Berlin Community News

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
Sent by Corinne Stridsberg and also posted at http://socialenergy.blogspot.com
Check out the Berlin, Vermont Community News page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Vermont/205922199452224
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This issue is short and sweet.  Please take the time to ask some of  your friends and neighbors if they're receiving "News to Know", are connected to the Berlin, Vermont facebook page and if they realize a dedicated group has put together the funds to start up Front Porch Forum for the Berlin Community.  All great ways to keep in touch with your neighbors and the greater community.  I would love to see these ways to connect reach more folks!
Included below please find:
U-32 VARIETY SHOW SEPT 28 & 29 7PM - 9PM
FRONT PORCH FORUM IN BERLIN
PICNIC ON THE PLAYGROUND / LIL AND THE CHILL  SEPT 29TH RAIN OR SHINE
HOLIDAY BAZAAR COMING BACK TO BERLIN ELEMENTARY
COUNTERPOINT IN MONTPELIER OCTOBER 11TH
FREE COSTUME SWAP  - OCT 12TH DROP OFF / SHOP OCT 13TH
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U-32 VARIETY SHOW SEPT 28 & 29 7PM - 9PM
It's going to be awesome!  A true variety of acts.  This is a change to have the variety show in the fall.  Tickets are only adults $7 and students $5.  See you there!
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FRONT PORCH FORUM IN BERLIN
Please go to http://frontporchforum.com and sign up to participate.  Folks are encouraged to share news and events with their neighbors here in Berlin.  See you on the Front Porch!
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PICNIC ON THE PLAYGROUND / LIL AND THE CHILL  SEPT 29TH RAIN OR SHINE
   Don't forget that this Saturday from 1–3pm at the Berlin Elementary School folks will gather rain or shine (playground if it's shining, gym if it's raining).   Bring a picnic lunch (no glass) and enjoy the music of "Lil and the Chill".  This is a FREE EVENT!  Children must be chaperoned by an adult.  A fun, relaxing gathering that celebrates the connection between the school and our greater community.  Be sure to bring a blanket or chair also.
   Families, friends, relatives, and anyone with a connection to the school or community are welcome to join in for this afternoon of amazing music and company.  Lil and the Chill is a local band featuring lead singer Lori Renaud, whose day job is Administrative Assistant at our school. Lori and her band will perform a family-friendly combination of new music and classic hits.
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HOLIDAY BAZAAR COMING BACK TO BERLIN ELEMENTARY
A group of parents would like to bring the Holiday Bazaar back for the students of Berlin Elementary School. This opportunity for students of Berlin will be Saturday December 8th, time TBD it will be held in the gym at school.  We are in need of donated items for the bazaar and volunteers. If you have items to donate or would like to volunteer you can contact Kim Boyd at 229-9517 or by email kboyd76@comcast.net
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COUNTERPOINT IN MONTPELIER OCTOBER 11TH
"American Hallel"  Counterpoint directed by Robert De Cormier sings sacred and liturgical music of Michael Isaacson.  Thursday, October 11, 2012 at Bethany Church, Montpelier.  Pre-concert lecture by the composer at 6:45. Concert at 7:30  $20 adults / $15 seniors,  $5 students and financially challenged.  Tickets at the door.  Information at (802) 540-1784 and www.counterpointchorus.org
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FREE COSTUME SWAP  - OCT 12TH DROP OFF / SHOP OCT 13TH
We will be accepting gently used costumes, in good clean condition, for babies, children, and adults- as well as used skating, dance, performance costumes, masks, boas and other fancy scarves and accessories.  Drop off your costumes and accessories in the Children’s Library at the Kellogg Hubbard Library anytime on Friday, October 12.  Join us to “shop” for a new costume on Saturday, October 13th from 11-1 in the East Montpelier Room at the Kellogg Hubbard Library.
If you have a costume but are unable to drop it at the library on Friday email us and we'll make other arrangements. For more information email mamasayszine@gmail.com  http://tryvermontfirst.com

BERLIN NEWS TO KNOW SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

Sent by Corinne Stridsberg and also posted at http://socialenergy.blogspot.com


My FAVORITE day of the year is almost upon us... that's when I'll be picking potatoes at Chappelle's in Williamstown on September 23rd!


