George Cahoon's Photo Exhibit Well-Attended

A reception was held at the Danville Historical House on January 17, 2010, in honor of the life work of George Cahoon. The show was attended and George enjoyed sharing some of the many photos he has taken over five decades. Great food and great conversation ruled the day. The show was up until February 14, so that those who couldn't attend the reception could come at a more convenient time. 


A photo album containing smaller prints of the same photos is available to view at the Danville Historical House during open hours, any Tuesday or Thursday from 12:00 to 7:00.


To see photos of the event, taken by Kim Prior, click here.   

Twin Danvilles to Celebrate Another 50-year Anniversary

Deux Danvilles Jumelées Célèbrent Un Autre 50e Anniversaire

By Sharon Lakey

Reginald Smith, Town Moderator in 1960, gave official warning for the inhabitants of the Town of Danville, Vermont, who were legal voters in Town Meeting “to meet at the City Hall in Danville, Quebec, Dominion of Canada, on Saturday, July 30, 1960, at 4:00 p.m., to transact the following business:

1.         To see if the Town will vote to elect Honorary Town officers from among the citizens of Danville, Province of Quebec, Canada to be named to comparable offices in Danville, Vermont, United States of America
2.         To establish a permanent record of the kind invitation of the citizens of Danville, Canada, to the citizens of Danville, Vermont, and to extend expressions of appreciation therefore.
3.         To transact any other business that may come before said meeting. Dated at Danville, Vermont, this 18^th day of July, A.D. 1960.

Signed:

Harold W. Beattie

Warren C. Church

Howard G. Calkins

Board of Selectman”

So began the official twinning of the two Danvilles, one that the Canadians at the official ceremony claimed was “the first time in the annuls of the history of the United Sates of America that a Town Meeting has been authorized and carried beyond the borders of the States.”

It was a connection that began in the early 1800s, when a group of New Englanders from Danville, Vermont were enticed to make the 130+ mile trek north in wagons to resettle in Canada. Some of the immigrants may have been American Loyalists, who were unhappy about outcome of the revolution. However, most of the immigration is attributed to the fact that Canada was offering 200 acres per person for making the change. The immigrants, missing their New England home, began referring to their new one as Danville, and it stuck. (Immigration wasn’t always a one-way trip, either. Roland Perkins, of Danville, Vermont, was born in Kingsey, five miles from Danville, Quebec.)

Simeon Flint, a settler who arrived in 1806 from Vermont, was the first Governor of the new Danville. He bought land around beautiful Burbank Pond and sold it to other Danville immigrants.  According to the Danville Times monthly newsletter published between 2004 and 2007, “Our Danville coat-of-arms has the stag from the coat-of-arms of Vermont, reminding us that our town takes its name from Danville, Vermont.”  From the same article it is stated, “By 1812 children were being taught school in his house and in 1817 he contributed money to build Danville’s first school, reputedly on the site of today’s Carmelite Monastery.” Danville was officially recognized as a town in 1860.

The offer of free land was given as an enticement to English-speaking settlers to what is known as the Canadian Eastern Provinces, and it remained the prevalent language until the mid-1970s. At that time, a migration of the younger population to English-speaking Canada and Montreal contributed to a reversal of the prominent language to French. However, the New England roots of Danville are still apparent.

In 2004, three artists from our area accepted an invitation to take part in the annual Artists Symposium held in Danville. Jeff Gold, a wood block artist from Walden, took part in the event for several years. “We had a special invitation,” remembers Gold. “The town wanted to reestablish the ‘twinning’ between the two towns.” He reports that they were treated like royalty, and he thoroughly enjoyed the four-day event. “About 50 artists are scattered throughout the town and are actually working on pieces while residents and tourists watch,” said Gold. During that event he created an interesting wood block print that depicts a farm in the area.

Gold describes the scenery as “more flat, but rural like Vermont.” He remarked on the architecture, which he says is, “much like here--New England style.”  That is corroborated by the Danville Times which describes their Green on one of their articles. “The Square still fulfills its traditional role providing us with a diverse range of goods and services such as; the bakery, butcher shop, drugs store, hardware store, bistro, barbershop, beauty salons, several restaurants, pet supplies, and insurance and real estate offices.”

One of the most striking things encountered during this research was the feel of similarity between the two Danvilles. Our Canada twin was built on a major road, the Chemin Craig, a road built in the 19th century connecting Quebec to New England.  Like US Route 2, this highway now brings speed as well as commerce.  The Danville Times reported that the town had its own highway project to enhance the town: “Water Street was narrowed in order to slow down traffic at this strategic entry point to town. A sidewalk was added, and a lane reserved for cyclists. This stretch of Water Street is bordered by the ADS elementary school, Hôtel-deville, Burbank Pond, the Fleuron seniors’ residence, and Reine-de-la-Patate  with its mini-put and playground. The improvements make Water Street safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and far more attractive. Oak trees have been planted, thanks to the generosity of coop forestière de l’Estrie. The trees will provide welcome shade in years to come.”

Here are a few of the concerns covered in the Danville Times that sound familiar: a strong effort to recycle, worry about a downturn in the economy, a Chamber of Commerce that urges support of local business, an encouragement of tourism and treating tourists in a friendly manner, advice on how to protect your debit card, caution about the use of alcohol and driving, denouncing of vandalism, and the promotion of democracy by advocating citizen involvement in the political process.

The celebration of the connection between the two Danvilles 50 years ago was a great success. According to the Canadian reports, “A cavalcade of over a hundred cars left the Town proper and touring by Route 5, approached the Town by Academy Street where the official ceremony of ‘Opening the Doors,’ took place.” Afterwards, a parade formed and dignitaries from both Danvilles were seated upon a float and taken to the Town Hall. Filled to capacity, many had to sit in their cars and listen to the proceedings over a loud speaker system. “It was so crowded,” reports Kate Beattie, “that no one noticed the pick pocket that cleaned out several of our leading citizens.”

