Tag: Marlboro Vermont

A Conversation with Mrs. Janet “Barber” Pool of Wilmington, Vermont

A Conversation with Mrs. Janet “Barber” Pool of Wilmington, Vermont

by Kelly (and the Buck) ♥ 2 Comments

(This interview with Mrs. Pool took place in her home in Wilmington in 2001 just after 9/11 and was published in the Cracker Barrel Magazine that year.)

Janet Pool is eighty-eight years old and full of grace.  She’s a native of Wilmington and has spent pretty much her entire life here as have generations before her.    Born Janet Robinson Barber on July 6, 1913 (“the same month as President Gerald Ford”), Janet is a descendant of James Flagg who came to Wilmington in 1783, and of Issac Hubbard who arrived here in the spring of 1800.


In 1934, Janet wed William A. Pool , Jr. from Marlboro, Vermont.  Nicknamed “Mr. Somerset,” Mr. Pool was a  well-loved naturalist, deeply regarded for his work as a wildlife photographer.  Bill passed away in 1981 after conserving two-hundred acres of forest land around the Pool Family Farm in Marlboro, Vermont.


Both Mr. and Mrs. Pool served the town and county in many offices over a long period of time.  In 1993, Janet was the recipient of the American Legion Citizenship Award, citing her
extensive work throughout the community, including her involvement with senior groups, which she continues to this day.

Mrs. Pool is the familiar and welcoming face you see each week when you arrive at the Deerfield Valley Seniors meal site in Jacksonville.  It is no wonder that she is so well loved–renown as she is for her warm and gracious spirit.  Mrs. Pool astonishes those much younger with her amazing recollection of names and faces–as well as  life events and little details.  Janet leaves each person she encounters (whether an old friend or a new) feeling very, very cherished.


It is my honor and a great pleasure to offer you a glimpse of this special lady in her own “voice.”
Kelly Salasin

Family  Ties

My parents were Merton and Minnie Barber.  I remember somebody had a couple chickens that were called by those names!

My father was the son of HF Barber (Hardy Barber),  who owned HF Barber and Son, a store that was where the town office is now.  There’s pictures in there of my grandfather in the store.

(In the 1980 Wilmington Old Home Week book,  Janet wrote this about it,  “Many have memories of this store as a genial meeting place for card players or those who just wanted to sit around the stove and reminisce.”)

My father, Merton Barber, later sold the business and acquired a general insurance agency where I was employed until 1955 after which I purchased the company from him.  Though I have since sold the agency, it still bears the family name, BARBER and JARVIS.

My grandparents and my great-grandparents pictures are in Memorial Hall.  A while back, I  found my grandfather’s civil war papers and his discharge order.    My grandfather’s mother was a Flagg; and that’s why I’m so patriotic!

War and Patriotism

I have a picture here of (my husband) Bill (William Pool Jr.) when he was in uniform.  He was in the thick of it.  He was in the Battle of the Bulge.

Here’s a photo of VJ Day, 1945, August 14th in Wilmington.  That’s the day of the surrender, of Japan.  We built a fire right there in the town square and had a little parade; I played the accordion, and we all had a good time.

I don’t like the idea (of another war), no.   But I feel we got to do something.  In fact the other day at the Seniors, Tuesday group, I wrote a little prayer.  Peg Morgan had us join hands and repeat the Lord’s Prayer like we do, and of course we always repeat the pledge of allegiance first; then I read my prayer:

‘Dear Lord, Listen to this tiny prayer from a tiny group. Let it mingle with the thousands of prayers being issued today throughout the country.  America has been in mourning for a week over a senseless, horrible act… Bless those who have lost loved ones, also the leaders of our nation, the rescuers, and many others… Above all, God Bless America, the Land of the Brave and the Free.  Amen’

Sisters and Children

This is Beaver Street that I live on;  Beaver Brook is just over there.  I’ve been here since ‘47.   I was married then, I must have been thirty-four.  That was right after the war.  We moved here after Bill was discharged from the service.  My father originally owned the house and when he passed away in ‘65 he left it to me.

The house up on Lisle Hill where I was born belongs to my sister, Muriel Barber Manning .  She was born thirteen months after me.  My mother always dressed us just alike. Muriel lives up in Hinesburg, Vermont.  She went up there to teach and found a husband.   She wasn’t married ’til she was over 50.
Neither of us have any children,  but I always loved children.   I always had some around.    My husband, you see, had four sisters, and one brother; the brother didn’t have any children, but the girls had plenty, so some of them were with us lot of the time.

In fact, (my niece) Bertha (Pool) spent most of her highschool days living with us while going to the highschool here.   Her sisters stayed with us some of the time too as their family lived in Marlboro.
I went to that school (Wilmington Middle High School) all twelve years–and my father was one of its earliest graduates.
Yes, as I say, I’ve always had kids around; the people across the street, their children call me ‘Nana’.  Here’s a photo of me with the neighbors and here’s one taken a couple of years ago with the ‘Halloween kids’  I always like to dress up with them.

Romance and Floods

I met my husband, William Pool, at the (Deerfield Valley Farmers Day) Fair in ‘33.   A funny thing is, another fellow invited me to go the fair that day, but he called and said he couldn’t go.   So I went alone,  and that’s when Bill spotted me.

He’d come from Marlboro to go to the fair.  He used to walk seven miles to take me to the movies;  that’s when they had them in Memorial Hall.  His father would wait up for him to get home.  It was something!
I remember the fair of 1938;  that was the time of the flood.  Bill had a huge collection of deer antlers on the table there (on exhibit) and they floated around, but he found most of them.   That was quite the fair!

Hunting and Wedding Plans

I was married at home, just a quiet wedding, up at Lisle Hill.  I don’t remember much of a party after, but I remember we left on a honeymoon… went as far as Greenfield!

That was December 1st, 1934, and that makes me think of something that one fellow thinks is funny.   Bill was a great hunter you know, and in those days deer hunting was the last two weeks in November,  so he had to wait to December 1st to get married!

Girlfriends and School Days

I don’t have too much company anymore,  but one of my school friends was here last week,  and stayed a couple days, and we talked.  Her name is Meredith Wood.   She was born here.   She comes up every year to get maple syrup up at Carl Boyd’s.  She’s eighty-eight too.  She’s pretty spry!
Meredith and I graduated highschool together.  We had white dresses, white stockings, white shoes;  no caps and gowns then!  We graduated down at Memorial Hall, and I remember they would present us with a  bouquet of flowers after.
I was Salutatorian… that doesn’t mean much for eleven graduates!  (There’s just three of us left now.)  I had to speak and greet the people.   I remember the last part of (my speech):   I said, ‘Go forth, attain, attain!’ I’ve got a copy of it somewhere.
We used to have what they called public speaking (in school).   I started out when I was in the first grade.  I spoke a piece;  It was at Christmas time:

You know what the Christmas mousey did
before he went to his trundle bed?
‘Dear Mr.  Santa if you please,
put in my stocking some Christmas cheese.’

The Cracker Barrel and Old Times

Oh yes, I’ve been a fan  ever since it started.   I like it, it’s a homey paper.  It tells about people as they are, you know.   And there are so many things that I recognize in there.

I’ve been mentioned (in The Cracker Barrel) before, (but this is the first article just about me).  Nice of you to think of it.

Not much has stayed the same here (in the valley), not much.  Of course the buildings, the old buildings, they’ve tried to keep the outside as they were, but they’re different inside.   This house hasn’t changed though;  it was built in 1895.

There aren’t many folks left that I can talk old times with.  Evelyn Keefe, remember her?   She and I used to visit a lot.  Now there’s Dot Turner.   She lives on Dix Road, I think they call it.   Her house is the oldest house in town.

Women and Careers

I wonder if there are other things that I ought to tell you… I’m trying to think.  It was funny you know when my mother came to town;  she came to teach, and they told her there weren’t any eligible men left, but she found one!    My mother was a Robinson: Minnie Swazee Robinson.  My middle name is Robinson.   She was the oldest of six girls.

She taught up here at the school in 1909.  She quit teaching when she was married.  My mother was a very talented person, a good sewer, seamstress; also an artist, she could paint things.  Neither my sister or I took after her in that respect;  we were more career people I guess.

Muriel was a school teacher and I was in the (insurance) office; did that most of the time.  My mother stayed home; and she’d make our dresses and this and that.  I used to like her  Red Flannel Hash.  Do you know that?  It’s after a boiled dinner.

Aging and Some Advice…

Well, I’d like to be back, maybe not quite so young, but maybe in my twenties and thirties; that’s some of the prime of life, I think.

My maternal grandmother lived to be 95.  (And I plan) to go right along the way I am.  Course you have to look to the future.  Right now I’m pretty well set.  Bertha (my niece) nextdoor, runs errands for me, and Sam Hall, upstairs, does the outside work.  So it works out pretty good.  I do my own housework myself; I tell the doctor, ‘That’s my exercise!’

My advice on aging?  It’s all attitude! If you feel, ‘Oh , I can’t go today, I can’t do this,’  it’s good to push yourself a little and have a good time.   As a eighty-nine year old told me the other day,  ‘We got to keep going!’

I agree.  You got to be positive about things. I imagine I’ve always (felt this way).  That song, Young at Heart, is a good one to go by.

Fairytales can come true
it can happen to you
if you’re young at heart
For it’s hard, you will find,
to be narrow of mind,
if you’re young at heart…
And life gets more exciting
with each passing day,
And love is either in your heart
or on it’s way…
Don’t you know  that it’s worth,
every treasure on earth,
to be young at heart…
And if you should survive
to a hundred and five
Look at all you’ll derive
out of being alive!
And here is the best part
You’ll have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart!

(written by Carolyn Leigh and Johnnie Richards.)

The Meetinghouse Preschool, Marlboro, VT

The Meetinghouse Preschool, Marlboro, VT

by Kelly (and the Buck) ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

on the occasion of its 25th anniversary (1998)

Kelly Salasin

This year The Meetinghouse preschool in Marlboro, Vermont celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. This milestone is testimony to the hundreds of parents who have come together since 1973 to support this school and entrust their children to its teachers.

More than 300 preschool students have graduated from Meetinghouse since it first began. Some of those alumni were on hand for the anniversary dinner held this April at the Colonel Williams Inn in Marlboro.

Hannah Van Loon was a student in the first class to pass through the school, and remembers it as a safe, and comfortable place,  “I still remember building with those red and white cardboard blocks,” says twenty-eight year old Hannah, who now works as a paraeducator in Brattleboro.

Simon Holzapfel, twenty-five, and his brother Forrest, twenty-three, also attended the school in its early years. “I remember the windows being really high, “ says Simon about the classroom which is housed in the town church. “I’m still friends with some of the kids that were in my class back then,” he adds.

As an eighth grader, Simon returned to the preschool to work as a helper. “I read to the kids, pushed them on the swings, and helped them play more civilly,” recalls Simon, who is now a teacher himself at the Putney School.

Liza Murrow Ketchum founded The Meetinghouse School in the early seventies and served as its first director/teacher. As an educator and writer, she studied schools in England for the book she authored, Children Come First. Liza was impressed with the innovative primary programs there which helped shape her vision for the preschool she would start in Marlboro.

The directorship of the school has changed hands over the years, and Liza, who is now a children’s author, resides outside of Boston. She was excited to receive the announcement of the school’s twenty-fifth anniversary, saying, “I was tickled to see Joe Hamilton’s signature on the letter.”

At seventy-seven, Mr. Hamilton has served as chairman of the board since the school began.“All of my efforts over the years to retire have been fruitless,” says Joe with a hint of a smile, “Three or four years ago they passed a resolution… they won’t let me resign.”

When first searching for a site for the preschool, Liza found the town church to be the perfect spot. Built in 1932 and located in the center of Marlboro, the building has a large center room, kitchen and bathroom facilities, and huge windows that let in plenty of light.

Like other rural churches in the area, membership had been declining, and services were only held in the summer months and at Christmas time. As church moderator, Joe Hamilton, a dairy farmer in West Brattleboro, supported the idea of turning over the use of the first floor of the church to the preschool. “It just seemed to me that it was better to have the building used,” said Joe.

The Hamilton family has been members of the church since the early 1800s (before the original building on that site burnt down). “Joe was a great link between the school community and the church community,” says school founder Liza Murrow Ketchum, “The first year or two, most of the people were nervous about the preschool, but once they saw that the families and I cared about the building, things changed.”

Liza describes the involvement of the parents in the school during those early years as “heartwarming,”and adds, “There just wasn’t any other way to run the place.”

This tradition of parent involvement in the school has been passed down through the generations of families, and has kept this cooperative preschool alive. Twenty-five years later, the parents continue to work closely with the director to ensure the school’s success:

Parents come in to cook and create with the children, they volunteer to work as substitutes or chaperones if needed, they provide snack for the class, they take on the jobs of maintaining and cleaning the building, and they organize and carry out the fundraisers that financially support the school.

For some this may seem overwhelming, but for the parents whose children attend this school, it is essential. “A lot of parents in this society are looking for a place to put their kids while they go off and do their things, I don’t think that’s the general consensus here,” says parent Kathy Pell, “We’re looking for a place for our kids to go that we’re a part of as well.”

“This is a different place than others,” continues Kathy, who also serves on the board. “There are preschools that we have been to where they won’t let parents come in, where they won’t let you stay, where they certainly wouldn’t let you sit there and help your kids out during the day– and be a part of the whole thing. Family is really important here, and that makes it unique.”

Board member and parent Carol Brooke-deBock agrees, “Any teacher that comes aboard has to feel committed that the kids just aren’t being sent to the school. She has to want to work with the whole family, and to encourage the parents to ask questions.”

“Parents are willing to make the commitment,” adds parent Jodi Paloni, who also serves on the board, “That commitment is needed to keep things going, and it’s fun! It’s not just what get’s done… it’s the spirit of it all. That provides the momentum for the school.”

Celeste MacArthur takes advantage of the scholarship offered for cleaning the classroom. Her daughter Iyla is the third of her children to attend Meetinghouse. “Even when I’m cleaning, I think about the kids… It isn’t just a job. I have so much gratitude for Iyla’s experience here,” Celeste says.

Working scholarships are available to families who need tuition support. Generally tuition covers about sixty percent of the school’s annual budget (depending on enrollment), while the remaining portion comes from the school’s fundraising initiatives.

“Fundraising can be a drag at times… It’s a lot of work, ” emphasizes school treasurer Carol Brooke-deBock, “But it also brings people together. People feel more invested in the school because of it.”

The school’s largest and longest-running fundraising effort is their Annual Cider Sale which has taken place each autumn for the past twenty years! The school even has its own pressing equipment.

Whether or not you know the school, you most surely know this event that takes place on Route 9 in Marlboro each Columbus Day Weekend. The landmark is the huge mound of apples and the big tents under which the cider is pressed and the home baked pies are sold.

The cider sale kicks off the school year for the parents and really brings their families together:  the week before the sale everyone gathers at Scott Orchard in Dummerston to do the picking. The preschoolers work along side their– brothers and sisters, moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends– to gather the apples for the cider and for pies that will be baked the following week.

The relationships formed in coming together to support the school “carry over into the community,” explains board member Laura Hunter. “There is this great friendship outside of the school… it’s really amazing. We are all so different from each other, but the core of why we are at Meetinghouse is the same, and that makes our bonds so strong.”

That bond is vital to parent Kathy Pell who was new to the community when her son Dakota was a preschooler. “When we moved here, I definitely didn’t feel like I was part of anything,” explains Kathy, “but being at Meetinghouse, first as parent, then as a board member, gave me this little tiny community to be a part of… a place where we share a philosophy of what we want for our kids… to have a really safe, really enjoyable, learning environment.”

The common values held by these families are “apparent in the children themselves,” says parent Dolly Glennon, who drives from Wilmington each day so that her sons Brad and Drew can attend the school.

Meetinghouse has always attracted families from communities outside its home in Marlboro. Prior to relocating there, Laura Hunter traveled from Brookline to enable her daughter to attend the school. “Erica has special needs,” explains Laura, “We had looked at every place in the area, and nothing felt right. But the minute that I took her over to Meetinghouse, it was like, ‘this is it!’”

“Paul works well with kids with special needs,” says alumni parent Janie Ahern about the school’s director, Paul Redmond, “That makes it a very unique school… It’s not only unique to the kids who are already there, but also for kids that really need something extra. Not all preschools can do that.”

“Paul interacted with my daughter like nobody else did,” explains Laura, “I really needed that for her. I never felt like I could drop her off and leave her with anybody else before. This was a safe place.”

Many parents seem to know that The Meetinghouse School is the right place for their child the moment they walk through the door. “It’s definitely the perfect environment… the children have the space to expand, “ says Dolly Glennon about the classroom, “It’s also really neat to have a male role model for the kids.”

Janie Ahern served on the board in 1989 when Paul Redmond was hired as the director. She later worked as his assistant after her children graduated from the school. “One of the most important things about Paul is that he thinks of each child as being truly unique, and he treats them that way. Not all teachers do that,” Janie explains. “Paul really zeros in on the kids, and that’s his focus, “ she adds, “He is very concerned about the child’s well being and about what they are learning in the world… and that’s not just out of a book, and it’s not just from a project.”

On first encounter, it may surprise you to meet the director who runs the Meetinghouse School– he’s not  what you might expect of someone whose days are spent with small children. For starters, there aren’t too many men working in preschools; and Paul’s not fresh out of college either, he has a masters in education and has been teaching for almost thirty years.

Paul Redmond is a big, burly kind of guy with a long droopy mustache. (He once came to school clean shaven and dressed in a tie and suit for Halloween… none of the kids recognized him.) There’s a definite solidness about Paul, in the way he talks to the children, and yet he is also very gentle. With his southern accent, you’ll hear him reminding the girls and boys to be “ladies” and “gentlemen.”

They love him!

“Paul comes when we need him,” says four-year old Lindsay Ware, “When I am up in a tree, he helps me get down.”

“We like when Paul plays tricks on us, like when he pretends that Brad’s lunch is his,” say five-year olds, Aaron Brooke-deBock and Margaret Bernhard, with a giggle.

“Paul protects things,”says Liza Haughty,

“and when somebody gets hurt, he comes,” adds Alex Hunter.

“We like when he does scary stories!” three-year olds, Madeline Hawes and MacKenzie Fisher, say with a big grin.

At times the parents pull up to the school at the end of a rainy day to find the building vibrating with Latin music as Paul leads the class in a scarf dance. On the drive home, the children will laugh about how Goldilocks met The Three Pigs in a play they acted out that morning. Day and night, the house will be filled with song… “Mud, mud, I love mud! I’m absolutely, positively, wild about mud!”

“I want the kids to be excited about being at school,” says Paul, “ I want them to sing and dance… I want the world to open up to them. If children feel safe, emotionally and physically, then they’ll explore, they’ll take chances. I provide that safety by being consistent, by assuring them that no harm will come to them, and by letting them know that there are certain things that I will allow and certain things I won’t allow. They come to trust me.”

“Paul is obviously ideal,” says board member Kathy Pell about the kind of teacher the parents want for their children. “We want someone who encourages the children to solve their own problems, but who also gives them the skills to do that… someone who encourages them to explore, who doesn’t push educational philosophies versus the children’s learning and growth… someone who will be enthusiastic and gentle, all at the same time,” she explains.

“In the same way that children need to feel safe, parents need to feel that their children are safe,” says Paul, “They have to be involved in order to feel that. The better the parents know me, the more comfortable they are with me, and the more willing they are to talk to me about their children’s real issues. I like it when parents come and visit. I like for them to feel that this is their school, and I like for them to know what’s going on.”

Mornings at Meetinghouse are a nice blend of what this school is all about. At group time, the children come together on the green rug to sing songs and hear about the day’s activities. The parents circle around with babes in arms (or coffee), keeping their eyes on wandering toddlers.

There’s lots of laughter, especially among the adults, as Paul (who has been described as the David Letterman of preschool) targets comments their way. Parents linger just a moment more to see what he’ll say next as he manages ‘show and tell’,… always able to find a new angle on the same fire equipment that one little guy has brought in each week since the beginning of the year.

After group, the parents leave one by one, and the children begin their day.

The scene is timeless...

