The Bridge, December 15, 2016

Remembering Barre and Depot Square Pg.
12
December 15, 2016January 4, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
Pg. 5 Montpelier Draft
Zoning
Pg. 7 New Local Show:
All Things LGBTQ
Pg. 8 Poorhouse Farm
The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
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Shopping Guide
Book
Review
Montpelier Writer Shares

Coming of Age Story
A Button Thief Who'll Make Off
With Your Heart
by Robbie Harrold
Fay Webern. The Button Thief of East 14th Street: Scenes from a Life on the Lower East Side 1927-1957.
Sagging Meniscus, 2016. 311 pages. $19.95. Paperback.
entiment,
nostalgia,
self-pity,
recrimination, revenge Montpelier
resident Fay Webern has brilliantly
resisted all of these temptations that face the
memoir writer in The Button Thief of East
14th Street, her engaging account of growing
up as the child of Russian Jewish immigrants
in New York's Depression-era Lower East Side.
The genre isn't known for producing can'tput-it-down page-turners, but The Button
Thief is all that, something new and fresh.
Webern's coming-of-age story is compelling in
itself as we watch the initially insecure young
girl develop a transgressive "spirit of defiance"
that comes to define her. It is also in miniature
the story of first-generation immigrants in
America, who must navigate the uneasy
balance between the tribal traditions binding
their elders and the cultural assimilation that
unlocks the opportunities and freedoms for
which the tribe journeyed in the first place.
(This recurrent pattern in American social
history, by the way, should allay the concerns
of those fearful of today's Muslim immigrants).
on Avenue D and 8th Street...My father was

beside himself...But she would not agree to a
scraping. She was afraid of infection.
Webern's father buys "flushing pills" from
a druggist, but her mother, fearful of
complications, doesn't take them; her father
assaults the druggist, thinking he's sold him
expensive fakes. When, years later, Webern
hears the story and confronts her mother, she
breezily replies that "as soon as Papa saw you
he changed his mind...even before you came
into the world you brought luck...If not for
you we would still be buried in that miserable
grave on Avenue D and we would never have
come to live in Lavanburg Homes, may God
protect it."
The Lavanburg Homes, the setting for much
of the memoir, is an enlightened low-income
housing development founded, and funded,
by a Jewish philanthropist with the goal of
uplifting its residents and the neighborhood
as a whole. Its tenants, however, bring their
impoverished realities with them, each of them
Webern's writing style edgy, unflinching,

mordantly humorous and economical yet
rich in sensory detail could be an oral
history transcript. The individual voice is so
persuasive, the vignettes at times so suspenseful
that it feels like sitting in a room listening to
a particularly interesting raconteur, wanting
only for her not to stop, to tell one more tale.
Take the story of her being in the world at all:
I wasn't supposed to be born. When my
mother broke the news that she was in the
family way, she already had three children
and was living in a one-bedroom railroad flat
Fay Webern in 2015
facing a daily round of adversities in the wake

of the Depression that is only overcome by a
stubborn spirit of determination and, indeed,
defiance.
Bessie Weber Kessler, Webern's mother,
emerges in the text as the avatar of this spirit,
which she passes on to Fay, her younger
daughter. To keep the family sheltered and fed,
she tries every sort of scheme illicit peanutselling at the Liberty Island ferry, chickenplucking for the kosher butchers, parlaying a
minor accident at work into a lucrative lawsuit
settlement, selling eggs from upstate farmers on
consignment, peddling leather shopping bags
she's sewn herself among the Orchard Street
vendors' carts. In the face of her husband's
inability to find steady work, she manages to
hang on in the Lavanburg Homes, saving the
family from starvation and homelessness, but
there's never enough of anything to go around.
Fay, meanwhile, overcomes hostile teachers,
lice infestation, broken friendships and being
caught in a minor (though devastating to her)
shoplifting episode instigated by her mother
to discover her own passions and become
a devotee of modern dance. She finds her
own ways to thrive, running errands for a
grocery store's back-room gamblers. Already a
serious reader in her early teens, she wins the
interest of a sensitive and considerate admirer,
resulting in a charming "rooftop romance."
And then the dancing ends, with an accident
she describes briefly in the book and which is
foreshadowed by the hostile reception of her
last solo recital and by her parents' refusal to
let her enroll in a summer program with a
Continued on Page 8
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T H E B R I D G E
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A Letter to Readers and

Friends of The Bridge
Dear Friends of The Bridge,
Here are five solid reasons to support The Bridge.
1. The Bridge is a community paper thats available free of charge to
readers in Montpelier and across Central Vermont.
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and short stories about City Hall, our schools, our business and arts
communities and a range of critical local and regional public issues.
3. In each issue of the paper, we publish a comprehensive and many
readers tell us an indispensable Calendar of Events.
4. Once a month, we mail The Bridge free of charge to every household
in Montpelier.
5. We are actively working with young writers who are producing a by
and for youth publication we call The Breeze and we are working with
student-writers in a Community Based Learning project at Montpelier
High School.
Readers are telling us that they value the papers well-written, original
content, with stories and photographs you wont see anywhere else.
When we began our current fundraising campaign, we set a goal of at
least $25,000. At this writing contributions from readers and friends
amount to $11,160.
By contributing what you can, please help us close this gap.
Thanks sincerely,
Nat Frothingham, Editor & Publisher
Contributions can be mailed to The Bridge at

P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
Nature Watch
Winter!
real winter! Now with deer

season over, out to the fields
and woods we go on skis.
We were visited this week
by an uncommon bird from sub-arctic
Canada, the Northern Shrike. The blue
jay-sized carnivorus song bird quickly
killed, and than slowly ate, a junko,
fussing repeatedly with the business of
wedging the remains in a rose bush
crotch, while taking naps between dining sessions. A preview of the holidays,
eat and rest, eat and rest!
Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:
The New Year,

Legislature in
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In Circulation January 518
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THE BRIDGE
HEARD ON THE STREET

Survey Says: Residents Want Indoor Rec Center WITH Swimming Pool
MONTPELIER The results of the Montpelier Indoor Recreation and Aquatics Task Forces
Preliminary Survey have been compiled. Over 1,000, or about 12 percent of Montpelier's
residents, responded. At least 93 percent of them believe Montpelier needs a multi-use, multigenerational indoor downtown recreational facility. The survey results reflect an overwhelming
desire for an indoor swimming pool and a location close to the downtown that is affordable
and financially sustainable. Next steps for the task force include working on a business plan
and reaching out to volunteers. More information and complete results of the survey can be
found at: www.jumpandsplashvt.org.
Levy Speaks To Rotary Club About Researching His World War II Uncle
MONTPELIER A rapt audience gathered Dec. 5 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel for the
Montpelier Rotary Clubs presentation featuring author Paul Levy. Levy told attendees about
his post-retirement adventures trying to trace his Uncle Phils tracks across Europe during the
latter days of World War II. A book, Finding Phil: Lost in War and Silence, Bauhan, 2016,
resulted.
Levy told Rotarians of getting a 96-page handwritten journal and some letters from a family
member and turning that into a trek across the globe to find the uncle he never knew. After
extensive research, phone calls and travel, Levy located his uncles final resting place when he
was killed by a German SS officer in the mountains near the German border.
The book can be purchased online at www.amazon.com/Finding-Phil-Lost-War-Silence/
dp/0872332241. Please see a review on page 9.
Review Board Denies Request For Offices At Old NECI Building

MONTPELIER In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the Montpelier Development Review Board
issued a decision Nov. 21 denying the owner of the old New England Culinary Institute offices
at 56 College St. permission to use the building for general offices. The board said that general
office use would be more intensive than the academic office use that the culinary institute
had made of the building, which is called Harris Hall and was once part of Vermont College.
One of the owners of Harris Hall, Jeff Nick, told The Bridge he has appealed the decision to
the Vermont Superior Court, Environmental Division. The Harris Hall case was listed on the
agenda for executive session discussion at the Dec. 14 city council meeting.
Meanwhile, the new zoning proposed by the planning commission would appear to allow
Harris Hall to have personal or professional offices by right and general offices as a conditional
use.
Nick had requested of the development review board that one non-conforming use general
offices be substituted for another non-conforming use academic offices. City staff
supported the substitution, and the one neighbor who appeared at an Oct. 17 hearing on the
subject supported the change.
But the board said academic offices had only been allowed because Harris Hall had remained
part of the Planned Unit Development master plan, even though the building was under New
England Culinary Institute ownership. In 2014, the Vermont College of Fine Arts, successor
to the Union Institute, amended its academic plan and removed Harris Hall.
In its decision, the development review board wrote: While the current zoning bylaws do
allow under 803.B the exchange of one non-conforming use for another, the use must be the
same or of a more restricted nature The term office use is broad enough to encompass uses
that go beyond and are more intensive than academic offices.
The owners of Harris Hall have separately asked for conditional use approval to use the
building as a residential care facility or group home. A development review board hearing on
that request is scheduled for Jan. 17.
Montpelier Joins Chicago, NYC to Become a Sanctuary City

MONTPELIER Effective Nov. 30, Montpelier joined several other major United States
cities in becoming a sanctuary city. The proposal was introduced by Mayor John Hollar and
passed unanimously. What does this mean for Montpelier?
The resolution is not intended to benefit any specific group, as we have a very small
immigrant population, Hollar told The Bridge.
The proposal states, As a Sanctuary City, the City of Montpelier will have policies that
direct employees to refuse the application of any request from a state or federal agency that
requires the identification of a resident's immigration status; and the City of Montpelier
shall refuse any requests to be an extension of any federal immigration policy enforcement
actions and shall not enter into any agreements to carry out such enforcement; and the City
of Montpelier requires all City departments and divisions to develop and/or codify policies
that reflect Montpeliers status as a Sanctuary City, and we will further resolve our status as
a Sanctuary City upon codification of those policies.
Residents weighed in on Front Porch Forum, a social media website. Richard Sheir wrote
Dec. 3, Last Wednesday night, Montpelier joined capital cities Austin, Santa Fe, Sacramento
and Salem and became a Sanctuary City. Joining Burlington, Winooski and Middlebury,
Montpelier is now on record as refusing to cooperate with federal immigration roundups
of our neighbors. City Council should be commended for taking steps to explicitly place
Vermont values first.
However, George Bollenback disagreed stating, As an American citizen and taxpayer of
Montpelier, if I break the law I face consequences. This could be a step to opening the
floodgates for people we do not want living in our city or anywhere in the USA. Criminals
are now welcome.
City Council member Jessica Edgerly Walsh weighed in on the cyber conversation, writing,
In announcing Montpelier's Sanctuary City status, my colleagues on City Council and I
are simply confirming and highlighting the policies our staff, particularly law enforcement,
already follow to ensure that anyone in our community who is the victim of a crime can
access services.
T H E B R I D G E
Montpelier Draft Zoning Unveiled; Public Hearing Jan. 9

by Phil Dodd
MONTPELIER The proposed new zoning ordinance is now posted online and will
be the subject of a public hearing before the Planning Commission on Monday, Jan. 9 at
5:30 p.m. Links to both the current and proposed zoning, including maps, can be found
at: http://montpelier-vt.org/822/Zoning-and-Subdivision-Regulations.
The planning commission will also accept written comments on the proposed zoning
through Jan. 9. Emailed comments should be sent to Planning Director Mike Miller at
mmiller@montpelier-vt.org.
After the hearing, the commission is expected to consider making additional changes
to the draft and then will send it to the city council, which will hold at least two public
hearings before taking a final vote on the new ordinance.
The draft, several years in the making, amounts to a complete overhaul of the citys zoning
and contains major changes to the zoning rules as they will apply to neighborhoods
throughout Montpelier.
Some aspects of the proposed zoning have been controversial, such as an earlier drafts
expansion of design review boundaries and a proposed extension of commercial uses into
residential areas like St. Paul Street, but both of these sections were altered in response to
citizen feedback.
Miller said he believes the draft is a much better set of zoning bylaws than what we have
today. He praised the zoning process, but added that the draft is not a perfect product,
and we will continue to make improvements in the future.
Kim Cheney, chair of the planning commission, said of the new zoning: The goals
that were set out were met. We tried to create clarity and eliminate any complexity that
impedes development.
On the subject of the increased density called for in the draft zoning, which is designed to
encourage more housing and reduce nonconformity, Cheney said he thought any resulting
changes to Montpelier would be gradual. The idea that the zoning changes will overcome
the states flat population and bring a lot of new people into Montpelier anytime soon is
unlikely, he believes.
Personally, I am glad to see Montpelier is attracting young people and we have more kids
in the lower grades, he said.
But unless gas hits $6 a gallon and makes it uneconomic to live in the country, some
people are going to be dissuaded from living here by Montpeliers relatively high property
taxes and real estate values, as well as by the citys sprinkler requirement for all new homes,
he said.
Increased density has been one of the topics that received attention from residents who
have followed the zoning process. At least three neighborhoods were able to have density
reduced from what had originally been proposed for their neighborhoods: Berlin Street,
College Street/Sabin Street and Towne Hill Road.
All parts of town will see more density under the new zoning, however. For example, Pearl
Street in the Meadow will change from Medium Density Residential to the Residential
3000 district. The minimum lot size will drop from 10,000 square feet to 3,000 square
feet, the housing density will drop from one dwelling unit per 10,000 square feet to one
per 3,000 square feet, and maximum lot coverage will increase from 33 percent to 60
percent. Minimum side setbacks are reduced from 10 feet to 5 feet, and rear setbacks
from 30 feet to 10 feet.
In the Nov. 17 Bridge, we covered several other aspects of the proposed zoning, in addition
to density, such as the new mixed use residential district and the status of design review
boundaries. Here are a few other zoning changes of note:
30 percent slopes Development is not allowed on slopes greater than 30 percent, and
in some of the less dense residential districts, property on such slopes cannot be used in
calculating the number of units allowed. The city website currently has a rough map
showing where the 30 percent slopes are located in town, but a better map based on
new state data will be posted before Jan. 9, according to Miller.
Natural Resources map The zoning includes a Natural Resources map prepared by
the Conservation Commission, also available online, that indicates areas such as vernal
pools and wetlands where development cannot take place. Another map prepared by the
Conservation Commission, showing conservation land and trails, was dropped by the
Planning Commission after it received legal advice that the Conservation Map was not
scientifically based.
Planned Unit Developments The new zoning would create several new options for
developers under the title of Planned Unit Developments: Infill Housing, Cottage Cluster,
Manufactured Home Park, New Neighborhood Development, Conservation Subdivision
and Campus Development. Each of these developments has its own requirements, and
some of them offer significant density bonuses of 25 percent to 50 percent above the base
zoning if certain criteria are met, such as energy-efficiency, small size and affordability.
Sabins Pasture Sabins Pasture is being zoned as Residential 6,000, which could
theoretically allow nearly twice as many units as the approximately 400 currently allowed,
and the zoning will no longer will have a denser district along Barre Street than higher up
the hill. Under the new zoning, development of 40 or more units on a parcel of 10 acres
or more will have to comply with the New Neighborhood Planned Unit Development that
promotes clustering. This requires keeping 5 percent of the parcel open, or any portion
identified on a future city Official Map (which designates possible parks and other
municipal uses), up to 40 percent of a parcel. The elimination of the Conservation Map
meant that a provision to keep open up to 40 percent of New Neighborhood planned unit
development land that was identified as conservation land was dropped.
Parking requirements Developers in the Urban Center 1 district downtown will no
longer have to provide parking for new developments. In most of the rest of the city,
according to Miller, the parking requirement is being reduced to one parking space per
new unit (today it is 1.5 spaces per unit, rounded up so that a single unit has to have two
spaces). No new parking is required in Infill developments, which would be allowed in
many districts, if it provides senior or affordable housing.
Main Street Originally, the stretch of Main Street from the library to the roundabout
that includes many older historic buildings was to be in the same Urban Center district
as downtown, but at an earlier public hearing, former mayor Mary Hooper and former
Planning Commission chair Steve Sease suggested it should be covered by a less dense
district, similar to the current Central Business-II. The Planning Commission has now
come up with a new district called Urban Center 2 that covers this area, plus part of Barre
Street. However, it is considerably denser than the current CB-II. The building height
limit is raised from 45 feet to 60 feet, the minimum lot size is reduced from 10,000 square
feet to 3,000 square feet and maximum lot coverage is increased from 50 percent to 90
percent, among other things.
Got a news tip? We want to know!

