Memorial Day parades, ceremonies, and celebrations

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Posted on May 21, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Memorial Day services in Barton in 2012. Photo by Bethany M. Dunbar

Roaring Brook Park

There will be several events on Sunday, May 26. The gates open at 8 a.m., and events begin at 9 a.m. There will be an opening ceremony by American Legion Barton Post #76, farm stock tractor pulling, horse and pony pulling, a jackpot gymkhana series, old-fashioned games, cow flop Bingo, face painting, food booths, and more. Admission is $5; children under ten are free.

There will be a 30-team horseshoe tournament at 10 a.m., with registration at 9 a.m. To pre-register, contact Ray Lamarche at 754-8734.

Newport

Memorial Day observances will be on Monday, May 27, with a parade starting at 10 a.m. at the corner of Main and School streets. People and organizations who wish to participate in the parade should contact Harvey Robitaille at 334-2591; parade participants should gather on Main Street at 9 a.m. on May 27. City dignitaries and legislators have been invited to attend, and the North Country Union Junior High School band will play. The parade will go from there to Gardner Park, where there will be a ceremony. New this year, Beverly Davis of Brownington will play the bagpipes at the ceremony.

North Troy

The parade will be on Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m., kicking off at the old mill. The parade goes to the bridge, where a wreath will be thrown into the river. The parade will then go through the center of town, and there will be another ceremony at the Town Green, where a wreath will be laid at the grave marker. There will be a raising of the flag at the Town Green as well. The parade then marches down to the Legion home, where there will be another wreath laying ceremony at the grave of a North Troy soldier, and another raising of the flag. The North Country Union High School band will play in the parade. There will be a flea market starting at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post #28. Participants should bring their own table and register with the Legion by calling 988-2861 after 4 p.m.; registration is $10. After the parade, there will be a chicken barbecue at the Legion. It will include hot dogs and hamburgers.

Glover

There will be a parade on Monday, May 27, starting at 11 a.m. at the Town Green, with music by the Lake Region Union High School Band. There will be a gun salute, and a wreath at the bridge. There will be a ceremony at the Town Hall.

Brighton

There will be a parade on Monday, May 27, starting at the cemetery at 11 a.m., and going down to the Town Memorial.

Orleans

The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 27, at the common. It will go down Water, Liberty and Church streets, and will turn around in the Ethan Allen parking lot. The parade will stop at the Main Street Bridge, where honors to the sea service will be rendered, followed by a gunfire salute and the playing of “Taps.” The parade will then return to the village monument for the salute for all deceased veterans. The parade will include floats, fire trucks from Westmore and Orleans, cars from the Cars of Yesteryear Club and the Northeast Kingdom Fire Brigade, members of the Legion, Boy Scouts, and more. The Lake Region Union High School and Orleans Central Supervisory Union bands will play, and Roberta Jaworski will sing the national anthem. The guest speaker will be retired Vermont Air National Guard Chief Master Sergeant Gordon L’esperance. The master of ceremonies will be U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran Roger Sanville.

Albany

There will be a parade at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 27. Parade participants will line up on Water Street. The Orleans Central Supervisory Union band will provide parade music, and the Cars of Yesteryear Club and the Northeast Kingdom Fire Brigade will be in the parade, along with fire trucks. The parade will come back up Main Street and will go down as far as the ballpark, then will come back around to the memorial for the services. As part of the ceremony, a new grave marker for World War II veterans will be installed. Two World War II veterans will be in attendance. Representative Sam Young will be the speaker. There will be a luncheon at the Albany Methodist Church at noon.

Craftsbury

Observations will be on Thursday, May 30. The program will begin at 10 a.m., in the Craftsbury Academy gymnasium. It will be a traditional program and include a mixture of student speakers. Then there will be a parade, from the school to the cemetery on the common. The Civil War Hemlocks will be the color guard. The school band will provide the parade music. The parade will return to the war memorial for more readings. After, there will be a picnic, hosted by the school, on the common. The picnic will be in the gymnasium in the event of rain.

In boys golf: Forewarned is forearmed at NC Invitational Golf Tournament

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Posted on May 17, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Lake Region’s Dustin Bodette tees off on the first hole during Thursday’s thirty-fourth annual North Country Invitational golf tournament. Bodette endured a rough start to the day before finding his inner golf Zen and reminding himself to enjoy the day. Photo by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle 5-17-2013

NEWPORT — The game of golf is a lesson in civility and humility. It is a game that rewards patience, discourages rashness and fosters fellowship.

“That’s what’s so awesome and so awful about golf,” Northfield’s Mike Passalacqua said. “One day you shoot a great game and the next time you can’t get the ball to go anywhere you want it to. How you play is always on you.”

The Chronicle had the opportunity to spend the morning with a foursome composed of Lake Region’s Dustin Bodette, Northfield’s Mike Passalacqua, St. Johnsbury Academy’s Jack O’Neill and Peoples’ Academy Keirnan Nicholls as the foursome made the rounds of the Newport Country Club during the thirty-fourth annual North Country Invitational Golf Tournament on Thursday, May 17.

To most of the foursome the experience at the Newport course was a new experience. As such, the aspect of familiarity with the course certainly wasn’t in anyone’s favor. Even if it was, however, golf is a game of variables, some of which were completely out of the players’ control.

“It’s a pretty vicious wind,” Bodette admitted as strong gusts blew in from the south and west. “That’s why it’s important to get out on the range and hit the greens before a tournament. It’s a must to see how you’re going to play that day.”

Not knowing the layout of the course involves best-guess estimates on distances as well as a healthy dose of orienteering as the players navigate the course. Knowing what to expect matters a great deal in both club selection and the amount of force applied to each stroke.

“I’m used to slower greens at the Orleans Country Club,” Bodette said of the Lake Region golf team’s home course. “I know how hard I need to putt.”

“I’m seeing a break but there doesn’t seem to be one,” O’Neill said of the putting greens. “So I need to adjust how I approach them.”

The North Country Invitational also requires players to play through a full 18 holes, unlike traditional matches that only involve nine-hole play. Given that fact having a foursome composed of like-minded and comparably skilled players matters more than most tournaments.

“You’re going to be with these guys for the next four hours so it helps if you like the group you’re in,” Bodette said.

Lake Region’s Dustin Bodette putts during Thursday’s North Country Invitational golf tournament at the Newport Country Club. Bodette would finish with a 32 over par 114 on the day. Photo by Richard Creaser

Sportsmanship is an under appreciated element of tournament level golf, Passalacqua said. While considered bad form to gloat over a good shot, it is equally undesirable to fuss and fume over bad ones.

“You just need to pick up and move on,” Passalacqua said.

Both Bodette and Passalacqua come from team sports backgrounds. Bodette played the last three years on the Lake Region Rangers baseball team while Passalacqua is a member of the Northfield Raiders’ hockey team.

“It’s a team sport that isn’t,” Passalacqua said. “On a team you can count on the other players making up for mistakes on your part. In golf it’s all on you.”

Golf, he said, is about challenging yourself to play up to your own personal standard. It’s also about playing to your strengths and recognizing your weaknesses.

“You know how you usually play and every time you go out you want to play to your ability,” Passalacqua said. “You could be playing with someone whose average game is seven strokes better than yours. You know can’t beat him but you do know how well you can play and try to play better than that.”

Bodette struggled through the first few holes before recognizing a valuable lesson — there is such a thing as trying too hard. Once he realized that simple fact and returned to playing the game because he enjoys it his performance improved.

