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

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

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

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

The unanticipated delay is untenable to MVSU leaders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The chief ordered the records released to the Vermont Standard.

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

During last Thursday evening’s Woodstock Selectboard Meeting, chairperson Susan Ford read a statement addressing the town’s legal expenditures during the 2025 fiscal year. 

In her statement, Ford said, “We have been asked to explain the expenditure of municipal funds on a personnel issue. During the period in question, the [2024-2025] fiscal year, the amount of $102,236.26 was spent in legal fees on a single personnel issue that is presently in court. Of that, $75,072.89 was paid from municipal funds rather than solely from village funds.”

She added, “On reflection, given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this expense, the decision should have been voted upon in an open meeting, since it was not part of the budget approved at Town Meeting. I can assure you, this was not because anyone wanted to hide this from voters. This happened during the time that we were buying the water company, arranging for bonds in the amount of $8.3 million to purchase and improve upon the water system and the land that it owned. We were in the midst of working with engineers to design improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, costing an excess of $30 million.” 

After Ford finished her statement, the floor opened for public comment. However, she said, given pending litigation, the board chose not to respond to any citizen questions or remarks. 

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

A hearing was held last Thursday evening, May 28, in front of a full room of Woodstock residents and applicants seeking an interim seat on the Woodstock Selectboard. Seven residents came forward as candidates for appointment to the two vacant seats on the five-person board. The selectboard was down to just three members following the resignations of former chairperson Ray Bourgeois in April and former vice chairperson Laura Powell in May. 

Woodstock residents Marybeth DeFalco, Clayton Reed, Dick Sweeney, Eric Nesbitt, Byron Kelly, Susan Chiefsky, and Gay Travers all put their names forward for an interim appointment to the selectboard. Those seats will eventually be filled by voters during the Aug. 11 primary election. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, the board decided to appoint Travers and Sweeney to the interim board seats. “We appreciate that both [Travers and Sweeney] indicated that they would not run [for election]. We would [want to] have a fair and open election in August,” selectboard member Cliff Johnson stated, referring to any perceived advantage that could occur if an incumbent were to run for the position in August. 

Chairperson Susan Ford added that both Travers and Sweeney are highly qualified to serve in the interim, which she said was a key component in the selectboard’s appointment decision. 

As of presstime, the Woodstock Town Clerk’s office confirmed that only Nesbitt has submitted his paperwork and 30 resident signatures to be considered a candidate in the upcoming election. Anyone else interested should contact the Woodstock Town Clerk’s office at 802-457-3611. The deadline to submit is Monday, July 6. 

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

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

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

Twyla Tharp. Courtesy of the Twyla Tharp Foundation

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

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

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

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

By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer

Pride in Vermont may look slightly different than the huge parades through the streets of San Francisco or New York City. Right here in the quiet Green Mountain State, crowded dance floors will be accompanied by gravel cycling, a documentary premiere, cocktails, trivia, a high heel race, crafts, comedy, and lots more. 

“The goal is to make this month our celebration of Pride,” Seton McIlroy, co-founder of Pride of Woodstock, told the Standard. “It is about expanding our community spaces to include and celebrate every human being, and to do so joyfully. Queer joy is an act of resistance, and our goal is to come together to uplift and celebrate all.” 

Here are some of the Pride activities coming up in our local area. 

Woodstock 

On Tuesday, June 2, Pride of Woodstock will kick off its celebrations early at The Thompson. McIlroy told the Standard, “The Thompson senior center hosts community conversations on Tuesday afternoons, and Deanna Jones, [executive director of The Thompson], invited us, along with some kids from the Woodstock Union High School Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA), to come and engage in an intergenerational conversation. 

“The experiences of being gay in 1980 are vastly different from the experiences of being gay today, and I think that connecting older and younger members of the community to share and support each other is so vastly important, now maybe more than ever,” McIlroy said. 

This conversation will begin at 1 p.m. at the Thompson Senior Center. All are welcome to come and listen or participate in an active dialogue. 

