T he Wayside Re st au rant Tu r ns 10 0 • Page 12

J une 21–J uly 4, 2018

Artwork by Steve Hogan

IN THIS ISSUE: Independence Day Celebrations in Montpelier

by Dan Groberg, Montpelier Alive Executive Director
Pg. 4 Reclamation

W
Exhibit e hope you’ll join Montpelier Alive downtown for
Montpelier’s July 3rd Independence Day Celebration.
Pg. 8 Kitten Season at This year, Montpelier's celebration will be better
than ever! We’ve heard your feedback and added more—more
CVHS Family Olympics, more music in the parade, more food vendors,
and more family-friendly conveniences. Read on or visit www.
Pg. 14 North Branch montpelieralive.org/july3 to learn more about the festivities.
Vineyards Parade, Powered by VSECU
The July 3rd Parade, powered by VSECU, is a timeless
celebration of community. This year, we are bringing back some
U.S. Postage PAID
The Marketplace
Welcome to The Marketplace, where 40 amazing vendors offer
a mouth-watering variety of foods and beverages, plus all your
celebration essentials, such as glow sticks and face paint. Join us
along State Street and Governor Aiken Avenue. We have some
great new vendors this year, and we’re offering more variety than
ever before.
National Anthem Competition
The Star Spangled Banner is a tough song to sing, but the winner
of this year’s July 3rd National Anthem Singing Competition

Permit NO. 123

favorites, such as the Hanaford’s Volunteer Fife & Drum Corps

Montpelier, VT
PRSRT STD

will make it look easy. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear the
ECRWSS

and the Shidaa African Culture Project. By popular demand,
we’re adding more musical acts, including the Midnight Capers
Morris Dancers and the Polish Pickle Packers Polka Band. The
July 3 Parade would not be complete without the Mount Sinai
#3 Motor Corps and their go karts? During the parade, make
sure to vote for your favorite “Go Green” and Performance
entries in the Union Mutual Parade Competition. Come join us
for the fun. We can’t wait to see you at the parade!
Family Olympics Sponsored by Capital Community Church
What could be better than the State House Lawn jam-packed
with giant slides, inflatable obstacle courses, bounce houses,
and tons of awesome games? More time to enjoy it. So we are
extending the Family Olympics until 6 pm this year.
Montpelier, VT 05601
P.O. Box 1143
The Bridge
winner sing the National Anthem from the Union Mutual Stage
just before the Fireworks. Congratulations to the winner and all
the finalists.
Raized on Radio, Presented by Myles Court Barbershop
Montpelier Alive is excited to welcome back Raized on Radio
for an encore performance on the Union Mutual Stage. Raized
on Radio is a finalist for Best Rock Band in Vermont by Seven
Days, and they are back in Montpelier by popular demand. They
will play your favorite covers from 7 to 9:30 pm. Thanks to
Myles Court Barbershop for supporting these awesome rockers!
Continued on Page 2

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

PAG E 2 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Nature Watch by Nona Estrin

Rain Brings Treasures

T
here is nothing like rain after
a long dry spell. I watched this
one from under the back door
overhang as it rolled in and let loose.
The sensation, the smells, were powerful.
Clouds billowed up in layers, so you
could see way up, the rivers of wind-
blown droplets, some driven madly
cross-pattern from the main tide of the
incoming storm. Then the downpouring
for almost an hour, softening top layers
of hard dry earth, so that before it was
over, hungry robins patrolled our lawn as
worms came up for air! In the woods it
may be too late for parched wild onions
to send up their mid-summer flowers,
but the shad berries will ripen and with a
little more rain, we may well have berries
Watercolor by Nona Estrin
in the fields and hedgerows.

Independence Day Celebrations

in Montpelier Continued from Page 1
Union Mutual Parade Competition
Parade participants are invited to compete in the Union Mutual July 3rd Parade Competition
and you can help determine the winners by voting at www.montpelieralive.org/vote. The
Union Mutual July 3rd Parade Competition will feature two categories: Best Performance
Float/Entry and Best “Green” Float/Entry. The grand prize winner in each category wins
$1,000!
We Love Mothers
We are excited to announce that a Mamava Lactation Suite will be available at this year’s
celebration! July 3rd is a family-friendly event, and we hope mothers feel comfortable nursing
or pumping throughout the event. The Lactation Suite will be available in a quiet, shaded
area near the Pavillion Building for mothers who prefer extra privacy. Thank you to Central
Vermont Medical Center for providing financial support for the Lactation Suite.
We Love Mother Earth
We are partnering with Grow Compost to offer a Zero-Waste Station in the heart of the
July 3rd festivities. What’s a Zero-Waste Station? It’s a tent with composting, recycling, and
trash options to make sure we minimize items going to the landfill. We’re also excited that
several vendors have signed on to compost their food waste. Thank you to Grow Compost for
donating their services to make this possible!
Great Events Around Town
Looking for even more free family fun? Check out the Vermont History Museum, the Kellogg-
Hubbard Library’s reading of a Frederick Douglass Speech, the Montpelier Rec Department’s
Family Fun Day, and stop by the Fire Department for a tour.
Looking for something a little more grown-up? Don’t miss Charlie-O’s famous outside bar,
pig roast and concert to be followed up by a night of karaoke. Julio’s Dance Party and the
Langdon Street Tavern Street Party are sure to be a smash.
Sign Up to Volunteer
It takes a village to put on this massive community celebration. Multiple opportunities
and shifts are available to fit your availability and interests. Learn more and sign up at
www.montpelieralive.org/july3volunteer or contact volunteer@montpelieralive.org.
Thank You Sponsors!
The July 3rd Celebration is supported by many generous sponsors. Our Platinum sponsors
and champions are VSECU, National Life Group, Union Mutual of Vermont, Community
National Bank, and Capital Community Church. Our Gold sponsors are the City of
Montpelier; Hunger Mountain Coop; UVM Health Network; Central Vermont Medical
Center; DRM; Myles Court Barbershop; Denis, Ricker, and Brown; Ben and Jerry's
Foundation; and Casella. Our Silver sponsors are Julio's Cantina, Sarducci's, Washington
Electric Coop, and Grow Compost. Finally, our Bronze sponsors are People’s United Bank
and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont. Please be sure to join us in thanking these local
businesses who make this event possible!
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 3

HEARD ON THE STREET

Betsy’s Bed and Breakfast Closes After 27 Years Adamant Coop Community Dinners Resume July 6
After a long and successful run operating Betsy’s Bed and Breakfast on East State The Adamant Coop will again be holding its Friday night community dinners in
Street in Montpelier, Jon and Betsy Anderson have a contract to sell their familiar pink Adamant starting July 6 from 5:30 pm to 7 pm and continuing through the end of
Victorian house, where they lived and which housed the three original B&B guest August. The Coop provides food for the dinners with an a la carte menu (no alcohol
rooms. Eventually, with the purchase of a building next door, Betsy’s had 12 rooms. can be consumed on the property). A Coop member suggested a good-size dinner might
Jon, an attorney with a long history of civic engagement in Montpelier, said operating cost $10 or so. She said the event started out with about 20 or 25 people attending, but
the business “has been a good life. I think the kids enjoyed growing up here. And we now attracts up to 75 people. “It’s a great community and family event,” she said. The
really appreciate how good the community has been to us.” Jon served for many years Adamant Coop is 83 years old and the longest existing local food coop in the country.
on the Planning Commission and City Council and is still on the board of Montpelier
Alive. Betsy also worked as an attorney, including as state tax commissioner, before
turning her full-time attention to operating the bed and breakfast.
Occupancy rates at Betsy’s were about 70 percent, good for the industry and indicating
the need for rooms in Montpelier, Jon said, but the couple decided it was time for a
change and stopped serving breakfasts late last year. Jon will continue practicing law,
and the couple will split their time between their house in Elmore and one of their 20
apartments in town, with Betsy spending time in Florida in the winter, he said. More
than half of their apartments are now rented out as furnished apartments by the night,
week, or month (see www.betsysbnb.com).
Jon said the buyers of their house are a couple moving from San Francisco who will
be using it as a residence for themselves and their two children. He said they chose
Montpelier after researching the best places to live in the U.S.
Elizabeth Bonesteel Named Superintendent
of Montpelier-Roxbury Schools
The new Montpelier-Roxbury School District will begin operation July 1 with a new
superintendent, Elizabeth Bonesteel, who was hired to fill a vacancy created by the
departure of Dr. Brian Ricca. Bonesteel, who lives in Jericho with her husband and two
children, has been working as the director of curriculum and instruction at Franklin
Northwest Supervisory Union. Since moving to Vermont almost nine years years ago,
she has also served as an assistant principal, co-principal, and staff developer. Her
experience prior to that includes working as a special education teacher for Teach for
Bridge Community Media, Inc.
P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601 / Ph: 802-223-5112
America in Louisiana, teaching literacy to elementary students in Brooklyn, NY and
working at the American International School in Vienna, Austria. Editor in Chief: Nat Frothingham Editorial: 223-5112, ext. 14
Copy Editor: Larry Floersch mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
National Life Foundation Makes Grant To T.W. Wood Art Gallery Layout, Calendar Editor: Marichel Vaught Location: The Bridge office is located at the
The T. W. Wood Gallery has received a two-year grant awarded by the National Life Proofreader, Calendar Editor: Sarah Davin Vermont College of Fine Arts, Stone Science
Sales Representative: Rick McMahan Hall.
Group Charitable Foundation of $15,000. Ginny Callan, the T.W. Wood Gallery’s Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by
Executive Director, said the funds would be used to “improve and professionalize the Distribution: Sarah Davin, Amy Lester,
mail for $50 a year. Make out your check to
contemporary art exhibit space and produce new outreach materials for the Gallery.” Daniel Renfro The Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box
The Gallery offers summer art camps and afterschool arts program for children, special Board Members: Chairman Donny Osman, 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.
Jake Brown, Phil Dodd, Josh Fitzhugh, Irene montpelierbridge.com
events, and regularly changing contemporary art exhibits of Vermont artists. Gallery
Racz, Ivan Shadis, Tim Simard, Ashley facebook.com/thebridgenewspapervt
hours are Tuesday‒Saturday, 12‒4 pm, and by appointment. Witzenberger Twitter: @montpbridge
Copyright 2018 by The Bridge

Advertise in the NEXT ISSUE:

YOUTH IN
VERMONT
In Circulation July 5–July 18
ALL AD MATERIALS AND AD SPACE
RESERVATIONS DUE FRIDAY, JUNE 29.
For more information about advertising deadlines, rates,
and the design of your ad, contact
Rick McMahan • 249-8666
rick@montpelierbridge.com
PAG E 4 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Reclaiming Women in New Exhibition at

Helen Day Art Center by Sarah Davin

T
wo elderly women stand back to back, arms linked, one leaning on the back of the intense imagery, other paintings are significant because of their honest depiction of common
other. The bodies of the gray-haired women are wrinkled, their breasts sag, and the experiences of womanhood. When asked why both of her autobiographical paintings,
skin around their stomachs is loose. The whiteness of much of their bodies contrasts “Wonder” and “Roots,” featured scenes of motherhood, artist Daryl Zang answered that
with the deep tan of their arms and faces. The woman on the right, supporting the weight consciously she hadn’t meant to. “The transition to motherhood was shocking to me, as is
of the woman on the left, looks up to the sky, and with mouth open, sends an uninhibited the reaction I often get to these paintings. We are so used to seeing women with children
laugh to the heavens. depicted as serene and fulfilled, but many women easily connect to my images and not the
The painting, “And We Were Birds” by Aleah Chapin, is one of 21 paintings and 2 one constructed for us. Motherhood can leave you stripped of your own identity, ambivalent,
lithographs by 17 artists on display in a new exhibition, Reclamation, at the Helen Day Art and sometimes guilt ridden for wanting anything more. Motherhood left me feeling
Center in Stowe. Reclamation aims to challenge how women are typically portrayed in art burdened with great responsibility, having to make sacrifices to my own ambitions, and
and media by the male gaze, a feminist term used to describe the largely unacknowledged questioning whether I would regain my equilibrium.”
but prevalent depiction of women as unengaged, sexual objects in art and media. This Zang emphasized that she is proudest when her paintings start a discussion. The Reclamation
depiction is problematic because it reinforces the limiting and incorrect view of women as exhibition succeeds in providing a space for that conversation to happen. As a Vermonter,
inept and their existence as decorative rather than essential. They are rarely portrayed with I am a little disappointed that no Vermont artists are featured. As a woman, I feel that
a sense dignity or physical realism. Reclamation is a good first step to challenging how women are portrayed, or rather, displayed
In Reclamation, women paint women, and the images are rather striking. For example, as objects. I appreciated the multitude of women present in both the paintings and as artists.
Margaret Bowland’s piece, “The Artist,” is a portrait of a young black girl in front of a I hope for more exhibitions like this in the future, as it would be a shame if this were the
colorful background of cartoonish smiling flowers in pinks, magentas, and pale blues. only one.
Shockingly, the girl’s face has been painted white. As the viewer’s eye travels around the “Roots” by Daryl Zang
painting, searching for a reason for this possible hate crime, they will see the little paintbrush
in her right hand. It is a captured moment of sadness and contrast, between the ideal flower
world that the little girl has created behind herself as the artist, and the stinging realization
that she has felt the need to paint herself white in order to belong to it.
In her artist’s statement, Bowland describes how she learned to shape herself to please others,
and the emptiness of the result: “As a young woman from a small southern town, I was
taught that the less someone knew about you the better. If you presented yourself as a blank
page to a suitor, that person could project anything upon that page he wished to see. And
you would be loved. What I couldn’t understand was the worth of such love. If who I am is
not being loved, then what have I won?”
The painting highlights the interplay of race and gender by reframing the practice of women
in many cultures painting themselves white to make themselves more beautiful via the
tragedy of a girl who feels she must be a different race in order to belong to her ideal world,
a world of her own creation.
While some of these paintings, such as Bowland’s “The Artist” are bold because of their
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 5
With the Loss of Vermont Life, how does Vermont sell itself?
by Mike Dunphy
“T
he way you become a resident of Vermont,”
says Wendy Knight, Commissioner of the
Department of Tourism and Marketing, “in a
lot of ways, is you are a tourist first.”
And certainly the State of Vermont has shown intense
interest in the past year to making this so. Keen to attract
young people to move to the state, Governor Phil Scott
and Knight announced the Stay-to-Stay initiative in March
2018, which aims to convert tourists into full-time residents
by giving them the opportunity to relax, network with
business leaders, and tour Vermont communities with real-
estate experts to learn more about relocating to Vermont.
However, with the cessation of publication after 72 years of
Vermont Life magazine, announced in May, Vermont lost
perhaps its best-known bait for the hook. Emotionally, this
caused no small amount of teeth-gnashing in both long-time
readers and supporters. “Personally I was disappointed,”
said Lisa Chase, Ph.D., director of the Vermont Tourism
Research Center, “because I think Vermont Life has done an
incredible job for many years in telling the story of Vermont
to people from out of state and to Vermonters as well.”
Former state lawmaker and the president and CEO of
Height of Land Publications, Adam Howard, who made a
bid earlier in the year to take over Vermont Life, was more
blunt, telling Vermont Public Radio, “I really think it came
down to expediency. They didn’t have the capability to
understand the asset they had or how to manage it, and so
they just decided to kill it, and to me, that’s a crime.”
The Vermont Life Economic Impact Study, released in 2015
and based on a reader survey, seemed to confirm the value
of keeping Vermont Life alive. It reported that 67 percent of
those surveyed claimed to have bought a Vermont product,
visited a Vermont store, or used a Vermont service as a result
of something they read or saw in Vermont Life. Fifty-six
percent tried a new restaurant; forty four percent planned
a vacation or staycation; and six percent bought real estate.
The direct impact from something seen in Vermont Life,
factoring only dining, lodging, real estate services, calendar
sales, and associated taxes, translated into $33.5 million
annually.
However, as with so many other print publications around
the world, the social “value” of a publication inevitably must
surrender to the business reality, which in Vermont Life’s
case amounted to a $3.5 million monkey on its back and
shaky ground underfoot thanks to declining ad sales and
subscribers. The problem was not helped when Vermont
politicians, the governor included, publicly questioned the
continuation of the magazine.
“Uncertainty in business begets more uncertainty,”
points out Michael Schirling, Secretary of the Agency of
Commerce and Community Development, “so because
[advertisers] didn’t know what was going to happen with
the magazine, that exacerbated the situation.” While ad
sales were up 16 percent from FY16 to FY17, they began to
decline with the Autumn 2017 issue, when the legislature
was discussing Vermont Life, and continued downward over
the next several issues with the press coverage and state’s
RFP process. By the time the decision was made to retain
Vermont Life, ad sales had dropped 39 percent year over year
for the Spring 2018 issue, and 46 percent for the Summer
2018 issue.
“We started to get additional feedback from advertisers that
said,” Schirling recounts, “‘not only are we gone but we’ve
now allocated our advertising dollars that used to come to
you to other things’ . . . so the projection was that by July
we’d be back to deficit spending.”
Knight adds another important legal influence on the
decision. “Part of the reason is that the legislature last year
passed legislation that said we cannot operate Vermont Life
in a deficit. With little to no wiggle room, it became much
harder to save the magazine. “It’s very hard to turn around
a sinking ship in the matter of a couple months,” Knight
explains, “It takes time to do that.”
But the time ran out.
With the loss of Vermont Life, questions inevitably rise
about how Vermont can effectively promote itself going
forward and achieve the department’s and government’s
aims. A glance at the budget does not inspire confidence,
because Vermont has the second lowest tourism budget
in the country (after Delaware), at just three million
dollars—a tiny amount compared with the large budgets
of neighboring states: New York spends $50 million; New
Hampshire, $8 million, and Maine $15 million.
“We have limited funding, just in general,” explains Knight.
“Healthcare, transportation, and education get the lion’s
share of the state budget.” But it may also be because
of the lack of value the legislature “that largely doesn’t
understand, believe in, or fund marketing,” places on
tourism marketing. This is a view shared by Chase. “I
think for a long time Vermont tourism has been operating
on a shoestring. If we could do more statewide for tourism,
it would benefit many small businesses throughout the
state. One of the benefits of tourism compared with other
businesses is that it is across the entire state. Investing in
tourism is an investment in the Vermont economy. I think
the investment probably is undervalued.”
The shoestring is forcing the Department of Tourism to
get creative. “Most of our tourism promotion is digital
advertising, email marketing, social media, and PR,”
explains Knight. Digital marketing is particularly front
and center, Schirling explains. “It’s the digital presence
that is really the 21-century marketing mechanism for
tourism in Vermont, not that the print publications
aren’t great, and they are surprisingly well read given
the decline in print readership over the years, but digital
platforms are the cornerstone of the three million dollars
we spend on tourism.”
Social media—especially YouTube, Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram—is also taking a lead role. “We instituted
a social media influencer program last summer,” Knight
explains, that’s increased the number of followers we
have on Instagram by 65 percent.” While Vermont
Life’s digital assets, social networking channels included,
will remain owned by the state, and final decisions
have yet to be finalized, it looks like they’ll be folded
into the department’s main commercial website,
VermontVacation.com.
Beyond that are the Vermont Vacation summer and
winter guides, published in partnership with the Vermont
Chamber of Commerce in printed and e-guide format
and available for free. The website also hosts a Vermont
Stay & Play Directory, an online vacation planning tool
featuring the largest searchable database of Vermont
lodging, dining, events, attractions, recreation, and
shopping. A consumer newsletter also goes to 120,000
subscribers, often drawn from names gathered at trade
shows and the like.
“I think we get a lot of return on that three million dollar
investment,” Schirling explains. “Would we like to spend
more in tourism marketing, recruiting workforce, and
telling Vermont stories? Absolutely.”
Two key recent hires should also add a boost. Earlier
in June Sara DeFilippi became the sales manager for
international and domestic tourism, after serving nearly
seven years as assistant director for partner relations
at St. John’s University in New York City. She will
be representing the state at trade festivals such as the
International Tourism Show in Montreal; the American
Bus Association in Charlotte, North Carolina; and the
AAA Travel Marketplace in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Timothy Simard, formerly Publications Manager at
Vermont College of Fine Art (and member of The Bridge
board) has become Director of Communications at the
Department of Tourism.
PAG E 6 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE

A Message From City Hall

This page was paid for by the City of Montpelier.

Placemaking in Montpelier
by Anne Watson, Montpelier Mayor

S Single-Use Plastics
ummertime and the nice weather, the end of the school year and the new
construction season, it feels like as a community this is a time of collective
At our last council meeting students
exhaling. It’s such a relief to be able to breathe the warm summer air.
from Montpelier High School presented
Groundbreakings and Openings to the council, asking us to ban plastic
bags. They had conducted an informal
My schedule has been packed lately with all kinds of delightful events, many of survey and showed us the results. Most
which are going to contribute to community and the “special sense of place” that of the people surveyed were in support
Montpelier embodies. I have celebrated more new beginnings this year than I of a plastic bag ban. Anticipating that
expected to. There was a great ribbon-cutting event for Roam, the new shoe store not everyone would love a plastic bag
on Langdon Street, along with Onion River Outdoors, the new incarnation of ban, I’ve started checking in with local
Onion River Sports. retailers who currently use plastic bags
We celebrated the official opening of the Guertin Pocket Park, along the bike path to hear their thoughts. To my happy
near Taylor Street, and I hope to soon resolve where the pocket park by Downtown surprise, so far all the retailers I’ve
Tees will live long-term. Speaking of Taylor Street, the groundbreaking event the spoken with are in favor of the ban.
other day was fun, and it felt only right to honor the many councils that have come This week I received a letter in the mail
and gone over the last decade or more that have shepherded this project along. from a high school student asking us to please ban plastic straws as well. In the
Caledonia Spirits will continue their construction this summer, and I look forward letter, she says, “I know it is possible to have biodegradable straws because I have
to visiting them when it’s open. Perhaps by then the new bike path extension will eaten FroYo with a biodegradable spoon. It might be a little more expensive, but
be done. This summer the City will start construction to extend the bike path that expense would be worth a cleaner environment.”
from where it ends at Granite Street, near the Coop, further down Barre Street, Whatever direction this takes, if approved, the process moving forward would
then down Old Country Club Road, all the way to the edge of town! I can’t wait include a new ordinance, and it may also include a charter change. Either way, I
to take my nieces on a bike ride through town, from one end of Montpelier to the look forward to a robust discussion about what this could mean for our community.
other.
In addition to construction, I am so delighted that Dan Groberg has stepped in Data Collection
as the Montpelier Alive director. I already enjoy working with him. And Laura The last time I wrote the City Page for the Bridge, I included a brief list of
Gebhart is already an active, engaged director for our Montpelier Development indicators that I thought might be useful in taking the temperature of the City.
Corporation. We have some great people in place. We really are lucky to have It would be helpful for us to better understand our needs, to evaluate how we’re
them both. doing, and create, in context, an understanding of who we are beyond anecdotal
In addition to this exciting work, I want to highlight a couple of items from our evidence. I continue to look forward to that data. Through our strategic planning
strategic plan, that I’m really excited for the council to begin discussing. process we will finalize a list of indicators, and hopefully approve a final list of
what we’ll be collecting at one of our August meetings.
Making the WRRF Thermally Net-Zero
Emerald Ash Borer
We need to upgrade our Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) down by
Dog River. Since these upgrades need to happen anyway, we’ve asked our crew to
begin crunching numbers for a plan that will take in more product for a fee, and
then we can turn that material into energy. It would likely be enough energy to
heat the facility or make it thermally net-zero. They will come back to us with a
final proposal in the late summer or early fall, when the council give the project a
final evaluation, and if appropriate, approval. We’ll need to examine the numbers
carefully, but I’m hopeful that this will be a viable project for us.

