All State Music Fest Comes to Central Vermont • Page 4

A pril 17 – M ay 7, 2019

Food and Farming

IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 7 Vermont Farmers
Farmers Market Comes to State Street
Get Their Goats
New Manager at the Helm
By Mike Dunphy
Pg. 9 Vermont Salumi
Moves to Barre
D
evon Byers would like to ask for your patience. Just for someone who had the right understanding of what farmers
three weeks into her new role as marketing manager markets are,” explains Hannah Blackmer, the new president
of the Capital City Farmers Market—and with the of the board, “and who has a passion for local food, but also
Pg. 11 Montpelier’s Emily first outdoor session only weeks away—she’s got a tremendous local community building.” The board was also attracted
Gould in Rwanda
amount on her farm-to-plate. to Byers’ background in graphics and design, small business
“I am getting my bearings,” she management—as a craniosacral
explains. “Between now and May Courtesy of Devon Byers therapist—and “socially engaged
4, it’s literally walking into every art,” which she studies at Goddard.
U.S. Postage PAID

Permit NO. 123

Montpelier, VT

store and letting people see my face, Plus, Blackmer notes, “She has been
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS

know my name, and how to be in shopping at the farmers market for 15

touch with me, and I will check in years and seen things change from a
every week until everyone is good.” customer’s perspective...so it felt like
Luckily, she’s got a supportive a great fit.”
and involved six-person board of For Byers, the attraction to the
directors behind her doing much position went beyond her altruistic
of the heavy lifting. “I feel blessed passion for community to the
by this board because they did all practicality of connecting with that
the hardest part to get ready for the community. “I was looking for part-
summer outdoor market for me.” time work outside in the community,
Also fortunate for Byers is that she because everything is very home-based
arrives with a tremendous amount for me. My business is even based out
of energy, eagerness, and passion to New Farmers Market Manager, Devon Byers of my home, so it was a way to get out
address this complex orchestration of and connect in a really beautiful way.”
60 vendors, two dozen or so downtown storefronts, wandering Getting the job was no easy feat as well, as candidates were
Montpelier, VT 05601

minstrels, street closures, traffic reroutes, and on and on. put through both interviews and multiple personality tests—the
That’s just the sort of person the board was looking for in their Jung Typology Test and the Plus-32 Personality Profile—in
P.O. Box 1143

rigorous search for a new marketing manager after Ashton Kirol part instituted by new board member Peter Burmeister of
stepped down after three years at the helm. “We were looking
The Bridge

Continued on Page 5

We’re online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com

PAGE 2 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Test Your Knowledge of Montpelier at Mayfest Scramble
Montpelier’s Pedestrian Scramble returns for a third season May 4 as part of Mayfest.
Described as an “urban adventure,” the scramble invites participants to find checkpoints
marked on a map and answer as many questions as possible within a limited time.
Signups are at 1:45 pm in front of City Hall and the Scramble runs from 2 to 4 pm. The
semi-competitive event is run by Montpelier’s Complete Streets Committee and was
started by member Harris Webster. Find more information on the Community table at
the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
North Branch Nature Center Earns Green Building Award
The North Branch Nature Center was awarded a 2019 Vermont’s Greener Building
Award and People’s Choice Award by the Vermont Green Building Network at the annual
Vermont Green Building Gala on March 28. This statewide competition recognizes
exemplary residential and commercial buildings that meet the highest standard of
demonstrated energy performance. The Vermont’s Greener Building Award is given
to buildings with energy use intensity at least 50 percent below the regional average
energy use for buildings of the same end use and incorporating other sustainability
features. The site is now powered by a 21 kW DC (15kW AC) ground-mounted solar
photovoltaic array. Other new features include an electric vehicle charging station and
water-saving fixtures throughout. The renovations eliminated all fossil fuel use on-site
while also doubling the available square footage of program space.
Strings Take Center Stage at Scragg Mountain Music
Scrag Mountain Music presents String Circle, a concert of music that highlights
the vibrant sounds of strings in a series of concerts May 9–12. Centered on Johannes
Brahms’s rich Sextet No. 1, Scrag co-artistic directors Evan Premo (double bass) and
Mary Bonhag (soprano) are joined by violinists Anna Elashvili and Yonah Zur, violists
Margaret Dyer and Ayane Kozasa, and cellist Karen Ouzounian. Concerts are 7:30 pm
Thursday, May 9, at Bread & Butter Farm in Shelburne; 7:30 pm Friday, May 10, at

Fundraising Campaign
Chandler Center for the Arts, in Randolph; 7:30 pm Saturday, May 11, at the Unitarian
Church in Montpelier; and 4 pm Sunday, May 12, at the Warren United Church.
Admission by donation.

Nature Watch by Nona Estrin

Ten months into our $50,000 Bridge to the Future campaign, we are
almost 3/4 of the way to our goal. Thanks to all those who have already
given.

Please send your potentially tax-deductible donation to:

Friends of The Bridge, P.O. Box 1641, Montpelier, VT 05601.
Artwork by Nona Estrin.
You can also donate online at www.montpelierbridge.com/make-a-donation/

Bridge Community Media, Inc.

