Series: Art & Krimes by Krimes

Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

January 21–22

Woodstock VT Film Series: Bitterbrush

Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

February 1

Literary Pairs—Book Discussion Group

Norman Williams Public Library, 1pm NORMANWILLIAMS.ORG

February 4–5

Woodstock VT Film Series: The Automat Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

February 11–12

Woodstock VT Film Series: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

February 18–19

Woodstock VT Film Series: Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story Billings Farm & Museum, 3pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

February 18–26

Magic of Maple Billings Farm & Museum, 10am–4pm BILLINGSFARM.ORG

37 Central Clothiers

Anichini

Antiques Collaborative

Audio

Barnard Inn Restaurant

Better Homes & Gardens/MasielloGroup Realty

Billings Farm & Museum

Brown Furniture

Carolyn

Clover Gift Shop

Collective–The

Crown Point Select

Deidre Donnelly Jeweler

Dr. Neely-Hanover Orthodontics

Dr. Randy Schaetzke, DC, DIBAK

Elevation Clothing

Evans

FH

Focus–A Vermont Gallery

Frameworks

GeoBarns

Gilberte Interiors

Got

Green Mountain Fireplace Specialties

Hull Maynard Hersey Insurance ............................17

Jake’s Quechee Market .........................................63

Jeff Wilmot Painting & Wallpapering ..................77

Jim Westphalen Fine Art .......................................77

Junction Fuels ........................................................10

Kedron Valley Inn ..................................................53

Kendal at Hanover ................................................78

Massage Eminence ................................................63

Mertens House ......................................................42

Mon Vert Café .......................................................50

Montshire Museum ...............................................42

NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers ..............32 & 50

Ottauquechee Pharmacy ......................................78

Pentangle ...............................................................21

Perfect Fur Salon ...................................................62

Pizza Chef ..............................................................51

Quechee Cuts .........................................................63

Quechee Home, Porch & Closet ............................63

R.T. Home ...............................................................51

Red Wagon Toy Co. ...............................................51

Shepard Interior Selections ...................................63

Sleep Woodstock Motel ........................................51

Snyder Donegan

Real Estate Group ......................Inside front cover

Soulfully Good Café ..............................................51

Splendid Chaos ......................................................52

Teago General Store .............................................27

The Blue Horse Inn ................................................52

The Carriage Shed .................................................19

The Gilded Edge Custom Picture Framing ...........36

The Jackson House Inn ..........................................37

The Lincoln Inn ........................................................5

The Prince and The Pauper ...................................51

The Public House ...................................................62

The Quechee Club ...................................................1

The Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm ...................62

The Skinny Pancake ...............................................24

The Sweet Spot ..............................................61 & 63

The Vermont Horse Country Store .......................52

The Vermont Spot .................................................62

The Village at White River Junction .......................7

The Village Inn of Woodstock ..............................50

The Windsor Station .............................................29

The Woodstocker Bed & Breakfast ......................50

The Yankee Bookshop ..........................................52

Unicorn ..................................................................51

Union Arena ..........................................................50

Upper Valley Haven ...............................................61

VINS ........................................................................60

Vermont Antique Mall ..........................................62

Vermont Cabinetry ................................................53

Vermont Eclectic ....................................................60

Vermont Snack Shack ............................................62

Vermont Spirits ......................................................15

WISE .......................................................................43

WhistlePig Whiskey Parlour ..................................62

Williamson Group .........................Inside back cover

Woodstock Beverage ............................................76

Woodstock Chamber of Commerce

Woodstock Farmers’ Market

Woodstock Hops & Barley ....................................52

Woodstock Inn ........................................................8

Woodstock Recreation Center

Woodstock Scoops

Woody’s

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

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We wander into the wintry woods

To live a quiet dream.

— Angie Weiland-Crosby