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In thIs IssuE:

Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | April 3–April 16, 2014

Did you know that the energy ef-ficiency charge on your electric bill every month helps to fund Effi-

ciency Vermont, the first statewide energy efficiency utility in the United States? I discovered this when I shadowed Kate Ste-phenson, a local volunteer trained by Ef-ficiency Vermont, on a visit to the home of a Montpelier resident interested in finding out how efficiently her home uses energy.

Efficiency Vermont was created by the Ver-

mont Legislature in 1999 to consolidate ser-vices previously provided by more than 20 Vermont electric utilities, services designed to help us save energy, lower energy costs and protect the environment we treasure.

Recently, the local Montpelier Onion River Exchange (ORE) was one of six organiza-tions to receive a share of a $100,000 Ef-ficiency Vermont grant. According to Heather Kralik, ORE’s time bank outreach coordinator, their plan is to reach more homes of owners and renters alike by pre-senting six energy efficiency and weath-erization workshops, making a minimum of 40 site visits and partnering with other organizations who can spread the word. Kralik said a site visit alone is projected to save a minimum of $200 in electric energy usage; well worth the price of becoming an ORE member. (See side bar for information about ORE, Montpelier’s local time bank, where members exchange services instead of money.)

Stephenson is one of seven volunteers visit-ing homes of ORE members. All volunteers attend a day-long training in how to do a site visit for Efficiency Vermont, but most have professional experience in the energy and building field.

The mills of the gods grind slow, the saying goes, but they grind exceed-ingly fine.

A civic committee began in the mid 1990s to investigate possible public acquisition of the so-called “Carr Lot,” also known

as 1 Taylor Street, for redevelopment as a transit center. However, it was only last week that the Montpelier City Council selected Burlington’s Redstone Commercial Group as its partner in implementing the project. Resi-dents can look forward to the transformation of the 1.16-acre parcel into a transit center and community gateway by 2016, completing an incubation process more than two decades long, but what it will all look like still remains to be seen.

City Council reached its 4-to-2 decision for Redstone based on a unanimous recommen-dation by the city’s Carr Lot Design Commit-tee. Mayor John Hollar, forgoing his personal preference for a competing proposal from Wil-liston’s DEW Properties, voted for Redstone in order to prevent a tie. Redstone’s proposal appealed to decision makers in large part be-cause, rather than presenting a finished plan, it emphasized an interactive process with the community, with the eventual design coming out of that interchange.

“The focus of this proposal is not a building and a parking lot; the focus is placemak-ing,” Redstone’s 108-page proposal begins. The document calls the Carr Lot site a place

where “a multi-modal transit center, a hotel, a bike path, a farmers’ market, river access...and future passenger rail access all come together.”

Redstone’s community-oriented approach means that the site plan could absorb a hun-dred visions and revisions. The 80-room, five-story hotel envisioned could also be a block of apartments or office space, the proposal states. However, in a March 11 public presentation, Redstone representatives described the hotel, with its construction cost of $14.9 million, as the alternative about which they felt most excited. That presentation also discussed the office and residential options for the building. These would carry price tags of $4.7 and $7.5 million, respectively, but Redstone sees the hotel as the quickest means of generating the revenue to reimburse the city for its $1.7 mil-lion investment in the entire project.

Many aspects of the plan present challenges, the prospective hotel being a case in point: It would stand more or less in the 65-room Capitol Plaza Hotel’s backyard, a develop-ment some see as less than neighborly.

Messages seeking reactions from Capitol Plaza General Manager Brian Cain went un-answered, but Jon Anderson, who with his wife runs Betsy’s Bed and Breakfast on East State Street and who has served on the Carr Lot Design Committee, told The Bridge that the new hotel’s impacts would create “ dislocations” in the city’s lodging sector. “Those dislocations would fall disproportion-

Efficiency VT and Suncommon: Energy Solutions for Vermontersby Joyce Kahn

Carr Lot: Visions and Revisionsby C.B. Hall

continued on page 5continued on page 12

LocaL deveLopment corporation

7

naturaL joinery

9

reaL estate transactions

page 2 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

More Strauss. Less stress.CLASSICAL • 99.5 MontpelierVPR.NET

vcfa.edu/graphic-design-events

VCFA / MFA in Graphic Design / Guest Lectures /

Sideway Glances: Vernacular Lettering from the Streets of Mexico City

/ Lorena Howard-Sheridan / Tuesday, April 15th / 6-7pmThroughout Mexico there are announcements, signs and messages of all kinds; most of them hand-made; many are exclusively text-based. ‘Sideway glances’ is a lecture about those big-scale, public lettering signs, analyzed from the point of view of Graphic Design and Typography. By exten-sion, it is also a talk about the artists that interpret the forms of the alphabet, creating their own unspoken rules of Mexican naive lettering. Lorena Howard-Sheridan is a Mexican-American Designer living and working in Austin, Texas. She currently teaches at CENTRO in Mexico. / 40 min public lecture, discussion to follow.

Visceral Virtual: Design and the Souls of Tools / Caroline Oh / Thursday, April 17th / 6-7pmThis lecture explores this new frontier of interactive personal tools and the evolving role of designers — as it shifts away from aesthetics in favor of the refinement of motions and behaviors aimed to give software a soul with its own agency. Few conventions have formed. User behaviors change quickly, and interfaces learn as much from (or about) users as users learn from interfaces. Are designers the key to making virtual tools visceral? Caroline Oh is a designer and educator interested in creating delightful interactive tools for storytelling, learning and play. She teaches typography at the Pratt Institute and is currently based in NYC. / 50 min public lecture, discussion to follow.

NOBLE LOUNGE / VERMONT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS / 36 COLLEGE STREET, MONTPELIER /

The Center for Leadership SkillsBusiness & Leadership deveLopmenT

Lindel James coaching & consultingTaking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm

802 778 0626 lindel@lindeljames.comlindeljames.com

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 3

Heard On THe

STREET I went downtown around 6 p.m. to-night on March 31 just to look at our rivers. The temperature was 37

degrees, with no rain in the forecast. In the 45 minutes it took me to do the rounds, channels were opening in the flat ice, and the river was moving along everywhere without a jam in sight, silent and easy, opening slowly. It’s a sweet thing to see the town spared flooding and its residents spared all the emotional and physical wear and tear that floods bring. Now, if this goes along for just a few days—moderately dry, not too hot, and nights below freezing—we’ll have it all. Our town is headed for spring and a beautiful start on sugaring season, two great goods that were looking elusive just a few days ago. Drip, drip, nice and slow. —Nona Estrin

Nature Watch

Subscribe to The Bridge! For a one-year subscription, send this form and a check to The Bridge, p.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601.

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p.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601phone: 802-223-5112 | Fax: 802-223-7852 montpelierbridge.com; facebook.com/montpelierbridge

published every first and third Thursday

editor & publisher: Nat Frothingham

Managing editor: Jerry Carter

production editor: Kyle Cushman

Calendar editor: Marichel Vaught

proofreader: David Smith

Sales representatives: Carolyn grodinsky, rick McMahan

graphic Design & layout: Jen Sciarrotta

Bookkeeper: Kathryn leith

Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel renfro, anna Sarquiz

Website Manager: Jerry Carter & erin Mcintyre

editorial: Contact Jerry Carter, 223-5112, ext. 14, or editorial@montpelierbridge.com.

location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine arts, on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall.

Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, pO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.

Copyright 2014 by The Montpelier Bridge

Watercolor by Nona Estrin

Legality of Parklets

It came to the attention of The Bridge that the legality of the proposed downtown parklets is not clear. Montpelier City Manager William Fraser, said, “The legality of parklets

is not 100 percent clear. An assistant attorney general affiliated with VTrans offered the opinion that use of the public road (which includes parking spaces) may be restricted from private commercial use unless there is a provision in the city’s charter, which gives the City Council authority to approve such use. The recently passed charter amendments included that authorization. Those amendments have not yet passed the legislature or been signed into law by the governor. The use of parking spaces for public parklets seems to be more consistent with the law although not explicitly spelled out.”

Public Meeting to Address Educational Opportunities in Montpelier and U-32 School Districts

Rep. Tony Klein, D-East Montpelier, Middlesex, a member of the Vermont House from East Montpelier and Middlesex, is organizing a public meeting at the State House in

Montpelier on Wednesday, April 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Room 11.Kline has been working with others to consider ways of enhancing educational opportunities for students in the Montpelier and U-32 school districts. He hopes that the April 23 meeting can serve as a “regional conversation,” open to anyone who is interested. If everything goes as planned, Klein said a lot of good could come from giving people the opportunity “just to have a frank discussion about the things we could be doing better for our students.” For further information, contact Klein at the (State House) Sergeant-at-Arms Office at 828-2228, or at tklein@leg.state.vt.us

Public Banking Panel Discussion

On Wednesday, April 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. the League of Women Voters of Central Vermont will host a panel discussion to explore the feasibility of public banking in Vermont. The

event will take place at the State Capitol in Room 10 and is free and open to the public. Panelists include Washington County Senator Anthony Pollina, Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce, Gwen Hallsmith, founder of Global Community Initiatives, and Chris D’Elia, president and treasurer of the Vermont Bankers Association. The discussion will be moderated by Claudette Sortino. For more information, contact Sue Racanelli at 225-6032 or racanellis@comcast.net.

Goddard College Hires Interim President

Goddard College has hired an interim president, Vermontbiz.com reported. “The Goddard Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the hiring of Robert Kenny,” said the

report. Kenny brings with him a wealth of experience and a familiarity of the college, having worked at Goddard from 2008 to 2011 dealing with issues surrounding finance, administra-tion, and academic affairs.

Lorraine Neal to be Honored May 18th

This year marks the 40th anniversary performances of Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio, founded in 1973 by Lorraine Neal. A reunion and celebration to honor Neal will

be held on May 18th at 5pm at the Barre Opera House. A special show will be presented in the theater, followed by a reception in the lobby. All alumni and friends of the studio are invited. Please RSVP at 229-4676 or reunion@cdandfs.com.

Washington County Students Earn Top Spot at 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl

This year, the competition sponsored by the University of Vermont Extension was hosted at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Answering questions ranging from feeding to

breeding, East Montpelier’s Maggie Kirby finished in the top four in the senior division, earning a spot on the state team. All contestants demonstrated a superior understanding of dairy cows.Also finishing in the top 10 of the senior division was Thomas Parker of East Montpelier. Ranking second in the 12-and-13-year-old age group was Isabel Hall of East Montpelier with Carolina Kirby, also of East Montpelier finishing close behind. In the 8-to-9 year old group, Charlie Haynes of East Montpelier took first place with Crosse Gariboldi, East Montpelier, finishing not too far behind.

Firebox Event at Senior Center is Now Free

Join the Montpelier Senior Activity Center for a free family-friendly fundraising dinner and auction with a firehouse theme on Saturday, April 12 at 5 p.m. The event will feature retired

and current Montpelier firefighters, including Bob Snetsinger and Chief Robert Gowans, shar-ing stories and images about the history of the fireboxes and the Montpelier Fire Department. Plus,there will be a delicious firehouse inspired chili dinner! Kids will love trying on fire gear. The evening will also feature the auction of two historic fireboxes and the opportunity to purchase posters and postcards featuring images of dozens of fireboxes from across Montpelier. There is a $10 suggested donation for adults or $5 for children to cover the meal cost. RSVPs are appreciated by Wednesday, April 9, to 223-2518 or msac@montpelier-vt.org.

Free Creamies!

Help Village Pizza kick off the creamy season on Tuesday, April 15. Stop by the shop and pick up your free creamy. Village Pizza will be collecting cans for the local food

shelf, so bring a canned good and a friend.

adverTise in our Food & Farming issue!

april 17- 30 all aD MaTerialS DUe Friday april 11

advertising: For information about advertising deadlines, rates, and for the design of your ad

call: 223-5112, ext. 11, or email our ad sales representatives at:

carolyn@montpelierbridge.com rick@montpelierbridge.com

page 4 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Taking a Closer Look by Michelle A.L. Singer

The Montpelier School Board, at its March 19, meeting, unanimously voted not to put forth the same bud-

get voted down on Town Meeting Day. With a $158,266 reduction, the revised budget will go up for vote on April 15, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Absentee ballots are already available at City Hall. The revised budget is a 1.73 percent increase from last year, and combined with the base tax rate being determined now by the House Ways and Means Committee, could increase tax rates 11.8 percent this year alone.

What some Montpelier residents and school board members proposed at the meeting, and continue to look at critically, are the inher-ent structural issues that will affect spending, budgets and tax rates long term, including funding from the state, spending that is in-creasing beyond revenue, class sizes, housing development and grant-funded school pro-grams that end up in the budget. Unraveling the tapestry that is the tax rate to try to find the one thread that has gone wrong is not only difficult but also problematic. Community members concerned about the future of the schools and the financial health of Montpelier will probably have to look at multiple threads that make up the big picture.

One thread picks up with the state. In his March 14, Weekly Legislative Report, Ste-ven Jeffrey, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, stated, “Fresh from its town meeting break, the House Ways and Means Committee threw itself into responding to the message from the voters. Each year, the committee is tasked with initi-ating legislation that will set the state educa-tion tax rates for the coming year.” Two-thirds of the budgets voted down at town meetings statewide were those with the largest spend-ing-per-pupil increases.

Montpelier Public Schools Superintendent Brian Ricca said in a recent interview with The Bridge, “there are factors that are outside of our control.” Jeffrey agrees. He ends his

report by saying, “Municipal officials con-cerned about the rising state education prop-erty tax should contact their senators and representatives and urge them to take all steps possible to curtail the potential $55 to $59 million increase. Your legislators are in the driver’s seat for many of the factors affecting school budgets and property tax levels.”

The state contributes approximately 30 per-cent of education costs, drawing money from sources such as sales tax, the general fund and the lottery. However, that revenue has fallen from 39 to 31 percent since 2003. “One of the problems,” Jeffrey said, “is that revenues are not keeping up with spending.”

When the state falls short, it resorts to what Jeffrey calls an “over-reliance on property tax.” In an effort to correct the shortfall, one of the drafted proposals being considered by the legislation would commit half of any state general fund surplus to increasing the general fund transfer to the education fund, the larg-est revenue line item paying for schools after property taxes. Several years ago, the state cut that transfer by over $28 million in response to the recession.

Jeffrey also pointed to the 2010 legislative wrap-up, which stated, “Included in educa-tion costs again this year are the $3.3 million for the Department of Corrections educa-tion program and $1.1 million in Agency of Human Services Early Education Initiative grants for at-risk preschoolers.” The change was only intended for the FY12 budget. How-ever, Jeffrey notes, “Those costs were never re-turned to the general fund.” The result is 4.4 million dollars of education funding going in a different direction than schools and another shortfall for budgets.

The property tax rate, where approximately 70 percent of money for the schools comes from, also continues to be scrutinized, tweaked and legislated: The percentage homeowners and nonresidents pay, income sensitivity eligibil-ity, renter rebates, moving to income-based taxes only for all Vermonters and the base

tax rate itself are all being discussed. In the Ways and Means Committee’s Town Meeting Day 2014 memo, the state recognizes concern about “a system which can end up with tax rates much higher than budget increases or even per-pupil spending increases.”

Another major thread is spending. Vermont spends more per pupil than any other state in the nation and has the lowest teacher/child ratio. This draws and retains many residents, if testimony at the school board meeting is any indication. However, the legislature and some community members see the continu-ing trend of spending at increasing rates as unsustainable. The Ways and Means Com-mittee is now considering legislation to penal-ize districts that spend more per pupil than an inflation factor allows. Every dollar above would count twice in setting local tax rates.

Another drafted piece of legislation would reorganize supervisory unions into individual districts, with an eye toward consolidation. With its own governing body, local school boards would no longer pass their own school budgets. “While we spent 10 percent above the national average in the ’90s, today we spend 50–70 percent more, without the rise in income to support it,” stated Fayston School Board Chair Heidi Spear in a Ways and Means Committee report.

The solution to spending less is as tricky as the formula for setting tax rates. At the December 2014 Montpelier school board meeting, Jones is described in the minutes as expressing that the “overall model for delivery of education needs to change, i.e., it needs to be accom-plished with less adult interaction. Through increased use of technology and bigger class size, positions could be reduced and savings recognized.”

Richard Sheir, a parent, agrees. “Offering class sizes for six or seven kids is just not a good use of our resources. If there is a maximum class size, there needs to be a minimum class size. I see this as a glide-down over five years until we reach ideal class sizes.”

Sheir also raises the issue of grant-funded pro-grams that end up in school budgets. “Com-munity Connections,” he said, “was funded by temporary grant funds, and when the funds end, like they did last year, the school can’t continue to put the program on our bankroll. A program that was intended for low-income students ends up being a subsidy for middle-class families. It’s been a long-standing understanding of fiscal responsibil-ity that when grants end, the program ends.”

One community member, a resident since 1983, spoke to an entirely different yet rel-evant thread when he called attention to what he called “big picture issues” like housing development at the most recent school board meeting. With more housing developments, more students and taxpayers join the com-munity, help foot the bill and drive down the price per pupil. “The price per pupil is what really drives the equation,” agrees Su-perintendent Brian Ricca. In an interview he expressed his desire to drive down tax rates by building up enrollment.

Faculty and equipment sharing, moving large budget items like Community Connections to the recreation department and renting space for needed parking to the state are all “bigger picture” solutions being considered in Montpelier. “People who voted for the school budget and people who voted against it need to get together to draft a different vision,” said Sheir. “A multi-year vision that strength-ens the education system while allowing it to become sustainable, is where the community consensus needed for stability can be found.”

The problems of rising costs and falling rev-enue don’t appear to be going anywhere any-time soon. The state, in the Town Meeting 2014 review, noted the need to continue to address spending and tax policy. Each thread will have to be examined closely as the Mont-pelier community continues to weave together the future of its school and funding.

FUN APRIL BREAK CAMPS & SPRING CLASSES

April Vacation Day Camp Licensed Child Care Program

Licensed childcare programs state subsidy is available upon request.

