the bridge, june 7, 2012

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Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | JUNE 7–20, 2012

IN THIS ISSUEPLAY PREVIEW

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

10

WAITING FOR ACCEPTANCEWeighing in on the

college wait list

7

SO LONG, MR. PRINCIPALProfiling Peter Evans

8

CITY WATER AT RISK?

Council discusses Berlin Pond

9

Engineering: Moving MountainsBefore MHS senior Joshua

Crane heads west to the Uni-versity of Colorado (UCOL) to study engineering, he plans to spend the summer hiking the White Mountains and vacationing in Maine, and “hopefully there’s a job in there somewhere.”

“I applied to about six col-leges,” Crane said. “I got ac-

cepted to University of Pittsburg and UVM, but the University of Colorado has the best engineering pro-gram . . . and the best mountains.”

Located in Boulder, UCOL sits at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Crane said his parents have worked hard to save money for college, and “they’re going to be able to help out a lot.” He’ll be leaving on August 21 to start college life.

“I knew from the beginning I would be going to col-lege,” he said. “The majority of my friends are going to college.” Crane took some AP classes, and some of the credit will carry over to UCOL.

“It gives me some freedom. I got some requirements out of the way. It’s nice that my high school offered that,” he said.

Biology: Saving on a Degree

MHS senior Corey Evans plans to major in biology at University of Vemont this fall. “I’m hoping to find a more narrow focus and specialize in some sort of biology I find more interesting. Hopefully

see GRADS, page 4

Interviews with Area High-School GradsWhat’s Next?

by Bob Nuner and Cassandra Hemenway Brush

Most Vermont high-school students go on to college after graduation, but not all. Others go into the trades, take a gap year or join the military.

The Vermont Department of Education reports that in 2009, 67.8 percent of Montpelier High School (MHS) students went on to higher education; at Barre’s Spaulding High School, 53.4 percent; and at U-32, 65.6 percent. Statewide, 61.1 percent of students go on to college, and 38.9 take another path. Of course, the number varies: at some schools it drops below 30 percent and at others it rises above 70 percent. But either way, though college is clearly the top choice for Vermont students, it is not the only one.

In addition, Stephen Magill, Vermont Department of Education data-analysis director, pointed out, “The opposite of graduating is not necessarily dropping out . . . some stay in school and graduate later.” And none of the above statistics count Vermont’s rapidly growing homeschooled population.

“By pressing students onto a college path, some observers wonder, are we shortchanging students whose future plans might not include a baccalaureate degree? Can we create preparation options that truly open all doors for all stu-dents?” wrote Catherine Gewertz in Education Week in her article “‘College for All’ Campaign Getting a Second Look.” So it appears that educators themselves are looking at the variety of options for bright futures.

Wanda Arce, director of research at the Vermont Student Assistance Corpo-ration (VSAC) shared data showing that 80 percent of college students go to four-year schools, 12 percent attend two-year schools and 3.4 percent earn a certificate; another 4.4 percent take only one class. Of students who don’t attend college, 66 percent work either full or part time. Another 7.6 percent go into the military, a tiny percentage (1.3) participate in an apprenticeship (an even tinier number, 0.9 percent, become homemakers) and 17 percent take a gap year before college, while another 7 percent take time off with no plans to continue school.

A huge variety of factors come into play as teens segue into adulthood, the most prominent being money. A quick visit to the VSAC website shows that four-year public colleges can cost up to $126,167 and four-year private colleges go up to over $300,000. VSAC offers services to help students and parents save for these expenses and figure out how to finance them, but the numbers can be daunting, to say the least.

Read on to find out what a selection of our current graduates have planned for their time after high school and how they navigate the complexity of this charged time in their lives.

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• JUNE 7–20, 2012 THE BR IDGE

Thanks, Community Partners!Montpelier High School and Main Street Middle School thank the following businesses, organizations, and individuals for mentoring

and supporting students in the Community Based Learning program. Your dedication and effort have given more than 80 young people the chance to explore personal interests, learn about career paths, and apply classroom learning. You have shown our youth that they are valued and respected and you have helped to instill in them a sense of community pride and civic responsibility.

Additionally, the Montpelier School District thanks the following businesses, organizations, and individuals for assisting students and teachers in the Service Learning program. Your partnerships and support have enabled more than 600 K–12 students to broaden their classroom learning and experience citizenship firsthand by addressing community needs and providing service.

A-1 GraphicsAdamant Music SchoolAnnie Tiberio CameronAssociates in PediatricsBarre Technical Center,

Adult Education ProgramBear CodeBear Pond BooksBear Swamp Veterinary ClinicBerlin Elementary SchoolBerlin Health and RehabilitationBerlin Veterinary ClinicBirchgrove BakingBlack River DesignBolton Valley ResortBrian Prendergast Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference

CenterCarriveau’s Service CenterCentral Vermont Humane SocietyCentral Vermont Medical CenterCentral Vermont Memorial Civic

CenterDevSupport, LLCDeWolfe Engineering AssociatesDr. Lindsay Herbert, DMDDr. Richard Herbert, DMDEarthWalk VermontErin McDermottEssential Early Education ProgramFamily Center of Washington CountyFirst In FitnessFletcher Allen Children’s HospitalFreelance AutomotiveGNI, Global News Intelligence

Gossens Bachman ArchitectsGovernor Shumlin’s OfficeGreen Mountain OrthopedicsGreen Mountain PowerGreen Mountain Self AdvocatesGreen Mountain Transit AgencyGuitar SamHeadwaters ConstructionKellogg-Hubbard LibraryLiliane Savard, DPTLois Morse, LMFTMadtech Sound Reinforcement and

Recording ServicesMain Street Middle SchoolMark MoodyMiriam BernardoMontpelier Fire DepartmentMontpelier High SchoolMontpelier MudMontpelier Parks DepartmentMontpelier Public SchoolsMontpelier Recreation DepartmentNational Life GroupNational Wildlife FederationNeighbor-to-Neighbor AmericorpsNew England Culinary InstituteNorthfield Police DepartmentNorthstar FireworksNorwich UniversityOnion River Cable AccessOperation Military KidsPaul Perley CellosPlainfield Health CenterPrevent Child Abuse Vermont

Price ChopperSlope Style Ski and RideSugarbush ResortTD BankNorthThe Times ArgusThe BridgeThe Point Independent RadioThe Return HouseTom Stuwe, DVMTrinity Church Thrift StoreUnion Elementary SchoolUtton’s AutomotiveVermont Agency of TransportationVermont Center for Independent

LivingVermont Dept. of Buildings &

General ServicesVermont Dept. of Fish & WildlifeVermont Dept. of LaborVermont Dept. of Motor VehiclesVermont Grocers’ AssociationVermont Humanities CouncilVermont Secretary of StateVermont Sports MagazineVermont ViolinsWashington County Mental HealthWashington County Sheriff’s

DepartmentWashington County State’s AttorneyWashington County Youth Services

BureauWGDRYestermorrow Design Build SchoolYouth Build

Allen LumberAmerican Legion, Post 3Auburn Wintersong Audra Brown Barry EstabrookBlack River Design Casella Waste ManagementCenter for Sustainable

SystemsCentral Vermont Solid Waste

Management DistrictChittenden Solid Waste

District City of MontpelierCommunity ConnectionsDeb MarkowitzEfficiency VermontFoley DistributorsFood Works at Two RiversGlenn MooreGrow CompostGuy’s Farm and YardKellogg-Hubbard LibraryLisa Ransom

Montpelier Conservation Commission

Montpelier Parks DepartmentMontpelier Planning

CommissionMontpelier Public SchoolsMontpelier Recreation

DepartmentMoretown LandfillNorth Branch Nature CenterSteve FreyThe Nature ConservancyTom BadowskiUnited States Geological

SurveyVermont Agency of Natural

ResourcesVermont Compost CompanyVermont Energy Education

ProgramVeterans of Foreign Wars,

Post 792Winooski Valley

Conservation District

THE BR IDGE JUNE 7–20, 2012 • PAGE 3

Subscribe to The Bridge! For a one-year subscription, send this form and a check to The Bridge, P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601.

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HEARD ON THE

STREETCarr Lot Progress

Excavators and workers have been busy at the Carr lot in downtown Montpelier over the last few weeks remediating soil contamination at the site. Contaminants include poly-

chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydrocarbons, and metals, including lead and mercury. Much of the contaminated soil was first mixed with calcium sulfate, which stabilizes the

lead, preventing it from leaching out.The most heavily contaminated soil has been removed from the site and trucked to a

special chemical-services landfill in New York at a cost of hundreds of dollars per ton, while moderately contaminated soil went to the lined Moretown landfill. Lightly contaminated soil remains at the site, to be covered by geotextile fabric and 6 inches of crushed stone.

Eventually, after the completion of planning, testing, mapping, permitting, excavating, stabilizing, backfilling and attendant expenses in a process going back to 2003, the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency will allow the site to be used as a parking lot. Other purposes would require new permits if the soil below the geotextile layer would be disturbed. For now, remediation is almost complete, freeing owner Alan Carr to consider the options.

—Bob Nuner

Play Ball!

This summer marks the 10th summer that the Vermont Mountaineers have played base-ball on Elm Street at the Montpelier Recreation Field. Built in the early 1940s as a WPA

project, this ball park has played host to thousands of baseball players of all ages, including players who have gone on to the top ranks of Major League Baseball.

The Mountaineers maintain a volunteer-based, community-oriented baseball program. More than 150 fans volunteer to fill 30 jobs for each of the 21 home games in June and July. Averaging upward of 1,200 fans per game, the Mountaineers have an eight-season attendance record of more than 250,000.

The economic impact to the central Vermont area by the Mountaineers is estimated to be about $500,000 per year. Throughout the year, the Mountaineers organization donates thou-sands of dollars’ worth of services and goods to youth groups, schools and other nonprofits, and community-action programs. During the season, the Mountaineers help charities raise money through programs at the ballpark. The Mountaineers organization has also partnered with the Montpelier High School Community Based Learning program to enable special-needs students to become volunteers for parking and other game-day functions.

Each summer the Mountaineers operate four or five week-long baseball camps for local Vermont children age 6 to 17. Mountaineers’ coaching staff and players provide general base-ball instruction in all aspects of the game.

During a 10th-year celebration ceremony this summer, the Mountaineers will honor 46 local businesses that have been decade-long sponsors. The Mountaineers’ annual operating budget is $275,000, and, historically, half of the annual budget has come from sponsor-ships.

The Mountaineers lease the field from the city and have made about half a million dollars worth of improvements over the past nine years. Future plans include more capital improve-ments at the rec field, such as increased seating and new and accessible restroom facilities. Drainage issues at the ball field have also been targeted as a top priority.

The Mountaineer’s first home game of the season is scheduled for June 9 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults (or $4 in advance), $3 for kids, $4 for seniors or $10 for a family. Visit vermontmountaineers.com for a full schedule.

—Richard Sheir

New Candidate for Senate

Montpelier resident Jeremy Hansen has announced that he will run as an independent for state senate in Washington County. A self-described political moderate, Hansen is an

assistant professor of computer science at Norwich University. He says, “The system we have now does not allow for easy and ongoing participation by all citizens.” He wants to “empower voters to put a better finger on the pulse of what is going on in the legislature” by holding regular public meetings and creating an online discussion and voting platform. He plans to start building “the tech side of the system” in July.

Hansen advocates for a direct democracy, in which a legislator serves the desires and opin-ions of his or her constituents regardless of personal views. If he is elected, Hansen proposes to sign a contract with Washington County voters to step down from office if the citizens vote that he has failed to represent them.

He mentions sustainable local agriculture and early childhood education as issues he is particularly interested in.

Hansen, 34, has never held a public office. He grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Ver-mont two years ago. He and his wife and two young children currently live in Montpelier but will soon move to Berlin.

—Nat Frothingham and Marisa Keller

Free Cookies!

Celebrate New England Culinary Institute (NECI) Day on Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16, with a free Vermont Crunchy Cookie. The original recipe was created by

NECI chef/instructor Dan Tabor. He and NECI students at La Brioche Bakery and Café will prepare thousands of the cookies to give out to visitors. Montpelier locations are La Brioche, NECI on Main, Dewey cafeteria at Vermont College of Fine Arts and National Life cafeteria.

June 15 was declared annual NECI Day in 2002 by then-governor Jim Douglas in celebra-tion of NECI’s 25th anniversary. For more information, visit neci.edu.

—Marisa Keller

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601Phone: 802-223-5112 | Fax: 802-223-7852 montpelierbridge.com; facebook.com/montpelierbridge

Published every first and third Thursday

Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham

General Manager: Bob Nuner

Production Manager: Marisa Keller

Sales Representatives: Carl Campbell, Carolyn Grodinsky, Rick McMahan

Graphic Design & Layout: Dana Dwinell-Yardley

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Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro

Web Master: Michael Berry

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

Editorial: Contact Bob, 223-5112, ext. 14, or [email protected].

Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall.

Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.

Copyright 2012 by The Montpelier Bridge

Such a year for butterflies! The bumper crop of red admirals are still flying, and tiger swallowtails and others are on the wing. Some of these butterflies are just in

time for phoebes and other birds desperately trying to keep up with hungry mouths, in a year scarce of black flies and mosquitos. At night, peepers are singing along with toads, two events which, until recent years, were separated by weeks. And egg- laying turtles, giant silk moths and fireflies didn’t wait for June this year! Sandy Levine reported seeing fireflies at 1,200 feet on May 27; we had them at 1,000 feet the next night. It’s all happening so soon!

—Nona Estrin

Nature Watch

ADVERTISE in Our Upcoming Issues!June 21: mailed issue & summer events calendar! advertising deadline: Friday, June 15

June 28: SPECIAL 4th of July preview! advertising deadline: Friday, June 22

July 19: mailed issue

advertising deadline: Friday, July 13

Contact Carl or Carolyn: 223-5112, ext. 11, [email protected] or [email protected]


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by sophomore year I can find out what I want to do.” He works at Shaw’s and will pick up more hours over the sum-mer, but other than that he has no summer plans.

Evans chose UVM “because of the cost,” he said. Like many graduates, “With college being so expensive now, cost is a big part in where I decided to apply.”

Evans has taken three AP courses as a high-school student, but the one in biology “helped solidify my interest” in biol-ogy. Evans plans to explore his longstanding interest in sci-ence in depth, eventually hoping to get an internship in the field he’s been interested in since eighth grade.

Filmmaking: College Required“I’ve been interested in film

since I was 13, and my father showed me The Godfather,” MHS senior Julian Kasow said. Kasow will be attending Columbia College in Chicago this fall to study film.

“Columbia was a pretty easy choice to make,” he said. In fact, it was his top choice out of the three colleges to which he applied. He’s already writ-ten several screenplays, and he

considers that his forte.His grandparents and parents have all been saving money

to pay for him and his younger sister to go to college, so, Kasow said, he feels fortunate that he hasn’t had to think about the complexities of how to fund an expensive post-secondary education.

Kasow’s AP English teacher, Sara Squier, included filling out a college application as part of her curriculum, he said.

“She shepherds everyone in class to completing an applica-tion,” he said.

“You really have to go to college for some kind of viable career option,” he added. “That wasn’t always the case. . . . I know people who dropped out of school and got grunt-level jobs. [But] is $10 bucks an hour what you want to be doing forever?”

Kasow is seeking odd jobs for the summer, anticipating the need to be able to afford subway fare and movie tickets.

Construction and Guard: An Alternative Education

Jess Franklin graduates from Barre Technical Center (BTC) the day the office building her class built leaves by truck for Safeline, a domestic-violence organization in Chel-sea. Says Franklin, who came to BTC for her final year, “I

hate regular classes. I hate sitting and listening to a teacher talk for hours, and I had really horrible grades in all of the things I did in regular classes, so I just finally made the deci-sion last year to get out, and I’m doing awesome, straight As. . . . I love it.”

But she’s not heading straight into construction. Recently, her thoughts turned to military service: “I’ve a friend who’s in the Guard, and his sergeant started talking to me about it, and I went up and had a meeting with him yesterday, and I’m 85 percent sure I’m going into the Guard.”