Send it to us at: editorial@montpelierbridge.com
THE BRIDGE
A Message From City Hall

This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.
Budget Choices
by William Fraser, City Manager
n preparations for the FY18 Budget development process, the City Council expressed a
variety of preferences for budget targets and priorities. Obviously the Councils adopted
goals serve as the prime back drop for priorities along with core services, mandates and
other fixed expenses. Financial targets expressed by Council Members included:
Full Funding of Services
2.5% to 3.5% tax rate increase
Inflation rate increase 1.5%
No increase - 0.0%
Our Leadership team met for three full days last week to develop a series of options which
reflect the various funding levels and preserve priority items to the extent possible within
various funding levels. We recommend that the Council review these levels and provide
additional input about preferences. This would be followed by a full workshop with the
team on the 21st.
For ease of calculation, we used cents on the tax rate instead of percentages. Each cent on
the rate is worth $86,500. We have anticipated a 0.5% increase in the grand list. With
our municipal tax rate hovering just under $1.00 per $100, a cent and a percent are almost
indistinguishable. We can easily make conversions and adjustments as necessary.
Starting Point:
This is, essentially, updating the FY17 base budget with known
changes. We included the full $166,300 increase in capital and equipment as planned,
$100,000 for the Montpelier Development Corporation and $50,000 for the Housing Trust
Fund. Everything else was based on existing services, expenses and preliminary spending
estimates. We calculated a 2% wage increase for all employees based on the existing Fire
Union settlement for FY18.
This base total resulted in a net tax increase of $475,000 or 5.5 cents.
Responsible Review: Before developing different funding scenarios, we reviewed the
entire budget for reductions/adjustments that we could and would make under any
circumstances in order to deliver a prudent budget. We identified net tax reductions of
$147,500 through this process. Included in this amount were $15,500 worth of savings
resulting from cooperation between the Senior Center and Recreation Department.
This reduced the base total to a net tax increase of $327,500 or 3.8 cents.
Option 1. Full Service and Full Investment: We then identified those changes, mostly
additions, which were necessary to meet council goals, priorities and service demands.
These included the following:
1. Increase Zoning Administrator from .6 FTE to .8 FTE $11,500
2. Add a 1 FTE Facilities Director (with benefits) $105,000
3. Include MEAC request for program funding $5,000
4. Fund Housing Trust Fund at $140,000 as per request $90,000
5. Add a VISTA to Community Services as per transition plan $10,000
6. Add matching funds for employee wellness program $6,000
7. Extend pool season by two weeks in August $7,500
TOTAL additions $235,000
These additions plus the revised base budget above represent a fully funded budget
addressing most goals, maintaining/improving services and investing in housing/economic
development. The capital/equipment plan is funded. Net Zero community outreach is
included.
This increases the base total to a net tax increase of $562,000 or 6.5 cents
Option 2. Service and Investment: From the above fully funded option, we tightened
the belt in some areas while maintaining as many key service levels as possible. These
reductions included:
1. Eliminate two week pool extension $7,500
2. Eliminate raises for Management positions $9,000
3. Cut the monthly Bridge article $14,400
4. Reduce Police/Dispatch OT $15,000
5. Reduce Fire OT $15,000
6. Reduce DPW OT $5,000
7. Eliminate employee wellness match $6,000
8. Increase Community Services Fund Raising $20,000
9. Eliminate Police Canine (near retirement age) $13,000
10. Eliminate .5 FTE Finance position $25,000
11. Reduce Housing Trust Fund to $110,000 $30,000
12. Reduce Fire Training $1,000
13. Reduce Police tuition/fitness $2,000
14. Fund portion of facilities director through capital $20,000
Total reductions $182,900
This reduces the base total to a net tax increase of $379,600 or 4.4 cents
Option 3. Tighter Service and

less investment: This continued
with belt tightening while also
reducing some services and efforts
currently done. The biggest impact
is to our internal IT capacity
1. Annual
$4,000
Report
all
digital
2. Reduce Asphalt $5,000

3. Reduce employee wages from
2% to 1.5% COLA $19,000
4. Change 1 FTE IT position to contract $22,000
Total Reductions $80,000
Option 4. Reduced Priorities and Investment, add risk: At this level, the biggest
impact is to Net Zero community outreach through Planning VISTA, MEAC funds and
reduction of facilities director to part time. There is risk in assuming new dispatch revenue
which is not in place at this time.
2. Eliminate Planning VISTA $12,500
3. Eliminate MEAC funding $5,000
4. Reduce Facilities Director to .25 FTE $55,000
5. Assume new Dispatch revenue $50,000
Total reductions $152,500
Option 5. Reduce existing commitments: This level contemplates eliminating support
for key items. Some of these are controversial. At this level, however, the full $166,300
for capital/equipment and the full $100,000 for the MDC are included.
1. Reduce Housing Trust Fund to $21,000 (current level) $29,000
2. Drop out of CVPSA $47,000
3. Eliminate Community Enhancements $33,000
4. Eliminate Facilities Director $30,000
5. Keep Zoning Administrator at .6 FTE $11,500
Total Reductions $150,500
This reduces the base total to a net tax decrease of $3,400 or 0.0 cents
Additional or replacement reductions will necessitate direct service reductions, project
reductions, changes in goals and expectations and/or reductions in capital/equipment
funding.
The leadership team also suggests that the Council consider the idea of the local sales tax
to generate $800,000 in revenue to offset competing needs.
As the Council reviews the options, they are not restricted to keeping certain items in the
same groupings, they are free to move priorities around, add new ones or suggest additional
items for reduction.
Economic Development Revolving Fund: I recommend the creation of an economic
development infrastructure loan fund using $150,000 of one time money from the fund
balance which would be repaid by increased taxes from a development over a set period
of time. This would allow the city to participate in development projects by installing
roads, water/sewer lines, etc. This is a similar concept to a Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
district except that we would administer it locally with less restrictions than the formal state
program. We would not, of course, be able to include education taxes.
As an example, assume a new development project was going to bring in $10,000 per year
in new municipal taxes. The city could invest, say, $50,000 in infrastructure from this
fund to help get the project in. The new taxes would go back to this loan fund for five
years until the investment is repaid. The taxes would then go to the general fund and the
loan fund would be available to assist other projects.
Such a fund would require policies, loan limits and terms, etc. which, ideally, would be
created in conjunction with the Development Corporation. I see this as an important fiscal
tool for the Corporation and the City for aiding development efforts.
Thank you for reading this article, your interest in the budget and in Montpelier city
government. Please feel free to contact me at wfraser@montpelier-vt.org or 802-223-9502
with any questions or concerns. I wish you the happiest of holidays.
T H E B R I D G E
Theres A New Show in Town:

All Things LGBTQ
by Carla Occaso
Anne Charles, Linda Quinlan and Keith Goslant
MONTPELIER A local group has gotten together and is putting on a show to raise awareness
for a vulnerable community. The show "All Things LGBTQ" airs on Orca Medias Channel 15
every other week on Saturday at 8 p.m., Friday at 10 a.m., and Tuesday at 1 p.m. All Things
LGBTQ is also available on orcamedia.net.
It all started when Linda Quinlan, Anne Charles and two others started a social/political group
called Rainbow Umbrella. Said Quinlan, I thought, Lets do a gay radio show to reach more
people. But the technical aspects of creating a radio show put up a fatal roadblock, so they turned
to public access television. ORCA, the public access television station at City Center on Main
Street, became their new home.
Why create a show? According to Keith Goslant, another member of the group, there is a lack of
news and social networking in Central Vermont related to the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender
and questioning community. If you think about it if you are a member of the queer community,
where do you go to find local news? said Goslant.
Quinlan, Charles and Goslant were also disheartened when learning of facts related to the lesbian,
gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning community, particularly economic struggles and
personal safety. For example, according to Charles, 721 transgender people were murdered in 2016
throughout the world. The Human Rights Campaign and The Advocate report that the number
of transgender murders in this country so far in 2016 is between 24 and 26.
Also, according to Goslant, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported, "In the ten days following
the (presidential) election, there were almost 900 reports of harassment and intimidation from
across the nation. Many harassers invoked (president-elect) Donald Trumps name during assaults,
making it clear that the outbreak of hate stemmed in large part from his electoral success."
Of slightly lesser concern than physical safety issues, but still an indicator of severe discrimination,
members of the community get the short shrift when it comes to jobs and income. For example,
according to Charles, many transgender individuals must survive on an income of $10,000 per
year. They cant get hired. There is so much discrimination, Charles said. This forces people into
the sex trade, she added. Raising the minimum wage would go a long way to improve their lives.
If you were working at a minimum wage job, the most direct immediate positive impact is raising
the minimum wage to a livable wage.
Recent news that Montpelier has chosen to become a sanctuary city brings optimism to Goslant.
Goslant explained that a request was made to the city council and the mayor to have a liaison to
keep an eye on the legislature and city government. This request was acted upon and that liaison
is Monique Signorat; the alternate is Jesse Scarlato. (Mayor) John Hollar was very supportive,
Charles said. This is important during times when members of the gay community are suffering
abroad. On an international basis, gay men are being pushed off buildings. Lesbians are being
beheaded, Goslant said.
On the show All Things LGBTQ, Charles reports on the international news, Quinlan on the
national news and Goslant on local issues. This kind of communication is increasingly necessary
because hate groups continue to exist, even in Vermont. Charles told The Bridge by email,
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center's map of Hate Groups in the U.S., Vermont
houses three such groups: The Militant Knights of the Ku Klux Klan operating out of Burlington,
The Creativity Alliance, a neo-nazi group operating in Middlebury and The Neo-Nazi Socialist
Movement operating statewide.
All Things LGBTQ covers these issues and more on the Free Speech TV channel. Weve already
taped five shows that have aired. An hour apiece, Goslant said. Besides news, the group is also
doing profiles, such as on the group Outright Vermont and the owners of Coffee Corner. And
while they cover news from all over the globe, it boils down to maintaining community.
THE BRIDGE
A Look Back In Time
Montpelier/Berlin Poorhouse Farm Part of the Poverty

Relief System in Vermonts Past
by Matt Koucky
'll starve or freeze to death there

