VPR Examines the Future of Big Wind

There has been a lot of talk about whether industrial-scale wind energy projects should be built on Vermont's ridgelines. But so far, that's been about it: A lot of talk and very little construction.

So what is the future of wind energy in this state that prides itself on its dedication to renewable energy and preservation of the environment?

We may begin to find out in the next year. The Public Service Board will begin considering in early February the largest project yet proposed, on Lowell Mountain. And the U.S. Forest Service likely will rule on a project in Searsburg and Readsboro that would be the first commercial wind project in a national forest.

VPR News goes behind those headlines to explore the issue in a series, Big Wind's Future. What divides communities where projects are proposed? Are they capable of producing as much electricity and reducing greenhouse gases as much as supporters contend? How are they financed? And where do the profits from them flow?

Tune in to Morning Edition and All Things Considered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to learn the answers.

Behind The Mic: Vermont Reads

Vermont Reads producers Melody Bodette and Betty Smith shared their thoughts about this year's series, airing this week on VPR:

Each year VPR partners with the Vermont Humanities Council to produce a series on their Vermont Reads, state-wide reading program. This year, the council picked The Day of the Pelican by acclaimed Barre author Katherine Paterson. The book follows an Albanian Muslim family forced by war to flee Kosovo. They are resettled in Vermont and try to rebuild their lives here.

While the book is fiction, it was inspired by a family Paterson's church sponsored in the 1990s. And it's a story that's repeated over and over in our small state, as the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program brings 300 people here each year.

Our series combines interviews with Paterson, former refugees and the people who work with them, plus excerpts from the book. One of the challenges in a project like this is finding a reader who can embody the characters in the novel. We were fortunate to find Nijaza Semic, a home-school liason in the Burlington school district. Nijaza left Bosnia after war broke out and came to Vermont with her husband. In addition to giving us a compelling interview, Nijaza used her skills as a former newsreader in her native country to become the voice of the novel's narrator, Meli Lleshi.

This project also allowed us to learn more about some of the great work that goes on at the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, just one street away from us in Fort Ethan Allen!

You can hear the entire series online.

The Long Trail At 100

The Long Trail turns 100 this year, and VPR is planning a month-long series to mark this milestone. We’ll explore the history and future of the Long Trail, learn about the ins and outs of hiking and camping, and meet the people who hike and maintain it today.

And that’s where you come in. If you’re out on the trail this summer, let us know about it! Why do you love the Long Trail? What are your favorite hikes and sections? What was your best (or worst!) experience on the Long Trail? Send your thoughts, photos, and favorite recipes for camp meals and trailside snacks to community@vpr.net.

Planning for this project has gotten me thinking about my own experience with the Long Trail. While I have yet to hike it end-to-end (one of my lifetime goals!), I’ve spent many happy days and nights on the trail. A few memories that stand out for me:

• Hiking the last 10 miles of the Long Trail with friends who were thru-hiking, and high-fiving Canada.
• Getting held up by a giant moose on Mount Mansfield. We watched him from a distance for over an hour!
• Trekking up to the Twin Brook tenting area for dinner because we knew the ramen would taste better if it was cooked in the woods.
• Losing my balance on snowshoes and falling into a snowy ditch, thereby earning the nickname “Meesh in a Deetch.”
• Hiking Camel’s Hump on New Year’s Day. I’ve done this almost every year since moving to Vermont. There’s never a view but what a way to start a year!

I even think fondly of my less-pleasant memories, like getting mild hypothermia in October, then yelling at my best friend for trying to force-feed me a peanut butter sandwich. But that's the beauty of the Long Trail: hardship and challenge are as much a part of the experience as the victories. Millions have followed this path, but no one has the same experience twice. Each excursion, whether a day trip or a thru-hike, adds to the Long Trail's storied history.

So, come on. Share with us. And happy hiking!

Piecing Together Memories With StoryCorps And The Shelburne Museum

VPR Commentary Series Producer Betty Smith shared some behind-the-scenes thoughts about this week's special series, Piecing Together Memories. It features elder Vermonters speaking with one another about their fondest recollections, and about the memories they've begun to lose. These interviews were recorded by StoryCorps, and are included in an exhibit at the Shelburne Museum this summer called Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece. The exhibit includes the interviews, photos and quilts made by people who have dealt with Alzheimer's Disease.

For the past few weeks, I've been part of an ambitious project combining the resources of three impressive organizations: The Shelburne Museum, StoryCorps and VPR. It all started when the Museum learned that it would host the nationwide traveling quilt exhibit called "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece By Piece" that contains 52 quilts - each interpreting Alzheimer's in some way. The concept was inspired and the quilt's graphic images are powerful - to say the least.

As museum staff began brainstorming other exhibition elements to accompany the quilts, someone mentioned hearing segments of StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative on NPR's Morning Edition - in which people affected by memory loss shared stories with friends and loved ones. Initially, the idea was to invite StoryCorps to set up a recording booth in the exhibit itself to record visitor stories and comments, but it quickly grew into something more complex - and challenging.

So last January, StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative came to the Arbors and Wake Robin in Shelburne, and Project Independence in Middlebury, to record a number of interviews - each one about 45 minutes long. The goal was to select and edit several excerpts to feature at listening stations in the exhibit. Would VPR undertake the editing and consider airing some of the results? The answer was yes.

Ten of these interviews were selected by StoryCorps staff and sent to VPR for editing five excerpts down to a length suitable for possible broadcast and listening stations in the museum exhibit - two or three minutes at most. I got the assignment, and I must say it's been intense. The production process was a little like panning for gold: seeing a glimmer, then finding and polishing an important nugget. It's been very moving. The stories are personal, the atmosphere intimate, and the details range from funny to profound.

And in the end, it feels deeply satisfying. I believe that these stories, with their emotional content, will provide an effective complement to the artistic images in the museum exhibit, yet powerful enough to stand alone on the air in Piecing Together Memories.

At least, I hope so. I look forward to hearing what you and museum visitors think.