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12
ow much money is in your checking account right now? I bet you have at least
some idea of that number. What if we planned and managed our energy needs
like we manage our money? How might that change our decisions or investments?
Well, an early step toward managing an energy budget is to know what were spending.
Where, when, and how do we consume energy, and how much of it is clean and renewable? You may have heard of Montpeliers city goal to be a net-zero energy community.
Simply put, a net-zero energy community is a community that has greatly reduced energy
needs through efficiency gains, such that the total amount of energy required for vehicles,
thermal processes (heating and cooling) and electricity within the community is met by
renewable energy.
winter. Prior to the modifications that Bobs team initiated, this methane, a potent greenhouse gas, was escaping into the atmosphere.
While the previous graph shows our demand, the next graph shows our production. Were
burning some biogas (methane) at the wastewater treatment facility and wood pellets to
heat the senior center. Weve also already had some photovoltaic solar generation (PV) at
the facility and Department of Public Works (DPW). You can see in the bottom rows
that our energy efficiency and the percentage of our demand met by renewables have been
increasing. Were headed in the right direction.
Recently the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee set out to determine the energy demand of the facilities and operations of the Montpelier city government. How close are we
to our net-zero energy goal? The following graphs are from the report delivered to the city.
I tell my physics students that graphs are stories, and these graphs tell the story of our city
governments energy history. Theres a lot of data in this chart, so let me outline some of
the highlights, some of the stories hidden in these numbers.
FY 2014
MUNICIPAL
ENERGY DEMAND
Better yet, the percentage of demand met by renewables is likely to jump when we include
the FY2015 data. During FY2014, the District Heat project was in a start-up phase and
burned oil. It was during FY2015 that District Heat fully came on-line, burning renewable
wood chips to heat many buildings downtown. These include City Hall, the police and fire
stations and Union Elementary School, all of which will show up on this chart. Additionally, the city and school district are in the process of substantially increasing the percentage
of electricity they receive from solar installations (70 percent and 50 percent, respectively).
The citys installation alone will save approximately $50,000 per year.
Fire
In the graph below, the brown line shows municipal energy demand over time and the
green line shows our energy generation from renewables. As it explains in the middle of the
graph, to achieve Net Zero Energy in Municipal Operations and Facilities, we need to get
these two lines to meet. This means that investments in energy efficiency and investments
in renewable energy both contribute to achieving the citys goal.
The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
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CAR-RT SORT
U.S. Postage
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Montpelier, VT
Permit NO. 123
More than half of our municipal energy consumption is to satisfy our thermal demands.
This was surprising to me, because for most households, this chart is typically split into
thirds, with transportation taking up more
of the pie. But then, the city is not a household, and they have more buildings than
vehicles.
What building or facility uses the most energy? For the electrical and thermal portions,
the single biggest consumer is the wastewater
treatment facility. During a recent visit to
our facility, I learned that wastewater treatment plants, in general, tend to be incredibly energy-intensive operations. Having said
that, our wastewater treatment facility Chief
Operator, Bob Fischer, has done an incredible job of reducing electrical and thermal
demands while maintaining a high standard
of effluent. In fact, since 2008, his team has
cut the facilitys energy demand by at least
a third, while significantly increasing the
volume of wastewater treated. Whats more,
the treatment facility now uses some of the
methane generated onsite from the anaerobic
digestion process to heat the buildings in the
1,204
FY 2011
City personnel have started to examine the citys energy habits, and from the data, it looks
like a lot of home and business owners are starting to do the same. According to Efficiency
Vermont, more than 10 percent of Montpeliers residences have been weatherized through
their Home Performance program with ENERGY STAR. Thats one of the highest percentages in Vermont.
Solving the net-zero energy puzzle for Montpelier will not be easy, but were making
progress and saving money. I find these graphs particularly encouraging, and Im excited
to share the updates with you as more data come in. Montpelier still has a long way to go
learning and addressing challenges as they arise. But the good news is that were already
on our way, and there are significant opportunities for efficiency gains and cost reductions
in the short-term and mid-term. While theres plenty of work ahead, this is a moment to
celebrate the good work thats been done so far weve increased our energy efficiencies,
weve reduced our emissions, were saving money on energy, and the best is yet to come.
IN THIS ISSUE:
5: Stricter Recycling Law
7: Vermont Electric Power Company
PAG E 2 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Nature Watch
by Nona Estrin
ow, at mid-summer, a tree scorned for decades for its poor quality wood becomes
the most loved of trees. Who could live within view or sound of a poplar and not
notice? The flat leaf stem allows each little sail of a leaf to dance and shimmer
with even a slight breeze. And the sound of that agitation is both musical and soothing.
As if not enough, a male indigo bunting sings by the hour from the top of a quaking aspen
here, defining any thought of poor quality wood!
Back to School
August 6 August 22, 2015
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE
RESERVATIONS DUE FRIDAY, JULY 31.
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 3
T H E B R I D G E
Thank You to Community Members Who Made Contributions to The Bridge This Year.
Names listed made a donation to The Bridge between January and June 2015.
Carrie Abels
Acorn Properties
Ray Adams
Barbara Agnew
Beth Aleen
Ted Allen
Dawn Anderson
Jody Andreoletti
Anonymous (15)
Lauren Antler
Michael Arnowitt
Jill Aspinall & Rick Molz
ART Resources Assoc.
Peggy Atkins
Laura Atkinson
David & Meredith Augustoni
Yvonne Baab
Stephen & Heather Bailey
Jerry & Pat Balkcom
Patricia Balkcom
Bill Barrette
Dona Bate
Robert Bauer
Marcia Bellas
Lindy Biggs
Mark Billian
Susan Bittermann
Joan Black
Joanne Blakeman
Margaret Blanchard
Andrew Boutin
K. Brittenham
Richard & Sarah Brock
Sandra Buck
Elizabeth Cahn
Maria Calamia
Ann Callear
Annie Cameron
Emmeline Cardoza
Sally Cargill
Paul Carnahan
Nancy Case
Sandal & Paul Cate
Kaye & Merrill Carpenter
Martha Chaiken
Andrea & James Chandler
Michele Childs
Rhoda Carroll
Cate Chant
Robert Chew
Art Chickering
Eric & Francine Chittenden
Joseph Choquette
Nellie Citrini
Janna Clar
Michele Clark
Sarah Cochran
Lori Cohen
Sheila Manchester Coniff
Kathleen Cook
Carolyn M. Cory
Patricia Crawford
Mary Creeden
Laurie Curtis
Whitney & Barbra Dall
Elia Davis
Meg Donahue Davis
Margaret Dawkins
Sally Dean
Susan DeLattre
Michael Dellipriscoli
Eliza Dodd
Phil Dodd
Mary Ann Douglas
Lee Dow
Roberta Downey
Doyles Guest House
Colleen Driscoll
Claire Dumas
Robert Duncan & Tracy
Loysen
Matt Dunne
Alisa Dworsky
Carl Etnier
David & Darrash Ellerson
Erik Esselstyn
Sylvia Ewarts
Irene Facciolo
James Facos
Nancy Farrell
Wayne Faw & Roberta Harold
Ellen Fein
Peter Franchot & Anne Maher
Olive Franzi
Nat Frothingham
Joseph Gainza
Laura Gamble
Gay & Lesbian Fund of Vermont
Charlotte Gibson
Frank Giaccobbi
Patricia Giavara
Kristen Glaser
Margaret Glaser
Emily Gould
Stephen Gould
Karen Grace
E. Granfield
Judy Granger
Joanne Greenberg
Thomas Greene
Thierry Guerlain
Alden & Ruth Guild
Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Chris Hancock
Jeremy Hansen
Laurie Hanson
Scottie & John Harrison
Cynthia and David Hartnett
Peter Harvey & Lucy Wollaeger
J. Healy
Joan Heller
Dot Helling
Cassandra Hemenway
Mona Hersey
Victor Hewins & Joyce
Cusimano
Kathie Hickman
Dorothy & Dan Hingtgen
Lori Hinrichsen
Sarah Hofmann & Ken
Libeetoff
Michelle Hogie
Martha Holden
Kathy Hollen
John & Donna Hopkins
Ethan Hubbard
David Huck
Margery Hudson
Chris Jackson
Lindel James
Just John
Charles W Johnson
Dan Jones
Ward Joyce
Joyce Kahn
Mr & Mrs David Kelly
David Kelly
Jim Kelso & Jean Sousa
