Nearly five years ago I was privileged to be elected chair of the fledgling Paine Mountain Arts Council, and have remained so since then. It is with personal sadness that now, for health reasons, I will be stepping down from the Council as of August 1. It has been an exciting time as together with the support of the Board, donors, volunteers, media and the community in general, Paine Mountain Arts has grown into one of Central Vermont's most respected arts organizations. I have been amazed and humbled by Northfield's outpouring of support through monetary donations, attendance at programs, volunteer work, notes and telephone calls.

It is also reassuring to know that the work of the Council goes on and that the Board is working hard to assure a smooth transition. Programming is in place well into 2010, and with continued and new support from people who value the place of the arts in community life, Paine Mountain Arts will continue to grow and flourish. Anyone who might be interested in volunteering on a short or long-term basis can contact me or any member of the Board. Thanks to all!

(Board members: Jeanne Cook, Mary Corrigan, Meg Donahue Davis, Jim Jones, Shirley Melville, Isabel Weinger Nielsen and Bill Pope.)