“I want to do it,” she continues. “I’ll drive the Humvees, the Mack trucks, the oil tankers, and I’ll be stationed right out of Berlin. . . . I was going straight into the trades, but . . . I have my whole life to do construction. I’m young now; why not do something good?”

For Jess, the military is, quoting her friend, “not a choice; it’s a calling. And you don’t just choose to join the military; you pretty much are military.”

But she’s glad she went to BTC. “It’s not an alternative to learning; it’s an alternative to lectures,” she says. “I’ve learned more this year than I probably have in high school. . . . We are learning things that are actually useful. And I feel like, sitting in class and learning about, ‘Jenny has three strawber-ries and Timmy has four, if they put them together and cut them in half, how many will that make?’ Who cares? . . . Problem solving is a lot different here than it is in classes . . . it’s really a good program. It’s something I’ll always have.”

Automotive Tech: Taking Time for Hands-On Learning

BTC senior Sean Warren is ready for a break. The week-end after graduation, he’ll head to New Jersey, where his dad has found him a job. He’ll save for a year or so, he says, then go to technical school in Ohio. With his longtime interest in NASCAR, he’ll study how to build high-performance en-gines and racing chassis, while continuing his studies about basic automotive technologies. To round out his studies, he may continue with studies of diesel technology.

Warren says he’s always had a desire to be able to say, “I built that motor.” He was handing wrenches to his dad from a young age. Asked about his life before BTC, he says, “It’s not really different. U-32 is a great school, great teachers; you’re not left behind. I’m not book smart at all. I’m more: If I see it, then I know how to do it. I’m more of a visual learner. I didn’t get bad grades at U-32, but I wanted to learn more about automotive and have my last year have not too much homework, have kind of an easy senior year.” For now, he’s had enough of studying, and will use his time to set by some cash, maybe buy a nice car “for transportation [to and from school].”

“The gap year is about taking a year off from school, and saving some money,” Warren says. And he wants to be sure that automotive is what he really wants to do, he says, be-cause he doesn’t want to waste money on a school that isn’t ultimately right for him.

Cosmetology: Burlington BoundBTC senior Kaylee Wells will head for Burlington and

await her 18th birthday this summer, at which time she can apply for her cosmetology license and find work. Like Jess Franklin, she admits of her time in high school, “I was just getting by. Once I joined the tech center, it was total turn-around. I like coming to school now. I’m happier. Nothing against Spaulding [High School] itself; I wasn’t happy.”

Of her years at BTC, she says, “I kind of did a 180. My personality changed. I became more confident, because I was happy with what I was doing. . . . Being separated from a place I didn’t want to be, being in a place I did want to

GRADS, from page 1

Montpelier High SchoolSaturday, June 911:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

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Families $6 • Adults $3 • Children $2

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be—it changed my outlook on a lot of different things.” Of her decision to attend BTC, she says, “I always was interested in [cosmetology], but I never thought that I would actually go ahead and do it. . . . I guess it wasn’t something I had my heart set on at first; I just kind of did it, but then once I started it, I can’t picture myself doing something else.”

Wells will move to Burlington, “because there’s more of a money base there.” Once she gets her license, she’ll continue cosmetology classes, perhaps specialize, and eventually move to New York or Massachusetts, where, she says, “I can make more money than I would in Vermont.”

Culinary Arts: Restaurant as Classroom

U-32 senior Phoenix Haynes is taking a year off before at-tending Johnson & Wales Uni-versity in Denver. She’s pursuing a career in the culinary arts and has already gained experience, having worked in a Montpelier restaurant. Unfortunately, she says, she discovered that she was

too young and so had to give up the job, “even though it was what I wanted to be doing.”

Her course work at U-32 has given her credits that help her get into college, and she’s taken some culinary-related classes—one of which, Food for Entertainment, she lightly mentions—but she maintains that most of her cooking expe-rience has come from the work world. So, for the next year, she’ll move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, find an apartment with a friend, and get some food-industry experience work-ing in restaurants.

Asked about financial aspects of her decision, she says that her mother is a professor at the University of Delaware, which is a member of a 400-school consortium of which Johnson & Wales is also a member, so she will be able to at-tend Johnson & Wales “for free.”

Theater: From U-32 to Times SquareFor many in the area, U-32

is known for its arts educa-tion programs, so, for Claudia Smith, it was the right place to be as she pursues a career in the performing arts: “I am mov-ing to Manhattan and going to school for musical theater in Times Square, Circle in the Square Theater School.” For Smith, it has “always” been clear that that was what she wanted to do. “I never didn’t think that I was not going to be” doing it.

She says that she auditioned at four schools and was ac-cepted by three, and “Circle in the Square was my first choice, and has been ever since I saw Wicked, which was in eighth grade, but they gave me a big financial package as well.”

Asked about U-32’s role in her studies so far, she notes its theater program, and her parents have always known of her interest, so they supported her in that environment. Smith says she always did Stage 16 in middle school, with plays in class and theater improvisation games, and then Stage 32 in high school, which required auditioning for plays.

Liberal Arts: All About Atmosphere and AidFor U-32 senior Rose Wun-

row, college was a foregone conclusion. She started visiting colleges, tagging along with her older brother, when she was a freshman, so she got a chance to visit a large number of schools. Of the 15 to which she applied, she received ac-ceptances from eight.

Of her decision, she says, “A lot of it was atmosphere.” It came down to Williams Col-lege and Swarthmore College. She went to accepted-student days at both, and Swarthmore struck her as having “a really down-to-earth and liberal and open environment.” She thinks she will focus on English and history and pursue a writing career.

Asked about the role of finances in her decision-making, she says she was able to consider all eight accepting colleges “because they all gave me really strong financial aid pack-ages, so, logistically, it came down to which ones I was able to visit. Because some of them were in Minnesota, Iowa, and kind of out of the way . . . it came down to the ones in the New England area that I really knew more about,” she says. “Swarthmore and Williams don’t give out loans; they’re all grants, so the financial aid they gave me was pretty signifi-cant compared to the other schools.”


by Nat Frothingham

“What a good match this has been,” said Peter Evans, re-flecting on 10 years as Mont-

pelier High School principal. Evans leaves this June. “I had plenty of time to reflect on this,” he said. “I made the decision pretty much over last summer, and I announced it in November.”

Evan remembers when he was first inter-viewed for MHS principal. He’d looked at the data and knew that MHS was already astrong school with a fine reputation. If he was appointed, it wouldn’t be his task to bring a school from failure to success; his job would be to make a good school better.

Soon after he came aboard, Evans became absorbed with raising the level of student engagement in learn-ing.

“Even though kids were doing well academically,” Evans said, “they weren’t engaged deeply in learning. . . . I heard this from teachers,” he continued, about not just watching kids climb the academic ladder but finding ways to get students deeply “invested” in learning. Evans wasn’t talking about kids who were having trouble; he was talking about the successful kids.

“Were they engaged?” he asked. “What does engagement looked like?” These ques-tions led Evans to pursue a doctoral disser-tation at UVM that he began in 2001 and completed in 2007.

Evans’ research had him talking to stu-dents about the different learning experi-ences they have in school and outside.

What Evans learned from the two or three academic authorities who’d made student engagement the center of their studies was that when you’re deeply engaged, “You lose track of time.” You’re immersed, so you con-nect with “all of the different factors.”

To get to this plateau, you’ve got to have time and the opportunity to pursue some-thing at a high level of intensity. Evans ex-plained, “That’s when intellectual curiosity takes over.” At that point the student arrives “at an understanding of making sense of things at a deeper level.”

Evans offered examples:One student worked on legislation re-

quiring deposits on new tires at point of purchase to pay for responsible disposal.

Another, with a passion for biology, studied microbial mass in puddles. As

Evans described the student’s conversation, “He went on for at least an hour and a half. I didn’t even prompt him. It just went on and on.”

A third student was involved in a summer environmental watch involving an endan-gered species. “I think it was turtles,” Evan remembered. This third student too, experi-enced deep involvement with learning.

Over 10 years, Evans has observed posi-tive change. When he started, it was pretty routine to sign a drop-out form permitting a

student to quit. “We just didn’t have a range of programs. We weren’t trying to keep kids in school and meet their needs. I think that’s changed.”

As Evans leaves, MHS’s graduation rate (about 90 percent) is high and its drop-out rate is less than 2 percent.

But there’s little room for complacency. Evans says Vermont’s graduation rate is 75 to 78 percent—No. 2 in the nation last year. However, while 70 to 75 percent of MHS graduates continue their education after high school, Evans said, Vermont as a whole ranks 46th in students going on to higher educa-tion.

Evans, along with other Vermont educa-tors, is baffled about the low number of graduates continuing and worries about kids who quit with just a high-school diploma. He agrees they may work in trade or service-industry jobs, but at fairly low wages. “A high-school diploma by itself isn’t going to do it,” he insists.

Evans spoke with pride about the way the MHS faculty has worked together, and with equal pride about students who, in increas-ing numbers, pursue community learning. Today, three MHS staff help students find and then succeed in community-based learn-ing projects.

“Montpelier folks expect it all,” Evans said. “They want high-school students to be challenged intellectually in an academically rigorous setting. They want students to be engaged with the community. . . . We’re doing that now. . . . It’s one of the wonderful qualities of this school. It’s not either/or.”

Evans’ involvement with reform and re-

newal continues. He’ll continue teaching at St. Michael’s College, and at UVM he’ll continue working with teachers preparing to become principals. Having studied pottery in art school, he’ll devote more time to that. He has land, cuts wood, is a justice of the peace and serves on Northfield’s board of civil authority.

Peter Evans: 10 Years of Engagement at MHS

Profile Peter Evans, who is leaving Montpelier High School after 10 years as principal. Photo cour-tesy Peter Evans.

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by Colette Kelly

The college admission wait list put Carl Vitzthum in limbo: he was not in, but he hadn’t been rejected, ei-

ther. He was simply on hold. But May proved a disappointment for Carl

and every other high-school senior wait-listed at four elite colleges. Princeton University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Insti-tute of Technology (MIT) placed thousands of students on their wait lists this year and admitted none, a highly unusual confluence. Brown University also plans not to use its wait list, according to Tanya Caldwell of the New York Times.

Vitzthum, a high-achieving student at Montpelier High School (MHS), found out in late March that Princeton had placed him on its wait list. He heard from three other colleges on the same day.

“I was rejected from the other three, so honestly the wait list news wasn’t all that bad,” he wrote in an e-mail. But Vitzthum wanted to know for certain where he would go to school in the fall.

“I would not consider myself a wait list sort of guy,” Vitzthum wrote. “I really wanted to be done with the whole college application process, which is long and fraught with un-certainty.”

However, Vitzthum decided to stay on the Princeton wait list. He wrote a letter to the university and waited for about a month, en-rolling at Colby College in the meantime. In early May, he received a letter from Princeton saying that the wait list was closed and that the university would admit none of the wait-listed applicants.

Princeton, Stanford, MIT and Brown experienced a leap this year in the num-ber of admitted students choosing to enroll, causing havoc for admissions departments. Although MIT has not released specific ad-missions figures, Stanford and Brown both overenrolled their incoming freshman classes by 50 to 60 students. Princeton overshot its target class size by as many as 65. This means that 65 students going to Princeton this fall don’t have a bed.

“We have bed space for 1,300 students, and we can’t go over,” said Princeton dean of admission Janet Rapelye, quoted by Cath-erine Duazo of the Daily Princetonian in an article this March.

Alyssa Johnson-Kurts, an equally driven senior at U-32, was wait-listed at both Smith College and Colby College. She became one of the few students accepted into an elite col-lege from its wait list.

“I was very disappointed when I found out I hadn’t been [directly] accepted to Smith,” she wrote in an e-mail. If previous years were any indication, her chances of getting in were slim: last year, Smith did not accept any stu-dents from its wait list. But Johnson-Kurts decided to hold out.

“I knew I wanted to stay on Smith’s wait list, because not being accepted made me re-alize how much I wanted to attend,” she said. She sent Smith a package with a letter to the admissions department, a recently published piece of writing and an updated transcript.

Johnson-Kurts received a phone call from Smith admissions on the morning of May 2, the day Smith opened its wait list. She had been accepted.

“I was ecstatic,” she said. Colleges maintain wait lists as insurance

against the unpredictability of the number

of accepted students who choose to enroll. Admissions officers refer to this figure, the percentage of admitted students who decide to attend, as the “yield,” a term that brings to mind crops as much as high-school seniors. Based on years of statistics and experience, colleges predict the yield for the upcoming year and use it to determine how many ap-plicants to admit.

According to Lissa Knauss, a guidance counselor at MHS, the number of applicants colleges admit “really varies from year to year.”

“You never really know what your yield is going to be,” said Geoff Sather, another MHS guidance counselor. Sather says the ex-plosion in applications after the introduction of the online Common Application in 1998 made historical figures less reliable. Many elite colleges, such as Columbia University, started using the Common Application in the last few years, causing a spike in applica-tions. The number of applicants at Princeton has doubled since 2004.

The news that Princeton, Stanford, MIT and Brown overenrolled their incoming classes highlights the complexities of guess-ing how many admitted students will accept offers of admission.

“It’s kind of a crap shoot,” Knauss said. “Colleges predict the yield based on past fig-ures. Sometimes, they have to scramble.”

Elite institutions like Princeton and Stan-ford admit many, in some cases thousands, more students than their target size for the incoming freshman class, like airlines over-booking flights. If their predictions are accu-rate, the fraction of those admitted students who actually enroll matches the target size for the incoming class. If fewer students en-roll, they use the wait list to fill open spots. This year, the opposite occurred.

MIT admitted 1,620 students this year to achieve a target class size of 1,130. But the school had an “unprecedented, record-breaking increase in yield,” over 70 percent this year, filling every place in the class of 2016. This is the first time in seven years that MIT has not used its wait list.

So why do colleges maintain such large wait lists in addition to “overbooking” the incoming class by hundreds of students?

“Colleges like to err on the safe side,” Sather said. But that isn’t the only reason why colleges place so many applicants on wait lists.

“It’s a prestige thing,” Sather said. Al-though an elite institution may not have ac-cepted a student, the student can still claim “I was wait-listed.” Being wait-listed at a top school can be source of pride, or even hope, for both the student and the student’s high school.

At MHS, students continue to hope. Ac-cording to Knauss, roughly the top 10 per-cent of each class considers attending elite colleges like Princeton or Stanford. She does not expect the increasing yield and low wait-list acceptances to discourage students from applying. But she believes the students have realistic goals: “I don’t see kids wildly reach-ing for schools.”

Sather agrees. “Kids are getting more and more realistic,” he said. “The system has been crazy for a while.”

“If I had gotten into Princeton, I would probably have ended up going,” said Vitz-thum. But he looks forward to attending Colby College this fall as a presidential scholar.

The Waiting GameTop Colleges Fill Their Wait Lists

but Don’t Use Them

Summer CampsMONTPELIER RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Summer Day CampLicensed Child Care Program • State subsidy is available upon request

Kindergarten – 12 years oldWeekly Monday – Friday June 18 through August 17 7:30 drop off, 4:45 pick up Half days or full days Montpelier Recreation FieldSpecial Trips Weekly & Swimming Every Day

Resident Fees:$120.00 per week/first child (5 full days) $70.00 per 5 half days/first child (a.m. or p.m.)$105.00 per week/additional child$60.00 per 5 half days/additional childNon-Resident Fees:$160.00 per week/first child (5 full days)$100.00 per 5 half days/first child (a.m. or p.m.)$140.00 per week/additional child$90.00 per 5 half days/additional childLunch Program TBA; open registration for all weeks.

Other Summer OpportunitiesMRD offers a wide variety of summer programs, camps, tennis lessons, swim lessons, and special events. For more information, please call our office or visit us online.