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

L
onger days have never felt better, nor migrating birds more
exciting! And the appearance of those irrepressible first bulbs, a bee
miraculously hovering—landing on!—one yellow crocus! In the cold
frame a few greens of various ages, planted last summer, have survived
both winter and rodents and are already putting on new leaves. The garden
is still mostly under snow, but I am ready!
Copy Editor: Larry Floersch
Calendar Editor: Marichel Vaught
Layout: Sarah Davin, Marichel Vaught
Sales Representatives: Rick McMahan
Distribution: Sarah Davin, Loona Brogan, Carl Etnier
Board Members: Phil Dodd, Donny Osman, Jake Brown, Josh Fitzhugh, Larry Floersch, Greg Gerdel, Irene
Racz, Ivan Shadis, Mason Singer
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14 • mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Stone Science Hall.
Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and
mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
montpelierbridge.com • facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
Twitter: @montpbridge • Instagram: @montpelierbridge
PAGE 4 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Montpelier, U-32 Team Up For Festival
More Than 400 Top High School Musicians Coming for All-State
By Tom Brown
M Photo by Hilary Goldblatt.
ore than 400 of the state’s most
talented student musicians
will soon converge on Central
Vermont to take part in the 92nd annual
All-State Music Festival. Montpelier
and U-32 high schools will co-host the
four-day event, which kicks off with a
parade in downtown Montpelier at 6 pm
on Wednesday, May 8, followed by four
concerts at U-32, from May 8 to 11.
The student participants all earned their
way to the big dance of scholastic music
by passing through competitive, individual
auditions, but during the festival, it’s all
about collaboration. The students have just
a few rehearsal days to pull together their
performances in band, orchestra, chorus, or
jazz, in a sort of hyper-compressed version
of band camp.
The individual honor of being selected
from more than 1,000 applicants is
significant, but it’s the camaraderie of
playing with talented peers from around
Vermont that makes the hours of practice
worthwhile, one four-time all-state
participant says.
“The reward for all the work is to actually
get to go to the festival because it is a
fantastic experience,” said Eleanor Braun,
a senior from Montpelier who plays double
bass and qualified for All-State in all four
years of high school. “It’s so much fun.
You get to play with a ton of people
from all over Vermont who are really good
at playing their instrument, and you get
to meet music people from everywhere. I
think that’s really cool.”
The students also get to play with a full
orchestra with guest conductors such as
Dr. Ronald Feldman, a professor of music
at Williams College who served as assistant
conductor to John Williams and the Boston
Pops, among other achievements. No word
whether Williams’ Darth Vader’s theme is
among the scheduled pieces.
As hosts, the two schools are responsible
for programs, T-shirts, facilities, and,
perhaps most challenging, providing
housing for hundreds of visiting musicians.
U-32’s music teachers Roger Grow, Anne
Decker, and David Powelson are dealing
with much of the performance logistics for
the festival. Grow said it was not easy to
round up the 200 chairs, 150 music stands,
and numerous choral risers needed for the
event.
There are 230 students in the chorus,” he
said. “It’s like a giant puzzle.”
MHS music teacher, Hillary Goldblatt
said the parade through Montpelier will
feature about 30 or 40 middle and high
school marching bands, highlighted by
Montpelier’s own Solon Samba drummers,
led by MHS music teacher Kirk Kreitz
(Molly Clark is the other MHS music
educator). Goldblatt said spectators won’t
see traditional uniformed marching bands;
rather, she said, the students tend to “take
a much more creative approach” for the
parade.
Goldblatt, who has taught at MHS for
12 years and has seen about 50 All-State
musicians emerge from her class, said
Music
Montpelier High School’s All-State Music Festival participants (from left)
Katie Desch, Erin Kelley, Edie Donofrio, Hope Petraro, Mei Dwyer-Frattalone,
Eleanor Braun, Evan Rohan, Charles Watson, and Neil Rohan. Grace
Carlomagno (not pictured) received an Honorable Mention for her original
composition.
music is an integral part of the human who are really top flight and really want to
experience, and it is rewarding to see so be there and wanting to work hard with
many students find success and satisfaction a great conductor makes certain that the
through singing, composing, and playing at performances are always fantastic.”
the All-State level.
“It’s just great to see students get to such All-State Music Festival Schedule
a high level that they put all their skills
Parade: 6 pm Wednesday, May 8,
together and have an expressive capacity Montpelier.
with their music and just really derive Scholarship concert: 8 pm Thursday,
enjoyment out of getting to such a high May 9, U-32 Auditorium. Free.
level,” she said. “I first met Eleanor when Jazz concert: 7:30 pm Friday, May
she was in fourth grade and she had never 10, U-32 Auditorium. $8.
picked up a bass. Nine years later she’s Chorus concert: 2 pm Saturday, May
still my student. It’s amazing to witness 11, U-32 Auditorium. $12 adults; $8
students on their paths from children to students and seniors.
young adults in a continuous stretch, and Orchestra and Band concert: 4 pm
Saturday, May 11, U-32 Auditorium.
especially how their lives are enriched by
$12 adults; $8 students and se-
music over time.” niors. (Combined Saturday tickets
The music festival is an opportunity for $20/$12.)
these high-performing musicians to come U-32 All-State Participants
together around a shared interest and share Orchestra: Bethany Atwood, Kath-
a moment in the spotlight, the teachers erine McKay, Shams Ferver, Norah
said. Ryan.
“No matter how good a small music Jazz Band: Bruno John.
program is, you are still dealing with a wide Chorus: Jozie Bolduc, Justin Murray,
Adella Polk, Alex Saunders.
range of students in your classroom,” Grow
More information is available at
said. “These are the best of the best, and to vmea.org/allstate/festival.php
be in an ensemble with that number of kids
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 5
Farmers Market Returns to State
Street with New Manager
By Mike Dunphy
Burelli Farm, who was a manager and
company owner in various industries,
including graphic arts, commercial
printing, construction, and agriculture
for more than 30 years, has written the
Human Resources Guidebook (2002) on the
subject. “He was able to draw on his many,
many years of experience in hiring and
employee management to help us facilitate
this process,” explains Blackmer.
“What we learned from the personality
tests,” she continues, “is how a person
operates beyond what they are saying to
you in answering the questions. A lot of it
echoed what we had picked up on in the
interview, what we were able to determine
on how a person deals with conflict, or
enjoys interaction with other humans,
beyond what someone might tell you in
an interview.” According to Burmeister,
Byers is a “type E” personality, which
means she’s extremely well-rounded,
something he considers rare—and ideal
for the position.
Certainly Byers is going to need all
her negotiating and interactive skills to
manage the “new” home of the market,
stretching this year from its usual place
in the Heney lot on to State Street
and down to the intersection of Main
Street. Locals may recall a similar move
to State Street was attempted last year,
and even piloted, only to collapse at the
last moment after store owners registered
significant disapproval with the final
layout, which seemed to block access,
Continued from page 1
light, and lines of sight to their stores,
not to mention increasing clutter on the
sidewalks.
The difference with the new layout is
that the market has a lot more space to
work with, using both the lot and the
street. Also, vendors will be positioned
in the center of State Street on the Main
Street end, facing out toward the street
and sidewalks, channeling customers
between them.
“The stores won’t be blocked in any
way, and there won’t be clutter of the
vendors’ stand visible,” explains Dan
Groberg, director of Montpelier Alive,
which played a significant role in the
negotiations with downtown merchants.
That also means there won’t be competing
Food & Farming
vendors located near similar retailers.
“There won’t be someone selling flowers
in front of the flower shop, for example.”
Further up State Street, toward the
Heney lot, vendors will face inward along
the north side of the Rialto bridge, leaving
the required access space for fire, police,
and medical services. “What enables the
changes is really the mix between using
the Heney lot and State Street instead
of trying to have all of the vendors on
State Street,” Groberg notes. “That opens
things up a lot.”
The additional space allows for more
vendors, too, raising the number from
50 to 60, although not all are full-time.
Bathrooms, however, will remain a
sticky issue, with no ideal solution yet
discovered. Traditionally, people have
used the bathrooms at Capitol Grounds,
but that’s created an understandable
tension with the business, as long lines
on Saturdays cause those coming in for
food and coffee to look elsewhere. In the
past, Christ Church has been used, but a
bad apple vandal shut that down. Portable
toilets are also not possible because of
scheduling, cost, and other logistical
issues. That leaves City Hall as the only
possibility, and signage will attempt to
direct people there.
Byers and the Farmers Market board
hope the new layout, increased size, and
activities will raise both attendance and
revenue for the market, as growth has
somewhat plateaued in the past few years.
“A lot of farmers markets across the state are
in a holding pattern,” explains Blackmer,
“not seeing a lot of growth or decline, and
we’re the same as everybody else in that.”
What’s inhibiting growth? “It’s basically
a lot of competition within food retail,”
Continues on Page 18
PAGE 6 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
A Message From City Hall
This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.
Montpelier Conversations
by Mayor Anne Watson
Upcoming City Conversations
Springtime for me is always a time of anticipation
and looking forward. With the start of the new
council session, we have just welcomed a new member,
Lauren Heirl, from District 1. By the time you’re
reading this, we will have set our council goals for
the year, a roadmap for the work the council hopes to
accomplish this year. They will significantly influence
how the council spends its time over the course of the
year. Some parts of our work, though, are already in
motion. Parts of the road map are already in place,
and they’re all topics I’m looking forward to working
on.
Barre Street and Main Street Corridor Study
Just last week the council heard the first draft of
the report from DuBois & King, the consultants who
have conducted a year-long study, on how the Barre
Street and Main Street corridor could be improved
for pedestrians and bikers. In the report, available on
the city website, the study discusses roundabouts, bike
lanes, traffic signals, among other things. It laid out
potential costs to make certain types of improvements
and prioritized which changes were most urgent. I
was very glad to see that the highest priority was
determining a solution for the Barre Street and Main
Street intersection. We expect the final draft of the
report and the recommendations to be done by the
end of May. Then we will be conducting public input
sessions to hear from both the Barre and Main Street
communities, as well as the city at large about their
thoughts about the study. All of the options presented
in the draft cost enough that we would have to plan for
them in the next budget. Our hope is to get feedback
from the community over the summer and early fall,
which would be in time to inform our budget process.
We could see some improvements to the Barre Street
and Main Street corridor as soon as 2020.
Downtown Master Planning Process
The council also will need to make some decisions
about what to do with the former Mowatt property,
between the rail line by Shaw’s and the Drawing
Board. We could sell it to put up a building with
parking behind it. It could be entirely green space,
or some combination. Instead of looking at this
parcel individually, we’ve decided to take a look at
the needs of our downtown more generally. What finances, so we’ll be pursuing a study to help us
does the City need? How do we prioritize additional understand the logistics involved in implementing
commercial space or green park space? This may also such a program here.
be an opportunity for us to do a little revisioning
For each of these topics look for more details about
for what our downtown could look like. We’re just
specific dates soon. They haven’t been set yet, we’ll be
at the beginning of this process. We’ll be hiring a
figuring out specific dates in the coming months.
consultant to help us walk through the Downtown
Master Planning process. We will make sure that there In other news, I’m very excited to see so much
is ample opportunity for public input and discussion. progress on the construction of the downtown transit
center and housing. That project is on track to be
Energy Efficiency
completed by August of this year. Additionally, the
Another conversation that I’m looking forward to bike path extension beyond Granite Street is also
concerns energy efficiency. We recently had a very making good progress and is also set to be finished in
close passing vote about whether the city should be August of this year.
able to make ordinances regarding energy efficiency
Charter Amendment Update
and disclosure. As a result of the close vote, it became
clear that we need more public dialogue about how to The council and I continue to follow the three
proceed. After the council sets its goals for the year, charter amendments as they progress through the
we will likely start to have some meetings dedicated legislature. I’ve testified in the House Government
to just talking through potential energy efficiency Operations Committee twice, once on behalf of the
incentives and policies. So hopefully I will have more single-use plastics charter amendment, and once
to share about that for an upcoming issue. to testify regarding the non-citizen voting charter
amendment. Both times I went to testify the committee
Trash, Recycling, and Compost
had engaging and thoughtful questions. Municipal
A couple of months ago I visited Brattleboro’s solid charter changes are allowed to follow a different
waste district. They have had lots of success with timeline than normal bills. Even though we’re a little
municipal trash collection, recycling, and composting. past the half-way point in this legislative year, we’re
Every home has access to curbside composting in still on track with our amendments. There are votes
addition to trash and recycling collection. Not coming up, so hopefully the legislature will support
everyone uses the curbside composting service, but the will of Montpelier voters! I’m very grateful to our
residents can all get a deal on the compost that’s representatives Mary Hooper and Warren Kitzmiller
generated from Brattleboro’s food scraps. According for their work on these issues and on behalf of the city
to their data, each household generates about twelve of Montpelier.
pounds of compostable material each week. Eight of
Thank You for Giving Back!
those pounds are material that could be composted in
a typical home composting pile, while four pounds per There are so many reasons to love springtime, but
week are meats and cheese, etc., that should not go into one of them is that we start to see our neighbors
a home composting pile. Their system, though, really more out and about, on the bike path, or at outdoor
only works if it’s combined with curbside municipal events. It reminds me of what a wonderful place
trash and recycling. this is to live. Ultimately, I love Montpelier for its
people. I am so thankful for all of you who give back
This prompted the council to create a working
to our community. I’m so thankful for those of you
group to look into the issue for Montpelier. Could
who volunteer your time, donate financially, or have
this system or some variation of this system work for
professions that are working to make the world a better
us? Burlington and South Burlington are looking into
place. I don’t think our volunteers and public servants
municipal trash and recycling collection. Could we,
are thanked enough, and I want to recognize that
as residents, be saving money if we had municipal
so many members of our community are engaged in
trash and recycling collection? This is very normal in
making Montpelier a wonderful community. Thank
other municipalities across the US, why hasn’t it been
you for your work.
done here? Could we increase the access Montpelier
residents have to composting, especially for meat and
dairy waste? Of course all of this depends on the
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 7
Taking Stock
Addressing Hunger in Montpelier
By Joseph Kiefer
Community volunteers work to keep the shelves stocked with locally
donated fresh, frozen, packaged, and canned food at the Montpelier Food
Pantry in the basement of the Trinity Methodist Church.
If you always do what you’ve always done,
you always get what you’ve always gotten.
- Unknown
S
o what do you do if you lose your
job and have to choose between
food and fuel for winter warmth,
suffer a family crisis that uses up all your
savings, or separate from your partner
and live alone with your children?
If you live in Montpelier the answer is
simple—you can go to the Montpelier
Food Pantry and get a week’s worth of
food, eat a hot lunch at one of the local
churches during the week, and escape
the freeze at one of the warming centers
from 5 to 8 pm. For overnight in the
winter, Bethany Church is open seven
days a week.
What we’re seeing in the Montpelier
area is typical of much of the country.
Photo courtesy of Joseph Kiefer.
Churches, nonprofits, and volunteers are
all pitching in and lending a hand to our
neighbors in need. This failure of our
government and the continuous shredding
of the safety net have left communities to
mostly fend for themselves. As one of
the richest countries in the world, it is
immoral that anyone should go hungry;
not have a safe, warm place to sleep;
and not have the medical attention and
care we all deserve. We seem to have
confused our priorities deciding that
national defense and militarism are more
important than defending dignity and
respect for all human beings, regardless
of race, religion, and sexual orientation.
The Montpelier Food Pantry for
example, a program of Just Basics, Inc.,
has seen a tripling in need over the past
three years, with more than 50 volunteers
helping to organize everything from
Food & Farming
food donations to patron coordination,
stocking shelves, and facilitating shopping
each week—Tuesday through Saturday
from 10 am to noon. Yet with all this
compassion and seeking of justice, we are
barely staying ahead of the need and have
no real organized system within the city.
From 10 am to noon on Saturday,
April 27, the Food Justice Committee of
Just Basics, Inc. is hosting a community
conversation called “Taking Stock” at
Trinity Methodist Church. During the
first hour we will hear from Montpelier
churches and nonprofit organizations
who are on the front lines, serving
lunches and evening meals and providing
emergency food to our neighbors in need.
In hour two we will work in small
groups to explore the following questions:
• How are we doing?
• Is it enough?
• How could we do better and more?
• How could we pool our resources
together?
• What are the unmet needs at the top of
your wish list?
We will close with a sharing and make
a plan for next steps. Anyone interested
in this conversation is welcome to attend
and participate. We hope this is just
the beginning of creating an organized
network of churches, nonprofits, and
community volunteers looking for ways
to help move us from hunger relief toward
food justice for all.
For more information or to RSVP for
April 27, please contact josephkiefer53@
gmail.com or Jaime Bedard at director@
justbasicsvt.org or call (802) 375-5369.
PAGE 8 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Setting Sun Steeps Central Vermont in Tea
By Sarah Davin
L Photo by Sarah Davin.
ike a mystical call to destiny, the
idea and design for the Setting Sun
Tea Hut in Plainfield came to Ben
Youngbaer in a dream. The small, wooden
structure, which has an incredible view
of the mountains from East Hill Road,
was designed by Youngbaer to resemble
a traditional Japanese tea hut, with 4 and
½ tatami mats covering the dimensions of
the floor.
Together with his father, Youngbaer
constructed the tea hut on his family’s
property, a few dozen feet from the
home in which he was born. Youngbaer
said, “We didn’t know how to build in a
Japanese way, and we didn’t know Japanese
architecture, which can sometimes be very
specific. They do a lot of butterfly joints
and complex things beyond my and my
father’s skill level, who has built houses in
the past.”
Although the tea hut is designed to look
like it would fit in well in a traditional East
Asian landscape, there are some details that
reveal its Vermont foundations. “Basically
we framed as you would normally frame
a wall and the floor. The roof was a little
bit more complex. It’s a hipped roof, with
cedar posts on the corners that were cut
from our woods. It’s not very precise, but I
think it works well with the atmosphere of
a tea ceremony,” said Youngbaer.
The Setting Sun Tea Hut not only its
gets its name from its excellent view of the
setting sun, but its location on the globe.
“The name Setting Sun Tea Hut comes
Inside the Setting Sun Tea Hut.
from the beautiful sunset views, but also
from Japan being the land of the rising
sun, and we’re basically on the opposite
side of the Earth, so I felt Setting Sun
worked well for that—this East meets
West vibe,” Youngbaer elaborated.
Youngbaer’s business differs from others
in that it does not primarily focus on
selling teas, preferring instead to emphasize
the educational experience. But he does
make an effort to make sure his students
have the opportunity to access the teas
he teaches about. “I do purchase tea, and
I sell some tea, but it’s not my primary
income. My focus is education, not sales,
but if I’m teaching something about tea,
I want to be able to offer some and not
just give information.” Since the tea hut’s
opening in 2015, Youngbaer has taught
more than 30 classes about tea making.
As a young person growing up in Central
Vermont, Youngbaer’s first exposure to
real loose-leaf tea was thanks to Perennial
Pleasures’ tea garden in East Hardwick. “I
never developed a taste for coffee, so I was
always seeking out other options. At a cafe
or coffee shop, what else do they have? So,
rather than blindly going in and ordering
something I wasn’t going to like just to
feel like I was using their space, I started
drinking tea and learning a little bit more
about it. I started thinking, ‘Oh, what tea
do I like? What’s going on here?’”
In 2007, while a student at Burlington
College, a visit to Dobra Tea on Church
Street in Burlington gave him an
opportunity to explore a wide variety
of teas. “I went to Dobra Tea for the
first time with some friends. I started
going there every day or every other
day. I tried to learn as much as I could
about tea. Then, I started working there
in 2010 and continued for four years. It
really took off from there.” In addition,
Youngbaer has traveled to China to
learn about tea first hand, including
visiting tea gardens and production
facilities.
Food & Farming
Youngbear hopes Setting Sun will bring
new tea enthusiasts into the community.
“I think when you have a teahouse space
that is cultivating the education, then it
just grows that network even further. I’ve
had some people come here who have not
exactly started their own tea practice but
have become more daily tea drinkers.”
Luckily, tea fanatics and initiates are in
good company in Vermont. Youngbaer
says that there is a wonderful community
and recommends the Stone Leaf Teahouse
in Middlebury, which is run by his friend,
John Wetzel, as a place to find fellow
enthusiasts. “He has had a lot of people
who worked with him over the years who
are passionate about tea and have done
some traveling to further their education.
Closer to home, North Branch Cafe
on State Street in Montpelier offers an
impressive menu of high-quality global
teas, and there’s a fine selection at Grian
Herbs on Elm Street, as well.
For those interested in learning more
about tea, Youngbaer will host an open
house at Setting Sun on April 20, from
10 am to 2 pm. Snacks will be available
and donations will help cover the cost of
the event. For a more expansive experience,
there will be a five-day summer tea retreat
from July 8 to July 12. Youngbear also
appears weekly at the Plainfield farmers
market on Friday, where he serves tea and
sells tea and tea wares.
For more information about Setting Sun
Tea Hut, visit settingsunteahut.weebly.com
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 9
Vermont Salumi Expands to Barre
By Larry Floersch
T Photos courtesy of Vermont Salumi Company.
he founder of the Vermont
Salumi Company, Peter Roscini
Colman, is no stranger to the
food and traditions of Italy. He was born
in the town of Assisi in the province of
Umbria and has been visiting his father’s
side of his family in Italy since his teens.
Colman is also no stranger to the
principles of organic farming and caring
for the land. He grew up on the Cate
Farm in Plainfield, which has been a
pioneer in the organic farming movement
in Vermont for more than 35 years.
So it is no wonder his interests focused
on a way to join together the values
and appreciation of the great-tasting
and healthy foods of his two homes. He
started Vermont Salumi in 2011 with the
mission of producing all-natural meat
products rooted in the Italian salumificio
process, using traditional methods, simple
ingredients, and craftsmanship.
The word “salumi” is not a misspelling
of the word “salami.” It is the Italian
term for what the French would call
“charcuterie” and the English would call
“cured meats.” A place where salami is
made is called a salumificio.
When he was four, he and his mom,
Sally, moved back to the U.S. from Assisi.
“I used to sing ‘Born in the U.S.A.’
with an Italian accent,” said Colman.
Eventually he and his mom ended up
at the Cate Farm when Sally Colman
married Richard Wiswall.
At the age of 13, Colman began visiting
his father’s family in Umbria during the
summers, and there he would consume
what became one of his favorite treats,
paper-thin slices of the salted and dried
ham of Italy known as prosciutto.
As he was growing up, Colman also liked
“doing things,” whatever that might be, so
the notion of craftsmanship appealed to him.
“One day I told my family in Umbria that
I would like to learn to make prosciutto,”
he said. “Prosciutto was something that was
very expensive and hard to get in Vermont,
and I sort of figured it would be something
I could do on the side.”
Colman’s Italian great uncle introduced
him to a butcher named Pepe Giostrelli,
who offered to teach him the craft when
he returned the next summer. The next
year and for several more after that
Colman worked with Giostrelli in his
shop and also with Pepe’s brother, who
did small scale on-farm slaughtering.
“I had one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments,
said Colman. “I suddenly felt connected
to it, and I became passionate about
it. And even though the slaughtering
process had been very challenging and
eye-opening for me, I came home,
bought three piglets, raised them,
Food & Farming
slaughtered them myself, and processed
all the meat.”
The results were just OK he said, but
as he gained more experience, both on
his own in Vermont and working in meat
processing in Italy, friends who tried his
products began to encourage him to go
into business. He also looked at what
was happening in the cheese industry at
the time, with the exploding artisanal
movement, and thought maybe there was
a business in artisanal cured meats.
As happens with many entrepreneurial
ventures, Vermont Salumi started small,
in a 16 x 19-foot room attached to
Colman’s apartment. After he got his
introductory meat retail license from
the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, he
began selling his fresh sausages at farmers
markets. Then, as he underwent the state
and U.S.D.A. inspection processes, he
expanded to restaurants and retail markets
in Vermont, such as Hunger Mountain
Co-op, and then out of state. You can
now find Vermont Salumi products in
supermarkets like Hannaford as well.
When Robin Morris of the Mad River
Food Hub in Waitsfield heard Colman
was interested in producing dry-cured
meats, he encouraged him by offering to
Continued on Page 13
PAGE 10 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
More Vermont Farmers are Getting their Goats
By Tim Simard
Photo by Tim Simard.
I
t’s dinner time at Ayers Brook Goat
Dairy Farm. As if forming a wave,
hundreds of goats jump up and
clamor toward the fences, bobbing their
heads awaiting their meals. Farm owner
Miles Hooper shovels hay and other feed
to the hungry animals; the bleating of
the goats is soon replaced by chewing
and snorting.
“They are a lively bunch, especially
around feeding time,” Hooper says.
Ayers Brook Goat Dairy Farm sits
alongside its namesake stream just north
of Randolph village. It’s here where
you can find one of the state’s largest
goat dairy farms. As traditional dairy
farming in Vermont struggles—the
volatile milk market in recent years has
helped cause many farms to close—
some local farmers are looking to either
diversify or completely change how they
operate.
Goat dairy farming might be an answer to
some of Vermont’s agricultural challenges.
“To me, it makes so much sense, and
I’ve seen a lot more farmers warming up
to the idea,” Hooper says.
Diversifying Vermont’s Dairy Farms
Earlier this month, farmers and state
officials met at the Northern Tier Dairy
Summit in Jay to discuss the challenges
facing dairy farming, as well as potential
solutions. One of the major discussions
centered on diversifying dairy farms, says
Dave Martin, president of the Vermont
Sheep and Goat Association. Martin
also owns and operates Settlement Farm
in Underhill, where he raises sheep and
two goats.
“[The farmers] have the land, they have
the equipment, they have the skills,” he
says. “They’re always looking at different
ways to make money, like with making
maple syrup or selling hay.”
With goat farming, there may be a real
opportunity for dairy farmers to switch
herds, he says. “There’s a real demand
out there for goat milk. The milk and
goat cheese are becoming very popular,
so it might be a viable option for some
farmers.”
In fact, in an April 2 WCAX story
about the summit, Adeline Druart,
Food & Farming
president of Vermont Creamery noted,
“We need a lot of milk. We are looking
at 7 to 10 million pounds of goat milk—
additional goat milk—that we are going
to need over the next five years.”
Life on a Goat Dairy Farm
Hooper believes goat farming has a
bright future in Vermont, especially in
a state that prides itself as a leader
in agricultural affairs. Vermont’s dairy
farms, in most cases, aren’t massive
operations like you would find in the
Midwest and in other states that aren’t
as mountainous, he says. Instead,
Hooper believes farmers in the state
could run a large operation of hundreds
of goats with less acreage, overhead, and
environmental impact than some dairy
farms.
“Vermont has a real opportunity to
grow and support goat dairy,” Hooper
says. “We, as a state, need to look at
agricultural operations that best fit our
landscape.”
In many ways, Ayers Brook Goat
Dairy Farm was created to be a model
for the state’s growing goat dairy
industry. Vermont Creamery turned an
old farmstead into a goat dairy farm
in 2012. Hooper took over operations
2017, acquiring the farm from Vermont
Creamery and the company’s co-founder
(and Hooper’s mother), Allison Hooper.
Today, Miles Hooper runs a tight ship.
Continued on Page 14
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 11

