Zero Suicide Initiative Attempts to Halt Trend • Page 5
S ept 4 – S ept 17, 2019
Norwich
Bicentennial
Members of the Norwich University Corps of Cadets march in the 2017 Labor Day Parade in Northfield. Photo by Mark Collier/Norwich University.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 7 Pesticides a Top
Threat to Vermont Bees
Pg. 11 Local Bow Maker
Channels Good Vibrations
Pg. 12–13 Does Practice
Make Music Perfect?
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Montpelier, VT
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Montpelier, VT 05601
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The Bridge
Norwich Marches Into Its Third Century
By Tom Brown
A
nyone who is expecting guests for the weekend of
September 19–22 had better pull out the air mattresses
because lodging in Central Vermont is sold out. Hotels
from Montpelier to Berlin to the Mad River Valley will be full of
Norwich University alumni from around the world, all coming to
celebrate the 200th birthday of the nation’s only private military
college.
University officials expect more than 6,000 visitors for the
annual Homecoming Weekend activities, nearly three times the
usual alumni turnout and doubling the population of Northfield
(listed at 6,207 in the 2010 U.S. Census). Class participation is
expected to span at least 80 years, officials said, with many World
War II-era alumni waiting for the bicentennial to attend what
might be their final Homecoming.
The bicentennial celebration has been five years in the making
and coincides with the school’s Forging the Future fundraising
drive that has netted more than $100 million for new construction,
renovation, academic programs, and investments to increase
financial aid for students.
Alumni who haven’t visited campus for awhile might not
recognize the place. The university has spent about $66 million
in the past five years on construction and renovation projects that
impacted about 40 percent of the campus.
The centerpiece is the $24-million Mack Hall, opened in
September 2018, which houses a performing arts center and the
university’s growing business and management, computer science,
and cybersecurity academic programs. Another $25 million went
to renovations of Webb, Dewey, and Ainsworth halls and $8.5
We’re online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com
million went to renovate Kreitzberg Library; install a 78-step
Bicentennial Staircase near the Sullivan Museum and History
Center to commemorate key donors, trustees, and students; and
to re-landscape the upper parade ground.
The campaign was designed to bolster Norwich’s position
in the increasingly competitive student marketplace and to
provide a solid foundation for the school’s next president, said
Diane Scolaro, associate vice president for alumni relations and
bicentennial celebrations. Dr. Richard Schneider, who took over
as president in 1992 and helped grow the school’s endowment
from $8 million to about $220 million, is stepping down this
year. After a nationwide search, Norwich’s 24th president is
expected to be named in January, Scolaro said.
“That has all been made possible primarily by our alumni,”
she said of the recent growth spurt. “Homecoming is a chance
to recognize and honor our donors, and it’s a chance to showcase
our students and our academics. After all the planning, this is our
big wahoo!”
No Room at the Inns
Homecoming Weekend at Norwich always fills area hotel
rooms, but this year’s events have extended the reach. Capitol
Plaza in Montpelier and the Comfort Inn & Suites at Maplewood
in Berlin are booked, as are most accommodations in the Mad
River Valley, including all of the properties at Sugarbush Resort.
Rooms were also blocked out at hotels in Waterbury, Barre, and
Stowe. A quick scan of the internet shows a few rooms available
that weekend in Burlington, at about $400 a night.
“We’ve been sold out for two years,” said Fred Bashara, a
Continued on Page 15
PAGE 2 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Then and Now
Members Named to Homelessness Task Force
The City Council appointed eight people to serve on a task force to seek solutions
to issues surrounding homelessness in the Capital City. The task force stems, in part,
from complaints by downtown merchants about people panhandling and congregating Historic photos courtesy of Vermont Historical Society;
near storefronts. Members named to the task force are District 3 City Councilor Glen Captions and modern photos by Paul Carnahan.
Hutcheson, Will Eberle, Dawn Little, Zach Hughes, Erika Reil, Travis Hill, Ken Russell,
and Steve Whitaker. A ninth member will be appointed later to represent downtown
business interests. Homes on Wilder, Hubbard, Barre, and Ridge Streets can be
seen in this 1905 postcard view from the entrance to Blanchard
Tax Department Weapon Report Remains a Mystery Park off of Wilder Street.
The current view, although not taken from exactly the same
Several days after two witnesses reported seeing a person carrying a “long gun” into
spot, shows some of the same houses further down Wilder Street.
the state Tax Department no arrest has been made and no suspect has been located. The
Today, the houses on Ridge Street are completely blocked by
incident closed State Street from Bailey Avenue to Gov. Davis Avenue for several hours
vegetation, and trees in the park prevent getting a higher view of
Friday as authorities investigated the report. Tax Department employees were evacuated,
the neighborhood.
and no one was allowed to enter or leave Montpelier schools during the incident. The
The wall at the corner of Wilder and Fullerton (now Monsignor
building at 133 State Street was reopened later in the day after no weapon or intruder
Crosby Place) Streets was first constructed in 1898 but had to be
was found.
moved 10 feet back into the Blanchard property six years later
Arts and Learning Center Elevator to be Unveiled Friday because of a land dispute.
The Center for Arts and Learning at 46 Barre Street will host a community celebration
from 3 to 8 pm September 6 to mark the completion of its new elevator. The elevator
will provide access to all five floors of the building that houses the T.W. Wood Gallery,
Monteverdi Music School, and River Rock School, as well as studios, galleries, and
community spaces. The event will feature a ribbon-cutting, food, children’s activities,
and New Music Uncaged, a concert and dance performance presented by Abundant
Silence on the second floor. The event coincides with Montpelier Alive’s Art Walk.

Great American Bread Festival Comes to Middlesex

September 7 will witness the launch of a new annual festival at Camp Meade in
Middlesex. The Great American Bread Festival brings together bakers, millers, farmers,
and authors from around the state to celebrate the essential staple, loaves of which will
be baked in a community wood-fired oven made just for the occasion. The day-long
event also brings plenty of entertainment, including live music, workshops, speakers,
competitions (e.g., the “Bakers Olympics”), and in the evening, “liquid bread,” aka beer.
The 20th anniversary of Red Hen Baking, which sits adjacent to Camp Meade, is also
being celebrated. For more information, visit campmeade.today.

Nature Watch Artwork and Words by Nona Estrin.

Bridge Community Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 • Ph: 802-223-5112
Editor in Chief: Mike Dunphy
Managing Editor: Tom Brown
Publisher Emeritus: Nat Frothingham
Copy Editor: Larry Floersch
Calendar Editor: Marichel Vaught

O
ut on Wrightsville for couple hours and up into the marshy shallows of
the North Branch inlet, where Joe Pye Weed brightens the edges. A group
of young common mergansers shakes their wings and heads, diving,
preening, and making some little chortling noises to one another, with no regard
for human traffic. A couple of osprey pass overhead and a few mallards are doing
flight runs back and forth. We drift along until a bank of clouds turns a summer
afternoon into autumn, and we hurry back to the landing and our warm car.
Layout: Sarah Davin, Marichel Vaught
Sales Representatives: Rick McMahan
Distribution: Sarah Davin, Lora Stridsberg, Carl Etnier
Board Members: Phil Dodd, Donny Osman, Jake Brown, Josh Fitzhugh, Larry Floersch, J. Gregory Gerdel,
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Twitter: @montpbridge • Instagram: @montpelierbridge
PAGE 4 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
GMP Uses Stored Energy to Reduce Peaks
By Larry Floersch
O The Stafford Hill Solar Farm in Rutland. Photo courtesy of Green Mountain Power.
ne of the major problems faced
by electric utilities is periods of
peak demand. Peaks can occur
on days when it is hazy, hot, and humid,
for example. On such days, as customers
arrive home from work and crank up air
conditioners, cook dinner, wash and dry
loads of clothing, or take showers, the
demand for electricity spikes.
When a peak occurs, the electric utility
may be forced to look to the larger regional
grid to purchase additional electricity to
meet the demand. If the weather conditions
that caused the peak are widespread, idle
generators may be required to start up to
meet the demand. This can be expensive,
and, if those power plants use coal or oil,
the electricity generated may be “dirty” in
terms of carbon emissions.
Green Mountain Power is the world’s
first utility company to be certified as
a B Corporation, which means that, in
addition to traditional business practices, it
must meet certain standards of social and
environmental performance.
Therefore, to help combat peaks, save
its customers money, and cut carbon
emissions, GMP started a pilot program in
February called “Bring Your Own Device,”
or BYOD. The program is based on using
stored energy and on controlling electrical
devices during a peak to reduce the need
to draw on the power grid. According to
GMP, peaks can happen about five to eight
times a month and they can last an average
of three to six hours.
Green Mountain Power customers
who have home battery backup systems,
high-speed electric vehicle chargers, and
electric hot water heaters can sign up to
allow GMP to draw from or control their
devices when there are peak demands. In
exchange, customers see a reduction in
their electric bills.
When there is a peak, GMP will draw
on all the enrolled systems in the BYOD
program and add that energy to its own
utility-scale energy stores in Rutland and
Panton to help meet the demand.
Home battery systems that are eligible
for the program include SolarEdge
StorEdge compatible systems (e.g., LG),
Sonnen batteries, Sunverge batteries,
Tesla Powerwall 2.0 systems, and Pika
Energy systems. The battery system must
be used for home back-up power only,
and some fees, such as integration and
communication fees, may apply.
Customers who enroll a battery backup
system for 10 years can opt for an upfront
payment of $850 per kilowatt of storage
enrolled up to a maximum of 10 kW.
Alternatively, they can opt for a monthly
credit on their bill for that period. Battery
systems located in areas of the state where
extra storage is needed most can get an extra
payment of $150 per kilowatt enrolled.
According to Josh Castonguay, GMP vice
president and chief innovation officer,
Green Mountain Power’s BYOD program
offers the biggest upfront payment from a
utility in the nation for enrolling a home
battery system.
Owners of electric vehicles can enroll
their high-speed chargers and allow GMP
to control when the charger operates.
“A typical home charger uses about six
kilowatts when it is charging a vehicle,”
said Castonguay. “If we can turn off that
charger during a peak, we are reducing the
peak demand by six kilowatts.”
Electric vehicle charging stations that
currently are eligible for the program are
ChargePoint, FLO, and JuiceNet systems.
Electric vehicle owners will see a credit of
$10 per month for enrolling their device.
Similar to car chargers, electric hot water
heaters can be enrolled in the program.
During a peak, GMP will take control
of the heater, preheat water before the
anticipated peak, then prevent the heater
from coming on during the peak. A Wi-Fi
capable control device may need to be
added to the unit (only Rheem brand
heaters currently come with the controls
already installed). Customers will receive
a $5 per month credit for enrolling their
device. (Washington Electric Co-op has
a similar program for electric hot water
heaters.)
Note that the program relies on Wi-Fi
for communications with all these systems,
and a major requirement of the program is
that customers must have and maintain an
internet connection. If the internet becomes
disconnected, GMP will alert a customer
so the internet can be reconnected within
30 days.
According to GMP, enrolled customers
will be notified at least four hours in
advance of an anticipated peak via their
smartphone or by other electronic methods.
Energy
Any energy drawn from a system to meet a
peak will be replaced as quickly as possible
after the peak has passed, and GMP will
make adjustments when possible to avoid
completely discharging a battery for the
purpose of achieving grid benefits during
or prior to a pending weather event that
could create outages.
While it cannot guarantee that a battery
system will be charged to a minimum level
at all times, GMP will work to minimize
these impacts to make sure customers have
backup power.
Green Mountain Power also points
out that if you are planning to purchase
a battery backup system or an electric
vehicle, you can act now and reserve a space
in the pilot program.
“When deployed all together, using this
BYOD network is like taking about 12,000
homes off the grid at one time,” said
Castonguay. “We know our customers care
about the environment and make smart
choices about energy every day. Our stored
energy network is a great tool to help reduce
demand during peak energy use, and the
added benefit is it cuts carbon emissions
and costs for customers while helping to
keep them safe and comfortable.”
According to Castonguay there are
40 systems registered in the program.
Enrollment in the BYOD program is open
through the end of September.
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 5

Zero Suicide Initiative Attempts to Halt Trend Health

By Carl Etnier
Chart courtesy of CDC WISQARS.

