Town

Meeting

R esults

page

M arch 5 M arch 18, 2015

Start PLANNING FOR SUMMER!

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P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601

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Cupcakes and Nat Frothingham's distinctive voice as the

greeting on your voicemail
these are just a few rewards
available when you make a
pledge to our Kickstarter campaign. But act quickly, the campaign only runs through March
14. If we don't reach our goal
of $10,000 all pledge amounts
are returned. Contribute any
amount from $1 to $5,000.
Read more about this Kickstarter campaign and how to
make a pledge in the Editorial
on page. 11.

Photo courtesy of Circus Smirkus

Circus Smirkus Camp Among the Many

Summer Options in Vermont
by Carla Occaso

lthough it is still cold and icy outside, early March is the

traditional time to start the garden seedlings and also time
for parents to plan for something for the kids to do this
summer. Local camps in and around this area offer programs to
nurture a wide variety of skills and interests from baseball to
dance but one camp comes to mind when thinking of a truly
unique experience: circus camp.
Circus Smirkus summer camp is celebrating its 25th year, according to
Lauren Antler, director of external
relations. We have the cream of the
crop of coaches and counselors. We
expose kids to the magic of life in the
circus and offer them life-changing
adventures in the circus arts, Antler
said.

them up, drops them off, and watches the shows.

Ivan said he wanted to be a part of the circus ever since he saw

his first Circus Smirkus show in Montpelier in 2006. It was so
interesting. Ive always loved performing. I got into circus camp the
next year after seeing the show. It was a fun and new kind of performing. Not many people do it. It is fun, Ivan said. After being a
part of the camp for a couple of years, he went on to become part
of the traveling troupe. Last year they
put on shows in Vermont, Maine,
Ivan Jermyn and his juggling clubs.
New Hampshire, New York, and
Photo by Carla Occaso.
Massachusetts. I loved it. It was fun
staying at other peoples homes. It
was great seeing new places all summer, he said. He also met people he
feels certain will be lifelong friends.
In order to help pay the $6,450 tuition, Ivan is advertising his services
in Montpelier to stack wood, shovel
snow, do yard work, clean windows,
babysit, cat sit, and teach unicycling
and juggling. Montpelier residents
who need someone to do odd jobs
may contact Ivan at jermyni@mpsvt.
org.

One such experienced Smirko has

been attending Circus Smirkus camp
since the age of nine. Ivan Jermyn, of
Montpelier, is now 17. This year will
be the second year he goes on tour
with the big top troupe, which travels
all over New England and New York,
but he started out at the camp. Ivan
juggles calmly and competently with
clubs during his interview with The
Bridge to demonstrate some of the
skills he has learned over his years with the circus. It turns out
most of the Jermyn family has been spending summers with Circus
Smirkus since around 2008. Ivans mother, Alice, serves as nurse
during circus camp. Ivans twin sisters, Abby and Lucy, 18, started
out as campers and now they work as circus camp counselors.
Ivans father, Michael Jermyn, is the advertising director at The
Bridge and is also a musician and photographer, but he just picks

In previous years the camp has

moved around and used facilities at
places like Bolton Valley Ski Resort,
Sterling College, Lyndon State College and Burke Mountain Academy, but now the organization has purchased an old farmhouse,
barn, and 35 acres. They are in the process of building dormitories
and renovating the barn to be ready for the beginning of camp
in June, according to Antler. While most of the sessions are full,
there are still some available slots, so those interested in juggling,
acrobatics, and clowning around can contact Circus Smirkus by

Continued on Page 12

PAG E 2 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

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March 19
April 1, 2015
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FRIDAY, MARCH 13.
For more information about advertising deadlines, rates and the
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M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 3

T H E B R I D G E

HEARD ON THE

STREET

The Bridge's Nat Frothingham Going on WDEV Radio Show

WATERBURY Mark Johnson, host of the well-known radio broadcast called "The Mark
Johnson Show," has agreed to have The Bridge editor and publisher Nat Frothingham on as
a guest this Friday, March 6, at 9 a.m. Nat is scheduled to talk about the transition of the
Montpelier-based community newspaper from a for-profit limited liability corporation to a
non-profit organization.
The Mark Johnson Show features Vermont newsmakers from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. weekday
mornings on WDEV FM 96.1 and AM 550 AM, http://www.markjohnsonshow.com.

Senior Center To Host Irish Dinner Fundraiser

EAST MONTPELIER The Twin Valley Senior Center is hosting a St. Patricks Day
dinner fundraiser on March 17 from 4-7 p.m. at the center on Route 2, Blueberry Commons. This corned beef and cabbage dinner is sponsored and catered by the Abbey Group
of Enosburg. They are having this dinner, which will be by donation, to bring awareness to
our Meals on Wheels Program. The facility is handicapped accessible.
Their dedicated volunteers deliver about 170 meals a week and do safety checks on their
seniors, veterans and the disabled. According to Twin Valley Senior Center, 14,868 Vermont
seniors are struggling with hunger. For every dollar invested in Meals on Wheels, $50 is
saved in Medicaid spending. The center will be holding March for Meals week March 16-20
during which time, people can learn more about the Meals on Wheels program and its effect
on Vermont seniors.
Twin Valley Senior Center serves seniors in Calais, East Montpelier, Cabot, Marshfield,
Plainfield and Cabot.

Family Fun Day Planned

MONTPELIER The Family Center of Washington County will host Family Fun Day
on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Union Elementary School, 1 Park Ave., in
Montpelier. This day is an opportunity to ward off mid-winter doldrums with lively entertainment, activities and refreshments for children and adults. The event is free and open to
the public.
Entertainment will include Troy Wunderles One Man Circus and Christopher R and His
Flying Purple Guitar. Other events include arts and crafts, face painting and baby playgroup. A child passenger safety technician will be on hand to answer questions and Story

Time will be presented by Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Families can head to the cafeteria and
snack on pizza, subs, baked goods and beverages for a nominal fee.
This event encourages connections between parents and children through play, networking
opportunities for parents and care givers, increased access to community family support
resources, as well as socialization and play opportunities for children through the on-site
playgroup and group physical activities.

Reporting on the Renaissance Plan

Re-inventing The Bridge as a nonprofit community newspaper

Update
With a tip of the hat to Paul Gilles pro bono efforts, The Bridge has been reborn as a non-profit private corporation under the official title of The Bridge Community Media. Nat
Frothingham, Wavell Cowan and Donny Osman are acting as an interim board to work with Paul to complete and adopt the corporate bylaws. Then its on to an application to the
IRS for a 501(c)3 tax-deductible status. As we pursue that designation we are in discussion with Jeff Potter, editor and operations manager of The Commons, a Brattleboro-based
community newspaper that recently acquired 501(c)3 status. As the renaissance project moves forward we will be reaching out to enlarge the official board to five members.
The Bridge Corps of Volunteers
An important feature of the renaissance plan is to develop a vibrant corps of volunteers. We see volunteer support as an integral part of our vision of a community newspaper.
We have a meeting scheduled with Montpelier High School to discuss an ongoing collaboration in which a number of committed students will participate in three training
programs in writing, sales and marketing and data handling and processing. In each case it is our expectation that experienced adult mentors will help to organize the training
programs and work with students in each of the three programs. It is our hope that
future board members can be drawn from the papers volunteers. This will help The
Bridge to sustain a vibrant board of directors.
So here is our message to teens, adults, elders and others. Please give some thought
to joining a group of us who will be
Community Budget
working together to create a structure and
Support Request
environment that will provide teenagers
with a high-quality, real-world learning
experience that will integrate the community with its newspaper. It should be
fun. Please contact Wavell Cowan at
229-9715 or online at wcowan@wcvt.com
to express your interest in participating in
this project.
Community Contributions
As you can see, TheBridge community
budget is slightly above target. We hope
and expect the evidence presented in ongoing issues will continue to make The
Bridge worthy of the support that will
keep the community budget on target. For
those already convinced, many thanks.
Wavell Cowan,
Chair, The Bridge Support Committee

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PAG E 4 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Town Meeting: Newcomers Oust Incumbents

by Carla Occaso
MONTPELIER Local elections, particularly the five-way race for two open
school board seats, caused the most tongue
wagging among those watching the citys
roiling runup to Town Meeting Day. And
in the end, votes were fairly evenly spread
among the candidates with the winners
emerging as one challenger who is known
as being a spender while the other newcomer is known to be more conservative.
Steve Hingtgen earned 851 votes while
Tina Muncy came in second with 849.
Trailing them were aspirant Bridget Asay
with 808 votes, write-in incumbent Charlie
Phillips with 714 and incumbent Jennifer
Cahill-Bean with 378. Prior to the election,
parents with students at Union Elementary
School actively circulated emails obtained
by The Bridge lamenting the coming years
increased 3rd and 4th grade class size and
promoting Steve Hingtgen and Bridget
Asay, parents of students in that school, as
a slate who would fight to add a teacher.
But taxpayers chose only one of the two.
One of the emails states, Dear Fellow
UES Parents, the past few months have
opened my eyes to the increasing pressure
to cut the school budget This year major
changes are being implemented such as,
removal of looping, increased class sizes for

the third grade above maximum, reduction

of teacher aides, and continued increase
in enrollment projected at UES out until
2019. Can we afford further cuts to core
curricula, programs and services provided
by our public schools? This email campaign was not quite enough to tip the
balance for both UES parent candidates,
however.
Top vote-getter Steve Hingtgen, a vintage
trailer vehicle parts supplier, said of his
win, I am honored to be elected to the
commission. I realize this is a big responsibility. I look forward to being a strong
advocate for improving the quality of our
schools. When asked why the thought he
was elected, he said, I think I won because there was a referendum on whether
our schools are worth funding. There are
opposing views in town. The people who
support strong school funding properly
prevailed. However, the election of Tina
Muncy indicates there is a well-organized
minority who are not fully supportive of
providing the resources the school needs
to proceed. Muncy, an educator, received
two fewer votes than Hingtgen, "I am very
grateful for all the support I received from
the citizens of Montpelier. I believe it is
possible to continue the excellent education

we provide in Montpelier while we remember the taxpayers' concerns. My paramount

concern is for the students and I believe
this community can creatively work together to deliver excellent educational opportunities in our schools.
The school budget was adopted by a vote
of 1,404 to 702. I am delighted and proud
that the budget passed, and by a 2 - 1 margin. I think that is the result of the board's
work in establishing priorities, the leadership team's consistency and our collective
attention to a high quality education at an
affordable price, said Superintendent Dr.
Brian Ricca by email. As we look to the
future, in compliance with Act 77 personalized learning plans, we want our students
to plan out their learning opportunities in
a way that is engaging and meaningful to
them. Instead of seeing school as a place to
go from class to class, year to year, we want
their path to graduation to be something
that has much more substance.
The next most hotly contested spot in
city government was that of parks commissioner with three candidates vying for
one opening. Montpelier Farmers Market manager Carolyn Grodinsky won that
spot handily by earning 787 votes. Trail-

ing her were Bill Johnson with 578 votes

and Nolan Langweil with 516. Grodinsky
sounded pleased with her victory. I am
totally excited and I thank the community for their support. The parks are an
incredible asset. We have a great parks
commission and I want to be part of it.
I look forward to working with the parks
commission and continuing to make the
parks a vital part of the community. The
commission will probably be developing a
new parklet planned for One Taylor Street
at the confluence of the North Branch and
the Winooski, she said.
As for city council, all incumbents retained
their seats despite challenges. District 1 incumbent Tom Golonka got 357 votes, beating challengers Bridge Houston, 213 votes,
and Thomas Gram, 104 votes. District 2
incumbent Anne Watson won 599 votes
compared to contender Ben Eastwoods 91
votes and Jessica Edgerly Walsh got all 480
votes cast by District 3 voters.
The city budget was adopted by a vote of
1,673 to 409.
More Montpelier Town Meeting Day results can be obtained by going online to
the citys Facebook page at https://www.
facebook.com/montpeliervtclerk.

Legislature Expected to Shelve Vaccination Rule Change

by Ed Sutherland

awmakers appear to be taking a step

back from introducing law to force
parents into vaccinating their children against their own beliefs after a national furor has died down in the wake
of a brief outbreak of measles originating
in Anaheim, California, this January that
spread to about 100 people. No new cases
of measles were reported in Vermont.
However, both the House and Senate had
introduced bills to eliminate either removing the philosophical exemption for vaccinating school-age children or eliminating
all but medical reasons. Vermont is one of
20 states that offers medical, religious and
philosophical exemptions to vaccination.
Nearly 400 parents requested a philosophical exemption for their children, compared
with 13 for religious reasons and 11 for
medical throughout the year 2014, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
According to the department, 6 percent
of parents with children entering kinder-

garten use the philosophical exemption to

opt out of vaccinations. That percentage is
second only to Oregon's 7 percent.
Rep. Bill Lippert, D-Chittenden 4-1, chair
of the House Health Care Committee,
now says such legislation will likely not be
taken up this session. Due to the upcoming
March 13 deadline for proposed legislation
to be debated, Lippert says changes to the
vaccination law will take a back seat to
health care reform and other priorities.
Along with this issue, there are a number
of important issues that the committee
needs to prioritize once we've finished with
our health care reform issues, Lippert told
Vermont Public Radio. But that remains
our priority agenda, and we will not be
taking the bill up until we've completed
that work.
Lippert later qualified his comment, telling
The Bridge health care reform issues will
be completed in "the next several weeks."
Until then "we would not decide whether

or how to address the vaccination issue."

Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland, who in
2012 introduced legislation limiting childhood vaccination exemptions, described
the issue in stark terms. "It's time for
people to realize that they're not just making a decision for themselves, because if
their child becomes sick, their child may
well survive. But it might be their best
friend's baby who dies," Mullin told reporters. Mullin reintroduced the proposal for
the current session.
In February, Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison,
chair of the Senate Health and Welfare
Committee, said she would wait on House
action before she allowed a vote on a senate
version.
"You may recall that the Senate spent some
time and effort to pass such a bill a few
years ago and the House declined," Ayer
said. While all but one of the members
of the Senate panel voiced support for the
proposal, Ayer decided on a wait-and-see

approach. "Rather than waste taxpayers

time, we will wait for a bill to come from
the House and then take action."
In 2012, the last time legislators considered
restricting vaccine exemptions, the Senate
passed a bill that the House overwhelmingly rejected in a lopsided 125-4 vote. Apparently Ayer's hesitancy to act before the
House was well-founded.
If the need to revamp the state's approach
to childhood vaccinations was important
to the point of suggesting it was a question
of life or death, why did the air so suddenly
leave the issue of limiting exemptions?
Perhaps it was the public push to address property tax relief or the specter
of another State House protest by vaccine choice proponents. In 2012, dozens of
young activists opposed to vaccinations testified at the House Committee on Health
Care. Among their concerns, some claimed
neurological damage caused by immunizations, potential economic hardships on
small school districts, and placing immunization choice over health.
"Do we want to take away an individuals
rights over chicken pox?" asked anti-immunization chiropractor Julie McDaniel at
the time. According to the CDC, without
vaccination each year, 3.5 million people
would contract chicken pox with 9,000
hospitalizations and 100 deaths.
Then there was the very real potential of a
veto by Gov. Peter Shumlin. Shumlin has
said he prefers retaining the philosophical
exemption. Publicly, even Harry L. Chen,
Commissioner of the Vermont Department
of Health, supports the exemption.
Public sentiment can also drive legislators
to act. A new Pew research survey found
that although 87 percent of scientists say
vaccines should be required for children,
only 68 percent of the public agree.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 5

T H E B R I D G E

Challenging FairPoint: A record of ineptitude and neglect

by Art Chickering

etters, phone calls, and email exchanges document my attempt to obtain compensation for the pain, suffering and financial harm that my wife and I experienced
during a FairPoint outage that lasted from Dec. 13 to Dec. 29, 2014.