“I was just terrible at the beginning,” Bodette said. “When I just started playing the game, I started to play better. You can’t let it get in your head.”

The North Country Invitational attracted students from 15 Vermont high schools from Division I, Division II and Division III. The Division I title was claimed by Essex, shooting a combined 321, behind the play of Connor Calhoun and Ryan Manley. Calhoun would earn first medalist honors shooting a two over par 74 while Manley tied for third with a six over par 78 on the day.

The disqualification of Evan Clarke led to an incomplete score for the host North Country Falcons. Cody Wright led the Falcons with a 34 over par 106 on the day while Isaiah Carbonneau finished two strokes back at 108.

Lyndon Institute’s Nick Murphy’s eight over par 80 topped the rankings and earned him fifth medalist honors. LI would also claim the DII title with a combined 344 on the day. The Lake Region Rangers seventh on the day with a combined score of 441. Carl Oberg led all Rangers with a 22 over par 94 while Bodette would finish with a score of 114.

contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

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Tea Leaves explores the mother-daughter relationship

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Posted on May 17, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Bethany M. Dunbar

copyright the Chronicle 5-15-2013

Tea Leaves; a memoir of mothers and daughters, by Janet Mason, published by Bella Books, Tallahassee, Florida, 2012, paperback, 202 pages, $15.95.

I celebrated Mother’s Day pretty quietly this year. My own mother died a little more than a year ago, so it was a time to think of her, which I always do anyway. My thoughtful adult son came to see me with a basket of flowers. My thoughtful boyfriend took me out and gave me flowers. I had spent the week before with my thoughtful adult daughter in California seeing some great new music, some killer whales, and trying — completely unsuccessfully — not to freak out over traffic in Los Angeles.

To pass the time while waiting for airplanes on my way out and back, I brought with me a small paperback I thought might be good to read at this time. It came to me last fall, when the author gave a talk at the Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick. Since the death of my own mom was so recent, I had to set this book aside. A book about a daughter my age taking care of her dying mother was a bit too much for me right then.

Yet, I was intrigued by the parts I’d read. And I was glad to have it with me on this trip some months later. Now I’m glad to recommend it as the kind of book that makes you think about your own life. What’s right with your relationships with your mother and your daughter? What’s wrong and why? What doesn’t really matter? Sometimes reading other people’s experiences puts your own into perspective.

Janet Mason is a talented and honest writer. Her relationship with her own mother was not perfect, which of course is what makes the book interesting. More interesting is the fact she is willing to explore the imperfections without dwelling on them and becoming one of those victim writers whose memoirs I can never quite stand to read.

Life is hard. Being a mother is hard. Nobody’s really ready for it when she gets the job, no matter how much you might have read or planned. It’s just not like anything else, and you can’t really prepare.

But somehow the species keeps managing to perpetuate. Somehow some of us seem willing to take that plunge and become parents. We do our best, whatever that is.

Ms. Mason was an only child. Her grandmother and mother were factory workers. She was the first generation to go to college, and that in itself puts a certain amount of pressure on. The politics are not the same through the generations, and neither is the sexual orientation. Ms. Mason is a lesbian, and while that might have put a strain on some mother-daughter relationships it wasn’t a big issue for her mom, who was open-minded in this respect. The family supports and loves Ms. Mason’s partner, their “unexpected daughter-in-law.”

Ms. Mason’s mother was, herself, a bit of a rabble-rouser and one to question authority or the status quo in general:

When I was old enough, she sometimes took me with her, the two of us marching and attending rallies, waving our matching mother/daughter coat hangers at pro-choice events. I was the less adventurous one — hanging back and watching with something bordering on amazement as my mother heckled the hecklers and squeezed the balloon testicles of a Ronald Reagan cardboard cutout.

Ms. Mason’s grandmother was a lifelong Republican and Episcopalian, yet she, in her own way, questioned the status quo by getting a divorce in the 1920s and raising her children herself in a time when many other single mothers were forced to give theirs up.

Ms. Mason’s mother developed cancer, which was misdiagnosed at first. By the time she found out what it was, the disease had spread too far and the diagnosis was terminal. From then on Ms. Mason spends much of her time with her mother and father.

At first it’s hard for Ms. Mason to understand and accept that her mother is dying:

The next day we had an appointment to see the oncologist whose office complex was next to a shopping mall. As I sat in the backseat of my parents’ car, I felt lost in long loops, off-and-on-ramps that seemed to go nowhere. I was subsumed in a hard glittering sense of doom — deep in a nightmare that would not let me wake.

A theme of the book is a mother’s hopes for her daughter — hopes that she will do better, or accomplish more, or accomplish something the mother was not able to do. Ms. Mason’s mother had very strong feelings about this, and sometimes Ms. Mason feels she has not lived up to her mother’s dreams for her. Meanwhile Ms. Mason’s mother was a woman of artistic talent and interest, but who needed to work at a basic job to support her family. Ms. Mason finds a portfolio stashed away with no artwork in it, which leads to feelings of guilt — did she get in the way of what could have been her mother’s success as an artist?

She finds something else to hold on to in these final months — and for long after her mother is gone. It’s a “School Years” book with report cards and pictures from each grade:

She always asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I wrote it down each year. It didn’t matter how ridiculous or remote the possibility was. In first grade I wanted to be a fireman, later a violinist, a gypsy, a scientist, a comedienne, an oceanographer, a guitar player in a jazz band.

My mother let my dreams be dreams. She did not expect consistency or demand a discipline that would eclipse my childhood. No one ever asked my mother what she wanted to be when she grew up. But she asked me every year and wrote down my answers. As I watched my mother slipping away from me — as painful as it was, day after day — the thought of this book, filled with my earliest dreams and aspirations, was something for me to hold onto.

A simple thing that meant so much. Tea Leaves is a simple book with a lot to offer. It’s about figuring out your future, your past and your present.

contact Bethany M. Dunbar at bethany@bartonchronicle.com.

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Prisoners favor new anti-addiction drug

Posted on May 15, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Joseph Gresser

copyright the Chronicle 5-15-13

NEWPORT — Some inmates at Northern State Correctional Facility here are exploring new frontiers in prison contraband. In the past month or so, several people have appeared in the Orleans Criminal Division of Superior Court and admitted trying to smuggle buprenorphine strips into the prison.

Buprenorphine is an opiate that was developed to treat opiate addiction. It is used like methadone, but is believed to be less addicting itself.

While it may appear that prisoners are trying to smuggle in drugs to treat their own addictions, “our experience is that people who use it tend not to use it the way it was intended to be used,” said Pam Bushey, program services director for the state Department of Corrections.

Although most of those who are incarcerated have substance abuse problems, Ms. Bushey said, “We generally do not continue medically assisted treatment past 60 days.”

People who are incarcerated for fewer than 60 days and who have valid prescriptions for a drug like methadone will receive their medications, she said. (The methadone clinic in Newport does not dispense buprenorphine.) But those who have longer sentences have their dosages tapered off and no longer receive substance abuse medications after two months.

Ms. Bushey said that substance abuse treatment, as such, is not a major focus of the corrections system.

“Even though we are the Department of Corrections and part of the Agency of Human Services,” she said, “our main focus is on risk reduction.”

Risk reduction, Ms. Bushey explained, means reduction of risk to the general public from released inmates.

“Generally what the research says is while 75 to 80 percent of the incarcerated population may have a substance abuse diagnosis, the larger issues are antisocial thinking and antisocial personality traits,” said Ms. Bushey.