(in these woods) before I go to that
accursed poorhouse. As expressed
by Vermonter Seth Chase (Vermont History,
published Fall 1989, Vermont Historical
Society, Vol. 57, No. 4), that was a sentiment
shared by many from Vermonts founding
in 1777 to the end of the poorhouse system
in 1968.
Vermont towns, responsible for this grand

endeavor, were required in a 1797 act to
elect an overseer of the poor, who would be
the chief welfare officer of the town. The
overseer was given the power to determine
relief systems for the poor. Rarely were
the systems that overseers put in place true
relief systems. They were much more often
used as threats against the impoverished.
The poorhouse was a product of Vermont's

earliest welfare laws, the first being a 1797
act that established that every town and
place in this state shall relieve, support and
maintain their own poor lame, blind,
sick and other inhabitants within such
town or place who are not able to maintain
themselves. This act gave the power of
determining the process for poverty relief
to each town.
Overseers in the late 18th and early 19th

centuries might use methods such as
warning out. When an overseer felt a
poor family or individual was becoming
a public nuisance, or that they were likely
to become the responsibility of the town
welfare system, the overseer might order
that individual to leave the town. This was,
needless to say, a humiliating act and could
leave entire families without a home or a
source of income.
Holiday Services
Town overseers also had the power to order

that the property of a pauper be seized and
sold to repay debts, and in the stead of this
property, town residents would host the
pauper and be given a stipend to pay for
the upkeep of the pauper. Towns would
hold auctions in which they would award
the honor of hosting the pauper to the
person who would accept the least pay for
the time of their hosting. The auctioned
poor would often be required to work for
their host without pay, and rarely lived in
very healthy conditions, because hosts were
often themselves somewhat impoverished.
It is certainly ironic, if not gruesome and
unsettling, that this system of unpaid labor
was instituted in the first state to outlaw
slavery. The processes of hiring out and
warning out fell out of fashion, however,
with hiring out being outlawed completely
in the mid-19th century.
The poorhouse was in the forefront of the
Vermont welfare system from the early 19th
century to the mid-20th century. The same
1797 act that established the overseer of
the poor also established the practice of
sending poor individuals to poorhouses. It
stated that the inhabitants of any town
or district with town privileges, in this
state, may build, purchase or hire a house
of corrections or work-house in which to
confine and set their poor to work.
The majority of Vermont's larger towns
followed this model, with some towns
opting to pool resources (after an 1837
act permitted them to do so) in order to
purchase and maintain their poorhouses.
One such partnership was the MontpelierBerlin Poorhouse Farm, which, in the late
19th century was located off of what is now
Route 12, on a road now called Crozier
Road. This farm isolated, and tucked
away from any population center was
typical of poorhouse farms.
Towns would isolate poorhouses for a
number of reasons, chief among them being
that town residents did not want to be
around the poor, and that isolation gave
overseers and superintendents of the poor
greater power over inmates on poorhouse
farms.
The poor, at the time of the poorhouses,
were seen as a worthless population,
according to one overseer's report. In fact,
according to Andrew Nuquist, an author
of many Vermont histories, to some
people it was a sin to be poor. Thus, few
Vermonters wished to be near the poor,
fearing uncleanliness, disease and social
insecurity that many believed the poor
brought with them. This fear of the poor
that had once manifested itself as warning

out, now appeared in the form of isolation.
This attitude toward poverty, sadly for
the poor, legalized the physical abuse of
poorhouse residents. The 1797 act that
established the poorhouses also put in place
punishments such as whipping, shackling
and fettering for individuals who refused to
do the (unpaid) labor expected of them. By
the 20th century, the practices of shackling,
whipping and fettering were no longer
considered legal, but individuals still could
have food withheld for refusing to work, and
would even be placed in cages or subjected
to public humiliation for insubordination.
The last poorhouse in Vermont, located
in Sheldon, closed in 1968. However, one
could argue that the era of the poorhouse
had been over long before that. Starting
in the mid-19th century a population
that made up a large percentage of the
poorhouse population the mentally
ill and the disabled was sent to the
newly opened asylum in Brattleboro. In
1865, the Vermont Reform School opened
in Waterbury, removing even more people
from the poorhouse system. A century after
the asylum opened, Roosevelts New Deal
established a national welfare program
that was considerably less harsh than the
poorhouse system, dealing another blow to
the integrity of the institution.
After the 1930s, the poorhouse became, more
than anything, a threat that the Overseer of
the Poor could dangle over the head of his
targets. Ultimately, as numbers dwindled
and the resident population in poorhouses
aged, poorhouses became more expensive
for the towns to maintain than they were
worth. Towns began to shut down their
poorhouses. Montpelier shut its poorhouse
in 1956; St. Johnsbury and Burlington
shut theirs in 1958; Middlebury closed its
poorhouse in 1959. Between the 1940s and
1960s, poorhouses truly began to die out.
Finally, in the 1967 Vermont Social Welfare
Act, the practice was decommissioned. The
office of Overseer of the Poor was replaced
by state offices of welfare, and poverty
became far less stigmatized in Vermont.
If there is anything to learn from the
poorhouse system, perhaps it is that we
should all strive to ensure that we do not
allow anything of the sort to happen again.
The poorhouse represented prejudice, abuse
and oppression against those less fortunate.
If we are to be a society truly based on
the American values of equality, then we
must ensure that all people have an equal
opportunity to succeed. The poorhouse was
a failure to uphold these values.
A Button Thief Who'll Make Off

With Your Heart Continued from Page 1
famous teacher at Bennington. Nonetheless, dance has defined her: "This is my language.
What I am."
In the lovely late chapter, "Norma's Studio," Webern has an epiphany: as she looks at the
portrait her artist friend Norma has painted of her, she recognizes in it the spirit of defiance
that has kept her going, that has brought her a place in the post-war New York world of artists
and performers and led her out of the constrained world of her immigrant family and their
peers. (She has gone on, we learn elsewhere, to a long and distinguished career in publishing,
parlaying her knowledge of what makes for strong writing into her own compelling story).
The arc of this coming-of-age story isn't overdetermined. It's punctuated by at times seemingly
random renditions of incidents, memories and observations of life in this very particular time
and place as, for instance, an encounter with future jazz great Thelonious Monk in the
Palisades Park. They add texture and flavor to an atmospheric collection of stories from a life
which leaves the reader wanting to hear just one more.
T H E B R I D G E
Editors Note: This is a corrected/updated version of a book review The

Bridge published in the December 1 issue. Due to an editing error, the
wrong version ran. We regret the error.
Book
Review
A Humane Perspective
Finding Phil: Lost in War

and Silence
by Nathan Grutchfield
aul Levy was only a year old when his

uncle Phil was killed, on Jan. 7, 1945, in
the European theatre of World War II.
The younger Levy was largely oblivious to his
uncle's ideals, the story of his death and how his
life had led him to that fateful moment.
The cause of this murkiness manifested itself in
the shroud of mystery and silent pain that was
produced regarding this uncle by those who
knew him. Like many families devastated by
the loss of a boy in the war, my family rarely
spoke of Phil and my sense of him and his life
was embodied in only a few scattered facts,
Levy explains.
And that was how it was for over 40 years.
Levy lived a lifetime committed to types of
social involvement. A poverty lawyer and
community organizer in Vermont and Indiana,
as well as the teacher of a leadership master's
degree program in Sweden for many years, were
positions in which he most likely developed a
deeply humanitarian perspective.
Then, in 1987, the uncles story was suddenly brought to Pauls attention, in the form of two
items that arrived in the mail: a Purple Heart war insignia and a journal that Phil had kept during
the war, created while he was aboard a British ship that was part of a fleet sailing from Naples,
Italy, to the southern coast of France. Phils wife, Barbara, had died, and her sister had sent the
contents. The journal, in particular, illustrated Phils life like nothing Paul had ever seen before,
through colorful firsthand accounts that portrayed a star-driven, idealistic young man, snatched
away by the war in an extremely tragic manner.
After Levy retired some years later, he tackled an ambitious journey to uncover the entire story of
Phil. It took five years to complete the memoir that is Finding Phil: Lost in War and Silence.
He is transported through research to very interesting places, from the pale of Russia where
Phils father fled as an oppressed Jew to South Bend, Indiana, where Phil was shaped into an
adult. And he explores the passionately hopeful view in which his uncle held the world, and the
broader context of this situation; one that involves universal questions relating to war, tolerance
and honoring generations past.
Several people have had relatives who have died in war, and still many have held a murky
perspective regarding their life and death. Levy himself may have suffered from a kind of
emptiness as a consequence of that. Yet he has offered himself, and much of his audience, a kind
of vindication in Finding Phil. Further understanding this silent and painful way in which
people deal with these tragic events, as this book offers us the chance to do, can be helpful in
finding ways to overcome its burdens.
In addition, one can learn from the ideals of the uncle, Phil Levy. This is a character that almost
every person has been at some point, no matter how cynical certain experiences may have made
them, and is a character whose desires and motives portray, in some sense, the best possible world
in which one can exist.
Phil as a young man is highly concerned about social justice. It is easy to call upon people to
kill the Jap or the German, writes Phil Levy in his journal, People will sacrifice to fight (them),
but will they fight ignorance and poverty with equal energy.
This is a contemplative, intelligent and compassionate point. Phil possesses dreams for a future
society to defeat these flaws such as ignorance and poverty. This is a message that each person
should spend time considering, since these are indeed still flaws in todays world.
These are the two main points where Paul Levy connects with his reader: the necessity for silence
to be broken, and the necessity for humanity to improve in many of the ways that Phil wanted
it to. His findings related to these themes are profound and eloquently described. Yet, due to
the vastly complex ethical and sociological subject that war is, there are no definite conclusions
reached, and one must have their own viewpoint regarding these themes.
A potential shortcoming of Finding Phil lies in the fact that much of the story revolves around
fairly detailed descriptions of military strategy. But that is made up for by the fact that there
are other, more intriguing tones, present in the book, such as what is used for characterization
purposes. For instance, you learn that Nathan Levy, Pauls father and Phils brother, was a highly
competitive, successful man, once called by his law professor a born lawyer. Nathan, as well as
Phil, is fascinatingly conveyed through these types of stories, which is important to further our
understanding of the events in the story.
Paul Levys considerable effort to write Finding Phil: Lost in War and Silence was probably
borne out of his strong social conscious and eagerness to defeat that early shroud of mystery that
had once hidden his uncle. In writing the story, he has used both interests to paint a touching
picture appealing to both ones personal life and the society around them today.
Shop Local
THE BRIDGE
Think of Artists, Crafts People When

Choosing Gifts
by Garrett Heaney
ts that time of year again when many

of us are still looking for that special
something for that someone special. If
youre like me, you may have left shopping for
a few people (or all of the people) to the last
minute and now youre riddled with anxiety
over entering the chaos that is retail shopping
centers and box stores. Good news, if youre
reading The Bridge, chances are you live in
Central Vermont and there is a plethora of
options available to you that dont involve long
waiting lines, riots or worse. This year I intend
to buy all my gifts with the exception of
my four-year-old daughters highly pined over
skateboard from friends in the community
who either create arts and artisanal goods,
offer classes and services or own local,
independent businesses in town. The idea is
to minimize shopping stress for myself, while
showing appreciation for the place where I
live and to the folks who enrich this area with
their arts, knowledge and passions.
ART
Jennifer Palkowski-Jacques
Jennifer Palkowski-Jacques is a painter
currently living in the posh Espresso Bueno
neighborhood of Barre City and daylights
as a cashier at Hunger Mountain Co-op in
Montpelier. This year she exhibited a number
of shows throughout the state, including
her first proper gallery exhibit entitled
"Lumen Stellae, and presented by the White
River Crafts Center at the Kimball Gallery
in Randolph. Jacques describes her art as
inspired by the widom and allure of the
natural beauty and landscape of Vermont.
For the holidays this year, rather than compete
with other artists and photographers doing
cards and calendars. Jacques created a deck
of tarot cards made up of a set of 22 original
images. The decks can be purchased for $40
directly from Jacques through her Facebook
page The Artworks of Jennifer Jacques, online
at facebook.com/artworksofjenniferjacques.
Kari Meyer
Kari Meyer is an established surreal landscape
artist in Central Vermont. About her work
(oils on canvas) Meyer says, My imagery
demonstrates an abstraction of nature. My
inspiration comes from nature and the
Japanese ideals of wabi-sabi, a prominent

philosophy of Japanese aesthetics. For me
wabi-sabi changes the worldview of western
civilization. For the holidays, Meyer is
offering her works for a whopping 25% off
until Christmas Eve. To view Meyets work,
visit her website at karimeyer.com or via her
Facebook page at facebook.com/kmeyerart.
JEWELRY
John Colby Allin
Allin is a relatively new face at Hunger
Mountain Coop (HMC), working in both
the grocery and produce departments. If the
name rings a bell, it may be due to his current
jewelry show in the caf at HMC. Allin
intricately wraps an array of gemstones and
jewels with silver and copper wire to create
unique, one-of-a-kind pendants and other
wearable arts. His show will be up until the
end of the month, so there is plenty of time
to find the perfect piece. Prices are posted at
the show, or you can reach Allin directly at
505-1377.
HERBAL BODY CARE
Juliana Westcott
Westcott has been building a name for her
herbal body care products over the past few
years and the name Roots of Comfort has
been growing quickly as a favorite when it
comes to lotions, healing salves and lip balms
here in Central Vermont. For her products,
Westcott is committed to using the highest
quality herbs she can source and harvest
locally here in central Vermont. Visit Roots
of Comfort online at rootsofcomfort.com or
follow the Facebook page at facebook.com/
rootsofcomfort.
MUSIC
Coquette Record Releases Tomorrow!
Everybodys favorite local boy band Coquette
is throwing their record release party at Sweet
Melissas tomorrow night, and this album is a
no-brainer gift for anyone who likes music in
central Vermont. Rumor has it that the band
is playing its last show as a cohesive unit in
January, so this album is sure to be a classic
and a collectors item. The show starts at 9
p.m. at the venue on Langdon Street and CDs
will be for sale on location. Visit them online
at bandnamedcoquette.com.
Buch Spieler
And of course our favorite folks over at Buch
Spieler on the newly artisinal-ized Langdon
Street. Longtime store manager Knayte
Lander and Xavier Jimenez (XAVWAX Full
Quality Vinyl) purchased the shop last year
and became co-owners of the business. They
buy and sell records, CDs and cassettes and
maintain a high-quality inventory under the
ideal that condition is paramount. The shop
directs a stream of eclectic vinyl, cds, tapes
(all inspected for full quality assessment), and
a collection of VHS and DVD titles ranging
from classics to cult, documentary to concerts,
foreign to experimental/art, horror and sci-fi.
They also offer audio gear and equipment
that is both vintage and modern, including
turntables and other stereo components if
youre really trying to impress someone with
a gift this year!
The Getup Vintage
While youre browsing for records, definitely
stop in at the Getup Vintage shop for an
array of apparel, shoes, jewelry and accessories.
Owned and operated by Hannah Bean and
Jeff Thomson, The Getup offers high quality
vintage fashion seasonally curated for men and
women, and an exciting and unique stock of
garments and accessories from the 1880s to
1980s (even 90s and modern). The shop shares
its location with Buch Spieler on Langdon
Street in Montpelier and can be found online
at buchspielerrecords.com.
MAPLE SYRUP
Now, there really is no shortage of maple syrup
in Vermont. We have a slew of syrup producers,
both large and small, but there is a relatively
new kid on the block in Josh Seidmann and
Rugged Ridge Forest located at 688 Elmore
Rd. in Worcester. Seidmann tells us This will
be our first season boiling after selling sap for
the last two. We are creating a traditional wood
fired sugarbush with an emphasis on quality,
sustainability and good stewardship. Hes
selling pints, quarts and half-gallons in reusable
glass canning jars for $8.75, $14 and $24.50
respectively (directly from the farm), or you
can find it at LBJ's in Worcester, Uncommon
Market in Montpelier, Dream Cafe in Johnson
and Appletree Natural Foods in Morrisville.
Feel free to give Siedmann a call directly at
881-2637.
T H E B R I D G E
Shop Locally for Toys, Coffee, Caviar, Candy and More

A Sampling of Downtown Shops
MONTPELIER The Bridge can report
where you can get partridge this holiday
season but not sure about the pear tree
at local shops. Here is a sampling of merchants
who decorated their windows with twinkling
lights and desirable gifts. Window shopping
might entice you to step inside ...
Also, many merchants are extending hours to
coincide with free holiday parking a gift
from the City of Montpelier.
TOYS Woodbury Mountain Toys, 24
State St.
First, for the toys. According to owner Karen
Williams, Woodbury Toys on State Street has
over 500 games and a great science section.
They also have the locally made Pinbox 3000
as well. Our shelves are overflowing with
great gifts for all the kids and kids at heart on
your list.
Holiday hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
COMESTIBLES Alla Vita, 27 State St.
Extended hours: Sunday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Specials include a free wine tasting
Dec. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. Also, three different
sizes of Oil & Vinegar Gift Packs. In addition,
entertaining offerings include basil and goat
cheese pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, house
made fig and olive tapenade, Stonewall
Kitchen crackers and pasta.
Capitol Grounds, 27 State St.
Capitol Grounds has gifts for coffee lovers,
says coffee roaster Christopher Pyatak in an
email to The Bridge. They have three new
Costa Rican micro lots and "Higueron" a
flavorful and fruit-forward coffee. Finally the
"Genesis" is a wonderful and very limited,
exclusive coffee.
Also, Bernie's Beans, 20 percent of proceeds
going to the Vermont Veterans Fund, over
$15,000 raised last year.
Delish, Montpeliers Sweet Shop, 5 State St.
Delish has hand-pulled candy canes,
peppermint bark, nonpareils, smooth-n-melty
mints, Holland mints, sour Santa gummies,
by Carla Occaso
new French creams by Oliver's, stem cordial

cherries, mini ribbon candy, Sugar Plum
gummies by Jelly Belly and more.
Monday through Friday, Dec. 19-23, 9 a.m.

to 8 p.m.; Saturday Dec. 24 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
GIFTS/OTHER Capitol Stationers, 65

Main St.
Hunger Mountain Coop, Stone Cutters

Way
Salaam, 40 State St.

