Tunbridge Quarterly – Town of Tunbridge, Vermont

The TUNBRIDGE Quarterly is mailed four times a year to everyone that owns property and/or resides in Tunbridge and contains news and information from town and school officials and local volunteer efforts. The brainchild of Tunbridge resident Janet Zug, its first edition was published in July 2005 and has been curated by Janet ever since.

The deadlines for TQ entries are on the 15th of December, March, June and September. Contact Janet at 802-889-9602 or zugglassstudio@gmail.com

THE CURRENT ISSUE

Published April 1, 2026 – Follow this link to view or download the current issue in PDF format.

Click here to see past issues.

Tunbridge Selectboard
John O’Brien, Clerk
889-3474; bellwetherfilms@yahoo.com
Gary Mullen, Chair
889-3323, barn or 889-3242, house; theflyingfarmer29@gmail.com
Mike McPhetres, Vice Chair
802-272-6108, cell or 802-728-3390, shop; farmallfix@yahoo.com
Mariah Cilley, Administrative Assistant
802-889-5521 or tunbridge.adm.assist@gmail.com

By the time this TQ arrives in our mailboxes, Town Meeting will be old news. But to recap: It was a good Town Meeting, strong attendance, thoughtful questions, a hearty meal, budgets passed, and more pies than stars in the sky.

Now that the Vermont Supreme Court has ruled for Tunbridge on its Legal Trails case—sure enough, the town has the authority, but not duty, to maintain and improve its right-of-ways, and to decide the who, when and how those trails are used by the public—the Selectboard, the Planning Commission and the Trails Committee look forward to re-opening the discussion of how to make our trails, public and private, a great experience for recreating Tunbridge, whether for residents or visitors to our lovely town. Between our dirt roads, our legal trails, our trails on town forest land, VAST trails, and private landowners’ trails, we can see whole worlds…and never leave Tunbridge!

The Windsor County Sheriff has been much in the news lately. And not in a good way. As the charges against the Sheriff work their way through the legal system, Tunbridge, as a town that’s contracted with the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department to receive law enforcement, is committed to stick with the Department’s services. Deputy Jackson Howe, who lives in Tunbridge and has done much of the policing, with his knowledge of the town and its residents, has brought a level of professionalism and responsiveness that Tunbridgians appreciate. And the Department itself, if it can weather the financial challenges it finds itself in, should be okay going forward, with new leadership and guidance from the state; we need our Sheriff’s Departments and we need them to be accountable and transparent.

The Transfer Station is about to undergo an update. With the Royalton Transfer Station charging $40 just to drive across the scales, the Tunbridge dump has become a cheaper alternative for out-of-towners. To make sure the Tunbridge Transfer Station is for our residents and property owners, the Selectboard and the Treasurer are working on a sticker system. This summer, residents and property owners will be mailed a dump sticker. This will help the Transfer Station Attendant to spot out-of-towners. We realize that some families use more than one vehicle to go to the dump. If you would like another sticker, stop by the Town Offices, or come to a Selectboard meeting; we know that there will be some hiccups with the stickers, but it’s a start and we’ll see, in a year, if it’s working and the town supports the policy. Because tipping fees keep rising (what we pay, say, Casella, to haul the dumpsters away to a landfill), we are going to nudge up the price of throwing trash out. Ultimately, Tunbridge has to pay for trash hauling, and we aim to spread the bill out over the bag price (or tires or couches) and property taxes.

On the Highway side, we have big decision upcoming. The Selectboard would like to move forward on the “Brookfield Option” (because Brookfield did this) and build a sister building to the Town Garage in the next five years. This building, a slab with three or four bays, with heat, without a bathroom, would be a temperature-controlled space for our grader, our dump trucks, at times our loader, backhoe or tractor. Not only is it good practice to keep today’s computer-controlled six figure equipment out of the weather, but our current garage is packed to the gills and this would give our Road Crew a safe and flexible space to conduct maintenance and repairs. Many questions need to be considered, including What’s our budget? How will we pay for this? Should the building be wood or steel? How many bays? Water and septic? The Selectboard aims to deliver a new town building that serves the Road Crew well and doesn’t “break the bank” of our taxpayers.

To close this report with where we began: By the time this TQ arrives in our mailboxes…the weatherization project at the Town Hall should be wrapping up. This tightening up is the result of a grant, will be shared with future work at the Town Offices. Our investments in our Rec Road solar array and the buttoning up our municipal buildings should give a good whack to our monthly energy bills. As well as transform those venerable buildings into something they’ve never been called in winter: Comfy.

The TUNBRIDGE Quarterly
Janet Zug 889-9602 zugglassstudio@gmail.com

TQ entries are written and received approx. 15 days before the delivery date which allows for the time needed to complete the whole process; gathering the entries, laying out the file, having it printed, processing the bulk mailing… and finally it’s off to the post office for delivery. I always shoot for the first day of the quarter months but when it actually hits your mailbox depends on your address.

All TQ Entries are printed as received and only edited for typos or space constraints. Please accept my apologies for any mistakes I miss or make! Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions.

The deadline dates for TQ entries are the 15th of December, March, June and September.

Tunbridge Town Clerk
Bonnie McCrillis, Clerk 889-5521
Mariah Cilley, Asst Clerk town.clerk@tunbridgevt.org
Hours: Monday & Wednesday 8-2 Thursday by appointment

Hello, Happy Spring! (Almost)

We have had a wonderful week of warm sunshine. I don’t think we are out of the snow business just yet. Then we get to experience MUD season in all it’s glory. I think Noah Kahn should write a song about mud season in Vermont.

Things are moving along in the office. We made it through Town Meeting without any bumps or bruises.

I am currently seeking an Assistant Town Clerk. If you are looking for a part-time job, please contact me. I hope to fill this position within the next 4-5 weeks.

I am moving along with the day-to-day activities. I have had to put off some the larger projects for now.

I got my first call this week to begin the Mormon Bus Tours. They will begin in May and go into October.

Please don’t hesitate to stop in or call if you need anything or if I can be of any help. Please see below the staff that can help with you questions/request much better than I can.

Mariah (Admin Assistant): Email Tunbridge.adm.assist@gmail.com for Selectboard agenda scheduling and other town matters needing the selectboard’s attention.

Tax or Payment Questions: Becky Hoyt at 889-3571 or treasurer@tunbridgevt.org.

Transfer Station Hours: Wed 4–7 pm, Sat 9 am–3 pm.

Town Hall Reservations: Judy Howe at 889-3487—she’s your go-to for bookings and questions.

Listers: Rudi Rudell or Christine Battcock at 889-3571.

Qigong Mondays
Catherine Freese – 889-9410. freesevt@gmail.com

Stop by the library any Monday morning from 9:30-10:15 to practice simple exercises that combine movement, breath and focus to create good health. There is no charge and no experience is necessary–just a desire to strengthen joints, improve balance and sharpen mental faculties.

The hardest thing about Qigong is pronouncing it (chee-gung); the rest is easy!

First Branch Ambulance
Barbara LaFrancis 889-3378

Hopefully, as you’re reading this, we have completed at least one or two rounds of muddy roads, had a taste of this year’s maple syrup, and are looking forward to the warmer temperatures.

There have been many delays due to floods, production issues and backlogs at or near the manufacturer of our new ambulance.

Finally, all is looking better and we are closer to a delivery date although no specific one has been given.

We continue our recruiting efforts and welcome anyone interested in serving the community during times of need to join our dedicated and loyal staff who continue to serve, give their time and expertise to help their neighbors and friends when it counts the most. Please contact Chase Ackerman or Liz Connor at 802-685-3112 or go to our new WEB site at www.fba911.com , browse, and find information.

911 red house markers are available by contacting Judy Tucker at 889-3305 or judytucker40@yahoo.com for a donation of $20.00

These markers assist FBA in locating you when there is an emergency.

You, the community, are important and FBA thanks you all for your continuing support. We wish you a safe, happy spring.

Better Bones
Kay Jorgensen – 889-5528, kjayvt@gmail.com

Better Bones balance and weight-bearing exercise program is offered at the Town Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. It is aimed at increasing bone density at an age when bone mass is lost and osteoporosis is a concern. Anyone can drop in for a session. A doctor’s permission is requested for those who continue with the program.

Chelsea Area Senior Center
Susan Pirie, 685-2290, chelseaseniorcenter@gmail.com

In addition to offering Meals on Wheels and Curbside pick-up, the Chelsea Area Senior Center is open for indoor dining on Mondays at 12:00 pm. Please call to make a reservation to eat indoors, for curbside pick up, and also for Meals on Wheels.

Tunbridge Board of Listers
Dan ‘rudi’ Ruddell, Chris Battcock 802-889-3571
(lister@tunbridgevt.org) Office hours: Tuesday & Friday 9am-3pm

The 3 year Lister term was filled at Town Meeting 2026. There is still a Lister position available, if you know of anyone send them our way! The primary responsibility of the lister is to determine the fair market value of your property; all real property commonly known as real estate is assessed. Real property is defined as land and any permanent structures attached to it. This value is converted into an assessment, which is one component in the computation of real property tax bills. In order to accomplish this goal, listers must understand appraisal methods and property assessment administration in Vermont.

Given the enormous changes in our world over the last several years, that is a challenging endeavor, coupled with new State requirements requiring Listers and Assessors be certified (per 32 V.S.A. 4052 (b), amended by Act 68 in 2023): Listers and Assessors must be certified as determined by the Director of Property Valuation and Review. Effective January 1, 2026, any elected Lister who is not certified at the time of election will have one year to comply with requirements. Minimum education in the first year is 48 hours, plus a State mandated Ethics webinar/video (~45 mins).

April 1 is the “assess as is” date in our annual cycle, and we are focusing on finishing quarterly rotational reviews in the North West quadrant of town for 2026, we may make Changes of Appraisal up until early June but need to estimate the state of completion as of April 1. Next up is the North East section of town.

HOMESTEAD DECLARATIONS AND HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX ADJUSTMENT CLAIMS ARE DUE APRIL 15, 2026, even if you anticipate filing an extension for income taxes (adjustments can be made later and still be considered timely if you file by April 15). Late fees and penalties apply after April 15, and no HS declarations are approved after October 15, 2026. If you are eligible, the Homestead Property Tax Adjustment is a credit against taxes, filed at the same time as the Homestead Declaration. Further information can be found at:
https://tax.vermont.gov/homestead-declaration

An important reminder when filing your taxes: business use/rental use is declared on your Homestead Declaration (HS-122); remember to report any changes in use on this form. If you no longer declare such use, please notify us, as this portion is billed at a non-residential rate.
Feel free to stop by or give us a call during office hours, listed above.

