#1: Williston, VT: Saturday, May 13, 2006

I had a bit of a dilemma in deciding where my first town to visit would be… There were some obvious choices, as far as I could see, ranging from Burlington (the largest city, and my birthplace) to Montpelier (the state capital). Ultimately, though, I chose Williston to start my trek, because that is where I spent my childhood.

Now, it was a little strange, deciding to explore my own hometown, but… I learned a little bit along the way. And, because my family is still there, I imagine that there will be additional posts about this town, from future visits.

I began my adventure, as I’ve said in my introduction, at the local library, where I’d gone as a child. The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library sits in what used to be (and may still be) considered the Willistion town green. This green is where the 4^th of July festivities were held, and is bordered by the Williston Central School, and a number of other public buildings across the street. In its center is the gazebo, which always sat central to our 4^th of July festivities.

Since it had been at least 10 years since I last set foot into the library, I was amazed by it’s size. Usually when you visit a place that you’d spent time in as a kid, it feels much smaller… this was just the opposite. Not only had they added a research room for the Williston Historical Society, but there was a brand new wing for young readers (complete with heated floors, for lounging!), and an event space with a little stage!

I was lucky enough to speak with Susan, one of the children’s librarians, who gave me a tour of the space and talked to me about some of the things that had changed, since she arrived in 1998. Of particular interest to me were the Bookmobile (see photo), the involvement of teens in the library club, and the various ways in which they were able to increase community involvement.

Most striking, though, were the murals… The children’s department was covered with hand and airbrush painted murals, depicting fir trees and nature, from the area. One of the most interesting murals was a panorama of 5 Tree Hill (which I need to visit, in the future), surrounding a circular inset in a dropdown ceiling. It shows the view of the surrounding countryside from this hilltop vantage, with various animals scattered through the landscape.

As I wrapped up my visit at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, I didn’t feel as if I’d visited the same place where I’d bought my first “fun” book at the 4^th of July book sale… It had changed so much over the years. And, while it no longer had the magic that I remember from my early visits, it held a new and exciting energy for another generation of budding readers, as well as a gathering place for bringing the community together.

All in all, I'd say that it was a great start to my exploration of the state. I spent a few rainy minutes snapping photos around the Green, including a statue of Governor Thomas Chittenden, the first governor of the state and founder of Williston. And, of course, the obligatory shot of myself in front of the library sign. After that, I called it a day, getting home and getting dried off for the next day's adventures.

Links:

• For more information about Williston, visit Virtual Vermont.
• Dorothy Alling Memorial Library
• Williston Historical Society
• Town of Williston

Welcome!

Hello everyone,

For those of you who may have had the opportunity to visit Vermont in your lifetimes, you've probably noticed that it's quite different from most places (well, maybe not *so* different from most of New England). As a native Vermonter and (unfortunately) one who left almost 17 years ago, I have a deep love for the state and try to get back to see my family and friends in the Burlington area whenever I can.

A few years ago, my father mentioned something called the 251 Club. After a little Googling, I came across a website that did a nice job of summing up the club (redjar.org), and decided to join. The 251 Club is a loosely knit group of people with a love of Vermont, who have set the goal of visiting every town and city (all 251 of them!) in the state! The organization was inspired by an article in Vermont Life Magazine, by Arthur Wallace Peach, with the goal of getting residents to know more about the state.

Having been away for so long, it was a great way for me to reconnect, while giving me the opportunity to see new parts of the state, as well as familiar ones from my childhood. As you'll see from the posts here, the experience so far, has been an eye opener. With such a small state, it's easy to think that you've 'seen it all', when in fact, you've barely scratched the surface. Even though my journey has just begun, I've been amazed by some of the places I've visited... especially those that I found while getting lost!

So, in these posts, you'll find out a little about each town that I visit, read some of my personal thoughts on my time in each, see some of my amateur photography, and maybe even join me as I revisit some of my favorite places!

Everyone takes on this challenge in different ways, but most do more than simply drive through and snap a few photos. What would be the fun in that? As a librarian, I've decided to try and visit the public library in each town. As I discovered after my second stop, though, not all towns have their own public libraries. In the absence of a library, I look for a government building or town store to pop into and say hello. Sometimes I get a chuckle out of these conversations, and sometimes I come across as a 'flatlander'... Ugh. But, either way, I try to learn a bit about each place.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my musings, and feel free to let me know what you think!
Tony

(P.S. I'm really behind on my posts, and have only written up one entry out of the 30+ towns that I've already been to)