For years, local artist and Norman Williams Public Library employee, Adrian Tans, has brought beauty and art to the local Woodstock Town Crier bulletin board. 

Now the “Town Smiler” — renamed during the COVID-19 pandemic in part because of the chalk murals Tans would create month after month — has been sitting empty. On Oct. 23, Tans finished a drawing of three trick-or-treaters together on a porch, dressed as the Grim Reaper, the devil, and an ICE agent. He said that after objections and calls to Town Hall, the Woodstock History Center, which owns the bulletin, ordered the mural to be taken down on Nov. 1. 

Tans spoke to the Standard this week about this recent string of events, and what the future holds for the Town Smiler and his own artistic endeavors. Tans began, “I knew the director of the Woodstock History Center, Matt Powers, from around town. When COVID hit, I went straight to Matt and asked if I could illustrate murals on the chalkboard of the Town Crier. We kept it rolling for years. I never received a commission for my work. The entire process felt like a hands-off collaboration between me and the Woodstock History Center. It was simply a win-win for everyone.” 

When asked where Tans stands with the History Center and the Town Smiler today, he said, ‘“Today’ is very much the operative word. It is all still a bit up in the air. I was very surprised by the discourse my mural elicited. After the image was taken down, Matt Powers and I had a great conversation about the future of the chalkboard. While I am not sure if I will continue creating for the Town Smiler — as it is a lot of work and I have many other creative endeavors worth dedicating my time to — the History Center has offered me the same creative freedom as before, with an open invitation for me to continue.” 

For more on this story, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent

A Vermont Superior Court judge has taken under advisement arguments by lawyers for the Village of Woodstock and its former Police Chief Joe Swanson on whether he was properly demoted by municipal manager Eric Duffy this year.

Judge H. Dickson Corbett heard 15 minutes of arguments by each side during the video hearing on Tuesday afternoon.  He also will consider the written filings both sides have submitted during the case. “The court will take the matter under advisement and issue a written decision soon,” Corbett said before adjourning the hearing.

The demotion case has generated considerable attention in the Woodstock region since it began.  About three dozen computers with an unknown number of interested persons tuned into the video arguments.  They included local residents, lawyers, media, and at least two Village Trustees. 

Burlington lawyer John H. Klesch, on behalf of the Village, argued that there was “substantial evidence” to support reasons for the demotion. 

He said the case “is a limited, on-the-record review of a quasi-judicial body’s determination made after a hearing process.”

Klesch said the court must side with Woodstock if there is any competent evidence in the record to support the decision by the Village Trustees to uphold the demotion made by Duffy.    

Attorney Linda Fraas, on behalf of Swanson, disputed the claims made on behalf of the Village. “There is nothing in the record that will support this as a matter of law. This does not require judicial discretion.  It just requires applying the law to the facts in this case, which do not support anything that the Village is trying to sell,” she noted. 

“And it makes no sense, and what has gone on is unconscionable, actually, for this year, and that is why we are here today to ask this court to please end this ordeal, reinstate Chief Swanson, let everyone move on,” Fraas said. 

The battle between Duffy and Swanson began in October 2024 when the manager put the chief on the sidelines following a motor vehicle complaint involving the chief’s husband. Vermont State Police and the Vermont Criminal Justice Council both cleared Swanson.

Duffy, however, hired a private detective to interview village police employees and town emergency dispatchers to see if they objected to his management style.  Based on the interviews in the report, Duffy demoted Swanson.  The Village Trustees heard the appeal in March and, in April, voted 5-0 to uphold the removal.

Several employees had expressed frustration with the police chief because they said he had a messy office, wore mismatched socks, and had unkempt hair.  They claimed the chief also did not tell his employees where he was going when he left the police station, and they complained their boss did not always answer his phone. 

Swanson wants to return to his old job. Duffy wants Swanson to remain demoted to a patrol officer, the lowest rank in the department.

The Vermont Standard plans to have more details and reactions in the print edition next week.  The court arguments were heard as the weekly newspaper had an early deadline due to Thanksgiving.

Once Judge Corbett issues his written findings, the losing side will be free to appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court.

The Village also finds itself in the middle of a separate $5 million civil lawsuit also pending in Vermont Superior Court by Swanson, with multiple claims including unlawful discharge from his job.  The other named defendants include Duffy, Interim Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe, Trustee Chair Seton McIlroy, and the private detective firm. 

The Shire Woodstock has begun renovations that promise to see the hotel updated with a new lounge and bar for guests, as well as some needed repairs and refurnishing in its lobby and guest rooms. Purchased in 2021 by David MacKay and Jeff Glew of Turnstone Ventures in Boston, the Shire has already undergone upgrades to its exterior — including its columns, decking, soffits, balusters, roof gables, and landscaped grounds of the hotel — and has also benefited from heating and cooling system repairs. This next phase of renovations will last about a year, according to MacKay, and should be a smooth process. “The Shire’s layout will allow us to continue operating the property without interruption and with minimal disruption to our guests,” MacKay told the Standard this week.

The biggest difference in the Shire will be expanding the lobby, which will also create space for a new lounge and fireplace.

For more on this, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

State officials say up to nearly 200 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Ottauquechee River after a box truck crashed off Interstate 91 in Hartland on Saturday. 

Vermont State Police identified the driver as James Sseggwanyi, 44, of Chelmsford, Mass. 

They said he was northbound when he lost control of his 2020 Isuzu box truck and it went through the left guardrails into the median and off of a bridge into the river shortly after 7 a.m.

The truck ended up on its left side, partially submerged in the river and it turned into a lengthy recovery, the DMV said. 

One lane of traffic was closed for several hours near the crash site, which was about 2.5 miles before Exit 10 in White River Junction.  

Assisting state police and DMV were the Hartland Fire Department, the Agency of Transportation, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Vermont State HAZMAT and Sabil and Sons Towing.

For more on this, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Last Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Pomfret Selectboard presented to the public its much-anticipated Town Plan, released more than a year behind schedule. The plan is intended to be a visionary document — versus a binding document — for the town’s next eight years. Turnout was high and participation vigorous, as town citizens voiced questions and concerns about issues ranging from affordable housing, to land use, to preserving the rural character of Pomfret. The selectboard will now deliberate — considering the public feedback, and also weighing it against the planning requirements required by the state of Vermont as it plans its next steps for implementing the plan.

In a memo dated Nov. 14, and attached to the Nov. 19 selectboard meeting agenda, the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) — a political subdivision of the state and which serves as Pomfret’s regional commission, advising the town on how to best enact statutory planning requirements — listed several areas of the Pomfret Town Plan in need of attention in order for it to eventually meet statue and allow TRORC’s approval. Areas that need to be addressed, according to TRORC, include: future land use, forest blocks and habitat connectors, pedestrian and bicycle facilities for town areas of planned growth, conservation and renewable energy policies, as well as tangible encouragement of public participation in drafting and revising the plan, among others. The memo was written before the Nov. 19 hearing — at which the public certainly weighed in.

Benjamin Brickner serves as the current chair of the Pomfret Selectboard, and witnessed firsthand the energetic — even passionate — participation of town citizens. “We had robust community turnout, both in person and on Zoom, especially relative to a typical selectboard meeting. I think there were 26 members of the public total, in addition to the selectboard members. Those who showed up asked thoughtful questions about things like housing and land use and character preservation, and the interplay between local decision-making and regional planning.” 

Peter Gregory is executive director of TRORC, and in his conversation this week with the Standard, he showed a keen awareness of the tensions between local and statewide interests — and not just in Pomfret. “New England and Vermont have a strong tradition of local control, which I support and encourage,” he said. “At the same time, the regional planning commission is charged by the state and by our member towns to interpret state and federal law and to help towns navigate through that in a way that works for them. Our role is to help them make their choices, and they have multiple choices as it relates to planning and zoning. Even having a town plan under Vermont statutes is voluntary.”

For more on this, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Over the past several weeks, the Vermont Standard spoke with police chiefs who lead small departments in communities similar to ours to learn about the best practices they use today to keep citizens safe. Several common themes emerged, with most chiefs prioritizing proactive, ongoing dialogue with the people they serve as an essential means of ensuring public safety.

Repeatedly stressing the importance of transparency, most of the police chiefs said they are using a variety of both modern and old-fashioned yet reliable techniques to promptly communicate as much critical – and sometimes highly detailed – information about the crimes and public safety issues their communities need to be aware of as they can. Departments today are creating websites, using local newspapers if they have one, posting to social media, and doing plenty of boots-on-the-ground patrolling.  

For the full story, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Interim Woodstock Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe told the Standard that starting this weekend, there will be a temporary parking ban on Charles Street near the Farmer and the Bell restaurant in Woodstock. He said that the residents on that road have reported difficulty driving through it when there are people parked on the side.

O’Keeffe said that the parking ban is part of the new official parking ordinance that will go into effect next month, assuming there are no appeals.

At that time, he said that permanent and nicer-looking signs will be posted, but until then, there will be temporary “No Parking” signs placed on the road on Saturdays and Sundays.

Reading resident Yannick Murphy’s new novel began as a sprouted seed — the short story of the same title, “Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really,” which was published by the literary magazine Conjunctions in 2020. In the story, as in the novel — just released in November by Skyhorse Publishing — Murphy creates characterization and narrative through a litany of fragmented descriptions and scenes that extend from the book’s title. These poetic shards accumulate into a tragicomic coming-of-age tale centered around the protagonist, nicknamed “Dead Man.”

“He’s nearing [the] end of his time as a radio man on a fast-attack submarine,” Murphy said of “Dead Man,” speaking to the Standard this week from her home in Reading. “The short story just focused on a little part of his life aboard the submarine with all of his shipmates, and it’s kind of turned into a funny and unusual coming-of-age novel about this character. I say ‘funny’ because that kind of close-knit setting on board the submarine lends itself so well to depicting how any group that’s confined for a long period of time will devolve into juvenile, oftentimes uproarious, behavior. The camaraderie in the colorful name-calling and the fronting that takes place on the submarine ends up compounding itself into something more serious.”

The world of naval life is one that Murphy knows well. “We have three children who all entered the Navy,” she said of her and her husband, Jeff Oney. “And they’re all great storytellers. The stories they bring home are sometimes hysterically funny, but they’re also told in tandem with other anecdotes that are oftentimes serious.” Murphy mentioned suicide as a somber note in some of the naval stories — and said the bond of shared humor can be a way to survive that pain. “In the book, I focused on this irony of having a constant hum of humor in the background even when there were serious life-altering situations taking place because I believe this provides for a tension that is necessary in dramatic storytelling,” she said.

Critics are already engaged with the novel, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist — quite a trifecta of recognition in the publishing biz. Even with the immediate success of “Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really,” Murphy is already looking ahead to the publication of her next book — recently accepted for publication, also by Skyhorse.

For more on this, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Woodstock Community Food Shelf Thanksgiving Basket Project packed up 150 Thanksgiving baskets at the Masonic Hall last week, an increase from the 137 baskets packed last year. The team was led by Sheila Murray, who has organized the event for 14 years. Pictured, from left: Linda Brown, Sheila Murray (in blue, center), Greg Greene, and Judy Greene wrap up packing Thanksgiving baskets last Thursday afternoon.

Rick Russell Photo

The smell of baked cookies and the sounds of music and friendly conversation will fill Story Memorial Hall next week with the return of the annual Brownsville Holiday Happenings on Saturday, Dec. 6.

The holiday market event has been a tradition in West Windsor for over 60 years, said organizer Gail Britton.

The market portion of the event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as holiday music performed by fiddler Adam Boyce will provide a soundtrack to the bustle. Marketgoers will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of personal and Christmas gifts, from various foods, drinks, and arts and crafts like paintings, woodworking, crochets, and jewelry. Some vendors’ wares will be awarded through a raffle for which tickets must be purchased. Homemade blankets and mittens will also be for sale to keep people warm for the winter season.

As usual, baked goods such as homemade cookies and pies will be plentiful for purchase.

As the market continues, a luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The luncheon is often “what drives people” to the event, said Britton, and has been with the event “forever.”

The luncheon’s menu will consist of corn chowder, chili, fruit salad, and several kids sandwiches. Homemade cookies brought by families at the event will be the dessert. Food will also be served by the West Windsor Historical Society with their Bean Supper offering at the Grange Building. Pre-orders for food must be made and can be requested by email at info@wwhs-vt.org, and meals are payable by check or cash by 5:30 p.m.

As the sun drops and evening takes over, the town hall will be illuminated by the Christmas Tree Lighting at 4 p.m. But a chance to meet Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus may occur before the lighting for those on the close lookout. To warm up during the evening, a bonfire will be held, and warm cider and other refreshments will be offered. The holiday joy continues at Tribute Park Pavilion with a live Nativity Scene being staged at 5:30 p.m., complete with live music and maybe even some animals. Hot chocolate and homemade cookies left over from the luncheon will be served at the Nativity Scene.

Northern Stage director Eric Love, who brought the area plays like “A Man of No Importance,” “Matilda,” and “The Railway Children,” will return this December with his own adaptation of “Peter & Wendy,” from the childhood novel by James Matthew Barrie. 

Wanting the freedom to reimagine the world initially created by Barrie, Love decided to adapt the novel, not the play. “We wanted to modernize and personalize the story. The novel “Peter & Wendy” offered a depth of language and poetic prose to draw on. I had sunk into something true and ethereal and let the energy of that book radiate onto the stage,” Love said.

What was staged initially as 1900s London slowly became 1999 New York City, on the cusp of the new millennium, as technology began to advance and fear of the unknown slowly sank in. “I was twelve years old in 1999, the same age as a lost boy, and tapping back into that era of my life offered a lot of insight into the characters and the story.” 

The title, “Peter & Wendy,” allowed Love to hold space for both characters, making Peter and the maternal, timeless Wendy equal protagonists in the production.

At right, Actor Yuvraj Sathe, who plays Peter Pan, is harnessed and ready to fly in rehearsal with actress Julia Zichy, who plays Wendy. Courtesy of Northern Stage

Along with the enrichment of certain characters, Love also sought to create a dreamscape on the stage by using hand-drawn projections to create the illusion of Neverland. 

“Neverland is a tricky thing,” Love told the Standard. “Our understanding of Neverland came from a paragraph in the novel, where Barrie writes that Neverland is a map of a child’s mind. It is not a literal tropical island, as it may have been described in past renditions. Instead, we wanted to show a dreamscape of a child’s mind. When you think about the space like that, splashes of color emerge. Strange amalgamations of thought infringe. You let your childlike mind wander into spaces that grapple with relationships, parents, verb tense, and grammar lessons. We wanted to capture the naive chaos of adolescent thought; we wanted to evoke wonder and nostalgia and whimsy.” 

To achieve this, Love enlisted the help of Michelle Halewood, an animator at Stop Motion Animation, to hand-draw the scenes that will be projected on stage to create Neverland. “It’s beautiful and surreal to see this world come alive on stage,” Love added. 

Love concluded, “This production has been a fifteen-month labor of love. I want people to come into the space with an open heart and a childlike perspective. I want people to see this play through their inner child’s eyes. You can still have childlike wonder, adventure, and joy in an adult life. And, like Wendy, you can travel along the path of adolescence and realize that the wonderment of childhood never leaves you; it simply takes on a new form. You get to love deeper, show up for people in new ways, carry more responsibility, take control of your happiness. I hope people enjoy the ride and travel down this path with us. Their hearts may be opened more fully by the end.” 

For more on this, please see our Nov. 26 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Two-time Emmy winner, comedian, writer, and podcaster Judy Gold will grace the stage of Woodstock Town Hall Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 6, as she headlines the fourth annual Vermont Comedy Festival.  

Gold spoke to the Standard this week about what audience members can expect from her first performance in Woodstock and the important role comedians play in this current political landscape. 

“I haven’t been to the Vermont Comedy Festival before, but I am looking forward to it. I love Vermont. I feel in my heart I’m a New Englander, even though I was born in New Jersey and I live in New York City,” Gold said. “Every time I arrive in the Green Mountain State, I just feel like there is a magic here, so I’m really excited to experience that from the audience and hopefully tap into something exuberant on stage.” 

Gold stepped into comedy on a dare in college at just 19 years old. “I came up in the ‘80s,” Gold told the Standard. “I started out surrounded by amazing comedians. After I graduated college, I wanted to get a master’s in theater and acting, but I couldn’t get into a program because everyone told me I was too tall to be cast. So, I just threw myself further into standup. That scene in New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s was like going to a top-tier graduate school. I mean, every night I got to watch young Larry David, Joy Behar, Susie Essman, Carol Leifer, and Jerry Seinfeld. I was just hanging out in the crowd so I could get a late-night spot, but night after night, I got to watch these amazing minds and learn from them. It’s still surreal to even think about.” 

From the late-night spot at a comedy club to booking specials and series on prime time, Gold slowly rose to prominence. “My true love is stand up, but as I grew a name for myself, I slowly moved into TV. When my first son was born, Rosie O’Donnell asked me if I wanted to write for her show.” 

This request would lead to her earning two Primetime Emmy Awards for writing and producing.

In light of the current political landscape, where comedians are being silenced and taken off the air, Gold finds a deeper empowerment to her voice and her role in society. “You must find the funny, the hypocrisy, and marry the two together. George Carlin once said, ‘It is the comedian’s job to find out where the line is, cross it, and make the audience happy that you did.’ Comedy clubs should be a safe space to understand how far a comedian can go, how forcefully they can push a topic. It’s a necessary art form and, at the very least, an absolute expression of our first amendment rights,” Gold commented. 

Gold will be live at the Woodstock Town Hall Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. as part of the Vermont Comedy Festival.

By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer

War hero, Purple Heart recipient, father, friend, and public speaker, Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh has dedicated himself to spreading the unwavering message of H.O.P.E. — Hold On, Possibilities Exist. Yarosh visited Rutland last week to share his story and to inspire the next generation to push beyond hopelessness and to fight to live a life filled with beauty and love, and he will be speaking at Woodstock Union Middle/High School, Woodstock Elementary, and Prosper Valley School in April. 

Yarosh has led a life that few can fully understand. A wrestler and football player out of Vestal, N.Y., Yarosh did not know exactly where his life would take him. Not keen on school, disinterested in attending college, Yarosh said he joined the army to find the purpose and responsibility he craved. 

“I joined in 2004 — three years after 9/11 happened, but at that point, the attacks were still fresh in our minds,” Yarosh told the Standard this week. “I was proud to see how our country handled that crisis — as people, as citizens coming together. I wanted to be a part of that unity; I wanted to fight to protect that unity.” 

Yarosh said there was a specific moment that inspired him to enlist. “What pushed me over the edge was on Easter morning, 2004, I woke to a headline in the local paper — ‘Sidney Grad Killed in Iraq.’ The picture staring back at me was a young man I knew from wrestling; he lived three towns over. I said to myself, ‘What am I doing?’ and Monday morning I went down to the recruiter’s office, signed the papers, and started basic training that June.” 

Joining the army in 2004, Yarosh understood that he was to be deployed to an active warzone. “We were fighting two wars at the time. It was not a matter of if I was going to be deployed, but where would I be sent.”

