Vermont life. Vol. 62, Iss. 1

2007·92.3 MB·English

by  Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing

BEDROOM + LIVING + DINING + KITCHEN + HOME THEATER + OFFICE + RUGS + LIGHTING + OTHER FINISHING TOUCH
W U fM B « JJ
Pieces from the Grafton Bedroom Collection shown in solid birch including queen-size bed with under-bed storage, armoire, 4-drawer vertical dresser, single-drawer night table
plus lighting and rug from our Home Accents Collection.
For nearly 35 years Pompanoosuc Mills has been select from six North American hardwoods-cherry,
handcrafting furniture to order in Vermont maple, walnut, oak, birch and ash-each selected for
one piece at a time. At Pompanoosuc Mills you can its strength, beauty and sustainability. Come to a
choose from our vast collection of standard designs Pompanoosuc Mills showroom or visit us on the web
or have something customized a little or a lot to meet to see for yourself the difference Vermont Quality
your needs. Whether standard or custom, you can Craftsmanship makes. We build furniture for life.
VERMON1
-n
P O M P A O O S U C M IL L S
VERMONT DESIGNERS lAKERS OF FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1973
FACTORY SHOWROOM EAST THETFORD vT FREE TOURS | rte 5 ( V4 mile north oj rte 113) \ 800 841.6671
Autumn 2007
MIODLiBURYCOUEQE
m
V e r m o n t L ife 0 3 2007

Volume LXII Number 1 LIBRARY
FEATURES
Up Over
Six memorable drives through the state’s most impressive notches and gaps
By Pierre Home-Douglas; photographed hy Alden Pellett
Brown in Black 8k White
Hill farm photos that captured the rugged beauty of a fading way of life
By Tom Slayton,- photographs and captions by Richard W. Brown
Autumn by the Moment
Glimpses of the season’s finest hours
A scenic portfolio by Vermont Life contributing photographers
Farmhouse Revelry
Looking for fun on a cold autumn evening^ Nothing beats an old-time tunk
By Stephen Russell Payne; photographed by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
5 6 In Love with FFeirloom Apples
Ezekiel Goodband is the season’s best guide to everything apple
By Joyce Marcel; photographed by S. Michael Bisceglie
6 0 International Arrivals
Newcomers seek refuge, and find friendship, in Vermont
By Susan Keese,- photographed by Natalie Stultz
DEPARTMENTS
2 Inside VL: Comings &. Goings
3 Letters to the Editor
4 8o2 News &. Connections : Homer's Odyssey Ends, Green Mountain rap
and bank-breaking weathervanes
9 My Vermont : Four grand old maples: a eulogy
14 Deer Dish : The state's best pies, ciders and fair food
17 In A Day : Stare down an owl at Addison's Wildlife Day... and bring Rover
20 Destinations : Saturday Night? The Alburg Auction's the place to he
27 Made in Vermont : WallGoldfinger brings beauty to the seats of power
166 2007 Ralph Nading Hill Literary Prize : "Hercules," a man and his steer
i/I Community : Veggies in a chicken pie? Not in Vermont!
7 5 Getaways : An inn that's fun for parents and kids
78 Calendar of Autumn Events
p6 Picture Postscript : Fairs and boys—a match made in heaven
Cover: John and Gladys Somers of West Barnet. Photographed by Richard W. Brown.
Inset, Shelburne. Photographed by Natalie Stultz.
■ Prints of select photos are available for purchase.
To order, call toll free |866) 962-1191 or visit www.ma9a2ineprints.com.