OP-ED The Gut-Brain Connection

By Brooke Isabelle
Food & Farming

anti-anxiety medication (e.g., Xanax), long rounds of antibiotics (e.g., Amoxicillin)—

stress (personal, environmental, etc), poor sleep quality, pollution/toxin exposure, and
even unnatural skincare products and makeup can have a seriously negative impact.
In balancing the gut microbiota, one can start with introducing more fermented
foods into the diet such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso. These powerful superfoods
are chocked full of beneficial probiotic bacteria that our guts love and thrive on. Sipping
organic bone broth regularly is another way to increase gut health. When correctly
made, bone broth is packed full of collagen, nutrient-dense animal fat, amino acids, and
minerals that our tummies just eat up.
All of our body systems are connected, but the gut-brain connection remains
chronically underappreciated. Choosing food mindfully and taking care of our well
being through healthy lifestyle choices can make all the difference.
Brooke Isabelle is a certified nutritional therapist and can be reached at
awakening-nutrition.com

D
r. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS, states that “dietary changes over the last
century—including industrial farming, the use of pesticides and herbicides, and
the degradation of nutrients in foods—are the primary forces behind growing
mental health issues like depression.”
Scientists and researchers are continuously acquiring more evidence that supports
the concept that our gut health has a major influence on our emotional behavior and
mental health. We first and foremost need to understand that our gut contains trillions
of microorganisms that we call the human intestinal microbiota.
Imbalances associated with the microbiota have been linked to neurodevelopmental,
inflammatory, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. “An increasing number of
human disease conditions, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), type 2 diabetes,
obesity, allergies, and colorectal cancer are linked with altered microbiota composition,”
according to the American Society for Microbiology. Indeed, if our gut microbiota is
out of shape, at least 12 neurotransmitters connected directly to neurological health are
affected. This can show up as the common anxiety one would experience daily, brain
fog, cognitive trouble, and so on.
Unfortunately, people continue to face obstacles around nutrition and mental health
on a regular basis, many of which are located right on the labels of most of the foods
in the standard American diet—food additives, artificial colors, pesticides, antibiotics,
carcinogens, high-fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, monosodium glutamate (MSG),
aspartame, and, of course, refined processed sugar. They can be extremely toxic to all
body systems, especially the gut and brain, and can cause life-threatening diseases.
In addition, lifestyle also has a major impact on our gut health and microbiota, whether
we are aware or not. Prescription medications—such as antidepressants (e.g., Prozac),
PAGE 12 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
OP-ED Where Conversation Meets Food
By Mary Alice Proffitt
S
pring is springing in Vermont, and
everyone is excited for planting and
the arrival of our outdoor farmers’
market. After the long winter, our bodies
and spirits crave the satisfaction of having
our hands in the dirt and the rewarding
experience of eating fresh food. But food
alone is not enough to sustain our well-
being. Good conversation is, in my
opinion, just as important for health and
happiness. Combine the two, and receive
both food for the belly and food for the
soul.
Enrich your mealtime with more
conversation by adding these following
strategies to your daily meals.
Cheers to your health and happiness
this spring!
Set the Table
Even if you’re just bringing takeout
home, take a few minutes to really set the
table with napkins, silverware, and fresh
flowers or candles. Clear away papers and
junk and create a special space that sets
the stage for slowing down and making
the meals less about consuming food
and more about fellowship and human
connection.
Start your Meal with a Tradition
Pass the squeeze around the table
while holding hands, ring a bell, read a
poem aloud, say an “OM” or a prayer,
share a moment of silence, sing a song—
whatever you choose to do, begin your
meal time with a tradition that calls
yourself and everyone with you into the
present moment.
Ask a Dinner Question
Open your meal with an open-ended
question like “If you could be teleported
to anywhere in the world for one day,
where would it be and why?” or “If you
had a superpower, what would it be and
how would you use it?” The only rule we
have at our house is that you can’t repeat
someone else’s answer.
Keep a Dictionary Handy
Park the devices out of reach and
instead keep an old-fashioned dictionary
by the table. A great conversation starter
is to pass the dictionary around and
have each person flip through it and
randomly pick out a word. Words such
as “nincompoopery” and “guitarfish”
aren’t just fun for kids to read aloud, they
also create opportunities for discussion of
science, history, the arts, and language
itself.
Discuss the Headlines
News is happening every day, and
mealtime is a chance to digest that
news together and make important
connections. When controversial subjects
arise, try to move the conversation around
so that everyone at the table can weigh
in. Give introverts fair time to speak. If
emotions run high, ensure that everyone
feels welcome and safe expressing their
opinions.
Practice Manners
While manners can often feel old-
fashioned or out of touch to many, it’s
important to remember that practicing
manners with our family and friends
Food & Farming
is just a way to live a life of mutual
respect. Manners are subjective and
relate distinctly to each person’s culture
and upbringing, but taking the time to
practice them helps us communicate well
with others.
Look Back, Look Forward
Mealtime is a chance to both reflect and
to look forward. Recognizing together a
raise at work or great schoolwork creates
pride in a job well done. Likewise, talking
together about the calendar and looking
forward to upcoming holidays or trips
creates opportunity for conversation.
Expand your Family
If you live alone, invite a friend to join
you for a meal once a week. After all,
friends are the family we get to choose.
And if you live in a busy household, keep
your eyes out for people in the community
who may benefit from sharing a meal
with you and yours.
Mary Alice Proffitt is the owner of Down
Home Kitchen in Montpelier.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 13

