Feature Stories

Discovering Vermont’s Treasures

By Deborah Straw

Vermont is a wonderful place to find treasures, both old and new. Many are found in antique shops, at auctions or in the old-fashioned Vermont general store.

Vermonters have always had the inclination to hold onto everything. As poet Donald Hall once wrote even “a string too short to be saved” was, indeed, probably saved. At all these venues, along with furniture and dishware, you’ll find books, clothing, small collectibles, stuffed animals, toys, tools, bikes, pictures and picture frames, and much more. Sometimes cars or taxidermists finest critters turn up, but these are the exception.
Below are some of the places to find all sorts of unique, and reasonably priced, goodies.

ANTIQUES AND FLEA MARKETS
ReStore (formerly ReCycle North) at 266 Pine Street in Burlington, is part of a nonprofit organization, ReSource, that helps the poor and re-trains people for jobs. The organization also operates a huge second-hand store. Open since 1991, this is a former industrial space where you can buy – and recycle – almost anything including furniture, appliances, toys, picture frames, books, dishes, puzzles, jewelry and more. It’s an ongoing garage sale with a friendly staff, open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Also in Burlington, a relatively new shop is Anjou & the Little Pear, owned by Jessica Ackerson. At 53 Main St., this loft-type space is full of quality items. Visualize lots of artwork, lamps, antique and retro furniture, rugs, old typewriters and sewing machines, knick-knacks, trays, fabric, children’s accessories, etc. Ackerson has exquisite taste and is fun to deal with. Anjou is on the lower part of Main St., near the Lake, across the street from the Chamber of Commerce.

The Barge Canal Flea Market, run by Norbert Ender who hails from Austria, opened in April. This flea market is open Wednesday through Sunday, and is tucked inside a large warehouse just south of ReStore on Pine Street. It is packed with goodies such as pictures, furniture, books and a lot of curios. Various dealers rent tables, and Norbert sells, too. It is a friendly and interesting place and is just two doors down from Ender’s shop, Speaking Volumes, which specializes in “vinyl, books and art” and is packed to the rafters with fascinating things.

Two other shops full of delightful and eclectic goods are located at 207 Flynn Avenue in Burlington. Upstairs is Upstairs Antiques, and downstairs is Whistle Stop Antiques & Co. Both are worth a visit.

For a listing of antique dealers in Vermont, visit the Vermont Antique Dealers Association Web site: www.vermontada.com/dealers.

AUCTIONS
If you want to have a lively and often educational time on a Saturday afternoon or evening, and spend as little or as much money as you choose, you can visit the Alburg Auction House at 14 Lake Street in the center of town. Alburgh (the restored old spelling) is about one hour north of Burlington. An institution in this lakeside town, the business was founded 50 years ago by Harland Tatro.

Since his death in May 2006, his two sons, Tim and Ralph, have carried on the tradition. Another brother, Terry, mans the payment box, and local teenagers are runners. It is open every Saturday, except for a couple of weeks around Christmas. Its doors open around 1 p.m., the auction starts at 2 p.m., takes a small break and continues on to about midnight. Admission is $1 and there is hearty food, including Michigan hot dogs, luscious pies and cakes.

Many of the auctions represent estate sales from Vermont, northern New York or southern Quebec. Checks or cash only are accepted, and be sure to bring a box and newspapers to hold your goodies and a cushion if you plan to spend the day. Rule of thumb: generally the more “antique” things are sold during the daytime; the newer items, like lawnmowers or more modern furniture, are generally auctioned off at night.

STORES AND SHOPS
A fun and attractive shop in Stowe is Dragonfly Consignments at l056 Mountain Road, across from the Chittenden Bank. Owner Beth Conner says the shop has been open almost a year, and offers new and used name-brand and designer men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, local crafts such as jewelry, art, furniture and more. For antiques, the store offers old medicine boxes, furniture, blue glass, bowls, Hummel figurines and more. “We try to be reasonable in this economy,” says Conner. It is a “clean, well-lighted place,” very satisfying to browse in for 15 minutes or two hours, and is open seven days a week.

General stores are a good place to shop in Vermont, as well, and you’ll never know what you’ll find. General stores were the precursors to Mom and Pop stores, supermarkets and big shops like Costco. If you were to pick one to visit, it might well be the oldest operating store in Vermont, open since 1807. The Jericho Center Country Store still looks, smells and feels like a real country store. Not only does it offer foodstuffs and souvenirs, it also houses the post office and has rows of small post boxes. Goodies include creemees, Vermont-brewed beers, Vermont artisan breads as well as the old standard loaves, a gourmet deli and many other beers and wines. In fact, this store is so impressive and historic, it was the subject of a children’s book, The Storekeeper, (now out of print but worth searching for) by local author Tracey Campbell Pearson, published in 1991. The town is lovely, centered on a quaint Vermont green.

Another diverse general store in the Champlain Islands is Hero’s Welcome in North Hero village on Route 2, across the street from the lake. Although the building has housed a general store since 1899, the present store has existed since 1993. Here you will find food essentials, as well as a great bakery, ice cream cones, and a gift shop full of wonderful, tasteful souvenirs and gifts. Included are the ubiquitous t-shirts, mugs, and maple syrup, but also quite a bit of reasonably-priced jewelry and decorative plates, kids’ toys and the most extensive rack of scissors and nail clippers I’ve ever seen. You can sit inside for lunch or a snack or, on a perfect summer day, wander across the street where there are picnic tables and benches lakeside. At least two antique shops are within a five-minute walk if you decide to linger in North Hero.

Two other authentic general stores worth mentioning are the Ripton Country Store and the Marshfield General Store. But Vermont is full of these types of shops and markets. Keep your eyes open, take back roads, and enjoy discovering your own treasures.

Great Ideas for Day Trips in Vermont

By Christine Fraioli

The Vermont love affair so many of us share began for me as a child on my grandfather’s farm in Manchester, and continued at Middlebury College in the 70s, working as an innkeeper in the late 80s through early 2000s, and now encompasses my hospitality and real estate role connecting innkeepers to inns and bed and breakfasts across the state. Having most recently joined the Vermont 251 Club (www.vt251.com), I thought I would share some of my favorite places and events with others who love Vermont.

Events:
Tunbridge World’s Fair, Tunbridge – September. You must attend at least once in your life and I’ll never forget my first time – the beer tent was open around the clock, but shut down periodically to give people a consumption break. In the early 70s, they still had a girlie show, but girls weren’t allowed in, so I sneaked a peek through a hole at the back of the tent. I’ll never forget the lady dressed up like a clown pushing a baby carriage filled with Chihuahuas, also dressed up as clowns. www.tunbridgefair.com

Vermont Mozart Festival, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne – July. I never miss the opening night event at the South Porch. The dressage performance before the concert displays such mastery and majesty by the beautiful horses on the inn’s front lawn. We stroll through Lila Webb’s gardens overlooking the Adirondacks before sharing our very finest picnic fare and wine with great friends and then settling back to listen to the orchestra while watching the stars come out over Lake Champlain…it is heaven on earth. www.vtmozart.org
Hildene Fall Arts Festival, Manchester – October. As the leaves of early October change colors. it is my favorite time to drive Route 30 into Manchester for my love of food and art. Over 200 juried master craftspeople and artists exhibit their work as well as a showcase of the best of Vermont’s local beer, cheeses, and other artisanal foods. www.craftproducers.com

Outdoor Fun:
Swimming in Lincoln. As a resident of Lincoln, I have learned of many secret swimming holes – some of which I have been sworn to secrecy not to reveal! On its landscape of rocky crevices, twisty roads, and rushing mountain streams such as New Haven River and Lincoln Brook, Lincoln is a cool escape on a hot summer day. www.swimmingholes.org

Vermont Daylilies, Greensboro. Located behind Greensboro’s Lakeview Inn – now a private residence – lies beds of delightful daylily gardens overlooking the shores of Caspian Lake. Vermont Daylilies is located just outside of the center of Greensboro, home to Willey’s – one of Vermont’s most bustling country stores. Lilies are potted for sale, but the owners will often dig from the gorgeous beds if requested. There is also an antique shed open for visitors. Plan for a day in the Northeast Kingdom where the rarest combinations of pleasures and delights create sparks of Vermont magic. 802-533-2438, www.travelthekingdom.com

Boating on Lake Champlain. There are so many ways to enjoy Lake Champlain. My husband and I continue to explore from Crown Point to North Hero State Park in our stinkpot Lyman and are always amazed at how often we feel like the only people on the whole lake on the best day of the year! From shore to open water, small boats to big, picnicking to restaurants, camping to inns – there is always something new to try. www.discoverboating.com

Museums:
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury. I have often described the Athenaeum as the eighth wonder of the world. Built in 1873, tucked behind the town’s wood-paneled library, lies the unsuspecting enormous glass roof covering a collection of over 100 paintings and sculptures by some of America’s most renowned artists, including Asher B. Durand and Jasper Cropsey. On the far wall is the ever-magnificent Domes of Yosemite by Alfred Bierstadt. www.stjathenaeum.org

Middlebury College Museum of Art, Middlebury. This series of beautifully designed galleries is the most serene place to experience art. Great pains are taken to entertain and educate viewers during a year-round schedule of exhibitions (take a calendar home for your plan to return) open to the public at no cost. It houses a teaching collection of paintings, sculpture, photography, and works of art on paper. http://museum.middlebury.edu

Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock. If you ever want to see what 19th century farming life was like, the Jersey herd and beautifully restored farm manager’s property, exhibition barns, and creamery will show you with perfection. I love the fact that it is in Woodstock, which has one of the greatest collections of architecturally significant homes in all of Vermont and Woodstock Country Walking Tours have made the experience available to all. www.billingsfarm.org http://woodstockcountrywalkingtours.com

Vermont Artists:
And finally, as the landscape of Vermont is one of the reasons so many of us are in love with it, I want to share three favorite Vermont artists, each of whom creates the essence and magic of our countryside and townscapes as immediately recognizable as Vermont, yet each in his or her own dramatic fashion.
Kathleen Kolb, Lincoln – www.kathleenkolb.com
Anne Cady, New Haven – www.annecady.com
Peter Brooke, South Royalton – www.peterwbrooke.com.