225-8699 www.montpelierrec.org

MONTPELIER RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Summer Camps! Yes Soccer Camp Sharpen your soccer skills. Ages 5–14 Monday–Friday, August 6–August 175–7 years, 3 pm–4:30 pm 8–14 years, 3 pm–6:00 pm Montpelier Rec. Fields One week:

5–7 years $80 (before July 25) 8–14 years $115 (before July 25)

Two weeks: 5–7 years $153 (before July 25)8–14 years $208 (before July 25)

Teen Adventure Camp Teamwork, hiking, whitewater kayak-

ing and much more. With Vermont Youth Adventures.Ages 13–16 • July 9–July 13

Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm Montpelier Rec. Fields

Resident $230, non-resident $250

Fishing Camp Learn the fundamentals of fishing with Stowe Fly Rod Shop. Trips to Wrightsville Reservoir.Ages 6–12 • July 23–July 27 Monday–Friday, 12:30 pm–4 pm Montpelier Rec. Fields Resident $165, non-resident $175

Challenger BritishMultisport Camp Learn new British sports and new skills!July 16–July 20, Monday–Friday Half-day camp (ages 5–12, 9 am–12 pm), $122.00Full-day camp (ages 7–12, 9 am–4 pm), $192.00

For more information, contact us at 225-8699 or montpelierrec.org.

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by Steven M. Cliche

Tensions ran high at the May 23 city council meeting as a packed house of both Montpelier and Berlin residents

gathered to hear what they hoped would be an answer to the concerns raised by the Ver-mont Supreme Court’s decision that Mont-pelier does not have the authority to restrict recreational activity on its water source, Ber-lin pond. Mayor John Hollar prefaced the meeting by suggesting that the issue would likely not be solved in the near future and that they were simply there to look at ways to go forward.

Attorneys Glen Howland and Paul Guiliani were invited to speak first on the subject. “We are look-ing at complete, uncontrolled access, regard-less of trespass,” Howland said of those who had used the pond in recent days. “We must step up our efforts to enforce the no-tres-passing ordinance. We must simply outlast them.” Howland suggested the enforcement

as the quickest and least expensive answer to the problem. Trespassing around the pond is considered a criminal misdemeanor and is punishable by up to three months in prison or a $500 fine. Howland also brought up the instances of vandalism that had occurred in the short amount of time since the decision had come down, which include defaced signs and a broken drainage culvert that many people had been using as a way to launch their boats.

Doug Hill, a longtime resident from Ber-lin Pond, spoke on the influx of anglers that

he says left the area in complete disarray. He voiced his frus-tration with what he sees as a lack of timely response by the Montpelier City Council and the po-

lice department. “I do not see any willing-ness to fix the problem,” said Hill. “Just go up there and start writing tickets.”

However, there was concern among the council about the ability of the Montpelier Police Department to properly patrol the

area. The council called on Police Chief Tony Facos, who noted that in order for the department to enforce the law, it would require the help of both the Berlin Police Department and Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Facos suggested that further dialogue was necessary with Berlin Police Chief William Wolfe in order to increase the capacity to patrol the pond.

The meeting then heard testamony from Di-rector of Public Works Todd Law on the lack of capacity of the Montpelier Water Treatment plant to handle the increased turbidity that could result from use of the pond. The sub-ject of increased chlorination was suggested, to which Law warned of a greater chance of disinfectant byproduct. Law also warned that an oil or antifreeze leak from a car parked on the bank of the pond would be considered an emergency situation, because the plant is not built to handle such things. He also suggested that although there was currently no zebra mussel or milfoil problem within the pond, such a problem could severely impact the plant’s capacity to filter water.

The council decided to green light Facos on enforcing the no-trespassing ordinance,

much to the delight of the crowd. There was also the suggestion of a joint council meeting between Berlin and Montpelier to further discuss options for protecting the pond. The public will be welcome to attend this meeting.

Long-term solutions seem to include the reworking of laws and how they read, which can take a considerable amount of time, leav-ing some residents worried that the short-term solutions may not work until further restrictions are in place. Howland’s call for Montpelier law enforcement to outlast those who wish to use Berlin Pond recreation-ally remains to be seen. Other residents are worried that the pond may already be a lost cause. Berlin resident Cathy Hartshorn voiced her concern that when it comes to the risk of zebra mussels, milfoil and pol-lution, the actions of the council may be all for naught.

“The floodgates have opened,” she said, “There have already been so many boats [on the pond] that it may already be too late.”

For the residents of Montpelier and Berlin, it seems the future of Berlin Pond could be murky.

Council Discusses Consequences of Recreational Use of Berlin Pond

Council


Art Walk June 8!


by Bob Nuner

Turning from history to comedy, Lost Nation Theater’s second production of the season previews Thursday,

June 7, and opens Friday, June 8, with a reception, and runs for three weekends, Thursdays to Sundays. The show’s cast of four actor/singer/dancers is directed by Tim Tavcar and comprises Lost Nation veteran Shawn Sturdevant, Vermont favorites Taryn Noelle (a lead in numerous Vermont musi-cal productions) and Natalie Miller (who just finished producing Burlington’s comedy festival), and Kansan Michael Karracker, who’s worked with Sturdevant in other ven-ues. The comedy, directed by Tavcar in a vaudevillian style, enjoys musical direction by Nancy Hartswick, a set by Casey Covey, lighting by Mark Evancho and costumes by Charis Churchill.

It’s a popular show that ran for 12 years after it opened in the mid-’90s, totaling 5,003 performances off Broadway. The show exploits the ample opportunities to skewer the subjects of love, singleness and mar-riage in a fast-moving collection of 18 skits and songs. “The overarching theme, if there is any,” says Tavcar, “is the things people face in interpersonal relationships from the early dating days through marriage, through growing old and having kids, through old age . . . so it’s a continuum.” Tavcar notes that the original run was “only surpassed by The Fantasticks” in duration.

As to the vaudeville style, Tavcar says, “We built a false proscenium for the set, and then the stage floor is painted like boards, and we’ve lined the perimeter with [contem-porary] footlights, so there’s this whole con-struct of walking into another old theater, and the style is extremely presentational.” Presentational, to Tavcar, means “played to the audience as much, if not more as [an] interior scene,” and it’s very “up,” with a ratio of 15 to three upbeat songs to ballads. “It’s almost all big . . . things that end full-out to the audience,” he says.

Tavcar notes that while the songs about

the universalities of coupledom may take a jaundiced view of relationships, it’s a view that incorporates events that most people have been through and relate to. He men-tions that, in the course of the off-Broadway run, the show eventually came to accommo-date audience members who would propose marriage at the performances, even while the show examined the perils and foibles of rela-tionships. Technically, the production will incorporate projections, fast scene changes courtesy of Chaplin-esque stagehands that are part of the show, and a scrolling screen in the proscenium that announces scene titles.

Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, except the last Sunday, June 24, at 2 p.m. and a matinee Saturday, June 9, at 2 p.m.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Opens at Lost Nation Theater

by Cassandra Hemenway Brush

In the children’s book What is a Thought?, by local authors Amy Kahofer and Jack Pransky, PhD, of Moretown, the au-

thors use rhyme and colorful illustrations (by T.M. DuSablon) to introduce to young children the concept that thoughts are “a lot” and that we can control them but they can also control us. This seemed like both an intriguing and massive undertaking to me, so I was curious when I delved into this book with my 5-year-old how it would go over with her.

As an adult reader, I loved the book. But my young child did not. After reading it to a couple of other children, it flopped over and over again. I think the reason might be because the book, while noble and useful—particularly for children struggling with be-havioral issues—and with such wonderful

notions as “Pushing and grabbing/Are just thoughts in our head./What if something else/Could be thought of instead?” is also very abstract from a child’s perspective.

There were wonderful moments through-out the book. I particularly loved how the authors handled fear: “When monsters and creatures/Come out of the dark and the blue/The secret to know is,/They’re just made-up thoughts, too!” What a great way to ease a child’s fear of the dark—and all the other “monsters” that lurk in all of our minds! However, I’m not sure it reads in a way that children can hear.

It runs long—it was only by being particu-larly persistent that I was able to get through the whole thing with my fidgeting kinder-gartener. If the concept were introduced through the story of a particular child, I suspect it might draw children in much more quickly and keep them there.

A great feature included in the book is a CD with lesson plans, and plentiful sug-gestions at the back of the book for parents and educators as to how to use it. It is likely that this book might be more appropriate for behaviorally or socially challenged children who need particular extra care and support with this lesson. Perhaps it is more useful for a psychologist or teacher to use for a specific purpose than as a generally fun storybook for the whole population.

In either case, I laud the authors for brav-ing such a complex subject in simplified children’s language. Although I fully support the theme of the book (in the authors’ words, “We can stop for a moment and decide if we really want to believe our bad thoughts and act on those negative feelings . . . or not!” I have to conclude that it does read like an adult’s idea of an important “lesson” more than as a compelling story.

Book Review: What is a Thought?

Taryn Noelle and Michael Karraker in Marriage Tango. Photo courtesy Lost Nation Theater.


Upcoming EventsFRIDAY, JUNE 8Spring Bird Walk: Middlesex NotchExplore for spring migrants and breeding species, such as warblers, orioles and tanagers. Binoculars available for loan.7–8:30 a.m. Call North Branch Nature Center for meeting location, 229-6206. $10, free for nature members.

Montpelier Art WalkView Vermont works, including fine art, photography and sculp-ture, meet the artists, and check out a demo of lathe-turned wood bowls and a roaming performer from Circus Smirkus. Above, Old Glory on the North Branch, photograph by Ron Lay-Sleeper, show-ing at Green Bean Art Gallery.4–8 p.m. Downtown Montpelier. Free. For complete schedule and list of venues, pick up a guide at many downtown locations including the Uncommon Market, or visit montpelieralive.org.Rock On For Nature: NAP/ECO BenefitCelebrate another year of learning outdoors with the Great Brook Blues Band, the Flying Purple Guitar and a silent auction. Benefits outdoor education partnership between North Branch Nature Center and Union Elementary School.5–8 p.m. North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm Street, Montpelier. By donation. 229-6206.Cut-ContinuityBrian Zeigler cuts up three of his large collages to create new

work, accompanied by original music from July 26 Movement, in this live performance piece.6–8 p.m. Alumni Hall (corner of East State Street and College Street), Vermont College of Fine Arts.Bach to Summer: Monteverdi Music School Faculty RecitalFaculty perform music of Bach, Beethoven, Devienne and more Bach.7:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. By donation.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9Ride As One: Sensing Our Way On the Path of the Horse Intro to bareback horsemanship, employing somatic horsemanship practices without coercion, force, bits, tack or tools. For beginners to seasoned equestrians.10 a.m.–5 p.m. Horses & Pathfinders, Moretown. $95 per person, $170 for two; includes snacks, beverages and lunch. Register at 223-1903 or [email protected]. horsesandpathfinders.com.Summer Time Concert in the Park Danielle Young performs contemporary Christian music for all ages. Bring a picnic and chair or blanket.4–6 p.m. Rusty Parker Memorial Park, South Main Street, Water-bury. Rain location: Green Mountain Community Alliance Church, Route 100, Duxbury. Bill, 371-7969 or srbr@underoneroofministry .com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10Vermont Craft Beer and Artisan Cheese TastingTasting and sipping experience guided by Jeff Roberts. Silent auc-tion of donated art, crafts and other intriguing items. Benefits the Blinking Light Gallery.3–5 p.m. Kate Smith’s barn, Jake Martin Road, Marshfield. $30. Tickets at 454-7119 or [email protected] Note/Sacred Harp SingNo experience needed. All welcome.5–7 p.m. Plainfield Community Center (above the co-op). By dona-tion. 426-3849 or 426-3850. Event happens every second Sunday.Village Harmony Alumni Concert and Folk DanceSixteen college-age Village Harmony veteran singers perform music from South Africa, the Balkans and Ukraine, contemporary shape note songs, and renaissance motets.7 p.m. concert; 8:30–11 p.m. folk dancing. Fritz’s Barn, 693 Mc-Crillis Road, Marshfield. $10 adults, $5 students and seniors, $20 familes; benefits the Jaquith Public Library. 426-3210. Concert repeats Tuesday, June 19.

MONDAY, JUNE 11Human Trafficking in Vermont: Context, Signs and Local Response OptionsFor service professionals. An overview of all aspects of human traf-ficking in Vermont: what it looks like, legal options, local services and how to respond.10 a.m.–noon. Room 10, State House, Montpelier. Free. humantraf-fickinginfovt.eventbrite.com.

Empowering Your Intentions: Going Beyond Hopes and Wants With Fred Cheyette. Learn how to set intentions in a way that’s empowering for both the big issues and the everyday stuff.6–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected].

Better Bugging: Insect Inspiration with Bryan PfeifferThe season of glittering wings begins. After having warblers dart away from you, you’ll love it when butterflies, dragonflies and other spectacular insects perch at your feet! Above, a regal fritil-lary; photo by Bryan Pfeiffer/Wings Photography.6:30–8 p.m. First Baptist Church, School Street, Montpelier. $10. vermontbirdtours.com.Meditation GroupPeople of all abilities and experience levels welcome for meditation and discussion based on Adyashanti’s writings and talks.6:30–8 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Sherry, 479-3223, or [email protected].

TUESDAY, JUNE 12Bike Ride with the Green Mountain Club, Montpelier SectionModerate 25-mile ride through South Hero and the Champlain Islands. Bring water and lunch. Helmet required. Call leaders Mary Garcia, 229-0153, or Mary Smith, 505-0603, for meeting time and place.Workshop on Starting Your Own BusinessLearn how to start your own business and write a business plan.9 a.m.–noon. Community National Bank, Barre. $40 individual, $45 for two. Register at vtsbdc.org (click on “Training”). Heather, [email protected]. Sponsored by the Vermont Small Business Development Center.Medicare and You New to Medicare? Have questions? We have answers.3–4:30 p.m. Central Vermont Council on Aging, 59 North Main Street, Suite 200, Barre. Free. Register at 479-0531. Event happens every second and fourth Tuesday.

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 12

Support GroupsHURRICANE IRENE SUPPORT GROUPSShare your story, listen to others, learn coping skills, build community, and support your neighbors. Refreshments provided.In Berlin on June 20, 5:30 p.m., Berlin Elemen-tary School, 279-8246. In Waterbury on fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m., St. Leo’s Hall, 279-4670. In Randolph on Mondays, 11 a.m.–noon, Ayers Brook Center, 35 Ayers Brook Road, 279-7697. In Rochester on Mondays, 5:30–6:30 p.m., Rochester High School library, 222 Main Street, 279-7697.

TURNING POINT CENTERSafe, supportive place for individuals and their families in or seeking recovery.• Alchoholics Anonymous, Sundays,

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

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

days, 6 p.m. • Narcotics Anonymous, Thursdays,

6:30 p.m. Open daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 489 North Main Street, Barre. 479-7373.

KINDRED CONNECTIONSFor anyone affected by cancer. Get help from Kindred Connections members whohave been in your shoes. A program of the Vermont Cancer Survivor Network.Call Sherry, 479-3223, for more information. vcsn.net.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUPFor anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one.Every other Monday, 6–8 p.m., through August 20. Every other Wednesday, 10–11:30 a.m., through August 15. Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre. Ginny, 223-1878.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUPSOpen to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Evening group facilitated by Marsha Bancroft; day group facilitated by Kathy Grange and Jane Hulstrunk.Evening group meets first Mondays, 5:30–7:30 p.m., DisAbility Rights of Vermont, 141 Main Street, Suite 7, Montpelier, 800-834-7890, ext. 106. Day group meets first and third Thursdays, 1:30–2:30 p.m., Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier, 244-6850.

GRANDPARENTS RAISING THEIR CHILDREN’S CHILDRENFirst Wednesdays, 10 a.m.–noon, Barre Presby-terian Church, Summer Street. Second Tuesdays, 6–8 p.m., Wesley Methodist Church, Main Street, Waterbury. Third Thursdays, 6–8 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street. Child care provided in Montpelier and Waterbury. Evelyn, 476-1480.

HURRICANE IRENE SUPPORT GROUP FOR RECOVERY WORKERSGet peer support and help processing emotions, strengthen relationships and learn coping skills.Every other Monday, 3:30 p.m. (next meetings June 11 and 25). Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. 279-4670.

LIVING WITH ADVANCED OR METASTATIC CANCER Second Tuesdays, noon to 1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. Lunch provided. 225-5449

WRITING TO ENRICH YOUR LIFEFor anyone affected by cancer. Third Tuesdays, noon to 1 p.m. Cancer Center resource room, Central Vermont Medical Center. 225-5449.

