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The Reporter PDF free Download. Think more deeply and widely.

Vol. 29, No. 14 Wednesday, April 3, 2024 $1

NAMES LOST IN VERMONT

Genealogist Michael F. Dwyer

shares the history of the Tatro

and Steady families.

PG. 2

“CROSS WALK”

Congregants gathered Friday for

an ecumenical parade honoring

the death of Jesus.

PG. 8

LEGISLATIVE REPORT

Representative Butch Shaw

brings his constituents up to

date on his work in Montpelier.

PG. 7

NONSENSE AT MACLURE

Musicians Ted Wesley and

Steve Spensley set the nonsense

verse of Lewis Carroll and Ed-

ward Lear to country music.

PG. 11

BY STEVEN JUPITER

BRANDON—Rutland

Northeast Supervisory Union

(RNESU) Superintendent

Kristin Hubert has submitted

her resignation to the RNESU

Board and will leave the posi-

tion on July 1. Dr. Hubert took

on the role in 2022, following

the resignation of Jeanne Col-

lins, having spent three years

as RNESU’s Director of Cur-

riculum.

“It has been my pleasure to

serve the Supervisory Union as

both Superintendent and Direc-

tor of Curriculum, contributing

to its success while serving the

students, teachers, and staff,”

Dr. Hubert wrote in an email

to the RNESU community on

March 22.

“I am proud of the contribu-

tions I have made to the dis-

trict, and I am grateful for the

opportunity to have served in

this role,” Dr. Hubert contin-

ued.

“We are saddened that Dr.

Hubert has decided to pursue

other interests,” wrote Laurie

Bertrand, Chair of the OVUU

School Board. “During her

time here, she has strengthened

our processes and led by ex-

ample, always putting students

rst.”

Dr. Hubert will continue to

RNESU Superintendent Kristin Hubert

announces resignation at end of year

Neshobe celebrates the eclipse with art!

NESHOBE ART TEACHER John Brodowski led the Neshobe Student Council in making this fantastic mural that will be hung in

the street-side window at the ConantSquareGallery in Brandon for the eclipse weekend (open 1:30 to 2:15 p.m,. on Monday).

Pictured (L to R): Olivia Perry, Sigourney Brodowski, Jacob Therrien, Maggie Hooker, Mrs. Lee, Lani Heitmann (standing), Esme

Davis, Camden Buzzell, Leif Nelson, Mitchell Fullam, Elsie LaPorte, Emmy Rogers, Gabriella Hewitt, Mr B. (standing), Stella La-

Porte, Marion LaPorte, Aidan Heredia, Trevor Tyminski, Jasper Mallory, and Hayden Desabrais. To read what the kids thought

of the project, see page 9.

(See Kristin Hubert, Page 18)

KRISTIN HUBERT

BY STEVEN JUPITER

BRANDON—Since Dirty Work

laundromat closed during the pan-

demic, Brandon has been without a

publicly accessible laundry facility

for local residents who don’t have

washers and dryers at home. The

lack of such facilities in town has

become a cause for those concerned

about Brandon’s livability, since

the closest laundromats are now in

Rutland and Middlebury.

On Wednesday, March 27, Bran-

don’s Development Review Board

(DRB) held a hearing to review a

proposal for a new laundromat at

the corner of High Street and Route

7, across from Green Mountain Ga-

rage. Currently empty, the .68-acre

parcel was once the site of a car

wash and is now owned by the Na-

tional Bank of Middlebury.

The prospective developers,

Douglas Cummings, Justin Brown,

and Allyson Brown, all local resi-

dents who own other commercial

real estate in Brandon, sought per-

mission from the DRB to construct

a laundromat with parking on the

site. The project would require a

Commercial I conditional-use per-

Brandon evaluates

plans for new laundromat

(See Laundromat, Page 6)

Moon over Proctor

WHILE THE SUN may be getting all the attention next week-

end, the moon made a beautiful showing this past weekend

over Proctor. Photo by Dale Christie

THE OG SWIFTIES

Samantha Stone discovers that

in the 1900s her Chittenden

home was known as the “Swift

Camp.”

PG. 23

Page 2 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

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Addison County’s Hometown Dealers!

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Names lost in Vermont, Part 21: Tatro and Steady

BY MICHAEL F. DWYER

Jarvis Tatro and Angeline

Steady, parents’ names on the

death record of Celina Browe, ﬁ rst

wife of Jed Browe [Names Lost in

Vermont, Part 20], launched this

next installment. Jarvis was born

as Gervais Tetrault in Marieville,

Québec, 21 miles southeast of

Montréal, on July 16, 1812.

His remote ancestor in France,

Mathurin Tetreault dit Ducharme,

has thousands of descendants to-

day, but failing to account that

some families took Ducharme as

their surname has thwarted re-

searchers. In the late 1830s, Jarvis

migrated to Vermont, where he

married Angeline Steady. From

that point onward, this couple and

their children had no afﬁ liation

with the Roman Catholic Church.

As they appeared in Charlotte,

Vermont’s 1850 census, Ange-

line was recorded as Rosella and

the daughter Celina, as Lucinda.

Perhaps in an instance of running

away from home, Jarvis’s eldest

son Jeremiah Tatro, age 18, joined

Company F, Massachusetts Infan-

try. He was ill through most of his

service and died of disease on 29

April 1865 at McDougal Hospi-

tal at Fort Schuyler in New York

City.

Jarvis Tatro made a will days

before his death on January 8,

1874. He left a solvent estate,

leaving all assets to his wife, An-

geline, who signed the inventory

by mark whereas his three daugh-

ters, Angelina, Augusta, and

Amelia could write their names.

Angeline outlived her husband by

three decades and died on July 26,

1902. Her death record indicated

she had been born in Canada, cir-

ca 1822, and disclosed the names

of her parents as Lewis Steady

and Charlotte Lavigne Angeline.

The Burlington Free Press carried

a brief obituary under the caption

of “At a Good Old Age,” noting

the deceased was a staunch mem-

ber of the Methodist Church.

Unpacking the Steady family

proved fascinating on many fronts

including its seven family mem-

bers who served as Vermont Civil

War soldiers. Even recognizing

that Steady was a translation of

the French name Tranquille did

not easily lead me to Angeline’s

parents. A labyrinthine quest in

Québec baptismal records at last

led me to ﬁ nd in Québec Ange-

line’s baptismal record: Marie-

Angèle Giboin, daughter of Basile

Giboin and Charlotte Filii, bap-

(See Names lost, Page 19)

ABOVE: JARVIS TATRO in the 1850 census. Below: Timothy

Steady in the census. Both “Tatro” and “Steady” were transfor-

mations of French names from Quebec.

ANGELINE TATRO’S SIGNATURES, written in 1875.

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 3

BY STEVEN JUPITER

As the northern half of Ver-

mont gears up for a total eclipse

next Monday, we were lucky to

receive this copy of Dateline

Brandon from Franci Farn-

sworth, whose husband, Frank,

used to edit and publish that pa-

per. The issue is dated May 13,

1994, just three days after an

annular eclipse that passed right

over central Vermont on May

10 (see diagram above for the

moon’s path that day).

In an annular eclipse, as oc-

curred in 1994, the diameter of

the moon is not wide enough

to block out the sun entirely.

Instead, a ring of light remains

visible when the moon is di-

rectly in front of the sun. What

we’re projected to see on Mon-

day, in most of northern Ver-

mont, will be a total eclipse, in

which the moon blocks out all

but the sun’s corona, or outer-

most glow.

Brandon will be just outside

the zone of totality when the

moon passes between the earth

and the sun on Monday, meaning

that we will experience 99.4%

coverage while Middlebury and

points north will experience

totality. Middlebury will be on

the southern edge of the zone

of totality and will experience

darkness for roughly one min-

ute. Farther north in Chittenden

County, the eclipse will last as

long as three minutes.

The state is expected to re-

ceive more than 100,000 spec-

tators for the eclipse, some

coming for the entire weekend.