\^im ontLifc
MAGAZINE
Is published quarterly bif the State o/Vermont
James H. Douglas, Governor
Kevin L. Dorn, Secretary , Agency of Commerce
AND Community Development à
JS
Bruce J. Hyde, Commissioner ,
Department of Tourism & Marketing
Publisher Tom Kelly
Editor Mary Hegarty Nowlan
Managing Editor John Lazenby
Art Director Jan Lowry Hubbard fa
Production Manager David J. Goodman
Editorial Assistants Jessica Turner,
Lise Markus
Business Manager Julie George
IN S ID E VL Marketing Manager Maude Chater
Publishing Assistant Marilyn Wood
Comings & Goings Business Manager 's Assistant Tammy Duprey
Products Sales Coordinator Gordon Durkee
Shipping Manager Joe Rossi
I know, I look nothing like Tom. Proofreader Kate Mueller
Vermont Life Advisory Board
For more than two decades, Tom Slayton has been the face of Ver­ Pennie Beach, Paul Bruhn, Laura Carlsmith,
mont Life, and its voice as well. I'd wager that his Vermont Public Jack Crowl, Katheran L. Fisher, Hope Green,
Radio commentaries have brought us as many new readers as have Brian Harwood, James Lawrence, Fran Stoddard,
Steven Wood
all of our various subscription offers combined.
Fortunately for us all, Tom continues to share his encyclopedic Editor Emeritus Tom Slayton
Advertising Sales Office
knowledge of all things Vermont. In this issue, his lyrical introduction Smart Communication, Inc.,
to Richard W. Brown's unforgettable hill farms photos (page 36) leaves P.O. Box 283, Vergennes, VT 05491-0283.
Tel. [phone], fax [phone]
no douht that his heart and soul remain in these pages.
E-mail: [email protected]
But as Tom and I both understand, a magazine is not a solitary
Advertising Director and Northern Vermont
endeavor. It takes the diligence and dedication of many to consistently & National Sales Gerianne Smart
produce a quality publication. Happily, Vermont is overflowing with Advertising Sales , Central & Southern
an incredible pool of freelance writers and photographers to help make Vermont H. Abby Hummel
the ideas come alive. For instance, in this issue, Stephen Russell Payne Newsstand Coordinator Howard White
& Associates
(a surgeon by day) magically transports us to one family's evening of
laughter and song in "Farmhouse Revelry" (page 52). In "Up &. Over"
Single Issue: $4.95
(page 30), Pierre Home-Douglas expertly guides us through the state's
One-Year Subscription Rates: $15.95 in U.S.A.,
most amazing mountain gap drives, while photographer Alden Pellett $22.95 Canada & Foreign Delivery
captures the unique beauty of each journey. For Subscription Inquiries Please Call Toll Free:
[phone] or Email: [email protected]
Of course, it is the in-house team that sets the course and pulls
everything together issue after issue. So it has been my joy (and my
Vermont Life Magazine (ISSN 0042-417X) is published
relief) to discover firsthand the talents of this magazine's hard­ quarterly in February, May, August and November.
working and good-natured staff. Editorial and business offices are at 6 Baldwin St.,
Montpelier, VT 05602, tel. [phone].
Chief among them is managing editor John Lazenby. For the past
Editorial comments or questions: [email protected]
20 years, John has done the unglamorous work that has been critical Web site: www'.VermontLife.com
to Vermont Life's success; conceiving and assigning stories and photos, Change of address must be received eight weeks prior to
publication to ensure continuous delivery of magazine.
establishing and enforcing deadlines, proofreading, rewriting, and
Please include your old address as well as your new
proofing again. With his kind demeanor, superb skill at editing both address. Periodicals postage paid at Montpelier, VT, and
words and images, and famously high fact-checking standards, he has additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER; Send form
#3579 to Vermont Life, 6 Baldwin St., Montpelier, VT.
earned the unwavering respect of us all. With this issue, John moves © Copyright 2007 by Vermont Life magazine. Printed in
on to new opportunities. I thank him and wish him the very best. the U.S.A. by The Lane Press.
No, I am not Tom Slayton ... or John Lazenby. But I share their af­ Privacy Notice: Subscribers, to have your name excluded
from use by third parties, call [phone].
fection for this magazine and their love for this state. I will do my best
The editors of Vermont Life will review any submissions;
(for the next two decades, I hope) to bring you a magazine worthy of however no responsibility is assumed by the State
its proud name. of Vermont or Vermont Life for loss or damage to
materials submitted. Return postage must accompany all
I welcome you to a new era of Vermont Life. j/f
manuscripts, drawings and photographs if they are to
/ H a be returned. All rights are reserved. No part of Vermont
Life may be reproduced without permission of the editor.
