16-24 - The Bridge

PAGE 16 • JULY 1, 2010
THE BRIDGE
COUNSELING
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Showroom of Home
Decorating Products
and Possibilities
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Monday–Friday
10 to 5:30
Saturday
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229-5006
Consultations by
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Food! Fun! Frivolity! Music!
Montpelier Emporium
At Home Designs
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141 River Street
(in the True Colors Building)
Local. Really.
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Seasonal Salads
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Open seven days a week
City Center Building • 89 Main Street • www.skinnypancake.com
INSIDE
DESIGN
with Alisa Darmstadt
Going Beyond Paint
I
often encourage my clients to” go beyond white” when choosing wall colors.
However, if you are comfortable with
wall color and ready for the next adventure,
an artisan surface or faux finish may be right
for you! These treatments can add texture,
mood and layers of colors to a room. Of
course, they can also be done in a neutral
palette if that is your decorating style.
I met recently with Sam Colt of Montpelier who applies artisan surfaces to interiors.
These are wall treatments from different historical design periods, as well as modern explorations of how to use common materials
in new ways. Using paint tints, plaster and
other mediums, such as fabrics and papers,
she creates unique walls to the specifications of each homeowner. While some of
these treatments might resemble another
surface (wood, stone or metal), she explains
that these are not faux finishes. Rather, they
are the classic finishes that faux finishes imitate.
A lot of the work Sam does is with plaster
surfaces. She colors the plaster (the one she
uses is 42 percent marble so it is very
durable) with Benjamin Moore tints and applies it to old or new sheetrock, plaster or
wallpaper. She can leave it textured or
smooth it out and can give it a matte or gloss
finish. She can also apply it with stencils, giving the resulting pattern dimension like classic bas relief work. She tells me this plaster
finish hides finger prints and dirt better than
paint and can be more economical than wallpapering.
Sam also describes four classic surfaces
she often does: strie, stenciling, faux bois
and gilding. Strie is a technique in which
you brush layers of translucent color on a
wall. This effect can have a very elegant feel
appropriate to a living room, dining room or
entry hall. Yet it can also be applied so that
it has a more rustic look for more casual settings. The classic stenciling Sam does is”
large and loose,” created using a combination of stencils (often made specifically for
the job) and freehand painting. The effect is
more like a pattern one might see on wallpaper rather than a tight border applied
along the ceiling line.
While strie and stenciling typically cover
large wall surfaces, faux bois and gliding are
for detail areas. Faux bois, which means”
fake wood” in French, is the technique of
making something look like wood. Gilding
adds a metal look, typically gold, to detail
areas in wood or a wall treatment pattern.
Both of these techniques can be used on
trim, doors, fireplaces, stair risers and other
architectural details in a room as well as on
furniture.
These four finishes all use various paints
and glazes, yet Sam also applies other materials to walls. Burlap, which she combines
with tinted plaster, gives the walls texture
and pattern. She recommends this as the
best treatment to cover existing wallpaper.
To give the walls a wonderful reflective quality and unique texture, Sam has applied tiny
glass beads to panels, which she then installs
over existing walls. For a smoother yet
highly personalized look, Sam showed me
yellowing sheets of music, which she’s
going to apply to a restaurant wall.
While a lot of what Sam does involves special materials, she did mention several ideas
people can do themselves. Stippling involves dabbing paint from the very tip of a
large brush randomly over a wall for subtle
layers of color. A diamond cut from poster
board can serve as the basis for a harlequin
pattern, either placed randomly or regularly
along a wall. For a subtle striped effect, paint
a wall in a flat finish and then paint on lines
with polyurethane. The stripes of polyurethane will allow the base color to shine
through and will glint and gleam in different
lights.
If you’re ready to go beyond paint, contact Sam ([email protected]) or stay
tuned for more ideas. Next month I’ll discuss faux finishes and how to achieve them
and introduce you to another wall artist.
Alisa Darmstadt is an interior decorator
and the owner of At Home Designs. Her office and new showroom are located at 141
River Street in Montpelier. Call 223-2900 or
visit www.AtHomeDesignsVt.com. She welcomes questions, topic suggestions and service inquiries.
Locally owned and proud of our independence!
Come visit us at our new location:
Ask us about Medicine-on-Time,
Personal Prescription System
Richard Harvie, RPh.
Jocelyn DePaolis-Thivierge, RPh.
THE BRIDGE
JULY 1, 2010 • PAGE 17
REVIEW:
Lucia di Lammermoor
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
BRAGG FARM
Maple
Creemees
“Just Gotta Have One”
by Mimi Clark
O
n a sweet summer night, the first of
the season, love wasn’t in the air in
Barre, the city of stone. While a
garage band at Gusto’s pumped out “I ain’t
gettin’ any” music next door, classical voices
and instruments created cruel emotions at
the Barre Opera House. Lucia di Lammermoor is a story of two families living next to
each other, hating each other; another take
on Romeo and Juliet, with a twist of insanity.