Then, on Thursday, June 4, Pride of Woodstock will partner with Ranch Camp for the first annual Ride with Roxy event. McIlroy explained, “A long time ago, one of the owners of Ranch Camp came to me to let me know about this woman called Roxy Bombardier — a transgender cyclist who served in the Iraq war and made the brave decision to transition in her 50s. She is a fascinating person and a huge gravel rider. That was how the Ranch Camp crew came to know about her. 

“On Thursday, beginning at 3 p.m., cyclists can gather at East End Park for a gravel ride hosted by the Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA), led by Roxy,” McIlroy said

Afterward, participants are invited back to Ranch Camp for beers and burritos before heading to Town Hall Theatre for a screening of Roxy Bombardier’s documentary, “Claim The Lane: Becoming Roxy,” set to begin at 7 p.m. 

“As an added bonus,” McIlroy added, “The Alchemist Brewery up in Stowe will release their annual beer called Just Say Gay — a super exclusive release you can only get in Stowe. But our friends at Ranch Camp have generously agreed to secure a few cases to sell at the documentary, which is a massive treat for beer lovers.”

On Friday, June 5, welcome cocktails will be provided on the front lawn of the Woodstock Inn & Resort beginning at 5 p.m. This will be followed by a DJ dance party at 8 p.m. at the Little Theater, hosted by DJ Brian of the Woodstock Inn. 

“Then on Saturday, we will host our third annual high heel race on Elm Street,” McIlroy said. “The festivities will begin at 9:30 a.m. when we roll out the red carpet. Drag Queen Emoji Nightmare will be our grand marshal this year, and like the Kentucky Derby, this event will have all the pageantry for an hour, followed by a quick two-minute race.” 

At 10 a.m., the Made with Pride Craft Fair will commence on The Green, featuring a selection of artists and crafters showcasing their artistic talents and unique perspectives within the LGBTQ+ and allied community. 

McIlroy said, “This year, we’ve moved the Tea Dance to The Green, so there will also be a big tent on The Green during the craft fair, with music provided by DJ Sarah from Abracadabra Coffee, then at 3 p.m., DJ Bugie from San Francisco (a true fan-favorite of Pride) will take over for an all-out dance party.” 

Also, that day, the Woodstock Inn & Resort will host its annual drag brunch, where executive chef Matthew McClure will create a large buffet of brunch options to go along with the show.  Reservations are required. Visit tinyurl.com/n29prayd for more information. 

And, later that evening, Pentangle Arts will host a Funny with Pride Comedy Show at Town Hall Theatre from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., where LGBTQ+ comedians from across Vermont will gather to share jokes and tell extravagant tales, according to McIlroy. 

“This is such an important weekend to be a part of,” McIlroy told the Standard. “We want to celebrate everyone in our community and make sure those who may feel particularly unsafe in this country right now have a safe place to land and be joyous and free. To see that our community is full of allies and LGBTQ+ members helps all of us feel a little less alone. Our goal is to keep the conversation going and to bring an amazing weekend of celebration and fun to Woodstock.” 

For more information on how to volunteer, donate, or support Pride of Woodstock, visit prideofwoodstockvt.org/about.

Bethel

Bethel’s fifth annual Pride celebration begins on Thursday, June 25. Starting at 7 p.m., Babes Bar will host a gay trivia event featuring outrageous questions and fun, and festive drinks. Then, on Friday evening, the Bethel White Church will host a Drag Show with Drag Queen Emoji Nightmare. The show is 18+ with a $15-$40 suggested donation. All proceeds go directly to the performers, and drinks will be supplied by Babes Bar. No presale tickets, so all are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat. 

And for those seeking a sober pride experience, Bethel Pride will host a Family Meeting on Saturday, June 27, at 12 p.m. at the Parish House. This is a closed meeting for those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are sober or seeking sobriety. People of every faith are welcome. 

Then, at 2 p.m., all are welcome to attend a special circle process at the Bethel Arts Center, centering on the experiences of transgender and non-binary members of the community. Food will be provided; all are welcome to come and listen with open hearts. 

