JOURNALISM
News Article
834 Words
Lake Champlain Chocolates Shares the Love
BURLINGTON—Local favorite, Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), wooed customers with free hot chocolate samples and a barbershop quartet singing romantic songs. The celebration was in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and was held on Saturday, February 6th at 2 p.m. It may have been one week prior to the big day, but for Lake Champlain Chocolates love is already in the air.
"We couldn’t think of a more fun way to get in the mood for Valentine's Day," Gary Coffey, Director of Retail for LCC, was quoted as saying.
The event, which was located at LCC’s Pine Street Factory Store and Cafe, showcased Retail Manager Emily Jones’ elegant designs. Jones, currently studying as an undergraduate student at Champlain College majoring in Graphic Design, redesigned all the chocolate sculpted signs in the store, along with many of the new poster signs hung on the walls. Jones worked to make over 160 hearts for Valentine's Day.
Assistant Store Manager, Rachel Bruce, explained that LCC tries to do something different every year for the holiday and for their customers—the new addition this year being the barbershop quartet. “It’s been really great. They've got a good following. A lot of the quartet’s fans came in to see the group perform,” Jones said, “It’s been a lot of fun.”
The barbershop quartet, called High Voltage, was formed in 1985 and has since been steadily entertaining audiences all over the New England region along with New York and Quebec. Every member of High Voltage belongs to the Green Mountain Chorus, the Burlington, Vermont chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and will be offering a fun twist on the classic Valentine. Singing Valentine's will be available from the group Friday, February 12th to Sunday, February 14th. If you're interested and would like more information, check out http://www.singingvalentines.com/.
With the sounds of love coming from High Voltage, it only made the hot chocolate samples that much sweeter. There was also a nice variety of chocolate samples throughout the store. "There are about five different samples around the store," Bruce said, "We like to offer samples on the weekends since there aren't any tours going on." LCC offers tours during the week for anyone interested Monday through Friday, on the hour, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You don't need a reservation, although large groups are encouraged to call ahead of time, and it's free.
Walking around the store, in every direction one could see that LCC has definitely caught the love bug. Hearts, decorative boxes and sweet sayings filled the shelves and cases. "This design for the boxes has been around for two or three years now," said Bruce referring to the design on the chocolate boxes, "It's a great design because it's not just the typical pink and red. It's got green and purple too and I think it makes the design that much more unique." The box design will be changing next year. "Next year there will be a whole new design," Bruce said, "I can't wait; I'm really excited."
The brightly colored packaging adds a touch of whimsy to the box. It's a great accent for those who end up making their Valentine's Day purchases at the last minute. "We see people coming in at the last minute in a panic," said Bruce, "I think it adds something for them to be able to get a box of chocolates that has a bit more unique of a design. People see the box and they really appreciate it."
The hot chocolate, the samples and the quartet all combined to make a really pleasant afternoon for visitors to Lake Champlain Chocolates that Saturday. There was a constant flow of people coming in from the bitter cold. Almost every one of them came in and went straight in for the hot chocolate. The hot chocolate, made with all natural ingredients, was another one of LCC's products.
Lake Champlain Chocolates moved into the current Pine Street location in 1998 and makes all of their chocolates in one 24,000 square foot building. During peak season, the local company employs nearly 100 people. LCC prides itself in using only the freshest, natural ingredients for all their products. Although a local business, Lake Champlain Chocolates are available not only at retail stores in Vermont, but also through mail order, through their website http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/ and at specialty shops nationwide.
Events like this one, charmingly coined "Sounds of Chocolate Looove" by the company, show how much they not only value good chocolate, but also the people who enjoy it. LCC plans to continue the event next year but isn't sure yet what exactly they will do. "We'll probably continue this for our customers next year, but we'll see what we come up with," Bruce said.
Lake Champlain Chocolates is a local Vermont business serving people nationwide. The event appeared to be well received by the area's patrons of all ages. By all accounts, it was a nice way to spend a blistery Saturday afternoon in Burlington, Vermont.
