news guide vermontnewsguide . com July 11 , 2022 Vol . 62 No . 15 P . O . Box 900 • Arlington , VT 05250 tel : 802.362.3535 Manchester Music Festival !

COURTESY OLD MILL ROAD

VERMONT MAGAZINE 3

Visiting guest violinist Yura Lee . Find out more about Manchester Music Festival ’ s current season on page 4 .

COURTESY OLD MILL ROAD MEDIA

The Magazines and Fate

STRATTON Magazine and Manchester Life were critical to Old Mill Road ’ s growth , because they positioned us to promote not only what we were doing , but what EVERYONE in the community was doing .

But Carolyn and I both knew that we needed to grow our reach .

For years , I ’ d been asking , “ Why don ’ t Northern Vermont and Southern Vermont connect more ?” We ’ re a small state . There should be more connectivity .

In 2017 , I had served as the co-Chair of a committee for the Arlington School District with Florence Belnap , who ( at that time ) was the CFO of MACK Molding . As fate would have it , her husband , Chris , owned VERMONT Magazine .

In 2019 , Chris approached me and Carolyn . He asked us if we wanted to buy VERMONT Magazine . We said , “ Yes ,” immediately . VERMONT Magazine allowed us to connect and spotlight the different regions of the state . In addition , it enabled us to promote Vermont to the rest of the world . VERMONT Magazine is now distributed in all 50 states and five international countries .

Acquiring the Vermont News Guide was another unexpected opportunity brought about by serendipity .

Through a mutual friend , I was introduced to film and theater composer , David Friedman . David has had a remarkable career that includes conducting the music for several of Disney ’ s animated features ( Beauty and the Beast , Aladdin , Pocahontas , and The Hunchback of Notre Dame ), composing for Broadway , writing music for The Today Show , and continuing the legacy of the brilliant singer , Nancy LaMott .

Shawn shared , “ I know the guy who owns the Vermont News Guide — and he ’ s looking to sell .” Shawn introduced us to Marty Hersam — and we bought the Vermont News Guide , a community newspaper that I ’ d read religiously on each childhood visit to Vermont .

And the story behind the acquisition of Berkshire Magazine is not to be believed .

For over a decade , I ’ d insisted ( to anyone and everyone who would listen ) that Southern Vermont and the Berkshires were sisters . Both have amazing cultural institutions , art , literature , history , scenery , and music . Why weren ’ t these two regions linked ? Why wasn ’ t there a Weston to Williamstown “ Theater Tour ”? Or an Arlington to Stockbridge “ Rockwell Tour ”?

JIMMY IENNER , JR .

David visited Old Mill Road with his husband , Shawn , in 2019 . While David and I were discussing music at the piano , Shawn and Carolyn chatted on the sofa .

COURTESY OLD MILL ROAD

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