Monday – FridayApril 21 – April 257:45 Drop Off 4:45 Pick-upBoys & Girls 5-12 years of ageMontpelier Main Street Middle SchoolSpecial Trip: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 UVAC

Upcoming Programs & EventsEgg Hunt in Hubbard Park-April 19Open House- Discount Pool Passes May14ASEP Coaches Clinic- April 4Spring Slam Basketball Tournament May 17 & 18Little League, Farm League, Tee-BallSmart Start Baseball, Summer Day camp, tennis swim lessons and speciality camps

Resident Fees:$32 per day first child$25 per day additional children$120 for the week/ first child$105 for the week/ additional children

Non-Resident Fees:$46 per day first child$35 per day additional children$160 for the week/ first child

$140 for the week/ additional children

For prices and additional information on our programs and events please call us or visit us online: 1-800-225-8699

www.montpelierrec.org Youth Tennis Lessons: Ages (6 – 8) (9- 12) (13 –15) Participants will be divided into groups by age and skill level Mondays April 21, 28, May 5, 12 May 19, 26, June 2, 9 Tuesdays April 22, 29, May 6, 13 May 20, 27, June 3, 10 Wednesdays April 23, 30, May 7, 14 May 21, 28, June 4, 11 Thursdays April 24, May 1, 8, 15 May 22, 29, June 5, 12 Fridays April 25, May 2, 9, 16 May 23, 30, June 6, 13 Fee per 4 week sessions: Resident: $60.00 Non-Resident $90.00 Lessons run 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Resident: $80.00 Non-Resident: $120.00

Montpelier Recreation Department 55 Barre St., Montpelier, VT 05602 802-225-8699 www.montpelierrec.org Vermont Tennis Academy SPRING TENNIS ,

Adult Tennis Lessons Tuesdays April 22, 29, May 6, 13 - Beginners May 20, 27, June 3, 10 - Beginners Thursdays April 24, May 1, 8, 15 - Intermediate/ Advance May 22, 29, June 5, 12 - Intermediate/ Advance Fee per 4 week session: Resident: $60.00 Non-Resident: $90.00 Lessons run 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Instructor: Scott Barker. All spring lessons will be taught at the Montpelier Recreation Fields Tennis courts. Pre-registration required. Sign up at the Montpelier Rec. Dept.

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The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 5

ately on the Capitol Plaza,” said Anderson.

The city’s possible need for a corner of the Capitol Plaza’s property for a tiny segment of the bike path that will traverse the Carr Lot may give the hotel’s owners, the Bashara family, some leverage as events unfold. It may also just lead them to stonewall. “If you want something from someone, you don’t poke them in the eye before beginning negotiations with them,” said Anderson.

The expectation is that a national chain would run the hotel—something that could rankle a community that rejected a bid by McDonald’s to install a franchise on State Street some years ago.

When interviewed for this article, Redstone Development Manager Erik Hoekstra coun-tered that businesspeople like hotels “with na-tional affiliations”—chain hotels—because of their point programs for loyal customers. Ab-sent that, patronage goes elsewhere, he said.

He reported that Redstone had talked with the Basharas: “We’ve heard their concerns...[The issue] deserves a lot more discussion.” He said the prospective hotel is “still our preferred option,” but that “we have more work to do to verify that it will be as successful as we think it will be.” He stressed repeatedly that the city had chosen Redstone as a partner, rather than choosing Redstone’s plans, elements of which the company is prepared to alter.

Fitting a hotel, farmers’ market, transit cen-ter, kayak landing, bike path, some greenery and a parking lot, onto the parcel is going to require the figurative shoehorn, a point not lost on Capital City Farmers Market Presi-dent Lila Bennett, who owns West Glover’s Tangletown Farm. “It’s going to be hard to fit everything, but it’s not impossible,” she told The Bridge. “The market is excited about the possibilities on the Carr Lot and we are work-ing hard with the city and the developer to see how to make that location the permanent home for the market.”

“We are keeping all the doors open,” she said, referring to the market’s search for a perma-nent home in downtown Montpelier.

The market, she stated, hosts about 50 ven-dors at a time, all of whom need vehicle access to their booths and some of whom occupy multiple booths. The Redstone design, as it stands, projects 45 booths in three rows of 15, with an access lane about 19 feet wide between two facing rows and a lane 10 feet wide behind the third row—dimensions that seem to bode chaos when vendors are setting up. The entire market area is less than half the size of the lot the vendors currently fill on State Street, just across the railroad tracks. Limiting participation to fit fewer than the needed number of booths is “not something we’re interesting in doing,” said Bennett.

In Redstone’s March 11 presentation, Hoek-stra said that, if the farmers’ market did not move to the site, the space tentatively reserved for it in Redstone’s design could be repur-posed for other outdoor events.

Taylor Street itself presents another conun-

drum. The Redstone plan has buses looping through a jughandle loop at the transit center, exiting to or arriving from Memorial Drive via the Taylor Street Bridge. This could re-move the need for buses to negotiate traffic on State and Main streets, a plus for intercity carriers like Greyhound; but, as an attendee at the March 11 meeting pointed out, two-way bus traffic on the bridge may present obsta-cles. The structure’s roadway measures about 19 feet across when snow is plowed up against one side. The widest buses are eight-and-a-half feet wide. Hoekstra told The Bridge that the city, having spoken with affected provid-ers, felt the current bridge would work, but he added that “we may need to look at some new sort of signalization, where two vehicles would not be crossing at the same time.”

The site borders the state-owned Washing-ton County Railroad’s right-of-way, making passenger rail service a natural consider-ation for a transit center conspicuously de-scribed as “multi-modal.” Questions at the March 11 presentation addressed the pos-sibility, as did Redstone’s proposal, but the Vermont Agency of Transportation hasn’t

“any service plans for the line at this time,” according to Public Outreach Manager Erik Filkorn.

Another member of the March 11 audi-ence asked if, with all this improvement to transit facilities, car travel into Montpelier would drop, hence removing some of the perceived need for parking at the Carr Lot site. Had Redstone considered that? “We have factored that in,” Redstone principal Larry Williams affirmed, but he conceded that “as much as they like to talk about it, people don’t necessarily really get out of their cars.” Redstone, he said, used minimal coefficients, normally employed for high-density urban environments, to compute the number of parking spaces needed.

The hotel would have valet parking in order to keep the parking operations as orderly as possible, but would require using the state-owned parking lot on the other side of Taylor Street, or some other alternative parking location, Hoekstra stated in his interview. Redstone’s plans call for only 53 public parking spaces on the hotel site.

With the state reportedly short 600 parking

spaces for its needs and with a hotel possibly rising on the Carr Lot, the uncertainties over where to stick the cars loom large. If one thing is certain, however, it’s that the new facility will mean better amenities for bus travelers, as well as bus drivers. At the Shaw’s bus transfer point on Main Street, rush-hour traffic jams, out of proportion for a city of 8000, may diminish when the transfer point moves to Taylor Street and a few more motorists decide to give the bus a try.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Green Mountain Transit Agency driver Brian Partlow, during some down time at the transfer point. “A lot of times, people jump on and I’m going to Northfield and they’re going to Barre.” Separating buses among clearly marked slots at the transit center, he said, would make bus travel in Montpelier “a little less confusing.”

Before such a laudable solution becomes reality, however, the mills of the gods have some grinding to do.

Carr Lot: Visions and Revisions

continued from cover

We convert old windows into energy-efficient ones!

A new system of adding glass to old double-hung windows gives you the look and function for less than the cost of replacement windows. Call 802-229-6880 or go to opensash.com.

The Carr Lot as it was in the 1970s. Photo courtesy Andrew Kline.

Proposed Redstone Carr Lot plan. Photo courtesy Montpelier City Managers office.

page 6 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Folk Music DAY cAMp For kiDs & Teens!July 14 - August 18

summit school of traditional music & culture

Kids 8-17 learn any kind of instrument they are interested in, including: Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Singing, Dance, Drumming and more. This folk music immersion camp begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. each day, with an extended day on Friday for our performance from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. We will again offer a “Stay and Play” hour from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. for an additional fee of $10.00 per day. Tuition: $300. Limited scholarships available.

REGISTER WITH A FRIEND & YOU EACH SAVE $25! REGISTER AT SUmmIT-SCHOOl.ORG OR CAll 802.917.1186

SUMMER CAMPS 2014

SUMMER CAMPS 2014

y Children ages 3–8y Nature- and artistic-themed weeks

y Multi-week discountSee our Web site for Summer Camp brochure and application materials:

www.ovws.org/programs

WALDORF SCHOOLOrchard Valley

Awakening the highest potential in every child.

Summer Day Campat the

Child’s GardenJune 16 – August 15

Child’s Garden155 Northfield Street, Montpelier

Licensed, independent school by the State of Vermont. Childcare subsidy accepted.

Monday to Friday, 8:30a–3p (with extended hours available)

The Montpelier Bridge1 col. x 5"

802-456-7400 • orchardvalley@ovws.org

The Montpelier swim team welcomes youth who would like to learn more about competitive swimming

to participate. We swim from Late June to early August at the Montpelier outdoor pool 4 mornings a week.

654 Granger Rd Berlin, Barre, VT 05641( 223-0517 SunriseGym.com

Gymnastics, Foam pit, In-Ground Trampoline, Rock Climbing wall

& Swimming every afternoon!Camps!

Spring CampSummer Camps

April 21 - 25Jun 23 - Aug 22

Half Day &

Full Day

City Council ReportShould the construction of a new hotel

be part of the One Taylor Street plan to build a bus terminal in downtown

Montpelier? This question was discussed more than any other for nearly two and a half hours during the Montpelier City Council’s March 26 meeting. Along with other issues, opinions about its pros and cons were aimed at helping council members decide which of two competing development firm candidates to select as construction partners in the bus terminal project.

The Redstone development firm included the proposal for a new hotel in their written proj-ect submission as a way to generate more tax income for the city. They also reasoned that local restaurant and shop patronage by ad-ditional hotel guests might boost Montpelier’s economy.

But most of the estimated 50 members of the public who attended this session and com-mented on the issue drew attention to the fact that the new hotel would be built in close proximity to the Capitol Plaza Hotel. City plans include not only the construction of a bus terminal. The proposed creation of a riverside park and bike path in the area would necessitate negotiations with Capitol Plaza for the purchase of land owned by them. The sentiment that building a competing hotel “next door” to the Plaza would hardly lay the groundwork for a cooperative sale was voiced not only by members of the public. Despite the fact that by a 4 to 2 vote near the end of

this session supported Redstone—the firm that proposed the new hotel. Several council members plus Mayor John Hollar echoed the public’s concern.

Redstone did offer to withdraw their hotel proposal. During a presentation summariz-ing their plan at the beginning of the council session, company presenters indicated that should it impede progress the idea might be dropped. But the competing bidder, DEW Properties, implied when they made their pre-sentation that Redstone’s hotel proposal was one example of their tendency to take liber-ties by venturing into areas not specifically requested in the city’s request for proposals (RFP). Expressing respect for Redstone’s com-petency, they nevertheless indicated that by comparison DEW incurred costs of $65,000 preparing a proposal limited precisely to the information the city requested. “The city doesn’t want a developer. They want a design partner,” they asserted. That would erode the control the city has over this project.

Who voted for which developer, and why? Councilman Tom Golonka recused himself because of family connections with the own-ership of the Capitol Plaza. Hollar indicated that because of that he’d make an exception to his usual non-voting policy by voting to support the majority if a tie occurred. He then stated his personal preference for DEW because of the hotel issue, DEW’s parking proposals, and the general way they answerd questions in the RFP.

Not all the council members explained the reasons for their votes. Of those who did, Councilwoman Jessica Walsh indicated that during the last month she’s received more correspondence from constituents about this issue than anything else during her entire first year on the council. She decided to vote for Redstone because she likes an emphasis in their plan on renewable development and a financial option to return $1.1 million in development rights to the city.

Uncomfortable with the fact that Redstone’s proposed repayment plan seemed flawed be-cause it’s not a “done deal”. Councilwoman Dona Bate voted for DEW.

Participating as a video conferencer while away on vacation, Councilman Guerlain voted for DEW because he felt they answered all the RFP questions accurately and as compared to Redstone seem willing to set milestones now rather than later. Understanding that the vote would be taken during this session he nevertheless expressed a feeling that the DEW had raised important questions during this meeting that should ideally be investigated beforehand.

Councilman Justin Turcotte said he’d support the citizen advisory committee’s consensus recommendation to vote for Redstone. With 4-2 a vote, and no need for Mayor Hallar to intervene, it was a fairly decisive city council session.

March 26, 2014by Ron Merkin

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 7

(802) 446-6100

City to Explore a Local Development Corporation by Ivan Shadis

At the Feb. 19 Montpelier City Council meeting, councilor Thierry Guerlain said he had been meeting with City

Manager William Fraser and others to “ex-plore the concept of a Local Development Corporation (LDC)...as an alternative to hav-ing the city’s economic development efforts fall within a city department.” Guerlain sug-gests such economic development privatiza-tion can create a more appealing and efficient liaison between the city and private sector de-velopers. An LDC would not be subject to the same open meeting laws as a city department. In turn, this would protect the confidentiality of private interests while encouraging con-versation between architects, bankers, busi-ness people, landowners and other developers around development opportunities in the city.

Guerlain argues that city officials, encum-bered with maintaining roads, taxation, overseeing regulatory processes, and other responsibilities, have not been able to focus on commercial development. Meanwhile, neighboring towns like Barre and Water-bury, which do employ LDCs, are making progress. Barre has rebuilt its main street, built a new headquarters for Central Vermont Community Action, and broken ground on ‘City Place’ a 100,000-square-foot mixed-use office building. Waterbury’s pilgrim indus-trial park houses Green Mountain Coffee’s 90,000-square-foot roasting and distribution facility and other industries and is now turn-ing to an LDC to keep development moving. Waterbury has also received an influx of state dollars in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene to partly restore the state office complex.

Although Montpelier has moved forward with the District Heat project and the Carr Lot, economic development appears to have stalled.

“We’re losing businesses right now. They’re gaining businesses; we’ve lost some businesses to them,” Guerlain said.

Last year Cabot cheese moved its operations located in the old National Guard Armory beyond Formula Ford, along with 61 jobs, out of Montpelier to Waitsfield. The Central Ver-mont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) negotiated this move with Cabot owner Agri-Mark. For CVEDC it was a logi-cal move to fill space it owned in Waitsfield’s industrial park. CVEDC is a regional devel-opment body funded largely by the state and tasked with providing impetus for economic development in the county; it has no special fealty to Montpelier.

“They robbed Peter to pay Paul,” said Guer-lain, underscoring the competitive environ-ment. “If we don’t jump on this, we’re gonna find that these other towns are going to come charging past.”

He believes an effective LDC would cre-ate an economic development strategy plan that would identify the kinds of commercial enterprises the city should encourage. The organization could survey “underutilized” properties, foster relations with landowners and attempt to mediate between the city and private investors to coax development on lan-guishing parcels.

Guerlain mentioned parcels like the Gross-man Lot near the roundabout, the boarded

up building near the Econolodge, the lot be-hind the Veteran of Foreign Wars building down by the old Pioneer Street Bridge, and the empty building on Barre Street that says “Refractories Co.”

“We always talk about Sabin’s Pasture and the Dickie Block— isn’t there anything else in town?” Guerlain asked. “There’s everything in town!”

He continued on a wave of enthusiasm:

“We want an entity that is going to fight City Hall for the interests of their developer. It’s not about conservation. It’s not about open space. It’s not about river fronts. It’s not about housing. It’s about economic development. There are many other groups doing many of these other things, but this is a focus on eco-nomic development.”

Presently, Montpelier’s Planning and Com-munity Development department is tasked with economic development. When asked if funding a possible LDC would cut into the diminished department’s personnel, City Manager William Fraser said, “everything is on the table...a staff position could be redi-rected into that position.”

However, he stressed that discussions were in their most nascent stages, and no formal proposal yet exists.

According to Fraser, creating an economic development strategy plan and identifying underutilized parcels is something the exist-ing department is equipped to do. He also drew into question an emphasis on bringing in business instead of housing when, he said, “Montpelier has a very high number of jobs

per capita, second only to Williston state-wide.” He explained that providing more of those employees with places to live in town could decrease the tax burden, put kids in the school and otherwise vitalize the local economy with more domestic spending.

He noted a variety of models have been suc-cessful in other towns and cities, from those which are private like the Barre Area Develop-ment Corporation, to public entities like Bur-lington’s Community & Economic Develop-ment Office. And then there is everywhere in between: “in [some] towns the boards are made up of town officials as well as private citizens,” Fraser said.

While Fraser agrees that economic develop-ment is a priority, he suggests that jumping on an LDC as the solution may be preemp-tive. “Let’s figure out what we want to get done and from there determine what the best structure for it is,” he said.

With any model, Fraser pointed out the ad-ministrative challenge of resolving the tension between the need for efficiency in engaging a competitive market and the need for respon-siveness to social needs wherever taxpayer dol-lars are spent. “Regardless of whatever struc-ture it is, how do you align interests?” he asked. “It becomes an administrative function [to] make sure that the community’s goals and desires are reflected in the resources you’re al-locating.” Fraser supports some form of focus group dedicated to economic development but reminds people that while such a group may bring insight on the market, it is up to the city’s policy-making bodies to determine where these insights are actionable.

Upper Valley Press Hands Reins to Employees by Nat Frothingham

In almost all of the 20-plus years that The Bridge has published a newspaper, its printer has been Upper Valley Press,

Inc. in North Haverhill, N.H.—a pretty typical (Chapter S) corporation. But in a recent phone call, Upper Valley’s Senior Vice President Dennis DeVaux discussed the back-ground of a recent organizational change that took effect on February 1 when Upper Valley turned its companies over to their employees as part of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan or ESOP.

“It was a hard decision to make, yes. But we had put a lot of thought into it,” said DeVaux.

In its present form, Upper Valley Press got its start in October 1975 when Chip Harris and his wife bought a printing company out of bankruptcy from the Proctor Trust. Accord-ing to DeVaux, what started out as a print-ing company expanded to become a printing company and a transportation company in the 1980s. Then, in the 1990s, a shared-mail program was added.

It is these three companies that have now been turned over to the company’s employees.

However, it’s not as if Upper Valley is break-ing entirely new ground here. According to DeVaux, there’s a company in Rutland called Carris Reels that is an ESOP. Another com-pany in Hanover, N.H., called HyperTherm is an ESOP. And King Arthur Flour Com-pany is an ESOP as well.

One of the more unusual features of Upper Valley Press is the stability of its management team. Harris, the majority stockholder and CEO, is approaching 39 years with the com-pany; Phil Hayward, president and a share-holder, is coming up on 37 years and DeVaux has been with Upper Valley for 34 years. As the three men looked ahead to the prospect of passing the company along to new leadership, they examined a number of alternatives.

In DeVaux’s words, one option was to “maybe sell to one of our competitors or a bigger printing company.” A second alternative was to “maybe sell to an investment firm or a venture capitalist.” But an investment firm or venture capital organization might run Upper Valley Press in its current location or they might not. They might spin it off, or relocate

the company.

There was always the alternative to shut down Upper Valley and liquidate. But as DeVaux reported, the company has been profitable so shutting it down and liquidating didn’t make sense and wasn’t a consideration.

“How do we keep this local?” That was the absorbing question that Harris, Hayward and DeVaux were pondering. Thus the idea of taking Upper Valley and passing it along to its employees in an ESOP was the idea that the three owners found most attractive.

“It’s basically owner-financed,” said DeVaux. “The ESOP takes the burden of the loan and pays off the stockholders over time. It’s a 15-year deal paid off over 15 years. It could be paid off sooner.”

