Front

Porch

Forum

Br ings

Com munit y

Together

page

November 19 December 5, 2015

Pg. 7 No Paint at True

Colors?!
Pg. 12 Pictorial: Being
Grateful for What
Surrounds Us
Pg. 14 Montpelier's Own
Chris Shepard

We often take for granted the very

things that most deserve our gratitude.
- Cynthia Ozick
Tree line in Peacham. Photo by Josh Blouin

Construction and Development Abounds in Berlin

Montpelier retail owners, city officials and politicians react
BERLIN Bulldozers. Mounds of dirt.
Gigantic new buildings. Plans for a new state
rest area. Up in Berlin Center, thats what its
all about.

PRSRT STD
CAR-RT SORT
U.S. Postage
PAID
Montpelier, VT
Permit NO. 123

included Route 62 from the interstate exchange to Airport Road and down the hill to
the Barre-Montpelier Road. The municipal
water system project also was a headache for
The spacious two-story Northfield Savings motorists up in that area from the Shaws
Bank operations center went up over the driveway to Fisher Road and beyond.
summer just off Paine Turnpike at the bot- And in recent days, a new Kohls department
tom of Fisher Road. The 21,000 square-foot store sprang up and is nearing completion in
building houses 70 employees, said Sherry the same complex as the Berlin Mall. A banDoane, vice president of operations by tele- ner in front of the construction site declares
phone to The Bridge. Employees started to the store is scheduled to open in February
work there beginning in September. There 2016 and they are seeking workers.
were also several repaving projects this sum- The Central Vermont Regional Planning
mer up in that area, especially on Airport Commission offers this from the original
Road by the Hilltop Inn. Repaving projects Act 250 application: We recently received

an Act 250 application for construction of

a single, approximately 55,550-square-foot,
free-standing department store (Kohls). In
addition, the report states the store will provide 100 jobs, and roughly $80,000 in state
and local property taxes will be paid to the
town.
The Act 250 permit was granted in July 2015
after hearings.
As for the water supply, Kohls will first get
water from the existing private system used
and managed by the Berlin Mall. Then, after
it becomes available, the store will use the

new Berlin municipal water system, according to Berlin Development Review Board
minutes from October 21, 2014. Wetlands
also surround the project, which is evident
to the casual observer. To deal with this concern, the project had to get a wetlands permit from the Department of Environmental
Conservation.

by Carla Occaso

Montpelier retail owners, officials and

politicians speak out:
Ashley Witzenberger, executive director of
Montpelier Alive:
Downtown Montpelier is very different than
what is developing in Berlin. The shopping
experience is very different. We always hope
everyone does well, rising tide ... you know?

And, although the company isnt putting in

solar panels during initial construction, the Sarah DeFelice, Bailey Road clothing store
company is installing the appropriate infra- owner:
structure to make the store solar ready.
As a new and small business, having a growing
development of major chain stores right
So, what else is in the works? There is a masup
the
road is a definite concern. However,
ter plan for the Town of Berlin, said Town
even
though
the Berlin Mall will appeal to
Administrator Dana Hadley to The Bridge
bargain
and
box
chain shoppers, I think its
November 10. The planning commission
has been working on upgrading the towns most recent development will make what we
zoning and subdivisions laws so zoning have in downtown Montpelier even more
special. Montpelier will continue to be the
would conform with the master plan.
authentic small town where shopping can be
Other future developments in that neighbor- personal.
hood include a new state welcome center just
off Exit Seven near Applebee's. That (old gas Claire Benedict, Bear Pond Books owner:
station) store will be closing and that will be a People who want the cheapest they can get
new rest area on (Interstate) 89, Hadley said. will be happy.
In addition, a new Maplefields convenience
John Hollar, Mayor of Montpelier:
store and new gas station will be put in by
Wayne Lamberton of Berlin. Ground has The retail stores at the Berlin Mall are, by
and large, not the types of businesses that
already broken for that project.
are going to locate in Montpelier. I shop at
the mall for products that aren't available in
Montpelier.

The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601

Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier:

Building construction nears completion on the 55,500-square-foot Kohls

Department Store in Berlin Center. A banner out front states that the store
will open February 2015. Photo by Carla Occaso

I'm told they have decent quality basic clothing, so maybe it would be a good place to buy
underwear, pajamas, socks. I doubt it will
have much effect on Montpelier, since we have
more "specialty" stores (and we were NOT
put out of business by WalMart as some predicted). I very seldom shop in that mall. Once
in a great while, when I actually want to buy
some "cheap plastic crap," I'll go to WalMart,
but I doubt I spend $50 a year there.

PAG E 2 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Happy
Thanksgiving!
From Your
Friends At
The Bridge

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 3

T H E B R I D G E

An Open Letter from Nat Frothingham

to Readers and Friends of The Bridge
Dear Friend of The Bridge,
As a kid growing up I dont think I ever imagined I would ever want to raise
money for anything.
But then later on I discovered a few enthusiasms and these enthusiasms
took hold of me.
Discovering Shakespeare
One of my early and continuous enthusiasms has been theater and a passion
for the plays of Shakespeare. I loved the language, the storytelling, the men
and women and kings and clowns who emerged four-square from a flat page
and the thrill of putting a great play in front of a live audience.
Hitting a Brick Wall
I was a college senior when I got the chance to direct a production of Shakepeares Romeo and Juliet. Right then and there, I found myself face to face
with the fact that we needed money to put on that play. We needed money to
build a set, pay for costumes, promote the play so that people would attend.
What sort of dream world had I been living in as a child growing up? In a perfectly fictional world we would not have to go out and seek financial support
for any of a thousand great and necessary causes like feeding desperately
hungry people, or saving a rain forest or supporting a college or a library or an
orchestra or planting a tree to remember someone who has died.
Explaining What We Are
Then theres The Bridge with its need for financial help.
We are what we are. In writing the paper, we are aware of the beauty and
sacredness of life in all its diverse forms. We are also aware of the dark and
destructive forces at loose in the world.
But The Bridge is a very, very local paper. We aim to honor the English language. We care deeply about the communities we serve. We aim to be fair, and
responsible and also independent. And we put out a paper thats offered
free of charge 23 times a year to everyone in Montpelier and across central
Vermont.
In December it will be 22 years since The Bridge published its first issue
and its been more like a bumpy ride than smooth sailing but who wants
smooth sailing anyway?
In 1993, when we started we put out one issue that December, then three
or four issues in 1994. We crawled forward to 10 issues a year, then 12. Just
before the banking collapse of 2008 2009, we attempted to go weekly
and crash landed. Since 2009, weve been publishing twice a month and
cutting expenses, paying back debt but publishing nevertheless.
Not Quitting on a Better Paper
We could be a better paper than we are yes. We are committed to becoming that better paper. We want to be able to wrestle with some of the harder,
more complex, issues and stories that arent being covered stories that often
have to be followed and tracked down not in 7 to 10 days but sometimes in
seven to 10 weeks.
Writing about the Tough Issues
Our Saturday farmers market what a valuable asset and how much it tells
us about the promise of self-reliance. But do we really know how to find our
way back to greater food self-sufficiency?

I am over and over again amazed at the joy, intelligence, energy and courage
of our young people. But what do we need to do to make it possible for a
young generation of Vermonters to find work and pursue a life here?
We are often lucky in our elected and appointed officials. Many serve as volunteers and put out hours and hours of time in public service. But what about
the money that increasingly poisons and corrupts our political life?
And what can we do about the waste and ugliness of much of the new commercial development that is weakening, if not destroying, the integrity of our
towns and village and is attacking our family and community life as well?
Our list of problems could go on and on: hunger and homelessness locally,
a drug epidemic locally, rising health care costs way beyond inflation and a
climate change emergency that is demanding vast changes in the ways we lead
our lives. And what deeply worries and confounds us the human appetite
for greed and what greed inevitably produces violence and war.
We are moving forward at The Bridge. In recent months, we have taken solid
steps to become a community non-profit organization instead of a privately
held business.
We have been working with writers in our community since we began. But
now we have it as a major goal to intensify our work with a range of writers: both beginning and experienced writers including elders, youth and
professionals.
Since October 15 when we started our 2015 end-of-the-year campaign, we
have received contributions that amount to $3,618 toward this years campaign goal of $15,000.
Please accept our thanks. We continue to be grateful to our loyal advertisers.
I am grateful, as well, to our board of directors and close friends. Our board
and friends have helped with a survey of our readers, with a summer fundraising event at Charlie Os, by writing for The Bridge and often waiving their
writing fee and by helping us edit our stories in advance of publication.
Since 2009, The Bridge has had good office space at the Vermont College of
Fine Arts a saving and generous contribution that makes it possible for us
to continue.
Asking for Help
If you read and like The Bridge, please support us financially by finding a
return envelope in this issue and sending us a contribution.
To anyone who contributes $150 or more and lets us know that they want
it we are offering a copy of the new Adamant Co-op Cookbook. Where else
would you find a brilliantly illustrated country cookbook with a recipe for
Bean Hole Beans with enough cooked beans to feed a small army of 100
people? And why not help us celebrate and support the oldest, smallest (and
perhaps the most spirited) co-op food store in the state?
If the return envelope is missing from your copy of the paper, please help us
with a contribution made payable to The Bridge to this address: The Bridge,
P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05602
Or stop in and see us and save the postage. Were here at the College of Fine
Arts five days a week. We answer the phone. We invite letters and messages.
Come in and talk. Or we can talk on the street.
Thanks in advance, sincerely,
Nat Frothingham

NatureWatch

Support The Bridge

Become a Community Contributor!
Name______________________________________________________

by Nona Estrin

Address_____________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State_____Zip__________
Email_________________________________

All community contributions, whatever

suits your budget, will be welcomed.
$200 $250 Other $________
*Contributions of $50 or more are eligible to receive a one-year subscription.
Please mark the box if you have contributed $50 or more and would like The
Bridge delivered to you. YES, Send me every issue of The Bridge for one year!
$25

Watercolor by Nona Estrin

Colors Change; Dry Leaves Cling

ow focus changes. The eyes adjust to a narrowed color spectrum, to the

subtle gradations of color, and the punch of bright green as moss seems to
be suddenly everywhere. The quality of low light touches our memory of all
previous Novembers we have lived these cycles. Listen....an occasional chip note from a
nearby tangle of brush, the stir of dry beech and oak leaves, still holding, until another
spring will bring them down.

$50*

$100

$150

Friends of The Bridge will be periodically acknowledged in future issues of

The Bridge. I wish to remain anonymous

Send this form and your check to:

The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601

Thank
You!

PAG E 4 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Hallsmith Airs Grievances

Two Years After Being Fired
by Carla Occaso
MONTPELIER Gwendolyn Hallsmith, former planning director, was the final witness to testify at the impartial grievance hearing in City Council Chambers on November 18. This was a continuance of the supreme-court ordered proceeding held November
9. This hearing Hallsmith fought to have, and finally got, following her termination by
City Manager William Fraser in November 2013.
If hearing officer Michael Marks of Chittenden County sides with Hallsmith, she could
be reinstated and get back pay. Hallsmith was making $64,000 per year, she wrote in an
email to The Bridge. If he he finds the City had justifiable reasons to fire Hallsmith, the
City is out over $95,000 in legal costs spent on this case (over three fiscal years).
The personnel hearing was made public at Hallsmiths request, it was said during the
hearing.
Fraser fired Hallsmith because, according to court documents, Hallsmiths acrimonious and insubordinate behavior gave it (the City) justifiable cause for termination.
Hallsmith argued those accusations are a ruse to cover up the real reason for her firing,
which is her frequent instances of speaking out about public banking.
Hallsmith contends the underlying reason she was fired was because the mayor was out
to get her because he is a lobbyist representing the private banking industry. However,
during over five hours of testimony, during which Hallsmith spoke on her own behalf,
little was said about public banking except how, on one occasion, she spoke at a conference about public banking and helped the other speaker run a slide show. She also
mentioned that, at her hiring, she asked for extra vacation time away from her job as a
city employee to talk about her books and do speaking engagements on economic development, including ideas about public banking.
Most of the topics aired during the hearing were about how she could not get along
with members of the planning commission, members of the city council, the mayor, the
city manager and at least two of her subordinates. Hallsmith said it was they who could
not get along with her because they lacked understanding about city planning and the
underlying legal infrastructure. She called planning commissioners dysfunctional and
self serving. She said some of her subordinates did not perform up to her standards, so
she ran into conflict with them, which required mediation. She said the city manager
only fired her because of pressure from the mayor and a city council member. Another
major conflict was that she shared edited sections of confidential emails with the Times
Argus in the fall of 2013 sent to her from Fraser and Mayor John Hollar.
The hearing officer will make his decision known at a later date.

HEARD ON THE

STREET

FY 2015 Legal Costs Runneth Over by $59K

MONTPELIER Montpelier city officials have spent $99,265 on legal fees in fiscal year
2015 on several legal cases. The budget approved on Town Meeting Day amounted to
$40,000, which leaves a $59,265 overage. The biggest culprits were a tax dispute filed by
The Vermont College of Fine Arts and a personnel dispute with fired Planning Director
Gwendolyn Hallsmith. The VCFA tax case cost the city $26,023 in legal fees while the
Hallsmith case cost $26,494. The rest of the legal expenses were for a lot of small issues,
such as zoning issues and the like, according to Finance Director Sandra Gallup in a conversation with The Bridge November 17.

