the bridge, november 29, 2012

7/30/2019 The Bridge, November 29, 2012

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Connecting Montpelier and nearby communities since 1993 | N OVEMBER 29D ECEMBER 12, 2012

IN THIS ISSUECRECHES AND

CHAINSAWS

David Budbills Two ForChristmas at Lost Nation

19

JACO BS ON TH E CIT Y Jeff and Jesse, part two

68

A BAD EDUCATION?Parents petition for removal of teacher

10

BOOKING ITHow a Montpelier mystery writer finally got published

20

Bob Eddy; courtesy LNT

O n the morning after Thanksgiving,Montpelier mayor John Hollar bi-cycled to The Bridge office in hisFlannel Friday attire to talk for an hour aboutthe citys finances and budget. Three under-lying themes emerged during the conversa-tion, which we present in two partsthefirst in this issue and the second, next issue,December 13. Hollar views the way forwardas requiring level-funding of the city depart-ments, a consumer price index increase in thetax rate to pay for neglected infrastructureprojects over the next several years and a revised approach to outside agency fund-ing requests, including the newly establishedagency-request review mechanism and anemphasis on contributions by surrounding towns for services the city provides region-ally.

Richard Sheir: Elections have conse-quences. You live in District 2. District 2 was perhaps the cleares t choice in a decade inthe way it was articulated. Was it a mandate? And if so, what did that mandated electionsay to you?

John: Well, Im not sure I see it as a man-

dateI do agree that elections have conse-quences. I think the council now feels it hasthe support of the community to changeslightly the direction of our spending priori-ties. We have a significant budget hole. Ourbudget has been going up over the last fiveyears, on average, a little less than 5 percenta year. We have the highest median tax billsin the state. And yet incomes have gone up inMontpelier at a fraction of that rate.

And then compounding that problem is,of course, our infrastructure [the mainte-nance of our streets, roads and sidewalks] hasbeen substantially underfunded. The latest

estimates are about a million dollars a year.So weve got this confluence of issues thathave come together that have created a very significant challenge for us financially. So Ido feel that we do have an obligation to deal with those [issues].

Richard: When you talk about a slight

difference, I think you were framing it in thecontext of more into repair and maintenanceof our city and less into program [issues]. Butduring the election, you used the termbend-ing the curve over and over. Is there anything that you see on bending the curve? Is it sus-tainable in the long run to have the highestmedian effective property tax rate? How iscouncil bending the curve?

John: I think thats exactly what were

doing. I think we have, I believe, the major-ity of council support for a growth in thebudget of about . . . the Consumer PriceIndex [CPI], which is about 2 percent. Thatshalf the rate of growth that weve seen in thepast five years. The overall budget would belevel-funded, that is, no increase in most city agencies. The CPI increase, that 2 percentincrease, will all go into roads and bridges,about $180,000. And the plan would be tocontinue that over the next five to seven yearsso that at the end of that process, we couldreach a steady state that has about a milliondollars more going into our infrastructurethan we do now.

In terms of bending the curve, yes, we will,but probably not as dramatically as somemight like, given the reality of our infrastruc-ture needs. And it will be a really challenging problem for the council, every year, if we aregoing to maintain that level of commitmentover five to seven years. One option is to domore this year, the first year, when we have a

clearer scope of the problem. I think its suc-cessively going to be harder to maintain thatdiscipline.

The first year is going to be the easiestbecause we have seen such significant budgetgrowth over the last five years, going up ata rate of 5 percent per year. There are going to be opportunities for savings that are notgoing to be enormously challenging. We haverecommendations from the Citizens Budgetcommittee [and] from the Matrix committeethat can be implemented. Once those happenthough, the first $200,000 or $300,000actually its going to be more like $400,000the first yearif you have to keep doing thatevery year, it gets harder and harder to findthat money.

Richard: Right now, youve got three

very expensive, high-profile positions coming up: Mark Moodys position, Bevs position,Clancys position. Is there any talk of struc-tural change? Of pulling back and taking a look at whether we really need a duplicateof the SAP [substance abuse program] in theschools? Of whether we need Bevs position? And whether Clancys position can be donein a reorganized Planning Department?

John: Your question raises a fundamental

issue about the role of the council. And my hope is that we will set the broad parametersfor the city manager, and we will get a budgetfrom him that meets the goals that the coun-cil has established and operates the city inan efficient way. Those decisions, ultimately,need to be made by the city manager: How ishe going to manage the city given the finan-cial constraints that we face and the param-eters that the City Council has established?

Mayor John Hollar Talks About City Spending

see HOLLAR, page 4

Montpelier mayor John Hollar. Photos by Annie Tiberio Cameron.

Following the Money


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PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 29DECEMB ER 12, 2012 THE BRIDGE

W INTER 2013Day-long workshop on techniques for

creating dry-laid walls with emphasison stone native to Vermont.Upcoming workshop dates: JANUARY 19FEBRUARY 9MARCH 9MARCH 23 All workshops Saturday, 8:30 a.m.3:30 p.m.

Hands-on workshops held inside warm greenhouses at Red WagonPlants in Hinesburg. Spacelimited. Tuition: $100. Registerat queencitysoilandstone.com.

Stone Wall Workshops


3/24

THE BRIDGE NOVEMBER 29DECEMB ER 12, 2012 PAGE 3

HEARD ON THE

STREETDays Left to Gather 22,516 Signatures for Secession

R ichard Sheir points out that the online petition to sever Vermont from the Union had, asof a couple of days ago, 2,484 electronic signatures, out of a required 25,000. Vermont,he notes, was the last state of all 50 to initiate its petition for secession. States like Texas metthe required minimum to get a response from the White House weeks ago. (Austin residentshave the same deadline to accrue another two-thirds of the needed 25,000 signatures to secedefrom the state of Texas.) The petition deadline for those who want out is December 12.

A New New Years Eve

Montpelier Alives New Years Eve approach differs this year. Instead of selling FirstNight buttons, the agency will provide publicity support to presenters. Montpelier Alive is lining up listings of planned December 31 events, with a deadline of December 7 forpresenters to be listed. Already listed are the lantern launch at Vermont College of Fine Arts(VCFA) green, a beach party, the Dave Keller Band, a New Years Eve run, a free skate atVCFA, All Together Now Puppet Troupe and DJ dance par ty. These events, Montpelier A livenotes, will be independently operated and managed. Montpelier Alives contact for organiza-

tions wishing to aff iliate with the ef fort is Christine Hartman: [email protected]. In an email, she says, Montpelier Alive is sponsoring the Free Skate, DJ dance party, AllTogether Now Puppets and Lantern Launch at VCFA. These will be free. Dave Keller is atthe Black Door, so I know there will be a cover there. The Beach Party is at Charlie-Os. . .

Heney Combines Forces with Town & Country

H eney Realtors has joined forces with 34-year-old Town & Country Real Estate in Barre.On October 17, Heney Realtors bought the bui lding that holds Town & Country officesat the intersection of Washington and Hill streets, just up from the Vermont History Center,keeping all of Town & Countrys staff, including founder Carol Ellison, as well as MichelleGosselin and Mo (Maurice) Fortier, and retaining the Town & Country phone number. Of the three brokers, Tim Heney noted, Its a good fit. They are strong, independent brokerslike we are. Its a good chemistry. Heney Realtors will upgrade office systems, computers,copiers and communication systems, and provide backup systems. Heney views the move asan opportunity to expand the firms presence in Barre and the part of Washington County near Orange County, as interest builds in Barres revitalization. Noting that in real estate,every market is distinctly separate and has unique characteristics, the move enhances Heneysmarket share in central Vermont as the real estate market revives.

Random Election Audit Today

Today, November 29, Vermonts secretary of state conducts a random election audit atNoble Lounge at Vermont College of Fine Arts, checking race results for U.S. representa-tive and Vermont state treasurer in a few towns. Volunteer election officials will conduct theaudit, checking by hand-count the vote tabulator counts from four sites across the state: BarreTown, Brandon, Essex (8-1) and Newfane.

No More Montpelier in the Mud

Montpelier Mud, a community ceramic and pottery business that offers classes, facilitiesand monthly memberships, has become The Mud Studio, three years after moving from River Street in Montpelier to its current Camp Meade site in Middlesex, next to Nutty Stephs and Red Hen Bakery. Owner Mike Sullivan hopes the name change removes confu-sion about the businesss location.

Concert CD on Sale to Benefit More Concerts

A brand-new CD from a live recording of a sold-out (February 19) Massively Mozart con-cert is now on sale for $15 at Buch Spieler music store at 27 Langdon Street in Montpe-lier. The CD, called Massively Mozart, features performances by clarinetist Daniel Gilbert,formerly of the Cleveland Orchestra, also Montreal mezzo-soprano Jule Boulianne and flutistKaren Kevra with conductor Lou Kosma. Proceeds from the sale of Massively Mozart are tobenefit Capital City Concerts. In addition to Buch Spieler, anyone who wants to buy the CDand support Capital City Concerts can go online to capitalcityconcerts.org/cd.html (minimalshipping and handling charges apply).

Montessori Christmas Tree Sale

Montpeliers Montessori School joins other tree sellers this year, with the twist that theirtrees wont be the manicured kind but come from volunteer pines off a farm in Cabot.

They offer a low price, and the sale is December 1, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Karl Circle in Berlin(just past Agway on Route 2).

all items by Bob Nuner and Nat Frothingham

P.O. Box 1143, Montpelier, VT 05601Phone: 802-223-5112 | Fax: 802-223-7852montpelierbridge.com; facebook.com/montpelierbridge

Published every fir st and third Thursday

Editor & Publisher: Nat Frothingham

General Manager: Bob Nuner

Production Manager: Kate Mueller, pro tem

Sales Representatives: Gabriela Balboa, Carolyn Grodinsk y, Rick McMahan

Graphic Design & Layout: Dana Dwinell-Yardley

Calendar Editor: Dana Dwinell-Yardley

Bookkeeper: Kathryn Leith

Distribution: Kevin Fair, Diana Koliander-Hart, Daniel Renfro

Website & Social Media Manager: Dana Dwinell-Yardley

Advertising: For information about advertising deadlines and rates, contact:223-5112, ext. 11, carolyn @montpelierbridge.com or gabriela@ montpelierbridge.com

Editorial: Contact Bob, 223 -5112, ext. 14, or editorial@ montpelierbridge.com.