Or as DeVaux explained, “It could be paid off longer. The employees didn’t pay anything. But after years of operation they see the value of their shares increase. The first few years are slow and then it picks up after that.” DeVaux continued to explain how an ESOP works: “We would be phasing ourselves out over time. It gives you time to bring others on

board. You have a transition. There is a board of directors for the ESOP. There’s a manage-ment team.”

At the present moment that management team consists of Harris, Hayward and DeVaux. But if anyone drops off, the board takes over and hires a replacement.

When he was asked how Upper Valley’s em-ployees feel about the move to an ESOP, DeVaux said, “Most of it has been positive. It gives the employees a little different perspec-tive.” An employee might now think, “Gee, I have a share in what goes on here, in how well I do my job.” DeVaux said there is a little bit of peer pressure when it comes to employee performance. When employees understand that they’re part-owners of the company, it helps with the morale. “It makes people feel more associated with the company.”

From DeVaux’s perspective, the biggest ben-efit of the Upper Valley ESOP is keeping the company local and creating a gradual transi-tion. “That was our main focus,” DeVaux concluded.

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page 8 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Montpelier Schools Page

Top Row: Montpelier High School (MHS)To encourage creativity and Solon spirit, Montpelier High School teacher advisories (TA) recently shared their “TA Selfies” on Twitter. To support personalized learning, the MHS TA program has been expanded this year to meet four times a week.

Middle Row: Main Street Middle School (MSMS)Main Street Middle School 8th Graders recently performed in a production of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory for the annual dinner theatre event to support Crafters Edge, a student-run business that helps fund local organizations in need and many school events.

Bottom Row: Union Elementary School (UES)Union Elementary School Students had the pleasure and honor of working with New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss recently! To develop positive habits of learning, students in Mrs. Wrigley’s class are aspiring to be Super Students this spring. In a simi-lar spirit, Mrs. Adams’ class quizzed their peers on positive behavior at a recent C.A.R.E.S. assembly.

Montpelier Public Schools Teacher Whitney Machnik was recently rec-ognized as a 2014 Project IGNITE

teacher for using technology to support innovative teaching practices.

Montpelier Schools Page

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 9

It is often remarked that Vermonters do things differently. Part of that perception stems from institutions like Sterling Col-

lege, established in 1958, and Yestermorrow Design/Build School, established in 1980. These two schools, have taught scores of students how to be environmental stewards, to live more sustainably and to value com-munity. Until now, these two institutions had also acted autonomously of each other, only loosely connected by the inquisitive stu-dent here and there. In late February, the two schools announced that they would be teaming up by offering collaboratively taught, intensive classes and the ability to earn college credits from Sterling while attending classes at Yestermorrow.

The partnership kicks off, officially, this summer with a collaboratively taught course, “From Forest to Forge,” which will be taught in Craftsbury Common at the site of Ster-ling’s new Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. Led largely by Yestermorrow faculty, students enrolled in the class will build a working blacksmith shop. Christian Feuerstein, the communications di-rector for Sterling said, “The class is not just about the building; it is about starting from the very beginning. It is about going into our wood lot and felling trees and skidding them with draft horses and tractors, and then milling wood, erecting walls and working on rafters, roofing and finishing the building. It is pretty intense and really exciting.”

The class, which is offered from June 9 to 20, is just the beginning of what the two schools hope will be a lasting relationship.

When asked about the connection and the timing, Kate Stephenson, executive direc-tor of Yestermorrow said, “We’ve had many Sterling students come through Yestermorrow over the years and kind of recognized that there was a strong connection in the focus on hands-on learning and experiential education that we share.”

Stephenson went on to say that the ex-pansion of Sterling’s continuing education classes also appealed to Yestermorrow, who has been looking for an academic partner for a while. Stephenson said that by work-ing with Sterling, they are now able to

accept students using AmeriCorps and GI Bill funding through Sterling continuing education offerings.

While many colleges in the region struggle with enrollment numbers, both institutions claimed that this was not a factor in their decision to work collaboratively. Feuerstein said, “We are actually up with our enrollment, which is great.” She added, “It sounds like small numbers when we say that we had 118 students in the student body this fall, but for Sterling that is the largest enrollment we have had in a while. Last fall we had 94 students.”

While neither school seems overly worried about enrollment numbers, both said the program would help attract new students. Stephenson said, “It certainly helps more stu-dents find Yestermorrow and also builds those pathways so it is easier for people to take courses here.”

The two schools are located about an hour and a half apart, Sterling is located in Craftsbury Common and Yestermorrow is located in Warren, but neither institu-tion sees this as a barrier. Both schools at-tract students from around the country and world and don’t think that a few miles by car will deter interested students from mak-ing the trip. They also explained that they will not be expecting students to commute back and forth between the two schools for an odd class as part of a full weekly schedule each semester. The focus of the classes for the collaboration will be inten-sive two-to-four-week experiences that align with the Sterling academic schedule. Ster-ling students will now have the option to complete a minor in sustainable building and design with the option of spending a semester at Yestermorrow.

Both Stephenson and Feuerstein said that all of this collaboration does not signify a merger of boards or schools. Sterling and Yestermorrow will continue to be indepen-dently owned and operated. This indepen-dent spirit is something that Stephenson and Feuerstein also note in their students. Stephenson said that both Sterling and Yes-termorrow students are often “very inter-ested in taking more control over their lives and crafting them in the way that they want

to live and not just taking what is handed to them on a platter.” The two schools strive to offer their students the skills to do just that, but do these skills transfer to a successful career? Feuerstein believes, “it is not only [about having a] successful career, but also a successful life.”

Both schools are committed to preparing their students for the needs of the future. “Sustainability is the issue for the 21st century,” said Feuerstein. With classes as

diverse as cheese making, tiny house build-ing/design and ecology, Yestermorrow and Sterling offer students a diverse array of courses that give them the tools and skills needed to be successful in this evolving world. “People are looking at ways that they can live without impacting the environment in the way the McMansion movement did. So this is going to be really important, and we are positioning our students to be at the forefront,” said Feuerstein.

Natural JoinerySterling College & Yestermorrow

Design/Build School Forge New Partnership

by Jerry Carter

“Students learn a wide range of hands-on design and building skills in Yestermorrow’s courses."

Photo courtesy of Yestermorrow Design/Build School.

page 10 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

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Real Estate Transactions

Qualifying for a Mortgage Loan by Phil Dodd

What does it take to qualify for a loan to buy a house in Vermont today?

Start by having a credit score above 620, which is the minimum level required by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s automated underwriting model, according to Kathy Simanskas of Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU). That credit score also comes into play when determining how much private mortgage insurance (PMI) will cost. “If someone is putting down less than a 20 percent down payment for a traditional mortgage, they will need PMI, and that can get very expensive for someone with a low credit score,” Simanskas said.

VSECU calculates that for a borrower putting 5 percent down and seeking a

$200,000 loan, for example, the monthly PMI cost for someone with a credit score of 740 or more will be $90 a month, on top of their mortgage and other costs. But if his or her score is in the 640 to 659 range, they will pay an extra $188 per month.

When a couple is applying for a loan, lend-ers usually base their analysis on the lower credit score of the two applicants, Simans-kas said.

One factor that can have a big effect on a credit score is credit card balances. Having a credit card is a positive factor if balances are kept low. But if the balance being car-ried is more than 50 percent of the card’s limit, then the credit score will be adversely affected, she said. Simanskas said she sees many first-time home buyers struggling to

qualify for a loan. Another factor that hurts is carrying a lot of student loan debt. Col-lege is expensive these days, she said, but she noted “we see some people come in with as much as $1,000 in monthly student loan debt,” which makes it hard to qualify for a mortgage.

In general, VSECU likes to limit the cost of a mortgage and other housing costs to no more than 28 percent of gross income, with all debt making up no more than 36 percent of gross income.

How much employment history is required? “The old standard was we needed to see two years of work history,” Simanskas said. “But if someone just got out of school and has a job, that’s OK. We want to see pay stubs for at least 30 days, though to count any bonus

or overtime payments, we need to see two years of pay stubs.” Two years of tax returns are also required for borrowers who are self-employed. “It is hard for the self-employed because they are trying to write everything off, and that works to their disadvantage when they are trying to use that income to borrow money,” she said.

Simanskas said first-time buyers should take a home-buying course and then seek mortgage pre-approval before going shop-ping for a home.

(Reprinted by permission from the Decem-ber 2013–January 2014 edition of Vermont Property Owners Report, a subscription newsletter about Vermont and Vermont real estate).

page 12 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

What can you expect from an energy visit?A volunteer will do a walkthrough with you to assess where your home can be more ef-ficient, performing installations as needed. He or she will install energy-efficient f luo-rescent light bulbs, power strips, electric hot water pipe insulation, sink aerators and shower heads.

At the end of the visit, for which ORE members are debited 1.5 hours and vol-unteers are credited 1.5 hours, you may be wondering what now? Do-it-yourselfers can attend one of the ORE workshops de-signed to teach how to apply weatherstrip-ping, caulk windows, seal bulkheads, put plastic on windows and use tools to do the job yourself. For larger jobs, you can consult the brochures and lists of resources the volunteer will leave with you. These include names of contractors who deal with Efficiency Vermont and can perform a com-prehensive energy audit as well as the sub-sequent work.

In more detail, you will sit down with the home visitor who will fill out a worksheet that asks several questions: How much fuel do you use and from what source? These figures she converts into BTUs and divides this by the number of square feet in your house. (You can find this worksheet on The Efficiency Vermont website). Anything less than 40,000 BTUs per square foot is relatively efficient. Anything significantly higher would indicate a full energy audit might be advisable. Other questions you may be asked: Are there drafts, ice dams, mold or mildew issues? Have you made any energy-efficiency improvements? Do you have a programmable thermostat? Every degree lowered on your thermostat will provide a 2 to 3 percent reduction in your energy bill. You will be asked to provide your electric company number, so that Green Mountain Power can track your power usage to see if your consumption is reduced after these improvements have been made.

During the walkthrough of your home, the volunteer will ask you about the age of your appliances. If they are more than 10 years old, you can look on the Internet to see how efficient yours are, and if they need replacing, rebates are available through Ef-ficiency Vermont. I learned about phantom loads—energy used while an appliance is plugged in but not in use—so be sure to unplug chargers, your microwave and TV. You will learn that you can borrow a “Kill-A-Watt” meter that you can attach to

your TV or fridge to see the energy they are actually using.

The volunteer will advise you to wash your clothes in cold water and check to see if you have caulking and weather-stripping around your doors and windows. I learned that windows are the lowest on the list of items to replace in terms of bang for your buck. The homeowner here had in-sulated shades, but Stephenson mentioned that they are now made with a track to seal them, and the homeowner could check to see if these could be added.

On a visit to the basement, you will be asked if you have spray foam in your box sill, a place of heat escape. You will receive pipe insulation as well, and I learned that it’s a good idea to insulate your cold water pipes as well so they don’t sweat in summer. You will also be asked how old your furnace is and if it’s cleaned regularly.

In a bathroom inspection, the volunteer will check to see the shower head flow, and can provide an energy efficient replacement to reduce f low to 1.5 gallons a minute, as well as faucet aerators, which cut down flow as well. Making the suggested changes to your home is just one step to shrinking your energy footprint, SunCommon, an-other Vermont company is a great resource for homeowners interested in going beyond efficiency.

SunCommonThose wishing to have environmentally clean power and heating and the comfort of guilt-free air conditioning, while recog-nizing substantial savings, might want to consult SunCommon, a Waterbury Center company that has installed 700 solar sys-tems in the past two years; one quarter of all the residential installations in the state.

Jessica Edgerly Walsh, organizing man-ager, spoke with me about the company, launched two years ago, whose mission ac-cording to the website “is to tear down the barriers that have made renewable energy inaccessible,” and to “make going solar easy and affordable,” thus saving money and electricity consumption while helping the environment. They are best known for in-stalling solar with no upfront cost. Instead, people pay a fixed monthly bill based on the portion they pay to Green Mountain Power.

In keeping with the goal of city officials to have Montpelier lead the nation as a “net zero” city, producing almost as much energy as it draws in electricity, heating and vehicle fuel consumption, SunCom-mon is launching Phase Two: solar home

heating and cooling. Walsh told me that solar energy can replace up to 80 percent of our heating needs at one third of the cost of oil. While we don’t have the sunshine of Miami, Walsh thinks that 60 to 70 percent of people can go solar as long a there is no shade blocking the sun. If a homeowner has trees blocking the sun from the roof, solar panels can be installed on the ground.

Vermont state law requires our utilities to make net metering available to everyone. In this system, when you make more electricity than you use, the surplus goes into the grid, your electric meter runs backwards and you receive a credit to draw down when the sun isn’t shining. The electrical grid plays the role of a large storage battery, eliminating the need for cumbersome storage batteries in your home. Heating and cooling works with a heat pump, which takes cold air from outdoors and with a little electricity transfers that energy into the home in the form of warm air in the winter or cool air in the summer.

Walsh anticipates that those switching to solar would see a 50 percent reduction in their heating costs, while their electric bill would stay the same. Paying for this in-volves a fixed monthly cost and could take 12 to 20 years to pay off, but the savings would f low from year one. Other financial benefits accrue from using solar: The panels protect the roof and lengthen its life and, while the property increases in value due to the panels, the city will not tax this home improvement. You needn’t worry about the aesthetics of the installation either. In addi-tion to the rooftop panels, inside the home a small, non-obtrusive box sits high up on the wall, while another small box is situated outside.

Efficiency VT and SunCommon are two major players helping Vermonters move to-ward energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy in the home.

Efficiency VT and SunCommon: Energy Solutions for Vermonters

FashionKnow-How

Fashion Know-How is written by Alyson Lincoln McHugh, owner of No. 9 Boutique in Montpelier. Hear Fashion Know-How every

Saturday at 7:50am on WDEV. www.shopno9boutique.com

by Alyson Lincoln McHugh

Generally the best travel clothes are made of syn-thetic fabrications. These fabrics can be blended

with natural fibers but remember natu-ral fibers tend to wrinkle more easily so if you don’t want to have to iron bring synthetics. Also, if you need to wash out your clothes, synthetic fibers will dry more quickly than the natural fibers. I know the word synthetic may remind you of terrible polyester that was first made long ago but now there are great synthetics that feel great and wear well!

The right garments for your summer vacations?

Dr. Steven Sobel, DCChiropractic Physician• Holistic Chiropractic care for all ages• Functional Neurology• Safe and effective treatment of back, neck and extremity conditions without the use of drugs or surgery• Sports, work and auto injuries

Most insurance accepted

1 Blanchard Court, Montpelier(located above First in Fitness)

drsobel@aligntohealth.com

229-6800

Dr. Steven Sobel, DCChiropractic Physician• Holistic Chiropractic care for all ages• Functional Neurology• Safe and effective treatment of back, neck and extremity conditions without the use of drugs or surgery• Sports, work and auto injuries

Most insurance accepted

229-68001 Blanchard Court, Montpelier(located above First in Fitness)

drsobel@aligntohealth.com

Khaos Designs by Dave Kaczynski

Ea

ARTISANS HANDContemporary Vermont Crafts

89 Main at City Center, Montpelierwww.artisanshand.comSee more images on Facebook

Come meet DaveART WALK--April 4, 5-7

Argentium® silvercontemporary jewelry

inspired by architcture & nature

continued from cover

Onion River Exchange 46 Barre St. Montpelier, VT 552-0082Email: info@orexchange.orgWed–Thurs 10 a.m to 3 p.m.Contact: Heather Kralik or Chloe BudnickApril 21, 6:30 p.m., Weatherization Workshop—open to all

SunCommon 5430 Waterbury-Stowe Road Waterbury Center, VT 371-7556Contact: Jessica Edgerly Walsh at Jessica@suncommon.com Efficiency Vermont128 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 401 Burlington, VT 05401 888-921-5990Website: efficiencyvermont.com

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 13

Moving? Spring Cleaning?

Some options for getting rid of stuff in

Central Vermont:

Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District: A –Z Guide for where to get rid of stuff from acrylic paint to yoga mats. http://www.cvswmd.org/a---z-guide.html

ReSOURCE Household Goods & Building Material Store: 30 Granite Street, Barre, VT 802.477.7800. ReSOURCE offers a free pick up service within a 10-mile radius of downtown Barre. In addition, to keeping items out of the landfill, ReSOURCE re-tail shops provide job and life-skills training, household items to families and individuals in crisis, and find new homes for major appliances, computers, electronics, furniture, and industrial surplus materials.http://www.resourcevt.org/Freecycle: 1169 in Washington County, VT. The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,122 groups with 7,143,526 members around the world. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giv-ing (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Items range from toddler clothes to moving boxes. Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering https://www.freecycle.org/ Vermont Assistive Tech-nology Reuse Program: This program provides an avenue to find or get rid of affordable equipment, which increases inde-pendence and often enables indi-viduals to stay in their homes or schools. http://atp.vermont.gov/get-at-stuffCraigs list Vermont: This online platform includes local classifieds and forums. It’s com-munity moderated, and largely free. http://burlington.craigslist.org/Front Porch Forum: A free community-building ser-vice in neighborhoods and com-munities statewide, including many Central Vermont Commu-nities. Subscribers can post items as well as community happenings. http://frontporchforum.com/Deconstruction Works: This business, which services Vermont and New Hampshire, specializes in reusing and recycling building materi-als – it’s called “deconstruction” rather than demolitions. Instead of sending materials from demolition jobs to the landfill Deconstruction Works repur-poses them. http://www.deconstruction-works.com/

by Carolyn Grodinsky

John’s Column by John O’Brien

Poem

2 0 1 4City

Poem in Your PocketCut out one of these poems, or all three, and carry them with you all month. Like a fine scotch, poems become better with the passage of time. Read it, drink it in, and then stuff it in your pocket so that you have something to fill your soul the next time that you are thirsty. Impromptu outloud recitings are encouraged.

nowthe receding glacier of the one remaining snow bank,shaded from yesterday's melting sun,stretches out on the north side of a copse of treesreaching its long finger feebly towards what it knows it can not grasp.standing on the back porch, I can finally breathe in the musky earth in this gentle rain,the first time since last fall that I haven't scowled at a wet sky,wishing each time it rained in winter for snow instead.after boiling sap until too late for the ump-teenth night in a row,I am visited this gray morning by the season's first phoebe.this year, rather than singing her greeting from an apple tree,she looks up curiously at me from my bed-room window sill,wondering how my winter was.in spite of many false prophets—groundhogs, overly optimistic robins and other snowbirdsback too soon from their southern vacations,all clamoring for warmth before its true time—now it's finally spring...

by Craig Line, April 2013

GrannyShe's reachingfor somethingMaybe, it's a pastrycrumbling in her handand scattering on the glass tableas she raises a piece to her mouth.But it's not a pastry.It's death she reaches forwith fragile handsIt's death she wishes toswallow.The crumbs,not flakes of flour and sugar,but memoriesshe will leave behindwhen death comesand walks awaycarrying her tired bodyin his arms of eternity

by Ceres Porter

Ceres Porter is a student at U-32 High School in East Montpelier. She will graduate in June 2014.

