Cate Farm, Caledonia Tap Burdock Spirit • Page 8
S EPT 18 – O CT 1, 2019
Food and Di
IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 5 Art at the Kent
Pushes Perception
Pg. 7 Transit Center Set for
Soft Opening
Pg. 10 Responsible Cocoa
Sweetens Rabble-Rouser
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Permit NO. 123
Montpelier, VT
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Montpelier, VT 05601
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The Bridge
ning
MHS Students Tell the Story of Migrant
Farm Workers in Their Backyard
By Carl Etnier
H
ola Vermont, nosotros somos un grupo de estudiantes de I think a lot of students come into Spanish thinking, ‘There’s
Montpelier High School, formamos parte de la clase de nobody I’m going to speak Spanish to here in Vermont.’ But
AP Spanish y en estos pasados meses hemos estudiado el there are opportunities to speak Spanish in Vermont.”
estatus actual de la inmigración en Vermont. The project is also a way to motivate seniors at the end of the
Following opening music with a Latin beat, this burst of year. “Senior high school students in an AP class, after the AP
Spanish begins a 50-minute audio storytelling project. After exam, can sometimes check out, and I have found this keeps
almost a minute, an English them interested and with me
AP Spanish students interviewing farmers and
speaker comes on: through the year,” Purcell said.
migrant workers. Photo courtesy of Colleen Purcell.
“Hello, Vermont. We are a The experience can stick with
group of students from Montpe- the students. The 2019 students
lier High School’s AP Spanish did not respond to inquiries for
class, and in the past months we this article, but Lexie Drew of
have been studying the migrant the class of ’17 remembers the
experience in Vermont.” class fondly. Referring to local
The 2019 Advanced Place- migrant workers, she said, “It
ment students were the sixth was cool to meet these people,
class at Montpelier High School not just hear about them, but
to produce an audio program to actually meet them and hear
called “The Migrant Experi- their stories first hand.”
ence in Vermont,” which they A local dairy farmer, not
researched, recorded, and identified by name in the 2019
mixed on their own. production, praised his migrant workers:
“It started out of two things,” said teacher Colleen Purcell, “We’re milking cows three times a day, and out of a 24-hour
who students and staff call “Profa”—a play on professora, Span- period, there’s probably two-and-a-half hours where we’re ac-
ish for teacher. “One was seeing this as something that touches tually not milking cows. So it’s really important that we have
on how you might actually speak Spanish in Vermont, because dedicated and loyal and trustworthy employees who are going
Continued on Page 13
Weʼre online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com
PAGE 2 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 T HE BRID GE
T HE BRID GE SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Memorial Fund Established for Mark Johnson
Disability Rights Vermont has set up a memorial fund to accept donations on behalf
of Mark Johnson, who was shot and killed August 9 in a confrontation with Montpelier
police. Money raised will go to support the organization’s efforts “to improve the response
of law enforcement to incidents involving people with disabilities or who are in mental
health or emotional crisis,” DRV said. Contributions may be made to The Mark Johnson
Memorial Fund, c/o Disability Rights Vermont, 141 Main St., Suite 7, Montpelier, VT
05602.
City Fills Two Leadership Positions
A North Carolina woman was chosen from a field of 66 applicants to serve as assistant
city manager. Cameron Niedermayer, senior assistant to the county manager for
Mecklenburg County, will replace Susan Allen. Mecklenburg County includes the state’s
largest city, Charlotte. The City also announced that Donna Barlow Casey will replace
Tom McArdle as director of public works. She had been serving as interim DPW and
assistant city manager while the search for permanent replacements was conducted. The
City also announced the promotion of assistant public works director Kurt Motyka to
deputy public works director/city engineer. Staff engineer Zachary Blodgett has been
promoted to operations manager/engineer, City Manager Bill Fraser said.
Vermont Salumi Transitions to Barre
Peter Colman, owner of Vermont Salumi, has completed the move of his cured and
aged meat production facility from the Mad River Food Hub to the former Homer Fitts
building on Main Street in Barre. “We had space for around 2,500 pounds of product in
Waitsfield,” said Colman. In his new location Colman says he can cure 45,000 pounds of
salami, capocollo, lonza, prosciutto, and any other traditional European meat products
that catch his fancy. His new facility now has five aging rooms with thousands of salamis
coated in the traditional white mold hanging in seven-salami strands. Colman, who was
born in Assisi, Italy, and studied the art and business of salumi in Italy, made a name for
his business eight years ago by focusing on fresh Italian-style sausages. Now he says, he
can focus his attention on his true passion of dry-cured meat products. Colman, who
was raised on the Cate Farm in Plainfield and began his business there, said that because
of Barre’s Italian heritage, his salami business is a perfect fit. “I always wanted to end up
here.”

Nature Watch Artwork and Words by Nicole Galipeau.

Bridge Community Media, Inc.