Christine Fraioli manages Vermont Lodging Properties which unites prospective buyers with Vermont inns, bed and breakfasts, hotels, homes, and other investment properties – www.vermontlodgingproperties.com

Vermonter’s Are Hooked: Summer Fishing Season Gears Up

By Tim Simard

With the sun setting behind the mountains and the air cooling, I cast a line out into the middle of the Winooski River. At the end of the line is a hooked worm that I believe – I hope – will be the one that brings in the big trout. Holding the fishing pole tightly, I slowly reel in the line. It’s then I sense the quick and fast tugs of a fish nibbling away at the bait. Suddenly, I feel the fish bite down and the pole bends hard as I reel in my catch.

The fish at the end of the line exits the water, flopping away on the Winooski’s muddy banks. I discover I’ve caught a rainbow trout; it’s white belly glowing in the fading light. Measuring 11 inches long, this is one of the biggest and best trout I’ve caught in a long time.

Up river, standing on rock jutting into the Winooski, a solitary fly fisherman also examines his catch. The spots we’ve chosen along the river in Duxbury are like any in this corner of central Vermont – teaming with newly stocked fish with waters warming for a perfect fishing season.

Vermont might be known as the Green Mountain State, but the state’s waterways are an equally large draw for recreators. Along the state’s rivers, streams and lakes, fishing enthusiasts are getting warmed up for a big year. Bob Shannon, owner of Stowe’s Fly Rod Shop, said in late May the season was revving into full swing and looked forward to a banner June.

“These rivers are starting to fish really well, which will hopefully continue beyond Memorial Day,” Shannon said.

While my success started along the Winooski, there are hundreds of places in northwestern Vermont that might yield even more fish. Here are a few popular locations:

Lake Champlain
From its wide northern end to its narrow southern shores, Lake Champlain is a body of water teeming with a wide variety of fish. People come from all over the world to experience the selection Lake Champlain offers, said James Ehlers, executive director of Lake Champlain International, a nonprofit organization working to ensure the future of the lake.

“Seriously, I’m not being biased,” Ehlers said with a laugh. “The lake offers an incredible diversity of fish.”
From large and small mouth bass near St. Albans Bay and the Missisquoi Delta, to salmon around Converse Bay in Charlotte, to mammoth lake trout throughout, there is no shortage of fishing options.

Ronnie Bruyette, who owns North Country Bait and Tackle in Swanton, said most of his customers head straight to Missisquoi Bay for bass fishing, which is good all summer long.

“That area’s got just about everything,” Bruyette said.

Ehlers said he prefers Mallett’s Bay to any other part of the lake. There’s one location in outer Mallett’s Bay that is popular for its walleye, he said. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“If it swims and it’s of interest to the angling community, you can catch it within 10 minutes of the (Mallett’s Bay) boat ramp,” Ehlers said.

The big rivers of Central Vermont
Cutting through the Green Mountains in wide valleys are the Lamoille and Winooski rivers. Shannon of the Fly Rod Shop in Stowe routinely guides new fly fishing clients along both rivers because he knows they’ll catch something.

The Lamoille River, between Johnson and Morristown, is among Shannon’s favorite spots. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife department stocks the section with large rainbow trout, but sometimes other fish mix in. While guiding in early May, he caught a large brook trout, a native species in Vermont.

“It was a nice fish and caught me by surprise,” Shannon said.

The state also stocks the Winooski River, especially in Waterbury and Duxbury. Secluded spots along the river in both towns can prove excellent for fishing. And the river is perfect for fly fishing enthusiasts.

Shannon said fly fishing has become much more popular in northern Vermont, with new people trying the sport every year. He said clients are looking for challenge and enjoy how fly lures mimic fish food sources in rivers. Therefore, clients find there is a greater chance of catching a fish using a fly lure than a worm, he said.
“It’s a fishing method of choice these days,” Shannon said.

And the Winooski and Lamoille Rivers are choice locations.

Addison County
For Dick Phillips, owner of Vermont Field Sports in Middlebury, the best fishing in Vermont is found in Addison County. The rivers offer as much excitement and challenge as any in the state, he said.

Phillips prefers the small brook trout of the upper New Haven River near Bristol, as well as the chance for larger trout in the Middlebury River after it combines its north and main branches. Just west of the gorge in East Middlebury, anglers can catch some award-winning trout.

“We’ve had some 10-pound browns pulled out there,” Phillips said.

Phillips said he fishes whenever he gets a chance to in his busy schedule. The Otter Creek is another popular river he frequents. He enjoys cast and reel fishing with bait worms early in the season and fly fishing later in the season. As waters warm up in later summer and fish have bountiful food options in the water, it makes sense to go the fly route, he said.

“You get towards August, you can drown a worm all day and never get a nibble,” Phillips said. “But the last six fish are caught with worms, so it all depends on the day.”

But if there’s one spot in Addison County that can prove successful for any angler, it’s right at the Middlebury Falls. In the waters beneath the tumbling cascades lie some of the best trout in the state, he said.

“I always tell people, ‘you’re going to be amazed when you catch a 14-inch rainbow,’ and they always are,” Phillips said.

Localvore Movement on the Rise In Vermont

By Susan Orzell-Rantanen

To the roster of herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore describing the varied eating habits of the animal kingdom, add one more: localvore. The localvore eats only foods grown or produced within an average of a 100-mile radius of where he lives, to the extent that it is possible.

Locally grown foods are available at natural food stores, farmers’ markets, community-supported agricultural enterprises, and farm stands, and while the proprietors of these and similar establishments offer the goods differently, they chorus that “the localvore movement is skyrocketing!”

Until the 20th century, “eating local” was by necessity the way of life. Today, the same practice requires planning, dedication and in some cases more money; it is a culmination of many deliberate choices.

“Localvore Challenges,” which urge consumers to buy only local foods for limited amounts of time as a gentle re-introduction to the concept, have sprung up across Vermont to help people interested in the benefits of those choices follow through.

According to well-sourced data published by Vermont’s Mad River Valley Localvore Project (MRVLP), these benefits are many. To enjoy green peas from a nearby farm flies in the face of the statistic that, “on the average, foods travel 1,500 miles before arriving on your table,” which explains the fact that “the average meal uses 17 times more petroleum products” than the same meal produced locally. If you visit the supermarket to buy frozen or canned peas that include a flavored sauce, add this statistic: “70 percent of processed foods in U.S. grocery stores contain bioengineered ingredients.”

But the localvore movement is about more than the important health and taste benefits of fresh produce. The bottom line is, as always, economic. The MRVLP notes that “91 percent of each dollar spent in a traditional food market goes to suppliers, processors, middlemen and marketers and only 9 cents goes to the farmer, while farm markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of every dollar.” Let’s make this more personal: “If Vermont substituted local products for only 10 percent of the food we import, it would result in $376 million in new economic output, including $69 million in personal earnings from 3,616 jobs,” thus benefiting all Vermonters.

Community-Supported Agriculture
Eating locally is by definition all about community and the farmers that are members of the aptly named Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program (in cooperation with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture) consider themselves partners with consumers. In this system, the producers sell “shares” in their upcoming harvest to consumers in the spring long before the produce is ready. This up-front money is available at the crucial time of year to buy the supplies (including seeds, fertilizer and fuel), needed to grow the crops. As the harvests come in throughout the summer, “members” who have “pre-bought” items enjoy the fresh produce. In CSA terminology, an “item” is a certain amount of a certain vegetable, such as four ears of corn, a bunch of carrots, or a bag of lettuce. Shares are available in single-, family-, or senior-sized increments and delivery to predetermined checkpoints may be arranged for set days.

The Vermont Department of Agriculture lists 16 CSAs in Chittenden County.

The Boutin Family Farm, on South Road in Williston, is managed by family members Kevin and Lisa Boutin. Of the 120 acres, 40 are tillable, and are referred to by Lisa Boutin as “a huge backyard garden” providing a plethora of items for about 50 members during a 12-week share season. The Boutins designed a creative method of marketing, offering a coupon book which allows consignees to “purchase” vegetables and fruits harvested each day. “We make it very convenient,” notes Lisa Boutin. The produce, which is certified naturally grown, ranges from asparagus to zucchini and from blackberries to strawberries and is available at the farm stand, through a “U-Pick” operation on the farm, and at local farmers’ markets.

Joe and Anne Tisbert own the 300-acre Valley Dream Farm, which sits on the town line dividing Underhill and Cambridge. The farm supplies an estimated 200 members during a 24-month share season.
Valley Dream is among the more than 525 farms certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) of Vermont. Anne Tisbert says this certification, which involves meticulous recordkeeping and on-farm inspections, entitles them to a coveted state and USDA seal. NOFA also manages Farm Share, a program that allows low-income Vermonters to buy from CSAs.