This 1835 Donizetti opera, based on a
novel by Sir Walter Scott, opens in the 18th
century in cold, bonny Scotland and is
warmed by the passion of Italians Gaetano
Donizetti and Salvatore Cammarano, the
composer and librettist. This tragedy was superbly performed by the fledgling five-yearold Green Mountain Opera Company. Ukranian-born Taras Kulish, artistic director since
the opera’s inception, announced his company’s recent acceptance into Opera America, an umbrella organization for all opera
companies, and then with a warm voice,
bade the audience “Enjoy the madness!”
The musical tale was accompanied by a
25-piece orchestra led by Italian-born
Leonardo Vordoni. The orchestra’s years of
collective practice created a seamless sound.
An unusual number of French horn segments gave a rare opportunity to show off
for John Boden and Joy Worland, who enhanced whatever tragedy was occurring on
stage below from the left stage balcony. Cecilia Brauer on her glass harmonica in the
right stage balcony was haunting in Lucia’s
final death soliloquy.
Monolithic figurelike stones cloaked in
drapery, reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Ron-
donini Pieta, bedecked the stage in a half
cluster facing the audience. Lighting master
Jeff Bruckerhoff chose simple light themes
for the expansive backdrop. An immense
sapphirine square backlit the stage—in
sharp contrast to Lucia’s russet red hair—
changing to a warm umber, rose, yellowgreen, all colors enhancing a redhead.
As the music begins, the very front of the
stage is full of men in kilts, cloaks and
swords singing of a woman’s refusal to
marry a man she doesn’t love. Throughout
the work, curtain-free scene changes are executed almost imperceptibly behind a chorus of many local men and women who
blended easily with the principals under
spotlights in the foreground. Throughout
the piece, drapery, paintings, candlesticks
and steps all silently appear and disappear,
suggesting castle interiors. The stones are always there in some symbolic form, all the
work of set designer Gary Eckhart.
One by one the characters were introduced in and around the stones. The opening note was timidly sung by Normanno,
captain of Enrico’s guard, played by Adam
Caughey, in an otherwise strong supporting
role. Enrico, Lucia’s brother, the villain baritone and crowd favorite sung by Hawaiian
native Jordan Shanahan, gave a stellar performance from start to finish. He was convincingly evil and heartless in every move,
note and expression. His looks were sinister
and dark. He used everything in synchronized skill to bring alive his character on the
right side of the stage, where he exited in
Act II Scene II. He then moved to the front
left where he was softened by pity for his
dying sister and repented all his wicked
scheming. His face changed to an expression
of regret and remorse. Although it was not
clear whether Raimondo, a father figure to
Lucia, beautifully sung by bass Gustav Andreassen, was her tutor, chaplain or father,
he was a soothing and calming presence in
the most difficult moments.
The part of Lucia, sung by soprano Nikki
Einfield, requires intense pain and hopeless
frustration throughout, no easy task. Einfield’s consistently even, beautiful tone and
seemingly effortless transitions could have
made Natalie Dessay envious. But Enfield
could have displayed more tenderness in the
scene with her close friend Alisa, played by
Samantha Grenell-Zaidman. The love scene
with Edgardo lacked in feeling on Lucia’s
part. A little less bitterness of heart on her
face and more sweet surrender during the
lovers’ private exchange of vows (which
would have been valid in Scotland at the
time) would have added to their performance. In the famous dying scene, Lucia
dies for a full 20 minutes before leaving us
for another world that beckons as she bids a
ghoulish farewell. Although Enfield sang it as
well as anyone, the scene seemed too long
for a postmodern world.
The swashbuckling teddy bear heart-onhis-sleeve tenor in red plaid was Scott Ramsey and his aria was tender and convincing.
Tenor Cameron Schutza played Arturo,
Lucia’s portly husband, in plenty of curls and
yellow ruffles. He could easily have doubled
for her lover. A casting oversight?
It was all there: love, betrayal, greed, powerful feuding, scheming and family subterfuge, all on a beautiful, warm summer
night.
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
SUPPORT MONTPELIER
Shop Downtown, Shop Local!
Summer Music
from G reensboro
“One of the sweetest little classical music
festivals in northern new England.”
July 20 to August 17, 2010
Tuesday evenings at 8:00
United Church of Christ,
Greensboro, Vermont
Subscription: $75
boro.org
Admission: general $18,
senior $17, student $10,
under 18 years free
www.summermusicfromgreensboro.org
Enjoy maple and chocolate
creemees, milk shakes,
and sundaes
223-5757
OPEN EVERY DAY
8:30 am–8 pm
Located 1 mile north of East Montpelier village
on Rt. 14N (follow signs)
PAGE 18 • JULY 1, 2010
THE BRIDGE
Dylan Whitman Waller Performs Here and Abroad
by Tara Gita
M
ontpelier musician and poet Dylan
Waller is now preparing for his
third European concert tour. He
came to Montpelier from the Midwest a
decade ago looking for” the poetry.” A small
poetry-share group of street poets—“fellow
poet-dove of the curb” he calls me now—
evolved. We met at the original Capitol
Grounds. It was casual, if intense. We
weren’t into analyzing. Just listening to each
other worked for us. In those days, the Horn
of the Moon was our venue, and Dylan was
creating CDs of his songs and exploring
modern and ancient musical traditions from
Iceland to Ouzbekistan.
