The Bridge marks 30 years with gala, panel discussion on democracy
November 16, 2023 | By The Bridge newspaper
MONTPELIER — The Bridge newspaper will celebrate 30 years of publication and the news media’s critical role in protecting democracy on Friday, Nov. 17, with an art auction, refreshments from local chefs, and a lively panel of local journalists.
The event, “Preserving Democracy Through Local Journalism: A Call to Action,” will be held at College Hall at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier from 5 to 8 p.m.
Kevin Ellis. Courtesy photo
Erica Heilman. Courtesy photo
Sky Barsch. Courtesy photo
The panel includes Vermont journalists Erica Heilman of Vermont Public, reporter and producer of the “Rumble Strip” podcast, and VTDigger Chief Executive Officer Sky Barsch. Kevin Ellis, a longtime journalist, consultant, and radio/podcast host will be moderating, with a welcome from Cassandra Hemenway, editor-in-chief of The Bridge. A question-and-answer session will follow.
“Join us for both serious conversation, and for some great fun with friends as we celebrate our resilient and community-focused hometown paper,” said Greg Gerdel, co-chair of The Bridge’s board of directors and one of the paper’s founders. “Our democracy, threatened today like never before, relies on facts — not innuendo, not misinformation, not lies — and where do you get facts that matter to your local community? In newspapers like The Bridge.”
The program following the panel discussion includes live jazz by Nosmo Swing with Peter Lind on harmonica and sax, Greg Hayes on guitar, and Steve Goldman on bass, along with vocalist Laurel Proctor. Attendees can further support The Bridge at a silent auction of some 20 items by Vermont artists. Food will be provided by a group of local chefs, and Morse Block Deli hosts the cash bar.
“As we mark three decades of hard work and dedicated community journalism embodied in The Bridge, we are also here to shore up the finances of this community institution — and there is no better way to do that than with a celebration,” Hemenway said.
About the presenters
Barsch joined VTDigger in April and her resume includes roles at the Burlington Free Press, the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and The Nation magazine. Most recently, she was vice-president of sponsorships and market strategy for the national nonprofit education news outlet Chalkbeat. She worked as associate publisher of Vermont Life magazine and was owner, editor, and publisher of Vermont Sports magazine. She got her start in journalism as a reporter for the Burlington Free Press and the Times Argus and was named the Vermont Press Association’s rookie of the year. She also owns Alpenglow Fitness in downtown Montpelier.
A reporter at Vermont Public, Heilman produces her award-winning “Rumble Strip” podcast in East Calais. “Rumble Strip” was honored in 2022 as the top podcast by The New Yorker and among the top 10 recognized last year by The New York Times. “The Our Show” series was named number 1 podcast of 2020 by The Atlantic.
Kevin Ellis is a communications consultant and writer who began his career as a newspaper reporter in Nashville, Washington, D.C., and Burlington, covering politics and environmental issues for The Tennessean in Nashville and the Burlington Free Press. He was a co-founder of Ellis Mills Public Affairs and spent 22 years at KSE Partners, LLC, a Vermont government affairs and communications firm. He currently is a host on WDEV Radio Vermont’s “Vermont Viewpoint” public affairs radio show.
The Bridge is a nonprofit independent local organization covering Central Vermont in twice-monthly print newspapers and on its website, montpelierbridge.org.
Tickets: $50 to $250 (pay the rate you can). Purchase online at montpelierbridge.org/30th-anniversary/.
The Bridge thanks event sponsors including the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier Alive, Morse Block Deli, Noyle Johnson Insurance, S&R Services, and Lights on Marketing.