News Feature
649 Words
Champlain College Dance Team Heats Up Burlington
The weather may be heating up, but that’s no reason to forget those who can’t afford to keep warm during the winter months. The Champlain College Dance Team hosted their first ever fashion show to help raise money for Vermont Gas Warmth, a company which provides natural gas to families in Chittenden and Franklin counties who cannot afford to heat their homes on their own.
The team themed the event “Heat Wave” to coincide with their mission, performing several fiery dances throughout the evening. Two of the dancers not only performed in the show, but also acted as head organizers.
Janey Hair, a sophomore from Florida and a business major who is part of the BYOBiz program, and Kara Skaling, a sophomore from Rhode Island majoring in education, worked together to make the event a success. Nearing the end of the semester, a time when most students have already checked out and started to dream of the lazy days of summer, these two students dedicated an immense amount of time to putting together the show.
The fashion show hosted a number of clothing companies from around the Burlington area. Among the big names like Gap, Banana Republic and Ecco, there was also a great deal of student run companies.
“I have a lot of connections through Bob Bloch (BYOBiz Director) and BYOBiz,” says Hair, “This is how companies like Imag3, Third Shift, Eesa, and Bogner got in the show.” Hair even added her own company into the mix by donating all of the makeup worn by the models from her Rosey Pink collection.
All of the models in the show were students and faculty. Bloch was actually one of the faculty participants. “It was a lot of fun. I’m glad to see students working together for such a good cause,” he commented after the show.
The show ended up raising over $500 for the Vermont Gas WARMTH company. However there was an additional organization that was helped by the event. The Vermont Salvation Army benefited by collected numerous articles of clothing from generous donors who attended the show. Hair actually came up with and organized the idea herself.
“It was sort of a last minute thing I thought of to add to the overall cause of the show,” says Hair. She couldn’t imagine how significant the idea would turn out to be. “We ended up filling up the bins we had by the doors. So many clothes were donated. It was just this idea I had and people really got into the spirit of everything.”
The shows seemed to have been a success not only for the organizations who benefited from the fundraiser, but also for those who attended. “I am still getting ‘good jobs’ from people, it’s really amazing how many people enjoyed the show,” says Hair.
The Dance Team plans on putting together another show next year, according to the girls, but with a different theme and for a different cause. “It was a fun time and for a good cause; the team definitely wants to continue the tradition,” says Hair.
Although the girls had a lot of fun, they admit that it wasn’t always easy. “Every event would go better if there were no people involved,” says Hair, “[People] are the hardest to control and predict. Everyone always pulls through in the end though.”
The girls are proud of their accomplishment. “We put A LOT of time and effort into the show,” says Hair, “But it was all worth it seeing everyone (the models and volunteers) during break just hanging out and eating pizza together and making new friends.”
Hair and Skaling want to especially thank all of the people who helped make the show possible. “There were so many people, not only the models and dancers but behind the scenes, who helped make the show. We’re so grateful so many students got involved,” says Hair.
News Feature
1,073 Words
Harwood Initiative
“The really exciting thing is to see kids on farms!” says Kristin Getler, referring to Harwood Union High School’s newly implemented Agriculture Apprenticeship Program. Getler, a 2000 Brown University graduate with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, is the Coordinator of the program. Her work for the past ten years has all been part of her greater goal of connecting food, land and communities.
Originally from Connecticut, Getler moved to Vermont just two years ago. Prior to her move, Getler spent a year in Marquina, Bolivia co-teaching a Permaculture Design course. The course taught individuals about topics such as sustainable and organic food production, natural building practices, and alternative energy technology. The time spent in Bolivia awarded Getler a certificate in Permaculture Design. “Teaching the course allowed me to direct hands on projects to compliment the philosophy of the course,” explains Getler.
Continuing her education, Getler received her Certificate in Horticultural Therapy at the New York Botanical Gardens in Bronx, NY in the summer of 2007. The immense amount of expertise and experience that Getler has been able to obtain is incredible for how young she is. “I’ve done a lot in my thirty-years,” she laughs.
