The Bridge, December 18, 2014

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December 18, 2014 January 7, 2015
I would rather be doing

what I think is in the
best interests of the people
and become politically
unpopular than just worry
about winning an election.
I think the discussion is
good for Vermont.
-Scott Milne
IN THIS ISSUE:
5: Barre School Budget
9: Monster Storm
PRSRT STD
CAR-RT SORT
U.S. Postage
PAID
Montpelier, VT
Permit NO. 123
24: "Eat More Kale" Guy

Wins Trademark Suit
Milne Won't Back Down

story and photos by Carla Occaso
t is one thing to interview a political candidate as part of a

press conference diving in front of TV cameras to get a
clear photo and crouching down to take notes but it is another thing to have a nice long talk with a man who is on what he
describes as a narrow path to victory. Gubernatorial candidate
Scott Milne admits his chances of becoming the next governor of
Vermont are slim, but he can see it as a possibility. That is what
keeps him going even after former Republican Gov. Jim Douglas
(a man for whom Milne says he has tremendous respect) suggested he bow out while he is still popular. He told The Bridge
being popular isnt his primary goal. Rather, Milnes mission is
stopping or at least bringing attention to what he describes
as a pattern of imprudent spending on failed programs with too
many cronies on an inflated payroll.
Since Shumlin came into office, there are, as of Sept. 1, 800
fewer people in the private sector and 1,200 more people working for the state of Vermont. If the private sector isnt growing,
the government shouldnt be growing, Milne said.
The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
He acknowledged a similar problem with the education system.

There are fewer students and more adult staff with higher spending than ever throughout the state. Vermont pays about $17,500
per pupil while the national average of per pupil spending is
around $12,000, according to Milne. This needs to stop, he
said, suggesting a plan where the state is divided into 15 educational regions (the same regions as the career technical centers
are divided). Then, each region could try to bring down the
cost per pupil by pooling resources, or however they can, and be
rewarded by getting more money for college tuition. This would
create greater incentive for taxpayers and education officials to
bring down expenses.
Milne further characterizes Shumlin as a hotshot governor who
is taking his lead from the national interests rather than tending
to practical, down-home matters. Milne says the move to tie up
legislators time with genetically modified seed labeling, death
with dignity legislation, the whistleblower act and legalization
of marijuana takes away from the time needed to straighten out
more practical matters that affect all Vermonters every day like
jobs, education and taxes.
Milne came in second to Peter Shumlin in the 2014 governors

race, but by so few votes (about 2,400) that neither candidate
got 50 percent of the vote. This means Shumlin won a plurality,
but not the majority. Because of cases like this, those who wrote
the Vermont Constitution decided in these cases the Legislature
must decide who should be governor based on more or different
factors than numbers alone. If it were only a matter of numbers, then this constitutional formality would not be necessary
because one candidate did get a higher number of votes. The
amount of votes tipping Shumlin into the lead could arguably
be attributed to the voters of Vermonts most populated county:
Chittenden, although Shumlin beat Milne in five counties while
Milne beat Shumlin in nine counties.
The Bridges founding publisher Nat Frothingham sat down Dec.
12 to slowly dissect the man who just wont quit.
See Q&A with Scott Milne on Page 6
PAG E 2 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015
THE BRIDGE
D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 3
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by Lindsey Grutchfield
hen my generation is mentioned in conversation, we tend

to be described as tech-obsessed, culturally shallow,
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Lindsey Grutchfield
The Bridge gives us something real.

Lindsey Grutchfield is a Montpelier High School senior and regular,
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Published twice a month
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By The Numbers:
Milne versus Shumlin
by Ivan Shadis
Overall Vermont population (this includes children): 626,146
Statewide voter turnout, 2014 midterm election: 193,500 (43.7 percent of about
443,000 registered voters)
Statewide voter turnout, 2010 midterms: 243,453 (54 percent of about 453,180 voters)
Total votes for Democrat Peter Shumlin on Nov. 4 2014: 89,509
Total votes for Republican Scott Milne on Nov. 4: 87,075
Milne won against Shumlin in nine out of 14 counties.
Margin of votes by which Scott Milne won Washington County: 41 votes
Municipalities in Washington County that voted for Scott Milne: Barre City, Barre
Town, Berlin, Cabot, Duxbury, Marshfield, Northfield and Roxbury.
Municipalities in Washington County that voted for Peter Shumlin: Calais, East
Montpelier, Fayston, Middlesex, Montpelier, Moretown, Plainfield, Waitsfield, Warren, Waterbury and Worcester.
THE BRIDGE
HEARD ON THE
STREET
A New Arvads Opens in Waterbury
WATERBURY A local fixture since 1989, Arvads Grill re-opened Dec. 15, unveiling a
new menu, chef, decor, logo, website, name and taglineIts Fresh. Its Local. Its Arvads.
This major renovation comes right before the 25th anniversary, which staff and customers
will celebrate Jan. 15.
With the addition of Chef J.D. Dorney, formerly of J.P. Morgans, Arvads Grill revealed a
new menu. Youll also recognize many tried and true favorites, including Arvads wings and
the Arvads Outrageous salad. New to the menu is hand-cut steaks, bottomless hand-cut
fries, build-a-burger and signature salads. Arvads now offers a range of entrees highlighting
local ingredients. The new bar menu has lots of Vermont brews and spirits. Arvads Grill is
open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Check out the website
at www.arvads.com.
(Milne) Total campaign expenditures $211,106

(Shumlin) Total campaign expenditures $890,312
Times the Legislature has voted for governor when none of the candidates get over 50
percent of the votes): 23 times
Times the Legislature by joint assembly has selected as governor a candidate who did
not receive the most votes: Three times
Number of candidates the Legislature may choose from for governor: The top three
vote-getters
The Hungry Heart Documentary Wins National Award

BARNET The documentary film, The Hungry Heart, produced by Kingdom
County Productions and directed by Bess OBrien, was granted the 2015 Media Award
by the American Society of Addiction Medicine last week. The American Society of Addiction Medicine is a medical society representing more than 3,200 physicians and associated professionals dedicated to increasing access and improvement to addiction treatment
nationwide. The honor will be awarded to OBrien at the ASAM national conference in
Austin, Texas, in April.
From the Montpelier Police Department

Overnight Winter Parking is ALWAYS Prohibited on:
Cedar Street for its entire length
Court Street between its intersection with Elm Street and the intersection with Governor
Aiken Avenue
Downing Street for its entire length
East State Street on its northerly side from Main Street to Cedar Street and on its southerly side from 89 East State St. to West Street
Elm Street on both sides from State Street to Spring Street
Liberty Street from Main to Hubbard
School Street on both sides between Elm Street and Main Street
School Street from the intersection of School and Main streets easterly to the intersection
with Loomis Street
Spring Street on both sides from its intersection with Elm Street easterly to its intersection with Keck Circle
Taylor Street on both sides from State Street to Taylor Street Bridge
Nature Watch
by Nona Estrin
he sun has slowed its journey toward the south, about to pause and
return. Skiing has been silky, but
something is missing. I miss the goldencrowned kinglets. When snow locks up
the land, and hunters pack up for home,
the woods always seemed to belong to these
tiny birds. I looked forward to stopping in
the quiet woods at one of several groves of
spruce trees on my trail, and listen for the
high zee zeee zee. But the last few years have
not been good for the spruce at our latitude,
and very few still stand. But I know a place
to the west, another 800 feet or so higher,
and a bit cooler, where there may still be a
good spruce stand. I'll go there tomorrow
to stop and soak in the song of the goldencrowned kinglet.
School Budget Hits Snags; Pre-K Delay Causes Confusion

by Ed Sutherland
BARRE Its budget time in most school districts, and for Barre, the process is fraught
with roadblocks, resignations and remembrances of an electorate eager to turn against
the slightest hint of higher taxes. Little wonder John Bacon, superintendent of the Barre
City Supervisory Union, describes the budget process at a very precarious stage. Bacon
retires at the end of the year.
There remains lots of work to do before presenting a budget ready for the board or voters, Bacon said. Additionally, Gov. Peter Shumlin's decision to allow state schools to delay
pre-K causes us to rethink our plans.
Norma Malone, vice chair of the Barre City Supervisory Union Board, gives a slightly
more positive spin. The resignation of Business Manager Lynne Carpenter made the
budget development process a bit more challenging, but the administrators and business
office staff have made an exceptional effort to fill the void and we should be on track to
meet our deadlines. Before leaving, Carpenter told the school board that the fiscal year
2016 budget would be $1,541,653, which is an increase of $54,224.84, according to a
draft circulated in November.
One of the three accountants also resigned, leaving Bacon and Assistant Business Manager John Gray with the bulk of the budget work. Budgets for the Barre City and Barre
Town elementary schools, along with Spaulding High School and Spaulding's Technical
Center and supervisory union, all must be completed by the end of the year.
Budgets for the Barre schools are not ready for prime time, but draft figures show the
impact the states new mandated (and then delayed) pre-K program may have on area
schools. At Barre City Elementary, budget planners were considering a $400,000 increase
to handle the extra students. Included in that amount was the addition of an extra classroom to accommodate the rise in preschool students the district must handle: from 90 to
120. Total expenditures were expected to reach around $792,000.
Although the universal pre-K program was expected to begin in July 2015, the governor
delayed the effort for a year, partly due to the impact on school budget writing. On Dec.
10, the state learned it will receive $33 million to help assist early education programs.
Vermont Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe called the money a real shot in the
arm.
A possible solution for Barre, which has seen two of its school budget attempts go down in
flames during previous town meetings, is a budget surplus discovered by school auditors.
According to Bacon, school accountants say there was a surplus of $472,000 in last year's
fiscal year from unexpected preschool revenue. The money could wipe out a $171,000
deficit from 2014 as well as provide a hefty $300,000 to decrease any spending increase
for fiscal 2016.
But does the Barre board have access to the cash? The answer: it depends. On the side of
using the cash to lessen the budget burden is Bacon. Supervisory Board Chairman Lucas
Herring, though, isn't so sure. In the middle is Sonya Spaulding, the board's finance chief,
who is holding out for a definite answer. Bacon said he would try to get a more firm answer from the school's accountant.
Voters will decide whether to approve a final school budget on Town Meeting Day, this
year scheduled for Tuesday, March 3.
Calling All Landlords: Temporary Housing Needed for

Soon-to-be-Relocated Renters
by Carla Occaso
BARRE/MONTPELIER Central Vermont Community Land Trust is seeking help finding temporary housing for about 30 people who must vacate their apartments to accommodate construction. The property manager is looking for spots within the community where
residents can get around on foot.
I am moving people out now, said Liz Gengue, director of property management at
CVCLT recently, adding, we need 18 (apartments) in Montpelier and nine in Barre. For
landlords who help, CVCLT would take care of any enforcement, such as smoking violations.
The Montpelier buildings to undergo construction are at 39 and 40 Barre St. Work to be
done will be all interior, including appliances, insulation and drywall. CVCLT is fulfilling
its promise to keep their affordable housing in Montpelier safe and in good repair, said
Montpelier Mayor John Hollar. I hope Montpelier landlords will do what they can to support this project.
The Barre City project will involve demolishing three aging buildings located downtown,
and replacing them with a four-story building containing 27 affordable apartments at a total
Langdon Street on both sides for its entire length
THE BRIDGE
cost of $4.5 million, said Alison Friedkin, associate director of real estate development for the
Trust. The first floor of the new building will become new headquarters for the Trust while
the remaining three would become apartments.
This is a win-win situation, said Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon. Its good for the citys redevelopment, it guarantees rent for Barre landlords, and it helps CVCLT residents stay in
housing they depend on.
The rents sought for temporary housing would be in the $625 to $800 per month range and
will automatically be paid, Gengue said. CVCLT is getting low-income tax credits for renting
to people who fall within a certain income bracket. Folks need to be at or below 80 percent
or 60 or 50 percent of the areas median income. It goes by county, Gengue said. Median
income for Washington County is $50,400 for a single person. So a person making $30,000
would be at the 60 percent level the rate most units require.
Contact Genge at 477-1333 or lgenge@cvclt.org.
Bo Muller-Moore.
Photo by Michael Jermyn.
Bo Muller-Moore Wins
Eat More Kale Lawsuit
by Nat Frothingham and The Bridge staff
MONTPELIER Bo Muller-Moore, the Eat More Kale artist, won his trademark
case against fast food chain Chick-fil-A, it was announced Friday, Dec. 12, at the Statehouse. Chik-fil-A had slapped Muller-Moore with a cease and desist order, claiming
the kale guy was infringing on its trademarked eat mor chikin phrase. However, the
U.S. Patent and Trademark office ruled in Muller-Moores favor, allowing him to keep
on promoting kale.
Since his moment of triumph and stardom, Muller-Moore said the digital world has gone
viral. People are so ready for good news, Muller-Moore told The Bridge after taking in
a deluge of email messages over the Dec. 12-14 weekend.
Among his hundreds of emails were messages from Switzerland, Egypt and the McMurdo
Research Station in Antarctica. Said Muller-Moore, Theyve got an indoor greenhouse
where theyve had an EAT MORE KALE sticker on the greenhouse for years.
Its easy to explain, said Muller-Moore, Theyre glad that the little guy wins now and
then and theyre glad that Im the little guy this time around.
To contact Bo Muller-Moore go online to EatMoreKale.com
Keep in touch with your

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CORRECTIONS:
In the story published Dec. 4, Montpelier City and School: A Tale of Two Budgets,
there were a couple of errors we regret. First, the school board president should have
been identified as Sue Aldrich. Secondly, the entire paragraph mentioning raising the
school tax rate from 1.75 percent to 3 percent should have been deleted. We apologise
for the errors.
From a story we ran in the Dec. 4 issue: The date of the Ellis Island oral history interview
of a relative should have said 1996, not 1896.
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Scott Milne: Up Close

and Personal Q&A
cell phone call drop out. It (Telecommunications Plan) is (run by) a crony appointment that
wasnt well vetted and wasnt well thought out.
What Is Milnes Plan?
Frothingham: It is easy to sit with a shotgun and take aim at the failures of a governor or an
administration. Running a government is different than sitting on the sidelines taking aim
at the mistakes. Ive not gotten a clear idea of what you would do on some of these central
issues. What would you do to kick this economy back into motion? What would you do on
the vexing problem of health care? What would you do on property tax? Over two years the
school tax increase went to 24 percent in Montpelier. It has an impact downtown. A lot of
the money is claimed by the taxing authorities. It is not disposable any more. These are big,
big problems that the state is facing. An older population, a population that isnt growing, a
stagnant economy, enrollment is down, school personnel is up ... these are heavy institutional
problems that we face as a state? What is your blueprint here?
by Nat Frothingham
Why Didnt Milne Concede?

