Superintendent Sherry Sousa has told the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) Board that she intends to retire on June 30, 2027, at the conclusion of the 2026-27 school year.

Sousa has spent the past 33 years working within the MVSU, the former Windsor Central Supervisory Union (WCSU), and the Woodstock Union Middle School/High School (WUMS/HS) systems. She has been at the helm of the MVSU school district since July of 2020, providing comprehensive oversight of academic programs, budgets, educational standards, staff development, and more for the school district that serves the communities of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock, as well as numerous sending towns in the region.

The outgoing superintendent and MVSU School Board chair Keri Bristow spoke with the Standard on Monday about Sousa’s planned departure and the recruitment process that is taking shape to choose her successor.

“I didn’t plan on being a lifer when I ended up in Vermont, [relocating here from Massachusetts] after having my first child. But I jokingly say that I signed on for a life sentence, so there you go,” offered Sousa, who joined the staff at WUMS/HS in 1993 as an integration facilitator, developing and implementing individualized programs for students with emotional, learning, and attention disabilities. She served in that capacity for 10 years and then went on to become the director of learning opportunities at WUMS/HS before taking on the roles of assistant director and then director of instructional support services at the former WCSU beginning in 2012. 

Sousa then stepped up to become the WCSU and later MVSU superintendent six years ago at the height of the challenging COVID pandemic.

“It has been an amazing district to be a part of for all these years,” Sousa commented. “I joke that I haven’t had a day off in 12 years, which isn’t true, of course, but this is a job that takes a lot of energy, so it’ll be nice to have some days off. I wanted to give the board a significant runway [for recruiting], so I’ve decided to step down when my contract runs out at the end of June next year.”

For more on this, please see our June 11 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Following a months-long standstill between the Woodstock Rotary Club and the Woodstock Village Board of Trustees, the issue of whether Rotary could place a plaque on the Village Green recognizing the 240 people who supported the work to restore and light the star atop Mount Tom so it could shine each day of the year came to a head during Tuesday evening’s trustee meeting. 

In a 4-1 vote, the trustees passed a variance allowing the plaque to be placed on The Green. All but chairperson Lisa Lawlor voted in favor. 

Prior to the vote, several Woodstock Rotarians spoke, showing their support. Bettyanne McGuire reminded the board of the history of the star, stating, “The star was built 80 years ago to welcome home the troops from World War II, and Rotary has served as its custodian for 40 years and more. The star is a symbol of our community… [and] most importantly, it represents the spirit of the people of Woodstock and the surrounding communities. It’s a beacon of hope, strength, and homecoming.”

“When its existence was threatened by structural failure, Rotary jumped in and raised $175,000 in 45 days from people who live here, their extended families, second homeowners, and people who visit from afar. We’re asking for a variance. A variance does not open the door to everyone who asks for one. They are granted when the governing body believes special circumstances exist. They look at who might be hurt, who would be affected, and who benefits.” 

Norm Frates, who helped spearhead the Rotary’s initiative, then spoke. He reminded the board of the lengthy process of having to appeal first to the trustees, then the Woodstock Selectboard, then back to the trustees as Rotary and Woodstock’s governing bodies tried to find a reasonable place for the plaque to be positioned all-year long. 

“You know that you are representing the village citizens; you’re representing all of them when you’re making these votes. I hope that you’ve actually talked to them, whoever you feel is your constituency… Since last August, I’ve talked to over 100 people — village and town residents — and not one person has given me a negative response about the plaque. They thought it was a wonderful idea.” 

Following the conclusion of Frates’ statement, vice chairperson Jeffrey Kahn made a motion “that a variance be issued for the Woodstock Rotary Mount Tom star plaque, as it exists, to be installed by the Rotary at the location on the Village Green shown to the village trustees.”

The vote carried with four trustees — Kahn, Brenda Blakeman, Stephen Stuntz, and Jamie Fox — in favor, and chairperson Lawlor in dissent. 

For more on this, please see our June 11 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

H.955 — the sprawling education transformation act passed by lawmakers last Friday after nearly five months of committee hearings and floor votes in the Vermont House and Senate — has proved to be a classic double-edged sword for administrators of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU).

For the past seven years, MVSU leaders, staff, teachers, families, and students have been grappling with plans to construct an all-new Woodstock Union High and Middle School (WUHS/MS) to replace the current, steadily deteriorating 68-year-old building in West Woodstock. And now, with a shovel-ready plan in place that earned pre-approval from the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) two years ago and the overwhelming okay of school district voters for a $111.9 million bond issue in March, MVSU administrators have now encountered yet another set of shifting requirements contained in H.955 that will govern how state aid for new-school construction will be allocated in times ahead.