A STEP ABOVE FOR DANCERS
THE RETURN: ONE MAN'S STRUGGLE TO BRING BACK A NEIGHBORHOOD
AFTER IRENE: WESTON TRAILER PARK MAKES A COMEBACK - THANKS TO THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS, FEMA
BANJO DAN & THE MID-NITE PLOWBOYS: "FORTY & FAREWELL"
COUPLE SUE MONTPELIER OVER POND ENFORCEMENT
NEW GROUP ORGANIZES TO PROTECT BERLIN POND
PICK-YOUR-OWN POTATOES SUNDAY, SEPT 23RD
PICNIC ON THE PLAYGROUND AT BERLIN ELEM. SEPT 29TH 1–3pm
APPLE ORCHARDS ARE OPEN
DAIRY CREME STILL OPEN




Michelle Leslie, who is the mom of a Berlin 6th grader asked me to share the following:

A STEP ABOVE FOR DANCERS
At The Gray Building, Main Street, Northfield
Invites you to our OPEN HOUSE!
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012  6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Come check out our studio and register for your favorite dance classes!
We teach dancers 3 years and up. New and beginner dancers are always welcome!
CLASSES INCLUDE:
Creative Movement (3-4 year olds); Ballet; Jazz; Hip Hop; Contemporary; Tap; Adult Latin Class
Can’t join us for Open House? Feel free to visit our website or call the Studio.
A Step Above for Dancers, MAILING ADDRESS: 57 Warren Ave, Northfield, VT 05663
802-485-9493, astepabove@trans-video.net

CENTRAL VERMONT SWIM CLUB
The Central Vermont Swim Club (CVSC) offers competitive and non-competitive swim programs for youth ages 6-18 in the Central Vermont area. All participants must be able to swim at least one pool length (25 yards) without stopping. There are two locations to choose from: Norwich University and First in Fitness Berlin. The competitive program swims at Norwich only. Non-competitive can swim at either location.
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We are excited about the upcoming season and are encouraging folks to consider the competitive program. The more swimmers there are, the more fun it is. Based upon the interest expressed thus far, we will likely have full programs. Please remember this is a parent/volunteer run organization. There is NO profit. The cost of the program pays for expenses. If you don't like something, we ask that you get involved to change it. There is no us and them. We are one entity!
if you have any questions feel free to contact us via email. We will return an answer as soon as possible (typically in a couple of days).
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COMPETITIVE & NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS (Norwich Univ.):
Led by certified swim coaches, these programs stress proper stroke mechanics, competitive swimming skills development, and endurance training for all participants through the use of individual and group instruction, timed drills and distance swimming. Competitive swimmers have the option of participating in club only meets, six New
England Swimming meets, and Regional Championship Meets during the season.
WHO: Swimmers interested in competitive swim training
WHEN: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
TIME: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
DATES: Monday, October 22, 2012 – Thursday, February 21, 2013
WHERE: Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
FEE: Competitive - $480 (includes USA swimming fees)(additional meet fees apply)



This program stresses the fundamentals of swimming and stroke development through the use of individual and group instruction, drills, laps and games. Swimmers are encouraged to participate in two fun swim meets held by the club to measure their progress.
WHO: Swimmers who are not currently interested in competing
WHEN: Monday & Wednesday
TIME: 6 - 7:15 p.m.
DATES: Monday, October 22, 2012 – Wednesday, February 20, 2013
WHERE: First in Fitness, Berlin, Vermont
FEE: $230.00
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REGISTRATION:  For more information and registration forms, email: contact.cvsc@gmail.com  Payment is due in full with submission of registration forms unless prior arrangements are made.  SPACE IS LIMITED. FILLED FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.