Nat Frothingham: You took some time between the election and your announcement at the
Statehouse just a few days ago. How did that decision get made? Were people pressuring you
or did you just come up with the decision on your own not to concede?
Scott Milne: I think at the end of the day it was my own decision, but, based on listening
to a lot of people and thinking about it and sorting through the priorities. I believe I would
be a better governor for Vermont than Peter Shumlin. There is risk associated with going
forward because, according to Jim (former governor Jim Douglas) I came out of the election
with good will and I wouldnt just want to whittle it away on this. What I decided is, not
just for me, but I would rather be doing what I think is in the best interests of the people and
become politically unpopular than just worry about winning an election. I think the discussion is good for Vermont.
Frothingham: Do you think this has reawakened the discussion? My own impression was
that there was at least some skepticism if not some outright hostility from certain members
of the press at the Cedar Creek Room. Did you pick up on that? (Cedar Creek Room refers
to Milnes press conference announcing he would not concede on Monday, Dec. 8, in the
Statehouse.)
Milne: Yeah, the press has been dismissive originally, and maybe in some segments growing
to be cynical about my campaign. That's fine. A free press is healthy. I will say, though, if
you look at what has happened since Nov. 4, these are opinions, if you look at the behavior of
Gov. Shumlin, we now suddenly have a governor who is going to tell us what the health care
system is going to cost and what taxes are going to get raised to pay for it before the election.
Whereas before, I would argue, he was arrogant enough to think that he could pull it off for
the third time of promising people he was going to tell us after the election. That is one of the
reasons that I got into this. Come clean and tell us how much it is going to cost. Cynically
on my part, and this is just a question of mine, but for my presence here, would we have just
seen him bluff his way through it, as I would argue he has with a bunch of things that have
been botched over the last four years, or was he concerned about folks like me raising some
THE BRIDGE
From left, Scott Milne,

daughter Elise Milne and
son Keith Milne.
real questions about it between now and January and making it look even worse. I pledged as
part of my election there would be no tax increase next year.
His increase is 2 cents except for people who are on income sensitivity, and one of the things
the press hasnt picked up on, on Shumlins tax projection for what the school tax is going
to be next year, for 65 percent of Vermonters that own their homestead that are on income
sensitivity, their taxes are going up 8 percent next year.
For the past four years we have been sticking it big time to the second homeowners and business owners, and also, we are having three times the pace of the rate of inflation tax increases
going on to the primary homeowner who are income sensitized.
Can Milne Win?
Frothingham: Can you imagine any scenario or line of events that would lead to your election?
Milne: Very clearly I see a narrow path to victory here. I would argue it has gotten a lot wider
within the past month with the further revelations about the health care system, recent revelations about making companies pay taxes to the health care plan, arguably even though they
are not going to benefit from it. The Gruber stuff is not healthy for the governor who came
in promising the most transparent administration in history.
Frothingham: I am not certain I know what the Gruber stuff is.
Milne: He is the national health care expert who made that closed door contract. They
waited until five days after this fiscal year to award it.
What I believe is that you have this administration who has been running around sticking
their fingers in every new hole in the dike and holding their breath hoping they can get by
without the whole dam bursting. And how many holes are going to appear between now and
Jan. 9?
On Reckless Mismanagement:
Frothingham: Did you use the expression reckless mismanagement of our finances?
Milne: Well, I think Peter Shumlin says, we want to be bold, but my description of what
he calls bold is reckless. I think we have seen four years of reckless mismanagement of the
peoples money.
Frothingham: Can you be specific about that?
Milne: Sure. A hundred million dollars flushed down the toilet on this health care system
with no tangible benefits. Weve got this Optum exchange that appears to be working,
although, is it working? Or is this the Shumlin administration putting another finger in
another hole in the dike telling us it is working until the next election before they realize the
whole thing is a disaster. In Colchester the other day, this lady with a little kid comes up to
me and says, Scott Milne, my husband is over there and spent six hours over the last two
days talking to Vermont Health Connect trying to get something set up. And he calls back
a half hour later and the person he talked to is at lunch and the other lady cant do anything.
I have people walking up to me all the time saying that. I would say we spent 100 million on
reckless mismanagement.
Spending half a biennium on Death with Dignity while weve got big problems with the
underlying economy, while weve got a train wreck coming with school reform, education,
property taxes ... Then we spend another half of a biennium talking about GMO labeling and
whistleblower protection, again, not doing any of the hard work.
We spent 400 million of taxpayer money on guaranteed cell phone broadband coverage by
Dec. 31 of this year, but you cant drive from here to Waterbury on 89 without having your
Scott Milnes key proposals

Property tax cap: No tax increase next year
Divide education into 15 regions that aligns with the technical
center regions: Take the money these regions save on cost per
pupil spending and put it toward college.
Free college for students in regions where education costs are
brought down.
Health care Put a stop to single payer. See if current plan is
working in 2015, if not, do a cost analysis of switching to the
federal exchange or another plan.
On Health Care:
Milne: Sure. On health care Ive been pretty clear. Marching toward single payer is dead if
I am fortunate enough to be running for re-election in 2020. Other states should be on the
leading edge and I would argue that a state the size of Vermont, we have some of the best
health care of any state in the country before we got into this reckless experiment, we need
to use 2015 to see if the Optum exchange is the best exchange for us to be complying with
under the Affordable Care Act or if we should go to the Federal Exchange or something else.
We would do a cost analysis. Is it worth changing? What is the cost of changing? The health
care discussion is pretty simple for me. Single payer is over. Green Mountain Care board
seems like it's doing a good job. Lets see how that does.
On Education:
Frothingham: It escapes my understanding the kinds of increases we are seeing locally and
the impact on property taxes. It has shaken me to attention on the issue. Weve got fewer
kids in schools, more personnel, higher taxes. What adds up here?
Milne: I have a seven-page plan, which is the best plan Ive seen in Vermont government specifically for schools and the economy in Vermont Ive seen in 20 years. We would break the
state down into 15 educational districts centered around the technical centers. One around
Barre, one around Lamoille, one around Springfield, etc. Each one would have their own regional tax rate, so there would no longer be a statewide tax rate. We have pretty good data to
support that Vermont spends over $17,500 a student. The national average is $12,000 a student. The number one predictor nationally, and in Vermont, of educational outcomes is not
how much we spend per student, but the socioeconomic health of the family. So, you could
make an argument that the best thing we could do for education is improve the economy.
There are poor towns and rich towns in each one of these districts, so it gets beyond that
fundamental inequity that is addressed by Act 60. Each one of these administrative districts
spends about $17,500 a student right now. If you spend the national average of $12,000 a
student, you get the same educational outcome than as if you spend $17,500, as long as they
come from a socioeconomically healthy family. You are taking it from the state, which is too
big, to the regional. And the genius, I believe, in the plan is, you incentivize each one of
these districts so that as spending comes down from the $17,500, that money can be applied
toward free college education. The way we put together the plan is you are eligible for one
free year of college education for every two years you have in the Vermont public schools.
What we are saying is, you can keep spending $17,500 a year in the district if you want to,
but if you reduce that, it can go toward free college education.
Frothingham: I think one of the most highly organized pressure groups in the state is the
educational establishment. These people are extremely well organized and they vote. They
are a block. The notion of driving from 17 to 12 is romantic. But who am I to make a statement like that?
Milne: If we could do it and it is predictable, I believe Vermont could become known as the
Education State. I think if you could get two of these 15 districts to do it, you are going to
see businesses move to those two districts. I would.
On Getting Elected:
Frothingham: Do you see a credible journey between
now and Jan. 8 that causes the Joint Assembly to
elect you as governor, or do you think it doesnt
really matter? That it is a matter of principle?
Continued on Page 8
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Milne Q&A continued

Milne: I believe I have a chance of getting elected. I think I am a long shot, but my chances
are getting better every week. I also think, complementary to that, is the conversation and the
dialogue showing further shortcomings of the Shumlin administration and growing public
awareness of the dire situation that Vermont is in.
Part of the road that has led us here is we are a trusting people who just believe what people
tell ya. Up until Nov. 4, Peter Shumlin was telling us, were going in the right direction, lets
keep going. Early on he was saying weve got the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Weve got the highest jobs per capita. Then the unemployment rate changes at the end of his
campaign in October. He said weve got the best bond rating ... then a week after the election
the bond rating gets downgraded. All of a sudden Scott Milne sounds a little more credible.
Another month of income taxes failing to make projections. Scott Milne becomes a little
more credible. The pre-K program being promised us by 2010. He promised more union jobs
for teachers. He promised single-payer health care. Single payers not done. We found out
Pre-K is totally botched and mismanaged for the last four years. So, he hasnt even delivered
on his 2010 promises.
Carla Occaso: Can I ask how Pre-K has been botched?
Milne: They (the Agency of Education) are required by law on July 15 to come out and
project what the changes are going to be on the statewide property tax rate for towns so they
can get ready for town meetings, so they came out and said 2 cents. The pre-K bill, Rebecca
Holcombe (secretary of the Agency of Education) came out and said, "we havent got the rules
Dark and Stormy Nights: Diary of a Monster Storm

ready, we are not going to be ready to mandate this so it is optional in 2015." It is bureaucratic
mismanagement.
by Richard Sheir
Has Vermont Been Too Radical?
MONTPELIER The tale begins early October when the plow drivers go over their winter
routes in a dry run and all winter equipment is checked. Montpelier Public Works is ready.
Then, a few months later, the first big storm hits. It is bad enough to keep workers plowing,
shoveling and checking the power lines around the clock, but not bad enough to close state
offices or schools. And in the end, the bill is immense. Below is an account through the eyes
of municipal officials, the power company and the director of the Kellogg Hubbard Library
on how the storm unfolded.
Frothingham: You made that statement that we dont have to be the most radical state in the
union every day. What is that about?
Milne: Well, weve got an underlying economy that clearly needs to be fixed. Marching
forward with this single-payer health care plan I think has been radical. Spending half a session talking about Death with Dignity a few years ago. Nobody has been affected by that
in Vermont yet, but it was worth spending half a session talking about what some national
special interest told Peter Shumlin was important. Thats radical. The GMO labeling bill. It is
paradoxical that Peter Shumlin expects more transparency from Montsanto or Unilever than
he does from his own administration. The bill itself was ok, but the way we implemented that
Connecticut and Maine had the same bill but with a trigger in it that said it is not going
to go into effect until 10 states adopt it so were not going to be sued on our own. I believe
Sorrells got $8 million set aside to defend that lawsuit. Not properly looking at how were
going to structure education to be sustainable. Not smart. I would call state spending growing
by three times the rate of the economy four years in a row radical. It is a ticking time bomb
until youre out of business, right?
Frothingham: I wouldnt even want to comment on going out of business, but I can assure
you, it is very difficult doing business at the moment.
Milne: Ive got what is perceived to be one of the more successful businesses in the state, I
think, and I have talked to a lot of people and the definition of success in business in Vermont
is you are still in business.
Holiday
Services
THE BRIDGE
Frothingham: How did you come down on civil unions? Do you think Howard Dean made
a mistake signing that bill? It was kind of radical at the time.
Milne: I think theres two times in Vermonts history that I can think of where radical progressive was very good. Act 250 and civil unions. I think they were both radical, progressive
and appropriate.
Why Shouldnt the Guy With the Most Votes Win?
Frothingham: The press and the governor and the Democratic majority, the cognoscenti, if
you will, have managed to get it out there in spades that its the guy with the most votes who
wins. They have worked hard to get that notion across to the press and the public. You get
the most votes. You win. And that is what we do in Vermont. We dont fight each other. We
just stick the guy in who got the most votes in. That is what we do in the Green Mountain
State. Thats not the case historically.
Milne: It is a once-in-150-year event. If you go back into the 19th century, Fairbanks (Erastus
Fairbanks, Vermonts 21st governor) was the last guy to lose. He was the incumbent, he was
the top vote getter but he was voted out by the Legislature. He brought in Prohibition. It was
pretty unpopular. There is precedent and the precedent is the Legislature has voted people
out. The constitution doesnt say anything at all about the Legislature should give deference
to the top vote-getter.
I won nine out of 14 counties. I won 60 percent of the precincts in Vermont. Elections matter.
If I got 50 percent or Peter Shumlin got 50 percent the election would be over. Neither one of
us did. That matters. Now it goes to the Legislature and their direction from the constitution
is what is best for Vermont. That is how this election matters.
Is He Really Ready?
Frothingham: Are you really ready to take over on the eighth?
Milne: Yes. Absolutely.
Thursday, Dec. 4: The daily email alert from Roger Hill the Worcester meteorologist who
runs Weathering Heights Consulting and Radio Vermont goes to Green Mountain Power
and the city of Montpelier warning of a possible significant Noreaster that might blow up the
Atlantic Coast from the south picking up significant precipitation. Hill warns of the possibility of it mixing with a very warm lower atmosphere carrying significant amounts of heavy wet
snow. It also warns of two possible waves forming an extraordinary event. Green Mountain
Power begins emergency planning calling for backups from Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts and Canada to arrive before Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Dorothy
Schnure. The forecast is accurate.
Tuesday, Dec. 9: Ten a.m. the new winter parking ban goes into effect. At noon, wet snow
begins to fall. The city dispatches trucks. Montpelier City Schools Superintendent Brian
Ricca and staff are in touch with Public Works Supervisor Tom McArdle, and the decision
is made not to dismiss early but to cancel after school events for Dec. 9 and Dec. 10. Parents are notified by the schools notification system. Later in the day, power outages begin
in the region. School officials contact neighboring districts as well as Public Works. Other
neighboring school districts close due to power outages. There were only 67 power outages
in Montpelier proper that were brought back online the same day. Public Works officials
predicted the streets would be clear in the morning, so the decision was made to hold school
on Wednesday without afternoon events. At 5:30 p.m., with few people in the Kellogg Hubbard Library, staff are released to go home before the snow thickens and makes night roads
hazardous, according to Tom McKone, library director. McKone decides to open the next
morning. Green Mountain Power linesmen work around the state fixing downed lines and
trimming trees throughout the night.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, evening: Twelve city road crew members are on the streets until 7 p.m. After
7 p.m., a crew of five were in trucks working downtown. After midnight, two trucks are out
until 4 a.m. salting roads.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 4 a.m.: Public Works employees plow throughout the morning, deal-
When it was done: The Montpelier Public Works removed 2,300 cubic yards of snow from
sidewalks and near sidewalks four miles of snow. From Tuesday through Sunday, $48,000
was spent on snow removal. For Green Mountain Power, the duration of the storm has made
repair nearly as costly as Irene and more costly than any other storm in history. In many cases,
they returned to the same line seven or eight times to repair new damage that has occurred.
Lineworkers report areas where there are trees down on every section of line.
During snow events, according to Michael Clasen, deputy secretary of the Agency of Administration, the state of Vermont holds a conference call between Administrative Services,
Human Resources, Transportation and the Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Division of Public Safety to determine a course of action. This email went out to workers
both Tuesday and Wednesday: After consultation with representatives of the National Weather
Service, Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and VTrans, it has been
determined that weather conditions do not warrant the early closing of state offices or a reduced
workforce situation. However, it is anticipated that travel conditions will remain poor throughout
the remainder of the day. Therefore, you are encouraged to exercise caution and allow additional
time as you travel to or from work. All state offices are open for business during their regularly
scheduled hours. Agencies and departments, subject to their operating needs, may wish to authorize
employees to leave early and/or report late for work to better accommodate travel, using their own
leave time. This message will be updated as weather conditions change.
by Ed Sutherland
ducation reform is in the air. Along with discussions over affordability and taxes, Vermont is preparing to introduce Common Core Standards in all classrooms for 2015.
Some schools have already started implementing the new standards. Limited testing in
March gave school officials some insight into how Common Core will be received statewide.
Michael Hock, director of Educational Assessment for the Vermont Agency of Education,
said field trials of the new standards had few glitches and he doesn't anticipate the reaction
New Yorkers had to the system. In that case, after parent and teacher uproar, the new evaluation system was rolled back.
The Common Core standards were created in 2008 by the National Governors Association
and the Council of Chief State School Officers. In 2010, Vermont adopted the standard and
joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The 14 SBAC member states include
Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Come March 2015, tests developed by SBAC will
be issued to students statewide, according to Hock. The tests will replace the current New
England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) evaluations.
I am honored to have received the most votes in this election and would not want to
serve as governor if I did not. I continue to believe that the Legislature will honor the
long democratic tradition of electing the candidate who received the most votes. Since
the election over a month ago, I have continued to work hard to put together a legislative
agenda and budget to address the challenges facing our state. With the legislative session
only weeks away, that is where my focus will remain.
Thursday Dec. 10: GMP workers continued the work of bringing power back. McArdle addresses the unsafe mountains of snow that force people parking cars on State and Main to
walk a half a city block in the street to reach a crosswalk. They carve pathways every 10 feet.
City trucks continue to deal with the slush, preventing localized flooding.
Common Core: Is it the Silver Bullet for Education
Common Core will measure language arts and math in Vermont grades 3-8 and 11. In
March, some 27 Vermont schools with 5,000 participating students took part in field trials
of the testing delivered by computer. According to Hock, the initial testing went off without
a hitch, except for one school which had trouble connecting students using Chromebook
computers.
Editors Note: The Bridge requested an interview with Gov. Peter Shumlin after Scott Milne
announced he was not conceding. A Shumlin spokesman advised The Bridge to first contact
his scheduler to request an interview. Then his spokesman got back to The Bridge and asked
us what we wanted to chat about. We said we wanted to do a follow up on Scott Milnes
announcement that he was not going to concede. We were informed Shumlin had issued a
response and this is it:
ing with puddles in the streets that at certain points in the city were ponds, according to
McArdle, who describes how the slush clumped up and plugged drains at several intersections. Some of the dirt roads in the city become slick and hard as icy snow builds up and
driving becomes increasingly difficult. Kellogg Hubbard Library Director McKone says the
library becomes a haven for residents from outlying communities who lose power. People use
the WiFi and keep warm as the library stays open throughout the day. Later, in the afternoon,
the second wave of snow arrived making already slushy streets slushier. Sidewalk plows go out
again. Snow banks downtown on State and Main have the consistency of wet cement and
become nearly impossible to shovel. Green Mountain Power dispatches 1,000 linesmen in
the field working on the lines across the state, dealing with over 129,000 outages statewide,
according to Schnure.
Unlike previous testing, those based on Common Core will be totally computer-based. Along
with choosing the SBAC, rather than Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
Careers, or PARC, Vermont is using a different company for its data warehousing, the technology required to give teachers and officials statewide access to testing results. Both factors
were part of the Common Core revolt in nearby New York, according to Hock.
State officials are already preparing Vermont residents for seeing lower scores in their children's SBAC testing, suggesting the majority of the state's students will not bring home results
worthy of sticking to the refrigerator.
Pat Fitzsimmons, the Vermont Education Agency's chief of implementing Common Core, is
also trying to reduce expectations.
There are some examples of how Common Core Standards differ from those taught now in
Vermont schools. In language arts, for instance, students will concentrate on understanding
nonfiction, analyzing and comprehending what is read, as well as increasing their vocabulary.
For math, Common Core may teach fourth and fifth graders concepts previously not taught
until sixth grade. In the majority of Common Core instruction, understanding, analysis and
problem-solving trump quantity of lessons.
Still, adoption of Common Core faces much skepticism, particularly when it comes to conspiracy buffs. Questions posed range from whether the standards are some federal attempt to
indoctrinate classrooms to Bill Gates and others trying to buy Common Core acceptance.
The only true test of Common Core will likely come in 2015, when students and teachers
start to assess the new standards.
Got a news tip? We want to know!

