Retired Vermont Superior Court Judge Helen M. Toor has been selected to serve as the new mediator for the long-stalled civil lawsuit filed against the Woodstock Foundation and its board members that included claims of mismanagement of the Woodstock Inn and Billings Farm.

Toor retired last year after serving 25 years as a trial court judge. She had earlier worked as an attorney, including 10 years as a division chief with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont. She now operates Toor Mediation in Chittenden County. 

Superior Court Judge H. Dickson Corbett selected Toor last week during a court hearing held to get the two-year-old lawsuit back on track for a possible trial. Both sides have missed several court-imposed deadlines for various steps in the case.

Corbett also selected Gregory S. Clayton as a back-up if Toor is unavailable. Clayton is well known in federal court in Vermont for serving as an early neutral evaluator. 

Corbett also agreed to set a new pre-trial timeline that is expected to get the blockbuster case to trial by mid-June. 

Former longtime Woodstock Foundation Chair Ellen Pomeroy and former Vice Chair Sal Iannuzzi filed the multi-count lawsuit after the rest of the foundation board began to secretly remove them from office starting in November 2022, court records show.

Pomeroy and Iannuzzi maintain their removal came after they began to investigate multiple credible claims by employees about mismanagement and malfeasance at the Woodstock Inn & Resort and the Billings Farm & Museum, court records note.

Their ouster was completed during what has been called an 11-minute orchestrated “annual meeting” by the defendants on Jan. 27, 2023, according to White River Junction attorney Michael Hanley, the lead local counsel for Pomeroy and Iannuzzi.

They sued Foundation Directors James S. Sligar, the current chair, David M. Simmons, Michael D. Nolan, John T. Hallowell, Douglas R. Horne, William S. Moody, Gail Waddell and Angela K. Ardolic. The two sides agreed last year to drop Moody as a defendant. No public reason was provided.

Corbett agreed with a March 31 deadline for mediation.

He also set April 30 as the new deadline for depositions and said the case must be ready for trial by June 15.

Pomeroy and Iannuzzi claim various counts of misconduct by the defendants in their lawsuit. The plaintiffs, among other things, want the court to remove the individual directors named as defendants and to reverse the actions they have undertaken since the removal of the plaintiffs.

The ongoing legal battle has generated considerable local and national interest because the Foundation and Holdings play a leading role in the economic engine for the Woodstock region. About 600 people are employed through the operation of the Woodstock Inn and Resort, the Woodstock Country Club and the Saskadena Six Ski Area (formerly Suicide Six), along with the Billings Farm and Museum. 

The not-for-profit Foundation was created by Laurence S. Rockefeller and Mary French Rockefeller in 1968 to provide philanthropic support to the Woodstock community and to own and operate Billings Farm and Museum. It was set up for charitable and educational purposes.

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard.

The Woodstock Selectboard opted unanimously Tuesday evening to delay decisions on requests from the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) to fund two commission programs regarding marketing and housing that will run out of funding at the end of February.

In a memo dated Jan. 16, written in the wake of a special meeting of the EDC on Tuesday evening, Jan. 14, EDC Chair Jon Spector, acting at the behest of his fellow commissioners, asked the Town Selectboard to consider renewed funding for the initiatives from the municipality’s Economic Development Reserve Fund while the board continues to ponder the future mission and objectives of the economic commission and other advisory bodies under the control of town government.

Marketing Woodstock

EDC members concurred at their Jan. 14 meeting that they are “very satisfied with the current arrangements” with web and social media consultant Jess Kirby and her team. “We believe funding should be continued for another year at the current annual cost of roughly $55,000,” Spector argued in the memo to the town’s elected governing body. 

Apart from funding the consulting work being provided by Kirby, Spector said the EDC is also getting ready to review six responses to a request-for-proposals (RFP) to upgrade and enhance the town’s marketing website at a projected cost of between $20,000 and $40,000, depending upon the bidder. “Since you indicated in a prior meeting that you wanted us to move forward with the RFP process, we will present these options and our recommendations to you next month,” Spector noted in his Jan. 16 memo and again at Tuesday’s board meeting.

The Housing Advisor Program

Funding for the Woodstock housing advisor, which operates under the umbrella of the EDC, also runs out at the end of next month. Spector also addressed that issue in the EDC memo to the selectboard and Jill Davies, a member of the EDC’s Housing Advisory Group, underscored the concern in speaking before the governing body on Tuesday.

“Our recommendation is to continue funding the Housing Advisor position, legal, and advertising expenses at an annual cost of $52,000,” Spector wrote in the Jan. 16 memo. “But we also recommend significantly shifting the focus of this role to prepare for a larger, sustained, long-term effort for investing in housing as a means of economic development in Woodstock,” the EDC chair emphasized.

The EDC is recommending that a housing incentive program that has resulted in the completion of 14 housing units be continued. “Failing to fund this [ongoing] effort may risk the loss of units in progress or about to start,” Spector wrote, citing the fact that about 10% of current Housing Adviser Trena Tolliver’s time is spent coordinating the incentive program.

