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YEARS Building on Community
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CONTENTS
Editorial
8 F rom This Side of the Mountain Here, There & Everywhere Mary Ellen Shaw and Cassie Horner
Features 12 L andscape Meets Lifestyle Cassie Horner 26 W e Can Fix It A Home Maintenance Course for Women Susan Orzell-Rantanen
Departments 64 A ll About the Arts Alabama Story Sandra Stillman Gartner 70 T ime Travels Shrewsbury’s Rare Johnson Pipe Organ A musical Legacy, A Community Treasure Karen D. Lorentz
36 A Sweet History Middletown Springs Maple Festival Paul Post
76 S tepping Into Nature Costa Rica A Birder’s Paradise Sue Wetmore
44 R ain Gardens Putting Water to Work Mary Ellen Shaw
82 S chool News College of St Joseph National Baseball Champions Paul Post
56 A Paddle Runs Through It Caleb Kenna
88 S potlight on Business Tiny Campers Make a Big Impact at Dan Kearney’s Kim J. Gifford
11
YEARS Building on Community
MAGAZINE
94 W hat’s Happening Champlain Philharmonic Concert, Rutland Library Book Sales, and Rutland Garden Club Plant Sale Susan Orzell-Rantanen
IN THIS ISSUE House Renovation We can Fix it Program Middletown Maple Historic Organ CSJ Baseball
Spring 2018
Volume 11, Issue 3
Spring 2018
Spring 2018 JB 12318.indd 1
Spring 2018
1
2/6/18 8:10 PM
FROM THE COVER Kayaking on Otter Creek, Florence, Vermont photo caleb kenna
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Publishers’ Notes F i n d u s a t w w w. R u t l a n d M a g a z i n e O n l i n e . c o m
B I G R I G WATC H I N G A n average traffic count on our little dirt road in the spring and winter is about 10 vehicles a day. Get up to 15 and you’ll hear us exclaiming, “Look at all the traffic!” One day we consciously considered who was passing by and made a little list comprised of a fuel truck, the garbage truck, a property manager, a car, a neighbor and assorted pickup trucks. Clearly, if we want action we have to drive somewhere. Last spring we were on a little trip, tooling down I-81 when we stopped by accident, misreading the GPS arrow. But it was a lucky stop, since we
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needed gas and restrooms. First we took advantage of this break in the rain to head for the bathrooms, me indoors and Tim to a trailer set up with a mens’ room due to construction. Next we got the dogs out for a few fast-paced circles around the grass-edged concrete paths. Then we went back into the store to walk around and stretch our legs. I spotted a small glass bright red ladybug I had to have, along with water, Snickers bars and a peanut butter cracker package for the “kids”. As we sat in the car, eating sandwiches, the full experience of the Pilot Travel Center
sank in as we watched dozens of big rigs enter the area from I-81, take a break and head back onto the busy highway. In about 15 minutes, I noted trucks bearing logos for NFI, Marvin windows and doors, Zimmerman Truck Lines, Knight, Normandin, Real, Forward Air — North America’s Most Complete Feeder Network, NAPA, and Payne Trucking. The list went on and on with Cowan, Eastland Foods, Shaffer, and Werner. There were trucks labeled Fredericksburg, Virginia and trucks labeled Phoenix, Arizona, and Cranston, Rhode Island.
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We had no idea where we were (an odd by-product of using GPS) so I asked the man who pumped the gas. He told us the town and state — Hampton, New Jersey — adding that it was so cold and windy there that day because of the nearby reservoir that boasted good fishing. My cousin had warned us that this was a truck-heavy route south we had chosen. Sitting in that Pilot Travel Center we realized we were in the heart of a massive transportation network of goods continuously moving around the U.S. Our sense of that only increased as we were awestruck by the north-bound traffic moving at a crawl in places, if at all, with hundreds of trucks dominating the landscape. Cassie doesn’t love to drive so on the way home, she kept assuring herself and Tim, “I’ll drive once the traffic thins out.” In fact, that song and dance continued until north of Albany and by then, stopped at a dreary rest area, she realized she was plumb wore out from the stress of watching Tim drive! Driving in all of that intense traffic is not fun but it certainly gave us a new perspective. From the comfort of our home, eating avocados from Mexico and peaches from Georgia,
and watching a TV from who knows where, we appreciate our quiet country road while at the same time hearing in our mind’s ear the loud hum of trucks on Route 81. Cassie Horner and Tim Sink
Volume 11 Issue 3 • Spring 2018 Published by Mad Dog Ink, L.L.C. www.rutlandmagazineonline.com PO Box 264 Woodstock Vermont 05091 802-672-2411 Publishers: Cassie Horner and Tim Sink Editor: Cassie Horner e-mail: rutlandmag@vermontel.net Advertising: Tim Sink e-mail: rutlandmagads@vermontel.net Layout and Design: Jenny Buono e-mail: jenny.buono@gmail.com Rutland Magazine is a quarterly publication of Mad Dog Ink L.L.C. Both Rutland Magazine and Mad Dog Ink L.L.C. are registered trade marks. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher. Rutland Magazine and Mad Dog Ink L.L.C. assume no liability for any unsolicited material including but not limited to: manuscripts, photographs, artwork or historical documents.
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From This Side of the Mountain
O
Here, There & Everywhere
ver the years Cassie and I have often told one another stories about the critters in our yards. When she asked if I would like to co-author an article about our “little friends”, of course I said, “Yes!” I have city critters and Cassie has country critters. Both are equally entertaining and educate us firsthand as they go about their days. —Mary Ellen Shaw
Critters in the Country
City Backyard Critters
BY CASSIE HORNER
BY MARY ELLEN SHAW
AN ERMINE IS IN THE HOUSE!
BUSY CHIPMUNKS For most people a robin is a sign of spring. But for me it’s a chipmunk! They spend the winter underground in their burrows. Every April I see them scurrying across our lawn making a beeline to our bird feeder. This particular feeder is designed with ports that close if anything other than the weight of a small bird is on it. The chipmunks have learned that by hanging their “butts” off the edge it lessens their weight and the ports remain open. They can grab the seeds with no problem. I could grease the pole but everybody needs to eat, right?
“We just had an ermine on our porch!” I emailed my cousins. Last fall, I saw a little white head poke out from the big bookcase and shrieked because I thought it was a mouse. Then I saw more and more skinny body appear and my husband Tim exclaimed, “It’s an ermine!” It disappeared and then reappeared to scoot across the top of a row of books. It was too fast for me to get a photo. It was all white except for a little bit of brown on the end of its tail. A few years ago there was an ermine on our roof. I figured it was after squirrels. Maybe the inside ermine was there to feast on some of the mice in the house. (It was a banner year for the mice. Critters like mice and chipmunks have populations that spike related to food supply.) Maybe the ermine’s scent scared off some mice. We can hope, anyway. Tim found where the ermine was getting in but to fix the problem would mean a big project for me of taking down all of the books in the big bookcase and that was not something I could face. The ermine never returned, and I was happy it found its own way back out. A CHOIR OF MICE Years ago, soon after we were living here full-time, I wanted to start composting. We bought a heavy, re8
MAKING A HOME By the time May arrives I hear the distinctive song of the house wrens. They are chatterboxes for sure! The male builds nests in multiple places and the female chooses the one that suits her best. For several years one of the birdhouses made by my husband has been selected. I have watched as the female tosses out some sticks that don’t suit her. When she leaves, the male picks up the discarded sticks and in they go again. The female comes back and out they go for the second time. Finally the male catches on and the next time he brings some grass or hay. Success…she likes it! Once the babies are hatched there are endless trips to feed them. Their little heads pop out of the opening as they squawk, “Me, me, me!” I noticed that toward the end of the day the parents fly to the feeder and select seeds to bring them. When you’re tired, “take-out” is always the way to go. Rutland Magazine
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cycled plastic composter and got the compost base going with veggie scraps layered with oak leaves. Twenty-seven years later, it is still going strong and we must have composted thousands of pounds of scraps. Tim’s routine is to take out the little plastic bin of scraps from the kitchen to the compost every evening, usually after dark when he takes out the dogs. He wears his trusty headlamp on his hat, which leaves his hands free. We know critters like the compost. Our first English Shepherd, Schooner, about 75 pounds and tall, used to drive us nuts standing with his front paws on the bin and feasting. We suspect a bear knocked it over a few times because we found the bin had tumbled down the bank and rested by the lake. Tim ended that by pounding two by fours into the dirt by the lakeside corners, preventing it from tipping over. One night, though, a much smaller group of critters surprised Tim when he did his nightly run with scraps. As he bent down to dump in the new offering, his headlamp picked up a bevy of little eyes glowing in the light. It was a choir of mice interrupted in their evening dining. We joked that they chorused, “Thank you for dinner, Mr. Sink!” A BLACK BEAR DROPS BY I was in the kitchen one summer day last year at dusk when I looked out the window and saw a young black bear walking around the corner of the house. It continued the short distance to the road and proceeded out of sight behind the cars, then reappeared and headed up the short bank to our snowshoe path that heads up the mountain. I had rushed to the hall window to see the bear, and it turned to stare at the house. I called, “Hello, handsome!” and it regarded me momentarily before vanishing into the woods. This was one of those holy moments, come and gone in minutes and leaving me with the wonder of nature. What is clear from all of these stories is how nature’s critters light up our lives with challenges, awe and laughter. 10
SPECIALISTS IN CUTENESS When it comes to cuteness, bunnies are hard to beat. I was unaware that the female often digs a hole in the lawn for her chosen birthing spot. Finding that out while I was mowing the lawn almost caused an ankle injury. I was relieved when she selected one of my flower gardens the next year. I thanked her for that! As cute as bunnies are, they can destroy lettuce and carrots in no time flat. Even a three-foot fence doesn’t keep them out. My guess is that they are doing the bunny hop to get over. A six-foot deer fence may be our next purchase if we don’t want to share our bounty. SQUIRRELS LIVING LARGE Then there are the squirrels. Some people are annoyed by them and some people are amused. My cousin, Betty, is in the latter category. She decided to feed peanuts to them from her back porch. One day she didn’t put them out quite fast enough. The result was a hole in her screen door through which a squirrel entered and waltzed through her living room with its cheeks full of nuts. Sure enough, the squirrel had gotten into the peanut bag that was on the kitchen counter. I asked how she got the squirrel to leave. Her solution: a trail of peanuts out the door. One squirrel in particular was an over-achiever. Betty watched as it dragged a three-foot straw scarecrow up a large tree. Apparently the squirrel wanted it for its nest. Before too long she saw babies poking their heads out of the pieces of straw. Chipmunks are just as entertaining in autumn as they are in the spring. We have a cover over our pool in the cold months. Its nice flat surface collects the maple tree “helicopters” that abound in the fall. There are literally hundreds of them on the cover. Watching the chipmunks scour the surface and stuff their cheeks is like watching kids in a candy store. Apparently only certain “helicopters” meet the criteria that chipmunks require. They stash the ones they want in their cheeks until they look as if they have the mumps. Then they scurry off to transport their goodies to their cache. This is just a small sample of the free entertainment that is provided by the critters in our city backyards. Take some time to watch them and be amused! Mary Ellen Shaw is a graduate of Trinity College. She is the author of the book, “Kittenhood 101,” and is also a freelance writer for several publications.