Send it to us at:
editorial@montpelierbridge.com
THE BRIDGE
MiddleGround Florist Has Flowers

in Winter
A Message From City Hall

City Budget Proposal
Outlined
hat comes to mind when most people think of

bouquets of flowers are the plastic-wrapped tulips or carnations that wilt in the average supermarket. The intricate arrangements of MiddleGround Florist could not be more different from these offerings. Here,
Yana Poulson creates hand-tied bouquets with skill wrought
from her extensive training at Flower Design of Britain, one
of the oldest schools of its kind, where she learned flower
design and wedding floristry.
by William Fraser, City Manager
Guidelines:
The Council provided following guidelines
for preparing this budget proposal:
Budget must reflect the City Councils
adopted goals and priorities and enable
those goals to be advanced.
Property tax rate increase target is between 2% and 3%
Must continue increased funding for infrastructure and capital needs based on
the Steady State plan adopted by the
City Council.
Must deliver responsible levels of service
to the residents of Montpelier.
Assumptions:
For tax rate planning purposes, the budget assumes an independent ballot item for
the Kellogg-Hubbard Library at the same
level of funding as FY15. Additionally, the
budget assumes that tax funding for the
Recreation Department will remain at the
FY15 level and that the Sewer/CSO Benefit
charges will remain at the present level.
No assumptions have been made about the
School Budget or Education Tax Rate. A
slight (0.2%) increase in grand list was assumed.
Property Tax Impact:
The net result of revenues and expenses
is that $7,573,087 in property tax r e v enues are required for the citys portion
(non-school, non-rec, non-library) of the
budget. This is an increase of $166,300 or
2.2% over FY15. As with both FY14 and
FY15, all of the increase is for the capital
plan.
Requires a 1.8 cent increase in the property tax rate. The capital/equipment plan
is increased by 1.8 cents while the remainder of the budget again requires no
tax increase. A 1.8 cent increase represents a 1.8% property tax rate increase
after a 0.5 cent (0.25%) increase in FY14
and a 1.5 cent (1.6%) increase in FY15.
For the average residential property, this
tax rate represents an additional $39.31
on the tax bill. The three-year combined
increase of 3.65% compares to a threeyear combined inflation rate of 4.7%
(1.7%, 1.5% and 1.5% respectively).
Budget Numbers:
FY16 General Fund Budget totals
$12,526.306 which is an increase of
$354,850 (2.9%) from the comparable
FY15 spending plan. This number includes the Recreation and Library budget
assumptions. Without those two items,
the increase is 3.1%.
FY16 General Fund non-tax revenues
total $4,069,316 which is an increase of
$188,550 (4.9%) from FY14 non-tax revenues.
Consistent with the councils fund balance policy, no general fund balance is
used to offset the budget and reduce

taxes.
Revenues from the State of Vermont
such as Highway Aid, Grand List Maintenance funding and the Justice Center
basic grant have been assumed to remain
at their present funding levels. Payment
in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) was adjusted
downward to reflect actual collection in
FY15.
Grand list value is calculated at 0.2%
increase from the FY15 level. With the
projected grand list, $85,146 represents
one cent on the tax rate.
Infrastructure:
The Capital Projects, Equipment and
Debt Service Program is fully funded
at $2,071,304. Of this, $875,978 is in
annual funding, $680,326 is in existing
debt service and $515,000 is for equipment. This represents an overall increase
for these combined items of $166,300.
This results in an additional $198,408
(29.3%) in annual funding for FY16 infrastructure improvements such as roads.
Over a three year period (including this
proposed budget) infrastructure funding
has increased $498,900.
The budget includes $43,200 for the annual payment for the purchase of One
Taylor Street. This expense is offset by
lease revenue.
No bonds are proposed for FY16. Future
infrastructure bonds are planned with
subsequent bonds of $710,000 in FY17
and $705,000 in FY20. Future bonds
may be needed for bike path matching
funds, a potential flood mitigation project and matching funds for the One Taylor Street project.
The Capital/Equipment Plan anticipates
additional increases of $166,300 in each
of the next three budget years FY17
through FY19 in order to bring funding levels to the projected steady state of
maintenance and improvements.
Personnel:
Total number of Full Time Equivalent
Employees (FTE) is 107.58 which is 0.67
FTE less than FY15. Reductions were 1.0
FTE in DPW and 0.12 FTE in the Senior
Center. Additions were 0.4 In Dispatch
and 0.05 in Parks.
Cost of living allowances and step increases are built into all employee wage
and salary accounts consistent with collective bargaining agreements and personnel policies. For this budget that
represents a 1.5% to 2.5% contracted
adjustment for Public Works union employees. A 1.5% or lower adjustment for
all other employees is budgeted. Neither
Fire nor Police union contracts are in
place for FY15 yet. Overall wage costs are
up by 1.8% in this budget.
The budget continues the high deductible health insurance plan which was
implemented three years ago. Overall
benefit costs are up by 8.1% in this budget.
Other Funds:
The Water and Wastewater budgets have
both been balanced. The Wastewater
fund is now in a small surplus position
and the Water fund is steadily reducing
its deficit. The budget assumes no Water

rate change, a slight Sewer rate increase
and no Sewer or CSO benefit charge
changes. The rate structure for these
funds is under review now. Funding from
the CSO benefit charge is being used to
address new stormwater requirements.
Tax funding for the Senior Center is reduced below the FY14 and FY15 levels.
The center continues to adjust to its new
activity level. Center expenses are offset by program revenues including larger
contributions from neighboring towns.
This will result in slight service adjustments.
The Parking fund is balanced while including a 5% set aside for alternate transportation funding.
The District Heat Fund budget will cover
the second full year of complete operation. The General Fund is realizing approximately $65,000 in benefit from District Heat, $20,000 to pay the 2009 bond
and $45,000 for DPW costs to maintain
and operate the system.
Key Items:
Reductions to operating costs are proposed. As with prior years, many lines
have been cut to stay within fiscal guidelines. Some proposed initiatives and service expansion proposals have not been
included.
Includes funding to continue city page in
The Bridge.
The budget continues contracting ambulance billing with the City of Barre
rather than performing this function
with city staff.
Funding for the Housing Trust Fund has
been eliminated. This was $41,000 in
FY15.
The Montpelier Community & Arts
Fund is funded at $110,175 which is reduced by $8,000 from FY15 funding.
$1,000 has been reduced from the Tree
Board
$2,250 has been reduced from the Conservation Commission
Funding for downtown activities such as
Montpelier Alive and various festivals,
lighting, events and trash collection totaling $30,800 have been moved from
the General Fund to the Downtown Improvement District (DID) funds.
The Parks and Public Works budgets
contain a new $4,563 for operation of
dog waste stations. The budget assumes a
$12 increase per dog license to fund these
waste stations.
Yana Poulson of
MiddleGround Florist. Photo
by Lindsey Grutchfield.
This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.
Best wishes to all for a fantastic holiday

season. Amidst all the hustle, bustle and
celebration of December, city staff and officials are busily preparing and reviewing
the annual budget. I will be presenting my
proposed budget to the City Council on
Dec. 17. This is a summary of the key items
in that proposal. The Council will discuss
the budget on Jan. 7, Jan. 14 and Jan. 22 (a
Thursday).
THE BRIDGE
The budget includes $40,000 funding for

the GMTA circulator bus route.
An initiative for provision of downtown
wireless Internet services was not funded.
Police: The Police budget includes a new
contractual relationship with Capital
Fire Mutual Aid System for dispatching
services. This provides additional revenue and improved services for Montpelier. The police canine program has
been eliminated. School Resource Officer
shared 50% with school is included.
Planning, Zoning & Community/Economic
Development: The Planning & Development department and public still struggle
with the change to a half-time zoning
administrator two years ago. A proposal
to restore this position to full time was
not included in the budget. Funding for
one VISTA volunteer is included.
Public Works: The Street Supervisor
and Water/Sewer Supervisor have been
merged into one supervisory position.
This has allowed for more blended work
among the two divisions. One full time
position has been reduced from this department.
Other: Both city staff and Matrix had
identified previously existing capacity
shortcomings in the areas of human resources management, facilities management and communications. We have
made some progress in the communications area but nothing in this budget
specifically addresses the other concerns.
Conclusion:
It is my professional opinion that this budget directly reflects the guidelines articulated by the City Council. It is a product of
some difficult choices.
I appreciate the hard work of our management team and all city employees. We
are pleased to present a fiscally responsible
budget which does not drastically reduce
services.
This budget is a team effort from start to
finish. The department heads worked diligently to meet our budget goals. I would
like to particularly recognize the efforts of
Finance Director Sandy Gallup. I look forward to the Councils discussions on all of
these budget issues and hope that the public
will participate fully as well.
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
with any questions or comments.
Parking Ban:
We appreciate peoples patience as we experiment with the new winter parking ban system. Information about the ban including which streets always have a winter ban in
place can be found on the citys website www.montpelier-vt.org. For phone or text
notices, please sign up with VT Alerts. The winter parking ban phone line 802-262-6200
has a recorded message which is changed whenever the ban is instituted or rescinded.
MiddleGround Florist, on Route 2 in Middlesex, is the

retail location of Poulsons business, Regal Flower Design.
Here, Poulson specializes in hand-tied bouquets, which are
a tradition in Europe. Fresh flowers are arranged in a spiral,
then tied with a single ribbon. This creates a light, sturdy
design that balances in one hand. Designed like this, flowers can be carried in a gift bag, cradled in the crook of an
elbow, or simply held in hand without fear of water spillage
or damage to the arrangement. Elaborate arrangements are
be made using hand-tied technique, say, 30 roses that can be
presented as is, sans vase or tightly wrapped plastic. In fact,
Poulson uses no plastic whatsoever in her bouquets, opting
for artistic finishes like craft paper or natural textiles, which
become part of the arrangement, adding sophistication and
style to an already artistic bouquet.
Most people, Poulson believes, focus on the endurance of
the flowers, whether or not they will fade before they can
be given as gifts or make an appearance on the dining room
table. She believes the real importance of flowers lies elsewhere. I think whats important is, how long will we keep
the memory of that moment of receiving? she says. So
you bring flowers to someones house house at a party

or a family dinner, so it has to be impressive and honest.
Thats why I emphasize the presentation of flowers. That
moment of receiving a bouquet is going to last a very long
time.
Bouquets can be custom made, and the inspiration for
the design of the bouquet stems from the purposes of the
person ordering it. Sometimes a customer wants a favorite
color to be highlighted, or falls in love with a specific
flower. This is Poulsons favorite part of the process.
She recounts how, when a person comes in, and they
have a certain situation, they need a gift, or they need
just-because flowers. Its listening to the person what
theyre looking for and finding just the right flower.
In the end, she says, the artistry of the bouquet always
falls perfectly into place.
Of course, MiddleGround Florist is located near the
Red Hen Baking Company, Montpelier Mud Pottery
and other artisanal shops. It is not the only place in the
area producing products that are as much art as they are
simply products. Well aware of this, and in honor of the
impending holidays, MiddleGround Florist has been trotting out seasonal gift baskets stuffed not only with flowers,
but with products from other stores at the MiddleGround
Complex, where MiddleGround Florist makes its home.
The focus with these baskets is to highlight the local artisans around the flower shop, and to remind people, when it
comes time for holiday shopping, of the wonderful products
close to home.
Flower arrangements like those created by Poulson, built
Gossens Bachman Architects

Win Design Awards
MONTPELIER Two buildings received design excellence awards from the Vermont
chapter of American Institute of Architects. The projects, designed by Gossens Bachman
Architects, were awarded at AIAVT's annual meeting at the Statehouse on Dec. 4. The first
was award for the Capstone Community Action office. The new facility, located in Barre,
had many sustainable features. The second award was presented for the Montpelier District
Heat Plant. This partnership created a central biomass fueled power plant, providing a heat
source for all state buildings and all of Montpeliers downtown district.
to be given and received (in the most literal sense), are well
suited to the aforementioned impending holiday season,
when the giving and receiving of gifts is of utmost importance to many people. That is the ultimate purpose of
MiddleGround Florists bouquets. At the end of the day,
Poulson says, flowers are messengers, representative of the
givers feelings. In her arrangements, those floral messengers
speak in a uniquely artistic language, one that is as appealing
to the eye as it is a reminder of the emotions behind the acts
of giving and receiving.
Gossens Bachman Architects designed this building, Capstone Community