City To Get Historic Marker

MONTPELIER Thanks to the hard work of Dan Bragg, Montpelier will get a historic
marker this week recognizing William Upham, a lawyer and anti-slavery activist, who lived
on Main Street in one of the houses owned by the Inn at Montpelier. More to come in a
future issue.

Montpelier Residents Eager To Pay Taxes

MONTPELIER City Clerk John Odum had his hands full Wednesday, November 11
when The Bridge called on a related matter. I am really slammed, he said. Everyone is
paying their taxes this week instead of Monday. Everybody is trying to beat the rush so they
are creating a rush. May the City have that problem every year!
Many residents stay home and use the online tax system as well, but people still like to come
in person, Odum said. Could the eagerness be explained by the city's late fees?

To Park? Or Not To Park? That Is The Question

MONTPELIER The best times to find parking in Montpelier? Before 10 a.m. and after
3 p.m. Planning Director Michael Miller has overseen a project to put numbers together so
City Council can decide how to alleviate parking downtown. We dont have the solutions
to that yet, Miller said. We did parking counts for about eight months. We would go out
and count each parking lot and count empty spaces.
The counts occured at the lots and streets downtown and were done at different hours of
the day. It turns out parking is worst between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is even worse during
the Legislative session, when all available parking spaces are 100 percent full at peak hours.
Next step? Determine the goals for downtown whether it would call for more parking,
and build some kind of new parking complex or whether the City wants off site parking.
We find out what the goals are and then we will find out what we need to do to make it
happen, Miller said. Some goals have expensive solutions and some goals will have cheap
ones.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 5

T H E B R I D G E

Montpelier Embraces Front Porch Forum

ront Porch Forum, the free community-generated online newsletter, has

only been serving Montpelier for a
couple of years, but 3,500 city residents
have already signed up to get its e-mails,
and Montpelier members have proven to be
the most active posters of messages in the
state, according Michael Wood-Lewis, who
co-founded Burlington-based Front Porch
Forum with his wife Valerie Wood-Lewis.

Montpelier is an outlier, Wood-Lewis

said. In the last 30 days, there have been
1,300 postings in Montpelier. We usually
consider anything over 60 or 90 postings a
month to be a successful forum. Montpelier is at over 10 times that level.
Part of the reason for the high number of
postings is that Montpelier has one forum
for the entire city, unlike some other large
cities such as Burlington, which are split
up into multiple neighborhood forums.
But Montpelier also has a relatively high
participation rate (by contrast, Barre City,
which has more households than Montpelier, has less than a third of the Front
Porch Forum members as Montpelier).
And Montpelier residents post a lot, to the
point that Front Porch Forum has been
updating its software to handle the traffic
level in Montpelier.
We were late to come to Montpelier,
Wood-Lewis said. But Montpelier has
embraced Front Porch Forum and put it
to hefty use, beyond our expectations. It is
one of the places that caused us to evolve
and expand what we do. We are now working on new features that we hope will be
welcomed.

Other central Vermont communities have

embraced Front Porch Forum as well, perhaps none more so than Calais. The town
got a head start, since it had a local online
listserv for residents that was in operation
for several years; Front Porch Forum replaced it five years ago, before most of the
rest of the state had access to Front Porch
Forum. Today Calais has 1,200 members,
nearly double the total of 680 households
in town, according to Wood-Lewis. That
means more than one resident is signed up
in most Calais households.
Local towns with relatively high participation rates also include East Montpelier,
Middlesex and Worcester, according to
Wood-Lewis. Some towns and areas of
the state have lower involvement, he said,
but all local forums are seeing continual
growth.
Those who sign up for a local group get a
potpourri of postings from their neighbors
(and sometimes local officials). Its a mix of
classified ads, free stuff giveaways, requests
to borrow tools, apartment and house ads,
event announcements, the occasional political comment and more, including lost
dog and cat news.
Front Porch Forum is also often used to
seek or give recommendations for house
painters, electricians, plumbers, driveway
repair services and the like. In that sense,
it serves as a free local Angies List, a national web service where homeowners pay
to get home repair service ratings. Users
can log onto the website and search the
archives for previous recommendations.

Dem Deputy States

Attorney To Run For Senate
MONTPELIER Ashley Hill, 30, is
throwing her hat in the ring to land one
of three senate seats to represent Washington County. Current senators are Anthony
Pollina, P/D - Middlesex, William Doyle,
R - Montpelier and Ann Cummings, DMontpelier. Hill, who lives on Barre Street,
studied law at Suffolk University and has
been deputy states attorney in Addison
County for over a year.
Hill is interested in criminal justice and
said she has a birds eye view of the issues
Vermonters are facing. A lot of the people
we deal with in the criminal justice system
have greater needs than the criminal jusice system can help, she said in a Skype
interview with The Bridge November 15.
Hill said she would make a good candidate
Senate Candidate Ashley Hill
because she can relate to people who sruggle
to get by financially. I have been down and
out ... not on the verge of utter despair or ruin, but someone who remembers very well
what it is like to be in those circumstances. I am excited and optimistic that my life
experiences have prepared me for this in a different way than other politicians because
Ive lived it, Hill said.
She also said she strongly supports education because education is expensive, but it is an
upfront investment in our future. It gives people hope and allows people the opportunity
to change their life.
Hill said if she had to find places to cut the states budget, she would look to the department of corrections. She said the practice of sending prisoners out of state to serve
sentences in private prisons costs way too much money. It also puts prisoners at a disadvantage when it comes time to get out becuase they have almost no social support during
their time hundreds of miles away from friends and family.
But first, Hill will have to win the seat of power. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew
I was going to be a lawyer. I worked hard. I connected with Emerge Vermont (an organization that trains and encourages women to run for office) because I wanted to be in
politics. It would be amazing if Washington County could have three Democrats in the
State House.
Though not allowed to formally file for candidacy until April 25, Ashley is going to start
getting the word out this month by knocking on doors in Barre and Montpelier to get
to know her future constituents.

by Phil Dodd

Front Porch Forum tries to send out one

Montpelier e-mail newsletter a day, at
around 5 p.m. But if there is some kind
of emergency to report or an urgent message about a lost pet, well get the word
out right away, Wood-Lewis said. To sign
up, go to www.frontporchforum.com and
provide your e-mail address.
Front Porch Forum employs 12 people who
work remotely, some of them as community managers who review all e-mail newsletters before they go out. We block less
than one percent of the postings, WoodLewis said. Postings are blocked if they are
abusive, violate terms of use, are illegal or
involve personal attacks. Sometimes it is a
judgment call, he said. We urge users to
address the issue, not attack the neighbor.
If the community managers find a reason
to question a posting, they will usually
bounce it back to the sender and ask them
to rewrite it, he said. They try to protect
users who post notices like Ill be away for
two weeks and need someone to take out
my garbage, not realizing that they may
be notifying potential burglars as well as
neighbors.
Wood-Lewis, who has likened the service
to its own little neighborhood-level internet, thinks neighborliness has eroded
in this country, but believes his creation
is countering the trend by bringing people
together. If you are among strangers, you
are not going to volunteer for the Girl
Scouts, he has said. Front Porch Forum,
which does not allow anonymous postings,
is designed to foster a sense of community,
he stressed.
At least one sociologist thinks it is succeeding in that mission. Tom Macias of
the University of Vermont discussed the
website with National Public Radio last
spring: In some social platforms, people
have a tendency to build a network by
selecting people with similar interests and
politics, he said. What this is doing is
saying, Connect to people who you may
not have a lot in common with but
you live next door to them and should get
to know them. He believes that neighborly interactions open peoples minds and
change habits more than cloistered family
and friends groups.
Every year, 50 percent of users statewide
put up at least one posting, a rate with

which Wood-Lewis said he is thrilled.

On most websites where users generate
content, he said, only one percent to 10
percent of users contribute content.
Front Porch Forum has proven particularly useful in emergencies, Wood-Lewis
noted, a fact that led directly to every
town in Vermont being served by the digital newsletter. During and after Tropical
Storm Irene, anecdotal evidence indicates
flooded communities that had Front Porch
Forum were more resilient and bounced
back faster, he said.
That got the attention of the Montpelierbased Vermont Council on Rural Development, which applied for and received a
$1.8 million federal disaster relief grant to
improve local communication by creating
online forums. The Council put the project out to bid, and ended up picking Front
Porch Forum, which enabled the firm to
update its software and bring the service to
all Vermont communities.
The grant money was spent in 2012 and
2013. For on-going funding, the website
primarily relies on advertising. Once a year
it also passes the hat by asking for contributions from members statewide. This
year the firm set and recently reached a
goal of raising $100,000 in donations. Last
year, the amount raised from donations
was $75,000.
Front Porch Forum is a for-profit business
and contributions are not deductible, so
asking for donations is unusual. But other
businesses, including this newspaper, have
used this model successfully (The Bridge is
currently converting to nonprofit status,
however). Wood-Lewis said Front Porch
Forum members like the forum, and many
seem willing to contribute $20 or $50 per
year. This helps support its goals of keeping subscriptions free and serving all towns
in Vermont, he said.
Front Porch Forum has come a long way
since Wood-Lewis and his wife moved to
Burlington in 1998 and created an online
forum as a way to meet their immediate
neighbors. Today, they are the publishers of a unique statewide service that has
113,000 subscribers, double the total of
two years ago and one that keeps rising
every day.

PAG E 6 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

A Message From City Hall

This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

City Moving Forward on Housing Goal

by John Hollar, Mayor

ew housing development has long been a priority in Montpelier. The

city council has endorsed housing growth as a goal for at least the last
three years. City residents regularly express their strong support for new
housing, including at our recent budget forums where 39 percent of participants
ranked new housing development as a top value. At the November 2nd kick-off
of the city's economic development planning process, participants again identified housing as a top priority.
Despite the widespread support for new housing in Montpelier, it has proven to
be an elusive goal. Limited developable property, high construction costs, outdated zoning regulations and relatively high property taxes all make Montpelier
a challenging place in which to build.

Dickey Block

The work at 40 Barre St. included new ADA accessibility, lighting

and structural work.

Fortunately, we are beginning to see progress in bringing new housing to our

community. I am very encouraged by the announcement by Downstreet Housing & Community Development that it plans to build 18-20 new apartments
above Aubuchon Hardware in downtown Montpelier. City officials have long
supported the upstairs renovation of that historic building for housing. The city
will be working closely with Downstreet to provide all of the support we can to
ensure the success of this project. Downstreet has been a major player in bringing
new housing to Montpelier, and we are grateful for their work.

Taylor Street
The city is moving forward, albeit slower than anticipated, with the development
of 40 new market-rate housing units on the Taylor St. property. That project has
been slowed by easement acquisitions and high construction costs, but we remain
confident that it will proceed as planned.

Zoning Changes
The city is in the process of adopting new zoning regulations that should encourage new housing construction. In some areas of town, the new zoning ordinance
would increase densities to allow for new development and infill in a manner
consistent with existing housing.
New Planned Unit Development rules have been proposed to provide incentives
to build clustered developments, which can help preserve land while promoting
compact development that fits with Montpeliers traditional neighborhoods.
The removal of downtown parking requirements and the reduction of parking
requirements across the rest of the city means parking will no longer be a barrier to housing development. This is especially important for downtown housing
projects where residents may not want to own cars.

The apartments at 40 Barre St. were completely updated and fully

weatherized.

Finally, the new zoning map will more accurately reflect actual lot sizes, densities
and setbacks. This will help property owners avoid variances and waivers which
add time, money and uncertainty to projects.

Sabins Pasture
We continue to have discussions with the owner of Sabins Pasture on ways the
city can help promote a successful housing development on this property.

Barre Street Rehab Project

Meeting the community's housing needs includes taking care of the properties
we have. I was pleased to join with Downstreet Housing recently to announce
the completion of its $3.7 million rehabilitation project on Barre Street, which
includes three buildings, 19 residential units and two commercial spaces.
The City partnered with Downstreet Housing to secure $560,000 in Community
Development Block Grant Funds. The project refurbishes the Childrens House
child care facility and greatly improves the condition of housing for some of our
most economically challenged residents. The project included ADA accessibility
and energy efficiency improvements, as well as lead and asbestos abatement.

Childrens House students took care of the ribbon cutting for the
new project, which includes new lighting and upgraded playground
space.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 7

T H E B R I D G E

Big Changes at True Colors Home Decorating Center

by Nat Frothingham
wanted, advising customers who had decorating questions.

MONTPELIER Three big changes are coming to the True

Colors Home Decorating Center at 141 River Street.

With Kath leaving the business will concentrate on blinds and

flooring and thats the third and final change.

First change: After 25 years of selling paint and paint products,

True Colors will stop selling paint in less than two weeks on
Tuesday, December 1.

Turning to the question of window treatment and the installation of blinds, McQuiggan said, We sell a lot of blinds and
flooring. I measure I do the estimating. Then along comes
another True Colors employee, Jordan Bushey, who installs the
blinds.

What? Stop selling paint? I asked with astonishment. Are you

going to stop doing paint?
Store owner Bill McQuiggan replied, Yes, thats major after
25 years.

The new name of True Colors True Colors Blinds and

Design reflects the changes. Said McQuiggan, Were the
only business in central Vermont that measures, installs and
repair blinds.