Vermont Salumi to Expands to Barre Food & Farming

Continued from page 13

varieties of fresh sausage—red wine and “We’d like to make some larger format
garlic, traditional Italian with fennel salamis, not just the small retail ones we
and a touch of red pepper, rosemary make now. And we hope to get into
with red wine, Mexican-style fresh traditional Italian products from specific
chorizo, and maple breakfast sausage— parts of the pig, such as guanciale from
and three varieties of dried cured the jowls, cappacola from the Boston
salami—fennel, red wine and garlic, butt, loma or lonzino from the loin, and
and pimenton, which is a Spanish-style pancetta from the belly.”
dried and cured chorizo with sweet Fans of prosciutto, however, will have
and smoked paprikas and red pepper. to wait. Although Colman has made it
You can also get traditional ham, called for himself and will continue to do so,
he says it is something they are not yet
build a space for that processing. “We prosciutto cotto in Italian, which is
ready to pursue on a commercial scale.
were the first company in the state with brined with maple syrup and smoked in
“It takes a year or more to make
a plan to make traditionally fermented a smokehouse.
prosciutto,” he said, “To be viable at
and aged salami,” said Colman. As far as the move to Barre, Colman
the commercial level, you need to buy
Colman began by sourcing his pork said that they have been using the
a lot of whole hams, and you need a lot
only from Vermont but now goes out facilities at the Mad River Food Hub for
of space in which to age them. From a
of state, too. “We only use high-quality about five years, but they’ve outgrown
small business perspective, you are tying
pork and work with farms that raise their the space. The space in Barre in the old
up a lot of money, which is not good for
pigs in ways that meet our standards, Homer Fitts location will allow them to
cash flow. But someday, perhaps.”
such as no antibiotics in the feed, a expand and try some new things. He also
For more information, visit
vegetarian diet, space to move around, hopes to add a retail presence on Main
vermontsalumi.com.
and access to the outdoors,” he said. Street, perhaps by the end of the year,
Vermont Salumi currently offers five but for now it’s all about the processing.
PAGE 14 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
More Vermont Farmers are Getting their Goats
Continued from page 10
Alongside his wife, Daryll, and a small
Photo by Tim Simard.
number of employees, Hooper milks
about 400 goats of various breeds. They
milked more than 500 at one point but
scaled back to hone their business.
“Right now, we’re not in a growth
mode, we’re in a perfection mode,” he
says.
Getting Into the Business
For those who are considering
diversification or growth of their current
farmland, there is a lot to think about
when it comes to starting a goat dairy
operation. While most dairy farms have
the infrastructure needed to switch to
goat dairy, some farmers should be aware
of the challenges of changing herds.
“Goats take much more hands-on
management. It’s not like switching
from large cows to small cows. These
are very different animals,” says Carol
Delaney, a Montpelier resident who
runs a consulting business for dairy and
goat farming.
“Goats tend to eat more grain and
feed than a cow, which, depending on a
number of factors, could make it more
expensive in that area,” she adds.
Environmentally speaking, Delaney
believes goats may be less impactful. Dairy
farms often need several large manure
“lagoons” to store cow waste. Goat farmers
tend to compost goat waste, which is solid.
If a dairy farmer is interested in
switching over to goats, they must be
prepared to go all-in, she says.
Food & Farming
“You’ve got to go full tilt or not at
all. It would be very hard and not very
cost-effective to manage both cows and
goats,” Delaney says.
Also, proximity to the nearest large
goat milk buyer would be vital in keeping
costs low, she adds. In most cases in the
state, that would require being close to
Vermont Creamery in Websterville.
Ayers Brook Goat Dairy Farm,
located only about 20 minutes from
Vermont Creamery, sells them much
of its milk. Hooper also sells to Fat
Toad Farm in Brookfield for making
caramels. Separately, Hooper raises
goats for meat for his side business,
Vermont Chevon, and sells goats to Pine
Island Community Farm in Colchester.
“Like I said earlier, we run as tight
an operation as we can,” Hooper says
walking through the farm’s milking
parlor, where 40 goats can be milked
at once.
Hooper believes the more educated the
public becomes to goat milk, the more
the business will boom in the state. The
public will first need to overcome the
hurdle that they are drinking milk from
a goat and not from a cow, even if the
milk tastes comparable, he says.
“People have to see and taste goat milk
to understand how good it is. So much
of it is perception, and I deal with it
every day,” Hooper adds.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 15
Decision Due on After-school Plan
Montpelier School District Weighs 4 Bids for Child Care
By Tom Brown
T
he bids are in, and the next
provider of licensed after-
school programs for students in
kindergarten through sixth grade should
be chosen by early May, Montpelier
school officials say.
The Montpelier-Roxbury School
District received four proposals,
including a bid from the current
provider, Community Connections,
which had performed those services
for more than a decade. Some parents
were not pleased early this year when
the district decided to put the contract
out for bids in an attempt to increase
the number of students who could
participate in the program.
Proposals were received from
Community Connections, the
Montpelier Recreation Department,
the After School Collaborative, and
the YMCA organization. The bids will
be evaluated by an advisory committee
that includes school board members
and parents at a public meeting at
noon on Thursday, April 25, at Union
Elementary School. The committee
will score each of the bids and forward
its recommendation to Superintendent
Libby Bonesteel, who will make the
final selection.
The district will pay the winning
provider $37,338 in FY 20 to provide
“students, ages 5–14, with safe,
engaging, high quality, and affordable
programming after the school day,”
according to the district’s request for
proposals. Last year the district paid
$36,000 to Community Connections.
Community Connections is under the
auspices of the Washington Central
Supervisory Union (WCSU), which
governs the U-32 district schools. The
City of Montpelier separately contributes
$5,000 for the services. These allocations
are in addition to fees paid by families
enrolled in the program.
School officials said the competitive
bid process was opened because it wants
more capacity for student enrollment,
more flexibility in after-school programs,
and extended-day enrichment at both
UES and the Main Street Middle School.
Bonesteel said Community Connections
is licensed for 69 students a day at
UES and, with increasing enrollment,
the district’s RFP requires the bidder
to serve at least 85 students a day at
UES and 40 at MSMS. There are 432
students at UES and 365 at MSMS.
Bonesteel said she was concerned that
fifth- and sixth-graders, who are not
necessarily old enough to be left alone
after school, were not being well-served
by the current limit of 25 unlicensed slots
provided by Community Connections
at MSMS. There are 95 fifth-graders
currently at MSMS, Bonesteel said.
The district would like to achieve
greater collaboration with the after-
school provider and also hopes to add a
position for an extended day enrichment
Education
provider to help form a bridge for older
students between middle and high
school.
“We want to grow that opportunity
for kids within our own system and put
the weight of the district behind it so
that we can grow it, sustain it, and make
it something top notch in the state,”
Bonesteel said.
Bonesteel, who has acknowledged
missteps in the early handling of the
change to competitive bid, said she
understands parents’ concerns over
possibly replacing an organization like
Community Connections, and hopes
families will be pleased with whichever
bid is chosen.
“Our goal is to choose the program
that is going to be the most engaging
for our kindergarten through sixth-
graders,” she said.
A link to the proposals can be found
online at:
mrpsvt.org/afterschool-parent-forum
PAGE 16 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Montpelier Rotarian Emily Gould:
Working with Rwandans
By Nat Frothingham
A
few days ago, I sat down and talked at length
with Montpelier resident Emily Gould, who
by training and work experience is a lawyer,
mediator, law professor, and now—with the help of the
Montpelier Rotary Club and Rotary International—a
critical player in a peace-building project in the African
country of Rwanda. This comes on the 25th anniversary
of the Rwandan genocide—the 100-day murderous
rampage (April to July 1994) that took the lives of up to
one million Rwandan people.
To Rwanda Through Vermont
Gould’s journey to Rwanda went through Williamstown,
Vermont, about 12 miles south of Montpelier, where she
and her family moved in 1988. Her first job in Vermont
was as a lawyer in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office,
where she was director of the state’s Medicaid Fraud
Unit. Most of what she did there was to protect patients
and others in Medicaid-supported facilities from what she
called “staff-on-patient” abuse.
Such abuse was not new, but putting an end to it
was part of a great change that was sweeping across the
country. Said Gould, “I got to be a part of a movement
that arose out of a collaboration between the women’s
movement, law enforcement, and new understandings of
trauma that reshaped society’s relationship with its most
vulnerable members—namely people with disabilities
and children and women who were victims of intimate
partner violence.”
Photo of Emily Gould by Nat Frothingham.
After nine years, Gould left the fraud unit to spend some
time with her children and family. Hers was one of five
families that started the Orchard Valley Waldorf School
in East Montpelier, and helping it get on its feet, Gould
said, “was one of the most wonderful experiences in the
life of my family.” While starting Orchard Valley, Gould
was able to bring her substantial powers of mediation
to resolve conflicts and other issues that needed ironing
out. In due course, Gould began to study mediation at
Woodbury College in Montpelier.
Activism
Comparing the practice of law with the power of
mediation, Gould said, “Practicing law is good at
stopping bad things from happening. But it often has
very little to do with making good things happen in the
world.” Mediation, on the other hand, can be a powerful
tool. Mediation and restorative justice can answer two
of Gould’s most searching questions: How does society
respond to the trauma of a crime? And how do you create
a society that responds to people’s needs in the face of
mass trauma?
Gould’s First Visit to Rwanda
In an interesting twist, it was not Gould who was the
first family member to visit Rwanda; it was her 14-year-
old son, Aaron. Said Emily, “I was homeschooling Aaron
in Montpelier, and he participated in a workshop on
nonviolent communication that I offered as part of the
city’s celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
That connection led Aaron to visit Rwanda as the
youthful assistant to Montpelier resident and civil rights
thinker, writer, and activist Paij Wadley-Bailey.”
After Aaron came back to Vermont from Rwanda,
Gould was introduced to Eric Rwabuhihi, a Rwandan
then living in Montpelier and working for the state. It was
Rwabuhihi who told Gould about the more than 30,000
community-elected mediators across Rwanda who were
charged with resolving about 80 percent of disputes in the
country. This community mediation system was modeled
after Rwanda’s pre-colonial dispute resolution process.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 17
Continued from previous page
Emily Gould presents a Montpelier Rotary banner
to the president of the Kigali Rotary Club, Saudah
Nalule. Photo courtesy of Emily J. Gould.
Intrigued by what she had heard about mediation in
Rwanda, Gould gathered together a small exploratory
team of mediators and trauma recovery specialists
from Mediators Beyond Borders International for a
three-week visit to Rwanda in the summer of 2011.
Discussing what she had learned from that team visit to
Rwanda, Gould said, “Atrocities have consequences,”
and those consequences spread to everyone. Out of a
total Rwandan population of about 12 million people,
the genocide had taken the lives of about one million,
and it is estimated that three million participated. Said
Activism
Gould, “There is a general understanding in Rwanda
that politically engendered mass violence traumatizes
everyone—victims, perpetrators, and bystanders.”
On that exploratory visit Gould and her team met
Pastor Augustin Habimana, who was coordinating
the Ihumure Peace Association. What he said they
needed from the exploratory team from America was an
understanding of how to mediate with people who are
traumatized. But as Gould observed the work of these
Rwandan mediators, she realized mediation and peace-
building going forward already at a sophisticated level.
“I felt I had come to holy ground,” said Gould
about the effectiveness of the Rwandan community
mediators. “It took my breath away.” The mediators
were compassionate and non-judgmental. “You don’t
often find those capacities in your average, volunteer Photo courtesy of Emily J. Gould.
mediator, and it was especially impressive given the
context in which this mediation was happening.” in mediation, but before long they told us what they
She is also high in her praise for Habimana. “He’s really needed was a permanent home from which to
a peace-building genius,” who had brought members operate.” In order to respond to this need, Gould co-
of the Association’s clubs to meet Gould and her team, founded African Peace Partners, a U.S. non-profit, for
including a women’s club, a mediation club, a youth the purpose of helping Ihumure create a safe space for
club, and a club for survivors and recently released their work.
prisoners. “I’m looking over the room,” said Gould.
Rotary’s Commitment to Peace-Building
Facing this mix of people relating to each other, Gould
asked herself, “Who is a survivor? Who is a mediator? Gould was at a Mediators Beyond Borders conference
Who is a perpetrator? You can’t tell.” in Istanbul, Turkey, when she learned about the Rotary
“Initially,” said Gould, “Ihumure asked for training International’s commitment to peace-building. In 2013,
Continues on page 20
PAGE 18 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE

Farmers Market Comes to State Street Food & Farming

Continued from page 5

she continues, noting new pressure from
Photo courtesy of Farmers Market.
delivery services like HelloFresh and CSAs.
“Some people might call farmers markets
an antiquated method for shopping, but I
don’t,” Blackmer notes.
Furthermore, for all the talk of
local sourcing in Vermont, it still only
constitutes 12.9 percent of total food and
beverage sales in the state according to the
2018 Farm to Plate Annual Report, which
while significantly more than 2010, still
leaves the vast majority of Vermonters
shopping at chains and such.
Byers hopes to hurdle some of these
issues with greater accessibility and
presentation, particularly to lower income
families, a goal based in part on her own
experiences at the market. “Coming from
a lower income family I was daunted by
the farmers market because often things
aren’t labeled clearly how much things
cost, and it can be a pretty big shame
trigger for folks already needing support,”
she points out. “I really want to make the
farmers market more accessible for low
income families so they can come in and
not have to ask, ‘Hey, do you accept this?’
She would also love to see the market go
zero waste, but acknowledges the logistical
challenge of that, considering there is yet
to be an easy and effective alternative to
bagging produce in plastic or disposable,
compostable plastics. Perhaps using paper
bags is a step forward, she considers. “It’s
not zero waste, but better.”
But this is all in due time, as she’s
busy enough getting the ball smoothly
rolling for 2019. “My main focus right
now,” Byers explains, “is being the liaison
between the storefronts and vendors on
the street and cultivating a lovely sidewalk
culture hopefully. I know it’s so ideal,
possibly naive, but I really want everyone
to be happy and have their needs addressed
quickly.”
So attendees of the market should expect
to see her running hither and thither
on the opening day, weaving the entire
enterprise together. If she doesn’t come to
you, you should be able to find her easily.
“I’ve been advised to get a funny hat, so
people can find me in the market.”