Location: The Bridge office is located at the Vermont College of Fine Ar ts, on the lower level of Schulmaier Hall.

Subscriptions: You can receive The Bridge by mail for $50 a year. Make out your check toThe Bridge, and mail to The Bridge, PO Box 1143, Montpelier VT 05601.

Copyright 2012 by The Montpelier Bridge

Come mid-November, I take time for a birthday ramble. A few days ago, I set out with a fellow natura list to visit a few fern friends in the Granite Hills. En route, we stopped to admire rock tripe, the large, leafy l ichen covering many granite ledgesand boulder faces, and the small, evergreen, rocky polypody fern mats characteristi-cally capping these exposed rock faces. Hiking down a headwater drainage, we en-countered an intriguing sugar-maple-forested flat, which prompted me to probe thesoil with my hiking staff. The lower portion of my stick readily disappeared into thesoil, so it must be muck. I tucked that into my minds ecological miscellany bin andkept walking.

Fine, if slow, progress on that sunny (yes I said sunny) November day, and we walked up to the south end of Osmore Pond. The past few days of calm, clear andcold weather has set a sheet of ice over all but a very small area at the ponds southernoutlet. I was hoping to see the hooded mergansers observed the week before, but theice has sent them to open water elsewhere. While soaking up the suns warmth on thepond shore, a loud noise startled us. It was loud and of short duration, but repeatedevery few minutes. What first came to my mind was that of a truck passing, with thesound quickly increasing and decreasing in volume as it rounded a curve. Then thethought of a loons yodeling popped in my head. It certainly had that wild quality of a loon call, but it couldnt be a loon because the pond is frozen. About the third time

we heard the sound, we simultaneously realized it to be the sound of ice cracking. Likethe call of the wolf, this is one natural sound that literally makes the hair stand on theback of the neck. Its otherworldly quality must have led the Star Wars sound effectscreator to base his light saber duels on this sound.

Brett Engstrom, guest contributor

Nature Watc

ADVERTISEin Our Final Holiday Issue!

December 13: mailed issueadvertising deadline: Friday, December 7

Lots of great discounts available! For more info, contact our adreps: Carolyn, 223-5112, ext. 11, or [email protected], or

Gabriela, 223-5112, ext. 12, or [email protected].

Schedule Changes at The BridgeOur second December issue will be released Thursday, December 13. Our next issue will be published Thursday, January 10.

Interested in advertising, or have a story idea? Please be in touch:montpelierbridge.com or 223-5112.


4/24


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My hope is that the manager will come inand give us a budgetand I expect that he willthat doesnt exceed those limits t hat Imentioned: level-funding city agencies, withCPI increases going to our infrastructure.Obviously, well have some input in that.But I think, ultimately, the manager is re-sponsible for running the city. And I think

we have to let him do that to the extent thathis decisions are consistent with the prioritiesthat the council has established.

Richard: Last year the only cut that Bill

recommended was argued back in at 11:30 ormidnight, when the community came storm-ing down with pitchforks. Whats going tokeep that from happening this year?

John: Youre absolutely right, and I expect

thats going to require some real discipline by the council. You and I have been around a long time and seen that happen at the schoolboard over the years. Its easier to set targets;its much harder to implement them.

My suggestion to the council will be to

commit to this overall funding framework,and to the extent that we choose to add inadditional spending beyond whats already been proposed, we propose cuts that offsetit.

Richard: Which gets us into the back

of the ballot. Once you set a target bud-getlets say $10 millionwhen Agency Acomes in with 700 signatures and wins, willthat money be taken out of the $10 million? Will the citizens be told that $10 mill ion isthe budget, and if you vote for something

on the back of the ballot, something is com-ing out of the city to fund thatthat there will be consequences to going around thesystem?

John: No, were not going to do that. But

we have put in place a mechanism that, Ithink, will avoid that happening. As youreaware, weve created the Montpelier Com-munity Fund. Weve allocated an amount

equal to the amount that weve spent overthe past several years for a new board to al-locate through a process of applications. My understanding from talking to members of the board is that nonprofits do intend to usethat process and not seek funding throughthe ballot.

Well see [what happens] for the f irst year.If [they continue to seek funding throughthe ballot] in subsequent years, well deal with that. I had orig inally proposed the kindof offset that youre suggestingthat wefix the amount of money that we spendon these applications. Based on the recom-mendation of the community fund board, wedecided not to do that. Well let the processplay out. I think what were going to see is a

substantially smaller number of requests forfunding on the ballot. If youre a nonprofitagency in Montpelier, I think the view isthat its a more efficient process to submitan application to the board than obtain 700signatures and put it on the ballot and risk [getting] nothing.

Nat Frothingham: Im remembering a

year ago, sitting over there in Noble Hall andhearing homeowners say that buyers are notunhappy about the price of their homes buttheyre walking away when they see the taxbill. And I hear what you say about cutting from 2 to 5 percent. Have we taken a big look at the permanent structures of the city? Canyou see structural changes that would enablethis city to manage its critical services to thepublic and still come in with a budget thats2 to 5 percent less to the public? Theres atleast two sides to that issue, the spending and cutting side, and theres the taxing. Youeither raise the amount that comes into thecity from a different source. You change thatstructure. Or you cut. Or you assemble thecity in a different way. You assemble thepeople at city hall in a different way. You putout a policy that speaks to the senior center,the library, the criminal justice system, thepolice and fire departments and cooperation with other cities and towns in the area. Theseare all structural things.

John: Lets start with the latter point first.

I think we have addressed one of the funda-mental concerns Ive had, that [Montpelier]provides . . . funding for regional services ona number of levels. Weve adopted a policy which says that were not going to do thatanymore. To the extent that our city agen-cies or nonprofit agencies provide servicesto nonresidents, they collect money fromnonresidents that are proportional.

That policy is now in place. Thats notgoing to create big savings. But . . . [it]sends a signal that says: In Montpelier wealready have a tax rate thats significantly higher than our neighbors . We cant afford toprovide regional services to those neighbors without receiving funding to the extent thatthose nonresidents receive those services.

John Hollar onthe Status of the Carr Lot

Movement on the Carr Lot is a source of frustration for me. Weare right about where we were when I be-came mayor. We dont have a f inal num-ber to offer Alan Carr, so hes waiting for that. We did get an appraised figure,but Carr objected because he thought it was too low.

The State then entered into a lease with Carr for the property, which re-sulted, if you capitalize those lease pay-ments, in a value thats significantly

higher than the appraised amount. TheState has set the value between a will-ing lessor and a willing lessee and hasentered a long-term lease amount, andthats easily converted into a purchaseprice. We now have to get that price andgo back to the State and get approvalfrom them.

Im hoping that approval will be easy since the State is the one that agreed tothe leases. But were dealing with twoseparate agencies: Buildings & GeneralServices, which has agreed to the leaseamount, and VTrans, which has to ap-prove the appraisal. And Im not certainhow simple that will be. That is where we are . . . we are not making as much

progress as I think we need to.

HOLLAR, from page 1


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Have a Barre Merry Holiday!


6/24


When we stopped talking in partone of our interview [November15, 2012], we were talking abouthow to make Montpelier evenbetter than the place it is today.

And we compared Montpelier tothe little engine that could. OK,what are the obstacles to makingMontpelier even better than it istoday?

Jeff: Its difficult. High taxes are killing the city. If youre lucky enough to finish pay-ing your bank mortgage, youre often paying city taxes, for the remainder of your life, thatare higher than your original monthly mort-gage payment. Sewer and water charges areso out of hand that only a miracle maker willbring them down.

High taxes have prevented people frommoving to Montpelier and staying in Mont-pelier. Theres no industry here except forstate government. There is no Detroit. There

is no IBM in our backyard. There is no largebuilding industry. There are few big employ-ers. The city is small. The income neededto run city hall and the services that people want and need is adversely impacting thefuture. City government and its administra-tive services are more expensive and growing larger all the time.

The backstory is the people of Montpeliercontinually vote for higher and higher taxes.Larger budgets pass every year. Its a mystery to me. There doesnt seem to be a push forany austerity that would have city govern-ment dial back its budget. Like a family orbusiness, when things are tight, you need tolive within your means. Thats the citys big mistake. And its voters as well. Everybody wants everything now. City government cantbe relied on to manage itself. It is up to us topull in the reins.

Government must be efficient, but small. Itcannot be allowed to be intrusive or mon-

strous in size. Thats wasteful. Hence destruc-tive. Montpelier is a tiny city with a beerbudget. Present-day city government spend-ing sprees cannot continue to be funded by escalating taxes. People have to control thesize of government and how much powerthey want that institution to have over theirlives by voting intelligently.

By way of example, homes are out of reachof the young people, who must pay taxes andmortgages. The older people, who have paiddown their mortgages, cannot afford to livein their homes because their taxes are so high.High taxes are simply killing future appre-ciation of everyones house, and preventing

young people, who are just starting up, fromparticipating in new purchases. People goother places to locate where taxes are lowerand there are more employment opportuni-ties available.

Thats interesting. Here is a city with so much promise. Here is acity with this treasure trove of architectural gemstones.

Jeff: I agree. If only the city was run bet-ter and the population didnt give so muchpower over to city government. More gov-ernment is not going to fix the problem. Itall comes down to taxes, spending and job

creation. There is something the city coulddo better than anyone else. There is no one atcity hall involved in job creation other than working at city hall. Terrible. The city musttake an active role in bringing business and jobs to Montpelier, and they must do thisimmediately. Time has run out. The city justcannot sit on its hands any longer. Businessand jobs that flow from business activity isMontpeliers only hope for progress. This isthe only way that young people will stay inMontpelier. This is the only way to attractnew people and keep them here. Jobs arenothing less than the future of Montpelier.