Action. Photo by Gary Hall Photography.
Eye on Montpelier
You Are Invited to Downtown Montpelier to Celebrate New Year's Eve!
Here are just a few of the fun things to do
on Dec. 31:
2 p.m. Central Vermont Runners Clubs
Annual New Year's Eve Road Race:
A 5-Kilometer road running race starting at the Pavilion; registration begins at
12:30 p.m.
To register or for more information visit:
http://www.cvrunners.org/newyearseve/
index.html
Enjoy Two Shows with the Amazing
Marko the Magician:
4:30-5:15 p.m. Marko's Magic Show
5:45-7 p.m. Marko's Hypnosis for Entertainment
Shows will take place at Montpelier High
School Auditorium. Tickets are available
now on Eventbrite and the links are on our
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.
THE BRIDGE
THE BRIDGE
by Ashley Witzenberger, executive director at Montpelier Alive
com/MontpelierAlive/events
Group
Tickets will also be on sale at the door, $5

per person per show and children 5 and
under are FREE!
Surprise Musical Guests
*Please bring a nonperishable food donation for the Montpelier Food Pantry to
this event!
Free Champagne Toast (Over 21 Years

Old)
7:30 p.m. FIREWORKS SHOW! Best

viewing from the State House Lawn
Dave Keller's 2nd Annual New Year's
Eve Extravaganza at Montpelier City
Hall! Last year they rang in the New
Year with over 500 friends! This year they
are taking it to another level, with performances by not only the Dave Keller Band,
but also the Starline Rhythm Boys. A perfect fit for a perfect evening. Here's what
else they have in store for you:
Classic Soul And R+B Spinning Between Sets
Countdown And Disco Ball Drop At

Midnight
Dance Contests
Door Prizes
Charity Wall Of Wishes
All Ages Invited
Tickets are $10 in advance, available with
cash at Capitol Stationers, or with credit
card at www.lostnationtheater.org. $15 at
the door. FREE for ages 17 and under.
Drinks By Three Penny Taproom
7:30 p.m. Doors open
Food By Mad Taco
8-9:30 p.m. The Starline Rhythm Boys
Photos By Jay Ericson Of Middle Gray
10 p.m.-1 a.m. The Dave Keller Band
A community celebration sponsored by

Dave Keller, Montpelier Alive, Three
Penny Taproom, Mad Taco, Middle Gray
Group, and Berlin Optical Expressions
9 p.m.-1 a.m. Charlie O's "Speak Easy"
Theme Party: Costumes encouraged; live
jazz band!
Thanks to the support of Heney Realtors, National Life Group, and the City
of Montpelier for their generous support of New Year's Eve!
Visit the Montpelier Alive Facebook page
to stay up-to-date on all event details:
www.facebook.com/MontpelierAlive
See you in Montpelier!
SHOP LOCAL,
SHOP MONTPELIER!
,
L
A
C
!
O
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Artifacts on display at the Vermont

History Center.
THE BRIDGE
THE BRIDGE
Barre History Collection Finds New Home at

Vermont History Center
by Emily Kaminsky
Church chalice
BARRE A rich collection of archival material and artifacts representing Barres earliest history through the turn of the 19th century and beyond will soon be settled into its
new home at the Vermont Historical Societys Vermont History Center, which is home to the Vermont Heritage Galleries and the Howard and Alba Leahy Library located on
Washington Street in downtown Barre. Its a collection of collections, says Paul Carnahan, director of the Howard and Alba Leahy Library. Its the largest amount of items we
have processed at one time.
The collection had been unavailable to the public ever since it was confined to storage at the Ward 5 School. Its more recent home had been the Aldrich Library, where, for at
least two decades, some of it was on display and most of it was boxed up and stacked wherever there was room. The collection was moved to the Ward 5 School when the library
underwent renovations.
The collection includes hundreds of artifacts that very few people have seen such as early granite industry tools, a revolutionary war rifle, fire buckets and fire house memorabilia,
service and ethnic club materials, clothing, personal heirlooms and furniture. The collection also includes hundreds of boxes of archival materials such as photographs, news clippings, financial and legal records, correspondence, personal papers, account books and printed materials. Together, they tell a story of a small rural community of yankees that in a
short period of time grew to become the center of granite trade and industry and a melting pot thanks to immigrants who came from abroad to work in the quarries.
According to Vermont History Center Curator Jackie Calder, the Barre Historical Society and the collection was started in 1915 as a response by upper-middle-class yankees to a
perceived threat to their cultural heritage. The collection was organized in a formal way in 1974 and transferred to the Aldrich Library when the Barre Historical Society closed its
doors in 1980.
It was challenging, says Marjorie Strong who is archivist at Vermont Historical Center and was archivist at the Aldrich Library in the 1990s. The Collection was on the second
floor and packed floor to ceiling, she recalls. The hazards were so severe that she remembers climbing a ladder once to get some boxes down and falling back onto a big rack of
historical paintings. She also used to fear dropping the big granite tools through the librarys second floor glass flooring. I imagined them just going straight through, she says.
Not only will the collection find a safer home at the Vermont History Center, complete with climate control and acid-free containers, but it will also be more accessible to the public. In August, the Barre Historical Society (which was revived in the 1990s to rescue the Old Labor Hall) signed an agreement with the Vermont Historical Society to house and
maintain the collection at the center. Were happy to have it here. The center is an appropriate place for the collection, says Calder. Its a very interesting collection for us because
we have a lot of Montpelier materials. We think of them as two very separate communities but what the collections will reflect is a lot of intermarriage between the upper- and
upper-middle class of the day, she says.
Vermont History Center

Librarian Paul Carnahan
flips through the pages of
the record book belonging
to the volunteer fire house
called Torrent No. 1.
Photo by Emily Kaminsky.
The artifacts are less well known at this point as Calder has not been able to get a good look at the collection yet. Its freezing over there and there are no bathrooms, she laments. By
early 2015, however, several truckloads of artifacts will be delivered to the centers doorstep and she and her staff will start the long process of cataloguing and storing the artifacts and
their associated papers. Its not here yet and I dont know it. There are thousands of things over there. Were pretty full; were going to have to squeeze this in somewhere, she says.
For Marjorie Strong, bringing the collection to the History Center is a dream come true. Its really fun. There are things Ive totally forgotten about. Its kind of like my baby is
back. Both she and Carnahan expressed how frustrating it has been to know that the collection existed but to have no way to access it. It was really frustrating; people would know
it existed but we couldnt get to it. Now we can, Carnahan says.
Processing the collection will take time, effort and money, according to Calder. The Vermont Historical Society funds its operations, programs, and facilities with appropriations
from the state of Vermont, contributions and bequests from private individuals, and program fees and other earned revenue. Already halfway through its fiscal year, it does not
have extra funding earmarked to process the Barre History Collection. Approximately $18,000 is needed to pay interns and purchase materials to catalogue the collection. Calder
is looking for donations from the community at large to help foot the bill.
The appeal to fund the work will hopefully be answered by the community. The collection holds many treasures that help define Barre as a community then and now. Historical
items help us remember where we come from; we often take things for granted until its all gone, says Calder. Were very happy to have the Barre History Collection here. Its an
appropriate home for it.
Calder says she is committed to bringing the materials to life for the public by circulating items through the existing Barre history display at the center called The Emergence of the
Granite City: Barre 1880 to 1940. That exhibit currently includes quite a few items that were initially culled from the collection. For more information on the Vermont Historical
Society, the Heritage Galleries and Library at the Vermont History Center in Barre, and the Barre History
Collection, visit www.vermonthistory.org or call 479-8500.
Model train on
display at the Vermont
History Center
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Vermont History Center Curator
Jackie Calder holds one of several
schoolgirl embroidery samplers from
the 1830s. The samplers are part of the
Barre History Collection. Photo by
Emily Kaminsky
Historic photo on display.
THE BRIDGE
Barre Beat
barrebeat.com
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THE BRIDGE
personalization
community
sustainability
This page was paid for by the Montpelier Public Schools.
Community Contributes for

Union Playground Project
STUDENT VOX POP
Main Street Program Names

New Executive Director
by Emily Kaminsky
his week marks a transition in the

world of downtown Barre businesses. The Barre Partnership, a
Main Street program committed to creating a vibrant downtown Barre, named Josh
Jerome as its new executive director. His
first day on the job was Dec. 15. I caught up
with him the morning of his first day and
he was already sifting through documents
to get his bearings, planning on visiting one
or two business owners, and following up
on leads for two new possible events.
Jerome was chosen from among a strong

slate of candidates, said Hillary Montgomery, president of the Partnerships board
of directors. The board of directors was
thrilled to receive a large number applications from people who all expressed their
desire to work for the Barre Partnership.
The pool of highly-qualified candidates
speaks to the buzz in Barre and that the
Partnership is well positioned to keep it
going. I and the rest of the board look forward to working with Josh.
I want to do some cool events, he says.

Im already working with some people in
the area to create a running event. In addition, he plans on creating a home-brew and
craft beer festival with the hopes of getting
enthusiasts to consider downtown Barre as
a place to enjoy the product as well as potentially locate a brewery.
The future for downtown Barre is exciting, Jerome said, and I plan to bring that
knowledge and a sense of eagerness to move
the Partnership to its next level of growth
and sustainability. Jerome, a Graniteville
native, has a B.A. in social science from
Lyndon State College and an M.A. in sustainable businesses and communities from
Goddard College. He replaces Dan Jones,
who resigned after four years as the Partnerships executive director to return to a
career in teaching. During his tenure, Jones
managed a successful marketing campaign
to maintain foot traffic to main street businesses while Main Street was shut down
for upgrades to the citys sewer and water
infrastructure.
On top of all of that, Jerome is transitioning the Partnerships office from the former
Merchants Bank Building in downtown
Barre to the second floor of a converted
yellow house at the corner of Merchant and
Summer streets owned by DLM Bookkeeping Services.
Jerome is a community development professional with links to local businesses and
loan investment. He comes to the Barre
Partnership from the Barre-based Community Capital of Vermont, where he was
a loan officer, helping start-up businesses.
Jerome also serves as treasurer for the board
of the Granite City Grocery and as treasurer for the board of the Barre Partnership, a position he has resigned now that he
has been named the Partnerships executive
director.
Do you have a story to share with The

Barre Beat? Were queuing up intriguing
stories about Barre and its inhabitants for
upcoming Barre Beat articles. Please send
your story ideas to The Bridge at 223-5112
or editorial@montpelierbridge.com. Follow
@BarreBeatVT or @TheBridgeVT on Twitter for regular updates on Barre (and lots of
other interesting stuff).
This fall kicked off a fundraising campaign and a multi-year project to repair and significantly improve both the kindergarten and the upper playground at Union Elementary
School. The Union Playground Project (UPP) has received donations of time, money, and
specialized skills to make over the schools outdoor spaces. Although there have not been
any significant improvements made to this community resource in over twenty years,
UES is raising community donations to avoid any additional tax burden to Montpelier
residents.
Its like an old-fashioned barn-raising, said UES Principal Chris Hennessey. The need
is there, so people come together and just make it happen. We have talented designers,
organizers, and communicators, and soon well be looking for folks interested in contributing sweat equity! With research showing that we need to move our bodies to learn, this
is more important than ever. Plus, I think some spaces encourage pro-social behavior
people of all ages act and feel differently according to their immediate environment.
In fact, the new playgrounds design intends to encourage certain positive behaviors.
There are rope webs, slack lines, climbing mounds, tree stump jumps, and a climbing
wall to build strength and oxygenate the brain, and there are also quiet benches, terraced garden beds, and shaded areas on the grass to encourage conversation and reflection. Some areas have been designated for doing art en plein air or sharing a snack with a
friend. In short, the design seeks to address the developmental needs of students outdoors
so that they are ready to learn back when they go back inside.
UES owes a debt of gratitude to its UPP Designers Tolya Stonorov and Terry Holloway, as well as the UPP Fundraising Committee: UES teacher Theresa Giffin and UES
parents Sarah McKearnan, Jennifer Matthews, Kristin Darcy, Alison Lamanga, Emma
Bay-Hansen & Jenny Sheehan.
I hope we get a rainbow slide for the new playground, with colors on the inside and regular on the
outside. And it should have windows too, so I can
see my friends.

-Jacob Kaufman, Kindergarten
Its a funny thingI had a dream about a new

playground and the plans look the same, with grass
and long green pathways, not wood chips. I really
want a new (playground) because its been like that
for a really long time.
-Tatum Hbert, Grade 2
MHS Learning Exhibitions

This spring, all 9th Graders will give exhibitions of learning to peers, parents, and teachers to provide evidence of their growth as measured by the MHS Learning Expectations
(LEs). Students will reflect on what theyve learned, look for personal connections to
their learning, and plan future learning opportunities.
This month, MHS teachers & students attended a series of workshops to prepare for the
new MHS Learning Exhibitions (LX). Teachers & students learned 1) how to build a
digital body of work 2) how to use the LEs to track transferable skills across discipline
areas, and 3) how to give a high-quality presentation with appropriate technology tools.
The purpose of the exhibitions is to encourage students to connect their learning across
classes and over time, in order to make informed decisions about future planning.
Starting in Fall 2015, Vermonts Act 77 requires all schools to have Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for students to share individual learning goals with their parents and
for schools to support flexible pathways such as internships, online courses, and dual
enrollment with colleges & universities. As schools around Vermont shift to personalized learning plans and proficiency-based learning for all students, MHS will build on
this work...with teachers & students learning side by side.
Please consider donating to UPP to help enrich our students play, growth, development,
minds and muscles! Checks should be payable to Montpelier Public Schools, and can be
sent to: UPP c/o Theresa Giffin, Union Elementary School, 1 Park Ave. Montpelier,
VT 05602
DID YOU KNOW?

The UES Playground Project will have no impact
on local tax burden because it will be funded by
donations.
Aside from maintenance and repairs, the last UES
playground renovation was in 1991.
5 High School Drive, Unit #1

Montpelier, VT 05602
Students will be capable,
motivated contributors to
their local, national and
world communities.
MSMS Shares Tech with

Seniors
Over the last five years, Main Street Middle Schools Team Summit has had a student
intern visit the Montpelier Senior Activity Center to help out with technology. In addition to that program, MSMS has now developed a learning program for seniors who
come to the school to work through their technology questions and issues with helpful
middle-schoolers.
Students have to apply in order to participate, and this years students proved their qualifications by developing a curriculum, website, and resources for participating seniors.
Students will be providing the last of six sessions this week, and will offer a second series
starting in January depending on demand.
Dan Groberg, Program and Development Coordinator for the Montpelier Senior Center,
had this to say about the program: The Senior Tech class has been an incredible success.
The MSMS students have taken their responsibilities very seriously, carefully planning
the class, catering to senior needs, and being patient and thorough teachers. Seniors have
loved learning new skills and making connections with young people. Thank you to
MSMS for enabling this terrific partnership.
Through June 30: Free Admission for

Montpelier Residents to The Vermont
History Museum. Come explore the history of your community and your state in
our award-winning, hands-on exhibit. 10
a.m.4 p.m. Vermont History Museum,
109 State St., Montpelier. Free. 828-2291.
vermonthistory.org.
THURSDAY, DEC. 18
The Good Beginnings' Nest Winter Warming

Party. Help warm up our parent resource center
for the winter season and check out our new
interior. Free chili lunch and gingerbread people
decorating. Noon2 p.m. Good Beginnings, 174
River St., Montpelier. Free. 595-7953. programs@
goodbeginningscentralvt.org. www.facebook.com/
events/361713274006435/
Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.
Agency of Administration update. 14 p.m.
GMCB Board Room, City Center Building, 89
Main St., 2F, Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Third
Thurs., 1:302:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfmanagement. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death. Third
Thurs., 67:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical
Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin. 2230924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. Third Thurs., 68 p.m. Child care provided.
Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main St.,

Montpelier. 476-1480.
Songwriters Meeting. Meeting of the Northern
VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Songwriters
Association International. Bring copies of your
work. Third Thurs., 6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts, St.
Johnsbury. John, 633-2204.
THE BRIDGE
Qi Gong for Strong Winter Immune System.