Kimberly Kendall
Carrie Kessler
Kathleen Keenan & Kim Bent
Joseph & Amy Keifer
Robert King
Bob Kinsel
Eduard Koenemann
Josephine Kynoch
Warren Kitzmiller
Paul Laffal
Renee Lagala
Gisele & David Lahr
League of Women Voters
Maxine Leary
Thomas & Ruth Lehner
Paul & Elizabeth Levy
Cynthia & Hugo Liepmann
Robert L Lincoln Jr
Brenda Lindemann
Sandra Lory
Burelles Luce for Yankee
Clipping Service
Dianne Maccario
Margo Macleo
Wallace Malloy & Margaret
Allen
Elaine Manghi
Earline Marsh
Cynthia Martin
Nedene Martin
Amy Mattinat
Janet MacLeod
Kate McCarthy
Tia McCarthy
Heather McLane
Annie McCleary
Lucinda McCloud
Thomas Mcleod
Tom Mckone
Mark McNamara
Karin McNeill
Ricka Mcnaughton
Fred Mecke & Carol Doerflein
Shelley Mehlenbacher
Mary Cole Mellow
Eve Mendelsohn
Susan Mesner
Robert & Deborah Messing
Gary Miller
Noah Miller
Marylin Mode
Celina Moore
Jill Muhr
Sara Neller
Alex Nicolleti
Janet Nielsen
Karin Nissen
Linda Norton & Dennis Trap
Reidun Nuquist
Ann OBrien
Bess OBrien
Mary Jane & Paul Ohlson
Niall OMalley
Em OMeara
John Ordway & Molly Power
Jane Osgatharp
Donny & Janna Osman
Meg Ostrum
Anthony & Trudy Otis
Cris Owen
Emily Padberg
Priscilla Page
Almuth Palinkas-Jungkunst
Anthony Parent
Lauren & Wes Parker
Allison Parrish
Joanne Payne
Dave Pelletier
Kathy Perrault
Don Pfister
Deborah Phillips
Stephanie Pinard
Jane Pincus
Roland & Brenda Pepin
Paul & Melissa Perley
Joe Petricca
Manuel Piro
Andrew Plante & Cynthia Hall
Allen & Barbara Ploof
George Plumb
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Gerard Renfro
Norbert & Alma Rhinerson
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Dianne Richardson
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Jane Walker Richmond
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R Nuner
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Julia Roberts
Justine Robinson
Ed Rousse
Phyllis Rubenstein
Michael Sabourin
Gesualdo Schneider
Ric Schomaker
GMC Montpelier Section
Leigh Seddon
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Patricia Shadis
Carolyn Shapiro
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Ellen Sholk
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Carolyn Silsby
Sam & Alice Silverman
Michelle Singer
Scott Skinner
Henry Smith
David & Alison Soccodato
Joy Spontak
Carolyn Shapiro
Ann Stanton
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Jennifer Stella
Carolyn G. Stevens
Barbara Stewart & Pat
Archbold
Marshall Stover
Camilla Strauss
Corinne Stridsberg
Ruth Sullivan
Bret J Swain
Colin Tait
Claudia Tetreault
Joe Tetreault
Peter Thoms
Margaret Thompson
Jo & Harry Troiano
Barbara S. Weedon Trust
Christopher & Patricia Turley
Anne Unangst
Brian Vachon
Aron & Marichel Vaught
Dona Lou Vernal
Susan Walter
Eric Damon Walters
Charles & Janice Waterman
Reginald Welch
Barbara & Jay White
Lauren & Todd Whithead
Charles Wiley
Colleen Wilford
Duncan & Susan Wilkie
Nathaniel Winthrop
Lynne Woodard
Betty & Frank Woods
Steve Wright
Dorian Yates
Linda Young
Peter & Jane Youngbaer
Karen & Alan Zaur
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PAG E 4 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
MONTPELIER One way to heat your house without using a huge amount of fossil
fuels is by using geothermal ground water heat pumps, according to Jim Ashley of Green
Mountain Geothermal. With a background as a hydrologeologist who worked for the state
of Vermont, Ashley started his geothermal business about 12 years ago after retiring. The
way geothermal works, pumps extract heat from water that has been pumped up from the
ground, either from a well or from a pipe buried in the ground, and release the warmth into
the air.
We capture that heat, upgrade it through a compressor, and then are able to discharge heat
to heat our homes and businesses, Ashley said. Or, in summer, it can take the heat from the
air and release it into the ground while bringing cooler air up from the ground.
And while this technology is growing in popularity, it is growing very slowly in Vermont,
possibly beause of the roughly $30,000 pricetag for installation. If you can afford the outlay,
you will be paid back in tax credits and in knowing that you are helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
other community amenities for the purpose of either revitalization or planned growth. The
award was presented at the AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Atlanta,
Georgia on May 15.
The project is a unique private-public partnership between the Brattleboro Food Co-op,
Housing Vermont and Windsor Windham Housing Trust in the revitalization of a key edge
of downtown Brattleboro. The Co-op was in need of a major expansion and the membership
was committed to staying downtown. The building is a model of energy efficiency using
both conventional and innovative systems. Heat generated by refrigerators is recycled to
heat the store, apartments and provide hot water. The apartments have continuous fresh air
ventilation with heat recovery and the Co-op utilizes a solar photovoltaic system to generate
electricity. More information can be found at www.gbArchitecture.com
vehicles
are
co-owned
by
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 5
T H E B R I D G E
eginning July 1, part of a stricter recycling law took effect in Vermont. Act 148,
passed three years ago, is designed to promote recycling across the state. New provisions of the law require that recycling services be offered by haulers and transfer stations, and that residential waste collection services must charge one fee that includes both
trash and recycling. Also taking effect are provisions that prohibit recyclables in landfills
and require an equal number of recycling containers and trash containers in public spaces.
Accompanying this new law is a media campaign launched by the Agency of Natural
Resources entitled Recycling Resimplified. This campaign was created to familiarize
Vermonters with the new law. A press release from the Department of Environmental
Conservation notes that, until now, Lack of convenience and a sense of confusion over
the recyclability of various product packaging have served as barriers to Vermonters who
must make daily choices about how to dispose of their stuff.
controversial among many of the smaller rubbish-hauling companies in the state. In some
cases, these small companies stand in support of Act 148. A representative from Diamond
Rubbish Removal in North Troy views it as generally positive, although she feels the part
of the law dealing with food waste may be a little extreme. Diamond Rubbish Removal
has already distributed lists of recyclables to its customers, and the representative said
that the law will not affect the business at all, as most of the companys customers already
recycle.
For many other small Vermont rubbish-hauling companies, Act 148 is a big problem. For
companies without the resources of some of the larger providers, such as Casella Waste
Systems, implementing the provisions of the new law can be a burden in terms of labor
and time. Kelly Gamble of Rebel Rubbish in West Danville calls the law, a pain in the
rear, and says that it complicates his job, being just another thing to do.
In addition to the logistical difficulties of implementing the new guidelines, Act 148 is
costing some small companies money. Says Ethan Hill of Hillside Trash, Inc. in Hyde
Park, (it) costs me stops, costs me accounts. Ive had a lot of people cancel accounts because of all this crap. He attributes this to many of his older customers disliking change,
and balks at the law itself, saying, The state could just say its best to recycle. I think they
dont have to make it mandatory.
However, as popular as it has been among these entities, the law has proven far more
Recycling Resimplified
by Mollie Gribbin and Casey Flynn, Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District
ood news! Recycling is now more available and easier than ever. As new bins
pop up all over Vermont (maybe youve noticed more recycling options in public
spaces), it becomes simpler for the public to pop their items into the correct bin.
Paper
Aluminum
Cardboard
Steel
Glass
Hard plastics
By knowing these six items, it becomes simple to put them in the recycling bin instead of
the trash. Remember that if the item has food scraps on it, it cannot be recycled. (Happily,
food scraps can be put in the compost.) By recycling responsibly, we are keeping valuable resources out of the waste stream, allowing those materials to be remanufactured or
reused, and preventing the growth of Vermonts only operating landfill.
With major components of Vermont's Universal Recycling Law going into effect this
month, those six recyclable materials are now banned from the landfill so its more
important than ever to keep them out of the trash. And theres no extra effort involved,
just an extra bin!