In spite of that unfortunate event, every one attending had a great time. We reciprocated with an honoring of Danville, Quebec, at the fair later that summer. Most remarkable was a chuckwagon and team that was shipped to Vermont for Hertel and Margot Boisvert and their two children, Chantel and Jean-Louis, to drive back, following the original route taken by their forefathers—all 134 miles of it.  “At three-and-a half miles an hour, it took ten days,” reported the Boisvert’s.

Now, 50 years later, it is time to renew our vows of friendship and cooperation. On July 3, we are planning to send a busload of well-wishers and dignitaries to participate in the ceremonies in Danville, Quebec. A reciprocal honoring of our twin town will occur, once again, on Danville Fair Day.


French translation of headline by Wayne Majuri


This article was first published in the March, 2010, edition of The North Star Monthly 


To view more photos related to this article, click here

Howard Coffin Challenges Danville

"Let's Honor Thaddeus Stevens In Our Statehouse"

By Sharon Lakey

On January 10, Howard Coffin rose to expectant applause after the first annual meeting of the Danville Historical Society held at the newly-renovated Historical House. Coffin, a well-known writer on Vermont and the Civil War, had been in Danville during the summer, speaking on what he called "a magical night at the Old North Church." His presence was also an appropriate precursor of the coming sesquicentennial (150 years) celebration and remembrance of the War between the States, which will begin in 2011.

He held a sheaf of papers in his hand when he approached the lectern and, with the light from the fireplace behind him, began to speak about the sacrifices the small town of Danville made during America's Civil War. "According to Keegan, author of the most recent book I've read on the Civil War," said Coffin, "it was the third bloodiest war per capita ever fought in the world." The sheaf of papers in his hand were of some of the 194 individuals from Danville who had served, and he began a slow march through them. The papers were statements of fact, leaving the listeners to fill in gaps with the aching human story that went with every one of them.

The listing began with Danville's most famous soldier, Addison Preston. "A man whose body the infamous Custer leaned over on the battlefield and said, 'there lies the best fighting Colonel in the Cavalry Corps,'" said Coffin. Preston's widow would not allow a military funeral, but the local funeral procession included many from afar and stretched from the Village center to the grave site. Name after name Coffin read aloud from his pages, many of them surnames you still hear today in Danville. One of the most memorable facts for this listener was about a young man from West Danville whose death upon returning home was attributed to eating too much. He had just been released from Andersonville. That prisoner-of-war camp was often mentioned on the pages he held. Of the 44,000 Union soldiers held there for less than a year, 13,000 died, most from starvation and disease.

For 47 years, a week a year, Coffin has visited America's Civil War sites. "Remarkable things happen when you search for history at those places," said Coffin, and he shared a few of them with the audience. He walked the path of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg and just as he reached Cemetery Ridge, where the southern line met a blistering northern barrage, a thunderstrom arose and showered Coffin with hail the size of musket balls. Another time, he stood gazing up at Little Round Top, where the 20th Maine under Chamberlain saved the union line from breaking by mounting a heroic bayonet charge downslope. "Suddenly hundreds of lights appeared," said Coffin, "and in waves they came down the slopes. On the flat, they swirled around me before disappearing--fireflies!" And on the night of May 2, 1988, he walked the hills where Stonewall Jackson battled to rejoin the Union army. "A full moon rose and I heard the haunting sound of whippoorwills, the same sound Confederate soldiers wrote back home had made them so homesick." On a walk up Chin Ridge, "I saw a mental image of a Confederate soldier pass me, so vivid that I still see his face today, disgusted at the failure of the second battle of Bull Run."

At this point, Coffin seemed to switch topics, but assured us, "don't worry, I'm going to tie this together." He then began speaking with emotion about Thaddeus Stevens, who was born in Danville, graduated from Peacham Academy and attended the University of Vermont for two years before transferring to Dartmouth. "You never know where you're going to find Bethlehem," he said. "From humble beginnings arose this man, in truth, who dwarfs all the Civil War heroes."

This summer, Mary Prior escorted him along the Thaddeus Stevens trail, including a possible cellar hole of the place of his birth. "He was reverent there", shared Mary. "It can be argued," said Coffin, "that Stevens rivaled Lincoln." He is credited for the drafting and dogged determination to pass the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution during Reconstruction. These amendments guaranteed equality for all American citizens under the law.

"He was a man before his time," said Coffin. And then he laid before the audience a challenge. "We have a golden opportunity here, and I throw it out to you today. There is no sculpture or portrait of Stevens, one of our native sons, in our Statehouse. Why not?"

After the meeting, a light supper was served, and much interest was generated by displays that included artifacts of Addison Preston's, most of them passed down to the Historical Society by Preston's widow. Coffin stayed as well, and many were able to shake his hand in thanks and share thoughts on how Thaddeus Stevens might best be honored.

This writer was able to tell him how much she enjoyed hearing about the strange events he had experienced while stalking history. "There are many more," he confided quietly. "Some of them are so strange, I don't repeat them. People might think I'm crazy." When pressed, he shared just one more. Someday, if you have the chance to speak with Howard Coffin, ask him about the time he saw John Brown on a lonely, wintry Vermont highway.

This article was first published in the February, 2010 issue ofThe North Star Monthly

For more pictures of the Danville Historical Society annual meeting, click here.

Legacy through the Lens

The work of Danville photographer George Cahoon to be celebrated

By Sharon Lakey

Most people who are connected to Danville in one way or another will have run into George Cahoon's work. His photographs have appeared in Vermont Life, on a variety of local calendars and exhibited at many nearby craft shows. His iconic photo of Danville, shot from Diamond Hill, also graces the cove of Village in the hills, a history of Danville, Vermont. Subjects for him have run the gamut, but he says “for the most part, they are scenic.”

On January 17, an exhibition of his life's work behind the camera will be held at the Danville Historical House. “The opening of the exhibit will be held from 11:00-2:00,” said Mary Prior, President of the Danville Historical Society, “and will be up through Valentine's Day.” In the planning stages are a reception, multimedia presentation and photos lining the walls for close-up viewing. “Pieces will also be available for purchase,” said Mary, knowing that many of the photos will connect the viewer to precious and personal images from their past.

George's photography career began humbly with a need to record his surroundings. “My family was always artistic,” he says. And that got him into a little Kodak in the mid-fifties. From there he graduated to his first SLR (single lens reflex 35mm) where he much more impressed with the resulting images. “I traded that one in on my first Rebel Canon and started selling a few of those shots.” Fifty years later, he has accumulated 25,000+ images that are stored in two rooms, neatly stacked and labeled. Most of the images were recorded around Danville.

Wanting to get a sense of the work that will be on exhibit, Mary and I looked through some of the proposed images stacked on a table at the Danville Historical House. As we leafed through them (many of them of well-known local farms), we wondered at George's perspective. “Look here,” said Mary, holding up one of the old George Swett farm. “Where was he standing to get that shot?” And it was difficult to determine, because it was not pictured from the usual angle one would have experienced from the road. As we continued through the stack, we noticed that all of the shots were like this. George had captured the farms as they lay in the landscape from an unusual perspective. “He always took a ladder with him,” mused Mary.

Earlier, George and I had spoken of perception when we looked at his most famous picture of Danville. In the photo, Cow Hill sits squarely behind the village. From our daily experience, driving to and through Danville, the mountain is more to the south. But George changed our perspective in that photo, too. One can imagine him trudging through a field with his cameras and ladder on that clear blue day. There he found the perfect spot on Diamond Hill to fill the frame and tweak our understanding of how the town fits into the landscape. It is subtle but full of intention.

Therin lies the artist's gift to us.

This article was first published in December issue of The North Star Monthly.

To view these and more captioned photos, click here.

Oh, Neato!

The Life and Times of Marion E. Sevigny

March 12, 1922-May 29, 2009

By Sharon Lakey

“Sev and I were in Florida, retired in a nice, clean development. Every morning, we would sit at our breakfast table and watch the ambulance go by--in for someone and out with someone. We looked at each other and knew this wasn’t for us. That’s when we decided to come back to Danville and give the time we had left to our own community.”

That’s how I remember Marion’s story about how she and her husband Paul--who she often referred to as “Sev”--felt about retirement. We were on our way back from a library meeting in Montpelier, chatting in the car. She was dressed in her usual attire—a skirted dark suit, white blouse and heels. Not a hair out of place. When I dropped her at the library, she took her powder blue file box from the back seat, and we said goodbye.

That’s the most intimate conversation I ever had with Marion. Her veneer could be intimidating, but under that impeccable surface lived a thinker and a doer, and that conversation helped me understand why this woman and her husband were at the epicenter of all things Danville.

Marion was the first of five children born to Howard and Alice Calkins: Marion, Roy (Deke), Paul, Leland (Gus), Carmen and Zana. “Marion was A+, you know,” points out her brother Deke, “I was down the alphabet some.” He also went on to explain that while Marion was hitting the books, he was doing the chores, something he says he didn’t mind doing.

Her penchant for neatness probably came from her mother, Alice. The family still tells of their mother’s memorable trip to school to fetch daughter Zana, who had failed to make her bed! Carmen laughs, telling a story about her sister Marion’s neatness. “She was watching me as a baby, and I dirtied a diaper. Horrified, she plunked me into a pillowcase to avoid the mess but waited for my brother Paul to come home and change me.”

True to her studious nature, Marion was named the Salutatorian of her class in 1940. Classmates and staff were already in awe of her organization and ability to keep books. From the yearbook Danville Hi-Ways classmate Nathan Morrill wrote in the class gifts: “To Marion Calkins I present this law book, hoping it will give her the exact points she can prove her arguments by.” Classmate Frances Roberts wrote in the class will: “To the next School Comptroller, we will Marion Calkins’ ability to keep books—alone!” Principal Manning added: “All class treasurers will please meet Marion Calkins after school so she can check up on your bank books.”

And in class epitaphs:

“Marion Calkins,

Here we see,

Passed away,

When she got a D.”

Classmate Donald Douse, in the same yearbook, wrote an interesting essay that questioned our country’s ability to remain neutral in the European war. Just over a year later, after Marion graduated from Champlain College, it was no longer a question, and her life would take a new direction.

Her boyfriend at the time, Paul Sevigny, had joined the Air Force and was determined to fly. In his memoir, he writes, “In May, 1943, I wound up back at Sheppard Field, Texas, to learn how to assemble the new gliders we would get overseas in five crates. While there, my girlfriend from high school days asked her parents if she could come to Texas to see me. Her dad said, ‘Sure, go ahead, but don’t marry that little Frenchman. He will never amount to a tinker’s damn.’ Well, she came down and we got married the day she arrived.”

That was the beginning of Marion’s life as a military spouse, who traveled the world with Paul throughout his 24-year career. Sister Zana explains, “She was an involved military wife. While Paul was away, she never complained, and she always worked.” That life had its high points, especially in the 50’s when Paul got into racecar driving.

From Paul’s memoir, he writes of the couple’s trip to Los Angeles, “We [he and Marion] went to the sales place and saw this beautiful XK-120 M Jaguar, bright red, and it had been clocked at 142 miles per hour at a trial in Belgium. Well, we…drove out with this Jaguar. When we got to the race …we ended up in the pit area where all the race drivers were…We had a ball there with many people looking over our new Jaguar. One movie star, Paul Newman, who was racing said, “Hey, take it around a few laps!”

Two of Marion’s siblings credit the globetrotting couple as instrumental in their own careers. Zana, the youngest said, “They were my mentors. One trip back home, they took my friend and me to Boston to see the Ice Follies. It was my first trip to Boston. And as I neared graduation, they convinced my parents that I needed to go to college. After college, they convinced them I needed my masters.” She did both, with an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and a graduate degree from the University of Michigan in the field of special education. Carmen credits Paul and Marion with encouraging her to join the US Air Force, where she worked as a nurse.

Paul and Marion were thinking about a future in Danville when Paul wrote: “In 1954, I was promoted to captain and my wife and I had a chance to purchase Diamond Hill Cabins in our hometown of Danville, Vermont. [We] drove the Jaguar back to Vermont and purchased the 14 acres and 12 cabins. It was a summer business, so we planned on Marion running the business in the summer and join me in the winter.”

The couple continued to manage the cabins for a few years after Paul’s military retirement. He left the Air Force with a rank of major. After their short attempt at full retirement in Florida, they returned to Danville with their newfound goal of “community” before them. Marion went to work for Bruce Corrette at his accounting firm, where she remained for 40 years. During off-hours, Marion joined Paul in their dedication to community. As her good friend and co-worker Irene Trudholme said, “I never saw Marion and Paul socially, because they were so civic-minded. I think that defined their life together.”

One cohort in her activities was Steve Cobb, who owns and runs the Danville Restaurant and Inn. He called his relationship them as a “close friendship,” one they developed over 30 years. Paul and Marion became two of his best customers. Stories of their selfless gifting abound, and Steve shares this one. As chair of the building committee for the Danville Methodist Church, she would ask him yearly to be thinking about something the Church really needed. “When we were working on our handicapped accessibility remodel, Marion ordered a dozen donuts from me. When Paul came to pick up the donuts, he handed me a check for $2,000, written to the Church. They did things like that,” said Steve.

Marion offered him advice, too, in his own role as community volunteer. When he was President of the Pope Library, she told him, “’Always choose your helpers by what they can offer either physically or financially.’ It’s a piece of advice I’ve often thought about.”

The “neat thing” never left her, either. Steve remembers Marion showing up on a Sunday for a library cleaning in a blue blazer, matching pants, white-collared shirt, heels, and yellow rubber gloves. Former Town Clerk, Ginny Morse, remembers going on a cemetery clean up with her in a similar outfit, and Carmen and her daughter, Chelle, still laugh about Marion gardening in pantyhose and pumps.

This joy of tidiness is best described in Marion’s own words. Carmen shared the story of how Marion reacted when she showed her older sister how she had fixed up a basement room for her young daughter. When she beheld Carmen’s handiwork, Marion stopped mid-stair and exclaimed, ‘Oh, Neato!’”

“Neatness was one of her bugaboos, alright,” said Ginny. “She would order a dozen donuts and pound of coffee from Steve for the town garage crew every once in a while. It gave her an excuse to down there to see if everything was in order. She didn’t like to see a lot of spare parts lying around. Marion took a lot of pride in the Town and wanted it to be shipshape.”

As a Town Selectman for 18 years (Selectman being the designation she preferred) Ginny said, “She was a peacekeeper, but very firm. If she had an issue, she held to her position-- very calm, very determined and very steely. She was one of the most delightful people I’ve ever met. Danville is going to miss her in so many ways.”

In 1993, Marion and Paul celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Danville Restaurant and Inn. It was a joyous occasion for the couple, and Paul lived another seven years before passing away in 2000. After his death, Marion continued in her service to the community and her job. According to family members, she and Paul had decided that upon their deaths their legacy of community service would continue. Always well prepared, Marion made plans that the estate would be divided up and given to community organizations in percentages that she and Paul had previously identified.

Over the last several years, Marion’s health began to deteriorate, though she was able to work through it. Her eyesight was difficult and there was a circulation problem in one of her legs. A stint, put in to improve circulation, brought on a staph infection that complicated her recovery. Her doctors told her an amputation was a necessity.

Though she had fought long, she made a decision at that time that “enough was enough,” said Zana, who was honored to spend the last week by her side. “She never wavered in her decision. Dartmouth Hitchcock was outstanding in meeting her request to be kept as comfortable as possible. There was no fear of death on her part, no delusions. She and Sev had talked this over. She said it was her time to go, and she was ready to rejoin him. Whenever Marion set a goal, she went for it.” She died with dignity on May 29, 2009.

Marion’s eulogy was read by her niece, Marion E. McHugh, Zana’s daughter from Raleigh, NC:

“Being her namesake has come with responsibility, and I am honored to rise to the occasion. My prayer is that the legacy of Marion E. Sevigny transcends time. Here is what I believe MARION stands for:

M is for Mighty in spirit and work—no one can deny that Marion was a hard worker.

A is for Always generous and kind—with her possessions and time.

R is for Right choices—doing the right thing. The things we learned when we were young still apply when we are old.

I is for Integrity and accountability.

O is for Oath—she was a woman of her word.

N is for Negotiator of peace—Jesus said on a hill long ago…blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons and daughters of God (Matthew 5:9).

On this day, we have the peace of God that passes all understanding. We love you Marion E. Sevigny!”

This article first published in the North Star Monthy, July, 2009

To view the accompanying photo album, click here:

The Dream of Dairy Farming is Alive in Danville

The new Carson Family Farm is up and running

By Sharon Lakey

Twenty-five-year-old Casey Carson leaned forward in the chair, his eyes lit with determination. “I don’t consider it a risk. I went into this with the attitude that it is going to work.”