The nature of agriculture, which can mean unexpected gluts of produce, allows CSAs to “give back to the community,” according to Anne Tisdale. “We donate thousands of pounds of food to local food shelves and to the Vermont Food Bank,” she notes.

Farmers’ Markets
CSAs often sell at farmers’ markets, a growing venue benefited by the localvore movement. In 2008, there were 64 farmers’ markets registered by NOFA-VT, up from 19 in 1986. NOFA-VT lists “the total gross sales from the markets that responded in 2008” as more than $5.5 million. According to the organization, the summer Burlington Farmers’ Market, held weekly in City Hall Park, is among the four largest in the state. The Richmond Farmers’ Market, held weekly on Volunteers Green, is considered more average in size for Vermont. Manager Carol Mader, who works closely with a board of directors, says there are 25 permanent seasonal vendors, which is capacity for the location, selling primarily agricultural products and prepared foods. There is also a waiting list of “day vendors” on call to take a spot that may be vacant if a seasonal vendor is unable to attend a market. “The localvore movement is becoming huge and we’re seeing the results of that in the [market] revenues,” Mader reports, noting that revenues have increased 170 percent over the past few years. “We have a strong following of customers over the years. We’ve seen many people who used to buy things for maybe one dinner now trying to buy for the week. We also now have a meat vendor. People are finding that prices are more competitive,” she notes, citing trucking costs as one reason for the rising supermarket prices.

For a list of Vermont farmers’ markets, visit: Vermontagriculture.com

Natural Food Stores
Natural food stores are another avenue reporting increased sales from the localvore movement. Natural Provisions of Williston, managed by Peter and Allison Lafferty, opened in 2007 as the second location of a popular store in St. Johnsbury. The 10,000-square-foot store and delicatessen on Harvest Lane maintains 20 employees. Peter Lafferty emphasizes that the naturally grown and/or organic foods and products are purchased locally as much as is possible in a full-service grocery that also sells health and beauty products and cleaning supplies. “The localvore movement is on a huge rise,” he said. “It’s so good for the community as a whole. The number of people who come in here and actually say ‘Show me what is local’ has been growing a lot over the past two years. People care about supporting the community,” he believes.

Considering the fact that eating locally was once the way of the world, it is interesting to ponder Ecclesiastes 1:9, the abbreviated form of which is “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Chittenden County Farmers Markets

Burlington Farmers Market                          Burlington    Saturdays

New North End Farmers Market                 Burlington    Wednesdays

Old North End Farmers Market                   Burlington    Tuesdays
South End Farmers Market                           Burlington    Wednesdays
Mt Philo State Park Farmers Market           Charlotte    Fridays
Hinesburg Farmers Market                           Hinesburg    Thursdays
Jericho Mills Riverside Farmers Market    Jericho    Thursdays
Milton Grange Farmers Market                   Milton    Saturdays
Richmond Farmers Market                           Richmond    Fridays
Shelburne Farmers Market                           Shelburne    Saturdays
South Burlington Farmers Market
at Healthy Living Market                              South Burlington    Saturdays
Westford Farmers Market Vermont           Westford    Fridays
Williston Farmers Market                            Williston    Saturdays
Winooski Farmers Market                            Winooski    Thursdays

Tee Time: Newbies and Seasoned Players Join the Club

By Phyl Newbeck

They say Vermont has ten months of winter and two months of poor skiing, but you’d never guess the Green Mountain State was known for winter sports if you surveyed the various options for golfing in the state. Why head to Florida when there are so many opportunities to play here?

Champlain Country Club head pro Mike Swim suggests that those just learning the sport should start with 9-hole courses like Arrowhead, Bakersfield or Richford. Other courses may be more challenging due to the length of the course, the pace of play and other conditions. In particular, he noted that Arrowhead, a par-3 course, is suitable for those just learning the sport. He describes his own Champlain Country Club as “friendly but challenging.” Champlain offers a 9-hole option and is not very hilly and therefore good for walking. Swim said roughly 25 percent of those at the club are over the age of 60 and another 35 percent are in the 45-60 age range; a cross-section which he believes is fairly typical for a golf club. He noted that 9-hole courses may skew older because younger golfers generally prefer a more challenging set-up.

Swim recommends that anyone starting out in golf should seek advice from a professional regarding lessons, gear, and courses. He further recommends renting clubs before purchasing them to get a feel for the types of equipment available. Swim personally keeps a set of clubs for novice golfers to borrow. “Golf takes a lot more energy than people think,” he said noting that golfing improves endurance and flexibility. In addition, “golfing stimulates the mind,” by requiring players to learn the rules and etiquette. There are also visual benefits as golfers learn to follow the ball to its landing spot. Swim encourages those just starting out to check out the various specials at area clubs, many of which have special discounts for seniors during the week.

Barry Churchill, the PGA Golf Instructor at Cedar Knoll refers to golf as “a lifetime game,” particularly since most clubs have several different tee boxes to accommodate beginners as well as the very old and very young. He lauded golf for its physical and social benefits. “Golf has camaraderie,” he said. “It’s social as well as aerobic.” Churchill’s home course, Cedar Knoll, is relatively hilly so even those patrons who use golf carts will still get exercise.

Churchill recommends Cedar Knoll as a good place for beginners, in part because with 27 holes, the club has 9 “extra” which aren’t as busy as the rest of the course. Beginners are often intimidated when playing on a regular course for fear they might hold up the players behind them. For this reason Churchill also recommends that even before beginners set foot on a golf course, they should get a lesson at a driving range. Although beginner golfers can outfit themselves for under $300, he advocates borrowing and/or renting equipment first. Churchill believes lessons are important for health reasons, as well as for learning the sport.

He noted that men often hurt their backs with bad swings and improper stances, whereas women are more likely to hurt their wrists from incorrect use of their hands.

Brian Gara, the head professional at the Vermont National Country Club lauds the social and physical benefits of the game, but adds that golf is also “an endless challenge; it’s a game with room for constant improvement.” Gara recommends that those new to the sport check out the “Play Golf America” section of the PGA Web site to learn about special discounts and offers. Gara noted that the muscles used to swing a golf club are often underutilized, so stretching exercises are helpful to develop strength and flexibility. Although he does not consider golf to be a physically demanding sport, Gara believes it is important for new players to recognize their limitations before they begin.

Gara said golf participation has been relatively flat over the last decade; the only areas of growth are for women and seniors. Since there is a growing cadre of older people learning the game, he recommends that newcomers find a peer group to help reinforce the learning process and provide companionship on the course. “We are always seeking to invite and retain people to play golf,” he said. “There are all kinds of programs run by PGA professionals that people can participate in. We’re always trying to make taking up the game of golf as easy and seamless as possible.”  Fore!

For more information visit the Vermont Golf Association Web site: vtga.org

Where to golf

In Chittenden County, one of the most prestigious courses is the Vermont National Country Club in South Burlington which was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Burlington Country Club is a slightly less expensive option, while the Links at Lang Farm in Essex and Kwiniaska Golf Club in Shelburne offer annual memberships without an initiation fee. The largest public golf course in the county is Cedar Knoll in Hinesburg which features 27 holes. The Essex Country Club, Rocky Ridge Golf Club in St. George, West Bolton Golf Club and Williston Golf Club all have 18-hole courses. Nine-hole courses in Chittenden County include Arrowhead Golf Course in Milton, and Catamount Golf Course and Catamount Country Club, both in Williston. There is a driving range at the Essex Family Golf Center, and most golf courses have their own practice areas. For those who want to practice their swings regardless of the weather, there is Gonzo’s Indoor Golf and Vermont Indoor Golf, both in South Burlington.

In Franklin County, there are a number of options including 18-hole courses at Bakersfield Country Club, Champlain Country Club in St. Albans and Enosburg Falls Country Club, as well as the 9-hole course at Richford Country Club. In Addison County, there are 18-hole courses at Basin Harbor in Vergennes and the Ralph Myhre Golf Course at Middlebury College. Lamoille County courses include the 9-hole Copley Country Club in Morrisville and Farms Resort Golf Club in Stowe, as well as two 18-hole courses at Stowe Mountain Resort. Washington County boasts the 9-hole Country Club of Barre, Montpelier Country Club, and Northfield Country Club as well as the 18-hole course at Sugarbush.

What Do You Want to Be When You ‘Retire?’

By Susan Rantanen

The once iconic concept of retirement has fallen into the hands of the headstrong, pro-active Baby Boomer generation and is consequently in flux. “Boomers” may be loosely defined by two characteristics. One is creativity both generated and abetted by a time of social upheaval and economic prosperity, and the other is sheer mass which sweeps along any other demographic in its path. Having upended everything from methods of childrearing to gender roles, the Baby Boomers are bringing a sea change to retirement as age has taken them to that realm. Once a time to unwind from a lifetime of toil, retirement is now seen as earned opportunity as defined by the individual.

The Merrill Lynch Global Client Group released The New Retirement Survey in 1995, which revealed that, true to form,

According to the survey, 76 percent intend to keep working after the traditional cut-off age of 65. Surprisingly, 56 percent plan a completely different career path. Only 13 percent expected to start a business, which would threaten to chain them to a regimen only recently escaped. Along the same line, only six percent planned to work full time.