The question is: Why cant city government

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Jeff and Jesse Jacobs: Part Two of the Interview

A family photo of Jesse, lef t, and Jef f Jacobs. Photo courtesy Jeff and Jesse Jacobs.


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take a leadership role in this search? Why hasnt political leadership woken up to thisfact and gotten on board? I see this as nothing less than an emergency situation that must beaddressed immediately. Every municipality isfighting to bring jobs into their communities.Look at Barre, Burlington and Winooski.Montpelier has just relied on the workforcethat has existed for over 100 years, mainly in-surance companies and the state. In my book,

it is not enough. I see this lack of job creationas sheer laziness. It is a no-growth mentality that only has served to diminish our popula-tion numbers. I am talking about the townssurvival and how and if we will deal with thefuture. Presently, it is like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. I am certain we will even-tually pay the piper by ignoring all the signs.

I happen to love theater. Butwhen I see thatand Im notattacking the theaterif thetheater is $30 or $20 for seniors.Still its a $40 bill when I take afriend. If Ive just paid my waterand sewer tax, I might not go tothe theater. And I might not go

out and dine after the theateror before the theater. I might just go to the theater. Or I mightgo alone. I might go home. Noteveryone is in my situation. A lotof people have more cash than Ihave.

Jesse: Everything is expensive. Not justtaxes. I think a lot of people are watching thatbottom line and are scared to death.

Its not just water and sewercharges. Its groceries. Its gas.Its a period of real inflation. Andif your salary is fixed, you have tomake amends, you have to cut.You have to do without.

Jeff: Theres a whole lot of young people with no work. Some have gone away. Somehave stayed here like lost children.

Jesse: Im 28 and a lot of my contempo-raries have left Vermont.

Lets talk about that. So whereare they?

Jesse:Almost all of them are in large met-ropolitan areas.

What are they doing? Jesse:They work in fashion, or they work

in retail, or software development. They wantto be amongst that energy and everything that is happening.

In the mix. Jesse: Yes, they want to be in the mix.

Some of them chase jobs. Some of them are just making pilgrimages.It makes sense as mostsmall cities have sufferedthrough these economicdifficulties worse thanMontpelier. You look around here, and itsvital and comparatively full of life. Were lucky that the state is here.That is part of the rea-son. Were lucky that t he

culinary institute is hereand Vermont College of Fine Arts is here. They are both part of thereason. But were still in a catch-22 situationbecause we want more vitality in town and we want more businesses in town, t he exactthing that would keep more young peoplehere. But we dont have the jobs to sustainthem, so they leave.

It even gets a little deeper, though. Partof the reason that we do not have the jobopportunities here is because the workforceneeded to fill those positions does not existhere, at least not in the numbers needed tosolicit those companies to the area. If we wereable to have the jobs here, we might be ableto have the businesses that kept those people

interested in staying here and vice versa. Ithink that we can turn that cycle around,though, and change the course of things herein Montpelier in that regard.

You do want to separate fromyour parents at some point. Itsnot a bad thing to go out on yourown and get back up on your feetagain.

Jeff: They talk about the graying of Ver-mont. Its true. The population is getting older and older. Its a real drain. There needsto be more young people coming here toreplace the old folks, who are, sadly, dying

off, or because of their age are not taking anactive role in Montpeliers growth. And people on fixed incomes who are re-

tired or who are moving toward that can getvery discouraged with boxes of cornflakesthat cost $4.95. So everything you are say-ing is absolutely true. Its expensive to livein Vermont. Very expensive. You need twosets of clothes, two sets of tires. Two sets of everything. Things break quite easily in the winter. Everyone knows that. Its not a pieceof cake.

We have a great farmers market. Jesse: I agree. It is one of the best things

to happen in Montpelier all summer, andpeople look forward to it all winter. I cer-tainly hope it doesnt leave its present loca-

tion; that would be a huge mistake. I think if the farmers market goes up to the college, itsgoing to be to the detriment of downtown, as well as hurtful to themselves. It will be lessaccessible; they might not have as many par-

ticipants. All the downtown businesses willsuffer because the market floods the streets with people every Saturday. There would justbe less people downtown.

Youre in business. You ownbuildings. You collect rents. Youpay taxes. But there must besomething more than that. Youmust feel identified with this

place in some way. Jeff: Thats a good question. You have tohave a tremendous amount of stick-to-itive-

ness to do that and a passion to do that. Andyou make the sacrificesthat are necessary be-cause the buildingsstart to dominate yourbehavior. The build-ings, of course, supply your living. But when a building is empty, themoney to pay for thatbuilding comes fromanother building, be-cause you have to pay

taxes, insurance, andyou are maintaining itand heating it. Its a big deal. It was neverabout a quick buck, and then just get out of town. It was about continual stewardship. Watching over the buildings and worrying.The fate of our tenants is our fate. Weregoing to continue to buy those buildings that wave back at us, or inspire us in some way. And I think well continue to buy buildingsin Montpelier as the t ime goes by. Its hard forme to predict whats going to happen. I really dont know, because Im pretty much at thispoint out of the picture. Jesse has taken overand is going to stay only as long as he wants.My lifes work will not necessarily be his. Wed like to do more business in Burlington,but its a very hard market to get into.

Ive just told you a truth about a lifes work by someone whos gotten older. I still havent

THE CITY MUST TAKE AN ACTIVE BRINGING BUSINESS AND JOBS TO M

THEY MUST DO THIS IMM Jeff Jacobs

see JACOBS, page 8


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answered your question about identifying with this place in some way. And more im-portantly as someone who is simultaneously withdrawing from this. Jesse is the boss of everything now. This is Jesses show untilhe no longer wants to do it. If anything, I worry about too much identity in town. Andtoo much identifying me with the town.

Jesse will create his own identity by show-ing up every day to work and putting in theeffort that goes along with that. Its a tough job, and you need a thick sk in. I dont wantpeople to identify Jesse with me; he is a dif-ferent person.

Not everybody in townunderstands whats going onfinancially or commercially. Butpeople have observed, fromtime to time, that a particularbuilding is empty or thatbuilding is fulland so on. Howdo you address people whohave unwittingly, or stupidly, orcasually, made you responsible

for empty storefronts. How doyou deal with them?

Jeff: It takes a tremendous amount of responsibility to own a building. You haveto maintain it; you have to rent it. Suddenly,your name is on this building, and youreresponsible for it. In our case, we are respon-sible for many buildings. So Jeff and Jesse Jacobs are continually topics of discussion.If we owned 400 storage lockers in Berlinand 20 warehouses, nobody would know ournames or care about us, but this is the down-town, and everybody loves the downtown. We only buy downtown, specifically for thisreason, because we love it, too.

If you have one building or if you have20 buildings and a downturn happens, or a natural event occurs, its going to be the guy with 20 bui ldings that is affected more no-ticeably than the person with one. I am notresponsible for someone moving to Berlin be-cause there is more parking for their office.

I am not responsible for someone who wantsto downsize their business and needs smallerspace or cheaper rent. I am not responsiblefor someones shaky financial health or poorphysical health. I am certainly not respon-sible for the speculative bubbles that crippledthe country in 2008 and the lack of growththat followed. Nor am I responsible for thebanks reluctance to lend.

Lastly, I have no intention to rent my

buildings to people with cockamamie ideasthat I believe will fail and who do not havemoney, experience or a realistic plan. Peopledont like to hear the word no, such as, Idont want to rent to you, or Your rentthis year is increasing $100, or You can nolonger have the use of the basement for yourbusiness for free. You must now pay for it,or Your rent is continually late. Im tired of your excuses. We are done doing business.My lawyer will call you. Of course, the worst thing that people do not want to hearis: I want to be paid the money you oweme, or I have not received your check.There are plenty of landlords that cannotsatisfy their tenants. And believe me, thereare many tenants that fall far short of their

landlords expectations.

Jesse, why dont you ta lk aboutthe new tenant thats coming tothe new restaurant your family designed. Whats it called again?

Jesse:Asiana House. Theyve been in Bur-lington at a location that weve owned for15 years, and theyre one of the best, if notthe best, restaurant in Burlington. They dodelicious Asian food, they do fabulous sushi,they do steaks. Gary Ma who owns the Asiana House with his wife are absolutely brilliant restaurateursbrilliant. Theyrebringing in all of their expertise, experienceand their aspirations down there.

We spoke to them three years ago. Andcontinued to speak to them every year. Wetalked to many other people as well. Butpeople were frightened because of the eventsof 08. People just wanted to hold ontotheir positions. Stay where they were. Limit

their risk. No one wanted to expand theirpositions. Lets face it, people were scaredof the future. Thankfully, things appear tobe turning around. We know that Asiana House will be a welcomed part of the com-munity. Looking back on it, we needed to

wait three years for the rental market toimprove in order to rent this location. Webuilt it too early. We built this restaurantduring the downturn when nobody was outthere spending the money. We were aheadof the curve by three years. So not only wasnobody coming to do business, we probably shouldnt even have built this restaurant that were sitting in now. But we built it because we had the resources, and we felt that things would improve.

Thats the nature of real estate investment:its cyclical. It goes down and up, constantly a moving target. That makes it very diff icultand risky. For real estate to work, there has tobe customers out there. They have to be ableto obtain financing. They need to take therisk, because all of this is ultimately aboutmanaging the risk. Thats the whole thing about owning buildings and business. Itsabout risk and the availability of financing.Period. Bad times are bad times. And were

still dealing with them. Believe me, thingsare not as good as my dad and I would likefor them to be. It upsets and saddens us tosee a building, like 58 State Streetthe oldgarageempty for as long as it has been. What a waste for such a beautiful building.

The downturn in the economy was and stillis a real heartbreaker.