The dilemma faced by advocates for the new WUHS/MS is damning: while the voluntary merger of school districts called for in the education transformation legislation and the decoupling of capital construction debt from the per-pupil spending cap authorized by the 2026 “Yield Bill” are wins for MVSU, the means of obtaining construction funding from state coffers spelled out in H.955 are a morass for local educators and for school systems statewide. 

The newly passed education bill — a complex, intricately detailed document that checked in at just under 150 pages — dismisses the pre-approval granted to MVSU in 2024 to proceed with planning, design, and bonding for the new WUHS/MS building. Instead, it calls for the supervisory union to re-engage in a detailed application process for state construction aid that mirrors much of the work MVSU administrators already completed several years ago in the run-up to the AOE’s 2024 pre-authorization. The process for obtaining construction funding spelled out in the new education transformation package means the local rebuild project cannot commence groundbreaking for at least three years unless MVSU administrators can convince the AOE leadership to grant the school district a waiver from the new requirements of H.955.

The unanticipated delay is untenable to MVSU leaders.

For more on this, please see our June 4 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

David Simmons — an expert in the fields of history, archaeology, and anthropology — has stepped down as executive director of Billings Farm & Museum. 

As a young boy, barely four years old, Simmons says he visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Today, at the age of 71, he recalls seeing the Hall of Arms and Armor — and being mesmerized by the magnitude of the craftsmanship and preservation of such ancient and important relics. As a child, Simmons remembers driving up mountains to old Revolutionary War sites — where battles were fought, and cannons still stand to this day. These memories awoke something within Simmons and have influenced his life ever since. 

With an undergraduate degree from Duke University in Anthropology and History and a master’s in American Civilization and Historical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania, Simmons has continued chasing history throughout his career. 

Twelve years ago, Simmons landed at Billings Farm & Museum as the vice president, going on to be promoted to the executive director two years later. Simmons worked to not only maintain the unique historical and educational experience the organization offers, but also to continuously expand what Billings can provide to the public — for both visitors and residents alike. 

And now, Simmons has recently stepped down from the role to focus on other passions in his life — enjoying the summer months playing tennis, serving as a trustee emeritus with the Woodstock Foundation, and continuing to learn and deepen his interests. 

This week, Simmons sat down with the Standard to reminisce about his 40-year career and the impact he has made over the last decade at Billings. 

For more on our interview with David Simmons, please see our June 4 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Acting Woodstock Police Chief Christopher O’Keeffe is captured on a newly released police video saying multiple times that he believed Woodstock Village Board of Trustees vice chair Jeffrey Kahn assaulted a longtime employee in his gift store during an incident in October 2024, but the woman is recorded saying she was hesitant to seek criminal charges.

 During the police interrogation video, which is over 40 minutes long, the woman says she is concerned for her safety and for others. But in the end, she chooses not to move forward with legal action. O’Keeffe provided her a blank Woodstock police statement form and told her to think about it, but ultimately she never filed it. 

Kahn told the Vermont Standard this week that no criminal charges were ever filed and he considers the case closed. He said the longtime employee still works for him.

The woman, whom the Standard has decided not to publicly identify, confirmed she took no action and that she still works at the store after 44 years. She said she was upset that she now finds her case being publicly discussed at a village trustees meeting about 18 months after the incident.

At the time of the incident, Woodstock Police never released the woman’s complaint to the Vermont Standard when the newspaper made its weekly check-in with the department for the top cases for that week. Records show Woodstock Police classified the incident as a “citizen assist” and not as an alleged assault. “Citizen assist” is a wide-ranging category designed by police to catch — and oftentimes mask — many complaints in crime reports from the public.

Village trustee chair Lisa Lawlor announced at a recent trustees meeting that she learned in mid-April about a complaint that may have been filed about a sitting member of the board. She said she believed the case was handled correctly to ensure a transparent and non-biased investigation. She said she was told the case was closed with no criminal charges.

Reached by the Standard on Tuesday afternoon, Lawlor said she was unaware that the records in that case had been released to the public this week. She said until she learned more, it was premature to comment.

O’Keeffe took the initial video-recorded complaint on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, from the woman, who said the incident had happened on the previous Saturday at the Unicorn Store, an eclectic gift shop operated by Kahn at 15 Central Street.

O’Keeffe later wanted an outside investigation conducted because Kahn, as a village trustee, has some control over the police department, including setting its annual budget. O’Keeffe, a former Hartford Police officer, reached out to a former colleague, now a Rutland City Police supervisor, to see if his department would step in.

Kahn said he was never interviewed by Woodstock or Rutland Police.

The woman and Kahn both said the incident was captured on store video, but it was never made part of the police file.