With the loss of the Horn, we more or less
went underground. Dylan discovered an audience on the Web, as he researched and
connected with new poets and musicians in
mainland Europe. On one visit with him, he
introduced me to some of the music he’d
found. Their work opened the medium to a
new level for me.
Some of these artists became close colleagues of his and worked enthusiastically to
help him set up a performance tour across
Europe. Right off, in Portugal, he played to
larger audiences than he’d previously experienced. In the historic old town square in
Prague that Dylan loves so much, an audience whose great culture remained intact—
released from decades of German and Soviet
oppression—sat up and took notice of this
modest American with his powerful voice
and soul-searching message. The enthusiasm
he received there has been repeated in a
score of countries on the continent.
It’s been slower going certainly for him in
America. The more foreign the environment, the more he thrives, he says. He mentions with droll humor not to forget that he
is the poet laureate of the chili cook-off, having won Montpelier’s First Night poetry
slam. However, on a recent Sunday in June,
the folks at Bethany Church, where he
serves as is their sexton, discovered his
strong fine voice, soulful lyrics and compelling guitar in their chapel. Now he is
scheduled for a concert on July 3 in the sanctuary, where, Dylan says,” The stones and
the wood resonate with well-grounded
acoustics.”
After the concert Dylan invited me to his”
office,” in what amounts to the catacombs of
the building, for an interview. Loosening up
there in a room lined with the tools of the
work he performs maintaining the church,
along with several notebooks, copious newspaper clippings and abundant loose-leaf
pages of writing, this alchemist opened the
computer on his desk and began to show me
pictures of his European travels and the
work of some of his contacts there.
TG: What’s the tour?
I just received news yesterday that my
scheduled concert in Athens is at a club
whose site says it’s” an acknowledged nodal
point of cultural communication.” Sounds
accurate for me. My fans there are wildly enthusiastic, telling me it’s one of Athens’
finest venues. I’ll be playing outdoors at
night . . . the Acropolis lit up right in sight
behind me!
This tour begins at a cultural club in the
main square of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I’ve never been there, but if they’re
like their Czech neighbors, it will be a great
audience, I’m sure. Afterward, I’m being
treated to a day of respite in the spa-town of
Piestany.
Then, two shows in beautiful Slovenia.
One in the capital city, Ljubljana, which
means ’beloved’, and one outdoors at a
mountain chalet, where they’re also kind
enough to put me up. As the promoter said,”
What can be better than your music outdoors, in the mountains, in summer.
Then to the Amalfi Coast of Italy, three
shows: Salerno, Naples and Pompeii—Mt.
Vesuvius nearby; my first time in Italy. My
hosts are putting me up in a seaside villa. I
mean, after one of these shows, if I am even
able to comprehend the beauty around me
and the history, I figure I will explode with
gratitude.
From there I go to Greece, the Athens
show first. Then I go to Patra, the main city in
Lifetimes
(This Is Our Cross to Bear)
do you see beyond the smokescreens, see beyond the fog?
There’s a sliver of light on your shoulder that’s beyond right and wrong
we carry around this bag of bones
we are trapped in soft frail flesh
beyond our dreams, behind our thoughts,
what is left?
A lifetime of mourning, with no time for tears
a lifetime of mourning, with no time for fear
the lifetimes . . . measured out in a patient smile
a lifetime of inches, but we only see the miles
do you hunt for coming change, or do you drift with passing winds?
there’s a glance out on the street, familiar frown or hopeful grin?
Beautiful woman, divine Child . . .
we are orphans on the move . . .
we prowl in the night,
beneath the filling of the moon
O life, encased in flesh, don’t need a mirror for approval
O life, caressed by memory, with vanity’s removal
I see the lifetimes, all the gifts
concealed, by the hour and the minute hands
a lifetimes of treacherous deserts, we walk the patient grains of sand
— Dylan Whitman Waller
the Peloponnisos, where I’m scheduled to
play music as well as give a poetry reading at
a theater there. The promoter says,” You’re
going to sing your songs and read your poetry
and then we’re all gonna go swim in the sea.”
. . . [We’re also going] up to Meteora, a region
in central Greece I’ve dreamed of since I was
a child and Volos too, back to the sea.
TG: Would you share with us some of
your key influences?
On my mother’s side, my grandmother
was a model and blues singer who lived the
old high life. My mother herself sings, writes
and directs plays. On my father’s side they’re
all journalists—the smell of ink is one of my
earliest memories. Watching newspapers
spin off that enormous press (“I read the
news today, O boy,” he sings, with a laugh.)