While providing accessible recycling receptacles to the public is a big part of the Universal Recycling Law, recycling in homes is also a big factor. Each Vermont hauler and
waste management facility now provides recycling to accompany trash collection, without
charging an additional line item for the recycling. Apartment buildings, as well as cities,
towns, non-profit organizations, schools and households are all required to keep those six
recyclable materials out of the trash. Landlords who provide trash pickup must provide a
recycling option to their tenants as well.
Inside your home, it is a good idea to have a recycling bin located next to every waste
bin in order to store items until they go out to the curb for pickup by the hauler. In the
spirit of reusing, an old cardboard box or crate would work well as your indoor recycling
container.
The next time you are standing in front of the recycling and trash bins, recall the six
items which must be recycled: paper, aluminum, cardboard, steel, glass and hard plastics.
Recycling resimplified is here to stay. And, for those who already recycle and want to
take it up a notch, the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District provides more
recycling options at its Additional Recyclable Collection Center in Barre. For further
information and for a flyer listing the six recyclable categories, please visit cvswmd.org
or call 229-9383.
Mollie Gribbin and Casey Flynn are both Outreach Interns at the Central Vermont Solid
Waste Management District. Say hi to them at the Mountaineers home games, where they are
helping to green up the games by reducing waste!
PAG E 6 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
t's now been a year since the Montpelier City Council made the
unanimous commitment for the city to become net zero in fossil
fuel use by 2030. This big goal to meet all of the energy needs
of the city and its residents through renewable supplies in 15 years is
imperative. It's also aggressively ambitious and, frankly, seems bigger
and more challenging as the city pursues those actions needed to accomplish it.
by Dan Jones
Opinion
There are other efforts afoot, too. Montpelier is now completing negotiations with a local solar energy developer to provide 1 MW of netmetered electric generation which will cover over 70% of the citys electric consumption, likely at a 15 percent savings under the utility tariff.
The School Department is completing a similar agreement for another
500Kw of solar generation, which will then cover their electrical needs.
Our street lights are now LEDs. Even our sewage treatment plant has
become
a
model
of
energy
efficiency. This means that, except for city buses and vehicles that
Committing a city government to a course of action is one thing, but it is quite another to
we
are
in
sight
of
achieving
our net zero goals, at least for our municipal operations. For the
commit the entire community to partnering in that effort. A whole-community approach
city
residents
and
commuters,
however, the work has hardly begun.
requires a reimagining and realigning of how people use and generate energy. Not a simple
undertaking by any means, but it lays the groundwork for a commitment to a healthy future We are maturing and accomplishing more, with city and local leadership and the hard work
local economy. The money we currently send out of town for oil and gas will, instead, create of a dynamic, knowledgeable and committed cadre of volunteers. But, again, there is far
local jobs which will, in turn, depend on local workers, not global corporations. As we move more to do.
more deeply into this effort our little citys current challenge is to figure out how to mobilize Getting homes and apartment houses in the efficiency mix is somewhat harder than school
our diverse community everyone in a really long term push towards getting people off and municipal net zero improvements. Since 2006, according to Efficiency Vermont, over
of dirty, dwindling fossil fuels.
10% of Montpelier homes have completed some level of weatherization work. Our energy
The City of Montpelier, largely under the leadership of the appointed, volunteer Montpelier
Energy Advisory Committee (MEAC) is engaged in a multi-pronged effort. It is attempting
to mobilize resources, inspire behavior change and motivate Montpelier-ites to invest in nonfossil fuel solutions to meet our ambitious goal. MEAC has divided our strategies up into
different areas of energy use: heating, electric generation and transportation. We are even
tentatively exploring a much more difficult issue of how to possibly transform our housing
density, since dense, minimal commuter, walk-able cities are much more energy efficient.
We have done a lot but we have far more to do. And, we have a track record upon which
to build, as this journey didnt start with last years net zero commitment. It started over
a decade ago with initial plans for a downtown district heat plant. The effort then grew
through the work of our local energy teams, who knocked on doors promoting energy efficiency, surveyed city buildings and businesses for efficiency modifications.
committee is now in an intensive strategic planning effort to address the big energy demands
of residential users and the whole transportation mix. For all of us, this work is the hardest
because there are few easy, convenient alternatives.
Our big advantages, going forward, will be our small size. At 8,000 people we are able to
move more quickly than larger political institutions, and there is an obvious benefit to being
the capital city of Vermont. However, our population more than doubles mid day which
brings vibrancy and resources to our local economy, but creates unique energy challenges.
Montpelier is also gaining in other ways from our commitment to become net zero. Recently President Obama sent a letter to Mayor Hollar honoring Montpelier as one of 16
Climate Action Cities in the country. This recognition will possibly give us a leg up in
mobilizing Federal resources. We are also one of the nations 50 finalist competitors for
the Georgetown University Energy Prize of $5 Million. The more electrical energy MontIn 2010, after the successful procurement of a DOE grant to support a downtown biomass pelierites can save through efficiency and solar generation over the next year will help our
district heat system, our current energy advisory committee was created by the city council prospects in that competition hugely.
to oversee the process. As we have matured and accomplished more, people from around the We can boast many tangible results for a small city with such a forward looking commitstate have noted how lucky we are to have this committee, composed of knowledgeable and ment. There is much more real, hard work to do. But, if the next few years manifest anycommitted volunteers helping to build a resilient future for us all.
thing close to the progress we have made to date, I believe it's quite possible for the capital
The now operating district heat system will replace about 300,000 gallons of oil per year of Vermont to be a national model of a sustainable city by 2030.
costing almost a million dollars. Using regionally-sourced wood chips along with local Dan Jones is former chair of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee
maintenance services, the project is also keeping those dollars working locally. I am proud
to report that this innovative project started delivering heat to state and city offices and to
some downtown businesses in fall of 2014. Reports of our initial customers are glowing in
terms of its reliability and realized savings.
facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
@montpbridge
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 7
T H E B R I D G E
Tom Dunn, president and chief executive officer of the Vermont Electric Power Company ex- Dunn, an engineer by training with a master's degree in business, has made a serious perplains what Vermont Electric Power Company is, what it does, and how.
sonal study of the climate change question. He has weighed the evidence and is impressed
cross Vermont, there are 17 separate utilities that deliver power to consumers, and that the scientific community has overwhelmingly concluded that human activity is responany of us who own a home or rent an apartment or run a business will know the sible for the serious climate change threat. It's not that we just get warm, he said. We are
name of our local power provider. Green Mountain Power Corporation is states larg- seeing extreme weather events more often. The month of June is rainy. We had an extremely
est utility. In addition to Green Mountain, there are a number of smaller utilities including cold winter. We are seeing an increase in the number and strength of extreme weather events
Washington Electric Co-op and a host of smaller village and municipal utilities such as the that damage the grid. Dunn has consulted a Vermont Electric Power Company graph of exNorthfield Electric Department. We depend on these local power providers to keep our treme weather events over the past 10 years. That graph is producing evidence the Vermont
lights turned on, for electric heat during the winter, to keep appliances running, and stores, is beginning to see the effects of climate change, he said.
factories and offices humming. As power consumers, we know our local electricity supplier Despite changes to the marketplace, not every utility across the country has embraced the
because we get a monthly bill in the mail. But were much less aware of another player in the changes. But if the marketplace changes and the sources of energy change, then the grid
mix Vermont Electric Power Company.
must change. Said Dunn Think of the grid today as a platform with electricity coming
When it was formed in 1956, Vermont Electric was the nations first transmission only from a variety of different places: wind, solar, water, biomass and natural gas.
company. As described by the companys website, its job was to create and maintain an
interconnected grid capable of sharing access to clean hydro power. In 1956, that clean hydropower anticipated the completion of the (Canadian-American) Moses-Saunders Power
Dam, an immense, 10-football-fields-long dam across the St. Lawrence River between
Massena, New York and Cornwall, Ontario a dam that continues to generate and deliver
electric power both to Canada and Americas Northeast.
I see the utilities doing a lot of small experiments, Dunn said, referring among other things
to holding back or deferring a $150 million transmission project, or using computers and
research to predict the impact of weather events and small power generation, or using smart
meters effectively or sharing what we learn in Vermont with the utility industry at large.