Vermont Life^” is a trademark registered with the
’7 -
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Mary Hegarty Nowlan, Editor
Email: [email protected] www.VermontLife.com
Member;
International Regional I f ^
Magazine Association
2 . VERMONT LIFE
Z.
What Makes Vermont Vermont?
I've been trying to figure out since I fell
'in love with Vermont in the mid-1930s
what makes Vermont Vermont. I know
one of the things — Vermont Life. Ever
since we heard it was coming, we got the
first issue and have read it ever since. I
think we still have most of the issues.
Thank you for what you have done for
i^ermont.
Marion Leonard
Rochester
Schoolhouse Memories
Your article about the round brick
schoolhouse in Brookline [Summer
2007] grabbed my attention, as my fa­
ther attended it in the 1890s. He told
i the story about old Thunderbolt build­
ing the school and teaching in it.
Dad had to walk to school and told of
spring floods from the Grassy Brook that
had him walking through the fields in
the wagon tracks. The family attended
the old church in Brookline. The story
brought back many memories of the
times I visited Brookline and Newfane.
George A. Robbins
Harwich, Massachusetts
Cover Issues
I have to agree with the subscriber
trom Randolph Center who objects to
the additional titles of articles on the
iront cover. Recently there have been
three titles of articles above the Vermont
Life title. Wouldn't that be enough to
alert readers to key articles? Why bother
vith beautiful cover photographs if
much of them is covered by text? I see
that the name Vermont Life is now in a
arger font (compare it with that of 1982!)
and that the bar code is prominently
dded on the front lower right corner. I
nave been a subscriber and a Vermont
ife enthusiast for over 25 years and
rave only now recovered from the intro­
duction of advertising. I think you have
anally succeeded in making Vermont
ife look like any other magazine.
Terrence Anderson
San Marino, California
irite Essential Starline Rhythm Boys 800-841-8820 Pure Romance,®
? As much as I enjoyed your Spring
ijirusic issue, I was disappointed that the
starlinc Rhythm Boys were not on your
ist of essential CDs. You had a list of
4 CDs in your magazine and added Burlington, Springfield & Stratton, VT
several more albums to a list online, yet
Hanover, NH -VonBargens.com
leither list had an album by SRB. This
rio has been performing honky tonk
(Continued on page 7)
AUTUMN 2007
NEWS &. CONNECÏÏONS
T wo more coups
I the Waitsfield-base<
I rock band Grace Pc
8 Œ
ter and the Nocturnal: l■l^
Between September T
and 16, the group wil
appear in the mammoll
Homer's Odyssey Ends
Austin City Limits Concer
For more than two decodes, fans of "The Simpsons" have in Austin, Texas, alone
puzzled over exactly which one of the more than 30 U.S. with the likes of Bob
cities and towns named Springfield is the "real" locale of the Dylan and the White
cartoon series. Despite its proximity to a nuclear power plant, Stripes. This past spring
Springfield, Vermont, seemed an unlikely candidate. the Nocturnals aisc
In fact, when 20th Century Fox, the producers of "The Simpsons gained nationwide ex
Movie," asked 13 Springfields to submit videos demonstrating
posure when their song
how much they resemble the hometown of Flomer and Bart, they
"Falling or Flying" was part of the soundtrack for the season finale o:
didn't even invite the Vermont town (pop.
ABC's popular "Grey's Anatomy" series.
9,300) to participate.
A petition for a late entry ensued, and
the rest is pop-culture history. The videos
from the (now 14) Springfields appeared Carving_ out a Place in the
on the USA Today Web site, with the
promise that the top vote-getter in an Record Books
online poll would have the honor of
jay Hathaway has a dream. It in­
hosting the movie's world premiere. A hundred
volves pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins.
thousand votes later, Vermont won over second-place Illinois.
Locals attributed the unexpected victory to the goofy charm of Hathaway, executive director of the
the video and the community's evident involvement. The film Manchester and the Mountains Cham­
features Flomer lookalike and local TV personality Tim Kavanagh ber of Commerce, convinced the Vermont
chasing a giant pink doughnut through town, and hundreds of
legislature to designate October 13 as Vermont
Springfield (VT) residents serve as extras. Even Governor Jim
Pumpkin Carving Day. On that day, he and others will be at
Douglas got in on the act — captured on TV voting online.
the Orvis store in Manchester Center, ready to carve as many
25-pound pumpkins as they can.
