This article was written by a U-32 alumni, Ella Bradley, who has been working on this article for a while now; it’s about her exchange year in Germany. On Friday, the sixth of May in Beesenstedt, Germany, I woke…
Category: Economics
“Such a Strange New Normal,” The Challenge of Changing U-32’s Covid Protocols
This article was written by Tegan O’Donnell who is a senior in the journalism class at U-32. One Monday in September, Alyce Bradshaw, a U-32 sophomore, participated in surveillance testing at U-32. Around 9 am she left class and…
Ski Economics: Understanding the Market of Lift Tickets
On a sunny January morning in the Mad River Valley, crowds of people stood in front of the Sugarbush ticket window waiting to purchase a day lift ticket. The blue skies, abundance of snow and mild temperatures made for an…
The Panera Menu: How to Get the Most Bang For Your Buck
You throw open the glass front doors of the Berlin Panera and enter the warm environment of your everyday oasis. As you respectfully stomp the dirt and snow off your shoes, the sweet smell of freshly-baked Chocolate Chipper Cookies® wafts…
Local Art: The Stories Behind the Prices
Willis Backus stands solitary, encompassed by four glass cases of colorful jewelry. This is his counter– he’s earned the right to call it that. The only vacation he’s ever taken was in 1975, when he had a heart attack. “I…
Why Are Organic Milk Prices Dropping?
It’s 3am, 30 degrees, and the lights switch on in the barn. Twenty cows are herded into the milking parlor above the operating pit. As milk is pumped from the Holsteins, it travels through tubes into two stainless steel bulk…
What is Phil Scott’s Calculus on Carbon?
Harrison Bushnell is a student member of the Vermont Climate Commision. This is the third installment of our Local Economics series. Looking out over a crowd of legislators packed in the House chamber, Vermont Governor Phil Scott gave…
No Car Left Behind
There are three cars on the showroom floor at Formula Ford in Berlin. Two are brand new Mustangs, iconic pony cars with graceful lines and shiny wheels. These are the cars that kids and adults alike wish they could own.…
2 Percent: Why it Makes Sense
This is the first piece in an ongoing series exploring questions about our local economy. At 9:00 on a Sunday morning in Montpelier, Vermont the streets are generally still quiet. However inside the Southern breakfast restaurant Down Home Kitchen…
Kingsbury Dam: The Deal That Went Wrong
This story is part of a three part series about the Kingsbury Dam. To read more about U-32’s relationship with the dam check out Kingsbury Dam: Did U-32 Drop the Ball? . To learn more about how the dam works see Kingsbury…
Considering the Cost of a Deli Sandwich
A family of four enters the Maple Corner Store. They warm up by the stove, then the group moves towards the counter, their eyes on the deli’s large chalk board. After ordering four sandwiches, each with a small bag of…
Solar Power in Vermont: Can Everyone Win?
Washington Electric Coop placed their first power pole at the McKnight Farm, on Snow Hill Road in East Montpelier, in 1939. “You folks don’t know what you’ve started,” a townsperson who witnessed the occasion remarked. “I wouldn’t be surprised…
Going Off The Grid: The Tradeoffs
When Paul Scheckel purchased his land in Calais he knew that there were no power lines within a mile and that it would cost a fortune to run a line to his new building site. But there was a phone…