neWs - The Commons

Brattleboro, Vt. 

Vol. V No. 5 • Issue #51 

May 2010 

FREE 

www.commonsnews.org 

The 

C ommons 

CELEBRATING 

Windham 

Windham 

County’s 

County’s 

Independent 

AWARD-WINNING, 

Source 

Independent 

for 

Source 

News 

for 

and 

News 

Views 

and Views 

5Y E A R S 

Commons 

will publish 

weekly 

starting 

June 2 

Editor’s 

notebook, 

page 30 

NEWS 

Brattleboro 

board approves 

repairs to 

reservoir 

page 4 

VOICES 

Seminary was 

environment 

for abuse 

PRSRT STD 

U.S. POSTAGE PAID 

BRATTLEBORO, VT 05301 

PERMIT NO. 24 

Vermont Independent Media 

P.O. Box 1212, Brattleboro, VT 05302 


pages 24 

LIFE & WORK 

Hospice 

program helps 

the bereaved 

page 21 

Donors to Vermont Independent Media 

receive The Commons in the mail. 

Visit http://donate.commonsnews.org. 

A week in the life of Superior Court 

Two civil cases offer a window on the judicial process 

By Thelma O'Brien 

The Commons 

Home alone 

NEWFANE—What goes on behind 

the doors of Windham County 

Superior Court, the imposing 1825 

Greek Revival structure on the 

Newfane green? 

The Vermont judiciary website 

describes the state’s Superior Courts 

as “trial courts where civil matters 

such as breach of contract, eviction, 

foreclosure, personal injury, 

land disputes, medical malpractice 

and wrongful death cases are heard.” 

Appeals from the Probate Court are 

also heard in Superior Court. 

During two cases observed over 

five days of observation in April, 

The story of a high-school senior 

who narrowly escaped homelessness, 

and the social service agency that 

is giving him a helping hand 

juries heard charges of medical 

malpractice in the last three days 

of the first trial and accusations of 

construction fraud in the start of 

the next. 

If it can be said that any trial is 

straightforward, the malpractice case 

against Roger Dietrich, M.D., a surgeon 

once affiliated with Brattleboro 

Memorial Hospital, had a mainly 

orderly trajectory, though complex 

in parts and about matters that took 

place in 2004. 

The suit against Dietrich was 

brought by a former patient, 

Timothy Holt. 

In contrast, the $1.3 million fraud 

alleged in the construction case by 

a condominium association, Vantage 

Editor’s note: Because of the sensitivity of his 

situation, the subject of this story agreed to talk 

to The Commons on the condition that his name 

be withheld. 

By Sara Lepkoff 


BRATTLEBORO—By most definitions, 

“Brad” is a typical high 

school student, one loves to play 

football and create art. 

“I wake up, go to school, go to work, then 

hang out with my friends and do my homework,” 

the Brattleboro Union High School 

senior says. 

He also lives alone — one step away from 

homelessness. 

Brad is one of an estimated 55 young 

adults in Windham County at any given 

n see BRAD, page 5 

DAVID SHAW/THE COMMONS 

Point, a 30-year-old, 60-unit, threebuilding 

complex, against Stratton 

Association Management, is anything 

but simple. 

That action against the condominium 

management, which not 

only involved the change from one 

management company to another 

but also the facility’s owner in the 

same action, brought charges against 

a now-defunct third-party contracting 

firm, RAB, which had hired people 

to restucco the buildings. 

According to Rich Carroll, clerk 

of the court, two jury trials in two 

weeks is far from typical. The jurisdiction 

might not see two jury trials 

in a year. 

n see COURTHOUSE, page 10 

Stopping 

the stink 

Putney residents 

want paper mill 

to address odor 

By Olga Peters 


PUTNEY—A state environmental 

official has encouraged residents, frustrated 

with odors and air quality from 

the Putney Paper Co.’s mill, to keep 

records of when the offensive odors 

linger over the town center. 

Many of the more than 20 people 

who attended an April 21 meeting 

with Philip Etter, environmental analyst 

with the Vermont Department 

of Environmental Conservation live 

within miles of the Putney Paper Co. 

Inc.’s mill on Route 5. 

They complained to Etter of noxious 

odors from the plant, which they 

say sends “little bits of paper like confetti” 

into the air that settle along Main 

Street and residences south of the mill. 

“This is more than an aesthetic 

issue for some,” said resident Anne 

Fines, who said she does not live in 

her home at Putney Commons, a cohousing 

community south of the mill. 

The air quality aggravates her allergies 

and creates respiratory issues. 

The big question posed to Etter: 

what information did the state need 

to spur action? 

Underfoot 

artwork 

under way 

Brattleboro arts 

committee anticipates 

first in series of 

sidewalk art 

By Allison Teague 


n see odor, page 8 

BRATTLEBORO—The idea is 

simple: replace blocks of the sidewalk 

with art that can do double duty. 

Kate Anderson and Hugh Keelan 

of the town arts committee (TAC), 

along with artist and musician Garry 

Jones, sought and received approval 

for a sidewalk public art project. 

Now, as a result of an idea that 

Jones brought before the TAC, 

the Selectboard has approved the 

Horizontal Art Project, and Director 

of Public Works Steve Barrett said 

there could be a completed slab of 

sidewalk as early as May. 

“It takes a day to replace it and we’d 

give it a day or two to cure,” Barrett 

said. “We’ve all ready gotten proposals 

for a project. We can do it whenever 

the Arts Committee gets it to us.” 

Natalie Blake, ceramics, and 

Randy Solin, glassblower, of Fulcrum 

n see horizontal art, page 18

2 NEWS The Commons • May 2010 The Commons • May 2010 NEWS 3 

STATE AND COUNTY 

Maple producers: 

season was not so bad 

Farmers say warmer, shorter season was tougher 

in southern Vermont than in the northern counties 

By Katy Cowen 


Maple sugaring season has 

ended for the year, with 

mixed reactions among 

producers about the effect 

the weather had on the crop. 

Though media reports at the end 

of the season generally painted the 

season as catastrophic for farmers in 

face of the early arrival of spring and 

the lack of freezing temperatures at 

night in the later half of the season, 

local reaction was varied. 

“Overall, producers have been saying 

this has been a very good year,” 

said Kelly Loftus, communications 

director at the Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture of the season that both 

started and ended unusually early. 

Doug Harlow’s observations were 

more measured. 

“This season was spotty — some 

people did better than others,” said 

Harlow, one of many family members 

who work on the family farm at 

Harlow’s Sugar House in Putney, and 

Brattleboro Subaru 

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP... 

Frank Hanenberger is the proud 

owner of not one, but two thriving 

Subaru dealerships since acquiring 

the former Stacy Subaru... now 

Brattleboro Subaru! With this new 

acquisition, Frank is committed to 

extending quality customer 

service, and exceptional sales & 

service team, and ultimately 

serving you with the respect and 

appreciation you deserve. What’s 

more is that Frank’s ownership of 

two Subaru points entitles his customers the advantage of 

twice the inventory to find their perfect Subaru! “It’s a fact 

that nobody in New England pays less for their new Subarus 

than I do! Thanks for choosing Brattleboro Subaru.” 

On behalf of Frank, John, and the entire 

Brattleboro Subaru Team, we’d like to offer you a 

warm welcome to our family. 

Luke has over 10 years 

in the automotive 

industry with the last 5 

years at this Subaru 

dealership. “I will 

work my hardest to 

make your buying 

experience quick and 

painless.” 

the son of its owner, Don. “We consider 

ourselves lucky. It wasn’t an average 

crop, but it was close.” 

“There’s always about three generations 

on the farm,” he says, and every 

member who can is working and 

preparing for the crops of a new year. 

“We’re always anxious for the maple 

sugaring season, because it’s the first 

real agricultural crop of the year.” 

“This season was good, an average 

crop,” said Arnold Coombs, manager 

of Bascom Family Farms, the 

parent company of Coombs Family 

Farms and Brown Family Farms., all 

in Brattleboro. 

“Usually, you’ll have three or four 

days of a good run, three to four days 

of freezing, then another good run,” 

said Coombs, who serves as chairman 

of the Vermont Maple Industry 

Council. 

This season, though, “there was a 

little bit every day…it kept going. It 

was long, and then finally just ended.” 

Farms that produce maple syrup in 

southern Vermont were “off,” Coombs 

says, but farms in the northern part 

EXPERIENCE E E E THE DIFFERENCE! 

F E E John Sciacca is a familiar and 

welcome presence to most of you 

already. Now General Manager of 

Brattleboro Subaru, he continues 

to lead with professionalism, 

courtesy, and excellence. With 

over 16 years in the automotive 

industry in the Brattleboro area, 

John is no stranger to both the 

inner and outer workings of the 

Sales, Service, and Parts dynamics 

in any dealership. Like Frank, John 

is committed to providing you with the very best experience 

at Brattleboro Subaru – whether it’s buying your very first 

Subaru, or having your fourth one in for an oil change. Stop 

by, say hello. 

Finance Manager Sales Manager Internet Manager 

Lucas Higley Fitz Tarry Edrie Bailey 

Fitz has over 15 years 

of experience in the 

automotive industry. 

Fitz looks forward to 

making your next visit 

to Brattleboro Subaru 

the best auto buying 

experience you’ve 

ever had. 

Parts Manager Service Manager 

Tony Walsh Shawn McMillan 

Tony has forty years 

in the automotive 

industry with 9 years at 

this Subaru dealership. 

“I strive to always do 

my best for my 

customers.” 

1234 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT 

800-300-1910 or 

802-251-1000 

www.vermontsubaru.com 

of the state had about an average crop 

because it was a little cooler in higher 

elevations; the season was longer. 

Verdict still out 

“Stories are still coming in from 

the woods,” said Jacques Couture, coowner 

of Couture’s Maple Shop and 

Bed and Breakfast in Westfield, near 

the Canadian border, with his wife, 

Pauline. “I’m hedging when I say this.” 

Couture, who serves as president 

of the Vermont Maple Foundation, 

said that at the 44th annual Vermont 

Maple Festival in St. Albans in May, 

producers will be able to exchange stories 

about the season and foundation 

members will be able to “get a better 

feel of how the crop actually turned 

out,” he says. 

Until then, he echoed Coombs’s 

observations about the disparity between 

southern and northern Vermont 

climates and the effects on the season. 

“Of course, there are exceptions, 

because there are differences in different 

regions. I’ve talked to a guy who 

produces about 12 miles south of us, 

Shawn has over 20 

years in the automotive 

industry with extensive 

Subaru knowledge. “I 

will always keep my 

promise of 100% 

customer satisfaction.” 

Brattleboro 

Subaru 

Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m .- 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m .- 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m .- 5 p.m., Sunday 1 1 a.m .- 3 p.m. 

Edrie has over 17 years 

of customer service 

experience. She handles 

all internet sales leads 

as well as interacting 

with the majority of 

our customers. “My 

goal is your complete 

satisfaction with your 

car buying experience.” 

No VT 

Sales Tax to 

NH/MA 

Residents! 


Technology like vacuum tubing helped some maple producers 

cope with an unusually warm season. Despite dire predictions, 

farmers, the state Agency of Agriculture, and state trade 

association leaders say the results were not as grim as widely 

reported. 

and he said this is the best crop he’s 

had in 30 years.,’ Couture said. “And 

if someone is using up-to-date vacuum 

systems, then the crop was better.” 

Location and different weather 

conditions aren’t the only factors that 

cause differences in yields; technology 

used in gathering syrup also makes a 

big contribution. 

“If you’re using vacuum tubing, 

you’re getting a good amount of sap,” 

Coombs pointed out. 

For Couture’s 7,500 tap operation, 

the crop was about average, as 

Jen & Jessica 

Call or Walk In 

802-275-4990 

225 Main St. 

Brattleboro 

(Across from the Library) 

he guesses it was . 

In the Windham County area, says 

Coombs, some farmers don’t have 

enough product to meet market demands 

for syrup. They might buy from 

northern Vermont sellers just to fill 

their orders. 

Early runs 

Many farms found the early start of 

the season a save with the early arrival 

of spring weather and temperatures. 

“Getting tapped out early helped, 

because we had those early runs. We 

tapped out Washington’s birthday 

weekend,” Harlow said. “This season 

started early. We made about a third 

of what we made this season between 

Washington’s Birthday weekend and 

March 1.” 

Harlow’s brother, who works in 

higher elevations on his own farm, 

however, didn’t tap as early because of 

the colder temperatures and the snow. 

The variation in crop yield is typical. 

“You know, it’s the 20-80 rule: usually 

20 percent of the farmers make 80 

percent of the syrup,” Coombs said. 

More people boiling 

“The technology available for producing 

is making it easier to tap trees, 

and making it easier for new people 

to tap.” She says this is particularly 

true for “backyard, hobby maple 

producing.” 

“There are many new operations,” 

says Couture. “In this area, I’ve seen 

about 17,000 new taps between four 

new operations. There was a sparked 

interest because of the shortage of 

maple syrup in past years.” 

A shortage of maple syrup production 

can result in a spike in maple 

syrup commodity prices. 

After a time of low prices — about 

$2.50-$2.75 per pound — the shortage 

of the 2007 and 2008 seasons 

caused the price to jump. Between 

Christmas of 2008 and the maple sugaring 

season of 2009, prices jumped 

45 percent to $44 per gallon, or $4 

per pound. 

Couture said the high prices served 

as a catalyst for an increase in new 

operations. 

“You know, if there’s a segment of 

agriculture where farmers can make 

a dollar, especially with the economy, 

and a lot of people have had their jobs 

cut back, they’re going to take advantage 

of a crop like that,” he said. 

Finishing up 

Most farmers finished their season 

by cleaning and putting away equipment. 

For the Harlow Family Farm, 

though, this process takes a back seat 

to the preparation for the approach 

of other crops. 

“We’re really doing two or three 

things at a time. We grow strawberries, 

blueberries, raspberries, and apples,” 

said Harlow. 

Cleaning up after sugaring season 

usually doesn’t happen for a while 

because other tasks get in the way. 

“When you’re a small farm, you can’t 

hang your hat on one crop, because if 

that crop doesn’t go well…” Harlow 

said, leaving the obvious unspoken. 

Couture, like many other maple 

sugar farmers, is also a dairy farmer, 

a combination that lets farmers use 

more of their resources. 

“In Vermont, 50 percent of forests 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 Elliot St. Brattleboro 257-6911 

www.boomerangvermont.com 

open every day 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natalie, Deena, Danny, and Jenny: non plus ultra 

The economics of sugaring 

By Katy Cowen 


Maple sugar farmers are still assessing 

the market — the impact this 

year’s statistics will have on prices. 

Actual prices for this year’s season 

are provided by farmers throughout 

the United States and in Canada; 

total numbers and prices specific to 

Vermont can be found in the New 

England Agricultural Statistics 2010 

Report, due in June. 

Arnold Coombs, chairman of the 

Vermont Maple Industry Council, 

predicts that prices will stay where 

they are; Kelly Loftus, public information 

officer for the Vermont Agency 

of Agriculture, says that prices in 

Vermont are up. 

Jacques Couture, president of the 

Vermont Maple Foundation, speculates 

that prices for retail will hold 

steady, as he sees “no reason for prices 

to change much.” But on the commodity 

level, he thinks there will be a 

“slight reduction” in prices. 

“I say slight because, as I’ve been 

hearing through the grapevine, I’m 

getting a sense that buyers are holding 

off, not rushing to buy too much,” he 

said. “They want to see what the crop 

actually was before they start buying. 

They don’t want to pay more than 

they have to.” 

Canadian market 

influences prices 

Many factors go into predicting 

how prices will fluctuate: the local 

economy, total production numbers 

in the maple sugar industry, market 

demands and trends, and the dynamics 

of the Canadian crop. 

According to Canada’s Honey 

are maple,” Couture said. “There’s 

a good likelihood that you own forest 

with maple. Many farmers think, 

I’ll invest some money and make another 

crop.” 

When the weather got warm so 

quickly, he had to put his post-season 

cleaning operations on hold so that 

he could start putting manure down 

in his fields. 

“We’re out, full-force. It’s exciting. 

It’s what we do,” he says. n 

Council’s Production and Value of 

Honey and Maple Products Report, 

in 2009, Nova Scotia produced 

19,000 gallons of maple syrup; New 

Brunswick, 386,000 gallons; Ontario, 

417,000 gallons; and Quebec, 8.3 million 

gallons. 

Quebec is the world’s largest producer 

of maple syrup, producing more 

than 70 percent of the world’s maple 

syrup and 90 percent of Canada’s. 

The farmer’s union in Quebec has 

been largely in control for determining 

the minimum prices of the maple 

syrup industry for the last eight years. 

This year, Coombs said, the 

Canadians had a decent crop. 

Thankfully, Coombs said, “farmers 

can still make money at current 

prices” in Vermont, selling mostly at 

retail due to the large domination of 

the market by small-farm operations, 

but with some also selling bulk and 

wholesale. 

“I think prices will stay stable this 

year,” Coombs said. “I don’t see them 

dropping, and, hopefully, knock on 

wood, I don’t think they’ll increase on 

the consumer side. But the Canadians 

have been pretty aggressive this year 

with prices.” 

Wanting more syrup 

Demand also has a lot to do with 

the pricing, Couture said. 

“Maple syrup is viewed favorably by 

people who want to know where their 

food is coming from,” he said. “These 

are people who are aware of highfructose 

corn syrup and other preservatives 

and sweeteners. The culinary 

world also ‘discovered,’ you might say, 

maple syrup. For many years, maple 

syrup was only associated with pancakes, 

but now, pancakes are only the 

beginning. You can let your imagination 

run wild with maple syrup.” 

Couture also noted an increase in 

demand for darker grades of syrup, 

which used to be the last grades to 

be sold. 

IS THIS WHAT YOUR BOILER LOOKS 

LIKE AFTER THIS PAST WINTER? 

If so, now is the time 

to replace it with a 

quality, affordable 

Solaia cast iron boiler. 

Increasing demands for maple 

syrup and other maple products 

come from international markets, 

Couture said. 

“Demand throughout the world 

has increased about three times what 

it was in the early ’70s,” he said. “In 

developing countries, Japan, South 

America — these countries usually 

buy granulated maple syrup because 

it’s easier to ship, but maple syrup is 

also being shipped to these countries. 

These markets have really helped 

cause an increase in demand.” 

Helping the industry grow 

In 2009, Vermont sugar farmers 

produced 920,000 gallons of syrup, 

the highest yield since 1944, according 

to the New England Agricultural 

Statistics 2009 Maple Syrup report. 

Vermont remained first in the U.S and 

second only to Quebec as the world’s 

top producer of maple syrup, so the 

consequences of the season — good 

or bad — are reflected in the state’s 

economy. 

“I want to make sure to say how excited 

I am about the maple industry 

now, even with the economy,” Couture 

said. “Maple syrup is one of the bright 

lights in agriculture.” 

“It’s a great time to be in this industry. 

There’s a growth in demand at the 

consumer side, and there’s growth on 

the manufacturer’s level. If we can expand 

at 5 percent a year, which I realize 

seems like a lot, then farmers can 

expand, and they can make a better 

living,” Coombs said. 

“We’re a tight knit industry. We’re 

all related business-wise; it’s a tight 

group. It’s not a six-degrees-of-separation 

thing; it’s more like two-degree 

separation,” he said, laughing. 

“Every drop I sell, I’m helping other 

farmers,” Coombs said. “If we could 

double the industry in 10 years, which 

is something I have suggested as chairman 

of the Vermont Maple Industry 

Council, that’s the cat’s meow.” 

CAST IRON BOILERS 

A full line of dependable Solaia cast iron boilers is available from: 

BARROWS & FISHER OIL CO. 

Call the Comfort Consultant 

802-254-4574 

or Kearley Fuel 

802-874-4921 

35 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 


C ommons 

139 Main St., P.O. Box 1212 

Brattleboro, VT 05302 

(802) 246-6397 


Hours: 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Monday–Friday 

Jeff Potter, Editor 

Betsy Arney, Manager 

Nancy Gauthier, Advertising 

Deadline for the June 2 issue 

Tuesday, May 27 

aBout the neWspaper 

The Commons is a nonprofit community 

newspaper published since 2006 by 

Vermont Independent Media, Inc., a nonprofit 

corporation under section 501(c)3 

of the federal tax code. This is the last 

monthly issue. We will publish weekly beginning 

June 2. 

The newspaper is free, but it is supported 

by readers like you through taxdeductible 

donations, through advertising 

support, and through support of charitable 

foundations. 

suBmittinG neWs items/tips 

We welcome story ideas and news tips. 

Please contact the editor at editor@ 

commonsnews.org or at (413) 325-1723. 

Most press releases and announcements 

of upcoming events appear on 

www.commonsnews.org, where they can 

be made available sooner. 

VoiCes 

The Commons presents a broad range of 

essays, memoirs, and other subjective 

material in Voices, our editorial and commentary 

section. We want the paper to 

provide an unpredictable variety of food 

for thought from all points on the political 

spectrum. 

We especially invite responses to material 

that we’ve printed here. 

We do not publish unsigned or anonymous 

letters, and we only very rarely withhold 

names for other pieces. When space 

is an issue, our priority is to run contributions 

that have not yet appeared in other 

publications. 

Please check with the editor before 

writing essays or other original submissions 

of substance. 

Editorials represent the collective 

voice of The Commons and are written by 

the editor or by members of the Vermont 

Independent Media Board of Directors. 

adVertisinG 

Your advertising directly supports a better 

newspaper. The display advertising 

rate is $10.50 per column inch, and The 

Commons offers discounts for three or 

more advertising insertions. To place your 

ad, contact the advertising coordinator at 

ads@commonsnews.org. 

Advertising files can be saved as PDF 

(press-ready setting), EPS (with fonts converted 

to outlines), or as TIFF (600 pixels 

per inch), or printed as black-and-white 

hard copy. We can provide limited creative 

services for your ad design and help you 

find a professional designer if you have 

unusual needs. 

sponsor a paGe 

Your donation of $50 pays to print a single 

page of The Commons. This contribution 

helps us publish a larger newspaper with 

more news, and we acknowledge these donations 

on the bottom of a page. 

Please specify how you would like to be 

credited, or whether you wish to donate in 

honor of or in memory of another person. 

Mail your donation, or contribute online 

at http://donate.commonsnews.org. 

distriBution 

The Commons distributes 8,000 copies 

per issue to hundreds of locations in every 

Windham County town. Get in touch 

if you would like us to consider adding 

your business. 

sinCe some 

haVe asKed LateLy... 

Despite our similar name, The Commons 

is not affiliated with Vermont Commons, 

a statewide journal that is strongly linked 

with a movement advocating Vermont’s secession 

from the United States. 

Vim’s mission 

To create a forum for community participation 

through publication of The 

Commons and Commonsnews.org; to promote 

local, independent journalism in 

Windham County; and to promote civic engagement 

by building media skills among 

Windham County residents through the 

Media Mentoring Project. 

Board of direCtors 

Barbara S. Evans, Barry Aleshnick, Alan 

O. Dann, Dan DeWalt, Peter Seares, Bob 

Rottenberg, Curtiss Reed Jr.


BR ATTLEBORO 

New ordinance 

addresses 

sidewalk signs 



BRATTLEBORO—The 

Selectboard has approved a new ordinance 

designed to ensure pedestrians 

passage on Brattleboro’s sidewalks 

and offer a simplified, enforceable permitting 

process for sandwich boards. 

“We’ve talked about this issue for 

two years or more. This ordinance is 

fair to pedestrians and businesses and 

is understandable,” said Selectboard 

member Martha O’Connor after the 

second reading of the new sidewalk 

ordinance April 20. 

According to Town Manager 

Barbara Sondag, the ordinance allows 

sandwich boards on sidewalks 

providing that pedestrians, wheelchairs, 

and scooters are left with 42 

inches of free passage. 

The ordinance, approved with a 

3–2 vote, shifts the permitting process 

and responsibility from the Planning 

Commission to an appointed administrative 

officer. 

Business owners wanting to place a 

sign on someone else’s property need 

permission from the property owner. 

Businesses that violate the ordinance 

will be subject to fines and possible 

confiscation of the sign. 

Building a Better Brattleboro 

Director Andrea Livermore presented 

suggestions complied by 

BaBB’s board. 

Suggestions included requiring 48 

inches of free passage to accommodate 

larger mobility scooters and removing 

a restriction that the sign can have text 

only on one side 

Livermore suggested limiting one 

sign per address “to keep downtown 

vibrant but not cluttered,” she said. 

Livermore said she spent the day 

downtown with a measuring tape 

and was confident business owners 

could easily maintain 48 inches of 

clear passage. 

“What did people think about you 

crawling around outside their stores?” 

asked Sondag, smiling. 

“One man asked me if I was walking 

an invisible dog,” Livermore answered. 

Musa Alici, chef and owner of Alici’s 

Bistro at 51 Harris Place, behind the 

Gibson-Aiken Center, endorsed the 

ordinance. 

“It is outstanding,” he said. 

Alici experienced difficulty and 

frustration trying to draw customers 

to his side-street bistro. In February, 

the Selectboard denied his permit to 

place a sandwich board at the corner 

of Main Street and Harris Place. 

Board approves reservoir repair 



BRATTLEBORO—The 

Selectboard has allocated $219,000 

to repair the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, 

making the dormant water supply 

comply with state regulations. 

The funds cover repairs to the 

dam and gatehouse and installing 

an overflow pipe based on a report 

from engineering consulting firm 

DuBois & King. 

The dam has been out of compliance 

with state regulations for over 

two years. 

On April 20, board members 

voted 4–1 in favor of repairing the 

Chestnut Hill Reservoir. 

“I can’t support this,” said 

Selectboard member Jesse Corum, 

predicting the project will drive up 

water rates. He said he has heard 

from people who can no longer afford 

to live in Brattleboro because 

taxes are too high. 

“There’s always another penny. At 

some point, we’ve got to say stop,” 

he said. 

“You wore me down. I’m tired of 

it [this issue]. Time to move on, get it 

over with and talk about issues serious 

to Brattleboro,” said Selectboard 

Alici asked the article requiring 

permission to put a sign on another’s 

property be deleted, a provision 

that would require permission 

from either TD Bank or Fairpoint 

Communications to return his sandwich 

board to the corner. 

Not everyone received the sidewalk 

ordinance with open arms. 

member Martha O’Connor, explaining 

why she would vote for the funding 

despite her heart not being in it. 

The debate to sell the centenarian 

structure and town asset began in 

January when Public Works Director 

Steve Barrett presented DuBois & 

King’s report and repair options to 

the Selectboard. 

Barrett supported the $219,000 

option favored by the majority 

of Chestnut Hill residents, but 

Selectboard member Jesse Corum 

championed a plan sell the property, 

a strategy the board backed 3–2. 

Town Meeting Representatives 

voted to keep the dam, sending 

the Selectboard back to the drawing 

board. 

At the April 6 board meeting, 

Corum said he could not support 

the original $219,000 project. The 

Selectboard asked Barrett to see if 

the cost could come down. 

Matt Melowski of DuBois & 

King, told the board that the 

$219,000 was a conservative estimate 

and could be cut. 

He cautioned, however, the project 

contained multiple “unknowns” 

like the condition of the underground 

pipes to which a new overflow 

pipe would need to connect. 

Selectboard Vice-Chair Dora 

Bouboulis and member Daryl 

Pillsbury voted against the ordinance. 

“Has someone talked to the business 

owners to get their feedback? 

I’ve only heard Musa in favor of it,” 

Bouboulis said. 

“What are the implications of 

removing the power of legislating 

Corum made the motion to allocate 

$135,000 for the project instead, 

to fund DuBois & King’s least 

expensive suggestion: knocking a 

hole in the dam and draining the 

reservoir, leaving a dry hole. 

“An empty hole in the ground is 

not a good idea,” said Selectboard 

Vice-Chair Dora Bouboulis. 

Chestnut Hill residents present 

echoed Bouboulis’ statement. 

Selectboard Chair Dick DeGrey 

said he understood Corum’s concerns 

but said members of the town 

and neighborhood worked together 

to find a solution to the Chestnut 

Hill Reservoir problem and because 

of this he would vote to support the 

more expensive plan. 

The board voted 1–4, defeating 

Corum’s proposal. 

“This board is looking out for 

every nickel and dime this town 

spends. They should be commended,” 

said Selectboard member 

Daryl Pillsbury. 

But Pillsbury added that he would 

vote against Corum’s motion. 

“Fifty years down the road this 

[reservoir] could be a valuable asset,” 

he said. 

signage from the planning commission?” 

she asked. 

Bouboulis said she wanted BaBB 

to work on the sign issue with other 

pertinent boards, specifically looking 

at wayfinding signs to direct pedestrians, 

a topic the board has talked 

about implementing for years. 


“Brad,” a Brattleboro Union High School senior, lives on his own with the help of Youth Services. 

n Brad from page 1 

month at risk for not having a place to 

live. That number that is likely higher 

because it’s difficult to track the problem, 

“especially in rural communities,” 

says Danielle Southwell of Youth 

Services, Brad’s caseworker, who describes 

her client as “an amazing kid.” 

Now, with a rent stipend from 

Youth Services, Brad lives on his own 

in a Windham Housing Trust apartment 

building. The single-residentoccupancy 

building provides separate 

rooms, complete with bathroom, 

closet, and open living space. The rent 

‘Someone consistent 

to help them stay on track’ 

Agency gives a hand to homeless and at-risk youth 

BRATTLEBORO—According to Youth Services’ website, “The agency’s 

mission is to provide programs and services that promote the healthy 

development of local youth and families and help them gain the skills 

necessary to lead constructive lives within the community.” 

Danielle Southwell, case worker for the agency’s youth development/ 

family emergency response program, says Youth Services worked with 

1,628 youth across ten programs during its last fiscal year. 

Southwell says because many at-risk teens have very few support systems, 

“It makes a huge difference to have someone consistent to help 

them stay on track." 

“They want to make progress,” she says. “They need someone to present 

options to them and help them.” 