There were numerous other interactions but I think these make clear FairPoints ineptitude, insensitivity, and intransigence. I know, from comments in the East Montpelier
Front Porch Forum, and from numerous personal communications, that many others in
central Vermont experienced similar frustrations and potential damages during this and
other outages. I share this account for two reasons.
First, I think it is important to make public FairPoints unwillingness to recognize and
respond to the harm and suffering it caused. Limiting their liability simply to forego
charges for services they do not render hardly seems to be an adequate policy for a public
service. I hope that the Vermont Department of Public Service will require them to do
otherwise. Second, I was told You will need a lawyer.
I am debating that alternative. If any other readers of The Bridge are similarly aggrieved
and would like to join me, use jodawnc@gmail.com. We will decide how much to ask
and how to proceed.
Documentation:

his truck I picked up one of our portable phones that Jo has to use and it had loud static. I ran
out and showed it to him. He said, Thats just poor reception. and left. By time I got back
in the house and up to my office there was neither a dial tone nor Internet connection. I drove
to my daughters house and again called for technical help. I was told we would have it by no
later that 6 p.m. on Dec. 26. I reminded them of Jos medical condition and once again they
said they would escalate our status.
On the morning of Dec. 22 I picked up our phone to see if perchance service had been restored.
Through a loud buzz I heard Donna Hall, a friend who had been on our four party line back
in the 1960s talking to someone. In a loud voice I said, Hello Donna. Well hello Art. she
replied. I hung up after explaining about our situation. On the afternoon of Dec. 24 I had a
similar experience with her husband John.
At about 3 p.m. on Dec. 26 I called again to report that no one had yet come. They said our
ticket was still open but could not tell me when someone might actually get here.
Finally, mid-morning Monday, Dec. 29, David Brown, another independent contractor from
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, arrived. By shortly after noon he had restored our service, 17
days after we first lost it. Now, two days later, it is still working. I am hopeful it will continue.

Jan. 1 Letter to FairPoint Communications Residential Customer Center, Portland,

Maine.

I am sending this letter registered mail with return receipt requested because I hope to hear
from you soon, by phone or e mail if they are still working or by regular mail if they
have failed again.

To Whom It May Concern,

Sincerely yours,

I am Arthur W. Chickering, Tel. 802-223-0762, mailing address 885 Chickering Rd., Plainfield Vt. 05667. Our services went out on Dec. 12, 2014 and were not restored until Dec. 29.
I am writing to claim compensation for the pain and suffering and financial harm caused my
wife and me by this extensive interruption.
I am eighty 87 years old, my wife Joanne is 85. We have been Vermont residents since 1959.
She had a stroke in February, 1999 and her mobility is compromised. She is also legally blind.
On Dec. 7, at 2:30 a.m., coming back from the toilet, she fell off the end of our bed and broke
her humerus, just below the shoulder. Given her medical condition the absence of phone service
was not only risky but made the necessary communications with Green Mountain Orthopaedic
Surgeons and Home Health Services very difficult.
As a Pitkin fellow at Goddard College I am in the midst of establishing collaborative relationships with national higher education associations in Chicago and Washington, D.C., to
obtain $387,000 to create a center for socially responsible citizenship. I do this work from my
home office so I can be here when my wife needs me and rely on our phone, email, and web
services to do so.

Jan. 16
Letter to John A Campbell, FairPoint Communications. I received your e mail indicating that I would not be charged for the 17 days I was without service. That is hardly an
adequate response to my request for compensation for the health risks, pain and suffering,
and financial harm caused by my service interruption.
Jan. 20- Feb. 2
E-mail exchanges and phone conversations with Tom Little at the Portland Center reveal
that he is not authorized to address my compensation request. He puts me in touch with
Rebecca Cootware.
Feb 2-10
After emails and phone calls detailing our experiences an email from Cootware says she
has talked with her manager and my request is denied. You will need a lawyer.

Here has been our experience: When I woke up on the morning of Dec. 13 and found neither
dial tone nor email connection I drove to my daughter Susans home and called 1-866-9841611 for your tech support. I was told that would happen no later than 6 p.m. on Dec. 19. I
described Jos medical condition and was told they would escalate our status. On Wednesday,
Dec. 17, two men arrived about 3:30 in a small red truck. They verified that the problem was
external to the house but had no ladder to access the pole which holds our junction. It is on the
edge of a field about 100 yards from our house, with an underground cable to our garage. (I
had already verified the external problem simply by plugging one of our phones into the box
where the line comes in.) After all of 10 minutes they drove off, saying nothing to me about
what might happen next or when.

Feb. 11

About 4:30 on Friday, Dec. 19, Charles, an independent contractor from Long Beach, California, arrived. He also verified the external problem and had a ladder but by then it was too
dark to go to the pole. He gave me a new modem and left saying he would be back at 8:30 the
next morning. By 8:15 Jo and I had breakfasted and eagerly awaited his arrival. He showed
up at 9:20. He worked at the pole and told me he had dealt with wires where the insulation
was damaged. By about 12:15 there was a dial tone and Internet connection. As he went to

A letter from Susan Sowell, senior vice president and assistant general counsel, confirms
the denial of compensation and says FairPoints liability is limited to an amount equal to
the charges paid by the customer for the period of disruption.

Spring is on the Horizon

Sunday, March 8 is daylight saving time. Don't forget to move your
clocks forward one hour. Longer days and sunshine await!

Photo by Carla Occaso

In a detailed memo I tell Cootware that (a) I will seek advice about getting legal assistance
and (b) share my experiences with The Bridge as well as with central Vermont Front Porch
Forums to see whether others might join my suit.
Feb. 17
An email from Cootware says she is forwarding my information to Susan Sowell, senior
V.P. and asst. legal counsel and that she will call me.
Feb. 19

This is where things stand as of this publication.

PAG E 6 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Bookstores Merge Operations in Downtown Montpelier

by Ashley Witzenberger

MONTPELIER Main Street in downtown Montpelier has long been anchored with
two independent bookstores, Rivendell Books and Bear Pond Books, owned by husbandand-wife team Rob Kasow and Claire Benedict. Benedict and Kasow moved to Montpelier in 2002 to purchase Rivendell Books. In 2006 they bought Bear Pond Books to
continue the life of the store that originally opened in 1973.
Rivendells shelves are stocked with shrewdly curated titles both old and new. As the official bookstore for the New England Culinary Institute, they carry a wide selection of
high-quality cookbooks. Bear Pond Books is known for their author events, three book
clubs (the Mystery Book Club, the Not-Just-Fiction Book Club and the Graphic Novel
Club) and the crown jewel, the Childrens Room on the second floor.
The changes begin on March 14. Rivendell will close its doors and the two stores will
merge into one at the Bear Pond location at 77 Main St. On March 22, Bear Pond Books
will close temporarily to allow the books from Rivendell to be moved to Bear Pond and
to rearrange the layout to accommodate the additional inventory. According to Benedict,
Merging the two stores was always something we planned. There is no such thing as too
many books.
The staff from Rivendell will join the staff at Bear Pond Books. Kasow will be in charge
of the used book inventory and Benedict of new inventory. In the new layout customers

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will find new and used books together on the shelves. Kasow and Benedict look forward
to offering their customers more choice and a wider variety of books and other items, all
while being more efficient and reducing overhead costs. They will also resume buying
used books by appointment only at Bear Pond the first week of April.
On March 1 a 50 percent storewide sale began at Rivendell, and books are moving fast.
The couple is putting out a call for volunteers for Sunday, March 22 to help with moving
the inventory from Rivendell to Bear Pond.
In addition to moving the books from Rivendell, a new reading nook for kids will be built
at Bear Pond while it is closed. The nook is made possible with a James Patterson grant
award. Bear Pond Books will reopen and unveil the changes during the week of March
23. The grand opening celebration will take place on Saturday, April 4 and will be marked
with a book sale, food and other fun happenings. There may even be some surprises in
store for customers when Bear Pond reopens.
We're very excited about this next phase in Bear Pond's life. You can never get static in
retail, you have to keep changing and adapting to the changing marketplace. We think
merging Rivendell and Bear Pond will enable us to stay on top of those changes and make
sure that Montpelier has a great independent bookstore for years to come says Benedict.

Orchestra Leader
to Step Down

by Nat Frothingham

MONTPELIER After five years as music director of the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, Paul Gambill is leaving his position to devote his time to a national organization
that he co-founded in 2011. Gambill will conduct his final concert with the orchestra
on Sunday, June 7.
Reflecting on his time with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, Gambill expressed
fondness for the people he has worked with. He thanked participants for supporting his
ideas enthusiastically and with passion and good energy.
Joseph Choquette president of the orchestras board of directors praised Gambill
for his many achievements. Paul has brought more than his genius as a conductor to
Montpelier. His creative programming has engaged people of all ages and his depth of
experience within the broader arts community has contributed greatly to the culture of
our small city.
Gambill will devote his entire energies to the Community Engagement Lab. Gambill
described the lab as an organization that puts together partnerships between teaching
artists (writers, musicians, poets, dancers, visual artists and theater professionals) with
school and community groups.
A current project at Montpeliers Main Street Middle School involves the theme of
Hometown and asks this question: How do you know your hometown? Students at
the middle school are exploring the idea of homelessness and income inequality and are
working in a music composing residency with teaching artist Evan Premo. As part of that
residency, students will compose a work for orchestra and chorus that will explore the
invisible presence of hunger and income inequality in Montpelier. This new musical
work will be part of two We Are Vermont (A Celebration of Hometown) finale concerts, one at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph on Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
and another at the Montpelier High School Auditorium on Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.

Being Spanish
In Vermont
by Constancia Gomez

Opinion

WARREN I am so lucky that I live in Vermont. I love my family; I love my diverse

group of friends and I love Vermont, but I also love Argentina and my life there. When
I think about my childhood and all the possibilities that I have in Buenos Aires, growing
up in a third world country, I am amazed with the fact that my life is awesome. Even
though my parent's economy had ups and downs, I was bilingual at the age of 4. We
did not have an expensive lifestyle, but we had a lot of friends and we traveled to see my
grandparents to the north of Argentina every summer.
I would stay for a month or two at my grandparent's home and my grandma spoiled
me so bad. We cooked, we played; she would play the piano for me and we just did girl
things together. Was so much fun! But now that my parents and my grandparents are
gone, I think about that time and maybe it was the best of my childhood. I think that I
will re-create that if I can, but it is hard. Here if I want to send my child to a bilingual
school, I would have to move to a city maybe Boston, Chicago or New York City. But
we have a farm, so it would be difficult to move the 35 goats to the Upper West Side.
So, I am going to stay in Warren and send my daughter abroad for a year to Argentina,
Colombia or Cuba and enjoy the macho-free stigma here. And keep having a great life.
Constancia Gomez is a teacher at PACEM, the founder of Spanish Musical Kids, a dancer
and writer and lives in Warren with her husband, daughter, goats and chickens.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 7

T H E B R I D G E

Save Vermonts Blue Gold

by Dot Helling

t is time for Vermonters to take charge and prioritize the security of our drinking water. Clean, safe drinking water sources
are threatened; some are already contaminated. Contamination
comes most notably from agricultural runoff, but it also comes from
recreational uses. Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier, has said,
Vermont stands alone in its failure to provide strong protection for
its drinking water sources. A New England water official has described Vermont as the wild west when it comes to drinking water
protection. Vermont is the only New England state that does not prohibit or impose severe
restrictions on human contact with surface drinking water sources.

Opinion

Gov. Peter Shumlin has recognized the importance of protecting our endangered resources including clean drinking water. In his inaugural speech he said, everything we
hold precious is under threat from climate change and pollution. When he signed Vermonts anti-fracking bill he said: We have never known humanity or life on this planet
to survive without clean water. But although the governor has spoken out to save Lake
Champlain, he has yet to publicly support saving our surface drinking waters from human
activities.
Vermonts Water Quality policy commits to (1) protect and enhance the quality, character and usefulness of surface waters and insure the public health; (2) [to] maintain
the purity of drinking water [and] to seek over the long term to upgrade the quality of
waters and to reduce existing risks to water quality. 10 V.S.A. Section 1250.
I am a member of the Vermont Clean Water Coalition. We began as the Friends of Berlin
Pond, citizens who came together in 2011-2012 when two kayakers challenged restrictions
against recreational use of Berlin Pond. Berlin Ponds water has been Montpeliers only
drinking water supply since 1884, and was protected from recreational use for over 100
years. It supplies drinking water to over 20,000 citizens, including residents of Montpelier and Berlin, the Central Vermont Medical Center, and all who work and serve in our
Capital City.
Vermonts constitution recognizes the need for regulation: The inhabitants of this State
shall have liberty in seasonable times, to fish in all boatable and other waters (not
private property) under proper regulations to be made and provided by the General Assembly. In the case of Berlin Pond, the Supreme Court determined the recreational use
of Berlin Pond is a matter of state concern requiring a resolution at the state level. These
protections are for the public good, not just for those who fish, hunt, swim and paddle. In
the short time Berlin Pond has been open to recreation we have seen the loss of shoreline
stability, littering, damage to roadside trees and structures, increased turbidity, spreading
milfoil, increased chlorine levels, and increased threats to wetlands and wildlife. It takes

just one footstep, one paddle, one canoe or kayak to introduce an

invasive species into a pristine pond such as Berlin Pond.

