Talk of the town

When it comes to “Best Northeastern Small Town 2023” (insert half-hearted drum roll here) Montpelier is second place.

Don’t take our word for it (you can’t, it’s not our contest, and we don’t have access to the results).

Don’t ask USA Today (they won’t tell you, and if you consult the website where who knows how many online votes were cast to narrow a list of 20 small northeastern towns to 10, you’ll find this message: “Best Northeastern Small TownWinners to Be Revealed on Friday, March 3, at 12 p.m. EST!”).

The drama! When the “leaderboard” went dark with more than five days of online voting left, regular readers will recall we noted Montpelier had been sitting in fourth place, and there hadn’t been any movement in a week.

That Talk of the Town entry, which included the link to vote, may explain a late surge that pushed Montpelier into the top two.

We know this because a day after the polls closed, and nearly two weeks before the scheduled release of the results that will be posted on Friday, Montpelier Alive was celebrating Montpelier’s second place finish on its Facebook page.

So who won? Smart money says Cape May, New Jersey, which had been in first place for more than a week before the standings were blocked because USA Today surmised at the time: “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any surprises once the winners are announced!”

Can’t wait, and congrats to Montpelier!

Remember when?

WILLIAMSTOWN — Remember when town meeting in Williamstown used to last long enough for folks to break for lunch? We do.

Remember some of the creative ways they tried to stretch those meeting so that folks wouldn’t bolt before the mid-day meal that, for decades, was a fundraiser for what is now the Williamstown United Church?

We remember them, too.

We also remember the year — 2017 — the sit-down meal that long-featured Nancy Avery’s lasagna was abandoned by the church in favor of a grab-and-go menu of soups and sandwiches. The decision, which was more popular with some than others, was driven by the fact that town meeting was just too short, and too few people attended.

That will be true again on Tuesday when voters will be asked to make it even shorter, by shifting approval of future municipal spending requests to the Australian ballot.

Whatever they decide, they won’t be breaking for lunch at Williamstown Middle and High School on Tuesday because town meeting — even with the budgets and the inevitable request for a paper ballot or two — just doesn’t last that long anymore.

And here’s where you need to remember when … literally … because one tradition led to another in Williamstown and while Avery’s lasagna is no longer a Town Meeting Day staple, she still whips up a big batch of it once a year to raise money for the church.

Cece Miller already is fielding requests for this year’s take-out meal, which is set for March 18, or as Avery likes to call it “lasagna day.”

“I start cooking on Friday, but Saturday is lasagna day,” says Avery, who is pretty proud of her pasta. She is tightlipped about a recipe she’s tweaked over the years.

“I make it with love,” she says in a way that suggests you might have better luck talking Colonel Sanders out of his chicken recipe. Fair enough.

Last year, Avery prepared enough lasagna to serve 100 and she’s hoping to double that this year.

Why? Because in the last couple of years demand has outstripped supply, which is why we’re writing today about a take-out supper that won’t be ready to pick up for more than two weeks.

“We usually sell out,” says Avery, who likes to think her lasagna has something to do with that ... and, truth be told, it does.

It anchors a meal town meeting regulars may recall from back in the day: lasagna, tossed salad, a garlic roll, and a chocolate brownie.

If that sounds good, and $13 seems reasonable, call Miller at 802-433-5382 and tell her how many you want, and when between 5 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, you can pick them up at the rear entrance of the church on Route 14.

Pie squared?

MIDDLESEX — Can central Vermont stomach all you can eat pie breakfasts on back to back weekends in March?

We’re about to find out because that’s what what on tap in coming weeks and it sounds pretty darn tasty.

The parents group at Rumney Memorial School are up first, which is fitting because they’ve been doing this for a lot of years and their success inspired the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department.

Let’s start in Middlesex where a week from this Saturday (that’s March 11 if you don’t have a calendar handy) there will be pies, pies and more pies for folks with an appetite and $7 to cover the cost of admission.

Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Montpelier Food Pantry and you trim $2 off your ticket price that gets you all you can eat access to sweet pies, savory pies, just about any kind of pie you can think of.

The family friendly fundraiser, which is set from 10 a.m. to noon, has stood the test of time and, as we noted, intrigued the volunteer fire department in Berlin.

Seems the Berlin department canceled plans for its first pie breakfast in 2020 (darn COVID!), but is now circling back to an idea they say was inspired by their neighbors in Middlesex.

It’s one they hope will attract a crowd to the fire station at the intersection of Route 62 and Paine Turnpike North from 9:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday, March 18.

That’s when “local legends” and Berlin residents Ray and Sam Burke will be responsible for the live music and pies will be judged.

Did we say “judged?”

We did. Jimmy Kennedy of JDK BBQ; Tim Boltin of Delicate Decadence; and Martha Mongeon of the Wildflower Baking company will sample pies with an eye toward selecting the best sweet and savory entries.

And here is where Janet Richardson says the department needs some help as they ready to launch what they hope will become an annual tradition.

“We are looking for pies of all kinds,” she says. “It has ‘pie’ in the name, or is shaped like a pie, we will take it.”

Seriously, Richardson says the department is soliciting donations of pies from anyone who wants to contribute. You don’t have to enter the competition to donate a pie (or pies), though you are welcome to. All you have to do is drop your pie (or pies) off at the station starting at 8 a.m. on March 18.

If you prefer to eat pies (who doesn’t?) and don’t have one (or more) to drop off, just show up at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $12 for those 10 and up and $6 for everyone else, though they’re offering a discount for those who brings reusable plates, utensils and cups and help keep the trash to a minimum.

‘Bazaar’ request

BARRE — The National Honor Society at Spaulding High School is at it again and while the “big event” they are planning is still two months away, just how big it gets will depend on the number of vendors they line up in advance

That’s why they asked for our assistance plugging what sounds like an outdoor bazaar that will be held on A.G. Pendo Memorial Field from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 7.

What qualifies as a “vendor?”

We’re glad you asked because the list is longer than you might think. It includes crafters, cooks, farmers, businesses and non-profits. There is no set space size, but there is a flat fee — $25 per vendor — for an event that will be held fully outdoors, rain or shine on May 7.

That’s about all we know for now, but we expect to learn more in coming weeks. If you have questions or want to request a vendor form just fire an email to Grace Berry at 23graberry@buusd.org and she’ll take care of you.

P.S.

Don’t forget to vote. Town Meeting Day is March 7. Polls are open until 7 p.m. Follow Town Meeting Day coverage that evening on www.timesargus.com or on The Times Argus Facebook page, or pick up a copy of our coverage the next day. Note to mail subscribers, because of the delayed deadline, you might not see your March 8 newspaper until March 9. But all of the results will be online.

Do you have an item for Talk of the Town? Email it to news@timesargus.com. Be sure to put Talk of the Town in the subject line.