Celebrate Spring During Montpelier Mayfest

S
o much happens the first
weekend in May that we dubbed
it Mayfest! Montpelier is alive
with more than 18 annual events
taking place, including, on Saturday,
Green Up Day, the opening day of the
Capital City Farmers’ Market on State
Street, the Onion River Outdoors Bike
Swap, the Kiwanis Club All-You-Can-
Eat Pancake Breakfast, Three Penny
Taproom’s 10th Annual Montbeerlier,
Roam Vermont’s birthday celebration,
and lots more. The All Species Day
parade, a favorite for locals of all ages,
and Julio’s Cantina’s Cinco de Mayo
are not to be missed on Sunday.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 19
Hazen’s “Students Without Borders” Presents
Concert to Support Spanish-Mexico Study Program
J oin Hazen Union High School and the Highland
Center for the Arts for a Cinco de Mayo festival
celebration, featuring a concert by renowned singer-
songwriter Tish Hinojosa to benefit the Hazen Students
Without Borders Spanish Travel-Study program’s trip to
Mexico City.
Hazen Union High School is partnering with the
Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro for the concert
at 3 pm on Sunday, May 5, which will help raise funds
to defray the costs of Hazen’s Spanish language students
participating in a travel study and language immersion
program in Mexico City in June. Opening for Tish
Hinojosa will be Vermont favorites, The Sky Blue Boys.
Photo of Tish Hinojosa courtesy of David Kelly.
One of 13 children born to Mexican immigrant
parents in San Antonio, Hinojosa has dedicated her
career to playing music from the Southwest, starting
out in Tejano before moving on to singer-songwriter
folk, border music, and country. Her latest album, West,
includes a tribute to the missions in her home town
(“Church of the Mission Bell”). She has drawn acclaim
for her “borderless” approach to music, and writes and
sings in both Spanish and English.
The Hazen Spanish class travel study program will be
based in Mexico City during the first two weeks of June.
Students will share their learning and experience with
other classes and groups upon their return to Vermont.
Music
“I’m tremendously excited about this trip, as it will be
one of my first times traveling out of the country,” said
Mariana Considine, a member of the Hazen Spanish
class. “It will be an opportunity to broaden my view of
the world, expand my perspectives by interacting with
students in Mexico.”
International exchange and study programs are
dependent on donations and fundraising. This year
Kay Freedy has been working with area organizations
such as the Highland Center for the Arts to make
these opportunities more available to Hazen’s students.
According to Freedy, these types of international
programs are essential for schools that “seek to develop
young adults with a strong sense of civic responsibility,
a commitment to their communities, an awareness
of current and global issues, and strong interpersonal
leadership skills.”
This benefit is also supported by Community National
Bank, Lamoille Valley Ford, Radio Vermont, and the law
firm of Biggam Fox Skinner.
Tickets are available at highlandartsvt.org. Adult tickets
are $15; student tickets are $10. Prior to the concert,
audience members are invited to enjoy a Cinco de Mayo
brunch at Hardwick Street Café, located inside Highland
Center for the Arts. Call (802) 533-9399 for reservations.
PAGE 20 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Working with Rwandans
Continued from page 17
she joined the Montpelier Rotary Club,
and as a club member, put together some
modest proposals seeking Rotary help to
benefit the center. The club’s first grant
was to help purchase potato seeds for
potato starts that would assist the peace
clubs at Ihumure. A second Rotary grant
helped Ihumure finish a building they
had acquired to serve as their center. Then
very recently, the Montpelier chapter
applied for and received a much larger
Rotary grant for $70,500 to complete
and furnish the peace center’s building
over a two-year period. The grant will also
support expanded services and establish
the financial sustainability of the center.
A Renewed Concept of Justice
Although this genocide, with its
terrifyingly destructive impacts, took
place 25 years ago, imagine the situation
in the immediate aftermath of the
slaughter. Said Gould, “The civil law
system developed by the Europeans had
been destroyed. Most of the judges had
either been killed or fled.”
In the days and months after the
genocide, Gould said, “You had all these
people accused of committing genocide,
crimes, stealing, and damaging property.
People were being held and put in jail
while they awaited trial.” There was
confusion and dysfunction.
Faced with a problem of this magnitude,
it became immediately apparent that
the traditional court system would be
wholly inadequate. In the circumstances,
the Rwandan government devised the
community-based process mentioned
earlier, roughly modeled on a pre-colonial
conflict resolution process known as
Gacaca. Gacaca means “crushed grass,”
from when people used to sit and crush
Activism
the grass to talk things out. The post-
genocide Gacaca was also an outdoor
community process of people sitting
on the grass—a process of eliciting
information about what had happened,
and when and where, “so that survivors
would know where the remains of their
families were and how they died.” Those
who confessed and asked for forgiveness
had the opportunity to reduce their prison
term by half and serve the rest of their
sentence in community service camps.
Speaking of Rwanda’s community
mediation-based legal system, Gould said
“This is the opposite of our legal system.
We go to court first. Then sometimes
a case under our system is sent back
to the community. But in Rwanda, the
community is the first forum. Only if it’s
unsuccessful, will it move to the court.”
One reason Rwandans have been able
to do this is because of their culture.
Certainly, in Rwanda there were vestiges
of the colonial mindset, which Gould
described as “racist and adversarial.” But
she also observed that the Belgians were
only in Rwanda for 40 years, and most
Rwandans retained a memory of their
culture before the Belgians arrived, a
culture that was based on reconciliation
and problem-solving.
According to Gould, “Rwandans know
the consequences of politically motivated
hate, and they know that justice isn’t
really justice if it doesn’t address people’s
needs as well as their rights.’
“I wouldn’t be investing as much of my
life energy and time in this,” said Gould of
her support of the Ihumure Peace Center
and peace-building activities in Rwanda,
“if I didn’t think that we, as Americans,
have a great deal to learn from it.”
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 21
PAGE 2 2 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
OP-ED
A
fter the better part of a life-
time in politics, the one thing
that still drives me absolutely
bananas is when myths or incorrect as-
sumptions about an issue or cause are
in circulation that benefit one party or
another. Sometimes those myths are
actively propagated. Unfortunately, the
dustup over the parking garage and
hotel project approved by city voters has
its share of challengeable or outright
incorrect mythology, and in the final
analysis it’s not good for the city.
First of all, if we’re to be honest, the
idea that the garage and hotel project
can be separated into two projects is
patently, demonstrably untrue—as has
been said time and time again. Any
remaining insistence that you can be
against only one of them and not the
other is not credible. Opponents of the
garage and hotel have been told this
frequently enough that I sincerely hope
this particular fallacy is no longer in ac-
tive circulation.
Second, it is not a true statement that
opposing the garage and hotel is envi-
ronmentally responsible. In fact, oppos-
ing the project runs contrary to Ver-
mont’s most fundamental and signature
environmental priority.
To keep Vermont Vermont, genera-
Got a news tip? We
want to know!
Send it to editorial@
montpelierbridge.
com
or mdunphy@mont-
pelierbridge.com
On Garage and Hotel, Let’s Keep it Real
By John Odum
tions have advocated for the need to
promote compact urban development
over continued sprawl. That’s the only
way to protect our landscape as well as
limit the use of cars in this most rural
of states. Being located in a walkable
downtown is an advantage over a loca-
tion that is miles from everything of
interest, in terms of vehicle use and the
subsequent emissions generated.
And regarding sprawl, one thing is
certain: this hotel is happening some-
where. If not here, it—and its parking
needs—are going to Berlin. Nobody
disputes this. That means more sprawl
on a portion of our nearby landscape
that’s already overdeveloped.
There’s also the matter of infrastruc-
ture for electric cars. It’s another fallacy
to suggest that a parking garage can
only serve as infrastructure for fossil-
fuel vehicles. There is nothing inher-
ently gasoline-powered about a parking
space.
The move from a carbon economy is
not going to be a move to abandon cars,
it will be a move toward zero-emission
cars—a move that has already begun, if
incredibly slowly. Not only will electric
vehicles need parking places, too, a ga-
rage will provide a more efficient means
for deploying charging stations than
going down each block and installing Berlin. There is no in between on the
them next to parking meters. The cur- table, or even possible.
rent garage design already comes with And if opponents do feel that killing
quite a few charging stations, in fact. the hotel and garage is the right thing
Finally there’s the one that really gets to do, they should say it loudly and
to me. The myth that the litigants’ ef- proudly and not allow these myths to
fort will simply improve the project, or spread further. Run it up the flagpole
allow for more time and input, is in full and see who salutes. Make the case and
circulation. give their neighbors the benefit of the
Make no mistake, this legal challenge doubt to draw their own conclusions on
of the Development Review Board’s go- the merits of their effort.
ahead decision, if successful, will kill John Odum lives in Montpelier and
the garage and hotel—not improve it, serves as city clerk.
not take more time with it, not get more
public input, but kill it dead—for now
and for all time. It will not come up a
second time if it goes down from this
challenge.
At this point there are two—and only
two—possible outcomes; the garage and
hotel project happens or it doesn’t. it’s
worth noting once again that the latter
runs afoul of Montpelier voters, who
made a clear choice for compact urban
development over further sprawl.
And it probably should go without
saying that the opponents have the ad-
vantage. All they need to do is run a
delaying action long enough for the
project to get priced out in the face of
steadily increasing building costs, or for
Hampton Inn to give up and head to
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 23
OP-ED
W
e are some of the community
members participating in
the appeal concerning the
Montpelier Development Review Board’s
(DRB) approval of the city’s application
to build a municipal parking garage. This
parking structure is supposed to serve a
hotel and provide permit parking and some
public parking. We are appealing a decision
made by the city’s DRB that we believe did
not meet the requirements of the city’s own
zoning regulations. Let us be clear: we are
not against a private landowner developing
his or her own property.
We understand the chronology of the
bond vote to be as follows: In The Bridge
City Did Not Follow its Own Rules
By Rebecca Davidson, also signed by Les Blomberg, Chuck Daghlian, Dot Helling, and Andrea Stander
(July/August, 2018) City Manager Bill
Fraser stated that the proposed Hampton
Inn and Suites project had been given a
permit for a 200-space parking garage,
but “the overall project is not financially
feasible if the developer builds both the
hotel and the garage on their own.” The
proposed public-private partnership would
increase the size of the parking garage by
an additional 148 spaces and would be
paid for by a bond vote in the November
7 election. City Council discussions took
place on August 22, September 12, and
formal public hearings on September 26
and in October. The Development Review
Board held two public hearings, one on
October 29 and one November 5—two
days before the election.
On November 7, 2019, a $10.5-million
bond item was included on the general
election ballot, and the vote was 2459 to
1877 in support of the bond article. At
the time of the election, voters had had
only about 2 and 1/2 months to consider
the implications of this project, which will
indebt the city for 30 years.
In the lead-up to the November public
vote, a number of citizens realized that
the DRB was possibly not abiding by the
zoning regulations. At the November DRB
meeting, a petition was circulated that met
the requirements under Vermont State law
that allow citizens to appeal a DRB decision
should they believe that it is flawed.
On December 13, the DRB released its
decision. We reviewed the decision and
found it seriously defective. We hired a
lawyer and 18 people agreed to be formal
appellants in the legal appeal to the
Vermont Superior Court’s Environmental
Division. Here is a summary of the concerns
submitted to the Court:
1. Was conditional use approval required
for a nonconforming use project? If
so, no conditional use application was
submitted to the DRB or subject to
public notice.
2. Does the project satisfy conditional use
standards under the zoning ordinance
regarding location, size, height,
building bulk, yards, courts, setbacks,
density of buildings, off-street parking,
loading facilities, traffic, noise,
lighting, landscaping, and screening?
3. Does the project comply with the
zoning ordinance requiring 30 feet of
street frontage, setbacks, and a number
of other considerations
4. Does the project comply with
ordinances that deal with pedestrian
access, alternative transportation, street
trees, parking lot landscaping, and
screening?
Since the filing of the appeal, our group
has met with the mayor, a council member,
and members of the retail business
community (including representatives
of Montpelier Alive and the Montpelier
Economic Development Corp.). We have
been in steady communication with the
city manager, and are now in confidential
negotiations with the city and hotel
developers.
The appellants are a diverse group of
people with differing views on whether
the hotel/garage project is a good idea
for the city. We all agree, however, that
how the city handled the development
and permitting of this project was deeply
flawed. If the city does not follow its own
rules, how can it expect others to do so?
Montpelier’s Master Plan states the
following:
“Our vision is to excel as a creative and
sustainable community. More specifically,
we seek to safeguard the natural
environment and enhance our small-town
setting.”
We believe the city’s process leading up
to the November 7 bond vote did not live
up to fulfilling this vision.
Unfortunately, this rushed and
inadequate planning process has created a
situation that has divided our community.
We sincerely hope that whatever the
outcome, the community can come
together to support an economically and
environmentally sustainable future.
(Dot Helling is a former advertising
representative of The Bridge.)
Design & Build
Custom Energy-Efficient Homes
Additions • Timber Frames
Weatherization • Remodeling
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring
Tiling • Cabinetry • Fine Woodwork
PAGE 24 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
New Associate Managing Director at LNT
Danielle Wiransky Introduces 2019 Season and Herself
By Danielle Wirsansky
M
oving from Florida to Vermont
was a big change. As I packed
my bags for the migration
north, I was shocked to discover that I
owned zero pairs of waterproof boots,
one winter-ish coat, and only two pairs
of long pants. Who knew you would
need more?
It was daunting.
However, what made the decision
to move to Montpelier so easy and
exciting—despite snow in April—was
the opportunity to work with Lost
Nation Theater (LNT). I was ecstatic
to accept the newly created position of
associate managing director with the
theater for several reasons.
The first was the opportunity to work
with one of the best regional theaters in
the country. In addition to the artists
working with LNT, each season the
theater creates incredibly well-thought-
out and diverse programming. Its mission
(particularly breaking boundaries,
taking dramatic risks, and courageously
making things happen), speaks deeply
to my own personal mission as a theater
maker.
The productions in the 2019 season
are no exception.
Beginning with The Turn of the Screw
(April 25–May 12), I was already excited
that it is an adaptation of a classic tale
made for the stage. When I finally read
the script, I was so impressed by the
way that the playwright handled the
multitude of characters, distilling them
all down so that the entire story could
Photo by John Snell of Laura Erle and Christopher Scheer as
the Governess and the Housekeeper respectively in Henry
James’ The Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher.
be performed by only two actors, while
maintaining the tension needed to tell a
true ghost story. Now meeting the team
making it happen, I know we’re in good
hands.
Next on the schedule is The Complete
History of Comedy (Abridged), which
honestly made me laugh out loud—even
as I was only reading the script. I can’t
wait to see the many shenanigans that
brought me to tears actually acted out
on stage. It is truly a complete history
of comedy, so if you like funny things,
this show is sure to appeal to you. It runs
May 25–June 16.
Before starting at LNT, I was busy
finishing up a master’s degree in history,
with a focus on World War II and the
Holocaust. So, you can only imagine
how excited I was to learn that Cabaret
would be in our season, (July 11–28).
This dazzling show takes place in 1920s
Germany, during Hitler’s rise to power,
and packs a political punch that is just
as timely and relevant now as it was
when Kander and Ebb’s Tony-winning
musical was first produced.
In college, I got dual degrees in
theater and English so it’s likely no
surprise I am a huge Shakespeare nerd.
I certainly nerded out when I discovered
that Shakespeare’s Will will be running
September 5–15. A one-woman show,
audiences get the details of Shakespeare’s
Arts
life from an infamous figure in his life—
his wife, Anne Hathaway. She finally
gets the last word!
That literature geek inside of me
went into overdrive when I saw that in
addition to Shakespeare, LNT would
also be mounting Pride and Prejudice.
This iconic story is particularly delightful
in Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation, and
audience members lucky enough to
catch a performance of it (Oct 3–20)
will quickly understand why this story
has stood the test of time.
As if LNT’s phenomenal season and
high-quality of work were not enough,
I was also incredibly impressed by the
theater’s commitment to community
with all of its outreach, collaborations,
special events, and education work.
The season is about to begin and to
celebrate, we are hosting two events:
The Kick-Off Cabaret (April 18) and
the Opening Gala (April 26). The first
features such musicians as Rick and the
Ramblers (with Taryn Noelle), Dana and
Susan Robinson, and Mark LeGrand;
while the Gala will feature bestselling
Vermont author, Chris Bohjalian, whom
I have been a big fan of since reading his
Sandcastle Girls in 2015.
I am so excited to become part of
the LNT family and a member of the
Montpelier community. I can’t wait to
share what we cook up next. Right now,
I know exactly where I belong—even if
there is more snow than I am used to.
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 25

Spring Comes to Montpelier!

