The Woodstock Village Trustees have sided with Municipal Manager Eric Duffy in his efforts to demote Police Chief Joe Swanson to patrol officer, according to his defense lawyer.

Duffy and the five Village Trustees have remained silent about the decision and, as of Wednesday, have yet to confirm the findings. 

“The trustee’s written findings contain inflammatory, malicious, insulting attacks on Chief Swanson’s character consistent with the bad faith motives of Mr. Duffy and the Village in their extraordinary unlawful attempts to remove Chief Swanson from his contracted position,” his attorney Linda Fraas told the Vermont Standard.

Fraas said she expects a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages will be filed this month against Duffy, the Village and Town of Woodstock, and other defendants.

The causes of action in the civil lawsuit will include “breach of contract, wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and tortious interference with contract,” she said.

Fraas also said the trustee’s decision upholding the demotion will be appealed within 30 days to the Vermont Superior Court in Woodstock as required by law. 

The Manchester, N.H. lawyer said she told Swanson the outcome and shared a copy of the 47-page decision, but has not had a chance to meet with her client to fully discuss it. She said until she meets with Swanson she was inclined to withhold the report.

She said the Village Trustees and Duffy are free to release the public document. Fraas said there is nothing under Vermont’s Public Records Law that mandates that they withhold the report from taxpayers.

Attempts by the Vermont Standard to obtain the public report from Duffy and the five Village Trustees, including chair Seton McIlroy were unsuccessful in recent days using the Vermont Public Records Law.

McIlroy responded with an email that Duffy would answer for her. The Standard reminded her there is no provision in Vermont law for recipients of requests for public records to pass that legal responsibility to somebody else.

The Trustees also did not offer any requested comments about their report on Swanson.

Fraas said Swanson has been told to report for duty as a patrol officer at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and she said the veteran officer intends to follow the directive.

The order came from one of two lawyers representing Duffy, John Klesch in Burlington, she said. 

Duffy, who hired Swanson as chief after a nationwide search in 2023, placed him on paid administrative leave in October 2024 for an unrelated matter. Duffy later announced this spring that he wanted to demote Swanson after losing faith in the chief’s work.

The decision by the trustees to affirm Duffy follows a 14½ -hour marathon hearing on March 19 and into the early morning of March 20.

Fraas said Swanson had to go through the hearing with the trustees in order to have his case heard in Vermont Superior Court by a neutral judge.

Fraas said the Village Trustees made several factual errors throughout their signed report and put things into the report that were without testimony at the hearing.

The main issue at the demotion hearing appeared to be whether Swanson did things that warranted his removal as police chief by Duffy with no warning. Swanson appeared to question why progressive discipline and corrective action orders weren’t used by Duffy.

Duffy had provided Swanson a positive annual evaluation in July 2024 that said the department was running smoothly and there were no employee problems or concerns. 

Three months later, Duffy reversed himself after he hired a private detective to interview employees about complaints they had started to make about the chief. 

After the investigation Duffy said he had contemplated firing the police chief, but in his final analysis a demotion was proper because he believed Swanson was still a good officer.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The town of Bridgewater will hold a Special Town Meeting on May 13 to once again vote on the issue of converting the the lister position to that of a professionally qualified assessor. 

The issue went to a paper ballot during regular Town Meeting in March, failing with 84 votes against switching to an assessor, 54 in favor, and four abstentions. But the Bridgewater Selectboard received a petition to reconsider the decision within the 30-day window following the meeting. 

The petition was submitted with 51 signatures, and the May 13 Special Town Meeting has been scheduled. This reconsideration comes in the wake of multiple surrounding towns deciding to eliminate the lister role in favor of full-time appointed assessors. 

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

On Tuesday, April 22, the Pomfret Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) arrived at a decision regarding Christopher and Bailey Markwell’s appeal of the Certificate of Compliance issued to Abracadabra Coffee Co. by the Pomfret Zoning Administrator earlier this year. 

The ZBA has found that not all conditions in Abracadabra’s most recent permit have been satisfied. They have ruled that the Certificate was issued in error, and the Certificate is now void and of no further force or effect.

The ZBA’s decision impacts only Abracadabra’s most recently permitted activities: service of prepared food for on-site and consumption during breakfast and lunch hours; service of alcohol with those meals on weekends and during special events; and increased occupancy. 

The Markwells argued they were entitled to additional screening to block their view of Abracadabra’s parking lot and backyard, where special events will occur. The ZBA agreed. In its decision, the ZBA explained that the trees planted by Abracadabra last fall “do not now provide year-round visual screening” as required by Abracadabra’s most recent permit to “substantially screen” these areas. The ZBA, however, allowed that alternatives such as stockade fencing could be used while the trees grow in 

Since the ZBA has concluded that this most recent Certificate of Compliance was issued in error, Abracadabra must return to their standard mode of operation prior to this permit, meaning that they are not permitted to serve breakfast and lunch, serve alcohol, or increase their allotted occupancy to upwards of 70 patrons until a new Certificate of Compliance has been issued. 