The economic development advisory body for the town is also calling for the continuance of all four housing incentive programs that have been coordinated by Tolliver and the EDC “until they are supplanted by new programs.” Spector noted that “They are all ‘success-based programs,’ meaning we only pay when housing units are created.

At the conclusion of the Tuesday evening meeting, selectboard members decided to delay a decision on continued funding for the housing advisor post until a special meeting set for Wednesday, Jan. 29, at which the board will also act on the warning to be posted for the upcoming annual Town Meeting.

As far as the EDC’s request for the continuance of funding for its marketing initiatives is concerned, the selectboard did not set a date certain for a decision on that issue.

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Woodstock Police Chief Joe Swanson, who began his 15th week on paid administrative leave on Tuesday, was due to have a preliminary disciplinary hearing this week before Municipal Manager Eric Duffy.

The closed-door hearing was planned for Wednesday afternoon as the Vermont Standard was headed to press. 

“My goal is to resolve this case and get Joe reinstated and returned to work,” said one of his defense lawyers, Linda Fraas of Manchester, N.H.

Duffy and Village Attorney Matt Bloomer of the law firm Stitzel, Page & Fletcher in Burlington were expected to conduct the hearing behind closed doors.

Fraas and Swanson will attempt to attack a 13-page letter sent to the chief by the manager indicating that he was considering possible disciplinary action, including suspension and up to dismissal. 

Duffy’s letter is based on a 17-page report filed by Private Detective Bill Burgess of Lebanon, N.H. following interviews with village police officers and town emergency dispatchers. 

Swanson offered his rebuttal in the report, but Duffy is proceeding.

If dismissal is proposed by Duffy, under Vermont law Swanson is entitled to a hearing before either the Village Trustees or in Vermont Superior Court. 

Fraas said she hopes it does not get that far. If it does, Swanson will ask for an open hearing so the public can attend, she said. 

Duffy had initially sent a notice on Jan. 10 for a hearing on Jan. 16, but it did not meet the requirements under the law, including at least seven days advance notice.

The two sides agreed to hold the hearing this week instead.

It is called a Loudermill hearing and is part of the due process requirements that public employees are entitled to receive before they can be disciplined. 

Duffy requested the Burgess investigation after Swanson was placed on paid leave on Oct. 15 unrelated to the operation of the village police department. Swanson was a passenger and witness to an off-duty traffic incident on High Street involving his husband, Woodstock lawyer Nicholas “Nico” Seldon, and a second driver on Oct. 13. 

While Swanson was on leave, members of the village police department and town’s emergency dispatch center privately began to make complaints to Duffy about the chief, the manager has said.

Duffy said he alerted the Village Trustees and a decision was made to hire Burgess on Oct. 25. He was to inquire about complaints by several employees “regarding the activities, behavior and administrative practices of Police Chief Joe Swanson.” 

The Vermont State Police, which did a neutral investigation into the High Street incident, said on Nov. 5 that no criminal charges were expected. Both drivers refused to give statements to VSP detectives, Detective Capt. Scott Dunlap said. The other eyewitnesses, including Swanson, did not provide enough to move forward, he said.

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Last week, Woodstock village officials acknowledged that the village is currently not enforcing its new Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance, which officially went into effect on the first of the year. “There are so many rules and so many ordinances, and I would love to be able to enforce them all at all times, but that is unfortunately not possible,” Woodstock Village Board of Trustees chair Seton McIlroy told the Standard on Saturday. “Our staff just doesn’t have the bandwidth.”

Originally designed as a joint set of rules for STR owners in Woodstock town and village, petitions were filed that required both municipalities to hold public votes on it. Voters in the town decided to abandon the new ordinance, while voters in the village upheld it.

In the immediate aftermath of the village and town’s split votes, McIlroy said the boards’ commitment to STR regulation enforcement had not wavered. “What you will see that will be a change from before is despite having two [different] ordinances, there will be a real focus on having people in compliance,” McIlroy told the Standard in August.

Part of McIlroy’s optimism stemmed from the town and village’s joint purchase last year of a new STR enforcement software, which voters approved during the town and village’s annual meetings in March. The software, which costs $25,362 — a price that will increase by 7% each year Woodstock chooses to renew it, scrapes STR advertisements from hundreds of websites to identify local STRs that are operating out of compliance.

According to Duffy, the problem is that the software currently does not differentiate between properties in the village and town and does not automatically separate posts from hotels from those by private STR operators. “All these things can be changed, but it [takes] employee time to go through this and work with [the software company],” Duffy said during a trustee’s meeting last week.

He was not able to give a date by which Woodstock’s staff will start working to shift the software’s parameters or start sifting through the available data. 

Duffy noted that until Woodstock’s staff begins using the software to identify out-of-compliance rentals, the village will also not be responding to individual resident complaints about STRs operating outside the limits of the ordinance. 

