Podcasts about brattleboro

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Anthony Van Doorn came to Brattleboro in the early 1800's and became the largest furniture maker in Vermont. Pieces of his are on display in the Bennington Museum, Historic Deerfield Museum and the Brattleboro Historical Society. Here's his story...

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Immigration and Deportation have both recently been in the news. The 1880's thru the 1920's saw major changes in these policies throughout the US and in Brattleboro. Here's the story...

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Brattleboro was chartered in 1753 but not organized as a town until 1761. This is the story of that process, and the first Brattleboro settler acknowledged by the New Hampshire government. His name was Oliver Willard. Here's the story...

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Bayard Grant was born in Brattleboro in 1916. He would go on to fulfill a vital military role during the Berlin Airlift in the late 1940's. He benefitted from the belief that furthering one's education could help the individual, and also contribute to the well-being of society. Here's his story...

rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Learning how a Bristol tulip farm works, as workers gear up for the spring season. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers advance a midyear budget adjustment opposed by Gov. Scott, Brattleboro town meeting representatives reject a spending plan that would've raised taxes by more than 10 percent, an oral history surrounding the COVID pandemic in Vermont comes out today, and Burlington's new interim police chief takes over.

Commemorating the Westminster Massacre amid a debate over whether it really marked the first death of the American Revolution. Plus, U.S. Border Patrol officials are restricting Canadian visitor access to a library and opera house that straddles the international boundary, Amazon wants to build a distribution facility in Essex amid significant community pushback, Vermont's public transit agencies are being asked to trim their budgets for next year, legislation that would change the mission at Efficiency Vermont draws Gov. Scott's attention, and Brattleboro has a new fire chief. 

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the first of the Selectboard's busy March 2025 scheduled. This episode discusses the meetings held on March 3, 6, and 10, and previews a meeting scheduled for March 20.  SHOW NOTES — March 3: Meeting Materials, Watch March 6: Meeting Materials, Watch March 10: Meeting Materials, Watch View the Selectboard's Legislative Priorities Representative Town Meeting will be held on March 22. The Charter Forum has been rescheduled to March 31. The Rec & Parks Department is offering programs this spring. Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov.

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

In 1823 the Bradshaw's rented a two floor wooden building on Main Street. The building was originally a harness shop, but the Bradshaw's had other ideas for the structure. They were the first African American family to settle in Brattleboro. Here's the story...

On March 4, 1791 Vermont officially joined the USA. Brattleboro's representative to the convention to ratify the US Constitution was from one of the most loyal Tory families in New England. Here's the story...

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Remember when dairy farms used to dot the Vermont countryside? Fifty years ago, there were almost 4000 Vermont farms milking cows. Now, the state has less than 500 dairy farms. Here in Windham County the numbers are similar. Thirty years ago, there were about 75 dairy farms in the southeastern corner of Vermont. Today there are less than 20. This week's story focuses on a few of the local dairies that operated in Brattleboro...

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on February 18, 2025, and previews a special joint meeting with the Hinsdale Board of Selectmen scheduled for March 3 and a special meeting scheduled for March 6.  SHOW NOTES — Feb. 18: Meeting Materials, Watch Brattleboro voters, here's some helpful info ahead of Town Meeting Day on March 4. The Assessor's Office published a guide on the homestead declaration and the Vermont property tax credit. Business licenses are due March 15 and dog licenses are due on April 1. Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov.  

Brattleboro Historical Society is about to unveil a project to reach locals and visitors who are either in Brattleboro for a look or visiting via the BHS website. The project is titled “Memories of Brattleboro”. We are in the process of developing historic site markers for Brattleboro's historic properties. A brief description will include a QR code taking the viewer, if desired, to a more in-depth media presentation about the property. This recording shares info that will be available at the Hooker-Dunham building on the eastside of Main Street.

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Students from Kenya and Jordan arrived in Brattleboro for a Biden-era college program, just before the Trump administration suspended new refugee applications. Plus, Democrats in Montpelier push back against Gov. Scott's school choice lottery plan, lawmakers consider another delay to a bill that would process 19-year-olds charged with crimes as juveniles, public health officials try to get a jump on monitoring bird flu to keep it from spreading to cows and people, Burlington has a new interim police chief, and the state may change how it regulates panfish after hundreds of people sign a petition calling for a ban on commercial fishing.