Tomorrow, I run out of firewood. I am not alone. Almost everybody I know who burns wood has either

run out or is about to run out.

Last November, I stuffed eight cords of “seasoned” (somewhere between green and dry) firewood into the crawlspace in my cellar. After completing this annual chore, I looked at my woodpile with affection and friends who looked at me noticed a stoop. In January, before the snow came, I carted two more cords down from the barn and replenished my diminishing stacks. Now it’s March and, except for a heap of bark and maybe a king snake, the cellar is bare.

What do I do now? While not recom-mended by fire departments and chimney sweeps, it is possible to burn green wood. Ash trees are a favorite amongst the green-wood crowd. Poplars are popular, too. Birch will suffice. My opposition to burn-ing green wood is that I’m basically lazy. If the old saw is true—“Firewood warms you twice; once when you chop it and once when you burn it”—I don’t want to calcu-late how much toastiness could be produced by this daily slog: snowshoe, chainsaw in hand, to the nearest ash. Fell it, block it up, sled it back to the barn. Split it, sled it to the house. Carry it by armloads through the mudroom, through the kitchen, down the cellar stairs, and throw it in the Sam Daniels, where it will most likely sputter and go out. Maybe that’s the answer. If, ev-eryday, you labor physically to the point of exhaustion, by the end of the day you won’t really notice the room temperature, radiant heat or frost bite.

Short of buying a Timberjack or a Perche-ron skidder, there must be something easier

than a deep snow firewood harvest. I once heard the story of a ne’er-do-well Vermonter who ran out of wood in the middle of win-ter. First he cut down the trees along the stonewalls near his farmhouse. Next went the shade trees on the front lawn. Later on, he disassembled the empty woodshed and burned that. Spring arrived too late to save the breezeway. The ell, too, ended up in the Home Comfort. Maybe all that stands between a fine example of “continuous New England architecture” and a simple Cape is a winter like this one.

If wood is fuel, and paper is made from wood, perhaps I don’t have to go any fur-ther than the attic to find fuel. Let me begin with furniture. I know of half a dozen chairs that have waited patiently for years to be re-caned. At great expense, I could have them re-caned, but there isn’t room for them anyway. And even if I had room for them, isn’t it only a matter of time be-fore an adult rump or a child’s feet rupture the rehabilitated lattice? There is also a particular chest of drawers whose draw-ers just never pull out without a fight—what Lemon Pledge or sanding couldn’t fix, surely an ax can.

I own too many books, and I’m not the first to make that suggestion. I love my books, but it wouldn’t kill me to weed out a cord or two. The complete novels of Trollope could probably heat the house for a week. The titles alone give off a lovely glow: The Way We Live Now; He Knew He Was Right; Can You Forgive Her? After Trollope, one must acknowledge the BTUs in Dickens. All those novels by Mrs. Gaskell I never got to would best be remembered as embers. By George, here’s enough for a cozy week-end: George Eliot, George Gissing, George

Meredith.

After the three-decker Victorian nov-els f lame out, I might, with heavy heart, move on to my collection of Harlequin Romances.

I’ve never read a Harlequin Romance, but I find the old ‘60’s and ‘70’s covers irresist-ible—awkwardly-drawn beautiful people frozen beneath titles that trump Trollope: For Love of a Pagan; Moon Without Stars; Grasp a Nettle.The nice thing about burn-ing musty books is that, unlike green fire-wood, they ignite readily and burn cleanly, leaving almost no creosote. This late spring has created something of a sellers’ market for firewood and it’s only a matter of time before this ad appears in the classifieds: “Dry books for sale; mostly Harlequins or Mills & Boon, but some Ed McBain mys-teries and Zebra Heartfire Romances mixed in. Will delivery locally, $200/cord. Shirley 802-456-….”

Once the fiction has vanished up the chim-ney, I figure I have two or three days' fur-nace fodder in vintage magazines cached here and there. There’s a wonderful heft to 20th century publications like The New Yorker or Holiday, Time or Life or Boys’ Life. I’ve heard old-timers say that Vermont Life warms you twice—once when you read it and once when you burn it.

If the temperature never warms up; if it re-mains 20 degrees below normal into May; I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe move. Go south and grow old with the country. Let’s not forget that the Vermont state bird, the Hermit Thrush, is a “snowbird.”

John O'Brien is a writer, filmmaker and sheep farmer who lives in Tunbridge VT.

page 14 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

contact: friendsofmontpelierschools@gmail.com

Friends of Montpelier SchoolsPaid for by

to save essentials like core teaching positions, Community Connections, and elementary school field trips.

to invest in kids and strong public schools which attract new families and businesses to Montpelier.

for a responsible budget that only increases school spending 1.73% over last year.

to stop more cuts on top of the 17% reduction in staffing the schools have experienced over the last seven years, while enrollment has only declined by 8%

“No kin in the game but we’re all in! Vote to support our schools.”

The Abbotts:

"Without Community Connections I would not be able to work - It provides safe, affordable childcare for my 7 year old. A cut in the program would increase rates for already strapped working parents.”

cassandra Hemenway:

Joslyn & Anthony: “We support the school budget even

though we do not have children because we realize that strong public schools benefit everyone in the community."

"We moved to Montpelier for many rea-sons, but one of the most important was to give our children a great public edu-cation. We support the school budget."

the Curtis family:

Why your neighbors are voting to support the budget...

April 15VOTE YES

schoolssupport our

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Central Vermont Medical CenterCentral to Your Well Being / cvmc.org

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REFRESHED!!!•  Freshly painted space!

• 13 NEW menu items! (and a NEW menu board!)

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The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 15

Accessories for Home, Self and Spirit

Bring on Spring!Set the season with bright placemats, new

cloth napkins, and a flowery tablecloth. Fabulous wooden bowls for garden salads,

and serving platters for entertaining.l

Find us on Facebook for special deals 9 langdon street • 229-2777

open 7 days a week

A CVMC Medical Group Practice / cvmc.org Central Vermont Women’s Health

130 Fisher Rd / Med Office Bldg A, Suite 1-4 / Berlin, VT 05602

Pregnancy is so much more than just your due date.

BRIDGE 5 X 7.5

Julie Vogel, MD, FACOG

At Central Vermont Women’s Health we

know that every step on your path to childbirth is an important one.

Here are a few things to keep in mind during your pregnancy:

• Reduce the stress in your life. Eat well, get lots of sleep and go to your prenatal checkups so you can rest assured that all is well. • Tell us about medications you take.

Some medicines may harm your baby. Let’s talk about that.

• Don’t smoke, drink alcohol or use street drugs.

• Stay active...or become so. Exercise is good for you and your baby.

• Stay healthy. Get a flu shot. Get regular dental care. And talk to us about your concerns.

• Be smart. Be careful. Protect yourself from STDs. • Get help if your partner

abuses you. Don’t keep it a secret. Confide

in us – we’ll direct you to help. There is nothing more important to my partners and me than your health and the health of your baby. Please call Pam, Nicole or Emma at

371.5961 to schedule a time for us to get together.

My partners and I look forward to meeting you to talk about growing

your family.

Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, would like to thank the more than 200 volunteers who unselfi shly give their time and energy

to our organization to help us care for Vermonters in their homes. “No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the

burden of another. Th ank you.” ~Author Unknown

Celebrating People Doing Extraordinary Th ings Th rough Service

2012 Hospice Volunteer of the Year, Cary Friberg with Jean Semprebon, CVHHH Hospice Volunteer coordinator

Eat Great Food. Support Local Producers.Culinary Supported Agriculture™ from Screamin’ Ridge Farm

Joe’s CSA

Full Share or Just Vegetables: Your Choice. Either way, get the best of the summer harvest—lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit. Full shares also include sauces, cheese, meat, tempeh, and bread from Joe’s Kitchen and many other locals.

A box of foods each week that work together. Joe Buley, chef-farmer, offers shares that easily make delicious meals—with ideas and instructions.

Pick-up sites that work for you. Two sites in Montpelier and others at local employers. Plus, we’ll create new sites for 8+ members. Let us know where you and your neighbors or coworkers want to pick up.

Vacation-friendly. Put your CSA pickup on hold while you’re on vacation and

use your credit in our online store or toward enrollment for next season!

Receive an approximately 10%–15% discount off retail pricing. 16 CSA shares, delivered weekly. $675 for Full shares and $400 for Just Vegetables.

Support Your Neighbors. You'll be buying from these producers and others:

Blackwell Roots FarmBurnt Rock Farm Gaylord Farm

Kingsbury Market GardenKnoll FarmRhapsody Natural Foods

visit JoesCSA.com to learn more and sign up!Questions? Call 802-461-5371 or email joe@screaminridgefarm.com

Red Hen Baking Co.Vermont Bean CraftersWillow Moon Farm and others...

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Saturday Hours are Now Available!

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Integrative Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

page 16 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Juanita’sAUTO921 US Route 302

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juanitasauto.net

Specializing in quality, down country Toyotas, Hondas, and Subarus. Trades welcome. Call anytime: shop or cell 603-387-1253

Certified nurse-midwife Maggie Gardner has joined Gifford Health Care’s outstanding team of midwives committed to high-quality women’s care at birth and throughout life. A Vermont native, Maggie is excited to partner with women to meet their individual care needs. Maggie is available at Gifford’s Randolph and Berlin practices. Call today for an appointment!

Maggie Gardner, CNM

Gifford Ob/Gyn and Midwifery 728-2401

Education MSN, Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KYBA and master’s entry program, University of Vermont

Board certificationAmerican Midwifery Certification Board

Clinical interestsGynecologic and prenatal care, breast feeding support, Pap test follow-up, sexual health

Meet the rest of Gifford’s women’s health team and learn more online at www.giffordhealthcare.org.

Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

Hands-On Gardener

It’s been challenging to get super excited about starting seeds with this much snow on the ground. Still, April is the month

to plant most of the seeds that need to be started indoors. With the exception of the squash family, I’ll be starting all the flowers and annual herbs, brassicas, tomatoes, pep-pers and other vegetables that need four to eight weeks before being set outdoors.

Normally I’m so gung ho, I’ve got everything growing about two to three weeks too early and spend the beginning of May juggling seedlings, transplanting into ever larger pots and jiggling my foot waiting until the mo-ment I can set things out. But unless this is the new normal, this is not a normal year. Usually by late March I’ve got huge spinach in the greenhouse, and I am getting an early whiff of spring from the green explosion under row cover. This year, for the first time, all the spinach and lettuce I planted out in the greenhouses last spring died. This winter was just too cold for too long. We’re on the last of the freezer vegetables, and for the first time in 35 years, we’re almost out of onions.Gardening is a hope-and-faith-based occupa-tion. It is useful to remember that last year the snow kept falling until the end of April. And while I do have onions, leeks and shal-lots under lights in the basement, this year I’m also going to buy seedlings from Dave Grundy’s Onion Seedling Co-op. If you’re interested in growing onions from seedlings instead of sets, contact Dave at ddgrundy@comcast.net. He’ll direct you to the Dixon-dale Farms website where you can choose from 11 different varieties of long-day on-ions. At $2.75/bunch for 50 to 75 seedlings, it’s a heck of a deal, but you need to order right away. Seedling bunches will be deliv-ered at the end of April.A few weeks ago, I moderated a round-table gardening discussion at the Four Corners Schoolhouse in East Montpelier. We were 18 experienced gardeners discussing everything from pest controls to row cover and trellis designs for cucumbers to cover crops.For me, the most interesting part of the dis-cussion was hearing other people’s problems. Years of writing this column has taught me that the only way to learn how to solve a problem is to have a problem. Once you have the problem you can check with more knowledgeable growers, research online and try different strategies.When my greenhouse cucumbers failed to set fruit a couple of years ago, a grower sug-gested they needed more nitrogen, the most critical element for plant growth. We side-dressed with Chilean nitrate and instead of having cucumbers set fruit and shrivel, they set fruit and grew. When we had a problem with peppers in the greenhouse last year and

squash in the upper garden, after quite a bit of problem solving, I discovered that the horse manure we’d turned into the soil was not as rotted as I’d thought. Even though the soil was rich in organic matter, the ni-trogen was all tied up in the sawdust in the horse manure. When I moved the peppers outdoors in a part of the garden with good fertility, they recovered and produced.I grow many kinds of peppers with great suc-cess but when we went around the room, it turned out that there was one problem I had in common with most of the gardeners. We all have a hard time growing a decent radish. Now radishes are supposed to be the easiest crop to grow. Start them early, about as early as you can plant peas outdoors, in a good fri-able soil as companion plants between rows of carrots, around young brassicas plants or in a bed of their own. From germination to salad, growing a decent radish should only take three weeks. Yet here are these garden-ers who can grow everything from celery to okra, melons and sweet potatoes stymied by the easiest crop of all.A bit of research online revealed that too much nitrogen results in lots of leaf but no bulbs. Other problems include a lack of boron or excess boron, too much heat that makes the roots too spicy, not enough space between plants and poor timing so the plants bolt and don’t bulb up. The list goes on and on, and that is just for one plant. For the last few years my radishes mostly did nothing. Finally, last year I grew great radishes between the carrots in the area of the garden where we used to dump manure. The soil is unusually rich and friable but not particularly rich in nitrogen. That area had grown a lot of weeds and has had no addi-tional fertilizer. The fact that those radishes grew nice sweet crunchy bulbs tells me I finally found the ideal conditions for them to grow. Quick tip: Much as those radishes enjoyed that old manure pile, the carrots did stupendously well.What I’m getting at and what made the other gardeners in that room so happy is that there is a great deal of of trial and error in garden-ing. Even the most experienced gardeners have failures, but from those failures we are able to grow new successes.So get harvesting and seeding and happy gardening!Miriam and her husband, David, live in East Montpelier, where they grow most of their own vegetables, berries and meat on less than one-quarter of an acre. Your questions and com-ments are welcome. You can reach Miriam at freshair460@gmail.com.

Can You Grow a Radish?by Miriam Hansen

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 17

Gun Control Efforts Boost Sales for Local Firearm Dealer by Carla Occaso

The first thing you notice when you drive up Mark Lane’s driveway on Gould Hill in East Montpelier is a

big American flag on his garage. The sec-ond thing is the “Friends of the NRA (Na-tional Rifle Association)” sign by the door. Lane has had a home business selling guns since he got his license from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 1989. And, thanks to fired-up gun control efforts in Washington, D.C., and in Burlington on Town Meeting Day, business is brisk.

“Gun and ammunition manufacturers thank President Obama, because the de-mand and prices on everything went up,” Lane said recently to The Bridge while sit-ting at his kitchen table with his wife of 18 years, Connie, and a neighbor. According to Lane, people may be hoarding weapons and ammunition more than ever as fears of scarcity due to government regulations increase. “Gun sales have gone way up in the past few years and ammunition has skyrocketed,” he said, explaining that a box of .22 ammo that used to cost one dollar now costs $10. Lane attributes this, in part, to Obama’s voting track record as a U.S. senator when he consistently voted against gun rights and for gun control.

Why sell guns? “The reason I do guns is that a lot of people want them, and I know how to get them.” Although gun sales are a very small portion of his overall home-based business, it keeps him busier lately. Part of the push by his customers to stock up is also an expression of their desire to assert Second Amendment rights as stated in the Bill of Rights: “A well regulated Mi-litia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Lane’s affiliation with the NRA, a Fairfax, Va.-based organization with the mission of defending gun owners' rights (home.nra.

org), is evident all over his home. He even has a cozy blanket with an NRA logo on his living room couch in front of the TV. It was no surprise he was opposed to the actions of Burlington voters on Town Meeting Day to approve three ballot items to restrict gun use. One regulation would allow police to confiscate firearms from a person suspected of domestic violence; another would ban guns from any city liquor establishment and the third requires residents who keep guns in their homes to keep them locked up at all times. Lane said while he agrees with at least temporary gun seizure during a violent domestic dispute until the facts can be ascertained, forcing people to lock up weapons in the home defeats the purpose of having guns to protect yourself or your family in an emergency.

“If you keep your firearms locked in your house, how are you going to use them in an emergency if you have to defend yourself or your family? Do you say, ‘Wait a minute, I have to go get my keys to get my guns?’ Do you call 9-1-1 and tell the intruder, ‘wait five minutes?’ Even five minutes is a long time.” Lane believes it is important to keep the government at bay when it comes to legal use of guns in the home.

All this fuss about guns is relatively new in Vermont. Lane remembers a time when possession and use of guns were just part of normal life. He and his wife spoke of how when they were growing up, when hav-ing guns in the home and using them for outdoor sports activities was nothing worth mentioning. Lane still hunts deer with his family and enjoys target practice on a regu-lar basis. He uses a Remington 300 Win Mag and an H&R 280. His wife sometimes joins him.

“I like skeet shooting. I know how to handle a gun. I was brought up with them,” said Connie.

In the past few decades, howeverthe issue of gun ownership has become so divisive that Lane even made up two business cards when campaigning for a position on the East Montpelier Planning Commission sev-eral years ago. One card mentioned his gun shop and the other didn’t. This spoke to an awareness of how, in the new Vermont sensibility, tolerance for gun ownership has shifted. Lane was elected into the posi-tion and has been serving the town on the planning commission and zoning board of adjustment for many years now— too many to keep track of.

Lane is also an avid steward of the land. His other businesses include logging, tree removal, brush hogging, landscaping, mow-ing, rototilling, backhoe use and digging out stones from people’s muddy driveways. In addition, Lane spends much of his time

working at his home on the land he inher-ited from his father, who inherited it from his father and his father’s father. He is a family man who shares life with his wife and two teenage children, a son, Hunter, and a daughter, Haylie.

As far as being allowed to keep guns in his home should the need arise to pro-tect his family, he is afraid that, town by town, Vermont will enact regulations that contradict the constitutional right to bear arms. “Slowly, slowly…they just want to keep putting these laws in,” Lane said. “The majority of Vermonters are not criminals. We don’t have a lot of big crime in Ver-mont.” And in order to keep and protect his right to own guns and handle them in a responsible manner as he sees fit, he will most likely continue to stay active in gun rights activities.

Mark Lane, owner of Lane’s Gun Shop, a home business in East Montpelier, stands in front of some of his guns.

Photo by Carla Occaso.

April is finally upon us and although the warm weather may not be here yet, there are plenty of ways to stimulate your heart and mind with poems, workshops and readings throughout Montpelier. Yes, Montpelier Alive’s “Poem City” is here for its fifth year and promises to be the best one yet. Throughout Central Vermont, communi-ties are joining in the fun with Randolph and Norwich University doing their own Poem Town and Poem Campus. Check out poemcityvt.wordpress.com/ for more infor-mation and a full listing of all events.