We began as Friends of Berlin Pond. Now, as the Vermont Clean

Water Coalition we have expanded our mission. We now seek to
protect all of Vermonts at-risk water supplies, including Berlin Pond,
Dix Reservoir, Howe Pond, Barton Reservoir, and Mendon Brook.
We are lobbying for support of a bill currently before the legislature,
H.33. We have the support of the Toxics Action Center, the Sierra Club, and the Blue
Planet Network. H.33 proposes to authorize municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate surface water use when that water is used as a municipalitys public drinking water
supply. The bill was introduced by Rep. Kitzmiller and is sponsored by representatives
Leigh Dakin, Mary Hooper, Kathleen C. Keenan, Terry Macaig, Jim McCullough, and
Tommy Walz. You can follow the progress of H.33 at http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/
status/2016/H.0033.
As Kitzmiller reminded our lawmakers, one cannot argue that human interaction improves (water supply), it degrades. So why ask to recreate (on drinking water supplies
such as Berlin Pond)? Such use is ludicrous when a municipality has just one possible
drinking water supply. There are 800 lakes and ponds in Vermont over five acres in size.
Recreationalists often have numerous larger and deeper bodies of water within a few miles
of these sources of drinking water (for example, in the case of Berlin Pond, there are 20
within a 25-mile radius of Montpelier and 11 within 20 miles).
We must act before our population explodes as more people move in for the luxury of our
water supplies, before Lake Champlain and other surface waters are contaminated beyond
repair, before Vermonters must pay dearly for the privilege of drinking safe, clean water.
Talk with lawmakers. Use social media. Legislators will look on Facebook to see what
support we have. Our website is http://www.vtccleanwater.org and our Facebook page
is https://www.facebook.com/VermontCleanWaterCoalition. Publicize and rally support
for the practical concept of authorizing municipal water districts to manage and protect
their own water supplies. There are many ways to contribute time, energy, funds. Join
the cause now and help save Vermonts drinking water. The threat to our drinking water
supply and the taxpayer expense of remediating its pollution can be inexpensively and
practically resolved by passing H.33 to give communities whose lives depend on it the
authority to protect their drinking water sources.
The author is a retired Montpelier attorney and founding member of the Vermont Clean
Water Coalition.

Acupuncture Benefit
Raises $2,000 for
Cancer Treatment
by Nat Frothingham
MONTPELIER Some 50 people dined on a five-course, authentic Chinese meal on
Feb. 21 to celebrate Chinese New Year and to raise $2,000 to benefit the acupuncture
program now in its fourth year at the National Life Cancer Treatment Center at the
Central Vermont Medical Center.
Both Kerry Boyle Jenni and Joshua Singer are licensed acupuncturists at Integrative
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with offices in Montpelier, and Singer talked with
The Bridge by phone after the Chinese New Year fundraising dinner.
For the past four years, Singer has been offering acupuncture to patients at the National Life Cancer Treatment Center and he sees the technique as one of a number of
complementary therapies where the practice of oriental medicine supports the practice
of western medicine.
Talking specifically about the benefits of oriental medicine, Singer said, With acupuncture and massage, we are helping make the cancer treatment process easier. We are
addressing anxiety.
He said that sometimes cancer patients can experience nausea from chemotherapy.
They have fatigue,he said. They have sleep disturbance issues, he said. And acupuncture and/or massage can help make chemotherapy treatment more effective.
Singer noted that major national cancer treatment centers such as the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute in Boston and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New
York City are using acupuncture along with their standard treatments. Here in central Vermont, Singer said, the medical center is on the cutting edge in offering these
complementary services at least in New England.

Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

PAG E 8 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

New Boutique Brings More Style to Downtown Montpelier

by Ashley Witzenberger, executive director of Montpelier Alive
MONTPELIER There is a buzz in downtown Montpelier about the new womens clothing store, Bailey
Road. Owner Sarah DeFelice invites you to step into
a world of high-end fabrics, vibrant colors and unique
pieces. Her store offers quality clothing, handbags and
jewelry, all at accessible prices. Since opening in April
2014, Bailey Road has also become known for creative
window displays that rival any retail window in New
York City.

womens clothing stores in Montpelier, and the experience prepared her to take a chance to go out on
her own to create a career that combines her passion
for fashion, her creativity and her love of business.
Earlier this month, the 26 year-old was the entrepreneur speaker at a celebration for National Entrepreneurship Week at the State House in Montpelier
and inspired others like her to follow their dream of
starting a business.

DeFelice and her staff are dedicated to customer service

and create a fun environment when you come in to try
on clothes. Whether you need stylish clothes for the
office, fashions for mommies on the go, or something
party-perfect, you will find it at Bailey Road. DeFelice is
not a slave to passing fashion trends and believes women
should build their wardrobe with quality basics with
splashes of special pieces. Her jewelry and accessories
have become staples for her regular customers as a way
to freshen up any outfit.

Being busy with her new store hasn't stopped DeFelice from getting involved in the community and
giving back. She jumped right in with the Montpelier Business Association, where she quickly became
secretary, and she is already an active member of
Montpelier Alive. She has also taken on the task of
organizing Montpeliers Bag-That-Bag initiative--a
community effort to reduce the presence of disposable plastic bags. Each time a customer declines a bag
Bailey Road located at 44 Main St., Montpelier.
for a purchase in a participating business, they put a
nickel in a jar; the dollars raised are then donated to
Bailey Road is host to many creative events, where shopping becomes social and even
the
Montpelier
Food
Pantry.
Bailey
Road is also a sponsor of The Green Mountain Film
more enjoyable. Many of these events cater to significant others looking for the perfect
Festival
in
downtown
Montpelier
this
year.
gift for the important women in their lives. It seems like there is always something exciting going on at this downtown store.

DeFelice is from central Vermont and says she is inspired by her family. The name Bailey
Road comes from her great grandparents farm in Northfield, where DeFelice spent so
much time as a child. DeFelice learned the retail ropes from years of working in other

The future for Bailey Road looks bright, and DeFelice says she has big plans and will
eventually launch an online store. If you havent stopped by Bailey Road at 44 Main
Street in Montpelier, we recommend you do so soon. You can also find Bailey Road on
Facebook, where you can learn fashion tips, find information about store sales, and see
details of special events.

Green Mountain Film Festival Returns to Enliven March

by Dahria Messina

MONTPELIER The Green Mountain Film Festival is a tradition that residents of

Montpelier look forward to every year. For a few days in the middle of March, the town
comes alive with discussion of the event. From classics and contemporary masterpieces to
student-made films, there is something for every fan of films.
The first Green Mountain Film Festival was held in the late 1990s. It then became an
annual event, complete with special appearances by filmmakers, directors, producers, and
even actors. The story of the festivals beginnings is quite a tale. The original idea for the
festival came from a group of students who approached the Savoy Theaters previous owners, Rick Winston and Andrea Serota. When extenuating circumstances made it impossible for the original group to continue on with the festival, it fell into Rick and Andreas
lap, as Terry Youk, one of the hard-working organizers of the festival said. The idea of
the event caught on quickly. People loved being able to view films from all over the world,
especially during a season when many are suffering from cabin fever. Its like traveling!
Youk said, a smile in his voice. Youk has since taken over both the Savoy Theater and the
Green Mountain Film Festival.

This year, the festival will be held from March 20 to March 29. The films for this years
festival are currently being chosen and will include a wide variety of genres. When asked
about the process of selecting films for the event, Youk chuckled and said, Its chaos.
It is organized chaos, though, with two groups of programmers. One group finds films,
and the other group performs such tasks as contacting distributors, organizing viewings
and voting on potential films. In this process, a list of hundreds of films will be narrowed
down to a selection of 70 or so. With a mix of feature-length and short-subject, foreign
and local, big-name and unheard-of films and filmmakers, the Green Mountain Film
Festival is equally a celebration of diversity and community. This event is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, events to happen in Montpelier on an annual basis. Lasting for 10
days and bringing in 7,000 to 10,000 people is not something that any other event in this
town can boast of. Youk described it as the backbone of the arts community, a statement
that is hard to refute. Between the exciting special appearances and the wide selection of
films from around the globe, theres a lot to look forward to during this springs Green
Mountain Film Festival.

Consolidation Discussed at E. Montpelier Town Meeting

by Carla Occaso

EAST MONTPELIER Annual Town Meeting Day went off without any hot elections
or unusual ballot items, but the trend of upward school spending, downward student
enrollment and increased property taxes spawned conversation in the gymnasium of East
Montpelier Elementary School on March 3.

districts would look like, such as moving East Montpelier sixth graders to U-32, which
would make room for additional students in grades pre-K through fifth, Bennett said. A
meeting to study financial implications of reconfiguring schools is coming up on March
25, he said.

Both budgets passed for U-32 High School and East Montpelier Elementary School,
even though both were up and enrollment is down. U-32s total operating budget is
$14,915,715, up from 14,833,463 budgeted for 2014-15 (although a deficit of $163,244 is
projected, according to the school report). East Montpeliers 2015-16 elementary school
budget is $4,133,843, up from $4,119,588 the previous year. U-32 went from 814 students
in 2010 to a projected amount of 793 in 2015. The elementary school saw enrollment drop
from 245 in 2010 to 213 in 2015. However, East Montpelier Elementary school board
Chairman Rubin Bennett explained during the meeting that more incoming younger
students are expected, and they cant just get rid of workers only to rehire them as student
numbers increase.

At least one community member echoed that idea as perhaps necessary. I am a strong
supporter of the school, but I cant help looking at these numbers and being concerned
about where we are going. Weve had a 25 percent budget increase in the past five years.
I dont think that is sustainable (and a solution) may have to include consolidation, said
Nathan Phillips.

When the public was invited to ask questions or make comments after Bennett finished
his presentation, talk of consolidation emerged to address the fact that the school, which
just underwent $8 million worth of additions and renovations, would see fewer and fewer
students. We are, in fact, on a per pupil basis, spending higher than state average, said
school board Vice Chairman Stephen Looke, who said East Montpelier spends $16,840
per pupil while the state average is $14,411.
Plans to ease future spending include modeling what consolidation with other school

Another way out could be attracting more families with children to East Montpelier, according to school board member Flor Diaz Smith. It is one of our goals to have families
move here for our schools, she said.
As for the town portion of the meeting, the proposed budget passed and all the incumbents are back in office, according to Terri Conti, town clerk, who herself was re-elected
unopposed to a fourth term. The select board asked voters to approve $1,620,701 for
laying out and repairing highways and for other necessary town expenses, for the
upcoming fiscal year beginning in July. $38,614.00 was allocated for East Montpeliers
share to support the Kellogg Hubbard Library and other allocations were set aside to operate the Four Corners Schoolhouse, East Montpelier Cemetery, East Montpelier Trails
and Montpelier Senior Activity Center. In addition, $8,333 was approved for the Green
Mountain Transit Authority.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 9

T H E B R I D G E

Local Nurse Seeks to Send Medical Supplies from Vermont

to Ebola-Hit Liberia
by Nat Frothingham

BERLIN Laurie Hanson, a local registered

nurse, has organized a spirited local outreach
project to gather up outdated personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns, gloves
and other medical supplies from local Vermont hospitals and health organizations and
then ship them to Monrovia, Liberias capital
city, for distribution elsewhere. Hansen is connected to the University of Vermont Health
Network, which is associated with the Central
Vermont Medical Center.
Although several news sources report the Ebola
epidemic may be in retreat, the situation continues to be worrying. In parts of Liberia,
like the north central county of Bong, people
continue to fear another sudden outbreak that
could quickly spread. In short, according to
Hanson, It just takes one person to contract
Ebola for the situation to change dramatically.
In collecting outdated medical supplies and protective gear and getting them shipped to
Liberia, Hanson sees a Vermont benefit. Since these items would normally be headed to
a landfill here, this project will help protect Liberians exposed to Ebola as well reduce the
material that goes into our own landfills.
Hanson ends her campaign letter by thanking the many people who have donated medical supplies. These supplies include a sterilization unit and much-needed medications.
Her campaign letter re-emphasizing the need for additional help with these words, I
am presently accepting all outdated (and dated) supplies including haz-mat suits and Im
seeking cash donations to pay for shipping costs. These supplies will go a long way toward
prevention and readiness should another outbreak strike.
Hanson ends her campaign letter with this request. Please email me to arrange a pickup
and/or send all cash donations to PPE VT/Liberia (Partners in Protection from Ebola).
For further information please contact Laurie at her e-mail address: lottyo@gmail.com.

Liberia-Based Leo Kponbowoe Will Distribute Supplies

LIBERIA The ultimate success of the Vermont-to-Liberia project will depend on a
partnership that has been developed between two Vermont women and Leo Kponbowoe,
a native Liberian and an experienced community organizer. Sending the supplies into the
country is one thing, but seeing that they get distributed to community centers, clinics
and caregivers is what will make the project succeed. And that task will fall to Kponbowoe.
That Kponbowoe has been identified as the key Liberian partner is hardly accidental.

children under his care.

These were among Ridpaths first impressions
of Kponbowoe, Leo was 27. He showed the
visitors his nursery for starting plants, walked
them through his fields and discussed any
changes or improvements that were needed.
The kids tagged along and obviously adored
him.
As time went by, Ridpath observed Kponbowoe
in a number of situations. At the orphanage,
He was a wonderful father. He was kind, loving and responsive but also expected respectful
behavior in return. He received it. His interaction with the white adults was mature and he
was respected and encouraged by them.

Gurley Street, Monrovia Ridpath decided to encourage Kponbowoe to

apply to college. And when he needed additional skills to succeed in college, Ridpath encouraged Kponbowoe to attend a computer
school where he excelled and graduated.

Writing about Kponbowoe, Ridpath said, The ex-pats tutored him. He showed amazing
sensitivity in working with the country director. He knew when to speak and when to be
quiet. He could sit quietly for hours in the directors living room until the director was
ready to help him with homework and improving his study skills. Michelle, another ex
pat gave him her computer. The staff that came from the United State to help integrate
the ex-combatants would jog with him in the morning. They liked him so much that they
left him their clothes.
In due course, Ridpath decided to support Kponbowoe and when she returned to the U.S.
she continued to help Kponbowoe and put him through college.
In 2014, the Ebola epidemic hit Liberia. Here is how Ridpath described that recent
troubled period.
(In Liberia,) of the more than 8,000 cases, approximately 4,000 people died. The optimism experienced in 2003 crashed. In its place was economic disaster. There were dead
bodies. The Liberians had seen too much of death. They had starved before.
When Ridpath heard from friends of hers in Liberia via e-mail their messages reflected anger, fear and powerlessness. Liberians were finding the Ebola epidemic worse
than the wars. They couldnt leave their country for safety. Outside medical help came
and things changed. In the end, the people pulled together and changed the behaviors
that spread the disease.
Ridpath believes that Ebola is in retreat and she notes that Leo used his skill to help
educate people about the disease.

In 2004, Montpelier resident Carolyn Ridpath (then 62) traveled to Monrovia to work
for a project supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide a
range of programs to help Liberians after a devastating period of civil war, terrorism and
destruction.