Worth to Barre of its Historic
Hathaway and his co-carvers are, not coincidentally, hold­
ers of the Guinness World Record for most pumpkins simul­
Wearhervone: p ^ ic e le S S
taneously carved in a single sitting. They carved 118 last
year to win it; this year they aim to carve at least 119.
Barre is abuzz over the price tag on one of its favorite relics.
The antique weathervane that once sat atop the city's historic But this is where the dream part comes in. Hathaway wants
firehouse has recently been appraised at more than a million dol­ the whole state of Vermont to join him. "I'd like to see little
lars by a New FHampshire auction house. Though the hammered mini-fests all over the state," he said. He hopes the day will
copper weathervane, which depicts a horse-drawn hook-and-
turn into a statewide pumpkin celebration, complete with
ladder truck, has caught the eye of at least one private collector,
jack-o'-lanterns, pie baking and harvest festivals in towns
the city council has decided that it's not for sale.
"I haven't heard a lot of people who are screaming 'Sell iti Sell across Vermont.
iti Sell itl' " said Barre Mayor Thomas Lauzon. "I'm hearing people Hathaway likes competition. He suggests people sharpen
say 'keep it.' " their knives, round up their friends and get ready for the
The weathervane has been removed from its most recent spot
challenge on October 13.
in the Aldrich Public Library and placed in a secure, undisclosed
"This is a sport for everyone," he said with a grin. "We're
j location while city officials decide on the antique's permanent
all born knowing how to carve pumpkins."
home. A likely contender is the lobby of the Vermont History
Center in Barre, where it would be set up for public viewing. For more information: www.vermontpumpkin.com.
— Tom Slayton
“Apple pie without cheese is like
a kiss without a squeeze."
— from the menu of the Wayside Restaurant, Berlin.
• VERMONT
By the Numbers
Green Mountain
1 Where maples rank in
Boyz
Vermont's forests.
Los Angeles. Atlanta. New York.
Montpelier? Through the creativity of Vermont has a higher
three high school students and the sheer percentage of maple
power of YouTube.com, Vermont's cap­ trees than any other state, help­
ital city has cemented its position in the ing to account for our spectacular
world of hip-hop. fall foliage, (source: www.mapleinfo.org)
Montpelier High School seniors Colin
$7,850
Arisman and Luke Martin (who perform
under the name XI0) and classmate- Price paid on eBay for the last of the
«»Says f& Add to Piavti«ts £) Sbart n> BiBfid
producer Kevin Hartmann have created single chairs from Mad River
Rale; vi.«.:iii.s« JJSÜf'MaSïS
"802," a Vermont-centric rap video that Glen's historic ski lift. Proceeds
has become an online hit. The rap, from the online auction are
■ I »— _______which affectionately pokes fun at life in helping pay for a new,
Vermont by citing the state's clean state-of-the-art
streets, farmers' markets and gold State House dome, has been viewed more single-chair lift.
than 100,000 times on YouTube. With its small-town references and tongue- $270,000
in-cheek toughness, "802" has also caught the attention of the media, including
Total raised by selling all of
Vermont Public Radio, the state's newspapers and The New York Times.
Mad River's single chairs.
"I think adults are more into it than we thought they would be," Arisman
said. "We have parents of friends who sent it to all their friends, and we didn't 4,059
expect that."
Next up for XI0? "CO2," a rap about global warming, and then "Jersey Number of constituents represented by
Heffa," which tackles the topic of Vermont's dairy industry. each state representative in Vermont.
461,488
Search "802" at YouTube or link to the video at;http://www.youlube.com/
watch?v=GL7uW4TYqbs. Definitely worth watching.
Number represented by each state
— Jessica Turner
representative in California.
