Autumn 2008
Inside VL: Fearless
Mary Hegarty Nowlan, Editor
Many people dream of having a job where they can tell someone to go jump. I actually have it. It's quite a rush.
I asked our resident fearless photographer Alden Pellett to go jump from a plane over Addison County and explain how it feels to skydive over Vermont foliage on a perfect autumn day. In "Fall From Above" (page 40) he does just that. It's the next best thing to being there.
One of the many great things about Vermont is that there are plenty of people eager to try new things, and it's easy to find them. Maybe it's the scale of the state, but I think it's also that people who choose to live away from the predictability of modern suburban life are more inclined to think outside the box.
That fearless Vermont spirit runs through this issue. Kat Clear has forged her own path in the male-dominated field of metalwork. She makes a living doing commercial work, but also has honed her skills enough to also be able to make sensual sculptures from rusty car parts, miraculously working the "masculine" material of steel into whimsical sculptures of cancan girls ("Creative Spark," page 86).
Other can-do spirits reveal themselves through community involvement. Joanne Harrison and other residents of Morrisville saw a problem in town — kids didn't have enough to do — so they took action. Despite having no experience with starting a nonprofit, the group has helped raise more than $500,000 for the River Arts Center over the last nine years. Now nearly 5,000 people a year take classes, contributing more than $1.5 million to the local economy ("The Art of the Possible," page 16).
Bristol has seen similar innovation. Community-based investment has helped make the town into a thriving community with a lively music scene. Local businesses have embraced the concept of community investment and revived one of the oldest buildings in town for new office space. Thirty private investors took a chance and contributed $5,000 each to start a restaurant. Not only was it a wise investment that quickly paid off, but as Susan Reid reports ("Within Walking Distance," page 72), it has proved "pivotal in Bristol's blossoming as a dining and entertainment destination."
Of course, not everyone will go out and start an arts center, revive a downtown, or jump out of a plane. But it's nice to know we live in a place where you can.
Email: mary.nowlan@state.vt.us