From Sarah Lesser, of Salaam Boutique, We
are staying open late for the last few days
before Christmas: Wednesday Dec. 21 to
Friday, Dec. 23 open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
and Saturday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), we
will be closing early at 3 p.m. We are also
running a special on all of our clearance items
for every $50 spent you get an extra $10
off. $50 becomes $40, $100 is $80, etc. Items
include winter/ holiday stuff down jackets,
sweaters (cashmere and otherwise) and gifts.
According to Eric Bigglestone, Capitol

Stationers has holiday wrapping supplies and
gifts. Also, chocolates, maple, cards, t-shirts
and other neat gifty things. Open until 8 p.m.
from Dec. 19 through Dec. 23.
According to community relations manager

Stephani Kononan, Hunger Mountain
Coop features over 2,000 products, including
handmade soaps, pottery, ecologically grown
flowers, wines and beers, artisanal cheeses,
handcrafted baked goods. Also gift cards are
available online at hungermountain.coop or
in store, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Heady
Topper is in every day now (1-four pack per
person), until sold out.
Uncommon Market, 1 School St.
Caviar, Partridges and oysters...whats on your
holiday table? Asks Sharon Allen, co-owner
of Uncommon Market. We do an incredible
amount of special orders this time of year.
You can see what we offer here on the website
at uncommonmarket.net for Holiday Special
ordering. People are eating oysters, partridges,
standing rib roasts, whole fish, alaskan king
crab, lobsters, caviar, venison, capons, stuffed
pork roasts basically you name it.
APPAREL/GEAR Onion River Sports/
The Shoe Horn, 20 Langdon St.
From Caroline Zeilenga at Onion River Sports
the store will start its 12 Days of Discounts
where each day a new, holiday deal is revealed.
Shoppers can find discounts by looking at our
window display, or by visiting the Facebook
page. Also as part of Onion River Sports
holiday events, The Shoe Horn is doing a
special Wish for It, Win It event now through
Dec. 24. Visit www.theshoehorn.net for info.
The store will keep a wish list from shoppers
available to family and friends (like a gift
registry). Everyone who creates a wish list will
be entered into a drawing on Dec. 24 to win a
Shop Local gift pack, from The Shoe Horn,
The Skinny Pancake, Capitol Grounds and
Capital Kitchen. http://www.onionriver.com/
holiday-deals/
Holiday Hours: Monday through Friday, Dec
12-16 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 17 9
a.m. to 8pm; Sunday, Dec. 18 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Zutano, 79 Main St.

From Sylvia Thompson: Items at Zutano
(childrens clothing store) are always at least
a 20 percent off discount every day, and for
the holidays the store will be doing a special
promotion where you can get an additional
discount.
KITCHEN Capital Kitchen, 18 State St.
From Jessica Turner extended hours start
Dec. 16, open until 7 p.m. during the week
(10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday), opens at 9 a.m. Christmas Eve. The
item that continues to fly off the shelf for us is
the Swedish dishcloth. It's a thin little sponge/
cloth that replaces the need for paper towels.
Also, do not miss these amazing local shops:

Splash Naturals, 68 Main St., www.
splashnaturals.com/, make-up, skincare,
aromatherapy, gifts & apparel. Comfy
sleepwear and slippers.
Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., cheshirecatclothing.
com, art, craft and artful clothing
Artisans Hand, 89 Main St., artisanshand.
com, craftwork of Vermonts craft community.
Jewelry, glassware, weaving, pottery and more.
Amazing array of arts.
Aromed, 8 State St., aromedofvt.com,
aromatherapy oils and supplies.
Katies Jewels, 6 State St., www.katiesjewels.
com, Jewelry and gift shop. Antique restoration.
Reliable repair.
PET GIFTS AND SUPPLIES Quirky

Pet, 5 State St.
From owner Cindra Conison, I have been
giving away hot cider and animal crackers
since Thanksgiving and will continue until
Christmas.
THEATER Capitol Theater, 93 State St.
http://www.fgbtheaters.com/
Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St.
lostnationtheater.org season passes, tickets and
gift certificates.
Savoy Theater, 26 Main St.
From James OHanlon of the Savoy Theater
You can get gift certificates, Lake Champlain
hot cocoa with whipped cream and candy
canes. New baked goods. Matinees during the
week between Christmas and New Years'.
Alla Vita's holiday display
A Look Back In Time

Editors Note
The following excerpts are from two books about Barre (Vermont) local history from the 1930s to
1950s written by Thomas C. Davis. These books are Out from Depot Square (2001) and
Beyond Depot Square (2006). Davis was born in Barre on Nov. 30, 1931. His mother and
father were Corinne Eastman Davis and Deane C. Davis. From his introduction to Out from
Depot Square here is how Davis expresses his fondness for Barre the town and community
where he was born, grew up and came of age.
Introduction to Out from Depot Square
BARRE More than any other, this is the book I wanted to write. This is when life for me
began, the story of my hometown, a story of the people I grew up with, a story of the way
things happened, of events and curiosities that shaped my life and life of others who lived at
the time
As I write these words, it is as though time has never passed. The faces of the people, their
homes, each tree, and bush, remain a portrait etched in my mind, a part of my own Brigadoon.
Somehow I find it easy to believe that the energy of these events and the energy of the people
continues on somewhere in the great beyond, recreating time and again the wondrous,
exciting and occasionally fearful world of a young boy.
These memories are too important for it not to be that way.
It is as though it all happened at once. If I remember President Franklin Roosevelt riding
through town in an open motor car in 1936, should my memory be suspect? If I remember
future Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts striking out Ebba St. Claire twelve years later, resulting
in a league championship for the Twin City Trojans baseball team, would a newspaper
account be more accurate?
Perhaps.
What I have written down is how I remember it. The stories and accounts are what I believe
happened, what I believe is the way it was.
THE BRIDGE
Tom Davis Remembers Barre a
by Nat Frothingham; photos are courtesy of the Vermont History Center lib
summer Saturday nights saw the street alive with
people who had been shopping until 10 p.m.
It was the only night of the week that many
people had extra money. The occupants of the
cars and trucks parked along Main Street were
farm families from the outlying countryside for
whom the Saturday night visit to town was the
entertainment high point of the week
Looking south down Main Stre
The police were visible, especially on Saturday

nights. Standing tall, working in pairs, they would
slowly walk up the street in full uniform, with
jackets buttoned, and their police caps properly
positioned on their heads. When they reached
the far end of town, they would return down the
opposite side of the street, ready to thwart any
disturbance.
The first show in each of the three movie
theaters ended between 8:45 and 9:45 p.m. Both
The Paramount and The Magnet theaters were
located within fifty yards of Depot Square. The
movies attracted a large audience, especially on Saturdays and Sundays. When people left the
theater after watching the first showing of the night, movie patrons swelled the numbers on
the street. Some theater-goers went straight home, but others lingered at the diners or simply
remained on the corner.
Several drug stores, restaurants, a barber shop, three five and dimes, shoe shine parlors, and
other retail stores contributed to the busy scene, remaining open to be available for business
at all times.
Depot Squares Ethnic Mix
For me, and I hope for you, thats enough.
A rich ethnic mix of people, a microcosm of Barre itself, lingered on the corner: the Italians,
whose artisan ancestors came to Barre to cut stone; from Canada to the north, the French
Summer Nights at Depot Square
Canadians, who came in large numbers to find work; the Scots, whose ancestors were the
The corner of Depot Square was a major gathering point in the community.
first to come to quarry the granite that served Barres life blood; the Spanish, many of whom
The granite sheds in Barre shut down at 4 p.m. By 4:45 many of the granite workers, having
had fled the 1936 revolution in their homeland, to find opportunity here; the Irish, who built
had supper, would arrive on the corner, ready
Vermonts railroads and soon played major roles in
Historic view of Depot Square with the railway station in the background. It is likely that
for the evening.
local government and the church. Found in lesser
this photo was taken before the coming of the automobile in the early 1900s.
numbers were the Lebanese and Scandinavians
On warm summer evenings well over a
Of course already here were the Vermont Yankees,
hundred people would be milling around.
some with ancestors dating back to the Mayflower,
Most of the men were union members. They
who had left Massachusetts and Connecticut to
outnumbered businessmen, many of whom
settle in northern New England. All were part of the
owned the hundred or more stone sheds
mix, a part of the ever-changing scene on the corner
operating at the time.
of Depot Square.
Especially in the summer, people would remain
Learning Politics at Home
around the corner and on the street until after
9 p.m., and the streets didnt become quiet
The political education I received in those
until after 11. At 8:50 each night, however,
early years, and thought I understood, was that
a loud horn at the fire station sounded the
differences between Democrats and Republicans
curfew, and everyone under sixteen years of
were economic in nature, and that the Democrats
age was expected to rush home and we
were trying to help the poor and/or the laboring
mostly did though I never recall anyone
underclass by supporting labor unions. They wanted
ever being fined or incarcerated for failing
to accomplish this, according to my father, through
to observe the curfew!
unfair and confiscatory taxation, or even worse by
that greatest of sins, deficit financing.
Saturday night was the big night. Warm
My father constantly reinforced this message with his absolute conviction that this country
had become strong solely because of the free enterprise system. He used the term free
enterprise as a mantra. I tried always to stay on the political reservations, for I never doubted
my father or my mother who mostly shared his politics. (My mother, however, was more
easily swayed by appeals for social justice, and long before it was in vogue, became interested
in racial equality or as we now describe it, civil rights.)
Seeing Poverty at School

But if free enterprise was an absolute I would try to adopt, nonetheless in my early years in
school, I was confronted with something more mundane. Along with my classmates in school,
I witnessed, on a daily basis, a grinding day-in and day-out poverty, much of it at the time
seemingly due to the Great Depression. I encountered classmates wearing inadequate clothing
T H E B R I D G E
and Depot Square 1930s to 1950s
brary and archives
eet from Barre's Depot Square.
with which to remain warm in the winter, shoes with

holes in the bottom that were run over beyond repair,
and faces displaying a sickly pallor, the result of not
having enough decent food to eat.
The School Milk Program was enacted during the

thirties as a means of feeding poor kids and
coincidentally helping farmers with their problems
of oversupply at the same time. In the early days
of the School Milk Program. The cost of milk
to schoolchildren was subsidized. Most of my
classmates could find the two cents a day to pay for
the milk. For students too poor to pay, powdered
milk as made available free of charge. To prepare
the less than palatable concoction, the teacher would
leave the room, go into the hall and fill a large pitcher
with tap water, then place the ingredients: powdered
milk, water in a large pitcher on her desk, as the
whole class looked on, the teacher would mix the
powdered milk with tepid water, and stir endlessly.
The reconstituted milk would be poured into glasses
and distributed to three or four children unable to
pay for the fresh whole milkI watched and wondered.
Grocery Shopping and Home Chores
Shopping was easy. It was accomplished in the downtown at one or another of Barres locally
owned stores. Small groceries (many very small) existed all over town. Each ward in Barre had
at least one and most had several
We lived next door to the Beck Family. Both houses sported a side porch. Since clothes dryers
were not generally available, if at all, both Frida Beck and my mother hung wet clothes on a
spiral rack that attached to the porch railing. My mother and Mrs. Beck conversed whenever
they both happened out on the porch to hang the washing With the advent of automatic
clothes dryers, my mother and Frida Beck now remained inside the house and were no longer
conversing from porch to porch while hanging the wash. Technology, as often is the case,
imparted unintended consequences.
Weekend Dancing and Partying (19451947)