Some at-risk youth are referred by area high schools. Others come via 

the state’s vocational rehabilitation program or from Health Care and 

Rehabilitation Services’ JOBS (Jump On Board for Success) program, 

which helps youth with mental health problems develop skills necessary 

for securing employment. 

And others come by word of mouth, or from the weekly Thursday 

night outreach that Youth Services calls “The Junction.” 

Every Thursday, approximately 45 young people visit “The Junction,” 

a collaboration of the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and Youth Services, provides 

teens with a place to enjoy free dinner and an activity. 

“The activities vary from education about sex health, how to rent an 

apartment, or how to apply for a job, to fun stuff like pool tournaments 

and movies,” Southwell says. 

Southwell believes the event is effective in reaching kids who could 

benefit from their services. 

Youth Services’ street outreach program has also been important in 

reaching youth as well, she says. 

The peer outreach workers, who are teens themselves, offer resources 

like food, information about services, and contraceptives to teens in several 

Windham County communities. Workers distributed 2,885 resource 

guides to area youth, resulting in 426 referrals to other area organizations 

in a year’s time. 

In the agency’s last fiscal year, its transitional living program served 72 

area youth in need of a home. The program provides teens with financial 

support and counseling on life skills related to independent living. To receive 

benefits, youth need be engaged in 20 to 30 hours of productive 

work — either school, work, or other activities deemed healthy. 

The Federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act provides some of the 

funding for the transitional living and street outreach programs. 

Southwell meets weekly with each youth involved in a Youth Services 

program to assess her client’s needs and identify his or her own strengths 

and skills. 

“We try to arrange it so that everyone has somewhere to lay their head,” 

Southwell says. If necessary, temporary emergency housing is available to 

youth for up to two weeks. In its last fiscal year, Youth Services provided 

youth with 11 nights of safe housing. 

This year, Youth Services has launched the Youth In Transition housing 

initiative with support from a federal grant from Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services. 

Youth Services has identified the need for expanded housing options 

for youth in these programs. 

Southwell says the agency hopes to raise funds locally to create subsidized 

housing serving those ages 16-21 who can benefit from the security 

of a home while they work to achieve personal goals and learn skills 

to achieve independence. 

For more information about Youth Services, visit 

www.youthservicesinc.org. 

is $317, with electricity, phone, and 

heat included. 

Both Southwell and Brad say that 

he was lucky in finding this unit. 

“Finding housing that is affordable is 

so hard,” she says. 

Things are not easy for the teen. 

“A lot of my friends think I’m lucky 

with no parents around, but I have to 

do everything on my own,” Brad says. 

“There’s always chores to do,” he 

adds. “Clean the house, keep food in 

the fridge, laundry, take out the trash.” 

And pay the rent. 

Brad works a 20-hour week as a supervisor 

in an area youth program. “I 

get out of work at six, so the remainder 

of the day is devoted to homework.” 

Brad has lived on his own 

since last fall, when he moved from 

what he describes as “not a suitable 

situation.” 

At that time, his mother lived 

in a 30-foot camper in Marlboro 

along with two cats, a dog, and her 

boyfriend. 

“I slept on a camper couch that was 

too small for me and slept less than 3 

feet away from my mom and her boyfriend,” 

Brad says. 

There was no bathroom, or running 

water. There was no source of heat until 

a woodstove was put in. 

“At the end of the summer I knew 

I was going to be homeless,” he said. 

That wasn’t always the case. 

For 15 years, Brad, who was born 

in Greenfield, Mass., lived with 

802-258-3962 

TAR & STONE DRIVEWAYS 

AND ASPHALT 

ASPHALT DRIVEWAYS 

PAVING, & WALKSTAR 

ASPHALT, & STONE 

CONCRETE & 

GRANITE CURBING 

his mother at Westgate Housing 

Authority, a housing complex in 

Brattleboro. 

Then his mother’s boyfriend moved 

out, and she couldn’t pay the rent. 

After Brad and his mother were 

evicted, he stayed at a relative’s house 

for two weeks and on his own at a hotel 

until he moved back in with his 

mother in the summer of last year. 

Brad was still living in Marlboro 

when he met Southwell that summer 

at a junction meeting, where youth 

between the ages of 13-21 can come 

to Youth Services to enjoy free food 

and an activity. 

“At first he was unsure about the 

program, hoping things would work 

out with his mom,” Southwell says. 

Southwell makes it clear that it was 

Brad’s decision to move out. Once it 

was clear he didn’t want to stay in the 

situation, “we talked about options 

with him,” she says. 

Youth Services works with 

those who are homeless or at risk of 

homelessness, Southwell says. In its 

definition of homeless, the agency 

considers people who are unstably 

housed, those who could lose a place 

to stay at a moment’s notice. 

Southwell says Youth Service clients 

struggle with “extremely unhealthy 

environments.” 

The young people she works with 

are escaping generational poverty, 

physical and verbal abuse from partners 

or families, mental health issues, 

or drug and alcohol problems 

at home. 

Many run away, but they don’t have 

a place to run to, Southwell says. 

They might stay with friends where 

there is a lot of drug use or fighting, or 

they might end up in other similarly 

unstable environments. Some end up 

staying at hotels or motels, as Brad did 

briefly (at $262 per week). Some end 

up in homeless shelters. 

“In those circumstances there is a 

much higher risk for substance abuse 

or not going to school, difficulties with 

employment,” Southwell says. “They 

can’t think about higher functions.” 

“The whole goal of Youth Services,” 

says Southwell, “is to empower people 

to make healthy decisions, not to 

mandate or force.” 

Brad is still in contact with his 

mother. “I still talk with her. The last 

time I saw her was a month ago.” 

She still lives in the camper, but 

supports his decision. “She didn’t 

like the circumstances either, but she 

didn’t have anywhere to go.” 

Together, the two “assessed what 

his needs were and thought a little 

about what to look for in an apartment,” 

Southwell says. 

Brad describes his living 

Commercial/Residential 

situation as similar to living with one’s 

parents, “but it’s a little awkward.” 

Brad explains that most of his neighbors 

are friendly, but all are at least 

twice his age. 

Besides household chores, there are 

many more concerns that Brad has to 

be aware of. 

“To do something that costs money, 

I have to do it myself. It makes me realize 

how much kids take money for 

granted when their parents pay for 

it,” he says. 

Southwell has provided support 

with budgeting, how to get and keep 

a job, and other life skills, including 

finding a place to live. 

Having a job has also meant other 

compromises. 

Last year, Brad loved playing football. 

This year, he had to quit the team. 

“I was thrown into this circumstance,” 

Brad says. “I had no choice.” 

Though Brad is open to talking 

about his situation with friends, people 

often question why he isn’t more 

involved in after-school or sports 

activities. 

“My friends don’t completely 

understand, but they support me,” 

Brad says. 

When things get overwhelming, 

Brad often goes to friends or teachers 

for support. 

Brad admits that living on his own 

can be stressful. “I have to do things 

to get my mind off of it, like hanging 

out with friends or going outside,” he 

says. “Other than that, it’s okay.” 

“Being in the camper was a lot more 

stressful,” he says. “I’m lucky to be 

downtown where things are going on. 

If I was at the camper, it would be a 

lot harder and more boring.” 

Brad is up front about the 

challenges for him and any young person 

living in Brattleboro area. 

“There should be more jobs for 

young kids,” he says. “It gets them out 

on their own and they can learn the 

definition of working,” Brad acknowledges 

that it is very hard to get a job 

in this economy. 

Brad sees the housing issue as a 

larger problem. 

He envisions living in a house with 

people he can relate to, people his 

own age. 

In addition to school and work, 

Brad has kept up with bills, filed his 

taxes, and applied for college and financial 

aid. 

“I just got accepted into Greenfield 

Community College,” Brad says. After 

a year at Greenfield, he plans to apply 

Castleton State College in Castleton, 

where he hopes to study studio art 

and play football. 

“I want to draw, play football, and 

enjoy the good life,” he says. 

Book Your 

Paving Projects 

NOW! 

Commercial/Residential 

FREE ESTIMATES 

FREE - Septic ESTIMATES Systems 

- Utility & Road Construction 

- General 

Septic Systems 

Sitework 

Utility & Road Construction 

David Manning 

103 Frost General Place, Sitework P.O. Box 276 

Brattleboro, VT. 05302 Fax: 802-257-2617 

David Manning 

103 Frost Place • P.O. Box 276 

Brattleboro, VT. 05302 Fax: 802-257-2617


A grocer 

shares his 

wisdom 

Mike Comeau works with 

Preservation Trust of Vermont’s 

efforts to preserve general stores 

by keeping them in business 



RICHMOND—What does it take 

to run a general store successfully? 

The owner of a successful enterprise 

in northwestern Vermont has recently 

shared his grocer-know-how with one 

organization in Windham County that 

will soon be in the business. 

“If you’re not on the ball in this 

business, you’ll be upside down real 

fast,” says Mike Comeau, who has 

assisted six general stores as an independent 

proprietor and consultant 

for the Preservation Trust of Vermont 

(PTOV). 

Comeau and Paul Bruhn from the 

PTOV met in April with Eric Morse 

from the Friends of Algier Village, 

which is raising money to purchase 

the Guilford Country Store (see related 

story this issue). 

“He provided a lot of advice that 

will help make the [Guilford] project 

work long-term,” Morse said after 

the meeting. 

“Village stores are critical to the 

identity of a village. Not just for goods, 

but as a place to meet neighbors,” says 

Ann Cousins, field service representative 

for the Preservation Trust of 

Vermont, which has consulted with the 

Putney Historical Society and Friends 

of Algiers Village, Inc. 

She says community spaces like 

general stores or post offices act as 

“gathering places” where people communicate 

face-to-face, maintaining the 

social fabric of a town. 

On the corner 

The 2,500-square-foot market 

serves 1,800 households in and near 

Richmond, close to Burlington off 

Interstate 89. The store sells groceries 

and meat instead of convenience store 

items like cigarettes and gas pumps. 

“It’s not a run-and-grab store. 

Customers carry a shopping basket 

and put dinner together,” says 

Comeau. 

Comeau, 38, began his grocery 

career in high school. After graduation, 

Comeau (who described himself 

as “not the best student”) decided 

against college, opting for a “deadend” 

job bagging groceries until he 

figured out his next step. 

But as his employer, recognizing 

his hard work, offered him promotions 

and raises, Comeau discovered 

he liked the grocery business. 

By his mid-twenties, while still 

working at the grocery store, he saved 

enough to buy an apartment building, 

adding landlord to his résumé. 

When he reached his late twenties he 

decided he wanted to own a store, not 

just work in one. 

Comeau bought the 100-year-old, 

run-down, nearly bankrupt Richmond 

Corner Market and apartments in 

2004. 

“It just sort of fit the two things I 

was good at,” he says. 

Comeau rolled up his sleeves and 

turned around a failing general store, 

elbow-grease style. 

Bringing the business up from 

the bottom in two years was a big 

JAY FURR/SPECIAL TO THE COMMONS 

Mike Comeau rings up customer Carole Furr at the register of his Richmond Corner Market. 

Comeau, who purchased the near-bankrupt market in 2004, will expand to new quarters. 

With the help of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, Comeau shares his expertise with general 

store owners and groups like the Friends of Algiers who are working to preseve the Vermont 

community businesses. 

challenge but also his biggest reward, 

he says. 

Comeau says he never had a budget 

or a business plan, but he would 

never advise other businesses to go 

the same route. 

“I’ve been on this wonderful rollercoaster 

ride. I’ve never had a plan, and 

for whatever crazy reason it works,” 

he says. 

Sans plan, Comeau’s grocery business 

thrives. 

The Richmond Corner Market 

will open in a new location this June. 

Comeau bought a local liquor business 

and will combine it with the market. 

With the building no longer on a corner, 

Comeau will change the name 

to Richmond Market and Beverage. 

These tomatoes have a story 

A market like Richmond’s cannot 

compete on pricing with supermarket 

chains like Hannaford or Shaw’s. 

Comeau focuses instead on customer 

service, offering quality products and 

buys local when possible. 

“Customers can buy tomatoes at 

Shaw’s, but my tomatoes have a story 

behind them,” he says of the local 

farmers who sell to him. 

Comeau says the store’s meat counter 

also draws customers. 

Customers come specifically to see 

butcher Pat Quin, 85, who owned 

the Jonesville Store in neighboring 

Jonesville for 50 years before coming 

to the Richmond Market. 

Quin answers questions and sells 

local beef, but more importantly, says 

Comeau, people know him. Parents 

remember buying meat from Quin 

with their parents and now bring their 

children to the store. 

A new home 

Comeau decided to move after customers 

told him they would prefer to 

shop exclusively at the market if it had 

a wider product range. 

The new 11,000-square-foot fullscale 

grocery store will offer produce, 

dairy, a meat counter, personal items, 

paper products, and liquor. 

Comeau designed the space with 

his customers in mind, separating the 

liquor from the groceries because he 

caters to families, he says. 

His current location generates $10 

to $15 per sale. He hopes the new location’s 

expanded merchandise will 

increase his average sale to $30. 

Sharing know-how 

Comeau became involved with the 

Preservation Trust of Vermont four 

years ago after Cousins, a loyal customer, 

asked him to work with the 

PTOV to advise struggling general 

stores. 

Cousins says Comeau’s business 

“know-how” impressed her. 

BRATTLEBORO PASTORAL 

COUNSELING CENTER 

A non-sectarian, non-profit organization dedicated to making 

therapeutic services available & affordable for all. 

We accept most insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare. 

No one is turned away for lack of insurance coverage 

or due to a limited ability to pay a private fee. 

FOR AN APPOINTMENT CONTACT US AT: 

802-254-9071 or bpccvt@gmail.com 

“We think the world of him,” she 

says. 

“I don’t try to go into these stores 

and pretend I’m some sort of genius,” 

Comeau says, adding he learned his 

trade by watching his customers and 

understanding how best to serve them. 

According to Cousins, most general 

stores in Vermont work well until they 

run up debt — an easy trap because 

the profit margins are so small. 

“There’s no cookie-cutter solution,” 

she says. 

She explains that some stores, like 

the Guilford Country Store and the 

Putney General Store, will work well 

under the model of a nonprofit purchasing 

the building and then leasing 

the business to an operator. 

“Your customers like buying soup 

— so you want to buy soup to pay the 

bills. But your vendor is unhappy because 

you owe money so you can’t buy 

the soup you need to sell,” Comeau 

says. 

Comeau says that in his visit with 

the Friends of Algiers Village (FOAV), 

he talked about finding operators for 

the Guilford Country Store and staying 

debt-free. 

Comeau and Bruhn suggested 

FOAV have a lawyer draw up the new 

proprietors’ contract. They advised 

FOAV evaluate the proprietors’ résumé, 

knowledge of the grocery business, 

and ensure they have operating 

cash for initial inventory. 

“These small stores are hard to run. 

You have to wear so many hats,” says 

Comeau. 

Comeau suggested the new proprietors 

own inventory outright rather 

than buy on credit. This way, profits 

go back into the store instead of paying 

off inventory. 

He also suggested, if the operators 

need to cover bills by increasing sales, 

they should break daunting amounts 

into smaller bits. Instead of thinking 

sales need to increase by $1,000, he 

says, store owners should try to get 

each customer needs to spend $0.50 

more. 

“Across [my] 300 customers, that 

50 cents adds up to $150 a day. That’s 

over $4,000 extra a month in sales,” 

he says. 

Despite the hard work and long 

hours, Comeau loves the grocery 

business. He still “gets a kick” out of 

customers thanking him for saving 

them the 10-mile drive to the nearest 

supermarket. 

“It makes it easy to come to work 

when people appreciate what you’re 

doing,” he says. 

PUTNEY 

Rebuilding for change 

Putney General Store construction starts in June 



PUTNEY—Architects are in the 

process of designing the new Putney 

General Store to change in step with 

its community over the next 200 years. 

Lyssa Papazian, the project manager 

for the store, which will begin 

construction in June, said the volunteer 

design committee and the 

architecture firm of William Maclay 

Architects & Planners pushed the 

building’s design to anticipate the next 

generations’ needs. 

Maclay Architects, the firm behind 

the Putney Field House and a 

16,800-square-foot addition at the 

Putney School, specializes in environmentally 

efficient design with an eye 

towards carbon neutral and ecologically 

sustainable buildings. 

Many of the firm’s projects are “net 

zero” buildings that generate more energy 

than they consume. 

“We’re rebuilding for change in 

use and change in tenants while trying 

to capture the essence of the old 

building and character of the downtown,” 

Maclay Project Manager Chris 

Cook said. 

Thanks to the work of dedicated 

volunteers, unwavering community 

support, and stellar fundraising, the 

Putney Historical Society, which 

purchased the store in 2008, plans to 

pour the foundation in late June, with 

a timber frame raising scheduled for 

mid-July. 

“We’re charging ahead. It’s exciting,” 

Papazian said. 

Keeping options open 

Cook says architects have anticipated 

future needs for the second 

floor, including expanding the store’s 

retail space, private apartments, or 

offices. 

The architects created the desired 

flexibility by planning extra “chase 

spaces” — empty canal-like spaces 

in the walls and floor to run electric 

wires and plumbing fixtures — and a 

deeper ceiling/floor in the store’s timber 

frame design. 

“That’s why you tend to see a lot of 

wall sconces in timber frame houses: 

because the ceiling/floor isn’t thick 

enough to run the wires for ceiling 

lights,” says Cook. 

The General Store’s extra chase 

spaces will allow for bathrooms or 

kitchens to be added or removed according 

to future needs, and they will 

help maintain the insulation’s integrity 

over time. 

Good insulation is the key to the 

new general store’s efficiency, Cook 

said. Future carpenters and plumbers 

can run wires and pipes without 

digging into the insulation. 

“It’s being proactive,” Cook said. 

Efficiency through insulation 

The new general store will have 

above-industry-standard RF ratings 

and the potential to add solar panels, 

although it will not be a “net zero” 

structure. 

“[Better insulation] lowers the heating 

and cooling needs for the building, 

Y 

m 

Z 

Delicious Artisan Breads, Cakes & Pastries 

Gourmet Coffee, Daily Lunch Specials 

Enjoy the River View from our Café 

Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. 

Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Y 

WILLIAM MACLAY ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS 

Architect’s rendering of the Putney General Store building, designed to “capture the essence 

of the old building” while offering thoroughly modern energy efficiency characteristics. 

which in turn means a smaller, less 

complicated and more energy-efficient 

HVAC system for the building,” 

Cook said. 

The two HVAC systems on the table 

are a less-complicated air source 

pump system — Maclay’s first choice 

— and a ground source heat system. 

“The heating and cooling system 

works much like a refrigeration system, 

pulling heat or cooling out of 

the air in what looks like a vertical air 

conditioner condenser/tower,” Cook 

said. “They have a high efficiency and 

can be set up to eventually be powered 

by solar panel.” 

Also under consideration is an energy-efficient 

lighting system. 

The architects are also looking at 

bringing more daylight into the building. 

To achieve this, high windows 

overlooking Sacketts Brook would be 

installed and a proposed opening in 

the second floor would bring midday 

sun to the ground floor. 

“Every effort is being made to accommodate 

foot traffic into and past 

the building,” Cook said. “We are 

holding the footprint back from the 

original to provide sidewalks along 

Route 5 and on the Kimball Hill side 

of the building.” 

Papazian said the harvesting and 

hewing of local wood for the timber 

frame has begun. Contractor Andrew 

Rockefeller, owner of Cross Creek 

Farm, will donate time and timber to 

build the frame, along with other local 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Y 

113 Main Street, Brattleboro ( (802) 251-1071 

m 

loggers and carpenters. 

Both Papazian and Cook stressed 

that the building will have a sprinkler 

system and a security system during 

construction, given that the building 

replaces one lost in a blaze attributed 

to arson. 

“[The design] was at a little added 

expense but we wanted to do it right,” 

Papazian said. 

Looking for an operator 

She says the historical society’s 

other focus is finding an operator to 

lease and operate the general store. 

Papazian said the historical society 

did not receive applications from local 

proprietors in a recent request for proposals. 

The search committee has widened 

their search to Boston and New 

York and placed ads in trade journals. 

The committee will take “however 

long the search takes,” Papazian said. 

“There is someone out there who’s 

right.” 

Reliable 

Oil FuRnaces 

FROm the 

eFFiciency expeRts 

Temp-O-Matic ® 

Complete Features at 

an Economical Price 

Williamson’s Temp-O-Matic delivers 

efficient heating and quiet, automatic 

operation. This compact design fits easily 

in smaller spaces, cooling when desired. 

The Temp-O-Matic is equipped with an 

extremely quiet pressure atomizing oil 

burner with an economical flame retention 

head. Its wraparound heat exchanger is 

protected by a 20-year limited warranty. 

BARROWS & FISHER OIL CO. 

35 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 

802-254-4574 

We replaced 

George’s knees. 

And restored 

his life. 

George Haynes of Brattleboro didn’t have a leg 

to stand on—because both knees were failing, 

making a simple stroll a painful ordeal. 

Working with Dr. Jon Thatcher, George 

underwent bilateral knee replacement at BMH. 

Surgical expertise is just part of our clinical 

excellence in orthopedics—George regained 

his strength as one of the first patients in our 

Richards Building’s physical therapy suite. 

George says “the therapists were experts, and 

the results were phenomenal.” So good that 

George recently climbed Mayan ruins in Belize, 

for a view he couldn’t have seen on his old 

knees. 

If joint pain is keeping you from the life you 

want to lead, call our orthopedic specialists at 

802-258-6400. 

17 Belmont Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301 

802-257-0341 • www.bmhvt.org 

BMH3314_Haynes_5.9x8_.indd 1 

3/8/10 2:53:09 PM


GUILFORD 

Store effort 

moves forward 



GUILFORD—Friends of Algiers 

Village has leapt closer to the 

$300,000 needed to buy the Guilford 

Country Store. 

“I can’t imagine what would happen 

without [the store] there. It would 

be beneficial to the whole community 

that it remain not only as it is 

physically but to improve it with services,” 

town resident Herb Meyer 

told Guilford Central middle school 

students during an interview for 

their video documentary, Preserving 

Community: The Guilford Country Store. 

FOAV is using the 17-minute video 

to promote the project. It is available 

at the organization’s Facebook group, 

“Preserving the Guilford Country 

Store in VT,” at www.facebook.com. 

“Our mission is to preserve the historic 

character of the village and not 

just leave it to chance. I really want to 

see the village alive again,” says Eric 

Morse, president of the nonprofit 

putney 

Fines said the group’s immediate 

goal was to improve the air quality 

by reducing the odors generated by 

the mill. 

‘Proud of our record’ 

“I think voluntary involvement with 

Putney Paper Mill will work,” said 

Etter, who suggested residents keep 

logs to track the odors and meet with 

mill management to find solutions. 

The mill is one of two facilities 

owned by Putney Paper Co. 

Inc. According President Frank 

Tarantino, who has his corporate 

office in Claremont, N.H., the mill 

and nearby converting plant produce 

sheeted tissue paper, paper napkins, 

and paper towels. 

Putney Paper has produced 

100-percent recycled products for 

50 years, explained Tarantino. The 

mill diverts from landfills enough paper 

a month to equal over 2,000 tons 

of recycled product. 

The company employs 130. 

Putney Paper’s customers cover the 

Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, 

with the bulk of its business in New 

York City. Retailers like Macy’s and 

Pier One buy Putney Paper’s sheeted 

tissue to wrap customers’ purchases. 

The mill’s paper towels dry many a 

hand in public restrooms. 

Tarantino did not hear about the 

April 20 meeting until Etter called 

him the next day. 

“We’re very proud of our record 

and how we do things. We try to address 

issues when things come up,” 

said Tarantino. 

“I don’t know why we weren’t 

invited. We would have sent a 

INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY BOOKSELLERS 

17 West Main Street • Wilmington, VT 

(802) 464-5425 

www.bartlebysvt.com 

community group. 

Following the Putney Historical 

Society’s footsteps with plans to rehabilitate 

a historic general store, the 

FOAV intends to buy the building and 

business from its current owner, Pat 

Good, then lease the enterprise to a 

new operator. 

Buying the building, 

finding an operator 

Good and her late husband, Jim, 

purchased the store 22 years ago. After 

entertaining an offer from 7 Eleven, a 

Texas-based convenience store chain, 

Good approached FOAV, which purchased 

and renovated the Tontine 

Building across the street, to see if 

they might consider a similar project 

to preserve the 1816 building. 

As a nonprofit organization, FOAV 

qualifies for grant funding from many 

foundations and charities. Those donating 

to the cause may deduct their 

contribution from their federal income 

taxes. 

FOAV signed a purchase-and-sale 

n Odor from page 1 

representative,” he said. 

Tarantino said he has not received 

“that many complaints” over the 

past year. 

“The environmental side is a significant 

part of our business. It was 

much less so 20 to 30 years ago,” 

Tarantino said. 

Fines said the goal of the meeting 

was to allow residents to voice their 

concerns to Etter and hear his perceptions 

of the situation, not communicate 

directly to the paper mill. “That 

wasn’t the purpose,” she said. 

“There was no intention to slight,” 

she said, adding that trying to speak 

with Tarantino in the past has been 

frustrating. She mentioned frustration 

around Putney Paper’s decision 

to not allow residents into the plant to 

conduct their own research. 

Some of the residents at the meeting 

said similar conversations with the 

state, town officials, and mill management 

had already taken place without 

noticeable success. 

Reducing the sludge 

The gathering was a follow-up to a 

September 2009 meeting with Etter 

and a fall 2009 community meeting, 

“Visioning Putney,” hosted by State 

Representative Mike Mrowicki. 

Etter’s recommendations in 2009 

included keeping logs of the time, 

duration, and intensity of the odors. 

According to meeting notes, Etter 

said, Putney Paper Mill would complete 

installation of a $1 million clarifier 

that October, a measure that 

should have affected the odors caused 

by sludge. 

Wastewater produced by the 

120 Main Street • Brattleboro, VT 

(802) 254-6810 

www.bookcellarvt.com 

We are proud to carry a diverse and eclectic selection of books, music, cards, 

gifts, & more. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the store we will 

gladly special order it for you. 

agreement in September 2009 which 

gives the group until July 1 to buy the 

store and building known as the Broad 

Brook House. The organization has 

entered discussions with a potential 

proprietor and will release a request 

for proposals soon. 

Members raised more than 

$228,000 through grants and 38 private 

donations. 

The total includes a $70,000 grant 

from the Vermont Housing and 

Conservation Board and two private 

donations totaling $160,000, the result 

of a friendly challenge between 

the Guilford residents, Morse said. 

A portion of the challenge came in 

the form of stocks. Joseph E. Little, 

a certified financial planner with 

Park Place Financial Advisors in 

Brattleboro, recently donated his 

time and helped FOAV establish a 

brokerage account to accommodate 

the request of donors. A Community 

Development Block Grant is pending. 

The group recently met with 

Mike Comeau, the proprietor of the 

Richmond Corner Market, a general 

store in Richmond (see story this issue), 

for grocery business advice, and 

with David V. Dunn, assistant state director 

of the Vermont Small Business 

Assistance Program, to develop a 

business plan. 

Morse says a general appeal letter 

will be mailed to the community 

mid-May. “[Fundraising] is challenging 

with the economy but achievable. 

I like deadlines.” 

Paul Bruhn, executive director of 

A truck sits at the Putney Paper Co. mill. 

paper-making process contains sludge, 

a mix of fiber cellulose and clay, which 

gives magazines and other glossy paper 

its shine. The sludge is chemically 

similar to clay used in pottery 

and causes odor when it accumulates. 

A unit called a clarifier pulls the 

sludge to the top of the water, skims 

it off, and extracts excess water. The 

new clarifier pulls sludge at 15-minute 

intervals compared to the previous 

clarifier that removed sludge after 

several days. 

According to Tarantino, the clay byproduct 

is used in composting, to seal 

open landfills, and animal bedding. 

Noxious or toxic? The 

anatomy of stink 

Etter, who has 26 years of experience 

as an environmental analyst, 

explained at the April meeting the 

complexities of investigating odor 

complaints. 

“We’re constantly breathing in various 

toxins. They’re there all the time. 

It’s all a matter of concentration and 

risk analysis,” he said. 

He said that when the state investigates 

an odor complaint, it needs to 

determine its root source and if it is 

toxic or noxious. 

Noxious odors are considered a 

public nuance. One odor, from lilacs 

to rotten eggs, can result from a combination 

of multiple chemicals. People 

vary in their reactions to odors as well. 

The nose also detects hydrogen sulfide, 

the primary odor of paper mills, 

the nonprofit Preservation Trust of 

Vermont, is working with groups like 

the Friends of Algiers to encourage 

nonprofit ownership of general stores 

in an effort to protect the icons of the 

Vermont landscape. 

Bruhn says general stores are a key 

to “maintaining a strong and vibrant 

village.” General stores provide a neutral 

place for citizens who might otherwise 

have little in common with one 

another to interact and serve as economic 

engines for small towns. 

In the student video, a number of 

Guilford citizens — old and young 

alike — agreed with Bruhn’s premise 

in their comments about the village 

and the store’s role in the community. 

“My dad used to drag me down 

there screaming and yelling every two 

to three months to get a hair cut for 

50 cents,” resident Richard Clark said. 

“You bought everything you needed in 

there. It was a mom-and-pop store.” 

“Algiers [Village] is the only chance 

we have of having Guilford be somewhat 

self-sufficient,” Clark said. 

Future plans 

Morse, a land surveyor with his 

own renovated historic office space in 

Algiers, assisted on previous restoration 

projects like the Sadawga Springs 

Apartments in Whitingham with the 

Windham Housing Trust. 

The Tontine Building and Broad 

Brook house are parts of the organization’s 

long-term goal of revitalizing the 

triangle in Algiers Village, the patch 

of land carved out by the crossing of 

at smaller quantities than most mechanical 

monitors. The compound 

smells like rotten eggs. 

Hydrogen sulfide is produced by 

bacteria breaking down human and 

animal waste or organic materials. It 

is an irritant and chemical asphyxiant 

in high doses. In low concentrations 

hydrogen sulfide can irritate the eyes 

and respiratory system. 

