The Fairfax Historical Society plans to hold a 250th Birthday Party for the Town Of Fairfax.  Attendees are asked to bring a birthday cake and a photo of the baker and the cake will be taken for posterity to see who participated in this 250th Birthday Party.  Whatever is left of your cake, you will be asked to bring home with you.  The Fairfax, Fletcher, Westford Band will be playing and The Fairfax Historical Society will provide Ice Cream and Drinks free of charge.  It will be held in front of BFA on the lawn since a big crowd is expected.  Should we get rain, plans are to move it inside the Elementary School Gym.  It should be a great celebration and I am sure bakers of all ages with their own idea of a 250th Birthday Cake for Fairfax will be very interesting.

Hopefully we will have many participants and definitely, THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Mike, I don't always hear well, so if I have something wrong here, please correct me.

[RICHARD BROUILLETTE]

RICHARD BROUILLETTE

SHELDON - Richard Brouillette, 80, died on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. He was born Oct. 18, 1932, in Berkshire, the son of the late Leonide Brouillette and Julianna (Bellemare) Brouillette. He was a lifelong resident of the area and attended schools in Richford, Sheldon, and graduated from St. Mary's in St. Albans, Class of 1950. On Oct. 5, 1957, he married Marie Lamarche. Richard was involved with farming all his life, and purchased the family farm from his parents in 1963. He and Marie had five children, and in 1998 sold the farm to his youngest son, Andrew, and he continued to help around the farm. He was a member of Agri-Mark, Farm Bureau, Fletcher Grange #473, and Milton Grange #522, Vermont State Grange past Master, and a member of DHIA for over 50 years. Richard enjoyed his family, children, grandchildren, and great-grandsons. He also enjoyed traveling, reading, playing cards, and was an avid user of the rail trail. He was very involved in Sheldon town affairs as selectman, auditor, lister, planning commission member, and justice of the peace. He also served as a Franklin County Committee member for the USDA, ASCS, Field Days, and the Regional Planning Commission. He was a devoted parishioner of St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Sheldon, where he served on the parish council and as a Eucharistic minister. Richard is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marie Brouillette of Sheldon; two daughters, Teresa Stebbins of Georgia, and Mary Brouillette of St. Albans; three sons, David Brouillette and wife, Jerri, of Sheldon, Mark Brouillette and wife, Wendy, of Montgomery, and Andrew Brouillette and wife, Susan, of Sheldon; grandchildren, Matthew (Katy), Abbey (Tyler Miller), Nathaniel, and Bradley Brouillette, Laura, Eric, and Kristine Stebbins, and Katie Siano; great-grandchildren, Kameron and Jace Brouillette; two brothers, Maurice Brouillette and wife, Lorraine, of San Clemente, Calif., and Albert Brouillette and wife, Ruth, of Honey Brook, Pa.; three sisters, Rachel Martel of Fairfax, Jeanne Royer and husband, Edgar, of Swanton, and Paulette Martel of Claremont, N.H.; mother-in-law, Irene Lamarche of Richford; and several nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, Richard was predeceased by a grandson, Jason Brouillette; son-in-law, David Stebbins; brothersin-law, Roger and Raymond Martel; and nephew, Norman Martel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Mill Road, Sheldon, with Fr. Roger Charbonneau officiating. Interment will follow in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery. A time of visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Spears Funeral Home, 96 Dickinson Ave., Enosburg Falls, on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Private condolences may be sent to Richard's family through www.spearsfuneralhome.com. For those who wish, contributions can be made in Richard's memory to Inpatient Dialysis Unit in St. Albans, c/o Fletcher Allen Health Care, 4610H4, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401.

[ST. LUKE PARISH CHANGES]

ST. LUKE PARISH CHANGES

We have received word that Fr. Raj has been assigned to a different parish; he has been appointed Administrator of St. Anthony's Parish in Bethel with a mission church. This change will take place a few weeks after Fr. Raj returns from India, on July I", Fr. Henry Furman, who is currently the pastor in Castleton, will be coming to Fairfax and he will be pastor of St. Luke's and Ascension church in Georgia. Because the order that is sending Fr. Furman's replacement won't be able to be in Fairfax until early August, Fr. Duke (the summer help to Fr. Roy in St. Albans) will be filling in for the month of July. On June 3n1 at 6:30PM, the two parish councils - both Ascension & St. Luke's - are asked to attend a special meeting at Holy Angels school with Fr. Roy, Fr. Furman and myself. We will be discussing new Sunday Mass times for both churches.

FAIRFIELD – Calvin T. Carpenter, age 77, passed away Sunday, May 19, 2013 at the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans.
He was born November 5, 1935 in Fletcher the son of the late Herbert & Edith (Taylor) Carpenter.

Calvin grew up in the Fletcher area and enjoyed fishing, sugaring and playing cards. He married Mildred Adams in 1956. He spent over 40 years as a local carpenter, he built several houses in the area.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mildred Carpenter of Fairfield; his children, Kevin Carpenter and his significant other, Bev of Ellenburg, NY, Mark Carpenter and his wife Jennifer of Fairfield, Mary Anne Clark and her significant other Daren of Highgate, Glenn Carpenter and his wife Mary of Merrill, NY and Patricia Fortin and her significant other, Rick of Churubusco, NY; his grandchildren, Forrest, Hunter, Nick, Noah, Taylor and Kristen Carpenter, Adam & Berkley Clark, Kaitlin (Clark) Leatherbee and Bryant & Tyler Fortin; great grandchildren, Brandon & Sydney Clark; a siser-in-law, Milda Carpenter of Hyde Park and several nieces & nephews. Besides his parents, Calvin was predeceased by a brother, Allen Carpenter; a sister, Cutricia Darrah; and sisters-in-law, Eunice Blouin and Jeanne Adams.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 116 Church Rd., Fairfield, VT with Fr. Bill Giroux celebrating the Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow in the Binghamville Cemetery. There will be no visiting hours.

For those who wish, contributions in Calvin’s memory may be made to the Franklin County Home Health Agency – Hospice Program, 3 Home Health Dr., St. Albans, VT 05478.

[Kathleen Ann (Speer) Howrigan (December 16, 1931 - May 17, 2013)]

Kathleen Ann (Speer) Howrigan
(December 16, 1931 - May 17, 2013)

Fairfield - Kathleen Ann Howrigan passed from this life to the next at her home in Fairfield, VT on May 17th, 2013. She had spent the previous day serving as a reader at Catholic Mass, taking care of her grandchildren, and preparing for another trip to Massachusetts with her husband to visit relatives. Kathleen, or "Kay," was born in Bayonne, NJ on December 16, 1931.

She was the third child of John and Helen (Gardiner) Speer, both relatively recent immigrants from County Leitrim and County Galway, Ireland. She was predeceased by her twin brothers, Patrick Speer and Robert Speer, and her sister Elizabeth Speer Lemont.

The family moved to Waltham, MA, where Kathleen matriculated from Waltham High School in 1948. She was granted an early entrance into Newton Wellesley Nursing School at the age of 17. She continued her training at Cornell Hospital in New York City. Following Cornell Hospital, Kathleen was accepted into and graduated from Regis College where she also worked as nurse-in-residence. She made many lifelong friends at Regis.
Her first solo assignment was in the operating room at Boston City Hospital. She then worked for the U.S. Department of State in U.S.A.I.D. as a trainer of nurses in South Vietnam during the Vietnam conflict. She returned to North America and continued her studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. She finished her Master's Degree in Psychology at Boston College in 1971. She was married to Richard J. Howrigan at St. Mary's Church in Waltham, MA, on July 2, 1971. Their son, Richard James Howrigan Jr., was born in 1972. They lived in Charlestown, MA and then in Winchester, MA. While raising her son, she taught catechism and earned her real estate broker license. They moved to Fairfield, VT in 1983. Kathleen continued working as a broker and eventually opened her own real estate office. She was always active at St. Patrick’s parish; she attended daily Mass, often volunteered as a lector at Mass and coordinated the volunteers for the devotion of Eucharistic Adoration.

Kathleen enjoyed the arts and stressed the importance of education and cultural enrichment to her family. She lovingly cared for her grandchildren. She was a voracious reader. She devoted a portion of each day to a daily prayer list. She frequently performed the Catholic form of meditation commonly known as the Rosary. Kathleen was also known to frequent thrift-stores and reveled in liberating previously-unrecognized treasures from their shelves. She was understandably proud of her dual Irish and American citizenships.

Survivors include her husband, Richard, of Fairfield; their son, Richard “Jim” Howrigan, Jr. and his wife, Kathy, of Colchester and her grandsons, Seamus, Kevin and Carsten. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marie Speer of Orlando, FL; her nephews and nieces, Brian Speer and family, John Speer and family, Rob Lemont, Kathy Lemont and family, Julie Lemont and family, Erin Lemont Donato and family, Joe Lemont, Chris Lemont and Scott Lemont; her first cousin, Mary Smith and her son and Kathleen’s Godson, Michael Gardiner Smith, MD and family and her former brother-in-law, Charles Lemont.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main Street, St. Albans.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick Church, 116 Church Road, Fairfield. The Reverend William P. Giroux will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in the family lot in St. Patrick Cemetery.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider flowers or a donation to the Vermont Right to Life Educational Trust, P.O. Box 1079, Montpelier, Vermont 05601. Private messages of condolence to Kathleen’s family are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com.

My sympathy goes out to Dick and his family.  Dick is one of my oldest friends, having been brought up in Fairfield and attending my first day of school with him as well as graduating from high school with him.  Kathleen, may you rest in peace.

KATHLEEN A. (SPEER) HOWRIGAN FAIRFIELD - Kathleen A. (Speer) Howrigan, wife of Richard J. Howrigan, passed away unexpectedly Friday, May 17, 2013, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced a future edition of the Burlington Free Press. Assisting the Howrigan family is the Heald Funeral Home of St. Albans.

Got a note from Steve Ratte who tells me the Hummingbirds have arrived.  I don't have my feeder up, but they usually visit everyone about the same day.  Have they visited anyone else yet??

Hi Henry,

I kept forgetting to get this to you

My Son, Joshua Boucher is graduating from Castleton May 18. He's a 2008 graduate of BFA.

I know he's a business major with a concentration in accounting, but have no idea if  that is a BS or BA (?)

Amazed that the time has flown by so quickly. He spent a lot of his first year post HS in basic training etc. with the guards. Now he has an internship over the summer.

Thanks,

~lisa

[HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY MILDREDMay 29, 2013]

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY MILDRED
May 29, 2013

[Charlotte (Paris) McNall will celebrate her 91st Birthday on May 26, 2013]

Charlotte (Paris) McNall will celebrate her 91st Birthday on May 26, 2013

HAPPY 91ST BIRTHDAY CHARLOTTE

Crews were busy in Fairfax chasing a brush fire Thursday.

Wind knocked over a tree pulling down a Green Mountain Power line in the woods. That sparked the fire that moved quickly across piles of branches that had been cut down earlier. Crews say dry material is at least 6-inches deep fueling the fire and creating hot spots that were tough to get out. Crews used foam to reach the hard to get places.

About 3 acres burned. Some residents in Fairfax and Fletcher lost power for about 2 hours.

No Regular Employees Laid Off

The Vermont Labor Department re­ceived word in early May that possible layoffs were coming to IBM in Vermont, according to public records obtained by the Burlington Free Press.

The word came as Manpower of South Burlington, which provides temporary long-term employees for IBM, began los­ing workers at the Essex manufacturing plant.

“Received notice from a source that Manpower is having to layoff 17 contract employees at IBM. Some were released last week and the majority are today,” Ann E. Carnell of the Vermont Labor De­partment office in Burlington wrote in a May 8 email to Commissioner Anne Noo­nan.

“The Morrisville office had someone come in about two weeks ago stating he was being laid off at IBM on the 8th which is today,” Carnell wrote in the email, which was obtained through a Vermont public records request.

“I did follow up with my contacts at IBM atthat time and neither had any news about a layoff. One did say that he wasn’t surprised though about a potential layoff,” Carnell continued.

“According to my source today, she stated that the first quarter earnings at IBM were disappointing and that the com­pany needed to ‘tighten their belt,’” Car­nell concluded.

As of Thursday morning there were no confirmed layoffs at IBM in Vermont, ac­cording to Lee Conrad, the national coor­dinator for Alliance@IBM.

Conrad placed the number of employ­ees at the chip design and manufacturing facility in Essex at about 3,600 — down from a record high of 8,500 in 2001.