One unwelcome guest this summer is the Emerald Ash Borer. This little bug has
decimated Ash Tree populations in southern New England over the last decade,
and we have unfortunately recently discovered its presence in Montpelier. This
has wiped out forests south of us, and beyond the ecological costs, it has been
incredibly expensive for these communities to clean up the trees in the wake of
the EAB. What does this mean for us? We’ll all be looking to our (active and
admirable) Tree Board for guidance. They have been working on a plan, but now
it’s time to execute it. They’ll be coming to our meeting in July (I believe), to let us
know how to proceed. Many of our street trees are Ash, and there is a significant
percentage of Ash trees in Hubbard Park. While the council comes up with a plan
for protecting our Ash Trees as well as limiting the damage EAB can do, please
also do not move firewood out of the City of Montpelier.
EAB aside, I’m looking forward to the upcoming changes in Montpelier. We have
good work being done through construction, and we’re laying the foundation for
good discussions to make Montpelier and even better place to live.
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 7

The Community Honors Nat Frothingham and Kicks off

Bridge to the Future Fundraising Campaign
T
he Friends of The Bridge, a new 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, kicked off its The event would not have been possible without the generous support of the community,
Bridge to the Future fundraising campaign with a community celebration on June 6 at and the Board of Directors wishes to thank those who contributed to its success.
the College Hall Gallery of The Vermont College of Fine Arts. The event, which • Ashley Witzenberger of The Event Boutique donated planning services and refreshments
drew more than 100 people, honored the contribution and service of retiring editor and • Steve Hogan donated artwork for the Bridge to The Future campaign
publisher, Nat Frothingham, introduced the new editor in chief, Mike Dunphy, and • Emma Bay-Hansen donated design of the event invitation
kicked off the fundraising campaign aimed at supporting the newspaper during this time • Capital Copy contributed generously toward printing of invitations and fundraising
of transition and helping establish a firm business footing going forward materials
Appreciation for Nat Frothingham’s work framed the event. Mayor Anne Watson • The Vermont College of Fine Arts donated the event venue and support from Café
presented Nat with a Key to the City of Montpelier. State Representative Warren Anna
Kitzmiller presented Nat with a Proclamation by the Vermont State Legislature honoring • Vermont Creamery donated a generous selection of cheeses
his service. Thomas Greene, President of Vermont College of Fine Arts, spoke of the gift • Susan Reid and Leeds Brewer donated acoustic music
of community journalism Nat had given the city and renewed the College’s commitment Friends of The Bridge is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Donations are tax
to support for The Bridge. City manager Bill Fraser thanked Nat for his contributions, and deductible.
Bridge Board members Donny Osman and Phil Dodd provided insights on Nat’s hard
work and sacrifice that sustained The Bridge for almost 25 years. Even Senator Patrick
To contribute to the Bridge to the Future Fundraising Campaign
Leahy made an electronic appearance, providing a brief video that was shared with the
gathering. 1) Send a check to Friends of The Bridge, P.O. Box 1641, Montpelier, VT 05601.
2) Go to The Bridge website (www.montpelierbridge.com) and click the “Donate” button.
Nat Frothingham’s presentation was the highlight of the evening, eliciting much laughter
and applause. Mike Dunphy followed Nat’s comments by sharing his vision for the If you have questions or would like to speak with a board member about a contribution,
future of the paper and assuring the gathering that the community-focused values of email Friendsofthebridge18@gmail.com
The Bridge would not change. Finally, Barbara Floersch of The Friends of The Bridge Friends of The Bridge is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Donations are tax deductible.
Board urged the community to dig deep and contribute boldly to help The Bridge seize
the opportunities and confront the challenges that accompany this change in leadership.
The event featured lavish finger foods; wine and beer from Café Anna; acoustic music; Photo credit: Richardson Photography
and two celebratory cakes from Delicate Decadence—one honoring Nat and one
observing the kick-off of the fundraising campaign.
The celebration was planned by The Friends of The Bridge Board of Directors, who
are also leading the Bridge to the Future fundraising campaign. Members of the Board
include:
• Barbara Floersch a national consultant and writer
• Gabe Lajeunesse, a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments
• Claudia Pringles, an estate planning attorney
• Tim Simard, Director of Communications for the Vermont Department of Tourism
and Marketing
• Nat Winthrop, film producer and former newspaper publisher

Photo credit: Richardson Photography

PAG E 8 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Photos courtesy of Central Vermont Humane Society
Kitten Season Comes to the
Central Vermont Humane
Society by Laurie Garrison
Y ou know how there are five seasons in Vermont? The Central Vermont Humane
Society has yet another season: Kitten Season!
Every summer, the Humane Society is inundated with kittens. This results in three
urgent needs at the adoption center. First, adorable kittens need homes; second, because
of all the kitten adorableness, adult cats sometimes get overlooked and they need
adopters; third, the Society needs donations to help care for all those cats.
The Humane Society’s adoptable cat and kitten population is continually changing,
and right now they are in great need of adopters. These photos are a representation
of the wonderful cats and kittens that have been adopted, or that are waiting for
new homes. To find out up-to-the-minute information about which cats or kittens
are available for adoption, or to make a donation, check out the Society’s website at
centralvermonthumane.org.
There is still an overpopulation problem of cats in Vermont, and spaying/neutering is
very important. For information about spaying/neutering, please ask your veterinarian or
check out our local spay/neuter clinic, VT-Can! in Middlesex, at vt-can.org. Cats that are
only four months old can have kittens, so don’t delay to avoid that “oops” litter!
Every year, the Central Vermont Humane Society saves over 1,000 pets, 70 percent of
which come from Vermont. The Society is committed to going the extra mile for every
pet in their care, and every adoptable pet gets all the time it needs to find a loving home.
Two thirds of the animals in their care are cats.
Please visit the Central Vermont Humane Society at 1589 Vermont Route 14S in East
Montpelier and adopt your next furry friend!
Laurie Garrison is the executive director of the Central Vermont Humane Society
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 9

Saying Goodbye to a Canine

Do What You Do Best.
or Feline Family Member
by Dot Helling

T he dreaded time has come—time to say goodbye to my dog, Sophie. Every time I’ve
lost a pet, I’ve said, “Never again.”
Bookkeeping · Payroll · Consulting

“Never again” will I adopt a cat or dog.

“Never again” will I let a canine or feline become a part of my family. 802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com
“Never again” will I allow myself to bond with a creature whose loss will break my heart.
But then one of them finds me. Such was the case with Smoochie, an English Springer
Spaniel I adopted in 1995. For 16 years, we were glued at the hip, and she accompanied
me on many long-distance runs and competed with me in the New England Trail Runners
Circuit and a portion of the Vermont 100-Mile Endurance Race. We even did the entire
Colorado Trail together with Susan Arbogast and Smoochie’s best friend Kato. It was only
during her last year that she was compromised by a heart condition. Luckily, one pill a day
allowed her a quality life even though we could no longer run together.
When Smoochie crossed the proverbial Rainbow Bridge to the great beyond I was
devastated.
A year later, an Airedale Terrier/Beagle mix named Sophie found me and came into my
life. She was nine and loved to run and ski, and most of all, she loved being with me. One
of her owners had passed and the other left town to grieve, never moving back to Vermont.
Sophie took the space in my heart left empty by the loss of Smoochie.
Almost seven years later, it was once again time to say goodbye. She started to slow down
about two years ago, and this past winter suffered some transient ischemic attacks and
struggled with our winter life in the Colorado mountains in a condo on the third floor Sophie
with no elevator. The stairs became her daily exercise, up and down numerous times.
When we returned home to the lower altitude of Vermont, Sophie was clearly invigorated.
But then she had more strokes and started having “accidents,” and got easily confused and
lost in corners of closets and rooms. Sophie could not get comfortable and would pace
in circles endlessly. She continued to eat and follow me around the garden, sniffing and
licking the backs of my knees and bare feet. She especially loved the salt on my skin after
workouts. She continued to walk about a mile with me some mornings to get the paper
and the mail, a very slow walk but sometimes still spirited.
How does one know it is an animal’s time? With Smoochie it was decisive. She collapsed
one day and gave me “the look.” Dog and cat owners know “the look.” It’s an intimate
moment when our best buddy communicates that she or he is tired of the pain and
struggle, and we have to set our own emotional needs aside and make the dreaded decision.
Sophie was stubborn, but she recently gave me “the look,” forcing those difficult questions:
Will this pet of mine experience any better quality of life? What is her quality of life? How
do we balance the pain an animal feels with that quality of life?
The truth is we never know for sure if the time is right unless something decisive happens.
We need to focus on not making the decision too late, on making it while our beloved pet
is still present and can say goodbye. Nothing is more sweet and painful as holding your
beloved dog or cat while she slowly falls away into a forever sleep, looking into your eyes
and feeling the love of your arms around her.
I have a pet cemetery in my backyard where many of my cats lie at rest and some of Newly adopted Tilly
Smoochie’s ashes. Some of Sophie’s ashes will also rest there. As with Smoochie, I will
spread Sophie’s ashes in special places around the world, such as our winter home in the
Colorado mountains and in the green spaces of Brooklyn where her first mom lives and
around which she would romp when we visited. Euthanasia was a torturous decision for
me, but it was a “good death” for Sophie.
We will all meet again someday across the Rainbow Bridge.
PAG E 10 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Abridged Vermont: Burlington
B
efore becoming editor in chief of The
Bridge, I spent more than 10 years
in the travel and tourism industry. I
continue to do so on the side, and, indeed, I am
currently in the middle of updating the Fodor’s
Travel Guide for Vermont. This means poking
around the entire state for the best restaurants,
pubs, hotels, attractions, and activities.
Starting with this issue, readers of The Bridge
also benefit. Once a month, Abridged Vermont
will highlight what’s the buzz in one Vermont
town or city in hopes of inspiring some weekend
getaways. In some cases, the experiences are
sponsored by the venues, but I have selected
according to quality and appeal only.
As Vermont’s largest city, and my hometown,
Burlington is the place to begin.
-See-
S.P.A.C.E Gallery
Anyone who knew Burlington before the
2000s can’t help but be shocked—in the
best possible way—by the transformation
of the South End. The once dismal, derelict
industrial district now hosts one of the most
happening art scenes in the Northeast. See
a cross section at the S.P.A.C.E (Supportive
Places for Artists and the Creative Economy)
gallery on Pine Street, where 12 working
artists create pieces in a variety of styles,
mediums, and methods, from the “cute and
deadly” drawings and paintings of Martha
Hull, to the wire sculpture of Jake Rifken
and Steampunk-style jewelry of designer
Mark Eliot Schwabe.
The attached gallery is open weekly
(Thursday–Saturday, from 12 to 5 pm),
but the best time to visit may be during
the monthly First Friday Art Walk, when
dozens of art venues across Burlington host
openings, exhibitions, and happenings. It’s
by Mike Dunphy
at that time you can meet and greet many
of the artists at S.P.A.C.E and learn more
about what they do, or at least negotiate a
price over cups of cheap wine—as it should
be.
266 Pine St., 578-2512, spacegalleryvt.com
-Play-
Community Sailing Center
After much hemming, hawing, and last-
minute appeals for private donations,
Burlington's 22,000-square-foot new three-
story Community Sailing Center on the
Waterfront got its Champagne christening
June 1.
Boating enthusiasts and newbies can choose
from 150 watercraft to rent including
kayaks, sailboats, and paddleboards for as
little as $15 an hour. Private instruction and
family lessons are available.
And that’s only the start of what’s available.
Instructor/owner of Hot Yoga Burlington
and Coast Guard Master Captain Bill
O’Connor leads floating yoga classes on
paddle boards, which if anything, teaches
balance. Events are also scheduled for nearly
every weekend in summer, including The
Regatta for Lake Champlain and the Water
Works Fair. Otherwise, just pop up to the
third floor for spectacular views of the lake
from the large covered deck.
505 Lake St., 864-2499,
communitysailingcenter.org
-Eat-
Honey Road
When the coveted James Beard Award
named Honey Road a semi-finalist for
“best new restaurant,” it merely confirmed
the effusive word-of-mouth praise coming
from its diners. Located at the corner of
Church and Main Streets, it’s become one of
Burlington’s must-go culinary experiences,
taking Eastern Mediterranean cuisine and
giving it a significant boutique twist that
wows at nearly every bite and sip.
Dishes are served mezze style and designed
to be shared (or fought over). While the
menu changes according to the seasonal
availability of ingredients, start with the
Muhammara walnut-red pepper dip, fresh-
baked pita, and lamb crackers. Then move
on to plates of grape leaf dolma stuffed
with lamb; roasted asparagus on a bed of
goat cheese and fig Jam; and sweet Harissa
chicken wings, arguably the best in Vermont.
156 Church St., 497-2145,
honeyroadrestaurant.com
-Drink-
Foam Brewers
Everyone knows Vermont is beer heaven,
and one of its brightest lights is at Foam
Brewers in Waterfront Park. Opened in 2016
by several brewers formerly of Switchback
and Magic Hat, it’s since become a must-
drink for beer aficionados. Tasting notes like
“citrus, mango, pineapple, tangerine, and
passion fruit” laden brews named for ’90s
music and Stanley Kubrick films. In some
cases thanks to direct additions, such as the
180 pounds of fresh peaches brewed for the
saison “Pitted Against Drie,” but also from
freshly harvested, full-cone wet hops from
Chateaugay, New York. Go even deeper
down the rabbit hole with the “wild ales”
aged in oak barrels with orange peel, rose
hips, and Vermont wildflower honey from
brewer Todd Haire’s side project, House of
Fermentology.
With the lakefront and patio (and ample
parking) right outside, it’s a near perfect
summer scene, but the interior design of the
19th-century building aims to match. The
flowing concrete and colored glass-inlaid bar
top and other design elements come from
the founder of NorthLand Visual Design &
Construction, Russ Bennett, whose designs
have infused everything from Phish and
Bonnaroo festivals to Red Hen Baking and
Capital Plaza Hotel in Montpelier.
12 Lake St., 399-2511, foambrewers.com
-Dream-
Made INN Vermont
While most Vermont inns embrace flowered
wallpaper and four-poster beds, Made INN
Vermont has turned that image on its head in
the best possible way, thanks to the whimsical
eye of owner Linda Wolf. After purchasing
the 1881 house near the corner of Willard
and Maple, she gave it a total makeover that
infuses the elegant 19th-century framework
with a significant boutique quirk, including
chalkboard walls and vinyl record collections
in the rooms, guitars in the corridors, and a
virtual sea of fascinating knick-knacks in the
ultra cozy lounge. Indeed, every turn of the
head unearths some new treasure.
The kitchen area maintains an impressive
24-hour spread of snacks, fruit, and
sparkling wine that’s included in the price.
The breakfast, including salmon eggs
benedict, impresses enough to forswear the
many wonderful opportunities just a few
blocks down the hill on Church Street.
However, the crown jewel remains a hot cup
of tea or flute of Champagne in the upstairs
in the cupola, which offers panaromic views
of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks—
stunning at sunset.
204 S. Willard St., 399-2788,
madeinnvermont.com
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 11

North Branch Vineyards Expands Production by Phil Dodd

J ohn McCann was so busy establishing grape plants in the rocky soil at his new five-acre
vineyard in Middlesex this spring that he fell behind bottling last year’s wine. However,
it’s a sign of his success at North Branch Vineyards, the Montpelier business he runs with
his wife Kate, an award-winning math teacher at U-32 high school.
His skills have been rewarded with a variety of awards at regional and international wine
competitions. Most recently, his “Proprietor’s Blend” wine won a gold medal and “Best
Vermont Wine” at the Eastern States Wine Competition.
Clearly, a lot of effort goes into making and selling North Branch Vineyards wine. The family
But the hard work of planting this year should lead to a big expansion for the small winery in attends 14 festivals a year in Vermont, from Danville to Bennington, accounting for about 70
the near future. North Branch Vineyards has been making and selling about 12,000 bottles a percent of sales, McCann said. They also sell wine at the Montpelier Farmers’ Market when
year in recent years. When the Middlesex vineyard comes online in three years and joins two they are not away at festivals.
smaller vineyards North Branch has in St. Johnsbury and Plainfield, McCann figures he will By December, they will have sold out of most of their wine. The business then essentially shuts
be producing 36,000 to 40,000 bottles a year and might need to hire some help. down until spring. But right now, McCann is very busy. At the Middlesex vineyard he just
McCann seems confident there will be demand for the additional bottles. Since he and Kate finished planting, he has been irrigating four hours a day in the midst of what he says is the
started the business in 2007, starting out with grapes purchased from the Finger Lakes Region driest spring he has seen. Meanwhile, he is cranking up his bottling operation to satisfy the
of New York, the business has grown steadily, even as more wineries pop up in Vermont. thirst of North Branch Vineyards’ customers for his unique Vermont wines.
“It is different than 10 years ago,” he said. “We no longer have to explain that we can grow
grapes in Vermont. Now people come in asking for wine from specific grapes, like Frontenac
or Marquette.”
Visiting North Branch
Today, North Branch uses only cold-hardy grapes grown in Vermont, either from its own Vineyards
vineyards or purchased from other growers in the state. The wine is fermented and bottled
in the basement of the McCann’s home on Trillium Hill Road off Elm Street, a home which This summer North Branch
they share with their two children, Kasi, age 12, and Nora, age 8. Vineyards will he holding wine
The growing interest in Vermont-produced wine brings many visitors to their business for tastings on Fridays, Saturdays,
free tastings, often from out-of-state, McCann said. “They find us on Google. We are not and Sundays from 2 to 5 pm. Be
the biggest or fanciest winery, but they see the good reviews we have and come for a tasting. sure to call ahead, however, as the
Ninety percent of them buy wine when they visit.” proprietors are often away selling
“Saturday and Sunday are our busy days here, especially holidays,” McCann noted. “On their wine at festivals (229-6169).
Mother’s Day weekend a car stopped here every 10 minutes.” Many of the visitors are younger
people. They are adventurous and willing to experiment,” he said. “They want to experience
a mom-and-pop winery.”
Photos by Phil Dodd
Vermont’s beer boom works to his advantage, McCann added. “All the beer marketing helps.
Sometimes a couple will spend a day beer tasting but also want to check out a winery. There
is some cross benefit between breweries and wineries.”
Frontenac grapes are a prime focus at North Branch Vineyards. McCann said his most
popular wine is a Frontenac semi-dry red wine. “It has grown like wildfire for us,” he said.
“We have people pre-ordering it.” But he called Frontenac gris—a white wine—his signature
wine.
The winery features several other wines as well, with bottle prices ranging from $14.95 to
$18.95, said McCann. The wines are sold at several local stores (see sidebar) and also shipped
to customers all over the country, including the 50 or so people in the winery’s wine club.
North Branch wines can also be found at local restaurants, including Sarducci’s and Royal
Orchid in Montpelier
McCann believes his wine-making skills have improved. “I have one customer in Pownal I
met several years ago,” he said. “He says there has been an amazing evolution of our wines
in the past three years.”
McCann, who graduated from UVM with a degree in engineering and once worked as an
aerospace engineer in California, said that when he first started making wine, “I was very North Branch Vineyard wines are sold by the bottle
precise. The engineer in me hasn’t gone away, but I have developed creativity, using my smell at the following local locations, among others:
and taste to create nice blends.”
•Montpelier Farmers’ Market – Montpelier •Cheese Traders - South Burlington
•Hunger Mountain Coop – Montpelier •Mountain Cheese and Wine - Stowe
•Yankee Spirits - Montpelier •Red Hen Bakery & Café - Middlesex
•Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op – Hardwick
•The Warren Store - Warren
•Cabot Annex - Waterbury Center
PAG E 12 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
The Wayside Restaurant Turns 100 Years Old—
and Aims for More
Circa 1946 under the ownership of the Fish Family. Photo courtesy of The Wayside
W
hen Effie Ballou opened the Wayside Diner in
July of 1918, Horace F. Graham was governor
of Vermont, the doughboys were fighting World
War I in Europe, and a global pandemic of “Spanish
Influenza” swept through the state, killing 1,772 Vermonters,
with the most deaths occurring in Washington County. It
was also the year a Red Sox pitcher named Babe Ruth
pitched 29 scoreless innings in the team’s last World Series
victory until 2004.
Much has changed in the Montpelier area in the 100 years
since, but one cornerstone has remained constant—the
Wayside Restaurant. Step inside the classic, all-American
diner today, however, and it’s as if time has stood still at the
booths and counter.
The current owners, Brian and Karen Zecchinelli, have run
the restaurant for more than 20 years, but it’s been within
Karen’s family (the Galfetti family) for more than 50. Her
family purchased the restaurant in 1966, when she was just
four years old, and they moved into the house on the hill
behind the restaurant, which every owner has lived in so
far. “Collectively, two generations of the Galfetti family
have run it for over 50 years of its 100-year tenure,” Brian
Zecchinelli said.
The main appeal is the home-style meals—including
meatloaf, casseroles, and chicken pie—which in today’s busy
by Michael Bielawski
The Wayside today. Photo by Michael Bielawski
society are not always easy to prepare at home. “You might
be reluctant to make a tuna-and-noodle casserole at home
because you’d be eating it for three or four days straight,”
explains Zecchinelli. “At Wayside you can just come in and
enjoy those old-fashioned favorites without being tied to it
for your next three or four dinners.”
They have more than 60 employees with combined years of
service amounting to over 600 years. The average stay per
employee is a decade or more. “That’s the thing, that’s why
we feel privileged to be operating the restaurant at this point
in time,” Zecchinelli points out. “We’re trying to get the
story out there of how special it is.” He noted they have six
employees in the “25-year club,” and he is close to joining
them with more than 20 years under his belt.
While it’s not a 24-hour diner, it didn’t always close in
mid-evening. In the 1960s and 1970s it was open until
midnight. Zecchinelli noted how during that time period
there were evening dances at iconic locations such as Cole’s
Pond near Hardwick, and hungry crowds would come in
for a late-night snack. Usually, steak sandwiches were made
during these hours because there weren’t always other dishes
available.
While the Wayside is celebrating its past this year, it is also
looking to the future. A tradition among the Zecchinelli
family has been that the children must first test the waters
Owners Brian and Karen Zecchinelli.
Photo courtesy of The Wayside
outside the family business before returning to it. Karen
Zecchinelli, for example, ran a bed and breakfast among other
ventures.
Now their son is a junior at Fordham University in New York
City, studying in its business school. He had been working at
the restaurant since the age of five and is being encouraged to
test the waters in different careers.
Whether it’s his family or someone else’s, Zecchinelli is
confident the restaurant will always be in good hands. “I think
the Wayside has become more than just a restaurant, it has
become an important part of the fabric of Vermont, and I’m
sure there would be a family out there that would welcome the
opportunity to carry it on for the next 50 years or something
like that.”
The Zecchinellis, however, have no intention to sell or pass the
business on any time soon.
“We’re still having too much fun and enjoying being a part of
the experience,” Zecchinelli said. “We really worked to get the
Wayside to its 100th anniversary, and now we are laying the
groundwork for its next 100 years.”
And the next big celebration will be in July, the actual month
the Wayside opened in 1918. A Customer Appreciation Party
starts at 6:30 pm on July 29th and goes until 9:30 pm. At
sundown, all guests will be treated to a special fireworks display.
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 13
The Only Wine I Ever Loved
F
r om August 2002 to June 2003, I taught English at a school in the city of Koper, in
the coastal Primorska region of Slovenia. Here, they produce a very particular type
of red wine called Refošk, which kept me warm and oiled through the year. Ever
since, I have sought it out in wine shops across the United States only to receive quizzical
looks and dismissive shakes of the head. So it was with great joy that I discovered The North
Branch Cafe was able to order me a bottle (and several more for adventurous customers).
The nostalgia brought to mind this article I wrote about Refošk and the coast of Slovenia in
a 2013 article for the Huffington Post:
The wine began appearing outside my door
soon after I moved into the ground floor studio Refošk from North Branch
apartment of the 700-year-old Venetian building. Café. Photo by Mike Dunphy
Poured into reused plastic water bottles, the
deep purple liquid needed no label to tell me the
vintage. On the coast of Slovenia, there really is
only one kind of red wine that darkens the lips
of the locals—Refošk.
These particular bottles were squeezed from
the grapes at my landlords’ farm outside Koper,
where I was living. Klavdij Marancina and his
daughter Dolores were not only proud Istrians,
but true Samaritans. When I was homeless, they
gave me shelter. When I froze, they gave me
clothing. And when I could hardly afford a bite,
they gave me sustenance—and the wine.
Even before it began appearing, I’d already
developed an intimate relationship with the
grape. Destitution had driven me into the
ripening hillside vineyards to feed myself on the
hanging clusters, at least until the dogs or migrant workers chased me out.
The exceptionally fertile soil of the Primorska region has had a relationship with Refošk
for millennia. The ancient Romans were particular fans. Then called puccinum, the
variety attracted the attention of first-century naturalist Pliny the Elder, who praised
the grape in his work Naturalis Historia. The grape’s natural resistance to disease and
rot also made it a favorite with farmers. Pop one into your mouth, and its strength
becomes apparent in the dense, bitter-sweet punch to the palate.
Admittedly, Refošk’s acerbic flavor isn’t for everyone. The lingo-savvy experts at wine-
searcher.com describe it as having “dark peppery spices and plums [and] a slightly
astringent, almond-skin like finish on the palate.” My significantly less-refined taste
buds could discern little of this, but that wasn’t the wine’s fault. My Irish-Nordic
ancestry had simply engineered my genetic receptors for beer and whiskey. Any
estimation of wine quality pivoted on how little or much it burned my tongue.
My upbringing didn’t help. Wine first entered my life in the form of cheek kisses from
my grandmother, who drank it copiously, preferably white, and definitely cheap. The
nascent revulsion was nurtured further by the culture of northern Vermont in the
1980s. Beer was the drink of choice, and wine reserved for elitist wussies and low-rent
drunks—unless in “cooler” form, which appealed to hairspray-heavy backwoods girls
called “chicken heads.” The only other wine culture I saw was during mass, and that
quickly changed to the blood of Christ.
Years later, when I finally stepped foot in French wine country, my maladroitness led to
one particularly embarrassing incident that significantly dissuaded future exploration.
by Mike Dunphy
Uncorking a modestly expensive bottle of red wine at our table in the restaurant, the
waiter poured a few splashes in my glass and stepped back. “That’s all I get?” I roared
in disbelief. The French burst out laughing.
So when Refošk began appearing at my door in Koper, Slovenia, I was understandably
cautious. First, there was a fear of not liking it and somehow spurning the Marancinas’
tremendous generosity. But even more treacherous seemed the potential booby
traps waiting in the tannins, all of which had haughty French accents. Happily, the
wine’s thick body roughly achieved beer weight
and harbored a rough, roguish personality to
match. Locals liked to soften the taste by adding
Coca-Cola or dog rose-based Cockta to make a
Bombus. The combo was remarkably delicious.
But as winter set in, it was the Refošk itself I
wanted, ever purer and less-refined, not just for
the fireside wine warmth and accompanying
diffusion of worry, but rather the emotional
support. Anyone who’s lived thousands of miles
from loved ones for long periods knows the depths
of loneliness that sometimes arrive like the bora
and blow you nearly to pieces. In these times, it’s
Wordsworth’s “little, nameless, unremembered
acts of kindness” that keep the heart pumping.
The wine outside my door contained all three.
By spring, the relationship had bloomed into
love. However pleasing the body was, though,
it was the spirit that won me. In short, I loved
Refošk because Refošk loved me.
Back in America, years later, the thirst remains.
Unfortunately, the wine business here sees little benefit in producing or stocking its
shelves with Refošk or even its Italian counterpart, Refosco. Instead, the clerks at New
York City’s finest wine shops simply shrug their shoulders and offer to pursue a special
order. But I decline. It’s just not the same. Nevertheless, I continue to try, but I’m
beginning to think that it’s not really the wine I want, but rather a hug.
Bottles of Slovenian Refošk are now available at The North Branch Cafe
PAG E 14 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Summer Heat Relief: Staying Cool with Herbs and Food
by Iris Gage
S
ummer is often a joyous time for Vermonters, with the
annual return of mellifluous song birds, sweet smelling
blossoms, fifty shades of green, and, of course, the sun!
With all this excitement, we can easily forget the basics of
caring for our bodies during the hot time of year.
Luckily there are many herbs, foods, lifestyle considerations,
and topical preparations that can help us bask in the sun
instead of succumbing to its harshness. From herbal teas
and peppermint to cooling foods and cucumbers, there are
many natural avenues to sustain our strength and vibrancy
through the sweltering heat.
Stay hydrated: Adequate hydration is paramount during
summer, especially if you are physically active. When I am
outside working in the sun, I aim to drink a gallon of water
throughout the day. When I am working inside most of the
day I drink less water, roughly two quarts. If plain water
doesn’t spark your interest, drink herbal teas throughout the
day as an alternative. Drinking herbal teas infused by the
sun is a simple way to brew tea while spending time in the sage advice
garden or bird watching on the porch.
Favor cool foods: Eat light, easily digested, and hydrating foods such as cucumbers,
tomatoes, salad greens, summer squash, and dark leafy greens. Fruit is also ideal, so embrace
salads of strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Adding mint,
elder flower, hibiscus, linden, rose, and chrysanthemum to your tea can provide additional
cooling effects.
Exercise gently and early: Engage yourself in gentle exercises such as swimming, yin yoga,
and walks in the woods. If you are the type of person who needs a bit more sweat in exercise,
do it early in the morning before the heat of the day sets in. Avoid vigorous exercise in the
evening, as this is the time of day when your body starts to wind down and prepare itself
for revitalizing sleep. One of my clients begins her summer
exercise routine with a morning bike ride or run and ends
with moon salutation yoga poses one hour before bed.
Regulate your temperature: Instantly feel cooler by using
cold compresses with essential oils such as peppermint,
spearmint, and eucalyptus. To make a compress, add one
to three drops into a bowl of iced water, stir, saturate a
washcloth, wring it out, and wipe your neck and armpits
(avoid eyes). If you’re going to be outdoors for a prolonged
period, wrap the wet cloth around your neck to regulate your
body temperature and prevent heat exhaustion. Be sure to
use mint and eucalyptus essential oils sparingly because they
are strong and not suitable for sensitive skin, children under
six, and women who are pregnant. Another way is to mist
your face and body with hydrosols such as rose, peppermint,
eucalyptus, and cucumber, which are generally safer.
Skin soothers: For fair skin or skin not quite yet accustomed
to the sun, apply aloe vera gel directly at the end of a sunny
day. This will help repair and heal the skin, reducing the
severity of a sunburn. I have used this trick many times on
my fair skin, pleasantly not looking like a red lobster the next
day. If you have an aloe vera plant at home, even better! Simply break off a leaf, slice open
and gently rub the jelly-like sap over the burn. The leaf can be wrapped and stored in the
refrigerator for later use as well. Aloe vera can also be used for other minor skin irritations
and even poison ivy rashes.
Iris Gage is a registered clinical herbalist, certified aromatherapist, and owner of Grian Herbs
Apothecary in Montpelier.
Have a health related question you would like Iris to answer with sage advice? Email
mail@grianherbs.com
Cool down with this recipe-
Cucumber Yogurt
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup cucumber, diced
1 Tbl cilantro, fresh, chopped finely
1 Tbl chives, fresh, chopped finely
½ tsp cumin seed powder
½ tsp sea salt
Combine all ingredients and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
Sun Infused Cool and Calm Herbal Tea
2 Tbl mint (peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, etc.)
1 Tbl linden
½ Tbl elder flower
½ Tbl hibiscus
4 cups spring, well or filtered water
Quart Mason jar
Combine all ingredients into the Mason jar, cover, and let steep outside in the direct sunlight
for 1‒4 hours. Then strain out the herbs out and enjoy. If desired, add sweetener to taste.
After Sun Soother
4 oz aloe vera gel
30‒40 drops lavender angustifolia essential oil
1/8 tsp pure vitamin E oil
4 oz glass jar
Combine and mix ingredients thoroughly and store in the 4-oz glass jar. Apply liberally to
minor skin irritations and sun burns. Store in cool, dark place or refrigerator.
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 15
Calendar of Events
Community Events
Events happening
June 22–July 7
THURSDAY, JUNE 21
Open Ears at Bagitos. Join Montpelier
city councilor Glen Coburn Hutcheson to
talk about the city or anything else. 8:30–
9:30 am. Bagitos, 28 Main St., Montpelier.
hutcheson@montpelier-vt.org, 839-5349.
Josiah, A New Documentary Film
Presentation and Discussion. Narrated
by Danny Glover. Josiah Henson escapes
slavery and overcomes incredible odds.
T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. twwoodgallery.org, 262-6035.
$5 suggested donation.
“Writers & Their Mothers” – This book
brings to life the thoughts, work, loves,
friendships, passions and, above all, the
influence of mothers upon their literary
offspring from Shakespeare to the present.
7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts. www.
highlandartsvt.org, 533-2000
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
Lucid Path Wellness Open House. Stop
in, say “hi,” sample the Healing Chamber,
and get a mini hand analysis reading with
Kim Fuller of Haelen Hands (suggested
donation for readings is $10) 5–7 pm. 97
State St., Montpelier. lucidpathwellness.
com
Ecstatic Dance Vermont and Wordcraft
All-Stars. Celebrate diversity through
dance, music, and words in a safe and
open space. All ages event. 6–10 pm.
Christ Church, 64 State St., Montpelier.
Dance $10; WORD!CRAFT by donation.
myceliumthemc.wordpress.com
For more events and detailed event
listings, visit montpelierbridge.com
Paint & Sip with Arthur Zorn. Hosted
by Lost Nation Theater. Creative painting
techniques, wine, food, fun will be mixed
for a pallet of painting pleasures. Ages
21+. 7:30 pm. Lost Nation Theater, City
Hall Arts Center, Main St., Montpelier.
$25 advance; $30 day of event. 229-0492,
lostnationtheater.org
SATURDAY, JUNE 23
Dog Mountain Founders Celebration Dog
Party. Honors the lives and loves of Dog
Mountain’s visionaries, Stephen and Gwen
Huneck. If you have dogs, bring them. Live
music, local food, activities. Rain or shine.
Dog Mountain, 143 Parks Rd.,
St. Johnsbury. dogmt.com
CVMC Fun Run (and Walk). Five-mile loop
around Berlin Pond. Prizes for top finishers
in all age groups. $20 if received by June
20; $25 race day. 371-4191. Register:
cvmc.org/fun-run
Capital City Farmers Market.
Market vendors, music, and events.
9 am–1 pm. State St., Montpelier.
montpelierfarmersmarket.com
Montpelier Neighborhood Yard Sale.
June 23–24. Dover and Phillips Road
neighborhood yard sales. Many homes
participating! Household items, furniture,
clothes, books, toys and more. 10 am–5 pm.
Climb Out of the Darkness. Postpartum
mood and anxiety disorders are the most
common complication of childbirth—
and often go undiagnosed. 10 am–1
pm. Vermont State House, Montpelier.
goodbeginningscentralvt.org. 595-7953
Open House at Vermont Farm and Forest
School. Meet the educators, tour the farm
and forest, play games, and cook over the
fire. 1–4 pm. Drift Farmstead, 324 Webster
Rd., Roxbury. driftfarmsteadvt.com
SUNDAY, JUNE 24
Central Vermont Cycling Tour. Scenic
bike tour of hidden gems. Well marked
courses, great food stops, and three options,
from the 13-mile family-friendly loop
to the 59-mile with 6000 feet worth of
elevation challenge for athletes. Maple
creemees. 8 am–5 pm. Morse Farm Maple
Sugarworks, 1168 County Rd., East
Montpelier. Adults $60; kids and teens ride
free. Benefits Cross VT Trail. 498-0079,
greg@crossvermont.org
Montpelier Neighborhood Yard Sale.
June 23–24. Dover and Phillips Road
neighborhood yard sales. Many homes
participating! Household items, furniture,
clothes, books, toys and more. 10 am–5 pm.
American Radio Relay League Field
Day. June 23–24. The Central Vermont
Amateur Radio Club will join radio
operators from all over North America by
participating in this event. Similar Field
Days are being held nationwide to train
ourselves to communicate when disaster
renders conventional communications
inoperable. Also a chance to see ham radio
in action. Make 24 hours of radio contacts
throughout the U.S. and elsewhere.
Hubbard Park Tower, Montpelier. More
info: AlanZaur@comcast.net or call sign:
K1MZM
Pasta Palooza. Various pasta dishes, make
your own sundae. Take out is available.
4–7 pm. Twin Valley Senior Center, 4583
US Route 2, East Montpelier. Suggested
donation: $10 adults, $5 children, children
under 3 free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors@
myfairpoint.net.
MONDAY, JUNE 25
Writing Power: A Writing Workshop to
Unleash the Writer Within. Write from
prompts and discuss ways to leap and
go deep on the page whether you write
poetry, nonfiction, memoir or fiction. No
writing experience necessary. 6–7:45 pm.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. 223-3338.
The Path of the Huntress: First Steps to
Becoming a Deer Hunter. Discuss getting
a hunting license, finding training and
mentorship, and tips for a successful and
ethical hunt. This workshop will especially
address the concerns of new women
hunters, but all genders are welcome. 6 pm.
Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
Montpelier. 223-3338.
TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Wildlife Rocks! With the Southern
Vermont History Museum. Museum
educators will bring 5 or 6 live animals
native to New England for an up close look
at their amazing skills and adaptations.
Cabot Library, 3084 Main Sr., Cabot.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
Build Your Own Cardboard Guitar
with Jennifer Barlow. Design and build
a sturdy little four string guitar/ukulele,
perfect for strumming along at the Cowboy
 Calendar of Events
PAG E 16 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Performing Arts
THEATER, DANCE, STORYTELLING, COMEDY
June 21–24: Mad as the Wind and the Sea. A Buccaneers Fantabulous Rollicking Tragic Opera
by Chris Colt, of Blues Brothers fame and the founder of Blue Barn Productions of Maple Corner
has created a new musical for the whole family. June 21–23 at 7:30 pm; June 24 at 2 pm. Gospel
Hollow Town Hall, Calais. All tickets are $15 suggested donation, cash or check at the door, $10
for students and seniors.
June 22–23: Castle on the Hill, A Tale of King Arthur. Presented by Vermont Youth Dancers
(VYD) who will put their own spin on the classic legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the
Round Table. Fri. at 7 pm; Sat. at 2 pm. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 122 Hourglass Dr.,
Stowe. $18–22. sprucepeakarts.org
June 22: Bread and Puppet Presents: Out-of-Joint Hamlet, Reimagines the classic tale of the
indecisive Prince. B&P’s traditional bread and aioli will be served after the show and the Bread and
Puppet Museum store will be open for the public. 7:30 pm. The Paper Maché Cathedral, Bread
and Puppet Farm on 753 Heights Rd./Rt. 122, Glover. Suggested donation is $10, no one turned
away for lack of funds.
June 22: Bueno Comedy Showcase at Espresso Bueno. A wide range of talented standup comics,
from here and away, working longer sets. 8:30 pm. Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. Free/
by donation. 479-0896. espressobueno.com.
June 23–24: Jerry & Ed. Leave that blinker on and move into the not-so-fast lane at Garden Acres
Retirement Community for the hilarious and heartwarming story of Jerry Atric (get it?) and his
old buddy Ed Hascomb. Starring actor and playwright Steve Henderson as Jerry Atric, and Frank
Aronson as J.T. Waite in a two-man show that celebrates friendships that stand the tests of time.
Sat. at 7:30 pm; Sun. at 3 pm. Highland Center for the Arts
June 23: Blood, Sweat, Baby, and Life After Orgasm. One-woman show featuring local
community midwife, Katherine Bramhall, telling stories of birth from her many, many years
of helping women birth our next generation. 7:30–9 pm. Tickets are $23 and $19 for pregnant
woman and seniors. Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. barreoperahouse.org
June 24: Bread and Puppet Presents: Grasshopper Revolution. Attempts to draw advice from
several prominent revolutions in human history. B&P’s traditional bread and aioli will be served
after the show and the Bread and Puppet Museum store will be open for the public. 3 pm. The
Paper Maché Cathedral, Bread and Puppet Farm on 753 Heights Rd./Rt. 122, Glover. Suggested
donation is $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.
June 29, July 2–3: Circus Smirkus Presents Vaudeville. Spectacular lineup of daring and
dazzling acts. Amazing acrobats, wondrous wire walkers, jaunty jugglers. For showtimes and ticket
info, visit smirkus.org.

Sing-A-Long on July 6! We’ll provide
supplies and instruction. Kids, be sure to
bring a grownup to help. We’ll also have
supplies on hand for simple instruments
little ones can make too. 6:30 pm. Jaquith
Public Library, School St., Marshfield.
HCA’s Mid-Week Movie Night. Spiderman.
7 pm. Highland Center for the Arts, 2875
Hardwick St., Greensboro. $5 suggested
donation. highlandartsvt.org. 533-2000
THURSDAY, JUNE 28
Open Ears at Bagitos. Join Montpelier city
councilor Glen Coburn Hutcheson to talk
about the city or anything else. 8:30–9:30
am. Bagitos, 28 Main St., Montpelier.
hutcheson@montpelier-vt.org, 839-5349.
FRIDAY, JUNE 29
Montpelier Senior Activity Center Senior
Prom. Get ready to boogie at this year’s
Senior Prom. Our theme this year is Disco
Fever. Music, dancing, food, and fun. A
great DJ, a fun photo booth, and fun items
to bid on in our silent auction. 7–10:30 pm.
Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center,
100 State St., Montpelier. Open to everyone.
$25. https://www.brownpapertickets. com/
user/manageevent/3443434.
MFA in Writing Public Readings. Clifford
Thompson, visiting creative nonfiction
writer. 7:30 pm. VCFA, College Hall
Chapel, Montpelier. Free; open to the public.
http://vcfa.edu/writing
SATURDAY, JUNE 30
Waterbury Not Quite Independence Day.
Parade, concert, games, contests, fireworks.
For more info: waterburynqid.com
Capital City Farmers Market. Market
vendors, music, and events. 9 am–1 pm. State
St., Montpelier. montpelierfarmersmarket.com
SUNDAY, JULY 1
Hike Mt. Ascutney with Green Mountain
Club. Windsor. Moderate. 5.4 miles .
Hike to the summit via the Windsor Trail.
Bring lunch and water. Contact Michael
Chernick, 249-0520 or chernick5@comcast.
net for meeting time and place.
Newcomb’s Plant ID Workshop
and Walk. Learn the botanical key in
Newcomb’s Guide to the Wildflowers
for a lifetime of enjoyment. 10 am–12:30
pm. Wisdom of the Herbs School, 1005
County Rd., Woodbury. Sliding scale
$25–15. Pre-registration requested:
456-8122, annie.mccleary@gmail.com,
WisdomOfTheHerbsSchool.com
Community Song Circles. A community
sing-along open to all ages and musical
abilities – all you need is a love of singing.
We use the popular songbooks “Rise Up
Singing” and “Rise Again.” Bring your
copies if you have them; books will also be
available to borrow or purchase. 6–8 pm.
Center for Arts and Learning, 46 Barre St.,
Montpelier. Donations appreciated. cal-vt.
org, vtcommunitysing@gmail.com
MFA in Writing Public Readings. Danielle
Evans, visiting fiction writer. 7 pm. VCFA,
College Hall Chapel, Montpelier. Free; open
to the public. http://vcfa.edu/writing
MONDAY, JULY 2
Writing Power: A Writing Workshop to
Unleash the Writer Within. Write from
prompts and discuss ways to leap and go
deep on the page whether you write poetry,
nonfiction, memoir or fiction. No writing
experience necessary. 6–7:45 pm. Kellogg-
Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier.
223-3338.
Reading Frederick Douglass 2018. Join us as
we read together the fiery July 5, 1852 speech
in which the great abolitionist orator Frederick
Douglass took exception to being asked to
commemorate the signing of the Declaration
of Independence. This is a participatory event.
6 pm, Catamount Arts, 115 Eastern Ave., St.
Johnsbury
6:30 pm, Norwich Congregations Church of
Christ, 15 Church St., Norwich
MFA in Writing Public Readings. Jeffrey
Thomas Leong, visiting alumni poet and
translator. 7 pm. VCFA, College Hall Chapel,
Montpelier. Free; open to the public. http://
vcfa.edu/writing
 Calendar of Events
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 17

Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
Through June 24: The Russians and Friends.
Paintings by four visiting artists from Russia,
and some of their American friends, who
recently painted together in Jeffersonville. Bryan
Memorial Gallery, 180 Main St., Jeffersonville.
bryangallery.org
Through June 28: Tom Merwin, The Effects
of Bird Song on Shifting Strata. Paintings.
Vermont Supreme Court Gallery, 111 State St.,
Montpelier.
Through June 28: Carolyn Egeli, For the Love
of Vermont. Paintings. Governor’s Gallery, 109
State St., Montpelier. Photo ID required for
entry.
Through June 29: Ronald Slayton, Master of
Watercolor. Highlights two watercolor murals
“The Last Supper” (1985) and “The Hunger
Dream” (1985). T.W. Wood Gallery, Barre St.,
Montpelier.
Through June 29: Artists to Watch Part
II. The second exhibition in a survey of
contemporary Vermont art. Vermont Arts
Council, Spotlight Gallery, 136 State St.,
Montpelier.
Through June 30: Stop Motion – Paintings
and Drawings by Maiya Keck. Original oil and
charcoal pieces. Keck explores when motion
ends and the work is suspended into a sustained
image for the viewer. Axel’s Gallery, 5 Stowe St.,
Waterbury. 244-7801
Through June 30: Common Objects &
Uncommon Places – Paintings by Carrie
Caouette-De Lallo. Acrylics on paper focusing
on common objects and landscapes. Chelsea
Public Library, 296 VT-110, Chelsea. 685-2188.
Through June 30: New Shows at Studio Place
Arts. 201 N. Main St., Barre. studioplacearts.
com. 479-7069
Main floor gallery: Tell Me – Artwork by
19 local artists that explores language and
communication.
Second floor gallery: Beyond Words:
Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of
Vermont – Books can take on a language
of their own, as shown in the multimedia
work of this group of artists that use shape,
structure, and materials to get their message
across.
Third floor gallery: Jack Rowell: Cultural Through Aug. 10: Stewards of the Land:
Documentarian – Photographs from 5th Photography by Orah Moore. Handprinted
generation Vermonter Jack Rowell’s 30+ year silverprint photographs. Moore is a classically
career as a photographer. trained fine art photographer and founding
Through July 8: Susan Abbott, El Camino de member of Women in Photography, a national
Santiago (Way of St. James). Paintings of the organization. Presented by Studio Place Arts.
panoramic landscape Abbott experienced during On display at Morse Block Deli, 260 N. Main
her journey walking the road. Highland Center St., Barre.
for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. July 5–Aug. 31: Three Shows at T.W. Wood
533-2000. highlandartsvt.com Gallery. Summer Juried Show, joint exhibit
Through July 28: Green Mountain Watercolor of the Essex Art League and Milton Artists
Exhibition. Over 100 artists from North Guild., and works from the gallery's permanent
America. Thurs.–Sun., noon–9 pm. Lareau collection. Reception: July 12, 5–7 pm.
Farm, Waitsfield. 496-6682. T.W. Wood Gallery, 46 Barre St., Montpelier.
twwoodgallery.org
Through Aug. 3: Heidi Broner, Inner Lives.
Self-taught painter who has worked in a variety Through Sept. 8: Reclamation.Contemporary
of media. The Gallery at Central Vermont figurative women artists painting women from
Medical Center, Berlin. 279-6403. their perspective, reclaiming and transforming
the way women are portrayed. Helen Day Art
June 22 – Aug. 4: Show 26. Features the work Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. helenday.com
of six new members, along with that of the rest
of the gallery’s membership. Opening: June 22, Through Sept. 30: James Peterson,
5–8 pm. with live music by Ruth Einstein Dreamcatcher. Large-scale interactive
and company. The Front Gallery, 6 Barre St., installation that was inspired by the magical
Montpelier. thefrontvt.com. ice caves of Kamchatka in Siberia. The grounds
of Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 122
Hourglass Dr., Stowe. helenday.com

TUESDAY, JULY 3
July 3rd Independence Day Celebration. July 3rd is the Capital City’s largest festival of the
year with many activities happening downtown throughout the day and more than 40 food
and craft vendors lining State Street. The fun begins at 3 pm with the Family Olympics on the
State House Lawn. After the Olympics, the Montpelier Mile Road Race begins at 6 pm and
kicks off the Parade! After enjoying the parade, join us on the State House Lawn for a music
concert and fireworks show!
Bike Worcester with Green Mountain Club. Difficult. About 20 miles. Leave at 10 am from
the Worcester Town Office to Elmore. Eat lunch at the Elmore general store. Helmet required.
Contact George Plumb, 883-2313 or plumb.george@gmail.com.
Reading Frederick Douglass 2018. Join us as we read together the fiery July 5, 1852 speech
in which the great abolitionist orator Frederick Douglass took exception to being asked to
commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is a participatory event.
Noon, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St., Montpelier
6 pm, Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington St., Barre
MFA in Writing Public Readings. Mary Ruefle, visiting poet. 7 pm. VCFA, College Hall
Chapel, Montpelier. Free; open to the public. http://vcfa.edu/writing

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4
Reading Frederick Douglass 2018. Join us as we read together the fiery July 5, 1852 speech
in which the great abolitionist orator Frederick Douglass took exception to being asked to
commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is a participatory event. 1
pm. Worcester Village Green.
Artwork by James Galligan Baldwin on
THURSDAY, JULY 5 display at The Front Gallery in Montpelier
Open Ears at Bagitos. Join Montpelier city councilor Glen Coburn Hutcheson to talk about
the city or anything else. 8:30–9:30 am. Bagitos, 28 Main St., Montpelier. hutcheson@
montpelier-vt.org, 839-5349.

FRIDAY, JULY 6
Bethel First Friday Flicks - Free Family Movie. All are welcome. Bring a blanket or beanbag
if you want to get comfy (regular chairs available too). Visit our website or Facebook event for
each month’s movie. Popcorn & drinks for sale; donations gladly accepted to cover movie cost.
6:30–8:30 pm. bri-vt.org/events

SATURDAY, JULY 7
Capital City Farmers Market. Market vendors, music, and events. 9 am–1 pm. State St.,
Montpelier. montpelierfarmersmarket.com

Rocque Long
Send your event listing to Painting
calendar@ • Insured
montpelierbridge.com. • 30+ years professional
experience
Deadline for print in the • local references.
next issue is June 29.
802-223-0389
PAG E 18 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
Calendar of Events
Live Music
VENUES
Charlie O’s World Famous. 70 Main St. Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
June 22: Wes Hamilton, 6 pm; Green Mt. Playboys, 9 pm
June 23: The Wormdogs, Electric Sensei, 9 pm
June 26: Karaoke w/ DJ Vociferous, 9:30 pm–1:30 am
July 3: Karaoke w/ DJ Vociferous 9:30 pm–1:30 am
Gusto's. 28 Prospect St., Barre. 476-7919. Ages 21+.
June 22: ’80s Night with DUROC, 9 pm, 21+, $5.
June 23: DJ Loud, 21, 9:30 pm, no cover
June 22: Jazzyaoke. Live six-piece jazz band. Sing standards from the great American
songbook. All lyrics are provided. 6:30–9:30 pm. Highland Lodge, 1608 Craftsbury Rd.,
Greensboro. $5. 322-4456. info@wooo.tv, wooo.tv
June 23: Rayna Gellert and Kieran Kane. Gellert is a prodigious fiddler, and a
preternaturally gifted songwriter who has led a new revival of American string band music
through her work with the acclaimed roots band Uncle Earl. Kane has been referred to
as “the godfather of Americana music.” Potluck snacks, and BYOB. Doors open at 7 pm;
music starts at 7:30 pm. Landmark Schoolhouse, 1643 Rte. 215, Lower Cabot. Tickets:
Adv. $16, at door $20. 793-3016, robinsongs@fairpoint.net.
June 28. 10,000 Maniacs. One of the most enduring bands from the ’80s “alternative
rock” movement, the 10,000 Maniacs, bring their 2018 tour to the Spruce Peak
Performing Arts Center. 7 pm. 122 Hourglass Dr, Stowe. $25–65. SprucePeakArts.org.
760-4634.

To see a listing of Weekly Events,

Whammy Bar. 31 County Rd., Calais. Thurs., Free. whammybar1.com.
June 21: Open Mic, 7 pm
June 22: Sky Blue Boys, 7:30 pm
June 23: Naughty and Nice, 7:30 pm
June 28: Open Mic, 7 pm
visit montpelierbridge.com
SPECIAL EVENTS
Every Wed: Capital City Band on the State House Lawn. Every Wed. through summer.
Enjoy a picnic with neighbors or meet some new friends while enjoying this delightful
Vermont musical tradition. Or, bring an instrument and play along with the band.
7–8 pm. State House Lawn. 456-7054.
Every Thurs: BarnArts Music on the Farm Thursday Night Music. Held at Feast and
Field Market every Thurs. through Oct. 18. 5:30–8 pm. Barnard Village.
June 22: Ray Vega & Friends. Jazz trumpeter Ray Vega makes a special appearance with
his “chordless” trio featuring bassist Robinson Morse and drummer Geza Carr. The
program will include compositions from the Great American Songbook along with works
by Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Vega and others. 6– 9 pm. Axel’s Gallery & Frame
Shop, 5 Stowe St, Waterbury.

Artwork by Maiya Keck on display at Axel's Gallery in Waterbury

Recycle This Paper!

T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 19

Letters
Ban Single-use Plastic Bags
At the time of this writing, the Montpelier City Council is considering a ban on single-
use plastic bags. Also, an ad-hoc group of people wishing to ban single-use plastics in
Montpelier is forming. The group’s name is Citizens Against Plastic Pollution, or CAPP.
To learn more, contact Alice Silverman at alicehersheysilverman@gmail.com.
Editor, Kate Herrington, Montpelier
As most of us now know, plastic is extremely versatile but highly problematic. The problem A Targeted Tax?
is not so much with plastic products, but how to safely dispose of them. The curious thing Editor,
about plastic is its virtual indestructibility. When it’s thrown away and ends up in a landfill,
They raise cigarette taxes to run anti-smoking ads, and dairy farmers pay fees for those
it can degrade into smaller pieces and seep into underground aquifers, including vital sources
“Got Milk” spots. So now that President Trump has leveed a new federal tax on American
of drinking water. All too often, plastic winds up in the world’s oceans, not only in its
manufactures, is that money earmarked for any particular program, or does it all go back
original form, such as plastic bottles, but as billions of degraded plastic microparticles and
to the swamp?
microfibers.
Sadie Thorne, Bridport
Although Vermont is a small state with no oceanic borders, it owns a sizable chunk of the
global problem. For starters, plastic fibers have been found in fourteen different species of
Lake Champlain fish, as well as in zooplankton and lake cormorants, according to Danielle
Garneau, who teaches at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Center for Earth and Environmental Science, Letters to the paper are not fact-checked and do not
in a November 2017 article in VTDigger. In addition, Vermont’s landfill space is literally
running out. necessarily represent the views of The Bridge.
What action can we take in Montpelier?
A powerful first step would be to stop using single-use plastic bags. A spokesman for Save
Our Shores, a marine conservation nonprofit, recently said, “Nothing that is used for less
than five minutes should pollute our environment for centuries.” I couldn’t agree more. Let’s We welcome your letters and opinion pieces. Letters must be
ban single-use plastic bags and start using cloth shopping bags, straw baskets, cloth mesh fewer than 300 words. Opinion pieces should not exceed 600
bags for smaller items like green beans, or even just our own two hands.
words. The Bridge reserves the right to edit and cut pieces.
Something I recently heard affected me deeply. It was a comment on love, and how the
opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. And how, when we experience indifference, an
Send your piece to: editorial@montpelierbridge.com.
integral part of us ceases to live. Let us not be indifferent to this issue. Let’s ban single-use Deadline for the next issue is June 29
plastic bags in Montpelier.
PAG E 2 0 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE

Helping Friends and Family with Suicidal Thoughts

by Karen Kurle

I
have had the humble privilege of working in mental health emergency services for 20
years. People frequently ask me, “How do you continue to do that work? It must be
so hard and sad.” The truth is, sometimes it is hard and sad, but it is also filled with
true hope. The people I see every day are alive, and I am hopeful that just one more day,
one more minute, one more second will make the anguish a little less, and the strength
that helped the person live through that anguish will continue to grow stronger.
Mental health, like physical health, affects us all. Mental illness, like physical illness,
also affects us all. The continuum with which we experience mental and physical health
is individual, but we can all empathize with feeling physically unwell on some level
similarly. We can all empathize with what it’s like to feel mentally unwell at different
times in our lives. We have all faced heartache, stress, sadness, anger, fear, and an array
of other emotions as well. Depression is a compilation of symptoms, just like a physical
illness.
We need to talk about mental health and mental illness with the same genuine interest,
vigor, and directness as we talk about physical health and physical illness. We need to
talk about treatment options and recovery stories to promote overall mental wellness
as we talk about treatment options and recovery stories promoting overall physical
wellness. A person struggling with suicidal ideation (also called suicidal thoughts) is
struggling just as fiercely as a person struggling with a physical ailment. I have visited
with people from all walks of life and can tell you, mental illness, like physical illness,
does not discriminate.
Recently, two very public figures, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, took their own
lives. Many people often ask me, “What should I do if I am worried someone might
have suicidal thoughts?” Or “What should I do if I’m worried someone is depressed?”
My answer might seem very simple and rudimentary: please ask them how they are.
This might seem very basic, but the reality is that genuinely asking someone how
they are and being ready to listen to the honest answer is harder than we might think.
Being willing to ask someone how they are doing when you know the answer might be
disturbing can be incredibly difficult and scary. It is also true that many times a person
struggling with their mental health will try and hide their troubles because they might
feel ashamed or embarrassed. When another person asks, “How are you?” they say, “I’m
fine.” The other person might continue to have concerns but is unsure how to show
support because they don’t want to “pry” or be disrespectful.
In mental health emergency work, we find there are many ways for people to show
genuine care and concern. Honestly stating why you’re concerned is the most respectful,
transparent way to show your concern. If a person needs space, sending thoughtful,
supportive messages through different media is another way to show care and concern.
I have also sat quietly with people just to be present and share the burden of the distress
so they are not alone. I have written cards, texts, and emails, and left voicemails just to
show a person they are not alone, because isolation is a significant risk factor for suicide.
But the concerned family member, friend, colleague, or neighbor should never feel alone
in offering someone support when they are struggling. Help can always be found at
Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Anyone can call for help and support for themselves and to get advice and guidance
about what to do to help someone else.
Please call us at 229-0591 for support and guidance.
The journey is one step at a time. You do not have to be alone on your journey.
Karen Kurrle is Intensive Care Services Director at Washington County Mental Health
Services

A Letter to Gov. Scott from COVE

Dear Governor Scott,
On behalf of the Community of Vermont Elders (COVE),
we write to encourage you to sign the Fiscal Year 2019
budget the Legislature has set forth during the special
session. While COVE is not directly engaged in the
discussions related to the tax bill and property tax rates,
we firmly believe that the state’s budget should not be held
as a political hostage to the debates involving tax rates for
second home owners and businesses. For over 30 years,
COVE has fought on behalf of older Vermonters who
struggle to stay in their homes and out of nursing homes, to
be with their community physicians and out of emergency
rooms, and to be with their families as they age with dignity
in their homes and community.
It was Gandhi who said that a society is measured by how
it treats its most vulnerable members. We know you believe
this as well through your support of policies that have
helped older Vermonters and other vulnerable Vermonters.
However, the current debate and your public position
begins to raise questions for us about your commitment to
these values and whether political gamesmanship has taken
the place of policy prudence. If Vermont’s government shuts
down, older Vermonters will suffer.
After paying a lifetime of taxes, fees, and other supports for
government, there are thousands of Vermonters who utilize
important health and safety programs that allow them
to keep living with dignity and health. How unfortunate
would it be if Vermonters supported by homemaker services
were unable to have skilled individuals come to their home
to help them bathe, cook, clean, and move around?
How difficult will it be for working families to add the
worry of how aging loved ones will be monitored so that
they don’t fall and break bones, to ensure that they’re taking
appropriate medications at the appropriate time, and that
they’re getting the food and supplements they need to stay
healthy and active? The safety net created by many of the
important programs funded by Vermonters is not charity,
it is a recognition that as a society we are all better off
if we support our neighbors and their desire to live their
remaining years with dignity and in good health.
Not signing a budget puts at risk the programs that
support Vermonters who need it most. COVE regards
a government shutdown, or even the specter of such a
shutdown, not just as a failure of the political system, but
a moral failing in which we as a society break the promises
we have made to the people who will suffer the most as a
result. We would ask you to reconsider your threats of a veto
and to allow this tri-partisan budget to move forward, and,
more importantly, to give assurances to Vermonters that
their government will not fail them.
Sincerely,
Ruby Baker, Executive Director, Community of Vermont
Elders
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 21

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THE BRIDGE SEEKS A SALES REPRESENTATIVE
DO YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR FREE, LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT
JOURNALISM IN VERMONT?

Spotlight on Jobs
CLASS A DRIVERS—MIDDLESEX
CENTRAL TRANSPORT is looking for Class A drivers to fill open positions at our
Middlesex office for daytime and overnight shifts. Daytime shifts start at $26/hr and
top out at $29/hr and offer local routes. Overnight shifts work out to 54 cents/mile with
hourly rates starting at $27/hr when not driving. Both positions are home daily, Monday
through Friday and have a $10,000 sign on bonus. Positions with Central Transport
offer medical, dental and 401K programs, driver uniforms, inspection bonuses, referral
bonuses and other incentives. Our drivers are in 2016 or newer tractors and our brand
new trailers keep rolling in weekly.
Qualified candidates should have at least three months of tractor/trailer driving within
the last year, no DUIs within the last five years, and a valid Class A CDL.
Please swing by 52 Three Mile Bridge Rd in Middlesex from 8 am until 5 pm to see
us or call (802) 899-0065 and talk to Brian Driscoll. Also contact Brian at bdriscoll@
centraltransport.com.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER—MONTPELIER
The Bridge is seeking the assistance of a sales representative to help cover the Central
Vermont region, including Montpelier, Barre, Plainfield, Calais, Middlesex, Berlin, and
Waterbury.
Candidates with sales experience and contacts in the region are preferred, but we are
also open to training someone with enthusiasm, charm, creativity, and old-fashioned
moxie.
We offer generous commissions on each sale and opportunity for advancement.
Furthermore, the job is part-time and flexible regarding hours.
For more information, contact Mike Dunphy at mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR—
BERLIN
COMMUNITY HARVEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT is looking for someone to assist the
Executive Director during the busy summer/fall gleaning season to keep the behind the
scenes aspects of the program going, as more and more staff time is spent out on farms
gleaning.
The position is a part time, 10-hours a week, flexible seasonal position with a primary
focus on program administration. An ideal candidate would have excellent organization
skills, attention to detail, data management experience, and an interest and/or experience
in local food systems.
Send cover letter, resume, and three references to Allison Levin, CHCV Executive
Director, at communityharvestvt@gmail.com. Job description posted at
CommunityHarvestVT.org/about/

THE VERMONT NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL (VNRC), in partnership with

the Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV), has an exciting opportunity for an outgoing
person who wants to have a significant impact on the future of Vermont.
We are looking for a motivated person to help advance policy initiatives related
to climate action, clean energy and environmental protection through grassroots
engagement. The position will also assist VCV to help elect environmental champions
to the Vermont legislature and statewide offices.
Job responsibilities include educating the public on our environmental campaigns,
building the support we need to advance a pro-climate, pro-environment policy
agenda, and elect environmental and climate champions to public office. The successful
candidate will be self-directed and have good writing skills; be able to communicate
effectively with a variety of audiences, including members and activists; be able to work
collaboratively in a busy office environment; have experience in social media; and be
committed to working on behalf of Vermont’s citizens, environment and communities.
Applicants should have a B.A. or B.S. in a relevant field (although pertinent life
experience may be substituted for education) and, preferably, experience with an
advocacy organization.
Starting salary is commensurate with experience. Email a letter of interest,
resume, and three references to Lauren Hierl, VCV Executive Director, lhierl@
vermontconservationvoters.com
PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBER—CABOT
Are you interested in working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment, where “The
World’s Best Cheddar” is made? Then we have the perfect career opportunity for you!
AGRI-MARK / CABOT CREAMERY is seeking full time 1st & 2nd shift Production
Team Members to work at our Cutting & Wrapping Plant located in Cabot, VT.
Positions are available working on our fast-paced production lines responsible for
packaging cheese while ensuring the highest safety and quality standards.
Schedule flexibility to include weekend availability is required. Previous production
and/or manufacturing experience is desired, but we are willing to train dependable and
motivated individuals. Qualified candidates must possess a High School diploma or
GED and be able to frequently lift up to 50 pounds.
We offer a competitive salary, shift differentials and comprehensive benefits package to
include medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401k and pension. Candidates
are encouraged to apply in person at our Cabot HR Department, online at jobs@
cabotcheese.com, or send your resume w/ cover letter to:
Cabot Creamery Administrative Office, ATTN: Roger Nadeau (HR), 193 Home Farm
Way, Waitsfield, VT 05673
PAG E 2 2 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE
The Labor Department Versus Small Business
The Bridge is just coming out of what has been, for me, a
disappointing and sobering experience.
Here I’m referring to a two-year process of having been
audited by the Vermont Department of Labor, with a first
contact from the Department in April 2016 and a formal
audit that began on August 19, 2016. At issue during the
audit was whether The Bridge had properly classified its
workers for the purposes of collecting unemployment
compensation payments during a three-year period: 2013,
2014, and 2015.
The Labor Department identified three categories of
possible worker classification.
• First, employees, for whom The Bridge had properly
paid unemployment insurance (UI) contributions.
• Second, independent contractors, for whom no UI
payment was owed.
• And third, the disputed employees, for whom no UI
contributions had been paid.
In its ruling, the Labor Department found that during the
period, 24 individuals received compensation as workers
for The Bridge. Ten of these 24 workers were found to
be properly classified, and it was judged that the paper
should have made payments to the state’s unemployment
trust fund for the remaining 14. When the unpaid
contributions, together with penalties and interest over the
three-year period were added up, the Labor Department
billed The Bridge a total of $4,157.71
During a meeting at the Labor Commissioner’s office
shortly after we learned of the audit, I remember Labor
Department staff members in the meeting room saying
not once but many times, “You can always appeal.” And
The Bridge did appeal.
First, The Bridge appealed to the department’s
administrative law judge, who denied our appeal on
March 3, 2017.
Second, The Bridge appealed to the next and higher level,
the State of Vermont’s Employee Security Board. That
appeal was denied on April 25, 2017.
And third, The Bridge had been advised that we could
write a letter to the Commissioner of Labor and the
Unemployment Insurance Director to ask that interest
payments over the three-year review period (amounting
to $1,113.75) be waived. That request was denied on April
24, 2017.
Yes, the money involved, being the back UI payments,
interests, and penalties assessed by the Labor Department,
became a painful financial issue for The Bridge, because
I might describe the paper as a “day-to-day, paycheck-to-
paycheck” operation. But it was more than the money
that made the audit process both opaque and almost
hateful.
Editorial
When The Bridge made its final audit payment to the
Labor Department a few weeks ago, I decided I would
write this editorial about the experience. I also decided to
seek out and report on the audit experience of other local
business owners, and attempt a “best-guess” analysis of
what is going on at the Vermont Department of Labor.
What, I wondered, explains why the Labor Department—
without notice—would suddenly change the rules and
launch an audit crackdown on vulnerable small-business
owners?
Then finally, I wanted to pose a list of questions to the
Vermont Department of Labor, questions the Department
had either declined to discuss or failed to answer.
True Colors, Montpelier
Bill McQuiggan, owner of True Colors at 141 River Street
in Montpelier, said that his first inkling of troubles to
come from the Vermont Department of Labor was a July
9, 2013 letter from the Labor Department that began
with these words:
Cody Chevrolet Congratulates
The Bridge On 25 Years of Business!
by Nat Frothingham
Dear Employer, The State of Vermont is required by the U.S.
Department of Labor to complete a number of audits each
quarter and your account has been chosen for review.
McQuiggan wondered about the letter and its possible
implications. He had opened True Colors more than 20
years prior and always paid its Social Security, Medicare,
Vermont labor and sales taxes on time. The letter didn’t
mention subcontractors.
As the audit proceeded, McQuiggan was interviewed
by Paulette LaMare, a field auditor for the Vermont
Unemployment Compensation (UC) unit of the Vermont
Department of Labor. LaMare asked to look through
the checking account and for McQuiggan to fill out a
questionnaire. This all seemed harmless enough. Then
in a November 2013 letter, McQuiggan was advised by
the Labor Department that he had failed to report taxes
he owed to Vermont’s Unemployment Insurance Fund
for subcontractors that had done work for True Colors
customers.
As part of True Colors offerings, McQuiggan sells vinyl
flooring, carpet, tile, and the like. Because these products
did not create enough income to employ a full-time
installer, McQuiggan referred the work to reliable,
professional installers.
“These installers had skills and talents I did not possess,”
he said. They scheduled their own installs, and customers
were billed from a price schedule provided by the installers.
Installers had to use their talents to install the flooring
products to the customer’s satisfaction.
The case with the Labor Department eventually went to
arbitration. The Labor Department uses an ABC test to
determine if someone is an employee. True Colors passed
two parts of the test, but because of one sentence on an
old website for True Colors stating the they “provide
professional installation for their flooring products,” the
Labor Department extrapolated from that one line that
all the installers were in fact employees.
Continued on next page
Thank Your
for Reading
The Bridge!
T H E B R I D G E J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 • PAG E 2 3
So the Labor Department prevailed, and the installers
had to be listed not as subcontractors but as McQuiggan’s
own employees. McQuiggan was then promptly handed
a large bill for state unemployment insurance fees, fines,
and penalties for all subcontractors that had done work
for the previous five years, amounting to thousands of
dollars. True Colors flooring sales plummeted as a result.
Looking back at the appeal process, McQuiggan said the
whole process with the Labor Department is stacked in
their favor. Small businesses do not have deep pockets
to prove their innocence against a large governmental
machine, so they are guilty as a result of a lack of money
to present a good defense.
“I feel that this is more about entrapment than educating
small business owners about their relationship with
subcontractors. At that time there was no warning about
these audits or their implications. Our accountant was
even surprised. I’m sure the big boxes will never be
audited,” he said, “because they could turn this whole
audit process on its head.”
“But what about politicians who often say that the State of
Vermont is small-business friendly?” I asked.
McQuiggan could only laugh out loud.
Bisbee’s Hardware & Home Center, Waitsfield and
Waterbury
During a brief conversation with John Wilson, who owns
a hardware and home center store in Waitsfield and
another hardware and home center store in Waterbury,
he offered this terse remark about his encounter with the
Vermont Department of Labor, saying: “We got audited.”
The employment issues at Bisbee’s were very much like
ones at True Colors. It was all about subcontractors
who were flooring installers. “We weren’t paying their
unemployment tax,” Wilson said.
Then he continued, “We appealed the first decision. Our
argument was that they were subcontractors. Why would
we be paying their unemployment tax?” he asked.
But the ruling went against Bisbee’s when the Labor
Department judged that the installers were employees,
not subcontractors. The Labor Department went back
three years and collected the unpaid unemployment taxes.
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Crane work • Decorative concrete
Consulting • ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT • (802) 229-0480
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Reflecting on what happened, Wilson said he felt the
Labor Department’s action wasn’t high on the “fairness
scale.” He added, “Our subcontractors don’t work solely
for us. We don’t pay their anything else. So now we do.
We take it out of their payroll.”
Wilson remembers the Labor Department’s judgment
costing him about $15,000. “They were targeting
subcontractors,” Wilson said. “Hammering on small
businesses—I just don’t understand that.”
Analysis and Questions
The Bridge published its first issue in December 1993. In
the years that followed up until the Labor Department
audit of August 2016, the way The Bridge classified its
workers was never challenged by the Department. What’s
more, the paper was never advised by its accountant
during all those years that we needed to re-classify our
workers.
Inasmuch as the Vermont Labor Department has declined
to talk to The Bridge, this is what I surmise happened.
No one needs to be reminded of the September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and other
locations. Nor does anyone need to be reminded about
the global banking meltdown of 2008‒2009 and its
aftermath—the biggest financial crisis since the Great
Depression of 1929.
The following paragraph is excerpted from the Vermont
Department of Labor’s own website.
From the period of 2001 to 2010, Vermont’s Unemployment
Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) annual debits exceeded their
credits… and the (State of Vermont) went from having
a positive UITF balance in 2001 of $300.4 million to a
negative balance of $40.6 million in 2010. This required
the (State of Vermont) to borrow money from the U.S.
federal government and cover their debts from a Title XII
loan. The loan amount increased to $77.7 million in 2011
due to shortages of cash in the first quarter of that year. Due
to changes in the State’s UI laws and improved economic
conditions, 2011 was net positive in that more cash was
collected in contributions than was paid out in the form
of UI benefits. This was the first time since 2001 that the
UITF had experienced a net positive contribution-to-benefit
ratio. The ending UITF net balance on December 31 2017
is estimated to be $381.7 million
Got a news tip? We want to know!
Since 1972 Send it to us at: mdunphy@montpelierbridge.com
• New Construction
• Renovations
• Woodworking
• General Contracting
223-3447
clarconstruction.com
Questions:
What truthfully is the story behind the Vermont Labor
Department’s decision to redesign its worker classification
system to crack down on small business owners for the
purpose of increasing the dollar income to the Vermont
Unemployment Trust Fund?
What was and is the Department’s thinking about
applying an 18 percent interest rate on back payments to
the state’s unemployment trust fund?
Why not identify the Vermont businesses that have been
selected for the audit crackdown? Wouldn’t publishing a
list of the audited businesses put to rest any suggestions
that the audit crackdown essentially targeted small and
vulnerable Vermont businesses?
How can Vermont voters and taxpayers and the general
public know that the audit process has been carried out
fairly and that the audits include the state itself and the
state’s largest corporation—not just its small business
owners?
How much money has the Labor Department spent as
part of its audit crackdown? How much money has the
Labor Department collected to date since the start of the
crackdown?
What have been the specific steps that the Labor
Department took to advise Vermont employers about
changes to its worker classification rules or to inform
accountants across the state and small business owners
about the coming audit crackdown?
Was there a $500,000 federal grant made to the Vermont
Department of Labor to pay for a media campaign to
publicize the worker classification system and the Labor
Department crackdown? When was that money applied
for? When was that grant received?
How many businesses and small business owners have
appealed rulings from the Department of Labor? How
many appeals have been denied? How many appeals have
been won?
Can the Vermont Department of Labor demonstrate
that large Vermont corporations such as National Life or
Cabot Cheese or the state’s largest banks or the state itself
have been audited as part of the audit crackdown?
Design & Build
Custom Energy-Efficient Homes
Additions • Timber Frames
Weatherization • Remodeling
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Flooring
Tiling • Cabinetry • Fine Woodwork
PAG E 24 • J U N E 21 – J U LY 4 , 2 018 THE BRIDGE