In 1912 soprano Mary Howe was the featured performer at the four day Brattleboro Pageant on Island Park. The Pageant was an historical review of Brattleboro's past. We thought this might be an appropriate topic for our 500th podcast of local history. These podcasts are an effort, on our part, to expand on our understandings of Brattleboro's past.

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on February 4, 2025, and previews a regular meeting scheduled for February 18.  SHOW NOTES — Feb. 4: Meeting Materials, Watch The Rec & Parks Department is adding new youth programs in February.  The Winter Carnival kicks off on Feb. 15. View the project page for the utility rate study. Voters may now request absentee ballots for the March 4th election through the state's My Voter Page or by contacting the Town Clerk's Office. Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov

A group of 85 refugees from Jordan and Syria are in Brattleboro taking part in a first-of-its-kind college preparatory program as they get ready to attend American universities and colleges in the fall.

Tom is the spokesperson behind Motel 6's TV and radio spots and their famous tagline: “We'll leave the light on for you.” His latest idea, HatchSpace, might be exactly what our world needs right now.  After all, Tom is more than a great baritone. He's lived a fascinating life — and now he's giving back in an excellent way.  In today's episode, Tom shares how he moved west from his Michigan hometown to become a carpenter in Alaska. Along the way - almost by accident - he became a radio personality and writer.   After relocating again to Brattleboro, Vermont, Tom launched HatchSpace. His work there is bringing people together and teaching them a powerful lesson: That making things together matters.  During our show, Tom shares:  Two human qualities that Tom believes set us apart from beasts in the woods How woodworking helps heal brain trauma, including addictions – and how it helped heal Tom What changes Tom has seen in his own community after creating HatchSpace The book that opened Tom's eyes to the importance of making things with his hands The Crazy Good Turn that saved his life   Stay current on all of the great work Tom and HatchSpace are doing at hatchspace.org.  Let us know what you think of today's show on social. We're @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms. Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we'd really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you! 

On January 12th, 1983, the police department in Brattleboro, Vermont, got a strange call from some colleagues at a local company about a case of what they thought to be false identity. The woman in question worked as a secretary at the company and called herself Teri Martin. Martin claimed to be the twin sister of a woman named Robbie Hannon, who had recently died and who had been married to her brother-in-law, John Greenleaf Hannon III. Except there was no Teri Martin. And there was no Robbie Hannon. There was only Marie Hilley.Audrey Marie Hilley, who preferred to go by Marie, was born and raised in Anniston, Alabama. That is where she grew up, got married the first time and raised her two children. She also had multiple affairs with her bosses, tried to poison both of her children with arsenic, and succeeded in doing so with her first husband. Marie Hilley would go on to wreak havoc all over the South and the NorthEast, leaving a trail of false identities and dead bodies in her wake. Show Notes:https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/season-27/episode-8/marie-hilley

We hear the story of a Morristown man who passed away last April after struggling with substance abuse, in the first of a three-part collaboration with Seven Days analyzing the number of unhoused Vermonters who have died over the last several years.. Plus, lawmakers want to examine COVID-era appropriations that may not be yielding adequate returns for taxpayers, a Brattleboro nonprofit secured grant funding to support refugees before a federal funding freeze,tariffs on Canadian goods could raise Vermonters' energy bills, officials ponder options for the future of Vermont's waste disposal, and Vermont's senators register their opposition to Robert F. Kennedy's Jr.'s nomination for health secretary.

The first moving pictures to play in Brattleboro came to town in 1899. In 1921 the first major motion picture filmed in Vermont was shown in the Town Hall Auditorium. It starred Lillian Gish and was filmed north of here in the Connecticut River Valley. The movie was said to be "the greatest entertainment of its kind ever seen in Brattleboro.”

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

This week is about Jim Fisk...the man who caused an economic panic known as "Black Friday". He was quite a wheeler-dealer and had several ties to Brattleboro. 7th grade BAMS students tell his story and rap about his impact on the country.

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on January 21, 2025, and previews a special meeting scheduled for January 28 and a regular meeting on February 4.  SHOW NOTES — Jan. 21: Meeting Materials, Watch Jan. 28: Meeting Materials, Watch The Assessor's Office is accepting business license renewals for 2025. Dog license renewals are now available for 2025. The Charter Revision Commission is discussing annual town meeting on Feb. 6. Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Edward C. Crosby was part of the 2nd generation of Crosby's to have a positive influence on Brattleboro. He was a prominent businessman who balanced his self-interests with the needs of the community. Here's his story...