Carolyn Ridpath, Prince Leo Kponbowoe

and friend

In a recent memo to The Bridge, Ridpath both accounts for and describes what she saw
on the ground in Liberia when she arrived in 2004 to take up her Mercy Corps duties as
finance manager.
The year 2003 was a momentous year for the country of Liberia. (The countrys past) president Charles Taylor was exiled to Nigeria and an interim government was installed. For the
first time in years, the people of Liberia had a chance at stability. (Taylor) left behind a broken country and broken people. The buildings and infrastructure were destroyed. The people
terrorized or killed. Many of the survivors fled to camps for the internally displaced or were
evacuated to camps in Ghana or Nigeria. Others walked to Guinea, moved to the Ivory Coast
or came to the U.S.
Gradually, the people returned and went into the bush and rebuilt their villages. Ex-combatants were assimilated. Those who went to neighboring countries returned. They returned
to a country whose infrastructure was seriously damaged. In Monrovia there was no sewer,
water, electricity, postal service, or land-line phone service. Non-governmental agencies and
businesses worked around these problems. They had generators and water trucked in. The
disappearance of the sewage was a mystery that was never discussed. The cell phones operated.
Ridpath worked with programs seeking to improve literacy, fund small business projects,
reintegrate ex-combatants and build radio stations.
It was during her first weekend in Liberia that Ridpath first met Kponbowoe who was the
manager of an orphanage and who was working to improve the quality of the food for the

Prince Leo Kponbowoe

Prince Leo Kponbowoe was born in rural Liberia in 1978. His family were subsistence
farmers. His grandfather was a chief. Kponbowoes family valued education and sent Leo
and his sister Patience to school. During the wars that plagued Liberia, Kponbowoe and
his sister, Patience, were separated. She went to live in a refugee camp in Nigeria. Kponbowoe went to work at orphanages. In 2004, Kponbowoe came to the attention of Carolyn
Ridpath, an American woman from Vermont who was working as a finance manager with
Mercy Corps in Monrovia.
Ridpath offered to help Kponbowoe get a college education. He graduated from college in
2011. As a college student he became involved in various student movements and in union
organizing. After college, he became a union negotiator. Kponbowoe and Patience were
reunited. During the Eboloa outbreak in 2014, Kponbowoe worked in Monrovia educating
his fellow Liberians about how Ebola spreads. Kponbowoe is planning to run in the 2017
race for election to the Liberian Legislature. He wants a strong leadership role in Liberia
and seeks to improve the lives of all Liberians and bring transparency to government.

PAG E 10 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Reality Bites (the Dust)

by Walt Amses

Opinion

he snow is so deep and powdery that it has a flow, like

wading through three feet of water without resistance as
my snowshoes seem to glide like walking on a cloud. By
any measure, its bitterly cold but it doesnt seem to matter this day.
Abundant sunshine and no wind coupled with the sound-absorbing
snow provide a dreamlike quality. The woods could be anywhere, I
could be anyone. The amorphous nature of this reality is hypnotic. At times the boundaries between my ending and the forest beginning are trippy and unclear.

Unfortunately, like most of us, I think a little too much for my own good and theres
nothing that can spoil an otherwise transcendent trek than harkening back to the Bush
Administration, which I manage to do so seamlessly that questioning my own sanity or
a therapy appointment seems a logical next step. But no. I eventually get it. I realize its
the bleeping reality thing.
Ten years ago or so, journalist Ron Suskind interviewed a White House aide to President
George Bush who chastised Suskind as a member of the reality based community. He
went on to explain that the United States was an empire now and consequently
when we act, we create our own reality. Although I tittered at the notion of a faithbased presidency, staffed by a band of evangelical chuckleheads, Bush was re-elected three
months later and we all know how that turned out.
Ratchet forward a decade as we ever so slowly recover from the catastrophic impact of
those years economically, while the Middle East remains in meltdown, we find defy-

ing conventional wisdom that reality, as predicted, has become

relative, with facts merely an annoyance, particularly if they contradict an already strongly held belief. Research demonstrates that
weirdly, our beliefs become increasingly entrenched when challenged
or disproven.

The idea that being conclusively wrong causes us to become even

more steadfast in our delusions, doesnt bode well for rational discourse and is even more
troubling with our politics quickly degenerating into fooling enough of the people enough
of the time. The bipartisanship weve longed for seems to have arrived unfortunately gift
wrapped in daffy mythology. Factions on both the left and right agree, for instance, that
parental discretion trumps science where childhood vaccinations are concerned. Because
Who knows better than parents?
Once President Obama advocated vaccinating kids, resistance from the right was immediate and predictable: The conservative holy grail of big gubmint, and the purported
takeover (of parenting) sounded alarm bells. Jack-booted thugs armed with hypodermic
needles. Whole-foods lefties, particularly in California, startlingly, seem to agree. Mostly
because they think theyre smarter than everyone else including doctors.
The result of this strange collaboration of magical thinking was measles in the Magic
Kingdom. As outbreaks popped up for the first time in years, beginning most prominently in Disneyland, America yawned collectively, irritated at having their lives interrupted for something not nearly as exciting as Ebola and not specifically about them.
To make matters infinitely worse, our sources of information were dramatically narrowed
as NBCs Brian Williams suddenly became as trustworthy as Jenny McCarthy and John
Stewart announced his departure from the Daily Show only a matter of weeks after Steven Colbert said goodbye. More sobering were the premature deaths of 60 Minutes Bob
Simon in an automobile accident and media critic David Carr, who collapsed in his New
York Times office and died later at a hospital.
Digesting the implications of all this, I begin sweating despite the single digit temperature. I remember reading that Fox News has become the highest rated cable news network
despite the fact that survey after survey demonstrated their viewers constitute the worst
informed segment of the news viewing public. Thoroughly abandoning even the illusion
of objectivity, the networks only requirement appears to be the prerequisite rejection of
all things Obama. I imagine a world where Fox becomes the primary source of information. Suddenly, Im cold.
Did I hallucinate a recent (actual) Sean Hannity interview with Duck Dynasty patriarch
Phil Robertson picture Gendalf in a camo headband on how to combat ISIS,
wherein viewers learned our options were to either Convert them or kill them? The
mystified host lamented the president not coming up with this brilliant solution himself.
Robertson probably knows better, but being a favorite redneck bumpkin is far more lucrative than utilizing his masters degree in education. When your demographic has been
nurtured into believing practically anything, it hardly matters what you say.
My thought bubble explosively bursts as I step out of the woods, onto a frozen pond, momentarily stunned by a sky so blue, snow so white and sun dogs so prominent that lying
and indeed, even dying, seem dwarfed by comparison. I spy an almost buried Adirondack
chair, twisted and weathered by many such winters, aim it south and plop like a window
cat. I pour a steaming cup of tea, and for the next 20 or so minutes before the cold
catches up Im certain this reality is the only one I need.
Walt Amses is a writer and former educator from North Calais.

Humor

You are Not Ready to Retire

to Vermont, if:
by Colin Tait
You dont realize that Vermont has five seasons: Early winter, hard winter, late winter,
mud season and getting ready for winter.
You think Vermont and New Hampshire are divided only by the Connecticut River.
You think Montpelier is a city in France
You think that Vermont highway signs that warn watch out for deer, moose or bear
are posted by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce
You expect to find a Starbucks or McDonalds within walking distance.
You think Vermont Grade A syrup tastes better than Grade B.
You think the Green Mountain Boys are a rock band.
You think frozen pipes and power outages would be an adventure
You think that following behind a manure wagon for five miles on a rural road would
be a stress free way to enjoy Vermonts pastoral scenery.
You think you can become a native Vermonter if you live here long enough.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 11

T H E B R I D G E

A Toast to Glenn Tosi

by Nat Frothingham

glass of red wine down her back.

lenn we raise a glass to you for who

you are and what you have achieved
as a graduate of Montpelier High
School and the University of Vermont with
a degree in French, as a high-school French
teacher for 22 years, and for your illustrious
career of more than 50 years as a waiter, beginning when you were 13 years old as a busboy
at Howard Johnsons and from there to 17 different restaurants in Montpelier, Northfield,
Waterbury, Stowe, Burlington and the coast
of Maine.
Tosi, a popular (and often requested) waiter
today at J. Morgans in the Capitol Plaza Hotel
in Montpelier, describes himself as a World
War II baby. Tosis mother was from a small
town in Alsace-Lorraine near the French-German border. His father was an American GI
who worked as a stonecutter in his brothers
sandblasting operation in Barre.

Tosi said again, still defending himself. She

hit me. I just dumped it right down her back.
I brought it down and washed it, but I ended
up having to pay for her whole outfit 80
bucks, Tosi remembered.

Glenn Tosi. Photo by Carla Occaso.

As a boy, Tosi watched his mother struggle

with polio. She was in an iron lung for three months. She had one of the worst cases of
polio, Tosi said. But she had three young children and she overcame the odds. She had
parallel bars and braces on both of her legs. She learned to walk all over again.
Soon after his mother recovered, Tosis parents divorced, and his grandmother came from
France to live with the family. I taught her how to speak English; she taught me how
to speak French, Tosi related. It was Tosis love of French that propelled him to UVM,
where he majored in French, minored in Spanish, and spent his junior year studying
French in Paris and Nice.
Tosi grew up in Montpelier. We lived in a second-story apartment on Elm Street. It was
called Elm Street because of the big, beautiful elm trees. There was a big elm in front of
the house, and there were Baltimore orioles that would build these big hanging nests. I
remember State Street being lined with those elm trees.
In the 1950s and 1960s there were plenty of kids in Montpelier. Tosi was one of 900 kids
packed into the building that still houses Montpelier High. Growing up on Elm Street
there were kids in every house: three of them, four of them, the Codys seven of them,
seven in one family, four in another. In the Meadow, every house had kids. We would play
in an old field. You could easily get three kids together to play a pick-up football game.
Thats a demographic thats different.
It was that changing demographic that led to lower school enrollments and, in turn, to
Tosi teaching French part-time and then losing his teaching position altogether. But Tosi
had never given up his career as a waiter.
Based on his genuine pleasure in telling it, one of Tosis favorite waiting-on-tables stories
is about serving a formal dinner for dignitaries from UVM at the Thatcher Brook Inn.
This one woman was wearing a lime green outfit. It was very becoming on her. As I came
over with my tray of drinks, she turned and her elbow hit my tray, and I dumped a whole

Editorial

Tosi said hes not sure that the dining public

really understands the hard work of waiting
on tables. Hes worked in restaurants that
suddenly fill up with people. At Villa Tragara,
for example, The place was more than busy,
Tosi said. At another big restaurant in Stowe
Tosi said, On some Sundays there were helicopters that would land in the parking lot.
The Quarterdeck Restaurant in Bar Harbor,
Maine, would be open from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
At 5 p.m. there would be a line out the door
in front of the restaurant and you couldnt see
the end of it. One afternoon we had a line of
people waiting to get in when the Rockefellers parked their boat at the pier down by the
waterfront, and the boss said Youve got 17 of the Rockefellers. I want you to take good
care of them. To which I replied, Ill give them great service just like everybody else.
On a recent Sunday he arrived for work at J. Morgans at 7 a.m. The Sunday brunch opens
at 8 a.m., but coffee had to be made, everything had to be stocked up, and the reservations had to be in place. A lot of times you dont have a break. After Sunday brunch is
over, we have to take down the brunch and put it away, clean the chafing dishes, remove
the dirty linen, then vacuum the Montpelier Room. It was 10 minutes after 4 p.m. when
I finished my shift.
Waiting on tables used to be pretty straightforward. When I first waited on tables there
was coffee and decaf and Sanka in packets. For tea you got a tea bag. There werent any
of these herbal teas.
Nobody asked for skim milk. There was milk. Beer? We carried a couple of brands. Now,
there are 17,000 different kinds of beer. And there was no such thing as a vegetarian or
a vegan.
A waiter is constantly on move Tosi says. One night at The Shed restaurant in Stowe the
waiters wore pedometers. On that particular shift I walked four and a half miles. In my
career Ive probably walked around the world, Tosi grandly concluded.
Talking broadly about his service as a waiter, he said.
Youre on stage. You have to be congenial, knowledgeable. Its what you project. And you
develop a closeness to people, Tosi said. Dealing with children, losing elderly people,
thats all part of it. There was one person who came in regularly, Tosi said. She was in
her 90s. She died when she was 100. One day her son came in and said to me, She just
loved coming in. She just loved having you wait on her. She loved coming here because
of you.

The Bridge on Kickstarter

he Bridge is on Kickstarter with a fundraising campaign. Our goal is $10,000.

Already were up and over $3,000 in pledges but were in the countdown at the
end of a 30-day drive.

We put The Bridge on Kickstarter to reach out to old and new friends who want to support the paper as it works with writers, artists and photographers and report the stories
of whats happening in Montpelier, Barre and all the other communities of Washington
County.
Most people have heard about Kickstarter a way of going online to fundraise for a
project in art, comics, theater, publishing, music, dance, fashion, design and yes,
journalism.
According to Kickstarter itself, 8.1 million people have pledged more than $1.6 billion
to fund 79,000 creative projects.
Many of the Kickstarter projects are totally new. Theres a project to make a fabulous
potato salad that more than reached its goal. Theres a project to make a film that was
nominated for an Oscar. Theres a new card game that features exploding kittens.
Then theres The Bridge. where we want to dig in and develop the paper, involve more
people, and represent the community with all of its human and natural diversity and
wonder, with its entire range of creativity and intelligence, with stories that are worth
paying attention to and that deserve our community-wide discussion.
Please help us do that by making a pledge and you can pledge as little as dollar or as
much as you want. But the clock. The clock is telling we have very little time left.
Please, therefore, pledge right now, or if not right now, today.

by Nat Frothingham

Heres how:
1. Go to Kickstarter.com
2. Select: Search Projects and type in The Bridge. That will bring you to The
Bridge: Free, Independent & Local
3. Enjoy our video
4. Select the green rectangle that says: Back this Project.
5. Choose a donation level from $1 to $5,000
Thanks in advance.

PAG E 12 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Circus Smirkus Camp Among the Many

Summer Options in Vermont
Story continued from Page 1
going to the website smirkus.org.
Other summer programs include:
Barre City Recreation Department, Challenger Sports British Soccer, RLAmoury@challengersports.com
Also under Barre City Recreation this summer is a Harry Potter Magic Camp, BuildYour Own All-Terrain Vehicle Camp, and Crime Scene Investigation Super Science
Sleuths. Call 476-0257 or emailsquaranta@barrecity.org.

Photos courtesy of Circus Smirkus.