Its Friday night.
Overhears: Anybody going to the Silver Dome? Or Tuckers Barn? Have you got a ride?
Whos going? (What girls?)
I gotta work in the morning.
So what, everybodys got to work in the morning!
Just a half day though.
Thats enough.
Lets get out of here nobodys around!
Ill play you a game of straight pool, 25 points, for half a buck.
Youre on, if we can get a table!
One thing I dont do on the weekend is look up whats on TV. TV doesnt exist, at least in
good old Barre, Vermont.
Ah, the possibilities! What are they? A first run movie at the Paramount, or, 1,000 yards down
the street, two movies, same price, 40 cents, at the Magnet. One will be either a horror or a
crime movie. Tough choices. Out-of-town dances, but you have to find a ride. Maybe I go to
the Greenmount, sit in a back booth for two hours, smoke cigarettes, but ONE 10-cent coke
(the price of admission) and watch the girls come in. One or more may want to sit with us in
our booth. Always packed on Friday night.
Friday night in Barre, mid-century, and you are there! The joy that goes with imagined and
unimagined possibilities for the weekend explodes through me. Forty-eight plus hours with
no teachers, no sweat, no worries. Barre two square miles of potential paradise. The world
is, for one brief shining moment mine.
Home freezers did not exist; refrigerators were just coming into general use. My grandmothers
brother, Bert Humphrey, cut ice from his pond on Millstone Hill, covered it with sawdust,
stored it in a barn, and peddled the ice door to door throughout the year. Humphreys Ice
truck could be found in Barre neighborhoods well into the 1940s.
World War II Changed Everything
World War II became the defining event for a broad generation of Americans.
Stories of economic distress were swept off the front pages and from movie reels. The war
was now the story, seemingly the only story. People not alive at that time have a difficult if
not impossible time gauging the tremendous impact of World War II on those of us living at
the time World War II was not just a major event for Vermonters, it was the only event.
Armed conflict since that time has obviously provoked conflicting reactions from Vermonters
reactions that the generation nurtured during World War II has been largely unable to
understand. In the 1940s, people didnt debate the war. They organized, unquestioningly, to
win it
Everything my family, friends, or I did for the next four years was influenced in some way by
the war. Young men and women volunteered. Then came the draft. On our small farm my
fathers hired man stayed on the farm, planting, haying and milking thirty cows. He and other
farmers received deferments from the military because they were engaged in essential labor.
Montpelier's Poor Farm, once the site of Woodbury College. Now, the site of the main office
of the Community College of Vermont.
Shop
Local
Colored post card photo looking south on Main Street from Depot Square.
Granite City Groove
THE BRIDGE
The Importance Of Good Samaritan

Homeless Shelter
by Joshua Jerome
BARRE Right around this time of year a joyous energy

permeates the community as we celebrate the holidays with
friends, family and colleagues. Also as we reflect on the past
and anticipate the opportunities that lie ahead of us in a new
year. We are all grateful for different things and to some,
something as trivial as a roof over our heads is actually very
important. For 30 years, the Good Samaritan Haven has
been providing services to the homeless population and
I recently sat down with the Haven's executive director,
Brooke Jenkins, to talk about how important the shelter is
for Central Vermont.
Good Samaritan Haven serves the tri-county area of
Lamoille, Orange and Washington as they are the only
emergency shelter for the area's homeless community.
The shelter is located in downtown Barre and provides
shelter for 30 individuals; 19 males and 11 females.
They also have a seasonal overflow facility that operates
from November to April every year that accommodates
an additional 14 individuals and is supported by the
State of Vermont. The work of Good Samaritan Haven
is dependent on four full-time and eight part-time
employees with a lot of community volunteers to help
support all of their services.
does not operate 24 hours a day, as they are regulated

to only operate between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 7
a.m. While someone is staying at the shelter, caseworkers
provide nurturing support by helping individuals find
employment, acquire transportation and other basic needs
like getting a haircut, while identifying permanent housing
that the individual can move into.
Individuals who utilize these services have a range of
challenges from mental health, domestic abuse and
substance abuse. Some are veterans suffering from Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. Typically, half of the guests at
the shelter are employed and are working to save money
to afford their own home. Some are on fixed incomes or
The services provided include a hot meal, and almost

every meal provided to the 44 individuals every evening
is prepared by a volunteer from the community.
Individuals can do laundry and are provided with
clothing, toiletries and some transportation. The shelter
have incurred a debilitating financial event in their life

and just need a break and some genuine support. This is
really challenging work, but very rewarding, Jenkins said.
Brooke also talked about a new pilot Family Supportive
Housing Program that is a joint private/public initiative to
help end child and family homelessness by 2020.
The pilot project is led by the Family Center of Washington
County, in collaboration with Downstreet Housing and
Community Development, Heney Real Estate, and Good
Samaritan Haven itself. The program looks to provide
intensive case management services to families with
children. The collaborative effort will provide an additional
1215 units of stable, permanent housing to homeless
families. This pilot program is an innovative approach
to help families in transition that involves affordable
housing, rental subsidy and personal support in decision
making.
In January, each year there is a national census taken on
homelessness. Last year there were approximately 120
individuals who were homeless in this area on that one
specific day when the census was taken. Every one of
those individuals has a story as to why they are where
they are just like you or me and because of the work of
Good Samaritan Haven, homeless people have a chance
to write a new chapter that is inclusive and nurturing
and life-changing. If you would like to be part of that
new story, please give The Haven a call at 479-2294 or
go to their website at goodsamaritanhaven.org.
Getting Lost Locally: Members Show at Studio Place Arts

by Matthew Maitland Thomas
BARRE Involving more than 75 artists, Celebrate, the annual members show at Studio
Place Arts, is an explosion of local shape and color. Nearly every usable inch of the buildings
three floors is covered with work by artists from Washington and Chittenden counties.
The pieces are grouped largely by color, which is intriguing, but can also be somewhat
frustrating to the viewer who might want to experience a particular artists works together.
Yet there is something satisfying and comforting about the sheer volume of work. It wraps
around you, folds you into its contours. You will never be bored, as your eye will always land
on a piece well worth your time, and little effort is required to get yourself lost just keep
your eyes open and walk. Moreover, the show is energetic, and the richness of the space,
spilling over with lovely work, overcomes ones desire for a little more editing.
Ralph Waldo Brunelle Jrs block prints Victorian House and Decrepitude are standouts,
unassuming though they might seem at first pass. In them, Brunelle teases shape from
boundary in an almost Manichean way, if that philosophical construct might be appropriated
here: there is white, there is black, and if you spend enough time with the pictures its almost
as though one emerges from the receding of the other, as opposed to being created atop the
other.
Heidi Broners Runner and Bicycle, acrylic on wood panels, capture snippets of time,
freezing the motion of the subjects passing through those seconds, and present them back
to the viewer in a splash of color that might go unnoticed in the actuality of such typicality.
Refracted to the viewer through Broners contemplative eye and gentle hand, however, these
scenes are given to day-dreaminess and one can almost hear the quiet of an empty place at
midday, the vacuum disturbed only occasionally by the rustling of a joggers clothes, the air
by a cyclist pedaling on to his immediate future.
W. David Powells The Dodo, the Auk, the Emperor, and the Preparator, a digital print,
is like a gold-leafed fever dream. Clever and playful a bird-headed figure clothed in
Elizabethan finery there is a silly dignity and stateliness to the figure in the picture. The
contrast between the formal and the absurd, the longer one spends with the picture, bleeds
away, leaving, once our notions of order have themselves been reordered so as to acclimate to
the world Powell has created, an elegant system of complementary shapes and shades.
The highlight of the show is Alexandra Bottinellis Reflections (Buttercups). Made from
beeswax, resin and found objects, the assemblage/painting gives the viewer the impression of
looking at something colorful at a distance. This distance is not necessarily physical; rather,
the distance is something more metaphysically gauzy, like memory, the drifting fog limiting
clarity on the way up out of sleep, or a passing ghost that ripples ever so briefly ones field
of vision. Bottinelli teases us with the images beyond the veil, until we recognize that the
veil and those colors and shapes which it obscures work symbiotically to keep us looking
at one by way of the other, rearranging the foreground into the background, leaving us not
frustrated but hungry for more of this deceptively calm paintings vitality.
There are many more notable pieces in the show. Marie LaPre Grabons Seated Model,
Karen Hendersons Notice, and Kristen Schulyers lovely ornaments are among some of
the best.
All in all, Celebrate is a solid show. It is busy and full, but there are more treasures than not,
and one walks back out into the Vermont winter, to the sound of snow tires splattering along
on Main Street, warmed and invigorated by the depth of imagination of these artists who
are all around us dreaming in ways we non-artists could not possibly imagine but are so very
privileged to behold.
Celebrate runs through December 30. Please see the calendar listing under Visual Arts
on page 17.
Original artwork on display and on sale at Studio Place Arts
T H E B R I D G E
Calendar of Events
Community Events
Events happening
Dec. 15 Jan. 7
American Red Cross Blood Donations in
Washington County. Donors of all blood types
are needed this holiday season to help ensure
a sufficient supply for hospital patients. To
encourage donations, all those who come to donate Dec. 22Jan. 8 will receive a long-sleeved
Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.
To make an appointment to give blood visit
redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
Donors are encouraged to make appointments
and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.
Dec. 16: 9 a.m.2 p.m., Central Vermont
Medical Center, 130 Fisher Road, Berlin
Dec. 21: 27 p.m., Central Vermont Medical
Center, 130 Fisher Road, Berlin
Dec. 23: 9 a.m.2 p.m., Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison Avenue, Montpelier
Dec. 23: 10 a.m.3 p.m., Formula Nissan,
1504 US Rt. 302, Barre
Dec. 27: noon5 p.m., Waitsfield United
Church of Christ, 4335 Main St., Waitsfield
Dec. 29: 10 a.m.3 p.m., Barre Senior Center,
131 Main St., Barre
Dec. 31: 10 a.m.3 p.m., Price Chopper, 168
Ames Dr., Barre
Soup-A-Thon. Many varieties of delicious Soupsall you can eat. Desserts and drinks included.
Benefits Worcesters Meals on Wheels. 5:307 p.m.
Worcester Church Annex, 35 Worcester Village
Rd., Worcester. Adults $10; children 5 and under
$5. 223-7961. ruthsicely@aol.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19
Holiday with the Animals. Treats to eat, fun

activities, visit with shelter animals and a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Bring donations
for the shelter animals so they can enjoy the holidays
too. See shelter wish list:centralvermonthumane.
org. 10 a.m.2 p.m. CVHS, 1589 VT Rt. 14 S, E.
Montpelier.
Grief & Bereavement Support Group. Open to
anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 67:30 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd.,
Barre. Free. 223-1878.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21
Moving Pictures: Films about Immigration. 1993
film The Ballad of Little Jo. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public
Library, Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
Paint n Sip with Liz Lawson. 68 p.m. Bagitos,
28 Main St., Montpelier. www.facebook.com/
events/324098781267979/
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27
Falling Away Moving beyond western constructs

of self and psychotherapy. An exploration of mindfulness practice, psychotherapy, and unfolding.
67:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, Montpelier.
Free.
Jaquith Young Writers Workshop. Dec. 2729.

Meet for three sessions in this vacation week workshop to help develop writing skills, offer encouragement, brainstorm story ideas and offer gentle editing
help. Following the workshop, the books will be
printed into softbound books for the writers to keep.
Suggested for young people ages 8-14. 9:3011:30
a.m. Jaquith Public Library, Schoolhouse Commons, Marshfield. Space is limited; call to register:
426-3581.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28
Vermont Dance Alliance Silent Auction Party

Fundraiser. Silent auction, dance films made by
Vermont artists, meet and greet with choreographers and dancers. Light refreshments, cash bar.
5:309 p.m. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St.,
Montpelier. vermontdancealliance@gmail.com
Jaquith Young Writers Workshop. See listing on

Dec. 27
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17
Paint n Sip with Liz Lawson. 68 p.m. Bagitos,

28 Main St., Montpelier. www.facebook.com/
events/324098781267979/
56th Plainfield Christmas Bird Count. Spend the

day performing a census of our winter birds. The
count circle includes parts of Plainfield, Calais, East
Montpelier, Marshfield, Montpelier and Barre. The
day concludes with a potluck dinner. Call North
Branch Nature Center for more info.: 229-6206.
northbranchnaturecenter.org
Capital City Winter Market. Markets will be
held on the first and third Saturday each month,
December through April. Featuring seasonal
produce, local meats and cheeses, hot food, and
handmade crafts from central Vermont. 10 a.m.2
p.m. Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St., Montpelier. 793-8347. manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.com.
Dramatized reading of Dylan Thomas' famous
poem, "A Child's Christmas in Wales." Presented
by Echo Valley Community Arts. 4 p.m. Christ
Church, 64 State St., Montpelier. Suggested donation $10.
Introduction to Tai Chi. Overview of its origins

and the lineage styles. Learn some practical exercises
to experience the essence of Tai Chi and about the
teachers and classes available in Montpelier. 56
p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop, Montpelier.
Jaquith Young Writers Workshop. See listing on

Dec. 27
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member Xu Xi

Reading at VCFA. Distinguished Visiting Faculty
Member Xu Xi has written numerous books including this years That Man in Our Lives and the
forthcoming Elegy for HK and Insignificance:
Stories of Hong Kong. 7 p.m. The Chapel at
College Hall, VCFA, 36 College St., Montpelier.
828-8600, vcfa.edu.
Dave Kellers New Years Eve Extravaganza. Music, giveaways, special guests, midnight countdown
and more. 8:30 p.m.12:30 a.m.; doors open 8 p.m.
Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main St., Montpelier. $12
advance; $15 at door; ages 17 and under free. 2290492. lostnationtheater.org.
MONDAY, JANUARY 2
Visiting Writer Jercho Parms Reading at VCFA.

VCFA Alumna Creative Nonfiction Writer Jericho
Parms is the author of Lost Wax, which was
published this fall. She is the Associate Director of
the MFA in Writing program at VCFA and teaches
in the Professional Writing Program at Champlain
College. 4:45 p.m. The Chapel at College Hall,
VCFA, 36 College St., Montpelier. 828-8600, vcfa.
edu.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3
Visiting Poet Kyle Dargan Reading at VCFA.