I think we are on the cusp of a changing utility world, Dunn said. Utilities who said they
are going to fight solar are beginning to change their policies. In this maelstrom of change,
Vermont Electric was organized more than 50 years ago to bring New York electric power Dunn isnt claiming that Vermont can change the phenomenon of climate disruption and
into Vermont. Today, according its website, Vermont Electric continues to serve as the states extreme weather events. But he sees Vermont as an energy innovation workbench and he
transmission-only company with 738 miles of transmission lines, 13,000 acres of rights- said, If we can share what we learn with the industry, thats pretty exciting.
of-way, and 55 substations, switching stations and terminal facilities. The companys assets
also include equipment that enables interconnected operation with Hydro-Quebec and
fiber optic communication networks that monitor and control the electric system and serve
as a key link for Vermonters high-speed data internet.
Tom Dunn compared the Vermont Electric Power Company system and the utilities it serves
to Vermonts road system. Think of VELCO, as those superhighways, I-89 and I-91, he
said. These superhighways accommodate huge volumes of traffic (north and south) and
these superhighways connect to smaller roads across the state. In the same way, Vermont
Electric Power Companys system transports large amounts of power into Vermont from outside the state. Once that power enters Vermont, said Dunn, We deliver it to the subsystems
(or individual power providers) who distribute it to the smaller roads.
And heres the critical advantage where Vermont has taken the lead. Lets say that a very
large supply of electricity becomes available from outside Vermont. Conceivably that utility
could control and potentially block access to cheap electric power. As Dunn observed, in
other jurisdictions the transmission system was owned by large utilities and there were fights
with smaller utilities over access. But because of the existence of a statewide transmission
company owned by all of our utilities, those fights didnt materialize. And in 2012 when
Green Mountain Power Corporation merged with Central Vermont Public Service Corporation, as part of that merger it was agreed that Green Mountain now the states largest
utility would not take majority control of Vermont Electric Power Companys board of
directors. Instead, a portion of the company is now owned by a public benefits corporation.
Now, according to Dunn, changing circumstances are creating sweeping changes to the
traditional energy systems. Our entire industry is changing, Dunn said.
In an introduction that Dunn wrote to Vermont Electric Power Companys 2015 LongRange Transmission Plan filed with the Public Service Board on June 25, he wrote A grid
reformation is underway. How we generate, move and use power and how we pay for it
are undergoing change not seen since Edison. As part of this introduction, Dunn listed
some of the major variables that are driving change. These variables include the retirement
of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant; the concern about global climate change; and
the push to replace coal and oil with renewable (low-carbon) sources of energy such as solar
installations replacing the current grid model dominated by centralized, large-scale,
electric generators to one with an increasing number of smaller-scale generators located on
the customers premises.
Again, even if modestly, Vermont is leading the way. Said Dunn, Vermont utilities are
embracing and even helping to direct this change.
PAG E 8 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
or City Government, summertime is very busy. With the arrival of good weather,
we begin work in earnest on the many projects and programs that have been in the
pipeline or approved through the completed budget process.
Our ongoing work includes very visible construction, groundwork for upcoming projects
and a constant effort to improve our internal operations.
Regular Projects:
Taking advantage of additional infrastructure funding in the City Councils budget,
the city is very busy with an enhanced slate of maintenance and improvement projects
throughout the city.
The 2015 paving schedule has been submitted by the contractor and is available on
the Citys web site and will be mailed to home & property owners located on the streets
planned for paving work this season. Considering the favorable pricing received from the
selected contractor, a decision has been made to advance the schedule of Hackamore Road
in the paving contract and undertake the road this season instead of in 2018. With other
paving projects already planned in the immediate vicinity including Towne Hill Rd.,
advancing Hackamore Road at this time is a cost effective adjustment in the schedule
that will result in the completion of the neighborhood streets identified on the paving
schedule.
design will not commence until all rights of way have been acquired.
The project team consists of the City, Redstone as the housing developer, DEW as the
construction manager, GBA as the architects and Dubois & King as project manager
and civil engineer. Additionally, the Citys One Taylor Design Committee is serving as
an oversight and advisory group. All final decisions, of course, will be made by the City
Council.
The design team is currently working on reconciling cost estimates with available funding. Present estimates show the need for an additional $1.4 million. The project team
is confident that this gap can be closed through both additional grant funds and cost
reductions as designs become final. Full activity will resume on the project upon right of
way clearance. While that work is finishing, the team is working to address the funding
challenges.
Zoning The Planning Commission continues their hard work on a redraft of the
zoning regulations. These decisions will have impact on land use and development policy
throughout the city. Interested people may wish to monitor this process.
Economic Development In keeping with the Councils goals and priorities, city staff
is beginning work on an economic development strategic plan. A request for proposals for
a project consultant has been issued.
Parking City staff is completing a parking study which will be incorporated into a
strategic plan. The plan will address alternatives such as a parking garage, demand management, remote parking with shuttles, pricing controls and other options.
Budget The City will be conducting a public process in early fall to get greater input
into hard decisions which lie ahead. More information about the process will be forthcoming but citizens will be asked to offer comments about taxes, services, infrastructure
and priorities.
Terrace Street Culvert The construction contract for the Terrace Street culvert replacement project was approved this week and was awarded to Hebert Construction of
Williamstown. Preconstruction plans are now being finalized and a work schedule will be
developed and made available to the immediate neighbors and general public. This will
require traffic, emergency response and school bus route planning.
Sidewalks Final schedules not yet available but sidewalks planned for reconstruction
are:
State Street between Main St. & Bailey Ave. (various locations)
Main St. (in front of Main Street Middle School and other various spot locations)
College St. (from Woodrow, 400 towards Hinckley)
East State St. (between #89 and #99)
Bailey Ave. (Terrace St. Clarendon Ave.)
North St. (Main St. Mechanic St.)
Harrison Ave. (sections)
The Public Works Department is also completing the following projects (dates and details to be released when more information is ready):
Eleven crosswalk enhancements
Hill Street Retaining Wall
East State Street Retaining Wall
North Street storm drain and sewer main
Bailey Avenue storm pipe
Isabel Circle storm pipe installation and detention system
Towne Street CSO storm drain
Blackwell Street partial water line replacement
Along with these specific projects, DPW is handling annual maintenance duties such as
sewer main cleanings, pavement markings, catch basin cleaning, flushing the district heat
system, patching and repairing roads and sidewalks, street sweeping and other such work.
One Taylor Street Transit Center and Downtown Redevelopment Project This is
the biggest project in active development. The multi-faceted project includes a new Transit Center with private housing. It will link the bike path which presently ends at Taylor
Street with Main Street, a new bike/pedestrian bridge next to the rail bridge in downtown, redevelopment of the rail bridge area and all new landscaping in the Taylor Street
area, as well as improvement of the area near the Main Street/Barre Street intersection.
The City is taking steps to finalize all property acquisitions necessary. This includes
having professional appraisals completed to determine the value of easements and negotiations for the last remaining full parcel (the Montpelier Beverage site). We remain
hopeful that an agreement can be reached which will result in a new building next to the
Drawing Board.
The overall project is in schematic design phase. This means that basic design has been
completed which allows for cost estimates but that full design is not completed. Full
Infrastructure studies In order to prepare for future needs, the city is engaged in
analysis of subsurface infrastructure. One is our stormwater management system and how
it affects property damage and water quality in the Winooski River. Another is a long
term plan of our aging water system needs, prioritizing work to be done and estimating
costs for the work.
Master Planning The City Council recently re-adopted the current master plan for
the purpose of completing the zoning revisions. The Council and Planning Commission
will look at updating and revising the plan within the next year to eighteen months.
The Council also recently adopted the Montpelier in Motion master plan which lays out
opportunities for incorporating more alternative transportation (bikes, pedestrians) into
our road networks. This will serve as a guide when major roadwork is being completed
and may also result in some policy and regulatory changes.
Finally, the Council has received a report called Greening Americas Capitals with suggestions for downtown improvements which will improve environmental aspects while
also enhancing the function and appearance of downtown infrastructure. This report will
be folded into a comprehensive downtown master plan.
Public Safety The Central Vermont Regional Public Safety Authority has hired an
executive director who is charged with creating a recommendation for shared public
safety services between the cities of Montpelier and Barre and, potentially, the towns of
Berlin and Barre. Among the services being considered for consolidation are police, fire,
ambulance and dispatching. The City will consider whether to actively participate in any
consolidation effort after the recommendation is received.
In the meantime, our police and fire departments continue to provide the same excellent
services to residents. Police priorities for this summer are substance abuse activity and
related property crime.