John Adams of Williston represents the 67 percent of Boomers nationwide who cited “mental stimulation and challenge” as a leading reason why he launched a second career after his retirement from IBM at the age of 59. Now 64, he is co-owner with his wife, Peggy, and their children Scott Adams and Kimberly Antonioli, of Adams Apple Orchard and Farm Market on Old Stage Road. The high-profile enterprise generates $600,000 in annual sales and further stimulates the local economy by hosting a fall festival that attracts up to 10,000 people annually. The multi-generational business, which now involves two grandchildren, evolved from what was meant to be a modest business in later life. “Our intent was to have an orchard in retirement, and we developed it part time,” Adams said.

The orchard is now just part of the picture, which has grown to include 900 trees on seven acres, three greenhouses, and a farm market which sells not only the produce grown by Adams but goods grown and produced by ten area farms. “We started the farm market about five years before I retired, and by the time I left it was well established,“ Adams said of his seamless transition from IBM executive to agriculturalist. “I enjoy the challenge of having my own business, and seeing people enjoy what we do. It is very satisfying, very gratifying.”

“Retirement is finding something that you like and staying active,” Adams says. Retirees, he notices, “are taking work they enjoy, not necessarily on a career track.”

Dianna Reed, 66, of Highgate will retire this year from the Vermont Department of Labor. Working for a variety of departments within the parent organization kept her interests fresh during the 30 years of employment that earned her retirement benefits. She plans to work part time, but any job will be “on my own terms,”arranged to accommodate her high priority of spending time with her grandchildren. “I’m definitely off the career track,” she emphasizes. “Working in a school cafeteria, seeing the smiling faces of the children, would be nice,” she says whimsically.

Reed’s mother retired at 62 and never re-entered the job market. “Sixty-seven is just a number,” Reed states of her age. “I’m too young to retire. I want to enjoy life without being on a time clock. I want to interact with people, work at something fun.”

Reed feels that her career planning has left her in a good place to enjoy this new phase of her life. While she expected to work, her only concrete plans were to create an environment where she could enjoy watching her grandchildren grow. The need for finances, while present, is not pressing. Nor is she worried about finding a job. She agrees that many employers welcome mature workers, the work ethic of which is proven. “I don’t see my age as an issue,” she says. In fact, she cites “life experience” as one of her chief assets.

Finances, however, are a major part of the retirement equation as most people contemplate planning for retirement. Syndi Zook, 53, of Burlington, sees the reinvention of retirement by the Baby Boomers as not only a choice, but a necessity. Zook is the executive director of Burlington’s 36-year-old Lyric Theatre, which presented its 76th show to an audience of more than 5,000 in April. Previously, Zook spent 24 years in elder services, most recently as the director of the Champlain Multi-Generational Center. Her later-life career change from elder services to the entertainment industry came about when her own mother needed care, she explains, noting that she couldn’t make caregiving the focus of her job and her private life as well.

Most people in their 50s believe that they will have to continue working in some capacity. Zook noted the contrast between her grandparents’ version of retirement to that which she and her colleagues project for their futures. “The standard measure was that you worked for the same company all of your life and then retired at 65. Baby Boomers have many jobs [during their working years] and no expectations of retirement.”

Finances do shape the picture that Zook envisions. “The cost of retirement has risen disproportionately within one generation,” she points out. Even those Baby Boomers who have saved faithfully towards retirement may fall short of what they need due to the unpredictably astronomic rise in health care.

A return to communal living may be in the cards as the Boomers retire. “We are a social generation. We have the ‘60s behind us. Not everything turned out as we hoped but one of the things that may yet bloom from that time is shared living space, less formal than public senior housing,” muses Zook.

The new American ideology has retirees crafting individual circumstances into workable and enjoyable situations. Zook summarizes the mindset. “We will have to be very creative in retirement.”

The changing social and economic picture begs the question: what do you want to be when you retire?

Advisor, Counselor and Healer Eases Life’s Transitions

Profile: Jeannie Lynch

By Phyl Newbeck

Jeannie Lynch of South Burlington hopes people can distinguish between her “left brain” job and her “right brain” calling. By day, the trim, 47-year-old professional runs the Key 4 Women program at Key Bank in Williston. But every Wednesday night, she devotes her intuitive energies to guiding those seeking assistance with life’s transitions, free of charge.

Lynch prefers not to put a label on her right brain activities, but accepts “healer” as the closest to conveying the work she performs. Her calling started with a tragedy. On January 20, 2005, Lynch’s eight-year-old daughter Ila was killed in a car accident. A month later, Lynch pulled herself together enough to stop in at work to see her coworkers. Checking her e-mail she saw a message regarding the yet-to-be launched Key 4 Women program asking who would replace her as the program’s Vermont representative. As Lynch tells it, her daughter’s spirit coursed through her arms and propelled her fingers to the keyboard to respond that she would be back at work to take charge of the program. Speaking of Ila, Lynch said, “my daughter drew the line in the sand. She was so clear what my mission had to be.”

The first person to contact Lynch for her healing work was the mother of Sam Cohn, a Richmond teenager struck and killed by a car while on vacation in Florida. Lynch said Cohn’s mother kept track of how many times she heard Lynch’s name mentioned and by the thirteenth time, she decided to give her a call. Lynch is convinced that the grief she has experienced in her own life –the death of two children and several boyfriends – prepared her to help others. “I went through all these key lessons,” she said. “I felt it was my goal to teach.”

According to Lynch, being happy is both a choice and a skill. She has faith that she has the capability to get people through their grief. “I believe I am intuitive enough to get the words to help them through,” she said, noting that it is impossible to compartmentalize grief as those who counsel the seven stages would suggest. After two years of helping the grieving, focusing initially on mothers who had lost children, Lynch expanded her practice to include those in any kind of transition, be it a relationship, a family issue or a job. Even though she generally sees each individual only once so as to encourage them to find their own strength and power from within, Lynch is booked through next January. Although she takes great pains to separate her job and her calling, she does pray that she will continue to be successful in her work at Key Bank so that she can continue to help people for free. She estimates she has held almost 500 two-hour sessions with individuals from all walks of life. Her goal for 2010 is to help people realize they have their own gifts and don’t need her at all. “It would be great if nobody needed my work,” she said.

Lynch’s day job as the Vermont representative for the Key 4 Women program is also the result of a leap of faith on her part. Her 20-year job at Grand Union had come to an end due to cutbacks so Lynch impulsively went to visit Key Bank, which held her mortgage. “I’ve got 20 years cash management experience,” she recalls telling the bank manager. “I’m going to be paying you back somehow, so you might as well hire me.”

He did, and despite her lack of a college degree, Lynch has spent the last 20 years in banking. As the Key 4 Women representative, her job is to support women in business. “I meet people when the idea is in their head,” she said, “and I help get it to the table.”

In addition to assisting start-ups, Lynch helps existing businesses grow, and aids those who are nearing retirement in figuring out their next step. Pulling out an enormous tray of business cards, Lynch explains how she is able to create a network of people, introducing her clients to others who can provide assistance. “I’m the connector,” she said.

Lynch invites visitors to a room in her home filled with a mural of the outdoors and a ceiling painted to look like the sky. A portrait of her daughter is part of the artwork. “I’m only as successful as the people I’ve helped,” she says. This maxim is true for both facets of Lynch’s existence, since her job is based on the success she helps others create in the business world.

When people visit Lynch she feels as though she has the ability to see and hear what their guides and spirits want for them. “I call it ‘close to the veil’,” she said. It is then her job to determine what people need to have filtered from their thoughts, including limiting beliefs or past situations that didn’t honor them. Lynch uses herself as an example. “I used to believe that everything I love, I lose and that became a self-fulfilling prophecy,” she said. When Ila died, Lynch initially thought this just proved her theory, but soon the loss of her daughter taught her that she had been so concerned with death that she had been afraid to live. Instead, Lynch now believes that “everything you love lives on.”

Further, she believes that everything that happens has a purpose. “That’s an innate truth,” she said, “and the way I feel about that innate truth is what changes my experience.”

Despite the tragedy in her life, Lynch describes herself as “very much at peace.”  Her life is built around “believing, trusting and receiving.”

Lynch describes heaven as a place of acceptance and hell as a place of resistance. “My life is heavenly,” she said. “I accept everything that comes my way with open arms.”

Home Sweet Home: Exploring Living Options in Vermont

Options abound, but cost and availability remain issues

By Greg Elias

Franklin Miller carried on for a while in his Essex Junction home after his wife died in 2008. A self-described workaholic, Miller, now 77, worked hard to maintain the property by himself.

But he eventually tired of cutting the lawn and cleaning the house. Miller began to look around for a lower-maintenance alternative, someplace that offered a chance to make new friends and stay close to his children and grandchildren.

Many face such a choice as they age and circumstances change. Finding a new place is often difficult because affordable options are scarce and there is often a waiting list. But Miller, who dances recreationally to stay active and is in good health, got lucky.

After looking at only a few places, he learned of a new senior housing complex just two miles away from his home that was giving preference to Essex residents. He moved into an apartment at 48-unit Town Meadow, located next to Essex Shoppes and Cinema, shortly after it opened last year.

“All the people seem to enjoy it here,” Miller said. “It’s great to just walk out of your room and always meet somebody to talk to. They all seem very friendly.”

Many if not most seniors and their families have a tougher time than  Miller as they struggle to choose from among a dizzying array of housing options.

