BY STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—On the coldest night of the year, when walking even just the length of Park Street was a major feat of fortitude, the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) generated a great deal of warmth at its annual dinner on Friday, February 3.
At the historic Brandon Inn, the dinner brought together members of BACC to network and celebrate the Chamber’s accomplishments over a delicious meal.
The highlight of the evening was certainly the presentation to Dennis Marden by BACC President Pat Wood of the President’s Award, given to “a business, person, or organization that has contributed greatly to our community.”
Rather than simply run through a dry chronology of Mr. Marden’s long tenure in Brandon, Ms. Wood presented it through figures dressed up as Mr. Marden in his various Brandon phases, each bearing a life-size photo of his smiling face. The figures were the brainchild of Kathy Mathis, Pat Wood, and Sally Wood.
“It was so funny. They did an incredible job,” said Marden in a later phone conversation. “Kathy swiped that photo of my face from my fridge!” he laughed.
Mr. Marden grew up in New Jersey, where he worked in special education for many years before moving to Vermont in 1983 to become the art teacher at Neshobe. It was on a visit to a cousin who lived in Rutland that Marden applied for the position almost on a whim. Then-Principal Bud Coolidge offered him the job and he’s been in Vermont ever since. He moved to Brandon in 1991.
In addition to the 23 years Marden taught art at Neshobe—he watched many current Brandon residents grow up—Marden has also been heavily involved with the Brandon Town Players, a community-theater group that puts on productions at Brandon Town Hall. In fact, most of the wardrobe for the “Marden figures” came from the Players’ costume collection.
And it is largely for his work with the Friends of Town Hall that Marden was honored on Friday. Brandon Town Hall was built in 1861 and by 1998 it was in such poor condition that the town was considering demolition. The Friends of Town Hall (FTH) was formed and the building was saved. According to Marden, more than $1.5 million was raised and spent on the renovation. The beautiful space we now enjoy for concerts, plays, dances, lectures, and town meeting is the result of the hard work put in by Marden and the rest of the FTH. The next time you’re in the building, check out the displays of antique and vintage objects discovered in the building during the renovation.
Marden has been President of the FTH since 2011. During its regular season (spring through fall), Marden is in charge of programming. He tries hard to book events that will appeal to audiences beyond Brandon. A popular recurring event is Silent Movie Night, which gives people a rare opportunity to see silent classics from the 1910s and 20s.
Marden is clearly devoted to this community he’s called home for 32 years now.
“The community feeling you get here is unbelievable,” he said. “People ask for help and they get help. The people in Brandon make this town what it is. I’m going to do as much as I can for as long as I can.”
DENNIS MARDEN POSES with his alter egos, all created by Kathy Mathis, Pat Wood, and Sally Wood to celebrate Mr. Marden’s receipt of the Chamber’s President’s Award. Mr. Marden clearly relished the playful theatrics of the presentation. The costumes came from the wardrobe trunk of the Brandon Town Players, which Mr. Marden has been part of for years. Photo by David Roberts
BACC Executive Director Bernie Carr took the floor during dinner to thank the Inn’s gracious hosts—Joel and Darcy MacClaren—and to welcome seven new members to the BACC Board of Directors:
- Pat Wood, individual member (President of BACC)
- Nancy Spaulding Ness, individual member (Vice-president of BACC)
- Laurie Bertrand, CPA (Treasurer of BACC)
- Geoff Watson, National Bank of Middlebury (Clerk of BACC)
- Jack Schneider, Brandon Yoga Center
- Kirk Thomas, Vermont Protective Coatings
- Lynn Wilson, individual member
Kevin Thornton, professor of history and former president of the Brandon Museum, gave a short presentation on his recent discoveries regarding Thomas Davenport, who invented the electric motor in Forestdale in the 1830s. The Brandon Museum is planning to open an exhibit on Davenport this summer.
George Fjeld, retired physician and a current board member of The Reporter, thanked the community for its support of the fledgling nonprofit.
State Representative Stephanie Jerome, who sits on the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, spoke about COVID funds still available from the state. According to Jerome, few Rutland County businesses have received such funding and she urged people to see what they may qualify for.
The overall sense in the room was pride and excitement. Brandon has achieved a lot over the last several years and the members of the BACC have no intention of slowing down. Visit their website—brandon.org—to find out more about membership, events, and programs.
