The future role of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce in municipal affairs, business promotion, and tourism marketing remains in flux as the Town Selectboard continues establishing a new Woodstock Marketing Committee (WMC), ponders a contract renewal with a marketing and communications consultant, and welcomes a veteran state and municipal official, Abbie Sherman, who is settling in to the newly created post of economic development director in Town Hall.

Woodstock municipal manager Eric Duffy sat down for a Zoom interview with the Standard recently to talk about the current status of discussions between the town and the Chamber as the new marketing advisory body begins to take shape.

Four Woodstock residents, each with significant experience in marketing and communications, were named as inaugural members of the new town marketing committee by the selectboard on Tuesday evening, Sep. 16. The first four members of what will ultimately be a seven-member committee are Greta Calabrese, Dmitriy Kim, Roger Logan, and John Steinle. Among the three members remaining to be named to the advisory committee, two are currently slated to be drawn from either the board or membership of the local Chamber of Commerce. The new WMC replaces an advisory committee that formerly operated under the umbrella of the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC), which has been dormant since late last year and is disbanding in the wake of Sherman’s arrival as a full-time economic development director for the town.

“It’s important to understand that the EDC was an advisory committee underneath the selectboard,” Duffy said. “That money for marketing was from the local options tax, which is controlled by the selectboard. So I don’t think it’s a transition away from the EDC to the town, [but] more so a direct line from the selectboard to the marketing coordinator. You have a committee in the middle. Before [the sequence was] marketing-EDC-selectboard and now it’s marketing coordinator Jess Kirby and the selectboard,” the Woodstock municipal manager added.

Kirby’s present contract to serve on a consulting basis as Woodstock’s marketing and communications coordinator expires at the end of October. Seeking to provide the town with a more detailed, substantive template for the coordinator’s post, Duffy and Kirby recently presented the selectboard with a draft version of a formal job description for the position of marketing and communications manager. There has been some misperception on the part of the public at recent selectboard gatherings as to whether the marketing consultant’s role would shift to a paid staff position reporting to Duffy in times ahead.

Tensions have been simmering between town officials and the Chamber of Commerce for the better part of a year, when discussions about the future of economic development and tourism marketing in Woodstock first cropped up in joint, short- and long-term planning sessions held collaboratively by the Town Selectboard and the Village Trustees. Asked how he envisioned the town’s relationship with the Chamber in the future, Duffy was non-committal, citing ongoing negotiations between the selectboard and the business association.

Addressing the question of the new marketing committee, the creation of which was authorized by the selectboard in June, Duffy said there will likely be positions on that seven-member advisory body for Chamber representatives. In initial public discussions about the formation of the committee, Kirby suggested that there be two Chamber slots on the advisory panel. “What I’ll say is that the two spots for the Chamber are in the current MOU [Memo of Understanding] that we are working through with the Chamber, and the hope is that we will have a signed copy of that very soon that will better outline the Chamber’s involvement in the committee.”

Duffy also weighed in on the question of continued operation of the Woodstock Welcome Center on Mechanic Street in the heart of the village.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent

Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer has issued commissions to three more deputy sheriffs as he brings his appointments into compliance with state law.

The appointments of John Martin, Greg Molgano, and Ryan Prince ensure their arrest powers are in place if they have to take action. 

Martin, who served as a longtime deputy at the Orange County courthouse, tends to work court security.

Molgano, a retired Springfield Police sergeant, does investigative work on behalf of the Windsor and Windham County State’s Attorneys.

Prince is an investigator with the Vermont Secretary of State. He is a former K-9 officer with Springfield and Weathersfield Police.

Palmer is now up to 28 deputies that have their commissions registered with Windsor County Clerk Pepper Tepperman. 

An investigation by the Vermont Standard this summer uncovered the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department had been using deputy sheriffs that had not been properly appointed. 

The Standard reported initially online on Sept. 15 and later in print that at least seven law enforcement employees at the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department were never officially commissioned to work as deputy sheriffs. 

Soon after the Standard’s investigation, Palmer began to get the paperwork completed. The newspaper reported last week that Tepperman had received 25 signed commissions from Palmer that she logged into the county record book to make the appointments official. 

Tepperman reported this week three more were subsequently filed. It is unknown if Palmer has more coming.

One of the deputy sheriffs without a recorded commission was involved in a fatal on-duty shooting in Springfield in August. Palmer has said he has allowed Bryan Jalava, the deputy sheriff involved in the fatal shooting on Valley Street, to return to work with limited law enforcement duties. 

Jalava and Springfield Officer Vincent T. Franchi both fired shots that are believed to have hit and killed James Crary, 36, of Newport, N.H., on the night of Aug. 21, according to Vermont State Police. Franchi remains on paid leave, Springfield Police Chief Jeff Burnham has said.

Palmer, who was sworn as county sheriff on Feb. 1, 2023, admitted that he did not complete all the steps required for county sheriffs hiring their deputies. He told the Standard that he took full blame and also went on social media to say he dropped the ball.

The usually talkative Palmer has since become somewhat reserved. He has not returned phone messages left by the Standard over the past week.

Earlier, Palmer learned from the Vermont Standard that he was under investigation by Vermont State Police for unrelated matters. The anonymous tip focused mainly on the department’s money and finances, state police have said.

The state police investigation remains open and the last time he was speaking, Palmer had said he had not been interviewed.

Vermont law states: “A deputy shall not perform an official act until his or her deputation and oath are filed for record in the office of the county clerk.”

Also, the final line of all the appointment documents the sheriff issues makes clear that the record must be filed with the county clerk before a deputy can go to work.

“This commission must be recorded in the Windsor County Clerk’s Office before the Deputy Sheriff is authorized to act,” the official form mandates.

It remains unclear what impact the lack of recorded appointments would have on pending criminal charges in Vermont Superior Court, and even recent criminal convictions during 2 ½ years that Palmer has served as county sheriff.

A state judge rejected a request this week by demoted Woodstock Police Chief Joe Swanson for a preliminary injunction that would have restored him to paid administrative leave while he continues his fight to regain command of the department.

Judge H. Dickson Corbett said he would not require the Village of Woodstock to move Swanson from being a patrol officer back to paid administrative leave as police chief until his lawsuit is decided.

The appeal of Swanson’s demotion will continue on. The court is planning to hear the merits of the case on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Corbett denied the preliminary injunction following about 90 minutes of legal arguments in Vermont Superior Court in Woodstock on Monday. He took the case under consideration in chambers for about a half hour and came out to announce his decision.

Burlington lawyer John Klesch, who argued on behalf of the village and municipal manager Eric Duffy, said he was pleased with the decision.