Samuel Hendrick offers simple tricks to align the
mind-body system. 67 p.m. Hunger Mountain
Coop, 623 Stone Cutter Way, Montpelier. Free.
Register: 223-8000 ext. 202.
Orchard Valley's Winter Solstice Celebration.

Join the celebration at this highlight of the holiday
season, Orchard Valley-style! An evening of song,
Song Circle: Community Sing-A-Long with Rich
theater and revelry. 68:30 p.m. Montpelier High
and Laura Atkinson. (Rescheduled from Dec. 10.)
School auditorium, 5 High School Dr., MontpeA singing background is not necessary and song
lier. Free. 456-7400. ovws.org.
books will be provided. A variety of instruments
Gifts for Giving at Red Hen. Join Red Hen Bakare used to accompany the singers. Musicians
ing, The Mud Studio, Nutty Steph's, Ann's Weavare welcome to bring their instrument. 6:45 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. ery, Heise Metal Sculpture and MiddleGround
Florist to celebrate the season of giving. Meet the
Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
folks behind our products, sample our favorite
holiday wines, ciders and foods. Enjoy discounts
on all items in our shop. 69 p.m. Red Hen Caf,
961 U.S. Rte. 2, Middlesex.
CVCOA Chats. Questions about health insurance
or other senior services? Sarah Willhoit, information and assistance specialist with Central Vermont
Council on Aging, is available by appointment. 9
a.m.noon. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Christmas Bird Count. 54th annual count covers
Barre St., Montpelier. Free Call Sarah to set up an parts of Montpelier, East Montpelier, Barre, Plainfield and Calais. Join in, no experience needed.
appointment: 479-4400.
Call North Branch Nature Center for more inforTechnology Assistance. All seniors are invited to
mation: 229-6206.
drop-in for free technology assistance provided by
a local student. 11:45 a.m.12:45 p.m. Montpelier AfroJazz and Yoga Workout. African/Caribbean
and jazz inspired moves, yoga, hand weights and
Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier.
floor work. Easy to follow and adaptable. 910:30
Free. 223-2518. msac@montpelier-vt.org.
a.m. Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio, 18
United Healthcare Presentation on Medicare
Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 229-4676. cdandfs.
Options. 12:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activcom.
ity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Additional Recyclables Collection Center. Acmsac@montpelier-vt.org.
cepting scores of hard-to-recycle items. Third Sat.,
Fourth annual Fresh Tracks Holiday Party.
9 a.m.1 p.m. 540 N. Main St. (old Times-Argus
Mulled Dog River red wine, plates of assorted
building), Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
artisan cheeses and chocolates prepared by the
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arccNorthfield Falls General Store, The Ira Friedman
additional-recyclables-collection-center.html.
Jazz Trio. 58 p.m. Fresh Tracks Farm Vineyard &
Winery, 4373 VT Rte. 12, Berlin. Free. 223-1151. Christmas Craft Bazaar. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Rte.
14, Williamstown (beside Pump & Pantry). 477freshtracksfarm.com.
2122. juliechubaka@aol.com.
FRIDAY, DEC. 19
SATURDAY, DEC. 20
Magic: The Gathering Tournament. An

informal tournament every first and third Sat.,
10 a.m.1 p.m. Aldrich Library, Teen Room, 6
Washington St., Barre. Free. 476-7550. aldrichlibrary@gmail.com. aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Featuring
over 30 farmers, food producers and craftspeople. Music by Jairo Sequeira. 10 a.m.2 p.m.
Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St., Montpelier.
manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.com. capitalcityfarmersmarket.com.
Holiday with the Animals. Fun, family-friendly
holiday party with food and festivities. Activities
and animal-related crafts for all ages. With special
guests Santa and Mrs. Claus. Please bring donations to help spread good cheer to shelter animals
and be entered to win door prizes. See website
for wish list. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Central Vermont
Humane Society, 1589 VT Rte. 14 S., E. Montpelier. For full wish list: cvhumane.com. 476-3811.
events@cvhumane.com.
Kids Creating Music. With Bob Brookens. Kids
aged 18 months to 4 years old love learning to play
instruments, as well as singing and dancing with
Bob! 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N.
Main St., Waterbury. Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Author Reading: Carol L. Noyes. Coming Full
Circle: One Womans Journey through Spiritual Crisis. 10:30 a.m.noon. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, Hayes Room, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
SUNDAY, DEC. 21
Christmas Craft Bazaar. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Rte. 14,

Williamstown (beside Pump & Pantry). 477-2122.
juliechubaka@aol.com.
Old Meeting House Christmas Pageant. Annual
Christmas pageant with live animals. Join us for
this beautiful pageant and story of Christmas.
9:3010:30 a.m. Old Meeting House, 1620 Center
Rd., E. Montpelier. Free. 229-9593. oldmeetinghouse.org.
Skating with Frosty The Snowman. Celebrate
winter with an afternoon of family fun ice skating.
Frosty the Snowman will be making a special
appearance. Hot chocolate, cookie decorating and
family fun. 14 p.m. Central Vermont Memorial
Civic Center, 268 Gallison Hill Rd., Montpelier.
$6. Skate rental, if needed, is $5. 225-8699. jennyb@mpsvt.org. 225-8699.
Performing
Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY
Dec. 18: Kathleen Kanz Comedy Hour.
Headlining this month is Josie Leavitt, founding member of the Vermont Comedy Divas.
Also featuring Kathleen Kanz, Timothy Bridge,
Lori Goldman, Tyler Denton and Josie Leavitt.
Adult content. Every third Thurs., 7 p.m.
Capitol Grounds. 27 State St., Montpelier. $5.
223-7800. capitolgrounds.com.
Dec. 1921: Night Fires. Theatre Group Ltds
celebrational pageant-like play at the time of
the winter solstice. As always, the theme is a
journey through the dark to new life and hope.
Music and poetry from the Americas, especially
North America, plus some exquisite songs from
all around the globe. Original prose by Deborah Lubar and Marianne Lust. Dec. 19, 8 p.m.;
Dec. 20, 4 and 8 p.m.; Dec. 21, 2 p.m. The
popular pre-show singing begins approximately
20 minutes before the show itself. Town Hall
Theater, 68 S. Pleasant St., Middlebury. Adults
$24; seniors and students $20. townhalltheater.
org.
Dec. 20: Stories for a Winter's Eve. Original
Vermont stories and music with Patti Casey and
friends. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Old Meeting
House, 1620 Center Rd., E. Montpelier. Tickets: $15 advance at oldmeetinghouse.org; $18 at
the door; $10 ages 12 and under; $50 4-pack.
249-0404 or 229-9593.
Dec. 20, 21: Green Mountain Nutcracker.
Moving Light Dance offers the perennial
holiday favorite dance production, now in its
eighth year, featuring 75 local dancers, fabulous
hand-made costumes and glorious set pieces.
Dec. 20, 7 p.m.; Dec. 21, 2 p.m. Barre Opera
House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. $1428. 4768188. barreoperahouse.org.
THE BRIDGE
Families of Color. Open to all. Play, eat and discuss issues of adoption, race and multiculturalism.
Bring snacks and games to share; dress for the
weather. Third Sun., 35 p.m. Unitarian Church,
130 Main St., Montpelier. Alyson 439-6096 or
alyson@suncatchervt.com.
Winter Solstice Celebration. Potluck, storytelling, bonfire, fireworks and lots of fun. 4 p.m.
AllTogetherNow! 170 Cherry Tree Hill Rd., E.
Montpelier. alltogethernowvt.org.
MONDAY, DEC. 22
Treat the Common Cold with Chinese Medicine. Joshua Singer shares tools to reduce occurrence and to help colds go away more quickly. 67
p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, 623 Stone Cutters
Way, Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-8000 ext.
202.
Monthly Book Group for Adults. Join us for the
Jaquith book group. For copies of the book, please
stop by the library. New members are always
welcome. Fourth Mon., 7 p.m. Jaquith Public
Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
NAMI Vermont Family Support Group. Support
group for families and friends of individuals living
with mental illness. Fourth Mon., 7 p.m. Central
Vermont Medical Center, room 3, Berlin. 800639-6480 or namivt.org.
Crafting Peace, Feeding Syrian Refugees. A
peace and love themed craft night. $15 donation
covers all materials. All proceeds will go to the
United Nations World Food Programme in an
effort to help them continue their aid to Syrian
refugees. We will celebrate the completion of the
crafts by hanging them all around Montpelier
in a Crafting Peace art show, and we will be
auctioning off the artwork with all money from
the sales going to the World Food Programme.
8 p.m. Charlie Os World Famous, 70 Main St.,
Montpelier. $15
TUESDAY, DEC. 23
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
fourth Tues., 34:30 p.m. 59 N. Main St., Ste.
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through Dec. 18: The Paletteers of Vermont
Fall Art Show. Milne Room, Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St., Barre. Free. 476-7550.
Through Dec. 19: 1864: Some Suffer So Much.
Stories of Norwich alumni who served as military surgeons during the Civil War and traces
the history of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Sullivan Museum and History Center, Norwich
University, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield. 4852183. Norwich.edu/museum.
Through Dec. 19: Art Schaller, Billboard
Buildings: Collage and Mixed Media. Sullivan
Museum & History Center, Norwich University,
158 Harmon Dr., Northfield. Free and open
to the public. RSVP encouraged: 485-2183.
SMHC@norwich.edu. norwich.edu/museum.
Through Dec. 27: Celebrate! Annual local arts
celebration featuring artwork and crafts by more
than 75 member artists of Studio Place Arts
(SPA). Gallery hours: Tues.Fri., 11 a.m.5 p.m.;
Sat., noon4 p.m. Studio Place Arts, all three
floors, 201 N. Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.
com.
Through Dec. 31: Oils & Watercolors of Susan
Bull Riley. Paintings of the botanicals, birds
and landscapes of Vermont. Gallery hours vary
but are generally Mon.Fri., 10 a.m.3 p.m;
Sat. hours start in Oct. The Festival Gallery, #2
Village Square, Waitsfield. 496-6682. vermontartfest.com.
Through Dec. 31: Susan Bull Riley. Vermont
landscapes, botanical and bird compositions.
Gallery hours: 8 a.m.4:30 p.m. The Governors
Gallery, Pavilion Building, 109 State St., 5F,
200, Barre. Free, donations gratefully accepted.

479-0531. cvcoa@cvcoa.org. cvcoa.org.
AfroJazz and Yoga Workout. African/Caribbean and jazz inspired moves, yoga, hand weights
and floor work. Easy to follow and adaptable.
5:156:45 p.m. Contemporary Dance & Fitness
Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 2294676. cdandfs.com.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 24
Foot Clinic. Keep your feet healthy and strong.

Call CVHHH a morning appointment and they
will tell you what to bring with you: 223-1878.
Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2, Blueberry
Commons, E. Montpelier. Cash or check made
out to CVHHH for $15.
Refreshing Vinyasa Yoga. Enjoy a yogic practice
on the eve of christmas to unwind and appreciate the life you have been given. Noon1:15 p.m.
Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 229-4676. cdandfs.com.
Christmas Mass at St. Augustines Church. 4
p.m. and 7 p.m. St. Augustines Church, 16 Barre
St., Montpelier. 223-5285.
Christmas Masses at St. Monicas Church. Mass
4 p.m and 6:30 p.m..; Christmas pageant 6 p.m.;
Christmas concert with 45 voice choir, flutes,
trumpets, bells and drums 11 p.m.; midnight
mass 12 a.m. St. Monicas Church, 79 Summer
St., Barre. 479-3253.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Services. Family
5 p.m.; traditional 7:30 p.m. The Old Meeting
House, 1620 Center Rd., E. Montpelier. 2299593. oldmeetinghouse.org.
THURSDAY, DEC. 25
Christmas Day Masses at St. Monicas Church.

8 a.m. and 10 a.m. St. Monicas Church, 79 Summer St., Barre. 479-3253.
Christmas Mass at North American Martyrs
Parish. 9 a.m. North American Martyrs Parish,
Rte. 2, Marshfield. 223-5285.
Christmas Mass at St. Augustines Church. 10
a.m. St. Augustines Church, 16 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-5285.
Through Dec. 31: W. David Powell, Everything

Must Go 3.0: Artworks from the New Millennium. Large and vibrant paintings, prints, mixed
media and woven pieces. Gallery hours: 84:30
p.m. Art in the Vermont Supreme Court, 111
State St., Montpelier. 828-0749.
Through Dec. 31: Joyce Kahn, Out and About.
Plein air paintings from Vermont and Mohegan
Island, Maine. Opening: Nov. 10, 56 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Through Dec. 31: Donna Ellery. Long time Vermont artist works in glass, metals and the fine
arts. Animal and people portraits, still life and
everyday objects are painted in a style that allows
some fluid high-spirited whimsy, while remaining true to the object or person. The Shoe Horn,
8 Langdon St., Montpelier. donnaelleryart.com/
Through Dec. 31: Neysa Russo, Felt Tapestry
Exhhibit. Exhibit extended through December.
The White Stallion, seen here, now

on display at Chill in Montpelier as
part of Michael T. Jermyn's exhibit
New American Impressionism.
FRIDAY, DEC. 26
Friday Night Group. For youth age 1322 who

are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
questioning. Pizza, soft drinks and conversation.
Cofacilitated by two trained, adult volunteers
from Outright VT. Second and fourth Fri.,
6:308 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 223-7035. Micah@OutrightVT.
org.
SATURDAY, DEC. 27
Snowshoe Elmore with Green Mountain Club.

Moderate. Appoximately 4.5 miles. Hike or
snowshoe the Mt. Elmore loop trail. Bring water
and lunch. 10 a.m. Meet at Worcester Town Hall,
20 Worcester Village Rd., Worcester. Weather and
snow conditions may change time and location.
Kathy or John: 229-0725.
MONDAY, DEC. 29
Bootcamp for Dancers. Intermediate/Advanced.

A class of technical drill with a focus on developing, honing and strengthening proper alignment,
extension and movement applicable to ballet,
modern and jazz. 34:45 p.m. Contemporary
Dance & Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 229-4676. cdandfs.com.
TUESDAY, DEC. 30
AfroJazz and Yoga Workout. African/Caribbean and jazz inspired moves, yoga, hand weights
and floor work. Easy to follow and adaptable.
5:156:45 p.m. Contemporary Dance & Fitness
Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 2294676. cdandfs.com.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31
Refreshing Vinyasa Yoga. Enjoy a yogic practice

on the eve of the new year. Set an intention and
celebrate! Noon1:15 p.m. Contemporary Dance
& Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier.
$16. 229-4676. cdandfs.com.
planned by Montpelier Alive. Registration 12:30

p.m. at the Pavilion Building, 109 State St.,
Montpelier. Race begins 2 p.m. on Court St. near
the Pavilion Building.
New Year's Eve at Bethany! Fun activities for
kids make celebratory hats and noisemakers
34:30 p.m.; ham dinner 56:30 p.m.; Hearts
& Souls concert featuring Mark LeGrand, Sarah
Munro, Denise Ricker, Skip Potter, Doug Little
and Arthur Zorn 7 p.m. Bethany Church, 115
Main St., Montpelier. Kids activities are free.
Tickets for dinner and concert: $30 at door; $25
advance. Advance tickets available at Bethany
Church office, 9 a.m.noon on weekdays. 6220376. arthurzorn@hotmail.com.
Marko the Magician at Montpelier High School.
Marko will entertain the audience with hypnosis
and magic. Part of the New Year's Eve celebrations
in downtown Montpelier planned by Montpelier Alive. Two shows: 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Montpelier High School, 5 High School Dr.,
Montpelier. Adults $5; children ages 5 and under
free. Tickets: eventbrite.com or Montpelier Alive
Facebook event page. Tickets also available at the
door.
Fireworks Show. Part of the New Year's Eve
celebrations in downtown Montpelier planned by
Montpelier Alive. 7:30 p.m. State House Lawn.
New Year's Eve Extravaganza at Montpelier
City Hall. Hosted by blues singer/songwriter Dave
Keller. Featuring The Dave Keller Band, Starline
Rhythm Boys and special surprise musical guests.
Drinks from Three Penny Taproom, food from
Mad Taco, free champagne toast, countdown and
disco ball drop at midnight, portraits by Middle
Gray Group, classic soul and R&B spinning
between sets, dance contests, door prizes and a
Wall of Wishes to raise money for local charities.
Fine attire suggested but not required. All ages
welcome. Doors open 7:30 p.m.; Starline Rhythm
Boys 89:30 p.m.; The Dave Keller Band 10
p.m.1 a.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St.,
Montpelier. Tickets: $10 advance; $15 at door;
free for children 17 and under. Advance tickets
available at lostnationtheater.org and Capitol
Stationers. 229-2737. info@davekeller.com.
davekeller.com.
Central Vermont Runners Club annual New

Year's Eve 5K Road Race. Part of the New
Year's Eve celebrations in downtown Montpelier
Lots of new work added. Bagitos, 28 Main St.,
Montpelier. Free. 229-9212. bagitos.com.
Through Jan. 3: Wilderness Photographs.
Photographs of Vermont and New Hampshire
wilderness are displayed. Exhibit viewing hours:
Tues.Fri., noon6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m.
Royalton Memorial Library, 23 Alexander Pl., S.
Royalton. Free.
riverartsvt.org.
Through Jan. 17: Celebrating the Dishtowel. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield.
Free. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Jan. 510: Vera Van Stone Fogg, A Lifetime

Retrospective. Opening reception: Jan. 5,
24 p.m. Closing reception: Jan. 10, 35 p.m.
Gallery hours: Tues.Fri., 11 a.m.5 p.m.; Sat.,
Through Jan. 4: Sarah LeVeille, Whimsy. Acrylic noon4 p.m. Studio Place Arts, Main Floor
paintings bring the farmyard to life. Reception: Gallery, 201 N. Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.
com.
Dec. 18, 57 p.m. Gallery hours: Mon.Thur.,
9 a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., noon2 p.m. River Arts
Through Jan. 23: Shamus McCaffrey Langlois,
Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261.
Totems and Lovers, Clowns and Villains.
RiverArtsVT.org.
Sculpture, painting and drawing exploring the
Through Jan. 4: Lauren Stagnitti, In a Moment. transitional spaces between experience, desire
Infrared photography. Reception: Dec. 18, 57 and transformation. Gallery SIX, 6 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 552-8620. gallerysixvt@gmail.com.
p.m.; artist talk 6 p.m. Gallery hours: Mon.
Thur., 9 a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.2 p.m. Gallery gallerysix.weebly.com/
at River Arts, Folley Hall at the River Arts CenThrough Jan. 30: Tibetan Buddhist Thankgas.
ter, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free. 888-1261.
Various artists. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm St.,
Montpelier. 223-1431. tulsitearoom.com.
Through Jan. 31: Michael T. Jermyn, New
American Impressionism. Local photographer
Michael T. Jermyn presents some new photographic works along with a few old favorites.
Tues.Sun., noon10 p.m. Chill, 32 State St.,
Montpelier. 223-2445 or 223-1570.
Through Apr. 10: Green Mountain Graveyards:
Photo Exhibit. Fascinating look into the past
with these photographs. Vermont History Museum, 109 State St., Montpelier. Exhibit included
in museum fee. 828-2180. amanda.gustin@state.
vt.us. vermonthistory.org/calendar.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Jan. 9: The Photo Big Year: A Quest to Photograph North Americas Birds. Part of Naturalist
Journeys 2015 Slide Show and Lecture Series.
78:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.,
Montpelier. $5 donation. 229-6206. info@
northbranchnaturecenter.org. northbranchnaturecenter.org.
PAG E 2 0 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015
FRIDAY, JAN. 2
Death Caf. Group discussion about death with

no agenda, objectives or themes. First Fri., 11:45
a.m.1 p.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2,
Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Bring your
own lunch or eat at the center for $4. 223-3322.
Bootcamp for Dancers. Intermediate/advanced.
A class of technical drill with a focus on developing, honing and strengthening proper alignment,
extension and movement applicable to ballet,
modern and jazz. 56:15 p.m. Contemporary
Dance & Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon St., Montpelier. $16. 229-4676. cdandfs.com.
Author Readings at Vermont College of Fine
Arts. Clint McCown, MFA in writing (fiction)
faculty member and author of Haints, Leslie
Ullman, MFA in writing (poetry) faculty member
and author of Progress on the Subject of Immensity, and Stephen Dunn, visiting poet and author
of Different Hours. 78:15 p.m. VCFA, College
Hall Chapel, 36 College St., Montpelier. Free.
vcfa.edu/writing.
Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your

own. Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.
First Fri., 79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist
Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier (park and
enter at rear). Free. 244-5191, 472-8297 or rawilburjr@comcast.net.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3
National Federation of the Blind, Montpelier

Chapter. First Sat. Lane Shops community room,
1 Mechanic St., Montpelier. 229-0093.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament. An
informal tournament every first and third Sat.,
10 a.m.1 p.m. Aldrich Library, Teen Room, 6
Washington St., Barre. Free. 476-7550. aldrichlibrary@gmail.com. aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Capital City Indoor Farmers Market. Featuring
over 30 farmers, food producers and craftspeople.
10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main
St., Montpelier. manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.com.capitalcityfarmersmarket.com.
THE BRIDGE
Osteoporosis Education and Support Group.

For those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, have a family member
who has been diagnosed or want to learn about
osteoporosis. Learn from a variety of guest speakers and medical specialists. First Sat., 13 p.m.
Community National Bank, Community Room,
Crawford Rd., Derby. 535-2011. mary@betterbonesnek.org. betterbonesneK.org.
Arts. Karin Gottshall, visiting alumni poet and
author of The River Wont Hold You, Barbara
Hurd, MFA in writing faculty member (creative
nonfiction) and author of Stepping Into The
Same River Twice. 78 p.m. VCFA, College Hall
Chapel, 36 College St., Montpelier. Free. vcfa.
edu/writing.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
Crafting with Old Clothes. With Morgaine

Bell.Turn t-shirts, sweatpants, and other unused
apparel into something new and useful. 13 p.m.
Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St., Barre.
Free; open to the public. 476-7550. Jeanne@
aldrichpubliclibrary.org. aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
Arts. Refael Paul Arenson, graduating fiction
writer, and Iztok Osojnik, visiting poet/fiction/
creative nonfiction writer and author of Elsewhere. 7:308:30 p.m. VCFA, College Hall
Chapel, 36 College St., Montpelier. Free. http://
vcfa.edu/writing.
MONDAY, JAN. 5
Pottery Class at the Mud Studio. Wheel throwing and handbuilding classes for all skill levels.
Mud Studio, 961 Rte. 2, Middlesex. Call for class
fee and registration information: 224-7000. themudstudio.com. (See classified listing on p. 23.)
Parent Meet-Up. Come meet other parents, share
information and chat over light snacks, coffee
and tea. First Mon., 1011:30 a.m. Hayes Room,
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. mamasayszine@gmail.com.
Senior Cohousing - Aging in Community. Presentation and conversation on senior cohousing.

67:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Free. 477-2616.
Classic Book Club. New members always welcome. Most first Mon., 68 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151 High St. (Rte. 2), Plainfield. Free.
454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org/resources/bookclub.
Arts. Richard Jackson, MFA in writing faculty
member (poetry) and author of Retrievals, and
Sigrid Nunez, visiting fiction writer and author of
Salvation City. 78 p.m. VCFA, College Hall
Chapel, 36 College St., Montpelier. Free. vcfa.
edu/writing.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6
ADA Advisory Committee Meeting. First Tues.

City managers conference room, City Hall, 39
Main St., Montpelier. 223-9502.
Library Book Delivery Service. First and third
Tues., 1 p.m. See sign-up sheet near office for
more info. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518.
Womens Circle. Women and mothers discuss
motherhood, family life and womens health.
Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and
Hannah Allen. First Tues., 68 p.m. Emerge
Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River St.,
Montpelier.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
Bereavement/Grief Support Group. Open to

anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 1011:30 a.m. Conference Center. 600
Granger Road, Berlin. Free. 223-1878.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. First Wed., 10 a.m.Noon. Barre Presbyterian Church, Summer St. 476-1480.
Cancer Support Group. First Wed., 6 p.m.
Potluck. For location, call Carole Mac-Intyre
229-5931.
THE BRIDGE
U-32 School Board Meeting. Open to the public

and community members are always welcome to
attend. 6 p.m. U-32, Rm. 131, 930 Gallison Hill
Rd., Montpelier. 229-0321.
Montpelier School Board Meeting. 7 p.m.
Montpelier High School library, 5 High School
Dr., Montpelier. 225-8000.
The White Mountain Huts. Dartmouth professor
Allen Koop explains the Appalachian Mountain
Clubs hut system in New Hampshire, and how
the huts and their people have formed a society
with its own history, traditions and legends.
Part of the Vermont Humanities Councils First
Wednesdays lecture series. 78:30 p.m. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 1171 Main St., St. Johnsbury.
Free. 748-8291.
On Thin Ice: Climate Change in the Cryosphere.
Pam Pearson, director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, will discuss changes
in the globes regions of ice and snow. Part of the
Vermont Humanities Councils First Wednesdays
lecture series. 7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
135 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.org. vermont humanities.org.
Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. bagitos.com.
Dec. 18: Piano recital for students of Nancy
Reid Taube, 68 p.m.
Dec. 19: Isaiah Mayhew & Friends (roots, reggae, hip hop) 68 p.m.
Dec. 20: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne
and others, 25 p.m.; The Verbing Nouns and
Small Axe (acoustic) 68 p.m.
Dec. 21: Eric Friedman & Gretchen Doilon
(folk ballads) 11 a.m.1 p.m.
Dec. 23: Nancy & Lilly Smith folk duo, 68
p.m.
Capitol Grounds. 27 State St., Montpelier. 68
p.m. Free. 223-7800. capitolgroundsmusic@
gmail.com
Dec. 19: Bramblewood (bluegrass/folk)
Jan. 1: Paul Cataldo (singer-songwriter)
Jan. 2: Cygne (singer-songwriter)
Jan. 8: Abby Jenne (acoustic)
Jan. 9: Miranda Moody Miller (singer-songwriter)
Charlie Os World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. Call for show times if not listed:
223-6820.
Dec. 18: Metal Thursday with Fall from the
Gallows & DJ Crucible (metal)
Dec. 20: Anachronist, Pistol Fist (rock)
Dec. 26: Made In Iron (metal)
Dec. 27: Mad Mountain Scramblers (bluegrass)
North Branch Caf. 41 State St., Montpelier.
7:309:30 p.m. Free. 552-8105. donia@thenorthbranch.com. thenorth-branch.com.
Dec. 18: James Secor (traditional and original
songs on the kora or guitar)
Dec. 20: Michelle Rodriguez (original jazz/
indie folk)
Nutty Stephs. 961C U.S. Rte. 2, Middlesex.
All performances are from 710 p.m. 229-2090.
nightlife@nuttystephs.com. nuttystephs.com.
Dec. 18: Jim Thompson (rockin jazz piano)
Dec. 19: Rauli Fernandez & Friends (rocksteady blues)
Dec. 20: Creaturetown Puppetfest and a variety
of other local performers.
Dec. 26: Cooie & Friends (blues)
Dec. 27: Jazzyaoke! with Z Jazz
Dec. 31: Bacon Wednesday New Years Eve.
$20.
Positive Pie. 22 State St., Montpelier. 229-0453.
positivepie.com.
Dec. 20: Sweater Pride: Glam Vermont Ugly
Sweater Xmas Party with DJ Papi Javi (dance/
top 40) 910 p.m. Ages 18+. $5.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8
Deep Energy Efficiency for the Zero Energy

Home. Examination of opportunities for and
cost-effectiveness of achieving efficiency improvements in Vermont homes. This event is part of a
series of workshops for residents and businesses on
how we can each move toward Net Zero, hosted
by the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee in
partnership with Efficiency Vermont. 6:30 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 229-3559. tshea@nationallifegroup.com.
eanvt.org/net-zero-montpelier/
FRIDAY, JAN. 9
Technology Assistance. All seniors are invited

to drop-in for free technology assistance provided
by a local student. 10:4511:45 a.m. Montpelier
Free. 223-2518. msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Perfect Pairing with Vermont Salumi. Join Vermont Salumi in the tasting room for free samples
of cured Pepe Salumi paired with complementary samples of wine. 5:30 p.m. Fresh Tracks Farm
Vineyard & Winery, 4373 VT Rte. 12, Berlin.
Free. 223-1151. freshtracksfarm.com.
Dec. 23: White Out hosted by DJ Ben Arsenal

and featuring Yee with Shper Morse Dividian
Trio. 21+. $5.
Jan. 2: Gang of Thieves (rock) 21+. $5.
Jan. 9: Kina Zor (Mozambican-American)
21+. $5.
Sweet Melissas. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier. Free
unless otherwise noted. 225-6012. facebook.com/
sweetmelissasvt. Additional performances T.B.A.
Dec. 18: Seth Yacovone Acoustic, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Tim Brick's Send Off Party,
9 p.m.
Dec. 20: The Pizza Tapes, 9 p.m.
Dec. 23: Open Mic Night, 7 p.m.
Dec. 24: Wine Down with D. Davis, 5 p.m.
Dec. 26: Honky Tonk Happy Hour with Mark
LeGrand, 5 p.m.
Dec. 30: Open Mic Night, 7 p.m.
Dec. 31: Coquette, Smokin' J's- New Year's Eve
bash! 9 p.m.
The Whammy Bar. 31 County Rd., Calais. 7
p.m. Free. 229-4329. whammybar1.com. Call for
performance times if not listed.
Dec. 18: Laura Meyer
Dec. 19: Chad Hollister
Dec. 20: June Morse Christmas Sing-a-Long
Dec. 26: Penny Arcade (blues/jazz)
Dec. 27: Lewis Franco and The Brown Eyed
Girls
Jan. 2: Broken String (bluegrass)
Jan, 3: Two Cents In The Till
ARTISTS & SPECIAL

EVENTS
Dec. 18: Vermont Symphony Orchestra Brass
Quintet with Counterpoint. 7:30 p.m. The
North Church, 1325 Main St., St. Johnsbury.
Adults $24; students/seniors $20; ages 18 and
under free. 864-5741 ext.16. vso.org. Tickets also
available at catamountarts.org.
Dec. 20, 21: The Onion River Chorus and
Friends. With guest director, Richard Riley.
Featuring Christmas music from France by Charpentier and Saint Saens as well as some French
folk songs. Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 21, 4 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., Montpelier.
Adults $12; students $10; family $25.
Dec. 28: Breaking Up Christmas: Cajun Solstice Dance. With Katie Trautz and the Green
Mountain Playboys. 3 p.m. Cabot Town Hall,
Willey Building, Cabot. By donation.
Jan. 10: Shady Rill: Patti Casey and Tom
McKenzie in Concert. Part of the Adamant
Winter Music Series. Optional potluck 5:30 p.m.;
show starts 7 p.m. Adamant Methodist Church,
1180 Haggett Rd., Adamant. $10 advance at the
Adamant Coop; $15 at door. 223-5762.
Introduction to Massage for Couples. Learn

massage techniques, which include tapping,
reflexology, and massage for the head and neck
that will relax and rejuvenate your partner. This
is a "clothes on" workshop. 67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, 623 Stone Cutters Way,
Montpelier. Free; donations welcome. Register:
223-8000 ext. 202.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10
Young Adventurers Club Outing. YAC is a

Green Mountain Club group helping parents and
kids get outdoors together. Easy. Contact Lexi at
229-9810 or Mike at 223-8493 for trip location,
details and meeting time and place.
Cross-Country Ski Craftsbury with Green
Mountain Club. Craftsbury Nordic Center. All
abilities. Various distances. Trail fee. Call Mary
G. at 622-0585 or Mary S. at 505-0603 for
meeting time and place.
Stone Wall Winter Workshops. Learn the basic
techniques for building dry-laid stone walls with
a special focus on stone native to Vermont. Workshop dates: Jan. 10, Feb. 14, Mar. 7 and 21, 8:30
a.m.3:30 p.m. Workshops held at Red Wagon
Plants, 2408 Shelburne Farms Rd., Hinesburg.
$100. Space is limited. For complete schedule
and to register contact Queen City Soil & Stone:

318-2411, queencitysoilandstone.com. (See our ad
on p. 6.)
Quick Books Training. With Elizia Meskill, CPA
from Davis & Hodgdon Associates. Free QuickBooks training for small businesses. 9 a.m.noon.
Capstone Community Action, 20 Gable Pl.,
Barre. Free. Mandatory to call or email to enroll.
Laura: 477-5176 or lsudhoff@capstonevt.org.
Margaret: 477-5214 or mferguson@capstonevt.
org.
Tell them you

saw it in
The Bridge!
Submit your calendar

listing by using our
online submission form at
montpelierbridge.com/
calendar-submissions OR send listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com
THE BRIDGE
THE BRIDGE
Weekly Events
FOOD & DRINK
Community Meals in Montpelier. All welcome.

Free.
Mon.: Unitarian Church, 130 Main St., 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St., 11:30
a.m.1 p.m.
Wed.: Christ Church, 64 State St., 11 a.m.
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
12:30 p.m.
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St., 11:30
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.1 p.m.
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St., 11
a.m.12:30 p.m.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
4:305:30 p.m.
Women Knitting for Peace Group. Knit/crochet Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.
items to be donated to those in need world-wide. Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E.
Bring yarn and needles. Thurs., 1011 a.m. and
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
67:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
twinvalleyseniors.org.
58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518. For basic info.
FEAST Together & To-Go. All proceeds benefit
and patterns: knitting4peace.org.
the FEAST Senior Meal Program. Tues. and Fri.
Dance/play with the band, 10:30 a.m.; communal/
take-out meals, noon1 p.m. Montpelier Senior
Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors
60+ free with $7 suggested donation; under 60 $9;
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Tues., 68 to-go meals $9 for all. Please make reservations at
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre least one day in advance: 262-6288.
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.
ART & CRAFT
BICYCLING
BOOKS & WORDS

Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and
practice your language skills with neighbors.
Noon1 p.m. Mon., Hebrew; Tues., Italian;
Wed., Spanish; Thurs., French. Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-3338.
English Conversation Practice Group. For
students learning English for the first time. Tues.,
45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State St.
223-3403.
Ongoing Reading Group. Improve your reading
and share some good books. Books chosen by
group. Thurs., 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult
Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100
State St. 223-3403.
BUSINESS & FINANCE,

COMPUTERS
Computer and Online Help. One-on-one computer help. Tues. and Fri., 10 a.m.1 p.m. Waterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury.
Free. Registration required: 244-7036.
Personal Financial Management Workshops.
Learn about credit/debit cards, credit building and
repair, budgeting and identity theft, insurance,
investing, retirement. Tues., 68 p.m. Central
Vermont Medical Center, Conference Room 3.
Registration: 371-4191.
EDUCATION
Lunch & Learn. Every Tues., noon1 p.m. North
Branch Caf, 41 State St., Montpelier. Free.
Limited seating. Reservations: 552-8105. Detailed
info. on each topic: thenorth-branch.com/upcoming-events/
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral

testing. Thurs., 25 p.m. 58 East State St., Ste. 3
(entrance at back), Montpelier. Free. 371-6222.
vtcares.org.
RECYCLING
Growing Older Group. Informal drop-in group

to share experiences, thoughts and fears about
aging. Every Fri., 10:3011:30 a.m. Montpelier
223-2518.
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables

Collection Center accepts scores of hard-torecycle items. Tues. and Thurs., 12:30 p.m.5:30
p.m. ARCC, 540 North Main St., Barre. $1 per
carload. 229-9383 x106. For list of accepted items,
go to cvswmd.org/arcc-additional-recyclablescollection-center.html.
KIDS & TEENS
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Baby & Toddler Story Time. Every Mon., 10a.m. Womens Group. Women age 40 and older exWaterbury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Water- plore important issues and challenges in their lives
bury. Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com. in a warm and supportive environment. Facilitated
by Amy Emler-Shaffer and Julia W. Gresser. Wed.
Orchard Valley Playgroup. An early childhood
evenings. 41 Elm St., Montpelier. 262-6110.
educator will lead the group, featuring seasonal
songs, lap games, a puppet story, free play and
conversation. For ages 4 and under and their parent/caregiver. Every Mon. through May, 12:30
p.m. Orchard Valley Waldorf School, 2290 VT
Christian Science Reading Room. Need a daily
Rt. 14 N, E. Montpelier. Space limited to 10 fami- lift? Dial 617-450-3430 and listen to a brief inlies; pre-registration required. morgan.i@ovws.org. spired thought intended just for you today. Shared
The Basement Teen Center. Cable TV, PlaySta- with love from Christian Science Reading Room.
Christmas week hours: Tues., 11 a.m.1 p.m.;
tion 3, pool table, free eats and fun events for
teenagers. Mon.Thurs., 36 p.m.; Fri., 311 p.m. Wed., 11 a.m.1 p.m. and 57:15 p.m.; closed on
Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier. Christmas; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.1p.m. Regular
hours: 11 a.m.5 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.7:15 p.m.;
229-9151.
Thurs.Sat., 11 a.m.1 p.m. 145 State St., MontStory Time and Playgroup. Story time with Syl- pelier. 223-2477.
via Smith and playgroup with Melissa Seifert. For
ages birth6 and their grown-ups. We follow the Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Twinfield Union School calendar and do not hold Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only: 4790302.
programs when Twinfield is closed. Every Wed.
Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place
through June 3. 1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Li- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those
for individuals and their families in or seeking
brary, 122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581. interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed.,
St., Barre. 479-7373.
7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St., Barre.
Read to Coco. Share a story with Coco, the
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
Register: 479-3253.
resident
licensed
reading
therapy
dog,
who
loves
to
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
hear
kids
practice
reading
aloud.
Wed.,
3:304:30
Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text
67:30 p.m.
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
study and discussion on Jewish spirituality. Sun.,
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m. Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665 or at the
4:456:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center,
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.
Montpelier. 223-0583. info@yearning4learning.
Early Bird Bone Builders Class. With Cort
org.
Read with Arlo. Meet reading therapy dog Arlo
Richardson, Osteoporosis exercise and prevention and his owner Brenda. Sign up for a 20-minute
program. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy
block. Thurs., 45 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
shoes. Light weights provided or bring your own. 135 Main St., Montpelier. 223-4665. kellogghubAll ages. Every Mon. and Wed., 6:307:30 a.m.
bard.org.
Roller Derby Open Recruitment and RecreTwin Valley Senior Center, Rte. 2, Blueberry
Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. Cort: 223-3174 or Preschool Story Time. Every Fri., 10 a.m. Water- ational Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking
bury Public Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up.
238-0789.
Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
No experience necessary. Equipment provided:
Bone Building Exercises. All seniors welcome.
first come, first served. Sat., 56:30 p.m. MontDrop-in
Kinder
Arts
Program.
Innovative
exEvery Mon., Wed. and Fri. 10:4511:45 a.m. Twin
pelier Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate free.
ploratory
arts
program
with
artist/instructor
Kelly
Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montcentralvermontrollerderby.com.
Holt.
Age
35.
Fri.,
10:30
a.m.noon.
River
Arts
pelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261.
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
RiverArtsVT.org.
Every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m. Twin Valley Senior
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free.
books, use the gym, make art, play games and if
Yoga and Meditation. With Katy Leadbetter.
223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35 p.m.
Meditation: Mon., 1 p.m. (unlimited). IntroducLiving Strong Group. Volunteer-led group. Sing Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield. tion to yoga: Tues., 4 p.m. (four-class limit).
while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every Mon., 426-3581.
Consultation: Fri., 11 a.m. (one per person). 56
2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m. MontpeEast State St., Montpelier. Free. 272-8923.
lier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpe- Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79 p.m.
Meets
at
various
area
churches.
Call
497-4516
for
Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths
lier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@montpelierlocation and information.
welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ Church,
vt.org.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m. BethaSutra of Golden Light Reading. The benefits from
ny Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 552-3483.
reciting, listening to or even hearing the name
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for
of the sutra are immeasurable, from eliminating
Barre-Tones
Womens
Chorus.
Open
rehearsal.
physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming
conflict, terrorism, torture and famine to achievFind
your
voice
with
50
other
women.
Mon.,
7
overeating. Two meeting days and locations. Tues.,
ing full enlightenment. Every Tues. through Dec.
p.m.
Alumni
Hall,
Barre.
223-2039.
Barretones5:306:30 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Good
9, 6:307:30 p.m. Milarepa Center, 1344 US Rte.
VT.com.
Shepherd, 39 Washington St., Barre. 249-3970.
5 S., Barnet. Free. Vegan/vegetarian dinner 5:30
Fri., noon1 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115 Main
Dance or Play with the Swinging over 60 Band. p.m. for $8. RSVP at least one day in advance:
St., Montpelier. 223-3079.
Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the 1960s.
633-4136 or milarepa@milarepacenter.org.
Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.noon.
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal.
Meditation Sitting Group. Facilitated by Sherry
New chorus members welcome. Wed., 45 p.m.
Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more Rhynard. A weekly meditation group offers ways
to find out more about meditation and gives supinformation.
port to an existing or a new practice. Every Thurs.,
Piano Workshop. Informal time to play, refresh 5:306:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical Center,
your skills and get feedback if desired with other 130 Fisher Rd., Berlin. Free. 272-2736. sherry@
supportive musicians. Singers and listeners weleaseofflow.com.
come. Thurs., 46 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; open to Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group
meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues.,
the public. 223-2518. msac@montpelier-vt.org.
78 p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. Shambhala Meditation
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 68
Center, 64 Main St., 3F, Montpelier. Free. 223p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre 5137. montpeliershambala.org.
St. 223-2518.
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven. St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.
light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.
SPIRITUALITY
HEALTH & WELLNESS
SPORTS & GAMES
YOGA & MEDITATION
MUSIC & DANCE
Class listings and classifieds are 50 words for

$25; discounts available.
To place an ad,
call Michael, 223-5112 ext. 11.
CLASSES:
ALLIANCE FRANAISE WINTER SESSION:
"VOYAGE INTO FRANCOPHONIE"
This 6-week French class will be offered in
Montpelier from January 12 to February 16.
Descriptions and sign-up at aflcr.org.
Contact Micheline Tremblay at
michelineatremblay@gmail.com or at
881-8826.
CLASSES:
POTTERY AT MUD STUDIO
Resolve to beat your cabin fever this winter in a
pottery class at the Mud Studio. Wheel throwing and handbuilding classes for all skill levels
starting January 5th. Come dig in the fun. Visit
us at www.themudstudio.com, call at 224-7000
or stop in at 961 Route 2 in Middlesex at The
MiddleGround Complex, next door to the Red
Hen Bakery for registration information.
HELP WANTED:
LIBRARY DIRECTOR: The Brown Public
Library, located in Northfield, Vermont, seeks
an energetic and collaborative Library Director
for a salaried position (30 hours/week) with
benefits. The director manages the day-to-day
operations of the library and works with the
library Trustees to develop goals, policies and
budgets. A Master's degree in Library Science
from an ALA-accredited program and at least
four years of public library experience is preferred. Salary range is $30,000-$42,000, plus
benefits. See http://www.brownpubliclibrary.org
for information about the library and to apply.
HOUSING WANTED:
THE CENTRAL VERMONT COMMUNITY
LAND TRUST is seeking to rent one-bedroom
apartments now through September 2015 to
house our established long-term tenants during
a renovation project. If you have apartments
in Montpelier and are interested in guaranteed
rent and lease enforcement, please contact Liz
Genge, Director of Property Management at
477-1333 or LGenge @cvclt.org.
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SERVICES:
Glenn Beatty L.I.C.S.W.
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A Sweet Memory
Book Review Tagalong
Kid: A Katonah Idyll by
Marjorie Drysdale
arjorie Drysdales Tagalong