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

D
uring these lovely, lingering days of summer, the orchestra of insects
beckon that deja-vu sensation with the enjoyment of the season. As the
cool takes over, the orchestra fades, till only a slow, low note of a single
cricket can be heard from somewhere in the damp grass. Alone, its music continues
to reach my soul.
A thanks to Nicole Galipeau for filling in while Nona Estrin is away on vacation.
Calendar Editor: Marichel Vaught
Layout: Sarah Davin, Marichel Vaught
Sales Representatives: Rick McMahan
Distribution: Sarah Davin, Lora Stridsberg, Carl Etnier
Board Members: Phil Dodd, Donny Osman, Jake Brown, Josh Fitzhugh, Larry Floersch, J. Gregory Gerdel,
Irene Racz, Jen Roberts, Mason Singer
Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14 • mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Stone Science Hall.
Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $40 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and
mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
montpelierbridge.com • facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
Twitter: @montpbridge • Instagram: @montpelierbridge
PAGE 4 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
New Outlet for Craft Community Coming
By Tom Brown
S Mary Margaret Groberg owns Notion
ewing and handicrafting are enjoying
a bit of a renaissance these days as
more Millennials and Gen Zs em-
brace retro skills to express their creativity
and make things for their own use and sale.
The trend is borne out as more than
40 percent of crafters are ages 18 to 34,
according to the Association of Creative
Industries, as reported in a July 2018 Forbes
magazine article. Another 36 percent are
35–54, and 23 percent are 55 and older, the
article said, adding that craft sales make up
a $44 billion industry in the U.S.
Sewers—or “sewists” as some prefer to
be called—of every generation will soon
have a new source of fabric, supplies, and
community when Notion Fabric & Craft
opens next month at 68 Main Street, in the
former Downtown T’s, which is moving its
business online.
Like many young girls, store owner Mary
Margaret Groberg learned to sew from her
mother but moved away from the skill as
college, career, and family demands grew.
T HE BRID GE
Business
In the past few years, Groberg rediscovered
her passion for making clothes and decided Fabric & Craft. Photo by Tom Brown
that the time was right to leave her steady
job and jump into the world of retail.
“When I got back into sewing,” she said,
“immediately it was so clear that there
wasn’t a great local boutique with wonder-
ful service where I could not only buy sup-
plies and support a local, independent busi-
ness but also connect with other people.”
The store will feature a retail shop on
the first floor, selling fabric, patterns for
adults and children (which will be inclusive
in terms of sizing, Groberg said), notions
such as scissors, threads, embroidery needs,
zippers, yarn and knitting supplies, dyes,
and lots of vintage buttons—11 pounds
of them—she collected at estate sales. The
store will include Vermont items when
available, she said, adding that very little
fabric is made in the U.S. these days.
Crafts, while not immune from the on-
line behemoths, are one consumer demand Association of Creative Industries research include beginner and advanced instruction,
that still relies on a tactile experience. The says that 90 percent of craft purchases are depending on the demand and available
made in person, at independent shops and teachers.
large chain stores such as Joann Fabric. Groberg, who has a masters in library
“I will be offering something that you science, said it was not an easy decision
can’t get online,” Groberg said. “I’m of- to leave her job as an archivist at Norwich
fering not just products but an experience, University and enter the downtown brick-
which is kind of the direction that things and-mortar environment, but the thought
are going (in retail).” of creating a woman-owned business and
The store’s sunny second floor will fea- serving as a role model to her young daugh-
ture classes and public workspace, where ter was a powerful motivator.
sewists can rent time on one of six new “We have a one-and-a-half-year-old, and
EverSewn machines. There will be punch thinking about our family life and her fu-
cards and memberships available for fre- ture and my future as her mom, it appealed
quent users, Groberg said. to me to have her grow up seeing me do
The store also hopes to host commu- something that really excites me and gets
nity sewing nights and other events, she me out of bed in the morning and be im-
said. According to Groberg, classes will bedded in our community,” she said.
T HE BRID GE
11th Art at the Kent Show Pushes Perception
By Sarah Davin
F Sculptures by Benjamin Davis at
or more than three-quarters of the
year, the Kent Museum in Calais
is completely closed, shuttered, and
quiet. And much like a “pop-up,” it roars
to life Fridays through Sundays from Sep-
tember 6 to October 6 with the Art at the
Kent exhibition.
“I’ve likened it to the Big Top coming
to town,” says co-curator Nel Emlen, and
it seems to be growing with each passing
year. “People know about it now. This
year’s visitors aren’t just local, but from all
over,” he notes.
This year’s exhibition, entitled reVision,
includes more than 150 pieces by 17 Ver-
mont artists displayed in a labyrinth of 18
gallery spaces. The exhibition’s theme is ex-
plored in a variety of different ways. Some
artists revise by repurposing media and
shaping it into something new. Others have
more intellectual approaches to the theme.
Artist Gail C. Boyajian, for example,
explores the theme through oil paintings
of extinct birds. Fellow co-curator Allyson
Evans said that she liked how the paint-
ing revised human-caused destruction via
a change in perspective: “She’s using the
birds’ perspectives in her work. Most peo-
ple are walking around with their own eyes
seeing things from their own perspective.
It’s a revision of perspective.”
The presentation by Evans, Emlen, and
third co-curator David Schütz further en-
riches the art-viewing experience. Rather
than putting all of one artist’s work in a sin-
gle room, the team has spread each artist’s
work across multiple rooms, with no fewer
than two artist’s pieces in a room together.
“This artist [Duncan Johnson], who
is working with wood and influenced by
quilts, is paired with a quilt [by Kristina
Snook],” pointed out Emlen in the ball-
room space.
Visual artists are not the only voices in-
vited to speak to the theme. The accompa-
nying Words Out Loud event, taking place
on three Sundays in September at 3 pm in
the Old West Church, features the work of
Susan Ritz, Sue D. Burton, Rick Winston,
Elizabeth A. I. Powell, Janet Pocorobba,
and Daniel Lusk.
Poet Mary Elder Jacobsen, who organizes
Words Out Loud, illuminates the differ-
ent ways the authors’ writings relate to the
theme, saying “Poet Sue D. Burton, for ex-
ample, has a number of poems in [her 2018
collection] BOX that considers the magic
act in which a woman in a box is literally
‘cut’ in half, and then Sue shows us what’s
really going on in that box, and so she gives
us a new ‘vision’ of an illusion.”
While the exhibitions at the Kent have
always brought contemporary artists and
literary artists into conversations with each
other and the building, Schütz feels that
the nature of this year’s artwork especially
speaks to the history of the building, ex-
pressing, “They create works that I think
particularly resonate with the old building
in a very different way than our previous
shows where most of the works are very
much contemporary works but don’t bor-
row quite so heavily from old ephemera.
That old ephemera really resonates.”
Indeed, the gallery itself tries to blend
into the background to allow the viewer
to focus solely on the piece. The Kent Mu-
seum, originally a tavern and hotel—built
by Abdiel Kent in 1837 and also served as
the Kent family home—has a character
the Kent. Photo by Sarah Davin.
all its own. The building’s old fireplaces,
handwritten messages, exposed lathe, and
beautiful wallpapers add to the experience.
The 19th-century structure feels like a pre-
served piece of artwork, offering a tempo-
rary home for the other pieces on display.
SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 5
Arts
Over the duration of the 11 Art at the
Kent exhibitions, which began in 2008, the
series has shown works of more than 200
artists from all over Vermont. Each exhibi-
tion is unique, with no repeat artists from
previous years, meaning that each show is
fresh and a completely new experience.
“It’s very organic. Nel and I don’t neces-
sarily know what we’re going to find. We
do in the sense that we’re going to visit
somebody, but we don’t know that the per-
son’s work will suit the theme that’s brew-
ing in our minds” said Evans. “We organize
the rooms solely based on what the room
itself is dictating to us,” adds Emlen.
Emlen elaborated, “People keep coming
back year after year saying that why they
come to Kent is because of the marriage
between building and art is so interesting.
We try to take that challenge seriously.”
The Art at the Kent exhibition is open on
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with the last
day being October 6. On Fridays, 10:30 am
to noon, there is a café with music open at the
museum. Words Out Loud readings will be
held on September 22 and 29 at the Old West
Church and followed with receptions and
book signings at the Kent Museum.
PAGE 6 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
A Message From City Hall
This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.
Autumn Updates
By William Fraser, City Manager
T
he glorious Vermont summer has rolled right
into an equally pleasant early autumn. It’s
wonderful to see people out and about in the
community taking advantage of the good weather.
As we pass the anniversary of September 11, 2001,
it is appropriate to acknowledge the City’s fine first
responders and emergency services personnel. Our
police officers, firefighter/EMTs, paramedics, and dis-
patchers perform very difficult and stressful jobs on a
24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week basis in order to keep the
rest of us safe. They encounter situations that most of
us can’t imagine. We are fortunate to have excellent
police and fire departments in Montpelier. I appreci-
ate their service.
The recent police-involved shooting has raised con-
cerns for some people. The incident was immediately
referred to the Vermont State Police for an independ-
ent investigation. It’s my understanding that the in-
vestigation has concluded, and the results have been
forwarded to the Washington County State’s Attorney
and the Attorney General’s Office. The City will be
able to engage in more complete discussions once the
legal process is concluded and the results have been
released.
All Montpelier police officers receive training in
conflict resolution, crisis de-escalation, mental health
awareness, and the like. Our department empha-
sizes appropriate interactions with all populations,
especially those individuals suffering from mental
illness. Actions and responses, though, are based on
situations. In this case, our officers needed to make a
split-second decision based on knowledge available to
them in that moment. The results of the investigation
will provide all of us with more information about the
tragic event.
New Faces at City Hall
The retirement of Public Works Director Tom
McArdle and the relocation of Assistant City Manager
Cameron Niedermayer. Photo courtesy
of Mecklenburg County staff.
Donna Barlow Casey. Photo by Jamie
Granfield Carroll.
Sue Allen opened up two key positions within City
government. It also presented an opportunity for us to
look at our policy priorities and organizational needs.
One major objective is to be positioned to face future
challenges and demands. That requires us to look
carefully at our current practices and systems. The
hiring process for both positions was coordinated to
emphasize the need for changes and for modernization
in several areas.
The result is that we have brought in two people
from outside the organization (although one person is
local and has some history with us) and created a new
leadership structure within the Department of Public
Works.
I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Cam-
eron Niedermayer of Charlotte, North Carolina, as
assistant city manager. She currently serves as senior as-
sistant to the county manager for Mecklenburg County,
North Carolina. Prior to that, she worked as an analyst
for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. She
has, additionally, been an E-911 dispatcher and staffer for
a safe visitation facility for victims of domestic violence.
Niedermayer has earned a master’s degree in public ad-
ministration from the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte and a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology
and studio art from Hollins College. She has strong skills
and strong energy. We’re happy to welcome her to our
Montpelier team.
I’m equally excited to announce that Donna Barlow
Casey will be the next public works director. She has
been serving as acting DPW director/acting assistant
city manager since August 18. Barlow Casey has ex-
tensive experience in state and local government as
well as environmental policy. She most recently served
as executive director for the state’s Natural Resources
Board/Act 250. She has previously held the positions
of town manager in Milton, executive director for the
Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District,
and others. She has experience with the City’s DPW as
an interim operations manager in 2014–15. As part of
her DPW management duties, Barlow Casey will lead
T HE BRID GE
the city’s Net Zero and Sustainability efforts.
In addition to these appointments, Assistant Public
Works Director Kurt Motyka has been promoted to
deputy public works director/city engineer. His duties
will be expanded to oversee all engineering for the city as
well as continuing to direct the Water Treatment Facility,
the Water Resource Facility, stormwater management,
district heat and water and sewer related projects. Mo-
tyka has worked for DPW since 2007.
Staff Engineer Zachary Blodgett has been promoted
to operations manager/engineer. He will have direct
oversight over the city’s street and water/sewer mainte-
nance crews as well as road construction projects and city
facilities. He will continue to perform engineering work
related to transportation projects. Blodgett began work-
ing for the City in 2010.
This realignment of DPW leadership will directly
integrate management, technical and operations rather
than as independent units. Former director McArdle
will remain on staff as a part-time project manager.
This allows the new team to tap into his experience and
extensive knowledge of city infrastructure while guiding
the department into more modern operations.
Climate Strike
Residents and businesses should be aware of antici-
pated protests starting September 20. We do not know
the size and scope of these, but our understanding is that
the goal is to disrupt the normal flow of traffic and busi-
ness in order to call attention to the climate change issue.
We urge people to be aware that this is happening and
to prepare accordingly. The City will use its resources to
maintain order and safety, but that will not prevent all
inconveniences, business and wage losses, vehicle idling,
delays, and other impacts.
As always, thank you for reading this article and for
your interest in Montpelier City Government. Please
feel free to contact me at wfraser@montpelier-vt.org or
(802) 223-9502. City information can be found on our
website montpelier-vt.org, our Facebook page, City of
Montpelier–Official, and on Twitter @vtmontpelier.
For emergency notifications, including winter parking
ban notices, please sign up for Vermont Alerts.
T HE BRID GE
Transit Center Set for Soft Opening
By Tom Brown
A
fter two decades of fits and starts,
the beginning is in sight for
Montpelier’s Taylor Street transit
hub.
A ribbon-cutting for the mixed-use
housing and transportation center is set
for October 9, roughly 19 months after
ceremonial shovels broke ground on the
$17 million project located on the for-
merly contaminated Carr lot between
the Winooski River and the railroad
tracks in the downtown core.
The notion of building a transit center
on the site of a former junkyard and rail-
yard was first discussed in 1998. Since
then plans were snagged by soil con-
tamination, funding shortfalls, and the
pullout of a prospective developer. The
city acquired the property in 2013 from
owner Allan Carr and nearly 900 tons of
PCB-tainted soil was removed.
The project took on new life in 2017,
when Downstreet Housing proposed 30
units of affordable apartments on the top
three floors above the transit center.
Tenants are expected to begin moving
in by October 1 and the units are ex-
pected to be fully rented by the end of the
year, said Liz Genge, director of properties
and asset management for Downstreet.
The bus center will likely not be operating
until mid-November, according to Green
Mountain Transit, which is leasing the
ground floor from the city. Minor details
are still being worked out between the
city and GMT, but no major obstacles are
expected, City Manager Bill Fraser said.
The cityʼs Taylor Street transit center is nearly
complete. Photo by Tom Brown
Waiting in Comfort
The new bus facility will offer GMT
passengers a more comfortable down-
town waiting experience than the cur-
rent option at the shelter near Shaw’s.
The new center will feature a lobby for
passengers, restrooms, a break area for
GMT drivers, and a customer service
kiosk, said Jon Moore, interim general
manager of GMT. Space is also available
for a future vendor, such as a coffee shop,
he said. The facility will be staffed by
customer service employees at least dur-
ing the morning and evening commutes,
Moore said.
“This will be a big improvement,”
Moore said. “Drivers will have a break
area, the public will have a nicer facil-
ity to get out of the rain with an indoor
waiting area and heat, bathrooms, etc. So
we are excited on that front.”
Decisions on route changes are still
being made, he said, but it is unlikely
that the three city-specific bus routes—
Capital Shuttle, Montpelier Circulator,
and Hospital Hill—will continue to stop
at the shelter in front of Shaw’s. Some
store customers have complained that
is difficult to enter Main Street when
buses are stopped at the shelter. Stops
for GMT’s commuter routes to Barre,
Waterbury, and Northfield will move to
the new center as well, he said.
“The MTC will be the primary down-
town Montpelier stop,” Moore said.
Changes to three downtown bus
routes have been discussed for some
time, including a switch from the current
fixed-route service to the microtransit,
or on-demand, model, which responds
to online or called-in customer requests
similar to Uber or Lyft. This option
will be part of a citywide transportation
SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 7
City News
forum set for 6:30 pm September 18
at City Hall. The meeting will include
representatives from GMT, the Vermont
Agency of Transportation, All Earth
Rail, and the Montpelier Transportation
Infrastructure Committee.
Interstate buses, such as Greyhound,
will also use the center instead of the
current stop in front of City Hall, Fraser
said. Those passengers can access the
GMT lobby during open hours, Moore
said. For safety, Moore said access to the
restrooms might require that collateral,
such as a bus pass or ID, be left with
customer service, which is the policy in
Burlington.
Each of the 30 tenants of the Down-
street apartments will have one parking
space and the bus center will have five,
Fraser said, adding that long-term park-
ing for bus passengers was envisioned for
the proposed city-owned parking garage
that was approved by voters in November
but is stalled by legal challenges.
The total cost of the transit center, bike
bath connection, and housing project is
about $17 million. The bike path and
transit center cost $11.6 million, funded
largely by federal and state grants; the
housing floors, funded by Housing Ver-
mont, cost about $5.4 million. The city
has about $2.7 million invested in the
center, Fraser said.
PAGE 8 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
Cate Farm, Caledonia Tap Burdock Spirit
By Mike Dunphy
“I
n the fruit and vegetable world,
the market pie is only so big,”
explains Richard Wiswall of
Cate Farm in Plainfield. If you want to
become a CSA farmer, the pie just gets
cut into more pieces. But here,” he adds,
while gesturing to the acre of burdock
leafing out along the base of a natu-
ral, grassy amphitheater on the farm,
“you have a whole other pie that’s being
formed.”
With the release of “Gobo,” by Cale-
donia Spirits on September 9, that pie
just got a little bigger. Distilled from
Cate Farm’s crop of burdock root, Gobo
fulfills one of Caledonia’s missions—led
by its E.A.R lab (Experiments in Ag-
ricultural Rectification)—of partnering
with local farmers to create new value-
added products.
That burdock was chosen for a spirit
may inspire some head-scratching among
locals. Long a bane of Vermont’s peo-
ple and pets—owing to its sticky, spiky
burrs that attach to anything passing
by—burdock is often considered more
pest than pal.
In other parts of the world, however,
burdock receives more respect. In fact, in
Switzerland, it inspired engineer George
de Mestral to invent Velcro in the 1940s,
while Japanese culture and cuisine
prizes “gobo”—the Japanese word for
Burdock roots at Cate Farm.
Photo by Sally Colman.
burdock—for many perceived medical
benefits, particularly its blood purifying
qualities and mineral punch of magne-
sium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus,
iron, zinc, and more. As a result, it’s used
for a vast range of maladies, from arthri-
tis, rheumatism, and chronic fatigue to
inflammation, sciatica, and cancer.
It was burdock’s high sugar content
that inspired Wiswall’s wife, Sally Col-
man, about two years ago, to bring a
handful to the attention of Caledonia’s
head distiller Ryan Christiansen and re-
search and development coordinator Josh
Pitts, because it is sugar fermentation
that births alcohol. It also gave purpose
to Cate Farm’s harvest seconds, mostly
bent and broken roots, which are unsale-
able into the Wiswalls’ primary extrac-
tion market, including Whole Foods in
Boston and New York.
Distilling experiments shortly after-
ward had the original goal of creating
a neutral spirit to possibly serve as a
base for gin, into which botanicals could
be added. Along the way, however, the
Caledonia team discovered a surprisingly
appealing flavor, which beverage direc-
tor Sam Neils describes as “an incred-
ibly earthy, green flavor like Vermont
dirt—in a great way—or crunchy green
vegetables.”
“It would be a waste to strip all the
flavor out of it,” said Pitts, who likened
the flavor palette to agave, used in mez-
cal and tequila, a feature that has figured
into the early branding. “Up until now,
T HE BRID GE
Food and Dining
we have not found that group of South-
west and Mexico and Meso-America
flavors outside our back door.” There’s
some chemistry to back up the link, too,
because the sugar in burdock is inulin,
which is also found in agave.
Eventually, the team rested on a 60‒70
percent alcohol from the still, which
was then reduced to 47.5 percent, or 95
proof, with the addition of reverse osmo-
sis water, for the bottle. Just 316 bottles
were released on September 9, each 375-
ml issue selling at $75 in the distillery
gift shop so long as supplies last.
If the price tag seems high, Pitts points
to the rarity: “There’s only 316 of them
in the whole world!” Plus, Neils points
out, the richness of the flavor creates a lot
of impact with little volume: “It shines
through the cocktail even with just a half
ounce or ounce. It doesn’t have to be the
center of the cocktail.”
Those hoping to taste Gobo in a cock-
tail or straight have a limited time to do
so, because the tiny supply means it will
not be available at Caledonia Spirits for
long, at least until a new crop of burdock
is harvested, processed, and distilled.
Indeed, that small supply would create
an issue if Gobo does take off. “If Ryan
takes Gobo spirits to the moon,” Wiswall
admits, “he’ll need other growers.” In
part, it’s because of the available space
at Cate Farm and the 5–6 pounds of
burdock in each bottle, but also the labor
required to harvest them. Harvesting
machines specific to burdock do exist in
Japan, but start at about $30,000.
“The roots are really long—it feels like
Continued on Page 14
T HE BRID GE
Peck Farm Orchard Offers a Peck of Fun
Grower Hopes to Sell Its Own Hard Cider
By Larry Floersch
“
Kingston Black, Roxbury Russet,
Golden Russet, Brown Snout”—Dan
Bair reels off the names of cider apple
varieties. “They sound like something from
a Harry Potter book, don’t they” says Bair.
“That’s because many of the cider varieties
come from England, and that makes them
finicky to grow. England is cool and damp,
but more moderate than Vermont, where
we get very cold winters. A lot of cider vari-
eties don’t like it that cold,” he said.
When you throw in blight and mouse
damage, you can see what keeps orchardists
up at night. “A couple of years ago we had
to pull out and burn somewhere between
500 and 700 trees because of blight and
freeze damage,” said Bair. Big gaps are still
evident in the neat rows of apple trees on
their wire trellises.
Bair started the Peck Farm Orchard in
East Montpelier six years ago, but the Peck
Farm itself goes back to 1788, when Bair’s
ancestor, Nathaniel Peck, began farming
the land. It was Bair’s daughter, Abigail,
who inspired him to start a you-pick or-
chard for people in the area when he saw
the enjoyment she got from picking apples.
And because he also liked making hard
cider, he started out by planting cider apple
varieties. Bair explained that cider apples
produce more tannins than standard eating
apples, which means they are not necessar-
ily good for eating. Tannins help to flavor
and to make hard cider dry, in much the
same way that tannins add to the flavor
and dryness of red wine.
Cider apples fall into four categories of
flavor: sweet, bittersweet, bittersharp, and
sharp. “We will pick a row of one variety
of cider apple, press the juice into a large
container, ferment it all the way through,
and then determine where the juice falls
on that scale,” said Bair. “You do the same
with the other cider varieties. When you’re
done, you sit down with your little glasses
and you create a blend that appeals to you
and that you think will appeal to others as
well. The idea is to get a clean, completely
dry cider that is bottle conditioned.”
The Peck Farm Orchard produces a lot
of cider apples, but still not enough to mar-
ket to the big cider producers in Vermont,
such as Woodchuck, Citizen, and Stowe,
with consistency. “Mostly we grow them
for making our own cider,” said Bair. “We
also sell them to local artisanal cider mak-
ers. Conditions were pretty good this year,
and if we have any left over I’m sure we can
sell them to the big cideries.”
Bair also is hoping to have his federal li-
cense to sell hard cider very soon. “Once we
get the federal license, we can have the state
come in and inspect our facilities and then
begin selling what we produce, but large-
scale production is still down the road.”
One of the roles of hard cider producers,
according to Bair, is to educate the public,
and he thinks that people’s tastes are begin-
ning to turn. “When you see companies
like Budweiser putting out hard cider, you
know something is going on,” he said.
But the orchard is more than just a
source for cider apples. He has since ex-
panded into eating/cooking apples such as
Macoun, Empire, Cortland, three varieties
of MacIntosh, Blondee, Winecrisp, and the
now very popular Honeycrisp.
“Honeycrisp was bred in Minnesota,”
Kingston Black cider apples await
harvest. Photo by Larry Floersch.
said Bair. “It’s a cold-weather apple. It
grows well here and in places like Maine,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern New
York. Many of the ones you get in the su-
permarkets are grown in Washington state
or farther south from here, where they are
not as happy with the climate. I think our
Honeycrisps are much better than the ones
in the supermarkets.”
The orchard is fast becoming a weekend
destination for families in autumn. “I love
seeing families come here. It’s a chance for
them to relax and create a memory that
doesn’t have a cellphone, iPad, or TV in it,”
SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 9
Food and Dining
said Bair. “We have fresh air and a beauti-
ful setting here amongst the farms of East
Montpelier. We offer free hayrides on the
weekends, apple picking, pumpkins, and,
of course, a corn maze. We try to keep it
accessible to people by keeping our prices
down, although that is hard to do with the
fruit. Apples are a commodity, so prices can
fluctuate.”
“We offer a discount on apples every
Wednesday to residents of Washington
County,” said Bair. “It’s our way of trying
to develop the concept of a ‘town orchard,’
and it helps us spread the business out over
the week. Weekends can get pretty hectic.”
Bair points out that the corn maze is a
joint effort between the Peck Farm and his
neighbor, Fairmont Farm. Fairmont plants
a corn variety in that field that is harvested,
not chopped into silage, so it can remain in
the field longer than silage corn.
The corn maze spells out something
(if you have an airplane to view it) and
has a theme each year. This year’s theme
is “Corny Field,” so maze wanderers will
find things such as a cornhole tournament,
corny “dad jokes,” and a “corn dog” bench.
The Peck Farm Orchard is open from 9 to
5 Wednesday through Sunday during Sep-
tember and October and is located off Sibley
Road in East Montpelier. For more informa-
tion, visit peckfarmorchard.com
PAGE 10 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
Responsible Cocoa Sweetens Rabble-Rouser
By Tracy Haught
J ustin Dupre is a chocolate maker.
He’s one of the 14 original employ-
ees of Nutty Steph’s—now, Rabble
Rouser. He is also the inventor of one of
Rabble-Rouser’s newest products, a choc-
olate bar named Justin’s French Toast,
which consists of caramelized blonde
chocolate and cinnamon, topped with
maple butter crumble.
Dupre learned the art of chocolate
making from co-owner and head choco-
latier Liz Knapp, who learned it from
Jaquelyn Rieke, aka Nutty Steph, who, in
turn, learned it from Allan Sirotkin, who,
in 2007, sold her his Brattleboro-based
Green River Chocolates, where Rieke’s
dark chocolate–drenched Magic Chunks
were being made at the time. From there,
chocolate making became a key part of
the business, and eventually its leading
commodity.
Rabble-Rouser purchases about 3,000
pounds of chocolate twice a year. A col-
league in Ohio, Mark Harmon, organizes
the fermentation cooperatives, develops
production facilities, and imports the fin-
ished chocolate into the United States.
The chocolate is not fair-trade certified,
but Rieke says their trading practices are
better than fair, and many of the farmers
actually own their own land, rather than
being wage workers.
“The chocolate comes from El Salvador,
Honduras, and Nicaragua, which, due to
U.S. foreign policy in recent decades,”
Nutty Stephʼs Chocolate. Photo
by Tracy Haught.
Rieke says, “are acutely suffering.” While
she procures a variety of cocoa beans, the
main factor stringing them all together,
Rieke believes, is a high quality of bean
and a fair wage paid to cocoa farmers,
ranging from 50 to 150 percent above the
average price per pound of “wet baba,”—
a sticky white pulp that covers the raw
beans and helps develop flavor during fer-
mentation. Many of her growers have very
small plots of land and utilize the forest
ecosystem for other purposes, culturally,
traditionally, and ecologically.
T HE BRID GE
Food and Dining
The sourcing is also sustainable, accord-
ing to Rieke, so a global cocoa shortage
has not affected the business. According
to Rieke, “The companies that suffered
Chocolate maker Justin Dupre.
Photo by Tracy Haught.
recently from increases to the cocoa com-
modities market were likely using harm-
ful ecological practices and/or slave labor
conditions, and as these wrongs get cor-
rected, it is naturally more expensive for
the companies trying to exploit the crop.
By having non-exploitative practices in
place over the past 6–7 years, we have
actually positioned ourselves to maintain
stable pricing even as the commodities
market shoots up.”
Rabble-Rouser is also not afraid to
merge chocolate-making with activism, as
seen in its support of Planned Parenthood
of Northern New England (PPNNE) and
The Vulva Gallery of the Netherlands
via the Chocolate Vulva fundraising cam-
paign. Debuted in January 2019, the vul- Next on Rabble-Rouser’s chocolate
vas earn $1 for PPNNE with every $5 one bucket list will be chocolate wrapped up
sold, raising $14,000 for PPNNE so far. in a vintage aesthetic, featuring trouble-
Each one also comes in a box with two makers of note from throughout history.
collector cards designed by the Vulva Gal- They’ll be using old-fashioned imagery as
lery celebrating “vulva diversity.” a means of emphasizing the importance of
With the Revolution Bar, featuring the change. “
face of Bernie Sanders, and a “liberal” Rieke says her secret to making excep-
amount of sea salt, Rabble-Rouser is sup- tional chocolate is about being inspired
porting efforts, according to the website, by the ingredients. “We develop products
“to preserve the endangered health care of based around particular ingredients that
22 million Americans. Health care should we find inspiring because of how they are
be a right and not just a privilege, espe- sourced, how they taste, and the degree
cially in the wealthiest nation in the his- to which they are able to regenerate soils
tory of the world.” rather than destroy them.”
T HE BRID GE
Jeffersonville Couple Farms on the Wild Side
By Carl Etnier
F
armland is in many ways the op-
posite of wilderness. There are no
weeds in wilderness, and productiv-
ity is seldom a measure applied to it; on
farmland, humans distinguish clearly be-
tween weeds (typically defined as “plants
in the wrong place”) and productive veg-
etation.
John and Nancy Hayden break down
the farm/wilderness distinction in Farm-
ing on the Wild Side, a new book from
Chelsea Green Publishing. In the 27 years
since they purchased a defunct dairy farm
on the banks of the Lamoille River in Jef-
fersonville, they have worked with nature
to foster wild and wild-ish spaces that pro-
duce food or just provide a place for birds
and bees to do their work. Farming on the
Wild Side chronicles the couple’s work,
their choices, and the many plant, animal,
and microbial species for which they they
make room.
The “pollinator sanctuary” the Haydens
created on a 14-acre back pasture is typi-
cal of their approach. When they stopped
grazing or mowing the land, milkweed,
goldenrod, and aster moved in. In wet
spots, they planted trees such as willows,
linden, and elderberry. Apple and pear tree
plantings followed on portions of the land.
More recently, they’ve added other peren-
nials and no-till annual plants. Sales from
the area include fruits and berries, but also
milkweed pods and, to florists, sundry
plant materials.
When I spoke with John Hayden about
letting parts of my lawn convert to a gold-
enrod meadow, he commented, “I think
SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 11
Food and Dining
we need to rethink what’s pretty. The
goldenrod is sequestering carbon by hav-
ing all that plant material, and cleaning
the water by the roots of the plants pull-
ing out nutrients before they go to Lake
Champlain, or having habitat for birds
and pollinators and beneficial insects that
are going to keep the pests out of your gar-
den. It’s really beautiful. There’s another
way of seeing the world than the British
lawn that leads us to the manor.”
While the Haydens acknowledge “man-
aging” weeds in some areas of their farm,
a lot of their approach is to create so much
biodiversity that weeds and insect pests are
limited in the damage they can do. For
example, they used to go after Japaneses
beetles by knocking the root- and leaf- Cover of Farming on the Wild Side
eating insects off plants into a bucket of Courtesy of Chelsea Green Publishing.
soapy water to drown them. in place where the caterpillars have found two Vermont farmers who are part of the
It’s been a decade since the Haydens it, in hopes the caterpillars will be fruitful, network of people in this state making at
have done that, or have taken any other multiply, and do the parsnip management least part of their living off of diversified
active measures against the brown and for them. small farms. Asked who the book’s in-
green beetles, and they haven’t seen a lot Part memoir of 27 years living on and tended audience is, John Hayden replied,
of damage. Why? They think part of the with a piece of land, part compendium of “This is for other farmers, or gardeners, or
reason is smaller lawns, giving less space fascinating perennial plants—such as the anyone who eats food.”
for beetle grubs to thrive and grow up to native superfood, aronia berries—and part The book launch party for Farming on
be adult beetles. plea for a greater connection with wild and the Wild Side will be at 7 pm Wednesday,
Wild parsnip is often seen as a pestilent cultivated nature, Farming on the Wild September 17 at the Essex branch of Phoenix
plant, spreading easily along roadsides and Side collects a wide array of wisdom from Books.
causing a severe, burning rash where the
juice gets on human skin and is exposed to
sunlight. The Haydens pull some parsnip,
but they also respect the plant for feed-
ing a tachinid fly that attacks Japanese
beetles. Plus, they’ve noticed a caterpillar
whose webbing keeps parsnip seed pro-
duction down, and they leave the parsnips
PAGE 12 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 T HE BRID GE