Rivertown Church is a Christ-centered community that exists to worship God and make disciples of Jesus for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples. For more about our church, please visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join us Sundays at 10:30am at 28 Birge Street in Brattleboro, VT for our worship gathering.

Combining technical skill with a strong aesthetic, flameworking pioneer Sally Prasch is known for her work that places other-worldly figures in glowing globes filled with rare gasses. She has also constructed portraits from broken shards of glass and is well known for her goblets made with coiled stems that allow them to bounce when handled. Her latest work incorporates cast bronze with glass. But perhaps Prasch's greatest fulfillment has come from teaching. She has taught flameworking workshops at UrbanGlass, Brooklyn; the famous Niijima Glass School, Japan; Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA; Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC; Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA; Grove Gas & Light Co, University of CA, San Diego, CA; Ingalena Klenell's Studio, Sweden, and many more. States Prasch: “Teaching has always been a part of my life. My parents were teachers, and both my brother and sister have also been teachers. Lloyd Moore, my first teacher, found it very important not to have any secrets but to share your knowledge with others – share your love of glass and making things. He taught thousands of people, and I continue in his tradition. Lloyd started me teaching at age 15. It was scary for me to teach adults, but made me practice things over and over again. We started people on soft glass tubing and then worked them up to borosilicate.”  Prasch began her career at age 13 with Moore working as a part-time apprentice at the University of Nebraska and then worked as a glassblowing instructor for the City of Lincoln Recreation Department. Later on, she took workshops from some of the best glassblowers of the time including William Bernstein, Ray Schultz, and Lino Tagliapietra. She attended the University of Kansas from 1977 to 1980 and received a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art in Glass and Ceramics.  After college, Prasch started her glass art business that is still active today. She soon began to receive recognition for her artistic work and was selected for the Corning Museum of Glass' New Glass Review in 1993. The artist has been attending Glass Art Society (GAS) Conferences since 1978 and continues to participate by giving demonstrations and lec-moes, serving on the GAS Advisory Board and working with the organization's History Committee. In 1985, Prasch received her Certificate in Scientific Glass Technology from Salem Community College (SCC), Carneys Point, New Jersey. Soon afterwards, she obtained a position with AT&T doing large quartz work for the semiconductor industry. Continuing with her studies, Prasch earned her degree in Applied Science from SCC in 1986. Later that year she got a job as a scientific glassblower and glass instructor at the University of Massachusetts. She has worked as a scientific glassblower at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass Amherst), Syracuse University, and the University of Vermont, Burlington.  Currently, Prasch is the scientific glassblower and also teaches Scientific Glassblowing and the Properties of Glass to graduate students in Chemistry, Art and Physics at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a member of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society (ASGS) and the director of the Northeast section. Her ASGS experience includes participating in seminars on such subjects like vacuum technology, quartz technology, and glass sealing. She has instructed a neon class with David Wilson, presented a paper on her work with the discovery of the gravitational wave, and co-chaired symposiums.  In 2025, Prasch will exhibit her work in Glass Lifeforms at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, opening February 7 and running through April 20. Her work will also be on view in Glasstastic at the Brattleboro Art Museum, Brattleboro, VT, March 22 through November 1. The artist will teach at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA, from July 28 – August 1. After curating the annual glass exhibit at Leverett Crafts and Arts in Leverett, MA for the month of November, Prasch will have a one-week fall residency with George Kennard at SCC, as well as a residency at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 2026, the Herter main gallery at UMass Amherst will host a solo exhibit of Prasch's work from January 29 through May 8. The opening will take place Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. with an artist talk from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Her work will also be on display at the Science Library and at the Durfee Conservatory at UMass during the show.  As Prasch develops new work, including pieces for Laura Donefer's 2026 Glass Fashion Show to be held at GAS, she continues to teach and fabricate scientific glassware at UMass. She says: “I have taught on average 25 students a month for my entire career, only taking a break during the pandemic. Obviously, teaching is a part of me, and I gain so much. It is not about teaching, not about glass, not about notoriety, not about pay – it is about the energy between people. It is about trust.”  UPCOMING EVENT LINKS Spring and Fall semester classes and weekend workshops at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/scientific-glassblowing-laboratory February 7 – April 20, 2025 – Glass Lifeforms Exhibit, Pittsburgh Glass Center https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/event/exhibition-lifeforms/ March 22 – November 1, 2025 – Glasstastic, Brattleboro Art Museum, Brattleboro VT https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/2024/09/06/glasstastic-2025/ March 21 – 23, 2025 – International Flameworking Conference, Salem Community College, Carneys Point, NJ https://www.salemcc.edu/glass/international-flameworking-conference April 5, 2025 – Northeast American Scientific Glassblowers Section Meeting, Cornell University https://northeast.asgs-glass.org/ May 14 – 17, 2025 –Glass Art Society Conference https://www.glassart.org/conference/texas-2025/ July 28 – August 1, 2025 – Teaching at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh PA https://canvas.pittsburghglasscenter.org/classes/1632 Fall, 2025 – one week residency with George Kennard at Salem Community College, Carneys Point, NJ https://www.salemcc.edu/glass Fall, 2025 – one week residency at the University of Massachusetts https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/scientific-glassblowing-laboratory January 29 – May 8, 2026 – Exhibit at the Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Opening April 24, 5 – 7 p.m. with artist talk 6:00 – 6:30pm https://www.umass.edu/herterartgallery/herter-art-gallery January 29 – May 8, 2026 Exhibit at the Science and Engineering Library and the Durfee Conservatory https://www.library.umass.edu/sel/ https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/greenhouses/durfee-conservatory  

