by Elizabeth H. Dow, Community Journalist
HARDWICK – Matt Jerome and Kim Hartling Welles won the grand prizes in the Hardwick Historical Society’s (HHS) game of Halftime Trivia on Senior Night, February 16, at Hazen Union. Each prize consisted of a $25 gift certificate from either the Galaxy Bookshop or The Whistle Emporium and a free year’s membership in the HHS.
Before each varsity basketball game at Hazen this season, the Hardwick Historical Society sponsored the game. As spectators came through the door, they could answer a trivia question about local history or civics. Everyone got the same multiple-choice question, and all contestants put their answers in an antique ballot box from the Historical Society’s collection.
At half-time, two members of the HHS board took the box to the court. While one person held it, the other pulled out answer slips until they pulled a correct one. They then read the question, told the answer, and announced whose name they had just drawn. Each winner won a back-issue of the HHS Journal as a prize.
Playing the game didn’t cost anything, and between 30 and 80 people per game competed. The game winners included: Shawn Ainsworth, Dave Brown, Taylor Cloutier, Lynn DeLaricheliere, Julia des Groseilliers, Nicole des Groseilliers, Willow Dyer, Matt Jerome, Daniel Jiron, Jamison Lamarre, Alan May, Lydia Parker, Ron Touchette, Kim Hartling Welles. The grand prize winner came from this group of winners.
Questions ranged from “Where was Hardwick Academy located” (where Hardwick Elementary School Parking Lot sits) to “How many people serve on the Woodbury Select Board?” (three), to “Which school in the Northeast Kingdom has won the most basketball state championships?” (Hazen Union).
The Historical Society plans to repeat the game next basketball season.
Elizabeth H. Dow is the president of the Hardwick Historical Society and a board member at Northeast Kingdom Public Journalism.