“That was the outcome we were hoping for,” Klesch told the Vermont Standard a day after the ruling.

He said an effort was made to show how difficult and costly it would be for the village and police to do their work if the preliminary injunction was allowed.

Manchester, N.H. attorney Linda Fraas, who represents Swanson, had some disappointment with the final decision. She was pleased the judge did see the turmoil that Swanson is undergoing at work.

“Judge Corbett has ruled that he does not believe he has the authority to interfere with the village’s day to day scheduling of officers and budget concerns pending the final decision on this case,” Fraas said.

“The judge found that the village’s ongoing actions are causing irreparable harm to Chief Swanson and we anticipate that he will be compensated accordingly in the civil lawsuit,” she said.

“We also look forward to the judge’s expected final decision overturning the unlawful demotion,” Fraas said.

Corbett gave the village 30 days to file their written brief on the merits of the case and said Swanson will have 21 days to respond.

Swanson has two legal proceedings with the village. The hearing on Monday was part of Swanson appealing the demotion decision by Duffy. It was later upheld on April 17 by the village trustees, who had conducted a 14½-hour appeal hearing on March 19. 

Swanson has filed a separate $5 million civil lawsuit over his removal. The named defendants that remain in that case include the village, Duffy, trustee chair Seton McIlroy and Sgt. Chris O’Keeffe, the interim police chief.

During Monday’s hearing, Fraas said Duffy, O’Keeffe and the village have subjected Swanson to new, unwarranted accusations.

She said they included claims that Swanson had shaky hands and that he was seen walking his dog in the village while on duty.

Klesch countered that for the safety of the community — and Swanson — he needed to be sidelined until a medical examination could be undertaken about his hands.

Fraas said the village refused to tell Swanson who made the shaky hands accusation against him. Klesch said there was a concern about possible retaliation if the name became public and he offered to share the identity privately with the judge.

 Swanson went for a medical examination the next day and was cleared.

She questioned why Swanson was placed on medical leave without being asked if he had a medical issue.

“Nobody said, ‘Are you okay?’” Fraas said.

She also said Swanson was forced to surrender his badge and gun and — in an unprecedented step for those on medical leave — told he could not use his village email account. The forced medical leave came just 3 hours before one of Swanson’s work shifts, but he had been allowed to work two earlier shifts after the complaint was filed, she said. 

Judge Corbett said when the court decides the case it will consider only what happened up to the demotion and not any of the subsequent claims made in filings and affidavits. 

The case had been on the printed schedule on Monday before Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady, who had rotated into the courthouse on Sept. 2 to hear civil division matters. However, Corbett, who had presided over some of the Swanson legal matters since they were filed, took the bench shortly after 9 a.m. It appeared to surprise the lawyers and others who were following the case.

Chief Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Zonay told the Standard in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon listing McDonald-Cady was a mistake by a court clerk.

He said for judicial resources it is best to allow a judge to follow through on some cases that might be more complex and not switch in mid-case. He said Corbett is still assigned to Windsor County through next September, but in the Family Division and was available.

The in-person hearing was not scheduled to be available to the general public over WebEx, the court’s computer video system. However about 10 minutes before the start, the court disclosed it would be available for public viewing and a few people scrambled to alert interested people how to get the computer link to monitor the hearing.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Following on the heels of a favorable U.S. District Court for Vermont ruling on Sept. 23 that reaffirmed the right of Maine-based Great Works Internet (GWI) to continue managing the operations of the ECFiber broadband network under contract through the end of the year, GWI has fired yet another legal salvo against a newly formed not-for-profit internet service provider (ISP) that is seeking to take over operations of the fiber internet network effective Jan. 1.

ECFiber provides high-speed internet service to approximately 10,000 customers in central and southeastern Vermont, including in the communities of Barnard, Hartford, Pomfret, Reading, West Windsor, and Woodstock. The new, not-for-profit Vermont ISP Operating Company (VISPO) had sought an emergency order that would have allowed the new ISP to take over management of the East Central Vermont Telecommunications District (commonly known as ECFiber) effective immediately, abrogating the three-year contractual management agreement with GWI that was set to expire on Dec. 31.

ECFiber chair F.X. Flinn asserted at a Sept. 8 hearing on the emergency filing that GWI had failed to alert the Vermont ISP that the company had terminated employees in early August; stated its intention to cease operations; and announced that it intended to file for bankruptcy. Counsel for ECFiber argued before district court judge Mary Kay Lanthier that GWI had failed to notify it of these “changes or difficulties,” alleging that this violated the operating agreement between the two entities.

Lanthier did not concur. Instead, as she wrote in her Sept. 23 ruling on the matter, “the parties remain bound to the terms of their Operating Agreement. If the District felt that GWI violated this term of the Operating Agreement, it could have provided notice to GWI that it was terminating the contract if the violation was not corrected within 90 days. The District did not do this,” the judge noted. “Instead, it filed this motion seeking the opportunity to immediately step in and take over operation of the network. The court did not order this at the time of the Preliminary Injunction [in this case] and does not find it appropriate to do so now,” denying ECFiber’s emergency takeover attempt.

Now, GWI has filed a new request for both temporary and permanent injunctive relief from the court, this time seeking a jury trial instead of a hearing before an individual judge. 

GWI  now seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction, as granted via the requested jury trial, to restrain two former GWI employees who’ve been retained by VISPO from working for the new non-profit ISP for a period of one year. It also calls for a ruling that would restrain and enjoin “ECFiber and VISPO from any further actions to recruit, solicit, encourage, or entice GWI employees to work for VISPO in violation of their employment agreements.”

Last Friday, Sept. 26, attorneys Evan Barquist and Andrew Montroll of Burlington, representing VISPO; Ryan Long and William Strehlow, on behalf of the ECFiber; and two new VISPO employees who previously worked for GWI — Corey Klinck and Andrew Oberholzer, represented by another Burlington counsel, Kevin Lumpkin — all filed legal papers in opposing GWI’s assertions that the present hirings and any recruitment efforts underway by ECFiber are in violation of the GWI employment agreements in question.

The date for a jury trial will be set if and when the GWI request for injunctive relief is ruled in order.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Woodstock Finance Committee members Jill Davies and Jonathan Spector addressed the Woodstock Selectboard during Monday evening’s joint meeting. 

Davies said, “From February to July [of this year], we have built a financial model of the water department. This involves looking at rate structures in other towns around Vermont, looking at account level information from the Woodstock Aqueduct Company, and testing financial structures to ensure we can cover the cost of the Woodstock aqueduct.” 

