The Bridge, April 7, 2016

PoemCity Montpelier Event Schedule — Pages 12 and 13
A pril 7 – A pril 20, 2016

S t a r li n g s

ow was alive
d
in
w
e
h
t
e
d
si
t
The maple ou
were hidden
s
d
ir
b
e
h
t
t
u
b
lf appeared
se
it
e
e
r
t
with birdsong,
e
h
t
ves so that
behind the lea ud, cacophonous song.
lo
ud
to be singing a e like the shadow of a clo
mass
They rose en
t calling back
f
le
y
e
h
,
t
ss
e
in
hey had been
t
e
r
e
with the empt
h
w
f
o
ss
.
the fullne
e before that
e
r
t
e
h
to them with
t
d
n
a
before this
ere morning,
w
like the tree
it
if
s
a
,
y
ll
statica
They sang ec
with evening
y
v
a
e
h
s
a
w
y
sk
although the
e in the sky
c
n
le
si
e
h
t
r
a
he
and you could
singing.
beyond their
rd

Chard deN io

IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 4 Rec Center Building
for Sale
Pg. 5 A Chat with
Brian Ricca
Pg. 8 T&T Truck for Hire

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

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

Pg. 10 What is
Multiple Sclerosis?

An Interview with Vermont Poet Laureate,
Chard deNiord
by Michelle A.L. Singer

O

n Nov. 2, 2015, Chard deNiord
of Westminster West, became the
eighth Poet Laureate of Vermont. He
follows in the footsteps of Sydney Lea, Ruth
Stone, Grace Paley, Ellen Bryant Voigt, Louise Gluck, Galway Kinnell and Robert Frost
who was named the first Poet Laureate of
Vermont in 1961. The Vermont Poet Laureate
must be a resident of Vermont, have a critically acclaimed body of work, and have a long
association with Vermont. Chard deNiord fits
all those criteria.
Currently he teaches English and Creative
Writing at Providence College, where he is
Professor of English. He is the author of five
books of poetry, including Interstate, (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015), The Double
Truth (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011)
and Night Mowing (University of Pittsburgh
Press, 2005).
DeNiord ushered in PoemCity, Montpelier’s
celebration of National Poetry Month, as this
year’s kick-off speaker at an event hosted by
the Vermont College of Fine Arts in their
Alumni Hall on April 1. Now in its seventh
year, PoemCity will feature nearly 400 poems
from Vermont poets, including deNiord, in
over 100 downtown storefronts for the month
of April. DeNiord will also be at Bear Pond
Books as part of their Educators Workshop
Series on Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to
12 p.m.

tions and Reflections on 20th Century American Poets, was published by Marick Press in
2012. He continues to interview poets as well
as write a monthly column about poetry in
the Valley News. The following is an excerpt
from our interview.

he said, ‘No, you don’t understand, you’re
the poet. You have to go to El Salvador.’ So
Amnesty International supported her and she
ended up going. That’s why she went. Not
because she wanted to. And then she came
back with all that news. See, in other cultures,
poetry is the news and it’s accessible. In this
country I think that it’s viewed as a difficult
genre by most of the population. And again,
poets haven’t always helped themselves in that
regard in this country. It’s not easy reading
Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens,
Ezra Pound and more recently Jorie Graham.
And it’s almost impossible, if not impossible,
reading L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E poetry. But people just read one poem by someone like Eliot
and say, ‘What’s this?’ or Ezra Pound and say,
‘I can’t teach that.’ And they often start there,
without looking any further.

deNiord: I’ve just been talking to Carolyn
Forché, in this long series of interviews I’ve
been doing. When she wrote The Country
Between Us about the horrors of the civil war
in El Salvador, nobody wanted to hear it. And
what is she doing anyway at the age of 26
going to El Salvador and coming back with
this news that contradicts our official government policy — the Central Intelligence
Agency involvement in supporting the Junta
that was supporting the death squads in El
Salvador? You know, nobody wanted to hear
it. It’s not our news. It’s not accepted as our
avenue of news, of communicating essential Singer: Right. So when people say we need
goings-on.
poets to save the world, that’s what we’re talkAn interesting story about Carolyn, when she ing about.

was teaching at San Diego State, I believe,
right after she’d won the Yale Younger Poets
prize and was translating a Nicaraguan poet
named Claribel Alegría, Claribel’s cousin, a
man name Leonel came to Carolyn in San
Diego and said, ‘You have to go to El Salvador.’ And she said, ‘Why me, I’m just a young
poet?’ And he said, ‘Because we need a poet
to tell the news.’ It hadn’t even happened yet,
it hadn’t really blown up yet, the civil war.
DeNiord graciously met with me to answer She says, ‘Send a journalist, I’m teaching,
some of the questions I had about poetry, why should I go?’ She respected this guy, and
education and culture. His book of essays
State and Main
and interviews with seven senior American
MEDIATION
poets Galway Kinnell, Donald Hall, MaxNeal Rodar
ine Kumin, Jack Gilbert, Ruth Stone, Lu94 Main St., Montpelier
802-223-0690 (O) / 802-999-5880 (C)
cille Clifton, Robert Bly titled Sad Friends,
[email protected]
Drowned Lovers, Stapled Songs, ConversaStateandMainMediation.com

deNiord: Exactly. Czelaw Milosz, the great
Polish poet and noble laureate, said the same
thing — ‘Poetry must help save nations and
people.’ If a poet doesn’t write with that ambition, of saving his or her country, then he or
she lacks a necessary ambition. That sounds
incredibly grandiose, but poets have to be
grandiose.
If you put all these things together, that fact

Continued on Page 7
The Law Office of Amy K. Butler,
Esquire, PLLC
Bankruptcy • Family Law
Estate Planning
64 Main St., Ste. 26, Montpelier
802-371-0077
[email protected]

w w w.montpelierbridge.com

PAG E 2 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 3

T H E B R I D G E

HEARD ON
THE STRE ET
Kids Roam Streets, Liven Up City

MONTPELIER — On week days, when school lets out, Montpelier High School students
roam the streets. So, what’s the problem? Nothing, according to Montpelier business owners. In fact, kids liven up the place. But that may only be part of the story.
“Montpelier kids are really nice,” said Claire Benedict, co-owner of Bear Pond Books on
Main Street. “They come into the store in a whole gang, and they are really nice.”
Others reported similar student visitations during free time in the afternoon. Those attending the Montpelier Business Association meeting April 6 said students have snacks at
Sarducci’s, play with the dogs at Quirky Pet and check out the new sporting goods at Onion
River Sports on Langdon Street.
However, that isn’t the whole picture, according to Ken Jones, member of the Montpelier
Public School Board of Commissioners. “The school board is concerned about the time between 3 and 6 p.m. I hear, strongly, it is not a problem for business. But we have substance
abuse issues, we have sexual misconduct issues during the hours between 3 and 6 p.m.,”
Jones said. He would like to hear ideas about providing more structured activities for youth
during that time. “We still want to provide our kids more activities,” he said.

WE WANT YOU!
Volunteer Opportunities
with The Bridge

* Write News Stories, Interviews
or Profiles
* Take Photos
* Edit/Proofread
* Mentor Young Writers
* Day-of-Publication Help
Interested?
Call Marichel at 223-5112 ext 12.
or email
[email protected]

Existing resources include school programs, Teen Basement, Kellogg-Hubbard Library
and the Monteplier Rec Department. Jones said he would like to have a central place for
parents to be able to see opportunities. Montpelier Public Schools supports Community
Connections, a member of the Afterschool Alliance. “Community Connections offers
quality afterschool opportunities for students and adults of all ages in Berlin, Calais, East
Montpelier, Middlesex, Montpelier and Worcester,” according to www.communityconnections.us. Jones emphasized that the central location should be a physical place because, “At
risk kids don’t always have internet.”

MayFest Coming To Town
MONTPELIER — Downtown business owners are revving up for Mayfest, the season’s
first townwide celebration to be held throughout the first week of May.
“It is my favorite day of the whole year in Montpelier. There is so much happening … it is
a lot of fun,” said Andrew Brewer, owner of Onion River Sports April 6.
Festivities include a Kiwanis Club all-you-can-eat breakfast, Art Walk, Green Up Day,
Three Penny Taproom’s Montbeerlier celebration, Independent Book Store Day at Bear
Pond Books, Montpelier Rotary Club’s Mud Season Charity Raffle and more.
In addition, the day will have outdoor yoga and the annual bike swap at Onion River Sports
on Langdon Street.

City Readies For Road Jobs
MONTPELIER — City officials are rolling out the paving plans and they want the public
to know about it. “They are doing the survey now,” said assistant city manager Jessie Baker
on April 6.
Road work this summer will include Terrace Street from Bailey to Dairy Lane, Bailey and
Sunnyside, Liberty, East State and Hubbard. Also work will be done on Taylor Street in
advance of site construction, which will include storm water treatment infrastructure and
sidewalks. This may involve closing the bridge.
Summer 2016 will be minor compared to 2017, when work on One Taylor Street will kick
into construction. This will include the bike path extension out to Gallison Hill, Main
Street from the Taylor Street Bridge to the City Line and reconstruction of the water and
sewer lines on Route 12 up to Berlin, Baker said.

Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:

Food & Farming
In circulation April 21 to May 4
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE RESERVATIONS
DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 15.
For more information about advertising deadlines, rates and the design
of your ad call 223-5112 ext. 11 or email our ad salesrepresentatives at
[email protected] or [email protected]

Nature Watch
by Nona Estrin

April Brings Morning Concert

T
Watercolor by Nona Estrin

he hardest of April weeks — in the
teens and snow! We grudgingly bundle up and kick ourselves outdoors.
Once out, the legs and blood start moving,
we warm and feel the day brighten around
us. Blue jays, still in a pre-mating flock, give
their tropical-sounding late morning concert
of flute-like unison calls, which I capture,
along with red-winged blackbirds and others, on cell phone video. I only wish I could
share it here!

Support The Bridge
Become a Community Contributor!
Name______________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State_____Zip__________
Email_________________________________
All community contributions, whatever
❑ $25 ❑ $50* ❑ $100 ❑ $150
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!

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 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

City Selling Recreation Building
MONTPELIER — The City of Montpelier is
trying to sell the Recreation Center building
located at 55 Barre Street. Money from the sale
could go towards a new, or rehabilitated facility
for activities and programs, according to Assistant
City Manager Jessie Baker during a Montpelier
Business Association meeting April 6. The existing building needs at least a half million dollars
worth of work, and is a liability for the city since
it is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building just came under the
city’s jurisdiction on Town Meeting Day, when
the city officially subsumed the Recreation Department from a stand alone entity.
Baker said she has shown the building to about six
people, but nothing has been finalized. Deadline
for sealed proposals will be 4 p.m. Friday, February 15. Then, on May 6, officials will notify
bidders in advance of the May 11 city council
meeting.
However, during the time after the building’s sale
and before a new building is ready, many activities — such as pickleball and basketball — will
be displaced. Most programs that rely on using the building could be migrated to another
location, Baker said. Additional changes may be in store for programs run by the city. Officials are working on streamlining existing recreational/educational/facilities services. “We are
trying to make sure we are not duplicating services,” Baker said. City-run programs include
the Montpelier Senior Activities Center, the Recreational Department, and, from a facilities
standpoint, the Cemetery Department. Programming, staffing and facility maintenance
could be streamlined.

story and photo by Carla Occaso
Baker said selling the building to a business could
“activate the parcel” and “put that building back
on the tax rolls.” Possible locations for a new facility include out on Elm Street where the ballfield
is (but that is a long distance from the center of
town), Sabin’s Pasture, or on Montpelier High
School property, it was said. In any case, final
plans won’t materialize for some time.
“This would be a long term community discussion. Now all we have on the street is an RFP
(request for proposal). If we sold it, we would sell
it as is and they would develop it. It is a historic
contributing structure, so they would maintain
the facade,” Baker said. “A lot of credit to staff and
council to be willing to think creatively.”

Full details about the building are online in a City
of Montpelier Request for Proposals Sale by City
of Real Property: “The Property can be generally
described as a .30 acre parcel in Montpelier’s vibrant downtown and improved with a one to two
story armory building that was built in 1932 and
containing approximately 8,422 square feet. The site is improved with two driveways and a
gravel parking area with capacity for 6 to 7 vehicles. The building is connected to municipal
water and sewer. Additionally, the property is located in Montpelier’s vibrant downtown
and would benefit from the strong business community and Montpelier Alive, the City’s
downtown organization. Currently the Property is used as the administrative offices of the
Montpelier Recreation Department and the associated gymnasium and storage,” according
to the RFP (request for proposal) on the municipal website, http://www.montpelier-vt.org/
DocumentCenter/View/3376.

Montessori Moving to ADA Accessible Location
story and photo by Jose Aguayo
MONTPELIER — The Montessori school of Central Vermont is moving this fall from its current location along Route 2 to a former Knights of Columbus building located at 84 Pine Hill Road in Barre. The
move will allow it to serve more children under one roof — students are currently housed in two separate
buildings. The new location will meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, making it unique among
independent institutions of its kind in Central Vermont.
Head of School, Kristen Martin, has 28 openings in the three to five-year-old class. There are currently a
total of 59 children at the school, including 16 elementary students. By the Fall of 2017, the school expects
to nearly double its three to six-year-olds, from the current 36 to 60, and toddlers from eight to 12 students.
“We are really excited about the space because it’s just under 10,000 square feet, and just under 10 acres
of land. It’s off the beaten path enough that it feels rural, yet it’s still really accessible to families traveling
in and around central vermont. Paved roads surround it, so it’s not rural in that we’re going to be dealing
with mud season as much,” says Martin.
From its humble 1999 beginnings as a one-room schoolhouse in Plainfield, through its 2005 expansion
to Montpelier’s Spring Street and subsequent consolidation at the Route 2 location in 2006, the focus has
always been on child-centered learning, emphasizing social responsibility, independence and respect, said
Martin.
According to Board of Directors Chair Julie Bond, most of the $1.8 million needed to buy and renovate
the old Knights of Columbus building, has been raised through a combination of loans, grants, cash and
gifts, although they still need to come up with more money. The building was purchased and a number of
bids are expected by a March 30th deadline — mainly for work involving windows, walls and baby toilets.
Starting in July, as long as a child is three by Sept. 1, a new law (Act 166) will require districts to offer
options for families who request public pre-k, including assistance to pay for 10 hours at qualified providers — the Montessori School of Central Vermont is one of them. While no money will be given directly
to families, $3,092 will be taken off the cost of tuition. Families will be responsible for the balance, to be
billed at market rates. Central Vermont Montessori School offers tuition assistance to those who qualify.

T H E B R I D G E

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 5

The Bridge Interviews Superintendent Brian Ricca
by Ivan Shadis and Nat Frothingham
The Bridge: You’ve recently returned from a conference of educators. What was that like?
Brian Ricca: It was great. It was an opportunity to connect with my colleagues who do
things differently, sometimes better. But for the most part I hear people are envious of the
way we’re doing things in Vermont.
The Bridge: Why are they envious?
Ricca: They’re interested in our flexible pathways and personalized learning plans — they
recognize that the industrial model of school isn’t working and they’re envious that Vermont
has legislation that not only validates that, but also encourages us to do it better.
The Bridge: What does ‘industrial model’ mean?
Ricca: The industrial model of education is where you come in at 7:30 a.m. and you leave at
3 p.m. That model doesn’t account for the remaining waking hours you could be learning.
In the industrial model the teacher is presumed to be the keeper of the content, and that’s
simply no longer true. It doesn’t encourage us to provide evidence that you learned except for
grades, which, depending on the teacher, could be based largely on performance and not on
what you learned.

