The Bridge, November 6, 2014

PLAINFIELDBen Koenigs Country Bookshop in the heart of Plainfield Village is celebrating a 40th anniversary this year. But youd never know it. Ben who has just hit 72 himself seems not overly impressed by anniversaries, be it his own birthday or the 40th year of the bookshop.

A few days ago when I visited the Country Bookshop, Ben said the official date of the

40th anniversary was probably sometime this past spring. Soweve missed it. No matter. Ben keeps chugging along, absorbed with his own personal enthusiasms, with no apparent plans for special anniversary sales or a wing-ding party or anything else.

Perhaps the Country Bookshop is what it is. Perhaps it doesnt need to be gussied up and promoted.

What it is is this: A cultural anchor point in this part of Vermont that with its books and all that these books convey is a welcome permanence in a world of shifting loyalties, fads, stylesa sprawling country house in the middle of a small Vermont village, a little in need of paint, a little scruffy on the edges where the lawn meets the porch, but open all-year round, seven days a week and as gloriously casual as Plainfield Village itself is gloriously casual.

The sign on the outside of Country Books partly describes whats inside: Old Books, Used Books, Post Cards, and with a little nod to the present fevered moment of dig-ital-this-and-that at the bottom of the sign are these words to tell us of two additional services offered: Copier and Fax.

Theres something pleasingly retro and democratic about the Country Bookshop. If there was a written invitation on the door of the shop it might read as follows: Come in-side. But there are free books on the porch. Take a look around. If you see anything that interests youa book, a print, an old magazine, a book of maps, a postcard, any-

thingpull it off the shelf, open it up, feel the pages between your thumb and fingers, turn the pages, and when youre finished looking, go on to another book, or another roomful of books. And if you find some-thing you absolutely like so much that you want to own it, bring it into the front room where the cash register is and buy it and go away with it.

When Ben and I met at the bookshop a few days ago, the welter of books was so great books on shelves to be sure, but books on chairs, on tables, towers of books rising from the f loornow 50,000 books in allthat welter was so great that Ben and I had trouble clearing enough open space to ac-commodate two small folding metal chairs.

I was the guy asking questions. Ben, very properly dressed, quite modest and soft-spoken, I thought even perhaps a little shy, looked at me through a pair of professorial glasses, and answered the questions.

I wanted to know about Bens passion for books. That had to be the lead question.

So, first of all, he said, I have a genetic defect. I like to collect things. I have drums. I buy hand-carved masks. I have a collectors genetic make-up. I collect books on bells. There are probably 10 of us in the world who collect books on bells.

Soon enough, I was pressing Ben to get back to the sourcethe beginning of things. Could he remember where and when his passion for book collecting began?

For me, he said, I think its possible I could have gone in another direction. I grew up in New York City. On Fourth Avenue (in Manhattan), there were 20 or more used bookshops. In high school if I needed a certain book, I could walk into one of those shops and find it. There were books every-where. Lofts full of books.

As Ben was taking in this scene, a store clerk would appear and Ben would tell the clerk about the book he was looking for. And the clerk would say, We have that book. And he would climb a ladder and bring that book over to me. It was magic.

Of course, these days, Ben has that same kind of instant recall about the 50,000 or so books at the Country Bookshop. Someone comes into the shop. They ask for a book. Ben knows where it is and brings the book over to them. People still find it amazing that I can find these books.

But thats easily explained. Said Ben, I buy every single book. I price every single book. I have a memory of whether these books are in my shop.

What amazes Bens customers is not amaz-ing to Ben at all. Yet their amazement doesn't stop. Every week, said Ben, people come into the shop and say, 'this is the greatest shop Ive ever seen. So much stuff. So many different categories. Old photos, postcards, brochures from some worlds fair that hap-pened from the 1890s'. And they've heard of that fair and theyre interested in it.

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The Country Bookshop Celebrates 40 Yearsby Nat Frothingham

L o c a l T E E N S T A L K T E C H p p . 1 4 1 5

November 6 November 19, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE:

6: TIME TO UPGRADE YOUR WEBSITE

11: MAGIC IN MONTPELIER

12: REVIEW OF ORVILLE'S REVENGE: THE ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE

17: BARRE BEAT

Ben Koenig, owner of the Country Bookshop in Plainfield. Photo by Michael Jermyn.

Continued on page 5.

Communications, Books and Technology

NOVEMBER 6 - NOVEMBER 19, 2014 THE BR IDGE

THE BR IDGE NOVEMBER 6 - NOVEMBER 19, 2014 PAGE 3

Subscribe to The Bridge today for only $40.

(That's $10 off the regular subscription rate!)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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I returned this week to find tamaracks in full brassy yellow, and the following report, from Barb Baird, in my inbox. She lives next to the huge ginkgo tree on Barre Street and sends out the word when the old tree begins its dramatic two-hour shed of leaves: "Weird year for the tree the leaves have been coming down here and there instead of the annual shed. Maybe because it is so late? Climate change? When I look out I see a few fall here and there. The yellow carpet it is making is quite beautiful." So, another departure from the norm and more questions unanswered. But she is right. The huge golden carpet under the tree is a sight now, all other leaves long since dried and raked up.

Thanks to Barb Baird for permission to print her wonderful observation.

Nature Watchby Nona Estrin

Barre Street Paving on the Fast TrackTired of those potholes and cracks on Barre Street in Montpelier? Well after Friday, you should have smooth sailing. A paving project started on Tuesday, Nov. 4 is scheduled to be finished by Nov. 7, according to Acting Director of Public Works Tom McArdle on Nov. 4 in a phone conversation to The Bridge. Were trying to beat the weather, McAr-dle said. We should be substantially done by Friday (Nov. 7).

Barre Author to Read from Her First Nonfiction Book,Stories of My Life, in Montpelier

Katherine Paterson will read from Stories of My Life at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Paterson has been publishing childrens literature since 1973. Her more than 25 previous books include Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, and The Great Gilly Hopkins. Now, she has published her first work of nonfiction about her own life: Stories of My Life. Scholastic quotes Paterson as saying: You don't have to fight dragons to write books. You just have to live deeply the life you've been given. This reading is part of the regular authors series and is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.bearpondbooks.com or call the store at 229-0774.

East Montpelier Author to Read from His Latest Book Ice ShipCharles W. Johnson, former Vermont State Naturalist, veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard will be holding a reading of his book Ice Ship: The Epic Voyages of the Polar Adventurer Fram at the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Ice Ship presents well-researched material about Norways great triumvirate of explorersNansen, Sverdrup, and Amundenand the ship to which they owe their success and even survival, according to Jerry Kobalenko, author of The Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journies on Ellesmere Island. Bear Pond Books will also have new copies for sale.

The event will be Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m.

during the subscription campaign drive. Normally, $50.

Watercolor by Nona Estrin

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601Phone: 802-223-5112 | Fax: 802-223-7852 Published twice a month

Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham

Managing Editor: Carla Occaso

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Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro, Anna Sarquiz, Tim Johnson

Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14, or [email protected].

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 $40 a year during our campaign period. Make out your check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.

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Cover Contest for The BridgeWhats Your Passion?

Deadline November 14

The Bridge is looking for creative members of the community to submit cover art for the December 4 issue. The piece should revolve around evoking enthusiasm for something you are passionate about whether it be poetry, cars or volunteering at a soup kitchen. The skys the limit!Medium can be anything and the image of the artwork must be submitted no later than Friday, November 14. Images must be 600 dpi or higher. PDF, JPG, TIF accepted.Email submissions to [email protected] 802-223-5112 ext. 12 with questions.

A photograph from the pages of Charles W. Johnsons Ice Ship: The Epic Voyages of the Polar Adventurer FRAM.