The Markwells also took issue with Abracadabra’s coffee roasting emissions. The ZBA explained in its decision that this problem was outside the scope of the contested Certificate and thus was not considered in deliberation. The ZBA noted there were other avenues available to address coffee roasting emission compliance. 

During the ZBA’s hearing earlier this month, Abracadabra stated it is in the process of acquiring and installing an emissions control device to bring its emissions to within the state’s standards. 

Abracadabra can appeal the ZBA’s decision if they wish. Presently, they have refused to comment on the ruling. 

 For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Hartland Selectboard will hold a pair of public hearings at Damon Hall on Monday, May 5, and the following week on Monday, May 12, to consider the readoption of the municipality’s 2017 Town Plan, which expires on May 15. Both hearings will commence at 5 p.m.

The May 5 hearing will take place prior to the selectboard’s next regularly scheduled meeting, while the May 12 hearing will be followed by a brief special meeting of the town governing body at 5:30 p.m., at which the readoption of the 2017 plan would be approved by the board.

The proposed reauthorization is a stopgap measure that will keep the current town plan in effect while the Hartland Planning Commission (HPC) completes its year-long deliberations on a 2025 Town Plan that must be vetted by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) before it is presented to the selectboard for final approval.

Barring any unforeseen developments emerging from the May 5 and May 12 public hearings on the stopgap reauthorization of the 2017 Town Plan, the Hartland Selectboard expects to readopt the plan at the special board meeting that will follow the May 12 hearing at Damon Hall.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Woodstock Farmers’ Market (WFM) has decided to pursue a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) buyout for its property at 979 West Woodstock Road after two devastating floods wreaked havoc on the infrastructure of the building. “It is a process that takes years,” WFM owner Patrick Crowl told the Standard. “If there is a better alternative or things change, we can always withdraw. But right now, after two floods within twelve years, our business cannot sustain another disaster — emotionally or financially.” 

To qualify for a FEMA buyout, a property must pass a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrates removing the structure is economically beneficial and justifiable. If a property is accepted for a buyout, FEMA will purchase the property for what it would have cost prior to the disaster before handing the property over to the municipality.

The buyouts provide a way for commercial and residential property owners to leave properties that flood out repeatedly, returning some of the land around the river back into a floodplain. Once a FEMA buyout has happened, no permanent structures can be built on the property. 

The Woodstock Selectboard unanimously voted to approve the WFM buyout at its meeting on Tuesday, April 15.

Crowl said the WFM currently has no imminent plans to move, nor do they have any particular location in mind.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

The Woodstock Village Conservancy presented a plan to the Woodstock Selectboard on Tuesday, April 15, seeking support for their proposed project to restore the Village Green and create a safer, more pedestrian-friendly space on the surrounding roadways. 

In the first part of the presentation, Wendy Spector of the Woodstock Village Conservancy explained why they wish to renovate The Green. Spector, who is a leading figure in the all-volunteer group, explained to the Standard, “The Green is a central and iconic space in the village, and yet it lacks intentionality in its design. It is not sustainably managed, nor is it nearly as accessible as it should be. There is a lack of connection with other green spaces in town, and The Green harbors unsafe roads for cars, bikes, and pedestrians.” 

The group hoped to get the selectboard’s blessing to continue pursuing the project, which will include recruiting volunteers, raising funds, and applying for grants. 

The board granted that preliminary approval. 

If the various elements of the proposed renovation are approved, the renovations would likely take place next spring.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Amidst continuing deliberations about the future of economic development initiatives in Woodstock, the Woodstock Selectboard has voted to approve a $33,000 contract with Burlington-based web development firm Bytes.com for a complete overhaul of the woodstockvt.com website, first established by the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce more than 20 years ago.

At its regular monthly meeting on April 15, the selectboard also opted to extend a contract with marketing and social media coordinator Jess Kirby for an additional six months at a cost of $26,000. Funding for the Bytes.com contract and the Kirby extension will be drawn from the Economic Development and Community Fund reserves of the Woodstock Economic Development Commission (EDC), which has jointly managed the woodstockvt.com website in collaboration with the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since 2016. The EDC has also overseen Woodstock’s tourism marketing and new resident and business recruitment efforts for the past several years, first in the hands of Burlington-based digital marketing firm Class Four and, for the past year, under the direction of Kirby, a Woodstock resident.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

It’s likely that no national or international political story has ever struck so close to home in our local area than the arrest and detention of Palestinian student, peace activist, lecturer and White River Junction resident Mohsen Mahdawi by masked, plain-clothed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Colchester on April 14.

Born in a three-generations-old Palestinian refugee camp near Ramallah on the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the Jordan, Mohsen Mahdawi came to Vermont a decade ago, accompanied by his then-wife, an American who was a medical student at Dartmouth. Members of the local communities in the Upper Valley immediately embraced the young man who, to a one, they found to be compassionate, spiritually centered, open-minded, warm, funny, and peace-loving.

It’s thus no surprise that the fear, anger, and disbelief sewn throughout the region by the arrest of the 34-year-old — at what was ostensibly a final interview in his quest for naturalization as a U.S. citizen — was palpable. Mahdawi — a green card holder and legal resident of the United States — is being held at the Vermont Men’s Correctional Facility in Swanton while the federal government pursues proceedings against him under President Trump’s mass deportation policies. A memorandum issued by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Mahdawi’s detention arose from his co-organizing student protests on behalf of Palestinian rights at Columbia University last year. The Trump Administration and federal immigration authorities, Rubio noted, contend that Mohdawi’s activities on behalf of the Palestinian cause could “potentially undermine” the Middle East peace process.

Mohsen Mahdawi led a discussion about the history of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and the prospects for peace at the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at Dartmouth. Courtesy of David Bisno

Windsor County legislators, interfaith community leaders, close friends and associates of Mohsen Mahdawi, and everyday citizens from throughout the region have sprung into action and advocacy on behalf of the Palestinian peace advocate. An overflow crowd of approximately 350 people thronged the First Universalist Society of Hartland sanctuary in Hartland Four Corners last Friday evening to mobilize in support of Mahdawi. The stories that were told at that gathering — where photography, videography and audio recording were forbidden by the organizers out of concerns for the safety of those who attended and spoke out — painted a far different portrait of Mahdawi from that sketched in bare-boned fashion by the federal immigration authorities who ordered his arrest.

The Standard has spent the past week interviewing Mahdawi’s closest friends and confidantes, local and state political leaders, and area faith leaders about the kind of person that Mohsen Mahdawi is. A review of Mahdawi’s many writings and public presentations on the need for Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation and the end to 70 years of hatred and bloodshed also suggest a man starkly removed from the antisemitic rabble-rouser the current U.S. government is seeking to portray.

To read Mahdawi’s admissions letter to Columbia University please click here.

For the full story, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Nestled in Woodstock’s northwestern hills, the 358-acre Vondell-Cobb property stretches across forested slopes, open meadows, and a reservoir that holds 28 million gallons of water. This land, once home to the hardscrabble farms of the Cobb and Raymond families who struggled to make a living from increasingly depleted soil, today offers miles of recreational trails winding through ecologically significant habitats. As the town nears completion of acquiring both the land and its water system, this multifaceted property represents a unique intersection of historical preservation, water resource management, and recreational opportunity. 

“We’re getting very close to closing on the water system and the Vondell-Cobb property, which will all be happening at the same time,” Eric Duffy, Woodstock’s municipal manager, told the Standard this week. “We’re just waiting on final approval from the Public Utility Commission to rule in favor of this acquisition, which we are confident they will do.”

Town residents approved purchasing the property in December 2024 for up to $1.6 million. According to Duffy, the property has garnered attention not only for its recreational value but also for its strategic importance to the town’s water system. The reservoir serves as a critical backup water source for the community. While the reservoir is not currently connected to the active water system, it represents an asset for future water security, especially considering the unpredictable challenges posed by climate change. 

“We are trying to really have the government take a view of planning for the future and having a long-term vision for what Woodstock is going to be,” said Duffy.

The property’s recreational value extends beyond its potential as a future water source. Matt Stout, president of the Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA), emphasized its unique recreational significance.

“You cannot take a mountain bike on Mount Tom. You cannot go fishing in the Pogue. You cannot snowmobile or go hunting at our other trail networks. All of those uses are allowed on the Vondell Property, in addition to popular activities like dog walking, horseback riding, and hiking on Grassy Lane, a Class IV road that bisects the property and leads directly to the Vondell Reservoir.  So if you think about what this property allows, it really provides everyone something they can enjoy outdoors.”

Since 2016, WAMBA has developed over 10 miles of trails on the property, along with a pump track and parking at the trailhead. The organization plans to continue maintaining the trail system and is working to upgrade certain trails to accommodate adaptive mountain biking for riders with mobility challenges.

The property also stands as a living museum of Vermont history, where cellar holes and stone foundations tell the story of a vibrant community that struggled against harsh conditions and changing economic forces. What is now a recreational destination was once home to a hardscrabble farming community that had largely vanished by the end of the 19th century.

Jennie Shurtleff, director of public engagement at the Woodstock History Center, described the property as having a “sacred feel.” Shurtleff said that being there she “couldn’t help but feel the presence of those who had been there before us.”

Much of what is known about the area comes from the journals of Charles Morris Cobb, who documented life in the community as a teenager in the mid-19th century. “Although most of the people who were living on what is now the Vondell Road were financially marginalized, it was also in many ways a very rich community in terms of their culture and their interrelationships,” said Shurtleff. “They lived together, they worked together, and sadly, at times, they grieved together.”

Matthew Powers, executive director of the Woodstock History Center, noted the property’s evolution. “It’s interesting to see a property that, back in the day in the 19th century, was not resource rich… and how 100 years later, it has completely changed,” said Powers.

As recreational users hike, bike, and fish throughout the property, they now share paths once walked by those struggling farmers. This convergence of past and present creates opportunities for reflection that are rare in other recreational spaces. Looking forward, Powers and Shurtleff both hope that future development of the property might include interpretive elements to help visitors understand and appreciate the lives that unfolded there generations ago.

This forward-thinking approach to land management, as Duffy puts it, ensures that “Woodstock can be in the process of thinking forward instead of thinking reactively,” preserving both natural resources and cultural heritage for generations to come.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

This Saturday, April 26, independent bookstores across the Upper Valley will be participating in National Independent Bookstore Day — a movement celebrated around the country to recognize our nation’s independently owned and operated bookstores. Five local bookshops will work in collaboration to host a book crawl, where each stop along the way offers prizes, incentives, and unique collections to browse. Participating stores include The Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock Village, The Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, Left Bank Books in Hanover, Still North Books in Hanover, and Cover to Cover in White River Junction. 

Each bookstore will offer customers a unique shopping experience, with limited edition finds and “golden ticket opportunities.” Sam Kaas, co-owner of Norwich Bookstore, told the Standard this week, “It’s a very exciting day for bookstores, not just in our area but across the country.”

“It’s going to be a party atmosphere all day,” Kaas added. “Each bookstore participating in this year’s crawl offers something new, capturing the essence of independent bookstores. We all have something unique and surprising to offer, each with our own flavor, style, and excellent curation. I hope people come out and find something that surprises them, something they cannot find anywhere else.” 

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

When the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, Kerstin Lange watched the historic moment on television from her living room in upstate New York, thousands of miles from her home in Germany.

Thirty-five years after that momentous event, Lange, a Vermont-based writer and journalist, has published “Phantom Border,” a book that explores the 1,400-kilometer (approximately 900 miles) border that divided East and West Germany throughout the Cold War.

At her April 17 presentation, Lange described how she used the former border as “a prism and a compass” for a journey by bicycle and on foot, investigating the human, societal, and ecological stories surrounding the former German borderland.

Lange’s exploration went far beyond the well-known Berlin Wall. While many have heard of the wall that divided Berlin, fewer are familiar with the longer border that cut through the German countryside and remained in place for 40 years.

A native of northern Germany,  Lange’s reconnection with this history began around 2007 when she heard a radio story about the former border becoming a nature preserve called the Green Belt. This ecological corridor emerged because of the border’s existence — the absence of intensive agriculture allowed rare plants and wildlife to thrive in areas where humans were restricted.

Her investigation took shape over several years as Lange conducted a segment-by-segment exploration of the former border, meeting former border guards, local residents, and activists. The project expanded when she received a writer’s residency near the border in 2021.

Lange’s initial ecological investigation evolved into something more complex as Lange discovered ongoing tensions between former East and West Germans.

A writer with an interdisciplinary background, Lange holds an M.A. in Anthropology and an M.S. from UVM’s Field Naturalist/Ecological Planning Program. Her experience working for the Green Mountain Club in 1995 first connected her to Vermont and deepened her interest in how landscapes tell stories.

Lange’s book draws parallels between polarization in present-day Germany and the United States.

Although Germany and the United States have different historical contexts, Lange sees similarities in how contemporary political divisions form. “There are historians who see what’s going on now partly as a sort of continuation of the Civil War,” she said, “just on a very different time scale.”

“Phantom Border” was published earlier this year by Ibidem Press. Lange will continue her book tour with additional appearances in the coming months.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

On Monday evening, the Woodstock girls varsity softball team endured a tough loss, ending the night 13-0 after a high-energy battle against West Rutland.

The team will face off against the White River Valley Wildcats on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Woodstock.

Luca Rullo tags a West Rutland runner out at first. Rick Russell Photo

The Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA) is gearing up for another year of riding local trails, supporting new riders, maintaining public use lands, and supporting youth sports.

Every year, rides start at a different date, dependent on when the trails are ready. According to WAMBA board member Mark Harris, Tuesday Women’s rides and Thursday MTB rides will start the week of May 5. Thursday kids’ rides, for first through fourth graders, will likely start at the end of May, though no official date has been set.  This is a slight change from last year, when kids’ rides were held on Fridays.

WAMBA, itself a member of the Vermont Mountain Bikers Association (VMBA), currently has nearly 500 active members, more than double the number they had in 2019. While it would be easy to attribute the boom to many people seeking outdoor activities during COVID-19 protocols, WAMBA shows no signs of slowing down, adding nearly a hundred members in the last two years.

Each week, as the weather allows, WAMBA hosts several group rides. The group rides are open to the public, as well as registered members, with rides available for all skill levels. Harris describes the group rides as “no-drop,” meaning no one gets left behind. “Everyone thinks, ‘I don’t know if I would be able to keep up with a group,” Harris says. Though the group rides’ no-drop policy means that someone will always be there to help riders along who may not be as advanced, or may need some breaks. “We’ll ride with you and show you the path,” says Harris.  Regular group rides alternate between trails on Mt. Peg and Aqueduct trails. 

Gravel rides will also start up soon, and are a little more relaxed. “We’ll have a volunteer who will pick a route and we’ll make a two-hour loop in some direction from the East End park,” says Harris. The gravel rides also operate with a no-drop policy. The terrain often makes for an easier ride since they are mostly on roads rather than trails. Gravel rides take place on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., with riders meeting at East End Park to start.  These rides started on April 23 and will go through fall as conditions allow.

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Last Friday, the Woodstock Union High School competed in their first track and field meet of the season in Rutland. The event featured 11 schools and was also the first meet for WUHS as a Division II school. Due to its timing coinciding with spring break, the Wasps were competing with fewer than half their normal team. While this does mean the event and Woodstock’s standings are a little skewed, the meet was nonetheless a good opportunity for the Wasps, who were able to get back on a real track to compete with other schools, and set some goals for the rest of the season.

WUHS junior Dexter Namkung, who ran in the 3000-meter race and was a team member on the second-place finish for the 4×800 relay, mentioned the good atmosphere and how excited he was to be racing, echoing the thoughts of many of the athletes. “I’m happy to be out of my house and at a race. It’s a great day for it, and this is what I’d prefer to be doing,” Namkung said.

WUHS senior Owen Courcey, the boys track team captain, was excited to be at the event with his fellow teammates and ready to help the newer athletes on their journey. “This is a young team, but we’re all very excited. Both to get out there and run our races, and to see where we improve throughout the season,” Courcey said. Courcey ran as part of the 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams, with second and third place finishes. He also finished seventh in the 800-meter race, with his time of 2:21, beating his personal record in the event. 

While Woodstock came in sixth overall for the boys out of nine schools and seventh overall for the girls out of 10 schools, there were some notable competitors for the Wasps. Senior Izzy Cellini placed third in the 800 meters and 2nd in the 1500 meters, the latter an event in which she finished third in the state championship last year. Both boys and girls 4×800 teams had respectable times, coming in second place. Unfortunately, there was only one other team in both races, but both races were fairly close. Senior Carter Warren finished eighth out of 20 competitors in the 12kg shot put event, with a distance of 9.62m. This was his first time competing in that event. Warren also tied for third in the 200-meter dash, just eight-tenths of a second behind first place. Senior Myra McNaughton finished third in the 3000-meter race and in the 1kg discus event.

Brite Cheney Photos

For more on this, please see our April 24 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

It is with sadness that the family of Roger Paul Trachier of Hartland, announces his passing after 88 journeys around the sun. Roger succumbed to a fast-growing, very rare form of cancer on April 16, 2025, while being cared for by family at home.

When asked recently how he would sum up his life, Roger replied “coming and going.” That says it all… or does it? He was a man of few words — a very humble, quiet and shy person, unless discussing a topic that he really cared about — and he squeezed many activities into his time between coming into this world and quietly going out.

Roger was born on May 17, 1936, to Florice (Best) LaMountain and Earl LaMountain at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, N.H. He was raised in Woodstock. When his mother married Maurice Trachier, who became Roger’s much-loved adoptive father, his name was legally changed from Roger Earl LaMountain to Roger Paul Trachier. Roger completed Woodstock High School in 1954, in the last class to graduate from that building. Not immune from some of the “devilish” pranks that boys sometimes get up to, Roger once put a cherry bomb onto Owen H’s car starter motor. It went off with a loud “bang,” a whistle, and lots of smoke, creating a memory that, when shared recently, still brought a laugh and a twinkle to his eyes. 

Finding the love of his life happened quickly: Roger met Clydene Richardson of Hartland during a double date arranged by his cousin Marilyn Best. They became engaged after a short courtship and married on Oct. 6, 1956, at the Brick Church in Hartland. That began a tight partnership which lasted for the rest of his life. Roger’s son, Gary, arrived in April 1959, and daughter Andrea was born in March 1963. Providing for his family was a responsibility Roger took very seriously.

Roger worked hard at a variety of paid jobs, invariably punching above his weight. His first was as a laborer at the Bridgewater Woolen Mill. He learned a lot about carpentry and other construction techniques while working for Max Boynton. He was a machinist for some time, and he did property maintenance and construction at Quechee Lakes for several years. After all these, he started his own very successful business, “Roger Trachier Builders,” which he and Clydene, who was vice president and bookkeeper for the business, operated as a team until their retirement. Roger never shied away from hard work, but he was also very canny about making whatever task was at hand as efficient as possible and making the best use of resources that other people might not notice. This skill became a key to his professional success and a boon to the community projects he was involved in.

Roger’s resourceful and persistent nature led him to many impressive accomplishments. At his daughter’s birth, he became the first father allowed into the delivery room at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital by wearing down the doctor’s resistance to the idea. Afterwards, a survey of prospective parents resulted in a policy change, and fathers attending births became accepted practice. Roger built the family home himself, with some help in the early stages from friends and neighbors. In 1959, that meant a lot of manual labor: building forms, mixing and pouring concrete, and even hauling logs cut on the property to the mill, then returning the sawn boards to the house site. The project taught him many things about home construction — and began a long-term passion for seeking out and using the best and most up-to-date construction practices for his clients. In 1980, as an early adopter of energy-efficient construction practices and solar power, he installed a solar hot water system on the roof of his home, and it worked well for four decades! In 1993, Roger played key roles in devising and implementing an ingenious system for removing, not just trimming, Eurasian Watermilfoil from Halls Lake in Newbury, Vt.: a slow-moving barge both supplied air to divers below while they carefully hand-pulled the invasive plants by the roots and also used gentle suction to remove the pulled plants and convey them into fine-mesh baskets in a floating trailer, to be emptied and taken to a landfill. The rig was so successful that it was rented by the town of Fairlee for Lake Morey, and in 1998 the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources conferred upon Roger the “Excellence in Lake Protection” award in the area of Eurasian Watermilfoil management.

Along with his busy work life and raising a family, Roger made time to promote and volunteer for many community-enhancing projects, several with long-lasting benefits. Here are highlights from the long list of projects — many in Hartland — for which he was either the spark plug or a strong team member.

• When a serious drought affected many Hartland residents, Roger helped set up a pump at a spring at the former fairgrounds to bring water to the surface for townspeople who needed it.
• In the late 1960s, when Hartland’s small separate schools were becoming overcrowded, Roger and Clydene joined other townspeople to successfully campaign and vote to build a single, consolidated school. Roger also served on the building committee for the new school.
• At a town auction of surplus property, he bought the bell from each of the three closed schools, then built an outdoor display for them at the new school, preserving this history for all to enjoy.
• When the community outgrew the Martin Memorial Library, Roger was part of the effort to have the town buy the land and build a new library on Foster Meadow. He also served on the library building committee after the town acquired the property.
• Vermont’s inaugural “Green Up Day” was in 1970, and Roger was there to organize Hartland’s volunteers to pick up trash from the sides of all town roads — a role he continued for several years.
• He organized the cleanup of Lull Brook and its banks — from the headwaters to Martinsville — after many decades of people discarding unwanted things there. After he walked the entire length of the brook, taking notes, he organized volunteers to haul out all of the debris, including refrigerators, chest freezers, cars, car tires, and countless smaller items. Lull Brook is now a welcoming recreational and natural resource for the community.
• Roger and longtime Hartland resident Henry Merritt worked together to build the post-and-beam gazebo which is on the Hartland Recreation Center grounds. Roger also helped move the gazebo a short distance, when that became necessary.
• When the Hartland Volunteer Fire Department outgrew the tiny storage building used for the North Hartland fire truck, Roger facilitated the framing and roofing of the new station in one day.
• Seeing a need to help aging neighbors remain at home during their later years, Roger and Clydene became early supporters of Aging in Hartland (AiH). In two examples of “what goes around comes around,” Roger delivered meals on wheels for some time and received such meals while recovering from surgeries, and he and Clydene not only relied on timely visits from a Hartland Community Nurse but also allowed use of the former Roger Trachier Builders business office as the program’s home base.

When Roger allowed himself some leisure time, it often involved the outdoors. As a boy, he and his dog would ramble over the hills between Woodstock village and Hartland. Garvin Hill in Hartland and Mount Peg in Woodstock were his favorite areas. Later in life, hunting was an excuse to be in the woods and see what’s on the other side of the next hill. He also enjoyed downhill skiing with family and friends, and he was an avid baseball player, first on Woodstock teams, then the Hartland town team, mostly playing first base. His urge to see the other side of the next hill extended to exploring Vermont, New England, and many other locations that he and Clydene could get to in a camper. Perhaps the frosting on that cake was their trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where they met up with “the Fearless Five” (their daughter, her husband, their two teenage kids, and a friend). The five bicycled back to Vermont with Roger and Clydene meeting them most evenings to share a meal and camp together.

Closer to home, Roger and Clydene relaxed contentedly at their camp on Halls Lake in West Newbury, Vt. After he fully winterized the camp, he would enjoy a cross-country ski on the lake before hunkering down next to the woodstove in the evening. In warmer weather, few things gave Roger more pride than to share this happy place through picnic gatherings with family and friends. His most cherished way to spend leisure time there was soaking up sunshine, puttering on projects, and reading. In fact, he became a voracious reader of non-fiction and enjoyed learning more about the history, flora, and fauna of his native Vermont.

Roger was predeceased by his mother Florice Best LaMountain Trachier, stepfather Maurice Trachier, and father Earl LaMountain; sister Louise Trachier Maville and half-siblings Marie LaMountain Wurtz and John LaMountain; and Hartland aunts and uncles Joyce Best Motschman, Helen Best Hatch, Ralph Best, Clifford Best, and Floyd Best.

Roger is survived by his wife Clydene; son Gary Trachier (Ione) of Hartland; daughter Andrea Trachier Ambros (Theodore) of Hartland; grandson Marshall Ambros (Megan) and their children Asher, Ingrid, and Gordon of Wisconsin; granddaughter Alexandra Ambros of Oregon; half-siblings Nancy LaMountain Richard (Kevin) of Indiana, Shirley Tullar (Wayne) of Lyme, N.H., and Robert LaMountain (Alice) of East Thetford, Vt.; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

At Roger’s request, there will not be any calling hours, funeral, or burial service. His ashes will be scattered at a location he has chosen. There will be a summertime celebration of Roger’s life at Damon Hall in Hartland on Saturday, July 12.

Donations may be given in Roger’s memory to Aging in Hartland, the Brick Church of Hartland, or Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire.

An online guestbook can be found at www.cabotfh.com.

Helena Parker passed away peacefully on April 14, 2025 at Woodstock Terrace. Born October 2, 1930, in Providence, R.I., to Manuel and Ermilinda Silva. Helena’s zest for life and infectious smile touched all who knew her.

Helena’s love for dance was a constant throughout her life. It led to meeting her future husband, Collins Parker, at Arthur Murray Dance Studio and carried her into her final days. Collins and Helena married on February 4, 1956. They raised two children together, Roy and Sally. After initially settling in Cape Cod, the couple embarked on a new adventure — establishing Burgundy Hill Farm in Brownsville. There, they raised prize-winning Herefords, horses, and a menagerie of other animals.

Helena enthusiastically supported her children’s various endeavors. She encouraged Roy’s love of little league and football and nurtured Sally’s talent as an award-winning equestrian. Her Brownsville home became a haven for family and friends, especially during lively Fourth of July celebrations. She was an integral part of the Mt. Ascutney ski community and the Green Mountain Horse Association, always sharing her love for skiing and horses with the next generations.

“Gram” cherished time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sharing her love for skiing, horseback riding, and dancing with each of them.

Helena is survived by her sister, Eileen Sullivan, son Roy DeCesare and his wife Nancy, daughter Sally Gottling and her husband Bill, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and dear friends Robert and Esther Allen. She was predeceased by her husband Collins, parents, brothers John and Eugene, and beloved grandson, Geoffrey. Helena’s joyful spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

In memory of Helena, please consider a donation to Ascutney Outdoors, PO Box 101, Brownsville, VT 05037. Please note Helena Parker, School Ski Program with your donation. 

Helena’s family would like to express their sincerest thanks to Woodstock Terrace and Bayada Home Health Care for their loving care of Helena. The family will be holding a private ceremony to celebrate Helena’s life.

An online guestbook can be found at www.cabotfh.com.

Margaret H. Audsley passed away on Dec. 25, 2024 at the Jack Byrnes Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Lebanon, N.H. surrounded by her family.

She was born on February 14, 1929 in Woodstock, daughter of Harley and Helen (Washburn) Olmstead.

“Peggy” as most people knew her, went to Woodstock schools. She graduated class of 1947. Peggy went to Fanny Mae Cooking School in Boston, Mass. She worked at various jobs in the area.

Peggy married John Audsley in January 1950. They were married just shy of 75 years before her passing.

Peggy and John owned and operated the “WASPs” Snack Bar for 38 years. She made the pies and won a few blue ribbons at the fairs. 

Peggy enjoyed baking, reading, and traveling. She also loved being with her family; going to family reunions and parties of any kind. Being with family was her joy. BINGO was one of her most favorite activities with her bingo girlfriends in their day!

Peggy is survived by her husband John; three children, Alexander of Woodstock, Patricia Eastman of Woodstock, and Christopher of Sebec, Maine. Five grandchildren, Benjamin Merriam (Cait) of Claremont, N.H.; Lenny Merriam (Jacky) of Windsor, Vt.; Lindsey Phillips (Mike) of White River Junction; and Tyler Audsley of Woodstock. Also eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson; three brothers, Everett Olmstead of Bridgewater, Stanley Olmstead (Joyce) of North Hartland, and Arthur Olmstead of Hartland; and many nieces and nephews. 

She is predeceased by both sisters; Miriam Hammond and Rowena Ussery and her youngest brother Warren “Pete” Olmstead and her aunt Edith Washburn.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 3 at the Riverside Cemetery in Woodstock, beginning at 2 p.m. A family reception will follow after the service at the Audsley home in Woodstock.

In lieu of flowers please send memorial donations to St. Judes Hospital or CHAD.

An online guestbook can be found at https://www.cabotfh.com/.

Jean E. Silva, 82, died on Saturday, April 19 at the Jack Byrnes Center in Lebanon, NH.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 26t at 12 p.m. in the South Woodstock Community Church.

A complete obituary will be published at a later date.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

Peter Dewey Hughes, 82, died Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Arlington, Va.

Peter was born on April 25, 1942, in Clearwater, Fla., the son of Edward and Anna (Dewey) Hughes. He attended Hartford High School in White River Junction, and graduated from Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1960. He continued his education at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga., and Georgia Southern College in Statesboro, Ga., earning a bachelor’s degree.

Peter enlisted in the U.S. Navy and proudly served aboard the USS Midway (CVA-41) during the Vietnam War.

He married Julia Hawkins on April 6, 1985, and they lived in Deerfield Beach, Fla. where they welcomed a daughter, Emily. Peter worked as a manager of Sears in Boca Raton, Fla. and then as an insurance agent. Later, he married Janet Rice on May 16, 1998. They lived in South Woodstock until her passing in April 2023. Following her death, Peter moved to Arlington, Va., to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren.

Peter enjoyed the outdoors, whether walking, hiking in the woods, or playing a round of golf, even earning two holes-in-one in Hawaii and Florida. He was also an avid reader, who worked his way through the library’s collections as much as he could. 

He was an active member of the local community and loved talking with tourists while working at the Quechee Gorge Visitors Center in Quechee and at Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock. He loved to share the history of Vermont, could give directions to anything, and loved to learn about where people were from. Peter loved Vermont so much he consistently answered the phone stating, “It’s a beautiful day in Vermont” even on the gloomiest of days.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Judith Ann Hughes. He is survived by his daughter, Emily Hicks, her husband Alan and two grandchildren, Oliver and Edward.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 in the Hilltop Cemetery, in Quechee.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Norman Williams Public Library, Attn: Library Director, 10 The Green, Woodstock, VT 05091.

Knight Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed in an online guestbook found at .

Helen M Earle (Laferriere), age 91, of Hale Hollow Road, Plymouth, died peacefully on April 9 at Merten’s House in Woodstock. 

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. at the Plymouth Notch Church followed by burial at Plymouth Calvin Coolidge Memorial Cemetery.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Sydney R. White, a cherished lifelong educator and beloved friend, passed away on March 25, 2025 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in South Burlington, after a period of declining health.

Born July 31, 1939 in White Plains, N.Y. to parents Wyndan R. White and Judith Fernald White.

Sydney spent many years teaching and shaping young minds at the Woodstock Elementary School in Woodstock. “Miss White” taught many first grades to read under her guidance, which was one of her greatest joys.

During the summer months when not furthering her education, Sydney was a Camp counselor at the Aloha Camp in Fairlee, Vt.

After retirement Sydney spent her summers at the family cottage on Lake Champlain in Milton, Vt., where she enjoyed hosting family and friends.

She also enjoyed traveling with dearest friends, which included her companion Barbara Read, lifelong friend and co-teacher Betsy Wilson and friend and caregiver Amy Campbell.

Sydney was a dedicated supporter of Uconn Women’s Basketball and a fan of coach “Gino.” She took great pride in their successes.

Sydney was resilient and tenacious. Her kindness and hilarity made her a good friend to many at Quarry Hill in South Burlington, Vt., which she made her home for the last decade.

Sydney is survived by her niece Allision Twente and husband Steven. Their children, Graham and Luke, nephew Rob White and wife Crhis, and their children, Ali and Wyndham R. White the IV. Her fun-friends Mittens and Molly, now residing with their friend Abby. Close friend Betsy Wilson and special friends Laura and Jackson “Syds,” adopted family, Marlo Calbeth, husband Rusty, and children Kayleigh Charsland and husband Robert, Abigail Brewer and husband Ryan, Grace Colbeth and fiancée Trent LaBounty, her friend Amy Campbell and husband Bruce. Her adopted great-grandchildren Harper and Ella Charland, a source of great delight.

Sydney was predeceased by her parents, her brother Wyndham R. White the III, and nephew John White, and her companion Barbara Reed.

Services are private.

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important to the life of one child.

Dedication to her by her last class in 1997.

Shirley M. Hebert, 86, died Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Mountain View Genesis in Rutland, Vt.

She was born January 12, 1939, in Windsor, Vt. a daughter of Troy and Eleanor (Webster) Allard. Shirley grew up in Pomfret, graduating from Woodstock High School before beginning a job in housekeeping at the Woodstock Inn. She later became manager of housekeeping at the Quechee Club where she worked for over twenty years before retiring. She was married to Robert Hebert on August 8, 1987, and has lived in White River Junction since. They wintered in Inverness, Fla. for many years until her health deteriorated and she was no longer able to travel.

Shirley was a private person who had a close circle of friends and most of all enjoyed time with her family. She enjoyed road trips on the back of her husband’s Harley Davidson, including a month-long trip across the country where they visited Nashville, Graceland, and Yellowstone.

She is survived by her husband, Robert Hebert, Sr. of White River Junction; daughter, Andrea Robinson (Frank) of Hartland; son William Bates (Kelley) of Fort White, Fla.; three grandchildren, Justin Bates, Jacob VanRyswyk and Kayla Robinson, and a sister, Winifred Kenison of White River Jct. Shirley was predeceased by a son, Wayne Bates in 2006.

A private committal will take place in the family plot in White River Junction.

Knight Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed in an online guestbook found 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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