Whats happening is this after 25 years, True Colors is

changing from a paint store to a window treatment and flooring
design center.
Expanding on the decision to stop selling paint, McQuiggan
said, We sell a lot of blinds and flooring. And though he has
enjoyed selling paint, paint has its problems. You have to carry a
lot of inventory. And you have to have a paint expert on staff to
help customers on both sides of the paint equation.

Kath Natze. Photo by Michael Jermyn.

More about the paint equation in a moment. But heres a second

big change at True Color thats coming fast. In mid-December,
Kath Natze who knows paint inside and out will be retiring and leaving True Colors after
a run of almost 20 years. And shes leaving with highest honors.

It was a really hard decision, said McQuiggan about his decision to stop selling paint.
I think the hardest thing is that Kath is going to be leaving.

That total service commitment has worked well for True Colors. Were all over the map, said McQuiggan with customers
as far afield as Derby, Grand Isle, Jeffersonville and Boltonville
to the north and west and with a strong customer base in the
Mad River Valley as well.

Going on right now through November 29, True Colors is

selling off the balance of its paint at a 30 percent discount
off normal retail prices. Paint brands include such familiar names as Benjamin Moore,
California, Vermont Naturals and Cabot Paint. True Colors will also be selling off the
balance of its paint sundry products such as paint brushes and the like and these items
are being offered at a 40 percent discount.

Natze the stores resident paint expert had both sides of the paint equation absolutely nailed.

Finally, and this is important, True Colors is circulating a wide-open invitation to all
of its friends and customers to come down to the store and say goodbye to Kath Natze
before she leaves the store.

She knew about paint matching and paint mixing. She wasnt bothered by the sometimes messy practical details of handling and mixing paint. She was also excellent at the
home decorating part of the paint equation helping customers choose the colors they

That party is set for Saturday afternoon, December 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at True Colors
and will include hors doeuvres and libations.

2nd Eminent Domain

Hearing Just Starting

City Has Spent $15,192 in legal fees through September

by Carla Occaso
MONTPELIER A second public eminent domain hearing was held November 11
in the chambers of Montpelier City Council to discuss whether a proposed bike path is
necessary for the public good. If so, the City will have the right to demolish the building that houses Montpelier Discount Beverage and construct a proposed bike path as
part of the overall One Taylor Street Transit Center project. Montpelier Discount Beverage is located at 12 Main Street where it intersects with Barre Street.
The first hearing was held October 28. Dozens of citizens at both meetings spoke out in
favor of saving the business, but no citizens at either hearing spoke out publicly in favor
of the bike path, which would connect two sections of existing bike paths on either side
of town.
Speaking at the November 11 hearing were: Donna Youngblood, Mary Shepard, Jonathan Hopkins, Seth Collins, Barbara Scotch, Tyler Green, Lauren Kittredge, William
Ledford, Vicki Lane, Roland Pepin, Dawn Little, Chris Mizinski, Marie Mattei, Dave
Keefe and Julie Nichol.
Following the public input, Councilor Anne Watson, who was presiding over the hearing, turned the gavel over to Bernie Lambek to resume the eminent domain necessity
hearing, meeting minutes state. After hours of testimony and documents were gathered,
at 10:10 p.m., the hearing went into recess until December 14.
According to City Clerk John Odum, the two hearings are only the beginning of the
eminent domain process.We are still going through the witnesses that the City has and
we have not yet started on the witnesses Mowatt may or may not have, Odum told The
Bridge. The city hasnt rested, yet.
Legal costs in the case of the City of Montpeliers decision to hold condemnation proceedings have run up to $15,192, Finance Director Sandra Gallup told The Bridge, but
that does not include the two hearings.

Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

Like The Bridge on
Facebook:
facebook.com/
thebridgenewspapervt

Follow The Bridge

on Twitter:
@montpbridge

PAG E 8 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Dwight & Nicole: On Top, and Still Free to be Fabulous

TVs The Voice star and her powerhouse partner play The Flying Stage in Barre, Nov. 21
by Ricka McNaughton

efore a concert, Nicole Nelson gets

her mental prep work out of the way.
Then she silences all the squawky
feedback from the part of her performers
brain concerned with set-up and self-analytics. During a show, she focuses on two
things only: The audience my heart
is with their hearts and with the song.
And thats it, she said, her hand emotively
slicing the air, much as it does when she
sings.
And therefore, when Nicole sang her rendition of Leonard Cohens Hallelujah,
competing on Season Three of NBC-TVs
pop-culture mega-hit show The Voice,
her mind took a back seat. And as she
wrung every gorgeously controlled drop
of ecstasy and angst from Cohens sensual poem-hymn, its a fair bet that of
the shows 12 million or so addicted fans,
a whole lot of them caught that perfect
shot of musical adrenaline they crave. And
when the camera cut from the knowing
grins of the celebrity judges to the studio audience, their arms swaying overhead in rapt
communion, Nicoles brain was only half tuning it all in, because her heart was giving it
all out. (Yes, you can find it on YouTube.)
Yeah ... thinking and music do not go together, her musical partner Dwight Richter
quipped appreciatively. Nicole Nelson and Dwight Richter and have been playing as the
band Dwight & Nicole for about a decade as versatile singers, songwriters and multiinstrumentalists. Lately theyve paired things down to a powerhouse sound they call
indie-soul and blues. Theyll also slip into jazz, pop or gospel. Some reggae or funk. Even
a bit of country. But dont fence them in.
No one could be happier for Nicoles exposure on The Voice than Dwight was. The
acclaim each gets as an individual artist floats both their boats. Before they formed their
own group, he was drawn to her sense of melody, her range and depth of artistry. In her
musical milieu, Nicole thought he was the most terrific thing out there. They started writing and performing together as friends, doing a wide swath of genres and feeding the love
of improvisation that calls so deeply to both of them. And when that sort of thing works
very, very well between two young, attractive people, you can guess where that might lead.
So, yes, theyve been a couple for a while, too.
They may do a hundred shows a year, mostly big venues and festivals in rarified musical
company. Theyve shared the stage with Buddy Guy, Dave Brubeck, Trombone Shorty,
Levon Helm, Norah Jones, Carly Simon, Dr. John and the Avett Brothers. In 2012, Nicole was crowned the Boston Music Awards Female Vocalist of the Year. The pair, and
whoever they bring to play with them, rarely wrap without a demand for a standing O.
But some things set them apart from their contemporaries.
They produce their own music and write a fair share of it. They jump genres. They never
tire of an audience favorite because they just keep changing it up. In general, Big Commercial Music frowns on musical freedom. You want the star-making machinery? You
stick with the niche they give you. But Dwight and Nicole prefer not to be pigeon-holed.
There isnt one style of music that can contain our range of influences, said Dwight.
Genes and geography have landscaped both their musical tastes. Dwights grandfather
was in a big band. Count Basie, a large family influence, was born one town over from
Dwights childhood home. On his mothers side he hails from a line of Reinhardts, going
back to the same region of France that Djangos people were from. Quite possibly a DNA

trickle there.
Formerly based in hipster Brooklyn, New
York and Boston, Dwight and Nicole
moved to their cozy digs in Burlington
four years ago. Usually, aspiring musical
fish swim the other way. But the pair appreciate the Vermont lifestyle and social
values. The creative energy, the muse
energy that exists here just seems better
balanced, said Nicole. They appreciate
the states ardent, all-inclusive arts-loving
communities. Nicole has now taken a seat
on the board of the Vermont Arts Council.
On November 21, Dwight & Nicole will
perform at the citys newest and certainly
its funkiest venue, The Flying Stage. [See
event and online ticket information below.]
The concept is the brainchild and newest
project of ReBop Records president and
musician Diana Winn Levine, of Marshfield. The Flying Stage lives in the rafters
of its community partner ReSOURCEVT, in a former granite shed. Before an
event, the floor below the stage is cleared of the storefronts re-salable merchandise and
the stage flies down. Seating is brought in, including what used chairs and sofas ReSOURCE has in the store at the time. The Barre show takes its name, On Top of the
World, a song written for their Shine On CD. With both dark and light shadings, the
lyrics prod that we all have something to say. It fits with plans to use the Flying Stage as
a venue where many kinds of creative voices, from the local community and beyond, can
have a place to be heard.
Two years ago, when Dwight and Nicole opened for Mavis Staples at the intimate, beautifully restored Barre Opera House, they felt something transcendent besides the presence
of Mavis herself. They felt enveloped in an enormous warmth. They sensed that the
audience there was all in with them. To us the magic is in that concentrated attention
[between the audience and the artist] and its healing for both parties, said Nicole. It
was one of the highlights for us, musically, since weve been in Vermont, said Dwight. So
although they rarely play small venues now, Barre must rate an exception.
During the interview for this story which the couple graciously hosted in their kitchen,
Nicole jumped up and beckoned the assembled to a west-facing window. Outside, a sunset
was spilling ecstatic hues both over and onto Lake Champlain. It was important that we
pause to enjoy the artists latest improvisation on a theme.

CONCERT INFO:
Dwight & Nicole at Barres Flying Stage, Nov. 21
Flying Stage Productions presents On Top of the World, a concert
with powerhouse indie-soul and blues artists Dwight & Nicole.
Milt Reder will join on guitar and violin. Sat., Nov. 21 at 7:30 pm
at the new Flying Stage venue at 30 Granite Street in Barre in the
ReSOURCE-VT outlet. Tickets are $15.00 at the door or to purchase
online, go to www.eventbrite.com and enter Flying Stage in the search
field. Concert questions: (802) 552-3481

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 9

T H E B R I D G E

Grateful for Addiction

Recovery Services
by Joshua Jerome

Granite City Groove

y now, if youre not aware of the

opiate problem in Vermont, you
may have been living under a rock
for the last couple of years. The state of
Vermont treated 2,258 people in 2014
for heroin use; an increase from 623 in
2010. Governor Peter Shumlins state of
the state address in 2014 focused on this
problem and laid the groundwork for allocating resources for addiction treatment
and recovery. Fortunately for Vermont,
the Vermont Recovery Network, a nonprofit organization with centers around
the state, was fully established and is an
integral part in turning the tide of addiction.
The Vermont Recovery Network is comprised of 12 recovery centers and the
Turning Point Center of Central Vermont,
located in Barre, is part of this network.
All of the Turning Point centers provide
space for various 12-step meetings and
other peer-to-peer recovery supports such
as alcoholics anonymous, but they are not
affiliated with these groups. Each center is
committed to providing a respectful and
supportive environment that is welcoming
to those who are interested in all stages
of recovery, whether from alcohol, pain
medication or illegal substances.
Vermonts Recovery Centers and the Vermont Recovery Network was born out of
The Turning Point Club in White River
Junction, an alcoholics anonymous club
that looked to become more inclusive
to all those on the road to recovery. As
the club's participants began to increase
and more opportunities became available
for peer-to-peer engagement during the
recovery process, the more attention the
club received for their successes in helping
people in recovery maintain a life without
substance abuse. In 2001, the state legislature began allocating seed money to help
fund 12 recovery centers across Vermont

Got a news tip?

We want to know!
Send it to us at:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com

to adopt this new peer-based recovery

network.
Turning Point Center of Central Vermont
has been operating since 2003 and has
the mission to help people find, maintain
and enhance their substance abuse recovery by providing peer-based recovery
supports to individuals and families; conducting educational programs that aid in
building and enriching a healthy life; and
maintaining a safe haven for sober recreation and social activities. At any given
day there could be up to 30 guests at the
Barre facility, which operates 50 hours
a week, Monday through Saturday. The
center functions on a shoestring budget
with part time dedicated staff and volunteers who are passionate about helping
participants maintain recovery.
A recent study of 565 recovery center
participants showed that recovery centers make a significant impact in the
fight against addiction. The study was
a longitudinal study and utilized selfreporting techniques, but showed there
was a significant increase in sobriety with
67 percent maintaining sobriety with an
additional 14 percent reaching sobriety
by the completion of the study. Eighteen
percent of participants increased their employment during their time at Turning
Point and out of those participating in the
study that had criminal backgrounds, 46
percent did not recidivate. Other notable
findings include a 91 percent increase
of overall wellness and improved health
since coming to a recovery center and 71
percent reported improved family relationships.
Addiction whether its alcohol, opioids or
other substances can wreak havoc within
families and devastate whole communities. It affects people from all levels of the
socioeconomic ladder and is not going to
be beaten overnight. The Turning Point
Center of Central Vermont and the rest of
the recovery networks centers around the
state have shown that peer-based recovery
makes a difference in this battle and Im
grateful for their work.
The writer is executive director of The Barre
Partnership.

Tell them you saw

it in The Bridge!

PAG E 10 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Suncommon, Downtown
Montpelier Holiday Pop-Up
by Ashley Witzenberger
MONTPELIER From November 28 through the end of December, SunCommon
will fill the storefront at 13 Main Street in downtown Montpelier to open a pop-up
store and gallery.
This pop-up location will be open during the week for people to stop in, enjoy local
art and chat solar with the local experts. On Saturday November 28, Small Business
Saturday, the store will be open featuring a tasting with Caledonia Spirits and other
local vendors, an event not to be missed. People will have the chance to shop local and
learn how to go solar locally.
On Friday, December 4, folks are invited to stop in to 13 Main Street during the Holiday Art Walk tour.
Suncommon will be hosting additional events including local food and drink tastings
and educational workshops to learn more about going solar and heating and cooling
with solar. Visit suncommon.com for event details as they become available.

Thank you

for supporting
your local
downtown
businesses!