If you plan to travel north for to-

tality, get an early start on Mon-

day morning (the eclipse will

begin at 2:14 p.m. and reach

totality at 3:26 p.m.) and try to

avoid main thoroughfares like

Route 7. The return trip after

the eclipse will be equally con-

gested, so leave yourself plenty

of time to get back to Brandon

if you have commitments that

evening.

Brandon itself will be crowd-

ed the entire weekend; local

inns are booked solid. And

the Brandon Area Chamber

of Commerce has organized a

packed schedule of events from

Friday through Monday itself.

Visit www.brandon.org to see

the full list of activities. And

don’t forget your viewing glass-

es! Do not look directly at the

sun without protective eyewear!

History is full of stories of

people reacting to phenomena

such as eclipses and comets

with panic and fear. It’s easy to

understand how folks who lack

our scientic understanding

of celestial events might inter-

pret them apocalyptically. Even

though we know what’s hap-

pening and why, we should try

to maintain some innocent awe

for this rare occurrence. Imag-

ine what you’d feel if you were

living 1,000 years ago and had

no scientic context for what

you were seeing. Some will ap-

proach the eclipse with scientif-

ic curiosity. Some will approach

it with religious or spiritual

reverence. But whatever your

personal perspective, what an

amazing thing to witness with a

sense of wonder.

Time

Machine:

A peek into our

past—the 1994

Eclipse

Page 4 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

BY CARLY BERLIN/

VTDIGGER

Nearly a quarter of households

sheltered through Vermont’s mo-

tel voucher program were set to

depart on Monday, following

another round of confusion for

unhoused Vermonters who have

sought shelter in state-subsidized

motel rooms.

As of 1:30 p.m., around 360

households of nearly 1,600 in the

program were set to check out,

Department for Children and

Families spokesperson Nya Pike

wrote in an email in response to

questions from VTDigger/Ver-

mont Public.

That gure had dropped from

nearly 800 on Friday, after DCF

spent recent days attempting to

reach people

sheltered in mo-

tels and urging

them to renew

their vouchers.

The depart-

ment’s pleas

were captured

in an email sent

to service pro-

viders on Friday afternoon, in

which a DCF ofcial said more

than half of the 1,600 households

“have an authorization that ends

on 4/1/24 that has yet to be re-

newed.” In the message, Lily

Sojourner, interim director of the

Ofce of Economic Opportunity,

asked for providers’ help in se-

curing residents’ renewals.

DCF was also in the process of

making outbound calls to house-

holds eligible to renew, Sojourn-

er said, a somewhat unusual step

in a program that typically relies

on households to call in to retain

their vouchers.

The reasons for such a large-

scale non-renewal for motel

vouchers remain murky. Pike

noted that nearly 100 households

who receive disability or Social

Security benets had a required

income contribution on Monday,

and many likely wouldn’t call

until they had fullled it.

Others might be moving into

permanent housing, Pike said,

though the state only tracks this

metric for a subset of motel pro-

gram participants who entered

the program during its pandem-

ic-era expansion.

Some homelessness advocates

say that the state has provided

minimal communication to mo-

tel program participants as re-

cent changes to eligibility crite-

ria – and extensions – have gone

into effect.

For instance, before an exten-

sion was signed into law last

month, hun-

dreds of people

who entered

the pandemic-

era version of

the program

had been slated

to lose their

rooms on April

1. That cohort

is now eligible to remain until

June 30, but some advocates say

many people in that group don’t

know they’re able to stay.

“The majority of people in the

hotels don’t know they still qual-

ify until June 30,” said Brenda

Siegel, executive director of

End Homelessness Vermont. “If

you’re in the cohort, and you

think April 1st was the end, why

would you call to renew?”

Asked what communica-

tion the department provided to

households eligible for exten-

sions, Pike said DCF had mailed

notices to motel program par-

ticipants and worked with eld

staff and hotel staff to distribute

information.

The Brandon Area Chamber

of Commerce is once again

offering its annual Otter Val-

ley $500 Prize Award. The

Prize Award is open to Junior

Class or Senior Class OVUHS

students. The Chamber Prize

Award will be presented to stu-

dents who are well-rounded,

have participated in school and

outside activities, who are pur-

suing or plan to pursue higher

education through college or

technical school, and have par-

ticipated in activities that make

the Brandon community a bet-

ter place in which to live, work,

and play.

We would like students to

answer these questions:

-What idea(s) do you have

to improve the quality of life

in the Brandon community and

strengthen the vitality of the

area?

-What are your proposed

ideas to help achieve these

goals?

Students can use any form

of media, such as an essay, art-

work, video, poem, etc.

The application deadline is

May 15. Interested students

should contact the Otter Valley

Guidance Ofce for applica-

tions. You may also download

the application at Brandon.

org. (enter Prize Award in the

search box.)

For more information, you

may also call the Chamber at

247-6401 or email info@bran-

don.org.

MONTPELIER—Vermont’s

“Trophy Trout” stocking program

for 2024 includes nine river sections

and 37 lakes and ponds receiving

the two-year old trout, some over

18 inches long.

“The Trophy Trout program

provides exciting shing oppor-

tunities for anglers of all ages and

skill levels,” said Vermont’s Direc-

tor of Fisheries Eric Palmer. “Tro-

phy rainbow and brown trout will

be stocked in the Black, Winooski,

Lamoille, Missisquoi, Walloomsac,

and Passumpsic Rivers as well as

East and Otter creeks while trophy

brook trout will be stocked into the

Deereld River. Large two-year old

brookies and rainbows will also be

stocked in many lakes and ponds.”

Trout harvest season opened this

year on Saturday, April 13 and will

continue through October 31. There

is no length limit, and the daily creel

limit is two trout for the Trophy

Trout stream sections listed below.

Lake and pond stocking will be-

gin in April as ice clears while river

stocking will begin in May and con-

Community Forums

Chamber of Commerce is

opening its OVUHS Prize Award

Vermont’s Trophy Trout stocking

schedule for 2024 is ready for release

Periodicals Postage Paid at Brandon, Vt. 05733

Published every Wednesday in Rutland County by Reporter News Media Corp., Brandon VT.

Member Vermont Press Association; New England Press Association; National Newspapers Association.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $50.00, SENIORS $45 • OUT OF STATE SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $60.00, SENIORS $55

The Reporter assumes no nancial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements but will reprint that part of an

advertisements in which the typographical error occurred. Advertisers please notify the management immediately of any

errors which may occur. SJ

Postmaster, send address change to The Reporter,

58 Maple St., Middlebury, VT 05753 • Phone: 802-388-4944

Email: news@brandonreporter.com, ads@brandonreporter.com

The Reporter is a nonprot, community-supported newspaper

managed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

Current board members are Steven Jupiter, president;

Dr. George Fjeld, treasurer; Barbara Ebling, secretary.

Graphic design by Sepi Alavi

(See Trophy Trout, Page 5)

Shocked and Awed

THIS SMALL LEAST bittern is one of the rarities that breeds in the West Rutland Marsh. Often

heard and with luck a glimpse is had. Photo by Sue Wetmore

State scrambles over

hundreds of motel

program voucher renewals

The reasons for

such a large-scale

non-renewal for

motel vouchers re-

main murky.

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 5

Letter to the Editor

Perhaps it's time to rethink

trafﬁ c ﬂ ow in downtown Brandon

The Brandon town ofﬁ cials

may want to consider strategic

removal of the enormous grass

islands that line Grove and

Franklin streets.

In my opinion, the removal

of the grass islands nearest

Center St., north and south,

would open up many parking

spaces. It may also allow or

improve access for emergency

vehicular movement. Also, the

widening of streets in and near

the village would improve de-

livery of goods and services to

the merchants and residence of

the area. In addition, consider-

able maintenance would be al-

leviated.

Tom Sabatini

Brandon, VT

Michael Jackman, 52 Years Experience

David Wimett, 39 Years Experience

Mark Grant, 11 Years Experience

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Wimett Trading Company

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tinue through the month. Anglers

can check Vermont Fish and Wild-

life’s website (www.vtﬁ shandwild-

life.com) to see the stocking that

has occurred and see the lakes and

ponds that are being stocked with

trophy trout. Click on “Fish” and

then “Fish Stocking Schedule.”