There are independent living facilities like the one in which he resides. Assisted living facilities offer a step up in the level of care. Still others combine those models, with some offering the flexibility to change the level of care as residents age.

Seniors can also stay in their current home and let health care and daily living assistance come to them. And of course there are still nursing homes for those who need around-the-clock care.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for choosing the right option, say experts in aging issues. The choice should be tailored to lifestyle and care requirements.

“The model of housing depends on the personal needs of the individual and their ability to pay,” said Deborah Worthley, associate director of education at the University of Vermont’s Center on Aging, in an e-mail. “Those who are able to carry out most activities of daily living, referred to as ADLs, are able to function well in independent living facilities. Those who cannot carry out most of the ADLs qualify for assisted living facilities that offer a higher level of care, but also at a higher cost.”

No place like home
Increasingly, seniors can opt to stay put. After all, a majority of Vermonters age 62 and over own their home. Less then 10 percent live in a licensed setting such as a nursing home or assisted living facility, according to Nancy Rockett Eldridge, executive director of the Cathedral Square Corp., the nonprofit organization that operates Town Meadow and other senior housing developments throughout Vermont.

Seniors like Miller who want to downsize and need little or no daily living assistance can pick from among the rising number of houses and condominiums in age-restricted developments sprouting up around the state.

For those who want to stay in their current home and do need services, there is Vermont’s Choices for Care program. It helps seniors who would otherwise end up in a nursing home receive services in their own homes. Vermont was the first state in the nation to convince federal regulators to allow Medicaid funding for at home services rather than nursing home care.

Another option is the PACE (Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program. It permits seniors who qualify for nursing home care to instead receive services at a central location while continuing to live at home. An interdisciplinary team oversees services, which can include medical care, dietary advice and transportation to appointments.

Most seniors prefer not to move, and virtually no one says a nursing home is their first choice, said Sarah Lemnah, director of development and communications for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. In most cases, seniors can continue to live in their home or a less restrictive setting.

“Some people who do need 24/7 care need to live in a nursing home,” she said. “But for the majority of seniors, a nursing home is not appropriate and never will be.”

Eliminating emotion
When moving is the best option, experts say a systematic appraisal can help find a living situation that fits a senior’s needs and desires.

First and foremost, family members should remember that the choice is ultimately up to the senior. Though grown children may think they know best, they should defer to their parent’s wishes.

Camille George, director of the Vermont Division of Disability and Aging Services, said she frequently receives calls from children and grandchildren who think their physically frail parents should move even though they want to stay in their current home.

“It’s hard for some people to accept that a senior wants to stay at home and is willing to risk getting hurt,” George said.

Second, seniors and their families should ask themselves what kind of living situation best fits. Does the senior value privacy above all, or does he or she want an active social life? What level of personal and medical care does he or she need? Is public transportation nearby?

Dr. Bill Thomas is a Harvard-trained doctor and a nationally recognized senior housing innovator who has his written several books on the subject.

He said in a telephone interview that grown children are often wracked with guilt when they are forced to make a decision for a parent who has Alzheimer’s Disease or another disability that prevents them from charting their own course.

Avoid that situation, he advised, by having a family talk and making plans before circumstances force a hasty and emotional choice.

“Too many seniors put off a decision until it is too late and someone ends up deciding for them,” Thomas said.
Assessing options

Once seniors have settled on the right type of housing, they should make a list of the places that fit their needs and visit them.

George said the condition and maintenance of the housing should be closely studied. Is it comfortable? Does the facility offer social groups? Would you fit in?

Thomas said the first thing to look for is how the facility’s managers and staff interact with each other and the residents, not whether it is newly furnished or freshly painted.

“The most important thing to look at are the relationships between people,” he said. “What makes good care are very strong and affectionate relationships. … It’s the relationships that make or break care, not the furnishings.”

The second thing to assess is whether or not the facility will protect residents’ individuality and dignity.
“In bad facilities, the elders are forced to conform to the routine of the facility,” Thomas said. “In good facilities, the facility flexes to meet the needs of the individual elder.”

Another consideration is whether the facility can address changes as the senior ages. A housing option that works now might no longer suffice in a few years.

“To me the most important question is what happens if my needs change – is there a resident service coordinator on site who can help me and my family advocate for my needs and help identify resources?” said Eldridge.

Though there are many kinds of housing models to choose from, the reality in Vermont, particularly in more rural areas of the state, is that many options are simply not available nearby. Eldridge and others note that affordability and availability – each of the 24 housing communities operated by Cathedral Square, for example, has a waiting list – remain a problem.

“So the biggest obstacle is that seniors and their families are having to decide between extreme choices: leave your home and move (often times to another town) into rental housing that may not have funding for services, or move to a licensed setting that may have more services than the seniors currently needs, and at a cost they may not be accustomed to paying,” Eldridge said.

Thomas said how to house and care for all the baby boomers approaching retirement age is going to be among the largest challenges facing the country over the next few decades.

“America is aging, and these issues are going to be the biggest social issues of the first half of the 21st century,” he said. “This is big, and we’re just beginning to figure these things out. You can really expect to be reading about this and thinking about it and talking about it for the next 40 years.”

For Miller, the Town Meadow resident, his move gave him not just a new home but a fresh social life. He’s struck up friendships with a couple of female neighbors. The trio, which regularly plays cribbage and Scrabble, calls itself “The Three Stooges.”

“Moving to this place has been great,” said Miller, adding that because he no longer has to maintain a too-big house, “it will probably add 15 years to my life.”

Six Levels of Senior Housing in Vermont

• Independent Housing: private residential units with kitchen and dining areas, bedroom(s), bathroom(s), and living areas; barrier-free with emergency call features, housing management and maintenance services,  geared toward independently functioning people. No regular meals, housekeeping, or home health services.

• Congregate Housing: private apartments in a complex that contains central dining and other common areas for those who want or need some supportive services including dining, housekeeping, home health and other assistance.

• Assisted Living: private living units and bathing facilities in a complex; common dining and activity areas; geared toward those who have difficulty functioning independently and who require oversight; provide an array of services, including 24-hour staff, meal plans, transportation services, nursing assessment, care planning/oversight, medication management, organized activities.

• Shared Homes: private bedrooms and either private or shared bathrooms, with common living, dining, and kitchen areas for those wanting a home-like setting; support services such as daily meals, service coordination, and light housekeeping. Residents can bring in hospice care, but these homes are not designed for those with intensive medical needs.

• Residential Care Homes (RCHs): two categories in Vermont – Level III and Level IV; not required to be barrier-free or to offer private accommodations and baths, although many do. Both levels of licensure provide general supervision, personal care assistance, organized activities and transportation services up to three times per month. Level III RCHs also provide nursing oversight, medication management and 24-hour staffing. Level IV RCHs do not.

• Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs): combine independent housing, congregate housing, and assisted living with the availability of nursing home care; require a significant upfront investment, and monthly fees; offer individual residents the benefit of remaining in their community as care-level needs increase.

Compiled by Don Manders with help from Veda Lyon, Manager of the Community Development Unit for the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

Boomers Invited to Join Charity Ride Across America

Get ready to start your engines motorcycle enthusiasts, NASCAR fans and Victory Junction supporters. Approximately 200 riders will join NASCAR driver, SPEED and TNT racing analyst and Charity Ride founder Kyle Petty May 1-9 for the 16th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. The Ride will travel from Indian Wells, Calif. to Victory Junction in Randleman, N.C., to raise awareness and funds for Victory Junction.

Founded by Petty and his wife, Pattie, Victory Junction provides a medically sound camping experience to children with chronic and terminal illnesses.

Since the Charity Ride’s inception in 1995, more than 6,400 participants have logged more than 9.1 million cumulative motorcycle miles, traveled through 48 states, and donated more than $13 million to Victory Junction and other charities that support chronically ill children. The Petty’s opened Victory Junction in 2004 in honor of their son Adam, whose life dream was to help children with terminal illnesses.

The year-round camp serves children, ages six to 16, whose health issues would typically prevent them from attending camp. Campers attend at no cost to their families, and transportation costs are covered, if needed. The camp operates solely on the donations of corporations, organizations and individuals. As a result of the Charity Ride, more than 7,000 children have attended Victory Junction free of charge.

“With the economy continuing to struggle, these children and their families need our support now more than ever,” said Petty. “Victory Junction provides life-changing opportunities for deserving children and their families and it’s our hope that we are able to raise funds to impact many lives, despite the current economic challenges. Pattie and I are excited to hit the road with our fellow riders, sponsors and fans again this year. Riding across America provides unforgettable memories and lasting friendships for everyone involved.”
Fans and spectators are encouraged to create “Dream Teams” that work together to host fundraisers in advance of the Charity Ride to help send a child to camp at Victory Junction. Dream Teams that attend one of the Ride “pit stops” will have the opportunity to present their donation to Petty, which helps to provide these children the memory of a lifetime.

Petty said, “Adam’s passion for helping children drove him to think of new ways to impact their lives. His dream of opening a racing-themed camp for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses lives on today at Victory Junction. Please join us this year in ‘Keeping the Dream Alive,’ honoring Adam Petty by supporting the Charity Ride.”

For more information about the Charity Ride, visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.

My Dad Has Become a Competitive Power Lifter

By Elizabeth Hart

Tom Hart is a Hinesburg man you may know. Maybe you see him chatting with his brother and cousins at Hart & Mead early in the morning, or you had him as a teacher at the Life Program at CVU.  Like any other local, he shops at Lantmans, gets coffee from Quickstop and helps dig neighbor’s cars out of the snow. He’s a humble, seemingly ordinary man who has accomplished some extraordinary things.

I have watched my father take on many roles through my lifetime. Being Hinesburg born, he spent his career as an influential educator at Champlain Valley Union High School, was a member of the Hinesburg Fire Department for 25 years and the State Fire Warden for 20 years. He has proudly worn multiple hats; those of a passionate educator, a successful mentor, an empowering sports coach, a loving husband, and a dedicated father (to name a few). But what has Tom Hart become in his post-retirement years? The most recent title he has achieved came as a surprise, even to his family. “What hat is dad wearing now?” I jokingly asked my mother over the phone a couple months ago. “Well…” she responded with a pause and a smirk in her voice, “a power lifter.”

Power lifting is a form of competitive sport weightlifting. It requires specialized training techniques that are focused on strength and explosive power. In the last year and a half, Tom has set two Vermont State records for his age (67 years) and weight (195 lbs). In his first competition in April 2008, he lifted 220 lbs., setting the State bench press record for the 65-69 age group. He proceeded to beat his own, and the state’s, record in Nov. 2008 with a 226 lb. lift.

But how did he get to this place in his life? Being a few years shy of 70 and spending his career as a teacher at CVU, power lifting seems like an odd path. Here is a little history about my father (or, as I have been calling him recently, “PowerDaddy”):

He was always an athlete. Softball, swimming, bowling, basketball,  you name it, he probably played it. He also coached a variety of high school sports, including my brother Christopher’s successful Track and Field team.  But when he started teaching history at CVU in 1964, he transitioned to working with students who needed and thrived in an alternative education environment, outside of the standard classroom. He founded CVU’s Life Program, a safe place to provide students with a firm foundation from which they could spring forward into college and a career. Trudging through academic and organizational hurdles, Tom fought for each and every student for basic services, respect, and dignity. His students were his team, and he was their coach.

After retirement in 2001, Tom spent most of his time in the woods, chopping trees. Years of “playing lumber jack,” as I like to call it, came easily to him, and kept him in excellent health as competitive sports and teaching were no longer part of his everyday life. Tom suffered a back injury in the summer of 2007 by twisting the wrong way with a chainsaw.  His injury led to doctor’s care and eventual physical therapy. My father’s physical therapist recommended exercises to strengthen core muscles. “I was told,” Tom said, “that for a man of my age, I was incredibly strong everywhere except where I needed it the most.”

He joined a local health club to work on core muscles for preventative purposes against future injury. But, the bench press caught his eye. “After a number of months watching people doing bench press,” my father wrote me in an email a couple months ago, “I finally asked one lifter if he would give me some pointers on bench press because I had never been on a bench.”

After instruction and a few months of lifting, another athlete encouraged him to consider competing. Initially, he dismissed the idea, but at the encouragement of his kids, he decided to try it. Tom contacted Bret Kernoff of Vermont Powerlifting for advice and instruction. Tom became Bret’s student, learning the rules and regulations of competitive lifting, and the rest is reflected in Tom’s growing list of achievements.

My father’s goal for his future in powerlifting is to just continue training. He is humble about his accomplishments, but has expressed interest in eventually working toward the national bench pressing record of 250 lbs. “I’ve hit that weight in the gym,” he said bashfully, “but competitions are entirely different scenes.”
In the meantime, you will probably still see him visiting with his family, picking up provisions at the grocery store and willing to help any one in need. I want to recognize his humble persona and continuing accomplishments (as untraditional as they may be!).

Avoiding U.S. Census Scams

By Tom Browning

The official U.S. Census, which is conducted every ten years and is described in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, calls for an accurate count of people living in the United States and is used as a gauge in the allotment of each state’s seats in the House of Representatives and in the allocation of funds to citizens in need. The first official Census was conducted in 1790 under Thomas Jefferson, who was the Secretary of State. That census, taken by U.S. marshals on horseback, counted 3.9 million inhabitants. Since that time, the Census has been conducted every ten years.

While participation is safe, a certain level of caution is necessary when divulging personal information. Citizens need to clearly differentiate legitimate U.S. census employee communications from fraudulent activity.

It’s important for people to be on guard against predatory individuals and organizations who piggyback on official U.S. Census activities with their own copy-cat schemes to solicit private information. The Census Bureau seeks to determine household information pertaining only to the occupants’ age, address, phone number, gender, race, birth-date and marital status and whether you own or rent your home. You can view the questions at: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php, although no census information will be taken via the Internet. Information requested beyond the information on this form is likely being perpetrated by scam artists.

The Census Bureau employs thousands of trained Federal employees to conduct surveys in person, over the phone or via the U.S. mail. Requests for Census information will be labeled from the U.S. Census Bureau as “Official Business of the United States.” A notice from the Census Bureau will be mailed prior to receiving forms, phone calls or visits from Census workers. Americans will be asked to complete and mail back the 10-question census form which arrived in mailboxes around March 15-17.

The following tips will help you recognize fraudulent activity or unofficial data collections to keep predators at bay while ensuring your valid participation in the important census process:

Don’t Get Social – The U.S. Census does not request your social security number so do not divulge this information to anyone claiming to be a U.S. Census representative.

Avoid Phishing Trips – The U.S. Census is not conducting any surveying via the Internet so any emails or other electronic communications received are fraudulent “phishing trips” that should be immediately reported as spam and deleted. “Phishing” is the unlawful practice of attempting to acquire private information such as usernames, passwords, social security numbers, bank account or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy person or organization in an email or via instant messaging. Often the “phishers” direct you to enter this private information at a fake Web site that looks almost uniform to the legitimate one.
Don’t Pay Cents (or Dollars) for Census – The Census Bureau never asks for money or a donation. Steer clear of anyone purporting to be with the Census Bureau that asks for monetary donations. Similarly, the Census Bureau will not request passwords or access to bank accounts, credit cards and other financial information.
Be an ID Watchdog – If a census worker visits your home, ask for identification. It is the duty of every U.S Census employee to provide their identification to every person that is being visited. All Census workers carry official government badges marked with their name. A Census taker will never ask to enter your home. The representative can provide you with supervisor contact information. You can also call the regional office phone number for verification or the Census Bureau call center at 1.800.923.8282.

Civility is Central to Census – U.S. Census employees are educated to be civil with every citizen or non-resident that they contact. If you come across an official who is acting in an intimidating or aggressive manner, you have the right to refuse to divulge information and to report this person to the authorities.
Census workers are bound by law to keep your information confidential and are not permitted to share it with anyone. If you prefer not to share your information in person, complete and return the form you receive by mail from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more information, visit the United States Census at www.2010census.gov

Dear Diary…Not Just for the Lovelorn Teenager

On October 4, 1869, young Wilbur Pelsue of East Wallingford recorded that he stayed home from school because all the bridges washed out in a record autumn flood. Will was 15 years old. He had started keeping a diary that year, following the example of his father, a Wallingford mill owner and cheese box manufacturer.

Writing in pencil, the occasional word misspelled, Will Pelsue recorded the small details of a boy’s life in rural Vermont in the years following the Civil War. Most of the entries were brief: “chopped some wood,” “commenced haying,” “did not do much.” But over a period of several years, his diaries carried him into manhood and a life of carpentry, teaching school and directing the Wallingford town band.

On the day of the flood he wrote, “Did not go to school and will not, for the bridges are all washed away. The water has been the highest today that it ever was before. Washed road to East Wallingford to our house all out and within 3 feet of the house and everything else.” Other entries that year referred to a total eclipse of the sun (he said it was “on time”) , a fire that “burned up” the East Centerville schoolhouse, and the arrival of a jackknife that he had sent away for in the mail.
Wilbur’s diaries, and those of his father and mother, have come down through the family and provide an intimate link to ancestors otherwise known only through faded pictures. Wilbur is the great grandfather of Margery Pelsue Gregory, who is slowly transcribing those nearly illegible diaries as a glimpse into her own heritage.

A lot of what we know about our past comes from journals and diaries kept by famous and everyday people. Presidents and statesmen have kept a daily records of their activities and observations. Wartime diaries of soldiers have provided the basis for award-winning documentaries. But it is often in the routine jottings of ordinary people in ordinary times that we catch the flavor of life in all its complexity and worth.

This is equally true today. Unfortunately, writing in a journal is less common than it once was. Life is faster paced and more complicated. We have more distractions — TV shows to watch, e-mail, cell phones, texting and twittering to keep in constant touch — and as a result less time to compose our thoughts and make note of what gives each day its texture.

Keeping a diary is not for the faint of heart. It requires a commitment to write something — anything — every day. A day missed is an invitation to miss another and another until the blank pages become a reproach and an excuse for giving up.

I began a diary on January 1, 1975. I was 39 years old, happily married, the father of two teenagers, working as a television newsman in Boston. My father had tried to get me to try a diary as a boy, but I couldn’t keep it going long enough for a habit to take hold. The closest I got was keeping a journal of life aboard ship when I worked on oil tankers a couple of summers during college.

This time, the diary was my wife’s idea. We had traveled across the country in a motor home the previous year and kept a daily log of our adventures. It gave us so much pleasure in reliving the experience later that she thought I might be primed for a daily journal. She gave me the empty book as a Christmas gift. It was nicely bound with a soft brown leatherette cover and 365 lined pages, one for every day of the year, each one dated. It was a challenging prospect. I was almost afraid to start for fear I wouldn’t carry on.

