In a narrow, split decision, the Vermont Supreme Court recently gave the final go-ahead for the construction of a large, barn-style farm outlet store at 88 Route 5, just north of the I-91 interchange at the gateway to Hartland, half a mile from the village center.

Controversy over the 9,000-square-foot store proposed by the owner/operators of Sunnymede Farm in Hartland has roiled the community, causing sometimes prickly exchanges between the town selectboard and the leadership of the Hartland Planning Commission (HPC), ever since Rutland attorney James Goss filed for an Act 250 permit for the project on behalf of client SM Farm Shops, LLC nearly three years ago in July of 2022.

The Vermont District 3 Environmental Commission approved the Act 250 permit for the large farm outlet store in September of 2023, sparking an appeal by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) to the Vermont Superior Court, Environmental Division, commonly known as the Environmental Court. The appeal, which was filed in October 2023 by attorney Peter Raymond of the Burlington firm of Sheehey Furlong & Behm, who is also the municipal counsel for Hartland, was rejected six months later in April 2024 by Environmental Court Judge Thomas Walsh, who opined that the farmstand project as proposed was in compliance with Act 250 licensing criteria relative to making efficient use of land, energy, roads, utilities, and other supporting infrastructure.

In issuing his decision, Walsh most notably concurred with the District 3 Environmental Commission ruling that the proposed farm outlet store did not constitute strip development as defined in the Act 250 statute and that the Hartland town plan, last adopted in 2017, did not contain mandatory language prohibiting the store from operating in a rural area of Hartland. Following Walsh’s ruling, the TRORC opted not to pursue any further legal remedies in the Sunnymede case. The HPC initially concurred with that decision in August of last year and elected not to further appeal the Sunnymede farm outlet store case before the Vermont Supreme Court, only to reverse course one week later, directing Raymond by a 5-3 vote to file an appeal of Walsh’s April decision before the state’s highest court.

Goss said he wasn’t able to comment on a proposed timeline for construction of the Sunnymede farm outlet store at this early juncture. “There is no one I can put you in touch with at Sunnymede right now,” Goss offered. “But my client indicated to me that there is a great deal of preliminary work still to be done before construction commences, so there is no definite timeline for that yet.”

For more on this, please see our June 19 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Woodstock officials violated the legal contract the village had with Police Chief Joe Swanson when he was unlawfully removed and demoted to a patrol officer in April, according to the latest court filing to try to get him restored as police chief.

Attorney Linda Fraas, on behalf of Swanson, filed a 21-page legal brief on Monday in Vermont Superior Court seeking to get a preliminary injunction extended to block the village from permanently replacing him as chief.

Judge H. Dickson Corbett had issued the preliminary injunction a week earlier blocking the hiring or appointing of a police chief and gave both sides time to file more legal arguments. Corbett said he needed more information before he could rule on whether Swanson had been improperly removed by municipal manager Eric Duffy and the five village trustees. 

Now, lawyers John Klesch and Matt Bloomer on behalf of the village have until next Monday to file a written response in superior court. The Vermont Standard reached out to Klesch and Bloomer this week to see if they wished to contest the filing by Fraas, but neither responded.

Fraas sought the preliminary injunction on the grounds that Swanson would have irreparable harm with the hiring of a new police chief. The village could end up having two police chiefs for one seat if Swanson is successful in his legal fight.

Swanson has taken two legal actions against the village and officials. One is he has appealed to Vermont Superior Court his demotion imposed by Duffy — and later supported by the five trustees after a hearing — from police chief to patrol officer.

Swanson has also filed a $5 million lawsuit against Duffy, the five trustees, the village, the town and a private detective firm that did an internal investigation. Swanson later petitioned the court to add O’Keeffe to the lawsuit on the grounds he colluded with Duffy. That request is still pending.

In her latest filing, Fraas wrote, “The contract at issue is not a boilerplate employment agreement, but rather a contract that is specifically tailored for — and exclusively provided to — the Chief of Police. No other employment role is contemplated within the express terms of the contract.

That is why a demotion is not allowed under the contract, she said.

Her legal brief said the Village Trustees made a “significant error” when they misquoted the terms of the contract in making their decision.

“This mischaracterization of contract terms presents one example of the Board’s attempt to assist Mr. Duffy in achieving an outcome (demotion without any just cause analysis) that is unquestionably banned as a matter of law …,” she wrote.

Fraas also noted that the village argued during the preliminary injunction hearing last week that employment contracts do not provide a right to a specific job title.

“This proposition is preposterous as it would render employment contracts meaningless, would eliminate all job security and salary guarantees for contract employees, and would allow a CEO to be demoted to administrative assistant, a junior law partner demoted to paralegal, a school principal demoted to custodian, and any number of absurd outcomes placing employees in positions that they occupied many years earlier in their careers,” she wrote.

Duffy has said he had lost faith in Swanson, who he hired after a nationwide search to run the village police department in July 2023. The demotion came just months after Duffy had given Swanson a positive written annual review in July 2024.

The demotion came after Swanson was placed on paid leave in October 2024 for an off-duty incident involving his husband in a traffic incident. Duffy asked both the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Criminal Justice Council to investigate Swanson and both cleared him of any possible wrongdoing.

Duffy hired a private detective to interview village police department employees and the town’s emergency dispatchers to review Swanson’s performance. Many employees were critical in the report by Private Investigator William Burgess and Duffy used it as the basis for trying to demote the chief.

Duffy also cited no-confidence votes by both the village police union and town dispatchers union. Several said they would leave if Swanson returned as chief.

Duffy and Klesch were reluctant when asked by the judge last week if the village was willing to hold off naming a replacement chief. They eventually agreed, but made clear they were not happy.

“The village is concerned that it presents some difficulties, but is willing to certainly follow the court’s lead on it,” Klesch said.

Judge Corbett, at the end of the hearing, told the village it needed to hold off on an appointment for at least a couple of weeks as the legal process played out.

For more on this story, please see out June 19 edition of the Vermont Standard

Vermont lawmakers adopted landmark education transformation legislation late Monday evening, following two consecutive years of intensive deliberations and debate.

H.454, a final version of the education reform act that emerged from compromise negotiations between Gov. Phil Scott and conference committees of the Vermont Senate and House, has officials and educators statewide — especially those in rural areas such as the seven local towns of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) school district — deeply concerned about what the future holds. The 155-page measure that was passed on Monday drew strong opposition from MVSU officials and statewide school boards, superintendents and principals organizations, many legislators, and other educational and community leaders between when the compromise was crafted late last Friday evening and its eventual passage on Monday afternoon, after which the Vermont legislature adjourned until it reconvenes next January.

Exhaustive in its breadth and replete with arcane minutiae, H.454 essentially has two critical objectives: one, making public education more affordable for taxpayers by transitioning to a “foundation formula” for funding, whereby the state takes on oversight of per-pupil spending via a grant process and two, charting a path toward school consolidation that could result in narrowing the current 288 public schools in 119 districts and 42 supervisory unions or districts down to 10-20 overall school districts.

Critics of H.454 among Vermont House and Senate members and education advocates statewide are flummoxed and awash in uncertainties about the future of Vermont schools. This includes members of the MVSU Board of Directors, who spoke out forcefully in the immediate wake of the compromise legislation on education transformation that was hammered out late last Friday evening. The MVSU board convened an emergency board meeting on Sunday night to call on local legislators to oppose the education bill. In an email and listserv missive to area communities late Sunday night, the chair of the MVSU School Board, Keri Bristow of Woodstock, wrote, “This Sunday evening, the MVSU Board met in an emergency meeting to discuss the implications of H.454 on our school district and the educating of students in Vermont. The board and participating community members voiced strong opposition to the current version of H.454.”

After some discussion, the MVSU board unanimously approved a draft email that they asked concerned community members to send to legislators that read, “Tonight the MVSU Board and community spoke out against H.454 and its dismantling of public education. We urgently ask that you vote NO to H.454 and take the time necessary to construct visionary and responsive legislation to move education forward in Vermont. Our youth and our schools are the future and foundation of our communities and should not be discarded with so little thought.” The sentiments in the email, which echoed many speeches by House and Senate members on the State House floor on Monday, were conveyed by local education advocates to Windsor State Sens. Alison Clarkson, Joe Major, and Becca White; Rutland State Sens. David Weeks and Terry Williams; and State Reps. Charlie Kimbell (representing Woodstock, Plymouth, and Reading); Heather Surprenant (Pomfret, Barnard, Bridgewater); and Jim Harrison (Killington, Pittsfield), who all represent MVSU communities.

Coincident with the MVSU board’s email campaign, the unified school district’s superintendent, Sherry Sousa, sent an open letter to community members over the weekend that was also delivered via email and local listservs. While Sousa did not call outright for the defeat of H.454 at the State House on Monday, she did catalog a wealth of concerns about the legislation. Sousa also called on lawmakers to take even more time than the two legislative terms they have already devoted to considering comprehensive education reform, encouraging them to improve and build upon the legislation subsequently passed on Monday.

For a full video interview with State Rep. Charlie Kimbell, please click here.

For more on this, please see our June 19 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Savvy criminals are getting smarter, as text scams have evolved from easily identifiable to official-looking notices from groups posing as the DMV, IRS, or local government. According to local law enforcement officials, these scams have cost area residents hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 

Duncan MacDonald, acting lieutenant for the Hartford Patrol Division, told the Standard, “There are an abundance of scams out there today. The main one we are seeing is the ‘official text messages’ from the Vermont DMV alerting people to outstanding unpaid traffic tickets. These scams use official language and supply a link to click on that looks legitimate. My advice to anyone who receives these kinds of messages would be to simply delete them. No government entity will ever request money to be transferred electronically via text.” 

Understanding that sometimes people fall for the persuasive language scammer’s text, MacDonald continued, “If you happen to click on these links and wind up losing money, or know someone who has, I highly encourage you to file a police report. It is not embarrassing. Scammers today have gotten incredibly good at conning people out of significant amounts of money, but if you don’t report it, there’s nothing we can do to help prevent this from happening again.” 

Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer sat down with the Standard to shine light on some of the different kinds of scams at play in our community. “It’s bigger than just text messages,” Palmer said. 

Palmer continued, “There are different degrees of scams that should be broken down for the public. You have the DMV and toll road scams that come in mostly via text message; those should be ignored and deleted. At the next level, we are seeing people in our community getting phone calls where scammers pose as loved ones. For example, a local couple received a call recently from their ‘grandson,’ who lived in a different state. He called late at night, saying that he was arrested and in jail in Canada and needed them to send bail money. These scammers know exactly who to target, and with the internet and social media, they have more than enough information to put on a convincing con. The farthest I’ve seen a scam go is when someone posed as a lawyer, called an elderly person for bail money, and then sent someone to their home to collect. This person ended up giving away $30,000.”

“I need the public to know that law enforcement will never request bail over the phone,” Palmer explained. “It will always be in person and will always require the person paying bail to physically go to a jail or courthouse to make the transaction. If anyone receives a call from an unknown number asking for money, personal information, or gift cards, hang up. Do not dial that number back; scammers can now hijack a person’s real phone number. Instead, call the local police and report the call or ask for further information from a law enforcement officer they trust.” 

Another type of scam Palmer spoke of was “the love scam.” This is when a scammer uses a fake online identity to build a romantic relationship with a victim — often utilizing dating sites or social media — and then manipulates the victim into sending money or sharing personal information. “I had a case, at a previous station, where a woman gave away $10,000 to a scammer posing as an injured veteran trying to get back to the States. These people know the right language to use and the right people to target, which is why I urge everyone to be vigilant. You never know who could be on the other end of a phone call, Facebook message, or dating profile.” 

Palmer also warned that sometimes scammers could escalate and threaten potential victims if they do not receive payment. “I’ve seen cases where, when a person has refused, scammers will throw out a statement such as, ‘I know where you live,’ which can really scare the victim,” he said. “Honestly, these people probably do know where victims live, given how accessible personal information has become online. But I recommend our residents remain calm, hang up, and call 911. The likelihood of in-person retaliation is extremely low. The sooner you report, the sooner we can begin tracking these scammers down and stopping them.” 

Palmer urges local residents to call the Windsor County Sheriff Station at 802-457-5211 if they find themselves in the midst of being scammed. He also recommends people visit the State of Vermont scam webpage  in order to stay informed.

On Friday, June 13, the Woodstock Union High School Class of 2025, along with their families, friends, and supporters, celebrated the commencement of the next chapter of their lives beyond the walls of WUHS.

Robert Shumskis Photos

This past Saturday, an estimated 500 people took to Tribou Park as part of the nationwide “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration’s policies, with many attendees citing executive overreach, illegal detainments by ICE, and defunding of veterans’ programs as their reasons for coming out to protest. Demonstrators gathered in Tribou Park, marched down Route 4 to Elm Street, and then back to Tribou Park via Pleasant Street.

Kathryn Whalen Photos

Voters in Barnard on Tuesday okayed the incorporation of stricter ridgeline development standards into the town’s zoning regulations.

The change to the zoning by-laws was approved by a 150-69 margin at a special Town Meeting conducted via Australian ballot. Of the 750 registered voters in Barnard, 219 cast ballots in the special election on the proposed ridgeline review standards.

The approved changes to the town’s regulations do not preclude future development along ridges in the town, but instead are largely aimed at aesthetics, particularly regarding minimizing the extent to which future development can be viewed from lower-lying parts of the community. The bylaw changes approved by voters on Tuesday address such issues as forest covers, the placement of structures, landscaping, screening, and lighting.

The suggested by-laws initially forwarded to the selectboard by the Barnard Planning Commission (BPC) were the subject of a public hearing before the town governing body on March 19, and then the board slated Tuesday’s special Town Meeting to give the public the opportunity to weigh in on the matter. At the time, Barnard Selectboard vice chair Richard Lancaster, who also served as the board’s liaison to the BPC and its Ridgeline Subcommittee, said he was committed to a robust public process regarding the now-enacted ridgeline standards. “We have a democratic process that has to play out,” Lancaster said in March.

With Tuesday’s 68% to 32% tally in favor of the new ridgeline standards, Lancaster’s expectations have been met. The new ridgeline bylaws also include new standards for driveways, private roads, and steep slopes, aimed at addressing concerns about potentially excessive rainwater runoff from town ridgetops.

Acting swiftly in a closed-door, deliberative session following a public hearing on Tuesday evening, May 27, the Woodstock Town Development Review Board (TDRB) voted to grant site plan approval and a conditional use permit to Peace Field Farm to operate a “farm-to-fork” restaurant at 650 Pomfret Road.

Peace Field Farm owner/developer John Holland was notified of the decision in an email from Woodstock land use coordinator Molly Maxham on Wednesday afternoon, May 28, one day after the latest TDRB hearing on the matter – the third time that essentially the same or similar site plan and permit applications were reviewed by the quasi-judicial town regulatory body, dating back to November 2021. Maxham confirmed the decision to the Standard in an email last Friday.

The TDRB has 45 days from the May 27 hearing to issue its formal ruling. Once the TDRB’s formal “Notice of Decision” is posted, opponents of the permit will have 30 days to again appeal the case to the Environmental Court. 

“Music speaks through me”

The West Windsor Music Festival, created and directed by renowned pianist Sakiko Ohashi, will be returning this month for its fourth annual concert. This year’s concert series will feature a collection of solo and duet concertos by Jazz improvisationalist and classical pianist Nick Sanders, as well as performances by acclaimed viola and violinist Amadi Azikiwe and decorated violinist Joanna Maurer. These musicians will share the stage with Ohashi, thrilling audiences throughout the weekend as they perform works by Bach, Shostakovich, and Debussy, among others. 

Ohashi, a native Japanese pianist, began her classical music studies at the age of 4, and by 10 she was accepted to the Juilliard Pre-College Division of Herbert Stessin. Ohashi has since gone on to complete a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music from Juilliard, performing on various stages across the United States and internationally in Japan, Canada, and Europe. 

The festival will open with Ohashi, accompanied by her former student, Nick Sanders.

Sanders began playing piano at the age of seven. Exposed to the beauty of classical music at a young age by his mother, his love for the art only grew after her untimely passing in his early teen years. “My mother was always playing music around the house. It was an art instilled in me from a very young age,” Sanders told the Standard. “I attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts when I was fourteen and specialized in classical music for the first two years. That is where I met Sakiko.”

Sanders, who has recently begun dabbling in the improvisation of classical style music, plans to perform his own compositions in addition to his duets with Ohashi. He will join Ohashi on stage on Friday evening, June 27, for the opening ceremony, and again on Saturday, June 28, for the “A Little Jazz, A Little Fun” event geared towards children. 

Ohashi went on to speak about the process of choosing the specific pieces she will be playing with Sanders, and the feelings they evoke in her when performed. “There are so many different emotions and sentiments attached to Bach and Chopin. For the latter, his love for country, a country he could never return to, radiates through his music. I feel very connected to this feeling. I am a person who, like Chopin, has two homes. I have lived in America for a very long time, but I am Japanese and still have very strong roots to Japan. I can always go back, but there are many people around me who can no longer return to their homeland, and that isolation permeates throughout spaces I inhabit. Not only is this feeling embedded in Chopin’s music, but I also find his work to be harmonious, intimate, and some of the most layered piano music I have ever had the pleasure of performing.” 

On Saturday, June 28, Ohashi will perform with renowned violist Amadi Azikiwe. Azikiwe, who began studying classical music at a young age, has gone on to master four instruments – the piano, the cello, the violin, and the viola. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, he performs internationally. 

To conclude the festival, Ohashi will be joined on stage by renowned violinist Joanna Maurer, with whom they will perform two pieces. Born and raised in Colorado, Maurer has performed as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the United States, as well as in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

For more on this, please click here.

Woodstock Union High School’s Alumni Parade took place last Saturday as hundreds lined the streets of downtown to see the floats and other entertainers. This year’s float theme was cereal brands, and 11 classes participated. The class of ’58 was Puffins, ’61 was Honeycomb, ’63 was Wheaties, ’73 was Rice Krispies, ’74 was Fruit Loops, ’75 was Lucky Charms, ’80 was Variety Pack, ’81 was Cap’n Crunch, ’85 was Frosted Flakes, ’90 was Franken Berry, and ’00 was Fruity Pebbles.

A panel of three judges awarded the floats prizes in three categories, including a grand prize. The winners for most artistic were Cap’n Crunch, Froot Loops, and Fun Pack. The winners for most humorous were Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and Honeycomb. The winners for originality were Franken Berry, Lucky Charms, and Wheaties, and the Judges’ Choice was awarded to Fruity Pebbles. The oldest alumni who participated was Erwin Fullerton, from the class of 1945, who rode in a 1930 Ford Model A vehicle.

Robert Shumskis Photo

With summer now in full swing, music will begin to fill the air as the sounds of outdoor concerts usher in the season. 

Music on the Hill

Artistree will be embracing the summer music season with its Music on the Hill series. What began as a pandemic project quickly became a staple community event. Marie Cross, director of marketing and communications for Artistree, told the Standard, “During the pandemic, musicians were itching to play for people, and people were itching to get out of their homes. So, we tried to set up a space that would be outdoors and safe. People could stay in their little groups away from each other, while still partaking in something that felt communal. That’s how it began. For the last two years, thanks to production agency Haystack Needle being an underwriter for the season, we can pay all of our musicians and offer a free concert series to our community. It’s grown into a very beautiful event.” 

Taking place on the hillside outside of Artistree’s main building, this concert series is steeped in the natural beauty of Vermont’s landscape, complete with a picture-perfect picnic spot for attendees to set up and enjoy. 

The concert series will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, and will run weekly through Sept. 24.

Music by the River

Pentangle’s Music by the River concert series, organized by executive director Deborah Greene, will kick off its season on Friday, July 11, and will run through Aug. 22. Starting at 6 p.m. on Fridays throughout the summer, East End Park will host a variety of musicians on the banks of the Ottauquechee River. 

The Cash Box Kings will kick off the series, serenading attendees with their old-time Southern blues. Sponsored by M&T Bank, this event is free and open to all. 

The following week, East End Park will host Amber Rubarth, an award-winning singer-songwriter from New England. On July 25, Lakou Mizik, a multigenre collective of Haitian musicians, will perform. Following them will be the Clements Bros. on Aug. 8, described by Greene as a “modern Simon & Garfunkel.” On Aug. 15, the series will continue with Jay Nash, a local musician and long-time community favorite. Finally, to end the series, on Aug. 22, Pentangle will have a community open-mic night, where anyone is welcome to come and perform. 

Vermont Symphony Orchestra

On July 2, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) will be returning for its annual concert celebration. Burrowed in the hills of Saskadena Six, enclosed in a white canopy, the symphony orchestra will bring the residents of the Upper Valley a taste of their 2025 “Summer of Love” concert series. 

Elise Brunelle, executive director of the VSO told the Standard, “It’s just a perfect mix of picnicking on a ski slope with a full orchestra playing great summer pops. You really can’t beat that combination. This year we have a guest singer, a soloist named Nicola Prince, who sings wonderful cabaret-style music. They’ll be singing from the opera Carmen the Habanero, as well as songs by Nat King Cole and Nina Simone. In and amongst their performance will be the full orchestra playing everything from West Side Story to Star Wars and everyone’s favorite John Philip Sousa marches.” 

Prior to the orchestral performance, which is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m., the VSO will have a musical petting zoo set up on the hillside for people of all ages to come and experience the power of holding an instrument. 

For more on this, please see our June 19 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

By Armita Mirkarimi, Staff Writer

Twenty-five years after the Vermont Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking decision in Baker v. State, the same-sex couples who challenged the state’s marriage laws continue sharing their story with new audiences, weaving together lessons of perseverance, grassroots organizing, and the slow arc of justice that continues to bend forward even in challenging times.

On a recent evening at the Windsor Welcome Center, Peter Harrigan — one of the original plaintiffs in the landmark case — presented his and his husband Stan Baker’s experiences to audiences as part of Vermont Humanities’ speaker series. Their presentation, titled “Baker v. State: Making Headlines, Making Change,” comes at a moment when LGBTQ+ rights face new challenges across the country, making their message of sustained activism more relevant than ever.

“Several people have come up to me over the last month and said, ‘So do you think we’re gonna lose what we have? What should we do?’” Baker told the Standard this week. “I go back to Martin Luther King’s statement — the arc of justice is long, but it bends toward justice. We were never guaranteed a lack of struggle.”

The case began in 1997 when three same-sex couples, including Baker and his partner Harrigan, were denied marriage licenses by their respective town clerks. What followed was a legal battle that would make Vermont the first state to recognize civil unions, fundamentally changing the landscape for LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.

The December 20, 1999 Vermont Supreme Court decision didn’t grant same-sex couples the right to marry outright, but it ordered the state legislature to provide same-sex couples with the same legal benefits and protections afforded to married different-sex couples. The decision held that the state’s prohibition on same-sex marriage denied rights granted by the Vermont Constitution, marking the first time a state supreme court had ever reached such an outcome.

The court’s ruling left it to the legislature to determine how to remedy the constitutional violation — either by allowing same-sex marriage or creating an alternative legal mechanism. The Vermont Legislature chose the latter, passing the nation’s first civil unions law in April 2000, which took effect on July 1, 2000.

But the path to that historic legislation was far from smooth. Baker and Harrigan’s presentation, built around newspaper clippings from the era, captures both the hope and the fierce opposition their case generated.

“Going through the boxes and boxes of clippings that we had, it was interesting because there were some that were kind of triggering and some I had just plain forgotten about — steps in the process and little reversals,” Harrigan reflected. “But what I try to bring into the presentation is that we’re really celebrating what happened while not ignoring the very difficult bumps along the road.”

The most visible opposition came from a group called “Take Back Vermont,” which emerged in response to the court decision and the legislature’s civil unions law. In the elections that fall, six incumbent legislators who supported civil unions lost in the September primaries, five Republicans and one Democrat. In November, another 11 civil union supporters lost their seats in the legislature.

“There was a whole resistance movement before the lawsuit was progressing through the courts,” Baker explained. “Take Back Vermont wanted to have a referendum, but Vermont does not have that system—they don’t allow the public to interfere with justice in that way.”

Vermont’s lack of a referendum system proved crucial to the case’s success, distinguishing it from Hawaii, where a similar court victory was later overturned by popular vote. The opposition also took more extreme forms. In 1999, members of the Westboro Baptist Church came to Vermont to protest, and Baker and Harrigan found themselves featured on the hate group’s website — an experience Baker now views with a mixture of gravity and dark humor.

“It’s certainly not something you would wish on anyone, but it does get noticed and create support,” he said.

The “Take Back Vermont” signs that proliferated during the 2000 election season became an inadvertent symbol of the cultural divide the case exposed. Baker recalled visitors to Vermont asking, “Does ‘Take Back Vermont’ mean we should buy maple syrup and bring it home with us? What exactly does that mean?”

The counter-slogan adopted by marriage equality advocates — “Take Vermont Forward” — proved more enduring. “I think it’s a lovely antidote to that whole, you know, false nostalgia for times that were actually quite depressing or oppressive,” Baker said. “Sure, let’s go back to the 1950s when women didn’t go to college, or back to the 1890s when they couldn’t vote.”

For Baker, who teaches at Saint Michael’s College, the experience reinforced the importance of local political engagement. “In that year 2000, when I voted in Vermont, I knew personally all the people that I voted for and I’d been hugged by many of them,” he said. “It’s so important in Vermont and other places to remember that there really is not that much distance between you and the authority — it’s important to participate and be part of the discussion.”

The presentation comes during Pride Month 2025, as LGBTQ+ rights face renewed challenges in many states. But rather than dwelling on setbacks, Baker and Harrigan emphasize the lessons their experience offers for current activists.

“When people are marginalized these days — immigrants, women, elderly people, people with disabilities, particularly trans people — our job is to continue to be present, to make our cause known,” Baker said. “I think in the end, love will win.”

Harrigan emphasized the step-by-step nature of social change that his presentation illustrates through its chronological newspaper clippings. “Things don’t happen overnight. They take endurance, and endurance leads to hope eventually, which leads to love. That step-by-step quality is really important and reassuring — an antidote to fear.”

The Vermont experience also demonstrated how opposition can ultimately strengthen a movement. Baker noted that some religious congregations that initially opposed civil unions later changed their positions after seeing that “the sky didn’t fall” and that civil unions didn’t attack heterosexual marriage as opponents had claimed.

“As a state, we had to deal with and look at the underground homophobia that had always been there,” Baker reflected. “Those times when the lid gets taken off some kind of oppressive sentiment are actually good for the state in the long run because we had to have conversations and deal with it.”

The presentation also highlighted stories of individual courage that emerged from the civil unions debate, including a teacher in the Windsor area and a legislator who voted for civil unions despite the political risk. “There are all these stories that have come out of listening to each other, telling our story, but also being brave and doing the right thing,” Harrigan said.

Today, Vermont allows full marriage equality — the state legalized same-sex marriage in 2009, making civil unions a historical stepping stone rather than the final destination. But for Baker and Harrigan, the lessons from their journey remain deeply relevant.

“The importance of local action and resistance and leading the way toward change, toward equality and dignity, is absolutely always essential,” Baker emphasized in his concluding remarks. “I don’t know whether we will lose, through various Supreme Court challenges, some of the freedom-to-marry rights that we have now. But we need to be ready to resist and to protest and to take action if those things happen.”

For audiences hearing their story for the first time, particularly young people who may see Vermont as having always been progressive, the presentation serves as both history lesson and call to action. The state’s current progressive reputation wasn’t inevitable — it was earned through the sustained efforts of people willing to stand up for their rights and the rights of others.

Baker, who was writing a sermon during the interview with the Standard, noted parallels between different struggles for justice, “Juneteenth reminds us that Union troops came to Galveston, Texas, to tell enslaved people there that they had been free for two years. That’s a great day of celebration and hope for oppressed people. On the other hand, soon after that, all the Jim Crow laws went into effect, which tried to limit the freedom that people had been given.”

The lesson, he suggested, is that progress is never guaranteed and always requires vigilance. “We’ve had great success, but there’s still a long way to go.”

As Vermont celebrates another Pride Month and the nation grapples with renewed attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the story of Baker v. State offers both inspiration and instruction. It reminds us that transformative change often comes through the sustained efforts of ordinary people willing to challenge unjust systems — and that the work of building a more just society is never finished.

The newspaper clippings in Harrigan’s PowerPoint tell a story of headlines that became history. But as the two emphasized in their presentation, that history is still being written, one conversation, one vote, one act of courage at a time.

By Emma Stanton, Staff Writer

The 2025 spring sports season has officially wrapped. The Woodstock Union High School (WUHS) coaches spoke with the Standard this week about the teams’ end-of-season records and prospects for next year. 

Girls Lacrosse

The Woodstock varsity girls lacrosse team finished their season with a 10-8 record, and they plan to continue building on this momentum next year. Head coach Amanda Hull told the Standard, “Last year we graduated eight seniors, and lots of people thought this would be a rebuilding year for us. We had a very young team this year, but you couldn’t tell by our record. We had a very successful season, making it all the way to the semifinals. Our girls worked extremely hard to achieve such success.” 

She continued, “These girls just showed what hard work can do. With so many new players on the varsity field, they never stopped showing up for each other. Through gritted teeth, they made it to the playoffs and semifinals. I’m beyond proud of this team. 

On a concluding note, Hull added, “The future looks bright. After a year like this, I foresee much more success in our future. We had 23 girls this year, which was a bit of an awkward number with not enough to make a full JV and Varsity team, but too many for a single team. These girls rolled with the punches and were extremely flexible with playing time and practice schedules. Their dedication, hard work, and determination is something a coach can only dream of. I’m so excited for next year.” 

Boys Lacrosse

Brandon Little, head coach of the boys lacrosse team, looked back on the season, stating, “I think next year we look to be improving on what we built this past season. We will have a lot of players returning to the team, starting in the goal. All our goal scorers will be coming back, so we should be in a good place for next season. This year, we had lots of new players in new positions. A 7-9 season is not normal for Woodstock lacrosse, but acceptable given that we had so many new players. We are looking forward to next season and seeing what this team can accomplish with another year under their belt.”

Softball

Angela Allard, head coach of the WUHS girls softball team, which finished 4-13, told the Standard, “As for the season, it was definitely another year of growth for us. We welcomed many new players, including some who were completely new to the sport. Over the course of the season, we saw tremendous improvement. Players began to find their positions, build confidence, and gain a solid understanding of the game. We’re excited to carry that momentum into next year and continue building on those skills, strengthening our teamwork, and growing even more as a group.” 

Baseball

The WUHS baseball team ended strong with an 11-6 record, finishing fifth in the state. Head coach Jason Tarleton told the Standard, “It’s the second season in a row this team concluded with more than 10 wins. We fell short in the quarterfinals, which was disappointing, but we did a good job competing in every game all season and overall had a very successful year. I have three seniors graduating, so we’ll have most of the team back. It’s exciting; I anticipate we will have another strong season ahead of us.” 

Tarleton continued, “Over the past 26 years, this team has had five players bat over 400 each year. We have some very strong hitters, and it’s wonderful that the streak has continued over the decades. I want to particularly highlight our two captains, Ben Runstein and Vince Petrone. Ben was selected for the Twin State Baseball Team, which is a senior all-star team representing all four divisions in Vermont.” Other all-star players include Vince Petrone, who was chosen for first team all-star; Ray Petrone, who was also chosen for first team all-star; Drew Gallagher, chosen for second team all-star; and Jake Blackburn, also chosen for second team all-star. 

“These players showed great leadership and have helped instill a culture and camaraderie that will continue after they graduate. I am very optimistic for next year,” Tarleton concluded. 

Track and Field

Paul Bremel, the head coach of the WUHS track and field team, commented on their impressive spring season. 

“We got moved into Division Two. With this realignment, we are currently the smallest school in D2 by far, and one of only two schools that do not have a track, so that was tough to handle. Even still, we had some great performances from many members of the team. Our girls 4×100 meter relay was just one spot away from qualifying for New England’s Competition and ended up finishing second at the State meet. We had some injuries early on in the season from some of our top performers, and while our boys finished ninth in D2 and our girls tenth, we still had some very strong efforts and had a great season overall.” 

Bremel continued, “Next year, we’re going to lose two of our strongest girl distance runners — Izzy Cellini and Myra McNaughton. We’re also going to lose one of our top male distance runners, James Underwood. That will be tough, but the core of the team remains strong, and there are some talented eighth and ninth-graders coming up. We look forward to rebuilding our team next year. These are truly wonderful and talented kids, and I know next season they will go far.” 

Girls Tennis

The girls tennis team also finished strong this year, with a 7-6 record and one tie match. Outside of this record, the team was “able to capture the Southern Vermont League B District with four wins, zero losses, and one tie,” according to head coach Derek Pierce. 

He continued, “It was an unusual season given the amount of rainouts we had, but the girls should feel good about securing that title overall. We graduated seven seniors last year, so this team was very young, with only four returning varsity players. We had a lot of positions to fill, and these athletes showed up every day and worked hard to develop into stellar tennis players. It just shows you what a positive mindset, dedication, and active attendance could do to foster a winning team.” 

“It seems to me that all of these girls will be returning next year, which would be great for us to continue to build off of this year’s momentum,” Pierce said. 

Orion Binney, WUHS athletic director, also commented on the girls team’s tennis spring season. He told the Standard, “I’d like to shout out the girls tennis team, because they won the SVLB Championship for the regular season. That was a really nice job by them. It was a very impressive win.” 

Boys Tennis

The boys tennis team had a great finish to their season. Head coach Michael Malik told the Standard, “I’m so proud of these boys. This is my second year coaching, and last year, all of these kids on the team were completely new to tennis, had never played before. It was a pretty crazy season, but they were very competitive, and it was so amazing to see the growth that can happen in just two years. We ended up winning our last two matches of the season. It was great to end on such a high note. The kids are really excited to come back and do a lot better next year.” 

As the boys tennis team finished with a 4-7 record, Malik sees this season as a continuation to the 2024 rebuilding year. “The kids are really great,” Malik continued. “They came out of last year loving tennis, even though it was a new sport to them. Last year, some of our players got beat 6-0 in matches. This year, I could see my players holding their own on the court. As these athletes get older, they get stronger — both mentally and physically — and gain a lot of confidence along the way. I feel like next year is going to be awesome for us. I have a feeling we could do really well in our division.” 

Referring to all teams, athletic director Binney concluded, “All in all, it was a pretty successful spring season. I thought the kids and coaches did an excellent job adjusting to every challenge they faced. Our athletes approached each game competitively and gave it their all. For that, I would call this season a complete success. I’m excited to see what these teams bring to the field and to the court next year.” 

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Bernardo Coelho at his Bridgewater home on June 7, 2025. Bernardo ascended his “Stairway to Heaven” and he is now enjoying some 70s and 80s rock and cooking heavenly food for his previously departed friends and family and all of his new eternal friends. 

Executive Chef Bernardo had a rich culinary background that was deeply influenced by his Brazilian, Italian and Lebanese heritage. He was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and earned his culinary degree there in 1997. The following year he emigrated to the U.S. and worked his way up the culinary ladder from cook, sous chef, chef and eventually executive chef with positions in Miami, Montreal, Boston and New York City. The executive chef positions with Restaurant Associates took him to Los Angeles and Boston under the tutelage of Wolfgang Puck and eventually to run the food service for the U.S. House of Representatives and then the U.S. Senate. Bernardo loved to recount that at the biennial House welcome dinners for new representatives, the Democrats would specify the number of vegetarian, gluten-free, and other special dinner requests whereas the Republicans were all fine with meat and potatoes. He also said that he and the staff always appreciated that Sen. Bernie Sanders never made them exit the elevator as others did when they wanted to get on. Bernardo also loved that Bernie was on his way to his Ford Focus instead of the fleet of Suburbans like other senators.

Bernardo and Lizzie met on a blind date in Old Town Alexandria, Va. for their favorite Thai food. A beautiful wedding, well catered by Bernardo, took place in Annapolis, Md. in June 2012. They lived in Annapolis and the L.A. and Boston areas and grew to a family of six with four wonderful children now aged 4 to 11 years. After Nana and Popi moved to Bridgewater in 2020, the Coelho family followed in 2021. Bernardo fell in love with Vermont and traded his corporate dreams for this most beautiful part of the world. He often said that we lived in paradise. Bernardo secured executive chef positions at Simon Pearce and The Prince & the Pauper before moving back under a corporate umbrella at Mt. Ascutney Hospital. Wednesday’s Chef’s Table became a big hit at the hospital with even the locals trekking to the hospital for lunch.

Lizzie and the rest of the family are so fortunate to have such a supportive and generous group of friends in the Woodstock area. The outpouring of love and prayers during this very difficult time has been overwhelming and so appreciated. Bernardo leaves his spouse Elizabeth, daughters Eloisa, Marina and Nora, son Jack, Lizzie’s parents Donald Jones and Annie Smith-Jones (“Mom and Dad” to B), brothers-in-law Alex, Andrew and Austin and lots of other in-laws, as well as family in Brazil. A memorial celebration is being planned for Friday June 20 at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Church in Woodstock. Following the celebration, all are invited to a gathering on the lawn at the family home on 403 North Bridgewater Road. A GoFundMe has been set up by friends for Lizzie and their children at gofund.me/42bdb2c3.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Aileen “Lee” Kress Seitz was born on January 28, 1942 to Marie Shadwell Kress and William Kress in Hackensack, N.J. She married Charles Seitz in 1964 in Woodridge, N.J. and they moved to South Woodstock in 1969. 

Lee was passionate about healthy food so she and Charly made a homestead out of their land raising livestock and creating a huge garden which supplied the quality of food that Lee wanted for her family. Her children always said they would feed their own families the junk food they rarely got, but sadly for her grandchildren her healthy ways stuck with them as well.

Lee will be remembered for her amazing baking skills including stellar apple muffins, a world class apple pie and chocolate chip cookies. Her cookies were so sought after her nephew would often sneak in the kitchen in the middle of the night and eat several batches until they were gone.

Lee fiercely loved her grandchildren who called her Tutti. She always made time to watch them while their parents were at work. Often at the end of the day after patiently dealing with their shenanigans, she had her bag at the door ready to head to the peace and quiet of her car. They have fond memories of baking with Tutti and enjoyed eating their creations on the porch with both grandparents.

After her children had grown she spent many years in home health care for the elderly. She helped many people in their last years of life keeping them company, making nourishing meals and keeping them comfortable.

Lee passed away at home in Warren, Vt. age 83 on May 29, 2025 with Charly by her side. She is predeceased by her sisters Ethna, Willa, Jane and Marie and survived by sister and brother Catherine and James. She leaves her husband and three children Christopher of Truckee, Calif., Kristin and spouse Bryce of Western Australia, Jonathan and spouse Robyn of Warren, Vt.; and beloved grandchildren Soleita Chey-Kingray of Big Lake, Ark., Emma Lucas and Harrison Lucas both of Western Australia, Charly Seitz, Griffin Seitz and Elyse Seitz all of Warren, Vt. Memorial services will be at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Woodstock on June 17 at 11 a.m.

Memorial donations may be made to Mad River Seniors, 5308 Main St #20, Waitsfield, Vermont 05673.

An on-line guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Linda A. (Baumert) Miller, formerly of Old River Road, Woodstock; Appleton Manor, New Ipswich, N.H.; and Lunenburg, Mass. died peacefully Friday, May 30, 2025 at her summer home in Newport, Vt, after a lengthy battle with Lou Gehrig’s ALS disease. She was the wife of Howard J. Miller with whom she would have celebrated her 57th anniversary on July 13. Daughter of the late Helen Elizabeth (Romaine) and Frank X. Baumert. She recently had spent her winters at The Villages, Fla. and her summers on Lake Memphremagog, Newport, Vt.

She was born in Plainfield, N.J., Dec. 8, 1947 and shortly thereafter her family moved to Wellesley, Mass. for a few years. The rest of her childhood was spent in West Hartford, Conn., where she attended the local schools and graduated from the Conard High School.

She received her Associates Degree at Bay Path Jr. College in Longmeadow, Mass., and her Bachelor’s Degree at Lesley College in Cambridge, Mass. Mrs. Miller also graduated from the New England School of Anatomy and Funeral Service, in Boston, MA Summa Cum Laude.

She was very active in college and was named among “Who’s Who?” in American Colleges. It was while serving as an officer of the Student Council that she met her future husband, at a college mixer.

Mrs. Miller was a former teacher at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Mass., and was a partner with her husband in their funeral business, owning and operating funeral homes in Lunenburg, Fitchburg, and Westminster, Mass. for more than 30 years.

Active in community affairs, Mrs. Miller served as President of the Lunenburg Woman’s Club and a member of their Board of Directors for many years; as a member and officer of the Burbank Hospital Guild, Fitchburg, Mass. where she also served as a member of the Burbank Hospital Hospice Advisory Council and served as a member of its Executive Board of Directors.

She was active and held leadership roles in many civic, church, and service organizations.

In 1996, after 30 years as an active partner in the funeral business, Mrs. Miller retired to Woodstock, her husband’s hometown area. Her retirement, however, continued to keep her busy owning, restoring and renting a commercial building at 65 Central Street, Carriageway Court; owning the Gilded Age antique and 19th-century art business, making it possible for her husband and she to travel extensively as international art dealers, acquiring art and antiques. At the same time, physically helping to restore and recreate their 19th-century home Forest Hall.

She was a U.S. Government & National Park Mounted Ranger Volunteer at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park for many years; and with her husband, patrolled for hundreds of hours each year, acting as a goodwill ambassador for our national park.

As a member of the North Country Hounds, Fellow members looked forward to her Hunt Breakfasts and famous sleigh ride brunches, donated by the Millers at the Club’s fundraisers.

Mrs. Miller was an American presidential and British monarch historian and challenged her grandchildren to learn the presidents. All succeeded by the age of 10, one grandchild also able to recite all the vice presidents. She also encouraged most children who crossed her path to learn about American history — neighbors, friends and relatives, children and grandchildren, those she eagerly adopted as grandchildren, grandchildren’s college roommates and their families, and children of workmen. If you were a youngster and lucky enough to paint the Millers’ fences or work odd jobs, you could earn more money by knowing your presidents and their trivia than you would by completing the maintenance tasks.

Mrs. Miller wore many hats, most of them were in support of her husband’s dreams and goals, as his partner and chief assistant. Their business and personal creations and adventures took her on an extraordinary journey as they built a successful funeral business, renovated and redesigned three funeral homes, three antique colonial homes, a commercial building and their properties. Their interests in horses, antique cars and carriages gave them incredible experiences, travels and continuous adventures.

Mrs. Miller was a woman of elegance, beauty, grace and refined simplicity, yet she was as comfortable driving a bulldozer, building fences or training horses, as she was putting on an intimate formal dinner party for 12 or a grand party for 75, or as chief song leader and maple candy maker at the bunkhouse and sleigh parties.

She was an accomplished classical pianist, an artist, and loved to paint.

She belonged to another era and had the values of another time. Her college yearbook quote under her graduation picture was “a merry heart and a helping hand,” true for the rest of her very active life.

She leaves her husband, Howard J. Miller; three sons, Dustin H. of Indianapolis, Douglas E. of St. Augustine, Fla., and Duncan J. of Portland Ore.; seven grandchildren, Brooke, Dallas and Grant of Indianapolis, Peyton and Logan of St. Augustine and Field X. and Simone of Portland, Ore.; a brother W. Alan Baumert of Columbia, Conn.; a sister Betty Ann (Baumert) Miller of Cornish, N.H.; nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A private musical tribute was held in the Brick Church in Hartland. 

A private burial ceremony took place in the Miller Family lot in the Village Cemetery in Hartland.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

A memorial visitation will be held at the Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock on Friday, June 20, from 3-5 p.m. with a reception to follow at the Thompson Senior Center.

Barbara Darling, 88, of East Barnard, joined the angels on May 15, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family, both near and far. 

Barbara, “Babs” to those close to her, was born to Dorothy and Benjamin Dietrich on Aug. 24, 1936 in Greenwich, Conn. She spent her early years in Riverside and Cos Cob, Conn. graduating from Greenwich High School. After spending summers in Vermont with her parents she moved to East Barnard in 1970 to raise her three children Deborah, Linda and Kenneth. Barbara is remembered by many working at the original Woodstock Village Inn, with her family at Ene’s Table ( next to The Valley View Motel in Barnard), and among the youngsters at Bentley’s in the restaurant and the flower shop.   She was a second mom to so many of her children’s friends. The door to her home was always open offering a welcome place to stay, share the latest shenanigans and of course a homemade meal. Barbara was an excellent cook. She looked forward to spring and loved foraging and harvesting Vermont’s wild edibles including ramps, fiddleheads, grapes and morels, not to forget her favorite dilly green beans and her pickling talents. Her kitchen was a busy place, canning the veggies from her garden to processing unique jams and jellies. Nothing went to waste.

She was a voracious reader and always brought her current novel with her to her favorite place, Ogunquit Beach. Whether she was enjoying the sound of the waves on the beach, watching her grandchildren play in the ocean, shopping in the busy town or hanging out at The Piano Bar, she was happy when she was here. Her favorite recent pastime was thrifting. She couldn’t let a thrift store pass her by. 

A loving and spirited woman, Barbara was cherished for her deep devotion to her family, her grace, and impeccable eye for detail. Barbara was also celebrated for her talent as a dancer. In her youth, Barbara trained at the renowned Phil Jones Dance Studio in Stamford. She went on to perform at the prestigious Harvest Moon Ball at Radio City Music Hall and even appeared as a dancer on the Ed Sullivan Show with her cousin, Bob, a true moment of pride for Barbara and her loved ones. She loved her music and showed off her dancing skills on the dance floor of the infamous Bentley’s ringing in the new year with the best of them. Barbara’s artistic touch was also expressed through her incredible ability to arrange and press flowers, works of art that her loved ones will enjoy for generations. She participated in many local craft fairs selling her wreaths and pressed flower prints.

Barbara devoted her life to caring for others both personally and professionally. A caretaker for over 25 years, she brought friendship and comfort to those in her care. Barbara’s care and dedication to those she loved was also evident in her perfectly timed handwritten cards. No matter the occasion, you could always count on a card to arrive with a message of support.

Barbara was a gentle, fun-loving soul whose resilience in the face of sorrow was matched only by the joy she brought to others. She will be deeply missed. 

Barbara joins her baby girl,  mother and father, twin brother Richard Dietrich, younger brother Don Dietrich, and dear companion of 40 years, Sidney West, in heaven. 

Barbara is honorably survived by her daughters Deborah Darling and Linda Darling Ward (Derek Ward), son Kenneth Darling (Monica Darling), grandchildren Katelyn Hadley (Jason Hadley), Hayden Darling, Benny DiCarolis, and her great-grandchildren Shay Hadley and Wren Hadley who will carry on her generous spirit and zest for life. A special note of thanks to those who reached out and shared their love and support this past year met the world to her: the Locke family, Burns family, Graham family, DeVito family,  Reynolds family, Rose Smith, Lisa Hill and Gregory Camp, who has been a part of our family for as long as anyone can remember.

Barbara’s memorial services will take place on Saturday, June 28, at 11 a.m. at the East Barnard Church, with a celebration of life to follow at the East Barnard Community Hall. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Barbara’s memory to the Barnard Volunteer Fire and Rescue. 

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Nada Linane (Crowell) Pierce, 89, died on Monday June 2, 2025 in Lebanon, N.H. Nada was born on Feb. 15, 1936, in the family farmhouse to parents Lyle B. and Pearl F. (Merrill) Crowell. She was part of the Windsor High School class of 1954 and continued her education at the Mary Fletcher Hospital School of Nursing while her high school sweetheart and husband to be, Charles Pierce, served in the military. In 1957 she finished her nursing degree, Charles was honorably discharged, and they married on June 22. Throughout their lives together, they were as close as two people could be; when bench seats in the front were still commonplace, you’d see Nada riding in the middle, not the passenger side. They served as co-presidents of the PTA and both volunteered in numerous committees and leadership roles for the Universalist Society of Hartland and community organizations. In 1981, she furthered her education with a BSN from Castleton State College.

Nada was a dedicated nurse with a long career at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and numerous nursing homes in the Upper Valley. In her retirement, she took on a sales role at JC Penney’s for fun. She was a talented photographer and made her own note paper and cards for sale: Nada’s Notes.

Nearly every year the family enjoyed road trip vacations and over time saw most of the states. They also enjoyed large gatherings throughout the summer at the family camp on Spectacle Pond.

Nada is survived by four children Charylene Hoage and husband Wayne of Hartland; Timothy Pierce and wife Lynn of Lebanon, N.H; Alain Donnelly and husband Keon of Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Angela Terino and husband Tony of Hartland; seven grandchildren Christina, Amanda, Aaron, Dillan, Darcy, Dominic, and Slater; six great grandchildren Pierce, Annaston Pearl, Sawyer, Easton, Rainey, and Angela; nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother Delnon L. Crowell.

A service to celebrate Nada’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 6 at the First Universalist Society of Hartland followed by a graveside service at the Hartland Village Cemetery, where she will once again join Charles.

Memorial donations are appreciated to the Universalist Society. Knight Funeral Home of Windsor, Vt. has been entrusted with services and online condolences may be expressed at knightfuneralhomes.com.

To our readers,

The Vermont Standard Annual Appeal is the one time each year when we come right out and ask for your help with our mission to preserve quality local journalism for our community.

We believe that an informed public is essential if a community like ours is to have a well-functioning democracy. We think credible journalism – the local news, information, and community connection that only a local newspaper provides – is necessary to maintain the quality of life here.

Unfortunately, newspapers throughout the country are going out of business at a rate of more than two per week, and many of those that are still functioning have been debilitated.

The 171-year-old Vermont Standard is our state’s oldest weekly newspaper and at this point, it’s rather unique. To this day, it continues to provide high-quality journalism in print and online to Woodstock and the surrounding towns that the paper serves -– including Hartland, Pomfret, Bridgewater, Barnard, Quechee, Reading, West Windsor, Plymouth and points beyond. In recent years we’ve taken steps to improve the Standard’s coverage, and it has been repeatedly recognized as the best small weekly newspaper in New England.

It’s worth saving.

Professional, ethical, accurate, and fair journalism that you can trust is needed now more than ever in a society dominated by social media echo chambers, political and social division, and the proliferation of misinformation. As seen elsewhere, losing the local newspaper diminishes residents’ civic engagement and leaves a void in the community that bad actors with a cynical agenda often rush in to fill with disinformation campaigns.

Unlike most others, the Standard is an independent newspaper. We are purpose-driven rather than profit-driven. The Standard delivers a colorful, comprehensive local news report in print each Thursday, as well as online updates all week long. Nearly all articles and photos in the Standard are original reporting by our tiny staff, freelancers and volunteers. The community embraces this paper – circulation is strong and steady.

But, just like newspapers throughout the country, the Standard is struggling to remain economically viable.

The smaller, locally-owned businesses that traditionally supported local news organizations with their advertising have been replaced by chains, big box stores, and online sellers that do not actively support community journalism. Classified ads for homes, cars, jobs, and used merchandise are no longer a substantial source of funding for local news because they are now often run online instead.

The Standard, which already operates on a shoestring, has resisted the strategy embraced by so many newspapers across our nation to further strip down its small operation to bare bones, to the point that it can’t get the job done. Instead, we are striving to preserve the Standard as a quality news operation that can continue doing the job serving our community.

Funding local journalism now largely depends on philanthropic support from civic-minded residents who care deeply about this community and recognize the value the Standard brings to the table.

In the past year, a small local board has established a 501(c)(3) public charity called the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation to help ensure that our community will always have quality local journalism to inform and connect our neighbors; to help ensure the Standard keeps going. All donations to the foundation are tax-deductible.

Preserving the Standard is obviously important to the Greater Woodstock community. But this also has bigger implications.

Most local newspapers are on the brink of insolvency even though they are still the primary entities America counts on to cover local news and inform our citizens — especially in smaller towns. The newspapers are every bit as important to the functioning, spirit and soul of those towns as their public library, their theaters, their churches, and other vital institutions. We must find a way, both collectively and individually, to keep credible local journalism alive. The future of our communities and democracy depends on it.

If there is any one place in the country where residents truly appreciate and embrace both their community and their newspaper, it’s here. If our community can’t find a way to sustain its local journalism, there’s probably little hope for most others.

We sincerely hope you’ll consider making a contribution to this year’s 2024 annual appeal. Our need is quite urgent, to say the least, and we are profoundly grateful for anything you can do to help us.

The 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 able to help, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.” Or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card.

Also, if you have a family foundation, we hope you’ll add the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation (EIN: 93-3287932) to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

We consider it a great honor that you trust and count on the Standard to cover local news in our community. We can’t thank you enough for your friendship, your readership, and your support of this worthwhile mission we’re pursuing.

Phil Camp, president        Dan Cotter, publisher

By Dan Cotter, publisher 

“So, how’s Phil?”

I get that a lot. Oftentimes, just when I’m about finished talking on the phone with someone from Woodstock or the surrounding towns they inquire about my good friend and partner in publishing the Vermont Standard, Phil Camp – the 88-year-old lifelong resident of our community who is its most enthusiastic booster.

The callers know that he battles the health ailments that often come at his age, and then some. I typically reassure them that he remains unfailingly positive, no matter the challenges that he or the Standard faces.

Not too long ago, a caller signed off by saying something to the effect of, “You know, in our house we regard Phil as a hero.”

That’s not surprising. There’s something pretty darn heroic about a guy who dearly loves his town and has wholeheartedly dedicated the last fifty years to making sure it has a quality news source to inform and connect its citizens. Despite the advertising revenue loss that threatens its viability. Despite the flood, fire, and pandemic that made things even more difficult. Despite his own health challenges. He still wants nothing more than just to see the Standard continue to thrive into the future.

I’m reminded of another local publisher, Tim Calabro at the Herald in neighboring Randolph, who I read about recently in a story published by Seven Days. He bought his hometown paper about ten years ago, but these days, the article said his publisher duties include being the editorial director, selectboard correspondent, staff photographer, newspaper deliveryman in the early morning hours, building repairman, and head of finance, among no doubt many other roles he juggles as he strives to keep the paper afloat.

He told Seven Days reporter Rachel Hellman, “I would be really upset if this community didn’t have a newspaper. I would be OK not being the person who ran that newspaper, but I don’t see anyone else who is particularly willing or capable of doing it. So, I kind of feel like I have to do this for as long as I can.”

And Tim is certainly not alone. Independent newspaper publishers here in Vermont and throughout New England and the rest of the country all find themselves trying to hang in there — despite the intense pressure and red ink — trying to do whatever it takes to continue producing credible, quality local journalism that serves as the glue for their beloved communities.

Some would question why Phil, Tim, and the rest of us are continuing to shoulder the responsibility for keeping local news flowing and the lights on. It’s a steep uphill battle and it’s obviously not for the money (whenever I see my financial planner I simply avoid making eye contact…)

At some level, there’s patriotism and a devotion to what we see as our job to help foster a cohesive, informed community that has a reliable place to turn for fair and accurate information that residents need to make good decisions, both personally and collectively. There’s also Phil’s passion and mine that the Standard should be a news source, both in print and digital formats, where people can get to know about — and be inspired by — their neighbors’ accomplishments; one that reveals and celebrates the many occurrences in our day-to-day lives here that are so uplifting.

And then there’s that point in each week when the Standard rolls off the press, and what started as a blank page just days ago is now full of local news articles, photos, entertaining and educational feature stories, local personality profiles, opinion columns, town correspondents’ reports, announcements, listings of things to do for fun, local obituaries, bits of news and ads from local businesses and organizations, and the stories of our children’s triumphs in school and in sports. 

I think that’s when we are most reminded why we do this.

This is important. The Standard is the only medium that produces this for our community. If we’re no longer viable, all of that will cease to exist.

Whether or not local publishers working against the odds to sustain this weekly miracle are truly “heroic” is probably best judged in the eye of the beholder. But it’s certain that all the responsibility for preserving local journalism can’t fall only on the shoulders of the publishers. That’s just not sustainable. 

As Phil has often said, this paper belongs to the community.

We sincerely hope you’ll consider joining us on this journey by contributing to this year’s 2024 annual appeal. When all is said and done, my friends, you’re the real heroes that our community is counting on. 

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

The 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. 

Our need is quite urgent, and we are profoundly grateful for anything you can do to help us with this mission.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2024 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

Labor Day is coming up, signaling a time of year that’s taken on new meaning for the Vermont Standard and the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation. This point in the calendar when we honor our nation’s workers is also when we begin our four-week Annual Appeal to raise funds to keep quality local journalism flowing for Woodstock and the surrounding towns that the Standard serves in Windsor County.

By now, most everyone knows that newspapers have been struggling mightily – despite the fact that communities throughout the nation still count on them to employ the journalists who are primarily responsible for covering local news. The main problem has been the evaporation of much of the advertising revenue that traditionally supported local journalism.

Those who advertised in newspapers through the years were typically smaller, local businesses, which in many cases have fallen prey to competition from chains, big box stores, and online sellers (like Amazon). Many of them have now been bought up by bigger regional or national operations or they closed down.

Classified section advertisers also pulled back on the ads they ran in newspapers for jobs, cars, real estate, and used merchandise when online options, which are often free, became available.

So, this left local newsrooms all across the country without much of a funding mechanism. Many sold out to national newspaper chains owned by corporations or hedge funds that proceeded to gut the paper’s staff and resources in a cynical attempt to squeeze out what little profit might be left. Other papers just closed their doors as their financial losses piled up.

So far, the country has lost about a third of its newspapers — almost 3,000 have gone out of business in the past twenty years, and we’re currently on pace to continue losing more than two per week. More than 200 counties now have no credible, comprehensive local news source. They call those places “news deserts.”

To make matters worse, while many other communities still have a local newspaper, it has been reduced to just a shadow of its former self because corporate scavengers “right-sized” it, leaving the paper incapable of performing its duty for its community.

However, there are still some independent publishers in small communities like ours who know that we cannot have a well-functioning democracy if the public isn’t adequately informed. They know that a local newspaper is entrusted with reporting about the issues that matter. They also know that communities function better — and the quality of life is better — if people know what’s going on and if they know and appreciate each other. So, those publishers are finding ways to keep the lights on at their newspaper any way they can, while at the same time attempting to create new revenue streams that could help sustain their local journalism in the future.

The Standard is one of those newspapers.

Last year, the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation was formed as a public charity to raise funds to help ensure that our community won’t become the next news desert. The Foundation is dedicated primarily to preserving the Standard and its role in informing citizens and supporting democracy in our area well into the future. We’re not trying to merely keep some semblance of a diminished newspaper alive here. We’re trying to preserve a good, trustworthy, 171-year-old purveyor of local news and information (both in print and digital formats) that our community can continue to rely upon and be proud of. We believe that having fair-minded, professionally produced local journalism is extremely important to maintaining the quality of life here.

And we are not alone in this effort. There are still businesses here that help pay for your local journalism with their advertising in the Standard and its ancillary publications. Any business or organization that advertises is doing more than just promoting a service, sale or event – it is also showing you that it cares about this community, that it wants a thriving, strong democracy here.

The Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation has a board made up of a small cadre of local residents who fully recognize and appreciate the value the Standard provides. Of course, Phil Camp and I are on the board too. We are extremely fortunate to have these board partners in the trenches with us as we chart the path forward.

Increasingly, though, we’re finding that those who care most deeply about our community are the same ones taking action to also care for its journalism. Some newspapers in the U.S. have been fortunate to have a rich owner – such as Jeff Bezos at the Washington Post or John Henry at the Boston Globe. Those owners are doing a fine job of sustaining quality journalism in their metropolitan areas. But here, we’ve got our own benefactors who are largely responsible for why the Standard is still alive. I’ve found that these wonderful, caring people fall into three categories.

First, we have a sizable group of very kind donors who truly appreciate the important role local journalism plays in our community and they step up to take part in our annual appeals each year. Their donations vary in size from a modest amount to hundreds of dollars. We couldn’t be more grateful to these supporters. Our hearts leap a little each time we open their envelopes or receive notice of their credit card contribution. Their donations add up to a significant amount that has literally sustained our journalism. We simply could not keep going without you. We regard each donation we receive not only as sustenance but also a pat on the back that encourages us to “keep trying, keep going.” And we will.

We also have a smaller number of major donors who dig deep and send us large donations that make a very big difference for us. Their donations go a long way in helping us make ends meet – some of their individual contributions alone can pay a substantial bill or help supplement our cash flow during the slowest advertising times of the year. These very generous donors have an outsized influence on our ability to provide the community with quality journalism. Rest assured, we know each of you by name and we count our blessings each day to have you on our side.

And speaking of blessings, we also have a select few who have literally taken on this mission, shoulder-to-shoulder, with Phil and me and the Foundation board. These donors are guardian angels for our community who have done some very heavy lifting, providing substantial funds to help us not only survive for today but also to strengthen our organization so that we can build the new revenue streams we need to sustain us in the future. I can assure you that there would not be a Standard today for you to read without their extremely generous assistance. Some of these friends also help us spread our message and encourage others to support us. We really have no words to adequately express our gratitude to them – we’re simply astonished at the love they’ve shown to us and to this community.

We sincerely hope you’ll join us in this year’s 2024 annual appeal. And for those who have a family foundation, we hope you’ll consider adding the Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation to the worthwhile causes you regularly support.

The 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.

Our need is quite urgent, to say the least. We are profoundly grateful for anything you can do to help us with this mission.

If you’re willing to make a tax-deductible donation to our 2024 Annual Appeal, please send a check to PO Box 88, Woodstock, VT 05091, or go to our Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website at www.thevermontstandard.com to make a contribution with your credit card. Be sure to make your check out to the “Woodstock Region Journalism Foundation.”

By Dan Cotter, publisher

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

Then we shared a long, hard hug.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“View From Here”

By Sandy Gilmour, Woodstock resident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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