Then, and I can’t believe my good fortune
here, a man married to my mother’s
cousin—August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize–
winning playwright—was a friend from age
5 to 17. What a gift it was to know him. He
taught me the essence of poetry and how it’s
in the sport of boxing too. He and his friends
always treated me as being on their level. In
his house I watched the film where Picasso
creates and destroys some of his paintings
on camera. He educated me about Malcolm
X. I shared with him my enthusiasm for
punk rock. August helped me see how to
focus/funnel my native intensity into art. I’m
still learning from the things he taught me. I
saw all the voices in his head, where he
shaped his characters, learned about the solitude necessary in order to create. Also, how
he got his voices from the street; that must
be at least partially why I started as a street
musician. Take it to and excavate it from,
the bottom level. It’s how you find out
what’s really going on in the world.
I’ve come to learn that there’s nothing
better in life than true friendship, so I should
mention my friend and fellow artist Chris
Pederson. We’ve always been there for each
other. We went to Europe together when
we were 20. One-way tickets to Barcelona,
not knowing a soul, yet we were protected,
navigated it, somehow ended up in Prague.
The wall had come down only a few years
earlier. Heard Vaclav Havel speak in Wenceslas Square. The gates were open. It was like
a huge international wonderful party, everyone so happy to be out from under Communism. I remember they’d give demonstrations of things like dust busters on the street,
and immense crowds would gather around,
wide-eyed.
I started dreaming differently then. Got
subconscious residue from even the way
cars were parked. Found that in a foreign
place my senses became so heightened. Discovered that, compared to many countries,
we have more material possessions, but they
enjoy a better quality of life. Basic kindness
to one another. Family oriented.
For example, my host in Meteora, a translator of Novalis, Pessoa and other brilliant
poets, has inherited her grandmother’s
home and is renovating it. I like it that the
grandmother’s home must be kept in the
family. Because my grandmother’s cabin
wasn’t. It brings me back to earliest images.
Of my grandmother.
Sitting on her lap I saw something hanging from the light.” What is it?’ I asked her.”
An owl.” Years later, she told me to put my
name on the back of anything I wanted
when she’d be gone. I put my name on the
back of a letter to my grandfather from FDR.
On a postcard from Jimmy Carter. On an invitation to JFK’s inauguration. And on the
owl. Not that I got those things, or needed
them. Just that what was hers was mine, and
vice versa. True family. The owl is associated
with Athena, of course, deity of the temple
on the Acropolis. Wisdom her domain.
Grandmother . . . means Owl. Words and
themes of my life were instilled in me by my
grandmother. Is it coincidence, then, that I’ll
be playing in view of the Acropolis? Or fate?
Or that gracious thing called having enough
faith to live your dreams? I don’t know, but
I know I’ll be singing for her.
Dylan Waller performs at Montpelier’s
Bethany Church in the sanctuary on Saturday, July 3, at 4 p.m.
Tara Gita, Reading the River with Poets,
[email protected].
THE BRIDGE
JULY 1, 2010 • PAGE 19
Business and Real Estate
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call Padma 456 .7474 ~ www.earthwiseharmonies.com
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT • (802) 229-0480
[email protected] • gendronconcrete.com
Graduate, Vermont Law School
Past President, Vermont Bar Association
Acting Judge, Small Claims
Private Practice since 1984
Tell them
you saw it in
The Bridge!
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DENIS, RICKER & BROWN
including Real Estate,
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Complete care of all your family and business insurance needs.
PAGE 20 • JULY 1, 2010
Classifieds
THE BRIDGE
The Montpelier Baha’i Community
Presents a series of talks
at the KelloggHubbard Library
in the Hayes Room
Thursday evenings from !":$%pm
EMPLOYMENT
HOUSEKEEPERS WANTED. Vermont College of
Fine Arts is seeking two people to help clean
dorms and office buildings from June 26th-July
21st and July 30-August 8th. Interested parties
should contact Tony Bean at 802-828-8732.
FOR LEASE
MASSAGE THERAPIST SPACE FOR LEASE.
CVMC’s Montpelier Health Center is looking for
an independent massage therapist to open their
own practice within the Integrative Medicine
building. This is a sublease agreement and
would allow the massage therapist to collaborate with other independent care practitioners
practicing in the Integrative Medicine building.
Located in the heart of Montpelier, and with over
11,000 patient visits per year, this is an ideal location for a massage therapist preferably with at
least 5 years of experience in multiple massage
therapy techniques and who is nationally certified (NCBTMB). For more information, please
contact Donna Rouleau at 223-4738.
The Baha’i Faith: An Introduction
July +
Life After Death: A Baha’i Perspective
July -.
Baha’i Faith:
Developing a Global Perspective
July 00
Spiritual Principles for
Community Building
August .
A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land:
In the Footsteps of Baha’u’llah
August -0
All are welcome3
Light refreshments will be served3
Always
something
new at
Adorn!
20% to
40% off
Selected
Inventory
Closed
Sunday
July 4
FOR RENT
ONE OFFICE AVAILABLE in a great space in central downtown Montpelier! Non-Smokers only,
please. Natural light, freshly painted in non-toxic
paint. High-speed internet available on a complimentary basis. Bathroom en suite. Second floor,
stairs only. $290/mo., utilities included. First 2
months @ 275 per month, if rent is paid on time.