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on January 7, 2025, and previews a regular meeting scheduled for January 21.  SHOW NOTES — Jan. 7: Meeting Materials, Watch The Assessor's Office is accepting business license renewals for 2025. Dog license renewals are now available for 2025. The Charter Revision Commission is discussing annual town meeting on Feb. 6. Candidate petitions are now available for the March 4 elections & RTM 2025 Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on December 17, 2024, and previews the next regular meeting scheduled for January 7, 2025. SHOW NOTES — Dec 17: Meeting Materials, Watch Visit the FY26 Budget page here. Candidate petitions are now available for the March 4 elections & RTM 2025 Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov

Jimmy Carter visited Brattleboro in January of 1976. He was one of fifteen candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Here's the story...

Elm Corners is located at the intersection of Maple and Guilford Streets. This is the history of this section of Brattleboro which used to be the southeastern boundary of Centreville village. The story goes back to the 1750's...

Originally aired on December 21, 2024. Dan attends Wagner's Götterdämmerung by TUNDI Production in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was a riveting experience. James Chamberlain, who starred as Sigfried, talks about his role on stage and off. Does he memorize all of the lines? What happens if he forgets a line? And how does a modern-day opera singer make any money? James shares the triumphs and struggles of being a dramatic tenor. Tundi Productions Ring Cycle 2025 in Bratteboro, Vermont: https://tundiproductions.org/

Originally aired on December 21, 2024. Dan attends Wagner's Götterdämmerung by TUNDI Production in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was a riveting experience. James Chamberlain, who starred as Sigfried, talks about his role on stage and off. Does he memorize all of the lines? What happens if he forgets a line? And how does a modern-day opera singer make any money? James shares the triumphs and struggles of being a dramatic tenor. Tundi Productions Ring Cycle 2025 in Bratteboro, Vermont: https://tundiproductions.org/

Soup is one of those meals that inherently brings people together — maybe it's the warmth, the fusion of ingredients and spices, or the act of ladling into carefully clutched bowls. Soup is also part of the culinary tradition of cultures around the globe.Vermont Edition brought together chefs and listeners to share soup-making tips. Our guests were Joe Buley Jr. of Joe's Kitchen at Screamin' Ridge Farm in East Montpelier, and Caroline Hannon and Bex Slatterly of the Queer Soup Night event series in Brattleboro. This episode also featured Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry. She joined us for our monthly chat about food and beverage news.

We were joined today by some of Vermont's finest folk musicians, Seamus Eagan, Moira Smiley and Yann Falquet, in front of a live studio audience of Vermont Public members and supporters. They brought their instruments along to perform their music and to chat with Mikaela about their inspirations, their love of folk traditions, and the local music scene.Seamus Egan is an internationally acclaimed Irish folk musician based in Vermont. He's the founder of the Irish-American band Solas, and is well known as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition. Moira Smiley is a Bristol-based folk musician and composer. She has recorded and performed with the indie-pop band the Tune Yards, and her new album out this year is called "The Rhizome Project."Yann Falquet is a Brattleboro-based guitarist who specializes in Québécois traditional music.

