Tova, Author at Capital City Grange

Science, Art and Government walked into a Grange….

May 6, 2017 by Tova

Grange Notes for May 3, 2017 by Tim Swartz

Grange meeting for May: 4:30 on May 6th

We will have our monthly meeting for Capital City Grange, keeping track of finances, plans for improvements in the Grange Hall, plus reports on legislative matters, health concerns, agricultural changes (some positive news at this time of year!), and our usual sing-alongs. We hope you will join us!

At about 5:30, we’ll have this month’s special event:

We are creating a diverse panel of judges,
for you to impress with your buns, however you roll them!

From the world of Science, meteorologist Roger Hill!
You’ve heard him on WDEV, WGDR and many other stations, and you’ve gotten advice on the weather from “Weathering Heights“. So you know he has good taste in weather. Find out how flaky his crust is!

From the world of Legislation, Politics, and making fine distinctions: Anne Donahue!
Anne has represented the “Washington-2” district since 2003; that has included Berlin since 2012. She is the vice-chair of the Health Care committee, and publishes Counterpoint, a Vermont journal about the mental health community. Find out what she thinks is spicy in cinnamon rolls!

From the world of art (and education and baking), the curator of our stunning exhibition of art from Berlin: Lynn Spencer!
Lynn teaches art at Berlin Elementary School, and curated the selection of art now gracing the walls of our Grange Hall, out of the many creations (since 2002) of the kids she has taught. And she is a part-time professional baker, making pies for Ellie’s Farm Market, just down the road on Rt. 12!

What’s it all about? The baking contest–this Saturday, May 6th

If you’ve read this far, and missed our previous publicity, perhaps it isn’t obvious…but this is the annual Baking Contest for the Grange! This year, the challenge for Grangers all over Vermont is to bake CINNAMON ROLLS (OR BUNS)! You can use any recipe or ingredients you think will tickle the tastebuds of the judges, and make them as healthily delicious, or depravedly delightful as you choose.
What do you win? Besides a blue ribbon, the plaudits of our judges, and the appreciation of your peers, the first place winner at our Community Grange will move on to the State contest, with the chance to win a modest Cash Prize, as well as another blue ribbon! You can even go on to the Nationals!
Here’s the not-so-fine print: Bring 3-5 rolls on a paper plate, with no identifying marks on the top. Put your name, and the recipe on a 3 x 5 card or similar on the bottom of the plate. Bring them to the Grange Hall by 5:00–we’ll be doing the judging about 5:30.
If you are not already a Grange member, with all the rest of us cool kids, we’ll pay for your membership so you can compete at the State level.

And remember–any age can enter!

And after the judging, stay for the Community Potluck Dinner, 6 to 7:00 PM!

As always after a meeting and a program, the Grange hosts a potluck dinner where everyone brings their best dishes to share–hope you will join us!

Foolish fun at the Grange on April 1st

April 24, 2017 by Tova

Grange Notes for April 21, 2017 by Tim Swartz

Well, it started off with snow…. because what could be more foolish? Must be April in VT!
And after shoveling that away…

We set up for the Open House, admiring the NEW ARTWORK on the walls

Below is just a taste of the 30+ pieces hung on the walls of the Grange Hall, thanks to Berlin Elementary School Art Teacher Lynn Spencer. Come in and see them all. There are more photos at the CCG website: http://capitalcitygrange.org/art-grange-berlin-elementary-school-art-display/ Notice the variety of media used, and the many styles which Lynn’s students have used.

Grange Open House set up inside our new “art gallery” surroundings.

We had tables set up featuring information from the Grange, the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, Green Mountain Transit (which parks their buses in our elevated parking lot when floods threaten their depot on Rt. 12), Home Share Now! (which partners with Onion River Exchange providing community service opportunities), Washington County 4H, and the Barre-Tones.
As we did last year at our First Open House, we had Carl Etnier act as MC, introducing a few “demonstration performances”. Carl did his homework beforehand, so he also talked about the history of the National Grange, from its populist, agricultural roots to the present day, including the history of our own Community Grange.
Below are some pictures of the performers, illustrating the range of groups who use our Hall for rehearsals, practices, instruction and meetings:

Our entertainment ended with a sing-along and a potluck dinner. The former was led by Merry Shernock (who organized the whole event, and hung the art with Lynn). We sang a number of the “new repertoire” which she, Alison Forrest and others have brought to the Grange meetings in the past year. These included “Lift Every Voice and Sing“, “This Land is Your Land“, “I’ll Fly Away” and more. If you like community singing, come to Grange meetings!
The potluck was another good one, featuring all kinds of dishes, and people enjoying every bite.

Don’t forget to work on your recipes for Cinnamon Rolls or Buns!
May 6th is the date for the Grange Baking Contest.

I’ll send out one more reminder before then…remember, any recipe you want! Celebrity Judges!

April Fools Day = Open House at the Grange–no foolin’

April 1, 2017 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, March 29, 2017

We’re showcasing our many activities, and all the groups that call the Grange Hall home

Spread the word!

We are holding our second “Grange Open House” to welcome people from the communities that surround and use the Grange Hall.    We have demonstrations and information tables planned, featuring the teachers, students, dancers, singers, community service groups and more that base their activities at the Hall.
From 4:00 to 6:00 PM, we’ll have a lineup of demonstrations by:
The Barretones–the award-winning women’s barbershop chorus group, which rehearses on Monday evenings
Washington County 4H–will put on a fashion show, featuring clothes sewed and modeled by boys and girls in 4H!
Community singing–one our favorite activities at Grange meetings, but time to sing more songs!   We welcome everyone to bring songs to share.   We have a list of songs that we have added to the Grange repertoire: Lift Every Voice and Sing, This Land is Your Land, Take me out to the Ballgame, Yellow Submarine, I’ll Fly Away, Lean On Me, plus some rounds.   What else do you want to sing? We’re expecting a bunch of enthusiastic singers, so come along and join in.
And we’ll have info tables from many more:
Capital City Grange #469–I’ll be happy to tell more about the Grange–it’s history, our accomplishments, and how you can get involved. I’m putting together some info and pictures to tell the story.   I’ll have info also about theFriends of the CCG Hall!
Green Mountain Transit Agency will have a table–we have hosted their buses when flooding has been a danger for their garage, just down the road.
Weston Mobile Home Co-op will share info. This group of residents of the park down the road has been holding meetings in our Hall on Sunday afternoons. They are working with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity to form a cooperative group to buy the mobile home park.
Berlin Elementary School Art will be displayed on the walls of the Grange Hall, part of our partnership with the Town of Berlin.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If there is a community or Grange group that we have somehow missed, we’ll make room if you get in touch soon! Contact Merry (see above) or Tim Swartz, http://grangenotes@capitalcitygrange.org or 802-225-8921 for more info.

And of course, we’ll have a great Community Potluck at6:00.

Bring your favorite dish for sharing, and join us eating at the tables in the Main Hall. We’ve been getting more and more people joining us, and this should be an especially good one. It’s a great opportunity to meet and talk to people–and to share recipes!

Biking readiness, even in winter & April 1st = Open House at the Grange!

March 29, 2017 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, March 14, 2017

When it’s winter–some folks are still riding bikes–and the rest of us are ready to start
As I’m writing this, of course, the biggest storm of the winter is falling….but you have to have faith!

We invited Noah Tautfest, owner of Bicycle Express in Northfield, to give us some basic tips about getting our bikes ready for riding in spring–but we found that he spent part of the day riding in the snow at Burke Mountain! So the bike he brought to demonstrate the basics was this “fat bike”, with 4″ tires–but the basics still apply.
Noah showed us the important maintenance steps he does himself–and recommends for all bikers:

Cleaning: wiping the chain after riding, to get rid of grit that wears out the chain
Lubricating: working chain lube into the links, one section at a time. Using your fingers, rolling the links helps the lubrication work its way in
Checking the whole bike: looking at cables, brakes and gear linkages, to make sure everything is in good shape–before you are going 30 mph down a hill!
Checking your helmet: be aware that helmets start breaking down after 3 years. Foam that is supposed to cushion your head when it hits the ground can just collapse, just when you need it most! Replacing your helmet regularly is the best insurance you can have.
Tire pressure check: Noah reminded us that rubber can let air out, so checking and re-filling is a regular necessity. Low pressure tires like the 10-15 psi ones on his fat bike lose air more slowly–narrow, high-pressure tires like the 90-100 psi ones on a road bike lose it more quickly, but all of them have to be checked–especially if they have spent the winter hanging in the garage. Get yourself a good tire pressure gauge, and use it regularly.

Besides the pre-ride and post-ride check advice, Noah answered lots of questions from the many people who joined us for this program. They ranged from discussion of the many different types of bikes that people ride–off-road mountain and fat bikes, with and without shock-absorbing suspensions, bikes with single front chainwheels and those with front derailleurs and rear ones, road bikes, hybrid bikes and more.
Interest was also expressed in having Noah come back later in the year, perhaps allowing people to bring their bikes to be checked–are you interested? Let us know! We could do it when the weather is warmer, so we can have room outside and don’t have to worry about the floor.

March Grange Meeting: What’s Going on These Days?

New storage for Kids Trade & Play

At the Grange meeting, we got a report from Erin Barry on the ongoing success of KT&P, the popular family clothing & toy swap, plus community gathering of families which she hosts. Since starting this series in March of 2016, it has kept growing. Erin and a small cadre of volunteers sort the piles of donations, and on the second Saturday of each month, lay them out in size and age categories on the cafeteria tables downstairs at the Grange Hall. Dozens of families come to drop off even more out-grown (but clean and in good repair) children’s clothes, and to find lightly-used replacements to fit their growing brood. Kids play with toys downstairs, or run around in the open Hall upstairs. And there is often a jam session of old-timey music upstairs as well. Merry provides information about community resources for parents and kids, too. But the main benefit may be the opportunities for making friends and social contacts among families with kids–finding others with the same age kids, developmental challenges, struggles and joys. Erin charges $3.00 per family to meet costs, a pretty good deal! Tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers about this!
The Grange is supporting this community service by donating the space, and now by purchasing the “new” used shelves in the photo above, for storage of KT&P’s many plastic bins of clothes. Merry also found a painter through the Grange’s membership in Onion River Exchange, and used O.R.E. Hours donated by Liz Benjamin to get the walls in their storage corner painted. Erin’s husband Sean and I picked up the shelves and delivered them to the Hall, and I put them together. Erin is already thinking she could use more! As usual, it’s a group effort with a community payoff.

Farmers in Berlin–meeting at the Grange

Also at our Grange meeting, under the “Agriculture report”, Josh Fitzhugh told us about the second “potluck social” dinner of Berlin farmers, which he has organized. On Friday, March 3rd, members of farm families from 6 farms (out of about 15 in Berlin) met to share food and talk about the state of farming in the town. Josh feels it is a good opportunity for networking and building relationships among the scattered agricultural enterprises in the town where our Hall is located. They are talking about possibilities including a co-op store for farmers and craft-workers. You can get in touch with them: josh@fitzhugh.com He plans to have more of these get-togethers.

Legislative report–universal primary care plan?

Our usual reporter, Marj Power, told us the high point of the VT Legislative session, relating to this Grange’s long interest in health care: the proposal for a “Universal Primary Care” system for Vermonters–no one excluded, everyone covered. Primary care, of course, is the “first line” of medical care–the doctors/nurse practitioners/pediatricians/mental health counselors who are the people you meet when you need a check-up or basic medical care. H.238/S.53 are the bill numbers in the House and Senate respectively; you can learn about its status, and read the text here: http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2018/H.238 Marj also recommended a guide to ways to actively participate in government: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/ if you want to support or oppose legislation and other government actions. At the VT Legislature link above, you can find out how your representative voted when the bill recently passed the House.

Grange quilt contest coming up–wanna join in?

Our Grange Home Ec liason–also our Grange Secretary–Charles Martin–let us know about the VT State Grange contest for quilters. In our Grange, anyone can enter–we will donate a Grange membership for the winner! The contest is to make a queen-size quilt–it must be quilted, not tied, but otherwise anything goes. For the VT State contest, there are prizes–$100 for 3rd place, $200 for 2nd place and $300 for 1st place. The first place quilt will be taken to the Big E in Springfield, the huge Eastern States Exposition, and will be raffled off–to benefit the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington. The other quilts will be returned to their makers.

Health Concerns: sleeping better by camping, and a new fast-food hazard

Our usual reporter on health matters, Phyllis Skinner RN told us about a study which took people with sleeping problems out camping–with good results. The theory is that taking people away from their screens–on phones, tablets, laptops, monitors and TVs–removes a source of the type of light that makes changes in our melatonin cycle, which is part of regulating our sleep rhythms. Resetting our light exposure to natural rhythms re-sets our sleep cycles. The lesson? reduce your exposure to screens well before your time to go to sleep.
Phyllis also reported on research that identifies grease-resistant coatings in fast-food meals as containing PFAs, a potential carcinogen. Cut down on fast food burgers, chicken, etc.–or unwrap them as soon as possible and get rid of the wrappings from the store.

High altitude parking!

We have an ongoing offer to the Green Mountain Transit Authority (GMTA) which allows them to store their fleet of buses in our parking lot, when there is a possibility of ice jams and overflowing rivers. Their depot, about a quarter-mile south on Rt. 12 is right next to the Dog River, so it can be vulnerable if the waters rise.
The weekend of Feb. 25/26 was forecast for high winds and possible heavy rains, so they decided they would rather be safe than sorry, and let me know that they would be moving the buses to our parking area up on the hill. With no rentals scheduled on Saturday evening, this worked out well. They left room for parking for the Church of Christ service on Sunday morning, as requested.
In the event, no flooding happened, but we are happy to provide this “peace of mind” for this important community transportation agency.

April = Grange Month, and April 1st = Open House at the CCG

Every year, the National Grange declares that April is the month to celebrate and publicize the whole Grange. We held our first Open House last spring, and we are holding another one on the first Saturday in April, instead of our usual Grange meeting. Like last year, we are inviting our renters to do demonstrations, staff information tables, or otherwise present their activities and interests. We are inviting local community organizations–the 4H group from Washington County, the Green Mountain Transit Authority, and more–to provide spokespeople and literature as well. Carl Etnier, who has been coming to dance at the Grange Hall for years will serve as MC again, you can also find Carl commuting by bike from Plainfield to Montpelier, and DJing on WGDR.
The Open House will run from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, followed by our usual Community Potluck dinner. Bring one of your favorite dishes to share–we’ll set up tables on the floor-protecting mats in the Hall so all can attend. Come and break bread with your friends, neighbors and people you never met before!

Once again a reminder: DUE$ are DUE for 2017. One important way to support the Grange is with official membership, which costs $30again this year. Having an active, paid-up membership keeps us in good standing with the State and National Granges, as well as providing financial strength to our own Community Grange. Send checks to:
$ecretary Charles Martin
639 Mini$ter Brook Rd.
Worce$ter, VT 05682
Remember, everyone is welcome at all our Grange meetings, but only members can vote!

Pictures of spring–and snow. Plus bike prep for spring!

March 6, 2017 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, February 24, 2017

I just want to say….

Every time I sit down to write up these “Grange Notes”, I wonder if there are enough interesting things to report–and then I find I have more than I can fit in! I’m impressed with all the activities and people who get involved with our Grange and our Hall!

One of these could be the look of the Main Entrance–what do you think?

Where did these come from?

Well, these are the “first drafts” of ideas about what the public face of our Grange Hall’s official Front Door could look like.   At our February Grange meeting, landscaping ideas were presented, via pictures and discussion, by James Parent, a long-time contra-dancer at the Grange, and a Brookfield-based landscaper.
James used the “before photos” (you can figure out which is which!) and a graphics program to illustrate some ideas for making our “new” entrance more welcoming.   We are looking at ideas, at this point, and these images give us lots to look at and talk about!   What a change in appearance!
A little background:   in 2008, the Grange used a grant from the VT Arts Council, and a loan from the VT State Grange to build a new entrance on the northeast corner.   Our goal was to begin to make our Grange Hall accessible to all, providing a ramped entrance which meets the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). We also created an ADA bathroom on the main floor.   When we did this project, our intention was not to create a “back door” for people with mobility problems, but to have a new “front door” which anyone can use. We included this in the grant application, which was designed to help non-profit organizations to make arts resources and performance spaces accessible to everyone.
What we haven’t done is to treat the new entrance as a real main entrance. We never got around to making the entrance welcoming and attractive, but left it looking like a second-class, maybe even a begrudging allowance for people in wheelchairs.
So–that’s where we are today, and perhaps the reason for the images above is obvious!   James has come up with some exciting ideas, which he presented to the Grange meeting a couple of weeks ago.   The combination of snow visible on the roofs, and flowering shrubs and trees looks a little contradictory–but take a look at the principles behind his design ideas:

Filling in the spaces under the porch and ramp: there is research that shows that humans are a bit nervous about passing by these spaces–our instincts are to see them as “hidey-holes” which could conceal a threat. Lattice and plantings fill in the spaces in the designs shown.
Plantings show we care about our main entrance: pretty clear! If we invest in attractive “hardscaping” and plantings, and maintain them, we are showing that this is an important entrance.
Inviting people to “hang out” there: the picnic table and bench shown by the ramp’s entrance are part of the welcome.
Protecting the plantings from the snow-plow: since we have real winters–the snow on the roofs is a reminder!–we need to plan on ways to keep our investment in planting areas safe. Some good-sized boulders shown on the 2 sides of the stairs to the porch are an example of an attractive barrier.
New soil for plantings: the soil around our Hall is full of lead paint which has been scraped or flaked off the clapboards. And the soil around our Hall is subsoil at best–not much nutrition for plants! Raised beds behind those boulders would lift the flowers–and/or vegetables–above the original soil, and make for healthy produce. We know we have a lot of enthusiastic gardeners in our community.
The grass (and the stones) are not part of the plan! In order to cover up the snow on the ground in the pictures, grass and paving type stones were digitally used…but our plans won’t include those!

Next steps: those at the meeting had lots of questions for James, and there is lots of discussion to come. One of the first questions is about cost–how much would it cost to get and transport those boulders–and the equipment to move them? What sort of budget would we need to have to cover that, plus the raised beds, new soil, etc.? James will be coming up with figures for those sorts of potential costs. How much maintenance will be needed to keep the area looking good? There is not much use putting time and money into plantings, if we can’t keep them alive. Join us at future meetings to join the discussion–and if you want to help, let us know!

We “Lift Every Voice and Sing“

Our February 4th meeting brought us another new song to add to the Grange repertoire.   Chaplain Alison Forrest arranged with Grange Musician Matt Nunnelley to learn the “African-American National Anthem”, and Merry Shernock arranged to print plenty of copies of the lyrics to the first verse–it’s got 10 lines.   Matt, Alison and Merry led us in singing this moving and inspirational song–I’m sure we’ll bring it back for more renditions.    Group sing-alongs are one of the special parts of Grange meetings, which help keep many of us coming back–even people like me that can’t get away with singing in public unless there are others to sing with.
If you can’t wait to come and join us in singing this song, check out a couple of links to Youtube renditions, with lyrics, as recommended by Alison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyS3HPInHtI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya7Bn7kPkLo
At our meeting, we also talked about political developments–it was just a couple of weeks after the new administration took power in Washington, and we have a new VT Governor.   Many of us at the meeting spoke about supporting Gov. Scott’s statements about not supporting the immigration policies of the Trump White House. We decided to invite Gov. Scott to visit the Grange, especially the Open House which Merry is planning to have on April 1st.   The event last year brought Grange users and community members together, and we hope to build on that and bring in even more.   It will be great if the Governor can join us to see all the types of people and activities that happen at our Hall–he’s a Berlin resident, too! Stay tuned for more info about the Open House.
We also looked forward to a tasty event, planned for our May 6th meeting, when we will have a baking contest judged by “Celebrity Judges”–the contest this year is Cinnamon Rolls, with no prescribed recipe–stay tuned for more details.
Our meeting also took a few minutes to remember two older members who have passed away recently:   David Wheeler and Marjorie Gendron.   Both held offices in the CCG, in years past; we performed the ceremony of “Draping the Charter” in their memory.   The Charter of the CCG, hanging next to the stage will bear the black drape until our next meeting.
Our meeting was followed by a well-attended potluck dinner, as usual, with about 25 people. Join us for the next one!

March 4th Grange Meeting–spring will come–with bicycling!

Are the recent warmer days (following the snow which isn’t that long ago…) making you think of less wintery pursuits? We will whet your appetite with a program at our March meeting, starting about 5:30, presented by Noah Tautfest of Northfield. Noah is the owner of Bicycle Express, on Depot Square in that town, and is as knowledgeable as you would expect. He’ll give us a presentation on “getting ready for spring bike-riding”, passing on tips for safety and efficiency in cycling, for riders of every experience level. Noah is a passionate biker, who likes all types of biking and bike-riders–from recreational road-riders to fat-tire fanatics, to mountain bike racers. He’ll answer your questions, and steer you to gear that meets your needs and your budget.
Here’s what the “Constitution of Bicycle Express says:

We The People of Bicycle Express

Promise to fix bikes and ride them.

We believe at the end of every ride its how much fun you had.

We love all those who ride bikes.

This attitude will inform Noah’s visit to talk to us about….getting ready to ride! Check out his store’s website, too:   https://bikeexpressvt.com/
We’ll also look forward to an annual event, introduced to me by the former director of the VT Bicycle-Pedestrian Coalition, Nancy Schulz.   The “International Ride of Silence” is an annual, slow-paced ride for all bikers, which honors the people who have been injured or killed on the roads while biking.   The ride, held on the 3rd Wednesday of May all around the world, brings attention and care to help encourage safe riding–and safe driving by the motorists who share the road with bikers and pedestrians.
I have been organizing a Northfield ride for several years–this year it will be on May 17th.   Come to the meeting to learn more!   There should be other rides in other parts of VT–or you can organize one yourself–it’s not hard, and it’s always a meaningful event. You can find out more about the event by visiting this website: http://www.rideofsilence.org

Grange meeting starts at 4:30. Before the program, join us for our monthly meeting, where we discuss Grange finances, go over plans for changes in the Hall, and always sing together. The friendly core group of CCG Grange members will make you feel welcome, and will be happy to hear your perspective. We also talk about legislative developments, hear advice on healthier living, and keep up with news from the VT State Grange too. We’ll be planning for the Celebrity Judge Baking Contest too!
And stay for the Community Potluck Dinner at 6-ish! Great food, great company, and a chance to talk to other people who love what goes on at the Grange Hall.

Kid’s Trade & Play–remodeling and reorganizing

One of the community organizations which uses our Grange Hall, and which the Grange is happy to support has been steadily growing. Every month, Erin Berryand her crew of volunteers spread out the good-quality clothes and toys which are donated by parents. Parents are happy to pass on out-grown clothes so someone else can use them, and happy to bring home “new” ones. Kids are happy to spend some time playing with the toys in the play area, and may even be interested in helping pick out the clothes to bring home.
The clothes and toys are stored between open times (9:30 to 11:30, the Second Saturday of every month) in the “back corner” of the basement area, next to the Lost & Found–but it hasn’t looked like it does in the bottom photo until now!
So many people have donated items, that the bins are overflowing–see the top couple of pictures! So the Grange, via its indefatigable Treasurer/Rental Agent Merry Shernock has arranged to improve the storage area: using Onion River Exchange “hours” donated by Grange member Liz Benjamin, she found a painter to help her clean off the mildew on the concrete walls, and to paint the lovely sky-blue you can see. Merry also located some capacious industrial shelving, which will soon be set up in that corner, to hold the burgeoning boxes and bins, keeping them accessible.
Also, during next week (March 1-3) there will be a serious “purge” of the clothes, to keep the best and pass the rest on. Would you like to help? Contact Merry: http://merrykaysings@gmail.com or Erin: http://birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com to arrange schedules.