HEARD ON THESTREET


Vermont College of Fine Arts Sign Provokes Commentby Carla Occaso

Yuk! wrote Kimberly Cheney, chairman of the Montpelier planning commission in a one-word email response attached to a digital communication string concern-ing the new sign at the Vermont College of Fine Arts on College Street dated October 21. The opinion was addressed to Mike Miller, director of planning and community development, and city staffers Dina Bookmyer-Baker, assistant zoning administrator, and Jessie C. Baker, assistant city manager. Cheneys communique comes at the end of a series of emails initiated by Jay White, a member of the Montpelier Design Review Board Com-mittee, to explain why the sign was not required to undergo design review according to state statute Title 24, Chapter 117, section 4413. This statute limits municipalities from review-ing design elements on projects that must undergo review to location, size, height, build-ing bulk, yards, courts, setbacks, density of buildings, off-street parking, loading facilities, traffic, noise, lighting, landscaping, and screening requirements, and only to the extent that regulations do not have the effect of interfering with the intended functional use Exempt from scrutiny over aesthetic relevance are churches, educational institutions, hospitals, etc. White expressed concern about the sign for its color and size.

Does Cheneys opinion bother the school? Not according to Vermont College of Fine Art Vice President Bill Kaplan Nov. 4. Art elicits reaction, he said. It is a public conversation. It is fine. Kaplan said, adding that the sign as it is now is not yet complete. The granite backdrop is going to be carved in a more traditional style by Joe Pelkey, an amazing Barre granite artist according to Kaplan. Also, the part of the sign that is a sculptural logo for the college spelling out VCFA will be painted a different shade of green. It is our logo, Kaplan said.

When asked his personal opinion of the sign, Kaplan replied, Thats irrelevant. My opinion of it is that it is a sculptural representation of us as an arts college. The sign is 10-feet-tall by 10-feet-wide and will only be lit by natural light, according to the permit.

Photo by Carla Occaso

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Then of course there are people who come in looking for one book but discover by accident another book they hadnt known about. Those accidental discoveries are made in my shop every day, Ben said. Because it was next to the book they were looking for.

But getting back to Bens story about how the Country Bookshop came to be.

Ben traces the actual beginning of the Country Bookshop back over 40 years ago when he saw an ad in a hobby magazine. The ad said, Become a book scout. Send a dollar for details.

The ad in the hobby magazine came from a bookseller in California. When the book-seller got the dollar from Ben he sent back very specific instructions. Said Ben, He told you what magazines to subscribe to, what books you should try to buy. I began going to bookshops and auctions.

Ben started out in with a mail order busi-ness. At the time, he was living in a trailer in Moretown. The trailer had a big room and a small room. Ben lived in the small room and the big room got filled up with books. Bens next move was to Plainfield where he rented a house on Walter Smiths farm and had a bookshop in the basement. People would find me, he said.

In the early 1970s, Ben put an ad in the Washington World newspaper that said simply: Ben Buys Books. People started calling when there were estate sales. He began visiting f lea markets. He found himself dealing with book collectors. I spent a couple of years buying books, he said. I began to figure out what was junk and what was not junk.

Ben quickly learned that you dont want reference books. No textbooks. He also learned that philosophy and religion go in and out of fashion. He also discovered that books on transportation sell. Vermont books sell.

He got some smart advice from a book-seller in St. Albans, George Bebee, who told him he ought to live in the same space where he would sell books. If you have to pay rent, Bebee said, you wont last.

In due course, Ben found out about a barn behind the big white church in Plainfield. There were three bays in the barn which

rented for $15/month. Ben went to the bank and found out he could own the barn for $60/month. He had a little money so he fixed up the barn. That was in 1978. In 1981, he got married and he and his wife fixed up the upstairs and made a duplex apartment so they could live in the same building where he sold books.

Then in 1989 the big house where the Country Bookshop is today became avail-able and Melvin Chase (who is still his postman) sold him the building and the bookshop moved over from the barn to its current location.

The book business has changed a lot with the advent of online promotions and sales. Ben lists 14,000 of his own books on the Internet. Then there are the 50,000 book in the store. There are the free books on the porch. He sells paperback murder mys-teries for 95 cents and hardback myster-ies for $2.95. But there are also coveted leather-bound books and hard-to-find col-lectors books that sell in the $1,500 to $3,000 price range.

Ben has regular customers who come to the bookshop every year from California. They get boxes of books, he said. They come in foliage season.

Ben has a singing commercial promoting the bookshop on WDEV and people come into the shop singing his phone number. For 17 years Ben talked live on air with Brian Harwood at WCVT. They would talk about books.

In a follow-up phone conversation with BenI asked him to tell me about one of the more expensive books he had ever sold.

Ben spoke about a piano score that sold for $10,000. Describing the item, Ben said it was the first edition, limited to 250 copies, for the musical opera Porgy and Bess. It was signed by both George and Ira Gershwin and also signed by DuBose Heyward who wrote the book for the mu-sical production. Its uniqueness made it a valuable and desirable item.

Of course it's exciting to sell an expensive book, said Ben, But I also love to see my regular customers buying those 95-cent mysteries. They're happyand that has kept me happy enough to stay in this busi-ness for 40 years.

The Country Bookshop Celebrates 40 Yearscontinued from page 1

The Country Bookshop35 Mill St.Plainfield, VT 05667802-454-8439 [phone and fax][email protected] seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Closed only Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Ben Koenig, owner of the Country Bookshop in Plainfield. Photo by Michael Jermyn.

The Plainfield, Vermont Song. (Excerpt)(For Old Homes Days, September 6, 2014)By Ben KoenigPlainfield, Vermont, is not too plain to me;Plainfield, Vermont, theres lots to do and see.Climb up Spruce, watch a moose,Fish the Winooski.Thats why Plainfield is not too plain to me.Thats why Plainfield is not too plain to me.


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Ive worked on hundreds of websites over the years, including building full websites from the ground up to making smaller changes.Through all that time Ive found that many businesses know they need a website, but dont quite understand how to make it more than a web-based, budget-draining business card. I havent spent much time writing about websites, so I thought Id go over a few core points that website owners might find helpful.

1. Keep it freshyour overall site design should rarely last five years. If youve had the same basic site design for five years or more, its probably time for an overhaul. Your business has likely changed in that time, and your website should change to reflect that growth. Smaller updates to the look or content should be done every six to 12 months.

2. Consider content managementa content management system (CMS) is often a good way for the less-technical to update, or even build, a website. My favorites are Wordpress and Squarespace, though systems using Drupal and Joomla can also be good choices. Using a CMS allows you to quickly add photos or change textjust the sorts of changes most organizations want to tackle on their own. Without a CMS-driven website, most organizations are at the time and financial mercy of the firm that handles updates for them. Depending on your skill level, hiring someone to help with the initial setup may make sense, but that doesnt mean you cant eventually tackle the small to medium changes internally.

3. Keep it simpleunless youre selling things online, your single focus should be delivering the information your customers want as simply as possible. Thats usually an email address, phone number and physical address. These should be obvious, and possibly on every page.

Everything else on the website should be care-fully considered for relevancy. Beware the ten-dency to put everything on your home page. Studies have shown that consumers will go elsewhere in the case of slow-loading, confus-ing or cluttered websites.

4. Consider a blog carefullyunless you actu-ally plan to update it with some frequency, a blog doesnt need to be part of your website. A blog without an update over the past six months actually works against your marketing strategy. Blog updates dont need to be large, but they do need to happen. Posts can be as infrequent as monthly, but there should be some manner of regular frequency.

5. Ties to social mediasocial media works best when it ties back to things on your website and vice versa. Simply having links to your social media profiles isnt enough. Examples of the content you post on social media can be an engaging element of your website. Many content management systems make this easy, but there are ways to do it for sites that dont use a CMS.

6. Search engine optimizationunfortunately search engine optimization (SEO) becomes more important as the number of sites on the Internet grows. There are numerous companies out there that can help you improve your search engine rank, but many of them are scams. In fact, some of the tactics used by the worst ones can get you banned from search engine results entirely! Watch out for any company promising to get you the first spot on Google or claiming they have inside knowledge of how ranking works. SEO is an ongoing process as the web is always changing. If youre not going to hire an expert, focus on delivering the best website for your target market. After all, thats what the search engines are trying to find.

7. Paid advertisingas people spend a growing amount of time consuming Internet-based content, paid advertising becomes a growing portion of most businesses marketing strategy. For most businesses, paid online advertising is still not the best use of their marketing dollars. Major exceptions would be businesses that sell online or have a wide geographical reach. As a simple rule, if you cant reach your customer base by using advertising on two or three different radio stations, you might want to consider some paid online ads.

