Top Stories for Tuesday April 17, 2018

Lion, Solider, Gentleman Sharing Memories With Bob Barrows
By Cookie Steponaitis
Keeping up with this father of four, grandfather of eleven, great-grandfather of eleven and great-great-grandfather of one is a task better suited for people half his age or less. At 92.5 years young, Vergennes Lions Club founding member Bob Barrows begins every morning with a series of stretches, twenty-five pushups, twenty-five planks, squats and an exercise regimen that many thirty-year olds might pause before attempting. Add to that a 3 p.m. ritual of using a tread mill/cross tracker through at least one television show because as Bob explains, “exercising can be monotonous,” this very fit super senior has a plan for health that has carried him into his senior years with health, sharpness and a passion for helping others. Sharing Memories with Bob Barrows is more about keeping up with Bob Barrows.
    Bob was born in the Little City on December 7, 1925 and raised in Vergennes which his family called home for generations. Getting a lot of his passion for helping others from his father Charles Barrows, Bob grew up the youngest of four children and worked helping his father in the drug store he owned and operated just up the street from Dalyrimple’s. “My father loved people and he loved to help,” explained Bob. “He always took time to listen to the people who came into his store and if he met them on the street there was more conversing.
  [ more ]

Beeman Students Blend Art And Heart Through Activism
By Cookie Steponaitis
Beeman Elementary School art teacher Eileen Gombosi has a passion for art and student activism and blending the two into artistic projects with a purpose is something which Gombosi feels brings to her students the ability to make a difference at a young age. Recently these passions combined into a repurposing project where Beeman 5th & 6th grade artists transformed old chairs and desks into stunning pieces of art reflecting the culture of Puerto Rico. In the process of being auctioned off, the pieces are on sale for a reasonable price and a great cause. All proceeds raised will be sent to benefit communities in Puerto Rico still struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria more than a year ago.
  [ more ]

American Legion Post #14 Announces Memorial Day Parade Theme

American Legion Post # 14 is pleased to announce that the 2018 theme of Vermont’s largest Memorial Day Parade is Honor & Commemorate: Freedom Isn’t Free. The purpose of the Memorial Day Parade is to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Veterans Captain Brian Gebo and Ron Nimblett will be serving as the Key Note Speaker and Parade Marshall respectively. The parade is hosted by American Legion Post # 14 and will be held on Monday, May 28 beginning at Vergennes Union High School and winding its way through the Little City. Each entrant whether in the Antique Tractors, Classic Cars, Motorized Units, Float Category, Walking/Marching, Fire Departments, Rescue Squads, or Military must complete an entry form. The parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will conclude with a formal Memorial Day remembrance on the park in Vergennes beginning at approximately 12:30 p.m. Following the parade, American Legion Post # 14 will hold a Chicken Barbeque at the post.  [ more ]