Black River: along Rt. 131 in

Weathersﬁ eld and Cavendish, from

Downers covered bridge upstream,

approximately four miles, to the

next bridge across the river, the

Howard Hill Bridge.

Deerﬁ eld River: in Searsburg -

from the downstream edge of the

East Branch Trailhead Bridge up-

stream 4 miles to the downstream

edge of the bridge on Somerset

Road near junction with Forest

Road 71

East Creek: in Rutland City –

from the conﬂ uence with Otter

Creek upstream, approximately 2.7

miles, to the top of the Patch Dam in

Rutland City.

Lamoille River: from the down-

stream edge of the bridge on Route

104 in the Village of Fairfax up-

stream, approximately 1.6 miles, to

the top of the Fairfax Falls Dam in

Fairfax.

Otter Creek: in Danby and Mt.

Tabor - From the Vermont Railway

Bridge north of the ﬁ shing access

upstream, approximately 2 miles,

to the Danby-Mt. Tabor Forest Rd.

Bridge (Forest Road # 10).

Missisquoi River: in Enosburg

and Sheldon, from the downstream

edge of Kane Road (TH-3) bridge

upstream, approximately 5.7 miles,

to the top of the Enosburg Falls

Dam in Enosburg Falls.

Passumpsic River: in St. Johns-

bury, from the top of the Gage Dam

upstream to the top of the Arnold

Falls Dam. This section includes

the Moose River from its conﬂ u-

ence with the Passumpsic River

upstream to the Concord Avenue

bridge.

Walloomsac River: From the

Vermont/New York border in Ben-

nington upstream to the top of the

former Vermont Tissue Plant Dam

(downstream of Murphy Road) in

Bennington.

Winooski River: in Duxbury and

Waterbury, from the top of Bolton

Dam upstream to the Route 2

Bridge east of Waterbury Village.

This section includes the Little

River: from its conﬂ uence with the

Winooski River upstream to the

Route 2 bridge.

For ﬁ shing regulation details, see

the “Vermont 2024 Fishing Guide

& Regulations,” available where

licenses are sold, or use the online

ﬁ shing regulations tool at: https://

vtﬁ shandwildlife.com/node/486.

Vermont ﬁ shing licenses are

available on Fish and Wildlife’s

website and statewide from license

agents.

Trophy Trout

(Continued from Page 4)

MONTPELIER – It’s almost

time for spring turkey hunting in

Vermont, and this year’s season

is noteworthy because it marks

the 51st hunting season since the

successful science-based reintro-

duction of wild turkeys to our state

by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife

Department.

Youth and novice turkey hunt-

ing weekend is April 27 and 28

this year, and the regular spring

turkey season is May 1-31.

“The youth and novice turkey

hunting weekend provides an

excellent opportunity for experi-

enced hunters to teach young or

new hunters how to safely and

successfully hunt wild turkeys,”

said Chris Bernier, Vermont’s

wild turkey biologist. “As we look

back on 50 years of turkey hunting

in Vermont and plan ahead to the

next 50, mentoring the next gen-

eration of hunters who are excited

about turkeys is one of the surest

ways to make sure this remark-

able bird continues to thrive in our

state.”

To hunt turkeys on April 27 and

28, a youth must be 15 or younger

and must have completed a hunter

education course and possess a

hunting license, a turkey hunting

license and a free youth turkey

hunting tag.

A person who has purchased

their ﬁ rst hunting license in the

past 12 months and is 16 or older

may hunt turkeys as a novice on

April 27 and 28. They must have

a hunting license, turkey hunting

license and a free novice tag.

The youth or novice must be

accompanied by an unarmed li-

censed adult over 18 years of age.

Shooting hours for the weekend

are one half

hour before

sunrise to 5

p.m. Land-

owner per-

mission is

required to

hunt on pri-

vate land

during youth-

novice turkey hunting weekend.

The youth or novice may take

one bearded turkey on the week-

end and two bearded turkeys in the

regular May hunting season.

Shooting hours during the

May 1-31 turkey season are one

half hour before sunrise to 12:00

Noon, and two bearded turkeys

may be taken.

A shotgun or archery equipment

may be used to hunt turkeys. Shot

size must be no larger than #2.

A successful hunter in Ver-

mont’s spring turkey seasons must

report their turkey within 48 hours

to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife

Department. This can be done at a

local big game reporting station or

online at Vermont Fish and Wild-

life’s website.

Last year, youth and novice

hunters took 786 and 37 turkeys,

respectively during the April

weekend hunt and hunters took

5,763 gobblers during the regular

spring season.

“Combined with the 386 tur-

keys taken during the fall sea-

son, hunters harvested in excess

of 160,000 servings of locally

sourced, free range turkey meat in

2023,” added Bernier. “To go from

essentially no turkeys in Vermont

before 1969 to a booming popula-

tion that can provide over a hun-

dred thousand meals each season

as well as wildlife viewing oppor-

tunities statewide is a conservation

success anyone who cares about

wildlife can be proud of.”

Vermont continues regulated turkey hunting

Page 6 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

Sandra Lee (Douville) Nay-

lor of Leicester passed away

peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 25,

2024. Sandy loved her family

and friends. She lit up any room

with her spirited, sassy, fun-lov-

ing demeanor, and quick, sunny

smile. As per Sandy’s request,

there will be no services.

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Arthur Joseph Keefe, 83, Sudbury

Wayne William Hutchins, 66, Leicester

Sandra Lee Naylor, Leicester

Arthur Joseph Keefe, age 83,

passed away on March 12, 2024,

at his home in Sudbury.

Art was born in Hartford, CT,

on December 18, 1940. He was

the son of Stanley and Marion

(Mund) Keefe. He grew up in

Hebron, CT, where he received

his early education and gradu-

ated from RHAM High School,

class of 1958. He earned his

degree from the University of

Hartford, Class of 1962. Art be-

gan his working years at W.T.

Grant’s in Hartford and later

came to Vermont to work for

Agway. He afterwards began

a career at Brandon Training

School, as a social worker. He

continued working for the State

of Vermont and retired as a su-

pervisor of the ofﬁ ce of public

guardian. Seeking something to

do following his retirement he

worked for a while as a cashier

at the Hannaford’s store in Bran-

don. Art was always proud of

his years, as a gentleman farmer.

He did shows with his goats and

won the National Championship

with the American Goat Asso-

ciation. He had served the Town

of Sudbury as a Selectman. He

enjoyed painting in oils and did

exhibits at the Brandon Library.

Art loved animals and interact-

ing with people.

He is survived by his brother

Wayne Keefe (Denise) of Weare,

NH. A nephew and a niece also

survive him, and a special friend,

Dennis Rockwell. He was prede-

ceased by his parents, his spouse,

Mark Albert, and a sister, Nancy

Geysen. The memorial service

“In Celebration of His Life” will

take place on April 20, 2024, at

2 p.m. at the Brandon Congrega-

tional Church. A private grave-

side committal service and burial

will take place in Pine Hill Cem-

etery. Following the ceremony,

the family will receive friends at

Brandon American Legion for a

time of remembrance.

Memorial gifts in lieu of ﬂ ow-

ers may be made, in his memory

to the Brandon Area Rescue

Squad, P.O. Box 232, Brandon,

VT 05733.

Arrangements are under the

direction of the Miller & Ket-

cham Funeral Home in Brandon.

Obituaries

ARTHUR JOSEPH KEEFE

SANDRA LEE NAYLOR

Wayne William Hutchins,

age 66, passed away March 29,

2024, at the University of Ver-

mont Medical Center.

Wayne was born in Middlebury

on February 2, 1958. He was the

son of Charles Hutchins and

Anna Mitchell. He grew up in

Rutland, where he received his

education. He began his work-

ing career with his father in the

logging industry, for many years.

He later joined the staff at Val-

lencourt Tree Service for several

years. He enjoyed his cars and

motorcycles.

Surviving is his wife, Marlene

Hutchins; two daughters, Heidi

Hutchins and Allyssa Hutchins;

and one son, Gary Hutchins.

Three grandchildren, Mariah

Hutchins, Zackary Hutchins, and

Haley Brown, and four great-

grandchildren also survive him.

