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News | March 18, 2024

Woodstock to accommodate Windsor District Courthouse cases amid renovations

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News | March 16, 2024

NYC man detained in Woodstock for kidnapping and domestic violence

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News | March 16, 2024

Windsor County GOP elects Lynn Baldwin as Committee Chair

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News | March 14, 2024

Village approves new regulations for The Green and The Gore

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News | March 14, 2024

Trustees approve Indian food truck in Woodstock Village

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News | March 14, 2024

Former Woodstock businessman to serve three years for sentence violations and new charges

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News | March 14, 2024

School Board debriefs after bond defeat and invites public discussion

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News | March 14, 2024

State Senator Dick McCormack to retire after 36 years

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News | March 14, 2024

State trooper Vitali critically injured in collision with fire truck in Bethel

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    News

    Woodstock to accommodate Windsor District Courthouse cases amid renovations

    Amid substantial renovations slated to begin later this year at the Windsor District Courthouse in White River Junction, the county’s criminal hearings will be moving to Woodstock. The relocation, which Teri Corsones, the State Court Administrator, estimates could last between 12 and 18 months, will necessitate significant security upgrades to Woodstock’s Windsor County Courthouse and at least eight new reserved parking spaces behind the building.

    The remainder of the county’s hearings will be redistributed between a swing space across the street from the district courthouse in White River Junction and a conference room in Woodstock’s Windsor County Building, which currently houses the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department.

    For more on this please see our March 21 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    NYC man detained in Woodstock for kidnapping and domestic violence

    A New York City man, who authorities claim abducted a pregnant woman from a domestic violence shelter and brought her to Vermont, is facing kidnapping and domestic violence charges following his arrest by the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department on Friday afternoon, officials said.

    Jeuris Rosa, 21, of New York City was jailed without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield pending arraignment on Monday afternoon in Vermont Superior Court in White River Junction.

    Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer and Lt. Tom Battista, the chief deputy for the sheriff’s department, arrested Rosa at gunpoint as he drove toward Woodstock in a large yellow delivery truck, officials said.

    The two sheriffs were acting on a tip from Rutland City Police that had received information from family friends that the woman, whose name was not released, had been kidnapped from a domestic violence shelter in the New York City area earlier in the day, police said.

    Officers transported Rosa to the Woodstock Police station where Palmer and Swanson conducted interviews, which were video-recorded.

    Swanson said Woodstock Ambulance evaluated the 21-year-old victim at the scene. The woman was later transported to the Woodstock Public Safety building where she was put in contact with victim services.

    For further details on this please see our March 21 edition of the Vermont Standard

    Windsor County GOP elects Lynn Baldwin as Committee Chair

    After a two-judge panel ruling on Thursday afternoon stating that a reorganizational meeting of the Windsor County Republican Party should proceed as scheduled, the Windsor County GOP has now successfully elected its new officials.

    The reorganizational meeting took place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Windsor Welcome Center.

    At the meeting, John MacGovern stepped down as Committee Chair while Lynn Baldwin, of Ludlow was elected to take his place, and August Murray was elected as Vice Chair.

    Other elected officials were decided as follows: Kelly Spaulding as Secretary, after Susanne Butterfield of Stockbridge declined the nomination, Peggy Dionne of Windsor as Treasurer, and Roy Spaulding of Chester as Finance Chair.

    Additionally, Earl Dionne of Windsor will serve as Committeeman and Andrea Murray of Weathersfield as Committeewoman. Joe Josselyn of Ludlow will fill the seat as Delegate at Large, and Michael Todd was elected to replace John Fallone as Platform Delegate.

    For further developments in this story, please see our March 21 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    Village approves new regulations for The Green and The Gore

    The Woodstock Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved a new Village Green, Parks, and Public Places Ordinance on Tuesday night.

    The trustees began work on the updated regulations last year after Chair Seton McIlroy discovered that the Village owned a roughly 7,000 sq. ft. parcel called “The Gore,” previously thought to have belonged to the Norman Williams Public Library.

    The new regulations are the product of several public discussions about how the Trustees should manage public spaces.

    According to McIlroy, when the library managed the parcel, it frequently allowed small nonprofits, like the Woodstock Garden Club, to set up plant or bake sales on the property. During the first few discussions about how the Village would manage The Gore, several community members voiced fears that if the Village charged the same permit rates on The Gore as on The Green, those organizations could be priced out.

    The new ordinance specifically addresses those concerns. “We are only charging a $25 fee, and because most of our nonprofits tend to [set up] smaller things, [like selling] hotdogs and giving plant sales, they’re not going to take up as much space,” said McIlroy.

    The regulations also introduce several new policies for the Woodstock Green.

    The permit changes will go into effect on May 10, sixty days after the board’s approval. It applies only to The Green and The Gore- not any of the other town or village parks. In light of the new ordinances, the town will be altering permit applications and posting a one-page document on the town website specifying what applicants need to know about the new guidelines.

    For further details please see the March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    Trustees approve Indian food truck in Woodstock Village

    At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Woodstock Village Board of Trustees, the board unanimously approved an Indian food truck to park and operate in front of the Norman Williams Public Library from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday from April to October, pending the results of additional research and legal advice. The food truck, whose application was presented by Parminder Kaur, does not yet have a finalized menu, but will likely serve samosas, puris, naan, and a variety of other appetizers.

    “My mom and my dad will be running the food truck,” said Kaur. “[They] have been in the food industry for over a decade.”

    According to Eric Duffy, Woodstock’s municipal manager, the town currently does not have any rules, permits or ordinances that would apply to a food truck- making the introduction and planning of this effort fairly new ground to navigate.

    According to Kaur, the truck will be approximately the size of a typical UPS truck, and it will have a small generator. When asked about the potential sound the vehicle and generator might produce, Kaur, a mechanical engineer, said, “They’re super quiet. They’re very modern generators.”

    For more on this, please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard

    Former Woodstock businessman to serve three years for sentence violations and new charges

    A former Woodstock businessman was sentenced this week to 3 years in federal prison for forging business checks for two South Hero restaurants and for failure to make adequate payments toward a more than $555,000 restitution order to several Windsor County area companies and businesspeople.

    Paul Hendler, 52, of Burlington also must pay an additional $80,000 in restitution to the Blue Paddle Bistro and the short-lived Blue Paddle on the Bay, a summer-only eatery.

    Besides pleading guilty to the federal forgery charge last June, Hendler also admitted he violated the terms of his supervised release on the earlier federal fraud conviction.  He has paid only about $20,000 toward the $555,244 restitution order imposed in 2015.

    As a condition of supervised release, the court had ordered Hendler to pay 10% of his gross monthly income toward his restitution obligation and to file monthly reports.

    Chief Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered Hendler on Tuesday afternoon to serve 26 months on the forgery case and a consecutive 10-month term for violating supervised release.

    Crawford also ordered Hendler to serve an additional 3 years on federal supervised release once he is discharged from prison and tagged on an extra 5 months for the forgery and imposed the maximum for the violation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples asked that the South Hero victims not have to wait until the Windsor County victims had been paid off.  Crawford said he would agree for the time being that any payments be split among all the victims from the two cases.

    Crawford did leave the door open to the Woodstock area victim to contest that part of the order, noting it would take longer for them to be paid off if The Blue Paddle owners got their share going forward.

    In the latest case, Waples also asked for a special provision that limits the kinds of businesses he can operate and manage.  It also mandates Hendler tell employers about both criminal fraud records.

    Crawford noted the disclosure requirement was imposed in the earlier conviction in Woodstock, but the Blue Paddle still opted to take a chance on Hendler.

    The lead defense lawyer, Brooks McArthur, who was assisted by Amanda Hemley, had told the court he had nothing to add to the previous court filings that generated the 3-year sentence.

    For more on this please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    School Board debriefs after bond defeat and invites public discussion

    The Mountain Views Supervisory Union and School District (MVSU/SD) Board gathered for its annual reorganization and monthly regular meeting on Monday evening and one topic topped the agenda: a wide-ranging discussion of the defeat on Town Meeting Day of a proposed $99 million bond issue to fund the cost of building a new Woodstock Union High School and Middle School (WUHS/MS).

    All eighteen members of the MVSD board, including two newcomers from Barnard and Woodstock, weighed in with their reactions to the defeat of the bond, which went down by a margin of 1,910 votes opposed versus 1,570 in favor, or 55%-45%. The board members also listened attentively during public comment as critics of the proposed bond issue spoke about their concerns and suggested alternatives to the school board simply putting the same proposal before voters in the seven-town school district in the near future.

    For full details on this, please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard

    State Senator Dick McCormack to retire after 36 years

    Longtime Windsor District Senator Dick McCormack announced his retirement on Town Meeting Day last week. Having served 36 years in the State Senate, McCormack has taken a philosophical view on his departure, saying, “To everything there is a season.”

    McCormack will retire at the conclusion of his term next January, leaving an opening in the three-member Windsor District that includes Senators Alison Clarkson (D) and Becca White (D). Interested candidates must file for the seat by the end of May to be eligible for the primary in August and the general election in November.

    For more on this please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    State trooper Vitali critically injured in collision with fire truck in Bethel

    As of Monday evening, veteran Vermont State Police (VSP) trooper Patrol Cpl. Eric Vitali remains in critical condition at a Lebanon, N.H. hospital with injuries sustained when he crashed his police cruiser into a fire truck parked near an overturned box truck off Interstate 89 in Bethel last Friday. He was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center after the 8:30 a.m. accident, police said.

    The crash happened in the northbound lanes just north of the Bethel exit when the marked VSP cruiser struck the fire truck that was stopped on the highway after responding to the previous slide-off, spokesman Adam Silverman said.

    Vitali was headed to state police headquarters in Waterbury for first aid training, Silverman said.

    Vitali suffered life-threatening traumatic injuries when the driver’s compartment collapsed in the devastating crash, according to the Vermont Troopers Association (VTA). His injuries include a traumatic brain injury, spinal fractures, and pelvis fracture, VTA spokesman Michael O’Neil said.

    Few new details were provided Monday by state police or the hospital, but a spokesman confirmed Vitali remains in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit.

    “His doctors are indicating that the coming 72 hours will be critical in determining the outcome of his recovery,” O’Neil said in a statement released at 9 p.m. Monday.

    The damage to the vehicles indicates the SUV cruiser was traveling at highway speeds when the crash occurred, Silverman said.

    Cpl. Vitali was wearing his seat belt. The fire truck was unoccupied, and no one else was injured.

    The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is conducting the investigation into the box truck that initially crashed off I-89 about 7:30 a.m. Friday, while the Vermont State Police Crash Reconstruction team is trying to piece together the details leading up to the cruiser/fire truck accident about 8:30 a.m. The reconstruction report could take a month or more as the highly trained specialists reconstruct the crash, police said.

    The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Royalton Barracks at 802-234-9933.

    For further details on this, please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    With heavy lifting nearly complete, the Bridgewater Community Center is ready to fulfill its vision

    By RJ Crowley, Standard Correspondent

    The Bridgewater Community Center is enjoying a transformative moment. The former Bridgewater Village School was, at one point, under serious consideration to be razed, and now — after years of planning, hard work, and fundraising — a flourishing child care center has emerged and, as the restoration of the building continues, other tenants will come on board to create a dynamic business, civic and arts environment in the center of town.

    In 2015, the former school building lay dormant, and the town was considering what to do with it. Bulldozing it was certainly an option. But then a small group of citizens came forward with a vision.

    Brian Bontrager was a part of that original group.

    “We had a vision for it to become a child care center, with the possibility for after school programs, and Pre-K”, he recalled. A non-profit was formed in 2018 — the Bridgewater Area Community Foundation, of which Bontrager is president. Four years later, in June of 2022, Bridgewater Community Childcare opened its doors.

    Bontrager, a builder by trade, was a member of the former school’s board for ten-plus years, so he understood intimately what the deficiencies of the building were, and the enormous amount of work required to renovate and refurbish.

    There were serious infrastructure upgrades needed. Experts, advisors, state agencies and architects were consulted to ensure that each requirement was met.

