Capital City Grange

Too cold for Grange meeting Saturday January 6!

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Grange Notes by Tim Swarts for January 5, 2018

Snow, Ice and Cold force us to re-schedule–NO MEETING ON JAN. 6!

Temperatures are expected to stay well below zero all day long this Saturday, so I am re-scheduling the meeting for Jan. 20th, the 3rd Saturday.  We will have to re-schedule Ben Koenig for another meeting date, as he is not available on that Saturday.

Contra Dance is still on for 8:00 on Jan. 6th–you can warm up with the great dancing, to the great music of Dave Langford, Glen Loper and Bethany Waickman, and the great calling of Mary Wesley!    Newcomers’ intro and lesson at about 7:30.

New Year, new song–join us….and rejoin us!

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Grange Notes by Tim Swartz for January 1, 2018

Grange Carol Sing brings people out to sing together
Just before Christmas, on Saturday Dec. 23rd, we got together for an afternoon sing-along, starting at 4:00.   Organized by former Grange MusicianCharles Mayhood and Grange Treasurer Merry Shernock, with piano accompaniment by current Grange Musician Matt Nunnelly, we had a small but enthusiastic turnout.  The weather was not very good–misty rain was falling all day, as I recall, and there was certainly less than great driving.   We had people arrive from Plainfield, Middlesex, Barre Town, Calais, Northfield and Montpelier–we said before we started that anyone who came to join us would be someone who really needed to sing–and we’re glad that we set this up.
Songs were selected by participants, and ranged widely!   We sang Christmas standards from Grange songbooks and special Christmas collections, and the titles ranged from “Deck the Halls” to “Winter Wonderland” to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”.   Come to the next one, and you can bring your favorites!

Greetings of the New Year!

I’ll get right to the point: It is time to join or renew your membership in CCG#469. All memberships run Jan-December. Membership costs$30/year; check or money order made payable to CCG#469. Send to CCG# 469, PO BOX 208, Northfield Falls, VT 05664. There are several reasons why you should do this:

FIRST GOOD REASON

Capital City Grange #469 was chartered by the National Patrons of Husbandry in 1914 in Montpelier. In 1952-53 the members built the Hall in Berlin and this is where so many of you find activities you enjoy. (You can check us out on the web:  capitalcitygrange.org)

As long as CCG#469 remains an “active” Grange, the members hold the deed and the Hall remains a community center open to and serving all kinds of folks.  But if CCG#469 should fold for lack of members, the Hall will be sold by the State Grange. It could become a funeral parlor or a restaurant and any one of an infinity of things that benefit from “Location! Location! Location!”

SECOND GOOD REASON

The Grange comes to us with a legacy of 19th Century Rural Populism. Really! Between the Civil War and WWI, Grangers advocated for Women’s Suffrage, rural cooperatives and supported a host of progressive practices in farming and domestic arts and government regulation. Granges supported and assisted individual self-improvement and social responsibility. Ideal Grange virtues articulated even back then include frugal personal practices enabling each of us to do more for others. Eleanor Roosevelt was a member. So was Norman Rockwell.

THIRD GOOD REASON

The members of Capital City Grange #469 are striving at both the local and state levels to make these quaint verities relevant in the 21st century. The ritual we use at meetings poetically articulates these values, but we regularly update it to remove sexist or racist or theist language. New songs are learned and sung. New issues are discussed.  Another example: the CCG proposed, and the State Grange adopted a resolution to support S1034, a bill in the US Congress that would provide a legal status for long-term agricultural workers, plus a path to citizenship for immigrant farm workers–check it out in more detail at:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1034.

If you don’t see described here the good reason(s) you come to the CCGHALL, maybe you can let us know. Come tell us at the next meeting:4:30 pm, on next Saturday, Jan. 6th!  You can bring your dues check to the meeting!  Most meetings are on the first Saturday of the month at that time, and are followed by an excellent potluck dinner.

Check the Calendar on the website for details and, while you’re there, scroll to the bottom of the Home Page and sign up for GRANGE NOTESif you aren’t already on the list!

“Like” us on Facebook, too!  “Capital City Grange Hall”
This message brought to you by our Grange Treasurer, Merry Shernock

Special opportunity:   learn a new song with Ben Koenig!
We have a local celebrity guest to provide our Grange program on Jan. 6th.   Many of us have enjoyed listening to and singing along with Ben Koenig, who performs solo (and with Mark Greenberg, as “Anything Goes”), playing finger-style guitar.   At a recent event at the Labor Hall in Barre, Ben volunteered to teach the Grange a song he wrote which he taught to Pete Seeger!  Join us about 5:30 on the coming Saturday to sing along!
Grange Meeting will work on planning ahead

Our usual monthly business meeting will start at 4:30; in addition to the usual reports and discussions about Agricultural and Legislative developments, we will have the next installment in the novel practice of financial planning for the Grange.  We have now had a couple of years of enjoying a closer relationship with the Town of Berlin, solidified with the Town Meeting vote in 2015 which has relieved us of property tax payments.  This has allowed us to actually stop losing money, for the first time in many years!   This has in turn allowed us to consider our future needs, beyond just trying to survive, year by year.
In the past couple of meetings, we’ve talked about future needs for building repairs, upgrades of our kitchen appliances and our water heater, contributing to the improvements planned by the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, and about how we can put aside money to be ready to respond to our needs.
Come help us deal with these questions–we need all the help we can get to build a good financial foundation for the work of the Grange!
Revisiting our Resolution
I reported in the last Grange Notes that the National Grange had rejected the resolution we proposed, and the VT State Grange endorsed, which Merry mentions above.   The National Meeting chose to see our support for legislation designed for workers who are full-time agricultural immigrants, as concerned with the seasonal workers who are already addressed in the National Agricultural policies.
Let’s start working on a new version, to make the need for protection for the year-round workers who immigrate to Vermont and other states.   U.S. Senate bill S1034, designed to provide a legal status for just these people, is a good vehicle to achieve this, and we’ll do what we can to support it.
Potluck dinner after the Grange meeting
Every Grange meeting is followed by a potluck dinner, which lets us all share good food together–while we also chew over what we’ve discussed at the meeting…and the songs we’ve sung!   YOU are invited to join us–whether or not you’ve come to the meeting!   The dinner starts about 6:00, come on down and eat with us.  The CDU contra dance starts at 8:00, if you want to stay for that as well!
Grange Friends’ End-of-Year Fundraising Campaign

The FCCGH has been soliciting donations for the next large Grange Hall project:  improvements in the basement level including waterproofing, insulation for the exterior walls, floor finishing, heating improvements, new tables, and more.   Starting in mid-November with mailed appeals to previous donors, the campaign has been
As of today, over $4,500 has come in, by checks or by direct donation via Paypal on the Grange website.  This gets us well on our way to the $20,000 or $25,000 we need to raise–and you can help us keep moving toward that goal.   Make your check payable to “FCCGH” and send it to:

FCCGH
PO Box 192
Northfield Falls VT 05664

Or you can give securely via the CCG website:  http://capitalcitygrange.org/donate/
And your donations to the FCCGH are tax-deductible for you (to the extent allowed by law) since the Friends are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Donate page lists the wonderful projects which have been completed with their help since 2012.  Also on the website, the “Hall Projects” page has information on the scope and plans for the “Mess Hall to Dining Hall” project.  As one of the donors said, with all the great work that has been done on the Grange Hall, shouldn’t the basement be a nice space as well?
We give great thanks to those who have already donated, and we hope many more of our Members and Friends will join them.

Holiday dinners, singing carols together and resolution results

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Grange Notes by Tim Swartz for December 17, 2017

Holiday food boxes will make a few tables happier
We  can applaud the efforts of a good number of people from the Grange community, who have put together 6 extra-full food boxes, designed to create a bountiful feast for families who need support in this holiday season.   The boxes will be distributed by Central Vermont Head Start early next week.   Here is part of the list of the food for each box donated by people who are Grange members and users, including items bought with generous monetary contributions:   pasta, canned fruits and frozen vegetables, 5 lbs. of potatoes, 5 lbs. of clementines, plus a frozen turkey (seen stored in the Grange refrigerator/freezer), two sticks of butter and a foil roasting pan!   And some candy for the kids as well.
Lots of people chipped in time as well as food and $$–planning and executing this doesn’t happen by magic.   I hope I don’t leave out anybody when I list:  Alison Forrest, Merry Shernock, Carla Kevorkian and the Afro-Caribbean dance class.     Anonymous donors–you know who you are, and how much your contributions are valued.
Carol singing in the Hall on Dec. 23rd–welcoming all to join in
4:00 to 6:30 PM
Charles, the former Musician for CCG#469, invites everyone to forget the hustle and pressure of the season and come to the CCGHALL to sing and be merry, instead.  Bring some cookies, if you want.  Bring some friends.  All ages welcome and no need to worry about being a member, or paying a fee, or knowing how to sing or dance.  Join us in the carol, the merry, merry carol!

Or put another way, forget the last minute rushing around, the pressures of the holiday,  come and relax with friends and community singing–Christmas favorites. Bring your guitar, your flute–your friends! If you are able,  bring some cookies or treats to share.   We have a piano!
You get the message–we really want you to come and sing with us!
We’ll have song leaders, Grange songbooks and some lyric sheets to share, and other people who love to sing.

Updating our offices

Alert readers will have noticed that with this edition, the Grange Notes are being sent from me as the President of the Grange.    From now on, that is the name for the office.   At our Dec. 2 meeting, all of us voted together to update the titles  of our executive positions–from Master to President, and from Overseer to Vice President.
In the last set of Notes, I told about my reasons for making this change, in recognition of the connotations of the older names in relation to African-Americans.   We are joining the practice of the National Grange and many other Community Granges, especially in Southern states.
As we improve the words we use to name our offices, we recognize the impact that words can have on people, and we look forward to continuing to improve our communications and relations with the diverse public which takes part in our community organization.

National Grange stalls our resolution on year-round immigrant farmworkers
Our Grange and the Vermont State Grange voted in October to support the resolution crafted by Merry, which supports an effort by Senators to provide a legal status for year-round immigrants who work on Vermont farms and others around the country.   Our own Senator Pat Leahy has joined as a co-sponsor.
After passage by the State Grange, this resolution was sent on to the National Grange meeting in November, in Washington State.  Unfortunately, the resolution was mis-identified as dealing with seasonal immigrants, legal status for which is already a policy of the National Grange.   The committee there tabled the resolution and did not even bring it up for a vote.
Our intent was clear, to expand legal protection and a path to permanent residency for year-round immigrants–and we will revise and resubmit it next year!

Grange Friends and community members give a great start to fundraising for the next big project!

The last “Grange Notes” described the agreement between the Grange and the Friends of the CC Grange Hall to pursue the “Mess Hall to Dining Hall” project.   The FCCGH has begun the next phase of fundraising, to collect the funds we will need to match the grant for which we are applying.  Mailed appeals have been sent to people who have donated in the past, and the results have been impressive!
As of today, almost $4,000 has come in, by checks or by direct donation via Paypal on the Grange website.  This gets us well on our way to the $20,000 or $25,000 we need to raise–can you help us get to the next milestone?  Make your check payable to “FCCGH” and send it to:

FCCGH
PO Box 192
Northfield Falls VT 05664

Or you can give securely via the CCG website:  http://capitalcitygrange.org/donate/
And your donations to the FCCGH are tax-deductible for you (to the extent allowed by law) since the Friends are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Donate page lists the wonderful projects which have been completed with their help since 2012.  Also on the website, the “Hall Projects” page has information on the scope and plans for the proejct.
We give great thanks to those who have already donated, and we’ll feel equally grateful for all the donations we will need to complete it.

Next Grange meeting:  2018!  Join us on Jan. 6th at 4:30
We’ll be in the new year by then–watch for more information after the Christmas holiday–but put it on your calendar!
Chow down with us–Community Potluck at 6:00!
Our meeting in January will be followed as usual with a tasty potluck dinner.  Bring your favorite dish to share. We’ll have the usual combination of great food and great socializing, please join us!  It’s a chance to “digest” what we’ve learned, after chewing it over with the people of the Grange community.

Updating our offices, filling food boxes, Farm to School and next renovation project!

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Grange Notes for November 21, 2017 by Tim Swartz

Time for a change in our office names?

During my time as the “chief executive” of Capital City Grange, a number of people have asked me about the names traditionally used for my office, and the second-in-command position.  “Master” and “Overseer” have a long tradition in the Grange, but also have very strong associations in the United States as being titles for people in charge of enslaved workers.   I have been told that quite a few Granges, especially in the southern states have changed the name of these offices to “President” and “Vice President”, and I’ve decided I am ready to propose that we join those Granges in making that change.
I hope that others will be interested in this question, and will let me know what you think–and that you will join us at our next Grange meeting, on Dec. 2nd at 4:30.   I’m planning to propose a motion to make this change, and would like to have a good discussion!
Quick note about my motivations:  like many other people in the country, I have been concerned about the divisions between races, and differential treatment of minorities by law enforcement for a long time.  In the aftermath of last year’s Presidential election and the publicity about law enforcement shootings of African-Americans, I have gotten involved in groups discussing ways to make changes to improve the country, and I’ve thought about what I could do.   One thing that quickly came to mind is making this change in our Grange terminology.   As a word-oriented person, I know that words make a difference–and it is always wise to choose our words carefully!
Also at our December 2nd meeting:
Farm to School

One of the Community Service projects being undertaken by the VT State Grange is supporting the “Farm to School” program, now in its 10th year!  Sponsored by the VT Dept. of Agriculture, working with partner organizations & supporters all over the state, the goal is to build connections between kids and the farmers all over Vermont.  The links can involve classrooms, cafeterias, compost–and the communities in which the schools are located.
Our Program at our December meeting will be presented by Misse Axelrod, who is the Washington/Orange County Farm to School Mentor for the NOFA-VT organization.   The Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association of VT, one of the oldest organic farmers’ organizations in the country, has identified farmers and educators who have extensive relationships in both schools and farms, as Community Mentors.  Misse will tell us about her work, and the work of the whole program–and how we can support the work in our local schools.
This is a very appropriate project for the Grange, based in rural communities, and seeking to strengthen the economic and social ties between those who work in agriculture, and the society and community members who depend on farmers.  Come and join us, starting about 5:30 on Dec. 2nd, and hear more!
Chow down with us–Community Potluck at 6:00!
Our meeting and the Farm to School program will be followed as usual with a tasty potluck dinner.  Bring your favorite dish, made from the local harvest if you can.  The gardens and Farmers’ Markets have given us a great bounty of vegetables and other goodies in the growing season which is finally coming to a close.   We’ll have the usual combination of great food and great socializing, please join us!  It’s a chance to “digest” what we’ve learned, after chewing it over with the people of the Grange community.
November Grange meeting:  supporting food boxes & renovating the basement level
Our meeting on November 4th was busy as usual, featuring an introduction toinvasive species by Errol Briggs, but also the vote to accept a new member, the beginning of a campaign to provide food for families in need, and a decision to support the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall in their project planning.
We were pleased to welcome new member Gretchen Elias, who as Executive Director of Good Beginnings has rented our Hall for meetings.   We are not reluctant to vote in people who want to join us in the work of the Grange, so come in and check it out!
Grange member and Chaplain Alison Forrest has decorated a couple of donation boxes where anyone can donate food, with the goal of filling 6 boxes for 6 families who need some help in enjoying the holiday season.  Washington County Head-Start‘s director will distribute them to 6 families she knows are in need.   We are looking to provide food that families can use to make a holiday celebration–there are a number of programs that collect toys for kids, but sometimes not having good food can take the joy out of having toys.   Grange donors have already donated 6 turkeys (most of them stored in the Grange freezer, not in the food boxes).  You can chip in by bringing in tasty, non-perishable foods for holiday meals, or bring a cash donation to the next Grange meeting, or give it to me or another Grange member if you can’t get to the meeting.  We’ll use cash donations to fill out the boxes, and we’ll let you know how it went.
See the separate article from the Friends for more about the project the FCCGH has chosen–and that the Grange voted to support.   The combination of the active Grange members who come to meetings, the various communities whose activities take place at the Grange, and the Friends’ organization and skills have made big improvements in our Grange Hall and our ability to serve the community–and we hope you will chip in to support the next big improvements!
Our meeting was followed by an informative program about “Invasive Species” by environmental consultant Errol Briggs, whom we also know as a very active member of the State Grange.   Brother Errol explained differences between non-native and invasive species, talked about the efforts to control the latter, and answered many questions by those in attendance.  Many of the pictures he showed were taken by him, in Vermont locations familiar to many of us.   We’ll need to get him back to discuss what we can all do to support native plants and animals, and reduce the impact of imported species on them.
Grange and Friends agree–it’s time to pay attention to the rest of the lower level
The bathrooms are great, but the rest?  not so much.
Starting at the Labor Day Weekend fundraiser, the FCCGH asked members of the Grange community to help them choose the next big project, following the very successful New Bathrooms project in 2015.  With support strong for both of the alternatives proposed, the Friends made a decision, and asked the Grange to endorse the next steps of getting firm quotes and more design work.  The Grange agreed enthusiastically!
Here’s what Patty Giavara, Chair of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall says:

What is the Next Big Project?

The Friends are now fundraising for the Mess Hall to Dining Hall project.  The improvements will make the Grange’s ground floor less damp, warmer, and more attractive.  Key objectives are to:

  • Install perimeter drainage to prevent water seeping through the foundation onto the floor during big storms.
  • Insulate the cold concrete walls and create a paintable, cleanable wall surface that won’t mildew.
  • Improve heating and air circulation systems.
  • Replace the existing tables with movable, smaller-size tables, for flexibility, better cleaning, and more choices in layout.
  • Paint the floor (and the walls and maybe the ceiling) for a better appearance.

Our early estimates are that Mess Hall to Dining Hall will cost approximately $50,000. As in the past, we plan to apply for grants to pay for a portion of the project. This is where we need your help. Grant makers require that we raise matching funds.  For example, the Vermont Arts Council — that has supported two of our previous projects — requires a 50% match. For every $1 they give, we must match it.

The Friends have raised $10,000 to dedicate to the Mess Hall to Dining Hallproject. Our goal is to raise a total of $25,000 as community-raised match funding to then leverage funds from grant makers.  Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution in support of Grange Hall improvements.

Thank you! Together we can do this!

Donate Securely Online

There will be a push on the Grange’s Facebook page to especially encourage giving to the Friends on “Giving Tuesday”, which  is Nov. 28th, the Tuesday following the Thanksgiving holiday–don’t miss it!  Check out https://www.facebook.com/ccghall/ for more info.

Blue Cards for Ag workers, invasive plants, and Soufflee for the Hall

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Grange Notes for October 29, 2017 by Tim Swartz

A win for migrant workers!

I’m pleased to report that the Vermont State Grange annual meeting, the weekend of Oct. 20 & 21, voted to support the resolution our Grange proposed.  We voted for the resolution, which supports the passage of U.S. Senate bill 1034.  The “Resolved” section states that the VT State Grange urges its adoption by Congress.   Merry Shernock attended as one our voting delegates, and took part in the Agriculture/Environment Committee deliverations.   The only change made in it by the Committee made, before it was passed by the full State Session, was to notify our Congressional Delegation of our action.   I’m pleased to report that there was a large majority of the delegates in favor!
So now this resolution has been sent on to the National Grange annual meeting, being held Nov. 7-11 in Spokane, Washington.  We’ll hope for support for this resolution and this bill by the national body.  Their support will mean lobbying support from the national organization.
Our Grange decided that immigrant farm workers, who have been vital to keeping VT dairy and other farming going, should have a legal framework for their residence here in the United States.   This bill (sponsored by Diane Feinstein, and co-sponsored by Sen. Pat Leahy) provides appropriate safeguards and verifications to set up a “blue card” permit system for agricultural workers, and a road to a “green card” for permanent residence status.  Keep your eyes on this bill, and contact your representatives to let them know you support it, and so does the VT State Grange!
Other news from State Grange session
The annual session on Oct. 20 & 21 included the vote on the resolution described above, and many others.   Among those which CCG discussed at our October meeting:
  • #2 restrictions on “neonicitinoid” pesticides (very well researched and documented)–passed
  • #12 increase font size on prescription bottles–amended to increase font size on info sheets accompanying prescriptions instead–passed
  • #13 advocating better enforcement of seat-belt laws–amended to specifically call for primary enforcement–passed
  • #14 calling for Drivers’ Ed to be offered at no charge in all VT high schools–passed
  • #17 to actively support the Equal Rights for Women amendment–passed
There are many more Resolutions–they will eventually be posted on thewww.vtstategrange.org website.
The state session also does the annual “business” of the Grange, hearing reports on all the committees, events and accounts of the past Grange Year, just as our CCG business meetings do, in an open and transparent way.
I also got several compliments on the contra-dance we helped to put on at the Grange Fall Festival, bringing some of the Grangers from around the state, plus some “civilians” in on the fun of community dancing–and we’ve been asked to repeat it for next year!   I’ll see if musicians Robin Russell, Michael Fiorillo &Emily Bartlett can play, and we’ll see if caller David Kreiss-Tomkins is coming back from Alaska, to reprise the successful combination we had this year–or we’ll find others!   Put the Fall Festival in September 2018 on your Calendar.
On November 4th, we will be invaded!
No, wait, that’s not exactly right…
actually, Vermont has already been invaded.    So, at our November meeting, Errol Briggs, an environmental consultant (Gilman & Briggs in Barre), who isalso an actual Past Master of the VT State Grange, (and a winner of the cast-iron frying pan throwing contest) will present a workshop on… invading species, those visitors that have been introduced into our state, or have hitch-hiked their way in.
Many of us are familiar with some of the “usual suspects”–Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, garlic mustard and wild parsnip, to name a few invasive species.  Now is your chance to learn more about their habitats, dangers, victims and predators from an expert.
Brother Errol has a long career working in the field of environmental consulting, and knows his way around the roadsides, wetlands, fields and forests of New England, working with homeowners and contractors.  He’ll be speaking at about 5:30 PM, hope you can join us!
At our meeting, we will also be discussing providing holiday food baskets for needy families, based on contacts Merry has been making with Washington County Head Start.  We’ll also talk about the information Merry & I plus others saw at the State Session about the Grange supporting Farm to Schoollinks as part of the official program for the next year.
We’ll also talk about the food donations the State Grange is soliciting, and how FCCGH board member Elizabeth Templeton is taking this on as a project.   She’ll be setting up donation boxes in our foyer(s) to accept non-perishable products for those who need help getting good, nutritious meals.  Look for the signs!
Chow down with us–Community Potluck at 6:00!
Our meeting and the Invasive Species program will be followed as usual with a tasty potluck dinner.  Bring your favorite dish, made from the local harvest if you can.  The gardens and Farmers’ Markets have given us a great bounty of vegetables and other goodies in the growing season which is finally coming to a close.   We’ll have the usual combination of great food and great socializing, please join us!
Since last writing Grange Notes in early October, we’ve finished up the plantings in the new beds.  
Gerald & Carol Noyes planted the plants donated by Carol & Ann Pearce as well as purchased on their advice; I shoveled a mix of compost and topsoil purchased by the Grange and carried water….and now we have garden beds!   Merry Shernock led this whole project to improve the attractiveness of our official Main Entrance, making a big difference in the ambiance!
Feeding the Grange with Cellulose Soufflee!
Thanks to Bill Hulstrunk, who also organized our insulation of the attic of the Grange Hall in 2007, we now have a north-end wall filled with dense-pack insulation!   With the help of Patty & Kurt Giavara, plus me and Merry, Bill helped us make short work of removing the thin batts of fiberglass we could reach from under the stage, and blowing in cellulose with Bill’s blower.   In the photos below, you can see Bill under the stage, and filling other bays from the outside while talking with Patty.   Kurt is filling the hopper of the blower in the other picture.
As you can see, the north end is suffering terrible paint peeling–we think that stopping the airflow in the wall will really help.   The Friends is also planning to have that end strapped and re-sided, with a drainage plane behind, to keep moisture from being trapped.
Besides stopping air-flow, the dense-pack insulation gives us about R=14 in these 2 x 4 walls–a big improvement!
(For those curious about the spelling of the French above, note that the bilingual labeling of the cellulose bales taught me the French for “blowing cellulose!)

Contact Us

Tim Swartz, President
802-225-8921 (cell)
grangepresident@capitalcitygrange.org

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