Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) February 23, 2026
Erica Heilman on making “Rumblestrip Vermont”
We had a good turnout, on Feb. 7, to hear Erica Heilman, who produces her award-winning podcast from her home in East Calais. She spoke about her individual approach to interviewing and podcasting from a chair, with her laptop on her knees so that she could play clips from her show. The first was one from her friend and fellow podcaster Scott Carrier, reading selections from the Montpelier & Barre police logs; she played several others during her talk. She also shared her good memories of when she rented our Grange Hall for her 50th birthday party…
She said she had no interest in listening to “experts” and famous people; she feels that everybody knows something, and is the expert in their own life. She makes her shows for herself first, making audio stories about “unimportant parts” of everyday life. Erica feels that she does her best work when she “falls in love” with the person she’s interviewing, and can get listeners to fall in love as well. Together, Erica and her interviewees create a “new thing” between them, more than each of them separately. Some of her favorite conversations are with kids–who are the authorities on childhood. And she strongly believes that one can either judge other people or interview them.
Editing is not her favorite part of the work. Listening to her recorded interviews, she finds, is “about 80% self-loathing and confusion”–but at the end “there’s a sweet, sweet place” that emerges. To hear her own words, check out her Rumblestrip Vermont website, where you can hear over a decade of podcasts–all free (though she is happy to get donations).
We were pleased to get a good turnout–by our standards–for this presentation–about 20 people came in person or by Zoom. Keep your eyes peeled for the next program in our series, on April 4!
February Grange meeting report:
- We agreed on a date for our Grange to perform the First Degree of Grange membership, on Sunday, May 3rd. This ritual welcome to new members provides links to the past of the organization, with metaphors drawn from rural life. The Executive Committee has been tasked with arranging the details; we have invited North Branch Grange (in Worcester) and Caledonia Grange (East Hardwick) to join us in putting this on. The ceremony is open to everyone; all paid-up Grange members are urged to join us in particular!
- Grant Orenstein and Indivisible Calais asked for and received Grange support for another benefit contra dance, to be held on Saturday, May 9th. Proceeds from this one will benefit VPIRG, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, and will feature calling by Don Stratton, and music by The Turning Stile. Grange sponsorship means that we will not charge rent, so that more of the proceeds can go to VPIRG.
Join the Grange–and renew your membership!
If you’re already a Grange member, please send your annual dues (which now costs $36) to the Grange PO box in the header. Please pay by check made out to Capital City Grange.
If you can help us manage the Grange Hall, and increase our community services, we’d love to have you join the Grange, and vote at our meetings. You can fill in an online form, or download a fill-able Word doc at this webpage.
If you mostly want to support the Grange financially, please note that annual membership payments provide our Grange with only $6 per year; the balance goes to support the State and National Grange. Tax deductible contributions to the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall can be made online at the Donate page on our website, and will support major building renovation projects.
March 7 meeting plans
Here are a few of the issues we’ll be discussing:
- We will be signing people up to fill all the officer roles which have speaking parts in the First Degree performance on May 3rd. We’ll also be working out some of the details of how that will go. Any Grange member can be part of the Degree Team; we have scripts and “stage directions” available, and we don’t expect everyone to have their part memorized. We’re planning a partial rehearsal at the May 2 Grange meeting. Get in touch with Tim to learn more.
- Time to schedule our annual Grange Cooking Contest which this year is Chili–with or without meat! Possibly at the June meeting? Start testing recipes! No canned chili or use of chili “kits”–we want your home-made best!
- We’ll be reporting on our experience with the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) project–we now have the ERV functioning, and are able to schedule that and our two air purifiers remotely!
- We’ll have the legally required “Capital City Grange, Inc.” corporation meeting–we hope to do it in 5 minutes or less!
- We’ll have a report on new, padded folding chairs from the Chair replacement committee meeting–and hope to have at least 2 samples for all to test!
- Grant Orenstein and Indivisible Calais will be asking for sponsorship of another dance event, in August or September. That one will be for the benefit of “Vermont Bridge to Care“, raising funds to train counselors so more care is available for those who need it, and to pay for mental health care for Vermonters. Founder Kathleen Landry will be coming to tell us about it and answer questions.
Freshly cleaned!
Thanks to planning by Patty Giavara, our Lower Level carpet, plus the carpeted stairs and foyer at the original entrance got professionally cleaned. Delair’s Carpet brought in their steam-cleaning truck, after Patty & I piled the chairs on the fixed tables, and made the carpets look–at least for a little while–almost new! We’ve been advised that leaving dirt in the carpets leads to earlier wearing-out; this is the second time we’ve had them cleaned since their installation in 2020.
New screen in our Lower Level!
A while ago, our Rental Agent/Treasurer, Merry Shernock, located a projection screen, same width as the on
e upstairs, being sold on locally for $25! Recently, I installed some chains to make 2 locations for hanging the screen: in the “center aisle” for folks in the cafeteria section, and in the “coffee-house alcove”, for smaller meetings and gatherings. We think they will be useful for various group sizes, and will make the downstairs even more attractive to renters. Want to hold a movie night? Show pictures from your hike on the Appalachian Trail (as recently happened upstairs)? Email Merry to make arrangements!
Available–for a little while: FREE risers for your chorus!
The Barre-Tones, wh
o have rehearsed in our Hall almost every Monday evening for at least 10 years have purchased a new set of risers for their singers. They are giving away their old ones–shown set up in the Grange Hall, with the hope of helping other groups who need a little help getting up in the world!
If you’re interested, contact Jane Watson via email to make arrangements. The ones they’re giving away are on our ADA porch, and need to be moved out as soon as possible–or go to the metal recyclers.