Tunbridge Community Nurse
Jodi Hoyt – 802-249-8956

Rooted in the values of rural resilience and neighborly support, the The Tunbridge Community Nurse Program continues to grow as a trusted resource for residents seeking support with their health and well-being.

The program provides a wide range of services designed to help individuals navigate healthcare, remain independent in their homes, and connect with important local resources.

Throughout the past year, the Community Nurse has supported dozens of residents through home visits, phone calls, and care coordination with healthcare providers. Services include in-home assessments, healthcare navigation, patient advocacy, referrals, education, and assistance accessing medical supplies and equipment. These services help residents manage health concerns, recover after illness or surgery, and better understand the healthcare system.

Community health outreach has also expanded. Preventive clinics, including flu and cardiovascular screenings, have seen increased participation, showing the value of bringing healthcare services directly into the community. The program has also provided home-based care for residents who are unable to travel, helping ensure that everyone can access essential services.

The Tunbridge Community Medical Closet continues to support residents with short-term medical equipment such as walkers, shower chairs, and other helpful supplies. The closet was recently reorganized and inventoried to improve accessibility for those who need it.

Looking ahead, the program hopes to continue expanding community involvement. More volunteers are welcome to join the Community Nursing Board, which meets every few months to help support and guide the program.

Plans are also underway to collaborate more with local 4-H youth groups, including youth and animal visits with homebound residents. These visits have been meaningful for both residents and youth, and we hope to expand this effort. The 4-H group is also helping with a community service project supporting the medical supply closet.

Additional community health events and outreach opportunities are being planned for the coming year as the program continues to grow and serve the Tunbridge community.

Tunbridge Library
Mariah Lawrence – Library Director
802-889-9404/tunbridgelibrary@gmail.com/tunbridgelibrary.org
Tues 10-5, Wed 3-6, Thurs 10-5, Fri 3-6, Sat 9-1
Staff ~ Maureen Moriarty, Theresa FitzGerald, Russell Lewczuk-Jensen

The library is so proud of the varying programs that happened this winter through Sunday Series and the Conservation Commission’s winter evenings. Winter is long and having a space to be together, meet new people, learn from one another and enjoy something new is such a gift. Hosting events at the library is easy- If you have an idea, or an expertise and want to bring it to the community please don’t hesitate to connect. Both of these groups are already thinking of next year’s events and the library is always looking for new and exciting programs.

Bumblebee playgroup deserves an extra shout out this month. Lauren Priestap has put in the extra mile in planning and it shows in both the number of attendees and the quality of the time spent in the library! VINS came and brought a screech owl and the very next week The Arts Bus visited where kids had the opportunity to create in a whole new way! Thursdays from 10-12 the library is bustling and full of life. Story hour is promptly at 10:30am. All babies birth-7 years old (or older!) Are welcome to attend! It is guaranteed you will meet new folks who are at a similar place in life.

Knitting Wellness is another group that has grown in numbers as well as in closeness. This amazing group of crafters meets regularly and has become quite the family. They are helpful to each other with both knitting instruction as well as in life’s milestones whether they are difficult or celebratory. Even with the closeness this group has, they are incredibly welcoming of newcomers both to the group and to the sport of knitting. They meet the first Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm.

Shelf Love is yet another group folks can join in and find camaraderie, joy, and a slew of new ideas for reading material. Kathi Terami heads this group and is as sweet as she is deliberate about her book club meetings. Next up is a “Second Chances” themed meeting and the group will discuss Mitch Albom’s newest book Twice. They will meet April 3rd 6-7:30pm. Copies of the book are available for checkout behind the desk at the library.

Meg Hopkins has been diligently leading an ADHD support group at the library on a monthly basis. This group, though varying in size each month, is a space where no judgement is made, and no concern is laughed at. She provides the group with top notch tips and tricks for managing neurodiversity both within oneself and in support of those in our lives. All are welcome to this surprisingly fun meet up once a month. The group next meets April 16th. Call the library for more info! No sign up or diagnosis necessary.

Finally, our amazing staff member Russell, has morphed Imagination Friday into a game night to be enjoyed by people of all ages and levels of knowledge about board games. The library provides many games but folks are encouraged to bring their favorites and share the rules with those participating. This happens EVERY week from 3-6pm Friday afternoon. This is a great way to meet new people, have some fun and get connected to the community.

As you can see the library is full of ways to get to know your neighbor!

Friends of the Tunbridge World’s Fair
Deb Mullen – 889-9406 damullen49@gmail.com

Spring is (sort of!) in the air, and the Friends will soon be getting together to plan new ways to assist the Fair in its mission to promote, preserve, and support agricultural education and heritage, rural communities and Vermont history. Our goal: To preserve the past while preparing for the needs of the future.

The Friends of the Tunbridge World’s Fair was created as a way for more folks to participate in the Fair experience and to support the very best of what the Fair stands for. We raise money to support projects that enhance the Fair, whether it is improving exhibition spaces, expanding public access, or funding programming.

The Friends are a 501c3 non-profit and your donations are tax-deductible (and very much appreciated!). If you feel you have skills or ideas that would add to the quality of the Fair experience, we’d like to hear from you! We are always looking for new members. Meetings are 2nd Wednesday of the month, May-October. If you are interested, please contact Deb Mullen at 802 889-9406 for more information.

Tunbridge Town Website
Geoff Hansen, 802-889-3373, or info@geoffhansen.com

Tunbridge’s town website is a timely resource for information from the Town Clerk, board meetings (including videos of meetings via Zoom), an Events Calendar listing upcoming meetings and community events, and past issues of the Tunbridge Quarterly. Please let us know if there’s something you would like to see listed or have any questions.

Tunbridge Historical Society
Maureen Moriarty 401-662-5341
vicepresident@tunbridgehistoricalsocvt.org

Another reminder that 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. On February 1st, Izzy Provoncha kicked off our celebration this year with a lecture at the library entitled “Interpreting Historical Interpreting”. As many people know, Izzy is an avid re-enactor and owns numerous items that are historically accurate, right down to the buttons on a jacket. His lectures are drawn from his personal experiences participating in re-enactments and his extensive research into people, battles, and pivotal moments during the American Revolution.

Then the Historical Society sponsored a Vermont History Trivia Contest on February 21 at the Library. It was the first History Trivia event offered in the state and was coordinated by the Vermont Historical Society. There will be more events like this both here in Tunbridge and in surrounding towns. We will announce these on our Facebook page and website.

The Historical Society will again be involved with the Memorial Day Parade and Programs. This year’s focus will be on people and places with a Revolutionary War connection. The pre-parade program starts at 10:30am in the Town Hall. The cemetery remembrances follow directly after the parade.

July 14 is the date of Tunbridge Speaks and while the exact topic has not been set, I think we can expect another great Semiquincentennial themed presentation.

The Historical Society will hold two volunteer events this summer with dates to be announced. One will be a “scrape and paint the shutters” day at the North Tunbridge Church in preparation for their re-installation. The other will be a cleanup of the inside of the Church. Please join us! Many hands make light work.

The next cemetery restoration project will take place at the Hunt Cemetery on August 8 at 7:45am. VOCA (Vermont Old Cemetery Association) will again be there to assist the Tunbridge volunteers.

And lastly, the 2nd edition of Folk Life is in production with final interviews conducted and articles being written up. Publication is targeted for early summer.

As always, new members who might be interested in the work of the Society are welcome to join. We meet quarterly. Please email Elaine Howe at elaineahowe@gmail.com to become a member. You can also follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on THS activities.

Tunbridge Fire Warden
Brenda Field – 889-5548 brenda.field666@gmail.com

Thanks to all for the caution used last year during the drought. We are still in a lower than normal water table. The highest time of wildfires in Vermont is usually April so I get a bit cautious as soon as that snow recedes. Once the green grass gets some height, it can ease the danger of spread.

A reminder that once the snow is gone that surrounds your burn, you need a permit even if it is raining. I alway appreciate those calls that let me know even when there is snow. Forest, Parks and Rec. is working on some description changes i.e. campfires for one, as an example. Call me for a permit at the number above or John Durkee at 889- 3408. Leave a message with your address and return phone number. If calling from a cell phone, be aware that the cell service in Tunbridge is spotty at best. If I don’t return your call, it could be that it “broke up” if you’re on a cell phone. I could not get your phone number so try again.

Tunbridge Recreation Committee
Kathy Galluzzo – 802-565-0695 kgalluzzo@wrvsu.org

The Tunbridge Recreation has another busy spring coming up. Baseball and softball are starting for the kids. Our adult leagues and tournaments will also be gearing up. Anytime you see the cook shack open please stop and say hello or grab a bite to eat. We have many choices.

Sunday breakfasts are a huge hit. They are typically the 3rd Sunday of every month. The crowd keeps growing.

May will also be busy. On Memorial Day we will have free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, a bounce house and of coarse cow-pie Bingo. Green up day will also feature Bob & Ed bucks. If you help green up you will receive some Bob & Ed bucks to use at the cook shack on green up day or anytime during the summer when the cook shack is open.

Tunbridge Conservation Commission
Eliza Minnucci – eliza.minnucci@gmail.com
Tunbridge Conservation Commission
Cheryl Metcalf, Evan Reiss – Co-Chairs, Eliza Minnucci – Secretary, Mali’o Kodis – Treasurer Bryan Kalleberg, Tess Mix, Linda Clark, Peter Hayden, Stewart Fisher

Welcome Spring! Though there is still snow on the ground and sap frozen in the buckets, as of this writing, our warm weather birds are already arriving – red winged blackbirds, robins and a mallard have been reported recently. Our Winter Bird Survey has not quite reached its conclusion, but we’ve already recorded observations of 42 species. We’ve enjoyed hearing from you, and so we’ll continue this project throughout 2026. Keep reporting your bird sightings at www.bit.ly\tunbirds. How many birds can we identify in Tunbridge in one year? The sky’s the limit. Like, literally.

We were delighted with the turn-out for our January Winter Evening with Walter Poleman. There were fifty folks snuggled into the library celebrating the geology, and syrup, of Tunbridge. We hope some of you also made it out to our evening with Dave Wilcox, watershed forester in March. Our VINS Owls program has been postponed until Friday, May 1. There is still time to RSVP to this attendance limited event. Please get in touch if you’d like to attend.

Green Up Day is Saturday, May 2nd. This Vermont tradition is strong in Tunbridge. Fill the official green bags with roadside trash, and those bags are accepted at our transfer station free of charge Wednesday, April 29 – Saturday, May 9. You’ll see us at the transfer station handing out bags and marking our map of Tunbridge roads to make sure we’ve gotten every last ditch. Thanks for pitching in to keep Tunbridge looking so sharp!

Cheryl Metcalf will lead a bird walk on May 8th, location to be announced. We also anticipate a Spring Ephemerals walk in May. We are especially looking forward to getting you out in our Town Forests learning about and enjoying our lands, environment and wildlife.

We are adding a focus on invasive species to our annual events. One of the earliest invasive plants on our landscape is Wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris). Wild Chervil can bloom as early as mid-May. It is often found thick along roadsides and has a bad habit of taking over hayfields and pastures. To limit the spread, the simplest defense method is to mow the plants before they set seed. So we may change the No-Mow-May recommendation to Just-Mow-Chervil-Before-June. Keep your eye on our channels for a specific invasive species work day this spring, as well as a general invasive species education day in the fall.

The Tunbridge Conservation Commission meets the first Thursday of the month at 6pm at the Tunbridge Public Library. The public is welcome at our meetings. We can be reached at tunbridgeconservation@gmail.com.

Information about our commission can also be found at http://tunbridgevt.org/conservation-commission/

Tunbridge Grange # 384
Rosemary Distel 802-272-2235

Friday Night Bingo continues through May 8th in the downstairs of the Tunbridge Town Hall. Games start promptly at 6:30 PM and as always, we will have refreshments on sale.

Bring your kids to the 4th Annual Easter Eggstravganza on April 4 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Tunbridge Grange Hall (495 VT Rte 110 in North Tunbridge). There will be activities, games, and crafts. Bring your camera for a photo with the Easter Bunny! Free entry for everyone, but donations are kindly accepted.

We have made renovations to our kitchen and we want to thank Jeff Young for his kind offer of plumbing assistance (Grangers can do many things, but plumbing is not an area we wanted to tackle!) We hope to show off our new kitchen soon with one of our dinner events, so stay tuned!

Tunbridge World’s Fair
Ingrid VanSteamburg – 889-5555. info@tunbridgeworldsfair.com

If you stored something over the winter your item(s) need to be
removed from 9am – 12noon on the last Saturday of April (4/25) and the first Saturday of May (5/2). If you dropped off on the first weekend you pick up on May 2nd and if you dropped off on the second weekend you MUST pick up on April 25th. Please think about the fair for storage next fall and we’ll try to fit you in.

Check out our website soon for updates for the coming season, which starts in May and ends in October. Don’t forget the World’s fair is September 17 – 20 this year. Posters will be available at the office soon – you don’t want to miss this one! Call the office if you have any questions about the grounds or the fair. Have a great summer!

Tunbridge Area Events List
Bill Tarkulich bill@tarkulich.com, phone 781-799-2930

I continue to update the events list every two weeks. I compile it from announcements and just contacting people. I include things within a 40-minute drive. You can find paper copies at the Library, the Town Office and church. It’s posted on the town bulletin board adjacent to the Post Office and at the general stores. It’s also online. What have I missed? Send it along!

Here is a short list of events in Tunbridge to put on your calendar:
March 29 Herbal Medicine and Deep Earth Connection, Public Library
April 4 Final Shindig dance
May 25 Memorial Day Parade and Firemen’s Barbeque
June 6 “The Ranger” Bicycle event, Fairgrounds
June 25-28 Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival, Fairgrounds
July 11 Community Yard Sale
July 14 “Tunbridge Speaks” (Historical) and Ice Cream Social
July 17-19 New England Ox Pull

You can always find an online copy at this web link (which never changes: https://tinyurl.com/Tunbridge-60

ECFiber and the Town of Tunbridge
tunbridge@ecfiber.net | www.ecfiber.net | 802-ECFiber

ECFiber began in 2008 as a grass-roots effort to bring high speed internet to our hills. Since then, it has created more than two dozen good jobs and inspired the State of Vermont to help eight other Communications Union Districts form.

When we say we are community-owned, it is because the District that owns the business is governed by local citizens appointed by Selectboards to represent their town on the board. Each of the now-31 member towns has one vote on the Governing Board.

If you are interested in volunteering for this important project as a representative from Tunbridge please contact our administrative assistant, 889-5521 or tunbridge.adm.assist@gmail.com

Tunbridge Community Food Shelf
Open Fridays, 4-5 p.m.
802-693-5878 (please leave a message)

By the time you receive this TQ, hopefully spring will be much
closer. As of this writing, the robbins have arrived and we have had a red-winged blackbird sighting. The Tunbridge Food Shelf has made it through the winter months and is still available to meet your supplemental food needs. We have canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, a
variety of soups, multiple choices of cereal, shelf stable milk and more. Thanks to the Veggie VanGo program we also have fresh vegetables most weeks, Check to see if we have cheese and meat available during your visit.

Each week during the school year, our volunteers pack backpacks for usually 9-12 families, depending upon the given week. This provides 35-50 people with supplemental foods . For information about this confidential program, contact the Tunbridge School.

Every fall, Tunbridge Recreation program has supplied us with a wide variety of additional items. Thank you again to them for their generosity. Additionally, Margaret Rogers and Judy Tucker celebrated their birthdays on January 31st with a “desert fest”, and collected food items for us at that time, also

A special thank you is necessary for all of you who have donated financially to our program. Your support is very much appreciated. An additional “thank you’” goes to Nancy B. Howe who recently completed a long and intensive food safety certification on our behalf. This additional training allows us to deliver food to our senior community members, and important part of our mission, as well as assuring the safety of our inhouse food handling and storage.

It’s an ideal time to again be contemplating planting additional vegetables for your summer’s gardens to share with your friends and neighbors through the food shelf. We always appreciate the fresh vegetables that many of you have supplied in the past. Anyone who would like to donate financially, checks should be sent to our treasurer, Mary Fisk PO Box 12 Tunbridge, VT 05077.

The Senior Celebrations which are sponsored by The Tunbridge Church outreach committee are supported by our food shelf products and by the efforts of the four of us who serve on both the food shelf and outreach committees. We wanted to make sure that you have the dates for this summer’s Senior Celebrations, which are available to all residents who allow themselves to be called “seniors”. The meals are free of charge and are a wonderful time to have a homemade meal and visit with others from your community. All meals are at noon. April 21 – Town Hall, June 16 – Fairgrounds, August 11 – Town Hall, October 27 – Town Hall.

Tunbridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Claire Brock – 889-3785 clairebrock53@gmail.com
For TNHN services call 889-3437

Tunbridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors coordinates and provides basic services at no charge to town residents through the efforts of volunteers. We are a non-profit organization whose operating costs (primarily phone service) are supported by the generosity of Tunbridgians who allocate funds at Town Meeting, and by donations, which may be sent to TNHN, P.O.Box 22, Tunbridge VT 05077.

A few of the services offered by TNHN are:

Rides to appointments, etc.
Pick up of prescriptions or other store goods
Cooking meals for people who are ill or otherwise unable to cook for a short period of time
Minor repairs or painting, minor home repairs, changing a lock**
Changing a flat tire or jump-starting a car
Simple repairs to household appliances**
Helping to lift or move large objects
Delivery of library books or Food Shelf items
Help with gardening, lawn care, or stacking firewood
Shoveling snow off walkways and steps
Other reasonable requests

**Please note: Cost of materials needed falls on the person requesting help.

Services provided by volunteers in recent months included rides to appointments, (doctors, dentists, etc), bringing trash and recycling to the transfer station, helping the town nurse at the medical equipment closet, delivering food shelf items, picking up a prescription, helping replace a pool pump, and providing assistance capping an appliance water line.

Anyone needing a service offered by TNHN should call 802-889-3437. We do our best to find a volunteer who is available for the specific request at the specific date and time. We cannot guarantee same-day rides or services. To join our list of volunteers, please contact any of the board members listed below or call 802-889-3437. We respect and value your willingness to help your neighbors.

Current board members: Michael O’Donnell, President 802-763-8985; Claire Brock, Vice President 802-889-3785; Liz Williams, Secretary 617-435-9661; Donna Nelson, Treasurer 802-249-0969; Pat Howe 802-889-5512; Helen O’Donnell 802-763-8985

Friends of First Branch School Club
Eliza Minnucci, Jess Anderson, Laura Ginsburg, Erica Shleif
friendsoffirstbranch@wrvsu.org

The Friends of First Branch is an informal group of educators and community members who volunteer and donate to celebrate and support the students and staff at our First Branch Schools.

The spring thaw has ended skating season, but what a great season it was. Thanks to donations from the eighth grade class of 2020 and many others, building and ice-conditioning efforts of the rink engineers, support from the Recreation Committee, and supervision from volunteer rink recess duty folks we had elementary students skating everyday at recess in January and February.

Our High Mowing seed fundraiser in January was our best yet. Snow peas just edged out carrots as most popular vegetable this year, and Snapdragons held on as the most popular flower. Another highlight of the winter was the Weather-at-Your-School event with meteorologist Marissa Vigevani from NBC5, followed by Winter Carnival. Supported by many volunteer teachers and parents, students were ice-skating and forecasting the weather on live TV starting at 4:30am on a February morning. Video clips of the students can be found online.

If the sap cooperated we supported a Sugar House open house event in March at the middle school. We are looking ahead to hosting a weekend community event at the elementary school in May.

We have been happy to provide support for field trips – like the third grade to the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, and supplies for clubs and electives, like aprons for the middle school Junior Iron Chefs, as well as durable equipment, like a bookshelf for a kindergarten classroom.

Staff appreciation week will happen May 4 – May 8. It is always a good day to thank an educator, but we appreciate everyone who pitches in to make staff appreciation week really something special. We’ll have themes each day; we’d love to have you on our email list if you might be up for baking, donating, or writing a thank you card.

We welcome you to join us in supporting more experiences for students, celebrating our staff, and developing our fundraising traditions. Please follow us on facebook at Friends of First Branch School Club, or get on our email list by sending us a message at friendsoffirstbranch@wrvsu.org. We meet once a month, typically the first Tuesday, and anticipate a virtual option to join the meeting for the rest of the spring.

Chelsea Health Center Memorial Tree Park
Larry Mengedoht – 889-3307

The Chelsea Health Center Memorial Tree Park is a four-acre public sanctuary honoring the memory of loved ones. Located beside the Chelsea Health Center along the First Branch of the White River, it offers a peaceful, natural setting for reflection, quiet walks, and spiritual renewal.

Designed for accessibility and serenity, the park features walking paths and a variety of native Vermont trees planted in memory of individuals. It is open to all and includes handicap-accessible pathways.

Planting a tree serves as a lasting tribute that benefits future generations. Currently, 31 trees have been planted, with space for more than 100. Species include sugar maple, red maple, white oak, red oak, burr oak, swamp oak, white birch, butternut, willow, horse chestnut, ohio buckeye, and yellow birch.

Trees are planted each fall, with locations and honorees listed annually in the park’s display cabinet.

Community members can sponsor a tree through a designated donation or support ongoing care through the park’s operating fund. Additional contributions may be made at any time, including through planned giving such as stocks, wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations. As part of a nonprofit organization, all donations are tax-deductible.

Donations should be made payable to:
“Chelsea Health Center Memorial Tree Park,”
and mailed, along with information regarding your wishes, to:
Chelsea Health Center Memorial Tree Park
P.O. Box 92
Chelsea VT 05038

Contact CHC Memorial Tree Park commission members for information/ questions:
Larry Mengedoht (Tunbridge) larrymengedoht@gmail.com,
Judy Tucker (Tunbridge) tuckerjudy40@yahoo.com,
Judy Libby (Chelsea) libbyjudy@gmail.com,
David Savidge (Washington) gdsavidge@gmail.com,
Pete Amber (Chelsea) ambertreeservice@gmail.com,
Eliza Amber (Chelsea) e.amber318@gmail.com.

The Tunbridge Church
802-693-5878, thetunbridgechurch@gmail.com

All are welcome to attend the church’s two Easter celebration services on Sunday, April 5. The 6:15 a.m. sunrise service will be at Orchard Road off the top of Strafford Road. Tailgate pastries and hot beverages will follow the short service. The church will be decorated with flowering plants for the 10 a.m. traditional service featuring special music including a trumpet solo.

Weekly Sunday worship services are held at 10 a.m. People who enjoy singing are invited to join the monthly choir. Regular church attendance is not required. If interested please contact Nan Frost or Katharine Maguire.

While the church hopes to find a permanent part-time lay or ordained pastor eventually, we are pleased to have four guest service leaders who come once a month: Rev. Kirsty De Pree, a spiritual health chaplain at Dartmouth Health; Rev. Skye Murray, a pediatric chaplain at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth; Katie Walsh, a social worker with a divinity degree; and Ben Wolfe, who grew up in The Tunbridge Church and is doing divinity studies.

The Tunbridge Church has a long tradition of community service, especially for older residents. A homemade soup and dessert meal was delivered to seniors’ homes in March. On April 21 the first of four Senior Celebration meals will be served at the Town Hall.

The May 24 Memorial Day Sunday church service will include reading of the names and tolling the bell for those who died in the previous year. The following day non-profit groups are invited to set up on the Parish House lawn for the town’s Memorial Day celebration.

Anyone who needs a resting spot to sit in the village is invited to use the granite bench honoring Annie Laber. It is in the church garden that will soon be blooming with spring flowers. The Little Free Library is nearby.

Women who are alone are invited to the Women Moving Forward potluck fellowship meals at the Parish House on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 12pm.

The Parish House hosts the Tunbridge Community Food Shelf, open Fridays from 4-5 pm; Al-Anon Mondays at 4 pm; AA Sundays at 7 pm.

To join the church email list, write thetunbridgechurch@gmail.com or call 802-693-5878. News is emailed midweek and announcements are posted on Facebook.

Streamed and recorded church services are at tunbridgechurch.org.
To listen by phone, dial (646) 876-9923 – meeting ID: 858 4950 1899,
passcode: 526048.

The church welcomes donations in support of its programs at PO Box 270, Tunbridge VT 05077 or by credit card at tunbridgechurch.org.

Tunbridge Heating Fuel Assistance Committee
Contact our Treasurer 889-3571, ext 102 treasurer@tunbridgevt.org

The Committee’s mission is to maintain and administer funds that provide assistance to Tunbridge residents, allowing them to get the heating fuel they need. The goal is to keep our community strong and connected and to ensure that everyone has the ability to stay warm.

This is a service offered to help residents of Tunbridge just like you. The Committee can help point you to other resources that are available and will consider applications when a resident is in need. Please consider applying before this becomes an emergency.

Currently, the members include Helen O’Donnell, Anne Mallary, Ben Wolfe, Shari Murawski, Selectboard member, Gary Mullen and Town Treasurer, Rebecca Hoyt. There are lots of things we can do as a community to help one another through cold weather and tough economic times. Consider joining us at a meeting!

Applications are now available at the Town office, with a committee member and to download on the website.

Donations can be given directly to the Town Treasurer, or mailed to Town Treasurer; PO Box 6; Tunbridge, VT 05077. Include “Fuel Assistance Donation” in the subject line. We want to do this better and look forward to finding ways to reach more people who are struggling financially in the
cold months.

Resources available: Capstone Community Action, Randolph Office: 12 Prince St., Randolph; 802-728-9506 and 800-846-9506, Barre Office: 20 Gable St., Barre; 802-479-1053 and 800-639-1053 or capstonevt.org

Community Action can help with crisis fuel, seasonal fuel, utility assistance, weatherization and furnace repair or replacement as long as you meet the income guidelines.

Ed Larkin Contra Dancers
Clyde Jenne – clydo46@gmail.com

The Ed Larkin Contra Dancers host Contra Dancing twice a month at the Tunbridge Town Hall, Weather permitting.

April 10 at 7:00 PM
April 26 at 2:00 PM
May 8 at 7:00 PM
May 31 at 2:00 PM
June 28 @ 2 PM

All dances taught. Refreshments at intermission. $8 donation at the door. Bring the family. Children under the age of 12 admitted free.

South Royalton Rescue
Ryan Terrill – (802)788-1050, admin@southroyaltonrescue.com

South Royalton Rescue continues to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing emergency medical services to portions of Tunbridge and the entire communities of South Royalton and Sharon. We also provide mutual aid support to First Branch Ambulance and White River Valley Ambulance (WRVA), and occasionally assist Hartford Ambulance. Since January 1st of this year, our service has responded to 111 calls.

We have received several inquiries regarding our annual subscription program. Subscription forms will be ready for mailing at the beginning of May. This subscription will cover ambulance transports provided by South Royalton Rescue from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

Recently we have experienced some early signs of spring weather. As the ground begins to thaw, mud season will soon be upon us. This can create challenges when navigating dirt roads and driveways with the ambulance. We encourage residents, when possible, to ensure that clearly visible 911 address numbers are posted at the end of driveways and that access is kept as clear as possible for emergency vehicles.

Our new building project is currently out for bid, and we look forward to relocating to a site near the South Royalton Town Offices. This has been a lengthy process, and we sincerely thank everyone who has supported this effort through donations, as well as our dedicated Advisory Board for their continued work in making this project a reality.

South Royalton Rescue is currently located at the corner of Safford Street and South Windsor Street in South Royalton. Our service is staffed by 28 members, including VEFRs, EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics, with most shifts staffed at the AEMT level.

If you are interested in serving your community as a first responder, we would welcome your involvement. Two VEFR classes will be offered at White River Valley Ambulance on March 28, 2026, and April 18, 2026. These are full-day classes. To enroll, please visit vt ems.imagetrendlicense.com.

Donations to support South Royalton Rescue can be mailed to:
South Royalton Rescue
53 Safford Street
South Royalton, VT 05068

Tunbridge Emergency Management
Brenda Field – 889-5548 brenda.field666@gmail.com

We as the Emergency Management Director- Brenda Field and Emergency Management Coordinator- James McGuire have stayed quite active. We have attended many trainings put on by the state and TRORC. We have coordinated and promoted a couple of tabletop exercises centered around the schools and the fairgrounds. The table tops are run by Vermont Emergency Management with a lot of feedback and involvement of the mutual aid towns around us.

We have worked with our counterparts in surrounding towns promoting folks to be as self-sufficient as possible during any event that could cause loss of power and access to roads due to floods, large snowstorms or wind events that may last for more than a few hours or days.

Shelter accommodations in our town are very limited due to lack of generators in a power outage. The generator at our school has just “aged out”. We have continued to work closely with the fire department, road crew, both ambulance services, VSP, Sheriff’s dept and schools under the Unified Command model. .

James is heading up the annual revision of our required LEMP (Local Emergency Management Plan) this year. James is also looking at promoting a volunteer program of “road captains” to reach out to folks on their roads during isolating events like road damage due to rain, flood, ice or heavy snow to ensure your neighbor’s safety.

If a large emergency happened in town, the town offices now have both a back up generator and two way radio with many of our town officials volunteering to open and run the EOC (emergency operating center) .. “A good emergency plan is one that is there but hopefully never used”.

All these thoughts and plans couldn’t happen without the many hours and willing support of our Tunbridge Vol Fire Dept, Tunbridge road crew, schools including our SU, ambulance heads, Vermont State Police and Vermont Emergency Management.

Tunbridge Volunteer Fire Department
Jamie Bradford – 802-889-3478

Please check out the Fire Department’s Facebook page for events warned such as th Annual Meeting, the Chicken BBQ, Easter Egg Hunts and more.

The Fire Department is greatly appreciative for the communities continued support during this challenging time. As always we are here to volunteer our services and support your needs.

Please remember when we leap forward or fall back, changing the clocks is a great reminder to change the batteries in the smoke detectors.

Please remember to visit us at the memorial day chicken bbq to get your delicious meal or to just say hi! Reservation details will be posted on the departments facebook page, tunbridge volunteer fire department.

The Tunbridge Volunteer Fire Department is always welcoming new members. If you are interested please stop by the Department Thursday nights after 7:00pm or reach out to us at chief@tunbridgefire.com

Tunbridge Community Discussion List
Fred Pond – 802-476-5520, pondfc@yahoo.com

Interested in local events, new services, news? Perhaps you would like to discuss a local issue with your fellow residents, or offer some local ‘lore’, or sell some cattle.

The Tunbridge Community Discussion List provides easy access to your neighbors, without gathering personal data for reuse as social media sites do constantly. TCDL encourages discussion on topics specific to Tunbridge. It is not an ‘official’ list set up by the Selectboard or town office – (although they use the list to announce meetings, other news about the town).

All you need is an email account to receive daily mailings – sent first thing in the morning (because Tunbridge folk get up early, right?).

To sign up and learn more about posting guidelines, visit:
https://lists.vitalcommunities.org/lists/info/tunbridge

FrontPorchForum.com
The Tunbridge Forum

Sign up to join the free daily forum and share news, coming events, requests, lost and found, free stuff, whatever. The service started 13 years ago. In a recent month the Tunbridge email forum reached local inboxes 15,600 times. It is also available via mobile app, email, and web.