HI, I'M ERIC FORD FROM MADE

HERE.

VINCE FRANKE ALONG WITH NORTHERN

VERMONT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN

THE VERMONT GOVERNMENT AND

HISTORY CLASS TEAMED UP TO

CREATE THE FILM, JOHNSON,

STORIES FROM THE COMMUNITY.

STUDENTS CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS

WITH TOWN RESIDENTS AND COLLEGE

ALUMNI AND CONTRIBUTED TO

EDITING REVIEW SESSIONS FOR A

FILM THAT IS PART STORY-TELLING

AND PART HISTORICAL RECORD OF

THE TOWN OF JOHNSON.

THE FILM FEATURES OVER 200 LOCAL

HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS COMBINED

WITH ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS.

YOU CAN WATCH THIS FILM AND

SEVERAL MORE FROMFILM-MAKER

VINCE FRANKE.

ENJOY THE FILM AND THANKS FOR

WATCHING.

>> JOHNSON WAS A DESTINATION

BEFORE THAT, THE PEOPLE IN THE

OUTLYING AREA WOULD COME IN ON

FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO GO SHOPPING.

>> WE BECAME A VERY ACCEPTING

COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE

THINGS ABOUT JOHNSON.

IT'S A VERY ACCEPTING PLACE.

WE'RE NOT JUDGMENTAL.

>> THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT

THINGS ABOUT THIS TOWN.

JOHNSON HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY HOME,

AND I GUESS I DON'T EVER FORESEE

BEING ANYWHERE ELSE.

>> IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE WITHOUT

A DOUBT.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT THROUGH THE

YEARS, AND NOW, TOO, LOTS OF

WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT I HAVE MET

HERE, AND HAVE DONE THINGS WITH

AND HAVE JUST ENJOYED.

>> SINCE BEING CHARTERED IN

1792, JOHNSON HAS DEVELOPED INTO

A RESILIENT AND COMPASSIONATE

COMMUNITY.

THE STORIES AND MEMORIES SHARED

IN THIS ORAL HISTORY PROVIDE A

PEEK INTO THE PAST AND OFFER AS

VIEW OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FROM

BOTH A CENTURY AGO TO A FEW

YEARS AGO.

STUDENTS IN THIS GOVERNMENT AND

HISTORY CLASS AT JOHNSON STATE

COLLEGE SET OUT AND INTERVIEWED

MANY RESIDENTS TO CAPTURE THESE

STORIES.

WE HOPE TO PROVIDE A GLIMPSE

INTO WHAT MAKES THE COMMUNITY SO

SPECIAL.

>> WE STARTED IN JOHNSON, AND SO

FAR MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN IN

JOHNSON.

MY WHOLE CHILDHOOD WAS SPENT

WITH MAIN STREET AS MY

PLAYGROUND, AND EVERYBODY LIVED

THE SAME WAY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT BUT WE ALSO

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE DID NOT

HAVE, SO WE, WE JUST DIDN'T

WORRY ABOUT LIFE.

THE PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,

AT LEAST, WERE ALL EMPLOYED

EITHER AT THE TOP MILL OR MINE

IN THAT INDUSTRY, OR OVER WHERE

THEY WERE MAKING FLOORING OVER

THERE INSTEAD OF SELLING

BUILDING MATERIALS.

FOR FUN IT WAS MAKE YOUR OWN,

LIKE MOST KIDS, THERE WAS AN OLD

FIELD WHERE THE MARKET IS NOW.

AND IT WAS PRIVATELY OWNED, BUT

IT WAS A SORT OF A PUBLIC

PLAYGROUND OF ALL THE KIDS ON

MAIN STREET.

THAT BECAME OUR BALL DIAMOND,

AND ALSO BECAME OUR TRACK FOR

RIDING BICYCLES.

>> WE GREW UP TO GO.

WE PLAYED TOGETHER.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT FOR TOYS,

BUT YOU MADE DO WITH WHAT YOU

HAD.

YOU PLAYED OUTDOORS AND HIDE AND

SEEK, AND YOU MIGHT RIDE ON THE

HAY WAGON, YOU KNOW, OR ANYTHING

LIKE THAT.