For more information, visit facebook.com/bethelpridefest.

Lebanon, N.H.

The Lebanon Opera House (LOH) is set to host events beginning Friday, June 12. “For our fifth annual salute to the LGBTQIA+ community, we’re turning up the volume,” Lucas Mendelsohn, Communications and Technology Coordinator for the Lebanon Opera House, told the Standard. “Our popular resource and artisan fair will be held in Colburn Park beginning at 6 p.m., followed by a loud and proud dance party inside the theater with guest DJs.” 

“The evening’s headliner, DJ Rekha, is a producer, curator, educator, and founder of Basement Bhangra, one of NYC’s longest-running club nights,” Mendelsohn said. “They’ve shared the stage with Yoko Ono, The Roots, and M.I.A. and performed all around the world. Their dynamic dub and hip-hop-informed DJ sets often incorporate South Asian diasporic dance music with an ear toward a global sound that builds inclusive environments of joy.

“At LOH, Rekha is joined by drag artist Lal Batti. She’s a neon Desi-diva who crossed seven seas, three airports, two immigration officers, and one very confused Uber driver just to ruin your mascara and bless your nightlife. It should be a fantastic celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.” 

For more information, visit lebanonoperahouse.org/pride.

White River Junction

Those looking to celebrate Pride all summer long can join in the fun of White River Junction Pride from July 11 – 25 for a nonstop, two-week-long celebration. 

Danny Brzozowski, pride organizer for White River Junction, told the Standard, “The first event on July 11 will be a Dyke Fest Dance Party at Main Street Museum to kick off the festivities. On July 15, we’ll host a Pride Pop-Up at the Hood Museum in Hanover, a Tip Top Pride Pottery Event on July 18, a speed dating dance party at the Filling Station later that evening, followed by crafts, queer movie nights, trivia, karaoke, and drag shows throughout the week, with a Pride Parade on July 25. 

“Every year, we get louder and prouder and have more and more community support. We decided one weekend is simply not enough time to fit in all the celebrations; however, the culmination of our event will definitely take place on Saturday, July 25, with the parade and dance party to flow throughout White River Junction,” said Brzozowski. 

Brzozowski added, “For me, community is the most important thing. Pride is the opposite of shame, and having a celebration like this where so many people can come together to create something so innately positive, especially during such a harsh and difficult time, is absolutely essential. Let’s maintain joy, celebration, and empowerment throughout the month of June, July, and every month from here on out.” 

For more information on how to get involved and celebrate Pride in White River Junction, visit wrjpride.com.

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

The calendar has flipped to June, signaling it’s time for the 34th Covered Bridges Half Marathon (CHBM) on June 7. 

The race, pitched as “The Best 13.1 Miles in New England,” has been a fixture at the beginning of summer since 1992, with the current course layout established in 1997. In that first race, approximately 400 runners took to the streets of Pomfret, Quechee Village, and Woodstock, as well as along the banks of the Ottaquechee River, before concluding at the Quechee Polo Field. 

In 2026, race co-director Nancy Nutile-McMenemy claims the number has climbed to 2500 registered athletes, although raceday typically sees an 18-20% drop in terms of actual attendance, to around 1800-2000, a statistic that does not bother her. “The good thing for us is that we don’t offer refunds because the bib is so coveted,” she said. “We say that if you commit to purchasing this bib and taking it off the market, it’s yours.” 

Each year, the race is a hot ticket, with registration beginning on the first Monday in December of the previous year. But for Nutile-McMenemy, fellow co-race director Mike Silverman, and other support staff, the work begins much earlier. “We start our prep in August of the year before,” she explained. “As soon as we put the race to bed, we start doing website updates and reaching out to vendors. The nitty gritty for me starts in January, applying for permits, setting up road closings and police. Mike lines up operational stuff.”