The Great Vermont Bread Festival

at Camp Meade, September 7
Photos by Terry Allen, terryjallen.com
T HE BRID GE SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 13
MHS Students
Continued from page 1
to show up on time and be ready to work.”
He added that without Hispanic em-
ployees, he would have to hire 30 percent
more people to get the same amount of
work done.
The farmer insisted he doesn’t hire any-
one without proper documentation, but
one of the production’s narrators (Pur-
cell) is clearly dubious about the work-
ers’ immigration status. “We never fully
answered this question,” the narrator says.
“However, we know there is no federal
work visa for year-round agricultural
work, which dairy farming inherently is.”
She suggests the workers present forged
documents when they’re hired.
For Drew, meeting the workers during
the first months of Donald Trump’s presi-
dency was eye-opening. “We were hearing
a lot of ‘build the wall’ stuff and hateful
things about this idea of migrants. We
were all digesting this information that
was extremely hateful and negative. It was
a really valuable experience for us all to see
these people and meet them. They were
all very kind and the hardest workers. The
owners of the farms said that, that they
didn’t trust anyone else to do these jobs.”
This year’s production doesn’t include
voices of the migrant workers themselves;
Purcell said all the previous classes inter-
viewed workers, but this year, scheduling
difficulties got in the way.
Purcell said that while migrant workers
have a fear of leaving the farm and getting
picked up and deported, measures Ver-
mont has taken have reduced the fear. “As
many police departments have adopted
bias-free policing policies, as we’ve allowed
for Vermont driver’s licenses without citi-
zenship, there has been less fear around—
they call it ‘coming out of the shadows,’”
she said. But she pointed to “a new level
of fear” with the Trump administration
in office.
The farmer in this year’s production
witnessed the fear among his workers:
“When Donald Trump was first elected,
the guys were really nervous...and didn’t
know if anything would be different. And
we had one guy who maybe didn’t want to
go into the store to shop.”
They have more to fear than fear itself.
Migrant Justice spokesperson Will Lam-
bek told Seven Days in July that at least
seven migrant workers have been arrested
since February 2018 by Customs and Bor-
der Patrol in Vermont while they were
shopping at Walmart.
For Drew, the 2017 student, it was
life-changing “to hear all the Trump talk
about migrants and immigrant workers,
and then for me to drive two miles away
from my house and have there be a dairy
farm where there are migrant workers.”
She said learning to tell this story to
others in an audio format also gave her a
different perspective on all the news she
consumes. “For once I wasn’t an audi-
ence member, but rather the director of
the show. I learned there was a lot to it,
whether it was grabbing your audience’s
attention, how to portray the information,
how to not be too biased, how to make a
story that flows well and is interesting.”
Jackie Batten of WGDR at Goddard
College instructed the students and Pur-
cell in audio production techniques, in-
terviewing, and storytelling. Purcell said
she has taken over much of that teaching
in more recent years but credits Batten for
teaching her how to capture the best sound
clips. “She would talk to us about script
writing...transcription and the importance
of that. She would walk us through how to
use Audacity [software] to edit.”
Purcell said this year’s production went
Food and Dining
beyond previous years, in that students
thought through how migrant workers on
dairy farmers could obtain immigration
papers to work here. A narrator explained:
“H2A allows immigrants to come to the
U.S. on this visa for up to three years to
offer temporary labor. Dairy farms are ex-
cluded from this visa because dairy farm-
ing is a year-round operation... If H2A was
extended to allow for dairy farmers to ob-
tain workers using these visas, labor would
be more accessible to the farmers, and
workers would be protected under visas.”
Next year, Purcell speculates, she may
conclude the class by giving students sug-
gestions for contacting their representa-
tives or otherwise spreading what they’ve
learned in the class. Alumni of the pro-
gram are already volunteering for Migrant
Justice or otherwise involving themselves
in the migrant community, she said. For
them, the final senior Spanish project of
an audio production was a first step on a
journey in a different world, right here in
Vermont.
Carl Etnier works at WGDR and pro-
duced the broadcast of this year’s “The Mi-
grant Experience in Vermont” on the station.
PAGE 14 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
Burdock Spirit
Continued from Page 8
Picture of GOBO and cocktail courtesy
of Caledonia Spirits.
it’s connected to China sometimes—and
the crown of the plant is a few inches below
the soil,” Wiswall explains, “so we end up
using a couple of diggers we made ourselves
to lift the soil.” For the actual extraction
and sorting, Wiswall brings in additional
harvesters, too.
For now, the Caledonia Spirits team
seems happy to embrace the process as
much as the product. While Gobo is a
clear source of pride, it remains one project
among many in the E.A.R. lab, according
to Neils. “We are experimenting with lots
of things in the lab all the time that don’t
go to bottle necessarily.”
The fact that the new complex off Barre
Street includes the distillery, lab, and bar
T HE BRID GE
Food and Dining
creates ideal conditions for experimenta-
tion, says Pitts. “The nice thing about
having a cocktail bar, distillery, and lab all
together is that I’m able to do experiments
small enough that I can release to the bar,
which can give me feedback about how
they and their customers like those process
changes without having to release it into the
wider world.”
Among the flavors of Gobo, the Cale-
donia team also hope drinkers discern a
message about agriculture. As Neils notes,
“The beginning of this whole project was
to partner up with farmers to start remind-
ing folks that spirits are an agricultural
product.”
T HE BRID GE SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 15

The 148th Tunbridge World’s Fair

Photo by Larry Floersch

The calf show at the Tunbridge Worldʼs Fair.