Chickadee Chaps & Broads Second Annual Letterpress Broadside Contest

David Dillon of East Albany was awarded this year’s top honor in the Chickadee Chaps & Broads Second Annual Letter-press Broadside Contest. Chickadee Chaps & Broads is an organization dedicated to preserving the art of letterpress printed lit-erary ephemera.

Broadsides were common between the 16th and 19th centuries. These sheets of paper were usually printed on one side only and often proclaimed political opinions or an-nounced events. Today, broadside printing is considered a fine art and is growing in popularity among poets as an artful way to

display their work.

Dillon’s poem Northeast Kingdom Wind Song was selected by Vermont poet Jody Gladding as this year’s winner. Gladding said of Dillon’s work that she enjoyed how his poem is, “full of the elemental energy that is the storm.” She adds, “I like all its verbs. I like being thrown by the reference to a Costa Rican resort. I like it that the wind is female. As the poem says, ‘this song rouses all.’”

Dillon will receive five copies of his signed and numbered limited edition broadside, handset and letterpress printed at May Day Studio and illustrated by Vermont Arts Council award winner Gabriel Tempesta. Dillon’s broadside will be on public display in downtown Montpelier during the month of April as part of Poem City’s month-long poetry festivities. Copies will be avail-able for purchase at The Drawing Board through April and while supplies last at Chickadee Chaps & Broads’ online store.

As part of Chickadee Chaps & Broads’ mis-sion to nurture the work of Vermont writ-ers, Dillon will also receive a complimen-tary three-night stay at The Writers’ Retreat in Craftsbury. Both Gladding and Dillon will give a reading at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier on April 15. Gladding will read from Translations from Bark Beetle, her newly released collection from Milkweed Editions, and Dillon will read his winning poem, along with a selection from his first book of poems, From The Porch.

Northeast Kingdom Wind SongShe slew the distantridge before howlingher arrival swattingthe basin tossingravens to new heightsjuddering cedarsbending pine rattlingbirch the din mimickingsurf on rocks at PlayaGuionnes. We sleptfitfully with an open

door so not to miss theserenade. Tonight wide-eyed awaiting return

of power to the cabinwe sit on the stonewall mesmerized asif before a fire.This song rouses all.Even those notstanding quite sotall.

by David Dillon, East Albany

Poem in Your PocketCut out one of these poems, or all three, and carry them with you all month. Like a fine scotch, poems become better with the passage of time. Read it, drink it in, and then stuff it in your pocket so that you have something to fill your soul the next time that you are thirsty. Impromptu outloud recitings are encouraged.

page 18 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

With spring just around the cor-ner, the Vermont real estate mar-ket will soon swing into high

gear. For homeowners across the state who are preparing to list their properties for sale, it’s important to focus on taking good photographs. According to the National As-sociation of Realtors, nine out of 10 home buyers begin their search online by brows-ing photographic listings, yet many real estate photographs are poorly shot.

Brokers see the importance of good pictures on a daily basis. Tamsen Martin Benjamin, a former Central Vermont real estate agent, stressed the importance of cleaning and organization of the home prior to listing. “People need to declutter, clean up and do the dirty work,” she said. Images are often made less effective by a homeowner’s failure to straighten up the space before photo-graphing it.

Marlene McCarty of Montpelier’s McCarty Real Estate, agreed. “Move clutter out of the way,” she said. “Take nice clean pictures.” McCarty also likes to photograph the de-tails of a home’s unique features in addition to providing a written description. “People really need to see. I just had one [sale] where the buyer said that it’s what brought her to the house. The [photos of the] fixtures were really good. That’s what made her want to call.” She cautioned against photographing

the details of just any feature, though. “You wouldn’t just take a picture of a normal sink, but a nice fixture or nice trim, yes.” McCarty also noted that buyers want to see photos of f loors, particularly if the f loors are wood and in good condition.

How can an average seller take attractive, compelling photos? Professional real estate photographers rely on a few guidelines that can be used by anyone:

Shoot exterior photos from an angle. Photographing a house head-on creates an unattractive, boxy look, so move slightly to the left or right of the building. If possible, take the photo from higher ground. Some photographers stand on top of their cars for a bit of extra height.

Take outside shots under a variety of lighting conditions to discover the best look. Direct sunlight can be wonderful for exter-ior photos of some houses. Homes with lots of trees around the entrance, however, are often better photographed in indirect sun-light to avoid throwing parts of the house into deep shadow.

Don’t photograph interior walls head-on. Center a corner of the room in the photo-graph to give a better sense of proportion and space.

Shoot rooms from chest height and use a tripod.A tripod minimizes blurriness, and the av-erage person’s chest height is ideal for cap-turing room proportions correctly.

Experiment with photographing each room at different times of day. A few rays of sun from a window warm up a photo, but too much sunlight can be a bad thing. Find a time of day when the sun doesn’t create deep shadows or a distracting glare. Be careful not to shoot directly into sunlight. Don’t be afraid to turn on lights if a room is too dark.

Include slightly more floor than ceiling. This makes the room appear larger and the ceiling appear higher.

Include special fixtures. Woodstoves, fireplaces, hot tubs and high-end kitchen or bathroom appliances are im-portant for potential buyers to see.

Don’t photograph rooms or ele-ments that you find unattractive.

This often includes furnaces or furnace rooms, unfinished basements and attics.

Adjust your photos in a graphics editing software application.Even the most careful shots inevitably look “off” when it comes to perspective. Take a picture of any room and notice that in the photo walls and other vertical lines aren’t re-ally vertical. Walls often appear to slant away from each other at the top of the photo, making it look like there’s something terribly wrong with the construction of the building. Those who are handy with Adobe Photoshop can fix this problem with the “skew” tool. Adjust the top of the photo to be narrower than the bottom, bringing all the vertical lines into their true vertical positions. Then crop the image to remove the empty triangular spaces the skew tool created on each side of the photo.

Finally, while there’s no substitute for great lighting, Photoshop offers a couple of ways to adjust your photo’s lighting effects after the fact. Use a levels adjustment layer to reduce the appearance of deep shadows or overexpo-sure. A photo filter adjustment layer can make the image warmer or cooler as needed.

A good interior photograph is well-lit, gives an accurate sense of the space and shows a room that is clean and free of clutter. Photo by Erin McIntyre.

Getting the Perfect Shot by Erin McIntyre

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 19

It’s Elementary Art by Michelle A.L. Singer

That’s how artist and art teacher Heidemarie Holmes-Heiss describes children’s art. “You can feel that

it’s an amazing expression when a child picks up a pencil and draws. It’s exquisite, exciting and even sacred.” Holmes-Heiss has been teaching art for 14 years and is currently the art teacher at both Calais and East Montpelier elementary schools. Every summer she visits family in Europe. “I go to all the art exhibits in Salzburg and Cologne but I can’t wait until September to see the kids’ fresh and original work,” she said.

For 10 years, she has donated one of her Art Resource Association (ARA) art show slots to her students and all the elementary students in the Washington County Super-visory Union (WCSU). This year will be no

different. April 10, is the opening celebra-tion for the 10th annual “…It’s Elementary Art” show at Montpelier’s City Center. It will showcase art from Calais, Doty, East Montpelier, Berlin and Rumney students. “I really believe in public art,” said Holmes-Heiss. “Art needs to be seen and enjoyed and not just in a gallery or special places.”

Holmes-Heiss received her bachelor of sci-ence in education from Johnson State Col-lege. While she was learning to be a class-room teacher, she took an art class every semester “to keep my spirits up,” she said. She then earned her master’s degree in fine art and women’s development from Ver-mont College. “I always accepted children’s art as valuable. They remind us that art is play on more than one level.”

Holmes-Heiss is now bringing a new ap-proach into the classroom called Teaching for Artistic Behavior. It’s choice-based and strives to get students away from judgment based on performance. Holmes-Heiss’ main goal is to get kids to connect to themselves as artists. She shared her favorite quote from Pablo Picasso, “Every child is an artist.”

She and the other art teachers of WCSU look forward to presenting the work of their students this April. Since they work so hard to inspire and cultivate art every day, their appreciation for children’s art is evident. Holmes-Heiss and her colleagues spoke highly of their students’ creativity.

Heidemarie Holmes-Heiss, art educator K–6, Calais and East Montpelier Elementary Schools “Every day I am grateful to work with so many young artists, to guide their confi-dence and trust in self-expression and to be learning as they are.”

Jennifer Campbell, Rumney Ele-mentary School art educator K–6 “I appreciate children’s art because children enjoy making marks, exploring a variety of mediums and creating. Their art is a visual example of their authentic selves, uninhib-ited and pure.”

Lynn Spencer, Berlin Elementary School art educator K–6“I find it really exciting to work with young artists and watch how they mix paint to cre-ate unique and inspiring compositions. The color combinations will make your eyes dance. I admire their daring.”

Martha Fitch, Doty Elementary School art educator K–6 “Children’s artwork allows me to see the world from their point of view. It can be a snapshot of how organized and observant a child might be. Art time is important to children be-cause it can provide time to work with tools and materials increasingly not present in other parts of the school day.”

“It’s explicit and exquisite.”

Artist: Maeve McFadden HoffertTitle: “Spirit Horse”

Grade: 4East Montpelier Elementary

Artist: Isabel GiammussoTitle: “Instruments”Grade: 5Calais Elementary

Artist: Oliver Jon HansenTitle: “The Evolution of a Scribble”

Grade: 4East Montpelier Elementary

Artist: William Alexander RobTitle: “Snowy Owl”

Grade: 1 East Montpelier Elementary

page 20 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

APR. 3MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier Bicycle Advisory Committee. First Thurs., 8 a.m. Police Station Community Room, 534 Washington St., Montpelier. 262-6273.Mud Season Book Sale Through Apr. 12. Thousands of books, from shiny new bestsell-ers to antique curiosities. During library hours Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Mont-pelier. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.PoemCity: You Come Too: Robert Frost Spring Poems. Vermont Humanities Council Executive Director Peter Gilbert leads a discus-sion of three Frost poems about spring, 5:30 p.m. Vermont Humanities Council. 11 Loomis St., Montpelier. Free. 262-2626 x307.MBAC Meeting. Meeting of the Montpelier Bicycle Advisory Committee. First Thurs., 8 a.m. Police Station Community Room, 534 Washington St., Montpelier. 262-6273.

Everyday Buddhism: Mindful Practice in an Imperfect World. A panel discussion featur-ing five prominent Buddhist teachers, includ-ing Zen, Tibetan, Vietnamese and American Buddhist traditions. Followed by questions and answers. 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier. Donation. 224-1001. nmbe1022@gmail.com.Diabetes Support Group. First Thurs., 7–8 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. 371-4152.The 3rd Annual Central Vermont Drag Ball: Dungeons and Drag-On. Drag performances by Madame Lustache, Lady SaDiva, Jonathan B1tchman, MOONUNIT, Hunni Badger, Daisy World, Stella Von Rosenthorn. Drinks and refreshments. DJ Laser Pony. 7 p.m. Old Labor Hall, 64 Granite St., Barre. $10 suggest-ed donation benefiting the Freeride Montpelier Bicycle Coop.

APR. 4Catholic Daughters’ 24th Annual Flea Mar-ket. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Central Vermont Catholic School, 79 Summer St., Barre.Reiki Clinic. With Lynne Ihlstrom, reiki master. Half-hour or hour sessions available. Noon–4 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Cen-ter, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. $15 for half-hour. By appointment: 522-0045.REMINISCE Group Information Session. Born before 1940? Join to discuss starting a group to reminisce. 12:45–1:45 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-8140.PoemCity: Poetry StoryWalk Reception. Matching the poetry of Mary Oliver and Wendell Berry with the work of local artists and photographers. 4:30–6:30 p.m. Free. Kellogg-Hubbard Library.135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org

Khaos Designs. Meet Dave Kaczynski who cre-ates distinctive contemporary jewelry inspired by architecture and nature. 5–7 p.m. Artisans Hand. 89 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9492. info@artisanshand.com. artisanshand.com. PoemCity: Poetry Slam with Geof Hewitt. Join Vermont’s Slam Master in an all-ages poetry slam. Come to perform three poems up to three–minutes in length. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages. First Fri., 7–9 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and enter at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@comcast.net.

DANCEApr. 12–13: 2014 Annual Student Choreography Showcase. Students have been working all school year, under the direction of Hanna Satterlee, to create new dance works from start to finish. These are performances of student choreography by some of our most advanced dancers. Presenting new works by Candace Fugazy, Elysia Manriquez, Halee Bernier, Louisa Franco, Nathan Burton, Josie Slade, Josephine Kelly, CD&FS Senior dancers and a new col-laboration by the Teen Jazz dancers. CD&FS. 18 Langdon St., 3F, Montpelier. $10 suggested donation. 229-4676. cdandfs.com.Apr. 12: 7 p.m.Apr. 13: 2 p.m.

THEATER, STORYTELLING & COMEDYApr. 4: Spring Into Spring Gala and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Central Vermont High School Initiative. Reception 5:30; performance 7 p.m. Haybarn Theatre at Goddard College. 123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield. $25. cvhsi.org.

Apr. 4: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy Night. Montpelier’s monthly comedy open mic. Sign-ups 7:30 p.m. Show starts 8 p.m. The American Legion Post #3, 21 Main St., Mont-pelier. Free, donations welcome. 793-3884.Apr. 4, and 5: Monty Python’s Spamalot. A somewhat-irreverent tale of King Arthur (and the Knights of the Very, Very Round Table) as they strive to fulfill their quest to find the Holy Grail. 7:20 p.m.; matinee Apr. 5, 2 p.m. Not suitable for all audiences. Spaulding High School Auditori-um, 155 Ayers St., Barre. $10 adults; $8 students/seniors; $5 children. 476-4811. sbrenshs@u61.net.Apr. 4–6: The Mouse That Roared. A satirical comedy for all ages. Presented by Cabot Community Theater. Cabot School Perform-ing Arts Center. 25 Common Rd., Cabot. $5. 563-3338.Apr. 4–5: 7 p.m.Apr. 6: 2 p.m.Apr. 6: No Strings Marionettes’ Jack and the Beanstalk. The Vermont masters of puppetry present Jack and the Beanstalk, retold with all the magic and mischief their marionettes can muster. 1 p.m. Barre Opera House. 6 N. Main St., Barre. $6. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.org.Apr. 10–27: Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Lost Nation Theater opens its 2014 Season with Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning classic Our Town. Funny, deeply moving, engaging and ground-breaking theatri-cal play celebrating the very ordinariness of our lives. Features a multi-generational cast and live performance of the music of Aaron Copeland. Montpelier City Hall Arts Center. 39 Main St., Montpelier. 229-0492. lostnationtheater.org. Discounts for seniors and youth. Apr. 10, 12: 2 p.m. $15Apr. 10, 17, 24: 7 p.m. $25.Apr. 11: Opening Night Gala. 6:45. $60 includes food, beverage, show.Apr. 13, 20: 7 p.m. $30

Apr. 18, 25: 8 p.m.; $30Apr. 27: 2 p.m. $30Apr. 11–12: Doctor Dolittle JR. Rumney Memorial School will present the MTI Broadway Junior production Doctor Dolittle JR. The whim-sical musical follows the adventures of a small-town doctor in Victorian England who uses his special gift of being able to talk with animals to learn more about the world. Based on the stories by Hugh Lofting. Rumney Memorial School. 433 Shady Rill Rd., Middlesex. $5 adults; $2

children. 223-5429.Apr. 11: 7 a.m.Apr. 12: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Apr. 13: Serpents Swimming West. A staged reading of a new play as part of Chandler’s Issues Play series. Serpents Swimming West, by Jeanne Beckwith, will be performed in the April segment of this series. 7 p.m. Chandler’s Upper Gallery. 71–73 Main St., Randolph. Adults $10 advance, $12 day of show; students $5 all times. 728-6464.

Performing Arts No String Marionettes present Jack and the Beanstalk, retold with all the magic and

mischief their marionettes can muster! Barre Opera House, April 6.

New Days & Hours of Operation:Wednesday 8 am to 4 pmSaturday 8 am to 4 pm

For pricing and other information visit our website: www.earthwasteandmetal.com Or check us out on Facebook

Effective April 9, 2014

Barre, Bradford, & Northfield

Transfer Stations

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 21

Two Capuchin Monkeys by Corrina Thurston on display at Capitol Grounds, Montpelier. Part of artist’s exhibit Wildfire in Colored Pencil.

Reception April 4, during Montpelier Art Walk.

APR. 5National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room, 1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.Catholic Daughters’ 24th Annual Flea Market. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Central Vermont Catholic School, 79 Summer St., Barre.Life on the Path: Meditation Daylong. With Tibetan Buddhist nun Venerable Amy Miller. Contemplative meditation and discussion on cul-tivating inner peace and the altruistic, awakened mind. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Milarepa Center. 1344 US Rte. 5 South, Barnet. $20 donation includes vegetarian lunch. Register: 633-4136. milarepa@milarepacenter.org. milarepacenter.org.PoemCity: Card Catalog Poetry Playshop. Mix and match words into poetry using old library index cards. All ages. 1 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Li-brary. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Vermont History Day. Students are encouraged to share history by creating projects for the state contest. Presented by the Vermont Historical Society. 2:30–3:30 p.m. Spaulding High School. 155 Ayers St., Barre. Free. 479-8500. vermonthis-tory.orgA Night of Chocolate Fundraiser. Local choco-late tasting to raise money for Circle of Women International. Live entertainment, desserts, kids chocolate dipping table, silent auction, raffle and door prizes. 6–10 p.m. Unitarian Church. 130 Main St., Montpelier. $10/$20 adult; $5 child. circleofwomeninternational@gmail.com.

APR. 6Waterbury American Legion Unit 59 Auxiliary Bingo. Fundraiser benefiting many projects spon-sored by the auxiliary. Lunch available. Doors open 11a.m.; quickie games noon; regular game 1 p.m. Waterbury American Legion. 16 Stowe St., Waterbury. 244-8404.PoemCity: Write On! Poetry workshop With Poet Angela Emery. 6–8 p.m. Sovversiva. 80 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. poemcityvt.wordpress.com.

