The Village of Woodstock has formally asked the Vermont Superior Court to uphold its decision to demote Police Chief Joseph Swanson to patrol officer. 

Burlington attorney Joseph Klesch, who is representing the village, outlined in his 56-page legal brief that Swanson should not be reinstated to the post of police chief for Woodstock.

Klesch maintains the decision by municipal manager Eric Duffy early this year to remove Swanson from leading the department — and the subsequent ruling by the Woodstock Board of Village Trustees to uphold the move — did not violate any state statute or employment agreement.

He asserted that the employment agreement does not block the village from demoting Swanson.

The brief requests that if the superior court is to vacate or reverse the decision by the trustees, the judge should deny reinstatement of Swanson as chief or, at least, allow for further proceedings to permit the village to be heard about what it sees as the proper remedy.

Attempts to reach Klesch for further elaboration on his filing were unsuccessful.

Manchester, N.H., lawyer Linda Fraas, who represents Swanson, took strong exception to the village filing when reached by the Vermont Standard.

“The Village’s brief makes clear that its misguided representatives continue to seek removal of Chief Swanson from his position in spite of an indisputable absence of facts that satisfy the Vermont legal requirement of ‘just cause’ — wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on this losing cause, which we have alleged is motivated by discrimination and personal animus,” she said.

Fraas said she has 21 days to respond in writing to the court, and she expects to file something as early as next week. 

“The Village has taken an oftentimes self-contradictory kitchen sink approach to try to avoid the inevitable conclusion that it unlawfully removed Chief Swanson from his job as police chief and that reinstatement will ultimately be required under the law,” she wrote in an email to the Vermont Standard.

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard.

A former secretary of the Vermont Agency of Education and current state legislator and member of the Vermont School District Redistricting Task Force appeared before the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) School Board on Monday evening, seeking to allay district-wide fears about one of three statewide redistricting maps currently under consideration by the task force, which is charged with making its recommendations to the state legislature by December 1.

State Rep. Rebecca Holcombe, a Democrat who represents Norwich, Sharon, Strafford, and Thetford in the Vermont House, was invited to the regular monthly meeting of the MVSU board on Monday night by Windsor State Sen. Alison Clarkson and State Rep. Charlie Kimbell, both of Woodstock. While Holcombe’s overall agenda was to address the ongoing work of the state school redistricting advisory group, the veteran educator, appointed and elected official first addressed the proposed redistricting map presented at a task force meeting on Oct. 28. The map drew strong consternation and concern from MVSU officials, teachers, and families, as reflected in an email missive that MVSU Superintendent Sherry Sousa sent to school district community members late last week.

“The third redistricting proposal from the Task Force…outlines a wholesale reform of Vermont’s public education system centered on establishing regional comprehensive high schools,” Sousa wrote. “The plan’s goals include protecting scale and access in rural areas and supporting districts to merge to create regional high schools that expand opportunities while reducing long-term costs. Key considerations involve using a 30-minute travel constraint to site these schools, addressing the complications of school choice and tuitioning, which threaten public school sustainability, and prioritizing construction aid to incentivize collaboration among districts.”

From an MVSU perspective, however, Sousa wrote that the overarching problem with the proposed regional high school map as it was presented to the statewide redistricting task force last week is that it “would result in the current towns of MVSU being placed in four new governance regions.” 

“This model dismantles the MVSU current configuration, and while there is no statement in this presentation regarding closing schools, it is difficult to see where WUHS/MS [Woodstock Union High School & Middle School] would be maintained,” Sousa opined in her email letter to the MVSU community.

 Holcombe immediately took pains to dispel concerns about the merits of the regional high school map, while noting the improbability of its moving forward as one of three redistricting recommendations the state task force will make to state lawmakers no later than Dec. 1.

“I think if you listened to Jay Badams [at the task force meeting], the first thing he said is that this is a half-baked proposal. And he explained why — because it is an iterative program,” Holcombe explained. “He said that it is not ready for game time — he’s not moving that map forward as is. What he was trying to get at is this question of taking the number of kids that you have and divide them into that minimum size of high schools that you need and identify the gaps where the needs currently are.

“That map is not going forward as is, and I understand why you would be very worried about it. I apologize for that. I can tell you that Jay [prefaced the map presentation] by saying this is a thought exercise and it is not a map that is viable yet,” Holcombe concluded.

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The long-awaited 2025 revision of the Hartland Town Plan has moved one critical step closer to fruition.

The Hartland Planning Commission (HPC), which has been navigating an at times laborious path toward a new town plan for nearly three years, held the first of two public hearings on the draft of the 2025 plan at Damon Hall on Wednesday evening, Oct. 22. A small contingent of about a dozen concerned residents listened to a presentation about the draft plan led by HPC co-chairs Daniel Jerman and John Magliocco. The HPC hearing focused nearly in its entirety solely on one aspect of the 13-section 2025 Hartland Town Plan — the first and most critical segment, which addresses overall land use in the town.

Other portions of the plan remain largely unchanged from the last iteration of the townwide planning blueprint, which was last enacted by the Hartland Selectboard upon the recommendation of the HPC in 2017. Beyond the land use recommendations contained in the plan, other subject areas address topics such as natural, historic, and scenic resources, water resources, housing, energy, transportation, and economic development.

HPC co-chair Jerman kicked off the Oct. 22 public hearing with an overview of the process for drafting the revised town planning document for 2025, highlighting key aspects of the changes made to the 2017 plan it will replace. “Just as a matter of introduction — and I think most of you understand — the town plan is just that: it’s a plan. It’s not an enforceable document. It’s not an ordinance. It’s just really a statement of where we want to go as [a town],” Jerman said.

HPC member Kate Donahue and Jerman both called attention to a 2023 survey of town residents related to the redrafting of the town plan, which is required by state statute at least once every eight years. 

“One of the striking things, at least to me as someone who’s been on the [HPC] a while, is how little the opinions have changed over the course of the years,” Jerman offered. “Most people just want to keep it the way it is — they’re pretty happy with the town — and that’s the way we feel on the commission. The biggest change that we picked up on in the survey was the recognition that more affordable housing is needed, so in my mind, the major change in this town plan, as opposed to past ones, is that we’ve pretty much taken away anything that we would ask Act 250 to enforce in terms of residential development. No more lot size [restrictions, for example]. Act 250 doesn’t begin until there’s a development that’s going to develop 10 or more housing units. So most people will just probably never see Act 250 and never even have to know about the town plan with anything they’re going to do on their property.”

One aspect of the draft of the 2025 Hartland Town Plan that drew comments from the sparse audience at the hearing related to the HPC’s recommendation that the town selectboard seriously consider developing enforceable zoning ordinances that would be consistent with the spirit and recommendations of the town plan, which, as Jerman noted is basically an advisory planning document and not a legally enforceable regulatory measure. Jerman responded to a query from Hartland resident Amy Ashline about the wisdom of establishing zoning ordinances governing land use and other matters within the town.

“What we’re trying to convey is that this plan is not zoning,” Jerman reiterated. “There’s nothing you can enforce in here and say you can’t do it because the town plan says you can’t do it. But we, as a planning commission, would support [the adoption of ordinances by the selectboard]. Hartland is one of the very few towns now that doesn’t have any land use ordinances. And our position is that we think some well-thought-out and targeted ordinances are a good idea, so that we’re not in a position of relying on only Act 250 and so that we can take some more control over things.”

The HPC was slated to give its final approval to its recommendations for the 2025 town plan revision at a commission meeting at Damon Hall on Nov. 4, thereby passing the document on to the Hartland Selectboard along with citizen comments from the Oct. 22 meeting. The selectboard will then schedule one or two of its own public hearings on the revised plan before passing it as is or amending it and adopting a revised version.

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

As Woodstock gears up for its annual Wassail Weekend, scheduled for Dec. 12-14, event organizers are promising beloved decades-old standbys, a continuation of new traditions begun just last year, and a couple of twists for 2025 — including a wreath-making workshop at King Farm, and a holiday-ornament-making workshop at Artistree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret. 

Woodstock Chamber executive director Beth Finlayson said that this year’s parade will begin Saturday, Dec. 13, at noon. It will be accompanied by a handbell choir from the Upper Valley, who will perform at the North Chapel, according to Finlayson. Per tradition, the parade will circle The Green twice. Horse-and-carriage rides will be available all weekend and can be accessed in front of M&T Bank. At Billings Farm & Museum, revelers can find a Victorian-era Christmas celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Shoppers looking for homemade goods can browse local wares at an open-air market under the Woodstock Middle Bridge on Saturday, and at the Masonic Hall craft fair on Sunday. 

Pentangle Arts executive director Deborah Greene told the Standard, “One of the things that I was really happy to start last year was the Wassail Walk, which is now the kind of opening event and opening ceremony to Wassail Weekend, Friday afternoon.” Last year’s Wassail Walk began with a bagpiper, who, due to the extremely cold weather, wasn’t able to play, recounted Greene. “We had over 100 people start at East End Park. It [was] a short walk from [the] park through the town and into The Green, and everybody had candles and bells. And then at The Green, Pentangle hosted hot cider for everybody,” she said. “And this year, [Pentangle] will also [have] more spirited drinks for adults, so we’ll have some sparkling cider and things like that.”

Friday evening, Pentangle will also host the Harvard Krokodiloes — the college’s premier a cappella group — at the Woodstock Town Hall Theatre. Then on Saturday, Frisson — a touring symphonic orchestra of younger artists and established professionals, who have performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center — will perform for a traditional Christmas show. The Frisson show will be preceded by a popcorn-garland-making event for families and children, according to Greene.

Another local institution taking part in the weekend festivities is the Norman William Public Library, which will host several activities, including their third year of the library-fundraising event, Enchanted Wassail Evening. Also on Saturday, local author Ham Gillett will read Dylan Thomas’s “A Christmas in Wales”.

This year, for those worried about crowded parking, Finlayson advises people to take the shuttle, if possible. “We do encourage people to park at the high school and not to walk, but to wait for the shuttle, because we don’t really want people walking on Route 4 [and] clogging River Street.” 

The full itinerary for Wassail Weekend can be found at woodstockvt.com.