Its full of risk. Jeff: We have managed to surv ive because

40 years ago when I started buying build-ings, it was a different world entirely. Not asdangerous. In addition, none of this wouldhave happened without Charlie Os Bar. Iveowned it nearly this whole time. You may not know this, but there has been a bar atthat same location since the Civil War. Re-ally, Charlie Os was the thing that createdthe money for these early acquisitions. Thereal estate ball started to roll because of Charlie Os, the little engine that could.

People assemble there andhave a really good time there.Fantastic. I think weve had areally good talk, and thank you.

JACOBS, from page 7

Studio Zenith has Strength Training, High Intensity Interval Training,Kickboxing, Karate Interval Cross-Training, Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa

Yoga, Core Conditioning Yoga, Kettlebells and MORE somethingfor everyone. Lets get in the best shape of our lives! See you soon!

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2-for-1 Special!From November15December 10,bring a friend andtheir class is FREE!

An ox-drawn carriage on Main Street makes its way past what is now Charlie Os and the offices of the Jacobss firm, Montpelier Property Management, in this undated photo. Photo courtesy Montpelier Property Management.


9/24


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Old-Fashioned Holiday FairS ATURDAY , D ECEMBER 1 9 AM 2 PM

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Coffee & sweets from 911Lunch at 11:30 (featuring many tasty soups & sandwiches )

Quilt raffle at noon Live music all day

On Sale: Beautifully decorated wreaths New and nearly new giftpossibilities Many holiday items Fresh pecans and delicious baked

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Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio

OPEN HOUSEWedSat, December 1215Mon & Tue, December 17 & 18

Register now for Winter/Spring 2013Gift Certificates Available

Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio18 Langdon Street, Montpelier229-4676 schedule at cdandfs.comsince 1973

Tell them you saw it inThe Bridge !


10/24


by Zachary Beechler

Books are meant to be read, not burned.That was the general feeling of upsetparents petitioning the Montpelierschool board on November 14 to replace

a particular fifth grade teacher at UnionElementary School (UES), charging class-room mismanagement, incompetence andquestionable teaching methods, including a planned end-of-the-year celebratory schoolbook burning, as grounds for immediatedismissal.

The teacher in question, whose name was withheld from the proceedings, was not pres-ent to defend herself, nor did anyone speak on her behalf.

After hearing from some of the dozen orso parents in attendance, the board electedto continue their discussion after meeting with members of the administration in closedexecutive session. Board chair Sue Aldrich as-sured parents the board was taking the issue

very seriously and promised swift ameliora-tion on the matter. As of the writing of this artic le, no decision

has been made public.UES employs a looping system, so that stu-

dents are with the same teacher consecutively for two years. In this particular case, the

teacher moved with her students from fourthto fifth grade.

It was last spring that, according to par-ents, the current teacher informed her stu-dents that to celebrate the end of the schoolyear, they would go to Hubbard Park and set

fire to a heap of their vocabulary and spelling books. They were also instructed to keep theactivity a secret from their parents. Whensome of the children broke that promise, par-ents began communicating with one anotherand with the principal, expecting immediatemeasures would be taken.

The Bridge was first made aware of thesituation in the fifth grade by parent RobHubbard, in a letter to the editor published inthe last issue. In that letter, Hubbard asked,Why is the teachers union supporting thisteacher and not our kids? Why doesnt theschool board finally decide to act? When isenough enough?challenges posed again tothe board Wednesday evening.

City councilor Angela Timpone was the

first parent to speak, demanding both ac-countability and a clear plan of action fromthe board. She also feared her son was notbeing adequately prepared for middle school,a worry shared by other parents.

Paul Gambill felt that, after months of frustrated efforts to resolve the situation, it

was no longer in the capacity of the adminis-tration to make the necessary changes, whichis why parents finally brought the matter tothe school board. Pleaded Gambill, We havelost a half of this year already. We cannot losethe second half.

The classroom is failing, the system isfailing, there has tobe change . . . now,he added.

Parents requestedthat the new teacherbe a permanent re-placement, as op-posed to a series of substitutes or some other such alternative.

In their petition, parents claimed that a proliferation of erratic weeklong teacher ab-sences was producing an unpredictable learn-ing environment, and that the teacher inquestion was refusing to follow the designedcurriculum, putting those children at a de-cided disadvantage compared to other fifth

grade classes. Parents also alleged that as-signed projects were often canceled or forgot-ten halfway through their completion, thatthe teacher would routinely pick on certainstudents and that the teacher regularly re-quired the class to keep their heads pressedagainst their desks for extended periods of

time. In addition to the thwarted paperback bonfire plot, students were supposedly bribedand rewarded with candy, according to par-ents, while the teacher maintained sweets were only given out on Milton Hersheysbirthday (Sept. 13). Parents also blamed the

teacher for substandard student performancein literacy and math.Both parents and

the board acknowl-edged the sensitivity of the issue and theneed for quick reso-lution. And whilenobody wants to ir-

reparably damage a persons career, parentsfelt immediate change was necessary for thesake of their childrens well-being and educa-tion, insisting the problems in the classroom were not limited to the current year and thatthe teacher in question had a long history of inadequate teaching practices.

Said David Dobbs, whose sixth grader was

in the teachers class when she taught thirdgrade, This was the case three years ago, it was t he case two years ago, it was t he case a year ago, its the case this year.

If the person at the head of that classdoesnt change, he told the board, It will bethe case next year as well.

Parents Petition School Board to Dismiss Teacher

by Steven M. Cliche

A proposed medical marijuana facility

that would go on River Street got theapparent approval of the City Coun-cil at the November 14 meeting, though there was not much discussion.

The council heard testimony from PoliceChief Tony Facos on the possible security concerns he had previously expressed aboutthe project. Facos admitted that those con-cerns had been alleviated after sitting down

with Stacy Grabowski of Patients First Inc.the company behind the proposed facility.Mayor John Hollar clarified his position on

the matter of medical marijuana, stating thathe is in favor of it.The only comments against the facility

came from Councilor Thierry Guerlain, whostated that he would rather see the marijuana dispensed through a pharmacy like othermedicines. The town of Waterbury has ex-pressed interest in opening a similar facility, while Lyndon recently joined the ranks of

towns, such as Rutland and Stowe, that havevoted against it.

The council then approved a plan from

the Capital Improvement Projects commit-tee that will see the city spending $1 milliona year on infrastructure maintenance andimprovement. The money will be used torepair roads, bridges, sidewalks and culvertsthat Councilor Guerlain claims the city hasneglected over the years. There was no wordon where the proposed money would comefrom, though it was suggested by more than

a few councilors at the previous meeting thata possible property tax increase could be inthe works.

Also suggested in the previous meeting was the possibilit y of personnel cuts, thoughno specifics were given on which jobs wouldbe cut. Either way, it is possible that beforethe budget season wraps up, the city couldsee significant cuts to the existing budget inorder to pay for the newly proposed spend-ing.

City Council Approves Proposed River Street Medical Marijuana Facility

News


11/24

THE BRIDGE NOVEMBER 29DECEM BER 12, 2012 PAGE 11

Upcoming EventsFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30Poetry Sharing Circle. Share the works of your favorite po-ets with others in a small-group setting. Bring brown-bag lunch if desired.Noon1 p.m. Hayes Room, Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Free. Joanne, 595-2563. Event continues monthly through December ; nal meeting December 21.Scrag Mountain Music: The Spektral Quartet.

e string quartet from Chicago performs community-supportedchamber music.5:30 6 p.m. farm supper, 7 p.m. concert. Green Mountain Girl s Farm, 923 Loop Road, Northeld. By donation.scragmountainmusic.org. Event repeats Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2.Movie Premiere: Matchstick Productions Super-heroes of Stoke . Benets the Vermont Land Trusts effort tosave the Bolton backcountry. Snacks provided; cash bar. Part of Onion River Sportss backcountry skiing lm series.Doors open at 7 p.m., lm starts at 7:30 p.m. Chapel, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier . $15. Tickets at events@ onionriver.com or at the door .onionriver.com.Dead Man Rises and Other Short Shows. A three-pa rtprogram of old and new Bread & Puppet fare. Part of Bread &Puppets 50th anniversary drive to revive old shows.7 p.m. Hay-

barn eater, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plaineld. $5 $10 sliding scale.Artist and Author Night. Check out works by Viiu Niiler,then hear Jack Pulaski read from his new book:Loves Labours .Refreshments served.6 p.m. art opening, 7 p.m. reading. JaquithPublic Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. Free. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary @gmail.com.Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra and ChorusMessiah Concert. Featuring soprano Lynda Schiller, altoLinda Radtke, tenor Wayne Hobbs and baritone omas Beard.Lisa Jablow, conductor.7:30 p.m. St. Augustine Church, Barre Street, Montpelier. $15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 students. Tickets at the door or vermontphilharmonic.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1Hike with the Montpelier Section of the GreenMountain Club. Bushwhack to Irish Hill in Berlin fromPaine Mountain in Northeld. Moderate, 78 miles; car spotting involved. Meet at 9 a.m. at Mont pelier High School or 9:30 a .m. at Norwich University, Northeld. Limit of eight people: register withleader Phyllis Rubenstein, 223-0 020 or [email protected] Craft Workshop with Sue Premore. Learn how to decoupage gift items and boxes. For teens and adults. All materi-als provided.911 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free, but space limited; register at 244-7036.Holiday Tree and Bake Sale. 9 a.m.1 p.m. Montpelier Montessor i School, 89 Karl Circle ( just off Route 2). Sugges ted dona-tion: $5 small trees, $10 large trees. 223-3320 or mscvt.org.Holiday Bazaar to Support Randolph Elementary Farm-to-School. Foods and farm products, creations fromlocal artisans and craftspeople, live music, breakfast and lunchoptions, storytelling and more.9 a.m.1 p.m. Randolph Elementary School. Kristen, 728- 6558 or [email protected] Holiday Fair. Holiday items, gift pos-sibilities, wreaths, toys, childrens books, quilt raffle, baked goods,lunch, live music and more.9 a.m.2 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Stree t, Montpelie r.Indoor Farmers Market. Buy local foods and productsfor the holidays from more than 31 vendors. Live music by PattiCasey.10 a.m.2 p.m. Gym, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpe-

lier. Carolyn, 223-2958 or [email protected] happens every rst and third Saturday through April.Author Signing: Megan Price. e Vermont author pres-ents her new book of short stories from Vermont game wardens,Vermont Wild, Volume 3, accompanied by John Kapusta, one of the

wardens feat ured in the book.11 a.m.1 p.m. Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Stree t, Montpelie r. Free. 229- 0774.Free Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides. Paul Ruta of Black Horse Farm brings his team of draft horses to downtown Montpe-lier. First come, rst served; dress for the weather. Each trip takes1520 minutes.11 a.m.3 p.m. Meet at corner of State and MainStreets in front of La Brioche. Free; donations to Montpelier Alive accepted. 223-9604 or montpelieralive.org. Event continues every Saturday through December 22.Cookie Decorating and Santa in Montpelier. Joinstaff and students of New Engla nd Culinary Institute to decorateholiday cookies, then stay for Santas arrival in Montpelier by retruck. 11 a.m.1 p.m. cookies, 3:30 p.m. Santa. City Center, 89 Main Stree t, Montpelie r. Free. 223-9604 or montpe lieralive.org.