Author of four collections of poetry, including his
most recent publication Honest Engine. Dargan
is currently an Associate Professor of Literature and
Director of Creative Writing at American University. 7:15 p.m. The Chapel at College Hall, VCFA,
36 College St., Montpelier. 828-8600, vcfa.edu.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4
Grief & Bereavement Support Group. Open to

anyone who has experienced the death of a loved
one. 1011:30 a.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Rd.,
Barre. Free. 223-1878.
Visiting Writer J. Kates Presentation at VCFA.
Visiting Translator J. Kates is a poet, literary translator and president and co-director of Zephyr Press.
He has translated numerous books, including most
recently Muddy River, a selection of poems by
Sergey Stratanovsky. 11 a.m. The Chapel at College
Hall, VCFA, 36 College St., Montpelier. 828-8600,
vcfa.edu.
Classic Film Series at Jaquith Library. Rick
Winston will introduce the film, and afterwards
will lead a discussion. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library,
Schoolhouse Commons, Marshfield. For film title
and more info. contact Tom Blachly: 229-5290 or
blachly@together.net.
Performing Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING,
COMEDY
Dec. 1517: How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying. Presented by
Montpelier High School Masque. 7 p.m.
Montpelier High School auditorium, 5 High
School Dr., Montpelier. $12; students and
seniors 65+ $10; under 5 free. 225-8000.
Dec. 1718: Moving Light Dance Company
presents Green Mountain Nutcracker. This
years cast of 60 talented dancers performs in
fabulous hand-made costumes amidst glorious
set pieces. The original choreography by
Christine Harris, Willow Wonder, Avi Waring
and Natalie Wheeler will inspire the spirit of
the season. Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 18 at 2
p.m. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre.
$25/$15 advance; $30/$20 at door. 476-8188.
Barreoperahouse.org.
Dec. 18: Bread & Puppet Theater:
Insurrection Mass with Funeral March for
a Rotten Idea. During the Mass, quotes,
pertinent texts or statistics are processed to
produce the rotten idea of the day, which is then
funeralized and buried. 4 p.m. Bread & Puppet,
Rt. 122, Glover.
Dec. 23: Bueno Comedy Showcase. A wide
range of talented standup comics, from here and
away, working longer sets. 8:30 p.m. Espresso
Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. $6. 479-0896.
events@espressobueno.com. espressobueno.com.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
Immunity and Allergies with Baylen Slote.

Baylen will share a variety of holistic healing tools
that can help balance the bodys immune system
preventing illness while and benefiting chronic allergy symptoms. Discussion will include acupressure
points and herbal home remedies. Practice of simple
Qi gong exercises will be followed by Q & A over
tea. 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, Schoolhouse
Commons, Marshfield.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7
Capital City Winter Market. Markets will be held

on the first and third Saturday each month, December through April. Featuring seasonal produce, local
meats and cheeses, hot food, and handmade crafts
from central Vermont. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Montpelier
City Hall, 39 Main St., Montpelier. 793-8347.
manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.com.
For more event listings and event details

visit montpelierbridge.com
Live Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Open mic every
Wed. Other shows T.B.A. bagitos.com.
Dec. 15: Alex Figura (jazz/folk/blues) 68 p.m.
Dec. 16: Dave & Rory Loughran (classic rock/folk)
68 p.m.
Dec. 17: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; 1940s Holiday
Music Extravaganza, 6 p.m.close
Dec. 18: Bleecker & MacDougal (folk ballads) 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Dec. 20: Old Time Music Session, 68 p.m.
Dec. 21: Papa Graybeard Blues, 68 p.m.
Dec. 23: Moulton & Whipple, The Frozen Finger
Boys (bluegrass) 68 p.m.
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.
Dec. 25: Southern Old Time Music Jam, 10 a.m.1
p.m.
Dec. 29: Italian Session, 68 p.m.
Dec. 30: Squirrels Crackers (blues/country/
Calendar of Events
bluegrass) 68 p.m.
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; New Years Eve preparty with Twisted Knickers 6pm- close.
Jan. 1: Bleecker & MacDougal (folk ballads) 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Charlie Os World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier.
Free. 223-6820.
Every Mon.: Comedy Caf Open Mic, 8:30 p.m.
Every Tues.: Godfather Karaoke, 9:30 p.m.
Espresso Bueno. 248 N. Main St., Barre. 479-0896.
Free/by donation unless otherwise noted. events@
espressobueno.com. espressobueno.com.
Dec. 23: The AccaFella (crooner) 7:30 p.m.
Positive Pie. 10 p.m. 22 State St., Montpelier. $5.
229-0453. positivepie.com.
Dec. 16: Rumblecat (funk)
Dec. 23: White Out (with DJ Ben Arsenal)
Whammy Bar. 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. 31
County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.com.
Every Wed.: Open Mic
Dec. 1: The Flatlanders
Dec. 16: Kelly Ravin
Dec. 17: 2 Cents in the Till
Dec. 22: Joe Franco & The Philly Cheese
Dec. 23: Big Hat No Cattle
Dec. 29: Danny Coane & His Bluegrass Buddies
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dec. 15, 22: Christ Church Lunchtime Concerts.

Coffee and tea will be provided; bring a bag lunch.
Dec. 15: Elisabeth von Trapp; Dec. 22: Choral
settings of the Magnificat. Christ Church Sanctuary,
64 State St., Montpelier. The concerts are free; a
donation is solicited for the Food Bank to help
neighbors in need. Christchurchvt.org
Dec. 16: Darlingside. The new and widely popular
Boston-based quartet features four distinct voices
clustered around a single microphone, their tightlyarranged tunes drawing from the unexpected,
including strains of bluegrass, classical and even
barbershop. 7:30 p.m. Chander Music Hall, 71-73
Main St., Randolph. $20 advance; $22 day of; $10
students; kids 5 and under free. chandler-arts.org
THE BRIDGE
today. 7 p.m. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center,

122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe. $2054. 760-4634.
SprucePeakArts.org.
Dec. 1718: Venetian Vespers: Onion River
Chorus Concerts. Early 17th century sacred works
from St. Marks in Venice. The program includes
works by Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Rovetta, Cavalli
and others. Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18, 4 p.m. with
reception following. Unitarian Church, 130 Main
St., Montpelier. $18; students/seniors $13. Advance
tickets $3 off. Advance tickets available at North
Branch Caf, 41 State St., Montpelier with cash or
check.
Dec. 1924: Christmas Bells. For the sixth
consecutive year, Christmas carols will be played
on the historic bells of Montpeliers Trinity United
Methodist Church. There will be half-hour programs
at noon, after the Christmas Eve service (about 8
p.m.), and on Christmas Day at 9:30 a.m.
Dec. 17: Stories for a Winters Eve. Featuring

original short stories by Vermont authors and songs
by Vermont musicians Pete Sutherland and Patti
Casey. Two shows: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Old Meeting
House, Center Rd., E. Montpelier. $15 advance; $18
at door. Advance 4-pack $50; $10 children 12 and
under. 249-0404. oldmeetinghouse.org
Michael Loris will play the unrestored 1908

McShane chime of ten bells (the only completely
original tower bell instrument in Vermont), and the
matching 1872 bass bell (or bourdon), one of the
largest bells in the Green Mountain State (2,552 lb.).
The eleven bronze bells weigh nearly five tons, and
are played by hand.
Dec. 17: McLean Avenue Band. Mix of old Irish

and Celtic folklore with the rock pop Celtic music of
Dec. 21: John Lackard Blues Band. 7:30 p.m. Sweet

Melissas, 4 Langdon St., Montpelier. No cover.
T H E B R I D G E
Visual Arts
Calendar of Events
EXHIBITS
Through Dec. 28: Pamela Druhen, Seasons. An exhibit of 20 unusually

intricate landscape and abstract threadscapes by Northfield fiber artist.
Gifford, 44 S. Main St. (Rt. 12), Randolph. 728-7000.
Through Dec. 30: Shedding Light On The Working Forest. Paintings and poetry by visual artist Kathleen
Kolb and poet Verandah Porche. Vermont Supreme Court Gallery, Montpelier.
Through Dec. 30: Mary Admasian, Shadowlands. Paintings, assemblages and sculptures, mixed-media
paintings are created on birch panels. Her application technique of spray-paint, acrylic paint, graphite, cold
wax, colored pencil, and watercolor pencil materials creates a surface that layers the visual space and imagery
of each painting. Pavilion Building, 109 State St., Montpelier. http://MaryAdmasianART.com
Through Dec. 30: Studio Place Arts presents Celebrate! An annual local arts celebration since 2000 that
features a wide variety of art and crafts created by Studio Place Arts (SPA) member artists. The show involves
more than 75 local artists and artwork is imaginatively exhibited on all 3 floors of the historic SPA building
in downtown Barre. Studio Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069. studioplacearts.com.
Through Dec. 31: Fiber Art Extravaganza. Introducing a fiber art extravaganza featuring rug-hooked
creations by the Champlain Island Fiber Bees and upcycled sweater Christmas stockings from Nancy Gadue
just in time for the holidays! Cheshire Cat, 28 Elm St., Montpelier. 223-1981. www.cheshirecatclothing.com
Through Dec. 31: Members Art Show & Sale and Festival of Trees & Light. Gallery walls are dedicated
to member art. Also celebrate the season with an eclectic group exhibition featuring the artwork of members
amongst thirteen community decorated evergreen trees and Hanukkah display of menorahs, games, and
dreidels. Helen Day Art Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-8358. helenday.com
Through Dec. 31: Joyce Kahn. Drawing Board, 22 Main St., Montpelier.
Through Jan. 7: Annual Holiday Group Exhibition. Illustration, mixed media, photography, pastel and oil
painting. Axels Gallery and Frame Shop, 5 Stowe St., Waterbury. axelsgallery.com
Through Jan. 13: Michael Strauss, Making Thought Visible. Strausss paintings are a form of visual
reasoning in brightly colored compositions, mainly in pastel and ink. T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 262-6035. twwoodgallery@gmail.com. www.twwoodgallery.org
Through Jan. 28: Show 14 at The Front. Drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs and mixed media
work by local artists. Gallery hours: Fri., 58 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.8 p.m. The Front, 6 Barre St., Montpelier.
www.thefrontvt.com. 272-0908
Through April 8: Pria Cambio, And Somewhere Else Theres a Beach. Vibrant beachscape paintings
and drawings. Morse Block Deli, 260 N. Main St. in Barre. Sales benefit Studio Place Arts programs. www.
morseblockdeli.com or www.studioplacearts.com
CALL TO ARTISTS
The Goddard College Art Gallery in Plainfield invites proposals for solo, group, or themed shows for Spring
and Fall 2017. Applications due January 31, 2017. Please send proposal to: artcommittee@goddard.edu
with the following: description of proposal, work, name of artist(s), contact information (email and phone
number), 3-5 jpeg images not to exceed 3MB total for the whole group of images. Please number and
include your last name as part of the JPG filename.
Send your event listing to calendar@montpelierbridge.com

or visit montpelierbridge.com
Weekly/Ongoing
ARTS & CRAFTS
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.
Drop-in River Arts Elder Art Group. Work on
art, share techniques and get creative with others.
Bring your own art supplies. For elders 60+. Every
Fri., 10 a.m.noon. River Arts Center, 74 Pleasant
St., Morrisville. Free. 888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community

bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Wed., 46
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.
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. 2233403.
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, EDUCATION
One-on-One Technology Help Sessions. Free

assistance to patrons needing help with their
computers and other personal electronic devices.
30 min. one-on-one sessions every Tues., 10 a.m.
noon. 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.
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.12:30 p.m.
Thurs.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St.,
11:30 a.m.1 p.m.
Fri.: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre St.,
11 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Sun.: Last Sunday only, Bethany Church, 115
Main St. (hosted by Beth Jacob Synagogue),
4:305:30 p.m.
Lunches for Seniors. Mon., Wed., Fri., Noon.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rt. 2, E.
Montpelier. $4 suggested donation. 223-3322.
twinvalleyseniors.org.
Feast Together or Feast To Go. All proceeds
benefit the Feast Senior Meal program. Tues. and
Fri., noon1 p.m. Live music every Tues., 10:30
11:30 a.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58
Barre St., Montpelier. Seniors 60+ free with $7
suggested donation; under 60 $9. Reservations:
262-6288 or justbasicsinc@gmail.com.
Calendar of Events
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Turning Point Center. Safe, supportive place
for individuals and their families in or seeking
recovery. Daily, 10 a.m.5 p.m. 489 North Main
St., Barre. 479-7373.
Sun.: Alchoholics Anonymous, 8:30 a.m.
Tues.: Making Recovery Easier workshops,
67:30 p.m.
Wed.: Wits End Parent Support Group, 6 p.m.
Thurs.: Narcotics Anonymous, 6:30 p.m.
Al-Anon. Help for friends and families of
Alcoholics.
Sun.: Trinity Church, 137 Main St., Montpelier

(back door) 6:157:30 p.m.
Tues.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) noon1 p.m.
Wed.: Bethany Church,115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) 78 p.m.
Thurs.: Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier (basement) noon1 p.m
Sat.: Turning Point, N. Main St., Barre, 5 p.m.
(child friendly meeting)
Bone Building Exercises. Open to all ages.
Every Mon. and Wed.. 7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and
10:40 a.m. Every Fri.. 7:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.
Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E.
Montpelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
Tai Chi for Seniors. Led by trained volunteers.
Every Mon. and Fri., 12 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs.
1011 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583
U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
Living Strong Group. Volunteer-led group.
Sing while exercising. Open to all seniors. Every
Mon., 2:303:30 p.m. and every Fri., 23 p.m.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Free. Register: 223-2518. msac@
montpelier-vt.org.
Sex Addicts Anonymous. Mon., 6:30 p.m.
Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. 5523483.
Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program.
Education and support to help adults at high risk
of developing type 2 diabetes adopt healthier
eating and exercise habits that can lead to weight
loss and reduced risk. Every Tues., 10:3011:30
a.m. Kingwood Health Center Conference
Room (lower level), 1422 Rt. 66, Randolph. Free.
Register: 728-7714.
Overeaters Anonymous. Twelve-step program for
physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming
overeating. Two meeting days and locations. Every
Tues., 5:306:30 p.m. and Sat., 8:309:30 a.m.
at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 39
Washington St., Barre. 249-3970. Every Mon.,
5:306:30 p.m. at Bethany Church, 115 Main St.,
Montpelier. 223-3079.
HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offers fast oral

testing. Wed., 25 p.m. 29 State St., Ste. 14 (above
Rite Aid), Montpelier. Free and anonymous. 3716224. vtcares.org.
NAMI Vermont Connection Recovery Support
Group. For ondividuals living with mental illness.
Every Fri., 34 p.m. Another Way, 125 Barre St.,
Montpelier. 876-7949. info@namivt.org
KIDS & TEENS
RESOURCES
The Basement Teen Center. Safe drop-in space to

hang out, make music, play pool, ping-pong and
board games and eat free food. All activities are
free. Mon.Thurs., 26 p.m., Fridays 3-10 p.m.
Basement Teen Center, 39 Main St., Montpelier.
BasementTeenCenter.org
Read to Clara. Sign up for a 20-minute slot and
choose your books beforehand to read to this
special canine pal. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135
Main St., Montpelier. Sign up ahead: 223-4665 or
at the childrens desk. kellogghubbard.org.
Story Time and Playgroup. With Sylvia Smith
for story time and Cassie Bickford for playgroup.
For ages birth6 and their grown-ups. We follow
the Twinfield Union School calendar and do not
hold the program the days Twinfield is closed.
Wed., 1011:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library,
122 School St., Marshfield. Free. 426-3581.
jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
Story Time for Kids. Meet your neighbors and
share quality time with the pre-schooler in your
life. Each week well read stories and spend time
together. A great way to introduce your preschooler to your local library. For ages 25. Every
Thurs., 10:30 a.m. Cutler Memorial Library, 151
High St., Plainfield. 454-8504. cutlerlibrary.org.
Lego Club. Use our large Lego collection to create
and play. All ages. Thurs., 34:30 p.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Drop-in Kinder Arts Program. Innovative
exploratory arts program with artist/instructor
Kelly Holt. Age 35. Fri., 10:30 a.m.noon. River
Arts Center, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261.
RiverArtsVT.org.
Teen Fridays. Find out about the latest teen
books, use the gym, make art, play games and if
you need to, do your homework. Fri., 35 p.m.
Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St., Marshfield.
426-3581.
Musical Story Time. Join us for a melodious good
time. Ages birth6. Sat., 10:30 a.m. KelloggHubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
223-3338. kellogghubbard.org.
Lindel James coaching & consulting

Taking You from Frustration to Enthusiasm
802 778 0626
lindel@lindeljames.com
lindeljames.com
Womens Group. Women explore important

issues and challenges in their lives in a warm
and supportive environment. Facilitated by
psychotherapist Kathleen Zura. Two different
group meetings: every Mon., 5:307:30 p.m.
and every Wed., 34:30 p.m. 138 Main St.,
Montpelier. 324-4611. Insurances accepted.
Rainbow Umbrella of Central Vermont, an

adult LGBTQ group, meets every other Tues.,
5:30 to 7:00 pm, at the Montpelier Senior Center.
Starting Jan. 2017, the group will meet once
per month every Third Tues. All LGBT adults
and allies are welcome to attend for socializing,
community building and advocating for LGBT
issues. RUCVTAdmin@PrideCenterVT.org
Bowling. Rainbow Umbrella of Central Vermont,
an adult LGBTQ group, bowls at Twin City
Lanes on Sunday afternoons twice a month.
For dates and times, write to RUCVTAdmin@
PrideCenterVT.org
SPIRITUALITY
Christian Science Reading Room. You're invited

to visit the Reading Room and see what we
have for your spiritual growth. You can borrow,
purchase or simply enjoy material in a quiet study
room. Hours: Wed., 11 a.m.7:15 p.m.; Thurs.
Sat., 11 a.m.1 p.m. 145 State St., Montpelier.
223-2477.
A Course in Miracles. A study in spiritual
transformation. Group meets each Tues., 78 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church, 64 State St., Montpelier.
279-1495.
Christian Counseling. Tues. and Thurs. Daniel
Dr., Barre. Reasonable cost. By appt. only: 4790302.
MUSIC & DANCE
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For those

interested in learning about the Catholic faith, or
current Catholics who want to learn more. Wed.,
7 p.m. St. Monica Church, 79 Summer St., Barre.
Register: 479-3253.
Dance or Play with the Swinging Over 60 Band.

Danceable tunes from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Recruiting musicians. Tues., 10:30 a.m.noon.
BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
Prayer Meeting. Ecumenical and charismatic

prayer meeting. Every 1st and 3rd Thurs., 6:308
p.m. 8 Daniels Dr., Barre. 479-0302
The Rockinghorse Circle of Support.

Opportunity for young women and children to
meet once a week for friendship, good conversation
and fun. Facilitated by a licensed alcohol and
drug counselor and another person with child
and family background. Topics reflects on how
substance abuse, whether it's ours or someone
else's, affects our decisions and lives. Child care
provided. Every Wed. through June 8. 9:3011:30
a.m. Hedding United Methodist Church, 40
Washington St., Barre. 479-1086 or 476-4328.
The Center for Leadership Skills
Onion River Exchange Tool Library. 80 tools

both power and manual. Wed., 46 p.m.; Sat.,
911 a.m. 46 Barre St., Montpelier. 661-8959.
info@orexchange.com.
Mad River Valley Youth Group. Sun., 79 p.m.

Meets at various area churches. Call 497-4516 for
location and information.
Barre-Tones Womens Chorus. Open rehearsal.

Find your voice with 50 other women. Mon.,
7 p.m. Capital City Grange, Rt. 12, Berlin.
BarretonesVT.com. 552-3489.
Wits End. Support group for parents, siblings,

children, spouses and/or relationship partners of
someone suffering with addiction whether it is
to alcohol, opiates, cocaine, heroin, marijuana or
something else. Every Wed., 68 p.m. Turning
Point Center, 489 N. Main St., Barre. Louise:
279-6378.
RECYCLING
Additional Recycling. The Additional Recyclables

Collection Center accepts scores of hard-to-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.
Tai Chi Classes for All Ages. Every Tues. and

Thurs., 1011 a.m. Twin Valley Senior Center, Rte.
2, Blueberry Commons, E. Montpelier. Free. 2233322. twinvalleyseniors@myfairpoint.net
Weight Loss Support Group. Get help and

support on your weight loss journey every Wed.,
67 p.m. Giffords Conference Center, 44 S. Main
St., Randolph. Free. No registration required.
Open to all regardless of where you are in your
weight loss.
THE BRIDGE
Monteverdi Young Singers Chorus Rehearsal.

New chorus members welcome. Wed., 45 p.m.
Montpelier. Call 229-9000 for location and more
information.
Piano Workshop. Informal time to play,
refresh your skills and get feedback if desired
with other supportive musicians. Singers
and listeners welcome. Thurs., 45:30 p.m.
Montpelier. Free; open to the public. 223-2518.
msac@montpelier-vt.org.
Ukelele Group. All levels welcome. Thurs., 68
p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre
St. 223-2518.
Barre Rock City Chorus. We sing songs from
the 60s80s and beyond. All songs are taught by
rote using word sheets, so ability to read music is
not required. All ages welcome; children under
13 should come with a parent. Every Thurs.,
6:308:30 p.m. Church of the Good Shepherd, 39
Washington St., Barre.
Gamelan Rehearsals. Sun., 79 p.m. Pratt
Center, Goddard College. Free. 426-3498. steven.
light@jsc.edu. light.kathy@gmail.com.
Send your event listing to

calendar@montpelierbridge.com.
Deadline for print in the next
issue is December 29.
Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun, engaging text

study and discussion on Jewish spirituality. Sun.,
4:456:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center,
Montpelier. 223-0583. info@yearning4learning.
org.
SPORTS & GAMES
Bingo. Every Tuesday. Doors open 5:30 p.m.;

games start 6 p.m.Twin Valley Senior Center,
4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322.
Roller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational
Practice. Central Vermonts Wrecking Doll
Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up. No
experience necessary. Equipment provided: first
come, first served. Sat., 56:30 p.m. Montpelier
Recreation Center, Barre St. First skate free.
centralvermontrollerderby.com.
YOGA & MEDITATION
Christian Meditation Group. People of all faiths

welcome. Mon., noon1 p.m. Christ Church,
Zen Meditation. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.
Wed., 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River St., Montpelier.
Free. Call for orientation: 229-0164.
Shambhala Buddhist Meditation. Group
meditation practice. Sun., 10 a.m.noon; Tues.,
78 p.m.; Wed., 67 p.m. New location: Center
for Culture and Learning, 46 Barre Street,
Montpelier. Free. 223-5137. montpeliershambala.
org.
Sunday Sangha: Community Ashtanga Yoga.
Every Sun., 5:407 p.m. Grateful Yoga, 15 State
St., 3F, Montpelier. By donation.
T H E B R I D G E
Classifieds
Text-only class listings and
classifieds are 50 words for $25.
Call 249-8666 or
223-5112 ext. 11
CLASSES
TAI CHI
Hwa Yu Tai Chi winter-spring semester
starts January 11, eight week semester
$75. This class is exclusively for beginners.
Wednesdays 5:00-6:00 pm, in the Taplin
Room, Christ Church, 64 State St,
Montpelier. Instructor Ellie Hayes has
been teaching Tai Chi since 1974. Preregister by January 8: 456-1983/ info@
elliehayes.net
OFFICE SPACE
EXCELLENT OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT
149 State Street, Montpelier, VT 700sq ft
$695/month
Perfect location-three minute walk to
Capitol. Beautiful Greek Revival building,
renovated in and out. Two offices, storage
room, waiting area and restroom.
Includes onsite parking, heat, hot water,
electricity, utilities, office cleaning, trash
and recycle, snow removal, landscaping
and full maintenance..
Phone: 508-259-7941. Ask for Joe.
SERVICES
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with The Bridge
* Write News Stories, Interviews
or Profiles
* Take Photos
* Edit/Proofread
* Mentor Young Writers
* Day-of-Publication Help
Interested? Call Marichel
at 223-5112 ext 12
or email
marichel@montpelierbridge.com
FREE QUICKBOOKS SOFTWARE

($299 VALUE!)
Outstanding opportunity for self-employed
Vermonters who need to get their
bookkeeping done! We'll also teach you
how to use the software! This offer is only
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P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601

Phone: 802-223-5112
Fax: 802-223-7852
Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham
Managing Editor: Carla Occaso
Design & Layout, Calendar Editor:
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Sales Representatives: Michael Jermyn,
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Distribution: Tim Johnson, Kevin Fair,
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Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14, or
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THE BRIDGE
The Other Day at State And Main
Opinion
hat have any of us got to do with the

people of the Standing Rock Sioux
Reservation in North Dakota, who have
been struggling for months, in all kinds of weather,
to protect the source of their drinking water from the
oil pipeline burrowing its way across their ancestral
lands, where it is stopped now, at the river that supplies their water?
A lot.
It's a quiet fact that the TD Bank (TD stands for "Toronto
Dominion" after the name of the parent organization), which occupies
the granite-and-brick building at the corner of State and Main streets
in the city of Montpelier, is a major investor in the Dakota Access
Pipeline. The small-townish look of the Montpelier branch of TD
Bank belies the fact that it's the tenth largest bank in the United States,
with assets of a quarter trillion dollars.
With a zeal for investment that comes naturally to such an entity, the
overall TD Bank corporation has invested $365 million of its quarter
trillion dollar worth in the Dakota Access pipeline seemingly
without a thought for how that pipeline affects the native people of
that portion of North Dakota, through whose lands and under whose
drinking water the oil pipeline will run.
(In early December) I looked up the weather forecast for Standing
Rock, North Dakota, and saw that the temperature there would vary
between the single digits above and below zero. While in Montpelier,
the high 20s and low 30s would prevail. Not balmy, as some of us
discovered on the day of our protest, but not fierce, either, like the
weather in North Dakota.
I discussed with my wife, and then, with friends, the idea of joining the
local protest I had caught wind of, against the Montpelier branch of
the great TD Bank conglomerate that, business-as-usual, was helping
to finance the construction of the soulless Dakota Access Pipeline.
We couldn't appear ourselves at the Standing Rock grounds, although
thousands have traveled there to do just that. But we could tug at a
nearby strand of the great web of finance woven by TD Bank in its
corporate majesty, by making our feelings known at the local TD
branch, right here at the corner of State and Main.
by Jules Rabin
That morning, more than 200 prospective protesters

crammed ourselves into the big parish room of the
Christ Church. I think I saw wonder and gladness
on the faces of people, as we took in HOW MANY
WE WERE!
A second fine experience was to see and hear a quiet worthiness in the
faces and words of the main organizers who stood up to speak to us
before we left. All of them were young people, around 30, who had
worked selflessly, planning the demonstration.
Multiply those six in that room by a few million other such young
people across America, I thought, and there lies America's hope for
years to come. The 200 that we were grayheads and toddlers and
others in between felt we were being led and guided by men and
women of a certain steady virtue. Just so.
My own party (four) was an un-average bunch. I'm 92, hale and
nimble, but awfully deaf. My wife, younger than me, is lame. Our
two companions were a blind man and his daughter, who is also blind.
They were accompanied by seeing eye dogs.
I mention our disabilities for the novelty and variety of it, and for
identification.
Snow was falling and slush had formed on the ground when, around 10
a.m., with police permission, we walked six or eight abreast down State
Street, from Christ Church to the corner of Main Street, and proceeded
to cram ourselves against the walls of the bank, and, crucially, block
the bank's main entrance. No business would be transacted on that
day. And we knew that the bank's shame at Standing Rock would be
published abroad, because of what we were doing.
We got cold, then damned cold, as time passed. We listened to speeches
and witnessed a peace pipe ritual performed by a Dakota Sioux woman.
We pitied our two dogs standing barefoot in the slush.
So we left, leaving the ground to younger people. Of the number
who held their ground till bank-closing time, eight were arrested for
refusing to leave.
Editors note: This has been cut for length.
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T H E B R I D G E
Speaking Out On Morality Of Politics In Montpelier

by John Odum, Montpelier City Clerk
ts been a while since Ive written for The

Bridge. In fact, the last time I did was nearly
five years ago when I served as News Editor.
When Carla asked me to write something about
the concerns I expressed in the December 14
issue of the Times Argus concerning the City
Managers contract, I couldnt say no. I also
knew that anything I wrote for The Bridge
would be more personal, given my history here.
So personal it is.
Since I left my position at The Bridge, as well
as the online platforms I participated in such
as Green Mountain Daily, The Guardian and
the Huffington Post, I havent spoken up about
much (or at least not publicly). Being city clerk
is a busy job, but its also a non-policy job.
In other words, having an opinion is not a
prerequisite, and frankly, that was part of the
appeal.
Still, like everyone else, I am a moral being,
and I am affected by things around me. As
such, I have on occasion pulled my head
up out of the ground to weigh in on issues that
concern me.
Now, nobody likes an activist municipal
clerk. I get that. Its why Ive tried to limit
myself to issues relating to the duties of the
office, such as my work promoting the creation
of an efficient and secure system for Election
Day voter registration a position that put
me in conflict with my own Vermont Clerks
Association.
In engaging with the question as to whether
longtime city manager and community
member Bill Fraser deserves to be cast out of
City Hall, I have approached it in two ways.
First, there have been questions raised about
the Open Meetings Law. I wont rehash that
issue here, as it was well-covered in a previous
Thank you
for reading
The Bridge!
issue of The Bridge. Suffice to say that it was

another case of a matter very naturally and
organically connected to my official duties,
so sending a letter to the Attorney Generals
office seemed like a natural extension of those
duties, and a responsibility to the people who
elected me.
The underlying issue, though that of whether
Mr. Fraser deserves to be summarily dismissed,
especially in light of the overwhelming public
support for him, is a bit different. Engaging
with that question was a moral choice. I chose
to stand up for someone I know to be a
good man whose livelihood was under what I
perceive as an unfair, even dishonorable attack.
But in addition, it was also one I will confess to
feeling a share of responsibility for.
The reason for that is that Bill has been in the
sights of the core of the group that formed the
Vibrant and Affordable Montpelier effort for
some time. For reasons I dont fully understand
(because I dont believe them to be entirely
rational) Bill has been the focus of much of
their ire concerning property tax values and the
feeling among many that the City should do
less, thereby saving money. While those issues
are always worthy of debate in fact no city can
be healthy without that debate the focus on
Mr. Fraser, who is a policy implementer rather
than a policy maker, is simply off the mark.
But the reason I feel a share of responsibility
is that the Vibrant and Affordable Montpelier
agenda is one I had a hand in promoting, both
through my work at The Bridge, and also
through the rhetoric I employed to get elected
in 2012. I ran as an cost-saver and efficiencymaker, and indeed that is how I continue to
define and approach my own role in City Hall.
Although I didnt sign onto the letter, I became
associated with the agenda of the group.

