Woodstock DRB grants accessory on-farm business status to Peace Field Farm

Woodstock

In a long-awaited and sharply split decision, the Woodstock Town Development Review Board (TDRB) has given Boston developer and Peace Field Farm owner John Holland conditional approval under Vermont’s Act 143 to operate a restaurant as an “accessory on-farm business” (AOFB) at 650 Pomfret Road.

In a closed deliberative session on November 9, the quasi-judicial TDRB, acting on testimony presented at three public, evidentiary hearings dating back to October 2020, voted 3-2 to grant AOFB status to the controversial Peace Field Farm proposal.

The TDRB vote came less than three weeks after the District 3 Environmental Commission of the Vermont Natural Resources Board denied Peace Field Farm an Act 250 permit, contending that the project as proposed is not in conformance with the Woodstock Town Plan. Act 143, however, bars municipalities from “prohibiting an accessory on-farm business at the same location as a farm.” The state leaves it up to municipalities to determine whether projects are in conformance with the statutory definition of an AOFB.

For additional information on this, please see the Dec. 2 edition of the Vermont Standard

Maplefields to install EV charging stations

Woodstock

The president of R.L. Vallee Inc., the parent company of the Maplefields convenience store chain, has detailed plans to construct a four-station, electric vehicle (EV) charging facility at the east end of Pleasant Street, across the street from Maplefields’ Woodstock Village location.

Although EVs are soaring in popularity — a growth spurt expected to leap considerably in the wake of the massive, EV-friendly public infrastructure legislation recently passed by the U.S. Congress — there are a dearth of EV charging outlets in the Woodstock area, both for Tesla-built vehicles, which require specialized chargers, and for standard EVs from Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Volkswagen, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, and a number of other manufacturers. When the proposed installation of four EV chargers at the Maplefields location is completed sometime next year, it will more than double the number of charging units to be found in Woodstock. The Woodstock Maplefields charging station project was granted a conditional use permit from the Woodstock Planning and Zoning Department on Nov. 15. Woodstock had previously given R.L. Vallee a permit to connect gas pumps at the former Sunoco gas station site to the Maplefields store immediately across Pleasant Street. “Based on that prior permit, we connected those pumps to the station at Maplesfield so that they could be operated remotely, but with a credit card. Now we are trying to clean up that old building site, do some paving and so on,” R.L. Vallee Inc. President Skip Vallee explained.

Read more in the November 24 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Trial timetable set for Woodstock PT accused of lewd conduct

Any possible criminal trial of a former Windsor County physical therapist for a lewd and lascivious conduct charge for groping the breasts of a female patient is at least six months away. Peter P. Mayock, 70, of Quechee pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court to the felony lewd conduct charge last June and remains free on conditions, including no contact with four now former female patients. The criminal charge involves only one patient during a May 21 appointment at his office, but a court affidavit reveals other women have told similar stories. Prosecutors were apparently either blocked due to the statute of limitations or opted not to file other charges. Mayock was the longtime owner of the now-defunct Ottauquechee Physical Therapy and has surrendered his professional license.

There has not been much movement in the criminal case until recent weeks when lawyers worked on a proposed timetable. “All discovery shall be complete and this case shall be ready for trial by June 1, 2022,” according to an order agreed to by lawyers in the case and signed by Judge John R. Treadwell. A pretrial status conference is set for March 2022, Treadwell ordered.

Read more in the November 24 edition of the Vermont Standard.