Railroad Spraying Many residents raised concerns about pesticide spraying along the
rail line in Montpelier. The Mayor has worked with the Railroad and the State Department of Agriculture to review options. Although not final as of this printing, it appears
that the Railroad will use weed whackers to cut weeds this summer between Granite and
Main Streets with the City paying the direct labor costs for that work. The City, Railroad
and State will conduct a process over the fall and winter to consider the long term plan.
Thank you for reading this article and for your interest in city government. Please feel
free to contact me at wfraser@montpelier-vt.org or 802-223-9502 with any questions or
comments. You may obtain more information about the city at www.montpelier-vt.org,
on Twitter @vtmontpelier or Facebook City of Montpelier, Vermont.
T H E B R I D G E
n addition to all of the great music venues in downtown Montpelier, mark your calendar for two new opportunities to hear great live music in the capital city.
For several summers, Montpelier Alives Brown Bag Summer Concert Series, has been
a favorite Thursday afternoon work escape for people downtown. The past couple of
summers, Montpelier Alive received requests and inquiries about evening concerts for
families, and for those that dont work downtown and are unable to make it to the afternoon concerts.
This summer, Montpelier Alive has added two evening concerts to the Brown Bag series. The evening concerts will take place at the Christ Church Pocket Park at 6 p.m.
On Thursday, July 16, come to downtown Montpelier to shake your hips to the Green
Mountain Swing Band and Thursday, August 27, bring your family to hear the cool stylings of local favorite, Allison Mann. Grab your family, a blanket and pick up a picnic
dinner at one of Montpeliers terrific restaurants and enjoy an evening of music in the
heart of downtown.
The Brown Bag Summer Concert Series is generously underwritten by Ellis Mills
Public Affairs, an organization that helps a range of clients communicate effectively
with government and the media. You can find more summer event information at
montpelieralive.org. The Ellis Mills Brown Bag Summer Concert Series afternoon concerts will take place Thursdays through August 20.
Also new this summer is the Hubbard Park Music Series. This summer the Parks Department is hosting two concerts. The first concert will take place on August 16, the Big
Bang Bhangra Brass Band will play and on August 23, the Green Mountain Playboys will
take the stage. The concerts are 5 to 7 p.m. at the
Old Shelter in Hubbard Park. If successful, the planners would like to expand the series next summer.
See you in Montpelier!
The writer is Executive Director of Montpelier Alive
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 9
PAG E 10 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
NECI
NEW ENGLAND
CULINARY INSTITUTE
BRIDGE BITES
Now, I know what youre thinking, But Lare, havent you seen those Chick-fil-A ads
on TV where cows parachute into a football stadium or adjust the office lights in a high
rise to spell out Eat mor chikin. Yes, I have. But those are actors portraying cows on
television, not real cows. How do you know this? you ask. Simple. No flies. No dingleberries. Whats a dingleberry? you ask. Dont ask! Just let it be said that being struck
with dingleberries while sitting on a milking stool is like being lashed in the face with a
cat-o-nine-tails.
Joh ns
C o lu m n
Im from the old school of thought, where behind Bossies big and soft brown eyes lies a
vacant room. The revelation that cows may be way smarter than I thought has caused me
to reevaluate events I remember from my youth. When I was about seven years old and
staying on my grandparents farm, I witnessed a steer walk through the wall of the cow
shed. The walls of this cow shed were made from reclaimed three-quarter-inch tongueand-groove lumber that in a previous life had formed the side of a railroad boxcar, so it
was no small feat. Back then I thought it was just a dumb thing to do. You know, But
hey, its a cow. What do you expect? In light of this new information on cow tricks, I now
can only surmise that the other cows in the shed put him up to it and then stood there
snickering at his gullibility, kind of like the amusement one enjoys by convincing another
kid to put his tongue on a flagpole in January. And Im now relieved that he only walked
through the wall of the cowshed and not the wall of the farmhouse, where he could have
discovered what was in the freezer.
Because I live in an area where I am surrounded by cows, I have now grown more wary of
cow activity. Just a few weeks ago, while things were still thawing out, I came to the end of
my driveway to discover the road pockmarked by hundreds of hoof prints. I got out of my
car and investigated and determined that they were indeed the hoof prints of cows. My
neighbor up the road leases his barn to a large dairy operation a few miles away. I think its
where they keep the junior varsity squad. So I assumed the cows that made the hoof prints
came from his barn. The question was, where were they going? I followed the tracks.
To my shock, about a quarter mile down the road the hoof prints stopped. They did not
turn up the shoulder of the road to the left nor turn down the bank to the right, they just
plain stopped.
Only one explanation for this ghost herd mystery is possible to someone raised in front of
a TV in the 1960s. The bridge crew of the Starship Enterprise, flying in a stolen Romulan
Bird of Prey battle cruiser, used that slingshot-around-the-sun maneuver to travel back
in time to our 21st century Earth. As he always somehow manages to do, Scotty got the
transporter working at the last possible second and beamed the cows up, much like he
beamed up the humpback whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The cows probably milled about the cargo bay looking for something to do. And because we now know
theyre smarter than we thought, they may easily have overpowered the security detail
(the guys in the red tunics) and taken over the ship. Right now there could be 20 to 30
Holsteins overhead in standard orbit, phasers on stun, intentions unknown.
Hands-on
Gardener
by Miriam Hansen
FSparge:
or most of the 40 years weve been gardening, weeding has not been a big onerous issue. When friends
have bemoaned the amount of time and effort they
spend weeding, I have helpfully (read smugly) offered the
following advice:
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cropverb.
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suppress Agropyron
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grainsgrass
to water.
the plant with the telltale yellowish-white creeping
underground stems that can grow from just a tiny piece of
stem, and thus, are very hard to get rid of. We have pretty
much eliminated witch grass from the vegetable garden by
cover cropping with winter rye in fall and tilling it in, in
the spring.
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 11
T H E B R I D G E
MONTPELIER In the 1954 hit film The Long, Long Trailer, Lucille Ball and Desi
Arnaz set off across the country in a trailer, hoping to see the world. Needless to say,
things dont go exactly as planned. Now, modern day trailer fans and passersby by will
have the opportunity to venture around and through trailers just like Lucille and Desis
during Montpeliers first Vintage Trailer Show.
The Vermont Vintage Trailer Show will occur August 8, and will feature vintage trailers dating from the 50s through the 70s. These trailers will be exhibited along State
and Main Streets and in the parking lot behind Positive Pie, where property owner and
event co-organizer Jesse Jacobs says he has reserved 35 parking spots. As an added bonus
to those showcasing trailers, Jacobs has rented 35 camping spots at Little River Campground for their benefit. He says of vintage trailer enthusiasts, they love to show off their
trailers, and they love to camp.
With Jacobs, the greatest force behind the organization of this event is Steve Hingtgen,
owner of Vintage Trailer Supply. His company is something of a general store when it
comes to what he calls the lifestyle, supplying everything from awnings to windows
for vintage trailers. Hingtgen himself owns a 1956 Airstream and a 1946 Curtis Wright.
Although Vermont does not yet have much in the way of vintage trailer events, there is a
very popular niche culture of vintage trailer enthusiasts in this country, particularly out
West, according to Hingtgen. Hingtgens company serves customers all over the world,
and the Vermont Vintage Trailer show itself will have trailers on display from no fewer
than 10 states.
The Vermont Vintage Trailer Show is the same weekend as the Stowe Annual Antique
Car Show, which is not exactly a coincidence. Says Hingtgen, (Jacobs and I) thought
this was a great way to introduce the public to the lifestyle and also bring a few tourists
to town who might be in the region for the Stowe vintage car show the same weekend.
During the trailer show, life downtown will inevitably be altered, as State Street and the
parking lot behind Positive Pie will be closed off not only during the event, but from the
early morning to 5:00 pm the day of. This is due to the unavoidable chaos of parking
and unparking 35 trailers in a confined space. With that said, businesses downtown are
mostly on board. Says Ashley Witzenberger of Montpelier Alive, which is supporting the
event, We do a lot of events that require shutting down State Street to vehicular traffic.
This is a slight disruption to traffic but there are many ways around it. It's all worth it to
have so many people downtown for such a great event.
Save
e!
t
a
D
the
PAG E 12 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
and Soups & Greens parking lot on North Main Street. This year
promises to be bigger and better then ever, with a fantastic line up
of over 50 cars on display. Trophy to be awarded for best in show!
