By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent

Woodstock municipal employees say they are concerned about bad behavior by one member of the public at and around Town Hall, but a review of village police records shows no worker ever filed any complaints for threats or misconduct at the municipal building.

The Vermont Standard filed a Vermont Public Records Request after a typed letter with no signatures and a sign-off by “concerned members of town hall staff” was submitted to the village trustees and town selectboard indicating they fear for their safety.

Village trustee chair Seton McIlroy and selectboard chair Ray Bourgeois promised last week that their boards would review the listed concerns.

However, apparently, the alleged concerns have failed to rise to the level of anybody contacting Woodstock Police, a Vermont Standard investigation revealed.

Woodstock Interim Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe initially reported to the Standard last week during a phone call that he could not recall any public complaints filed.

Upon his actual review of the department’s computer system this week, he repeated that no complaints from village or town employees of incidents at town hall were found going back to October 2024.

Attempts to reach McIlroy and Bourgeois this week to get reaction to the lack of employee complaints to police were unsuccessful. They did not respond to phone and text messages before the Standard’s weekly deadline. 

In an interview with the Standard, Woodstock attorney Nicholas “Nico” Seldon said that he believes the employees are making false claims about him. He is married to Woodstock Police Chief Joe Swanson and has tried to defend his spouse when municipal manager Eric Duffy placed him on leave and tried to demote him to a patrol officer this year. 

After a judge’s ruling, the village trustees recently agreed to have Swanson restored as Woodstock Police Chief, but he was told he remains on paid leave on the sidelines and was ordered not to do any of his assigned duties as head of the department. The trustees have said they plan another demotion hearing.

Seldon, a lawyer, has his car covered with large blue and pink signs that say “Fire Eric Duffy! We deserve better.” He also has a bumper sticker urging the firing of Duffy as municipal manager and “end Woodstock corruption.” The car can be seen frequently throughout Woodstock and Seldon often leaves the car parked outside Town Hall during the day while he is at work.

He told the Vermont Standard that he parks his car about 6 a.m. outside Town Hall, long before the doors open, and retrieves his car about 12 hours later, long after regular municipal business hours have ended.

Duffy did reach out to the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department this month to hire a deputy sheriff to monitor two local meetings on the nights of Dec. 16 and 17, Sheriff Ryan Palmer told the Vermont Standard. 

It was unclear what the motive or potential threat Duffy was responding to that needed law enforcement. Duffy did not file any complaints with village police.

Duffy sent a text message this week to the Standard repeating many of the safety comments he made to the newspaper a week earlier. Duffy declined comment Tuesday when asked about the lack of complaints to police by municipal employees. 

Palmer said Woodstock taxpayers will be billed $480 for each meeting. The going rate for a deputy sheriff to staff a night meeting requires a minimum four-hour callout pay at $120 an hour, the sheriff said.

Palmer said he was told that Woodstock Police did not have enough staff to allow a village officer to sit in for the two meetings.

It was unclear when the two elected boards voted to approve expending local tax dollars for extra security at the selectboard meeting on Dec. 16 and the trustees special meeting on Dec. 17.

During a joint board meeting on Dec. 19, part-time Woodstock Police Officer Mark Donka monitored the session, the Standard was told. 

The draft minutes for the earlier two meetings give no indication of any safety problems at either session. The minutes also don’t list the deputy sheriff as among those attending either meeting.

The trustee’s minutes indicate that Seldon “made a citizen comment” during the public portion of the session. The Open Meeting Law mandates, “the minutes shall cover all topics and motions that arise at the meeting and give a true indication of the business of the meeting.”

The draft has no hint or true indication of Seldon’s comment during the meeting. 

A video of the meeting shows Seldon was not at Town Hall, but rather phoned in with his comment. He spoke for about 70 seconds and focused on an ongoing concern that he and other residents believe the trustees fail to follow Vermont’s Open Meeting Law. He cited a transparency problem that night with a planned executive session.

McIlroy and the rest of the trustees never responded to Seldon’s comment and moved on to a budget discussion. 

Yet the municipal employees apparently have concerns, but aren’t naming names. 

“Employees feel increasingly on edge at work and vulnerable to this individual’s actions. This behavior has gone beyond routine public frustration and has become a legitimate workplace safety issue, negatively impacting staff well-being and morale,” the employee letter said.

“Staff have made good-faith efforts to remain professional and uninvolved, but the behavior has continued to escalate,” it said.

The records researched by O’Keeffe show Seldon has filed three motor vehicle complaints against a municipal employee, including a claim she drove at him in the wrong traffic lane. Seldon said he provided his dash video to the police. The complaints have been passed among several police officers, and O’Keffee said no action was warranted. 

There also were two separate complaints recorded against Seldon, police said. They were listed as “citizen assist/complaint,” an all-inclusive category used by police to classify complaints. 

Swanson’s lawyer, Linda Fraas, told the Standard this week that she has added Seldon as a client for any possible false claims made about him by municipal employees or officials. Seldon confirmed the hiring to the Standard. 

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Tom Ayres , Senior Staff Writer

In the heartwarming spirit of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the classic Christmas holiday film starring James Stewart, directed by the iconic filmmaker Frank Capra, the Barnard General Store implemented a new program this holiday season aimed at benefiting those in need in the community.

The “Village Board” was born two weeks before Christmas, sprung from the minds and holiday spirit of the Barnard store proprietors, Joe and Jillian (Bradley) Minerva.

“We know some of our neighbors may be feeling extra stress right now, especially around the holidays,” the couple wrote on a poster that adorns a newly dedicated bulletin board inside the historic country store in the heart of Barnard village. “The Barnard General Store has always been more than just a store. It’s a community,” the poster continues. “We’ve created The Village Board as a simple, neighbor-to-neighbor way to help.”

The workings of the Village Board are quite simple: visitors to the Barnard General Store can donate a store gift card or a service, such as snow plowing or child care, and simply pin their offering to the bulletin board. Then, if anyone needs help or knows someone who does, individuals can simply take what they need from the board. “Quietly, no questions asked, no judgment — just community care. Every little bit helps, and together we can make sure every family in Barnard has what they need,” the Minervas noted in offering The Village Board to the community. 

Contacted by phone as she prepared breakfast for several store patrons on the day after Christmas, Jillian Minerva said the general store co-proprietors hope to maintain the Village Board program indefinitely as long as community support for it continues. As Minerva spoke, there were three Barnard General Store gift certificates for $25-30 pinned to the community giving board, ready for the taking by those in need this holiday season and beyond.

The Mill School, a non-profit childcare center in Woodstock’s East End, is expanding in the new year to accommodate families with children ages six weeks to five years of age.

The Vermont Department of Children and Families signed off on Dec. 19 on the licensing changes that have enabled The Mill School’s expansion, the childcare center’s founder and business manager said in an email to the Standard on Sunday.