Etter said hydrogen sulfide is dangerous 

in confined spaces because if 

it builds up it can suffocate someone. 

He cited the extreme cases of farmers 

who died from entering an unventilated 

silo containing silage. 

Etter referred to the level of hydrogen 

sulfide in Putney as “noxious” and 

not as “toxic.” 

Tarantino said that the Putney’s 

wastewater treatment plant — like all 

wastewater treatment plants — also 

produce hydrogen sulfide. He stressed 

that the hydrogen sulfide from the mill 

was due to organic materials only. 

Craig Stead, owner of Stead 

Consulting in Putney, said that because 

the town is in a valley it experiences 

“intense air inversions.” 

In general, inversions occur when 

warmer air traps colder air so it cannot 

rise. Anything in the colder air like 

smog is also trapped. Stead said the 

inversions in Putney create the most 

trouble around sunrise and sunset. 

Etter recommended residents keep 

detailed logs including type of odor, 

time of day, duration of smell, severity 

of smell and physical reactions, if 

Route 5, Guilford Center Road, and 

Grist Mill Drive. 

FOAV is working with the Windham 

Housing Trust to improve housing in 

the village and connect Algiers to municipal 

water and sewer. 

Friends of Algiers received a grant 

with the help of U.S. Senator Patrick 

Leahy to pay for the improvements 

and plan to use this money to replace 

disused warehouses along Guilford 

Center Road with affordable housing 

units and connect Algiers to the 

Brattleboro’s municipal systems next 

year. 

The group’s master plan also calls 

for creating and maintaining open 

spaces and parks with pedestrian 

access. 

According to Morse, the building 

and store will require repairs and renovations, 

but what type and how much 

is unknown. 

The group will apply for a planning 

grant to hire an architect. The group 

is also applying for a grant from the 

Preservation Trust of Vermont to pay 

for improvements to the building. 

Members of the Friends of Algiers 

met with Guilford Selectboard April 

26 to discuss, landscaping, pedestrian 

safety, and improvements to the 

recycling area. Morse says he would 

like to see the recycling bins stay near 

the store but have their own designated 

area. 

“And absolutely there will be coffee 

[at the store],” said Morse. 


any. Those logs would help the agency 

respond effectively. He also recommended 

working hand-in-hand with 

Putney Paper. 

“The more you [residents] keep the 

town apprised of the issue the more we 

can back you up,” Selectboard Chair 

Joshua Laughlin said. “The more you 

have recorded, the better we can act.” 

Laughlin also stressed the importance 

of working with the mill. 

“[We should do] as much as we can 

to be good neighbors. They are an important 

part of our economy,” he said. 

Many residents agreed that as much 

as they wanted the odor to leave, they 

wanted the mill to stay. 

“It’s good to have information, because 

without it you can’t solve the 

problems. We welcome input from the 

residents,” said Tarantino. 

He added the more detail the company 

received the better to help pinpoint 

the odor’s source. 

Daniel Hoviss, owner of 

Dosolutions in Putney, agreed to 

develop an online database where 

residents can keep their log. This electronic 

form can easily convey information 

to the state. 

He said residents should look for 

more information and how to enter 

their own data on iPutney and a link 

on the town site. 

The group decided to gather more 

information before meeting with 

Putney Paper management to share 

their findings. 

Brattleboro resident recalls 

9/11 adventure in Canada 

By Fran Lynggaard Hansen 


BRATTLEBORO—Recently, 

Europeans have encountered massive 

disruptions of air traffic because of the 

volcano that erupted near Reykjavik, 

Iceland — the first large interruption 

of air travel since Sept. 11, 2001. 

Jerry Stockman recently shared 

his story of being stranded in 

Newfoundland, Canada, on that disastrous 

day almost 10 years ago and 

in the days that followed. 

“I wondered what was happening 

on Sept. 11, 2001, when the 

U.S. Airways flight I was taking from 

London to Boston started to descend 

while traveling over Newfoundland, 

Canada,” said Stockman, who worked 

at the University of Massachusetts as 

the lighting director at the time. 

“It was my turn to have the travel 

money for education that year,” 

Stockman said. “There were a couple 

of training workshops and a lighting 

trade show in London. Since the 

European plane fares were lower than 

the cost of the trainings in the U.S. 

that year, I elected to go to London for 

that four-day training event.” 

“The better rates were out of 

Boston, so I had driven down, and 

parked my car in at the Alewife subway 

station [in Cambridge].” 

“The pilot came on and said that 

there were problems with the air traffic 

control system and a number of 

planes had been ordered to land until 

it was fixed,” Stockman said. 

The plane was flying over Gander, 

an island of the Canadian Province 

of Newfoundland and Labrador. “We 

were only an hour away from Boston, 

when suddenly the plane swoops back 

up again.” 

Stockman describes the US Airways 

Airbus with several hundred passengers 

on board as “flown in a big, 

lumbering kind of way, and this was 

a maneuver, banking the plane, that 

doesn’t happen very often. I thought, 

‘Well, this is kind of fun, but why are 

we doing this?’” 

Thirty-nine jets carrying 6,500 

passengers were told to put down in 

Newfoundland that day in Gander, 

with a population of 10,000 and a 

small airport with two runways. 

As the pilot began to descend, he 

was alerted that both runways had already 

been converted into an aircraft 

parking lot. Their plane was diverted 

to the even tinier town of Stephenville, 

population 8,000, where there was 

one runway that hadn’t yet been filled 

with planes. 

“Some folks with cell phones 

started to call home once we landed, 

but the cell phones couldn’t get 

through,” Stockman recalled. 

In a call from the airplane phone, 

Stockman’s wife, Janice, told her husband 

“a little of what was happening, 

but the story was really just unfolding,” 

he said. 

Several other passengers were able 

to make a quick call before all the telephone 

service shut down for a long 

time, he added. 

The passengers on the plane, many 

exhausted from the transatlantic 

flight, shared what little information 

they had with one another as they 

waited on the tarmac, assuming that 

they would be departing Stephenville 

shortly thereafter. 

“We were just sitting there on 

the plane, eating, using the bathroom, 

with very little information,” 

Stockman recalled. “Clearly,. we 

knew the basics of the attack from 

what people at home had told us on 

the phone, but that was the only information 

we had." 

“The crew was fantastic; people 

were supportive to each other. We 

just had to hang in there together,” 

cbaJohn Hinks 

A street in Stephenville, where Brattleboro resident Jerry 

Stockman found himself stranded during the terrorist attacks 

of Sept. 11, 2001. 

Stockman said. 

Eventually we fell asleep, and 27 

hours went by. We were on that plane 

from 10 o’clock in the morning until 

almost noon the next day.” 

Stuck in Canada 

“When the sun rose, the situation 

had changed. You could clearly see a 

war ship of some sort at the harbor 

that was visible from where we were. 

There were Canadian military aircraft 

parked nearby. It looked like we were 

surrounded,” said Stockman. 

Passengers were then ushered off 

the plane. They were photographed 

and videotaped. Military and police 

officers were careful to check all passports 

and one by one screened passengers 

as terrorists as they deplaned. 

Still, none of the passengers knew 

that globally, widespread confusion 

reigned. International flights were 

banned from landing on U.S. soil for 

three days, as the details of the hijacked 

planes emerged. 

Two hours from Stephenville, a 

Salvation Army–sponsored summer 

camp had just closed after hosting 

children and adults during the summer. 

Passengers from several planes, 

including Stockman’s, were taken to 

the camp by bus. 

“After we had been there a few 

hours, someone had managed to set 

up a television set in one of the dorm 

rooms,” Stockman said. “At that point, 

we were able to see what the rest of the 

world already knew. It was extraordinarily 

solemn and sad,” 

Detour to Pennsylvania 

The passengers remained there for 

“a couple of days,” Stockman said. 

“There was great concern about 

the safety of friends and family in the 

United States, especially in New York 

City. There was a somber pall hanging 

over the group. We watched for as 

long as we could stand it, and then 

folks walked away from the news,” 


Passengers had not been allowed to 

remove any luggage from their aircraft. 

The Salvation Army supported everyone 

at the camp by providing food, 

clothing, and shelter for two nights, 

along with a bank of telephones for 

short calls home. 

“On the third day,” said Stockman, 

“there was word that we might be able 

to leave Canada, so we were bussed 

back to a church in Stephenville. We 

were to wait there until we could fly 

home. It turned out to be a wait of 

several hours,” he said. 

Abruptly, passengers were hustled 

back to the airport, driven to the tarmac, 

and meticulously photographed 

again as passports were rechecked 

before anyone could return to the 

plane. Only when they were in the air 

did the passengers learn where they 

were flying to. 

Because Logan International had 

been the departure site for two of the 

attacks, “the pilot told us we could 

fly to Pittsburgh, Penn. and that we 

would not be allowed to fly to Boston,” 


This was late in the afternoon of the 

fourth day. “US Air said that we’d be 

put up in a hotel, and then they would 

help us to find our way back home the 

following day.” said Stockman. 

Few people, according to Stockman, 

slept very well that night. 

More accommodations 

The following morning they were 

brought the airport, told to go to a 

service counter, and wait in line to see 

what arrangements could be made. 

“Those poor US Air folks were out 

straight. We would wait in line almost 

an hour, then one service desk line 

would need to close and we would 

have to move to another one and wait 

all over again,” Stockwell said. 

“The airport was full of people. I 

think those who had come for flights 

that had been cancelled had been repatriated 

or stuck in Pittsburgh. By 

then they had rented cars or had relatives 

come pick them up. 

“Those remaining were people like 

me who had been stuck traveling back 

home as the tragedy was still unfolding. 

There were hundreds of people 

trying to return home, now four days 

after the event,” said Stockman. 

After having to move to another 

line an hour into his time in Pittsburg, 

Stockman found himself behind a 

woman who was booked her flight 

on a cell phone while in line. She 

passed the phone to Stockman, who 

was also able to arrange a flight that 

day to Bradley International Airport 

in Hartford, Conn. 

“My wife and I had to drive back 

and retrieve my car at the T station. 

I was really lucky. If I had left it at 

Logan Airport, it would have been impounded. 

Logan was closed for several 

days after 9/11,” he said. 

Since that time, Stockman has kind 

words for all involved at the time. 

“I was impressed with the cohesiveness 

and the mutual support of 

the passengers and crew on the plane. 

The support for our country, clearly 

evident around the world, was reflected 

in the attitude of the people 

on my plane. 

“Everyone expressed a great deal of 

affection and support for the United 

States and and sympathy for our country 

under the impact of this particular 

tragedy. 

“There was a flurry of e-mails and 

letters for a while after the event between 

those of us who were together 

during that time. Eventually, everyone 

went back to their daily lives. 

“We all realized then, and it is certainly 

true now, a new era had been 

ushered in, and people were concerned 

about what was to follow 

and how our lives had been changed 

and would be affected in the future,” 


townshend 

Leland and Gray to dedicate 

addition of arts, gym space 

TOWNSHEND—Windham 

County Supervisory Union 

Superintendent Steven John and the 

Leland and Gray School Board invite 

all alumni and the community 

to the dedication ceremony of the 

Roland Gould Wing and restoration 

of the Dutton Gymnasium Friday, 

May 21 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

on the Leland and Grey campus in 

Townshend. 

The new spaces on two floors at the 

back of the gym, named the Roland 

Gould Wing, consists of a theater arts 

work space downstairs and a multipurpose 

space above. The restoration 

of the Dutton Gym mark the end of 

ambitious $2.66 million building and 

restoration plans started in 2000, 

according to Frank Rucker, chief 

By Thelma O'Brien 


TOWNSHEND—The Windham 

County Sheriff’s Department has 

filed charges against two adults and 

one juvenile alleged to have stolen a 

miniature stallion, a giant rabbit, and 

about two dozen chickens from a farm 

in Townshend. 

According to Deputy Sheriff 

Rod Inman, Steven Streeter, 18, of 

Brattleboro was charged with burglary, 

animal cruelty, grand larceny, and providing 

false information to a police officer, 

two felony charges among them. 

Corwin McAllister, Jr., 18, of 

Newfane, and the Brattleboro juvenile 

were each charged with animal cruelty 

and petit larceny, both misdemeanors. 

The two adults will appear in 

Windham District Court May 18; 

the juvenile is scheduled to appear in 

family court May 27. 

The animals, stolen early in the 

morning of March 21, spent the rest 

of the night on the property of one of 

the young men. Many of the chickens 

were scattered along Route 30, 

and some were found on the Newfane 

green. 

All the animals except for six chickens 

were recovered. The horse and 

rabbit were found 14 miles away in 

Marlboro and the live chickens scattered 

along Route 30. 

Three dead chickens were found 

by owner Sara Bernard in the woods 

on the property of one of those accused. 

One was probably killed by 

animals; another had its neck broken, 

and the third was found beheaded, 

she reported. 

Bernard also saw the hoof prints of 

her horse on the property. 

The following Monday hikers found 

the mini stallion tied to a signpost in 

Marlboro off Route 9 and notified local 

animal control; they notified state 

police who knew Sheriff Inman was 

DOWNTOWN 

SELF STORAGE 

River 

Garden 

157 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 

Indoor, lighted, heated, secure 

Many sizes from $50–$250 

Call 802-257-4886 ext. 1 

financial officer of WCSU. 

Roland Gould, a student at Leland 

and Gray Seminary in the 1940s, 

and who died until 2008, founded 

the Leland and Gray Education 

Foundation, which offers scholarships 

of $4,000, on average, to 

approximately 10 students a year, 

according to its treasurer, Michael 

Adian, a partner in Adrian and Adrian, 

accountants. 

The foundation contributed money 

to the building projects. 

The project also included renovation 

of a smaller gym in the main 

building. 

Superintendent John will speak at 

the dedication and invite alumni to 

share recollections. 

Three charged with theft 

of multiple farm animals 

on the case. Bernard picked up the 

horse that night. 

Meanwhile, the 20-pound, giant 

Flemish bunny reportedly spent part 

of Monday at Brattleboro High School 

in the care of one of the young men 

charged with stealing it. 

He allegedly offered the rabbit to 

a friend at school who, according to 

Sheriff Inman, took it “because she 

knew the boys had mistreated animals.” 

The girl’s father returned the 

rabbit on Tuesday. 

Bernard, who runs Riverbend 

Farm Supplies on Riverdale Road in 

Townshend, and who, with her family, 

owns Riverbend Market and the 

surrounding 50-plus acres, provides 

homes to 27 horses, one pony, seven 

mini horses, two goats, seven rabbits, 

three guinea hens, a quail, and now six 

fewer chickens than the 60 she owned 

before the theft. 

EMIL’S 

PUB 

563 South Main St. 

Brattleboro, VT 

Still... after 

all these years - 

the best kept secret 

in town! 

See for yourself. 

119 Main St., Brattleboro 

802-258-2211 

www.mysteryonmain.com


n Courthouse from page 1 

Following is a snapshot of the legal 

process at work in the two trials from 

those few recent days. 

Did infections kill 

a marriage? 

Timothy Holt appeared on the 

morning of Thursday, April 15, in 

court with his estranged wife, Diane, 

who had a filed a loss of consortium 

claim and was also a plaintiff in the 

case, and his mother. 

Holt had been sick for 18 months, 

eventually diagnosed with diverticulitis, 

a painful condition caused by inflamed 

pouches called diverticula in 

the lower or part of the large intestine 

called the sigmoid colon. 

Dr. Dietrich operated on Holt’s sigmoid 

colon July 9, 2004, at Brattleboro 

Memorial Hospital. All of the facts 

from then on, until July 16, when he 

required a second operation, were in 

dispute. 

Holt and his lawyers from Affolter 

Gannon & Rose in Essex Junction 

claimed that standards of care after 

the operation were not met. They 

claimed Holt suffered unduly, undergoing 

a colostomy on July 16, because 

of infections resulting from leaking of 

the colon into the abdominal cavity. 

At one point after Holt went 

home, he collapsed and was taken to 

Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital, suffering 

from possible toxic shock because 

of wound infections. 

Holt and his legal team claimed 

that signs of infection were evident 

soon after the first operation. Had Dr. 

Dietrich been paying correct attention, 

they charged, Holt would have been 

less sick and suffered less. Further, 

he would not have lost his wife, who 

balked at Holt’s condition and subsequently 

left the marriage — the basis 

for his loss-of-consortium claim. 

In a pretty-evenly-matched pingpong 

game, claims and counter claims 

flew from the witness box, experts on 

both sides taking the positions you 

might expect from either the plaintiff 

or defendant (at a cost of about $5,000 

for the court day, plus other fees for 

examining records and for expenses). 

The experts were mainly doctors 

with surgical training similar to Dr. 

Dietrich’s, or in infectious diseases. A 

litany of their credentials was recited 

during each appearance for either side. 

The two sides battled contentiously 

over signs of infection and when they 

appeared and disappeared; X-rays 

that did or did not show air in Holt’s 

abdomen and chest; white blood cell 

counts, fever, blood pressure, heart 

rate and others; and how those vital 

statistics were interpreted as good 

S COTT M ATHES 

Timber Framing and Carpentry 

Resource conscious design, 

construction and renovation 

GUILFORD, VT 

or bad. 

The defense, argued by John 

Monahan from the firm Dinse, Knapp 

& McAndrew in Burlington, claimed 

there never was a natural progression 

of these symptoms; they might be bad 

on the 13th and good on the 14th 

and never, until the 16th, warranted 

re-operating. 

The plaintiff claimed the x-rays 

showed early on the presence of air in 

the abdominal cavity, a precursor to 

pneumoperitoneum, the most common 

cause of which is a perforation 

of some abdominal structure, such as 

the intestine, or from an anastomotic 

leak, a leak from the very section of 

the bowel that was joined together following 

removal of diseased sections of 

Holt’s colon. 

The plaintiff claimed the delay of 

the second operation, and, further, 

the decision not to get a CT scan of 

Holt’s abdomen, which would have 

shown the presence of air and other 

damage. A required colostomy later 

became infected and brought Holt to 

Dartmouth Hitchcock with signs of 

toxic shock from an infection brought 

on by a form of staph. The colostomy 

was later closed. 

The defense claimed antibiotics and 

other measures were taken to ameliorate 

Holt’s condition and that a CT 

scan was not necessary and could 

have been dangerous given the dyes 

used. Had everything happened as the 

plaintiff claimed from post operation 

to the day of the second surgery, the 

patient would have been a lot sicker 

and maybe at death’s door soon after 

the surgery, the hospital’s legal team 

asserted. 

Closing arguments 

Closing arguments began Monday 

afternoon at 1 p.m. with attorney Mike 

Gannon telling the jury that Holt and 

his wife, Diane, were modest, simple 

people who enjoyed activities like 

boating, skiing, and walking their dog. 

Diane Holt was absent from the 

court on Monday. 

And if it weren’t for the “but fors” 

presented in this case the couple 

would still be enjoying one another’s 

company, Gannon said. Holt’s illness 

and treatment had resulted in 

the “total lack of intimacy” between 

the couple. 

“Tim,” Gannon continued, “became 

ashamed of his body,” and Diane 

felt “all this conflict, all this guilt” because 

she found she couldn’t act as 

Tim’s caregiver. 

“That ended their relationship,” 

Gannon said. 

He also spoke of the obvious signs 

802.254.7424 • 802.380.1319 (cell) 

mathestfc@gmail.com 


Court recess in the Windham County Superior Court courtroom during a civil case concerning 

workmanship on three condominium units at Stratton Mountain Ski Resort. 

to the plaintiff’s experts of Holt’s deteriorating 

condition, in all probability 

an anastomotic leak, what he called 

“the world’s worst complication.” He 

said there were enough red flags to 

warrant a CT scan. 

“There was no reason not to do a 

test,” he said. 

“There is a remarkable refusal to 

accept responsibility,” in this case, 

Gannon said, describing in more detail 

the symptoms and other signs of 

Holt’s condition. 

He told the jury in the event they 

determine a deviation from the standard 

of care, Holt should be awarded 

total damages of about $800,000 to 

compensate him for lost wages and 

medical bills. 

“All the plaintiff’s doctors agree 

that deviation occurred and that for 

three days [Tim] sat in his own waste,” 

Gannon said in his 35-minute closing. 

In nearly 70 minutes, Monahan 

sometimes appeared angry or exasperated 

as he defined what he considered 

proof of Dr. Dietrich’s responsible care 

post-operation, repeating the medical 

information he’d presented during 

trial, taking issue with every point 

the patient’s attorney made. 

If Holt’s condition had been as bad 

as the plaintiff claimed, “why wasn’t 

he already dead?” Monahan asked. 

Monahan was especially harsh 

about the loss of consortium Gannon 

had emphasized, noting that Holt was 

beset by other medical problems and 

that the bowel operation was just one 

of many physical deficits. 

He pointed out Diane Holt left the 

marriage and didn’t tell her husband 

where she was going, that there was 

no communication for months, and 

she’d come back only to get her dog. 

“Actions speak louder then words,” 

Monahan said, adding that Holt 

couldn’t blame Dietrich for the failed 

marriage. 

Gannon, in reply, said if Dietrich 

had paid as much attention to his patient 

as Monahan just had in his closing, 

“we wouldn’t be here.” 

Reaching the verdict 

The jury retired to deliberate about 

3 p.m., following Judge John Wesley’s 

jury instructions. 

They returned about 6:30 p.m., 

marking only one answer out of six 

on the special verdict form: 

“Was Dr. Dietrich negligent…? 

Their answer: “No.” 

That was enough to release Dietrich 

from the other five counts. 

Meanwhile, Jeff Smith, a member 

of the jury, reported in a post-verdict 

conversation that the principal cause 

for the jury’s verdict in favor of the 

doctor had to do with Holt and “how 

he’s tried suing before.” 

Smith confirmed that information 

about previous lawsuits had never 

been put in evidence during the trial 

but was in Holt’s medical record. 

Gannon, in a later conversation, 

seemed startled by the juror’s relevation 

about his client. “It’s not true,” 

he said. 

If jurors did not take the plaintiff’s 

history into account, they were 

forbidden from knowing about the 

defendant’s. 

The court ordered suppression of 

information relating to four previous 

malpractice suits against Dr. Dietrich 

(all resolved in his favor) as well as 

complaints from female co-workers 

of inappropriate behavior but never 

pursued, and the fact that the doctor 

agreed to attend anger management 

classes. 

Was synthetic stucco 

to blame? 

The courthouse activity then moved 

from health care to finding whom 

to stick with a $1.3 million exterior 

stucco repair bill. 

“Vantage Point condos are 2 bedroom 

condos that are nestled in a 

wooded area,” the ski resort’s website 

reads. “They were built from 1982- 

1983 and just were recently newly 

re-sided.” 

The tenants’ group at Vantage 

Point was suing Stratton Association 

Management (SAM), the relevant 

manager of the complex. 

SAM, in turn, was suing RAB, a 

construction company no longer in 

business, according to the defendant’s 

lawyer, Antonin Robbason of Miller 

Faignant & Behrens in Rutland. 

Acting for Stratton was William 

Leckerling of Lisman, Webster & 

Leckerling in Burlington, and representing 

Stratton Association 

Management was Andrew Maass of 

Ryan, Smith & Carbine in Rutland. 

Among the issues discussed in court 

during this particular week: the traditional 

understanding of stucco. 

The two sides debated about 

whether most people thought of 

stucco as an inch-or-so thick wall 

covering that has been used copiously 

since the Renaissance, whether a new 

stucco substitute, or synthetic stucco, 

was viable and reliable, and what was 

the accepted system of applying “synthetic 

stucco” (the defendants’ preferred 

terminology) or “fake stucco” 

(the plaintiff’s word). 

All four walls of the exterior of the 

three buildings are now covered in 

Hardiplank, a synthetic mixture that 

has been made to resemble wood. The 

new material replaces the synthetic 

stucco that had been applied to the 

exterior walls. 

Instead of being applied over two 

other layers of foam insulation and 

a glass-fiber reinforced layer of a cement 

base mixed with polymer, the 

synthetic stucco had been applied on 

top of the plywood siding of the building, 

which had been covered only by 

a layer of mesh, according to expert 

architects and builders testifying for 

the prosecution. 

The two-bedroom condos, over 

their life in boom and bust economies, 

have ranged in price from about 

$110,000 to upwards of $275,000. 

They all sold, and subsequently, many 

have been resold. 

The direct application of the synthetic 

stucco to the mesh and plywood 

siding caused rot and leaks, as well as 

worse problems in areas around doors, 

and windows, and flashing. 

Doors and windows must be sealed 

to prevent water from seeping behind 

the outer layer of synthetic 

stucco, a measure that was not done 

or not done properly, according to 

the plaintiff. 

The plaintiff argued it had been 

more expensive to replace the defective 

stucco than it would have been to 

do it right to begin with. 

But, the defense argued, the repair 

work far exceeded the scope of repairing 

the damage. 

The defense argued that judging 

24-year-old buildings by modern 

standards and codes was wrong and 

defended the synthetic stucco. “This 

product performed pretty darn well 

for 25 years,” the defense claimed. 

The plaintiff took the position that 

damage to the building began many 

years ago and had required many 

repairs. 

Keeping the water out 

An expert witness for the plaintiff, 

Peter Morgan, a contractor and a 

builder, testified that he had done repair 

work at the complex and believed 

the system used to apply the synthetic 

stucco was faulty. 

“The basics of the system are incompatible,” 

Morgan said. “You must 

keep moisture off the wood.” 

He also said he had reported this 

flaw to Kathy Harper, a Stratton employee 

and at the time in charge of 

maintenance at the condo complex, 

and was unaware if she reported that 

to anyone. 

Another plaintiff expert witness, 

architect Albert Russell, reiterated 

Morgan’s view but allowed that using 

the three-layered system — of insulation 

and cement and mesh and then 

synthetic stucco — would work if applied 

properly. He drew for the jury 

a diagram of how to properly apply 

synthetic stucco. 

Asked what he had found on the 

Vantage Point buildings, he replied, 

“No building paper [one of the layers 

in one of the synthetic stucco systems], 

no insulation, no mesh. It was not appropriate. 

Moisture rots out framing 

and causes mold.” 

How long would it take to 

deteriorate? 

“The problems would have started 

immediately; sometimes it takes years 

to show up,” Russell testified. 

The defense strategy seemed to focus 

more on the extent of the repairs 

than on the relative value of synthetic 

stucco, with lawyers asking Russell 

if the public, by looking at the walls, 

would be able to tell if it was synthetic 

stucco. The architect thought 

one could. 

The defense showed a picture of 

a wall with windows that displayed 

an obvious seam where the imitation 

stucco was joined. Mr. Russell said, 

“That’s a clue this is not stucco.” 

R i v e R b e n d 

R i v e R b e n d 

FaRm SupplieS 

FaRm Pet Food, Bird Seed, Equine, SupplieS 

Pet and Stable Supplies, 

A busy courthouse, a rich heritage 

NEWFANE—The elegant federal/Greek 

revival Windham County 

Courthouse, with its four imposing 

Doric columns guarding the entrance, 

began its life rather differently 

in 1925, as a simpler structure 

on the green. 

Several renovations later it began 

taking its current shape, including 

in 1854 when the four-column portico 

was added, and in 1907, when 

additions to the western end of the 

building provided space for judge’s 

chambers and for a lawyer’s room. 

That was also when the famous 

upstairs courtroom was decorated 

with not only a pressed-tin ceiling 

but with an elaborately designed, 

pressed-tin cornice in various shades 

of green that encircles the large 

room, extending around the balcony 

at the rear. 

Paintings, engravings, and photographs 

of well-known Vermont 

jurists also circle the room. For example, 

one such picture behind the 

judge’s chair, is of Newfane native 

Roswell Martin Field, 1807-1869. 

He was state’s attorney for many 

years before moving to St. Louis, 

where he defended escaped slave 

Dred Scott before the Missouri 

Supreme Court. 

The chairs and tables in the 

room date from appropriate periods. 

One glass-topped table, behind 

the lawyers’ tables, features, 

beneath the glass, a photograph 

and history of the U.S.S. Windham 

County, an LST 1170 tank landing 

ship, launched May 1954, built 

in Wisconsin, and sponsored by 

Jean Kerr McCarthy, the wife of 

Senator Joseph McCarthy. It was 

used mostly for troop and supply 

Performance in court 

Friday afternoon continued with 

testimony from a condo owner who 

was also, for sometime, president of 

the condo board, and from another 

condo owner who had died after his 

deposition was taken. 

Patrick Monroe, a part-time actor 

recruited by the plaintiff, read the 

deceased’s deposition for the court. 

Monroe brought the courtroom up 

short with his quiet performance of 

an 82-year-old man, a retired banker, 

who’d bought a condo for $111,725 

some 25 years before and who had no 

use at all for the shenanigans the deposition 

questions seemed to imply. 

He’d looked at other condos but 

knew he wanted the one he bought 

at Vantage Point. 

“I had a lot of confidence and 

trust. There was an aura of strength 

at Stratton. The main thing was trust 

and the price. We were downsizing 

from a house on the mountain, and 

you have this belief here about who’s 

running the show.” 

The verdict 

After another four days, the trial 

of Vantage Point Condominium 

Association against Stratton 

Management Association ended, and 

the jury awarded Vantage Point more 

than $1.4 million in the late afternoon 

of April 29. The third-party defendant 

in the case, RAB, was not held liable. 

Court officers said they thought this 

the largest jury award in Windham 

Superior Court. 

Tack, Hay & Riverdale Shavings, Road, Poulin Townshend 

Grain 

Riverdale 802-365-7800 Road, Townshend 

Riverdale behind Monday–Friday the River Road, Bend 9 a.m.–5 Townshend 

Farm p.m. Market 

Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 

802-365-7800 

Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 

The Windham County Courthouse on the Newfane green. 

movements and decommissioned in 

June 1973 when it was transferred 

to Turkey. 

Nearly 700 civil cases are heard 

annually in Windham County 

Superior Court and between 900 

and 1,000 small claims cases, presided 

over by temporary judges who 

sign on for that duty. 

Superior court judges are assigned 

to certain rotations; Windham shares 

a presiding judge with Bennington. 