Camp Agape at Vermont Covenant Hills Christian Camp, Cabot, 802-988-9965. info@
campagapevermont.org A free, week-long camp for children in Vermont who have
experienced a parents incarceration.
Contemporary Dance and Fitness, Montpelier, 229-4676
First in Fitness, Montpelier and Berlin, 223-6161
Lotus Lake Camp, Williamstown, 433-5451, 793-4985
Montpelier Department of Recreation, 225-8699, pennyd@mpsvt.org
Mountaineers Baseball Camp, Montpelier, 223-0517
Shooting Star Dance Camp, Barre, 479-1293
Rosies Girls, Barre, 802- 622-0400, ext. 159, 800-639-1472 orrosiesgirls@vtworksforwomen.org
River Rock, Montpelier, 223-4700
Sunrise Gymnastics, Barre, 223-0517
The Wood Summer Camp, 262-6035

Summer Camps
2015

T H E B R I D G E

Summer Camps
2015

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 13

PAG E 14 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier Bicycle

Advisory Committee. First Thurs., 8 a.m. Police
Station Community Room, 534 Washington St.,
Montpelier. 262-6273.
Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.
2014 Hospital Budget Actuals 10:30 a.m.noon;
possible vote on proposed changes to 2016 Qualified Health Plans on Vermont Health Connect;
2013 Expenditure Analysis; and vote on Data Governance Charter 14 p.m. GMCB Board Room,
City Center Building, 89 Main St., 2F, Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Diabetes Support Group. First Thurs., 78 p.m.
Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical
Center. 371-4152.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Tax Assistance. AARP certified tax preparers can

help you prepare your federal and state taxes. By
appointment. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2,
Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. Call to
set up appointment and you will be told the necessary papers you need to bring with you: 223-3322.
Death Caf. Group discussion about death with
no agenda, objectives or themes. Not a grief support or counseling session. First Fri., 11:45 a.m.1
p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2, Blueberry
Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. Bring your own
lunch or eat at the center for $4. 223-3322.
Annual Pork Loin Takeout Dinner. Pork loin and
gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, rolls,
applesauce and dessert. Pick-up between 4 and 6
p.m. Waterbury Center Community Church, Rte.
100 (next to Cold Hollow Cider Mill), Waterbury
Center. $9. Advance reservations required: 2448089
Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your
own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.
First Fri., 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist
Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and enter
at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@
comcast.net.
Green Mountain Club Taylor Lecture Series.
"Mountains at 15 Knots: Norway from the
Deck of Hurtigruten" with Reidun and Andrew Nuquist. 7 p.m. GMC headquarters, 4711
Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center. $8 nonmember; $5 member; kids under 12 free.
Game Night. Bring your favorite board, card, or
dice game and join a table of friends with a round
of drinks for a night of fun. We also have an
arcade filled with hundreds of your favorite games!
Challenge: Get the highest double player score on
Marvel vs. Capcom, win a prize! 7 p.m. Espresso
Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479-0896. espressobueno.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7
National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier
Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room,
1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.
Worcester Rangers Snowmobile Club. Come
chat and have fun with other snowmobilers. Breakfast and lunch: coffee, donuts, hamburgers and

hot dogs. 9 a.m.1 p.m. Snowmobile trail C212,

Worcester Village at Calais Rd., near Worcester
School and Sand Pit.
Catholic Daughters' 25th annual Flea Market. Antiques, jewelry, collectibles, crafts, white
elephant, books, food concession and raffle. 9
a.m.2 p.m. Central Vermont Catholic School, 79
Summer St., Barre. Adults $1; children under 12
free. 272-6599.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament. An informal
tournament every first and third Sat., 10 a.m.1
p.m. Aldrich Library, Teen Room, 6 Washington
St., Barre. Free. 476-7550. aldrichlibrary@gmail.
com. aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Sugar-onsnow, sample farm fresh creations from NECI,
over 30 farmers, food producers and craftspeople.
Music by Tom MacKenzie and Friends. Featuring
10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St.,
Montpelier. manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.
com. capitalcityfarmersmarket.com.
Conversations from the Working Landscape
in Cabot. Who Is Your Market? Do You Really
Know or Do You Think You Know? presented by
Mateo Kehler of the Cellars at Jasper Hill. Part of
a series of exciting, free workshops for local businesses and entrepreneurs presented by the Cabot
Agricultural Network and the Cabot Community
Association. 10:30 a.m. Cabot Town Hall (Willey
Building), 3084 Main St., Cabot. Free. 563-3338.
sjon@rhapsodynaturalfoods.com.
Osteoporosis Education and Support Group.
For those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, have a family member who has
been diagnosed or want to learn about osteoporosis. Learn from a variety of guest speakers and
medical specialists. First Sat., 13 p.m. Community National Bank, Community Room, Crawford
Rd., Derby. 535-2011. mary@betterbonesnek.org.
betterbonesnek.org.
Second Annual We Saved Bolton Nordic and
Backcountry Lands Celebration. Ski and
snowshoe tours of the Nordic and backcountry
trails, activities for kids and aprs-ski catering. 26
p.m. Bolton Valley, 4302 Bolton Valley Access
Rd., Bolton Valley. $10 for Vermont Land Trust,
Catamount Trail Association, and Green Mountain Club members; $15 non-members; children
12 and under free. All participants must purchase
a $5 Bolton trial pass at the Nordic Center unless
they hold a season pass. Register: vlt.org/events.
262-1222. cgauthier@vlt.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

Ride for the Bridge Indoor Cycling Marathon.

Cross Vermont Trail fundraiser to build Winooski
River Bridge. Our indoor bikes or your wind trainer. Individual or teams. Different instructor and
playlist each hour. 9 a.m.noon. First in Fitness,
1 Blanchard Ct., Montpelier. $55 individual; $90
teams of two or three. All proceeds to the Build
the Bridge campaign. 498-0079. greg@crossvermont.org. bmerryless@u32.org. crossvermont.org.

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Barre Blood Drive. Sponsored by Project Independence. All presenting donors will receive a
$5 coupon for Freihofer's Bakery Outlet. 11:30

THE BRIDGE

a.m.5:30 p.m. Barre Elks Lodge, 10 Jefferson St.

(behind Aldrich Public Library), Barre. For more
information: 249-5877. Make an appointment at
1-800-RED CROSS or redcrossblood.org.
Free Cultural Facilities Grant Seeker Workshop. For Vermont nonprofit organizations and
municipalities interested in applying for FY2016
Cultural Facilities grants. Hosted by the Vermont
Arts Council. The Cultural Facilities program
awards grants of up to $30,000 to assist Vermont
nonprofit organizations and municipalities in
expanding the capacity of existing buildings to
provide cultural activities for the public. The deadline for applications is Fri., May 1. Program and
application material overview, 2:304:30 p.m.;
ADA accessibility projects application tips and
information, 4:305:30 p.m. Barre Opera House,
6 N. Main St., Barre. vermontartscouncil.org.
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 6-7:30 p.m. Conference Center. 600 Granger
Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.
Whats Up Your Sleeve, Grandpa? Rob Mermin,
founder of Circus Smirkus, presents a hands-on
magic class of easy-to-do tricks, puzzles and homemade amusements especially for grandparents,
aunts and uncles, teachers, and parents to impress
youngsters. Bring a notebook. 7 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. vista@kellogghubbard.org.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

Snowshoe Duxbury with Green Mountain Club.

Moderate. 3.2 miles round trip. Long Trail on
Bamforth Ridge, from Duxbury Road to Duxbury
Window. Bring lunch, water and ski poles. Snow
conditions will determine other equipment needs.
Contact Reidun and Andrew for meeting time and
place: 223-3550.
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 34:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.
479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Free tax
preparation for people who have $53,000 or less in
income. 4:308 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Denice, tax preparation program coordinator: 477-5148.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Second Tues., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Wesley Methodist Church, Main St.,
Waterbury. 476-1480.
Keeping Forests as Forests: The Threat of
Forest Fragmentation in Vermont. A discussion about the forest fragmentation in Vermont.
6:308:30 p.m. Green Mountain Club, 4711
Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center. Free.
505-1540. robb.kidd@sierraclub.org.

Performing
Arts

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

Brownbag Lunch Panel: Do We Still Need

Women's History? Celebrate Women's History
Month over lunch by learning from a panel of
esteemed historians and scholars addressing questions facing women's history in the 21st century.
Moderated by Cary Brown, executive director
of the Vermont Commission on Women. Bring
a lunch free dessert and coffee/tea served.
Noon1 p.m. Vermont History Museum, Pavilion
Building, 109 State St., Montpelier. 828-2180.
vermonthistory.org.
LGBT Seniors Group. The Pride Center of Vermont is starting a planning group for older LGBT
and allied Washington County residents and is
seeking dedicated people to join a core committee
to help structure and plan social, education and
social justice advocacy events for the LGBT community in this area. For older lesbian, gay, bisexual
or transgender individual or ally looking to build
your LGBT community. Bring your own meal,
invite a friend, and don't forget your thinking
caps. Noon1:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 860-7812. jean@
pridecentervt.org.
Tour of Montpeliers New Biomass Heating
Plant. An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program. 1:30 p.m. Meet in the basement conference
room at 120 State St. (DMV building), Montpelier. pdaggett@myfairpoint.net
Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With
Lisa Mas of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wed.,
4:306 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont
Medical Center. lisamase@gmail.com.
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 jeanjolley@myfairpoint.net.
Bereaved Parents Support Group. Second Wed.,
68 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd., Berlin.
Jeneane Lunn 793-2376.
Montpelier City Council Meeting. Second and
fourth Wed., 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers,
Montpelier City Hall. 39 Main St., Montpelier.
montpelier-vt.org.
Song Circle. Community Sing-A-Long with Rich
and Laura Atkinson. A singing background is
not necessary and songbooks will be provided. A
variety of instruments to accompany the singers.
6:45 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.,
Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.
org.
Community Cinema: The Homestretch. Film
follows three homeless teens as they fight to build a
future. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. vista@kellogghubbard.org.
Directed by Tom Blachly. Mar. 13 and 14,
7 p.m.: Mar. 15, 2 p.m. Twinspace, Twinfield Union School, 106 Nasmith Brook Rd.,
Marshfield. Adults $10; student/seniors $5. More
information and ticket reservations: 426-3955.
Mar. 1415: With Women. An inspired new
dance work based on the choreographer's experiences with postpartum depression. Mar. 14, 7
p.m.; Mar. 15, 4 p.m. Contemporary Dance and
Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., 3F, Montpelier.
$1015 suggested donation. suzhen13@yahoo.
com.

THEATER,
STORYTELLING & COMEDY

Mar. 19: Kathleen Kanz Comedy Hour. Adult

content. Every third Thurs., 7 p.m. Capitol
Grounds. 27 State St., Montpelier. $5. 223-7800.
capitolgrounds.com.

Mar. 6: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy

Night. Montpelier's only monthly comedy open
mic. Please support local comedy by performing
or watching those that do. Signups 7:30 p.m.;
show starts 8 p.m. The American Legion Post
#3, 21 Main St., Montpelier. Free; donations
welcome. Bob: 793-3884.

Mar. 2021: Mein Herr. TRIP Dance Company in Stowe performs their award-winning
jazz dance number Mein Herr along with other
award-winning dances. 7 p.m. Spruce Peak
Performing Arts Center, 7320 Mountain Rd.,
Stowe. Adults $25; students $20. 760-4634.
sprucepeakarts.org.

Mar. 7: 9th annual Kaleidoscope of Talent.

Show benefitting Green Mountain United Way.
21 great acts by amateur vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers and comedians in four age groups.
7 p.m. Spaulding High School auditorium, 155
Ayers St., Barre. Adults $10; seniors 62+ and
children under 12 $5. 229-9532. gmunitedway.
org/kaleidoscope.shtml.
Mar. 1315: The Taming of the Shrew. Comedy
by William Shakespeare. Presented by the
Twinfield Drama Club. Students from Twinfield,
U-32 and Montpelier high schools are featured.

AUDITIONS
Mar. 8 and 15: Cinderella. Chandler is holding
auditions for their annual 4th of July musical.
Auditions are open to students age 718. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. For
more information and to register: betsycantlin@
comcast.net.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 15

T H E B R I D G E

Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through Mar. 7: Paintings and drawings by
Katie Runde. Graphite, colored pencils and
oils. Reception: Mar. 5, 57 p.m. Library hours:
Tues.Fri., noon6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m.
Royalton Memorial Library, 23 Alexander Pl., S.
Royalton. katierunde.com.
Through Mar. 8: The Art of Place. Showcasing
work from both well-established and emerging
artists from around the Northeast. The question
placed to these artists How do your surroundings inform your work drew responses from
28 photographers, fiber artists, printmakers,
installation artists, clay artists and painters. Fri.,
36 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., noon3 p.m. Chandler
Center for the Arts, 71-73 Main St., Randolph.
728-6464.
Through Mar. 21: W. Ward, Tiny Mighty. Ink,
watercolor, mixed media with a focus on folklore
with futurism. Jaquith Public Library, 122
School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Through Mar. 27: Ray Brown. Abstract oil
paintings inspired by travel to Florida and Italy.
gallery SIX, 6 Barre St., Montpelier. 552-8620.
gallerysixvt@gmail.com. gallerysixvt.weebly.
com.
Through Mar. 28: HOOKED in the Valley. 36
hooked rug pieces by the Mad River Rug Hookers with a wide range of subject matter, color
and design. Mon.Fri, 10 a.m.3 p.m.; Sat. by
appointment. The Festival Gallery, #2 Village

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.

Vote on Green Mountain at Fox Run Certificate
of Need, VHCIP update. 14 p.m. GMCB Board
Room, City Center Building, 89 Main St., 2F,
Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Windows on Waldorf at Orchard Valley.
Explore the rich grade school curriculum and see
student work with a faculty guide. Learn what
an Orchard Valley Waldorf education offers your
child. 6:308 p.m. OVWS East Montpelier
Campus, Grades Building, 2290 Rte. 14 N., E.
Montpelier. Register: 456-7400. morgan.i@ovws.
org.
Renewable Energy in the Zero Energy Home. A
look at existing technologies for photovoltaics and
solar hot water and available financing options.
Part of a series of workshops for residents and
businesses on how we can each move toward net
zero, hosted by the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee in partnership with Efficiency
Vermont. 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3559. tshea@nationallifegroup.com. eanvt.org/net-zero-montpelier/

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

First in Fitness Therapy Dogs of Vermonts

Doubles Tennis Championship. Mar. 1315.
Two divisions for mens doubles, womens doubles
and mixed doubles. All proceeds support the work
of Therapy Dogs of Vermont. First in Fitness, 652
Granger Rd., Berlin. $50 team registration. For
more details and to register: sbarker@firstinfitness.com.
St. Patrick's Day Dinner. 6 p.m. Barre Congregational Church, 35 Church St., Barre. Adults $11;
children under 10 $5. Reservations: 476-6869.
Friday Night Group. For youth age 1322 who
are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation.
Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers
from Outright VT. Second and fourth Fri.,
6:308 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035. Micah@OutrightVT.
org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

First in Fitness Therapy Dogs of Vermonts

Doubles Tennis Championship. Mar. 1315.
Two divisions for mens doubles, womens doubles
and mixed doubles. All proceeds support the work
of Therapy Dogs of Vermont. First in Fitness, 652
Granger Rd., Berlin. $50 team registration. For

Square, Waitsfield. 496-6682. valleyartsfoundation.org.