New pharmacy in Woodstock doing healthy business

Woodstock

It has now been four months since a venerable tradition — an independent, family-run, locally owned pharmacy — returned to Woodstock. The new Ottauquechee Pharmacy, located on the lower level of the Ottauquechee Health Center (OHC) at 32 Pleasant Street in Woodstock Village, is filling a vital niche formerly occupied by the Woodstock Pharmacy — a landmark retail store that shuttered its location on Central Street in October 2020 after 170 years of service to the community. The new pharmacy at OHC, which is operated by High Mountain Corp., a Rutland-based family business that owns six drug stores in Vermont, is reportedly settling into its new niche in Woodstock successfully. “The community has been awesome and very welcoming,” Jeff Hochberg, the vice president of High Mountain, said Monday. “We continue to evolve and add services as we learn what the community needs.” When the Woodstock Pharmacy closed in the fall of 2020, the longtime, community-based drug store transferred its list of prescription drug customers to the CVS chain drug store in West Lebanon, as required by federal and state regulatory authorities when a pharmacy shuts its doors. At the time, it was anybody’s guess if longtime customers would return to a local pharmacy in Woodstock if one were to open its doors. According to Hochberg, devoted customers of the former Woodstock Pharmacy have now returned to the nascent Ottauquechee Pharmacy in sizable numbers. “We’ve seen a lot of people coming back — a whole lot,” Hochberg enthused.

Read more in the November 24 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Proud of how they played, how far they came

Wasps football — looking back at a season of triumphs and lessons learned

When the 2021 WUHS football season began, the Wasps had half a dozen players who had never played football before, a couple who had never played for Woodstock, three more who had not played for several years, and seven freshmen on the roster. Throw in the sophomores who had not played tackle football for the Wasps and some juniors who had only played sparingly as freshmen, and Woodstock essentially had five student-athletes with any experience on the gridiron.

Given that, it’s easy to understand why co-captain Eric Blanchard’s most memorable game of the season was the first one.

“We beat a team (Springfield) that a whole lot of people didn’t give us a chance against,” said the senior tight end. “And we had to come from behind to do it. It’s hard to express just how great that felt.”

Woodstock trailed at intermission of that game before outscoring the Cosmos 21-0 after half time. That jump-started the team to a final record of 6-4 that included a second win over Springfield in the first round of the playoffs, sandwiched by a pair of losses to the undefeated state champions, the Windsor Yellowjackets.

We kept that semifinal playoff game close,” said running back Corey White of the 26-13 defeat. Woodstock trailed by only a touchdown after three quarters. “And look at the score of the championship game.” Windsor blitzed BFA-Fairfax 53-7. “I think you could say we are the second best team in Division III.”

Read more in the November 24 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Laurence “Larry” Roberts, Jr.

SOUTH WOODSTOCK

Laurence “Larry” Roberts, Jr., 99, Woodstock’s 1994 Rotary Citizen of the Year, died on Thursday morning November 25, 2021 at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH after a very full life.

Born October 23, 1922 in Torrington, CT the son of Laurence and Dorothy (Friend) Roberts Larry grew up in Riverton, CT, and attended Trinity College receiving a Masters in physics and education. Larry would go on to teach mathematics and physics at the Woodstock Country School for 15 years and at the Holderness School in Plymouth, NH for 16 years, retiring from Holderness in 1984 and returning to Woodstock.

Though his work educating young minds was important, Larry was extremely well known for his dedication to organizations that centered around giving back. Larry joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1936, achieving his Eagle rank in 1940, and served on committees that supported scouting for decades, even receiving the Episcopal Church’s rare St. George Award for his commitment to helping develop young minds through scouting.

Larry served in the US Army in 1945 and 1946.  He continued his commitment by supporting the Ora E Paul Post # 24 of the American Legion for many years, serving as both Chaplain and Vice Commander. His lifelong commitment to the Episcopal Church was unwavering from his early days serving as an acolyte to his serving on the Vestry and beyond. He was a parishioner at St. James in Woodstock and also a long-time member and former Chaplain for the Woodstock Masonic Lodge.

Larry never sat still, he spent decades volunteering for the Edwin Thompson Senior Center, Glad Rags, the local food shelf, the Visiting Nurses Association, and many, many more. His over 11 gallons of donations to the blood bank and many years of assisting elders and others with taxes and financial consulting would be difficult for anyone to match.

When asked his secret for longevity, Larry responded “Give blood regularly, get out and be involved, volunteer and give of yourself and, of course, be left-handed!”

