Views of Dummerston - 2023#3 - Summer

Art by Gary Blomgren

Volume 33 Issue 3

Summer ~ 2023

Free • Since 1990

Point / Counterpoint: Part II

Is Town Meeting Best for Dummerston?

The Views Staff

Photo by Carolyn Mayo-Brown

In our last issue, we published two opinion pieces about how the town conducts its annual business. A piece written by Bill Holiday and Paul Normandeau gave reasons in favor of maintaining an in-person town meeting, at which articles are presented and discussed, and a vote is held to either pass or defeat each article. The other piece, written by Zeke Goodband, explained why he thought we should have a meeting to discuss the articles, but then use Australian ballot, open to all registered voters, to determine whether the articles pass or fail.

In the preface to those pieces, we characterTrail designer Roger Haydock pitches in to “sidehill” an area of the trail he designed, which links Prospect Hill to Putney Mountain.

ized the differing opinions as “contentious,” and Bill Holiday wrote in to object to this characterization. “. . . Different views are not necessarily contentious,” he explained. “They are just different viewpoints. I agree with Zeke’s article. I agree with ours. Contentious is a combative word. These two viewpoints are not contentious.”

In that preface, we invited Dummerstonians to send us their thoughts about these two different—approaches, shall we say. So here are the “viewpoints” which those fellow citizens have taken the time to express.

Excerpts from letters received

Town Meeting, in person, is the only opportunity we have to discuss in real time and amend the budget or any other article that the Selectboard has presented.

Linda Rood

Missing Links Trail I agree that mid-week daytime meetings are not the most efficient way to conduct public business these days so I propose that the Town Meeting be held on a Saturday or Milestone Achieved Town have it two nights, one night for town business and another night for school business. Other

By Carolyn Mayo-Brown With the purchase of a North Dummerston trail easement through private land, access from Prospect Hill to Putney Mountain has been secured. Bit by bit the missing sections of the trail have been filled in over the last forty years - some permanently, and some through a handshake agreement with community-minded neighbors. As soon as the ink was dry on the new easement documents, the volunteer crew launched into action, building the trail. Contact me if you’re interested in the tough work of trail building and would like to join the crew. Not into hard physical labor moving rocks, chain sawing, and side hilling? Me neither. Instead, contact me to join us for a strategy session on Missing Link Phase II to connect Prospect Hill to Black Mountain: email c_mayobrown@ yahoo.com, or phone (802) 579-6641.

towns in Vermont have adopted these options and it seems to work well.

Skip Fletcher

So much has changed over the years which can be hard to accept; but the option of Australian Ballots would allow more participation of local taxpayers.

Linda Hellus … we should continue to have in-person annual town meetings. They uniquely allow for citizen participation in the important issues of the town. The interaction, both in discussion and in socializing as neighbors and townsfolk, is treasured custom. Lew Sorensen Read the complete letters on page 10

Historical Society to Feature Town Artists

By Gail Sorenson

You may ask, what is an artisan? An artisan is someone who works with their hands to create unique, functional and/or decorative items using traditional techniques, Artisans are masters of their craft, and create products such as clothes, toys, tools, paintings, furnishings, and many more.

The Dummerston Historical Society invites you to view a very special exhibit representing the artwork/crafts of Dummerston residents. The purpose of this exhibit is to provide an opportunity to feature the creative works of Dummerston residents (both year-around and summer) in a wide variety of media. Many will be aware of continued on page 10

2 • Spring, 2023 • Views of Dummerston 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.

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: September 12, 2023 Views will be mailed on: October 25, 2023 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.)

More Ways to Recycle

By Michelle Cherrier,

Check with the individual dealerships for hours of operation.

These stores will accept these recyclable items in these collection containers.

As time goes by, I am sure you’ve been trying To use Subaru’s recycling service, I set up to buy fewer items that create waste, that are small collection boxes in my house to save un-recyclable. We have disposable cups, lids, fewer and fewer places straws, candy and snack My Geranium where we can create new wrappers, and coffee and landfills to bury waste, so creamer capsules (yes, I

By Lisa Blake manufacturers and retail occasionally have cups, partners are stepping up lids, wrappers and coffee Is there a latin name for her? their efforts to offer more capsules). I put the saved opportunities and more packaging in plain old Who cares! products that are truly plastic grocery bags (I know recyclable. Two nationeveryone still has them, We all know their constancy wide businesses with local even in Vermont). Then I Boston Common outlets provide unique occasionally stop at the local Baha’i World Center recycling opportunities.

Brattleboro Subaru dealer, Because I own a go into the Service entrance, And in my home Subaru, I receive emails and into the service waiting Ever since I had one. from them, including area. I empty my bags in the following from Water once a week the appropriate container, Updates@info.subaru. and depart, wishing the South-facing window com: “Making Our staff a good day. They also A roomy pot & there she is.

World a More Sustainhave collection containers able Place.” Subaru and in the main Sales area, if Faithful flowering plant. our retailers partner with you want to brave having a TerraCycle® to recycle salesperson try to sell you a items like coffee cups and lids, snack wrappers, vehicle! The collection containers are meant for and single-use coffee pods in their stores. Since individual packages, not bagsful. Please don’t 2018, we’ve helped to keep more than 8 million try to insert an entire bag into the opening. I can pieces of hard-to-recycle waste out of landfills. be in and out of the store in under sixty seconds.

Many Subaru retailers are even recycling worn- And, it doesn’t cost me any money. out vehicle parts from their service area, such as Staples is another retailer with a local store plastic vehicle waste and cabin air filters. It’s all which provides recycling services every day. part of the Subaru Love Promise, a commitment They have very active recycling bins (primarily to making a difference in our communities.” for printer cartridges) available near their exit.

If you don’t know about TerraCycle, here’s They prefer to have you, as the customer, speak the link to their history: https://www.terra- to a store associate to recycle your items and cycle.com/en-US/about-terracycle/history. to earn rewards by buying products. Staples They “recycle the unrecyclable.” I clicked on recycles a pretty extensive list of items in the Subaru’s link (see below) and learned about categories of tech, audio, and visual equiptheTerraCycle® Zero Waste Boxes that are ment, printer cartridges, batteries of many types available in participating Subaru dealerships, (including lithium ion), writing tools (pens, and the specific items that can be recycled in markers, mechanical pencils, and some miscelthem: https://www.subaru.com/our-commit- laneous items such as phone and tablet cases, ment/love-promise/subaru-loves-the-earth.html. and SodaStream®CO2 cylinders. The full list The link further explains: “It’s free, and you is available at https://www.staples.com/stores/ won’t need a TerraCycle account or shipping recycling. Staples also offers paper shredding label.” Regional participating stores include: at a cost per pound.

Brattleboro Subaru (1234 Putney Road), Subaru The simplest items to recycle are printer of Keene (11 Production Avenue), White River cartridges. Everything else­—I recommend stopSubaru (429 Sykes Mountain Avenue), and ping at the customer service desk and speaking Oliver Subaru of Rutland (128 US Route 7). to a Staples associate.

Dummerston Representative Windham Solid Waste Management District

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

Views of Dummerston • Spring, 2023 • 3

town government Dummerston Selectboard

White and Davidson Replace Resigned Board Members

By David Baxendale This seems to be an opportune time to take a step back and reflect on the last three years—a retrospective so to speak. Opportune because COVID is now largely in our past—and tragic and disruptive as it has been, we have managed as a nation, a state, and a community to survive and perhaps even to flourish. In a sense, though it seems at times that we ‘lost’ the last three years, and without question the impact of the pandemic will linger and will be remembered for decades to come, are we not perhaps stronger as a community having faced the darkness and come out the other end more or less unscathed?

If I may be permitted a personal note, it is perhaps symbolic that the first selectboard meeting in March 2020 that I attended was at the town office where the board had always met.

The pandemic was just gaining momentum and showing its ugliness and the board decided to move the meetings on to ZOOM and eventually to the much larger space at the Dummerston Community Center where safe social distancing would be possible. This arrangement was to continue for over three years until May 31, when we moved back to the town office, perhaps symbolizing a return to normality. That meeting was also the last selectboard meeting for me as I resigned from the board effective June 1.

Lewis White was appointed to the board in May to replace Terry Chapman who resigned for personal reasons after many years of faithful service to the town. Lewis was elected as vicechair of the board. Zeke Goodband continues as chair and Maria Glabach as clerk. David Baxendale’s seat will be filled by Todd Davidson.

These appointments will continue until town meeting in March 2024, when new elections will take place.

Two major storms impacted our region and town during the past two years. You will remember these well. In July 2021 devastating tropical storm Ida hit southern Vermont resulting

in significant damage around town – washing out culverts and breaching many of our roads and highways. The highway crew, as well as private contractors and the town office, did a terrific job getting us back on track within a very short period of time considering the extent of damage.

The town qualified for FEMA aid and the town has now received most of that reimbursement.

Work continues on some of the projects.

In March of this year a late winter storm brought two to four feet of wet snow to the region and our town resulting in a multitude of felled trees and limbs knocking out power and blocking roads. Power outages lasted for days, and up to a week for many residents. There was a glitch in the power company’s allocation of mitigation resources which extended the length of some of the power outages. The board addressed this situation with Green Mountain Power at a selectboard meeting in April to ensure that this would no longer be an issue. Once again, the highway crew performed exceptionally well to get us back up and running, although, because of the severity of the storm the process took longer than might have been hoped.

The town received around $520,000 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).

Requests for funding have been received and reviewed by the board and about 50% of the funds have been allocated. Additional requests are being received and reviewed with approvals expected over the balance of the year. Priority will be given to projects that benefit a maximum number of our residents and to infrastructure improvements.

My years on the board were most rewarding and informative and enabled me to learn more of how our form of direct democracy works. It is wonderful to see. Remember that this system works only if we continue to have volunteers who are willing to give their time and skills to the town; volunteers are vital in keeping the town running, and we appreciate all their time and effort. There are a number of positions that are

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

open and residents can view the current list to see what may be of interest to them. Please contact a board member if you have any questions.

We are a small community but a powerful one, working together to help maintain a good life for us all. Stay safe and healthy and do not hesitate to contact a board member if you have any questions or concerns.

File Homestead Forms By the Listers State law requires that all Vermont residents who are residential property owners file their homestead declaration form HS-122 and the household income form HI-144. Penalties may be assessed for non-filing these forms. While the due date to file was April 18, homeowners can still file Form HS-122 and Schedule HI-144, until October 16, and may still qualify for a property tax credit. A $15 late filing fee will be deducted from the credit for late filers.

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4 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston

town government Dummerston Conservation Commission

Talk Illuminates Benefits of Native Plants and Grasses

By John Anderson As I write, people’s minds are on haying, a cooling swim in the West River, bear cubs, and spotted fawns. By the time this reaches your mailbox swallows will be starting to line up on phone lines, a sure sign that they will soon drift south. Summer is all too short in Vermont and by necessity savvy people utilize every bit of good weather.

In April, the Conservation Commission hosted a workshop entitled Getting Started with Native Plants. Jocelyn Demuth, owner of the Native Plant Nursery at Checkerspot Farm in Colrain, Massachusetts graciously agreed to travel to Dummerston for this event. Demuth’s talk focused on native perennials and grasses that will thrive in our area and that are vital to the native bees, butterflies, and birds that we depend on as crop pollinators.

One need only walk into an elbow-deep field of native wildflowers swarming with myriads of butterflies, bees, beetles, and their almost as numerous insect predators to sense the health, the rightness, and the visual rewards of such places. The abnormal sterility of monocultures such as lawns and golf courses pales by comparison.

Having co-evolved with native pollinators, plant-munching beetles and caterpillars, and with regional climate conditions, native plants require no chemical pampering or irrigation.

They are the low-maintenance, high-reward choice for creating a healthy and thus beautiful yard or old field floral display.

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At our March meeting the Commission in the season, as water is drawn down to meet voted to submit a letter of support to the state Brattleboro’s municipal demand, the violet’s legislature for a proposed Invasive Species habitat is exposed; they then flower and set Management Day. Chairperson Christine seed, sometimes as late as October.

Goepp drafted our submission. Hopefully Lance-leaved violets are a state listed rare declaring an official invasives management (S-1) species. Their favored habitat is said to day would raise awareness and spur remedial be damp peaty soils in open grassy areas at actions much as did the declaration of a Green lower elevations, which is not exactly what I’m Up Day some fifty plus years ago. seeing with this population. Crowded between A rewrite and paring down of the text the ever-encroaching forest and the uninhabitincluded in a booklet describing town trails is able lake, these violets cling to a narrow, rocky also underway. In recent years there has been strip where they are submerged annually by a huge demand for outdoor recreational oppor- a human-generated, months-long freshwater tunities, and trail literature with clear, concise tide. It would seem that they are under huge descriptions of trailhead locations, degrees of stresses, yet they persist. difficulty, and perhaps a few words about the Not only have they persisted, at every oppornatural communities hikers might encounter tunity they have spread to disturbed areas should be both inspiring and helpful to the on camp lawns, damp roadside ditches, and first-time users of any trail. any other slim fragment of favorable habitat.

Now, having dutifully reported, I’m going They have been found on mossy areas of the to ramble off into some observations about reservoir’s earthen dam. Most such colonies violets. are ephemeral. As disturbed areas revegetate Last October as I raked leaves, the flowers the violets are slowly crowded out. of hundreds of ovate-leaved violets flecked Violets in any terrestrial colonies flower my lawn. Common blue violets were scattered as expected in May and, sometimes, again through the adjoining fields. Fall flowerings in the fall. Violets in the annually-inundated are not unusual, especially in mild years. population flower only in late fall. The lanceOctober day lengths mirror those of April. leaved violets at Sunset Lake are trapped in a Conditions tell violets to flower a second perilously narrow habitat zone; human activity time and some always respond. Last year they and forests hem them into an ever less favorresponded en masse. able area. They persist where they persist only None of this will come as a surprise to those because there is little competition from any who spend time outdoors. Fall flowerings other species for that space. They have found are a bit mundane. We always see violets in a habitat that few others covet. They flower May and again in October. However, I have only when conditions are favorable. They for some time been aware of a population of prove their adaptability. lance-leaved violets which, because of unusual There are only a handful of places in Fast Eddie’s Restaurant circumstances, never flower in May. I have Vermont where lance-leaved violets are found.

IceinCream only ever seen them flower the fall.Shop This patch and its behavioral plasticity intrigue These violets OPEN are at Sunset Lake, Brattle- me. What I thought I knew got in the way of YEAR ROUND boro’sCateringback-up reservoir, where early in the what was. I always looked for them in May. Lunch ~Dinner~ Dine-in season water levels are kept at their maximum, After all that’s when violets flower. Isn’t it?

Pick up~ Take-Out totallyCurbside submerging these plants.

In April and For more information on the Conservation 833Putney ~ produce (802)-579-1474 May when most Road violets flowers the Commission to http://www.dummerstonconarea involved is completely underwater. Later servation.com

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Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2023 • 5

organizations Evening Star Grange

Fans Returning to In-House Grange Suppers

By Sallie J. May,

did a number of take-outs, our in-house seating doubled from that served at our March sugar-on-snow supper, for which What fun it was to hold our first major we are grateful. Now we wait with crossed chicken pie supper of the season to a good fingers to see if we can get enough peaches crowd of in-house eaters! While we still in August for our annual peach shortcake dinner on August 19 th. We aren’t hopeful for east coast fruit since even Georgia is reporting a 90% loss of product. Since this article is due out prior to this event, we hope you will call the Grange at 802-254-1128 and make a reservation to come. We’ll try to get our advertising out a little earlier in order to remind folks that it is coming.

We also want to thank those friends and members of our Grange who contributed their time and talent in making our June 2nd Guilford Welcome Center food and rest break a financial success. The weather was a little damp at times, but for the most part the weather was cooperative and the travelers welcomed the good food and drink that we had for them.

We continue to serve between 150-225 hungry people on the second and fourth Wednesdays at our senior lunches. This is a real bargain meal with donations suggested at $3 for seniors 60 and older, and $4 for those people who would like a good meal at a reasonable cost. Also, if you are a little short on any given week, please contribute what you can, you will always be welcome at the Grange!

We will also be having our annual craft show and luncheon on Sunday, October 9 th in conjunction with the church Apple Pie Festival, so be sure and mark your Secretary, ESG

Is the Apple Crop in Jeopardy?

Robert E. Dunklee & Sons The Fall issue of the Views will feature a report on the state of this year’s orchard crops.

72 Flat Street Brattleboro, VT 05301

254-5663 Sponsors

John & Karen Abel Roberta Garland Orly Munzing & Bob Dunbar Mark and Lee Tice Fred Lee

calendar to come see what our crafters are selling, and grab a hamburger or a hotdog, corn chowder, baked beans, etc. before you wander over for a slice of apple pie for dessert and another pie to take home.

As always, the Grange is looking for new members, so if you would like to join this small but fun-loving group who likes to help our community, please call Master Larry Lynch at 802-310-0799 or Sallie May at 802-257-0387 and we will get information to you. Until the next time, keep smiling.

It only takes a second and looks so good on you!

Passings Joel David Doerfler 5/13/23 Robert Harold Nelson 5/28/23 Douglas Boe Hamilton, Sr. 7/4/23

Births Willa Margaretta Ackemann Oliver Reid LaLone Harrison Allyn Ridlehoover Lucia Grace Smoot Hudson Michael McFadden Sylvan Kenneth Schupbach

1/10/23 4/03/23 4/04/23 4/12/23 4/28/23 6/03/23

D u m m e r s t o n Congregational Church s e r v i c e s at 1 0 : 0 0 a . m .

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

6 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston

organizations

Cares’ Rides Program Fills Needs

By Akara Draper The rides program is one of several services offered by Dummerston Cares. Our volunteer drivers are happy to take Dummerston residents to medical appointments—locally and regionally—ranging up to 75 miles away.

Plus, we help with occasional local errands when one of our community members is housebound and unable to drive due to some medical reason.

Personally, being of service in this practical way means a lot to me. I am the coordinator of the rides program and also a driver. I enjoy finding and working with our volunteers to set up the rides. As a driver myself, I appreciate interacting with people in our community whom I would not otherwise have the opportunity to know.

Here’s what our other drivers share about how they enjoy being part of the rides program.

Roger Turner: Providing rides is a good opportunity to meet and get to know fellow community members whom I otherwise wouldn’t know. I like being able to help somebody who’s in need of a ride. I also believe in the mission of Dummerston Cares and am glad to contribute to their worthwhile efforts.

Gurudharm Khalsa: By helping others reach their destination, I find my own way forward into the selfless rewards of service.

Susan Read-Smith: I would guess that many volunteers enjoy the feeling of doing something practical for their neighbors.

The endorphins in our brains give us that “feel good” sense when we “do for others.”

I do think also that we hope—because we do for others—that some day Dummerston Cares will be there for us.

Catie G. Berg: What I like about being a driver for the rides program is that I get to meet delightful people and share the resource of my car. It’s a win-win situation when the rider is grateful and I feel a

boost by being helpful.

Meg Lyons: Volunteering to drive for Cares is a very small gesture on my part. Together with other Cares volunteers, I believe that our small gestures all add up and have a big impact over time. And it feels good to work with others who are making our corner of the world a better place.

Susan Daigler: Our Rides Program is very meaningful to me because I was on the receiving end of rides many years ago.

I had fractured a leg and had a neighbor who drove me to appointments and did my errands. Now I can do that for other Dummerston residents who need some assistance. A bonus is that I get to meet some interesting new people and form deeper friendships with people who were just acquaintances.

Connie and Norris Evans: Driving for Dummerston Cares gives us a chance to reach out and help people directly. It’s also a good way to get to know others in the community. We’ve had some lovely chats as we made our way to an appointment.

Annual Meeting to Celebrate Neighbors Helping Neighbors

By Bill Schmidt Join us for Dummerston Cares’ annual meeting on Thursday, September. 21, from 5-6 p.m. It will be in the downstairs meeting room of the Dummerston Congregational Church in Dummerston Center.

Hear how we help to make kindness flow in and through the town. We’ll tell stories of how some Cares’ volunteers perhaps helped you and you can share how you helped others.

This is a way to celebrate our town through neighbors helping neighbors. Refreshments and childcare will be provided.

Cares Salutes Historical Society

By Bill Schmidt Community means many things. One thing is that it has depth and history, and for this in Dummerston we look to the Dummerston Historical Society. As the article below makes clear, the Society has kept track of the town’s comings and goings since it was founded in 1976. In the Society’s archive, with artifacts of all kinds, exhibits, meetings on town happenings past and present, the Historical Society caretakes and promotes Dummerston’s everevolving identity as a community all its own.

Dummerston Cares salutes the Historical Society for all it does. The Society’s board members are Chuck Fish, Ruth Hoffman, Jody Normandeau, John Pinkney, Sara Ryan, Gail Sorenson, and Muriel Taylor, who serves as president.

Volunteers Needed for Cares’ Chores Corps Bill Schmidt Dummerston Cares’ Chores Corps program is in need of volunteers. Since the winding down of COVID we have had a return of requests for help with minor home repairs and household chores.

Things volunteers do include such things as yard cleanup, hanging pictures or mirrors, changing light bulbs, stacking firewood, and cleaning up clutter. These are chores that people feel they can’t do themselves or afford to pay someone to do them.

Folks who want to help their neighbors in these or other ways can join Cares’ Chores Corps team of volunteers. Call Cares’ Message Line at 257-5800 and leave your contact information to learn more about Chores Corps and what it means to be a Chores Corps volunteer.

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Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2023 • 7

organizations Lydia Taft Pratt Library

New Books, New Look, But Trustee Needed

By Dena Marger

Lydia Taft Pratt Librarian

Well, things continue to move along here at Lydia Taft Pratt Library pretty much the way they always have. As our fiscal year draws to a close in June at the time of this writing, we’ve bought more books, rearranged some things in the library, held some programs, and registered new users. We’ve also issued library cards, instructed people in the use of our online resources and paid someone to build us a new website, thanks to the renewed interest within the Friends group. And, we managed to let everyone know that we are the municipal library in Dummerston. So, yay!

If you would like to become more involved with the library, we have been down a trustee, due to grave illness. Library trustees

are elected town officials (similar to selectboard members, but different from non-profit trustees). They are responsible for overseeing the wellbeing of the library. The mission of the library is to serve our community, so ensuring that happens is what the trustees do. They are ultimately responsible for the fiscal health of the organization. There are lots of resources available to help trustees understand their roles and responsibilities. If you know anyone who would be appropriate to be a library trustee, please have them get in touch with the library.

Our trustees would love to talk about it with anyone who expresses an interest.

We are always interested to hear your thoughts about the library, especially your ideas on how to maximize our limited space (784 square feet), staff hours (13) and open hours (15). And, if you love the fact that your

Dummerston Cares Friendly Visitors Program Back in Operation

by Pam McFadden Dummerston Cares wants to VISIT with you!

Dummerston Cares’ volunteers are excited to announce that our Friendly Visitors program is back in full swing. We have missed being out and about visiting and sharing with our neighbors. COVID put a real crimp in our style. We want to increase our contact with neighbors, and hope to do this with occasional visits. These visits might be to share a holiday or celebration or just to check in and say Hello.

As one of the volunteers, I have enjoyed catching up with neighbors I haven’t seen in months. I have one neighbor who wants to share her experience of living through WWII in England. I can’t wait to spend some time with her. There are so many interesting stories in our neighbors’ lives just waiting to be heard.

Wr i t e for the

Views

We appreciate people taking the time to write something about our beloved town, so please consider becoming a correspondent.

Please consider joining our Friendly Visitors program as a volunteer. It’s a wonderful way to be part of this thriving community.

If you know of anyone in town who might enjoy a brief visit or has some great stories to share, contact us. Our message line is (802) 257-5800. Or email us at info@dummerston cares.org.

town has supported a library in whatever humble way for the past 115 years, consider becoming a trustee. Your energy and enthusiasm is greatly needed and appreciated!

Town Library Board Member Needed

By Dave Schottland Your town library is seeking a new board member to join its savvy ensemble of administrators. You may have noticed the Lydia Taft Pratt Library’s array of new programming over the last few years, including summer movie nights, fermentation workshops, visits from local wildlife groups, and more! By becoming a board member, you can contribute to the planning and organizing of events such as these, as well as offering program ideas of your own. Joining our board of trustees is a wonderful, manageable way to serve your town, and because this is an elected position, it is actually a means of making a start in politics (should you have such lofty goals)! The Lydia Taft Pratt Library Board of Trustees meets at the library on the fourth Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. (beginning in September it will be the first Thursday of every month). If you would like to visit one of our meetings to see what we do, we always welcome guests. So feel free to stop by 150 West Street, or email board secretary Dave Schottland for further information: david.schottland@gmail.com.

We need your help in fostering the vitality of our town’s library!

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Sponsors Meg Murtha Tom Zopf Joe & Anne Little Doug and Ann Kroc Alvino & Bea Fantini

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8 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston

organizations Dummerston Historical Society

Dummerston Faces On Display Until August 6

By Muriel Taylor DHS President

Faces of Dummerston: A Work in Progress: The Dummerston Historical Society’s new exhibit, curated by Charles Fish, opened with a public reception on Sunday, June 11th. “Faces of Dummerston: A Work in Progress” is a display at the Society’s Schoolhouse in Dummerston Center of about 150 photographs of town residents. Some images are ancient; more were taken within living memory. Teachers, farmers, firemen, bankers, truckers, writers, engineers— here they all are, some posed, many captured at public events such as the Apple Pie Festival.

The project is a work in progress. Some photos are yet to be identified. Visitors are invited to add names and catch errors. When the pictures come off the walls, they will be preserved in albums to which new faces will be added over time. The exhibit will be open every Sunday from 2-4 p.m. until August 6th, with additional Compliments of

Priscilla Svec, P.T.

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ARTISANS OF DUMMERSTON Exhibit Sponsored by the Dummerston Historical Society AUGUST 13–OCTOBER 8, 2023

Opening Reception

Sunday, August 13, 2-4 p.m.

dates to be announced. Also on display is Chuck Fish’s amazing collection of cameras and other gear representing photographic practices of past and present.

July Quarterly Meeting: The July quarterly meeting was a grand tribute to Don Hazelton, lifelong Dummerstonian whose apples, strawberries, and maple syrup made Dummerston Center an important part of regional agriculture for decades. But Don is remembered as much for his kindness and public service. His good heart, his tractor, and his sound judgment solved many a problem for his neighbors.

An attempt to pay him embarrassed him and he would refuse. A number of homes stayed warm because of the work he and his friends did with the church’s Wood Pantry, bringing firewood to those in need. Family and many friends gathered at the Schoolhouse to honor him and wish him well in retirement.

Artisans of Dummerston Exhibit: The Dummerston Historical Society invites you to view a very special exhibit representing artwork/crafts of Dummerston residents which will be held from August 13th – October 8th.

Please see details are in an accompanying article by Gail Sorenson.

Heat Pumps and Exterior Door: Two heat pumps have recently been installed by Dead River Company. Also, a thank you to Brian Lewis who has replaced our leaky old door on the east side of the building with a fine new one. No more frigid drafts. Hooray! Our appreciation, again, to the selectboard for their

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Sponsors Paul & Jody Normandeau Cindy Wilcox Michelle Cherrier & Philip Goepp Eleanora Patterson & Gordon Faison

continued support in allocating ARPA Funds for these projects.

Open Hours: Our Schoolhouse will be open every Sunday this summer, from 2-4 p.m., starting in July. Other hours can be arranged by appointment by contacting Muriel Taylor at kiddsing2772@gmail.com. We hope you will come and enjoy our exciting new exhibits.

Donations, Participation and Welcome: The Dummerston Historical Society always welcomes donations of historical interest to Dummerston and we encourage you to join us in 2023 as a member, a volunteer, a participant in our programs, or as a viewer of our exhibits. Find more information and videos of recent programs at www.dummerstonhistoricalsociety.org. (Please note that you do not need to be a member of the Historical Society to attend any of our functions.) Our Schoolhouse is handicapped accessible. You are always welcome.

Jean Momaney’s recipe for cooking rabbit, raccoon or squirrel (From the Dummerston P.T.F.O.’s cookbook, What’s Cooking in Dummerston, Vermont, compiled for the second annual Dummerston School Fair, June 1, 1974)

2 lb. cut up rabbit, raccoon, or squirrel ¼ cup flour, 2 tsp. salt black pepper to taste ¼ cup fat or oil 1 sliced onion 4 bouillon cubes or instant broth pkgs.

4 cups boiling water Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll meat pieces in ¼ cup flour, salt, and pepper. In skillet cook onion until tender. Remove onion.

Brown meat pieces well. Arrange meat in Dutch Oven. Add onions. Add bouillon cubes to boiling water. Pour over meat.

Bake until tender 1-1/2–2 hours. Serves 8.

Thanks, Jean. Good hunting, all!

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2023 • 9

organizations

History of the Dummerston Historical Society

By Chuck Fish In Dummerston: An ‘Equivalent Lands’ Town, 1753-1986, we read that the Historical Society was founded in 1976 as an inspired transformation of the Dummerston Bicentennial Commission. The Commission’s work was “so stimulating that it sparked a genuine interest in the history of our town.” Interest grew and later led to the Society’s publication of this book.

We are immediately introduced to several names: lawyer Garvan Murtha and the first officers including president Richard Virkstis, vicepresident Harrison Evans, secretary Shirley Annan, treasurer Clarence Harding, and later presidents Susan Miller and John Houghton.

The editors of the book were Alice Crosby Loomis and Frances Walker Manix. A special tribute is paid to Freda Carpenter who “spent many hours, days, and years, searching every ‘nook and cranny’” for relevant information.

We are reminded that the history of this society, like that of many other small-town volunteer groups, is as much a story of the people as of the organization. People come together to enjoy the company, to exercise some skill, to compete, to laugh a little or a lot, to help and be helped, and to show their love for the town. They are accumulating so-called social capital, those habits of trust and cooperation that make local democratic self-government possible. Peeling apples for the Apple Pie Festival or playing cribbage at the Community Center is a pre-political act.

The Dummerston Historical Society is a classic example of a small-town volunteer organization. Devoted to preserving traces of the past and fostering interest in town history, it has maintained and improved the Center School, managed a growing archive and collection of artifacts, produced exhibits, and promoted talks, walks, and special events.

In the 1970s the Center School sat by the road across from the town common and served as the town garage. In the mid-late 1970s,

Sponsors Bruce & Catie Berg Gail & Lew Sorenson David & Nina Hutchison Kevin & Sara Ryan John & Sheila Pinkney

under general contractor Gordon Evans, the town built the present garage and town office buildings. It gave the School to the Society in 1978 and moved it to its present location on town land. Over time, with various funding sources, the building was rehabbed to much of its present form. The first meeting was held there in 1981. The Society leases the land for one dollar per year. In 2015 with the sale of some of Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker’s memorabilia donated by his son Sam, the Society built the Bunker Room addition.

Generous help from individuals and the town, including a grant voted at town meeting and the current ARPA funds, has made possible many improvements such as gallery lighting, insulation, moisture protection, structural repair, and a heat pump. The building is in its best shape ever, good for many years.

The Society’s archive holds a great variety of documents including books, genealogies, military and postal records, town reports, maps, cellar hole identification, correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, and memoirs. Among the books are forty-four volumes of the medical library of Dr. Grace Burnett, Dummerston native and Brattleboro’s first woman physician.

Some items in the collection have led to exhibits. There is a large photo archive, pictures from both long ago and recent times.

Among the exhibits now kept in albums are photos of houses, West Dummerston, Center and East Dummerston, selections from Dr. Burnett’s family albums, and the current Faces of Dummerston. Other exhibits included antique motorcycles, authors and their books, and art works by and about Dummerston. A major display for local artisans is planned for this fall. The Society is especially interested in preserving activities of today, which will be the history of the future.

2024 Scenes of Dummerston Calendar

On Sale Soon

Make sure to get yours early at the town office or by calling Jody Normandeau (802-380-9027) or Gail Sorenson (802-254-9311)

Great Inexpensive Gifts!

Talks, walks, and special events have dealt with a wide variety of subjects. In 2003 the Society organized a major celebration of the 250th anniversary of the town. Former pilots spoke of flying out of “Dummerston International Airport,” the field on the former Moore farm. Audiences have heard about the challenges of running a CSA, the art of dry stone walling, town pounds, the history of the West River Railroad, Rudyard Kipling’s time in Dummerston and Brattleboro, Native American life in Dummerston and nearby, and school life in the days of the one-room schools, including the Center School. During COVID, Zoom talks were viewed by large audiences here and beyond. On Society Walkabouts people have visited the quarry, old cemeteries, cellar holes, and other places of historical importance.

Three things drive the success of the Society: public interest, financial support, and volunteer effort. Society programs have consistently drawn people who have been welcome whether members or not. Generous funding has been mentioned, but continuing support through memberships and other means will always be necessary. And the Society directors are pleased to announce that new volunteers are bringing fresh energy to the Society’s mission.

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

10 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston

Is Town Meeting Best for Dummerston?

“We have not yet tried alternative meeting times.”

“. . . . the option of “. . . we should continue “I feel that in-person Australian Ballots would to have in-person annual meetings are in the best allow more participation town meetings.” interest of the Town”

Linda Rood

Linda Hellus

Lew Sorenson

Skip Fletcher

Town Meeting, in person, is the only opportunity we have to discuss in real time and amend the budget or any other article that the Selectboard has presented. If we give up meeting in person and move to voting everything by Australian ballot, we lose that power. In the past, this has been a very important aspect of our small town democracy.

We have already lost that power with our school, and we should think very carefully before we relinquish it for our town affairs.

We have not yet tried alternative meeting times. We should consider meeting on a Saturday, in the evening, or in hybrid form before we do away with any meeting at all.

I heartily agree with Zeke’s assessment of town meeting change. He has the background in and judgement of community service and we would be wise to heed his opinions. So much has changed over the years which can be hard to accept; but the option of Australian Ballots would allow more participation of local taxpayers. We have not yet tried alternative meeting times.

In May a special Town meeting was called by the selectboard to approve adding an additional $100,000 to the previously approved $500,000 for a new fire truck for our West Dummerston Volunteer Fire Department. The initial amount was approved by town voters by Australian ballot in March, as there was no in-person annual town meeting.

The special town meeting drew citizens to an overflow crowd. However, it was announced that no decision could be made as the meeting had not been properly warned and another special town meeting would be scheduled.

The meeting therefore proceeded as an informational session. There were many questions and opinions voiced on the question of funding for a new fire truck. The meeting concluded with some feeling that had we had a regular March town meeting there would have been a healthy explanation and discussion of the primary issue: the expenditure of a large amount of taxes for a new truck for the Volunteer Fire Department.

This is one good reason why we should continue to have in-person annual town meetings. They uniquely allow for citizen participation in the important issues of the town. The interaction, both in discussion and in socializing as neighbors and townsfolk, is treasured custom.

May we return to regular in-person town meetings.

I grew up in Brattleboro and moved to Dummerston in 1984.

Over the years I have been able to attend many Town Meetings, but not every year due to work and life commitments. I feel that in-person meetings are in the best interest of the Town because we are able to voice our opinions and questions to Selectboard members as well as Town personnel, where all in attendance can hear the response, then vote according to information presented.

In-person meetings allow everyone an opportunity to speak if they wish to, but also a time to meet new neighbors, catch up with old friends, but more importantly to vote on Town business and know how our tax money is being spent.

I agree that mid-week daytime meetings are not the most efficient way to conduct public Town business these days, so I propose that the Town Meeting be held on a Saturday or have it two nights, one night for town business and another night for school business. Other towns in Vermont have adopted these options and it seems to work well.

I do not feel that virtual meeting or a system like Mr. Goodband has proposed is a good idea. The Selectboard meets on a regular basis so taxpayers should be able to let them know throughout the year, but before December, of concerns about what needs and issues should be on the agenda to be discussed and voted on during the in-person meeting.

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Historical Society

to Feature Town Artists continued from page 1 some artists; others are “closet” artists who may be new to you, but are pleased to have this opportunity to display their work.

Be prepared to see oil and water color paintings, jewelry, wood carvings, weavings, photographs, fiber art, leather works, sculptures, and pottery. You get the idea—a wonderful variety of creations from Dummerston residents.

The opening reception will be at the Dummerston Historical Society in Dummerston Center, August 13, from 2–4 p.m, The exhibit will continue to be open Sunday afternoons, 2–4 p.m. through October 8 (Apple Pie Festival) and other arrangements can be made by contacting Gail.

All are invited, admission is free, and the Society Schoolhouse is handicapped accessible, Questions: call or email Gail Sorenson, 802-254-9311, gailsvt@gmail.com.

Hope to see you at the exhibit!

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2023 • 11

school news

Principal Julianne Eagan Recaps Graduates’ School Experience The following speech was delivered by Principal your best to learn and to thrive. making music and art, and even contra dancing Julianne Eagan to the Dummerston School Class Then in August of 2021, your class was with your community. You may not realize of 2023 on their graduation night, June 13, 2023: reunited and you completed the last two it, eighth graders, but this participation, this

years of your Dummerston School community together, learning, playing, and growing into the young people we see before us and celebrate today. Eighth graders, your wholehearted presence here at Dummerston taught all of us, students and adults alike – you led by example, you helped us recover from our separation during the pandemic, and you have left your mark on this place. And you did this in ways big and small, giving it your all on the soccer field and basketball court, building your own skills while simultaneously supporting the growth of your teammates; serving as mentors to the first grade class, who, by the way, LOVE you and will miss you so much; planning and having a blast at the first ever Dummerston School middle school dodge ball tournament; making improvements and caring for our school through work with Mr. Bailey, our head custodian; working with Afghan muralist Negina Azimi to paint a mural for future Dummerston School students and staff to enjoy and reflect upon; planning welcoming and fun dances for middle school students in surrounding towns; racing your solar cars,

“showing up” for our school and our whole community made a difference to all of us – you gave a gift to the Dummerston School community that will always live with us.

And, this gift was one you gave to yourself, too, and now you can take it with you.

You have a superpower. That superpower is showing up for yourself, for your community, for your classmates, and for your school, live and in-person every day. Some might argue that attending a small middle school in a small town like Dummerston won’t prepare you as well as a larger school for your high school experience. I wholeheartedly disagree.

At Dummerston School, when it comes to understanding, problem solving, working out conflict, and mending friendships, there simply is no other way but through. Day after day, year after year, you have sought to understand each other and to be understood, you have had difficult and challenging conversations, you have had to forgive, to look beyond the surface, to dig deeper, and to see people not only for who they are, but for who they can continued on page 12

Photo by Beth Montgomery

Congratulations, Dummerston School Graduates!

We are so excited to share this moment with all of you and to mark this important transition in the life of these remarkable individuals sitting before you. Eighth-graders, I first met you at the very beginning of your middle-school experience, when you were in fifth grade, during a year we thought would be kind of typical. Then March 2020 came along. You endured separation from friends and families, you learned online with your teachers and classmates, you persevered. And the challenges kept coming. During your sixth grade, about half of you transitioned to a remote classroom with teachers and classmates from Green Street and Oak Grove Schools, getting to know an entirely new community and system of learning. The other half came in person to Dummerston School, handling social distancing, masking, hybrid learning, quarantines, and the separation of your class into two mixed-age cohorts. Whatever learning environment you found yourself in, you did

The Dummerston School 8th Grade Class gathers at the school’s outdoor education center.

12 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston

Photo by Allison Wheeler

Principal Julianne Eagan Recaps Graduates’ School Experience skill in the world today. And so I challenge contexts. Instead, do what you’ve done all continued from page 11 become and who they want to be; you have you, students, to believe in yourselves and these years. Work it out, find what you have in common, listen, play, laugh, show up. We need you, live and in person. I know you will make a difference. You already have.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank staff who are leaving us at the conclusion of this school year. We are so grateful to Tina Deal who served as humanities teacher for the 2022-2023 school year.

Tina will be joining the Brattleboro Area Middle School teaching team next year.

Thank you and best of luck, Ms. Deal.

The Dummerston School 8th Grade Class gathers for their graduation ceremony.

worked to see the best in others and to find the points of connection.

This ability to see people as complex, changing, and evolving individuals with limitless potential is a superpower and a highly valuable, essential, desperately needed

believe in your Dummerston School superpower. Show up for people, show up for yourself, search for what lies beneath the surface, reject superficial, one-dimensional characterizations of others that I guarantee will be shared with you online and in other

Photo by Lance Neeper

Dummerston School Woods Trail Takes Shape

Graduates: Alyssia Amezcua-Dean, Lucie J. Barone-Benoit, Marek Barone-Benoit, Lucas DiZoglio, Silas Golding, Levi Green, Julia Holden, Emma Houghton, Tucker Jenks, Ava Kennedy, Lotte Kurowski, Elizabeth LaClair, Alana Meggiolaro, Jaeger Nelson, Dannica Provo, Dalton Vaine, Dawson Wheeler Dummerston School Awards: Teacher Award in Altruism: Alyssia Amezcua-Dean, Teacher Award in Leadership: Elizabeth LaClair and Julia Holden, Teacher Award in Creativity: Marek Barone-Benoit, Arlene G. Forrett Memorial Award: Lucie BaroneBenoit. Melinda Bussino Community Service Award: Dalton Vaine. Art Avery Award: Dannica Provo. Physical Education Awards: Lotte Kurowski, Ava Kennedy, and Lucie Barone-Benoit, Athletic Awards: Emma Houghton and Dawson Wheeler, Travis Sweetzer Award: Tucker Jenks, Ruth E. Knapp Award: Jaeger Nelson and Luke Dizoglio, Dummerston Women’s Association Award: Alana Meggiolaro and Silas Golding, Art Awards: Alana Meggiolaro and Silas Golding, Music Award: Levi Green, Timothy Garland Award: Levi Green, Jean Shaw Creativity in Science Award: Ava Kennedy, Margaret T. Irsch Memorial Writing Award: Lotte Kurowski, Jenny Rubenstein Award: Dannica Provo

Sponsors Elsa Waxman Elizabeth & George Wright An article in the spring issue detailed the work at Dummerston School to create a network of woodland trails for the school’s outdoor education program. This picture captures, from front to way back, parents Dustin Manix, Joe Newton, Lenny Giordano, and Jared Clark building a trail in the woods behind the school.

John and Lori Brunelle Debbie & Wayne Carpenter

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2023 • 13 Good Books

January’s Column Yields Great Reads

By Linda Rood I fell in love with a book this past spring.

This is Happiness by Niall Williams (Bloomsbury, 2019) was recommended by Carrie Walker in my January 2022 Readers’ Choice column, and then again this year urged on me by another friend. Set in a small town in County Clare, Ireland in 1958, it’s a tale of grief, friendship, and romantic awakening, told in such wonderful prose that I would have to stop and read passages aloud to Roger because they had to be shared. When I finished the book, my impulse was to start again from the beginning because I loved being there so much. (I refrained.) I loved it for the beauty of its language, the charm of its characters, but especially the humor and wisdom in the storytelling.

Noel Crowe (who goes by Noe) narrates the tale. He is now 78, and remembering the summer when he was 17, and having dropped out of his seminary training for the priesthood after the death of his mother, has sought refuge in the home of his grandparents, Ganga and Doady, in the tiny village of Faha, which is on the verge of finally being hooked up to the electrical grid. This is a place that the modern world has not yet reached; there is only one phone in the village, and it happens to be in Noe’s grandparents’ house. Comically, villagers make appointments to use the phone; Doady keeps paper and pencil at the ready for notetaking, She also charges for the phone’s use, which provides some handy income.

Noe is grieving the loss of his mother and conflicted about his religious faith and vocation. Things look up with the arrival of Christy McMahon, a middle-aged fellow who has ostensibly arrived to work for the power company, but is actually there to make amends for a past wrong he has done to Annie Moody, now Mrs. Gaffney, widow of the village apothecary. Christy serves as a needed surrogate father/brother who introduces Noe to friendship, work, pub life, and fiddle music. Along the way, Noe experiences first love when he meets the three daughters of the local doctor.

This is a slow, meandering book, full of eccentric individuals, philosophic asides, and poignant moments. Ron Charles of the Washington Post wrote, “If you’re in a hurry, hurry along to another book…Williams is engaged in the careful labor of teaching us to hear the subtler melodies drowned out by the din of modern life.” When the lights finally come on in Faha at the end of summer, we know that Williams has given us a loving but unsenti-

mental and humorous view of a time and place now lost.

A recommendation from my January column of this year proved to be another great read.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins, 2022), suggested by Elizabeth Catlin, is a co-winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Long a Kingsolver fan, I think this is her best work since Poisonwood Bible. In this new book, Kingsolver takes on the opioid crisis. She sets her story in remote southwestern Virginia, the Appalachia where she herself now lives. The novel is a retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield, and I had fun dipping in and out of the Dickens novel to see how remarkably closely Kingsolver re-imagined that story in contemporary terms.

The story is told in the voice of Demon, nickname for Damon, son of a young single mom with addiction problems. He soon becomes a ward of the state, and subject to the horrors of the foster care system of that region. Demon is a captivating narrator, sadly wise to the world before he should be, but at the same time sweet, funny, and lovable. I found myself comparing him to Huck Finn in the tone and effectiveness of his voice. There is, of course, a kind and generous neighbor couple, the Pegotts, who are raising their grandson, because his mother is in prison, and they give Demon some sense of a loving family, and are the counterparts to the Pegotty family for you Dickens aficionados.

This is a complicated saga, and a powerful depiction of the crisis that has seized this nation.

There are some grim moments, and some very sad times, but also elements of goodness and redemption. There are moments of beautiful lyrical description of the natural environment of the mountain world. It’s a coming of age tale, a work of harsh and revealing social criticism, and a book I couldn’t put down.

Last of all, I’d like to mention another novel from the January column, News of the World

by Paulette Jiles (William Morrow, 2016), recommended by Cami Eliot, and thoroughly enjoyed by me. A finalist for the National Book Award in 2016, it’s a historical novel, a road

epic, and a western in the tradition of True Grit.

It takes place in the wild and lawless post-Civil War Texas of 1870, and is based on true stories of children of white settlers who were abducted

by Indian tribes.

The main character, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, based on the relative of a friend of the author, is an aging and irascible, but honorable, veteran of the Indian Wars and the Civil War, who earns his living traveling through Texas border towns, charging admission for reading newspapers aloud to the illiterate citizens. The main news, as the novel begins, is that the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote to all men, has been passed. Confederate and Union tensions are still raw in Texas, and Captain Kidd has to be selective about the news he imparts to his audiences.

Along his way, Kidd agrees to transport Johanna, a ten-year-old girl who has been a Kiowa captive for four years, from Wichita Falls in the north all the way to Castroville, outside San Antonio, a very long journey by wagon through dangerous territory. Johanna, whose parents were killed by her captors, speaks no English and believes she is Kiowa.

According to Jiles’ research, the children who experienced such abductions suffered a kind of PTSD, and were unwilling to return to their families, never fully able to adjust. So, the questions from the start are: can Captain Kidd forge a bond with this child? How will they survive the hazardous journey? Will Johanna accept her new life, and will her family treat her with kindness and understanding?

This is an eventful adventure tale, a fascinating description of frontier life with some issues that resonate with contemporary politics, and a heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship. Jiles is a poet first, and this comes clear in her narration. The natural world comes alive under her pen. The story, which is not long, moves along at a brisk speed, and is another one I couldn’t put down. I’d be interested in reading more from this author.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and good reading.

Sponsors Carolyn Mayo Brown & Gregory Brown Len Oppenheim Cheryl Wilfong & Bill McKim Bill Schmidt Catherine Gruver

Fully Insured Dan Jenks Free Estimate 1412 Stickney Brook Road finishlinevtllc@aol.com Dummerston, VT 05301 www.finishlineconstructionvt.com 802-258-2855

14 • Summer, 2023 • Views of Dummerston PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Mailed From Zip Code 05346 Permit No. 61

change Service REquested

Sept Aug

Dummerston Notable Events

19 Peach Shortcake Dinner,

Evening Star Grange, eat in or take out, 4:30–6 p.m.

21 Dummerston Cares Annual Meeting,

Dummerston Congregational Church, 5–6 p.m.

October

9 Annual Craft Fair and luncheon, Evening Star Grange, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

9 Apple Pie Festival

Congregational Church10 a.m. till sold out.

Dependent on apples!

9 Pancake Breakfast

West Dummerston Fire Department, Center Firehouse, 7-10 a.m.

Dependent on Pie Festival!

Useful Stuff to Know Senior Lunches Evening Star Grange; Second & fourth Wednesday, noon. For Take out call: 802-254-1138. Leave name, phone number, number of meals desired, whether Eat In or Take Out. The Front Porch Forum: online at www.frontporchforum.com Walks and Trails in Dummerston: http://dummerstonconservation.com/trails-and-town-maps Dummerston Sightings: Nature Tidbits with photos! http://dummerstonconservation.com/blog/

NAMES & TIMES & NUMBERS Community Center Randy Hickin 802-257-0784 Conservation Commission Web site: www.dummerstonconservation.com Dummerston Cares Message line & Fuel Assistance 802-257-5800, email: info@dummerstoncares.org, web site: www.dummerstoncares.org Dummerston School 802-254-2733 Web site: dummerston.wsesu.org Fire Chief Rick Looman, 802-258-1731 Fire Warden Ted Glabach, 802-384-6994 Deputy Fire Warden Allen Pike, 802-258-0100 Lydia Taft Pratt Library 802-258-9878 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 Vermont Theatre Company 802-258-1344

Evening Star Grange Carol Lynch 802-254-2517 or Ruth Barton at mrgjb@sover.net Meals on Wheels Cynthia Fisher, 802-257-1236 Selectboard selectboard@dummerston.org Senior Solutions Carol Lynch, 802-254-2517 Springfield Office 800-642-5119 Town Garage Lee Chamberlin, 802-254-2411 Town Office Laurie Frechette, 802-257-1496 email: townclerk@dummerston.org Veterans Assistance Contact Dummerston Cares message line or email Views of Dummerston views@viewsofdummerston.org WSESU 802-254-3730 Websites: Official Town: www.dummerston.org Calendar: http://dummerston.org/calendar/index.asp Local Interest: www.dummerston.com

Dummerston Meetings Please note that these meetings may not be taking place at their usual locations.

Please refer to the town web site, www.Dummerston.org, for updated information.

Town Meetings Selectboard 6 p.m.

Every other Wednesday

Planning Commission 2nd Monday

6:30 p.m.

Conservation Commission

6 p.m.

Energy Committee

5 p.m.

Development Review Board

6 p.m.

2nd Thursday 1st Monday

3rd Tuesday at the town office

Community Center

7 p.m.

PTFO

6 p.m.

WSESD

6 p.m.

1st Monday at the Community Center

3rd Thurs. at the Dummerston School Library 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, revolving locations

Historical Society

7:30 p.m.

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