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard.

The Town of Reading Selectboard has narrowed its ongoing consideration of potential wastewater treatment options down to three for 77 properties in the state-approved “Designated Village Center” of Felchville.

The need for community wastewater treatment was identified as a common thread throughout the Reading Town Plan, last approved in 2022. 

In 2023, drawing on federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allotted by the federal government in response to the COVID pandemic, the town engaged the Vermont-based DuBois & King public engineering firm to undertake a Felchville Wastewater Feasibility Study in concert with state regulatory authorities. That study is now 90% complete, and its results were presented to the Reading Selectboard and the public during a hearing at the town governing body’s regular monthly meeting on Monday evening, Jan. 13.

“This study will better help the town understand what’s possible for municipal wastewater options for Felchville,” Jonathan Ashley, the senior vice-president and director of the Public Works & Facilities Division of DuBois & King, said during a 70-minute presentation and public question-and-answer session at the selectboard meeting earlier this month. “Property owners have been contacted regarding the project,” Ashley noted. “However, no property owners have agreed to using their land as a wastewater treatment site at this time — only preliminary discussions have been [had].” The Mountain Views School District’s Reading Elementary School, which is located within the designated village center, is one of the properties under consideration for locating a wastewater treatment facility in the community.

During the presentation about the nearly completed study report, Ashley narrowed down eight previously discussed, technical recommendations made in an earlier draft of the study report to just three recommended options: the first is to simply do nothing, which could pose significant future environmental and water quality issues for Felchville residents, businesses, and the elementary school. The other two options that DuBois & King did put forward for active consideration by the town comprise locating a wastewater treatment facility on either the Reading Elementary School property or on a forested, rural property just outside of the proposed sewer/wastewater district boundary. 

The first of the two proposals for either site would be a traditional, pump-and-pipe-fed, centralized wastewater plant that all of the nearly 80 properties in the village center would tap into. The other choice would be what is called either a STEP or STEG sewer system. STEP stands for “Septic Tank Effluent Pumping,” while STEG is the gravity-driven alternative, “Septic Tank Effluent Gravity.” Under either the STEP or STEG proposal, current septic systems on Felchville Center properties would remain operational, essentially providing primary treatment of effluent and wastewater before it is piped to a centralized water treatment facility.

The DuBois & King study subjected both recommended wastewater options to substantive cost-benefit and environmental analyses, the results of which were presented to the Reading Selectboard and the public at the Jan. 13 public hearing.

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Banwell Architects is conducting a six-month affordable housing study in West Windsor. “We’re an older community. We have a lot of seasonal homes, we’ve got old housing stock, and we’re seeing a real uptick in short-term rentals, which takes homes out of the market,” Jill Appel, a member of the West Windsor planning commission, told the Standard this week. “All of this stuff together means it’s time to take a look at how we can build new homes for people of moderate means.”

The West Windsor Planning Commission began investigating the viability of an affordable housing study this fall after a new hire for the Albert Bridge School declined the position because they couldn’t find a place to live. “We were certainly aware of the Vermont-wide crisis in housing, but we began to recognize that affordability is a problem everywhere, including in our small town,” said Appel. “We want people who work here to be able to afford to live here.”

Following a proposal from the commission in December, the West Windsor selectboard allocated $28,790.69 of ARPA funds for the study.

The planning commission selected Banwell Architects for the study from a pool of four contractors that responded to a request for proposals. Appel said they chose the firm because of its experience creating affordable housing studies, ability to start right away, and connections with several subcontractors who the planning commission felt would enhance the project.

One of the study’s first components will be a Community Input Forum on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the West Windsor Town Hall. “The first step for any successful project is to engage your community,” said Appel.

The forum will serve two main purposes. First, it will allow residents who participate to shape the study’s focus, directing what aspects it should include and proposals it should avoid. 

It will also allow the planning commission and Banwell Architects to dispel possible misinterpretations of the project. “There’s some confusion around what affordable housing is,” said Appel. “Our goal is really to be open and proactive and build beautiful places for people that we all want to live in.”

Appel emphasized that the more community input the study gets, the more the end result will align with the needs of the town. 

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Do802.com, a new service of the Vermont Standard, is now live. The free, web-based app features a comprehensive calendar of events and an up-to-the-minute feed of deals, discounts, and announcements posted by local businesses. Do802 was designed to help quickly connect people to everything the Upper Valley offers. From favorite restaurants, local festivals, and unique exhibitions, to last-minute discounts on specialties and handmade Vermont products, there’s so much in the Upper Valley to take advantage of. Do802 offers a simple way to quickly find what to do so that residents and visitors alike can spend less time looking for their next experience, and more time enjoying it.

It’s simple to use Do802. The first section is an easy-to-navigate, interactive listing of things to do for fun and fulfillment in the Upper Valley each day. The calendar on Do802 offers a great way to see what’s happening, from concerts to community events to club meetings. Rather than digging through different websites, feeds, or emails, Do802’s “What To Do” section offers a simple, fast, and comprehensive way to find the right experience every time.

