[middtube envs0350a-f08 mp3:leastman_melendy’s_102908]

Luke Eastman

Interview with Marylin and Lum Melendy

Jersualem, VT

10/29/08

Marylin and Lum Melendy are an elderly couple living in Jerusalem. They’ve been in VT for longer, but moved to Jim Dwire Road in 1985. Lum runs a chainsaw shop right near the house and they own a campground (I didn’t get to see either because it was nighttime). They describe a very positive experience in town, but also the sentiment that they don’t have much to do with Starksboro itself.

This interview ran for about an hour and a half (hence the copious timestamps), and was unfocused at times. Some good historical tidbits and stories are in this interview, though.

1:00 – 2:20 Marylin – Born in VA, 1930, lived in VT since 17, Lum – Born in St. Johnsbury, 1926, lived in Jeffersonville, South Burlington with wife until 1985.

2:20 – 4:20 The couple had $100, bought 4 acres of land in Jerusalem, built a camp. Funny story about the bridge, how it was tough to navigate

4:30 – 7:30 Positive comments on neighborhood security. Story about fire next to Jane Cooper’s house. Details of the Ladies’ Home Circle that Marylin is in (active since 1920’s) – they cook for the victims of the fire.

7:30 – 11:20 Memories of a schoolhouse teacher they knew (did not attend it). “it’s our community building.” Details of Halloween party there recently. Road history of the area.

11:25 – 14:15 Describing what the Ladies’ Home Circle did (She has notes going back from 1921….sewed, put on plays, made meals) and what they do now (don’t sew, cook).

14:50 – 16:30 Reasons for coming (originally built camp in 1959). Was a getaway when they lived in south Burlington. Son uses it with family.

16:30 – 18:50 and 21:00 – 28:15 Sugaring in Jerusalem (Lum’s experience of 14 years, stopped 4 years ago; and some history of other sugarers)

28:20 – 36:00 Lum’s career in selling chainsaws – started shop in South Burlington, then moved it to Jerusalem right at his house for reasons of “downsizing” the business. Describes his customers (all sorts of people use chainsaws in VT), and changes in business.

36:45 – 40:40 Marylin describing son’s education in VT, is now a forester at Johnson lumber. They have 3 sons and a daughter. – in Hinesburg, Middlebury, Huntingdon, Berry.

42:50 – 45:50 Cool stories from Lum about his Dad’s police job during Prohibition chasing down gangsters smuggling alcohol through from Canada.

45:50 – 46:15 Harry Truman’s grandson lives in Starksboro.

46:20 – 48:25 – Short bit on Lum’s WWII experience

49:30 – 51:15 ; 52:50 – 55:30 “No, we’d rather not sometimes [have anything to do with Starksboro]” They definitely think that Jerusalem is quite separate. They don’t really do too much in Starksboro at all. “Well there’s nothing to do!” [in Starksboro].

55:10 – 57:30 Telling me about Bertha Hansen’s book about Starksboro history.

57:40 – 1:00:25 Talking about Stony Mason.

1:01:30 – 1:04:35 Jerusalem used to be called Orvisville. People who went to the schoolhouse: Greg Orvis, Gary Orvis, Cathy Bushy, Linda Barnard, Bruce Rublee(sp?).

1:04:45 – 1:09:00 No real disappointments about their experience in Starksboro. Kind of resent the necessity for transportation. General satisfaction.

1:14:30 – Marylin tells funny story about founding of Jerusalem (she misquoted it).

1:18:00 – “when you’re talking to people around here you wanna pay attention.”

1:23:00 – Had an easy time connecting to people when they moved in because of the shop and the people they met.

1:34:00 – Story about how Rodney Orvis helped their son decide what to do.

[middtube envs0350a-f08 mp3: leastman_jcooper_100708]

Luke Eastman

Interview with Jane Cooper

10-7-2008

1113 Jerusalem Road, Bristol VT 05443

0:00 – 1:25 Introduction; born in Eerie, PA

1:25 – 3:25 How she got to Vermont; liked independent attitude of VT, self-sufficiency

3:30 – 10:35 Describing 10 years in trailer, “it was appalling,” “it was disgusting,” “it was good for my kids, they learned to do with less,” ran out of water, cost-effective measures, described “Norman Rockwell childhood” for her kids, described how distance meant not as much as social interaction,

10:35 – 11:30 Story about power, phones going out, walking with young son in winter

11:30 – 14:20 Living in current house; “you have to really work hard at doing stuff that you don’t have to do elsewhere (talking about VT),” “having right priorities,” “I don’t have to impress anybody up here,” kids picking berries after reading children’s books about it

14:30 – 15:05 Describes neighbors and interactions

15:25 – 19:10 She “ABSOLUTELY” feels a disconnect with the town of Starksboro, kind of feels like an outsider, doesn’t feel much of a strong connection to the Jerusalem schoolhouse, talks about a meet-your-neighbor get-together “thinks it’s very cool that people are making that kind of effort”; “I don’t know everybody, but everybody knows who I am,” never goes to the town center,

19:15 – 21:57 “I’d rather be Jerusalem than South Starksboro”

21:55 – 24:00 Story about someone addressed her house “side of Stark mountain” ‘ another story about a man trying to sell the Burlington Free Press upset about her not having an actual address

24:15 – 26:00 How she feels separate from town, “I REALLY WISH WE WERE OUR OWN SEPARATE TOWN ACTUALLY.”

26:10 – 28:00 Describing trifles with old grumpy German lady, story about dog eating deer

28:15 – 31:50 Describing nice neighbors, “you want a healthy, safe place for your kids” “I don’t know if we even know where our house keys are,” “it’s just a lot of belief in community up here,”

32:00 – 33:50 Bad sides of living here – weather (it’s been 30 below), no cell service, fear of having a health emergency

35:30 – 40:15 Her kids experiences during schools, thought that Robinson had ups and downs, “They probably couldn’t read if I hadn’t done that (read at home with them),” “a real mixed bag,” was a teacher at Mt. Abe, describes kids who couldn’t read three letter words

40:15 – 42:30 Story about kids hanging out with different age groups, sense of community, “very unique growing up in a place like this”

42:28 – 43:45 Story about a girl helping her son with reading some days on the school bus (Very heartwarming),

43:50 – 48:15 Kids futures and Starksboro, she doesn’t want her kids back in Starksboro, but close enough in VT, toughness of job prospects, talking about the “geniusness” of her son,

48:15 – 50:15 Has a feeling that tough environmental laws might be keeping business out, a little upset about petition to shut down Vermont Yankee, thinks it would force IBM out, good story on that,

50:15 – 52:00 “For some of us we get the impression that they’re trying to make Vermont into a place just for affluent people,” “I just worry about the economic conditions”

52:10 – 56:43 Talking about commuters, how a gas tax in VT wouldn’t work, talks about how public transportation is bad, how school activity bus used to not come to South Starksboro, “It’s like for some kids, that are economically deprived up here, they don’t have some opportunities that they should have.” ACTR doesn’t come up there. “I wish town was a little more affordable as far as utilities go.” “It’s really a good place to live.”

[middtube envs0350a-f08 mp3: leastman_abaker_092708]

Timestamps:

0:00 – 4:30 Description of Yarmouth, Maine. Community feel

4:30 – 5:45 and 15:00ish = School descriptions

5:45 – Dad’s work (mention of Dad’s travels and sailing)

7:45 – Wonderful description of walls in her house

10:10 – Mom’s interesting background

11:00 – Description of connection with her Mom’s English side

20:15 – 21:00 Description of why she chose Middlebury (because it was in the middle!)

21:11 – 22:10 and 23:45 – 25:45 Decision about quitting basketball for last year at Midd

22:30 – End Experience and activities at Middlebury, plus future plans

My Response:

The interviewing experience was completely new to me. I had never given or been the subject of an interview. The interaction is certainly different from a regular conversation. It isn’t quite as free flowing – I was afraid of going a tangent, although it seems the most interesting stories come from the tangents. I noticed that some of the genuineness of a normal conversation is lost – the rapport isn’t quite as high. But at the same time, I was talking at length with a relative stranger, and we were revealing things about ourselves that probably wouldn’t have ever come out in any other situation. This makes for a curious and delicate balance between the interviewer and interviewee. As an interviewer, I was thinking, “should I probe in this area, or would that possibly offend my subject?”. And as an interviewee, I was cautious to open up completely about certain aspects of my life, and didn’t know if I should open up to someone that I barely knew at all.
My interview of Aylie revealed many interesting themes and details. I found Aylie’s description of her hometown very unique. She grew up (and still lives) in a small coastal town in Maine.    She described a wonderfully supportive and idyllic community, with small but quality schools. A small community, for Aylie, meant long-standing friendships and familiarity, but some feelings of claustrophobia. Overall, she was very pleased with the education she got in Yarmouth public schools.

I noticed the theme of travel influencing a lot of what Aylie said about her family. Her mother was born in England, spent her childhood years in Tanzania, and then moved to Scotland. Her Dad was in a military family that traveled all across the US. Aylie’s parents sailed together for three years, and plan to sail some more now that Aylie’s sister is out of the house. The exploratory and peripatetic tendencies of her parents contrast with the fact that Aylie has lived in the same town her whole life.
One of the most intriguing anecdotes of the interview was Aylie’s description of the process and aftermath of her decision to quit the Middlebury basketball team after three years. She struggled with devoting her full attention to either basketball or other academic and extracurricular pursuits, and finally decided to give it up. She has found that she misses her teammates, but feels liberated to do what she had previously neglected.