    Plus, the building itself has historical preservation status. This meant that everything from paint colors, window restoration, doors and floor refinishing must meet current safety standards while maintaining historical authenticity.

    The process has been years in the making, and when the childcare center opened its doors two years ago, it was a major milestone.

    Kristiana Birmingham is the Executive Director of the childcare center. 

    “When we opened our doors for business in June of 2022, we had 14 children and three staff members, including myself,” she said. “Now, currently, we have 45 children with a waiting list, and a staff of fourteen.” 

    The children range in age from six weeks to five years old, and there is now an after-school program as well.

    And as Birmingham continues to develop a flourishing childcare business, the renovations continue. 

    Prospective tenants for the soon-to-be-completed spaces include Senior Solutions, Artistree, The Thompson Center and others. There will be additional opportunities for “pop-up” businesses, as well as classes for the elderly, the arts, and continuing education.

    The basement is home to a large space that has a kitchen attached, and although that kitchen area is currently inoperative, it is not difficult to imagine all kinds of functions happening there in the not-too-distant future.

    Michael Caduto, a board member of BACF, spoke by phone about how a certain portion of the building will transform into an emergency center if and when a disaster strikes. “People will be able to congregate together, stay safe, warm and have running water,” he said. “So, there is a built-in resiliency to this multi-faceted building.”

    Meanwhile, Bontrager continues to oversee the renovation process.

    “Most of the heavy work has been done,” he said. “All that remains now is mostly cosmetic: sheetrock, ceilings, painting, and some re-wiring.”

    On a recent, early spring morning, the lilting laughter and occasional yelps of joyful children emanating from the childcare center was a tangible indicator that a successful transformation was in progress.

    For more on this please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    The Standard’s "Do802" app goes live

    Do802.com, a new service of the Vermont Standard, is now live. The free, web-based app features a comprehensive calendar of events and an up-to-the-minute feed of deals, discounts, and announcements posted by local businesses. Do802 was designed to help quickly connect people to everything the Upper Valley offers. From favorite restaurants, local festivals, and unique exhibitions, to last-minute discounts on specialties and handmade Vermont products, there’s so much in the Upper Valley to take advantage of. Do802 offers a simple way to quickly find what to do so that residents and visitors alike can spend less time looking for their next experience, and more time enjoying it.

    It’s simple to use Do802. The first section is an easy-to-navigate, interactive listing of things to do for fun and fulfillment in the Upper Valley each day. The calendar on Do802 offers a great way to see what’s happening, from concerts to community events to club meetings. Rather than digging through different websites, feeds, or emails, Do802’s “What To Do” section offers a simple, fast, and comprehensive way to find the right experience every time.

    The second part shows a rolling log of special offers and announcements posted by local businesses and organizations. It features last-minute offers (e.g., “Half off muffins for the next hour!” or “Early bird special on tickets today only.”). It also includes reminders and announcements (e.g., “In thirty minutes, the band will take the stage,” or “Free book signing in two hours.”). Do802 is a way for businesses, both treasured and new, to instantly communicate with residents and tourists alike, giving users a chance to benefit whenever a bakery bakes too much bread or a matinee show doesn’t quite sell out.

    Do802 was designed by the Vermont Standard to help fund the journalism in its paper. The Standard, like all local newspapers around the country, needs additional revenue to help make up for the loss of traditional print advertising. Do802 is just one way the Standard will be deploying creative solutions to help keep its community coverage flowing. 

    Do802 is a progressive web app, which means it can behave both like a website and a mobile app. Users can go to the Do802 website on any phone, tablet, or computer. On a mobile device, they can also save Do802 to their home screen, so it is easily accessible and acts just like an app. To save Do802 to your home screen on iPhones, go to Do802.com and click the share button (a square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down the list of actions before tapping on “Save to Homescreen.” On Android, the same thing can be done in the three-dot menu at the top of the screen.

    Features

    Yoh Theatre Players' 'Little Women' had "soul, as well as just heart"

    The Woodstock Union High School and Middle School Yoh Theatre Players brought ‘Little Women’ the Musical to life this past weekend with three performances of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless, captivating story. Filled with personal discovery, heartache, and hope, “Little Women” follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America.

    • Professor Bhaer (Sam Hauze) writes a letter to Jo.

    Total eclipse in VT: the cosmic experience of a lifetime?

    By Tom Ayres, Senior Staff Writer

    umbraphile n. an avid observer of, or a person with a great interest in, eclipses.

    ORIGIN: From Latin umbra ‘shade’ + Greek philos ‘loving.’

    Upper Valley umbraphiles — and umbraphile wannabes — take note: in the parlance of a NASA spacecraft launch, it’s T-minus 39 days and counting until a total eclipse of the sun will cut a path across a wide swath of Vermont on Monday afternoon, April 8.

    Regional sky watchers are gearing up for what for most people is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of immense proportions. And now a pair of Quechee residents — Lynn Luczkowski and F.X. Flinn — have emerged as the Green Mountain State’s premiere eclipse gurus, helping Vermonters navigate through the maze of information online and in print regarding eclipse chasing. In December, Luczkowski — a retired publicist in the worlds of academia and athletics — established a website called Moon Over Vermont that is chock full of detailed information and how-to instructions for the best ways and places to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse. For his part, Flinn — an avowed umbraphile and an information technology consultant who is currently the chair of ECFiber, the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network — is blogging about all things total eclipse, including posting on his friend Luczkowski’s stellar website.

    The key thing that both Luczkowski and Flinn want Upper Valley residents to know about the upcoming eclipse? Don’t cut yourself short and view only the partial eclipse that will be visible in Woodstock and its immediate environs. Make plans to travel to one of the many locations in the state that will experience totality for anywhere from a little over one minute to three-and-a-half minutes. Flinn says that experiencing a total eclipse is so profoundly moving and inspiring that it’s not to be missed. He had what to date is his one and only experience with totality on a beach in South Carolina in 2017. He insists that it’s the cosmic experience of a lifetime.

    “I was really not prepared for what witnessing totality was like, which is why I’ve been trying to impress upon people that they really need to see this for themselves — that there is no photograph, there’s no video that is going to allow you to experience totality,” Flinn said in a phone conversation from his Quechee home last Saturday. “As a matter of fact, I have a photographer friend who my blog-posting has motivated to go and witness it — and he immediately started talking about how to photograph it. I sent him a chart that I’d come across about the whole complex ways of photographing different aspects of the eclipse. He looked at the chart and said, ‘So this is exactly to your point, that totality is something to just go and experience and not try to capture because you’re not going to be able to capture it in full.’”

    F.X. Flinn, of Quechee, is a passionate umbraphile — a devotee of total solar eclipses — who is blogging about the upcoming total eclipse that will cut a path across significant parts of central and northern Vermont on Monday afternoon, April 8. Courtesy of Moon Over Vermont

    Immersing oneself in the 100% totality of a solar eclipse is essential, Flinn stated emphatically. “I don’t think you can stress enough in your writing that the 99.5% partial eclipse that people will experience in Woodstock is just not sufficient. It’s only a partial eclipse. Only totality is totality. You can’t be 99.5% pregnant. You’re either pregnant or not pregnant. It’s a binary thing. You either witness totality or you do not, so if you are putting energy into this eclipse — when partial eclipses are, frankly, fairly routine — you really need to make a commitment to be under clear skies and in a place where totality occurs. Find a place to park in the path of totality, even up in the parking lot of the Berlin Mall, where you’ll get a minute and 20 seconds of totality. Believe me, you won’t regret it.” Keeping an eye on the weather forecast for 24 hours before the startup of totality is also critical to choosing a viewing site with the clearest possible skies, Flinn added.

    Asked if there is really a substantive difference to be noticed between 99.5% and 100% totality, Flinn was adamant, recollecting his South Carolina experience of seven years ago. “I’ll tell you why there’s a big difference,” he offered. “There we were, standing on that beach, when totality arrived. You can take off the eclipse glasses then because the sun is completely covered. And then you can see the sun’s corona and you can see the stars around you and you can see the deepest, blackest black hole you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s right there — the size of the moon or the sun — and it’s a freaky thing. And then when the two minutes and twenty-one seconds of totality were over in South Carolina and the first little bit of sun started coming around the side, you had to put the glasses back on if you wanted to keep looking at it, because immediately it was the brightest day again and you could feel the heat of the sun on your skin. That was at 99.5% totality.

    “One of the things you find out when you witness totality is that you get this amazing physical realization about the power of that star that is in our sky every day,” Flinn continued, the awe still palpable in his voice years later. “After that period of totality, when the sun peeks out from around the edge of the moon, it’s just unbelievable. You realize that sunlight has this power and you really feel it. It’s just an incredible experience. For a human being, it’s simply not to be missed.”

    Lynn Luczkowski, the creator and webmaster of the Moon Over Vermont site, also experienced totality for the first and only time in her life in 2017. “Back then, I would hardly have considered myself a stargazer, but now I’m definitely one. I have a new friend in the sun and the moon. Experiencing that first total solar eclipse was not like anything I could ever have imagined. It was just this beautiful day — blue skies. And then all of the sudden this surreal change happened, with not just the darkness, but the temperature drops and the birds are chirping. It was just an incredible experience.”

    Some projections say that as many as 200,000 people may travel to Vermont to experience the upcoming total eclipse, swelling the population of the state by as much as 40% percent during the weekend leading up to the afternoon of totality on Monday, April 8. Hotels, motels, and AirBnBs in towns within the swath of totality have been booked solid for months. Even here in the Upper Valley, where the eclipse will only be a partial event, hospitality providers such as the Woodstock Inn & Resort, The Shire Woodstock, and Sleep Woodstock are already nearing or at capacity.

    Given the expected onslaught of umbraphiles from away, Upper Valley residents seeking to experience totality would do well to make plans and plot their courses to totality viewing sites well in advance of April 8. Both locals and visitors alike can avail themselves of the Moon Over Vermont website, where nascent umbraphiles will find a wide array of tools, educational and research materials, and information about eclipse-related programming at Vermont museums and nature centers, including the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee. There are even details of an eclipse and STEM merit badge program that’s being offered by Girl Scout troops in the region through a collaboration between Moon Over Vermont and the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

    If you miss the solar spectacle on April 8, Luczkowski warns, you’ll have to wait 20 years until the next total eclipse of the sun strikes the United States — and you’ll only be able to witness totality in that event in Montana and the Dakotas. The Moon Over Vermont webmaster shared additional insights on the experience of a total eclipse in an email she sent to the Standard,

    “We witnessed a few magical minutes and that’s when I gained a newfound appreciation for the magnitude of our great planet. We were serenaded by birds — it was eerie and beautiful. We sat in awe, still and quiet amidst thousands of stargazers. And Mother Nature just did her thing,” Luczkowski concluded.

    With less than 40 days to go until a momentous natural event here in Vermont, it’s time to get moving and figure out how and where you’re going to perch yourself for the experience of a lifetime on April 8.

    Web Resources for Umbraphiles & Skywatchers

    Moon Over Vermont (moonovervt.com) is a Quechee-based online resource and merchandise line that offers creative, fun, and educational ways for people of all ages to experience the celestial extravaganza of a total solar eclipse. The website is collaborating with astrophysicists, educators, NASA, and the Girl Scouts “to empower all to better understand and chronicle” the upcoming eclipse.

    Eclipse 2024 (eclipse2024.org) offers a wealth of eclipse tracking tools and detailed scientific information for potential eclipse watchers throughout the United States. There’s even a web page on the site that’s devoted to identifying all Vermont cities and towns in the path of totality for the April 2024 solar event, including the precise length of totality in each location (eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/total/vt).

    Woodstock's Blanchard was an amazing seamstress and generous volunteer

    ‘Never met anyone who was a stranger for more than a few minutes’

    By Lauren Dorsey, Staff Writer

    Skilled seamstress, dedicated photographer, and avid traveler Christa Blanchard, who lived in Woodstock for more than 60 years grew up in Germany, but her daughters say that Barberry Hill was her chosen home. “She loved this community. Even in the last few years when we drove through Woodstock, she’d always say, ‘we just picked the prettiest place to live,’” said Sonja Blanchard, the youngest of Christa’s two daughters. “From the community to the aesthetics of main street and everything in between, she was always really expressive about her love for the town.” Christa Blanchard passed away on Feb. 19 at the age of 85.

    Blanchard’s deep appreciation of the area manifested in more than just her words. It was evident in the countless times she opened her door to strangers, in each of the 50 years she volunteered at Glad Rags, and in the unyielding support she gave to Vermont 4-H.

    Born in Stettin, Germany in 1938, Blanchard spent her first 18 years in her birth country. “It was not a great period in her life,” said Christa Davis, Blanchard’s oldest daughter. Her father fought in WWII, leaving her, her mother, and her younger brother to fend for themselves. Shortly afterward, her mother died of cancer. “She was left on her own to take care of her seven-year-old brother,” said Davis. “It was pretty traumatic. [Once] she got to Woodstock, she felt like [she] had escaped.”

    Blanchard mostly refrained from dwelling on her early life, and although she visited Germany a few times during adulthood, she never wanted to return permanently. “It was definitely a rough childhood,” said Sonja Blanchard. “It sculpted who she was and made her a very strong, independent person.”

    When she first arrived in New York, Blanchard worked at the American Kennel Club and as a clothing model. Blanchard Family Photo

    When Blanchard first came to the United States, she began working at the American Kennel Club in New York City. “She really loved it,” said Davis. “She learned a lot of her English by working for them.” She also took up modeling. “She always talked about how she was in one of the Vogue magazines,” said Davis. “But she did a bunch of different modeling jobs [over] the year or two she was there.”

    Then, Blanchard married her first husband, and the couple moved to Woodstock just four days before she gave birth. “I just lucked out,” said Davis. “I easily could have been born in New York.”

    Shortly after moving to town, Blanchard began working for the McHughes clothing store on The Green. “She worked for a really long time for both the women’s clothing store and the men’s clothing store,” said Sonja Blanchard. “She did alterations, and she would work part of the time in the store and part of the time at home.”

    Blanchard originally learned the trade from her father, who had been a tailor. “He taught her an incredible amount,” said Davis. “It was amazing to watch what she could do. My sister and I are both pretty good seamstresses, but neither one of us can pull off the miracles that she could.” Blanchard typically sewed without patterns, preferring to drape the fabric to create the right shapes. “It was miraculous. She would just sculpt it on to a bust and then sculpt it on the person,” add Sonja Blanchard. “She was always able to fit everything perfectly.”

    When the McHughes store closed, Blanchard opened her own alterations business, which she ran out of her house on Barberry Hill. “I think it was her way of staying home because she had two young kids,” said Davis.

    When she did have to go out to take measurements or talk to clients, she often brought her daughter with her. “When I was small, probably six or seven, she went to a house on River Street to do alterations for several people,” said Davis. “I was sitting in the front hall, and it was taking forever. This woman came out. I guess my mom had just finished doing the fitting on her. She [saw me waiting and asked], ‘would you like to come have tea with me?’” Davis agreed and spent the afternoon listening to stories about the different kinds of animals in India. “[Later] I found out it was Indira Gandhi, [the] Prime Minister of India. She was staying there and mom had gone to do work for her.”

    In addition to doing alterations, Blanchard also made countless wedding dresses from scratch, including those that her daughters wore down the aisle. “I told her to make whatever she wanted, just no poofy sleeves,” said Davis. “I was living in Virginia at the time, so I sent her my measurements, and she showed up at my wedding with my dress. It was beautiful.”

    When she wasn’t sewing, Blanchard documented the world around her. “She took pictures of everything going on in Woodstock,” said Davis. “Her camera was always with her. [We] don’t have a whole lot of pictures of mom, but we have a whole lot of pictures of mom’s life.”

    Blanchard unfailingly brought her camera whenever the family went on the road, which was sometimes weekly, as she and her second husband, Clyde Blanchard, loved to travel. Many weekends, before the sun rose, they would pile into either a Volkswagen Bug or bus and go on some adventure. “The bug was named Zippy,” said Davis. “The bus was just the bus. [We] went everywhere. [We’d] go to Washington DC during the cherry blossoms or air shows because my dad was in the Air Force for 30 years.”

    Blanchard volunteered for 50 years with Glad Rags, and over the half-century she lent her time to the program, she never missed a single sale. Blanchard Family Photo

    They’d also visit friends all across the area. “We would be up in the backwoods somewhere, and we would pull up to some house — us kids had no idea where we were, but Mom and Dad apparently knew — and we would have dinner. It was crazy,” said Davis.

    The trips were far from exclusive. On the contrary, Blanchard would invite everyone to come along. “Sometimes there would be 10 kids in that bus,” said Davis. “Because there weren’t seatbelts at the time, we just all piled in and off we went.” Some days, instead of packing the car with friends, they’d pack the road with cars. “They also belonged to a VW club,” said Davis. “When I was a kid, we would spend lots of weekends out in a line of 20 or 30 Volkswagens going up Mount Washington or going hiking.”

    Part of the family’s dedication to Volkswagen stemmed from Clyde Blanchard’s job as a foreman at the Woodstock Volkswagen garage.

    Through his work, Blanchard’s husband would frequently meet people who were stuck and could only leave town once someone had fixed their broken-down car. “The only place there was to stay at the time was the Woodstock Inn, where nobody could afford to spend the night, or, at least, not the people that were traveling around in a Volkswagen,” said Davis. As a result, the family frequently invited the stranded travelers to stay with them. “We never knew who was going to be at the dinner table or sleeping on the couches. My mom was pretty open that way. [She] never met anyone that was a stranger for more than a few minutes.”

    Their generosity made a serious impression on many of the people who it touched. “My dad died a long time ago and there were over 600 people at the funeral that had come from all over the place,” said Davis. “A lot of them were people that only met us that one time.”

    Blanchard also expressed her love for the community in more formal ways, volunteering for half a century at Glad Rags. “She never once missed one of their sales in over 50 years,” said Davis. “Our garage and part of our basement would be filled with Glad Rags. Anybody who needed to drop off [clothing] would drop it off at our house, and there would be enough to fill two tractor trailers in there before they had the Glad Rags room.”

    Blanchard showed a similar tenacity in her work with 4-H. She was a leader of the Woodstock chapter for thirty years, and she spent long hours teaching kids how to sew riding clothes and outfits for regional and state sewing competitions. “The 4-H program could always depend on her to be there to help make those regional days and state days happen,” said Blanchard. “She was also a judge, for many years, at the competitions.”

    “She was a very open and sharing person, [and] she lived a pretty full life,” Davis concluded. 

    Woodstock Inn hosts the culinary event of the winter season

    Touché, Cassoulet!

    By RJ Crowley, Standard Correspondent

    On a recent Thursday evening, within the rustic confines of Richardson’s Tavern at the Woodstock Inn & Resort, there was frost on the windowpane, a buzz in the air, and a three-day-old crust on an ancestral meat and bean stew. Culinary anticipation was sky-high, as wine was being poured and glasses clinked. At the far end of the room, the occasional loud crackle of wood burning in the fireplace rose above the din.

    As guests settled in and management worked hastily to erect a last-minute table to accommodate the overflow, Sylvie Bigar, the award-winning food and travel writer, floated from table to table, gracefully welcoming her guests.

    Bigar’s recently published memoir, ‘Cassoulet Confessions,’ was, after all, the catalyst for what would turn out to be the culinary event of the winter season.

    “An Evening of Cassoulet,” as it was billed, attracted an overflowing roomful of eclectic patrons, all of whom paid $95 each for the mouth-watering opportunity to savor the slow-cooked carnivorous orgy of pork, duck, beans, and herbs known as cassoulet.

    Standing tall near the entrance was Executive Chef Matthew McClure. He surveyed the room, then strode toward Bigar, who embraced him warmly. It seems the two co-stars of this evening’s feast share a bit of history together. The two had originally met when Bigar did a feature article on “Chef Mac” for Forbes. Then, last February, Bigar was engaged in a book signing for “Cassoulet Confessions” in Manchester, N.H., when McClure arrived with a cassoulet, which he then served to the audience members in cardboard cups. This anecdote, as apocryphal as it may sound, was confirmed by both during a pre-dinner Q&A session hosted by Maria Buteux Reade of Edible Vermont.

    As Bigar and Chef “Mac” fielded questions, the first course of mixed greens (butter lettuces with mizuna and arugula), shaved radish, and Asian Pear, lightly drizzled with a maple vinaigrette was served. Parker House rolls (soft, warm, and baked in-house) appeared simultaneously.

    Servers, seemingly ubiquitous, offered refills of Old Vine Rose — Chateau Saint-Roch, Roussillon, France.

    Chef McClure makes an entrance with a large cassole of cassoulet, cooked to perfection over three days. Courtesy of Woodstock Inn & Resort

    “How long did it take to prepare tonight’s cassoulet?” queried a guest.

    “We began three days ago,” replied Chef Mac. “We used a recipe from Sylvie’s book. It’s a classic recipe. The most important thing is the broth. We used trotter hocks, hambone skin, house-made sausage, duck confit, and bouquet garni. We’re seeking a gelatinous, high-protein stock. That’s what makes the crust.”

    “It’s all about the crust!” Bigar confirmed. “Also, I want to say that in the book there is a recipe that uses store-bought stock because just maybe there are people who do not want to spend a week to prepare this. So, I have a recipe called the ‘Gateway Cassoulet.’ You start in the morning and eat your cassoulet at night.”

    “That’s not what we have tonight,” Chef called out with the timing of Johnny Carson. The room erupts in laughter. “We’re going to reel you in with authenticity!”

    Another question is asked regarding the type of bean used. The answer: Cannellini.

    “I had an inside track on a local bean trader,” the chef admits — Vermont Bean Crafters. Note: Another popular bean choice is called Tarbais. It’s a big French white bean that turns ultra-creamy as it’s cooked. Great Northern Whites are also a worthy substitute.

    The first course plates were being cleared, when a guest asked Bigar about her “cookbook.”

    “I want to be clear,” she replied. “‘Cassoulet Confessions’ is not a cookbook. Yes, there are recipes in the back, but this book is actually two stories. First, it’s the story of my obsession with cassoulet and how and why I was drawn into this small, intimate, exclusive society of chefs who are dedicated to preserving the authenticity of this dish.” Bigar continued, “Secondly, it’s my story. My own personal adventure of discovering what ‘home’ really means. And, the quest to unearth truths about preparing authentic cassoulet, led to greater truths about family, ancestral heritage and ultimately spiritual fulfillment.”

    The book — a copy of which was included in the evening’s prix fixe — is a spell-binding chronicle of adventures that lead Bigar to a small town in France (Carcassonne) to apprentice under the strict eye of Eric Garcia. Garcia is the co-founder of the ‘Academie Universelle du Cassoulet.’ A French magazine has dubbed him ‘the pope of cassoulet.’ Along the way, Bigar delves deeply into her family history. We learn of her wealthy upbringing in Geneva, Switzerland, and can only marvel at the privilege she was born into. Yet, dysfunction and dark secrets lurk close to the surface, and, by the time she sets out for Columbia University in the 1970s, the reader’s sense of wonder (and possibly envy) is replaced by horrified sympathy.

    Sylvie Bigar signed copies of ‘Cassoulet Confessions’ during the dinner. Courtesy of Woodstock Inn & Resort

    The question and answer session ended, McClure re-entered the dining room carrying an enormous pot (called a cassole) which contains the true star of the evening: Chef McClure’s Cassoulet. A bubbling cauldron of crusty white beans, fresh herbs, duck confit, garlic sausage, and smoked ham hocks!

    McClure moved slowly as he weaved his way around the room, proudly displaying the dish, the way a matador might stand proudly over a felled bull. Spontaneous applause breaks out. The chef disappeared briefly while a second bottle of wine — Kerbucchio Red, Chateau Saint-Roch, Roussillon, France — was poured to pair with the main course. 

    Within minutes, an army of servers had swept into the room, deftly dropping earthenware bowls of cassoulet at every place setting. A notable hush falls over the room as dinner guests collectively clasp their spoons. The moment of truth has arrived. 

    A sustained period of quiet pervades the room, save for the sounds of silverware scraping against the dish, and the barely discernible, guttural moans of self-satisfaction emanating from the crowd.

    Succulent, buttery, crispy, and deeply sumptuous. The complex flavors of herbs, garlic, duck fat, beans, broth, and more all meld together creating a symphony of sensuous, gastronomic delight. Yes, it was that good.

    Table conversations remained muted for the remainder of the meal as guests seemed lost in the aroma, taste, and fulfillment of a truly exceptional culinary achievement. At length, dishes were cleared. When McClure reappeared, a final round of spontaneous applause was offered.

    At a neighboring table, Woodstock residents Michael and Nancy Sargent were effusive. Said Michael Sargent, “It’s nice to see Woodstock having these events, and bringing great food, the author, and the community together.”

    “We had cassoulet together in Paris many years ago,” Nancy Sargent exclaimed, “And this was just fantastic. I said to Michael, ‘They need to have this on the menu all the time.’”

    Not to be given short shrift, a dessert course of warm apple tart was served. A house-made flaky puff pastry infused with warm apples with a Calvados Caramel drizzle.

    As dinner guests filed out of the Tavern, Bigar sat behind a table outside in the hallway, signing books and chatting with her newfound fans. She could be heard quoting from her mentor, French chef Eric Garcia: “Cassoulet is more than a dish, more than a meal. It’s a way of life.”

    The indomitable Coach Dan, Danny Jones remembered

    By Tom Ayres, Senior Staff Writer

    Daniel “Danny” Jones, a beloved husband,  father, friend, coach, and icon of the youth sports world in Woodstock and beyond, passed away on Jan. 28 following a two-year-plus fight with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Courtesy of the Jones Family

    Family, friends, fellow athletes, mountain bikers and outdoor adventurers, and the legions of youths he coached and mentored in Woodstock’s youth hockey and lacrosse programs are mourning the loss of Daniel “Danny” Jones, who passed away on Sunday, Jan. 28. The beloved Woodstock resident had battled the deleterious effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, for the past two-plus years.

    “You never know what is missing until it’s gone,” Jason Merrill wrote in a text message to the Standard on Sunday. Merrill, the owner-proprietor of Worthy Kitchen in Woodstock, shared a deep-seated friendship and many a biking and off-roading adventure with Danny Jones over the course of two decades. “I find myself wanting to reach out to my brother (by choice) on a daily basis,” Merrill continued. “Danny always made time to take care of his friends and family. If you were having a casual conversation about a random bike or Jeep part, he would take the time to research it and become an expert on it.

    “Family, he loved unconditionally and like no other,” Merrill added. “Friends, he always asked the question, ‘How are you doing?’ He wanted to know how you were personally — he cared. Our town and community is better because of him, coaching hockey, coaching lacrosse, riding his mountain bike on Mt. Peg, cruising the dirt roads in his Jeep. He loved Woodstock and everything it had to offer. Danny touched many peoples’ lives in our community and he will always be remembered.”

    Danny Jones did indeed touch many lives in the Upper Valley profoundly over the years — and none more so than the lives of the young people he guided through Woodstock’s vaunted youth lacrosse and hockey programs.

    Declan Roylance, 13, of Woodstock, was coached in both sports by Danny Jones over the course of several years prior to Jones’ ALS diagnosis in October 2021. “Coach Dan would always give out the Grit Award after every game,” Roylance recollected Sunday afternoon. “It helped teach me to give the most effort I could in every game, all the time. He would always stay positive on the bench. He taught us that hockey was not about scoring goals and making highlight reels — that it is about working hard and connecting with your teammates. I still think about that now as I participate with different teams.”

    Will Coates played both youth lacrosse and hockey under Danny Jones’ tutelage and he was active in each of the sports at Woodstock Union High School (WUHS), from which he graduated last June. Coates, now a freshman at the University of Vermont, often teamed with Trey Jones, Danny’s son and a fellow WUHS graduate, as the two were coming of age and honing their skills on playing fields and rinks throughout the region. “I first met Coach Dan while playing youth lacrosse when I joined Trey’s team back in elementary school, probably around second or third grade,” Coates said in a phone conversation last weekend. “Later on, he coached me in hockey as well — he coached my Under-14 Bantams team. We actually went to the state championship with him as our coach.”

    Asked about what kind of person Danny Jones was and how he influenced the athletes under his charge, Coates, with affection palpable in his voice, said, “I just remember he always had a smile on his face. He was always in a good mood — and he always wanted to make sure we were having fun while keeping the competitive spirit. I remember playing in Bantams that the practices were always really fun. He made it really enjoyable overall and he allowed for everyone to get equal playing time. He wanted to make sure that we were all having a good time, while also trying our hardest and getting better.”

    Keaton Piconi plied the same fields and ice as Trey Jones and Will Coates while growing up in Woodstock. Now a sophomore playing lacrosse at St. John Fisher University near Rochester, N.Y. Piconi first met Coach Dan back in elementary school, when Jones coached youth lacrosse with Keaton’s father, Lou Piconi. “Trey and I have been good friends throughout our lives. Dan coached me in hockey, later on, beginning in eighth grade. He played college lacrosse when he was in school — and he always had his long pole with him. He was always bright and happy on the sidelines, just out there about lacrosse and making it a fun game to play,” the younger Piconi noted on Monday.

    Piconi remembered another aspect of Danny Jones’ coaching style that others have celebrated as well. “On a team, there’s always some guys who pick things up faster and then there are some who take a little longer,” the veteran lacrosse and hockey player commented. “I always noticed that Dan would be picking up the guys who took a little longer to get things going. He coached one of my buddies who was in his first year of playing hockey and even though he was a bit behind then, he just stuck with it over the years. He just loved it. And when I talked to him, he’d talk about how Dan Jones made such an impact on him in terms of just having fun playing hockey – just going from here to there, growing into the game and finding a way to love it. That’s what Dan Jones showed us how to do.

    “Any time he spoke with us, it was always ‘Play creative and free — but you can also have fun.’ We were having fun — and we were winning a lot of games, too,” Keaton Piconi concluded.

    Sports

    Alpine Ski team finished third in state

    Chloe Massillo named fastest skier

    By John Hawks

    Standard Correspondent

    The WUHS alpine ski team traveled north to Burke Mountain last week to compete in Giant Slalom and Slalom events for the State Championship. The Woodstock team, including both girls and boys, finished third overall in the state. 

    The girls and the boys teams bring six skiers and the top four scores count in the state championship format.

    The girls placed fifth in slalom and seventh in GS. Officials combined those times, giving the Wasps the sixth place finish in the state amongst the girls teams.

    The boys finished third in GS and won the slalom race outright, placing second on the boys’ side.

    In the GS event, the four boys scorers were Bode Wood, Levi Halley, Owen Kross, and Ben Johnson. Wood placed sixth, while Halley placed ninth. Kross was 12th and Johnson was 13th. 

    For their slalom win, the Wasps were represented by Wood, Halley, Kross and Averill Stevens. Wood placed second in slalom and was in first after the first round; Kross finished eighth and Halley was ninth.

    The girls team was led by Chloe Masillo’s dominance during both days of competition. She placed first in GS and second in slalom. 

    Masillo was also the fastest skier in the state. Officials combine all four of the skiers’ runs, the two in GS and two in slalom, to determine the individual award winners. Wood was fourth, Kross finished 11th and Halley finished 12th. 

    The conditions on both race days were challenging, with limited visibility and soft snow. Even with the weather, head coach Cheyenne Wood was encouraged by what he saw from his skiers. For most, it was the biggest stage of their young careers.

    “I’m proud of my kids for the first timers, for working through the bigness of the situation and still being able to perform,” Wood said. “I’m super proud of all the veterans that have been there for years and years, and just left everything out there on the hill and did their best. As a coach, that’s literally all you can ask for.”

    The competition was fierce and tight, the boys nearly secured the school’s third winter season trophy, but fell short by only a few points.

    “We just missed out on an overall state championship for the boys side by four points to Rutland,” Wood said. “All the athletes absolutely skied their hardest.”

    In order to keep nerves down, Wood said the team did a lot of preparations. The team arrived on the course a day early so it wouldn’t feel so foreign, Wood said. They worked on visualization, skiing mentally before barreling down the icy slopes in the Northeast Kingdom.

    “In order to turn [nerves] down into just background noise, you can do that with two things: preparation and drive,” the coach said. He felt like he set his skiers up to succeed on race day.

    “Really believing in themselves and by not allowing negativity and anxiety to creep in and ski tight and not perform, just to have fun and really enjoy this,” Wood said. 

    The coach is confident that his seniors and upperclassmen have rubbed off on the younger skiers, something that they can use to their advantage as they continue their ski careers. 

    “I’ve already seen it in the results that these younger kids really watched and emulated how the seniors handled themselves and how they skied and how they reacted to results and just to learn from that and and just put their toolkit in and use it moving forward,” Wood said.

    Two of Woodstock’s skiers, Chloe Masillo and Bode Wood, were selected to represent Vermont in the Easterns competition. The top 12 boys and the top 12 girls from Vermont compete against the other eastern states, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Competitors’ times are combined to determine placement. Vermont won the Eastern championship, and Masillo helped out the team by finishing tenth in GS. 

    Organizers had to cancel the slalom portion due to weather. Wood elected not to go. 

    For further details please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard 

    Girls snowboarding wins state Championship

    Boys take third place

    By John Hawks

    Standard Correspondent

    Despite the relentless downpour and the soft, heavy, wet snow, the Woodstock Union High School (WUHS) snowboarding team persevered, unwavering in their determination to compete for the State Championship at Jay Peak on Wednesday, March 6.

    The visibility was poor and the snow conditions added an extra layer of challenge to each turn, making each descent more demanding than the last.

    Both the girls and boys competed earnestly, with the girls securing victory and the boys achieving a commendable third spot on the podium. 

    The Lady Wasps beat out North Country and South Burlington. They won the team GS and rail jam events, and finished second in slopestyle, propelling them to victory. 

    Individually, Woodstock’s Bonnie Kranz placed well in all three events — fifth in slopestyle, fifth in giant slalom and second in rail jam. She was crowned as the overall individual winner in the state. 

    In the GS event, Woodstock was able to secure three out of the top five positions, leading to their best results on the day. Leah Gugliotta finished first, edging out the nearest competitor by over a second. Skye Cully placed third, Kranz fifth. 

    In slopestyle, Kranz secured fifth, Cully finished eighth and Marlena Farinos came in ninth. The rail jam portion saw Kranz come in second, Lia Gugliotta finish fifth and Cully finish sixth. 

    Meanwhile, the boys finished second in rail jam, third in slopestyle, and did not finish Giant Slalom (GS). Burr & Burton Academy swept their way to a state title, beating out Woodstock, Rutland and North Country Union High School. 

    In slopestyle, Woodstock’s Zev Wisocki came in fifth, and Jonas Wisocki came in right after his brother in sixth. In GS, Zev Wisocki was runner up and Kyler Eaton was tenth. 

    In the rail jam competition, which includes a series of terrain park tricks executed on various features, high school riders showcase their skills and creativity while navigating the course. Zev Wisocki was sixth, Jonas was seventh and Eaton was tenth.

    “I am so proud of our results for both boys and girls teams,” said head coach Alyssa McDonough. “They worked hard all season and battled the conditions. Both the boys and girls were really focused on bringing home some hardware this year. We had a great time up at Jay Peak.”

    While the boys did not win, Zev Wisock said they performed well, but “it was just tough to stay competitive against the other schools.” He added that they supported each other every step of the way. 

    “We’re all friends, so when it comes to riding together and competing, we usually do pretty well,” senior Zev Wisocki said. “I think the team chemistry was solid at states, too.”

    Cully is happy her team was able to be successful at the state level. “I think it’s a result we have been working towards since last states, and the team couldn’t be happier,” she said. 

    The girls team was paraded around Woodstock last week on firetrucks, showing off their new hardware and celebrating the successful season. The coach applauds the group’s positivity, often cheering each other on during events. The athletes also told the Standard that the team had each others’ back throughout the entire season leading up to states.

    “I think we were all super positive and supportive despite the weather, and it really helped us to be successful,” Cully said. “The weather could have really gotten us all down and it could have been a hard day, but I think the team spirit helped to really uplift the atmosphere of the competition and make everyone feel better and in turn ride better.”

    This winter season was challenging for the athletes to get out and compete. With the lack of snow, and frequent rainy weather, the team was only able to attend a few events. 

    “We had three events canceled due to school closings and weather,” McDonough said. “Particularly, two slopestyle events got canceled for us and unfortunately, I think this hurt us a little bit in States in that event. We didn’t have as much practice as other teams did.” 

    Most of the athletes were able to go to Jay Peak a day early to practice in the park, gaining some familiarity in the Slopestyle and Rail Jam courses. The coach said the girls focused on what they could control in a season that had a lot of things out of their control.

    “The most important thing is to focus on the things that you can control and just do the best with what you have,” McDonough said. “Our girls certainly did that this year and came out on top.”

    The girls snowboarding team was the second WUHS team to win a state title this year — the boys nordic ski team also took home the top prize.

    For more on this please see our March 14 edition of the Vermont Standard

    Video features

    Interview with Woodstock Planning and Zoning Director Steven Bauer

    Obituaries

    Leona "Lee" G. Stetson LaFountain

    Leona “Lee” G. Stetson LaFountain passed away peacefully in her daughter’s home in Hyde Park, MA on February 18, 2024. She was surrounded by lots of love
    from family and friends.

    Leona was born at home in Pomfret, VT on November 15, 1934, to Wayne Wilson Sr., and Marion (Roberts) Wilson. At the age of ten after the sudden loss of her mother, Leona went to live with her “Grammy and Grampy” Roberts whom she adored.

    After attending school in Woodstock, VT Leona met her first love, Harvey J. Stetson. They married and together raised five beautiful children. Spending time with family was very important to them, whether it was a weekend barbecue, meeting other families for picnics, or taking long drives in the country. They also shared their small family farm and each child enjoyed raising their own pets. Leona and Harvey created their own special memories. They loved to go out dancing on Monday and Saturday evenings at the local grange hall and jitterbugged, waltzed, and danced the polka until the wee hours of the morning.

    After Harveys’ passing in May 1993, Leona eventually remarried Earl “Lefty” O. LaFountain, Jr., and gained 13 children, 21 grand children, 10 great grand children, and many nieces and nephews. They shared the love of the outdoors-canoeing, hiking, and camping throughout New England. They also enjoyed spending time on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada and on Martha’s Vineyard. Their true passion always lead them back to the ocean waters of Maine where they walked the shorelines collecting sea glass, sea shells and drift wood.

    When Leona wasn’t busy traveling she was heavily involved in serving her community. She volunteered at The Brookside Nursing Home, The Historic Homes of Runnemede Senior Center, The White River Senior Center, and she was the activities coordinator for Merten’s House. She also earned the top Avon representative outstanding achievement award for the state of Vermont. She held this position for several years, while at the same time cared for Woodstock families over the span of several generations. Caring for these multi-generational families became one of her life long passions during the day, and she was also a self-taught baker during the evening. She perfected a homemade biscuit recipe, which her children praised her for and pleaded her to make for all family gatherings. Her biscuits and other sweet treats were also delivered and sold to the Co-op at the Bridgewater Mill Mall.

    Leona was a devoted mother, grandmother, friend and confidante to those she loved. She expressed her love with intense passion, whether it was towards a person, animal, or place, and with unconditional regard. She lived laughed and loved with her entire soul. She will be missed deeply by all.

    Leona was preceded in death by her husbands, Harvey J. Stetson, and Earl O. LaFountain, Jr.; her mother Marion (Roberts) Wilson and father Wayne W. Wilson, Sr.; sisters Mary (Wilson) Chamberlin of Windsor, VT, and Marge (Wilson) Thibodeau of Hartland, VT; and brother Wayne W. Wilson, Jr. of Woodstock, VT.

    She is survived by her five children; Barbara (Stetson) Chamberlin and husband Wallace Chamberlin of Woodstock, VT; William (Bill) Stetson of Woodstock, VT; Roland (Ron) Stetson of Fair Haven, VT; Donna (Stetson) Arnold and husband Raymond Arnold of Northfield, VT; Lynn Stetson of Hyde Park, MA and grandchildren; Steven Chamberlin and wife Terri (Lamson) Chamberlin of Pomfret, VT; Wendy Chamberlin of Woodstock, VT; Jeffrey Chamberlin and wife Christina (Henderson) Chamberlin of Killington, VT; Christina Chamberlin (companion Jim Morgan) of Pomfret, VT; Aimee (Stetson) Pollard of Monroe, North Carolina; Andrew (A.W.) Stetson of North Carolina; Roland (Ronnie) Stetson, Jr. (companion Elesha Larrow) of Middlebury, VT; Amanda Stetson of Fair Haven, VT; great grand children: Justin Chamberlin, Rylie Pollard, Lukas Pollard, Morgan Stetson, Avery Stetson; and a great great grand child: Bria (Chamberlin) White.

    A private memorial will be held in the summer at the Hewittville Cemetery in Pomfret, VT.

    In honor of Leona, please consider a memorial gift to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org

    Patricia Ann Crozier

    Patricia Ann Crozier, age 76 of Round Pond, Maine passed away March 4th at Round Pond Assisted Living. 

    She was born in Fair Haven, New Jersey on June 6th, 1947, where she attended Rumson High School. It was there she met her soulmate, James (Butch) Gettis (deceased). Together they moved to Bridgewater Corners, Vermont, and were happily married. 

    With their combined talents they owned and operated The Corners Inn fine dining establishment. This became a well-known venue for local and distant travelers alike. Patricia Gettis catering company was her personal joy. She took great pride in catering the most beautiful events for private parties and weddings. 

    Known affectionately as “Patti”, her encouraging words of praise to others, as well as her creativity in the kitchen, gave her a warm place in the hearts of those who knew her. She loved good food, socializing, and traveling. Her laughter was contagious and Vermont was her piece of heaven. When faced with life’s many challenges she met them “head-on” with courage and determination. 

    It goes without saying that Patti will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her. 

    She is survived by Jamie Susan Gettis and Joel James Gettis; granddaughters, Cara Brown and Jessica Lee Pirkey; great-granddaughter Collins Lee Brown; and siblings Carol and Calvin Monsma, Catherine Crozier, and Edie and Bob Marass. 

    She loved all her nieces and nephews.

    She is predeceased by her parents, Jean and Wesley Crozier, brother Britt Crozier, and Husband James (Butch) Gettis. 

    No service announcement at this time.

    Robert "Bob" Wilson

    Robert “Bob” Wilson passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 7, 2024, in Pasadena, California.  He was 99 1/2 years old.  He is survived by his son Charles and daughter Anne.

    Bob was born on September 26, 1924 in Findlay, Ohio.  Upon graduating high school he attended Ohio Wesleyan University for one year before enlisting in the US Army, where he served 2 1/2 years in Europe at a supply depot in England before seeing combat in Germany as an infantryman and combat engineer with the 99th Infantry Division.

    After the war, he returned to Ohio Wesleyan to complete his undergraduate studies, after which he attended MIT, where he earned a master’s and doctorate degrees in Chemical Engineering.

    He worked for Exxon for most of his career, which began at the Bayonne Refinery in New Jersey, before he was promoted to their headquarters in New York.  Soon his desire to travel found him working in Exxon’s International Division.  In 1965 Bob, accompanied by his wife and two children, moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina for two years, where he was in charge of manufacturing.  In 1967 the family moved to London, England, where he worked as the director of Supply and Transportation for Esso Europe.  In 1969, with his two children now in college, Bob was sent to Madrid, Spain as the General Manager of Esso Spain.  His wife Mary joined him there.

    The two of them returned to the United States in 1971, but found life here unfulfilling.  He continued to work for Exxon while Mary explored the possibilities of returning to Europe.  In 1980 he took early retirement and they moved into a villa Mary had overseen the construction of on the Mediterranean coast in Altea, Spain.  This became their primary residence for the next 20-plus years, affording them easy access to travel throughout Europe.  It was undoubtedly the happiest years of their lives.

    Bob and Mary returned to the US in 2002 and made Quechee, Vermont their home.  It was a reunion of sorts with their son Charles, who owned and operated the Taftsville Country Store a few miles away.  Mary passed away in 2012.  In 2015 Bob entered a Continuing Care Facility In Pasadena, California, close to his daughter Anne’s home.  He spent the last years of his life there.

    Besides his love of travel, Bob was an avid genealogist.  Over the years he researched and compiled an impressive tome documenting his family tree.   He also wrote a memoir of his experiences during WWII, a copy of which resides in the archives of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

    An interment service will be held at the Taftsville Cemetery in June of this year.

    Joyce W. Piper

    Joyce W. Piper, 92, passed away surrounded by her family on Sunday
    evening March 10, 2024, at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and
    Hospice Care in Lebanon, NH.

    A complete obituary and service information will appear in a future
    issue of the paper.

    The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

    Ann Taylor Debevoise

    Ann Taylor Debevoise, 98, of Woodstock, Vermont, passed away at Mt. Ascutney Hospital on Monday, February 19, 2024.

    She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 25, 1925, daughter of Nell (Bowen) and Rogers Clinton Taylor, and grew up on the family’s dairy farm in Woodstock, Connecticut. She attended The Arke School, a small independent elementary and middle school her mother ran at their house. Following that, she attended Abbot Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 1942.

    She then attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, graduating in 1947 (having taken one year off to help at home during WWII) with a degree in economics.

    After her graduation, she was an assistant to Clair Wilcox, an economics professor at Swarthmore who was also an advisor to the US government during discussions with Britain concerning details of the Marshall Plan. She was crossing the Atlantic in connection with that when she met her future husband, Tom Debevoise. They were married at the Arke Farm in Connecticut on Thanksgiving Day, 1951. They lived in, and then near, New York City while he finished law school and began his law career. Their first two children, sons Whitney and Clay, were born during that time. They moved to an old farm in the Cox District of Woodstock, Vermont, in 1956, while her husband practiced law.

    Ann looked after the family and started restoring the farm. She was also active with the nursery school on the lower floor of the Woolhouse by the Rec Center and with St. James Church. She had their third child, Tom, in 1957 and their fourth, Anne, in 1961, both at Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover.

    Her husband accepted a position with the Federal Power Commission in Washington D.C. early in 1962; the rest of the family moved down before school started that fall. They kept their place in Woodstock, however, returning during holidays and school vacations- and finally for good in 1974 when he took on the deanship at the nascent Vermont Law School. While in Washington, Ann maintained her commitment to service, volunteering at her children’s schools and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

    Once back in Vermont, and with only one child at home, Ann could concentrate on the farm and the community. She ran Polled Hereford cattle and Polled Dorset sheep, and worked on improving pastureland and reseeding hayfields. She served as a director of the Vermont Beef Producers Association and as a supervisor of the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District.

    Over the years she also served as a trustee of the Norman Williams Public Library, the Vermont Achievement Center, and the Woodstock Historical Society; she was a board member of the Vermont Center for the Book and member of the Vermont Arts Council. Not least of all, she was the full partner her husband needed during the stressful early years of the Vermont Law School and served on its board of trustees after he died. The Law School awarded her an honorary degree in 2005 and she continued to serve as an actively participating trustee emerita until her death. Despite being in the hospital and knowing she would be unable to attend, she requested and reviewed the materials for the February 2024 board meeting.

    Ann was devoted to her husband whom she loved and respected just as he loved and respected her. She cared deeply for her family, her friends, her neighbors and her community and woke up every morning with a list of things that needed doing or should be set right. Her attitude while in the hospital after her stroke in January was “I feel lucky I have been able to do so much for so long.”

    Ann was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her sister Joan Sodestrom, her son Clay, and her great-granddaughter Sabine. She is survived by her son Whitney and his wife Heidi, her son Tom and his wife Laurie Livingston, her daughter Anne and her husband Andrew Ostby, her son Clay’s widow Linda Derick, nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, three nephews, and a niece.

    The family is deeply grateful to the many providers and staff at Mt. Ascutney Hospital whose skilled and compassionate care helped Ann navigate the many challenges she faced in the last weeks of her life.

    There are no services planned at this time.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

    Joseph Allen Dougherty

    Joseph Allen Dougherty, 89, died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on Monday evening March 4, 2023.

    A memorial Mass to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, March 9, at 11:00 am at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Woodstock followed by a reception at the Woodstock Inn.

    A complete obituary will appear at a later date.

    The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock, Vermont is assisting the family.

    Stephen Troy Carr

    Troy Carr, February 8, 1979 – February 17, 2024

    The family of Troy Carr is saddened to share the news that he has passed away, leaving a trail of accomplishments far beyond his years.

    He grew up in Bridgewater, Vermont where he lived with his parents, Steve and Bonnie, and his older brother Aaron.  Following in the footsteps of their parents, he and Aaron attended Woodstock Union High School.

    Troy became an accomplished snowboarder early on, in Killington.  Following graduation from high school, he went to a Professional Golf school in California. From there, he traveled to Port Charlotte, Florida where he lived with his paternal grandparents, Pauline and Donald Carr.  He began teaching at Riverwood Golf Club in Port Charlotte.  While in Florida, he was hired by Mercury Boat Engines to test the mettle and endurance of Mercury’s engines on the water.

    Troy then got certified as a Massage Therapist, giving him a complete understanding of the physiology of the human body.   In the meantime, he and his brother Aaron purchased adjoining acreage high atop one of Chittenden’s mountains.  Before they lost their dad, they cleared the land and worked on completing Aaron and Amy’s house, and planned to build Troy and his previous wife Tatiana Dobush’s home.  As it turned out, Troy ended up clearing his own land and overseeing the construction of his home.  After that, he and Tatiana purchased a home in Florida and they split their time between Vermont and Florida, along with their son, Tucker Stephen Carr, who was born June 28, 2011.

    Later on in his life, Troy moved back to his Vermont home full-time.  The final occupation for Troy was the formation of his own company (he was “the Milfoil Man”) to remove invasive milfoil from Lake Bomoseen, Fern Lake, and Lake Dunmore.  In order for him to accomplish the task, he had to become a certified scuba diver – which he did.  The company was eventually sold to a larger outfit, Lake Dunmore Fern Lake Association with Troy staying on as advisor of the Vermont operation.

    Once Troy was living full-time in Vermont again, he met Stephanie Senecal who became his girlfriend, a close confidante and someone who showed him kindness and understanding.  She also introduced her two children to Troy, and in time, Troy introduced Tucker to them.  He shared his love of snowmobiling, riding bikes, boating, and fishing with Tucker.  Troy had a lifelong love of animals that he shared with his son.  Tucker is now the caretaker of his dad’s cats, Miss Kitty and Cascious, who have joined Tucker and his mom’s pets in Florida.

    Troy is predeceased by his father, Stephen Paul Carr, his grandmother, Mary Birmingham, and his grandfather, Donald Carr.  He is survived by his grandmother, Pauline Carr, mother, Bonnie Carr, his significant other, Stephanie Senecal, his brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Amy Carr, and his beloved son, Tucker and his mother.  He is also survived by his grandfather, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Troy left innumerable friends from all walks of his life and will be remembered as a stand-up guy who usually accomplished all he set out to do.  He leaves a large void in his wake.

    A graveside service for Troy will be held in Bridgewater at a later date.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

    Edna M. Johnson

    Edna M. Johnson, 94, of Kennebunk, ME, died peacefully on February 13, 2024, after a short period of declining health.

    Edna lived a strong, independent, and inspired life for 94+ years, building instant friendships with those of all ages and becoming “Mom” to many. 

    Edna was born on August 14th, 1929, in Woodstock, VT, the daughter of Elwin Williamson and Marion F. (Wardwell) Peoples.

    After graduating from South Royalton High School, South Royalton, VT, Edna moved to Westborough, MA where she met her first husband, Harold, and raised their family.  She was active in the Westborough Women’s Club, local bridge group, and area bowling league.  She was known for her exceptional sewing and clothing design skills, especially her imaginative children’s Halloween and dance recital costumes.

    Edna also enjoyed spending time at the family’s vacation home in Barnard, VT where she loved visiting local friends and family, hiking, snowshoeing and snowmobiling on area logging trails, and skiing the slopes of the former Sonnenberg Ski Area.  She and husband Harold especially enjoyed deer hunting season.    

    After being widowed at a young age, Edna attended college to study accounting, a profession she pursued until meeting her second husband, John.  In pre-retirement, they headed North and purchased The Village Confectionery, a candy and gift shop in North Conway, NH.  In 1985 they expanded the business to Kennebunkport, ME where it remained a local favorite for many years.

    Edna and husband John loved living near the ocean and embraced the year-round lifestyle of coastal Maine.  They especially favored Wells Reserve at Laudholm where they enjoyed the nature trails and wildlife.  

    To know Edna was to know her multi-decades love for square dancing.  Along with husband John, she was a lifetime member of the Nubble Lighthouse Keepers Square Dance Club in Wells, ME, where she served as past Club Treasurer until 2019.  

    Edna is survived by her three daughters, Theresa A. Lynch of Williamsburg, VA, Patti L. Duprey and husband Dennis of Kennebunk, ME, and JoAnn Thompson Gordon and husband David Hersh of Kennebunk, ME; three stepchildren; ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

    Edna is predeceased by her first husband of 25 years, Harold R. Thompson, Jr., second husband of 38 years, H. Conrad (John) Johnson, as well as her parents, sister Pauline Goodrich, and brother Richard. 

    At her request, there will be no services.  Burial will take place in the family plot in Pinegrove Cemetery, Westborough, MA.  Memories and condolences may be shared at https://www.bibberfuneral.com

    In honor of her memory, the family welcomes contributions to a new “Johnson Tree” to be planted at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm.  Checks may be mailed to Laudholm Trust, PO Box 1007, Wells,  ME 04090; online donations at https://www.wellsreserve.org/support/celebratory-gifts; Memo Edna Johnson.  

    Evelyn P. Paglia

    Evelyn P. Paglia, 83, died peacefully on Thursday, March 29, 2024, at the Jack Bryne Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

    Evelyn was born on December 27, 1940, in Plymouth, Vermont the daughter of Ralph and Myrtle (Haynes) Payson.

    Evelyn grew up in Plymouth, Vermont until she married James E. Paglia, Sr. on January 3, 1970, and they made their home in Woodstock, Vermont. In her early years, Evelyn provided child care and worked for a time at the Bridgewater Drug Store. After moving to Woodstock, she went to work at the Woodstock Inn where she was employed for over 30 years. Outside of work, she loved her family, flowers, gardens, and her cats and birds.

    Evelyn is survived by her son, James Jr. (Beverly); brothers, Ralph & Russell; sisters, Bessie, Vera, and Susan; a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her beloved sister and brother-in-law, Bruce and Alice Paglia. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her Husband James, Sr., a daughter Nancy, brother Charles, and sisters Pricilla and Ruth.

    A graveside service is being planned for a later date. Those wishing may make memorial donations to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care, One Medical Drive, HB 7070, Lebanon, NH 03756

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

    Albert Ira Pristaw

    Albert Ira Pristaw passed away at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH on February 20, 2024.  He was surrounded by family and friends as he passed.  Al was born on July 5, 1943 in Boston, MA.  The child of immigrants, he revered education, hard work, and working people.  He found his place in the world and embraced a love of the outdoors attending the University of Vermont, graduating in 1965.    After completing graduate school at Massachusetts College of Optometry, he married Judith Lewis Pristaw and moved to Vermont in 1973 where he started his own private optometry practice and ultimately became the President of the Vermont Board of Optometry.  He loved every covered bridge, fishing hole, and general store in Vermont and had a passion for rural America.  He was deeply devoted to his oldest friends.

    Al is survived by his loving partner, Pauline Drake Holt, his children Dara Sweatt and Josh Pristaw, and by his grandchildren, Finley and Wheeler Sweatt, and Charles and Oscar Pristaw.

    The funeral will be at Cabot’s Funeral Home at 32 Rose Hill, Woodstock, VT, on Saturday, March 2nd at 11:00 AM.

    The guestbook & zoom link for the memorial can be found at www.cabotfh.com

    Followed by a reception at Thompson Senior Center at 99 Senior Ln, Woodstock, VT 05091

    No flowers by request, donations if desired to Vermont Food Bank  (https://www.vtfoodbank.org)  in his memory.

    Deborah Elizabeth Bridge

    A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 20 at the Bridgewater Grange from 11:30-1:30 for Debbie Bridge, 67, who died peacefully in her sleep at Rutland Regional Hospital on February 21, 2024. This will be a time to share memories of Debbie’s antics. A private burial will be held at the Heselton-Bridge Cemetery on Bridgewater Hill, following the Celebration.

    Debbie was born on February 8th, 1957, the daughter of Ferris Bridge and Marjorie Carbino Bridge. As a lifetime Bridgewater resident with special needs, Debbie attended Havenwood School in Rutland, and after became a student of life experiences through family, neighbors, and friends. Debbie was the heart of our family, who particularly loved the large family gatherings with great food. She loved going to the Bethany Mennonite Church and her favorite song was “Jesus Loves Me”. Her next favorite song was “Hey There Little Red Riding Hood”.

    Debbie loved to spend her winters in CA and summers in Vermont after her Dad passed. She looked forward to the days she attended the Senior Concerts in Thousand Oaks and after permanently moving back full-time to Vermont, The Scotland House in Quechee became her favorite place.

    During her 9 winters in CA, she visited the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Aquarium in Monterey, and Yosemite National Park. Debbie loved going places.

    Debbie was very outgoing and had a great sense of humor. A young aide at the hospital who knew her from the Rutland Healthcare & Rehab nursing home, referred to Debbie as a “real firecracker”.

    Debbie is survived by her brothers Colin of NC, Kirby of North Ferrisburgh, VT, Jeff and Audrey of Bridgewater, and her sister Valerie of Bridgewater. Her parents predeceased her.

    In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Debbie’s name to: The Scotland House, P.O. Box 180, Woodstock, VT 05091.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

    Michael (Mikey) Philip Daigle

    Michael (Mikey) Philip Daigle, 41, of Sharon, VT,  departed this earth unexpectedly on February 12, 2024. Those of us left behind are deeply saddened by the hole he has left here, but we are comforted by the thought that he has happily joined his beloved father Michael Sands on the other side.

    As a young adult,  Michael was naturally athletic and especially loved a good game of hockey with his friends.  He made many memories with his cousins and friends running through the woods of Vermont playing hide and seek. He loved playing video games – we still can’t sleep at night due to Silent Hill.

    He worked tirelessly on his property in Sharon to make it a beautiful place. He loved walking the land, exploring the woods, observing the wildlife,  pausing on the water’s edge, and grilling out at sunset. 

    Michael was a dedicated worker for his employers through the years, including The Timken Company and Hypertherm. He also enjoyed doing physical labor such as landscaping and carpentry and applied these skills in property management jobs. 

    Michael was best known for his intellectual curiosity, deep conversations, playful debates,  and love of friends and family.  He was always there for the people he loved,  often reaching out to check-in.  He would give you the shirt off his back if it would help. He would clear his schedule to make sure you were not alone in whatever struggle you were going through. His compassion, advocacy, and support was bountiful for the people he loved. His dad jokes would get you through the darkest days.

    Michael loved music, how it conveyed feelings that could not always be spoken. He had recently started learning how to play the drums. He also loved movies, books, and endless conversations about both of those subjects.

    Oh, and don’t forget the animals. He loved dogs, cats, turtles, even hermit crabs and hedgehogs!

    Michael was preceded in death by his father, Michael Sands; and his grandparents, Sidney and Irene Straghan. He is survived by his much-loved mother, Cindy Sands; his aunts, Lynne Vik and Heidi Straghan, and beloved cousins.

    In his honor- call that friend or family member that you haven’t talked with in a long time. Slow down for a few minutes and soak up some nature. Read a book, watch a movie, or listen to some music that heals your soul. 

    There will be a celebration of life for Michael in the spring at his family’s Farm in Waldoboro Maine. For more information please reach out to [email protected]

    Phyllis Nelson Wood

    South Woodstock, Vermont

    May 31, 1933 – February 14, 2024

    Phyllis was reunited with the love of her life on Valentine’s Day.

    She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Karl W. Wood; her parents Orin and Lois Nelson; and her brother Orin (Bud) Nelson.

    She is survived by her three daughters; Lois (Bob) Robbins, June (Richard) Edwards, and Diane Wood (Bob Bradley), as well as nine grandchildren, and numerous great and great-great grandchildren.

    Phyllis graduated from The Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing as an R.N. She used those skills working at Woodstock Country School, Woodstock Union High School, Mt. Ascutney Hospital, and the Woodstock Visiting Nurses. She also served as Woodstock Town Health Officer and with the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District removing pollution from the Ottauquechee River and its tributaries.

    She was involved in establishing the public Kindergarten in Woodstock, the Ottauquechee Health Center, and an F.A.S.T. squad in South Woodstock. She volunteered at the Woodstock Food Shelf, South Woodstock Community Church, and the South Woodstock Fire Protection Association.

    Honoring her request, services will be private. Those wishing may make a memorial donation to the South Woodstock Fire Protection Association at P.O. Box 1, South Woodstock, VT 05071.

    All Father, it is finished.

    In beauty, it is finished.

    Before me, behind me,

    Beneath my feet, may I find peace.

    Let there be long life and breath,

    And let the end of one song

    Begin another.

    Nez Perce Song from Phyllis’s bulletin board.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

    Christa A Blanchard

    Christa A Blanchard passed away at The Woodstock Terrace on Feb. 19, 2024, with family at her side, she was 85.

    Christa was born in Stettin, Germany on March 26, 1938, to Erwin Lehman and Kaehte Lehman (Giese). She was formally educated in Germany but took photography plus many other courses beyond that. Christa immigrated to New York City in 1956 and moved to her beloved, lifelong Town of Woodstock in the summer of 1961.

    She was married to Clyde W Blanchard (Bud) in 1968. Christa is survived by her three children, Christa Davis, Gregory Blanchard and his wife Tracy Blanchard, Sonja Blanchard and her husband Eric Weglarz; five grandchildren, Melissa Davis, Wesley Davis, Jakob Blanchard, Sophia Blanchard, and Lucia Blanchard; and three great-grandchildren, Alex Ibey, Liam Davis and Amaya Cook. Christa was predeceased by her parents, her stepmother Erna Lehman, her brother Norbert Lehman, stepbrother Siegfried Stock, and her loving husband Bud.

    Christa led a very full accomplished life; she began as a clothing model and by working for the AKC in NYC. Once she moved to Woodstock, she began employment for McHughes Clothing Store, calling on the family trade as tailors and then opening her own sewing business in her Barberry Hill home. It was most amazing to watch her as she started with a measuring tape and piece of brown paper, created a pattern that fit you perfectly, drew it on fabric with chalk, and sewed exactly what you hoped for or even better. Over the years, Christa plied her craft for many living in or visiting the area, including known names such as Charles Bronson, Indira Ghandi, and the Rockefellers, but her proudest moments were working with 4-H children on their projects. She helped so many over the years learn to sew and compete for awards on their creations. 

    Christa also became known as the woman to go to if you wanted specialized western riding clothes for horse shows, an endeavor she began when Sonja started competing around the country. Many brides went to the altar wearing one of Christa’s incredible dresses, always exquisite and tailored just for them. Her lifelong love affair with a camera began when she was quite young, she documented many of the activities in Woodstock over the decades. She was rarely seen without her camera and has left a plethora of stunning photos from all her wanderings, family, and friends. 

    Christa and Bud had a wanderlust, traveling every chance they had and usually with a VW bus full of children. It was common for the family to be loaded up in the wee hours of the morning, to head off to parts unknown and some new adventure. Last but far from least was Christa’s commitment to the Glad Rags sale. She didn’t miss working on a single one of their semiannual sales, for over 50 years, many of them as President. Christa was so proud of the money they made for the Vermont Visiting Nurses, the Ottauquechee Health Foundation, Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society and others. 

    We will be holding a Celebration of Life at the Woodstock Senior Center on March 17, from 1-4 p.m. 

    There will be a graveside service at The Veterans Cemetery in Randolph on May 6 at 1 p.m., where she will be reunited with her husband, Bud.

    In lieu of flowers, we ask that you please make donations to the Vermont 4-H Program or the Ottauquechee Health Foundation in Woodstock, that helped fund her care for the past few years.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

    Janet Bailey Smith

    Janet Bailey Smith passed from this earth in the early hours of February 14th, 2024. Janet, a lifetime resident of Woodstock was born on January 13th, 1946, to Raymond and Ethna Bailey. Her first few years were spent on High Street in Woodstock. The family then moved to Atwood Avenue where she would spend the remainder of her childhood in that wonderful east-end neighborhood filled with plenty of friends to inspire neighborhood adventures. She also enjoyed spending time at her grandparent’s “Star Farm” in Woodstock, which is now Bailey’s Meadows. A child of the 50’s and 60’s she enjoyed skating parties, girl scouting, camping, and many other activities.

    After graduating from WUHS, the class of 1964, Janet went to work for Dartmouth Printing in Hanover, NH. On a trip with a friend to Kentucky she met her future husband, Ernest Smith. They settled in Woodstock where her sons, David and Steven joined the family. Janet and Ernest later divorced and Janet remained in Woodstock with her boys. She worked many jobs to support her boys, but always made time to attend their sports events and have family time. One of her many jobs was being employed at the Woodstock Elementary School where she started working in the cafeteria and as a crossing guard. At the end of her career at the school she was working as a para-professional. She also spent many hours caring for her parents in their twilight years.

    Janet was always up for a road trip, a card game, a campfire, or anything. She particularly loved the Maine Coast and would travel there whenever she could. She loved nature and enjoyed watching birds and other wildlife at her bird feeders. She did her best to see the bright side of any situation. She enjoyed many pets over the years, including her beloved dogs- Chico, who inspired many stories and laughter, and Lola, who provided love and companionship as Janet’s illness progressed.

    Janet is survived by her 2 sons; David of Woodstock, and Steven (Brenda) of Windsor, 2 grandchildren; Casey and Brooke, a brother Peter (Doe), as well as other extended family.

    Services will be held privately at a later date.

    An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

    Bayard "Butch" Webster Smith

    Bayard” Butch” Webster Smith, 89, passed away on February 13, 2024, peacefully, after a short illness. He was 89 years old. Butch was born on July 9th, 1934 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Philip Webster Smith and Cornelia Clark. He spent his formative years in Far Hills, New Jersey, and his summers in Tenants Harbor, Maine.

    He attended the Far Hills Country Day School, the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts, and Boston University. Butch was a superb athlete, leading his respective Football, Basketball, and Baseball teams each season.

    Butch spent most of his life in Windsor, Vermont on Gilnocky Farm where he raised dairy cattle and Connemara ponies. Butch gave, selflessly, to the town’s football and baseball youth organizations. He was also a town selectman.

    In his later years, Butch continued to follow his passion on the football and baseball fields by officiating games but was most at home on a boat, or on a tractor. He enjoyed mowing lawns on the farm and cruising the Muscle Ridge Channel on his beloved boat, the Blue Viper.

    Butch leaves his wife of 65 years, Sue, two sons, Prescott and Bear, and five grandchildren; Scott, Tanner, Suki, Charlie, and Whitney.

    Please consider making a gift in his honor to the St. George Community Development Organization: PO Box 160, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 (207-372-2193)

    Please identify the PORT CLYDE STRONG project.

    Memorial services will be held later this spring.

    To offer online condolences please visit www.contefuneralhomes.com

    Annual Appeal

    Making friends while trying to make ends meet

    By Dan Cotter, publisher

    Friendship. That’s what I’m thinking about as I publish this year’s fourth and final annual appeal article.

    Of course, that makes perfect sense given our heritage.

    If you’ve ever seen longtime Vermont Standard icon Phil Camp in action as he walks down Central or Elm Street, or when he’s seated near the fireplace at the Woodstock Inn, you know what I’m talking about. I nicknamed him the “Unofficial Mayor of Woodstock” because, like a campaigner, he seems to want to talk to everyone he encounters, whether it’s an old friend (he’s got quite a few, as he’s lived here almost 88 years) or a visitor from wherever. His opening line with those visitors — after complimenting them on their cute child or puppy — is “where are you from?” After giving them a warm welcome and trying to get to know them better, he typically tells them a little more about our area and then a lot about the Vermont Standard. He always closes these brief exchanges by encouraging them to check out our Vermont Standard THIS Week website or buy an eEdition subscription so that they can keep up with our beautiful Woodstock area after they return home.

    It’s as though he was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce, but really, he just likes to make friends.

    And he does. On occasion he even hears back from folks he’s greeted, thanking him for being one of the highlights of their recent visit.

    Likewise, if not for the friends we’ve made, the Standard, like so many other newspapers around the country, would have closed up shop at some point in the past few years after losing access to such a large portion of the advertising dollars that traditionally supported community journalism. Thankfully our readers stepped up to fill the gap with their donations. Thanks to them — our friends — we’re still alive and striving to do our best, and I am still able to write this to you today.

    We may have struggled to make ends meet, but we have been able to make some good friends. And that’s a blessing.

    I’m reminded of Carole King’s song, “You’ve Got a Friend”

    If the sky above you

    Grows dark and full of clouds

    And that old north wind begins to blow

    Keep your head together

    And call my name out loud

    Soon you’ll hear me knockin’ at your door

    Some of our friends seemingly came knockin’ out of nowhere to support us, to support our community by preserving its journalism and to support its democracy. They asked for nothing in return, not even for recognition. We are eternally grateful to them. We hope to make them proud, and we hope they’ll continue to have our back. And we hope we’ll continue to meet new friends along the way.

    Four special friends have now come together to serve on the board of the new Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation: Charlie Shackleton, Darlyne Franzen, Rob Wallace, and Bill Emmons. As I announced a few weeks ago, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation, which is dedicated primarily to preserving the Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future, has formally filed an application for recognition of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. These Foundation board members believe in us and they care deeply about our community and the value the Standard provides. Right now, they are encouraging their own friends to support this important cause at this critical juncture.

    If you’re willing to make a donation to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation, your contribution will be utilized in the form of project grants to support our mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance. And pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status – as to which our lawyers are quite confident – contributions will be tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation. Of course, we recommend potential donors discuss with their own advisors any specific questions about their particular contributions.

    Winter, spring, summer or fall

    All you have to do is call

    And I’ll be there, yes, I will

    You’ve got a friend

    You’ve got a friend

    Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend

    Indeed, it is good to know that you’re all our friends. So many community newspapers throughout the U.S. are braving their final hour. But, especially with the establishment of the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation, we’re hoping that the Vermont Standard is now embarking on its finest hour, hand in hand with you, our friends.

    To make a donation, please send us a check at 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.”

    Pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status, your gift will be tax-deductible. We will send you confirmation of the IRS decision once it’s available in the coming few months.

    Let’s not lose our sense of place

    By Dan Cotter, publisher

    The main thing I remember is that it was always loud. And a bit chaotic.

    With seven children all just a year apart, there tended to be a lot of clamor and teasing as we’d prepare the dinner table in our house where I grew up. Dad was home from work and it was time to eat!

    This ritual took place more or less every day. Everyone had scattered to work and school and sports, part-time jobs, and all sorts of other activities throughout the day, but in the evening, we gathered for the one meal we ate together and to talk about what was going on. It was there around that table — where elbow space was at a premium — that we learned of each other’s latest achievements, trials, and disappointments, laughed at each other’s tales from the front, the foibles we had experienced or witnessed that day, found out about what’s coming up for the family, including challenges we faced, and on so many occasions, after expressing our opinions about one thing or another, we engaged in fierce debate.

    Sure, we spent moments with a parent or certain siblings during the day and we picked up bits and pieces of information or gossip along the way, but it was at the dinner table that we could count on hearing the straight story from our parents and each other. There, as we kept up with our family’s day-to-day news, we also strengthened our bond.

    Of course, the dining experience is probably a little different for families these days. Households tend to be smaller and parents’ work schedules aren’t as predictable. Plus, with all of the activities children participate in that cut into mealtime, it may not be possible for some families to gather together on a daily basis. The catching up and bonding may take place on a more infrequent basis or in a different setting, but it’s just as important nonetheless.

    Having a regular, ongoing opportunity to share news and information that we and only we are truly interested in gives everyone the sense that they’re in the know and an important member of the family. It helps us create our shared identity.

    I think it’s pretty much the same in a small community like ours.

    Technically, just by virtue of living here, everyone is part of the community. However, it’s the access to our own news and information — that regular habit of keeping up with what’s going on among us – that nurtures our sense of belonging, our shared identity, and it helps give our community its sense of place.

    When we are able to better know each other, and know more about our local businesses and organizations, our history and traditions, and all the constantly-changing issues and narratives that are playing out in our community, we can truly feel connected and at home in this unique place and we can participate in our community better.

    For example, in our community, and only in this particular community, the Wasps are both the king and queen when it comes to sports. Issues such as retiring public servants, accommodations for tourists, proposed new schools, and short-term rental regulations are headline news here. We have our very own natural disasters to contend with, as well as the local controversies and court cases everyone is following. We have a multitude of entertainment offerings to keep abreast of. We have people who are well-known and admired here, and there are always examples cropping up of ordinary people doing extraordinary things here that we like to hear about. Plus, we gather each year to vote on local candidates and topics that affect us personally, financially and emotionally. And people here certainly aren’t afraid to express an opinion and have a debate from time to time.

    All of those concerns are an integral part of life here. Our community’s identity then, is more than just a collection of pretty towns surrounded by farms and lush, rolling hills. It’s actually our shared interests and experiences that give this community its true sense of place.

    I liken the Vermont Standard to the “dinner table” of my youth, where we gather to keep up on things that are of interest to this community. Our reporters collect that news and information and we package it, deliver it, and make it possible for all of us to digest it each week so that we come away more informed and hopefully knowing and feeling a little closer to each other. In this way, we can more fully embrace our collective experience and be ready to participate, armed with a common, credible set of knowledge. Like with a family at mealtime, our shared identity is strengthened and we’re all better off.

    I hope you’ll consider joining our mission as we scramble to keep the Standard going despite the financial pressures that threaten its survival. We’ve got a large — though not insurmountable — operating deficit to overcome, and we just can’t keep this up without significant help. Our hope is that you agree with us that our local journalism is nourishment for our community and worthy of your investment. We hope you’ll make a donation to our 2023 Annual Appeal, and even better, consider adding us to the organizations that you make donations to each year so that we can achieve some staying power. If you own a business, we hope you’ll consider advertising with us as well.

    Some good news is that last month, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation was created. The Foundation, which is dedicated primarily to preserving the Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future, has formally filed an application for recognition of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation has a board made up of local residents who care deeply about our community and the value the Standard provides. Phil Camp and I are on the board too. Together, we’ll work to continuously improve the paper’s print and digital journalism, and position it for long-term sustainability.

    If you’re willing to make a donation to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation, your contribution will be utilized in the form of project grants to support our mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance. And pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status – as to which our lawyers are quite confident – contributions will be tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation. Of course, we recommend potential donors discuss with their own advisors any specific questions about their particular contributions.

    To make a donation, please send us a check at 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.”

    Pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status, your gift will be tax-deductible. We will send you confirmation of the IRS decision once it’s available in the coming few months.

    We’re betting on this community, at this time, for this mission

    By Dan Cotter, publisher

    If not us, who? If not now, when?

    These soul-searching questions have been pondered by leaders throughout history when faced with situations that required great courage and determination. In fact, longtime Vermont Standard publisher Phil Camp and I asked ourselves those same questions several years ago as we embarked on our mission to preserve quality local journalism for Woodstock and its neighboring towns, including Hartland Pomfret, Barnard, Quechee, Bridgewater, Reading, West Windsor, Plymouth and Killington. We were inspired by those questions as we set out to save the Standard’s print and digital journalism that informs and connects our community even though the advertising revenue that has supported the paper through the years has diminished.

    Just like other newspapers in large and small towns throughout the country, the Standard has been fighting for its life. Similar to everywhere else, advertising revenue is evaporating as smaller, independent retailers and service providers that traditionally supported local news organizations with their ads have been replaced by chains, big box stores and online sellers that typically do not support community journalism. And many classified advertisers now use dedicated help wanted, auto, and real estate websites instead of a newspaper. Plus, the residual effects of the COVID-19 economic shutdown have further eroded many businesses’ advertising budgets.

    Without sufficient advertising support, the Standard, like all newspapers, relies heavily on the public to help fund its local journalism. And that journalism is needed now more than ever in a society dominated by social media echo chambers, political and social division, and the proliferation of misinformation. Still, the Standard’s situation is dire. If not for contributions from philanthropic citizens who fully recognize the value of having local journalism in our community, the paper would lose several thousand dollars each week, and sadly — after a 170-year run — there would be no Vermont Standard.

    Saving this one small newspaper in Vermont is obviously important to the community here, but it also has national implications. Papers like the Standard are dying off at a pace of two per week. And far too many newspapers that are still alive have been acquired by corporations that have stripped them of their resources, turning them into “ghost papers” that are unable to adequately inform and serve their communities.

    Most newspapers are on the brink of insolvency. We must find a way in this country, both collectively and individually, to keep credible local journalism alive, to keep citizens informed and connected. Our democracy depends on it.

    The Standard is symbolic of this problem our nation faces. But if there is any place in the country where people truly love their community and treasure their newspaper — which is still produced by a small but devoted staff trying to do the right thing — it’s Woodstock, VT. If this community can’t find a way to sustain its local journalism, there is probably little hope for the rest.

    Unlike most other newspapers, the Standard, which already operates on a shoestring, has resisted the strategy of further stripping down its small operation to bare bones. Instead, we are attempting to preserve it as a quality newspaper that can continue serving our community well.

    Phil always maintained that the Standard actually belongs to the community. He’s right, and it’s in their hands now. If local journalism can indeed be saved, it will happen here, where citizens are so engaged and appreciation for the Standard is so strong.

    If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

    We’ve made significant progress. Last month, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation was created. The Foundation, which is dedicated primarily to preserving the Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future, has formally filed an application for recognition of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation has a board made up of local residents who care deeply about our community and the value the Standard provides. Phil and I are on the board too. Together, we’ll work to continuously improve the paper’s print and digital journalism, and position it for long-term sustainability.

    We hope you’ll take a moment to make a donation to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation. Your contribution will be utilized in the form of project grants to support our mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance. And pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status – as to which our lawyers are quite confident – contributions will be tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation. Of course, we recommend potential donors discuss with their own advisors any specific questions about their particular contributions.

    Your contribution has the potential to make a real difference – to save our paper and give us a chance to put in place initiatives that ensure our long-term sustainability, to draw attention to the loss of quality local journalism across the country, and to motivate others to advocate for solutions to this crisis before it is too late.

    If you’re willing to make a donation to our 2023 Annual Appeal, please send us a check at 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.”

    Pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status, your gift will be tax-deductible. We will send you confirmation of the IRS decision once it’s available in the coming few months.

    Since no news would be bad news, here’s some good news

    By Dan Cotter, publisher

    Anyone keeping track has probably noticed that the Vermont Standard’s annual appeal is starting late this year. In the past, I’ve written a series of four columns in August-September to let you know how we’re doing in Phil Camp’s and my quest to keep our local journalism viable for Woodstock and its neighboring towns. Here we are now at the end of September and I’m finally getting back to you!

    Still, I think the message I have to share today is one worth waiting for.

    Everybody knows by now that newspapers all throughout the country have been hanging by a thread. The Standard is no different. In the past, I’ve described our financial challenge to you here in the pages of the paper and Phil and I have met with a number of you personally to discuss the mission we’re on to try to ensure that the Standard continues to keep citizens here informed and connected well into the future, despite the loss of much of the traditional newspaper advertising revenue that supported local journalism in communities like ours for the past hundred years. We think that the public service newspapers like ours perform is critical to the health of our American democracy, and we believe that our community would be greatly diminished if we’re not successful in our quest to rescue the Standard.

    Just ask the more than 20 percent of Americans who now live in communities that have no trustworthy, in-depth, or independent news source reporting on their local issues.

    About 2,500 newspapers around the country have gone out of business in the past 20 years, and many, many of those that still exist are now just a shadow of their former selves, as corporate scavengers have acquired them and stripped them of their resources, leaving them alive but emaciated and wholly incapable of performing their duty to their community.

    We’re not trying to merely keep some semblance of a paper alive here. We’re trying to preserve a good, independent, 170-year-old purveyor of local journalism (both in print or digital formats) that our community can continue to trust, rely upon, and be proud of.

    And we are clearly not alone on this journey. For the past few years, increasing numbers of those who read and care for the Vermont Standard have pitched in to offer assistance. We’ve received donations and significant financial support from people who believe that having fair-minded, professionally produced, independent local journalism is extremely important to the quality of life here, and it’s a safeguard against sources that may otherwise spread misinformation and even disinformation in the community.

    All of these angels who helped us did so with no expectations other than that we’d continue to do our best to inform, entertain, and connect the community we exist to serve. They did it out of their love for Woodstock and the neighboring towns that make up our community. Without even the benefit of a tax deduction.

    Five years ago, wise friends of the Standard advised Phil and me to explore whether the paper could be operated by a nonprofit entity – which would enable it to receive tax-deductible contributions from donors and apply for grant funding. At the time, prospects for that route didn’t look promising. But with the ongoing counsel of those friends and others who have assisted us along the way, we have now identified and set out on a path forward that we hope will lead to the approval of a new 501(c)(3) organization to operate the newspaper.

    This month, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation was created. The Foundation, which is dedicated primarily to preserving the Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future, has formally filed an application for recognition of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation has a board made up of local residents who care deeply about our community and the value the Standard provides. Phil and I are on the board too. Together, we’ll work to continuously improve the paper’s print and digital journalism, and position it for long-term sustainability.

    Now you can make a donation to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation and your contribution 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. And pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status — which our lawyers are quite confident in – contributions will be tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation. Of course, we recommend potential donors discuss with their own advisors any specific questions about their particular contributions.

    We are very excited about this development, and we hope that more people will now be willing to support the Standard with a donation, and perhaps past donors will even consider increasing their contribution. For those who have family foundations, we hope that you’ll consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation to the causes you regularly support.

    Our need is quite urgent, to say the least. After many months of preparation, we are certainly pleased to now be in this position, but we’re late getting started with our annual appeal and we’ve incurred additional expenses to set this up, so that thread we’re clinging to is awfully frayed right now. We are profoundly grateful for anything you can do right away to help us get on firmer financial footing.

    If you’re willing to make a donation to our 2023 Annual Appeal, please send us a check at PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

    Pending IRS approval of the Foundation’s application for nonprofit status, your gift will be tax-deductible. We will send you confirmation of the IRS decision once it’s available in the coming few months.

    Hard to imagine Woodstock without the Standard 

    “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.

    Newspapers Are In a Race Against the Clock

    Woodstock

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

    Race Against The Clock VT Standard Front Page

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