Photos by Terry Allen, www.terryjallen.org
PAGE 26 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE

Kiwanis Club of Barre Honors for Scholars Banquet Education

K
iwanis Club of Barre’s 38th Annual
Honors for Scholars Banquet. Honoring
Spaulding High School seniors who are
members of the Pro Merito Society. Pro Merito
Society members are required to have a cumulative
average of 3.0 or greater for seven semesters.
Seventy-seven members of the Spaulding High
School Class of 2019 are members of the Pro
Merito Society.
The banquet was held at the Canadian Club
in Barre Town on Monday, April 8th, 2019.
Guest speaker was Jen Kimmich, Class of 1990
Spaulding H.S. graduate and co-owner of the
Alchemist Brewery in Stowe, VT.

Photos by Rick McMahan.

T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 27
Community
Events
Events happening
April 17–May 3
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
The Christ Church Community Lunch.
11 am–12:30 pm. 64 Main St., Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Trumbo. This 2007 documentary (not the 2015
biopic) focuses on Dalton Trumbo, the highest paid
screenwriter in Hollywood before losing his job in
1947. In 1960 he was the first to break the blacklist.
Discussion with Rick Winston follows. An Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute program. 12:30 pm.
Savoy Theater, 26 Main St., Montpelier. Free for
OLLI members; $5 suggested donation for others.
Meet Rural Vermont. Meet your local small
farm advocacy organization and learn about
the past and current work they do to cultivate
local agricultural and food systems that nourish
the very communities in which they are nested.
5–6:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op community
room, Montpelier. info@hungermountain.coop
Mid-Week Movie: Ralph Breaks the Internet.
6–8 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5 suggested donation.
highlandartsvt.org
PoemCity: All Poems Are Not Pretty: A Poetry
Reading. Geza Tatrallyay and Peter Fox Smith
share profound concerns for the future of our
planet and the human condition. 6 pm. Vermont
Humanities Council, 11 Loomis St., Montpelier.
Sounds Good: Music Themed Movies. Round
Midnight. 7 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School St.,
Marshfield. Jaquithpubliclibrary.org
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
Older Vermonters Caucus. Hear about the
legislative issues affecting older Vermonters. Topic:
Older Vermonters as caregivers. 8–9 am. Vermont
State House, Room 10, Montpelier.
Trinity United Methodist Church Community
Lunch. 11:30 am–1 pm. 137 Main St., Montpelier.
Third Thursday: The Tool & the Tool-Maker.
The stories of Vermont Quaker Wheelwright
Samuel Morison with Nora Rubinstein. Noon.
Vermont History Museum, 109 State St.,
Montpelier. Free. vermonthistory.org
Award-Winning Poet Nancy Mitchell Reads.
Mitchell’s poetry collections include “The Near
Surround,” “Grief Hut” and “The Out-of-Body
Shop.” She is an associate editor of “Plume Poetry.”
4:30 pm. Stearns Performance Space at Northern
Vermont University-Johnson. Elizabeth.Powell@
NorthernVermont.edu
Vermont’s Farming Heritage and the Next
Generation of Farmers. Learn about the Vermont
Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program’s successes,
including farms that sell to Hunger Mountain
Co-op. 5:15–6:30 pm. Hunger Mountain
Co-op community room, Montpelier. info@
hungermountain.coop
Cannabis Microdosing for De-stressing. What
is microdosing and why do women do it? If you are
looking to understand how cannabis interacts with
your body and brain and want to improve your
health and wellness or simply feel better. 6:30–8:30
pm. Center for Integrative Herbalism, 252 Main
St., Montpelier.
Calendar of Events
Performing
Holy Thursday Mass. 7 pm. St. Augustine
THEATER, DANCE,
Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier.
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
Arts
Maundy Thursday. Tenebrae worship of light and
shadow. 7 pm. The Old Meeting House, April 25–28: The Pirates of Penzance. The
1620 Center Rd., East Montpelier. Northern Vermont University-Johnson Performing
oldmeetinghouse.org Arts Department will present Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera. April 25–27 at 7 pm; April 28 at
2 pm. Dibden Center for the Arts, NVU-Johnson. $10. Reservations: 635-1476.
Yestermorrow’s Spring Speaker Series:
Composting Toilets with Jason Kass. Kass will April 25–May 12: Lost Nation Theater presents The Turn of the Screw. Psychological thriller based
on Henry James’ famous novella. Thurs.–Sat. at 7 pm; Sun. at 2 pm. City Hall Arts Center, Main St.,
share stories of designing and building composting
toilets abroad and in natural disaster zones. Montpelier. $15–30. lostnationtheater.org
Ask questions about local codes, zoning, and April 26: Kathleen Kanz Comedy Hour. A wide range of talented standup comics from here and
Tiny Houses, and hear how composting toilets away working longer sets. 8:30 pm.Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. Free/by donation.
can contribute to the sustainable rejuvenation 479-0896. espressobueno.com.
of Vermont’s small town centers. 7 pm. Free. April 27: The Coffee House. Live music, readings, and improv by professional and local talent.
Yestermorrow Design/Build School, 7865 Main 6:30–9:30 pm. United Church of Northfield, 58 South Main St., Northfield. $10 donation. Interested
St., Waitsfield. yestermorrow.org in performing? Contact 485-3770 or 279-7251.
Timberdoodling (a.k.a. Woodcock Watch).
We will listen and watch for the mesmerizing Café Anna in College Hall, Montpelier. Free. Ages hard-boiled eggs, gefilte fish, matzah ball soup,
courtship flight of the American woodcock 15+. Limited to 12 students. vcfa.edu/writing- wine, and grape juice. Please bring a Kosher-for-
(a.k.a. Timberdoodle), which nests along the publishing/news Passover dairy/vegetarian dish to share for side
North Branch of the Winooski near our nature PoemCity: Integrating Personal and Political: dish, main dish, or dessert. 6–9 pm. Beth Jacob
center. 7–8:30 pm. North Branch Nature A Reading with Sue Burton and Carol Potter. Synagogue, 10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier. Adults
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $5–10. Both poets live in Vermont, but their poetry $18; children $9. bethjacobvt.org
northbranchnaturecenter.org takes you places you’d never dreamed of—and Saturday Easter Vigil Mass. 7 pm. St. Augustine
PoemCity: Music of the Earth. A shared poetry that you can’t stop thinking about! This reading Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-5285
reading by friends Marjorie Ryerson and Scudder is for all ages, but most appropriate for adults. Contra Dance. Mary Wesley calling. Music by
Parker. Ryerson will share poems about our Noon–2 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Russet Trio: Aldo Lavaggi, Stuart Kenney and Peter
connection to the natural world, poems inspired St., Montpelier. Madsen. All dances taught. 8–11 pm. Introductory
by music. Parker will read poems about family, Planting History: Abenaki Planting School. session at 7:45 pm. Capital City Grange Hall, 6612
gardens, nature, loss, and hope. 7 pm. Kellogg- Two-hour workshop on Historic Abenaki crops Rt. 12, Berlin. Adults $10; kids and low income $5;
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. and planting techniques. 1:30 pm. Vermont dance supporters $15. Please bring clean, soft-soled
History Museum, 109 State St, Montpelier. Free. shoes.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Registration required: vermonthistory.org
PoemCity: Containing Multitudes: Writing SUNDAY, APRIL 21
A Community Passover Seder. Join in retelling
Poetry from Your Alter Egos. This interactive the story of the Exodus from Egypt with readings Intergenerational Worship. With communion.
workshop, led by Samn Stockwell, will begin with from the Reconstructionist Haggadah “A Night 7 am. The Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd.,
prompts to locate another voice, and end with of Questions.” Matzah, haroset, seder plate foods, East Montpelier. oldmeetinghouse.org
creating poems that use a dialog between your voice
and your alter ego. Ages 18+. 12:30–2 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier
Good Friday Service. 3 pm. St. Augustine
Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier.
What’s in a Picture Frame? Learn about the
significance of picture frames and their history,
styles, materials, and how they related (or don’t)
to the art they surround. 7 pm. St. Johnsbury
Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St. Johnsbury.
PoemCity: Roads Taken: Contemporary
Vermont Poets. Poets Chard deNiord, Geof
Hewitt, Major Jackson, Sydney Lea, Kerrin
McCadden, Verandah Porche, Elizabeth Powell,
and others will read their poems from the 2nd
edition of Roads Taken: Contemporary Vermont
Poetry, edited by former Vermont state poet
laureate, Sydney Lea, and current Vermont state
poet laureate Chard deNiord. 7 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Annual Egg Hunt in Hubbard Park. For
children aged 12 and under (and their parents).
Chocolate for everyone! 9:45 am. Hubbard Park,
Montpelier.
Freeride Montpelier Spring Bike Sale. All
proceeds are reinvested in the shop. We provide
a DIY space to work on your own bike, and our
volunteers serve as an educational resource for
bicycling, maintenance, and repairs. Used adult
bikes $20–200; all used kids bikes $10.
10 am–1 pm. 89 Barre St., Montpelier.
freeridemontpelier.org
VCFA MFA in Writing & Publishing
Community Classes: Fun with Forms Poetry
Workshop. In this workshop, we’ll read poems in
various forms, then play with fun and easy forms
in our own writing, including the abecedarian,
the “telephone number poem” and the cinquain.
All levels of experience are welcome! 10 am–noon.
Vermont College of Fine Arts, room across from
PAGE 28 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
EXHIBITS
Visual Arts
Through April 19: Thom Egan, On Making
Pictures. Wood block prints, lithographs, and
colored low reliefs. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant
St., Morrisville. riverartsvt.org.
Through April 24: Linda Bryan, Deeper than
Blue: Cyanotypes and Printmaking. Quimby
Gallery in Harvey Academic Center at Northern
Vermont University-Lyndon.
Through April 26: Northern Vermont
University-Johnson Student Exhibit. Jeremy
Daigle, Alexis Mayfield, Tamara Peel, and Faith
Thibault. Reception: April 18, 3–5 pm. Julian
Scott Memorial Gallery in Dibden Center for the
Arts, NVU-Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
Through April 26: Susan Bull Riley,
Illuminating Wonder. Bull Riley challenged
herself to push past the watercolor’s traditional
boundaries of pure transparency, and her
background in botanical watercolors, to create
large landscapes with heightened surface
complexity more typical of oil painting. The
Gallery at Central Vermont Medical Center, 130
Fisher Rd., Berlin. susanbullriley.com
Through April 26: Ray Brown and Toby
Bartles, Steps on a Journey—An Exhibit of
Two Vermont Painters. Both artists share much
in common with the second generation abstract
expressionists, as they both draw influence for
painterly choices from immediate surroundings
such as landscape or architecture to create inner
meaning. The T. W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery.org
Through April 26: Central/Northeast
Kingdom Vermont Watercolor Society. Works
by works of Janice Avery, Lisa Beach, Joann
DiNicola, Gary Eckhart, Terry Hodgdon,
Susan Bull Riley, Michael Ridge, and more. The
T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
vermontwatercolorsociety.com
Through April 26: Looking North—
Catamount Artists Connect. Nineteen visual
artists from Catamount Arts in the Northeast
Kingdom show their work in the Spotlight
First Presbyterian Church Community
Breakfast. 7:30–9 am. 78 Summer Street, Barre.
Easter Sunday Mass. 8 am. North American
Martyrs, 3674 Rt. 2, Marshfield. 223-5285
Easter Festival Worship. With full choir. 9:30 am.
The Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East
Montpelier. oldmeetinghouse.org
Easter Sunday Mass. 10 am. St. Augustine
Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier 223-5285
Filipino Easter Mass. 1 pm. St. Augustine
Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier 223-5285
MONDAY, APRIL 22
Community Lunch at Unitarian Church
Montpelier. 11 am–12:30 pm. 130 Main St.,
Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch. Noon–1
pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Off Grid Living vs Living On the Grid. Join
us as we take an in-depth look at off-grid solar,
battery back-up and traditional grid-tied solar.
With Catamount Solar. 5:30–6:30 pm. Hunger
Mountain Co-op community room, Montpelier,
Sign-up: info@hungermountain.coop
PoemCity: Mary Oliver Tribute Poetry
Reading. Poets Didi Jackson and Kris Gruen will
pay tribute to Mary Oliver, the wonderful and
much-loved American poet who passed away in
January. 6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier
Calendar of Events
Gallery’s latest exhibition at the Vermont Arts
Council. Vermont Arts Council, 136 State St.,
Montpelier. vermontartscouncil.org
Through April 27: Mad River Rug Hookers.
Considered both a craft and an art form, rug
hooking with its variety of colors and textures
appeals to both young and old alike. Numerous
styles and techniques will be on display at this
exhibition by the Mad River Hookers. Demos
on Saturdays through April 27, 1 –4 pm. 5031
Main Street, Waitsfield. valleyartsvt.com
Through April 28: The Front presents
SHOW 31. Recent works by the membership of
Montpelier’s sole collective art gallery. 6 Barre St.,
Montpelier. thefrontvt.com
Through April 30: Out, Around, and Back
Again. Paintings from Sally Giddings Smith
since leaving Vermont 30 years ago. The
Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East
Montpelier. oldmeetinghouse.org
Through April 30: Promises of Spring.
Watercolors by Marcia Hammond of Brookfield.
Chelsea Public Library, 296 Rt. 110, Chelsea.
685-2188.
Through April 30: Art, Illness & Beauty—A
Personal Account of Recovery through
Painting. Join the Washington County Mental
Health Services Recovery Community in
celebrating the art of Alexis Kyriak.
Through May 1: Jane Pincus—Paintings
From the Past 6 Years. Eight colorful painting/
collages. The Drawing Board, 22 Main St.,
Montpelier. aggiesmee@tds.net
Through May 2: Ruth Pope. Landscape
paintings. Jaquith Public Library, Old
Schoolhouse Common, 122 School St.,
Marshfield. 426-3581
April 26–May 7: Northern Vermont
University-Lyndon Student Art Competition
Exhibit. Quimby Gallery in Harvey Academic
Center, NVU-Lyndon. NorthernVermont.edu
April 29–May 10: Northern Vermont
University-Johnson Student Exhibit. Dreanna
Dolan-Godin, Kalob Gabree, and Travis Noyes.
Reception: May 1, 3–5 pm. Julian Scott
Memorial Gallery in Dibden Center for the Arts,
NVU-Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
TUESDAY, APRIL 23
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Bike Montpelier to Adamant with Green
Mountain Club. Easy. About 15 miles. County
Road to Bliss Pond Rd. to Adamant Rd. to Center
St. to Bliss Rd. to County Rd. Lunch at the
Adamant Coop. Leave from Morse Farm at 10 am.
Contact: George Plumb, 883-2313 or
plumb.george@gmail.com.
PoemCity: In Defense of Butterflies: Poets for
Migrant Justice. A reading & fundraiser with Nico
Amador, Cynthia Dewi Oka & Natalie Scenters-
Zapico. Poets will read original work that touches
on issues relating to border culture, migration, and
social justice. 7 pm. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main St.,
Montpelier
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
The Christ Church Community Lunch.
11 am–12:30 pm. 64 Main St., Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Mid-Week Movie: A Star is Born. 6–8 pm.
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St.,
Greensboro. $5 suggested donation. highlandartsvt.
org
Gleaning and Our View of Food. Allison Levin,
Director of Community Harvest of Central
Vermont, takes you through the lens of gleaning
to explore your relationship with food. 6–7:30
Through May 25: Matt Larson, Terroir.
Abstract paintings and collage. Terroir is a French
word that means, in its most basic sense, “earth”
or “soil.” Closing reception: May 17, 6–8 pm.
Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop, 5 Stowe St.,
Waterbury. AxelsGallery.com
Through May 26: The Dialects of Line,
Color, and Texture. A visual discussion with
artists Elizabeth Billings, Frank Woods, and
Elizabeth Fram. Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
April 30–May 31: T.W. Wood Member
Exhibit. Among the exhibiting artists include
Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr, Becky Cook, Patricia
Knoerl Johnson, Margaret Lampe Kannenstine,
Kenneth Saxe, Jayne Shoup and Bonny Willett.
The exhibit will include paintings, photography
and fiber art. Opening reception and artists
talk: May 3, 4–8 pm. 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
twwoodgallery.org
May 3–31: Maike Garland. Woodcarver.
Reception: May 3, 4–8 pm. The Cheshire Cat,
28 Elm St., Montpelier. cheshirecatclothing.com
May 1–June 1: Student Art Show. Featuring
artwork from Stowe Elementary, Middle School,
and High School, Mountain River School, and
Rumney Memorial School. Reception: May 1,
3–6 pm. Helen Day Art Center, 90 Pond St.,
Stowe. helenday.com
Through June 1: Thomas Waterman Wood:
The Master Copies. A selection of Wood’s
master copies from the T.W. Wood Art Gallery
collection. While Wood was in Europe he fell in
love with the paintings of the European Masters,
including Rembrandt and Turner. Following
current fashion, Wood copied paintings to learn
techniques from the masters. T.W. Wood Gallery,
Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery.org
April 30–June 28: Awakenings: Current
Work by Kate Longmaid and Tom Merwin.
Longmaid explores what is revealed in
the intimate moments of seeing through a
contemporary approach to portraiture and
still life. Merwin’s painting process expresses a
layering of symbol and spirituality, using nature
as a doorway to the expression of existential
concerns. Opening reception and artists talk:
May 3, 4–8 pm. T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre
pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op community room,
Montpelier, Sign-up: info@hungermountain.coop
Free Personal Money Management Classes.
Budgeting, debt management, credit building,
financial future planning, and smart car buying.
6–7:30 pm. Capstone Community Action,
20 Gable Pl., Barre. 477-5215
Showing Up For Racial Justice: Living Room
Conversations About Racism. Practice Session to
Interrupt Hate and Talk about Racism: This session
supports us in taking bold steps to intervene in
everyday racism in our communities, through
skill building and practice. 6:30–8:30 pm.
Jaquith Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
Jaquithpubliclibrary.org
Railroad Wrecks. Waterbury Historical Society
Annual Business and Election of oOficers meeting
followed by presentation on railroad wrecks by
Brian Lindner. 7 pm. Waterbury Municipal
Building, Steele Community Room, Main St.,
Waterbury. 244-8089
Charm City, Indie Lens Pop-Up. Filmed during
three years of unprecedented violence in Baltimore,
Charm City delivers a powerful and candid portrait
of those on the frontlines. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
THURSDAY, APRIL 25
Older Vermonters Caucus. Learn about issues
being discussed at the State House affecting older
Vermonters. Topic: Health & Wellness: falls
prevention, mental health, substance abuse. 8–9
St., Montpelier. twwoodgallery.org
Through June 28: Vanishment. Mixed media
work by Janet Van Fleet Vanishment. Explores
the fraught relationship between humans and