“The Mill School previously occupied 1,000 square feet and now occupies 3,000 square feet within The Mill building [on Maxham Meadow Way],” founder Caroline Olsen wrote in the email to the Standard. “My husband, Craig, and I converted our former beverage manufacturing space into additional square footage for The Mill School. There is one [commercial condominium] between the existing space and the expansion space that [the school] hopes to eventually acquire to combine the whole center into roughly 4,000 square feet of contiguous space.” The expanded space that formerly housed the beverage-making operation includes a new indoor playground.

Olsen noted that the childcare center is actively seeking to hire additional staff in order to enroll more children as the additional space is utilized. “We are currently overstaffed for the number of children we have enrolled because we want to ensure everything is running smoothly with existing staff, children, and families as we expand before signing up too many children,” she stated. “To get to full capacity, we will need to hire an additional three full-time staff and two part-time staff,” Olsen added.

“We are [now] licensed for 40 children ages six weeks to five years, with 15 currently enrolled,” Olsen explained. “We have space for 25 more full-time children,” she concluded. “Two of those [25] spots are already committed, and we have a waitlist of 15 additional families wanting to enroll over the next year. Our hope is that the staff hiring and child enrollment line up perfectly so we can accommodate all families on our waitlist as they need care and open our doors to additional families as well.”

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Eduardo and Ligia Banks, the Brazilian-Italian couple who own the Splendid Bakes bakery in Woodstock Village, are saying goodbye to 4 The Green, their home for the past three years.

In an interview with the Standard, Eduardo Banks said, “Our original plan was to open our bake shop at the Train Station Depot on the Alsup’s property.” He added, “The conversation started in the summer of 2019, and the idea was to have the shop ready to go for the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic changed everything. My wife and I decided to move full-time to Woodstock towards the end of November 2021. Finding another location to start the business wasn’t an easy process. We met [property owner] Eva Douzinas through our landlord, Jon Spector; that’s how we ended up here at 4 The Green.” 

Banks said there was a natural learning curve when it came to starting their business, especially in a historic building that did not come equipped with a culinary kitchen. He continued, “We faced a lot of challenges in the beginning. There had never been a retail store in that space before, and subsequently, the space was not known as a place to come and get pastries, coffee, sandwiches, etc. One of the biggest challenges was to let people know where we were located. We needed to meet with the Planning Commission at the Town Hall to explain how hard it was not to have more signs on the sidewalk to show the way for people. Constantly, there were locals who’d walk in and say that they never saw us before, even after three years of operation.” 

In spite of the location and signage issues, Banks maintained that one challenge outweighed all the rest. “Ligia, my wife, is the only baker. She has no helper. She bakes from our home kitchen, which is fully inspected and licensed. As a mom and baker, her challenges were always bigger than anything else we faced. We made over 18,000 cupcakes, hundreds of cakes and pies, and dozens of savory items that came out of our home kitchen in the last three years. My wife is unbelievable and a true inspiration for our family.”

When asked what’s in store next for the Splendid Bakes couple, Banks said, “We are not sure yet. We will continue living in town and, as of now, have no plans of leaving. Our patrons can still place orders with us. We just won’t have the storefront for now, but everyone can order anytime with us through email at edbanks@splendidbakesbybanks.com.”

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Former chair of the West Windsor Planning Commission, Alan Keiller, and planning commission member and Homes Study project manager, Jill Appel, are asking the West Windsor Selectboard to help enact a Housing Commission dedicated to finding grants and prioritizing parcels in order to achieve their mission of creating 70 viable housing units by 2030. 

Keiller and Appel spoke to the Standard about the initiative, how they are tackling the housing issue, and what they hope to accomplish in the coming years.  

“As of today, our affordable home study has largely been completed,” Appel said. “We have a little bit of engineering consulting that we’d like to do on a couple of the sites, but presently we have narrowed our search from twenty-one potential parcels down to four viable parcels, down to two that we can actually build on in 2026 and 2027.” 

At the beginning of last year, Keiller and Appel enlisted the help of Brian Lane-Karnas, Senior Civil Engineer at DeWolfe Engineering in Montpelier, and Matt Giffin with Banwell Architects in Lebanon, to assess properties and help determine if they were viable build sites. Out of the 21 potential parcels, the team deemed four to be adequate properties that could support infrastructure, water, and sewage disposal. “We now understand there are only two that, in actuality, can be built into homes in a timely manner,” Keiller explained. “There is one parcel in particular we hope to break ground on in 2026. It is at the corner of Ski Tow Road and Route 44 at the lower base of the mountain.” 

“We believe that this area could support our vision of building six duplexes, which would be comprised of twelve homes. The land is readily available, and it is in an area that already has access to sewer and water, and is situated in a higher-density zone, which would allow us to build comfortably,” Appel added. 

Appel and Keiller are now petitioning the West Windsor Selectboard to establish a Housing Commission and trust. “We need someone in charge of tackling all the minute aspects that come with seeking to build on a property, or to convert an existing accessory dwelling into a viable home,” Appel said. As such, the pair seeks to establish a Housing Commission comprising seven to nine members. “To turn this ideal mountain parcel into the duplexes we envision,” Appel went on to say, “we need an appraisal, a survey, and then a purchase contract. We’d need to negotiate and raise the funds — partly from the town, but also, we would need the financial support of members of our community who would be willing to donate to our first affordable homes initiative.” 

West Windsor residents who are interested in applying for a seat on the Housing Commission can reach out to Jill Appel directly at jill.appel@comcast.net. Those interested in Appel and Keiller’s initiative to create more affordable housing units in West Windsor can attend the next selectboard meeting on Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m., where the issue will be discussed publicly. 

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

After the recent appointment of Michael Hoyt to the Windsor-4 Vermont House of Representatives to replace Heather Surprenant, the Standard spoke this week with the two other local residents who were under consideration for the position — Pomfret’s Benjamin Brickner and Hartford’s Havah Armstrong Walther — about their experience going through the process.

Apparently, the process for replacing Surprenant was a bit unusual, as the people under consideration were first approached in June — a whole three months before she officially stepped down in September. Hoyt was then announced as her replacement earlier this month. 

Keeping with tradition, Gov. Phil Scott contacted the Windsor County Democrats to submit a list of local democrats to be considered. The selection process, which took place in October at the Pomfret Town Hall, produced three names: Hoyt, Brickner, and Armstrong Walther.

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard.

2026 is here, so it’s time to ring in the new year. To guide you through this final holiday weekend, the Standard gathered a variety of different parties, activities, and events available for families to say goodbye to 2025 and celebrate the coming of 2026.