He was predeceased by his par-

ents.

Respecting his wishes, all ser-

vices will be private.

Memorial gifts in lieu of ﬂ ow-

ers may be made in his memory

to Brandon Area Rescue Squad,

P.O. Box 232, Brandon, VT

05733.

Arrangements by Miller &

Ketcham Funeral Home.

mit from the town because the lot

is in a Neighborhood Residential

District.

The developers noted on their

application that they felt “there is

a signiﬁ cant need for this project to

serve the [Brandon] community and

surrounding communities.”

According to the application, the

building will be 32’ by 72’. The ﬁ rst

ﬂ oor will be occupied by the laun-

dromat and a potential second ﬂ oor

would contain residential apart-

ments, though the application be-

fore the DRB was for the ﬁ rst-ﬂ oor

laundromat and parking lot alone.

The building will be 26 feet tall if

one story and 36 feet tall if two sto-

ries. The building and parking lot

would occupy 38% of the lot’s to-

tal surface area. The total estimated

cost of the building and parking lot

is $750,000, according to the appli-

cation.

The proposed laundromat would

contain 13 to 15 commercial wash-

ing machines and 16 to 18 com-

mercial dryers of various capacities.

The machines would be card-op-

erated only. Debit cards will be

available for cash purchase on site.

The developers also stated that they

were considering wash-and-fold

service with pick-up and delivery.

The facility would be open 7 days

per week with a security system and

a part-time attendant.

The applicants did not present

any architectural renderings of the

building, stating that they were

waiting for the town approval to

move ahead with the project before

committing additional resources to

hiring an architect. However, they

also stated that they intended to

avoid an industrial appearance. Ms.

Brown referenced “barn door” to

describe the anticipated aesthetic.

DRB Chair Samantha Stone

noted that the hearing had drawn

an unusually large number of at-

tendees, attesting to the great local

interest in the project. Among those

in attendance was David Steinberg,

who owns the house immediately

adjacent to the project site on High

Street. Mr. Steinberg expressed sup-

port for the project but had come

to the hearing to seek assurances

from the DRB that no permit would

be given unless certain conditions

were met.

Mr. Steinberg’s list of conditions

focused mostly on protecting his

home from the unwanted effects

of an adjacent business operation.

Among other requests, he asked for

privacy fencing to be installed at the

developers’ expense. Mr. Steinberg

sought to keep dumpsters and por-

table toilets away from his property

line. He asked for ﬁ lters to keep the

smell of detergent to a minimum.

But Mr. Steinberg’s biggest con-

cern was the extra trafﬁ c that the

facility would bring to the neighbor-

hood and pointed out that because

a stone wall at the intersection of

High Street and Route 7 impaired

visibility, any increased trafﬁ c

exiting the laundromat on High

Street posed a danger. Initially, Mr.

Steinberg insisted that all vehicles

enter and exit on Route 7 only but

seemed open to DRB member Bob

Clark’s suggestion that High Street

could be made entrance-only, with

all vehicles exiting onto Route 7.

The developers stated that they

had not yet commissioned a trafﬁ c

study but estimated that 15 to 20 ve-

hicles per day would visit the site.

Brandon Economic Develop-

ment Ofﬁ cer Bill Moore offered

his support for the project, noting

that it would ﬁ ll the void left by

the closure of Dirty Work. Brandon

Zoning Administrator Jeff Biasuzzi

commended the developers on their

application but also stated that any

residential development on the site

would require a separate application

and hearing.

The DRB ultimately voted to

close the hearing and deliberate.

The Board will have to decide

whether to grant the conditional-use

permit and, if so, under what condi-

tions. The DRB has 45 days to issue

its decision.

In the meantime, the DRB en-

couraged the developers and Mr.

Steinberg to meet and work out a

mutually acceptable plan that would

allow the project to move forward if

the permit is issued.

Laundromat

(Continued from Page 1)

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 7

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April 11th – April 14th

With six weeks remaining in

the 2024 session’s predicted ad-

journment, the push to the end

has started in the House. Last

week, in an effort to get the

money bills to the Senate, the

House went into marathon ses-

sions long into the late evening

hours every day to move the

must-pass bills for adjournment

along to the Senate.

These bills include the FY25

Appropriations for the support

of government also known as

the “Budget,” the Transporta-

tion Program bill, the Capital

Construction bill, and the Edu-

cation Property Tax bill also

known as the “Yield Bill.” De-

spite our best efforts to move

these and other bills forward, a

logjam has been created by long

and sometime contentious de-

bates and roll-call voting.

The House prides itself in

clearing its calendar or agenda

every day. However, during this

past week we did not clear the

agenda on any single day and

pushed a majority of the agenda

to the next day. This is a highly

unusual situation that will create

further delays in adjournment

later in the session. Only two of

the necessary money bills—the

Budget and the “T-Bill”—have

been sent to the Senate. It is

expected that the Capital Con-

struction bill will be moved on,

barring any lengthy debate, by

Wednesday, April 3. This leaves

the education Yield Bill, which

has yet to be created, as the nal

must have bill for adjournment.

The passage of the Yield Bill

is now uncertain with over 29

school-district budgets defeated

on Town Meeting day and many

not scheduled to vote until April

30th or beyond. An accurate

forecast of school spending

cannot be gleaned, therefore

the legislature cannot set the

yield per weighted pupil until

the majority of the 29 districts

have passed a budget. Until that

time, the Legislature will await

the local decisions before tak-

ing action on this year's educa-

tion property tax bill, another

unusual event, as for the rst

time in my legislative career

the yield has not been set on or

about Town Meeting day.

Bills I have been tracking:

H.883. The Budget. The

House version of this bill

spends $8.585 billion for the

support of your state govern-

ment. This bill spends approxi-

mately $3 million over the Gov-

ernor’s recommended spending.

This difference in spending

normally would not raise a red

ag to the administration or to

the Senate, but in this case the

spending patterns of the House

are extremely different than the

Governor’s recommend spend-

ing. The Governor's budget

concentrated on housing for

median income families, work-

force housing, and affordable

housing. Also included in the

governor's budget was funding

for expansion of public-safety

initiatives statewide, along with

millions of dollars for ood re-

covery programs. The House

version spent very little on

housing initiatives and public-

safety programs but preserved

funding for ood victims. The

House version also includes

over $76 million to extend and

expand the shelter-beds and

emergency-housing programs,

and provides funding for 3 new

judges in the judiciary system to

help alleviate the court’s back-

logged criminal docket. It also

appropriates $6.1 million for

substance-use prevention and

treatment and $2 million for

naloxone distribution.

I would describe these and

many other differences in this

way, the Governor and his ad-

ministration have aligned all

the deck chairs on the ship to

face north while the House has

aligned those same chairs to

face South. I'm sure the Senate

will make major changes and

H.883 will be returned to the

house in a very different form.

It is unknown what the reaction

of the Governor will be to the -

nal bill, but I hope a reasonable

compromise can be worked out

between all parties.

I did not support this bill be-

cause of the extra $3 million in

spending. Many of the initia-

tives I supported were not fund-

ed or the funding was greatly re-

duced, especially in the area of

affordable housing for Vermont-

ers. It is my hope that when the

bill is returned from the Senate,

I will be able to support the

FY25 Budget. More to come as

this process moves forward.

Questions, comments or

conversation? Please send me

an email at bshaw@leg.state.

vt.us or call at 802-483-2398

for more information concern-

ing our legislative district of

Pittsford-Pittsford. You can also

leave a message for me at the

Ofce of the Sergeant at Arms

of the Vermont State House

@802-828-2228. Please leave

your contact information.

Representative Butch Shaw

Pittsford-Proctor

Vice-Chair House Committee

on Transportation

Chair Rutland County

Legislative Delegation

BY BUTCH SHAW

Legislative

Report

Marathon sessions before adjournment

Sharpen your mind

with our puzzles.

See page 17

Page 8 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

BY VICKI DISORDA

It was bright and breezy again

this year as the crowd gathered

in front of the Brandon United

Methodist Church for the ecu-

menical parade known as “The

Cross Walk.” This was only the

second time since COVID that

the Good Friday commemora-

tion has occurred. Numbers

were small this year and last

compared to pre-pandemic days.