He is survived by his children: Hannah Roberts Artuso, Storm Roberts, Mark Wallace Roberts, and his grandchildren: Celeste Roberts, Kathryn Wallace Roberts, Mariya Godsend Roberts Hall, and Mary Kelton Artuso, brother Douglas Roberts, his nieces, nephews, and many cousins. He is predeceased by his wives Mary Kelton Wallace Roberts and Priscilla Alden Ramsay, as well his brother Arba Roberts.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm at St. James Episcopal Church in Woodstock, Vermont. His ashes will be interred at a later date in his family’s plot in Barkhamsted, CT. If attending the service masks will be required. Services will also be available at this zoom link:

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (vnhcare.org) or The South Woodstock Fire Department (P.O. Box 1, South Woodstock, VT 05071).

An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com.

Paul Quicker

Woodstock

With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Paul Quicker who died unexpectedly on November 10, 2021. He was loved by his family and many friends. He will be remembered for his loyal friendships, his fabulous cooking, and his unique and special sense of humor.

Paul was born in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 2, 1970 to Jerry and Mary. He married Erin O’Connor on July 16, 1994. He graduated from South Milwaukee High School in 1988 and received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from The University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992.

After college, Paul moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue a career with NOAA. His work then took him to the Washington, D.C. area. He leveraged his technical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to create Chesapeake Strategy, which he and Erin founded in 2004.  Paul was in the process of launching a new venture, Palanquin Consultants.  Paul was a dedicated and respected colleague, mentor and leader.

Paul loved learning about new technology, playing with the latest gadgets, boating on the Chesapeake Bay, cooking and sharing great and adventurous food with all who had the pleasure of crossing his path, and most of all he loved his family. He was a proud and generous father who loved his three sons with all his heart.

Paul spent the last years of his life splitting his time between Virginia and Vermont. He was loved and cherished by myriad friends and family including: Erin, their children Riley, Owen, and Jack Quicker of Woodstock, Vermont; his parents Jerry (Judy) Quicker of Neillsville, Wisconsin and Mary (Nick) Balducci of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin; his sisters Carol (Pat) Meighen of Watertown, Wisconsin and Christine Schoenike of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin; brother-in-law John (Elizabeth) O’Connor, his sisters-in-law Amanda (Rob) Miller and Michele Barr; his nieces and nephews Kristin and Kyle Chambasian, Colin and Katrina Meighen, Darren and Dean Schoenike, Connor, Kate and Billy Barr, Molly, Jay and Caroline Miller and Eleanor and Maren O’Connor; his aunts and uncles Mary and John Anderson, Jim and Linda Anderson, Dennis and Rose Quicker, Donald and Cindy Quicker. He is preceded in death by his brother Michael Quicker, his mother-in-law Dianne O’Connor, his father-in-law Jack O’Connor, his grandparents Hubert and Nellie Quicker and Robert and Harriet Anderson, his uncle and aunt Snick and Verna Quicker.

An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com

Ruth (May) Ekberg

Woodstock

Ruth (May) Ekberg, 99, of Woodstock passed away Thursday, November 18, 2021, at Mertens House.

Ruth was born in Newark, NJ, on September 7, 1922, daughter of Russell Hayden and Ethel (Randall) May. Her father died in 1927, and the family moved to Brattleboro, VT to live with her grandfather, Ovando Randall. She attended Brattleboro schools then graduated from Northfield-Mt Hermon in 1940 and Westbrook College in 1942. During World War II, she served in the U.S. Navy as a WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from 1944 to 1946. She attended Boot Camp at Hunter College in New York City, and Hospital Corps School at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. The remainder of her Navy career was spent at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital.

After leaving the Navy she stayed on in New York City working as a medical secretary until her return to Brattleboro. She married Oscar W. Ekberg of Westmoreland, NH, in 1962. She managed Oscar’s business of selling and servicing pianos until his retirement. Ruth was a vital participant in the small town of Westmoreland. She was secretary to the selectboard for many years as well as a member of the Ladies Aid Society, the historical society, public library board, and the Westmoreland United Church.

Her husband passed away in 1989, and in 1992, she moved to Woodstock, VT to be near her daughter and son-in-law Martha and Lantz Cook. During her years in Woodstock, she volunteered at the Thompson Senior Center, the Woodstock History Center, and the Green Mountain Perkins Academy where her grandfather attended school. Ruth’s devotion to her time in the Navy continued throughout her life. She was a member of the Green Mountain Girls, the Vermont Unit #113 of WAVES National, and attended the dedication of the Military Women’s Memorial in Washington, DC in 1997.

She is survived by her daughter, Martha, and son-in-law, Lantz, as well as two nephews and a niece. She was predeceased by one brother E. Randall Haviland. There will be no service at Ruth’s request. She will be interred at Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro. Contributions may be made in Ruth’s memory to the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society (https://www.lucymac.org) or the Thompson Senior Center (https://www.thompsonseniorcenter.org).

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

Nancy K. Schullinger

Woodstock

Nancy K. Schullinger passed away on the morning of November 7, 2021. She was 84 years old.

Nancy was born on July 14, 1937 in Richmond, VA to Tyler and Sallie Kiener, their only child. Her father Tyler, a civil engineer, was posted to several locations throughout the south and Nancy spent her early childhood in Bluefield, W. VA, and Fredericksburg, VA. When Nancy was 12, the family settled in Chester, VA.

Nancy attended Thomas Dale High School and graduated from Colby Junior College (now Colby Sawyer College) in 1957. She went on to attend Columbia School of Nursing in New York City and graduated with a BA in Nursing in 1960. She then worked as a nurse in the Open Heart Recovery Unit, and later in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department At Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. In 1962, she met and married John N. Schullinger, then a pediatric resident at the Columbia Presbyterian Babies Hospital. Following the birth of their daughter, Sallie, the couple moved to Englewood, NJ in 1967. Nancy worked as the school nurse at the Elizabeth Morrow School in Englewood from 1970 to 1982. During that time she was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Junior Leagues of NYC and Bergen County. In 1994 Nancy and John moved to Woodstock, VT, where they quickly settled in and were embraced by its warm community.

Nancy will be remembered for her immense generosity, kindness, and caring for others. She was a wonderful cook and hostess, and nothing pleased her more than learning new cuisines and dishes to prepare for family and friends. She was an avid tennis player for many years and followed the world of tennis long after she stopped playing. She loved classical music and played the classical guitar. She loved nature in all its many guises, particularly bird watching and stargazing. Books and reading were her passion for all of her life, and her interests ranged from physics to murder mysteries to classics. She and John made several trips to Europe and traveled throughout the United States.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Nancy moved to Mertens House in Woodstock in 2019.

Nancy is survived by her husband John, her daughter Sallie Schullinger-Krause and Biff the Wonder Dog. She is also survived by five cousins, and a niece and two nephews by marriage, and two generations of great-nieces and nephews.

A funeral and graveside service will be held in the spring of 2022.

Donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to the Upper Valley Humane Society and The Vermont Institute of Natural Science.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

Michael A. Forte Jr.

Michael A. Forte Jr., 70 — Father, Master Carpenter, and Fishermen

Michael A. Forte, 70, passed away Monday, October 3, 2021 at Cape Coral Hospital West Florida with his siblings by his side.

Mike was born in Newark, NJ and he was raised in Menlo Park, NJ, then graduated from Woodbridge High School in 1970.

Mike was drafted into the US Army in 1972 and was stationed overseas in Frankfurt, Germany as a Tank Operator.

Mike married Joann Berndt on November 26, 1974, at Our Lady of Peace R.C. Church in Fords, NJ.

Mike originally moved up to Woodstock, VT in 1977, then he and Joann settled in Reading on Tyson Road where they raised their two children, Nicole Marie and Cody Michael.

Mike was a very dedicated and talented Carpenter and was employed by Colby & Tobiason Builders in Woodstock, VT for 25 years.

Mike had a bigger-than-life personality, you would instantly know when he entered the room, known for his boisterous greetings and solid handshake.  He was always asking others how they and their families were doing.  You could always find Mike stopping off at Singleton’s General Store for some smoked pepperoni and bacon, or over at the Reading Greenhouse helping out making wreaths during the Christmas season or building hoop-houses, and then in the later years, he loved picking up steaks, fish for dinner from the Woodstock Farmer’s Market.

Mike loved to fish with his son Cody out on Amherst Lake and Knapp Ponds.  He always looked forward to his annual summer vacations out on the boat and on the beach in LBI, NJ with his Brother-in-law Joe Berndt and Daughter Kelly, Sister-in-law Linda Scoda and (late) husband Brian, and their children, Brian and Michelle, Sister-in-law Maryellen and husband Frank Hobler and their Daughters Sarah and Megan, and Grandma Joan and Grandpa Joe.

Mike had memorable family cross-country trips out to Yellow Stone, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks, and House Boating on Lake Powell with his Sister Linda and (late) Brother-in-law Bob and their Sons, Shane and Jason from Colorado.

Mike was a rugged guy that loved his kids, his craft, and the state of Vermont so much so, that he pioneered his Parents, his maternal Grandmother, Aunts and Cousins to move out of New Jersey up to Vermont.

Mike is predeceased by his Parents, Michael A. Forte Sr. and Lorriane, of Wallingford, his maternal Grandmother Connie Drasca of Manchester, his maternal Aunts Fran Walsh, of Rutland and Anita Mae Reed, of Danby, Cousin Amanda Loree, of Wallingford, his paternal Grandparents Tony and Rose Forte, of Newark, paternal Uncle Nicholas Forte and Aunt Theresa Forte-Lomastro, of North Jersey, along with his beloved Husky Hawkeye.

Mike is survived by his Daughter, Nicole Marie 38, of Christchurch, New Zealand, his Son Cody Michael 36, of Little Silver Point, NJ and Hyde Park, VT, his ex-wife Joann Forte, of Key Largo, FL, his Brother John J. Forte, of Pine Island, FL, and Son Dylan, his Sister, Linda Weckesser, of Vero Beach, FL, and Sons Shane and Jason, and also many Cousins.

A Memorial Service will be held on Pine Island, FL organized by Mike’s Siblings and Friends.  A Funeral Mass will be scheduled at Our Lady of the Snows R.C. Church and burial proceeding at Riverside Cemetery, Woodstock, VT in the Spring of 2022.

Eloise Woodward Gardner

Eloise Woodward Gardner passed away peacefully on October 15, 2021 at the age of ninety-seven from complications of a recent fall.  Predeceased by her husband Frank H. Gardner and her youngest daughter Barbara D. Gardner, she spent the last seventeen years of her life at Brookhaven in Lexington, MA.

Eloise grew up in Truro, MA, attended St. Mary’s Hall in New Jersey, and completed her nurse’s training before marrying her childhood sweetheart Frank H. Gardner and settling in West Newton, MA to raise a family.  She was an active participant in her husband’s antique car hobby which took them to Vermont where there were beautiful winding roads to explore in vintage vehicles.  They settled in Woodstock Village, moving a brick house from the present site of Mac’s Market to the Woodstock Green.

The family then moved to a farm on Hartland Hill in the sixties where pond picnics, walking trails, back porch sunset evenings with family and friends, and the antique car back roading could all be enjoyed.  Eloise rode in the Hartland Fourth of July parade with her husband Frank in their 1929 Packard for many of their Vermont summers.

She was a member of The Hartland Nature Club which once counted close to three hundred bats as they launched at the crepuscular hour from the rafters and eves of “Sky Farm’s” barn and house.  Eloise was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Esqua Bog project in Hartland.

Eloise was an artist’s daughter, and she had an artist’s eye.  Children’s book illustration was a lifelong passion.  Sharing her interest with her children and friends, she enjoyed collecting and started a children’s book illustration group at Brookhaven.

She was a member of a neighborhood sewing group in West Newton, a Girl Scout leader, and an active volunteer for twenty years at Sherrill House in Boston, training other nurses and serving as Board President.  Additionally, Eloise and her husband were devoted parishioners and supporters of Trinity Church in Copley Square.

She was proud of being a Cape Codder and the granddaughter of Ralph Crosby, who designed and built the Crosby Catboat.  There is still a Crosby Boatyard in Osterville, MA where she liked to visit in recent years.

Eloise often said family was “the most important thing in her life.”  Known by many as “Weezie,” with a catboat named after her, she will be remembered for her independent spirit, her leadership, strength and courage, appreciation of art and nature, and her love of conversation about subjects that mattered.  She was particularly fond of bread and her favorite meal was breakfast.

She will be greatly missed!  Eloise is survived by her brother Ralph Woodward and his children and grandchildren, her daughters Tamson P. Gardner of Essex, MA, Nan H. Powlison of Glenside, PA, Josephine Crosby of Shelburne, VT, a son Cleveland W. Gardner of Santa Fe, NM, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people donate to the charity of their choice.  A private family service will be held at Snow’s Cemetery in Truro, MA.

Todd B. Shortlidge

Barnard

Todd B. Shortlidge, 75, of Barnard, born in White Plains, NY to Joseph and Natalie (Newell) Shortlidge, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2021 at Rutland Regional Hospital following a brief illness. Todd attended Dean Junior College in Franklin, MA, and then the University of Denver, CO. He then worked as an art director for advertising agencies in NYC, including Shaller Rubin, for a number of years. In 1965 he married Pamela Bay and lived in Millwood, NY. They later divorced. He was married to Deborah Rice of Barnard from 1986 to 1994 and moved to Vermont, where he was self-employed in graphic design. He served as Zoning Administrator for the Town of Barnard. Todd enjoyed gardening, photography, and skiing. He loved dogs and was known to all the neighbor’s dogs for his generous dog biscuit handouts.

Todd is survived by his son, Todd Allan Shortlidge (and partner, Dash), of San Francisco; his brother Peter Shortlidge (Patricia), and nieces Tassie, Chelsea, and Natalie, all of Florida; stepson, Peter Butler (Deborah), and step-granddaughter, Lily; his nephews Joel Shortlidge (Lisa) and Aaron Shortlidge (Ellen) of NH; step-sister, Bonnie Farrell (Pat) of Virginia; his sister-in-law Lynn Shortlidge and nephew Jason Mack of California; his sister-in-law Martha Shortlidge White of Michigan: as well as several great-nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers David and Barry Shortlidge, his father, Joe, mother, Natalie Shortlidge, his stepmother Leona Shortlidge, and stepmother Dorie Shortlidge.

Arrangements are by Cabot Funeral Home. There are no calling hours, and a private family memorial celebration is planned. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the Central Vermont Humane Society in Todd’s name.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

In the final week of our Annual Appeal, we’re grateful and hopeful

By Dan Cotter, Vermont Standard publisher  

Like at most newspapers, times have been tough at the Standard.

­­­But unlike most newspapers, our situation doesn’t appear to be hopeless. In fact, it’s quite hopeful.

As I’ve chronicled in these pages in the past, the Standard now only generates about half as much revenue from the sale of advertising as it used to. In large part, that’s due to changes in the way people buy and sell things. Big box retailers and chain stores that don’t advertise in community newspapers attract most of the customers, which comes at the expense of smaller independent stores that tend to be the most loyal newspaper advertisers. And the rapid consumer shift today towards purchasing from Amazon and other online retailers has negatively impacted many local stores, and therefore local newspapers. When businesses struggle or cease to exist, they no longer advertise in the paper.

In addition, much of the classified advertising that used to be found in newspapers has now moved instead to online help-wanted, real estate and auto sales platforms. Plus, many local businesses now spend more of their marketing budgets on digital ads with giants like Google, Facebook and others.

The bottom line is that the math no longer adds up for the Standard to count on local advertising dollars alone to fund a quality news operation.

The hopeful part is that the Standard still has a very loyal, highly engaged audience that truly values the journalism we provide for the communities we serve. The Standard has not experienced the dramatic circulation decline that so many other newspapers around the country have endured, and our complementary audience on our news update website is substantial.

It’s gratifying, and no surprise then, that in the past few weeks so many of our readers have stepped up to offer well wishes and make a contribution to our 2021 Annual Appeal. Please accept our heartfelt thanks and our pledge to use your gifts wisely to fund the local journalism you deserve!

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE  CLICK HERE

TO MAKE A GIFT TO THE VERMONT STANDARD ANNUAL APPEAL CLICK HERE

Your Annual Appeal gift supports not only our paper, but also our people

By Dan Cotter, publisher  

If ever there was an industry in which people are the product, it’s got to be newspapers.