Security deposit + 1st and last month’s rent. 2236772 or [email protected].
FOR SALE
ELECTRIC BIKE. Moped style, good condition.
$525. Comes with rechargable battery and
adapter. Call 802-595-1366.
AN OMEGA B-22 PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGER
and some developing equipment. Hardley ever
used. $132.50 cash (tax incl.). PLease call
Gretchen, 224-9174.
SERVICES
QUALITY PAINTING, RESIDENTIAL REMODELING AND REPAIRS. Interior / Exterior. Excellent
local references. Stuart Morton 802-229-0681.
corsica @sover.net.
HOUSE PAINTER. 20 years experience. Small interior jobs ideal. Drywall finishing. Neat, prompt.
Local references. Pitz Quattrone, 229-4952.
IFred Blakely
Master Plumber
Remodeling to Repairs
WE CATCH RUNNING TOILETS
272-3818 • Visa/MC
Marisa Keller | Celtic Harpist
peaceful, playful, graceful music
for weddings, receptions, funerals,
and other special occasions
802-229-4008 | [email protected]
IYOUR
CLASSIFIED
AD
TO GO
HERE
ADVERTISE!
CALL
223-5112
ext 11 or 12
Open Mon–Sat 10–6; Sun 12–4
THE BRIDGE
JULY 1, 2010 • PAGE 21
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
National Life Gets a New and
Smaller Property Tax Figure
60th Anniversary of
Capitol Stationers
P
art of the big, upcoming Montpelier Independence Day observance this weekend (the
festivities will kick into high gear on Saturday, July 3) is a celebration of downtown Montpelier’s oldest family-owned retail store—Capitol Stationers.
Both to celebrate the 60th anniversary and to thank the Montpelier community, Capitol
Stationers will be throwing a party open to the public at its downtown (54 Main Street) location on Saturday, July 3, starting at 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“We’re all going to be there,” said Eric Bigglestone about the gathering of the Bigglestone
clan for the anniversary party.
Aside from stationery—paper, envelopes, cards, folders, pads, pens, gifts, souvenirs,
maps—what has really defined Capitol Stationers in all the years it’s been a fixture in Montpelier is the Bigglestone family.
William Bigglestone along with his wife Norah started Capitol Stationers in 1950. At one
time, there were additional stores in Barre, St. Johnsbury and Burlington. And when Bill and
Norah Bigglestone retired, Bill opened up a small stationery store in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
In 1962, Don Bigglestone, Bill and Norah’s son, joined his parents in running the store.
After they retired, he ran the store on his own for a while. Later, his sons joined up and came
aboard. Don Bigglestone continues to work in the Montpelier store on Saturdays during the
summer and he’ll be on hand for the July 3 party.
Today, the Montpelier store is a family partnership between the two Bigglestone brothers,
Kent and Eric.
Kent remembers his involvement in the store as a kid.” When we had our place on Church
Street, I was working on the sales floor in the seventh or eighth grade.” Now, his own son,
Will Bigglestone is involved in the family business.” I had my son here who is 11 setting up
a display before his baseball game,” Kent said. Now, young Will is saying he’d like to work
at the store someday.” I’m going to work here just like my dad,” Will says.
Both Kent and Eric are realists about the current economic climate and the changing marketplace.” Everyone’s job is tough right now,” Kent Bigglestone said about current retail difficulties. The marketplace is also changing with competition from the Internet, competition
from chain stores, and big office supply outlets that are knocking on doors and trying to grab
a larger piece of the action.
“The space on the shelf,” Kent said,” is not giving you the profit margin it used to.”
Neither Kent nor Eric were completely able to account for their business success after 60
years.
Well, as customers ourselves, we think that what’s palpably clear is that people in Montpelier and nearby towns respond to a family business. Everyone knew Bill Bigglestone. People remember Norah working on the books. People remember when the store moved across
the street. And when Don Bigglestone turns up on Saturday mornings and stands behind the
counter and works the register, there’s a strong feeling of rightness about the world.
Help Needed on Two Fronts
All-Day July 3 and the Big Parade: Jimmy Swift who is giving overall direction to the upcoming July 3 (Montpelier Independence Celebration) events is putting out an upbeat request for volunteers.
By the way, those who volunteer will be rewarded with food, coffee, ice cream, water,
soda, T-shirts, strawberry shortcake and chocolate.
Here’s a short list describing the kind of help that Jimmy Swift needs to make the July 3
parade and celebration successful. He needs people on July 3 as ushers, to provide security,
to staff an information booth. Also for cleanup and miscellaneous other tasks.
He is also looking for parade marshals to work from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Swift has also put
out a call for” venue coordinators.” Volunteers can sign up for shorter or longer periods of
service to carry out such critical tasks as parade registration, parade security, vendor security, and the like.
For further information, please call Jimmy Swift at 802-238-6888 or write him an e-mail at
[email protected]
Help Montpelier Become More Accessible: The city of Montpelier is seeking help from
individual with disabilities to take a look at city buildings and other facilities and determine
if there are barriers to needed accessibility.