T H E B R I D G E

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 11

PAG E 12 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

None of Natures landscapes are ugly, so long as they are

wild; and much, we can say comfortingly, must always be in
great part wild, particularly the sea and the sky, the floods of
light from the stars, and the warm, unspoilable heart of the
earth, infinitely beautiful, though only dimly visible to the
eye of imagination. -John Muir

Taking pictures is savoring life in

Photos by Josh Blouin

An old Farmall tractor in Berlin

Barn in Braintree
Naturalist and photographer Josh Blouin in Yosemite

Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Horses in Peacham

hotographer Josh Blouin, a wildlife seasonal technician, was born and raised in Berlin. He submitted photographs to The Bridge he took while studying the bats and black
bears of northern Yosemite. He also gave us photographs of his home state, Vermont, displayed here. He has spent field seasons in other places studying bears, wolves,
lynx and trout. Blouin has a bachelor of science degree in wildlife biology from the University of Vermont. He minored in environmental studies.
I hope to continue working in amazingly beautiful places, while studying such interesting critters My ultimate goal is to love what I do, while making a difference, even
if small, in the well-being of the animals we share this land with, Blouin said.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 13

T H E B R I D G E

ntensely, every hundredth of a second.

-Marc Riboud

Granite shed in Graniteville

Barn along Route 2

East Montpelier

Lost

by David Wagner

Berlin Pond Watershed

The trees ahead and the bushes beside you are not lost
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes, listen, it answers
I have made this place around you and
If you must go, may you come back again
Saying here, no two trees are the same to raven
No two branches the same to wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost.
The forest knows where you are,
You must let it find you.

Dirt road in Warren

In Awe of Three Trees in Hubbard Park

here's a saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees."
Sometimes it's the opposite. You can miss individual
trees for the mass of forest. And, as is well known to
Hubbard park enthusiasts, there are some pretty great trees
in the park.

The second tree I met was a hemlock, which rose tall and
straight for 25 feet before its first branch. Alec Ellsworth, a
young, enthusiastic park ranger and administrative assistant
to Beyer, considers hemlocks the "strong, silent, old patriarchs of the forest." Hemlocks are often much older than
According to Geoff Beyer, director of Montpelier Parks their circumference suggests, hanging out in the understory
Department, including Montpelier's 185-acre-jewel-in-the- and slowly, steadily growing.
crown Hubbard Park, there are several interesting specimens Ellsworth tells a Native American legend that explains why
in the park.
hemlocks have the smallest cones of all conifers. When God
One of the park's largest and oldest trees is a beech with was handing out cones, the hemlocks cut in line, and out of
a grandchild or young tree sprouting from its roots. This shame received the smallest cones.

beech rises majestically into the sky with nary a branch for
40 feet. Its beauty is more striking because of a long-term
affliction with beech scale disease, which Barbara Schultz,
forest health program manager, explains is caused by insects
boring tiny holes in the bark, which are then infected by
fungi that kill a small part of the bark. As one looks up at
this gorgeous, dying beech, its bark marked by black wedges
of blight, its top flat like a table, a few living branches reaching into the sky, one can understand Beyer's affection for
the tree. As brilliant tree scholar Colin Tudge reminds us,
"beauty and decay are never far apart." The beech has a circumference of 10 feet and is probably at least 350 years old,
according to Beyer.

Ellsworth cut a core sample from a fallen hemlock with a

diameter of about 2-1/2 feet, and counted 201 rings, an amazing number for its size. Looking at the tightly spaced rings,
one can see how strong the tree was during its life and its
will to survive in harsh conditions, confirming Ellsworth's
love of hemlocks. He plans to display the sample in the park.
The third tree mentioned to me by Parks Director Beyer is
a red oak by the park's famous tower. It is eight to 10 feet
from the tower and is one of a stand of about 30 red oaks in
the area. Its circumference is about eight to 10 feet. Red oaks
are one of the world's most successful tree species and can
reproduce either by wind pollination or by sprouting from
damaged trunks.

by Jessica Neary
Tudge, in his masterly work, "Trees," talks of how different the sizes of oaks can be depending on where the acorn
dropped. "Is the twisted stick less of an oak because it fell on
stony ground?" Heady stuff.
What fascinates me and many others about trees is their
resemblance to humans they just don't move as much.
But they do talk. Jay Lackey, another Vermont forestry
expert, stresses that trees communicate chemically, either
through leaves or roots. Leaves warn each other of approaching threats.
When a tree starts to die, other trees pull nutrients from
it. Lackey also says that where trees are cut down, human
mortality increases, especially heart and respiratory illnesses.
I'll give the last word on trees to Svetlana Alexeievich, author of "Chernobyl" and recipient of the Nobel Prize for
Literature:
"Radiation. It scares people and it scares animals and birds.
And the trees are scared, too, but they are quiet, they won't
say anything.
But as science is discovering, trees do talk. We just aren't
listening."

PAG E 14 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

A Salute to Choral Director and Montpelier High School

Graduate Chris Shepard
by Nat Frothingham

ts time once again to catch up with

Chris Shepard, a June 1983 graduate
of Montpelier High School, who will
be making his Carnegie Hall debut when
he conducts Handels Messiah December
23.
Chris grew up on Marvin Street in Montpelier. He was a student at Union Elementary School, then Main Street Middle
School and then Montpelier High School.
At high school, Chris was deeply influenced by music teacher and choral director
Pamela Perry. He was midway through
high school when Perry said to him, Chris,
I think youd make a good conductor. She
went on to teach him how to lead a chorus
and this became his first experience as a
choral director.
After high school, Chris followed his passion for music. He took a bachelors degree
from the Hartt School of Music in West
Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating
from Hartt, he landed a choral directing
assignment at the elite Taft (prep) School in
Watertown, Connecticut and in due course
he took a masters degree in music from
Yale University.

one to improve our choral work. And

the Taft headmaster said, Well loan you
Chris Shepard for a year.
So Shepard went off to Australia on a oneyear loan. But the loan got extended or as
Chris Shepard said in a phone call to The
Bridge, Initially I was just going on leave
from Taft for a year and then come back. I
was meant to go for one year and I stayed
for 13 years.
At Sydney Grammar School, Shepard made
at least two important discoveries. First, he
liked Sydney Grammar School. As Chris
said, It was very academic, very athletic.
They did everything well. And second, he
also loved living in Sydney with its gorgeous waterfront and harbor. He took a
ferry to work. And the Australians are so
wonderful, he said.

As it turns out, a tradition had been established between the prestigious Sydney,
(Australia) Grammar School and Yale University whereby graduating seniors from
Yale were recruited annually to go out for
a year or two to work as teachers at Sydney
Grammar School.

During his time in Sydney, Shepard established his own Sydneian Bach Choir.
This choir aimed to perform all the major
works of Bach including the St. Matthew
Passion, the St. John Passion, the Mass in
B Minor, the Christmas Oratorio and all
the extant Bach cantatas. Nor was Shepard
content to hide his light under a bushel.
During his time with the Bach Choir, they
went on a tour of Europe and performed at
such musical capitals as Venice in Italy and
Leipzig in Germany. By the time Shepard
returned to the United States after his 13year stay in Australia, his Bach Choir had
performed all of Bachs major choral works
as well as 78 Bach cantatas. And one more
thing, before he left Australia, Shepard had
started work on his doctorate in musicology, which he completed in 2012.

Well, it happened that the headmaster of

Sydney Grammar was in the United States
visiting Yale. And he made a side trip to
take a look at Taft School. As part of a conversation with the Taft School headmaster,
the headmaster of Sydney Grammar said:
Our orchestra is OK. But we need some-

In 1998 and this was 15 years after

he had graduated from Montpelier High
School and was then working at Sydney
Grammar School and leading the school
chorus he decided on a tour that would
take 40 Sydney Grammar School boys to
the United States for a series of concerts

Just as Chris was finishing his masters

degree at Yale, something completely unforeseen happened.

Pamela Perry
Pam Perry taught music and was a choral director at Montpelier High School from 1972
to 1981. After leaving Montpelier High School, she went on to a distinguished teaching
career. She was on the faculty of Central Connecticut State College where she founded the
University Singers. At her retirement, the college named her as professor emeritus in choral
directing. Pam Perry and Chris Shepard are now working together again because Perry
is a board member of CONCORA, the professional choir that is conducted by Shepard.

including a stay in Montpelier at the start

of the Christmas holiday season. As part of
that stay in Montpelier, the 40 boys in the
Sydney Grammar School choir participated
in two assemblies at Union Elementary
School. Then there was a big, community concert to a packed house at Bethany
Church on Saturday evening, December 8.
And then the next morning the boys from
Sydney Grammar School sang at a Sunday
service at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. And it didnt stop there, because during their time in Montpelier, the Sydney
Boys Choir was able to raise some $1,500 to
benefit the local Onion River Arts Council.
Today, Shepard is back in the United States.
Hes living in the Washington Heights
neighborhood of New York City and hes
much in demand as a choral conductor
with an almost feverishly busy schedule.
On Monday evening he rehearses the Dessoff Choir, a premier New York City choral
group. On Tuesday evening hes in Worcester, Massachusetts rehearsing the Worcester
Chorus. Then on Wednesday hes down
in Morristown, New Jersey leading the
Masterwork Chorus. During the day on
Thursday, hes in his office at the St. John
Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. And on Thursday evening he rehearses
the St. Johns Choir. On some weekends,
Shepard travels to Hartford, Connecticut
where he conducts Connecticut Choral
Artists (CONCORA), the oldest professional choir in Connecticut. The typical arrangement with the chorus is two weekends
of rehearsals in a row with a concert at the
end of the second weekend. There are 32
singers. Theyre all professional, theyre all
paid. Theyre really good, said Chris. Its
like working with a professional orchestra.
Its like driving a Lamborghini.
Shepards schedule has him on the run
on subways, on trains, driving his car
often away from home overnight. His
schedule calls for days off on Friday and
Saturday. But thats when he does his programming, gets it approved, then writes
program notes in advance of upcoming
concerts. As if this wasnt enough, said
Chris: I go back to Sydney once or twice a
year. During the summer, I judge festivals.

Chris Shepard
Or a school will hire me to do a week of
workshops and a concert.
The truth is that however far afield
Chris Shepards passion for music and choral conducting has taken him, he has never
forgotten Montpelier, the city of his roots,
the place where he got his start as a choral
conductor.
Reflecting back on what it was like to grow
up here, he said, I would not trade my
upbringing for anything. Montpelier is a
nurturing place. I felt I could do anything
I wanted.
At high school, Pam Perry was a decisive
influence. Said Chris, She had really high
standards. Everyone wanted to be in her
select choir the Collegium. It was full of
music lovers like myself as well as football
players. Everybody wanted to be in that
choir.
Then as a senior when Chris pulled together some of his friends and created a
choir that was his first experience as a
choir director. That was the template for
what I have done with my life, he said.
That was also when he understood what
he wanted from his singers. I dont want
to work with people if theyre not enjoying
themselves from kids to amateurs to
adults. Its all about joy. All my friends gave
me that gift. They gave me that gift that its
all about the joy first then the music.

December Performances of Handels Messiah

Worcester Chorus, conducted by Chris Shepard, Saturday, December 5.
The Worcester Chorus has been performing the Messiah for 150 years.
New Jersey Masterwork Chorus, conducted by Chris Shepard, Wednesday,
December 23,Carnegie Hall, New York City.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 15

T H E B R I D G E

Covering events happening November 19 December 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Third
Thurs., 1:302:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfmanagement. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau Release
Party. Special food items, wine and a pre-fixed
menu. 5:30 p.m. NECI on Main, 118 Main St.,
Montpelier. 225-3304
Dream Enactment. Curious about what dreams
mean? If you engage in our group dreamwork,
where we act out each others dreams, you might
discover the unique messages in dreams. Join
dream analysts Mary Kay Kasper and Jackie
Earle-Cruickshanks for an exploration of our inner
dreamscapes. 5:457:45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library basement, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
522-6889.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death. Third
Thurs., 67:30 p.m.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. Third Thurs., 68 p.m. Child care provided.
Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 476-1480.
River Arts Photo Co-op. Gather, promote and
share your experience and knowledge of photography with other photography enthusiasts in an
atmosphere of camaraderie and fun. Adults/teens.
Third Thurs., 68 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Film: Food For Thought, Food For Life. A new
documentary directed by Susan Rockefeller, is an
informative call-to-action film created to help us
think differently about what we eat, and to make
changes that will positively impact our health,
environment and communities. Panel discussion
follows. 6 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338.
kellogghubbard.org
Giving Thanks and Giving Back with the Mad
River Valley Community. Rice and Bean dinner
to benefit those struggling locally and globally
with food security. Dance to music by the Funk
Collection. All proceeds benefit the Mad River
Valley Interfaith Council Thanksgiving food
baskets and Amurtels refugee feeding programs
for Syrian and Haitian families. Bring a food item
for the baskets and get entered into a grand prize
drawing. 6 p.m. Sugarbush Gatehouse Lodge,
Warren. $20.
Songwriters Meeting. Meeting of the Northern
VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Songwriters
Association International. Bring copies of your
work. Third Thurs., 6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts, St.
Johnsbury. John, 633-2204.
Bats, White-nose Syndrome, and Citizen Science. learn about Vermonts nine species of bats,

including fascinating facts about their biology and

behavior, with Alyssa Bennett of Vermont Fish &
Wildlife. 6:308 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. Register: 229-6206.
northbranchnaturecenter.org.
Seafood Night at NECI on Main. Seafood specials.
Student-inspired. NECI on Main, 118 Main St.,
Montpelier