[source: 2006 U.S. Census}
8 Number of Italian newspapers
History
published in Vermont at the turn of
the th century, due to the influx
2 0
'he town of Pawlet, in
of Italian immigrants working in the gran­
408,000
the heart of the Met-
ite industry, (source: University of Vermont)
tawee Valley in south­
western Vermont, is holding
a history party September Number of bottles of Oktoberfest Autumn
16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ale that Middlebury's Otter Creek micro­
Organized by the Pawlet brewery expects to produce this fall. Up
Historical Society, Pawlet almost 15% from last year's batch, it's
Olden Days is designed to Otter Creek's most popular seasonal brew.
put residents in touch with
-•Hfina Bexq’o m f j , their past and raise money 35,687
ini^Ra to preserve it. The Rusty
Pickup Band, the Wood­
Number of Hood
chuck Revenge Band and the Old-Time Kitchen Clogging and Spoon Players will
milk bottle tops
perform in front of the library. At the Pawlet cemetery, visitors can gather at
students at
’gravestones to listen to the recitations by the "ghosts" of long-ago Pawlet citizens.
Burlington's
In the Braintree School in West Pawlet, school marms teach an 1860s-style lesson Champlain Elementary School collected
■while vendors, blacksmiths, tinsmiths and basket-weavers practice their crafts
to win a visit from
jDutside. A pig roast and sugar-shack on wheels make the day complete. For more Red Sox players Coco Crisp, Mike Timlin
liinformation, call: [phone]. and Brendan Donnelly.
— Pamela Hayes Rehlen
AUTUMN 2007
•.;■•■.•.• •;, •Ç'•^■K ■ » '' , '.- i-J- ^ r ?;> ' '•••’■■
• ‘'A 'i-;' . ' . '
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t the things you want to do with the ones you love.. .when you want to!
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W^;. or enjoying a hike through our expansive trail system, Wake Robin
has what you are looking for in a retirement community.
Wake Robin, where the days are alive with possibilities.^"
Vermont’s Only Life Care Retirement Community
^ ^ infoimative brochure, call us or visit our website today.
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verm o ntlife :c o m
Downtowns of Distinction
C U U K ^
Vermont's historic downtowns received
international acclaim last spring when they
We're expanding our Web site to include even more content for
were named a finalist in the Destination
you to enjoy. Visit www.VermontLife.com for exclusive photos, Award category during the annual Tourism
recipes, articles and morel for Tomorrow Awards in Portugal. Australia's
Great Barrier Reef and Ireland's Greenbox
Kitchen Tunks Live On! For generations, family, friends and neighbors have area were also finalists.
been gathering in farmhouses to dance, sing and play traditional music in the Although the Great Barrier Reef eventu­
spirit of kitchen tunks (page 52). You can feel a part of one evening's festivities ally took first place, the London-based
by checking out our online video clip.
World Travel & Tourism Council was im­
pressed with the comprehensive nature of
More Brown in Block & White; Richard W. Brown has been photographing
the Vermont Downtown Program. Begun by
the Northeast Kingdom for decades, and in this issue we feature some of the
the state Agency of Commerce and Com­
striking images from his black-and-white hill farm series (page 36). We
munity Development in 1994 as a way to
couldn't fit all of his beautiful photos in the pages of the magazine, so we're
assist communities interested in revitalizing
showcasing them on the Web.
their downtowns, the program focuses on
local businesses, historic architecture, cul­
An Autumn Feast; From Junipers restaurant at the Wildflower Inn
tural and social activities and a strong sense
(page 75), comes the mouth-watering recipe for Chef Will's roasted
pork tenderloin with local apples and onions. of community. The project has helped spur
revitalization while minimizing its environ­
Photo Extras; Enjoy delightful photos of the Pawlet Olden Days mental impact.
festivities (page 5), as well as more images of WallGoldfin- The Lisbon summit focused on managing
ger's stunning wooden craftsmanship (page 27). tourism and travel growth responsibly and
investing in a sustainable future by integrat­
Search Vermont Life: Trying to remember when a ing economics, the environment and social
particular story ran? Search our Web site for that missing and cultural priorities. For information on
back issue. Vermont's Downtown Program, visit www.
historicvermont.org/programs. 4^
6 • VERMONT LIFE
TETTERS
The Vermont Country Store*
(Continued from page 3)
and rockabilly music for nearly a decade Purveyors of the Practical & Hard-To-Find
now, becoming one of tbe most popular
musical acts in the state. So why were
D ow nright Vermontl
their albums rejected?