The second part shows a rolling log of special offers and announcements posted by local businesses and organizations. It features last-minute offers (e.g., “Half off muffins for the next hour!” or “Early bird special on tickets today only.”). It also includes reminders and announcements (e.g., “In thirty minutes, the band will take the stage,” or “Free book signing in two hours.”). Do802 is a way for businesses, both treasured and new, to instantly communicate with residents and tourists alike, giving users a chance to benefit whenever a bakery bakes too much bread or a matinee show doesn’t quite sell out.

Do802 was designed by the Vermont Standard to help fund the journalism in its paper. The Standard, like all local newspapers around the country, needs additional revenue to help make up for the loss of traditional print advertising. Do802 is just one way the Standard will be deploying creative solutions to help keep its community coverage flowing. 

Do802 is a progressive web app, which means it can behave both like a website and a mobile app. Users can go to the Do802 website on any phone, tablet, or computer. On a mobile device, they can also save Do802 to their home screen, so it is easily accessible and acts just like an app. To save Do802 to your home screen on iPhones, go to Do802.com and click the share button (a square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down the list of actions before tapping on “Save to Homescreen.” On Android, the same thing can be done in the three-dot menu at the top of the screen.

Hartland Winter Trails is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. “It’s shocking and sobering to stand here at 50 years and look back and realize, ‘Oh yes, it has been that long, we did make it this far,’” said Gary Trachier, the Hartland Winter Trails trails director. “The first couple of years, we were just thinking one season to the next, that was it.”

To celebrate the milestone, Hartland Winter Trails will be hosting an enhanced version of its annual Tiki Torch Trek. The event will feature games, contests, and food from Sustainable Eats and Spicy Spoke Food. In addition, 1.5 kilometers of the trails will be illuminated by Tiki Torches and lanterns.

The trails, which now extend more than 15 miles, began as an informal one-third-mile track in Henry Merritt’s backyard in the early 1970s. Several years after Merritt finished his loop, Trachier and a handful of other high school students from the local ski racing team heard about the trail and offered to help expand it. 

All of the trails run over private land, and while some of the arrangements between the landowners and the trail organization have been written down, many remain informal. “It’s mostly just handshake agreements,” said Ambros. “It’s still a fairly loose arrangement.”

Skiers practice the “snowplow” technique on the Sand Pit trail, part of the Hartland Winter Trails system that now extends more than 15 miles. Hartland Winter Trails is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Courtesy of Gary Trachier

As a result, the trails, which remain free to use, are relatively narrow, with just enough room for classic skis and a snowshoe path. 

In recent years, the system has begun to draw a significant turnout. “The trails have really been accepted into the community,” said Ambros. “The culture of it and the awareness of the winter trails has grown considerably, and it’s now seen as this solid long-term organization and community resource.”

Ambros said that seeing the trails used by so many different people, some traveling from as far away as Hanover, N.H., feels miraculous. “I started doing this for selfish reasons, because it’s great to be able to go out my own backyard and be on 25 kilometers of trail and because I really love skiing,” said Ambros. “But now it’s so rewarding getting out and seeing people of all ages out having a great time.”

While Hartland Winter Trails is currently only open during the winter because many private landowners use the area for agriculture, the trails on the land trust could theoretically be open year-round. “We’re really excited about that possibility,” said Trachier.

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard. 

Bookstock, along with Pentangle Arts and Yankee Bookshop, presented a conversation between “Still Alice” author Lisa Genova and neuroscientist, author, and Woodstock resident Melodie Winawer last Friday evening at the Woodstock Town Hall. Genova’s new book, “More or Less Maddy,” follows a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who is pursuing a career in stand-up comedy. The conversation was followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing.

Woodstock Union High School’s alpine ski season kicked off with a giant slalom race at Saskadena Six on Thursday, Jan. 16. A total of 86 student racers from across Vermont competed in two runs through a challenging series of gates on the mountain’s face. Each run ended with a dramatic finish as skiers slid to a halt in a spray of snow beneath the lift.

Around the finish line, a crowd of approximately 30 parents from across the state gathered in the frigid cold to cheer on their athletes. Competitors represented ten schools from around Vermont.

Kyle Harned of Rutland High School raced to first place in the boys’ division with a combined time of 42.16. Jackson Gilmond, also of Rutland, placed second with a time of 43.71, followed by Woodstock’s Gaven Freund in third at 44.94. Woodstock’s Atlas Jennings also impressed, with an eighth-place time of 45.45.

On the girls’ side, Allie Vogelien of Rivendell Academy took first place with a time of 44.75, while Woodstock’s Finley Peterson slid to a respectable fourth-place finish at 46.05

For more on this story, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard.

On Friday evening, the Wasps boys basketball team took the home court and defeated Stowe 69-44.