Yarosh ended up in Iraq. “I was a cavalry scout; I had gone through all my training. I knew where I was heading, but nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. You don’t really know what a war is until you’re in it, and suddenly every aspect of your existence is changed. You walk along the street in Abu Ghraib, you pass a burning tire, and you run. In America, a burning tire on the side of the road may symbolize an accident; in Iraq, it was a trap — a sign for the enemy to attack. Same with something as simple as a bag of fast food lying on a dirt road. In the U.S., that’s just littering. In Iraq, it means an IED can hit at any moment.” 

And it did. On Sept. 1, 2006, Yarosh’s squad was attacked by an IED in Abu Ghraib. He suffered severe burns that tore his body apart. For half a year following the attack, Yarosh recovered in the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, fighting through second- and third-degree burns on more than 60% of his body. His right leg had to be amputated below the knee. He lost his nose, both his ears, multiple fingers, and the function of both his hands. He emerged from that war zone a different man. 

“There were times in recovery when I didn’t want to leave that hospital, when I didn’t know if I could continue on. I didn’t know what my life would look like after this injury. Physically, I had become extremely limited. I could never be a soldier again. I couldn’t even move my fingers; I had a prosthetic leg; the burns tore my skin apart; I could no longer handle heat the way I did in my youth. I fell into a state of despair and hopelessness. I needed a new purpose.” 

Purpose found Yarosh at three in the morning in that San Antonio hospital, as he fought restless muscle syndrome, and the pain and discomfort that washed over him night after night. “I couldn’t sleep, my body was so uncomfortable, my muscles would not settle. And so, I watched TV — always the same station since I didn’t have function in my hands to change the channel. One night, Dave Roever, a Vietnam vet who also suffered horrific burns in the war, was on my little TV screen sharing his story. This man had all the things I wanted — a family, a job he loved, and a purpose he was sharing with others. He was a public speaker. And while that thought terrified me to my core, I realized that maybe I could follow in his footsteps.”

Sgt. Rick Yarosh, left, with colleagues Mark Alderman, center, and Tom Murphy. Yarosh and Murphy visited Rutland last week to speak with students and veterans about Yarosh’s experience in the army, his life story, and how he continues to find beauty and light in this world. Courtesy of Leon Thompson

Soon after this, Yarosh booked his first talk. “I was terrified. I wanted to cancel, but I knew I had made a commitment and I was going to see this through. I was still in the early days of my recovery, and so I rolled onto the stage in my wheelchair, notes on my sleeve because I still had no function in my hands. I have no idea what I said for those ten or fifteen minutes, and I apologized to the audience in that room because that talk was not for them; that day was for me.” 

Yarosh continued, “That first public speech served as a way for me to realize what I should be doing with my life. At that point, it was something I needed to do. Talking about my experience helped me recover from it. Eventually, speaking about my life became something I loved doing. Public speaking went from something I hated, to something I needed, to then wanted, to then loved. I knew people would listen to what happened to me, I knew I would draw others in because of the way I looked. And I thought, ‘If I’m going to have the public’s attention, I might as well have something good to say.’ I think that’s really where the message of hope was born, in recognizing that I need to help people. I understood the issue of hopelessness because I existed with it so completely after my injury. I knew that it extended to everyone; that everyone needed to know hope was possible. I came to create, believe, and share the message of H.O.P.E. — Hold On, Possibility Exists.”

That phrase that Yarosh coined became an emblem that spread across the country, as Yarosh traveled from state to state, speaking about his experience to children and students of all ages. 

“This is where my service dog, Amos, comes in. I avoided speaking to little kids early on. It was just too much; I didn’t want to damage the children. That’s how it felt — I would go in and they would be afraid, and then they would go home, and they would still be afraid. So, I avoided speaking at elementary schools for a long time. It wasn’t anyone else’s problem but my own. Amos got me to the point where I could speak to kids.” 

The black Labrador became a bridge for Yarosh to reach students of every age. “We would go into classrooms with young children, and they would be taken aback by me, but Amos would come in, and they would forget that I existed for a bit. He was like the ultimate icebreaker, making everyone feel at ease. By the end of visiting kindergarten and first-grade students, kids would come up and ask us to attend their birthday parties. There was just an ease and a comfort Amos brought.” 

In honor of his late dog’s memory, Yarosh wrote a book entitled “A Bridge Named Amos,” a story which he now shares with the many schools he visits. “My job is to make the kids I visit feel comfortable and to grow a connection with them. I am able to do that now, on my own, because of Amos.” 

As a man who experienced more hardship than most, hope can be a difficult concept to embody. While today Yarosh is a person filled with light and love and humor and compassion, he, like many, suffered from moments of utter darkness. “There are two ways you can look at it,” Yarosh said. “You deal with crap for a long time and eventually grow so tired of existing in the midst of negativity. No psychologist, no psychiatrist, no doctor, no nurse — no one can change that for you. They can be there for you, but you must be the one to change your life. Today, I look around me and see this beautiful, amazing life. So many of these blessings have been with me all along, just hidden behind clouds of gray, covered in shadow. Difficult things are going to happen, but we are also okay; we are going to be okay, and we are going to rise above hardship.” 

When asked how to look beyond the clouds of gray that can blind so many people to the joys of life, Yarosh said, “Open your eyes wider. Do not seclude yourself, do not surrender to the surface cover of darkness. Do not walk through life without noticing the good. The world is filled with beauty, but it is a choice to see it as beautiful. Open your eyes wider, and let the light flood in.” 

Last Saturday, Ascutney Outdoors hosted Northeast Trail Adventures’ Mt. Ascutney Vertical Backyard Race, a “last person standing” event in which participants ascend and descend 1209 vertical feet each hour until only one competitor remains.

Prizes were awarded for participants who made it five laps, 12 laps, or 24 laps, distances which equal the ascents from sea level to the summits of Mt. Washington (6,288 feet), Mt. Whitney (14,505 feet), and Mt. Everest (29,032 feet), respectively. Of the 74 runners, 67 made the Mt. Washington benchmark, 39 made the Mt. Whitney benchmark, and 20 made the Mt. Everest benchmark.

Pamela R. White Photos

By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter

Woodstock Union High School’s Alpine Skiing head coach Steve Foley enters the 2025-2026 season worried about his program.

“We have really been injured by lack of participation,” he told the Standard Sunday night. “We used to have 20 to 30 kids on the team; last year we had nine.” According to Foley, a third of those athletes from last year’s team have graduated. 

Foley has coached skiing at Woodstock for more than 20 years, during which he has seen the program’s popularity ebb and flow. Now, with numbers dwindling, he sees two main culprits: the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising cost of participation. “Since COVID, our team has been really decimated,” he said. “When COVID was happening, the kids didn’t get into training programs, and now at the high school level, those kids aren’t involved in the sport.” He continued, “I’m not so much worried about the results as I am the participation. Every sport has their farm team, and our farm team was decimated during COVID.”

He stated that what was once a sport with minimal cost to the skiers has become expensive just to race. “Most races have had to add entry fees for all the racers,” he said. “Between 15 to 25 dollars per person.” Foley continued, “The increased cost to a teenage kid, unless parents can afford to cover it, has been a consideration.”

To combat these costs, Foley has gotten to work trying to provide gear for prospective student-athletes. “I have amassed a lot of race equipment for use to get skiers started,” he said. These have been made available to the athletics department. 

“We are just trying to get the word out,” he said. “What I did this year was advertise, saying ‘come join us, we take all people, not just those with race experience.” According to Foley, a couple of last year’s returning skiers have been campaigning in the school, attempting to drum up interest in the sport. The long-tenured coach emphasized that the team will take anyone with prior skiing experience, and that they will be coached into excellent racers. “When we are coaching at Saskadena Six, we don’t just coach the best athletes, we coach everybody so that everybody has a chance,” he said. “We want you to have a good time. If you’re not having a good time, we failed.”

Last season, the team had only three female skiers, meaning they couldn’t field a team for states. On the boys side, Foley said the team experienced no injuries and competed well at states. “With the talent we had, we were close to the top five in the state,” he said. “And when you are in the top five, that really means something.”

Despite concerns, Foley remains optimistic for this upcoming season. “I understand that we are getting a good freshman this year,” he said. “The kids coming up weren’t as affected by COVID, so I’m hoping numbers bounce back.” 

This year, Woodstock will have only one home meet at Saskadena Six, on Jan. 8, 2026. Their other meets will take place predominantly in southern Vermont, Foley said, as they compete in the Southern Vermont League (SVL).

Five Woodstock seniors had the opportunity to play together one final time on Sunday on the Southern Vermont squad in the 24th annual North/South All-Star Football Classic. Despite their best efforts, the North eased their way to a 55-20 victory at a snowy Norwich University.

Representing the Wasps were seniors Asher Emery, Aksel Oates, Rowan Larmie, Dominic Palazzo, and Brody McGaffigan. In order to be selected, each was nominated by the Woodstock coaching staff, then chosen by the South squad’s head coach, Adam Perry of Fair Haven High School. 

“It was amazing,” said Palazzo on being selected. “I was kind of shocked at first, didn’t think I was gonna make it, but I did.” This sentiment was echoed by his peers. “I was very excited to be honest,” said McGaffigan. “I didn’t expect it, but I guess I had a good enough year to get selected. I was just in awe; it was very cool to have another week to play football.”

One more week of playing football with their friends created a lot of excitement for the players. “Getting to play one more week with all my friends was really meaningful to me,” said Larmie. “I was very happy,” said Emery. “Exciting to get to play another week with my friends.”

From left: Dominic Palazzo, Brody McGaffigan, Asher Emery, Head Coach Ramsey Worrell and his son, Aksel Oates, and Rowan Larmie. Tyler Maheu Photo

The five student-athletes spent the past week traveling to practice together, going out for meals, and creating camaraderie with former foes turned teammates. “My favorite part was meeting the guys,” recalled Emery. “Some of our rivals we bonded with the most, the Bellows Falls guys.” Palazzo admitted to being nervous at first, knowing he would have to play together with former opponents. But that anxiety soon washed away. “We kind of forgot the season for the most part, and just focused on trying to do our best in this game.” Despite falling to Bellows Falls last week in the state title game, multiple Wasps noted that they bonded quickly with the Terriers throughout the week.

Following pregame introductions, there was a game to be played. Oates, who served as a captain for the South, led the first offensive group onto the field. “It was super cool to be a captain for this team,” he said. “It was kind of a team of captains; we’re all leaders out there. It was cool to be named and looked at as a captain on this team.” The Woodstock quarterback started strong, going two-for-two passing on the drive, including a 19-yard catch and run to Larmie. The tight end caught the ball in open space and bowled towards the goal line, being stopped just one yard short. “It was amazing,” he said. “Me and Aksel have been playing together for a long time, five years now. Me and him are boys.”

One play later, Rutland’s Grady Gallagher punched the ball into the endzone to put the South on top 6-0. Emery handled the South’s kicking duties and played on the first defensive unit. On the ensuing drive, the North took the lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Essex High School’s Sam Bent to the SeaWolves’ Jack Foster.

The Northern unit scored two more touchdowns to go up 21-6, before Oates closed the gap late in the second quarter. Following a fourth-down conversion, the Wasp tossed his first of two touchdowns to Chase Razanouski of Otter Valley. The score and two-point conversion closed the gap to 21-14. But, the North answered quickly, taking a 28-14 lead into the half.

While the North continued to roll on offense, amassing 55 points, the Wasps found other ways to shine. Emery showed off his strong boot, with three punts totaling 120 yards. Larmie proved his blocking prowess, setting a strong edge for his team’s runners. Palazzo and McGaffigan played together on the second offensive unit, and both blocked well.

Oates was able to throw for another score late, again to Razanouski, helping the South team reach 20 points. As the clock ran down and the snow fell harder, the North claimed the 55-20 win. But the game meant more to the players than the final score. “It felt amazing representing Woodstock,” said Palazzo. “I’ve spent so many years in Woodstock sports, and representing Woodstock felt like an honor.”

Emery continued, “It was my pleasure to play for Woodstock. I’ve been living here my whole life. It’s always fun to represent those colors and everyone that lives in Woodstock.” 

McGaffigan reflected on his Woodstock experience. “I’ve made a lot of good friends throughout the years,” he said, explaining that he moved to Vermont in 7th grade. “So, coming into my first high school year, I made a lot of good friends and had a lot of fun with my coaches. It’s been an honor.” Following the final buzzer, he couldn’t yet pinpoint his emotions. “They haven’t set in yet,” he said after a long pause. “Maybe in a year. Maybe next fall season, when I’m not out here, I’ll start to feel something. Right now, I’m just happy to have had a little bit more fun out here with my guys.”

While none of the players have set future plans, all five are looking towards colleges. Larmie and Oates both said they would be interested in playing football at the next level.

With the win, the North squad has now won four in a row, with the South’s last victory coming in 2021. Overall, the North currently owns the matchup, with a record of 14-10.

Elizabeth Walker, 71, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025 at the Jack Byrnes Center in Lebanon, N.H.

Services are being planned for a later date

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

Richard R. Bates, 67, passed away at his home in Woodstock on Friday November 21st.

A complete obituary will appear at a later date.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family

Winthrop Ethan Lincoln, 92, born May 29th, 1933 in Pittsfield, Mass. died on Nov. 10, 2025, one day shy of Veterans Day, at Cedar Hill Skilled Nursing Facility in Windsor, Vt. Pneumonia, and lack of appetite, and wondering if anyone was as tired as him, finally took him to the great beyond. He was eagerly hoping to continue playing cribbage with his friend, Frank who passed away last winter. They became fast friends at Cedar Hill Assisted Living, they were The Odd Couple, guess who was who? Known as the greeter and everyone’s friend, he remembered names, something to be admired and gave so many nicknames, not just at CH, but throughout his life.

Win joined the Air Force right after graduating from Pittsfield High School and served in the Korean War as a radio operator on Air Sea Rescue flight missions. He always had a story to tell, now we get to tell his. 

Claire MacDonald from Hanson, Mass. married Win 70 years ago this past August in 1955 on Cape Cod, Mass., a lot of it wedded bliss. Three daughters, who all reside in Vermont, Janelle (Tom) Blake, Bonnie (Richard) Sargent, and Joyce (Jeff) Reynolds; five grandchildren, Amy, David, Bryan, Lindsey, Chelsea; two honorary, Susanna and Alicia; four great-grandchildren, Elliot, Piper, Bennett and Sullivan; two honorary, Braley and Sloan. The grandkids called him, Gramp, Grandpa Win and Bumpa, he loved them all.

Living in Hanson, Mass. and raising his girls, he worked for The MacDonald Fuel Corporation, owned by his father-in-law, was a fireman, ambulance worker and a member of the Kiwanis Club. He could sing and can still hear him singing, The Downtown Strutters Ball to a standing ovation! Camping was one of his favorite things. First was the big trip across country, in the summer of 1966, towing the JanBonJoy pop-up camper behind our station wagon. He would pull into a campground, set up the camper, then sat in a chair with his clipboard and a much needed beer while his three girls would set up camp, all while Claire cooked a meal over the campfire. Then they purchased a Winnebago and had many trips, to mention a few, to Nova Scotia, D.C., and the Montreal Expo.

Win was precise, detailed and a stickler for following what was the right thing to do. He listened and gave advice. He played pool, poker, cribbage, darts, badminton and was a lifelong sports fan, especially the Red Sox.

He moved the family to Plymouth, Mass. in 1969 and, after the fuel company sale, became a court officer. In his uniform, at 6’4” tall, he was an imposing figure you didn’t want to mess with. Then a move to VT in 1975, bought a log cabin, a mile up Dunham Hill in Woodstock with a million dollar view, the children thought in the middle of nowhere. Win and Claire loved skiing, hiking and hunting so it was a good fit. Took a ski patrol course at Killington, in way over his head as he’d only been skiing for five years. He was hired as the Director of the ski patrol at Mount Tom and Suicide Six for over 30 years. His bigger than life personality, confidence and ability to take charge got him the job. He also worked on clearing trails at Six, Bunny’s Boulevard and Skyline.

He was an avid golf lover and actually got a hole-in-one at the Woodstock Country club. He worked there for decades, first on the grounds crew, then in the clubhouse, and eventually as the starter. Win also drove the Woodstock Inn van for many years.

The family would like to thank first Doctor Hugh Hermann, a great friend and his doctor for a long time until he went to the VA for care. The WRJ VA for a mountain of superb care from staff, nurses and doctors and the friendships he made were many. Finally, Cedar Hill Assisted Living and the Skilled Nursing Facility, the extraordinary staff and nurses, he was humbled by their care.

His body has gone to the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Win loved life and the many friends and relatives and family he shared it with. He liked to say, “It was quite the ride.” Indeed it was. He asked that we throw him a party, which we will do at Saskadena Six on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 1-3 p.m. Memorial contributions can be made to Make-A-Wish, 6655 Shelburne Road, STE. 33, Shelburne, VT 05482.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A.A.Milne, (Winnie the Pooh).

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Elsa Talbot of Bethel, Vt. passed peacefully in her home on Oct. 20 surrounded by her two daughters and her sister.  

Elsa was born at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in 1950 and brought home to the family dairy farm in South Pomfret. The youngest of six children Elsa enjoyed her early life on the farm, exploring the mountains, riding horses and skiing at Suicide Six. She attended Woodstock Country School and studied Education at Oregon College of Education, although, always committed to living life on her own terms, she left three credits short of completing her degree. Elsa’s younger years were filled with adventure. She spent months hitchhiking through Europe and traveled extensively around the United States; at one point living in a teepee she sewed herself.

When Elsa settled back in Vermont with her daughters, she became a beloved preschool teacher and fixture of the community. She began as cook at The Day Care Center in Norwich, Vermont before becoming a teacher at Mount Tom Preschool, Green Mountain Children’s Center, and finally, Rainbow Playschool. Elsa excelled for over 40 years in early childhood education, making an outsized impact on generations of children in the Upper Valley. Elsa had a strong connection with young people, and children could always be heard laughing and giggling in her presence. Her preschool classroom was alive with all sorts of activities and nothing was too messy or too big of a project. This included hatching ducks, chickens, and sometimes emus every springtime as well as keeping a corn snake in her classroom that grew to be larger than many of her students. Elsa loved her job so much that she went back to school at the age of 66, when new legislation forced her to choose between finishing her degree or retiring.

Elsa was a lifelong gardener, lover of music and advocate of equality, peace, and justice. She took these passions to new heights when she retired in 2020. She could often be found at local concerts and protests, no matter the cold and rain. Her house overflowed with rare and beautiful plants, cared for with great detail. The garden she planted every year was frequented by hummingbirds and grandchildren alike, with Elsa invariably giving away most of her harvest to friends and family. 

Elsa will be forever remembered for her caring attitude, generosity, passionate opinions, and homemade bread. Elsa is survived by her sister, Sara Miller; her two daughters, Yarrow and Mika Fought; and her five grandchildren,  Rye Fought, Cypress Levitt, Brio Levitt, Emry Kielty, Brecken Kielty. 

Elsa was buried at the Forest Cemetery in Roxbury Vermont. A memorial will be held in Elsa’s honor on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 2-4 p.m. at Artistree in South Pomfret (Elsa’s childhood farm).

Attendees will be informally visiting, blowing bubbles, and remembering Elsa, all are welcome to join during this time. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Elsa’s name to Greenpeace or the Vermont Food Bank.

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.

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.

Read Full Article