An example of her work is her coordination of a garden program at the low-income, urban school district of Sullivan Elementary School in Holyoke, MA. Getler began working on the project in September of 2004 and worked with the district until June of 2007. “I worked with students, teachers and school administration to convert unused school courtyards into habitat and healthy food gardens,” Getler says. She also directed the re-design, fundraising and management of a school greenhouse revitalization project. Getler’s fundraising efforts helped bring $18,000 in resources to the garden initiative. “I’m very passionate about bringing knowledge and resources to communities to incorporate sustainable programs into their neighborhoods and classrooms,” she says.
Getler has been acknowledged with numerous awards in recognition for her hard work and dedication. In June 2005 she received the “A Leader in Holyoke” leadership award. That same year in September, Getler was presented the “Community Health Achievement Award” from the Holyoke Board of Health. Then, in May of 2007 she was awarded the “Certificate of Appreciation for Work in School Gardens” by the Massachusetts Public Health Association.
Getler is more concerned with educating the potential leaders in environmental studies than receiving awards, however. “It’s time we get agriculture education back into public schools,” Getler explains.
That’s exactly what Getler is doing now at Harwood Union High School. Getler was hired in August of 2008 after connecting with Ellen Bearings and Rachel Potts, directors in the school’s Next Step program. Next Step works with students to help set up internships and career possibilities. “I had heard that students at Harwood had come up with an idea for a program that would allow local farmers to work with kids at the school. I expressed an interest in furthering the idea to implement it as an apprenticeship program and submitted my resume,” says Getler.
Getler was immediately hired to coordinate the program. With Getler’s input on the idea, a proposal for two courses was passed by the districts school board. The first course, Agricultural Exploration, provides students an opportunity to explore the agricultural livelihood by participating in a series of hands-on work projects at local farms. The course is a semester long and requires students to complete 30-hours of agricultural activities. Activities include farm work days, tours and workshops.
The second course is Agricultural Apprenticeship. The course is also one semester long, though both courses can be taken as many times as the student desires, and requires students to participate in a designated amount of agricultural work. Participants in the course must commit 60-hours for the semester to farm-based work with additional time dedicated to a student-designed project that represents skills and knowledge gained through his or her agricultural apprenticeship. To be admitted entry into the Apprenticeship course, students must have completed at least two semesters of Agricultural Exploration or two years of farm work experience with a recommendation from a farm supervisor. The apprenticeship provides students with the opportunity to gain the practical skills needed to maintain and operate a vegetable, dairy, livestock, maple sugar, and/or flower farm.
Getler says, “The vision is amazing fantastic, and needed!” Right now, the program is under review for State and other grant programs. Getler also plans on organizing fundraisers to help finance the program. Transportation will be provided for students to all farm outings. “Now that the Stimulus Package has been passed, it should be clearer how much funding will be made available for the program,” explains Getler.
“The school has been very much supportive of the initiative,” says Getler. This is not to say there haven’t been some bumps along the way. Right now there is only enough room in Harwood’s budget to allow Getler to work for eight-hours a week on the program. “I have a lot to do for the program but I’m very limited on how many hours I can work,” she says.
Getler also explains that it’s been challenging trying to fit an alternative educational curriculum into a very traditionally modeled system. “The two systems clash, but I’m really pushing Harwood to look at different mediums for education in different ways,” says Getler, “This year has been a lot about testing the waters for the program, to see who’s interested. We’ve discovered there is a strong interest among the kids and farmers and we’re very excited!”
With the encouragement from Harwood students and local farmers, Getler is confident that the program will begin to rapidly grow. “We’ve already seen significant interest from other schools in the area. We’re in talks with Barre Tech Center right now to make Harwood a satellite for the program for the center,” Getler gushes.
Additional efforts to further the program include an upcoming National Conference in Portland, Oregon. Two Harwood students will be attending the event with Getler on March 18th to present the apprenticeship program to hundreds of people from around the country. “The presentation will show how young people can be involved in planning agricultural curriculums,” says Getler.
Getler’s dedication to agriculture ensures that both the courses and the conference will be a success. “I’m so thankful to the students for their efforts and interest in the program,” Getler says, “It’s so great to see young people taking an interest in the future of farming and agriculture.”