The Woodstock Inn & Resort is set to host a New Year’s Eve bash for the ages. Those looking to ring in the New Year in style can attend a celebration in the Woodstock Inn Ballroom for a fun-filled, family-friendly New Year’s Eve party. Complete with lively music for dancing, festive party favors, and an exciting ball-drop countdowns at 9 p.m. and again at midnight — this evening will offer something for every age. For those 21+, the price of admission will also include a glass of bubbles and one drink ticket. For those ages 20 and under, a holiday gift bag will be included with the purchase of a ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

At Saskadena Six, skiers can enjoy a weekend on the slopes with a live performance from 3:30-5 p.m. on Saturday as part of the ski resort’s Slopeside Tunes. On Jan. 3, local musician Jim Yeager will perform a variety of songs to warm up the skiers and celebrate the New Year. With live music by the fire and a weekend in the snow, it’s a great way to round out the festivities.

The Woolen Mill Comedy Club will also host a New Year’s Eve bash. Beginning at 8 p.m., the evening will include stand-up performances from founder Matt Vita, comedians Nikki Maccullum and Zach Remi, along with some special guests from New York City, Vermont, and beyond. “It’ll be a night to remember,” Vita told the Standard. “Be sure to get your tickets now and raise a toast with us at The Mill come midnight.”

The Public House in Quechee will offer a special New Year’s Eve dinner from 3-9 p.m. Complete with Beef Wellington, Seafood Newburg, Veal Marsala Risotto, with the culinary stylings of executive chef Eric Nicolay. Live music will accompany the meal by singer-songwriter Jamie Gregory.

Harry’s Cocktail Lounge will offer some smooth entertainment and refined drinks this New Year’s weekend. On Friday, Jan 2 from 6-8 p.m., the duo-teen band, The Rivalry, will bring high energy and a fresh sound to the evening. Then, on Saturday, Jan 3, attendees can enjoy an evening of timeless tunes with Rose Hip Jam. This talented trio brings you everything from 1930s classics to modern favorites — folk, blues, jazz, rock, and more. Come listen, sing along, and soak up the great vibes from 6-8 p.m.

The Montshire Museum of Science will host a New Year’s Eve event for children and families from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The museum in Norwich currently houses over 150 exhibits on nature, technology, astronomy, and the physical sciences. For a special farewell to 2025, the Montshire Museums welcomes children ages twelve and younger to explore the world of science as they ring in the new year.

A New Year’s Eve celebration and firework display will be set off at the K-1 Base Lodge on Dec. 31. Beginning with live music from local legends Nick Bendice & Rhys Chalmers at 2:30 p.m., this day will include family-friendly activities, arts and crafts, s’more-making (while supplies last), and a fireworks show to cap off the evening.

Spend a New Year’s Eve full of fun and dancing at the Wobbly Barn. Beginning with a Happy Hour with Aaron Audet, this local hangout will offer a fun musical event for all ages from 4-8 p.m. Following the happy hour, the Wobbly Barn will welcome JJ Rupp to the stage. Rupp is a country artist whose music blends small-town soul with honest storytelling and a gritty rock edge. Attendees must be 21+.

Then, on New Year’s Day, return to the Wobbly Barn for a Line Dancing Benefit from 4-8 p.m. All proceeds will go toward supporting the Pico Ski Education Foundation, a charity that supports young athletes and ensures access to ski racing and mountain programs at Pico Mountain. From providing ski equipment to scholarships, this organization has a goal to keep skiing affordable and accessible for all local families. For those interested in dancing the night away and making a difference, head to the Wobbly Barn. Doors open at 4 p.m., with music, dancing, and early-evening fun before the venue transitions to 21+ programming later in the night.

Ring in 2026 at the house that rocks Killington — Pickle Barrel Nightclub. This 21+ event will feature the band “Never in Vegas” on the main stage and DJ Primary Instinct on the tables. With live music, dancing, and drinks, Pickle Barrel is a great place for adults in the Upper Valley to celebrate the New Year. And for those unable to attend Wednesday evening, “Never in Vegas” will return to the stage again at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan 1, followed by legendary band “The Zoo” on Friday and Saturday evening.

In Lebanon, the Salt Hill Pub will host a New Year’s Eve bash with DJ Tony Jagzx. Complete with karaoke, a holiday dinner menu, and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight, this pub will be non-stop fun and a great place to say goodbye to 2025. The festivities will begin at 9 p.m. Entry is $10/person.

In Hanover, Sawtooth Kitchen will take guests into 2026 in style with a live performance by the band “Canopy.” This southern-inspired eatery will serve up fun cocktails and a great time, as the band will play from 10 p.m. to well past midnight.

For more on this, please see our Dec. 31 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Story Memorial Hall in West Windsor played host to a group of English Country Dancers last Sunday afternoon, led by caller Jill Delaney, pianist Carol Compton, and violinist Thal Aylward. All levels of dancers were welcome, as introductions to the dances were given.

Pamela R. White Photos

The Wasps boys basketball team took a 65-47 loss last Tuesday night, Dec. 23, in Randolph.

Woodstock came into the game at 2-1, following a win over Windsor, with the Ghosts riding a two-game win streak into the matchup. Randolph was able to take an early lead, utilizing a three-quarter-court defensive press to speed up their opponents and force turnovers. Pacing the Ghosts on offense was senior Jack White, who poured in 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter, helping his team to a 14-7 lead headed into the second.

A lack of offensive rhythm forced Woodstock head coach Scott Brooks to take an early timeout, after which his team took over the game’s momentum. A couple of huge 3-pointers by junior Elvis Lavallee and senior Brody McGaffigan (six points, one block) forced a tie at 18-all with three minutes left in the half. Lavallee provided a significant portion of the team’s offense on the evening, scoring 24 points while adding three rebounds and two assists. “I think it’s a success for any program,” Brooks said of his team’s 3-point shooting. “That’s the name of the game right now in basketball.”

A couple of run-stopping 3-pointers by Randolph sophomore Connor Sault and missed opportunities by the Wasps helped the Ghosts regain their 28-26 lead going into halftime. “We had a few miscommunications here and there, which gave them some easy buckets,” Brooks said. “We missed a couple of layups in the second quarter that would’ve taken the lead.”

In the third, Woodstock’s hot shooting went cold, as the team could only muster seven points in the frame, allowing Randolph to push the lead to 45-33. “They’re well-coached and disciplined. Bottom line is they knocked down more shots tonight,” Brooks said. “They had open looks and knocked them down, we had open looks and didn’t knock them down. That’s basketball.”

Randolph’s lead continued to balloon in the final quarter, in large part due to sophomore Eli Messier. Messier, who stood approximately four inches taller than any other player on either team, used his big body to secure numerous offensive rebounds and putback scores in the fourth, finishing the game with 12 points, 11 boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks.

Spurred on by a ferociously loud crowd, the Ghosts closed out their 65-47 win. “This is a tough place to play,” Brooks said. “One of the gyms with the most home-court advantage that we go to. I had fun playing here tonight.”