Drug resembles Listerine strips

Buprenorphine is produced as a tablet or in the form of a strip of film that can be dissolved by placing it under the tongue.

Dominic Damato, interim director of facility operations for the Department of Corrections (DOC), said what he calls “bupe strips” look like Listerine breath freshening strips, but are orange in color.

According to the manufacturer of the films, sold under the trade name Suboxone, the drug works by binding to the same receptor in the brain that is used by heroin or other opiates.

Suboxone combines buprenorphine with another drug, naloxone, which blocks the same receptors. The combination is intended to produce immediate withdrawal symptoms if a person tries to abuse the drug by injecting it.

Because the effects of buprenorphine seem to plateau at a relatively low dosage, taking more of the drug will not produce an increased effect, according to the label information.

DOC officials offered several possible answers to the question of why someone would risk arrest to get a drug that was designed to be difficult to abuse into the hands of inmates.

“Science lags behind the experience of abusers,” Ms. Bushey said dryly.

“You have to understand, many of our inmates who have a lifetime of substance abuse just chase the high. They’d take sugar pills,” said Mr. Damato.

He suggested that the buprenorphine strips, which are easily concealed, might also be valuable as an item in prison commerce.

In at least three cases over the past month, people have admitted trying to pass slugs, containers wrapped in electrical tape containing contraband including buprenorphine strips, through the fence at the prison. In each case the plans were broken up by police who were alerted to the smuggling plot by prison officials.

According to court files, the smuggling plots were hatched over phone lines monitored by prison guards. Mr. Damato said that every phone call between inmates and the outside world is preceded by a taped message that both the caller and the person receiving the call can hear warning that the call may be monitored.

“The criminal mind is willing to take that risk,” he said.

Mr. Damato said that buprenorphine smuggling does not appear to be a national trend yet. In fact, he said, officials at out-of-state prisons which house Vermonters were caught by surprise when the drug turned up in their facilities.

He said inmates have devised a variety of ways of trying to get hold of buprenorphine in both of its forms. In addition to passing slugs through the wire, attempts to smuggle the drug in by leaving it in a bathroom have been foiled and resulted in court charges.

Other methods of trying to get the drugs to inmates include crushing tablets and placing them under stamps or stickers on letters to inmates, concealing them in documents or newspapers, and even using dissolved strips to paint on children’s drawings.

Mr. Damato said the DOC is pretty good at stopping these attempts.

“We have a pretty good security process, but it’s not foolproof,” he said.

It is too bad, Mr. Damato added, that prisoners can’t have drawings from their kids, just because some try to take advantage of sentiment. He said the DOC is working on an e-mail system to allow more contact between inmates and their families.

Much of the problem, in Mr. Damato’s view, comes from doctors who write what he termed “frivolous prescriptions.” The result is a large amount of medically unnecessary buprenorphine at large in the community, he said.

Behind jail walls, the drug becomes part of a prison economy in which anything of value can be used as currency to buy anything from snacks to contraband from other inmates.

“That’s one reason that we have uniforms. It takes the value of clothing away, so inmates won’t change Michael Jordans for contraband,” Mr. Damato explained.

He compared commerce behind the walls to life on a desert island. “Coconuts would be valuable there,” he said, “if you had them and someone else didn’t.”

Discovery program seeks risk reduction

In its pursuit of risk reduction, Ms. Bushey said, over the past two years the DOC has instituted a new way of working with inmates to help them learn how to act in a way that will not return them to prison.

The program, called Discovery, is designed to teach inmates “to avoid rule-breaking behavior,” Ms. Bushey said.

Ms. Bushey said it is too early to have firm data on the success of the program — judged by the number of people who have gone back to prison within three years of their release — but, she said, anecdotal evidence suggests that the program is achieving its goals.

The curriculum for the Discovery program is based on principles of cognitive behavior therapy, which seeks to change people’s actions by giving them new ways to deal with impulses that might lead to trouble, Ms. Bushey said.

Earlier programs, she said, “were doing a lot of cognitive work, but not doing a lot of behavioral work.” The behavioral aspect of the program is intended to give inmates new ways to deal with the impulses that the cognitive portion of the program brings to their attention.

One of these strategies, she said, is called urge surfing. Its premise is that an urge to do something, such as use drugs, may be intense, but if it is not acted on goes away quickly, she said.

The urge surfing technique encourages people not to concentrate on the desire to take drugs, or to fight it. Instead a person is taught to pay attention to particulars of the urge, such as where in the body it is felt, and to notice how it builds in intensity and then drops off, Ms. Bushey said.

She said that inmates are also helped to see what sort of situations provoke urges and, if possible, to avoid these situations. If a person with an alcohol problem — and alcohol is by far the substance most abused by inmates — finds that he faces a strong temptation to drink when he plays cards with his buddies, it might be best for him to skip the game.

Unlike earlier attempts to help inmates, the Discovery program demands a great deal of work from participants, Ms. Bushey said. She refers to more intensive classes as an “increase in dosage.”

Completing the Discovery program requires 200 hours of class time, she said, and at least 14 weeks. When inmates’ work schedules are taken into consideration, that represents a major commitment of time and energy, Ms. Bushey said.

Another change is that the program is no longer filled primarily by people who volunteered to participate. Instead, Ms. Bushey said, inmates with a high or moderate risk of offending are picked.

In addition to working on dealing with impulses that might lead to illegal behavior, inmates are taught social skills, Ms. Bushey said. Among them she listed active listening, giving feedback, dealing with negative feedback from others, negotiating and problem solving.

Ms. Bushey is optimistic about the new program, which she said has already been tried with success in Oregon, Ohio and Washington institutions.

If she is correct the question of smuggling could be lessened as inmates learn to avoid the kind of behaviors that lead to that kind of trouble.

contact Joseph Gresser at joseph@bartonchronicle.com

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Obituaries May 15, 2013

Posted on May 13, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Joel Andress

Joel Max Andress

Joel Max Andress, 81, of Newport died on April 21, 2013, while visiting his son and daughter-in-law in Clarkdale, Arizona.

He was born July 1, 1931, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the son of Ruth and Joseph Andress. In 1988, he married Joanne R. “Sunnie” Andress, and they celebrated 25 years together shortly before his death.

As a young boy, his family lived for ten years on the family farm in Beebe, Quebec, where he had many happy times with his Canadian friends and with his uncle and aunt, Edwin and Eileen Earle, in Derby Line. After moving to Wellesley, Massachusetts, he continued his schooling, graduating from Wellesley High School in 1949. He was a veteran of the Coast Guard, serving aboard the Nantucket Lightship and also on Wake Island. After his military service, he attended the University of the Pacific for his B.A. and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in geography from the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Andress joined the Central Washington University faculty in 1966 and taught classes in cartography, climatology, Asian studies and geography.

After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Vermont, a state he loved and remembered fondly from childhood. He enjoyed being close once again to his Aunt Eileen and his much loved cousins, Nancy Earle, Lydia Bredemeier, Eileen Linzi and Peter Earle and their families. He had an extensive knowledge of family history and enjoyed sharing his memories with family and friends. He had a dry sense of humor and made a point of being a “Grandpa” who thought that each of his grandchildren and step-grandchildren should be a bit of a “scamp,” and that it was up to him to teach them.