Best in Show vehicle will be featured in Barre Heritage Festival
Car Show promotional materials in 2016.
This event was so popular last year, we ran out of food! So get your
tickets early, bring your best French dessert if you'd like and come
out for a sweet evening with friends, music and food. Check out
the Barre Heritage website for details.
Shop Local and Win Big! How to enter: Simply stop at the
Barre Heritage Festival information booth at City Hall Park to get
your free entry slip on Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th.
Increase your chances: For every $5 spent at a participating downtown Barre merchant or restaurant between Monday, July 20 and
Saturday, July 25, you will receive an additional entry slip. Bring
your collection of entry slips to the Barre Heritage Festival information booth at City Hall Park on Friday, July 24 and Saturday,
July 25 to be entered to win the grand prize of a downtown Barre
shopping spree, or one of our many runner-up prizes. Check the
website for more details.
Strength Through Heritage Barre is the fourth largest city
in Vermont. While the community first developed around the
milling available along the adjacent Winooski River, granite soon
emerged as the key industry of Barre. In fact, granite from Barre,
Vermont was used in some of the nation (and worlds) finest buildings, monuments and memorials. Consequently, granite carvers
from across the world settled in Barre making the city a rich mixture of cultures.
All the above information is from the Barre Heritage website:
barreheritagefestival.org
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 13
T H E B R I D G E
Miles Block
by Joshua Jerome
C E L E B R AT E B A R R E !
PAG E 14 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THURSDAY, JULY 16
Calendar of Events
Weirdo Fest. A free community pig roast! Blindfolded face painting, weirdos, bands and theatrics,
random information booth, duck race, riverwading, potluck salads and breads, beer garden,
bonfire, flash mobs welcome. 310 p.m. Onion
River Campground, 61 Onion River, Marshfield.
Free. 426-3233.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
SATURDAY, JULY 18
Additional Recyclables Collection Center. Accepting scores of hard-to-recycle items. Third Sat.,
9 a.m.1 p.m. 540 N. Main St. (old Times-Argus
building), Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org.
Every Hero Has a Story. Local heroes share their
stories and field your questions. Meet retired Army
THE BRIDGE
SUNDAY, JULY 19
MONDAY, JULY 20
TUESDAY, JULY 21
Performing Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY
July 1618, 2325, 2830: The Voysey Inheritance. 7:30 p.m. Unadilla Theater, 501 Blachly
Rd., Marshfield. Adults $20; children 12 and
under $10. 456-8968. unadilla@pshift.com.
July 1619: Living Together. A trio of comedies
set over one weekend at a home in the English
countryside. 7:30 p.m. Festival Theater at Unadilla, 501 Blachly Rd., Marshfield. Adults $20;
children 12 and under $10. 456-8968. unadilla@
pshift.com.
July 1619: Baker Street. The Sherlock Holmes
musical. Thurs.Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat. and
Sun. matinee, 2 p.m. QuarryWorks, Haggett
Rd., Adamant. Free. Reservations: 229-6978.
quarryworks.org.
July 17: Stroke Yer Joke. Open-mic standup comedy hosted by Bitsy Biron. Sign up in
advance on Facebook or sign up at the door a
half hour before show time to try five minutes
of your best material before a live audience. 8
p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre.
Free. 479-0896. events@espressobueno.com.
espressobueno.com.
July 17, 26: Beautiful Thing. A classic teen
coming-out play by Jonathan Harvey. Part of
the Vermont Pride Theater 5th annual Summer
Festival. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73
Main St., Randolph. Advance tickets: adults $17;
students $12. Day of show: adults $20; students
$15. 728-6464. chandler-arts.org.
July 17, 18, 25; Aug. 1: Youre a Good Man,
Charlie Brown. An average day in the life of
Charlie Brown. July 17, 7:30 p.m.; July 18, 25
and Aug. 1, 2 p.m. The Mirror Theater, Town
Hall Green, 81 Lauredon Ave., Greensboro. $10.
533-7487. mirrorarts.org.
July 18: John Epperson: Show Trash. Traces
how a shy, misfit kid from Mississippi came to
reincarnate the glamor goddesses of yesterday in
Eppersons big-city showbiz persona "Lypsinka."
Part of the Vermont Pride Theater 5th annual
Summer Festival. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music
Hall, 71-73 Main St., Randolph. Advance tickets:
adults $17; students $12. Day of show: adults
$20; students $15. 728-6464. chandler-arts.org.
July 19, 24: The Kid Thing. Sarah Grubbins
prize-winning play examining the effect on two
lesbian couples of one couples pregnancy. Part of
the Vermont Pride Theater 5th annual Summer
Festival. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73
Main St., Randolph. Advance tickets: adults $17;
students $12. Day of show: adults $20; students
$15. 728-6464. chandler-arts.org.
July 22: Extempo. Locals tell short-format,
first-person, true stories live on stage without
any notes or reading. 8 p.m. Fresh Tracks Farm
Vineyard & Winery, 4373 Rt. 12, Berlin.
$5. 223-1151. storytelling@extempovt.com.
extempovt.com.
July 23Aug. 9: Stone. Lost Nation Theater
presents the glorious and gritty story of the
people who shaped Barres granite heritage. This
is the 10th anniversary production of Kim Bents
award-winning play with traditional Italian,
Irish and French-Canadian music and dances.
Thurs., 7 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m. and 8
AUDITIONS
T H E B R I D G E
Calendar of Events
Visual Arts
segregation that still infiltrate present stereotypes. Mon.Fri., 8 a.m.4 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.4
p.m. Norwich University, Sullivan Museum and
History Center, Northfield. 485-2183. academics.norwich.edu/museum/
EXHIBITS
July 2025: The Paletters of Vermont Summer Art Show. Opening: July 22, 5:307 p.m.
Meet the artists and see their work. Show can
be viewed during regular library hours. Aldrich
Library, Milne Community Room, 6 Washington St., Barre. 454-8616.
Through July 30: River Works. Group show.
Collection of images, colors, textures and
constructions directly inspired by Vermont
rivers and water meditations. River Arts Center,
74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Mon.Thurs., 9
a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.2 p.m. Free. 888-1261.
riverartsvt.org.
Through July 31: Retrospective of Bill Steinhurst Photography. City Center, 89 Main St.,
Montpelier. artresourceassociation.com.
Through July 5: Frederick Rudi, Three Sheets
and a Shirt. Recent paintings. The Drawing
Board, 22 Main St., Montpelier. 426-3529.
Through July 31: 1865, Out of the Ashes:
Assassination, Reconstruction, and Healing the Nation. Focuses on the aftermath of
the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln,
the rehabilitation of the South and efforts to
unify the country. Museum hours: Mon.Fri., 8
a.m.4 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.4 p.m. Norwich University, Sullivan Museum and History Center,
Northfield. 485-2183. academics.norwich.edu/
museum/
Through July 31: Kara Walker, Juxtaposition,
Contemporary Specters, and Harpers Pictorial History of the Civil War. The artist combined her signature overlays of black silhouettes
with historic lithography to produce poignant
and sharp commentary on stereotypes found
in the nations history of slavery, Jim Crow and
Long Trail from Lincoln Gap. Contact Steve and
Heather for meeting time and place: 609-4249238.
Montpelier Parks Commission Meeting. Focus
on trails, trail conditions and trail potential in the
northern portion of Hubbard Park and in North
Branch Park. The public is invited to walk with
the commission. 6 p.m. Meet at wood pile in the
Stump Dump.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 15
SPECIAL EVENTS
Through Aug. 1: Mitch Smoller. Art photography depicting New England artifacts, landscapes
and architecture. Capitol Grounds Green Bean
Art Gallery, 27 State St., Montpelier.
details: barreheritagefestival.org.
Nature Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. 2296206. $5 non-members; $3 members and kids.
northbranchnaturecenter.org.
THURSDAY, JULY 23
FRIDAY, JULY 24
PAG E 16 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
SATURDAY, JULY 25
SUNDAY, JULY 26
MONDAY, JULY 27
Calendar of Events
have a game for you! Ages 10+. 1 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
TUESDAY, JULY 28
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29
Music and Movement. Create your own superhero costume, create superhero IDs, play villain
games, construct a Minecraft sword and more!
10:30 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main
St., Montpelier. Free. 223-3338. kellogghubbard.
org.
Super Heroes that Provide Food. Join Mr. K. as
he dresses up as a beekeeper and opens the inside
of a beehive. Explore the world of a honey bee and
see how they have specific jobs as they grow from
larva to field bee. Ages 4+. 11 a.m. Thatcher Brook
Primary School cafeteria, High St., Waterbury.
Call Waterbury Library to register: 244-7036.
American Red Cross Blood Donation. Donors of
all blood types especially those with types O
negative, A negative and B negative are needed
to help ensure blood is available for patients this
summer. 12:306 p.m. Knights of Columbus,
206 Rt. 14S, Hardwick. 1800-RED CROSS.
redcrossblood.org.
Safe Use of the Internet. An educational program to inform seniors about common internet
scams, computer viruses, malware and other
suspicious electronic happenings led by COVE,
the Consumer Assistance Program of the Vermont
Attorney Generals Office and Digi4s Computer
Service. 12:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity
Center, 58 Barre St., Montpelier. Free; open to the
public. Pre-registration required: 223-2518.
Medicare and You Workshop. New to Medicare?
Have questions? We have answers. Second and
THURSDAY, JULY 30
THE BRIDGE
Documentary Film Screening: Dark Side of
the Full Moon. Film documents the national
crisis in maternal mental healthcare and the
mothers and change makers on the front lines
of this issue. Informal film discussion follows.
5:30 p.m. Film screening at Kellogg-Hubbard
Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Discussion at
Montpelier Pocket Park, Main St., Montpelier.
goodbeginningsofcentralvt.org.
Montpelier Meeting of the Burlington Writers
Workshop. Free writing workshop in which we'll
discuss work by two of our group's writers. New
members of all skill levels are always welcome.
6 p.m. The North Branch Caf, 41 State St.,
Montpelier. Register: meetup.com/The-Burlington-Writers-Workshop/ (look for date and time of
workshop.)
FRIDAY, JULY 31
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
T H E B R I D G E
Music
VENUES
Charlie-Os World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
July 16: Don't Cross the Streams, DJ Crucible
(metal)
July 17: Ghostlikkers, Hardcore Sallies (alternative, Punk)
July 18: Drunk and In the Woods (soul R&B)
July 24: Hank West and the Smokin Hots
(country rock)
July 25: Green Mountain Playboys (Cajun)
July 31: Pine Fever (Gypsy rock)
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 4790896. Free/by donation. events@espressobueno.
com. espressobueno.com.
July 18: Z-JAZ (jazz) 7:30 p.m.
July 25: Sugar Moon (alt-country/rock) 7:30
p.m.
Nutty Steph's. 961C U.S. Rt. 2, Middlesex. Free.
229-2090. nightlife@nuttystephs.com. nuttystephs.com.
July 16: 7-10 Solid Gold Sing-along with Jay
Ekis, 6 p.m.midnight. $3.
July 17: Duke Aeroplane and the Wrong Numbers (acoustic guitar) 710 p.m.
July 23: Cooie Sings, 68 p.m.; Abbie Moran
(foxy folk) 811 p.m.
July 24: Jazzyaoke! 7:3010:30 p.m.
July 30: 24 Hours of Bacon or until all the
Bacon Runs Out. See listing under Special
Events in this section.
Sweet Melissas. 4 Langdon St., Montpelier. Free
unless otherwise noted. Other shows TBA. 2256012. facebook.com/sweetmelissasvt.
July 16: Dan Zura, 7:30 p.m.
July 17: Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Stone Cold
Roosters, 9 p.m. $5.
July 18: David Langevin, 5 p.m.; Cookie's Hot
Club, 8 p.m.
July 19: Blue Fox, 6:30 p.m.
July 20: Kelly Ravin, 8 p.m.
July 21: Open Mic Night, 7 p.m.
July 22: D. Davis, 5 p.m.; WingWalker, 8 p.m.
July 24: Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; A Fly Allusion,
9 p.m. $5.
July 25: Penny Arcade, 9 p.m. $5.
July 26: Blue Fox, 6:30 p.m.
July 27: Kelly Ravin, 8 p.m.
July 28: Cobalt, 5 p.m.; Open Mic Night, 7
p.m.
July 29: D. Davis, 5 p.m.; Carter Glass, 8 p.m.
July 30: Dave Keller, 7:30 p.m.
Approx. 2800' elevation gain. Route crosses the
Lamoille River bridge and Laraway Mountain.
Car spotting required. Contact Jill for details:
happy.jill.aspinall@gmail.com.
Bird Banding Demonstration. Get a behind
the scenes glimpse of banding in action. Catch,
measure and band a variety of songbirds to study
their survivorship and reproductive success. Anytime between 6:3011 a.m. North Branch Nature
Center, 713 Elm St., Montpelier. 229-6206. Donations welcome. northbranchnaturecenter.org.
Every Hero Has a Story. Local heroes share their
stories and field your questions. Meet Brian Lindner of the Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team
and the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol. 9 a.m. Waterbury Public Library, 30 Foundry St., Waterbury.
Free. 244-7036. waterburypubliclibrary.com.
The Northeast Storytellers. Writers, readers
and appreciators of prose and verse meet regularly
the first Saturday of every month. The public is
welcome to attend and new members are always
encouraged to join. 11:30 a.m.2 p.m. Catamount
Arts, 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury. 751-5432.
brookequillen@yahoo.com.
African Party. Hosted by Paul Thea of WGDRWGDH Goddard College Community Radio.
Dance to African reggae, salsa, zook, coupe
decale, soukouss and more. No alcohol. 7:30 p.m.
Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield. By
donation.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
MONDAY, AUGUST 3
Vermont Open Farm Week. Aug. 39. A weeklong celebration of Vermont farms. For list of
participating farms: diginvt.com. 434-2000.
vermontopenfarmweek@gmail.com.
Calendar of Events
July 31: Mark LeGrand, 5 p.m.; Hillside
Rounders, 9 p.m. $5.
Whammy Bar. 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. 31
County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.
com.
July 16: Robert Hannan and Sara Grace
July 17: Stovepipe Mountain Band
July 18: Justin Panagutti
July 23: Jennings and McComber
July 24: Marc Delgado
July 25: Peg and Cheryl
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 17
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
July 16: Dave Keller Band (soul/blues)
July 23: Kick em Jenny (old time string band)
July 30: Myra Flynn (indie/soul)
Aug. 6: Kava Express (rock/soul)
Middlesex Bandstand Concert Series. 6:30
p.m. Andy Shapiro-Martha Pellerin Memorial
Bandstand (next to Rumney School), Shady Rill,
Middlesex. Free.
July 22: Big Hat No Cattle (Western swing)
July 29: Jeremiah McLane, Sarah Blair & Owen
Marshall (Celtic/French/Quebecois)
Aug. 5: Katie Trautz and the Green Mountain
Playboys (Cajun)
Norwich University Carillon Concert Series.
Bring a picnic and lawn chair. Tour the bell tower
and view a demonstration after each performance.
Rain or shine. 1 p.m. Norwich University Upper
Parade Ground, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield.
Free. 247-9873.
July 18: John Widmann (municipal carillonneur)
July 25: Sergei Gratchev (Belgian Carillon
School)
Aug. 1: Elena Sadina (Belgian Carillon School)
SPECIAL EVENTS
July 16: Dare to be Square Dance. Montpelier's
monthly square dance. Kick 'Em Jenny plays and
Jenny Monfore calls. 7:3010:30 p.m. American
Legion Post #3, 21 Main St., Montpelier. $5.
793-4650.
July 16, 18: Elle Carpenter. Central Vermont native Carpenter returns home to celebrate her third
recording Life Just Happens to You. 8 p.m. July
16: Bees Knees, 82 Lower Main St., Morrisville.
454-7303. music.elle@gmail.com.
July 18: Lewis Franco & The Brown Eyed Girls.
4 p.m. Middlesex Bandstand, Shady Rill, Middlesex. lewisfranco.com.
July 18: The Twangtown Paramours. Acoustic Americana/folk husband-and-wife duo. 8
p.m. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 122
Hourglass Dr., Stowe. $20 advance; $25 at door.
760-4634. sprucepeakarts.org.
July 19: Sounds of Spirit Concert. Live Didgeridoo, crystal singing bowls, hand percussion, flute,
tambura, shruti box and overtone singing while
laying down. 79 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. $35. samarahealingcenter.
com/registration/
July 19: Benefit Concert for Adamant Community Center. Music by Patti Casey, Susannah
Blachly, Tom McKenzie and Lewis Franco &
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.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. First Wed., 10 a.m.Noon. Barre Presbyterian Church, Summer St. 476-1480.