The video interview by O’Keeffe became public this week through a Vermont Public Records fight waged by the Vermont Standard. The newspaper has been conducting its own independent investigation in an attempt to sort out conflicting information circulating in the community about the incident.

The Village of Woodstock initially provided the Vermont Standard a heavily redacted copy of its investigation.

Rutland Police initially told the Vermont Standard there were no public records. The Rutland Police records clerk maintained its investigation ended quickly because the woman refused to follow through on her initial complaint. 

The Vermont Standard appealed the records denial to Rutland Police Chief Matthew Prouty, who overturned the rejection. Prouty found that the Rutland Police had opened an investigation and had received documents from Woodstock Police.

The chief ordered the records released to the Vermont Standard.

For more on this story, please see our June 4 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

More than 2,500 racers participated in the 34th annual Covered Bridges Half Marathon last Sunday. The race began at Saskadena Six, traveled via Pomfret Road to and through downtown Woodstock, meandered along Old River Road, and followed Quechee Main Street to the finish line.

Race co-director Nancy Nutile-McMenemy commented: “The weekend was a tremendous success, and we are thrilled with how the 34th Covered Bridges Half Marathon came together. We hope everyone had a fantastic race experience and enjoyed our beautiful Vermont racecourse, talented musicians, enthusiastic cheer squads, dedicated safety volunteers, and all the special elements that make the Covered Bridges Half Marathon such a unique event. We are already looking ahead to an exciting milestone year and hope everyone will join us again for our 35th running on Sunday, June 6, 2027.”

The top three male finishers were Bijan Mazaheri, of Lebanon, N.H. (1:10:43), Ansel Dickey, of Woodstock, Vt. (1:15:08), and Sam Hogan, of Cleveland, Ohio (1:16:32). The top three female finishers were Margaret Donovan, of Durham, N.H. (1:20:51), Sarah Tully, of Cambridge, Mass. (1:27:02), and Katherine Groton, of Walpole, Mass. (1:27:09).

Rick Russell Photos

This summer, classically-trained and accomplished chamber musician Sakiko Ohashi will present the 5th Annual West Windsor Music Festival at the historic Town Hall in Brownsville. As artistic director, Ohashi’s yearly mission is to curate an engaging and dynamic ensemble of friends and fellow world-class musicians. This year’s guest artists include Orli Shaham (piano), the Salix Piano Trio, and Helen Kim (violin).

The festival will take place June 26–28 and will also feature a free children’s concert on June 27. All are welcome to attend that performance free of charge.

For more details on this, please click here.

West Windsor Music Festival Artistic Director Sakiko Ohashi

One of the foremost creative artists of the past half-century — groundbreaking choreographer and dancer Twyla Tharp, whose landmark works have bridged the divide between high and popular culture since the 1960s — will be the lead presenter at TEDxWoodstock at Town Hall Theatre on Saturday, June 27. One day earlier — on Friday, June 26 — Tharp will also lead a day-long masterclass at the theatre for local creative artists of all types. The masterclass will take place in the context of two, three-week online sessions for artists concerning the creative process, led by TEDxWoodstock organizer Deborah Greene and local artist Mica Celeste.

This year’s regional TEDx gathering marks the inaugural edition of the local TEDx event under the moniker of TEDxWoodstock. Past events in the four-year-old series, previously held under the heading TEDxHartlandHill, addressed questions of community, the art of living, and the concept of awe in human endeavors. 

Twyla Tharp. Courtesy of the Twyla Tharp Foundation

The 2026 edition of the newly named TEDx event, titled “Art is…,” arrives at what organizer Greene terms “a pivotal moment for our communities at large. How society treats its artists tells us a great deal about what it is becoming. Whether creative voices are welcomed or pushed aside shapes culture far beyond galleries or stages.”

Tharp both champions and epitomizes that egalitarian and inclusive approach to the arts as a unifying force in today’s troubled world, when free expression and multiculturalism are under increasing attack, nationally and globally. Since graduating from Barnard College in 1963, Tharp has choreographed more than 160 works, including contemporary dances, ballets, Broadway shows, movies, television specials, and figure skating extravaganzas. She has received a Tony Award, two Emmys, nineteen honorary doctorates, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 

This week, in a wide-ranging email exchange between the Standard and the legendary dancemaker, Tharp explains some of her thoughts about creativity and the creative process, illuminating many of the topics she will address during her time in Woodstock later this month.

For the full story, please see our June 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

Several Woodstock teams concluded their 2026 seasons this past week.

After a 5-5 regular season, head coach Michael Malik and his boys tennis team earned a home playoff match against Champlain Valley Union on Tuesday, June 2. Sadly for the Wasps, they dropped the contest 5-2. 

Coach Derek Pierce’s girls tennis squad played well enough this season to earn the second seed in the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) Division II tournament with a 7-3 record. In their first-round match at home last Wednesday, they eased past the seven-seeded Bellows Falls Terriers, 6-1. But then in the semifinals, the Rice Memorial Green Knights proved too much to handle, taking the contest 6-1 to advance to a finals matchup with Harwood.

In Coach Bitty Alexander’s first year at the helm of the softball team, the Wasps earned the 10-seed in the Division III playoffs. However,  last Wednesday, they couldn’t overcome a tough White River Valley team playing at home, which beat them 23-5. Woodstock finished the year 2-11.

Woodstock’s Track and Field team, under first-year head coach Taylor Eves, participated in the VPA Outdoor Championships last Friday at Burlington High School. 

For the boys, junior Elijah Tyrell took sixth in the 300 Meter Hurdle finals. In the 200 Meter event, sophomore Shawn Harriman finished in 18th-place, and he took 19th in the 400 Meters. 

Senior Dexter Namkung finished 15th in the 800 Meters. Juniors Nicholas Cellini and Santino Bohren took sixth and 11th, respectively, in the 1500 Meter Run, and Bohren was strong again in the 3000-meter run, finishing 17th. 

As a team, Woodstock took eighth in the 4X100 Meter Relay and fourth in the 4X800 Meter Relay. 

In the girls track & field competition, junior Piper Pauly had the Wasps’ best finish of the day, earning second in the 100 Meter finals. She followed that up with a fifth in the 200 Meter race. Pauly took home a third-place finish in the Triple Jump as well. 

Freshman Aven Westbrook had a strong 15th-place finish in the 800 Meter Run. 10th grader Aurora Hensel-Whalen placed 13th in the 1500 Meter Run and seventh in the 3000 Meter Run. Senior Annesonia Beardsley placed sixth in the Pole Vault. 

The Wasps girls squad took fourth in the 4X100 Meter Relay and ninth in the 4X400 Meter Relay. 

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

It was an exciting night at Woodstock Union High School last Friday, as both the boys and girls lacrosse teams hosted and won playoff matchups. 

Girls Lacrosse

The top-seeded Wasps asserted their dominance, defeating Rutland 17-4 to earn a spot in the semifinals of the Vermont Principals’ Association Division II girls lacrosse tournament. 

The Wasps jumped on their opponent early, scoring two goals in less than 30 seconds of game time. The second of those goals came off the stick of senior Aleks Cirovic for her 100th career goal. “I felt a wave of relief,” said the Colgate University commit. “I’m so proud that I’ve gotten to this point, and I’m so excited.”

The journey to 100 goals for Cirovic was much different than that of her younger sister Betta, who reached the tally earlier this season in her sophomore year. Aleks Cirovic started her career as a defender, more focused on stopping goals than scoring her own. “She is a defender at heart,” said head coach Amanda Hull. “She filled the midfield role last year. For her to achieve 100 goals is really exciting and a true testament to her hard work and determination.”

“I came into this season skeptical that I’d get to 100,” said the eldest Cirovic. “I didn’t want to hope too much since I was on defense my first two years. This season, I focused on driving more to the net, and that helped me be successful. I want to recognize all my teammates for the good assists and getting me space. It means more to get to do it with such great people.”

After the milestone was reached, Woodstock continued to pile on the points, going up 4-0 after one quarter, and 11-1 at the half. “One of the things that we’ve been talking about is coming out strong off the first whistle,” said Hull. “I thought we came out with intensity and high energy.”

When the final horn sounded, the Wasps had punched their ticket to the semifinals with the win. Sarea Beardsley led the squad with six goals, followed by Betta Cirovic with five. Five Wasps scored in the win. Goalkeeper Jessica Baumann continued her stellar season, recording seven saves. 

Despite the big victory, Hull and her team are keeping their sights narrow. “We are thinking one day at a time,” she said. “We are just trying to think one day at a time and not think too much ahead of ourselves to the finals and just concentrate on the next game.”

After her penultimate home game, Aleks Cirovic reflected on what Woodstock and the lacrosse program have meant to her. “I’ve been so lucky to be a part of such a supportive, exciting team environment,” she said. “It really is a community, a family, that has taught me how to be a good person and interact with big feelings.”

Woodstock’s next matchup was scheduled for Wednesday night against Harwood, with a trip to the finals at the University of Vermont on the line. 

Boys Lacrosse

In the second half of the doubleheader, the boys played their best game of the season, defeating the Middlebury Tigers 15-7 in the Division I tournament’s four vs. five-seed matchup. 

Senior Asher Emery set the tone early, scoring just 45 seconds into the game to give the Wasps a 1-0 lead. This was followed up by a second goal just 30 seconds later from sophomore Cole Little to put Woodstock ahead 2-0 and send the crowd into a frenzy.

By the end of the first quarter, Emery and Little had each scored another goal, and Woodstock was up 5-1. Woodstock’s lead was pushed to 9-2 at halftime. Perhaps the game’s most impressive goal came from sophomore Declan Roylance late in the second quarter, when, after a strong rush towards the front of the goal, he wrapped his stick behind his head and shot, fooling the goalkeeper. 

“We had really good communication on D and did a great job retrieving ground balls,” said head coach Brandon Little. “On offense, we pushed hard and capitalized off odd-man rushes.”

Middlebury started the second half with two quick goals to close the deficit to five, but Woodstock quickly bounced back, scoring three straight of their own off the sticks of senior Kyle Eaton, Emery, and Cole Little.

A big reason for the Wasps’ success on the night was senior goalkeeper Rowan Larmie. While he allowed seven goals in the contest, Larmie turned away 13 Tiger shots, with each save becoming more impressive, especially as Middlebury’s desperation grew. “I always say ‘watch ball, see ball, save ball,’” he explained. “I try to keep my eyes as wide as possible.”

His coach praised his performance. “He made some big saves and was really big today against some amazing shooters,” said Coach Little. “He is our defensive leader and was more vocal today than normal. I thought he really dictated the game, and we had our best team D of the season.”

Late in the contest, Middlebury’s desperation turned into late hits and needless swings of their sticks. But Woodstock could not be slowed down, adding three more goals in the final quarter to win 15-7. 

Emery finished with five goals and Cole Little with four to lead the Wasps.

With the win, Woodstock advanced to the Division I semifinals on Wednesday, June 10, where they were scheduled to face the top-seeded Burr & Burton Bulldogs on the road. 

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

After two straight years of playoff losses to Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax (BFA), the Woodstock Wasps baseball team finally got the monkey off its back with a decisive 7-0 win on Saturday.

“This means a lot for the seniors,” said head coach Jason Tarleton. “After two losses where we were the better team but it just didn’t happen, there was definitely extra motivation today.”

For the second playoff game in a row, Woodstock sent stellar senior Riley O’Neal to the mound, and he did not disappoint. O’Neal tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits while walking two batters and striking out ten. “Riley was locked in yesterday,” said Tarleton. 

So were his teammates. In their 3-2 first-round win over Windsor, defensive errors were a significant problem and looked to be the team’s Achilles’ heel. But in Saturday’s shutout, the team recorded no errors behind O’Neal, something Tarleton attributed to a new approach in practice and leadership from two of his top seniors.

“Aksel (Oates) and Riley set the tone,” he said. “The younger kids picked up on it and made plays. We needed to change our mindset after Windsor, so in this week’s preparation, we switched up practice and took a different approach to keep the boys fresh and engaged.”

Oates said the team had good practices all week, which helped fix some of the team’s mental hurdles on defense. “We fixed the mental stuff and weren’t thinking, just reacting,” he said. 

O’Neal could feel the shift in energy from the first round of the playoffs to the second. “A big thing for us was energy,” he said. “Guys were not pumped up, and we needed to step back and look at the situation.” Oates agreed, thinking a shift in mindset helped. “We historically have had a dead dugout, and we knew we needed to get loud,” he said. “This year’s dugout has been super positive, and we got loud these last ten innings and played our best ball.”

On offense, Woodstock scored two in the first, thanks to a swinging bunt from Jake Blackburn and a well-earned walk from senior Zack Peterman. Then, in the fourth inning, they poured on three more thanks to a timely single from Oates and a throwing error on a hard hit ball by O’Neal.

In the bottom of the sixth, hoping for insurance runs, the Wasps got them when O’Neal singled, driving in two runs to secure the lead. He then finished off BFA in the seventh one-two-three to win the game 7-0 and send his team to the semifinals for the first time since 2014.

“Making it is huge,” said Tarleton. “It solidifies all the hard work done to the program these past few years. The commitment these guys have put in during the offseason; it is a real credit to the kids of Woodstock baseball.”

Saturday’s win was bittersweet for Oates and O’Neal, as it marked their final career game at Woodstock’s home field. Postgame, they reflected on the emotions of the moment. “For me, Woodstock baseball has been my identity,” said O’Neal. “It has always been the two of us. We started playing for the high school team back in eighth grade. It felt so good to take this game against BFA.” 

“It is such a sweet feeling,” said Oates.

Woodstock is scheduled to travel south to take on the top-seeded Bellows Falls Terriers on Wednesday night, with both teams hoping to reach the state championship game. 

In this episode of Headliners, by the Vermont Standard, we interview Woodstock Chamber of Commerce president Loren Fisher to discuss the Chamber’s revitalization efforts and recent changes in its role and relationship with the town.

Thomas Reynolds, 87, died Friday, June 5, 2026, surrounded by his family in the home he built.

He was born on Sept. 14, 1938, in Chester, Vt. and grew up in the Hartland-Windsor area, a son of Charles and Arlene Elliott. Tom attended Windsor High School before serving in the US Army. He met and fell in love with Bonnie Eckert while serving in Maryland where they were married in 1958. After his honorable discharge they returned to Windsor and began their family. Tom worked at Goodyear in Windsor for a time before managing Andy’s Motorcycle Shop in Enfield for several years. He later worked as a carver at Vermont Hand Carved Signs in Hartland where he developed a talent for woodworking. He then worked as a building contractor, building and remodeling many homes in the area until his health declined, and he was no longer able.

Tom and Bonnie lived in a few different homes along Town Farm Hill Road over the past sixty years including the Sunnymede Farm where they farmed for years. They eventually built a home from the ground up.

Tom was a hard worker all his life and was particularly handy fixing anything. He enjoyed woodworking and building furniture for his family. Tom loved motorcycles all his life and in his younger years loved spending time on his Triumph.

Tom is survived by his wife of 68 years, Bonnie, of Hartland Four Corners; daughters, Billie Jean Bruno (Mark) of Hartland, Terri McMurtry (Tony) of Jackson, Mich., and Tracey Reynolds of Watertown, Mass.; grandchildren Molly (Oliver), Olivia (Connor), Maddy, and Jacob; as well as a great grandson Reid. He was also predeceased by a brother Bernard Reynolds.

Friends called at the Knight Funeral Home in Windsor on Wednesday, June 10.

Condolences to Tom’s family may be made in an online guest book at knightfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Mt. Ascutney Hospital, 289 County Rd, Windsor, VT 05089

Todson Brett Schweizer, passed away on May 13, 2026 at the age of 52. Brett was born in Hanover, N.H., and lived a life defined by kindness, dedication, selflessness and generosity. A devoted husband, father, brother, and friend, Brett touched countless lives and enriched the hearts of all who knew him. 

He spent his early years in Hanover, where he developed a love for adventure, friendship, and the outdoors. His summers at Cape Cod Sea Camps created lifelong memories that remained important to him throughout his life. 

He attended The Taft School in Watertown, Conn. where he distinguished himself as an athlete in soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse. His competitive spirit, discipline, and commitment to excellence were developed at an early age. He lived and exemplified these values throughout his life. Following Taft, Brett attended Hamilton College, where he spent four years building friendships while preparing for life after college.  

In 1995, Brett moved to Boston and began his professional career with Fidelity Investments. A year later, he met the love of his life, Samantha. After their first date in 1996, they were rarely ever apart. Their partnership was built on unwavering love, friendship, and devotion, and they were married in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000. 

Throughout his career in financial services, Brett earned the respect of colleagues and clients alike. Through his professional expertise he helped numerous clients achieve their financial goals. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2019, adding to the expertise he had already attained. He spent the final years of his career with Vanguard, where he continued to make meaningful impact on all those he touched.  

Outside of work, Brett was an avid runner and passionate advocate for health and fitness. He was a risk taker. He constantly challenged himself to reach new goals and push his physical limits. A 30-mile run through a forest on narrow, rocky, pathways? Hard to imagine. His determination and perseverance were remarkable, inspiring those around him to strive for their own personal best. Whether pursuing a difficult run, tackling a new challenge, or supporting a loved one, Brett approached life with focus, energy, and purpose. 

Above all else, Brett cherished his family. He was a loving husband to Samantha and a devoted father to Payson and Jake, who were the pride and joy of his life. He treasured every moment spent with his family and found his greatest happiness watching his children grow, guiding them with love, encouragement, and example. He was also a caring brother and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, sense of humor, and unwavering support created a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him. 

Brett was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Sue Schweizer. 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Samantha; his daughter, Payson; his son, Jake; his father, Tod; his sisters, Wendy and Kristin; his brother in law Pat; his nieces and nephew, Britta (husband Anthony, sons William and Crew), Chloe (husband Dillan), and Doc; his father in law Bob; his mother in law Nancy; his sister in law Lisa and his loyal furry best friend, Mollie. He also leaves behind many extended family members, dear friends, and loved ones whose lives were forever enriched by his presence. 

A celebration of Brett’s life will be held in Newbury, N.H., at the Baker Hill Golf Club.

David Moore, renowned builder of tracker action pipe organs, loving husband, father, grandfather, and resident of Pomfret, died on May 29 at age 80.  

David was born in 1946, the middle child of Hewitt and Dorothy Moore.  He was raised on the family farm in Pomfret. He spent his spare time exploring, playing music, and disassembling anything that could be taken apart. He was mechanically gifted and found joy in building things, often getting more satisfaction from the process of creation than by any particular outcome.

As a high school senior, he and a friend, John Atwood, acquired a pipe organ from the Masonic Temple in Woodstock. They rebuilt it in David’s grandparents’ barn, and later sold it to a church in Iowa. The experience combined history, art, music, and woodworking — an ideal match for David’s interests.

In 1970, he began working for C.B Fisk pipe organ company in Gloucester, Mass. While installing an instrument at the University of Connecticut he met Susan Nesbit, who was completing her graduate degree. They were married in 1973.

That same year, David returned to Vermont, to start his own pipe organ business, A. David Moore Incorporated. He built his workshop on the edge of one of his parents’ hayfields, a short walk from his house. The wood used in the instruments was harvested from the farm and processed on his sawmill. The keys were fashioned of bones from Angus cattle raised by his sister. On occasion he was known to experiment making parts out of moose bones, acquired via the area game warden. He never wasted and was insatiably curious. His family frequently helped with parts of the construction, and he always welcomed visitors. Pomfret was home and he was happiest when he was there.  

He didn’t own a watch, the clocks in his cars were off by hours, and his cell phone was only switched on when he needed to make a call. He measured the day by the sun’s place in the sky, the distance from his last meal, and whether the school bus had already rattled down the road. 

David loved the forest, and the practice of growing and harvesting useful timber products. He often collected trees and seeds from far flung locations, and spent years planting unusual trees in rather random locations. If you are traveling the woods of Pomfret and come across a somewhat out-of-place tree you last saw in coastal California, the high desert of Arizona, or perhaps the mountains of South Korea, you can thank David.

He was an inveterate traveler, and a fresh haircut was a sign that a departure was imminent. His adventures began close to home, exploring Pomfret and the surrounding region on foot and by bicycle. In his early twenties, he adventured through Central America in a Volkswagen bus collecting orchids, and later visited cathedrals across Europe. His work took him to countless cities and towns throughout the United States. 

Eight months before his passing, after installing an enormous pipe organ in Newport Beach, Calif., he drove himself home to Vermont. For the thrill of it, he made the trip in a van so new it hadn’t yet been registered, inspected, or fitted with license plates. He proudly arrived home without a single ticket or toll paid. 

In the warmer months, at his workshop in Pomfret, with the windows and doors open, he could be found playing an organ, the music drifting out of the building and across the fields. The piece would usually be something familiar, enlivened with improvisational flourishes. Careful listening would reveal that he was harmonizing with the birds in the trees or the rhythm of the haying equipment operating nearby. There was no separation between his family, his work, and the place that he lived.

David is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan; his sons Brendan, Chris, and Luke; daughters-in-law Barrett and Jessica; grandchildren Anderson, Izzy, Finn, and Sadie; sister Emily; brother John; numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members; and many, many friends.

He is also survived by the dozens of instruments he built and repaired for churches, colleges, and private homes across the country.  If you ever find yourself near St. James Episcopal church in Woodstock, Old North Church in Boston, Mass., Grace Episcopal church in Georgetown, Washington D.C., among others, stop in and remember David.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Barbara Owen Fund for Education at the Organ Historical Society, 330 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA 19805-1737, or organhistoricalsociety.org/donate.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Patricia “Patsy” Hume Highberg died peacefully May 28, 2026 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Born on Sept. 20, 1937, Patsy grew up in Vacaville and San Francisco, Calif., the oldest of four children of Jaquelin Holiday Hume and Caroline Elizabeth Howard. Her father built a successful business in California dehydrating onions and garlic during the Depression. Patsy’s upbringing was shaped by the outdoors and traveling. Among her earliest memories included adventures on horseback stopping to pick and eat figs and apricots directly from the trees.

Summers brought riding camps in Montana; family trips carried her to Greece, Egypt, Russia, France, Austria, Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, the Caribbean, and beyond. All these events and places planted a lifelong love for the natural world and the world at large. The world was varied and beautiful — and Patsy took it upon herself to protect and celebrate it.

After studying political science and art history at Smith College, she married her husband, Paul Highberg, and together they built a life full of travel, curiosity, and intention. Choosing not to have children, she poured her energy into causes and communities, from serving on the board of Planned Parenthood in Connecticut and Vermont for ten years to spearheading affordable housing projects in Woodstock through the Woodstock Community Trust. She also served on the board of the Vermont Natural Resources Council, where she was director from 1978 to 1983, working to shape legislation that would safeguard the environment she so cherished. Patsy was a strong advocate for MAID — Medical Assistance In Dying.

Patsy was driven by a lifelong passion to make a positive impact on the world. Of all her endeavors, perhaps none is more emblematic of her artistry and vision than her award-winning garden in Woodstock. A master gardener for decades and a member of the North American Rock Garden Society since 1972, Patsy designed her landscape to follow the land’s natural shape, creating seamless transitions from rock garden to woodland, from cultivated beauty to native forest. In 2012, she received the society’s prestigious Linc and Timmy Foster Millstream Garden Award, recognizing her work and the garden’s rockwork, rare perennials, dwarf trees, and its overall aesthetic harmony. Visitors often recalled how a walk through her garden felt like an unfolding story — full of surprise, thoughtfulness, and delight. A review of her garden in Rock Garden Quarterly called her design a“masterpiece” and “a perfect plan for a perfect garden.” It is an achievement of which she was deeply proud and which she cherished. Her knowledge of Latin names for the plants in her garden was impressive. She was a longtime member of the Woodstock Garden Club.

Patsy was also a gifted artist, painting and exhibiting vibrant watercolors, teaching photography, and always finding ways to capture the interplay of color, light, and form, proving that curiosity is ageless.

Patsy was predeceased by her parents, her husband, and her brother Jerry Hume. She is survived by her sister Carol Tolan, her brother George Hume along with many nieces, nephews and great nephews.

In Patsy’s memory, she would appreciate it if donations were made to Planned Parenthood, Sustainable Woodstock or Conservation Law Foundation.

A private celebration of Patsy’s life will be held at a later date.

A graveside service for Peter R. Bailey, 73, who passed away on Feb. 10, 2026 will be held Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m. in the Prosper Cemetery in Woodstock. A time to gather will follow at the Prosper Community House.

The Cabot Funeral Home is assisting the family.

George J. Thiewes, 82, passed away Jan. 17 in Phoenix, Ariz. George was born in Waseca, Minn. to George W. and Cynetta Thiewes and graduated from Marian High School in Owatonna, Minn. He received his BA from Mankato State University and MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. George married Katherine Ford in the mid-1970s and moved to Woodstock, and in the early 2000s, relocated to Phoenix, Ariz.

George was a pioneer of the American Studio Glass Movement, spending more than two decades helping define a transformative era in contemporary craft. His mastery of glass, and later drawing and sculpture, earned him a place in distinguished private and public collections including the Smithsonian Institution, Phoenix Art Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2000, George turned his attention to steel sculpture and drawing. His 30-foot sculpture Zap! is permanently installed in the Phoenix Museum of Art. George is survived by his siblings Sam (partner Beth), Rachelle (Dan) and Dan (Paula), and niece Kelly Otter, nephews Scott Thiewes and Jake Thiewes. A retrospective exhibition of George’s art will open at the Phoenix Art Museum in summer of 2027.

Dennis R. DePaul, a cherished neighbor and friend, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the age of 76.

Born on May 6, 1950, in Newark, N.J., Dennis lived a life defined by independent thought and deep conviction. A private man by nature, he was nonetheless a thoughtful and engaging presence to those who had the privilege of knowing him.

He was a voracious reader with a lifelong passion for learning. He attended West Caldwell High School and later pursued additional studies at Castleton University. He relished long (even heated) conversations over dinner, especially those that explored philosophy and world events. He often quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson: “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” a line that captured his commitment to researching original sources and to intellectual honesty.

Over the years, Dennis pursued many kinds of work across Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont, including carpentry, shipbuilding and teaching, applying both skill and care to everything he did. His proudest role was serving as an EMT at GMHA in South Woodstock, where he offered aid, compassion, and steady reassurance to people in their most vulnerable moments.

Dennis was also a fierce advocate for the environment. He immersed himself in regulation and policy, serving on zoning boards and working diligently to protect natural spaces in Connecticut and Vermont from overdevelopment. His persistence and attention to detail made a lasting impact, even if he preferred to retreat out of the spotlight.

He was predeceased by his father Ralph DePaul, his mother Elizabeth (Collins) Depaul, and brother Vincent DePaul and leaves no surviving relatives. He will be deeply missed by friends, neighbors, and all who valued his insight, integrity, humor and unwavering pursuit of truth.

Arrangements are in the care of Knight Funeral Home, White River Junction, Vt. Friends are invited to share memories in an online guestbook at https://www.knightfuneralhomes.com/.

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

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

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

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

It’s a joy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, publisher

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

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

Just as you are today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can count on us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Full Article