He is survived by his wife Sunnie Andress of Newport; his children: Peter Andress and his wife, Penny, Katy Fogg, Laura Andress, and Rebecca Reid and her husband, Ken; and by his grandchildren: Zachery Andress, Evelyn Reid and Duncan Reid. He is also survived by his step-children: Kevin Henry, Tamara Wilson and Michelle Landis; and by his 18 step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have fond memories of “Grandpa Joe.” He is also survived by his two sisters: Ruth Andress of Wellesley, and Marcia Jester of Longmeadow, Massachusetts; two brothers: Tom Andress of Camarillo, California, and David Andress and his wife, Jeannette, of Newberg, Oregon, and their families; his brother-in law, the Reverend Gary Rolph, and his wife, Jean; and by three nephews: Matthew Rolph, Marcus Rolph and Micah Rolph, and their families.

Donations in his memory may be sent to the Best Friends Animal Society at www.bestfriends.org.

Reginald Joseph “Reg” Letourneau

Reginald Joseph “Reg” Letourneau, 87, of Holland died on May 8, 2013, in Newport.

He was born on October 10, 1925, in Holland, a son of Napoleon and Albertine (Ouimette) Letourneau. On May 28, 1949, he married Dolorese Roy, who survives him.

Mr. Letourneau owned and operated the family farm in Holland for many years.

He enjoyed gardening, maple sugaring, family gatherings, dancing, listening to music and working in his sugar woods. He also enjoyed snowmobiling, as he was a part of the snow drifters club, and going with his wife to the Pick & Shovel on Sunday afternoons for ice cream. Most of all he enjoyed life, his family and his friends.

He is survived by his wife Dolorese Letourneau of Holland; his children: Bertrand Letourneau and his wife, Susie, of Holland, Yves Letourneau and his life partner, Ruth, and Richard, of Newport, and Cilla Letourneau and her wife, Lauri, of Essex; his grandchildren: Patrick Letourneau and his wife, Sherry, of Vernal, Utah, Jennifer Martin and her partner, Joe, of Holland, Bobbi-Jo Letourneau of Holland, and Shawn Littlefield of Essex; his great-grandchildren: Storm Lamarche of Westfield, Raven Letourneau of Vernal, Charlotte, Annabelle and Chloe-Emma (Pepe Poopoo), all of Holland; his siblings: Paul Letourneau of Derby, Andre Letourneau and his wife, Dolores, of East Charleston, Joseph Letourneau and his wife, Delia, of Derby, Laurent Letourneau and his wife, Alicia, of Derby, Philip Letourneau and his wife, Barbara, of Derby, and Cecile Fortin of Holland; his sister-in-law Denise Bowen (Ray) of Newport; his sister-in-law Simone Roy of Sherbrooke, Quebec; his brother-in-law Sylvia Piette of Coventry; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, Napoleon and Albertine Letourneau; his grandsons: Mathew Letourneau and Ben Martin; his brother Peter Letourneau; his sister Theresa Fortin and her husband, Albert; his sister Simone Piette; his brother Tony Letourneau; his brother Leon Letourneau and his wife, Solange; his brother-in-law Henry Fortin; his sister-in-law Rena Letourneau; his mother- and father-in-law Dominique and Armosa Roy; his sister-in-law Fernande, and Laurent, Brault; and by his brother-in-law Armand Roy.

Funeral services were held on May 10, in Derby Line. Interment followed in St. Edward’s Cemetery in Derby Line.

Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Vermont Affiliate Inc., 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Marcel Roberts, real estate agent, developer, auctioneer, businessman, and iconic Northeast Kingdom character, died on Monday, May 6. Here he is at a daughter’s wedding looking much like Boss Hogg, the TV character he was nicknamed after. It was a name he found amusing, his family said. Photo courtesy of Jena Stewart

Marcel Joseph Roberts

Marcel Joseph Roberts, 70, of Newport, a well-known local businessman, died on May 6, 2013, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born on January 15, 1943, in East Albany, the son of the late John and Angela (Choquette) Roberts.

On March 17, 1962, he married Stella French, who survives him. He attended Champlain College in Burlington, and Riesch Auctioneer School.

He was a prominent auctioneer and real estate broker for most of his life. He was also active in farming and livestock dealings. He was former president of the Cattleman’s Association.

In his spare time, he enjoyed frequent visits from his poker buddies for a few hands of cards and the Friday night dinners with “the crew” at the East Side Restaurant.

He was an active member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles #4329. He enjoyed being part of the annual Orleans County Board of Realtors Christmas charity auction. He was a past member of Newport Elks #2155.

He leaves his wife of 51 years, Stella Roberts; three daughters: Lori “Poopsie” Roberts of Derby, Diane “Tootsie” DeLaBruere of Monkton, and Sue “Suzie” Rhodes and her husband, Brent, of Derby; his only son Richard “Richie” Roberts and his fiancée, Peggy Lamonda, of Coventry; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a special family friend and co-worker, Diane Parenteau of Derby Line.

He was predeceased by two brothers: Roger and Richard.

Funeral services were held on May 10, in Newport. Interment followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Inc., 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Alton Ryder

Alton V. Ryder

Alton V. Ryder, 78, of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, died on April 29, 2013, at Bedford Hills in Bedford, New Hampshire, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in Portland, Maine, on December 15, 1934, the son of Ora A. and Adele (Owen) Ryder. He was raised in Barton and graduated from high school in Plainville, Connecticut. His stepfather Lelan Basford is remembered fondly for his guiding hand to Mr. Ryder’s upbringing. Mr. Ryder studied physics at Brown University, graduating in the Class of 1956.

He made his home in Mont Vernon for the past 50 years. He was curious and engaged in many things. Work, community and hobbies were all embraced with gusto. He had been employed as an engineer for Sanders Associates and Digital Equipment Corporation for many years where he contributed to the safety of our nation and the birth of modern computing.

He loved his community and worked tirelessly on various committees including as a cemetery trustee, supervisor of the checklist, study committee for the library and transfer station, and as a volunteer firefighter. For several years, he served as director of the New Hampshire Cemetery Association. For many years he could be found Easter morning in the church kitchen making pancakes and enjoying the company of his close friends.

He had hobbies — many hobbies. A sample includes scout leader, radio-controlled model planes, beekeeping, and woodworking. He deeply enjoyed working with the land and animals. He kept horses, cows, pigs, poultry, and especially geese. He had a voracious appetite for learning new things, which was an inspiration to many of his friends and acquaintances.

Family members include his wife of 55 years, Betty (Buschman) Ryder of Mont Vernon; two sons and a daughter-in-law: Peter Ryder and Kathleen Conk Ryder of New Boston, New Hampshire, and Eric Ryder of Hillsborough, New Hampshire; a daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Stephen Hauser of Carlisle, Massachusetts; and five grandchildren: Sarah Ryder, Ethan Ryder, Angus Godbout, Declan Godbout and Isaiah Hauser.

There are no visiting hours. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 25, at 11 a.m., in Green Lawn Cemetery in Mont Vernon, to be followed by an informal gathering in the Round Room at the Mont Vernon Congregational Church.

Donations in his memory may be made to St. Joseph Home and Hospice Care, 24 North River Road, Milford, New Hampshire 03055.

To share a memory or offer a condolence, visit www.smith-heald.com.

Services

Fratia Marsh

Committal services for Fratia Marsh and William Marsh will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 17, at the Newport Center Cemetery.

Robert “Bob” Everett Crouch Sr.

Funeral services for Robert “Bob” Everett Crouch Sr. will be held on Friday, May 17, at 7 p.m., at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport. Friends may call at the funeral home on May 17, from 5 p.m. until the hour of the funeral.

Margaret Caouette

Committal services for Margaret Caouette will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17, at the Lakeside Cemetery in Island Pond.

Pauline Turcotte Boncek

Funeral services for Pauline Turcotte Boncek will be held on Saturday, May 18, at 10 a.m. at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 37 Lake Road in Newport. Interment will follow in Troy Village Cemetery.

Oscar Robitaille

Funeral services for Oscar Robitaille will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 37 Lake Road in Newport. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery with full military honors.

Paul Marcotte

Committal services for Paul Marcotte will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Derby Center Cemetery.

Ruth Young

Committal services for Ruth Young will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Westlook Cemetery in Glover.

Richard Locke

Committal services for Richard Locke will be held on Monday, May 20, at 10 a.m. at the Hillside Cemetery in East Charleston.

Dorothy Whipple

Committal services for Dorothy Whipple will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, at the Pleasantview Cemetery in Orleans.

In track and field: NC Falcons fall short in home meet

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Posted on May 10, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Falcon freshman Neil DeLaBruere would earn top spot in the boys pole vault event with an eight-foot vault. DeLaBruere is following in the footsteps of his father, Dave DeLaBruere, who achieved success in his own high school career in the sport. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle May 10, 2013

NEWPORT — It was evident that North Country Coach Gary Johnson had hoped things might turn out differently as he played master of ceremonies to the track and field competition held at North Country on Wednesday, May 8. With only three teams participating, the others being Mount Abraham and Rice Memorial, the lack of activity on the field was telling.

“We’re missing 18 kids due to the all-state music festival,” Mr. Johnson said. “But what can you do? Otherwise it’s a beautiful day to be out running, jumping and throwing.”

The loss of so many student athletes was a blow to North Country’s fortunes on the day. The Falcons were unable to field competitors in six of the boys events and seven of the girls events. Despite taking a forfeit in those events the Falcons girls finished only one point behind Mount Abraham. The boys did not fare as well trailing co-winners Rice and Mount Abraham with 68 each to the Falcons 39.

Falcon Jenna Moss took second place behind teammate Cassidy Webster in the girls discus event at the North Country track meet held in Newport on May 8.
Photo by Richard Creaser

The field belonged to the Falcon girls in throwing events. The strong showing was led by Cassidy Webster and her Herculean 100-foot, eight-inch, throw on the discus. Webster’s teammates Jenna Moss and Crystal Moss picked up second and third place behind her.

Webster came into the sport largely as the result of her brother Jason who was himself a successful discus competitor. His success and encouragement inspired her to try the sport for the first time last season during her freshman year.

“After the first year I found out I really liked it,” Webster said.

As the Chronicle was to discover, there is more to track and field events than mere speed or brute force. All of the athletes revealed that technique lies at the heart of each of their events.

In the case of the discus, technique is the difference between a good throw and just churning up a lot of turf. In order to travel far the discus needs a combination of sufficient forward momentum but, also, enough angle to take advantage of the discus’ natural propensity to lift.

Achieving that lift is only possible by reaching the right release angle, Webster explained. If you release too soon the discus flies pretty much straight up and down again. Release too late and the discus crashes into the ground.

“Throwing hard helps, but if you don’t know when to release it won’t help you,” Webster said.

The influence of technique was also apparent when watching Falcon Neil DeLaBruere on the pole vault. Though only a novice to the sport, the Falcon freshman also drew on familial experience — his father Dave practiced the pole vault during his high school career. Watching pole vaulters practice their craft provides a deceptive impression of the ease of the sport. To run forward, plant the pole and throw yourself over a bar has never looked easier.

North Country’s Morgan Greene (left) accepts the handoff from teammate Crystal Moss during the girls’ 4 X 100 meter relay. The Falcons would place second behind visiting Rice Memorial High during the May 8 track and field meet at North Country. Photo by Richard Creaser

What is not apparent is the amount of strength required to execute those three simple steps. It also involves knowing when and what muscles you need to use to execute the vault, Neil DeLaBruere explained.

“At the lower heights you use more of your legs and driving your knee up and driving off your foot,” the younger DeLaBruere said. “As you go higher it’s more upper body as you actually pull yourself up and over. It’s really complex. There’s so much to it and I’m just starting to learn a lot of it.”

Technique plays an equally large role in the long jump. What might come as a bit of a surprise is the fact that some of the technique is purely mental. Prior to the actual sand pit, two solid white lines are painted on the runway. These markings indicate the maximum forward distance the athlete can run prior to jumping.

These lines also serve as an athletes choice of one of two jumping off points. Why would an athlete choose the furthest of the two lines, the Chronicle asked?

“The measurement is always taken based on the line you jumped from,” Falcon Laura Smith said. “So you do need to tell the judges which line you are using before you jump. Why would you do that? Well, it’s based on how far you think you can jump.”

The furthest line back places the athlete much closer to the edge of the runway on a short jump. Landing that close to the edge could result in a loss of dignity at best or a nasty injury at worst.

“Knowing you have to jump further pushes you to make a longer jump,” Falcon Jade Dandurand said.

The further line is also used in triple jumps because it gives the athlete more space in the sand pit before hitting the outside edge, Smith said.

The ability to focus on technique owes a large measure to the changes that North Country’s track and field facilities have undergone in the last two years. Gone is the dirt track that was perhaps better suited to mini-bike races than hurdles and sprints and gone are the wobbly long jump runways.

“It was pretty rough back when I was doing track and field,” Dave DeLaBruere said. “When I started the pole vault we had sawdust, old tires and steel poles. We thought we were doing good when they gave us a bag of foam.”

The track had remained essentially unchanged from the time the school was built. As a result it has languished behind some of the other Division I schools. The track conditions had deteriorated to the point that some schools refused to participate in events at North Country for fear of the conditions of the facilities, Mr. DeLaBruere said.

A force in the long distance events, Falcon Sam Brunette tried his hand at the 300 meter hurdles during the May 8 track meet at North Country. Brunette would take third place in that competition as well as earn top spot in the 1,500 meter track event. Photo by Richard Creaser

“No one wants to send their kids somewhere where they might get hurt,” Mr. DeLaBruere said. “As a parent I would be afraid of letting my kid participate here. I’m just really glad they made that investment to keep the program running.”

Though only a junior, Laura Smith recalls the old track conditions. As an athlete she said she feels far more comfortable competing on the new facilities.

“I definitely feel a lot safer here,” Smith said. “It also makes me feel good to know that enough people cared about our safety to do this for us.”

Co-head coach Gary Johnson helped lead the effort to make the investment in the new facilities. As a long-time coach and advocate for the track program Mr. Johnson pushed to ensure that the grounds would be brought up to a level the school and the community could be proud of.

“We had paths intersecting, the track was rutted and some of the runways were just plain dangerous,” Mr. Johnson said. “It took a lot of work and a lot of effort by a lot of people but we got it done. I think we will get a lot of good years out of what we built.”

Nicholas Perkins’ 35-foot, six-inch, shot put throw earned him top honors in boys competition. Teammates Joe Wade and Tristan Farrow picked up third and fourth place respectively. In the boys’ discus Perkins, Farrow and Wade would finish second, third and fourth respectively. Sam Brunette’s time of 4:31.9 was enough to earn him top spot in the 1,500-meter event. Neil DeLaBruere took top spot in the boys pole vault with an eight foot vault. Connor Hogan took second place in the boys 400 meter.

In girls shot put Cassidy Webster, Jenna Moss, Crystal Moss and Ellie Searles finished first, second, third and fourth respectively behind Webster’s 35 foot, six inch throw. The Falcons also placed well in the girls 400 meter with Briana Bonnell placing first with a time of 1:12.5. Falcons Britni Jewer and Emilie Paul captured third and fourth place in the event. In the girls javelin event Morgan Greene took first with a 79-foot, four-inch, throw while Myrriah Gonyaw and Briana Bonnell finished third and fourth respectively. In the girls 200-meter event Jade Dandurand finished second.

Contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

LR softball: Rangers run wild over Peoples’ Wolves

Posted on May 1, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Michelle Thibeault threw six innings of four-hit ball while recording six strikeouts as the Lake Region Rangers defeated the visiting Peoples Academy Wolves 18-3 on Tuesday afternoon. Thibeault also enjoyed a solid day at the plate, recording three RBIs in the win. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle 5-1-13

The Lake Region Rangers defeated the visiting Peoples Academy Wolves in resounding fashion during Tuesday’s varsity softball match-up at Lake Region. The game was called in the home half of the sixth, invoking the mercy rule after the Rangers posted 18 runs to the Wolves three.

“When we start hitting we definitely feel more confident,” said Rangers starting pitcher Michelle Thibeault. “Today we were hitting.”

The key to Lake Region’s success lies in the team’s speed, Coach Matt Tinker acknowledged after the game. But to make use of that speed the players first need to reach base, he said.

“If the other pitcher is in control we can have trouble getting on base,” Coach Tinker said. “Once we’re there we can really start moving. We run until the catcher starts making throws to show us we can’t.”

Lake Region took advantage of poor control as the Wolves pitching struggled with wild pitches, walks and passed balls. The Rangers pounced on Peoples’ miscues and used their speed to devastating effect. Wolves starter Megan Lamare never seemed to hit her stride, laboring through five innings of work before she was finally pulled in favor of Elysha Burgess in the top of the fifth.

By contrast, Thibeault appeared to get stronger as the game went on. A rough third inning allowed Peoples to plate two runs, thanks to some timely bunts and a few Ranger defensive missteps, but Thibeault remained solid throughout.

She would finish the day with six strikeouts, two walks, three runs allowed and four hits, all of them singles. Throughout the game she continued to fearlessly pound the strike zone as if daring her opponents to swing.

“I felt really good out there,” Thibeault said. “It helps that I know I have a really solid team behind me. They have my back.”

Coach Tinker commended Thibeault on her performance.

“That makes two straight starts that Michelle has really come out and pitched well,” Coach Tinker said. “When she’s on like that and when we can reach base, we always have a good chance of winning.”

The Rangers opened the scoring in the home half of the first inning, plating three runs to give Lake Region an early lead. The Rangers added another in the second before Peoples capitalized on a rough third inning to cut the lead in half. Lake Region responded by plating two more runs in the bottom of the third to lead 6-3.

“When it was 4-2 and then 6-3 I knew we couldn’t let up,” Coach Tinker said. “A three-run lead can disappear really quickly.”

The Rangers responded with a huge bottom of the fourth, bringing home seven runs in an inning that saw 12 batters go to the plate. With Thibeault shutting down the Wolves for the next two innings, the game was all but over. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Lake Region scored five more times to invoke the mercy rule and end the game.

The Rangers return to action on Thursday, May 2, with a home game against the visiting Danville Indians. The game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start.

Contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions.

Lake Region ranked third among Vermont high schools

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Posted on May 1, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Tena Starr

copyright the Chronicle 5-1-13

Lake Region Union High School has been named the third best public high school in Vermont for 2013 by U.S. News and World Report, which annually ranks high schools throughout the country. Last year it ranked Lake Region seventh best in Vermont.

For 2013, Lake Region is number 1,223 out of the 21,035 public schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia that were reviewed — all of the U.S. public high schools with enough data to analyze.

Montpelier High School is considered the best high school in Vermont, with Oxbow second. In order to receive a ranking, a school must be rated a gold, silver, or bronze medal school. In Vermont this year, nine schools earned a silver medal, and three earned a bronze. The rest were not ranked.

Lake Region Principal Andre Messier said he’s certainly proud. Like any set of statistics, you take them for what they’re worth, the good and the bad, he said. But he noted that the rankings are done by a reputable organization that looks at a wide variety of factors, not just test scores.

The U.S. News ranking takes into account eleventh-grade scores from the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) tests, but it also looks at how well the school serves all of its population — not just the college bound — at how many kids are at an economic disadvantage, and how students perform given their socioeconomic circumstances.

Mr. Messier said it’s in that area, in particular, that he believes Lake Region has made great progress and excels.

Lake Region appears to have closed the achievement gap between haves and have-nots, he said. In fact, recent test data indicates that poorer students have tested higher than their more advantaged classmates at Lake Region

“When you look at the disaggregated data, the free and reduced lunch students had a higher percentage of proficiency,” Mr. Messier said.

“That’s not supposed to happen. I guess we’re an example of it doesn’t matter what your social background is — if you’re impoverished, or your parents are divorced, you can still succeed.”

He said he wants young people to have choices when they leave Lake Region. “We’ve worked hard to give kids that confidence that when they leave here, despite these barriers, despite these red flags, they can succeed.

“Our elementary schools play a key part in that as well,” Mr. Messier said. “Lake Region is getting the recognition, but it’s everyone, it’s the whole supervisory union. It goes back to our communities who support our schools. They want to make sure kids have a quality education, and that can’t be said for everywhere.”

The U.S. News report is the result of a collaboration with the Washington-based American Institutes for Research (AIR), one of the biggest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world, according to U.S. News.

The rankings are based on the principle that a “great high school must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college-bound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators,” says a U.S. News article, explaining how the rankings are calculated.

The first step in the process is to determine whether each school’s students are performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state.

For the schools that make it past that step, the next is an examination of how well their least-advantaged students are doing compared to the state average.

Schools that get through the first two steps are then judged on college readiness, using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data. College level classes are offered in high school through both programs.

That third step measures which schools produce the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students.

The report offers the following information about Lake Region:

Its student-teacher ratio is 12 to one, which is higher than the state average. The school has 31 teachers and 379 students.

Twenty-seven percent of the students tested for college readiness passed.

Thirty-four percent of the students tested were deemed proficient in math, which is near the Vermont average. And 81 percent of students tested were considered proficient in reading, which is above the state average.

About 52 percent of Lake Region’s students are considered economically disadvantaged.

Montpelier, ranked the top school in Vermont, had 80 percent proficiency in reading and 56 percent proficiency in math, with 26 percent economically disadvantaged.

Oxbow, which serves Bradford and Newbury, tested 80 percent proficient in reading and 35 percent proficient in math, with 41 percent of students economically disadvantaged.

Mr. Messier noted that in high school only eleventh-graders take NECAP tests. In the elementary schools, several grades take them.

“When we’re consistently seeing our scores up there year in and year out with completely different class profiles, that’s an indication of your program rather than, oh, you’ve got a smart class this year,” Mr. Messier said.

contact Tena Starr at tenas@bartonchronicle.com

Obituaries May 1, 2013

Posted on April 30, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Almeda Allen

Almeda M. Allen

Almeda M. Allen, 105, of Newport died on April 28, 2013, in Newport.

She was born on September 20, 1907, in Holland, the daughter of Fritz and Ida (Forbes) Osgood. She married Howard C. Allen, who predeceased her in 1971.