V
ermont has a suicide problem, and heard. People need to first hear that you
people don’t like to talk about it. Vermont and US Suicide Death Rates actually listened to what they said, before
Suicide is the eighth-leading (per 100,000 people): 2005-2017 they think you snap to judgment that they
cause of death in Vermont, with 112 22 might be suicidal.”
reported in 2017, according to the Centers 19.8 If the answer is yes, ask whether the
for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 20 19.2 17.9 18.9 person has a plan and the means to do it—
roughly twice the number of people who 18.0 they’ve stockpiled pills for an overdose, for

Deaths per 100,000 of population

die on the state’s roads annually, and
the actual number is probably higher.
Researcher Tom Delaney, who studies
suicide statistics at the University of
Vermont, said some deaths by overdose,
single-car crashes with a single occupant,
or some police shootings might be suicides
but are not counted as such.
Suicide rates in the country as a whole
increased by 31 percent from 2005 to
2017, but Vermont’s rate increased faster,
at 43 percent. Delaney said Vermont has
a lot of factors that correlate with higher
suicide rates.
“Every person who dies by suicide is
unique,” he acknowledged. “While I
wouldn’t say they are causal at all, there
are things in Vermont that are associated
with higher rates of suicide.”
Some of those associations with suicide
seem intuitive: Vermont has high rates
of binge drinking and gun ownership.
Perhaps surprisingly, rural living—and
especially rural poverty—is also associated
with more suicides; an apparent bucolic
idyll can be saturated with loneliness, with
long distances to other people making
social connection difficult.
Vermont’s status as one of the most
white-haired states makes it vulnerable
to higher suicide rates, too. “You get this
spike in suicide rates in people’s 50s, 60s,
and 70s. That’s when most Vermonters
die of suicide,” said Delaney. Men do so
far more than women, he adds. “Females
over age 50 have about one-fifth the odds
of dying by suicide as males.”
Vermont’s Zero Suicide initiative, led by
the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center
at the Center for Health and Learning
in Brattleboro, is an attempt to break
the state’s upward trend in suicides. Pilot
studies in Franklin, Grand Isle, and
Chittenden counties wrapped up this
spring, according to Alison Krompf at the
18
16 14.3 15.1
13.0
14
12.6
12
12.0 12.4
11.2 11.5 11.9
10 11.0
8
Over this period, the US suicide death rate has increased by 31%,
6 while the Vermont rate has increased by 43%.
4 about how to proceed on S.169, a bill
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
VT US
Vermont Department of Mental Health,
and those lessons are scheduled to be
presented to the Legislature in January.
The report isn’t public yet, but Krompf
said one key need that was identified is for
better training for skilled workers in 10
“designated agencies” around the state—
Washington County Mental Health
Services (WCMHS) and its nine sister
organizations. “Our providers out there
were not confident in treating someone
who is suicidal, and those who went
through the training are now confident
in treating someone who is suicidal. We
know that works, and we know we want
to expand on that.”
Even the best training for mental health
workers only helps a small fraction of
suicidal people, according to Krompf.
“Only about 20 percent of those who
die by suicide in Vermont were in our
designated agency system,” she said.
So another recommendation is to train
primary care providers and emergency
room personnel in identifying and helping
those at risk of taking their lives.
Just as many healthcare providers now
routinely ask patients about seat belt use
and alcohol consumption, a goal of Zero
Suicide is that additional questions will
16.9
16.5
13.9 13.9
14.5
13.9
13.4 13.8
12.7 12.9 13.0
Linear (VT) Linear (US)
identify people contemplating suicide. But
identifying people at risk isn’t enough.
“We, as a system, need to provide what
the next step is if someone answers yes
to those questions,” said Karen Kurrle of
WCMHS. “Talking about suicide is still
very stigmatized. I wish we, as a society,
could talk about mental health care in the
same way we talk about physical health
care.”
Some local organizations, such as the
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, have
been through “mental health first aid”
training. “It’s like CPR, for everybody, for
mental health,” said Krompf, who used to
work as a mental health first aid trainer in
St. Albans. A key part of the training is to
practice asking the question: “Have you
been thinking of killing yourself?”
“People dance around it,” Krompf
added. “If you’re afraid to ask, people will
be afraid to tell you.” But it’s not helpful
when just asked out of the blue, either.
“Pair it with reflecting back what you
example. A person with both is at high
risk of imminent suicide. In mental health
first aid training, Krompf said, people
“are trained to listen non-judgmentally,
sit with the person, educate them on their
options, and stay with them until they can
get help.”
Come January, it will be up to the
Legislature to decide whether to fund
Zero Suicide throughout the state.
The Legislature will also face a decision
that would create a 24-hour “cooling
off period” for handgun sales, to reduce
impulse purchases that lead to homicides
and suicides. The bill, originally setting
a 48-hour period, passed the House and
the Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Phil
Scott after the Legislature adjourned.
While Democratic leadership condemned
the veto, the votes to pass S.169 were not
sufficient to override it.
Delaney, the UVM researcher, said
suicide attempts by gun are far more
deadly than by other means. “It’s a myth
that people who really want to take their
life will do it no matter what. Over 90
percent of the people who ever tried to
take their life by suicide didn’t die by
suicide.” However, when people try to take
their lives with guns, he said, “death rates
are over 80 or 85 percent.”
Access to guns then becomes part of the
issue. While Kurrle emphasizes she has no
public opinion on gun legislation, she does
believe “Anything that buys time, where a
person is alive and I can be engaging with
them, is something I want. Guns don’t
help buy me time.”
PAGE 6 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
School Page
Collective Responsibility
H
ow do we go from great to greater? How do
we ensure ALL kids are reaching high levels
of learning? These are the questions that
we, at Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools (MRPS),
are digging into as we start the new school year. Joe
Cuddemi, a national consultant on the Professional
Learning Community (PLC) ideology, helped us begin
the conversation on the first day of teacher inservice. Joe’s
message—we can’t do this alone. School systems that
intentionally develop systems and practices to not only
promote, but also to expect a collective responsibility for
all students learning at high levels are the movers and
shakers in the field of education. MRPS intends to be
right up there with the best.
One systematic practice to make this happen is when
teachers work within PLCs. PLCs work to answer four
UVM Honors Outstanding Teachers of the Year
Each June, teaching faculties across the state nominate
colleagues who have shown consistent excellence in
teaching and learning. UVM honors the top vote-getters
in a lovely ceremony in the fall on its campus.
This year, the faculty at MRPS chose to honor Joe
Carroll, Latin teacher at Montpelier High School, and
Max Jennings, physical education teacher at Union
Elementary School. Joe has students lining up to take
Latin. His classroom is the picture of safety and comfort
to all who enter, and he is a master at proficiency-
based learning. Max engages students like no other. His
classroom is filled with music, dancing, and laughter
while students learn healthy ways of life. Congratulations
to both Joe and Max!
Joe Carroll.
Max Jennings.
By Libby Bonesteel, Superintendent of Schools
This page was paid for by the Montpelier-Roxbury School District.
Sept. 2019
essential questions: (1) What is it we want students to He will be returning to work with kindergarten through
know and be able to do? (2) How will we know if they fourth-grade teams of teachers throughout the school
have learned it? (3) What will we do if they have not year.
learned it? (4) What will we do if they already know it?
This work is not new to many of the teachers at MRPS,
however, our inservice work focused on why this work
is so important and gave specific directions to teaching
teams, many of whom are new to each other. Collective
responsibility is our focus this year, and the inservice days
gave us a fabulous jumpstart to the work.
In addition to the work with PLCs, Union Elementary
and Roxbury Village welcomed Christian Courtemanche,
a math consultant, to begin a year-long study in best
teaching practices around mathematics.
Courtemanche is helping our teachers learn how to
better differentiate mathematics for a variety of learners. Photos courtesy of MRPS.
Construction Updates
If we had one theme at MRPS over the summer Main Street Middle School (MSMS) and Roxbury
months, it was construction. The projects that were Village School both had bathroom upgrades as well.
developed within the bond vote went into full swing The top floor of MSMS will prove to be brighter and
and are just now being finished. Our renovated theater more welcoming with upgrades to the ceiling and
at Montpelier High School now welcomes audiences lighting fixtures.
with plush, cushioned seats, carpeted floors, a new It’s been a whirlwind! We will all be happy as we
sound systems and lighting, along with various stage watch kids filling our halls and new spaces with all of
renovations to make the amazing performances our their laughter and smiles. Welcome back to school! It is
students put on even more enjoyable. most definitely the best time of the year!
In addition to the theater, several bathrooms were
updated or added to the space by the gym and theater.
UES Playground.
A new classroom/green room has been added for our
musicians and performers. We have brand new locker
rooms for our athletes, a fitness center is in the final
stages of completion, and Nordic skiers will have a
dedicated space when they come in from the outdoors.
After years of dedicated work by many in the
community and school system, the playground at
Union Elementary School (UES) is open and ready for
running kids to enjoy. Both spaces, the upper and lower
playgrounds received a complete makeover. Kids are
sure to love the nest—a treehouse-like space as well as
a huge spider-web to climb on. New slides, equipment,
and green space are sure to generate smiles for years to
come.
Union Elementary also has a new elevator so all
floors can be accessed by everyone as well as bathroom
remodels that are nothing short of bright and cheerful.
New classroom. MHS Auditorium.
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 7
Pesticides a Top Threat to Vermont’s Bees
By Sarah Davin
N
orth America is home to 4,000
bee species, but only four
species of bee are cultivated
worldwide for their honey, and among
those four, the main species of bees kept
by beekeepers is the European honey
bee, Apis mellifera.
The bees, as the 2016 study Modeling
the Status, Trends, and Impacts of Wild Bee
Abundance in the United States shows, are
not in great shape. The study conducted
and led by Taylor Ricketts, professor of
environment and natural resources at the
University of Vermont and director of the
Gund Institute for Environment, reveals
that bee populations have declined about
23 percent across the nation from 2008
to 2013.
Vermont beekeepers are also seeing
losses in their honey bees. According
to the preliminary results of the Honey
Bee Colony Losses 2018–2019 report by
the Honey Bee Informed Partnership,
beekeepers have lost 37.7 percent of
managed bee colonies nationally from
October 2018 to April 2019.
Ross Conrad, writer and beekeeper of
Dancing Bee Gardens, sees similar trends
in Vermont: “The average losses of bees
have been 30, 40, and 50 percent every
year for about a decade now throughout
the country,” he notes, “and in Vermont
it’s been as high as that, too.”
As a result, beekeepers have learned to
become good at splitting the surviving
hives to make up for the losses, according
to Conrad: “A lot of beekeepers these
days are losing most of their bees, and
the next year they split all their bees,
make new queens, and make new hives
to make up for the ones that died.”
Wild and domestic bees have been
struggling against many challenges,
particularly pesticides. Systemic
pesticides, especially, are a real threat.
While some pesticides sit on the surface
of the plant, systemic ones—especially
neonicotinoids—are absorbed by the
plant and transported to all of its tissues,
making the plant effectively toxic to
bees for the rest of its life cycle. If the
pesticide level isn’t strong enough to
kill the bees outright, it impacts specific
neural pathways, damaging their ability
to process information and forage for
nectar.
According to the Task Force on
Systemic Pesticides, formed in 2009 by
a group of European scientists, “These
systemic insecticides have become the
most widely used group of insecticides
globally, with a market share now
estimated at around 40 percent of the
world market.” A few examples of brands
that sell neonicotinoid pesticides used on
crops are Tristar, Aloft, Clutch, Transect,
Advantage, Mallet, Capstar, Platinum,
Flagship, Optigard, and Agri-flex.
This problem has not fallen on deaf
ears in Vermont. Bill H.205 was signed
into law by Gov. Phil Scott on May
28 and limits the use of neonicotinoid
pesticides by directing the Vermont
Agency of Agriculture to register any
neonicotinoid pesticide as a “restricted
use pesticide.” This means neonicotinoids
are now restricted to licensed applicators.
That said, the bill exempts seeds already
Ecology
treated with neonicotinoids.
Conrad worries that the agricultural
use of pesticides is too high and that
not enough farmers are being educated
in methods of farming that don’t rely
heavily on pesticides. If farmers and
gardeners do have to resort to pesticides,
Conrad stresses that there are methods
and times of day that are safer for our
pollen-collecting friends. “If they have
to be used...don’t use them when bees are
visiting the plant you are treating and it’s
in bloom. Spray when it’s cold or rainy
out, or at night.”
Another view of the instability of
Vermont’s bee population was revealed
this summer in a study conducted by
the Vermont Center for Ecostudies
(VCE). It discovered 10 new species in
Vermont, which, although it initially
seems exciting, it is revealing more
serious problems, according to Conrad.
“Normally, in a stable ecosystem, we a reduction in areas in which bees can
don’t have such big changes. To me, it’s forage, the increase in new diseases
evidence that the ecosystem has become and parasites, and the use of pesticides
destabilized because there’s so much such as neonicotinoids, Conrad worries
change happening.” that bees’ ability to live relatively
This is underscored by a December independently may soon be something
study conducted by the Vermont Center of the past.
for Ecostudies and the Gund Institute “It’s almost getting to the point
that found four of 17 of Vermont’s where [bees] are like chickens,” Conrad
bumblebee species have disappeared in reflected, “It’s hard for them to survive
the past 100 years. without human interventions. It’s
Ironically, this human-caused extremely sad, but that seems to be the
destabilization of the ecosystem has direction things are going.”
actually made bees more reliant on
humans to survive. When considering
PAGE 8 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 PAGE 8 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE

The Treasures of Norwich: Norwich

Eight Pieces of History
By Katherine Taylor-McBroom

As part of the bicentennial celebrations at Norwich University, the Sullivan Museum and History
Center on the campus is hosting the exhibition 200 Years—200 Objects, which highlights objects from
the school’s private collection. The objects both shock and awe, as well as providing a keyhole view
into history. Here, the curator of the exhibition, Katherine Taylor-McBroom, samples eight of the 200
treasures on display.
All photos courtesy of Katherine Taylor-McBroom.

Estey Organ (1890–1892) The Estey

Organ Company in Brattleboro, was the
largest reed organ manufacturer in the
world. Founded by Jacob Estey (1814-
1890) the company produced more than
500,000 organs between 1853 and 1960.
Estey’s son, Julius Jacob Estey (1845–
1902), attended Norwich from 1861
to 1862, withdrawing from school to
begin work in the family business, later
becoming president of the company after
his father’s death in 1890.

Tiffany & Company Presentation

Embroidered Icelandic Collar (c. 1850) Sword (1861–1865) Tiffany & Company
This unique embroidered collar, also is usually known for creating fine jewelry
called a halskrage, was worn by Icelandic and silver, but during the Civil War, the
women in Reykjavik between the 18th company took the opportunity to make
and 19th centuries. The collar, possibly stunning ceremonial presentation swords.
worn on special occasions, is made The sword in this exhibition, made of
from wool and adorned with blue silk ivory, gold, and steel was given to Brig.
threading. The collar was donated by an Gen. Jos, A. Mower by his officers of the
alum and most likely purchased on his 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division. Since it would
many travels. have required a great deal of money to
purchase such a sword, it is obvious
Mower was loved by his men.
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 9

Continued from previous page.

Subscribe!
Japanese Teacup (c. 19th century)
Several cracks and wear on this Japanese
teacup seem to show its journey from
France through WWII with its eventual
donation to the museum by Medal of
Honor recipient Capt. James Burt (Class
of 1939). The teacup arrived in a round
Christmas cookie tin with a note from Don’t miss out. Receive both issues each
Burt, “From a German Soldier eating month— mailed directly to your home.
breakfast in a French farmhouse who
couldn’t reach his gun…” That’s just $40 for 24 issues per year.

Native American Sioux tribe tobacco bag

The Bridge
(c. 1873–1879) Native American tobacco
bags are considered sacred and contain
items such as tobacco, pipes, bowls, stones,
or medicines typically used in prayer and
healing rituals. In the center of this heavily
quilled and beaded bag is a buffalo image
often attributed to the Sioux people of
the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota tribes in
Minnesota. Since the Sioux relied upon
the buffalo for food, clothing, and shelter,
the animal is considered divine for giving
its life to provide sustenance and warmth.
To Subscribe, send a check:
Handwritten note signed by
The Bridge
President Abraham Lincoln (c. 1864) P.O. Box 1143,
A small piece of paper measuring about Montpelier, VT, 05601
3" X 6" with a scrawled note that reads
“Respectfully submit this to the Secretary
of the Navy. A. Lincoln,” frequently
surprises visitors. This note was included
with a Spencer carbine rifle as a gift from
President Abraham Lincoln to Secretary
of the Navy Gideon Welles (Class of
1836). This note is displayed alongside
the rifle in the current exhibition.

The Wilson Globe (c. 1817) Capt.

Alden Partridge, founder of Norwich
University, purchased this large Wilson
Globe in 1820 for instructional purposes
for the cadets of the American Literary,
Scientific, and Military Academy.
James Wilson (1763–1855) of Bradford,
Vermont, was America’s first globe maker
and his company James Wilson & Co.
located in Albany, New York. One of
the earliest instructional pieces in the
collection, this celestial globe is made
from paper and wood dates around 1817.