Despite the loss, which dropped the Wasps to 2-2 on the year, Brooks remained optimistic. “We lost to them last year in the regular season, then we beat them in the playoffs,” he said. “We know each other, we’ve battled back and forth these last couple of years, so you know we’ll be right there with them at the end of the year.” He concluded, “These are the games that make us better. Gets us ready for the end of the year and playoffs.”

By Jay Craven, Special to the Standard

With so many of our traditional institutions on wobbly ground, our libraries remain remarkably alert, flexible, relevant, and resilient. Most have embraced the digital age, without forsaking books and literacy. In many towns, libraries have become community centers, with film screenings, humanities discussions, and programs for kids. 

Kim Snyder and Janique Robillard’s new award-winning documentary film “The Librarians” opens a window on another role being played by many libraries — as small-town defenders of intellectual freedom. The documentary follows librarians in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and other states as they respond to an unprecedented wave of book banning efforts in schools and libraries. 

These bans often target books about race, LGBTQ themes, and diverse perspectives, prompted by campaigns like the Krause List, compiled by Texas Representative, Matt Krause, who identified 850 books that he said could cause “discomfort, guilt, or anguish” for the reader. 

The latest feature in the Woodstock Vermont Film Series is “The Librarians,” following librarians in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and other states as they respond to an unprecedented wave of book banning efforts in schools and libraries. Courtesy of Jay Craven

Books on the Krause List include Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” exploring racism and beauty standards; John Irving’s “The Cider House Rules,” dealing with abortion and morality — which was adapted into a film that won eight Academy Awards; Vermont writer, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery;” William Styron’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Confessions of Nat Turner;” and “This is Your Time,” a New York Times Best Seller by Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to integrate an all-White elementary school in New Orleans.

The librarians featured in the film are notable for the leadership they provided, in the face of harassment, threats, firings, and even risks to their personal safety while defending access to information and resisting efforts to remove books from shelves. Some dozen librarians are featured in the film, including Suzette Baker, a Texas librarian who was fired for resisting book removals and Martha Hickson, New Jersey media librarian who fought censorship and was awarded the American Library Association’s (ALA) Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity. The prize was created “to acknowledge the work of librarians who have gone above and beyond the normal requirements of librarianship to stand up in the face of adversity with dignity and honor, and to recognize the significant sacrifices and contributions that librarians make to improve the quality of life in their communities.” 

Hickson led an extensive resistance to censorship efforts. She convened large public meetings, open discussions, dialogues with LGBT students, and more. She became a visible target for her efforts and endured personal attacks as a “pornographer and pedophile.” She received hate mail, threats, nuisance vandalism, and even questions about her judgment and integrity from her administration. The open conflicts became so pervasive that her blood pressure and anxiety rose to the dangerous point where her physician removed her from her school. 

Hickson appeared at special screenings of “The Librarians” at the Sundance Film Festival — and at the annual meeting of the American Library Association. She received prolonged standing ovations at both. 

What struck me as I watched the film and reflected on my own experience? First, libraries are among the most welcoming public spaces we have. Places where curiosity is encouraged and people of all ages can explore ideas freely. Many of us carry a personal library story: the first library card, the book that changed us, the librarian who helped us find what we didn’t yet know how to ask for.  Second, the need for libraries to support lifelong learning — and for communities to protect that role — remains vital in Vermont and across the country. Libraries offer more than books: they provide guidance, trusted information, and a place to build essential skills. The librarians in this film make the stakes clear: when access to reading and information narrows, opportunity narrows too. 

“The Librarians” will screen at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4, at Billings Farm & Museum. The film’s Academy Award nominated producer, Janique Robillard, will attend the Saturday, Jan. 3 screening to introduce the film and participate in the post-screening Q&A. Robillard is a native of Waitsfield, and is active in the documentary film world. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance, by calling 802-457-5303. Online sales are available at https://billingsfarm.org/filmseries/.

Martha Thir, 90, passed away peacefully at the Jack Byrne Center in Lebanon, N.H. on Nov. 2, just days after celebrating her milestone birthday. She lived a remarkable life — one defined by positivity, capability, and a radiant spirit that lifted everyone around her.

She was, in every sense, spectacular. Her cheerful outlook and unfailingly positive attitude toward life made her a source of warmth and comfort to family, friends, and all who had the good fortune to know her. She approached every challenge with strength and grace, and her fierce capability made her the person everyone turned to in times of need.

She was also uncommonly beautiful — inside and out. Her kindness, generosity, and genuine love for others left a lasting imprint on the lives she touched.

Her legacy lives on in the joy she brought to the world, the strength she modeled, and the love she gave so freely. She will be deeply missed and continues to be deeply cherished.

Martha is survived by her husband Albert Thir, sister Lynda Wexler, children; Lyn Kolb (Richard Kolb), Meg Kopald (Mark Crow), six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

John Raymond “Jack” Lundquist, 72, a former resident of Odell, Il, died Wed., December 3 at the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Vt.  The Boardway and Cilley Funeral Home in Chelsea, Vt is in charge of arrangements.

Ursula (Carbin) Dehne, of Northumberland, N.H., passed quietly on the morning of Dec.14, 2025.

She was born August 6, 1942, the daughter of Wilhelm and Anni Crass of Bayreuth, Germany. As a young child at the close of World War II, her mother and siblings sheltered in the Bavarian forest to escape the fighting. After the war, her family of seven shared a single home in Coburg with three other families, an experience that shaped her resilience, warmth, and lifelong sense of community.

As a teenager, Ursula met American GI Rick Carbin, who was stationed in West Germany. After a brief and joyful courtship, she joined him in New Jersey, where they welcomed two children in 1962 and 1963. In 1972, the family moved to Barnard, where Ursula quickly became an active and beloved part of the community. She was involved with the Barnard Progressive Club and worked at several local shops in Woodstock before opening her own store at the Bridgewater Mill Mall.

An accomplished and deeply creative fiber artist, Ursula was best known for her work under the name “Wool by Ursula.” Working primarily in wool, she designed and sewed distinctive sweaters and garments made from blanket wool and washed wool, blending traditional materials with innovative design. Her work was widely admired and earned awards at regional craft shows from Maryland to Vermont. Creativity was not simply a vocation for Ursula, but a way of life, and she took great joy in making beautiful, functional clothing that reflected care, craftsmanship, and imagination.

Later, while living in Lancaster, N.H. with her second husband, Curt, Ursula raised sheep and continued her creative work. She was also a cherished presence in the lives of local children, serving as a trusted and loving nanny. Following Curt’s passing, Ursula remained surrounded by close friends, neighbors, and family. In 2016, she married Dieter Dehne, with whom she made her home in Northumberland, N.H.