BEREAVED PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPFacilitated by Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice (CVHHH).Second Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. CVHHH, 600 Granger Road, Berlin. Jeneane Lunn, 793-2376.

CELIAC AND FOOD ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUPWith Lisa Masé of Harmonized Cookery.Second Wednesdays, 4:30–6 p.m. Confer-ence room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. [email protected].

CANCER SUPPORT GROUPThird Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Potluck. For location, call Carole MacIntyre, 229-5931.

MAN-TO-MAN PROSTATE CANCER SUP-PORT GROUPThird Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. Conference room 2, Central Vermont Medical Center. 872-6308 or 866-466-0626 (press 3).

NAMI: CONNECTIONA peer-led, recovery-oriented group for indi-viduals living with mental illness.First and third Thursdays, 6–7:30 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 800-639-6480 or [email protected].

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDEFacilitated by Cory Gould.Third Thursdays, 5–6:30 p.m. Board room, Cen-tral Vermont Medical Center, Fisher Road, Berlin. Karen, 229-0591.

DIABETES DISCUSSION GROUPFocus on self-management. Open to anyone with diabetes and their families.Third Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. The Health Cen-ter, Plainfield. Free. Don, 322-6600 or [email protected].

MEN’S GROUPMen discuss challenges of and insights about being male.Thursdays, 6:15–8:15 p.m. 174 Elm Street, Mont-pelier. Interview required: contact Neil Davis, psychologist-master, 223-3753.

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUPFirst Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. Conference room 3, Central Vermont Medical Center. 371-4152.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUSTwelve-step program for physically, emotionally and spiritually overcoming overeating.Fridays, noon–1 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-3079.

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, MONTPELIER CHAPTERFirst Saturdays. Lane Shops community room, 1 Mechanic Street, Montpelier. 229-0093.

FAMILIES OF COLOROpen to all. Play, eat and discuss issues of adop-tion, race and multiculturalism. Bring snacks and games to share, and dress for the weather.Third Sundays, 3–5 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Alyson, 439-6096 or [email protected].


Central Vermont Adult Basic Education Volunteer Info SessionCurrent and prospective volunteers: find out about volunteer op-portunities and share experiences. Light refreshments.5–6 p.m. Barre Learning Center, 46 Washington Street. Gale, 476-4588.Renewable Energy WorkshopWith Colin Sorenson from Local Energy. Discuss your renewable energy options and learn about state and federal incentives and local initiatives that promote renewable energy.6–7 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] Community Band Concert in the ParkA varied program of marches and other concert band selections.7 p.m. Rusty Parker Memorial Park, South Main Street, Water-bury. Free. Bill, 223-2137 or [email protected]. Concerts continue every Tuesday (except July 3 and 17) through July, alternating between Rusty Parker Park and Waterbury Center Park.Scrag Mountain Music: Very Open RehearsalHosted by the Warren Public Library. Light refreshments served.7 p.m. Warren Town Hall. scragmountainmusic.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13Digital Download WednesdaysConfused about how to work your e-book reader? Get one-on-one help and see a demo on how to download your favorite books.10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Waterbury Public Library. Sign up for a 30- minute session at 244-7036.Good Beginnings of Central Vermont Annual MeetingNoon–2 p.m. 174 River Street, Montpelier. 585-7953. Hike with the Green Mountain Club, Montpelier SectionModerate early-evening hike up Hunger Mountain from the Middlesex Trailhead. 5.8 miles round-trip. Return under nearly full moon.Meet at 4 p.m. at Rumney School. Charlene Bohl, 229-9908 or [email protected]: Safe and Effective? Part 2With Charlotte Gilruth, certified in classical homeopathy. Become an informed health-care consumer. View the film Shoot ’em Up: The Truth About Vaccines and discuss little-publicized vaccine risks and alternative ways to build immunity.

5:30–7:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpe-lier. $5 member/owners, $7 nonmembers. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] Memoirs: A Staged ReadingParticipants in a memoir-writing class at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center read selections from their work. Live music, art exhibit and refreshments.5:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 46 Barre Street, Mont-pelier. Free. 223-2518.Luxuriously Healthy Hair: Simple Hair Care RecipesWith Joann Darling of Gardens of Seven Gables. Learn how to make your own herbal shampoos, hair rinses and scalp treatments for natural health.6–8 p.m. Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, 250 Main Street, Montpelier. $10 VCIH members, $12 nonmembers; $6 mate-rials fee. Register at 224-7100 or [email protected] Technical Center Awards CelebrationFor graduating students from Barre Technical Center, including students from Cabot, Harwood, U-32, Montpelier, Twinfield and Spaulding high schools.6:30 p.m. Auditorium, Spaulding High School, Barre.Capital Band ConcertBring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music with your neighbors. Want to play along? Bring your instrument, music stand and a chair.7 p.m. State House lawn near the Pavilion Building. Free. Concerts continue every Wednesday through August 15.Summer Concerts in Barre: Spaulding High School Jazz Ensemble7–8 p.m. Currier Park; rain location Universalist Church, 19 Church Street. Free. thebarrepartnership.com. Concerts continue every Wednesday through August 22.Summer Film Series: Beauty and the BeastLive-action original black-and-white film from 1946, directed by Jean Cocteau. With subtitles; for all ages.7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School street, Marshfield. Free. 426-3581 or [email protected].

THURSDAY, JUNE 14Conversation on AgingWanda Craig of the Central Vermont Council on Aging leads a community discussion on issues of aging.4–5 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 46 Barre Street, Mont-pelier. Free. 223-2518.

Beating the Sugar BluesWith Marie Frohlich, health coach. Learn about alternative herbal sweeteners and sugars for healthy living. Recipes, samples and handouts to get you through summer sweet-tooth cravings.5:30–7 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 member/owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] Group All ages and abilities welcome.6–8 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 46 Barre Street, Mont-pelier. 223-2518. Event happens every second and fourth Thursday.Writing for Personal Peace: Making the Deep Narrative Introspective and SpiritualWith Glennie Sewell. Explore core beliefs driving the narrative of your life.7–9 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. $35. Registra-tion required at 223-0043. Ecumenical GroupSongs of praise, Bible teaching, fellowship.7–9 p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel Drive, Barre. Free. 476-3873. Event happens every second and fourth Thursday.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15Spring Bird Walk: Sparrow FarmExplore for breeding birds, such as American bittern, bobolink and alder flycatcher. Binoculars available for loan.7–8:30 a.m. Call North Branch Nature Center for meeting location, 229-6206. $10, free for nature members.Free Cookies for NECI DayGet a NECI-created Vermont Crunchy Cookie at all New England Culinary Institute outlets.In Montpelier: La Brioche, NECI on Main, Dewey Hall cafeteria and National Life cafeteria. neci.edu. Event continues Saturday, June 16.Scrag Mountain Music: The Madrigal ProjectA multimedia performance featuring music by George Crumb and poetry by Federico García Lorca.8 p.m. Old Town Hall, Stone Road, Brookfield. By donation. scragmountainmusic.org. Concert repeats Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17.Extempo: Live Original StorytellingTell a 5-to-7½-minute, first-person, true story from your own life! Sign up in advance, and come with your story already practiced to deliver it smoothly without the use of notes. No theme.8 p.m. Espresso Bueno, Barre. Free to participants; $5 otherwise. 479-0896 or extempovt.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 11

Art & ExhibitsBLINKING LIGHT GALLERYSpring Bloom, watercolors, oil paintings and pastels by Northfield artist Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams. 16 Main Street, Plainfield. Through June. [email protected] or blinkinglightgallery.com.

CENTRAL VERMONT MEDICAL CENTERThe Anatomy of Light, photographs by Andrew Kline.Lobby, 130 Fisher Road, Berlin. Through July 6. cvmc.org.

CHANDLER GALLERYRed Fields & Yellow Skies: The Art of the Landscape, group show by 12 state- and nationally renowned artists. Above, Cadium Fields, by Petria Mitchell71–73 Main Street, Randolph. June 16–September 2. Reception and artist roundtable Saturday, June 16, 4–7:30 p.m. 431-0204 or [email protected].

COFFEE CORNER Paintings by Sylvia Walker and Annie Limoge.83 Main Street, Montpelier. Through June. 223-2906.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE & FITNESS STUDIOPastels of Italy and Vermont by Jeneane Lunn.18 Langdon Street (third floor), Montpelier. Through July 9.

GIFFORD MEDICAL CENTER Photographs by Bruce Small of West Brookfield. 44 South Main Street, Randolph. Through August 1. 728-2324 or giffordmed.org.

GODDARD COLLEGEThe History of Goddard College, 1969–1979, photographs, films and archival documents, curated by Goddard staff member and alumnus Dustin Byerly.Pratt Center Library, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield. Through June. 454-8311 or goddard.edu.

GREEN BEAN ART GALLERYMontpelier Scenes, photographs by Ron Lay-Sleeper. Capitol Grounds, 27 State Street, Montpelier. Through July 1. Recep-tion during Art Walk, Friday, June 8. [email protected].

K MUELLER STUDIO & GALLERY Travel photos by Iain Wallace and a retro-spective of Jim Wallace’s photos.15 State Street, room 301, Montpelier.Open during Art Walk: Friday, June 8, 4–8 pm.

KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARYWowie Maui, watercolors, oils and acryl-ics by Jeanne Evans. 135 Main Street, Montpelier. Through August 24. 223-3338.

O’MADDI’S DELI & CAFESticks and Stones, sculptural basketry by Tamara Wight.7 South Main Street, Northfield. Through June. 485-4700.

QUENCH ARTSPACE Landscapes and kimono paintings by Montpelier artist Frank Woods.4403 Main Street, Waitsfield. 496-9138.

STUDIO PLACE ARTSSc-EYE-nce, a science and visual arts fusion; Live Art, works by Nicholas Heilig; and Digital Topographies, works by Karolina Kawiaka.201 North Main Street, Barre. Through July 7. Reception Friday, June 8, 6–8 p.m. 479-7069 or studioplacearts.com.

SULLIVAN MUSEUMTol’ ko Po Russky, Pozhaluista (“Russian Only, Please”), chronicling the history of the Russian school at Norwich University, 1968–2000. Norwich University, Northfield. Through January 2013. 485-2183.

TULSI TEA ROOMWorks in colored pencil by Corrina Thur-ston. Above, Sea Turtle.34 Elm Stree, Montpelier. Through June 14. Reception during Art Walk, Friday, June 8.

VERMONT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTSRe Count and Re Connect, works by Kim Goertner Darling, Sabrina B. Fadial, Diana Gonsalves, Susan Sawyer and Sumru Tekin.College Hall, 36 College Street, Montpelier.Through July 6. vcfa.edu.

VERMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGEGreen Mountain Rug School’s annual student and teacher exhibit of finished rugs and hooked pieces.Friday, June 8, and Thursday, June 14, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Judd Gym, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center. 272-1011 or greenmountainhookedrugs.com.

TheaterBEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR.

More than 40 students from Green Mountain Performing Arts’ musical theater program bring the classic Dis-ney musical to life. Left, Kelty Edraney rehearses for her role as Belle.June 16, 1 p.m. Harwood Union High School. $8. greenmountainperforming arts.org.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHINGShakespeare in the Hills’ new youth acting troupe presents Shakespeare’s classic battle-of-the-sexes comedy.June 8–10, 7 p.m. Haybarn Theatre, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road,

Plainfield. $5 adults, $3 children and seniors. Tickets at 454-9334. shakespeareinthehills.com.

I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGEA musical comedy detailing the trials and tribulations of relationships. Below, the four cast members.Through June 24. Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main Street, Mont-pelier. Thursdays and Sundays, 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; 2 p.m. matinee June 9 and 24. $25 Thursday, $30 Friday–Sunday, $10 age 6–11, $5 discount for students and seniors. Tickets at 229-0492 or lostnationtheater.org.

Coming up on June 21: SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR!We are compiling a comprehensive special guide to area summer events. Send listings to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday, June 15.


SATURDAY, JUNE 16Free Cookies for NECI DaySee Friday, June 15, for description.Bike Ride with the Green Mountain Club, Montpelier SectionEasy ride on the Northern Rail Trail from Lebanon, New Hampshire, toward Grafton. Group decides distance; 50 miles max. Helmet and windbreaker required. Bring water and lunch or money to buy it. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Berlin Park and Ride. Steve Lightholder, 479-2304 or [email protected] Summer’s Wild BountyA walk in the forest and field at this time of year yields a bounty of wild ingredients to use in culinary delights. Wild plants are more nutritious than their cultivated cousins. No weeding necessary! 10 a.m.–noon. The Farmer’s Kitchen at Turkey Hill Farm, Randolph Center. $25, includes handouts and recipes. 728-7064.Equine-Guided Father/Daughter or Son DayFathers and their children take a break from everyday surround-ings, engage in directed equine-guided activities and play on level ground with each other. No horse experience necessary; all activi-ties are ground-based. Ages 10 and up.10 a.m.–4 p.m. Horses & Pathfinders, Moretown. $185 per pair; in-cludes snacks, beverages and lunch. Register at 223-1903 or [email protected]. horsesandpathfinders.com.

Vermont History ExpoMusicians, authors, genealogists, crafters and other professionals offer workshops, parades, Civil War reenactments, performances and demonstrations. Over 100 local historical societies and 50 museum and heritage organizations expound on the theme of Vermont in the Civil War. Above, photo by Jack Rowell.10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tunbridge World’s Fairgrounds. 479-8505 or ver-monthistory.org/expo. Event continues Sunday, June 17.Poets’ and Writers’ ReadingWith Charles Barasch and Diane Swan. Open reading follows.11 a.m. Cutler Library, Route 2, Plainfield. Free. 454-8504 or cutlerlibrary.org. Event happens every third Saturday.Relax and De-Stress With Food and MassageWith Sarah Shapiro of Greenheart Massage and Lisa Masé of Harmonized Cookery. Learn how massage and food choices can support deep relaxation. Practice massage, taste samples and take home recipes. Find ease in your body and improve your digestion.

1–2:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 member/owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] GroupWith Mary Anna Abuzahra. Track the moon cycle in your astro-logical natal chart, gain self-awareness and learn a helpful way to study astrology.2 p.m. Private office, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. $10–$20. Preregis-tration required; contact Mary Anna, 272-0827. Event repeats July 14, August 11 and September 15.Shape-Note SingIan Smiley leads tunes from The Sacred Harp. All welcome; no experience necessary. 6:30–8 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. By dona-tion. Ian, 229-4008 or [email protected]. Event hap-pens every first and third Saturday.Contra DanceAll dances taught; no partner necessary. All ages welcome. Bring soft-soled shoes.8–11 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northfield Street), Berlin. $8. 744-6163 or capitalcitygrange.org. Event happens every first, third and fifth Saturday.

Scrag Mountain Music: The Madrigal ProjectSee Friday, June 15, for description: note change in venue. Recep-tion follows. Above, members of the ensemble.8 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. By donation. scragmountainmusic.org. Concert repeats Sunday, June 17.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17Hike with the Green Mountain Club, Montpelier SectionModerate 8-mile hike on Killington to Pico Camp and Churchill Scott Shelter.Contact leader Ken Hertz, 229-4737 or [email protected], for meeting time and place.Contact Improv Class and JamLearn to cultivate your awareness and listening skills, find ease in your movements and safely move with other people. Accessible to all levels of skill and mobility.10–11 a.m., class; 11–noon, open jam. $5–$10 sliding scale class and jam, $3–$5 jam only. Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio, 18 Langdon Street (third floor), Montpelier. 318-3927.Vermont History ExpoSee Saturday, June 16, for description.Market DayFloating Bridge Food and Farms Co-op’s first farmers’ market of the year. Live music, picnicking and swimming in Sunset Lake. Farm-fresh lunch available.Noon–4 p.m. Old Town Hall, Brookfield. Free. floatingbridge foodandfarms.com.Scrag Mountain Music: The Madrigal ProjectSee Friday, June 15, for description: note change in venue. Recep-tion follows.8 p.m. Warren Town Hall. By donation. scragmountainmusic.org.

MONDAY, JUNE 18Learn about Homeshare NowOne-on-one appointments with program staff of Homeshare Now. Learn how you can find someone safe and compatible to share your home, saving time and money and improving your quality of life.10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. 46 Barre Street, Montpelier. Free. Sign up at 223-2518.Plainfield Book Club6:30 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plainfield. Free. 454-8504 or cutlerlibrary.org. Event happens every third Monday.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19Winooski River Sojourn Paddle almost the entire length of the Winooski river. Evening talks by Vermont river scientists, historians and naturalists on the natural and human history of the watershed are open to the public.June 19–24. Paddle for one day or all six. Register at 882-8276 or winooskiriver.org.How To Apply Horse Sense to Lead ChangeWith Lucinda Newman, certified equine guided educator. Learn how horse leadership parallels human self-leadership and impacts social dynamics, and how you can apply these core elements to leading change in your life. Dress for the weather.5–6:30 p.m. Horses & Pathfinders, Moretown; contact Hunger Mountain Coop for carpooling info. Free for co-op member/own-ers, $10 nonmembers. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] County Stamp Club MeetingBuying, selling, swapping, conversation and new summer auction. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.; meeting at 7:30 p.m. First Baptist Church, School Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-2953.Waterbury Community Band Concert in the ParkSee Tuesday, June 12, for description; today’s concert at Waterbury Center Park.Village Harmony Alumni ConcertSee Sunday, June 10, for description; note change in time and venue.7:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Suggested donation $10 adults, $5 students and seniors. 426-3210.Songwriters’ Showcase in AdamantFeaturing original music by Karl Bissex, Kevin Macneil Brown, Brian Clark, Ben Koenig, Jessamine Levine, Erika Mitchell and Linda Young. 7:30 p.m. Adamant Community Club. By donation.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20Mindful Business Success Circle Networking GroupFor service professionals and small-business owners working to make a difference in their communities and the world. Thirty minutes of optional sitting meditation, followed by an hour of networking and one-on-one connection with peers.10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Shambhala Center, 64 Main Street (third floor), Montpelier. Free. RSVP at 225-5960. Event happens every third Wednesday.Enjoy the Wonders of FungiWith Eric Swanson of Vermush. See Swanson’s recent pictures and projects and learn how to culture and grow mycelium into fungi. Everyone will bring home their own oyster mushroom spawn.5–7 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. $10 member/owners, $12 nonmembers. Register at 223-8004, ext. 202, or [email protected] Essential Oils for Summertime First Aid SupportLearn how essential oils are a great addition to your first-aid kit, whether for cuts, blisters, bruises, bites, stings or repellents.

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 14

Live MusicBAGITOS28 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows 6–8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 229-9212 or bagitos.com.Every SaturdayIrish/Celtic session with Sarah Blair, Hillary Farrington Koehler and Benedict Koehler, 2–5 p.m.Every WednesdayAcoustic blues jam with the Usual SuspectsFriday, June 8Poor Howard (blues)Saturday, June 9The Wild Things with Jeff ParrySunday, June 10Sunday brunch with Gabe Sequiera, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesday, June 12Open mic (second and fourth Tuesdays), 7–9 p.m.

Thursday, June 14Jeff Parry and Alison PorterFriday, June 15Bad Mr. Frosty presents Scott GravesSaturday, June 16Clancy HarrisSunday, June 17Sunday brunch with Art Herttua, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.Thursday, June 21Big Hat, No Cattle

BIG PICTURE THEATER48 Carroll Road (just off Route 100), Waitsfield. Most shows by donation. 496-8994 or bigpicture theater.info.Wednesday, June 20Valley Night with Folk by AssociationThursday, June 21Dr. Sketchy’s Beach Blanket Bingo and Solstice Party

CHARLIE O’S70 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-6820.Every TuesdayKaraoke

Friday, June 8The Wards, Astrocat and Kiki’s Lost Nation (punk rock)Friday, June 15Spit Jack (punk rock)Saturday, June 16Torpedo Rodeo and the Icepicks (surf)

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

FRESH TRACKS FARM 4373 Route 12, Berlin. 223-1151 or [email protected], June 8Colin McCaffrey, 6–9 p.m.Friday, June 15Folk by Association, 6–9 p.m.

NECI ON MAIN: THE CELLAR118 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows 6–9 p.m., no cover. 223-3188 or necidining.com.Thursday, June 14High-Low Jack (old-time/vintage/Celtic)

Thursday, June 28Miles and Murphy (jazz guitar duo)

NUTTY STEPH’S CHOCOLATERIERoute 2, Middlesex. All shows 7–10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 229-2090 or nuttystephs.com.Every ThursdayBacon Thursdays, hot music and live conversa-tion, 6 p.m.–midnight

SKINNY PANCAKE89 Main Street, Montpelier. 262-2253 or skinnypancake.com.Every SundayOld-time sessions with Katie Trautz and friends, 4–6 p.m. (intermediate to advanced players welcome to sit in)Sunday, June 10Laura Mae Socks and Jon Bertrand (country/Cajun)Sunday, June 17The Concrete Rivals (surf/rock)

SUBMIT YOUR [email protected].


Weekly EventsACTIVISMWeekly General Assembly for Occupy Central Vermont Saturdays, 3–5 p.m. Outside City Hall, Montpe-lier; rain location Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Agen-das and locations at occupycentralvt.org. Heather, [email protected].

BICYCLINGOpen Shop NightsHave questions or a bike to donate, or need help with a bike repair? Come visit the volunteer-run community bike shop.Mondays and Wednesdays, 5–7 p.m. Tuesdays, 6–8 p.m. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre Street, Montpe-lier. By donation. 552-3521 or freeridemontpelier.org.Weekly Rides at Onion River SportsCome in proper physical condition depending on ride, bring water and a snack and dress appropri-ately for weather. Helmets required. Anyone under 15 must be accompanied by an adult; anyone under 18 must have a signed parental permission form. MondaysCyclocross Cruise, 6 p.m., 1- to 2-hour, moder-ate, casual cyclocross ride, climbing and descend-ing beautiful dirt roadsTuesdaysCycling 101 with Linda Freeman, 5:30 p.m., all levels welcomeWednesdaysMountain Bike Ride, 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., interme-diate to advanced rides on different area trails each week; for carpooling and more information, e-mail [email protected] Onion River Racing Wednesday Night World Championships, 5:30 p.m., fast ride with town line sprints and competitions for bragging rights, route announced at ride time; onionriverracing.comThursdaysOnion River Racing Thursday Night Nationals, 5:30 p.m., pace is zone 1 and 2, no-drop ride, route announced at ride time; onionriverracing.com.

BOOKS★ Ongoing Reading GroupImprove your reading and share some good books. Books chosen by group.Thursdays, 9–10 a.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State Street. No meetings July 26 and August 2. 223-3403.

CRAFTSBeaders GroupAll levels of beading experience welcome. Free instruction available. Come with a project for creativity and community. Saturdays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plain-field. 454-1615.

FOOD★ Capital City Farmers MarketOn June 9: tasting and demo of fresh salads and dressings with NECI and live music by Phineas Gage. Vegetables, milk, cheese, eggs, meat, maple syrup, fine crafts, prepared foods, plants and more. Live music and demos all summer. Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. 60 State Street (corner of State and Elm ), Montpelier. Through October 27. Carolyn, 223-2958 or manager@montpelierfarmers market.com. Gospel Brunch: A Community MealAll-you-can-eat buffet. Drinks available for pur-chase from both Red Hen and Nutty Steph’s. Sundays, 10 a.m.–2 pm. Nutty Steph’s and Red Hen Baking Company, Route 2, Middlesex. $10 adult, $5 children 12 and under. nuttystephs.com.

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

HEALTHFree HIV TestingVermont CARES offers fast oral testing.Thursdays, 1–4 p.m. 58 East State Street, suite 3 (entrance at the back), Montpelier. vtcares.org.

KIDS & TEENSThe Basement Teen CenterCable TV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and fun events for teenagers.Monday–Thursday, 3–6 p.m.; Friday, 3–11 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-9151.★ Story Time at the Waterbury Public LibraryOn hiatus: summer storytime starts June 25.Mondays, age 18–36 months. Wednesdays, age 0–18 months. Fridays, age 3–6 years. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free. 244-7036.Library Activities for Kids• Story time, Tuesdays, Wednedays and Fridays,

10:30–11:30 a.m.• Crafts, first Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.• Games, second Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.• Lego club, third Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.• Teen Advisory Group meeting, fourth Tues-

days, 3:30 p.m.• Chess club, Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. (call Rob-

ert, 229-1207, for info) • Young Adult Nights (games, movies, food,

crafting and more for youth age 10–17), third Fridays, 6–9 p.m.

Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. 223-4665.Youth GroupGames, movies, snacks and music.Mondays, 7–9 p.m. Church of the Crucified One, Route 100, Moretown. 496-4516.Story Time and PlaygroupStory time: for children age 0–6. Playgroup: story, art, song, nature activities and cooperative games. Dress for the weather.Story time: Mondays, 10 a.m. Playgroup: Wednes-days, 10–11:30 a.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marshfield. 426-3581 or [email protected].★ Summer Storytime With Bill Palin. Stories, critters, crafts and snack,Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Ainsworth Public Library, Main Street, Williamstown. June 13–27. 433-5887 or ainsworthpubliclibrary.wordpress.com.Cub Capers Storytime and SongsFor children age 3–5 and their families.Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. Children’s room, Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Street, Montpelier. 229-0774.Morning PlaygroupStorytelling inspired by seasonal plants, fruits and herbs with in-house astrologer Mary Anna Abuzahra, plus crafts, games and activities. Walk follows. All ages welcome.Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. [email protected] Story TimeTales in American Sign Language, plus monthly special events with native speakers. Tuesdays, 3 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plainfield. Free. 454-8504 or cutlerlibrary.org.Story Time at Onion River KidsOutdoor adventure tales and childhood classics.Sundays, 10:30 a.m. 7 Langdon Street, Montpelier. 223-6025.

LANGUAGE★ English Conversation Practice Group For students learning English for the first time.Tuesdays, 4–5 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State Street. No meetings July 24 and 31. Sarah, 223-3403.Lunch in a Foreign LanguageBring lunch and practice your language skills with neighbors.Noon–1 p.m. Mondays, Hebrew. Tuesdays, Italian. Wednesdays, Spanish. Thursdays, French. Fridays, German. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Mont-pelier. 223-3338.

MUSICSing With the Barre TonesWomen’s a cappella chorus.Mondays, 6:30 p.m. Alumni Hall (second floor), near Barre Auditorium. 223-2039 or [email protected].

SPIRITUALITYChristian ScienceGod’s love meeting human needs.Reading room: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Tuesdays, 5–8 p.m.; and Wednesdays, 5–7:15 p.m. Testimony meeting: Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30 p.m., nursery available. Worship service: Sundays, 10:30–11:30 a.m., Sunday school and nursery available. 145 State Street, Montpelier. 223-2477.Deepening Our Jewish RootsFun, engaging text study and discussion on Jew-ish spirituality.Sundays, 4:45–6:15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center, Montpelier. Rabbi Tobie Weisman, 223-0583 or [email protected] Meditation GroupPeople of all faiths welcome.Mondays, noon–1 p.m. Christ Church, Montpelier. Regis, 223-6043.Shambhala Buddhist MeditationInstruction available. All welcome.Sundays, 10 a.m.–noon, and Wednesdays, 6–7 p.m. Program and discussion follow Wednesday meditation. Shambhala Center, 64 Main Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-5137.Zen MeditationWednesdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. 174 River Street, Montpelier. Call Tom for orientation, 229-0164. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.

SPORTSRoller Derby Open Recruitment and Recreational Practice Central Vermont’s Wrecking Doll Society invites quad skaters age 18 and up to try out the action. No experience necessary. Equipment provided: first come, first served.Saturdays, 5–6:30 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre Street. First skate free. centralvermontrollerderby.com.Coed Adult Floor Hockey Equipment provided.Sundays, 3–5 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Center, Barre Street. $5. 363-1531, bmfloorhockey@gmail .com or vermontfloorhockey.com.

YOGASliding-Scale Yoga ClassesWith Lydia Russell-McDade. Weaving in sea-sonal poetry and myth, these intermediate-level classes help you build strength and flexibility while learning safe postural alignment. Mondays, 5:30–6:45 p.m., River House Yoga, Plainfield. $5–$20 suggested donation. saprema-yoga.com.Rhythmic Flow Vinyasa With Lori Flower. Outdoor practice if weather permits.Tuesdays, 6–7:15 p.m. All Together Now, East Montpelier. Through the summer; no class June 12 or 19. $5–$15 suggested donation. 324-1737 or sattvayoga.wordpress.com.★ indicates new or revised listing

6–7:30 p.m. Aldrich Library, Barre. Sherry, 479-3223, or [email protected] Herb Walk with Annie ReedEver wonder what you would do if you were stuck in the woods with nothing to eat? Learn about edible plants on a solstice eve-ning plant walk. For children and adults of all ages. 6:30 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marshfield. 426-3581 or [email protected] Convergence Kickoff with James Howard Kunstler The novelist and author of the peak oil classic The Long Emergency talks about how resource scarcity will compel us to reorganize life differently in the U.S.7 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. vbc-vt.org.Capital Band ConcertSee Wednesday, June 13, for description.Summer Concerts in Barre: Starline Rhythm BoysSee Wednesday, June 13, for time and location information.Ecstatic DanceFreestyle boogie with DJ using Gabrielle Roth’s mediative dance form, 5Rhythms.7–9 p.m. Worcester Town Hall, corner of Elmore Road and Calais Road. $5–$10 donation. Fearn, 505-8011 or [email protected]. Event happens every first and third Wednesday, and fourth Wednesdays at the Plainfield Community Center.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21Central Vermont Community Meeting on Disability IssuesDiscuss Medicaid and Medicare and make birthday cards for the 22nd birthday of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Light refreshments provided1–3 p.m. Vermont Center for Independent Living, 11 East State Street, Montpelier. Alaina, 800-639-1522. Event happens every third Thursday.Celebration of Student Achievement at Central Vermont Adult Basic Education5–7 p.m. Montpelier Learning Center, 100 State Street.Science of Mind PrinciplesStudy group for inquiring minds of all faiths.6–8 p.m. Universal Rivers of Life, 28 East State Street, Suite 4 (second floor), Montpelier. 223-3427 or [email protected]. Event happens every first and third Thursday.Bookmaking at the Drawing BoardMake a book to record your summer trips and events. Bring items to decorate the cover, if you like; everything else provided.6–9 p.m. The Drawing Board, 22 Main Street, Montpelier. $35 materials fee. Register at 223-2902. drawingboardvt.com.Third Thursday Travel Talk6:30 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plainfield. Free. 454-8504 or cutlerlibrary.org. Event happens every third Thursday.Songwriters’ MeetingMeeting of the Northern VT/NH chapter of the Nashville Song-writers Association International. Bring copies of your work.

6:45 p.m. Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury. John, 633-2204. Event happens every third Thursday.Clean Slate QuizAssemble your best small team, and enjoy food and drink service outside on the patio while you play a dynamic trivia game!7 p.m. Clean Slate Cafe, 107 State Street, Montpelier. Free. 225-6166 or [email protected] Convergence: Summer Celebration Potluck Community celebration with a potluck, music, performances and bonfire.7 p.m. All Together Now, East Montpelier. Events continue June 22 and 23; see the June 21 Bridge calendar for more details or visit vbc-vt.org.

REGISTER AHEAD FOR:Vermont Boating Safety CourseEveryone age 11–38 is required to take this course before operat-ing a motor boat in Vermont. Learn about safety equipment, navi-gation rules and Vermont boating laws. Bring lunch, paper, pencil and a 36-inch-long piece of soft 5/16-inch-thick rope.9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., July 1 and 2. Groton State park nature center. Free; registration required by June 22. Jim, 479-2400 or 584-3878.

UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 13

SUBMIT YOUR [email protected]


ClassesOUTDOORSWILDERNESS RETREATS FOR ADULTS What in your life is calling you? A Women’s Quest in the Wilderness, July 7–14; Wilder-ness Rites of Passage for Men and Women, July 21-29. Both in Northern Vermont. For informa-tion and registration contact Fran Weinbaum, vermontwildernessrites.com, [email protected] or 249-7377.