the natural world, using, in part, materials that
Van Fleet has repurposed from previous bodies of
work. 111 State St., Montpelier.
April 29–July 10: Sunshine and Shadow. An
exhibit of paintings by Ann Young. Reception:
May 23, 5–7 pm. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant
St., Morrisville. riverartsvt.org
Through Oct. 25: The War of Ideas:
Propaganda Posters from the Vermont
Historical Society Collections. Visitors can
examine how posters have been an important
part of the wartime effort, for everything from
recruitment to support on the homefront.
Vermont History Center, 60 Washington St.,
Barre. 479-8500. vermonthistory.org
Through Dec. 21: 200 Years—200 Objects.
An exhibition celebrating Norwich University’s
bicentennial. Curated to include objects from the
museum collection, as well as documents and
images from Archives and Special Collections,
that reflect and retell the university’s 200-year
history. Norwich University Sullivan Museum
and History Center, Northfield. norwich.edu
SPECIAL EVENTS
April 24: Art Gallery and Poetry Reception:
Endangered Medicinal Plants by Jesse
LoVasco. Art gallery reception and poetry
reading featuring the work of Jesse LoVasco,
herbalist, artist, and poet. 5:30–7 pm. North
Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier.
northbranchnaturecenter.org
May 1: The Road to Recognition: The
Abenakis and the State of Vermont. Governor
Phil Scott and the Vermont General Assembly
proclaim Abenaki Recognition & Culture Week
with a new State House exhibit. Ceremony in
State House lobby with drumming, dancing
and singing to follow on the State House lawn.
4–6 pm. 115 State St., Montpelier.
May 3: Montpelier ArtWalk. 4–8 pm.
Downtown Montpelier. montpelieralive.org
am. Vermont State House, room 10, Montpelier.
Northern Vermont University-Johnson Career Fair.
About 50 employers will participate from sectors that
include health care and social services, nonprofits, state
and federal government, law enforcement, tourism
and hospitality, and other fields. 11 am–2 pm. NVU-
Johnson, SHAPE Center. NorthernVermont.edu
Trinity United Methodist Church Community
Lunch. 11:30 am–1 pm. 137 Main St., Montpelier.
Build a Story. Like to build and construct with
blocks? Celebrate Poetry Month with a reading of
Science Verse by Jon Scieszka and a special voting
build challenge. Ages 5–12. 3–4 pm. St. Johnsbury
Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St Johnsbury
Dinner and Discussion: Local Food. Dinner
provided by the Co-op starts at 5:30 pm, followed by a
panel discussion featuring local food experts and Q&A
with the Co-op council. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Yestermorrow’s Spring Speaker Series: Historic
New England Architecture with Seth Kelley and
Jamie Duggan. Experience the historic architectural
styles of New England’s landscape with a fresh
approach, investigating vernacular interpretations and
vintage design/build solutions. 7 pm. Yestermorrow
Design/Build School, 7865 Main St., Waitsfield.
Free. yestermorrow.org
Death Café. Join us for this casual, engaging, and
life-affirming conversation about death and dying. Free
informal small-table discussion. 7 pm. St. Johnsbury
Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St. Johnsbury. Abby
Pollender: 748-7473
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 29
Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9212.
Bagitos.com
April 18: Italian Session, 6 pm
April 19: Dave Loughran, 6 pm
April 20: Irish Session, 2 pm; Barry Bender,
6 pm
April 21: Eric Friedman Folk Ballads, 11 am
April 23: Liz Hogg, 11:30 am
April 25: Italian Session, 6 pm
April 26: Latin Dance Party, 7 pm
April 27: Irish Session, 2 pm
April 28: Southern Old Time Music Jam, 10
am
May 2: Colin McCaffrey and friends, 6 pm
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Tues.: Karaoke, 7:30 pm
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479-
0896. espressobueno.com.
April 26: Abby Jenne (rock), 7:30 pm
Gusto’s. 28 Prospect St., Barre.
gustosbarvt.com folk-legends Dana & Susan Robinson; and
April 18: DJ Bay 6, 8 pm indie folk & blues cowboy Mark LeGrand.
April 19: Tim Brick, 5 pm; My Mothers
Moustache, 9 pm, $5, 21+
April 20: Jamie Carey, 6 pm; GLOW Party
Featuring ELMT, 9:30 pm, $10 advance/$15
day-of show, 21+ Experience. Classic rock. $10. Canadian Club,
April 25: DJ Bay 6, 8 pm 414 E. Montpelier Rd., Barre.
April 26: Elizabeth Renaud, 5 pm; Dirty
Looks, 9 pm, $5, 21+ April 19: Samara Piano Quartet. Featuring
April 27: Papa Grey Beard, 6 pm; DJ KAOS,
9:30 pm, 21+ pre-concert talk: “Chamber Music Inside Out:
May 2: Open Mic Night, 8 pm The Creative Process Involved in Performing
PoemCity: The Poetry Society of Vermont
Reading. The Poetry Society of Vermont was
founded in 1947 and has published The Mountain
Troubadour since 1960. President George
Longenecker will introduce poets Steven Cahill,
Judith Janoo, Ellen Parent, David Stauffer, and
Diane Swan. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier
FRIDAY, APRIL 26
Northern Vermont University-Lyndon Open
House. For prospective students and their families.
Meet students, faculty and staff; learn about financial
aid and academic programs; tour the campus
and have lunch. 9 am–2:30 pm. NVU-Lyndon.
NorthernVermont.edu/LyndonOpenHouse
Family-Friendly Film Screening. Ages 8+.
3:30–5:30 pm. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. Donations welcome. 225-
8694.
Jon Steinman Book Tour: Grocery Story: The
Calendar of Events
May 3: Ricky Golden, 5 pm; NOS482, 9 pm,
$5, 21+ $15; students $10. highlandartsvt.org
Whammy Bar. 31 W. County Rd., Calais.
whammybar1.com
Every Thurs.: Open Mic, 7 pm
April 19: Bella and the Notables (jazz
standards) 7:30 pm
April 20: Bob Hannan and Friends, 7:30 pm
April 26: The Revenants, 7:30 pm
April 27: Democratic Fundraiser w/ The
Laddies, 7:30 pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
April 17: Kind Bud. Grateful Dead Night with
guest percussionist, Vaughn. 7–10 pm. The Zen
Barn, 179 Guptil Rd., Waterbury Center. Free
April 18: Christ Church Concerts at Noon.
Lenten Reflections: Organist Lynnette Combs
and baritone Arthur Zorn. Part of the spring
series of lunchtime concerts.
Noon–12:45 pm. Christ Church sanctuary,
64 State St., Montpelier. Bring a bag lunch.
April 18: The Kick-Off Cabaret. A benefit
concert celebrating the start of Lost Nation
Theater’s 31st season. With emcee G Richard
Ames, the swinging sounds of Rick & The
Ramblers (featuring Taryn Noelle); Vermont
7:30 pm; seating at 7pm. Montpelier City
Hall Arts Center, Main St., Montpelier. $20
advance; $25 at door. lostnationtheater.org
April 19: Heartless. A Heart/Zeppelin
Mozart, Turina, and Brahms. There will be a
Someone Else’s Work.” 7 pm. Highland Center
promise of food co-ops in the age of grocery.
Through penetrating analysis and inspiring stories
and examples of American and Canadian food
co-ops, Grocery Story makes a compelling case
for the transformation of the grocery store aisles
as the emerging frontier in the local and good
food movements. Hunger Mountain Co-op
community room, Montpelier. Sign up: info@
hungermountain.coop
Classic Movie Night: Rear Window. 7 pm. St.
Johnsbury Athenaeum, 1171 Main St.,
St. Johnsbury.
PoemCity: What Inspires. Join Vermont poets
(and friends) Megan Buchanan, Didi Jackson,
Major Jackson, Kerrin McCadden, Elizabeth
Powell, and Diana Whitney as they read new
poems. Q&A follows. 7 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier
Once & Future Space Prom. Wear your favorite
incarnation of a King Arthur genderbending
character at this “Space Prom” with VCFA authors
Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy, co-authors
for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
April 19: The Quebe Sisters. The three siblings
and their band deliver progressive western swing
with fiery fiddles and sweet vocal harmonies.
7:30 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St.,
Barre. $25–29.50. barreoperahouse.org
April 21: Seven Stars All-Comers Jam. Enjoy
a laid-back time of forming a new community
music gathering. Fiddles, mandolins, cellos,
guitars, ukuleles, banjos, flutes, accordions,
harmonicas, recorders, concertinas, percussion,
etc. We encourage folks to bring goodies to
share for our food table in the main hall upstairs
where we will be playing. 4 pm. Seven Stars
Arts Center, 5126 VT 14, Sharon. 607-226-
3956
April 22: The Capital Orchestra presents
a Spring Concert. The program is a classical
sampler with pieces by Gabrieli, Beethoven,
Dvorak, Grieg, and Rossini, plus a wild
Russian sailors’ dance and two favorite tunes:
“Shenandoah” and “Over the Rainbow.”
7:30 pm. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free; donations accepted. 223-8610
April 25: Christ Church Concerts at Noon.
The Green Mountain Horn Club with founder
Alan Parshley. Part of the spring series of
lunchtime concerts. Noon–12:45 pm. Christ
Church sanctuary, 64 State St., Montpelier.
Bring a bag lunch.
April 27: The Coffee House. Live music,
readings, and improv by professional and local
talent—Paula Gills, Donna Thunder and the
Storm, Emma Cerutti, Malayna Johnson,
and more. 6:30–9:30 pm. United Church of
Northfield, 58 South Main St., Northfield. $10
donation. 485-3770 or 279-7251.
April 27: Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage.
of Once & Future. 8 pm. Bear Pond Books, 77
Main St., Montpelier. $5. bearpondbooks.com
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
Walk Sodom Pond with Green Mountain Club.
Adamant. Easy. 5 miles. Contact Mary Smith,
505-0603 or Mary Garcia, 622-0585 for meeting
time and place.
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Sustainability Saturday. Community clothing
& book swap, cell phone & battery recycling,
environmental workshops, and an expert in the
bulk aisle. 8 am–2 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op,
Montpelier. hungermountain.coop
Northern Vermont University-Johnson Open
House. For prospective students and their families.
Meet students, faculty, and staff; learn about financial
aid and academic programs; tour the campus
and have lunch. 9 am–2:30 pm. NVU-Johnson.
NorthernVermont.edu/JohnsonOpenHouse
Huddled round a single microphone, singing
intimate duets with just mountain dulcimer,
dobro, and guitar Sanders and Savage are an
acoustic duo that look and sound classically
timeless. 7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. $20; students
$10; seniors $16. highlandartsvt.org
April 27–28: Vermont Philharmonic. Hear
a grand Dvořák symphony and the world
premiere of Romanza: Serenade for Violin and
Orchestra,composed by Joseph Marcello, with
concertmaster Letitia Quante as soloist. Adults
$20; seniors $15, students $5; family $35.
vermontphilharmonic.com
April 27: 7:30 pm. Chandler Center for the
Arts, Main St., Randolph
April 28: 2 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N.
Main St., Barre
April 28: Music for an April Afternoon.
Come enjoy a showcase concert featuring
the Monteverdi faculty and special guests
Counterpoint Chorus. 3 pm. Unitarian
Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. $20;
students and seniors $15; kids under 10 free.
Benefits Monteverdi Music School and its
scholarship fund.
April 28: The Will Patton Ensemble.
Combine a jazz/choro mandolinist with a
symphony violinist who also plays bluegrass and
hot swing, add a string bass player who came of
age working the Chicago blues clubs. Spice it all
up with a first call jazz/Brazilian percussionist
and stir in a little rock & roll attitude. 4 pm.
Plainfield Opera House, Rt. 2, Plainfield. $15;
seniors $10; students $5. plainfieldoperahousevt.
org
May 3: Della Mae. All-female bluegrass band.
7:30 pm. Chandler Music Hall, Main St.,
Randolph. $36–41. chandler-arts.org
PoemCity: What if You Could Only Say Things
Once? Participants of a poetry workshop series led
by Laurie McMillan will read their creations from
the class. The class explored choosing words, lines,
and rhythm inspired by beloved poets to guide their
process. 10 am–noon. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier.
Compost Basics. CVSWMD’s Outreach
Manager Cassandra Hemenway will show you
some easy ways to get started composting and do it
successfully, and will review other ways to keep your
food scraps out of the trash. 11 am–noon. Hunger
Mountain Co-op community room, Montpelier,
Sign-up: info@hungermountain.coop
Recycle Right, from Blue Bin to Beyond. Come
learn the overview of Vermont’s recycling laws,
what goes in/what stays OUT of your recycling
bin, and what “additional” recycling is and how
to do it right and how to avoid “wish cycling.” 1–2
pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op community room,
Montpelier, Sign-up: info@hungermountain.coop
PAGE 30 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE
Junior Jam. Participants may read their own
original poetry, as well as favorite poems by
another poet. Up to 3 poems per participant. 3
pm. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St.
Johnsbury. 745-1391
“Young Adventurer’s Guide” Book Launch
and Party. Join us for a wilderness outdoor activity
fair, book reading, and presentation to celebrate the
launch of The Young Adventurer’s Guide to (Almost)
Everything: Build a Fort, Camp Like a Champ, Poop
in the Woods – 45 Action-Packed Outdoor Activities
with author Ben Hewitt, contributor Penny Hewitt,
and illustrator Luke Bushee. 3:30–5 pm. North
Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier.
Free. northbranchnaturecenter.org
PoemCity: Making Sense Workshop at AroMed.
Each participant will be guided to write responses
to essential oils by Leah Beckhoff, a writer born
and raised in Philadelphia and currently living
in Montpelier. 6:30–8 pm. AroMed, 8 State St.,
Montpelier. Space is limited. Pre-register: 505-1405
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
Parenting Through a Jewish Lens Series. Free
discussion-based classes using ancient and modern
sources for all parents raising Jewish children. Free
childcare on premises. 10:30 am–noon. Montpelier
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
RSVP: rebtobie@jcvt.org
Turkey Take Out Dinner. Turkey, stuffing,
potato, gravy, vegetable, roll, and dessert for $12.
Pick-up 4–6 pm. Waterbury Center Community
Church next to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Rt. 100,
Waterbury Center. Reservations required: 244-8089
Tiny Twilight Café. Families gather at
Downstreet’s community space for a light supper
and a chance to connect with other parents. Free
for parents and caregivers with children 3 and
under. Older siblings welcome. 4:30–6:30 pm.
Downstreet, 22 Keith Ave., Barre.
MONDAY, APRIL 29
Community Lunch at Unitarian Church
Montpelier. 11 am–12:30 pm. 130 Main St.,
Calendar of Events
Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Vermont Grape Varieties & Organic Wine
Tasting (21+). Join Doug Becker of Montpelier
Vineyards and Zea Luce from Vermont Fresh
Network for a fun, educational, and delicious mini-
workshop on Vermont grapes and wine. 5:30–6:30
pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op community room,
Montpelier. $5. Sign-up: info@hungermountain.
coop
PoemCity: VCFA’s Hunger Mountain.
Contributors to the latest issue of Hunger Mountain
and student editors from Vermont College of Fine
Arts’ Writing & Publishing MFA program will
read poems from Issue 23: Silence & Power. 6–8
pm. Café Anna, Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36
College St., Montpelier
TUESDAY, APRIL 30
Barre Congregational Church Community
Meal. 7:30–9 am. 35 Church St., Barre.
Birding at Hunger Mountain Co-op. Join North
Branch Nature Center’s Executive Director Chip
Darmstadt on an easy walk from the Co-op along
Stone Cutters Way, discovering the birds that
are attracted to the Winooski River and riverside
habitats. 8–9:30 am. Participants can meet in front
of Co-op by entrance. Sign-up:
info@hungermountain.coop
Bike East Montpelier with Green Mountain
Club. Easy. East Montpelier/Calais Back Roads.
About 20 miles. Leave from the parking area at #10
Pond in Calais at 10 am. Bring a lunch. Contact:
George Plumb at 883-2313 or
plumb.george@gmail.com.
A Growing Threat: Invasive Plants and What
You Can Do. Vermont Land Trust’s Pieter Van
Loon, Director of Forest Stewardship, and Caitlin
Cusack, Stewardship Forester, will teach you about
invasive plants in Vermont, the harm they do, and
their impact on our recreation and natural resource
economy. 5:15–6:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-
op community room, Montpelier, Sign-up: info@
hungermountain.coop
Jennifer McMahon Book Launch: The Invited.
A chilling ghost story with a twist! Refreshments,
cake, reading, and book signing. 7 pm. Bear Pond
Books, 77 Main St., Montpelier. bearpondbooks.
com
PoemCity: 10th Anniversary Celebration Open
Mic. PoemCity is 10 years old! Join us for some
Down Home birthday cake and open mic poetry.
Poets of all ages are welcome to read their original
work. Three-minute limit: sign-up at the door.
Readings will take place by lottery. 7–9 pm. Down
Home Kitchen, 100 Main St., Montpelier
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1
Bike Plainfield to Marshfield with Green
Mountain Club. Easy. Cross Vermont Trail.
About 20 miles. Bring your lunch. Contact: George
Plumb at 883-2313 or plumb.george@gmail.com
for meeting time and place.
The Christ Church Community Lunch.
11 am–12:30 pm. 64 Main St., Montpelier.
Salvation Army Community Lunch.
Noon–1 pm. 25 Keith Ave., Barre.
Talk and Book Signing: Mary Dingee Fillmore.
An Address in Amsterdam follows a Jewish family
and the resistance movement in Amsterdam
during the Nazi occupation. Reception follows. 7
pm St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St
Johnsbury
Medical Cannabis 101. We’ll cover the different
options available for using this plant as medicine
from edibles, tinctures, and topicals to so much
more. Come learn the basics from the herbalists at
Vermont Patients Alliance, the medical marijuana
dispensary in Montpelier, about how this plant
might benefit you. 7 pm. Jaquith Public Library,
School St., Marshfield. Jaquithpubliclibrary.org
THURSDAY, MAY 2
Older Vermonters Caucus. Learn about issues
being discussed at the State House affecting older
Vermonters. Topic: Older Vermonters and Elder
Justice/Elder Abuse. 8–9 am. Vermont State House,
room 10, Montpelier.
VCFA MFA in Writing & Publishing
Community Classes: Wild Minds: Read Like
a Writer Book Group. In this fun monthly book
group, you’ll dig deeply into texts and find the craft
tools writers use to construct their stories.
6:30–8 pm. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Noble
Annex 1 and Conference Room, College St.,
Montpelier. cfa.edu/writing-publishing/news
Bierstadt’s “Domes of Yosemite”: The Creation
of an Icon. Eleanor Jones Harvey, senior curator
at Smithsonian American Art Museum, discusses
the story behind Albert Bierstadt’s monumental
painting, weaving together several historical
threads to deepen our appreciation of Yosemite as
part of our national identity. 7 pm. St. Johnsbury
Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St. Johnsbury.
FRIDAY, MAY 3
The Peacham Corner Guild Opens. Featuring
small antiques, fine handcrafted gifts and specialty
foods. 643 Bayley-Hazen Road, Peacham.
PeachamCornerGuild.com
Friday Morning Spring Bird Walks. Weekly
trips to birding hot spots around Montpelier
searching for spring migrants like warblers, vireos,
thrushes, and waterfowl. Led by NBNC’s expert
birders. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm St.,
Montpelier. 7–8:30 am. Free for members; $10 non-
members. northbranchnaturecenter.org
Montpelier Rotary Mud Season Charity Raffle.
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. 6–9 pm. Vermont
College of Fine Arts, Alumni Hall, College St.,
Montpelier. $100 admits two adults.
kody.lyon@nfp.com
T HE BRID GE A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 • PAGE 31