The team will take on Twin Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Woodstock.

For more on this, please see our January 23 edition of the Vermont Standard.

Vermont’s annual Free Ice Fishing Day, geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try the sport before purchasing equipment or a license, will be held on Jan. 25 this year.

To celebrate, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VFW) is hosting an Ice Fishing Festival at Silver Lake State Park in Barnard.  The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

According to a release from the VFW, VFW staff, as well as instructors from Vermont’s Let’s Go Fishing Program will be on-hand to teach ice fishing skills such as knot tying, baiting, the use of ice fishing rods and specialized  gear, as well as how to stay safe on the ice.  They will also discuss fishing regulations and fish identification.

VFW staff will operate a fish fry station serving hot cocoa, samples of locally caught Vermont fish, and cooking participants’ catch.

The event is free, open to all ages, and does not exclude experienced fisherman.

For more information, please visit vtfishandwildlife.com.

Joyce Ann White, aka “Gee,” “The Great Geezer,” and “The Force,” passed from this life on Jan. 15, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family and with her daughter by her side. Formerly of Brownsville and Plainville, Mass., Joyce was born in Johnston, R.I., the cherished daughter of Howard and Doris Randall.

She grew up in Greenville, Rhode Island with her parents, family, friends and her beloved older sister, Elaine. She was an active member of the Greenville Baptist Church where she sang in the choir and graduated from Smithfield High School.

Joyce married the love of her life, Earl A. White, in 1955 and they celebrated 65 years together before his passing in 2020.

She loved her family above all else and was happiest amongst her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She taught them that camping meant the Hilton, never to buy wool-blend, how to demolish a lobster, that it was always 5 o’clock somewhere and, most of all, to love unconditionally. 

A kidney transplant recipient of 17 years, her only regret was not being able to pass that gift on at the time of her death.

Joyce is survived by her daughter Patricia Kurtzhalz and adored son-in-law Chuck of Brownsville; her son Earl White and daughter-in-law Kathy of Charlestown, N.H.; granddaughter Annalise Ennis, husband Jade, and great-granddaughter and mini-me Helen Joyce of Brownsville; granddaughter Gelsey Tolosa, husband Ben and great-granddaughters Brianna, Hazel, and MacKenzie of New London, N.H.; and grandson Kristian Kurtzhalz, wife Nikki, and great-grandchildren Sterling and Nash of Brownsville. 

She is also survived by her step-grandson John Downs, wife Liz, and children Ryan and Emma of Hanover, Mass.; step-grandson Lt. Commander Chad Downs, wife Stephanie, and children Boston and Sullivan of Norfolk, Va.; and her step-granddaughter Lindsey Downs, fiancé Mike Noble, and children Cameron, Morgan, and Maisyn of Naples, Fla.; many beloved nephews, nieces, godchildren, and her daughter-in-heart, Mary Gavin and husband Mike of Grantham, N.H.

 A celebration of Joyce’s life will be held in the spring. Margaritas will be raised in tribute.

Knight Funeral Home of Windsor, Vt. has been entrusted with arrangements and online condolences are appreciated at knightfuneralhomes.com.

William J. Costello “Poppy,” 94, of Brattleboro, died on Jan. 8, surrounded by family.

Bill was born on May 29, 1930 to Mary (Holcomb) Costello and George Gill Costello in Branford, Conn. He grew up in Branford and attended Branford High School. In his younger years he worked at his fathers’ garage, as well as on a rubbish truck before beginning a career as a commercial fisherman out of New Bedford, Mass. that spanned over three decades. Later in life he worked for many years at GW Plastics in Bethel, Vt. 

Bill met the love of his life, Madelyn Peterson, when he was four years old. He later asked her to the 7th grade social and the rest is history. They married July 9, 1949 and together raised four children and built a full and storied life. Bill and Madelyn settled in Branford, Conn. until 1975 when they moved to Barnard. After more than thirty years in Barnard, they sold their home, got an RV and went on the road as golden year gypsies. They spent many winters in Hope, Ariz. and traveling the country seeking adventure and going to Nascar races. Later in life, they moved to Maine to live with their beloved daughter, Sandi. Bill and Madelyn celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in July surrounded by family and friends. 

Most of all, Poppy valued family. He was very proud of his many grandchildren. He taught by example the concepts of hard work, always giving your best and being willing to lend a helping hand. His personality was larger than life and to his grandchildren he is a legend. Poppy had one of those belly laughs that always caused a chain reaction. He enjoyed snowmobiling, motorcycle and ATV riding, the RV life, napping and golfing. Poppy cherished all the dogs and cats that were a part of his life and took great joy from their companionship. 