Inventor and business owner Damian Renzello is featured in the return of our recurring series "What Class Are You", where reporter Erica Heilman talks to Vermonters with various backgrounds about money, class and privilege. Plus, the Christmas Bird Count is back, Brattleboro residents revoke a “public nuisance” ordinance enacted in response to criminal activity downtown, Burlington's mayor appoints a new interim director for the city's Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and Amtrak ridership is up in Vermont.

In this episode, Brattleboro's Town Manager John Potter summarizes the Selectboard meeting held on December 3, 2024, and previews the final meeting of the year, which is scheduled for December 17.  SHOW NOTES — Dec. 3: Meeting Materials, Watch Dec 17: Meeting Materials Visit the FY26 Budget page here. Improvements to traffic flow around the General John Stark Memorial Bridge is in the works. The Recreation & Parks Department is hosting numerous events this holiday season. Brooks Memorial Library is seeking feedback about technology at the library. Reach out at townmatters@brattleboro.gov

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Nov. 13. It dropped for free subscribers on Nov. 20. To receive future episodes as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoMatt Jones, President and Chief Operating Officer of Stratton Mountain, VermontRecorded onNovember 11, 2024About Stratton MountainClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Alterra Mountain Company, which also owns:Located in: Winhall, VermontYear founded: 1962Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: Unlimited* Ikon Base Pass: Unlimited, holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Bromley (:18), Magic (:24), Mount Snow (:28), Hermitage Club (:33), Okemo (:40), Brattleboro (:52)Base elevation: 1,872 feetSummit elevation: 3,875 feetVertical drop: 2,003 feetSkiable Acres: 670Average annual snowfall: 180 inchesTrail count: 99 (40% novice, 35% intermediate, 16% advanced, 9% expert)Lift count: 14 (1 ten-passenger gondola, 4 six-packs, 1 high-speed quad, 2 fixed-grip quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 4 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Stratton's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himI don't know for sure how many skier visits Stratton pulls each winter, or where the ski area ranks among New England mountains for busyness. Historical data suggests a floor around 400,000 visits, likely good for fifth in the region, behind Killington, Okemo, Sunday River, and Mount Snow. But the exact numbers don't really matter, because the number of skiers that ski at Stratton each winter is many manys. And the number of skiers who have strong opinions about Stratton is that exact same number.Those numbers make Stratton more important than it should be. This is not the best ski area in Vermont. It's not even Alterra's best ski area in Vermont. Jay, MRG, Killington, Smuggs, Stowe, and sister resort Sugarbush are objectively better mountains than Stratton from a terrain point of view (they also get a lot more snow). But this may be one of the most crucial mountains in Alterra's portfolio, a doorway to the big-money East, a brand name for skiers across the region. Stratton is the only ski area that advertises in the New York City Subway, and has for years.But Stratton's been under a bit of stress. The lift system is aging. The gondola is terrible. Stratton was one of those ski areas that was so far ahead of the modernization curve – the mountain had four six-packs by 2001 – that it's now in the position of having to update all of that expensive stuff all at once. And as meaningful updates have lagged, Stratton's biggest New England competitors are running superlifts up the incline at a historic pace, while Alterra lobs hundreds of millions at its western megaresorts. Locals feel shafted, picketing an absentee landlord that they view as negligent. Meanwhile, the crowds pile up, as unlimited Ikon Pass access has holstered the mountain in hundreds of thousands of skiers' wintertime battle belts.If that all sounds a little dramatic, it only reflects the messages in my inbox. I think Alterra has been cc'd on at least some of those emails, because the company is tossing $20 million at Stratton this season, a sum that Jones tells us is just the beginning of massive long-term investment meant to reinforce the mountain's self-image as a destination on its own.What we talked aboutStratton's $20 million offseason; Act 250 masterplanning versus U.S. Forest Service masterplanning; huge snowmaking upgrades and aspirations; what $8 million gets you in employee housing these days; big upgrades for the Ursa and American Express six-packs; a case for rebuilding lifts rather than doing a tear-down and replace; a Tamarack lift upgrade; when Alterra's investment firehose could shift east; leaving Tahoe for Vermont; what can be done about that gondola?; the Kidderbrook lift; parking; RFID; Ikon Pass access levels; and $200 to ski Stratton.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewHow pissed do you think the Punisher was when Disney announced that Ant Man would be the 12th installment in Marvel's cinematic universe? I imagine him seated in his lair, polishing his grenades. “F*****g Ant Man?” He throws a grenade into one of his armored Jeeps, which disintegrates in a supernova of steel parts, tires, and smoke. “Ant Man. Are you f*****g serious with this? I waited through eleven movies. Eleven. Iron Man got three. Thor and Captain f*****g America got two apiece. The Hulk. Two Avengers movies. Something called ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,' about a raccoon and a talking tree that save the goddamn universe or some s**t. And it was my turn, Man. My. Turn. Do these idiots not know that I had three individual comic lines published concurrently in the 1990s? Do they not know that I'm ranked as the ninth-greatest Marvel superhero of all time on this nerd list? Do you know where Ant Man is ranked on that list? Huh? Well, I'll tell you: number 131, behind Rocket Raccoon, U-Go Girl, and Spider Man 2099, whatever the hell any of those are.” The vigilante then loads his rocket launcher and several machine guns into a second armored Jeep, and sets off in search of jaywalkers to murder.Anyway I imagine that's how Stratton felt as it watched the rest of Alterra's cinematic universe release one blockbuster after another. “Oh, OK, so Steamboat not only gets a second gondola, but they get a 600-acre terrain expansion served by their eighth high-speed quad? And it wasn't enough to connect the two sides of Palisades Tahoe with a gondola, but you threw in a brand-new six-pack? And they're tripling the size of Deer Valley. Tripling. 3,700 acres of new terrain and 16 new lifts and a new base village to go with it. That's equal to five-and-a-half Strattons. And Winter Park gets a new six-pack, and Big Bear gets a new six-pack, and Mammoth gets two. Do you have any idea how much these things cost? And I can't even get a gondola that can withstand wind gusts over three miles per hour? Even goddamn Snowshoe – Snowshoe – got a new lift before I did. I didn't even think West Virginia was actually a real place. I swear if these f*****s announce a new June Mountain out-of-base lift before I get my bling, things are gonna get Epic around here.”Well, it's finally Stratton's turn, with $20 million in upgrades inbound. Alterra wasn't exactly mining the depths of locals' dreams to decide where to deploy the cash – snowmaking, employee housing, lift overhauls – and a gondola replacement isn't coming anytime soon, but they're pretty smart investments when you dig into them. Which we do.Questions I wish I'd askedAmong the items that I would have liked to have discussed given more time: the Appalachian Trail's path across the top of Stratton Mountain, Stratton as birthplace of modern snowboarding, and the Stratton Mountain School.What I got wrong* I said that Epic Pass access had remained mostly unchanged for the past decade, which is not quite right. When Vail first added Stowe to the Epic Local Pass for the 2017-18 season, they slotted the resort into the bucket of 10 days shared with Vail, Beaver Creek, and Whistler. At some point, Stowe received its own basket of 10 days, apart from the western resorts.* I said that Sunday River's Jordan eight-pack was wind-resistant “because of the weight.” While that is one factor, the lift's ability to run in high winds relies on a more complex set of anti-sway technology, none of which I really understand, but that Sunday River GM Brian Heon explained on The Storm earlier this year:Why you should ski StrattonA silent skiing demarcation line runs roughly along US 4 through Vermont. Every ski area along or above this route – Killington, Pico, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Stowe, Smuggs – lets trails bump up, maintains large glade networks, and generally provides you with balanced, diverse terrain. Everything below that line – Okemo, Bromley, Mount Snow – generally don't do any of these things, or offer them sporadically, and in the most shrunken form possible. There are some exceptions on both sides. Saskadena Six, a bump just north of US 4, operates more like the Southies. Magic, in the south, better mirrors the MRG/Sugarbush model. And then there's Stratton.Good luck finding bumps at Stratton. Maybe you'll stumble onto the remains of a short competition course here or there, but, generally, this is a groom-it-all-every-day kind of ski area. Which would typically make it a token stop on my annual rounds. But Stratton has one great strength that has long made it a quasi-home mountain for me: glades.The glade network is expansive and well-maintained. The lines are interesting and, in places, challenging. You wouldn't know this from the trailmap, which portrays the tree-skiing areas as little islands lodged onto Stratton's hulk. But there are lots of them, and they are plenty long. On a typical pow day, I'll park at Sun Bowl and ski all the glades from Test Pilot over to West Pilot and back. It takes all day and I barely touch a groomer.And the glades are open more often than you'd think. While northern Vermont is the undisputed New England snow king, with everything from Killington north counting 250-plus inches in an average winter, the so-called Golden Triangle of