Striking out on his own as a dairy farmer in tough economic times is daring in anyone’s book. It is also a hopeful sign that dreams still flourish in an industry that has been in decline in our state for a long time now. Presently, only nine Danville farms are shipping milk; the Carson Family Farm, the newest, began shipping to Horizon Organic in March.

Dreams take a lot of work and support from many corners to become a reality. For Casey, the idea generated from a love of place. Many Danville residents may remember him from his youth; he and his brothers, Brett and Asa, were those handsome boys driving a pair of young oxen in Danville Fair parades. The Carson land lies between the villages of Danville and North Danville. Beautiful rolling acres spread out on both sides of the road, and the stately Kittredge Hills stand guard in the distance.

Grandparents Leonard and Helena lived just down the road from Partridge Lane where the boys grew up under the watchful eye of Janet, their mother. Though they never milked, they raised beef, and the whole family got together in summers to do the haying. This effort kept 114 acres of Carson land free of forest.

After graduating from Danville High School in 2002, Casey found work milking at two local dairies: the Webster farm in Danville and the Kempton farm in Peacham. In the fall, he entered Vermont Technical College to study dairy, but it was always a “hands-on” education that compelled Casey. He sought and landed a job at Sprague’s Dairy Farm in Brookfield, VT, an operation milking 400 head, three times a day. “I was spending a lot more time out there than in class,” Casey admits. He quickly decided college wasn’t for him.

In the back of his mind was a burning question, one that was put to him by two older mentors when he was hiring out as a milker. Don Moore of Peacham and Matthew Lindstrom of Molly’s Pond asked him, “What are your long term plans? Where are you going from here?”

Hoping to answer that question, he decided to try his hand at milking on his own. He rented a farm in 2005 from Melvin Churchill in Cabot. Finding the barn too small, he looked for a larger space and moved his cows to an empty barn owned by Betty and Albert Ackerman, where he milked through the winter of 2007. But when the Ackerman grandchildren decided they wanted to milk, he was out of a barn and ended up selling his herd to them.

Without a barn, what was he to do? “My Grandfather and Mom were very supportive,” says Casey, and the thought of placing a new barn on Carson land took hold. When he expressed self-doubt, he remembers his mom’s reflective words, “Money worries everyone.” Fellow Danville dairyman, Everett McReynold’s encouraged him as well, and Casey came up with a plan. The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) thought the plan sound and family support worthy, because they offered him loans to build the barn and start operations. “They’re working with me,” said Casey, who will begin to pay back the loan this fall.

Those driving the road between North Danville and Danville last summer saw the dream-barn emerge, stick by stick. With added muscle from Jesse Kittredge, Geoff Pelletier and Ryan Ward, who helped set the posts and carrying beam, the big barn gradually appeared. It’s located in the field just behind his boyhood home, set at an artistic angle to the road and painted red. The free stall design was chosen for the convenience of a one-person milking operation. “I think it’s better for the cows, too,” said Casey, “because they can walk around.” The design also allows for lots of airflow, keeping the barn fresh during Vermont’s long winters.

Leonard got to see the barn, but didn’t get to see it in action. “It really hurt me when he died; he was a big support for me,” said Casey of his death in early January. In spirit he is there, though, in the form of a portrait hanging in the tank room and his red tractor sitting beside the barn along with Casey’s yellow Caterpillar Challenger. The skid steer, used to clean the barn, is yet to arrive.

Casey decided to go organic because of the size of his farm and a higher price for the product. He likes the management style that comes with organic, too, because the cows must be able to pasture. To accommodate their range, he will work to clear more of the pastures that have grown up. Grain is purchased from Morrison Custom Feeds in Barnet, who handle organic feeds in the area. “I trust them,” he says. Fieldwork is hired out to Matt Gilman of Wheelock.

His favorite cows are a cross between Holstein and Jersey. “Holstein for the production and Jersey for the milk quality,” said Casey. He purchased young cows that had never been milked this spring from John and Beverly Rutter, who were downsizing their herd. The bank considers a cow viable for three to four years, but “they can go longer if organic, because you aren’t pushing production so hard,” said Casey. For the next few years, he plans to milk around 60, but his eventual goal is to milk 80, a figure he feels is economically sound and matches the size of his barn and acreage.

Though there is no set schedule, a typical day for Casey might go like this:

5:00: up for morning milking (1 ½ hour job)

7:30-8:00 feed the cows

Break: never set, but sometime between 8:00 and 9:00

Fencing and odd jobs

12:00: lunch

More work around the farm

4:30: get ready to milk

5:00: evening milking

7:00 to 7:30: finished

On the day of this interview, Casey was hard at work with a very important partner—two-year-old Taylor, his daughter. It was the evening milking time, 4:30 in the afternoon on a cold April day. “She loves the barn,” said Casey, and it was apparent from everything she did. The child was in perpetual motion. First, she used her little pink shovel, then loaded a bucket for feeding the calf, then practiced using the cups for the milking apparatus, then moved a few cow piles from one place to another with a hoe in the unused side of the milk parlor. Finally, she asked her dad if she could lie down, and he escorted her into the front room where there was a couch for Taylor’s well-deserved nap.

“It only takes about an hour and a half to milk now,” said Casey, moving easily from one cow to the next in the milking parlor. Perhaps all those hours working the oxen as a kid helped, because everything went smoothly for the young cows. Two were confused when entering the parlor, but in short order Casey was able to talk them through it without raising his voice. “I used to yell a lot, but yelling doesn’t really get you anywhere,” he said.

What kind of person does it take to dairy? “It’s hard to tell,” said Casey. “You have to like to work, especially outside. You never know what’s going to happen, and there’s always something to do. It takes the right kind of person to want to dairy.”

To view other photos related to this article, click here.

This article was first published in June issue of The North Star Monthly.