PAGE 16 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
New Chandler Director Karen Dillon to Blend
Culture, Collaboration, and Community
By Mary Rose Dougherty
C
ommunity engagement, col-
laboration, and her own sense
of agency are the tools Karen
Dillon—the new executive director at
the Chandler Center for the Arts—says
she’ll use to mine a cultural experience
that stands up to the challenges of the
internet, a harsh tax code, and ongoing
gender issues in the broader world.
“You have to have a compelling story,”
said Dillon, who took the helm of the
Chandler in May after two years at the
Green Mountain Film Festival, includ-
ing as executive director. “There is too
much mediated reality with screens be-
tween people we interact with. We need
more interaction, face to face, with other
people in our community, and we need
places where we can exchange, dialogue,
enjoy each other’s company.”
She sees the history of Chandler as “an
underdog story” that begins with the gift
of the building from Bethany Church
in 1907. Through the Depression years,
the current arts center was shuttered and
used only for town meetings.
A revival of sorts came in the 1970s,
when people who wanted to do commu-
nity theater got together and began reno-
vating. Support swelled again 12 years
ago, when the community raised $3.8
million in a capital campaign. “It’s an
amazing cultural institution and people
wanted it to continue,” Dillon enthuses.
“To have a 575-seat hall in a 6,000-per-
son town—it’s an entertainment institu-
tion.”
An experienced filmmaker and edu-
cator, Dillon earned her doctorate in
film studies and taught at Columbia
University as well as Princeton and the
University of Kansas for more than 25
years; she also has an MFA in film craft
from Columbia; and she won an Alfred
P. Sloan Foundation screenwriting award
for her script of the film Birds with Teeth.
While Dillon believes the needs of
a community have drastically changed
with the internet, thanks to the easy ac-
cess to entertainment, the Chandler can
and should serve a central role in cultural
education and community interaction.
To foster both, Dillon is launching a
yearlong literary series beginning Sep-
tember 26, featuring monthly events
such as author readings; a Moth-style,
scary-stories night on Halloween; a
gratitude-themed audience chat in No-
vember; an open mic night; and “spin
cycle” literary events at the laundromat
adjacent to the Chandler (purchased in a
deal to gain use of the parking lot).
Also on tap are family friendly events
and a tweak to the Chandler’s long-
Executive Director of the Chandler,
Karen Dillon. Photo by Seth Stoddard.
time Film Society, which has screenings
and commentary by film historian Rick
Winston that allows opportunities for
locals to create film. Using tools such as
iMovie—a video editing software appli-
cation developed by Apple—beginners
and more seasoned filmmakers can ex-
plore ways to collaborate and tell stories
with film.
“Just as word processing didn’t turn
everyone into Dostoyevsky, having
iMovie does not a filmmaker make. But
my new Film Society for the 21st Cen-
tury will explore ways the community
wants to collaborate and tell stories with
film. As someone who has taught college
students filmmaking for more than 25
years, I feel I can assist beginners, as well
as more advanced practitioners, in creat-
T HE BRID GE
Arts
ing something of interest. Collaboration
can come to the high art, structure and
systems,” she said.
Dillion’s also found support in the
Chandler board, which has welcomed
the values she promotes. “Many of the
board members are powerful women,
powerful, active, and engaged in the
community,” she said. “And there are
great men on the board, too. Gender
matters are about agency,” she said.
Ramsey Papp, Chandler’s board chair,
lauds Dillon’s “good background in the
arts and nonprofit organization” and
that she’s “enthusiastic.” With her teach-
ing experience in the arts,” she said, Dil-
lon can “involve youths and inspire the
next generation.”
T HE BRID GE SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 17

Good Samaritan Haven to Host Annual Community

Fundraising Gala
By J. Gregory Gerdel

T The Starline Rhythm Boys. Photo

he Good Samaritan Haven’s provide the music.
annual fundraiser “2019 Local “This is going to be a fun evening, courtesy of the Good Samaritan. Haven
Solutions to End Homeless- but it will be more fun if you are there.
ness” will be held at 6:30 pm Friday, Please join the Montpelier community
September 20, at Alumni Hall on the to help create local solutions to end
campus of the Vermont College of Fine homelessness in our community,” said
Arts. Good Samaritan board member Tom
Central Vermont’s only homeless shel- Bachman. “Please pass the word about
ter program, the Good Samaritan Haven this event to your friends and family.”
operates four shelters and serves more Advance tickets ($25) can be pur-
than 360 people a year, coordinating chased at Next Chapter Bookstore,
shelters and meals in Montpelier and Hunger Mountain Co-op, Capital City
Barre with several churches. This will be Farmers Market, or at goodsamaritan-
the third winter that Bethany Church in haven.org. Tickets also will be available
Montpelier will host homeless guests in at the door on the night of the event
the 20-bed, pop-up facility in Fellow- ($30).
ship Hall from mid-November through
mid-April.
In addition to door prizes and a silent
auction featuring art and services do-
nated to support the shelters, the fund-
raising event will feature small plate
appetizers provided by local restaurants,
Good Samaritan Haven staff, and vol-
unteers. Craft beer will also be on tap
at a cash bar hosted by Three Penny
Taproom. The Starline Rhythm Boys,
Patti Casey, and Colin McCaffrey will
PAGE 18 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
Greenland? Have I Got a Deal for You
By Larry Floersch
Design & Build
A
Custom Energy-Efficient Homes proposal was
made recent-
Additions • Timber Frames
ly that the
Weatherization • Remodeling United States buy
Greenland from
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring Denmark. As a
Tiling • Cabinetry • Fine Woodwork journalist, it is my
duty to explain some of the pitfalls of
that proposal before we move forward.
First, we should be wary of anyone say-
ing it would be a great acquisition. The
island has been caught up in wacky real
estate deals before. Back in 982, for ex-
ample, Erik Thorvaldsson, better known
as Erik the Red, was exiled from Iceland
for three years for killing some folks, in-
cluding—and this is really true—Eyiolf
the Foul, who, based on his name alone,
probably needed killing.
Erik spent those three years on an
island northwest of Iceland. When Erik
returned home he spoke of the wonderful
place he visited called “Grœnland.” Erik
lied. Greenland was really covered in ice,
but as the sagas point out, Erik felt people
might be attracted to go there if it had a
really, really great name.
The Erik, as his crew called him, ex-
tolled Greenland’s virtues as a place that
was even nicer than Iceland (as if that
were possible! What could be more com-
pelling than an island of tundra and lava
fields punctuated with volcanoes where
the average temperature in July is 55
degrees). He convinced 25 boatloads of
settlers to follow him. They ended up in
Rocque Long
Painting
• Insured
• 30+ years professional
experience
• local references.
802-223-0389
the only place along the coastline where
farming was even remotely possible. Erik
became rich by Viking standards and
was elected the Paramount Chieftain of
Greenland, but the settlers suffered depri-
vation and disease and the settlement only
survived until the “Little Ice Age” in the
15th century.
Which is the point. While they ex-
celled in raping and pillaging, Vikings
were never very good at selecting real
estate. They always seemed to look in
the wrong direction—north. It is COLD
in Greenland. Had Erik sailed south, he
could have discovered Miami Beach, and
Florida might be known as Appelsína-
land (Orangeland), because, based on his
success in naming Greenland, Erik was
obviously savvy enough as a developer to
know that if he named Florida for its true
attributes, such as Mýrinniland (Swamp-
land) or Flugaland (Mosquitoland), he
would never be able to sell property in
the Everglades to drunken Vikings in
Speedos.
Now I know what you’re thinking.
“But Lare, climate change is making
Greenland so warm its glaciers are melt-
ing.” Yes, they are melting. But think
about it. It’s still COLD in Greenland,
and even if all the ice melts, it will still
be COLD there. Beaches in Greenland,
if you can find one, will never become
ground zero for Spring Break. A frozen
margarita is one thing—a margarita that
is frozen is another.
If we own Greenland and we allow
its ice cap to continue to melt, sea levels
will rise 20 feet. Appelsínaland, and that
means Disney World and golf courses
such as Doral and Mar-a-Lago, will dis-
appear. And animal lovers and Santa will
T HE BRID GE
Humor
not be happy to learn we own a place
where the national dish is suaasat, which
is a soup made from seal or sometimes
whale or reindeer.
Then there is the language problem.
We Americans can’t even handle Span-
ish. The population of Greenland is 88
percent native Inuit who speak Green-
landic, or as it is called in Greenlandic,
Kalaallisut.
Kalaallisut is an Eskimo-Aleut lan-
guage that, judging by the number of
double consonants and double vowels,
was developed on a keyboard with sticky
keys. People who speak Kalaallisut also
seem to have a fondness for ending words
with the letter ‘q.’
So think about what it would be like
visiting Greenland if it were a U.S. posses-
sion. You would not need a passport, but
you might have this conversation with the
desk clerk at your hotel:
You: “Hello. I have a reservation”
Desk Clerk: “Tikilluarit! (Welcome!)
Kalaallit oqalusinnaavit? (Do you speak
Greenlandic?) Qanoq ateqarpit? (What is
your name?)”
You, attempting to use a Berlitz phrase-
book: “Umiatsiaasara pullattagaq nimer-
issanik ulikkaarpoq. (My hovercraft is
full of eels.)”
Desk Clerk: “Taler du Dansk? (Do you
speak Danish?) Hvad er dit navn? (What
is your name?)”
You, now attempting Danish from a
phrasebook: “Hvor meget er spæk i vin-
duet? (How much is the blubber in the
window?)”
Desk clerk: “Uteqqissinnaaviuk? (Say
what?)”
You: “I’ve changed my mind. I’m going
to Puerto Rico.”
T HE BRID GE
Community
Events
Events happening
September 18—October 4
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
White People and Racial Justice: How
the Fight Against Racism is Our Issue,
Too. Sandra Batchelder, Aly Johnson-Kurtz
and Penny Patch of SURJ (Showing Up for
Racial Justice), will present the work of this
national network of groups and individuals
working to undermine white supremacy
and move toward racial justice. An Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute Program.
1:30 pm. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free for OLLI
members; $5 suggested donation for non-
members.
Open Weaving Workshop. Families,
students and curious beginners of all ages
are invited to try their hand on a variety of
looms and hand-weaving techniques, with
materials provided at no charge. Come weave
for 10 minutes or an afternoon. Groups of
seven or more, please call ahead to ensure
that we have space available. 3:30–5:30 pm.
Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre.
Free. 479-7069
Fit For What? Re-envisioning “Working
Out.” With Robert Kest, Ph.D. It
is possible when working out, be it
aerobics, yoga, running, etc., to cultivate
a more skillful, responsive, and richer
way of being that can shape our lives.
6–7:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op
community room, Montpelier. Sign-up:
info@hungermountain.coop
Build & Maintain Great Credit for a
Lifetime. Learn the keys to building and
maintaining great credit, how to interpret
your report, and steps to take now to
improve your credit score. 6–7:30 pm.
Capstone, 20 Gable Place, Barre. Free.
477-5215
Mid-Week Movie: The Greatest Showman.
7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5.
Almost There: Movies About the Future.
7 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School St.,
Marshfield. Call library for film title:
426-3581
Yestermorrow Speaker Series Events:
Slash Your Energy Bills. Informal,
introductory workshop with Efficiency
Vermont on reducing energy bills through
low-cost efficiency improvements,
weatherization, heat pumps, and solar
energy. 7 pm. 7865 Main St., Waitsfield.
Free. efficiencyvermont.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Vermont History Museum Volunteer
Training Session. Learn more about
teaching interactive Hands-On History
programs to students at the museum.
9–10:30 am. Vermont History Museum,
109 State St., Montpelier. Free. 828-1413
Th ird Thursday: New Discoveries and
Insights in Vermont Archaeology. In
honor of Archaeology Month, Vermont State
Archaeologist Jess Robinson will provide a
review of the most current research being
Calendar of Events SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 19
Performing
Arts
THEATER, DANCE,
STORYTELLING, COMEDY
Sept. 23: Extempo. Local raconteurs tell
short-format, first-person, true stories live
on stage without any notes or reading. 8 p.m. Positive Pie, 69 Main St., Plainfield. $5. 454-0133.
storytelling@extempovt.com. extempovt.com.
Sept. 27: Kathleen Kanz Comedy Hour. The headliner this month won Vermont’s Funniest
done at archaeological sites statewide. Bring
Comedian Contest on Aug. 31. Lineup is Kathleen Kanz, Vinnie Mule Mulac, Maggie Phelan, and Joe
your lunch, basic refreshments provided.
Gingras. Music at 7:30 pm; jokes at 8:30 pm. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. By donation.
Adult content. No chatter.
Noon. Vermont History Museum, State St.,
Montpelier. Free. vermontthistory.org Oct. 1: Cabot Arts Presents the Fall Foliage Festival Variety Show. Featuring a variety of
performances by local talent Dana and Susan Robinson (folks & Americana), the Kowal Family Band
Open Weaving Workshop. See event (bluegrass), Cabot Community Theater, readings from RD Eno and Ron LaySleeper, and much more.
description under Sept. 18 7 pm. Willey Building Auditorium, 3084 Main St., Cabot. By donation. All proceeds benefit Cabot
Arts.
Get to Know Your Co-op: Participation.
Learn more about the benefits of
membership and how you can actively Exhibit Reception & Free Museum and skeins to SPA for a grand fiber swap.
participate. Take a behind the scenes tour Day. Join us for a reception for the exhibit If you’d like to sell fiber/tools, please label
of the store. Enjoy light refreshments while “Norman Rockwell’s Arlington: America’s each item carefully, otherwise all fiber is
mingling with other member-owners. Home Town” now on view in our Local assumed to be available to others at no cost.
5:30–6:30 pm. Hunger Mountain Co-op History Gallery. Admission is free that 1–3:30 pm. Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main
community room, Montpelier. Sign-up: day (with downloadable ticket) as part St., Barre. studioplacearts.com
info@hungermountain.coop of the national Smithsonian Museum Artist Talk: New & Lapsed Weavers
Day initiative. 10 am–4 pm. Vermont Meet-up. Join Studio Place Arts resident
The Foreigner’s Home: Toni Morrison History Museum, State St., Montpelier.
at the Louvre. Toussaint St. Negritude Artist Pamela Wilson for a tour of the
vermonthistory.org Weaving Community exhibition, learn
presents a screening of the documentary,
“The Foreigner’s Home” as part of the Blessing of the Animals. In recognition of about the Vermont Weavers Guild’s
statewide We Do Language Symposium the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of 2019–20 offerings and meet others new to
celebrating the work of Toni Morrison. Assisi, we welcome your caged, haltered, or hand-weaving. Explore a variety of looms,
6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, leashed animal (or a photo) for this special fibers, and resources for expanding or
135 Main Street, Montpelier. 223- blessing. 11 am. St. John the Baptist Church, renewing your weaving practice. 2–2:30 pm.
3338. For more information about the 39 West Church St., Hardwick. 888-5317 Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre.
We Do Language Symposium, email Artist Gathering: SABLE De-Stash & studioplacearts.com
stnegritude@gmail.com. Swap. Weavers and yarn lovers—has your Montpelier Contra Dance. With Steve
fiber collection reached “SABLE” levels Zakon-Anderson calling and music by
Bill Torrey, Vermont Storyteller and
Author of “The Ta Ta Weenie Club.” yet? (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Dave Langford and Colin McCaffrey. No
Expectancy!) If you’ve tired of looking at experience and no partner needed. All
Torrey’s book is a collection of twenty-one
stories which take place in Vermont during piles from previous projects or would like to dances are taught plus an introductory
the ’60s and early ’70s. 7 pm. Stowe Free clear your studio shelves, bring those cone session at 7:45 pm. Everyone welcome.
Library, Community Room, 90 Pond St.,
Stowe. 253-6145
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Friday Morning Fall Bird Walks. A
weekly, casual bird walk around the North
Branch Nature Center property in search
of fall migratory songbirds. Learn about
identification, ecology, and life history
of our local avifauna. Led by NBNC’s
expert naturalists and birders. 7:30–9 am.
713 Elm St., Montpelier. $10. 229-6206
All the Film’s A Stage. Grueling rehearsals,
opening-night jitters, outsize personalities:
films about the world of theater have long
been a staple. Join Rick Winston in an
exploration of how cinema has portrayed
what goes into a theater production, from
audition to rehearsal to performance.
A Vermont Humanities Council Series.
7–9 pm Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. Free.
highlandartsvt.org
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Paddle Lake Willoughby with Green
Mountain Club. Westmore. Difficult.
10-mile round trip. Start at the south beach,
paddle along the west shore to the north
beach for lunch (optional swim), and then
return to the south beach. Enjoy crystal
clear waters, rocky cliffs, and maybe loon
sightings. Bring lunch, water, snacks, and
jacket. Must wear PFD. Contact Co-leaders:
Nancy Schulz, 223-7035 or saddleshoes2@
gmail.com or Phyllis Rubenstein, 793-
6313 or Phyllis@PhyllisRubensteinLaw.
comcastbiz.net for meeting time and place.
2nd Annual Country Breakfast. Scrambled
eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, home
fries, white gravy, coffee, and orange juice.
9–11 am. Barre Area Senior Center, 131 S.
Main St., Barre. $10; kids 10 and under $7.
PAGE 20 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through Sept. 20: Philip Hagopian, Sequel.
Multimedia paintings. Julian Scott Memorial
Gallery at Dibden Center for the Arts, NVU-
Johnson. NorthernVermont.edu
Through Sept. 27: Studies in Rhythmic
Vitality—Paintings by Lois Eby. Acrylic
paints on birch panels. Vermont Supreme Court
Gallery, State St., Montpelier. leby@loiseby.com
Through Sept. 27: Vermont Pastel Society.
T.W. Wood Art Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. Through Oct. 15: Valerie Hird, We’re Not
Through Sept. 28: Weaving Community:
Recent Work from the Vermont Weavers
Guild. New work by contemporary Vermont
weavers, a “pop-up weaving studio,” talks and
other educational activities. Opening reception: 90 Pond St., Stowe.
Sept. 20, 5:30–7:30 pm. 201 N. Main St.,
Barre. studioplacearts.com
Through Sept. 30: Show 34. Latest work by
The Front’s gallery members. The Front, 6 Barre Medical Center, 130 Fisher Hill Rd., Berlin.
St., Montpelier. thefrontvt.com
Through Sept. 30: Norwich & Northfield—
Our Past & Present. Paintings by Joe Latulippe Propaganda Posters from the Vermont
and historical photographs of Northfield courtesy Historical Society Collections. Visitors can
of the Northfield Historical Society. ART, etc.
32 Depot Square, Northfield. artetcvt.com
Through Sept. 30: Jane Edwards & Linda
Hogan. Edwards’ whimsical, hand-built pottery Vermont History Center, 60 Washington St.,
delights the innocent being within all of us.
Her works are inspired by the organic, elegant
ceramics of Asia and the intuitive spontaneity
of a child at play. Hogan, a photographer,
explores working with images of perspective and Shullenberger’s new display features fabric collage
reflection. Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., Montpelier. and sculpture. Gallery at Highland Center
cheshirecatclothing.com
Through Sept. 30: Music Around
Montpelier. Photographs of musicians
and community engagement by Ellen B.
Marshall. Hunger Mountain Co-op Café.
info@hungermountain.coop
Calendar of Events
Through Oct. 2: Joyce Kahn Pastels. Local
pastel artist Joyce Kahn will be displaying her
pieces inspired by her time in Mexico as well as
by Vermont garden florals. Montpelier Senior
Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
Through Oct. 26: Recent Work by John
Matusz. Collage sculptures made from
cardboard and ranging in size from 27 inches
to 60 inches tall. Opening reception: Sept. 27,
6–8 pm. Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop, 5 Stowe
St., Waterbury. AxelsGallery.com
Through Oct. 31: Helen Rabin and Marge
Pulaski. Jaquith Public Library, School St.,
Marshfield. jaquithpubliclibrary.org
in Kansas Anymore. Paintings. Furchgott
Sourdiffe, 86 Falls Rd., Shelburne. fsgallery.com
Through Oct. 19: Exposed: Outdoor
Sculpture Exhibition. Helen Day Art Center,
Through Oct. 20: Visual Splendor: Travels
in Northern India. Photographs by Amy
Davenport. The Gallery at Central Vermont
moetown52@comcast.net.
Through Oct. 25: The War of Ideas:
examine how posters have been an important
part of the wartime effort, for everything from
recruitment to support on the homefront.
Barre. 479-8500. vermonthistory.org
Through Oct. 27: Dianne Shullenberger,
Outdoor Influences. Inspired by being
outdoors and experiencing nature’s atmosphere,
for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
highlandartsvt.org
Through Oct. 29: Handcrafted Vermont;
Works by the Guild of Vermont Furniture
Makers. Vermont State House Cardroom,
Montpelier. curator.vermont.gov
T HE BRID GE
Through Oct. 30: Monkeys, Missiles, and social justice, and history through the lens of
Mushrooms. Paintings by Marina Epstein. The
paintings on view represent the artist’s experience
photography, painting, sculpture, and mixed
media.
living in Vermont combined with exotic East Gallery: Studio of Archeo-virtual
tropical influences from Mexico. 134 State St., Spiritings. Greek artist Vasilis Zografos’
Montpelier. hermitage-gallery.com new body of paintings reveals the medium’s
Through Oct. 31: Deborah Sacks: Cats, enduring relevance in today’s digital image
Landscapes and Figures. Mixed media prints. culture by examining the tension between
Reception: Oct. 25, 6 pm. Chelsea Public memorialization and design, commemoration
Library. chelsealibrary.com and utility, reflection and affordance, in a
series of oils on paper that draw upon an
Through Oct. 31: LandART Lab 2019. Over archaeological rather than a Modernist
18 regional sculptors presenting outdoor art and tradition.
installation on the land. Pack a picnic and bring
friends and family. King Farm Rd., Woodstock. Through Dec. 20: Kate Emlen, Breathe the
Wind. Emlen’s paintings explore the power
Through Oct. 31: Conduits: A Show With and mystery of the natural world. Imagery
Three Artists. Three artists (Liz Hawkes shifts between disintegration and integration
deNiord, Richard Heller, and Rachel Portesi) through the use of light and shadow, color and
with divergent expressions convene to form. Opening reception: Sept. 28, 5–7 pm.
compliment and explore underlying realities in White River Gallery, 35 S. Windsor St., South
their art. Two painters and a wet plate collodion Royalton. 498-8438
print photographer challenge the viewer to
engage with the works, discovering connected Through Dec. 21: 200 Years—200 Objects.
meaning beyond what is seen. All three artists An exhibition celebrating Norwich University’s
bicentennial. Curated to include objects from the
work to create a conduit for inspired expression.
museum collection, as well as documents and
Vermont Art Council’s Spotlight Gallery,
images from Archives and Special Collections,
136 State St., Montpelier.
that reflect and retell the university’s 200-year
Through Nov. 2: Studio Place Arts. Opening history. Norwich University Sullivan Museum
reception: Sept. 20, 5:30–7:30 pm. 201 N. and History Center, Northfield. norwich.edu
Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.com
SPECIAL EVENTS
Rock Solid XIX. Annual stone sculpture
exhibit showcases stone sculptures and
Sept. 20: Reception Celebration: Permanent
assemblage by area artists and other work that
depicts the beautiful qualities of stone. Sculpture Installation and Exhibition of
Perspective by Tuyen My Nguyen. Paintings. The Vermont Arts Council, the
Installations made from tautly strung thread Department of Buildings and General Services,
and string that explore scale differences in the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and
small and large configurations. Markets, and the Vermont Agency of Natural
Humanity – No Fear of the Other and Resources invite you to celebrate the permanent
the Good Life: Recent Paintings by installation of a bronze sculpture by Jim
Damariscotta Rouelle Sardonis at the main entrance to the Vermont
Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory
Sept. 20–Nov. 9: Helen Day Art Center. and paintings in the lobby by Adelaide Tyrol.
Opening: Sept. 20, 5–7 pm. 90 Pond St., Stowe. 10 am. Vermont Agriculture and Environmental
helenday.com Laboratory, 163 Admin Dr., Randolph. RSVP:
Main Gallery: Unbroken Current. mbell@vermontartscouncil.org
Investigates cultural and personal identity,
Capital City Grange Hall, 6612 Rt. 12, Valley Waldorf School’s Grace Farm Campus,
Berlin. Adults $10; kids and low income $5; 2290 Rt. 14 N, East Montpelier. Register:
dance supporters $15. Please bring clean, cathie.e@ovws.org
soft-soled shoes. 225-8921 Words Out Loud with Rick Winston and
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 Elizabeth A.I. Powell. Sunday afternoon
readings by Vermont writers. 3 pm. Old West
Hike Elmore Area with the Green Church, Calais. 456-1551
Mountain Club. Easy. 6 miles. Start on Rt.
12 south of Elmore village and hike 3 miles Yoga Shalom and Meditation Workshop.
on old woods roads into Little Elmore Pond, Join us for 30 minutes of yoga outside
a lovely pond which is a half mile long. Picnic followed by 40 minutes of walking and
lunch on rocks by the pond. Contact Steve or sitting meditiation. Please bring a mat or
Heather Bailey, stevecbailey@gmail.com or contact programming@bethjacobvt.org if you
622-4516 for meeting time and place. need one. 6:30 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue,
10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier. RSVP at
3rd Annual Rally & Race Against Racism. bethjacobvt.org to reserve a spot and pay by
5K Walk/Run. Rally, music, performances, donation.
food. 11 am–1:30 pm. Montpelier High
School. Register early for discounted entry MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
fee: raceagainstracismvt.com. Proceeds One Town at a Time, Film with Discussion.
benefit The Vermont Coalition for Ethnic and One Town at a Time is a coming-of-age story
Social Equity in Schools. that is firmly rooted in the community spirit
Advanced Cancer Support Group. that makes Vermont towns so special. You
Individuals and families living with incurable will hear from 251 club members, and after
or advanced cancer are invited to meet to talk listening to their stories of traveling through
openly about concerns and interests. 2–4 pm. Vermont, you’ll want to start exploring as well.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre 6:30 pm. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Mary Ellen Simmons at the St., Montpelier. 223-3338
CVMC Cancer Center: 552-8115 Monthly Book Group for Adults. Join us
Biodynamic Farming/Gardening for the Jaquith book group. For copies of the
Workshop: Principles, Practices and book, please stop by the library. New members
Hands-on Application. Biodynamics is a are always welcome, and it’s only one hour a
holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to month. 7 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School
farming, gardening, food, and nutrition. Join St., Marshfield.
us for this conversation with Kate Winslow
about the basic principles and practices of TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
biodynamic farming and gardening, and Open Weaving Workshop. See event
how these differ from other organic and description under Sept. 18
conventional methods. 3–5 pm. Orchard
T HE BRID GE Calendar of Events SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 21

Sept. 19–21: Scrag Mountain Birthday the opportunity to experience world-class enjoy. All concerts at noon in City Hall Plaza,

Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. 229-9212.
Bagitos.com
Sept. 5: Coffee Corn
Sept. 19: Coffee Corner Jam Session,
7:30 pm; Italian Session, 6 pm
Sept. 20: Dave Loughran, 6 pm
Sept. 22: Southern Old Time Music Jam,
10 am
Sept. 27: Latin Dance Party, 7 pm
Oct. 3: Coffee Corner Jam Session, 7:30 am
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St.
Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Every Tues.: Karaoke, 7:30 pm
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre.
479-0896. espressobueno.com.
Sept 27: Michael Stridsberg (rock & folk),
7:30 pm
Whammy Bar. 31 W. County Rd., Calais.
whammybar1.com
Every Thurs.: Open Mic, 7 pm
Sept. 20: Sara Grace and Andy Soots,
7:30 pm
Sept 21: Liz Beatty and the Lab Rats,
7:30 pm
Sept. 27: Cowboys and Angels (Kelly Ravin
and Halle Jade), 7:30 pm
Sept. 28: Footworks, 7:30 pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sept. 18: Burger Night with Music
by Dave Keller. 5:30 pm. Templeton
Farms, 3410 Center Rd., East Montpelier.
templetonfarm.com
Bash. Scrag Mountain Music kicks off its
milestone 2019–20 tenth anniversary season
with a series of delightful musical programs
inspired by food. Scrag veteran guest artists
Paul Wonjin Cho (clarinet) and David Kaplan
(piano) join Scrag co-Artistic Directors Mary
Bonhag (soprano) and Evan Premo (double
bass) for a fun and festive program of music
that includes Leonard Bernstein’s 4-recipe song
cycle “La Bonne Cuisine,” the jazz standard
“Frim Fram Sauce” made popular by Nat
“King” Cole, and William Bolcom’s whimsical
“Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese
Surprise,” among other mouth-watering works.
By donation.
Sept. 19: 5 pm, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, 155
Carroll Rd., Waitsfield
Sept. 20: 3 pm, Hardwick Farmer’s Market,
Atkins Field, 150 Granite St., Hardwick
Sept. 21: Musical Scavenger Hunt.
Surprise pop-up concerts at venues
around Montpelier, 2:45–4:30 pm. Visit
scragmountainmusic.org for clues.
Sept. 21: Party and concert. Cash bar,
appetizers, musical activities, silent auction,
cake, concert, open mic. 5–10 pm. Vermont
College of Fine Arts Chapel, 36 College St.,
Montpelier
Sept. 19: The Hunger Mountain Co-op
Brown Bag Summer Concert Series: Patti
Casey & Colin McCaffrey. Montpelier
Alive’s series of FREE and fun lunch-time
concerts. Join us for a diverse lineup of local
and regional acts that are sure to delight.
Bring a lunch from one of our wonderful
downtown restaurants and enjoy. All concerts
at noon in City Hall Plaza, 39 Main St.,
Montpelier.
Sept. 20: Meditation Concerts: Cellist
Emily Taubl. Free concerts give listeners
performances in a reflective way through
30-minute meditations to live music. Noon.
Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont State
House, Montpelier. capitalcityconcerts.org
Sept. 20: Darlingside. Boston-based indie
quartet. 7:30 pm. Chandler Music Hall, Main
St., Randolph. $10–35. chandler-arts.org
Sept. 21: Barre-Tones Annual Show:
Harmony Super Heroes. Central Vermont’s
internationally-ranked a cappella chorus and
quartets, will use their unusual, comedic super
powers, together with musical skills and
abilities to solve an intriguing problem facing
them. 7 pm Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St.,
Barre. Adults $18; seniors $12; ages under 18
$7. BarretonesVT.com
Sept. 22, 24–26: Northern Harmony.
An ensemble of nine brilliant young singers
based in Vermont presents a concert of world
harmony traditions, including South African
songs and dances, traditional polyphony
from Georgia, Corsica, and the Balkans, and
American shape-note singing and quartet
gospel. Suggested admission at the door is $15,
$5 for students. villageharmony.org
Sept. 22: 7 pm. Plainfield Friends Meeting,
on Martin Meadow in Plainfield
Sept. 24: 7 pm. Highland Center for the
Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro.
Sept. 25: 7 pm, Christ Church, Taplin
Auditorium, 64 State St., Montpelier
Sept. 26: 7:30 pm, Guilford Community
Church, 38 Church Dr., Guilford
Sept. 26: The Hunger Mountain Co-op
Brown Bag Summer Concert Series: Dave
Keller. Montpelier Alive’s series of FREE
and fun lunch-time concerts. Join us for a
diverse lineup of local and regional acts that
are sure to delight. Bring a lunch from one
of our wonderful downtown restaurants and
39 Main St., Montpelier.
Sept. 27: Patti Casey & the Wicked Fine
Players. With a little more blue in the
bluegrass, a little more swing, and a whole lot of
fun, Patti Casey and the Wicked Fine Players
features Colin McCaffrey’s beautiful fiddle and
killer vocal harmonies, Kirk Lord’s spot-on,
low-key, rock-solid acoustic bass, Steve Light’s
award-winning banjo and dobro, and of course,
Patti’s voice and songs, which have not only
won many national awards, but many hearts
as well. 7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts,
2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. Tickets
start at $15; seniors 20% off; students $10.
highlandartsvt.org
Sept. 28: Roy Book Binder. Eclectic style
includes blues, country, bluegrass, folk and
music that originated in Tin Pan Alley.
7:30 pm. Chandler Music Hall, Main St.,
Randolph. $19. chandler-arts.org
Sept. 28: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. America’s
favorite little big band continues its decades-
long mission to revitalize swing and jazz music
and to bring it to new audiences all over the
world. 8 pm. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main
St., Barre. $24–46.50. barreoperahouse.org
Oct. 4: Jimmie Vaughan. The legendary Texas
Blues guitarist and 4-time Grammy winner
brings his 7-piece band to The Barre Opera
House for what promises to be Vermont’s
hottest blues event of the year. 8 pm. 6 N. Main
St., Barre. $22-42.50. barreoperahouse.org
Oct. 4: Electrolads. Electrolads harness the
power of pulsating music to create a space
for raw dance culture, stripping down the
Electronic Dance Music experience to its
foundations of purity and movement. 8 pm.
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick
St., Greensboro. $10. highlandartsvt.org