Occupy Central Vermont: General Assembly. 35 p.m. Guerill a garden park, next to Charlie Os , Main Street , Mont- pelier. Heather, facilitation@occupycent ralvt.org. Event happens ever rst Saturday.Scrag Mountain Music: The Spektral Quartet. SeeFriday, November 30, for description; note change in time andvenue.4 p.m. Warren United Church. By donation. scragmountainmusic.org. Event repeats Sunday, December 2.Shape-Note Sing. Ian Smiley leads tunes from e Sacred Harp. All welcome; no experience necessary.6:30 8 p.m. Tulsi Tea Room, 34 Elm Street, Montpelier. By donation. Ian, 882-8274 or [email protected]. Event happens every rst and thirSaturday.An Evening at the Library. Grace Greene and Leda Schubert host a classy party honoring Vermont woodcut print-maker, illustrator and Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian. Horsdoeuvres and a silent auction.7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelie r. $50 per person; benets the library . 223-3338.Vermont Fiddle Orchestra December Concert.Featuring soloist Donna Hebert, French Canadian ddler,

with Rick Commo on keyboard.7 p.m. Chapel, College Hall,Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier. $15 adults, $12 seniors and students, free for children 12 and younger. 877-343-3531,[email protected] or vtddleorchestra.org.Hallelujah Anyhow! Montpelier Community Gospel ChoirFall Concert. Combining soul, jazz and original and traditionalgospel music, the ecumenical choir produces an uplifting, inspir-ing, exuberant sound under the leadership of John Harrison.7 p.m. Moretown United Methodist Church, 962 Route 100B, Moretown.$10; tickets must be purchased in advance: call 496-8934 or 496-5095. vtgospel.com or facebook.com/vtgospel. Concert repeats SundaDecember 2.Holiday Food and Wine Tasting. Live jazz music by Mint

Julep.79 p.m. Red Hen Caf, Middlesex. $10. Eliza, 223-5200,ext. 13.Contra Dance. All dances taught; no partner necessa ry. Allages welcome. Bring shoes not worn outdoors.811 p.m. Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northeld Street), Berlin. $8. 744-6163 or capitalcitygrange.org. Event happens every rst, third and fth Saturday.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2Hike with the Montpelier Section of the GreenMountain Club. Moderate, 3-mile round-trip to the ElmoreMountain chimney viewpoint with option to summit. Meet at

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 12

Live MusicBAGITOS 28 Main Stree t, Montpelie r. All shows 6 8 p.m. unless other wise noted . 229-9212 or bagitos.com.Every Wednesday Blues jam with the Usual Suspects andfriendsEvery Saturday Irish/Celtic session, 25 p.m.Friday, November 30Charlie Messing and Jacob Green,6 p.m.closeSaturday, December 1Eric George, 6 p.m.closeSunday, December 2Brunch with Eric Friedman,11 a.m.1 p.m.Tuesday, December 4

Jazz with Karl Mil ler and friendsursday, December 6

Colin McCaffrey and Justin LevinsonFriday, December 7

e Neptunes, 6 p.m.closeSaturday, December 8Iris Downey Sunday, December 9Brunch with Poor Howard, 11 a.m.1 p.m.Tuesday, December 11Open mic, 6:30 p.m.close

ursday, December 13eo Exploration and Tiger Swami

THE BLACK DOOR44 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows start at 9:30 p.m. with $5 cover unless otherwise noted. 225-6479 or blackdoorvermont.com.Friday, November 30

e Wall Stiles (indie folk)Saturday, December 1Don and Jen PLUS (indie pop)Friday, December 7Rockit Science (rock/covers)Saturday, December 8Katie Trautz and the New Foundry (alt-folk)CHARLIE OS

70 Main Street, Montpelier. 223-6820. Every Tuesday KaraokeFriday, November 30Semus the Great and Near North (rock)NUTTY STEPHS CHOCOLATERIERoute 2, Middlesex. All shows 710 p.m.unless otherwise noted. 229-2090 or nuttystephs.com.

ursday, December 6 Aerobic Bacon ursday, wear tights orleotards for drink discounts, 6 p.m.midnight

ursday, December 13Bacon ursday with Dave Langevin,6 p.m.midnight

POSITIVE PIE 2 22 State Street, Montpe lier. 229- 0453 or positivepie.com.Friday, November 30Barika (Afro-beat), 10:30 p.m., 21+ $5Saturday, December 1New Nile Orchestra (danceable Et hiopianmelodies),10:30 p.m., 21+ $5Saturday, December 8

Anque (sa lsa/Afro/La tin),10:30 p.m.,21+ $5SKINNY PANCAKE89 Main Street, Montpelier. 262-2253 or skinnypancake.com.Every Wednesday

Jay Ekis (count ry/blues)

Every Sunday Old-time sessions with Katie Trautzand friends, 46 p.m. (intermediate toadvanced players welcome to sit in)Sunday, December 2Brian Clark (Americana)Sunday, December 9Don and Jenn (folk)THE WHAMMY BAR Maple Corner Caf, 31 West County Road ,Calais. 229-4329.Every Tuesday Trivia night, 6:30 p.m.Every Wednesday Open mic, 6:30 p.m.

ursday, December 6 Jay Ekis, 6 :30 8:30 p.m.

Theater8: THE PLAY

An account of the California case led to overturn Proposi-tion 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of thefundamental freedom to marry.Saturday, December 1, 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hal l, 7173 Main Street , Randolph. $20 adults, $10 students. Tickets at 728-6464 or chandler-arts.org.

TWO FOR CHRISTMASDavid Budbills translation of a 15th-century miracle play,paired with a version of the same tale set in 1979 rural Ver-mont (above).November 29December 30, 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m.matinee Saturday, December 1. Lost Nation eater, 39 MainStreet, Montpelier. $20 adults, $15 students and seniors, $10 children age 611. Tickets at 229-0492 or lostnationtheater.org.ITS A WONDERFUL LIFEFive versatile actors and one busy sound effects wizard bring Frank Capras classic to life in a radio play.Wednesday,December 5, and ursday, December 6, 7 p.m. Lost Nation

eater, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. $10 in advance, $15 day of show, free for children under 11 (one child per paying adult).Tickets at 229-0492 or lostnationtheater.org.AUDITIONS FOR LOS T NATION THEATER 2013Seeking adult and youth actors (age 10 and up). Must be ableto handle some singing and movement; ability to play an in-strument is a plus. Prepare two contrasting monologues and16 bars of a song (optional), and bring a headshot and rsumSunday, December 9. Lost Nation eater, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. By appoint ment only ; contact 229- 0492 or [email protected].

B OB E DDY

; C O UR T E

S Y L NT

B I L L J A L B E R T ; C O U R T E S Y V S O

A festive musician in the Ver-mont Symphony Orchestra. Theorchestra performs their Holiday Pops concert at the Barre OperaHouse on Friday, December 7.


12/24

PAGE 12 NOVEMBER 29DECE MBER 12, 2012 THE BRIDGE

Art & ExhibitsCALL TO ARTISTS

Arti sts in their s 20s and 30s soug ht for a juriedshow at Chandler Gallery in Randolph showcas-ing the diversity and perspectives of innovativeyoung artists. Two-dimensional a nd three-dimensional pieces accepted, as well as photog-raphy. Deadline is December 5. $15 submission fee upon acceptance. 728-4375, janetensia@gmail .com or chandlergallery.blogspot.com.ALDRICH PUBLIC LIBRARY Autumn in Vermont , group show by the Pal-etteers art club. Milne Community Room, AldrichPublic Library, Barre. rough December 14. paletteers.us.

