2008 downtown bennington - summer

Pearls, Politics& POWER

Madeleine Kunin - Former Govenor of Burlington

On Thursday, June 26, former governor Madeleine Kunin, of Burlington, will wrap up the Books for Bennington Series when she reads from her recently published book on women in public life, Pearls, Politics and Power. The reading will take place at 7 p.m. at the Bennington Museum. Admission is free. Refreshments and conversation follow at the Mt. Anthony Country Club on a cash bar basis.

Informed by conversations with elected female leaders, former three-term Vermont Governor and Ambassador to Switzerland Madeleine M. Kunin asks questions such as ‘What difference do women make?’ ‘What is the worst and best part of politics?’ ‘What inspires women to run, and how do they prepare for public life?’ ‘How will the money be raised, how will they protect their families?’ ‘How will criticism be dealt with and how will they work with the ‘good old boys’?’

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BENNINGTON ARTS GUILD HOSTS

“NEW WORKS” SHOW

Bennington, VT – The New Works program, which will be on display at the Guild Gallery at 103 South Street at the Four Corners inter-section of downtown Bennington through August 31, features members’ work which has never before been exhibited in the Gallery – and highlights the work of three talented new Guild members: Teresa Slocomb, chain-mail jewelry; Colleen Williams, porcelain jewelry; and Joe Comi, woodturnings.

Slocomb creates chains by combining and arranging circular jump rings, and may add semi-pre-cious stones. Williams forms small tile segments in porcelain, and fires each tile many times to build up a lustrous surface, which she then assembles into pendants, earrings, pins, and bracelets. Comi turns wood into items such as bowls, pens, wine bottle stoppers, oil lamps, and bowls. He uses various kinds of wood, including black walnut.

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Potholder Quilt - Marie DeVito

Farmers’ Markets!page 3

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Vermont’s Main Street Experience Summer 2008

BenningtonBenninBenninDowntown

2 Downtown Bennington Summer 2008

The show also features new pieces by long-time B.A.G. members: Painter Judy Kniffin will show framed oils on canvas, featuring water as the subject. “New Spring Growth”, painted on site at the Taraden B&B in North Bennington, catches the reflection of older trees not yet in leaf, while younger trees have burst into bloom in early May. “River Rush II” captures the rush of water over the richly covered rocks off Kelly stand road in Arlington, VT. Shelli DuBoff will exhibit two framed pastel portraits. Ceramist Josh Primmer has been tweaking his functional designs to be more user friendly. Cyndi Saint shows her flair for design with a step stool covered with recycled fabric. Photographer Jeff Heimbach exhibits photos of singular roses, and the multi-talented Barbara Henry has created new beads and tiles from polymer clay and made into jewelry. Although most members’ work will be shown in their usual disciplines, some have diverged into other areas. Ceramist Marie DeVito will introduce some examples of fiber art – a pair of striking non-traditional quilts, one woolen and knitted, the other made from cotton potholders (which she began creating when she was a child), crocheted together. Weaver Paula LaPorte, has expanded upon her gifts to create shekeries from gourds, beads and twine, and multi-media artist Tom Longtin will show a tricycle made from recycled material. Other members’ work will remain on dis-play, including the polymer clay and silver jewelry creations of Ann Webster Lang. The Bennington Arts Guild Gallery is at 103 South Street, at the Four Corners intersection at the heart of downtown Bennington, VT. The BAG Gallery is a coopera-tive run by artists from Bennington and the surrounding communi-ties with the common goal to bring public attention to, and provide a viable market for, fine art and fine craft, locally produced. Membership is open to artists throughout the greater Bennington Area. Hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays and Mondays, 10AM to 5PM; Sundays, 12 Noon to 4PM; closed on Tuesdays. For more information contact B.A.G. at (802)442-7838 or at www.benning-tonartsguild.org.

BENNINGTON ARTS GUILD HOSTS

“NEW WORKS” SHOWcontinued from front cover

Pin - Barbara Henry

Assorted Woodware - Joe Comi

New Spring Growth - Judy Kniffin

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Bennington, VermontFamily Dining

Full Restaurant Menu with Daily SpecialsTake Out Available

Open 7 Days a week 11:00am to 12 midnight421 Main Street • Bennington, VT • 802.447.5748

Near the Four Corners of Rt.7 & Rt.9

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St. Louis Ribs • Pulled Pork • Chicken Brisket • Burgers • Pub Menu

The Area’s Only Full Service Bar-B-Q JointTake Out Available

Open 7 Days A Week At 12:00 Noon7725 Troy/Bennington Road, Hoosick NY

518-686-9495

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Summer 2008 Downtown Bennington 3

Kunin’s core message is that America needs an infusion of new leadership to better address the major problems of our time. To see how women can achieve that goal, she combines her personal experience in politics, lessons of women’s movements, stories of young women today who have new ideas about their role in society, and interviews with a wide range of women in positions of power. She interviews Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, analyzes her campaign, and addresses the question: “Is the country ready?” Others inter-viewed include U.S. Representatives Loretta Sanchez, Linda Sanchez, Deborah Pryce, and Tammy Baldwin, and U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Amy Klobuchar, and Carol Moseley Braun, and Governors Kathleen Sibelius and Janet Napolitano.

Women will be inspired to lead by seeing people like Nancy Pelosi wielding the gavel, and seeing themselves reflected in the portraits in statehouses, courthouses, corporate and university boardrooms, and the White House. Pearls, Politics, and Power will help ensure that this inspiration is not soured or deflected, but channeled into successful candidacies by America’s leaders of tomorrow.

Madeleine M. Kunin was the first woman governor of Vermont, and served as the Deputy Secretary of Education and Ambassador to Switzerland under President Bill Clinton. She is the author of Living a Political Life and is currently a Marsh Scholar Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont. Kunin lectures on history and women’s studies. She also serves as president of the board of the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), a Vermont-based nongovernmental organization that she founded in 1991. She lives in Burlington, Vermont.

Books for the series are available at the museum’s gift shop and at the Bennington Bookshop, and bookstores in Williamstown and Manchester. The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main Street (Route 9), Bennington in The Shires of Vermont just a short ride from Manchester, Williamstown, and eastern New York. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum is closed on Wednesday. Visit the museum at www.benningtonmu-seum.org or call 802-447-1571 for more information.

Pearls, Politics& POWER

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Brattleboro Farmers’ Market (around 50 vendors)Whetstone Pathway/Co-op PlazaWednesdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Dorset Farmers’ Market (around 50 vendors)At the H.N. Williams Hardware Store on Route 30, Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend

Manchester Farmers’ Market (around 25 vendors)At the Dana Thompson Rec Center, Route 30 WestThursdays, 3-6 p.m., May 22 – mid-October

Walloomsac Farmers’ MarketBehind Bennington Station at Riverwalk Park in BenningtonTuesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m., mid-May to mid-October, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., mid-May to mid-October

West River Farmers Market (around 50 vendors)Intersection of Routes 11E & 100N in LondonderrySaturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 24 – Columbus Day weekend

FARMERS’ MARKETS!

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- By Telly Halkias

Kevin Armstrong has been in the jewelry industry his entire adult life, but felt some-thing might be missing.

In 1993, while working in Rutland, he had the opportunity to open his own jewelry shop in Bennington. And so K.F. Armstrong

Armstrong Jewelers

K.F. Armstong Jewelers Bennington, VT

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Jewelers was born, and finally home. The store now can be found at 439 Main St. at the foot of the Cone Building.

“The personal touch with customers is so important,” Armstrong said. “In a small-er town like Bennington, you can really make lasting connections with people and it becomes more like dealing with a member of your family than a customer.”

A Graduate Gemologist, the industry’s high-est professional certification, Armstrong makes custom designed jewelry, and offers a full-service repair and manufacturing capability. The shop also does antique res-torations, appraisals, and stocks a select assortment of fine jewelry from a number of quality manufacturers. Armstrong also carries a number of watch lines, including the very popular Seiko and Citizen brands.

Anchoring the store’s customer service phi-losophy is store manager Maria DeLuca, who works in tandem with sales associate Diane Pelles. Armstrong wasted no time in giving credit where credit is due.

“Maria makes this place tick,” Armstrong said. “She is a native of this area and knows

so many people. She is the finest ‘people person’ I’ve ever known. Having her with us lets us provide service on top of product.”“The whole team works together to tailor everything to the needs of the customer, whether visitor or local.”

Armstrong Jewelers is located at 439 Main St in Bennington, and is open Mon.-Fri. 9:30a.m.-5:30p.m., and Sat. 10a.m.-2p.m. For more info visit www.armstrongjewelers.com or call 802-442-2122

Telly Halkias is a freelance writer and editor. E-mail: [email protected]

Armstrong Jewelerscontinued from page 4

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- By Telly Halkias

For a retail business to survive a century and still be going strong, it probably means it’s had to reinvent itself several times to keep its public appeal.

And that’s the case with Evans’ News, a downtown icon in Bennington that is enter-ing its 101st year of doing business on Main Street. Originally started as the main news-paper distributorship in southern Vermont, Evans’ is one of the most visited stores in town, for both residents and visitors.

“I’ll tell you something: it’s never bor-ing here and we try to keep up with what our customers need,” sales associate Judy Pennock said recently between ringing up sales.

That repertoire includes an expansion 10 years ago to branch out into gift shop ter-ritory, a move that proved popular with tourists seeking souvenirs and mementos as well as locals looking for presents and other sundry items.

Along with a full line of drinks and snacks, shoppers at Evans’ can find an extensive inventory of maple products, Ty Beanie

Babies, t-shirts, hats, greeting cards, and of course, the original staple: newspapers. They can also visit Bennington Pride, Evans’ in-store moose.

Evans’ also serves a broad base of business needs, to include office furniture and gen-eral supplies. Owner George Krawczyk held up the 1000+ page store catalog as a proud reminder of Evans’ diversity.

“Many folks might not know it, but we still have strong catalog sales, especially to other businesses,” Krawczyk said. “In this day, you’ve got to have a little bit of everything for everyone.”

For more info visit www.bennington.com/EvansNews

Telly Halkias is a freelance writer and editor. E-mail: [email protected]

Evans’ News

Evans’ News - Bennington, VT

101 YEARS and Still

Going Strong!

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Books for Bennington: Madeleine KuninEventsAda Paresky Education CenterJune 26, 2008 Time: 7 p.m.

The former governor reads from her new book “Pearls, Politics, and Power.” Join us after at the Grille restaurant at Mt. Anthony Country Club for refreshment and conversation. Part of June ARTS! 2008.

Fay Vincent Book Signing EventsBennington Center for the ArtsJune 28, 2008 Time: 1 p.m.

Meet Fay Vincent, author of “We Would Have Played for Nothing.”

Wiffleball Classic EventsJuly 19, 2008 Time: 8 a.m. start

Sign your team up to enter this fun and light-hearted round robin tournament. Bennington Bomber players will officiate the games, base-ball fare will be offered all day, and the win-ning team will be awarded the highly sought-after Bennington Museum Cup. $50 registra-tion for each team. Register at the museum, the Bennington Chamber of Commerce, the Better Bennington Corporation, or the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Louisville Slugger Gallery Talk Events

July 27, 2008 Time: 1 p.m.

Join Dan Cohen, curator of the Louisville Slugger Museum, as he tours the exhibi-tions and gives his insight on players and the bats they use. Free with admission to the museum.

EVENTS7

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- By Telly Halkias

Four decades of life in a business sector that has seen many changes can be a long time.

But that’s exactly what Star Electric Incorporated has provided the tri-state border area for 44 years: a comprehensive offering of appliances and service that has built a cus-tomer base crossing several generations.

Sue Congdon, who owns the Bennington Main Street stalwart with her husband Bill, emphasized the importance of customer loyalty in small communities. “We are now sell-ing to children of our original customers, and many of them have children of their own,” Congdon said while recently finishing a weekly delivery and service schedule. “You can’t really put a measure on that kind of a following, especially in the age of big-box conve-nience. As a mom and pop enterprise, you have to work harder to keep that trust.”

Congdon went on to say that Star Electric strives to accomplish that by providing responsive repair service to a full range of appliances, and installation for the constantly evolving inventory.

The focus at Star Electric is always to keep current by carrying top brands such as GE, Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, Fisher Paykel, and DCS. Also popular are the televisions and the heavily discounted “scratch and dent” items. Customers come from New York and Massachusetts, and Congdon didn’t hesitate to explain the phenomenon. “In the end, if you take care of someone, they don’t mind driving the extra miles,” she said. “It certainly has worked for us for a long time.”

Star Electric is located at 441 Main St in Bennington. Call: 802-442-5295. Telly Halkias is a freelance writer and editor. E-mail: [email protected]

A STAR AMONG US - STAR ELECTRIC

Sue Congdon, Star Electric - Bennington, VT

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2008 downtown bennington - summer

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