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(02/20/20 11:00am)
Jean Stone, Addison County Restorative Justice Services’ (ACRJS) new executive director, hopes to recruit new volunteers to help with the organization’s rehabilitative practices. Restorative justice, at its core, grapples with the concept of community and every citizen’s role in it. As a process of collective reconciliation and rehabilitation, restorative justice emphasizes the interconnectedness in our society by providing a forum for legal offenders to acknowledge their crimes, as well as the effects of those crimes on victims and the community as a whole.
The Middlebury-based nonprofit organization committed to court diversion programs that provide a “Balanced Approach” model. Under the leadership of a board of trustees and a five-person staff, trained community volunteers help participants assume responsibility for their actions in ways that differ from more punitive forms of justice, according to Stone.
ACRJS aims to keep individuals out of the criminal justice system, especially juveniles. “An introduction to the criminal justice system [at a young age] desensitizes minors,” Stone said. “Instead of keeping them from being involved, it normalizes crime.”
Stone also said that ACRJS Department of Corrections contract allows the organization to work with people right out of incarceration and to try to help them establish lives beyond their convictions.
Stone became the executive director at ACRJS last December. “I have lived in this community for a long time,” she said. “I grew up on a farm and worked with a family, helping their children through the Federal Head Start program.” The Federal Head Start Program provides early-childhood education services to children of low-income households.
Stone then worked for 11 years with parents whose children were in custody so that those kids could later safely return to their families.
“We all impact the community in our own way,” she said. “If we choose not to become involved, it can be negative, but it’s possible to make positive changes.”
Other ACRJS programs include the Safe Driving Program and the Youth Substance Abuse Safety Program (YSASP). The Safe Driving Program counsels perpetrators of unsafe driving. Through activities and discussion, the program provides participants with opportunities to engage with the consequences of their actions on their communities.
YSASP is a confidential referral program designed for minors who are caught consuming, possessing or attempting to obtain alcohol or marijuana. In both cases, once participants complete the program, all legal penalties are dropped.
“We know that younger people’s brains aren’t fully developed, and yet we ask them to make informed decisions like adults,” Stone said. “These kinds of preventative programs are so [criminal activity] doesn’t impact their education.”
In the future, ACRJS hopes to increase the capacity of review panels. As of now, members of the local retired population are volunteering the most.
While their expertise is absolutely needed, Stone said younger volunteers would be extremely valuable, as a large number of participants in ACRJS programs fall between the ages of 25 and 40.
Stone believes that, generally, more volunteers would be helpful to the services the organization provides.
“If we all took a piece to help,” she said, “things would look different for our entire community.”
For more information on ACRJS, and to join as a volunteer, visit acrjs.org.
(04/18/19 10:38am)
It can be difficult to break out of the Middlebury College bubble. Especially if you don’t like the cold. Whether you’ve felt cooped up all winter or you skied every day, there are so, so many outdoor activities to do now that it’s spring. Here are personal reflections on four different hikes not too far from Middlebury College:
Snake Mountain Hike:
Two weekends ago I decided on a whim to hike Snake Mountain with a friend. It’s a relatively short drive from the college (about 20 minutes). With access to a car it is easily reachable. We parked at a small lot near the start of the trail. The start of the hike was extremely muddy, so expect to get a little wet, but the farther up we hiked the less muddy it got. There were some small patches of ice and snow along the way, but they were easy to avoid. We went on a Saturday morning, so we passed lots of families, dogs and Middlebury students. It was a great quick escape from campus and the view from the top was pretty amazing. It would have been a great spot for a picnic and the next time I hike it I’ll be bringing some snacks to sit at the top longer. The hike in total took about a two hours (one up and one down).
The Robert Frost Interpretive Trail:
I’ve always been fascinated by Robert Frost, the famous 20th-century American nature poet who lived in Vermont for most of his life. He taught at the Middlebury’s Breadloaf School of English for forty years and spent his free time writing poetry about the Vermont landscape that surrounded him. The Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, one of my favorite spots to wander near Middlebury, gives you a chance to experience this VT landscape for yourself. The trail can be found along Route 125 between Middlebury and Breadloaf. It’s an easy loop: about one mile, mainly flat and takes about 45 minutes to complete. Frost’s poems are mounted along the trail to contemplate, and the trail meanders across and alongside a stream. Plants such as birch trees and wild raisin are identified with wooden signs. During the summer, there are blueberries to pick and the forest is green and lush. In the winter, the trees may be bare, but they create a dramatic contrast with the sparkling white snow.
TAM Class of ’97 trail:
If you’re in search of an easy escape from the Middlebury’s campus, and maybe even hoping for a reminder of a Pacific Northwest-esque landscape, then the TAM ’97 trail near the Knoll is the place for you. After following a field for a bit and crossing a marshy area filled with the croaks of frogs, you’ll duck into a trail shaded by pine trees where you’ll sense a shift: the air is slightly cooler and there is a faint smell of pine. You might have to dodge by a couple inches of pine needle-filled ice, which, despite spring’s increasing temperatures, has been kept frozen in the shade of the trail. If you make it past the ice, you’ll continue by some fields until reaching the highway, where you can cross to the part of the trail that follows a creek. I really like this part of the TAM because it is easy to get to from campus, but is still an escape from the college.
Mount Abe Hike:
On Sunday, April 7, I did a sunrise hike of Mount Abe. We — myself and CATZ, a group from an early morning workout group that has members from the broader Middlebury community — left around 5:30 a.m. It was light out by the time we got to the trailhead. Mount Abe is in Lincoln, VT, around 35 minutes from campus. The Green Mountain Club has already declared mud season so we hiked up Battell Trail instead of the Long Trail. There was still a lot of snow on the hike. Microspikes (slip-on spikes that lend traction in snowy and icy conditions) were necessary, and, in some places, you could see holes where people had sunk through at least 2 feet of snow. The last time I hiked Mount Abe was in the fall during peak foliage. What had been a slight scramble up rock in the fall had become a steep trek through snow. The top of the hike was as beautiful as always and not too windy. We ate some snacks, took some pictures and then headed down. The best part of the hike was the people that I went with! After our hike we went to Bristol Cliffs Café, ate some breakfast sandwiches and made it back to campus to start homework by 11 a.m.
(02/14/19 10:57am)
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The Celebration of Vermont Poetry & Poets came to the town of Middlebury this past weekend. At the center of the Vermont Book Shop on Main Street, a number of scattered seating options faced a small open space where six poets read from “Roads Taken: Contemporary Vermont Poetry.” This anthology presents a variety of works from young, undiscovered Vermont poets all the way back to the celebrated Robert Frost. The six poets at the Middlebury reading included Karen Gottshall, Gary Margolis, Dennis Nurkse, Bianco Stone, Sydney Lea and Chard deNiord.
“Bringing together these voices has a unique bonding capability, especially when brought to the public through a reading such as this one,” Serrin Kim ’22 said after attending the event.
The compilation of so many diverse poems was neither quick nor easy for editors Lea and deNiord. However, the two worked well together, making the work as smooth as it could be.
“We almost always agreed and that really is a blessing,” said diNiord, “It would have felt like an even longer process if we didn’t.”
The final product contains the work of over 80 poets and took more than two years to complete. The idea of an anthology of contemporary Vermont poetry came to deNiord while Lea held the title of the Vermont poet laureate. Lea’s schedule quickly became full with readings and so she asked deNiord to hold off on the book for a bit. After a switch of roles though, deNiord, finding himself the next poet laureate, asked Lea again and off they went.
This is not the first time this anthology has been the focus of a celebratory event such as the one at the Vermont Book Shop. The poets whose work is included live all over the state of Vermont. “There are more poets per capita in Vermont than any other state,” diNiord said in a Vermont Public Radio podcast. “It just made sense to want to share their work and expose people to the themes within their poems,” diNiord continued.
In order for poets to qualify to have their work included in the book, there were two criteria: residence in Vermont for five years and the prior publishing of a book of poetry with a press that isn’t a Vanity press. Poets were asked to submit five poems from which diNiord and Lea then picked two to include in the book.
[pullquote speaker="BIANCA STONE " photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]I was surrounded by family members who were authors and poets, so it was natural for me.[/pullquote]
The goal of the book and these public reading events is to create an ongoing celebration that will grow and spread throughout the state. Each of the individual public readings takes place in different parts of Vermont, and those poets published in the book who live in the area are invited to read aloud. At the Middlebury reading, the six poets present also chose poems outside of the book to share.
Advertised as a poetry reading in preparation for Valentine’s Day, heart-shaped chocolates encased in pink and red wrappers could be found in a bowl to the side of the seating. In addition, some of the poems read were prefaced with this light-hearted explanation: “Because Valentine’s Day is coming up, I’m going to read this love poem.”
During the readings there was complete silence in the bookstore. A couple in one of the far corners had their eyes closed and held hands. One woman sat on the ground next to the couch, knitting while she listened.
“I noticed that those in attendance were definitely more representative of the older Middlebury population,” Elaine Vidal ’22 said, “I think it would have been great to also see some younger faces.”
Bianca Stone, one of the younger poets included in the book, addressed this observation when talking about growing up in Middlebury. “I was surrounded by family members who were authors and poets, so it was natural for me,” she said. “I don’t know whether I would have become interested in poetry if it weren’t for them.”
Poetry seems to be an integral part of Vermont tradition, based on a section of the book’s introduction that refers to poems in the volume as “claim[ing] Vermont as their place of origin, bearing witness to the remarkably rich and ongoing legacy of the state’s poetic tradition.” However, Stone pointed out that there’s not too much exposure to poetry, based on her experience in middle school and high school here in Middlebury. “There’s definitely room for improvement,” she said.
On the other hand, there is a lot of writing going on if you know how to find it; as National Poetry Month approaches this coming April, the college community and Middlebury residents will have ample opportunity to delve into poetry. David Weinstock, who was in attendance on Saturday, leads a weekly poetry workshop at the Ilsley Public Library. “We will put aside our usual round of reading and critiquing in April and feature guest poets and speakers instead, many from the college,” he said.
“This event had a lot of facets that would have made it attractive to college students, especially the intimacy of hearing poems read in person by the authors themselves,” Lucy Townend ’22 said. “I think that events like these should be advertised more on campus. Also, for a larger audience, it would need a bigger and more comfortable venue to support more people.”
Events like this have originally been catered to a small audience. So, according to Townend, it could be important to strike a balance between creating a small and intimate environment and allowing for a bigger audience to share events like this.
Ultimately, diNiord’s statement that there’s “a fierce self-reliance in Vermonters and mystical love for the landscape” will hopefully continue through the creation of poetry that will be shared and celebrated throughout Vermont and in the Middlebury community.
(01/24/19 10:57am)
WATERBURY — Ben & Jerry’s, every ice cream lover’s guilty pleasure, was sued by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) on the grounds of false advertising in July of 2018. Anyone who has eaten Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is familiar with the company’s iconic happy cow imagery that evokes a hippie, social justice-oriented and green marketing platform. But what they probably don’t know is that this platform might not be completely warranted.
The OCA recently tested 11 flavors of Ben & Jerry’s most popular ice cream flavors, including Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, The Tonight Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, for an herbicide called glyphosate. Glyphosate is found in Monsanto’s weed killer, Roundup, which has been banned in many countries due to research that has shown it is a “probable human carcinogen.” The results of the study, published by New York Times, showed all 11 flavors except Cherry Garcia tested positive for the herbicide.
While the company avoids implying that the lawsuit unfairly targets them, a recent statement released by Ben & Jerry’s attempts to put the OCA’s results into context. Many other everyday food items and products on the market, including organic whole wheat bread and whole grain oat breakfast cereal, have tested much higher for glyphosate than Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The page also cites both the Health Research Institute Laboratories’ comment that the amounts of glyphosate found “would seem totally irrelevant,” as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s claim that it would take inordinate amounts of glyphosate to affect a child.
The lawsuit also accuses Ben & Jerry’s of overstating their commitment to high animal welfare standards. Such advertising has historically brought in a loyal, niche consumer base. The company’s “Caring Dairy” program that sets standards for the treatment of their cows is commendable in theory. However, in reality — according to the OCA and Regeneration Vermont — only about 25% of the farms from which Ben & Jerry’s receives milk actually adhere to the standards.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]40 to 79% of the phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in Vermont’s waterways comes from dairy farms. And, almost all of the pesticide pollution comes from these dairies.[/pullquote]
The milk and cream that Ben & Jerry’s uses for their beloved flavors of ice cream are sourced from a co-op in St. Albans City, Vermont that combines milk received from both local organic dairy farms and large factory-style dairy farms. These factory-style dairy farms use Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that might speed up the process of getting milk, but do not fall in line with the set standards.
Protestors also claim mega-dairies in Vermont that supply large companies like Cabot and Ben & Jerry’s are polluting lakes and streams. Lake Champlain is one of 100 waterways now labeled as “impaired” according to Regeneration Vermont, a non-profit organization based in Walden, Vermont. The organization’s site states that “40 to 79% of the phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in Vermont’s waterways comes from dairy farms. And, almost all of the pesticide pollution comes from these dairies.”
The Middlebury Campus reached out to Ben & Jerry’s, however they declined to comment specifically regarding the lawsuit.
“A lot of people aren’t properly educated about many environmental issues that exist and how severe/important addressing these issues are,” said Hannah Gheller ’22. “Education to the masses and translating that into policy change would be important steps in changing this.”
A Ben & Jerry’s factory tour guide, Noel Cramer, spoke on ways that the company attempts to be as green as possible. He noted the wastewater treatment site in Waterbury, Vermont that uses recycled grey water for the factory’s toilets and the anaerobic digester that uses methane and natural gases to generate heat and electricity. He further stressed the evaporative cooling technologies used to chill the ice cream faster, as well as the research being done on alternative packaging. Ultimately, Cramer brought the focus back to Ben & Jerry’s mission statement claiming that for the company, “it’s not just reducing their footprint, but eliminating it” as best they can.
Michael Colby, a Vermont writer and maple syrup producer, wrote in the VTDigger, “If [Ben & Jerry’s] took the lead ... the entire state could begin a transition away from the kind of industrial, commodity-based dairy system that is wreaking so much havoc with Vermont’s agriculture — and culture.”
Several Middlebury College students, frequent consumers of the frozen treats made by Ben & Jerry’s offered their opinions on the Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit.
“It’s definitely something to address, but if a lot of companies’ products contain glyphosate it’s not fair to target them,” said Anna Saviano ’22. “But if you think of it in terms of media coverage, the attention goes a long way and something like this has to start somewhere.”
Max Taxman ’22 agreed that the lawsuit helps to hold companies accountable to their advertising. “[But] it seems more important to target companies that are more significantly impacting the environment,” he said. “You could argue that all non-vegan farm-related industries are bad for the environment, and say that they should all be targeted.”
Taxman speculated that the lawsuit could have a significant impact on Ben & Jerry’s as the company gains a lot of social capital from their environmentally friendly marketing.
“If the claims in the lawsuit are true, this is a major case of corporate greenwashing,” said Van Barth ’21. Whether the lawsuit will actually create any change in the dairy industry, to their ingredients list or to their marketing platform, well, I guess we’ll just have to see.
(12/06/18 10:59am)
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MIDDLEBURY — An eclectic collection of everything from handcrafted earrings, ceramic mugs and goat’s milk soap to homemade granola, pastries and maple syrup drew a bustling crowd to the Middlebury Farmers’ Market’s annual Holiday and Indoor Market at Mary Hogan School this past Saturday.
Each year, at the beginning of December, members of the Middlebury Farmers’ Market and the local community come together to bring the best local products to the town. Due to the extended hours, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., many who would not typically be able to make it to the normal Middlebury Farmers’ Market can attend.
“They don’t have to worry about traffic, parking and limited hours that are associated with most Farmers’ Markets,” explained Wendy-Ann Dorkee, one of the vendors. “You’ll even get people from Orwell,” she added.
The Holiday Market has been held at Mary Hogan for the past five years. “All the vendors love it at the school because there’s plenty of space,” said Lauren Slayton, who sold items at the market from Breadloaf Kitchen. Slayton has been a member of the Farmers’ Market for eight years and the Holiday Market for even longer. Many customers came up to her table knowing exactly what they wanted — one man even put four pastries on reserve until his wife came with some money.
“Members have until the end of October to decide if they want to participate, and after that deadline the registration becomes open to the public,” Sharon Kerwin, the Middlebury Farmers’ Market treasurer, explained of the Holiday Market’s selection process. “Then, we see who returns each year and give them priority.”
The general accessibility of this registration process contributes greatly to the community of the Holiday Market. Essentially anyone who wants to participate can, regardless of the product that they would like to sell; those who attend consistently are valued and thus are saved a spot each year.
In general, the Holiday Market is known to be more crafty than the typical Farmers’ Market due to the diverse array of products and people participating. This year, many booths were dedicated to creative jewelry, including rings made out of repurposed spoons, Christmas-ornament earrings and crafted wooden necklaces and rings.
“There’s such an eclectic selection of items for sale. You could come in thinking you were just going to buy maple syrup and then come out with Christmas-ornament earrings,” said Julia Goydan ’22, holding up her most recent purchase. Wendel M. Jacobs, the mastermind behind Goydan’s new jewelry, also sold an array of meticulously crafted earrings — not just holiday-themed.
The night before the event, all the vendors come in to decorate and set up their booths. “It’s a process,” said Cindy, one vendor at the market, who sold Vermont maple syrup in containers of all shapes and sizes. “People like me don’t have as easy ... a time bringing in all their products. I have to haul all my containers of syrup in, and it’s really heavy compared to the jewelry vendors.”
She also explained that it’s really a guessing game when it comes to figuring out how much maple syrup is too much and how much is enough, because any given year varies in how much product one might sell. The work pays off for the vendors, though, as hordes of families and college students come through the doors. One vendor described the feeling of someone buying their product as a rush of excitement and validation for the work they put into it.
All in all, an event like this one is important for the town of Middlebury because it brings everyone together and gets them in the holiday spirit, while simultaneously supporting local businesses and vendors. “The Holiday Market really helps the crafters,” Kerwin said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things that start this time of year in Middlebury, one of them being Very Merry Middlebury.”
The live music at the market contributes to this holiday cheer. Each time the doors to the market were opened, music poured out. A group of three musicians playing the hammered dulcimer, celtic harp and a variety of recorders shared Christmas and Hanukkah songs in a far corner.
“The way I celebrate Christmas is by playing music, and I love to share that with others,” said Linda, one of the musicians.
If you missed the Holiday Market this year and are looking for other holiday events, there will be a harpist and Santa Claus at the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, Dec. 22 at the VFW at 530 Exchange St.
(10/11/18 9:58am)
ADDISON — The 17th annual Dead Creek Wildlife Day kicked into gear early on a gray and hazy morning. Blue skies arriving around mid morning on Saturday, Oct. 6, turned the day into one of the more beautiful ones the event has seen in recent years. Largely community-centered and family-oriented, the event is held each year at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area off Route 17 in Addison, Vermont with the mission to educate, inform and encourage environmental and wildlife awareness.
Two large striped tents set up in the center of the event housed informational booths for an array of organizations. Activities offered included face painting, decoy carving and blue bird box building, while wildlife demonstrations occurred in the surrounding area and information sessions were held in the Dead Creek Headquarters.
[pullquote speaker="WARREN KING " photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Our goal is to sensitize people… by exposing them to a wide variety of activities for all ages.[/pullquote]
Dead Creek Wildlife Day represents the organizational efforts of Warren King, Amy Alfieri and Nicole Meier, among others. They hope to emphasize the importance of getting outside and interacting with the environment and all it has to offer.
“Our goal is to sensitize people… by exposing them to a wide variety of activities for all ages,” said King, a conservationist and founding board member of Audubon Vermont, who has helped organize this event since its inception. He highlighted the importance of making more people aware of the wildlife resources available in the Champlain Valley.
An announcer outlined activities occurring every 30 minutes in order to feature all of the resources and their representation at the event. The Vergennes Boy Scouts provided food and further entertainment for attendees with a snack tent and raffle. All proceeds went to the organizations in attendance.
Veterans of Dead Creek Wildlife Day have their favorite activities.“We always go straight to the blue bird box building,” said one family who had been attending for the past four years. “It’s my daughter’s favorite part of the day. We make one or two every year and now we have so many that we’re going to start giving them to friends!”
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A giant semi-circle began gathering at around 10 a.m. for the Warden Dog demonstration to watch Crockett — a Labrador retriever — track human scent. One of the most popular events for the past 10 or so years, this demonstration displayed the interactive nature of the event. In addition, a representative from the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum gave child-friendly talks, including displays of critters ranging from falcons to turtles, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., making clear the passion and dedication for wildlife education and awareness held by all of the volunteers and presenters.
While the event is catered towards families, there have been efforts each year to expand its offerings. Alfieri, the manager of Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, explained that new activities have been added to keep up interest and provide more options for the “diverse crowd” and its “diversity of interests.” This year such activities included “Operation Game Thief Trailer,” “Beavers: A Sentry to Biodiversity” and “See it. Sketch it. Bird it.”
Jeff Whipple, a game warden from Orange County, was thrilled with the turnout. His project, the Operation Game Thief Trailer, displayed examples of anything involving illegal wildlife, including a photo with information about infamous poachers in Vermont and an $8,000 gun used in an illegal killing. Whipple does five to six events with his trailer each year, but said that the number of people at the Dead Creek Wildlife Day surpassed that of all of his other events. His goal with each event is to highlight illegal poaching and to make clear its perverse effects to hunters and non-hunters alike. “We’re really trying to pull on people’s emotions,” he said.
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Several Middlebury College students also attended the event, some of whom brought their families for a Fall Family Weekend affair.
“The best part was being able to connect with the local environment through all the activities and getting a better sense of the place we live in,” said Jacob Freedman ’21. In particular, he enjoyed seeing the “infectious smiles [of the] young kids holding a purple finch and chickadee during the Bird Banding Demonstration.”
About a 15-minute drive from Middlebury, the event is an ideal getaway for students and families in the area. King appreciated the presence of a handful of students and said if he were to have it his way, Environmental Science professors at the college would make the event mandatory, or at least recommended, in the coming years.
[pullquote speaker="JACOB FREEDMAN " photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The best part was being able to connect with the local environment through all the activities and getting a better sense of the place we live in[/pullquote]
“It has become increasingly important today to provide opportunities for people to interact with and learn about the environment,” said Alfieri. And that is exactly what this event strives to do. Bringing together people from the Addison County community as well as surrounding areas of Vermont and New York to, Dead Creek Wildlife Day aims to raise awareness and create a community of people who appreciate the outdoors.