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Information on Home Share Now. Wonder if

home sharing is right for you? Home Share Now
invites you to stop by their table at the Montpelier Senior Center. 10:30 a.m.noon. MSAC, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 479-8544. information@
homesharenow.org
March for International Transgender Day of
Remembrance. Black armbands will be provided
as well as signs that shine a light on the violence
experienced by transgender individuals. All are
invited. Noon1 p.m. Meet at intersection of State
and Main streets, Montpelier. saddleshoes2@
gmail.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Additional Recyclables Collection Center. Accepting scores of hard-to-recycle items. Third Sat.,
9 a.m.1 p.m. 540 N. Main St. (old Times-Argus
building), Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org.
Greensboro Annual Holiday Craft Fair. Candles,
jewelry, knitted goods, paintings, food items,
Christmas wreaths and other specialties. A delicious lunch (11 a.m.1 p.m.) and holiday baked
goods will be available. 9 a.m.2 p.m. UCC
Church Fellowship Hall, Greensboro. 533-2223.
greensborochurch@gmail.com
13th annual Berlin Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament. Open to players of all abilities in grades
K-12 no membership required. Players grouped
by grade level. Trophies/medals to top finishers in
each group. 9 a.m. Berlin Elementary School, 372
Paine Turnpike N., Berlin. Register: http://vtchess.
info/Events/13th_Berlin_VT_Fall_Scholastic.htm
Capital City Farmers Market Thanksgiving
Market. Farm-fresh ingredients and gifts from 50
farmers, food producers and craftspeople for your
Thanksgiving feast. Door prizes every half hour.
10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier High School, 5 High
School Dr., Montpelier. For preorders of turkey,
pies, roasts and other holiday fixings, contact our
vendors at http://www.montpelierfarmersmarket.
com/our-vendors/
Information on Home Share Now. Learn more
about home sharing! 10 a.m.2 p.m. Visit Home
Share Now at the Montpelier Thanksgiving
Holiday Market, Montpelier High School, 5 High
School Dr., Montpelier. 479-8544. information@
homesharenow.org
OVWS Puppet Show at Kellogg-Hubbard
Library. The much-loved puppet show, Mashenka
and the Bear, will be performed by the Orchard
Valley Waldorf School Early Education faculty. In

THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY

Performing Arts

Nov. 19: LNT Aid! Vermont Stars Come Out

for Lost Nation Theater. A mega concert with
mega-talented and fun artists doing their remarkable respective things to raise much needed funds
for Lost Nation Theater. Great tunes, great laughs, great storytelling! With Patti Casey, Jon Gailmor,
Colin McCaffrey, Tom Murphy and George Woodard with a reappearance of Kathleen Keenan (with
Dan Boomhower and George Seymour) singing Patsy Cline in concert. 7:30 p.m. Montpelier City
Hall Arts Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. $25. 229-0492. lostnationtheater.org
Nov. 20: Stroke Yer Joke. Sign up in advance on Facebook or sign up at the door a half hour before
show time, and try five minutes of your best open-mic stand-up comedy before a live audience! 8 p.m.
Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. Free. 479-0896. events@espressobueno.com.espressobueno.
com.
Nov. 2324: The Initiative Presents: Goodnight, Sweet Prince. Vermont Waldorf High School
students perform a musical adaption of Hamlet. 7 p.m. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 18 High
St., Plainfield. 454-1053. administrator@initiativewaldorf.org. vtwhs.org

Nov. 27: The Journey to Mystic India. Internationally acclaimed extravaganza based on the concept
of ancient Indias transition into modern India. The show features renowned musicians, brilliant dancers and opulent costumes creating a kaleidoscope of color and beauty. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Spruce Peak
Performing Arts Center, 122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. $2048. 760-4634. Sprucepeakarts.org
Nov. 27: Bueno Comedy Showcase. A dedicated show of stand-up featuring four or five talented
comics, from here and away, doing longer sets. 8:30 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $6.
479-0896. events@espressobueno.com. espressobueno.com
Nov. 28: No Strings Marionette Company: Nick of Time. Follow astronaut Nick Eastman as his
rocket ship is attacked by an alien. Sucked into a time warp, Nick lands millions of years in the dinosaur-riddled past, then in a bizarre future on a barely recognizable Earth. 11 a.m. Chandler Center for
the Arts, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. Adults $8; children $5. 728-6464. chandler-arts.org
Dec. 23: Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Presented by Lost Nation Theater. City Hall Arts
Center is transformed into a 1940s broadcast studio as five versatile actors and one busy sound effects
wizard bring Frank Capras classic to life in front of a live studio audience (thats you!). 7 p.m. Montpelier City Hall Arts Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. $10 advance; $15 day of show/at door; children
11 and under per accompanying adult free. 229-0492. lostnationtheater.org
this Russian folk tale, marionette puppets tell the
story of little Mashenka, who comes upon a bear's
house when she loses her way in the forest. 10:30
a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier.

6:30 p.m. Bethel Town Hall, 134 S. Main St.,

Bethel. $10. ruralvermont.org

Workshop: Lantern Making. In preparation for

Morrisville's Festival of Lights parade in December. Lanterns may take any shape and size, so
community members are encouraged to collaborate with friends and get creative. Children under
the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Not
suitable for children under 4. 11 a.m.4 p.m. River
Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. Preregistration required: 888-1261. riverartsvt.org

Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to

anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 6-7:30 p.m. Conference Center. 600 Granger
Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Walk Burlington Bike Path with Green Mountain Club. Moderate. 10 miles round trip. Echo
Center to the Colchester municipal line across
the Winooski River Bridge and return. Contact
Michael for meeting time and place: 249-0520 or
chernick5@comcast.net.
Rural Vermont 30th Anniversary Celebration
Finale. All year long, Rural Vermont has been
celebrating thirty years of amplifying the voices
of farmers and advocating for a fair food system.
Farmers tell their stories. Music from Patti Casey,
Colin McCaffrey and Pete Sutherland. Cash bar.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23

U-32 School Board Meeting. Open to the public

and community members are always welcome to
attend. 6 p.m. U-32, Rm. 131, 930 Gallison Hill
Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.
NAMI Vermont Family Support Group. Support
group for families and friends of individuals living
with mental illness. Fourth Mon., 7 p.m. Central
Vermont Medical Center, room 3, Berlin. 800639-6480 or namivt.org.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop.

Six week workshop, Tues., Nov. 17Dec. 22. Helps
anyone living with a chronic disease (and caregivers) build the skills needed to manage their condition, share experiences and receive mutual support.
The program focuses on pain management,
nutrition, exercise, medication uses, emotions
and communicating with health care providers.

PAG E 16 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. Open mic every Wed. Other shows T.B.A.
bagitos.com.
Nov. 20: Dave Loughran (acoustic classic rock)
68 p.m.
Nov. 21: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.
Nov. 24: Bernie for President get-together &
discussion, 68 p.m.
Nov. 27: Squirrels Crackers (blues/country/
bluegrass) 68 p.m.
Nov. 28: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.
Nov. 29: Bleecker & MacDougal (folk ballads)
68 p.m.
Charlie Os World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Mon.: Open Mic Comedy Caf, 8 p.m.
Every Tues.: Karaoke Night, 9:30 p.m.
Nov. 20: Wes Hamilton & John Ryan (folk) 6
p.m.; Fantastic Partnerz (soul rock) 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 25: Sex, Drugs & Rock n' Roll Trivia, 9
p.m.
Nov. 26: Buffet Thanksgiving Dinner. Open to
all. 7 p.m. Free
Nov. 28: DJ Disco Phantom (dance) 10 p.m.

Calendar of Events

Kickstarter Finish Line Party, 8 p.m.

Nov. 22: Live Band Rock & Roll Karaoke, 8
p.m.
Nov. 23: Kelly Ravin, 8 p.m.
Nov. 24: Bruce Jones, 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night,
7 p.m.
Nov. 25: The Shanty Rats, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 27: Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Lefty Yunger
Band, 9 p.m. $5.
Nov. 28: Ron Sweet, 5 p.m.
Nov. 29: Live Band Rock & Roll Karaoke, 8
p.m.
Nov. 30: Kelly Ravin, 8 p.m.
Whammy Bar. 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. 31
County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.
com.
Every Wed.: Open mic
Nov. 19: Brian Clark & Doug Perkins
Nov. 20: Big Hat No Cattle (Texas swing)
Nov. 21: Lewis Franco & the Brown Eyed Girls
Nov.28: Hillside Rounders (country/Americana)
Dec. 3: Kris Gruen, Katie Trautz, Brian Clark
Dec. 4: Chad Hollister
Dec. 5: Mad Mountain Scramblers

SPECIAL EVENTS
Nov. 7: Allison Mann: Live Jazz. Jazz standards
with Tom Cleary, John Rivers, Geza Carr, Chris
Peterman and Colin McCaffrey. 7 p.m. Christ
Churh, 64 State St., Montpelier. $15. Reservations
recommended. 223-4712. allisonjoymann

Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 4790896. Free/by donation. events@espressobueno.
com. espressobueno.com.
Nov. 21: Linda Young (singer-songwriter) 7
p.m.; Dave Richardson (singer-songwriter) 8
p.m.; Jason Mallery (singer-songwriter) 9 p.m.

Nov. 19: Dare to be Square Dance PLUS OldTime Jam. Monthly Montpelier square dance
with Dans All Night featureing Dan Thompson,
fiddle; Danny Spurr, banjo and Liz Spurr, guitar.
No experience necessary. All dances taught. Open
old-time jam (bring your instrument), 67:30
p.m.; dance starts at 7:30 p.m. American Legion,
21 Main St., Montpelier. Jam is free; dance $510
sliding scale. kathleenmoore1@gmail.com

Positive Pie. 10 p.m. 22 State St., Montpelier. $5.

229-0453. positivepie.com.
Nov. 20: The Lynguistic Civilians (hip-hop) $5
Nov. 27: The Garcia Project-Acoustically Speaking Quartet, $10
Dec. 4: Barika (world) $5
Dec. 5: Hot Neon Magic (80s) $5

Nov. 21: Dwight & Nicole: On Top of the World.

Presented by Flying Stage Productions. Genregrazing mix of gospel, reggae, pop, blues, jazz and
rock. 7:30 p.m. The Flying Stage at ReSPACE,
30 Granite St., Barre. $15. 552-3481. Tickets: go
to eventbrite.com and enter Flying Stage in the
search field.

Sweet Melissas. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier.

Free unless otherwise noted. Other shows T.B.A.
225-6012.
Nov. 19: Tim Brick, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 20: Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Kava Express,
9 p.m. $5.
Nov. 21: David Langevin, 5 p.m.; Dave Kellers

Nov. 21: The Kind Buds. New Englands premier

acoustic jam duo. Live video art animation will
be projected on the walls and ceilings. 7:30 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $10
at door. thekindbuds.com

9:30 a.m.noon. Gifford Conference Center, 44

S. Main St., Randolph. Free. Register: 728-7714.
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 34:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.
479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.

Tell them you saw it in

The Bridge!

Nov. 21: An Evening of Hip-Hop for Social

Justice. Featuring Mista Keys, The Blind Con-

tinuum, Dusty Swamp and Headphone Jack. All ages. 811 p.m. Parker
Pie, 161 County Rd., W. Glover. $5.
mcmycelium74@gmail.com
Nov. 21: Dave Kellers Kickstarter
Finish Line Party. Soul/blues musician
Dave Keller is raising funds to record
a new CD, which will feature his own
band joined by special guests, performing his original songs. At the party,
Keller and his band will be performing
many of his new songs that he hopes
to record. Keller has until Nov. 22 to
reach his fundraising goal. If he falls
short, the project wont be funded at
all. 8 p.m. Sweet Melissas, 4 Langdon
St., Montpelier. No cover. To be part
of Kellers Kickstarter campaign, visit
www.davekeller.com, and follow the
link to his Kickstarter page.
Nov. 2122: Capital City Concerts
Presents A Place on Earth. A
Nov. 21 at Sweet Melissa's in Montpelier,
chamber orchestra concert under the
listen to Dave Keller live and help support
direction of Lou Kosma. The program
his Kickstarter campaign to fund a new
celebrates music with a sense of place.
Featured are Vivaldi's Autumn from
CD. To contribute to the campaign, visit
The Four Seasons, Vaughan-Williams
davekeller.com and follow the link to his
The Lark Ascending, Marcello's Oboe
Kickstarter page.
Concerto in C minor and the chamber
orchestra version of Beethoven's Pastoral
gregational Churchs Steeple Fund. 7 p.m.
Symphony. $1525. Tickets available
Hyde Park Opera House, Main St., Hyde Park.
at door or for cash or check only at Bear Pond
Adults $10; seniors/students $5; preschoolers
Books. capitalcityconcerts.org
are free.
Nov. 21: 7:30 p.m. Elley-Long Music Center at
Dec. 6: 4 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St. Michaels College, Colchester.
St., Montpelier. Silent auction, refreshments.
Nov. 22: 3 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
Adults $15; $12 seniors/students; ages 12 and
St., Montpelier.
under are free.
Nov. 27: Jazzyaoke. Bring your out-of-town
Dec. 4 and 6: Vermont Philharmonic Chorus.
guests and sing the standards to a live six-piece
Handels Messiah. Conducted by Lisa Jablow.
jazz band! All lyrics provided. 7:30 p.m. North
Dec. 4: 7:30 p.m. St. Augustines Church, 16
Branch Caf, 41 State St., Montpelier. $5. 552Barre St., Montpelier
8105. info@wooo.tv. wooo.tv
Dec. 6: 2 p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
Dec. 5: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein. On the
St., Barre. Adults $15; seniors/students $12;
program are Schumann's Scenes from Childkids 12 and under $5; family $32.
hood, Bach's French Suite #5, Four Impromptus,
Dec. 56: Anima: The Soul of Winter. Anima,
Op. 90 by Schubert, and a new work by Dinthe central Vermont womens vocal ensemble, will
nerstein's composer friend, Philip Lasser. 7:30
present a concert of Medieval and Renaissance
p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73 Main St.,
music for the Advent season. Admission by donaRandolph. Adults $40; students $10. 728-6464.
tion. 373-7597. info@animvermont.org
chandler-arts.org
Dec. 5: 7 p.m. Green Mountain Monastary,
Dec. 56: Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Winter
Hillcrest Rd., Greensboro.
Concerts. 229-4191. info@fiddleorchestra.org.
Dec. 6: 6:30 p.m. (immediately after the treefiddleorchestra.org
lighting). Cabot United Church, Cabot Village.
Dec. 5: Benefit concert for the Second Con-

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Holiday Helpers Available. Pick-up at
La Brioche, 89 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3188.
neci.edu/restaurants/neci-on-main/

Montpelier City Council Meeting. Second and

fourth Wed., 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers,
Montpelier City Hall. 39 Main St., Montpelier.
montpelier-vt.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26

43rd annual Free Community Thanksgiving

Dinner. Hosted by The Washington County
Youth Service Bureau/Boys & Girls Club,
with support from central Vermont individuals, churches, organizations and businesses. All
are welcome, with delivery service available to
those who are home bound. 11:30 a.m.2 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. Deliveries can be scheduled for Thanksgiving Day by
calling 229-9151. The Bureau is seeking volunteers
for Thanksgiving, as well as pie bakers and turkey
cookers. If you are available to volunteer or would
like to make a donation, please call 229-9151
Mon.Fri., 8:30 a.m.5 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Flannel Friday. Flannel Friday is Montpelier's

cozy version of Black Friday. Come downtown
wearing your flannel and enjoy great deals in
Montpelier shops and boutiques. Shop local and
get unique holiday gifts. montpelieralive.org
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides. (Nov. 27, Dec. 5,
12 and 9) Presenter by Montpelier Alive. 11 a.m.
and 2 p.m. Leaves from City Center, 89 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. montpelieralive.org
Friday Night Group. For youth age 1322 who
are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation.
Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers
from Outright VT. Second and fourth Fri.,
6:308 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035. Micah@OutrightVT.
org.

THE BRIDGE

Small Business Saturday. Sales throughout

downtown Montpelier!

Man Bites Bingo. This aint yo mamas bingo

and you should also definitely leave the kids at
home! Wacky hijinks, guest callers, prizes. Bring
a prize if you want to play more than one card.
8 p.m.Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre.
Free. 479-0896. events@espressobueno.com.
espressobueno.com.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Cider Monday. Instead of cyber shopping on

Monday, shop local and enjoy more sales and
apple cider and other goodies courtesy of downtown Montpelier's local store owners. 223-9604.
events@montpelieralive.org. montpelieralive.org
Montpelier Senior Activity Center Open House.
Enjoy music performed by local legend Burr
Morse and our own MSAC performance groups.
Light refreshments, class demonstrations, socializing with friends and acquaintances. Learn about
the activities and programs of the senior center
and our partner organizations. Also serves as
opening reception of the 1st annual MSAC member art show. More than a dozen MSAC members
will showcase their work, including photographs,
pastels and watercolors, at the center during the
month of December. 57 p.m. MSAC, 58 Barre
St., Montpelier. 223-2518

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1

ADA Advisory Committee Meeting. First Tues.

City managers conference room, City Hall, 39
Main St., Montpelier. 223-9502.
Womens Circle. Women and mothers discuss
motherhood, family life and womens health.
Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and
Hannah Allen. First Tues., 68 p.m. Emerge
Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River St.,
Montpelier.
Poetry Clinic. The first hour of the clinic will be
devoted to generative poetry writing exercises; the

second hour will be devoted to respectful critiques

of work you bring to or make in class. Every first
and third Tues., 68 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 1011:30 a.m. Conference Center. 600
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.

Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. First Wed., 10 a.m.Noon. Barre Presbyterian Church, Summer St. 476-1480.
1950s As Seen on Film: Quiz Show. 1994 film examines the 1958 game-rigging scandal involving
Charles Van Doren. Presented by Rick Winston.
An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Program.
12:302:30 p.m. 26 Main St., Montpelier.
Cancer Support Group. First Wed., 6 p.m.
Potluck. For location, call Carole MacIntyre
229-5931.
U-32 School Board Meeting. Open to the public
and community members are always welcome to
attend. 6 p.m. U-32, Rm. 131, 930 Gallison Hill
Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.
River Rock School Open House. Tour the school
and meet the teachers behind our innovative program for children 513. 78:30 p.m. River Rock
School, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. 223-4700.
riverrockschool.org
First Wednesdays: Food Writer Darra Goldstein
Explores Riches of Russian Cuisine. Founding editor of Gastronomica Darra Goldstein will explore
how Russian cuisine expresses the riches and limitations of the North. Her talk, Russia, the Land,
and Its Food, is part of the Vermont Humanities
Councils First Wednesdays lecture series. 7 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. vermonthumanities.org
Jaquith Classic Film Series. Call library for film
title. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School
St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.

T H E B R I D G E

Visual Arts
EXHIBITS

Through Nov. 22: Fractured: Works on Paper.

Group exhibition of works on paper looks at
fractured space through the lens of the narrative,
structure and optics and how those constructions or deconstructions create new meaning,
new perceptions and new truths. Gallery hours:
Wed.Sun., noon5 p.m. Helen Day Art Center,
90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-8358. mail@helenday.
com
Through Nov. 25: More than Meets the Eye:
Portraits and Figures by August Burns. Axels
Gallery, 5 Stowe St., Waterbury. 244-7801.
axelsgallery.com
Through Nov. 28: Paintings of Janet Wormser.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Through Nov. 30: Mark Lorah, Building
Blocks. Vibrant, blocky abstract artworks.
Morse Block Deli, 260 N. Main St., Barre.
Through Nov. 30: Rita Ioannidis. Bright, cheerful artworks include sheep, flowers, forests and
local landmarks. A frequent traveler, the artists
subject matter includes scenes from Iran, Baku,
Turkey and Russia. Three Mountain Caf, 107
Mad River Green, Waitsfield. Free. 496-5470
Through Dec. 5: Monique Van de Ven, Gleaned
Near South Royalton. Ceramics. Royalton Memorial Library, 23 Alexander Pl., S. Royalton.
Free. 763-7094. librarian@royaltonlibrary.org
Through Dec. 12: Erica Sears. Vibrant collection of abstract works in paint and collage. Gifford Medical Center art gallery (just inside main
entrance), 44 S. Main St., Randolph. 728-7000.
Through Dec. 15: Phyllis Chase, Life in Vermont. Oil paintings and framed limited edition
Montpelier School Board Meeting. 7 p.m.
Montpelier High School library, 5 High School
Dr., Montpelier. 225-8000.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier

Bicycle Advisory Committee. First Thurs., 8 a.m.
Police Station Community Room, 534 Washington St., Montpelier. 262-6273.
Solar Siting Task Force Public Meeting. 10
a.m.noon. Vermont State House, Room 10, State
St., Montpelier. Open to the public.
Beginner's Guide to The Alexander Technique.
Deepen your understanding of natural movement
with self awareness. Explore developmental floor
practices, daily activities and group dynamics.
Hands-on guidance. Welcoming interest for new
class beginning in Feb. 5:307:30 p.m. Bethany
Church Chapel, 115 Main St., Montpelier. Suggested donation $225. Pre-register: http://atclass.
eventbrite.com. 223-7230. katie@balancefbeing.
com. www.balanceofbeing.com
Diabetes Support Group. First Thurs., 78 p.m.
Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical
Center. 371-4152.
Seafood Night at NECI on Main. Seafood specials. Student-inspired. NECI on Main, 118 Main
St., Montpelier

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

Death Caf. Group discussion about death with

no agenda, objectives or themes. First Fri., 11:45
a.m.1 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2,
Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Bring your
own lunch or eat at the center for $4. 223-3322.
Holiday Farmers Market. Free admission, live
music. A variety of local wares for your enjoyment. 37 p.m. Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite St.,
Barre.
Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your
own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.
First Fri., 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist
Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and enter
at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@
comcast.net.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier

Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room,
1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.
Maple Corner Community Center Holiday Craft
Fair. Meet local artists and crafters. Holiday shopping in a cozy environment with great food. 9:30
a.m.3 p.m. Maple Corner Community Center,

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 17

Calendar of Events

prints. Capitol Grounds, 27 State St., Montpelier. phyllischasefineart.com

Through Dec. 18: The Paletteers of Vermont

Fall Art Show. Open during regular library
hours. Aldrich Public Library, Milne Room, 6
Washington St., Barre.
Through Dec. 23: ANIMAL: Photo Retrospective Exhibit. ANIMAL is dance-based interdisciplinary project directed by Montpelier-based
artist Hanna Satterlee. A two-year creation period was used to draft the work in public indoor
and outdoor performances. Opening reception:
Nov. 22, 48 p.m. Contemporary Dance &
Fitness Studio Foyer Gallery, 18 Langdon St.,
3F, Montpelier. Donations welcome. hannasatt@
gmail.com
Through Dec. 31: Neysa Russo, Felt Tapestry Exhibit. The tapestries are created using a
combination of wet felting and needle felting
techniques using mostly local wool. Bagitos,
Main St., Montpelier. 249-4715. neysa.russo@
live.com. spinningstudio.com.

Through Dec. 31: 1st annual MSAC Member

Art Show. More than a dozen MSAC members
will showcase their work, including photographs,
pastels and watercolors. Opening reception: Nov.
30, 57 p.m. during open house. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
223-2518.
Through Jan. 4: Larry Golden, Traditional
Painter. Landscape paintings on canvas. Gallery
hours: Mon.Thurs., 9 a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.
2 p.m. The Gallery at River Arts, 74 Pleasant St.,
Morrisville. Free. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Through Jan. 15: Cross-stitch and Multimedia by Heidi Chamberlain & Upcycled
Christmas Stockings by Nancy Gadue. Heidi
Chamberlain is an eclectic artist who does
collages and cross stitch. Nancy Gadue, crafter
extraordinaire, creates Christmas stockings with
boiled wool and recycled sweaters. Opening Reception: Dec. 4, 48 p.m. Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm
St., Montpelier. 223-1981. cheshirecatclothing.com

Through Dec. 31: The Governors Gallery

Presents Interface. Works by Almuth Palinkas
and sculpture by Jeanne Cariati. Photo I.D.
required. Art Walk Reception: Dec. 4, 47
p.m. The Pavilion Building, 109 State St., 5F,
Montpelier. david.schutz@vermont.gov

Through Jan . 15: Mathew Peake, Barbara

Baker-Bury and Scott J Morgan, Turn, Turn,
Turn Art Exhibit. Includes paintings that have
been turned in the making, resulting in finished
pieces that can be viewed with interest from
any direction. A unique rotating frame allows a
viewer to see the painting one way, and invites
the viewer to easily turn the piece any number
of degrees, to view it from completely different
perspectives. Opening reception/artists discussion: Nov. 19, 57 p.m. Gallery hours: Tues.
Sat., noon4 p.m. T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre
St., Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery@
gmail.com. twwoodgallery.org

Through Dec. 31: Celebrate. Annual local arts

exhibit featuring a wide variety of fine art and
crafts created by SPA member artists. The show
is on all three floors of the historic SPA building
and includes hundreds of one-of-a-kind gifts.
Tues.Fri., 11 a.m.5 p.m.; Sat., noon4 p.m.
Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 4797069. studioplacearts.com

Through July 19: Blue Ribbons & Burlesque:

The Country Fair Photography of Charles
Fish. Black and white photographs capture nature and nurture, theatrical illusion, the pursuit
of excellence and even the guilty pleasures of fair
food. Opening reception: Nov. 21, 14 p.m.
Talk, 2 p.m. Vermont History Museum, 109
State St., Montpelier. Free with admission to

Through Dec. 31: Bob Aiken, Vermont Impressionist. Vermont landscapes depicting rural
fields, rivers, mountains and small villages.
Acrylic with palette knife. Mon.Fri., 11 a.m.3
p.m. Festival Gallery, #2 Village Square, Waitsfield. 496-6682. vermontartfest.com

64 W. County Rd., Calais. hernalser@aol.com

The Manor Annual Holiday Craft Fair. A range
of vendors and local artisans featuring handmade
jewelry, crafts, quilted items, a white elephant
table, a bake sale and homemade preserves, pickles
and baked goods from The Manors Grammas
Kitchen delicious items made by residents.
Live music. 10 a.m.3 p.m. The Manor, 577
Washington Highway, Morrisville. 888-8700.
themanorvt.org
Northeast Storytellers. Writers, readers and
appreciators of prose and verse meet regularly
the first Saturday of every month. The public is
welcome to attend and new members are always
encouraged to join. 11:30 a.m.2 p.m. Catamount
Arts, 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury. 751-5432.
brookequillen@yahoo.com.
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides. (Dec. 5, 12 and 9)
Courtesy of Montpelier Alive. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Leaves from City Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
Santa Arrives & NECI Cookie Decorating. The
New England Culinary Institute continues the
Montpelier tradition of a cookie decorating activity
as we anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus!
First, learn from the best of the best as Chef Kat
and NECI students help kids and families make
beautiful holiday cookies. Then, Santa Claus arrives
in Montpelier and visits with each awaiting child to
hear what they want for Christmas! 12:304 p.m.
City Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier. 223-9604.
events@montpelieralive.org. montpelieralive.org
Osteoporosis Education and Support Group.
For those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, have a family member
who has been diagnosed or want to learn about
osteoporosis. Learn from a variety of guest
speakers and medical specialists. First Sat., 13
p.m. Community National Bank, Community
Room, Crawford Rd., Derby. 535-2011. mary@
betterbonesnek.org. betterbonesnek.org.
An Evening at the Library! Fundraiser for the
Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Complete with food,
drink and music this catered gala marks the
beginning of the holiday season. This year the library honors Vermont cartoonist Ed Koren whose
distinct work has filled the pages of the New
Yorker and the New York Times for years. 6:30
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. $60. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org

Send your listing to

calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is Nov. 25.
Send information for events
happening Dec. 3Dec. 19

museum. 828-2180. vermonthistory.org/calendar

SPECIAL EVENTS

Through Nov. 22: A Festival of Wreaths. Community exhibit and silent auction. High bidders
announced Nov. 22. Gallery hours: Thurs.Sun.,
11 a.m.4 p.m. Bryan Memorial Gallery, 180
Main St., Jeffersonville. 644-5100. bryangallery.
org
Dec. 4: Montpelier Art Walk. Holiday art walk,
baked goods theme. Enjoy local art and Vermont
made baked goods at local shops in downtown
Montpelier. Art Walk is a self-guided tour, enjoy
Montpelier's quaint downtown while taking in
the art. 48 p.m. 223-9604.
Dec. 45: Cheap Art Holiday Sale. Dec. 4, 47
p.m.; Dec. 5, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Christ Church, 64
State St. Montpelier. 225-6628. baleber@gmail.
com

CALL FOR ARTISTS

Chandler Gallery in Randolph, Vermont seeks

submissions for Salvage, a show of works made
by found and arranged materials. From collage
to assemblage, surface to sculpture, how does
the reimagining of salvaged parts come together
in your work? Deadline: December 9th by
midnight EST. Salvage will open in January
and run through March 5th. Submissions can be
made to salvage.chandler@gmail.com
The Front, a cooperative gallery in Montpelier, is looking for new members. Membership
dues are $75/month and members are required
to staff the gallery for at least 3 hours/month
and to serve on a working committee. Interested artists should send a link to an online
portfolio(preferred) or 5 images under 1M to
applications@thefrontvt.com ASAP, or by Nov.
29. Please also include a paragraph about why
you think membership would be good for you
and for the gallery.

PAG E 18 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

Weekly Events
ART & CRAFT
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
Drop-in River Arts Elder Art Group. Work
on art, share techniques and get creative with
others. Bring your own art supplies. For elders
60+. Every Fri., 10 a.m.noon. River Arts Center,
74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. 888-1261.
riverartsvt.org.

Calendar of Events

Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.

Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.

11:30 a.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713

Elm St., Montpelier. Free; donations welcome.
229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org.

Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds

benefit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues. and
Fri., noon1 p.m. Live music every Tues., 10:30
11:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+ free with $7
suggested donation; under 60 $9. Reservations:
262-6288 or justbasicsinc@gmail.com.

The Basement Teen Center. Safe drop-in space

to hang out, make music, play pool, ping-pong
and board games and eat free food. All activities
are free. Mon.Thurs., 26 p.m., Fridays 3-10
p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. BasementTeenCenter.org

Community Night. Fresh pasta dinners in support of local non-profits and other community
causes. A portion of the evenings proceeds will be
donated to a selected local non-profit. Every Sat.,
5:308:30 p.m. North Branch Caf, 41 State St.,
Montpelier. 552-8105. thenorth-branch.com/
upcoming-events/

Baby & Toddler Story Time. Snuggle with your

baby or toddler as we sing, tickle and bounce our
way into a lifelong love of language. Get ready
for high-energy literacy with songs, active rhymes
and stories. For ages 036 months. Mon., 10
a.m. Waterbury Public Library, 30 Foundry St.,
Waterbury. Free. 244-7036.
waterburypubliclibrary.com.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Read to Clara. Sign up for a 20-minute slot and

choose your books beforehand to read to this
special canine pal. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665
or at the childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.

Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place

for individuals and their families in or seeking
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
St., Barre. 479-7373.
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Wed., 46
67:30 p.m.
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.

BICYCLING

BOOKS & WORDS

Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the first time. Tues.,
45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St.
223-3403.
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading
and share some good books. Books chosen by
group. Thurs., 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult
Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center,
100 State St. 223-3403.

BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
Computer and Online Help. One-on-one computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury.
Free. Registration required: 244-7036.
Personal Financial Management Workshops.
Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building and repair, budgeting and identity theft,
insurance, investing, retirement. Tues., 68 p.m.
Central Vermont Medical Center, Conference
Room 3. Registration: 371-4191.

FOOD & DRINK

Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.
Free.
Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
11 a.m.1 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
11:30 a.m.1 p.m.
Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St.,
11 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St.,
11:30 a.m.1 p.m.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St.,
11 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),
4:305:30 p.m.
Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.

Early Bird Bone Builders Class. With Cort

Richardson. Osteoporosis exercise and prevention
program. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy
shoes. Light weights provided or bring your own.
All ages. Every Mon., Wed. and Fri., 7:308:30
a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rt. 2, Blueberry
Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. Cort: 223-3174
or 238-0789.
Bone Building Exercises. All seniors welcome.
Every Mon., Wed. and Fri. 10:4511:45 a.m.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
Montpelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.
org.
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
Every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m.; Mon. and Wed.,
5:306:30 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.
Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every
Mon., 2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@
montpelier-vt.org.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier.
552-3483.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually
overcoming overeating. Note meeting days and
locations. Every Tues., 5:306:30 p.m. and Sat.,
8:309:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of the Good
Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249-3970.
Every Mon., 56 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115
Main St., Montpelier. 223-3079.
Tai Chi Classes for All Ages. Every Tues. and
Thurs., 1011 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier.
Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors@myfairpoint.
net
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral
testing. Thurs., 25 p.m. 58 East State St., Ste. 3
(entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222.
vtcares.org.

KIDS & TEENS

Robins Nest Nature Playgroup. Offers parents,
caregivers and children ages birthfive an opportunity to play outside and discover the sights,
sounds and sensations of the forests and fields
at the NBNC. Every Mon. through Dec. 7, 9:30

Story Time and Playgroup. With Sylvia Smith

for story time and Cassie Bickford for playgroup.
For ages birth6 and their grown-ups. We follow
the Twinfield Union School calendar and do not
hold the program the days Twinfield is closed.
Wed., 1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122
School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Story Time for Kids. Meet your neighbors and
share quality time with the pre-schooler in your
life. Each week well read stories and spend time
together. A great way to introduce your preschooler to your local library. For ages 25. Every
Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151
High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.
Lego Club. Use our large Lego collection to
create and play. All ages. Thurs., 34:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Preschool Story Time. Join us as we travel to
new places through books, puppets and felt
boards. Well shake our sillies out with movement-based rhymes. A craft may be provided. For
ages 36 years. Fri., 10 a.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 30 Foundry St., Waterbury. Free. 2447036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative
exploratory arts program with artist/instructor
Kelly Holt. Age 35. Fri., 10:30 a.m.noon.
River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
888-1261. RiverArtsVT.org.
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
books, use the gym, make art, play games and if
you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.
Musical Story Time. Join us for a melodious
good time. Ages birth6. Sat., 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79 p.m.
Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for
location and information.

MUSIC & DANCE

Barre-Tones Womens Chorus. Open rehearsal. Find your voice with 50 other women.
Mon., 7 p.m. Alumni Hall, Barre. 223-2039.
BarretonesVT.com.
Dance or Play with the Swinging Over 60
Band. Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the
1960s. Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.
noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal.
New chorus members welcome. Wed., 45 p.m.
Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more
information.
Piano Workshop. Informal time to play,
refresh your skills and get feedback if desired
with other supportive musicians. Singers and
listeners welcome. Thurs., 45:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,

THE BRIDGE

Montpelier. Free; open to the public. 223-2518.

msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.
light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.

RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of hardto-recycle items. Mon., Wed., Fri., noon6 p.m.;
Third Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m. ARCC, 540 North
Main St., Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc.

RESOURCES
Onion River Exchange Tool Library. 80 tools
both power and manual. Wed., 46 p.m.; Sat.,
911 a.m. 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 661-8959.
info@orexchange.com.

SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Womens Group. Women age 40 and older
explore important issues and challenges in their
lives in a warm and supportive environment. Facilitated by psychotherapist Kathleen Zura. Every
Mon., 5:307:30 p.m. 41 Elm St., Montpelier.
223-6564. Insurances accepted.

SPIRITUALITY
Christian Science Reading Room. You're invited
to visit the Reading Room and see what we
have for your spiritual growth. You can borrow,
purchase or simply enjoy material in a quiet study
room. Hours: Wed., 11 a.m.7:15 p.m.; Thurs.
Sat., 11 a.m.1 p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier.
223-2477.
A Course in Miracles. A study in spiritual transformation. Group meets each Tues., 78 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State St., Montpelier. 279-1495.
Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only:
479-0302.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those
interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or
current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed.,
7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St.,
Barre. Register: 479-3253.
Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text study and discussion on Jewish
spirituality. Sun., 4:456:15 p.m. Yearning
for Learning Center, Montpelier. 223-0583.
info@yearning4learning.org.

SPORTS & GAMES

Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking
Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up.
No experience necessary. Equipment provided:
first come, first served. Sat., 56:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate
free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.

YOGA & MEDITATION

Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths
welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ Church,
Montpelier. 223-6043.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues., 78
p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. New location: Center for
Culture and Learning, 46 Barre Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137. montpeliershambala.org.
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 19

T H E B R I D G E

Classifieds
Text-only class listings
and classifieds are
50 words for $25.
To place an ad, call Michael,
223-5112 ext. 11.

New Construction
Renovations
Woodworking
General Contracting

ARTS
A POCKET CHATAUQUA
Internationally recognized folk performing artists present theater of the mind in an intimate
setting. Adults, children, and multigenerational
audiences, your place or ours. Tim Jennings
and Leanne Ponder are simply Vermont treasures, 7 Days. Two of the best Times Argus.
www.folktale.net

T&T Truck for Hire

223-3447

clarconstruction.com

HEALING SERVICE
HEALING DEEP TRAUMA
With Isabelle Meulnet
Since 2005
802-279-9144
www.bodymindsoulhealing.net
Deep trauma-release energy work:
aims to liberate the body from frozen imprints
rewires the nervous system out of the trauma
loop
releases the Healer within

LIght movIng, L andfILL

runs, and odd jobs.

Do What You Do Best.

Give us a call at:

Initial consultation and session: free

Sunday sessions available

OFFICE SPACE
OUTSTANDING OFFICE SPACE
Montpelier, Vermont
149 State Street. Perfect location
three minute walk to capital. Beautiful Greek
Revival building, renovated inside and out.
Includes on-site parking, heat, hot water,
electricity, utilities, office cleaning, trash and
recycling, snow plowing, and landscaping.
Handicap accessible.
1400 sq ft. $1435 per month. Can subdivide.
Call 508-259-7941

Weve got the truck.

224.1360

Bookkeeping Payroll Consulting

802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com

Rocque Long
Painting
Insured
30+ years professional
experience
local references.

802-223-0389
Tell them
you saw it in
The Bridge!

Design & Build

Custom Energy-Efficient Homes
Additions Timber Frames
Weatherization Remodeling
Kitchens Bathrooms Flooring
Tiling Cabinetry Fine Woodwork

RecyclE

This Paper!

GREGS
PAINTING

Metal Roof Painting

Interior & Exterior

802-479-2733
gpdpainting@aol.com

FREE ESTIMATES INSURED SINCE 1990

Since 1972
Repairs New floors and walls
Crane work Decorative concrete
Consulting ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT (802) 229-0480
gendronbuilding@aol.com gendronconcrete.com

The Center for Leadership Skills

BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Lindel James coaching & consulting

Taking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm
802 778 0626
lindel@lindeljames.com
lindeljames.com

PAG E 2 0 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

Opinion

THE BRIDGE

Give Thanks And Give it Away!

by Jon M. Sweeney and Rabbi Michal Woll

hanksgiving may just be the most universally cherished and observed of American holidays. We share it without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, geography or
sexual orientation. The two of us have really dear, although different, memories of
the day from childhood. For Jon, it was a festive family meal and football event both
on the screen and in the backyard. It was his favorite day of the year and truly felt infused
with gratitude. For Michal, childhood Thanksgiving afternoons were often spent at the
Millionaires Club, a restaurant where meals for her and her sisters, and drinks for mom
and dad, were all free. It was a place that felt like home for the family and they were grateful for the ease of letting someone other than a stressed mother-of-four do the cooking.
For both of us, Thanksgiving was a day spent quietly, as stores and businesses were closed
and traffic was minimal.

candles, games and gelt. For Christians, a rethinking of the season might mean rediscovering Advent by counting the days until Christmas and cultivating the presence of God
in their lives. This is an opportunity to renew commitment to faith, giving and kindness.
Some Christians are also rediscovering the historical Saint Nicholas. Nicholas of Myra
was a fourth-century Greek bishop who lived in what is today Turkey. He actually did go
around distributing gifts to needy children, finding kids in desperate need, often giving
secretly so as not to be noticed, perhaps even yes it is true by dropping gifts down
family chimneys. St. Nick is a reminder to give to that child who has little, not an excuse
to obtain the latest gadget. A revalued Christmas morning may still involve gifts, but the
celebration of what is received might be more in balance with what the kids have learned
to give.

We are now both about 50, and the world has changed, a lot. Christmas fills the aisles
before the turkey meets his maker. Leisurely shopping on the bonus next-day-off has
morphed into Black Friday, and store opening times recede ever earlier as customers
are whipped into a frenzy by the promise of sales, Sales, SALES! (complete with myriad
reports of trampling deaths, injuries, and crowds managed with pepper spray). Five years
ago, we sat at Thanksgiving dinner and listened as a few of our extended family were planning their that-evening shopping. We sighed. A year later we noticed some retail stores
that didnt bother closing on Thanksgiving at all. Since then, the situation has only gotten
worse, in our opinion.

But lets focus for now on imagining what can happen this month. Here we share with
you what has become, for us, a meaningful new ritual, and one we try to make a focus of
late November: ThanksGiveaway. We keep in mind the upcoming season and look around
for things we may not need. Then, instead of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, we
go through our closets one last time before giving all the stuff away. Our dream is that
ThanksGiveaway will become a serious cultural observance throughout the United States.
Then, the December news would no longer report aggregate spending as a barometer of
consumer confidence, but would broadcast indications of generosity as a gauge of our
human spirit! Lets put Black Friday out of business and replace it with ThanksGiveaway
We know many people who want to rethink this time of year not just bring it back as the name for the day after Thanksgiving. Perhaps then, someday in the future, dictionto sanity, but reimagine the celebrations themselves. For Jews, this can mean simplifying aries will include this:
Hanukkah, returning it to the observance of a miracle that it once was, complete with ThanksGiveaway (proper noun): The day after Thanksgiving in the United States that
describes peoples attempt to shun what had become a tradition of shopping furiously for
bargains, once known as Black Friday, with a day devoted to cleaning out extra clothing,
unneeded books, rarely used cooking utensils and appliances and other nonessential or
duplicate household items, and giving them away to others who may need them.
Its a new/old spiritual practice. You might try it this year.
Jon M. Sweeney is a Catholic writer and the author of The Pope Who Quit, recently optioned
by HBO. Michal Woll served Beth Jacob Synagogue here in Montpelier as Visiting Rabbi from
2009 to 2011. Together they are the authors of Mixed-Up Love: Relationships, Family, and
Religious Identity in the 21st Century. They moved to Montpelier in July 2015 and live with
their daughters Sima and Clelia in the Meadow.

Have something important to say? We want to hear it!

Send it to us at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com

Poetry
why should a place
i've never lived
(college era jaunts
register
in the heart/mind,
but are not the same)
provide
relative calm
for an aging black
manmiles from that which
prepared him

Washington County
by Reuben Jackson, host of
Friday Night Jazz on Vermont
Public Radio

as best it could?
perhaps
as my mother
liked to sayit is time to
think less babyand offer
good things
the empty seat
in the coffee house

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 21

T H E B R I D G E

What's Happening To Berlin Pond, Anyway?

Opinion

What's changed now that people are swim- Of the possible pathoming, boating, fishing and hunting on our gens, Cryptosporidium is
drinking water source, Berlin Pond?
the worst. Human-carried
The obvious change is an increase in tur- Cryptosporidium is so
bidity suspended particles kicked up by virulent that the Environpeople launching boats at the south end of mental Protection Agency
the pond and boating in the shallows. This developed a special rule for
requires Montpelier's water treatment plant it. This will require new
to backflush (clean) its filters 20 percent testing, and potentially costly new treatmore frequently than it used to, increasing ment processes if it's found. Cryptosporidium is unaffected by chlorine. Currently,
processing costs.
we don't have to test for Cryptosporidium,
The risk of invasive species, the most dam- but there are 46 cases of cryptosporidiosis
aging being zebra mussels and Eurasian in Vermont this year.
milfoil, is another threat magnified by
human activity. Invasives are transported The Commissioner of Environmental Conby people, from an infested body of water servation said, in testimony, there was no
like Lake Champlain. They can change the or negligible risk to opening Berlin Pond
ecology of a pond and clog a system's filters, to recreation. Then he added, I would say,
intakes and pipes, requiring costly mainte- just as an aside, that for drinking water
nance or replacement. The state said "we risks of the kind that were talking about, it
don't think" invasives would be a problem, would be people who had kind of impaired
but science doesn't support that conjecture. immune systems, very young, very old or
people who were suffering immunological
The engineer who designed our water treat- diseases and so forth. But it wouldnt be
ment system explained that treatment re- healthy adults like myself.
moves or inactivates a percentage of contaminants in the water not all. Since
human contact is a source of fecal coliforms, there are more pathogens in the
pond now than there were before 2012.
Consequently there are more pathogens in
our drinking water, based on the percentages. Our water is still safe, but it's less safe
than it was before. We know that people are
pooping in the pond: a representative of the
Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
and Vermont Traditions testified that, since
the shores of the pond are posted "No
Trespassing," fishermen can't go ashore to
relieve themselves because they'd be subject
to prosecution. The implication was, if they
poop in the pond, no one's watching.

Are all those people simply "an aside?" How many

negligible risks does it take
to make a substantial risk?

Vermont has no laws specifically to protect the

quality of drinking water
sources. By contrast, the rest of New England takes the threat of human recreation
seriously. Here are some management practices that are utilized.
It's clear, from all the Ns under VT, that
the state not only doesn't practice these
management techniques, they're not even
allowed. Many of the individual towns do
prohibit or restrict access to their water

by Jed and Page Guertin

sources through their charters, as Montpelier did, but the state is threatening to open
those ponds too.
On November 18, Montpelier's City Council will discuss the language of a charter
change, to regain authority to manage the
waters of Berlin Pond. We need to support
this effort. The state's actions in opening
the pond have increased the City's risk of
both drinking water contamination and escalating costs of treatment, with no quantifiable benefits. The City is better positioned
to manage our water source, as it did for
100 years, to provide the best quality and
least costly drinking water to its citizens.

PAG E 2 2 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601

Phone: 802-223-5112
Fax: 802-223-7852
Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham
Managing Editor: Carla Occaso
Calendar Editor, Design & Layout:
Marichel Vaught
Copy Editing Consultant:
Larry Floersch
Proofreader: Garrett Heaney
Sales Representatives: Michael Jermyn,
Rick McMahan
Distribution: Tim Johnson, Kevin Fair, Diana
Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14, or
editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
Location: The Bridge office is located at the
Vermont College of Fine Arts,
on the main level of Stone Science Hall.
Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge
by mail for $50 a year. Make out your
check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge,
PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
montpelierbridge.com
facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
Twitter: @montpbridge
Copyright 2015 by The Bridge

THE BRIDGE

Letters
An Open Letter to
Senator Bernie Sanders
Editor:
As an American and a Vermonter, I am
aware of the local politics as the foreground
of the humanitarian movement as an intrinsic backbone of our politics. Vermont was
instrumental in the movement to abolish
slavery, and Vermont has always served as an
example to the country of the profit of fair
labor in times of economic hardship.
Your ideas on humanity regarding a basic
quality of life as a human right make you the
man that the nation favors, as we see far too
many people lie in the wake of hardship left
by the recession. Watching the war on single
mothers and children in regards to wage
equality, and reproductive health is particularly heart-breaking. We watch impoverished
children enter the world ill-equipped to deal
with hardship. We believe in equal opportunity that is not what has been afforded them.
We admire you because you have the courage to address these people since there are so
many; when many politicians shy away from
the long suffering of our nation.
The COTS foundation cites upwards of
1,000 homeless children.
Our only option seems to be to look to
the past for things that worked, rather than
things that didn't. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was credited as being the man who was
able to draw us out of the Great Depression.
I see one flaw in taking this path, and I am
writing to you now to share this with you.
It was Eleanor Roosevelt's dedication to humanity, and her ethical pleas to abolish child
labor, and the movement towards workers
rights that served as the foundation of the
Roosevelt ideals. Hillary Clinton has made
herself an open supporter of your ideas and I
urge you now to ensure success as a Democratic candidate, not only as a representative
of the Democratic Party but as an upholder
of the ideas of a democracy to consider Clinton as a running mate in the 2016 presidential election, as there would be no greater
dedication; to compromise in pursuit of the
success of our nation. I wish you the best and
the best of luck in the coming days.
Abigail van den Noort
Morrisville
(Note: edited for length.)

Eminent Domain Issue:

Business Trumps Bike Path
Editor:
Why is Montpeliers city council considering
removing another building that contributes
to the property tax base? We have the highest
property taxes in Vermont. Removing Montpelier Beverage would remove those yearly
taxes, plus cost property taxpayers paying
Mowatt Trust for their loss and again, city
lawyer representation. For a bike path? A
known factor we have an aging population. Truth be known, the majority are
not riding bikes. The bike path skirts the
downtown thus no monetary benefit for our
city. The city manager, is the one common
factor through the many years this process
has been going on. Hes been in charge of
spending our tax dollars on another debacle. Worse yet, Montpelier is supposedly the
heart of Vermont.
This attempt to choose bicycles over peoples
livelihoods, perpetuates the image that we
are a city with no heart or compassion.
Taking a property by eminent domain is a
hideous way to achieve a senseless project.
For over a half a century we residents have
gotten ourselves around on foot, vehicle or
bicycle, quite nicely, on our own. As kids we
licensed our bikes and learned to operate our
bikes on the streets according to the laws of
the road. All these years we have navigated
the Barre and Main Street intersection all by
ourselves. We now have a crunchy granola
mentality running things as if we cannot
have common sense enough to get around
our own space without manmade paths or
traffic controlling devices. Who is more important, bicyclists who add nothing to our
economy or people who own or work in a viable, downtown business that contributes to
our property taxes? A business that contributes to people of all income status. Should
the few people on the city council be making
this decision?
William Carpenter
Montpelier

Con Hogan Seeks Kidney

Editor:
At the first annual Hogan Award at Vermont College of Fine Arts on October 8,
Sister Janice Ryan, who was emceeing the
program, announced at the very end Con
needs a kidney. It was a surprise to the 150
people or so at the function and was certainly
a surprise for me. For those of you who do
not know about the Hogan Award, it is a
recently established award to be given to a

Cody Chevrolet Congratulates The Bridge

On Over 20 Years of Business!

mid-career leader of $15,000 dollars, honoring their important work improving the lives
of Vermonters. The award will be given each
year for 10 years.
This surprise caused me to seriously consider
my situation.
At the age of 74, I am still working as a
member of the Green Mountain Care Board
in Vermont. It is work I love, but my health
issues are sometimes slowing me down. Ive
been on the transplant list at Dartmouth
Hitchcock for over two years and am close
to getting on the list at the University of
Maryland in Baltimore. But it is increasingly
clear that the likelihood of receiving a kidney
through this process is getting ever more remote. Ive had ten related surgeries over the
last three years, and some of the surgeries require a wait of six months before Im allowed
to be active on the list again.
I have decided to reach out to a network of
family, friends and colleagues to see if there
is someone out there who might want to donate a kidney. If I had an independent donor
that matched my profile, I could go forward
with a transplant as early as February.
Cheryl Mitchell, who worked with me
closely over a lengthy period when I was
Secretary of Human Services in Vermont,
has volunteered to be my third party organizer of this effort. If anyone who reads this
note is so inclined they should contact her at
cheryl.w.mitchell@gmail.com. She can guide
anyone interested through the testing and
evaluation process.
I am feeling thankful that I am still alive.
I believe I still have much to contribute to
our world. I deeply appreciate your sincere
consideration of this letter.
Con Hogan
Plainfield

What Do You Think?

Read something that you would like to
respond to? We welcome your letters
and opinion pieces. Letters must be
fewer than 300 words. Opinion pieces
should not exceed 600 words. The
Bridge reserves the right to edit and cut
pieces. Send your piece to:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
Deadline for the next issue is
November 25.

T H E B R I D G E

The Bridge publishes every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month,
except in July when we publish only on the 3rd Thursday.
Our next issue comes out December 3.

N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015 PAG E 2 3

PAG E 24 N OV E M B E R 19 D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:

GIVING, SHARING AND

NEEDING LIFE'S ESSENTIALS
December 3 December 16, 2015
Promote your holiday sales, products,
services, events and more.
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE
RESERVATIONS DUE WED., NOV. 25.
(The day before Thanksgiving)

For more information about advertising deadlines, rates and

the design of your ad call 223-5112 ext. 11 or email our ad sales
representatives at michael@montpelierbridge.com or
rick@montpelierbridge.com