Anyone who is interested in helping with this project, please contact City Manager Bill
Fraser at (802) 223-9502.
Vermont Yankee Hearing
T
he Vermont Public Service Board has set Thursday, July 8 as the date of a public hearing
to consider whether to shut down Vermont Yankee right now, instead of waiting until
2012.
That hearing will take place on Thursday, July 8 at 7 p.m. at Brattleboro High School, 131
Fairground Road, Brattleboro.
A
s this paper goes to press, Montpelier Tax Assessor Steve Twombly has provided good
information about an important change in the property tax assessment for the National
Life building, land, office complex and garage.
As Twombly pointed out, the property tax numbers that were circulated around June 1 in
a property tax booklet—these were always seen as preliminary numbers. In the case of National Life, that early preliminary number was $50,984,300.
Beginning on June 9, Steve Twombly and the city’s reappraisal contractor began a series
of preliminary review meetings open to any property taxpayer in Montpelier. It was during
a period after June 9 that Twombly and others met with National Life officials to review the
initial $50-million-plus property tax number.
“They met with us several times and reviewed the facts and figures,” said Twombly about
the reconsideration process with National Life.” As with any property, we have to have a
value we can defend. They could take us up the ladder of appeals.”
According to Twombly, National Life was able to bring in much more detail. The result of
the review was a property tax value in Twombly’s words” less than originally estimated.”
After the review, the National Life property value was set as $44,184, 500—a difference
of close to $7 million.
Out of Montpelier’s total grand list of over $800 miillion, a shift of about $7 million is less
than 1 percent of the grand list value. On a house worth $200,000 Twombly estimates a
property tax hike of about $40 per year.
The Silver Lady
I
n this excerpt from The Silver Lady,
a World War II novel by Montpelier
writer James Facos, we learn why
someone like Wyatt, the ball-turret
gunner of the Flying Fortress The Silver Lady, willingly risks his life in the
first full-daylight air assault on Berlin
on March 6, 1944.
(Wyatt) raised his eyes beyond
his squadron, beyond his group—
his look deepening at the spectacle
before him, widening as his awareness took it breathlessly in—of
groups beyond his own, and wings
stretching across the miles of clear
blue sky to the farthest rims of
sight. Beyond, on every side, formation on towering formation glittered far across the noon, in high,
thundering
armadas
bearing
steadily toward Berlin.
And as he watched, an awe
dawned on him, aware that never
before had he seen such a sight,
that no man ever had but these
here—this moment out of all time
when thousands of free men rose in
a single day as one, as a retaliative
Spirit geared to the destruction not
of Berlin but of the central Evil that
had swept across Europe, crushing
wherever it fell the singing, soaring,
free soul of Man.
And slowly, as he watched, Wyatt
felt again, stronger than it had ever
been before, that fierce, inner glow
warming and restoring him; the James Facos, as he appeared on the dust jacket of
peace of conviction; the certainty his 1972 novel The Silver Lady. Photo by John
that he was here at the right time Wright, courtesy of James Facos.
and in the right place—for him.
This day’s run, the armadas winging about him, was Mankind’s statement against Evil; and
all these men—these thousands of men, here possibly to die for that belief—were part of
him, and he of them; and this was—out of all time and place—his time and place to signature that statement, even if it be in blood.
A surge of life and renewed strength swelled through Wyatt. He felt the skin of his face
prickle and his spine tingle with a feeling of quiet victory—the victory over himself, the
agony redeemed . . .
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
Send your letters and opinions to [email protected].
PAGE 22 • JULY 1, 2010
Less Is Enough
W
hen longtime
Plainfield resident Dennis Murphy
suffered a stroke
some three years ago
that left him unable
to create his art in
the usual way, he
turned to less usual
means. The Blinking
Light Gallery (Main
Street,
Plainfield)
will present a collection of Murphy’s
new oil pastels and
digitally enhanced
photography, July 1
to August 1, with a
special artist’s reception Saturday, July
10, 2 to 5 p.m.
Explained
Murphy,” I’ve been very
engaged in finding
out what I can do,
substituting other media for those I used to work in.” He’s ready to show his progress
to friends and the community, and to share his vision that” Less Is Enough”—the title
of his show.
For Murphy, exploring unusual means of artistic expression is not unusual at all. He
may be most widely known as the musician, composer and instrument maker whose
fascination with Javanese music led to his role in the creation of the first North American gamelan. (A gamelan is an Indonesian musical ensemble rooted in the islands of Bali
and Java.) Locals know that Murphy has hosted The Plainfield Village Gamelan for many
years at his farmhouse. The group will provide a bit of live music at the July 10 opening. For more information, call 802-454-0141 or visit www.blinkinglightgallery.com.
THE BRIDGE
LETTERS
LETTERS
Support the Vermont Clean
Energy Development Fund
To the Editor:
Congratulations to Vermont College of
Fine Arts for receiving a $233,000 Vermont
Clean Energy Development Fund (VCEDF)
grant to retrofit 10 buildings and install an insulated roof. Energy efficiency is an important part of the state power portfolio as we
seek to reduce carbon fuel dependency.
VCEDF has funded countless similar projects across Vermont in recent years. Although one-time federal stimulus dollars
paid for this latest round of projects, historically they have been funded mostly by Vermont Yankee. Vermont’s largest instate electricity generator has provided $19,500,000
in seed money for community-based energy
projects and is scheduled to provide millions
more in future years. According to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Vermont
Yankee is a zero carbon emitter and one of
the main reasons why Vermont has the
smallest carbon footprint for electricity production in the United States.
With these unique benefits in mind, concerned Vermonters should encourage utilities and Vermont Yankee’s owners to reach
a power deal that gives us the best of both
worlds: protection of our interests in oversight and decommissioning, and Vermont
Yankee’s low-carbon, low-cost electricity
and support for local green energy. The
VCEDF is living proof that small-scale green
energy and baseload nuclear power can
work together toward a low-carbon energy
future.
Marshall Bornemann, Vermont
Energy Partnership, Montpelier
Vermont Fought for Independence
Photos of Dennis Murphy, top, and his oil pastel, above, by Janet Van Fleet.
To the Editor:
When we celebrate the 4th of July this
year, we should remember the contributions
made by Vermonters in the fight for independence.
In his History of Vermont, Walter Crockett wrote of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga:” The first surrender of a British
fortress in the long struggle for American Independence was made to Ethan Allen and
his Green Mountain Boys, and in the history
of the military affairs of the United States the
capture of Ticonderoga headed the list as the
first important aggressive movement in the
Revolutionary War.
“The news of its capture by a little band of
untrained farmers was evidence to the
mother country that the rebellion was a serious matter. . . . To the general public, it
seemed that if Ticonderoga could be taken,
all things were possible.”
In the winter of 1775–1776, George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, was short of military equipment
needed to drive the British out of Boston.
Henry Knox, colonel of the artillery, suggested to Washington that captured ordnance from Crown Point and Ticonderoga
could be transported to Boston. Washington,
in a letter to Knox, wrote:
“You’re to immediately examine into the
state of the artillery of this army, and take an
account of the cannon, mortars, shells, lead
and ammunition that are wanting. The want
to them is so great that no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain.”
In December 1775, Knox removed that
heavy ordnance from Ticonderoga, floated it
over Lake George, and then transported it by
land with 42 sleds and 81 yoke of oxen.
When these supplies reached Boston in
March 1776, the British decided to evacuate,
and Washington’s military strategy prevailed.
The next year, in 1777, Vermonters fought
with valor at the Battle of Bennington. Edward Conant said that battle led to the
British surrender of Saratoga.
Washington was impressed by the fighting
qualities of Vermonters and was of great assistance to our joining the Union. When we
celebrate the 4th of July this year, we should
remember the role of Vermonters in a revolution that changed the course of history.
On January 15, 1777, Vermont declared its
independence from Great Britain and New
York. Vermont’s Declaration, influenced by
the American Declaration, stated that” we
will, at all times, consider ourselves as a free
and independent state and the people have
an inherent right of ruling.” The Vermont
Declaration went on to support the War of
Independence.
While Vermont fought with great valor to
win American independence, she was not
admitted into the Union until 1791, 14 years
later, to become the 14th state.
The American Declaration of Independence was a great example for Vermont to
follow.
Senator Bill Doyle, Montpelier
The Business of
Farming Issue
DON’T MISS
AN ISSUE!
See subscription
form on page 2.
Coming July 15!
We’ll feature articles about farms and farmers, agricultural education and the business angle of farming. We’ll
look at different types of
farming, including dairy,
meat, vegetables, maple,
flowers, logging and more.
To advertise in this special
issue, contact Carolyn or
Pete at 223-5112, ext. 11
or 12.
THE BRIDGE
JULY 1, 2010 • PAGE 23
Opinion
Peter Schumann, ‘On the Fringe’
by Nat Frothingham
jectionable. Schumann and his troupe were
searched, questioned, insulted, and he said,”
humiliated.”
But there are positive things about life.”
The air is breathable. The young people are
fantastic. Singing is better than ever,” he said
happily.
A
fter Peter Schumann and his Bread
and Puppet Theater fled New York
City and moved to Plainfield, Vermont they did their first Fourth of July parade in Plainfield (VT).
In 1974, the Bread and Puppet parade in
Plainfield was a presentation of all the horrors of the Vietnam War and the Cambodian
War. Part of the theater piece was The Man
Who Says Goodbye to His Mother. This
piece drew attention to the Puerto Rican
mothers of soldiers who were being killed in
Vietnam. These minority mothers were getting letters from the Pentagon that began
with these all-too-familiar words:” We regret
to inform you . . .”
“They threw tomatoes at us in 1974,”
Schumann said. He also remembered having
his tires slashed. When people who had
booked him to walk on stilts as Uncle Sam
realized that the decorative marks on the
Uncle Sam hat were skeletons—some of
them cancelled his act.