Ricca: We need a community conversation about mental health. I haven’t done enough to advocate for that. The leadership team and I advocated very articulately that we needed another
social worker in next year’s budget, so we could have a social worker at each of our schools
and not share one between two schools. Your point is a valid one, I am privy to information
that the general public isn’t privy to, but there’s also information out there that calls on this
community to do better. There needs to be candor and honesty about the issue of mental
illness and about things that are affecting our young people. There are still stigmas about
mental health in 2016 despite all the research. I think it is incumbent upon us as leaders in
the community to say, “Depression is a real thing, and it really impacts people, and if a kid
is witnessing that and they’re worrying about it when they come to school, they’re not going
to learn as well as they possibly can.”
The Bridge: Can you tell us more about what’s going on in the buildings today?

Ricca: At the elementary school you would see direct instruction in literacy and remedial
instruction in literacy, direct instruction in math and remedial instruction in math. We did
not take on the universal pre-school last year, so we’re in the process of applying to have one
classroom of pre-school at Union Elementary School. We are prepared to financially support
anyone living in Montpelier who wants to take advantage of the voucher to attend a pre-qualThe Bridge: If we’re taking a different approach, what is it bringing students that it wouldn’t
ified preschool anywhere in the state of Vermont. We have no geographic boundaries on that.
otherwise have brought them if we used a traditional model?
Although our enrollment is rising, it is going to be leveling soon. Then each of our buildings
Ricca: It used to be you go to high school and you get a diploma, then you go to college and
will have around the same number of students — so we can comfortably serve them.
get a degree, then you get a job. That’s not the only way to find success in 2016. The chances
of a student graduating from Montpelier High School in 2016 and having only one career are The middle school will use a team approach — multi-age teams for seventh and eighth grade
pretty slim. K–12 needs to be a place where students gain a certain set of skills that transcend — but a traditional approach will be used for fifth and sixth grades. If you walked into the
traditional boundaries. Think about the jobs that are going to exist in 2030, half of which building you would see a variety of learning experiences for students. In particular, at the
haven’t even been created. We need to prepare a child to go out into the world and have a middle school the students go to the senior center and members of the senior center come to
certain skill set, to be able to get along and learn the expectations of that future job. Students the school for computer education.
need to be able to problem solve, they need to be able to work collaboratively, they need to be If you came to the high school you would see we’ve committed to recess and recommitted to
able to take apart an argument and write something thoughtful as a response to it, they need the teacher advisory program. We’ve expanded that over the last couple of years to try to give
to be able to push back in a healthy way.
students a safer place in which to share some of those worries I mentioned earlier.
The Bridge: When you say it’s diverse here, what do you mean?
You would see a facility staff that is recognizably changing the tenor of stewardship in this
Ricca: I’m talking about diversity in terms of the need for mental health services. Some of district from “Oh, those are the guys who clean up after us,” to seeing students in all of the
our students are very willing and able to talk about that and access those services. Some oth- buildings being more proactive about taking care of their space. You would see a support staff
ers, not so much. We have a lot of young people for whom this [winter] break, which is the that works tirelessly in terms of instructional support — working with students who are the
longest break that we have, is at the most unpredictable time of the year. Will there be heat? most vulnerable in terms of their learning goals — but also a support staff that does all of
Will they be abused in some way? Will they have a meal in any shape or form? Who will be the day-to-day business to ensure that we do our very best to sit with somebody for an hour
caring for them? That’s the diversity I see. Some kids are coming to school with a lot on their or two. And you’d see a school board that cares very deeply about good governance in a place
shoulders that impacts how they learn. I see more kids than I’m comfortable with who are where families are passionate about good education, a board that emphasizes process so that
the ends are met. This board is doing a really good job of recommitting itself to policy goverworried about things they shouldn’t be worried about at their age.
nance. It works with me on a regular basis to get data on what we say we are doing. From top
The Bridge: You are able to see these students in a way that many people can’t because we
to bottom you’d see some of the finest adults working to make sure the mission is achieved.
don’t have a space or a forum to collectively witness what’s going on. What responsibility do
you feel toward being an advocate and to whom do you advocate?

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
[email protected].
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 2016 by The Bridge

PAG E 6 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

A Message From City Hall
This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

Summer of 2016
by William Fraser, City Manager

O

ver a month has passed since the Annual City Meeting elections. I thank
everyone for participating. City records indicate that this was the largest
voter turnout in at least 30 years if not ever. Obviously the Presidential primary brought many people to the polls but it’s wonderful to have more voices heard
on local issues.
I offer congratulations to Mayor John Hollar and Council Members Dona Bate,
Jean Olson and Justin Turcotte on their re-election. Congratulations are also due to
School Board Members Michele Braun, Bridget Asay, Jim Murphy and Peter Sterling
on their elections.
I thank the voters of Montpelier for their strong support of the City’s budget. This is
the second consecutive year with 80% yes votes. Each year we struggle with finding
the balance between delivering service and presenting reasonable budgets for consideration. We are grateful for your support and will continue to strive to provide the
best possible services for you.

Charter Changes
Among the items approved on election day were two charter changes. One authorizes the City Council to enact a 1% local rooms, meals and alcohol tax to be used
for infrastructure and economic development. The other provides the City with the
authority to regulate the use of Berlin Pond as a protection for the municipal water
supply.
Both charter amendments have been forwarded to the legislature for consideration.
Committee hearings have not yet been held on either proposal. If approved by the
legislature and signed by the Governor, they would become effective as directed in
the legislation.

One Taylor Street
As many people have observed, work on this project slowed down over the winter as
the city sought additional funding. Receipt of an $850,000 grant from Community
Development Disaster Recovery funds brings our total of additional monies awarded
to $1.2 million dollars. We believe that this closes our funding gap and allows the
project to proceed.
People can expect to see work at the site in the fall for removing hazardous material
and repairing the retaining wall. Work on the remaining portions of the project will
begin in 2017.
The most immediate steps required are finalizing easements with two property owners and completing acquisition of the Montpelier Beverage property. Active negotiations are occurring on all three properties.

• Sunset – Full Street
• Crack Sealing, Wheel Rut Patching, and Infrared Patching (Routine Maintenance list to be developed)
• Pavement Markings Contract including bike lane stencils, sharrows, and crosswalks
Bridges
• Spring Street Bridge (approach slab replacement and deck rehab)
Traffic Improvements
• Main at Northfield Left Turn
Retaining Walls and Slope Stabilization
• East State Street
• R iver Street
• Marvin Street
Sidewalks and Bike Paths
• Bailey Avenue
• Clarendon Avenue
• Heaton Street
• Enhancement Grant
• Montpelier in Motion
• State Street Sidewalk
• Bike Path Resurfacing (Possible)
Storm Drains and Culverts
• Upper Bailey Avenue Storm Line
• Bailey Avenue Crossline
• North Street (Near Hillhead)
• Isabel Circle Drainage Structure
• Towne Street – (CSO)
• Hebert Road – Culvert Liner
Water/Sewer
• Gaylord Utility Reconstruction

Taylor Street

Information

In addition to the One Taylor Street (Transit Center, Bike Path, bridge, etc.) project, the City is developing an overhauled Taylor Street streetscape project. This will
include new sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and paving so that this community
gateway is enhanced at the same time that the One Taylor Street parcel is improved.

For those of you who want to stay abreast of information about city government,
there are several ways to do so:

Project Safecatch
Police Chief Anthony Facos recently announced an innovative partnership to address
opiate substance abuse in Montpelier. He has pulled together law enforcement, drug
treatment and drug prevention groups to work cooperatively to deal with addicts.
The effort is called Project Safecatch and, among other things, allows addicts to
bring drugs to the police station and seek help without being subject to arrest. Crimes
committed, such as theft or breaking & entering will still be addressed in the same
manner. Drug dealing will remain a top law enforcement priority.

2016 Summer Construction Projects
All dates are tentative subject to weather and contractor availability.
Paving
• Bailey Avenue – From Clarendon Ave to End (150’ past Sunnyside)
• Cedar Street – Full Street
• Clarendon Avenue – From Jordon to Dairy Lane
• Dairy Lane – From Terrace to Greenfield Terrace
• Heaton Avenue – From Liberty to Heaton Woods
• Gaylord Street – Full Street
• N College Street – Full Street
• Terrace Street – From Bailey Avenue to Dairy Lane
• Towne Street – Full Street
• Sunnyside – Full Street

• A ll meetings of Boards, Commissions, Committees and the like are open to the
public.
• This article in The Bridge is written by the Mayor or me and is published
monthly.
• The City’s website www.montpelier-vt.org includes news, updates, notices and
information about projects as well as agendas, minutes and other meeting documents. All documents which go to the City Council for meetings are posted
publicly. The website will be completely overhauled and upgraded this year with
the new platform to launch in 2016.
• A ll (or most) Council meetings and meetings of major boards and committees
are broadcast – and often rebroadcast – on local cable TV.
• A ll (or most) of the above meetings are both streamed and archived for viewing
on the city’s website.
• The City has a Facebook page “City of Montpelier, VT – official” which posts
updates and also links some updates from the website.
• The City has a Twitter account “@VTMontpelier” which also posts updates and
links from the website.
• The City often posts information on Front Porch Forum
• The Annual Report, distributed in February and posted online, provides an
overview of the city government’s year.
Finally, of course, please feel free to contact me or your elected officials with
questions or comments about the City Government. I can be reached at wfraser@
montpelier-vt.org or 802-223-9502. Other city officials’ email addresses and phone
numbers are available on the web.
Thank you for reading this article and for your interest in Montpelier city government.

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 7

T H E B R I D G E

An Interview with Vermont Poet Laureate, Chard deNiord
that teachers are afraid to teach poetry and find it too difficult,
that CORE curriculum is not stressing the arts enough, that
there’s an overemphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) instead of STEAM (with arts), the fact that
students now have a much more practical view towards their
education, viewing college almost as vocational schools instead
of an enlightening, educational liberal arts experience, all of
this is part of the present day zeitgeist of our education system.
Singer: Right. Part of the reason I wanted to talk to you is that
I have the same interest in trying to reintegrate poetry, or round
that out in whatever way we can.
deNiord: Yeah. It’s endemic. We’ve gone from 300 English
majors at Providence College, and this is not unique to us. We
have more English majors than Yale, but just under 100. So
what’s that doing to all the upper level courses that we used to
be able to teach with all our fantastic faculty? They can’t teach
them anymore, or as often.
Singer: What’s going to happen?
deNiord: It’s already happening. You’re getting a culture of students who don’t have a broad based education in the humanities
anymore. Who, unfortunately, can’t think as clearly and deeply
or write as effectively as they need to to succeed in any field
they end up going into. So what’s already happening is that an
increasingly cultural illiterate class of professionals, so-called
professionals, are entering and running the work force in this
country. And what does that lead to? Superficial thinking. If
you can’t think in nuances or understand the complexity of a
political, social or personal dilemma, weigh and consider all the
various possibilities, you’re going to act and think in draconian
and simplistic ways. We see it happening with Trump right
now. So it’s already happening.
Singer: I’ve read some interviews where you talked about the
importance of poetry itself. It’s something I never want to try
to articulate, but you did it really well. Can you say a little bit
about why it’s so important?
deNiord: Well, as I try to teach my students, it’s essential
language — in the broad sense. There are all these wonderful
definitions of poetry: ‘Poetry is the best words in the best order,’
and, ‘memorable speech’ as Auden said, and ‘the maximum
efficiency of language,’ but it’s also essential language. It’s
the language that defines us. Whether it’s a passage from the
Declaration of Independence, a biblical passage, the Gettysburg
Address, which is maybe one of the best prose poems ever written,

Continued from Page 1

or a wonderful poem like Nazim Hikmet’s “On Living,”
poetry is essential language. And if we lose that eloquence and
economy in our language, then we lose our humanity, because
enduring poetry expresses our most vital humanity.”
If we don’t, for instance, have passages like this from
“Gilgamesh” in our minds and hearts, we’re lacking a critical
definition of grief and its condition.
All that is left to one who grieves
Is convalescence.
No change of heart or spiritual
Conversion, for the heart has changed
And the soul has been converted
To a thing that sees
How much it costs to lose a friend it loved.
If we can’t say something like that in response to what happened at Brussels, then what? We’re just maybe one or two ticks
up from an animal.
Singer: So how do you see your Poet Laureate role?
deNiord: I view my role in an ambassadorial way. You can’t
force teachers to teach poetry and you can’t force students to
love poetry. But maybe you can teach poetry or present poetry,
whether it’s to a fifth grade class or to a group of senior citizens,
in a way that appeals to them because they recognize something
about themselves in poetry’s essential language. And so there
has to be something accessible there, so much depends on the
audience. As the Poet Laureate I feel I have to be especially
aware of my various audiences.
Poetry is diverse and wonderful enough that I can think of any
number of poems for each group that I’m addressing. And my
hope is, ‘Oh! That poem speaks powerfully to me, those lines
from Gilgamesh, that knock me over. Maybe there’s another
poem I could go to…’ It’s really just about starting a fire, a
poetry fire. I’m resigned to the fact that you can’t do that for
everybody, but for maybe just a few people in each group that
I address, so that’s my ambassadorial role as I see it. To write
these clear, accessible articles in the paper every month, to visit
as often as I can various groups around the state without exhausting myself, and listening. That’s really at the top of my list,
listening. Because you can’t talk to somebody first, about poetry
especially, without listening to them first.
Chard deNiord’s column for the Valley News can be
found at www.vnews.com. You can also visit his website at
www.charddeniord.com.

Anthem
I lay in my hammock all morning
rereading my favorite book, the one
about the foolish knight in love
with the damsel who didn't exist.
I laughed like the crows in the pines
at the notion of emptying my mind
of anything. I watched the light change
the leaves to oracles, and when
the darkness fell, I put down my book
and hummed to the thrush. Closed
my eyes to layer the darkness with another
darkness of my own making. Listened
to the anthem of an ant who sang as she crawled
across the Earth toward the one
small door in the dirt that opens
to the knock of silence onto everything.
Chard deNiord

City Tackles Butt Problems
by Jessica Neary
MONTPELIER — Lynn Perkins Syz is not a littering fan. At a
March 2 meeting of the Montpelier Design Review Committee,
Syz outlined a proposal to install six new cigarette receptacles at
identified "hotspots" for cigarette butt littering.
The receptacles, based on a London, England Neat Streets Project,
will be made by Portland, Maine manufacturer Michael Roylos at
a cost of $89.00 apiece.
Five of the pilot receptacles will be financed by Central Vermont
New Directions and a grant from Montpelier's "Trash Tramps"
— a group of volunteers who monitor cigarette butt disposal and
lack thereof, as well as other littering issues. The sixth receptacle,
according to Syz, will be jointly financed by the Montpelier Senior
Activities Center and Central Vermont Solid Waste Disposal.
A lively discussion surrounded Syz's project, including concerns
about color, attachment to lightposts vs.existing street signs, and
whether the receptacles would encouragesmoking, a widespread
concern among design review committee members, especially Eric
Gilbertson and Theodore Feder. The concern about promoting
smoking was addressed by Syz, who said a toll-free number for
802-QUITS would be prominently displayed on the metal boxes.

Committee Chairman Stephen Everett started a lively dialogue
about the aesthetics of the boxes, especially their color, how
prominently the words "Toss Your Butts Here" would show up,
and whether pictures of cigarette butts would be large enough for
people to see. Syz said the color of the boxes would correspond to a
signature color for Monpelier Alive, a teal, blue-green color. Everett
suggested a color more green than blue would stand out against the
blue-red color of Montpelier's brick building facades.
Everett thought a deep, deep color contrasted with very lightcolored lettering would be best. Syz countered that manufacturer
Roylos has not had a problem with people identifying boxes and
their purpose.
Montpelier's Trash Tramps pledged to empty, weigh and recycle
used butts on a weekly basis, sending them to a company that
would transform butts into park benches.
All members agreed that the new containers, with their attractive
teal and red-brown coloring and design, would be vastly superior to
existing black plastic receptacles, which have been documented by
Syz and the Trash Tramps as prone to falling over/falling apart and
even bursting into flames.

PAG E 8 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

Meet Tom Moore of ‘T&T Truck for Hire’
by Nat Frothingham
MONTPELIER — Some people are hard to
spot even when you’re looking right at them.
They just melt into a crowd. Others, you just
can’t miss seeing them. It seems like they’re
everywhere.

for all-purpose hauling, moving, trips to the
dump, practically any task that required a man,
a truck and a job to be done.

Tom Moore who runs T&T Truck for Hire
in Montpelier is one of those fellows you keep
seeing everywhere.

“I have one customer,” Moore said, “who calls
me twice a month to take two boxes to her
storage unit.” It’s not a big deal. “She just wants
company,” Moore said.

With his lean, rugged good looks and friendly
manner, Moore is the owner, driver, lifter,
hauler and sole proprietor of T&T Truck for
Hire in Montpelier.
If you think you’ve seen him over and over
again that may have something to do with his
easily spotted half-ton, Chevy pick-up truck
with an eight-foot box painted fire-engine red.

“I’ve even done grocery shopping for people,
believe it or not,” he said.

Moore once helped a man who was moving
from Montpelier to Hartford, Connecticut.
“When we got there, the elevator didn’t work.
We had to carry the stuff up five stories. That
was a tough one.”
Another time Moore helped a young lady
move from Montpelier to Burlington. But she
couldn’t leave Montpelier until after nine in
the evening. That was OK. But when she and
Moore got to the new apartment, her new
roommate needed help moving from her old
apartment into the new apartment. It was late
but Moore obliged.

Moore is a Vermont native who was born, grew
up and went to school in Rutland and who also
worked in Rutland as a young adult. But in
1992 when Vermont was going through one of
its periodic mini-recessions, Moore heard about
a job doing diesel repair up in central Vermont
for a Caterpillar dealer out on Northfield Street Tom Moore. Photo by Michael Jermyn.
“She asked me if my rate was higher for the late
in Berlin. Moore’s been up here ever since with
night move and I said, “No, my rate’s the same,
stints of doing a range of things including turning wrenches and selling cars.
night or day.”
For 18 years he was on the Montpelier Fire Department’s call force. “I loved the department,” Moore has even moved animals. “One woman moved out with three cats,” he said. “They were
Moore said. “I always wanted to be a fireman since when I was a little boy. It’s exciting — the all in cat carriers. It was summer. We buckled them into the back and carefully tied them down.”
trucks, you know. The danger in it, I guess. A little excitement.”
“I’ll be 54 in July,” said Moore as he looked back on two years of running T&T Truck for Hire.
Up until recently in both sales and repair work, Moore has worked for a succession of bosses.
About selling cars, he said, “I did that for a long time. Things got tough at the end because All-told, he's happy and more relaxed about what he’s doing now. “I enjoy working for myself.
increasingly people did their shopping for cars on the Internet. The personal touch was largely It’s so much less stress. I can sleep at night.”
gone. But before the business changed, Moore was good at selling cars and got the sales bonuses The money side of things is on the upswing. “I did $12,000 more this year than I did my first
and the repeat customers. If there was a secret to his success at selling cars, it was a secret that’s year,” he said. “I have a part-time employee who’s on salary. He’s a regular employee on salary
almost not a secret — working to please his customers.
with workmen’s comp and social security. I’ve got an accountant to take care of all my numbers.
If pleasing his customers was the “up side” of car sales, the “down” side, as Moore described it Plus I’ll be getting a new truck this spring,” he said.
was, “Sometimes when you’re working for a boss, there are quotas and pressures, like pressures During the summer, when Moore is not working, he enjoys riding his motor cycle with friends.
to sell perhaps. It’s kind of like, ‘Get’em in, get’em out, get them to sign a sales contract.”
He owns a Harley and is part of the Central Vermont Harley Owners Group. “We go to Maine,
Eventually the pressures got old. “That’s not the way I am,” Moore said. “If it takes two weeks New Hampshire, of course all over Vermont, Massachusetts sometimes. These are family guys
(for a customer) to decide on something — fine. These people when they’re happy, they’ll come and gals going out and enjoying their bikes camping in state parks, putting on a couple of hundred miles a ride on a weekend,” he said.
back — again and again.”
Three or four years ago, Moore quit selling and went out on his own and opened a small thrift
store called “T&T Repeats” in a ground-floor retail location at 116 Main Street in Montpelier.
He filled the store with second-hand stuff: furniture, cookware and the like. Moore would go to
garage sales looking for items that would sell.
At the same time he bought a pick-up truck for the store and advertised it as “a truck for hire”

Nothing about Moore’s truck-for-hire working life gives him greater pleasure than knowing that
he’s providing a service that people like and appreciate.
“I get around,” said Moore. “I bump into people at Shaw’s who say, ‘Hi Tom, how are you
doing?’ You acknowledge them. I’m doing something that people like and appreciate. So they
say, ‘Hello.’ It makes me feel good.”
To get in touch with Tom Moore at T&T Truck for Hire, phone 224-1360.

RecyclE This Paper!

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 9

T H E B R I D G E

Community-Based Learning: A View of a Student’s
Involvement with Corporations
by Nathan Grutchfield

MONTPELIER — One of the students Montpelier High School Principal Michael McRaith refers to as an
example of rich student experience is Maggie Nowlan, a senior, who throughout high school has developed
an interest in socially responsible businesses.
Through a community-based learning program, Nowlan was a corporate intern at the headquarters for the
Cabot Creamery, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative business that is run directly by the farmers who produce
the milk that is used in the dairy products. These farmers are empowered in the decision-making that affects
the future of the business, and receive earnings directly correlating to the amount of milk they produce for
the company.
Following this experience, Nowlan worked in the Social Mission Department at the Ben & Jerry’s world
headquarters in South Burlington. The Social Mission Department is responsible for promoting the company’s social mission, which includes making the world a better place in innovative ways due to recognition
of the central, influential role that the corporation exists in society in terms of helping to improve the quality
of life for those around it.
Both Cabot Creamery and Ben & Jerry’s are B Corporations, a certification of their high social, economic
and environmental standards. Nowlan took it upon herself to educate her peers about these corporations,
which encompassed all her interests regarding the movement to use businesses as a way to promote social,
economic and environmental good. She conducted a series of seminars about these companies to schools
around Vermont, and even negotiated a sponsorship with Ben & Jerry’s to provide her 250 mini cups of ice
cream to give to students along the way.
Nowlan, in the final semester of her senior year, is still leading seminars about B Corporations. So far she has
presented to an astounding 350 students at 17 different schools. She has received a great amount of financial
support and guidance from the community-based learning program, particularly her advisor Matt McLane,
as well as from her teachers, who allow her to miss occasional classes for her seminars.

Maggie Nowlan. Photo by Daryl Burtnett

Two Weeks, Eight Schools: Students Invited to Vermont to
Discover the Future of Food

T

his summer, students are invited to immerse themselves in food systems programming at eight Vermont higher education colleges and universities with the Vermont
Food Systems Summer Study Tour. An initiative of the Vermont Food Systems
Higher Education Consortium, the Summer Study Tour offers a “taste of Vermont” — for
the intellect.
From June 16–29, students will delve into topics including carbon, sustainability, the ecosystem, farm-to-institution, climate change, conservation, biodiversity and policy. The Tour
winds its way from the classrooms to the field at Green Mountain College, Middlebury College, New England Culinary Institute, SIT Graduate Institute, Sterling College, University
of Vermont, Vermont Law School and Vermont Technical College.
From food justice to safety and labeling, the nation is poised to transform the way in which
it sources, grows, processes, purchases and contemplates food. The Vermont Food Systems
Summer Study Tour is the only program in the country where students take to the road for
two weeks, moving through eight schools, earning transferable undergraduate or graduate
credit or auditing the class. Vermont schools have graduated one-of-a-kind thinkers, advocates, farmers, retailers and restaurateurs who are leading the charge in how the nation thinks
about food.
“Higher education, entrepreneurial vision and agricultural heritage define Vermont as a
center for food systems innovation,” noted project facilitator Paul Costello of the Vermont
Council on Rural Development. “A creative new generation of networked leaders is emerging
through the practical application of a Vermont farm and food education. Vermont schools are
offering a unique panoply of experiences and working together to make the state an epicenter
of food education for the nation.”
Additionally, Vermont food and farm education strengthens Vermont’s food system, motivates food-based startups, and increases communication among Vermont’s food businesses,
all of which connect to Vermont’s dynamic Farm to Plate food system plan.
Summer Study Tour enrollment is underway. For more information about the Vermont
Food Systems Summer Study Tour or to enroll, see VermontFoodEducation.org or contact
Rachel Arsenault ([email protected], 728-1677). The consortium is facilitated by the
Vermont Council on Rural Development.

Agronomy instructor Sosten Longu teaches Summer Study Tour students
about the carbon cycle in the Vermont Tech greenhouse.

Got a news tip? We want to know!
Send it to us at:
[email protected]

PAG E 10 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

What Exactly is Multiple Sclerosis and Why Should We
Care About It?

I

by Marichel Vaught

magine waking up in the morning, ready to prepare for
the day ahead, when you notice that swinging your legs
off the bed seemed to need a little more effort. And when
you finally stand on your feet, you immediately topple over as
if your legs are no longer there. Or, imagine going about your
daily routine when you suddenly notice numbness in one of
your legs that isn’t going away and it makes you start walking
with a slight limp. These are among the countless symptoms
that lead people to seek out medical attention that eventually
leads to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
What exactly is multiple sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis, or MS,
is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system —
brain, spinal cord and optic nerves — causing disruption between the brain and the body. Covering the nerve fibers of our
central nervous system for protection are fatty materials called
myelin. When the immune system attacks this myelin sheath,
the protective layer around the nerves is damaged leaving the
nerves vulnerable and unable to correctly send signals to parts
of the body that allow mobility and sensory feeling. The damage can cause impairment to muscle control, balance, vision or
speech, depending on the nerves attacked.
There is no single known cause and as of yet, no cure. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, multiple sclerosis
is thought to affect 2.3 million people worldwide. There is no
centralized reporting system, so no accurate number of people
living with multiple sclerosis is available. Some factors increase
the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, such as age, race, gender, genetics, viral infections and environment. It is more common in Caucasians than any other race, is mostly developed
between the ages of 20 and 40 and women are two times more
likely to have it than men. MS could stem from an infection
such as Epstein-Barr or other autoimmune diseases such as
diabetes. The number of cases is higher in areas of temperate
climate, such as the northern United States. In fact, rates of
MS are higher in areas farther from the equator. In Vermont,
there are thought to be 1,400 people with multiple sclerosis, according to the Greater New England Chapter of the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society.

There are four types of multiple sclerosis — relapsing-remitting, secondary-progressive, primary-progressive and progressive-relapsing. About 85 percent of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting
multiple sclerosis, making it the most common form. Patients
with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis have symptoms that
come and go. They experience the symptoms for a period of
time that is followed by a period of recovery and no symptoms
at all. It is typical that relapsing-remitting patients transition
into secondary progressive after 10–15 years. In secondaryprogressive multiple sclerosis, the symptoms worsen over time
and the recovery or symptom-free periods lessen. Ten percent
of patients are diagnosed with primary-progressive multiple
sclerosis. In primary-progressive multiple sclerosis, the symptoms worsen and there is essentially no recovery or symptomfree period. Progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis is the least
common diagnosis. In progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis,
patients have worsening symptoms followed by a period of
relapse, but unlike relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, the
patient is unable to regain function after the relapse.
More and more medications, injection and oral, are becoming
available to help slow progression and therefore may only be
effective on patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Holistic healing, such as naturopathy and acupuncture, has
also become more prevalent with multiple sclerosis patients.
One important thing to note is that multiple sclerosis manifests
itself differently in every BODY. One person with multiple
sclerosis may need to rely on the use of a wheelchair. Another
person with multiple sclerosis may have a slight limp from time
to time. And yet, another can have full mobility but be legally
blind. For some people it is visually evident that they have it because of their use of a mobility aid or abnormality in their gait.
For some others, no one would ever guess they had a disability.
Currently, the Greater New England NMSS is one of 15
disability-support organizations promoting two bills in the
Vermont legislature, H.238 and S.176. Both bills seek income
tax credits for home modifications required by a disability or

Zimbabwean Woman Visits The Bridge
MONTPELIER — Loyce Maturu of Zimbabwe, Africa, visited The
Bridge recently as part of her U.S. media tour to promote awareness
of an ongoing global fight against HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and
malaria. She personally suffered from two of the three illnesses that
took family members’ lives when she was young, which caused her to
think she would die as well.
“I lost my mother and my younger brother to AIDS and tuberculosis
when I was 10 years old. I cried for so many times and I thought I
was going to die, but here I am today,” Maturu told The Bridge. “I am
here in the United States with support from RESULTS just to create
awareness on how important it is for the U.S. community to understand and to put a face on issues around tuberculosis.” Tuberculosis
is important to put in the spotlight because the disease is preventable
and curable, but it is still a leading killer in some parts of the world
— such as Zimbabwe.
Maturu was treated and cured of tuberculosis through funds coming

physical hardship. The bill was introduced in the previous legislative year and is now in the Senate. However, no movement
is expected on them this year. Sponsors of the bills are Sen.
Anthony Pollina, P/D-Washington; Sen. Michael Sirotkin,
D-Chittenden; Rep. Robert Krebs, D-Grand Isle; Rep. Patsy
French, D-Orange-Washington-Addison and Rep. William
Frank, D-Chittenden.
Multiple sclerosis can strike practically anyone in any time of
their lives. There are hundreds of research projects happening worldwide to learn more about this debilitating disease
and how to cure it. Each year, several fundraiser walks are
scheduled throughout the country in order to raise money for
research funding and building support programs. These walks
also give the opportunity for those affected by multiple sclerosis
— whether they have it themselves or know someone else who
does — to come together and raise awareness.
Walk MS 2016 is scheduled for Montpelier on May 14. The
walk will begin at Montpelier High School at 9 a.m. Participants can choose between the 3.3 or 5 mile routes. Each participant is also asked to help raise funds of at least $25. People can
walk as an individual or as a team. As a frequent participant, I
noticed that the number of people walking for Montpelier has
been dwindling each year. In an email from Wesley Snyder,
NMSS event manager, the walk had its largest registration in
2012 with 133 walkers. From that year, attendance has slipped
to 100, 96 and as low as 88 just last year. The reason for the
decline is unknown.
The Bridge is proud to be a media sponsor of Walk MS 2016 in
Montpelier. If you are interested in participating in the walk or
making a donation, visit walkms.org and 05602 in the “Find
a Walk” section. People are also welcome to join The Bridge’s
own walking team, The Bridge Beat. Register for that particular team at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/bridgebeat.
In the next issue of The Bridge, learn more about treatment
for multiple sclerosis and meet Julie Sancibrian, a central
Vermonter who has been living with multiple sclerosis for
20 years.

by Carla Occaso

from the Global Fund — an organization that raises and spends billions of dollars on fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Tuberculosis is closely associated with poverty and is often passed on through
the coughing and sneezing of those living too closely in overcrowded
conditions, according to information on www.theglobalfund.org.
People who contract tuberculosis are most often impoverished, malnourished women and children. Therefore, it often goes untreated
and spreads due to fear of stigmatization and lack of education.
Maturu is hoping to help The Global Fund fight back and spread
the word in the United States, including from The Bridge located
right here in Montpelier. Maturu said she wants other children
living with HIV and AIDS to see they can “become confident just
like me and to realize that they can achieve their goals and dreams
for the future.”
A short video produced by The Bridge featuring Loyce Maturu
can be viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/KMVcUXJrY8A.

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 11

T H E B R I D G E

Granite City Groove

Virtual Reality Studio Blazes New Trail
by Joshua Jerome

N

the experience could be if this technology could be used
in our educational institutions when teaching students
about the Battle of Gettysburg or exploring the Grand
Canyon.

estled in Barre’s co-working space, The Office Block at 248 N. Main St., resides another
young Barre business, Immersive Technology
Studios; a virtual reality company working towards
“bridging the gap between the real and digital world.”
Owned by Andrew Glover, Immersive Technology
Studios utilizes new spherical imaging processes and
software to take images of physical spaces and convert
them into interactive experiences that can be applied
across different platforms. And if you don’t know what
that means you are not alone.

The new technology has only become available for use
in the consumer marketplace within the last year while
developers have had it almost four. This technology
provides a 360-degree experience of a physical location through a digital platform that is being utilized
by businesses, museums and real estate companies.
However, the newest project at Immersive Technology
Studios is aimed at bringing the experience of climbing Vermont’s highest mountainous peaks right into your living room or wherever you have
good service for your smartphone.
The project is called Vermont Peaks and Glover just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help
fund it. The goal is to produce a virtual reality experience that will allow individuals to view
the Vermont landscape of the “five tallest peaks in five minutes.” Because of conditions on
the trails this time of year, the project cannot commence until June 1, when Glover and his
team can begin accessing the trails safely as they will need to transport equipment to the top
of all five peaks. Weather is an unknown factor also as it can be beautiful at the base, but
fogged in at the top. The project is scheduled to take a few months with the rollout of the
final product in early fall.

Individuals who go on to the Kickstarter campaign can
see the various levels of support that are available and for
only $25, a backer of the project will receive a custom
manufactured virtual reality headset. Once the project
is completed, Glover and his team will utilize software
to create the virtual reality experience. Once completed,
backers will receive a link where they will need to use
their smartphone that fits snugly into their VR headset
in order to propel themselves onto Vermont’s five tallest
peaks.
Of course, this technology is not meant to replace the
actual experience of being on top of a mountain, but
it provides access to those who can’t and that’s really
important to Glover. I said that sometimes when my
two children are testing my patience, it would be really
nice to be able to virtually transport myself to my happy place. Glover, a father of two young
children himself looked at me with excitement and said, “where do you want to go.” And there
we were, two young fathers in downtown Barre sharing our experiences and talking about where
we wanted to virtually transport ourselves with this new technology. Amazing. To find out more,
and try out a demo of this technology you can go to: www.vermontpeaks.com.

As I spoke with Glover about Vermont Peaks I could see he was passionate about utilizing this
new technology. He explained to me that he’s always looking for new ways to help his clients
connect with their customers. However, Vermont Peaks is a project that helps deliver the experience of being on top of Vermont that many of us take for granted. The ability to virtually transport yourself to and from anywhere in the world has many applications across several industries,
but Glover believes that it can best be utilized in education. He described to me how amazing

Tell them you
saw it in
The Bridge!

PAG E 12 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

27 State Street

15 Barre Street

11 Main Street

Yvonne’s
Riverside
Salon

37 Elm Street

24 State Street

A Poem about Poems
I cannot poem because I can’t
rhyme
If I tried it would take me a really
long time
I would sit there thinking of
something to do
Like draw or sing or tighten my
shoe.
But no, I should write I should
continue on thinking
Of a poem or a story that involves quick sinking
I got it! A plan, a story of a man
who goes to the store and buys
himself a pan.
Asher, Age 14
River Rock School, Montpelier

75
Main
Street

Poems are on display at these Mo
during the month of April in c

PoemCity
It’s April
and the city wears
her heart
on her long glass sleeve.

136 State Street

All other months
she folds
her secrets in.
It’s April and the
invisible
is speaking.

1
School
Street

Sara Norton
Marshfield

Northern Love
I see drivers
texting — speeding — tailgating
rocking expired inspection
stickers —
sleeping headlights ...
popo follow me
home.
Reuben Jackson
Winooski

108 Main Street

For more details on each event and a listing of all loca
The best
place in
town to
read, write
and drink
poetry.

89 Main Street

40 State Street
22 State Street

41 State Street

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 13

T H E B R I D G E

279 Elm Street
27 Langdon Street

89 Main Street

ontpelier businesses and locations
celebration of PoemCity 2016.

State and Main
Most of the time, I wait with the
others
making sure my toes are back
from the curb,
wondering if someone pushed
the button,
scanning faces for familiarity,
keeping a wide stance,
bracing myself.
This time
will I be honest?
Not today. I need to be someplace…
I think.
Sometimes
the stars are aligned
and it happens
that I step in time
with the chirping
leaving them all behind
as I make my way
cutting corners
going someplace,
Honestly,
going someplace.
Bernard Robert
Calais

30 State Street

5 State Street

The Drawing Board

22 Main Street

Untitled
In the dark
Ally is so dark
You can’t see a thing, that’s
how dark.
But…
Cats can see in the dark
And flashlights.

9 Langdon Street

Carson Deforge
East Montpelier Elementary
School, Grade 1

27 State Street

ations where poems are displayed, visit poem-city.org
Lucid Path Wellness
97 State Street

7 Main Street

44 Main Street
2nd Floor

135 Main Street

PAG E 14 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

Opening the 2016 Lost Nation Theater Season:
The Broadway Hit Musical ‘Hairspray’

by Nat Frothingham

A

s Lost Nation Theater opens its 28th
season, the Montpelier-based professional theater company will be presenting “Hairspray”, a Tony-award-winning
(Best Musical, Best Score) dance and music
smash hit that ran successfully on Broadway
for five or six years.

taken on in directing “Hairspray,” a show Burlington-based singer, dancer, actress and
that will run (Thursdays through Sundays) choreographer.
from April 21 through May 8.
So there was Noelle’s essentially saying to
In an interview with The Bridge she talked Lost Nation, “You gotta do this show.”
about the size of the task she has taken on.
Then said Keenan, “It was the fact that the

“As someone said,” Keenan began, (directing
a show like this) is “a little bit crazy.” But
Lost Nation’s Kathleen Keenan is directing she has good reasons to explain why she’s
“Hairspray” which she calls “a marathon of doing it.
singing and dancing” (the show has 25 individual music and dance numbers) and has a Said Keenan, “We wouldn’t have thought
of doing this show on our own.” But “Haircast of 27 song and dance performers.
spray” was enthusiastically recommended to
Keenan is totally aware of the challenge she’s Lost Nation Theater by Taryn Noelle, the

of their looks, their race, their gender, their
ethnicity. Because many of us crave peer acceptance, we don't always have the strength
to resist peer pressure. And peer pressure can
victimize people who are different, because
they speak a different language, or follow a
show would be something different. And the different faith, or come from another country
fact that theater-goers have been asking for or culture — or don't conform to a peermore musicals — that “iced it.”
approved stereotype.
“We knew we wanted to shake up the com- “We’re going out of our way to maximize the
munity,” Keenan said about “Hairspray.” “It’s community building aspect of this produca piece about tolerance. And it’s a piece about tion,” Keenan said, noting that the Peace &
aspiration.”
Justice Center in Burlington and Vermont
The musical’s storyline is quite affecting. It’s Works for Women will be leading pre- and
about a lovable teenage girl who — yes, is post-show discussions.
overweight — but that doesn’t stop her from “Raise awareness. Bring people together.” In
wanting to follow her dream. And her dream addition to production itself, this is what Lost
is to dance. Not just to dance — but to dance Nation hopes to achieve.
on the popular “Corny Collins TV Show.”
We had over 60 kids auditioning for “HairThe “Corny Collins Show” is the fictional spray” in late November,” said Keenan about
name for an actual TV program, the “Buddy the excitement the production is generating,
Deane Show” out of Baltimore, an extremely and Kim Bent said that the largest part
popular dance show for teens during the of production challenge is getting enough
1950s. Kids would run home after school to time to rehearse the acting and the dancing.
watch the “Buddy Deane Show”. When an “Carving out that time,” he said. “Getting
attempt was made to integrate the “Buddy people to help us backstage.”
Deane Show” in 1954, there were real probBut despite the way Lost Nation is being
lems.
stretched, Keenan said, “It’s huge, exciting,
Without giving away the storyline — what daunting, exhilarating — definitely an exhappens in “Hairspray” has a different and a hilarating project.”
far more hopeful ending.
For further information Lost Nation shows
At the core of the show are issues of discrimi- and tickets please phone 229-0492 or go onnation — of what happens to people because line to www.lostnationatheater.org.

Lost Nation Theater — 2016 Season
April 21 – May 8
Mainstage
Hairspray — based on a 1988 film by
John Waters. Music by Marc Sherman.
You can’t stop the beat in the big and
bold musical about one girls inspiring
dream to dance
May 10 only
Special Event
Show Boat — a pop-up comedy club by
Maggie Lenz. LNT’s On Dark Nights
presents COMEDY hosted by Maggie
Lenz, headliner Dan Boulger of Boston
June 2 – 19
Mainstage
Red by Jon Logan
2010 TONY Winner “Best Play”

August 12 — 14
Theater for Kids by Kids
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Richard
and Robert Sherman. Based on a film
inspired by Ian Fleming’s novel.
September 15 – 25
Mainstage
The Syringa Tree by A.R. Gurney
OBIE Award Winner “Best Play”
October 6 – 23
Mainstage
Sylvia by A.R. Gurney
Gurney’s mad comedy is the most
endearing good time to trot down the
pike in many a moon.

October 29 only
Special Event
June 24 only
The Poe Spooktacular
Theater for Kids by Kids
by Lost Nation Theater
Fractured Fables by Aesop
Got the boos? LNT’s Halloween Party
Ensemble storytelling by ages 9 and up. featuring the best of Poe, costume
contest, great prizes, decadent desserts,
July 7 – 24
great dance party at Montpelier City
Mainstage
Hall Arts Center
Leonard Cohen: Bird on the Wire
Conceived by Stefan Rudnicki
November 30 to December 1
“He’s got your young idealism. He’s
Special Event
got You when You can’t face the world. It’s a Wonderful Life –
He’s got You at all stages.” — Bono
A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry
City Hall Arts Center is transformed
July 29 – 30
into a 1940s broadcast studio as five
Theater for Kids by Kids
versatile actors and ONE busy sounds
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
effects wizard bring Frank Capra’s clasThe classic story adapted by Kim
sic
to life in front of a live studio audiBent, directed by Kathleen Keenan.
ence
(that’s you!).
Performed by serious and experienced
young actors

T H E B R I D G E

Events happening
April 7 – April 23
THURSDAY, APRIL 7

Colby Military Writers’ Symposium. April 6–7.
Two-day event includes author presentations, book
signing, undergraduate original research presentation, Meet the Authors reception and dinner
(ticket required), and a moderated panel discussion
on the topic “Going to War: The Cost to Families,
Communities, and Nation.” Wed., 8 a.m.–3 p.m.;
Thurs., 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Norwich University, 158
Harmon Dr., Northfield. Panel discussion is free;
Meet the Author dinner $50. 485-2811. llord@
norwich.edu. Colby.norwich.edu
PoemCity: Kids' Card Catalog Poetry & Collage.
Create poems out of cards from the library's old
card catalog. 3–5 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org
LGBTQ Book Discussion: “The Miseducation of
Cameron Post.” LGBTQ series in partnership
with the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Books
are available at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 6:30
p.m. Unitarian Church, Fireplace Room, 130
Main St., Montpelier
Diabetes Support Group. First Thurs., 7–8 p.m.
Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical
Center. 371-4152.
PoemCity: Reading with Janet Sylvester & F.
Brett Cox. Enjoy an evening of poetry with two
local poets and professors. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.
org

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

Gentle Tai Chi 8-Week Class Begins. 11 a.m.
Free. Waterbury Public Library. For more information and to enroll, email [email protected]
or call 343-2219.
Italian Traditional Village Dance. Variety of traditional Italian village dances from many regions
of Italy — dances still being done today in small
mountain villages. Couple, set, line and group
dances. Easy enough for beginners and yet challenging for intermediate and advanced dancers.
No partners or previous experience necessary. 6:45
p.m.–9:15 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free; donations for church accepted.
229-1490.
PoemCity: Poetry of Art & Memoir with George
Longenecker. Longenecker will look at issues of
race and racism in ekphrastic poetry, the poetry of
art. He’ll read works by former U.S. Poet Laureate
Natasha Trethewey and Nobel Laureate Derek
Walcott as well as his own poems of art and memoir. Reception and refreshments to follow. 7 p.m.
T.W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. poem-city.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

Berlin Pond. A great location for migrating song
birds, waterfowl, loons, herons and more. 7–9:30
a.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St.,
Montpelier. $10 members; $15 non-members. Call
us to register and learn about carpooling options:
229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org
LEAP Energy Fair. Tour more than 70 exhibits and
talk with experts about solar power, weatherization, heat pumps, energy audits, biomass, pellet
stoves, electric vehicles and more. Marko the Magician, ice cream, electronics recycling, children’s
activities, local food and refreshments. 9 a.m.–3
p.m. Crossett Brook Middle School, Duxbury.
Free. waterburyleap.org
Worcester Clothing Swap. Get some “new-toyou” clothing and accessories. 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Worcester Town Hall, Rt. 12, Worcester. $1 per
bag (bring our own bag). Benefits the Worcester
Food Shelf. Drop off your gently used clothing/accessories April 7–8, noon–5 p.m. 552-7494.

Calendar of Events

Road Show’s John Nye. join us in honoring two
local leaders Shap Smith and Ginny Neel. Benefits
Helen Day Art Center for the continuation of
art education programs and free admission to its
exhibits. 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Lodge, 7412
Mountain Rd., Stowe. $125. 253-8358. helenday.
com

Contra Dance with Montpelier Contra Exchange. Music by Pete's Posse, calling by Will
Mentor, 8–11:30 p.m. Cajun dancing, 10:45–11:30
p.m. Cajun workshop at the break. Capital City
Grange, Berlin. $6–12 sliding scale. [email protected]. contraexchange.org.facebook.
com/contraexchange

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

First Annual Pirate Scavenger Hunt. Get maps
and pirate gear at Three Mountain Cafe before
heading on an adventurous romp around the Mad
River Green Shops. Complete activities, solve
riddles, create arts and crafts suited for young
buccaneers and collect loot, all for a chance to win
big pirate prizes. Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate,
10–11:30 a.m. at Peanut & Mouse and noon
at Three Mountain Café. Pirate and Mermaid
Costume, face painting. For ages 3–12. Mad
River Green Shops, Rt. 100, Waitsfield. 496-5470.
[email protected]
PoemCity: PoetryPlus+ Music & Readings with
Danny Dover, Dorothy Robson & Aaron Marcus.
Dover performs his poetry with musical accompaniment by accomplished pianist Dorothy Robson
and Aaron Marcus. 2 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org

MONDAY, APRIL 11

Norwich Writers Series: Kerrin McCadden. McCadden is the author of “Landscape with Plywood
Silhouettes.” 4:30 p.m. Norwich University, Kreitzberg Library Multipurpose Room, Northfield.
Free. norwich.edu
PoemCity: The Poetry of Parenthood with
Samantha Kolber & Michelle Singer. Kolber
and Singer will read original and selected poems
that capture the sacred and profane aspects of
parenthood, as well as lead participants in writing
prompts to generate new work. 6:30 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
poem-city.org
Birthing From Within: Birth Healing I.
Classes utilize specific practices to strengthen
self-awareness, and build communication between
partners to support a strong coping mindset. 6–8
p.m. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, 174
River St., Montpelier. Free. Register: 595-7953.
[email protected]. https://www.facebook.com/
events/715207021938908/

TUESDAY, APRIL 12

Chronic Conditions Support Group. Join a
discussion and educational group for people with
chronic illnesses on the second Tues. of each
month, 10:30–11:30 a.m. Gifford Conference
Center, 44 S. Main St., Randolph. Free. No registration required. 728-7714.
Remembering Robert Frost. Residents of the
Good Living Senior Center, members of the public
and members of the Northeast Storytellers will
share readings, biographical sketches, anecdotes,
scrapbook items and experiences they’ve had learning from this great poet. 2–3 p.m. Good Living
Senior Center, 1207 Main St., St. Johnsbury. 7515432. [email protected]
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 3–4:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.
479-0531. [email protected]. cvcoa.org.
It’s Your Move: Choosing a Career that Works
for You. Career planning workshop offered by
CCV and VSAC. 3–5 p.m. CCV, 660 Elm St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register and more information:
http://ccv.edu/find/