Through Mar. 29: Romancing the Garden.
Group show: flowers, fauna, farms, gardens,
buds and blossoms. Thur.Sun., 11 a.m.4 p.m.
Bryan Memorial Gallery, 180 Main St., Jeffersonville.
Through Mar. 31: The Eyes Have It: Portraits
and Figures by August Burns. A collection of
paintings and drawings of men and women by
one of the areas most accomplished portraitists. Gallery hours: MonFri., 8 a.m.4:30 p.m.
The Supreme Court Gallery, Montpelier. Free.
828-5657.
Through Mar. 31: Glen Coburn Hutcheson,
Sketches in Oil. A loose array of work from
observation, imagination, and memory, with
varying degrees of finish. The Skinny Pancake,
89 Main St., Montpelier. glen@glencoburnhutcheson.com. glencoburnhutcheson.com.
Mar. 731: Athena Petra Tasiopoulos, Transcend. Opening Mar. 7, 79 p.m. Mixed media
works on paper. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main
St., Barre. 479-0896. espressobueno.com.
Through Apr. 4: Studio Place Arts. Opening
reception: Mar. 7, 57 p.m. Studio Place Arts,
201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. studioplacearts.com.
Main floor: Rock-Paper-Scissors! More than 15
artists exhibit work involving these materials
or some aspect of the game in their artwork.
Second floor: Remembering Our Future Death.
Collages by Michelle Saffran.
Third floor: Fact and Fiction. Sculptures and
drawings by Margaret Jacobs.
Through Apr. 10: Green Mountain Graveyards:
Photo Exhibit. Fascinating look into the past
with these photographs. Vermont History Musemore details and to register: sbarker@firstinfitness.com.
Legal and Financial Planning: Alzheimers
Disease and Dementia. This course will provide
an overview of pertinent legal documents such as
wills, powers of attorney and health care proxies,
as well as an overview of financial issues and
options like Medicare, Medicaid and veterans
benefits. 9 a.m.noon. Vermont Interactive Technologies, Vermont Department of Labor, 5 Green
Mountain Dr., Montpelier. Free. Registration
required: 1-800-272-3900.
Memory Caf. Social gathering where people in
early to mid-stage memory loss disorders, and
their care partners, can come together to connect
and support one another in a relaxed, non-judgmental atmosphere. 1011:30 a.m. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Free. Liz: 229-9630.
Family Fun Day. Hosted by the Family Center
of Washington County. Ward off mid-winter

um, 109 State St., Montpelier. Exhibit included

in museum fee. 828-2180. amanda.gustin@state.
vt.us. vermonthistory.org/calendar.
Through Apr. 12: Play. Exhibition on the theme
of play filled with interactive artwork from
regional and national artists. Gallery hours:
Wed.Sun., noon5 p.m. Helen Day Art Center,
90 Pond St., Stowe. Donation. 253-8358. mail@
helenday.com. helenday.com/exhibitions/upcoming.
Mar. 6Apr. 12: Experiments: recent paintings
and sculptures by Richard Whitten. Opening
reception: Mar. 6, 6 p.m.; artist talk 6:30 p.m.
Gallery hours: Wed.Sun., noon5 p.m. Helen
Day Art Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-8358.
helenday.com.
Through Apr. 29: Sarah-Lee Terrat, Inside
the Nitty Gritty Commercial Art and the
Creative Process. Mixed media. Explore the
creative process as it relates to design, illustration and public art. Reception: Mar. 5, 57
p.m. Gallery hours: Mon.Thur., 9 a.m.4 p.m.;
Fri., 9 a.m. 2 p.m. The Gallery at River Arts,
74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. 888-1261.
riverartsvt.org.
Through Apr. 22: Chuck Bohn and Frederick
Rudi. Painters from Marshfield. Opening reception: Mar. 7, 35 p.m. Northeast Kingdom
Artisans Guild, 430 Railroad St., St. Johnsbury.
748-0158.
Through Apr. 29: Sandra Shenk, A Celebration
of Color, Light and Form in the Southwest.
Travel and infrared photography. Opening
reception: Mar. 5, 57 p.m. Gallery hours:
Mon.Thurs., 9 a.m. 4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.2 p.m.
Common Space Gallery, River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261. riverartsvt.
org.

doldrums with lively entertainment, activities and

refreshments for children and adults. Entertainment will include Troy Wunderles One Man
Circus and Christopher R and His Flying Purple
Guitar. Other events include arts and crafts, face
painting, and baby playgroup. 10 a.m.1 p.m.
Union Elementary School, 1 Park Ave., Montpelier. Free. Food and snacks available in cafeteria
for a nominal fee. 262-3292.
Ukrainian Egg Demo. With Theresa Somerset.
Noon2 p.m. The Drawing Board, 22 Main St.,
Montpelier. 223-2902. drawingboardvt.com.
Touring Kenya. With Annie Tiberio Cameron.
Slide-illustrated talk about the land and people
of Kenya, its history, geography and wildlife.
A Clarke Lecture Series. Preceded by optional
dinner. Hot cider 6 pm.; vegetarian dinner 6:30
p.m.; presentation 7:45 p.m. Unitarian Church,
130 Main St., Montpelier. Dinner and show $15.
Show only is by donation. Dinner reservations:
229-1246.

Through Apr. 30: Michael T. Jermyn, New

American Impressionism. Local photographer
Michael T. Jermyn presents some new photographic works along with a few old favorites.
Tues.Sun., noon10 p.m. Chill, 32 State St.,
Montpelier. 223-2445 or 223-1570.
Through July 31: 1865, Out of the Ashes: Assassination, Reconstruction, and Healing the Nation. Focuses on the aftermath of the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln, the rehabilitation
of the South and efforts to unify the country.
Museum hours: Mon.Fri., 8 a.m.4 p.m.; Sat.
11 a.m.4 p.m. Norwich University, Sullivan
Museum and History Center, Northfield. 4852183. academics.norwich.edu/museum/

Through July 31: Kara Walker, Juxtaposition,

Contemporary Specters, and Harpers Pictorial History of the Civil War. The artist combined her signature overlays of black silhouettes
with historic lithography to produce poignant
and sharp commentary on stereotypes found
in the nations history of slavery, Jim Crow and
segregation that still infiltrate present stereotypes. Mon.Fri., 8 a.m.4 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.4
p.m. Norwich University, Sullivan Museum and
History Center, Northfield. 485-2183. academics.norwich.edu/museum/

SPECIAL EVENTS
Mar. 11: Art Opening: Crystal Ann PezdirtzStokes. 3 p.m. Sweet Melissas, 4 Langdon St.,
Montpelier. Free. 225-6012. facebook.com/
sweetmelissasvt.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

First in Fitness Therapy Dogs of Vermonts

Doubles Tennis Championship. Mar. 1315.
Two divisions for mens doubles, womens doubles
and mixed doubles. All proceeds support the work
of Therapy Dogs of Vermont. First in Fitness, 652
Granger Rd., Berlin. $50 team registration. For
more details and to register: sbarker@firstinfitness.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., 35 p.m. Unitarian Church,
130 Main St., Montpelier. Alyson 439-6096 or
alyson@suncatchervt.com.
Film: Much Ado About Nothing. The Chandler
Film Society presents the 1993 film directed by
Kenneth Branagh. 6 p.m. Chandlers Upper Gallery, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. $9. 431-0204.
outreach@chandler-arts.org.

PAG E 16 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

MONDAY, MARCH 16

Free Blood Pressure Checks. SASH will be at

TVSC for blood pressure checks, a presentation of
advance directives, and speaking about preventing anxiety and depression. Open to all Medicare
beneficiaries. 9:30 a.m.1 p.m. Twin Valley Senior
Center, Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Free.
Understanding Nonprofit Financials for Board
Members. Training presented by Suzanne Eikenberry, a consultant specializing in nonprofit financial services. 6:308:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. suzanne.
eikenberry@gmail.com.
Plainfield Book Club. Third Mon., 78:30 p.m.
Cutler Memorial Library, 151 High St. (Rte. 2),
Plainfield. Free. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org. Our
book club page on-line: cutlerlibrary.org/resources/bookclub.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

Library Book Delivery Service. First and third

Tues., 1 p.m. See sign-up sheet near office for
more info. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
St. Patricks Day Dinner. Corned beef and
cabbage dinner sponsored and catered by the
Abbey Group to benefit TVSCs Meals on Wheels
program. 47 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center,
Rte. 2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. By
donation. 223-3322.
Home Share Now Info Session. Find out what
home sharing is all about and have your questions
answered. Third Tues., 5:306 p.m. Home Share
Now. 105 N. Main St., Ste. 103, Barre. 479-8544.
Parenting Group. Share tips you've had success
with and troubleshoot common frustrations with
other parents. Come with at least one idea of
something that's worked well for you with your

family, and bring something you'd like help with.

Parents only please. 78 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Bats. Learn about Vermonts fascinating nine species of bats, what research we are doing to understand white-nose syndrome and how Vermont is a
leader in bat conservation. With Alyssa Bennett,
small mammal biologist for the Vermont Fish and
Wildlife Department. Part of Natural Marshfield,
a series about the local environment. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield.
Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

Massage Clinic. Erika Peterson offers integrative

massage, which includes a variety of techniques
to individualize each session for the client's needs.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 15-minute chair massages by donation; 50-minute table massages on sliding scale
starting at $25. Call for appointment: 249-4115.
Foot Clinic. Please bring clippers, basin, towels,
foot soak soap and lotion. Call CVHHH for
morning appointment between 8:30 a.m. and
noon: 223-1898. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte.
2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Fee paid
to VCHHH.
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 1011:30 a.m. Conference Center. 600
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.
Men's Group. Group meets to support each other,
socialize and become more involved in MSAC activities. 1011:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2518.
March for Meals Lunch. Come for a special lunch
and VIPs will be serving you as we continue to
celebrate the March for Meals week for Meals on
Wheels. Noon. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2,

THE BRIDGE

Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. $4 donation

for seniors; $5 for others. 223-3322.
Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.
Advisory Committee meeting. 10 a.m.noon.
Chapel at Vermont College of Fine Arts, College
St., Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Read for Your Life. With author Katherine Paterson. In the age of technology, what is literature
for? Doors open 12:30 p.m. for those wishing to
bring a brown bag lunch; programs starts 1:30
p.m. Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St.,
Barre. pdaggett@myfairpoint.net.
U-32 School Board Meeting. Open to the public
and community members are always welcome to
attend. 6 p.m. U-32, Rm. 131, 930 Gallison Hill
Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.
Small Business Workshop. Learn how to start
or expand your small business with experienced
business counselors. 68 p.m. Capstone Community Action, 20 Gable Pl., Barre. Free. Laura:
477-5176, lsudhoff@capstonevt.org. Margaret:
477-5214, mferguson@capstonevt.org.
Healing the Heart of Democracy Circle. With
S.B. Sowbel and David Leo-Nyquist. Participate
in conversations about our role as active citizens
in the challenging enterprise we know as the
American democratic process. Explore ideas from
Parker Palmer's book Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy
of the Human Spirit. Third Wed. through June.
6:158:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, Fireplace
Room, 130 Main St., Montpelier. dleonyquist@
gmail.com.
Montpelier School Board Meeting. 7 p.m.
Montpelier High School library, 5 High School
Dr., Montpelier. 225-8000.

Vermonts front-line providers. 14 p.m. GMCB

Board Room, City Center Building, 89 Main St.,
2F, Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Third
Thurs., 1:302:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfmanagement. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death. Third
Thurs., 67:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical
Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin. 2230924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens
Children. Third Thurs., 68 p.m. Child care
provided. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137
Main St., Montpelier. 476-1480.
Growing Rice in Central Vermont. Sjon Welters,
of Rhapsody Natural Foods, speaks on how he has
grown rice over the past six years and find out the
details on rice cultivation from a simple bucket
to paddy-style. A Transition Town program. 6
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. vista@kellogghubbard.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.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

All in the Family Film Series. 1975 film directed

by Werner Herzog. Call library for film title.
7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.,
Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.
org.

Snowshoe Stowe with Green Mountain Club.

Moderate. Various distances. Stowe Pinnacle.
Snowshoe or hike, depending on conditions. Contact Steve for meeting time and place: stevecbailey@gmail.com.

The Tao of Right Now: An Intro to the Practice and Uses of Mindfulness . With Susannah Blachly. A Town Braintap program. 7 p.m.
Twinfield Union School, 106 Nasmith Brook Rd.,
Plainfield. $10 suggested donation. Must preregister: 454-1298. townbraintap.net.

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/arccadditional-recyclables-collection-center.html.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

Makers Day. Hosted by Central Vermont

Economic Development Corporation. Meet
Vermont makers who are applying creativity,
technological savvy and entrepreneurial energy
to solve problems and produce real value. Makers
will display projects and technologies. 10 a.m.2
p.m. Vermont State House, Room 11, Montpelier.
223-4654. cvedc@sover.net.
Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.
Vermont Health Information Technology Plan
update, creating a sustainable primary care infrastructure within Vermont: a qualitative study of

Alla Vita Anniversary Celebration. Free food

samples all day, discounts, maple product tasting
10 a.m.noon, free wine tasting 35 p.m. Alla
Vita, 27 State St., Montpelier. 225-6526. allavitavermont.com.
Drewstrong. Benefit to raise funds for Drew
Bernier. Life-size Candy Land. For children of
all ages. 10 a.m.1 p.m. Barre Congregational
Church, 35 Church St., Barre.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament. An informal
tournament every first and third Sat., 10 a.m.1
p.m. Aldrich Library, Teen Room, 6 Washington
St., Barre. Free. 476-7550. aldrichlibrary@gmail.
com. aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Featuring
over 30 farmers, food producers and craftspeople.
10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier High School cafeteria,
5 High School Dr., Montpelier. manager@
montpelierfarmersmarket.com.capitalcityfarmersmarket.com.
Breastfeeding 101. Prenatal breastfeeding class
for pregnant moms and their partners. Ask questions, speak with a lactation consultant, learn
about community resources and meet breastfeeding moms. 10 a.m. Central Vermont Womens
Health at CVMC, 130 Fischer Rd., Berlin. Free.
371-4415 or 476-0155.

Submit your calendar

listing by using our
online submission form at
montpelierbridge.com/
calendar-submissions

OR
send listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is
March 12.

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 17

T H E B R I D G E

Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. bagitos.com.
Mar. 5: Colin McCaffrey & Jeremy Harple
(swing/folk/Americana) 68 p.m.
Mar. 6: Art Herttua & Stephen Morabito Jazz
Duo, 68 p.m.
Mar. 7: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne, Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Timothy
Fitzgerald, 68 p.m.
Mar. 12: Isaiah Mayhew (roots/reggae/hip-hop)
68 p.m.
Mar. 13: Retro Friday with Bronwyn Fryer &
friends (50s/60s/70s) 68 p.m.
Mar. 14: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Bitter Greens
(Americana/swing/alt. country) 68 p.m.
Mar. 15: Aaron Lee & Tucker Daniels (ukulele)
11 a.m.1 p.m.
Mar. 17: Old Time Music Session, 68 p.m.
Mar. 18: Papa Greybeard Blues (blues/folk) 68
p.m.
Mar. 21: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Lefty Unger
(blues/funk/soul) 68 p.m.
North Branch Caf. 41 State St., Montpelier.
7:309:30 p.m. Free. 552-8105. donia@thenorthbranch.com. thenorth-branch.com.
Mar. 7: Borealis Guitar Duo (Celtic/American/
Scandinavian)
Mar. 14: Rebecca Singer (acoustic folk CD
release party)

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

Ages 21+. 229-0453. positivepie.com.
Mar. 13: Sierra Leones Refugee All Stars

ARTISTS & SPECIAL

EVENTS

Sweet Melissas. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier. Free

unless otherwise noted. 225-6012. facebook.com/
sweetmelissasvt. Additional performances T.B.A.
Mar. 5: Group Therapy Comedy Show, 8 p.m.
Mar. 6: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Vincent Flats Blues Band, 9
p.m.
Mar. 7: Andy Pitt, 5 p.m.; Funkwagon, 8 p.m.
$5.
Mar. 10: Bruce Jones, 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night,
7 p.m.
Mar. 11: Wine Down with D. Davis, 5 p.m.;
Cookies Hot Club, 8 p.m.
Mar. 12: Golden Novak Duo, 8 p.m.
Mar. 13: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Dead Sessions, 9 p.m. $5.
Mar. 14: David Langevin, 5 p.m.; Kelly Ravin,
7 p.m.; Eames Brothers Band, 9 p.m.
Mar. 17: Nancy & Lilly Smith, 5 p.m.; Open
Mic Night, 7 p.m.
Mar. 18: Wine Down with D. Davis, 5 p.m.;
Open Blues Jam hosted by Jason Jack, 8 p.m.
Mar. 19: Ben Kogan Band, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 20: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Small Change, 9 p.m.
Mar. 21: Penny Arcade, 5 p.m.; Red Hot Juba,
9 p.m. $5.

Feb 21: Dave Keller. One of the finest soul and

blues men of his generation. Solo show. Part of
February Frolics Benefit Concert Series. 7:30 p.m.
Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall Arts
Center. $15 advance; $20 at door. Kids 11 and
under $10 or free per accompanying paying adult.
229-0492. lostnationtheater.org

The Whammy Bar. 31 County Rd., Calais. 7

p.m. Free. 229-4329. whammybar1.com.
Mar. 5: Dave Keller
Mar. 6: Hillside Rounders
Mar. 7: Tierney Kathleen Jacobson
Mar. 12: Lewis Franco & The Brown Eyed
Girls, with Mary Alice Lamb
Mar. 13: Golden Novak Duo
Mar. 14: Anachronist (Brian Clark)
Mar. 19: The Turning Stile
Mar. 20: Sara Grace
Mar. 21: Piper's Den

Mar. 6: Revibe. Four-piece funk/rock/jazz/electronica band who blends tight composition with
adventurous improvisation. As part of Chandlers
new First Friday series, admission includes one
free drink at the cash bar and free snacks. 7:30
p.m. Chandlers Upper Gallery, 71-73 Main St.,
Randolph. $12. 728-6464.
Mar. 7: Vermont Virtuosi: Resolutions. Featuring music by Max Reger, Arthur Foote, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Vermont composers
Thomas L. Read and David Gunn. 7:30 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Free with suggested donation: Adults $10; seniors
and students $5. 881-9153. lamaurer@sisna.com.
laurelannmaurer.com.
Mar. 14: Maple Jam in concert. Maple Jam perform a capella jazz. Optional potluck 5:30 p.m.;
show starts 7 p.m. Adamant Methodist Church,
1180 Haggett Rd., Adamant. $10 advance at
Adamant Co-op; $15 at door. 223-5762.
Mar. 14: Concert Crawl. Chandler presents a
series of round robin suppers and concerts in three
different homes in Randolph Center. Guests in
groups of 20 will move from house to house, at
each home tasting a different genre of music and
its matching ethnicity of food. 6 p.m. Chandler
Center for the Arts, Randolph. $50. Tickets and
reservations: 728-9402.

Mar. 15: Espana! Vermont Philharmonic annual family concert featuring music from Spain.
Lou Kosma will be conducting, with Robert
Blais, artistic director, and the Green Mountain
Youth Symphony playing alongside the Vermont
Philharmonic. Following the concert will be an
instrument petting zoo bring your children
and introduce them to the enchanting world of
musical instruments. Prize of $150 music lessons
provided by Denis, Ricker and Brown to a lucky
child attending the concert and petting zoo.
Sponsored by Community National Bank; Denis,
Ricker and Brown Insurance; and Ellis Music. 2
p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre.
Adults $15; seniors $12; students $5. 476-8188.
vermontphilharmonic.org.
Mar. 21: Music for a March Evening. Faculty concert, dinner and auction presented by
Monteverdi Music School. 6 p.m. Monteverdi
Music School, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. Adults
$25; students/seniors $20; children 10 and under
$10. 229-9000. director@monteverdimusic.org.
monteverdimusic.org/events
Mar. 21: Vassily Primakov and Natalis Lavrovia. Following Vassily Primakovs well-received
recital last fall, Chandler is excited to welcome
back Primakov with his long-time friend and
collaborator Natalia Lavrova in a concert for four
hands. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73
Main St., Montpelier. $32 advance; $35 day of
show; students $10. 728-6464. chandler-arts.org.
Mar. 21: Edward Arron and Jeewon Park. Husband and wife classical musical duo on cello and
piano. 7:30 p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
St., Barre. $1527. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.
org.

PAG E 18 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

Weekly Events

FOOD & DRINK

Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.

Free.
Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St., 11:30
a.m.1 p.m.
Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St., 11 a.m.
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
12:30 p.m.
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St., 11:30
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.1 p.m.
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St., 11
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
a.m.12:30 p.m.
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
4:305:30 p.m.
Women Knitting for Peace Group. Knit/crochet Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.
items to be donated to those in need world-wide. Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E.
Bring yarn and needles. Thurs., 1011 a.m. and
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
67:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
twinvalleyseniors.org.
58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518. For basic info.
Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds benand patterns: knitting4peace.org.
efit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues. and Fri.,
noon1 p.m. Live music every Tues., 10:3011:30
a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+ free with $7
suggested donation; under 60 $9. Reservations:
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
262-6288 or justbasicsinc@gmail.com.
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Tues., 68
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.

ART & CRAFT

BICYCLING

THE BRIDGE

relationships, diversity, family, aging and health.

For adults ages 35+. Every Thurs. Feb. 12Mar.
26. 79 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables
Montpelier. Free. Limited class size. Call to regis- Collection Center accepts scores of hard-toter: ucm.dre@gmail.com.
recycle items. Tues. and Thurs., 12:30 p.m.5:30
p.m. ARCC, 540 North Main St., Barre. $1 per
Growing Older Group. Informal drop-in group
carload. 229-9383 x106. For list of accepted items,
to share experiences, thoughts and fears about
go to cvswmd.org/arcc-additional-recyclablesaging. Every Fri., 10:3011:30 a.m. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. collection-center.html.
223-2518.

RECYCLING

KIDS & TEENS

Baby & Toddler Story Time. Every Mon., 10
a.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St.,
Waterbury. Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.

SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Womens Group. Women age 40 and older explore important issues and challenges in their lives
in a warm and supportive environment. Facilitated
by Amy Emler-Shaffer and Julia W. Gresser. Wed.
evenings. 41 Elm St., Montpelier. 262-6110.

The Basement Teen Center. Cable TV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun events for
teenagers. Mon.Thurs., 36 p.m.; Fri., 311 p.m.
Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier.
Christian Science Reading Room. You're invited
229-9151.
to visit the Reading Room and see what we
Story Time and Playgroup. Story time with
have for your spiritual growth. You can borrow,
Sylvia Smith and playgroup with Melissa Seifert. purchase or simply enjoy material in a quiet study
For ages birth6 and grown-ups. We follow the
room. When we are closed, we have free literature
Twinfield Union School calendar and do not hold out on the portico, over the bench, for you to read
programs when Twinfield is closed. Every Wed.
or take with you. Hours: Tues., 11 a.m.5 p.m.;
through June 3. 1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Li- Wed., 11 a.m.7:15 p.m.; Thurs.Sat., 11 a.m.1
brary, 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier. 223-2477.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Read to Coco. Share a story with Coco, the resi- Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only: 479dent licensed reading therapy dog, who loves to
0302.
Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place
hear kids practice reading aloud. Wed., 3:304:30
for individuals and their families in or seeking
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or
Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665 or at the
St., Barre. 479-7373.
current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed.,
childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.
7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St., Barre.
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
Story Time for Kids. Meet your neighbors and
Register: 479-3253.
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
share
quality
time
with
the
pre-schooler
in
your
67:30 p.m.
life. Each week well read stories and spend time Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m. together. A great way to introduce your prestudy and discussion on Jewish spirituality. Sun.,
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
schooler to your local library. For ages 25. Every 4:456:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center,
Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151 Montpelier. 223-0583. info@yearning4learning.
Early Bird Bone Builders Class. With Cort
org.
Richardson, Osteoporosis exercise and prevention High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.
program. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy Read with Arlo. Meet reading therapy dog Arlo
shoes. Light weights provided or bring your own. and his owner Brenda. Sign up for a 20-minute
All ages. Every Mon. and Wed., 78 a.m. Twin
block. Thurs., 45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2, Blueberry Com135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-4665. kellogghub- Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recremons, E. Montpelier. Free. Cort: 223-3174 or
bard.org.
ational Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking
238-0789.
Preschool Story Time. Every Fri., 10 a.m. Water- Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up.
Bone Building Exercises. All seniors welcome.
bury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. No experience necessary. Equipment provided:
Every Mon., Wed. and Fri. 10:4511:45 a.m. Twin Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
first come, first served. Sat., 56:30 p.m. MontValley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate free.
Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative expelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
centralvermontrollerderby.com.
ploratory arts program with artist/instructor Kelly
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
Holt. Age 35. Fri., 10:30 a.m.noon. River Arts
Every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261.
Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free.
RiverArtsVT.org.
223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths
Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.
books, use the gym, make art, play games and if welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ Church,
Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every
you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35 p.m.
Montpelier. 223-6043.
Mon., 2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., MarshZen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
field. 426-3581.
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79 p.m.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
montpelier-vt.org.
Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for
Meditation Sitting Group. Facilitated by Sherry
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m. Betha- location and information.
Rhynard. A weekly meditation group offers ways
ny Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 552-3483.
to find out more about meditation and gives supOvereaters Anonymous. Twelve-step proport to an existing or a new practice. Every Thurs.,
gram for physically, emotionally and spiritually
5:306:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center,
overcoming overeating. Two meeting days and
130 Fisher Rd., Berlin. Free. 272-2736. sherry@
locations. Every Tues., 5:306:30 p.m. and second Barre-Tones Womens Chorus. Open rehearsal. easeofflow.com.
Find your voice with 50 other women. Mon., 7
Sat., 8:309:30 a.m. at Episcopal Church of the
Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249- p.m. Alumni Hall, Barre. 223-2039. Barretones- Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues., 78
3970. Every Fri., noon1 p.m. at Bethany Church, VT.com.
p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. New location: Center for
115 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3079.
Dance or Play with the Swinging Over 60 Band. Culture and Learning, 46 Barre Street, MontpeDanceable tunes from the 1930s to the 1960s.
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral
lier. Free. 223-5137. montpeliershambala.org.
testing. Thurs., 25 p.m. 58 East State St., Ste. 3 Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.noon.
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
(entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222.
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
Montpelier. 223-2518.
vtcares.org.
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal.
Sexuality Class. Explore how sexuality shapes
every aspect of who we are as human beings. Part New chorus members welcome. Wed., 45 p.m.
of the Adults Our Whole Lives curriculum. Top- Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more
ics include: developing relationships, committed information.

SPIRITUALITY

HEALTH & WELLNESS

BOOKS & WORDS

Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the first time. Tues.,
45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St.
223-3403.
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading
and share some good books. Books chosen by
group. Thurs., 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult
Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center,
100 State St. 223-3403.
"12 Steps to a Compassionate Life" Book
Discussion. A study group based on Karen
Armstrong's book, Sponsored by Bethany and
Christ Episcopal churches. Thurs. through Apr.
2, noon1 p.m. North Branch Caf, 41 State St.,
Montpelier. Free. revamyp@comcast.net.

BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Free tax
preparation for people who have $53,000 or less in
income. Capstone Community Action, 20 Gable
Place, Barre. Free. 479-1053.
Mon. through Apr. 6, 4:308 p.m.
Tues. through Apr. 7, 4:308 p.m.
Wed. through Apr. 1, 4:308 p.m.
Thurs. through Apr. 2, 8 a.m.2 p.m.
Sat. through Apr. 11, 10 a.m.3 p.m.
Computer and Online Help. One-on-one computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury.
Free. Registration required: 244-7036.
Personal Financial Management Workshops.
Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building and
repair, budgeting and identity theft, insurance,
investing, retirement. Tues., 68 p.m. Central
Vermont Medical Center, Conference Room 3.
Registration: 371-4191.

SPORTS & GAMES

YOGA & MEDITATION

MUSIC & DANCE

Piano Workshop. Informal time to play, refresh

your skills and get feedback if desired with
other supportive musicians. Singers and listeners
welcome. Thurs., 45:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior
Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free;
open to the public. 223-2518. msac@montpeliervt.org.
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt
Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.
light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.

Submit your calendar

listing by using our
online submission form at
montpelierbridge.com/
calendar-submissions
OR send listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 19

T H E B R I D G E

Class listings and classifieds are 50 words for $25.

To place an ad, call Michael,
223-5112 ext. 11.

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Eleven-week French classes for adults in Montpelier. Classes start March 9. Descriptions and
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Forward a cover letter and resume by Feb. 25

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PAG E 2 0 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Protecting Our Drinking Water

by Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier

eginning with the governors state of the state message, much

attention has been paid to the issue of clean water. Thats a
good thing, because the governor has admitted that we are
losing the fight for clean water. Of course, much of the attention
has been focused on the crown jewel of Vermonts waters: Lake
Champlain. Thats as it should be, since our beautiful western border
lake is seriously damaged, and is in dire need of great repair.

Opinion

However, Lake Champlain is not the only body of water that is threatened with pollution.
Of increasing concern lately are the surface ponds and small lakes that provide drinking
water to a number of Vermont municipalities. These ponds and lakes have virtually no
protection in our laws. While a few towns have language in their charters that allow them
to regulate the use of their water supply ponds, even they are at risk, due to the Vermont
Agency of Natural Resources official position that recreation poses no threat to drinking
water supplies. Simply put, some of these towns may not have the protection they think
they have.
Research proves Vermont stands alone among New England states in its failure to provide
strong protection for surface drinking water sources. As a general rule, our five New England neighbors prohibit human contact with waters that supply drinking water to towns.
There are some exceptions, yes, but even with the exceptions, there are serious restrictions
that minimize the risk. In fact, every New England state capital gets its drinking water
from a source that has severe restrictions on human use ... except for Vermont. Our state
capital, Montpelier, recently had its sole water source stripped of the protection it enjoyed
for well over 100 years.
Our Department of Environmental Conservations mission statement reads: To preserve,
enhance, restore, and conserve Vermont's natural resources, and protect human health
for the benefit of this and future generations, and our Water Quality Policy says, among
other things, that It is the policy of the State of Vermont to protect and enhance the
quality, character and usefulness of its surface waters and to assure the public health; and

to maintain the purity of drinking water ...