Think about it. Each edition of a newspaper is essentially a compilation of the best efforts of a bunch of different people, all with complementary roles and responsibilities, who invested their time, talent, and creativity to produce their piece of a report that briefs you on the latest news in the community. Especially at a small paper like the Standard, there’s very little redundancy – everyone has a distinct job to do and they are counted upon to perform it to the best of their ability, under the pressure of deadlines, for a quality finished product to come together.

A community newspaper is sometimes referred to as “the weekly miracle,” because each week papers like the Standard start out with a blank page, and by deadline there’s a completely hand-crafted, finished local news report in your hands or available on your screen. It’s unique each week; full of content that is fresh and different from any of the earlier editions of the paper in its 168-year history.

Nearly all of the content in the Standard is reported, written and photographed from scratch by our own journalists and contributors.

Unlike most other media, we don’t simply pass along AP news stories or syndicated articles. We are the only news organization that is dedicated to serving our communities with original reporting about news that either happens here or directly affects the people who live here.

So, when you make a contribution to our 2021 Annual Appeal, you’re actually supporting the day-to-day efforts of a sizeable group of deeply committed individuals who collaborate every week to produce the Standard. Nearly 40 people, both paid and volunteers, play a role in keeping you informed about the news that affects you most – local news.

The people who produce the Standard are your neighbors. When you support the paper, you’re supporting them.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE  CLICK HERE

TO MAKE A GIFT TO THE VERMONT STANDARD ANNUAL APPEAL CLICK HERE

Today we’re asking all our friends to support local journalism

To Our Readers,

They say that old friends are the best friends.

Old friends have your back when the going gets tough. They help you carry on when you’re not strong.

After serving Woodstock and its surrounding towns for 168 years, you could say that the Standard and this community go way back. We hope we’ve made some friends along the way, and this month we’re leaning on our friends, both old and new, as we launch our first Annual Appeal fundraising effort.

We sincerely thank you for reading the Vermont Standard. Striving to produce a quality local news report that keeps you informed and engaged in our community is a critically important mission, and we’re quite honored to be entrusted with that assignment.

As we explained in the article that appeared in this space last week, we urgently need your support to help us bridge the gap between our declining advertising revenue and the expenses required to produce the local journalism that you need, want and deserve.

TO READ THE FULL LETTER CLICK HERE

TO MAKE A GIFT TO THE VERMONT STANDARD ANNUAL APPEAL CLICK HERE

Standard launches its first Annual Appeal

For 168 years, the town of Woodstock and its surrounding communities have relied upon the Vermont Standard to report the local news.

The paper’s mission each week has been to keep residents abreast of the latest happenings; let readers know what’s going on; give them something to talk about; tell them when someone is born or when someone dies, and everything in-between. We tell you who won, who lost; whether there’s reason to celebrate or to mourn; whether there is cause to be skeptical or reason to go all in; whether to be optimistic or cautious. Good news or bad, the Standard’s audience simply wants to know, “What’s new around here, what’s the latest?”

No other news media covers this particular slice of Vermont. Sure, regional news providers, such as TV stations, online sites, or daily papers from other towns, touch on our area and report some of the bigger stories that occur, but our communities aren’t their main focus or primary concern. At the Standard, though, our own communities are our only concern.

And the “little” stories are often just as important as the “big” ones to those who call this place home. Like we do.

We think ours is a noble mission. We’re proud to be entrusted to keep our communities informed and connected. We tell residents about local subjects that may interest them, affect them, entertain or inspire them. Independently owned, we work on behalf of the people, businesses and organizations of this area.

And readers look forward to the paper each week. Whether in print or digital, they read it, they trust it, and they have conversations with family and friends about the information they find in it.

That’s the way it was so many years ago when the Standard began and throughout all those decades since. That’s the way it remains to this very day.

Since 1853, the communities we serve have needed us. Right now, we need them.

Today the Standard is launching its first Annual Appeal.

TO READ THE FULL STORY CLICK HERE

TO MAKE A GIFT TO THE VERMONT STANDARD ANNUAL APPEAL CLICK HERE

Newspapers Are In a Race Against the Clock

Woodstock

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

Read Full Article

New marketing services now available to local businesses