THE RETURN: ONE MAN'S STRUGGLE TO BRING BACK A NEIGHBORHOOD
By David Delcore (pub Times Argus 8/26/12)



by Taylor Dobbs (pub 8/28/12 vtdigger.org )
   There’s a fresh look to the Weston Trailer Park. The newly pressed gravel bases for the shiny new mobile homes – some of them still uninhabited – match the bright new wood of the porches. The porches don’t show the tell-tale signs of Vermont weather: the moss that gathers around the base of support posts, the faded gray tone that comes from intense summer sun, winter freezes, and heavy rains.
   A year ago, the Weston Trailer Park was home to many families. Trailers of varying vintages lined the short dirt road in Berlin, their porches well-worn. Perhaps some of the families living in the park had heard of Irene, a tropical storm brewing down south. Most of them didn’t expect their neighborhood, the 83-lot trailer park, would be virtually wiped off the map.
When Tropical Storm Irene scoured Vermont, Weston was among the worst hit trailer parks in the state. Seventeen mobile home villages were damaged by Irene, including parks in Bethel, Duxbury, Waterbury, Sharon and Brattleboro, according to state officials. In all, 235 mobile homes flooded and 124 were actually destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. Three parks have been closed indefinitely, including Tri Park in Brattleboro, Patterson’s in Duxbury and Whalley in Waterbury.
   Weston was also devastated. Many of the mobile homes were ruined, forcing their inhabitants to look elsewhere for housing in the chaotic weeks after the storm hit.
   But a year later, Weston is back, and in some ways better than it was before. The park looks as though it was recently carved out of the meadow on which it sits, not far from the Dog River that so ravaged it last year. Fresh concrete pads line both sides of the road, some of them underneath handsome new mobile homes, for sale signs standing squarely in front.
   The Weston makeover is the result of a concerted effort by the Shumlin administration and nonprofit groups to help residents rebuild. The Vermont Community Foundation, the Associated General Contractors, Chittenden County Office of Employment Opportunity and Lt. Gov. Phil Scott stepped in to raise thousands of dollars to help mobile home owners across the state dispose of the 68 trailers that were destroyed by Irene last year and to raise money to help residents rebuild. In addition, the FEMA gave eligible owners (whose properties were condemned) up to $30,200 from the federal government.
   On a recent afternoon, lawn crews are cutting grass around the park, though most of the lawns around the new homes haven’t been seeded yet. Most of the few residents are off at work, their freshly laid driveways empty. The occasional truck rumbles toward the end of the road, where a group is putting up a porch on one of the houses.
The contractors working on the porch aren’t toiling in the late summer heat to put food on the table, though. In fact, they paid their own way for the privilege of volunteering here.
   The group of nine is from Hazlet, a suburban town in central New Jersey, near the shore. They drove up to Vermont as part of the United Methodist Church’s Volunteers in Mission program, a national volunteer network that helps impoverished or disaster-struck communities with volunteer building and home maintenance.
   “We’re up here – as people move in, there’s different people coming in, different churches from around the country, but we’re up here this week working here in Weston and we’ve already put a deck on a trailer over in Montpelier,” said Bill Bechtoldt, one of the volunteers.
Some of the volunteers have a Vermont connection. Vic Rhodes, one of the older volunteers, was born in Pownal. Bechtoldt’s son owns the Stella Notte restaurant in Stowe. Others just came to help out.
   “It’s just amazing how much damage water can do,” said Melanie Jacob, one of the group members.
   They’re no stranger to water damage. After Hurricane Katrina devastated some southeastern communities, the church group went to Mississippi to volunteer. On this trip, the group is staying at the McKenzie house, an old church hall converted into a bunkhouse after Irene.
Dave Murphy and his wife Judy help coordinate the volunteer groups with local efforts. They started the central Vermont volunteer branch, or mission, in Feb. 2011 and initially had trouble finding volunteers from outside the state.
   “And then all of the sudden Irene happened and we were on the map,” Murphy said. Since the storm hit, the Murphys have had 10 groups, and two more are likely to come before the end of the year.
   “We’re with the United Methodist Church and we have a national network of groups called Volunteers in Mission,” Murphy said in an interview. The volunteer network was in place, and coordinating with community response groups across central Vermont, Murphy has connected groups with homeowners who need everything from hanging drywall and replacing windows to building wheelchair ramps.
   “We have some funds, but most of them have been funded either through state money and also some money that’s been raised in the individual communities,” he said.
With the supplies paid for and free labor, the mission has been able to fill many gaps, doing projects for families that might not otherwise have been able to afford them. He says there’s much more to be done.
   “We anticipate operating next year,” Murphy said. Some of this summer’s volunteers have already contacted him about making another trip next summer.
   A fresh start
   As the volunteers eat their lunch in the shade, a Vermont man stops by.
   “I’m moving into 18,” he says proudly.
   Twelve months after the storm, Clint Campbell is finally coming home. When Irene hit, he was living in his trailer at River Run in Barre. The trailer park had flooded in May 2011, and Campbell and his wife were hit again in August.
   “I’d been there 13 years,” he said. The trailer was destroyed in Irene, and deemed uninhabitable by the state. Since then, he’s been renting an apartment in Plainfield.
Campbell, a groundskeeper at Thunder Road in Barre, said he was paying for the mobile home – just under $50,000 – with money from FEMA and a grant from the Central Vermont Community Action Council.
   “It’s about time,” he said. “Rent was killing me.”
Campbell is one of the lucky ones. His last trailer was covered by flood insurance, and he and his wife made it through the storm unharmed.
   Greg Rouleau, the owner of Villiage Homes, was there to help Campbell move in. He said there’s been a lot of activity in the year since Irene, and most of his customers are having trouble getting the money together to pay for their homes.
   “Funding has been a struggle for everybody,” he said. “From what I understand is what FEMA gave in replacement cost and what it costs to rebuild and go in is a different number, so making up the difference is the challenge.”