Formerly, the event easily drew

200 people. Still, individuals in

attendance Friday were from

as far away as Hancock. Local

participants included members

of St. Mary’s Catholic Church,

the Brandon United Methodist

Church, Brandon Congregational

Church, St. Thomas & Grace

Episcopal Church in Brandon,

and the Church of the Nazarene

in Leicester. One does not need to

be afliated with a church to join

in the festivity of the day. All are

welcome to attend.

The Cross Walk honors the

death of Jesus Christ. Ironically,

according to pastor and author

Sam Sterns, “Any attempt to un-

derstand the sufferings of Christ

must reckon with the fact that

‘two thousand years of pious

Christian tradition have largely

domesticated the cross, making it

hard for us to realize how it was

viewed in Jesus' time’ (Carson,

573). Both the painful and shame-

ful aspects of crucixion have be-

come blurred, and no matter what

we may think we know about this

manner of execution, it simply

does not mean the same thing for

us as it did to those living in the

rst century.” (Source: biblestu-

dytools.com)

The symbolism of the cross is

lost.

Additionally, very little is said

about what Jesus suffered in the

four Synoptic Gospels of the Bi-

ble that describe the life of Jesus,

except “they crucied him.” Ac-

cording to Sterns, there are two

reasons for this. First, crucixions

were so commonplace in the time

of Jesus that it simply required no

explanation. Second and “[m]ore

important is the fact that crucix-

ion was so utterly repugnant, so

indescribably shameful that they

deemed it improper to go beyond

the bare minimum in describing

our Lord's experience.”

Pre-Jesus, the cross was a

widely known emblem for na-

tionalities other than the Jews of

Israel who considered themselves

racially superior to all other be-

ings. Jesus was the exception.

In Christ’s time, the cross itself

was “the most vile and repulsive

of objects.” (Source: Unger’s

Bible Dictionary) To top off the

shame associated with crucix-

ions was the unfathomable physi-

cal torture associated with the

process:

In 1968 in a cemetery at Gi'vat

Ha-Mivtar (near Jerusalem), a

bulldozer unearthed the skeletal

remains of a man named “John”

who had been crucied:

“Whether tied or nailed to the

cross, the victim endured count-

less paroxysms (sudden attacks)

as he pulled with his arms and

pushed with his legs to keep his

chest cavity open for breathing

and then collapsed in exhaustion

until the demand for oxygen de-

manded renewed paroxysms. The

scourging, the loss of blood, the

shock from the pain, all produced

agony that could go on for days,

ending at last by suffocation, car-

diac arrest, or loss of blood. When

there was reason to hasten death,

the execution squad would smash

the victim's legs. Death followed

almost immediately, either from

shock or from collapse that cut

off breathing” (574).” (Source:

biblestudytools.com)

It is small wonder why, for

those who know its signicance,

the cross has become a symbol of

all that is precious and holy, such

as life. It was a symbol embraced

wholeheartedly by the oppressed,

spiritual or otherwise, two thou-

sand years ago. It is unknown

when it was adopted as a Chris-

tian emblem. However, on the

tombstones of early Christians,

it was a sign of victory and hope.

(Source: Unger’s Bible Diction-

ary)

Father Maurice Moreau of the

Brandon (and Pittsford) Catholic

Church headed the event on Fri-

day, which began with a prayer.

This year, the small gathering

had permission to walk down the

street, as opposed to the sidewalk

like they did last year. It is un-

known if this was due to the con-

ditions of the pavement or if this

will become tradition from now

onward.

The procession strolled in si-

lence, intermittently stopping

so that each person could touch,

transfer, and carry the cross. It

looks intimidating, but the ob-

ject is actually quite lightweight.

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Ecumenical parade highlights the symbolism of the Cross

FATHER MAURICE MOREAU (“Father Mo”) of Brandon’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Pittsford’s

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church leads the ecumenical parade up Carver Street in Brandon on Good

Friday. Members from several area churches participated. In addition to the Catholic Churches, the

Methodist Church, the Congregational Church, and the Nazarene Church were represented. The

parade is meant to remind participants of the meaning of the Cross in Christianity on Good Friday.

Photos provided.

(See Ecumenical parade, Page 11)

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 9

Like most Americans, I am

easily inebriated by underdog

stories. Give me a few swigs of

an unlikely hero story and I’m

ushed beyond reason. Throw

in the theme song from Rocky

or that bagpipe soundtrack

from Braveheart and I should

probably surrender my keys to

a designated driver.

Let me confess, while I’m at

it, that I’ve probably imbibed

the 1993 college football mov-

ie Rudy about a dozen times.

Granted, there comes a time

when you just need to put cer-

tain lms on hiatus for a while.

(I went cold turkey on Rudy for

a few years).

But more re-

cently I red

up the lm for

what was prob-

ably my 13th or

14th time. The

“Rudy” theme

song, that

candle in the

cupcake scene,

that stadium-

wide “RUDY!”

chant - in un-

diminished

magic it all

came back

with intoxicat-

ing potency.

(Of course, I’m

older now and had to be put to

bed immediately after watch-

ing.)

Not long after watching I

was expounding about the ner

points of Rudy when the chal-

lenging (and most unwelcome)

question was raised about

whatever became of Rudy.

(Rudy, incidentally, is based on

a true 1970 Notre Dame story.)

Most certainly, I informed my

detractor, Rudy went on to do

great things. Fighting injustic-

es. Slaying Giants. Conquering

Armies. The sober part of me

wasn’t ready to peak behind the

curtain.

Now, the history I have to

report may not be pretty. (And

let me say right now that I

can’t conrm that there were

no Rudy-haters authoring what

I read.) But it seems that Ru-

dy’s post Notre Dame resume

might not include the slain gi-

ant count that you would ex-

pect. OK, so he dabbled a bit in

real estate. And yes, there was

a brief stint as a car salesman. I

will even concede reports (un-

conrmed, mind you) of “snow

shoveling and lawn care just

to make a living” (but this of

course seems entirely specula-

tive.)

But the thing the Rudy cyn-

ics really love to use to rock

the pedestal is his dabbling in

“Rudy Nutrition,” a dubious

Gatorade-like energy drink he

invented in the early 2000s.

Apparently, he was charged

with fraudulent labeling by the

Securities and Exchange Com-

mission, which I can only as-

sume were trumped-up charges

from heartless detractors. (Say

it ain’t so, Rudy!)

Of course, no one likes it

when you mess with their he-

roes. Nobody really wants to

hear from the

wet-blanket

realists when

you’re chant-

ing “Rudy”

in the bleach-

ers. (Ya, ya,

I know – his

entire football

career - only

got 3 minutes

on the eld!)

But if there is

a hero trope

that has be-

come nothing

short of Hal-

lowed Ground

to most red-

blooded Amer-

icans, I believe it is the under-

dog hero trope.

Underdogism, I would hum-

bly submit, is not just a popular

American sentiment, it’s part

of our American DNA. It’s in

the water supply. It’s the nar-

rative we were all raised on:

Long Shots, Come-Back Kids,

Dark Horses, Cinderella stories

– there seem to be no shortage

of underdog cocktails to slake

this most voracious of Ameri-

can narrative thirsts. And why?

Because underdog stories defy

gravity. They smash through

assumptions. They put the ex-

traordinary within reach to the

ordinary rest of us.

That an undercurrent of Un-

derdogism exists in our cultural

identity is not hard to argue. I

may be playing loose with his-

tory here, but debatably our

country’s history is founded

on Underdogism. Was not our

Revolutionary War anything

but an epic David and Goliath

battle against the superpower

of the day? And where would

that American Dream be with-

out a heady dose of Underdo-

gism – that beloved “rags-to-

riches” Horatio Alger myth that

we can all overcome Rudy-like

obstacles?

These days, however, I have

the sinking feeling that our

story-savvy world is subtlely

leveraging my underdog bi-

ases without my permission.

Like maybe that NCAA March

Madness we went through last

month might have had some-

thing to do with our emotional

vulnerability for Cinderella

stories. It’s a ride I expect

Bob Costas will be taking me

on again during this summer’s

Olympics when he starts spin-

ning those small-town, up-

from-nowhere Olympic stories

this July.

But more notably, maybe is

the Underdogism that’s creep-

ing into our political stories

these days. Historian David

M. Potter once suggested that

“Underdogs are not just appeal-

ing to Americans because they

beat the odds but overcome an

injustice that explains those

odds – such as the game being

unfairly rigged due to position

and power.” The underdog ap-

peals, it seems, not just because

they ght righteous battles, but

because they kick at the unjust

establishment. Which leads

me to another underdog breed

which seems to have been un-

leashed more recently: rising

American Populism.

If there is a winning po-

litical narrative these days, it

probably has something to do

with some well-pitched righ-

teous Underdogism. Less about

statecraft than about stage-

craft. Or as one commentator

puts it, understanding how the

Commander-in-Chief may also

play “Story-Teller-in-Chief.” If

the effective Populist is good at

lling the bleachers with chant-

ing masses, it just might have

something to do with fram-

ing the right story. A righteous

cause. A corrupt and powerful

elite. The right Giant-Slayer-

in-Chief Champion.

Americans love a good story.

But maybe there comes a time

when we need to go easy on

that Rudy Elixir. It’s a high-oc-

tane brew. One that comes with

a few warnings on the bottle.

Or doesn’t – as “Rudy-Nutri-

tion” might remind us.

Hard Tellin’

BY DAVE PRAAMSMA

Why Americans are over the moon for underdogs

“Underdogs are not

just appealing to

Americans because

they beat the odds

but overcome an

injustice that ex-

plains those odds

– such as the game

being unfairly

rigged due to posi-

tion and power.”

— David M. Potter,

Historian

Here’s what the kids had to say about the eclipse mural:

“It was a really cool project. Really rare. Happens every

400 years.”

–Esme Davis

“It was exciting. The first real thing the Neshobe Council

put out into the world.”

–Sigourney Brodowski

“Really fun. It was a lot of work and focus.”

–Aiden Heredia

“It was fun because we got to work together.”

–Maggie Hooker

“Everyone got a chance to work on it.”

–Lani Heitman

“Took a lot of hard work but it was fun.”

–Emmy Rogers

“It was fun because we could work with our friends.”

–Mitchell Fullam

“We had to be focused.”

–Hayden Desabrais

“It was fun to do the painting and our first big project.”

–Marion LaPorte

“It showed awareness of the eclipse and is once in a lifetime.”

–Jacob Therrien

mUsInGs oN

aN eClIpSe

Page 10 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

STUDENT: Hayden Desabrais

GRADE: 4

SCHOOL: Neshobe

TITLE: The Black and Red Splatter Painting

MEDIUM: Paper and paint

TEACHER: John Brodowski

Statement from Hayden:

The splatter painting of my friends inspired me to try it. I tried to put more red on the

top and more black on the bottom. Someone also donated some Posca Paint Markers so

I decided to try and add some different kinds of lines with them.

Statement from Mr. Brodowski:

Hayden is always very creative and brings a really positive attitude to art class. He is

always encouraging his classmates and helping them in any way he can. For this proj-

ect, it sounds like he got some help himself from a friend in the form of inspiration. And

he also got help from the very thoughtful and generous student who donated the Posca

Paint Markers to the art classroom for students to experiment with.

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 11

Good fortune would have it that

trafc was light and one could

hear the birds chirping. The walk

ended as it always does, in the

Catholic Church at 38 Carver

Street. There, attendees each

nailed a blood-colored slip of pa-

per to the t-shaped tree in honor

of Jesus’s Sacrice on their be-

half.

The ceremony continued with

the hymn “Were You There,” an

African-American Spiritual. St.

Mary’s member Jeannine Grif-

n’s soprano voice sent chills

down this listener’s arms. The rit-

ual concluded with another prayer

by Father Moe. The song and cool

winds lifted the somber feeling of

the occasion. By the time “The

Cross Walk” ended at St Mary’s

Fellowship Hall, all were smiling

and gleeful in anticipation of Eas-

ter. The many diverse individuals

united joyously over hot tomato

soup and hot-cross buns. The en-

tire activity took an hour. Thanks

go to St. Mary’s Church of Bran-

don, who organizes and hosts the

event annually.

The Cross Walk always begins

noontime each year at the head

of Carver Street on Good Friday.

There is no need to sign up, all

one needs do is show up. So go

ahead and mark your calendars

for next year. Come embrace the

symbolism of The Cross.

Ecumenical parade

(Continued from Page 8)

THE ECUMENICAL PARADE began at the Brandon United Meth-

odist Church, wound its way up Carver Street, and ended at St.

Mary’s Catholic Church. Open to all, the walk draws attention to

the symbolism of the Cross.

BY STEVEN JUPITER

PITTSFORD—A strange brew it

was, this mash-up of High Victorian

poetry and Americana music: the

“nonsense” verse of Lewis Carroll

and Edward Lear set to the country

twang of acoustic guitar, dobro, and

ddle. But the improbable marriage

of these two seemingly incom-

patible genres worked, creating a

thoroughly enjoyable evening at

the Maclure Library in Pittsford on

Thursday, March 28. And we had

Ted Wesley and Steve Spensley to

thank for it.

The arrangements were Mr.

Wesley’s. Well-known poems like

Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”

(from Through the Looking-Glass,

the 1871 sequel to Alice’s Adven-

tures in Wonderland) and Edward

Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussy-

cat” (1870) lost a good deal of their

“veddy British” starch when sung

to folk and blues accompaniment.

In fact, in the hands of Mr. Wesley

and Mr. Spensley, these poems shed

much of their English preciousness

and started to sound more like Ap-

palachian folk tales.

Mr. Wesley is clearly a great fan

of both Carroll and Lear and took

obvious delight in the authors’

wordplay. Absurdity, whimsy, and

illogicality are all hallmarks of

the verse. Singing and playing in

a straightforward, nger-picking

style reminiscent of Pete Seeger,

Mr. Wesley savored the strange

language and sing-song rhymes.

And Mr. Spensley, accompanying

some pieces on the ddle, often

couldn’t hide a sly smile as he lis-

tened to his musical partner recite

these whimsical poems. Mr. Wes-

ley even got the audience to sing

the refrains of Lear’s “Calico Pie”

and “The Jumblies.”

It will be very difcult to read

these poems now and not hear

them recited with a twang.

Anyone interested in hearing

Mr. Wesley can nd him on You-

Tube under “Brother Teed.” Some

of the arrangements he performed

on Thursday can be found on his

YouTube channel.

‘O, frabjous day!’ Nonsense verse set to music at Pittsford’s Maclure Library

TED WESLEY (LEFT) and Steve Spensley (right) presented a musical evening of

Victorian “nonsense” verse by Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear at the Maclure Library

in Pittsford last Thursday. Mr. Wesley’s Americana-avored arrangements gave an

unexpected twist to the absurd High Victorian language of these two famous authors.

Photo by Steven Jupiter

Page 12 — The Reporter, April 3, 2024

April

Mondays

Brandon Rec offers Aikido classes

Come to Brandon Town Hall for Youth classes at 5 p.m., and

adult classes at 6 p.m. Beginners and spectators welcome.

Visit www.aikidovermont.org for more information, including

fees.

Tuesdays

Maclure Library Story Time Playgroup

Looking for a fun, educational playgroup for your 2–5 year

old? Look no further! From

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. join Miss

Allie, a certied teacher, for a

weekly FREE literacy-based

playgroup. Light snacks will

be provided, along with

stories, crafts, songs, games,

and more. To register, please

email allie.grifths@rcpcc.org

with your child's name, age,

and contact information for

your family.

Friends Zone

The Friends Zone will be initially open 3 hours per week at

the Brandon United Methodist Church on Tuesdays from

12-3 p.m. at 1 Franklin Street, Brandon. Socialize with old

friends, make new ones. Sip some soup while you sip a drink.

Be puzzled for a bit, sorting out a puzzle, or hold an Ace in

the hole until the right moment to play it. If so inclined, you

can bring to the table a struggle of your own to work on or

your thoughts on developing the Friends Zone or improving

our lives.

The door is open. Our minds are open. Our hearts are open.

All are welcome in.

For more information contact pastors Reverend John

Hardman-Zimmerman (hzfm@hotmail.com or (802) 282-7532)

or Vicki Disorda (vqueenoftheearth@gmail.com or (802) 345-

4125).

Pins & Needles Craft Club at the Bran-

don Free Public Library

Drop in from 5:30–7:00 p.m., and bring

your projects to work on.

Wednesdays

Ping Pong

The Green Mountain Table Tennis Club

would like to announce the beginning of

its new season!

The club has begun playing on Wednesday evenings starting

at 7 p.m. It will meet nearly every Wednesday year-round

in the gym at the Rutland Area Christian School in Rutland,

located at the corner of Melrose Ave. and Lincoln Ave. in

Rutland, a block from the intersection of Route 7 and Mel-

rose Ave. (110 Lincoln Ave., Rutland, VT 05701).

Being a part of this unique and exciting club offers a variety

of activities, including regular practice, a challenge board,

clinics for beginner and advanced play, singles and doubles,

inter-club events with other table tennis clubs, and even

tournaments.

If you are interested in table tennis as a recreational or ath-

letic activity, we’re interested in you! There is a modest mem-

bership fee of only $30, although you can come twice free as

our guest. Bring your sneakers and paddle (or use ours) and

have some fun playing a great game of “Pong!”

For further information about the Green Mountain Table Ten-

nis Club, visit our club’s website at www.gmttc.com.

Yoga Prana Shakti Zoom & Studio Chair Yoga, Gentle,

Wednesdays

From 10:30–11:30 a.m. at 155 Woodstock Avenue in Rutland,

Lina Cloffe Hanson (Parvati) offers an Earth Conscien-

tious, Spiritual, Gentle Physical Yoga Practice. We meet on

Mondays via zoom. Contact for Zoom link. (There is also a

Monday Zoom only class)

Not everyone can get up and down off of the oor easily,

making traditional yoga classes difcult. If you have physical

limitation or a health issue this might be the ideal class for

you. With the help of a chair most people can practice yoga

and reap the benets of increased circulation, balance, ex-

ibility, mobility, strength and more.

We spend a fair amount of the time exercising in a seated

position in the chairs but if possible, we also do exercises

standing, using the

chairs for support.

The exercises can be

adjusted for individual

needs and we move

at a comfortable pace.

I think you will soon

notice a difference

once you start. Look-

ing forward to seeing

you in class!

Lina (Parvati) has 20

plus years of experience teaching and a lifelong personal

practice.

To stay tuned if there are any cancellations, follow on Face-

book and get on our email list.

$15/class

Thursdays

Ukulele Group

Free at the Chaffee Art Center from 12–1 p.m., for adults &

12+. This is not a class but a group enjoying playing the uku-

lele together. Must pre-register. There are a limited amount

of in-house instruments to reserve.

Attendees will be led through specic sheet music

by musician Steven Wilson. All levels are welcome.

Open Mic at Red Clover in Brandon

Join us starting at 6 p.m. for a rousing good time!

Fridays

Chaffee Art Center All About the Arts Free Class

for kids 3–5

From 11am–Noon…FREE! Students will have fun creating

and doing activities with art, music, literature, and more!

One free book per student will be given weekly (while

supplies last) thanks to our partners at Rutland Free Library.

Adult must accompany children under age 4. Must pre-

Instructor: Lori Sullivan; Minimum 3.

Maclure Library Knitting Circle

Come join us weekly to share projects from noon – 2:00 p.m.

Corn Hole at the Godnick Adult Center

By request, we will have drop-in cornhole in the Rec Hall on

Fridays from 2–4 p.m.

Play with whomever shows up each time or just practice

your cornhole skills!

Saturdays

Bingo at the Brandon Senior Center

First Saturday of each month from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Bring

lunch, and the Center will provide beverages, desserts, and

a good time. A great way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

Please direct any questions to Kathy Mathis at 247-3121.

Storytime at the Brandon Free Public Library

Join us every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for picture book story-

time. All ages welcome.

Sundays

Brandon Town Hall Painting with Crystal

Crystal Ketcham leads an all ages painting event!

Yes, you CAN paint! More info, contact Crystal at ceast-

man88@gmail.com

“The study of art is the

most important study

a garden designer can

pursue.”

Thursday 4th

Disabled Access &

Advocacy of the Rutland

Area (DAARA) April 2024

Zoom Meeting

Are you a person with a disability or a family member or

friend of one? Are you interested in helping to create

more accessible communities and educating the general

public about disability issues? If so, please consider getting

involved with our local group.

DAARA's mission is to work towards more accessible com-

munities for people with a disability in the Rutland County

Area. It also aims to advocate for other important issues and

to educate the general public about people with disabilities,

including the issues that affect them and the programs/ser-

Calendar of events

Join us on April 8th for a pre-eclipse gathering at NOON

to enjoy Pizza by the Pond and other celestial-themed bites.

The open skies around the Inn and Outdoor Center offer a

special place to experience this amazing astronomical event.

Pizza by the Pond and other celestial

treats at Blueberry Hill Inn, April 8

Brandon eclipse event

schedule for Saturday, April 6th

8:00 am–7:00 pm | Morningside Bakery 11 Center Street

“Eclipse Cookies”, “Lunar Pie” wood red pizza” - Start your

morning with a cup of coffee and a fresh baked pastry, or pop in

a sandwich or for wine, local craft beers and provisions. Eclipse

cookies to celebrate the event all weekend long!

10:00 am–4:00 pm | Brandon Museum & Visitors Center 4

Grove Street

“The 1932 Eclipse” Stop in and learn about what happened

when the skies went dark on August 31, 1932 and other Brandon

facts and pick up a free pair of viewing glasses. Free Planetary

popcorn and beverages will be provided throughout the day.

10:00 am–5:00 pm | Brandon Artist Guild 7 Center Street

“In the Path of Shade” - a celestial celebration that captures

the awe-inspiring essence of a solar eclipse. The show runs from

March 1st through April 28th.

10:30 am–11:30 pm | Brandon Public Library 1 Conant

Square

“Solar Eclipse Storytime” – Storytime this week will focus on

the solar eclipse! 11:00 am | Brandon Museum & Visitors Center

4 Grove Street “Observing Celestial Phenomenon” - Join local

historian John Peterson as he explores how people have responded

to heavenly spectacles through the ages.

11:00 am–4:00 pm | Long Iron Restaurant 224 Town Farm

Road

“Lunar Lunch”- Stop into the Long Iron Restaurant for delicious

Solar Specials. The Long Iron also offers a full bar and a great

selection of beer and wine. Guests can enjoy a cold beer or sip on

a special Eclipse Cocktail while taking in the views.

11:00 am–5:30 pm | Sister Wicked 3 W. Seminary Street

A solar eclipse is an event that has long been associated with

mystical signicance. This is a great time to explore, and astrolo-

gist Gina Germond is available by appointment. (802) 236-3368

Astrological Chart Reading - A natal chart reading is an inter-

pretation of the sky at our exact time of birth. Our star print can

tell us many things about ourselves and our lives. Astrologist Gina

Germond learned of her zodiac sign at age 8 and has been on a

continuous quest to expand and broaden her knowledge of astrol-

ogy ever since. Let her reveal your star print with you.

Tarot Card Reading - Relax, set your intention, and sit back

while Sister Wicked Gina Germond lays out a beautiful & in-

sightful spread of cards. Working with 6 decks, Gina’s readings

not only give indications, guidelines, and clarication, they also

delight the eye & stir the soul.

12:00 am–2:00 pm | Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center 1288

Goshen Ripton Rd.

“Ever-bubbling soup” - Access the extensive trail system any-

time during your visit. (Spring trail condition dependent.) Maps

are available on-site and online. After your hike pop in and enjoy

some of our “ever-bubbling” soup, hot chocolate, tea, and grilled

cheese sandwiches from 12-2 at the Outdoor Center.

12:00–7:00 pm | Red Clover Ale Company 43 Center Street

“Unnamed Music Project”, LAN Chef” The tap room is open!

Come on in and listen to live music, grab a bite from LAN chef,

and try our “Eclipse Beer” – brewed specially for this once in a

lifetime event using a hops variety named Eclipse.

5:30 pm–6:30 pm | The Brandon Inn 20 Park Street

“Moonlight in Vermont” - American tenor, Joshua Collier, ac-

companied by Piano and Bass, will be performing some of his fa-

vorites from The Great American Songbook, a canon of American

popular songs and enduring jazz standards written mainly during

the rst half of the 20th century.

7:00 pm–10:00 pm | Brandon Town Hall 1 Conant Square

“Among the Stars Cabaret” - An upscale evening of music

and fun. Savory tidbits and sweet treats will be provided. Tipples

available for purchase including a signature Solar Eclipse cocktail!

Doors open at 7; festivities to follow.

Tickets are available in advance at Carr’s Gifts or at the door the

night of the show.

8:00 pm–11:00 am | Sister Wicked 3 W. Seminary Street

LIVE MUSIC - the Yurt Bags featuring Twins Jim and Rob Mc-

Cuen and drummer Matt Davis!

The Reporter, April 3, 2024 — Page 13

vices in their support.

DAARA usually meets on the rst Wednesday of every month

from 10:30 am to noon at the Rutland Free Library. However,

since the Covid pandemic started, we are currently holding

our meetings via Zoom. Zoom link to be sent via email close

to the meeting date. Please note: This month’s meeting will

be on 4/4.

For more information about DAARA, please contact the

Vermont Center For Independent Living Rutland Ofce at

(802) 779-9021 or Peer Advocate Counselor, Jessie Buttereld,

at jbuttereld@vcil.org or at (802) 772-7042.

Friday 5th

The Underground - Lis-

tening Room—Night

Protocol w/ Andriana

Night Protocol: Night

Protocol was created

to unite the sounds of

the past, present, and

future with a cutting-

edge style of electronic

music. Night Protocol

shows are driven by

live analog synthesiz-

ers, pulsing basslines,

ripping guitar solos,

soaring saxophone

leads, and harmonized

vocals. Their live show

takes a theatrical

approach to music

performance with

coordinated visuals,

lighting effects, and a

contagious sense of

passion and energy

for the foundations of

electronic music.

Andriana: “Armed with

an expressive alto,”

Andriana Chobot, a

“theatrical voice that

likely owes some debt

to the emotionally

forthright work of Rufus Wainwright and Sarah McLachlan”

(Seven Days), brings an eclectic mix of pop-rock-indie-

folk, with a touch of jazz, that immerses the listener into an

original soundscape. Whether it’s just her solo, delivering an

electronic piano centered performance, or equipped with her

band of local talent, she delivers renditions ranging in upbeat

originals, covers and cool, ethereal ballads, with “uttering

piano . . . one very reminiscent of Imogen Heap, among

others” (Local Blog; ‘Classically Trained’). Having picked up

the piano at the young age of 4, Andriana started to write

songs in her junior year of high school, initially classical com-

positions, gradually evolving into what you hear today. The

occasional dueling pianist, Andriana recently premiered her

new video to her latest single “Like It’s the Last Time,” which

teases her upcoming rst full length album, “RETURN TO

SINCERE (https://linktr.ee/Andrianacee)” available now!

Stream/Buy. Touring locally, this musician is based out of

Burlington, Vermont.

Advance: $14 (+fees) // Day of show: $17 (+fees)

Doors: 7 pm // Show: 7:30 pm

All Ages

BYOB

Saturday 6th

Lasagna Fundraising Dinner in Wallingford

Wallingford Memorial Rotary Club, 96 North Main Street,

Wallingford, will host a lasagna dinner on Saturday, April 6

from 5 to 6:30 pm. Dinner will include meat or vegetarian

lasagna, tossed salad, bread and dessert. The cost is $15 per

person, $8 for children under 8 years old.

Orders may be placed and pre-paid online starting March 15

on the Wallingford Rotary website, https://wallingfordvtrotary.

com/ or by calling 802-259-3490 to place your order and

pay at the door. You may specify either dine-in or take-out.

Orders will be accepted from March 15 to April 3.

Unitarian Universalist Church—

The Marsh Lights in Concert

Features: Former members of PossumHaw and The Blue-

grass Gospel Project. Vermont Vocalist of the Year and Ver-

mont Song of the Year. “The combination of talent, passion,

and songwriting in the band is breathtaking” — Mary-Nell

Bockman, Whallonsburg Grange.

Show is from 7:30–8:30 pm. All Tickets at the Door $15, Chil-

dren under 12 Free. marshlightsmusic.com

Sunday 7th

Big Picture Theater and

Café—

A Hill Farmer’s Story and

Other Vermont Tales

Join us April 7 from 7–9

pm for a lively evening

celebrating life in rural

Vermont featuring lm,

staged readings, and live

music, with performances

by singer-songwriter Kris

Gruen and actors Rob

Donaldson and Ethan

Bowen. A family-friendly

show, it’s down- to-earth

entertainment the night

before Vermont’s biggest

celestial event. Presented

by Phantom Theater.

Written and directed

by Kate Youngdahl-

Stauss, A Hill Farmer’s

Story is a short docu-

mentary based on the

hundred-year-old journals

of Granville farmer and

legendary woodsman,

Riley Bostwick. Kris Gruen

makes music that is as

organic as his Worcester

VT farm with fresh lyrics

and captivating tunes. As Seven Days says: “Gruen's tunes

foster all of the most thrilling feelings—joy, triumph, cathar-

sis, heartbreak.” Rob Donaldson has performed in some

of Phantom Theater’s most popular productions includ-

ing Jaws and Alien as well as Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last

Tape. Ethan Bowen is the founder of Rochester’s Bald Moun-

tain Theater and has been featured in productions by Lost

Nation, Vermont Stage and the White River Valley Players.

Together they will be performing poignant excerpts from

Kathy Mehuron’s anecdotal history of the Mad River Val-

ley, Take Me Back.

Lake Bomoseen Lodge—Last Science Pub

The last Science Pub of the 2023–24 season, just in time to

welcome our returning birds. Spring will come and with it our

summer birds—including the rare and treasured loons. Come

to learn about these elusive birds at our next and last Science

Pub of the season.

Eric Hanson, Biologist, Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

The (Un)Common Loon: Stories About the Loon’s Life and

Conservation.

Loons have made an amazing recovery in Vermont over the

past 30 years. Learn about the conservation actions that have

brought them back—including the work of citizen scientists

across the state—as well as the threats they continue to face.

We’ll also explore loons’ fascinating behaviors and natural

history, from territorial disputes to visual and verbal commu-

nication.

Free event, pay only for food and drinks you order. No reser-

vation needed. Come to learn, to meet interesting people, to

eat and drink. 4 pm, Bomoseen Lodge.

The Whale Kicks Off SVA Spring/Summer Film Series

We are excited to announce our Spring & Summer Film Series

at Stone Valley Arts. Come out and watch some great indie

icks. Free admission, all lms will be followed by a discus-

sion. Visit stonevalleyarts.org for more information.

Friday April 5th at 7pm: The Whale (2022)

A reclusive English teacher attempts to reconnect with his teen-

age daughter for one last chance at redemption. Nominated for

three Academy Awards.

Friday May 3rd at 7pm: Past Lives (2023)

Two childhood sweethearts are reunited for one weekend in

New York after decades apart. A modern romance from debut

lmmaker Celine Song and nominated for ve Golden Globe

Awards.

Friday June 21 at 7pm: Showing Up (2023)

A sculptor preparing to open a new show tried to work among

the daily dramas of family and friends. Starring Michelle Williams

and directed by Kelly Reichardt. A captivatingly funny portrait of

art and craft.

Friday July 19th at 7pm: You Hurt My Feelings (2023)

A novelist’s marriage is threatened when she overhears her

husband’s honest criticism of her new book. A comedy-drama

starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and directed by Nicole Holofcener.

*All Films are supported by Kanopy in partnership with

Castleton Free Library.

Stone Valley Arts at Fox Hill—

The Whale Film Screening