TWO-DAY WORKSHOP: EQUINE-GUIDED EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP PRESENCEFriday and Saturday, June 29 and 30. Get a framework, tool kit and laboratory of experiences for your own authentic professional leadership. No horse experience necessary; all activities are ground-based. Horses & Pathfi nders Center for Equine Guided Education, Leadership and Coaching in Moretown. Registration and info at 223-1903, info@horsesandpathfi nders.com or horsesandpathfi nders.com.

T’AI CHISUMMER CLASS IN HWA YU STYLE T’AI CHI Begins Monday, June 11, at 64 Main Street, Montpelier, third fl oor. No prior experience nec-

essary; beginners welcome. Instructor Ellie Hayes has been practicing and teaching t’ai chi since 1974. For info and to preregister, call Ellie at 456-1983. Registration deadline Sunday, June 10.

WRITINGWRITING COACHAre you struggling with beginning, continu-ing, fi nishing? Do you need tools and rules to keep you working from concept to completion? Art really is long, and life really short. WRITE NOW is what we have. Th irty years writing and coaching writers in all genres. Free consultation. [email protected], 225-6415.

ClassifiedsREAL ESTATEARTIST, MUSICIAN SPACEStudios available this spring in assorted sizes at 46 Barre Street (site of Monteverdi and Summit School). Reserve your space and become a part of the Montpelier area’s center for the arts, learning and music. For details, call Paul Irons at 223-2120 or 461-6222.

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

PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHINGInterior and exterior painting, metal roof paint-ing, pressure-washing and decks. Free estimates. Frank DeSalvo 752-9470

STUFF FOR SALEENTERTAINMENT CENTERSolid cherry, 3-piece, wall-unit entertainment center, (holds up to a 42-inch TV). Intricate carving on all sides. New $5,000, asking $1,600. Excellent condition. Total height is 8 feet, 3 inches. See it at T&T Repeats, 116 Main Street, Montpelier, or call 224-1360.

TWO BEAN BAG CHAIRS With zippered 100-percent cotton covers. Comfy and in good shape. $50 for both. Call 223-4865.

FLATSCREEN TV & CD/DVD PLAYERHDMI fl atscreen TV and Memorex DVD/CD player. 19 inches. $120. Call 223-4865.

BEHRINGER KEYBOARDUltra-slim 25-key USB MIDI controller key-board with internal audio interface, includes software and carrying case. Nearly new, used only once. $90. Call 223-4865.

NORDIC TRACK SKIER In good condition. $60. Call 371-9152.

THRIFT STOREST&T REPEATSBikes, name-brand clothes, small household fur-niture and more. 116 Main Street, Montpelier, or call 224-1360.

TRINITY COMMUNITY THRIFT STORETuesdays and Th ursdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Satur-days, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street (use rear entrance), Montpelier. 229-9155 or [email protected].

Mature, responsible couple looking to rent furnished home or apt with 2+ bdrms from Oct. 2012 thru Feb 2013, in Montpelier. Fly south and enjoy the winter while we take good care of your home. Contact Benjamin at slosheriff @gmail.com.

ESCAPE NEXT WINTER!

Moving to Burlington?Consider Burlington Co-Housing — a diverse multi-income, multi-generational com-munity in a great location (near Centennial Woods, UVM, the hospital, and free downtown

shuttle). The East Village Co-housing community values sustain-ability, and offers the privacy of your own home, extensive common space and many other activities. For info, see www.bcoho.org.

Available: 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse, +1100 square feet of living space, front porch, sunny back deck, and full basement: $314.900. For info about the unit, contact Don Schramm, 802-399-2493 or Chet Bielawski, [email protected].

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Healthy Aging & Lifelong Learning at Montpelier Senior Activity Center • Register Now for July–Sept. Classes

New classes include: Digital Photogra-phy, Floral Arranging, Intro to Pastels, Ballroom Dancing

Ongoing classes include: Painting, Qi Gong, Spanish, Writing, Poetry, Latin, Aerodance, Line Dancing, Living Strong Exercise, Tap Dance, 9 diff erent Yoga, Water Aerobics, Rug Hooking

On-site games/groups (free): Billiards, Bridge, Mah Jongg, Knitting.

Off-site discounted activities: Swimming and Gym at First in Fitness, Bowling.

Call, email or stop by to become a mem-ber if you’re at least 50 (dues $10–$40 de-pending on residency) and register for classes. See website for application, registration form with fees, class listings, full newsletter and calendar. montpelier-vt.org/msac, [email protected], 223-2518.

Weʼre moving back

to 58 Barre Street!

Montpelier Notice

City of MontpelierNotice of Availability of Statement of Activities for Public Review and Comment

The City of Montpelier is considering making an application to the United States Department of Rural Development for a Housing Preservation Grant. Grant funds would be used to fund the City’s home renovation loan program. The Statement of Activities for the project will be available for review by the public at the Department of Planning and Community Development Offi ce on June 9, 2012. Any comments regarding this application should be delivered to the Planning and Community Development Offi ce by June 25, 2012. For more information, please see our website: montpelier-vt.org.


The Montpelier School PagesThese pages were paid for by the Montpelier Public Schools and compiled by Richard Sheir.

Thank You to Retiring StaffJon McDonald—Union Elementary

For me, it is hard to imagine teaching physi-cal education to elementary students, apply-ing structure and rules to unfettered energy. I would apply a physics analogy about harness-ing the direction of energy if one came to mind. Jon’s job requires the patience of a saint; fortunately, it’s a trait he contains in abun-dance. He has worked wonders for years and years of Union students.

Britt Nielsen and Nancy Thein—Union Elementary

Britt and Nancy teach ELL at Union El-ementary. Year after year they are presented a veritable United Nations platter of languages without knowledge of many of them. Yet, year after year, they turn out students who become capable of learning in English. They made a movie about Anne Sullivan that won an Academy Award for Anne Bancroft for her portrayal from the Broadway play that won a Tony for Anne Bancroft as well. Britt and Nancy are not in Anne Sullivan territory, but their job is really tough to do.

Alexis Murphy-Egri—Main Street Middle School

For a lesser person, being the choral teacher at Main Street Middle School could be the job from hell: the music teacher for students liv-ing in an age of beats and rhymes with scant melody. Alexis makes it work. She not only teaches melody, but, even more impressive, gets a group of kids at the age when they ag-gressively struggle to be individuals to actually see the value of harmonizing together. That’s no easy task.

Nick Fischer—Main Street Middle School

Nick is an instructional assistant in all three sixth-grade classes at Main Street Middle School. His job is to make the transition to

middle school successful for all and to pre-pare all for the rigors of the seventh/eighth experience. Nick’s contribution has been the extra touch that makes Main Street less foreboding and less overwhelming and more human for our sixth-graders. The work of our instructional assistants isn’t in the limelight as it should be. Nick and the others do a great job—just ask any teacher. When asked, they go on and on about it.

Karen Smereka—Montpelier High School

I asked a Montpelier High School student how she would summarize Karen Smereka in one sentence. Her studied response was “As a teacher . . . think a female Tom Sabo.” I thought long and hard about whether Karen would find that to be a compliment. Tom has been Vermont Teacher of the Year and has long been a widely popular MHS teacher. I believe that student’s comparison is a high compliment and speaks volumes about the strength of MHS’s science program to have had both on board as colleagues.

Neil Rosenblad—Montpelier High School

Neil’s crown accomplishment is the creation and perpetuation of the Unified Sports Pro-gram, which has been in existence for over 15 years. It pairs disabled and nondisabled students in five athletic endeavors—soccer, bowling, basketball, snowshoeing and bocce. I would maintain, for a number of reasons, that the nondisabled actually benefit more from Unified Sports. Neil’s program changes lives and is not soon forgotten by both disabled and nondisabled participants.

Devin Wendell—Montpelier High School

An athletic coordinator/trainer at Montpe-lier High School, Devin helped set up from

scratch the school’s student sports safety pro-gram, which is designed to prevent injuries before they happen. It is truly a thankless task coordinating a wide range of competitive ath-letic opportunities for an extremely small stu-dent body. It’s a scheduling nightmare.

Jody and David McGraw—Montpelier High School

I debated whether to do them together or separately. David is part of Montpelier High School’s excellent science department and Jody is part of the school’s very strong math depart-ment. Their tribute is that students don’t refer to them collectively, though everyone knows they are married. Each has a distinct teaching style apart from the other. Each is quite effec-tive in his/her realm. They are a team, before and after school . . . and beyond.

Jessica Little—superintendent’s office

The superintendent’s office is divided into only six divisions—curriculum/instruction/as-sessment, business, facilities, information tech-nology, food services, and support services. Jessica holds up support services, one-sixth of the district’s administrative structure. Her powers and influence are vast and in the back-ground. Her position is like the offensive line-man in football. If you don’t hear her name called, that’s probably a good thing. The staff at the three schools can’t do their jobs effec-tively unless Jessica has set the groundwork for doing so. You don’t hear a great deal of praise for Jessica’s work because it is like clockwork that is taken for granted, which is high praise.

Allison Reilly—superintendent’s office

Allison is an important component in the district’s business office. Her work makes the life of her boss, Cynthia Rossi, far easier. Al-lison handles the district’s accounts receivable, the student activity accounts and insurance and benefits for the district, as well as the dreaded “other duties as assigned.” I keep up with the school board meetings, and it is a tribute to Allison’s diligence that I can’t ever remember Cynthia stumbling on insurance and benefits—the linchpin of union negotia-tions with teachers, year after year. Cynthia’s preparation is due to Allison’s diligence.

—Richard Sheir

Peter Evans—Montpelier High School

In conjunction with the release of the movie Bully, I was invited to sit on a panel to discuss the issue. I was asked a direct question about bullying at Montpelier High School. The

fact that there was nothing to say on MHS bullying is a direct tribute to Peter Evans. It’s not the result of MHS’s zero tolerance policy on bullying. The school’s culture of mutual respect makes bullying a nonissue at my school. The establishment of a culture of mutual respect begins in the principal’s office. Peter Evans has set high expectations for his students in terms of civility. Every day, collectively, we rise to meet those expectations, and, individually, we are the better for it. His retirement leaves large shoes to fill.

—Gabe Sheir, Montpelier High School student council vice-president


The Montpelier School PagesThese pages were paid for by the Montpelier Public Schools and compiled by Richard Sheir.

Gabriel AllenSkidmore College, environmental studies

Kyle Anderson AndresenUniversity of New Hampshire

Samuel Angellwork—permaculture

Valeshka Anlyan HunterUniversity of Vermont, early childhood education

Walter BaldwinCastleton State

Sky Baumgardner SandovalGreen Mountain College

Andrew BeckerCase Western Reserve University, chemistry

Ashley Benedictnot available

Andrea BlanchetUniversity of Vermont, education/social services

Grace BrighamEndicott College, communications

Rhye BrittenhamSan Francisco Art Institute, photography

Andrew BrooksJohnson & Wales University, culinary arts

Mary CainSalve Regina University, marketing

Marley CarlomagnoLoyola New Orleans, vocal performance classical

Dakota CookeCastleton State College, music

Michael Cossettwork

William Coxnot available

Joshua CraneUniversity of Colorado, engineering

Colby CunninghamUniversity of Vermont, undeclared

Matthew DowlingSiena College, physical therapy

Corey EvansUniversity of Vermont, biology

Qiying FengUniversity of Vermont, education

Jay FlanaganColby Sawyer College, physical therapy

Jessica FranklinNational Guard

Stasia FurberWheaton College, undecided/psychology

Daegan GoodmanSt. Michael’s College

Chloe GordonUniversity of Delaware

Jaye GrundyGettysburg College, biochemistry

Sara GrundyWesleyan University, biology

Ryan HarringtonJohnson State College, journalism/political science

Anna HartmanMt. Holyoke

Evan HollarVassar College

Emily-Amber HolmesLock Haven University, English/writing

Brittney Jamesfull-time mother

Jarred Julianautomotive technical school

Julian KasowColumbia College of Chicago, f ilm

Zion KeckMichigan State University

Briana LaPanwork/college courses

Grayson Lavignework

Joel MensahClarkson University, engineering

Armin MilakUniversity of Vermont, business

Kyle Moriartywork—Green Mountain Self Advocates

Jordan MuretaUniversity of Vermont, undeclared

Cyndric Mygattwork and CCV/MIT distance courses, environmental science/business

Elizabeth NyeCollege of St. Joseph in Vermont

Arlo PattersonRegis College, undeclared

Kyle PembrokeSt. Michael’s College

Natalie PowellCornell College (Iowa)

Doryana RobinsSt. Michael’s College

Naomi Rodriguezwork/college courses

Benjamin RosePenn State University, engineering

Patrick SchlottVermont Technical College

Gabe Sheirgap year—Key Largo, Montego, to Kokomo

Jesse Smithwork

Morgan SouthgateHampshire College

Alexander StoreyCastleton State College

Jessica SweeneySt. Michael’s College, undeclared

Amelia PanPan ThomasAmerican University

Lauren TomasiSacred Heart University, exercise science

Aysha TuthillBarre Technical Center

Carl VitzthumColby College, biochemistry

Ryan Wellsgap year/work

Congratulations, Class of 2012!

. . . In addition to the education and guidance I received from the wonder-ful teachers and staff, my time in the Montpelier school system has given me a strong sense of com-munity through the school’s con-nections to Montpelier. One of my fondest memories from elementary school is of Dairy Day. Every year our teachers would herd my whole grade (60 to 70 screaming kids—quite an accomplishment in and of itself) down to the State House lawn, where we would mingle, play games, such as the burlap sack race, and learn about cows. I remember Dairy Day so vividly because I learned from it; now I know how to milk a cow. This is a great example of what the MPS system does well: we get lots of op-portunities to go into the community and learn. We’ve taken class field trips to composting centers, and the IBM facilities, and, in about a week, the se-nior class will go to Waterbury to help in the cleaning efforts.

—Carl Vitzthum, valedictorian

. . . I have lived in Montpelier and have attended the local schools here for my entire life, and it has been such an amazing experience. The inspiring people and supportive com-munity make Montpelier a wonderful place to grow up. Throughout my school career all of my teachers have been able to challenge me intellectu-ally while still making the material interesting, which is no easy feat. However, what really stands out about the staff in the Montpelier school district is their commitment to their students. On numerous occasions teachers have rearranged their schedules just to give me the ad-ditional help that I need, whether it’s asking last-minute questions on the morning before an exam, scheduling after-school review sessions or agree-ing to meet with me during one of their planning periods. Without their determination to see me succeed, I know I would never have been able accomplish all that I did.

—Chloe Gordon, valedictorian

. . . For the past 12 years the Mont-pelier community has supported and nurtured my graduating class and for that I would like to say thank you. Our school is often praised for its high level of education, and we owe a lot of that to the commu-nity behind us. From the support shown at sporting events to taking a student under its wing for an intern-ship, the community is always there. Whenever the strengths of Montpelier High School are discussed, one of the first ones mentioned is the support we get from our town. For the past 12 years we have been the benefactors of this amazing support, and for that we would like to say thank you.

—Joshua Crane, valedictorian


by Alisa Darmstadt

Everyone who has too much room at home, raise your hand! That’s what I thought—most people have the op-

posite problem of not enough space. While feeling cramped at home is no fun, there are advantages to small-space living. There is less to clean and maintain, you are forced to reduce your belongings to the ones that mat-ter most, and your home can be intimate and cozy. However, making a small space work, both functionally and aesthetically, requires some careful planning.

There are some basic design principles that can help small spaces feel bigger. Most people think that darker wall colors make a space feel smaller, yet this is not necessarily true. Contrast makes a space feel smaller while continuous use of one color will make a space feel larger. The type of color matters as well—cool colors appear to recede, while warmer colors advance. Simpler patterns, less clutter, and well coordinated art and acces-sories will also enlarge a room.

Light is a great friend in making spaces larger. Window coverings must be pulled off the glass in the day for maximum natural light. An interior window or set of transoms will help light flow from one space to another. Be sure each room has an adequate amount of artificial lights via fixtures and lamps. Finally, hang mirrors. They reflect light and bounce it around the room, especially when placed to catch natural light from a window. They can also serve as a faux window to bring light to far reaches of a room.

While new upholstered seating tends to be wider, deeper and plusher than ever before, you can find small-scale sofas and chairs to suit your space. Avoid tall backs, huge rolled arms and piles of pillows for back cushions. Inquire about apartment-sized sofas, which are typically 6 to 8 inches smaller than reg-ular sofas. Club, barrel and slipper chairs are all good choices in small spaces. Dining

chairs with upholstered seats and backs are useful tucked in a corner or at a desk; they can then be pulled up for gatherings.

Instead of a coffee table, consider pair-ing two square tables. Upholstered otto-mans serve as both foot rests and table tops. All of your occasional tables should provide some kind of storage—drawers, cupboards or a shelf for baskets. Ottomans and an-tique trunks are useful as tables; they can also store bedding, if the space doubles as a guest room, or paperwork, if a home office is nearby. Take advantage of vertical space by reaching shelving to the ceiling or ringing the room with a single, high bookshelf just below the ceiling.

In bedrooms, select dressers that are taller rather than wider. Platform beds are excel-lent choices because of all their built-in stor-age. Forgo head- and footboards. Instead, create the effect of a headboard by accent-ing the wall with peel-and-stick wall decals, hanging drapes there or using framed art as a substitute. Or, if you have nice windows, use those as your headboard. A trunk or blanket chest at the foot of the bed provides storage and some definition to that space.

A nightstand should offer storage opportu-nities just like the end tables in a living room. You can even use a small dresser or desk here and get extra use out of it. You may not have room for a chaise lounge, but how about one of those upholstered dining chairs? If you like a television in your bedroom, attach one to the wall to free up floor and dresser space (this is a great idea in living rooms, too).

One useful piece of furniture anywhere in your home is a narrow sofa table. While these are typically placed behind sofas to hold lamps and other accessories, they can also be used as desks, serving buffets, hall tables and television stands. Placed behind a sofa in an open living space, they can serve many purposes from one spot. Tables with leaves are invaluable furniture purchases as well. Secretary desks (where the front folds down) are great clutter hiders as well as extra serving surfaces for parties.

We all dream of more space, where we can spread out. But living in a small space forces us to simplify, organize and be clever. And there are advantages to that—we can free up time and energy for other pursuits. So, sort your belongings down to what you re-ally need, decorate smart and control clutter. Who knows? You may find you like living large in a small space.

Alisa Darmstadt is an interior decorator and the owner of At Home Designs. She works out of her home in Middlesex and can be reached at 223-2900 or athomedesignsvt.com. She welcomes questions, suggestions and service inquiries.

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THE REAL ESTATE PAGES

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THE REAL ESTATE PAGES

FREE Real Estate Listing! For all for-sale-by-owner

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LAST CHANCE for this special offer! Contact Carl, 223-5112 or

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Nice Family HomeIn Montpelier; 3+ bedrooms, 2½ baths, new custom kitchen, many improvements, pellet fi replace insert, large fi nished family room in basement, ap-proximately ½ acre. $239,000 negotiable. Matt, 223-5583.

3-Bedroom, 2-Bath960 sq ft house built in 2002. Purchase, rent, and rent-to-own options available for quali-fi ed candidates. Take a virtual tour at exactbuilt.com/apt.htm. 899-1147.

Montpelier 3-Bedroom$259,000. 2 bathrooms. 2-car garage, deck. New roof. One block from College of Fine Arts Green. Walk to work, schools, stores, restaurants. Hardwood fl oors. Quiet street. [email protected], 4edwardsmyblog.wordpress.com.

Clean-out and truck for hire. Call T&T Repeats at 224-1360.

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Charming Old Cape3 blocks from State House; acre of land, backs up on hundreds of acres of undevelopable for-est. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, huge kitchen. Open house Satur-day, June 16, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. $279,000. 279-5816.

Cascading WaterfallMassive stone grist-mill. Com-fortable, charming Marshfi eld historic river home is spa-cious and well cared for with hardwood fl oors and natural woodwork. Sunroom, beauti-ful perennials, end of road . . . $174,900. Marlene at McCarty Real Estate, 229-9479.

Spacious Stone HomeTh ree-bedroom, one-level living on 3.4 acres in East Montpelier. . . Location . . . LOCATION! Master bedroom with walk-out and bath, fi replaces. BB hot water heat. Quality. In-ground pool, wonderful meadow with VIEWS! $325,000. Marlene at McCarty Real Estate, 229-9479.

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A Million-Dollar ViewFor only $199,500! 2-BR 1.75-ba upstairs fl at condo at Murray Hill. Bright, open layout. Hard-wood fl ooring. Fireplace. Cov-ered deck. Garage plus storage room. Ass’n tennis courts and pool. Immediate occupancy! Lori Pinard, Century 21 Jack Associates, 223-6302, ext. 326.

INVEST-igate Th is One!Mixed-use building in the Cen-tral Business I zoning district in downtown Montpelier. 3 residential apartments and one offi ce/retail storefront. Greatnatural light and mostly ex-posed wood fl ooring. $269,000. Lori Pinard, Century 21 Jack Associates, 223-6302, ext. 326.


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morsefarm.com • 802-223-2740 , seven days a week


Help Fight Invasive PlantsTo the Editor:I am in seventh grade at Main Street

Middle School, and I am studying Japanese knotweed and Japanese barberry in science class. Knotweed is identified as a large pe-rennial with tall, bamboo-like stems and heart-shaped leaves. Barberry is a spiny, red-berried shrub.

Both knotweed and barberry can spread anywhere and can take over the plants that we enjoy. They take over other plants be-cause they are so powerful. They grab the soil from other plants and destroy them by growing in their space. They are found on flat land and by rivers.

We can remove barberry when it is raining. We can pull it up, then throw it in the trash. But do not throw it back on the ground or in the river. We want to remove it because there are more ticks around this plant than around other plants. The ticks spread Lyme disease, which can be dangerous. We can remove knotweed by stomping on it a lot and by using weed killer. Remember to put it in the trash so it does not spread.

I hope you will all help find these invasive plants. When you do, please help the envi-ronment by getting rid of them. Thank you so much for reading this.

—Brooke MacDonald-Powden, Montpelier

Groundwater Management Guidebook Available

To the Editor:In recent years, The Bridge has covered

groundwater issues, in particular a couple of different proposals to commercially with-draw and bottle water from a spring in East Montpelier.

There is now a guidebook available to help Vermont towns understand the options they have for managing and protecting their groundwater.

The book, Municipal Planning for Ground-water Protection: Act 199 and Local Options for Groundwater Management, is free and can be quickly downloaded from the VNRC website, vnrc.org. (Click on the link on the lefthand side of the page.)

The easy-to-digest, 25-page guide, writ-ten for the layperson, summarizes what the 2008 groundwater law, Act 199, means to municipalities and, therefore, to Vermont-ers. Among other things, it outlines several new ways that municipalities may protect groundwater and offers draft groundwater-management language for town plans and bylaws. We hope this guide is helpful.

—Jake Brown, government affairs and communications director,

Vermont Natural Resources Council

Bridge to Host Smart Meter Debate

Recently, two Green Mountain Power (GMP) officials who are promoting so-called “smart meters” and two citizens with concerns about possible health and safety impacts

of these devices met for a discussion in The Bridge office.Dorothy Schnure and Joanne Heidikamp represented GMP. Raising concerns about health

and safety issues were Janet Newton, head of the EMR Policy Institute, and Ray Pealer, a Calais resident who has protested the use of wireless technology in the Calais Elementary School.

Toward the end of the meeting, I put this question to the discussion participants: “Based on your knowledge and understanding of the health and safety issues, would you say that installing smart meters in Montpelier is responsible?”

Schnure and Heidikamp said that, in their judgment, the installation of smart meters was responsible. Newton and Pealer said that, in their judgment, the installation of smart meters was not responsible.

Clearly, there is a wide range of perspectives on the advisability of installing smart meters in Montpelier. According GMP, installation of smart meters in Montpelier is currently going forward and they expect completion in two or three months.

Because of the controversy, The Bridge is sponsoring a public discussion about smart me-ters. This discussion will include two representatives from Green Mountain Power and two representatives with health and safety concerns about smart meters. Allen Gilbert from the Vermont American Civil Liberties Union will talk about smart meters and personal security issues.

The smart meter discussion is set for Wednesday, June 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier.

In this issue, we are publishing three commentaries about smart meters as part of our opin-ion pages. We invite you to read these opinions, printed on pages 22 and 23.

For further information about smart meters from GMP, including information about opt-ing out of smart-meter installation, visit greenmountainpower.com.

For further information from the EMR Policy Institute, visit emrpolicy.org.

A Berlin Pond Alert

As many people know already, a recent Vermont Supreme Court decision has had the effect of opening up Berlin Pond to a range of new recreational uses.

Because Berlin Pond is the water supply for the entire City of Montpelier, it has tradition-ally enjoyed special protections. Now, however, in the wake of the court’s decision, it appears that these protections no longer exist.

Now, distressingly, The Bridge has received a recent report from people who live near Berlin Pond and who have observed a number of troubling circumstances since the decision was announced.

According to the report:Wildlife including many species of birds (bald eagles, loons and Canada geese) have had

their habitat severely disturbed in the relatively short period of time since the Supreme Court decision came down.

After only a first weekend of new uses, the water quality of Berlin Pond has already been compromised from trash that includes soiled baby diapers and food wrappers.

The report claims that trash in the pond “[exceeds] the sum of trash on Berlin Pond over the past eight years.”

According to the report, in addition to the trash, people have been seen “blatantly urinat-ing from both boats and from shore into the pond.” And there have been “illegal combustion engines” on the pond, “which spill petroleum into the water.”

The report cites the value of Berlin Pond as a nature preserve. “Berlin Pond has been un-touched for over 100 years. During this time many fragile and difficut-to-find species have flourished in this safe habitat. The pond draws hundreds of birders each year from all over New England who are afforded a chance to witness some of the species here.”

These circumstances should be of interest to anyone who values the pond as a pristine rec-reational resource and to anyone who cares about the purity of Montpelier water supplies.

[Editor’s note: See page 9 for a report on a recent city council meeting on this issue.]

Using Seat Belts and Highway Safety

This word from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program: In the first five months of 2012, Vermont roadway deaths, at 30, are running higher than for the same period in 2011.

Vermont highway safety officials are reporting “an unusually high number of persons who have been recently killed in crashes” who were not wearing a seat belt.

Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn estimates than more than 90,000 motorists each day in Vermont are driving without a seat belt. He’s convinced that using seat belts saves lives, and in a recent press release he made this comment: “The single most important action you can take when you get into your car or truck is to take a few seconds and click on your seat belt.”

LettersEditorial

Host Chinese Students for Two Weeks

This summer our local communities will be visited by a group of ninth-grade students from China, here on a language and cultural exchange. These students will be

housed in pairs with area families. They will spend daytime hours at Montpelier High School, along with a group of our local students, and evenings and weekends with their host families. This will be the second of these exchanges coordinated locally by Commu-nity Connections; last summer’s host families reported it to be an incredible experience! Host families are kept connected by a daily e-mail update announcing optional gather-ings for evening and weekend activities such as Mountaineers games, musical events and potlucks. The dates for this summer’s visit are June 27 to July 9. If you are interested in learning more about being a host family, please contact Bill Merrylees at Community Connections, 223-3456 or [email protected].

One-Night-Only Circus Presentation

The versatile Rob Mermin—circus master, clown and founder of the international youth performing and touring company Circus Smirkus, pictured above outside

the first Smirkus tent in 1987—will appear in a one-night-only presentation, Circle of Sawdust, at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier on Wednesday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m.

The presentation will include “Circus Tales of Mud, Myth, Magic & Mayhem,” as told though personal anecdotes and film clips on circus history. Mermin ran off to join the circus as a teen in the 1960s. Over the next 40 years Mermin’s circus adventures took him clowning with tent shows in Wales, mule wrangling in Lapland, riding with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz and, for three years, appearing with the famous Benneweis Circus Building in Copenhagen and entertaining royalty in circus palaces of Europe and Russia.

Mermin’s appearance will feature the first public launching of his new coffee-table-size, 180-page book, written with Rob Gurwitt. The new book, with full-color photo-graphs, is titled Circus Smirkus: 25 Years of Running Home to the Circus. Mermin will sign copies of the book after the show.

Volunteer Opportunities

Lisa Osbahr from the American Cancer Society is putting out a call for volunteers to support the June 22 to June 23 overnight Central Vermont Relay for Life.

To volunteer please call the American Cancer Society Volunteer Committee at 496-HOPE or e-mail [email protected].

Montpelier Alive is seeking volunteer help for the city’s annual July 3 Indepen-dence Day celebration. To volunteer, visit montpelieralive.org or contact execu-tive director Phayvanh Leukhamhan at 223-9604 or [email protected].


by Dorothy Schnure

Over the next few months, Green Mountain Power (GMP) will be installing new advanced meters on

homes and businesses in the Montpelier area. These meters are just one facet of an exciting system upgrade that will allow for the reduc-tion of greenhouse-gas emissions and incor-poration of more local renewable sources of electricity. We’ll also be able to identify prob-lems sooner and respond faster. The result is better reliability for our customers, with new opportunities for managing costs.

Why are we doing this? The electric grid as it exists today is an engineering marvel that powers the economy and enables many of the comforts and conveniences of modern life. It’s 99.97 percent reliable and very ef-ficient. But people are demanding more and more from the grid every day—plugging in an increasing number of computers, high-definition TVs, cellphones, and electric cars. To keep up with demand and prepare for the future, most of Vermont’s electric utilities are installing technologies that will keep the grid operating more intelligently and effi-ciently than ever.

The upgrades include the installation of new sensors and controls. This will keep the GMP control room continuously informed about equipment malfunctions, changes in demand, and problems caused by storms, animals or falling tree limbs. We’re already using this information to keep little problems from turning into big ones, and when the upgrades are complete we expect the number and duration of power outages to decrease.

In addition to the upgrades to our trans-mission lines and substations, we are install-ing new advanced meters throughout our service area. The new meters are the same size as your current meter and will be placed in the same location. These new meters have the ability to alert us immediately if your power goes out, so we can start to make repairs even if you’re not home to report the problem to us. Eventually, your meter will let you to see how much electricity your home uses on a daily, or even hourly, basis. If you want to, you will be able to use this information to make changes that reduce your carbon footprint and save you money. In the future, Green Mountain Power may

have rates that reward you for running your dryer or dishwasher at times when demand on the system is lower.

Concerns have been raised recently about radio frequency (RF) output from the new meters. The scientific community, includ-ing health experts at the state, national and international level, has found that there is no scientific basis for health concerns. Peer-reviewed studies conducted by a wide variety of experts show that the RF from smart meters is a tiny fraction of the RF emitted from Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, cell-phones and many other widely used devises. Typically, the meters will transmit every six hours for a few seconds at a time. Because these new meters enable customers and utili-ties to reduce the use of fossil fuels at hours of peak demand, they are part of a system that will help to make the world healthier for everyone.

We’ve also been asked how we’ll use the

information collected by the new meters. Protecting customer information has always been central to our operations, and we will continue to treat your information in a con-fidential manner. Smart meters will simply tell us whether you are using power and how much you are using. We won’t know what you are using it for, control how you use it or sell your information to anyone. The information will only be used to inform how we operate the grid, bill you for service, and help Efficiency Vermont provide energy ef-ficiency services to you.

The cost of implementing these upgrades is not expected to have a noticeable effect on our rates. Over the first five years, cumula-tive rate increases related to the project are expected to total less than 1 percent. Due to operation and maintenance savings made possible by the upgrades, over the life of the project we expect our rates to be lower than they otherwise would have been.

Smart grid upgrades have been imple-mented across the United States, with more than 30 million new meters installed so far. The upgrades have already proven their worth, as utilities around the country are re-porting that after the unusually heavy storms of the past year they’ve been able to restore power to customers faster than they would have been otherwise. Customers are also re-porting satisfaction at having information that allows them to reduce their carbon foot-print and take advantage of lower rates at off peak hours. When GMP’s upgrades are fully implemented, we’ll be sharing similar success stories here in Vermont. You can find more information at greenmountainpower.com.

Dorothy Schnure is corporate communica-tions manager for Green Mountain Power.