APR. 7Parent Meet-Up. Come meet other parents, share information and chat over light snacks, coffee and tea. First Mon., 10–11:30 a.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpe-lier. Free. mamasayszine@gmail.com.Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare? Have questions? We have answers. Second and fourth Tues., 3–4:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste. 200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted. 479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.PoemCity: Leland Kinsey for Young Writers. Poet Leland Kinsey leads a poetry workshop for young writers. Hosted by Young Writers Project. Readings follow workshop. 4 p.m. Kellogg-Hub-bard Library, East Montpelier Room. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Register: sreid@youngwrit-ersproject.org.Grandparents Raising Their Children’s Children. Second Tues., 6–8 p.m. Child care provided. Wesley Methodist Church, Main St., Waterbury. 476-1480.Death and Rebirth Series: Evening Talks. With Tibetan Buddhist nun Venerable Amy Miller. Meaningful exploration of the natural cycle of life, death and rebirth. 6–8 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 633-4136. milarepa@milarepacenter.org. milarepacenter.org. Voices Across the Divide: Vermont Film Showing & Discussion. With Alice Rothchild, author and activist. two times, two locations. Free.Noon–2 p.m. Waterbury Congregational Church. 8 N. Main St., Waterbury7–9 p.m. Christ Episcopal Church. 64 State St., Montpelier. Free. shapiro.kathy@gmail.com.The Classic Book Club. Discussion on The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and other classic poems. 6 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library. 151 High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.PoemCity: Woody & Jack: Two American Icons. Steve Edington presents how Woody Guthrie and Jack Kerouac each made significant contributions to American culture. 7 p.m. Unitarian Church. 134 Main St., Montpelier. Free. poemcityvt.wordpress.com.

APR. 8Walk Warren with Green Mountain Club. Moderate. five miles. West Hill loop is moderately steep with fine views of the Mad River Valley. Meet behind Dept. of Labor, next to Montpelier bike path. Bring snack and water. Call for meeting time: 223-3550Potluck. Bring a dish, plate, utensils. Share food, meet people and make connections. 5:30 p.m. The Senior Center. 24 Main St., Morrisville. 888-4302.Amphibian Crossing Brigades. Training session for amphibian monitoring to assist amphibians on their annual migration to breeding pools. 6:30 p.m. North Branch Nature Center. 713 Elm St., Montpelier. Free. 229-6206.PoemCity: Kerrin McCadden Reading. Poet Kerrin McCadden reads from Landscape with Plywood Silhouettes. 7 p.m. Bear Pond Books. 77 Main St., Montpelier. Free. helen@bearpond-books.com. bearpondbooks.com.

APR. 9Music Together with Ellen Leonard from AllTogetherNow. Internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children from birth–age 7 and the grownups who love them. 10:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library. 122 School St., Marshfield. Free 426-3581. jaquith-publiclibrary.org. Imagination Trees. Create with cardboard and mixed media collage. Ages 3–6. 11 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Must register: 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

Theme-Based Lego Club. With Mike Maloney, for grades 4 through 6. 1-2 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Registration required: 244-7036.Green Mountain Care Board: Blueprint Annual Meeting. Open to the public. 1–4 p.m. DFR, 3F conference room. 89 Main St, Montpelier. 828-2130. gmcboard.vermont.govEyewitness to History: Politicians, the Press and Elections. With Marselis Parsons and Kristin Carlson, newscasters. These two popular broad-casters will present a review of politics and politi-cal campaigns and how they have changed over the past 40 years. Part of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 1:30 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St., Barre. Nominal donation; mem-bers free. 454-1234. pdaggett@myfairpoint.net.Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With Lisa Masé of Harmonized Cookery. Second Wed., 4:30–6 p.m. Conference Room 3, Central Ver-mont Medical Center. lisamase@gmail.com.Open House at Pacem School. Learn what it’s like to be a Pacem student. Find out about the philosophy and curriculum of all our programs and meet current faculty and families. 5–6:30 p.m. Pacem School. 29 College St., Montpelier. pacemschool.org.Quilting Group. Working meeting of the Dog River Quilters. Second Wed., 5:30 p.m. Com-munity room, Brown Public Library, Northfield. Jean, 585-5078 or jeanjolley@myfairpoint.net.

Bereaved Parents Support Group. Second Wed., 6–8 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd., Berlin. Jeneane Lunn 793-2376.Community Cinema: The Opiate Effect. Film explores the dangers of opiate and heroin addiction in Vermont. Co-sponsored by Vermont Public Television and Independent Lens. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Mont-pelier. Free. kellogghubbard.org.SHENANDOAH! Join historians, State House Singers, legislators and staff to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Shenandoah campaign and the Battle of Cedar Creek. Presented by the Friends of the State House. Reception follows. 7:30 p.m. Vermont State House, House Chamber. 115 State St., Montpelier. Free. 828-5657.

APR. 10Worcester Clothing Swap DROP OFF. Drop off your gently used, free from stains and tears, clothing and accessories. Noon–5 p.m. Worcester Town Hall. Rte. 12, Worcester. 552-7494. Financial Literacy Class: Paying for College & Cars. With Sammi Moulton and Erin Broe Swaf-ford from Merchants Bank. Teens–adults. 5:30 p.m. Waterbury Public Library. 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Register: 244-7036. PoemCity: Baseball with Budbill and Barasch. David Budbill and Charles Barasch reprise this hit production from 25 years ago. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teach-ing, fellowship. Second and fourth Thurs., 7–9 p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel Dr., Barre. Free. 479-0302.

APR. 11PoemCity: Brown Bag Poetry: Speak to Me: A Program of Words and Chamber Music. Bring your lunch and watch this video of a piano quartet from the acclaimed Craftsbury Chamber Players. Noon–1 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Worcester Clothing Swap DROP OFF. Drop off your gently used clothing and accessories, free from stains and tears. Noon–5 p.m. Worcester Town Hall. Rte. 12, Worcester. 552-7494. Food as Medicine. With Lisa Mase, Whole Foods cooking educator, food writer and herbalist. 2 p.m. Aldrich Library. 6 Washington St., Barre. Free. 476-7550. aldrichlibrary@charter.net. aldrichpubliclibrary.org. PoemCity: Workshop and Reading with Sydney Lea. Three-hour poetry workshop with Current Vermont Poet Laureate Sydney Lea. Poetry read-ing follows. Workshop 2 p.m; Reading 6:30 p.m. Vermont College of Fine Arts Noble Lounge. 36 College St, Montpelier. Free. Limited seating, reg-istration required: 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Friday Night Group. For youth age 13–22 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation. Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers from Outright VT. Second & fourth Fri., 6:30–8 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpe-lier. Free. 223-7035. Micah@OutrightVT.org.

APR. 12Worcester Clothing Swap.Get some “new-to-you” clothing and accessories. Benefits the Worcester Food Shelf. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Worcester Town Hall. Rte. 12, Worcester. $1 per bag (BYO). 552-7494.Good Beginnings 2nd Annual Baby & Child Expo: Spring Play Day. Performances, crafts, workshops, free balloons, face painting, vendors, food and more. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Berlin Elementary School. 372 Paine Tnpk., Berlin. $8 adults; Free for children. 595-7953. goodbeginningscentralvt.org.Movies for Everyone Series. Films that are fun for all ages. Second Sat., 11 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, Old Schoolhouse Common, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426 -3581. jaquithpublibrary@gmail.com. marshfield.lib.vt.us.Ukrainian Egg Decorating Demo. With Theresa Somerset. Learn the beautiful art of decorat-ing eggs with wax and dye. Noon–2 p.m. The Drawing Board. 22 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2902.PoemCity: Modern Villanelle Writing Work-shop. With Samantha Kolber. Learn about villanelles and write your own. All ages. 10 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Mont-pelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org. PoemCity: Sudden Eden. Poet Verandah Porche will be joined with her songwriting partner Patty Carpenter for a musical reading of her new book. 6 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

APR. 13Shape Note/Sacred Harp Sing. No experience needed. All welcome. Second Sun., 3–5 p.m. Plainfield Community Center (above the co-op). By donation. 595 9951 or nscottieharrison@gmail.com. PoemCity: Write On! Second session of poetry workshop with Angela Emery. 6–8 p.m. Sovver-siva. 80 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. poemcityvt.wordpress.com.Walk East Montpelier with Green Mountain Club. Easy. 6 miles. Walk a portion of the East Montpelier Trails. Some unpaved roads. Call for meeting time and place: 229-4737. treasurer@gmcmontpelier.org. Young Adventurers Club Outing with Green Mountain Club. Young Adventurers Club helps parents and kids get outdoors to play, learn and make friends. Contact for meeting time and place: 229-9810 or 223-8493.

APR. 14Musical Story Time. With Lesley Grant. Ages 18 months–4 years. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Free. 244-7036.Food for Thought Book Club. Discussion of Joshua Foer’s Moonwalking with Einstein. Potluck. 6:30 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library. 151 High St., Plainfield. Free. 454-8504LGBTQ Reading and Discussion. Are You My Mother: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Fiction Reading: Justin Torres. Author of the novel We the Animals. 7:30 p.m. Haybarn Theatre at Goddard College. 123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield. Free. 454-8311. janet.sylvester@goddard.edu. goddard.edu.

APR. 15Library Book Delivery Service. First and third Tues., 1 p.m. See sign-up sheet near office for more info. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.PoemCity: Translations from Bark Beetle. Poet and teacher Jody Gladding will be reading from her new book and will be joined by David Dillon. 6–8 p.m. Bear Pond Books. 77 Main St., Montpelier. Free. helen@bearpondbooks.com. bearpondbooks.com.Washington County Stamp Club. Monthly meeting. 7 p.m. First Baptist Church. 3 St. Paul St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2953. edsbobnan9@myfairpoint.net.

page 22 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

MusicVENUESBagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 229-9212. bagitos.com.

Apr. 3: Jim Rooney joins Colin McCaffrey, 6–8 p.m. Apr. 4: Jason Mallery (soulful rhythm and blues) 6–8 p.m. Apr. 5: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne, and others, 2–5 p.m.; Art Herttua and Stephen Morabito Jazz (jazz guitar and percussion) 6–8 p.m.Apr. 6: Clare Byrne (contemporary and traditional folk) 11 a.m.–1 p.m.Apr. 8: Open mic, 6–8 p.m.Apr. 10: Andy Pitt (blues/folk) 6–8 p.m. Apr. 11: Jeff Lathrop (indie folk/rock) 6–8 p.m. Apr. 12: Irish Session Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne, and others, 2–5 p.m; Delmer Mulhan Bluegrass, 6–8 p.m. Apr. 13: Dave Moore (Irish and American folk) 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Apr. 15: Old Time Music Session, 6–8 p.m. Apr. 16: Papa GreyBeard Blues, 6–8 p.m. Apr. 18: Art Herttua and Stephen Morabito Jazz (jazz guitar and percussion) 6–8 p.m. Apr. 19: Irish Session Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne, and others, 2–5 p.m; The Neptunes (high energy jazz, blues and alternative) 6–8 p.m.

Bees Knees 82 Lower Main St., Morrisville. 888-7889. thebeesknees-vt.com.

Apr. 12: Bert Wills and Clint Boyd (blues) call for time.

Chandler Music Hall. 71–73 Main St., Ran-dolph. Tickets: 728-6464 or chandler-arts.org.

Apr. 4: John Gorka. His program will wend its way through insight after insight into the sometimes humorous, sometimes serious alleys and byways of human relationships. Opening for Gorka is the acclaimed folk duo, Mustard’s Retreat. 7:30 p.m. Adults: $26 advance, $30 day of show; students $15. Apr. 5: Mustard’s Retreat. 11 a.m. $6 Apr. 6: Onion River Chorus and Montpelier Chamber Orchestra: S[pr]ing, 4 p.m. $15 adults; $12 seniors, $10 students; children under 10 free. Apr. 12: Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Adults: $35 advance, $40 day of show; students $20.

Charlie O’s World Famous 70 Main St., Mont-pelier. Age 21+. Free. Call for times: 223-6820.

Apr. 10: Bert Wills and Clint Boyd (blues)Apr. 11: Spit Jack, other acts TBA (punk)Apr. 12: Dance PartyApr. 17: Brave the Vertigo + DJ Crucible (metal)Apr. 18: Mystery Points, Couches, PistolFist (indie)Apr. 19: Dance Party

North Branch Café 41 State St., Montpelier. Free. 552-8105. thenorth-branch.com.

Apr. 4: Karen Krajacic (guitar folk) 7:30–8:30 p.m.Apr. 12: Karl Miller (guitar) 6–8 p.m.

Positive Pie. 22 State St., Montpelier. 229-0453. positivepie.com.

Apr. 4: Josh Panda & the Hot Damned. 10:30 p.m. Apr. 11: Afri-Vt feat. Members of Sierra Le-one’s Refugee All Stars. 21+. 10:30 p.m. $10.

Positive Pie. 69 Main St., Plainfield. 454-0133. positivepie.com.

Apr. 11: Bert Wills and Clint Boyd (blues) Call for time.

Sweet Melissa’s. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier. Free unless otherwise noted. 225-6012. face-book.com/sweetmelissasvt.

Apr. 3: Woedoggies, 8 p.m. Apr. 4: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Lake Superior, Paper Castles, Lituya Bay, 9 p.m. Apr. 5: Andy Pitt, 5 p.m.; Ryan Taylor Band, cover, 9 p.m. Apr. 8: Live Music, 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night, 7 p.m. Apr. 9: Wine Down with D. Davis, 5 p.m.; 3 Trees, 8 p.m. Apr. 10: Mumbo, 8 p.m.

Apr. 11: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; A Fly Allusian, cover, 9 p.m. Apr. 12: Blue Fox, 5 p.m.; Paul Cannizzaro, 9 p.m. Apr. 15: Live Music, 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night, 7 p.m. Apr. 16: Wine Down with D. Davis, 5 p.m.; Open Bluegrass Jam, 7 p.m.Apr. 17: Live Music, 8 p.m. Apr. 18: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Hot Diggity, 9 p.m.Apr. 19: Andy Pitt, 5 p.m.; Eames Brothers Band, 9 p.m.

The Whammy Bar 31 County Rd., Calais. 229-4329. whammybar1.com.

Apr. 19: Bob and the Trubadors, free, 7:30–10:30 p.m.

ARTISTS & SPECIAL EVENTSApr. 4: WORST.SONG.EVER. Musicians and non-musicians alike sign up in advance to cover their least favorite pop music in a lighthearted competition with audience voting and trophies for best, worst and more. 7 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $5. 479-0896. info@wooo.tv. wooo.tv.Apr. 5: Haybarn Theatre Fundraiser. Featur-ing singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, with Kris Gruen opening. Matching a grant for a new sound system, new theater lights, and other improvements. 7:30 p.m. Haybarn Theatre at Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield. $35 advance. $40 door. 322.1685. megham-mond@goddard. goddard.edu.Apr. 5: Green Mountain Youth Symphony Repertory and Concert Orchestras Perform. 3:30 p.m. Barre Opera House. 6 N. Main St., Barre. $5 donation. 476-8188. Barreopera-house.org.Apr 5: Green Mountain Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra Performs. 7 p.m. Barre Opera House. 6 N. Main St., Barre. Advance: $15 adults; $10 children under 18. At door: $18 adults; $12 children. 476-8188. Barreopera-house.org.Apr 5: Onion River Chorus and Montpelier Chamber Orchestra: S[pr]ing. 4 p.m. St. Augustine’s Church. 16 Barre St., Montpelier. $15 adults; $12 seniors, $10 students; children under 10 free. 223-5285.Apr. 11: Quintessence. Vermont Virtuosi, Vermont’s dynamic new chamber music series, continues its 2014 season with a concert for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. 7:30 p.m. Bethany Church. 115 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 881-9153. lamaurer@sisna,com. laurelan-nmaurer.com.Apr. 12: Pianist John O’Conor Performs. A masterful interpreter of the Classic and early-Romantic repertoires, O’Conor closes this year’s Celebration Series with a Beethoven and Schubert program. 7: 30 p.m. Barre Opera House. 6 N. Main St., Barre. $16-27. 476-8188. barreoperahouse.com.Apr. 12: Two Shoes Off. Featuring Susannah Blachly, George White and Carter Stowell. Part of Adamant Winter Music Series. 5:30 p.m. Adamant Community Club. 1161 Martin Rd., Adamant. $10 advance; $15 at door. 223-5760Apr. 12: Vermont Fiddle Orchestra Con-tradance and Concert. 4 p.m dance; 5:30 p.m. potluck; 7 p.m. concert. Bethel Town Hall. 134 S. Main St., Bethel. $10 dance; $15 concert; $20 for both. 229-4191. info@vtfiddleorchestra.org. vtfiddleorchestra.org. Apr. 13: Bethany Church Second Sunday Concert. Performance by Bill Fraser. 9:30 a.m. Bethany Church. 115 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 279-1850. bethanychurchvt.org.

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Pianist John O’Conor performs Beethoven and Schubert at the Barre Opera House on April 12.

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 23

Visual Arts EXHIBITSThrough Apr. 4: Cindy Griffith, From Vermont to Alaska. Large-scale and intimate paintings in pastel, oil and acrylic. Copley Gallery, Copley Hospital, Morrisville. 229-4326. cindy.griffith.vt@gmail.com. hungermountainarts.com. Hours: daily, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.Through Apr. 5: Anne Cummings, Carbon Footprint Portraits, Local Food, and Climate Change Eco-Art. Main Gallery, Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. studio-placearts.com.Through Apr. 5: The Nitty Gritty. Exhibit of industrial buildings, quarries, tools and people of the nearby region. Second Floor Gallery, Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. studioplacearts.com.Through Apr. 5: Jeneane Lunn, Lights of Home. Third Floor Gallery, Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. studioplacearts.com.Through Apr. 13: The Art of Bethany. Featuring artists connected to Bethany Church, including Will Adams, Kevin MacNeil Brown, Kimberley Greeno, Sarah Munro and Arthur Zorn. Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. $10. arthur-zorn@hotmail.com.Through Apr. 25: Kent Shaw, Night Photogra-phy. Elmore photographer examines the effects of long exposure times. Common Space Gallery, River Arts, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org. Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Through Apr. 27: Corrina Thurston, Wildfire in Colored Pencil. Reception during Mont-pelier Art Walk Apr. 4, 4–7 p.m. Green Bean Visual Gallery at Capitol Grounds. 27 State St., Montpelier. curator@capitolgrounds.com. cor-rinathurston.com.Through Apr. 30: Linda Pruitt, Re-Wilding. Shamanic painting. Journeying around the medicine wheel and through the worlds. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, fiction room. 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

Through Apr. 30: Arny and Cil Spahn. Pho-tographs of the Southwest. Gifford Medical Center Gallery. 44 S. Main St., Randolph. Free. 728-2324.Through Apr. 30: Gretchen Besio. Gretchen Besio’s quilts come in many forms and feature hand-dyed fabrics and uniquely sewn pieces. Opening Apr. 4, 4–8 p.m. The Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., Montpelier. 223-1981. cheshirecatcloth-ing.com.Through May 9: The Barre Paletteers, Zebra/Water/Fruit. The artists have been challenged to combine these themes in one piece of work. Other artwork will also be shown. During library hours. Aldrich Library, Milne Room. 6 Washing-ton St., Barre. 476-7550.Through May 31: Ana Campinile, Lapins Agile. Studies of feral hares in their element. Reception April 4, 4–8 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm St., Montpelier. 223-1431.Through May 31: Round. An exhibition of ob-jects of circular shape, from the Sullivan Museum collection. Sullivan Museum and History Center, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Dr., North-field. 485-2183. Norwich.edu/museum.Through May 31: John Snell. Photographs of animals during John Snell’s recent trip to Botswana. Chill Vermont Gelato. 32 State St., Montpelier. 229-1751. eyeimagein.com. stillearn-ingtosee.com. Through May 31: John Snell, Preview of Com-ing Attractions. Photographs by John Snell of spring flowers and leaves. Savoy Theater lobby,

26 Main St., Montpelier. 229-1751. eyeimagein.com. stillearningtosee.com.Through Jun. 1: Barbara Leber, Twists and Turns. A show of paintings in acrylic on ma-sonite. Begins Apr. 10. Reception Apr. 25, 5–7 p.m. Blinking Light Gallery. 16 Main St., Plain-field. 454-0141. blinkinglightgallery.com.Through Jun. 17: Tom Cullins, Recent Works. Influenced by the artist’s yearly travels to Greece and reflects the aesthetics of place: crisp light, intense color, Cubist composition and the lure of negative space. An award-winning architect and artist, Cullins uses paint and photography to explore form, light, detail and composition. West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park, 17 Towne Farm Ln. Stowe. 253-8943. art@westbranchgal-lery.com. westbranchgallery.com.Through Jun. 17: Rebecca Kinkead, Local Color. West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park, 17 Towne Farm Ln. Stowe. 253-8943. art@west-branchgallery.com. westbranchgallery.com.Through Dec. 19: 1864: Some Suffer So Much. Stories of Norwich alumni who served as military surgeons during the Civil War and traces the history of posttraumatic stress disorder. Sullivan Museum and History Center, Norwich Univer-sity, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield. 485-2183. Norwich.edu/museum.