Judge John Wesley is finishing the 

first period of his rotation and has 

been assigned to Windham for the 

next period. Between trials, Judge 

Wesley may hear motions that precede 

trials and generally relate to 

such issues as landlord/tenant disputes 

and property conflicts. 

The superior court meets one 

month on and one month off and 

during the off months the court 

hears small claims cases, or the room 

may be used by other courts. 

The delicate stairway to the second 

floor precludes a ramp for the 

handicapped so when any party to 

a trial is unable to get to the courtroom, 

another courtroom is found. 

Richard Carroll is clerk of the 

court and is charged with managing 

Member FDIC 

Equal Housing Lender 

JEFF POTTER/THE COMMONS 

all the details of the courtroom and 

the process, such as sending notices 

to potential jurors, sending subpoenas, 

and keep track of all that the 

judge may need or want. 

Chuck LaValle is the court officer, 

who is charged with protecting the 

judge and managing the jury. 

Nissa Petrak is the court reporter, 

who keeps tracks of all the exhibits 

and the tape recorder that keeps the 

record of the trial. She says she’d like 

to keep using the tape recorder and 

has no wish for a digital conversion. 

This area’s only remaining 

truly local 

communiTy bank 

Main Office: 221 Main Street, Brattleboro | 85 Main Street, Springfield 

Perkins Home Center: 99 Route 9, W. Chesterfield, NH


rockingham/bellows falls 

Union wants an apology 

Selectboard member stands firm on comments about employee 



ROCKINGHAM—The union 

representing the town’s employees 

has taken exception to a Selectboard 

member’s public criticism of several 

workers this winter, threatening legal 

action against the town if such actions 

continue. 

Bert Russo, New Hampshire 

and Vermont business agent for the 

International Union of Operating 

Engineers Local 98, cited recent “offensive” 

statements by Selectboard 

member Ann DiBernardo and asked 

for a formal apology on behalf of town 

employees. 

DiBernardo’s statements appeared 

in the March issue of The Commons 

in a story covering what turned out 

to be the temporary termination of 

Finance Director John O’Connor. 

In an interview with reporter 

Allison Teague, DiBernardo charged 

that “a town employee was trying to 

stir the pot” by revealing O’Connor’s 

termination to the Brattleboro Reformer 

and the Rutland Herald. 

“It sounds like there are some really 

dysfunctional people in Town Hall,” 

DiBernardo said at the time. “If we 

are to go forward at all, we need employees 

who are professional. Whoever 

she is should be terminated.” 

The trade union, which represents 

primarily engineers, health industry 

workers, and public employees, has a 

collective bargaining agreement with 

Rockingham town employees, with a 

contract that covers working conditions, 

pay, and hours. 

The union represents approximately 

25 employees in the administration 

offices, water, sewer, and 

highway departments. 

Russo read an April 6 letter from 

Charles E. Blitman of Blitman & King, 

attorneys for Local 98. 

“Your statements to the extent they 

NOW OPEN at the 

BRATTLEBORO FOOD CO-OP 

Donnette Hill, Branch Manager 

River Valley’s Brattleboro 

Food Co-op Office 

To join River Valley, you must live or work in 

Windham, Windsor, Sullivan or Cheshire counties. 

www.rivercu.com 

Do your banking at a not-for-profit financial 

Co-operative when you shop at the Food 

Co-op. River Valley’s newest branch is open 

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am 

until 5 pm for your convenience. Branch 

Manager Donnette Hill is a knowledgeable, 

seasoned, River Valley veteran; ready to help 

you with membership, a transaction, lending, 

or financial products. Stop in and say hello to 

Donnette at the Brattleboro Food Co-op office. 

Be sure to ask Donnette about River Valley lending 

options for green heating and power alternatives, 

as well as construction loans for green projects. 

The Future of Banking...Now. ® 

reflect upon the bargaining unit were 

in poor judgment and generate poor 

labor relations,” Blitman wrote. “This 

letter is to serve notice on you of your 

actions and should they continue, the 

bargaining unit will have no alternative 

but to undertake the appropriate 

efforts to protect themselves.” 

The union could take legal action 

to protect themselves if needed, in the 

form of a civil lawsuit. 

Apology standoff 

“I don’t think I used the word ‘dysfunctional’,” 

DiBernardo responded 

after Russo read Blitman’s letter. 

DiBernardo, who later told The 

Commons that the original reporting 

had been correct, stood by the rest of 

her comments at the board meeting. 

“There were some issues in the 

town not related to the incident with 

the financial director. There was a 

problem with information being 

leaked from the town hall to private 

individuals and to the press,” she said. 

Russo countered that DiBernardo 

was referring to the people he 

represents. 

“I’m not going to apologize for 

something I feel was accurate,” she 

said. 

Russo warned DiBernardo that she 

and the board would probably hear 

from Local 98’s attorney. 

Interim Town Manager Francis 

“Dutch” Walsh and Selectboard Chair 

Thomas MacPhee tried to mediate. 

Walsh said officials needed to talk 

to the newspaper to get “more accuracy” 

regarding the March article, but 

neither Rockingham nor Bellows Falls 

officials contacted The Commons either 

after the original story or following 

the complaint from Russo. 

MacPhee suggested he, Walsh, 

DiBernardo, and Russo meet the following 

day to discuss the matter. All 

four agreed. 

DiBernardo said to Russo, “I would 

River Valley Credit Union 

254-4800 • Member N.C.U.A. • Equal Housing Lender 

Brattleboro • Putney • Townshend • Brattleboro Food Co-op • Bellows Falls • Springfield 

like to talk to you. There’s always stuff 

you can’t say in public.” 

“This was not in reference to all the 

employees,” she added. “I view most 

of the employees in the town hall as 

very professional, and I think most of 

them know that.” 

DiBernardo described the union 

as “kind of like all-for-one-and-onefor-all. 

If you make a comment about 

one person and one thing that’s going 

on, I don’t know why they all feel—” 

Russo cut DiBernardo off, saying, 

“If there was a problem with an employee, 

I would stand behind you and 

whatever you had to do to that person 

to straighten it out.” 

But, he said, “In reaction to your 

comment, I would protect them. 

That’s why this letter is here.” 

After Russo finished, resident Mary 

Barber commented that “it might behoove 

all the officials and all the administrators 

to be very cautious of 

Truck bid awarded 

ROCKINGHAM— Public 

Works Director Everett Hammond 

confirmed that the bid for a new 

ten-wheeler with front plow and 

frame, tower and wing, had been 

awarded to L&B Freightliner of 

Westminster, Vt., and Westfield, 

Mass., for the amount of “$183,845 

less a $6000 trade-in, for a net cost 

of $177,845.” The firm’s bid came 

in $3,000 to $6,000 lower than the 

two closest bids considered. 

“We want to get on a schedule 

of turning these vehicles over 

while they are still in warranty,” 

Selectboard Chair Tom MacPhee 

said. “That’s the plan, and we need 

to do it.” 

Board member Bob Thomson 

stated that he could support this 

recommendation “due to the efficiency 

of the truck and the cuts in 

manpower.” 

“The town won’t need the [same] 

number of people if the board continues 

in this vein,” Thomson said, 

referring to budget and personnel 

cuts the board struggled with to stay 

STAN DAVIS/FALLS AREA COMMUNITY TELEVISION 

what is said to the media.” 

“It’s not always accurate what 

appears in the press,” MacPhee 

responded. 

“Which is why it’s probably a good 

reason not to talk at all about issues 

that can be sensitive,” Barber said. 

“We can’t do that either,” MacPhee 

said. 

‘Things will improve’ 

Reached on April 29, the key players 

reflected on the letter, the exchange, 

and the interactions between 

town officials or employees and the 

local media. 

MacPhee described Barber’s suggestion 

as “inappropriate.” 

“Town officials should be talking 

to the press,” MacPhee said, characterizing 

most of the reporting in the 

local newspapers as correct. 

For her part, DiBernardo said she 

doesn’t anticipate any lawsuits from 

within budget. 

Highway Superintendent 

Michael Hindes stated that “the 

crew was down one person for the 

entire winter.” 

“If the town continues to purchase 

ten-wheel trucks, it should 

cut down on the number of man 

hours. This is one thing the board 

has to look at,” Thomson added. 

Selectboard member Ann 

DiBernardo asked about the fuel 

efficiency, and discovered that these 

trucks got anywhere from 3 to 5 

miles per gallon. 

Before the unanimous approval 

by the board that followed, resident 

Mary Barber stated her concern 

that, come spring, her lawn would 

need repairs from dirt and debris 

pushed onto it. She said this was a 

problem each year, and asked if the 

truck would be used in town. 

While MacPhee stated that “it 

could be,” Hindes replied that it 

would, but “only when needed if 

another truck were out” for repairs. 

TOWN OF ROCKINGHAM 

At left, Bert Russo, 

New Hampshire and 

Vermont business 

agent for the International 

Union of 

Operating Engineers 

Local 98, reads a 

letter from the union’s 

attorney complaining 

about comments by 

Selectboard member 

Ann DiBernardo 

(above). 

the union. 

According to DiBernardo, the town 

attorney feels she could have been 

talking about any town employee — 

like the town manager — so the union 

does not have a case. 

“I think things will improve. If other 

people do their jobs, things will improve,” 

she said. 

Though Russo characterized labor 

relations with the town and the union 

employees as good, he said employees 

have had issues with DiBernardo before 

when she accused employees of 

using town equipment for personal 

use and damaging it in the process. 

That dispute ended when 

DiBernardo retracted her accusations, 

Russo said. 

“Hopefully she’ll mend her ways,” 

he said. 

Walsh confirmed that he, MacPhee, 

DiBernardo, and Russo spoke briefly 

the following day. 

He said the union’s letter has been 

sent to the town attorney and that “the 

matter is pending.” 

He declined further comment. 

Playground 

groundbreaking 

set for May 16 

ROCKINGHAM— Selectboard 

Chair Tom MacPhee announced 

a groundbreaking ceremony at the 

playground May 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. 

Interim Manager Dutch Walsh stated 

that all the supplies for the new building 

at the Recreation Facility had 

been ordered and all permits were 

applied for. 

MacPhee thanked an anonymous 

donor for a $22,000 check, with the 

promise of an additional $12,000 to 

follow, for the cement apron of the 

facility. 

“I wish we could thank him by 

name,” he said, “but he wants to remain 

anonymous. I wish we had more 

like him,” he finished. “That’s very 

generous.” 

Speeding tickets 

outside village 

ROCKINGHAM—The 

Selectboard has passed an ordinance 

that would allow the Bellows Falls 

Police Dept. to write speeding tickets 

outside the village of Bellows Falls. 

The board asked Police Chief Ron 

Lake to propose the change, which 

passed 3–2, with Bob Thomson and 

Peter Golec opposed. 

Thomson stated that he had heard 

from constituents and felt himself 

that “this is perceived as a step toward 

moving the Bellows Falls Police 

Dept. into rural Rockingham,” a key 

sticking point in the past year’s talks 

regarding a town government merger 

in Rockingham, Bellows Falls, and 

Saxtons River. 

At issue is that the police department 

is funded by the village, with 

the town of Rockingham contributing 

nothing. 

With the passage of the ordinance, 

funds from tickets written outside of 

the village for speeding in Rockingham 

by Vermont State Police, the Windham 

County Sheriff’s Department, or the 

Bellows Falls Police Department 

would go into the town’s pocket. 

Interim Manager Dutch Walsh 

stated that about $1,200 a year was 

collected in speeding tickets and went 

to the state, from tickets written to 

drivers speeding along Routes 103 and 

5, and along Missing Link Road, now 

covered by this new traffic ordinance. 

With passage of the ordinance, these 

fines now will go to the Town. 

Walsh contract 

extended until 

Village Meeting 

ROCKINGHAM—Selectboard 

member Matt Trieber announced that 

the board, in executive session at its 

April 6 meeting, had agreed to extend 

Interim Manager “Dutch” Walsh’s 

agreement with the town through the 

May 18 Village Meeting. 

However, resident Mary Barber 

contended that the minutes for that 

meeting did not reflect the existence 

of the executive session in the decision. 

Trieber said that that “is why I am 

bringing before the public now” and 

to “keep everything out in the open 

for the public to see” as he indicated 

the FACT8 TV camera broadcasting 

the meeting. The omission will 

be addressed in the April 6 meeting 

minutes. 

When Barber questioned the board 

further, it was discovered that no vote 

had been taken. The board followed 

with a motion was passed to extend 

Walsh’s agreement with the town. 

“The [Bellows Falls Village] 

Trustees did not sign it and did not 

know about it,” Barber said. 


stated, “At one point, it was assumed 

that the Trustees would have a similar 

agreement, but they never did.” 

Trustees have discussed hiring a 

separate Town Manager for the village, 

but no decision was made. 

New 

Leaf 

CSA 

veggie shares 

available 

802-254-2531 

NewLeafCSA.com 

A slogan goes viral 

A design rides the Facebook wave as it comments on Bellows Falls’ identity 



BELLOWS FALLS—A civicminded 

artist and entrepreneur has 

created a new town slogan and t-shirt, 

somewhat by accident. 

Indeed, within minutes of Charlie 

Hunter’s posting of a graphic — 

“Bellows Falls, not as bad as you 

thought,” — on Facebook, comments 

and orders hit the pages. 

“You can see by the comments that 

people love it,” Hunter said. “The t- 

shirt isn’t even here yet.” 

Several days after posting the design, 

based on the original Bellows 

Falls Creamery logo from an old 

milk carton, Hunter had six orders 

“and a lot of people who said they 

are interested.” 

Within days of Hunter’s posting, 

Ray Massucco posted Hunter’s t-shirt 

design with an order form on his page. 

The director of the Vermont Festivals 

LLC, which organizes Roots on the 

River, immediately received nearly as 

many comments as Hunter, as well as 

more orders. 

Comments on Facebook ranged 

from satire to irony and reruns of old 

jokes that go back to childhood. 

“Just because the cat had kittens in 

the oven doesn’t make ’em muffins....” 

Dorothy Read posted. 

“…and can the next one in the series 

be: ‘Bellows Falls: Yes, someone 

far wittier than you has already suggested 

switching the B and the F’?” 

Sarah Ovenden responded. 

“All my relatives are getting a t- 

shirt!!” Cheryl Gay-Sherwin said. 

“Ray! Can I get a poster of that????” 

Margo Howland asked. 

‘A weird disconnect’ 

Where’d Hunter get the idea? 

“I was at a social gathering with 

people who live in Brattleboro,” 

Hunter said, noting that it represents 

the “collective gestalt that is Bellows 

Falls.” 

“I was interested to hear people, 

after they ask me where I live and I 

say Bellows Falls, reply, ‘Ewwwww, 

why would you want to live there?’,” 

Hunter said. 

Hunter said these comments came 

“after at least 10 years of upward progress. 

They really don’t know who we 

are still. I love this village, and so do 

a lot of other people.” 

“In Bellows Falls, since we live 

here, we hear that [from people in 

Brattleboro] and laugh,” Hunter said. 

“It’s a rather benighted attitude.” 

“I mean, when you can go into the 

Harmony Lot in Brattleboro, you get 

menaced by scrungy youths. 

“That’s my point about the weird 

disconnect Brattleboro has about 

Bellows Falls — people get knifed to 

death in Brattleboro, but Brattleboro 

thinks of Bellows Falls as the grungy 

place! All people do in Bellows Falls 

is yell incoherently at one another. 

“I did see someone pull flowers 

out of a planter in BF once, though, 

but another group of youths came by 

and put ’em back,” Hunter said with 

a laugh. 

“I’m thinking of that Biblical quote, 

‘Thou hypocrite, first cast out the 

beam out of thine own eye; and then 

shalt thou see clearly to cast out the 

mote out of thy brother’s eye’,” he 

said. 

So Hunter couldn’t resist and took 

the bull by the horns. 

Slogans, tourism, 

and porches 

“There’s a bit of history you should 

know first, though,” Hunter said. 

According to Hunter, about 10 

years ago, Brattleboro hired a consultant 

to come up with a slogan: “So 

Vermont, so close to home.” 

“I mean, they paid a guy big bucks 

to come up with that phrase, positioning 

Brattleboro as an easy trip from 

Boston where the consultant was 

from,” Hunter said. 

“So the then–development director 

in Bellows Falls around the time 

made an attempt to come up with 

SWEET TREE FARM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Hunter’s slogan and design. 

their own catch phrase for the town,” 

Hunter said. “A Boston newspaper 

had tagged it as ‘the front porch capitol 

of the world.’ That never went anywhere, 

though,” Hunter said. 

Hunter’s slogan, “Bellows Falls, not 

as bad as you thought,” could seem the 

opposite of what would successfully 

bring visitors to Bellows Falls. 

But Hunter doesn’t see it that way. 

“If you look at the reaction [on 

Facebook], it’s going viral — or not 

quite, but we hope,” he said with a 

laugh. 

How can that be a bad thing for 

Bellows Falls? 

“We want people’s curiosity piqued 

enough to come and see for themselves 

that we aren’t that bad,” Hunter 

said. “In fact, we’re pretty cool. We’ve 

come a long way in 10 years and are 

working hard to continue efforts to 

make our town attractive to visitors.” 

The Vermont Dept. of Tourism’s 

website links to the Village site with 

the slogan “Bellows Falls: light years 

away, yet as close as can be.” 

Its not clear what this is referring to 

compared to the other rather straightforward 

taglines for towns such as 

Springfield: “A river runs through 

it/inventive spirit its bedrock,” or 

Rutland’s, which states simply that 

it’s “Vermont’s crossroads.” 

“We were throwing around slogans, 

and one of the other ones we considered 

was ‘Bellows Falls, not as bad as 

you think’,” Hunter said. “But that 

seemed to have a negative connotation 

that ‘thought’ does not have.” 

“We thought about the text a lot. 

After people actually visit the village, 

they’re going to have a much better 

opinion than before. No one else but 

Bellows Falls would come up with 

such a ballsy shirt,” he said. 

Funds for the 

farmers’ market 

“So far, I haven’t had any negative 

comments. People from all over love 

it. Many of the people who think its 

funniest live here,” Hunter laughed. 

“I expect that at some point someone 

will come up to me and say something 

negative, but that’s their right,” 

he added. 

“This isn’t going for profit. All the 

money I make selling them is going, 

as private citizen Charlie Hunter, as 

an underwriter for the Bellows Falls 

Farmers Market. 

“I don’t know if I’ll match that $500 

from the t-shirts sales, but we’ll see.” 

Readers can order t-shirts by e-mail or 

otherwise contact Hunter at flyradar@ 

sover.net. 

Put LOCAL 

FOOD 

on your table this spring

14 NEWS The Commons • May 2010 The Commons • May 2010 15 

Bellows falls 

fun 

Josh Graciano (Flickr: oliva732000)/Special to The Commons 

Organizers of the Bellows Falls Farmers’ Market (above, in a 2009 photo), took exception to a similar event taking root across the river in Walpole, N.H. 

Same-day farmers’ market generates rancor 

Bellows Falls Farmers’ Market says Walpole, N.H. upstart will compete for customers 



BELLOWS FALLS—Jill Robinson 

has spent this spring organizing local 

farmers for a farmer’s market to 

open Fridays on the town common 

in Walpole, N.H., beginning May 21. 

Across the river, the long-established 

Bellows Falls Farmers’ Market 

also operates on Fridays, beginning its 

season the same day. 

“At one point, we even discussed a 

shuttle or some sort of carpool to get 

people between our markets,” she said. 

That was before a number of 

Bellows Falls citizens took to public 

protest the efforts of Robinson 

and other volunteers launching the 

Walpole effort. 

“It’s beyond me why [people] can’t 

go to both,” she said. 

Bellows Falls Village President 

Roger Riccio, a member of the Great 

Falls Regional Chamber of Commerce 

(which represents towns on both 

sides of the Connecticut River) and 

co-owner of the River Mist Bed and 

Breakfast on Burt Street, minced no 

words. 

“It’s terrible,” he said. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they 

are doing a Farmer’s Market,” he said. 

“But we want them both to be able to 

sustain themselves. I don’t think it’s 

good for either one to be scheduled 

on the same day at the same time. It’s 

going to hurt both of us.” 

“At five o’clock on Friday, I have 

to rush home from work to my B&B,” 

Riccio said. “I would love to be able 

to go to a Saturday Farmers Market 

in Walpole. It would be much better 

for me.” 

“Our B&B guests are always interested 

in local food and products, and 

would love to be able to go to Walpole 

on a Saturday,” he said. “They get here 

too late Fridays.” 

Complementary 

or competing? 

Mandy Walsh-Fischetti, named 

Bellows Falls Farmers Market 

Manager for 2010, and former vendor 

and long-time supporter and 

board member of the farmers market, 

said representatives of the new market 

visited the Bellows Falls Farmers’ 

Market board. 

“We just felt it would have been better 

if they had come and talked to us,” 

Walsh-Fischetti said. “They just came 

to us to pair up on advertising and 

publicity, and we didn’t think it would 

be in our best interest at this time.” 

The Bellows Falls market organizers 

subsequently sent a note to the 

Walpole organizers. “Please do not 

advertise our Farmers Market on your 

website,” they wrote. 

“We tried not to spend too much 

EVERETT 

REAL ESTATE 

SERVICES, INC. 

REAL ESTATE 

APPRAISING & CONSULTING 

DART W. EVERETT 

JOSEPH P. MEYER 

STANLEY E. NOGA, JR. 

LESLIE K. SHAW 

LINDA KERSTEN 

41 SYCAMORE ST. 

BRATTLEBORO, VT 

802-254-9258 

802-257-2627 FAX 

deverett@sover.net 

time on this [at the meeting],” Walsh- 

Fischetti said. “We’re not buying into 

this [flap]. We just want to focus on 

what’s best for our farmers market 

and our region.” 

“Now with another market so close, 

we’ve got even more work ahead of 

us to really make ours the one people 

want to come to,” she said. 

But Robinson sees no conflict. 

“Our hours are 3 to 6, theirs are 4 

to 7 [p.m.],” she said. “I don’t know 

anyone who goes and spends three 

hours at a market. Why wouldn’t 

people also want to go to the Bellows 

Falls’ market?” 

Robinson defended the new 

Walpole effort as “a grower’s market” 

with “a different flavor.” 

“We have 11 farmers and vendors,” 

she said. “We have two of the founding 

members of the Bellows Falls market 

who will be at our market,” she said, 

citing their differences. 

“It will be a different experience for 

the buyer. Prepared food vendors and 

crafters will also be invited … in numbers 

that will complement, but not 

overwhelm, the agricultural emphasis 

of the Walpole Farmers Market.” 

Walsh-Fischetti responded that “as 

far as that goes, about 75 percent of 

our vendors are agriculture products. 

They have food vendors as we do.” 

Popular demand in Walpole? 

A former resident of Washington 

D.C., Robinson arrived at the idea of 

having a farmer’s market through volunteer 

work with the TriVillage Energy 

Committee (TVE). She says she has 

organized “wildly popular” fairs and 

holiday markets for the past few years 

in Walpole. 

In an April 20 press release, 

Robinson described the new market 

as “a response to demand from both 

customers and vendors of fresh local 

food.” At this past Town Meeting, 

TVE surveyed voters to find out 

when shoppers would like the market 

to operate. 

The majority of respondents suggested 

Friday afternoons. 

BELLOWS FALLS—Village 

trustees have directed Interim Town 

Manager Francis “Dutch” Walsh 

to draft a letter to the Rockingham 

Selectboard formally requesting that 

the village receive all fees from liquor 

licensing for class 1 and 2 liquor 

licenses. 

The Selectboard sits as the “control 

commissioners” for the state, to 

whom the fees are paid. All first- and 

second-class license fees are, by state 

law, “paid to the respective towns.” 

Two Walpole farmers were founding 

members of the Bellows Falls 

Market and worked very hard over 

the years to make that market a success, 

Robinson said. 

Erin Bickford, of Abenaki Springs 

Farm in Walpole, said that either she 

or her husband, Bruce, served on the 

Bellows Falls Farmers’ Market board 

“every year since it began.” 

“We spent a lot of time and effort 

struggling to get Walpole farmers and 

shoppers to participate in the Bellows 

Falls Market,” said Bickford, one of 

the coordinators of this year’s Walpole 

farmer’s market. “But we just couldn’t 

get that many people from Walpole 

to go over there. When the bridge 

went out last year, even fewer people 

wanted to go.” 

Holly Gowdy, of Brookfield Farm 

in Walpole, another coordinator, another 

founding member of the Bellows 

Falls Farmers’ Market, says “I was not 

able to sell my milk over there.” 

“In Vermont, milk can’t be sold at 

Farmers Markets, and I’m not allowed 

to take it across state lines anyway,” 

Gowdy said. 

Virginia Carter, of Barnett Hill 

Vineyard, had a similar problem. “The 

law prohibits me from selling my wine 

in another state, so Vermont markets 

don’t work for me,” she said. 

Bickford and Goudy both say their 

families feel confident that a successful 

Walpole Farmers Market will contribute 

to the success of the Bellows 

Falls Market. They have noticed that 

more vendors doing well at a market 

doesn’t create competition among 

the vendors; it creates a better overall 

market that attracts more customers. 

“If the 342 people who responded 

so positively to the survey develop a 

stronger commitment to fresh local 

food, the chances are good that many 

of them will want to explore other 

area markets,” said Caitlin Caserta, 

of Walpole Valley Farms, “and we will 

encourage them to do so.” 

“A rising tide lifts all boats, and we 

are committed to making that happen,” 

Caserta said, noting that one 

Trustee Scott Falzo says the town is 

receiving these funds “without having 

to do anything for them.” 

During a discussion over liquor licensing 

fees at a March 30 joint board 

meeting, Falzo said he thought “with 

all the policing in the village of Bellows 

Falls and the majority of the liquor licenses 

[being] in the village that these 

fees should stay in the village.” 

Given the confusion over the wording, 


suggested that the trustees return to 

part of the Walpole market’s mission is 

“to promote all outlets for local food, 

including other farmers markets.” 

“We look at it from an educational 

point of view, and we want the farmers 

to be able to sustain their livelihood,” 

she added. “Most of them have 

one off-site worker [earning money at 

an outside job]. We want the farmers 

to make money or they won’t come 

back,” she said. 

“We would be very happy if the 

farmers came from their communities 

and incubated in our market, learned 

all they could, then went back to their 

hometowns and started their own 

farmer’s markets. That would tickle 

us pink,” Robinson said. 

“I just can’t fathom the view that 

we can’t both have markets thrive,” 

she said. 

Robinson has a strong interest in 

building local food security, a rising 

concern for those who see growing 

food elsewhere and shipping it to local 

markets as unsustainable in the 

long term. 

But she sees her community as 

having a different focus from Bellows 

Falls. 

“We are an agriculturally based 

town. This whole area has a lot of 

farms that I would like to see stay 

as farms,” she said. “To do that, the 

farmers need to make money, and we 

want them to do that by selling and 

making money, and thereby able to 

grow more food.” 

“I’d like to see people bounce back 

forth,” Riccio said. “I’d like to see 

them visit both venues,” but expressed 

doubt that this would occur. 

“It’s just about the timing and the 

way it was handled,” Walsh-Fischetti 

said. “They didn’t even talk to us 

when they were planning it.” 

Both markets open for the season May 

21. The Bellows Falls Farmers’ Market 

(www.bffarmersmarket.com) runs 

from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Waypoint Center. 

Walpole Farmers’ Market (www.walpolefarmersmarket.com) 

runs from 3 to 6 

p.m. on the Walpole Commons. 

Trustees seek liquor license fees for village 

the joint board with a legal opinion, 

a stance with which Interim Town 

Manager “Dutch” Walsh disagreed at 

the April 13 regular trustees’ meeting. 

But in response to Falzo’s question 

at the Joint Board meeting about 

whether the village could set a fee as 

well, MacPhee said yes. 

“But if we keep adding on fees, 

business will leave … as they already 

are,” he said. 

summer 

BMC 

for your kids 

Get your child out of the house this summer 

and into NEYT’s Summer Programs! 

Sample the variety all summer: 

melodrama, Shakespeare, 

musicals, Technical Theatre, 

classes for young children 

and teens, inclusive programs 

for mixed abilities, and more! 

For a list of classes see our website at www.neyt.org. 

To register contact the office at 802-246-6398 x 101 or michelle@neyt.org. 

Financial Aid Available, Early Registration Recommended 

NEW! Kids Traditional Arts Camp 

Traditional Music & Arts, ages 9-14 

June 28 - July 2, 8:30 am - 3 pm 

Andy Davis, Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy 

NEW! Northern Roots Weekend 

Traditional Music Workshop for Adults 

July 9 - 11, Friday Eve to Sunday Noon 

Led by Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy, and 

Matt and Shannon Heaton 

Camp Calliope 

Music & Movement for 3-5 year olds 

July 5-9, 9:30-11:30am /12:30-2:30pm 

Led by Valerie Kosednar 

MADD Camp 

Music Art Dance & Drama, ages 6-10 

June 28 - July 9, 8:30 am - 3 pm 

Led by: Louisa Sullivan, Marya Huseby 

Ann Lauterbach, and Robin Zegge 

Get Real Day Camp 

Singing Camp for 12 - 18 year olds 

July 12-16, 8:30 am -3:30 pm 

Led by Kristen Carmichael-Bowers 

100 FlAT S TREET, BRATTl EBo R o, VERmonT 

Summer Art 

Camp & Classes 

One week art camps and more 

starting July 5 thru August 13 

Check our web site for a full listing of 

summer classes - for children, teens and adults. 

802-257-1577 rgsart@sover.net 

32 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301 

www.rivergalleryschool.org 

BRATTLEBORO MUSIC CENTER 

SUMMER 2010 

Get Real Getaway 

Singing Camp for Girls 15-18 

July 30 - August 7, 9 days/8 nights 

Led by Kristen Carmichael-Bowers 

Piano 4-Hands 

High School Age - Adults 

June 21-25, 10 am - 12 pm 

Led by Susan Dedell, Bruce Griffin 

Flute Camp 

Flute Ensemble, HS Age - Adults 

July 26-30, 9:30 am - 12 pm 

Led by Alex Ogle, Robin Matathias 

Camp Andantino 

Chamber Music, HS Age - Adults 

June 21-25, 10am -12pm, 7-9pm 

July 26-30, 10am -12pm, 7-9pm 

Led by Music School Faculty, 

Peggy Spencer, Moby Pearson 

Cello Camp 

Cello Ensemble, HS Age - Adults 

August 2-6, 10 am - 12 pm 

Led by Sabine Rhyne 

Add music to your summer! 

For more information visit bmcvt.org 

Register today! 802-257-4523 

Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Dept. 

Summer Program 

Registration 

Extravaganza 

Thursday, May 20th 

3:30pm – 7:00pm 

3rd Floor Gym at the Gibson Aiken Center 

(207 Main Street) 

One Stop, One Check, One Form! 

Register for our summer programs 

all at one convenient location. 

For more information, please call 

the Recreation & Parks Department at: 

802-254-5808 

You may also check us out at our website at: 

www.brattleboro.org 

Meeting 

Meeting Waters 

Waters 

YMCA’s 

YMCA’s 

Lewis 

Lewis Day 

Day 

Camp 

Camp 

2010 

2010 

 

*bussing 

• Bussing 

from 

from 

Brattleboro, 

Brattleboro, 

Westminster, 

Westminster, 

Putney, 

Putney, 

BF, 

BF, 

Saxtons 

Saxtons 

River, Walpole, Charlestown, Chester and Springfield • 

River, Walpole, Charlestown, Chester and Springfield* 

*Child • Care Subsidy & other other Financial Assistance* 

• 

•*great Great staff, great facility, great value* 

• 

*one- • One and two-week sessions* 

• 

more at www.meetingwatersymca.org

16 The Commons • May 2010 The Commons • May 2010 YOUTH OUTLOOK 17 

Youth Outlook 

How many kids will 

have Neil’s experience? 

Guilford 

Less than a century ago, 

most Vermont kids would 

have grown up on a small 

family farm. They would have 

helped their parents run the business, 

and often take over operations 

when their parents aged. 

Neil Franklin grew up with his 

two brothers on the Franklin Farm 

in Guilford. His parents do not employ 

any non-family workers, and 

the Franklin children have worked 

all of their lives to assist with the 

family business. 

If you had seen Neil in the halls 

of high school, you would have seen 

your average teenager, one who had 

plenty of time for school work, a social 

life, and sports. 

But if you had seen him up at 

5:30 in the morning milking cows or 

cleaning stalls, “average” would not 

be your first thought. 

Neil’s way of life is fading from 

our society. 

As we see an increase in large 

farming corporations, we see dwindling 

numbers of family farms. 

According to the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, of the 7,000 farms in 

Study your passion. 

At UI&U you can design your B.A. program around your 

own interests and ideas—to integrate your education into 

your own work life and personal goals. 

Offering: 

802.257.9411 

888.828.8575 

www.tui.edu 

BrattleboroCenter@tui.edu 

Gray Grandy was born and raised in 

Guilford. He “enjoys various athletics and contemplation, 

and he has lost trust in politics,” he says, and 

he “looks forward to leading a fortuitous life.” 

Vermont, the number of non-family 

corporate farms has increased 

by more than one third since 1997, 

while more than 200 sole-proprietor 

farms have dropped off the map. 

These numbers are indications 

that fewer children are growing 

up on farms, and fewer people 

are choosing to make family farming 

their career. This steady drop 

in numbers means fewer kids feeding 

cows, maple sugaring, or fixing 

fences. 

The Franklins were able to keep 

the farm afloat in a changing market 

by making the difficult switch 

from conventional milk to organic 

milk. Neil expressed that the switch 

to organic, “enabled us to continue 

farming while many people go out 

of business.” 

But, only some Vermont farms are 

able to do this. 

Are our kids missing out on valuable 

life experience by growing up 

without farms? Instead of helping 

• Come to campus one weekend a month. 

• Do the rest of your studying from home. 

• Earn your degree while continuing to meet 

your work and family commitments. 

B.A. • B.S. • M.A. • M.Ed. • Ph.D. 

M.A. in Psychology • Psy.D. 

Neil Franklin 

works on 

his family’s 

farm with his 

cousin, Michael 

Franklin, setting 

up taps for 

maple season. 

mom and dad with chores, our children 

are going to day-care and afterschool 

programs. 

Our progressively industrialized 

and modernized way of life has 

changed the lives of our sons and 

daughters, with fewer wanting to 

take over the farms on which they 

grew up. 

A few kids do still live on family 

farms. These few grow up in a very 

different setting from most of their 

peers, and they have some different 

personal characteristics as a result. 

Neil is now attending college in 

UI&U: 

Brattleboro’s 

Best Kept 

Secret! 

Youth Outlook is The Commons’ quarterly section of news and viewpoints 

designed to give our readers a glimpse into the lives and thoughts 

of young people in Windham County. Commons intern Sara Lepkoff, 

a member of the Compass School class of 2010, served as managing editor 

for this issue’s section. She will attend Earlham College in the fall. 

Boston — not studying agriculture, 

but electromechanical engineering. 

He, like his brothers, is having a 

great experience at school. “So far, 

I have really enjoyed myself while I 

learn about the world,” he said. 

The changes in lifestyle from 

home to college were minor. “I basically 

had to change my sleep schedule, 

and figure out what to do with 

all of the extra free time,” he said. 

“Both of these tasks were very easy 

and enjoyable.” 

Neil also brought to college some 

qualities that he attributes to the 

farm experiences. 

Neil finds that he has a “superior 

work ethic to many of my peers that 

grew up differently than me,” he 

said. “It is very easy for me to focus 

and get a variety of jobs done, when 

many of those around me struggle.” 

Vermont 

Academy 

Neil feels that he is well prepared 

for his future, and appreciates the 

opportunity to have grown up on a 

farm. “It was quite the experience, 

and I would not have had it any 

other way,” he said. 

How many kids will have the opportunity 

to experience what Neil 

did in his childhood years? 

Farm chores are a great way to 

teach work ethic, appreciation for 

your work, and a connection to the 

natural world. 

We do not need farms to instill 

these traits in children, but equivalent 

experiences would be beneficial. 

Will our way of life be able 

to replace these experiences that 

build work ethic and appreciation 

for nature? 

n 

Make Your Best Choice! 

Vermont Academy 

• Beautiful 500+ acre campus 

• Grades 9–PG, boarding and day, 

small class size 

• Outstanding college-preparatory 

curriculum 

• Elevated math and science 

programs 

• Excellent college placement 

• New Learning Center 

• Internationally diverse student 

community 

• Accepting applications for the 

2010-2011 academic year 

10 Long Walk 

Saxtons River, Vermont 

802.869.6229 

www.vermontacademy.org 

When the desert turns on you 

Brattleboro youth volunteers on the front lines of the immigration debate 

Brattleboro 

I’m not going to lie — I went 

to Arizona for the location. 

It’s all very appealing: the desert, 

cactus, cowboys. (They’re still 

there, I’ve seen them spurs and all.) 

Arizona was calling my name, and I 

was getting sick of snow. 

Through a series of searches and 

links — thank God for Google — 

I came in contact with an older 

woman in Tucson. She said that if I 

was willing to volunteer with a certain 

humanitarian aid organization 

she was involved with, she would 

house me and allow me regular access 

to food. 

With little hesitation, I agreed, 

and she asked me what I knew 

about No More Deaths. 

I knew a little, and now I know a 

lot. This is the story of how I learned 

so much. 

What little I knew I learned in 

my junior year at high school. I had 

learned that No More Deaths is an 

organization dedicated to reducing 

fatalities from dehydration and 

overexposure in the borderlands. 

Members leave food, clothes, and 

water on trails frequently traveled by 

migrants. 

I decided on the plane that I 

would basically say “yes” to anything 

that fell into my lap, so long 

as it wasn’t too dangerous or completely 

against my principles. 

The next day I went to Mexico. 

Nogales, a town in the Sonoran 

desert, spans the United States and 

Mexico border. It has been split in 

half by an enormous metal and concrete 

wall that has recently caused 

the economies of the town on both 

sides of the border to sink like 

stones. 

Before the wall and the heavily 

enforced border security, people 

on the U.S. side would go over 

to Mexico to buy cheap produce 

and prescription pharmaceuticals 

that could be purchased in Mexico 

over the counter at a very reasonable 

price. People from the Mexico 

side would cross to purchase milk 

and other diet staples that are ludicrously 

overpriced in Mexico, even 

by U.S. standards. 

Now, you can still basically waltz 

into Mexico from the U.S. side, as 

border security seems to go only 

one way, but if you don’t have a U.S. 

passport you can’t get in. At all. 

So the U.S. side of Nogales basically 

died off, which caused the 

economy in the already very poor 

Mexico side to dwindle even further. 

The wall is heavily opposed on 

both sides of the border for reasons 

that might not seem so obvious to 

us way up north. You see, the wall is 

little more than a symbol that tells 

the poor laborers of Mexico that we 

don‘t want them here. 

Even the border patrol admits 

that the wall really only slows someone 

down by about five minutes. In 

a lot of places it’s little more than a 

fence; in some places it isn’t there at 

all, and it’s costing taxpaying U.S. 

citizens billions. 

I’ve heard countless people say, 

“Well, this wouldn’t be a problem if 

they only came in legally.” 

This theory doesn’t seem so terribly 

unreasonable until you learn 

that the wait to even be considered 

for a work visa is 12 years, with few 

exceptions. Mexicans are outspoken 

about the wall. They hate it, 

and these sentiments can be seen 

scrawled in crude graffiti. 

“Sì, yankee es terroristo.” 

(“Yes, yankees are terrorists.”) 

“Yankee puta.” (“Yankee b**ch.”) 

And the ever so simple “F**k USA,” 

all sprayed near anti-fascist imagery. 

These people think that we’re fascists. 

Clearly, we’re doing something 

wrong. 

CAL GLOVER-WESSEL 

lists among his activities: “finding my 

way onto/across/under/over to/around 

everything in this town, random acts 

of violence aimed at inanimate objects, 

most things involving fire/explosives, 

reading, being involved with technology, 

hating the human race, eating, being 

on a boat.” 

Over the course of the trip, I 

made numerous visits to Nogales 

with groups of other volunteers. 

No More Deaths leaves tents and 

buildings in Nogales near the border 

patrol station to offer aid to the 

recently deported, the people whom 

the border patrol picked up while 

walking in the desert nonstop for 

days, sometimes weeks, usually at 

night. 

These people were tired, hungry, 

often cold, and almost always 

injured. They would have sprained 

ankles, cuts from barbed wire or 

cactuses, and most often they would 

have blisters. 

These are not blisters like you 

get from breaking in a new pair of 

boots, these were terrifying huge 

sores that would often end up looking 

like raw steak. These people 

were in pain, but even the ones with 

the raw-meat blisters were ready to 

head right out again as soon as the 

No More Deaths volunteers cleaned 

and dressed their wounds. 

I did a lot in the next few days. I 

helped some legitimate Franciscan 

friars (robes and all) feed some 

homeless folks. I went to a few 

meetings. I even participated in a 

vigil. 

This was the principal gray area 

that I was talking about. See, I don’t 

like vigils. It’s not that I don’t like 

what people have to say, it’s just that 

I find the medium which they’re using 

ineffective. 

Sending letters, accosting representatives, 

rioting, and generally 

making a nuisance of yourself — I 

am all totally okay with those methods. 

Spending one hour a month 

standing by the side of the road telling 

people who probably already 

know how upset you are at them 

seems a waste of time, especially 

if you’ve been doing it for 10 odd 

RALEIGH • BIANCHI • IBIS • GT • SCHWINN • BELL 

GIRO • SPECIALIZED • PEARL IZUMI • THULE 

BURROWS SPECIALIZED SPORTS 

The “Wheel Good” Bike Shop 

• Bicycle Sales, 

Service, Rentals 

• We Repair 

All Makes 

• Custom 

Wheel Building 

105 Main St. 

Brattleboro, VT 

802.254.9430 

• Full Line of 

Accessories & 

Bike Wear 

• Best 

Selection of 

Kids Bikes 

in the Area 

Open 7 Days 

www.sover.net/~specspor 

The Area’s Largest Tennis Shop 

Custom Stringing Service • Babolat, Head, Prince, Wilson 

Cal Glover-Wessel (standing, far left), with other volunteers at the border wall. 

years with seemingly no results. But 

I digress. 

During this time, the woman 

who was housing me asked if I 

would like to spend a week camping 

in the desert, and I said “yes” before 

asking about particulars. 

That’s why we were out there. 

Only one migrant come right into 

our camp for medical attention, but 

we did provide a lot of aid in the 

form of leaving water and food out 

in the desert for anyone who needed 

it. 

There is a lot of heated discussion 

about leaving water in the desert. 

A lot of people wanted to know 

why we were aiding people who 

were here illegally in the first place. 

That’s not what it was about. It 

wasn’t political for me, it was simply 

a matter of life and death: I wouldn’t 

want to die in the desert, so I imagine 

no one else did. 

This is what I had been ready to 

do. I had no idea what I was getting 

myself into basically until I got 

there. I had naturally prepared myself 

for the worst conditions, which 

meant that I was completely prepared 

for camping. 

After two days of volunteer training, 

I was dropped off in the desert, 

and it was awesome in the truest 

sense of the word. 

The desert is beautiful, but it’s 

easy to forget how it can turn on 

you. Many of the other volunteers 

seemed to be suffering incredible 

guilt and an inability to appreciate 

the desert. 

I didn’t blame them entirely; as 

beautiful as the desert was, it was 

You can’t be everywhere. 

beautiful only because we had water, 

food, shoes, and shelter. 

And if you didn’t have those 

items, then the desert could be your 

worst enemy. 

n 

Talk to your teen about underage drinking. 

By setting clear rules, limiting access to alcohol and 

refusing to host underage drinking parties, you can help 

protect your family from consequences that can affect 

you and your teen for the rest of your lives. 

For More Information, contact your Prevention Coalition 

- Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition 257-2175 

www.BrattleboroAreaPreventionCoalition.org 

- Deerfield Valley Community Partnership 464-1698 

www.dvcp.org 

- Greater Falls Prevention Coalition 460-0359 

www.GFPCandTheLine.org 

- Or Call VT 2-1-1

18 The Commons • May 2010 

The Commons • May 2010 THE ARTS 19 

The Arts 

n Horizontal art from page 1 

Arts have proposed a glass mosaic 

installation. 

Sealed slabs of art 

Artists would have access to slabs 

ranging in size from four by four and 

5 by 6 feet to possibly combining contiguous 

pieces. 

“It can’t be slippery or have sharp 

edges,” Barrett said, “and it has to be 

sealed so it will last.” 

“We’re talking about using park 

benches and trash receptacles too that 

we would purchase anyway for artists 

to create on,” he explained, “and we 

replace slabs of sidewalk any given day 

of the week.” 

In 2007, the town arts committee 

was formed, and the Selectboard 

formally approved a public art policy, 

encouraging work that is “accessible,” 

“enriches the town,” and “may include 

permanent visual art, performances, 

installations, events and other temporary 

works.” 

Barrett has been involved since 

the beginning of that process and is 

oversees public art projects after their 

Selectboard approval. 

The big night is coming: Are you worried? 

Adolescence and the Use of Alcohol and Drugs 

May 12, Noon–3:00, Guilford Church 

Learn about current drugs adolescents may use, dangers associated with early use, the 

ever-changing adolescent brain, and attitudes that help and hinder working with youth. 

Facilitated by Debby Haskins, MS, LADC, CCS. Brought to you by Youth Services Inc., the 

Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, Guilford Community Church, Vermont Independent Media, 

Commons-VIM Ad-May10.indd 1 

and New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services. 

 

 

“Years ago, we had an artist come 

to town and put these bird cage-like 

structures in the trees in a park that 

I worked with,” he said. “Last year, 

I oversaw the portraits along High 

Street. I’m all for art using public 

works.” 

“It’s a win-win situation for everyone. 

The artist gets exposure and 

compensation for their art. Public art 

benefits the town by making it unique 

incorporating artwork into a Public 

Works structure,” Barrett said. 

Already in the budget 

“I’ve always loved the idea of public 

art,” said Jones, who “wears several 

hats” as artist, teacher, and musician 

and said he was randomly assigned to 

the public arts group at the January 

charrette hosted by the town arts 

committee [The Commons, February]. 

He has been involved for many 

years in creating interactive public art 

installations in Ireland, Australia and 

the United States. 

Jones uses as much recycled material 

as he can and has harnessed wind 

to create music from whistling through 

Support Your Local Hospice Organization - 

Donate Your Gently Used Goods Locally. 

Experienced Goods 

Home Furnishings 

For Brattleboro Area Hospice 

51 Elliot Street 


802-246-1305 

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5:30pm 

Donations of Quality Furniture Accepted 

Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5:00pm 

4/27/10 10:19 AM 


Artist and musician Garry Jones with one of his interactive art installations. As a result of a 

“town meeting” of local artists last winter, Jones has worked with the Brattleboro town arts 

committee and public works staff to offer creative works of art to stand in the place of cracked 

sidewalks. 

his pieces. 

“I have an underground piece in 

Ireland in New Grange that channels 

wind down into a chamber beneath 

the earth to create [musical] notes,” 

he explained. 

Jones also created an “interactive 

wind installation” at the Inspire 

School for Autism in Brattleboro that 

he helped the students design and then 

he put together. “The students can actually 

play and interact with the wind 

themselves,” Jones said. 

In discussing the challenges of funding 

public art at the charette, “it was 

brought up that the town already buys 

park benches and trash cans, and that 

they replace sidewalks as an ongoing 

thing,” he said. 

“They were already there, so the 

funding was not an issue.” 

“I really liked the idea of using 

SOUTHEASTERN VERMONT COMMUNITY ACTION 

sidewalks as a sort of ‘horizontal’ art 

opportunity for inspired artists to be 

able to create a unique piece of art, 

maybe out of glass but almost any 

material as long as it falls within the 

sidewalk codes,” Jones said. 

“I brought it before the TAC and 

they liked the idea,” Jones said. 

Jones and his idea “serves as a prime 

example of a citizen with ideas coming 

to a public meeting, offering ideas, 

and TAC then serving its purpose of 

liaison for the arts to the town,” TAC 

member Anderson said. 

“There’s no shortage of cracked 

sidewalk,” Jones said after he surveyed 

possible locations for the ‘horizontal 

art’ project around downtown. 

“There’s a lot to do here,” he said. 

“Public art is just an extension of 

what’s all ready here made visible. We 

wear the arts on our sleeve,” he said 

Glenwood 

Collision 

Peter Putnam 

Owner 

39 Frost St. 


802-257-1215 

A Full service auto body repair facility 

with a laugh. 

“People always want to be photographed 

in front of the [painted] 

moose in Bennington,” Jones said. “As 

public art happens more and more 

here in Brattleboro, people will come 

just for that. Visitors want art. They 

want something fun to see.” 

“But it’s about the environment for 

locals, too. Public art is fun and adds 

depth to the community,” Jones said. 

“The vetting process will be interesting,” 

he said thoughtfully, hoping 

that the process of “who decides and 

what the guidelines are” will avoid 

choosing art from the lowest common 

denominator, “which means boring, 

uninteresting art.” 

“I’d love to see Brattleboro just bristling 

with public art,” he said. 

Westminster VT 

802-722-3331 

802-254-6550 

Home Heating Oil 

On Road Diesel 

Non Road Product 

Call for low pricing 

 

 

 

 

Dwight Dwight Miller Miller Orchards Orchards 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 

 

• 

 

• 

 

• 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Dory Hamm, a former New England Youth Theatre actor, with his Theatrino crew and Italian 

schoolchildren. Right: Sam Perry, another NEYT alumnus, manipulates fire. 

NEYT alumni spread theater 

experiences near and far 

By Joel Eisenkramer 


BRATTLEBORO—The rise of the 

New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) 

has been a dream fulfilled for those 

who have watched the theater go from 

rehearsing in a cramped basement 

space to its flashy new arts complex 

at 100 Flat Street. 

The effects of this theater seed 

planted by Steven Stearns in 1998 

have enlivened the local arts community. 

The theater has also sowed new 

performing opportunities for youth 

near and far. 

The theater keeps close ties with 

all those involved throughout the 

various stages of its development. As 

a rallying call to regroup and reconnect, 

an NEYT alumni show is in the 

works: a production of Clue organized 

by Callahan and fellow alumni Nick 

Bombicino. 

In August, alumni-led workshops 

will feature activities like one-act plays, 

general acting classes, and maybe a 

Shakespeare play. 

“NEYT gave me the ensemblebased 

skills needed to collaborate 

with other artists. Our experiences 

there were crucial in showing us that 

we could create theatre of our own,” 

said Sam Perry. 

The NEYT alumnus and graduate 

of Boston University’s Actor’s 

Conservatory is involved in a number 

of different performance groups. 

Boston is the destination for many 

of the area’s talented youth as it holds 

the contingency for the coveted holy 

grail of the artistic career path: making 

a living from one’s art. 

Perry is a founding member of the 

Grasshopper Collective, which specializes 

in the manipulation of fire 

using objects like staffs, hula hoops, 

poi (balls attached to lengths of 

rope which are then twirled in complex 

patterns during a dance), and 

marionettes. 

The marionettes that the group 

uses are unlikely characters fashioned 

out of chains and bits of metal which 

are then set ablaze to popular techno 

dance beats. 

Gateway to Shakespeare 

Likewise, fellow NEYT alumni Ben 

Stockman is furthering his theatre 

education in Boston; he is finishing 

up a thesis and his first full-length 

screenplay at nearby Lesley University. 

Stockman is an intern with 

the Commonwealth Shakespeare 

Company, a nonprofit “dedicated 

to performing the works of William 

Shakespeare in vital and contemporary 

productions,” according to the 

troupe’s website. 

“[The Commonwealth Shakespeare 

Company] considered me because 

of my extensive experience with performing 

Shakespeare,” Stockman 

said. “If NEYT hadn’t gotten me 

started in performing Shakespeare 

at such an early stage of my development, 

I would not be working with 

them today.” 

Meanwhile, NEYT alumnus Dory 

Hamm has brought his homegrown 

skills onto the world stage through 

the Theatrino Theater In Education 

program in Italy. 

Theatrino teaches English language 

skills to children ages 6 to 18 by means 

of fairy tales and short skits. 

“Kids are the greatest audience,” 

says Hamm, explaining that after honing 

his theatrical chops with NEYT, 

Theatrino was a logical way to return 

to the roots of his education in 

performance — and make money as 

a performer just out of college while 

touring Europe with a professional 

acting company. 

For Shoshana Bass, also one of the 

first wave of proteges, the idea of performing 

for a wide variety of audiences 

is crucial to the real utility of theatre 

in the global setting. 

Enrolled in the Buddhist-inspired 

Naropa University in Boulder, Colo., 

she focuses on a combination of performance 

arts and peace studies 

through the school’s interdisciplinary 

course structure. 

“My path is really shifting to questioning 

why I am a performer and 

[I’m] finding that the answer has to 

do with building bridges, dialogue, 

and stirring audiences out of apathy,” 

Bass said. 

“The experience of creating a safe 

space for the creativity, building a 

community, seeing one’s self within 

a web of relationships that are connected, 

and exploring/befriending 

the self with witnesses — these are 

all vital elements to peace-building 

that [NEYT] have also honed in me,” 

she added. 

Full circle 

Alumna Jessica Callahan has taken 

her bachelor of fine arts from Boston 

University and certificate in arts 

management from the University 

of Massachusetts and is reinvesting 

that education in the Brattleboro 

arts scene. 

For the publicity and marketing director 

of NEYT, that means postering, 

writing press releases, recording 

ads at the radio stations, and buying 

and trading print advertising. 

“Partnerships are really important 

for building an ’arts town,’ which is 

what we’re trying to do,” Callahan 

said. 

“We want to turn the whole area 

around the theater into an arts campus,” 

Callahan said. “So far, we’re 

planning on renting a space to Natalie 

Blake, a local glassblower, and the 

Brattleboro Music Center is thinking 

about moving in. We also provide 

gallery space and projects for InSight 

Photography students.” 

The Tri-state region’s premier center for jazz. 

Saturday, May 22nd at 8 pm 

 

 

Whirrr! 

Whirrr! Howard The 

The Brofsky Music 

Music of 

of and Jimmy 

Jimmy Friends Giuffre 

Giuffre 

A master with The of Harrison/Schuller melody performing Sextetwith 

with 

a 


great 

Harrison/Schuller 

hand picked band. 

Sextet 

featuring Marty Ehrlich & Cameron Brown 

featuring Marty Ehrlich Cameron Brown 

Masterful improvising and killer arrangements 

Masterful improvising and killer arrangements 

“Brofsky is one of the treasures in our area. Don’t miss him.” 

“… lush photos and a breath of 

fresh, warmer air. . . .” 

– Publishers Weekly 


Meditative Gardener 

Cultivating Mindfulness 

of Body, Feelings, and Mind 

by CHERYL WILFONG 

Cheryl Wilfong’s book is a warm, welcoming invitation to take 

one’s meditation practice into the garden. Its specific suggestions, 

accompanied by beautiful photographs, show the reader how 

meditation and gardening can thrive in the company of one 

another. The Meditative Gardener is practical, encouraging, 

and beautifully written. 

J an Frazier, Author 

When Fear Falls Away: The Story of a Sudden Awakening 

Just opening the pages of this beautifully designed and 

photographed book brings the heart rate down. Cheryl Wilfong 

moves us through an elegant garden of words and images from 

body to feelings to mind, with a host of meditations to feed 

the soul. 

J ulie M oir M esservy, Author 

The Inward Garden and Home Outside 

Published by Heart Path Press 

256 full color pages • to order by phone: 1-800-345-6665 

to order: orders@pathwaybook.com • Isbn: 978-0-615-30041-2 

www.meditativegardener.com

20 THE ARTS The Commons • May 2010 

S. Londonderry 

author influences 

kids with writing 

With his new book, Swinburne 

gets into a new realm: fiction 

The Commons • May 2010 21 

Life & Work 

Good grief 

Hospice’s bereavement program 

provides emotional support for the living 

`Tis The Season To 

Compost! 

Compost Bins 

includes 10 yr. 

warranty & guide 

Kitchen 

Pails 

55 Depot St. Brattleboro, VT 

(802) 

Southern 

254-5755 

Vermont 

55 Depot St. Brattleboro, 

t St. Brattleboro, VT Painting 

VT 

& 

Cut (802) your 254-5755 energy costs this year… 

02) 254-5755 55 $ 

Depot St. 

50 $ 

Brattleboro, RestoRation 

VT 

Cut your energy by installing 10 something more 

(802) 254-5755 costs this year… 

Interior & Exterior 

by installing efficient. something Call more Merrill Gas! 

Painting 

nergy Supplies costs Limited this - get year… 

yours today 

at our offices, Mon.- Fri., 9 - 2 pm, 

at Old Ferry Rd. Brattleboro, Vt. 

ling something more 

t. Call Merrill Gas! 

t Vent 

on Heater 

us 

By Nell Curley 


LONDONDERRY—If he could, 

Stephen Swinburne would celebrate 

Earth Day every day of the year. 

A lover of nature and wild animals, 

Swinburne has written many books for 

children on topics like ocean pools, 

wolves, bears and manatees. Through 

prose and poetry, he shares fascinating 

facts about animals with kindergarten 

and elementary-school age children all 

over the country. 

“I visit schools all across the country, 

and I do teacher conferences,” he 

says. “That’s how I get a lot of my author 

visits. I go to a school and do a 

PowerPoint presentation and visit kindergarten/elementary 

schools. I talk 

about research, photography, writing 

with strong verbs and details.” 

Swinburne gets a very positive reaction 

from his young fans, and hopes 

to encourage aspiring young writers to 

achieve that goal. 

“I have a pile of fan letters, and the 

kids are great,” he says. “Kindergarten 

kids make drawings and write 

ng Boiler 

ect Vent 

Water Heater 

t www.merrillgas.com 

Since 

1946 

thank-you notes, older kids write that 

I’ve turned them into better writers, 

and it’s a very heartwarming thing.” 

“I feel really great that I can go to 

a school and maybe influence a child 

to think about becoming an author, 

or write more or read more,” he says. 

Since 

1946 

Since 

1946 

Since 

1946 

55 Depot St. Brattleboro, VT 

55 Depot Street • Brattleboro, Vermont 

(802) 254-5755 

802.254.5755 www.merrillgas.com 

Since 

1946 

Cut your energy costs this year… 

by installing something more 

Ready for inspiration 

Swinburne has, on several occasions, 

also found himself inspired by 

exciting moments with animals. 

A trip to Florida introduced him 

to manatees, about which he later 

wrote a children’s book. Working in 

Yellowstone inspired him to write 

Once a Wolf. 

Watching the arrival of sandhill 

cranes in Nebraska brought about another 

story, and seeing a female grizzly 

with her cubs led to the book Moon 

in Bear’s Eye. 

“You always have to be ready for 

inspiration to come in,” Swinburne 

says. “Wherever I am, that’s what I do 

when I travel. I am open and available 

for ideas. I love writing non-fiction. I rabbit-mask-wearing villain terrorizing 

London’s train system, are the 

feel like it’s a part of me.” 

Swinburne’s latest book, Wiff same nicknames his mother used for 

and Dirty George and the Z.E.B.R.A. him and his best friend. 

Incident, is fictional. The book does, “I spent the first eight years of 

however, have many ties to his childhood 

in London. 

London,” Swinburne says. “My 

my life on Wosley Road in Northern 

The names of his two male protagonists, 

who must foil an evil called me Wiff. There was a kid who 

mother had a nickname for me, she 

55 Depot St. Brattleboro, lived VT down the road named George, 

but because he was so dirty, she’d call 

(802) 254-5755 him Dirty George.” 

“I remember us playing all kinds 

Cut your energy costs this of year… childhood games on the streets 

by installing something more of London,” he says. “We moved to 

America in the 1960s, and all I had 

efficient. Call Merrill Gas! 

were the names with the scattering images 

of the streets of London.” 

Since 

1946 

Since 

1946 

Cut your energy costs this year… Direct Vent 

Change of pace 

efficient. Call Merrill 

by installing something Convection Gas! 

more Carpentry Heater 

Swinburne enjoys writing fiction 

Or call 802-257-0272 

as a change of pace from non-fiction, 

even though he doesn’t plan to 

efficient. 

or visit 

Call Direct Merrill Vent Gas! Plaster Work 

www.windhamsolidwaste.org Buderus 

make the transition completely from 

Direct Convection Vent 802.257.3026 

Heater 

one genre to the other. For now, he is 

Wall-Hung Boiler happy to write both. 

Convection 

Direct Vent 

Heater 

While his non-fiction books take 

Get Convection Rid of Heater High Energy Direct Costs! Vent 

six months to two years to complete, 

Buderus 

Wiff and Dirty George took Swinburne 

Buderus Tankless Water Heaternearly five years to finish and publish. 

Buderus Wall-Hung Boiler 

“It was my first novel, so there was a 

Wall-Hung Boiler 

lot to learn, and I did many rewrites,” 

Wall-Hung Boiler 

Direct Vent 

Direct Vent 

he says. 

Wall-Hung Direct Vent 

Freedom “Revision 90 is the magic of writing,” 

Tankless Direct Vent Water Tankless 

Tankless Water Heater 

Heater 

Gas Swinburne observes. “Two years into 

Boiler 

Water 

Furnaces 

the project, I had a writer’s group in 

Tankless Water Heater 

Middlebury [who helped with the revision.] 

Three years into the process, 

Heater 

Visit us at www.merrillgas.com I got an editor 1357567 very interested in the 

Up to 

book, and we started working on it 

Freedom 90Freedom 90 

Freedom $ together. He had a lot of advice and 

Gas 1500 

90 Gas direction.” 

Gas 

Furnaces 

A year later, Swinburne had a contract, 

and by late November 2009, 

Furnaces 

Furnaces Tax Credits Available 

on Qualified Products he was making the final edits on the 

Gas Visit Visit Furnaces 

us us at at Visit www.merrillgas.com 

us at www.merrillgas.com manuscript. 

DON’T 1357567 WAIT! 

1357567 

1357567 

“I am planning for Wiff and Dirty 

Freedom Contact 90Us Today 

George to become a series, but there’s 

got to be an economic demand,” he 

Gas 

says. 

“I don’t know if there will come a 

Furnaces 

time when I just want to turn my attention 

to fiction, but I love the freedom,” 

Swinburne says. “It can go 

1357567 

anywhere and is totally dependent on 

your creative sensibilities.” 

“I love teaching children and talking 

to them about creatures on this 

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED 

planet. For the last 16 years I’ve been 

a full-time author. In the last five years, 

a fiction novel has come into my life, 

and I really like it a lot. 

cbn Mark Blevis 

Londonderry children’s book author Stephen Swinburne gives the thumbs up at the 

International Reading Association’s 2007 conference. 

Swinburne’s newest book, a fiction title. 

“Maybe I’m switching, I don’t 

know, but I’m just seeing where it 

goes.” 

As for his plans, Swinburne is working 

on a new nonfiction book that will 

be based on his research experiences 

this summer. 

“I’m working on a new book called 

The Sea Turtle Scientist, and I hope to 

be going down to Trinidad and Costa 

Rica to work with different sea turtle 

scientists,” Swinburne says. “I have 

[both] a fiction and nonfiction writing 

project. My year has been laid 

out for me.” 

When he’s not traveling, writing, or 

communing with animals, Swinburne 

lives in South Londonderry with his 

wife, Heather, and daughters, Hayley 

and Devon. 

By Fran Lynggaard Hansen 


BRATTLEBORO—“Jane” and her 

son lived together for many years. Her 

loneliness when he died was crushing. 

Jane’s need for companionship was 

so great that when Brattleboro Area 

Hospice began providing her with 

a bereavement volunteer, it wasn’t 

enough. Hour-long visits stretched 

into two or three hours. When the volunteer 

would leave, Jane would begin 

asking about the next visit. 

Melissa Hays, bereavement volunteer 

coordinator at Hospice, knew exactly 

what to do. 

“A second volunteer was added 

to visit Jane,” Hays said. “Later, Jane 

entered a nursing home, and the volunteers 

continued to visit with her 

as she transitioned from one home 

to another.” 

Gradually, Jane was helped to establish 

friendships at her new home. “As 

time went by, she was so busy with her 

new friends and the activity schedule 

at the nursing home; we knew our job 

was done,” Hays said. 

Brattleboro Area Hospice is well 

known for the services it provides for 

the ill and the dying, but Hays suggests 

that the available bereavement 

support programs are not as familiar 

to the public. 

“I want people to know that grief 

is often misunderstood in our culture. 

How long it can last, how intense it 

can be, how helpful it is to have someone 

listen to the story as a comfort. We 

support those left behind when death 

occurs,” says Hayes. 

“The Bereavement Program was 

designed to follow up with the family 

or a friend left behind after their loved 

one dies,” she adds. 

“We’ll get a call from someone who 

needs support,” she says. “It could be 

a person who doesn’t otherwise have 

support or a client in the community 

whose loved one died suddenly or 

died in another city or state and they 

weren’t able to be there. We also assist 

those who might be referred to us by 

clergy, doctors, therapists, or through 

neighbors or friends.” 

The program offers a number of 

opportunities for those who have 

suffered a loss, including support 

groups and individual sessions with 

Bereavement Care Coordinator 

Elizabeth Pitman. 

Bereaved helping 

the bereaved 

Natalie Donovan, of Williamsville, 

retired from the telephone company 

Study it, Understand it, Use it 

Foundations in 

Homeopathy 

A comprehensive course in 

the principles and practice of 

homeopathic medicine. 

Julian Jonas, CCH Instructor 

Beginners Welcome 

Starts September in Brattleboro 

Early Bird Reduced Tuition 

Deadline Aug 1 

254-2928 

homeopat@sover.net 

www.centerforhomeopathy.com 

after 40 years of service. Six years ago, 

she took the Hospice Care volunteer 

training at Brattleboro Area Hospice 

and became involved in the bereavement 

program instead. 

“It was an accident,” she says. “I 

took the regular Hospice volunteer 

class. My intention had been to work 

with those who are ill and dying. I 

had my first client, and then I worked 

with a second family with a man who 

was ill.” 

“Ironically,” she adds, “this person 

passed away before I could really 

be a volunteer to him. However, 

his wife needed some guidance and I 

found I was doing bereavement work 

for which I had not yet been trained.” 

Then Donovan lost her grandson. 

“It was devastating,” she says. 

“That’s one of the reasons why I do 

this job. Melissa had asked me if I was 

interested, and I looked within and decided 

it would be a good thing for me 

to do,” Donovan recounts. 

“I was fortunate that I had a lot of 

close friends and family, which everybody 

needs when they suffer a loss, 

but not everybody has. My grandson’s 

death confirmed for me that help and 

support are so necessary when one is 

filled with grief,” she says. 

Hays trains volunteers and matches 

each to the client he or she will serve. 

She also supports both parties in their 

work together by assisting and supporting 

volunteers one-on-one. She 

also creates events so that all the volunteers 

can get together and enjoy one 

another’s company. 

Donovan is thankful for that training 

and support throughout the sevenweek 

training classes and beyond. 

“I can’t say enough about it,” she 

says. 

underestimated in our culture.” 

Donovan describes some of the “We often lay judgment on people 

approaches. 

for how long they feel grief,” she says. 

“There are things we do to get comfortable. 

We role play. Melissa will stand that grief takes its own time. 

“It’s important for people to under- 

throw out an idea, and we’ll discuss Grief is a normal response to a momentous 

loss. Our culture has gotten 

it. We learn about the right and the 

wrong way to be a volunteer,” she says. away from that.” 

Both Hays and Donovan stress the “Not 80 years ago we had home 

importance Voted of being Greater a good listener, burials. Brattleboro’s 

The body was in the home. 

sitting very still, really taking in what Now that process is taken out of the 

the person is Best saying. Real Estate hands of the Office 

people involved. 

“It’s important to remember that “We’re also a faster paced society. 

when grieving, everybody 7th Year is different,” 

Donovan says. “There is no time- 

can be home and be with their family 

Running 

We move around a lot. Not everyone 

by Market Survey of America 

line. Sometimes people will say things during a time when a beloved family 

that aren’t appropriate like, JUST ‘It’s LISTED. been Six member room, four is dying. bedroom, That oneleaves bath, raised us with 

three months, when are you Ranch. going Over to half the anthoughts acre leveland yardfeelings space for which gardenre- 

main garage, after paved the death, drive, partially and sometimes finished 

get over it?’” 

and Play. One car 

Hays describes grief Basement, “often and nice we’re location. alone with EXCLUSIVE all those $165,000 feelings.” MLS 

#2829061 

Voted Greater Brattleboro’s 

NEW LISTING. Contemporary cape! All the curb appeal of our New 

England Capes with an even better layout. Large, open rooms, 

French doors and Best slider for great Real exposure, Estate a garden room/sun Office 

room, terrific kitchen with granite and stainless appliances, three 

7th Year Running! by Market Survey of America 

bedrooms, two and a half baths include huge master bedroom with 

master bath and jet tub. Screened porch with hot tub flowing to a 

Quaint and charming vintage home, re-done with an eye to the old character. 

deck to the above ground pool. This must be seen for quality, 

Huge formal dining, modern eat-in kitchen and four bedrooms, two baths include a 

condition and great living. EXCLUSIVE $329,000 MLS #21003460 

first floor master bedroom and bath. South facing and gets great light and air, plus 

easy walk to downtown. Move in condition...Motivated seller. 

COZY EXCLUSIVE COUNTRY $150,000 HOME! MLS#21003970 Many enhancements, including hickory 

cabinets, glass tile, and ceramic stove in the kitchen area, plus a 

lovely open room, vaulted ceiling, wall of glass to the sun, nature 

Very well maintained 1868 Victorian 

and 

with 

deck. 

4000 square 

Two bedrooms, 

feet of living space. 

one bath. 

Six 

Surrounded by beautiful 

bedrooms each with a private full bathroom. 

ledges, 

Ideal for 

colorful 

large family 

fall 

with 

foliage, 

in-law 

and 

quarters 

views to the hills. American 

and or guests. Currently used as a Bed & Harvest Breakfast. Modern Pelletkitchen Furnace with granite allows countertops, 

new baths, wiring, plumbing, heating acres all upgraded. with hiking Located trails, within walking pleasant distance wooded setting, enjoy the sun 

for either pellets or corn. 43 +/- 

to downtown and adjacent to many wooded on walking spacious trails. deck. EXCLUSIVE $250,000 MLS #21003715 

EXCLUSIVE $599,000 MLS #21004299 

Visit Our Web Site: www.BrattleboroAreaRealty.com 


Hospice volunteer Natalie Donovan, of Williamsville, helps people after the loss of a loved one. 

“Help and support are so necessary when one is filled with grief,” she says. 

163 High Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 

(802) 257-1335 • (800) 452-0233 • fax: (802) 257-1337 

Erich Hoyer, President • Angela Sherman, Office Manager 

Christine Lewis, Broker • David Putnam, Realtor 

Kristen Ziter Taylor, Realtor 

Donovan adds that people need to 

talk about their loss repeatedly. 

“It’s essential for healing,” she says. 

“What they saw, how it felt — all the 

magical mystical pieces of it need to 

be processed.” 

Is it all gloom and doom when 

meeting with those recovering from 

a loss? 

“Oh, no,” Hays says with a laugh. 

“Sometimes supporting someone 

else means just being together. 

Maybe a volunteer and a client don’t 

even discuss the loss on a particular 

day,” she says. 

“When people come together, 

there can be laughter, sadness, joy, 

and friendship,” Hays notes. “Grief is 

like that — it moves through us all in 

various ways, over a period of time.” 

Those interested in taking classes at 

Hospice to learn to become a volunteer, 

may contact Battina Berg at 257- 

0775 x102. 

Now open Mondays 

11:30–8:00 

Thursdays–Saturdays 11:30–8:00 

Sundays Noon–7:00 

EAT IN OR TAKE OUT 

CALL AHEAD FOR PICKUP 

Beer and Wine Served 

802-463-4388 

fatfranks@myfairpoint.net 

92 Rockingham St., Bellows Falls 

LaTITUDE N 43 8´ 7˝ • LONGITUDE N 72 26´ 48˝

22 LIFE & WORK The Commons • May 2010 

Brattleboro beer lovers create new fundraiser 

Brattleboro Brewers Festival, set for May 21–22, raises money for Chamber projects 

SUDOKU 


VERMONT CHEDDAR 

By Silvio Graci 

The object of a Sudoku puzzle is to fill in the blank squares so that 

each of the SUDOKU numbers 1 through 9 appears in every column, row, and 

9-square box. There is only one solution. DO NOT GUESS what 

numbers go where. You will find the answer by using logic. 

The object of a Sudoku puzzle is to fill in the blank squares so that each of the 

numbers 1 through 9 appears in every column, row, and 9-square box. There is 

only one solution. Do not guess what numbers go where. You will find the answer by 

using logic. Solution inverted on page 22.—Connie Evans 

Make as many words as you can with these letters. Each word must be at least 4 letters long and 

must contain the center letter -- in this case S. Proper nouns, foreign words and plural words are 

not allowed. 

WORD PUZZLE 

Make as many words Can as you you find can the with 9-letter these letters. word? Each word must be at least 4 

letters long and must contain the center letter -- in this case S. Proper nouns, 

foreign words and plural words are not allowed. Can you find the 9-letter word? 

Excellent 80 + Good 65 Average 50 Build Your Vocabulary < 30 

Score: Excellent, 80 or more words; good, 65–79 words; average, 50–64 words.A 

number of possible words are inverted on page 22.—Connie Evans 

Williamsville 

Last summer, the North 

End Business Association 

(NEBA), a committee 

of the Brattleboro Chamber of 

Commerce, almost gave the okay 

for an apple festival fundraiser. The 

group had held such festivals in the 

past, if not for the last two years, 

but Tim Brady talked them out of 

it. 

Brady, who with his wife, Amy, 

runs the 40 Putney Road Bed and 

Breakfast, advocated for something 

more adult, something that would 

attract people to come to town, 

spend money in town, and stay in 

town, at least for a night or two. 

Events aimed at adults with kids often 

translated to day visits, Brady 

said, but then the family would 

bundle back into the car and head 

home. 

Brady thought he had a better 

idea: a beer festival. 

Well, he had been to enough 

of them to know. The Bradys are 

avowed beer geeks, to the point 

of holding weekly beer-tasting 

seminars at the B&B, and 

running “Here for the Beer” 

(www.hereforthebeer.com), a website 

with videos detailed the beertraveling 

and -tasting adventures of 

Tim and Amy. 

The NEBA members hesitated 

while trying to digest Brady’s suggestion 

— no doubt while being 

buffeted by specters of liability, 

towering car wrecks, rampant promiscuity, 

and viscous street brawls 

— and then agreed it was a splendid 

idea, once Brady said it wouldn’t be 

a drunkfest, but an educational sampling 

of the brewing arts. 

Once agreed, the Association suggested 

a September date. Then it 

was Brady’s turn for caution: “Let’s 

wait, and make sure we have time to 

get it right.” 

With the first Brattleboro 

Brewers Festival set to unfold on 

Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 

22, it sure looks on paper like the 

NEBA has done just that, assembling 

a weekend of activity that has 

every chance of becoming a popular 

annual event and fundraiser in the 

area, especially for craft beer-lovers. 

Up to 100 different beers from 

about 35 breweries will be on hand 

THINK SUMMER 

TAKE A CLASS: 

ART 

Introduction to Book Arts 

BIOLOGY 

Human Anatomy & Physiology II 

COMPUTERS 

Microcomputer Applications I 

ENGLISH 

Effective Speaking 

English Composition 

Foundations of Reading & Writing 

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 

Introduction to Wetlands 

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 

Dimensions of Freedom 

at Saturday’s tasting. The biggest 

problem may well be one of choice. 

The details are straightforward. 

For $29, attendees can take 

part in the Pub Crawl on Friday 

and Saturday nights, as well as the 

Saturday tasting, which will take 

place from 1 to 5 p.m. at the large 

field on Chickering Drive, across 

from the Holiday Inn Express, behind 

Hannaford’s on Putney Road. 

Tickets are being sold at 

Brattleboro Bowl (865 Putney Rd.), 

online (brattleborobrewfest.com), or 

at the door for $35, although there’s 

no guarantee that any tickets will 

then be left. Ticket sales are limited 

to 1,500. 

“We made a decision that for the 

first event we’d sell a certain amount 

and then call it quits,” said Kelli 

Corbeil of radio station WTSA, one 

of the major sponsors. 

“We wanted to proceed cautiously,” 

said Amy Brady. “We know 

we’re on a learning curve here, and 

we just didn’t want to overshoot it, 

[and we] didn’t want it to become 

unwieldy. But the nice part is we 

have a pretty big committee, and everyone 

has taken a different part.” 

“It will be good for the town,” 

said Corbeil. “We’re generating 

everything for the festival locally 

— the t-shirts from Perfect 

Image, music by local musicians 

Peter Miles and Terrapin Island, 

food from Top of the Hill Grill, the 

Vermont Country Deli, and the 

North End Butchers. And the Pub 

Crawl should be great for the local 

businesses.” 

For $5, anyone can enjoy the Pub 

Crawl and receive a $5 discount toward 

a festival ticket. 

“The Pub Crawl should be pretty 

awesome,” said Amy Brady. “Two 

school buses will run in different 

loops to each participating stop, 

where one or more of the festival 

beers will be on tap. Buses should 

roll in to each stop every half hour.” 

“Each sponsoring stop picked the 

MATHEMATICS 

Basic Algebra 

Basic Mathematics 

Mathematical Concepts 

SOCIAL SCIENCES 

Introduction to Psychology 

Introduction to Sociology 

... and over 200 classes online. 

Ask about our free Introduction 

to College Studies class. 

CCV 

TOM 

BEDELL 

Bedell on 

Beer 

www.ccv.edu/summer 

70 Landmark Hill • Brattleboro • 254-6370 

REGISTER NOW THROUGH MAY 14 

breweries they wanted, and they’re 

dressing it up in individual ways — 

with beer and cheese pairings, meet 

the brewer for an hour, that sort of 

thing.” 

A full list of the pub stops, including 

two in Putney and the new 

Rocky Top Tavern in Brattleboro, 

is on the festival website 

(www.brattleborobrewfest.com). 

The Steak Out Restaurant is going 

all out, putting Magic Hat beers 

on all five taps and having a special 

four-brew, five-course Magic Hat 

beer dinner on Friday night ($60 by 

reservation only, 257-1333), with 

representatives from the Burlington 

brewery there to talk about the 

beers. 

“Then later in the night we’re 

clearing the floor for some music 

and dancing, first time we’ve done 

that here,” said owner Sean Henry. 

“And we’ll have music Saturday 

night after the Festival, too.” 

The Fairway Tavern at the 

Brattleboro Country Club will be 

only the second bar in the state 

to carry the beers from the brand 

spanking new Trapp Lodge Brewery 

in Stowe. 

Trapp’s brewer, Allen Van Anda, 

said, “We’re producing a golden 

Helles right now, as well as a Vienna 

Lager, a style that has virtually fallen 

off the map. But that’s our goal-- 

easy drinking beers of quality, similar 

to what you’d find in small town 

breweries in Germany and Austria- 

-beers that actually fill a void in the 

market right now.” 

True enough, in an age when 

many craft brewers are trying to 

brew bigger, stronger, more esoteric 

beers, a good session beer is almost 

esoteric in itself. Not that Van Anda 

is immune to experimentation: “I’ll 

be bringing a batch of bock to the 

Festival that has been aged in bourbon 

barrels for about a month, and 

then blended with some non-barrel 

aged bock.” 

Well-known breweries from 

around the country, New England 

and Vermont will be represented: 

Sierra Nevada, Stone, North Coast, 

Dogfish Head, Allagash, Harpoon, 

Long Trail and McNeill’s among 

others. But they’ll also uncork some 

surprises. Ray McNeill is brewing a 

beer specifically for the event (which 

he wouldn’t reveal, but hinted it 

might be a one-hop pale ale). 

Sierra Nevada is also bringing a 

special festival beer, the Brooklyn 

SPECIALTIES FROM FAR AND NEAR 

A small, independent 

grocery store 

Purveyor of fine meats, cheeses, 

salads, soups, wine and beer 

., 

SAXTONS RIVER 

VILLAGE MARKET 

Averill Larsen, Proprietor 

25 Main St., Saxtons River 

802-869-2266 

MON.–SAT. 7–7, SUN. 7–6 

SCRAP METAL 

R.G. Winchester Auto 

30 Years Licensed 

Junk Yard 

is paying $150-$300 for 

Junk Cars & Trucks 

Also buying batteries 

Prompt, courteous service 

802.254.4322 

802.258.0478 

Accepting calls 24/7 

Pickup & Delivery prices vary 

Tom Bedell/The Commons 

Amy and Tim Brady taste some microbrews. 

Brewery will bring its difficult-tofind 

Blast!, Victory will pump a 

cask-conditioned Hop Wallop, and 

the Vermont Pub & Brewery will 

serve its Forbidden Fruit, which includes 

500 pounds of local raspberries 

in the mix. 

Among the imports will be 

Brewdog’s Punk IPA from Scotland, 

Cooper’s Sparkling Ale from 

Australia, and Kasteel Rouge from 

Belgium. 

There will be the offerings from 

the new, small and hard-to-find-insouthern-Vermont 

breweries like 

Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, 

the Element Brewing Company, and 

the High & Mighty Beer Co., from 

SUDOKU/solution 

6 5 8 2 3 7 1 4 9 

7 1 9 6 4 8 5 3 2 

2 3 4 9 1 5 7 8 6 

9 7 5 3 8 4 6 2 1 

4 8 1 5 6 2 9 7 3 

3 2 6 1 7 9 8 5 4 

1 9 2 8 5 3 4 6 7 

5 6 7 4 2 1 3 9 8 

8 4 3 7 9 6 2 1 5 

WORD PUZZLE/solution 

Massachusetts; the new Maine Beer 

Company; and the Hill Farmstead 

Brewery in Greensboro Bend, and 

Lawson’s Liquids in Warren, from, 

Vermont. 

It all sounds a lot better than 

an apple festival, though there are 

no hard feelings toward apples: 

Woodchuck, Farnum Hill and J.K. 

Scrumpy will have at least six hard 

ciders on hand, for further educational 

sampling. 

n 

Tom Bedell has been doing weekly 

tutorings on some of participating 

festival brewers on his website, 

www.tombedell.com. 

4 3 1 6 7 9 5 8 2 

7 9 6 2 8 5 3 1 4 

8 5 2 4 3 1 9 6 7 

9 8 3 1 2 4 7 5 6 

1 6 4 9 5 7 8 2 3 

5 2 7 8 6 3 1 4 9 

6 7 8 5 9 2 4 3 1 

3 1 5 7 4 6 2 9 8 

2 4 9 3 1 8 6 7 5 

Here are more 100 words – you might find even more! 

A: anise, antsier, arise, arisen, artiest, artiness, artist, artsiest, attire, assent, 

assert, asset, aster, astern, astir 

E: earn, east 

I: inert, insert, inset, instate, irate, iterant 

N: nastier, nastiest, nattier, near, neat, nest, nitrate 

R: rain, raise, rant, rate, rein, rent, resin, resist, resistant, rest, retain, retina, 

SUDOKU 

SUDOKU 

retint, rinse, rise, risen, rite 

S: saint, sane, saner, sanest, sate, satin, satire, sear, seat, sent, sestina, sine, 

sire, siren, The object sister, of site, a Sudoku sitter, puzzle snare, snit, is to stain, fill The the stainer, 

object blank stair, 

of squares a Sudoku 

star, so stare, that puzzle 

start, 

is to fill in the blank squares so that 

stat, each state, of the stearin, numbers stein, 1 stern, through stet, 9 appears stint, stir, each in every strain, of the column, strait, numbers striate row, 1 through and 9 appears in every column, row, and 

9-square T: taint, box. tare, There tart, tartness, is only one taste, solution. taster, 9-square tastier, DO NOT box. tate, GUESS There tear, teat, is what only tent, one tern, solution. DO NOT GUESS what 

test, numbers tier, tine, go tint, where. tinter, You tire, will titan, find the titer, answer train, numbers by trait, using go transit, where. logic. treat, You will tress, find tritethe answer by using logic. 

This space 

for rent 

You are looking at Windham 

County’s best advertising value. 

To promote your business in 

the next issue of The Commons, 

call Nancy at (802) 

246-6397 or e-mail ads@ 

commonsnews.org. 

9 4 

6 1 9 8 

8 7 9 2 

SUDOKU 

7 8 6 1 

The 8 object of 6 a Sudoku puzzle 7 is to fill in the blank squares so that 

3 each of 6 the numbers 7 1 through 5 9 appears in every column, row, and 

9-square 8 box. There 3 7 is only one 9solution. DO NOT GUESS what 

numbers go where. You will find the answer by using logic. 

7 1 6 3 

4 8 

6 5 2 4 

4 

2 9 7 

9 4 7 6 

1 9 5 7 3 

5 7 8 9 

3 5 2 

8 

2 4 1 7 

 

SYSTEM 

2000 

 

Answer: 

E N T 

T S I 

S R A 

Vermont Weaving School 

Dena Gartenstein 

Liz Hawkes deNiord 

Here are over 100 words – you might find even more!! 

A: anise, antsier, arise, arisen, artiest, artiness, artist, artsiest, attire, assent, assert, asset, aster, 

astern, astir 

E: earn, east 

I: inert, insert, inset, instate, irate, iterant 

Open Studios 

May 29 and 30 

Vt. Craft Council Studio Tour #39 

N: nastier, nastiest, nattier, near, neat, nest, nitrate 

Painting, pottery, sculpture • Handwoven garments 

R: rain, raise, rant, rate, rein, rent, resin, resist, resistant, rest, retain, retina, retint, rinse, rise, 

risen, rite 

20% off all scarves, shawls, hats 

Beginning Weaving Retreat: June 25, 26, 27 

LocateD iN tHe oLD PutNey ceNtraL ScHooL, corNer of 

WeStmiNSter aND SiGNaL PiNe roaD, PutNey, VermoNt 

802-387-2656 www.vermontweavingschool.com 

24-Hour EmErgEncy SErvicE & DElivEry 365 DayS of tHE yEar


The Commons • May 2010 VOICES 25 

Voices 

VIEWPOINTS, ESSAYS, AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES 

BY, FOR, AND ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF WINDHAM COUNTY 

was missing its genitals. We never 

saw those genitals until, four years 

later (after we had taken the vow of 

celibacy), they were delivered in a 

brown paper bag as props for a lecture, 

in Latin, on sexuality. 

We learned from St. Augustine 

that we had been born sinners, 

cursed by Adam’s original sin, 

which was passed from generation 

to generation through the act of intercourse. 

This was the core message 

of our programming — that we were 

fractured beings in a dualistic world 

where the body was inherently evil 

and the spirit good. 

Augustine’s message had its origins 

in the guilt-ridden teachings 

of St. Paul, was codified by the 

early Manichaeans, followers of 

the Persian prophet Mani, who described 

the struggle of this dualistic 

world. 

The implications of the message 

were stark. Only by denying our 

bodily desires could we achieve holiness. 

No girls, no sex, no emotional 

intimacy. We had to die to the self to 

become warriors of Christ. 

The only way to die to the self 

was by humble obedience to our superiors 

and slavish adherence to The 

Rule: “A superior may err in commanding, 

but you can never err in 

obeying.” 

The Rule spelled out everything 

for us, and no one questioned it in 

viewpoint 

The priesthood’s repressive coding 

The programming of the 

Catholic Church sets 

up an environment and 

conditioning for abuse, a 

former seminarian writes 

Putney 

As a Catholic seminarian 

back in the early ’60s, I 

knew several young men 

who would later be accused of pedophilia. 

Some of them were loners, 

some gregarious; some were effeminate, 

some macho; some were eggheads, 

others jocks, some neither. 

They wore no scarlet letter alerting 

us to their latent tendencies. 

When the pedophilia crisis exploded 

in 2002, the future head of 

the United States Conference of 

Catholic Bishops righteously characterized 

the abusers as “moral 

monsters,” and implied homosexuality 

was to blame. 

More recently, the Vatican has 

tried to place the blame on seminaries, 

claiming they have become 

too lax in their discipline, too negligent 

in their psychological screening 

processes, and too tolerant of 

homosexuality. 

The media is now blaming the 

hierarchy, with good grounds, since 

we now know that, back in 2001, the 

bishops of the Catholic Church were 

given direct orders by then-Cardinal 

Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict 

XVI — to keep abuse cases secret, 

effectively shielding them from prosecution 

in civil courts. 

Whether we blame the individual 

abusers, the seminary faculty, or the 

hierarchy who protected their underlings, 

we are still missing a critical 

piece of the puzzle. 

The one thing all priest pedophiles 

had in common was the training 

they received, most of them in 

their tender years, since, in keeping 

with canon law, most entered 

the seminary right out of the eighth 

grade. 

This was the age when they were 

most susceptible to mental conditioning. 

Though we usually associate 

propaganda with Hitler’s Germany, 

the Catholic Church was the first 

institution to use the term outside a 

farming context. Their office of propaganda 

fidei (propogation of the 

faith) had developed basic mindcontrol 

techniques for spreading the 

faith long before the führer adapted 

them to his political agenda. 

Isolate the individual. Break 

down his ego by highlighting his 

weaknesses and guilt. Offer him 

salvation through an external 

GREG MCALLISTER is 

the author of Confessions of 

a Serial Celibate: Mysteries 

from an Irish Catholic Rosary 

(AuthorHouse, 2003). 

structure. Give him a new status 

as a faithful member of that 

structure. When I entered the 

seminary 50 years ago, these techniques 

formed the backbone of our 

training. 

I was 16 when I entered. Most 

of my classmates had entered two 

years earlier, at 14. From the moment 

we walked in, every minute of 

the day was spelled out for us by a 

document called The Rule. There 

were specified times to study, to eat, 

to pray, to exercise, to talk, and to 

sleep. In between, there were long 

periods of silence. 

In many ways, it was a sensory 

deprivation program. We were 

not allowed to listen to the radio 

or watch TV. We weren’t allowed 

to leave the campus, except for a 

monthly group walk into a nearby 

town. Once there, we were not allowed 

to go into restaurants or buy 

magazines at the drug store. We 

were only allowed to read books that 

had been approved by the faculty. 

All our mail was censored, incoming 

and outgoing. 

Our personal relationships were 

closely monitored. Any contact with 

the opposite sex was strictly forbidden 

and even close (particular) 

friendships with other seminarians 

were discouraged. 

The Rule contained ominous 

warnings against these “amicitia inimica” 

(“hateful friendships”) and 

encouraged us to always congregate 

in groups of three or more. We 

were not allowed to enter each other’s 

rooms, and if our foot so much 

as crossed another’s threshold, we 

would be immediately expelled. 

Having thus isolated us, our faculty 

advisors and confessors constantly 

reminded us that the Devil 

was always lurking, tempting us to 

pride, disobedience, and, especially, 

sins of the flesh. 

A retreat master once suggested 

to us that we should resist masturbation 

by sleeping on our stomachs 

with our rosary beads under 

our genitals. Later, when we studied 

biology, our anatomical dummy 

those pre–Vatican Council days. 

Some of the more daring might 

commit minor infractions occasionally, 

often with a sly wink from their 

superiors, but no one took issue 

with the underlying philosophy. 

Once a week we met with our 

confessors and revealed to them any 

of our wayward thoughts or transgressions. 

We were also encouraged 

to practice fraternal correction 

by reporting to them any immoral 

deeds of our colleagues. 

If we proved ourselves obedient 

and pliable, we were deemed 

worthy to advance up the ladder of 

sacred orders — porter, lector, acolyte, 

exorcist, subdeacon, deacon, 

and finally, priest. If not, we were 

“clipped,” refused orders for that 

year. 

This was a warning to shape 

up or be expelled. Expulsion was 

shrouded in guilt. When our classmates 

or friends were expelled, we 

never got to say goodbye. They’d be 

called up to see the rector, and we’d 

never see them again. We’d walk past 

their room that night, and it would 

be empty. 

We embraced this harsh seminary 

program as our initiation rite into an 

intriguing and mysterious hierarchy 

of desensitized maleness, and we eagerly 

passed the traditions down to 

our younger colleagues with pubescent 

fervor. 

We were, after all, the chosen 

ones, the Other Christs whose 

words and actions would soon have 

otherworldly, sacramental power. We 

were apart from the world, but superior 

to it, and our Spartan denial of 

self only inflated our other, priestly 

persona. We wore the Roman collar 

with authority. Our narcissism was 

conveniently invisible to us. 

In the ’60s and ’70s, things began 

to unravel. Pope John XXIII 

convened the Vatican Council and 

questions began to be asked. The 

answers weren’t always adequate, 

and many of us got frustrated and 

left. 

We found ourselves faced with a 

huge task of deprogramming ourselves 

from deep seminary imprints. 

We found partners to help us in the 

task — wives or lovers who gave us 

useful feedback on unfounded assumptions 

or inappropriate expectations. 

We got jobs where our priestly 

status counted for nothing and our 

narcissism gradually deflated. We 

learned to function without congregational 

response. 

Our remaining classmates went 

on to the priesthood, carrying their 

seminary programming with them. 

Some of them later reconsidered 

their decision and left the priesthood. 

The others persisted, determined 

to be faithful to their vows of 

obedience and celibacy. 

The trigger would come 20 or 30 

years later. 

Perhaps it was the loneliness of 

clerical life, especially after the exodus 

of so many classmates and 

friends. The desire for companionship 

and intimacy welled up. But the 

priest was still locked emotionally at 

age 15, and these insistent adolescent 

urges were unfamiliar. 

The Manichaean imprint was still 

there, darkly closeting such urges as 

evil, precluding any frank admission 

of sexual and emotional needs. The 

priest didn’t have close friends he 

could talk to about such matters. 

And who was most available to 

him in the parish? Altar boys. Young 

men the same emotional age he was. 

The priest reached out blindly, 

perhaps rationalizing this mysterious 

connection as a form of initiation 

or spiritual counseling. If his conscience 

resisted, perhaps a separate 

persona broke off, a rogue personality 

unknown to his consciousness. 

Maybe later he wouldn’t even remember 

that other personality. In 

that case, the accused priest’s denial 

would be honest, even though 

untrue. 

Obviously, I have no idea how 

often this scenario actually happens. 

It’s hypothetical, my attempt 

to bring compassion and justice to a 

situation that I feel is still not being 

adequately addressed. 

Indict the leaders of the Catholic 

Church, yes. They are definitely 

guilty of obstructing justice. 

In the process, though, remember 

that they know not what they 

do. They were programmed by the 

same system. They have the same 

developmental limitations as the 

perpetrators. None of them have 

wives or lovers to straighten them 

out. None of them have kids to 

teach them parent lessons. They 

have no more awareness of their 

own Manichaean candidacy than 

Trust Town Meeting reps 

to address reappraisal decisions 

Brattleboro 

Before Brattleboro 

can begin to create remedies 

to better protect us 

from the kinds of errors committed 

in the current reappraisal, we 

must first reject the Town Charter 

proposal to abolish the powers of 

the Town Meeting representatives 

to authorize reappraisals. 

It is hard to believe that Town 

Assessor Al Jerard, Town Attorney 

Bob Fisher, and our current listers 

— the same trio who forced this 

year’s needless reappraisal on us — 

could muster the gall to make this 

proposal, but they apparently have 

persuaded our Charter Revision 

Commission to offer it as an 

amendment to our Town Charter. 

They argued that other towns 

of similar size allow only the listers 

and/or the Selectboard to have this 

exclusive power. They also claim 

that Listers develop a higher level 

of expertise and are therefore better 

suited to make this decision. 

Given the multiple blunders 

this trio have committed so far, it 

is obvious by now that their level 

of knowledge is not well above the 

abilities of a Town Meeting representative, 

or any citizen for that 

matter. 

When our Town Assessor publicly 

states that he can take a subject 

“like the [common level of 

appraisal] and in just a few sentences 

make it totally incomprehensible,” 

then he’s not an expert, 

but our peer. 

On the other hand, our Town 

Meeting representatives have demonstrated 

many times that they can 

grasp technical subjects quickly 

if the facts are clearly and thoroughly 

explained by well-prepared 

officials. 

Though those who wish to 

the fish does of water. They can’t fix 

what they don’t understand. 

And indict the perpetrators, yes. 

Justice and transparency must prevail. 

But do so with compassion, 

knowing that there, but for the grace 

of God, go any of us who submitted 

as children to that cobbled mishmash 

of Paul, Mani, Constantine, 

and Augustine, and mistook it for 

the message of Jesus. 

amend the charter say other towns 

rely solely on their listers and/ 

or Selectboard for this decision, I 

think they first need to appreciate 

the uniqueness of our representative 

Town Meeting form of government, 

which distinguishes us from 

all other towns in Vermont. 

First of all, the members of our 

Town Meeting tend to be reasonably 

well-informed and respected 

community or neighborhood leaders 

drawn from diverse groups. 

This makeup brings a broader 

perspective on all factors to be 

considered in committing to a 

reappraisal. 

This diversity and leadership 

characteristic is an important 

consideration, since part of the 

decision to reappraise involves subjective 

subjects like differing views 

(1) on how to fund and budget it, 

(2) the appropriate timing and total 

cost of it, (3) on the conditions 

of the local real estate market, and 

(4) the weight that should be given 

to indirect effects of reappraising 

such as on our individual income 

tax obligation to fund the state educational 

fund, etc. 

Resolving these issues makes 

our Town Meeting better suited to 

address these broader questions, 

rather than leaving it to eight members 

of the Selectboard and Listers. 

Contrary to the traditional “one 

resident, one vote” Town Meeting 

approach used in other towns, our 

town meeting is more manageable 

by its limited size with probably 

a better-informed membership 

through its use of informational 

meetings and more diverse access 

to media coverage. 

Furthermore, in its preamble, 

132 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 

802-257-4922 

Serving Green 

Mountain Coffee 

& Republic of Tea 

Mon-Th 9-5, Fri 9-6, Sat 9-4 Sun 10-3 

32 The Square 

Bellows Falls, Vermont 

(802) 463-9404 

vsbooks@sover.net 

Free WIFI in the cafe 

Show this ad for 10% off 

your first book purchase! 

Leo Barile serves as a district 

2 Town Meeting representative. 

Thomas Aquinas said that man 

never chooses evil as evil, always under 

the guise of good. Repression 

generates many disguises for good. 

Guilt rationalizes their validity. 

So indict the guilty. But for 

God’s sake, take a close look at 

the core program behind it all — 

the repressive coding waiting to 

be triggered in any true-believing 

Manichaean Candidate. n 

Full service 

independent bookstore — 

a great place to browse! 

Special areas: Children's, 

Young Adult & Teen 

Sections, plus Toys & 

American Girl clothes & 

books; Poetry, Writing & 

Arts & Crafts area. 

www.villagesquarebooks.com 

Check out our website — it’s filled with 

event info & book suggestions! 

our town charter incorporates two 

fundamental concepts of governing 

which are not obvious in other 

towns, namely (1) the concept of 

“shared legislative” responsibilities 

among our Town Meeting representatives, 

Selectboard, and school 

committee members, and (2) the 

concept of “checks and balances” 

intended to protect against mishandled 

situations like our current 

reappraisal. 

The reappraisal provision of our 

charter wisely includes both of 

those concepts by creating shared 

responsibilities for the listers to act 

in an advisory role, the Selectboard 

to act in making recommendations, 

and the Town Meeting representatives 

to act as the authorizing body 

for such a project. Each of the 

three bodies is intended to serve as 

a check and balance over the other 

two bodies in this process. 

Since it was Town Meeting representatives 

who exposed this trio’s 

errors, the representatives obviously 

serve as a valuable resource 

in this decisionmaking process. 

What sense does it make to eliminate 

this body from this decision 

if they have played such a critical 

role in exposing the errors and 

misjudgments of other parties? 

Merely because officials have been 

publicly embarrassed by their poor 

judgment is certainly not a reasonable 

justification for changing our 

charter. 

Several solutions should be considered 

to prevent these abuses 

from reoccurring. 

First and foremost, we should 

re-adopt the old provision of reappraising 

every 10 years, thereby 

eliminating the method of relying 

on the common level of appraisal 

and coefficient of dispersion as 

our guidelines. We should simply 

viewpoint 

preface the same language as used 

in the former 10-year rule with 

the phrase, “Unless otherwise directed 

by a duly authorized state 

agency….” 

This change has the advantage 

of safely reestablishing any discretionary 

authority solely in the Town 

Meeting. 

Furthermore, the proposal to 

eliminate the listers from administrative 

duties in preparing the annual 

Grand List is also a necessary 

change that reflects the present 

practice of a permanent staff doing 

this job under the direction of a 

town assessor. 

The appointment of a truly independent 

town assessor by the 

Selectboard subject to ratification 

by Town Meeting poses a 

more concerning issue, needing a 

‘‘check-and-balance’’ mechanism 

to prevent undue influences from 

other town officials. 

The assessor should be subject 

to the personnel rules governing all 

employees and kept in the loop on 

all management decisions to ensure 

a coordinated administrative 

effort. The assessor should also be 

directly answerable primarily to the 

Town Meeting representatives on 

non-personnel, valuation, and/or 

assessing-policy matters. 

Perhaps a special committee appointed 

by the town moderator 

consisting of three Town Meeting 

representatives, a Selectboard, and 

Listers’ Office member, with nonvoting, 

ex-officio status granted to 

the town manager, would serve as 

an annual review of the assessor’s 

job performance. 

Clearly, we need to start cleaning 

up this mess now so that 

further costly mistakes can 

be avoided. 

n 

Fearing the Worst? 

Having Fearing your car repaired is never at the top of your list. 

Having Fearing 

the 

The cost 

your 

and 

car 

anxiety 

repaired 

involved the 

Worst? 

is never 

make 

at Worst? 

the 

most 

top of 

people 

your list. 

Having your car repaired is never at the top of your list. 

Having The 

The cost and anxiety involved make most people 

dread cost your the and car experience. anxiety repaired involved is Stop never worrying make at the most top and of people call your list. 

The dread 

dread cost the 

the and experience. 

experience. anxiety involved Stop 

Stop 

worrying 

worrying make most and 

and people call 

call 

Two dread Masters the experience. Stop Automotive 

worrying and call 

Two right now to schedule an appointment. 

Two 

Masters Automotive 

right now to schedule an appointment. 

You right can Masters relax now knowing to schedule we’ll Automotive 

an fix appointment. your car right- 

You 

You right can 

can 

relax 

relax now knowing 

knowing to we’ll fix your car right- 

The schedule First we’ll Time. an fix appointment. your car right- 

You can relax knowing The 


First Time. 

On First Time. we’ll Time. fix your car right- 

The Every 

On 

On First Time. 

Time. 

Time. 

Every 

Every On Time. Time. 

Every Time. 

114 Main Street, Putney, VT 802-387-3641 

114 Main Street, Putney, VT 802-387-3641 

114 Main Street, Putney, VT 802-387-3641


was recently saddened to hear the 

I Sam’s would be closing its store in 

Bellows Falls. It as been one of the retail 

anchors of the downtown for over 

40 years. It has seen the best of times 

and the worst of times in downtown 

Bellows Falls. 

Probably the lowest point was in the 

late ’80s and early ’90s, when there 

was vacancy, vacancy and vacancy. 

Sam’s has kept consistent, regular 

hours seven days a week throughout 

it all and has been a model to many 

businesses, demonstrating that it’s all 

about hard work, customer service, 

good products, and regular hours. 

I am sure that for Pal Borofsky, it 

was not an easy decision to close his 

Bellows Falls store — a store that over 

the years has played an important part 

of his business life. I wish him well in 

his new store in Hadley. I know that 

that community is lucky to have him 

join their retail mix. 

So as we bid a farewell to Sam’s, we 

must prepare ourselves to welcome a 

new business or businesses that will 

join our retail mix. 

Why should a business come here? 

Bellows Falls is situated between 

two exits off I-91,and access from 

New Hampshire off Route 12. The 

designated downtown centered in the 

square with the brick Italianate-styled 

Town Hall, complete with clock tower, 

illustrates a rich industrial history 

shared with other communities along 

the Connecticut River, Brattleboro, 

Windsor, and White River Junction. 

But that mill/industrial engine failed 

long ago. The challenge for our communities 

once dominated by the mill 

model of industry is to find our way 

to economic stability and perhaps not 

try to adopt a formula, rather organically 

evolve. 

• Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Organic Mulch 

• A True Recycled Product from Local Trees 

• “Double Ground” for Consistency 

• Precise Organic Mineral Coloring 

Wholesale • Retail • Delivery from 3 to 120 yards 

Specialized Mulch Blower Distribution Available 

802.257.5669 • 603.355.1100 

www.DandEtree.com 

25 Elliot Street, 

Brattleboro 

802-254-8160 

www.everyonesbks.com 

EVERYONE’S 

BOOKS 

for Social Justice & The Earth 

books 

tapes/cds 

periodicals 

t-shirts 

buttons 

bumper stickers 

cards 

Downtown Bellows Falls of 2010 

has not resurrected itself as the downtown 

of the 1960s mill town. The 

profile of business and economy has 

dramatically changed since then with 

the advent of the Interstate, big-box 

stores, and the fact that families who 

might have had one car now routinely 

have two or three. Add to the equation 

the Internet and buying online. 

People are people — they still need 

to shop, but their options of where, 

what, from whom, and how have radically 

changed. 

Three projects helped jump start 

Bellows Falls’ renaissance. 

The Exner Block renovation, which 

will be celebrating its 10th anniversary 

this October, was a bricks-and-mortar 

kickoff project done with Housing 

Vermont (HV), the Rockingham Area 

Community Land Trust (RACLT), 

and the Town of Rockingham, with 

the Rockingham Arts and Museum 

project (RAMP) as sponsor, providing 

10 affordable live-work spaces with a 

preference given to artists, as well as 

six retail spaces. 

That project was followed by the 

Howard Block, with HV and RACLT, 

and the Bellows Falls Downtown 

Development Alliance (BFDDA) as 

sponsor. The Bellows Falls Visitors 

Center was built as part of the 

Connecticut River National Scenic 

Byway, connecting 13 communities 

up and down the river in Vermont and 

New Hampshire. The result of these 

projects and partnerships over about 

a five-year period was an investment 

of over $5 million in the downtown. 

Our diverse, compact downtown 

serves a year-round population of 

about 15,000 in a 10-15 mile radius 

and with almost every storefront, as 

well as the second-floor commercial 

Open 7 days a week 

Mon: 9:30 – 5:30 

Tues: 9:30 – 6 

Wed: 9:30 – 6 

Thurs: 9:30 – 6 

Fri: 9:30 – 8 

Sat: 9:30 – 7 

Sun: 11 – 5 

spaces filled. The district provides a 

good mixture of affordable and fairmarket 

housing, two bookstores, a 

variety of retail and services, a family-owned 

hardware store, a 500-seat 

renovated movie theater/performance 

space in the Town Hall, several eateries, 

a jewelry store, a drugstore, a florist, 

a barber, a tailor, office supplies, 

the library, the Amtrak station, the 

post office, banks, insurance agencies, 

and a health center, as well as 

social clubs, parking, access to public 

transportation, and a visitor’s center. 

Sovernet’s headquarters are in the 

downtown, which also serves a healthy 

industrial park a mile and a half away. 

When Buffum’s supermarket closed 

about 10 years ago, it left a big gap 

in our community. This fall Lisai’s, a 

Bellows Falls–run butcher and grocery, 

will open a supermarket at the 

north end of town. Another significant 

project in motion is the renovation of 

Since the election, there has been 

a growing perception of deception 

on a massive scale. Just a year 

ago, despite the collapse of free-market 

capitalism, people seemed to be 

more upbeat, more ebullient. We all 

looked forward to an era of truth and 

meaningful government. 

In a year, that feeling has been almost 

totally crushed, as one after another 

the promises of a year ago have 

been discarded, tossed into the gutter. 

We all had such high hopes after 

the years of moral desolation. The 

ardent Obama supporters of yesterday 

are today silently imploding. The 

strong leadership away from the immoral 

degradation of empire was all 

just words. 

The logjam of Congress is understandably 

difficult to work within. 

However, placing people like Timothy 

Geithner, Lawrence Summers, Rahm 

Emanuel, and Dennis Ross in powerful 

positions was clearly indicative of 

the direction the administration would 

take — and its tone. 

The long litany of quietly-announced 

policies — continuing rendition, 

torture, extrajudicial killings, 

resisting the prosecution of torturers, 

expanded wars — show the 

am an independent candidate for 

I governor by means of a money-free 

movement designed to help return 

your power to you — the people. I am 

“Strolling for Governor.” 

I want to inspire us to move 

Vermont to be financially self sufficient, 

non-polluting, organic, beautiful, 

and fear-free. To that end, I want 

a Bank of Vermont (modeled after the 

Bank of North Dakota) and a second 

banking innovation: The Common 

Good Bank. A Vermont using these 

tools will eliminate the poverty we 

now experience. 

LETTERS FROM READERS 

Sam’s Bellows Falls closing opens new chapter 

the Hotel Windham. 

Bellows Falls is one of 23 Vermont 

designated downtowns and the home 

for the Great Falls Region Chamber of 

Commerce. The Vermont Community 

Foundation, Preservation Trust of 

Vermont, the Vermont Symphony 

Orchestra, the Vermont Council on 

Rural Development, and the Vermont 

Historical Society have all found 

Bellows Falls a great place to host 

conferences and concerts. Bellows 

Falls has been featured on several 

Chronicle programs as well as Good 

Morning America and has been the 

subject of Boston Globe and New 

York Times articles. 

Three years ago, Vermont downtowns 

were collectively selected as a 

finalist for an international responsible 

tourism award, pitting the Green 

Mountain State’s eclectic, restored 

downtowns against Australia’s Great 

Barrier Reef and Ireland’s Green Box 

immorality of this presidency. But our 

leader is behaving himself, following 

instructions and being a good foot soldier 

for corporate America. 

What rubs salt into the wound of 

deception is the spin and the lying and 

the shades of truth all playing like an 

ever-changing kaleidoscope. There is 

also the implied insult that we are too 

ignorant to see through this kaleidoscope. 

All the explanations fall easily 

and cleverly from Obama’s lips. 

The award of the Nobel Peace Prize 

was obscene, especially when compared 

with the great personal courage 

of previous recipients. Attempts to justify 

war in the acceptance speech were 

grotesque. Subsequent cowardice in 

the face of corporate/military power 

only confirms Obama’s unworthiness. 

Loyalty to corporate wishes is the 

one constant theme of the elected. It 

matters not whether it is a Democrat 

or a Republican president, or either 

party controlling both houses: the 

policies of the U.S. are those of corporate 

America. They are interchangeable 

and indivisible. The people have 

no say. Our vast pool of tax money is 

viewed as disposable income, by the 

captains of commerce and industry. 

This is not democracy. 

I believe that the profit motive is a 

failure, and corporate person-hood 

along with its presence in politics is 

dangerous, to say the least. 

My own approach to politics is 

lean, green, and clean. In fact, that is 

our movement motto. It is the job of 

a politician, in my view, to return the 

decision-making power to the people 

in every new way imaginable and reverse 

the trend of concentrating power 

in the hands of a few. 

We have tools in the Internet that 

permit a much-greater level of interactive 

politics. We have too many 

laws that are in themselves unlawful, 

Dick’s 

LOCK REPAIR 

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL 

• Bonded & Insured 

• Mobile Lock Service 

• Store Front Door Closer 

• Safes - Sales & Service 

• Locks - Sold & Repaired 

254-8533 

356 S. Main • Brattleboro, VT 

ecotourism package. On many trips 

I take around the country, I fail to 

find downtowns like ours. Vermont 

downtowns are a unique attraction 

in themselves. 

Sure there are challenges, but who 

among us does not have aches and 

pains as we get older? We deal with 

them! Bellows Falls is not for the faint 

of heart, or someone trying to make a 

quick buck. But if you like to make a 

difference and like walkable communities 

with a rich industrial history, 

then check us out. 

Robert McBride 

Bellows Falls 

The writer serves as founding director 

of the Rockingham Arts and Museum 

Project (RAMP). 

Moses and the land of milk and honey 

Perhaps the biggest tragedy is all the 

millions of disaffected young people 

who were inspired by the lofty ideals, 

so eloquently enunciated. They came 

out in their legions to make the election 

happen. 

Now the insidious knowledge of deception 

will sour a whole generation of 

voters. Obama supporters might stay 

away in droves next time ’round, immune 

to the imploring entreaties of 

preventing a Republican taking back 

the presidency. 

What will be the next presidential 

theme in 2012? We have had some 

real doozies in the last four cycles. 

“A thousand points of light” from 

George Herbert Walker Bush, “bridge 

to the 21st century” from Slick Willie, 

“compassionate conservatism,” from 

Bush, and now change and hope from 

Moses. How about some “Pomp and 

Circumstance” to buoy up our fading 

imperial aspirations? 

Fraud is the legacy. What great opportunity 

there was at the beginning 

of this presidency — what a great 

moment, sadly squandered and gone 

forever. 

John Penford 

Brattleboro 

Independent candidate ‘strolls for governor’ 

and too many people who ignore the 

fact that we must think creatively and 

manifest a bountiful future independent 

of capitalist, socialist, and communist 

structure. Imagine an entire 

economy based on gifting. Imagine an 

entire community coexisting without 

fear. Hold true to that course. 

Our Earth is calling for those who 

are sane enough, strong enough, and 

creative enough to turn away from 

consumerism. The reward she offers 

is a deep happiness that nothing 

a consumer can buy could replace. 

Our wealth is in our collective happiness, 

our collective health, and our appreciation 

for the beauty of creation. 

We also must be strong and take care 

that the powerful do not overcome 

the meek. 

I have not been offered much media 

time or space to elaborate on the 

fullness of my plan for Vermonters, 

so it comes to you as a whisper. The 

“Strolling for Governor” movement 

manager is Tom Finnell in Brattleboro. 

Our public relations manager is Ray 

Branagan of Brattleboro. 

Emily Peyton 

Putney 


Brattleboro 

When Moss Kahler 

and Leo Barile contacted 

me about the 

petition for a referendum following 

the vote of the Town Meeting 

Representatives at the annual town 

meeting, and the suggestion from 

the town attorney as to how the 

petition should be worded, I was 

astounded. 

I urge the Selectboard to reconsider 

its decision of March 29 and to 

set a date for a vote on the petitioners’ 

request by a referendum vote 

of the voters at large in accordance 

with the wording of the petition. In 

support I submit the following. 

1. The provisions of the Brattleboro 

town charter regarding procedures 

to be followed must be observed; 

for except for overriding provisions 

of federal and state law, the charter 

provisions are superior to other 

sources of parliamentary law. 

This principle is found in both 

Mason’s Manual of Legislative 

Procedure (2000 ed.) and Robert’s 

Rules of Order (2000 ed.). 

2. The language of the charter is 

clear and unambiguous. In article 

III of the charter, aptly entitled 

“Powers of the People,” section 4 

reads in pertinent part as follows: 

“A. The voters of the town 

may petition for a referendum, 

by Australian ballot of all voters 

of the town, on any action of the 

Representative Town Meeting. Such 

petition shall be filed within five (5) 

days after the decision to be reconsidered 

and in accordance with No. 

302, Section 8, of the Acts of 1959." 

Section 8 of Act No. 302 of the 

Acts of 1959 states in pertinent part 

the following: 

“No vote passed at any 

Representative Town Meeting under 

any article in the warning, except 

a vote to adjourn, or a vote for 

the temporary borrowing of money 

in anticiaption of taxes, shall be operative 

until after the expiration of 

five days, exclusive of Sundays and 

holidays, from the adjournment of 

the meeting. If within said five days 

a petition [...] be filed [...] requesting 

that the question or questions 

involved in such vote be submitted 

to the voters of the town at large, 

then the Selectboard, within fourteen 

days after the filing of the petition, 

shall call a special town 

meeting, which shall be held within 

ten days after the issuing of the call, 

for the sole purpose of presenting 

to the voters at large the question or 

David A. Gibson is a lawyer 

with offices in Vernon. This piece 

is extracted from a letter presented to 

the Selectboard as part of the effort of 

a group of Brattleboro citizens to petition 

for a referendum on the pay-asyou-throw 

issue. “My interest in affairs 

of the town is well documented over 

the years,” he wrote to the board. Since 

2000, Gibson has served as secretary of 

the Vermont Senate. “In that capacity 

I have acquired a great deal of knowledge 

concerning parliamentary law and 

parliamentary procedures, inasmuch as 

the duties as Secretary of the Senate include 

being the parliamentarian for the 

Senate,” he wrote. 

questions so involved." 

Note what the quoted language 

does not say. It does not say that 

the vote to be reconsidered must 

be an article considered by the 

Representative Town Meeting. 

Rather, the quoted language 

states that “any action” of the 

Representative Town Meeting may 

be reconsidered by the voters at 

large (charter language), and that 

“no vote [...] under any article” becomes 

operative for a period of five 

days after adjournment (Act No. 

302 language). 

3. The question to be voted on by 

the referendum must be the question 

stated by the Moderator regarding 

the motion to add $328,000 to 

the amount to be appropriated. 

Pursuant to Section 8 of Act No. 

302, the Australian ballot for the 

referendum is required to state the 

question to be voted upon “in the 

same language and form in which [it 

was] stated when presented to said 

Representative Town Meeting by the 

moderator as appears from the records 

of the said meeting." 

As the minutes of the 

Representative Town Meeting 

show, under Article 9, the sum of 

$13,880,811 was appropriated for 

the fiscal year beginning July 1, 

2010. Insofar as I am aware, there 

has been no petition filed to request 

a referendum on that vote within the 

five-day period required by the charter, 

so that vote cannot be attacked 

by referendum at this time. 

The minutes go on to say, however, 

that a motion was made to add 

the sum of “$328,000 to the revenue 

raised by taxes for the purpose 

of maintaining trash pick-up 

in its current state. That motion was 

defeated.” 

Although I was not in attendance 

at the Representative Town Meeting, 

Weddings Barbecues 

Family Gatherings 

RESERVE YOUR TENT 

Tent sizes 10’x10’ to 40’x100’ 

We set up dance floors, 

portable stages, tables, 

chairs, lighting, portable 

toilets, sinks, and tableware. 

Contact John Evans at 

Green Mountain 

Tent Rentals 

Townshend Park 

Townshend, VT 

802-365-7839 

800-691-8368 

gmtents@svcable.net 

www.greenmtntents.com 

expect that the moderator stated the 

question substantially as follows: 

“Shall the amount to be raised 

by taxes to defray general fund expenses 

for the period of July 1, 

2010, through June 30, 2011, be 

increased by the sum of $328,000 

for the purpose of maintaining trash 

pick-up in its current state?" 

The exact words of the moderator 

are probably recorded and available. 

In any event, the way in which 

the Moderator posed the question 

as to appropriating an additional 

$328,000 should be the question to 

be voted on by the voters at large in 

connection with the petition for the 

referendum. 

The wordings of the town charter 

and the enabling statute are clear 

and precise, and do not permit any 

other course of action. There is no 

need to resort to other sources of 

parliamentary law in order to determine 

how to proceed. 

The vote on the question of adding 

$328,000 was “under” Article 9. 

Thus, it is a “question” as that term 

is used in section 8 of Act No. 302. 

The vote disapproving the motion 

to add $328,000 was an “action,” as 

that term is used in the referendum 

provision of the Brattleboro charter. 