He was survived by his beloved wife, Madelyn. She joined him seven days after his passing. Survived by a daughter Lisa Ewald and husband Steve of Cavendish, Vt.; son-in-law Loren Thresher of Dedham, Maine; nine grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

He is predeceased by a daughter Cindi Wall, a son Bill Costello, a daughter Sandi Hennig and a brother George Costello Jr.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Lucy MacKenzie Humane Society P.O. Box 702 Brownsville VT  05037, info@lucymac.org

Madelyn K. Costello “Grammy,” 93, of Brattleboro, died on Jan. 15, surrounded by the love of family.

Madelyn was born on Jan. 19,1931 to Mary (Karlson) Peterson and Aaron T. Peterson in Guilford, Conn. She was the youngest of seven children. She grew up in Guilford and Branford and attended Branford High School. In younger years she worked at a local grocer in Connecticut and at Gifford Memorial Hospital in Randolph, Vt. Later Madelyn began a career in home health care that spanned over two decades. She considered it a privilege to care for the elderly and the newborn. She had a nurturing soul and a compassionate heart that she openly shared with all. 

Madelyn met her lifelong sweetheart, Bill Costello, when she was three years old. In 7th grade she accepted his invitation to the school social and so began the long and storied life they created together. They married July 9,1949 and together raised four children. Madelyn and Bill settled in Branford, Conn. until 1975 when they made the move to Barnard. They spent more than thirty years in Barnard before deciding to hit the road in an RV becoming golden year gypsies. Many winters were spent in Hope, Ariz. and traveling the country together making new friends and wonderful memories of shared adventures. Later in life they lived in Maine with their much-loved daughter, Sandi. In July Madelyn and Bill celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends. Madelyn and Bill together were the anchor of their family, always a shelter in any storm. Bill passed on Jan. 8 and Madelyn followed her sweetheart seven days later.

Grammy loved with all her heart. Her family was her pride and joy. Her fondest memories are of all the time she spent playing with and caring for the grandchildren. Much of her life was devoted to caring for others. She touched so many with her kindness and joyful nature. Grammy was a talented artist and enjoyed painting and writing poetry. She liked snowmobiling, ATV riding, the RV life and going to Nascar races. She had a deep and abiding love for all the cats and dogs that were a part of her life, they were a source of immense joy to her. 

She is survived by a daughter Lisa Ewald and husband Steve of Cavendish, Vt.; son-in-law Loren Thresher of Dedham, Maine; nine grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She is predeceased by a daughter Cindi Wall, a son Bill Costello, a daughter Sandi Hennig, four sisters (Virginia, Dorothy, Ruth, Esther), and two brothers (William, Theodore).

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society P.O. Box 702 Brownsville VT 05037, info@lucymac.org.

Rachel passed away after a period of declining health at the Menig Nursing Home in Randolph Center, Vt. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. Her sister Jean and one of her devoted caregivers, Kaitlin were by her side.

Rachel was born April 4, 1950 in Hanover, N.H., daughter of Walter Baker and Doris Archer. Rachel started at the Bridgewater Village School while staying with her grandparents, Willie and Nettie Archer until second grade. She thought fondly of this time with her grandparents. Rachel graduated from Woodstock Union High School in 1969.

In high school she was an exceptional athlete, receiving many awards. Her senior year she received a trophy for “Outstanding Senior Girl Athlete.” Rachel played field hockey, basketball, and softball. 

In 1984, she received a degree in auto mechanics from Technical Careers Institute in Hartford, Conn.

Rachel was employed for a time at the Woolen Mill. She embraced working the night shift for many years at the Bridgewater Village Diner. There she filled all duties without any help from others to feed the late-night masses. She enjoyed this time in life with the regular customers. Rachel lived most of her life in Bridgewater.

Survivors include her mother Doris, South Royalton; her sisters Jean Johnson, Barnard, Janet Webb, Bethel; and her brother Walter Baker Jr., Colorado. Also, several cousins, nieces and nephews. She felt she had a special connection to her niece Rachel Johnson Rediker (her namesake) and nephew James Johnson (her “Jimbud”), who also was one of her caregivers. Rachel was predeceased by her father and stepmother Walter and Kay, and sister Beverly, brother-in-law Moroni S. Johnson Sr.

A special thanks to the Menig Nursing Home, Dr. Cristine Maloney, and The Cabot Funeral Home. Visitation will be Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., with a funeral service at 2 p.m. at The Cabot Funeral Home. The burial will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Rachel’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization close to her heart at https://tinyurl.com/4868sje2 or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Rachel will be remembered for her generosity, resilience, and the joy she brought to those around her.

Patricia Ann Jillson, 88, of Fort Pierce, Fl., formerly of Williston, Vt, passed away on January 1, 2025.

Patricia was born in Pomfret, Vt. to George and Irene Burke (nee Campbell). She hasbeen a resident of Florida since 2021.

Patricia attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Ma. for voice and piano. She was an accomplished vocalist and musician, performing in various choirs and private events.

With a love for the outdoors, she was an avid hiker, enjoyed canoeing and kayaking, and was an excellent downhill skier. Patricia could often be found outside“digging in the dirt” tending to her garden.