There you are. Certainly theres a lot more to be said, both on these topics and others. The more important your website, the more it deserves your attention and finances. Its not 1997 any more, and people will judge your business based on your website.


One of Montpelier's most trafficked arteries has opened after having been closed for repairs for over two months. And, like friends checking into the health of a loved one, area motorists have looked on with interest as the Granite Street Bridge steadily suf-fered delay after delay. The truss bridge was opened on Nov. 4. The project cost more than $1 million.

After removing lead paint and undergoing some structural improvements, the previous Oct. 19 opening was delayed to finish a more complex restoration of the foot path and driving surface.

How much the last minute delays will cost is uncertain, the state's Josh Hulett told The Bridge. According to McArdle, the delay was also based on safety concerns.

The travel lane was ready to open before the walkway was completed, but it was decided to keep the bridge entirely closed to vehicles and walkers so pedestrians would not try to cross the bridge using the traffic lanes.

In October, Project Manager Mark Sargent said the Granite Street Bridge "will undergo further improvements after Oct. 17 by the city of Montpelier such as paving the wooden deck to protect that wooden deck surface from further wear."

McArdle was named acting director of Montpelier Department of Public Works. He replaces Todd Law, who resigned the position, according to a city announcement Friday.

Other position changes include City Engineer Kurt Motyka, who will oversee all utility opera-tions, including water, waste water and district heat. As well, Donna Barlow Casey was named interim DPW operation manager.

Following lead remediation and repainting, the project also included new walkways for pedestri-ans. Subtractors involved in replacing the aging pedestrian walkway anticipated "a small lag in time receiving this new wood which was a change order to the project after some of the decking used on the pedestrian sidewalk was split while being removed,"

"Rather than piece together random pieces for the pedestrian walk way, a decision was made to replace this wood material altogether," Sargent explained.

Begun August 25, the project had an estimated budget of just over $1.2 million.

"We have exceeded the budget amount by the cost to replace the wood deck materials only as well as the removal and replacement of the wood stringers that supported that pedestrian deck system," Sargent said. Replacing the sidewalk decking cost an additional $17,000. Replacing

and removing support for the sidewalk decking cost roughly another $5,000. "This is small in comparison to the over $1 million to blast, clean and paint this structure with minor associated structural repairs," Sargent said.

Federal money accounted for 80 percent of the construct costs, with Vermont picking up 17 percent and two percent coming from local coffers, according to a state rundown of the project.

Other projects have awaited the completion of the Granite Street Bridge. The Granite Street Railroad Crossing Reconstruction project by VTrans has been held up due to planners not wanting two key arteries closed at the same time.

Among the four traffic arteries leading into Vermont's capital of Montpelier, the Granite Street Bridge is one of the most famous. Built in 1902, the 210-foot Baltimore truss bridge has with-stood floods, changing habits and economics.

According to the University of Vermont, the first iron truss bridges appeared in the state in 1892. The heyday of such bridges was short, beginning just after the 1927 flood. Between Nov. 2-4 of that year up to nine inches of rain fell, killing 84 people, including Lt. Gov. S. Hollister Jackson. Also victims: 1285 bridges, according to the school.

By the 1930, the popularity of truss bridges waned, following World War II, few of the bridges like the Granite Street example were built, losing favor to the more economical i-beam construc-tion.

In his 2012 history of bridges, "Historic Iron and Steel Bridges in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, author Glenn A. Knoblock described the Granite Street Bridge as directly serving "an area in Montpelier where the granite sheds were located and had to be strong enough bear the truck loads of granite, both in quarried and finished states, that regularly used the crossing."

In recent years, granite traffic has slowed in this part of Montpelier. But Washington County residents still continue to prize their historic bridges.

"The truss bridges have such a rich history. You see a lot of them being replaced by I-beam bridges now and it's really neat to have them restore the ones that are still in existence. So, yeah, I really enjoy being a part of that and maintaining that tradition," Scott Roystan of Modern Protective Coatings, told WCAX.

This latest facelift follows one in 1992, when the state replaced the wooden walkway.

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The decision to install imported white oak planks on the walkway held up the final step in the Granite Street Bridge renovation, according to acting Department of Public Works Director Tom McArdle on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Replacing the old planks was not part of the original plan, McArdle explained to The Bridge by phone Tuesday, but when they were removed to allow workers to paint the entire steel portion of the bridge, it was obvious many of them needed to be replaced.

Consequently, that phase of the project had to be resubmitted for review and approval by the city via a change-order before that step could commence. It didnt go as quickly as I was hoping it would, McArdle said of the entire process. In addition, they did not order the materials until later in the game. The wood came from Canada.

Workers on site Tuesday, Nov. 4 installed the planks. They do not need to be painted or other-wise coated, according to McArdle, who said white oak does not need additional preservatives. McArdle characterized the overall project as a painting and minor rehab job.

Bridge Update: White oak plank installation wraps up project by Carla Occaso

FINISHING TOUCHES - Jay Hayden, left, and Jordan Wheeler work on the white oak planks for the walkway they are laying down on the Granite Street Bridge Tuesday, Nov. 4. Photo by Carla Occaso.

Granite Street Bridge Finally Openby Ed Sutherland


Montpelier School Board Meets with Opposition Upon Asking for a 0 Percent Increase on 2014-15 Budgetby Page Guertin

Montpelier School Board members recently tasked the administra-tion with proposing a zero per-cent increase in the next years budget, but the request met with opposition from both parents and administrators. After intense discussion at their meeting Oct. 15, the board voted on three top priorities to for-ward to the school administrators for con-sideration in upcoming budget discussions. School facilities, music and the arts, and justifiable student/staff ratios received the most votes from among over 20 priorities hashed over by board members, as primary issues for consideration in development of the 2014-1015 school budget.

The decision didn't come lightly. Mem-ber Michele Braun led the group through the process of identifying and categoriz-ing priorities; 23 were identified, includ-ing student outcomes, foreign languages, attracting and retaining tuitioned stu-dents, additional staff needs, Community Connections, a broad offering of extra-curricular activities, and additional rev-enue sources. Those items were sorted into those that affected the 2014-1015 school budget directly and those that were im-portant issues to be addressed outside the budget process, leaving 10 priorities from which the top three were selected.

The board also determined to request three budgets from the administrators, one at zero percent increase, one at 3.5 percent increase, and one at 5 percent increase. Ac-cording to board member Lowell VanDer-lip, maintaining staff and all other ex-penses at a constant level would result in a 3.5 percent budget increase. Parents in the audience and several board members protested the creation of a zero percent budget on the basis that it would effectively cause a 3.5 percent cut which would impact students negatively. However the board felt that it would be instructive to see what each of those options would look like.

The board will present its top priorities and issues for discussion to the school ad-ministrative leadership team at their next meeting Oct. 22. The Program Finance

Committee, an advisory group formed last spring after the budget was voted down, will also give its report to the board and the administrators at the same meeting.

At their Oct. 1 meeting, in a similar pro-cess, each committee member stated their top concerns: collaboration with neigh-boring districts, focus on per-pupil ex-penditures, and encouraging development of affordable housing to increase school population. Additional possibilities offered included exploring distance learning, more detailed budget presentations, dual enroll-ment options with neighboring colleges, focus on outcomes, developing additional revenue streams, and class size.

Committee members explored several av-enues for possible savings. Toni Hartrich reviewed the entire budget with school budget director Cindi Rossi but uncovered no mistakes or big wasteful cost items. Maurice Martineau interviewed Commu-nity Connections and the Recreation De-partment to see if there was any overlap in programs or ways to combine efforts, but found none. Sharing of teachers, par-ticularly in music, was reviewed because it drives the scheduling at all the schools, but no solution was unearthed there, either.

This committee, composed of two school board members, two teachers, and four members of the public, was given the highly challenging task of "mak[ing] rec-ommendations to the board of options both within the present context of our school program as well as systemic changes that show potential to reduce or at least control costs and show promise to improve or at least maintain the quality of educa-tional outcomes as measured by the boards ends policies.

As committee and school board member Lowell VanDerlip stated recently, "there is no silver bullet or smoking gun"no obvious place to reduce current expenses without impacting student outcomes. Sev-eral good ideas have surfaced, however, to guide the schools in looking forward.

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What an opportunity to build in Stowe! 2 Approved residential building lots (Lot # 2 & 4), mountain views, common acreage of 9 ac. Utilities on the road. Additional 86.5 acres yet to be developed. Just outside the village. Prime location with easy access to I-89 & all Stowe amenities. To be offered individually & together & sold in the manner that results in the best return for the seller.

1,320 SF 2-story home with 3BR, 2BA, basement, detached garage. Minutes to downtown Montpelier, & Interstate 89.

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In late November, The Grantsmanship Center will release a new version of its popular and seminal book first written in 1972. This classic has now been revised and expanded by Barbara Floersch, a Vermont grantseeking professional who lives in Ada-mant.

The original handbook, called Program Plan-ning & Proposal Writing, was written by Nor-ton J. Kiritz who founded the Grantsmanship Center and was the centers driving creative force for 34 years until his death in 2006.

Over time, Kiritz edited and added to the original publication and it became the seminal work in the field of grant proposal develop-ment, named by The New York Times as the grantseekers bible. Kiritz original book is easy to read and friendly in tone. But de-spite its friendly tone his book is really a call for greater rigor and discipline as grantseekers reach out for attention, respect and support from a range of funding sources.

When the original was published in 1972 it met an urgent need. In 1964, then-President Lyndon Johnson had announced a national war on poverty. But it was one thing to an-nounce a war on poverty and it was quite another thing to actually get that job done. In the early 1970s, Kiritz was working as a plan-ner for a Community Action Agency in Los Angeles. From that vantage point Kiritz saw a host of struggling nonprofits trying to deal with discrimination, poor nutrition, substan-dard housing, and the like.

Good people were trying to help good peo-ple. Thats how the idealism of the 1970s and the war on poverty is described in the new and expanded handbook, Grantsmanship: Pro-gram Planning & Proposal Writing. But good people with good intentions werent enough. As the handbook goes on to say (Those good people) were frustrated by their inexperience with funding guidelines and deadlines, by long lines at the funders doors, and by the challenges of trying to build and manage solid programs.

When Kiritz published his handbook in 1972 it found an audience of readers. Over time, it sold over 1 million copies. It broke all the sales records for books in the nonprofit field. Pub-lished first in English, it was later translated into several other languages including Chinese and Ukrainian. By one count, the handbook is used in 43 different countries.

Almost surprisingly, the handbook also ap-pealed to the organizations that were provid-ing grant money to nonprofits. It challenged charitable organizations, government agencies, and foundations to be more open, more re-sponsive to grantseekers, and more consistent in their guidelines and instructions. In short, the Kiritz handbook became a classic that leav-ened and changed the dynamics of the fund-raising world both for applicants and funding organizations alike.

Nothing stands still, and as the grantseeking world changed over the years, The Grantman-ship Center undertook an seven-year quest to update and expand the original publication. Cathleen E. Kiritz who succeeded her hus-band as president of the Center, and Barbara Floersch who is now the centers executive director, collaborated to produce a new edi-tion called Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing.

The new book seemed almost to burst into the nonprofit field. As it was being written and prepared for publication it attracted critical support from the Annenberg Foundation and the California Community Foundation. As it

neared publication it won praise from Pablo Eisenberg, a luminary in the nonprofit field who wrote a foreword to the new book. Eisen-berg writes two columns, one for the Chronicle of Philanthropy and another for the Huffington Post. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Mc-Court School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. In his foreword, he called the new Grantsmanship book a worthy successor to the original guide. And commenting about the new book, he offered this conclusion, It is the most thorough, perceptive and practical guide to grant proposal writing that we are likely to have for years to come.

Floersch is a Vermonter who lives in East Montpelier. In her work for The Grantsman-ship Center she has written numerous publica-tions, contributed regularly to the Nonprofit Times, and conducted hundreds of trainings throughout the country and in Puerto Rico. Last year she conducted training in Kiev, Ukraine, to help a group of scientists, who had previously been involved in weapons of mass destruction research, find grant funding to support peaceful, socially-beneficial research activities.

The new expanded handbook continues to emphasize the theme originally articulated by Norton Kiritz. Grant funding is only a means to an end. The entire purpose of seeking grant funding is to provide positive benefits to the communityto meet community needs. Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing defines a logical, well-grounded way to approach program planning. It requires that needs be well defined and documented, that proposed benefits be specific and measurable, that methods be well-matched to the need and

capable of producing change, and that all ef-forts be evaluated to assess impact. The book offers solid, in-depth information on produc-ing an appropriate program budget, and on sustaining impact after grant funding ends. It also gives guidance on adapting the basic proposal format for general operating funds, research, capital projects, capacity-building ef-forts, and planning projects.

This new book is straightforward, maintains the tone of Norton Kiritzs original, and con-tinues to carry the torch of impassioned but hard-nosed idealism. The center views pro-gram planning and proposal writing as a practical avenue for social change. In this ap-proach, planning is paramount. Great funding proposals dont just drop from the sky onto a page. Successful grant proposals result from a hard-hitting planning process. And if the planning process is rigorous and truthful, then

the organization being funded will deliver the benefits it promises.

Delivering on promises, delivering on time, delivering within the budget, testing a project for valuethese demands on a nonprofit cant be sweet-talked away whether or not an orga-nization is trying to help prisoners returning to the community stay out of jail, trying to put good meals on the table to feed hungry people, or trying eradicate illiteracy.

Norton Kiritz did a lot more than write a suc-cessful grantseeking handbook. He also cre-ated a training program that has continued for more than 40 years and that was described by The New York Times at the time of his death in 2006 as a boot camp for com-munity groups, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies that hoped to start programs or keep them alive but lacked the know-how to make the potential benefits clear to skepti-cal donors. The continually updated, five-day Grantsmanship Training Program has been described as the gold-standard of grants train-ing.

Capstone Community Action (formerly Cen-tral Vermont Community Action Council) will be bringing the Grantsmanship Training Program to its new campus at Gable Place in Barre during the week of Dec. 812.

Hal Cohen, executive director, says Capstone is bringing this program to central Vermont to help nonprofits win more grants. This is the best training program in the field, said Cohen. Its how a lot of top-level grant profes-sionals get their start or refresh their learning.

A Capstone press release said that registration for the training is limited to 20 participants because of the programs intense, hands-on ap-proach. In this training program, participants dont just sit and listen, said Cohen, They actually do the work.

In other years, the Grantmanship Training Program has been offered outside of New Eng-land so that participants have had to travel as far as the West Coast. Cohen said that an in-dependent evaluation of this training program shows that graduates do win grants. One follow-up study of 125 graduates found they secured grants totaling over $5 million with six months of completing the program.

Guide for 'Good People' with 'Good Intentions' - New and Expanded Grantseekers' Handbook Releasedby Nat Frothingham

Barbara Floersch has for many years been associated with the Washington County Youth Service Bureau/Boys & Girls Club. In recent years she has traveled and written extensively about nonprofit grantseeking and is cur-rently Executive Director of The Grantsmanship Center.

The Grantsmanship Center is now accepting orders for Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing. Individual copies are available for $45. To order visit Grantsman-shipCenter.com, click on RESOURCES, click on PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE and order. Or call 800-241-9512 for assistance.


Saved by Technology: Wonder Cards and Comics THE Place for Rare Itemsby Carla Occaso

His favorite comic book character is Spider-Man because, he says, Spi-der-Man is a character who has lots of problems, but always finds time to help everybody else despite those problems.. Consequently, Roy Datema, owner of Won-der Cards and Comics located on the Barre side of the Barre-Montpelier Road at 445 U.S. 302, uses the image of Spider-Man on his store sign to beckon customers.

The story of how Datema got into the card and comic-book-selling business starts with trouble in the form of an economic recession followed by the largest flood in Montpelier since the Great Flood of 1927. Back before 1991, in the 1980s, Datema served as coor-dinator for the Intervale Center in Burling-ton. This was a large community garden located on the outskirts of town. They gave me some of their community garden space in exchange for coordinating the remain-ing plots, Datema said. He also appeared on Across The Fence and put on the displays at the Champlain Valley Exposition where he won ribbons for his produce, but it is all forgotten, Datema said.

I used to sell (vegetables) at 25 restaurants, and all of a sudden, one winter (starting 1991), I went to get my ordersI didnt plant until I got my ordersand they said, all of a sudden, business is terrible, Datema said. He noticed that while the economy in gen-eral was poor, sports cards and comic books were booming as a hobby. Later that winter, in early 1992, a flood devastated downtown Montpelier when ice jams on the Winooski caused water to divert onto Main Street. Store owners such as Capitol Stationers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory when basements received torrents of water, Datema explained.

That store (Capitol Stationers) had lost a lot of money in uninsured product and were looking for new sources of income, Datema said. They invited a store within a store. So, that is how I started my store.

In the beginning, Datema sold comic books, sports cards and Magic Cards. He also held Magic Card tournaments. Over time his business grew and he opened the store out on the Barre-Montpelier Road, and remolded the store into an entertainment store of pop culture, to keep up with changing interests. In the early nineties he went to many more conventions than he does today thanks to

technology. I mostly stopped (going to as many conventions) because the Internet be-came easier to do business ...so we had to go to shows less frequently to keep sales volumes level.

However, Datema still attends the closer Comic Cons in Burlington, Boston and Rhode Island. When Datema started selling comics and collectible cards, his hottest items were sports cards. Now, customers are more interested in comics, Datema said. Without giving away any specific hot trends, Datema said he is stocking more media-related items, meaning products related to popular movies and television shows. Magic Card sales are not as big for Datema as they could be if he were in more of an urban center because, Magic sales are correlated to in-store play-ing. Because we do not have in-store playing, our Magic sales are lower than they used to be. We used to have sponsored tournaments, (but) this location has turned out to be unat-tractive to local Magic players because no-body can walk here, he said. But he learned of the game when customers asked him to stock the cards and host the games while he was still in Montpelier. I call it an intellec-tual sport, he said.

Another specialty Datema has is finding those rare and hard-to-find items that people search for with no luck. I am known as the guy to find the toy, the movie ... the item youve been looking for for years ... I have secret places to find things, he said. The Internet has enabled me to help fill special orders very efficiently. Small local stores like Wonder Cards and Comics can supply items people are looking for better than large box stores who only deal with the broadest prod-uct line, he said referring to stores such as Wal-Mart. Then, Datema made a pitch for shopping at independently owned stores. Wal-Mart stocks a very small selection in each category, like Magic Cards, they have one or two kinds, well I look at my wall and I have seven different ones. I stock widely, but not deeply. Same with comic books. Wal-Mart has three kinds of apples, but you go down to the co-op and they have 30 kinds of apples, he said. Shopping at small local stores exposes shoppers to an incredible di-versity of interesting products compared to big box stores, he said.

At Bethany Churchyou might assume that we take ourselves very seriously.

We would rather enjoy being a community of faith together.

Not so much.

Are you looking for a supportive, spiritual community that laughs?

Explore the Bible in an accepting environment.

Join us on Sunday mornings at 10 am and other times as well.Come as you are.

www.bethanychurchvt.org 115 Main Street l Montpelier, Vermont l 802-223-2424

Photo by Carla Occaso


Friday Night Magic in Montpelier: This Book Store isnt Just For Reading Any More!by Carla Occaso

It is 10 p.m. on Friday. Do you know where your teenager is? Or nine-year-old? Or 40-year-old? It could be they are joining the group at one of the local bookstores playing an interesting and imaginative card game. Below is an interview between The Bridges Carla Occaso and Rick Powell, owner of The Book Garden located at 50 State St., Powell has a vibrant book and art collection, but the real and growing attraction for some residents is the weekend card game and tournaments called Friday Night Magic.

The Bridge: How long have you been hosting Friday Night Magic games at The Book Garden?

Rick Powell: About four years now.

The Bridge: How would you describe the game?

Rick Powell: It's a strategic collectible card based game played one on one. It's very social with no video involved. The kids playing have a rich social experience and are very deeply involved. it is a complicated game with a lot of variables. The best players tend to be the brightest kids, as strategy is more important than luck in this game.

The Bridge: How did you learn about it?

Rick Powell: One of the parents of the kids who plays told me about it. He said he thought it would be great for the shop, and he and his wife wanted to be able to go out to the movies on Friday night. It's been great, and I have gotten a lot of feedback from parents who appreciate my giving the kids something fun and safe to do on Friday night.

The Bridge: How would you describe the participants?

Rick Powell: It's mostly boys from 10 to 20 who play at my shop. But, there are plenty of older players and girls who play worldwide. The game appeals to all ages, and we have some adults who play including some father/son players, and a mother and son who come out regularly.

The Bridge: How many people participate each week?

Rick Powell: We have about 15-30 players on a given night. It slows a bit in the summer sometimes when people are on vacation.

The Bridge: Has it been growing or shrinking in popularity?

Rick Powell: It is definitely growing in popularity as more people find out we are host-ing games here, and as we have become sanctioned with Wizards of the Coast, the game company, at the advanced level; which means we can host pre-release events now.

The Bridge: When do game times typically start and stop and how long does each game last?

Rick Powell: We start Friday Night Magic at 7 p.m., and it usually goes until about 10 p.m. Later, if there are a lot of players. the game is played in best two out of three matches that take about 45 minutes to play on average.

The Bridge: What other activities do you run out of The Book Garden?

Rick Powell: We also have Sunday evening Magic the Gathering events starting at 5, that rotate. Including league events that go for six weeks.

The Bridge: What is the most popular activity of your customers that you know of?

Rick Powell: The games and graphic novels are the biggest part of what my store is about. And, those customers do a lot of gaming and reading as well. I also specialize in art and illustrated books which brings in a lot of artists. And thirdly, I'd say, gardening and agriculture related books that draw the gardeners and small farmers. Often, all of these interests are represented in the same customers.

The Bridge: How is book sales? What books or book types are popular?

Rick Powell: New books sales are very good as are agriculture-related books, and graphic novels. Used books sales are declining.

The Bridge: How long has The Book Garden been in Montpelier?

Rick Powell: The Book Garden opened in July, 2005. We are in our 10th year.

Oscar Young, 9; Emery Brush, 15, and Kirby Occaso, 15, play Friday Night Magic at The Book Garden in Montpelier. Photo by Carla Occaso.


Orvilles Revenge: The Anatomy of a Suicideby Richard E. Davisreviewed by Nat Frothingham

Retired Vermont Judge Stephen B. Martin has written an always fasci-nating, precisely detailed book en-titled Orvilles Revenge about a Newbury dairy farmer, Orville Gibson, whose sudden disappearance from his farm on December 31, 1957, suggested murder. Orwas it suicide?

In the weeks and months that followed Gibsons end-of-the-year disappearance (his body was recovered from the Connecticut River on March 26, 1958,) at least in New-bury and across Vermont as well the sugges-tion of murder hung in the air as the most persuasive answer to what happened. But though generally discountedsuicide was another possibility.

The unresolved Orville Gibson case trans-fixed Vermont. It also attracted regional and national media attention including two stories in Life Magazine and a heated anti-Yankee editorial diatribe from a newspaper editor in Jackson, Mississippi.

Here, in brief, are the bare details of the Gibson story that set in motion the perplex-ing question of murder or suicide.

On Christmas Day, 1957, Newbury farmer Orville Gibson got into a fight with his hired man, Eri Martin, after Martin over-turned a wheelbarrow carrying two big cans of milk. When Martin told Gibson he had spilled most of the milk from two cans, an altercation followed. Gibson blamed Martin for the altercation. Martin blamed Gibson. What clearly happened was that Gibson physically attacked Martin who sus-tained injuries from that attack.

News of the fight between Gibson and Mar-tin and news of Martins injuries spread very quickly throughout Newbury and sur-rounds with mounting community sympa-thy for Martin and against Gibson. On December 30, Gibsons wife, Evalyn, took a threatening phone call from a man who warned Gibson not to appear in Newbury Village.

On December 31, Gibson left his house at about 4 a.m. for morning barn chores and milking. He did not return. There were signs of a struggle in the barn. Not only did Orville Gibson not return, he never re-turned and an investigation ensued.

About three months after Gibsons disap-pearance a big break occurred in the case when on March 26, 1958, Gibsons still-frozen, rope-bound body was found float-ing in the Connecticut River near Bradford (Vt.). After a few hours, Gibsons body was pulled from the river and taken for autopsy to the A.E. Hale Funeral Home in Bradford.

What is gripping about Judge Martins book arises from the prevailing community and state sentiment in the Orville Gibson case. Clearly, in the months following Gibsons disappearance, and in the months after Gib-sons body was pulled from the Connecticut River, the majority community, even law enforcement sentiment, was that Gibson had been murdered. After all, he had set upon and injured his farm hand, Eri Mar-tin. Also, Gibson was not well-liked in town. And when his still-frozen body was pulled from the Connecticut River it was tied and bound with rope.

These details pointed toward murder. But what Judge Martin in his book does so well is to take us to the evidence, take us to the courtroom testimony and acquaint us with the relevant legal thinking, analysis and precedent.

Gibson disappeared on the last day of De-cember 1957more than 50 years ago. Any reader might well ask, Why this case, this book, and why now?

Well, for most writers, the Orville Gibson case might be an antiquarian pursuitno more than that. But in the person of Ste-phen B. Martin we have a man who is writ-ing from a privileged advantage.

In September 1959, fresh out of law school, Martin began a clerkship to become a law-yer in the Barre law office of Richard E. Davis. In terms of the Orville Gibson case, Martins timing could not have been bet-ter because on November 5, 1958, as part of the evolving Orville Gibson case, Frank W. Carpenter and Robert O. Welch were arrested and charged with kidnapping and manslaughter of Gibson. And the attorney hired to defend Frank W. Carpenter was Richard E. Davis.

As Judge Martin writes in his Prologue to Orvilles Revenge Both cases (against Car-penter and Welch) were still pending when I began my clerkship. Whats more, as part of his clerkship, young Stephen B. Martin, taking his cue from his boss Richard E. Davis, performed such tasks in the Gibson case as conducting research, interviewing witnesses and taking notes at the trial of Robert O. Welch. In other words, more than 50 years ago as a young law clerk Stephen Martin had a ringside seat as he studied, processed and deliberated on the complexities of the Orville Gibson case.

According to an online source, during 2013, there were some 391,000 self-published books produced in the United States. Or-villes Revenge is a self-published bookpublished by the author at L. Brown & Sons in Barre. A generation or two ago, a self-published book was sometimes conde-scendingly referred to, as a vanity book.

Well, this engrossing book by Stephen B. Martin is much more than a mere vanity book. It could have been published by a na-tional publishing house if publishing houses were still publishing first books by largely unknown writers. Orville's Revenge reaches a high standard because of what appears to be fastidious scholarship, careful documenta-tion, and elegantly clear written expression.

Judge Martins new book, Orvilles Revenge: The Anatomy of a Suicide will be presented to the public on a book signing in the Milne Community Room of the Aldrich Public Li-brary in Barre on Thursday evening, Novem-ber 6 at 6:30 p.m. According to a note from the Aldrich Library, The book is dedicated to the late Richard E. Davis of Barre, the distin-guished trial lawyer who handled the Gibson case. Davis son, Richard E. Davis, Jr., will provide the introduction. Judge Martin will read from the book and explain the details of the case. He will show how David was able to convince the jury that a man who had been found in the river with his hands and feet bound had been able to commit suicide.

Book Review


Fall Bestsellers at Bear Pond Books (in no particular order):

November in the BookstoreCookbook Review Night Katherine Paterson

Tuesday, Nov. 11th, 7 p.m.Prizes, Samples & Discounts!

Tuesday, Nov. 18th, 7 p.m.Author Reading & Signing

77 Main St., Montpelier 229-0774 bearpondbooks.com

&Apples of Uncommon Character: 123 Heirlooms, Modern Classics & Little Known Wonders by Rowan Jacobsen

America is having an apple renaissance and the local foodie and author guides us through it in this beautiful and delicious book. There is eating beyond the Mac and even the Honey Crisp!

The Vermont Way by Jim Douglas

Our former governor tells the stories of his 40 years in state politics including his views on how politics is changing both here and nationally.

Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie

A novel about the experiences and observations of a Nigerian woman who comes to the US to study and what pulls her back to her native country. A book group favorite.

Proof Positive by Archer Mayor

A Vietnam vet with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is crushed to death by the piles of junk he is hoarding in his home. Or was it murder? The latest Joe Gunther novel by Ver-mont's beloved mystery writer.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The thriller everyone's talking about. Seen the movie? Now read the book!

Present Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Discovery by Polly Young-Eisendrath

The local author recounts her relationship with her husband and soul mate including his years with Alzheimer's disease. An insightful and inspiring story about living in the present moment.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Happens in the End by Atul Gawande

The way we really should be talking about death: How the medicine can comfort and enhance the quality of the last weeks or months of life, instead of just focusing on how to extend it.

Ice Ship by Charles Johnson

The local naturalist tells the story of the 19th century explorations aboard the Fram, the ship that took epic expeditions through the Arctic and to Antarctica.

Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

A great narrative history about nine working class boys who, in the depths of the Depres-sion, came together to compete at the 1936 Olympics and triumph over the German team competing under Hitler.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

The very popular children's book author comes out with his latest in the Heroes of Olympus series and the population of preteen boys in the store skyrockets.

In addition, we are expecting these books to be big hits for the holidays:

Revival by Stephen King

A new Stephen King book! A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking by London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi

A follow-up to the very popular cookbook Plenty, this new book has over 150 vegetarian dishes organized by cooking method. Vegetables never looked so good!

Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Who doesn't love the delicious recipes of the Barefoot Contessa? Here she brings us her favorite recipes to "make ahead" for entertaining or cooking for the family.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

A beautiful and haunting novel about the importance of art and relationships in a post-flu world. Nominated for the National Book Award and beloved by our staff.

Blue Horses by Mary Oliver

Always a bestselling favorite, Oliver's new volume of poetry describes the wonder of the natural world.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

The next best thing to hanging out with Amy herself! Funny stories and real-life advice in this sort-of memoir from the popular comedian.

Mr. Hockey: My Story by Gordie Howe

The greatest hockey player ever (yes?) tells his story. This will be the sports book of the season.

Stories of My Life by Katherine Paterson

A favorite local author, Paterson's new memoir tells the stories of her life living around the world with missionary parents that inspired her children's books.

Great Maps by Jerry Brotton

The world's finest maps explored and explained in this overview of cartography through the ages.

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne LaMott

New essays on hope, joy and grace from the very popular author who writes with great hon-esty, wit and profound feeling.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Monroe

Informative yet hilarious scientific answers to the most popular and strange questions from Monroe's very popular website.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

Readers might be surprised how interesting Wonder Woman's history is in this book that draws the lines between feminism and popular culture. Not for comic book fans only.

Bear Pond Books is located at 77 Main St. in Montpelier.


iPhones, Laptops and Tablets: Local Teens Speak out On Tech and Communicationby Lindsey GrutchfieldPhotos by Michael Jermyn

Haley Grey, grade 12

The Bridge: What is your preferred method of communication?

Haley Grey: Probably phone calls. Yeah. If I need to get in touch with somebody really fast, then a phone call is the best way to go.

The Bridge: What is your favorite personal device and why?

Haley Grey: My iPhone because I can bring it everywhere, it has most of the things I need in it and it has most of my information in it, so any time I need to access anything it's right there.

The Bridge: When was the last time you read a book? What was it?

Haley Grey: I actually read The Stranger (by Albert Camus) this week. That was for a class.

The Bridge: Given the chance, do you prefer reading things on a computer or on paper?

Haley Grey: I would say I would rather read books on paper, but shorter things like articles, like news sources, I would rather read on a computer, its just better organized that way.

The Bridge: What impact do you think the advent of the digital age has had on the world around you?

Haley Grey: I dont know, thats a hard question. So many things ... it has changed a lot of the way we handle things, especially like communication, like getting in touch with people is a lot easier than it used to be and its a lot more casual because of that. If I want to get in touch with someone I can shoot them a quick text, rather than going to their house or having a nice talk with their parents before they get on the phone. But in a way its also desensitized us because everythings become more casual, in the sense that communications and interac-tions with people are less personal.

The Bridge: What do you feel are the positive and negative impacts of digital technology? Haley Grey: Negativedefinitely that it's made people kind of forget the impact that they can have with talking to someone or communicating with somebody, because it's so much easier. It doesnt mean as much. And people are so distracted by it that it sort of takes them away from their lives, as cliche as that sounds. People are a lot more afraid, or not afraid but unwilling, to go out and live their lives when they can just stay in and check Facebook. Posi-tive - its way easier to get in touch with people and it's opened up a lot more opportunities. I guess an example for me would be that I recently made a Tumblr page of my photography and Ive been able to get in touch with professional photographers from California and all over. We talk about our work and share thoughts on the others work, and I couldnt do that without technology.

The Bridge: What do you think the future holds for our society in terms of how we interact with each other and with technology?

Haley Grey: I actually think that technology in the real world is actually kind of merging into the same thing as personal interaction. I think that its becoming a lot more merged and that its a positive thing.

Asa Wagner, grade 11


Asa Wagner: I like to text, because I can do it any time, any place. Its incredibly convenient.


Asa Wagner: My PC laptop computer, because of the versatility and transportability of the laptop, and the power of the PC. I like how I can do school work and play games on it.


Asa Wagner: I read The Great Gatsby about a week agofor class. I rarely read for pleasure nowadays. I prefer computer games after school to relax, then when Im done I have home-work to do, so I cant.


Asa Wagner: It depends what the thing is that Im reading. I'd rather read a legit book on paper, but when it comes to articles I prefer digitized, because digital media is easier to use, often smaller if Im using my iPhone. So I can read it easily anywhere. But I like holding the paper in my hand when Im reading a story. It feels more real.


Asa Wagner: It has made the world faster paced, information travels more faster and more freely, so things can get done faster. It has also created new and wonderful distractions for us. I think general life is more fun. Its easier to access entertainment, even while working someone can be listening to music in their earbuds. The effect is huge, but I believe it is mostly positive.

The Bridge: What do you feel are the positive and negative impacts of digital technology?

Asa Wagner: Its positive that information is more freely available, it travels faster, com-munication is faster, there is ease of access to education and related resources. The free web is a great thing. And I like computer games. The mind-numbing aspects of social media are negative, and said information can be false, because anybody can put stuff up. It can be false or stupid or pointless or all three.


Asa Wagner: I believe that technology will become increasingly more integral in our society, eventually leading up to and surpassing AI robots. One potential path for future technol-ogy is that we will start to lose important human connections, but I dont believe that will happen. We will get better at communicating with people we cant physically connect with, making our world a more friendly place.


iPhones, Laptops and Tablets: Local Teens Speak out On Tech and Communicationby Lindsey GrutchfieldPhotos by Michael Jermyn

Omeed Fallahi, grade 9


Omeed Fallahi: Email!


Omeed Fallahi: My favorite personal device would have to be my iPhone, because it is powerful, compact, and very useful.


Omeed Fallahi: The last time a read a book was in October, and the book was titled Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

The Bridge: Given the chance, do you prefer reading things on a computer or on paper? Omeed Fallahi: Personally, I prefer reading on paper, as it has a more genuine feel. Also, I feel that holding the book and turning the pages is a valuable part of the reading experience, which is lost when reading using electronic devices.


Omeed Fallahi: The advent of the digital age has had many impacts on our world today. It has made many things in life easier and more convenient, and has advanced our society in many different areas.

The Bridge: What do you feel are the positive and negative impacts of digital technology? Omeed Fallahi: Some positive impacts of technology include convenience, fast access to in-formation, and easy communication. Some negatives include the dependence on these forms of technology in our lives, making we humans less flexible to change.


Omeed Fallahi: In the future, interaction will become easier and easier by use of technol-ogy. Some may believe that this is a bad thing, as it impacts our communication skills in real world situations. However, overall I believe that in the future technology will continue to advance, and communicating will be easier.

Kaia Garland, grade 10


Kaia Garland: That would be my laptop or iPod, because its faster to send messages on. People respond a lot faster than email, when you have to wait sometimes like two or three days before they see it. You also dont always have enough service to call but you do have service to send a quick text.


Kaia Garland: Definitely the iPod touch, because there are a lot of great apps you can download. You can watch videos, take pictures and videos and save them to your computer. Its very convenient because its an all-in-one kind of device.


Kaia Garland: I read every single day. Last night I read a book called Virals (written by Kathy Reichs). Its about these kids that break into a lab and steal a puppy thats trapped in a cage, that a guy put there to experiment on with this canine parvovirus. Then, things get crazy.


Kaia Garland: I prefer reading on paper because if you read it on a computer or cell phone, you might not have enough wifi or your computer might die. Its easier to mark your spot on paper, definitely paper.


Kaia Garland: A lot. When I first got my iPod touch, I started reading books on it. For read-ing books on the iPod, you have to swipe the page from left to right to turn the page, so when I started reading books on paper I tried to swipe it like that, which definitely messed me up a little bit. Ive noticed that happens a lot with people who start reading on a touch screen.

The Bridge: What do you feel are the positive and negative impacts of digital technology?

Kaia Garland: The positive impacts are that you can look things up a lot faster, you get a lot more results than going to the library and looking it up in a book, and you can take a screenshot and send it to someone without having to give them the whole book. Information access. Negatively, I think were losing skills; people dont always know how to look some-thing up in an index or glossary anymore.


Kaia Garland: Its going to be a lot more advanced, definitely, and its going to become a lot faster. Theres going to be a lot more electronic gadgets. Eventually theyre probably going to come up with technology thats more advanced than anything. Theres already something that can connect your computer to the T.V. and technology for self driving cars. What havent they invented yet? Hovercraft, I guess.


ALEPH TAV, Paintings of the Hebrew Letters, a Kabbalistic Journeyby Joyce Kahn

Currently gracing the walls of the sanc-tuary at Beth Jacob Synagogue on Harrison Avenue in Montpelier are six large paintings of individual letters of the Hebrew alphabet part of a complete col-lection of the 22 Hebrew letters donated by the family of Montpelier resident, Ivy Zeller. This ambitious collection, ALEPH TAV, Paintings of the Hebrew Letters, a Kabbal-istic Journey, was painted over a seven-year period, between 1986 and 1994, by Zellers cousin, artist and spiritual seeker, Suann Lasker.

The paintings are large teeming with en-ergy and vibrancy. Lasker painted with raw pigment, which she mixed with gel medium to attain the bold, rich colors employed in her abstract style. Twenty-one paintings are glazed, matted and framed and have a sight size of 29 square inches. The paintings were spread throughout the Kober-Zeller residence in Watermill, N.Y., before finding their new home in Montpelier.

Lasker painted them in order, one by one, from Alef Tav. Her interest in Kabbalistic study began while on a week-long retreat at the high hermitage at the Lama Founda-tion in in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico in 1979. Lasker was investigating meditation practices, and on the morning of her ascent she was given Carlo Suares Cipher of Genesis. According to Lasker, This book introduced me to the Hebrew alphabet as a way of understanding sacred and cosmic energy. It was 10 years later that she began to paint the Hebrew let-ters, once reserved for scribes and priests. Included in each painting is its equivalent in Phoenician script, serving as a visual and spiritual contrast. The booklet that Lasker assembled to accompany the exhibit gives the artists interpretation of the letters and, in her words, is a way of sharing my inspiration and ruminations.

Throughout her life, Lasker searched for truth, meaning, and deepened spirituality. Each painting was started with a private meditation focused on the individual letter. She then studied various meanings of the

Hebrew letters, according to rabbis, teach-ers, and other scholars. After much inten-sive introspection and research, she began to paint. Some canvasses were painted quickly, at lightning speed. Most paintings took a long time. She wrestled with each letter, like a person wrestling with unsettled parts of her soul.

It was through the creation of the Hebrew letters that Lasker repaired her severed rela-tionship with Judaism. After the letters were finished, she joined the Taos Minyan, in Taos, New Mexico.

The artist believed that all human struggles stem from our inner fight to find acceptance within ourselves. Perhaps when we can for-give ourselves, we can break the chains that bind all humanity.

Discussions have been held about how to display these letters in a way that honors both the artist and the work. One idea is to rotate different letters through, to indicate different words and concepts that can be used as ka-vannot (intentions) for prayer.... to direct our thoughts for prayer. Currently, the letters on the back wall of the synagogue are the letters shin-mem-ayin, forming the word Shemah, which means listen. The Jewish prayer that begins with this word is the quintessential Jewish prayer declaring Gods oneness. In the front of the sanctuary on one side is the letter dalet, which is the first letter of the Hebrew word din, whose meaning is justice. On the other side is the letter chet, the first letter of the word chesed, which means loving kindness. Both words are central themes for the Jewish High Holy Days, which were celebrated recently.

Suann Lasker was born in White Plains, New York on July 16, 1948, and died on May 14, 1998 at the young age of 50. Suann attended Yale University where she received her MFA in 1982.

Information for this article was provided by Ivy Zeller and based on interviews with Zellers husband and family members.

A note on Kabbalah by Suann Lasker:Some say Adam was the original Kabbalist. The word Kabblah means re-ceiving or inner teaching. It is the mystical side of Judaism which combines wisdom and intuition. A traditional phrase, the world that is coming, is often understood as referring to a far-off messianic era, turns into the timeless dimension of reality available here and now, if one is receptive.

The true and original Kabbalah belongs to a cycle when knowledge of the cosmic forces playing on human consciousness was directly and intuitively perceived. Historical evolution has developed the brains so called objective power of thought. It is time for those peers to break through some of our barriers so cosmic energy can once again penetrate our psyche.

On Sunday, November 9, from 3-5 P.M.,An art exhibit and reception consisting of 22 paintings by artist Suann Lasker representing the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and including Ms. Laskers com-ments based on her research of Rabbinical and Kabbalistic sources. It is free and open to the public.


Photo by Emily Kaminsky

Barre Beat by Emily Kaminsky barrebeat.com

After years of delivering programming and services to Barre area seniors at the Whee-lock Building on North Main Street, the Barre Area Senior Center has moved to a newly renovated location at the E.F. Wall building on South Main Street in Barre. According to Director Marilyn Brault, the new space is twice the size of the first floor of the Wheelock building, boasts a larger, more functional kitchen, and several rooms to host classes and clinics. Brault is particularly excited about more parking spaces. It is going to be so much better at the new space. We have tons and tons of parking now, she says.

Im super thrilled, says the centers Director Marilyn Brault. All programming and oper-ations will be back in full swing by Monday, Nov. 10. While that is the official re-opening, Brault invites the public to visit the new space on two occasions. The first is the centers Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 12 at noon. Tickets priced at $10 per person are available for purchase now at the new building. Then, on Jan. 9, Brault invites the public to the centers

grand re-opening event where they will introduce new activities and programming.

The move creates an opportunity for the center to fine tune its programming and offer-ings. Were going to try to open up more programming. But, its up to the people who come in and communicate what they want, says Brault. To encourage participation in program design, the center is conducting a programming raffle. The public is invited to enter the raffle to win a prize. Entries are invited to include a program suggestion. Brault says all program suggestions will be considered. For more information on Barre Area Senior Center, the move, and its offerings, visit their website at www.barreseniors.org or call 479-9512.

In other news, the Paletteers is hosting its annual fall art show at the Aldrich Library in the Milne room during regular library hours. The Paletteers, founded in the 1950s, is an art-ists' organization serving central Vermont with many activities in Barre. They host three shows annuallyone in the spring, during Heritage Festival and Homecoming Days in July, and in the fall. Seventeen talented artists are exhibiting at the fall show and many pieces are for sale. Paletteers president Bob Murphy encourages the public to attend. The show is free he says and there are many artists who havent shown before as well as others who have been showing for years and are well known. The show started Nov. 3 and ends Dec. 19. For more information, visit www.paletteers.us.

Do you have a story to share with The Barre Beat? Were queuing up intriguing stories about Barre and its inhabitants for upcom-ing Barre Beat articles. Please send your story ideas to The Bridge at 223-5112 or [email protected]. Follow @Bar-reBeatVT or @TheBridgeVT on Twitter for regular updates on Barre (and lots of other interesting stuff). And if youre coming to Barre, come enjoy some art!

The Paletteers mascot, Pierre. Photo courtesy of paletteers.us.

Do you know about something great happening in your community? We want to know about events that matter to you. Submit your performing or visual arts, dance and music events to our calendar. Are there meetings, groups, gatherings of importance in your community, again, we want to know!

Submit Your Event! Send listings to [email protected] use our online event submission form by visiting montpelierbridge.comWorkshops, conferences, classes and for-profit events that charge fees are not eligible for a free calendar listing. For more information call 802-223-5112 ext 12.


The holidays are upon us and there is always lots to do in downtown Montpelier. Mark your calendar for the following events:

Flannel Friday

Friday, Nov. 28

Montpeliers version of Black Friday! Wear your f lannel and get fabulous deals in down-town stores. Flannel buttons will be available in a variety of locations. You dont want to miss these discounts while you are shopping for the holidays!

Holiday Art Walk

Friday, Dec. 5, 4-8 p.m.

Stroll downtown Montpelier and enjoy art in many of our stores and boutiques while taking in the holiday decorations.

Holiday Celebration

Saturday, Dec. 6

Join the staff and students of New England Culinary Institute to decorate cookies to eat or leave out for Santa. Later in the afternoon, Santa comes to downtown Montpelier. Come meet him and tell him what youre wishing for Christmas. Fun for the whole fam-ily. City Center, 89 Main Street. Free.

Cookie Decorating: 12:30-2 p.m.

Holiday Program: 2-2:30 p.m.

Santa: 2:30-4 p.m.

Holiday Wagon Rides:

Paul Ruta of Black Horse Farm will bring his wagon team to downtown Montpelier. Dont miss this free chance to get a different view of Montpelier. Each trip takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Meet us at the corner of State and Main streets (in front of La Brioche). 11 a.m.3 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 28 (Flannel Friday)

Saturday, Nov. 29

Saturday, Dec. 6

Saturday, Dec. 13

Saturday, Dec. 20

Holiday Parking:

Dec. 10-Dec. 24

Thanks to the city of Montpelier, when you come downtown to do you holiday shop-ping you can enjoy FREE parking. Parking at metered spaces is free for up to two hours parking for more than two hours may be subject to fines; all other normal parking rules apply. Normal parking hours are 8 a.m.4:30 p.m., MondayFriday. Parking on holidays and weekends is always free.

New Year's Eve

Back by popular demand, New Year's Eve is making a return in Montpelier. It's not First Night, but there will be fun for the whole family in downtown Montpelier on Dec. 31.

Montpelier Alive is putting the finishing touches on this event so be sure to check the Montpelier Alive Facebook page for details as they become available.

As always, visit facebook/MontpelierAlive for more details.

See you in Montpelier!

Eye on Montpelierby Ashley Witzenberger, Executive Director at Montpelier Alive

Since 1972Repairs New floors and walls Crane work Decorative concrete Consulting ICF foundations

114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT (802) 229-0480 [email protected] gendronconcrete.com

His and Hers Bookstores: Rivendell and Bear Pond Make a Nice Pair in Montpelierby Carla Occaso

Many people love walking around Montpelier and poking around the little shops, especially the book shops. Downtown Montpelier has two well-established book-stores: Bear Pond Books (est. 1973) and Rivendell Books (est. 1992). It turns out these stores are owned by the husband and wife team of Rob Kasow and Claire Benedict. To local Montpelier residents this might be old news, but if you live outside city limits, this might be something of a romantic surprise.

Kasow

Documents

The Bridge, November 6, 2014