Thus, the charter’s requirements 

concerning the eligibility for the 

holding of a referendum on the limited 

question of adding $328,000 to 

the amount appropriated pursuant 

to Article 9 of the Representative 

Town Meeting have been satisfied. 

4. The scenario contemplated by the 

Selectboard is confusing, time-consuming 

and unnecessarily expensive. 

In addition to being contrary to the 

clear directions of the town charter 

and state law, the plan endorsed by 

a majority of the board will result in 

the expenditure of money unnecessarily, 

is difficult to understand, and 

will take more time to reach an end 

result. 

First, a lawsuit must be prepared 

and filed in the Superior Court, 

which will involve expenses for a 

court filing fee and lawyers’ fees. 

INNER PATH HEALING 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRIMARY SOURCE 

Five reasons to schedule PAYT referendum 

Second, the referendum question 

would be whether to approve the 

appropriation of $13,880,811. As 

such, the global town appropriation 

would become the question, and 

not whether to continue the current 

trash pick-up system. 

The average voter, thus, would 

probably have a difficult time understanding 

exactly what was going on. 

Moreover, according to the wording 

of Section 8 of Act No. 302, there 

has been no timely challenge to the 

approval of Article 9. 

Third, in addition to a referendum 

vote, if the vote that approved 

Article 9 is overturned, another 

Representative Town Meeting would 

have to be held, and there is no way 

to know its outcome at this time. 

Conversely, a vote on the question 

requested by the petition for 

referendum will yield an immediate 

answer, thereby rendering unnecessary 

any lawsuit or second 

Representative Town Meeting. 

5. Principles of parliamentary law 

support the procedure requested by 

the petitioners. Not wanting to extend 

this lengthy letter, I will not explore 

principles of parliamentary law 

apposite to this situation. While I am 

ready to do so if requested, suffice to 

say that there is recognized authority 

on parliamentary law to support the 

petitioners’ position. 

In conclusion, it is not too late 

to revisit your decision of March 

29. There is valid authority to 

hold a refendum as requested by 

the petitioners. 

n

28 VOICES The Commons • May 2010 


Why I hate Mothers’ Day 

Williamsville 

I 

love being a mother, but I hate 

Mother’s Day. 

Motherhood was not something 

I had planned on. Call me 

conventional, but I was clear that I 

didn’t want to have children without 

being married, and for a long 

time I didn’t think I would marry. 

Then I met a man who changed my 

mind — both about marriage and 

motherhood. 

While I was pregnant with our 

first child, friends, family, and 

strangers assured me I could write 

while the baby slept. I believed 

them. 

After all, I’d already navigated 

graduate school and wrote a dissertation 

while teaching. How hard 

could motherhood be after that? 

Harder than I ever imagined. 

My first pregnancy was a 

graduate level study of exhaustion. 

As one friend explained, I was working 

construction 24/7. And that was 

before the baby was born. 

But the physical demands of pregnancy 

and labor are nothing compared 

to the efforts of caring for a 

newborn, efforts that require constant 

and vigilant care with little or 

no sleep in a body still reeling from 

childbirth. I did not write while my 

baby slept. I used that time to take a 

shower — and a nap. 

Motherhood is hard, physical 

work involving barf, tears, and 

excrement. It requires good upper-body 

strength to lift the evergrowing 

child into its high chair as it 

becomes a toddler and requires even 

“Since 1992, the bottom 90% of Americans have seen 

Act that your principle of action might 

their incomes rise by 13% in 2009 dollars, 

safely be made a law for the whole world. 

compared with an increase of 399% for the top 400.” 

– DaviD Cay 

—Immanuel 

Johnston, quoteD 

Kant 

in the nation 

 

James Maxwell, Esq. 

139 Main Street, #706A, Brattleboro, VT 05301 

802 257 1299 • 802 257 3707 fax 

jim@maxwelllawyer.com 

ANTIQUE & 10 ACRES This sensational, 4-bedroom, 2-bath, 

c.1850 classic overlooks a large yard, meadow and woods. The 

country kitchen has tile floors, stainless appliances, an island 

and a pantry. It also has formal dining, a 29’ living room with 

hewn beams, 2 fireplaces, a family room, porches, deck and 

garage. Exclusive. $299,000. 

GRAND CHALET Beautifully maintained, this pretty, 

5-bedroom, 3-bath home is near a sandy beach for summer and 

a ski resort for winter. It has all new appliances, 2 fireplaces, 

a 23’ living room, walk-out basement and a carport. Some 

furniture is included in the sale. On a wooded acre, it’s easy to 

maintain. Exclusive. $218,000. 

DEBORAH 

LEE 

LUSKIN 

greater emotional strength. 

Parenting pushes human endurance 

to its limits, and when a parent’s 

limits are surpassed, children 

suffer. 

The sentimental ideal of motherhood 

as an exalted state of delicate 

femininity— the mythical ideal that 

the greeting card companies and florists 

cash in on the second Sunday 

in May — is far from the mothering 

reality I experienced. It’s as if the 

world has agreed to deny that roses 

have thorns. 

I’d like to see mothers portrayed 

as the Amazons of the world — 

strong, warrior women built to endure 

the physical challenges of 

breeding and trained to endure 

the marathon of raising a child to 

responsible independence — all 

within a culture than now pays only 

lip service to the task. 

Fortunately for me, I’ve never 

had to mother alone. 

Parenting our children has been a 

shared effort — an effort that on occasion 

has tested the strength of our 

marriage. Lots of marriages fail after 

children arrive — and for good 

reason. Both marriage and children 

require huge, consistent, and compassionate 

care. 

But our culture does very little to 

support either. 

Mother’s Day shares similarities 

with the myths about marriage perpetrated 

by the wedding industry, 

which has successfully confused a 

grand and expensive party for the 

commitment and compromises of 

marriage. 

Both marketing efforts perpetrate 

the false idea that marriage and 

motherhood can be adequately supported 

and acknowledged with a 

single day of frivolous celebration. 

As far as I’m concerned, Mother’s 

Day is an inadequate recognition for 

work of raising the world’s young. 

Professional athletes get million-dollar 

contracts, white-collar 

workers have vacations, and even 

day-laborers get paid. Motherhood 

is a volunteer job. 

I’ve been blessed with three 

healthy, intelligent, and interesting 

daughters. I’m amazingly grateful 

to have had the chance to help raise 

them. They, in turn, have taught me 

patience, compassion, and love in 

ways I would have never possibly 

known otherwise. 

Beyond the personal satisfaction, 

however, motherhood is a contribution 

to the perpetuation of society, 

culture, and civilization. Mothers 

foster the next generation of voters, 

workers, and taxpayers. Mothers 

foster the future. 

These are gifts enough. I don’t 

want roses or chocolates or a saccharine 

card, and I resent all the advertising 

that makes Mother’s Day 

into another consumer event. 

Instead of phony adulation one 

day a year, I’d rather see real veneration 

of mothers — and fathers — 

for the hard, unpaid, unrecognized, 

patriotic, and important work we do. 

Rather than a sentimental greeting 

card on Mother’s Day, I’d like 

to see a constant celebration of parenting 

that includes but is not limited 

to public policies that promote 

the health, education, and welfare 

of families and children. I’d like a 

government that valued our children, 

and instead of sending them 

off to war, promoted diplomacy and 

waged peace around the world. n 

PUTNEY PANORAMA This extensively renovated 

2-bedroom, 2-bath home has great views across meadows to 

NH. With a new roof, oak and tile flooring, cathedral master 

with a huge walk-in, a great kitchen with new appliances and 

a living room with fireplace, it also has new decking and a 

glassed sunroom. Exclusive. $245,000. 

CABIN ON 3 ACRES This 24’x32’ log sided camp built in 2008 

has a studded interior allowing for extra insulation. It has a 

24’ loft, some interior walls and a very spacious feeling. It’s 

in a private, wooded location with direct access to the VAST 

snowmobile trails. Unfinished, it will need a well and septic. 

Exclusive. $82,000. 

Warren Patrick 

appeared on 

the cover of 

Jamaica’s 

2007–2008 annual 

town report. The 

caption: “97 and 

still strong!” 

Thoughts at 98 

Townshend 

I 

am often asked how I feel 

about growing old. It is an interesting 

question, and I have 

given it considerable thought. 

At 98 — that’s 98 — I am 

young at heart. I don’t truly think 

of myself as old — I decided that 

old age is a gift to be treasured. 

I am now, probably for the first 

time in my life, the person I have 

always wanted to be. 

Oh, by the way, I don’t mean 

my body, although I am in fairly 

good condition physically and 

mentally and stay active in both 

areas. I sometimes regret the 

wrinkles, thin hair, and a growing 

paunch, and I am very aware of 

that guy looking back at me from 

the mirror. But I don’t agonize 

over it very long — I am what I 

am. I would never trade my life 

experiences, my loving family, or 

my loyal friends for anything. 

As I have aged, I have become 

more kind to myself — I’ve become 

my own friend. I don’t 

chide myself for eating that extra 

cookie or having a banana split or 

buying that silly wall hanging. I 

am entitled to be a little messy, a 

bit extravagant; to eat some things 

that perhaps I shouldn’t. I have 

seen too many friends leave this 

world before they understood the 

great freedom that comes with 

aging. 

I will dance with the women 

when there is an opportunity. 

I will play a joke or tell a funny 

story for a laugh, which helps everybody 

forget their troubles. If I 

We Moved! 

Check us out at our new location: 

23 Marlboro Road 

Brattleboro, Vermont 

(Behind the old IGA) 

Same Great Service, 

New Location! 

Perley ’ s sales 

Plows 

Trailers 

Rentals 

Grade 8 

Bolts 

& 

Fasteners 

essay 

WARREN S. PATRICK 

is the former Jamaica town clerk and 

treasurer. 

wish, I will recall precious times 

spent with my grandchildren, 

my great-grandchildren, and my 

great-great-grandchildren. The 

young people might think I am 

an old fogy, but they, too, will 

grow old. I know sometimes I am 

forgetful, but, then again, some 

things are best forgotten. I will 

always remember the important 

things in my life. 

Sure, over the years, my heart 

has been broken. How can your 

heart not break when you lose a 

loved one? Or when a child near 

you or far away is suffering? But 

broken hearts are what give us 

strength and compassion. A heart 

never broken is pristine, and 

will never know the joy of being 

healed. 

I am so blessed to have lived 

long enough to have my hair — 

what is left of it — turn grey and 

to have laughs etched into my 

face of wrinkles. So many have 

died before their hair turned grey, 

and they missed the pleasure of 

growing old. 

I count my blessings every 

day and thank my God for the 

guardian angel he sent to watch 

over me. My prayer is that our 

God will be with you, too, and 

likewise you will fully enjoy 

his blessings. 

n 

Blue Seal 

Feeds 

Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00 ~ Sat 7:30-12:00 

802-251-7216 

Fax 802-251-7215 

For Emergency Services: 802-282-3319 

A pretty frightening time 

Saxtons River 

I 

don’t know about you, but 

I’m a little worried about a lot 

of things lately. 

Now, worrying is in my genes; it 

goes along with Jewish guilt. But this 

is different. 

I’m not just worrying that my kids 

might disappear, never to be heard 

from again, or that a nuclear holocaust 

is imminent — although that 

one is creeping up on my list of concerns. 

I’m worried about stuff that I 

think everyone ought to be considering, 

at the very least. 

Take, for example, all the earthquakes, 

mudslides, and floods. 

When religious zealots talk the 

doomsday talk, I don’t really pay 

much attention. But — only two 

years from 2012 — when the earth 

seems to be imploding, the shaking 

terra no longer so firma, I get 

rattled. 

I mean, those Mayans knew a 

thing or two, and this is starting to 

feel a little like the forerunner to 

some kind of Armageddon. I know 

that meteorologists and other scientific 

experts say there’s no relationship 

to all the tremors (although 

there are climate-change-induced 

weather patterns), but still, it’s 

unnerving. 

Then there are all those people 

in really responsible positions who 

have been acting so stupidly. 

Taking your child to the control 

tower of one of the world’s busiest 

airports (JFK) and letting him clear 

pilots for takeoff does not do a lot 

for my flying phobia. Nor do reports 

of pilots reading their computers 

and chatting so fervently that they 

overfly their designated airport by 

more than 100 miles. 

What if airline mechanics, who 

now for the most part live in countries 

requiring us to have passports, 

let their kids screw on a few bolts or 

sign off on repairs? 

Another thing that worries me 

is the increasing control of the media 

by a few rich guys like Rupert 

Murdoch. 

The big question 

Townshend 

A 

couple of years ago, 

I was lucky enough to be 

invited to dinner at someone’s 

home. The food was great: 

ribs, salad, drinks. It was a beautiful 

summer evening, and we ate 

outside. 

The sky reddened, and the sun 

slowly sank below the horizon. A 

blanket of stars covered the sky. 

Somehow, the subject of UFOs 

came up. A quick survey revealed 

that half the people at the table had 

seen one. 

One man had seen a large, diskshaped 

object hovering over Route 

100. “It was completely silent,” 

he said. “I watched it for quite a 

while before it shot off towards the 

horizon." 

It’s easy to dismiss his story. He 

could be lying. But why? What does 

he stand to gain? It’s too easy to label 

someone like this a kook. He 

has a degree in aeronautical engineering. 

He knows what an airplane 

looks like. 

A surprising number of people 

have had experiences like this. Most 

of them just don’t dare tell anyone. 

This engineer is not alone in 

ELAYNE 

CLIFT 

I’m not a fan of The Wall Street 

Journal, but the proposed changes 

to that venerable paper since he took 

over are alarming, as is the drop 

in the quality of journalism in papers 

like The Washington Post and 

sometimes The New York Times. 

Media ownership and control 

should be among the major issues 

of our day, along with a crumbling 

physical infrastructure: Both are 

bound to catch up with us. But no 

one seems to take much notice of 

either. 

With electronic news rapidly taking 

the place of print journalism, 

it is more imperative than ever to 

question the quality of sources and 

the controllers of information, and 

to hold editors to a high standard of 

fact-checking and truth-telling. Not 

to mix metaphors, but none of us 

wants to be stranded on the bridge 

of truth and freedom of expression 

when it goes down. 

And how about all those school 

closings? What is happening to the 

educational system in this country 

and how much further can standards 

fall before we can no longer 

keep up or compete with the expertise 

emanating from other nations? 

I teach young adults and returning 

adult students at several colleges, 

and I’m appalled at how many of 

them can’t reason soundly or write 

well. This suggests sloppy standards 

from elementary to high school. 

What alarms me even more is that 

other teachers, and some administrators, 

don’t seem to mind. I’ve had 

students well along in their studies 

tell me that I’m the only teacher 

they’ve ever had who required them 

to be grammatically correct, to 

essay 

Gary Grinnell contributes 

frequently to these pages. 

seeing a UFO. I have met several 

others who have seen one. You 

probably know someone who has 

seen one. 

While nobody really knows what 

these airborne objects are, it seems 

likely that they are alien spacecraft. 

The big question is: What are 

they doing here? This could be one 

of humanity’s greatest questions. 

While we bicker endlessly about 

health care and philandering golf 

stars, something truly important 

may be happening here, almost 

unnoticed. 

If you are unconvinced, turn on 

your computer. A quick check of the 

Internet will get you hundreds of 

UFO photographs. Human nature 

being what it is, half might be fake. 

But if only one of them is genuine, 

it’s still a very big deal. 

Still don’t believe in UFOs? 

That’s OK. Someday you might 

look up at the sky and see a large, 

glowing disk hovering over the 

Earth. Then you will really have to 

decide what you believe. n 

exhibit some originality or analytic 

ability, to consult a style manual, 

and to document sources properly. 

When students use sentence fragments, 

fail to punctuate properly, 

plagiarize, and more, it is simply 

overlooked. 

So I end up being the bad guy 

in the eyes of lazy students. It’s less 

than rewarding, to say the least. But 

the larger issue is: What have we 

wrought? 

Tea partiers — now those folks 

really scare me. How could there be 

so many people in this country resolutely 

incapable of understanding 

the facts? Maybe they just choose 

to ignore them, which is equally 

alarming. 

How can so many of these rabid 

activists lie so brazenly and be so full 

of vitriol as to condemn an 11-yearold 

boy whose mother has died from 

cancer for lack of health insurance 

just because he spoke out in favor 

of health care reform? Honestly, 

if Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh 

aren’t held accountable for that 

one, I don’t know what it will take 

for America’s right wing to muzzle 

them. 

And while I’m on this topic, what 

will it take for elected officials who 

disagree with the present administration’s 

mission and agenda to behave 

civilly and to tell the truth, let 

alone to own up to their own responsibility 

for past political failings? 

All in all, it’s a pretty frightening 

time, if you think about it. Many 

of our systems and institutions are 

failing in unprecedented ways, and 

the world as we’ve known it seems 

to be edging toward some kind of 

collapse. 

I don’t think you have to be 

Jewish, or a chronic worrier, to see 

that. I just think it’s time to deny denial 

and get on with the hard work 

of saving ourselves. 

n 

Elayne Clift (www.elayneclift.com) 

writes about women, health, politics, 

and social issues. 

Finnell 

Roofing LLC 

Shingles 

Slate 

Rubber 

Metal 

Residential/Commercial 

Insured 

www.finnellroofing.com 

802.257.0841 

Janet Langdon, M. Div., NCPsyA 

Psychoanalysis 

Pastoral Counseling 

Individuals and Couples 

River Road, Putney VT 

802-387-5547 • jliesl@myfairpoint.net 

Building energy-efficient houses since 1981 

Mindel & Morse 

Builders LLC 

Steve Mindel 

h. 802.254.6662 

P.O. Box 643 Brattleboro, VT 05302 

Mindel & Morse 

Builders LLC 

P.O. Box 643 Brattleboro, VT 05302 

Holistic Care for Whole People 

“Sojourns “I feel that has after changed a long search my life. and The exhaustive care I received 

here medical over endeavors the past 10 to years heal, I has have been found unparalleled a place 

and 

where 

I am 

this 

grateful 

can happen. 

for their 

A very 

presence 

positive 

in 

experience 

our 

community!” – J. Karstad, Brattleboro, VT 

here at Sojourns. ”N. Heath, Lempster, NH 

Please contact us to learn more about our ongoing weekly discussion group :“Living 

Life Now” for anyone working with a Cancer diagnosis 

Our Bodies Are Ecosystems not Chemistry Sets. 

4923 US Route 5 Westminster, VT 

802–722–4023 

www.sojourns.org 

Insurance accepted for all billable services 

Saturday appointments & gift certificates available 

Steve Mindel 

c. 802.254.0834 

smmindel@gmail.com 

h. 802.254.6662 

c. 802.254.0834 

h. 802.254.5791 

c. 802.258.0902 smmindel@gmail.com 

morse@sover.net 

Jonathan Morse 

Jonathan Morse 

h. 802.254.5791 

c. 802.258.0902 

morse@sover.net 

Primary Care 

Holistic Medicine 

Naturopathy 

Acupuncture 

Biological Medicine 

Chiropractic 

CranioSacral Therapy 

Nutritional Counseling 

Massage 

Physical Therapy 

Occupational Therapy 

Immune Support 

Apothecary



the 

C ommons 

An independent, nonprofit newspaper providing news and views 

for, by, and about Windham County, Vermont 

Jeff Potter, Editor 

editor@commonsnews.org 

Betsy arney, manager 

manager@commonsnews.org 

nancy Gauthier, advertising Sales ..........................ads@commonsnews.org 

this issue of the Commons is BrouGht to you By the hard WorK and Generosity of: 

Director of photography: David Shaw 

Special projects development: Allison Teague, Olga Peters 

Distribution coordinator: Barry Aleshnick* 

technical/logistical/distribution support: Simi Berman, Chris Wesolowski, 

Diana Bingham, Jim Maxwell, Bill Pearson, Andi Waisman, Roberta Martin, 

Janet and Walter Schwarz, Bill Lax, Doug Grob, Mary Rothschild, Susan Odegard, Alan Dann*, Dan DeWalt*, 

Menda Waters, Richard Davis, Mamadou Cisse, Lynn Barrett, Wayne London (late-night coffee) 

Puzzlemaster: Connie Evans interns: Sara Lepkoff, Katy Cowan 

* M E M B E R S O F T H E V E R M O N T I N D E P E N D E N T M E D I A B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S. 

Published by 

Vermont Independent Media, Inc. 

139 Main St., P.O. Box 1212 


(802) 246-NEWS 


info@commonsnews.org 

Without the support of all our 

volunteers, this paper would still 

live only in our imaginations. 


It’s official: 

Commons will 

publish weekly 

DRAWING BOARD 

Brattleboro 

This edition of The 

Commons represents the 

last issue of the newspaper 

as a monthly. Beginning June 

2, the paper will publish weekly on 

Wednesdays. 

The change in frequency will better 

serve the community in many 

ways with more timely and relevant 

content. In particular, our Voices 

section will provide a much more 

up-to-date forum for readers and 

writers. 

One thing that won’t change: 

the thoughtful, in-depth reporting 

that has become our niche. We will 

make sure that good, local journalism 

remains the soul of our news 

operation. 

On June 2, Commonsnews.org 

will relaunch with daily Web updates 

of news, announcements, a community 

calendar, and a milestones section. 

Content of the current issue 

will be available online. 

The Voices section of the site will 

also feature a thoughtful, moderated, 

and civil forum where readers 

can weigh in more immediately 

on issues facing Windham County 

communities. 

The newspaper will still be delivered 

free, thanks to the tax-deductible 

donations of readers and the 

growing enthusiasm of our advertisers. 

A final list of places you can find 

the paper will be available at www. 

commonsnews.org by June 2. 

We stand ready to make The 

Commons every bit the community 

newspaper that you need in your 

life, and our staff is excited beyond 

measure to begin this journey. Let 

me know what you’d like to see in 

your paper — our paper — by writing 

me at editor@commonsnews. 

org. 

This issue also represents the last issue 

that will be delivered primarily 

by volunteers. 

By the time ink has hit paper 

on this publication, my job is long 

done, and I can sit on the sidelines. 

Occasionally, I am here when the 

papers return from our ever-patient 

printer (the Keene Sentinel). 

If I crane my neck just right, I can 

look out my window onto the alleyway 

below and see at least two, and 

often three or more, of our volunteer 

board members hoicking bundles 

of newspapers, passing them 

to one another for their distribution 

assignments. 

That’s the type of newspaper I 

work for: one where the board of 

directors delivers the newspaper, 

joined by a committed cadre of volunteers 

who have worked for years 

in an organically organized system 

to get our hard work deep into every 

town in Windham County. 

A lot of that is about to change 

as we begin publishing weekly. 

Systems that rely on the good will 

of volunteers can buckle under the 

weight and pressure of that much 

JEFF 

POTTER 

Editor’s 

Notebook 

newsprint. And so to that end, we 

reluctantly say goodbye to most of 

our volunteers. You literally would 

not be reading the paper if not for 

their hard work, sore muscles, and 

donations of time, gasoline, and vehicle 

wear-and-tear. 

We appreciate those who has 

given so deeply of their time to 

make the paper happen over the 

years — you all know who you are. 

This paper could not have survived 

without you, and it’s not only survived 

— it’s also thriving to this 

next frontier. Well done, and thanks, 

everybody. 

I would like to point out that 

our cover story this issue, “Home 

alone,” was written by Sara Lepkoff, 

a senior at the Compass School in 

Westminster, who has served as our 

intern throughout this school year 

and who has worked in our office 

daily, editing the Youth Voices section 

on pages 16 and 17 as her senior 

project. 

As someone who worked on a difficult 

story on a level that can only 

be described as professional by any 

adult standard, Lepkoff (now referred 

to by her last name on second 

reference even though she 

doesn’t yet drive) represents the future 

of our profession. She’ll attend 

Earlham College in Indiana in the 

fall, and we will miss her. 

The maple sugar industry story 

on pages 2 and 3 is the hard work 

of Katy Cowen, our intern from 

Mount Holyoke College, who has 

immersed herself in all things maple 

in her brief time here and did a fantastic 

job. 

It has been an honor and a privilege 

to work with both these talented 

young women. 

And finally, on a much different 

note: when we make a serious blunder, 

we own it and do what we can 

to make amends. 

Two sports photographs appeared 

in the April issue of The Commons 

without proper permission from or 

attribution to the Deerfield Valley 

News, the weekly newspaper in 

Dover that owns the rights to the 

images taken by one of our longtime 

freelance writers. 

This came as a surprise to us, but 

that is no excuse. There is no other 

way to say it — we were wrong. We 

always want to do right by other 

newspapers, and making a mistake 

like this one hurts us all. 

In this spirit, we sincerely apologize 

to our friends at the News and 

its publisher, Randy Capitani. n


PAID advertisement 

The Brattleboro Food Co-op’s 

OF 

THE 

Local Producer 

Aqua Vitea Salisbury, Vermont 

Mike Kin and Jeff Weaber 

of Aqua Vitea 

Come meet the folks from 

Aqua Vitea at the Co-op 

Wednesday, May 12, 11-3 

Kombucha is an ancient beverage brewed from water, tea and sugar with the help of beneficial 

bacteria and yeast. The origins of Kombucha, like so many foods, are lost to time. And like 

so many foods there are many origin stories. One of the most common, and one that makes 

sense to the good folks at Aqua Vitea (pronounced Vahy-tee, and yes it is Vitea not Vitae), is 

that long ago Siberian villagers who could not afford tea began brewing an elixir made from 

the bark of the birch tree. This elixir has become what we know now as Kombucha, what 

the crew at Aqua Vitea refers to as “the Tea Water of Life.” People in Asia have been drinking 

Kombucha for its health benefits for centuries, it is well known in Europe, especially Germany 

where much of the scientific research on Kombucha has been done. In the U.S., like most 

non-pharmaceutical remedies, the FDA has not evaluated the health benefits of this functional 

food. Despite this the anecdotal evidence is strong that Kombucha supports a healthy digestive 

system, as well as reducing stress and increasing vitality, these are just a few of the reported 

health benefits. 

Kombucha is a living food, much like yogurt, or sourdough before it is baked. Like 

sourdough the culture in Kombucha is affected by temperature, humidity, and many other 

factors. Kombucha made on the West Coast tastes different when you drink it on the East 

Coast. Shipping may cause some of these changes but it is also possible that, like wine and 

cheese, the terroir of the Kombucha is important. Supporting the local flavor, Aqua Vitea uses 

as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible. The cranberries used in this month’s flavored 

brew come from the Vermont Cranberry Company. The tea, although imported, comes from 

local importer Stone Leaf Teahouse. And Aqua Vitea is certified organic by NOFA. One of the 

great things about Aqua Vitea is that their Kombucha is available on tap. While they have not 

been able to confirm this, it is quite likely that they were the first people to make it so. This 

saves a lot of glass bottles that would otherwise be used and reduces all the associated waste 

of production and shipping with bottles. This also means that Aqua Vitea can focus on creating 

the best possible product and still keep their prices low, and as a customer you can buy as 

little or as much as you desire. 

Aqua Vitea is not just a company that brews Kombucha. Jeff Weaber and his wife Katina 

Martin moved from Portland Oregon to West Salisbury, Vermont to build their lives and 

practice their professions. Katina is a Naturopathic Physician, Acupuncturist, and Midwife. Jeff 

is a former brewer of beer with experience in organic farming and a love of community and 

sustainability. Katina runs her practice out of their home and Jeff runs Aqua Vitea out of the 

same house. The idea being that the two businesses, along with the CSA they have partnered 

with other local farmers to run, exist in a symbiotic relationship promoting healthy food 

and lifestyle choices. Aqua Vitea is growing much like the cultures that make their product, 

supporting the whole team and the community to which they belong, trying to bring their 

relationship to the world we all live in to a healthy balance, beneficial to everyone involved. 

co-opcalendar May 2010 

Yoga with Dante 

Free to Co-op members 

Every Wednesday 5:30–7p.m. 

Prakriti Yoga Studio, 139 Main St., 701 

Vermont Green Up Day 

Saturday, May 1 

Come clean up the Co-op and downtown! 

Pick up bags and enjoy a free Co-op sponsored 

breakfast in the Community Room from 

8:00–9:00. 

Kids’ Room Orientation 

Monday, May 3, 4:30-5:30 

Board Meeting 

Monday, May 3, 5:15 

Meet & Greet 

Wednesday, May 12, 11-3 

Meet the folks from Aqua Vitea in Salisbury, VT 

makers of Kombucha available on tap in our bulk 

department. 

Story-n-Snack 

Fridays in May, 10:30-11 

in the Kids’ Room at the Co-op 

Registration for this event is not necessary. Stop 

in when shopping for a story and healthy snack. 

Children birth to five and their caregivers 

First Aid Relief for Common Maladies 

at All Ages 

Presentation by herbalist Cindy Hebbard 

Tuesday, May 11, 6 - 8 

Co-op Community room, No cost 

Come hikers, adventurers, teachers & parents. Find 

effective relief and speed self-healing from cuts, 

scrapes, infections, bug bites, bumps, bruises, burns, 

sprains, strains, broken bones and more! 

Learn to choose and use safe, effective herbal 

preparations to help the body heal from those nasty 

little surprises that can happen to anyone. 

Grace Cottage’s Health Fair 

Saturday, May 15, 10 to 2 

On the Common in Townshend 

A free event for the whole family including 

fun, food and fabulous ideas for improving 

your health. Over 45 health, safety, and social 

service agencies will provide demonstrations 

and information about a wide variety of health 

and safety issues. There will be fun hands-on 

activities for kids including an inflatable obstacle 

course and a climbing wall. Stop by the Co-op’s 

education outreach table for a healthy snack. 

Co-op Closed 

Monday, May 31 

All Day in honor of Memorial Day 

Shareholder Loan Drive 

Now’s the time! 

Call or email today to participate in 

our Shareholder Loan Program: 

Bruce, tbb@sover.net, 254-2252, or 

Alex, bfc@sover.net, 257-0236 x101 

Monday–Saturday 8-9 • Sunday 9-9 • 2 Main St., Brattleboro, Vermont • 802 257-0236 • www.brattleborofoodcoop.com

neWs - The Commons

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?