Rutland Magazine
January 6, 2018. 8:30 am! It was -27!!
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LANDSCAPE MEETS The focus was a house the owners really wanted to live in ... and that dream is a reality.
LIFESTYLE BY CASSIE HORNER • PHOTOS BY TIM SINK
T
he distinctive mass of the house lounges on the site with expansive views of the mountains from Killington to Pico. The elegant combination of wood, stone and glass complements the natural world of woods and vistas. “We bought the house primarily for the views,” says the owner. “We feel part of the outdoors because there are so many windows.”
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A N I N N O VAT I V E R E N O VAT I O N
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The mountains continue to anchor the site, but the house has undergone a major renovation process that not only updated everything from heating systems to glass but tailored it to the character of the owners. At 7,400 square feet, it is spacious with room for a graceful curved staircase, fire pit off the living room, large kitchen, dining room with a gorgeous custommade table, exercise room, office, wine cellar and bar, entertainment area, and four bedrooms. At the same time, the house has a cozy, warm, lived-in feeling. The bright, beautiful wood of floors and walls, and the carefully chosen colors of paint are a huge part of this, along with the presence of the owners. “We wanted to create a home that reflects us: relaxed and comfortable,” the owner says. “We love the house. It is a fabulous place to live.” Spring 2018
The finished product reflects the dedication of the owners and builder Rick Moore of Moore Construction Company in Killington, collaborating to meet the goals and challenges of such a big project. The success of the working relationship between them is evident. “The reason the house came out so nice is because the owners were so involved,” comments Moore. “Collaboration and communication were paramount, on a daily basis, in achieving such a successful project
and meeting the clients expectations.” The owners observed, “We were very happy working with Rick. We would recommend him to anyone who needs work done. We are extremely happy the way the project turned out. We met so many good, skilled local craftspeople. We got 15
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everything we wanted.” The house, built in the early 1980s, had sat largely unattended for 12 years, resulting in an accumulation of necessary exterior maintenance. The owner, with his background in construction, directed the work on the decks, the roof and siding. “We were weekenders initially,” says the owner. “What you want out of a weekend house is different than for a permanent house. We didn't know what we wanted long-term at first but after living here we developed a list.” Some of the changes they wanted included installing an updated heating system to replace the antiquated one that didn’t evenly heat the house, reconfiguring the bedrooms and adding one, and opening up the living space. The project began in February 2015, eight years after the current owners purchased the house, with a conversation with architect Daniel Pratt of Robert Carl Williams Ar-
chitects, the firm that had originally designed the house. “The original design of the house in the 1980s featured round and curved elements that emulated a helicopter design for an owner who was a pilot,” says Pratt. “In the recent renovation, all of the 30-year-old interior materials were replaced with the greatest and newest technology and glass performance. The structural elements remained, but the redesign and rebuild met the needs and desires of the current owners. We worked with them to come up with ideas to breathe new life into the building. As the original architects we really appreciated the opportunity to help the new owners make it their home.” After several rounds of plans, the owners interviewed contractors. Moore developed an extensive estimate after spending hours assessing the house, and was hired. “The house was gutted completely,” says Moore. “It was open surgery for
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the entire project. The complete gutting of the house made it possible to modify the layout and to modernize the home to what the client desired and at the same time we were able to achieve up-to-date standards in heating, insulation, electrical and weather tightness. I found the complexities of the size and the scope of work of this project led to different considerations every day and ultimately brought the components of the project to fruition.� This intricate, collaborative process allowed for evaluation of the energy system that led to installation of a new energy-efficient heating and cooling system. A major problem in the existing house was the large amounts of glass in a sunny location that led to a warm/hot condition during the day with a significant cool-down at night, creating extensive condensation on the windows. The new system is based on radiant and hot air heat, complemented by 18
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new glass and new flooring. “The owner was very hands on,” Moore says. “He was here almost every day. He is a problem solver, and there were lots of problems to solve. This took a lot of time because there was a tremendous amount of detail.” A primary problem area in the old house was the kitchen. The owners, who like to cook and entertain, found it very poorly configured as a reverse triangle that made it inefficient to use. The previously mentioned heating system was the most significant change: 20-year-old forced hot air propane was inefficient and costly to operate. The house lacked storage space. “It was a huge house with no place to put anything,” the owner says. Another problem was that every bathroom had a round jacuzzi tub that no one wanted to use. A major component of the redesign was opening and reconfiguring 20
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the space to focus on the outside and the views. “We like to entertain. The house has been redesigned from our point of view of gathering in a relaxed space with family and friends,” the owner comments. To achieve the desired outcome turned out to be a major project. “We didn't expect so major a renovation,” the owner says. One of the challenges proved to be keeping the renovations in check. “It is easy to get out of control.” With a house characterized by huge amounts of glass, finding a company to handle that was imperative. The project also demanded the hiring of quality craftsmen to do the work to the level of the owners’ expectations. “Everybody fit the bill to a T,” the owner says. “It was a phenomenal crew. Everybody worked well together and respected each other.” A design challenge was the many round walls. This meant it was hard, Rutland Magazine
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for example, to get the trim to bend properly. It also took time to install the staircase. This was built offsite, then brought to the site in sections. Underlying the project was an awareness of aesthetically displeasing decor elements such as white, popcorn walls and teal carpet reflecting the 1980s era. The master bedroom’s small windows took no advantage of the mountain views. Completion of the project resulted in a lasting sense of accomplishment. “The end result met the goals of the project, including the satisfaction of the clients, and the feeling of accomplishment of the team of craftsmen and subcontractors who spent close to two years working on all of the custom enhancements,” says Moore. “There were also vast improvements in energy efficiency. The success of the re-creation of this house is apparent when you see the great pride experienced by everyone involved.” Pulling together all of the details,
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large and small, resulted in a house that is a work of art, yet comfortable for its inhabitants. The house is warm and welcoming, with lots of light, views and cozy corners. The size of the renovation project never caused the collaborators to lose sight of the goals. “The focus was a house we really want to live in,” says the owner. That dream is a reality.
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WE CAN
FIX IT!
A HOME MAINTENANCE COURSE FOR WOMEN
NEIGHBORWORKS OF WESTERN VERMONT PROGRAM
left to right: Margaret Theys, Elizabeth Eddy, Nanette Kirbach, Erica Zimmer, Sarah Greenspan, Bridget Scott, Christina Sweet, Mary Conrad, Mary Ann Welch, Katie Mcmurray, Jennifer Yakunovich, Marguerite Francescani, Heather Parker, Kristin Tuttle and Nanette Kirbach
BY SUSAN ORZELL-RANTANEN • PHOTOS BY TIM SINK 26
Rutland Magazine
W
e Can Fix It! A Home Maintenance Course for Women, is a pilot program consisting of three five-week courses presented in 2017-2018 by NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (NWWVT) in collaboration with BROC Community Action of Southwestern Vermont. This series was designed and is taught by LaborWorks Onsite Project Manager Morgan Over, largely in response to the growing number of single women purchasing homes. The curricula includes a
The final class tests the women on their knowledge of tools.
Spring 2018
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LaborWorks Onsite Project Manager Morgan Over demonstrates repair techniques at a house being rehabbed by the City of Rutland in a collaboration with various agencies.
heavy helping of learning, accompanied with a hefty portion of what can only be called “unlearning�. The result is graduates well equipped with new skill sets...and mind sets...to take responsibility for the common problems and tasks that crop up in the day-to-day life of a homeowner. On the first meet of the five-session course, each student peers with curiosity into her own new tote filled with about $150 worth of basic maintenance tools, including a hammer, a measuring tape, a triangle square, adjustable wrenches, a drywall saw, a caulking gun, a level, two sets of pliers, a utility knife, putty knives, and, of course, safety glasses. Over, a 20year veteran of the industry who cur28
Every student receives her own tote filled with basic maintenance tools.
Rutland Magazine
Students learn how to install door hardware.