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Hike Montpelier area with the Green
Mountain Club. Easy. 4.5 miles. Hubbard
Park and beyond. Start at the North Branch
Nature Center and walk to the “Stump
Dump” entrance to the park. Hike out of
the park to a couple of lovely viewpoints for
a picnic lunch. Contact Steve or Heather
Bailey, stevecbailey@gmail.com or 622-4516
for meeting time and place.
No Rugged Pioneers in Sight: Central
Park. The Civil War, and the Creation
of the National Parks. Rolf Diamant,
the former superintendent of the Marsh-
Billings-Rockefeller national park will
debunk the legend that the national park
idea was birthed around a campfire near
Yellowstone by a “wonderful and interesting
group of rugged western pioneers,” and will
tell the real story of its origins. An Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute Program. 1:30
pm. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free for OLLI
members; $5 suggested donation for non-
members.
Open Weaving Workshop. See event
description under Sept. 18
Rainbow Umbrella of Women’s
Discussion Group. Welcomes all
members of the LGBTQ community
who identify as women to participate in
biweekly conversations about concerns of
particular interest to the group. 5:30–7 pm.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St., Montpelier.
Future Planning. We’ll talk about why
you would want a will, how much you need
to retire, when to take Social Security, and
touch on the new tax code. 6–7:30 pm.
Capstone, 20 Gable Place, Barre. Free.
477-5215
Dealing with Difficult People. An evening
talk with the Venerable Amy Miller. This
lively event presents an alternative view on
the presence of challenging people and how
best to transform a negative experience into a
more positive one. Meditation and practical
exercises included. 6–7:30 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
223-3338.
Healthy Microbiome = Healthy You. With
Erik Esselstyn, A.B. We will review the
latest science examining fiber’s importance
in wellbeing, and the link of inflammatory
illness to low dietary fiber. $8 members; $10
non-members. 6–7:30 pm. Hunger Mountain
Co-op community room, Montpelier. RSVP:
info@hungermountain.coop
Uranium in Water, Radon in Air. Join
Stelle Larsen, senior water resources
engineer, and Michelle Thompson, Public
Health Hygienist from the Vermont
Department of Public Health, for a talk
about uranium, radon, and radium in
drinking water and indoor air. Free water
kits (worth $184) will be given to the first
30 people who register for this talk at AHS.
VDHPrivateWellTestResults@vermont.gov. shelves. Taste some of their newest offerings.
7 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School St., 7 pm. Stowe Free Library, Community
Marshfield. Room, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-6145
Yestermorrow Speaker Series Events:
Nature-Inspired Furniture Design. In this
presentation, Kory Rogers explores a host of
topics related to nature-inspired furniture,
including biomorphic design, biomimicry,
and eco-friendly materials. 7 pm. 7865 Main
St., Waitsfield. Free. efficiencyvermont.com
Mid-Week Movie: Brooklyn. 7 pm.
Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Bessie Drennan Exhibit Days. Sept. 26–29.
Primitive style artist exhibit, alongside local
art, crafts, textiles and foods. Homemade
lunch available all day. Thurs.–Sat., 10:30
am–4 pm; Sun., 11 am–4 pm. South
Woodbury Church on Rt. 14.
Open Weaving Workshop. See event
description under Sept. 18
Food Book Club. This month’s book: The
Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. 6–7 pm.
Hunger Mountain Co-op community room,
Montpelier. RSVP: info@hungermountain.
coop
Artist Talk: Role of Handcraft in Post-
Industrial Society by Justin Squizzero.
How does one make a living using
technology that’s been obsolete for 200
years? Justin Squizzero will wrestle with that
question and what it means to be relevant
today while working within a centuries-old
craft tradition. 7–8 pm. Studio Place Arts,
201 N. Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.com
Runamok Maple. Runamok Maple will be
telling us about current trends in the maple
industry including all the new maple flavors
and infusions we’ve been seeing on the store
PAGE 2 2 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 T HE BRID GE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Bessie Drennan Exhibit Days. See event
description under Sept. 26
Chicken Pie Supper. 6:30 pm. Dinner only:
adults $15; children $8. Dinner with concert
(Four Shillings Short, a Celtic world music
duo): adults $22; children $8. Take-out
available. Old Meeting House, 1620 Center
Rd., East Montpelier. Reservations needed:
223-6934. oldmeetinghouse.org
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Hike Stowe area with the Green Mountain
Club. Moderate. 6.5 miles. Start at
Sterling Gorge and hike the Catamount
Trail to Peek-A-View Mt., where you can
relax in a bench swing with a view of Mt
Mansfield. Finish off with beautiful Sterling
Gorge. Contact Steve or Heather Bailey,
stevecbailey@gmail.com or 622-4516 for
meeting time and place.
Montpelier Household Hazardous
Waste Collection. It’s time to clean out
your basement and garage. Set aside your
hazardous waste and bring to a nearby
HHW collection. 9 am–1 pm. 5 Green
Mountain Dr., Montpelier. $20 per carload
for in-district residents. cvswmd.org
Bessie Drennan Exhibit Days. See event
description under Sept. 26
Chicken Pie. Noon and 6:30 pm. Old
Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East
Montpelier. Adults $15; children $8.
Take-out available. Reservations needed:
223-6934. oldmeetinghouse.org
Artist Demo: Beyond Camel Girths by
Rebecca Jensen. Exhibiting artist Rebecca
(Becky) Jensen will reveal what ply-split
Calendar of Events
braiding involves, a fiber braiding technique
that originated long ago in the Middle East
for making camel girths that she uses to
create artwork resembling sculptural baskets.
1–2 pm. Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St.,
Barre. studioplacearts.com
Artist Talk: Doubleweave Isn’t Just
Double by Susan Rockwell. Doubleweave
is a process that allows for two separate layers
to be woven simultaneously, for weaving
double width cloth, for tubular weaving and
variations, as well as double weave pickup
for creative woven-in designs. Exhibiting
artist Susan Rockwell will speak about how
she got to double weave and the challenge
of this exciting structure. 2:30–3:30 pm.
Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre.
studioplacearts.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Bessie Drennan Exhibit Days. See event
description under Sept. 26
Marshfield Harvest Festival. 11 am–3
pm. Free family-friendly activities: face
painting, cider pressing, arts and crafts,
field games, live music and more. Book sale,
bake sale, horse and wagon rides, yard sale,
craft sale and 50/50 raffle. Chili Cook-Off
11 am–2 pm. Jaquith Public Library, School
St., Marshfield. Chili or barbecue is $8 for
adults and $4 for children.
Words Out Loud with Daniel Lusk
and Janet Pocorobba. Sunday afternoon
readings by Vermont writers. 3 pm. Old
West Church, Calais. 456-1551
High Holiday Services: Rosh
Hashanah. 7 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue,
10 Harrison Ave., Montpelier.
bethjacobvt.org
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
High Holiday Services: Rosh Hashanah.
9 am. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison
Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.org
UVM Professor Emeritus Kevin
McKenna on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Professor McKenna will discuss the major
fiction of Nobel Prize—winning author
and former Vermont resident Aleksandr
Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008) in the context of
his extraordinary Gulag-camp biography as
well as his place in the pantheon of 19th-
century Russian authors. 6:30 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
223-3338.
High Holiday Services: Humanist Service.
7 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison
Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.org.
High Holiday Services: Humanist Service.
7 pm. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison
Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.org
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1
High Holiday Services: Rosh Hashanah.
9 am. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison
Ave., Montpelier. bethjacobvt.org
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Your Wheels. Do you rely on a personal
vehicle to get where you need to go? There’s
lots to consider when buying and repairing
your ride. 6–7:30 pm. Capstone, 20 Gable
Place, Barre. Free. 477-5215
Local Action for Transportation
Transformation. Town energy committees,
town energy coordinators, and other
interested participants from central
Vermont will gather to share their work
and to consider how they can improve
transportation options in their communities.
Agenda includes updates, presentations
from experts, and breakout discussions.
6–8:30 pm. Montpelier City Hall,
39 Main St., Montpelier. RSVP:
chartrand@cvregion.com or 229-0389
Yestermorrow Speaker Series Events:
Place-Based Natural Building in Central
America. Liz Johndrow and the TERRA
Collaborative (Pueblo Project) have
partnered with local communities in Central
America to offer hands-on workshops and
training in the construction and renovation
of homes and community buildings.
7 pm. 7865 Main St., Waitsfield. Free.
efficiencyvermont.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9
Welcome to Montpelier Party.
This is a reception to honor new residents
and celebrate the importance of the personal
relationships we share. Music performed
by Bella and the Notables. 6–8 pm. Jazz
Standards starting at 7 pm. North Branch
Café, 41 State Street, Montpelier. Please
RVSP to Allie or Claudia. 223-3425.
Send your event listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com
T HE BRID GE SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 • PAGE 23

Scrag Mountain Music Celebrates 10th Year Music

S
crag Mountain Music in Marshfield
kicks off its milestone 10th anni-
versary season this month with a
series of musical programs inspired by
food. Since its start, Scrag has been about
serving great music to its community
and offering out-of-town guest artists the
opportunity to experience Vermont and
all it has to offer. By preparing nourish-
ing meals for guest artists from local
ingredients, Scrag believes that the music
performed is infused with a strong essence
of place.
For this occasion, Scrag veteran guest
artists Paul Wonjin Cho (clarinet) and
David Kaplan (piano) join Scrag co-ar-
tistic directors Mary Bonhag (soprano)
and Evan Premo (double bass) for a fun
and festive program of music that in-
cludes Leonard Bernstein’s 4-recipe song
cycle “La Bonne Cuisine,” the jazz stan-
dard “Frim Fram Sauce” made popular by
Nat “King” Cole, and William Bolcom’s
whimsical “Lime Jello Marshmallow
Cottage Cheese Surprise,” among other
mouth-watering works.
Scrag’s big Birthday Bash Concert and
Party is set for 5–10 pm Saturday, Sep-
tember 21 at the Vermont College of Fine
Arts Chapel in Montpelier. Also sched-
uled are performances at 5 pm Thursday,
September 19 at Lawson’s Finest Liquids
in Waitsfield; 3 pm September 20 at the
Hardwick Farmers Market; and 2:45 pm
September 21 at locations around Mont-
pelier combined with a scavenger hunt.
Admission is “Pay what you can” with
at-will donations collected at the concert.
Advance RSVPs are encouraged, as space
is limited. For details, visit scragmoun-
tainmusic.org
This text was provided by Scrag Moun-
tain.

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PAGE 24 • SEP T 18 — O C T 1, 2019 T HE BRID GE

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