Eyes ofHistory - The North Star Monthly

6 SEPTEMBER 2009 THE NORTH STAR MONTHLY
Near the southern shore of Caspian Lake in Greensboro village
Open 7-7...7 days a week, Phone: 802.533.2621, Toll free: 866.945.5397
DISPLAY MODEL CLEARANCE SALE
(ALL MODELS NEW)
Here is the picture we would like on the add. We would like this to take up about
½ of the add with the rest of the space filled up with the following information.
Open 7:00 a-7:00p 7 days a week
Near the southern shore of Caspian lake in Greensboro village
Phone: 802-533-2621 Toll free- (866) 945-5397
Fax: 802-533-2293
David
Lavely
DAL BUILDERS
26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Feel free to arrange this however you want. Thank you!
The
WILLEY’S
STORE
Design-Build ► Residential & Commercial ► Construction Management ► Renovations ► Additions
PO Box 362 Danville VT 05828 ► Phone/Fax: (802) 684-2116 ► dlavely@myfairpoint.net
3262 U.S. Rte. 5, Derby,VT 05829 (802) 766-2714
Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m. –5:30 p.m.; Sat. 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Located across from the Derby Post Officee
TAX-FREE DAY — SAVE 6% AUGUST 22.
SAVE 30% TAX CREDIT 2009 ON ALL UNITS.
GAS STOVES: RETAIL SALE SAVE!
Hampton Enamel Ivory Gas Stove 15KBTU H15 $1,892 $ 999 $ 893
Hampton Charcoal Cast Gas Stove 35KBTU H35 $2,456 $1,456 $1,000
Harman Fireluxe Cast Black Gas Stove $3,185 $2,185 $1,000
Harman Clarity Direct Vent $2,399 $1,699 $ 700
WOOD STOVES:
Regency Steel Front Load Wood 55KBTU F11005 $1,789 $1,089 $ 700
Regency Steel Front Load Wood 80KBTU F3100L $2,253 $1,253 $1,000
Hampton Charcoal Cast Wood Stove H301 $2,242 $1,242 $1,000
Hampton Charcoal Cast Wood Stove H201 $1,785 $1,100 $ 685
Hampton Enamel Brown w/Side Shelves H305 $3,050 $2,150 $ 900
PELLET STOVES:
Harman XXV Black Cast 50KBTU $3,599 $2,995 $ 604
Vista Flame Black 40KBTU $2,499 $1,750 $ 749
Craft fair
From apples to wood carvings
and everything in between
>> Page 5
BY PEGGY PEARL
The Festival of Traditional
Crafts has
been a tradition of
its own for well over thirty
years. The Friday and Saturday
of the next to last
full weekend of September
have seen the grounds
of the Fairbanks Museum
and the North Church
covered with tents. Visitors
observing the “white
city” might speculate that
the church might be having
a revival meeting and
the Museum a carnival - or
visa versa!
The longevity of this event is
a tribute to dedicated volunteers
from all walks of life. Volunteers
are the life’s breath of non profits
and the Museum is truly
blessed. They load up their vehicles
from East Burke to demonstrate
how to make and use dyes
from natural materials; the use of
natural materials to attract the
“big” one when fly fishing; the
use of the spinning wheel and
the use of the gasoline engine to
provide the power for making
butter, washing clothes or sawing
wood. They descend on us from
Danville to show us how to use
hand tools in woodworking and
provide a look at the clothing
portance of smiling and treating
customers properly. There are
days when Wilson will walk
around and speak with his customers.
He often asks them for
feedback and flavor requests.
The customers seem to appreciate
that attention and sometimes
they even return the favor, such
as a Grantham, N.H., man’s letter
in New Hampshire Magazine
that raved about Slick’s.
“That was nice to see,” Wilson
says. “It’s all about them.
Without them, none of this is
possible.”
While the former substitute
teacher is no stranger to entrepreneurship,
neither of his other
businesses, a music shop in
Woodsville and a traveling gig
pressure washing cars at local
car dealerships, have reached
this level of success.
In fact, the success has Wilson
and his family a bit nervous.
“We’ve had a terrible summer
weather-wise. What’s going
to happen next year if we get a
really hot summer?”
As for employees, the business
relies heavily on Wilson’s
three sons, Adam, Jordan and
Samuel. When they go back to
school in the fall, Wilson may be
scrambling to fill their shoes.
“They’re so important to
running the ice cream stand, I
don’t know what I’m going to
do when they leave,” says Wilson.
The family has broken down
worn and the chores preformed
in 1800’s everyday life. Visitors
can learn the drum beats of the
Civil War soldier and the firing of
the musket. Wagon rides are offered
and different varieties of
apples are displayed. Craftsmen
shows how to hand hew a timber,
how to make an eight foot
pump log and the use of herbs
by early settlers.
The Barnet area volunteers
offer up the arts of blacksmithing,
candle dipping, broom
making and the spine tingling
thoughts as an 18th century surgeon
shows his instruments.
Sheep graze on the Museum
lawn amidst maple sugaring and
butter making. Early American
Decorating brings volunteers
from Barnet, Burlington and
Cambridge – this trio offers stenciling,
painting on tins and reverse
painting on glass, etc.
Groton volunteers offer boat
building and the multi tasking of
the spring pole lathe – both your
hand and foot are engaged! Further
to the north – from Derby
and Barton - come our basket
maker and pottery ladies. Lyndonville
and Lyndon area volunteers
include a rug hooker and
toys and games folks. The
“What’s it?” ladies who can
stump you with their odd and
unusual tools and gadgets. Con-
responsibilities to maximize efficiency.
Wilson, and his brother
in law John West are the only
two people that make the ice
cream. The product is made a
few miles from the stand at Wilson’s
house in a converted carriage
barn with an attached
walk-in freezer.
“We feel it’s important to
maintain the consistency of the
product,” John says.
Wilson’s wife and three boys,
along with other hired help, man
the ice cream stand on a regular
basis. In addition to making all
the ice cream (sometimes Slick’s
goes through 360 gallons a
week), Wilson also handles distribution
to retail stores, such as
the West Barnet Quick Stop,
Barnet General Store, Aldrich
General Store in North Haverhill,
Newbury Village Store and
the Littleton Co-op. Hundreds
of pints are loaded into generator-powered
chest freezers in
the back of a truck and driven
to their destinations.
“If things keep going like
they have, we’re definitely going
to have to get a real truck,” he
says.
Between, making the product,
selling the product and
transporting the product, Wilson
puts in upwards of 100
hours a week, but you won’t
hear him complaining. “You do
what you have to,” he says. “I’m
not looking to get rich at this,
just make a good living and support
my family.” �