Smart Grid: A Better Energy Future for Vermont

by Janet Newton

Green Mountain Power, Central Ver-mont Public Service and Burling-ton Electric Department are now

deploying wireless “smart meters” around the state. However, it seems many of their customers are still unaware of what they are and why there is so much controversy.

Smart meters are a new type of electric meter that closely track energy usage. Most of Vermont’s utilities chose a wireless “mesh” option. These wireless meters send usage data from one meter to another, down the street, until they reach one of the collectors located in each neighborhood.

What few realize is that wireless meters emit levels of radio frequency (RF) radiation that concern many independent scientists. They warn that long-term exposure to these kinds of electromagnetic fields increases the risk of serious short- and long-term health issues.

Recently the American Academy of En-vironmental Medicine released a position paper calling for immediate caution for wire-

less-meter installations. The paper states, “More independent research is needed to assess the safety of smart meter technol-ogy,” as “patients are reporting to physicians the development of symptoms and adverse health effects after smart meters are installed on their homes. Immediate action is neces-sary to protect the public’s health.”

In areas where wireless meters have already been deployed, thousands of health com-plaints have been reported, with symptoms including migraines, ringing in the ears, heart and circulatory issues, difficulty sleep-ing, depression and memory loss.

Utilities downplay the RF levels emitted from wireless meters. Current advertising campaigns compare wireless meters to cell-phones and other household devices, assert-ing that the meters emit much less radiation than what we are already exposed to on an everyday basis.

Independent expert Daniel Hirsh, profes-sor of nuclear policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, examined the evi-dence and determined that, on the contrary, wireless meters emit 50 times more whole-

body RF exposure than a cellphone.The Vermont Department of Health has

also misinformed the public about wireless smart-meter RF emissions. William Irwin, chief of radiological services, has stated that wireless meters only “send a signal a couple times per day.” However, his state-ment—seemingly in defense of the industry he is charged with regulating—ignores that meters operating in a mesh network are con-stantly chattering. In fact, wireless meter de-signers have acknowledged that their meters can transmit RF over 13,000 times per day.

Measurements taken by independent in-vestigators have shown that wireless meters, even as far as 30 feet away, can emit RF lev-els comparable to having a cellphone tower nearby. Studies on populations that live near cell towers consistently show an increased risk of cancer and neurological illnesses.

Utilities have repeatedly claimed that the meters comply with Federal Comunications Commision (FCC) requirements. But the FCC guidelines were adopted in 1996, based

by William Boardman

Generally supporting the installation of “smart meters” in every Vermont home and business, a five-person

panel in Woodstock recently offered a vari-ety of vague reassurances that implementing the so-called smart grid would be a good thing for everyone.

But when an audience of about 30 people questioned the panel about security, privacy, cost and threats to human and nonhuman health, the panel had little to offer.

Kevin Jones, leader of the smart-grid project at Vermont Law School, started the evening by describing how the smart grid could lead to his vision of an energy-efficient future, in which we all drive electric cars and use much less fossil-fuel energy. He touched briefly on cost savings and data security in the new system but skipped past health is-sues without expressing an opinion.

Jones acknowledged that people are con-cerned by the possible impact of increased and cumulative exposure to the electromag-netic radiation (EMR) emitted by smart me-ters with unknown effects on human DNA, the human nervous system or cancer produc-tion. He said the best way to deal with such concerns was to opt out of having a smart

meter in your home or business. State Senator Dick McCormack (D-Wind-

sor) reinforced the opt-out option, directing attention to the recently enacted legislation that requires utilities to provide customers with written notice prior to installation; allows a customer to choose not to have a smart meter installed, with no cost to the customer; and allows customers who already have smart meters to have the utility remove them, at no cost to the customer.

CVPS meter en-gineer Rick Hackett also spoke hopefully of future benefits of the smart-grid sys-tem that CVPS ex-pects to have installed statewide by the end of 2012. He noted that the company is cur-rently giving customers 45 days notice before installation, while offering reassurance that the privacy of personal data is protected by law and that security of the system would be very tight. He downplayed health concerns, saying that smart meters gave off less EMR than cellphones.

Although Hackett acknowledged that fiber optic cable was his company’s first choice for connecting smart-grid substations

to the main data center, he suggested that wireless connections to the smart meters was more cost effective and that he was not aware of any smart meters that communicate with fiber.

(The Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) “is aggressively collaborating with telecom-munications providers to replace that com-munications medium with fiber optic lines,” according to its CEO, David Hallquist, in

a letter in January 2011.)

Attorney James Porter of the Vermont Public Service Board, which is charged with regulating elec-tric utilities to serve

the public interest at a profit, suggested the smart grid would be good for Vermont and would allow customers to take charge. He referred to a Vermont Department of Health study relating to smart meters and noted that the health agency “found everything to be within federal standards.” In response to a question from the audience, he acknowl-edged that those standards have not been updated since 1986 but added that the stan-dards are reviewed periodically and the feds have seen no need to change them.

He also acknowledged that the 1986 stan-dards are concerned only with thermal effects of EMR, the most familiar form of which is microwave cooking. The federal standards do not assess cellular electric charges, DNA impact, brain tumors or any other impact besides thermal.

Addressing that point, McCormack ac-knowledged the limited value of current science relating to smart meters and EMR, saying, “What we got was not persuasive.” That was why, he noted, the legislature did not ban smart meters. The legislature did, however, require the health department to submit an updated version of its original report by January 15, 2013.

Near the end of the meeting, Hackett un-derscored the uncertainty of the benefits of smart meters. He explained that significant savings will only show up if people accept smart meters, learn the technology and adapt their behavior to take advantage of it.

Sustainable Woodstock, a local nonprofit organization, sponsored the two-hour forum, which ended before all the audience ques-tions could be asked.

Local news media did not cover this event, but WCTV8, the local community TV channel, plans to broadcast the full forum in the near future.

Why Opt Out of a Wireless Smart Meter?

Opinions

Smart Grid Panel Gets Lots of Questions, Has Few Answers

see NEWTON, page 23


by Charlotte Gilruth

“I want to sell drugs to everyone. I want to sell drugs to healthy people. I want drugs to sell like chewing gum.”

—Henry Gadsen, former Merck CEO

Vermonters who believe in parents’ right to choose or refuse vaccination for their children were blind-sided

when they learned at the beginning of this year that a bill, S.199, had been proposed in the Senate to eliminate the philosophical exemption to vaccines. Though parents and advocates survived a three-month journey through the legislative process with exemp-tion rights intact, we now understand that the whole process was business as usual for the pharmaceutical industry in general and vaccine companies in particular.

Pharmaceutical corporations—worth $500 billion altogether—became the most

profitable on the planet through a relentless marketing plan that has convinced Ameri-cans to consume about 50 percent of global prescription-drug sales, though the U.S. population is less than 5 percent of that of the world. The overarching strategy is to identify, even invent, illnesses and broaden their diagnoses; create a high level of appre-hension in the public about these ailments through public health announcements, testi-monials by physicians and patients, and di-rect advertising and “educational” programs; and then roll out specific drugs as solutions.

Conditions that have been “positioned” in this way include depression, menopause, cholesterol and blood-pressure levels, irrita-ble bowel syndrome, and “social anxiety dis-order.” Millions of newly classified “patients” are medicated on risky drugs, a significant number experiencing grave side effects much worse than their original symptoms. Makers of drugs like Crestor, Paxil, Premarin, Vioxx,

and Lotronex have strongly resisted efforts to ban the medications, going so far as to cover up evidence of their dangers. Every major pharmaceutical company has recently been convicted of fraud, making it difficult to trust their products.

Vaccine companies follow the same general blueprint. In Merck’s marketing of Gardasil, their vaccine against HPV (human papil-loma virus), “Merck promoted school-entry mandate legislation by serving as an infor-mation resource, lobbying legislators, draft-ing legislation, mobilizing female legislators and physician organizations, conducting consumer marketing campaigns, and fill-ing gaps in access to the vaccine. Legislators relied heavily on Merck for scientific infor-mation,” according to a May 2012 American Journal of Public Health article.

State-mandated vaccine programs for entry to daycare and school are guaranteed profit-makers for pharmaceutical companies whose profits are eroding as generic versions replace their now off-patent blockbuster drugs. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration work hand-in-glove with the vaccine industry to promote vaccines and fast-track their approval. The CDC spends $300 billion yearly on vaccine promotion, and only $20 million on testing vaccine safety, though numerous risks are listed on package inserts.

Epidemics were never on the average Vermonter’s radar before the beginning of this year, yet suddenly the media was full of alarmist messages about our state’s low immunization rates threatening a return of epidemics like polio and measles. A false dichotomy was delineated between public health through higher immunization rates and parents’ rights to informed consent for medical procedures. The argument was that the unvaccinated endanger the rest of the “herd” by allowing an unprotected entry point of infectious microbes into the popula-tion.

In fact, Vermont’s immunization rates are not low. For the epidemic diseases of most concern—measles, polio, whooping cough—there is about a 98 percent vac-cination rate, from statistics posted on the

Vermont Department of Health’s own web-site. Representative Duncan Kilmartin (R/D-Newport) told me he believed the “low” vaccine rates were “just a scam by pharma-ceutical companies.”

As for “herd immunity,” since 75 percent of the population is adults, most of whom are not current with their vaccines, we have never had vaccine-induced herd immunity! Still, we are not overrun by epidemics, be-sides cyclic outbreaks of pertussis (whoop-ing cough), which is endemic even among mostly vaccinated populations. Unvacci-nated children can’t be blamed for pertussis outbreaks, CDC spokesman Jeff Dimond says: “The numbers don’t support that argu-ment. There’s no cause and effect relation-ship there.”

A pattern identical to Vermont’s has emerged in other states with philosophical exemptions: fear-based campaigns about the supposed threat to public health of unvac-cinated children, and lobbying in legislatures to restrict or abolish exemptions. Washing-ton State has already had limitations placed on its exemption, while the California legis-lature will probably soon pass a similar law.

Outraged and determined Vermont par-ents have successfully blocked this steam-roller, which was all too reminiscent of the hysteria campaign preceding the 2009 H1N1 “pandemic that never was,” when all citizens were admonished to, “Just get the damn shot!” This strategy does not fly well in Vermont, which was voted No. 1 healthi-est state in 2010 and 2011: far from being a hotbed for an imminent onslaught of infec-tion, our state has already achieved stellar public health.

Charlotte Gilruth has been a board-certified homeopath since 1994. She has questioned vac-cine safety since she was pregnant with her first child in 1976. She opposed S.199 as a member of the Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice.

Sources include Selling Sickness: How the World’s Biggest Pharmaceutical Compa-nies Are Turning Us All into Patients; USA Today; the Associated Press; ageofautism.com; safeminds.org; the Nation’s Health.

Derailing the Vaccine Machine

by Josh Schlossberg, Ben Graham and Jennifer Steckler

We all want a better world. Whether your concern is jobs and the econ-omy, clean air and water, health

care, or climate change, most Vermonters (and Americans) will probably admit there’s room for improvement out there. So how do we make sure we’re doing all we can to create the kind of world we’d like to live in?

Many of us working for change—whether we consider ourselves volunteers, activ-ists, professionals, or just concerned citi-zens—tend to choose one of two general approaches: either we’re for something or we’re against something. Pro versus anti. Yes versus no.

The pros, or yeses, are individuals trying to model the changes they want to see in the world by living them in their own lives, doing their best to set an example for others. They are willing to go out on a limb and ex-periment with their own ways of life, even if it means doing without certain conveniences and luxuries. Some yeses might include those doing permaculture or many in the Transi-tion movement.

Unjustly called “naïve” or “unrealistic” by some, the yeses instead are made up of many of societies’ visionaries and trailblaz-ers. While the yeses incubate the positive solutions for the future, sometimes these

folks will not directly challenge the cur-rent systems they want to replace—some of which may be actively preventing their own new models from taking root.

On the other end of the spectrum, the antis, or nos, are exceptional at pointing out the problems with our current failed systems and skillful at dissecting the specific aspects that are unworkable and simply must go. These folks possess the rare courage to speak truth to power and to take sometimes unpopular stands to honestly confront often overlooked issues. The nos tend to make up the majority, though not all, of the protest movements.

While nos are sometimes unfairly labeled “complain-ers” or “naysayers,” in reality they are often patriots and heroes, with the guts to engage in the conflicts that are often unavoidable when confronting those wielding power and influence. How-ever, it can often be the case that the antis tend not to focus as much on the on-the-ground solutions that might take the place of the systems they wish to dismantle.

So which side is better? Pro or anti? Yes or no? In our opinion, neither of these per-spectives are wrong. Both approaches are essential catalysts for a shift in our culture

and society. Yet each alone is incomplete. Unless they operate in unison, they can be self-defeating.

So how do we unite the yeses and the nos into a powerful and productive movement for positive change? How do we get to yes through no? That’s exactly what Transi-tion Town Montpelier’s fourth annual Vil-lage-building Convergence (VbC)—June 20 to 24 in Montpelier and Brookfield—is all about. Let’s join together to say no to economic collapse, climate change, natural- resource depletion and fossil-fuel dependence

and yes to local econ-omies (food, build-ing, arts), commu-nity-scale renewable energy, conservation and efficiency, and a new way of life. Visit vbc-vt.org for sched-ule and information.

Kicking off this year’s VbC is our keynote speaker, James Howard Kunstler—nation-ally renowned author of the peak oil clas-sic The Long Emergency, novelist and social commentator. Kunstler’s talk will cover “the convergence of resource scarcity with finan-cial disorder and how these conditions will compel us to reorganize life differently in the U.S.—in particular: more local, smaller scale, with agriculture closer to the center of economic activity.”

The next day we will take time to decom-press and connect with a Summer Celebra-tion at All Together Now in East Montpelier, including a potluck, music, dancing and bonfire.

From June 22 to 24 Transition Town will join with Occupy Vermont organiz-ers to hold the Village Gathering, a week-end of workshops, skill-shares, discussions, networking and celebration at Twin Pond Retreat in Brookfield. Saturday workshops will have a sustainability focus, including creating edible forest gardens, beekeeping, root cellaring and natural building. Sunday workshops will be interspersed with work-shops relevant to the Occupy movement, such as teach-ins on economic injustice and grassroots organizing, including a discussion on finding the overlap between the Occupy and Transition movements.

It’s not enough to plant a garden in your backyard. It’s also not enough to march in the streets waving signs. Genuine and last-ing change requires both pointing out what’s wrong and then creating a model of the changes we’d like to see in the world. We hope you will join us at this year’s Village-building Convergence and join with us on the path to yes through no.

Josh Schlossberg, Ben Graham and Jennifer Steckler are organizers of the Village-building Convergence.

Getting to Yes Through No

Opinions

on research published prior to 1986. The research studies used continuous-wave RF, not the kind of modern pulsed radiation that is emitted from smart meters.

FCC guidelines are thermally based; they protect you only against short-term overheat-ing or shock. Claiming that radiation levels fall within FCC guidelines says nothing about safety from the risk of long-term exposure. The public is most concerned about increased risk of cancer, miscarriage, birth defects, semen quality, autoimmune diseases, etc.

In May 2011, the World Health Organi-zation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified all RF radiation as a Group 2B possible human carcinogen, in the same category as lead paint, exhaust fumes, and DDT.

Wireless smart meters are reported to in-terfere with household electrical appliances, medical devices (such as pacemakers and insulin pumps) and home-security systems, causing them to malfunction.

Because of all of this, over 50 California municipalities have taken action that make

wireless smart meters illegal within their jurisdictions. All the while, utilities have steadfastly denied any connection between the installation of wireless meters and the hundreds and hundreds of health complaints that arise as soon as installations take place.

Many scientists and academics have writ-ten to government agencies in charge of the decision to deploy wireless smart meters to alert them of the possible dangers in such a widespread public exposure to RF, urging commissions in charge of overseeing utilities to exercise more precaution. Utilities and regulators may sound reassuring, but many experts in the field are not so sure wireless smart meters are good for you.

The good news is that the Vermont leg-islature and the Public Service Board have required utilities to allow customers who may share these concerns to opt out of the wireless smart-meter installation programs and to do so for free. We encourage you to inform yourself and make your own “smart” meter decision.

Janet Newton is president of the EMR Policy Institute.

NEWTON, from page 22


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