Kid: A Katonah Idyll is partially a memoir and partially a
storybook. Written as the tale of 1950's
upstate New York, Marjorie (or Marjie, as
was her childhood nickname) moves with
her parents, her sister, and a pair of vividly
described older brothers known as Warren and Bruce, to the village of Katonah.
Here, the brothers run wild and Marjie
runs wild with them. Drysdale clearly has
a gift for language, and the reader can
almost feel the sun sparkling on the water
during a frequent fishing expedition, or
smell the dry, papery scent of an old classroom on the first day of school.
As time passes and Marjie matures, the childhood innocence and simplicity of Drysdales early recollections is lost, replaced by a kind of dry wit, the kind of wit that finds
humor in the scrapes and bruises of school-age childhood. Later still, Drysdale grows
reflective as Marjie matures and grows a bit more aware of the complications of adult life.
This change in mood plays well for the reader, forcing a kind of transfer of perspective
that echoes that of the author and main character alike. With this change, the audience
must evolve. In many ways, Tagalong Kid is a coming-of-age story that is not necessarily aimed at those who are coming of age themselves. Instead, those who could glean the
most out of the text seem to be those who wish to relive a bygone era, though at times
the books tone would seem to appeal most to a child.
Tagalong Kid is worth reading. It is a sweet memory, and the stories being told are
obviously close to the authors heart. They are recounted with sincerity, emotion, and,
every now and then, a glimmer of pure insight into the mind of a child or, for that matter, the mind of a parent. In the end, Tagalong Kid is an enjoyable read and one of
great potential.
Elect Scott Milne

by Nat Frothingham
f I were writing a letter to members of

the Vermont House and Senate who
will gather in Joint Assembly in the
day or two after the Legislature convenes
in January, my message would be painfully
clear:
Please read the Vermont Constitution.
If you were the candidate for governor
who got the most votes on Election Day
last Nov. 4 in all likelihood you would be
saying I got the most votes. That means
I win.
But that is not what the Vermont Constitution says or implies.
In the fall of 2003 Montpelier lawyer and
historian Paul Gillies along with former
state Archivist D. Gregory Sanford published an article in the Vermont Law Review. That article ponders the meaning of
Section 47 of the Vermont Constitution
the section of the constitution that outlines
what happens if no candidate for governor
or lieutenant governor or state treasurer
wins a (50 percent-plus-one) majority vote.
Gillies and Sanford begin their article with
these words:
Majority rule is the essential mode of
democratic rule when a body of people is
asked to decide between two choices. Yes
or no; this candidate or that are choices
that have only one outcome one candidate has the majority of votes and prevails.
When three or more candidates are on the
ballot for an office, it becomes harder for
any one candidate to attain a majority of
votes. As such three- or four-way elections
go, obtaining more votes than anyone else
a plurality has become the standard
in most states, cities and towns. Vermont
is different. In Vermont majority rule
remains the standard for the election of
Letters
In Memorium
Charles
Hoffman
1927 to 2014
little over a week ago I talked by phone with Nelson Hoffman who told me that his
father, Charles Hoffman, had died Dec. 3.
Charles Hoffman and I have been friends over the past few years. We shared an enthusiasm for writing, poetry and storytelling. From time to time in good weather we sat out
on a bench in front of Kellogg-Hubbard Library and talked or had a bite to eat in a local
restaurant. On two or three occasions we got into a car and drove out of Montpelier to
no place in particular a shared ramble.
Charles had many friends in Montpelier and will be missed. In an upcoming issue of
The Bridge, I will write about Charles in a more complete way. According to his son, Nelson, sometime this coming summer there will be a graveside service for Charles Hoffman
with military honors at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center.
As of this writing, no date for that service has been set.
Nat Frothingham
D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 2 5
THE BRIDGE
Honoring Caregivers
Our Silent Army
Editor:
Every day, a remarkable group of Vermonters performs a great labor of love: caring
for aging parents, spouses, brothers, sisters,
aunts, uncles and friends so they can remain
in their homes. They are on duty 24/7, and
often cannot take a break. Yet they wouldnt
have it any other way. These caregivers are
truly unsung heroes.
To honor family caregivers, AARP launched
a new initiative to focus attention on their
stories called I Heart Caregivers. Every
caregiver has a story and gathering these
stories strengthens the caregiver community
for everyones benefit. If you know someone
with a story to share, encourage them to go
to www.aarp.org/iheartcaregivers.
In addition to offering caregivers the opportunity to share stories with each other,
the initiative also provides us with a powerful way to bring those voices to lawmakers
and policymakers in Montpelier. Together
with other organizations, AARP Vermont is
gearing up to work for common-sense solutions in the next legislative session to support family caregivers and their loved ones.
the three highest state officials and some

local offices. Section 47 of the Vermont
Constitution requires a candidate running
for governor, lieutenant governor, or state
Treasurer to obtain a majority vote in order
to be elected. Failing that, the Senate and
House of Representatives shall by joint
ballot, elect to fill the office, not filled as
aforesaid, one of the
three candidates for
such office (if there
be so many) for whom
greatest number of
votes shall have been
returned.
He was the incumbent. He had the greater

name recognition. The Democratic party
had impressive majorities in both the House
and Senate. Shumlin was a seasoned politician who had served in the House, the Senate and had twice been elected governor.
He had more campaign money, as governor
and as newsmaker he had greater media
attention. And because of his campaign
money advantage he
had greater paid media
exposure.
Editorial
That is the situation we find ourselves in

today. On Nov. 4, no candidate for governor achieved a majority vote and it is now
the task of a Joint Assembly of the new
Legislature to elect a governor. But the
constitution says nothing about any obligation to vote for the candidate who got the
most votes.
The Bridge has been publishing for 21 years
now. At no time during this period has
the paper endorsed a candidate for public
office.
Instead, we have discussed a range of public issues. We have tried strenuously
to present within our pages the fullest
possible range of political thinking and
perspectives right, left and center.
In what I am writing here, I am taking
leave of the papers tradition of not endorsing candidates for public office.
As I look back on the election and the race
for governor, essentially a race between
Peter Shumlin and Scott Milne this is
what I see.
Peter Shumlin entered the race with a
number of advantages.
For example, we need to develop improved

transitional care plans for patients returning
home from the hospital, secure better workplace flexibility for caregivers, and ensure we
are investing in the programs and services
that caregivers and their loved ones need in
their own communities.
We know that there is a silent army of some
120,000 Vermonters who are caregivers each
year. Lets recognize these remarkable individuals who are working to help seniors live
independently and who make it possible for
them to stay in their homes where we know
they want to be.
Greg Marchildon
State director, AARP Vermont
To Bike or Not to Bike?

That is the Question
Dear Editors,
I would like to clarify a couple of points
in my previous letter regarding mountain
biking in Hubbard Park. As Dan Voisin
mentions, I made an error attributing Tim
Flynns letter, A Thank You and A Plea, to
Tim Shea. I apologize to all parties for the
mistake.
Also, as Mike Donofrio and others so rightly
pointed out, I need to explain my earlier
statement that read, Onion River Sports
In this uneven contest,

Scott Milne was not
an incumbent. His Republican party was
in the minority in both houses. Milne had
run for the House and lost but he had never
served in political office. He had much less
name recognition than his opponent, much
less campaign money, much less media attention and less paid media exposure. Yet
when the votes were counted on Nov. 4
and 5, no candidate achieved a majority
and Shumlins margin of victory was 2,434
votes.
I will not attempt a comprehensive review
of Shumlins second-term performance as
governor.
I will note in passing that according to
press accounts Shumlin was out of state for
141 days since his second term began in
January 2013.
What I will do, also, is discuss, even if
briefly, the troubled, expensive, and largely
dysfunctional roll-out of the states Vermont Health Connect program, a roll-out
with costs in the tens of millions of dollars.
me is a national disgrace.
But the messy and expensive Vermont
Health Connect roll-out hurt the governors single-payer health care initiative. If
the state was unable to handle the Health
Connect roll-out could it handle a singlepayer system?
Then there were repeated promises by
Shumlin to put forward the details of a
funding proposal for the new single-payer
health care initiative. That proposal was
never put forward to the Legislature. In
effect, the Vermont Legislature was disrespected.
That funding proposal was never put forward before the November election. So
it couldnt be examined, couldnt be discussed. And the Vermont voters were
disrespected.
Now, a funding proposal is to go before the
Legislature at the end of this December,
days before the new Legislature convenes.
Again the Legislature is disrespected.
Shumlin has often articulated the need to
get health care spending under control.
But where is the funding plan? Where is
the transparency?
And has mortal damage been visited on
the idea of a single-payer initiative because
Vermont Health Connect was bungled and
because a funding plan was never taken to
the Legislature or to the voters?
This, in part, is the damaged legacy of the
past two Shumlin years.
And this is why the Joint Assembly should
elect Scott Milne.
That this country cannot put together a

universal health care system and the Affordable Care Act doesnt qualify as such to
wants to sell more bikes to those who can

afford them.
I apologize for letting my emotions get the
better of me and for not phrasing that sentence better. Mr. Donofrio suggested that I
back away from that statement unless I can
defend it, and I will gladly back up a little
but not all the way. I have nothing but
the utmost respect for the owner and the
employees at Onion River Sports. They are
great people and amazing advocates for active, healthy, outdoor lifestyles. I love that
store! Perhaps that is why I was so angry.
The last I knew, a primary employee of
my favorite outdoor/bike store is on the
commission that will determine mountain
bike access in a park located a short ride
from its doors.
The initiative has been described as a way
to get kids and new/returning mountain
bikers into the sport (see Mr. Flynns eloquent letter in support of this).
It is reasonable to assume that the only
bike store in town would benefit directly
from one of its employees influencing a
municipal decision regarding new mountain bike access that would most likely lead
to new mountain bike riders and more bike
sales.
No matter how pure the employees intentions are or the stores role, to me his participation crosses the line from passion and
advocacy to a conflict of interest for the store.
I hope the ORS employee continues to speak

out in support of mountain biking, just not
as a voting commission member. If the ORS
employee recuses himself from the commission on this issue, I will happily back all the
way away from my earlier statement.
I will, however, continue to assert that Hubbard Park is a special, vulnerable piece of
land. Is it a pristine natural area? Of course
not, and a lone, small mountain bike trail
may not cause significant physical damage,
but to many people Hubbard is more than
just trees, rock, and soil. It is a quiet place,
and there are far too few parcels like it left
in our cities.
We are stewards of Hubbard Park and have a
responsibility to sustain it for future generations. After more than 100 years of light foot
traffic, Hubbard Park is still in relatively
good shape, and I fear its demise through
a thousand small cuts. Going forward, the
people of Montpelier need to decide the appropriate use for Hubbard Park in a manner
that is consistent with the park founders
intent. If after a fair, transparent, democratic
process, we conclude that Hubbard should
be developed for mountain biking or other
recreational uses, then Ill be sad, but Ill accept the decision.
Brent Ehrlich
Montpelier
THE BRIDGE
THE BRIDGE
Group Condemns Cost-Shift to Workers and Patients
he Health Care is a Human Right Campaign released the

following statement today in response to recent information concerning Gov. Peter Shumlins proposal to finance
Green Mountain Care:
Opinion
The Health Care is a Human Right Campaign urges the Governor to refrain from financing health care reform through a
massive cost-shift to workers and patients. Vermont cannot afford
to reduce the contributions of big businesses to our healthcare
system. We remind the governor of the legal obligation, set out in Act 48, to finance
health care in an equitable way, based on ability to pay. It is unconscionable to make
workers, low and middle income individuals, and small businesses shoulder the burden
of paying for a health care system that is supposed to be a public good shared equitably
by everyone.
The Health Care is a Human Right Campaign is deeply concerned about a report in the
VTDigger.org (Single Payer Financing Likely to Start with 8 Percent Payroll Tax, Dec.
4, 2014), which suggests that Governor Shumlins financing proposals will dramatically
reduce large businesses health care contributions, with a flat payroll tax of 8 percent raising less than half the total amount needed for the new system. Large businesses currently
spend around 20 percent of their payroll costs on health care premiums, contributing
around three-quarters of premiums costs of all privately insured residents. The campaign
is concerned that a flat payroll tax, combined with a proposed individual healthcare
fee, would entail a huge cost-shift to workers and small businesses. Paying for over
half of the system costs through an income sensitive health care fee on individuals,
capped at the high end, would benefit both large businesses and the wealthiest Vermont
residents, who would pay proportionally the same as middle income earners. Unearned
income, assets and other wealth would be exempt, yet the poorest residents would be
subject to premium or fee payments.
What Do You Think?
Read something that you would like to respond to? We welcome your
letters and opinion pieces. Letters must be fewer than 300 words.
Opinion pieces should not exceed 600 words.
The Bridge reserves the right to edit and cut pieces.
Send your piece to: editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
The Health Care Is a Human Right Campaign opposes any financing plan that creates exemptions for high income earners and
wealthy individuals, as this directly contradicts the principle of
equity. Moreover, the campaign objects to charging premiums
or fees, which are private payments that perpetuate the current
insurance system, and fail to establish a publicly financed health
care system, paid for through equitable taxes.
The campaign reminds elected officials that how the health care
system is paid for also has significant implications for whether people can get access to
care. We are deeply concerned that the proposed low-value health benefits, also reported
in the VT Digger, would adversely impact peoples access to care, and lead to a further
cost-shift to those who can least afford it. Any health care system that requires individuals to pay up to 20 percent of health care costs out-of-pocket will force people to forgo
needed care. Deductibles and co-pays place the burden of paying for our health care
system on sick people, pushing patients into debt. When combined with a private fee
or premium, 20 percent cost-sharing constitutes an unprecedented and unconscionable
cost-shift to patients, workers, and all low- and middle- income Vermont residents.
The people of Vermont desperately need a universal, publicly financed health care system
that enables everyone to get the care they need and contribute what they can. Such a
system can only work if it is financed publicly and equitably, and if it provides all needed
care, without cost barriers. The Health Care Is a Human Right Campaign urges the
governor to put forward proposals that meet the human rights principles in Vermont law.
We represent thousands of Vermont residents, and we are ready to fight for a plan that is
universal, equitable and works for all people.
Keith Brunner
Vermont Workers' Center
Opinion
Second Place
Doesnt Make
You Governor
andidate Scott Milne, who finished a close second to Peter Shumlin in the 2014
Vermont gubernatorial race, announced today (Dec. 8) that he will ask state
legislators to elect him when they take office in January. Milne finished with 45.1
percent of the vote, compared with Shumlins 46.4 percent.
Vermonts Constitution requires legislators to choose the winner in races for governor,
lieutenant governor or treasurer where no candidate gets a majority of votes cast.
This was a close race, and no doubt a tough one to lose, said Paul Burns, executive
director of the nonpartisan Vermont Public Interest Research Group. But its been over
a month now, and its time to recognize that finishing second does not make you the
winner. It would be an affront to democracy if Mr. Milne the undisputed second
place finisher were chosen to be the next governor of Vermont.
VPIRG was one of the groups that helped to pass legislation (S.31) in Vermont in 2011
calling for a National Popular Vote in presidential elections. The legislation passed
85-44 in the House, and 20-10 in the Senate.
VPIRG also supports instant runoff voting as a means of ensuring that candidates for
top offices in Vermont have the support of a majority of voters. In the absence of IRV
or another form of run-off, VPIRG believes that the winner of a race is the person who
gets the most votes.
This is serious business, said Burns. Its not some sort of childs contest where everyones a winner just for playing. Its about who will be the next governor of Vermont. And
under any common understanding of democracy and fair play, that person should be the
person who won the most votes.
Paul Burns
Executive director of VPIRG
Christmas trees
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Bar r e

December 18, 2014 January 7, 2015

I would rather be doing

24: "Eat More Kale" Guy

Milne Won't Back Down

t is one thing to interview a political candidate as part of a

He acknowledged a similar problem with the education system.

Milne came in second to Peter Shumlin in the 2014 governors

See Q&A with Scott Milne on Page 6

PAG E 2 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 3

Keep it Real. Support The Bridge.

By Regularly Involving Young People, The Bridge Makes Youth Care

hen my generation is mentioned in conversation, we tend

Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!

As a high-schooler and a contributor to The Bridge myself, I can

The Bridge gives us something real.

Contributions to The Bridge

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601

Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham

PAG E 4 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

(Milne) Total campaign expenditures $211,106

The Hungry Heart Documentary Wins National Award

From the Montpelier Police Department

D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 5

School Budget Hits Snags; Pre-K Delay Causes Confusion

Calling All Landlords: Temporary Housing Needed for

Langdon Street on both sides for its entire length

Keep in touch with your

PAG E 6 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

Scott Milne: Up Close

Why Didnt Milne Concede?

From left, Scott Milne,

Scott Milnes key proposals

D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 7

Like The Bridge on Facebook!

PAG E 8 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

Milne Q&A continued

D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 9

Dark and Stormy Nights: Diary of a Monster Storm

Has Vermont Been Too Radical?

Common Core: Is it the Silver Bullet for Education

Got a news tip? We want to know!

PAG E 10 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

MiddleGround Florist Has Flowers

A Message From City Hall

hat comes to mind when most people think of

by William Fraser, City Manager

used to offset the budget and reduce

its deficit. The budget assumes no Water

This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

Best wishes to all for a fantastic holiday

D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015 PAG E 11

The budget includes $40,000 funding for

MiddleGround Florist, on Route 2 in Middlesex, is the

you bring flowers to someones house house at a party

Gossens Bachman Architects

Gossens Bachman Architects designed this building, Capstone Community

PAG E 12 D E C E M B E R 18 , 2 014 - J A N UA RY 7, 2 015

by Ashley Witzenberger, executive director at Montpelier Alive

Tickets will also be on sale at the door, $5

Surprise Musical Guests

Free Champagne Toast (Over 21 Years

7:30 p.m. FIREWORKS SHOW! Best