Spring 2018
rently supervises construction sites for NeighborWorks, bases the course on Dare to Repair: A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home by Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet; the toolkit includes a copy of that, too. At the end of five weeks, the initially hesitant students have an easy familiarity with each tool and how to use it. The first We Can Fix It! lesson takes place in a traditional Rutland classroom provided by the BROC agency, from 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening, and consists of getting to know each other...these ten women who, together, are bravely launching out into unfamiliar waters...and what to expect from the series. Crucial to the We Can Fix It! curriculum are the onsite workshops that Over’s position as Onsite Project Manager for LaborWorks at NeighborWorks conveniently provides. In 2014 the City of Rutland was awarded a $1.25 million implementation grant through the State of Vermont’s Community Development Program. Partnering with agencies such as NWWVT and Rutland Redevelopment Authority, the City is in the midst of working with seven single-family residences in the northwest section of Rutland. Once rehabbed, these properties are marketed through the affordable home-buying programs at NWWVT. (“The first two sold to single women,” Over notes, underlining the genesis behind her brainchild, the We Can Fix It! course, and adding that affordability can quickly be eroded by the common maintenance required by any home.) But first, the houses need to be rehabilitated by the construction arm of NWWVT. Needless to say, they make real-life hands-on classrooms for the women in the We Can Fix It! courses. After the introductory meeting, subsequent lessons pry the women from the comfortable classroom at the BROC administrative building in 29
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downtown Rutland; they carpool to one of the NWWVT homes undergoing revitalization. This second class throws them together with leaky toilets, dripping faucets, clogged drains and other plumbing problems. Class Three covers simple electricity and, in Over’s words, takes the students from “terrified to cautious and educated” about fuse boxes, outlets, and wiring. Class Four brings the women, who are growing ever more confident, up close and personal with omnipresent dry wall and how to seamlessly patch the inevitable holes that occur in it. Class Five revolves around installing windows and doors as wear compromises the fixtures’ usefulness, and includes a review of the now-complete home maintenance course. This includes a satisfied jolt as the now-seasoned attendees realize that the course on basic home repair was more in-depth than they had foreseen. They are walking away with knowledge that equips them to maintain a dwelling without the expense of hiring outside help for unexpected “disasters” that chip mercilessly away at a budget. Yet, excited as they are over the new skill set under their belts, students downplay the obvious. A group of classmates, asked “What have you gotten out of this class so far?”, answer in a chorus of “Confidence! Courage! Safe space!” Over translates this to the bottom line. “The course empowers women... makes it comfortable and safe to learn this knowledge. We debunk the cultural stereotype...take away the fear...that women are not naturally suited to this type of work.” Students are encouraged to trouble-shoot the homerepair problems in their own houses as they traverse the course, thinking through situations that they have been taught by society are not intuitive to them.“Women all over the world have broken glass ceilings in all fields...but not in fixing the home. There remains an underlying fear. It Rutland Magazine
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“I’m a single parent. My ex-husband was very handy and I never worried about things like this so it all seemed intimidating and foreign. I had to overcome that. And it’s working! I’m already doing little projects myself. As soon as class is over we get to take our toolkits home!” —Katie “After 28 years of marriage my husband admits I’m handier than he is, but I would never go near electricity. Now I’m not afraid. Also, I’m starting a Women’s Healthy Living Program through my work and I was checking this out to see if it was book learning or really handson, which it is. I even thought I might be in over my head at first, but I don’t feel at all like that now.” —Maggie
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“I’m married but there may be a day when there’s not someone around. I want my girls to know that Mom can do it too!” —Christina “I just bought my first house. I live by myself and I have to do everything, so I took this course to make sure I could do it right!” —Erica “As a single homeowner I want to know what needs to be fixed and how, so if I hire people to come in and do work I’ll know what they’re doing.” —Jennifer Rutland Magazine
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doesn’t have to be that way. Women just need to let go of stereotypes and gain confidence,” Over reiterates. The women agree that an added bonus is new-found savvy: nobody can take advantage of a homeowner who knows the vocabulary of home systems and how they work. Teaching methods range from light-hearted easy-to-remember tips (“righty-tighty, lefty loosey”) to the thoughtful analysis of troubleshooting to down-and-dirty hands-on experience. Over obviously loves the industry and enjoys teaching. Trusting her companionable style, the women quickly lose any feeling of being over their heads in unfamiliar and intimidating seas. On the practicum job sites, the women forge an easy camaraderie, ready to laugh at the inevitable mistakes — especially their own — and eager to turn into an impromptu cheering squad when someone’s hesitant effort produces admirable results. They are also keenly attentive, with concentration as focused as any group of students taught by college professors. The pilot We Can Fix It! ends with the Spring, 2018 course, at which Spring 2018
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time, Over explains, “We may have to look at the financial model going forward.� Slots on the experimental program filled up quickly, with spillage resulting in waiting lists for subsequent courses. For information call NWWVT at (802) 438-2303 or visit www.nwwvt.org. Susan Orzell-Rantanen has worked as an editor and freelance writer in the Rutland area for the past 41 years. A seventh generation Vermonter, she holds degrees in animal husbandry and journalism. She lives in Rutland with her husband, two badly spoiled dogs and an opinionated cat.
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ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY PAUL POST
“ It’s just part of the heart of the town and it’s fun ... "
top to bottom Chris Dufresne serves maple treats during the Middletown Springs Maple Festival; old maple cans are on display; early settlers made maple sugar using a large cast iron kettle over an open fire; Rocco James Filloramo relishes cotton candy. 36
Rutland Magazine
T
hroughout Vermont, maple sugaring season ushers in spring with a sweet taste treat people look forward to throughout the year. In Middletown Springs it’s that and much more, a bond that holds this community of 745 residents together while preserving more than 250 years of rich cultural heritage. An annual Maple Festival, hosted by Middletown Springs Historical Society, is one of the group’s main fundraisers for fulfilling its goal of honoring the past, for future generations to enjoy. “It’s just part of the heart of the town and it’s fun to do,” said volunteer Fred Bradley. Using a large cast iron kettle over an open fire, he demonstrates how early settlers made maple sugar. “They would have had some way of getting sap out of the tree, collecting it in glass, tin or some other container,” he said. “Then they’d boil and boil and boil. In the end, when it got almost really burned down, they would take it off the fire, scrape out the bottom and then they would just have sugar, not syrup but crystallized sugar, for home use so they wouldn’t have to buy it.” This year’s festival, on Sunday, March 18 from 1pm - 4pm, is the 30th annual. “I think ours is the second oldest in Vermont, next to Whitingham,” said David Wright, event co-organizer. On Father’s Day each year, the historical society also hosts a wellattended Strawberry Festival, which includes a crafts fair featuring everything from pottery and photography to homespun articles made by skilled local residents. Both festivals are held at the historical society headquarters on the town green, a building previously known as the Adams House, for summer boarders, whose oldest section dates to about 1800. In years gone by, the spacious upstairs once doubled as an auditorium and gymnasium for local school kids. Today, it houses a permanent exhibit
Spring 2018
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of Middletown Springs’ timeline, from 1761 forward. In the late 19th century, hundreds of summer guests would stay at the luxurious Montvert Hotel. “It was a destination for people from as far away as New York City and Boston,” Wright said. “They often stayed for the entire season, from the end of June to the beginning of September. They’d come by train to Poultney and then take a carriage to Middletown.” It was at the height of this era, in 1885, that “Springs” was added to Middletown, officially changing the name in recognition of the healing mineral springs responsible for the town’s fame and prosperity. In 1969, the Historical Society built nearby Mineral Springs Park, a quiet peaceful setting with interpretive signage that explains the growth of this once thriving local industry. So, while sampling delicious maple desserts, buying syrup from local producer Ryan Mahar, or listening to lively music by Paul Morgan and Friends, festivalgoers are also contributing to the Historical Society’s extremely important mission. 38
Ryan Mahar runs Mahar Maple Farm with his wife, Ann Marie.
Rutland Magazine
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A large silent auction, with more than 50 donated items, contributes to the fundraising total. Some people give items such as an antique clock, a beautiful scenic photo or a gift basket filled with goodies. Others donate their talents such as a fly-tying lesson by Patrick Feeley, or two-hours worth of baseball instruction by Kevin Eaton. The diversity of gifts shows the wide-ranging community spirit behind the festival. Countless volunteers lend time and energy to make the event possible. In the kitchen, adult servers such as Kathy Feeley, Pat Hemenway and Alice Hoisington show girls how to make cotton candy and prepare dishes loaded down with cupcakes, pies and cookies. Others pour fresh syrup over bowls of vanilla ice cream. Festivalgoers can also try unique culinary creations such as chunky maple veggie chili. At last year’s festival, local resident Kate Bouchard couldn’t help smiling as she watched her 3-year-old grandson, Rocco James Filloramo, devour a big mouthful of puffy maple cotton candy. “His mom and dad are moving here in June,” Bouchard said. “His dad is a magnificent chef in a restaurant in Brooklyn. Rocco’s mother, my daughter, is part of Theater in the Woods here. They’re Rutland Magazine
rehearsing today, so Rocco and I are hanging out at the Maple Festival.” Rutland resident and Pittsford Historical Society President Bill Powers showed up to enjoy maple products, and because his family history is deeply entwined in Middletown Springs. “My ancestors were three Irish immigrants, brothers John, James and Jeffrey Powers,” he said. “My grandfather, Eugene Powers, was the last of John Powers’s 13 children. I don’t know what brought them to Rutland County. I believe the famine in Ireland forced them out. I’ve been to Ireland and visited the homestead they left in 1850, in County Cork.” Of course, no Maple Festival would be complete without a presentation highlighting how the maple industry has changed throughout the years. Mahar, who runs Mahar Maple Farm with his wife, Ann Marie, and their children, Annabelle and Philip, described this in detail with co-organizer David Wright. Their talk was U OWNaided AN by ANNUITY? dozens of old tools, books and antique containers whose exteriors show how maple was made the old-fashioned way, trudging through snow to collect sap from buckets, before the advent of modern tubing systems. w, and get the information “This is the first lithographic can d, make an informed about from the 1950s,”decision said Wright, holdancial future ing up a colorful old syrup container. our free “Before that it was just a tin with a FIDENTIAL POLICY paper ANNUITY label.”
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clockwise from top: Kathy Feeley with left to right Kallie Haynes, Annabelle Mahar and Bailey Hier; Rose Tarbell left with Alice Hosington right; Pat Hemenway left Veronica Thornton right; John Carter makes maple cotton candy.
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Mahar, who taps 3,000 trees, started making maple locally about 15 years ago. Although small in comparison to some operations, there’s no questioning his products’ quality. The farm’s maple sugar won a blue ribbon at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland, and its maple cream took secondplace honors. “There’s an art to making maple cream,” Mahar said. “The key is to make it as smooth as butter. It definitely takes a lot of practice and trials before you get the recipe down just right. Everything we make is all handspun as opposed to having machines do it for you. That’s what makes it exceptionally creamy and tasty.” But the proudest festivalgoer of all was Ernie Clerihew, of Pittsford, who showed up with a week-old lamb named “Miracle” that pranced around
on wobbly legs. “His mother was ignoring him. I found him at night, curled up, hardly breathing. I started giving him three feedings per day with a tube. Now here he is,” Clerihew said, smiling. A success story to be sure, like the Maple Festival itself and the Historical Society that puts it on. For more information about the Society, including its June Strawberry Festival, go to: www. middletownspringshistoricalsociety. org or call (802) 235-2376. Paul Post is a reporter for The Saratogian newspaper in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. where his work has been recognized in many state and nationwide contests. He also does extensive freelance writing for a variety of sports, business, regional and agricultural publications and he has written three books. Rutland Magazine
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Besides diverting runoffs from entering our waterways, rain gardens provide valuable habitat for birds, butterflies and many beneficial insects.
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Rutland Magazine
RAIN GARDENS
PUTTING WATER TO WORK BY MARY ELLEN SHAW PHOTOS BY CASSIE HORNER & TIM SINK
Spring 2018
W
hat is the purpose of a rain garden and how do you create one? The main purpose of a rain garden is to collect the runoff from roofs, yards, sidewalks or any impervious surface and prevent it from washing into our water systems. As runoff travels to local water, it picks up pesticides, pet waste and other pollutants along the way. 45
"Oculus", a marble sculpture by Rick Rothrock, complements the rain garden landscape.
photo provided by the rutland natural resources conservation district
Another reason for creating a rain garden is to prevent soil erosion on your property. Locating the garden in the proper spot will determine how effective it is. For best results, the size of the garden should be compatible with the size of the area from which the rain is running off. The recommended depth of the garden depends on the slope of the terrain. 46
As I researched this topic I quickly learned that putting all the factors together for a “perfect” rain garden is a rather complex process. However, if you create one on fairly level ground it’s quite easy. Building one on a rather steep slope is a little more complex as you need to figure the percentage of the slope in order to determine the proper depth of the garden. (See sidebar for details.)