Schumann began his life in Silesia.” I fled
from Silesia,” he said. This was in 1944 when
Silesia was being attacked by Allied bombers
and Russian tanks. Schumann described Silesia as an old, little country. It used to be part
of Bohemia, then Poland. Finally, it was
made part of Prussia. After fleeing Silesia he
ended up in West Germany and met his wife
Elka. They married. Had children. And they
decided to come to America.
Schumann has never regretted coming to
I asked Peter about the future. He mentioned that the Canadian government had
just spent $1.2 billion to put 15,000 cops on
the street to protect the G-20 leaders who
were visiting Montreal. He observed that the
United States government has the largest
prison population in the history of the
world.” Oh my God—what a comedy, what
a tragedy,” he exclaimed.
I asked about doomsday.” I think we’re
doomed,” he said. But a sparkle continued to
glow in his eyes.” I’m not doomed,” he said.”
You’re not doomed. There are two exceptions,” he said, laughing.
America.” I totally credit this country for letting me do what I’ve done. They may hate
our guts but they let us do what we want to
do. In Germany I would have been outlawed,” he said.
Here in the United States, Schumann has
been fortunate to find volunteers to work
with him. This is something else about
America that he likes.
Schumann feels that the country is be-
coming a fascist democracy. He recently
crossed the border from Vermont to
Canada.” Just look at the border crossinig.
The cops and border people are nasty, vicious,” he said. The Bread and Puppet Theater was traveling to Montreal with students
to give a performance of Monteverdi’s Return of Ulysses.
At the border crossing into Canada it was
the American authorities who were so ob-
Bread and Puppet Theater will begin its
summer season of performances on Friday
evening July 2 on Route 122 near Glover,
(VT). The July 2 show begins at 8:00 p.m.
and features the Lubberland National
Dance Company. After July 4 the summer
season consists of regular Friday evening (8
p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.)
shows at Bread and Puppet. The Circus this
year is called the” Decapitalization Circus.”
And the Pageant is called the” Nothing is
Not Ready Pageant.” For further information, please call 802-525-303.
A Tale of Two Dogs
H
ere’s a story about a young woman
and her two dogs, a story both heartwarming and at least a little heartbreaking.
Returning Peace Corps volunteer Ariel
Singer, who grew up in Montpelier and who
is a graduate of Montpelier High School, is
back in town for a brief visit to her family.
Since July 2008 until the end of April this
year, Ariel has been serving as a Peace Corps
volunteer, teaching health in the remote,
central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, north of
Afghanistan, west of China.” It’s in the heart
of central Asia. It’s the center of everything,”
Ariel explained, laughing.
If Kyrgyzstan hadn’t suddenly broken into
the news in recent days with reports of ethnic violence and hundreds of thousands of
displaced people on the move and seeking
safety—few people in this country would
have been aware of a place as far away as
Kyrgyzstan.
It’s also, as Ariel described it, a country
with formidable, gorgeous mountains. A
country with the largest black walnut groves
in the world and with a history of storied,
nomadic hunters and their horses.
Like many other countries, it’s confronting extreme poverty, a severe lack of
medical care, crippling unemployment, intermittent electricity and conditions that
would make most Americans squirm.
During her time in Kyrgyzstan, Ariel lived
with a Kyrgyz host family in Bazarkorgan, a
large town of 30,000 people.
“My host family was amazing," Ariel remarked.” They let me have the dogs in the
house.”
In America, we treat dogs as pets. In Kyrgyzstan, as in many other parts of the world,
dogs are outside. They are not pets. They are
more like barn cats, at best.
Ariel’s two dogs are Momik and Homer.
Momik first belonged to her host family and
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Homer was one of Momik’s four puppies.
At a time when Ariel was serving in a
country far from home, Momik and Homer
became an important part of her life.” They
kept me alive over there. They were my
emotional support. And I kept them alive,”
Ariel said.
Because of the recent troubles in Kyrgyzstan, the Peace Corps evacuated Ariel from her
working site. But she was determined to keep
her dogs.” It would have been a death sentence for them, had I left them there,”she said.
With the help of friends, her host family
and many others, Ariel was able to travel
with Momik and Homer back to America, a
journey that involved: A rough 10-hour trip
by taxi from her village through the moun-
tains to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. A
six-hour flight to Moscow with the two
dogs. A 10-hour flight from Moscow to New
York City. And then to Burlington.
Ariel has just started an internship in
Washington, D.C. at the National Museum of
Health & Medicine. She will live with
friends. But she can’t take Momik and
Homer with her.
This is where the heartbreak comes in. Reluctantly, Ariel is seeking an adopted home
for her two friends.
“I wouldn’t give them away if I didn’t have
to. The main thing is to find them a happy,
stable home.”
To contact Ariel, e-mail ariel.singer@
alumnae.brynmawr.edu.
Tell them
you saw
it in The
Bridge!
PAGE 24 • JULY 1, 2010
THE BRIDGE
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