Poetry Hike with Green Mountain Club.
Washington. Easy. 3 hours. Crosses hayfields,
through woods, high meadows with views from
Killington to Mansfield. End in the "sacred circle"
with a few minutes of silence. Wear hiking boots
and bring at least one poem with focus on trees.
Bring lunch. Meet at 10:30 a.m. Contact George
for meeting place: 883-2313 or plumb.george@
gmail.com
Cancer Support Group. First Wed., 6 p.m.
Potluck. For location, call Carole MacIntyre
229-5931.
Authors at the Aldrich: Roberta Harold. Mystery novelist and author of Murdered Sleep and
Heron Island. 6 p.m. Aldrich Library, Milne
Community Room, 6 Washington St., Barre.
aldrichpubliclibrary.org.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
PAG E 18 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
Weekly Events
ART & CRAFT
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
Women Knitting for Peace Group. Knit/crochet
items to be donated to those in need world-wide.
Bring yarn and needles. Thurs., 1011 a.m. and
67:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518. For basic
info. and patterns: knitting4peace.org.
Calendar of Events
BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
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.
RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables Collection Center accepts scores of hardto-recycle items. Mon., Wed., Fri., noon6 p.m.;
Third Sat., 9 a.m.1 p.m. ARCC, 540 North
Main St., Barre. $1 per carload. 229-9383 x106.
For list of accepted items, go to cvswmd.org/arcc.
BICYCLING
THE BRIDGE
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
SPIRITUALITY
RESOURCES
OUTDOORS
Tuesday Morning Nature Walks. with Marianne Kotch and Suzy Klinefelter. Every Tues.
through Sept. 29. 9 a.m. Meet at Barre Town
Forest kiosk, 44 Brook St., Websterville. 4764185. mkotch731@gmail.com.
Summer Bird Walk Series. Nesting activity is
picking up. Observe the fascinating behaviors
of our breeding birds. Walks are at a variety of local hot spots. June 19: Berlin Pond.
Fri., 7 a.m.8:30 a.m. $10; free for members.
northbranchnaturecenter.org.
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 19
T H E B R I D G E
SERVICES:
OFFICE SPACE
AVAILABLE:
Rocque Long
Painting
Insured
30+ years professional
experience
local references.
802-223-0389
GREGS
PAINTING
224.1360
clarconstruction.com
802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com
Design & Build
802-479-2733
Weatherization Remodeling
gpdpainting@aol.com
Tell them
you saw it in
The Bridge!
RecyclE
Since 1972
Repairs New floors and walls
Crane work Decorative concrete
Consulting ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT (802) 229-0480
gendronbuilding@aol.com gendronconcrete.com
223-3447
This Paper!
PAG E 2 0 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
Opinion
THE BRIDGE
Opinion
I am proud to work for Hunger Mountain Cooperative, a retail business with a powerful mission. For our nearly 43 years, a key element of
that mission has been providing meaningful
employment: good jobs that help people in our
community meet their financial and professional
development goals. The co-op recently reached
agreement with our employees union on a new two-year labor contract helping us to
continue to provide the Vermont livable wage, excellent benefits and workplace rules that
work for everyone. It is gratifying to have a new contract, but the responsibility of being
a great place to work for our 170-plus employees certainly doesnt end there.
Each year since 2010, The co-op has conducted a survey to gauge employee perceptions
and satisfaction and identify areas of focus for our business planning. We use a combination of quantitative and open-ended comment questions and all rating questions were
indicate the degree I agree with the statement-type with one being strongly disagree
and five being strongly agree. This years results were quite similar to the 2014 survey.
The highest scores again came in the areas of the employee understanding of the co-ops
mission and the co-op having a positive role in the community. We saw nice improvements in perceptions of our training program and the encouragement of high work
standards. Consistent with past surveys, employees gave relatively high marks for fair
compensation (4.0 average from staff/4.6 from managers) and flexibility to balance work
with personal lives (4.0/4.5).
Of the 56 total questions, six received a failing grade (defined as an average of 3.25 or
less, with the exception of 3.75 for questions dealing with harassment or discrimination).
From these low scores, it remains clear that internal communication and conflict resolution remain primary cultural challenges for co-op employees. For example, As a group,
the co-op's staff uses open and honest communication to talk directly with one another
received the lowest average rating with 2.9 for staff and 3.2 from managers. Many of the
comments provided highlight the critical need to improve communication and conflict
resolution between our employees union and our management team.
The implications for our business plan were fairly clear. To improve employee satisfaction, we need to address communication and conflict resolution. Our Go Direct program, which calls for us to address issues openly, respectfully and promptly, is designed
to help, but we will need more time and practice. From continued training in workplace
communication and conflict resolution to casual conversations during the work day, we
will continue to focus on solving workplace problems collaboratively and working toward
providing great service to our coworkers as well as our members and customers.
Despite our efforts to offer more trainings and professional development, there appear
to be too few perceived opportunities for growth amongst staff. This is likely related to
our low rate of turnover (17 percent last year), especially in positions at the higher pay
grades and in management and professional/skilled positions. If positions are not coming
available due to turnover or growth of the co-op, a key challenge is to offer meaningful
professional development in other ways.
Our co-op exists to meet the needs of our many stakeholders: owners, vendors and employees included. We have much to offer employees: dynamic work for fair compensation
and a meaningful mission serving a great community. As we begin a new fiscal year, it
is my hope and expectation that the Co-op will continue to make improvements as a
workplace and be an employer that owners and employees alike can be proud of.
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 21
T H E B R I D G E
Editorial
At Press Time: Two items from the Old Labor Hall in downtown Barre
In the news and good news at that Carolyn Shapiro writes that the Barre Historical Society has recently been awarded a $10,000 grant to help with the renovation of the
Union Cooperative Bakery renamed the Rise Up Bakery, part of the Old Labor Hall
in Barre. The grant is from the Bay and Paul Foundation and will support the handson work of youth (through YouthBuild) to re-do the roof at the bakery. Participating
youth will also learn about the struggles and achievement of the Italian granite workers
who built the bakery in 1913. Work on replacing the roof will begin this summer in late
August.
Also at the Old Labor Hall (46 Granite St. in downtown Barre) is an upcoming July 31
(7:30 p.m.) Joe Hill 100 Roadshow Concert. The concert commemorates the 100th anniversary of Joe Hills execution by a Utah firing squad for two murders it is very likely
that Joe Hill never committed. According to concert organizers, There is little doubt
today that Hill was framed for the crimes because he was a foreinger and a well-known
activist. The concert will feature labor, political and protest songs popularized by such
folk song greats as Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Arlo Guthrie and others. Performers at
the concert are touring folk musicians Charlie King, Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner
who perform as Magpie also George Mann as well as the local duo Anything
Goes and local performers Mark Greenberg and Ben Koenig. For more information
and reservations go to oldlaborhall.org, email info@oldlaborhall.org or call 479-5600.
PAG E 2 2 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Letters
Do You Know Your
Council Members?
Editor:
Why do Montpeliers taxes keep rising? Consider the main issues discussed at council
meetings and who comprises the council:
NetZero and energy sources, parking in regards to emissions and the impact of increasing numbers of vehicles downtown and
in residential neighborhoods, enticing businesses, except when another lodging concern
is suggested, also school budgets and public
safety issues.
Now consider these issues and the appearance of conflicts of interest on this council.
Definition of conflict of interest in the dictionary is the circumstance of a public office
holder whose personal interest might benefit
from their official actions or influence. The
mayor is a financial lobbyist, one member
is a city teacher, one works for a solar company, another married into a family that
has influenced the business community for
generations, another a former employee of
the police department. The District 3 councilman has a contract with the city, which is
coming up shortly for renewal. Why doesnt
the city consider contracting with Capstone?
This councilman runs four vehicles adding
to parking issues and emissions! He doesnt
even list his actual address on the city web-
T H E B R I D G E
J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015 PAG E 2 3
PAG E 24 J U LY 16 AU G U S T 5 , 2 015
THE BRIDGE
The Bridge publishes every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month,
except in July when we publish only on the 3rd Thursday.
Our next issue comes out August 6.
Bookmark www.montpelierbridge.com