SPECIAL EVENTSMontpelier Art Walk. Visit up to 20 venues in Montpelier to view exhibits from 20 Vermont

artists. 4–8 p.m. Downtown Montpelier. Free. For full list: montpelieralive.org.Apr. 8: Teen Art Studio. With Painter Amber DeVoss. Get inspired to make art with profes-sional artists in this open studio. Ages 11–18. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Helen Day Art Center. 90 Pond St., Stowe. Free. 253-8358. education@helenday.com. helenday.com. Apr. 15: Sideway Glances: Vernacular Let-tering from the Streets of Mexico City. With Lorena Howard-Sheridan, Guest Designer at the MFA in Graphic Design residency. Lecture con-siders big-scale, public lettering signs in Mexico analyzed from the point of view of graphic design and typography. 6 p.m. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Noble Lounge. 36 College St., Montpe-lier. Free. samantha.eckert@vcfa.edu. vcfa.edu/graphic-design.A Tour of Barre’s Studio Place Arts. Sue Higby, executive director of SPA, will guide us through the current exhibit at SPA and explain the role of SPA in the arts community of Central Vermont. Part of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 1:30 p.m. Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. Nominal donation; members free. 454-1234. pdaggett@myfairpoint.net.Apr. 17: Visceral Virtual: Design and the Souls of Tools. With Caroline Oh, guest designer at the MFA in Graphic Design residency. Lecture explores the new frontier of interactive personal tools and the evolving role of designers. 6 p.m. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Noble Lounge. 36 College St., Montpelier. Free. samantha.eckert@vcfa.edu. vcfa.edu/graphic-design.

Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield hosts Barbara Leber’s Twists and Turns, a show of paintings in acrylic on masonite.

APR. 16Central VT Adult Basic Education Volunteer Information Session. Find out about volunteer opportunities at CVABE. This is also a chance for current volunteers to share their experiences and inspire others. 4:30–5:30 p.m. CVABE’s Waterbury Learning Center. 141 S. Main St., Waterbury. Free. 476-4588 or 244-8765.Home Sharing Info Meeting. Find out what home sharing is all about. Refreshments served. Third Wed., 5:30–6 p.m. Home Share Now, 115 Main St., Barre. RSVP at 479-8544 to ensure ample refreshments.U32 School Board Meeting. 6 p.m. U32 Rm. 128/131. 930 Gallison Hill Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Group. Third Wed., 6–8 p.m. Conference Room 2, Central Vermont Medical Center. 872-6308 or 866-466-0626 (press 3).PoemCity: Music and Poetry. Students from Montpelier High School will perform their new poetic/collaborative works created especially for PoemCity 2014. 6:30 p.m. Sweet Melissa’s. 24 Langdon St., Montpelier. Free. 225-6012.Song Circle: Community Sing-A-Long. With Rich and Laura Atkinson. Song books provided. All ages. 6:45 p.m. Jaquith Public Library. 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquith-publiclibrary.org.Montpelier School Board Meeting. 7–9:30pm. Montpelier High School Library. 5 High School Dr., Montpelier. mpsvt.org. PoemCity: Goddard College Faculty Reading. Faculty of Goddard College’s writing program read their works. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Li-brary. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

APR. 17Third Thursday: Porches of North America. Bring a bag lunch and listen to Thomas Visser talk about porch history. Noon–1 p.m. Vermont History Museum. 109 State St., Montpelier. Free.

828-2180. vermonthistory.org/calendar.Green Mountain Care Board. GMCB Director of Health System Finances Mike Davis will pres-ent an internal GMCB budget update. GMCB Director Analysis and Data Management Dian Kahn will present a VHCURES update. Open to the public. 1–4 p.m. DFR 3rd Floor Conference Room, 89 Main Street, Montpelier. 828-2130. gmcboard.vermont.gov.Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly group for people affected by a suicide death. Third Thurs., 6–7:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin. 223-0924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.Transition Town Montpelier: Dealing with Climate Change. Dr. Alan Betts will discuss how to make a creative contribution to the future of the Earth and our children. 6–7:45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Grandparents Raising Their Children’s Children. Third Thurs., 6–8 p.m. Child care provided. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier. 476-1480.Songwriters’ Meeting. Meeting of the Northern VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Bring copies of your work. Third Thurs., 6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury. John, 633-2204.Library Film Series: Writing and Reading. In-teresting and sometimes quirky films to stimulate your mind and senses. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Li-brary. 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.PoemCity: Vermont Studio Center Alumni Poetry Reading. Join Julia Shipley, Hilary Poremski-Beitzel and Kristin Fogdall for a group poetry reading. 7 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center. 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free. 223-2518. jsharp@montpelier-vt.org.

APR. 18Spring Migration Bird Walks. Explore North Branch Nature Center and other local birding hot spots for spring migrants, such as warblers, vireos, thrushes and waterfowl. 7–8:30 a.m. $10

members; Free for members. Call for directions to meeting locations: 229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org.The Science of Sound. With Kurt Valenta. An exploration of how sound is created with hands-on activities that explain the principles through personal experience. Ages 3–6. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Free. 244-7036.PoemCity: Brown Bag Poetry: Favorite Poems. Bring your lunch and join others in a roundtable sharing of our favorite poems, by ourselves or oth-ers. Noon. Kellogg-Hubbard Library 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.PoemCity: So Little Time. The writers of this anthology, focusing on nature and our human impact, gather for a reading. 6 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library.135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.Create a Biodiverse Garden for Ecological Resilience. With Dr. Wendy Sue Harper. Learn strategies for creating more beautiful, biodiverse and thus resilient gardens. 6:30–8 p.m. North Branch Nature Center. 713 Elm St., Montpelier. $5. 229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org.

APR. 19Additional Recyclables Collection Center. Ac-cepting scores of hard-to-recycle items. Third Sat., 9 a.m.–1 p.m. 540 N. Main St. (old Times-Argus building), Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106. For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc-additional-recyclables-collection-center.html.PoemCity: Braiding History. Join historian, mystery novelist and poet Beth Kannell in this generative writing workshop. 10:30 a.m. Vermont History Museum, Snelling Room. 109 State St., Montpelier. Free. 828-2291. PoemCity: Twitter Poetry. Beth Kannell leads this workshop in using the power of social media. 12:30 p.m. Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 229-9212.PoemCity: Photo and Poetry Workshop. Deb Fleishman and Gary Miller host a generative workshop around photography and poetry. 1–3 p.m. Local 64. 5 State St., Montpelier. Free. 595-0605.Green Mountain Club History Walk in Middlesex/Moretown. Easy. 4-6 mile history road walk along Rte. 100B to visit two former hydro-electric power plant sites, and a third site still in operation. Call for meeting time and loca-tion: 622-0585.

2014 Student Choreography Showcase at the Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio in Mont-pelier, April 12 and 13. Photo: Peter Forbes.

page 24 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Weekly EventsARTS & CRAFTBeaders’ Group. All levels of beading experience welcome. Free instruction available. Come with a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.

Movies for Everyone Series. Films that are fun for all ages, that deserve a big screen and that you might not have seen a hundred times already. Sat., 11 a.m. through Spring. Jaquith Public Library. 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.

Sit n’ Knit. One more round of knitting with our friend Joan. First timers and knitting superstars can drop right in. Mon., 3:30–4:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library. 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also welcome. Tues., noon–1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.

BICYCLINGOpen Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Tues., 6–8 p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre St., Montpelier. By donation. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.

BOOKS & WORDSLunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and practice your language skills with neighbors. Noon–1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian; Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.

Conversations with the Word Weaver. Examine the roots and definitions of words we use in daily conversation. Tues., 1:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.

English Conversation Practice Group. For students learning English for the first time. Tues., 4–5 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St. 223-3403.

Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading and share some good books. Books chosen by group. Thurs., 9–10 a.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St. 223-3403.

BUSINESS & FINANCE, COMPUTERSPersonal Financial Management Workshops. Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building and repair, budgeting and identity theft, insurance, investing, retirement. Tues., 6–8 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center, Conference Room 3. Registration: 371-4191.

Computer and Online Help. One-on-one computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St.,

Waterbury. Free. Registration required: 244-7036.

Business Building Blocks Workshops: Keys to Your Business Success. Micro Business Development Program of Central Vermont Community Action. Thurs., 6–8:30 p.m. to Apr. 17. 20 Gable Pl., Barre. Free. Sign up: 477-5214 or 800-639-1053. mferguson@cvcac.org.

FOOD

Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome. Free.

Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., 11 a.m.–1 p.m.Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St., 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St., 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115 Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue), 4:30–5:30 p.m.

HEALTH & WELLNESSTurning Point Center. Safe, supportive place for individuals and their families in or seeking recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 489 North Main St., Barre. 479-7373.

Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops, 6–7:30 p.m.Wed.: Wit’s End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.

Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 552-3483.

Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming overeating. Fri., noon–1 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3079. Tues., 5:30–6:30 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249-0414.

HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral testing. Thurs., 2–5 p.m. 58 East State St., ste. 3 (entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222. vtcares.org.

KIDS & TEENSMad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 7–9 p.m. Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for location and information.

Open Hearth Moretown Community Playgroup: Free play. Open to all. Mon., 9:30–11 a.m. Through June. Moretown Elementary School Gym. 940 VT 100B, Moretown.

The Basement Teen Center. Cable TV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun events for teenagers. Mon.–Thurs., 3–6 p.m.; Fri., 3–11 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9151.

Story Time at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Stories, songs and special guests. Birth to age 5. Tues. and Fri., 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-4665. kellogghubbard.org.

Story Time at the Jaquith Public Library. With Sylvia Smith, followed by play group with Melissa Seifert. Birth to age 6. Wed. 10–11:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.

Read to Coco. Share a story with Coco, the resident licensed reading therapy dog, who loves

to hear kids practice reading aloud. Wed., 3:30–4:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665 or at the children’s desk. kellogghubbard.org.

Read with Arlo. Meet reading therapy dog Arlo and his owner Brenda. Sign up for a 20-minute block. Thurs., 4–5 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-4665. kellogghubbard.org.

Origami Club. Learn to make magical paper creations come alive with Kim Smith. Thurs., 3–4 p.m. Through May. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-4665. kellogghubbard.org.

Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative exploratory arts program with artist/instructor Kelly Holt. Age 3–5. Fri., 10:30 a.m.–noon. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261. RiverArtsVT.org.

Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen books, use the gym, make art, play games and if you need to, do your homework. Fri., 3–5 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.

MUSIC & DANCEBarre-Tones Women’s Chorus. Open rehearsal. Find your voice with 50 other women. Mon., 7 p.m. Alumni Hall, Barre. 223-2039. BarretonesVT.com.

Dance or Play with the Swinging over 60 Band. Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the 1960s. Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.–noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.

Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal. New chorus members welcome. Wed., 4–5 p.m. Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more information.

Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 7–9 p.m. Pratt Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.

Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 6–8 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St. 223-2518.

Ballroom Dance Classes. No partner or experience necessary. Sponsored by Montpelier Recreation Department. Tues., Apr. 1, 8, 15, 22. Waltz 6–7 p.m.; East Coast swing 7–8 p.m. Union Elementary School, Montpelier. Registration: 225-8699. Information: 223-2921

RECYCLINGAdditional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of hard-to-recycle items. Tues. and Thurs., 12:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. ARCC, 540 North Main St., Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106. For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc-additional-recyclables-collection-center.html.

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

SPIRITUALITYChristian Science Reading Room. A place to dig deep into your spirituality. Bibles and Bible study aids available. Tues., 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.–7:15 p.m.; Thurs.–Sat., 11 a.m.–1 p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier. 223-2477. csrr_mpv_

librarian@myfairpoint.net.

Christian Science Church. All welcome to attend services. Sun., 10:30 a.m.; Wed. 7:30 p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier.

Free Lenten Book Study. Led by Rev. Mark Pitton, discussing The Last Week by M. Borg and J. Crossan and the metaphorical meaning of the Bible’s descriptions of Jesus’s last week. Sun.,11:30 a.m. To Apr. 13. Red Door Room, Bethany Church, Montpelier. reddoorroomtable.blogspot.com.

Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text study and discussion on Jewish spirituality. Sun., 4:45–6:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center, Montpelier. 223-0583. info@yearning4learning.org.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed., 7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St., Barre. Register: 479-3253.

SPORTS & GAMESApollo Duplicate Bridge Club. All welcome. Partners sometimes available. Fri., 6:45 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. $3. 485-8990 or 223-3922.

Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermont’s Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up. No experience necessary. Equipment provided: first come, first served. Sat., 5–6:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.

Coed Adult Floor Hockey League. Join women and men in a floor hockey game. Equipment provided. Sun., through Apr. 13. 1:15–4:15 p.m. first Sunday; 3–6 p.m. otherwise. Montpelier Recreaction Center, 55 Barre St., Montpelier. $5. bmfloorhockey@gmail.com. vermontfloorhockey.com.

YOGA & MEDITATIONShambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.–noon; Tues., 7–8 p.m.; Wed., 6–7 p.m. Shambhala Meditation Center, 64 Main St., 3F, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137. montpeliershambala.org.

Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths welcome. Mon., noon–1 p.m. Christ Church, Montpelier. 223-6043.

Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont. Mon., 6:30–7:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier. Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.

Yoga and Meditation. With Katy Leadbetter. Meditation: Mon., 1 p.m. (unlimited). Introduction to yoga: Tues., 4 p.m. (four-class limit). Consultation: Fri., 11 a.m. (one per person). 56 East State St., Montpelier. Free. 272-8923.

Acro Yoga Jam. Led by Lori Flower of Karmic Connection Yoga. Come by yourself or with a partner to practice yoga together in a therapeutic and/or acrobatic way! This is a celebratory practice that builds community and FUN. Wed., 6:30–7:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center. 7 Main St., 2F, Montpelier. Donation based. karmiconnection.com.

Drop-In Meditation Sitting Group. With Sherry Rhynard. A weekly meditation group offers ways to find out more about meditation and gives support to an existing or new practice. Thurs., 6–7 p.m. Call more location: 272-236. sherry@easeofflow.com.

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 25

Class listings and classifieds are 50 words for $25; discounts available. To place an ad, call Carolyn, 223-5112, ext. 11.

ClassifiedsFOR SALECHINA CABINET FOR SALE. Solid oak, curved glass. $200. Call 223-4865.

DRAWING TABLE FOR SALE: 4 feet wide, 29.5 inches deep and approx. 3 feet high (adjustable). Metal legs and side tray. Comes with stool (metal legs, hardwood seat) and desk lamp. $175. Call 223-4865.

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WRITES OF SPRING: Explore Memoir, Deepen Your Story: Ten Thursdays, April 3- June 5, Noon- 2 p.m., $200. Guided Writers’ Work-shop, for experienced writers: Ten Fridays, April 4- June 6, 10 a.m.- Noon, $200. Classes held at: Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State Street, Mont-pelier. Maggie Thompson, MFA, Instructor To register or for more information, call 454-4635.

TAI CHI FOR BEGINNERS: Join the 6-week course starting April 15, Tuesday evenings 7:30 to 9 pm. Enjoy learning the slow, graceful move-ments of this ancient Chinese practice that are rejuvenating and calming. Taught by Sara Norton. First class is free. In Montpelier at 1 Granite Street. Pre-registration is not necessary. For more information call Sara at 454-8550.

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page 26 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

Opinion

Editorial

Was this year’s voter rejection of Montpelier’s school budget a fluke?

Baby boomers – that outsized cohort born from 1946 through 1964 – have continually reshaped American society.

They moved to Vermont in large numbers during the 1960’s and early ‘70’s. This influx plus Vermont’s home grown boomers brought about the creation of several regional schools, including the U-32 middle and high school.

Prior to U-32, Montpelier educated children in these grades from surrounding towns. Montpelier could have merged with U-32, but decided to go it alone. And without the students from other towns, Montpelier high school enrollment dropped in 1971 by one-third, from 890 to 578.

At the time, this reduction was seen as tempo-rary. Montpelier high school enrollment was projected to grow and by the end of the 1970’s reach 800. That never happened.

By the mid-1970’s, Vermont’s recent popula-tion growth from in-migration had abated, no doubt because of the economic downturn of that decade.

Montpelier’s total population declined be-tween 1970 and 2010 by nine percent. But more striking was the declining share of the city’s population in the age group of 24 and under, which as shown in the table with this article, went from 45 percent of the total in 1970, to 25 percent in 2010.

Montpelier’s total enrollment in all schools declined apace, by 46 percent during the four decades. Total enrollments were 1,725 in the 1970-71 school year (after subtracting stu-dents scheduled to transfer to U-32), 1,255 in 1990-91, and 923 in 2010-11 (using the num-ber of total “enrolled” students in 2010-11, not “equalized pupils”).

But Montpelier’s school budgets followed a different pattern.

After adjusting for inflation, the school bud-gets approved annually by voters increased from 1970 to 1990 by eight percent, and from 1990 to 2010 by 66 percent. In 2013 dollar values, the amounts were $9,292,692 in 1970 (discounted for U-32 transfers), $10,016,610 in 1990, and $16,642,414 in 2010.