>> FOR WINTER FUN, IT WAS

SLEDDING AND SKATING AND THAT

SORT OF THING, BUT ALWAYS, ALL

OUR FUN ACTIVITIES WERE

OUTDOORS.

WE WOULD GO TO THE TOP OF THE

HILL AND SLIDE RIGHT DOWN ON

ROUTE 15 AND MAKE THE TURN AND

GO UP TO THE BRIDGE, THERE WAS

NEVER ANY ACCIDENTS BECAUSE

THERE WERE VERY FEW CARS ON

ROUTE 15.

>> AROUND 1955 MY FATHER BUILT

THAT, THE HOMEMADE ROPE TOE.

ALL THE KIDS FROM SCHOOL SKIED

THERE IN THE WINTERTIME.

AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND A REAR-END

OF A MODEL A FOR A DRIVE

MECHANISM.

AND WE WOULD GET PULLED UP THE

HILL BEHIND THE HOUSE.

A PRETTY STEEP GRADE.

>> THERE ALWAYS WAS A GROUP OF

PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN

MAKING THINGS HAPPEN IN THIS

TOWN.

OVER THE YEARS, OF HUBERT BEARD,

WHO HAD THE HARDWARE STORE, IT

WAS RENOWNED IN NORTHERN VERMONT

BECAUSE IF HE DID NOT HAVE IT,

NOBODY HAD IT.

AND HE RAN MOVIES FOR KIDS AND

HAD A BOWLING ALLEY GOING ON

DOWN WHERE THE ART SCHOOL IS.

>> JOHNSON HAS NO SHORTAGE OF

POWERFUL STORIES OF PEOPLE IN

THE AREA WORKING SELF IT ISLY -G

SELFLESSLY IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE HEARD STORIES FAR INTO

JOHNSON'S PAST.

THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN AND SOME

OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HAVE

MADE THE TOWN STRONG

UNFORTUNATELY HAVE BEEN SOME OF

THE TRAGEDIES THAT HAVE STRUCK

THE TOWN.

PROBABLY THE MOST NOTED ONE, OF

COURSE, IS THE 1927 FLOOD.

LIKE MOST DISASTERS OF THAT

TYPE, ESPECIALLY IN VERMONT,

SEEMED TO BRING PEOPLE OF THE

AREA TOGETHER.

CERTAINLY, THE 1927 FLOOD DID

THAT.

LIVES WERE LOST, PROPERTY WAS

LOST, AND PUBLIC PROPERTIES LIKE

HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES AND POWER

STATIONS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF

WERE DESTROYED IN THE 1927

FLOOD.

IT HAD TO BE REBUILT.

AND IT WAS FROM NEIGHBORING --

PEOPLE OF NEIGHBORING TOWNS AS

WELL AS THE RESIDENTS RECOVERING

FROM THE INITIAL DISASTER.

THAT REALLY MADE THE TOWN REALLY

STRONG.

THE STRENGTH CREATED WAS LIVED

ON, AND DRAWN FROM, FOR A NUMBER

OF YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD.

THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, I THINK,

MADE THE COMMUNITY EVERY TIME

STRONGER THAN IT HAD BEEN PRIOR

TO THE EVENT.

IN RESPONSE TO THE 1927 FLOOD

DEFINES MANY COMMUNITIES IN

VERMONT.

THE JOHNSON COMMUNITY HAS ROOTS

THAT GO BACK FARTHER THAN 1927.

>> THE MILL, OWNER, WAS NOT

INITIALLY STARTED TO PRODUCE

FABRIC.

WHEN THE MILL STARTED IT WAS

STARTED TO, MOSTLY TO PRODUCE

THIS BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF THE

SHEEP THAT WERE AROUND, THERE

WAS A LARGE POPULATION OF SHEEP

IN THE AREA, AND THE WORLD

NEEDED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE

SHEEP WOOL NEEDED TO BE CLEANED

AND CART AND HAD TURNED INTO A

YARN THAT COULD BE USED.

THAT'S, REALLY, WHAT GENERATED

THE START OF THE WOOL MILL.

IN MY YEARS IN THE 1950s, THEY

WERE MOVING AND MAKING THEIR OWN

FABRIC WITH THE PLANT IN BACK OF

THE SEWING PART OF THE JOHNSON

MILL FACTORY AND KNOWN ALL OVER,

OF COURSE, FOR THEIR PANTS THAT

THEY MADE.

IF YOU TALKED TO A LOT OF THE

WOMEN THAT ENDED UP WORKING

THERE, THEY DIDN'T WORK AT THE

WOOLEN MILL, THEY WORK AT THE

PANTS FACTORY.

>> THIS WAS, BASICALLY, A

FARMING SOCIETY, AND WE HAD OUR

MILLS.

THE SAW MILLS, LUMBER MILLS,

ASBESTOS MILL.

>> THERE WERE A NUMBER OF MILLS

ON THE RIVER.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A RAKE

SHOP UP IN EAST JOHNSON ON THE

RIVER USING A LOT OF THE POWER

OF THE RIVER, THAT PRODUCED AS

MANY AS 50,000 A YEAR ALL MADE

BY HAND AND SHIPPED ALL OVER THE

COUNTRY.

THAT'S WHEN HAYING, A LOT OF IT

WAS DONE BY HAND.

TO ME, IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE

THAT MOST OF THOSE SMALL MILLS

WERE ON THE RIVER.

THE WATER OF THE RIVER WAS

EASIER TO CONTROL THAN THE WATER

OF THE LAMAR RIVER SO THE GUY

HUNT RIVER BECAME REALLY

IMPORTANT TO THE INDUSTRIAL

GROWTH OF THE WATER-POWERED

MILLS IN JOHNSON.

>> YOU KNOW, THE SAW MILL OVER

HERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE EARLY,

EARLY TEENS THROUGH 1950s WITH

THE HARDWOOD FLOORING MILL, AND

THEY SHIPPED HARDWOOD FLOORING

ALL OVER THE WORLD.

THE RAILROAD KEPT THIS TOWN

GOING BACK IN THE 1920s AND

1930s.

EVERYTHING WAS SHIPPED BY

RAILROAD.

>> OUR MAIL CAME, ALL CAME BY

RAIL, AND AT THE TIME, AND IT

WAS PICKED UP ABOUT THREE TIMES

A DAY.

THE MILL WAS A REAL ECONOMIC

DRIVER OF JOHNSON FOR A NUMBER

OF YEARS.

>> MY FATHER, HE WENT THERE TO

WORK FOR TWO WEEKS, TEMPORARY

HELP, AND HE RETIRED 45 YEARS

LATER AT THE END OF THE TWO

WEEKS.

BUT, THAT WAS COMMON, AND ALL OF

MY FRIENDS' PARENTS, MOST OF

THEM WERE AT THE MILL.

THE MILL, AT THAT TIME, BETWEEN

THE MILL AND THE MINE, WERE

PROBABLY EMPLOYING 75 TO 90

PEOPLE, AND WORKING, LONG BEFORE

MY FATHER RETIRED, THEY WERE

WORKING THREE SHIFTS.

WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY.

AT LEAST FIVE TO SIX DAYS A

WEEK.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE

TOUT MILL WAS PRODUCING ENOUGH

MATERIAL THAT WAS VERY

SUPPORTIVE OF THE RAILROAD, SO

THE RAILROAD WAS VERY ACTIVE

THANKS TO BOTH THE ASBESTOS MINE

AND THE ASBESTOS SHIPPING, AND

THE TOUT MILL.

AND, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, AS

THOSE INDUSTRIES STARTED TO

CLOSE UP ALONG THE RAIL LINE, SO

DID THE RAIL.

JOHNSON WENT THROUGH MANY PHASES

OF CHANGE.

THE COMMUNITY HATS STRUGGLED AT

TIMES, AND IT'S ALSO BEEN A VERY

PROSPEROUS PLACE TO DO BUSINESS

FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THE WHOLE

CURRENT OF THE TOWN CHANGED FROM

AGRICULTURE TO THE INDUSTRIAL

TOWN TO WHAT'S NOW THE EDUCATION

AND ARTS.

>> WHEN CONSIDERING THE

INFLUENCES OF COMMUNITY AND

INDUSTRY ON THE VILLAGE OF

JOHNSON, ONE CAN'T SEPARATE HOW

INTERTWINED AND INFLUENTIAL THE

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE

BEEN.

IN 1928, THE NORMAL SCHOOL

OPENED FOCUSING ON TEACHER

TRAINING PROGRAMS AND QUICKLY

MODERNIZED BECOMING KNOWN AS THE

JOHNSON TEACHER COLLEGE IN 1947.

THE COLLEGE WAS MADE -- IT MADE

JOHNSON WHAT IT IS TODAY.

THERE IS SOMETHING TO SAY FOR A

SMALL TOWN THAT HAS A COLLEGE

AND WITH THE RELATIONSHIP, AND

THE COLLEGES TRIED TO PROMOTE

THAT.

THE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW,

SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE HAS BEEN A

GOOD ONE.

>> I CAME TO JOHNSON IN 1952 TO

BE A STUDENT AT THE COLLEGE.

I GREW UP IN WATERVILLE,

ACTUALLY, AND THAT WAS REALLY

QUITE DIFFERENT THAN IT IS

TODAY.

THE McCLELLAN BUILDING IS

WHERE THE COLLEGE WAS.

ALL OF OUR CLASSES WERE IN

THERE.

THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE AND THE

DEED'S OFFICE, THE OFFICES WERE

THERE, AND WHEN WE HAD MEALS, WE

HAD TO GO DOWN THE HILL AND OVER

TO MAIN STREET HERE TO THE HALL,

IT'S NOT THE HALL MORE, BUT IT

IS ALWAYS THAT TO ME, AND ONE OF

THE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT

CHESS-A-MORE HALL, EATING THERE,

AND AT EACH TABLE THERE WERE

SMALL TABLES AND AT EACH TABLE

THERE WAS A HOST AND HOSTESS,

AND ONE OF THE HOUSEMOTHERS,

EACH SEMESTER, POSTED THIS

LOVELY BIG POSTER THAT TOLD

WHERE PEOPLE WERE TO SIT AND WHO

WAS HOST AND HOSTESS AT EACH

TABLE, A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN

WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN THE DINING

HALL NOW, RIGHT.

WE COULD GO DOWN THE STREET, BUT

WE HAD TO BE BACK IN THE DORM.

EVERYBODY HAD TO BE IN,

CERTAINLY, BY 10:00, I THINK,

YOU COULD GO DOWN FOR A PERIOD

OF TIME BUT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO

BE STUDYING, SO.

>> I MET A PERSON FROM JOHNSON

STATE COLLEGE.

I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE DEAN,

INVITED, ASKED ME TO COME, AND I

ACCEPTED.

I CAME IN 1958, AND THERE WERE

13 FACULTY MEMBERS.

WE DID A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER.

YOU COULDN'T HAVE A PARTY

ADMISSION, BUT INVITED EVERYONE.

MY WIFE AND I DECIDED AFTER TWO

NIGHTS THAT WE WERE, WE WOULD

NEVER LEAVE VERMONT, SO THAT'S

THE IMPRESSION THAT JOHN HAD ON

US.

YOU REALLY FELT YOU WERE AN

IMPORTANT PART OF THE COLLEGE,

ITSELF.

THAT MEANT A LOT.

ANY FACULTY MEMBER OR STUDENT

THAT CAME, THE STUDENTS WOULD

OFTEN SAY THE JOHNSON STATE

COLLEGE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN

THEM.

>> I WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH

SCHOOL, MAYBE A JUNIOR IN HIGH

SCHOOL, LIKE 1954 WAS THE, WHERE

THE COLLEGE STARTED TO GO UP ON

THE HILL, THE MARTIN HALL BEING

THE FIRST BUILDING THAT THEY

CONSTRUCTED UP THERE ON THE FARM

PROPERTY.

THAT WAS, AT THAT TIME, IT, AND

THEY PURCHASED IT AND STARTED

MOVING EVERYTHING UP ON THE

HILL.

A LOT OF FACTORIES STARTED

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE G.I.

BILL TO GO ONTO GET FURTHER

EDUCATION.

A NUMBER OF THEM CAME TO

JOHNSON, WHICH WAS THEN THE

JOHNSON TEACHER'S COLLEGE AT

THAT TIME.

AND THEN A LOT OF THOSE STARTED

GETTING DOWNTOWN HOUSING, AND

THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST TIME

THAT THE STUDENTS STARTED LIVING

OFF THE CAMPUS.

>> I LIVED IN JOHNSON SINCE

1966.

WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, AT THE

FIRST ELECTION THAT I WENT TO,

TO REGISTER AND SIGN IN TO GET A

BALLOT, THEY AUTOMATICALLY GAVE

ME A REPUBLICAN BALLOT.

WELL, I DREW BACK AND I STILL

REMEMBER THE MAN LAUGHING, AND I

SAID, I AM SORRY, MISTER, BUT I

NEED ANOTHER BALLOT, AND HE WAS

LIKE WHAT?

>> THERE WERE TWO YEARS OF MY

LIFE HERE.

I HAD THE EARLY PART WHERE I HAD

MY HUSBAND AND THE CHILDREN, AND

WE HAD A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL,

REALLY VERY, VERY FULL LIFE

THEN.

I THINK THAT THE LATE 1960s

AND THE 1970s WERE REALLY --

IT WAS WHEN THE COLLEGE WAS

GROWING AND EXCITING BECAUSE OF

THE GROWTH AND SO FORTH.

I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT

HAPPENED DURING THOSE PERIODS,

WELL, THE GROWTH OF THE

BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH, THAT

TYPE OF THING, BUT STUDENTS, AS

WELL.

>> I LIVED IN WHAT WAS CALLED

THE DOMES, AND THAT'S WHAT IT

LITERALLY WAS, WAS A CLOSET HUT,

AND IT LOOKED LIKE AN IGLOO, BUT

THERE WERE BUILDINGS, GOVERNORS

AND SENATORS AT THAT TIME, AND

LIKE I SAID, I WORKED AT THE

DINER WASHING DISHES, AND THE

CARPENTERS AND THE OTHERS

WORKING THERE, THE CONCRETE GUYS

WOULD COME DOWN, AND THEY WOULD

BE LINED UP BEHIND THE COUNTER

STOOLS, AND AS SOON AS SOMEONE

GOT DONE EATING, THEY WERE GONE,

AND THEY SAT DOWN, AND SO THERE

WAS A BIG PUSH TO GET THE

COLLEGES DONE, AND THERE WERE A

LOT OF PEOPLE HERE AT THAT TIME.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS

OUT TO ME IS A LOT OF MY FRIENDS

THAT I STILL HAVE TODAY CAME TO

JOHNSON TO SCHOOL, AND LIKE ME,

WHEN WE GRADUATED, WE STAYED

HERE TO RAISE OUR FAMILIES HERE,

GOOD JOBS.

LONG AND DIFFERENT

ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE THE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND A COUPLE

OF DIFFERENT BOARDS OF THE

COLLEGE.

THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE FOOD

SHELF, AND I SEE FRIENDS ALL

OVER TOWN INVOLVED IN THINGS.

>> THIS SENSE OF COMMUNITY HAS

SURFACED THROUGH MANY STORIES OF

LIVING IN JOHNSON.

PERHAPS, THE ATMOSPHERE OF AN

ENTIRE COMMUNITY CAN BE SEEN

THROUGH JUST ONE STORY.

>> MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY IN

1982 -- 1983, RATHER.

HE HAD BRAIN CANCER.

THE WHOLE TOWN CAME TOGETHER FOR

THAT.

HE WAS ILL IN HIS LIVING ROOM

FOR NINE MONTHS.

I HAD TO COOK SUPPER.

THE CHURCH LADIES FROM ALL THE

CHURCHES DID IT, THE MINISTERS

FROM ALL THE CHURCHES CAME.

WE WERE BURNING WOOD THEN.

I HAD SEVERAL WOOD STOVES, I HAD

AN OLD COOK STOVE IN THE

KITCHEN, AND I HAD A WOOD STOVE

HERE.

AND WE WERE BURNING WOOD, AND WE

WERE RUNNING LOW, AND I JUST

HAPPENED TO MENTION TO A

NEIGHBOR, I GOT A LOOK AROUND.

DO YOU KNOW WHO IS SELLING WOOD?

I HAVE GOT TO GET SOME WOOD.

THE NEXT THING ISSUE, ONE OF THE

STUDENTS THAT I HAD HAD IN

SCHOOL PULLED UP AND DROPPED OFF

WOOD ON MY PORCH.

I DIDN'T THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT

THAT.

WELL, WHEN THE TIME CAME, THERE

WAS A DAY HENRY MANCHESTER FROM

THE MANCHESTER LUMBER GAVE ALL

HIS EQUIPMENT AND HIS DRIVERS,

HOWARD FROM THE MILL CLEARED

LAND UP THERE, AND HAD LOGGERS

COME IN.

A LOT OF LOGGERS IN NORTHERN

VERMONT PROBABLY GOTTEN BY THE

MANCHESTER FAMILY, VOLUNTEERED,

EVERYBODY IN TOWN SHOWED UP.

THERE WERE PICKUP TRUCKS THAT

WENT A QUARTER OF A MILE DOWN

THE ROAD, ALMOST A QUARTER OF A

MILE, I WOULD SAY.

MY YARD WAS FULL OF THEM.

88 PEOPLE SHOWED, AND WHEN THE

END OF THE DAY HAPPENED THERE

WERE 28 CORDS OF WOOD TAPED IN

MY BACKYARD.

THE CHURCH LADIES MADE

SANDWICHES.

THIS IS WHAT I AM TELLING YOU

ABOUT JOHNSON.

IT HAS A HEART.

>> OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAS

BEEN A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN THE COLLEGE AND THE

COMMUNITY WITH MANY PEOPLE

MOVING TO JOHNSON FOR AN

EDUCATION AND THEN STAYING AND

GIVING BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY.

>> I CAME TO JOHNSON AS A JUNIOR

FOR MY LAST TWO YEARS, IN 1973.

JOHNSON, I ALWAYS HARKEN BACK TO

MY COLLEGE THERE, AND THE

FRIENDS THAT I MADE ARE LIFELONG

FRIENDS.

I STILL SEE THEM ALL THE TIME.

AND THAT'S THE MOMENT THAT I

CHERISH THE MOST, THE PEOPLE%

THAT I MET, THE TEACHERS THAT I

HAD THERE.

>> MY CONNECTION TO THE TOWN AND

TO JOHNSON STATE IS I WAS A

STUDENT HERE, ACTUALLY, IN 1978

TO 1980, CAME HERE AS A VERY

LONG 17-YEAR-OLD, AND MY DESIRE

WAS TO MAKE THE FIELD HOCKEY

TEAM, AND CAME HERE MY FIRST

YEAR AND MADE THE FIELD HOCKEY

TEAM AND ENDED UP SEVENTH IN THE

NATION IN DIVISION THREE FIELD

HOCKEY.

I WAS A BUSINESS MANAGER MAJOR.

CAME BACK FROM THE PEACE CORPS

AND LOOKED FOR A JOB, OPENED UP

THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS AND

SAW THE COORDINATOR AT JOHNSON

STATE.

THIS IS IN 1990, SO I APPLIED

FOR THAT POSITION, GOT THE

POSITION, THOUGHT I WOULD STAY

HERE FOR A YEAR OR TWO.

NOW IT'S BEEN 26 YEARS AT

JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE.

AND I HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF

WORKING WITH HUNDREDS AND

THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHO WANT

TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER

PLACE.

IT'S JUST BEEN A PURE JOY SO

THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 26

YEARS.

>> THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COLLEGE

AND COMMUNITY, IT'S A VERY, IT'S

A RELATIONSHIP THAT PRODUCES A

LOT OF ENERGY.

STUDENTS STRONGLY CONNECTED

USING FAMILY SERVICES, WITH THE

JOHNSON FOOD SHELF, THE FAMILY

CENTER, THE UNION BANK, THE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LOCAL

SKI RESORTS.

I THINK THE COLLEGE IS VERY

CONNECTED IN THE TOWN OF JOHNSON

AND THE STATE OF VERMONT AND

BEYOND, IT'S VERY MUCH A

REGIONAL RELATIONSHIP.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE SERVE PROGRAM

CONNECTS AND HELPS SUPPORT AND

THE ORGANIZATIONS HELP TO

SUPPORT THE STUDENTS TO LEARN

VIS-A-VIS THE DOING, THE

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.

THE PROGRAM HAS DONE THINGS LIKE

WELL, THANKSGIVING BASKETS FOR

THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE, WELL,

ONE OF THE RECENT THINGS THAT I

HEAR, I HELPED TO PLANT TREES OR

TO TAKE CARE OF THE TREES WITH

THE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE,

HELPED THE SENIORS AT DIFFERENT

TIMES, AND I THINK THAT HAS

PROVIDED SOME CONNECTIONS TOO,

FOR PEOPLE, AND AGAIN, IT'S

GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER THAT

MAKES IT IMPORTANT.

>> I THINK THAT THE FIRST TIME

THAT I CAME TO VISIT THE CAMPUS,

I WAS SHOCKED THAT HOW PLEASANT

AND PEACEFUL THINGS WERE AND HOW

POLITE INDIVIDUALS WERE WHEN I

WAS HERE, SO IT WAS A GREAT

TIME.

IT WAS A GREAT TIME WHEN I WAS

HERE, AS A STUDENT ATHLETE.

I THINK THE BEST PART WAS THE

ABILITY TO DO MORE THAN JUST BE

A BASKETBALL PLAYER SO I WAS

INVOLVED IN THE STUDENT ATHLETIC

ADVISADVISORY COMMITTEE.

DURING THAT TIME WE HAD A COUPLE

OF EVENTS THAT WE HOSTED, AND WE

CONNECTED WITH NORWICH

UNIVERSITY IN DOING SOMETHING

CALLED A DROP AND SWAP THAT

STILL TAKE PLACE HERE AT JOHNSON

WHERE WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE

INDIVIDUALS BRING CLOTHES TO

JOHNSON, PEOPLE FROM NORTHERN

VERMONT, DROPPED CLOTHES OFF AT

JOHNSON, AND WE WERE WASHING AND

CLEANING THE CLOTHES, AND THEN

WE WOULD GIVE THE CLOTHES AWAY

TO ANYONE WHO NEEDED THEM THE IN

THE CASE DAY.

SO, I THINK THAT MY SENIOR YEAR

WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAD

AT JOHNSON STATE, AND IT WAS A

BIG EVENT, AND IT STILL IS TO

THIS DAY, SO I THINK THAT WAS

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS.

>> I'VE DEVELOPED A HIGHER LEVEL

OF PASSION FOR THE GAME OF

BASKETBALL, AND ALL THE LESSONS

I TRY TO TEACH FROM BASKETBALL

CAME FROM MY DEGREE HERE,

BASICALLY, IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND

SOCIOLOGY.

SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME WHY NOT BE

AT JOHNSON, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT BE

AT A PLACE WHERE I CAN BRING

INDIVIDUALS FROM URBAN, SUBURBAN

AND RURAL AREAS TOGETHER FOR A

COMMON GOAL.

YOU KNOW ONE, AND WE LANDED IN

THIS VERY DIFFERENT PLACE FROM

CHICAGO AND DETROIT, PLACES THAT

I HAD KNOWN GROWING UP, AND BUT,

WHAT I DISCOVERED VERY QUICKLY

WAS THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE.

WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT WHAT

WAS GOING ON IN THE AREA, AND

NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT IT BUT

TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET

INVOLVED AND CONNECTED, AND WHAT

I HAVE SEEN IN JOHNSON IS THAT

THEY ARE ALWAYS -- THERE ALWAYS

SEEMS TO BE A FOCUS ON

EDUCATION, COLLEGE BEING AROUND

FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

TO HAVE, YOU KNOW Y THE ART

EDUCATION AND STUDIO CENTER, AND

BEING HERE ALMOST 50 YEARS, AND

LONG-TIME RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE

WHO CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY

GENERATIONS THEY GO BACK LIVING

IN JOHNSON, IT'S ALSO A

COMMUNITY THAT REALLY

APPRECIATES AND VALUES PEOPLE

WHO ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH,

STOPPING BY FOR A VISIT, SO THAT

ENERGY AND THE FACT THAT

OFTENTIMES IT COMES TOGETHER

RATHER THAN BEING SOMETHING THAT

BUTTS UP AGAINST EACH OTHER IT,

MAKES FOR A REALLY DYNAMIC AND

WHAT I FIND EXCITING COMMUNITY

TO BE A PART OF.

>> THE CONNECTIONS WITH JOHNSON

STATE AND LARAWAY ARE MANY, AND

THEY ARE DEEP AND STRONG.

MOST OF THEM, THERE IS NO

CONTRACT.

THERE IS NO FORMAL

DOCUMENTATION, IT'S JUST

CONNECTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE

MADE OVER THE YEARS.

WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED SHOOTER

FOR GOALS, AND WHAT THAT

BASICALLY IS, IS THAT IT ALLOWS

BASICALLY THE KIDS TO COME UP TO

JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE.

IT'S LIKE THREE OR FOUR

THURSDAYS GOING THE SPRING

SEMESTER WHERE THEY COME UP AND

OUR BASKETBALL PLAYERS CONNECT

WITH THE STUDENTS THERE, AND

BASICALLY, THEY DO A LOT OF FUN

DRILLS AND SKILLS THINGS, AND

PLAY A COUPLE GAMES AND STUFF

LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY AN

OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE

INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE

COMMUNICATION WITH GUYS THAT, TO

SOME DEGREE, THEY MIGHT LOOK UP

TO, AND AT THE END OF THE

SEASON, THE COACHES BRING OUT

SOME OF THE OLD JERSEYS AND WE

GO INTO THE VARSITY GYM AND HAVE

A GAME BETWEEN A COUPLE OF

TEAMS, SCOREBOARD AND GET THE

MUSIC GOING AND THE COACHES DO

SOME PLAY-BY-PLAY, AND IT'S A

REALLY EXCITING EVENT, AND WE

ENCOURAGE THOSE CONNECTIONS

BECAUSE IT GIVES OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT

WHAT LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

LOOKED LIKE AND START IMAGINING

THEMSELVES MAKING THAT

CONNECTION UP THERE.

>> IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE

STUDENT OPTIONS, IN JULY OF

2018, JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE

UNIFIED WITH LINDEN STATE

COLLEGE TO FORM NORTHERN VERMONT

UNIVERSITY.

WHILE NVU IS ONE UNIVERSITY, THE

CAMPUSES STILL HAVE THEIR

DISTINCT IDENTITIES ALLOWING

STUDENTS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING THE

STRONG BOND AND THE

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE

UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATIONS,

PROGRAMS, AND STUDENTS WITH THE

LOCAL COMMUNITY.

IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY

OF THE VILLAGE OF JOHNSON, AND

THE CONNECTION TO ITS DIFFERENT

SCHOOLS, THERE IS AN ONGOING

THREAD THAT SEEMS TO WEAVE ITS

WAY INTO ALL THESE STORIES.

REGARDLESS OF GOOD TIMES OR BAD,

THIS COMMUNITY HALLS ALWAYS BEEN

THERE FOR EACH OTHER AND SEEMS

TO BE POISED TO KEEP THE STRONG

BONDS AND TRADITIONS GOING INTO

THE FUTURE.

VERMONT PBS, PARTNERING WITH

LOCAL FILM-MAKERS TO BRING YOU

STORIES MADE HERE.

FOR MORE, VISIT VERMONTPBS.ORG.