BIGTOWN GALLERYHoliday show of small works by BigTown Gal-lery artists. Above,Lizard Gourd , by DanielLadd, dried gourd, 7.5" x 5".99 North MainStreet, Rochester. rough January 13, 2013.Reception December 1, 38 p.m. 767-9670,[email protected] or bigtowngallery.com.BLINKING LIGHT GALLERYPhotographs by eodore Teo Kaye, featuring highlights from his travel and work in Central

Asia. 16 Main Street, Plaineld. rough January

27, 2013. Reception Sunday, December 2, 11a.m.1 p.m. Hours: ursdays, 26 p.m.; Fri-daySunday, 10 a.m.6 p.m.; extended holiday hours at blinkinglightgallery.com.CHAPLIN HALL GALLERY

Juried high-school art show of work by 19young Vermont and New Hampshire artists.Norwich University School of Architecture and Art, Northeld. rough November 30; awards ceremony December 2, 2 4 p.m. norwicharchart .org.CITY CENTER

Art Resource Assoc iation group show.89 MainStreet, Montpelier. rough December.COLLEGE HALL GALLERY

Art Resource Assoc iation annua l fall /winter

show in a variety of media. 36 College St reet,Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier.rough December 9. Closing reception December

9, 24 p.m. Hours: FridaySunday, noon4 p.m. judybasse tt@ aol.com.CONTEMPORARY DANCE & FITNESSSTUDIO Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall , mirrors in one-of-a-kind ceramic frames by Ellen Urman.18 Langdon Street (third oor), Montpelier. roughDecember 31. 229-4676 or cdandfs.com.GLEN COBURN HUTCHESON STUDIOView paintings, drawings, sculpture and thetools and processes used on them. Below,

Listener , cardboard, metal, wood, pigment 13".46 Barre Street (downstairs), Montpelier. Openduring Art Walk, Friday, December 7, 58 p.m.GODDARD ART GALLERY An Unfamiliar Picnic , work by sculptors KatClear and Torin Porter merging fantasy and re-ality in unlikely combinations.54 Main Street, Montpelie r. rough December. Reception Friday,December 7, 48:30 p.m., as part of Art Walk. 322-1685 or goddard .edu.GOVERNORS GALLERYWe Are Vermont Strong , visual art by Vermontartists, teachers and community groups in re-sponse to Tropical Storm Irene.109 State Street (fth oor), Montpelier. Photo ID required for admission. rough December 28. 828- 0749.

GRACE GALLERYGayleen Aiken: A Grand View , a selection of the artists work exploring Vermonts chang-ing seasons.59 Mill Street, Hardwick. roughDecember 31. 472-6857 or graceart.org.GREEN BEAN ART GALLERYTranscend , mixed media by Athena Tasiopoulos. Capitol Grounds, 27 State Street, Montpelier.

rough December. curator@ capitolgrounds.com.JAQUITH PUBLIC LIBRARY

Work by Viiu Niiler.122 School Street, Marsh- eld. rough December 22. Recept ion November 30, 7 p.m. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrar y@ gmail .com.KELLOGG-HUBBARD LIBRARY

e Mary Azarian Family Exhibit , works by Ethan Azarian, Melissa Knight, Jesse Azarian,Tim Azarian, Wilaiwan Phonjan and Mary

Azarian in va rious media.135 Main Street, Montpelie r. rough December. 223-3338 .MONTPELIER SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERHomeshare Now , photo portraits by John La-zenby exploring home sharing.58 Barre Street, Montpelie r. rough December 16. homeshare-now.org.RIVER ARTS CENTERFiguring It Out,group show by the open studiogure drawing group.74 Pleasant Street, Mor-risville. rough January 7, 2013. 888-1261 or riverartsvt.org.STORROW & MANEY STUDIO

Works by Missy Storrow and Linda Ma ney.108 Main Street (above ree Penny Taproom), Montpelie r. Open studio dur ing Art Walk, Friday ,December 7, 48 p.m.; also open Saturday, De-

cember 8, noon4 p.m.STUDIO PLACE ARTSCelebrate , one-of-a-kind, local art gifts, includ-ing pottery, scarves, paintings, paper journals,hobby horses, ornaments, cards, jewelry andmore. 201 North Main Street, Bar re. roughDecember 28. Expanded gallery hours: call 479-7069 or visit studioplacearts.com for details.SULLIVAN MUSEUMTolko Po Russky, Pozhaluista (Russian Only,Please),chronicling the history of the Russianschool at Norwich University, 19682000; and18611862: Toward a Higher Moral Purpose ,exploring the experiences of Norwich Univer-sity alumni (Union and Confederate) during the Civil War. Norwich University, Northeld.Russian exhibit through January 2013; Civil War exhibit through April 2013. 485-2183 or norwich.edu/museum.TULSI TEA ROOM Magestic Bio logy , photography by Iris Gagecapturing the innocence and vibrancy of fauna,ora and landscapes. 34 Elm Stree t, Montpel ier.

rough December 1. 223-0043.VERMONT CENTER FOR INDEPENDENTLIVINGLiving Connections , photographs by Mary ClaireCarroll and text by Deborah Lisi-Baker captur-ing the voices of individuals with and withoutdisabilities who have stories to tell about thenew directions for disability services.11 East State Street, Montpelier. Open during Art Walk, Friday, December 7, 48 p.m. 800-639-1522 or vcil.org.VERMONT HERITAGE GALLERIES

Icons, Oddities & Wonders , stories from theVermont Historical Society collections; and

e Emergence of the Granite City : Barre 1890 to 1940 . 60 Washington Street, Barre. roughDecember. Free admission. 479-8500.VERMONT HISTORY MUSEUMFreedom & Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories,expe-rience a full-sized Abenaki wig wam, a recreationof the Catamount Tavern, a railroad stationcomplete with working telegraph, a World WarII living room and more.109 State Street, Mont- pelier. $5 adul ts, $12 families. 828 -2291.

Montpelier High School. Contact leader Michael Chern ick, 249-0520 or [email protected], for meeting time.Northfield Indoor Farmers Market. 10 a.m.2 p.m.Plumley Armory, Route 12, Northeld.You Saved Me, Too: What a Holocaust Survivor Taught Me about Living, Dying, Loving, Fighting, andSwearing in Yiddish . Susan Kushner Resnick presents her new book, a memoir of her friendship with a deant, quirky and strik-ingly cheerful old man.12:30 p.m. vegetarian potluck, 1:15 p.m. presentat ion. Beth Jacob Synagogue, 10 Harrison Avenue, Montpelie r. 279-7518, bjprogramming@ gmail.com or bethjacobvt.org.

Seed Saving Begins Now! Anne Mi ller leads a workshopon starting seed saving.1 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. Free. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail .com.Holiday A Cappella Show. Combined performances by the Barre Tones and the Green Mountain Chorus.Concerts at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Chapel , Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36 Col lege Street, Montpelier. $10. Tickets at the door or at 223-2039.Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra and ChorusMessiah Concert. See Friday, December 1, for descriptionand information; note change in time and venue. 2 p.m. Barre Op-era House. $15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 students. Tickets at the door,476-8188 or vermontphilharmonic.org.

Hallelujah Anyhow! Montpelier Community Gospel ChoirFall Concert. See Saturday, December 1, for description andinformation; note change in time and venue. Silent auction andfree reception follows Montpelier concert.4 p.m. Bethany United Church of Christ, 115 Main Street, Montpelier. Free-will offering.778-0881, vtgospel.com or facebook.com/vtgospel.Scrag Mountain Music: The Spektral Quartet. SeeFriday, November 30, for description; note change in time andvenue.4 p.m. Lost Nation eater, 39 Main Street, Montpelier. By donation. scragmountainmusic.org.Film Showing: Fukushima, Never Again . e story of thenuclear plant meltdown in northeast Japan in March 2011, expos-ing the Japanese government and media cover-up.4 p.m. Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite Street, Barre. Free. 476- 0567.Family Circus Sunday. A monthly gathering of folks inter-ested in unicycle riding, juggling and slack-lining. For all ages ;beginners invited. Equipment provided; bring your bike helmet.4:30 6 p.m. Montpelier Recreation Gym, 55 Barre Street. $2 indi-vidual, $5 family. 223-3456. Event happens every rst Sunday.The Frank Burkitt Band. Tunes from Scottish singer/song-

writer Frank Burkitt, Vermont piper Hazen Metro and Scott ishguitarist Calum Wood.7:30 p.m. Church of the Good Shepherd, 39 Washington St reet, Barre. $15. Reservat ions appreciated, but not required. 229-1403 or [email protected].

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3Classic Book Club. 6 p.m. Cutler Memorial Library, Route 2, Plaineld. Free . Daniel, 793-0418. Event happens every rst Monday.Better Birding with Bryan Pfeiffer: Dastardly Duos. Learn how to solve classic bird-identication problems,and learn how to be with birds and enjoy them in new ways.6:30 8 p.m. First Baptist Church, corner of School and St. Paul Streets, Montpelier. $10. vermontbirdtours.com.Southern China: Images and Talk by Ellie Hayes.Hear about the local Chinese calligrapher and longtime tai chiinstructors journey among many sacred sites in China.7 p.m. Montpelie r Senior Activ ity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpel ier. Free. 223-2518. Cosponsored by MS AC and the Barre Senior Center.Holiday Concert with the Capital Orchestra. ecommunity orchestra, directed by Dan Liptak, performs Haydns

UPCOMING EVENTS, from page 11

C O U R T E S Y B I G T O W N G A L L E R Y

C O U R T E S Y E V A N P R E M O The Spektral Quartet, who will

perform in three Scrag MountainMusic concerts Friday, November30, through Sunday, December 2.

SUBMIT YOUR [email protected].