Patricia was skilled at chair caning, making the most beautiful pieces of furniture. She was also a voracious reader. Patricia loved animals of all kinds. She especially loved her dog, Dobie.

Patricia is survived by her daughter Amanda Jillson, her son Jay Jillson and his wife Robin; grandson Samuel Jillson Guitard; her sister Marie Oldenburg; a niece, and several nephews.

Patricia was preceded in death by her husband Ralph, to whom she was married for over 50 years, and her sister Jean Lord.

She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who took great pride in taking care of her family. Patricia was a woman who lived her life fully and unapologetically, and was open to any new adventure.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of Yates Funeral Home & Cremation Services. You may visit yatesfuneralhome.com for more information.

Harry Joe Warren, “Joe” to most and “Bopa” to his family, died unexpectedly at home on Thursday, November 7.

A memorial service will be held at First Congregational Church in Woodstock on Saturday, January 11, at 1 pm. There will be a time of refreshments and fellowship at the church following the service.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

Beverly Jean (Blanchard) Johnson, 78, passed away peacefully on Jan. 1, 2025 with family by her side. 

Beverly was born on April 2, 1946 in Rutland, Vt. She was the fourth of five children of James E and Vivian (Moore) Blanchard. She grew up on the family farm in Plymouth Notch. Beverly graduated from Woodstock High School in 1964 and went on to graduate from Northampton Business College. 

Beverly married Cedric Russell Johnson on Oct. 25, 1969 and soon after relocated to Manchester, Conn. Beverly worked various part-time jobs while her son Andrew was young then started a 20+ year career with the State of Connecticut. Upon both Beverly and Cedric’s retirements they relocated back to Plymouth, Vt. where they enjoyed spending time with family and friends, taking trail rides on their side by side, walks with their beloved dog Festi and feeding hummingbirds and turkeys in the yard. 

Beverly is survived by her loving husband Cedric, son Andrew and his wife Diana, her four grandchildren Brandon, Skylar, Lexi, Kailey Hope and great grandson Hunter, sister Phyllis Martin, and brother Nelson Blanchard. Predeceased by her parents, her brother Wayne and sister Lola.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Center for Conscious Living & Dying ccld.community/donation.

Committal and celebration of life will be at a later date. 

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com

Carol M. Merrill, 87, died peacefully with her family beside her on December 19th after a brief hospitalization.

She was born on May 2, 1937, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of Walter F. and Clara B. Martin and grew up in North Haven, Conn. and Evanston, Ill. Carol graduated from Hamden Hall Country Day School in North Haven, Conn. in 1955 and attended Mount Holyoke College in Holyoke, Mass. where she graduated in 1959 with a BA in English Literature.

Carol and Keniston P. Merrill (Ken) began dating when they were in high school. They were married on June 27, 1959, two weeks after Carol graduated from college, and were happily married for over 56 years until Ken’s death in 2015. They lived in Armonk, N.Y. and Ridgefield, Conn. until 1982. That year they moved to Brainstorm Farm in Randolph, Vermont where they enjoyed life together for over 30 years before moving to Woodstock.

Carol loved animals, particularly Springer Spaniels and Golden Retrievers, and until late in life always had one or the other (or both) at her side. At one point her pets included two dogs, five cats, two rabbits, a horse, seven ducks and three goats. She was an avid gardener throughout her life and her extensive flower and vegetable gardens gave her great pleasure and satisfaction. Carol was a social person and collected wonderful friends wherever she went, but she was never afraid of being alone. She was creative and artistic and loved to needlepoint, knit and paint. Always a voracious reader, she filled her life with books, especially as she got older and her mobility became more limited.

An active volunteer, Carol was a Vermont State House tour guide for many years, helped organize and staff local Red Cross blood drives, and volunteered frequently at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Randolph and St. James Episcopal Church in Woodstock.

At 5’1” and less than 90 pounds, Carol was a little lady with an enormous heart. She never complained, and her glass was always more than three quarters full. She often remarked about the great life she had and how lucky she was. She was an empathetic and compassionate listener who always saw the best in everyone and everything, and was quick to dismiss life’s medical and other setbacks with a simple, “it is what it is.” She enjoyed her family and her friends immensely and was instantly adored by all who knew her.

Family is what mattered most to Carol. She is survived by her son Peter Keniston Merrill, of Morrisville, Vt. and his wife Harriette (Bunny); her son Andrew Martin Merrill, and his wife Erica of Rowayton, Conn. She is also survived by her five grandchildren Hanna Boe Merrill, George Keniston Merrill, Hadley Merrill MacCallum and her husband Will, Thorn King Merrill, and Samuel Thurman Merrill; and by her three great-grandchildren Jaime Boe Schrepfer, Miller Martin Schrepfer, and Henry Merrill MacCallum. She was predeceased by her older brother Donald Martin. The family wishes to thank the staff of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care for their kindness, their extraordinary care and their enormous compassion.

