Oral History

Moments with Melinda: Interview with Chris Cleary 07/27/2023

From Melinda Moulton:

Chris Cleary is a fourth generation Vermonter, sculptor, artist, performer, influencer, wizard of four elements, entrepreneur, and renaissance man.

Water Was Blue 07/25/2023

Owen Curtin records the aftermath of flooding in Montpelier, VT.

Celebrate Life: Rod Copeland 07/21/2023

From Gary De Carolis:

Five words that describe Rod: Compassionate, optimistic, lucky, accepting, futuristic

Copeland was born in Garnett, Kansas, a small town of 3,000 people. He was the youngest of 3 children. His brother was three years older and his sister 10 years older. Copeland's parents were devoted Southern Baptists, so he was raised in that vein. He experienced a very normal childhood and adolescense, doing well in school, having many friends, and participating in sports and school activities. He went one year to a small Baptist College in Kansas before joining the Peace Corps to serve as a volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. His Peace Corps experience dramatically changed his life. After the Peace Corps, Copeland attended a State Teacher’s College in Kansas. While there, he met his wife to be Glenna. They met working as paraprofessionals in a school for children with significant developmental disabilities. They both received degrees in special education, and Copeland went on to get a Masters Degree in School Psychology. Shortly after they were married they moved to Kansas City where the couple lived and worked in predominantly black neighborhoods. While there, Copeland entered graduate school and received his PhD in Developmental Psychology. During that period he ran research and training grants in the inner city.

Copeland left the University of Kansas for a position as an associate professor of psychology at Southwest Missouri State University. A year and a half later he was fortunate to get a position with the State of Vermont as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Later he took a job with the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, holding various leadership positions culminating with a five year stint as the Commissioner of the Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services. Prior to his retirement in 2007 Copeland served as the Director of the HIV Aides program in the Vermont Department of Health.

For the past enjoyable 16 years of retirement Glenna and Rod have enjoyed traveling and now spend their winters in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and their Summers in Vermont.

Neighborhood Media Internship Program: King Street Center Block Party 07/20/2023

The Neighborhood Media Interns go to the King Street Block Party to learn about the King Street Center and the community this block party serves.

Ethan Allen Homestead Enrichment Program: Holocaust History and its Connections in Vermont with the Vermont Holocaust Memorial 07/16/2023

Presented by the Vermont Holocaust Memorial.

For more information: ethanallenhomestead.org

Fletcher Free Library's 150th Anniversary 07/15/2023

From Fletcher Free Library:

Join us for an afternoon of fun as we celebrate our 150th Birthday!

Our birthday bash kicks off at noon with a short parade from the Unitarian Universalist Society at the top of Church Street. The parade theme is “Dress as Your Favorite Literary Character (or author).”

Special thanks to our fabulous Public Awareness Committee, Friends of the Fletcher Free Library, and staff for their hard work in making this day possible! Thanks to Hannaford Supermarket.

For more information visit: www.fletcherfree.org/FFL150

Neighborhood Media Internship Program: Aftermath of Flooding at the Intervale Center 07/13/2023

The Neighborhood Media Interns visit the Intervale Center days after a tremendous flood hit the area to get an idea of people's reactions and the impact of the storm.

Moments with Melinda: Interview with Shirley Jefferson 07/13/2023

From Melinda Moulton:

Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) named longtime professor and administrator Shirley Jefferson JD’86 Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs. Jefferson is the school’s first ever vice president of color.

In the newly created position, Jefferson reports directly to the VLGS president while providing strategic insight and advice to the school’s senior leadership regarding local, state, and federal government matters, community issues, and efforts for the enrichment of society and intercultural understanding.

“One of the first things I learned at VLGS was that Shirley Jefferson is the school’s heart and soul,” said VLGS President Smolla. “Building strong relationships with the community will be more important than ever and nobody is better suited to being the ‘ambassador’ of Vermont Law and Graduate School than Shirley Jefferson. Her passion for educating students who want to be catalysts for change is unmatched and infectious."

A nationally sought after speaker and adviser on matters relating to race and the law and equitable access to legal education, Jefferson is a member of the Vermont State College Board of Trustees and Vermont State Policy Advisory Commission. She is a multiple-time winner of the Women’s Law Group Phenomenal Woman Award, recipient of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Edge Diversity Award, and National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair Legal Education Access & Diversity Champion award winner, among many other honors.

Ladislav Pancisin Full Interview 07/10/2023

Annika interviews Ladislav Pancisin, owner of Four Corners of the Earth Deli, about philosophy, generation gaps, Burlington's community, and running a sandwich shop.

Being in Burlington: Ladislav Pancisin - Four Corners or the Earth Deli 07/10/2023

In this episode of Being in Burlington, Annika Ellis and Purva Shirolkar visit Four Corners of the Earth Deli and have a conversation with the owner.

Featured Story

CCTV Receives NEH Grant to Support Community Archives

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is pleased to announce receipt of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant alongside 32 peer archival institutions across the country. This $49,927 grant award will support efforts to preserve and expand access to audio/visual community history materials in the CCTV Archives. Read more about this opportunity here!