Portrait of a Cadet (1827) The identity of

the Norwich cadet in this oil portrait by
artist has been a something of a mystery
for some time. The artist Julian Parisen
completed a pair of life size portraits in
1827—the cadet portrait and a young
woman who could possibly be his sister,
both of which are in the exhibition. The
shako the cadet is reaching for in the
foreground is the type oworn by cadets who
attended Captain Partridge’s American
Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy
in Middletown, Connecticut.
PAGE 10 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
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802-223-0389
Music
Capital City Concerts Announces
20th Anniversary Season
W Paris Piano Trio: Régis Pasquier, Roland Pidoux
orld-class chamber music is
once again coming to Vermont, and Jean-Claude Pennetier. Photo by Guy Vivien.
with concerts taking place in
Montpelier, Burlington, and Greensboro
from September to May.
The season opens with a new miniseries
of consecutive Friday noon “Meditation
concerts” on September 6, 13, and 20 in the
Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont State
House. The concerts give listeners a respite
from their workday through 30-minute
meditations to live music. The performers
will be Jennifer Hoult, harpist (September
6); Karen Kevra, flutist (September 13);
Main Street Middle School will create favorite performers including cellist Edward
and Emily Taubl, cellist (September 20).
original artwork based on the 10 descriptive Arron and pianists Jeffrey Chappell,
On the heels of last season’s
movements of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece to Paul Orgel, and Jeewon Park to perform
extraordinarily successful Magnificat
be projected above the stage in sync with best loved works from the first 20 years:
performance, the music of J.S. Bach returns
the music. Flutist Karen Kevra will join Schubert’s two-cello “String Quintet in C
with a performance of “Sleepers Awake!”
Chappell in works by Charles Koechlin, major,” Barber’s “Piano Sonata,” Brahms’
(“Wachet Auf”), the most beloved of
featuring images from retired National “Piano Quintet in F minor,” and much
Bach’s cantatas. World-class singer soloists,
Geographic photographer James Blair’s more. Birthday cake to follow!
a chorus, and a professional orchestra
collection. May 15–17 brings a collaboration
composed of Vermont musicians and
The legendary Paris Piano Trio returns on with Scrag Mountain Music to venues in
players from the New York City Ballet
March 8 for the first time in nearly a decade Burlington, Montpelier, and Greensboro.
and Opera orchestras and Mostly Mozart
for what will likely be their last U.S. tour. The words of Vermont poet David Budbill
will be directed by Richard Riley. Violinist
The three extraordinary musicians, who will be celebrated in a concert featuring
Laurie Smukler will be the soloist in Bach’s
met as students at the Paris Conservatory, Vermont and New York City musicians and
resplendent “Violin Concerto in A minor.”
went on to become distinguished faculty composers.
Washington, D.C., pianist Jeffrey
there. It is expected that this concert will To learn more concerts, visit
Chappell returns for a unique concert
sell out quickly. capitalcityconcerts.org. Individual and
to perform Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an
A doubleheader weekend of concerts subscription tickets are available online.
Exhibition” on January 18 and 19. For
is scheduled for April 25 and 26, with Individual tickets are also available at Bear
this multimedia concert, students from
two different concerts showcasing a dozen Pond Books, Montpelier starting Sept. 7.
Michael Arnowitt Returns with Jazz Quintet
P
ianist Michael Arnowitt returns Arnowitt will be joined on stage the duo will perform eight concerts in
to Montpelier to lead a jazz by some of his favorite Vermont jazz Beijing and other Chinese cities.
quintet in concert at 7 pm on musicians: Dave Ellis, trumpet; Dan The Montpelier program includes
Saturday, September 14, at the Unitarian Silverman, trombone; Clyde Stats, bass; Arnowitt’s versions of the jazz standard
Church. His program, “Where Jazz and Caleb Bronz, drums. Arnowitt, a “On Green Dolphin Street,” Jobim’s
Meets Classical,” presents a colorful longtime former Montpelier resident, has classic Brazilian song “How Insensitive,”
variety of jazz old and new as influenced upcoming concerts at Toronto’s Al Green and Arnowitt’s take on the Beatles’
by classical composers Chopin, Debussy, Theatre and will be touring China in “Eleanor Rigby.” Two Vermont premieres
Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Copland. 2020 with the guitarist Steve Blair. There, will be featured, Arnowitt’s brand new
“Interlude with Igor,” based on the music
of Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” and “The
Rite of Spring,” and “Coplandscapes,”
based on music from Aaron Copland’s
“Appalachian Spring,” “Fanfare for the
Common Man,” and “Billy the Kid.”
Rounding out the program are some
selections from Arnowitt’s recent jazz
double album “Sweet Spontaneous,”
which was released on Parma Recordings
Big Round record label, and excerpts
from his “Jazz Suite from West Side
Story,” where he transforms the musical
ideas from Leonard Bernstein’s timeless
Broadway show into the language of jazz.
Tickets for the concert are $20, available
at the door only. For more information,
e-mail MA@MAPiano.com or call
(802) 229-0984.
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 11
Local Bow Maker Channels Good Vibrations
By Mike Dunphy
W Eben Bodach-Turner. Photo by Mike Dunphy.
hile audiences at classical
music concerts may marvel as
a soloist’s fingers flow up and
down the fingerboard atop the beautiful,
polished, wooden curves of a cello, bass,
violin, and viola, the musicians themselves
are often more attached to the bow.
“Many players have as strong a
connection or stronger connection
to their bow than they do to their
instrument,” explains bow maker—or
archetier—Eben Bodach-Turner at his
home and workshop in East Montpelier.
For Bodach-Turner, a classical bass player
himself, the reason lies in the vibration.
“There’s something really tactile about
playing an instrument with a bow. You
can feel the connection to the string
through the bow.”
It’s also through the bow, Bodach-
Turner believes, that a musician can
channel the musicality, be it in the
articulation of the notes or the dynamics
of the sounds. “Whatever it is that you
are trying to do with your sound has to
come initially from the bow.” In short,
the bow channels the soul into the music.
“It sounds overly poetic, but a lot of
people refer to the bow as the breath of
the violin.”
Like the breath, it’s something very
personal to a player, where even the
tiniest alterations can make a difference.
“The way the stick is shaped and bent
and tapered will impact how well you
feel that connection to the string,”
Bodach-Turner explains. “Does it feel
good in the hand? Is the weight and
balance what you want it to be? When
you put it on the string, does it feel
stable and connected?”
With this in mind, Bodach-Turner
makes a point of getting to know the
player’s style. “If I’m making a bow
specifically for a person for a particular
instrument, I’ll spend time with them,
listening to them play. I can hear them
play a scale and have some idea of the
direction I’m going to go in.”
All of this input goes into the creation
of the bow. “It starts with what piece
of wood you’re going to use,” the bow
maker explains, “And every step of the
way is another decision, and at each of
those steps, I’m considering the things
that I know about that person as a player
and person.”
Most of the time, it works out, but on
very rare occasions it doesn’t. “You can
make all of the right choices all the way
along and say I think this is the right
bow, and they can pick it up and say, “It
doesn’t match my instrument.”
While that may seem like a significant
cost of time, material, and labor—an
average bow taking 60–80 hours and
priced at $4,000—going down the drain,
it’s less of an issue as good bows nearly
always find a player eventually. “The
nuance of it is less critical to its overall
marketability. I’ll find a home for it. The
right person will come along.”
The real worry for bow makers such
as Bodach-Turner is global. Climate
change and deforestation of the rainforest
in Brazil put traditional bow making
at risk as an industry. This is because
bows all over the world have been made
for hundreds of years from one kind
of wood—Pernambuco (Caesalpinia
echinata)—thanks to unique qualities in
its grain, density, and pliability, making
it the only wood strong enough to be cut
very thin and keep its curve for many
years.
The tree is native to Brazil’s Atlantic
Forest and now endangered, with a ban
on international trade in place by the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora. Finished items, such as bows, are
exempt so long as they do not include
other banned materials such as ivory,
allowing international orchestras to travel
and perform.
However, large stockpiles of
Pernambuco cut in the 1970s and ’80s
remain available, supplying the material
for Bodach-Turner’s (and his peers’) bows,
but at a certain point, those stocks will
Music
be depleted, especially if international
conservation efforts by organizations
like the International Pernambuco
Conservation Initiatives—a nonprofit
made up of “music lovers, teachers,
stringed-instrument makers, and
conservationists”—are unsuccessful and
destruction of the rainforests continues.
Depletion of the available reserves
is not imminent, however, in part
because so much was cut and stockpiled
before the ban, but also because of low
production. An individual bow uses only
a small amount of Pernambuco, and bow
makers don’t produce many bows per
year. “Most of the people working the
way I do are making one or two bows a
year,” explains Bodach-Turner, “While
the more prolific ones are making, at
most, 18 to 20 probably, and that would
be a lot.”
That said, progress is being made
on a more sustainable approach to
bow making, including in the “frog”
of the bow, which holds the Siberian
and Mongolian horse hair in place.
Traditionally, it’s made of ebony, but
some now come in artificially stabilized
hardwoods. The bow’s ivory tip has also
been replaced by synthetic materials.
Carbon fiber bows are available too, but
they channel vibrations differently than
wood, affecting the sound. Ultimately,
it’s a personal choice for the player.
“Climate change is an issue I care
about,” Bodach-Turner emphasizes, “and
certainly species extinction is something I
care about. And here I am in a profession
that is using resources that sort of fly
directly in the face of that, essentially.
And all I can say is that every effort
is made, certainly by me and all the
colleagues who I know well, to use the
resource in the most responsible way we
can.”
PAGE 12 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Practice Makes Perfect?
Not So Fast Say Local Music Teachers
By Mike Dunphy
T
en thousand hours—that’s
the number writer Malcolm
Gladwell pegged to become a
master of trade in his 2008 smash hit
book Outliers. “The 10,000-hour rule
is a definite key in success,” he writes in
the book. “The people at the top don’t
just work harder. They work much,
much harder.”
Gladwell based some of the assertion
on the work of Swedish psychologist
Anders Ericsson, whose 1993 study of
40 violinists in Germany brought forth
the basis of the 10,000-hour rule in
determining which factors differentiated
the best musicians from the good or the
mediocre ones.
Yet pushback on the idea came from
Ericsson himself, in an article he co-
wrote for Salon in 2016, noting, “Yes,
it takes effort to be an expert. But
Gladwell based the 10,000-hour rule in
part on our work, and misunderstood.”
He does admit, though, “The rule is
irresistibly appealing . . . just put in
10,000 hours of practice at anything,
and you will become a master.” But
he notes three differences: namely that
there’s anything magical in the 10,000
number, that it was an average only,
Photo courtesy of Hilari Farrington and Benedict Koehler.
and it doesn’t distinguish between the more than just practice accounts for the
types of practice. differences in performance.
In late August, Gladwell’s “rule” “Of course you will almost
took another hit with a study published undoubtedly improve with practice,”
in the journal Royal Society Open Macnamara told Business Insider, “but
Science. The authors of the study— more practice does not necessarily mean
Brooke Macnamara, a psychologist at you’ll be better than someone else with
Case Western Reserve University, and less practice.”
researcher Megha Maitra—attempted While Central Vermont music
to recreate Ericsson’s original study and teachers—such as Hilari Farrington and
found that good violinists and best Benedict Koehler, who run the Vermont
violinists had both logged around 11,000 School of Irish Traditional Music—
hours of practice, implying something don’t discount the value of hard work
and hours of practice, the quality of the
practice is far more important than the
quantity.
“If you practice playing too fast for
yourself, you are not playing well,”
Koehler notes, referring to students
trying to emulate the masters they see
on YouTube. “What they end up doing
is getting good at playing badly.” It’s
in this truth that the value of a teacher
comes into clear focus for Koehler—to
make sure that the time spent practicing
is productive, not counterproductive.
Melissa Perley, who teaches cello and
co-runs Paul Perley Cellos in Berlin,
agrees. With her own students, she
often sees them spend more time on
the parts of a composition they play
well rather than those that are more
difficult. That approach to practice
stymies development. “Work on what
you can’t do at all, not what you can
do,” she encourages.
Creating an optimal practice model
also means understanding what
methods and strategies work best with
each individual student. Often this
assessment begins with age, as children
and adults often learn much differently.
While children do come with many
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 13

Continued from previous page. Music

advantages, particularly a more That’s as long as practice methods
malleable brain, faster reflexes, and a are sound, Warren emphasizes. Without
greater ability to laugh off mistakes and these, work ethic can end up killing
press on, they can struggle more than talent. “You can have a really talented
adults in finding the hours available person with shoddy technique, and they
to practice. “A lot of youngsters these are going to either burn out their voices
days are so overbooked with activity,” or get tendonitis in their hands.”
Farrington reflects. “They don’t have What then separates the good,
the kind of time that an adult might competent players from the truly great?
have to devote to one thing. They are It starts with motivation “You can teach
taking drawing classes, they are going to someone to play music but you can’t
soccer, and violin lessons, a whole range teach them to want to play music,”
of things. Kids are very programmed.” Farrington believes.
Perley sees the time question from a For Koehler, great performance often
different perspective: “The benefits of comes through internalization of the
starting younger are basically the clarity music. “You can play music according
of mind—you don’t have to remember to what the page tells you it should
to go to the grocery store, take the be, or you can play music according to
kids to the doctor, and all these things what your teacher tells you it should
cluttering your mind.” sound like, but there’s a level beyond
Adults, in part because they are Photo courtesy of Hilari Farrington and Benedict Koehler. that which is where you start to play
paying for it, often make more dedicated it the way your own inner ear tells
in children, you can almost immediately strong work ethic. “There are some
students. “Adults practice and are more you it should sound like. I think in all
see that they have an aptitude,” explains people who have very quick ears and
consistent with their lessons than kids, branches of music, that is something
Perley. “There’s an understanding of good technical ability, but I’ve also
like 10 to 1,” Perley notes. “I see a you are going to find in the very best
something they’ve never done before, as seen other people at the beginning we
benefit there that kids don’t have, and players.”
if they’ve done it in a previous lifetime, thought might never be able to play
I see adults moving in a way that kids And here the phrase “practice makes
and they understand concepts quickly.” music who have developed into very
can’t move because they are often not as perfect” hits its largest speed bump,
For Koehler, talent often goes hand- competent musicians.”
dedicated to it as the adults are.” as technical ability, no matter how
and-hand with an early exposure to Perley concurs. “I do have students
That said, adults come with a greater proficient, can remain lifeless. Perhaps
music. “Kids who are around music, who are not as talented but they are
amount of accumulated and entrenched the key to elevating your performance
even before they can play it, are very amazingly driven, and they will work and
bad habits, often physical. “Adults, a lot to the sublime lies in the notion, as
much more likely to have, develop, or work and work, and they will suddenly
of the time, have more physical tension Perley puts it, “Frustration is not part of
display . . . talent.” That early exposure pass the person with just the raw talent.”
in the body that needs to be worked the process; frustration is the process.”
also benefits an adult’s ability to learn The rarity for her is a student with both
out,” points out Lindsey Warren, a She adds, “I have a box of tissues in
an instrument later in life, Farrington drive and talent together. “Talent gives
voice and piano teacher at Monteverdi my studio for a reason.”
thinks. “If you have a child learn you the ability, but the work ethic takes
Music School in Montpelier, “whether
to play an instrument early on, even you up the hill.”
it’s carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder
reluctantly, if they wish to pursue music
for years…or jaw tension from grinding
later in their life, they will have a much
teeth.”
easier time.”
How practice and talent intersect is an
But Farrington cautions, “I think
even trickier needle to thread for music
innate talent is a bit overrated,”
teachers, starting with what defines it
particularly when contrasted against a
and how to identify and nurture it. “Even
PAGE 14 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 15
Norwich Marches Into its Third Century
Continued from Page 1
Norwich graduate and owner of Capitol
Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in
Montpelier, which will also host alumni
banquets during the weekend (see sidebar).
So many visitors in the area should also
provide a boost for local restaurants, stores,
and attractions. Montpelier is getting in the
swing with Norwich bicentennial banners
mounted on downtown lamp posts.
“Norwich has really tried to connect with
downtown in the past few years,” said Dan
Groberg, executive director of Montpelier
Alive.
So many visitors also means traffic.
Scolaro said the university has plans to
direct traffic to satellite parking areas along
the north and south entrances to Northfield
on the key days of Friday and Saturday,
September 20 and 21. While most of the
on-campus events are strictly for alumni
and students, a huge fireworks display on
Friday night and a football game Saturday
between Norwich and Coast Guard (aka
the Little Army-Navy Game) are open to
the public.
There will also be a public ceremony
at 4 pm on Thursday, September 19, to
unveil the 78 stairs and 78 names on the
Bicentennial Staircase, which leads from
the museum to the upper parade ground.
The Third Century
Founded in 1819 by Vermonter Alden
Partridge in the town of Norwich, the
university is the nation’s 40th-oldest and
owes its longevity to its unique military
training and ability to meet the changing
demands of a growing country, Scolaro
said.
When an 1866 fire destroyed the
college’s main barracks in Norwich, a team
of Northfield town fathers rode there on
horseback to offer the school 14 acres of
land for relocation. The rest, as they say, is
history, which is comprehensively recorded
in a new book by historian Alex Kershaw.
The book, Citizens & Soldiers: The First 200
Diane Scolaro, associate vice
president of alumni relations
and bicentennial celebrations at
Norwich. Photo by Tom Brown
Years of Norwich University, was recently
released to coincide with the bicentennial.
“Partridge created the first school in the
country that taught agriculture, because
we needed people to know how to farm,”
Scolaro said. “And we were the second
college in the nation (in 1836) to offer a
degree in civil engineering as the economy
expanded and the transcontinental railroad
was built. Now we’re helping to build
cybersecurity. This school’s leaders have
done a good job of adapting to create
programs that help students get jobs.”
This year’s undergraduate enrollment
is about 2,400 students, with about two
thirds of those in the Corps of Cadets and
the rest civilians, according to Daphne
Larkin of the Communications office.
The first-year Class of 2023 included 764
students, 465 of whom are “rooks” in the
Corps of Cadets.
The closing of three Vermont colleges
this year has cast the spotlight on the future
of small, private institutions but Norwich
leaders are bullish on the future.
“Norwich has found its niche to keep
people coming here,” Scolaro said. “You
can get an education at 3,500 other colleges
and universities in the nation, but there are
very few that offer the kind of programs
that Norwich does.”
Norwich Alumni Contributing
to Central Vermont Community
Homecoming is a short trip for many
Norwich alumni who came to Vermont
and never left. Many went on to serve
their communities as business leaders,
entrepreneurs, and political figures.
Fred Bashara, whose family owns the
Capitol Plaza Hotel and the Capitol and
Paramount theaters, found not only a
sense of purpose at Norwich but love as
well. As a student in the Class of 1963 he
met his wife, Mary, at the old Twin City
Drive-In, and the couple married in the
summer before his senior year.
Bashara said he ranked last in a
class of 23 in high school in Lenox,
Massachusetts and had no intention of
going to college. “I really didn’t know
what I wanted to do,” he said. School
officials told him he had little chance of
being accepted in college because of poor
grades, but his mother insisted that he
try. He applied to Boston College and
was told maybe, if you attend two years
of junior college. He heard about a 30-
day summer school program at Norwich
and wound up being accepted.
“That school changed my life,” said
Bashara, who remains active in alumni
Norwich
affairs. “The motto ‘I will try’ has stayed
with me throughout life. The military
gets you doing things, taking command,
and that applies in all aspects of life.”
Al Gobeille came to Norwich from
Rhode Island and has left a significant
mark on the state. The Burlington
restaurateur served as the state Secretary
of Human Services under Gov. Phil Scott
and was a former chair of the Green
Mountain Care Board, which oversees
hospital spending. He now works for the
UVM Health Network.
At least three former Central
Vermont lawmakers attended Norwich.
Francis Brooks served Montpelier
and Washington County as a state
representative and state senator; Paul
Poirier was a state representative from
Barre; and the late Leo Valliere also
served as a Barre City lawmaker.
Matthew Romei, chief of the State House
Capitol Police; and Arne McMullen,
who is director of Montpelier Parks and
Recreation, also attended Norwich. This
doesn’t include hundreds of Vermont-
born alumni who stayed around.
— Tom Brown
PAGE 16 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Give the Change You Wish to See
E
very day, Hunger Mountain
Co-op shoppers can support a
local nonprofit organization or
community partner by rounding up
their purchase at the register through
the Co-op’s Give Change program. By
doing so, they are participating in a
collective effort to support organizations
and programs that have a direct impact
on our local community. By giving
their spare change, they are creating the
change they want to see in our region
and the world.
Over the past year, recipient
organizations were the Central Vermont
Humane Society, Good Beginnings of
Central Vermont, Prevent Child Abuse
Vermont, Food Bank of Central and
Eastern North Carolina, Community
Harvest of Central Vermont, Capstone
Community Action, Good Samaritan
Haven, North Branch Nature Center,
People’s Health and Wellness Clinic,
Vermont Foodbank, and Montpelier
Food Pantry.
Give Change round-up donations
also supported the Co-op’s Holiday
Grocery Pack event, Feed A Family
Food and Fund Drive, and the Hunger
Mountain Cooperative Community
Fund. All together, Co-op shoppers
donated a total of $9,722.86 in support
of all of these remarkable organizations
and invaluable community programs.
“I would just like to say that I am
again humbled by the generosity and
support of our amazing community,”
said Patrick Donegan, interim executive
director at Good Samaritan Haven.
“I would like to also thank Hunger
Mountain again for their continued
support of GSH. Every little bit counts.
We are an organization that counts
very much on donations to be able
to provide everything needed for our
guests. Projects like Give Change
provide everything from a warm meal
to a blanket to a bus pass for someone to
get to a doctor’s appointment. Anyone
who participated in this wonderful
fundraiser should know that they made
a change in somebody’s life this winter.”
From now until September 29, Co-op
shoppers can continue to impact the
lives of fellow community members
by rounding up their purchases to
the next dollar each time they check
out, donating that spare change to
Everybody Wins! This literacy-based
mentoring program pairs mentors and
Community
children at 26 area schools, where the
adults read for one hour over lunch each
week with an elementary grade student.
While creating important connections
between mentors and students, the
program sets those students up to love
reading and succeed in life.
In coming months, recipient
organizations will include Downstreet
Housing and Community Develop-
ment, Capstone Community Action,
Good Samaritan Haven, Friends of
the Winooski River, People’s Health
and Wellness Clinic, and Vermont
Foodbank. To opt into being asked to
round up every time they shop and make
sure they never miss an opportunity to
support these organizations, members
can visit the Co-op’s website at
hungermountain.coop/give-change.
This text provided and sponsored by
Hunger Mountain Co-op.
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 17
Rules of the Road for Bicycles, Sidewalks
By J. Gregory Gerdel
T Bikes on State Street. Photo by J.
he growing use of bicycles
in Montpelier has provoked
parental concern, pedestrian
consternation, much discussion, and
a likely overdue review of the city
ordinance that determines where and
how bicycles are ridden.
The current, long-standing ordinance
prohibits riding bicycles on sidewalks
in the city’s central business district,
which is roughly defined as the streets
having parking meters
In May, the Montpelier Police
Department summarized the rules on
its Facebook page:
As temperatures rise: a reminder
that riding bicycles or skateboards
on sidewalks in the Central Business
District of Montpelier is prohibited.
An easy way to determine the bounds
of the business district is to remember
it includes any street in downtown
Montpelier with parking meters.
Bicycle riders must obey all applicable
traffic laws when riding in the
roadway. Riders can always dismount
and use sidewalks and crosswalks as
pedestrians.
Bicycling is allowed on sidewalks
outside the business district, but with
the requirement that cyclists yield
to pedestrians: “When and/or where
sidewalks are shared by bicyclists and
pedestrians, bicyclists must give right-
of-way to pedestrians.”
Or, as River Street resident Colleen
Crist put it during the extensive
Gregory Gerdel.
discussion of bicycling on Front
Porch Forum in July: “I’ve always
understood—and told my kids—that it
is OK to ride your bike on the sidewalk
in Montpelier if there are no parking
meters. If there are parking meters, you
should ride in the street or walk your
bike. This means they avoid riding in
areas with lots of pedestrians, while
accessing sidewalks when it is safe to
do so.”
The police department’s approach
to cyclists (or skateboarders) riding
on sidewalks in the business district
has been flexible, with the emphasis
on education, explained Capt. Neil
Martel, who has observed cyclists of
all ages violating the business district
prohibition. “The city is working on
a redesign of traffic management to
improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists,
and every other mode of locomotion,”
he added.
Main Street Middle School has the
greatest number of bike-to-school
students. The sidewalks in the area
around the school are also an essential
thoroughfare for many pedestrians,
including elderly and disabled persons,
underscoring the need for caution and
consideration.
While confident adult cyclists are
accustomed to making themselves
visible to drivers, following traffic rules,
and knowing when to take the lane
to make a left turn or crest a hill
where oncoming traffic cannot be seen,
smaller and less experienced children
generate genuine parental concern
about letting them ride on the streets.
Cyclists riding through the downtown
streets need to be vigilant for abruptly
opened doors when passing cars that are
parallel parked. And with the growing
proportion of SUVs and pickups on the
roads, the visibility of vehicles backing
out of the angled parking spaces on
both sides of Main Street and in front
City News
of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library is
often dangerously limited. Likewise, at
the Post Office on State Street.
An option that some cities have
used to retain the capacity of angled
parking is to reverse the angle, which
requires drivers to back into the parking
space, providing better visibility for
everyone when exiting the space. The
backing maneuver would likely require
practice for many drivers, although the
increasingly standard rearview cameras
should be helpful.
The current study for solving vehicle,
bicycle, pedestrian, and railroad
crossings at the complex Main and Barre
streets intersection is an opportunity to
consider strategies for making traffic
interactions safer throughout the city.
The options proposed by the study
can be reviewed at montpelier-vt.org/
DocumentCenter/View/6223/Main-
Barre-Study
Several resources are available online
(and in print on request) that are
excellent for teaching children to ride
safely and legally. They also remind, or
at least reinforce, the rules of the road
that adults should follow.
For more information, visit:
safestreets.vermont.gov
PAGE 18 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Playing Shakespeare’s Wife at Lost Nation
By Margo Whitcomb
“U
ntil our own time, the
higher the achiever (male),
the more likely it was that
the woman who slept in his bed would
be judged unworthy of his company,”
says Germaine Greer in her insightful
book on Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s
Wife.
When you think about it, you have to
admit that’s true. After all, Shakespeare
is part of our everyday parlance
throughout the Western world, and yet,
when telling people I am playing Anne
Hathaway in Lost Nation Theater’s
production of Shakespeare’s Will, the
common expectation is that I am
playing the contemporary Academy
Award-winning actor. Indeed, most
have never heard of Shakespeare’s wife.
It’s an honor and a privilege—not
to mention a lot of fun—to release
Anne Hathaway from the prison of
silence and invisibility and give her a
voice, 400 years later on, especially as,
historically, she has been demonized at
worst and considered irrelevant at best.
Unlike the bard himself, few facts of
Anne’s life are known. As an actor, this
offers tremendous opportunity. Rather
than impersonating someone whose
voice and image are widely known, I
can find almost complete freedom in
Margo Whitcomb. Photo courtesy
of Lost Nation Theater.
filling in those gaps. Playwright Vern
Thiessen uses the void of Hathaway’s
life and the mystery of Shakespeare’s
will as a canvas for expressing women’s
eternal struggles and victories.
Although the play is set four centuries
ago, playing Anne feels surprisingly
familiar to me, as I believe it will to
any woman, wife, or mother whose life
continues to lean into the drudgery of
the “domestic.” Nevertheless, within
those confines, Anne emerges as clever,
bright, intuitive, sensual, and deft.
Moreover, the play is not bound by
realism. This is a memory play and
highly theatrical, chronicling their
lives together, their meeting, courtship,
children, the birth of his artistic life,
her lovers, the years till his death, and
all that occurred therein including
a thrilling escape from the plague
Arts
pandemic that struck in 1593.
As an added treat, I portray another
eight characters (including William),
all in conversation with myself. This
convention has the added fun of
requiring lightning-fast changes in
voice and gesture with often hilarious
results.
Most mysterious of all, is Shakespeare’s
last will and testament, penned and
revised a mere month before his death
(thus the title of the play). In it, he left
a peculiar and mysterious bequest to his
wife Anne that has remained inscrutable,
a source of puzzlement and mystery for
400 years despite the thousands of books
written on the man. Like the recent film,
All is True, with Kenneth Branaugh and
Judi Dench, Shakespeare’s Will wrestles
with that bequest and takes place on the
day of his funeral.
It is certain to have surprising
resonance with a contemporary
audience. One need know nothing
of Shakespeare to enter Hathaway’s
world and take this journey—it is very
accessible and explodes the expectation
of historical “museum” theater.
Shakespeare’s Will runs September
5–15 at Lost Nation Theater in
Montpelier. For more information and
tickets, visit lostnationtheater.org.
T HE BRID GE Calendar of Events
Community
Events
Events happening
September 4–18
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Budgeting and Building a Spending Plan.
Think 50-30-20. In order to live within our
means and save money, it’s important to keep
spending ratios in balance. Learn how to work
it. 6–7:30 pm. Capstone, 20 Gable Place, Barre.
Free. 477-5215
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The Sacred Hunt: Harvesting Local Meat.
With Murphy Robinson, Hunting Guide
& Hunter Safety Instructor. A beginner’s
introduction to hunting for people who care
about where their meat comes from. We will
discuss what you need to learn to hunt safely
and ethically, and explore how hunting fosters
a sacred relationship with the landscape around
us. 5:30–7:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op
community room, Montpelier. Sign-up: info@
hungermountain.coop
Workshops in Swedish and Oldtime Fiddle
with Ben Paley. A master fiddler and singer
equally adept at Swedish, Oldtime, Irish, and
Klezmer traditional styles. 7:30 pm. Landmark
Schoolhouse, 1643 Rt. 215, Lower Cabot. $16
advance; $20 at door. cabotarts.org
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Friday Morning Fall Bird Walks. A weekly,
casual bird walk around the North Branch
Nature Center property in search of fall
migratory songbirds. Learn about identification,
ecology, and life history of our local avifauna.
Led by NBNC’s expert naturalists and birders.
7:30–9 am. 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10.
229-6206
Center for Arts and Learning Elevation
Celebration. Celebrate the installation of
the center’s new elevator. 3 pm. 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Shabbat Dinner and Hebrew School Open
House. Come learn about Beth Jacob’s Hebrew
School from new school principals, Eli and Kara
Rosenberg and enjoy a Shabbat pizza dinner with
community. 5:30 pm. at Beth Jacob Synagogue,
10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Hike Stowe area with Green Mountain
Club. Moderate Pace. 7.7 miles (or optional 8.1
miles). Stowe Pinnacle to Hogback to Hunger
Mountain (Waterbury trailhead). Car spot
required. Bring water, lunch, snacks, and dress
in layered clothing. Contact Phyllis Rubenstein,
793-6313 or Phyllis@PhyllisRubensteinLaw.
comcastbiz.net or Rudy Townsend, 433-1004 or
rubrentownsend@gmail.com for meeting time
and place.
BirdFest! A summer nature festival for all
ages featuring all of our feathered friends.
Live birds of prey, kids and families activity
tent, bird walks, workshops, presentations,
and more. 7 am–2 pm. North Branch Nature
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. By donation.
northbranchnaturecenter.org
Plainfield Old Home Days. Yard sale at Grace
Methodist Church, 8 am–2 pm. Parade in
Plainfield Village, 11 am. Fun at the Plainfield
Rec Field includes bounce house, crafts, BBQ,
and more from noon–3 pm. Street dance with
Raized on Radio on Main St., 6–10 pm.
SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 19
Performing
Arts
THEATER, DANCE,
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
Through Sept. 15: Shakespeare’s Will. One-
woman show starring Margo Whitcomb directed
by Eric Love and written by Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen. Thiessen has created a poetic,
humorous masterful solo in which The Bard’s widow gets the last word. Thurs.–Sat., 7:30 pm; Sat. and
Sun., 2 pm. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St., Montpelier. $10–30; students and seniors $5 off; youth
Annual River Cleanup. With Friends of the
under 11 $10. lostnationtheater.org
Winooski River. Dress to get wet and muddy,
Sept. 6: Plainfield Variety Show. Neighbors share their talents, their stories and their jokes.
7–8:30 pm. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, Rt. 2, Plainfield.
including shoes you can wear in the river that
will protect your feet from sharp/heavy stuff. Sept 7: FEMCOM. All-female standup comedy. 8:30 pm. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre.
Bring gloves, sun protection, water, snack.
Free/by donation. 479-0896. espressobueno.com.
Children are welcome, but must be supervised
class is for you. Debt that helps build wealth can Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street,
by an adult. If you have an old canoe that you
be a good thing, as long as you know how to Montpelier. 223-3338.
don’t mind piling with tires and weird old metal
manage it effectively. 6–7:30 pm. Capstone, 20 Mid-Week Movie: The Full Monty. 7 pm.
objects, we’d love to use it. Also, if you can spare
Gable Place, Barre. Free. 477-5215 Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
a five-gallon bucket or two, bring them along.
Meet at 8:30 am at City Hall in Montpelier The Surgeon and the Shepherd with Meg St., Greensboro. $5.
for assignment to a section of river and to get Ostrum. Vermont author Meg Ostrum Yestermorrow Speaker Series Events: Live
instructions from your site captain. presents a new documentary film inspired Big, Build Tiny. Learn about tiny houses with
by her book, The Surgeon and the Shepherd: Erin Maile O’Keefe, co-founder of Tiny House
Stuffed Roast Pork Dinner. With mashed
Two Resistance Heroes in Vichy France Fest Vermont and instructor at Yestermorrow
potatoes, coleslaw, carrots, pickles, applesauce
which provides the first in-depth chronicle Design/Build School. 7 pm. 7865 Main St.,
and various pies for dessert. 5:30 pm. Vermont
of Dr. Charles Schepens’ short-lived, Waitsfield. Free. tinyhousefestvermont.com
Grange Center, 308 West St., Brookfield. Adults
but remarkable, career masquerading as
$12; children 10 and under $7. Reservations:
double agent Jacques Perot. 6:30–8 pm.
223-7961
Montpelier Contra Dance. With Luke
Donforth calling and music by Turning Stile.
No experience and no partner needed. All
dances are taught plus an introductory session
at 7:45 pm. Capital City Grange Hall, 6612 Rt.
12, Berlin. Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes.
Adults $10; kids and low income $5; dance
supporters $15. capitalcitygrange.org
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Social Thinking Introduction for Parents
and Professionals. Do you have or work with
children and teens who struggle to navigate
the social world? Want to develop skills to help
them? Come to a free discussion about concepts
and strategies that can help them. 5:30–7 pm.
Kellogg Hubbard Library, Hayes Room, 135
Main St., Montpelier. sarahrosenthalvt.com
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Launch Meeting: Vermont Arts & Culture
Disaster and Resilience Network. A
variety of trainings and resources on risk
assessment, emergency planning, funding for
recovery, and more. Representatives of arts
organizations, theaters, galleries, museums,
historical societies, libraries, creative businesses,
and municipalities, as well as performing arts
presenters and artists are encouraged to attend.
8:30 am–4:30 pm. Chandler Center for the
Arts, Main St., Randolph. $10. Pre-registration
required: http://bit.ly/VACDaRN
Meet the Artist Series: llustrator Nancy Stahl.
Stahl has designed stamps for the U.S. Postal
Service and has been a freelance illustrator for
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
11:30 am. Northern Vermont University-
Lyndon, Harvey Academic Center, Room 111.
Free. Barclay.Tucker@NorthernVermont.edu
Jason Reynolds, Author of Long Way Down.
Reynolds will talk about his 2017 book Long
Way Down, a novel written in verse for young
adults about gun violence. The novel was named
a Newbery Honor book and won other awards.
Reynolds, who lives in Washington, D.C., will
sign copies of his book after the talk. 8 pm.
Northern Vermont University Johnson, Dibden
Center for the Arts. Free. NorthernVermont.edu
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Youth Acting Class, Snow Queen. All ages.
Seeking for roles Wolves, Bandits. 4–5:15 pm.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier.
fineartsbarn@gmail.com
Avoid the Debt Trap. If you are considering a
major purchase, or you already have debt, this
PAGE 20 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 Calendar of Events
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through Sept 5: Threads. An exhibit of fiber
arts by local weavers. Jaquith Public Library,
School St., Marshfield. jaquithpubliclibrary.org
Through Sept. 6: Scattered Geometry: The
Ceramics of Jenny Swanson and Holly
Walker. White River Gallery, 35 S. Windsor St., Our Past & Present. Paintings by Joe Latulippe
South Royalton. 498-8438
Through Sept. 8: Kathleen Kolb: Night and
Day, Now and Then. Showcasing a place the
artist loves—Greensboro, Vermont and its
surroundings. Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
Through Sept. 14: The Vermont We Cannot
See. A collection of infrared photographs of the us. Her works are inspired by the organic,
Vermont landscape by Lisa Dimondstein, Julie
Parker, and Sandra Shenk. Axel’s Gallery and
Frame Shop, 5 Stowe St., Waterbury.
Through Sept. 15: Cecil Gerry, Organized
Chaos. Acrylic paintings, prints, and sculpture.
Reception: Sept. 4, 3–5 pm. Visual Arts Center
at NVU-Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
Through Sept. 20: Philip Hagopian, Sequel.
Multimedia paintings. Julian Scott Memorial
Gallery at Dibden Center for the Arts, NVU-
Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
Through Sept. 27: Studies in Rhythmic
Vitality—Paintings by Lois Eby. Acrylic
paints on birch panels. Art Walk reception:
Sept 6, 4–7 pm. Vermont Supreme Court
Gallery, State St., Montpelier. leby@loiseby.com Through Oct. 19: Exposed: Outdoor
Through Sept. 27: Vermont Pastel Society.
Reception: Sept. 6, 3–8 pm. T.W. Wood Art
Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
Sept. 17–28: Weaving Community: Recent
Work from the Vermont Weavers Guild.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Youth Acting Class, Snow Queen. All ages.
New work by contemporary Vermont weavers,
a “pop-up weaving studio,” talks and other
educational activities. Opening reception: Sept.
20, 5:30–7:30 pm. 201 N. Main St., Barre.
studioplacearts.com
Through Sept. 30: Show 34. Latest work by
The Front’s gallery members. Artist reception:
Sept. 6, 4–7 pm. The Front, 6 Barre St.,
Montpelier. thefrontvt.com
Through Sept. 30: Norwich & Northfield—
and historical photographs of Northfield
courtesy of the Northfield Historical Society.
Opening reception, Sept. 6, 6–7 pm. ART,
etc,. 32 Depot Square, Northfield. artetcvt.com
Sept. 6–30: Jane Edwards & Linda Hogan.
Edwards’ whimsical, hand-built pottery
delights the innocent being within all of
elegant ceramics of Asia and the intuitive
spontaneity of a child at play. Hogan, a
photographer, explores working with images
of perspective and reflection. Opening
reception: Sept. 6, 4–8 pm. Cheshire Cat,
28 Elm St., Montpelier. cheshirecatclothing.
com
Sept. 6–Oct. 31: Helen Rabin and Marge
Pulaski. Art & Author Night: Sept. 13, 6 pm.
Jaquith Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org
Sept. 6–Oct. 15: Valerie Hird, We’re Not in
Kansas Anymore. Paintings. Reception: Sept.
6, 5:30–7:30 pm. Furchgott Sourdiffe, 86 Falls
Rd., Shelburne. fsgallery.com
Sculpture Exhibition. Helen Day Art Center,
90 Pond St., Stowe.
Through Oct. 20: Visual Splendor: Travels
in Northern India. Photographs by Amy
Davenport. The Gallery at Central Vermont
Seeking for roles Snow Queen, Gerda, Kai, etc.
4–5:30 pm. Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier. fineartsbarn@gmail.com
Medical Center, 130 Fisher Hill Rd., Berlin.
moetown52@comcast.net.
Through Oct. 25: The War of Ideas:
Propaganda Posters from the Vermont
Historical Society Collections. Visitors can
examine how posters have been an important
part of the wartime effort, for everything from
recruitment to support on the homefront.
Vermont History Center, 60 Washington St.,
Barre. 479-8500. vermonthistory.org
Sept. 13–Oct. 27: Dianne Shullenberger,
Outdoor Influences. Inspired by being
outdoors and experiencing nature’s atmosphere,
Shullenberger’s new display features fabric collage
and sculpture. Opening: Sept. 14, 5 pm. Gallery
at Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
St., Greensboro. highlandartsvt.org
Through Oct. 29: Handcrafted Vermont;
Works by the Guild of Vermont Furniture
Makers. Vermont State House Cardroom,
Montpelier. curator.vermont.gov
Through Oct. 30: Monkeys, Missiles, and
Mushrooms. Paintings by Marina Epstein. The bicentennial. Curated to include objects from the
paintings on view represent the artist’s experience museum collection, as well as documents and
living in Vermont combined with exotic
tropical influences from Mexico. 134 State St.,
Montpelier. hermitage-gallery.com
Through Oct. 31: Deborah Sacks: Cats,
Landscapes and Figures. Mixed media prints.
Reception: Oct. 25, 6 pm. Chelsea Public
Library. chelsealibrary.com
Through Oct. 31: LandART Lab 2019. Over
18 regional sculptors presenting outdoor art and
installation on the land. Pack a picnic and bring
friends and family. King Farm Rd., Woodstock. montpelieralive.org
Sept. 6–Oct. 31: Conduits: A Show With
Three Artists. Three artists (Liz Hawkes
deNiord, Richard Heller, and Rachel Portesi)
with divergent expressions convene to
compliment and explore underlying realities in
Beat the Toxic Stress and Weight Gain Cycle.
With Amy Panetta, MA, NC, Nutrition and
Weight Loss Consultant. With the excitement
of September’s frenzy of activities, your “fight
or flight” stress response can get stuck in “on”
position. 6–7:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op
community room, Montpelier. $8 members; $10
non-members. Sign-up: info@hungermountain.
coop
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Friday Morning Fall Bird Walks. A weekly,
casual bird walk around the North Branch
Nature Center property in search of fall
migratory songbirds. Learn about identification,
ecology, and life history of our local avifauna.
Led by NBNC’s expert naturalists and birders.
7:30–9 am. 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10. 229-
6206
Youth Acting Class, Snow Queen. All ages.
Seeking for roles Goblins, Guards, Cossacks.
4–5:30 pm. Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier. fineartsbarn@gmail.com
Doggy Shabbat at Hubbard Park. Bring your
4-legged friend (or just yourself) and enjoy a
vegetarian potluck shabbat dinner at the old
shelter in Hubbard park followed by a dog walk
around the park. Please bring a veggie dish to
share if you are able. 6 pm. bethjacobvt.org
Art & Author Night. Art Opening with
works by Helen Rabin and Marge Pulaski at
6 pm. Authors Barry Goldensohn and Lorrie
Goldensohn read from their poetry at 7pm.
Jaquith Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Drive Electric. Speakers, music, and
opportunities to test drive electric vehicles.
11 am–2 pm. Vermont State House, Montpelier.
driveelectricweek.org
T HE BRID GE
their art. Two painters and a wet plate collodion
print photographer challenge the viewer to
engage with the works. All three artists work
to create a conduit for inspired expression.
Opening reception: Sept. 6, 5–7 pm. Vermont
Art Council’s Spotlight Gallery, 136 State St.,
Montpelier.
Sept. 17–Nov. 2: Studio Place Arts. Opening
reception: Sept. 20, 5:30–7:30 pm. 201 N.
Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.com
Rock Solid XIX. Annual stone sculpture
exhibit showcases stone sculptures and
assemblage by area artists and other work that
depicts the beautiful qualities of stone.
Perspective by Tuyen My Nguyen.
Installations made from tautly strung thread
and string that explore scale differences in
small and large configurations.
Humanity – No Fear of the Other and
the Good Life: Recent Paintings by
Damariscotta Rouelle
Through Dec. 21: 200 Years—200 Objects.
An exhibition celebrating Norwich University’s
images from Archives and Special Collections,
that reflect and retell the university’s 200-year
history. Norwich University Sullivan Museum
and History Center, Northfield. norwich.edu
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sept. 6: Montpelier ArtWalk. Two dozen
art exhibits at businesses and galleries around
town. Start anywhere you want and visit as
many venues as you like. Refreshments served at
most venues. 4–8 pm. Downtown Montpelier.
Sept. 7–8: Unseen Details from Harry’s
Hardware. Photographs by Rosalind Daniels.
On exhibit Sat., noon–8 pm and Sun, noon–
5 pm. Reception with refreshments: Sept. 7,
6–8 pm. Cabot Artisans Gallery, 3053 Main St.,
Cabot. 563-2064.
Chapters in History Four: Turmoil
Perennially Swirling. The public is encouraged
to participate in this free reading and discussion
series of presidential biographies. Sept’s book is
No Ordinary Time, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt:
The Home Front In World War II by Doris Kearns
Goodwin. Books are available for loan from the
library. 2 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School St.,
Marshfield. 454 -1680
“Poets in Conversation” in Adamant. Where
in ourselves does poetry come from? This and
other questions will be under discussion when
the Adamant Community Club hosts “Poets
in Conversation,” with Vermont poets Nadell
Fishman and Jane Shore. They will discuss their
inspiration, their craft, the process of revision,
and answer audience questions. 7:30 pm.
Adamant Community Club. Free. 454-7103
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Hike Jefferson, NH area with Green
Mountain Club. Moderate. 10.4 miles. Hike to
AMC’s Zealand Falls Hut via Zealand Trail (2.5
miles, mostly flat except for the final 100 yards).
Then continue on to the summit of Mt. Hale via
the Lend-A-Hand Trail (2.7 miles), and return
via the same route to the start point. Contact
Michal Chernick, 249-0520 or chernick5@
comcast.net for meeting time at Montpelier High
School.
Words Out Loud with Susan Ritz and Susan
D. Burton. Sunday afternoon readings by
Vermont writers. 3 pm. Old West Church,
Calais. 456-1551
Author Series presents Rick Winston, The Red
Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the
McCarthy Era. What happened in Vermont
when the anti-Communist fear known as the
“Red Scare” swept the country? Quite a bit, as
it turns out. Join us to learn more and enjoy a
vegetarian potluck dinner, please bring a veggie
T HE BRID GE Calendar of Events SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 21

Sept. 7: WDEV Radio Rangers. A mix in. 4–6 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, Sept. 14: Michael Arnowitt and the

Live Music
of Western swing, old country, novelty and 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. No cover. ImproVisions Jazz Quintet. Pianist Michael
bluegrass music. 7:30 pm. Highland Center for highlandartsvt.org Arnowitt returns to perform in concert “Where
the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. $10. Sept. 13: Meditation Concerts: Flutist jazz meets Classical” with Dave Ellis, trumpet,
highlandartsvt.org Dan Silverman, trombone, Clyde Stats, bass,
VENUES Karen Kevra. Free concerts give listeners
and Caleb Bronz, drums. Jazz based on music
Sept. 11: Remembering September 11, 2001 the opportunity to experience world-class
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9212. with Tower Bells. Michael Loris will play a performances in a reflective way through of the classical composers Chopin, Debussy,
Bagitos.com half-hour program of music remembering the 30-minute meditations to live music. Noon. Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Copland. 7 pm.
Sept. 5: Coffee Corner Jam Session, 7:30 am; victims of the 9/11 tragedy on the historic tower Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont State Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Colin McCaffrey and friends, 6 pm bells of Montpelier’s Trinity United Methodist House, Montpelier. capitalcityconcerts.org $20. 229-0984
Sept. 7: Irish Session, 2 pm Church. 9:59 am. 137 Main St., Montpelier. Sept. 14: Blue Wave Concert to Save Our
Sept. 8: Southern Old Time Music Jam, 10 Sept. 13: Catherine MacLellan. A songwriter
Sept. 12: The Hunger Mountain Co-op unparalleled among performers of her Democracy! Featuring Dana and Susan
am Robinson. Dana and Susan Robinson’s original
Sept. 12: Old Time Music Session, 6 pm Brown Bag Summer Concert Series: Green generation, MacLellan earned immediate
Mountain Swing. Montpelier Alive’s series critical acclaim after releasing her debut album, and traditional folk music has been featured
Sept. 13: Ian Steinberg, 6 pm in Ken Burns documentaries. A fundraiser to
Sept. 14: Irish Session, 2 pm; Barry Bender, of FREE and fun lunch-time concerts every winning awards and being labeled “Critics
Thursday, Aug, 1–Sept. 26. Join us for a diverse Favourite New Discovery” by Penguin Eggs support Virginia candidates flip the state ‘blue’
6 pm and combat Republican gerrymandering. 7 pm.
Sept. 15: Eric Friedman, 11 am lineup of local and regional acts that are sure magazine in 2008. 7 pm. Highland Center for
to delight. Bring a lunch from one of our the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. $15; Maple Corner Community Center, 84 West
Sept. 19: Coffee Corner Jam Session, 7:30 County Rd., Calais. IndivisibleCalais.org
pm; Italian Session, 6 pm wonderful downtown restaurants and enjoy All students $10; seniors $12. highlandartsvt.org
Sept. 20: Dave Loughran, 6 pm concerts at noon in City Hall Plaza, 39 Main Sept. 13: The Fretless. Young, innovative Sept. 18: Burger Night with Music
St., Montpelier. band that melds the worlds of Celtic, folk, by Dave Keller. 5:30 pm. Templeton
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St. Farms, 3410 Center Rd., East Montpelier.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820. Sept. 12: Kick ‘Em Jenny & Hillcrest and chamber music into an amazing and
Nursery. Enjoy samples created with Hillcrest unique sound with intricate arrangements templetonfarm.com
Every Tues.: Karaoke, 7:30 pm
Sept. 13: Fro, 9:30 pm and 12:30 am Nursery’s fresh late-summer harvest while and percussive chopping. 7:30 pm. Chandler
jamming to volcanic Appalachian fiddle tunes, Music Hall, Main St., Randolph. $10–35.
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479- deep groove songs, and a little Cajun thrown chandler-arts.org
0896. espressobueno.com.
Sept. 7: Moose JAMS (rock & blues), 7:30 pm
Sept. 14: Jazzyaoke (live jazz karaoke), 7:30
pm, $5
Whammy Bar. 31 W. County Rd., Calais.
whammybar1.com
Every Thurs.: Open Mic, 7 pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sept. 4: Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime
Shepherd Kings. All-star old time novelty jazz
and pop quintet. 7 pm. Caledonia Grange #9,
88 Church St., East Hardwick. $10 suggested
donation. 472-8987
Sept. 5: The Hunger Mountain Co-op
Brown Bag Summer Concert Series:
Araba-Lon. Montpelier Alive’s series of
FREE and fun lunch-time concerts every
Thursday, Aug, 1–Sept. 26. Join us for a diverse
lineup of local and regional acts that are sure
to delight. Bring a lunch from one of our
wonderful downtown restaurants and enjoy All
concerts at noon in City Hall Plaza, 39 Main
St., Montpelier.
Sept. 5: Fishhead. David “Fishhead” Solomon
plays an eclectic mix of classic oldies, blues,
folk, rock, and R&B. 6:3–8:30 pm. Café at
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
St., Greensboro. No cover. highlandartsvt.org.
Sept. 6: Meditation Concerts: Harpist
Jennifer Hoult. Free concerts give listeners
the opportunity to experience world-class
performances in a reflective way through
30-minute meditations to live music. Noon.
Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont State
House, Montpelier. capitalcityconcerts.org
Sept. 6: Ben Paley. A master fiddler and singer
equally adept at Swedish, Oldtime, Irish, and
Klezmer traditional styles. 7 pm. Landmark
Schoolhouse, 1643 Rt. 215, Lower Cabot.
$16 advance; $20 at door. Potluck snacks and
BYOB. cabotarts.org
Sept. 6: Everyone Orchestra. Danceable,
improvisational music drawing from funk, jazz,
soul, electronic and Americana roots. 7 pm.
Northern Vermont University-Johnson, South
Lawn (weather permitting) or at Dibden Center
for the Arts. NorthernVermont.edu
Sept. 7: Green Mountain Monteverdi
Ensemble of Vermont: Music of Love and
War. The program is devoted to the two
masters of early baroque vocal music: Claudio
Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz. 7:30 pm.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Suggested donations: adults $20; students/
seniors $15; children $10. gmmev.org
PAGE 2 2 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Calendar of Events
dish to share if you are able. 6 pm. Beth Jacob
Synagogue, 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Five Money Questions for Women. Kristin
Dearborn, Edward Jones Financial Advisor, will
share her perspective on a process women can
use to identify financial goals and set a strategy.
This 45-minute presentation offers questions
women should ask as they explore their finances.
6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
Street, Montpelier. 223-3338.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Open Weaving Workshop. Sept. 17–19.
Families, students and curious beginners of all
ages are invited to try their hand on a variety
of looms and hand-weaving techniques, with
materials provided at no charge. Come weave for
ten minutes or an afternoon. Groups of seven or
more, please call ahead to ensure that we have
space available. 3:30–5:30 pm. Studio Place Arts,
201 N. Main St., Barre. Free. 479-7069
Pacem School Community Makerspace
Grand Opening. Demo our new equipment:
laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines,
and more. 5:30 pm. 32 College St., Montpelier.
pacemschool.org
Progressive Party Montpelier City Caucus.
The biennial party reorganizing season is upon us
and the Montpelier Progressive Party is meeting
to form its City Committee and elect officers
and delegates to the county committee. 6:30 pm.
Montpelier City Hall, City Council Chambers,
39 Main St., Montpelier. progressiveparty.org
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Open Weaving Workshop. See event description
under Sept. 17
Fit For What? Re-envisioning “Working Out.”
With Robert Kest, Ph.D. It is possible when
working out, be it aerobics, yoga, running, etc.,
to cultivate a more skillful, responsive, and richer
way of being that can shape our lives. 6–7:30 pm.
Hunger Mountain Co-op community room,
Montpelier. Sign-up: info@hungermountain.
coop
Build & Maintain Great Credit for a Lifetime.
Learn the keys to building and maintaining great
credit, how to interpret your report, and steps to
take now to improve your credit score. 6–7:30 pm.
Capstone, 20 Gable Place, Barre. Free. 477-5215
T HE BRID GE SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 • PAGE 23

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! Music

By Ken McMurtry

W
e were in the kitchen listening is playing too loud or too soft; they Photo courtesy of Ken McMurtry.
to NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t must know if an individual or section is
Tell Me! one Saturday when beginning to lose focus and wobble out
Peter Sagal introduced as the guest that of synchronization. They are reading off
week “the legendary” Marin Alsop, music a score that has all the parts, and they
director and conductor of the Baltimore need to make sure each part comes in at
Symphony Orchestra. My wife made the the right time.”
statement that conducting was probably “Maybe it is a bit harder than I
one of the most, if not the most, difficult imagined,” I said. “Too fast, too slow,
jobs in the modern arts. too loud, too quiet, lots of parts, no
“What are you talking about?” I said, wobbling,” I said. “I think you’ve got
“It doesn’t look that hard.” My wife, it,” she said. “That’s not all…” There
Polly, took a deep breath. She was being was applause from the radio and the
patient with me. I had heard that sigh fading sound of Peter Sagal’s voice. “The
before. “Well it is,” she said. conductor has to work endless hours in
My face flushed a bit. Feeling a deep- rehearsals, fine tuning each movement,
seated insecure need to defend my experimenting with sounds, keeping the
position, I said, “All the conductor does orchestra in sync.”
is stand in front of the orchestra and “Now I know why there aren’t more
wave a baton around. It couldn’t be that five-year-old conductors,” I said.
hard.” She laughed. “Good conductors are rare,” she said.
“Laugh if you want,” I said, “but at the “I enjoy the Vermont Philharmonic “I would love to sit in the orchestra,” see plenty as an audience member. Just
Pop’s concert last month a five-year old concerts,” I said, feeling a little defensive. I said, “surrounded by music. In the watch and enjoy.”
kid was invited on stage to conduct the The conductor on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell middle of the action, where I could “Why is it they never want you to clap
1815 overture.” Me! was saying that besides the baton watch the baton swishing through the air at classical music concerts,” I said. “Who
“1812” She said. she had at least 15 facial expressions she and see all the subtle facial expressions makes the rules anyway?” Our cat Jill
used when conducting a performance. and hand gestures.” LePurr jumped on my lap and smiled.
“Whatever,” but I knew instantly,
from the look on her face I had gone “Does Lou Kosma make faces when “Come to the fall concert October 21,” “Here we go again,” Polly said.
too far. Said the wrong thing. Suddenly, he conducts,” I asked? Lou has been she said, “It’s the Opera Gala. You’ll
Peter Sagal’s voice was just a blur in the conducting the Vermont Philharmonic
background. “You know nothing about for the past 20 years.
music,” she said, “or conducting.” “He has a wide range of dirty looks,”
I couldn’t argue with that. My only Polly said, “He has encouraging
musical experience involved learning looks, too, you’re coming in too early
a few ukulele chords and playing the looks—premature looks I guess you’d
triangle in the Loma Vista Elementary call them—and play louder, play softer
School percussion orchestra. Neither of looks.”
these activities involved a conductor. To
make matters worse, Polly is a cellist in
the Vermont Philharmonic.
“Imagine…” she said.
I think I’m not exaggerating when I
say she had a bit of attitude when she
said this.
“Imagine standing in front of 50
musicians who are expected to play very
beautiful, very difficult music, and with
only a small wand and physical gestures,
keeping them focused and playing in
concert with one another.”
“The cliché about herding cats comes
to mind,” I said. “Forget cats, it’s hard
work,” she said, “these musicians, all of
various skill levels, play in sections—
strings, winds, brass, and percussion—
and those sections must interface with
one another, be in harmony with all the
other sections.”
“I used to play in a percussion
orchestra,” I said.
Polly ignored my attempt at humor.
“The conductor must know and
understand the role of every instrument;
they must know every player’s skill
level; they must know when a section
PAGE 24 • SEP T 4 —SEP T 17, 2019 T HE BRID GE

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