PoemCity: Educators Workshop: Poetry with
the State Poet Laureate. 11 a.m.–noon. Bear
Pond Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier. 229-0774.
bearpondbooks.com

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 15

Performing
Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING,
COMEDY

April 7: Extempo. Locals tell short-format,
first-person, true stories live on stage without any
notes or reading. 8 p.m. Bridgeside Books, 29
Stowe St., Waterbury. $5. 244-1441. [email protected]. extempovt.com
April 7–9: SHS Drama Club presents The
Wedding Singer. Spaulding High School Drama
Club presents a rockin' romantic comedy that
pays tribute to the catchy music, bad hairstyles
and pop trends of the 1980s. 7:30 p.m.; additional matinee April 9, 2 p.m. SHS Auditorium,
155 Ayers St., Barre. Adults $10; students and
seniors $7; children $5. Please note that due to
some language/innuendo, this show may not be
suitable for all audiences. [email protected]
April 7–9: Ghost, The Musical. Northfield
Middle & High School students bring their vocal
and theatrical talent to audiences. April 7 and 8,
7 p.m.; April 9, 2 p.m. Northfield Middle and
High School, Mary Granai Auditorium, 37 Cross
St., Northfield. $8. 485-4500.
April 8: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy
Night. Montpelier's longest currently running
monthly comedy open mic. Please support local
comedy by performing or watching those that do.
Sign-ups 7:30 p.m.; show starts 8 p.m. The American Legion Post #3, 21 Main St., Montpelier.
Free; donations welcome. Bob, 793-3884.
April 8–9: Willy Wonka, Jr! Join Rumney
Memorial School students for a rollicking show
featuring chocolate, Charlie and, of course,
Oompa-Loompas! April 8, 7 p.m.; April 9, 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m. Rumney Memorial School, Middlesex. Adults $6; children $4. rumney.org
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring Sale.
Two floors of shopping. April 13–16. 10 a.m.–4
p.m. 137 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9155. tctsvt@
yahoo.com
Films of Louis Malle: Elevator to the Gallows.
With Rick Winston. A seminal work from 1959
of the French New Wave starring Jeanne Moreau.
An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program.
12:30–2:30 p.m. Savoy Theatre, 26 Main St.,
Montpelier. By donation. pdaggett@myfairpoint.
net

April 14: Pacem School Showcase of the Arts.
Student production of "Camelot Capers"; fine art
show featuring the work of young people aged
10–18; student talent show; silent auction. 6
p.m. Pacem School, 32 College St., Montpelier.
223-1010.
April 15: WORD!CRAFT. Experimental art
rhymes for National Poetry Month. A traveling,
monthly, participatory, spoken word/hip-hop
event for all ages. This month’s theme is “taxes”,
so whatever that means to you, bring it in written
and/or improvised verse. You can also just come
to listen and support lyrical artists. 7 p.m. River
Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation. [email protected]
April 15: Stroke Yer Joke. Sign up in advance to
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.
[email protected]. espressobueno.com.
April 21–May 8: Lost Nation Theater presents
Hairspray. Musical by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by
Scott Wittman and Shaiman and book by Mark
O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan — based on the
1988 John Waters film. Thurs., Fri. and Sat., 7:30
p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 2 p.m. Lost Nation Theater,
City Hall Arts Center, Main St., Montpelier. $30
Fri. and Sat. evenings; $25 Thurs. and matinees;
$15 April 21 and April 23 Sat. matinee. 2290492. lostnationtheater.org
April 22: Hansel and Gretel. Presented by Bald
Mountain Theater. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Valley
Players Theater, Rt. 100, Waitsfield. Adults $12;
$8 children under 16. baldmountaintheater.org
April 22: Bueno Comedy Showcase. This
month features the standup of: Michael Kingsbury, Danny Killea, Bryan Muenzer, Hunter
Congleton, David Klein, and Josh Star. 8:30
p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre.
$6. 479-0896. [email protected].
espressobueno.com.
montpelier-vt.org.
PoemCity: Reading with Poet Leland Kinsey.
Leland Kinsey, Pushcart Prize nominee, will be
reading from his new book “Galvanized: New and
Selected Poems.” 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org
The Magic and Mystery of Ancient Roads. Hear
historian Paul Gillies discuss his extensive research
into the mysteries of ancient roads and their
profound impact on the development of Vermont's
towns and villages. 7 p.m. Hap Hayward History
Center, Old Schoolhouse Common, 122 School
St., Marshfield.

Six-Week Chronic Disease Workshop Begins.
Offered by Gifford Health Care and Vermont
Blueprint for Health. For anyone living with a
Not Just Fiction Book Club. “This Changes Evchronic disease. Build the skills you need to manerything.” 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St.,
age your condition, share your experiences and
Montpelier. bearpondbooks.com
receive mutual support. Wed. for six weeks, 2:30–5
p.m. Randolph House Community Room, 65 N.
Main St., Randolph. Free. Sign-up: 728-7114
Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With
Lisa Masé of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wed.,
4:30–6 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont
Medical Center. [email protected].
There’s Always a Plan BE Workshop. You can
change your life by living deliberately, despite your
personal circumstances. Take responsibility for
your future and change your life. 5:30–8:30 p.m.;
potluck 5 p.m. CAL, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free. Register: 661-8959. [email protected]
Quilting Group. Working meeting of the Dog
River Quilters. Second Wed., 5:30 p.m. Community room, Brown Public Library, Northfield. Jean,
585-5078 or [email protected].

Grandparents Raising Their Children’s Children. Second Tues., 6–8 p.m. Child care provided. Bereaved Parents Support Group. Second Wed.,
6–8 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd., Berlin.
Wesley Methodist Church, Main St., Waterbury.
Jeneane Lunn 793-2376.
476-1480.
Food as Medicine: Your First Line of Defense.
PoemCity: Reading with Poets Ralph Culver &
A Night Of Fantastic Worlds. Brian Staveley and
Join Shona MacDougall for a talk about food!
Sydney Lea. Culver, author of the Anabiosis Press Elizabeth Bonesteel discuss speculative fiction.
prizewinning chapbook “Both Distances”, and
7–8:30 p.m. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St., Mont- She will touch upon whole foods, lacto fermented
foods, superfoods and more, so that you can use
Sydney Lea, onetime Poet Laureate of Vermont,
pelier. bearpondbooks.com
food as your first line of defense. 6 p.m. 252 Main
join together to offer a fantastic evening of poetry
PoemCity: Reading with Poets Francette Cerulli St., Montpelier. $12; $10 for members. Register:
followed by an audience Q&A. 2 p.m. Kellogg& Jamie Gage. Join poets Jamie Gage and Franc224-7100. [email protected]. vtherbcenter.org
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
ette Cerulli at the Library for an evening of poetry.
poem-city.org
Basics of Bike Tuning. Caleb Magoon from
7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Waterbury Sports will demonstrate the basics of
Black and White Ball. 27th annual Helen Day Art Montpelier. poem-city.org
giving your bike a tune up to get ready for spring.
Center gala, inspired by Truman Capote’s illustri6:30 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main
ous and decadent Black and White Ball. Silent
St., Waterbury. Free. waterburypubliclibrary.com
auction, complimentary drinks, hors d’oeuvres,
a seated three-course meal and a swag bag. Sit
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
Montpelier City Council Meeting. Second and
down at a casino table to play your favorite Vegasanyone who has experienced the death of a loved
fourth Wed., 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers,
inspired games for special prizes. Live music by
one. 10–11:30 a.m. Conference Center. 600
Montpelier City Hall. 39 Main St., Montpelier.
House Red. Enjoy our lively auctioneer, Antique
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

April 9–10: Student Choreography Showcase.
Young choreographers perform new works. April
9, 7 p.m.; April 10, 2 p.m. Contemporary Dance
& Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier.
$5–10 donation. 229-4676. info@cdandfs.
comcastbiz.net. candfs.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring Sale.
Two floors of shopping. April 13–16. 10 a.m.–4
p.m. 137 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9155. tctsvt@
yahoo.com
PoemCity: Sprung: A Poetry Reading with Poets
Sherry Olson & Carol Henrikson. Henrikson
and Olson have been friends and poetry buddies
for more than 25 years and have both taught the
Write A Poem class at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center. 1 p.m. MSAC, 58 Barre St., Montpelier
poem-city.org
PoemCity: Poets Pulling Prints with Mary Elder
Jacobsen & Reuben Jackson. Come hear Mary
Elder Jacobsen and Reuben Jackson read their
verses, and stay to pull a print of poetry on one of
May Day Studio's antique printing presses. 7–9
p.m. May Day Studio, 190 River St., Montpelier.
Free; $5 suggested donation for the print. poemcity.org
Myths of the Vikings. With Vermont Humanities Council speaker and award winning author,
Nancy Marie Brown. Illuminating the folklore and
pagan legends of medieval Scandinavia. 7 p.m. The
Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, 1189 Cape
Cod Rd., Stowe. Free. 253-1800. JCOGS.org

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Friends of the Aldrich Public Library Signs of
Spring Book Sale. April 15–16. Thousands of gently used books, DVDs, videos and more for all ages
at rock bottom prices. Fri., noon–5 p.m.; Sat., 10
a.m.–3 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, Milne Room,
6 Washington St., Barre. 476-7550.

PAG E 16 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. Open mic every Wed. bagitos.com.
April 7: Colin McCaffrey & Friends, 6–8 p.m.
April 8: Bernie Benefit Bash, 6 p.m.
April 9: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 2–5 p.m.
April 10: Dave Moore (Celtic/American folk) 11
a.m.–1 p.m.
April 13: Jamell NYT (R&B/hip-hop) 6–8 p.m.
April 14: Ron Sweet (folk/Americana) 6–8 p.m.
April 15: Dave & Rory Loughran (acoustic classic rock) 6–8 p.m.
April 16: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 2–5 p.m.
April 17: Bleecker & MacDougal (folk ballads)
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
April 19: Old Time Music Session, 6–8 p.m.
April 20: Papa GreyBeard (blues/folk) 6–8 p.m.
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Mon.: Comedy Café Open Mic, 8:30 p.m.
Every Tues.: Godfather Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.
April 7: Quiet Lion (basement soul) 9:30 p.m.
April 8: Jesse Gile & Doug Perkins (eclectic) 6
p.m.; Gneiss (jam rock) 9 p.m.
April 15: Ian Alexy (acoustic) 6 p.m.; Stone Bullet (rock) 9 p.m.
April 16: Traveling Broke & Out of Gas
(Americana) 9 p.m.
April 22: Scott Graves (rock) 6 p.m.; Jay Killa &
Special Guests (hip-hop) 9 p.m.
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 4790896. Free/by donation. events@espressobueno.
com. espressobueno.com.
April 8: Jason Mallery (singer-songwriter) 7
p.m.; Jennings & McComber (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m.
April 9: Jazzyaoke (live-jazz karaoke) 7:30 p.m. $5.
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring Sale. Two
floors of shopping. April 13–16. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 137
Main St., Montpelier. 229-9155. [email protected]
PoemCity: "Nobody Cares That Your Dog
Died:" A Memoir in Poetry Workshop. George
Longenecker will lead this generative workshop
featuring several poems of personal memoir as
well as techniques for creating well-crafted poems.
1–4 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Limited to 12 participants. Register:
223-3338 or [email protected].
poem-city.org
Plant Spirit Communication. Work with plants
on a spiritual level and explore plant relationship
through ritual and shamanic tools. 6 p.m. 252
Main St., Montpelier. $12; $10 for members. 2247100. [email protected]. vtherbcenter.org
PoemCity: Vermont Contemporary Music
Ensemble: what I mean by rooted is web. All
new, never published visual poems featuring Jody
Gladding's bold experiments with the written
word are paired with four composers’ music in
response to the readings. 7:30 p.m. Unitarian
Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $25; students/
seniors $12. poem-city.org
Spring Jam. An evening of live music and dancing. Presented by Chandler Center for the Arts and
Vermont Technical College. 8–11 p.m. Chandler

THE BRIDGE

Calendar of Events

April 23: Red Clover & the Hermit Thrush
(cowpunk) 8 p.m.
Positive Pie. 22 State St., Montpelier. $5. 2290453. positivepie.com.
April 8: Soule Monde (instrumental funk) 10
p.m.
April 15: Barika, 10 p.m.
April 22: The Big Bang Bhangra Brass Band,
10:30 p.m.
Sweet Melissa's. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier.
Free unless otherwise noted. Other shows
T.B.A. 225-6012. facebook.com/sweetmelissasvt.
April 7: Joint Custody Comedy Show, 8 p.m.
April 8: Mark LeGrand, 5:30 p.m.; Red Hot
Juba, 9 p.m.
April 9: Dave Slangevin, 6 p.m.; Brickdrop,
9:30 p.m.
April 10: Kelly Ravin, 6:30 p.m.; Live band
karaoke, 8:30 p.m.
April 12: Pheobe Lutts, 6 p.m.; open mic, 7
p.m.
April 13: D. Davis, 5 p.m.; Cookies Hot
Club, 8 p.m.
April 14: Dan Zura, 8 p.m.
April 15: Mark LeGrand, 5:30 p.m.; Starline
Rhythm Boys, 9 p.m.
April 16: Andy Pitt, 6 p.m.; Coquette, 9 p.m.
April 17: Kelly Ravin, 6:30 p.m.; Live band
karaoke, 8:30 p.m.
April 19: Bruce Jones, 5 p.m.; open mic, 7
p.m.
April 20: Open Blues Jam, 8 p.m.
April 21: Sara Grace, 8 p.m.
April 22: Mark LeGrand, 5:30 p.m.; Feel the
Bern Dance Party, 9 p.m.
April 23: Dave Slangevin, 6 p.m.; Soul Creek,
9 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
April 21: Barroom Girls
April 22: Big Hat No Cattle (Texas swing)
April 23: Nothing Quite Yet

Music Hall, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. $5 (free
with Vermont Tech ID). 431-0204. emily@
chandler-arts.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Walk Adamant with Green Mountain Club.
Easy, 5 miles. Walk around Sodom Pond. Contact
Mary S.at 505-0603 or Mary G.at 622-0585 for
meeting time and place.
Tea House Clinic. Get herbal nutritional supplementation through the form of teas and/or tinctures. Herbal tea sharing with other professional
services available. Every third Sat., 9 a.m.–noon.
Tea House Exchange at Another Way Community
Center, 125 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; donations
welcome. Rosalene: 793-9371. manywordsherbs1.
weebly.com
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.
Family Game Day. Variety of games to play suitable
for all ages. A great opportunity for quality family
time, and to meet old and new friends for some fun!
10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28
N. Main St., Waterbury. waterburypubliclibrary.com

SPECIAL EVENTS
April 7: The SKY Family. Celtic Revival! High
energy Celtic/pop-rock music, dance and gospel
production. 7 p.m. Trinity Church, 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 229-9158. [email protected]
The Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Spring Concert.
With guest soloist Randy Miller. Raffle and
refreshments. 7 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. 229-4191. info@vtfiddleorchestra.
org. www.vtfiddleorchestra.org

some favorites from the last 15 seasons and a very
special ‘massing of the orchestras’ with all three
groups playing side-by-side. 3:30 p.m. Barre Opera
House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. Adults $15; seniors
$12; students K–12 $5; free for children under 5.
gmys-vt.org. www.barreoperahouse.org. GMYS
invites audience members to bring non-perishable
items for donation to a local food shelf.

April 16. WORST. SONG. EVER. Musicians, hobbyists and hacks sign up in advance to cover their
least favorite pop music from any era. Semi-annual
special event with audience voting and trophies 8
April 9: The Sam Bush Band. The Grammy-win- p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $5.
ning mandolin virtuoso, recognized as “The Father 479-0896. [email protected]. espresof Newgrass,” continues to be a driving force in the sobueno.com
ever-evolving acoustic music scene. A rare Vermont
appearance! 8 p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main April 22: Jazzyaoke. Sing the standards while
St., Barre. $36–40. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.org backed by a live six-piece jazz band; all lyrics
provided. 7:30 p.m. The North Branch Café, 41
April 9–11: Evelyn Glennie: The Heart of Sound. State St., Montpelier. $5. 552-8105. info@wooo.
Featuring the Rosauro Concerto for Marimba and tv. wooo.tv
Orhcestra, plus works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak,
and Pärt, and student works created through the
April 23: Walsh/Drucker/Cooper Trio: The
Vermont Creative Schools Initiative. $10–40.
Three B's. Eugene Drucker, founding violinist
communityengagementlab.net
with the world-renowned Emerson String Quartet,
April 9: 7 pm., St. Johnsbury School Auditopianist Diane Walsh, and cellist Roberta Cooper
rium
will perform Beethoven's Piano Trio Op. 1, #2,
April 10: 4 p.m., Barre Opera House, 6. N.
and the Brahms Trio in C minor, Op. 101. They
Main St., Barre
will be joined by Vermont flutist Karen Kevra for
April 11: 7:30 p.m. Flynn Center Main Stage,
a performance of J.S. Bach's monumental Trio
Burlington
Sonata from the "Musical Offering" to cap off this
satisfying program by the "holy trinity" of classical
April 15–17: Koinonia Academy Choir. Choir
from Plainfield, N.J. perform in celebration of the music. Capital City Concerts season finale. 7:30
Year of Mercy Jubilee of Youth and Young Adults. p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
$15–25. www.capitalcityconcerts.org. Tickets also
vermontcatholic.org. koinoniaacademy.org/
April 15: 6 p.m., Blessed Sacrament Stowe. Fol- available (cash or check only) at Bear Pond Books.
lowed by potluck
April 16: 5:45 p.m., Mass at Most Holy Name
of Jesus Parish, Morrisville
April 17: 10:30 a.m., St. Augustine Church,
Montpelier; 3 p.m., Jubilee for Youth and
Young Adults at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, 85
Elmwood Ave., Burlington

April 16: Green Mountain Youth Symphony
15th Anniversary Celebration Concert. The
GMYS Repertory, Concert, and Senior Orchestras
will each present a variety of selections including
Capital City Indoor Farmers’ Market. Find
unique, local, farm foods you won’t find in your
local store, while getting to know your farmer and
learning the best ways to prepare them. 10 a.m.–2
p.m. Montpelier High School cafeteria, 5 High
School Dr., Montpelier. montpelierfarmersmarket.
com
Friends of the Aldrich Public Library Signs of
Spring Book Sale. April 15–16. Thousands of gently used books, DVDs, videos and more for all ages
at rock bottom prices. Fri., noon–5 p.m.; Sat., 10
a.m.–3 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, Milne Room,
6 Washington St., Barre. 476-7550.
Trinity Community Thrift Store Spring Sale.
Two floors of shopping. April 13–16. 10 a.m.–4
p.m. 137 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9155. tctsvt@
yahoo.com
Volunteer and Staff Appreciation Celebration.
Dessert party that celebrates the volunteers who
help keep the Jaquith Library vibrant, active and
growing. 1:30 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122
School St., Rm. 2, Marshfield. R.S.V.P.: 426-3581.
[email protected]. jaquithpubliclibrary.org
PoemCity: Irish Pipers & A Poet. Irish poet
Angela Patten recites her poetry together with the
Irish Traditional Session — Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Rob Ryan and
regulars at Bagitos' Irish Saturdays. 2 p.m. Bagitos,
28 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org
PoemCity: Kids' Card Catalog Poetry & Collage.
Create poems out of cards from the library's old
card catalog. 3–5 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

Bike Moretown with Green Mountain Club.
Moderate, 26 miles. We will take River Road (dirt)
to Middlesex, then Rt. 100B. Bring water and
lunch or buy at Moretown General Store. Helmet
required. Contact Reidun and Andrew for meeting
time and place: 223-3550
Reiki Sessions. Every third Sun., 9 a.m.–noon.
Tea House Exchange at Another Way Community
Center, 125 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; donations
welcome. Rosalene: 793-9371. manywordsherbs1.
weebly.com
Families of Color. Open to all. Play, eat and
discuss issues of adoption, race and multiculturalism. Bring snacks and games to share; dress for the
weather. Third Sun., 3–5 p.m. Unitarian Church,
130 Main St., Montpelier. Alyson 439-6096 or
[email protected].
Chandler Film Society: Mother. Film by Albert

AUDITIONS
April 10: The Next Generation. Chandler announces auditions for the eighth annual Next
Generation performance. Open to area high school
students age 13+ who are seriously studying classical music of all genres — instrumental, ensemble
or vocal, as soloists or groups. Performance will
be the evening of May 13. To sign-up or for more
information: 718-9402, [email protected]
Brooks. Final film of the season. Commentary by
Rick Winston follows. 6:30 p.m. Chandler Center
for the Arts, Esther Mesh Room, 71-73 Main
St., Randolph. $9; $5 for members and students.
[email protected]

MONDAY, APRIL 18

Lego Free Build. Drop in and build whatever your
heart desires with Legos. For kids in grades 1–5.
1–3 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main
St., Waterbury. waterburypubliclibrary.com
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.
Birthing From Within: Birth Healing II.
Classes utilize specific practices to strengthen
self-awareness and build communication between
partners to support a strong coping mindset. 6–8
p.m. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, 174
River St., Montpelier. Free. Register: 595-7953.
[email protected]. https://www.facebook.com/
events/1635038910113925/
Women's Writing Workgroup. Quiet, supportive space for women to write who otherwise
have difficulty finding the time or space to do
so. Writing prompts provided or bring your own
projects. Drop in first and third Mon., 6:30–8:30
p.m. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation. Register: 888-1261 or
riverartsvt.org
PoemCity: Voices in English Poetry with Tom
Ragle. A reading of English poetry from the late
16th to the early 20th century, from Shakespeare
and Donne to Robinson and Frost, illustrating
various poetic voices and various poetic styles.
6:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. poem-city.org
Sci-Fi Plus Book Club. “A Darker Shade of
Magic.” 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St.,
Montpelier. bearpondbooks.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

9th annual CSI Symposium. April 19–20. Norwich University, Dole Auditorium, Northfield.
Free; open to the public. For complete schedule
and more information: http://libarts.norwich.edu/
csi-symposium/
Simplify Your Diet For Spring. With Lisa Mase,
Harmonized Cookery. Learn which foods help us
align with the promise of spring, understand how
to choose the best foods for your condition and
constitution and receive recipes to cook with these
ingredients. 1–2 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity

T H E B R I D G E

Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through April 8: Tom Leytham, The Other
Working Landscape. 26 watercolor prints by the
Montpelier architect and artist. The Gallery at
Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin.
Through April 9: My Daily Bunny! Simple, heartwarming cartoons. Axel’s Gallery and Frame
Shop, 5 Stowe St., Waterbury. axelsgallery.com
Through April 10: Intimacy + Materiality. Explores material and pronounces the handmade or
methods of making through the lens of contemporary studio, social and design practices. Helen
Day Art Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-8358.
helenday.com
Through April 10: Carole Frances Lung aka
Frau Fiber, People’s Cloth Trade Show: The tshirt is the problem. Through her alter ego Frau
Fiber, Lung utilizes a hybrid of playful activism,
cultural criticism, research and spirited crafting of
one of a kind garment production performances.
Helen Day Art Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 2538358. helenday.com
Through April 15: Lynn Newcomb’s Etchings:
The Power of Black Ink; Two Decades of Printmaking. Tools, bridges and abstract etchings.
Gallery hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. White
River Gallery (in BALE building), 35 S. Windsor
St., S. Royalton. lynnnewcombvt.com
Through April 16: Them, Us & You. A global,
invitational exhibit involving more than 24 artists
from the U.S. and around the world. Studio Place
Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. Studioplacearts.com

Calendar of Events
Through April 20: Kate Reeves, My Winter
World. An exhibit of 14 watercolor paintings.
Gifford Medical Center Gallery, 44 S. Main St.,
Randolph. 728-7000.
Through April 23: Off The Wall. Annual exhibit
spotlighting area students grades K–12. Fri.,
3–6 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., noon–3 p.m. Chandler
Gallery, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. outreach@
chandler-arts.org
Through April 30: Annie Rodrigue Art Exhibit.
Canadian artist exhibit of abstract contemporary
works of art. T. W. Wood Gallery, Center for Arts
& Learning, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 262-6035.
[email protected]. twwoodgallery.org
Through April 30: ARA Exhibits at the Library.
Collective gathering of paintings, collage and
photography of Art Resource Association artists,
celebrating 40 years. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. artresourceassociation.
com. [email protected]. 279-0774
Through April 30: April Art Show at The Front
Gallery. The Front Gallery’s artist-members
celebrate the opening of their April exhibition of
art work produced by the 16 local Vermont artist
that comprise the artist collective gallery. The
Front Gallery, 6 Barre St., Montpelier. hannah@
draw-lucky.com. http://www.thefrontvt.com
Through April 30: Cindy Griffith Art Exhibit.
Native Vermont artist exhibits pastel paintings in
her magical realism style. Reception: April 15th,
5–7 p.m. T. W. Wood Gallery, Center for Arts
& Learning, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 262-6035.
[email protected]. twwoodgallery.org
Artist website: www.hungermountainarts.com
Through April 30: Cindy Griffith Art Exhibit,
Larger Works, Native Vermont artist exhibits
some larger works which include oil, acrylic and
pastel paintings. The Shoe Horn; 8 Langdon St.,
Montpelier. Artist website: www.hungermountainarts.com

Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2518.

St., Waterbury. waterburypubliclibrary.com

Updating Your Workplace Skills: Education
and Training Options. Career planning workshop
offered by CCV and VSAC. 3–5 p.m. CCV, 660
Elm St., Montpelier. Free. Register and more
information: http://ccv.edu/find/

Social and Support Group for LGBTQ Adults
(18+) With Disabilities Network. Come together
to talk, connect and find support around a number of issues including coming out, socializing,
challenges around employment, accessibility, selfadvocacy, choosing partners and anything else that
you would like to discuss or find support around.
4:30–5:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, Fireplace
Room, 130 Main St., Montpelier.

Rainbow Umbrella of Central Vermont. Rainbow Umbrella brings LGBTQ individuals from
Central Vermont together to plan and hold events
such as bowling, discussion group, ukulele and tea
dances to foster community and increase LGBTQ
visibility in the region. Meets every other Tues.
5–7 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. rucvtadmin@pridecentervt.
org
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., 6–8 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org

PoemCity: Vermont Studio Center Poets Read.
With Major Jackson , Kerrin McCadden , Baron
Wormser , Julia Shipley , Kristin Fogdall , Diana
Whitney and Laurie Macfee. 7 p.m. VCFA, Noble
Lounge, 36 College St., Montpelier. 7 p.m. poemcity.org
Who's There? Movies about Identity. This influential sci-fi relative of Shakespeare's "The Tempest"
stresses the importance of self-knowledge. 7 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield.
Call library for film title: 426-3581 [email protected]. jaquithpubliclibrary.org

Randolph Dream Group. Explore your dreams
with Hugo and Cynthia Liepmann and others to
reveal the hidden messages they offer. New members are always welcome. 6–8 p.m. Kimball Public
Library, Young Adult Room (downstairs), 67 N.
Main St., Randolph. Free; open to the public.
Cynthia: 728-4505.

Woodcock Watch. Listen and watch for the dramatic courtship flight of the American Woodcock,
a sandpiper which nests along the North Branch.
7:30 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm
St., Montpelier. $5 members; $10 non-members.
229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org

PoemCity: Reading with Poet Neil Shepard.
Shepard, a founder and former director of the
Writing Program at the Vermont Studio Center
and co-founder of the Green Mountains Review,
will read from his work. 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books,
77 Main St., Montpelier. poem-city.org

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

Who Stole the American Dream? Hedrick
Smith, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, reporter,
and Frontline writer, chronicles four-decades
of changes in Washington policy-making and
mindset, and their effects on the middle class. 7
p.m. Trinity Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier.
kellogghubbard.org

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

9th annual CSI Symposium. April 19–20. Norwich University, Dole Auditorium, Northfield.
Free; open to the public. For complete schedule
and more information: http://libarts.norwich.edu/
csi-symposium/
Films of Louis Malle: Au Revoir Les Enfants.
With Rick Winston. An autobiographical work
from 1984 set during the WWII German occupation of France. An Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute program. 12:30–2:30 p.m. Savoy Theatre,
26 Main St., Montpelier. By donation. pdaggett@
myfairpoint.net
Lego Free Build. Drop in and build whatever your
heart desires with Legos. For kids in grades 1–5.
1–3 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main

ROTC Centennial Symposium: Preparing the
Next Generation Leaders in a Complex World.
April 21–23. Norwich University will celebrate
ROTC’s centennial anniversary. For schedule,
locations, registration and more information:
http://www.norwich.edu/rotc100/symposiumregistration/

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 17

Through April 30: Three Vermont Artists Exhibit. Paintings of Cindy Griffith, masks of Ellis
Jacobson and prints of Phillip Robertson. Reception: April 14, 5–7 p.m. T. W. Wood Gallery
at the Center for Arts & Learning, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery@gmail.
com. twwoodgallery.org
Through April 30: Vermont Water and Light.
Fine art landscape photography captured in and
around Central Vermont. Capitol Grounds, 27
State St., Montpelier. paulerichardson.com
Through May 1: Michael Zebrowski, SURVEY.
Inaugural artist-in-residence project on the
grounds of Spruce Peak at Stowe. For information: Helen Day Art Center, 253-8358, helenday.
com
Through May 2: Galen Cheney, To China and
Back. Paper constructions and paintings. The
Gallery at River Arts, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org
April 12–May 28: The Paletteers of Vermont
Spring Art Show. Opening reception: April
13, 5:30–7 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, Milne
Room, 6 Washington St., Barre.
Through June 30: Saddle Up! Norwich Cavalry:
Training, Touring and Tactics on Horseback.
The story of the Norwich Cavalry and its establishment is full of wonderful images of the days
when equines were part of the daily life at the
University. Norwich University, Sullivan Museum
and History Center, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield.
485-2183. academics.norwich.edu/museum/
Through June 30: Fauna and Floral, paper cutouts by Adrienne Ginter. Exquisitely detailed
hand-cut paper and archival foam-core constructions that explore elements of the natural world
as well as fanciful narratives depicting ancient
myths, history and the artist’s personal experience. Opening reception: April 7, 5–7 p.m.;
Art Walk reception: May 6, 4–7 p.m. Pavilion
Building, 109 State St., Montpelier. Photo ID reSurvivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death.
Third Thurs., 6–7:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin.
223-0924. [email protected]
Innovations in the Forest and Food Economy
— Our Own Story. Stewardship, Forestry,
Cuisine and Land Planning. Shawn Smith Hoffman and Melissa Smith Hoffman, of Earth Asset
Partnership and Living Future Foundation, describe several key projects, the Permaculture Food
Lab, Growing a Nutrient Economy, and Forest
Management for Medical-Mycological yields. A
Transition Town program series. 6 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org
Grandparents Raising Their Children’s
Children. Third Thurs., 6–8 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., 6–8 p.m. River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. $5 suggested donation.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

ROTC Centennial Symposium: Preparing the
Next Generation Leaders in a Complex World.
April 21–23. Norwich University will celebrate
ROTC’s centennial anniversary. For schedule,
PoemCity: Poem in Your Pocket Day. Every year
locations, registration and more information:
during National Poetry Month, the Academy
http://www.norwich.edu/rotc100/symposiumof American Poets leads the nation in celebratregistration/
ing Poem in Your Pocket Day. With a poem in
Spring Migration Bird Walks. Learn birding
your pocket, you have a poem to give, trade,
basics, expand your birding ear and discover
leave someplace anonymously, read out loud at
your meeting or read to yourself at lunch (among more about the birds that inhabit the fields and
forests. Walks are led North Branch Nature
many other possibilities). Poem City participates
Center naturalist staff. 7–8:30 a.m. Cow Pasture,
by offering free poems at the Kellogg-Hubbard
Montpelier. $10; free for members. NBNC: 229Library, the Welcome Center downtown, Bear
Pond Books, and North Branch Cafe. poem-city. 6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org
org
Poem City: Earth Day — Kids & Poetry. Join
Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survi- librarian Nicole Westborn to write poems, listen
vors, caregivers and adult family members. Third to great stories and take part in other hands-on
activities in the kids’ tent at the Hunger MounThurs., 1:30–2:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
tain Coop Earth Day Celebration. 10 a.m.–4
p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, 623 Stone Cutters
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfWay, Montpelier. poem-city.org
management. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Pork Loin Take-out Dinner. Pork Loin, gravy,
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or mashed potato, corn, salad, roll, applesauce
[email protected].
and dessert. Meal pick-up 4–6 p.m. Waterbury
Center Community Church, Rt. 100 (next to

quired for admission. [email protected]
Through June 30: Ships and Shadows: Collages
by Arthur Schaller. These original works are collages assembled on board of cut or ripped pieces of
printed matter from assorted publications. Opening reception: April 7, 5–7 p.m.; Art Walk
reception: May 6, 4–7 p.m. Vermont Supreme
Court Gallery, Montpelier.
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.
Vermont History Museum, 109 State St., Montpelier. Free with admission to museum. 828-2180.
vermonthistory.org/calendar

SPECIAL EVENTS

April 14: Pacem School Showcase of the Arts.
Student production of "Camelot Capers"; fine art
show featuring the work of young people aged
10–18; student talent show; silent auction. 6
p.m. Pacem School, 32 College St., Montpelier.
223-1010.
April 15: Art Opening with Douglas Aja. Photos
and sculptures of African wildlife. 6 p.m. Jaquith
Public Library, 122 School St., Rm. 2, Marshfield. 426-3581. [email protected].
jaquithpubliclibrary.org

CALL FOR ARTISTS

The Museum of Everyday Life is soliciting contributions to its upcoming exhibition featuring the
mirror, which opens May 29. Accepting all kinds
of contributions including anecdotes, scholarship, art and objects consisting of or relating to all
aspects of mirrors. 3482 Dry Pond Rd., Glover.
museumofeverydaylife.org
Cold Hollow Cider Mill), Waterbury Center. $9.
Church trustee fundraiser. Reservations: 2448089.
PoemCity: An Evening with Reuben Jackson.
Host of VPR’s Friday Night Jazz Reuben Jackson
will read his poetry accompanied with music by
Tom Morse and Jerome Monachino. 5–7 p.m.
Hunger Mountain Coop Café, 623 Stone Cutters
Way, Montpelier. poem-city.org
Friday Night Group. For youth age 13–22 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.,
6:30–8 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035. [email protected].

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

ROTC Centennial Symposium: Preparing
the Next Generation Leaders in a Complex
World. April 21–23. Norwich University will
celebrate ROTC’s centennial anniversary. For
schedule, locations, registration and more
information: http://www.norwich.edu/rotc100/
symposium-registration/
Animal Masks with Janice Walrafen. Construct wearable 3-D animal masks with posterboard and decorate them with colorful acrylic
paints. 9:30 a.m. –noon. Jaquith Public Library,
122 School St., Marshfield. $4 materials fee.
426-3581 [email protected].
jaquithpubliclibrary.org Join us for All Species
Day in Montpelier on May 1.
Legislative Update Featuring Barre City and
Town House Representatives. Walz, Poirier,
Laclair, McFaun. 10 a.m.–noon. Aldrich Public
Library, 6 Washington St., Barre. Free. 4764185.
PoemCity: Generative Poetry Workshop with
Chloe Viner. Viner will use several prompts to
highlight different lessons and spur creativity.
She will guide a discussion on the difference
between concrete and abstract writing in poetry
and examine how to create vivid and original
images through metaphor. 1:30 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
poem-city.org

Send your listing to
calendar@
montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is April 14.
Send information for events
happening April 21–May 7.

PAG E 18 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

Weekly Events
ARTS & CRAFTS
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.

Calendar of Events

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),
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.

Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds
benefit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues. and
welcome. Tues., noon–1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Fri., noon–1 p.m. Live music every Tues., 10:30–
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
11:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Life Drawing at The Front. Draw from life with Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+ free with $7
a model in a series of poses. Bring your own
suggested donation; under 60 $9. Reservations:
materials. Come early to get a good seat. Every
262-6288 or [email protected].
Thurs., 6:30–8:30 p.m. The Front Gallery, 6
Barre St., Montpelier. $10. www.thefrontvt.com.
[email protected]
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.

BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Wed., 4–6
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.

BOOKS & WORDS
Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon–1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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.
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
6–7:30 p.m.
Wed.: Wit’s End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
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., 7:30–8:30
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. 7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m.
(starting Feb. 8) and 10:45–11:45 a.m. Twin Valley
Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E. Montpelier.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the first time. Tues., Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
4–5 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic EducaTai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
tion, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St.
Every Mon. and Fri., 1–2 p.m.; Mon. and Wed.,
223-3403.
5:30–6:30 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
and share some good books. Books chosen by
group. Thurs., 9–10 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., 6–8 p.m.
Central Vermont Medical Center, Conference
Room 3. Registration: 371-4191.
CRC Pro Health and Human Services. This
course will help participants build professional
and career skills in preparation for a variety of
entry-level positions in direct health care professions. Every Wed. and Thurs., through May 18,
5:30–8 p.m. Capstone Community Action, 20
Gable Pl., Barre. Free. The enrollment code for
this course is WFE-0603-VM40.

Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.
Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors.
Every Mon., 2:30–3:30 p.m. and every Fri.,
2–3 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518.
[email protected].

Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 552-3483.
Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program.
Education and support to help adults at high risk
of developing type 2 diabetes adopt healthier
eating and exercise habits that can lead to weight
loss and reduced risk. Every Tues., 10:30–11:30
a.m. Kingwood Health Center Conference Room
(lower level), 1422 Rt. 66, Randolph. Free. Register: 728-7714.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually
overcoming overeating. Two meeting days and
locations. Every Tues., 5:30–6:30 p.m. and Sat.,
8:30–9:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of the Good
Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249-3970.
Every Mon., 5:30–6:30 p.m. at Bethany Church,
115 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3079.

FOOD & DRINK

Tai Chi Classes for All Ages. Every Tues. and
Thurs., 10–11 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Free.
223-3322. [email protected]

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.,

The Rockinghorse Circle of Support. Opportunity for young women and children to meet
once a week for friendship, good conversation and
fun. Facilitated by a licensed alcohol and drug
counselor and another person with child and family background. Topics reflects on how substance
abuse, whether it's ours or someone else's, affects

our decisions and lives. Child care provided. Every
Wed. through June 8. 9:30–11:30 a.m. Hedding
United Methodist Church, 40 Washington St.,
Barre. 479-1086 or 476-4328.
Weight Loss Support Group. Get help and support on your weight loss journey every Wed., 6–7
p.m. Giffords Conference Center, 44 S. Main St.,
Randolph. Free. No registration required. Open to
all regardless of where you are in your weight loss.
Wit’s End. Support group for parents, siblings,
children, spouses and/or relationship partners of
someone suffering with addiction — whether it is
to alcohol, opiates, cocaine, heroin, marijuana or
something else. Every Wed., 6–8 p.m. Turning
Point Center, 489 N. Main St., Barre. Louise:
279-6378.
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral
testing. Wed., 2–5 p.m. 29 State St., Ste. 14
(above Rite Aid), Montpelier. Free and anonymous. 371-6224. vtcares.org.

KIDS & TEENS
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup. Outdoor
playgroup for parents, caregivers and children
ages birth–5. Spontaneous play, exploration,
discovery, song, nature inspired crafts and storytelling. Every Mon. through June 6, 9:30–11:30
a.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm
St., Montpelier. By donation. 229-6206.
northbranchnaturecenter.org
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., 2–6 p.m., Fridays 3-10
p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. BasementTeenCenter.org
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 children’s desk. kellogghubbard.org.
Story Time and Playgroup. With Sylvia Smith
for story time and Cassie Bickford for playgroup.
For ages birth–6 and their grown-ups. We follow
the Twinfield Union School calendar and do not
hold the program the days Twinfield is closed.
Wed., 10–11:30 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 we’ll read stories and spend time
together. A great way to introduce your preschooler to your local library. For ages 2–5. Every
Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151
High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.

THE BRIDGE

Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 6–8
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Barre Rock City Chorus. We sing songs from
the 60s–80s and beyond. All songs are taught by
rote using word sheets, so ability to read music is
not required. All ages welcome; children under
13 should come with a parent. Every Thurs.,
6:30–8:30 p.m. Church of the Good Shepherd,
39 Washington St., Barre.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 7–9 p.m. Pratt Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.
[email protected]. [email protected].

RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of hardto-recycle items. Mon., Wed., Fri., noon–6 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., 4–6 p.m.; Sat.,
9–11 a.m. 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 661-8959.
[email protected].

SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Women’s Group. Women explore important
issues and challenges in their lives in a warm and
supportive environment. Facilitated by psychotherapist Kathleen Zura. Two different group
meetings: every Mon., 5:30–7:30 p.m. and every
Wed., 3–4:30 p.m. 138 Main St., Montpelier.
324-4611. 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., 7–8 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.

Lego Club. Use our large Lego collection to
create and play. All ages. Thurs., 3–4:30 p.m.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

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.

Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative
exploratory arts program with artist/instructor
Kelly Holt. Age 3–5. Fri., 10:30 a.m.–noon.
River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville.
888-1261. RiverArtsVT.org.

Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text study and discussion on Jewish
spirituality. Sun., 4:45–6:15 p.m. Yearning
for Learning Center, Montpelier. 223-0583.
[email protected].

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., 3–5 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.
Musical Story Time. Join us for a melodious
good time. Ages birth–6. Sat., 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 7–9 p.m.
Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for
location and information.

MUSIC & DANCE
Barre-Tones Women’s 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., 4–5 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., 4–5:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free; open to the public. 223-2518.
[email protected].

SPORTS & GAMES
Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermont’s Wrecking
Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up.
No experience necessary. Equipment provided:
first come, first served. Sat., 5–6:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate
free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.

YOGA & MEDITATION
Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths
welcome. Mon., noon–1 p.m. Christ Church,
Montpelier. 223-6043.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Wed., 6:30–7:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.–noon; Tues., 7–8
p.m.; Wed., 6–7 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., 5:40–7 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.

Send your listing to
[email protected]
Deadline for next issue is April 14.
Send information for events
happening April 21–May 7.

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 19

T H E B R I D G E

Classifieds
OUTDOOR
ADVENTURES

ROOTS & TRAILS MINI-EXPEDITIONS
Paddling Excursion; Ages 9-18. June 23-6;
Green River Reservoir, Vt. Break from mainland; deepen awareness & skills.
Heavenly Adventure; Ages 9 - 90. August 1114; Groton State Forest, Vt. Venture to explore.
Sliding scale ($320-400). rootsandtrails.com
[email protected] 802 839-8286

Do What You Do Best.

Text-only class listings and
classifieds are 50 words for $25.
Call 223-5112 ext. 11

GREG’S
PAINTING

Metal Roof Painting
Interior & Exterior

802-479-2733
[email protected]

FREE ESTIMATES ∙ INSURED ∙ SINCE 1990

Tell them you saw it in
The Bridge!

RecyclE This Paper!

Bookkeeping · Payroll · Consulting

Since 1972

802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com

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

802-223-0389

Design & Build
Custom Energy-Efficient Homes

Repairs • New floors and walls
Crane work • Decorative concrete
Consulting • ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT • (802) 229-0480 
[email protected] •  gendronconcrete.com

Additions • Timber Frames
Weatherization • Remodeling
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring

The Center for Leadership Skills
BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Tiling • Cabinetry • Fine Woodwork

Lindel James coaching & consulting
Taking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm
802 778 0626
[email protected]
lindeljames.com

• New Construction
• Renovations
• Woodworking
• General Contracting

223-3447

clarconstruction.com

PAG E 2 0 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

S

Opinion

THE BRIDGE

Good Government Solutions and Earned
Trust
by Secretary of State Jim Condos

mart, focused and efficient government helps Vermonters, so why does it seem that
levels of frustration and distrust are at an all-time high? I believe that listening to your
customers, cutting red tape, finding efficiencies and increasing transparency are all
keys to earning that trust.

At the Secretary of State’s Office, we serve Vermonters in many ways, including: overseeing the state’s elections, registering its businesses, licensing its professionals, managing its
records, providing information, assistance and educational materials related to municipal
and open government laws.
We balance these critical priorities with Vermonters’ ability to afford them — ensuring fee
revenue is spent wisely. Recent news about broken contracting practices, failed information
technology (IT) projects and budget deficits are discouraging and don’t inspire confidence.
In my time as a City Councilor (18 years), State Senator (eight years), and Secretary of State
(five-plus years), I’ve heard it all regarding government reforms and efficiency. I am encouraged by recent conversations about change and meaningful reform. However, experience
tells me — be skeptical — good intentions often become superficial calls to action that do
not translate to real structural, long-term solutions.
The Secretary of State’s office has worked hard to fulfill its mission while upholding high
standards, increasing efficiency while providing quality customer service. Our talented staff
works smart and implements creative and flexible solutions to business problems.
We have successfully completed four technology projects by focusing on solutions meeting
the needs of the customers and the agency while improving cohesiveness and integration,
creating efficiencies and reducing redundancies. We have implemented a new website and
major overhauls of IT systems for three divisions — professional regulation, corporations,
and elections.
These projects reduce processing times, eliminate paper/postage, and increase the public’s
access to information. Our implementations succeed because we “measure twice and cut
once.” Before we go out to bid on a project, we study and improve our business processes
and focus on customer service and public protection.

I

Opinion

Government must review its mission, strategy and processes, then streamline as necessary
to right-size its programs. Regulation should be risk-based and implemented only when
absolutely necessary. It’s not acceptable to follow a process because “we’ve always done it
that way.” With every existing practice, we must ask “Why?” and “What are we trying to
accomplish?”
More than 30 years’ experience in the business sector taught me the value of listening to
customers and front-line staff to achieve excellence in customer service. This instills confidence and trust, providing for stability and predictability.
I’ve spent countless hours talking about transparency in towns across the state, aimed at
improving openness and accountability. Transparency in government drives:
• Measurable results and outcomes — engaging in clear and respectful exchanges with
external and internal customers and stakeholders;
• Breaking down government silos — ending the old entrenched ways, which will allow
us to pool resources;
• Public confidence — by letting the sun shine in, we achieve greater accountability, prevent overspending and inappropriate contracting; and
• A n authentic culture of accountability in government — as the Vermont Constitution
demands!
There are many opportunities for the state to listen to Vermonters, streamline its programs,
and open its doors to inspection, constructive criticism and improvement. By focusing on
our core functions and mission, we improve the essentials.
Hard work, efficiency and common sense solutions are not republican, progressive or
democratic values; they are Vermont values. Here at the Secretary of State’s office, we work
hard every day to uphold these values and strive to promote confidence in government
through excellent customer service, innovation and accountability.
I believe if our government is transparent, accountable and focused, it can improve
Vermonters’ lives and earn their trust and respect.

Good Neighbors Don’t Trespass

by Paul Brouha

t is there as day breaks on a still spring morning when I am outside listening for a wild
turkey’s gobble. It is there when I cross the yard to work in my garden. When I go out for
a walk with the dogs it comes along. I feel its vibrations while sitting at my desk with the
windows closed on a winter afternoon. It is wind turbine noise from the Sheffield Wind Project, which invades our property on a northwest wind. It is especially evident on rainy/snowy
days when the clouds hang low over our neighbor’s ridgeline where the 16 wind turbines have
been erected.

had occurred, the board authorized the developer to come into our home (into our 2nd floor
bedroom, actually) to conduct another test. After that test, which confirmed my expert’s
report, the company wants to monitor and audio record what is happening for a month. And
the wind company’s owners want access to our bedroom at any time they feel like making a
measurement.

We homeowners have a right to the peaceful use and enjoyment of our property. We also have
a right to be protected against unlawful trespass on our property.

What the legislature needs to do is to amend Section 248 to require developers to comply at
all times of operation with a reasonably recognized noise level. The current noise limits are
not enforced and the wind company is able to manipulate the data to show compliance, when
the noise exceeds the established levels.

In granting certificates of public good and their associated establishment and measurement
of noise standards for wind turbines inside neighboring homes rather than at property lines,
the Vermont Public Service Board has essentially awarded wind developers an uncompensated
nuisance noise, health and safety easement across private property, even though that neighboring parcel has not been leased to the wind developer.
In effect, future development rights on thousands of acres of private property have been
stripped from rural citizens and handed to their neighbor’s tenant, the wind developer, without compensation as required by Article 2 of the Vermont Constitution.
The premise of zoning is to separate conflicting uses of land. When the board establishes
safety setbacks and noise emissions that are measured at or inside a neighboring home rather
than at a property line, there is in fact NO separation of the conflicting use.
The definition of trespassing is “to enter the owner’s land or property without permission.”
Here is how it works: After filing a noise complaint, the wind company is supposed to review
its data to ensure the noise is within the noise limit. In my particular case, the wind company
reported data that showed it was in compliance. I then had to prove the noise was too loud
on my property. Even when I submitted an expert report that showed the noise on my property exceeded the noise limit, in order to establish whether a violation of the noise standard

The board and the developer want to make the whole complaint process so intrusive and
unpalatable that we’ll never complain again!

To combat the lack of integrity from both the board and the developer, landowners propose
a noise limit standard attributable to the wind turbine generators at and beyond the plant
facility property line and 30 dBA LMax in residence interiors neighboring the plant facility
property. Further, to ensure that landowners are protected from future violations, the legislature must require the wind developer to fund the costs of continuous independent transparent
monitoring at all existing and future wind projects, and data collection and reporting of noise
generated by the plant facility at and beyond the property line.
By moving turbine noise standards to property lines and requiring monitoring, the legislature
would be holding developers accountable for the effects of their projects: noise pollution,
turbine rotor failure and its attendant debris field, property value loss and visual blight. During the current session, the legislature needs to restore property rights by eliminating trespass
zoning and to hold the Public Service Board accountable for respecting the private property
rights of Vermonters. Good neighbors don’t trespass.
Paul Brouha is a Sutton resident and homeowner whose property abuts the Sheffield Wind Project.
(Edited for length)

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 21

T H E B R I D G E

Editorial

Melinda Vieux: The Spirited Woman Who
‘Dug In’ on Green Up Day
by Nat Frothingham

I

n America as the troubled decade of the 1960s turned
into the early years of the 1970s, there was a rising tide
of public awareness at the pollution that was threatening
the country’s air, water and land. In the news were stories
about oil spills, acid rain and bodies of water on fire from
chemical pollution.

ganization located in Berlin in a trailer with a warehouse.
Vieux was also employed for two years with Central Vermont Solid Waste working with communities to clean up illegal dump sites. It was through her work with communities
to clean up these sites that she made contact with the Green
Up board. This was when Sheldon Prentice had said to the
Green Up board that he’d agree to be chair if he could get
the board to bring on a good executive director — which
led to Vieux’s hiring.

The growing public consciousness led to the first American
celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 1970. In Vermont,
Green Up Day was part of this awakening.
Green Up had its beginnings in the spring of 1969 when a
Vermont citizen went to then Gov. Deane Davis with the
idea of marshalling an army of thousands of volunteers to
clean up Vermont’s heavily littered roadsides. Gov. Davis
saw so much interest in the idea that he said, “I think we
have a bear by the tail. We’re going to stop now and spend
a year organizing for this.” At its launch on April 18, 1970,
Green Up Day galvanized thousands of Vermonters to come
together in communities across the state to work with their
neighbors in cleaning up roadsides, picking up trash and
hauling away tons of accumulated litter and other debris.
Well, kicking things off was one thing, but sustaining and
renewing that early burst of civic energy was something else.
In the 1990s — 20 years after its auspicious start — Green
Up Day was still on the calendar but it was scraping along
and close to collapse. It had no reliable base of financial support. It had no permanent home inside or outside of state
government. And for a number of years during the 1990s it
barely survived with volunteer or near-volunteer help.
One of the key people who served as Green Up’s executive
director for a time during the 1990s was Peter Huntsman,
an outdoorsman who worked at Huntsman’s Paint & Wallpaper store in Montpelier. Another critical actor was attorney Sheldon Prentice who served on the Green Up board of
directors. It was Prentice who said to the Green Up board,
“Look, I’ll be chair of the board on the condition that we
hire a good executive director.”
The executive director who was hired and who continues to
lead Green Up today as president was Melinda Vieux.
In an interview with The Bridge, Vieux remembered coming aboard in 1996 when the total annual Green Up budget
was $25,000. “I took the job for $5,000,” she said. “I just
dug in.”
Melinda Vieux was born in the little town of Miami,
Oklahoma (population today 13,000) in the very northeast
corner of the state.
Remembering that time, Vieux said, “When I was growing
up in high school I knew intuitively that I would grow up
and move away.”
Her father was a graduate of the University of Kansas in
Lawrence and Vieux said, “It seemed natural that I would
go there too.”
But after graduating from high school in 1961, her first
stop was Cottey College, a two-year college for women in
Nevada, Missouri. After Cottey, Vieux enrolled at the University of Kansas and very quickly joined the Chi Omega
sorority. “I shined there,” she said. “I became sorority president. As a result of that, I got to know the dean of women
and the assistant dean and ended up working for them while
getting a post-graduate degree. It worked out very well.”
Vieux took her bachelor’s degree in psychology and human
relations and her master’s in sociology. “All people stuff,” she
told The Bridge. “But I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
In the winter of 1970–1971 — Vieux drove her VW bug

That was in 1996 — 20 years ago. Today, Vieux is president of Green Up Day. The annual budget has increased
to $130,000. Today, Green Up has a staff of two part-time
people: Vieux, who is president and Melanie Phelps who
is operations manager. Last year’s Green Up Day counted
more than 21,000 participants across the state, but there are
many more Vermonters who participate but are not counted.

Melinda Vieux
with two cats on a solo trip from Kansas to Vermont where
she joined her husband who had preceded her to Morrisville.
The winter of 1970–1971 is still remembered by old timers
for its record snowfall. And Vieux still remembers her solo
trip from Kansas. It was an unforgettable experience.
Speaking knowingly about herself, Vieux said, “I have an
incredible knack for finding things and putting things together.” These personal gifts organization (putting things in
order) and an understanding of synergy in human relations
(knowing how to get people to work together to achieve big
things they couldn’t achieve without each other) have served
Vieux well in a succession of projects and career moves.
Her first local job was in St. Johnsbury working with a
community-based health planning agency. From there, her
career advanced to the state office on health planning and
this at a time when not a lot of women were holding high
state government positions. But after several years of state
government work, she was ready for something else.
At the time she was living in Plainfield in an apartment with
lots of plants and an overstuffed chair from which she spent
many moments meditating on what to do next in her life —
thus she envisioned a business idea for “Porcelain and Lace.”
“I used Victorian clothing for design inspiration,” Vieux
said. What she wanted to create, in words of her own that
described the new business, was “silk and French lace lingerie patterned after vintage wear, and also some lovely flannel
night wear.”
Vieux went out on her own with Porcelain and Lace in
September 1979, a small cottage industry which employed
local women sewing in their homes. For Vieux, Porcelain
and Lace had some travel demands. Said Vieux, “I went off
to New York City and got the silk, the lace, the flannel, had
the core designs created and took my wares to a New York
clothing show. I didn’t think twice about it. Some of the
buyers asked if I was from California because they thought
the designs were leading edge.”

“It’s still modest,” said Vieux about what Green Up has
achieved under her leadership. This includes town coordinators in every town, the tons of litter and trash that get picked
up and dealt with, and an impressive gain in the number of
people who participate.
Green Up Day took a big step forward in 2014 and 2015 to
resolve its precarious financial situation. In 2014, the Vermont Legislature passed a bill to include Green Up Day on
the Line 29 for charitable donations on the Vermont State
Income Tax form. The inclusion of Green Up Day appeared
for the first time on the State Income Tax form in 2015 and
donations from Vermont taxpayers increased individual giving from one percent to 18 percent in just one year’s time
— producing about $30,000 to help pay for Green Up Day.
“We’re not panning for gold,” said Vieux about Green Up
Day. “We’re picking up trash.” And trash is an offence to
Vieux's idea of Vermont. “The litter is a sign of degradation
and disrespect,” she said.
For Vieux, Green Up Day does more than collect trash.
“It’s not measured in the amount of trash but in the
amount of spirit,” she said. When anyone participates
in Green Up Day, she added, “You know there are thousands of other people out there with you. It’s for Vermont.
It’s a statement that we care about Vermont.”
Or to express it in the words of Blake Clark, a sixth
grader from Williamstown Middle/High School, who
wrote, “I think we should keep this tradition forever and
ever!”
As Vieux and Phelps and scores of town coordinators prepare for the Green Up Day this spring on Saturday, May
7 — (and Green Up Day is always the first Saturday in
May) it’s timely to invite Vermonters who are filing their
state income taxes in advance of April 15, to consider
checking off a contribution for Green Up Day.
It’s also fitting for a shout-out to Melinda Vieux from Sheldon Prentice, the Green Up Day board chair who hired her
20 years ago. Here’s what Prentice wrote about Vieux in
e-mail messages to The Bridge.

Although Vieux eventually decided not to continue the
business, she has no regrets. “It was one of the most creative
periods in my life.”

Prentice noted Melinda’s “combination of passion for Vermont and her environment, her strong people skills and
an ability to communicate with the media and centers of
influence in an endearing and effective manner to generate interest in the enduring qualities of Vermont’s natural
beauty and her strong civic ethic.”

After Porcelain and Lace, Vieux worked for a succession of
Vermont non-profits — for the American Cancer Society,
for the March of Dimes and for the Vermont Food Bank
during a time when the food bank was a very modest or-

Prentice also wrote, “I’m not certain that Green Up Day
would have continued without Melinda Vieux. She has
done an amazing job and we all, meaning all Vermonters,
really owe her a debt of gratitude.”

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 April 21.

PAG E 2 2 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

Letters
Don’t Wait For Details
To Legalize Pot
Editor:
I heartily disagree with the letter "Urge Your Reps To Vote
'No' on Legalizing Pot in the March 17, Montpelier Bridge.
The letter says, "we just don’t have enough details yet, so why
the rush?"
This is the standard caveat employed to shelve any kind of
progress. According to an article from NORML (National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) there have so
far been “22,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific
literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids
(http://norml.org/component/zoo/category/recent-researchon-medical-marijuana).” About half of these were published
within the last 10 years.
Marijuana is a completely natural plant which was around
millions of years before humanity came to blight both
marijuana and the planet and to make it illegal in America
in 1937. The reasons for marijuana's illegality were not exactly
altruistic or pertaining to the plant itself. It was this nation’s
historic scourges of corporate greed, yellow journalism,
personal ambition and racism working together which made
marijuana illegal. Perhaps they have done what they were
supposed to do; they largely removed hemp (a by-product
of marijuana that George Washington cultivated on Mount
Vernon) from competition with other products, like DuPont’s
synthetic plastics coming out at the time. They had also
kept the minorities down and fed millions of Americans
into our voracious prison system. Each year some 400,000
Americans perish from tobacco (https://www.tobaccofreekids.
org/factsissues/tollus/) How many perish from marijuana
annually? Why is tobacco still legal and marijuana still illegal?
My father could smoke marijuana without fear of the law
when he grew up in the 1920s and 30s. Let's legalize it, end
the failed and destructive prohibition on it, regulate it like we
should have been doing all along, and not wait endlessly for
more “details.”
Walter Carpenter, Montpelier
Note: The author of this letter does not use marijuana.

THE BRIDGE

Supreme Court Did Not Open
Berlin Pond to Recreation

studio we work out of, our varied interests and our training
backgrounds. If you are thinking of getting started on a new
exercise program or finding a fitness center to call your own,
I encourage you to begin with a private session to help line
Editor:
Contrary to what we have heard over and over again in the out goals and stay on track. In all my years of doing this
past three years, the Vermont Supreme Court did NOT open work, I have never had anyone regret this time ... in fact,
people always tell me they feel more confident about the
Berlin Pond to recreation.
work they're doing and how to get it done.
Here's what the Court actually said: "Our opinion today does
not hold that recreational use of Berlin Pond must be permit- Thank you Carla, for putting to words what many have
ted. We conclude only that valid regulation would require ac- encountered as they explore the world of fitness here in
tion by the State — either by direct regulation or by delegating Montpelier! I look forward to reading your next installment
and hearing how the work continues.
such power to the City — and this has not yet occurred."
This statement makes two points clear. 1) The Court did Merin Perretta
NOT require Berlin Pond to be opened to recreation. The www.MerinPerretta.com
justices determined only that Montpelier did not at that time
North Branch Nature Center: Thank You
have authority to regulate surface uses of the pond. 2) The
State CAN delegate regulatory power to the City.
Editor:
The opinion also said, "If more powers are needed more must
be asked for." That is exactly what Montpelier is doing by Thank you, Montpelier, for approving a $75,000 contribusubmitting its charter change to the legislature — asking for tion toward North Branch Nature Center’s new community
authority over its public water supply source, for the benefit of nature center facility!
With your help we have now raised $905,000, or 60 percent
its citizens.
of the $1.5 million needed for construction. We are eagerly
Page Guertin, Montpelier
continuing our fundraising, and are hoping to break ground
within the next year.

Enjoyed “Quest To Be Healthy”

Editor:

The new facility will give Montpelier:

• Expanded indoor and outdoor nature education, exhibition, meeting and presentation spaces that will enable us
I enjoyed reading Carla Occaso's cover article “A Quest to be
to provide more programs for more people;
Healthy and Love it” and all the great questions she opened
with. As a personal trainer and yoga teacher I hear so many • A place to warm up from the cold and take shelter from the
people ask these same questions, have similar doubts and
rain with accessible bathrooms;
move through the cycles of injury, resolution and return to
movement that she notes. It can be challenging to find the • A place to better learn about our area’s natural history and
observe its wildlife;
right fitness center and practice to fit your lifestyle when
•
A natural playground, covered picnic area and more!
there are so many good choices in the greater Montpelier
area.
These improvements will help us better connect people of
One thing I would like to highlight is that all of the places all ages with the natural world, and draw more visitors to
Carla lists are staffed by professionals who would love to help Montpelier, to the benefit of our local economy.
you design a personal training program that fits your unique We would like to thank Montpelier residents by offering you
needs. You don't have to figure it all out by yourself! Not free admission to BirdFest this year on Saturday, May 28.
only would we enjoy helping you, it's how we make a living Just let us know you’re a Montpelier resident at the check-in
and one thing that makes these centers great. Group fitness table!
classes are not for all people and sometimes a 30-minute
orientation to nautilus equipment is not enough. There are Chip Darmstadt, executive director
some truly awesome personal trainers in this area and we all Emily Seiffert, capital campaign coordinator
offer something slightly different depending on the gym/ North Branch Nature Center

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: [email protected].
Deadline for the next issue is April 15.

T H E B R I D G E

A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016 • PAG E 2 3

PAG E 24 • A P R I L 7 – A P R I L 2 0 , 2 016

THE BRIDGE

Cody Chevrolet Congratulates The Bridge
On Over 20 Years of Business!