A State of Mind: Getting the Historia Straight Comedy

By Larry Floersch

freeing slaves can come back to bite you in los glúteos. The abolition of slavery in
Mexico created a desire on the part of former Americans living in the Mexican
province of Texas to want to be free from Mexico because the Texans did not
want to free their slaves. By extension, this led to Davy Crockett at the Alamo, the
annexation of Texas by the U.S., and the aforementioned Mexican-American War.
So it’s easy to see why Mexicans don’t get all excited about Cinco de Mayo. Even
though it was a victory, it was only over the French army, and the history back then
is just too darn complicated.
It’s also easy to see how the people of Mexico might be confused about exactly
where the border is. Since at one point Mexico reached as far north as the northern
edges of California, Nevada, Utah, and Texas; and place names such as Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Albuquerque, San Diego, San Antonio, and Las Vegas are
Spanish; and many of the people in those states speak Spanish, it would be easy to
think you are still in Mexico no matter on which bank of a river you are standing.
And given the experience Mexico has had over the years with the United

C
inco de Mayo is just days away, so I’m sure that all across the United States, you would almost think they would want to build a wall to keep out their
States people are digging out their huaraches and sombreros, looking up neighbors to the north. But way down deep they know it wouldn’t work.
guacamole recipes, and beginning to review the takeout menu at local
Taco Bells. I know I personally have been searching closets for the serape I picked
up in Tijuana during my college days. At least I think it was a serape. And I think
it was Tijuana. And I think I was in college. And it might have been margaritas.
Or peyote. It’s all kind of a blur, if you know what I mean.
One would think the people of Mexico would be getting excited, too, but the
fifth of May is not such a big deal south of the border that is in the news so often
nowadays. The people of Mexico are not excited because the fifth of May is not
the Mexican Fourth of July. I repeat to all you potential revelers out there, Cinco
de Mayo is NOT the Mexican Fourth of July. I think the confusion on the part
of Americans is probably a result of the Aztec calendar. The Aztec calendar has a
260-day cycle imbedded in a 365-day cycle and 13-day weeks, or something like
that, so the Fourth of July in Mexico actually is on September 16. They also call it
El Grito de Dolores so it won’t be confused with the Fourth of July.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory by the Mexican Army over—I’m
not kidding here, look it up—the French, at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The
French were there because their leader, Napoleon III, decided to take over Mexico
to settle debts Mexico could not repay because Mexico was destitute after most
of its territory was taken by the United States in the Mexican-American War of
1846–48. That war was the result of the annexation of Texas by the U.S. in 1845,
an annexation with which Mexico oddly disagreed. After the Mexican-American
War, the U.S. ended up not only with Texas, but also what is now New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California.
In 1862 folks in the United States paid little attention to the Battle of Puebla
because, first of all, it would be at least another hundred years before taco trucks
would be plying the streets of Manhattan, and, second, the Americanos were too
busy fighting each other over slavery.
Mexico had abolished slavery 33 years earlier in 1829, and it demonstrates how

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PAGE 32 • A PRIL 17— M AY 7, 2019 T HE BRID GE