Davies and Spector proceeded to show a series of models that simulate various expenditures and hypotheticals of raising the water bill across residents, second-home owners, and local business establishments. 

Davies continued, “We all know that we have a lot of capital expenditure coming at us with the water company. One conclusion that is really important for us to convey is that we cannot fund the needed capital expenditures over the next five years and beyond without raising our rates. This was expected, of course, but our rates do not have to go higher than the Vermont state average. We have been underpaying for our water for a long time and now, by taking ourselves back up to the state average, we can pay for what we need.” 

“We reported that collectively, we need to increase costs by 129% across the board to meet operations and capital expenditures of Woodstock water over the next five years,” Davies said. She explained that percentage is the increase of costs without changing access or usage fees or dispersing payment across different Woodstock residents and establishments. 

Davies calculated that the average Woodstock resident uses roughly five thousand cubic feet of water annually. Her testing also looked at water usage by bed and breakfasts, schools, and the Woodstock Foundation. “We wanted to see how changes to water distribution affect different people, but our primary focus was on resident costs,” Davies continued. “Through our testing you can see that currently, residents pay around $350/annually for water. By fiscal year 2030, however, that price will need to increase to $811 to lower the capital fees.” The model calculated water rates up to fiscal year 2045, when an increase will still be necessary to lower capital costs. 

Davies then walked the board through a number of scenarios based on a set of assumptions hypothesized during the Financial Committee’s last meeting in August. The selectboard had asked the committee to analyze what the projected rate increases would be if option tax revenue was allocated to wastewater fees; what happens if Woodstock charged an additional fee for users that go beyond certain thresholds to encourage conservation; what happens if Woodstock reduces the access fee and increases the usage fee — the access fee being a flat fee every user pays for having water delivered; and the usage fee being a payment directly correlated to the amount of water used; and to explore what would happen if Woodstock charged second-home owners an extra 10% annual fee. 

Municipal manager Eric Duffy spoke to the Standard following the joint meeting, explaining potential next steps residents could see. “The selectboard is going to review the potential options outlined by the finance committee, perhaps come up with their own, and then at some point before any water bill goes out to the public, the selectboard will make a determination on how water rates should be created and allocated.” 

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.

The Barnard Selectboard will continue the bidding process for three repair projects after FEMA and the state of Vermont approved a requested extension of funds.

The projects to receive funding include the Mount Hunger bank slide, the Chatauguay Road bank slide, and the repairs to Bridge 33.

According to Barnard selectboard member Richard Lancaster, engineering studies are necessary before the official bidding can begin; the two bank slides are still in the request stage for a study, while an engineering study of the bridge has been completed. When asked how the FEMA funds might eventually alleviate the tax burden on residents, Lancaster explained the intricacies of the funding process. “Because the town has to pay up front,” Lancaster told the Standard, “there is an initial line item in the budget to raise that money. If things go well, one project will be completed and reimbursed before the next project is bid. The caveat is that all the work has to be done in the time allocated by FEMA.” Once the earlier funds are reimbursed, those funds can then be used for the next projects, said Lancaster.

During Tuesday’s joint meeting of the Woodstock Selectboard and the Village Board of Trustees, the funding for Woodstock’s Wassail Weekend was discussed and finalized. Wassail planning committee member Norm Frates Jr. and Elizabeth Finlayson, executive director of Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, addressed the two boards, asking for the selectboard to fund $16,750 of the total Wassail budget of $21,000. 

In the public proposal, Frates said, “Last year we went about changing a lot of things to ensure the growth and success of the Wassail Festival, especially encouraging people to participate. If you were there last year, you would know that Wassail was a tremendous achievement and an entire-weekend event. Because of that, we must raise money to ensure it can happen again. Instead of going door-to-door to every institution and asking for money like I did last year, I am here to ask that the selectboard allocate $16,000 from the local option tax revenue. That, combined with the $5,000 the Chamber has agreed to donate will cover our expenses for this year.” 

The request prompted a greater discussion amongst the selectboard and trustees, as selectboard member Laura Powell questioned why the Wassail committee required such a large increase in funds from the $10,000 the Economic Development Commission awarded the event last year, how the committee planned to capitalize on revenue, and who is serving as the leader of this event. Powell said, “We as a town are responsible for tracking economic development and success in terms of making money back, not only for the option tax but how people perceive our town. It is concerning and confusing for me to not know to whom to write a check, how this festival will be organized, or how these funds will be allocated.” 

Finlayson assured the board that the Chamber manages the planning and organization of Wassail Weekend, as Frates urged the board to consider spending the $16,000. “The town makes this amount of money every hour during tourist season, so what is the harm in investing in the success of Wassail this year?” he said. 

The selectboard voted unanimously to approve the allocation of $16,750 from the option tax funds to Wassail Weekend.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Woodstock Foundation has announced the retirement of President David Simmons at the end of 2025, marking nearly 12 years of service at Billings Farm & Museum and The Woodstock Foundation and culminating a museum career that spans more than 40 years. 

According to a press release, Simmons began his tenure at Billings Farm & Museum in 2014, serving as museum vice president. In 2016, he was promoted to executive director, and in 2018, Simmons also became president of the Woodstock Foundation and a Foundation trustee. 

The release said that during Simmons’ tenure in Woodstock, Billings Farm & Museum attendance has grown from 52,000 to more than 70,000; museum campus improvements have included a state-of-the-art vault for the Foundation archives, a heifer barn with rooftop solar panels, a new learning kitchen, and renovation of the activity barn. Daytime and after-hours visitor programming has greatly expanded, and in partnership with the Woodstock Inn & Resort, museum grounds now include the Sunflower House and the Billings Farmstead Gardens.

David Simmons. Photo provided.

Simmons commented, “Guided by a new mission and set of organizational values, I am grateful to our talented and forward-thinking staff who are propelling the farm and museum toward a very positive future: continuing to increase relevancy and meaning for our guests in years to come. A strategic framework and interpretive master plan are helping guide the way. With a solid vision and compelling stories to share, I know the Farm & Museum has a very bright future.”

He added, “I am similarly confident in and inspired by the work and vision of The Woodstock Foundation, which helps make Woodstock so very special through its support of Billings Farm & Museum, the Woodstock Inn & Resort, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. It has been my great honor to have served in my dual roles to uphold and expand upon the profound legacies and vision of Frederick Billings, Laurance, and Mary Rockefeller.”

“The Trustees of the Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum congratulate David Simmons on his retirement,” noted Jim Sligar, board chair of the Woodstock Foundation. “We are deeply grateful that he has led the organization for 12 years. We, the staff, and the Woodstock community have greatly benefited from his consistent, committed leadership, experience, intelligence, knowledge, and open and supportive style. We will miss him in this role, but are happy that he and Barbara will continue to make Woodstock their home.”