There is a sense, therefore, that when this group
overreaches in this way, they are doing so in my
name (as they are in the names of the many
supporters of Mr. Fraser who were signatories
to the Vibrant and Affordable Montpelier letter
to begin with.) I believe this obliges me, as a
citizen of Montpelier raising my own family
in this community, to step up and be counted.
But its more than that, even. This is a council
that is quick to reconsider an issue when they
receive pushback from the public in all other
decisions. But this issue has proven to be,
not just an exception, but the exception.
They are dug in and determined like never
before, and the overwhelming cries of their
constituents amount to little. As someone who
has spent his life in and around politics, I cant
recall ever seeing anything like it.
And its not a refusal to budge on principle.
They arent dug in on a matter of policy. No,
the majority is immovable in their focused
desire to get this one guy, despite the lack of
cause.
Theres something deeply wrong with that.
Now, theres a lot deeply wrong with the world

right now. Capricious and mean politics have
taken the day nationwide. Like so many of my
neighbors, the national results of last months
Election Day left me somewhat devastated.
But like my neighbors, I took some solace in
the thought that my community was different
that we were a true community. A small city
of neighbors who support each other through
rough times.
Its been a tough pill to swallow to see this kind
of politics come home.
In the face of the new political reality taking
hold in Washington, many of us have been
asking ourselves what we should do, and
where we fit in. I cant remember a time
when the ground beneath my feet felt
less steady. But I think the answer to the
question of how we make the world a place
we can be proud of always has to start with
our own back yard.
So thats why I felt obliged to share an
opinion. My sincerest hope is that the
council comes to its senses before more
damage is done.
PAG E 2 2 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017
Letters
voters; its their specific responsibility. By all

means, let them know what you think, but then
let them do their job.
Thierry Guerlain, Montpelier
Dont Criticize Mayor Hollar
KKK Story Naive,

Historic Revisionism
Editor:
Much as been discussed in the press, in public
and on Front Porch Forum regarding the
mayor and city councils deliberations regarding
the continuation, or not, of Bill Fraser as
Montpeliers city manager. I believe too many
Montpelierites are quick to criticize Mayor
John Hollars actions and judgment without
considering his long and dedicated service to
the city.
John Hollar served on Montpeliers school
board for nine years, eight years as chair. Johns
tenure was marked by noteworthy cooperation
and progress by the school board, with sensible
budget increases, year on year. And John
has now served as Montpeliers mayor for
five years, a total of 14 years as a voluntary
servant to Montpeliers public interests. John
is an experienced, sensible and knowledgeable
individual who has willingly taken on difficult
municipal responsibilities that many are happy
to seen borne by others. We are fortunate that
John has dedicated thousands of hours and
many, many long evenings on behalf of our city.
Mayor Hollar has been the target of much
criticism relative to the question of Bill Frasers
continued employment. In his role as mayor,
it is John who interacts with the City Manager
on a daily and weekly basis, more than any
other single Montpelier resident. Of all people,
John is best positioned to observe and rate the
City Managers performance and effectiveness.
Many are quick to judge, but few have firsthand
experience of the City Managers multi-year,
ongoing performance, as does Mayor Hollar.
Further, John and city council are criticized
for not elucidating, publically, their specific
concerns with Bill Frasers performance and
effectiveness. Per the city charter and by law,
personnel matters are required to be held in
confidence and discussed only in Executive
Session. Its unfair that Mayor Hollar, and
City Council, should bear criticism for holding
personnel matters private, as he, and they, are
meant to do.
Evaluating city personnel job performance
is not a simple matter of public opinion, and
not well served by a popularity vote on the
March ballot. The mayor and city council are
elected to make difficult decisions, including
performance evaluations, on behalf of city
Editor:
Dot Helling's recent piece "remembering the
Local Ku Klux Klan Resurgence" is at best naive
and worst historical revisionism. Vermonters
that joined the KKK may have considered it
"... a social club they believed would be fun
and would contribute to the community
... believing that the funds they paid to the
leaders supported community programs such as
purchasing books for the local library," but they
also had to be aware of the KKK's segregationist
credo.
This was the time in Vermont when Jews
and African Americans were often specifically
forbidden from owning property and joining
many community organizations. KKK or
Nazis, no difference. If you were a member,
you could not possibly have not known who
could not be a member. Sadly, it was just more
socially acceptable then.
Kenneth Saxe, Montpelier
More Open Space Protection Needed

In New Zoning Bylaws
Editor:
The Planning Commission is finishing a
complete rewrite of the zoning bylaws, designed
among other things to improve the permitting
process and allow for more development and
housing. However, I believe that the proposed
zoning does not provide enough incentives or
provisions for open space, an important goal to
Montpelier residents.
Development and open space protection can go
hand in hand as new neighborhoods are created.
Zoning in communities across the country
plan for both in their bylaws. In Montpelier,
the Parks Commission drafted a GreenPrint
(www.montpelier-vt.org/DocumentCenter/
View/1167) and a GreenPrints map (www.
mont pel ier-v t.org /Doc u ment C enter/
View/1166), highlighting opportunities for
green space for any new neighborhood and
existing neighborhoods nearby.
Among the Greenprint objectives is to have city
park land no farther than a 15-minute walk
from any city resident. The city Master Plan
calls for increasing Montpelier parkland within
THE BRIDGE
walking or biking distance of all city residents
and increasing walking access points to parks.
The State also has clear goals for providing
walking access to parks. In addition, the city
council has as a goal to maintain a healthy
community. Given surveys we have conducted
and the high level of use that our parks get now,
it is clear that more parks are a key to Montpelier
being a healthy community, especially if we are
to see more development in the future.
The latest draft of the new zoning was recently
posted on the city website, and a Planning
Commission public hearing on that draft will
be held Jan. 9. I hope that Montpelier residents
will stay informed about and participate in the
zoning changes, and specifically work to insure
the zoning provides for open space as well
as new housing and neighborhoods. Zoning
bylaw changes need to work to insure that
community visioning, planning and zoning
support all the goals of our community.
I am a Montpelier Parks Commissioner, but I
am writing on my own behalf and not that of
the Parks Commission.
Carolyn Grodinsky, Montpelier
N.D. Pipeline Protestors Need

Firewood, Money
Editor:
Thank you for running the story on the North
Dakota Pipeline on Nov. 17. I would like to
make a friendly suggestion on any future
coverage of this issue, because the information
that was true in August is no longer true in
December. As I understand the situation, as
it currently exists, the protestors do not need
articles of clothing, at least not as a priority.
What they need is firewood and funds.
As I understand the situation (as explained to me
by the same Katrina in your story) the protestors
may legally build temporary structures (yurts
and tents) and remain for the winter. They
need firewood to keep their shelters warm, and
for the symbolism of keeping their sacred fire
burning. They need money for a variety of
reasons, most significantly for potential bail
money should any protestors get arrested and
for an injunction against the excessive use of
force by the County Sheriff's office.
Please understand that the needs of the
occupation change from season to season and
consider the fact that what was true when a
story is written is not necessarily correct when
the story is printed.
One website readers could visit is website www.
ocetisakowincamp.org/.
Again, thank you for running the story.
Gerard Renfro, Montpelier
Thumbs Down On Trumps

Secretary Of Labor Choice
Editor:
President-elect Donald Trump just selected
Andrew Puzder as his nominee for Secretary
of Labor. Unfortunately, as the Chief Executive
Officer of Hardees and Carls Jr., Puzder
holds a record of opposing the economic
agenda demanded by the majority of the
American public. On election day alone, voters
overwhelmingly supported minimum wage
raises and paid sick leave in all four states where
the issue was on the ballot. Yet the potential
head of the Labor Department has opposed
minimum wage increases at the federal, state,
and local level and railed against an increase
in overtime pay. Puzders views are in direct
contradiction with millions of voters and the
actions taken to boost wages in dozens of cities
and states. We need someone at the Department
of Labor who understands the needs of working
people and supports the rallying cries from the
electorate.
Trump seems determined to destroy every
federal department that can help American
citizens. Andrew Puzder must not be permitted
to stand in the way of assisting employees and
their unions.
David Heller, Lebanon, New Hampshire
Editors Note: This is a copy of

a letter to reporter Eric Blaisdell
that City Council Member Justin
Turcotte copied The Bridge on as
well.
Hi,
Bill Fraser's weekly report this week starts off
by saying he's been hearing council members
have been telling members of the public that
he's responsible for the delays and increased
costs for One Taylor Street project which he
disputes. Do you know anything about this?
Have you spoken to members of the public
about One Taylor Street in regards to Fraser?
Do you share the view that he's responsible for
the delays?
Thanks,
Eric Blaisdell, The Times Argus
Hi Eric,
Thanks for reaching out on this. I may have
read his report in more favorable light.
I have not expressed the public dismay on the
status of One Taylor St. Project.
There is a diverse and serious list of
considerations that went into my decision not
to retain our current city manager.
Large municipal, state and federal projects
take time. The public good will be served
with a public bus station. Distant and elderly
Montpelier residents have had little option
other than to drive and park downtown. This
project will pave the way to sustainability and
Montpelier Net Zero 2030.
While Barre is reducing net housing, we are
planning on 40 units of additional market
rate housing, and (roughly) 14 in the proposed
development on Main Street. We know people
are wanting to downsize from the burdens of
large houses and the maintenance, like roofs
and siding, and make room for new families at
a time that our strong schools and community
are growing, this makes sense.
Our grand list has been flat for many years.
With our expanding Community Services
Department we are meeting our residents in
Hubbard Park, on the banks of the Winooski,
bike and recreation paths, at Mountaineers
games and in classes at the Senior Activity
Center. We must consider who will live in
Montpelier 50 years from now and support an
attractive and sustainable Vermont life style.
Tax rates are not going down in Montpelier,
but I expect to deliver service equivalent to
what people remit every year. Period.
Gratefully,
Justin Turcotte, Montpelier
A great place to call home!
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.
Deadline for the next issue is
December 30.
Poetry
(black monday)
Postman
and holiday
delivers
madness.
a harvest
The analog-era
of turtlenecks
brother
just in time
smiles.
for winter
by Reuben Jackson, host of
Friday Night Jazz
on Vermont Public Radio
T H E B R I D G E
Do What You Do Best.
Bookkeeping Payroll Consulting
802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com
D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017 PAG E 2 3
Cody Chevrolet Congratulates The Bridge

On Over 20 Years of Business!
THE BRIDGE
Advertise in the
NEXT ISSUE:
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In Circulation January 518
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FRIDAY, DEC. 30.
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the design of your ad, contact
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Remembering Barre and Depot Square Pg.

December 15, 2016January 4, 2017

Pg. 11 Local Holiday

Montpelier Writer Shares

on Avenue D and 8th Street...My father was

Webern's writing style edgy, unflinching,

Fay Webern in 2015

facing a daily round of adversities in the wake

We're online! montpelierbridge.com or vtbridge.com

PAG E 2 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017

Follow The Bridge

Like The Bridge on

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A Letter to Readers and

Contributions can be mailed to The Bridge at

real winter! Now with deer

Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:

The New Year,

Rick McMahan: 249-8666

Michael Jermyn: 223-5112 ext.11

Support The Bridge

All community contributions, whatever

*Contributions of $50 or more are eligible to receive a one-year subscription.

Friends of The Bridge will be periodically acknowledged in future issues of

Send this form and your check to:

PAG E 4 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017

HEARD ON THE STREET

Review Board Denies Request For Offices At Old NECI Building

Montpelier Joins Chicago, NYC to Become a Sanctuary City

D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017 PAG E 5

Montpelier Draft Zoning Unveiled; Public Hearing Jan. 9

Got a news tip? We want to know!

PAG E 6 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017

A Message From City Hall

by William Fraser, City Manager

Option 3. Tighter Service and

2. Reduce Asphalt $5,000

Theres A New Show in Town:

D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017 PAG E 7

PAG E 8 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017

A Look Back In Time

Montpelier/Berlin Poorhouse Farm Part of the Poverty

'll starve or freeze to death there

Vermont towns, responsible for this grand

The poorhouse was a product of Vermont's

Overseers in the late 18th and early 19th

Town overseers also had the power to order

that had once manifested itself as warning

A Button Thief Who'll Make Off

Editors Note: This is a corrected/updated version of a book review The

Finding Phil: Lost in War

aul Levy was only a year old when his

D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017 PAG E 9

PAG E 10 D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017

Think of Artists, Crafts People When

ts that time of year again when many

Japanese ideals of wabi-sabi, a prominent

D E C E M B E R 15 , 2 016 J A N UA RY 4 , 2 017 PAG E 11

Shop Locally for Toys, Coffee, Caviar, Candy and More

new French creams by Oliver's, stem cordial