For an average gardener, like me, reading the words of Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor Emeritus at University of Vermont, convinced me that it’s worth constructing a rain garden since he feels that any size rain garden will help the environment. Following the recommended guidelines will make it more effective. The first step in establishing a rain garden is to determine its location. Rutland Magazine
Beautiful stonework accents the rain garden design at Pine Hill Park in Rutland.
You should place the garden at least 10 feet from your house if you are collecting roof runoff. This will prevent water from seeping into the foundation. The garden should not be directly over a septic system. It is best to create the rain garden in a location that gets full to partial sun. If the source of water for your rain garden comes from your roof downspouts, you need to figure out a way Spring 2018
to get it to the garden. This can be achieved with a swale (stone or river rock pathway), gutter extension, or a PVC pipe. If you choose to bury the pipe, call 811 to find out if there are underground utilities in the section where you want to dig. A simple drainage test should be done in the location where you plan to have your garden. Dig a hole that is six to eight inches deep and fill it
with water. Within 12 hours the water should have completely drained from the hole. If it has not, you should select another location for your garden. Once you choose the best site, the depth and percentage chart shown in the sidebar will guide you through building it on sloping terrain. Be prepared to add soil at the downhill end in order to have a level base. You will also need a berm (raised edge) at 47
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the lower end to increase the holding power. The height of the berm should be level with the uphill side of the garden so that the perimeter will be the same height all the way around. The dirt that you dug up at the top end can be used for your berm. Since the experts say that any size rain garden is helpful, you may want to keep it simple and not deal with math and percentages. In this case you can dig a garden that is about six inches deep, in a fairly flat area, and level off the bottom. This will still be very effective in collecting runoff. As long as you chose a location with good drainage, a berm will hold in the water and allow it to soak in slowly. Soil type is also a factor when it comes to water infiltration. Sandy soil absorbs the water faster than clay soil. If your soil is clay you will need a larger garden area as it will take longer to drain. I checked in with Keith and Cindi Wight whose Rutland home had a problem with water runoff. Cindi
said Keith was “the brains” behind their project so I asked him to share with me his method of designing the garden. He explained, “I used The Vermont Rain Garden Manual from the UVM Extension Service as a guide. I roughly calculated the water volume, but the size was dictated more by the available space. I ended up with a deeper garden and a long swale running along the north side of the house. The water now drains out to the back yard and doesn’t reach the house anymore.” He rented a small backhoe for the bulk of the digging and did the shaping by hand. The bonus was that some of the excavated dirt made a nicely terraced garden on the south side of their house. A sailboat filled with flowers on one end of the garden is a reminder that it could have “sailed” in their yard at one time! The Wights are now living in the Burlington area so the new homeowners will reap the benefits of Keith’s labor. Once you have the technicalities sorted out and your garden dug, the Rutland Magazine
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fun begins: choosing the layout and the plants. Because rain gardens are basically “bowl-shaped”, plants that can tolerate drier conditions belong on the upper section of the garden. Those that don’t mind getting their feet wet can be placed in the flat inner portion. Adding some curves to the garden makes it more appealing to the eye. It’s wise to amend your garden soil before planting with two to three inches of compost before planting. Mix it in well with the existing soil. If your garden gets a lot of sun, the following plants are good choices: iris, liatris, butterfly plant, day lily, sedum, mallow, coreopsis, hibiscus and aster. Certain ferns, such as cinnamon ferns, and sedges, (they resemble grass), will also work well. Select plants that will come into bloom at different times, giving seasonal interest to your garden. Also if your garden is visible from all angles, the taller plants should be in the center and your shorter plants on the outside. Those plants suitable for drier conditions should be on the outer edges as that area will dry out faster. Lavender, sage, bleeding heart and artemisia (popular for its silvery foliage) are good choices for the rim of your garden. To give you an idea of the number of plants you will need, a 5’x10’ (50 square feet) garden requires about 19 plants. A 100-square-foot garden will need double the number of plants. If your garden is partially shaded, purple foxglove, hyssop, lady’s mantle, astilbe and hosta will work well. If you create a large rain garden, shrubs can also be incorporated into it. Options such as winterberry holly (up to eight feet tall, male and female will be needed for berries, sun to part shade), red chokeberry (six to eight feet tall, sun) and black chokeberry (six feet tall, sun to Rutland Magazine
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A rain garden at a house in Rutland combines beautiful flora with a practical solution to runoff problems.
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part shade). The leaves will fall off all these bushes in autumn but the berries will remain for a nice winter effect. Unfortunately, birds won’t be attracted to the berries because they are tart. The perennial flowers and bushes not only beautify the garden but their roots make channels for the water to infiltrate the soil. When you have finished planting your garden, it’s recommended that you apply two to three inches of shredded hardwood mulch. This will help to keep the drier area of the garden moist and to keep the weeds out. You wouldn’t want to use wood chips as they would float away from the force of the rain. During the first year you will need to keep the garden watered when Mother Nature doesn’t provide enough rain. Once the plants get established, they won’t require as much attention. Besides diverting runoffs from entering our waterways, rain gardens provide valuable habitat for birds, butterflies and many beneficial insects. Happy planting! Rutland Magazine
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FIGURING THE SLOPE PERCENTAGE Put one stake in the uphill end and one stake in the downhill end. Tie a string to the bottom of the uphill stake and run the string to the downhill stake. Make the string level and tie it to the downhill stake at that height. Measure the distance in inches between the two stakes. This is the WIDTH. Measure the distance in inches on the downhill stake between the ground and the string. This is the HEIGHT. Divide the height by the width and multiply by 100. For example a height of 9” divided by a width of 180” x 100 = 5% slope. If your percentage is over 12% it’s best to find another location. FIGURING GARDEN DEPTH • If the slope is less than 4%, a 3- to 5-inch-deep rain garden is recommended. • If the slope is between 5% and 7%, make it 6 to 7 inches deep. • If the slope is between 8% and 12%, the depth should be about 8 inches deep.
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FIGURING GARDEN SIZE FOR RUNOFFS FROM DOWNSPOUT As an example – water flowing from the roof of a 2,400-square- foot ranch house – with a downspout on each corner - the garden size should be about 100 square feet (10’x10’). Spring 2018
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A canoeist enjoys a sunrise paddle on the flooded Otter Creek in Brandon, Vermont. 56
Rutland Magazine
PHOTO ESSAY BY CALEB KENNA
Spring 2018
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A fire helps set the mood in Brandon, Vermont.
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Rutland Magazine
Cars travel along Route 73 next to Otter Creek in Brandon.
Since the summer days of my Canadian childhood, I have loved to canoe across the dark mirror of northern lakes, paddling with an inside flick of the blade, leaving a trail of twisting whirlpools in my wake. Rory MacLean
W
hen the winter snows melt down the Green Mountains in springtime, water floods low-lying riverside cornfields, providing an unique way to view Vermont’s landscapes. Equipped with a paddle, life vest and canoe or kayak, you can get to places normally dry and full
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Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. Everyone must believe in something. I believe I’ll go canoeing. Henry David Thoreau
of vegetation. As the spring sun slowly transforms the land from dull brown to bright green, paddlers get a new perspective on landscapes most often traveled by car. Along Otter Creek in Brandon and Salisbury, this springtime access is best. In Pittsford, you can pass right under the Hammond Covered Bridge, which was built in 1842. You can explore the Pomainville Wildlife Management Area, a 360-acre parcel along the banks of Otter Creek. You can hear the sounds of spring birds coming back to life. A little later in the season, you can rise before dawn in Mount Holly, take a sunrise paddle on above Sunset clouds frame the water at Lake Ninevah in Mount Holly, Vermont. below A woman kayaking experiences the flooded farm fields in rhe Pomainville Wildlife Management Area along Otter Creek in Pittsford, Vermont.
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Lake Ninevah, get lucky and see a pair of loons while enjoying a view of Okemo Mountain. Fern Lake in Leicester offers quiet paddling on a lake without fast motorboats. Just outside Brandon, you can paddle amongst dead trees that evoke a much wilder landscape than the Green Mountains. And for the more adventurous, you can head further south to Grout Pond in Stratton, where you can paddle in to quiet campsites and greet a new day in the Green Mountain National Forest. From spring until late fall, paddling Vermont’s water bodies provides a magical way to get close to great light, landscapes and wildlife. Rutland Magazine
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a l l a b o u t the arts
above: Emily Wheelock Reed (played by Jean Tafler) confronts Alabama State Senator E.W. Higgins (based on the real senator of the time, Senator E.O. Eddins who persecuted her and tried to legislate
ALABAMA STORY
her out of her job). He is played by Andy
BY SANDRA STILLMAN GARTNER
Prosky in the production by Florida Studio
PHOTOS BY MATTHEW HOLLER
Theatre in Sarasota. 64
Rutland Magazine
T Dr. Emily Wheelock Reed, Director of the Alabama Public Library Service Division (also a resident of Newfane, Vermont)
Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre in Rutland presents Alabama Story April 26 – 28 at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at 2 p.m. May 3 to 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Spring 2018
he award-winning and gripping drama Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones will have its Vermont premiere when it’s presented this Spring 2018 by Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre (ART) of Rutland. The play was a finalist in the 2014 National Playwrights’ Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. Since its world premiere in 2015, Alabama Story has been seen across the country and during the 2017-2018 season, will have at least six regional productions, including the Vermont premiere. The play is based on the book The Rabbits' Wedding by Garth Williams. The book became the center of controversy in 1959 between Emily Wheelock Reed, Director of the Alabama Public Library Service Division (also a resident of Newfane, Vermont) and the enraged Alabama segregationists, who wanted it banned. The publication of the book coincided with controversy over civil rights and segregation. The U.S. Supreme Court had declared segregation in public schools as unconstitutional and civil rights activists were pressing for equal rights in other areas of life. In Alabama and other southern states, resistance by segregationists was fierce. In the play, Alabama Story, the theme of racial equality and freedom to read seems timeless, even though the incident had taken place in the late 1950’s. In 1959, the American Library Association in Chicago included in their suggested reading list, The Rabbits' Wedding. Williams was a modern classicist and illustrated wellknown books such as Stuart Little and Anne of Green Gables. The book describes a moonlit wedding between a black rabbit and a white rabbit surrounded by their woodland friends. The book’s intended audience was children aged three to seven Playwright Kenneth Jones with The Rabbits' Wedding, years old. The segregationists the Garth Williams book that inspired the play Alabama Story. photo alex weisman saw it as promoting interracial marriage. Williams said the book had no political significance and he was “completely unaware that animals with white fur, such as white polar bears and white dogs and white rabbits were considered blood relations of white human beings.” Williams’s only goal was to promote love, caring and support through his children’s story.
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The director for the spring production of Alabama Story is Gary
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Especially in this particular cultural and political climate, we all need to be reminded freedom isn’t automatic for everyone. The struggle for civil rights continues on. The Alabama Story is an example of how one brave woman made a difference in her struggle to protect other people’s rights as equal human beings.” Tickets can be purchased at the Paramount Box Office, prior to the performance or online at www.ParamountVT.org.
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Thomas Franklin (played by Danny Bernardy) is a fictional character in the role of Emily Reed's assistant.
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Playwright Kenneth Jones portrays the story of the 1959 struggle for civil rights in Alabama Story. Jones, who lives and works in New York City, learned about the censorship fight when he came across Reed’s 2000 obituary in The New York Times. “The story of how Reed was persecuted by this council leaped out at me as a tale filled with drama, ripe for dramatizing. She wanted to protect books and was for the embracement of ideas, while others supported the suppression of ideas and limited access,� he said. Jones did extensive research and interviews and then wrote the play based on Reed’s fight against the conservative politicians in 1959. Jones was a theater journalist for 27 years, while he also wrote musicals and plays on the side for 13 years. He quit journalism in 2013 and was lucky enough to have Alabama Story picked up for development right after he left. Jones said, “Good chunks of the play use actual words Emily and Senator Eddins (Higgins in the play) spoke, as reported in newspapers.� The play is a work of fiction inspired by true events.
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Reed eventually won her fight against State Senator E.O. Eddins of Marengo County, who led the challenge against William’s book urged on by the White Citizens’ Council and its newspaper The Montgomery Home News. She said at the time, “Personally, I always liked the book. We have had difficulty with the book...but we have not lost our integrity. I am interested in seeing the library division grow and expand, and we had to make a choice. Because of the aroused feelings to stop peddling the book…we put it on the reserve shelf.” Later in 1959, Reed came under fire again for including on a state-distributed reading list Stride to Freedom by Martin Luther King about the bus boycott in Alabama. Reed had a strong connection to Vermont. In 1970, she and her sister were left a summer house in Newfane along with a modest life income by her Aunt Winifred. Reed spent many summers in her Newfane home entertaining friends, attending Marlboro Music Festival, gardening and enjoying the beauty of the Green Mountain State. After she retired from her last library post in 1977, Reed moved full-time to Vermont. She called those 12 years, the “best ones of her life.” WhenReed passed, she was living at a retirement community in Cockeysville, Maryland. Besides the obituary in The New York Times, Reed was honored by having her obituary appear in Jet magazine, an American weekly marketed toward AfricanAmerican readers. Prior to her death, Reed was selected by the Freedom to Read Foundation as the recipient of a scroll of honor for the year 2000. Her nephew Jack Reed accepted the award on his aunt’s behalf because she was very ill at the time. Reed had by then purchased the home in Newfane from his Aunt Emily, where he still summers with his partner Ginny. Jack Reed recalled his Aunt Emily's fight 68
above: Joshua Moore (played by Chris White) is
against the state assembly of Alabama. He said, “My Aunt Emily and I got along well, because we shared the same beliefs and politics. She was a proper woman, with a code of ethics that embraced people of all races and helped to promote their right to read and be considered equals. Emily was highly courageous, standing up for what she believed to be right.”
reunited in adulthood with his childhood friend, Lily Whitfield (played by Rachel Moulton). These are fictional characters created for the drama, which mixes real and imagined characters. A fictional parallel plot in Alabama Story involves these two childhood friends who reunite in adulthood the same year that the book controversy is happening. It is meant to show the personal side of the political issues talked about in the play. The characters of Lily and Joshua become metaphors for the black rabbit and the white rabbit.
A former editorial assistant at Glamour Magazine, Sandra Stillman Gartner’s articles have been published in such periodicals as Lady’s Circle and Yankee. She is a published poet and screenplay writer, and is one of three producing directors of Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre and performs on stage, television and in film. Rutland Magazine
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time travels
SHREWSBURY’S RARE
JOHNSON PIPE ORGAN ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KAREN D. LORENTZ BY KAREN D. LORENTZ
While Kevin Mathieu plays, Andrew Hagberg can be seen through the facade of non-speaking pipes, turning each pipe.
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Rutland Magazine
F
ew things in Shrewsbury are as rare — or sound as beautiful — as the 150-year-old Johnson Opus 235 pipe organ. Located at the Shrewsbury Community Church, it is a magnificent example of 19thcentury craftmanship, and, thanks to meticulous care, is the oldest known unaltered Johnson pipe organ still played in a Vermont church today. An unaltered pipe organ works as built and installed; changes that “alter” it include putting in electric stop action (as opposed to tracker stop action) or The congregation sings Christmas hymns. adding stops. In 1972 the national Organ Historical Society (OHS) cited the Opus 235 as “an instrument of exceptional historic merit worthy of preservation” — one of only 120 organs nationwide to receive this designation. It was played as part of their tour and program in Vermont that year. The organ was also featured as one of a dozen organs of special merit on a 1988 Johnson Organ Documentary recording and was played by nationally renowned organist Susan Armstrong. Of the 860 Johnson organs built, only 60 survived as of 1988. The Opus 235 was one of about 35 unaltered Johnson pipe organs in existence in the United States at that time, and also one of four or five unaltered Johnson organs in Vermont, according to Rene Pollock, a church member who researched the Shrewsbury organ when she chaired the Organ Task Force. Today, of the 26 Johnson organs originally installed in Vermont churches, ten were relocated or “parted out,” six were altered/rebuilt, and seven are of unknown status, according to the OHS Data-
Spring 2018
base. The Rupert United Methodist Church has a documented unaltered Johnson Opus 629 (1884) still played for church services. The Middlebury Congregational Church Johnson Opus 131 was installed in 1862 and is still played, but OHS lists its condition as unknown. However, Steve Russell, proprietor of Russell & Co. Organ Builders, maintains the organ and said it has been “altered multiple times.” Shrewsbury’s Opus 235 was built by William A. Johnson of Westfield, Massachusetts, and installed in 1867. Johnson, who was highly regarded for the beautiful sound of his tracker organs, specifically voiced the Opus 235 for the acoustics of the upper story of Shrewsbury’s Meeting House — now the sanctuary of the Shrewsbury Community Church. MAINTAINING A TREASURE As the result of the 137-year-old leathers deteriorating, major repairs were needed in 2004. “The taping of the air reservoir was no longer possible. The church was warned that when the reservoir gave out, the organ would cease to function,” church member Donna Smith recalled. The fact that the organ belongs to the town — it was gifted to the town by former resident Henry Smith with the stipulation that it be played for “whatever Religious Society held services in the Meeting House” — and that the repair work did not alter its rare original condition worked to the advantage of the Organ Task Force which raised $20,000 to preserve the town treasure.
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In October 2004, the reservoir and feeders for the hand pump were removed and taken to the Andover Organ Company’s shop in Methuen, Massachusetts. The company, which was founded in 1948, has maintained and preserved many 19th-century American organs. Their artisans also build historically informed new instruments which inspire players and listeners; in 1959 Andover built one of the first new tracker organs made by a U.S. firm since the 1930s. That expertise proved fortuitous for Shrewsbury as the View of the linkage and some of the reservoir. company’s craftsmen spent over 100 hours releathering the reservoir and feeders, using Newton has since retired, but the naturally tanned leather from goats current technicians who maintain or sheep supplied by the Columbia and tune the organ note it can be kept Leather Company. going indefinitely. They glued the leather to the “We can make any of the parts needwooden frame, and the reservoir was ed with the exception of the electric reinstalled by Robert Newton, who motor for the blower which supplies maintained and tuned the organ for air to the reservoir,” explained Kevin over 40 years. He also fixed a leaky Mathieu, who with Andrew Hagberg duct so that the hand pump could be performed the annual maintenance of used once again to supply air to the the organ last November. reservoir. Assisted by an apprentice, Both are experienced technicians Newton got the pump and organ and organists who tune the organ by working in time for a well-attended ear. “There is no pitch-pipe tuning as celebratory concert. with a piano,” Mathieu said, explain-
left to right Rev. Robert Boutwell, Julanne Sharrow, Karen and John Lorentz, Judy Webster, Grace Korzun, Rita Lane (at organ), Sue Kelley, and Roxanne Ramah. photo lynette over 72
ing that they “match the notes to the sound of the organ itself.” Noting its rare original condition, Hagberg explained that organs were originally built in shops. When sold, they were taken apart in sections that could be carried by two men, loaded onto horse-drawn wagons, and put back together in the organ’s new home using only screwdrivers and pliers. Shrewsbury’s organ was updated with an electric blower in the 1950s, but Mathieu observed that it still can be played by hand pumping, which moves air into the reservoir, provided someone has the strength and stamina to do it! As the technicians removed the back panels of the organ’s case along with some of the large wooden box pipes, Hagberg pointed out the masking tape that covers cracks. It has been holding well due to its adhesive being better than that of duct tape, he noted. Inside the case that surrounds the organ’s parts are hundreds of pipes of all sizes and wooden tracker mechanisms. As Mathieu played each scale, Hagberg shined his light on the various pipes and reached in to tune them. Rutland Magazine
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ORGAN’S WORKINGS The Opus 235 is a one manual (keyboard) organ with 58 notes. It is a tracker organ, which means that when the keys are depressed, they move long wood linkages. (Before electricity, all organs used trackers to connect the keys to the pipes.) PHOTO The linkages operate valves that allow the air within a windchest to move into note channels located beneath the various pipes. A slider mechanism, which is operated by the opening of the “stops” (knobs) on the organ, selects which set, or “rank,” of pipes will receive air. The stops on the Opus 235 have different sounds that range from high flutelike strains to booming bass notes. One stop is marked Pumper. Pulling it makes a knocking sound that was used to alert the pumper to resume action should he have fallen asleep or become inattentive! Photo There are also foot pedals (20 notes) which function as a keyboard for the feet and move the tracker mechanism. A swell pedal opens a set of louvers within the console, making the sound louder. The electric blower, which is located in the back room in an adjacent compartment, sends air into the reservoir, which resembles a bellows that expands and contracts as it feeds air to the windchest. Phto. Some of the organ’s 494 pipes are four-sided wood boxes which range in size from two to eight feet and make the sounds of the lower notes. Other pipes are metal. The smallest is about Close-up of a pipe the size of a pencil and the largest is eight feet. They make the middle range and high note sounds. The sounds emitted come from the vibrations of 74
the air within the pipes. The pipe’s material, construction, and length of the air column all influence its sound. There is a fuller and louder sound when the organist ‘pulls out all the stops’ as more pipes receive air and emit sound. Dorothy Rice, one of the church’s organists, explained that organists choose which stops they will use “depending on the spirit of the piece they are playing. The stops are not indicated in the music but depend on the sounds of that particular organ and the creativity of the musician. Playing the same piece with different stops can make it feel and sound totally different,” she noted. Organist Rita Lane commented, “When my hands and feet are playing that instrument, I feel like the vibrations of the universe are singing through me. The organ and I are one. I am the facilitator for the voices of our ancestors to sing through the pipes.” Preserving the organ for future generations continues that connection, not only for its role in Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, and memorial services, but also for various fundraising concerts and other gatherings like the community Christmas Eve service. On these special occasions, the sanctuary overflows with residents and guests who come together to celebrate and connect. And when all the stops are pulled out for Joy to the World or Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, this historical instrument sings out its lasting musical legacy. Readers are invited to enjoy this masterpiece of craftsmanship and sound at Sunday services at 10:30 and at a special concert this spring.