I would've picked their 2002 release,
"Honky-Tonk Livin'." Over 100 disc
EXPERIENCE THE VERMONT COUNTRY STORE
jockeys from around the world (as part
of an independent radio group) submit­
ted their choices for their favorite al­ WESTON-RT too
bums of that year. "Honky-Tonk Livin' " 802-824-3184
was the top vote getter. Open daily, 9-5:30
Bill Goldsbury
THE BRYANT HOUSE
South Burlington, VT
RESTAURANT
The Starline Rhythm Boys would
at The Vermont Country Store
have been a good addition. We reviewed Route 100, Weston
their music in our Spring 2003 issue. 802-824-6287
— Editor Open for lunch daily, 11-3:30
Kind Words for the Wayside Open for supper Fri. & Sat., 3:30-8
Enjoyed the story about the Wayside
ROCKINGHAM - RT 103
diner [Spring 2007). My mother, Ruth
802-463-2224
Kickham Christie, who is 94, worked
Open daily, 9-5:30
there during the summers while she
grew up in Barre. I heard about the Way-
side for many years — how the hot dogs The Orton Family Business Since 1946
were 5 cents and so were the sodas. Glad vermontcountrystore.com
it is still open and serving the locals such
wonderful food at reasonable prices.
Claudia C. Gillen
Vienna, Virginia
The Spring 2007 issue was a real
grabber. It might almost be worth a trip The NN AND Restaurant
up just to have a meal at the Wayside.
And I'll echo what other readers are C^^ULOUS AND ^fjXURlOUS t^^^OMMODATIONS
always writing you: The pictures were
incredible. We'll use your magazine IN âfsTORIc£M NCHESTER <5fe^AGE
and some web sites to help us plan for a
week or two in Vermont this summer.
Should we eventually decide to move
there, our decision would largely be
based on whether or not we think we
could move beyond mere Flatlander-
ism and become full-fledged Flatchucks.
(We liked that article too.)
Great magazine and best wishes.
Reg and Sue Rice
Emniitsburg, Maryland
Send letters to: Vermont Life, 6 Baldwin
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602; e-mail:
[email protected].
Correction
Jon Zachadnyk, former owner and
operator of Zack's on the Rocks restau­
rant in Montgomery Center, mentioned 17-39 West Road Manchester Village
in otir Summer 2007 story about Hem­ PH 802.362.2568 fax [phone]
ingway's restaurant, is alive and well WWW.RELUCTANTPANTHER.COM
and living in Williston.
AUTUMN 2007
H om e R oom
Introducing the Lodge at Otter Creek
Ip!
to
fpe
f)
iel
bi
Ik
Now you can come home to
lb
Middlebury, Vermont at the Lodge
at Otter Creek, where you'll
discover the next generation in
adult living. Scheduled to open in
the summer of 2008, the Lodge at
Otter Creek offers a milieu of rental
tlJ
options ranging from spacious DU
cottages, town homes, apartments lie
and a variety of floor plans to suit your every need.
Nestled on 36 acres of land within minutes of Middlebury
College, surrounded by sprawling fields, majestic mountains,
k
walking trails, apple orchards and panoramic views, the
Lodge offers a unique blend of security, elegance and beauty
that redefines adult living. All the culture, the artistic
it
vibrancy and timeless beauty of Middlebury and Addison a
County are just waiting for you at the Lodge at Otter Creek.
Please give David Hilliard a call at 802-388'1220
with inquiries or to schedule a site tour.
350 Lodge Road • Middlebury, VT 05753 Now A ccepting Reservations ft
802'388'1220 • www.lodgeatottercreek.com tl
Visit us at the Site: From the Bridge in downtown
Middlebury go to route 7 South, at 3rd light take a right on
Middle Road North. Drive to the end of the road
and bear right up the hill to The Lodge at Otter Creek.
V / Owned and operated by BullriK'k Corp.,
THE LODGE
and affiliated with Shelburne Bay Senit>r lavinj; Ct>miiuinity. ^
O T T E R C R E E K
AT
The next generation in aduit iiving
8 . VERMONT LIFE