Stratton, Bromley, and Magic sits in a nice little micro-snow-pocket. And Stratton, the skyscraping tallest peak in that region of the state, devours a whole bunch (180 inches on average) to fill in those glades.And if you are Groomer Greg, you're in luck: Stratton has 99 of them. And the grooming is excellent. Just start early, because they get scraped off by the NYC hordes who camp out there every weekend. The obsessive grooming does make this a good family spot, and the long green trail from the top down to the base is one of the best long beginner runs anywhere.Podcast NotesOn Act 250This is the 20th Vermont-focused Storm Skiing Podcast, and I think we've referenced Act 250 in all of them. If you're unfamiliar with this law, it is, according to the official state website:…Vermont's land use and development law, enacted in 1970 at a time when Vermont was undergoing significant development pressure. The law provides a public, quasi-judicial process for reviewing and managing the environmental, social and fiscal consequences of major subdivisions and developments in Vermont. It assures that larger developments complement Vermont's unique landscape, economy and community needs. One of the strengths of Act 250 is the access it provides to neighbors and other interested parties to participate in the development review process. Applicants often work with neighbors, municipalities, state agencies and other interested groups to address concerns raised by a proposed development, resolving issues and mitigating impacts before a permit application is filed.On Stratton's masterplanStratton is currently updating its masterplan. It will retain some elements of this 2013 version. Some elements of this – most notably a new Snow Bowl lift in 2018 – have been completed:One curious element of this masterplan is the proposed lift up the Kidderbrook trail – around 2007, Stratton removed a relatively new (installed 1989) Poma fixed-grip quad from that location. Here it is on the far left-hand side of the 2005 trailmap:On Stratton's ownership historyStratton's history mirrors that of many large New England ski areas: independent founders run the ski area for decades; founders fall into financial peril and need private equity/banking rescue; bank sells to a giant out-of-state conglomerate; which then sells to another giant out-of-state conglomerate; which eventually turns into something else. In Stratton's case, Robert Wright/Frank Snyder -> Moore and Munger -> Japanese company Victoria USA -> Intrawest -> Alterra swallows the carcass of Intrawest. You can read all about it on New England Ski History.Here was Intrawest's roster, if you're curious:On Alterra's building bingeSince its 2018 founding, Alterra has invested aggressively in its properties: a 2.4-mile-long, $65 million gondola connecting Alpine Meadows to the Olympic side of Palisades Tahoe; $200 million in the massive Mahogany Ridge expansion and a three-mile-long gondola at Steamboat; and an untold fortune on Deer Valley's transformation into what will be the fourth-largest ski area in the United States. Plus new lifts all over the place, new snowmaking all over the place, new lodges all over the place. Well, all over the place except for at Stratton, until now.On Boyne and Vail's investments in New EnglandAmplifying Stratton Nation's pain is the fact that Alterra's two big New England competitors – Vail Resorts and Boyne Resorts – have built a combined 16 new lifts in the region over the past five years, including eight-place chairs at Loon and Sunday River (Boyne), and six-packs at Stowe, Okemo, and Mount Snow (Vail). They've also replaced highly problematic legacy chairs at Attitash (Vail) and Pleasant Mountain (Boyne). Boyne has also expanded terrain at Loon, Sunday River, and, most notably – by 400 acres – Sugarloaf. And it's worth noting that independents Waterville Valley and Killington have also dropped new sixers in recent years (Killington will build another next year). Meanwhile, Alterra's first chairlift just landed this summer, at Sugarbush, which is getting a fixed-grip quad to replace the Heaven's Gate triple.On gondola wind holdsJust in case you want to blame windholds on some nefarious corporate meddling, here's a video I took of Kirkwood's Cornice Express spinning in 50-mile-per-hour winds when Jones was running the resort last year. Every lift has its own distinct profile that determines how it manages wind.On shifting Ikon Pass accessWhen Alterra launched the Ikon Pass in 2018, the company limited Base Pass holders to five days at Stratton, with holiday blackouts. Ahead of the 2020-21 season, the company updated Base Pass access to unlimited days with those same holiday blackouts. Alterra and its partners have made several such changes in Ikon's seven years. I've made this nifty chart that tracks them all (if you missed the memo, Solitude just upgraded Ikon Base pass access to eliminate holiday blackouts):On historic Stratton lift ticket pricesAgain, New England Ski History has done a nice job documenting Stratton's year-to-year peak lift ticket rates:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 76/100 in 2024, and number 576 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe