Speakers

Tim Brookes BIO: 

Tim was born in a small house in London, of parents who were poor, honest and liked going for very long walks, preferably in the rain. My education consisted of being forced to take written exams every five or six weeks, and eat school lunches of liver and onions–until I got to Oxford, where we had written exams every eight weeks and had lunches of pickled onions and Guinness.

This was quite enough to make me flee the country and seek gainful employment in Vermont, where I have lived for 29 years, writing a great deal and trying to grow good raspberries. Only one of my books has been translated into another language; it appeared in Dutch as “Geen plek om een koe kwijt te raken.” My favorite color is russet. If I had my life all over again, I would take more risks, like smuggling the liver out of the dining hall wrapped in my handkerchief.

Summary of The Driveway Diaries:

When my family moved out from Burlington, Vermont, to a dirt road in rural Essex Center, our life immediately began to suffer the series of challenges and small disasters that quickly sort out the clueless city guy from the true Vermonter. This collection of stories is mainly about those challenges, almost all of which I failed–and about the most important, most evil challenge of all: our driveway. A gravel driveway, especially a steep one, is an umbilicus between home and the outside world, an index of change that can wash out or burst into flower overnight, and the cause of more sweat and backache than all the rest of the property combined. In many ways, this book celebrates the glories of the countryside; in many ways it is appalled. If Thoreau had read this book, he would never have made the mistake of moving to Walden Pond–or at least he’d have made damn sure not to have a driveway.

The Driveway Diaries had a bizarre publishing history: it was excerpted in Harper’s and read aloud on Martha Stewart Radio, and sold out almost immediately, but the original publisher decided not to reprint it and it stalled at the height of its success. I have added three more chapters to round out the period of my rural experiment, and it is now finally available again, in this expanded second edition. Order it by clicking the Paypal button below!

The Center for Research on Vermont is an interdisciplinary network of scholars and community members:  Founded in 1974, the Center for Research on Vermont supports research in the Vermont “laboratory” -- research that provides original knowledge to the world -- through examining the state's social, economic, cultural and physical environment. The Center does this work by supporting scholars, engaging students and storytelling.  

 

Amy Schram is the Community Relations Manager for the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT, which is based in 
Marlborough, MA.  She will give us a primer on the work and mission of the Better Business Bureau.

Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit public service organization with a mission to be a leader in advancing marketplace trust, and for over 100 years BBB has continued to evolve and meet fast changing marketplace needs. BBB helps serve as a free precautionary resources tool with information on local businesses, charity organizations, scams, identity theft concerns, and more. The BBB101 program will be a discussion on Better Business Bureaus mission and vision, and will cover how people can best utilize all BBB's free services to help make educated and informed decisions.

 

Once again, an Essex High School program shines.  In January 2020, Samsung announced that a team from the EHS STEM Academy was selected to represent Vermont in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest.   Lea Ann Smith, Director of the STEM Academy, and some of her students will give us a preview into the development of a original app to address issues associated with our changing climate.  Shortly after this presentation, the team will submit its proposal to Samsung for review. 

Selected from thousands of entries nationwide, Essex High School in Essex Junction has been named the Vermont State Winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest for its proposed plan to address climate change. Celebrating its 10th year, the nationwide competition challenges students in grades 6th-12th to creatively use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world issues in their communities.  Read the full article HERE. 

John Churchman will share the startup and vision for the ArtHound Gallery.  This gallery is home to art work from well over 100 of Vermont's premier artists.  When asks how this incredible gallery compares to others in Vermont - John was clear:  "we are certainly the largest gallery in Vermont - and perhaps the largest in New England.  I have more research to do!"  With 7500 square feet of space and very high ceilings, there is room for some of Vermont's most famous creators - and others who are building their reputation. 

In November 2019 Seven Days did a great profile of the vision for ArtHound.  You can read it here.  In this article, other planned developments / projects at the Essex Experience are outlined, including the new coffee shop / bakery and the new brewpub and distillery.