Alex and Brad at the easel, Margaret and Liza in the dress-up corner, MacKenzie and Orion dressed in capes and armor in the climbing frame, Lloyd and Griffin at the sandbox, Lindsay and Cody at the art tables, Eli and Iyla building towers, Jason and Aaron with Trent eating peanuts…

Change the names and the faces, and you are transported back to an earlier time when children who are now out of college did these same things.

Meetinghouse is not about a certain group of kids or even a certain group of parents, it’s not about one particular director or one particular way of teaching, it’s not even about the building that’s housed it for the last twenty-five years.

The Meetinghouse School is a tradition created by all of those pieces coming together, working together, to make a safe and happy place for our children.

Happy 25th Anniversary Meetinghouse!!!


The Power of Community

The Power of Community

by Kelly (and the Buck) ♥ 3 Comments

The Meeting for the Town/Community Center, Marlboro, VT (photo: David Holzapfel)

“In Marlboro, democracy=scale x community x commitment = OPPORTUNITY.”

Paul Costello, Executive Director, Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD)

Kelly Salasin

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it to the Community Visit Day with the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) in Marlboro.   I wasn’t sure that I understood what it was about–and I wasn’t sure I’d have anything to offer.  Childcare also loomed as a hurdle.

The Youngest Participant (photo: David Holzapfel)

But then I stumbled upon this quote, and it shifted my attention:

“There is no power greater than a community

discovering what it cares about.”

~Meg Wheatley

I was further moved by the effort my fellow townspeople were making–on behalf of all of us–for this gathering.  I wanted to water their seeds of effort and support its bloom.

When I looked closer at the schedule for the day, I discovered that there were choices that fit my interests–and my ability to contribute.

While I didn’t attend the earliest of the meetings, I made sure that I was there for the Town Identity gathering and the Community/Town Center gathering.

What impressed me most was the–process (though the potluck was a close second.)  The Vermont Council on Rural Development has facilitated this visioning work with 35 towns throughout the state:

“VCRD is a neutral, non-profit organization that brings Vermonters together across political lines and organizational boundaries to advance rural community and economic development throughout the state.”

Renewable Energy Meeting, Marlboro, VT (photo: David Holzapfel)

VCRD facilitated each of the nine meetings, encouraging as many townspeople as possible to share their voice–before their team of state, federal, business and non-profit leaders reflected it back.

There are two additional Community Visit Days scheduled in the upcoming months to build upon the ideas that were brought forth in today’s visioning process.

Until then, I wanted to share the highlights of this experience via my tweeter feed: (Note: I only attended 2 of the 9 possible meetings.)

  1. visiting team consensus is that Marlboro is ready to go; we have a collaborative vision, energy & a great sense of community already
  2. the question of a town/community center=build or develop another site, Marlboro Town Visit
  3. Common highlights reported from visiting team at Marlboro tonight: PUB, INTERNET, CORRIDORS of CONNECTION
  4. There are several members on the visiting team at each of the meetings in Marlboro today
  5. The visiting team will now reflect what they heard at tonight’s mtg on Marlboro’s Town/Comm. Ctr. A town PUB was a high priority.
  6. townsppl discuss desirable aspects of community center: BATHROOMS,kitchen!,lg gathering space,smaller spaces,office space,parking

  7. Town/Community Center Gathering, Marlboro, VY (photo: David Holzapfel)

    Community members identifying needs 4 town/community ctr: incidental & intentional gathering place 4 all ages

  8. Marlboro Town Visit~attending pm meeting on topic of Community/Town Center;
  9. Democracy=scale x community x commitment = OPPORTUNITY. Vermont Council of Rural Development in Marlboro 2day!
  10. Director of VT Council Rural Devt speaking to community now; Marlboro Town Visit Potluck

  11. Potluck Gathering at the Community Meeting (photo: David Holzapfel)

    Full House in the OUtback at MES with the community potluck on Marlboro Town Visit today

  12. Vt Council on Rural Devt has facilitated this process in 35 Vermont communities. Marlboro Town
  13. townspeople want to inc. everyone’s voice&participation, Marlboro Town Visit
  14. love model that VT Council Rural Dev’t using 2 bring us together,2 share voices,reflect back priorities,focus on our strengths,next act
  15. Marlboro Identity meeting http://wp.me/pG508-6u~State guests now reflecting back priorities heard from citizens with suggestions
  16. Guest Who’s Coming To Dinner? Here’s the list of attendees from the state at the Marlboro Visit 2 day
  17. Hard 2 find place 4 town seniors 2 gather,would be nice 2 have place 4 more opportunities-meals,exercise, etc?;Marlboro Town Visit Day

  18. MarlboroTownVisitDay~Rte 9 issues discussed~divides town,dangerous, can town b better defined so drivers slow, notice town, explore?
  19. Marlboro Town Visit Day

  20. Marlboro's Town Hall has WIfi Access (photo: David Holzapfel)

    Brainstorming town opportunities~gallery 4 all town artists w cafe; Marlboro Town Visit Day

  21. more marlboro opportunities~turn post office, town hall, meetinghouse into intentional town center
  22. Town opportunities~restaurant at Hogback?town pathways 2 ease connection?daycare/preschool? neighborhood clusters? Marlboro Visit
  23. Is Marlboro elitist? Birkenstock land? Is everyone included? Do we hear from all voices? What’s our outreach?
  24. Marlboro Town Identity convers. cont~community preschool closing, hard 4 young families 2 afford 2 live here, follow
  25. Not 2 late 2 join in Marlboro Community Visit Day,potluck 6:00 pm, next “set” of mtgs at 7:00. Schedule http://wp.me/pG508-6n

  26. Town Identity Meeting, Town Hall (photo: David Holzapfel)

    discussing assets & challenges of Marlboro Identity here at the Town House with the VT Council on Rural Dev’t, follow

  27. The meeting on Town Identity beginning now at the Marlboro Town House with VT Council on Rural Dev’t; follow at
  28. Here at the Marlboro Community Visit Day with the VT Council on Rural Dev’t–higher turn out than Town Meeting, follow at
  29. No power greater than community discovering what it cares about~Meg Wheatley

Yours Truly,Tweeting the Meeting-detail/photo: David Holzapfel

Of Special Note~ I neglected to tweet about the most memorable aspect of the gathering for me:  The Potluck Supper! Jean Boardman’s cake from The Whetstone Inn had an extra dose of Creme de Cacao and there were actually flowers on the table–flowers!–in March.  No doubt a passionate team of volunteers deserves credit for highlighting the day’s work with such hospitality!

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

by Kelly (and the Buck) ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Take a look at the guests for today’s Marlboro Community Visit:

Roger Allbee, Secretary, Agency of Agriculture

Suzanne Blanchard, Program Director, Smart Growth Vermont

Andy Broderick, Principal, New Generation Partners

Greg Brown, Executive Director, Chittenden Regional Planning Commission (Retired)

Paul Bruhn, Executive Director, Preservation Trust of Vermont

Patricia Coates, State Director, Congressman Peter Welch Office

Paul Costello, Executive Director, Vermont Council on Rural Development

Steve Gold, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Administration (Retired)

Julie Jacques, County Director, Farm Service Agency

Jeff Lewis, Executive Director, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

Larry Mandell, Founder, Woodbury College

James Matteau, Executive Director, Windham Regional Commission

Johanna Miller, Co‐Chair, Vermont Climate Action Network

Max Muise, USDA Rural Development

Tom Murray, Executive Director, Vermont Telecom Authority

Jenny Nelson, Policy Advisor, Office of Senator Bernie Sanders

Nancy Owens, Executive Director, Housing Vermont

Bob Paquin, State Director, Farm Service Agency

Julian Portilla, Program Director, Mediation & Applied Conflict Studies, Champlain College

Chuck Ross, State Director, Senator Patrick Leahy Office

Will Sawyer, Program Manager, UVM Center for Rural Studies

Ryan Torres, Philanthropic Advisor, Vermont Community Foundation

For more information, contact Margaret at 802‐223‐6091 or info@vtrural.org.

During the three month process, towns create local goals and action plans and are assisted by a Visiting Team who brings state and regional expertise and resources to the table. These state and regional experts will be on hand as active listeners as community members from Marlboro share their challenges, inspirations and current work ongoing in town.

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