For our full story on this, please see the Nov. 6 edition of the Vermont Standard

In the wake of the recent Woodstock Village Development Review Board (VDRB) meeting at which three of the five board members voted to approve the Woodstock Inn & Resort’s application to demolish two historic homes — some may have asked, Why? Why did this board vote in favor of demolition? Which factors were taken into consideration? And why was the board’s discussion not held in public?  

To answer these questions, the Standard spoke to the members of the VDRB. Board member Wendy Spector, who voted to approve the Inn’s application, told the Standard, “There are five criteria we had to consider, and I believe the Inn satisfied them all. That is what we ruled on. There was a lot of concern about [the Woodstock Inn’s] adherence to the Act 250 requirements, but that is not our jurisdiction. We know that the application must be approved by various entities and governing bodies. From the perspective of the VDRB, I felt that they had satisfied the criteria.” 

The five criteria that Spector referenced are stated in the Village of Woodstock Zoning Regulations and outline the parameters required for demolition. They are listed as:  

1. The structure cannot be rehabilitated or reused on site as part of any economically beneficial use of the property.
2. The structure proposed for demolition is structurally unsound despite efforts by the owner to properly maintain the structure.
3. The structure cannot be reasonably moved to another site within the historic district.
4. The demolition proposal mitigates impact to the character of the neighborhood.
5. The historical integrity and architectural character of the area will not be compromised or diminished due to demolition.

On the issue of proper maintenance, Spector said, “Without going into a home inspection, it’s very difficult to make a judgment about whether [the Inn maintained the property] or not. It was not our position to question their testimony. We are not an architectural engineering firm; that is not what we do, so we had to rely on the Inn’s testimony. Their testimony was that the fundamental structure of the home was not easily or economically able to be fixed to meet the standards of their business. We took them at their word.” 

Spector also spoke to the board’s decision to convene in private about the approval of the Inn’s application, telling the Standard, “The board was advised by the State’s guidelines and our town administrators to always go into closed session when deliberating. Our group has not traditionally done so, but I felt that this session was an appropriate time to begin that practice. I am not the chair, but I did recommend to the chair that this be the practice moving forward. As a quasi-judicial body, we are exempt from the open meeting laws, and to avoid the appearance of favoritism, the practice would apply to all applications.” 

Lastly, Spector spoke to whether or not the VDRB considered a viable path forward for these properties to be sold to a third party instead of being demolished by the Inn — a point raised by some who attended the Oct. 27 meeting. Spector said, “I did not personally look into the possibility of the Inn selling the properties. It’s not within our mandate to second-guess the decisions of a property owner on how to manage their property. There are many examples of properties within the village that I personally consider poorly managed, but we are not authorized to go in and examine their finances and interrogate their decisions. In this particular case, knowing that the parcels are within the Inn zoning district and are adjacent to the Inn, I would not be surprised if they would have to either sell at a loss or have difficulty in finding a buyer willing to spend that much money to renovate a property adjacent to the Woodstock Inn. Losing control over the parcel would not make strategic sense for the Inn.” 

VDRB vice chair, Randy Mayhew, who voted to deny the Inn’s application, chose not to comment on his reason for dissenting, but told the Standard, “For the record, I am not in favor of doing board deliberations routinely in executive sessions. I wish I had voiced that concern at the time, but I was just taken by surprise. I feel that public confidence and understanding is enhanced by open meetings and decision-making for local board deliberations.” 

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Vermont State Senate Education Committee will hold a listening session at Woodstock Union High School and Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

Vermont State Senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Seth Bongartz, spoke to the Standard about hosting this event and what parents and community members can expect. “Last year, the Senate made an effort to visit various schools across the state to get a finger on the pulse of our local school districts. This year, we are returning for a more in-depth look at the challenges schools face and the excellent educational opportunities schools are working to create. We know that no two schools are the same, and that each Vermont child is different, but we are hoping that this allows the state to understand the needs of families and help create the most effective educational future for our constituents.”

Woodstock Union High School will be just one of the many stops this team of senators will make. “With WUHS, we want to better understand the facility and infrastructural challenges the school is grappling with, and to understand the juxtaposition of a failing facility with the excellent educational opportunities available. We want to tour the school, hear from the students and teachers, and at the end of the day, set aside an hour or two for the public to address concerns, hear their thoughts, and truly understand what the priorities are for families of the Upper Valley,” said Bongartz. 

The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a slideshow presentation by the teachers and elementary students at the Woodstock Elementary School (WES).

Following the slide presentation, the students of WUHS will host a fishbowl event where high schoolers will be asked questions from other student facilitators and speak about their educational experiences. Afterwards, the senators will have an opportunity to comment and continue a dialogue with the students. 

Following the presentation, senators will be invited to observe a class. Then there will be a tour of the facility, led by the director of buildings and grounds, Joe Rigoli. This tour will highlight the various infrastructural issues with the WUHS building, taking participants on a tour of broken boilers, exposed pipes, and outdated infrastructure — all emphasizing the need for a complete rebuild. 

At 2:45 p.m., the auditorium will open for parents, families, and community members to attend a Q&A where residents are invited to ask the senators anything they wish. 

Seth Webb, a leading voice in the Woodstock Rebuild group, will also be in attendance to help answer questions about the proposed rebuild. 

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent

Mid Vermont Christian School has asked a federal judge in Burlington for permission to file an amended discrimination lawsuit against state and local education leaders while also challenging Vermont’s new controversial education law known as Act 73.

The new law excludes the private Christian school in Quechee and all religious approved independent schools in Vermont from town tuition funding and other public benefits.

The request to amend the two-year-old lawsuit comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City gave MVCS a big win in September when a three-judge panel granted a preliminary injunction against the Vermont Principals’ Association and its executive director, Jay Nichols. 

 The stinging decision noted the religious discrimination imposed by the VPA and Nichols, court records noted. The judges ordered them to reinstate MVCS as a full member pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

The appeals court ruled the statewide association discriminated against Mid Vermont Christian when it opted not to play in the girls state high school basketball tournament. The school filed an objection when its first round opponent, Long Trail School in Dorset, was using a transgender player, the court noted.

Mid Vermont said at the time — and still maintains — it had a serious concern that the transgender student, who was more than 6-feet tall, created an unsafe and unfair situation for its girls, court records said.

Senior Federal Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford, who has been presiding over the civil case since it was filed in November 2023, set a status conference hearing for Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 5. The lawyers were expected to give him an update, and Crawford could rule on the motion to amend.

Mid Vermont maintains the named defendants would not be at any disadvantage because they never filed a written response to the initial lawsuit in U.S. District Court during the past two years.

MVCS recently asked all the defendants if they were willing to allow for the amended complaint and provided a proposed draft. Nichols and the VPA, along with Education Secretary Zoie Saunders and State Board Chair Jennifer Deck Samuelson, rejected the request, court papers note.

All the local schools officials named as defendants in the lawsuit said they have no objection to the rewritten complaint, Mid Vermont’s filing noted.

The Town of Woodstock Selectboard has chosen Illinois-based Aqua-Aerobics Systems, Inc. as the principal equipment vendor for the substantial upgrades required at the municipality’s main wastewater treatment facility.

At a special meeting last Friday, board members heard a presentation from project engineers, Hoyle Tanner, on the merits and drawbacks of two proposals submitted by equipment providers Aqua-Aerobics Systems and competitor Parkson Corporation of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A trio of Hoyle Tanner representatives, led by vice president and water quality team lead Kirsten DiPietro Worden, presented the results of a detailed comparison of the bids that both companies submitted on Oct. 14 in response to a request for proposals issued by the engineering firm and Woodstock officials this past summer. Joining Worden in the presentation to the  selectboard were her Hoyle Tanner colleagues Jon Olin, the vice president and regional business manager for Vermont, and Patrick McLee, an environment engineer with extensive experience in wastewater plant design and operations.

Based on weighted scoring in a head-to-head evaluation of nine criteria for the two proposals, the Hoyle Tanner team recommended that Woodstock officials select Aqua-Aerobics as the vendor for the core wastewater treatment equipment that will be used in the fully renovated town facility. Following a brief executive session, the five-member selectboard ratified the Hoyle Tanner recommendation by a 4-0 vote, with selectperson Greg Fullerton recusing himself in what was his final action as a member of the town governing body. A member of the selectboard for the past two years, Fullerton resigned effective at the close of the Friday meeting to assume the post of Woodstock’s director of public works on Monday, Nov. 3. The Woodstock Public Works Department oversees the operations of the town’s two wastewater treatment facilities, among other responsibilities.

The next steps in the wastewater plant upgrade process include the signing of an NDA with Aqua-Aerobics and the incorporation of the company’s AGS system into the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation-required “30-percent design phase” for the project. Hoyle Tanner must submit that design proposal to the state authorities by the middle of this month. Following that, Hoyle Tanner vice-president and business manager Olin told Town Selectboard chair Ray Bourgeois on Friday, the engineering firm should be able to provide an estimated total project cost for Woodstock’s fully upgraded wastewater treatment facility, including all design, construction, and labor costs, by month’s end.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the Woodstock board voted unanimously to set a bond vote to fund the extensive wastewater treatment facility renovations for Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 5, 2026. Once the full estimated cost of the project is available, town officials have said a comprehensive public education campaign will commence in collaboration with Hoyle Tanner representatives to encourage Woodstock voters to okay the bond issue.

By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer

© 2025 The Vermont Standard

With quaint storefronts, historic inns, and rolling mountains sprawling in all directions, Woodstock Village has long been known as a lovely,  picture-perfect small town, attracting visitors from all over the world. But when the very people who have traveled hours or days to visit our tiny hamlet approach the historic Middle Covered Bridge, they see not only preservation and beauty, but also graffiti and defacement. 

California native and CEO of Kenrick Ventures, Inc., Scott Chalmers, traveled to Vermont earlier this month to see the foliage. While making his way through the Green Mountain State, Chalmers and his wife stopped in Woodstock to glimpse what he said they hoped would be an idyllic New England town. But after heading to the covered bridge to take photos and revel in the historic significance of the architecture, Chalmers told the Standard, “I was horrified by what I saw.” 

Chalmers elaborated, “My wife and I have been to New England before and always wanted to stop in Woodstock. We heard it was this beautiful town with deep historic significance. We stayed at The Shire — spending hours walking through the streets, visiting Billings Farm, The Woodstock Inn, and eating at The Village Inn. Our trip was everything we wanted. We had just left the Inn, making our way to the great covered bridge, wanting to see another historically preserved, iconic architectural emblem of Woodstock, and instead found a disturbing and sad sight.

“People were carving into the bridge, laughing at whatever they had just written, taking black sharpie to the worn siding — and no one said anything, no one stopped to consider if this was appropriate,” Chalmers continued. “I live in California and understand the significance of small crimes not being enforced, and how that can spiral into complete degradation and downfall. I thought of publicly shaming these people, but I realized in looking at the state of the bridge that no one in town had policed or ridiculed this behavior for years.” 

With a newspaper under his arm, Chalmers said he instead chose to bring the issue directly to the Standard, in the hopes that when he returns next year, he could see a restored and preserved covered bridge. “I am just a regular tourist who loves and appreciates beauty and history,” Chalmers added. “Woodstock is enchanting in every way, but the lack of enforcement from the officials in this town is alarming. To allow this behavior to happen at 1 p.m. on a Saturday and have no means or inclination of stopping this from occurring is a disgrace in my opinion. If you let the little things go, what is there to stop escalation? Whose responsibility is it to fight for the preservation and cleanliness of Woodstock?” 

This week, the Standard asked town officials to comment on the recent (and what appears to be long-standing) defacement of the Middle Covered Bridge. Woodstock municipal manager Eric Duffy said Wednesday morning, “The covered bridge is owned by the town. It is our property, our priority, and it is on us to maintain it the best we can. We don’t have a policy in place as of yet to deal with graffiti, but we will be trying to take steps to make sure that any asset of the town is treated respectfully and not damaged. If a resident or anyone, for that matter, sees something happening, they should reach out to our police department so we can look into it and hopefully solve the issue.” 

Chair of the Woodstock Village Board of Trustees, Seton McIlroy, told the Standard, “I would discourage anybody from defacing public property. If a resident has an issue about this and wishes to bring it to our attention, the trustees will, of course, hear about it. The police are aware, but for people passing through, I’m sorry to say this is not a Hallmark town.” 

The Standard reached out to the director of public works, as well as the Woodstock Police, but all requests for comment were redirected to the municipal manager. 

On a concluding note, Chalmers told the Standard, “A sanded bridge, devoid of graffiti and carvings, would be the ideal. But more than anything, we just want to see a town that values the charm and history it contains in its infrastructure and architecture. Woodstock is a special place; we hope to see it remain that way.” 

Woodstock native Madeline Raynolds has dedicated her career to learning.

From being raised by educators, to completing her first job as a teacher at Hartford High School, to teaching abroad across Italy, Portugal, China, and Brazil, a dedication to the power of curiosity has been a thread carrying Raynolds through each phase of her life. After opening and running a school for a number of years in Brazil, Raynolds returned home to Woodstock in 2020 to her family farm that sits on 300 acres of land. In the years since her return, Ferndean Farm has become home to a hydroponic garden as Raynolds embarks on a new sustainable farming journey. 

“When I made my way back to Woodstock, the world felt so different. I could sense an overwhelming change on the horizon and thought to myself, ‘What can I not live without?’ The answer, honestly, was fresh, leafy greens,” Raynolds told the Standard this week. 

In the wake of grocery store closures during the pandemic, and the benefit cuts and food shortages that plagued families across the state, Raynolds said she shifted away from school systems to provide for her community in a new way. 

In December 2023, Raynold’s hydroponic system arrived at Ferndean Farm — a trailer equipped with the infrastructure to grow hundreds of leafy green vegetables on vertical slats. This structure eliminated the need for soil or garden space, as a nutrient-rich water solution is fed directly to the plants’ roots, allowing for crisp, flavorful greens to be grown year-round, regardless of external temperature or weather conditions. Raynolds planted her first seedling on July 11, 2024, and since then has grown an extensive garden complete with butter lettuce, spring mix, luscious heads of kale, wasabina, basil, and much, much more. 

“I don’t think hydroponics is the be-all and end-all solution to food sovereignty,” Raynolds told the Standard. “But I think it is a step in creating agency. I’ve been an educator my entire life, plugged into other systems. Here I am creating something on my own, and it’s incredibly empowering.”

Since then, Ferndean Farm has transitioned from merely growing produce to welcoming students onto her land to experience sustainable farming in an up-close and personal way, leaving the four walls of the classroom behind to step into a new, organic space. “Students collaborate on the farm, developing agrotech and entrepreneurial skills while earning high school credits in a real-world setting. This approach not only enhances learning but also contributes to community food security,” Raynolds told the Standard. 

In the wake of SNAP benefits being interrupted across the state, Raynolds has found a new reason to dedicate herself to her community outside of serving the children in our local schools. She continued, “I started donating extra produce to various local food shelves and followed the feeling of giving back. I have always been community-minded — being a part of communities all over the world — but when I came home, giving back to Woodstock took on an entirely new meaning. Suddenly, I found that I had actual sustenance to give to people. Not only knowledge and learning, but fresh food — food that every person is entitled to, regardless of economic circumstance. This is the future I want to build with this farm — one of true community and education.”

For more on this, please see our November 6 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

At the age of three, Kingsley Chen walked into an instrument shop in Hong Kong with his mother and saw a piano for the first time. The connection was immediate.

“It just felt right to play the piano,” Chen told the Standard this week. “As they say, love at first sight.”

More than a decade later, that childhood moment has blossomed into a promising career. On Sunday, Nov. 16, the 13-year-old pianist will perform at the North Universalist Chapel Society in Woodstock, presenting a demanding program that includes works by Schubert, Brahms, and Liszt.

The recital came about through a fortunate turn of events. The performance was originally scheduled to feature Aristo Sham, who won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition this year. When Sham had to withdraw due to other commitments, Victor Rosenbaum, a professor at the New England Conservatory, recommended Chen as his replacement.

Thirteen-year-old pianist Kingsley Chen. Photo Courtesy of the Chen Family and Victor Cayres

“It’s a nice circle of relationship,” said Victor Cayres, who teaches Chen weekly at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, where the young musician also studies theory, composition, improvisation, harpsichord, and chamber music.

Born in Hong Kong, Chen began formal piano studies at age three with Ling Hui, a faculty member at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He quickly distinguished himself in competition, winning the Hong Kong Asia Music Competition, the Chopin Memorial Prize of the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, and the Singapore Zhongshan International Music Competition, among others.

When his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Las Vegas, Chen studied with Ukrainian virtuoso Mykola Suk at the University of Nevada. The family then moved to Boston in 2020. 

“Part of the reason why they moved to Boston was to invest in his piano education,” Cayres explained. “His mom and dad work really hard to support him.”

When asked about the special appeal of piano over other instruments, Chen speaks thoughtfully about expression and connection. “I think I can express myself better on a piano, sitting down and having my whole body to play with,” he said.

But for Chen, performance isn’t merely about personal achievement. “I don’t play piano mostly only for my own enjoyment,” he explained. “I think the best part of performing on the piano is spreading the warmth of the music and being able to tell a story to an entire audience who will resonate with you.”

Looking ahead, Chen said he envisions a career teaching and performing. Working with Cayres has particularly inspired him about the teaching aspect of musical life. In a touching moment during his interview with the Standard, he also expressed gratitude to his first teacher, Ling Hui, the Cantonese pianist with whom he studied for many years in Hong Kong.

Chen’s dream is straightforward yet profound: “To bring beautiful music to the world.” He believes that “music is a dialogue of the soul.”

The recital begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 16, at the North Universalist Chapel Society in Woodstock. The program will feature Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Minor, Brahms’ Two Rhapsodies, and three of Liszt’s Grandes Études de Paganini.

Note: The original version of this story had the wrong date, the event will in fact take place on November 16.

Last Friday night, Woodstock’s High Street, Maple Street, and Golf Avenue were closed to traffic so that kids and families could enjoy an evening of trick-or-treating in the Village.

Rick Russell Photos

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

Another successful season for the Woodstock Mountain Biking program has come to an end.

“We had an impressive season once again,” said Todd Uva, head coach of the grade 7 through 12 program. “The kids were working really hard.” For the third consecutive year, the Wasps won the western division of the Northern New England High School Racing Series, which consists of schools from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Their season ended this past weekend in Farmington, Maine, at the league championship meet. The team took second place, losing by only four overall points to Saint John’s Prep. 

Many Wasps achieved individual success, especially on the girls’ side. “The girls were outstanding in the Category A championship,” said Uva. Senior Pea Richardson finished as the series’ individual champion, while freshman Isla Seagal came in third, and senior Addy Cesanek took home ninth place. In addition to these honors, three of the team’s senior girls were recognized for earning the most overall points during the season, with Schuyler Hagge taking first overall, Richardson second, and Cesanek third.

For the boys, it was a group of freshmen who dominated the headlines. “The boys had a fantastic season,” said Uva. “Our crew of freshmen swept the podium for most points of any freshman. These riders included Rowan Riordan, Calvin Seman, and Luke Finley. 

Uva also had high praise for two other boys, freshmen Jackson Fellows and senior Billy French. In reference to Fellows he said, “I think he’s seen the most improvement of any athlete this year. One of the most remarkable single-season improvements I’ve seen.” French made the jump to Category A competition this year and was “determined to earn points for his team and really learned through the process.”

After years of consistent growth (this year the team grew to 31 high school athletes, 37 across all grades) Uva sees big things to come. “We are losing some amazing leaders in those girls, but we have a lot of young riders coming up,” he said. “There’s a lot of depth. I can see us being strong for years to come.”

Although winning is always the goal, Uva believes fully in the team’s bigger purpose. “We are just trying to create better humans on wheels,” he said. “They cheer each other on, learn from each other, and grow from each other. It’s really amazing.”

Woodstock’s field hockey season came to a haunting end on Halloween, as a score from Montpelier senior Regan Walke in sudden death double overtime won the Solons the Vermont Principals’ Association Division III state championship.

The tilt took place at the University of Vermont’s Moulton Winder Field. Montpelier came into the game as the tournament’s number one seed after an undefeated regular season and a 2-1 victory over Fair Haven in the semi-final. For the Wasps, their season started slow but they came into the title match red hot, having ripped eight straight wins, including their 5-1 semifinal win over Stowe.

After a back-and-forth first period that saw great saves from both goalies, Woodstock junior Grace Perreault put stick on the ball and found the back of the net, putting her team ahead 1-0 with 2:59 left in the frame. “I think we came out with good energy,” said Woodstock head coach Leanne Tapley.

Montpelier applied more pressure on Woodstock’s senior goalkeeper Paige Stone in the second quarter, but the team leader stood strong, and the game went to halftime 1-0. Though the score would not remain for long. Three minutes into the second half, a pass from deep in the Solons defensive zone slipped past Woodstock and hit the Solons’ Emily Tringe in stride. Tringe’s shot beat Stone, giving the senior her 21st goal on the year, and tying the game at one. “They just got it into open space and beat us,” said Tapley.

The remainder of the third quarter saw both teams playing physical. With 1:44 remaining in the third, Woodstock saw their best scoring opportunity of the half. Senior Marley Olmstead streaked up the field, evading Montpelier defenders, and offered a picture-perfect centering pass to Perreault. One-on-one with the opposing goaltender, Perreault missed wide left, and the quarter ended tied.

Stone continued to impress, turning away shot after shot while freshman defender Gwen Boudreau hung tough against Montpelier’s high skilled offense. With seven minutes remaining, the Solons were given a corner try by the officials. The first pass went to Walke, who fired a missile-like shot at Stone. But the goalie wouldn’t give in, blocking the shot with her chest pad and keeping the game tied.

With a minute remaining, a Montpelier offensive break was stopped by a stunning defensive play by Woodstock senior Corrine White at midfield, who found sophomore Betta Cirovic with a head of steam towards the goal. Cirovic’s shot looked true but banged off the side of the cage. At the end of regulation, the game remained tied, and the state title game moved to sudden death overtime.

The crowd, who traveled to Burlington for the 3 p.m. start and sat through intermittent pouring rain, erupted with noise. Split down the middle, students and fans led dueling chants of “WE ARE WOODSTOCK” and “LETS GO SOLONS.” The two teams took the field for the seven-on-seven, five-minute overtime period and continued to play each other tough. Only Woodstock could muster a scoring chance, but they could not convert the two-on-one attempt. The Wasps and Solons remained tied after the first overtime period, sending it to a second.

If neither team scored in the second overtime, the game would have gone to penalty shots under the increasingly dark sky. But Montpelier had no interest in that scenario. After a save from Stone on a Walke shot, the Solons were rewarded with their second corner attempt of the game. The inbounds pass went to Walke, who passed it to Tringe, who then shipped it back to Walke. The future Connecticut College Camel took the pass, set her sights on Stone, and rifled the shot past her into the back of the net to secure the state title, 2-1.

With the win, Montpelier captured their third state title in four years and avenged a tight loss in last year’s title game.

The loss ends Woodstock’s season with a record of 12-4-1 and the runner-up crown. “This is a great group of girls, I had so much fun this season,” said Tapley. For Aleks Cirovic, she ends her time as a Woodstock field hockey player with fond memories. “Woodstock field hockey has always been my favorite sports team,” she said. “I also play high school lacrosse and club lacrosse, and I’ve always loved the field hockey season the most because of the community.” The teary-eyed senior continued, “We are such a big family, we have so much fun, we all love each other no matter what, and I think that’s so valuable to me. It taught me what a team really is, and what being a family really is.”

Thoughts for Veterans Day. Fifty-seven years ago, I entered the brotherhood of being “a veteran.” I was a 20-year-old Army sergeant, and had been home from Vietnam for just days, discharged from active duty and my required military service. 

Within months following my high school graduation, I had received my dreaded draft notice and was sworn into the Army…that was October 1966. Having neither the scholastic record nor the finances required for a college deferment, as so many had, that was my fate. I was one of nearly half a million young Americans drafted that month! 

Veterans of that war and that era seldom, if ever, heard anyone say, “Thank you for your service.” Many things were often said, but most were not printable and not worthy of so much as a “You’re welcome.” 

But this Veterans Day, I want to clear the air and say “Thank you,” especially to those with whom I served in the central highlands of Vietnam up through the demilitarized zone to the border of then-North and South Vietnam. You have had an incredible impact on my life. At a young age, we who enlisted or were drafted had the unique experience of being transformed into soldiers, sailors, marines, or airmen — we became part of a ‘UNIT’ — exposed to leadership of many kinds, committed to a mission, and most importantly, committed to trust each other. 

We were pushed beyond any self-imposed limits and, at times, frightened to the core of our being. However, by virtue of our training and responsibility to each other, we performed as our country expected of us — some above and beyond expectation. All hardships, pain, and grief were shared. It was the ultimate experience to serve with Americans of all backgrounds, races, and education levels. It was true “DEI” decades before anyone would ever hear the term!

 That was the expectation of service to our country. Now, the elimination of the draft — and its randomness of being called up for duty — has diminished the understanding of this service, which involved training and working with soldiers from every geographic corner of our country. 

The professional military is an absolute necessity — but it should not single-handedly bear the entire burden. Citizen soldiers, pulled from the ranks of the general population, have contributed and served honorably and heroically over many decades in many wars going back to our nation’s founding. 

The multiple deployments endured by the professional military during the post-9/11 conflicts have had and continue to take a tragic toll. Going forward, I believe this should be a shared burden. Further, without conscription, our elected officials are given an easy out to start wars with little political blowback. “We have a professional military; they will do as we say, and nobody else will be bothered.” 

In my opinion, if we as a nation sometimes have to commit to another extended armed conflict, we should all potentially have skin in the game. By failing to do so, our elected officials will never have a reasoned debate as to whether we should get involved in conflict. 

When I returned from Vietnam in 1968, at age 20, I could not vote (nor could I buy a beer!) in most states. But I returned with an experience that is with me to this day. Initially, it was survivors’ guilt, but, eventually, it evolved into survivors’ responsibility: We have been given the days that our fallen and critically wounded comrades were denied. All veterans share the core values of trust, respect, and responsibility. 

Veterans know: All gave some, some gave all. 

Thank you for your service. And a special callout to the dedicated staff and professionals at the White River Junction VA Medical Center, one of the best in the nation, in my experience. 

Dick Sweeney was a medic and later a team leader with the 52d Infantry LRP (Long Range Patrol) Rangers in Vietnam from October 1967 to October 1968. His father, an aunt, and several uncles served in World War I and World War II. Mr. Sweeney’s brother served during the Cold War, and several nephews served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. His nephew Paul, U.S. Army 3rd Special Forces Group, was killed in action on Oct. 30, 2003. a memory that inspired today’s thoughts. Mr. Sweeney went on to college under the GI Bill and was a co-founder of the Massachusetts/Vermont-based Keurig coffee company. He lives in Taftsville with his wife, Mary Ann. 

Ralph J. Demasi, 77, died peacefully at home on July 4. He was born in Mechanicsville, N.Y., the son of Ralph and Mary (Melone) Gagliardi. His father died several months before Ralph was born. Mary later married Louis Demasi, who adopted Ralph.

Ralph grew up in Milford, Conn. He received a BA from the University of New Haven in 1972. And soon after, he moved to the Upper Valley to help open and operate Casey’s Tavern (now Skunk Hollow) in Hartland.

Ralph later combined his love and knowledge of automobiles with his business acumen and opened Atlantic Motor Cars in Plainfield, N.H. Over the more than four decades he built many long-term relationships as he helped match people with the cars best suited to them. He enjoyed getting to know people, hearing their stories, and helping to make their investment match their unique situation and needs. Ralph openly and honestly shared his knowledge with anyone who asked for advice.  He was a longtime member of the Green Mountain Region Porsche Club and enjoyed the club drives traveling his favorite back roads of Vermont.

He was ever the gentleman, exhibiting grace and kindness. Ralph is survived by his partner of 25 years, Wendy Starr of Cornish; two sons, John Demasi and his partner Liz Skeris of Windsor and Thomas Demasi of Windsor; Wendy’s sons, Charles Starr and John Starr; other relatives and many friends.

A graveside service was held at the Westgate-Peterson Cemetery in Plainfield. 

Memorial donations are appreciated to Cornish Rescue Squad, PO Box 235, Cornish Flats, NH 03746. The Hand to Heart Project PO Box 248 Cornish Flat, NH 03746.

Knight Funeral Home of Windsor, Vt. was entrusted with arrangements and online condolences may be made at knightfuneralhomes.com.

John H. McNulty, known by all as Jack, passed away at home in Barnard on Oct. 23, 2025 due to cancer. He was 72. He expressly forbade us from saying he “fought a courageous battle” against cancer, as he always hated that phrase. As he put it, you don’t fight cancer — you wake up every day, listen to science, and do the best you can to live life on your terms, which he did for six and a half years.

Jack was born on Nov. 12, 1952 in Boston, Mass. to Florence (Kehoe) and Bernard McNulty, and grew up in Milton, Mass. He never lost his Boston accent. He attended St. Mary of the Hills School before becoming a proud “double Eagle,” graduating from Boston College High School in 1970 and Boston College in 1974. As a young bachelor, he lived with friends in Falmouth, Marblehead, and then his beloved South Boston — the fun times were aplenty. Jack worked in software sales for 45 years as a salesman and sales manager at financial tech companies including Burroughs Corporation, BKW Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation, BMC Software, Informatica, and Q2. He loved building relationships with his colleagues and customers, and was always proudest of seeing salespeople that he mentored succeeding in their careers. 

Jack married his sweetheart Susan (George) in 1983 after meeting at Burroughs and falling in love, and moved to Walpole, Mass. in 1987 to raise their family. Susan and Jack were a consummate team in everything they did, balancing and respecting each other in beautiful ways throughout their 42 years of marriage and raising three children, Laura, Erin, and Peter. He always said Susan was the smartest and most compassionate person he ever knew, and that he “married way over his head.” Their shared love of skiing led them to purchase land in Barnard in 2005, where they eventually built their dream home and moved full-time in 2017. Skiing at Killington was one of his greatest joys for nearly 50 years.

Jack was an avid athlete, playing and coaching baseball (and cheering on his beloved Red Sox), playing pick-up basketball well into adulthood, golfing whenever he could, and dabbling in rugby in college. But nothing matched his love of running. He ran over 34,000 cumulative miles during his life in 17 countries — including countless 4:30 a.m. runs before work, two Boston Marathons, and 45 consecutive Falmouth Road Races, all of which were meticulously tracked in written logs and eventually an Excel spreadsheet. One of his favorite experiences in his life was running along the Cliffs of Moher in 2015 in his ancestral home of Ireland, at sunrise with his daughter Laura.

Jack was many things — playful, effusive, adventurous, discerning, tough, disciplined, stubborn, famously impatient and endlessly loving. He was a storyteller, a jokester, and a performer, doing bits and making up songs out of nowhere that became strange and delightful family staples. He loved to learn, devouring non-fiction books one after the next. Trying as many Vermont craft beers as he could was easy with his legendary ‘hollow leg’, and he was always down to share a pint and enjoy the company of others. He was a true listener, and loved to ask people about themselves. He was passionate about caring for his home, becoming a skilled amateur carpenter and landscaper. Above all, Jack was born to be a father, and putting his family first was second nature. He would get genuinely and endearingly confounded when he heard of anyone not showing up for their families. His deep pride in his children was apparent to all, and he loved getting to know their friends and partners too and welcoming all into the McNulty fold. All he wanted to do in his final weeks was to watch old home videos of his family.

Our family would like to thank all the brilliant and kind doctors, nurses, and administrators we got to know in the Cancer Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center — especially his oncologist Dr. Konstantin Dragnev, who was with us from diagnosis through the end. We’d also like to express our deep gratitude to the amazing caregivers of Visiting Nurse and Hospice for VT & NH, and the White River Valley Ambulance team who helped us on the hardest days.

Jack is survived by his loving wife Susan McNulty of Barnard, and his three beloved children and their partners — Laura McNulty and her husband Alex Bedig of Malden, Mass.; Erin McNulty and her husband Philip Palmer of Seattle, Wash.; and Peter McNulty and his partner Haylee Conradi Rochler of Seattle, Wash. He also leaves behind his four siblings, Jean Callahan of Scituate, Mass.; Kathleen Larson of Milton, Mass.; James McNulty of Westwood, Mass.; and Robert McNulty of Hyde Park, Mass.; numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins; and a circle of cherished friends, many of whom have been by his side for nearly 60 years.

To quote an Irish proverb, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” Rest easy, Jack. You are beloved, and your utter joy lives on in all of us.

A celebration of life will be held at Story Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass. on Sunday, Nov. 9. Please arrive at 12:30 p.m. for a 12:45 p.m. service start time, followed by a gathering and light fare. All are welcome.

Donations in Jack’s name are deeply appreciated and can be made to: Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire, White River Valley Ambulance, and the Dartmouth Cancer Center (please direct to the Cancer Research Funds, and designate for Lung Cancer Research).

Clifford Charles Aikens, Jr., 89, formerly of Barnard,, passed peacefully on Oct. 23, 2025 in Pinehurst, N.C.

Born in Cleveland in 1936 to the late Clifford Charles and Ann Emily Aikens, Cliff was a 1954 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. He was a talented baseball pitcher, earning him a scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University at the behest of OWU alumnus Branch Rickey — best known for breaking the color barrier in baseball by signing superstar Jackie Robinson. Cliff majored in American History and minored in Business and Psychology. After earning his BA, his career moved him to Wisconsin, where he met the beautiful and vivacious Alice Jean Allen.  They married in 1961. Cliff’s job moved them to Pleasantville, N.Y.

Cliff enjoyed a long career selling paper as a VP of Sales. Cliff later earned an MBA from Baruch College and a Masters of Arts in Religious Studies at Andover Newton. He had a tremendous love of music, playing accordion, harmonica, ukulele, banjo, guitar, and singing tenor. 

Cliff’s forebears from Scotland settled Barnard in 1770, as farmers and blacksmiths. His grandfather and father were great ball players, getting into trouble for playing on Sundays. That ball field is now a graveyard. 

His father was president of his class at Woodstock High. He went to Dartmouth for two years to become a pharmacist, working at Putnam’s Pharmacy in Hanover, until he ran out of money (tuition: $100/semester). He left for Cleveland to sell paper. The Depression had just hit. He thought, “People will always need paper.”

Cliff’s uncle Forrest worked in Bethel at the grocery store and married Mildred Aikens, an art teacher that locals still remember fondly. Forrest was secretary of the Vermont Retail Grocer’s Association, which sought to buy in bulk to compete with chains like A&P.

In retirement, Cliff and Alice moved to South Barnard, where they spent many happy years gardening, raising animals, and hosting family and friends for unforgettable visits.  In 2007, they relocated to North Carolina, where his failing vision did not require driving. Cliff was a proud father who considered himself, “a ball player, an executive businessman, and a musician. In that order.” Cliff was a superb, intuitive coach of youth in sports. He was active for years in Barnard’s Silver Lake Association, Recreation Dept., and Historical Society, fixing up the schoolhouse and creating a monument to journalist Dorothy Thompson.

After his beloved Alice passed away in 2019, Cliff found solace in his community, choir, gardening, and performing what he called “happy music,” as he had in Vermont. He was the father of Ann Marie Aikens of Bethel, Clifford C. Aikens III, Holly Jean Goss, husband COL Donald Lee Goss. He was the grandfather of Oksana, Annika, Charles and Erika Aikens, and Alexander Goss.  He is also survived by his sister Jane Montana, husband John, and family. He led a long and happy life and will be terribly missed.

A celebration of his life was held at his church in Pinehurst. Donations are gratefully received with “Cliff Aikens Music Fund” in the memo line at: Community Presbyterian Church, PO Box 1449, Pinehurst, NC 28370.

Online condolences may be made at bolesfuneralhome.com.

Following a gradual nine-year decline, William Henry Beardsley Fenn, known as Harry as a child and Bill as an adult, died Oct. 19, 2025, at the Mt. Ascutney Hospital. Bill’s family is grateful for the wonderful hospice care extended to them by the hospital staff in two days prior to Bill’s death.

Born in Hartford, Conn. on January 23, 1941, to Francis T. Fenn Jr. and Mary Beardsley Fenn, Bill was the first of three sons. He grew up and attended grade school in West Hartford, Conn. Bill went to private boarding school for high school and ultimately graduated from the Searing School in New York. In young adulthood began struggles with alcohol and cigarettes for many years, both of which he quit with the help of 12-Step programs, determination, and the grace of God. During his journey, Bill helped to introduce many to the possibility of sobriety with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous even as he struggled to maintain his own sobriety.

Bill married Marlene Headley in 1972, at his parent’s home in West Windsor (Brownsville). He became Marlene’s husband and stepdad to her two young daughters, Connie and Kathie. In June 1974, Bill and Marlene welcomed their son William Talcott Fenn to their family. After their union ended, Bill came out to his family as bisexual and later in life identified as a gay man. He and Marlene became fast friends again before she died.

Bill worked a variety of jobs over his lifetime. He found an employment home at Ed’s Sunoco which became Randy’s Sunoco in White River Junction, Vt. He retired from Randy’s as the station’s last full-service gas island attendant. During those years, Bill was a huge support to his parents and Marlene as they confronted disability, illness, and death. He also served on the New England Kurn Hattin Homes Board, a home/school for children at risk. During this period, he and his mother became members of the First Universalist Church in Hartland Four Corners. Like his mother before him, Bill remained a member of the church until his death. With rides generously provided by members of the church, Bill attended in person as long as his physical ability allowed.

Before she died in 2015, Bill’s mother convinced him to join the Historic Homes of Runnemede community in Windsor, Vt. He resided in an independent living apartment and served as a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels in the West Windsor area. After a couple of health issues and losing his ability to drive, he was forced to give up this service and give up his service on the Kurn Hattin Homes Board. He moved to assisted living as his health continued to fail. In late 2024, he moved on to skilled nursing care at Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community. 

Bill is survived by his son, Will Fenn, his daughters Connie Kincaid-Brown and Kathie Brown, his grandson Ian Littlefield (Adreanna Macie) and his great-granddaughter,

Lillian Littlefield, his brother Roger Fenn (Dorothy Chaisson), his sister-in-law Deborah Fenn and several nieces and nephew. He was predeceased by his parents, his former wife Marlene, his brother Peter, and his grandson Duncan Littlefield.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. at the First Universalist Church in Hartland Four Corners. A simple reception for family and friends will follow in the church fellowship area. There will be a private burial attended by family only. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that a donation be made to; New England Kurn Hattin Homes, PO Box 127, Westminster, VT, 05158; the First Universalist Church of Hartland Four Corners, PO Box 75, Hartland Four Corners, VT 05049; Historic Homes of Runnemede, 40 Maxwell Perkins Lane, Windsor, VT 05089; or the Mt. Ascutney Hospital, 289 County Road, Windsor, VT 05089.

The Knight Funeral Home in Windsor, Vt. is entrusted with the arrangements and online condolences may be made at knightfuneralhomes.com.

Dana Alan Bacon, 67, died unexpectedly at home in Windsor on Monday, Oct. 20.

He was born Oct.18, 1958, in Windsor, a son of William and Alberta (Perry) Bacon. Dana grew up in Windsor and graduated from Windsor High School in 1977 before attending New Hampshire Community Technical College in Claremont, N.H. He worked in the machining industry all his life, first at Cone Automatic in Windsor until they closed, then at CEPS in Windsor, American Bridge Company in Claremont, and then at Sturm Ruger in Newport until retiring last year.

Dana was an avid reader and also loved spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, boating, and camping. He especially enjoyed boating and camping on Lake Champlain with his brothers. Dana had several boats over the years and spent many happy hours restoring them until they were just the way he wanted. He was an active member of the Windsor Coon Club where he volunteered for many duties, including as the auctioneer at the annual wild game supper and auction.