Ursula was predeceased by her parents, her brothers Gerhard and Helmut, and her grandson Owen. She is survived by her husband Dieter; sisters Gisela and Karin, her son Gregory and his wife Lisa; her daughter Deborah; her grandchildren Morriah and her husband Bryan, Jonathan and his wife Grace, and Christopher and his wife Sylvia; her great-grandson Cassius; and her beloved tuxedo cat, Rudy.

The family is deeply appreciative of the nursing staff at Weeks Memorial Hospital, in Lancaster, N.H.

Donations in Ursula’s memory may be made to the Weathervane Theatre (weathervanenh.org/support). 

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Dec.  24 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 101 Norway Street, Berlin, N.H. There will be no calling hours. The Bryant Funeral Home of Berlin is in charge of arrangements. Memories may be shared in the online guestbook at bryantfuneralhome.net.

Benjamin Roy Johnsen, 19, of Hartland, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.

Born December 11, 2005, in Charlottesville, Va., Ben was the cherished only son of Bruce E. Johnsen and Eva Johnsen. Ben was a deeply loving young man whose kindness, warmth, and easy smile touched countless lives. The outpouring of love and support from his many friends and the Hartland-Woodstock community in the days since his passing is a beautiful testament to the way he made everyone around him feel seen and cared for.

A passionate alpine skier, Ben raced with the Woodstock Union High School alpine ski team and the Woodstock Ski Runners, and he proudly represented his school on the soccer field. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 232 in White River Junction, a distinction that spoke to his character, leadership, and willingness to serve others.

In the fall of 2024, Ben began his college journey at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., where he was a sophomore studying finance, eagerly building toward a bright future.

He was predeceased by his grandparents Roy H. Johnsen and Elizabeth M. Johnsen of Ramsey, N.J., and Betty Huang Hsieh and Chinchung Hsieh of Taipei, Taiwan; and by his cousin Derek Jeffrey Soued of Ramsey, N.J.

Ben is survived by his heartbroken but grateful parents, Bruce and Eva; aunts and uncles Barbara Johnsen Soued (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Steven R. Johnsen and Laura Sneed Johnsen (Doe Hill, Va.), and Ernest H. Johansen and Mona Johansen (Ocean Township, N.J.); and cousins Erica and David Meccia (Florida); Jeremy and Breanna Johnsen, Jessie Johnsen, Jason Johnsen, and Jake Johnsen (Virginia), along with a wide circle of friends who were like family to him.

Arrangements are entrusted to Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock. Visitation will be held on Friday, Dec. 19 from 4-6 p.m. at the Cabot Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will be held at Saint James Episcopal Church in Woodstock on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. followed by a celebration of Ben’s life at Saskadena Six Ski Area in South Pomfret. More details on the celebration will be published soon.

In lieu of flowers, the family is deeply grateful for the support being offered through the GoFundMe page created by members of the community at tinyurl.com/4wvbjrh6.

Ben’s nineteen years were filled with love given and love received a thousandfold. He will be missed beyond words, and he will never be forgotten — his spirit lives on in every snowy slope, every shared laugh, and every heart he touched.

June (Sawyer) Waters departed this life on Dec. 5, 2025, at Mertens House in Woodstock, while listening to Kenny Rogers with her granddaughter Karen. She was born on April 20, 1929, in Bridgewater to Ella and Evan (Chowen) Sawyer.

June grew up in Bridgewater alongside her siblings — Dick, Paul, Edmund, Donald, Zelda, Bob, and Jimmy. After losing her father to cancer at a young age, June stepped into a nurturing role, helping to care for her brothers and sisters while her mother worked to support the family. In time, her mother married Caroll Hadley, who brought his children, Pattie and Betty Lou, into the household, and together they welcomed another daughter, Sandy. The family made their home on Gold Coast Road.

As a young woman, June worked briefly at a factory in Rutland, Vermont — a job she did not enjoy — before finding a position she loved at the local soda fountain in Bridgewater, where she prepared newspapers and served refreshments to the community.

June had a great love of music and dancing, and it was at a local dance that she met Julian “Ralph” Waters. The two were married on May 31, 1947 with a reception held at the Grange in Bridgewater. They spent their honeymoon in the Lake Champlain area, a weekend remembered for heavy rain and a humorous mishap involving confetti secretly placed in June’s suitcase by her father-in-law.

June and Ralph first lived in West Woodstock with Ralph’s parents, Julian and Belle Waters, before finding a small apartment in Bridgewater, where they began their family by welcoming daughter Bonnie and sons Ron, Jerry, and Randy. As the family grew, they purchased a home on Center Road in Bridgewater where together, June and Ralph created a warm and welcoming home. They enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time at their camp in Shoreham, near Lake Champlain. June was widely known for her beautiful gardens, and the care she put into maintaining her home and property. Her gardens brightened the neighborhood, and her generosity touched many. She was a great baker known for her popcorn balls, molasses cookies and apple pies. She enjoyed traveling to Maine, going to the movies, and out to dinner.  She loved sitting on her porch, in her gazebo, or on the front lawn. 

June was a proud, devoted woman who cherished her family above all else. She cared for them, supported them, and worried for them right up until the day she left this world.

She will be remembered with deep love and gratitude.

She is survived by her son, Ron Waters, and his wife, Mary (Clark) Waters; two daughters-in-law, Alison Waters and Donna Waters; two brothers, Bob and Jimmy; nine grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband Ralph and three of her children; Jerry, Randy, and Bonnie.

Those wishing may make donations to Neighbors Helping Neighbors. P.O. Box 39, Bridgewater, VT 05035

A graveside service will be held in the spring. An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

The family is thankful for the extra care extended to June by her granddaughter Robin Potwin, allowing independence for many years and the Mertens House for the last days of her life.

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

Well, my friends, this is my fourth and final article of our 2025 annual appeal. 

Once again, this year, it’s been a privilege to talk directly with you about the mission we’re on at the Vermont Standard and the difficult challenges we face — to ask if you’ll please consider donating to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation in support of our efforts to connect our community and keep you informed on issues of public importance.

Today, the main thing I want you to know is that we are proud to work for you.

We know you’re counting on us to be your eyes and ears — filling you in about local government actions that affect you, about local crime, about court cases playing out here, about notable news items and occurrences, the accomplishments of our neighbors and local youth, about developments at our schools, churches, businesses, and charitable or civic organizations, about the happenings and things to do in the local area, and lots more. 

We are the one and only news source that’s entirely focused on our area; reporting news that’s primarily of interest right here. Our work — week in and week out — is entirely dedicated to the welfare of this community. 

That’s the way it’s been here for 172 years. And Phil Camp and I and our small team are now trying to produce a 2025 version of the Vermont Standard that’s the best it has ever been in the paper’s long history.

The Standard is for you. It exists simply to benefit you and your neighbors. We regard this responsibility and the trust you place in us as a badge of honor. We pledge to give it our best. All we’ve got.

As I’ve explained before, the financial pressures we face are intense. And, tragically, various powers that be are trying to exert additional pressure in a sad attempt to undermine the press. By extension, their actions undermine you, the public. That’s nothing new, really, but it’s pretty acute right now. Shame on them.

However, with your donations to keep us afloat, we’re hanging in there, staying strong and getting stronger. We are continuing to work, not only on improving this week’s Vermont Standard, but next month’s and next year’s too, as we attempt to set things up so we can produce high-quality local journalism for the long term. 

We’ll make sure your gift is put to good use as a worthwhile investment in one of the key components of the critical infrastructure that underpins this community.

As a citizen, it’s essential for you to be well-informed. That’s the only way we can have a functioning local democracy and a lively, connected community. As your eyes and ears, we’ll continue to follow the news closely and report it to you in new, better, and more engaging ways as time goes on. 

We hope to make you proud as we strive to do the best community journalism in the country. We believe that’s a realistic goal. This weekend — for the ninth time in the last twelve years — the Standard will once again be a finalist for the honor of being named New England Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

When it comes to journalism, we believe you deserve the absolute best.

We are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can offer in this year’s 2025 annual appeal. In fact, if you’re interested, Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you in person to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or 802-457-1313.

Also — very importantly — if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support. We’ll be deeply indebted to you.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity, so your gift will be fully tax-deductible. 

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.” 

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

Lord knows, there are lots of fascinating people in our community.

At times, it seems as if every person you meet here in the course of a day is even more interesting than the last one. Sometimes, I marvel at how in the world all these wonderful and impressive folks are either from here or ended up here, in this little corner of Vermont.

Of course, I’m lucky. I get to participate in our story planning meetings at the Standard each week to decide who and what we’re going to write about next. Beyond the breaking news, what feature stories should we write – about which people, which organizations, which businesses?

It’s a joy.

There are always plenty of nominations. And then, even though you think you pretty well know who someone is or what an organization does and stands for, our reporter does a deep dive and provides new insight about them or their work or their cause in an account that’s simply breathtaking. Who knew? Right here among us! 

I often refer to the Vermont Standard as a kind of “glue” for our community. It’s a paper everyone can turn to in order to stay informed about the local news — the goings-on, the things to do. Something to look forward to each week to catch up on the latest. A common experience shared by those who live here or care about this place.

But maybe the best part about the Standard is the way it enables us to connect as a community. The way it helps us get to know each other better by introducing us to that really interesting person who lives next door (sometimes literally). And I’ve found that typically the more impressive people are, the less likely they are to talk about themselves. They’re too modest. So, it takes a nosy reporter to get them to tell their full story.

And the same goes for some of the incredible organizations in the area, including charities, nonprofits, schools, churches, arts organizations, libraries, history centers, and many more. They aren’t always focused on touting or telling their story – about what they do, who they help, what they accomplish. Often, they toil away under the radar. But the Standard is eager to bring their story to the public’s attention. We want to shine a spotlight, applaud their work, and make the folks who might decide to join or support them aware of them.

Soon, we’ll be bringing you those kinds of stories on video too, as we roll out our Headliners and Inside Scoop programs this fall.

The bottom line is that living in a community is much more fulfilling for most of us when we get to know more about the ordinary people among us, who are doing some pretty extraordinary things. Reading about them and their aspirations and accomplishments in the Standard is fun, and, on occasion, when those stories also explain their struggles and failures, their resilience and ultimate triumphs, it can be touching to read, inspiring even. 

These stories help us all feel a deeper sense of kinship with the people and organizations in our midst. They connect us and make us feel that we all truly belong to this beautiful community.

As I said, being this glue that strengthens our connection? It’s a joy.

We are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can offer in this year’s 2025 annual appeal. Our effort to preserve quality journalism for our community is quite urgent, my friends. And Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible. 

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance. 

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.” 

By Dan Cotter, Publisher

For the past 15-20 years, most local newspapers have been trying to “do more with less” in an effort to survive. And, of course, since that’s not a good long-term strategy, it has put our industry into a slow death spiral.

America has lost 3,200 of its newspapers in that same period of time, and currently, an average of more than two per week go out of business. Hundreds more papers are on life support, as they try to hang on by cutting staff, cutting pages, cutting the frequency of their publishing days, and eliminating their print editions. In their resulting emaciated state, those papers certainly can’t serve the need for local news and information in their communities.

Those withered newspapers are called “ghost papers,” because they are hollowed out shells of their former selves. Technically, they still exist. They continue to survive. But the communities counting on them? Well, they can no longer really count on them.

The handful of hedge funds and corporate raiders that bought up so many of our nation’s newspapers and ruined them wrote the playbook. In their effort to “rightsize” (meaning to dramatically downsize…) their papers in the face of diminishing advertising revenue, they chopped the expenses. Severely.

For newspapers, the primary expense is paying the people who work there. After many rounds of staff cuts, those papers barely cover any news at all, because they no longer have enough people to do it.

And as many of the small independent papers – like the Standard – encountered those same advertising revenue headwinds, lacking a better plan, they began following the same playbook. Consequently, in their efforts to survive, they now f ind themselves in that same never-ending spiral of cost-cutting.

Also, newspapers in that ragged state aren’t able to do the type of development work required to create a sustainable path for the future. In order to survive beyond just this week or this year, news organizations must create new services and revenue streams that will support them long-term. To do that takes time, thought, experimentation, risk-taking, and perseverance.

The beleaguered staff that’s left at most newspapers today simply lacks the energy for that.

“Doing more with less” (and less, and less…) was originally supposed to be a stopgap measure to buy time for newspapers to get their feet under them so they could forge a path to sustainability. Sadly, though, for most, it’s simply become standard operating procedure.

Fortunately, for our community here, the Vermont Standard has not followed that all too popular “survivor” playbook. We’ve never wanted to preside over a slow death march, just to be able to say we’re still publishing, but, in fact, failing to serve the very real need for local news, information, and connection in this community.

Thanks to your financial support, we’ve been able to go another way. Instead of doing more with less, we realize that we – and all local news organizations, especially in today’s political climate – just need to do more. Much more. And while doing that, we also need to create a sustainable path forward so we can live on to serve this community in even better ways for many more years.

Our efforts to survive are actually just the first step towards our real intention, which is to thrive.

In fact, with your help, we’ve upgraded our staff and improved our publication in recent years. The team we have reporting local news is now stronger than ever. They have a good deal of talent and a whole lot of heart, working for ridiculously low wages at this frugal newspaper, yet fueled by such a worthy mission. At the Standard, we haven’t forgotten why we exist in the first place. We are striving to provide wall-to-wall coverage of a steady stream of complex stories that are of great interest and importance to this community we serve.

We’ve also enhanced the look, feel, and utility of our publications.

And we’ve expanded our digital news and information products – we are doing more and more online programming with them. This fall, we are introducing our new series of “Headliners” interviews with local newsmakers that you’ll be able to view on our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website. Also, we’re introducing a new show called “Inside Scoop”, which will give you an in-depth, insider look at the goings-on at many of the businesses and organizations that make our community so special.

At the Standard, we are trying to save a real newspaper that offers the powerful local journalism our community needs to function properly. Not a ghost paper. The Standard has to be good enough to get the job done now and survive in the long run. “Right-sizing” here does not mean a diminished publication that’s essentially worthless, as it does in so many communities throughout our nation. Here, it means being just big enough to provide the essential local journalism that contributes mightily to the quality of life in our community, and break even.

That’s the kind of Vermont Standard we are trying so hard to preserve, while setting things up so we can provide the quality local journalism our community needs well into the future.

I sincerely hope you’ll join us on this very important mission.

As we begin this year’s 2025 annual appeal, we are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can give us. Our mission is quite urgent, of course, and Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 933287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible.

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

By Dan Cotter, publisher

It’s been said that there are very few things in life that you can always count on. But there are indeed a few, and I believe you’re holding one of them in your hands right now (or perhaps reading it on a screen).

For 172 years, the people of Woodstock, Hartland, Pomfret, Barnard, Bridgewater, Reading, West Windsor, Quechee, Plymouth, and the surrounding towns have counted on the Vermont Standard to keep watch on things in order to keep them informed, empowered, and connected. Our columnist, Dave Doubleday, replays some of the top stories of the day that took place 10, 20, 50, 75, or 100 years ago in each installment of his brilliant “Olde Woodstock” feature. It’s amazing and quite reassuring that people here were reading this same paper all those years ago simply to find out what’s happening.

Just as you are today.

All this time, citizens – informed by the Standard — were able to fully participate in their local democracy as our area progressed to the state it’s in today. What a huge responsibility it must have been, and still is today, to produce this newspaper each week. To prepare a quality news report to help readers experience and enjoy day-to-day life here and make good decisions for their community.

It’s the honor of a lifetime to be entrusted with this responsibility. The Standard has a small crew of talented, fair-minded, and underpaid journalists doggedly pursuing their mission week in and week out — trying to produce an interesting local news report that will inform, educate, and entertain the people who live here. It’s a “weekly miracle.” We start with a blank page each Wednesday afternoon, and we work tirelessly to pursue stories and produce the very best finished publication we can by the following Wednesday, so that it will be in your mailbox or at the store for you on Thursday.

In the century and a three-quarters that this paper has existed, this is our time, and our team is attempting to make a proud contribution to its legacy.

Ours certainly isn’t the easiest time to be a journalist in the Standard’s and our community’s history. This is a time of transition, when traditional forms of funding for local journalism have waned. Now, we have not only to strive to produce an excellent news report each week, but we also have to hold our breath that we’ll even be able to stay afloat.

An average of more than two newspapers fold in the U.S. each week (3,200 have vanished in the past twenty years!), leaving their communities without this kind of “glue” – without the common experience of reading in print or online about issues that affect them and their neighbors and a comprehensive set of facts for all to know about what’s happening in their local area each week.

Making matters worse, hundreds of other towns throughout the nation now only have a “ghost newspaper” that is so financially compromised it can barely cover any local news in its meager news product.

Some people – perhaps taking a page from the playbook being used at the national level – might prefer that ours was a weaker, sleepier paper and that they could exert some kind of pressure to compromise the Standard’s coverage.

But they’re mistaken. It hasn’t worked in 172 years, and we won’t let it happen now. Count on it.

We’ve had many complex (and interesting!) local stories to cover just in this past year — news that people here are counting on us to follow and explain. From the Woodstock Foundation lawsuit, to school policy, budget and reorganization issues, to Peace Field Farm, to the water company purchase, to short-term rental ordinances, to the police chief demotion, to the proposed cell phone tower and farm outlet store in Hartland, to the ECFiber case, to the ongoing housing and child care shortages, to the impact of federal funding cuts on local organizations. And we’ve had many milestones and achievements to celebrate, from our football state championship team, to our local priest’s 50^th anniversary of his ordination, to the resurgence of Bookstock, to local artists and authors who released their latest works, to this year’s graduates, to a pair of brothers who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, to the dedication and resilience shown by those remarkable protesters in Woodstock. Even the announcement of plans for a new performing arts center, and the sighting of low-flying military planes over Woodstock. Those stories aren’t easy or inexpensive to cover, but like the journalists at the Standard who were our predecessors throughout those many, many years, it’s our solemn responsibility to inform the public about the public’s business, the very best we can.

Indeed, we can, primarily because we now have the support of hundreds of residents and readers who truly understand and value what quality local journalism does — and has always done — for our community here. They respond to our annual appeal each year. They keep us afloat. They keep us encouraged. They harden our resolve to try ever harder to serve this community and this local democracy. We count on all of you.

Oftentimes, I’ve asked individual donors, “What can we possibly do to thank you for your generosity?” And, to a person, they always say, “Just keep putting out a darn good newspaper.”

In appreciation for you, our friends, the Standard has only one single objective and guiding light going forward: to keep trying to put out a better and better paper each week in service to this community.

You can count on us.

As we begin this year’s annual appeal, we are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can give us. Our mission is quite urgent, of course, and Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

We sincerely hope you’ll join us in our mission by contributing to this year’s 2025 annual appeal.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible.

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

By Dan Cotter, publisher

A huge sigh of relief and a fist pump were my first reactions, as well as a gaze skyward as I mouthed the words “thank you!” The tears welling up in my older friend’s eyes were his response when I told him.

Then we shared a long, hard hug.

After lots of research and preparation, and then six months of waiting for the application to be processed, Phil Camp and I recently learned that the IRS has approved the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation’s application for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) and deemed the Foundation to be a public charity.

The approval wasn’t in much doubt, really. But now it’s official.

The Foundation was established last August and it is primarily dedicated to preserving the Vermont Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future. The Foundation has a board made up of local residents who care deeply about our community and the value local journalism provides. Phil and I are on the board too. Together, we’re working to keep the 171-year-old Vermont Standard going while taking steps to position the paper’s print and digital journalism for long-term sustainability.

Recognizing the critical role the Standard plays in informing and connecting our community, this Foundation wants to avoid letting our area become a “news desert,” as has happened in hundreds of other places throughout the US in recent years. Newspapers like the Standard are currently dying off at a pace of 2.5 per week. Nor do we want to end up like the hundreds of cities and towns where profit-seeking corporations that have no devotion to the public welfare have acquired their local paper and stripped it of its resources, to the point that it is only a pathetic shadow of its former self and incapable of doing its job.

Providing accurate, credible, reliable news and information to its audience is a local news organization’s primary role. A functioning democracy requires an informed, engaged public. The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation’s board members, advisors and friends will help Phil and I in our mission to raise enough money to keep quality journalism flowing here.

So, I’m glad to report that any donation you’ve made to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation to support the Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance is indeed tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation in late August 2023, as all donations will be going forward.

At 88 years old, Phil feels a real sense of urgency about making sure that our community will always have local journalism – especially given the 40+ years he’s dedicated to leading the paper and his unrivaled love for Woodstock and its surrounding towns. We know we’re in a race against the clock. But now, with the Foundation’s charity status and your tax deduction confirmed, we hope there will be even more support from donors and family foundations that will help us accomplish this very important mission.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement and generosity. If you would like to contribute to our Annual Appeal, please send us a check at PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at https://thevermontstandard.com/annual-appeal/ to make a contribution with your credit card. Please be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

If you are reading this column right now, that’s good news for the community. It means you probably paid for this paper, hard copy or online, maybe even made a donation to it, and value its contribution to our lives in Woodstock and surrounding areas. We are so fortunate to have the Vermont Standard week in and week out. For years, small-town dailies and weeklies have been closing their doors, leaving communities without a soul. Papers like the Standard are dying off at the rate of two per week across America. 

Such towns are called “news deserts.” Imagine weeks, months and years going by with no professional reporting on selectboards, trustees, school boards, taxes and roads. Zero stories about public school events, sports, student accomplishments, obituaries, gardening tips, neighborly cooking advice, local history, and no reports from towns from Brownsville to Pomfret. 

We would know next to nothing about the interminable Peace Field Farm restaurant delay, the Ottauquechee Trail head fiasco, the high-stakes Woodstock Foundation controversy and the fatal shooting off Central Street, including the bravery of Woodstock Police Sgt. Joe Swanson. In my view, these stories have been really well reported. 

To not get these stories delivered to us every week would be a news desert right in verdant Woodstock, for sure, a gaping hole left to be filled by rumor and mis- and dis-information, the precursors of community dissolution. So we are blessed indeed to have had the Vermont Standard around — nonstop — since 1853, and owned by beloved Woodstocker Phil Camp, now 87, since 1981. 

But as Mr. Camp has pointed out many times over the years, the paper’s solvency hangs on a thread and now more than ever. In hundreds of towns across America, owners, beleaguered by losing subscribers and advertising to social media, simply folded or sold out to hedge funds and private equity firms, whose investors are bereft of community values. Not Phil Camp. He has always said, “I never sold out. I’m never giving up.” He made up for past deficits (difference between expenses, like staff, and income from subscriptions and ads) out of company savings from better times, week after week. He stayed with it after being flooded out by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and being burned out by the Central Street fire of 2018 (taking out his camera and snapping photos of the flames and rubble).

The paper was in dire straits when COVID hit, saved by the forgiven federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans through 2021, when the largesse ended. Then beginning in January 2022, the community stepped up, responding to a fundraising appeal. I was rather stunned to learn from the Standard’s publisher, Dan Cotter, that the paper’s annual shortfall of $150,000-$200,000 is being covered by donations from local Woodstock residents. There are many (and appreciated) donations in the $50-$100-$200 range, but really heavy lifting is being done by donors of means who, Mr. Cotter says, highly value the contribution local journalism makes to communities. Several of these more-than-generous and anonymous donors contribute $20-25,000 and more — each — and, Mr. Cotter says, without any hint of trying to influence coverage. Without them, surely there would be no Vermont Standard in the mailbox or online, just the unreliable grapevine. At the same time, the paper is moving to create other revenue streams, including an online advertising app for Woodstock happenings and a magazine, in addition to improving thevermontstandard.com website for go-to news. 

Still, the operation is bare bones. It seems to me a miracle the paper “hits the streets” without fail every Thursday with some pretty good and important stories that we need to know about, and many features that are good to know about. And there are just two, count them, two, full-time staffers who report stories: the seasoned and prolific Tom Ayres, and Tess Hunter, who is also the managing editor. Ms. Hunter says reporter staffing is the big issue; she has on hand freelance contract reporters that can be assigned to stories if they are available and if they want to spend the evening at yet another unexciting if important selectboard meeting. “It’s a constant juggling act,” Ms. Hunter told me, “between finding the right person for the story and just getting people to say ‘yes.’” Still, she is committed, saying, “Without us making the attempt, there would be no common base of understanding and little sense of the community spirit of the area or the hard news happening within it.”

Volunteer contributors are crucial; regular community writers like Jennifer Falvey (insightful musings on life) and Kurt Stauder (pointed political observations) are popular. Mary Lee Camp’s business column is relentlessly informative. 

Other key staff are listed in the box below — lean and spare!

Publisher and editorial content director Dan Cotter, 64, hired by Mr. Camp in 2018 after years of informal consulting for the Standard, is not a household name in Woodstock, though he is hands-on every issue. He owns a condo in the area and is here about half the month, returning to his home and wife in Chicago for the remainder. He has decades in the industry as an executive and consultant, was head of the New England Newspaper and Press Association, and takes a no-nonsense hard line on newspaper independence and objectivity. It’s an unusual situation but Mr. Camp, still the president of the company, has total confidence in Mr. Cotter and has turned over the Vermont Standard, its operation, assets and its future, to his close friend. Mr. Camp has indeed not “given up,” but hopes to ensure his dear newspaper’s future with this arrangement. 

So where does the Standard go now? Around the country, journalists are reinventing newspapers and online reporting. The most promising seems to be the non-profit model, where deductible contributions from community-minded supporters can be made even as the publication accepts subscription fees and what advertising there is left. There are indications that the Standard is moving in this direction, and the sooner the better, in my view. When I pressed Publisher Cotter on the issue, he responded with this very encouraging comment: 

“In the past couple of years, members of the community have literally kept the Standard alive with their donations — and a handful of them have given very substantial sums, even without the benefit of a tax break. That’s how much they value the role our local journalism plays in the quality of life in our area. We are working now to put the paper on a path to where donors could indeed have a tax benefit. For it is essential to our democracy and our own survival that we have the financial support we need from the community to maintain a news organization — modest as it is — that’s capable of producing good local journalism that adequately informs our citizens.”

I can’t imagine Woodstock without the Vermont Standard. The new business model provides great hope the paper will not only survive but as a Woodstock-based non-profit, continue to expand coverage to benefit all of us in this great community. 

Note: This (unpaid) column originated with me alone! 

Sandy Gilmour is a retired NBC News correspondent who lives in Woodstock.

Throughout the country newspapers are in a fight for their lives.          Here too.

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