WALDEN – The Walden Home Dem group (home demonstrators) is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The first week in May is “National Home Demonstration Week.” The Walden Home Dem group held its first meeting on January 14, 1946, at the home of Betty Hatch, who was then elected their[Read More…]
Our Neighborhood
Area maple makers claim successful season
EAST HARDWICK – For many in the New England region, spring showers aren’t the only expectation for the season. Many families anticipate the sweet smell of boiling sap, one that can only be found in and around a sugarhouse. For some, acquiring maple syrup or a maple treat is as simple[Read More…]
Billingsley stepping back after seeing town through flood recovery
PLAINFIELD – Michael Billingsley may be stepping down as the town’s emergency management director, but he’s not retiring just yet. Because the incoming emergency management director cannot always be in Plainfield, Billingsley views a gradual succession plan as the most practical path forward. “I volunteered myself to be the eyes[Read More…]
Barred Woods Maple, from taps to bottle
HARDWICK – Barred Woods Maple is an organic and ecologically conscious maple sugaring business located in northern Vermont. They produce maple syrup from their 300 acre sugarbush, which is part of a much larger parcel of land conserved through the Vermont Land Trust. They also use their syrup to create[Read More…]
Bell choir strikes a community chord
HARDWICK – For many in the area, the sound of handbells ringing has been the backtrack to holiday Masses, the annual tree lighting, baccalaureate services and more. The legacy of the St. Norbert’s Community Bell Choir is a long one, spanning 26 years and countless performances. Founded in 2000 by[Read More…]
Sue Slayton remembers Hardwick history: Upstreet, downstreet, overstreet
HARDWICK – Claire “Sue” (Goodrich) Slayton, grew up hearing stories about her grandfather, Samuel Daniels of Sam Daniels Manufacturing Company Inc., a maker of wood and coal furnaces in Hardwick and Montpelier from 1908 through 1969. Graduating from Hardwick Academy in 1966, Slayton has many memories of Hardwick’s unique community[Read More…]
Radio nerd guides local station through expansion
PLAINFIELD – “I’m a radio nerd.” That’s the self-description of Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, executive director of Central Vermont Community Radio, which operates WGDR in Plainfield and WGDH in Hardwick. It’s been a challenging time for public broadcasting, but donors have stepped up, said Mulvaney-Stanak, who uses they/them pronouns. Meanwhile, work continues[Read More…]
Glassblower is proud member of community
HARDWICK – For nearly 40 years, Harry Besett has worked as a glassblower in Hardwick, where he makes art that is both utilitarian and unique. In 1984, Besett and his wife Wendy settled in Hardwick, founding Vermont Glass Workshop where their pieces are commissioned, created and sold. Vermont Glass Workshop[Read More…]
Laggis family farm innovates with the times
HARDWICK – John Laggis has been dairy farming for over 45 years, most of that time with his brother Chris, who retired from their East Hardwick business three years ago and moved to Burke to pursue other interests. Now the independent, family farm is owned and actively managed by four[Read More…]
The day the FBI came to Grandma’s house
HARDWICK – In the early morning of August 24, 2022, FBI agents raided my house. Unbeknownst to me, for the previous three weeks I had been renting one of my Airbnb spaces to Brian Preller, a participant in the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI[Read More…]
A small store with a big heart
GREENSBORO BEND – More than a general store, more than a convenience store, Smith’s Grocery has long served as a community cornerstone for people in and around Greensboro Bend. Some local residents begin their day by stopping at Smiths for a cup of coffee or to fill up their tanks. Some[Read More…]
Hardwick neighbors gather, share food, purpose
HARDWICK – The Jeudevine Memorial Library was filled to capacity with conversation and the smell of tacos on a recent Wednesday evening as residents gathered for the “Forward Together” community meal hosted by Hardwick Neighbor to Neighbor. The event brought together volunteers, families and town staff to talk about community[Read More…]