The CHBM always attracts runners from all corners of the planet, and this year is no different. Four runners will be coming to Vermont from Canada, one from Ireland, one from the United Kingdom, one from Chile, and one from Grand Cayman. Many of the 50 states will be represented as well, although a bulk of the runners come from Massachusetts. “Most of our runners come from Mass,” said Nutile-McMenemy. “It has always been the way for this race, although I’m not sure why.” Out of the 2500 runners registered, 794 are from the Commonwealth, with 500 from each New Hampshire and Vermont.

With such a large reach, Nutile-McMenemy was asked what attracts all these athletes. “I think it’s because the race course is absolutely gorgeous,” she said proudly. For some, the course’s three covered bridges may be the draw, or maybe the 13 live bands, one for each mile crossed along the trek. According to the co-director, the race also has particular appeal for two distinct demographics: older runners and women.

Forty-seven percent of the race’s athletes are between 40 and 64 years of age, with five percent over age 65. This year, the two oldest women running, Sarah Hicks and Sue Sharkey, are 76 years old, while the oldest man, William Josler, is 84. On what brings an older crowd to the CHBM, Nutile-McMenemy chalks it up to the course’s relatively flat terrain. 

“Of all the possible courses in Vermont, I guess it’s because it’s downhill,” she said. “Runners actually lose 90 to 100 feet over the course of the race. A lot of people think ‘it’s Vermont, there’s hills,’ but we go down all the way. The only hill is after Taftsville Bridge, our mini heartbreak hill. The course is challenging, but not difficult.”

Women have historically shown up for the race in droves, and 2026 is no different, with women accounting for 59% of all runners. According to Nutile-McMenemy, there are frequently large groups of women running together, sometimes in costumes, and getting together to exercise. 

“From people that I spoke to in the past, what they told me is that a lot of times the women get together after being couch potatoes all winter and want to get back in shape,” she explained. “They usually do a couple of 5Ks before, and then this is their goal for getting ready for summer. It is definitely a girl get-together kind of race, and our numbers have always reflected it.”

Several top performers from last year’s race will return in 2026. They include: Margaret Donovan (2025 no. 1 woman), Ben Szuhaj (2025 no. 1 man), Sarah Tully (no. 2 woman last year), Emily Tully (no. 3 woman), Isabella Hastings (no. 6 woman), Scott Machinist (no. 7 man), Andrew MacGibbon (no. 9 man), and Zebekiah McNaughton (no. 10 man). Running bib numbers one and two will await last year’s returning winners.

While competing to win the race is important, the causes CHBM supports are the real stars of the show. According to the event’s website, upwards of $75,000 a year is donated annually to local non-profits and community organizations. “My favorite thing about this event is the involvement of the communities,” said Nutile-McMenemy. “Pomfret, Woodstock, and Quechee are amazing. We mess up their Sunday morning, and I’m so thankful they let us do that. Then we donate $75,000 a year back to the community.”

According to Nutile-McMenemy, even more is routinely fundraised for the event’s chosen non-profits. “We donate six bibs to non-profits, which they sell to help fundraise,” she said. “Through that, we can raise another $150,000.” This year’s non-profit partners are David’s House, The Family Place, Positive Tracks, Upper Valley Haven, Wise, and Zack’s Place.

Hundreds of volunteers help coordinate the CHBM, and 90% of them are high school students. Each year, local school groups sign up to volunteer for the race and are compensated in return. “We pay and donate to all of our volunteers,” she explained. “All school groups, libraries, communities. Instead of begging all these people, we write them a donation check. I often get calls in January from groups looking to volunteer.”

Individuals who would like to help with the race can sign up online on the volunteer page at chbm.com. 

To Nutile-McMenemy, the spirit of the race lies in the community. She cited a recent memory that speaks to this. “Three years ago it was blisteringly hot,” she remembered. “Homeowners along the course did water sprays with their hoses for runners. They’re just good people. They tolerate us for that one morning, and it puts so much money back into the community where it’s needed.” She concluded. “It’s a big family.”

The race will kick off on Sunday, June 7, at 8:15 a.m. at the Saskadena Six Ski Area and is expected to last approximately three hours. 

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

The number-three-seeded Woodstock Wasps started off their postseason run on Tuesday night with a nail-biting 3-2 win over the visiting 14-seed Windsor Yellowjackets.

Windsor came into the contest winless in the Vermont Principals’ Association Division III, hoping for an upset against the rival Wasps. 

“They have really good coaching in Windsor,” said Woodstock head coach Jason Tarleton on how the opponent stayed in the game. “When they show up in the playoffs, especially against Woodstock, they’re really tough.”

Prior to the game, the Wasps celebrated their senior student-athletes before what could have been their final home game. Brody Allen, Aksel Oates, Riley O’Neal, and Zach Peterman. Each athlete was met by their families for photo ops on the mound before quickly locking in for game time. 

On the bump for the home team was one of the Wasps’ best pitchers, O’Neal. Earlier in the year, he accomplished the milestone of tossing 100 career strikeouts. “We count on Riley to set the tone and have a lot of confidence in his ability on the mound,” said Tarleton.

Drew Gallagher winds up for a pitch in Tuesday’s playoff game. Rick Russell Photo

Despite his prowess, the first inning was rocky.

After two fielding errors and a hit batter loaded the bases, Windsor’s Zack Clark drew a walk to give his team the 1-0 lead. O’Neal quickly settled and stranded the bases loaded after three consecutive strikeouts.

Errors also plagued the Wasps in their last matchup with Windsor, something Tarleton sees as mental, not physical. “It’s a mindset thing of wanting to be that guy and make a play,” he said. “Hitting 1000 ground balls in practice won’t fix that. It’s a mindset we need to get quick.”

Alden Weld toed the rubber for the Yellowjackets and was dominant early, holding Woodstock scoreless through the first three innings. His heavy use of offspeed pitches kept the Wasps batters’ timing off. 

Another Woodstock error in the top of the third threatened to give up more runs until Oates stepped up huge. Ranging deep into the hole to the right of his position at shortstop, the senior backhanded a hard ground ball and smartly flipped it to the third baseman to tag out a Windsor runner. An O’Neal K later, the crisis was averted. 

“Aksel wanted everything today,” said his coach. “He played really well and wanted to make a play, and he did.”

Weld helped himself at the plate in the fourth inning, driving a pitch up the middle to score another Yellowjacket to put his team up 2-0. 

“Alden was fantastic,” said Tarleton. “He made it really difficult.”

Woodstock finally got on the board in the fourth, when back-to-back bloop singles from Drew Gallagher and Liam Crowl inched the Wasps closer, 2-1. 

In the bottom of the fifth, O’Neal returned the favor, blasting a double to left to score Oates and tie the game 2-2. He then gave his team the 3-2 lead on an incredible headfirst slide into home plate to beat the Windsor catcher’s tag.

“It was a 2-1 count, and I was thinking about pulling the ball. At that moment, you gotta do what you gotta do,” said O’Neal. “Then, I’ve been aggressive on the bases all year. I ignored coach at third and took off. I had seen their infielders had weaker arms during warmups and thought I could make it.”

“He was clutch with the hit,” said Tarleton. “He’s been in those moments and not come through, so he was due and ready for that moment.”

Gallagher took over on the mound for the Wasps in the sixth, looking to close the door. He would slam it shut, recording two shutout one-two-three innings and three strikeouts. Overall, Woodstock pitching recorded 12 strikeouts on the day. 

Following their 3-2 win, Woodstock will advance to the next round of the playoffs on Saturday at home at 11 a.m versus Bellows Free Academy.  

O’Neal knows where his team needs to improve. “We need to get better on jumping on teams early, especially when we’re the better team,” he said. “If you jump earlier, you don’t give them hope.”

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

After a season full of ups and downs, the boys and girls of Woodstock’s tennis program are ready for the postseason.

For coach Derek Pierce and the girls team, this season was a resounding success on all fronts. In the win-loss department, the Wasps exceeded preseason expectations to finish 7-3, good enough for the number-two seed in the state tournament. “It was a very good season,” said Pierce. 

Perhaps most importantly for the head coach was the invaluable experience his team gained throughout the year. “What was great this season was that I was able to carry 12 athletes on the team, when typically you only carry nine and an alternate,” he said. “What was nice about it was I was able to get everybody into multiple matches. It feels good that all these athletes were able to get some time on the court.”

The Wasps started the season 3-2 before ripping off four wins in five games to close strong. “We had a good run going into the end of the season,” said Pierce. “We were very strong in our first through fifth singles.” The singles players who led the team were: Mackenzie Graham, Jess Pierce, Chiara Winawer-Stein, Ava Zilain and her sister, Mia Zilain. 

Beyond these top performers, Pierce had glowing things to say about his whole roster, especially his athletes who competed in doubles. According to Coach Pierce, Mataya Gibson and Jada Ruch showed great poise in their doubles matches, often competing against teams of lesser ability but keeping themselves motivated. Adele Danilchick and Maggie Knox were two of the team’s five first-time players who stepped in and played solid tennis, while veterans Caroline Adams and Katie Keown returned from last year and excelled in supporting the new athletes. Pierce also praised Addy Tucker’s ability to hit the court and perform well.

“The best thing about this team is that they all look out for each other,” he said on Monday. “We have 12 different personalities, but they get along well and are supportive of each other.”

All three of the team’s losses this year came against Burr & Burton Academy and Mount Anthony, two teams they will not have to worry about in the postseason as they play in Division I, while the Wasps compete in Division II. The team’s first-round matchup is against a foe they have toppled twice already, the Bellows Falls Terriers.

“Dave Chesley is the coach, a former AD. He’s a good guy working with a young team,” said Pierce when discussing Bellows Falls. “We’ve played well against them twice this year and beat them both times. So, we’ll see. Just going to take it one game at a time.” The Wasps took on the Terriers Wednesday night at home.

While the boys team did not have as much success in the win column this year, finishing 5-5, head coach Michael Malik can imagine a universe where the ball bounced their way instead of against them. “Unfortunately, in the second half of the season, we lost to most teams that we beat in the first due to a bunch of tiebreakers and close games,” he said. “We could’ve really come out 8-2.”

However, 5-5 is a good outcome compared to where this team started under Malik just two years ago. “Two years ago we were 1-9,” he said. “It was a really great showing by the kids to see them come through in three years and start winning.”

Several key players are leading the team into the Vermont Principals Association playoffs. Vasco Malik was a steady singles performer, while freshman Keller Murphy arrived on the scene ready to compete. “He’s our fifth singles player,” said Coach Malik. “He has a really steady game, which has gotten so much better this year. He finished with a winning record, which is crazy for a ninth grader. He is going to be a star in the next year or two.”

In doubles competition, seniors Finn Costello and Beck Welch stole the spotlight, finishing undefeated as a unit. “They’re athletic and fun to watch. Those guys have really been standouts,” he said. 

This past weekend, Malik took six kids up north for an individual tournament for first and second doubles and singles against the state’s top competition. While none of the six Wasps came away with wins, they still made an impact. “Vasco won his first set against a strong Stowe player before losing the second set and the tiebreaker,” said Malik. “Murphy will be owning that tournament in two to three years. The other boys lost in the first round, but it was a good learning experience.”

The team improved this year by focusing on match play rather than drilling technique. “Our match play has gotten so much better,” he said. “They’ve learned confidence and better match strategy. You can’t teach that with drills.”

No matter what happens during their upcoming playoff run, Malik sees the program as being in a healthy place. He says that, two seasons ago, nine kids showed up for the team’s nine spots. At this year’s tryout, 23 student-athletes came to compete for the nine spots. “Our program is growing and getting competitive,” he said. “It’s great to see, especially as some of the schools we play their programs are dying. The kids are promoting it. Other kids are coming to matches and seeing that it’s fun.”

The team’s success could continue next year, as they will return all but one of their singles players despite losing most of this year’s doubles players.

Malik and his team still have this year to finish, though, as they began their playoff journey on Tuesday by hosting Champlain Valley Union. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cabot Funeral Home is assisting the family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leslie (Deedee) Riffle-Van Alstyne, 65, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2026, at her sister’s home in Quechee, Vermont.

Deedee’s family is planning a celebration of life at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 at the North Universalist Chapel Society. The Cabot Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Marjorie Ann (Wendling) Wakefield, 69, passed away tragically, leaving behind a legacy of deep community service, warmth, and boundless compassion. Born in Windsor, Vermont, on October 11, 1956, to Richard and Kathy (Dimmick) Wendling, she grew up in Woodstock before spending most of her life in her beloved South Pomfret, Vermont.

A 1974 graduate of Woodstock Union High School, Marge began her career at the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine. Summertime would find her on the beach in Kennebunk on her days off, surrounded by her close-knit group of Woodstock friends who worked alongside her. During the winter and spring, she traveled south to work at the Delray Beach, Florida Colony Hotel. She held many fond memories of these coastal days, readily sharing stories with others whenever a conversation turned to Maine or Florida.

Marge was a dedicated professional who held several impactful administrative roles throughout her life, including positions at Mary Hitchcock Hospital and Quechee Lakes, as well as 21 proud years of service at Billings Farm and Museum. She even recently worked at the Village Inn, previously the New England Inn, which her parents had once owned. Most recently, she was employed at M&T Bank in Woodstock. She truly loved her job and quickly became recognized as one of the bank’s top relationship bankers. Marge cared deeply that things were done right, but more than that, she genuinely cared for her customers—many of whom would specifically seek her out to help guide them through their banking.

Deeply rooted in her local community, Marge volunteered her time in many capacities. When her children were young, she was an active Pomfret PTO member. She was always present at the Pomfret Fire Department fundraisers, helping out in many ways. She also served as a board member of the Pomfret Emergency Services Commission, a Trustee of Public Funds, and a longtime Justice of the Peace, where she had the distinct honor of marrying several couples who specifically sought her out. She was also a board member of the Woodstock History Center (following in her mother’s footsteps).

Most recently, Marge was elected to the Pomfret Selectboard. Through all her service, several traits remained fiercely consistent: her organizational skills, her sharp attention to detail, and her steadfast desire to make sure things were done right. True to her character, before her very first meeting as a selectboard member, Marge spent the better part of a week studying budgets, ordinances, and meeting minutes just to ensure she showed up as prepared as she could possibly be.

Beyond her public service, Marge possessed a deep, soulful spiritual connection that guided her everyday actions. She moved through the world with an intentional desire to spread love and light to everyone she encountered. Whether through a comforting word, a warm embrace, or her radiant energy, she lifted the spirits of those around her and anchored her life in kindness, hope, and an enduring positivity that continues to shine in the hearts of all who knew her.

Marge had many passions and hobbies, with her grandchildren topping the list. She loved the beach, camping, gardening, music, reading, fishing, making her famous pickles and salsa, snowshoeing, taking her dog for walks, hiking and kayaking, and spending time with her friends. Above all else, she prioritized Kevin, her partner and the love of her life, always dedicating herself to his comfort, happiness, and care.

Marge was predeceased by her father Richard Wendling, her mother Kathy, her son Justin Wakefield, and her brother Bobby Wendling.

She is survived by her longtime partner, Kevin Rice of South Pomfret, and his son Holden Rice, her daughter, Paige Ann Lewis and her four cherished grandchildren, Alex, Hagean, Nora, and Lyla.

A celebration of Marge’s life will be held at the Pomfret Town Hall on Saturday, May 30th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a time of sharing that will take place at 1:30 pm. Please come and share a story, a smile, or a hug. 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 [email protected] or 802-457-1313.

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

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

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

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

It’s a joy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, Publisher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dan Cotter, publisher

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

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

Just as you are today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can count on us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Full Article