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THE BRIDGE NOVEMBER 29DECEM BER 12, 2012 PAGE 13

clock symphony, Leroy Andersons Syncopated Clock, selectionsfrom Man of La Mancha and seasonal pieces for brass and strings.7:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier. Free;donations welcome. 223- 8610.Extempo: Live Original Storytelling. Tell a 5- to7.5-minute, rst-person, true story from your own life. Sign upin advance and come with your story already practiced to deliversmoothly without the use of notes. No theme.8 p.m. Cork Wine Bar and Market, 1 Stowe Street, Waterbury. Free to participants; $5 otherwise. 882-8227 or extempovt.com.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4Womens Leadership Circles Information Session.Learn about a new professional development program for Washing-ton County women who are either in or seeking leadership roles.Offered by the Snelling Center for Government and WatershedCoaching.4:30 to 5:30 p.m. e wine room, downstairs at NECIs Main Street Grill, Montpelier. 535-8383 or watershedcoachingl lc .com/circles.htmEmpowering Your Intentions: Going BeyondHopes and Wants. With Fred Cheyette. Learn how to setintentions in an empowering way for both the big issues in your lifeand the everyday things that a lways seem to come up.67:30 p.m.Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free. Register at 223-8000, ext. 2 02, or [email protected] Circle. Women and mothers discuss a ll thingsrelated to the childbearing years. Women only, please; childrenare welcome. Hosted by midwives Chelsea Hastings and Hannah

Allen. 68 p.m. Emerge Midwifery and Family Health, 174 River Street, Montpelier.Parents and Grandparents Open House at theLibrary. Have an idea for a childrens program? Want to connect

with other parents ? Got a goofy way to fundraise? Join childrensdepartment staff for a fun, laid-back open house78 p.m.Childrens department, Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. 223-4665.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5The Films of Elia Kazan: On the Waterfront . Filmimpresario Rick Winston presents the 1954 story starring MarlonBrando, Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb. Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.10 a.m. Savoy eater, 26 Main Street, Montpe-lier. $5 suggested donation. 223-1763 or [email protected]. Series continues every Wednesday through December 12.Herbal Class: Immunity Tincture and Cold CareCapsules. With Sage Zel kowitz, who has been studying herbalmedicine for 11 years. 35 p.m. Jaquith Publ ic Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. $1$10 sliding-scale materials fee. 426 -3581 or jaquithpublicl [email protected] Common Barriers to Healing. With Alic ia Feltus,nutritionist at Cedar Wood Natural Health Center. Learn aboutve common barriers to healing and how Nutrition ResponseTesting can detect toxicities, immune imbalances, food sensitivitiesand scar tissues that may be blocking you from healing.5:306:30 p.m. Hunger Mountain Coop community room, Montpelier. Free.Register at 223-8000, ext. 202, or [email protected] Challenges We Face. Distinguished veterandiplomat George Jaeger discusses how our diplomatic successesdepend on the realism, nimbleness and unity with which we pursuenational interests.7 p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier.Free. 223-3338. Part of the Vermont Humanities Councils First Wednesdays series.Classic Film Night. With Rick Winston and Tom Blachly.7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. Free.426-3581 or [email protected].

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6Ecumenical Group. Songs of praise, Bible teaching andfellowship.79 p.m. Jabbok Center for Christian Living, 8 Daniel Drive, Barre. Free. 479-0302. Event happens every rst and third

ursday.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7Vermonts New Economy Conference. Keynote by Ellen Brown of the Public Banking Institute. Learn about anddiscuss local stock markets, a Vermont state bank, crowd fund-

ing, monetary reform, complementary currencies, new economicindicators and more.9 a.m.4 p.m. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier . $25. Registe r at global-community.org/neweconomy.Reiki Clinic. Sign up for a half-hour session.15 p.m. Mont- pelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre S treet , Montpelier. $15; call 522-0045 for appointment.

Barre Farmers Market Annual Holiday Market.

More than 25 vendors offer fresh produce, meat, baked goods, jams, herbal product s and art s and craf ts for your holiday gifts .Door prizes every half hour; live music by B Flat and C Sharp. 37 p.m. Old Labor Hall, 49 Granite Street, Barre. Free admission.Book Signing: Images of America: Williamstown . Au-thor Doreen Chambers presents her new book, transforming dusty albums and artifacts into a meaningful walk down memory lane inthis historic community. Part of Montpelier Art Walk. 3:30 5:30 p.m. Vermont History Museum, 109 State St reet, Montpelier. Free .479-8519 or vermonthistory.org.Montpelier Art Walk. Kick off Montpelier Craft and Art

Weekend with ne ar t, open studios, a craf t fair, artis t receptionsand live mannequins in more than 30 downtown venues.4 8 p.m. Downtown Montpelier. Free. 223-9604 or montpelieralive.org/artwalk.Arts, Crafts and Goodies Bazaar. Featuring work by area artisans and senior center members, plus baked goodies.4 8 p.m. Montpelier Se nior Activity Center, 58 Bar re Stree t, Montpelie r.Free. 223-2518. Event continues Saturday, December 8.A Traditional Christmas in Stowe. Kick off the holiday season with a parade and tree lighting, followed the next day by a visit from Santa, wagon rides, caroling, skating, the Alpine Holiday Market and more.4:30 p.m. Lantern parade begins at Stowe Elemen-tary School and ends at David Gale Center with tree lighting. Schedule at stowevibrancy.com. Event continues Saturday, December 8.Illumination Night. Celebrate the holidays at Vermont Col-lege of Fine Arts with the lighting of the tree in front of CollegeHall, followed by hot drinks, cookies and music indoors.5:30 7 p.m. 36 College Street, Montpelier. Free. [email protected] Chocolate Together. Chocolatey drinks on thehouse at Nutty Stephs.5:30 p.m. Route 2, Middlesex. 229-2090 or nuttystephs.com. Event repeats Fridays, December 14 and 21.Coffeehouse. Enjoy live music and share your own.Fellowship, potluck snacks and beverages.79 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street , Montpelier (park and enter at rear). Free. Dick, 244-5191, 472-8297 or [email protected] happens every rst Friday.

Goddard College Concerts: The Saturn PeoplesSound Collective. Local spotlight concert featuring a 20-piece postrock, new-world, global big band under the direction of Goddard alumnus Brian Noyes.7 p.m. Haybarn eater, Goddard College, 123 Pitkin Road, Plaineld. $15 in advance, $20 day of show. Tickets at Buch Spieler in Montpelier or goddard.edu/saturn.Mini Mic Night. Youth open mic night for performers age618. 7 p.m. Chandler Upper Gallery, 7173 Main Street, Ran-dolph. Tickets at 728-6464. To reserve a performance spot, e-mail Emily, [email protected] Symphony Orchestra Holiday PopsConcert. e chorus joins the orchestra to ring in the season

with selec tions from Handels Messiah, pieces that highlight brassand percussion, a lighthearted new work by a teenage Vermontcomposer, two sleigh rides, a sing-along, a salute to Woody Guthrieand more. 7:30 p.m., Barre Opera House. $29 adults, $23 seniors,$10 age 18 and younger. 476-8188 or barreoperahouse.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8Arts, Crafts and Goodies Bazaar. See Friday, December7, for description; note change in time.9 a.m.4 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. Free. 223-2518.Books and Brew. Kick off the librarys holiday book sale withcoffee and tea. Books, magazines, CDs, DVDs a nd more, plustable of special $5 treasures. Sale continues through January 12,2013. 10 a.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 223-3338.Holiday Stroll in Waterbury. Open houses, special eventsand activities for children, capped off by the annual Rotary treelighting in Rusty Parker Park and the River of Light lantern paradeled by Sambatucada.Downtown Waterbury. More information at revitalizingwaterbury.org.Season of Lights Story and Craft Time. For kids ingrades K4. Stories about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa,followed by holiday crafting.10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library.Free, but space limited; register at 244-7036.

A Traditional Christmas in Stowe. See Friday, Decem-

ber 7, for description and information.Marshfield School of Weavings Holiday StudioSale. Handmade, useful objects made by local artists, including baskets, pottery, glass, blacksmithing and textiles.10 a.m.3 p.m.589 Eaton Cemetery Road , Marsheld. 426-3733 or marsheldschoolofweaving.blogspot.com. Event continues Saturday, December 15.Floating Bridge Holiday Market and Tree Cutting.Group caroling and community sings, holiday farm-inspired crepesand hot beverages, holiday arrangements and wreaths a nd localfarm gifts.10 a.m.4 p.m. market at the Fork Shop, Pond Village, 2205 Route 65, Brookeld . 9 a.m.4 p.m. t ree cutting, Lew Stowells trees, 1591 Twin Ponds Road, Brookeld. 276-0787 or oating-bridgefoodandfarms.com. Event continues Sunday, December 9.Free Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides. See Saturday, Decem-ber 1, for description and information.Waterbury Community Band Benefit Concert. eband plays marches, show tunes and seasonal favorites to supportthe Waterbury Food Shelf. 3:30 p.m. Waterbury Congregationa l Church, 8 North Main Street. By donation of cash, check or non- perishable food item. Bil l, 223-2137 or info@ waterburycommunit y band.org.Green Mountain Youth Symphony Concerts. In theafternoon, the beginning and intermediate ensembles perform mu-sic in a variety of styles, joined by the Upper Valley Music Centerharmonic ensemble. In the evening, the senior orchestra presentsa full-length program featuring ProkoevsPeter and the Wolf ,narrated by Willem Lange. 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Barre Opera House. Afternoon performance: $5 donation, free for children under 18 and evening concert ticketholders; evening performance: $15 adultin advance, $10 children in advance, $18 adults at the door, $12 children at the door. Tickets at 476-8188 or barreoperahouse.org.Adamant Winter Music Series: Ira Friedman JazzQuartet. Friedman performs with Rob Morse, Keith Gibbsand Paul Reynolds. Optional potluck before the show.5:30 p.m., potluck; 7 p.m., concer t. Adamant Community Club. $10 in advance (tickets at the Adamant Co-op) or $15 at the door. 456-7054.Rising Appalachia. Dance to poetic harmonies, soul singing,spoken-word rallies, banjos, ddles, drums, kalimbas, washboardrants, groove and community building through sound.7 p.m.Capital City Grange, 6612 Route 12 (Northeld Street), Berlin.$10$20 sliding scale. risingappalachia.com.Monthly Film Series: Daughters of Wisdom . 2009documentary on rural Tibet as seen through the eyes of t he nuns of Kala Rongo monastery. Bring a cushion.7 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre Street , Montpelier. By donation . 223-2518.Cosponsored by MSAC and the Dharma Film Series group.Counterpoint: Shouts and Cradle Songs. Vermonts12-voice professional vocal ensemble performs a new suite of Christmas carols, spirituals and folk songs.7:30 p.m. Christ Episco- pal Church, 64 State Street , Montpelier. $20 adults , $15 seniors, $5 students. 540-1784 or counterpointchorus.org.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9Family Walk with the Young Adventurers Club. Aneasy, 12 mile winter wander through Hubbard Park and Mont-pelier with YAC, a group of the Montpelier Section of the GreenMountain Club devoted to helping kids and parents get outdoorsto hike, play, learn and make friends.Contact leader Shawn Keeley, 229-0933, for meeting time and place.Snowshoe with the Montpelier Section of theGreen Mountain Club. Moderate, 7.6mile trek to WintturiShelter on the Appalachian Trail in Woodstock. Meet at Mont- pelier High School. Contact l eader Michael Chernick, 249- 0520 or [email protected], for meeting time.Live Music Yoga Class with Rising Appalachia. Flow and groove to the soul-shaking rhythms and luscious vocals of Rising Appalachia in t his moderate-level yoga class taught by Lydia Russell-McDade. Bring your own mat, blanket and any yoga propsyou need.11 a.m.1 p.m. Plaineld Community Center. $20 $40 sliding scale. saprema-yoga.com or risingappalachia.com.

see UPCOMING EVENTS, page 14

C O UR T E

S Y M

C G C

The Montpelier Community Gospel Choir, who willperform concerts onSaturday, December 1,

and Sunday, December 2.

Submit Your Event!Send listings to calendar@ montpelierbridge.com.The deadline for the December 13 issue is Friday,December 7.

50 words or less, please. Listings may be edited for length, clarity or style. Events happening in Montpelier have priority, then events in surrounding commnities.High-resolution photos also welcome for possible use.


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PAGE 14 NOVEMBER 29DECE MBER 12, 2012 THE BRIDGE

Weekly EventsBICYCLINGOpen Shop Nights. Have a bike to do-nate or need help with a bike repair? Visit thevolunteer-run community bike shop. Mondays and Wednesdays, 57 p.m.; Tuesdays, 68 p.m.Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre Street, Montpelier.By donation. 552-3521 or freeridemontpelier.org.

BOOKSOngoing Reading Group. Improve yourreading and share some good books. Bookschosen by group. ursdays, 910 a.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelier Learn-ing Center, 100 State Street. 223-3403.

CRAFTSBeaders Group. All levels of beading experi-

ence welcome. Free instruction available. Come with a project for creativity and community.Sat-urdays, 11 a.m.2 p.m. e Bead Hive, Plaineld.454-1615.

DANCEEcstatic Dance. Freestyle boogie withDJ using Gabrielle Roths meditative danceform, 5Rhythms.Wednesdays, 79 p.m. First and third Wednesdays: Worcester Town Hall,corner of Elmore Road and Calais Road ; second and fourth Wednesdays: Plaineld Community Center (above the co-op). $10. Fearn, 505-8011 or fearnesse [email protected].

FOODFree Community Meals in Montpe-lier. All welcome.Mondays: Unitarian Church, 130 Main Street,11 a.m.1 p.m.Tuesdays:Bethany Church, 115 Main Street,11:30 a.m.1 p.m. Wednesdays:Christ Church, 64 State Street,11 a.m.12:30 p.m.

ursdays: Trinity Church, 137 Main Street,11:30 a.m.1 p.m.Fridays: St. Augustine Church, 18 Barre Street,11 a.m.12:30 p.m.Sundays:Last Sundays only, Bethany Church,115 Main Street (hosted by Beth Jacob Syna-gogue), 4:305:30 p.m.Noon Cafe. Soup, fresh bread, good company and lively conversation.Wednesdays, noon. Old Meeting House , East Montpel ier. By donat ion.oldmeetinghouse.org.

German Brunch: A Community Meal. All-you-c an-eat buffet of fresh fruit, bread,salmon and local meats and cheeses. Mimosasand other drinks available for purchase.Sundays,10 a.m.2 p.m. Nutty Stephs, Route 2, Middlesex.$10 adult, $5 children 12 and under. nuttystephs .com.

GAMESApollo Duplicate Bridge Club. All

welcome. Partners somet imes avail able.Fridays,6:45 p.m. Bethany Church, Montpelier. 485-8990 or 223-3922.

HEALTHFree HIV Testing. Vermont CARES offersfast oral testing. ursdays, 25 p.m. 58 East State Street, suite 3 (entrance at the back), Montpelier.vtcares.org.Medicare Part D Enrollment Semi-nars. Learn how to enroll in prescription drug or Advantage plans on the Medicare website. Mondays , 34 p.m., through December 3. Centra l Vermont Council on Aging, 59 North Main Street ,suite 200, Barre. Register at 479-0531.

KIDS & TEENSThe Basement Teen Center. CableTV, PlayStation 3, pool table, free eats and funevents for teenagers. Monday ursday, 36 p.m.;Friday, 311 p.m. Basement Teen Center, 39 MainStreet, Montpelier. 229-9151.Story Time at the Waterbury PublicLibrary. Mondays, age 1836 months.Wednesdays, age 018 months. Fridays, age 36 years. 10 a.m. Waterbury Public Library. Free . 244-7036.Story Time at the Kellogg-HubbardLibrary. Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m.Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. Free. 223-4665.

Events for Teens at the AldrichLibrary. No-obligations teen book club onMondays; game night on Wednesdays.5 p.m. Aldrich Publ ic Library, Barre. 476-7550.Youth Group. Games, movies, snacks andmusic. Mondays, 79 p.m. Church of the Crucied One, Route 100, Moretown. 496 -4516.Story Time and Playgroup. For childrenage 06. Story, followed by art, nature and cook-ing projects, as well as creative play. Dress forthe weather.Wednesdays, 1011:30 a.m. JaquithPublic Library, 122 School Street, Marsheld. 426- 3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@ gmail.com.Cub Capers Story Time and Songs .For children age 35 and their families.Tuesdays,9:30 a.m. Childrens room, Bear Pond Books, 77 Main Stree t, Montpelie r. 229-0774.

Story Time at Onion River Kids.Outdoor adventure tales and childhood classics. Sundays, 10:30 a.m. 7 Langdon Street, Montpelier. 223-6025.

LANGUAGEEnglish Conversation PracticeGroup. For students learning English for therst time.Tuesdays, 45 p.m. Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, Montpelie r Learning Ce n-ter, 100 State Street. Sarah, 223-3403.Lunch in a Foreign Language. Bring lunch and practice your language skills withneighbors.Noon1 p.m. Mondays, Hebrew.Tuesdays, Italian. Wednesdays, Spanish. urs-days, French. Fridays, German. Kellog g-Hubbard Library, Montpelier. 223-3338.

MUSICSing with the Barre Tones. Womens a cappella chorus. Mondays, 6 :30 p.m. Alumni Hall (second oor), near Barre Auditorium. 223-2039 or [email protected]. Friday Night Community DrumCircle. Open drumming hosted by the Unitar-ian Universalists of Barre. Everyone welcome.Fridays, 79 p.m. Parish house, Barre Universalist Church, Main and Church Streets, Barre. Follow your ears , or follow the signs. Accessible venue pos-sible with advance notice: 503-724-7301.

PARENTINGMamas Circle. Meet and connect with oth-ers experiencing the joys and challenges of new motherhood. For infants up to 1 year old andtheir mothers (toddler siblings welcome). Snacks,drinks and parent education materials provided.

ursdays, 10 a.m.noon, through April 19, 2013.Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, 174 River Street, Montpelier. centralvt.goodbeginnings.net.

RECYCLINGDollar Days. Bring in odd and sundry itemsfor reuse, upcycling and recycling, including toothbrushes, bottle caps, ca ssette tapes, books,textiles, batteries and more. Mondays and Fridays,12:30 p.m.5:30 p.m. Additional Recyclables Col-lection Center, 3 Williams Lane, Barre. $1 per car load. Complete list of accepted items at 229-9383,ext. 106, [email protected] or cvswmd.org .

SPIRITUALITYChristian Science. Gods love meeting hu-man needs.Reading room: TuesdaySaturday, 11a.m.1 p.m.; Tuesdays, 5 8 p.m.; and Wednesdays,57:15 p.m. Testimony meeting: Wednesdays,7:308:30 p.m., nursery available. Worshipservice: Sundays, 10:3011:30 a.m., Sunday school

and nursery available. 145 State Street, Montpelier. 223-2477.Deepening Our Jewish Roots. Fun,engaging text study and discussion on Jewishspirituality. Sundays, 4:456 :15 p.m. Yearning for Learning Center, Montpelier. Rabbi Tobie Weis-man, 223-0583 or [email protected] Meditation Group. People of all faiths welcome. Mondays, noon1 p.m. Christ Church, Montpelier. Regis, 223-6043.Shambhala Buddhist Meditation.Instruction available. All welcome.Sundays,10 a.m.noon, and Wednesdays, 67 p.m. Programand discussion follow Wednesday meditation.Shambhala Center, 64 Main Street, Montpelier.Free. 223 -5137.Zen Meditation. Wednesdays, 6:307:30 p.m. 174 River Street, Montpelier. Call Tom for orientation, 229-0164. With Zen Affiliate of Vermont.

SPORTSRoller Derby Open Recruitment andRecreational Practice. Central Vermonts

Wrecking Doll Soc iety invites quad skaters age18 and up to try out the action. No experiencenecessary. Equipment provided: rst come, rstserved.Saturdays, 56:30 p.m. Montpelier Recre-ation Center, Barre Street. First skate free.centralvermontrollerderby.com.Coed Adult Floor Hockey League.

Adult women and men welcome. Equipmentprovided.Sundays, 35 p.m., through December 9. Montpelie r Recreat ion Center, Barre Stree t. $5 per week. [email protected] or vermontoor hockey.com.

YOGAYoga with Lydia . Build strength and ex-ibility as you learn safe alignment in a nourishing,supportive and inspiring environment. Drop-ins

welcome. Mondays , 5:30 p.m., River House Yoga ,

Plaineld ($5 $20 sliding scale). Wednesdays,4:30 p.m., Green Mountain Girls Farm, North- eld ($15; sliding

the bridge, november 29, 2012

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