A memorial service and celebration of Carol’s life will be held next spring at St. James Episcopal Church in Woodstock, Vermont. For more information or to leave an online condolence please visit www.legacy.com.

For those wishing to make a donation in Carol’s memory, please consider The Norris Cotton Cancer Center or the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756.

Virginia M. “Ginger” (Anderson) formerly Green) Keith passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the Jewish Healthcare Center in Worcester, MA.  She is survived by her children and their spouses: David Green & Terry, Laura Bell & James, Jason Green, and Larissa Betty & Brian; five adoring grandchildren: Tyler Bell, Sydney & Dakota Betty, Madison Hamill, and Gabrielle Hazen; one great-grandchild; and generations of nieces, nephews, extended family, and dear friends.  She is pre-deceased by her beloved husband of 31 years, Walter Parker Green, Jr., and her second husband, Barry Keith.

Daughter of the late Frederick & Ethel (Blackford) Anderson, Ginger was raised and educated in Ashburnham, MA, and was a graduate of Cushing Academy.  She achieved her Bachelor’s and Master of Education degrees from UMass Amherst and was an adored teacher in the Princeton and Lunenburg Middle Schools for many years.  In addition to raising her family, she and her late husband Walter had relocated and settled in Barnard, VT where together they were the proprietors of The Barnard General Store until his passing.  Ginger later settled in Winter Garden, FL, and later in Sebastian, FL, where she enjoyed retirement years with her second husband, Barry.  Among her many hobbies and interests, Ginger remained actively involved with the Cushing Academy Alumni Association. She was always drawn to the beach and ocean, and could often be found with a good book in hand or enjoying the company of her canine companions.  Above all, she was a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, and friend.

Ginger’s family wishes to express their gratitude to the fifth-floor staff of the Jewish Healthcare Center for their compassion and friendship throughout her years-long residency.  Private funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of the McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church St., Clinton, MA.  Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Virginia Keith to: Alzheimer’s Association, 320 Nevada St. #201, Newton, MA 02460.  Online condolences may be placed at www.mcnallywatson.com

Edmund “Eddie” Paige died Dec. 18, 2024, at the age of 88 after a long illness. His family was able to accommodate his wish to die at home. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Virginia (Zielinski) Paige, his son Eric Paige, his daughter, Darcy (Byron) Wallace, four grandchildren, Meghan (Brett) Redeker, Tess Wallace, Max (Melissa) Wallace, and Shyla Wallace, and a great granddaughter, Blake Redeker. He also leaves behind his nieces and nephews, Lisa (Matt) Coyne, David (Karla) Zielinski, Ethan (Amy) Nemkovich, and Elissa (Bill) Stuhlinger, his sister-in-law, Marie (Dale) Nemkovich, and his cousins, Lynne and Sue Bertram, David Paige, and Mary Jane Fallon, who would check in on him periodically. 

A lifelong resident of Woodstock, with the exception of a few years in the U.S. Army, Ed loved his wife, his family, and his home. He also loved cars and car rides, the fire department, and especially skiing and hunting. He loved a good joke, and he loved a bad joke even more.

The son of Eric “Pete” and Loie (Nelson) Paige, Ed was an exceptional athlete and sportsman, particularly gifted in skiing. He graduated from Woodstock High School in 1954, and the school used to give out an annual award in his honor. He went on to serve as a founding member of the Woodstock Ski Patrol at Mount Tom and Suicide Six.

Following in his father’s footsteps, he spent 61 years in the Woodstock Fire Department with lifelong friends, including his best friend, Jim Paul. He held a number of roles, including Assistant Fire Chief and had a lifetime appointment to the Vermont State Firefighters Association. He was recognized by the Governor for 60 years of service.

Ed worked for Leonard’s Gas and Electric and was certain that he had worked on nearly every home and business in the village and the surrounding towns. He was proud of the fact that he had some of the earliest electrical licenses in both Vermont and New Hampshire. After he retired he would drive around in his ‘68 convertible and attend car shows. He loved to drive the family around to enjoy the foliage and particularly enjoyed the Kancamagus Highway and the Mohawk Trail. In his later years his son Eric would take him on long car rides. The back roads of Vermont were his favorite. 

Ed enjoyed hunting and telling stories! If you happened by his porch you could expect a story, a cold drink if you had time, and maybe even get to see “his deer.” If you were lucky you got all three. He particularly enjoyed catching up with friends and classmates during the Alumni Parade.

His family would like to thank VNH Hospice for their help in Ed’s final days, and his friend and physician, Hugh Hermann, for making one last house call.

Funeral services will be in the Spring of 2025, as Ed requested a Fireman’s Service. Donations in his memory may be made to the Woodstock Fireman’s Relief Fund or VNH Hospice.

An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.

Margaret “Peggy” Helen Audsley, 95, died on December 25, 2024, at the Jack Byrnes Center in Lebanon, NH.

Services are being planned for later this spring. A full obituary will be published at a later date. The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family.

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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