Mrs. Allen was a sales clerk for the former Fishman’s Store and bookkeeper for the Montgomery Ward Store for over 30 years, retiring in 1971. She loved to read, to go trout fishing, and deer hunting at their camp in Coventry. She also enjoyed knitting, sewing, crocheting, and traveling.

She is survived by her son Edward Allen of Newport; her daughter-in-law Donna Allen of Wyoming; her grandchildren: Jill Mackey, Melody Toth and her husband, Rich, and James Allen and his companion, Tammy, all of Wyoming; seven great-grandchildren; and by several great-great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her son Howard C. Allen Jr.; her grandson Howard Allen III; her half-brothers: Norman and Clayton Smith; her sisters: Nettie Vancour and Amy Lamb; and by her half-sister Blanche Brooks.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 6, at 11:30 a.m. at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport, with the Reverend Richard Whitehill officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home on May 6, from 10:30 a.m. until the hour of the funeral. Interment will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Bernadette Fortin

Bernadette Mary Fortin

Bernadette Mary Fortin, 89, of Derby, formerly of St. Johnsbury, died on April 25, 2013, in Derby.

She was born on August 12, 1923, in Derby Line, the daughter of Cyril and Albertina (Lessard) Fortin.

She worked at the St. Johnsbury hospital as a nurse’s aide and Mt. Sacred Heart in Littleton, New Hampshire. She also was a resident at Michaud Manor in Derby Line from 1994 to 2004, when she moved to Derby Green. She was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in St. Johnsbury, and also the Alter Society of the Church.

She is survived by her siblings: Viateur Fortin and his wife, Rita, of Derby, Rita Peterson of Lyndonville, and Yolande Osowski of New Jersey; her sisters-in-law: Melvidene Fortin of Derby, and Jeanne Fortin of Connecticut; and by several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by the following siblings: Maurice Fortin, Reginald Fortin, Alexander Fortin, and Sister Cecile Fortin.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 13, at 11 a.m. at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Derby Line, where a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated. Friends may call at St. Edward’s Parish Hall on May 13, from 10 a.m. until the hour of the funeral. Interment will follow in St. Edward’s Cemetery in Derby Line.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Daughters of Charity of Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent, 226 Grove Street, Littleton, New Hampshire 03561.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Rosalie Guyette

Rosalie L. Guyette

Rosalie L. Guyette, 86, of Derby died peacefully on April 24, 2013, surrounded by her family, in Burlington.

She was born on March 18, 1927, in Derby, the daughter of Edmond and Marie (Moeykens) Lippens. On November 30, 1950, she married Arthur Guyette, who predeceased her on May 22, 2011.

Mrs. Guyette graduated from the University of Vermont with a master’s degree in education. She was a longtime teacher and started her career in the 1940s, where she taught in a one-room schoolhouse. The majority of her career was at the Newport City schools.

She loved to travel to many locations in every continent except Antarctica. She also lived in French Morocco, Africa, when she was newly-wed. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

She is survived by her children: John Guyette and his wife, Diane, Lisa Boskind and her husband, Scott, and Mary Oliver and her husband, Mike, all of Derby. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law Joanne Guyette-Worth of Newport. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren: Robert Boskind and his fiancée, Kathy Dunn, and Sean Boskind, and Stephanie, Sean and Samantha Guyette; her siblings: Elaine Reid of St. Johnsbury, Lucille Meunier of Newport, Harold Lippens of Florida, Annette Trombly of Derby Line, and Jeanine Martin of Bryan, Texas; and by her brothers-in-law: Leo Guyette and his wife, Joyce, of Newport, and Roland Guyette and his wife, Sandra, of Vergennes. She is also survived by two dear friends: Madeline Roy and Bev White.

She was predeceased by her son Steve Guyette; and by her siblings: Leonard “Joe” Lippens, Madeline Nault, and by Paul and Pauline in infancy.

Funeral services were held on April 27, in Derby Line. Interment followed in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 300 Corner Stone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, Vermont 05495.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Beatrice D. Lacroix

Beatrice LaCroix

Beatrice D. Lacroix, 79, of Newport died peacefully on April 24, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on November 3, 1933, in Mansonville, Quebec, the daughter of Wallace and Henrietta (Libby) Julien. On February 3, 1951, she married Gerard “John” Lacroix.

She attended the Ursaline Convent in Stanstead, Quebec. She enjoyed crafts, painting, knitting, and crocheting. She was very gifted and the most enjoyment to her was cooking and entertaining her family and friends. She was a member of the Red Hat Ladies, Community Circle, and Cercle Fermiere in Quebec.

She is survived by her husband Gerard Lacroix of Newport; her precious dog Cuddles, who gave her such joy and never left her side; and by her children: Richard Lacroix and his wife, Francine, of Beebe, Quebec, and Annette Lantagne and her husband, Dennis, of Newport. She is also survived by her grandchildren: David Lacroix and his companion, Annie, of Sherbrooke, Rachel Lacroix of Calgary, Canada, Charles Lacroix and his companion, Ariane, of Levis, Quebec, Crystal Haselton of Boulder, Colorado, Nathan Haselton of Colorado, and Katelyn Lantagne of Newport; and by her great-grandchildren: Gabrielle, Elliott, Felix Antoine, Lohann, and Beatrice. She is also survived by her siblings: Pauline Gilbert of Beebe, Irene Royea of Beebe, and Murray Julien and his wife, Gladys, of Nova Scotia, Canada; and by several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her siblings: Wallace, Nelson, and Maurice Julien, and Esther Cormer.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 3, at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Derby Line, where a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life, for Team Raging Turtles, 55 Day Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495; or to the Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Inc., 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Mollie Jane Murphy

Mollie Jane Murphy of Brunswick, Maine, died on April 19, 2013, embraced by her loving mother and father, Danielle and Sean Murphy.

She was born on April 19, 2013.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her grandparents: Serge and Joanne Vachon of Newport, and Nancy C. Murphy of Brunswick; and by her great-grandparents: Edith M. Bruneau of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and John and Elsie Sumner of Newport.

A memorial service was held on April 28, in Brunswick. A service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Newport.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.

Margaret V. Nicely

Margaret V. Nicely, 72, of Newport died on April 20, 2013, at her home.

She was born on September 29, 1940, in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1959, she married John W. Nicely, who predeceased her in 1978.

She graduated from Johnson State College with a bachelor’s degree. She was a grant writer for NEKCA, retiring after 20 years, and she spent a few years as an English teacher in Russia. She was an avid reader and a member of the Bread and Puppet Theatre.

She is survived by her two daughters: Shannon Clark of Minnesota, and Christine Douglas of Florida; her grandchildren: April Douglas of Florida, Jimmy McBride of Minnesota, and Jeff McBride of Florida; and by her great-grandchildren: Elizabeth Boese, A.J. Radcliff of Florida, Caitlin McBride and Connor McBride of Newport.

She was predeceased by a brother, Jack Jr.

A memorial service was held on April 27 in Stannard.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Marcel Paquette

Marcel J. Paquette

Marcel J. Paquette, 53, of Amarillo, Texas, died suddenly on April 19, 2013, in Phoenix, Arizona.

He was born on September 13, 1959, in Newport, the son of Reynold Paquette and the late Jeanne (Guillette) Paquette. He enlisted into the U.S. Army for seven years. On September 3, 1989, he married Regina Pietkiewicz, who survives him. He was a postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service for many years.

He is survived by his wife Regina Paquette of Amarillo; his children: Felicia and Allison Paquette, both of Amarillo; his father Reynold Paquette of Newport; his sisters: Yvonne Steinhoff and her husband, Ernest, of Newport, Linda Keifer and her husband, Lloyd, of Clifton Park, New York, and Diane Tanguay of Newport; his sister-in-law Monique Paquette of Lyndonville; and by several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a brother, Michael Paquette, in 1995.

Funeral services were held on April 27, in Derby Line. Interment followed in St. Theresa’s Cemetery in Orleans.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Ross A. St. Onge

Ross St. Onge

Ross A. St. Onge, 89, of Newport died on April 25, 2013, in Newport.

He was born on December 15, 1923, in Newport Center, the son of Clayton and Carrie (Angier) St. Onge.

Mr. St. Onge and his family were always active in playing music and as kids they were known as the United Farmers Kids and played Sundays on WDEV radio in Waterbury. He and Lucille (Davis) St. Onge were married for 63 years. Mrs. St. Onge predeceased him on January 27, 2012. He and his wife farmed, owned a bowling alley, and were involved in many events in Newport Center where he also worked on the road crew before working for the state of Vermont. They enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, horses, and the outdoors in general and family gatherings. He loved playing his guitar, fiddle and banjo.

He is survived by his children: Bonnie Draper of Troy, Steven Rexford of Colchester, and Gary St. Onge and his companion, Linda Robertson, of Pennsylvania; his grandchildren: Michael Millette and his wife, Jodie, Michelle St. Onge, Darcy Rippon and her husband, Dale, Lisa McGinns, Craig Rexford and his wife, Melissa, Tanya Searles and her husband, Lar, Dan Rexford and his wife, Jessica, Todd Draper and his wife, Vikki, and Tara Wright and her husband, Shawn; his 16 great-grandchildren; his brother Neil St. Onge and his wife, Shirley, of Irasburg; his sisters: Esther Donovan and her husband, Mike, of Newport Center, and Erlah Kennison of Westfield; and by many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his son-in-law Reginald Draper; his daughter-in-law Gail Rexford; and by his brother-in-law Clifton Kennison.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport, with the Reverend Richard Whitehill officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home on May 4, from 1 p.m. until the hour of the funeral. Interment will follow in Newport Center Cemetery.

Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Oncology Department at North Country Hospital, 189 Prouty Drive, Newport, Vermont 05855; or to the Newport Health Care Center Activities Fund, in care of Althea Crocker, 148 Prouty Drive, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

Committals

Louise Dionne

Committal services for Louise Dionne will be held on Friday, May 3, at the Newport Center Cemetery at 1 p.m.

Marcel Lanoue

Committal services for Marcel Lanoue will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport, with full military honors.

Roger Ricard

Committal services for Roger Ricard will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport. Following committal services, a celebration of his life will be held at the East Side Restaurant in Newport.

Nancy Mathieu

Committal services for Nancy Mathieu will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 6, at the Newport Center Cemetery.

Desneiges Geraw

Committal services for Desneiges Geraw will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 2, at the Westlook Cemetery in Glover.

Mary Ann Darling

Committal services for Mary Ann Darling will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, at Brownington Village Cemetery.

Myrna Nadeau

Committal services for Myrna Nadeau will be held on Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

Penny Coderre

Committal services for Penny Coderre will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 6, at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Orleans.

Gardeners asked to watch out for rare bumblebee

Posted on April 30, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

Bombus terricola, the yellow-banded bumblebee, is found in parts of Vermont but it is so rare it is being considered for the endangered species list. Photo by Larry Clarfeld, courtesy of the North Branch Nature Center.

by Bethany M. Dunbar

NEWPORT — Home gardeners rely on wild pollinators to help their gardens grow, but one species of bumblebee is in big trouble.
Others have already gone extinct, leaving the remaining species to fill in the gaps.
Larry Clarfeld, an educator for the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, studies Vermont’s bumblebees. He told a group at Newport Natural Foods and Montgomery Café on April 10 that while there are still lots of bees, biodiversity of the pollinators has dropped dramatically.
The meeting was part of a master gardener lecture series.
Mr. Clarfeld said there are, in all, 33 species of bumblebees in this country. Of those, there are 19 or 20 in Vermont.
“Why is biodiversity important?” he asked rhetorically. Without it, he added, “We’re making our ecosystem more and more fragile.”
He said each bumblebee species has a different lifestyle and niche. Some have long tongues to reach into deep-throated flowers. Others are active earlier or later in the season. Some are most attracted to one particular flower or do better in warmer or cooler climates. The more types there are, the more chance that various plants will get pollinated.
“Certain types of orchids are only pollinated by bumblebees,” he said.
Bumblebees are not the same as honeybees. He said honeybees can be compared to cows. They are domestic animals, useful to people, but not native to the places where they live now.
Honeybees have suffered recently due to a problem known as colony collapse disorder.
An article in the New York Times on March 28 says colony collapse disorder was first discovered around 2005, and the past year saw 40 to 50 percent losses. The article talked about California almond growers, where honeybees pollinate 800,000 acres, using two-thirds of all the commercial hives.
Mr. Clarfeld said some of the theories about what is causing problems for both wild and domestic bees include pesticide and herbicide use, habitat destruction and climate change, and viruses. Between 1994 and 1996 bees were taken to Europe and brought back, and a disease came with them.
Mr. Clarfeld said researchers really don’t know what is causing all the problems but are starting to try to find out.
“It’s hard to protect and conserve something if you don’t understand it and don’t know where it is,” he said. As it happens, some work had been done in Vermont by author Bernd Heinrich, who wrote a book called Bumblebee Economics in 1979.
New research has started to find and map all the bee species in Vermont, and Mr. Clarfeld decided to help as a volunteer.
So last summer he adopted six areas specified by researchers and systematically looked for bees.
“All my free time was spent chasing around bumblebees,” he said. He would drive around a particular quadrant, stop at a specific location and go catch bees. In most cases he killed the bugs he caught, rinsed them, blow dried them, and pinned and labeled them. The one exception was the species that is so rare, bombus terricola. He did not kill any of that species. Over the course of the summer he caught 700 bees.
“As a result, I saw almost every species of bee,” Mr. Clarfield said. Differences in markings are sometimes so small that it can be difficult to tell what species one is looking at until a precise measurement of jaw length is made, for example.
Bombus terricola, the yellow-banded bumblebee, still exists in Vermont even though it has died out elsewhere.
“It seems to have a stronghold in Vermont,” he said. “Something in Vermont is allowing them to survive.”
“This is a bee that is being proposed to be an endangered species,” he said, along with two or three others.
Bombus terricola can be distinguished from other bumblebees by its black body and wide yellow double band in the middle and two narrow yellow bands at the front and back. Mr. Clarfeld said these are sometimes hard to see on the back.
Gardeners who think they might have a bombus terricola in their garden are asked to take a photo and post it to a website about insects called The Xerces Society for Invetebrate Conservation. www.xerces.org.
Another website with good information is bugguide.net. Mr. Clarfeld said if you can’t figure out what bug you have seen, you can post a photo and a naturalist will identify it for you, sometimes in minutes.
More information about the Vermont bee study can be found at this website:
www.vtecostudies.org/vtbees/
Gardeners who want to encourage and help bumblebees can plant some of their favorite flowers. Mr. Clarfeld said these include red clover, purple vetch, milkweed and bee balm.
“Pollinators are important, and they’re in trouble,” he said.
contact Bethany M. Dunbar at bethany@bartonchronicle.com

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