Dana was predeceased by his father and is survived by his mother, Alberta; brothers Dale Bacon and Darin Bacon (Shirley), all of Windsor, and was also very close with his niece, nephews, and great-nephew.

A visitation was held Monday, Oct. 27 at the Knight Funeral Home in Windsor. A private committal service will be held at the convenience of the family in the Ascutney Cemetery also in Windsor.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dana’s name can be made to the Windsor Coon Hunter’s Association, 2126 Hunt Hill Rd, Windsor, VT 05089

Sam Shallow, born on June 28, 1950, in Princeton, N.J., passed away on Oct. 11, with his sons by his side.

Sam’s family moved to Fairfield, Conn., where he spent his free time sailing on his family’s boat. They relocated to Vermont, seeking a quieter life and the opportunity to enjoy skiing. Sam was an exceptional skier, confident in tackling any terrain.

However, the allure of the water drew him in.

In his teens, Sam took up surfing, which led him on a global adventure to renowned surf spots. On his way back from Morocco, he visited his sister in Galway, Ireland, and landed a job on a fishing boat. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

Ireland’s great surf and fishing opportunities captivated him, and he made friends who shared his passion and humor. He ended up staying in Ireland for 13 years.

In 1979, Sam came to Woodstock to visit his father. There, he reunited with an old ski friend, Becky Brettell. They married a year later and continued to reside in Ireland for several years before returning to Woodstock, where they welcomed their two sons. Later, they moved to Hartland. After 24 years, their marriage ended. Sam spent his later years between Key West, Fla., and Hartland fishing and skiing. 

Throughout his life, Sam was an avid reader of history, not just American but also global. He had a diverse range of hobbies, including woodworking and restoring old tools and guns. He was always engrossed in some creative project.

Sam was devoted to his sons, Sammy Shallow (Laura) of North Reno, Nev.; and Christopher Shallow (Allison) of Truckee, Calif.; and his grandson, Levi Shallow. He is also survived by his sister, Elisabeth Bernard; and nieces Jade and Annika. His sister, Sayre Shallow, predeceased him. His family is very thankful to neighbor Marc Palmer for his years of friendship and care he gave to Sam.

Gordon Cowdrey (78) passed away on Oct. 15 after a nearly five-year-long battle with prostate cancer. He was born in Hanover, N.H., to Jennie Hull Cowdrey and Eldred Myron Cowdrey. Through a dear friend, Gordon Barbour, he met the love of his life, Sally Brown, whom he married on Jan. 30, 1977. In the fall of 1977, their son Daniel Gordon was born. Their daughter Lisa Marie came nearly four years later. They later moved to Hartland, where they built a beautiful life together.

Gordon was predeceased by Sally, his parents Jennie and Eldred Cowdrey, and his sister Dorothy Cowdrey. He is survived by his son Daniel, his daughter Lisa and son-in-law John Butson III; his four grandchildren: Derek, Shyla, Shane, and Adeline; his brothers and sisters: Charles Cowdrey, David Cowdrey, Donna Hodgdon, and Mary Becker; and his sister-in-law Sherry Barbour who was his companion and his devoted caregiver during his many ups and downs throughout the last few years.

Gordon took great pride in being a very hardworking man and a provider for his family. He went to work at a young age and worked until he physically could no longer work in November 2024. He spent time working on the Cowdrey family farm, and then went to work with Eric Wood on his farm in Pomfret. He spent a lot of time with Eric pulling horses and also competing at the fairs–a cherished memory for him. He and Eric also hunted and found a love for snowmobiling. He later worked for Summarsell doing excavation work, and then worked as a truck driver at TriState, Rowlee Farm Trucking, FSI Trucking, and Miller Construction. In the ‘90s, he ventured out on his own and started Shadow Valley Trucking, where he owned and operated a logging truck. He was most recently employed by D&D Excavation, where he was the loader operator in the gravel pit for the last several years. Working kept him going and gave him purpose. He enjoyed his coworkers at the pit and made very special connections with them.

Gordie and Sally built a beautiful little home in the country and enjoyed keeping many animals over the years. Gordie had very special connections with animals, including his pets, his farm animals, and the wild animals that he enjoyed having on his property. He especially loved his dogs and his beloved cat Clyde, who stayed by his side. Gordie was a woodsman and was often found working the land in one way or another. He spent lots of hours cutting and splitting wood, working his tractor, running his saw mill, and improving his land in one way or another.

Gordie enjoyed many different motorsport hobbies. In the ’90s, he took a chance on owning a race car, a VW Rabbit that his nephew Allan drove. The whole family spent every Saturday night at the track, making memories and experiencing the thrills of racing. In 2019, Gordie discovered a new passion for garden tractor pulling. As the years went by, he acquired a fleet of very competitive tractors and brought home many trophies. He enjoyed competing with his grandchildren the most; many great memories and special friendships were made. In 2025, he purchased his own 1941 Buick hotrod. Although he was not able to drive it much, it brought him a lot of joy and satisfaction knowing he had checked that off his bucket list.

We welcome family and friends to join us for a graveside service on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Brownsville Cemetery. The service will be followed by a gathering at the Brownsville Community Church basement to share memories and stories while enjoying some refreshments. An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

James Anthony Pepe, 83, died Oct. 11, 2025, in Hempstead, Town, Long Island, NY. Born in Flushing, NY, on May 20, 1942, the first child of Frances (Cirigleano) and John Pepe.

In his late teens, he joined the religious order, Brothers of the Holy Cross. For ten years as a brother, he studied at St. Edward’s U. in Austin, Texas, receiving his bachelor’s degree

His teaching career, as a religious, included teaching elementary school in Brooklyn.

He later was assigned to a Rhode Island school run by his religious community; he then began his studies at Rhode Island College, where he earned his master’s.

After his master’s work, he left the religious community. He moved back to his New York home, whereupon he continued his teaching career in several districts; at the time of his passing, he had taught in several districts with thirty years in Rockville Centre, where, in addition to his teaching career, he became chairperson, teacher centre leader, and union leader for the district.

In 1972, Jim married Susan Healy; they were fortunate to have their son James Healy Pepe. Upon spending their honeymoon in Vermont, Jim was always looking to Vermont as his special place. Shortly after Jim’s retirement, he fulfilled his dream of a Vermont home.

His retirement years have been spent enjoying a beautiful Vermont, continuing his discipline of exercise and appreciation of the arts.

Jim was a leader in all areas, whether it be in home projects or just the kitchen. Both his wife of over fifty-two years and his treasured son will miss him forever.

The Cabot Funeral Home is assisting the family. An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

On Oct. 9, Paul “Big Wogs” Eldredge, 74, lost his fight with a long illness and is now at peace. Born Feb. 7, 1951, Paul was the first child of Glenn and Shirley (Blackmer) Eldredge. He worked on his grandfather’s farm where he would raise Morgan horses and win many awards showing “Chief of Stockbridge” and “Coco.” These were fond memories cherished by Paul.

Paul graduated from Whitcomb High School in 1969 and married his high school sweetheart, Charlene Cook in August of that same year. They welcomed their daughter, Tracey in October 1969, a son, Paul in May 1973 and a son, Colby in October 1979. His family was his whole world. He was a fierce competitor who did not like to lose in any game, whether that was cards, board games or sports. Paul enjoyed family and friends gatherings that were a regular weekend occasion at his home in Quechee.

Paul worked for Killington, Ron’s Citgo and C.V. Oil before becoming a mail carrier in Woodstock delivering to the many small businesses and families on his route for 33 years. Paul loved to interact with his customers and made many memorable relationships.

Paul was a baseball enthusiast who started a Pee Wee program in the town of Pittsfield in 1974 and then a Little League program in order to coach his children. He was a lifelong Red Sox fan and even visited all 30 baseball stadiums with his wife in his retirement. For his 50th birthday, Charlene surprised him with tickets to Super Bowl XXXV, another bucket list entry. They were both drawn to the Ocean waters and relocated to Port Charlotte in 2015. He enjoyed playing golf in his spare time and achieved a hole in one on May 12, 2022 at the Maple Leaf Estate golf course.

Paul is predeceased by his parents, Glenn and Shirley Eldredge of Stockbridge, Vt. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Charlene; his three children, Tracey (Gene) Soboleski of Hartford, Vt., Paul II (Lisa) of Woodstock, and Colby (Brittany) of Pasadena, Md. Paul’s sister Charlene (Steve) Anderson lives in Barre, Vt. Paul enjoyed spending time with his eight grandchildren Michael, Zachary, Tyler, Cameron, Bryce, Lucas, Lola and Hunter. Paul has one great-granddaughter Zaylee. Paul leaves behind many wonderful friends in Florida and Vermont who have supported him and Charlene throughout this devastating disease.

A celebration of life will be held in the summer of 2026 for his many family and friends.

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

Well, my friends, this is my fourth and final article of our 2025 annual appeal. 

Once again, this year, it’s been a privilege to talk directly with you about the mission we’re on at the Vermont Standard and the difficult challenges we face — to ask if you’ll please consider donating to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation in support of our efforts to connect our community and keep you informed on issues of public importance.

Today, the main thing I want you to know is that we are proud to work for you.

We know you’re counting on us to be your eyes and ears — filling you in about local government actions that affect you, about local crime, about court cases playing out here, about notable news items and occurrences, the accomplishments of our neighbors and local youth, about developments at our schools, churches, businesses, and charitable or civic organizations, about the happenings and things to do in the local area, and lots more. 

We are the one and only news source that’s entirely focused on our area; reporting news that’s primarily of interest right here. Our work — week in and week out — is entirely dedicated to the welfare of this community. 

That’s the way it’s been here for 172 years. And Phil Camp and I and our small team are now trying to produce a 2025 version of the Vermont Standard that’s the best it has ever been in the paper’s long history.

The Standard is for you. It exists simply to benefit you and your neighbors. We regard this responsibility and the trust you place in us as a badge of honor. We pledge to give it our best. All we’ve got.

As I’ve explained before, the financial pressures we face are intense. And, tragically, various powers that be are trying to exert additional pressure in a sad attempt to undermine the press. By extension, their actions undermine you, the public. That’s nothing new, really, but it’s pretty acute right now. Shame on them.

However, with your donations to keep us afloat, we’re hanging in there, staying strong and getting stronger. We are continuing to work, not only on improving this week’s Vermont Standard, but next month’s and next year’s too, as we attempt to set things up so we can produce high-quality local journalism for the long term. 

We’ll make sure your gift is put to good use as a worthwhile investment in one of the key components of the critical infrastructure that underpins this community.

As a citizen, it’s essential for you to be well-informed. That’s the only way we can have a functioning local democracy and a lively, connected community. As your eyes and ears, we’ll continue to follow the news closely and report it to you in new, better, and more engaging ways as time goes on. 

We hope to make you proud as we strive to do the best community journalism in the country. We believe that’s a realistic goal. This weekend — for the ninth time in the last twelve years — the Standard will once again be a finalist for the honor of being named New England Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

When it comes to journalism, we believe you deserve the absolute best.

We are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can offer in this year’s 2025 annual appeal. In fact, if you’re interested, Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you in person to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or 802-457-1313.

Also — very importantly — if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support. We’ll be deeply indebted to you.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity, so your gift will be fully tax-deductible. 

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.” 

By Dan Cotter, Publisher 

Lord knows, there are lots of fascinating people in our community.

At times, it seems as if every person you meet here in the course of a day is even more interesting than the last one. Sometimes, I marvel at how in the world all these wonderful and impressive folks are either from here or ended up here, in this little corner of Vermont.

Of course, I’m lucky. I get to participate in our story planning meetings at the Standard each week to decide who and what we’re going to write about next. Beyond the breaking news, what feature stories should we write – about which people, which organizations, which businesses?

It’s a joy.

There are always plenty of nominations. And then, even though you think you pretty well know who someone is or what an organization does and stands for, our reporter does a deep dive and provides new insight about them or their work or their cause in an account that’s simply breathtaking. Who knew? Right here among us! 

I often refer to the Vermont Standard as a kind of “glue” for our community. It’s a paper everyone can turn to in order to stay informed about the local news — the goings-on, the things to do. Something to look forward to each week to catch up on the latest. A common experience shared by those who live here or care about this place.

But maybe the best part about the Standard is the way it enables us to connect as a community. The way it helps us get to know each other better by introducing us to that really interesting person who lives next door (sometimes literally). And I’ve found that typically the more impressive people are, the less likely they are to talk about themselves. They’re too modest. So, it takes a nosy reporter to get them to tell their full story.

And the same goes for some of the incredible organizations in the area, including charities, nonprofits, schools, churches, arts organizations, libraries, history centers, and many more. They aren’t always focused on touting or telling their story – about what they do, who they help, what they accomplish. Often, they toil away under the radar. But the Standard is eager to bring their story to the public’s attention. We want to shine a spotlight, applaud their work, and make the folks who might decide to join or support them aware of them.

Soon, we’ll be bringing you those kinds of stories on video too, as we roll out our Headliners and Inside Scoop programs this fall.

The bottom line is that living in a community is much more fulfilling for most of us when we get to know more about the ordinary people among us, who are doing some pretty extraordinary things. Reading about them and their aspirations and accomplishments in the Standard is fun, and, on occasion, when those stories also explain their struggles and failures, their resilience and ultimate triumphs, it can be touching to read, inspiring even. 

These stories help us all feel a deeper sense of kinship with the people and organizations in our midst. They connect us and make us feel that we all truly belong to this beautiful community.

As I said, being this glue that strengthens our connection? It’s a joy.

We are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can offer in this year’s 2025 annual appeal. Our effort to preserve quality journalism for our community is quite urgent, my friends. And Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible. 

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance. 

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.” 

By Dan Cotter, Publisher

For the past 15-20 years, most local newspapers have been trying to “do more with less” in an effort to survive. And, of course, since that’s not a good long-term strategy, it has put our industry into a slow death spiral.

America has lost 3,200 of its newspapers in that same period of time, and currently, an average of more than two per week go out of business. Hundreds more papers are on life support, as they try to hang on by cutting staff, cutting pages, cutting the frequency of their publishing days, and eliminating their print editions. In their resulting emaciated state, those papers certainly can’t serve the need for local news and information in their communities.

Those withered newspapers are called “ghost papers,” because they are hollowed out shells of their former selves. Technically, they still exist. They continue to survive. But the communities counting on them? Well, they can no longer really count on them.

The handful of hedge funds and corporate raiders that bought up so many of our nation’s newspapers and ruined them wrote the playbook. In their effort to “rightsize” (meaning to dramatically downsize…) their papers in the face of diminishing advertising revenue, they chopped the expenses. Severely.

For newspapers, the primary expense is paying the people who work there. After many rounds of staff cuts, those papers barely cover any news at all, because they no longer have enough people to do it.

And as many of the small independent papers – like the Standard – encountered those same advertising revenue headwinds, lacking a better plan, they began following the same playbook. Consequently, in their efforts to survive, they now f ind themselves in that same never-ending spiral of cost-cutting.

Also, newspapers in that ragged state aren’t able to do the type of development work required to create a sustainable path for the future. In order to survive beyond just this week or this year, news organizations must create new services and revenue streams that will support them long-term. To do that takes time, thought, experimentation, risk-taking, and perseverance.

The beleaguered staff that’s left at most newspapers today simply lacks the energy for that.

“Doing more with less” (and less, and less…) was originally supposed to be a stopgap measure to buy time for newspapers to get their feet under them so they could forge a path to sustainability. Sadly, though, for most, it’s simply become standard operating procedure.

Fortunately, for our community here, the Vermont Standard has not followed that all too popular “survivor” playbook. We’ve never wanted to preside over a slow death march, just to be able to say we’re still publishing, but, in fact, failing to serve the very real need for local news, information, and connection in this community.

Thanks to your financial support, we’ve been able to go another way. Instead of doing more with less, we realize that we – and all local news organizations, especially in today’s political climate – just need to do more. Much more. And while doing that, we also need to create a sustainable path forward so we can live on to serve this community in even better ways for many more years.

Our efforts to survive are actually just the first step towards our real intention, which is to thrive.

In fact, with your help, we’ve upgraded our staff and improved our publication in recent years. The team we have reporting local news is now stronger than ever. They have a good deal of talent and a whole lot of heart, working for ridiculously low wages at this frugal newspaper, yet fueled by such a worthy mission. At the Standard, we haven’t forgotten why we exist in the first place. We are striving to provide wall-to-wall coverage of a steady stream of complex stories that are of great interest and importance to this community we serve.

We’ve also enhanced the look, feel, and utility of our publications.

And we’ve expanded our digital news and information products – we are doing more and more online programming with them. This fall, we are introducing our new series of “Headliners” interviews with local newsmakers that you’ll be able to view on our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website. Also, we’re introducing a new show called “Inside Scoop”, which will give you an in-depth, insider look at the goings-on at many of the businesses and organizations that make our community so special.

At the Standard, we are trying to save a real newspaper that offers the powerful local journalism our community needs to function properly. Not a ghost paper. The Standard has to be good enough to get the job done now and survive in the long run. “Right-sizing” here does not mean a diminished publication that’s essentially worthless, as it does in so many communities throughout our nation. Here, it means being just big enough to provide the essential local journalism that contributes mightily to the quality of life in our community, and break even.

That’s the kind of Vermont Standard we are trying so hard to preserve, while setting things up so we can provide the quality local journalism our community needs well into the future.

I sincerely hope you’ll join us on this very important mission.

As we begin this year’s 2025 annual appeal, we are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can give us. Our mission is quite urgent, of course, and Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 933287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible.

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

By Dan Cotter, publisher

It’s been said that there are very few things in life that you can always count on. But there are indeed a few, and I believe you’re holding one of them in your hands right now (or perhaps reading it on a screen).

For 172 years, the people of Woodstock, Hartland, Pomfret, Barnard, Bridgewater, Reading, West Windsor, Quechee, Plymouth, and the surrounding towns have counted on the Vermont Standard to keep watch on things in order to keep them informed, empowered, and connected. Our columnist, Dave Doubleday, replays some of the top stories of the day that took place 10, 20, 50, 75, or 100 years ago in each installment of his brilliant “Olde Woodstock” feature. It’s amazing and quite reassuring that people here were reading this same paper all those years ago simply to find out what’s happening.

Just as you are today.

All this time, citizens – informed by the Standard — were able to fully participate in their local democracy as our area progressed to the state it’s in today. What a huge responsibility it must have been, and still is today, to produce this newspaper each week. To prepare a quality news report to help readers experience and enjoy day-to-day life here and make good decisions for their community.

It’s the honor of a lifetime to be entrusted with this responsibility. The Standard has a small crew of talented, fair-minded, and underpaid journalists doggedly pursuing their mission week in and week out — trying to produce an interesting local news report that will inform, educate, and entertain the people who live here. It’s a “weekly miracle.” We start with a blank page each Wednesday afternoon, and we work tirelessly to pursue stories and produce the very best finished publication we can by the following Wednesday, so that it will be in your mailbox or at the store for you on Thursday.

In the century and a three-quarters that this paper has existed, this is our time, and our team is attempting to make a proud contribution to its legacy.

Ours certainly isn’t the easiest time to be a journalist in the Standard’s and our community’s history. This is a time of transition, when traditional forms of funding for local journalism have waned. Now, we have not only to strive to produce an excellent news report each week, but we also have to hold our breath that we’ll even be able to stay afloat.

An average of more than two newspapers fold in the U.S. each week (3,200 have vanished in the past twenty years!), leaving their communities without this kind of “glue” – without the common experience of reading in print or online about issues that affect them and their neighbors and a comprehensive set of facts for all to know about what’s happening in their local area each week.

Making matters worse, hundreds of other towns throughout the nation now only have a “ghost newspaper” that is so financially compromised it can barely cover any local news in its meager news product.

Some people – perhaps taking a page from the playbook being used at the national level – might prefer that ours was a weaker, sleepier paper and that they could exert some kind of pressure to compromise the Standard’s coverage.

But they’re mistaken. It hasn’t worked in 172 years, and we won’t let it happen now. Count on it.

We’ve had many complex (and interesting!) local stories to cover just in this past year — news that people here are counting on us to follow and explain. From the Woodstock Foundation lawsuit, to school policy, budget and reorganization issues, to Peace Field Farm, to the water company purchase, to short-term rental ordinances, to the police chief demotion, to the proposed cell phone tower and farm outlet store in Hartland, to the ECFiber case, to the ongoing housing and child care shortages, to the impact of federal funding cuts on local organizations. And we’ve had many milestones and achievements to celebrate, from our football state championship team, to our local priest’s 50^th anniversary of his ordination, to the resurgence of Bookstock, to local artists and authors who released their latest works, to this year’s graduates, to a pair of brothers who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, to the dedication and resilience shown by those remarkable protesters in Woodstock. Even the announcement of plans for a new performing arts center, and the sighting of low-flying military planes over Woodstock. Those stories aren’t easy or inexpensive to cover, but like the journalists at the Standard who were our predecessors throughout those many, many years, it’s our solemn responsibility to inform the public about the public’s business, the very best we can.

Indeed, we can, primarily because we now have the support of hundreds of residents and readers who truly understand and value what quality local journalism does — and has always done — for our community here. They respond to our annual appeal each year. They keep us afloat. They keep us encouraged. They harden our resolve to try ever harder to serve this community and this local democracy. We count on all of you.

Oftentimes, I’ve asked individual donors, “What can we possibly do to thank you for your generosity?” And, to a person, they always say, “Just keep putting out a darn good newspaper.”

In appreciation for you, our friends, the Standard has only one single objective and guiding light going forward: to keep trying to put out a better and better paper each week in service to this community.

You can count on us.

As we begin this year’s annual appeal, we are deeply appreciative of any financial help you can give us. Our mission is quite urgent, of course, and Phil Camp and I would be very grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to talk more about what’s needed and our plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at dcotter@thevermontstandard.com or (802) 457-1313.

We sincerely hope you’ll join us in our mission by contributing to this year’s 2025 annual appeal.

Also, if you have a family foundation, please consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation is a public charity so your gift will be fully tax-deductible.

Your donation will be utilized in the form of project grants to support the Vermont Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2025 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

By Dan Cotter, publisher

A huge sigh of relief and a fist pump were my first reactions, as well as a gaze skyward as I mouthed the words “thank you!” The tears welling up in my older friend’s eyes were his response when I told him.

Then we shared a long, hard hug.

After lots of research and preparation, and then six months of waiting for the application to be processed, Phil Camp and I recently learned that the IRS has approved the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation’s application for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) and deemed the Foundation to be a public charity.

The approval wasn’t in much doubt, really. But now it’s official.

The Foundation was established last August and it is primarily dedicated to preserving the Vermont Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future. The Foundation has a board made up of local residents who care deeply about our community and the value local journalism provides. Phil and I are on the board too. Together, we’re working to keep the 171-year-old Vermont Standard going while taking steps to position the paper’s print and digital journalism for long-term sustainability.

Recognizing the critical role the Standard plays in informing and connecting our community, this Foundation wants to avoid letting our area become a “news desert,” as has happened in hundreds of other places throughout the US in recent years. Newspapers like the Standard are currently dying off at a pace of 2.5 per week. Nor do we want to end up like the hundreds of cities and towns where profit-seeking corporations that have no devotion to the public welfare have acquired their local paper and stripped it of its resources, to the point that it is only a pathetic shadow of its former self and incapable of doing its job.

Providing accurate, credible, reliable news and information to its audience is a local news organization’s primary role. A functioning democracy requires an informed, engaged public. The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation’s board members, advisors and friends will help Phil and I in our mission to raise enough money to keep quality journalism flowing here.

So, I’m glad to report that any donation you’ve made to the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation to support the Standard’s mission to inform, connect, and educate our community on issues of public importance is indeed tax-deductible dating back to the inception of the Foundation in late August 2023, as all donations will be going forward.

At 88 years old, Phil feels a real sense of urgency about making sure that our community will always have local journalism – especially given the 40+ years he’s dedicated to leading the paper and his unrivaled love for Woodstock and its surrounding towns. We know we’re in a race against the clock. But now, with the Foundation’s charity status and your tax deduction confirmed, we hope there will be even more support from donors and family foundations that will help us accomplish this very important mission.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement and generosity. If you would like to contribute to our Annual Appeal, please send us a check at PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at https://thevermontstandard.com/annual-appeal/ to make a contribution with your credit card. Please be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

If you are reading this column right now, that’s good news for the community. It means you probably paid for this paper, hard copy or online, maybe even made a donation to it, and value its contribution to our lives in Woodstock and surrounding areas. We are so fortunate to have the Vermont Standard week in and week out. For years, small-town dailies and weeklies have been closing their doors, leaving communities without a soul. Papers like the Standard are dying off at the rate of two per week across America. 

Such towns are called “news deserts.” Imagine weeks, months and years going by with no professional reporting on selectboards, trustees, school boards, taxes and roads. Zero stories about public school events, sports, student accomplishments, obituaries, gardening tips, neighborly cooking advice, local history, and no reports from towns from Brownsville to Pomfret. 

We would know next to nothing about the interminable Peace Field Farm restaurant delay, the Ottauquechee Trail head fiasco, the high-stakes Woodstock Foundation controversy and the fatal shooting off Central Street, including the bravery of Woodstock Police Sgt. Joe Swanson. In my view, these stories have been really well reported. 

To not get these stories delivered to us every week would be a news desert right in verdant Woodstock, for sure, a gaping hole left to be filled by rumor and mis- and dis-information, the precursors of community dissolution. So we are blessed indeed to have had the Vermont Standard around — nonstop — since 1853, and owned by beloved Woodstocker Phil Camp, now 87, since 1981. 

But as Mr. Camp has pointed out many times over the years, the paper’s solvency hangs on a thread and now more than ever. In hundreds of towns across America, owners, beleaguered by losing subscribers and advertising to social media, simply folded or sold out to hedge funds and private equity firms, whose investors are bereft of community values. Not Phil Camp. He has always said, “I never sold out. I’m never giving up.” He made up for past deficits (difference between expenses, like staff, and income from subscriptions and ads) out of company savings from better times, week after week. He stayed with it after being flooded out by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and being burned out by the Central Street fire of 2018 (taking out his camera and snapping photos of the flames and rubble).

The paper was in dire straits when COVID hit, saved by the forgiven federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans through 2021, when the largesse ended. Then beginning in January 2022, the community stepped up, responding to a fundraising appeal. I was rather stunned to learn from the Standard’s publisher, Dan Cotter, that the paper’s annual shortfall of $150,000-$200,000 is being covered by donations from local Woodstock residents. There are many (and appreciated) donations in the $50-$100-$200 range, but really heavy lifting is being done by donors of means who, Mr. Cotter says, highly value the contribution local journalism makes to communities. Several of these more-than-generous and anonymous donors contribute $20-25,000 and more — each — and, Mr. Cotter says, without any hint of trying to influence coverage. Without them, surely there would be no Vermont Standard in the mailbox or online, just the unreliable grapevine. At the same time, the paper is moving to create other revenue streams, including an online advertising app for Woodstock happenings and a magazine, in addition to improving thevermontstandard.com website for go-to news. 

Still, the operation is bare bones. It seems to me a miracle the paper “hits the streets” without fail every Thursday with some pretty good and important stories that we need to know about, and many features that are good to know about. And there are just two, count them, two, full-time staffers who report stories: the seasoned and prolific Tom Ayres, and Tess Hunter, who is also the managing editor. Ms. Hunter says reporter staffing is the big issue; she has on hand freelance contract reporters that can be assigned to stories if they are available and if they want to spend the evening at yet another unexciting if important selectboard meeting. “It’s a constant juggling act,” Ms. Hunter told me, “between finding the right person for the story and just getting people to say ‘yes.’” Still, she is committed, saying, “Without us making the attempt, there would be no common base of understanding and little sense of the community spirit of the area or the hard news happening within it.”

Volunteer contributors are crucial; regular community writers like Jennifer Falvey (insightful musings on life) and Kurt Stauder (pointed political observations) are popular. Mary Lee Camp’s business column is relentlessly informative. 

Other key staff are listed in the box below — lean and spare!

Publisher and editorial content director Dan Cotter, 64, hired by Mr. Camp in 2018 after years of informal consulting for the Standard, is not a household name in Woodstock, though he is hands-on every issue. He owns a condo in the area and is here about half the month, returning to his home and wife in Chicago for the remainder. He has decades in the industry as an executive and consultant, was head of the New England Newspaper and Press Association, and takes a no-nonsense hard line on newspaper independence and objectivity. It’s an unusual situation but Mr. Camp, still the president of the company, has total confidence in Mr. Cotter and has turned over the Vermont Standard, its operation, assets and its future, to his close friend. Mr. Camp has indeed not “given up,” but hopes to ensure his dear newspaper’s future with this arrangement. 

So where does the Standard go now? Around the country, journalists are reinventing newspapers and online reporting. The most promising seems to be the non-profit model, where deductible contributions from community-minded supporters can be made even as the publication accepts subscription fees and what advertising there is left. There are indications that the Standard is moving in this direction, and the sooner the better, in my view. When I pressed Publisher Cotter on the issue, he responded with this very encouraging comment: 

“In the past couple of years, members of the community have literally kept the Standard alive with their donations — and a handful of them have given very substantial sums, even without the benefit of a tax break. That’s how much they value the role our local journalism plays in the quality of life in our area. We are working now to put the paper on a path to where donors could indeed have a tax benefit. For it is essential to our democracy and our own survival that we have the financial support we need from the community to maintain a news organization — modest as it is — that’s capable of producing good local journalism that adequately informs our citizens.”

I can’t imagine Woodstock without the Vermont Standard. The new business model provides great hope the paper will not only survive but as a Woodstock-based non-profit, continue to expand coverage to benefit all of us in this great community. 

Note: This (unpaid) column originated with me alone! 

Sandy Gilmour is a retired NBC News correspondent who lives in Woodstock.

Throughout the country newspapers are in a fight for their lives.          Here too.

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