I was working nights then, producing an 11 p.m. newscast. I wrote my first entry when I got home from work in the wee hours of New Year‘s Day.

“The year began with a picture book snowstorm. It started early New Year’s Eve and by midnight the world was white and glistening. Driving was bad coming home from work. Marge and I celebrated with hamburgers and lemon meringue pie. Rob asleep. Jan in bed but still awake. She reminded me it was John Denver’s birthday.”

Thus began a daily routine that has continued through the years. Sometimes I write in the evenings, sometimes the next morning. The diaries provide a blank page for each day and I fill them one by one, week by week, year by year. There are now 34 of them in a bookcase by my bed, and I’m working on number 35. It isn’t a chore anymore, although it’s hard to fill the page some days, especially in retirement.

The diaries are a treasure trove of memories great and small. They’re the court of last resort in settling disputes over who did what when. They’re a reminder of the ebb and flow of life, holding a grandchild for the first time, saying farewell to a dying parent, celebrating the benchmarks of marriage and career.

At first I wrote for Marge and me, not thinking my thoughts would be read by others. It wasn’t until after my parents died and we began reading their sporadic diaries that I realized my children and grandchildren and perhaps generations to come would see mine, too. From then on I weighed what I wrote against the pleasure it would give or the pain it might cause to some future reader. Still, I’ve tried to be straightforward and honest in my impressions and accounts. I suppose anyone who has the time and inclination to wade through all those years of recollections will have a pretty good idea of who I am, or was.

As we get older, I’ve discovered other benefits. A diary is a marvelous aid to memory. Thoughts and experiences written down become a permanent record. Routine things like what we paid for fuel oil last winter or how many dahlias we planted are there for reference. So are health concerns, real or imagined. And a reminder of when we last visited the kids. I’ve started indexing my diaries, listing the day-to-day highlights to make it easier to find things I may want to check later.

I also find that writing each day gives life meaning. It forces me to evaluate whether I’m spending my time well. Sometimes I have a day like Marge’s great-grandfather and am tempted to write, “Did not do much.” Then I look back over recent months and discover what an interesting and varied life we live. And I realize a slow day now and then is not a bad thing. But then, there’s that page to fill…

Think You Know a Lot About Christmas?

Take the Christmas Quiz and Find Out

By Vicky Katz Whitaker, CNS

1. Which U.S. president inaugurated the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House? A. Abraham Lincoln, B. Theodore Roosevelt, C. Calvin Coolidge.

2. How many gifts would you receive if you received all the gifts in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? A. 478, B. 12, C. 364.

3. Who wrote the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”? A. Gene Autry, B. Johnny Mercer, C. Johnny Marks.

4. What popular children’s treat was introduced in 1902 as a Christmas ornament? A. gingerbread men, B. Animal Crackers, C. candy canes.

5. The first U.S. Christmas stamp was issued in 1962. In what year did Canada issue its first Christmas stamp? A. 1961, B. 1898, C. 1964.

6. According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the most performed holiday song is: A. “White Christmas,” B. “The Christmas Song,” C. “Winter Wonderland.”

7. Who brought the Christmas poinsettia to the U.S.? A. John Roebling, B. Joel Poinsett, C. Charles Pickering.

8. In 1742, where was George Frideric Handel’s Christmas oratorio, “Messiah,” first performed? A. St. Petersburg, Russia, B. Dublin, Ireland, C. Hamburg, Germany.

9. Where was the first Christmas tree decorated? A. Riga, Latvia, B. Munich, Germany, C. Strasbourg, France.

10. How many film versions of “A Christmas Carol” have been made? A. 3, B. 22, C. 37.

Answers:
1. C. Calvin Coolidge’s involvement gave national prominence to the event, viewed as a winter equivalent to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. The tree was placed on the Ellipse, south of the White House, so that the ceremony wouldn’t interfere with first lady Grace Coolidge’s Christmas “sing” on the North Lawn.

2. C. 364. Except for the first day, you get a new gift each day plus a duplicate number from the day before.

3. C. Created by Montgomery Ward copywriter Robert L. May for the department store chain’s Christmas promotion, the story of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was well-known by the time May approached his brother-in-law, Marks, to put it to music. Several million copies of the story were distributed between 1939 and 1946, but because he was an employee, May never received royalties. In 1947, he turned the story into a best-seller after Montgomery Ward gave him the Rudolph copyright. Autry soon recorded the song penned by Marks, an instant holiday hit that spawned an entire industry. Marks went on to write other holiday tunes, including “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”

4. B. In 1902, Nabisco introduced the familiar circus-wagon box as seasonal packaging for its existing line of animal-shaped biscuits. They were renamed Barnum’s Animals Crackers, and a string handle was added to the box so that it could be hung as a Christmas tree ornament.

5. B and C. The Canadian Royal Philatelic Society brands the 1898 stamp Canada’s and the world’s first. Not so, contend some historians, who say “XMAS 1898” printed across the bottom of the map of the British Empire was a last-minute addition to a stamp actually created to mark the introduction of imperial penny postage. Originally set to be issued on the Prince of Wales’ November birthday, it was reworked and rescheduled after postal officials learned the prince was on the outs with Queen Victoria. When the queen, who had to approve the design, questioned the postmaster general, he assured her the new stamp was honoring “the Prince of Peace.” Canada’s first contemporary Christmas stamp was issued in 1964.

6. C. “Winter Wonderland” has topped ASCAP’s list for the past two years. Not bad for a tune written in 1934 and performed by everyone from Guy Lombardo to Perry Como and, more recently, the Eurythmics, Jewel and Air Supply.

7. B. If you went for the obvious, you were right. It’s named after Poinsett, the American ambassador to Mexico, who sent the plant from Mexico to his South Carolina home, in 1829, where it flourished. Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Pickering was an American naturalist.

8. B. Incidentally, there’s no “The” in the title.

9. A. Riga, Latvia (in 1510), says the National Christmas Tree Association.

10. B. A British adaptation made its debut in 1901.

Spice Up Your Holiday Cards

By Chandra Orr, CNS

Skip the boxed cards. This year, put a personal spin on the holidays with handcrafted holiday sentiments that trump any ready-made greeting.

It’s the perfect activity for keeping kids busy during unexpected snow days and a surefire boredom buster during the long holiday vacation.

“Handmade greeting cards show off your unique style and your creativity,” says Lish Dorset of Handmade Detroit, the crafters collaborative behind the annual Detroit Urban Craft Fair.
Crafted cards don’t have to be fancy to make a statement.

“It sounds clichéd, but it’s really the thought that counts, and creating your own cards can be very inexpensive when compared with boxed greeting cards,” Dorset says.

Have the grandkids sketch Santa, Rudolph or Frosty, scan the artwork and print their masterpieces on blank cards from your home computer. Let them clip snowflakes the old-fashioned way — folding the paper a few times and snipping — and use them to adorn the fronts of the finished cards.
Want to add a personal photo to the design? Think black and white.

“Photos are a great way to go. Print them in grayscale, and let your grandchildren color them and add their favorite extras, like sequins or stickers,” Dorset says.

You might be surprised at what you and the kids come up with once you start brainstorming.
The point is to send a little piece of yourself to faraway friends and family, according to crafting experts Jennifer O’Neil and Kitty O’Neil, whose columns appear regularly in magazines, including Crafts ‘n Things, Create & Decorate and Country Accents.

“People get tens, if not hundreds, of Christmas cards. Why not make yours stand out from the rest?” Kitty O’Neil asks. “When the recipient opens a handmade card from you, they feel your presence on the other end.”

So put on some festive music; brew up a batch of killer hot chocolate; and get ready to get crafty.
Need extra inspiration? Gather your supplies; wrangle the grandkids; and set to work on these quick and clever holiday cards that aren’t like everyone else’s:

STRING IT TOGETHER
Send a string of joyous gingerbread men clipped from brown paper bags.

“Stand-up holiday motifs cut paper doll-style are elegant and inexpensive,” says professional illustrator Joanne Gilbert, owner of DrawntoLetters, which specializes in personalized note cards and prints.

Start with a long strip of paper trimmed to 4 inches high. Paper grocery bags, rolls of butcher paper or oversized cardstock from the art supply store work well.

Fold the paper accordion-style; trace your design on the top fold; and start clipping. Just remember to choose simple shapes, such as stars or trees.

“The trick is to connect the motif on each side so when you open it, it forms a chain,” Gilbert says. “They have the dual advantage of being both a greeting card and a foldout decoration that can be used on a windowsill, mantel or tree.”

Don’t have access to long sheets of paper? Cut individual designs, and string the shapes together with festive ribbon.

“I added tiny green string bows at the junctures of kissing doves one year and red and white bakery string bows between gingerbread men. It looks festive, like candy cane accents,” Gilbert says.
Embellish the garland with a long horizontal greeting, or have each family member sign and decorate one page of the card. Add button eyes to gingerbread figures or paper stars to trees.

STAMP IT UP
To make multiple cards in a flash, pick up a rubber stamp. From whimsical winter fairies to classic snowmen and Santa, craft stores offer a wide selection of holiday-inspired stamps.

Stamp the design in black ink, and have the kids accent the images with marker or colored pencil. Have them add a few holiday-themed embellishments, such as stick-on rhinestones, glitter, die-cut accents and ribbon. You’ll have a stack of masterpieces in no time.

