Views of Dummerston - 2020#4 - Fall

Art by Gary Blomgren

Volume 30 Issue 4

Fall ~ 2020

Free • Since 1990

Castines Brighten Our Christmas Season

By Kevin Ryan It starts so innocently. It’s the holiday season and, driving home from work, he admires the simple Christmas light display outlining a house he passes. “I could do that,” he thinks— and so it begins.

Gary Castine, along with his wife, Linda, had lived in their East Dummerston home for ten years by then. They were raising their two boys, Kevin and Brett, in the house they’d built in 1979. Gary went out and got two 150-bulb strings of lights and outlined the front of the house. They’d always had Christmas lights up, but nothing like this. Three. Hundred. Lights.

It felt kind of crazy, maybe over-the-top, but Gary was pleased with the result.

Continued on page 14

The Views Turns 30!

It was in the summer of 1990 that the first issue of the Views of Dummerston hit Dummerston mailboxes. The Views was born out of an interest among a small group within town who felt the need for a newsletter which would inform people about what was going on around town. Mary Lou McBean was the first editor, and really ran with the idea to create the Views. Her vision for the Views, as written about on the cover of the first issue, has been distilled into the mission statement which Trail Crew Chief Richard Fletcher clears a view of the West River along the Missing Links Trail. Want to help build it? rafletch5@gmail.com guides our efforts to this day.

To celebrate this milestone, we are creating a special issue of the Views which we plan to mail out in early December. We’re hoping that there will be continuing interest in publishing Please note this correction: VOTING VENUE what we like to think of as an informative and entertaining newsletter, and that as the current In our last issue, we erroneously listed the Dummerston School as the crew finds it their time to individually step polling location for this election. Voting will take place in the usual spot away, others will step in to keep the Views this year: the BASEMENT OF THE DUMMERSTON CHURCH. alive and well. Long live the Views!

Missing Link Trail Opens New Vistas

photo by Carolyn Mayo-Brown

By Roger Turner

2 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

The Views is mailed free of charge to all residents of the town of Dummerston. It is also available online at viewsofdummerston.org. We encourage people to help us save printing and mailing expenses by cancelling their print subscription and accessing the Views online at viewsofdummerston.org; to do so please email Sara Ryan at: subscribe online@viewsofdummerston.org.

If you are not a resident of Dummerston and would prefer to receive a paper copy of the Views, you may subscribe for an annual cost of $5. Mail a check made payable to Views of Dummerston, with your name and mailing address to Lee Tice, 230 School House Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346.

ARTICLES:

We welcome all articles related in any way to the town of Dummerston, including news of town organizations, personalities, history, or activities. Email Microsoft Word documents (preferred) to: articles@viewsof dummerston.org. Typed or hand-written articles can also be sent to: Michelle Cherrier, 72 Miller Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346.

CALENDAR:

Any (non-commercial) event you would like listed on our Calendar of Events should be emailed to: calendar@ viewsofdummerston.org, or mailed to Michelle Cherrier at the above address.

NEXT ISSUE:

Submissions due: January 7, 2021

Views will be mailed on: February17, 2021 ADVERTISING:

Rates: All rates are for four issues, however a large or small box ad can be placed for just one issue at an adjusted rate. Payment should be by a check made out to the Views of Dummerston, and mailed to: Sara Ryan, 53 Greenhoe Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346

Small Box Ad $55

Large Box Ad $85 Information/Inquiries: Contact Sara Ryan at: ads@ viewsofdummerston.org, or at 387-0110.

SPONSORSHIPS:

Sponsorships of $25 for four issues augment our ad revenues to provide us with operating funds. You will be notified when your sponsorship is up and invited to renew. If you wish to become a sponsor or have questions, contact Sara Ryan as above.

Digital Views Available Featuring easy navigation, clickable links, and full color, we’re sure you’ll love it! viewsofdummerston.org

Dummerston Selectboard Meetings Recorded and televised by BCTV and online at www.brattleborotv.org. (Select “Watch”, select “Watch On Demand”, select “Playlist”, scroll to “Dummerston”, select meeting.)

WRC Commissioners Needed

By Roger Turner I have served as one of the town’s two commissioners on the Windham Regional Commission for the past thirteen years, and notified the selectboard that I wished to resign prior to this year’s town meeting. Fellow commissioner Lew Sorensen resigned prior to last year’s (2019) town meeting, but he continued to serve until somebody finally stepped forward to replace him.

However, that person fairly promptly had to resign, and that second commissioner slot has remained unfilled since. I have continued to serve because otherwise, Dummerston would have no active WRC commissioners.

So, I’m making an appeal for a couple of people to step up and serve.

I had no town or regional planning experience prior to becoming a commissioner, but I have always been interested in related issues. So when a commissioner slot opened up, I decided to give it a go. At the time, I was committing to attending a monthly full commission meeting (nine meetings, with three months off in the summer), and I had a choice of committees to join, which often meant an additional monthly meeting (usually nine) per committee.

The full commission meetings, which pre-pandemic lasted about two and a half hours, are used to conduct commission business, and often to present a speaker who talks on a topic of interest to the planning process. The kind of business that comes before the full commission meetings includes the approval of both town and regional plans, approving the work commitments that the WRC staff will engage in, and reviewing and approving both the commission’s annual financial plan and monthly financial reports.

Recently, full commission meetings have been limited to six a year, and because of the pandemic, are now lasting only one hour on Zoom.

I have served on the community development committee, and the meetings, which typically last about an hour and a half, are used to update us on such issues as brownfields, downtown revitalization, housing, and agriculture. We’re often asked to direct the community development planner to write letters in support of various grant applications made by regional towns, and which include assurances that the grants are consistent with goals of the town and regional plans. We learn about and are asked to comment on new projects which are being proposed in the communities of the region, in the context of whether they are contributing to the achievement of related goals in our town and regional plans.

Commissioners are also asked to join small panels which evaluate draft town plans as part of the formal approval process.

When the original design of the interstate bridge over the West River drew heavy opposition, both Lew and I, through our roles as Dummerston commissioners and the interest we both expressed in coming up with an alternative, more creative design, were invited to participate on the citizen advisory group which graded the design-build proposals as part of the process to determine an alternative bridge design. We then worked with the winning design-build team to give input on some of the final details of the project, such as the designs of the guard rails for the road, the viewing platforms on either side of the river, and the colors.

The WRC is an important resource to the town, providing assistance with updating our town plan, standing with us in Act 250 hearings, providing technical assistance for road projects, and taking a lead role in facilitating, through the creation of a Communication Union District (CUD), the build-out of high-speed internet to the farthest reaches of town.

If you have any interest, please feel free to speak to Lew or myself about what’s involved in serving as a commissioner. Bill Schmidt and Greg Brown have also served as executive directors of the WRC and the Chittenden Regional Planning Commission respectively, and could speak to you about serving as a commissioner. I’ve enjoyed my time on the commission, and it would be terrific if there are a couple of you in town who will take an interest and contact the selectboard to volunteer for this important and interesting work.

How Are We Please give us feedback about what you like or would like to see changed about the Views, of if you have any suggestions for articles.

D o i n g ? Send your comments to: viewsfeedback@dummerston.com.

The Views of Dummerston Mission Statement Providing reports of town organizations, and stories of townspeople and their good deeds, in promoting cooperation and understanding toward creating a more “ideal” Dummerston.

“All who read may also contribute!”—Mary Lou McBean, founder, Views of Dummerston

photo by roger Turner

The Views of Dummerston is a quarterly newsletter published by a group of citizen volunteers since 1990, and has non-profit status through the Dummerston Community Center. Mary Lou McBean had the original vision for and was first editor of the Views, and Gary Blomgren created the original masthead art.

The current steering committee includes Roger Turner (editor), Michelle Cherrier (co-articles coordinator and calendar), Fred Lee (layout), Sara Ryan (ad coordinator), Linda Rood (co-articles coordinator), and Lee Ives Tice (mailing). We always welcome new interest in joining the committee.

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 3

town government

Selectboard Meetings Zoom Ahead

By Jerelyn Wilson Not a single person has been untouched by the current COVID pandemic. 2020 will certainly go down in history and everyone will have their own story. Life does go on and we’ve all discovered different ways of doing things that take into account our own health and safety and that of others.

Your selectboard has not missed a meeting.

Conducting business on Zoom has become the norm and this has served the town well. We continue to be grateful for BCTV, which still records and posts the meetings. To prepare the 2021-22 budget we’ve begun our extra work sessions, socially distanced, in-person at the Community Center in West Dummerston.

These are unpredictable times for all of us, and as always, we will be diligent in examining every line item in the budget to make sure your tax dollars are serving town residents well.

Our road crew has been mowing, installing new culverts, cleaning and fixing the head walls on older culverts, digging under drains, grading our gravel roads, hauling water and making sand. You may notice the freshly painted porch of the town office. Also. the handywork of our road crew. The usual spring grants from the state have not been received as a result of COVID, but that’s made it possible for the crew to get to things that tend to fall farther down the list. They are ready for winter with plenty of sand from the Carpenter Pit at the town garage and a full salt shed. You’ll likely see the grader around town and some “ditching” going on— removing leaves from ditches along the roads so that snow plowing is safer and more efficient.

To make the road crew’s work easier, please don’t blow your fall leaves into the road! Toss them into the woods or down the bank. Putting them into the road just uses up more of your tax dollars! And on the subject of things we can do to help with town snow plowing, remember that the town right-of-way for most of our roads is twenty-five feet from the center of the road.

That means no fences, stone walls, granite posts, or other structures are to be placed in that right-of-way. Take out your tape measure and move back anything that’s closer than twentyfive feet from the center of the road.

Activity at our new gravel pit has been pretty much as planned. Putney joined us in hiring out the crushing of stone for the gravel needed for road maintenance this past spring and summer.

Material from the pit goes directly to wherever the road maintenance is taking place. The activity at the pit is so much less with only Dummerston and Putney going in and out.

Lee says, “There have been no surprises,” and it’s all gone “pretty much as planned.” The Development Review Board (DRB) conducted the one-year review in mid-September to make sure the required conditions have been followed and neighbors are happy.

As you may already know—and as you’ll read in the Views article from the town listers— we are conducting a town-wide reappraisal.

As a result of the pandemic, our appraisal contractor, New England Municipal Resource Center (NEMRC), was conducting only exterior inspections. The selectboard took a strong stand on ensuring that the resulting valuations would be accurate—concerned that only viewing the exterior of homes would not provide enough

information to provide fair valuations. NEMRC suggested that quick follow-up interior inspections during the winter would ensure accuracy, but we felt that if it’s necessary to enter homes we would rather that that occur before the heating season is in full-force. After a round of healthy conversations with NEMRC and the state Property Valuation Review office, a creative solution was reached. Appraisers would still not enter houses but with the voluntary cooperation of homeowners using a video monitor, the appraiser will be able to see the interior of the house. Your full participation will be most welcome!

It’s not too soon to think about who you’d like to encourage to run for selectboard. As a matter of fact, maybe it is time to consider running yourself! There will be two open seats: a 3-year term and a 2-year term. Neither Zeke Goodband nor Jerelyn Wilson are planning to run for the seats they currently hold. So, it’s open territory, no incumbents—a good time to run! Please consider stepping up and doing your part for the town.

Everyone Adjusts to Delayed Tax Bills

By Charlotte Neer Annis

place. Please remember to include a SASE or email if you would like a receipt, bring exact Wow, this year’s “August” tax payment change, and wear those masks! certainly was a challenge! Laurie, Eliza, and Stay safe and healthy.

I deeply appreciate how helpful and understanding everyone has been: providing emails and self-addressed-stamped-envelopes for receipts, bringing exact change for cash payments, using the mail slot, and wearing masks. We miss seeing everyone—tax time usually doubles as a mini-social for us, but staying healthy needs to be the priority now.

413 Canal Street The second tax payment will be due on nd Thank you for your business 254-7777 Monday, February 22 by 5 p.m. and the same “stay safe” procedures will likely still be in

Brattleboro Support Pharmacy Locally

Sponsors Gordon & Linda Evans Heather & Gene Rostov Akara Draper & Linnie Jones Elizabeth Catlin & Jared Flynn Cliff Adler & Lynn Levine

4 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

town government Dummerston Conservation Commission

Commission Fulfills Mission Alternatively

By John Anderson The seasons roll on. Yellowjacket colonies have collapsed, many birds have gone south, leaves have fallen, and snow is not out of the question. The green of summer has been replaced by browns and grays. Nature adjusts to its every reality and the Conservation Commission is adjusting to new social norms. Not an easy task, but easier for us than for many others.

YouTube has become one go-to medium. Judy Fink had made videos in which she explains her ongoing Monarch Project. You can view them at https://youtu.be/ONaBEPjtzaM. Lynn Levine is producing Woodland Wanderings, a series of videos for those who can’t or don’t get out into the woods. You can view these at YouTube “Woodland Wanderings.”

The Commission now has its own Facebook page and publishes a monthly e-newsletter.

In the non-electronic world, trails are monitored for fallen trees and other potential hazards.

Work on new trails is ongoing. River access via the deteriorating stone steps by the covered bridge is being discussed with an ever-widening array of concerned parties, and a list of recommendations for their maintenance has been compiled. Rare plant inventorying and protection is ongoing. Invasive plants are being targeted for removal. And the mapping of ash trees in anticipation of the arrival of the emerald ash borer is an ongoing project.

And, as people are spending more time outdoors, we are fielding a lot of nature questions. What is it? Why is it doing that? Is it

dangerous, invasive, or unusual? While we can’t possibly know the answers to all of your questions we do our best to offer insights and to direct people to resources where they can learn more.

And knowing that Dummerstonians of all ages are making discoveries and connecting with the natural world is fun for us. Your discoveries are ours through your acts of sharing!

Now, having duly reported I’m going to ramble off into a bit of personal philosophy touching on the relative merits of work versus weasel watching.

The work in question was a roofing job on a cape-style house, kitchen addition, wood shed, carriage house, and barn. Over 120 linear feet of structure. I was working alone. It was hard, hot, dirty work; it was Friday of my third week there and I was eager to finish the job.

Toward that end I had skipped coffee break and worked through lunch, but about 2 p.m. while on the ground to get yet more materials, I put a sandwich in my pocket and, once back on the roof, I sat on the ridgepole to eat. My head hurt. I was not in a happy place. I badly wanted that job completed.

From my perch I had a panoramic view of lawns and flower beds, and beyond those a long, rather crude fieldstone retaining wall. I was admiring the old lichen-blotched stonework when a chipmunk and two mice shot out of the rocks as if fired by a steam catapult! As soon as they hit the ground they scurried and circled and dodged in what looked like complete panic before diving back into the wall just feet from where they had appeared.

FRENCH & FRENCH ATTORNEYS AT LAW 802 • 254 • 9000

A GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW

Robert E. Dunklee & Sons

W ALTER G. FRENCH JODI P. FRENCH

72 Flat Street Brattleboro, VT 05301

POST OFFICE BOX 2, W. DUMMERSTON, VT 05357

Offices in Brattleboro and Dover

Bill McKim pianist

Classical Music or Show Tunes For Any Occasion 257-7767

I was pondering what I’d seen, and having another bite of sandwich, when a weasel peeked out of the wall and then fluidly reversed directions and was gone even before my mind could process what I’d seen.

A minute or so later small, panicked mammals shot out of the rocks some twenty feet down the wall. Seconds later they were gone and the weasel reappeared.

Up and down that wall this little drama repeated itself; various prey species would flee from the wall and then retreat back into that same dangerous labyrinth. The weasel was never far behind. The fear of the smaller mammals was palpable. Their lives were on the line. The fierce hunger of the weasel was equally evident.

I sat on the ridgepole of that house and watched, totally enthralled by the speed and seeming randomness of what was occurring.

The weasel would disappear and then reappear a short time later - 20 or 30 or 50 feet away, and always, always preceded by one or more smaller mammals. I watched for over two hours until all visible action finally ceased.

I finished the job the following Monday. It was a contract job. I was not being paid by the hour, the homeowner was not cheated. And I believed then and I believe now that roofing jobs are as common as ticks on a moose while extra-hominid interludes such as the one I’d experienced that day so long ago were unbelievably rare and worthy of my time.

Three decades later I’ve seen no evidence that would make me change my thinking, nor do I ever expect to.

For more information on the Conservation Commission go to http://www.dummerstonconservation.com

254-5663

Computer questions?

Tired of feeling out of control?

Patient, Sympathetic Coaching Macs • Windows • iPads • Tablets

Annamarie 802-451-1941 www.PatientSympatheticCoaching.com

john & Lori Brunelle office fax: (802) 254-5818 416 Tucker Reed road office phone: (802) 254-9788 e. dummerston, vt 05346 John cell: (802): 579-9788 lori cell: (802) 275-7111 john@brunelleandson.com lori@brunelleandson.com www.brunelleandson.com

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 5

town government

Interior Inspections Procedure Modified for Reappraisals

By Steve Mindel In spite of COVID-19, the reappraisal is continuing. The appraisal team hired to conduct the reappraisal is trying to complete their task within their company guidelines and with the guidance provided by the Vermont Department of Taxes. Until now, the usual interior inspections have not been permitted. Evaluation of the exterior has proceeded as normal.

The selectboard however, felt that the interior inspections should be part of the reappraisal and reached out to the reappraisal company who have now come up with a solution. They will use a remote system with a camera to be used by the homeowner inside with the appraiser remaining outside

with a receiver, communicating with the homeowner who will move about the house enabling the appraiser to see what he needs to see - a creative solution to a difficult problem.

Why are we going ahead with this?

The last town-wide reappraisal was done in 2006. A lot has happened over fourteen years which has had an impact on the price and value of real estate.

Each year, sales of properties in town are evaluated by the state in their relationship to the valuation for tax purposes set by the town. The ideal would be to have the assessed value be the same as the market value. Given the fluctuations which occur in the market, both up and down, we rarely achieve this goal. We hope to be as close as possible. A reappraisal catches us up on

Planners Work on Making Home Businesses and Business Signs More User-Friendly

By Sam Farwell The planning commission has been holding regular meetings on Zoom since April and making progress on the Home Business section of the Zoning Bylaw. We would like to hold a public hearing on our updated Home Business and Signs sections when we are finished, so that we may then send them to the selectboard for approval. In the near future, this will probably also need to be held on Zoom. Look for publicity on this hearing this winter.

We want to make the bylaw more readable and user-friendly with these amendments.

Where the current regulations seem too restrictive, we are looking for the balance that allows more flexibility for a home business without removing protections against adverse effects for the neighboring residences. If you run a business out of your home, or your neighbor does, and you have questions about what the Zoning Bylaw allows and requires, please come to a

meeting or get in touch with a commissioner.

The planning commission’s regular meetings, always open to the public, are on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

The agenda and minutes are posted on the commission’s page of the town website.

While we hold them via videoconference, the invitation will be included on the agenda posted on the town website so that anyone may attend. Written comments are welcome and can be emailed to planning@dummerston.org or mailed to the town office.

Planning commissioners are appointed by the selectboard. As of September 2020, there is one vacant seat so if you have an interest in working on the town zoning bylaws and the town plan please come to a meeting or speak with one of us. This summer we welcomed new member Rick Contino, although some of us have yet to meet with him in person!

Current planning commissioners are: Annamarie Pluhar, Beverly Tier, Bob Danzi, Maria Glabach, Regina Stefanelli, Rick Contino, Sam Farwell, and Sarah Bergh.

Sponsors Linda Rood & Roger Turner Nick & Joan Thorndike Dick & Harriet Virkstis Marcy Hermansader Lou Nelson

Vermont Insight Meditation Center Offering instruction in personal and interpersonal mindfulness practices.

254-7077

www. vermontinsight.org

changes and gets us closer to the values of the market. Therefore we are going ahead.

COVID-19 was not an issue as we began, but since its arrival, as with everything else, we’re trying our best to find a path forward to complete this process.

We are using sandwich board signs to alert people when the appraisers will be in a certain area. By the end of September, we hope to have completed over 50% of the town. The focus so far has been on the east side of town. When the east is done, the appraisers will move to the west side. The hope is to have substantial completion by the time snow flies.

As always, call us with questions and concerns. The listers have regular hours in the town office on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. till noon.

Volunteer to Mentor a Child

By Janis Hall

Outreach Specialist, Big Brother Big Sisters of Vermont

Adult volunteers of all ages are needed now to mentor children in the West River Valley. You may meet with a child “virtually” by video-conference, email, texting, phone calls, or goodold-fashioned mail. Virtual mentorships can change to in-person relationships later, depending on the needs and preferences of participants. You can provide friendship and positive guidance, share your interests and hobbies, and inspire a young person to broaden their sense of what’s possible! Learn more at info@ bbbsvt.org. or contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont at 802-689-0092.

As the Outreach Specialist, I can be reached at 802-428-4333.

6 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

organizations Lydia Taft Pratt Library

Musings on the Potential of the Library

By Dena Marger, MLIS Library Director

Greetings! Here we are, at six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world has slowed down a lot. At the Lydia Taft Pratt Library, we are still getting in new books and audio books and DVDs, and loaning materials out to our community. But having in-person programs has been challenging. We’ve had a weekly writing group that’s been meeting outside, and we posted a StoryWalk outdoors. (For those who don’t know, StoryWalks are a beautiful activity to do with small children, that involve pages of a book being posted in an outdoor location. This gives children and their grown-ups a chance to walk through the pages in order, reading the story, while appreciating the outdoors.) We encouraged kids and parents to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge. And, we’ve had time to muse about what the library could look like in a post-pandemic world.

It’s fun to imagine the potential here for the Dummerston community! For example, what could we do with more space? With more staff hours? Could we have more programs for children? More speakers and music and films?

Compliments of

Priscilla Svec, P.T.

Practicing Holistic Physical Therapy 126 Main Street, Putney

387-4799

Sponsors John & Karen Abel Arnold & Roberta Garland Orly Munzing & Bob Dunbar Mark and Lee Tice Fred Lee Bill & Kathleen Fleischmann

e lin sh i in

F

Construction L .L. C.

More DVDs and Audio Books? More space for a real non-fiction collection? Right now, we have only THREE shelves of books for teens/ young adults, and that includes both fiction and non-fiction! Imagine a designated room for children and teens...we could have story hours and craft programs for little kids, and computer classes and gaming programs for older kids. And, we could have enough space for an adequate children’s and teen/young adult’s fiction and non-fiction collection. I like to think about a time when the library could be a place where students could come to do homework, and adults could use computer workstations to look for jobs or do all kinds of research.

There are many factors standing between where the library is now and any vision for the future, starting with the fact that we need to get through this health crisis! You may be aware that we have imposed a 30-minute time limit on visits to the library because of the pandemic.

There is also a limit to the number of people who can be in the building at one time. But it won’t always be like this. And when it isn’t, it will be time to think about a long-range plan. What would YOU like to see? What do YOU wish the library could be for you and your family?

In the meanwhile, we could sure use your help around here! If you ever thought you’d like to volunteer for an organization that really makes a difference for the Dummerston community, the library is a good choice! We have lots of little “one-off” projects as well as ongoing tasks that we could use your help with. Examples

of projects: help maintain the new library fish tank; help with photography and social media tasks; help with processing new books; help with shelving books; help with organizing our storage area; help with programming. The possibilities are really limitless because we do so many different things around here. What kind of project would you be interested in?

You may be interested to know that there are available openings on the library board of trustees! Serving as a trustee is a great opportunity to develop and exercise leadership skills in your community in an organization that exists to benefit everyone. The board is seeking people who are passionate about the Dummerston community, and see the potential that the library offers and the ways in which it enriches and raises the quality of life for everyone in Dummerston.

As the weather gets cooler, it’s a great time to hunker down with a bowl of soup and a good book to read. New DVDs and AudioBooks will be here soon. Here is a list of some of the newest books in the library: Louise Penney: All the Devils are Here, Alex Trebek: The Answer Is: Reflections on My Life, Emily Henry: Beach Read, Stuart Woods: Choppy Water, Madeline Miller: Circe, N.K. Jemisin: The City We Became, Kate Manne: Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women, Molly Wizenberg: The Fixed Stars, Neil Gaiman: Good Omens, Sonya Lalli: Grown-Up Pose, Octavia Butler: Parable of the Sower, Danielle Steel: Royal, Carl Hiaasen: Squeeze Me, and Sandra Brown: Thick as Thieves.

We’ve also gotten new books in for kids, including the first three books in the Land of Stories series, the newest Baby-Sitter’s Club graphic novel, new picture books (including ones by LeBron James, Kristen Bell, Maya Angelou, and Mo Willems) and new graphic novels. Why not bring your kids in to see our new fish tank and bring home something new to read?

Sponsors Carolyn Mayo Brown & Gregory Brown Len Oppenheim Tonia & Whit Wheeler Cheryl Wilfong & Bill McKim Mary Lou & Bill Schmidt

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 7

organizations Dummerston Cares

Meeting the Needs of Food-Challenged Residents

By Bill Schmidt One of the big needs in COVID time in Dummerston has to do with food challenges.

Many people are experiencing food challenges as a result of being negatively affected b∆7y COVID. Sometimes this effect is financial and sometimes it is emotional and often it is both.

Unemployment is occurring for some, maybe for the first time, and there are unknowns as to how long it will last and therefore those affected are squirreling away their resources.

Some people are now underemployed, working for shorter hours, and not getting the paycheck they are used to receiving. There are parents who are juggling work and looking after their kids full time or part time, depending on their kids’ school situation. Many people in these situations, and many others too, have COVIDrelated needs among which are challenges in getting enough food and the right kind of food.

Dummerston Cares is doing what it can in three ways to give Dummerston residents

with food challenges a helping hand. These include working with Everyone Eats, the school district’s Summer Food Program and ongoing food program in the Dummerston School, and the Putney Foodshelf.

Everyone Eats Everyone Eats, having completed a successful pilot project in August in Brattleboro area towns including Dummerston, is now operating statewide through December 10. In August, 634 meals were provided to seventeen Dummerston households in the program.

Dummerston Cares volunteers are helping with the pick-up and distribution of meals to town residents. Dinners that are prepared by area restaurants are picked up daily, MondayThursday and brought to the town office parking area between 5-5:30 for distribution to those who have signed up for the meals.

New sign-ups for a meal through Dummerston Cares are welcome at any time. Call the Cares Message Line (257-5800) or email

Cares at info@dummerstoncares.org to participate in the program. Your call or email will be answered as soon as possible. The information needed is noted in the Everyone Eats box. Any questions you have will be answered when you sign up.

Dummerston School Food Program Over the summer Dummerston Cares volunteers helped on Mondays through Fridays to distribute 747 lunches and breakfasts to Dummerston children registered in the school district’s Summer Food Program.

Each morning a van from the Brattleboro Union High School—where the meals were prepared—delivered 20-25 breakfasts and Continued on page 14

Everyone Eats! Now Available in Dummerston

By Bill Schmidt

What is this? Everyone Eats! is a state program that provides federal COVID relief money to local restaurants to make free to-go meals for residents in participating towns throughout the state. Brattleboro area towns, including Dummerston, are participants in the program.

Who is eligible? Anyone whose food situation has been challenged by COVID-19 due to unemployment, underemployment, homelessness, or other financial or emotional pressures and would get relief from receiving meals. The program’s not for people only because they want to help save restaurants. It’s for those who can benefit from it. There is no charge.

What you will receive? One individually-

Sponsors Bruce & Catie Berg Gail & Lew Sorenson

packaged, cold, ready-to-eat or heat-and-serve dinner for each person you request a meal for.

Options available are omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan/GF. When? Meals are available Monday through Thursday until December 10th. Dummerston residents can get them most easily by signing

Sponsors Paul & Jody Normandeau Cindy and John Wilcox Gincy Bunker Michelle Cherrier & Philip Goepp Eleanora Patterson & Gordon Faison

Mark’s Place Serving my neighbors

s h a r pe ning

David & Nina Hutchison

Chainsaw Chains, Mowers, Wood Processors, Brush Cutters, Axes, Hatchets, Mauls

Kevin & Sara Ryan

802-254-7770

Barry & Elsa Waxman

up with Dummerston Cares. Dummerston Cares volunteers pick them up in Brattleboro and bring them to the Dummerston Town Office parking lot between 5 and 5:30 where they are given to those who have signed up for them.

Continued on page 15

West Dummerston, VT

8 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

organizations Historical Society

Society Seeks Members and Memorabilia

by Muriel Taylor Although the COVID-19 virus has required the temporary closing of the Schoolhouse to the public and the cancellation of our October quarterly meeting, it should be noted that the directors are meeting regularly courtesy of Zoom.

Board members, meanwhile, continue to carry on the work of the Society at home by creating albums of historical interest to Dummerston and by revising and updating our policies and procedures. Several of us have met regularly, masked, and distanced, to organize, file and digitize our collection. We continue to document this unusual time by asking community members

to send brief commentaries about Dummerston experiences during the pandemic. Thank you to all who have already done so. It’s not too late to add your comments to this project! Please email them to dummerstonhistoricalsociety@ gmail.com.

Membership Email: We are actively using our email list to notify you of meetings and other activities. Members who do not have access to email will receive postcard announcements. If you have not notified us of your email address, please consider doing so. Thank you for supporting this effort to reduce our expenses.

Items for Sale: The 2021 “Scenes of Dummerston” calendars are on sale. They are available

Evening Star Grange

Grange Adapting to Take-Out Only Meals

By Sallie J. May, Secretary This has been a summer like no other in my lifetime, and I’m sure in most of yours.

Yet surprisingly the summer has flown by and here is Fall, and I’m not ready. I am, however, taking a minute or two to let you all know what is happening at the Grange.

Our “take-out only” Senior lunches have continued to be very successful, and almost everyone has been very happy with their meal, or at least said they were. Feedback is always appreciated, and we hope that we can make the necessary changes so that we can meet your

Sponsors Alvino & Bea Fantini Allan & Sally Seymour Milt & Barbara Gilmore Rip Lhamon & Fita Ferguson Ron & Jo-Ann Tier Tim Knapp & John Bouffard

expectations as best that we can. Our average attendance is up from around 80 to at least 150-160 per meal twice a month.

Our September Chicken Pie Supper (takeout only, of course) was a huge success, with 365 reservations made and meals dispensed.

Again, we had to turn people away on Saturday afternoon because we would not have enough food nor the ability to make more in such a short time. So that we can better plan our meals, PLEASE make reservations by Friday evening, or Saturday by noon at the latest for a Saturday night supper; if it is a Wednesday lunch, we would like the reservations by Tuesday evening . All take-out meals are by reservation only.

Call 254-1138 and leave your name, phone number and the number of meals you want. We will not call back to confirm unless you have a question or we do. A Turkey Supper is planned for Saturday, October 17th, pick-up between 4:30 and 6 p.m. All tickets are $10. The money earned goes toward fuel to keep us warm, and upkeep of the hall.

Have a safe, sane fall and early winter season, wear your masks, and stay safe!

for only $10 at the town office (check or exact change, please), or by calling Jody Normandeau at 380-9027 or Gail Sorenson at 254-9311.

We are grateful to C&S and its Print Shop for supporting our society by printing these calendars through its non-profit grant program.

Continued on page 15

Something Outdoors For The Whole Family

By Ann Davis We’re still waiting for the go ahead to open the building for public use. So alas, we’re still closed.

The playground is still available to use… slide, monkey bars, baseball field. With the addition of a basketball hoop (thanks for the Fire Department) and two picnic tables, the whole family has something to do! The swings will go back up in the near future.

Quarry wagon update: We have planks for the floor of the wagon! Once these are installed, the only thing left undone is the building to house the wagon in. This will take some planning and volunteers. If you would like to help with the project please call Lester Dunklee (257-0546) or Rick Davis (380-6533).

Halloween: Unfortunately, due to the “virus” we will not celebrate Halloween this year. But next October 31st (hopefully) be ready with a super neat costume and your treat bag!!

Reminding pet owners: We invite you and your dog to use the field, but please be responsible and clean up after your furry friend.

In the future when planning get-togethers, classes, gatherings, or whatever the occasion, remember the Community Center. Call Jean (254-9212) for re-opening and available dates.

Thank you to all of our loyal supporters for your donations of time and money and encouragement. And certainly, for everyone’s patience.

Glabach Land Management Ted & Kristen Glabach Landscaping & Excavation Dummerston, VT 05301 802-536-4025 Glabach@yahoo.com

Macoun Apples • Apple Cider Fall Vegetables Open ‘Til Thanksgiving 10am-6pm Route 5, Dummerston

254-2051

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 9

school news

School Adapts to Effects of COVID19

By Julianne Eagan

context of our remote experience as well. As such, our focus has As we began planning for reopening in June been on intentionally and throughout the summer, it was difficult building community to imagine exactly what September would and supporting chillook like. Yes, we had extensive plans and dren in feeling compeprotocols, but what would it be like to be tent and successful as back in the building with our students under they adjust to in-person these guidelines? What would it be like for our academic learning after students to join classmates from other schools such a long absence. as part of a fully remote experience? How Mask wearing, social would all of these changes feel? October felt a d i s t a n c i n g , h a n d long way off; yet, here it is, and I write to you h y g i e n e , a n d n e w today with so much gratitude and admiration routines and procefor our staff, students, and families for navi- dures have also been gating all of the complexities of reopening part of our daily life with kindness, creativity, resiliency, and care together. In our instrucfor one another. tion, we are using a 4th graders participate in a virtual lesson with librarian Melissa Petroski.

Yes, undeniably, our routines and experi- r e l a t i o n s h i p - b a s e d ences are different this year and present new approach that empowers young people to previous experience in children’s librarianchallenges. Currently, approximately 76% of care for one another and themselves through ship. Prior to her graduate studies at Antioch our students follow a hybrid schedule in which these simple acts of kindness. and her internship with our district, Allie was they attend school in person for two days and In the midst of all of these new experi- Youth Services Librarian at the Cranston participate in remote learning activities during ences and transitions, there are moments that Public Library in Rhode Island. the remaining three days of the week. This are simply (and joyfully) ordinary--students We also welcomed Ben Ferguson as the model allows students to meet in person with getting to know new classmates, playing new Dummerston School art teacher. Ben a smaller group of students to maximize social together at recess, searching for chipmunk has extensive experience teaching at both distancing and reduce virus exposure. Another holes, collecting acorns, reading online with the elementary and middle school level. Prior group of Dummerston School students are their new teacher, struggling through a math to serving as art teacher at Slade Middle fully remote and, as a result of a partnership problem, studying current events, and playing School in New Britain, CT, Ben taught art between Dummerston, Oak Grove, and Green games. We are so proud of our students for at Pownal Elementary School in Vermont.

Street Schools, participate in classes with their their kindness, perseverance, and creativity Ben’s experience includes collaborating with Dummerston peers as well as students from and look forward to the day when our entire community-based organizations to deepen these Brattleboro schools. Every student in school community can come together again in students’ learning in the arts, and working both our hybrid and remote programs is able the fields, forests, and classrooms of Dummer- with schoolwide teams on projects such as to access their “specials” instruction virtually. ston School. implementation of Positive Behavior InterFor the entire Dummerston School commu- New Faces at Dummerston School ventions and Support, garden and composting nity, the start of the year represented a signifiLike any new school year, the start of the projects, and after-school opportunities. cant transition as we opened our physical semester has brought new faces to DummerIn our PreK, we welcomed Molly Oglesby school to students for the first time since March ston School. Over the summer, Lily DePino as our new PreK teacher. Many of you may 13th and explored new connections in the moved into a district math coaching position. know Molly as she has been working locally While we are thrilled to in the early childhood community for over still have the opportu- twenty years, most recently as a home-tonity to work with Lily school parent liaison for WNESU and, prior in this new context, we to that, as principal and lead preschool teacher miss collaborating and at Neighborhood Schoolhouse. Molly has a connecting with her strong background in nature, play-based early every day. We were so education, children’s art, and drama. fortunate to be able to Beth Wells has joined us as Grades 5/6 hire Allie Gregory as Humanities Teacher while Susannah Cassidy our new kindergarten Friedman is on maternity leave. Most recently teacher. Allie comes to Beth served as a core teacher at the Brattleus with a combination boro Retreat Meadows School. Prior to that of teaching experience experience, following her time as a classroom and graduate studies in teacher in Jamaica, Vermont, Beth was the First-grade teacher Beth Montgomery instructs her class. education, as well as Continued on page 10 Dummerston School Principal

10 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

school news

School Adapts to Effects of COVID19 Continued from page 9 Media Specialist at Putney Central School.

Beth comes to us with extensive experience in Humanities instruction and digital platforms for learning.

Finally, we are excited to announce that Jack McKiernan and Keith Marshall are heading up our boys and girls soccer teams. Soccer

members, the Dummerston School Multi-Use Trail was unveiled at the start of the school year. Designed by Curtis Franti and built by hand by Dummerston School parents, this trail runs through our wooded hillside and offers students the chance to hike and bike together during and after school.

Special thanks to trail designer Curtis Fanti and parent volunteers Lance Neeper, Joe Newton, Jared Clark, Dustin Manix, Lenny Giordano, Allen Gallup, and Amy Wall who worked throughout the summer to build this trail. Thank you to the members of the Dummerston School Leadership Council for supporting and coordinating this project, and thank you to Perkins Home Center for the donation of picnic tables!

Moving forward, we will Kindergarten teacher Allie Gregory reads a story to kindergarten be engaging in a coordinated students on their first day of school. effort to work with staff, looks a little different this year with masks and students, families, and community members social distancing measures in place; however, to build a detailed and comprehensive plan for we have a few games with local schools on our enhancing our outdoor spaces. Our goal is to schedule, and both teams are practicing with focus and enthusiasm each day after school, moving forward in their skills development and enjoying the time being physically active outdoors together.

A Focus on Our Outdoor Learning and Play Environments This year, the Dummerston School community, including our staff, students, and Leadership Council, is placing a special focus on reimagining and redesigning our outdoor learning and play environments. This work started last year before our school closure and continued through the months of distance learning in the spring and into the summer.

There are already some noticeable changes.

After months of planning and hard work from PreK teacher Molly Oglesby reviews the day’s Dummerston School parents and community schedule with students.

Sponsors

• •

Meg Murtha Jack & Judy Davidson Tom Zopf Winifred Vogt Joe & Anne Little

•

Onsite Septic Design, LLC Alan J. McBean

943 Park Laughton Rd. East Dummerston, VT 05346

• •

Inground Mounds New Construction/ Replacement Water Supply Geologic Consulting VT Lic #536 Cell 802-258-0971 Home 802-254-6975

realize the potential of our beautiful campus to support the learning and development of all Dummerston School students and to serve as a vital community space for our town.

In support of this project, the Dummerston School PTCO (Parent Teacher Community

Kindergartener Zoe takes a walk on the new Dummerston School Multi-Use Trail with paraeducators Kelly Gabriel and Kristine Aquino.

Organization) seeks your input and involvement. Please visit our website at dummerston. wsesu.org to complete a survey or contact us at school at 254-2733 to find out how you can be involved.

And, if you have driven by Dummerston School over the last weeks, you have likely seen another wonderful addition to our backyard. The Dummerston Congregational Church has allowed us to borrow their Apple Pie Festival tent this fall. Thank you to the Congregational Church community and to all the volunteers who helped raise this tent, including Keri Newton, Sam Farwell, Gordon Evans, Randy Hickin, Joe Newton, Dustin Manix, Henry Scott, Rick Mills, Sadie Mills, and Lenny Giordano. We are overjoyed by these gestures of love and support and have loved seeing our students learning in this space throughout our opening weeks.

The last months have highlighted the interconnectedness of our community, and we are so grateful to partner with you in support of Dummerston children and families. Please stay tuned for additional updates on our Facebook page, and visit our website to read more about our school’s programming and staff this year.

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 11

school news

School Leadership Council Defines Needs

By Maeve Jenks The Dummerston School Leadership Council is comprised of Dummerston School parents, teachers, and community members.

School Leadership Councils were created within our consolidated school district for the purpose of looking at the needs and goals of the individual district schools specifically, while each town’s school board directors are tasked with looking at the needs of the entire district.

Our School Leadership Council started meeting last year on a monthly basis and did some great brainstorming about our school’s goals and needs. When things changed in March because of the coronavirus, we started meeting bi-weekly to keep up communication about what was happening, what needed to happen and what changes to our plans we needed to consider.

We had already discussed the need for an updated outdoor learning and play space. As we all wrapped our minds around our new reality and what a return to school might look like, we knew how important outdoor space was. Now more than ever, capitalizing on our outdoor space would be a vital part of our return to school.

We focused on what we might accomplish with a minimal budget and as a result, the walking/biking path was created in the woods behind the school. A couple of the DLC members and other wonderful volunteers from our community worked regularly throughout the summer to complete this space. Simultaneously, we have begun the process of developing a plan for use of the rest of the land that surrounds the school.

We are looking at this land as shared space for not only the school playground, but as a community recreation space. For years, our youth recreation sports program, which is run by the Dummerston Recreation board, has used this area. Our goal for this land is to create a space that says, “Wow!”. We want

to create an outdoor space that is inclusive, educational, and fun, and can be used all year long. We have started the fundraising process and also have reached out to get all hands on deck to make this vision happen.

The fundraising will be organized by the Dummerston Parent, Teacher, Community Organization (PTCO), which will be working in co-ordination with the DLC. We would like to thank Lori Thibault, most recently, and all those who have run a Parents, Teachers, and Families Organization (PTFO) for Dummerston in previous years. Fundraising is a vital part of our school’s ability to thrive beyond a district budget and I appreciate all that has been done to make things happen for my children and many others over the years.

These past six months have allowed so many of us to focus on our neighbors and how to make our community safe and thriving. In an effort to create a contact list and get an idea of who is interested in contributing to this exciting cause, there is a survey that I ask you to complete. If you are interested in participating in the planning of community events and fundraisers targeted towards this monumental goal of a new outdoor space for all to use, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/ e/1FAIpQLScsi3G7pgoTZiUFRt3_Z2GyR57cj1rhsCvIeERKsh5ZIDEKag/viewform.

(This link can also be found on the Dummerston School website.)

Winter Sports Gear Needed Additionally, we are planning some fun outdoor activities. If you have skates, Nordic skis, snowshoes, and downhill skis or snowboards that are in working order, we will happily accept them as a donation.

Typically, Dummerston School students participate in winter sport activities which take them throughout the county learning and enjoying outdoor winter activities. This year will be different. While we have not been able to fully determine what “winter sports” will look like this year, it will likely involve winter activities taking place on the school grounds.

Dummerston PTCO November Raffle We are putting together a raffle with 100% of the proceeds going to our cause. We are looking for any and all business owners who have products or gift cards they are willing to contribute to our raffle. We have started brainstorming businesses that we know of, but we don’t want to miss any artist, potter, creator, or small business owner who is part of our community. Please email us at dummerstonptco@gmail.com if you have a product you would like to donate.

We post our agendas and minutes on the Dummerston School website and on the district website. These meeting are open to public and all are welcome to join. We do ask that if you have a topic to discuss and add to the agenda, please email us at dlcvt20@gmail.com.

Naturally Grown Vegetables Free Choice CSA Raw Honey 440 Miller Rd, E. Dummerston VT www.therichardsgrp.com

www.fullplatefarmers.com

D u m m e r s t o n Congregational Church services at 10:00

a.m.

Rev. Shawn Bracebridge, pastor Office 257-0544 • Home 802-689-0753 www.facebook.com/DummerstonChurch/

12 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

The Little Red Schoolhouse moved closer to the source of comfort and sat on upside down wastebaskets or a big chunk of wood. We found another use for that stove, too. By opening that door in the front and holding an old wire toaster over the flame we could treat ourselves to toasted sandwiches.

By Alice Loomis The school day began with “opening exerAs I near the age of one hundred minus ten cises” that included the “Pledge of Alle(I like to say it that way) my mind seems to giance”. The words “under God” were added wander back over the years that were, espe- years later. We always repeated the 23rd Psalm cially to the time spent in that little red schoolhouse where I took my first step on the journey through academia. Why were schoolhouses always painted red? I was told that the red

By Bill Schmidt pigment came from iron and was cheap and easy to come by.

As noted in the summer Views, life with Right now I am trying to remember all the COVID doesn’t have to be all bleak and negative things that went on in that little red building, and filled with uncertainties. Some positive and and I’m shocked to realize so much is blacked good things can and do happen. Some happen out of my mind. My first day of school? Can’t unexpectedly and others we can make happen tell you a thing about it. But the teacher, I have ourselves. Whenever and however they happen, a very clear picture of her—Ella Miller—tall, we can acknowledge them and be grateful for gaunt, gray hair in a pug, and always pleasant. them. Here are a few more examples of silver The schoolroom was large. It had to be linings in COVID time. to accommodate all eight grades. Don’t More Time for Family and Friends: One remember how many were in my grade, but thing I’m spending more time on is family when it came time for eighth grade graduation, relationships and relationships with friends. there were five. Desks were arranged as you I’m taking these relationships more seriously would expect, small in front to large in back. and in some cases reviving dormant and sleepy Each desk had an inkwell in the upper right ones and giving them more thought and attenhand corner (not too good for “lefties”) filled tion. I’m looking to have this be an ongoing with black liquid we called ink. Older student practice in my life. Spending time with family wrote with quill pens. Fountain pens were yet and friends is a big gain. to be invented. We were all kept busy working With not being able to do some things or go on assignments. Blackboards and maps were some places I’m all the more grateful for things all around the walls.

I can do and places I can go. Bill Schmidt In the middle of the room was a big boxEnjoying an Unexpected Opportunity: shaped wood stove that kept us warm and I’m very limited in how much I go out now. comfortable, except on extremely cold days, I’m finding however other ways to “go out,” when the heat just couldn’t make it to the like the weekend I participated in a ukulele back corners. Occasionally those in the back ensemble based in Canada with musicians from throughout Europe. I would never have travelled to the live event. Without COVID it would never have gone online and I would never have had opportunity to be part of it. The joyous group from around the world was great fun and brought a sense of connectedness and commonality among good people no matter where they live. Carolyn Mayo-Brown Neighborhood Coming Together: When the COVID stay-at-home order started, our neighborhood, which was never really coheEditor’s Note: Alice Loomis has left us with several written recollections of days past. Here is Part I of her memories of school days in Dummerston, just as she wrote it in 2005. We’ll include Part II in the next edition of the Views.

and the Lord’s Prayer. I sincerely believe that these two passages from the Bible laid down the roots whence my spiritual life grew. After this we had to stand up and tell something we did the night before. My story was always the same—“I brought in the chips and shavings from the shed”. A byproduct from my dad’s saw-mill were these chips and shavings which were used to start the wood fires. I think that story was forgotten by third grade.

Positive Changes in Life with COVID: Part 2

Fruit CSA Sign Ups • Farm Market Baking & Hard Cider Workshops

Births Lily May Bryck

8-23-2020

Parker Madison Williams 9-4-2020

sive before, came together and organized a group email to stay in touch better so that we could help each other out as needed during the crisis. It has turned into a friendly forum to everything from help to find a missing cat, to sharing extra compost, and to seek help to have neighbors provide dog and bike “distractions” to a new guide dog in training. But what it has really done is pulled our neighborhood together. We stop and chat more (at an appropriate distance) and people are reaching out to one another and are more engaged with others on a daily basis. This is our new normal and I am grateful for the connections.

Having Zoom meetings with family members and friends who are far away has proven to be a very positive addition to my relationships with them. Anonymous More Control of My Time: My experience is mixed. I miss seeing friends and family and seeing people in a couple of meetings I regularly attend. But at the same time, I have enjoyed control of my time. I garden in the morning, write in the afternoon, and read in the evening. The reading is just what I choose and the writing does not include minutes of meetings. It could become a habit. I may become a recluse. Sometimes I feel the tiniest bit guilty enjoying what is causing devastating misery for so many people, but I take a deep breath and it goes away. It’s not any different, really, than my usual life of ease and safety while half the world is at war or starving. Anonymous There we have it. While there’s much to lament in COVID time, there are rays of sunshine if we look for them and when we can make them happen.

Passings Frances Walker Mannix 8-25-2020 Paul Marshall Brown

9-11-2020

Dorothy “Dottie” Jones 9-19-2020

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 13 Good Books

Colorado Author Kent Haruf a Good Read

By Linda Rood I imagine most of us have favorite authors, writers whose new books we eagerly await, or writers we return to for the pleasure of revisiting. Or we might get curious about an author because we liked their first book we encountered, and so go on to read more by the same writer. It can be like listening to a favorite musician or visiting a great show of an artist’s work. One writer may speak to us in a way that no other writer can, or by exploring more of one writer’s work, we find a depth that satisfies and resonates far beyond the experience of knowing only one experience with that author.

I first learned about Kent Haruf (rhymes with sheriff) from my friend Susan who lives in Colorado. During the past six months, I read two of Haruf’s novels, bringing the total to four that I have read out of the six he wrote in his lifetime and they brought me great comfort in an anxious time. Haruf died in 2014 just before his last book, Our Souls at Night, was published.

I am anticipating the pleasure of enjoying the two that are left, but I’m sure I’ll be sad when there are no more new ones to discover, So who is this guy? He might be thought of as a minor writer, though a couple of the books have been best-sellers and two have been made into movies. He was born and raised in Colorado and lived most of his life there. He could be dismissed as a “regional” writer, since all the books are set in one small fictional town in Colorado. In that way he reminds me of our own Howard Frank Mosher whose Kingdom County novels of Vermont are beloved in New England but may not be so well known elsewhere. In Colorado, he is revered as “our writer,” and my friend says that “when he died we all went into mourning.”

For me, the novels of Kent Haruf are quiet but satisfying stories of ordinary people for whom I have great affection, and small-town life, which is, of course, a familiar and also universal setting that has a powerful, resonating meaning.

Haruf’s people and their problems—what Haruf calls “the precious ordinary”—are described in clear, understated prose that matches the bleak plains setting and yet is beautiful in its simplicity. One reader says, “I will read anything the man writes. He can capture our universal humanity way down at a soul level.

He just lays out his story and lets the reader come along for the ride. No words, phrases, or concepts are tortured in this process.”

I read Our Souls at Night (Vintage Books, 2015) first. I wrote about it in the Fall 2016 Views, so maybe some of you have read it, or have seen the Netflix movie adapted from it,

starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. It’s a sweet, touching story that takes place, like all of Haruf’s novels, in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. It’s a spare narrative, consisting mostly of dialogue between the two main characters. Addie Moore, age 70 and a widow, confides to her neighbor, Louis Waters, also widowed and about the same age, that she is lonely and wonders if he would come and sleep with her at night and talk (no sex). They embark on this experiment, and the rest of the story flows from there. Ironically, they have been longtime neighbors, but don’t really know each other very well. As they talk, we learn about their past lives and families, and as their friendship deepens, so does our attachment. Of course there are complications, since they are engaged in an unorthodox arrangement, and it is, after all, a small town. This lovely book is a quick read, a novella really.

After that, I went on to Plainsong (Alfred A. Knopf, 2000). This one is probably Haruf’s master work and my favorite so far; it was a bestseller, nominated for the National Book Award and made into a movie. First off, what a wonderful title: a perfect play on words. Holt is a small agricultural town set in northeastern Colorado on the High Plains. This is the flat, sparse, lonely country of ranchers and dry land farmers, out of sight of the famous mountains and ski resorts that we mostly associate with this state. Haruf said, “It’s not pretty but it’s beautiful if you know how to look at it.” Town consists of a couple of very straight streets, the grain elevator, the cattle auction, the coffee shop, the bakery, and the American Legion.

There’s a bank, a high school and a courthouse.

Nothing much ever changes.

The story centers on Tom Guthrie, a high school teacher whose wife’s depression has led her to abandon their marriage, Maggie Jones, another kindhearted teacher who cares for her elderly and demented father, their student, Victoria Roubideaux, whose mother has turned her out because she is pregnant, and two aging bachelor rancher brothers, Harold and Raymond McPheron. All of these characters are isolated, lonely, and broken in some way. As the story progresses, these five find each other and help each other until a new kind of family is forged. It’s an unsentimental but ultimately heartwarming tale of generosity, kindness, and redemption.

This past March I read Eventide (Vintage Books, 2004). It’s a sequel to Plainsong, focused on the McPheron brothers and Victoria Roubideaux, who has gone on to college, and adds some new members of the community to diversify our understanding of the town

of Holt. Harold and Raymond, whom I have come to love, must carry on even though their home is no longer brightened and warmed by the small family they had formed by the end of Plainsong. Then tragedy strikes, and one of them must go on alone. Again, Haruf shows us that though life gives us pain, through human connection we can find reason for hope.

Haruf published Benediction (Pan Macmillan) in 2013, and it is often listed as the third book in the Plainsong “trilogy,” though Haruf insisted that it was not intended as such.

This is one of the two I have not read, but I know it is the story of Dad Lewis, owner of the hardware store, who is living his last summer, knowing that he is dying of cancer and facing his regrets. I am told that this is a beautiful book, and I am looking forward to reading it.

This past summer I read Where You Once Belonged (Vintage Books, 1990), Haruf’s second novel. One of the interesting things about reading all of an author’s works is that it’s possible to see the development of the writer’s style and skill. This early work provides that opportunity with Haruf. This work is written from a first person point of view, in the voice of Pat Arbuckle, the local newspaper editor, who tells the story of Jack Burdette, town bully and high school football star, who returns to the town he once betrayed, and the consequences that follow. It’s a taut, suspenseful story that serves up a powerful character study that is more bleak than the later work but a good read for sure.

Haruf’s first book, which I have not read yet, is The Tie That Binds (Vintage Books, 1984). I heartily recommend this wonderful author to you for the pleasure of reading good stories delivered in beautiful prose; for their clear-eyed and often overlooked perception of the universalities of small-town life; and for their profound humanity. As one reader said, ”You end up feeling a better human being from reading him, if not a bit wiser and stronger.”

I hope you’ve made it this far in the column, because I want to tell you about a good place online to buy used books. More Than Words is a Boston nonprofit that operates two bookstores and a bookselling website that provides jobs and career training for foster children aged out of the system and other disadvantaged youth. Check out the website: low-cost books, free shipping, and a good cause!

For the Winter Views, I plan to continue my practice of asking my readers to tell me about their own favorite books from 2020.

Please think about what your picks are and let me know at turood802@gmail.com. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

14 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

Meeting the Needs of Food-Challenged Residents

Continued from page 7 lunches to the town’s parking area by the Dummerston Congregational Church. Then, between 11-11:30, one or two volunteers distributed the meals to drivers and walkers who came to get the meals. At least 17 volunteers in all helped with the distribution over the ten weeks. Early on the volunteers were mostly teachers; in July and August they were Cares volunteers and a town BUHS student, Ty Smith, who helped several days while getting experience working in a social services program.

Safety precautions were observed by everyone involved in the program. This ranged from those in the kitchen who prepared the food, to the van drivers and the volunteers who distributed the food at eight sites in the district. Masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer were provided for those who did not have their own protective equipment.

With a week to go, an additional week was added to the program. Ali West, the program’s principal organizer, said that as of August 13, 17,100 breakfasts and lunches (each) had been served in the district—along with 5,100 meals for the homeless in Vermont’s Homeless in Hotels Program. As Ali said, “that’s a heck of a lot of meals.”

Looking ahead now in mid-September, with school being open for a week, we’re waiting to see what happens in the school’s lunch (and breakfast?) program. We’re especially thinking about kids who are not physically in school—either at all or some of the days each week. Is there a need at least for feeding the kids who were in the Summer Food Program plus some others? It may be that a modified Food4Kids Program, like the ones in Putney and Guilford, will be developed. Cares’ conversation with school folks about a Food4Kids Program actually began last winter before COVID struck. Whatever happens, Cares is available to help in any ways it can, especially if a need for volunteers appears.

Cares has been involved with the needs of our children in several ways in the past, including provision of winter clothes, snacks

for some kids, and ways to deal with digital learning in homes and in the classroom.

Putney Food Shelf Resources: The Putney Foodshelf is Dummerston’s foodshelf as well as Putney’s and other area towns. It provides healthy supplemental food to anyone who needs it. No one is turned away.

As a result of the pandemic, the Putney Foodshelf has increased its service to area towns by about 30 percent. Saturday driveups now serve 50-56 families a week and 25-29 families get home delivery on Friday.

Protocols have been developed to make contact with the Foodshelf as safe as possible for shoppers and volunteers.

The Foodshelf now is open with a drive-up model on Saturday mornings, from 9 to 11.

Shoppers drive to the Putney Community Center and remain in their cars. Foodshelf volunteers greet each car, direct parking, and find out what is needed. Then runners prepare and deliver each bag of shelf-stable foods, a bag of fresh produce, and a bag of meat, milk, and eggs. A distance of six feet between people is maintained at all times.

The Vermont Foodbank supplies much of what the Foodshelf offers. Some is free and some has to be paid for. Milk and eggs are bought weekly and meat as needed, from local producers as much as possible.

With the Vermont Foodbank, the Foodshelf co-sponsors a monthly food drop of free produce and some non-perishables on the fourth Thursday of every month from 9:30-10:15 at Putney Meadows, 17 Carol Brown Way, which is the white building across from the Putney Co-op and fire station in Putney. Everyone is welcome. No information on anyone is collected. The food is free. Because of COVID, this too is drive-up only. Bags are provided.

The Putney Foodshelf is working with Dummerston Cares to inform Dummerston residents who can benefit from the Foodshelf. Financial contributions to support the Foodshelf are most welcome. For more information go to the Foodshelf’s website, putneyfoodshelf.org, or call 802-387-8551.

The phone is checked daily for messages.

The Foodshelf’s mailing address is: PO Box 337, Putney, VT 05346.

Castines Brighten Our Christmas Season Continued from page 1 Gary has purposefully and methodically added to his light display since that first attempt at illuminated artistry. He’s been adventurous in splashing color around the Castine dooryard and beyond. Asked how he’s grown his display from year to year, Gary replies, “Each year I try to add more, and try to do something different.” He gets ideas from seeing new products, getting D-I-Y tips, and just keeping his eyes open for inspiration. When the topic of the certifiably over-the-top “The Great Christmas Light Fight” television show comes up, he chuckles, “Gary shouldn’t watch that!”

The sheer magnitude of the annual project now amazes even Gary. The process has been additive, and that means that a fantastic array of lights, ground figurines, inflatables, and wiring must be put up—and taken down— every year.

October 15th marks the kickoff of the 2020 preparation season. Gary cables and installs the estimated 34,000 lights (4,000 more than last year), miles of extension cords, and fourteen separate timers. His grandchildren—Holden, Fuller, and Brooke—are then on duty to help install and anchor all the figurines and sculptures. Everything is tested, timers are calibrated, and directional signs are prepared. After a month and a half of preparation, the display will be ready for

its December 1st debut.

The cost of preparing a destination light display is one that Gary manages the best that he can. He’s always on the prowl for post-Christmas sales on lights and accessories. LED lighting technology has also been helpful in reducing his noteworthy December power bill. As he’s converted more than 80% of his lighting to LED, he’s pleased to be able to repurpose his older, yet still perfectly functional, incandescent lighting sets for even more holiday cheer. At various times he’s donated them to satisfy needs for the towns of Newfane, Townshend, and Brookline.

“Everybody wins,” he says.

Thirty years down the road from those first two strings of lights, Gary is having the time of his life, spreading cheer to neighbors, strangers, and, most importantly, his grandchildren. He allows that, at first, the experiment was just for him, and then his boys. Now, though, it’s all about his grandkids. “It’s them and me—I get to work with them. It’s us. That’s even more of a blessing,” he says.

To see Gary’s 2020 light display, take a drive by 134 Greenhoe Road, off Miller Road in East Dummerston. The Castine home is halfway down the hill on the right side of the road. The lights are on from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., every day from December 1st until January 3rd. See Photo on page 16.

Views of Dummerston • Fall, 2020 • 15 Continued from page 7 If you prefer to pick up a meal yourself, you can go to the parking lot of the Church Building on Flat St. in Brattleboro between 4-6 p.m. beginning Aug. 3. Meals there are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Limit on dinners: One meal per day per person in a household is available.

Help your neighbor: If you know of anyone with COVID-19 challenges who would appreciate these dinners, let them know about this program and have them call the Cares Message Line (257-5800). Or you can pick up meals for up to three households including your own.

Giving back: The meals are free and there is no obligation to pay for them. If you want to offer in return your thanks, that’s enough. If you want to make a monetary contribution to help make more meals available for others, contributions will be gratefully received.

For more information or to fill out a sign-up form by phone, call the Dummerston Cares Message Line (257-5800) and leave your first name and telephone number. Your call will be returned as soon as possible. You can also email Dummerston Cares at info@dummerstoncares.org. Your privacy will be respected.

We need to know if you want dinners every day they’re available or only on certain days, the number of meals you want for your household, and meal preferences (omnivore, vegetarian, vegan/GF).

Society Seeks Members and Memorabilia Continued from page 8 In addition, our signature black tee-shirts with the covered bridge motif are still available by calling Gail Sorenson at 802-254-9311.

Proceeds support programming, the upkeep and maintenance of our beloved Schoolhouse, as well as our 2021 operating budget. Donations or membership dues may be mailed to The Dummerston Historical Society, PO Box 8064, N. Brattleboro, Vt. 05304.

Donations of Historical Items: Our collection builds as community members and others contribute items of historical interest to Dummerston. Donations of such items to the Historical Society help preserve these artifacts for the appreciation of future generations. If you wish donate an object to the Historical Society, please send an email to dummerstonhistoricalsociety@ gmail.com or contact a board member directly.

Membership: DHS encourages you to join as a member or volunteer and to come to our exhibits and meetings. Please note that the public is welcome attend any of our functions. Our Schoolhouse is handicapped accessible.

photo by Linda Rood

Everyone Eats!

Church Pie Festival Goes Curbside Bess Richardson filled us in on this year’s pandemic-rendition of the popular, annual Dummerston Apple Pie Festival, which usually has about 1300 pies for sale: “We made 301 pies. At the church we set up kits on trays which could hold six pies. Each kit had pans, enough dough mix just needing water, spices, and apples for six pies. People came to the church to get a tray, made the pies at home, then brought them back. Most people baked their pies, but if somebody couldn’t, parishioner James Brown came to the church every day and baked those in the church’s ovens. Some people peeled apples for others. Some brought their baked pies back and took another tray. Everybody got into the whole job. A couple of evenings we made pies outdoors at Green Mountain Camp where we could spread out more, staying socially distanced. The first evening there were seven of us, and the second there were ten. I can’t tell you how many people helped out. People just showed up and took trays. We had maybe 100 pies left over. We only advertised on our Facebook page because we were worried that too many people would show up and we wouldn’t have enough pies if we advertised more.”

Each pie came with a message from the church explaining their disappointment that the usual festival was not possible this year. The festival normally generates significant money for the church to help it maintain its beautiful home. Included in the message was a request for financial help, which, though you may not have bought a pie, you can give through their PayPal account by using the link on the church’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DummerstonChurch , or sent to the church at: Dummerston Church, 1535 Middle Road, Dummerston, VT 05346.

2021 Scenes of Dummerston Calendar Now on Sale Make sure to get yours at the Town Office or by calling Jody Normandeau (380-9027) or Gail Sorensen (254-9311)

16 • Fall, 2020 • Views of Dummerston PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Mailed From Zip Code 05346 Permit No. 61

change Service REquested

NAMES & TIMES & NUMBERS Dummerston Meetings

Please note that these meetings will not be taking place at their usual locations. Please refer to the town web site, www.Dummerston.org, for updated information.

Town Meetings Selectboard photo by Kevin Ryan

Every other Wednesday

Planning Commission 1st Tuesday

6:00 pm 6:30 pm

Conservation Commission 6:00 pm 2nd Thursday

Community Center Jean Momaney 254-9212 Conservation Commission Web site: www.dummerstonconservation.com Dummerston Cares Message line & Fuel Assistance 258-5800, email: info@dummerstoncares.org,, web site: wwwdummerstoncares.org Dummerston School 254-2733 Web site www.dummerston.wsesu.org Evening Star Grange Ruth Barton 254-1128 or mrgjb@sover.net Fire Chief Rick Looman 258-1731 Fire Warden Ted Glabach 384-6994 Deputy Fire Warden Allen Pike 258-0100 ydia Taft Pratt Library L

258-9878 Hours: Tue. 2-6; Wed. 1-5; Thu. 1-5; Sat. 10–1 Web site: library.dummerston.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/dummerstonlibrary email: dummerstonvtlibrary@gmail.com Meals on Wheels Chris McAvoy 257-1236 Selectboard selectboard@dummerston.org

Senior Solutions Ruth Barton 254-1128 Springfield Office 800-642-5119 Town Garage Lee Chamberlin 254-2411 Town Office Laurie Frechette 257-1496 email: townclerk@dummerston.org Veterans Assistance Contact Dummerston Cares message line or email.

Vermont Theatre Company 258-1344 Views of Dummerston views@viewsofdummerston.org WSESU 254-3730 Websites: Official Town www.dummerston.org Municipal Calendar http://calendar.dummerston.org Local Interest www.dummerston.com Senior Lunches

Evening Star Grange, 2nd and 4th Wednesday; Take-out only. Call 254-1128 by 6 PM Tuesday.

The Front Porch Forum

online at www.frontporchforum.com

Energy Committee 1st Monday

6:00 pm

Development Review Board 7:00 pm 3rd Tuesday at the town office

Community Center

7:00 pm

PTFO

6:00 pm

WSESD

6:00 pm

1st Monday at the Community Center

3rd Thurs. at the Dummerston School Library 1st & 3rd Wed., revolving locations

Dummerston School Leadership Council Monthly meetings; date, location and agenda posted on the Dummerston School web site

Historical Society

7:30 pm

3rd Thursday of Jan./April/July/Oct. at the Dummerston Historical Society

Senior Congregate Meal

Information/reservations:Ruth Barton 254-1128

Views of Dummerston Bonus: 2019 Light Display at the Castine Home, East Dummerston