Underlying larger budget amounts was a ris-ing average cost per-student (budget amount divided by total enrollment): a 48 percent in-

What now for Montpelier Schools? By Ben Huffman

As the general manager of a natural foods cooperative with more than 7,000 owners, I express my support

for H.112, the GMO labeling legislation cur-rently under consideration in the Senate. Our customers have always taken food seriously, wanting to know the full story behind the products they purchase. Increasingly, they are seeking information about genetically modi-fied ingredients in the food supply. Some are concerned about health impacts, many fear environmental contamination and others want to avoid supporting corporate control of the food system. For these reasons, GMO labeling makes sense here, the same as it does in more than 60 other countries where it is mandated.

Hunger Mountain Coop believes everyone

has the right to make informed food choices. We support mandatory labeling of geneti-cally engineered foods. Given the nature of our food system, we believe that a national mandatory GMO labeling law is the optimal solution and should be our long-term goal. However, given the power of anti-labeling in-terests, state laws are needed to build momen-tum. H.112 will be a critically important step in the growing movement towards a national GMO labeling law.

I encourage everyone to contact their legisla-tors to support them passing a strong GMO labeling bill that does not rely on the action (or inaction) of other states. We all have the right to know what we are eating. So let’s lead in passing H.112.

GMO Labels Needed for Informed Food Choice by Kari Bradley, General Manager, Hunger Mountain Coop

Everyone who lives in Montpelier cares about the future of our special city. One of the most important investments

we can make together is in our public schools. A strong public education system is the very foundation of civil society and determines ev-erything from learning opportunities for our children and how they will fare in the future to serving as a magnet attracting families and businesses who actively seek out strong school systems in determining where to locate. Now is the time to express support for our public schools by voting “yes” on the new school budget on Tuesday, April 15.

The leadership team has left critical needs out of this plan to keep our tax increase to a minimum. The budget represents a frugal 1.73 percent increase over last year in school spending. Technology upgrades, building im-provements and needed teaching staff will have to wait. What can’t wait is our focus on

inclusion, attention to our youth, meeting the needs of all students and maintaining excel-lence in our schools.

Our teaching and administrative staff have been cut by 17 percent in the last seven years, while enrollment has only decreased by 8 percent. In fact, Montpelier ranks 123rd in per pupil spending for the state (Education.vermont.gov 2014 per pupil spending). It is remarkable that our schools have been able to achieve such positive results under these circumstances. We cannot turn our backs on these teachers and school leadership now.

In recent public meetings we have heard local business owners declare that a vibrant com-munity must include great schools. We have heard voters with no children in the schools express their unwavering support for the value of great education to the community. We have also heard many young families explain that they chose to move to Montpelier because of

Invest in Education, Citizens and our Community by Nathan Suter

For the past several months a small group of unbelievably committed people have labored tirelessly and with great constancy of purpose to protect an irreplaceable community resource.

Here I am talking about Berlin Pond, the source of Montpelier’s drinking water, which some would argue is reason enough to protect it. But, it is also an ecological treasure, and if it were compromised by destructive human activity it is possible it could not be restored again.

In a closely argued (October 2011) Vermont Supreme Court decision the court appeared to throw open Berlin Pond to a range of recreational uses.

But, beyond this “throwing open,” the court was careful to suggest remedial measures that could be taken by the City of Montpelier, the State Legislature and other government bodies that report to the people. These measures, if taken, could have continued to protect a body of water that is the source of Montpelier’s drinking water and, is at least to many respected naturalists, an ecological treasure.

In the aftermath of the 2011 Supreme Court decision on Berlin Pond I have often wished that our politicians could have been more far-sighted and principled. Why, I have wondered, did they not institute a breathing period or moratorium before heavily active and harmful human activities on and around the pond were permitted carte blanche.

I’m sorry that this did not happen. There was no breathing period, no moratorium and no time to evaluate, consult the experts, take stock and move intelligently to protect the water and the ecology.

We know that a petroleum spill on the pond is a clear and present threat to the purity of Montpelier’s drinking water supply and a petition from the City of Montpelier to the Agency of Natural Resources addresses this single issue.

Until protection of the pond is reestablished, the integrity of the pond and the accompanying watershed is under pressure and in danger of being subject to irreversible damage.

In January 2014, a group of citizen-volunteers who have worked with amazing faith and dis-cipline submitted a petition to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. And this citizens group is asking for full protection of the pond not just as a water supply but as an ecological treasure.

Anyone who lives in Montpelier and drinks its water and anyone who has found quiet solace and pleasure in walking around the pond and enjoying its wildlife and beauty ought to be grateful to the Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond for what they have achieved in raising awareness and in asking the state to do what the state should be doing anyway to protect our natural resources.

Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond is now reaching out for public support. Please take the time to understand what’s at stake. And then please identify with and join in the effort to protect our drinking water and to preserve the ecological integrity of the pond.

The Agency of Natural Resources ought to be protecting our natural resources. But that agency will not act to protect Berlin Pond unless the public insists and directs them to act.

The Citizens group has led the way. The drive for full protection has won the support of the Montpelier Conservation Commission. Now it’s up to the rest of us to follow their lead and join this effort. It is time that we demand that the Agency of Natural Resources protect our natural resources.

To contact Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond, please email CTPBPVT@gmail.com

Protecting a Water Supply and Saving an Ecological Treasure by Nat Frothingham

crease from the 1970-71 school year to 1990-91, and a 126 percent increase from 1990-91 to 2010-11. In 2013 dollar values, the per-student costs were $5,386 in 1970-71, $7,981 in 1990-91, and $18,031 in 2010-11.

Today when people consider a single year’s school budget increase, some have said, it’s only a small amount, and because we value education so highly, why worry about spend-ing a little more? I think the answer is obvious from the above figures. Little plus little, plus a little more, adds up to big.

My children were in Montpelier schools from 1969 through 1996. My family is very grateful for the experience. The adult lives of my chil-dren, and of many of their Montpelier peers, are proof of the high quality of our schools during that time.

But because of that positive experience, I find it impossible to believe that Montpelier schools today are 126 percent better – the increased average cost per-student from 1990-91 to 2010-11, over and above general price inflation during that period.

Nor do I believe rejection of the school budget this year was a fluke.

Rather, I attribute it in no small measure to the aging of baby boomers. As seen in the table, people in the two age groups of 45 and over combined, increased from 35 percent of Montpelier’s total population in 1970, to 48 percent in 2010. The oldest boomers are just now passing the age 65 mark, with the rest right behind. (Which corresponds to the age structure of Vermonters as a whole.)

More people in these age groups are reach-ing the end of their prime income producing years. Or are beyond producing any income at all. And with retirement savings trampled during the financial debacles of the past fif-teen years. Even if some still have adequate

savings to live on, for now, many of us still wonder if our savings will last until we die.

Even retirees with so-called “guaranteed” pen-sions (including former public employees), if they are paying attention, have got to have their doubts.

And to say that “income sensitivity” will take care of us old people begs the question of who is going to pay for it, as we old people relent-lessly increase in number?

To me it is only rational to want our school board to do better. And to become truly pru-dent – to reclaim that once revered Vermont virtue.

When the state education board approved the creation of U-32, it stipulated that U-32 and Montpelier cooperate when needed for the success of both systems. As I consider the fact that Montpelier today employs one teacher for every nine students enrolled in both middle and high school, I wonder, could the time for that be now?

Data sources: For inflation adjustments, U.S. Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For population figures, U.S. Census Bureau. For U-32 history, Montpelier voter approved school budgets, and 1970-71 and 2010-11 school enrollments, City of Mont-pelier Annual Reports. For 1990-91 school enrollment, Office of Montpelier School Su-perintendent.

Montpelier Population & Age StructureVermont 1970 2010

Age % of % ofGroups # total # total

24 & under 3,828 44.5 1,989 25.425 to 44 1,815 21.1 2,101 26.745 to 64 1,823 21.2 2,563 32.6

65 & over 1,143 13.3 1,202 15.3Total 8,609 100.0 7,855 100.0

Source: U.S. Census

The Br idge april 3 – april 16 , 2014 • page 27

Sidewalk Maintenance a Slip-pery Slope

To the Editor:We like to think of Montpelier as a pedestrian-friendly city. Real estate ads, including for our Bailey Avenue house when we bought it, speak glowingly of the "walk to downtown." We encourage people to walk for health reasons, to reduce fossil fuel consumption and to limit traffic congestion.However, when it comes to maintenance, the sidewalks come in a distant second to the streets. Many sidewalks in town are so heaved and broken that they are hazardous even in fine weather. In winter it's much worse. Plow-ing of sidewalks is often ineffective due to bad underlying pavement or berms plowed from the street which leave no place to put snow from sidewalks. Poor drainage leads to patches of black ice that are often disguised by a light coating of windblown snow. All of this occurs while the streets are entirely clear.I propose that the city manager and the street supervisor try walking from the State House west on Baldwin Street and then two or three blocks up Bailey Avenue while the snow is still with us, and preferably on a day when it’s below freezing. To simulate being elderly, they should do this in loafers, and to simu-late being visually impaired, they should wear someone else's glasses of quite the wrong pre-scription. This route is heavily traveled on foot by state workers and legislators who park for their jobs on Bailey and Clarendon, plus many neighborhood residents and friends, some of whom are elderly and/or visually impaired. This could prove an enlightening experience. Let's make Montpelier pedestrian-friendly in fact.

Andrew Jackson, Montpelier

Gratitude from Bryan PfeifferTo the Editor:Thanks Montpelier for electing me on Town Meeting Day to the Parks Commission. Along with four distinguished commissioners, I’ll serve with the conviction that our parks are an indispensable commons. If we don’t happen to meet outside, you can find me and informa-tion about parks and nature in Montpelier at www.bryanpfeiffer.com. Thanks again.

Bryan Pfeiffer, Montpelier

School Budget Cha-Cha-ChaTo the Editor:Lately we seem to be doing the school budget cha-cha-cha: one step forward, one step back, going nowhere—certainly not in the direction of more efficient, effective and sustainable public education in Montpelier.The school board showed respect for the dem-ocratic process on March 19 when it stood up to advocates urging that the budget rejected by voters on Town Meeting Day be resub-mitted for a second go-around, the first hav-ing failed to produce their desired outcome. Board members wisely did not follow that undemocratic course.

There is no equivalency between a citywide vote by secret ballot tallied in an objective way and a public meeting of impassioned advo-cates whose arguments may intimidate some and will be perceived subjectively by all. The March 4 vote against the budget reflected a significant shift in public opinion. It was not about “only” 81 voters who made the numeri-cal difference, but about hundreds of others who crossed the threshold from “yes” to “no,” when typically they approve by a wide mar-gin. The school board understood this and proceeded with cuts despite vocal opposition.But then came that backwards step: reduc-tions of just $158,266. In a budget of over $17 million, these are token cuts representing less than 1 percent: 0.91 percent, to be exact. The revised budget gets us nowhere. We are just doing the cha-cha-cha, continuing to spend too much money outside the classroom, funding too many support and administrative positions for our small class sizes and expend-ing too much energy avoiding the innovative reforms needed to make high quality public education sustainable for the future.I will be looking for hopeful signs that next year’s budget process and outcome will be different. Meanwhile, I regret that I must vote “no” on the revised budget on April 15.

Carol Doerflein, Montpelier

Strong Schools; Reasonable Budget

To the Editor:I would like to express my gratitude to Mont-pelier’s school board members and the staff who have worked so hard to present a rea-sonable school budget to voters. As a former school board member, I know how much time and energy this kind of public service requires.That’s partly why I find the opposition com-ing from Vibrant and Affordable Montpelier supporters so disappointing. By listening to them, one would be led to believe that the school budget is driving many, many Mont-pelier residents to leave. However, I have never actually met a person who is moving out of Montpelier because of high property taxes; I have only heard threats of moving if property taxes aren’t reduced.My wife and I moved into Montpelier four years ago from a town where we paid less in taxes, in large part, because we thought highly of Montpelier’s school system. At the March 19 school board meeting, I heard similar tes-timony from three other parents who moved to Montpelier because of the schools. Not a single person spoke out who actually said they were going to move because of high taxes.Our children and the future of Montpelier are best served by having an informed discussion about how much we as a community need to spend to provide an education that meets the 21st century needs of our young people, not one based on threats.Please vote for the school budget on April 15.

Peter Sterling, Montpelier

Letters

Stronger Budget Cuts and Evaluation Needed

To the Editor:Montpelier has been my home for over twenty years. During that time no school budget has been defeated. Montpelier residents have expressed their frustration over the escalat-ing cost of education, but have never had the resolve to vote down a school budget. All that changed on March 4 when voters rejected the proposed 2014–2015 budget.The citizens of Montpelier are not asking for austerity, but an overdue cost analysis and evaluation of education. Every institu-tion must engage in periodic evaluation of efficiency of services, delivery systems, struc-tures and resources. The school board should understand this. Contrary to the tax and spend mentality, reductions do not equal poor educational quality. This process would strengthen education in Montpelier, making it better than ever.Failing this, the cost of education will con-tinue to rise, and the number of people expe-riencing financial hardship due to the esca-lating tax burden will only increase. Homes are often the single largest investment people make. What will happen when people cannot afford to pay their taxes, but cannot sell their homes because buyers will not qualify for an affordable mortgage due to those same high taxes? During their March 19 meeting, the school board had the opportunity to cut their bud-get by $233,000 as recommended by Super-intendent Ricca. Instead, they chose to cut $158,000 as a nod to those who voted against the budget. As someone for whom money is an issue, and because I cannot go to my employer and request a cost of living increase equal to the increase in my taxes, I will be vot-ing “no” on April 15.

Roberta Tracy, Montpelier

Voting Yes on Revised School Budget

To the Editor:Although we voted “no” on the Montpelier school budget on March 4, we intend to vote in support of the revised budget on April 15 for three reasons: (1) the school board made at least some reductions after the first budget was defeated, which is appreciated, (2) the leg-islature, perhaps in reaction to the 35 school budgets defeated statewide, is considering cut-ting the projected state homestead tax rate for this year, which should further reduce the tax increase in Montpelier, and (3) we are encour-aged that the school board is talking about appointing a committee to study financial efficiencies and new approaches to learning.As longtime supporters of the Montpelier schools and its educators, it was not easy to vote no. But the projected tax rate increase of 13 percent, on top of last year’s tax rate increase of 9.4 percent, as well as the likeli-hood of substantial increases over the next two years, was simply too much—even if the increase was due more to the state system than the local budget. The majority of voters ap-parently agreed that the proposed tax increase was part of an unsustainable trend.Hopefully, the legislature will take some long-term steps to bring down education costs and/or the school property tax burden. Likewise, we hope the school board is successful in its search for ways to keep future tax increases to reasonable levels so that we can avoid ad-ditional budget defeats. Meanwhile, we are voting for this revised school budget and urge others to do the same.

Fran and Phil Dodd, Montpelier

Water & Sewer Crew Demon-strate Competence

To the Editor: I am writing to share my appreciation for the Montpelier Water & Sewer crew who helped me out enormously at my house on Sum-mit St. After one unsuccessful attempt with a private company to clear the blockage from our waste line and with raw sewage still on my basement floor, I called the city. They ar-rived punctually and took the necessary steps to troubleshoot the situation. Armed with a video camera, they made their diagnosis and then offered their advice on how to deal with it. They also found a leak in the water line which they promptly took care of that same afternoon. To top it all off, I received a follow up call to make sure that all was well. Suffice it to say, I'm feeling well taken care of and confident in the people looking after our infrastructure.

Timo Bradley, Montpelier

People’s Health and Wellness Clinic

Just before we went to press, we received a letter from Peter Youngbaer, the Executive Director of the People's Health & Wellness Clinic and a certified Vermont Health Con-nect Navigator. Unable to print Youngbaer’s letter in full we have excerpted some of it here.Youngbaer said, “With all the heavy media coverage about Vermont Health Connect and the federal Affordable Care Act, it's hard for some to believe that we still need free clinics. But we do.”He continued, “The fact is, not everyone was eligible for health insurance coverage; not ev-eryone could afford it; and not everything is covered.”Until everyone can be insured, free clinics still have an important role to play in our community.

What Do You Think?

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Send your piece to: editorial@montpelierbridge.com.

A Campaign to Support The Bridge

On behalf of all of us who work at The Bridge, please accept our thanks for your continuing fi-nancial support.Our annual campaign for sup-port continues. In any year, there is a gap, and it’s a critical gap between the income that The Bridge receives from advertising sales and paid subscriptions and what it costs to write, edit, print, manage and distribute the paper.Please, if you can, weigh in with a financial contributions. Please send us a check made payable to “The Bridge” to this address: The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Please feel free to drop off a check at our office. We are located on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall on the campus of the Vermont College of Fine Arts.Thank you in advance for con-sidering this request for needed financial help.

the strong schools. We create a healthy, pros-perous and sustainable Montpelier by invest-ing now in today’s students.

Our schools successfully engage and support students from all backgrounds. The Soar program keeps at-risk students engaged with school and thriving within their community. The Community Connections program offers diverse, affordable afterschool programs that enrich students’ experiences and allow parents of young children to work outside the home. The school board wisely voted to maintain funding for Community Connections, ensur-ing that students from working families will be included. We cannot turn our backs on these students and families now.

Taking the long view is what education is all about. Businesses and employment grows where there are qualified workers and a stable community. Incomes and wealth increase in a strong economy. A rising tide lifts us all. Access to a great education is the most basic investment to ensure a sustainable and vibrant community.

Vermont schools rank in the top 3 percent in the nation (US News) and for two straight years Montpelier High School has been ranked #1 in math test scoring in Vermont. MHS graduates 90 percent of its students and is considered one of the best high schools in the state. This level of excellence is worth fighting for, and depends on our support when we vote Tuesday, April 15.

page 28 • april 3 – april 16 , 2014 The Br idge

BRIDGE 5 x 8.5

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I would always talk about the Red Sox with Pam Fournier, one of my nurses. One day she asked, ‘Hey Jim, want to go to the World Series tomorrow?’ She made it happen! I was at Fenway Park with my daughter when the Red Sox won the World Series! It was a dream come true.

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Above: Jim Salvatore with Pam Fournier, RN at the National Life Cancer Treatment Center.Left: Jimwith his daughter at Fenway.

New Spring Classes!

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Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

A Note to Our ReadersWe publish The Bridge twice monthly. Our first issue is published on the first Thursday of the month, and our second issue on the third Thursday of the month. This schedule will continue through June. Because of the way July Fourth falls this year, there will be a brief interruption to this pattern, but we will still be putting out two issues a month. They simply will not be on the first and third Thursdays. Our normal first and third Thursday distribution will resume in November.

We do not mail our first monthly issue. Instead, we distribute that paper in racks at locations throughout Washington County. But we do mail our second monthly issue: the paper that is pub-lished on the third Thursday of the month.