Yet, in disregard of the rules originally developed by our Agency of
Natural Resources and our Department of Environmental Conservation they seemingly allow every possible body of water to be open for
swimming, fishing and boating with as few restrictions as possible,
and with no enforcement of any sort.

In contrast, the New England Water Works Association wrote that Recreational use of
terminal reservoirs and adjacent land is contrary to the basic function of furnishing a
safe, palatable water supply to customers and should be prohibited to the greatest extent
possible, but in no event should direct contact with the reservoir be allowed. The Maine
Water Utilities Association wrote that short of sewage discharge, human body contact
with the water is the most threatening human activity.
I have introduced legislation (H.33) that would provide local control to municipalities
over surface water sources used as their public water supply. This idea is not new, since
several fortunate communities already have protections for their surface water sources
built into their charters and ordinances. The concept is compatible with both our constitution and with the public trust doctrine.
The state of Vermont seems unwilling to take the most basic steps to protect our drinking water. They have failed to set rules that protect our water, they bear none of the costs
and they provide no enforcement. I believe that local control by those municipalities who
already bear the cost of treatment should have the opportunity to develop (or not) their
own best practices for minimizing the risk to their water system customers. An affected
municipality could then make the choice to buy an ounce of prevention rather than
submit to paying for a pound of cure.
The people who drink the water should have the right to regulate the use of the water.

Return of the Vaccine Juggernaut

by Charlotte Gilruth

Propaganda is to democracy what violence is to dictatorship.

Noam Chomsky

Opinion

arly in 2012, the Department of Health falsely claimed a

dangerous decline in Vermonts vaccination rates. Media
buzzed with the manufactured crisis, inciting fear of imminent epidemics in the minds of legislators and the public. Bills were introduced in the
legislature to eliminate the philosophical exemption to vaccines, and for months parents
fought to retain the right to make medical choices for their children. The House eventually voted 133 to 6 to keep the philosophical exemption.
Now, exactly as in 2012, Vermonts vaccination rates are portrayed inaccurately. In truth,
according to the Health Departments own data, fewer than 1 percent (of the four grades
tracked statewide) used the philosophical exemption last year to opt out of the M-M-R
vaccine. And Vermont has had only one case of the measles in Vermont in the past 10
years.

To put the current measles emergency in perspective, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden states, Antimicrobial resistance is one of our most serious health threats. More than
two million Americans annually get infected with drug-resistant bacteria and viruses,
and of those at least 23,000 die thats 63 deaths a day from disease spreading in our
communities. In stark contrast, there have been no measles fatalities in the U.S. in 10
years. Why no widespread panic over infectious diseases that pose much more real threat
than measles?
Pharma pays more than any other industry for lobbyists and advertising in an American
media 90 percent controlled by five giant conglomerate corporations. In 2014, the Vermont Health Department spent $95,000 promoting the HPV vaccine and the childhood
vaccination program.
Vaccines bear zero liability, either for manufacturers or those who administer them:
In 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that vaccines are unavoidably
unsafe, and confirmed that vaccine manufacturers cannot be sued in a court of law.
Many drug companies which also sell vaccines including GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck, Pfizer, and Sanofi have recently been found guilty of fraud. Can they be
trusted to make childrens health their top priority?
The vaccine industry has perfected a fear-based marketing plan. The Centers for Dis-

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ease Control, the nations most powerful promoter of vaccination,

employs behaviorists and communications specialists to find ways
to increase vaccination compliance. A 2010 survey sponsored by the
CDC found that three fears spurred participants to get the flu vaccine: news that flu is spreading in their community; news that flu is
causing serious illness/death; and evidence that by getting vaccinated
they can help protect others from flu. This template is successfully used now to hype
the fear of measles.
Particularly insidious is marketing disguised as public service announcements, which,
says Pharma critic Dr. John Abramson, just seem to emerge spontaneously, usually with
no obvious connection to a commercial source. Public relations firms earn their keep by
skillfully blurring the line between independent news and commercially planted information.
Fake grassroots (astroturf ) groups created and funded by the vaccine industry, are
helping vaccine developers quash potential criticism from behind a thin veneer of citizen concern, according to one observer. Voices for Vaccines purports to be a parentdriven group providing ...clear, science-based information about vaccines and vaccinepreventable disease, but actually is an offshoot of a task force funded by Merck and
Novartis, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with its global vaccination agenda.
A CDC veteran serves as director.
Voices for Vaccines (V4V) creates a climate of suspicion and hatred against those who
question vaccination. V4V pilloried Jenny McCarthy, co-host of popular talk show The
View. (McCarthy vociferously blames her sons autism on vaccine injury.)
Physician Marcia Angell, former editor of New England Journal of Medicine who extensively researched and exposed the abuses of drug companies, asserts that their ...PR is
extremely slick, so education is the first thing consumers can do to protect themselves.
Since 2011, starting in Washington State and extending to more states every year, erroneous information about vaccine exemption rates has been used to attack parental choice
regarding childrens health. Vermont was targeted in 2012 and is under assault once
again, as bills are introduced to eliminate its philosophical exemptions.
Public discourse about a basic human right is not served by fear-mongering and bullying,
but rather should focus on transparency, safety and choice.

Got a news tip? We want to know!

Send it to us at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com

M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015 PAG E 21

T H E B R I D G E

MSAC
Writer's
Corner
A venue for the Montpelier Senior Activity Center writers

A Household
Chore
by Ruth Mary Youngblood

am putting away our clean laundry in

our oversized, walk-in closet, which
we call the Trophy Room, but that is
another story.
Putting away clean clothes is about the
only domestic chore I do anymore. It is
not a result of my efforts that the clothes
are ready for the drawers and hangers.
Hope Ann previously stripped and then
remade the bed with the sheets and pillowcases she had laundered, folded and
placed in our linen closet the week before. She had added the bedding to the
contents of the laundry basket in the
bathroom, carried them to the laundry
room across the hall, put them through
the washer and dryer, and returned them,
neatly folded, to me for my dispersal.
I know that Lisa, although it is not in her
job description, would be happy indeed
delighted to relieve me of this chore. She
would as cheerfully put my disorganized
bureau drawers in order just as cheerfully
as she weekly vacuums, dusts and tidies
our unit, even knowing full well that her
efforts like all housekeeping efforts
are done only to be done again.
I grow philosophical and muse as I attempt to stuff another item into an already overstuffed drawer about the period
when these tasks along with meal
planning and preparation were the
very ones which for the greatest part of
my life were the activities that created
its framework and were the greatest contributors to the accomplishment of its
purpose. That purpose, as I saw it at the
time, was to create a pleasant and orderly
home in which my family felt warm and
safe, and to whatever extent I had the
power to make it so happy.
Now that goal is behind me, and I question if, along with missing it, I am missing those daily household chores that gave
my days framework and context.
The answer comes quickly: Hell no!
In fact, I think I will give serious consideration to asking Lisa to put the clean
clothes away for me, fully aware that she
will organize the bureau drawers to the
point where I will be able to find things
and eliminate the last challenge I face
any more.
While she is doing that, I shall stretch
out on the Lazy Boy with a cat and watch
a few episodes of Frasier. Do I miss
housework? Ha!

Nature
Watch
by Nona Estrin

Ready for Spring

he thermostat has finally been

turned up! Today was a classic
winter day 20s and silky
new snow. Over this next month,
the fate of so many creatures is in
nature's hands. We're hearing about
owls in trouble, sitting dazed all day
in the open, and I know homeowners
here and there who are feeding them
"feeder" mice from the pet store.
Foxes are paired up, investigating and
digging out potential dens for their
pups. And we all have our eyes on the
river, our thoughts on March. Will it
smile or will it rage? The maples are
poised and we are ready. Spring?

Watercolor by Nona Estrin

PAG E 2 2 M A RC H 5 M A RC H 18 , 2 015

THE BRIDGE

Letters

Bring Our Prisoners Home

Editor:
Since 2004, when Vermont contracted with
the Corrections Corporation of America to
house 700 prisoners out of state, hundreds of
Vermont inmates have been shipped to Kentucky prisons, where conditions are often
substandard, and inmates report neglect or
abuse at the hands of guards.
In Kentucky, inmates whod had weekly,
face-to-face time with family when close to
home go years without a visit.
At $2.50 for 15 minutes phone-time, calls
home to Vermont are too expensive for inmates and families, leaving many prisoners
effectively isolated. Prisoners from Vermont
requesting the installation of a video visit
system to allow virtual visits with family
have been told prison staff are not interested. Vermont newspapers typically reach
Kentucky facilities one to two weeks late,
making it nearly impossible for parole-eligible inmates to access housing opportunities
close to home, when secured housing is a
requirement for release.
In Vermont, prisons offer extensive vocational classes, and allow inmates the chance
to finish high school. No such opportunities
exist in Kentucky prisons. For these reasons
and more, it's time to stop warehousing our
inmates out-of-state. Lets bring them home
now.

children throughout the year. In fact, all

Good Beginnings services are free to families, regardless of income or circumstance.
The Nest, a community resource center, is
open weekly at the Good Beginnings meeting space where families can connect with
one another, access free internet, and connect with support groups such as Babywearers of Central Vermont. Second Thursdays,
La Leche League, third Thursdays, and
MultipliciTEA, a peer support group for parents of multiples fourth Thursdays. Good
Beginnings volunteers also provide essential
in-arms comfort and cuddling for newborns
born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome at
Central Vermont Medical Center through
the In Loving Arms initiative.
Good Beginnings also offers free and reduced-cost infant carriers, emergency funding for crises and free gently used baby items
and goods. For more information, visit www.
goodbeginningscentralvt.org or find them
on Facebook.
Billi Quittner, board member,
Good Beginnings Central Vermont

For more information, visit vermontersforcriminaljusticereform.org

Neville Berle
Montpelier

Good Beginnings Offers Help

Editor:
Imagine a place where families thrive, feel
supported and have the tools they need to
take care of themselves and raise their children with confidence. For more than 23
years, Good Beginnings of Central Vermont
has been creating a caring community in
which to help families with newborn and
adoptive infants. Their primary commitment is to provide families with support,
mentorship, education and a connection to
community resources.
Good Beginnings main initiatives are early
bonding, resource connection, early literacy
and fatherhood involvement. In addition
to weekly home visiting to provide rolemodeling, encouragement and intervention,
Good Beginnings also provides free parenting education workshops and free events
for fathers or male role models and their

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 and Layout: Marichel
Vaught
Copy Editing Consultant: Larry Floersch
Proofreader: David W. Smith
Sales Representatives: Michael Jermyn, Rick McMahan
Distribution: Tim Johnson, Kevin Fair, Diana
Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14, or editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts,
on the lower level of Schulmaier 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,
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Published every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the
month, except in July when we publish the 3rd
Thursday only.
Copyright 2015 by The Bridge

montpelierbridge.com
facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt

Brooks an Honorable
Civil Servant

(Feb. 13) and heard both sides of the debate,

and I have reviewed Alliance for Healthier
Vermonts website.
I agree we should pass the two-cent-perounce excise tax on sugary drinks because
those drinks contain way more sugar than
suggested for any individual and taxing individuals for consuming unhealthy products
has proven to increase awareness and decrease
excess consumption. When I see adults and
children consuming sugary drinks, I wonder if they know just how much sugar they
contain. Sugary drinks are so inexpensive
and highly advertised, which makes me wonder if the companies who profit off sugary
drinks have health in mind at all when they
promote bigger and bigger serving sizes to
consumers. A tax would fund preventative
education and hopefully encourage people
to think twice about having another soda or
buying their kids excessively sugary drinks.
Grocers might arrange their merchandise to
direct customer attention toward less sugary
options, like milk, water or real juice.
Sugary drinks provide no nutritional value
either, and I think its time more awareness is
brought to the marketplace about this. This
tax would do that. I hope that legislators will
listen to all those in favor and pass this tax
and help make Vermont a healthier place.
Krista Harness Gardner
Montpelier

Tax Would Promote Health

Editor:

Editor:

I was shocked and outraged when I learned

of the results of a legislative election that removed Francis Brooks, sergeant-at-arms. As
I gleaned from all press reports, this vote to
remove Mr. Brooks from his office was due
to the protests that occurred last month at
Gov. Shumlins inaugural speech at the State
House. It saddens me greatly to realize that
even here in our state of Vermont, peoples
constitutional rights are being compromised.
The protesters had every right to express
their opinions and concerns about our right
to health care. Gov. Shumlin ran his initial
campaign on a universal health care plan
for Vermont. He was elected on that initiative. Doesnt it seem strange that he waited
until after this last election to inform the
citizens of Vermont that he was abandoning
his plan. People are justifiably angry and
have expressed that anger with their peaceful
and legal protests. Because of this, Francis
Brooks, a dedicated, civic-minded, honorable man, who has given so much of his
life to this community and to this state, has
lost his job as sergeant-at-arms. This is how
you reward him for so many years of loyal
service? It is a sad day for Mr. Brooks, for
the state of Vermont and for our democracy.

As a mother, I strive to provide healthy meals

and snacks for my children and to teach
them the importance of taking care of their
health by consuming nutritious foods. It is
heartbreaking when we see some of their
peers suffering from the physical and emotional burdens of obesity, knowing they will
likely struggle with these issues for the rest of
their lives. Despite sugary drinks containing
no nutritional benefits whatsoever, they are
the number one source of calories for American children. Adding a tax to these beverages would help to level the playing field for
healthier drink options and the money raised
could support programs aimed at reducing
the obesity epidemic. Additionally, much
like tobacco, adding a tax to sugary drinks
would send a message that these products are
a health risk, helping people make more informed choices about the beverages they purchase. With research and trends predicting
this generation of children will live shorter
life spans than their parents, its clear that we
need to take action.

Carol Kendrick
Montpelier

Supporting Tax on Sugary Drinks

Editor:
I have been following the issue of a sugar tax
proposal in the Legislature and writing today
to show my support. I listened to Vermont
Edition on Vermont Public Radio last week

I strongly support the proposed two-centper-ounce tax on sugary drinks as a means

to help prevent diseases of obesity, especially
in children.

Our children deserve the chance at a healthy

start to life. I urge everyone to do their
homework on the risks associated with consuming sugary beverages, and to reach out to
their legislators in support of this tax!
Audree Frey
Underhill

What Do You Think?

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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.
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