“Go with an assembly line approach to creating the cards,” Dorset says. “Decide what your design will be, and make all of the pieces at the same time. You’ll find the creation and assembly goes much more quickly that way.”

Add an extra element to the design by stamping the image on colored paper and then trimming the finished piece to fit the front of the card, and adhere with glue.

“Since you’re not stamping on the blank card, you can mess up all you want and not waste the cards, but don’t go for perfection,” Jennifer O’Neil says. “The idea is to make them look handmade.”

Photographer Betsy Melvin Pictures a New Life Developing in Tennessee

By Phyl Newbeck

Stepping into Betsy Melvin’s Essex Center studio doesn’t feel like going indoors. The walls are covered with Melvin’s signature landscape photographs: the morning mist rising from the valley with a mountain backdrop, a river flowing through a picturesque valley, snow-capped peaks, and beautiful foliage. One has only to look at the photos to see how much Melvin loves the landscape of Vermont. And yet, her house/studio is on the market and she is planning on moving to Lynchburg, Tennessee to be near her daughter, Holly.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Melvin was only 11 years old when her father bought her a camera for less than a dollar. Melvin still has that camera; she had it bronzed with some film still inside. Although she has clearly upgraded her equipment over time, Melvin still speaks fondly of the old twin lens reflex camera she used make 2 ¼” square negatives. That camera has also been retired, but she won’t part with it. She and her late husband Tom fought the use of digital cameras. “I don’t like gimmicks,” she said, but in a concession to her daughter and to modernity, she has reluctantly begun to make the switch.

Melvin didn’t begin her career with the sweeping panoramas for which she is now known. She did yearbook photography and worked in journalism, writing and photographing for the Burlington Free Press and the Suburban List which covered the town of Essex.  She made a name for herself doing portrait photography of business people, doctors, college presidents and bishops. For twelve years she was the resident photographer at Magram’s Department Store on Church Street in Burlington.

When she was forty years old her first husband, Frank Thrasher, told her that she should concentrate on the kind of photography she loved – landscapes – and she hasn’t looked back.
Melvin met her second husband Tom at a photography convention. In 1971 they opened their studio/gallery, The Artistic Alliance, on Route 15 in Essex. One of her proudest accomplishments is that she and Tom were the first photographers to be allowed to use their images to accompany the words of Robert Frost. In 1977, the couple published “Robert Frost Country,” which sold 50,000 copies. In 2000 they published a sequel entitled “Robert Frost’s New England.”

Melvin is moving in part because she dislikes having to be dependent on others for transportation. She has been unable to drive since an accident in November 2006. Tom died the following year, ending what Melvin called a “perfect marriage.”

Initially she will move into a home across the street from her daughter, but the two plan to buy a larger piece of property with greater acreage for Holly’s horses. Melvin will, however, continue to be associated with Vermont. Her photographs, of and from the town of Essex, are proudly displayed on the town’s Web site.

Melvin, now 87, is already carving out a photography niche for herself in Tennessee. She intends to do horse photography, something she is quite familiar with having had a horse jumping photograph printed in Family Magazine (a now-defunct Sunday insert) back in 1967. Her daughter raises Tennessee Walking Horses and Melvin has already begun photographing some of them. In addition, Melvin intends to market postcards of her new hometown. She has already experimented with some shots that put the town’s existing postcards to shame.

“Landscapes are my legacy,” said Melvin. She pointed to two photographs she took of the village of Worcester, Vermont to demonstrate what makes a good photograph. The first one, in full daylight, she describes as “just a dumb postcard.” The second, taken in variable light, is one of her favorite photographs. “The light, the composition, the angles and the mood are the most important things,” she said. Melvin enjoys fall photography the most because of the colors and the lighting. Besides, she noted, “Vermont is a magic word and it makes people think of fall.” However, because her summer photographs are less iconic Vermont pictures, she believes they will sell well in Tennessee.

Melvin readily admits that she will miss Vermont. “Looking wistfully at some of her photos of snow-capped mountains, Melvin conceded that she would also miss the snow, but perhaps not the perils of home-ownership in a winter climate. Melvin is heading down to Tennessee in mid-December to spend the winter with her daughter, but will come back up in the spring for a final sale of her works and to say goodbye to the enchanted scenery of her photographs. The pictures which she has for sale at galleries in Jeffersonville, Jericho, Stowe and Warren will remain on the walls throughout the winter and the images that she has taken will be etched in the hearts of all who have seen them no matter where she resides.

More Than Two Centuries of Vermont’s Rich Military History

Vermont Veterans Militia Museum Showcases Vermont’s Rich Military History

By Chris Preston

The black lettering spelling out Vermont Veterans Militia Museum and Library set against the light blue exterior gives the historic Camp Johnson facility a rather unassuming look upon first glance. But the half-dozen or so antique armored vehicles situated on the front lawn – seemingly guarding the entrance – suggests there’s a bit of magic inside this otherwise drab looking building.

With lifelike statues donning Civil and Vietnam War garb staring you down and cannons and model airplanes flanking you in all directions, the museum springs to life once you walk through its doors. Founded in the early 1970s, the museum is a showcase for Vermont’s proud military history, dating back to the Revolutionary War.

It began solely as a library in an isolated corner of Colchester’s Camp Johnson, but was moved to within 100 yards of the front gate about 15 years ago, where it has since expanded and grown into a multi-room facility housing one-of-a-kind historical items, all of which have been donated.

There’s the “Sheridan’s Ride” oil painting, a 17’ x 28’ panorama of the Civil War painted in 1896 by Vermonter Charles Hardin Andrus. The largest oil painting in North America at the time of its completion, it depicts General Phil Sheridan rallying 11th Vermont Heavy Artillery Union troops as they turned the tide in the battle at Cedar Creek on Oct. 19, 1864.

There’s Paul Revere’s lithograph of British ships docking at Boston Harbor in 1768. There’s a World War I room that features a 40/8 boxcar gifted to Vermonters by the French for their efforts in the European trenches. There are scores of American flags dating back as far as 1850. There are uniforms – cavalry uniforms worn by Vermonters in the Spanish-American War, a “women in the armed forces” display, West Point cadet uniforms. There’s even a nuclear warhead that was used for practice in Burlington long ago by the Vermont Air Guard.

A nonprofit run strictly by volunteers, the museum survives on donations and memberships, of which there are currently about 400. The knowledgeable volunteer staff is made up mostly of veterans, all of whom are friendly and eager to guide you through more than 230 years of Vermont military history.

“As long as I’m talking about military things I can hold my own,” says Roland Brosseau, a long time volunteer at the museum who served four years in the Air Force during the Korean War and taught history at Winooski High School for 29 years. “When you like something, it comes easy.”

As he and the rest of the museum’s staff do for school field trip groups and casual visitors, Brosseau gave me the full tour. Every exhibit tells a story.

Peering through a glass case of Congressional medals of honor bestowed upon Vermonters, Brosseau points to one worn by Saint Michael’s graduate Col. Donald Cook.

“He died of malnutrition in POW camp because he gave his food and water to the other prisoners,” Brosseau explains. “That’s why his four kids had the opportunity to go to St. Mike’s for free.”

Our next stop is at a rather menacing looking mannequin decked out in a full Operation Iraqi Freedom sniper uniform. The outfit was worn by South Burlington graduate Cpl. Mark A. Eunin – the second Vermonter killed in Iraq, at age 21. The uniform was donated by Mark’s mother, Mindy Eunin.

“She comes a couple times a year to check on it,” says Brosseau. “People will take a look at it and say, ‘Oh yeah, my older brother played football with him at South Burlington.’ That’s what I want [visitors] to know. This was not some guy from Alabama. He grew up around here. We try to make it personal.”

Brosseau has his own personal tale of serving in the Vermont military. For 13 months, beginning in 1954, he was deployed to Alaska to help keep tabs on the Russians. With no television or telephones and very little activity, Brosseau spent most of his time playing cards, trying to stay warm and keeping an eye out for polar bears.

When an unidentified aircraft entered U.S. territory en route from Russia one day, things suddenly got serious for Brosseau and company. Or so it seemed. Soon after relaying the message that an enemy fighter plane had crossed into American airspace, Brosseau’s squad discovered that the aircraft was actually a U.S. photo recon plane returning from a top secret mission in Russia.

“This never happened,” was the message Brosseau says Air Force higher-ups told his squad to remember.

But it did happen. Brosseau was there. For proof, all you have to do is wander into the small library at the back of the facility. In fact, Brosseau does just that, leafing through several reference books listing names of all Vermonters who served in various wars. Eventually he picks up a book and, sure enough, there it is: Brosseau, Roland….Staff Sergeant, Korean War.

Veterans who frequent the museum often make the same pit stop in the library to find their names listed. Saint Michael’s history students also use the library for research on occasion. Books reach as high as the ceilings, though its modest size makes it hard to believe that the library was all that was here nearly 40 years ago.

The museum aspect was introduced later, though as Bernie Phenning – a volunteer at the facility for 10 years and a veteran of the Vermont Air National Guard – recalls, “It used to be a little trailer.”

Donations continued to roll in, however, and the collection swelled. That necessitated the addition of some recycled Camp Johnson buildings, and today the Vermont Veterans Militia Museum and Library is a spacious setup worthy of Vermont’s rich military history.

And now the museum has its own Web site. For more information about its ever-expanding list of exhibits, visit www.vermontmilitarymuseum.com. The Vermont Veterans Militia Museum is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free, though donations are accepted.