BANJO DAN & THE MID-NITE PLOWBOYS: "FORTY & FAREWELL"


   The longest-running bluegrass band in New England, the longest-running band of any kind in Vermont, Banjo Dan and the band have performed in every imaginable sort of venue, from coffeehouses to concert halls, opera houses, gazebos, campuses, fairs and festivals….you name it. They have toured England and Italy and participated in the ground-breaking cultural exchanges with the Soviet Union launched in the late 1980s by Project Harmony. Additional tours in Russia and Finland have ensued, along with festival and concert appearances in Canada. Between band efforts and “solo” projects by various members, the gang has released no less than seventeen full albums, every one stamped with the group’s emphasis on original compositions. This summer the Plowboys have once again been entertaining audiences from Pennsylvania up through Maine with dynamic, creative music, high energy, humor and good times.
   And now an era in Vermont music is coming to an end. On September 29 Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys will play their final concert. Appropriately, it will be held at the Barre Opera House, right here in central Vermont, the long-time home base for the band. The concert is scheduled for 8 PM and tickets are $20; $18 for seniors and students – reserved seating.
   Founding members “Banjo Dan,” mandolinist Will Lindner and guitarist Al Davis still form the core of the band. Jon Henry Drake, the Plowboys’ bass player and tenor singer for the past twenty years, will be there, along with 10-year veteran Phil Bloch, one of New England’s top fiddlers. Guest appearances by former band members are a distinct possibility, and the play list will feature some old Banjo Dan favorites along with the band’s highly distinctive current repertoire. Jack Donovan from media sponsor WDEV will emcee the show, and the audience may expect a few more surprises. The band will be donating its concert fee to the People’s Health and Wellness Clinic, a wonderful Barre-based organization providing primary health care and wellness education to uninsured and underinsured community members of central Vermont.
   “Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys” has been almost synonymous with “Vermont music” for four decades. According to Dan, “We feel like we’ve got the best-ever personnel and are at the top of our form. Nothing lasts forever, but we’re definitely going out on a high note.” The band is grateful for all the wonderful support they’ve enjoyed throughout the state and well beyond for four decades, and the Plowboys are looking forward to sharing one last rousing evening of Vermont-flavored bluegrass music with friends and fans. As their motto suggests, this if “the soul of bluegrass…from the heart of Vermont.”