Using a long tuning tool, he was able to move a metal sleeve, or tuning collar, up to lengthen a pipe and make the pitch lower or down to make the pipe shorter and higher in pitch. In the case of a G sharp Oboe, Hagberg removed the pipe and noted that unlike the rest of the pipes, the oboe does not work like a whistle but rather as a reed instrument. Its sound comes from the vibration of a brass tongue. Locating the problem, Hagberg removed the dead fly that had caused the sour note. It’s not uncommon to find dead animals in an organ, particularly mice, he noted. Rutland Magazine
Hagberg polished the brass tongue by rubbing it with a $20 dollar bill! “Twenties work better because they are handled less frequently than smaller denominations,” he said, adding he goes to the bank for “crisp twenties” before tuning assignments. With the tuning complete, Mathieu paid homage to the organ’s wonderful musical legacy as he filled the sanctuary with a glorious rendition of All Creatures of Our God and King. Karen Lorentz is a freelance writer, ski historian, author, and treasurer of the Shrewsbury Community Church. Spring 2018
above: View of the pipes in the organ case left: Andrew Hagberg holds a pipe. 75
stepping into nature
COSTA RICA A BIRDER’S PARADISE ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SUE WETMORE
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“W
Lesson's Motmot
Spring 2018
ho wants to go to Costa Rica?” was the question I posed at a Rutland County Audubon board meeting. Immediately hands were raised and our group was formed. Thus the dream of heading to the tropics was becoming a reality. This trip in 2013 was our first introduction to the tropical rain forest, and we saw or heard 340 species. Four years later, in 2017, we were on our way again, flying back to San José. This time our route would be down the Pacific coast then up into the Talamanca Mountains. Costa Rica is a small country about the size of New Hampshire and Massachusetts combined and is located just north of Panama. It has the distinction of two seacoasts, the Caribbean on the east and the Pacific to the west. Three mountain chains run nearly the entire length of the country. The highest peak is Chirripo at 12,529 feet and active volcanoes are part of these mountains. Costa Rica hosts 918 species of birds compared to all of North America, which has 914. Of the 918 species, 25 percent of “our” birds winter there. With such dizzying numbers of birds we highly anticipated the upcoming tour. In 2013, on advice from a friend, I contacted Costa Rica Gateway, a travel company that organized both of our tours. Looking at the field guide presented a mind-boggling list of birds, many that looked very similar. How glad we were on our first trip to have Ernesto Carman as our guide to sort out and find them for us. All too soon our 2013 adventure was over but we had seen or heard 340 species. Our guide in 2017 was Vernon Campos. Our bus, with driver William, and Vernon arrived to pick us up and off we went to the Pacific lowlands. Heat and humidity were the conditions for this area. However 77
left to right Larry & Marsha Booker, Mary Lou Webster, Sue Wetmore, Anne Green, Marv and Sue Elliott , Connie Youngstrom and guide, Ernesto Carman
the birds more than made up for the discomfort. Birding along the way we stopped for a special bird, a lesser ground cuckoo. The bird finally appeared and we all dubbed it the Cleopatra bird due to its eye make-up. We arrived at Villa Lapas, a lodge that once again offered birding on site. We were up early the next morning for a walk along a small stream. Vernon was superb at finding birds that were hidden in the lush vegetation. After breakfast it was off to Carara National Park. There, high in a tree, a pair of scarlet macaws sat at the entrance to their nest site, preening each other. Trogons, flycatchers, hawks and a lovely pearl kite were some of the memorable finds. After lunch and a siesta we returned to the park for a late afternoon trek. We hiked into where a small stream flowed and we 78
were advised to be quiet and stand still. As the light began to fade in came red-capped manakins to bathe. The male, only four inches long, is black with a scarlet head, the female a dull olive green. During mating, the performance of the male is spectacular. The wingtips click together and make a sound like firecrackers. Then he proceeds to moonwalk along a branch, all to impress the female. While we didn’t see this performance, watching the pair bathe and the others that came in was a magical time. Back at the lodge as we headed to dinner we heard the low calls of a spectacled owl. Just adjacent to the dining area was a large tree and in the crotch a young owlet peered down at us! The next morning we were to tour the Tà rcoles River by boat. This boat first went through the mangrove swamp where the petite pygmy king-
fisher sat on a branch allowing all of us superb views. A boat-billed heron was another find among the mangroves. Another target species was a mangrove warbler. This resident race is the same family as our yellow warbler but this one has a chestnutcolored head. The boat then proceeded towards the Pacific Ocean where we saw the surf crashing onto the beach. Crocodiles were sunning while several shore birds probed the mud. It was a most enjoyable day on the water. Once again we were off to another destination, the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, a truly Edenic locale hidden in the rain forest. The grounds were stunning with birds and other wildlife abounding. One note of caution was that it was the home to the fer-delance, one of the world's most dangerous snakes. Fortunately we had no encounters with this creature. Rutland Magazine
A turkey-like great curassow pair sauntered about the grounds while nest building hummingbirds flew by. Since all dining areas were open air, quite often birds would fly through. During the day a small colony of bats found a secluded roosting spot. The meals at all of our lodges were delicious. The very freshest of fruits were available with each meal. Esquinas Lodge was one of our favorites because of its intimate camp-like atmosphere. Reluctantly we left this beautiful retreat. However we were leaving the lowlands with its heat and humidity for the cooler mountains. Up we went into the Talamancas where we stopped at a bed & breakfast with feeders all around the grounds that attracted a wide variety of hummingbirds and other beauties. Red-headed barbet and speckled, silver-throated, golden-hooded and flame-colored tanagers all vied for space at the trays. Continuing on the mountain road we stopped at a variety store, elevation 10,000 feet! Spectacular fiery-throated hummingbirds live in this cooler climate and were dazzling to our eyes. After
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Red-headed barbet
watching them and others we continued to our next destination: Sevegre Lodge. The road into this place was very steep and quite long. Finally we arrived at yet another beautiful spot that had numerous birds flitting about the gardens. Once again we were up early to seek out birds that lurk about in the predawn light. We toured the grounds, finding more life birds and one eye-popping flame-throated warbler. After breakfast we were loaded into a four-wheel drive Jeep for a bone-jarring ride up a dirt track into the mountains. Gaining a thousand feet in elevation, we were dropped off in a beautiful and serene forest of huge oaks. We hiked back down to the lodge along a trail that proved to be one of our favorite treks. Of course birds were seen but the vegetation was also full of wonders. Back at the lodge it was time for lunch and a short rest then on to Miriam’s Café for more great birding. 80
Flame-throated warbler
By dusk we were waiting for a chance to see a dusky nightjar. First, only the call was heard but with patience the bird revealed itself. As a bonus there was a bare-shanked screech owl that perched so all of us could see. The next morning was our resplendent quetzal quest up the steep road to the area where they congregate. There a crowd gathered to wait for their appearance. Sue Elliott spotted a female perched and then the circus began with a total of six quetzals flying about. Three spectacular males and three females had us all breathless. Leaving this beautiful place we were on our way once more. This time it was a quick stop at Tapanti National Park where a green-fronted lancebill hummingbird sat on her nest. Her improbably long bill was an adaptation for the flowers that provided her food. On our way once more, Vernon promised that we would be lunching with the birds. True to his word the La Cas Restaurant had an outdoor pavil-
ion with long benches and tables that faced the yard filled with feeders. The Leeson’s motmot stole the show with its iridescent plumes. After lunch, we toured Café Crostini, a shade-grown coffee plantation owned by Ernesto Carman’s family. The tour gave us an appreciation for all the work that goes into producing this product. We had one night at Hotel Tapanti. That evening we went to a local road and had a great look at a mottled owl. Morning had us back there birding as it was too crowded at Tapanti National Park with Easter vacationers. It was a most productive road for birding. We ended this tour back in San José and an early morning flight awaited us the next day. Again we had an astounding number of birds— 390 species. Costa Rica is an enchanting destination. The sheer quantity of viewable wildlife is amazing: geckos, white bats that look like fuzzy marshmallows, pit vipers, monkeys, sloths, butterRutland Magazine
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flies plus the flora such as epiphytes, orchids and huge trees. We consider ourselves fortunate to have had the chance to spend time exploring this rich land. We are very grateful for the expert guides who were tireless in their pursuit of birds for us. Sue Wetmore is a long-time Brandon resident and has birded both here in Vermont as well as throughout the United States, Canada and Costa Rica.
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school news
CSJ BASEBALL N A T I O N A L CHAMPIONS BY PAUL POST • PHOTOS PROVIDED BY COLLEGE OF ST. JOSEPH
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ecruiting kids from Arizona, Florida and the Dominican Republic to play baseball in Vermont, better known for producing world-class skiers, is a pretty tough sell. Especially when the school they’re going to has fewer than 350 students and hasn’t had a team for the past seven years. But in 2015, its very first season, the College of St. Joseph, in Rutland, put together a 38-win campaign that included a league title, followed by back-to-back national championships in the 2016 and ’17 Small College World Series. “I knew we could build something special,” Coach Bob Godlewski said. “I didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it did. It’s surprising what we’ve been able to put together at a very small school.” A Schenectady, New York native, this 64-year-old coaching wizard is a baseball legend in New York’s Capital Region around Albany. He has more than 1,000 career wins to his credit at both the collegiate level and with high-powered summer amateur teams. Almost 50 of Godlewski’s players reached the pro ranks, and he worked seven years as a part-time scout for the big league Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In short, he has a skilled eye for talent and a far-reaching network of contacts, both scouts and former players, to help with the recruiting process. “Most of all, I am not afraid
Spring 2018
to hit the back roads looking for talent,” Godlewski said. “I average over 25,000 driving miles per year recruiting, and at 64, I still love it.” Considering his credentials, he could probably be leading a much bigger, more high-profile baseball program. So why St. Joseph? “Probably the best reason is because it was going to be a challenge,” Godlewski said. “I knew after I met the former president, Richard Lloyd, we could build something special.” Lloyd was anxious to bring baseball back to life at St. Joseph, and gave Godlewski the latitude needed to get the job done. For starters, because of Vermont’s chilly climate, Godlewski explained that most games would have to be played on the road. The Fighting Saints’ first 35 contests, in February and March, are played in warm-weather states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Florida, before heading north for games in April and May. Several games are played at Fisher College in Boston. Flying back and forth for games down South is no small feat as players have to raise their own money for air fare. However, like other students, athletes are eligible for the school’s Provider Scholarship Program, which makes St. Joseph one of New England’s most affordable private colleges. Scholarships from $15,000 to $17,500 per year cover almost half the expense of tuition, room and board, which totals $34,900. That’s already
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lower than most four-year schools. In return, scholarship recipients perform community service such as tutoring school kids, working at area non-profits or helping out with projects such as a Share the Warmth cold-weather clothing drive. Since its inception, the scholarship program has contributed nearly 15,000 hours to Rutland County and beyond. The financial benefit for studentathletes is a major selling point in Godlewski’s recruiting efforts. “It was a deal I couldn’t pass up,” said Alan Madsen, of Scottsdale, Arizona. “I didn’t have the best grades in the junior college I went to. I wanted a chance for a new start, a chance to prove myself.” The left-handed hurler exceeded everyone’s expectations by chalking up a sterling 11-1 record, 1.81 ERA and 84
striking out 83 batters in 81.3 innings during his senior season in 2016. He was named United States Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year. Coming to Rutland from a big city, (population 250,000) in the Arizona desert took some getting used to. “I remember coming back after Christmas break the first time,” Madsen said. “I’d never seen snow. I got off the plane in shorts. It was 10 degrees below zero with a heavy wind chill. I was blown away by how cold it was.” But Godlewski and the College of St. Joseph gave him opportunities he wouldn’t have had elsewhere. Madsen is now a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in special education. “We’re giving kids a chance to play the game they love and get an affordable college education,” Godlewski said. “When they leave here they get
a jump-start on the rest of their lives without being $60,000 in debt. This school opens doors to a lot of urban kids that otherwise might not have a chance at college. All of that was extremely appealing to me. I love working with kids from those backgrounds.” I knew through my contacts that I’d be able to bring in kids from all over the country,” Godlewski said. “They had enough faith in me to send kids to me. The message was simple: we’re going to do something special here. Do you want to be part of it?” Of the 52 guys he contacted the first year, he hoped 28 to 30 might say yes. Instead, all 52 showed up, setting the stage for a remarkable run of success both on and off the field, as the team collectively maintains a 3.2 academic grade point average, in addition to its Rutland Magazine
prowess on the diamond. In Godlewski’s first season, 2015, the Fighting Saints won the Yankee Small College Conference and advanced to the USCAA Small College World Series in Newport News, Virginia. Madsen, Jason Osborne of Granville, New York and Bill Brancatella from Buffalo, New York were named All-Americans. During the Series, Godlewski was asked if he’d like to host the event. “We had hoped to find a field in Vermont, but the two fields we reached out to would not be available for the Series time frame,” he said. Instead, St. Joseph hosted the 2016 and ’17 Small College World Series at East Field, a former minor league ballpark with lights, in Glens Falls, New York. “As the host team, we knew that would give us an automatic bid to the Series,” Godlewski said. “But it didn’t matter. By the time the bids came out we were ranked number one in the country with the USCAA and earned the top seed.” The Fighting Saints brought a sparkling 55-11 record into the Series and swept all four games they played to win their first national championship. In addition to Madsen, the Player of the Year, Tyler Kunzmann of Bennington, Vermont and Connor Martin of California were named 1st Team All-Americans. Godlewski was the obvious choice for national USCAA Coach of the Year. “This was a team by mid-April that was playing at such a high level that we felt we could have competed against any NCAA Division II team and quite frankly, many mid-level Division I teams,” he said. For 2017, the College of St. Joseph moved up to the more competitive NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) level. The first half of the season was a struggle as the schedule included several powerhouse Florida teams plus the UniSpring 2018
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cruits are expected to give St. Joseph’s another strong season in 2018. Godlewski has had plenty of highlights during his 43-year coaching career. In 11 seasons at ColumbiaGreene Community College near Hudson, New York, he was twice named National Junior College Athletic Association national Coach of the Year. From there, he spent seven years as assistant coach at Castleton State University, and two years as head coach at State University of New York-Adirondack, a two-year school in Queensbury, near Glens Falls. In every respect, Godlewski has been a perfect fit for the College of St. Joseph. In a way, it’s almost like he’s finally come home because West Rutland is where both his mother’s and father’s families settled after immigrating to America from Poland. “It’s been a great move for me,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of great friends.” versity of South Carolina-Beaufort, Loyola University in New Orleans and Northwest Ohio University. But the team won its second straight Small College World Series, thanks largely to the play of 5-foot-6 shortstop Nick Rodriguez of New Britain, Connecticut, who hit over .400 and was named Series MVP for 86
the second time. “In the end, though, it was our pitching staff that led both of these clubs,” Godlewski said. “In 10 World Series contests over the two years, the staff only allowed 19 runs — six came in one game — and only 10 were earned.” Three top pitchers from last year’s team have graduated, but new re-
Paul Post is a reporter for The Saratogian newspaper in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. where his work has been recognized in many state and nationwide contests. He also does extensive freelance writing for a variety of sports, business, regional and agricultural publications and he has written three books.
Rutland Magazine
Lucy E.–Road To Victory
Available in Rutland at The Bookmobile (802) 342-1477 Spring 2018
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spotlight on business
W
hen it comes to lightweight towable trailers like the T@B and the T@G, sold by Dan Kearney’s in Rutland, their footprint might be small, but their impact is huge. “It’s so fun at the campgrounds because people love them,” says Janice Garrow of Proctor, Vermont, who purchased an orange-and-gray T@B with orange trim from Kearney’s a couple of years ago. “All these people have these big huge campers and then there are these teeny ones. Everyone wants to come around and tour the inside. My husband, Francis, is 6’ 3” and I’m
TINY CAMPERS MAKE A BIG IMPACT AT DAN KEARNEY’S
left to right: Dan Kearney, Joe Kearney and salesman John Thomson photo tim sink
BY KIM J. GIFFORD
5’ 9” and they are all wondering how we got in here. It’s really just a lot of fun and you meet really good people in the process.” In a day and age where tiny houses seem to be all the rage, perhaps it’s not surprising to hear that these small, and let’s face it, adorable, 88
Rutland Magazine
There are a variety of different interior layouts and models available
T@B CS,CS-S dinette
T@G tv, storage and AC
T@G above bed
T@G XL galley
T@G XL
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RVs on Dan Kearney's lot.
T@G
Shadow Cruiser
lightweight campers are hard to keep in stock, but as Kearney points out, it is more than their eye appeal that makes them popular. “The whole key to the Little Guy or the teardrop is the weight. You don’t need a truck with a 454 to tow it, you can tow it with a Subaru,” says Dan. This lightweight tow ability seems to be one of the key factors endearing these campers to women and retirees. “Our target market is mostly people in early retirement,” says Kearney. “These campers don’t take up a lot of room. They really are for anyone who wants an RV, but our customer is probably that 50-to-60year old. There are some younger with kids, but mostly we have a lot of husbands and wives, who are thinking of retiring and they want to travel, but they don’t want to go out and buy a special vehicle to tow them. That makes a big difference.” Kearney’s carries several lines of lightweight campers from companies such as Pleasant Valley, Riverside, In Tech, Nu-Camp and Little Guy, to name a few. In fact, Kearney’s is the oldest Little Guy dealer in the country. Dan Kearney has operated out of his Rutland location for 40 years. He began his career as a road salesman for the Rutland Herald. While out on the road, he connected with a Tuff-Kote Dynol Rust Proofing business in Middlebury,
Riverside RV Retro
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T@B 400 tv and bed
Vermont, opening his own franchise in April of 1977. He did that for 20 years until the market dried up. By that time, he had already begun selling used cars. In 2005, he and his son Joe, who had started working for him, saw an advertisement in Automotive News about teardrop trailers. “Joe said, ‘that’s the best idea you’ve ever come up with.’ So on my birthday, February 10th, we became a dealer.” Kearney’s began by taking on 21 trailers the first year and selling only three, but the father and son remained confident. “We weren’t worried. Unlike other dealers, who took them on and have come and gone, we didn’t take them on for any particular reason,” Dan says. “We were very successful with our cars, so anything was a plus. They were looking for instant gratification, but we didn’t know any better. We plugged along.” In the early years, the Kearneys Spring 2018
T@B 400 wet bath
T@B 400
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attended a number of RV shows in Burlington, Vermont; Springfield, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Portland, Maine; and Plattsburgh, New York. Their business grew. “About three or four years ago, I was shooting for 50,” says Dan. “We did the 50 last year and we anticipate close to 100 sales for 2017.” Today, it is not uncommon for the Kearneys to get in a load of four trailers and already have two of them sold. They have been able to sell far outside the 50-mile radius of Rutland that is their target used-car market, reaching all over New England, upstate New York, Connecticut and even Minnesota and Florida. The Internet helps to get the word out, as well as a new television campaign, but it is the Kearneys no-nonsense, family-style business model with perks such as no documentation fees and a brand new battery and spare tire that really bring in the customers. “Most car dealers charge $250 for the paperwork. We don’t do that,” says Dan. The Kearneys also work with a financing company in Florida that is able to give affordable rates on almost any kind of trailer. Cheryl Carreira of Southwick, Massachusetts, says she came to Dan Kearney’s because she had been looking for a couple of years and they had the best prices. “I probably checked with half-a-dozen others,” she says. Her husband, Fred, notes, “Kearney’s was the most knowledgeable we’ve encountered. We’ve been where they had to check with someone else to get an answer. I would walk in feeling like I had more knowledge than they did and that didn’t make me feel confident.” The Carreiras purchased their T@B 320 primarily for Cheryl, who likes to go camping with her family, but who up until now has been mostly tenting. “For a woman by herself, a camper is all about safety,” she says. “You feel much safer plus it’s heated 92
above T@B 400 kitchen; below T@B 400 dinette
with all of the luxuries and easy for me to tow by myself.” Cheryl also professes to like to explore and the new camper will allow her this ability. Dan Kearney notes that this is one of the popular aspects of a small lightweight camper. “People use them as a place to eat and sleep and then get out and do something. With those big fifth wheels, people may never get out of the camper.” Kearney feels he has done well with the lightweight towables because of the resurgence of campers. Although the market fell out in 2007 and 2008,
it has surged back up. Kearney feels there are less people traveling to Europe and more taking advantage of the affordability of camping and the amenities of area campgrounds. “It’s an adventure,” says Dan, noting the mythology of it all, a taste of the American dream. “There’s everything you could want at one of the campgrounds, shuffleboard, rec. centers, swimming pools, a place to leave your kids…” The Garrows have certainly experienced this sense of adventure taking their T@B to Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Mt. Rushmore and the Rutland Magazine
Badlands. They joined a T@B forum on Facebook and keep up with other enthusiasts. “It’s a fabulous way to see the country,” says Janice Garrow. “We went to Yellowstone and have this picture of our little camper with a huge buffalo just 15 feet from us.” Although its ease of use seems to be the key feature of these campers, no one can remain silent about their “cuteness.” Fred Weiss of Rochester, New York came to Kearney’s recently to get a T@B, but soon found himself drawn to the slightly larger Retro with more standing room. Weiss praises his trailer’s Coca-Cola red siding and black-and-white checkered floor. “It looks just like a Happy Days’ diner with café seating,” he says. Weiss, too, praises the Kearneys who were “very accommodating and obliging” when he changed his mind about the T@B. “I’m going to say it right now. They literally bent over backwards,” he says. Weiss responded by bringing them a Thanksgiving turkey at the time of his signing and was rewarded with a thank you note and some maple syrup. “I give them high accolades,” he says. As for the Kearneys, they couldn’t be happier with this aspect of their work. “Everyone’s happy. I mean people are in a good mood when they buy a camper. We’ve taken photos, had shots of whiskey, received postcards from out west. Everyone’s story is a little different and we like to hear them all,” concludes Joe. Kim J. Gifford is a writer, teacher, artist and photographer. She lives in Bethel, VT with her grumble of pugs (yes, that is indeed what a group of pugs is called) Alfie, Waffles and Amore. To view her work and hear their stories visit www. pugsandpics.com.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING BY SUSAN ORZELL-RANTANEN
THE RUTLAND COUNTY FARMERS MARKET The Rutland County Farmers Market moves from their winter digs to the outdoor venue of Depot Park in the heart of downtown. The outdoor season traditionally begins the Saturday before Mother's Day, which this year falls on May 12. The market will continue in this location until the last Saturday in October, which this year falls on October 27. The hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. All of the products are sold by the people that produce them. Shop for everything from produce to specialty and prepared foods to baked 94
goods to cheeses. Plants are also available. This direct communication between consumers and producers is crucial to the thriving localvore movement gaining momentum throughout the greater Rutland area and Vermont. For more information visit rcfmvt.org. THE VERMONT FARMERS MARKET The Vermont Farmers Market resumes for the warm-weather months on the Saturday after Mother's Day, which this year falls on May 19. The operating hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Along with agricultural and food products
this market features hand-produced crafts and health/beauty items. For more information visit vermontfarmersmarket.org. FAIR HAVEN FARMERS MARKET The Fair Haven Farmers Market sets up on Thursday, from June through October in the centrally located Fair Haven Park. The hours are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. PARAMOUNT THEATRE SPRING VENUE The 2018 season marks the 105th anniversary of downtown Rutland's Paramount Theatre which starting welcoming audiences to performancRutland Magazine
es in 1913 as the Playhouse. Located at 30 Center Street, this historical building is the venue for a variety of celebrated musical and theatrical acts this spring. The month of March is packed with memorable events. A sampling of events follows. On Friday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m., Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, a member of The Irish Tenors group who also enjoys a solo career, takes the stage. On Saturday at 1:00 p.m., Erth's Dinosaur Zoo Live, an interactive production billed as “65 million years in the making” captivates children and adults alike. Performers and puppeteers, with background help from paleontologists, guide theatre-goers on a trip through prehistoric Australia to meet dinosaurs and other creatures. On Saturday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. the Peking Acrobats leap to the stage for a performance of trick cycling, precision tumbling, gymnastics, juggling, and balancing feats in a show of contortion, flexibility, dexterity and control. The acrobats are accompanied by live musicians on traditional Chinese instruments as well as high-tech special effects. On Saturday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. Lee Ann Womack brings country music to the Paramount. This American singer has most recently won awards from the Country Music Association, the British Country Music Association, and the Academy of Country Music. On Friday, March 23 at 8:00 p.m. Celtic Nights – Oceans of Hope (The Epic Journey of Our Ancestors) is told through song, narrative, dance and narration, encompassing America, Australia, Canada, Europe and New Zealand but told through an Irish perspective. On Saturday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m., the band America Spring 2018
shares a blend of soft rock/folk rock to the audience. The group was formed in 1970 and enjoyed tremendous commercial success in the following decades. On Friday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m. the group Cry Cry Cry will perform together for the first time in 10 years, bringing three-part harmonies in folk/pop music to Rutland. The month of April offers varied musical options. On Wednesday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m., Hot Tuna delivers selections from 50 years of memories and experience centered on psychedelic rock, along with acoustic and electric blues for today's enthusiasts. On Friday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m., Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes brings the sound and culture of the Jersey shore to landlocked Vermont. The indoor presentation of their music, described as “raucous and rootstinged” rock and blues, is referred to by frontman Johnny Lyon “a circus”. On Saturday, April 7 at 8:00 p.m., American country music favorite Clay Walker, who has enjoyed a long list of award-winning records, comes to the Rutland stage. On Saturday, April 14 at 12:30 p.m. the rarely performed Met collaboration of Luisa Miller by Verdi features Sonya Yoncheva and Piotr Beczala. For more information about ticket prices and availability of seating call (802) 775-0570 or visit www. ParamountVT.org.
MARCH
RUTLAND FREE LIBRARY BOOK SALES This spring, the Rutland Free Library, located at 10 Court Street in Rutland, offers several book sales in the basement of the building. The March sale is on Wednesday, March 7 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. The April sale is on Saturday, April 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The May sale is on Wednesday, May 2 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. The inventory of “gently used” items includes hardcover books, paperbacks, CDs and DVDs for all age groups and
interests. The proceeds support the library's collections and activities. For more information call (802) 773-1860 or visit www.rutlandfree.org. POULTNEY MAPLEFEST 2018 CELEBRATION On Saturday, March 24 the Poultney Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the Poultney Maplefest Celebration, with the entire town as the venue. Activities include a fun run; a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny held at the Poultney Methodist church and sponsored by the Poultney Women's Club; horse-drawn wagon rides thorough downtown Poultney; maple-related contests and raffles; maple story time at the Poultney Library, including crafts, songs and a maple snack; an exhibit at the Poultney Historical Society featuring a speaker and video; a craft fair; a basket party; a Maplefest dinner; and much more for adults and children. Although there are no Chamber of Commerce-sponsored events on Sunday, the Poultney Maplefest segues with the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend (organized by the Vermont Sugarmakers Association) on that day as local sugarmakers open their operations for tours, with treats available including maple fried dough, sugar on snow, maple sugar candy, and maple cotton candy. For more information visit www.poultneyvt.com. CHAMPLAIN PHILHARMONIC SPRING CONCERTS The Champlain Philharmonic, conducted by Matt LaRocca, presents its Spring Concert Series on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Ackley Hall at Green Mountain College in Poultney and Sunday, March 25 at 4:00 p.m.at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. The Champlain Philharmonic is a community orchestra that performs regularly in Rutland and Addison counties. For more information, visit www.champlainphilharmonic.org or Facebook at 95
www.facebook.com/champlainphil. Tickets are available at the door for $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students.
APRIL
MAPLE LEAF QUILTERS FESTIVAL OF QUILTS The Maple Leaf Quilters present their 29th Festival of Quilts on Saturday, April 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the College of St. Joseph at 71 Clement Road in Rutland. The festival features spectacular quilts, a guild challenge exhibit, an antique quilt exhibit, a basket auc-
Just Dance Studio presents Snow White, a full-length dance performance, at Rutland Intermediate School Saturday, May 12 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 13 at 3 p.m. This annual fundraiser, for the Rutland Community Cupboard, features performers from several local schools. Ticket prices for matinee performances are $8 adult, $5 under age 10, and free under age 3. The evening performance is $10 for adults, $6 under age 10, and free under age 3. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Rutland Community Cupboard. For more information or advanced tickets email justdancevt@gmail.com tickets will also be available at the door
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tion and a consignment boutique. A quilt in a pattern called Pineapple Perfection will be raffled. The event is the primary fundraiser for the Rutland-based club, which has a membership of about 100 enthusiasts. Admission is $6. For more information call (802) 438-5655 or (802) 6450109, email luebked@aim.com or visit www.mapleleafquilters.org. VERMONT MAPLE FESTIVAL The 52nd annual Vermont Maple Festival, the now traditional spring event that is held in St. Albans but which draws visitors from not only throughout Vermont but across the United States and Canada, is held on Friday, April 27, Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29. “Life is Sweet” is the theme of this year's event honoring “all things maple” over the three-day celebration which features a wide variety of entertainment and activities. Antiques and craft shows, a Vermont maple store, specialty foods show, maple syrup and products contests and demonstrations, a photography contest, a maple cooking contest, a downtown merchants window-dressing contest, and musical events as well as comedy and youth talent shows are part of the fun. Other events include a Sap Run foot race and a two-hour parade up Lake Street and across Main Street with floats, bands and costumed characters. Venues for the celebration throughout St. Albans include City Hall, Taylor Park, Bellows Free Academy, the Town Educational Center on South Main Street, and City Elementary School and St. Mary's Hall. For more information call (802)524-5800 or visit www.VTMapleFestival.org.
MAY THE RUTLAND GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE The Rutland Garden Club annual plant sale, a fundraiser for the active organization, is slated for Saturday, May 19 from 9:00 a.m. until all of the plants are sold. It is held at the corner of Center and Main Streets in Rutland, in front of the Hull Maynard Hersey Insurance Agency at 105 Center Street. A wide variety of assorted perennials and hostas appropriate for Zone 4 planting are on hand. The Club earmarks the profits for the maintenance of 20 public gardens throughout the city. For more information call Carol Kenlan at (802) 446-2883. THE VERMONT CRAFT COUNCIL'S SPRING OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND On the weekend of Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27, the Vermont Craft Council presents Open Studio Weekend for the spring of 2018. Artists and craftspeople, from the Canadian to the Massachusetts border, welcome visitors to their studios for a look behind the state's important creative economy. The Council, a nonprofit organization, launched the first tour 25 years ago and describes the event as “a celebration of the visual arts”. Workplaces, some open to the public only during the spring and fall Open Studio Weekends, highlight the work of jewelers, glassblowers, weavers and fabric artists, quilters, furniture makers, blacksmiths, sculptors, painters and woodworkers, among others. Some art galleries complement the event by hosting lectures and special exhibits. Travelers may follow the Vermont Open Studio Guide published by the Council and available statewide at tourist information centers, galleries and participating studios. For more information or to access the Vermont Open Studio Guide visit www.vermontcrafts.com or call (802) 223-3380. Rutland Magazine
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