The Little Red Cape that Could

Danville Village House to Open Its Doors on May 2

By Sharon Lakey

“It’s been a labor of love, but I’m not a patient woman,” said Mary Prior, President of the Danville Historical Society.

She’s had to learn to be patient, though, as the charming cape, now known as the Danville Village House, has slowly reappeared in its original form beside the statuesque Danville Congregational church on Hill Street. 

The project began in 2006 with a letter sent to various organizations in Danville. In it was a stunning offer from a lawyer, announcing that an anonymous donor wished to gift substantial money to a group who had a good idea about how to use it. 

Impatient Mary, never lacking for an idea, jumped at the thought of establishing a restored building dedicated to the collection and sharing of history in the center of Danville Village. Margaret Springer, who had worked for 30-plus years as president and archivist of the Danville Historical Society, was ecstatic about the idea, and the thought began to gather momentum.

Time was of the essence, and Mary immediately contacted Paul Chouinard. “He is an architectural perfectionist by avocation,” said Mary. He’s a real estate agent to boot, and they set out to find a house that would fit the bill. By luck or grace, the little cape by the Congregational church became available. 

“I like where it sits,” said Paul. “It is near the center of the village, and it has historical integrity.” Paul describes it as, “a prototypical Cape Cod style home mirroring the austere simplicity of early nineteenth century, rural Vermont homes.” 

Oddly enough, Mary found that the lineage of the people connected with the house were among the long-standing families of Danville: Sias, Choate (the builder, a cabinet-maker), Currier, Cahoon, Peck and Gadapee. It was a perfect match. “All the work the historical society had done under Margaret’s direction and tireless efforts made it possible for me to research this house,” said Mary. 

With Paul’s knowledge of early construction and Mary’s deed research, a detailed history of the house, proposed budget and projected use of the building was sent to the lawyer of the donor. Imagine the excitement when Mary received a letter that related the donor would pay the purchase price of $198,000 and another $200,000 for restoration. “The donor had some good suggestions as well,” said Mary. “For example: Weren’t the proposed cedar shakes a fire hazard? The donor was also adamant that the house would have a meeting room and parking lot.”

Together, Mary and Paul, conferencing with the Historical Society, worked out the renovation plans. Paul, a real stickler for detail, was chosen as clerk of works. They visited Sturbridge Village. “The buildings there were built in the same time period as the house,” explained Paul. “It helped to visualize what the house looked like back in 1838 when it was built.” In their planning, they designed for historical correctness as well as compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act..  

In keeping with the desire to use as many local artisans and builders as possible, Paul began the painstaking job of putting together contracts. The list of chosen contractors included: Harold Lunnie, foundation; Garren Calkins, driveway excavation, parking area, and seeding; Michael Walsh, garage restoration, single story addition, clapboard siding, flooring, and shed storage room; Joel Currier, wood for flooring and wainscot; Paul Dussault, heating; Hollis Prior, landscaping; Luke Colby, wiring; Sally A. Fishburn, replacement doors and windows; Phil Beattie, stonework; Lucian Avery, blacksmith; Steven Towsley, chimney; and Frank Siebenbrunner, finishing details. (This list doesn’t include the red-hued Mary and her husband, Hollis, who could be watched for weeks as they voluntarily painted the whole building.) 

Meanwhile, Mary continued her historical research, this time in a more communal way. Her Grammie Tennie was a social historian. In writings for Vermont Life and the Burlington Free Press, she published stories told by those still living about people and events of the past. “I spent a great deal of time driving her to remote locations throughout Caledonia and Essex Counties,” Mary remembers. “I’d wait, sometimes for hours, while she interviewed someone for an article she was writing.”

In Grammie Tenney’s tradition, Mary searched and wrote some social history of Annie and Sam Currier, who were owners of the house from 1933 to 1960. Sam died in 1943, so for most of that time, it was known as Annie’s house. The interviews include some wonderful stories, two of which follow. 

Janette Langmaid Morse, Mary’s second cousin: 

“Annie Currier looked like she wouldn’t like children, but that was not the case. She had a sort of scowl for an expression, but she was the nicest woman. My mother and father lived next door. My son Alan used to go visit her often. She would have a nice, sweet pudding for him. One day, she offered him his pudding; he didn’t like it very well, because it wasn’t sweet. 

‘Why doesn’t the pudding taste like usual?’ he asked.

‘It’s Indian pudding,” Annie replied.

‘Where did you get the dead Indians to put in the pudding?’”

Winona Gadapee, former owner of the house:

“I loved that house. I would still live there if I could, but my breathing required a brand new house. While we lived there, the key to the Congregational church hung by the kitchen door inside the sun porch. It was available to anyone who needed it. When we sold the house to the Grayecks, the key still hung there for use by all. Once, Mr. Grayek, who was Jewish, laughed in telling me that the key to the church hung right beside the doorpost that they would touch on their way in as a Jewish blessing. 

‘Only in Danville,’ he would say.”

In a way, the tradition of the key still exists. But this time, the house itself has become a key. All those who paid with money and time offer the residents of Danville a lovingly restored place to meet, research, chat, and remember their dear ones and the community in which they lived. 

Besides the May 2 Grand Opening, programming ideas are starting to stir. Mary plans for the building to be open from 1:00-8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturday mornings. “We need to spread the work into the community, so Danville Village House becomes alive and vibrant,” she said.

To see the picture album related to this article click here    

To enjoy a video walk-through of the Danville Village House, hosted by Paul Chouinard, click here

This story was first published in April, 2009 issue of The North Star Monthly

The Inauguration, Part 2: Gabi and Lauren Bring Back the Memories

By Sharon Lakey

On the morning of the swearing in of the 44^th President of the United States, Danville senior Gabi Potts arose at 2:30 a.m. from her bed in the Marriott Conference Center in Washington D.C.  At 4:30 she arrived at Union Station. She felt safe, but intimidated by the four Secret Service agents standing there with their assault rifles. At 5:30, she walked to a designated Silver Gate on 3^rd street and presented her ticket.

Once inside the Mall Standing Area, she was nearly knocked over by Jesse Jackson, who was bustling to the ABC broadcasting booth. At 6:30 she had made her way to the front, near the right side of the Reflecting Pool. She elected to stand against a concrete barricade where she felt protected from the pressure of the crowd that was already beginning to flow into the area. During that walk she had tripped, skinned her knee, and lost and recovered a shoe.

At 5:30 a.m., Danville freshman Lauren Peterson arose from her bed at the Best Western in Tysons Corner, Virginia. At 6:30 she boarded a shuttle bus with other students in her group and was brought into the city. They were dropped at a point near the National Museum of the American Indian. After going through a security checkpoint at the Museum, similar to what airline passengers are sent through, they attended a hot chocolate reception.

But, as the time neared for the ceremony, her group of five decided they wanted to go into the crowd. Once more they cleared security and worked their way toward one of the Silver Gates. Having no tickets, they waited near the fence, surprisingly close to where Gabi was waiting. Lauren  remembers  feeling a strong sense of anxiety about what could happen; all the show of force in Washington made that possibility obvious. She could see where Barack Obama was standing, but the large crowd made actual viewing of the event impossible. Wanting to see and hear the ceremony, her group returned to the Museum to watch it on the Jumbo Tron.

Gabi felt a frightening surge in the crowd behind her as the ceremony neared. The fence and lack of tickets were no longer an impediment; the people simply moved forward, and the fence was gone. But she stood her ground, one of two million who were there to personally witness the swearing in of America’s first African-American President. “I could see his silhouette from that distance, his hand raised for the oath,” she said.

Lauren remembers that moment as one of silence, a stopping, a collective holding of the breath. “A perfect moment,” she said. “All of our history of division was behind us, and we were looking into the future. And there was hope.”

Gabi describes the sound that followed after his hand dropped. “People cried and screamed. Words like, ‘finally’ and ‘yes we can’ and ‘thank you.’ It was a passionate and natural outpouring of emotion that rose all around me.”

“We felt like one family, not separated,” said Lauren.

The moment that had brought people of all ages and colors to the White House was over quickly. Gabi remembers that many turned after the oath and began crossing back over the lawns, not even staying to hear President Obama’s speech. They had come for one reason--to watch with their own eyes the defining instant when America became truly a land of opportunity for all.

The girls arrived in Washington on January 17, Lauren by air and Gabi by land, to participate in the activities planned by each of their respective student groups. Gabi’s group, The Presidential Classroom consisting of 350 students, was housed in the city; Lauren’s group, The National Young Leaders Student Conference consisting of 7,300 students, was housed outside the city.

Gabi’s agenda included student caucuses, tours to Mount Vernon, the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial, which honors the 184 dead from 9/11. It also included speaking appearances by two well-known men: Dr. Ed Smith and former President Clinton. “For three days we were surrounded by Secret Service agents and didn’t even know it,” she said. “It was all in preparation for President Clinton.” After the inauguration, a celebratory ball helped her group relax and enjoy each other’s company in lovely clothes and a feeling of multicultural good will.

Lauren’s agenda was different from Gabi’s. “There was less time in the classroom,” she said. There was more touring: the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Capital Building. A trip down the Potomac on a dinner cruise was an outstanding moment for her. “I guess we must have been a terrorist risk, because the boat was crawling with guards,” she said. Her speakers included such luminaries as Colin Powell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Vice President Al Gore. On the Lincoln Memorial steps she saw a performance that included Stevie Wonder, U2, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Bringstein, WILL.I.AM, Usher and Beyonce. Her celebratory ball was held at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where she enjoyed dinner and was treated to a performance by Daughtry.

Both girls were thoroughly entertained by The Capital Steps, a group who bills themselves as  “the Washington-based troupe of Congressional staffers turned songwriters. We put the MOCK in Democracy.”  “I bought all three of their CDs,” said Gabi with a mischievous smile.

They returned from their trip by car on Friday, driven by Lauren’s mother. It was a long 10-hour trek that inched them along the clogged highways and bridges that President Obama speaks of in his plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure.

There was the usual letdown from the shining moment they experienced firsthand, but the trip gave them time to unwind and reflect on their experiences. “A huge hurdle has been overcome,” said Gabi. “There’s a lot of pressure on him. I worry about that.


To view photos of Lauren and Gabi, click here
To view photos in Gabi's D.C. album, click here

This article was first published in the January, 2009, issue of the North Star Monthly

The Inauguration, Part 1: Gabi and Lauren Go to Washington

Two Danville students to attend historic inauguration

By Sharon Lakey

On January 20, 2008, the world’s eyes will be turned on Washington DC as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44^th President of the United States. Two Danville high school students will be there in person. Gabi Potts, senior, and Lauren Peterson, freshman, have been planning this adventure long before they knew the historic magnitude of the event.

Gabi came to it through a program called The Presidential Classroom. Its mission has been to provide outstanding high school students with a first-class civic education using Washington DC as a classroom. The program was created in 1968 when a strong youth voice surfaced in America. Having attended one of their weeklong institutes in Washington, Gabi received a postcard in July that listed the inauguration as one of the upcoming events. She applied online and was selected.

Lauren came to it through another door—the National Young Leaders State Conference (NYLSC). This group’s goal is to foster and inspire young leaders. It was founded 23 years ago and tailors programs to specific age groups. Having been through that training in Cambridge MA, she received a letter in June telling her of the inauguration opportunity. Like Gabi, she jumped at the idea.

Interestingly, the girls come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Gabi, though a stated independent, tends toward the more liberal, Democratic point of view; Lauren comes from the Republican. After graduation, Gabi hopes to major in aerospace engineering and minor in politics and has her fingers crossed on acceptance into a major university. Lauren, with three years left in high school, is focused on building her skills as a student leader. 

This summer, as part of her senior project, Gabi received an education in door-to-door politicking when she helped Jane Kitchell and Kitty Toll with their re-election bids. “I, personally, knocked on 100 doors,” says Gabi. She was more in tune with Hillary Clinton’s campaign at that time, as she is especially concerned with women’s issues. Lauren says she was focused more on McCain’s policies. “Probably, I was influenced by my parents,” she says candidly. “But since the election, I’ve been studying some of Obama’s ideas,” she says. “I like them,” she says, but adds, “not all of them.”

Now, as President-elect Obama prepares his team for the coming term, both girls are excited about the possibilities. Gabi feels his election has “opened a lot of doors, especially for minorities and women. There is new ground to explore,” she says. Lauren hopes “we will wake up and fix what we’ve done: wake up to the pollution, violence and war, and learn how to spend more wisely as a nation and individually.”

Most likely, the girls will not see each other at the inauguration after they reach Washington, but the itineraries for Gabi and Lauren in Washington are well planned. They will travel on January 17 and return on January 21.  Both agendas include keynote speakers, tours, debates, and will culminate in all the inaugural festivities, including attendance at one of the black tie gala inaugural balls. They have been informed of a strict dress code requirement for all the events and are planning to pack accordingly. Gabi’s inaugural gown is in the making and Lauren is planning to wear the dress she wore at eighth-grade graduation.

Both girls need to raise approximately $3,000 to cover expenses for the entire event. They have already completed some individual fundraising, but are planning to host a Mexican dinner before a basketball game sometime in early January. They wish to thank the many donors who have already given and hope to see many at the Mexican dinner.

North Star readers are in for a treat. Look forward to the next issue to get a first-hand view and insight of one of the most historic inaugurations in America’s history from two very perceptive young women.


This article was published in the January 2009 issue of The North Star Monthly

Feted in Fantasy Land

Winona Gadapee brings her experiences in Nashville back home

By Sharon Lakey

At midnight on October 10, 2008, Winona Gadapee was still flying high as she and her husband, Arnie, touched down at the Burlington airport. In a few short hours, she would be sharing the experiences of two whirlwind days in Nashville while leading a “Music with Winona” session at the St. Johnsbury Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Dressed in the same turquoise dress and jacket that she wore at the Volunteer of the Year award ceremony, Winona arrived at the Center at 10:30 a.m. sharp. The piano she has played for the last nine years awaited her in the great room, and a small group of residents were already gathered there in expectation of her arrival. As she greeted them personally, more wheelchairs began circling up, and a caged ring-necked dove came to life with throaty cooing and bowing. “He loves music, too,” confided Millie Whitney, who was seated beside me, holding an open book of songs in her lap.

When the room was filled, Winona began by speaking. “I feel like I’ve been to Fantasy Land!” she exclaimed. And then, pulling a note from her bag, she shared some of the interesting points of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel where the event took place. “It’s all under a glass dome that covers 4.5 acres and houses 824 rooms. We were on the fifth floor with a balcony overlooking two waterfalls and a jet fountain that shot up 85 feet in the air. Arnie heard from one of the 3,000 employees who work there that the rooms run about $400 a night!”

There were “oohs” and “ahs” from the appreciative audience as she passed around some postcards. Bob Woods, who sat in the back of the room with his wife, Iva, smiled broadly. “Hey, Bob,” she said, “those roses you gave me before I left still look good on my counter.”

And then she sat down at the piano. A music teacher of many years, Winona’s hands moved comfortably to the keyboard, and a flurry of notes floated out across the hardwood floor. Her soprano voice led the group through “It’s a Grand Old Flag,” followed by a number of old, familiar songs like “Roll Out the Barrel,” “Home on the Range” and “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.” She has made up six different sets of books for her singers, so they have a variety of tunes to enjoy.

Breaking between songs, she shared highlights of the convention: a spellbinding luncheon speaker, Chris Gardner, who is the author of the book and subject of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness; cocktails and a steak dinner, cooked to perfection, for 1800 people; and the topper, a concert by Wynonna Judd. “People had an easy time remembering my name,” Winona joked.

But perhaps it was the people she met, the other volunteers who were being honored, that impressed her the most. There was the 13-year-old girl who had already devoted three years to writing letters, doing nails and hair, and being a chatty adolescent friend for residents of her center. There were the four Girl Scouts, who earned their Golden Badges, by interviewing, photographing, and publishing the stories of 40 residents in their center. There was the car salesman who took charge of a float and transportation for challenged children in his center. Forty-eight states were represented, each with their own compelling stories of love.

Near the end of the session, Winona rose to show her award, an impressive engraved plaque. “I understand the Center will be getting one of these, too,” she said. She shared that the awards ceremony was carefully choreographed, requiring several run-through practices until perfection was reached. Then she let the residents know that she had volunteered to speak briefly before the large crowd.

Holding her award in front of her, she personalized the words that she spoke that day to the crowd: “I am amazed that anyone can be recognized to this degree for something that I enjoy so much. Thank you. I gain as much from you as you receive from me.”

Winona received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the American Health Care Association. She was nominated by St. Johnsbury Health and Rehabilitation Center’s activity director, Cindy Davidson, for her “Music with Winona” sessions held at the Center every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., rain or shine. Cindy invites community members to visit the Center at any time. She would be glad to speak to you about possible volunteer opportunities, or you might just stop by some Wednesday morning to enjoy the music and company. You will be warmly welcomed.


Click here to view photos of the "Music with Winona" session: