The Bridge, February 21, 2013

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Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | FEBRUARY 21–MARCH 6, 2013

IN THIS ISSUENATURAL COLOR

Photographs at the hospital to get you through the cold

14–15

WHO’S WHO ON THE BALLOT

Montpelier candidates in their own words

4–5

IMPROVING DOWNTOWN

Proposed tax would fund streetscaping, promotion

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AUTHORS’ ABCSSpelling bee at library

to test local celebs

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courtesy John Snell

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DOLLARS & DECISIONSCity Meeting, March 5, 2013

This year’s Town Meeting Day ballot may contain fewer items than in previous years, but the potential cost to taxpayers could be greater if all measures are approved.

March 5 will find Montpelier voters confronted with an array of ballot issues, many of which will ask voters for more money. There are three long-term borrowing bond packages on the ballot (two city bonds for street and sewer improvements totalling $1.38 million and a third school bond issue covering repairs, heating and other projects at city schools); a proposed $75,000 downtown business district tax levy on nonresidential downtown properties; requests for increases from the library and recreation department; continued support of the Montpelier Circulator bus; and a request from firefighters to continue funding a position that the City Council cut in anticipation of a retirement. All of it, if passed, adds up to increased taxes for city residents.

There is an open race with four challengers in District 3, while in the other districts the incumbents are running unopposed. Three candidates are running for the three slots on the Montpelier school board.

Back to the budget: The city budget calls for an increase of less than 2 percent, but includes a controversial cut of the aforementioned firefighter backup position. This cut produced another ballot measure calling for the council to set aside funds to restore the position. The school budget calls for spending that exceeds the state-mandated single vote limit, thus triggering a second vote. The total increase, if both measures pass, would be 8 percent above last year’s budget.

Follow that? If not, delve into our Town Meeting Day coverage, in which Bridge writer Richard Sheir helps you navigate the ballot and budget issues and their implications, beginning on page 4.

—Max Shenk, editorial associate

PAGE 2 • FEBRUARY 21– MARCH 6 , 2013 THE BR IDGE

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THE BR IDGE FEBRUARY 21– MARCH 6 , 2013 • PAGE 3

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HEARD ON THE

STREETCabot to Move Montpelier Operations to Waitsfield

Agri-Mark, the parent company of Cabot Cheese, has decided to move Cabot’s Montpelier operations to a new location in the Waitsfield Industrial Park sometime later in the year.

Agri-Mark spokesman Doug DiMento told The Bridge that the reason for the move has noth-ing to do with whispers that the company could not quickly get a permit for a new location in Montpelier or ensure parking for its employees at a new Montpelier location. The Waitsfield location “best suits the growth of the company,” DiMento said. “The company has grown tre-mendously—from $40 million in sales in 1992 to over $500 million last year—and we don’t have enough space” in the Montpelier location. The Waitsfield location is over 31,000 square feet and “will meet our present and future needs as well.” DiMento said that “right now we’re going through due diligence with the new location, and nothing will be final at least until March, but it looks like we’ll be moving.” The 61 jobs at the Montpelier location will be relo-cated to Waitsfield, with other positions added. Agri-Mark is a dairy cooperative headquartered in Metheun, Massachusetts, with member farms in six different New England states.

City Clerk’s Office Raising Funds for Pet Microchip Reader

Montpelier city clerk John Odum’s office is partnering with The Quirky Pet on State Street to raise money to purchase a pet microchip reader for the Montpelier Police

Department. The Quirky Pet will contribute to the yearly cost of notices for dog license renewals, and the money that the clerk’s office saves will be applied to the purchase of the microchip reader. Dog owners can also opt to donate an additional dollar toward the micro-chip reader fund. Microchip readers typically cost between $100 and $400, and the type of reader the office purchases will be determined by the amount of money it can raise. Currently, Montpelier police take loose pets to the Humane Society in East Montpelier. According to Cindra Conison, owner of The Quirky Pet, this is “a time-consuming trip that takes our po-lice out of Montpelier for at least an hour.” With a microchip reader, Conison says, “our police [could] scan the dog’s chip, call the worried owner and quickly reunite the two, eliminating the costly middleman.”

Local Schools Receive Farm to School Grants

Two local schools recently received 2013 Farm to School grants from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Farm to School Network. Berlin Elementary School re-

ceived an implementation grant, while Washington South Supervisory Union received a plan-ning grant. In its seventh year, the Farm to School grant program works to educate students and communities in the dynamics of local food production by linking school cafeterias and classrooms to local farms and food producers. “It is wonderful to hear that students under-stand Farm to School is not just about healthy food, but also about economic development for our farmers. That is when we know they’re connecting the dots between the educational, nutritional and economic aspects of the program,” said Jolinda LaClair, deputy secretary at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

Arts Council Awards Grant to Plainfield

The Vermont Arts Council has awarded the town of Plainfield a $28,370 grant for improvements to the Plainfield Town Hall Opera House. The grant is earmarked to

improve exterior drainage and address mold abatement in the building. The Vermont Arts Council awards grants of $1,000 to $30,000 every fiscal year to Vermont nonprofit organiza-tions and municipalities “to enhance, create, or expand the capacity of an existing building to provide cultural activities for the public.” The town also received a matching grant from the State Division of Historic Preservation to correct the building’s structural deficiencies and has identified additional potential grant funding through the Vermont Housing and Conserva-tion Board to help offset the cost of additional improvements that must be completed in order for the Town Hall Opera House to be reopened.

Vermont Joins Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has announced that it will join 38 other states in sharing information about suspended hunting and fishing licenses via the Interstate

Wildlife Violator Compact. Through the compact, the 39 member states recognize license suspensions in other member states. Thus, any license holder whose privileges are suspended in one member state will have his or her license suspended in all member states. According to Vermont chief game warden Colonel David LeCours, the compact will deter Vermonters with suspended hunting or fishing licenses from hunting, fishing or trapping in other states. Currently, Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania are the only northeastern states participat-ing in the compact. New Hampshire and Massachusetts have already voted against joining the compact, and Maine has passed supporting legislation but has not formally joined.

Veteran’s Small Business Center Opens in Randolph

The Vermont Tech Enterprise Center (VTEC) has opened a “business incubator” in Randolph for veterans and service members who are interested in starting or growing a

small business. The space, located at 1540 Route 66 in Randolph (off I-89), provides vets and service members with high-speed Internet access, workspace, meeting rooms, copiers, video conferencing and a hospitality area. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, nearly one in 10 small businesses are owned by a veteran, and the latest census showed over 51,000 veterans living in Vermont. Studies show that veterans are about 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than those in the general population, and the resource center, ac-cording to U.S. Representative Peter Welch, is ‘‘about empowering vets to be the best people that they can be.’’ The services at the center are free to veterans and service people. For more information, call VTEC at 728-9101 or e-mail [email protected].

—compiled by Max Shenk

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

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Advertising: For information about advertising deadlines and rates, contact: 223-5112, ext. 11, [email protected] or [email protected]

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Copyright 2013 by The Montpelier Bridge

Last week, after the storm, we had a barred owl in the yard all day, looking weak. Owls don’t drink water, getting their liquid entirely from the small creatures they

eat. If food isn’t available for a few days, they go downhill quickly. So, off to the pet store for a few “feeder” mice—put one on the snow, down comes the owl, and within seconds, swoop, grasp, perch and swallow. In two days, this bird was back in good health, not showing up except at dusk, which is normal, and looking frisky and dynamic, hunting on its own again. I call this extreme bird feeding, and it is not for everyone, but it works for us, and every few years, it gets one of these magnificent creatures over a hump. In the coming weeks, owls will be breeding and building their nests, and we should start hearing them again at night.

—Nona Estrin

Nature Watch

SUMMER IS COMING ...We have a great summer camp section in this issue and in our next four issues, and great packages for summer camp advertising. For more information, contact Carolyn or Ivan, 223-5112, ext. 11, carolyn@ montpelierbridge.com or [email protected].


For City Council, District 1Thomas J. Golonka

I want to thank the residents of

District 1 for en-trusting me with another two-year term as their city councilor. Over the past eight years I have been hon-ored to assist the successive councils and city manager

in making Montpelier a better place to live, work and raise a family. I have enjoyed my time on the council and look forward to bringing my expertise and experience in helping move us forward on many of the is-sues that have come before us.

Over the next two years, I would like to concentrate on developing a strategy to increase the grand list and work better with our regional partners. We have significant excess capacity in our city. Utilizing this capacity more efficiently can help all of us by alleviating the significant burden associated with our high tax rate.

For City Council, District 2Anne Watson

I have been delighted to serve on City Coun-cil since August of 2012 as a way to give

back to my community. I was appointed to fill the remainder of a vacant seat, and I look forward to continuing for a full term. As a science teacher at Montpelier High School, I have the unique perspective of participating both in city government and in our pub-

lic school system. I understand how hard our city and school staff work to provide quality education and ser-vices to our resi-dents.

In my next two years as a city councilor, I will work toward ad-dressing goals laid out in the city’s

master plan. This is a highly vetted docu-ment with a wide range of goals. One goal, for example, is for City Council to review and eliminate unnecessary regulatory obsta-cles to development. Making affordable and mixed-income housing accessible to young families will alleviate the tax burden and fill our schools. This is just one example, but I would really like to assess our progress as a city toward all of these goals, celebrate our successes and take next steps toward making our city an even better place to live.

For City Council, District 3Steve Cook

In 2002, my children and I

relocated to Mont-pelier after hav-ing worked in the capital city for two years, and shortly after we purchased our home. I have three sons; two are currently in the Montpelier school

system. In 2006, I was appointed as the deputy commissioner of the Vermont De-partment of Tourism and Marketing where I currently serve. I am a graduate of both Champlain College and Johnson State Col-lege. Over the years, I have served on a num-ber of boards, including a term on Montpe-lier’s Mountaineers baseball team.

To ensure continued sustainability of the community and working families, both in terms of economic and social viability, my highest priority if elected to City Council is supporting economic development and measures to ease the tax burden on resi-dents. I hope to implement a strategy to grow both resident and visitor spending in the capital city and support local business. Economic growth in our community will encourage expansion and improvement of existing businesses and quality development of both business and residential sectors in this community and aid in the recruitment and establishment of new businesses and residents. I have worked on these efforts in other Vermont communities and witnessed great success.

Jessica Edgerly Walsh

I started my ca-reer in the non-

profit world work-ing with Vermont communities and municipalities to clean up and pre-vent pollution. In the role of state director, I was re-sponsible for man-aging staff and

budget. Last year, I left the nonprofit world

to help launch a successful 50-person solar company.

My primary interest, if elected, is to ex-pand housing opportunities in the city, par-ticularly housing accessible to young fami-lies and retirees. Montpelier’s population has been on the decline, meaning fewer families are footing the bill to maintain the city’s infrastructure and services. I am interested in working to reverse that trend: broadening the tax base, filling the schools and adding more to the bustle of the downtown. In ad-dition, I am interested in better connecting District 3 to the downtown business district, parks and other resources on the other side of the river. Whether it’s changes to zoning; plans for expanded sidewalk, road or bike path infrastructure; or a review of the circu-lator bus route, I want to make sure folks in every District 3 neighborhood can safely get into town.

Zack HughesMy priority plat-

form items are to (1) encourage a discussion around public safety in this community; (2) explore outside options for fund-ing, such as grants; and (3) encourage wider use of pub-lic transportation. I am 35, a Mont-

pelier resident for 22 years, single and a graduate of Montpelier High School, class of 1998. I studied one year of general business at Barre Vocational Technical Center. My additional education and training includes Community Leadership Training (2003);

Meet the Candidates for City Council and School Board


Board Governance Training (2005); Peer Support Respite Crises Training (2005); and Intentional Peer Support Training (Novem-ber 2012 to February 2013).

I am currently employed as a peer support worker and peer line facilitator and serve on the boards of the Central Vermont Com-munity Land Trust and Washington County Mental Health Services. I am interested in virtual flight, travel, reading and writing. I can be reached at [email protected].

Ron Wild

As a 20-year M o nt p e l i e r

resident and devel-oper of inspiring community proj-ects, I’m devoted to a vibrant down-town, healthy ne i g h b orho o d s and a growing tax base. More hous-ing—for a variety of income levels—

means more taxpayers and greater vitality for our community and schools. Montpelier should be at the forefront of finding ways to rehabilitate its older homes and develop unoccupied spaces. Our streets and side-walks need immediate attention. The coun-cil should foster a civic climate that makes Montpelier the most desirable place to work and live in central Vermont.

As director of Kids Fest, cofounder of First Night and director of the Vermont Al-liance for Arts Education, I have helped en-hance Montpelier’s reputation as a home for the arts. As marketing manager for Wheels Transportation, I worked vigorously to keep Montpelier accessible and livable. Today, as program assistant for Everybody Wins! Ver-

mont, I work to bring caring reading men-tors to our schools. Community engagement defines my life.

I’m running for the District 3 seat because I love Montpelier. I want to improve our dis-trict’s access to city services and facilities and to help make our city a place where we work creatively and positively toward the future. Reach me at [email protected].

For School BoardSue Aldrich

I am chair of the Board of School

C om m i s s ione r s and have children in the Montpe-lier school system. One of the many great things about the Montpelier community is the inclusion of our students in work-based projects. I

know that our schools, teachers and students want to and do give back to the wonder-ful, tax-paying citizens who recognize the value of investing in the education of the community’s children. This already pays us back in terms of property value because as a realtor, I can tell you that many people both local and from out of state want to buy homes in Montpelier because of our schools. Buyers do the research, and the fact that we have a large number of students accepted to Ivy League schools as well as other highly competitive schools is extremely impressive. I could go on and on about the extraordinary education delivered by Montpelier schools. I will take all calls and questions on my cell phone: 839-0213.

Michele Witten Braun

In serving on the school board, I

want to look for ways to develop and contribute to a decision-mak-ing process that is as transparent, constructive and creative as we can make it. I hope to hear from teachers,

administrators and fellow parents about their ideas for maintaining high-quality educa-tion in Montpelier. My kids are in third and sixth grade: old enough to tolerate a few more night meetings. Working as the planner for Northfield means a lot of night meetings, working with boards and bud-gets, the public, state and federal agencies, and having many of the same challenges I expect to face on the school board. With my husband, Dave Braun, I have owned our home in Montpelier for 14 years, and I have been volunteering for the past seven years in the schools’ math, science, nature and snack programs, as well as serving on the board of the Union School Parents Group. I have a BA from Bowdoin College in government and romance languages and an MS from the University of Vermont in natural resources planning.

Lowell Vanderlip

I have lived in the central Vermont com-munity for the past 40 years. For 20 of

those years, I taught at Union Elementary School and so have a long history with the school system and the changes it has seen over the years. Following my teaching career at Union, I served for an additional 16 years as an elementary school administrator in

Waterbury and Berlin. Three of my chil-dren attended Washington Central Super-visory Union schools from K–12, and my three stepchildren have attended Montpelier schools. The last will graduate in June! If elected, this will be my third term on the Montpelier School Board.

Some areas I think the board needs to give attention to over the next few years include the following: (1) Reviewing the scope and services offered through our preschool pro-gram; (2) focusing on the development of key literacy, numeracy and social skills in the lower elementary grades; (3) reviewing a proposal to move grade five from Union to Main Street School; (4) considering the implementation of foreign language instruc-tion beginning in kindergarten; (5) continu-ing and expanding support for art, music and drama as integral parts of our school curriculum; (6) investigating creative uses of

technology at the middle and high school as a means of expanding learn-ing opportunities; and (7) maintain-ing quality build-ings so that they may continue to serve as safe and inviting learning environments for our students into the future.

—compiled by Richard Sheir; photos cour-tesy of the respective candidates, except Lowell

Vanderlip photo by Nat Frothingham

Message to Montpelier Voters from Montpelier Career Firefighters

Paid for by IAFF Local 2287

We are asking Montpelier voters to support Article 15 at City Meeting on March 5.If the city’s currently proposed cut to fire department staffing takes effect, we will have lost a total of six full- and part-time positions in recent years. If the Council’s decision holds to not fill a vacancy that will be created by a retirement, our profes-sional judgement — along with that of nationally set stan-dards — is that this will take us even further below mini-mum staffing and seriously impair our ability to offer safe and effective fire and ambulance service.

At its final budget meeting on January 24, the City Council, in an evenly split vote (broken by the mayor), decided to under-fund the city budget by the exact amount we are requesting in Article 15 ($54,669.00), an amount necessary to maintain our current staffing level. This Council action was an insult to Montpelier voters.

Through the years, the fire department has received overwhelmingly positive support from the Montpelier commu-nity, which we appreciate. We ask for your continued support on March 5.


Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

Design & Build

Custom Energy-Efficient Homes

Additions • Timber Frames

Weatherization • Remodeling

Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring

Tiling • Cabinetry • Fine Woodwork

Montpelier City Meeting: Where? When? How?

When: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 5.

Where: City hall, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. Need assistance? Citizens who require the assistance of

mobility devices (wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, crutches, canes) will be able to vote in the community room of the police department, directly opposite the accessible entrance to city hall. Poll workers will be stationed at the door to assist. The vote-by-phone system for visually impaired voters will remain at its usual location in the city hall auditorium.

Early voting: Early voting is now underway. Come by the city clerk’s office Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to vote early, or call for an absentee ballot at 223-9500.

What’s on the ballot? Contents of the ballot can be viewed online at montpelier-vt.org/page/586/2013cityballot.html.

Ballot Measure to Restore Funding for Defunded Firefighter Position

The Case for a Yes Vote The budget cut affects the health and safety of city residents

as well as firefighters. The Matrix Survey on citizen support for city services showed that maintaining fire services is a far higher priority than civic projects, yet this year’s budget cut fire services and kept nonessential civic projects.

—Lt. Jake Larrabee, president of the firefighters union

The Case for a No Vote The budget reductions were made in city departments

because that is where the bulk of our spending occurs. The council did not believe that the budget reductions will jeop-ardize essential public services. Funding for entities such as Montpelier Alive constitute only a small portion of the city’s budget, and the council believes that the programs they offer are important to the quality of life in Montpelier.

—John Hollar, Montpelier mayor

Ballot Measure to Increase Funding to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library Beyond

the Council-Recommended LevelThe Case for a Yes Vote

For the last four years, Kellogg-Hubbard Library funding from its towns has been level-funded. The other five towns have had their budget request rise this year—from $786 in Worcester to $14,068 in Berlin to better reflect their towns’ use of the library. Montpelier is being asked for an increase of 1.5 percent for each of the years that the budget was level-funded, which is less than inflation for each of those years. While the library was level-funded, other parts of the city saw their budget grow to reflect the impact of inflation during these years.

—Richard Bidnick, Kellogg-Hubbard Library director

The Case for a No Vote The city did not increase funding for other nonprofits, so

it did not seem fair to increase funding for the library. More-over, the city spends far more for the library than it does for all other nonprofit entities combined. It seemed reasonable for the library to seek additional funding from other com-munities.

—John Hollar, Montpelier mayor

The Montpelier Circulator Bus by the Numbers

Total riders in one year: 12,583Total routes: 20Total routes with an average of 10 or more riders per run: 6

(30%)Total routes with an average of five or fewer riders per run:

9 (45%)Average subsidy per rider: $9.50 (Less than the state average)Average number of Saturday riders per run: 2Average subsidy per Saturday rider: $38.50 (More than three

times the state average)Percent using free circulator to get to and from National Life:

20%

Tune In for Live Results

The Bridge will be sponsoring live same-day Town Meet-ing Day returns on ORCA Channel 17 for Montpelier

and neighboring towns. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. For those without cable access, the presentation will be streamed on ORCA’s website.

Montpelier mayor John Hollar will be present to offer elec-tion analysis on all issues. Montpelier School District super-intendent Brian Ricca will address the results from the three Montpelier school votes. Kellogg-Hubbard Library director Richard Bidnick will speak of the Kellogg-Hubbard vote in its six communities. The head of the Montpelier firefighters union will speak about the firefighter funding issue vote. Keith Vance, local political blogger from the website voiceof montpelier.com, will offer political analysis as well.

—compiled by Richard Sheir and Max Shenk

Get Ready for Town MeetingHow to Vote, Preview of Key Ballot Items, Where to Hear Results


by Nat Frothingham

As president of the board of directors of Montpelier Alive, Greg Guyette champions downtown Montpelier. In

this question-and-answer exchange with The Bridge, Guyette explains what a Downtown Improvement District (DID) is and how such a district, if it wins approval on March 5, would work and would be funded.

On Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 5, Montpelier citizens will vote on Article 15—a proposal to establish and fund a DID.

What is a Downtown Improvement District? I know such districts are in place in other Vermont communities. How do such districts work in practice?

A Downtown Improvement District is a geographical area within which additional tax dollars are raised and spent for the benefit of the properties and businesses located within that area. In Montpelier, the proposed dis-trict has the same boundaries as the existing Designated Downtown. Each of the existing improvement districts in Vermont operates differently, based on local agreements or or-dinances. In Montpelier, the DID funds will be collected along with municipal property taxes from commercial property owners and from the state of Vermont through increased PILOT payments.

What’s the benefit that you see from a Downtown Improvement District in Montpelier?

Montpelier has never had a dedicated budget for enhancing our streetscape and strengthening our business climate. The DID budget will fund highly visible improvements to the downtown landscape and promote Montpelier regionally as a special destina-tion to live, work, shop and vacation. The promotions will promise a special experience in Montpelier, and the improved streetscape, in addition to our collection of distinctive shops, restaurants, hotels and inns, will help us fulfill that promise.

How is such a district formed? In other words is it a vote of City Council followed by approval of city voters? Is that what gets a district going?

Yes, that is essentially the process. City Council has given their approval for the Downtown Improvement District to appear on the March ballot based on its merits and on support from stakeholders within the district. On Town Meeting Day, the voters in Montpelier will be given the opportu-nity to vote on the DID [Article 12]. We

feel confident the measure will receive broad support.

What sort of money will a district in Montpelier raise and how will that money be spent and who will watch over the finances to make sure they are wisely spent?

The district will raise $75,000. The budget will be drafted by the DID committee and will be presented to Montpelier Alive and the City Council for approval. Important to note: the committee will be comprised of property owners, retail shopkeepers, restau-rateurs and representatives from the lodging community, the arts community, and from the state of Vermont. These folks are vested stakeholders and know best how to make strategic spending decisions that will benefit the downtown.

Am I right in thinking that the voters at city meeting will vote on whether to form a district and to appropriate money for it but that only ground-floor commercial properties in the district will pay for it? If this is the case, is it fair for voters who will pay nothing to vote an added tax burden on ground-floor commercial properties who will be obligated to pay for the added money?

We have been asked this question in many forums and the simple answer is that this is the mechanism that the state of Vermont leg-islature established, and it is a framework we must work within. The assessment is on com-mercial real estate, exclusive of all residential properties. In terms of “the many” voting to tax “the few,” we asked the stakeholders to weigh-in on the DID and by a nearly 3 to 1 margin, they support this investment. We asked property owners and merchants, and the response we received is that this invest-ment is necessary to maintain a competitive downtown. I think that is the key; this is an investment that we fully expect to pay divi-dends back to the funders. Montpelier Alive pursued this measure as a means to support a vibrant downtown and a dynamic business community, and that point should not be lost in the conversation.

We haven’t had such an improvement district in Montpelier in previous years, and yet somehow we got the planters, we got the waste receptacles, we got the banners. What changed? Why do we now need to raise additional money?

That is a great question. Yes, for years we have walked the streets, hat in hand, asking

for donations for special projects or fund-ing them through small Montpelier Alive operating budgets. However, the Montpelier Alive budget is stretched between festivals and events, streetscapes, special projects and myriad other downtown financial demands. We have not printed banners in years; they are expensive. We are limited in our ability to place holiday lights; they, too, are expensive. After many years of replacing the old plastic trash barrels with the nice steel waste and recycling containers, we are only a fraction of the way through that replacement process. This tool, the DID, provides a dedicated and predictable funding stream with which we can make an immediate impact and step up our downtown investment. Unlike many items taxpayers fund, the DID will present immediate and noticeable results that we will all enjoy and benefit from.

Do you see an appropriation for a Downtown Improvement District as a one-time event, or will this appropriation be put before the voters year after year and become another added tax on the business community?

This tax could be put before the voters year after year as it is in some communities, and it is supported year after year in those commu-nities. However, we would likely seek council approval for a charter change, providing long-term predictability for the DID committee. It is very important to understand that buy-in from the business community is essential to our efforts. We will be talking with them; we will be asking for their ongoing input, and if they see increased foot traffic, increased sales and a more vibrant downtown, we are confident that they will support the ongoing nature of the DID.

What is the most compelling reason in your mind why a Downtown Improvement District should be approved?

We live in an ultracompetitive market-place. The online threat to brick-and-mortar business grows every year. To survive, to thrive, we need to grow our market share, and that means new bodies, new feet on the street. We have a Super Walmart coming to Berlin. We have a neighbor six miles to the south that has invested heavily in their downtown: Waterbury has just completed a fantastic rebranding of their downtown, and they are poised for growth. This is not the time to be complacent; this is the time to in-vest intelligently to reinforce our position as a hub for regional business, and that is what we are doing.

Are you confident that spending money to advertise downtown Montpelier in out-of-state publications is a good idea? It can be argued that you can spend a lot of money on such publications with very little results, certainly very little measurable results. How will you measure the results of such out-of-state advertising for downtown Montpelier?

Again, spending decisions will be made by the committee. If the business owners on the committee do not feel that there is substantial opportunity to draw visitors from Montreal, Boston or Hartford, they will not invest there. I believe in the power of promo-tion when it is supported with substance. The DID will likely provide both.

Why institute a Downtown Improvement District? Why not just raise the needed money by canvassing City Council, the downtown merchants and others, including Montpelier residents, who may be willing to support downtown development efforts? Why restrict the fundraising to downtown commercial properties? Why not have a more general public campaign for support? After all, a strong downtown benefits everyone in the city, not just people who have a commercial interest.

We have worn out our shoe soles for nearly 20 years canvassing downtown for money. And at the end of the day, the same loyal group of business owners steps up to support us. But, we can only ask so many times over the course of the year. The DID spreads the cost of improvement and promotion over the entire district, so that all beneficiaries will contribute, including the state of Vermont. The state will contribute roughly 40 percent of the DID budget. It was very important to us in the planning stages that this investment not be overly onerous on the individual shop-keepers. In the models we ran, we determined that the cost for a typical downtown store, if the landlord passes the cost along, will be in the $10 to $20 per month range. And, again, this added expense will be invested, and it will deliver returns. We could have asked the city for an allocation from the General Fund, which would have effectively taxed the whole city. However, the downtown stakeholders have an opportunity to increase revenues and profits from this investment, and they have indicated that they support this measure, so we did not feel that the citywide tax approach was the right strategic decision.

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Below are listed outside agency requests and amounts recommended by the review com-mittee. From the city’s proposed budget document, the line item for this expenditure has progressed as follows: FY12 budgeted: $98,675; FY12 actual: $99,175; FY13

budgeted: $99,175; FY14 budgeted: $118,175. The FY13 to FY14 increase was $19,000, a n increase of 19 percent.

Montpelier Community Fund Recommendations Organization Recommended FY14 Request

Arts Grants Abigail Waring, Montpelier Movement Collective 0 3,066Capital City Band 1,500 1,500Capital City Concerts 1,000 1,000Kellogg-Hubbard Library PoemCity 1,000 2,000Kids’ Fest 900 900Linda Hogan 400 600Montpelier Alive, City Hall Banners 1,000 2,071Montpelier Alive, Montpelier Movement Collective 500 1,800Montpelier Chamber Orchestra 1,000 2,500Montpelier Community Gospel 500 1,400Vermont Opera Theater 500 1,000Willow Wonder, Montpelier Movement Collective 500 3,255Arts Grants total: 8,800 21,092

General Grants American Red Cross 500 2,000Central Vermont Adult Basic Education 6,000 6,000Central Vermont Community Action Council 2,000 2,000Central Vermont Community Land Trust 5,000 5,000Central Vermont Council on Aging 5,000 5,000

Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice 18,000 18,000Circle 3,000 3,075Community Connections 5,000 6,000EverybodyWins! VT 0 1,500Family Center of Washington County 3,500 3,500Friends of the Winooski 500 500Good Beginnings of Central Vermont 400 400Green Mountain Youth Symphony 1,000 1,500Home Share Now 1,000 1,000Just Basics (Montpelier Home Delivery Program) 5,000 5,000Lost Nation Theater 5,000 5,000Montpelier Veterans Council 0 1,500North Branch Nature Center 2,500 2,500Our House 200 200People’s Health and Wellness Clinic 1,250 1,250Prevent Child Abuse 1,200 1,200RSVP 2,000 3,000TW Wood Gallery & Arts Center 5,000 10,000Vermont Association for the Blind 500 500Vermont Center for Independent Living 5,000 5,000Washington County Diversion Program 1,500 1,950Washington County Youth Service Bureau 5,000 5,000WCYSB, Basement Teen Center 15,000 15,000General Grants total: 100,050 112,575

GRAND TOTAL: 108,850 133,667

—source: City Manager’s office

Agency Requests: You Can’t Always Get What You Want

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by Nat Frothingham

City Council board president Tom Golonka called the February 13 meeting of the Montpelier City

Council to order at about 6:30 p.m. The council is temporarily holding its meeting in the Montpelier High School library. (The city hall council chamber is not currently accessible until an elevator at city hall can be repaired.)

Kevin Casey Seeks Trust Fund Award and Waiver

Kevin Casey, community development specialist at the City of Montpelier’s Depart-ment of Planning and Development, asked the council to approve an $80,000 award from the Montpelier Housing Trust Fund to the Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT).

He also asked the council to approve a waiver to raise the income and occupancy eligibility ceiling for prospective Montpelier home buyers to 120 percent of the Washing-ton County median income level. Based on recent census data, the Washington County household median income level is currently $55,313. The council gave unanimous ap-proval to both these measures.

In a subsequent phone call with The Bridge, Casey explained the broad intent of the $80,000 award to CVCLT. The land trust hopes to make it possible for young families to purchase eight Montpelier homes over a two-year period. The award will be used to help potential homeowners come up with needed down payments.

Casey said that an average Montpelier house today costs $223,000. About 10 years ago as reported in the 2000 census, the aver-age Montpelier house cost $108,000. Raising the eligibility income levels to 120 percent of median county income would make it pos-sible for more young families to put together a down payment and afford to buy a Mont-pelier house.

Report from the Montpelier City Charter Revision Committee

Councilor Alan Weiss thanked Nancy Sherman and the other members of the City Charter Revision Committee for their hard work and effectiveness. (Aside from Sher-man, members of the committee include Mi-chael Doyle, Jonathan Williams, Earl Fech-ter, Page Guertin and Elizabeth Dodge with help from VISTA volunteers Drew DeVitis and Luke Rafferty, with Alan Weiss as the City Council liaison.)

The council’s charge to the charter revision committee was to deal with anachronisms in the charter and redundancies and items to be deleted, amended or added. The committee is consulting with (among others) city attor-ney Paul Giuliani, Montpelier attorney and

municipal law expert Paul Gillies, and Steve Jeffrey, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. In general, the committee hopes to make the city char-ter more understandable and reader friendly. Meeting information for the committee is listed on the city’s website. The committee will report its findings to City Council in Au-gust 2013. In due course, the recommended charter changes will be printed and available to the public for review in advance of a public hearing and eventual city vote.

Report from the Montpelier Community Fund Board

Next, the council heard a report from Bernie Lambek, a member of the Montpelier Community Fund Board. (In addition to Lambek, the board includes Beth Boutin, Eliza Dodd, Julie Hendrikson and Warren Vail.) In previous years, the city of Montpe-lier made awards to support arts projects and arts organization from the Montpelier Arts Fund. That fund no longer exists. Instead, support for arts projects and organizations now comes from the Montpelier Commu-nity Fund Board. This year, City Council set aside $118,000 for awards to community nonprofits, community service organizations and arts organizations. Forty applications for assistance were received totaling just over $133,000. After consideration, the board rec-ommended to the council awards totaling $108,150.

General Discussion of Montpelier Parking Issues and Proposals

Mayor John Hollar reminded the council of the city’s current parking goal: “to provide sufficient parking throughout the city for shoppers, visitors, businesses and housing.”

Hollar said parking was an issue he hears about “all the time” and is “an issue that the state struggles with as well.” He said that if the city of Montpelier develops the Carr Lot as a transit center with additional amenities, the 130 parking spaces now available at that location would be lost to the city, according to a 2005 Carr Lot Transit study.

Two spokespersons from the Vermont State

Employees Association (VSEA)—Kristin Warner, director of organizing, and VSEA treasurer and board member Sheila Coniff—addressed the council on the parking issue. Warner said that 1,595 state employees report to work every day at the Capitol Complex in Montpelier, while 1,305 parking spaces are available, making a 290 parking-space deficit. In addition to the Capitol Complex, 400-plus state workers at the National Life complex also have parking difficulties. The VSEA is working with the state administra-tion on car pooling, van pooling, subsidized bus passes and the like. On January 31 a state employee petition was delivered to the Shumlin administration calling for action on parking.

Councilor Anne Watson asked if changes could be made to the city’s winter parking ban so that residents would not have to move their cars on nights without snowfall. Mont-pelier Police Chief Tony Facos discussed his department’s efforts to streamline payments and collections for delinquent motorists. He said that parking in the vicinity of Union Elementary School continues to be a big problem and that he would welcome a small council-appointed parking committee to deal with parking issues and problems. Councilor Weiss asked why the Union School couldn’t stagger the entry and release times of its students.

Councilor Thierry Guerlain discussed the idea of a big parking garage of two or three levels topped with residential units in a space behind the Vermont Thrush Restaurant, Ver-mont Mutual and the federal building, going all the way to Elm Street.

Hollar said that building a 240-space park-ing garage behind the Vermont Thrush on state-owned land would cost $6 million. An individual parking space at such a garage would cost $200 per month. “That’s the chal-lenge,” he said. “The state doesn’t have the money right now.”

Richard Sheir, whose wife runs The Quirky Pet and has customers who drive to her store from a distance, said that if current efforts to promote downtown as a tourist destina-tion succeed, parking issues could intensify.

City Manager Bill Fraser recalled a visit that he and others took to Hanover (NH) a number of years ago. Hanover had instituted a standing parking committee. It was small but it included the key stakeholders such as Dartmouth.

Following a detailed discussion about its makeup and representation, the council voted unanimously to appoint a seven-mem-ber, standing parking committee that would include such stakeholders as the VSEA, the state’s Buildings and General Services De-partment, Montpelier schools, the Montpe-lier Business Association and residents. There would be a council member as liaison and two at-large members. Fraser agreed to draft a charge for the newly establish parking com-mittee. The VSEA has a March 12 parking conference open to all stakeholders. (Please go to page 26 for details.)

Additional City Council CommentsGuerlain asked for an update on the dis-

trict heating project in an upcoming City Council meeting. He also asked the council whether or not the city ought to continue to own land around Berlin Pond if the city was unable to maintain control of that land. Watson said that a coalition of energy groups, including Green Mountain Power, IBM and the Vermont Energy Investment Corpora-tion, is working with Montpelier’s Energy Advisory Committee to help the city reach its energy goals.

Weiss expressed disappointment about a recent letter of the city manager’s that ap-peared in the Times Argus concerning negoti-ations over selling “excess Montpelier water” to the town of Berlin. Weiss felt that the city manager was making statements on behalf of the council and that these statements should have first been cleared with the council. Hol-lar said he supported the city manager’s letter and stated that Montpelier’s offer to the town of Berlin “was a genuine offer.” He described the city’s attitude toward Berlin as “yes, we want to work with you.” He said the water-rate offer to Berlin was not an unreasonable price and that the city was open to a counter-offer from Berlin.

City Council Appoints Parking Committee, Awards $80,000 for Housing at February 13 Meeting

by Ivan Shadis

The City of Montpelier Parks Commis-sion convened Tuesday, February 19, the night before The Bridge went to

press, to hold a public review of the recently conducted dog survey.

The 100-plus citizens who arrived at city hall were divided into two groups. In the majority were dog owners who had enjoyed the liberty and freedom the park’s existing

policy had afforded their pets and came with appreciation and a willingness to find resolu-tions. In the minority were parents, skiers, birdwatchers and owners of land abutting the park who had come to feel threatened and even marginalized.

First to speak for minimal change in policy was Representative Warren Kitzmiller, here representing his 115-pound Burmese moun-tain dog who “lived for the joy of running with other dogs in Hubbard Park.” On the

other side, Dave Pelletier of Terrace Street spoke of “the unnerving situation of carrying a young child” in the park, with unleashed dogs likely to come bounding up.”

At the meeting’s end, the commission moved to create three volunteer committees: (1) a group to review the canine code of con-duct, (2) a dog-walkers’ culture committee and (3) a group of volunteers to clear feces from the trails.

Parks Commission Appoints Committees to Review Dog Policy


by Nat Frothingham

Montpelier resident Sarah Hoffmeier is cochair, along with John Snell, of the Montpelier Tree Board. In

the following question-and-answer exchange with The Bridge, Hoffmeier discusses how she first got involved with the Tree Board, then goes on to describe what the Tree Board is, what it does and some of the successes of what she feels is a very “cool” local organiza-tion.

Please tell us about your first experience with the Montpelier Tree Board.

When I first moved to Montpelier four years ago, I wanted to get involved in the community and was interested in what the Tree Board was doing. After attending one meeting, I knew it was the group for me. The members were so welcoming, and what they were doing for the city was something I wanted to be a part of. I volunteered for a year, and then there was an opening, so I asked if I could join. I was appointed to the board three years ago. John Snell and I are the current cochairs.

What is the Tree Board?It’s a volunteer group that was first cre-

ated by the city in 1993 to protect the public

health and welfare by improving and preserv-ing the beauty of the city as it relates to street trees and park trees. The board organizes tree plantings, free educational workshops and the maintenance of trees among other com-munity projects.

The Tree Board serves an important role, especially for the downtown. Many people are unaware of the amount of work needed to keep the downtown trees healthy—or even just alive! Most street trees struggle to survive with limited soil and water, while contending with extreme heat, sidewalk salt and vandal-ism. The downtown trees take many hours of maintenance each year—pruning, watering, composting, mulching and grate and guard repairs.

Someone we couldn’t operate without is Geoff Beyer. He’s the city tree warden and sits on the Tree Board. And he’s also a pres-ence on the Conservation Commission.

Geoff ’s been fantastic. He is definitely our liaison with the Public Works Department, which does everything from sidewalk plow-ing to helping us with many heavy equipment issues. Geoff, his crew and his AmeriCorps volunteers provide us with manpower for many of our maintenance and pruning work days. Geoff has also led the effort in getting Montpelier High School students to build wooden tree guards, which protect the down-town trees. Geoff organized the plan and

taught them how to do it. It’s great to have the next generation invested in the city.

How do you get on the Tree Board?City Council appoints the Tree Board

members. Everyone on the Tree Board has a three-year term and can then get reap-pointed. We have official meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Room in city hall. All meetings are open to the public. That’s when we brain-storm and tackle any tree-related problems.

I understand you have a tree nursery. Tell me about that.

The tree nursery was created by longtime state forester and [Vermont Department of] Forest, Parks and Recreation official and board member Norm Hudson. It’s located at North Branch Nature Center just behind the community garden. We have approximately 90 trees that are available for us to plant around the city as needed. Some of these are used to replace existing trees that have died or are in decline, and some are part of our initiative to plant more trees in our “urban forest.” We’ve also had several workshops at the nursery to teach people about planting, pruning, transplanting.

Why do trees fail?Many reasons. The main reason down-

town trees fail is that the tree wells are limited. Most tree wells measure three feet by three feet. That’s just six to nine cubic feet of soil, and the quality of the soil, given that most of it is not native, varies widely and is often quite poor. The trees need to be watered frequently: spring, summer and fall. We have a dedicated watering crew—Abby Colihan, Jennifer and Lauren Grant, Carole Naquin, John Snell, myself and John Van Deren all volunteer their time to water trees two or three times a week during dry spells. We couldn’t do it without them!

Salt is an issue as well. We know it’s im-portant to keep the sidewalks safe for people in the winter, but the salt used isn’t very healthy for the trees. Every spring each tree should have the top two or three inches of soil removed and replaced to eliminate all salt residue from the tree wells. It’s a big task, so we don’t always accomplish this.

Another problem, particularly on the south side of State Street, is shade. The trees along this stretch don’t get enough sun. It’s hard to find trees that like shade and also do well as street trees.

Pests and diseases can be problems too. Take for example the emerald ash borer. It’s on the way and will affect our beautiful large green ash trees. Last summer we marked all the ash with purple ribbon and signs to make clear how vulnerable we are to their loss. The

Tree? Board? What’s Up?Planting and Saving Downtown Montpelier Trees

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The Mountaineers’ Baseball Camps will be held at the Montpelier Recre-ation Field and will be run by the Mountaineers’ coaching staff and play-ers. Campers will receive general baseball instruction in all aspects of the game. In addition to camp instruction, every camper will receive two game tickets, a team yearbook and a Mountaineers t-shirt. The campers will also take the fi eld with the Mountaineers prior to a home game.

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borer is not here yet but could be soon. Finally, a few other things that contribute

to trees failing are vandalism, accidents and dogs. People staple signs onto trees, carve into their bark or think it’s cool to hang from a tree that can’t support that kind of weight. Lots of little damages add up. Dogs urinat-ing on trees can cause problems too. With such limited soil, trees can be affected by the amount of phosphorus found in urine. It’s definitely not adding to the health of the tree to have dogs peeing on them.

You think it’s cool to be on the Tree Board?

It is cool to be on the Tree Board! The board is made up of friendly wonderful Montpelierites. Many people have served on the Tree Board for a long, long time. It’s a great group to be a part of. We get things done by working together. We have people volunteering who range in age from 7 to 87. Over the past year, Tree Board volunteers gave more than 1,500 hours of service. And we had fun doing it. Look at the tremendous value and cost savings to the city. People love living here. They love trees.

Tell me about your Tree Board T-shirt.

The design was created by Tree Board member Carol Naquin. She’s a graphic de-signer. She designed the logo. It says “Mont-pelier Tree Board: Taking Root in Mont-pelier.” Volunteers earn a T-shirt once they do 10 hours of service. We have white shirts with a green logo or dark green shirts with a

white logo.We welcome anyone interested to come to

a meeting to find out more. If you can’t make it to a meeting, just e-mail or phone John Snell or me. Our contact information is on the city of Montpelier’s website: montpelier-vt.org/group/67/tree-board.html. Or you can just Google “Tree Board Montpelier Ver-mont,” the Tree Board web page will come right up.

Anything else?Yes, I want readers to know that the city

of Montpelier has held the Tree City USA award for the past 10 years. It’s great.

Also, the city of Montpelier was recently recognized by the Vermont Urban and Com-munity Forestry Council for the Community Tree Stewards Award. We had a reception at the State House with Deb Markowitz, sec-retary of the Agency of Natural Resources, along with the other winners in other cat-egories. It’s a real honor that we’ve been recognized for our work.

Many people who live in Montpelier love our trees. But they may know nothing about the Tree Board. We are available to anyone in town who wants advice on trees and would be happy to meet with people to talk about tree species or tree placement and maintenance. Over the years, we’ve seen so many examples of the wrong tree planted in the wrong place or a good tree poorly maintained. We want to help folks get it right. We realize the im-portance of educating the public to keep our trees healthy for many years to come.


by Max Shenk

On Saturday, February 23 at 7 p.m., Kellogg-Hubbard Library is pre-senting Cabin Fever Winter Spell-

ing Bee, featuring 21 Vermont authors and poets who are hoping, if not to win, to at least avoid embarrassment and humiliation at the hands of their peers.

Spelling bees seem to stir up memories that many writers would rather forget. A few of the participants in Saturday’s event won spelling bees at one time or another, but they hardly sounded triumphant.

Rowan Jacobsen, author of Shadows on the Gulf, backed into a sixth-grade spelling bee victory on the word nigh.

“I’d never heard the word in my life,” Ja-cobsen said, “but the other finalist tried N-Y-E and was wrong, so I took a stab at N-I-G-H and won.”

Poet Jody Gladding, an instructor at Ver-mont College, never competed in a spelling bee “but throughout grade school we had weekly spelling tests. In fifth grade, if you got 100 on all the spelling tests all year, you won a prize, and I cheated on the last spelling test because I really wanted to win.”

“And the word I cheated on was honor,” Gladding added. “So I guess things can only go up from there.”

A few of the participants are spelling bee rookies. Novelist Thomas Christopher Greene says he’s “never been in a spelling bee that I know of,” and therefore has never won a spelling bee (“and I’m not anticipating that changing”), and, when asked if he had any spelling bee horror stories, replied, “Talk to me after Saturday.”

Author and journalist David Dobbs said that he hasn’t lost a spelling bee yet.

“I’ve never compeeted before,” he wrote.

“I’m undefeeted.”Does Dobbs expect to win Saturday’s

event? “Stay tooned.”Certain words repeatedly send the contes-

tants to the dictionary. Gladding and David Goodman both said that they habitually misspell misspell, while Leda Schubert said vacuum gives her problems.

“One c, two u’s,” she asserted hesitantly.“People often accuse me of misspelling

my first name,” poet Geof Hewitt said, “but I have greatest trouble with eleemosynary, which I have to look up every time I want to write it.” There were three times that Hewitt couldn’t look it up: when he was given the word in spelling bees in fifth, seventh and eighth grades.

“Trouble is,” Hewitt asked, “how do you find a word you don’t know how to spell?”

Food columnist Marialisa Calta listed accommodate, renovate, occurrence, occasion-

ally, judgment and privilege as her “problem words.”

“In fact,” she e-mailed The Bridge, “as I was typing these, spellcheck alerted me to the fact that I misspelled three of them.”

Calta added that she considers spell-check “to be the work of the devil. Whatever spell-ing chops I had have gone downhill because I no longer have to remember that renovate has one n, nor do I have to look it up, which might help me remember the next time. And how do you spell spell-check? One word or two?”

Novelist R. A. Harold said that, as a na-tive Scot who grew up with British spelling, she’s “prone to misspelling (or properly spell-ing, depending on your perspective!) words that are spelled differently between British and American English, like jewellery versus jewelry.”

Harold also said that the “i before e” rule confuses her, as it did Burr Morse (“How about diesel ? Should be deisel ”) and Gladding (“Weird ? Wierd ?”).

The participants said that they’re looking forward to Saturday’s showdown, for a lot of reasons.

“It should be highly competitive because a lot of us know each other,” said Schubert. “I’m going to have a lot of fun. I’ll be the wisecracker in the corner. I hope I’m not eliminated early, but I suppose I can keep making wisecracks after I’m eliminated.”

“I love the idea of a writers’ spelling bee,” said novelist David Carkeet. “Let’s face it: writers are showoffs and egomaniacs, and what swifter way to bring them down than this event?”

The Cabin Fever Spelling Bee takes place at Kellogg-Hubbard Library on Saturday night, February 23, at 7 p.m. There will also be a si-lent auction of books by the participants. Tickets for the event are $10 and proceeds benefit the library.

We asked the KHL spelling bee contestants for their spelling bee memories and tales of victory (or defeat). Writer David Goodman replied as follows:

I was a finalist in my elementary school spelling bee in sixth grade. We were all on the stage in the school cafeteria. I had out-lasted numerous other spelling bee contestants, and my moment of glory was near. I could feel it. Taste it. The brass ring was going to fit perfectly on my finger. My foul shot may have been unreliable, my baseball hitting questionable and my football receiving talents were dubious. But I could spell like nobody’s business. It was down to me and Rita Caprino. She was a big, mouthy girl with a voice that sounded like a metal file pulling across a dull chain saw. And then came the moment of truth, the moment I was going to demol-ish Rita Caprino’s dreams of glory and silence her ever-flapping mouth for good . . .

Which word did you win (or lose) with?

Cylinder. Which I coolly and confidently spelled: C-Y-L-I-N-D-A-R.

The moderator, Mr. Romanski, said, “I’m sorry, that’s incorrect, David. Rita, please spell cylinder.”

I sank down in my folding metal chair. Now I could only hope . . . that Rita Caprino would have a brain cramp. That she, for the

first time in her oh-so-annoying life, would be at a loss for words. The prospect of her screwing up was now the only thing separating me from the rest of the hoi polloi who were my classmates.

Rita Caprino stood tall, her shoulders back, her chin jutting forward. A broad gap-tooth smile spread across her face. She was going in for the kill and savoring the moment. She threw me a cruel sideways glance and took her sweet time.

“C-Y-L-I-N-D-E-R,” she bellowed triumphantly. I sank down in my chair. Each letter echoed off the tile floor and ricocheted right at me, striking me like a hail of darts.

“Boys and girls,” declared Mr. Romanski, our bald principal whose head suddenly seemed to be blindingly shiny, “please give a round of applause for the new sixth-grade spelling champion, Rita Caprino!” I shrank off the stage, my head hanging in a state of shock and despair.

Back in my sixth-grade classroom, Rita Caprino made a point of waltzing right by my desk.

“What kind of idiot doesn’t know how to spell cylinder?!” she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. My fingers curled in a tight fist but somehow I resisted the urge to even the score right then and there.

Besides that, I don’t really remember much about my spelling bees.

From Total Triumph to Withering HumiliationVermont Writers to Engage in War of Words at Library Spelling Bee

David Goodman’s Tale of Defeat


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by Jeremy Lesniak

We have a saying at Vermont Com-puting: “It’s always a communica-tion problem.” With over 10 years

in the driver’s seat of a tech firm, I’ve found that communication issues are the root of most problems. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an internal (staff, human resources) or ex-ternal (customer, vendor) problem, it nearly always comes down to someone’s commu-nication failure. Communication involves both the sender and receiver—and there’s a responsibility on both ends. Effective man-agement is primarily about effective com-munication.

Technology can be used for many things, but it can’t be used for hands-off manage-ment. While some may dream of managing from their e-mail, that’s not going to happen, at least, not with any sort of effectiveness. Technology can be used to make manage-ment easier and more comprehensive. Even if you don’t operate a business or manage people, these tools and tips can greatly im-prove your communication with friends and family.

Shared Online Storage: There are doz-ens of products that synchronize, back up and share your information. Dropbox is the leader, but there are alternatives. Having a central folder for your team to work in is invaluable. We use Dropbox at anewdomain.net quite often to organize our workflow. It’s also the preferred method at Vermont Computing for sharing, storing, organizing and backing up documents.

Shared Online Documents: Whether it’s Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365 or something else, having your team’s docu-ments online is beneficial. I share a lot of spreadsheets—giving full access to those

that need to change the data and read-only access to those that simply need to view. This method keeps everyone informed with-out risking corruption from an overzealous editor. Better still, everyone knows what’s going on without sending (even more) e-mail. I’m also a fan of using shared spread-sheets as task lists.

Internal Website: Having a place to list information is vital. It might be Microsoft’s SharePoint or an alternative. Again, you could e-mail this sort of stuff to your team, but that requires them to manage the infor-mation. You might benefit from a team cal-endar or links to new policies or procedures. This is usually best as some sort of website. You could code something yourself if you wanted, serving it up on a local web server or even host it publicly and protect it with a password. Lots of options, but the key is to figure out what sort of information you need to post, how often it will change and who needs to read and change it.

Communicate Adequately: We live in an era of rapid, often overly efficient, com-munication. E-mail, texts and tweets are great, but they may leave the need for in-terpretation. Communication is a two-way street, and it’s up to you to be sure that your audience receives your communications as you intend them. That’s why voice calls, or better yet, video calls should be used when you can’t sit down with someone in person. It is far less likely that a staff member will misunderstand, forget or ignore your re-quests when you deliver them over a Skype video call instead of via e-mail. E-mails are too easy to miss (sometimes intentionally). Don’t forget all of that nuance that you can pick up from someone’s voice or facial expressions—nuance that may help you an-ticipate and avoid a problem.

Set Expectations: The key to effective management is communicating your ex-pectations to your staff, making sure they understand and buy into them and holding them accountable. Technical solutions, like those above, can be effective at each stage, but they’re not the only way. There are situa-tions where a phone call or face-to-face com-munication are better. Don’t allow yourself to hide behind technology, as that’s only going to cause unrest in your group.

Jeremy Lesniak founded Vermont Comput-ing (vermontcomputing.com) in 2001 after graduating from Clark University and opened a store on Merchants Row (Randolph) in May of 2003. He also serves as managing editor for anewdomain.net. He resides in Moretown.

Management Through Technology

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VERMONT

AIDSAwareness Dayat the State HouseFriday, February 22, 2013

Visit us at the Card Room for AIDS ribbons and chocolates!

by Joyce Kahn

If your visual senses are crying out, deprived by the stark landscape of a winter that seems to relentlessly drag on and on, they will thank you for feeding them when you visit John

Snell’s exhibit of 31 photographs at the Central Vermont Medical Center Art Gallery, for it is a feast of color, design and pattern and primarily a celebration of the natural world. In the show, Still Learning to See, Snell pays homage to the artist’s unending jour-ney to find the striking in the assemblage of color and the variety of pattern and texture in the natural and man-made world.

But it is with an artist’s eye that Snell hones in on his subject, making compositions that are dramatic and engaging, and that invite the viewer to look more closely at what intrigued him. Snell has traveled the world extensively, and many of his photographs capture precious moments in time from these travels. But whether the photo is an aerial image of farm fields near Oklahoma City or a close-up view of a tulip petal, Snell’s vision is one of an artist who appreciates the diversity in nature, or, as Snell says, “the astonish-ing variety of life forms in our world.”

This photographic exhibit is not for artists only. It is not one for which you need earphones and a running commentary to understand and access the artist’s intent. Look on the wall at each end of the exhibit for the two-page handout Snell has thought-fully assembled for the viewer. This is an inventory of many of the photos, identified by a colored thumbnail accompanied by one or two lines of explanation. While no explanations are needed to enjoy the photographs, Snell’s comments inform the viewer of where and why he took each photo and also introduce you to his poetic sensibility.

Snell has an obvious love of color. Entering the exhibit, my eye was im-mediately drawn to Sassafras and Blue Sky. The boldness of the large yellow flower against the expanse of blue sky made me smile. The feeling I had was akin to walking into a greenhouse in the dead of winter. We in Vermont get so acclimatized to the lack of color for so many months, that a burst of color is like an assault on the senses, albeit a pleasant one. The pleasure to be derived from color is evident in Fall Color Re-flections #1 and #2, which he describes as “Another way to see Fall in Vermont: reflected by the water in a small stream.” Another bold piece is the amazing sun-set of mammatus clouds photographed in front of Snell’s house. Here again, the artist made use of the complementary orange and purple colors to freeze this beautiful image in time.

Finding the extraordinary in the or-dinary is another hallmark of this artist. Why does an artist shoot photographs or paint or sculpt or write? There is, to be sure, an inner compulsion and satisfaction, but along with that goes the desire to share that with others, to express something that moved him or her. New Ice and Leaves of Grass is one such piece, where Snell’s close-up of new ice in shades of gray offset by

one yellow-brown blade of grass invites the viewer to look more closely, as he does. Snell’s description: “When new ice forms, it seems to come from an-other planet,” invited me into his world, as did Red Oak Leaves and New Snow: “New snow changes the world, making Red Oak leaves seem to be dancers or sculpture.” Snell’s succinct descriptions show his talent for writing as well as photography.

Interesting patterns, whether made by shadows or reflections, abound in these compelling photographic images.

In Tate Modern Shadows, taken at the Tate Modern Museum in London, small black figures poised on large white stripes, which alternate vertically with black ones, reminded me of a play in which the curtain had just lifted and the performers were in place, ready to dance. When I stopped and looked closely, I realized that these small figures are people, and the drama created is due to sunlight streaming through the windows. In Amsterdam Reflec-tions, the buildings and sky reflected in a canal reminded me of a beautiful mosaic. Salt #2, an aerial view of San Francisco’s salt ponds reminded me of a Mondrian painting because of its bold and colorful geometric pattern.

It is worth a trip to the hospital to see John Snell’s exhibit, now through March 15. Each photo is a gem, which the photographer captured and has graciously invited us to share.

Still Learning to See: John Snell Photo Exhibit

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Life is Sweet.

by Joyce Kahn

If your visual senses are crying out, deprived by the stark landscape of a winter that seems to relentlessly drag on and on, they will thank you for feeding them when you visit John

Snell’s exhibit of 31 photographs at the Central Vermont Medical Center Art Gallery, for it is a feast of color, design and pattern and primarily a celebration of the natural world. In the show, Still Learning to See, Snell pays homage to the artist’s unending jour-ney to find the striking in the assemblage of color and the variety of pattern and texture in the natural and man-made world.

But it is with an artist’s eye that Snell hones in on his subject, making compositions that are dramatic and engaging, and that invite the viewer to look more closely at what intrigued him. Snell has traveled the world extensively, and many of his photographs capture precious moments in time from these travels. But whether the photo is an aerial image of farm fields near Oklahoma City or a close-up view of a tulip petal, Snell’s vision is one of an artist who appreciates the diversity in nature, or, as Snell says, “the astonish-ing variety of life forms in our world.”

This photographic exhibit is not for artists only. It is not one for which you need earphones and a running commentary to understand and access the artist’s intent. Look on the wall at each end of the exhibit for the two-page handout Snell has thought-fully assembled for the viewer. This is an inventory of many of the photos, identified by a colored thumbnail accompanied by one or two lines of explanation. While no explanations are needed to enjoy the photographs, Snell’s comments inform the viewer of where and why he took each photo and also introduce you to his poetic sensibility.

Snell has an obvious love of color. Entering the exhibit, my eye was im-mediately drawn to Sassafras and Blue Sky. The boldness of the large yellow flower against the expanse of blue sky made me smile. The feeling I had was akin to walking into a greenhouse in the dead of winter. We in Vermont get so acclimatized to the lack of color for so many months, that a burst of color is like an assault on the senses, albeit a pleasant one. The pleasure to be derived from color is evident in Fall Color Re-flections #1 and #2, which he describes as “Another way to see Fall in Vermont: reflected by the water in a small stream.” Another bold piece is the amazing sun-set of mammatus clouds photographed in front of Snell’s house. Here again, the artist made use of the complementary orange and purple colors to freeze this beautiful image in time.

Finding the extraordinary in the or-dinary is another hallmark of this artist. Why does an artist shoot photographs or paint or sculpt or write? There is, to be sure, an inner compulsion and satisfaction, but along with that goes the desire to share that with others, to express something that moved him or her. New Ice and Leaves of Grass is one such piece, where Snell’s close-up of new ice in shades of gray offset by

one yellow-brown blade of grass invites the viewer to look more closely, as he does. Snell’s description: “When new ice forms, it seems to come from an-other planet,” invited me into his world, as did Red Oak Leaves and New Snow: “New snow changes the world, making Red Oak leaves seem to be dancers or sculpture.” Snell’s succinct descriptions show his talent for writing as well as photography.

Interesting patterns, whether made by shadows or reflections, abound in these compelling photographic images.

In Tate Modern Shadows, taken at the Tate Modern Museum in London, small black figures poised on large white stripes, which alternate vertically with black ones, reminded me of a play in which the curtain had just lifted and the performers were in place, ready to dance. When I stopped and looked closely, I realized that these small figures are people, and the drama created is due to sunlight streaming through the windows. In Amsterdam Reflec-tions, the buildings and sky reflected in a canal reminded me of a beautiful mosaic. Salt #2, an aerial view of San Francisco’s salt ponds reminded me of a Mondrian painting because of its bold and colorful geometric pattern.

It is worth a trip to the hospital to see John Snell’s exhibit, now through March 15. Each photo is a gem, which the photographer captured and has graciously invited us to share.

Still Learning to See: John Snell Photo Exhibit

Above, Tulip Petals. Below left, New Ice. Photos courtesy John Snell.


The Montpelier School Page

by Amy Tatko for the Montpelier School District

The voters of Montpelier almost al-ways pass the school budget. Last year, they approved a budget with

a 5.3 percent increase over the previous year. This year, voters’ commitment to our schools will be put even further to the test. The school board is asking for $1.2 million more than the current budget—an 8 percent increase—to fund the schools next year.

While that may seem high to some, the proposed budget nonetheless would cut hours from 15 positions and eliminate two full-time jobs. With so much at stake for our schools, students and teachers, why should the voters of Montpelier support the pro-posed school budget, and what exactly will they be getting for their money?

The ChallengesAbout half of the budget increase, or

$517,309, will cover the increase for sala-ries and benefits. The other half or so, or $528,941, is for contracted services, which includes special education, student support and the after-school program Community Connections. The challenge facing the Board of School Commissioners, the super-intendent and the three principals was how to cover the increasing costs for salaries and benefits, fund contracted services and still provide top-notch programs and services for students.

“We’re doing everything we can to dis-tribute this pain across the board,” Super-intendent Brian Ricca told the board at its January 9 meeting.

New three-year contracts are in place this year for two units of district employees. Teachers and educational support staff re-ceived a 4 percent salary increase this year. They will receive 3 percent salary increases next year and the year after, a reflection of the district’s commitment to excellence and its effort not to lose teachers to higher-pay-ing schools.

The budget also includes a 14 percent increase, or $276,120, for health insurance for all employees. This is a statewide increase for districts whose health insurance is pro-vided through Vermont Education Health Initiative, a nonprofit purchaser of insur-ance. Also, a change in the support staff ’s new contract allows them to pay for only 15 percent of their health insurance, with the school district paying for 85 percent. Until this year, support staff contributed 20 per-cent and the district paid 80 percent.

When the budget process began, the dis-trict faced an uphill battle of how to cover these costs while maintaining vital programs for students.

The CutsSome board members expressed concern

about the impact of shaving hours from jobs. An employee who works 32 hours per week, or 0.8 of a full-time position, might be reduced to 0.6 and work only 24 hours next year. The attempt to protect teachers and staff while trimming costs could backfire.

“Some of these 0.5’s will leave us,” said Sue Aldrich, chair of the school board. After extensive public support for Union Elemen-tary School’s new physical education teacher, Marie Jennings—whose position was in the initial list of cuts—Aldrich said, “I don’t want to lose this person.” The final budget preserves that position fully, a reflection of the board’s response to parents and school employees who supported Jennings.

The board wrestled with other proposed reductions, including a music teacher at Main Street Middle School and a social worker at Union. The full-time music teacher will now become part-time. The board was confident that a reallocation of the remaining music teachers would ensure quality and variety for students in all music programs. The board also added back money that would give the option to keep the social worker.

Most cuts in the final budget are a decrease in hours. Subject areas affected at the high school are math, English and social studies. At the middle school, music and foreign language will have reductions. At Union, cuts include speech pathology and a full-time

special educator. The other full-time position cut is the central office database manager.

The ProcessSchool board member Charlie Phillips

commended the principals and the super-intendent at the final budget meeting on January 16 for “what they were able to do” to preserve positions. “I have never in my three terms on the school board heard that much [public] support for individuals and for programs,” Phillips said.

The board and the administrative team also struggled with whether to cut funding for Community Connections. Until now, the after-school program has been funded by grants. The proposal for next year was to cut one of three staff positions and give the program cocurricular status, thus reducing the annual cost from $167,000 to $115,000. Several board members strongly supported Community Connections. Board member Ken Jones said the program was the best part of the day for some students and he wanted it fully funded.

Yet another board member, Steve Robinson, said that Community Connections should come under the same scrutiny as teachers and other programs. The superintendent spoke up in defense of teachers. “It’s difficult for me as the educational leader of this district to accept that [Community Connections] is the best part of a student’s day.” Ricca also said the Community Connections staff had all year to suggest ideas for restructuring when its grants ended, but that never happened.

The board decided to fund Community Connections at approximately $145,000, al-beit in the second vote for additional fund-ing. If the second vote fails, the board would need to decide whether and how to fund Community Connections and other items in the second vote, including instructional assis-tants, contracted technical services, the social worker at Union, a substance abuse preven-tion counselor at the high school and more.

The PhilosophyDuring the budget talks, some board

members spoke about how to stop being re-actionary and become more visionary. Rob-inson said the board should look at the total

amount of money that the community can support and then decide how to use it cre-atively rather than protect individuals that already teach in the district.

Members of the administrative team want to be part of a more visionary school district. “We’re ready and willing and able to be cre-ative with you,” said Owen Bradley, princi-pal at Union. His vision is for Montpelier to have the best schools in any U.S. capital and to distinguish itself with an original vision or programs, while also continuing to send graduates to top universities and colleges.

To that end, Bradley said the district must not only maintain great teachers but also find ways to eliminate mediocrity. “Yes, get the right people on the bus—but also get the wrong people off the bus,” he said. Bradley and others expressed frustration that the union contracts limit their ability to be cre-ative due to fiscal realities.

The FutureDuring the budget process, the super-

intendent asked the board its philosophy: “What are your priorities and your vision?” Although that conversation did not transpire fully, board members expressed an interest in pursuing it in the future.

“The model that we provide in the class-room needs to change,” Jones said. Montpe-lier needs to shift to a “21st-century class-room,” he said. He wants to see components of Community Connections integrated into the school day.

The superintendent is ready to turn his attention to the future and start discussions with the board now about 2014–2015. He believes this should be a time of change for Montpelier schools, and in a recent interview he talked enthusiastically about personalized education, a flexible schedule at the high school to meet a wide range of student needs and interests, and integrated, or blended, education. “Are we teaching enough critical thinking?” he wondered aloud.

His ultimate goal? “For more students to have more ‘ah-ha’ moments,” Ricca said. Right now, however, the superintendent has this message: “I assure the voters that we’ll take their money and turn it into mission-driven work that is reflected in the students.”

This page was paid for by the Montpelier Public Schools.

Voters Will Be Put to the Test for Schools

“The importance of what a student internalizes in terms of their climate is hard to measure, but it’s powerful.”

—Adam Bunting, principal of Montpelier High School

The major projects, by school:

Union Elementary SchoolHeating renovations and district heat

connection: $910,076New roof: $276,776

Renovate student bathrooms (partial): $99,316

Main Street Middle SchoolNew roof on original building: $168,232Renovate student bathrooms (partial):

$65,987

Montpelier High SchoolReplace athletic field bleachers: $100,888Renovate student restrooms (partial):

$90,762New roof on gymnasium: $84,000

Montpelier School District Proposed Budget for 2013–2014

General Fund Budget $16,597,784 Second Vote $389,132Total increase $1,261,976 (an 8 percent increase over the current budget)

What is the two-vote requirement?State law requires school districts to present voters with two separate ballot items if

spending per student in the current fiscal year is higher than the state average and the proposed budget for next year is greater than the current year’s budget when adjusted for inflation. Next YearThe Impact on Taxpayers This Year (proposed) Increase

Tax bill for a $100,000 house $1,311 $1,441 $130Tax bill for a $200,000 house $2,622 $2,882 $260Tax bill for a $300,000 house $3,933 $4,323 $390

What if the school board did not raise taxes next year?• 14 full-time positions eliminated• larger classes• fewer courses offered at the middle school and high school• less differentiation for students (opportunities to work at their own level)• further straying from the district’s mission: “Students will be capable, motivated

contributors to their local, national, and world communities.”

Capital Improvement Bond for Fiscal Year 2013–2014

Total = $2,300,000

Marie Jennings, physical education teacher at Union Elementary School. Photo by Jeffrey Jarrad.


Upcoming EventsFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22Foot Clinic. With Courtney Tabor, nurse at Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice. Additionally, Chloe Budnick from On-ion River Exchange will be in the front lobby to talk with people about local time-banking programs. 9 a.m.–noon. Montpelier Se-nior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street. $15. 223-2518. Call 223-2518 to schedule a 15-minute appointment.SymphonyKids: Galactic Brass. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s Fanfare Brass Trio play a variety of musical styles for local kids and demonstrate how their instruments produce sound and how each one has changed since its beginnings. 9 a.m. Doty Memorial School, Worcester; 10:30 a.m. Rumney School, Middlesex; 2 p.m. East Montpelier Elementary School. Eleanor, 800-876-9293, ext. 14, or [email protected] in from the Cold: How Turtles Survive in Winter. What do turtles do in the winter? Find out this and more with Sandal Cate, educator at the North Branch Nature Cen-ter, who will bring in live turtles, read a story and lead turtle crafts. For kids age 3–6. 10–11 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free, but registration required:244-7036.Create a Vision Board. With Marianne Mullen, life-em-powerment coach. Create a fun and creative tool to focus your intentions and maximize your motivation. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $7 co-op mem-ber-owners, $10 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] and Author Night. Art opening of Emily Johansen’s work, followed by a reading with author Baron Wormser. Refreshments served. 6 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marshfield. Free. 426-3581 or [email protected] School Showcase of the Arts. Performances from Pacem’s Shakespeare workshop, fine art and musical talent from students and dessert. 6–8 p.m. College Hall chapel, 36 College Street, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier. 223-1010.Full Moon Snowshoe Hike. Explore Montpelier’s hillsides by lunar light with nature center staff and learn how wildlife survives the long nights of winter. Snowshoes and hot chocolate provided. 7–8:30 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm Street, Montpe-lier. $5 members, $10 nonmembers. 229-6206.Session Americana with Pat Hull. The Boston-based folk-rock band plays from their newest album, Love and Dirt, a playfully irreverent take on roots music with an edgy experimental side. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Haybarn Theater, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. $15 in advance, $20 day of show. 595-2233 or goddard.edu/session-americana. Presented by God-dard College and WGDR.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23Snowshoe with the Montpelier Section of the Green Mountain Club. Difficult trek to the Mount Mansfield Chin via the Long Trail and Taft Lodge. Crampons necessary. Contact leader Paul DeLuca, 476-7987 or [email protected], for meeting time and place.

Maple Onion 15K Freestyle Race. A challenging, scenic ski through maple-filled woods and open meadows. Prizes for overall winners, plus additional raffle prizes. Benefits the Onion River Nordic Junior Ski programs. 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. race start. Morse Farm Ski Touring Center, Montpelier. $15 in advance, $20 day of race; $5 juniors (under 18). Matt, 229-9409 or [email protected] Vermont Humane Society Birthday Party. Join adoptable pets for family fun to celebrate the shelter’s third year in East Montpelier. Free raffles, birthday cake, face painting and more. Bring gifts for the animals. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 1589 Route 14, East Montpelier. Free. 476-3811 or [email protected]’s First. Art activities for youth age 7–10. 1–2:30 p.m. Studio Place Arts, 201 North Main Street, Barre. Free, but registration required by Friday, February 22: 479-7069.Theater Master Class: The Innate Comedian. Tom Murphy leads an introduction to character development and dis-covering what is naturally funny about ourselves. Hands-on work-shop requiring physicalization of ideas and some gentle acrobatics for the average person. For ages 13 and up. 2–4 p.m. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. $35. Register at 229-0492 or lostnationtheater.org.English and Scottish Country Dance Party. Music by the Turning Stile (Joanne Garton and Aaron Marcus), calling by Val Medve and Martha Kent. Potluck supper follows. No partner or experience necessary; all dances taught. Bring clean shoes. 2–5 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northfield Street), Berlin. $10. Martha, 879-7618 or [email protected], or Val, 899-2378 or [email protected] Showing: Tipping Point. Documentary about Canadian tar sands. 4–6 p.m. Community room, Montpelier Housing Author-ity, 155 Main Street. Free.Dinner and Duets. Chefs’ specialities supper, followed by a concert featuring Arthur Zorn with special guests Diane Huling, Celina Moore, Linda Radtke, Judy Cookson, Skip Potter, Nora Zablow and Dan Liptak. Benefits Bethany Church’s sister parish in El Salvador. 6 p.m. dinner; 7 p.m. concert. Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier. Dinner: $10, $5 children under 12; concert by donation.Theresa, 229-0415.Cabin Fever Spelling Bee and Silent Auction. Twenty-one local celebrity authors and poets compete in the classic linguis-tic challenge, hosted by Sydney Lea, Vermont’s poet laureate. Silent auction of books authored by the participants. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hub-bard Library,135 Main Street, Montpelier. $10; benefits the library. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org.So Sayeth. Susie Smolen presents a one-woman show of labor songs written between 1897 and 1983, bringing the voices of mill workers, coal miners, union busters and more to life in a blend of storytelling and skilled musicianship. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Upper Gallery, 71–73 Main Street, Randolph. $10 suggested donation.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24Snowshoe with the Montpelier Section of the Green Mountain Club. Moderate climb to Montclair Glen Lodge from the Couching Lion parking lot in Duxbury. About 5 miles round-trip. Meet at Montpelier High School. Contact leader Michael Chernick, 249-0520 or [email protected], for meeting time.Energy Medicine Yoga Workshop. Yoga and energy medicine woven together in a dynamic practice. Boost vitality and

stamina, strengthen your immune system and change habit pat-terns. 1–4 pm. Geezum Crow Yoga, 37 Elm Street, Montpelier. $40. 485-4433 or lkwalker.com/schedule.Astrology Workshop: Chiron and His Foster Parents. 2–5 p.m. Mazahra Arts, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. $45. Mary Anna, 272-0827 or [email protected]. mazahra.com.Square Dance. Will Mentor calls squares both old and new to tunes by Pete Sutherland and Jim Burns. No experience needed. Potluck follows. No partner or experience necessary; all dances taught. Bring clean shoes. 3–6 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northfield Street), Berlin. $8. Merry, 225-8921.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25Build Your Money Muscles Workshop: Build Your Credit. 10–11:30 a.m. Micro Business Development Program of Central Vermont Community Action, 195 Route 302, Berlin. Free, but registration required: contact Margaret, 477-5214, 800-843-8397 or [email protected]. Workshop repeats March 11.Todd Lecture Series: The Impact of Scientific and Technological Changes. Talk by Jeremy Rifkin, bestselling author, on the impact of science and tech changes on our lives. 7 p.m. Plumley Armory, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield. Free. 485-2633.Adult Book Group. February’s book is The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Copies of the book available at the library. New mem-bers welcome. 7–8 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield. 426-3581 or [email protected]. Event happens every fourth Monday.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26Medicare and You. New to Medicare? Have questions? We have answers. 3–4:30 p.m. Central Vermont Council on Aging, 59 North Main Street, Suite 200, Barre. Free. Register at 479-0531. Event happens every second and fourth Tuesday.Vermont Women’s Business Center Wisdom Circle. A lightly structured networking and mentoring opportunity for women in business to learn and share with each other in their busi-ness ventures. 4–6 p.m. Quarry Grill and Tavern, 210 North Main Street, Barre. Free. Register at 479-9813 or [email protected]. vwbc.org.Five Common Barriers to Healing. With Alicia Feltus, nutritionist at Cedar Wood Natural Health Center. Learn how Nutrition Response Testing can detect toxicities, immune imbal-ances, food sensitivities and scar tissues that may be blocking you from healing. 5:30–6:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop commu-nity room, Montpelier. Free. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27The Artwork of the Talented Hopkins Family. Jac-queline Calder, curator at the Vermont Historical Society, gives an illustrated presentation on the artistic talents of John Henry Hopkins Sr., the first Episcopal bishop of Vermont. Light lunch served. Noon–1 p.m. Sullivan Museum & History Center, Norwich University, Northfield. Free. 485-2183 or norwich.edu/museum.

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 18

TheaterVATTA AUDITIONSVermont Association of Theatres and Theatre Artists holds auditions and interviews for theatrical performers and personnel in design and construction, technical stage and house management, choreography and education. Saturday, March 2. Chandler Music Hall, 71–73 Main Street, Randolph. Contact [email protected] to schedule an audition.

WINTERFEST 2013: LAUGH ’TIL YOU DIEComedy and clowning by Tom Murphy (below). Final weekend of four shows over four weeks. 7:30 p.m. Thurs-day–Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through February 24. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. $20 adults, $15 students/seniors, $10 children age 6–11. Not all shows suitable for children; please check with theater before purchasing tickets. Infants and toddlers not admitted; children under 6 admitted at discretion of theater. Tickets at 229-0492 or lostnationtheater.

Live MusicBAGITOS28 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows 6–8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 229-9212 or bagitos.com.Every WednesdayBlues jam with the Usual Suspects and friendsEvery SaturdayIrish/Celtic session, 2–5 p.m.Friday, February 22Sustainable Ice ProjectSaturday, February 23David Kraus and John LaRouche (Latin jazz and beyond)Sunday, February 24Brunch with the Julian Chobot Trio, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Thursday, February 28Good To Go (bluegrass/folk)Friday, March 1Rebecca PadulaSaturday, March 2ZephyrSunday, March 3Brunch with David Kraus and John LaRouche (Latin jazz and beyond), 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesday, March 5Smooth Jazz Thursday, March 7Colin McCaffrey and Katie Trautz

CHARLIE O’S70 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-6820. Every MondayTriviaEvery TuesdayKaraokeEvery SaturdayAll-request dance party with Blue MoonFriday, February 22Stereofidelics (rock)Wednesday, February 27Jesse Gile and Wes Hamilton (rock)

CIDER HOUSE RESTAURANTRoute 2, Waterbury. 244-8400.Every Saturday through March 2Dan Boomhower (piano), 6 p.m.–close

NUTTY STEPH’S CHOCOLATERIERoute 2, Middlesex. 229-2090 or nuttystephs.com.Every ThursdayBacon Thursday, live music and hot con-versation, 6 p.m.–midnight

POSITIVE PIE 222 State Street, Montpelier. 229-0453 or positivepie.com.Saturday, February 23The WonderMics (univer-soul hip-hop), 10:30 p.m.Friday, March 1First Friday dance party with DJ Bay 6 and DJ Jah B (techno/hip-hop/R&B/funk/reggae/dubstep), 10 p.m., 21+, no coverSaturday, March 2Flowting Bridge (rock/blues/funk/jazz/bluegrass), 10 p.m., 21+, $5

RED HEN BAKERY & CAFÉRoute 2, Middlesex. redhenbaking.com.Saturday, February 23Mint Julep, 1–3 p.m.Sunday, March 3Mark LeGrand, 1–3 p.m.

SKINNY PANCAKE89 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 262-2253 or skinnypancake.com.Every SundayOld-time sessions with Katie Trautz and friends, 4–6 p.m. (intermediate to advanced players welcome to sit in)Sunday, February 24Lily Henley (Appalachian)Thursday, February 28Jay Ekis (Americana)Sunday, March 3Mind The Gap (folk/blues)

THE WHAMMY BARMaple Corner Café, 31 West County Road, Calais. All events free unless otherwise noted. 229-4329.Every TuesdayTrivia night, 6:30 p.m.Every WednesdayOpen mic, 6:30 p.m.

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School Vacation Adventures: Art of the Civil War. Kids age 6–12 explore paintings, photographs and drawings cre-ated by Vermont artists to document the Civil War. Crafts, games, snack and a visit to the museum’s Freedom and Unity exhibit. 1–4 p.m. Vermont History Museum, 109 State Street, Montpelier. $8 per child, $6 per child for VHS members or families with three or more participating children. Preregistration required: 828-1413 or [email protected]. vermonthistory.org/vacation. Threats to the Vermont Forest: Pesky, Petite and Powerful Pests. Presented by forester Barbara Burns. Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 1:30 p.m.; doors open at 12:30 for brown-bag lunch. Aldrich Public Library, Barre. $5 suggested donation. 223-1736 or [email protected]. Series continues every Wednesday through May 8.Sociodrama: Healing Society Through Creative Ac-tion. With Herb Propper. Explore common concerns and issues through spontaneous group role playing, using creative imagina-tion to open perspectives, bridge conflicts and move toward more unified understanding. 5:30–7:15 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] Love Barre Workshop Series: Tarot as a Life Tool. With Sheri Glebus. Learn about the deck structure and basic card meanings, as well as simple spreads to use for insight and guidance. Sponsored by Onion River Exchange. 6–8 p.m. Barre Recre-ation Department. $5 plus time credits for Onion River Exchange members, $10–15 donation for nonmembers. Register at 552-3020 or [email protected]. Next workshop February 28.Vermont Right to Know GMOs Forum. Public fo-rum on state legislation to label genetically engineered foods. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. [email protected]. Sponsored by Hunger Mountain Coop.Film Discussion Series: Hilary and Jackie. The tragic story of world-renowned classic cellist Jacqueline du Pré, as told by her sister, flutist Hilary du Pré-Finzi. Nominated for two Academy Awards; directed by Anand Tucker. Discussion with library direc-tor Richard Bidnick follows. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28School Vacation Adventures: Vermont’s Natural Re-sources. Kids age 6–12 check out how rocks, trees and land have shaped Vermont’s people and culture. Crafts, games, snack and a visit to the museum’s Freedom and Unity exhibit. See Wednesday, February 27, for time, location and information.Onion River Exchange Potluck. Bring a dish and good cheer for a meal with time bank members. Bring your own plate, utensils and cup. Nonmembers welcome. 5:30 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. orexchange.org.Chinese Medicine in the Kitchen. With Joseph Rothstein, licensed acupuncturist. Learn about basic foods and household objects that can be used to keep you and your family healthy. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpe-lier. Free. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] Love Barre Workshop Series: Weatherization. With Kate Stephenson from Yestermorrow Design/Build School. Explore simple, low-cost ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home or apartment, reduce your bills and stay warm this winter.

Weatherization materials available for free to time-bank members. Sponsored by Onion River Exchange; final workshop in series. 6–7:30 p.m. Barre Recreation Department. $5 plus time credits for Onion River Exchange members, monetary donation for nonmembers. Register at 552-3020 or [email protected]. Buddhist Teaching Discussion: Unconditional Happi-ness. Four Buddhist teachers with ties to central Vermont share Buddhist perspectives on happiness in a challenging world. 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Church. 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Free; dona-tions welcome. Sponsored by The Gathering.Musica Borealis: Scots Ballads and Stories. Norman Kennedy, singer, storyteller and National Heritage Fellow, il-lustrates the interweaving of music, folklore and social customs in the Hebrides, compared with the very different culture found on the mainland and south of Scotland. Part of the Musica Borealis series: next event March 28. 7–8:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org. Cosponsored by the library, the Center for Circumpolar Studies, the Vermont Humanities Council and the Summit School of Traditional Music.The Importance of Leadership in Life, Politics and Military Affairs. Talk by Zoran Jolevski, ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the U.S. 7 p.m. Milano Ballroom, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield. Free. 485-2516. Cosponsored by Norwich University and the Vermont Council on World Affairs.Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teaching, fellowship. 7–9 p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel Drive, Barre. Free. 479-0302. Event happens every second and fourth Thursday.Green Mountain Dog Club Monthly Meeting. Learn about the club and events. All dog lovers welcome. 7:30 p.m. Commodore’s Inn, Stowe. 479-9843 or greenmountaindogclub.org. Event happens every fourth Thursday.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1Pork Loin Takeout Dinner. Take home pork loin and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, rolls, applesauce and dessert. 4–6 p.m. Waterbury Center Community Church, Route 100 (next to Cold Hollow Cider Mill). $9. Reservations required: 244-8089. Hosted by trustees of the church.Herbal Recipes to Prevent and Cure Cold and Flu. With Sage Zelkowitz, community herbalist and educator. Learn how to make a potent immunity tincture, mullein infusion and capsules to prevent colds and the flu. Take home a tincture, capsules, handouts and a sample of the infusion. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $11 co-op member-owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] Aide and Chrysalis Tour: Film Screening and CD Release Performance. Documentary by Mary Blue featuring herbalists using their passion for plants as a tool to support their communities, paired with Eli Weaver performing music from her new album, To Be Free. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Vermont Center for Integra-tive Herbalism, 250 Main Street, suite 302, Montpelier. $8–$10. 224-7100 or [email protected]. vtherbcenter.org.Eat My Art Out. Informal performance series of developing works by local choreographers, followed by audience discussion and feedback. Refreshments provided. 7 p.m. Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon Street (third floor), Montpelier. $5–$10 suggested donation.229-4676 or cdandfs.com.

Naturalist Journeys Slideshow and Lecture Series: Caterpillars—The Art of Survival. Naturalist and photog-rapher Sam Jaffe presents his photographs of and work with New England’s caterpillars, including caterpillar behavior, finding, rear-ing and photographing techniques, as well as caterpillars in edu-cational programming. 7 pm. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. By donation. North Branch Nature Center, 229-6206.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2Practicing Happiness. With Ginny Sassaman, founder of the Happiness Paradigm in Maple Corner. Discuss multiple happiness strategies and get materials to boost your sense of well-being and contentment. 10 a.m.–noon. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 co-op member-owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] Farmers’ Market. Live music by Good Old Wagon. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Gym, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier. Carolyn, 223-2958 or [email protected]. Event continues March 16, April 6 and April 27.Wild Kratts’ Animal Adventures. Watch two episodes of outdoor science-based exploring with the Kratt brothers, PBS Kids’ award-winning zoology team. 1:30 p.m. Hayes Room. Kellogg-Hub-bard Library,135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-4665 or kellog-ghubbard.org. Sponsored by Vermont Public Television.Yoga Workshop: Five Pranayamas Broken Down. Come in and breathe. Open to all levels. 6–8 p.m. Studio Zenith, 50 Main Street, Montpelier. $25. Katy, 272-8923 or fusionstudio.org.Shape-Note Sing. Ian Smiley leads tunes from The Sacred Harp. All welcome; no experience necessary. Event happens by RSVP only: please call or e-mail to confirm. 6:30–8 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. By donation. Ian, 882-8274 or [email protected]. Event happens every first and third Saturday.Film and Discussion: Tipping Point. Showing of documen-tary film, followed by discussion on the impacts of the Canadian tar sands and what a Native community is doing about it. 7–8 p.m. Media Room 207, Community Center, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program. Summit of Thieves. Closing dance concert for the 20–30 art show. Rock and roll, soulful ballads and funky dance beats. Cash bar available. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Upper Gallery, 71–73 Main Street, Randolph. $5. Tickets at 728-6464.Contra Dance. All dances taught; no partner necessary. All ages welcome. Bring shoes not worn outdoors. 8–11 p.m. Capital City

UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 17

Art & ExhibitsBIGTOWN GALLERYSmall Great Art Wall, works by BigTown Gal-lery artists. 99 North Main Street, Rochester. Through March 30. Hours: Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, noon–5 p.m. 767-9670, [email protected] or bigtowngallery .com.

CENTRAL VERMONT MEDICAL CENTERStill Learning to See, photographs by John Snell. Lobby, 130 Fisher Road, Berlin. Through March 15. cvmc.org.

CHANDLER GALLERY20–30/2D–3D, juried show of work in a variety of media by Vermont artists in their 20s and 30s. 71–73 Main Street, Randolph.

Through March 13. Hours: Friday, 3–5 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, noon–2 p.m. 431-0204 or [email protected].

CHESHIRE CATWhimsical watercolors by Sarah Rosedahl, inspired by natural surroundings; above, Moon Cranes. 28 Elm Street, Montpelier. Through Feb-ruary. 223-1981 or cheshirecatclothing.com.

CITY CENTERCabin Fever: Love It or Leave It, group show by the Art Resource Association. 89 Main Street, Montpelier. artresourceassociation.com.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE & FITNESS STUDIOSeasons of the Year, color- and light-themed acrylic paintings on board by Barbara Leber (above). 18 Langdon Street (third floor), Mont-pelier. February 25–March 30. 229-4676 or cdandfs.com.

FESTIVAL GALLERYIntertwined, a collection of innovative work from 12 of Vermont’s premiere fiber artists. 2 Village Square, Waitsfield. Through March 9. 485-9650 or vermontartfest.com.

GOVERNOR’S GALLERYEye of the Beholder, pastels by local artists Anne Unangst, Cindy Griffith and Marcia Hill comparing the same scene in their different styles. 109 State Street (fifth floor), Montpelier. Photo ID required for admission. Through March. 828-0749.

GREEN BEAN ART GALLERYGood Eats, playful food-inspired sculpture by Mary Jo Krolewski. Capitol Grounds, 27 State Street, Montpelier. Through March 2. [email protected].

KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARYBack in the Day: Artworks Old and New, work by Daniel A. Neary Jr. and Jessica Neary. 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Through February 28. 223-3338.

RIVER ARTS CENTERAbstract paintings by Stowe artist Lisa Forster Beach. 74 Pleasant Street (upstairs), Morrisville. Through March 25. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 888-1261 or riverartsvt.org.

STOREFRONT STUDIO GALLERYDrawings, paintings, sculpture and more by artist Glen Coburn Hutcheson. 6 Barre Street, Montpelier. Hours: Monday–Friday, 3–6 p.m. 839-5349 or gchfineart.com

STUDIO PLACE ARTSThinking Out of the Box, art made from card-board; Inspiration by Dennis Hedding; and Accidental Abstracts by Michael Lew-Smith. 201 North Main Street, Barre. Through February 23. Closing reception Saturday, February 23, 3:30–5 p.m. 479-7069 or studioplacearts.com.

SULLIVAN MUSEUM & HISTORY CENTERUseful and Elegant Accomplishments, landscape drawings by 19th-century Norwich University alumni and their contemporaries. Norwich University, Northfield. Through June. 485-2183 or norwich.edu/museum.

TULSI TEA ROOMShades of Pussy, delicate flowers in watercolor by Fiona Sullivan. 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. Through March 31. fionasullivan.net.

VERMONT HISTORY MUSEUMFreedom & Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories, expe-rience a full-size Abenaki wigwam, a re-creation of the Catamount Tavern, a railroad station complete with working telegraph, a World War II living room and more. 109 State Street, Mont-pelier. $5 adults, $12 families. 828-2291.

VERMONT SUPREME COURTThe Eye of Senator Leahy, Patrick Leahy’s photo-graphs of people both illustrious and ordinary from his insider’s perspective. 111 State Street (first-floor lobby), Montpelier. Through Febru-ary. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 828-0749.

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Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northfield Street), Berlin. $8. 744-6163 or capitalcitygrange.org. Event happens every first, third and fifth Saturday.Central Vermont Drag Ball. With DJ Snow Pz and The Ghost of Mattchoo. Drag performances by Ladies of the Rain-bow, the Goodwives and more. Refreshments, drinks and raffle. 8 p.m.–1 a.m. Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite Street, Barre. $10 suggested donation; benefits the Freeride Bicycle Coop. Madeline, 229-5951.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3Feldenkrais: Free Up Your Shoulders. Uwe Mester leads a series of Awareness Through Movement lessons to help reduce tension, increase sensitivity and improve comfort in your hands, arms and shoulders. 1:30–3:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center, 7 Main Street, Montpelier. $30. Register at 735-370 or [email protected] Circus Sunday. A monthly gathering of folks interested in unicycle riding, juggling and slack-lining. For all ages; beginners invited. Equipment provided; bring your bike helmet. 4:30–6 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Gym, 55 Barre Street. $2 individual, $5 fam-ily. 223-3456. Event happens every first Sunday.Film and Discussion: Mumia: Long Distance Revolu-tionary. Documentary about Mumia Abu-Jamal, imprisoned American journalist, social activist and Goddard alumnus.7–9:30 p.m. Haybarn Theater, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plain-field. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program.

MONDAY, MARCH 4Parents’ Group and Meet-Up. For central Vermont moms and dads looking to share ideas, advice and information. Kids welcome. Coffee, tea and snacks provided. 10–11:30 a.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. [email protected]. Event happens every first Monday.Creating Sustainable and Healthy Communities in a Changing Climate. Panel discussion about the impacts of climate change and what we can do to adapt and to develop sustainability with panelists from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and the Vermont Department of Health. 7–8:30 p.m. Haybarn Theater, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program. Classic Book Club. 6 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plainfield. Free. Daniel, 793-0418. Event happens every first Monday.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5Yoga and Wine. With Lori Flower from Sattva Yoga. Bring your own mat. 5–6:15 p.m.; wine bar open until 7 p.m. Fresh Tracks Farm, Route 12, Berlin. $8 yoga; wine available for purchase. freshtracksfarm.com.Women’s Circle. Women and mothers discuss all things related to the childbearing years. Women only, please; children are wel-come. Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and Hannah Allen. 6–8 p.m. Emerge Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River Street, Montpelier. Event happens every first Tuesday.

Winter Wildlife Tracking. With John Jose, environmental educator. Learn to decipher the rich narratives written by local winter-active animals in a hands-on workshop, using plaster casts of animal tracks and sand-filled trays. 6:30–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 co-op mem-ber-owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] to See and Changing Our Perspectives Through Permaculture. Yestermorrow instructor Mark Kraw-czyk explores the ethics and design principles of permaculture with a look at how they can offer us a way to reenvision and reengineer water, food, building and social systems that our modern culture relies on. 3–4:30 p.m. Media Room 207, Community Center, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program.Film and Discussion: Hide: The Lives of Migrant Farm Workers in Vermont. Documentary about the experiences of migrant farmworkers, followed by a Q&A and discussion with the filmmakers about the filmmaking process and what they learned about this issue through their experience. 7–9 p.m. Haybarn Theater, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6Informational Meeting on Vermont’s Health Ex-change. Learn about the new exchange, how it works, what it will cost and how it will affect employers and individuals going forward. 8–9 p.m. Montpelier Room, Capitol Plaza, Montpe-lier. Free. RSVP by March 5 with Lexie, 865-5000, ext. 4739, or [email protected] Awful: The Spanish Flu of 1918–1919. Presented by historian Michael Sherman. Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning

Institute. 1:30 p.m.; doors open at 12:30 for brown-bag lunch. Mont-pelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street. $5 suggested donation. 223-1736 or [email protected]. Series continues every Wednesday through May 8.Bringing Complementary and Alternative Medicine to the Mainstream. Discussion and examination of Vermont’s pioneering efforts to reform health care with Lorilee Schoenbeck, naturopathic doctor. 3–4:30 p.m. Media Room 207, Community Center, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program.Apples and Honey Family Program: Preparing for Passover. Families with children of all ages experience the joys of being Jewish. 5–6:30 p.m. Montpelier. Suggested donation $22 per family. To register or for more information, contact Tobie, 223-0583.The Heart of the Matter: Perspectives and Strategies for Working with Anxiety. With Sarah VanHoy. Learn about the taxonomy of heart shock (trauma) and anxiety from various perspectives, including brain science, anthropology and Chinese medicine, the effects of shock on the body and strategies for self-care and treatment with herbs and acu-points. 6–8 p.m. Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, 252 Main Street, Montpelier. $10 VCIH members, $12 nonmembers. Preregistration required: 244-7100 or [email protected]. vtherbcenter.org.First Wednesdays: Victoria’s Secrets. Middlebury College professor Antonia Losano explains how the Victorian era, the age of the realist novel and staid decorum, also had its guilty pleasures: mysteries, ghost stories, science fiction, imperialist adventure tales and radical fantasies of gender confusion. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghub-bard.org. A Vermont Humanities Council program sponsored by Bear Pond Books and Rivendell Books.

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 20

Support GroupsBEREAVEMENTBereavement/Grief Support Group. For anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Every other Monday, 6–8 p.m., through April 15. Every other Wednesday, 10–11:30 a.m., through April 10. Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre. Ginny or Jean, 223-1878.Bereaved Parents Support Group. Facilitated by Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH). Second Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Road, Berlin. Jeneane Lunn, 793-2376.

CANCERKindred Connections. For anyone affected by cancer. Get help from Kindred Connections members who have been in your shoes. A pro-gram of the Vermont Cancer Survivor Network. Call Sherry, 479-3223, for more information. vcsn.net.Living with Advanced or Metastatic Cancer. Second Tuesdays, noon to 1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. Lunch provided. 225-5449.Writing to Enrich Your Life. For anyone affected by cancer. Third Tuesdays, noon– 1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. 225-5449.

Cancer Support Group. Third Wednes-days, 6 p.m. Potluck. For location, call Carole MacIntyre, 229-5931.Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Group. Third Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. Conference room 2, Central Vermont Medical Center. 872-6308 or 866-466-0626 (press 3).

DISASTERHurricane Irene Support Group for Re-covery Workers. Get peer support and help processing emotions, strengthen relationships and learn coping skills. Every other Monday, 3:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. 279-4670.Hurricane Irene Support Group. Share your story, listen to others, learn coping skills, build community and support your neighbors. Refreshments provided. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Berlin Elementary School. 279-8246.

KIDSGrandparents Raising Their Children’s Children. First Wednesdays, 10 a.m.–noon, Barre Presbyterian Church, Summer Street. Second Tuesdays, 6–8 p.m., Wesley Method-ist Church, Main Street, Waterbury. Third Thursdays, 6–8 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street. Child care provided in Montpelier and Waterbury. Evelyn, 476-1480.

HEALTHBrain Injury Support Groups. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Evening group facilitated by Marsha Bancroft;

day group facilitated by Kathy Grange and Jane Hulstrunk. Evening group meets first Mondays, 5:30–7:30 p.m., DisAbility Rights of Vermont, 141 Main Street, Suite 7, Montpelier, 800-834-7890, ext. 106. Day group meets first and third Thursdays, 1:30–2:30 p.m., Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier, 244-6850.NAMI Vermont: Connection. A peer-led, recovery-oriented group for individuals living with mental illness. First and third Thursdays, 6–7:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpe-lier. 800-639-6480 or [email protected] Vermont Family Support Group. Support group for families and friends of indi-viduals living with mental illness. Fourth Mon-days, 7 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center, room 3, Berlin. 800-639-6480 or namivt.org.Celiac and Food Allergy Support Group. With Lisa Masé of Harmonized Cook-ery. Second Wednesdays, 4:30–6 p.m. Confer-ence room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. [email protected] Discussion Group. Focus on self-management. Open to anyone with diabetes and their families. Third Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. The Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don, 322-6600 or [email protected]. Diabetes Support Group. First Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. 371-4152.

RECOVERYTurning Point Center. Safe, supportive place for individuals and their families in or seeking recovery.

• Alchoholics Anonymous, Sundays, 8:30 a.m.• Making Recovery Easier workshops, Tuesdays,

6–7:30 p.m.• Wit’s End Parent Support Group, Wednes-

days, 6 p.m.• Narcotics Anonymous, Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Open daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 489 North Main Street, Barre. 479-7373.Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step pro-gram for physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming overeating. Fridays, noon–1 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-3079.

SOLIDARITY/IDENTITYWomen’s Group. Women age 40 and older explore important issues and challenges in their lives in a warm and supportive environ-ment. Faciliatated by Amy Emler-Shaffer and Julia W. Gresser. Wednesday evenings. 41 Elm Street, Montpelier. Call Julia, 262-6110, for more information.Men’s Group. Men discuss challenges of and insights about being male. Wednesdays, 6:15–8:15 p.m. 174 Elm Street, Montpelier. Interview required: contact Neil, 223-3753.National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier Chapter. First Saturdays. Lane Shops community room, 1 Mechanic Street, Mont-pelier. 229-0093.Families of Color. Open to all. Play, eat and discuss issues of adoption, race and multicultur-alism. Bring snacks and games to share; dress for the weather. Third Sundays, 3–5 p.m. Unitar-ian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Alyson, 439-6096 or [email protected].

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Erin Duffee, who will be performing as part of Eat My Art Out on Friday, March 1, in Montpelier.


THURSDAY, MARCH 7Film and Discussion: Solar Mamas. Documentary on India’s Barefoot College, training women with no formal educa-tion to bring solar-generated electricity to their villages. 3–4:30 p.m. Media Room 207, Community Center, 123 Pitkin Road, Plain-field. Free. 454-8311 or goddard.edu/events. Presented by Goddard College’s undergraduate program.Windows on Waldorf. Explore the grade school and take a walk

through Waldorf education. Faculty will lead a guided tour describ-ing the core curriculum and showcasing student work. 6:30–8 p.m. Grades building, Orchard Valley Waldorf School, East Montpelier. Registration recommended: 456-7400 or [email protected]: Women Who Make America. Preview of a new documentary recounting the events of the organized women’s movement through the perspectives of those who lived through it, from 1963 to today. Panel discussion with representatives from the Vermont Historical Society. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-3338 or kellogghubbard.org. Cosponsored by Vermont Public Television.

Author Reading and Signing: Cassie Horner. Book signing and discussion with the Vermont journalist and publisher, discussing her new book, Lucy E.: Road to Victory, and other celebrated women in Vermont history. 7 p.m. Waterbury Senior Center. Free. 244-7036. Hosted by the Waterbury Public Library.

Weekly EventsBICYCLINGOpen Shop Nights. Have a bike to do-nate or need help with a bike repair? Visit the volunteer-run community bike shop. Mondays and Wednesdays, 5–7 p.m.; Tuesdays, 6–8 p.m. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre Street, Montpelier. By donation. 552-3521 or freeridemontpelier.org.

BOOKSOngoing Reading Group. Improve your reading and share some good books. Books chosen by group. Thursdays, 9–10 a.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learn-ing Center, 100 State Street. 223-3403.

CRAFTSBeaders’ Group. All levels of beading experi-ence welcome. Free instruction available. Come with a project for creativity and community. Sat-urdays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.

DANCE★ Ecstatic Dance. Dance your heart awake. No experience necessary. Sundays, 6–8 p.m., Christ Church, State Street, Montpelier. Wednesdays, 7–9 p.m.; first and third Wednesdays: Worcester Town Hall, corner of Elmore Road and Calais Road; second and fourth Wednesdays: Plainfield Community Center (above the co-op). $10. Fearn, 505-8011 or [email protected]. ★ West Coast Swing Dancing. With Scott Chilstedt and Kristin Rothaupt of Green Mountain Westie. Thursdays, 7–9:30 p.m., March 7–28. Studio room, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street. Students: $8 drop-in, $25 four-week series; adults: $12 drop-in, $35 series. [email protected].

FOODFree Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.Mondays: Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.Tuesdays: Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Wednesdays: Christ Church, 64 State Street, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Thursdays: Trinity Church, 137 Main Street, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Fridays: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre Street, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Sundays: Last Sundays only, Bethany Church, 115 Main Street (hosted by Beth Jacob Syna-gogue), 4:30–5:30 p.m.Noon Cafe. Soup, fresh bread, good company and lively conversation. Wednesdays, noon. Old Meeting House, East Montpelier. By donation. oldmeetinghouse.org.★ Lenten Fish Dinner. Baked fish, soup, salad, vegetable, potato, beverage, dessert; fish sticks and mac and cheese available. Weekly raffles of gift certificates to local businesses. Benefits Central Vermont Catholic School in Barre. Fridays, 5–6:30 p.m., through March 22. Parish hall, St. Augustine’s, 16 Barre Street, Montpelier. $10 adults, $6 students in eighth grade and younger, $29 family of four; free for kids 3 and younger. 793-4276 or [email protected].

GAMES Apollo Duplicate Bridge Club. All wel-come. Partners sometimes available. Fridays, 6:45 p.m. Bethany Church, Montpelier. 485-8990 or 223-3922.

HEALTH★ NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course. Evidence-based 12-week course to help families and friends of individuals with mental illness understand and support their loved ones while maintaining their own well-being. Begins March 14, 5:30–8 p.m. Berlin. Free. Advanced registration required: call: 800-639-6480. More information at namivt.org.Free HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral testing. Thursdays, 2–5 p.m. 58 East State Street, suite 3 (entrance at the back), Montpelier. vtcares.org. Affordable Acupuncture. Full acupuncture sessions with Chris Hollis and Trish Mitchell. Mondays and Wednesdays, 2–7 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 79 Main Street, suite 8 (above Coffee Corner), Montpelier. $15–$40 sliding scale. Walk in or schedule an appointment at montpelier communityacupuncture.com.

KIDSStory Time at the Waterbury Public Library. Mondays, age 18–36 months. Wednesdays, age 0–18 months. Fridays, age 3–6 years. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free. 244-7036.Story Time at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. 223-4665.Story Time and Playgroup. For children age 0–6. Story with Sylvia Smith, followed by play-time with Melissa Seifert. Wednesdays, 10–11:30 a.m.; program follows the Twinfield calendar and is not held on weeks when the school is closed. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marshfield. 426-3581 or [email protected] Play Playgroup. For children birth to age 3 and their adults. Thursdays, 9:30–11 a.m., through June 13. St. Augustine’s Church, Barre Street, Montpelier. Christopher, 262-3292, ext. 115. fcwcvt.org.Storytelling Arts and Crafts. Nature-themed playgroup with child educator Ellen Bloom. For all ages. Thursdays, 10:30–11:30 a.m., through February. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-0043.Dads’ and Kids’ Playgroup. For children birth to age 5 and their male grown-ups. Free dinner provided before playtime. Thursdays, 6–7:30 p.m., through June 13. Family Center of Washington County, 383 Sherwood Drive, Montpe-lier. Christopher, 262-3292, ext. 115. fcwcvt.org.★ Write On! For aspiring authors age 6–10. Drop in once or come for the whole series. Fridays, 3:30–4 p.m., March 1–29. Children’s li-brary, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. Linda, 223-4665.Cub Capers Story Time. Story and song for children age 3–5 and their families. Led by Car-rie Fitz. Saturdays, 10 a.m. Children’s room, Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 229-0774 or [email protected] Time at Onion River Kids. Outdoor adventure tales and childhood classics. Sundays, 10:30 a.m. 7 Langdon Street, Montpelier. 223-6025.

LANGUAGEEnglish Conversation Practice Group. For students learning English for the first time. Tuesdays, 4–5 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State Street. Sarah, 223-3403.Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and practice your language skills with neighbors. Noon–1 p.m. Mondays, Hebrew. Tuesdays, Italian. Wednesdays, Spanish. Thursdays, French. Fridays, German. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 223-3338.

MUSICSing with the Barre Tones. Women’s a cappella chorus. Mondays, 6:30 p.m. Alumni Hall (second floor), near Barre Auditorium. 223-2039 or [email protected] Fiddle Orchestra Rehears-als. Prepare for the orchestra’s 10th anniversary celebration. All ages and levels of string players welcome, as well as intermediate flute players; no audition. Mondays, 7 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. $70 for season. 877-343-3531, [email protected] or vtfiddleorchestra.org.★ Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal. New chorus members welcome. Wednesdays, 4–5 p.m. Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more information. Friday Night Community Drum Circle. Open drumming hosted by the Unitarian Uni-versalists of Barre. Everyone welcome. Fridays, 7–9 p.m. Parish house, Barre Universalist Church, Main and Church streets, Barre. Follow your ears, or follow the signs. Accessible venue possible with advance notice: 503-724-7301.

PARENTINGMamas’ Circle. Meet and connect with oth-ers experiencing the joys and challenges of new motherhood. For infants up to 1 year old and their mothers (toddler siblings welcome). Snacks, drinks and parent education materials provided. Thursdays, 10 a.m.–noon, through April 19. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, 174 River Street, Montpelier. centralvt.goodbeginnings.net.Parenting Children Age 1–4. Class focuses on the Active Parenting Method, emphasizing open communication and raising confident, cooperative children. Wednesdays, 6 –8 p.m., through February 20. Family Center of Washington County early childhood building, 383 Sherwood Drive, Montpelier. $15 individual, $25 couple; includes the book Parenting Your 1- to 4-Year-Old. Child care available upon request at no extra charge. Register with Christopher, 262-3292, ext. 115.

RECYCLINGFree Food Scrap Collection. Compost your food waste along with your regular trash and recycling. Wednesdays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturdays 6 a.m.–1 p.m. DJ’s Convenience Store, 56 River Street, Montpelier. cvswmd.org.Dollar Days. Bring in odd and sundry items for reuse, upcycling and recycling, including toothbrushes, bottle caps, cassette tapes, books, textiles, batteries and more. Mondays and Fridays, 12:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Additional Recyclables Col-lection Center, 3 Williams Lane, Barre. $1 per car load. Complete list of accepted items at 229-9383, ext. 106, [email protected] or cvswmd.org.

SPIRITUALITYChristian Science. God’s love meeting hu-man needs. Reading room: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Tuesdays, 5–8 p.m.; and Wednes-days, 5–7:15 p.m. Testimony meeting: Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m., nursery available. Worship service: Sundays, 10:30–11:30 a.m., Sunday school and nursery available. 145 State Street, Montpelier. 223-2477.Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engag-ing text study and discussion on Jewish spiritu-ality. Sundays, 4:45–6:15 p.m. Yearning for Learn-ing Center, Montpelier. Rabbi Tobie Weisman, 223-0583 or [email protected] Meditation Group. People of all faiths welcome. Mondays, noon–1 p.m. Christ Church, Montpelier. Regis, 223-6043.

Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Instruc-tion available. All welcome. Sundays, 10 a.m.–noon, and Wednesdays, 6–7 p.m. Program and discussion follow Wednesday meditation. Shambhala Center, 64 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137.Zen Meditation. Wednesdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. 174 River Street, Montpelier. Call Tom for orientation, 229-0164. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.

SPORTSRoller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice. Central Vermont’s Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up to try out the action. No experience necessary. Equipment provided: first come, first served. Saturdays, 5–6:30 p.m. Montpelier Recre-ation Center, Barre Street. First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.Coed Adult Floor Hockey League. Adult women and men welcome. Equipment provided. Sundays, 3–5 p.m., through April 21. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre Street. $52 for 13 weeks or $5 per week. [email protected] or vermontfloorhockey.com.

TAXES★ Tax Return Preparation Help for Seniors. Volunteers from AARP assist with the preparation and filing of 2012 federal and Ver-mont income tax returns. Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.–3:15 p.m., through April 12. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. Free. Call for a 45-minute appointment: 223-2518.

TEENSFree Photography for Teens. With photography mentor Ned Castle of the High/ Low Project. Learn how to take photos and put together a cool photography project. Camera not required. Open to all teens age 13–18; drop-ins welcome. Mondays, 3–6 p.m., through February. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. [email protected] or basementteencenter.org.The Basement Teen Center. Cable TV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun events for teenagers. Monday–Thursday, 3–6 p.m.; Friday, 3–11 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-9151.Events for Teens at the Aldrich Library. No-obligations teen book club on Mondays; game night on Wednesdays. 5 p.m. Aldrich Public Library, Barre. 476-7550.Youth Group. Games, movies, snacks and music. Mondays, 7–9 p.m. Church of the Crucified One, Route 100, Moretown. 496-4516.

YOGAYoga with Lydia. Build strength and flexibility as you learn safe alignment in a nourishing, supportive and inspiring environment. Drop-ins welcome. Mondays, 5:30 p.m., River House Yoga, Plainfield (sliding scale). Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., Green Mountain Girls Farm, Northfield (sliding scale). Tuesdays, noon; Thursdays, 6 p.m.; Fridays, noon, Yoga Mountain Center, Montpelier. Rates and directions at 229-6300 or saprema-yoga.com.★ Restorative Yoga and Meditation. With Lori Flower. Mondays, 9–10 a.m. River House Yoga, Plainfield. By donation. 324-1737 or karmiconnection.com.Community Yoga. All levels welcome to this community-focused practice. Fridays, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Yoga Mountain Center, 7 Main Street (second floor), Montpelier. $5–$20 sliding scale. 223-5302 or yogamountaincenter.com.

★ indicates new or revised listing for this issue

UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 19

Submit Your Event! Send listings to [email protected]. The deadline for our next issue, March 7, is Friday, March 1.


ClassesDANCEARGENTINE TANGO FOR BEGINNERSCreative, passionate, playful! Learn Argentine tango at Contemporary Dance and Fitness Cen-ter, 18 Langdon Street, Montpelier. No partner or experience required. Sundays, 5–6 p.m. Ses-

sion 1: March 3, 17, 24, April 7. Session 2: April 21, 28, May 5, 19. $48 per session. Preregistra-tion required at tangowise.com/community-classes or contact instructor Elizabeth Seyler: [email protected] or 658-5225.

YOGAPLANT SPIRIT YOGA YEARJoin herbalist, storyteller and yoga teacher Lydia Russell-McDade through the seasons, delving deeply into the teachings of the plants through movement, meditation, myth and magic! At Dharma Door Retreat, Underhill: March 31, May 11, June 22 (overnight), August 3, Septem-ber 21, November 2 and December 21 (over-night). Preregister: [email protected] or 229-6300. saprema-yoga.com.

ClassifiedsEMPLOYMENTDRIVERS: CDL-BGreat pay, home time. No forced dispatch. New singles from Plattsburgh, New York. Passport/enhanced license required. 888-567-4861 or truckmovers.com.

HOUSINGHOUSING WANTEDProfessional nonsmoking woman seeks three- or four-bedroom house or apartment to rent. Stel-lar references, reliable, responsible. Willing to consider creative solutions such as house-share/house-sitting, etc. Call 498-7328 with ideas, tips or an availability.

SERVICESCOMPUTER ASSISTANCE FOR ELDERSPatient, careful help with basic skills. E-mail, Internet, word processing. $25/hour. Call Leslie, 229-0809.

HOUSE PAINTERSince 1986. Small interior jobs ideal. Neat, prompt, friendly. Local references. Pitz Quat-trone, 229-4952.

STUFF TO SELL?Wish you could have a yard sale, but it’s too cold to hold one outside? Call us at T&T Repeats Thrift Store. We just may be able to help you out. 224-1360.

THRIFT STOREST&T REPEATSBikes, name-brand clothes, small household furniture and more. At least two free parking spaces for T&T customers. 116 Main Street, Montpelier, or call 224-1360.

TRINITY COMMUNITY THRIFT STORETuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street (use rear entrance), Montpelier. Donations accepted during normal business hours. 229-9155 or [email protected].

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

Free education and support for family and friends of individuals living with a mental health condition. Gain information, in-sight, understanding and empowerment.

Begins in Berlin on March 14thonce a week for 12 weeks

To register, call 800-639-6480 or email [email protected].

NAMIVT.orgMade possible in part by a grant from the Vermont Department of Mental Health.

Do you care about someone with a mental health condition?

DOT HELLING ATTORNEY AT LAW

CLIENTS: please make contact for referrals, file pickup, etc

(802) 223-1555 or [email protected]

29 East State Street, MontpelierThank you for 30 wonderful years

serving Central Vermont!

ANNOUNCEMENT: CLOSING APRIL 30, 2013


Tiny BitesVermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) is creating the Vermont Food System Atlas

website. Ellen Kahler shared the trial version of the site with the legislature in January and plans to launch the official site in March. The site aims to help bring more local food to those who need it. The atlas will serve initiatives such as the State of Vermont Workplace CSA Program, which provides community supported agriculture shares to Vermont state employees. VSJF seeks information, requests and stories from local foodsheds. To submit one, contact [email protected].

The Farm to Plate Network, established via the Vermont legislation in 2009, strives to double local food access by 2020. This movement helps chefs both to develop direct re-

lationships with local farmers and prepare menus that are local, simple and seasonally fresh. Participating businesses range from small restaurants to institutional food providers. The food system planning committee, formed October 2012, works throughout New England to support each state as they begin to relocalize food systems. To read a recent article in Cornell University’s Small Farms Quarterly, visit smallfarms.cornell.edu.

Philip Ackerman-Leist’s book, Rebuilding the Foodshed, offers solutions for creating local, sustainable food systems. The author, a Green Mountain College professor, showcases

“some of the most promising, replicable models for growing, processing, and distributing sus-tainably grown food.” Ackerman-Leist directs the college’s Farm & Food Project and founded the master’s degree in sustainable food systems. This guide, part of a series called Community Resilience Guides, is available from Chelsea Green. For details, visit chelseagreen.com.

The ninth annual Vermont Grain Growers Conference, “Returning to Our Roots,” takes place Thursday, March 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Essex Resort. Speakers

include Jack Lazor of Butterworks Farm, who will address ways to grow grains at home to nourish people and livestock and John Mellquist of Trunkenbrod Bakery, who will discuss the complete process of making a homegrown loaf of sourdough bread, from field to oven. For more information and registration, visit uvm.edu/extension/agriculture.

Vermont’s local food hubs are growing. From the Mad River Valley to Burlington’s In-tervale, from Calais’s Farms to You to the East Montpelier Food Producers’ Network,

these regional centers gather, distribute and market food from local and regional producers. These enterprises work to meet growing local food demands so that they can eventually sup-ply anyone, from individuals to institutions. Supporting local food hubs is key to the Farm to Plate Network goal of doubling Vermont’s local food consumption by 2020. For a food hub listing, visit nofavt.org.

—compiled by Lisa Masé; send food news to [email protected]

Food News You Can Use

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Healthy foods, healthy ingredients.Vermont fresh, Italian inspired.

229-5721

Takeout and full- service restaurant

15 Barre StreetMontpelier, VTangelenospizza.comSince 1982

Hands-On Gardenerby Miriam Hansen

Today I sprinkled last year’s onion seeds onto wet paper towels, marked the variety and date and slipped them

into individual Ziploc bags. I’ll start check-ing for germination in a couple of days and every day thereafter. Last year I forgot about them for a week. By the time I checked, their growing tips had threaded through the paper towels. I managed to tease most of them free without too much breakage, but then I compounded the error by planting them upside down, mistaking the growing tip for the root!

While February is the month to plant on-ions, celery, parsley and celeriac, early March is the month to plant anything that says “In-door Germination: 8–10 weeks before trans-planting outdoors in spring.” This includes many perennial and annual flower seeds.

There are three principal things to con-sider when you are starting seeds: the me-dium you use, the container you fill with that medium and the way you treat the seeds you are planting. Since I’m starting a huge number of seedlings, I generally buy a bale of Pro-Mix or some equivalent medium. I have splurged and bought a bag of Vermont Compost Company’s Fort Vee for my onions and shallots, one of the very few long-grow-ing seedlings I do not transplant.

Your rule of thumb is to use a growing medium that is sterile, retains moisture and has enough nutrients to get your seedlings started. You will eventually need to fertilize, particularly if as is the case with onions, you are going to leave those seedlings in their original medium to grow in. Most of the seedlings I grow do eventually get trans-planted. At that point, I will often mix in some soil or compost since I am no longer concerned with damping off or any of the other fungal diseases that can affect delicate seedlings. There are many different fertilizer regimens. I use a slurry of worm castings, but if you don’t have worms, watering every two to three weeks with dilute solutions of liquid kelp and fish emulsion is a good regimen. As long as the leaves are a deep green and your plants are stocky, you don’t need to worry that they are not receiving enough fertilizer.

If you are looking at gardening centers and catalogs, you can get overwhelmed by the choices of containers. My attitude is to go with what is cheap and durable. All you are looking for is something to hold the medium, retain moisture and encourage healthy root development. A friend did some experiments last year with paper cups, peat pots and plastic pots and found that plastic was hands down the best material in terms of seedling growth and health.

You also want to suit your container to the crop. The cucumber family prefers not to be handled. I start those in late April or May in four-inch plastic pots and leave them until

they are ready to set out. Others, like toma-toes, peppers and the Brassica family, will grow pretty quickly and need some depth and enough room to grow as seedlings before you transplant them. Many of the flowers I’m seeding start out really tiny and are slow growers. I sow them in shallow flats and eventually prick them out (a fancy word for transplanting tiny seedlings) into individual plastic six or eight packs.

Regardless of what container you use, make sure there is drainage! For years I’ve sowed onions in shallow trays that are actu-ally meant to hold six packs and therefore have no drainage holes. I make X-shaped slits in the bottom and then line the trays with plastic into which I’ve poked holes. Offset-ting the drainage holes in this way seems to keep them nice and moist for the three months they’ll be growing in there.

When you’ve seeded your trays or pots, cover them with plastic. I use grocery bags slipped over each side of the tray. When the seeds germinate, take the bags off. Over the years I’ve learned that it is penny-wise and pound-foolish to start different kinds of veg-etables in the same container. Even seeds of the same kind and variety of vegetable will germinate at different rates, but when you combine, for example, tomatoes and peppers or cabbage and cauliflower, you just compli-cate things unnecessarily.

Seed treatment can vary from overnight soaking (highly recommended for parsley and celery) to scarification (nicking the hard seed coat) to freezing and chilling. Usually the seed packet will give you recommenda-tions for this as well as the best tempera-ture and conditions for germination. Some seeds like to be cool (lettuce) and some like warmth (tomatoes and peppers).

Gardeners tend to have their own ideas about timing when it comes to seedlings, learning from experience what works best for them. I will say this. I tend to jump the gun, starting everything a bit too early and then having to juggle like mad to find space under lights, in cold frames and greenhouses, covering plants set out a bit too early and so on. I make no apologies. That is how I roll. Whichever way you roll, don’t panic. If your tomato seedlings are leggy and look bedrag-gled because you started them in early April instead of mid-April, they will still produce like crazy. And if you waited a bit too long and your plants are tiny when you set them out, they will also produce like crazy. Nature is amazingly forgiving.

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 comments are welcome. You can reach Miriam at [email protected].

Time to Start the Onions, Celery and Parsley!

Sunday–Tuesday

$27 Three-Course

Dinnerfor two (3 pm–close)

City Center building, 89 Main Street, MontpelierHours: 8 am–9 pm, seven days a week262-CAKE | www.skinnypancake.com

Wednesday isHeady Hump Day!$5 Heady Toppers, $2 off heady hotdogs, live music with Jay Ekis.

Jessica Edgerly Walsh

for City Council District 3

Working hard for a vibrant, affordable MontpelierVote March 5, 7am–7pm, Montpelier City Hall


Annual Voting on March 5

A Message from City HallThis page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

William Fraser, city manager

The annual city election is coming up quickly. The actual election day is Tuesday, March 5, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early ballots are already

available.This year’s election includes an open City Council seat, an open school board seat, cemetery commissioners and parks commissioners. City and school budgets, three proposed bond issues, a downtown assessment district, three petitioned funding items and a petitioned advisory article are all on the ballot.

FY14 City BudgetBudget Numbers

FY14 budget for all funds, including petitioned ballot items, is $18,693,731. Compared to FY13, this is an increase of $801,560 or 4.48 percent. However, $390,069 of that increase is for the new district heat budget. Without district heat, overall funds are up 2.28 percent.

FY14 General Fund budget totals $11,007,106, which is an increase of $231,053 (2.1 percent) from the comparable FY13 spending plan.

FY14 General Fund nontax revenues total $3,861,288 which is an increase of $129,453 (3.5%) from FY13 nontax revenues.

Property Tax ImpactRequires a 1.2 cent increase in the property tax rate. In-

cluding the recreation budget, a 1.2 cent increase represents a 1.3 percent property tax rate increase. For the average residential property valued at $223,000, 1.2 cents on the tax rate represents $28.99 on the tax bill.

The library, circulator bus and firefighter petition ballot items combined represent an increase of $69,167 (20.7 per-cent) over comparable ballot items in FY13. They represent a total of 0.8 cent tax increase.

The combined total of the municipal budgets and the ballot items results in a 2.0 cent (2.1 percent) tax increase or about $45.71 on an average bill.

PersonnelTotal number of full-time equivalent employees (including

the senior center) is 107.56 This is a net decrease of 4.22 (3.8 percent) from the FY13 budget. We eliminated a full-time firefighter/EMT, a full-time police officer, a full-time public works street employee, a full-time administration position and a half-time GIS position and reduced a full-time zoning administrator position to half time. We have added a 0.4 clerical assistant at the senior center and a 0.25 caretaker in the parks. A 0.875 position in CJC was expanded to 1.0

Cost-of-living allowances and step increases are built into all employee wage and salary accounts consistent with col-lective bargaining agreements and personnel policies. For this budget, that represents a 2.25 percent adjustment for fire union employees, 2.0 percent for police union employees and 2.2 percent (or CPI) for public works union employees. A 2.0 percent adjustment for nonunion employees is also included.

It includes the school resource officer in the city’s bud-get with the school department sharing 50 percent of the cost.

OperatingHeating costs for city hall, the fire station and the police

station have been calculated based on the district heat cost estimates.

The budget anticipates contracting and/or regionally shar-ing ambulance billing and collection rather than performing this function with city staff.

The water and wastewater budgets have both been bal-anced. The Wastewater Fund is now in a small surplus posi-tion, and the Water Fund is slowly but steadily reducing its deficit. The budget does not assume any changes in water or sewer rates nor sewer or CSO benefit charges although it is possible that water rates will rise slightly to help eliminate the deficit.

Tax funding for the senior center is increased by $41,103 (35 percent), reflecting the realities of operating continuing and new programs to fulfill the center’s mission in a newly renovated facility.

The parks budget includes $15,000 for a caretaker to live in the city-owned house in the park. The funds are to be paid for specific work functions. This house has been occupied for years by the parks director, but he is moving to another residence.

The Parking Fund is balanced contingent upon parking fee increases. Without some fee increases, the fund is out of balance by $50,000. Parking fees have not been adjusted since 2004.

The District Heat Fund budget is included for the first time. The General Fund is realizing $55,376 in revenue from district heat, $20,376 to pay the 2009 bond and $35,000 for city costs associated with the system.

Community ServicesThe Housing Trust Fund is funded at $41,000, the same

as FY13.The Montpelier Community and Arts Fund is funded at

$118,175, which is the same amount of funding for outside agencies and the Arts fund in FY13.

Community enhancements, including Montpelier Alive

and various festivals, lighting and events, are funded at $29,500, the same as FY13.

Ballot ItemsArticles 1–8 are the annual election and regular budget

items.Article 9 is for a bond the General Fund for $710,000 to

be used for sidewalks, retaining walls and storm drains and culverts. Debt service for this bond is already included in the General Fund budget.

Article 10 is for a bond for $670,000 from the Sewer Fund. This is proposed to repair and replace a failing sewer line along River Street. Complete failure of the line could result in environmental issues and an enforcement order to perform immediate repair. Debt service for the bond is already included in the Sewer Fund budget.

Article 11 is for a bond for $2,300,000 from the School Fund. This is proposed for energy, efficiency and safety im-provements in all three school buildings.

Article 12 is a proposal to create a downtown improve-ment district where commercial properties within the des-ignated zone would pay an additional tax increment with the funds raised going directly for promotions and improve-ments within that district. The article proposes that $75,000 be raised through this manner. This proposal was recom-mended to City Council by Montpelier Alive.

Article 13 is for $308,673 for the Kellogg-Hubbard Li-brary. This article was by petition because the amount was increased from the prior year.

Article 14 is for $40,000 for the Green Mountain Transit Agency Circulator Bus. This item was by petition and would continue the circulator bus service within the community.

Article 15 is for $56,669 to be added to the fire depart-ment budget. This item was by petition.

Article 16 is for a nonbinding resolution concerning tar sands oil transport in Vermont. This item was by petition.

Thank you for your interest in Montpelier city govern-ment. Please vote on March 5. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 223-9502 with questions or con-cerns. Remember, Montpelier is on Facebook (City of Montpe-lier, Vermont) and Twitter (@vtmontpelier).

District Heat Cost Overruns

by John Hollar, mayor

Two weeks ago, state officials informed the city that the estimated cost to build the state’s biomass heat plant was $2.8 million higher than originally

anticipated. On Friday, that number was increased to $3.3 million, for a total facility cost of $18.3 million.

That project is separate from the distribution system that the city is building. That cost is estimated at $6.6 million, and the city is currently within its budget.

Under the contracts between the city and state, the state has control over all design, budget and contract decisions related to the plant. The city has had no authoritative role in developing the plant project. Nonetheless, the state has asked the city to pay $623,472 of this overrun, which,

after deducting certain costs, represents 24 percent of the total.

The state’s claim appears to be based on an early draft of the contracts between the parties, which would have allocated 24 percent of any cost overruns to the city. That provision was dropped in negotiations, however, and the final agreement states that if there are budgeted overruns, the parties shall meet and attempt in good faith to make budget adjustments.

The city has met on numerous occasions with the state over the last two weeks in a good-faith attempt to resolve this issue. We have informed the state that the city has no additional funds to allocate to the construction of the heat facility. The remaining revenue for constructing the city’s distribution system has been committed.

Based on its contracts with private contracts and com-mitted costs, the city is expected to meet its annual ex-penses, but it does not project surplus annual operating balances sufficient to provide significant payment to the state for its cost overruns. And the city cannot agree to pay the state out of funds paid by local property taxpayers.

The city has made three proposals to the state in a good-faith effort to resolve this issue:

• The parties could complete construction on the facil-ity and distribution system and reconcile the respec-tive budgets at that time, when we know what each party has spent.

• The city would agree to increase the cost of future capacity purchases that it makes from the state.

• The city would consider sharing a portion of any sur-plus operating revenues (up to an agreed-upon dollar amount).

We do not believe that cancelling the project is a viable option. The costs that have been committed by both the city and state to date far exceed the amount of the state’s cost overruns.

As of this writing, we are continuing to negotiate with the state on a mutually acceptable resolution of this issue.

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LettersTaxpayers to Fund Police and Fire Departments, Not Nonprofits

To the Editor:I am writing about a new tax increase that

is to be put on the (March 5) town meeting ballot. This tax increase is being spearheaded by Montpelier Alive. They are looking for $75,000 for what they call “streetscaping.” Montpelier Alive will use this $75,000 for trash cans, new benches and advertising.

Well, I think Montpelier gives plenty to Montpelier Alive. Montpelier Alive is run out of city hall, and they get free rent, heat, trash, water and $20,000 from the city of Montpe-lier to help run their nonprofit organization. I don’t get it. The city is going to ask Mont-pelier voters and taxpayers to vote for this $75,000 and to vote on cutting police and fire. I used the fire department once last year, and the firefighters saved my life. I called the police department to catch a shoplifter, and within 20 minutes of the call, the police had my property back to me.

Now, in this same year, Montpelier Alive has not been in my store to ask me to be-come a member. This is what they have to do to raise money. It’s called “fundraising.” Nonprofits raise money to run their projects. They typically don’t ask taxpayers for money to fund them. I think keeping firemen and police officers around is much more needed than new benches and trash cans.

—Thomas Moore, T&T Repeats Thrift Store, Montpelier

Edgerly Walsh Will Bring Perspective to Council

To the Editor:I am writing in support of Jessica Edg-

erly Walsh’s candidacy for Montpelier City Council. Although there is a slate of capable candidates for the open District 3 council seat, I urge my fellow voters to cast their bal-lots for Jessica.

Jessica’s professional experience includes working with business entrepreneurs and ad-vocating for community concerns. She is a former community organizer who is very fa-miliar with the interplay between municipal government and its constituents. A year ago she left the nonprofit world to help launch a solar energy company. She is articulate, prac-tical and responsive. She has experience with budgeting, communications and personnel management. She and her husband own a house on Blackwell Street, and they are com-mitted to the Montpelier community.

As a former city councilor myself, I can see that Jessica will bring a much-needed per-spective to city government. Her election will help ensure that the Montpelier City Council is representative of its population.

—Sarah Robson Jarvis, Montpelier

Edgerly Walsh Is Thoughtful, Experienced Team Player

To the Editor:I am writing to express my strong support

for Jessica Edgerly Walsh in her bid to serve as a District 3 member of the Montpelier

City Council. Edgerly Walsh is a proven team player with municipal and business leadership and management experience. Her commitment to Montpelier’s economic and environmental mission and her desire to revitalize and reconnect District 3 to the downtown put her in the forefront of the candidates vying for the seat. She will make a valuable and thoughtful contribution to city planning and decision making. Please vote for Jessica Edgerly Walsh on Tuesday March 5.

—Gretchen Elias, Montpelier

Vermont House Bill H 225 Sets Needed Taser Provisions

To the Editor:For the last eight months since Macadam

Mason died after being shot with a Taser by a Vermont state trooper, we as a state have been faced with one essential question. What are we going to do to make sure that such an unnecessary death doesn’t happen again? An innocent Vermonter was killed who today should be alive. Who will take responsibility to prevent a recurrence?

The Taser bill that has been introduced (H. 225) is a statement that Macadam Mason was one of us and that what happened to him should not happen to anyone else. The American Civil Liberty’s Union (ACLU) rec-ognizes Rep. Jim Masland of Thetford and Rep. Anne Donahue of Northfield for taking the initiative to develop this bill. We also recognize the 28 other representatives who have joined as sponsors. Provisions of H. 225 include:

• Development of statewide policies around the use of tasers.

• Development of a training program all officers must complete before using a Taser.

• Acknowledgement that Tasers are “al-ternatives” to lethal force but “are not nonlethal” and that their use should be “limited to use under the same standards that justify the use of lethal force or that will directly reduce an imminent risk of a person’s death through self-harm.”

• Tasers are not to be considered as a tool to force compliance or to punish a subject.

• The manufacturer’s recommendations for use must be followed.

• Special attention must be paid if a subject is cognitively disabled or in an emotional crisis.

• Taser training must be coordinated with Department of Mental Health initia-tives.

• A report detailing all incidents of Taser use must be submitted annually to the legislature.

This bill is a start. It may not be per-fect, but the ACLU feels strongly that state government must take the responsibility for setting policies for the use of these deadly weapons. We would prefer a moratorium on the use of Tasers while this is being worked out, but a moratorium has been rejected.

Our goal is to prevent the unnecessary death of another Vermonter. It’s hard to see how anyone can oppose the provisions of this bill. They are straightforward and fair. We urge the legislature to pass the bill and for the governor to sign it.

—Allen Gilbert, executive director, ACLU-VT, Montpelier

Preserve the Amended Death with Dignity Bill

To the Editor:Last week, Vermont senators, both Demo-

crats and Republicans, in an orderly and pro-fessional way debated and voted on S-77, the

Editorial

see LETTERS, page 27

Correction: In our last story on City Council (page 16 of Feb. 7 issue), The Bridge misidentified Andrew Brewer, owner of Onion River Sports, as Andrew Miller and associated him with the former Miller Sports. Carl Miller was the previous owner of Miller Sports. The person to whom this quote should have been attributed was Andrew Brewer. In the same story, Greg Guyette was described as a director. He is, in fact, board president of Montpelier Alive. The Bridge apologizes for these errors.

12, 13, 14, 15—Please Help The Bridge Reach Its Campaign Goal

Our annual campaign to benefit The Bridge and make it possible for the paper to close a critical gap between advertising revenues and expenses is moving forward. We’re push-

ing hard to reach our goal of $15,000 from now until the end of February and pushing hard again during March. We’re making a big, big effort to complete the campaign no later than the end of March, which is the end of our first quarter and coincides with the beginning of spring.

In our February 7 issue, we reported contributions of $12,256 toward our $15,000 goal. A few days ago, we checked our numbers and discovered a numbers error. As of February 14, our contributions added up to $11,760 and we need to raise not $2,744 but $3,240 to reach our goal of $15,000.

As the season changes from late winter to early spring, may I encourage anyone who values The Bridge to weigh in with a contribution. These contributions are both needed and deeply appreciated.

Here’s our basic campaign information. Please write a check made payable to “The Bridge” and mail that check to: The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Please feel free to visit our office in person. The Bridge is located on the basement level of Schulmaier Hall on the Vermont College campus. If you need further directions to locate our office, please phone us at 223-5112.

few days ago, we checked our numbers and discovered a numbers error. As of February 14, our contributions added up to $11,760 and we need to raise not $2,744 but $3,240 to reach our goal of $15,000.

As the season changes from late winter to early spring, may I encourage anyone who values The Bridge to weigh in with a The Bridge to weigh in with a The Bridgecontribution. These contributions are both needed and deeply appreciated.

Here’s our basic campaign information. Please write a check made payable to “The Bridge” and mail that check to: The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601. Please feel free to visit our office in person. The Bridge is located on The Bridge is located on The Bridgethe basement level of Schulmaier Hall on the Vermont College campus. If you need further directions to locate our office, please phone us at 223-5112.

A Welcome to Asiana House

Sandra and Gary Ma have just opened Asiana, a new restaurant in Montpelier located in the former Chittenden Bank building at the corner of State and Elm streets.

Anyone who remembers the bank will likely recall its finish and high style. Well, Sandra and Gary with the help of Jeff and Jesse Jacobs have reinterpreted and in many ways recap-tured the style of the place in its wood and marble floors and through the restaurant’s seating arrangements. And then there’s the formidable Chittenden safe, which stayed in place after the bank moved into a new building opposite the Supreme Court building.

In a phone conversation with The Bridge, head chef Gary talked about sushi, curry and other Asian dishes. The restaurant’s mission statement says, “Here at the Asiana House our mission is to provide diners with an exquisite blend of traditional Asian foods and cutting-edge culinary creativity. We draw on cuisine from Japan, China, Thailand and Korea and many other cultures to create our own unique blend of flavor.”

For the past 10 years, Sandra and Gary Ma have run Asiana House in Burlington. Now, we’re lucky to have them in Montpelier and welcome them as part of our diverse restaurant community.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Read something that you want to respond to? Worked up about a local issue? We welcome your letters and opinion pieces.

Letters must be 300 words or fewer; opinions, 600 words or fewer. Send them to [email protected]. Deadline for the March 7 issue is Monday, March 4, at 5 p.m.

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity or style. In many cases, we will work with you to make sure your piece meets our journalistic standards.

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by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

When the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street drove this country into the worst

recession since the 1930s, the largest finan-cial institutions in the United States took every advantage of being American. They just loved their country’s and Americans’ willingness to provide them with the largest bailout in history. In 2008, Congress ap-proved a $700 billion gift to Wall Street. An-other $16 trillion came from the Federal Re-serve. America. What a great country.

Just two years later, as soon as these giant financial institutions started making re-cord-breaking profits again, they suddenly lost their love for their native country. At a time of mounting deficits, largely created by the recession that Wall Street caused, the major financial institutions did everything they could to avoid paying American taxes by establishing shell corporations in the Cay-man Islands and other tax havens.

In 2010, Bank of America set up more than 200 subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands (which has a corporate tax rate of 0.0 percent) to avoid paying U.S. taxes. It worked. Not only did Bank of America pay nothing in federal income taxes, but it received a rebate from the IRS worth $1.9 billion that year. They are not alone. That same year, JPMor-

gan Chase operated 83 subsidiaries incorpo-rated in offshore tax havens to avoid paying some $4.9 billion in U.S. taxes. Goldman Sachs operated 39 subsidiaries in offshore tax havens to avoid an estimated $3.3 billion in U.S. taxes. Citigroup has paid no federal income taxes for the last four years after receiving a total of $2.5 trillion in financial assistance from the Federal Reserve during the financial crisis. On and on it goes.

Wall Street banks and large companies love America when they need corporate welfare. But when it comes to paying American taxes

or American wages, they want nothing to do with this coun-try. That has got to change.

Offshore tax abuse is not just limited to Wall Street. Each

and every year, corporations and the wealthy are avoiding more than $100 billion in U.S. taxes by sheltering their income offshore.

Pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Pfizer have fought to make it illegal for the American people to buy cheaper prescrip-tion drugs from Canada and Europe. During tax season, however, they shift drug patents and profits to the Netherlands and other off-shore tax havens to avoid paying U.S. taxes.

Apple wants all of the advantages of being an American company, but it doesn’t want to pay American taxes or American wages. It creates the iPad, iPhone, iPod and iTunes in the United States, but manufactures most of

its products in China so it doesn’t have to pay American wages. Then it shifts most of its profits to Ireland, Luxembourg, the British Virgin Islands and other tax havens to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Without such maneuvers, Apple’s federal tax bill in the United States would have been $2.4 billion higher in 2011.

Offshore tax schemes have become so ab-surd that one five-story office building in the Cayman Islands is now the “home” to more than 18,000 corporations.

This tax avoidance does not just reduce the revenue that we need to pay for education, health care, roads and environmental protec-tion, it is also costing us millions of American jobs. Today, companies are using these same tax schemes to lower their tax bills by ship-ping American jobs and factories abroad. More than five million U.S. manufacturing jobs were lost and more than 56,000 factories were shuttered since 2000. That also has got to change.

At a time when we have a $16.5 trillion national debt; at a time when roughly one-quarter of the largest corporations in America are paying no federal income taxes; and at a time when corporate profits are at an all-time high, it is past time for Wall Street and cor-porate America to pay their fair share.

That’s what the Corporate Tax Dodging Prevention Act (S.250) that I have intro-duced with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is all about.

This legislation will stop profitable Wall Street banks and corporations from shelter-ing profits offshore tax havens. It will stop

rewarding companies that ship jobs and fac-tories overseas with tax breaks. The Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated in the past that the provisions in this bill will raise more than $590 billion in revenue over the next decade.

As Congress debates deficit reduction, it is clear that we must raise significant new revenue. At 15.8 percent of GDP, federal rev-enue is at almost the lowest point in 60 years. Our Republican colleagues want to balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children, the veterans and the most vulnerable by making massive cuts. At a time when the middle class already is disappear-ing, that is not only a grossly immoral posi-tion, it is bad economics.

We have a much better idea. Wall Street and the largest corporations in the country must begin to pay their fair share of taxes. They must not be able to continue hiding their profits offshore and shipping American jobs overseas to avoid taxes.

Here’s the simple truth. You can’t be an American company only when you want a massive bailout from the American people. You have also got to be an American com-pany and pay your fair share of taxes, as we struggle with the deficit and adequate fund-ing for the needs of the American people. If Wall Street and corporate America don’t agree, the next time they need a bailout let them go to the Cayman Islands, let them go to Bermuda, let them go to the Bahamas and let them ask those countries for corporate welfare.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?Read something that you want to respond to? Worked up about a local issue? We welcome your letters and opinion pieces.

Letters must be 300 words or fewer; opinions, 600 words or fewer. Send them to [email protected]. Deadline for the March 7 issue is Monday, March 4, at 5 p.m.

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity or style. In many cases, we will work with you to make sure your piece meets our journalistic standards.

A Call-to-Action Parking Conference at the State House, March 12

As part of a general call for action, the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA) has announced a broad-based parking conference set for Tuesday, March

12, from noon to 1 p.m, in the House Chamber at the Vermont State House. The VSEA hopes this conference will take the first steps in building a state-city-citizen coalition to resolve parking problems in Montpelier. The VSEA is inviting the broadest possible participation from state employees, Montpelier residents, the city of Montpe-lier, the state’s Department of Buildings and General Services, the city schools and the downtown merchant and business communities, with attention to residential and com-mercial renters in Montpelier. For further information, call the VSEA at 223-3437.

A Choice for Corporate America: Are You with America or the Cayman Islands?

by Nat Frothingham

In recent days, Calais sculptor Chris Miller visited The Bridge and talked about a new project—taking a slab of Barre granite

and creating a sleeping bear for children to enjoy in Montpelier’s Hubbard Park. The Bridge spoke with Miller about his project.

Your enthusiasm for sculpture: How did you get started? How did it develop?

I was always making things. I was 17 years old and a senior at Milford High School in Milford, Connecticut. I was headed for art school but that got delayed by a skiing injury. I was urged to wait a year during physical therapy, and during that year, I began wood carving. In my home shop, I began making furniture. And through other woodworkers, I began to get work carving ball-and-claw table legs, Chippendale-type fans and carved headboards. I also did restoration work with carved moldings. I matched carved architec-tural features in old building and churches.

Here in Vermont, I’ve done some carved restoration at the Vermont Supreme Court building and at the old National Life ball-room on State Street.

What other artists have influenced your work?

I’ve been incredibly lucky to work along-side a few artists and stone sculptors who know human anatomy. I’m currently study-ing drawing and anatomy with Billy Brauer from Warren.

Let’s talk about the Sleeping Bear Project.

Last June, I created a 1950s, step-side pickup truck. It was inspired by all these old, rusting, farm pickup trucks that you some-times come across in the woods with trees sometimes growing through them. It’s a little roadside oddity. It’s definitely whimsical. It’s unexpected. People take pictures of it. It’s be-come a bit of a landmark there, right near the dam at Curtis Pond [near Maple Corner].

And then what happened?Several people contacted me and also Hub-

bard Park director Geoff Beyer. They sug-gested something fun, like the stone pickup truck, in Hubbard Park. We had early dis-cussions about what might be an appropri-ate sculpture—something that would be ap-proachable and durable. After a lot of talking, Geoff ’s original concept of a sleeping bear topped the list. After the parks commission vetted several sketches and a scale model, they voted to move forward with the project.

There’s an area near the ball field in the

woods that they want to designate as a kids’ play area. And the sleeping bear will be near the ball field in the woods but accessible to children. We decided it should be low to the ground so that kids could climb on it and enjoy it. We’re doing it out of granite, and it will be there for children to enjoy for many generations.

To make a donation to the Sleeping Bear project, please go online to Kickstarter.com and search for “Sleeping Bear of Hubbard Park.”

The Sleeping Bear ProjectA Granite Bear May Soon Be Snoozing in Hubbard Park

An Endorsement of the Project

We also talked to Jody Brown of the Drawing Board in Montpelier about the Sleep-ing Bear Project. Here’s what she said:

I’m a big fan of art in the public arena. You don’t have to make a special trip to a gallery or museum. You just come upon it by chance. That’s a big part of something that I support.

I’ve seen Chris Miller’s art. I know he can pull it off. It’s in Hubbard Park. It’s family friendly. It’s something that kids can climb on. I absolutely hope people will support it.

Opinion


by Dan Jones

What can you do to save money every year and help the planet? For a start, you can come to the

Energy Fair on March 4, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at National Life Group’s cafeteria, in Montpelier. This free, fun and informational event will feature treats, freebies and prizes for all. And bring the kids because Marko the Magician will be doing his magic!

While the fair will be fun, it’s also about saving serious money. All in one place you will find the resources necessary to help you save money on your heating and energy bills. The fair is being put on by the the Mont-pelier Energy Action Committee (MEAC), which is on a mission to help Montpelier become the first net zero state capital in the country. This is an ambitious goal: it means that we will produce no more greenhouse gas-ses than we can recycle. To do this, we and our neighbors must do what we can to stop using gas and oil to heat the outdoors. We need to change how we heat our homes and how we get around. It’s a big job, but we have to start somewhere, and the fair will be a one-

stop shop for learning how to do it.Last summer, MEAC hosted an ice-cream

party on the State House lawn, where people had to learn a little about weatherization to get their Cherry Garcia. This time around, MEAC is ramping things up for this major event. Representatives from all the energy efficiency contractors in the region will be there to explain how you can make your home more efficient. You can tell the profes-sionals about your home and your needs and get ideas on how they can help you solve your problems. (We think of it as a little like one-stop speed dating for matching contractors and clients.) Local banks and credit unions will be there to help you figure out how to finance the work. Efficiency Vermont will show you how you can qualify for special incentives and rebates.

You’ll also have an opportunity to check out some electric cars and Go Vermont’s computer system, which helps people find rides when and where they want them. If you like science, come enjoy demonstrations of home heating problems and solutions. Just by showing up, you can be entered in a raffle to win a $500 energy audit for your

home. Efficiency Vermont will be giving away coupons for large discounts on energy audits and a chance to get a free goody box of energy-saving lightbulbs and other fixtures. Your neighbors will be there to tell you about how much money they are saving through home weatherization and what their process was like.

The Montpelier Energy Fair is the product of months of hard work by MEAC. Special recognition goes to the efforts of City Coun-cilor Anne Watson and committee member Becky Wigg for orga-nizing and coordinat-ing this effort. Na-tional Life Group has stepped up to the plate and provided their facilities, and MEAC has received funding from the New Eng-land Grassroots Environmental Fund, Na-tional Life Group, Montpelier Construction, Vermont State Employees Credit Union, Weatherization and Renovation of Montpe-lier, Go Vermont and Pellergy.

This is important stuff. We all want to

do the right thing to cut carbon emissions and stave off global warming, and this event will help everyone in Montpelier get there together. We can take to heart the charge of outgoing energy secretary Steven Chu, who reminded us: “There is an ancient Native American saying: ‘We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.’” Now is the time for Montpelier citizens to demonstrate just how forward thinking they are and make the commitment to weatherization and low-impact lifestyles.

Come to the fair and let MEAC help you get started making a future our children will thank us for.

Oh, and did we mention free pop-corn and Marko the

Magician? Remember it’s March 4, the eve-ning before Town Meeting Day.

Dan Jones is chairman of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee.

controversial so-called Death with Dignity bill. They did so while presenting impas-sioned and compelling arguments. Fifteen Democrats and Republicans joined to pass an amended version. They rejected the ap-proach patterned after Oregon, a state that by citizen vote has allowed physician-assisted suicide since 1997. Instead of journeying down the Oregon trail, Vermonters as they often do, went down their own road, and the result was a good and compassionate alternative. While improving care for a dying person, it also protects those at the side of the patient when he or she dies. It allows a dying patient’s physician to aggressively treat symptoms, primarily pain, without fear that, if the patient dies, the physician will be wrongfully accused of intentionally aiding in suicide.

The passed bill does not allow the physi-

cian immunity to prescribe drugs for the purpose of suicide. This brings us to the ugly political side of this matter. Governor Peter Shumlin and the lead senator on the bill, Claire Ayer from Addison, were un-happy with the results and made misleading and false statements. The governor, a law-yer, publicly said during a radio interview that it creates a “wild, wild west” situation. Senator Ayer in the same interview wrong-fully claimed that a dying patient can ask a physician for a lethal prescription, and the physician would have immunity if the patient used the drugs to cause his or her death. A caller (me) challenged her on that assertion, and she backed away from it. Some news media (the Times Argus for one) have perpetuated the misinformation by saying the senate approved an amended death bill “allowing doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to terminally ill patients.”

Why? Could it be because when the house takes up the legislation that it would be help-

ful for proponents of the Oregon approach to have the public believe the senate bill needs fixing so they can more easily return to the Oregon language? Do not be deceived! Dick Sears, Bennington Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the bill as it was originally proposed had so many legal holes that even a first-year law student could see them. He expressed embar-rassment that such a bill could be reported to the floor from his committee. Not only legally lacking, it did not provide the touted

patient safeguards. The American Medi-cal Association strongly opposed it. That is not hard to understand. As a pharmacist, I clearly understand that and could spend an hour discussing the many medical problems with the original bill. All want to have dig-nity at death. We should all want that for a dying person. Vermont’s senate took action that will help some with that desire. We need to be diligent and watch that their work is not undone.

—Robert L. Orleck, Randolph

Opinions

Make Your Home Energy Efficient: Come to the March 4 Energy Fair

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Read something you want to respond to? We welcome your letters and opin-ion pieces. Letters must be 300 words or fewer; opinions, 600 words or fewer. Send your piece to [email protected].

Deadline for the March 7 issue is Monday, March 4, at 5 p.m.

LETTERS, from page 25

by Marie Countryman and Brian Tokar

This Town Meeting Day, March 5, voters in Montpelier will have an opportunity to vote on a resolution

to challenge proposed changes to an aging Northeast Kingdom oil pipeline that could have a serious impact on Vermont and our entire region.

The Portland-Montreal Pipeline was built between the 1940s and 1960s and currently pumps up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day from the port of Portland, Maine, to custom-ers in Montreal and beyond, passing through 10 Northeast Kingdom towns. But Canadian companies are considering a very different use for a now-unused pipeline that travels the same route. It is connected to a vast oil pipeline network across Canada, and compa-nies like Enbridge—a partial owner of Green Mountain Power—have applied to reverse the flow of their pipes so they can transport highly corrosive and toxic material from the Alberta Tar Sands across Canada and north-ern New England.

Oil company officials currently deny that they have plans to reverse the pipeline through Vermont, but the evidence suggests that such a plan is in the works, including efforts to build a new pumping station in Dunham,

Quebec, just across the border. With people across the U.S. and Canada challenging pro-posed projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and the proposed Northern Gateway through British Columbia, this plan C option could become the path of least resistance for getting tar sands to the coast for export.

Why is there so much opposition to getting oil from the tar sands? Tar sands mining is a massively destructive business and has been called the most environmentally damaging project on earth. Tens of thousands of acres of Alberta’s northern forest are leveled in the extraction process, which puts three to five times as much carbon pollution into the atmosphere as conventional oil extraction. Dr. James Hansen, one of our most respected climate scientists, says that if oil from the tar sands is added to the effects of burning coal, it is essentially “game over” for the earth’s climate system. The European Commission is sticking to a plan to label fuel from tar sands deposits as highly polluting, deterring refiners bound by environmental rules.

The material that is mined from the tar sands is a gravelly, corrosive mix known as bitumen. It is nothing like liquid crude oil: it is highly acidic, corrosive and 40 to 70 times thicker. To transport it through a pipeline

requires dilution with toxic chemicals such as n-hexane and benzene, which damage the human nervous system and can cause cancer.

The pipelines travel through the following Northeast Kingdom towns: Jay, Troy, New-port, Irasburg, Barton, Sutton, Burke, Vic-tory, Lunenburg and Guildhall; and it will cross these Vermont bodies of water: Missis-quoi River, Beetle Brook, Ware Brook, Black River, Roaring Brook, Barton River, Annis Brook, Sutton River, Roundy Brook, Pas-sumpsic River (East Branch), Moose River, Granby Brook, Catsbow Brook, Hudson Brook and the Connecticut River.

In 2010, a tar sands pipeline in southwest-ern Michigan ruptured, dumping more than a million gallons of tar sands residues into the Kalamazoo River and forcing the relocation of 150 families. The cleanup, still underway, is the most expensive inland oil cleanup in history, costing nearly $800 million so far. The old pipeline to Portland has already experienced leaks just transporting crude oil, including one in 1977 that contaminated the Black River and Lake Memphremagog. In 2009, the Portland-Montreal Pipeline was issued a Notice of Amendment by the U.S. Department of Transportation, requiring substantial “corrective action” to plans and

procedures for emergency response training and corrosion controls. Just this past week, Enbridge has refused phase three of the the Kalamazoo cleanup: the bitumen sitting on the bottom of the river.

What can we do? On Town Meeting Day, at least 23 towns, including Montpelier, will have a chance to challenge plans to pump this material through our region. The resolution voices the town’s opposition to any effort to transport tar sands through Vermont, and calls for a thorough environmental review of any tar sands-related pipeline proposal. It also asks our town(s) to help investigate where our own fuel supplies come from, with a goal of phasing out purchases from

refineries that use tar sands–derived oil. Larger cities and towns like Burlington will do most of the heavy lifting here, with sup-port from allies across New England. There is an effort in the legislature to get the state of Vermont to do the same.

The Alberta tar sands are far away, but the impacts of mining there are global in scope. By approving this resolution, town voters will help support efforts throughout Vermont and New England to assure that our region will be tar-sands-free.

Pass the No Tar Sands Resolution
