Christ Church Opens Why Are They Birding Abounds in Warming Shelter / p.5 Returning Home? / p.14 Adamant / p.24 Holiday Shopping & F r e e , ThanksgivingIndependent Nov 18–Decand 16, Local 2020 Thanksgiving Torch Passes A Love Letter to National to Vermont Life, Sodexo By Mike Dunphy he coronavirus is notching yet an- other change to Central Vermont TThanksgivings this year. After 47 years, the Washington County Youth Service Bureau/Boys & Girls Clubs have passed the torch of its annual Thanksgiv- ing dinner to National Life and Sodexo. No longer able to throw the in-person feast at Bethany Church in Montpelier because of the pandemic, the new part- ners are offering a pick-up this year and will continue to offer delivery. In part, the change is a result of the dinner’s immense success over the years — serving 814 in 2019 (from less than 100 in its first year), alone — as it has stretched the abilities of the organization to handle the major solicitation and coor- dination effort required to make the meal happen. But it’s the pandemic that broke the camel’s back, as it stripped non-profit organizations around the country, the Youth Services Bureau included, of mon- etary donations, volunteers, fundraising opportunities, and more. “The pandemic made it all but impossible for staff to take on the event this year from a time, logis- The author on a snowy hike. see Thanksgiving, page 12 Courtesy photo. By Mirna Valerio he other day I spent an afternoon on the Stowe Pin- This is what I think of when I think of Vermont — nacle trail, marveling at all that trail and others here shared responsibility; collective wonderment; a sense of ECRWSS PRSRT STD Montpelier, VT Montpelier, Permit NO. 123 U.S. Postage PAID Tin Vermont have given me. Well, for one, it gives me community even if we are at different places on the socio- a workout — it’s all uphill and technical, because every- political spectrum. Just last night as I looked out my thing in Central Vermont seems to be that way. It gives me window, I heard a group of children, protesting? “Geez, a few hours to be out in nature, the way I intended when they start them early here,” I thought to myself. Wow! I decided to move here in early winter of 2019. It gives me They chanted, “What do we want? Justice! Justice for a doable mountain climb, where the summit is accessible who? Children! What do we want? Justice! Justice for who? and the view spectacular. It allows me to see evidence of Children!” They were led by the oldest in the group with humanity all along the trail, my favorite being the cone- two adults trailing behind. shaped shelter of branches about a half mile in from the I was so proud of them. I felt honored to be in their pres- Stowe Hollow Road trailhead. There are also two massive ence if only peripherally. They reminded me that I have cairns; on a different trail they would serve as navigational indeed moved to the right place. tools, but these seem to simply be a tradition, as the trail A few months ago, I limped over to the State House is very clearly marked. The trail also gives me connection lawn allowing an energy I’d never felt push me towards to other human beings out for a hike or run, with their the synchronized chants of “Black Lives Matter!” and families, their schools, alone. Most everyone acknowledges lines of cars with horns honking down Main and State. other folks out on the trail. There is a shared stewardship, an excitement about the beauty we have before us. see Love Letter, page 12 Free, Independent and Local since 1993 / montpelierbridge.org PAGE 2 • NOVEMBER 18–DECEMBER 16, 2020 THE BRIDGE Winter Parking to Alternate This Season By Olivia White ontpelier will be implementing a winter parking ordinance Mfrom Nov. 15 to April 1. The ordinance, approved by the City Coun- cil on Oct. 14, provides for an alternate- side parking system: the side of the road people can park on during the winter months will switch daily. On even-numbered calendar dates, parking is only permitted on the sides of streets where the buildings have even numbers. On odd-numbered calendar dates, parking is only permitted on the sides of streets where the buildings have odd numbers. Vehicles will need to be moved to the appropriate side of the street between 5 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. By midnight, all cars must be on the correct side of the road in correspondence with the calen- dar day and building numbers. Green and white parking signs will be Parking this winter will be allowed only on the even side of the street on even-numbered calendar days and on placed around the city to mark the des- the odd side of the street on odd days. Photo: Arek Socha/Pixabay. ignated parking zones on even and odd days. The signs will not necessarily be The Department of Public Works and and Prospect because we didn’t have any some bars and restaurants do not close placed at the beginning of every street, the City Council hope that an alternat- time to clear the street. It made it diffi- until 2 a.m. but at the beginning of where the parking ing schedule and overnight parking ban cult for emergency vehicles to be able to Officials can still issue a citywide win- begins. As of yet, there will be no signs to will allow enough time and space for the get down the road.” ter parking ban for a snow emergency, mark the end of each parking zone. streets to be consistently plowed. Concerns brought up during the City which would mean all cars must be There will, however, be exceptions to “We’ve struggled with maintaining Council meeting included the potential removed from all streets from 1 a.m. to the alternate-parking mandate in the operational levels of service,” said De- lack of handicap-accessible parking as 7 a.m. downtown area where there is metered partment of Public Works Operations well as a general lack of parking once The Public Works department will parking and near schools. In these areas, Manager Zach Blodgett. “There were a the statehouse is back in session. There look into these issues throughout the parking is permitted between 7 a.m. lot of times last year where we had to was also a conversation around changing winter. and 11:59 p.m. Between midnight and go out and manually post streets for no the start time of the downtown parking 7 a.m., parking is prohibited. parking, such as School, Loomis, Court, ban from midnight to a later hour, since A full list of even and odd streets is avail- able on the City of Montpelier website: www.montpelier-vt.org/1192/Alternate- Side-Winter-Parking-Newly-Adop CLASSIFIED AD First Class Office Space near Capitol at 149 State Street, Montpelier, VT. Perfect location within a 3-minute walk to Capitol. Beautiful Greek Revival building renovated throughout. Handicap accessible, foyer, waiting room and restroom. Includes off-street parking, office cleaning weekly, heat, AC, hot water, snow removal, landscaping and full maintenance. Suites and single offices starting at $345.00 per month. Call 508-259-7941. THE BRIDGE NOVEMBER 18–DECEMBER 16, 2020 • PAGE 3 HEARD ON THE STREET Keller Releases CD to Raise Funds for Racial Justice Dave Keller will release a new CD Nov. 20. The “two-time blues music award nomi- nee” will release “You Get What You Give,” a new CD of duets as a fundraiser for Then & Now racial justice and equity. Also on the CD are Trudy Lynn, Joe Louis Walker, Annika Chambers, Johnny Rawls, Annie Mack, Dawn Tyler Watson, Brother Bob White, Historic photos courtesy of Vermont Historical Society; Carly Harvey, Toussaint St. Negritude, Katie Henry, and Chad Hollister, among modern photo and caption by Paul Carnahan. others, who donated their talents. For more information contact Karin@markpuc- cimedia.com. Or check out www.davekeller.com “We’ve already raised over $2,000.00 from pre-orders, all of which will go directly “Kinstead” was constructed on upper Main Street by the Board to groups working for racial justice and equity,” says Keller, who also produced the of Charities and Probation as a shelter home in 1922 on land album. “So far, the list of groups includes the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Know donated to the state by the citizens of Montpelier. The facility Your Rights Camp, N’COBRA, and Jus’ Blues Foundation. closed in 1958 and was occupied by the Green Mountain Special School. In the late 1980s it became home to the New England Culinary Institute. The original building has been dwarfed by Central Vermont Runners Enjoy Virtual Fallen Leaves an extension on the front and a raised roof, but a pair of original Series tripartite windows and three cellar windows can still be seen on the street side of the building. Central Vermont Runners’ Club Fallen Leaves 5K races have been a local favorite in November for more than a decade. After a successful summer of virtual races — which means that racers run the course individually, time themselves, and post their results electronically — setting up a virtual Fallen Leaves series has gone smoothly. The first of the three Saturday events was run at the participants’ discretion Novem- ber 1–7. The second event was run November 8–14. And the final in the series will be open November 15–21.