According to the release, working with the Development Guild of Boston, the Board of the Woodstock Foundation is conducting a national search for the next leader of Billings Farm & Museum. Simmons will assist in the transition and will maintain his association with The Woodstock Foundation as Trustee Emeritus. 

Gerry and Karen Hawkes were celebrated with the Tree Farm of the Year award last weekend for their farm, which has been in the family for nearly 50 years. The event celebrating the milestone achievement featured guided walks, equipment demonstrations, and an award ceremony.

Rick Russell Photos

James and Rachel Williams, the husband-and-wife couple who own the Dreamscape Coffee café in Woodstock Village, sat down with the Standard to discuss their recent experience moving from Arizona to Woodstock, opening a coffee shop, and embarking on the next big milestone in their lives as the pair prepares to welcome their first baby in the coming months. 

James Williams is originally from Southern California but has lived in Arizona with wife, Rachel, since their marriage in 2018. “We didn’t have any experience owning or running a coffee shop,” James told the Standard, “But it’s something that Rachel and I are both extremely passionate about and feel like it has been destined to happen for quite some time.” James has worked in customer service most of his life, while Rachel came from a real estate background in Arizona. “It sounds strange, but as a child, my mom, sister, and I used to joke and fantasize about owning a coffee shop one day. We all love coffee, and it’s crazy to think how what used to be a dream suddenly is now my reality,” Rachel said. 

The Williamses own and operate Dreamscape with Rachel’s twin sister, Brieanna, and her husband, Austin Perez. Rachel and Brieanna have extended family here, which was the initial pull toward Vermont. “I grew up spending summers and holidays in the Upper Valley,” Rachel told the Standard. “But in the past few years, there has been something calling us back here to raise a family.” Rachel went on to speak about leaving the decision up to God, and how, through praying about their future, the couple decided to sell their home in Arizona and buy the former Soulfully Good Café. “It all came together so seamlessly,” James added. “We developed a pretty great relationship with the previous owners of this shop, and when we decided to make the move, their business became available to buy. There is a little apartment above the shop, and slowly over the last couple months, we have experienced the joys of calling Woodstock home.” 

Peace is at the forefront of this young couple’s mind, as they have found a way to reinvent their lives here in the Green Mountain State. “We wanted peace to radiate through each part of our life here in Vermont,” James told the Standard. “We wanted to create a shop that offered patrons an escape from the hustle and bustle of foliage traffic or just the grind of daily life. When you step into Dreamscape, we want it to feel like stepping into a safe place where you can, if you prefer, disconnect from your phone, have a cup of coffee, stay and read a book, or play a game of chess. That same ethos has very much infiltrated our lives. When I moved here, I made it my mission to break my cell phone addiction and learn to live without relying on a phone.” 

Rachel is also choosing to forgo the constant pull of technology, as she and James spend their evenings reading books together, or listening to her husband play the guitar. “It’s lovely how choosing to forgo an active online existence has allowed for our old selves to shine through. James used to play guitar all the time when we first started dating. It’s one of the things I fell in love with, and now it’s so wonderful to sit in our little apartment and listen to him play again. There is so much beauty and peace in this life here in Vermont. It is crazy to me to think of one more second spent scrolling on social media or staring at my phone instead of at the beautiful trees and welcoming community that surrounds us.” 

When they are not working, James and Rachel can be found playing board games in the Norman Williams Public Library, reading fantasy novels in their apartment, or walking around the village. “I’m sure once our baby boy gets here, everyone will see us pushing a stroller down Central Street,” Rachel teased. 

As their family and business continue to grow, Rachel and James hope to establish a life here for themselves. “We want our children to know how much we sacrificed to be able to give them a beautiful life here in Vermont. Moving across the country with a dream of opening a coffee shop was a difficult decision, but being able to run this business with my husband — my favorite person in this world — as well as my sister and her husband, has been a true blessing. We just cannot wait to own a home here, raise our children here, and grow Dreamscape into something truly valued by all who stop in,” Rachel concluded. 

During the foliage season, Dreamscape will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

In the midst of our turbulent times, Northern Stage’s latest production of “Come From Away” instills some hope in the audience, filling the theater with laughter and tears, and illuminating the connection that unites us all. 

“Come From Away” is currently playing at Northern Stage through Oct. 26. 

Centered around the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, “Come From Away” follows the moments immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The production opens with news of the terrorist attack breaking, and suddenly this small Canadian city finds itself inundated with stranded foreign passengers, as hundreds of planes make emergency landings in Newfoundland. Over a four-day odyssey, this community must find a way to accommodate thousands of terrified people and navigate a forever-changed world.

The Company of “Come From Away,” featuring Lisa Karlin (center left) and Tom Ford (center right) performing one of the more serious musical numbers, as the characters on stage grapple with the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Kata Sasvari Photos

Oscillating between the townspeople of Gander and the stranded plane passengers, the twelve-person ensemble cast manages to slip between characters, personas, and cultures to inevitably hit on elements of the universal human experience. Fear, hope, sadness, confusion, chaos, and love bind the entire production. On this emotional roller-coaster, audience members can expect to laugh one minute at the exaggerated rural-Canadian culture and cry the next as each quip ultimately lands on something true and the reality of the devastation sets in. “Come From Away” does not shy away from the horror of September 11th or the nuance of each lived experience. Touching on racism and fear towards non-white Americans, the crisis of not being able to get a hold of loved ones serving on the frontlines in New York, and the chaos of not yet understanding the full extent of the attack — the production manages to somehow balance it all. 

Carol Dunne, the director of this production, says, “I hope all those who come to this show experience the full power of theater…When we come together in the theater with a production as powerful as this, we start breathing to the same tempo and heartbeats set to the same pace. I think people should come to Northern Stage to experience this opportunity of communing with something greater; to feel and celebrate that which we share — empathy, understanding, and the ability to help each other through even the darkest periods of difficulty and despair.”

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

At a small liberal arts college in Colchester, Vt., scientists may have discovered something that could change the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide — and the nearly 17,000 Vermonters over the age of 65 who live with Alzheimer’s Disease. One of these scientists, Dr. Ruth Fabian-Fine, director of the Neuroscience Program at St. Michael’s College, has for over twenty years been studying the brains of spiders, probing deep into their neurons, and recently finding there a major clue into how neurodegeneration, including in humans, might be caused. 

This week, Fabian-Fine spoke at length with the Standard about her research — conducted with her collaborative teams at St. Michael’s, the Vermont Biomedical Research Network, and the University of Vermont — as well as her hopes, what keeps her up at night, and next steps toward possible treatment for those suffering from Alzheimer’s. 

First things first: Why spiders? According to Fabian-Fine, she chose spiders because of the large size of their neurons, which — like those of giant squid, whose brains helped scientists win the Nobel Prize in 1963 — allow for easier, more expedient laboratory research. It was Fabian-Fine’s move to Vermont which created her first important obstacle. “When I came to Vermont, my spiders didn’t do well. They started to show onset of neurodegeneration at ages where they would be ordinarily young, healthy adults at the age of one. I had to stop my study because the spiders developed neurodegeneration. And I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I’m losing this colony.’ I decided to investigate what causes this neurodegeneration in these animals.”

As in many scientific discoveries, the initial impediment led to a rethinking of the problem and pushed the scientist into new territory. Fabian-Fine searched the neurons of the spiders (10 times as large as those of humans) and found something surprising — a canal system in which myelination occurs at the cell body. Based on current knowledge, myelination creates a protective coating around neuron processes in order to assist their nerve signals. Fabian-Fine had been taught at both the Masters and doctoral level that invertebrates are thought not to have myelination, but she says her eyes told her something different. “I saw a lot of myelination, especially around the cell bodies where it forms canal structures that project into the neurons and internalize waste,” she explains. “These canals are so clear and abundant. And that is when it dawned on me, because I saw that in degenerating animals these canal systems basically had structural abnormalities. They unraveled and depleted the entire content of the neuron into these canals.”

It was at this moment in her research that Fabian-Fine began to consider the implications on humans — in particular those with Alzheimer’s disease.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The cast of “Urinetown, the Musical,” showing at The Grange Theatre from Wednesday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 12, held a successful dress rehearsal last Friday. The satirical musical comedy is set in a dystopian future where a severe drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and citizens must pay to use public facilities controlled by the greedy Urine Good Company, leading to a revolution led by the unlikely hero Bobby Strong.

Annalise Hulbert Photos

Gerry and Karen Hawkes were celebrated with the Tree Farm of the Year award last weekend for their farm, which has been in the family for nearly 50 years. The event celebrating the milestone achievement featured guided walks, equipment demonstrations, and an award ceremony.

Rick Russell Photos

On a day that felt like some rare combination of summer and fall — leaves gold and orange against a powder-blue sky, cool mountain breeze slicing through a muggy heat that rose to 84 degrees — spectators gathered around the finish line last Sunday to cheer on each mountain biker who turned the last corner of the winding course on Mount Ascutney and rode under the taut Vermont 50 banner. On this second day of the weekend event, which began with set-up and kids’ races on Saturday, the morning crowd of a few hundred — numbers that would swell to 3,400 by afternoon — was exuberant in T-shirts, shorts, sunhats, and official event swag, eager to talk to the bikers who had finished the race, once they caught their breath. 

The annual bike and running event organized by Vermont 50 benefits Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, an organization that supports youth and adults of all abilities through participation in sports, training philosophies, and wellness programs. Both programs were created by Laura Farrell: Vermont Adaptive (under a different name) in 1987, which was then linked to her newly formed Vermont 50 in 1993. Each year, contestants in the Vermont 50 raise money from sponsors for Vermont Adaptive. According to Mike Silverman, race director for Vermont 50, the 2025 event raised $135,000.

Will Crissman, of Wellesley, Mass., finished the 50-mile mountain bike race with a flat tire. Nancy Nutile-McMenemy Photo

Though rallied in the purpose and energy of the event, each mountain biker seemed to have a different story to share. Will Crissman, 49, of Wellesley, Mass., somehow placed 15th — despite a flat tire for the last three-quarters of a mile. When asked by the Standard what it felt like to ride that tough final stretch, Crissman — legs below his biker shorts caked with dirt and face still flushed from his effort — said, “There were two 14-year-olds I was racing with when I flatted, and I was hoping I [would] not be beaten by three kids under 15 (one 14-year-old, Levi Hughes, had already finished), but the future of mountain biking is very strong here in Vermont, and they got me.”

While not directly competing in the races, Misha Pemble-Belkin — coordinator of the Vermont Adaptive Veteran Ventures Program, and who served as a U.S. Army Paratrooper from 2006-2015 until a war injury led to his medical retirement in 2016 — completed a ten-hour, five-minute walk on Sunday in order to honor his fallen comrades. The day after the event, Pemble-Belkin was recovering at home, and told the Standard by phone what makes Vermont Adaptive unique: “We’re definitely the largest adaptive sports program in the state of Vermont. Just this fiscal year, we’ve been able to get over 205 veterans out with us. We’ve been able to do between 1,500 and 1,600 individual activities and seven multi-day retreats for the veteran population. And that’s 100% free to all of them.”

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.

It’s entirely apropos that a beloved quote from the late, great New York Yankees catcher and Baseball Hall of Fame member Yogi Berra came so close to neatly summing up the experience of the 12-member United States Ryder Cup team and its non-playing captain, Woodstock native Keegan Bradley, at the fearsome Bethpage Black golf course on Long Island this past week.

“It’s déjà vu all over again,” Berra once said in one of his most famous and oft-quoted “Yogisms.”

In the case of the narrow, 15-to-13-point loss to a dozen of Europe’s finest linksmen in golf’s most revered international competition, one has to tag on a heart-rending — and heartbreaking — addendum to Yogi’s fractured quote: “Almost.”

When dawn broke on Sunday morning at Bethpage Black, U.S. captain Bradley and his beleaguered U.S. charges — 12 of the greatest golfers in the game, led by world number one Scottie Scheffler — were coming off two days of disastrous play in four sessions of doubles competition on Friday and Saturday. At day’s end on Saturday, the U.S. was down 11-1/2 to 4-1/2 — a deficit the golf punditocracy agreed was all but insurmountable. The dejection on Bradley’s face that he carried into the post-match interviews following Saturday’s eight doubles matches against Europe’s finest was palpable evidence of the stress the Vermont native and U.S. team captain was enduring as he and his squad looked toward a full day of 12 singles matches on the concluding day of play on Sunday.

What transpired during the dramatic day of singles competition on Sunday was awe-inspiring, with the results unfolding before a many-thousands-strong throng of spectators, a sizable number of them from the New York area, calling Yogi Berra’s splintered aphorism readily to mind. The American side earned 8.5 points in singles on Sunday, matching the highest total during the era of 12 singles contests at the Ryder Cup, which dates back to 1979.

The irony for Bradley, who touted his Vermont and New England roots, with their “true grit” and “work ethic” in multiple media interviews throughout the week, is that the 2025 Ryder Cup result nearly mirrored the heretofore unprecedented U.S. comeback that occurred at the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass — a team competition that Bradley, then a 13-year-old Woodstock Union High School and Middle School student and a rising star on the regional and U.S. junior golf circuit — attended with his father, then a PGA club professional and golf instructor here in Vermont.

That fateful Sunday in October of 1999, the U.S. mounted a stirring comeback, notching 8-1/2 of a possible 12 points in singles — exactly the same number of points the American golfers of 2025 racked up this past Sunday. And Bradley was there to witness the tremendous turnaround by the U.S. golfers both times — first as a teenage, golf-obsessed fan and aspiring PGA Tour standout and again this past week as the captain of the 2025 American Ryder Cup squad. The 15-13 final points tally this year was the closest Ryder Cup scoring margin in 13 years. By contrast, in the past five of the landmark international competitions, the final point differential between the winning and losing teams has been at least five points.

Bradley, 39, now resides most of the year on Florida’s east coast, while also maintaining a second home and summertime getaway on Massachusetts’ North Shore. This past week, he waxed philosophic about the Ryder Cup experience in 18th-green-side interviews and at a press confab that followed the trophy presentation at the 2025 event on Sunday. Even in defeat, the U.S. players, who were significantly outgunned in doubles competition by their European counterparts on Friday and Saturday, drew copious praise and admiration from Bradley, especially for their fiery comeback in singles.

“They’re a tough group,” Bradley offered. “We didn’t play our best the first couple of days, but we did today. That was really fun today. We had all of our fun in one day here at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage,” he added. Asked if he would have done anything different about his captaincy if he had the Ryder Cup to do over again, Bradley was largely non-committal. “I think I would have set the course up a bit differently,” Bradley said, referencing the prerogative that is given to the home team captain and co-captains at each Ryder Cup. “But I don’t know,” he continued. “They played better than us. They deserved to win. They’re a great team,” he added. “In my eyes, Luke Donald is the best European Ryder Cup captain of all time.”

Both Bradley, the U.S. captain, and Donald, his European counterpart, were effusive in their praise for one another and for their respective teams. The positive back-and-forth between the pair of captains at media get-togethers throughout the week was in marked contrast to the extraordinarily disruptive, disrespectful, and unsportsmanlike behavior of many U.S. fans. The European duo of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood — dubbed creatively as Fleetwood Mac by on-course media commentators — played together spectacularly on Friday and Saturday, despite the fact that they were the targets of particularly vicious bile and a torrent of F-bombs out on the course. At one point, McIlroy’s wife was even showered with the remnants of a fairway-side cocktail on the back nine during his Sunday singles match against Scheffler. In remarks throughout the week, by contrast, both Bradley and Donald took pains to put the most sportsmanlike of veneers on their relationship, spotlighting their obvious affection and respect for one another, especially in the face of the decidedly unsettling behavior by many American fans in the gallery and grandstands.

“[Luke] won home and away,” Bradley said, referencing the fact that Donald had just notched his second consecutive Ryder Cup championship victory as a captain, having also led the successful European effort at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy, in 2023. “He’s an incredible leader. He’s really quiet and I think he was able to kind of come out of his shell a little [during] these Ryder Cup years.” On several occasions during the week, Bradley also acknowledged the fact that Donald is one of his closest friends on the world golf circuit, with the British golfing great having taken Bradley under his wing when the Vermonter first stepped onto the PGA Tour stage in 2012. At the time, Bradley noted, Donald was the number-one-ranked player in the world, and the 2025 U.S. captain said he’d never forget how much Donald’s mentorship and camaraderie meant to him in those early years.

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Sophia Lihatsh and Quinn Jasinski faced uncertainty earlier this year when their hometown Springfield High School made the decision to cut field hockey. But hard work by both girls and open arms from a former rival saved their field hockey careers.

Earlier, Springfield athletic director Richard Saypack had to make the difficult decision. “It came after a lot of research, and looking at things real close,” he said. “You don’t like dropping any program.” Saypack outlined some of the issues facing the field hockey program in recent years, including the death of a once-strong feeder program. “We used to have a strong program from the Parks and Rec department, as well as the middle school,” he explained. “Interest had waned over the years. Numbers were not where they needed to be to field a team comfortably.” One reason for the dwindling numbers, in Saypack’s opinion, is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We could see seven years ago that we were in trouble, but we made steps to help it recover,” he said. “After COVID, the numbers really started to spiral.”

“I was really sad at the beginning,” said Jasinski. “Field hockey is my sport.” Lihtash said that she began looking at other sports like soccer, or the possibility of playing nothing at all this fall. Upon learning the news, the two girls and their families began looking for options. “Sophia’s dad had reached out in February or March when they had gotten word from their AD that field hockey was being cancelled, and he just said, ‘What can we do?’,” said Woodstock head field hockey coach Leanne Tapley. “I knew him from work, so I told him I don’t really know, but I can try to help in any way I can. So we just started communicating.”

Both students had schools that they were disinterested in approaching, but found Woodstock to be an ideal fit. “Woodstock seemed nice and we had heard so many good things about it,” said Jasinski. The only hurdle to getting them on the team was the Vermont Principals Association’s member-to-member policy. “It goes by need,” explained Saypack. “Some schools will say they won’t accept any member-to-member, some will, based on need. Woodstock called us and said we know you have kids that will need to go somewhere, and we are gonna need players.” The policy, according to Saypack, is a good protection from schools recruiting student-athletes from other schools. 

Thankfully, for the two student-athletes who have both been playing field hockey since third grade, their applications to the VPA were approved, and their transition from Cosmos to Wasps could begin. Tapley said that she and the team invited both girls to join them to compete in a spring league at Burr & Burton and a summer league. “We were accepted as soon as we first got here,” said Lihatsh. 

For more on this, please see our October 2 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Last Friday night, the Wasps football team won a thriller game at home against the visiting BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille Bullets, 35-32.

The Wasps were led through the air by quarterback Aksel Oates, who passed for 123 yards and one touchdown to Brody McGaffigan. McGaffigan also reeled in 72 receiving yards. Asher Emery tallied 76 rushing yards, 47 receiving yards, and three rushing touchdowns. Also scoring on the ground was Cole Little.

On defense for Woodstock, Milo Farrington made a huge contribution with 24 tackles. Riley O’Neal recorded 18 tackles, while Taylor Underwood had 14 and an interception. The win improves the Wasps to 3-1 on the year, ahead of a matchup with Mill River this Friday night.

Asher Emery makes a long run for a first down. Rick Russell Photo

Harriet Sullivan (nee Harriet Jackson Hilts) passed away peacefully on Sept. 25, 2025. She was born on Nov. 5, 1936 in New York City to Erwin Rumsey Hilts and Harriet Canfield Jackson Hilts. Harriet was the beloved mother to her daughter Anne Cloud of Loudon, Tenn., son James Cloud (Kim) of Reading, Vt., and daughter Michelle Cloud Whiting (Oliver) of Whitefish, Mont.  Her greatest joy were her grandchildren, Danielle Martin, Chelsea Cloud, and Brandon Christopher. 

In her early years, Harriet was an avid tennis player and loved sailing.  Harriet moved to Reading in 1975, where she quickly immersed herself into her small farm. She enjoyed gardening and raising Scottish Highland and Santa Getrudis cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens, her dogs, and cats. Her love of animals was shared with her children and grandchildren.

Harriet was very involved in her church, the First Congregational Church of Woodstock, and enjoyed the fellowship of her fellow parishioners. 

She loved travel adventures and thoroughly enjoyed taking long cruises and seeing different parts of the world. 

A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Woodstock, 36 Elm Street, Woodstock, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in Harriet’s name, to your local Volunteer Fire Department or Fast Squad.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

You are invited to join a memorial gathering for John Lowell Putnam on Saturday, Oct. 11 at noon. It will be held at South Woodstock Community Church on Route 106 in South Woodstock. Reception to follow at 106 Kendall Road, South Woodstock. RSVP to srputnam@gmail.com or 802-457-8102.

Nancy Fogg Doten passed away peacefully on Sept. 27, 2025 surrounded by loved ones. Nancy lived a full life and will be remembered by her loving and generous heart, her support of her community, and kind and lively spirit.

Nancy was born on May 15, 1933 to Frank and Florence Fogg in Pomfret, and attended Pomfret schools and Hartford High School. In 1950, she went on a blind date with Fred Doten and a year and a half later they were married. Oct. 6, 2025 will be their 74th wedding anniversary. 

Nancy was a loving and supportive wife, mother, and friend. Among other jobs, Nancy worked at Guthrie’s Nursing Home, cooked and cleaned at MIT’s Talbot House in Pomfret, and was the Windsor County Clerk for many years. Nancy and Fred have lived and worked on Elm Grove Farm for the entirety of their marriage.

Nancy enjoyed square dancing and she and Fred were members of the Sugarhouse Swingers. She loved camping in Maine, and attended the Fryeburg Fair for over 30 years. She loved birds, especially owls, and enjoyed sitting on her lawn and watching the animals on the farm. She was also well-known for knitting wonderful socks, which she loved to give away, and sewing beautiful quilts, which hang on their porch.

Nancy was predeceased by her parents, brothers Lawrence, Donald, and sister Margaret, sister-in-law Joan Staples, and by great-granddaughter Isabela. She is survived by husband Fred; brothers Nelson, and Raymond; sisters Eleanor, Katherine, Barbara; brother-in-law John; children Fred (Sandy), Sherry Stubbins (Robert), Michael (Amy), Marie Robinson (James), James (Nancy); seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Oct. 18, at the Pomfret Town Hall 2-4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Nancy’s memory to the Thompson Senior Center or the Woodstock Food Shelf.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

On July 14, 2025, Elana Koren Gilbert (maiden name Read) took her last earthly breaths at her home in Tampa, Fla., surrounded by her husband Justin Gilbert, family, friends and beloved fur babies, after a long and heroic battle with metastatic breast cancer. She was 38 years old.

Born March 24, 1987, in Bennington, Vt. to parents Tom Read and Barbara Kiyuna (Glick), and big sister Meriel, Elana was a force of energy and light from her earliest days until — and beyond — her last. She loved deeply and without reservation, and her electric spirit was undeniably felt by all of those lucky enough to have spent time with her. Her genuine care for the wellbeing of others blanketed those closest to her in palpable love, but her care extended beyond those who were closest to her as she remained a fierce advocate for social justice and a generous empath for all creatures until her last moments on earth.

Elana was a remarkably talented singer and songwriter, discovering a true joy in music at an early age. She studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., and would go on to perform across the globe at venues small and large – from coffee shops to stadiums to backyard open mics. Her stunning and soulful voice can still be enjoyed on Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram where she posted many creative covers as well as her brilliant original music.

Elana met the love of her life, Justin Gilbert, in Okinawa, Japan in 2010 where he was stationed with the Air Force while she was staying with her mother who also works for the Department of Defense in Okinawa. Elana and Justin were married in Germany on Oct. 13, 2014 and lived in multiple locations together throughout Europe and the United States, ultimately moving to Tampa, Florida in 2019 following her initial cancer diagnosis. Elana and Justin lived with their beloved dogs Sasha (deceased 2023) and Fenrir, and cats Lady (deceased 2022), Triscuits and Cleo. They enjoyed traveling the world together, mountain biking, and off-roading in their Jeep.

Elana was incredibly close with her sister Meriel and her two beloved nieces Ellie (6) and Olivia (5 months), and was an integral part of the girls’ daily lives and upbringing.

Elana was a relentless advocate for social justice, access to quality healthcare, and cancer research and was active with multiple organizations that worked to better the lives of those living with metastatic breast cancer and fund advancements towards a cure. She donated countless hours of her talent and energy, even when she was struggling through brutal treatments herself, and was always ready and eager to be a support system for anyone who needed it.

Elana is survived by her husband Justin Gilbert, her parents Tom Read and Barbara Kiyuna, sister Meriel Lesseig, brother-in-law Ryan Lesseig, nieces Ellie and Olivia Lesseig, parents-in-law Gary and Gabby Gilbert and brother and sister-in-law Patrick and Taelor Gilbert, her beloved furbabies, and countless other dear family members and friends.

While she spent her final years of her life in Florida, Elana always considered herself a true Vermonter and was most at peace in the Green Mountains where she grew up hiking. As such, a memorial celebration of life will be held for Elana in Woodstock in addition to the Florida memorial which took place earlier in September.

Elana’s memorial celebration will take place Oct. 18, 2025, the Little Theater in Woodstock. All who loved Elana are welcome to attend. For more information on the upcoming celebration or share memories or condolences, please visit everloved.com.

Cynthia Cook, age 78, passed Sunday, June 22, 2025. 

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. at the North Parish Church, 190 Academy Road, North Adams, Mass. The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock, Vt. is assisting the family. 

Carol Elizabeth Whitney, 67, died on Sept. 19, 2025 at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vt.

Carol was born July 23, 1958 to Mildred (Pulsifer) Whitney and George “Ike” Edgar Whitney in Windsor, Vt.

She graduated from Woodstock Union High School in 1976; from Gordon College with a BA in Mathematics in 1980; and from UVM with a MaEd in 1982.

Carol worked for the South Royalton School District as a math teacher from 1982-1997; Hartford Middle School from 1997-2007; and the Hartford High School from 2007-2017.

She also worked for several years at her second job at The Quechee Gorge Village in Quechee, Vt. She did a five year stint of teaching math at Vermont Adult Learning, and she finished up by working her retirement job at BG’s Marker/3 Corners Market in Hartland.

The Joy, Purpose, and meaning of her life resided in the hands and hearts of the many. Many people whom she got to know and love, and, whose love, in return, made the journey worth every step.

Jesus said: “In this was, everyone will know that you are my disciple: They will know it, if you really love each other” John 13:25

Carol is predeceased by her mother, father, and a sister Helen Anne Whitney. She is survived by a sister Joan (Earle) Mazyck, nieces Kathryn Augusta Byrd and Zoe Whitney Mazyck, and many cousins and close friends.

There will be no calling hours, just a simple graveside service on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. in the Taftsville Cemetery. If you wish to celebrate her life, do it without a party or balloons or fancy catered foods; please open your hearts and your eyes to the desperate people in the dark forgotten corners of this world and love them.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Dennis B. Hackman, 84, of Souderton, Pa. and a former longtime resident of Hartland, died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. He was the beloved husband of the late Marie (Histand) Hackman, who died May 14, 2023.

Born October 22, 1940 in Quakertown, Pa., he was a son of the late Wilmer and Alice (Borneman) Hackman.

Mr. Hackman was a longtime member of Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship in Taftsville.  He owned and operated his auto body shop, Indian Spring Auto, in Hartland for 47 years. His hobbies included singing, collecting stamps, and traveling internationally with his wife.

Survivors include his children, Jeffrey T. Hackman of Lansdale, Pa., Glenda Clough (Craig Montgomery) of Waterbury Center, Vt., and Chris S. Hackman (Jill) of Snow Shoe, Pa.; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Steve Hackman (Lois) of Souderton, Pa., Kathryn “Kass” Eckman of Lancaster, Pa., and Ruth Ann Kulp of Atmore, Ala.

He was preceded in death by a brother, David Hackman and a sister, Marilyn Mast.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Mr. Hackman on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. at Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship, 121 Happy Valley Rd Taftsville, VT 05073.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. Hackman’s memory to Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship, P.O. Box 44,Taftsville, VT 05073.

Janice Josephine (Emery) Barron passed away at the age of 85, on Sept.10, 2025 at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, N.H. 

Janice was born July 16, 1940 in Hanover, N.H., the daughter of Frank Maurice Emery and Genevieve (Koloski) Emery. She was a graduate of Woodstock Union High School class of 1958. 

Janice was born into hardship, and developed a diligent work ethic at an early age. She obtained her first job at age 12 as an elevator operator for the Woodstock Inn, adding to it a second job at age 13 working for the Town Hall Theatre. Following her high school graduation, Janice put herself through the Katharine Gibbs School, completing a two-year program in just one year by doubling up on her work load (and often going without anything to eat).

Shortly after her graduation from Katharine Gibbs, on Sept. 26, 1959, Janice married her high school sweetheart Reginald Barron. As he was enlisted in the navy at the time, Janice and Reg forewent a honeymoon and moved directly to Key West Florida to begin their life together. Janice started her administrative career by securing a job as secretary to the city manager of Key West. Not long after, in March of 1961, they welcomed a daughter Dawn Marie. 

In 1964, Reg was transferred for a shore duty tour, and the family moved to Virginia. Janice was hired to run the office for the city of Fairfax Va. It is here that she made a name for herself and gained the impeccable reputation she both earned, and carried, for herself throughout her life. 

The family had a brief tenure in Mystic, Conn. where the couple welcomed a second daughter, Elizabeth Ann, in 1966. Then in 1969, when Reg was honorably discharged from the navy, the couple moved back to Woodstock to raise their children in the safe spaces of the town they grew up in. 

Janice was the proud owner of the Green Beauty Shop on Central Street in Woodstock, as well as being a licensed real estate broker , operating out of the Green Mountain Opportunities office. Everything she set her mind on doing, she not only accomplished, but she excelled at. 

Eventually Janice felt the calling back to the administrative field, and accepted a position in the law office of Thomas M Debevoise, Debevoise and Lieberman. She became the administrative voice of the Woodstock Foundation, holding a paralegal role for Laurance Rockefeller. 

Janice worked until the age of 65, then retired to enjoy winters at their home in Lake Placid Florida with Reg, their family, and their friends. 

Janice will be remembered for loving fiercely, and having extreme devotion to her family. Being a mother and nana were her favorite things. The void left in the hearts of her loved ones can never be filled. 

Janice was predeceased by her parents, her brother Ralph Emery, sisters Regis Emery Kelly and Lyn Emery Bridge, her daughter Dawn Barron Davis, nieces Barbara Kelly Sundquist and Michelle Kelly Bradley, and nephew Jeffrey Kelly.

She is survived by her husband Reginald Barron of Charlestown, N.H.; daughter Elizabeth Barron Mills of Charlestown, N.H.; nephews Byron Kelly of Woodstock, and Jeremy Perkins of Lebanon, N.H.; nieces Jennifer Tessier of Raleigh, N.C. and Heather St Onge of Plant City, Fla.; grandchildren Richard Davis II (MA), Collin Davis (FL), Autumn Maguire (IL), Cassandra McGee (VT), Mallory King-Childs (VT), Lyndon Oakes (VT), and Arlon Oakes (VT/NH); and great-grandchildren Chayce Gallo, Royce King-Childs, Richard Davis III, Isabelle Davis, and Haven Davis. 

A celebration of life will be held at the White River Junction United Methodist Church (Gates Street, WRJ) on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Janice’s name to Golden Cross Ambulance (5 Lincoln Heights, Claremont NH 03743) or Valley Regional Hospital (Savannah Tyrrell 603-542-3495 or mail your donation to Valley Regional Hospital, Community Engagement, 243 Elm Street, Claremont NH 03743). Both organizations provided selfless care, love, and genuine compassion in Janice’s passing. 

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.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 dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or 802-457-1313.

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

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

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

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

It’s a joy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, publisher

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

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

Just as you are today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can count on us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, publisher

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

Then we shared a long, hard hug.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Full Article