by David Delcore, pub 9/13/12 Times Argus



   A group of Vermonters concerned about the future of Berlin Pond has created an organization to protect the pond.
   For roughly 100 years, Berlin Pond has remained in a natural, undisturbed condition.  It is the primary source of drinking water for the City of Montpelier, for Central Vermont Hospital, and for areas of Berlin.  However, a recent decision by the Vermont Supreme Court said the city lacked authority to regulate the use of the pond, and as a result, boating and fishing have begun there.
   The new group, "Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond," will work to maintain Berlin Pond in its historic, untrammeled condition.  Point of contact for the group is Maggie J. Kerrin of Waterbury.  She can be reached at maggiejkerrin@aol.com (please put Berlin Pond in the subject line).  Members are residents of Montpelier, Berlin, Barre, Waterbury, and other towns in central Vermont.
   A statement announcing the formation of the group noted:
   -Berlin Pond is a unique resource in Vermont because it has historically existed as a place where natural processes have been allowed to predominate without human interference.
   -Major state-protected wetlands encircle the pond, making it a unique natural community.
   -Berlin Pond has been a refuge and sanctuary for wildlife for 100 years.  The Audubon Society has designated it an "Important Bird Area," and notes "the undisturbed nature of Berlin Pond makes it unique in the state."
   -The Berlin Conservation Commission has advised against increased access to the pond.
   -There are 34 lakes and ponds within a 20-mile radius of Berlin Pond.  All allow hunting, fishing, trapping, swimming, and boating.  More than 800 other lakes and ponds in the State of Vermont allow similar activities.
   -Invasive species such as milfoil and zebra mussels introduced by hunting and fishing can greatly increase the cost of providing safe water for Montpelier and Berlin.
   Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond welcomes support from all Vermonters who are committed to keeping Berlin Pond natural, protected and undeveloped.




PICNIC ON THE PLAYGROUND AT BERLIN ELEM. SEPT 29TH 1–3pm
   Children must be chaperoned by an adult. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and picnic lunch (no glass, please).  Picnic on the Playground at Berlin Elementary School is intended to be a fun, relaxing gathering that celebrates the connection between the school and our greater community. We encourage families, friends, relatives, and anyone with a connection to the school or community to join us for an afternoon of amazing music and company. This event is COMPLETELY FREE!  Lil and the Chill is a local band featuring lead singer Lori Renaud, whose day job is Administrative Assistant at our school. Lori and her band will perform a family-friendly combination of new music and classic hits.

APPLE ORCHARDS ARE OPEN
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The Apple Orchard at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center is open for Pick Your Own Apples Saturday & Sunday 10am - 5pm; Monday & Friday 3pm - 5pm 728-1276
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Liberty Orchards in Brookfield http://libertyorchardvt.com is also fun to go to for apple picking as they have low trees making picking great for the kids. Opening September 14th and probably picked out by Columbus Day weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am - 5pm and Monday - Thursday 1pm-5pm 276-3161

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DAIRY CREME STILL OPEN
Dairy Creme lower State St http://www.dairycreme.com/ is currently open  12pm - 8pm through October 31st. 
Did you know you can buy CASH CARDS and get FREE CREEMEES, what a great gift! WOODEN NICKELS are great gifts too. Check out the details on their website.