FERRISBURGH — We are increasingly seeing the health and safety benefits of our pandemic stay-at-home response to COVID-19. Businesses are steadily starting to open and we are now able to gather in small groups. However, it remains important that we continue to wear face coverings, frequently wash our hands, and employ the physical distancing methods as advised by the Vermont Department of Health and Gov. Scott. Comprehensive updates on COVID-19 for the public and for businesses are available on several websites such as the Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov), Gov. Scott’s (governor.vermont.gov/home), and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (accd.vermont.gov). In addition, Sen. Ruth Hardy offers information and updates at tinyurl.com/Hardy-Covid19.
A great way to support our local businesses, especially as we work to recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders, is to visit the Ferrisburgh List. The mission of the Ferrisburgh List is to help the local community meet the artists, craftspeople, business people and other product and service providers who live and work right here in Ferrisburgh to encourage local buying and selling. 
The Ferrisburgh List is the brainchild of longtime local resident Mickey (Maxine) Davis. It is a volunteer project created by Mickey and master web designer Cara Gorman, who is also a Ferrisburgh resident. The list is regularly updated and offers information on the wide variety of businesses we have here in Ferrisburgh, such as local vegetables and flowers, auto repair, hair stylists, and even our own piano store! It is easy to use — just visit TheFerrisburghList.com. For more information, contact Mickey Davis at [email protected].
Our schools continue to creatively serve our children in this time of the pandemic. The distance learning plans and other updates for Vergennes Union High School and Middle School can be found at vuhs.org. The most up-to-date information about the District’s response to COVID-19 is on the ANWSD website at anwsd.org.  Visit ferrisburghcentral.org for the latest announcements from Ferrisburgh Central School; you can also view Principal Andy Kepes’ haircut as administered by his son (warning, some content may not be appropriate for young viewers!). We all offer a special recognition to our teachers and school staff for their exceptional efforts to support the education of our students during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school year is winding down and all students and teachers and staff have been incredibly resilient over these past many weeks of distance learning and stay-at-home health and safety orders. June 4 is the last regular day of distance learning classes for the high school and middle school. June 10 will be the eighth grade Step Up event. 
VUHS is being creative to give our Seniors a memorable graduation ceremony. The graduation, on June 12 at 6 p.m., will be a drive-through diploma ceremony. The Seniors will thus be able to experience the tradition of walking across the stage in their graduation gowns, accepting a diploma, and turning their tassels. Instead of the high school gym, the VUHS diploma ceremony will take place outside in front of the building, directly in front of the main office. A tent and stage will be set up for this purpose and the school has hired a photographer to take a picture of each graduate with their diploma. These pictures will be made available for download free of charge shortly following the ceremony. RETN will also be on hand to record the event and will be producing a graduation video with pre-recorded speeches and the photographs of each graduate. Congratulations to all our graduating Seniors!
Rokeby Museum’s spring opening is on hold while museum staff assess the latest guidance from the state of Vermont to determine when the house and galleries can once again safely welcome visitors. In the meantime, all are invited to visit the virtual tours and special stay-at-home postings on their website, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned for re-opening updates on exhibits and programs. Examples of upcoming programs that are highlighted on Rokeby’s website are Mending Fences by Carol McDonald and Exposing the Challenges: A Closer Look at Women’s Suffrage. 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum regular services will be temporary closed to the public. However, the staff have prepared a full series of programs that will be offered both onsite and online. The Museum is offering free virtual Lake Adventure Camps that will encourage campers to get outside every day to explore their environment. Campers will receive activity kits in the mail and meet for a physically distanced group gathering each week. 
Interactive digital exhibits will allow visitors to experience the museum’s many displays, including a digital exhibit to open July 1 celebrating the 2020 focus on “Women at the Helm.” The virtual shipwreck tours are a must-see option to tour a shipwreck site in the Vermont Underwater Historic Preserves. New tours will be released weekly throughout the summer. Also, there will be several small group outdoor experiences planned for onsite and on the water once clear health and safety guidelines have been established. To visit the museum virtually and to learn of all these activities, visit lcmm.org.
Bixby Library continues its outreach and programming to provide services to all of us readers in Ferrisburgh during the pandemic. Discover the ways to access the Bixby Library this summer at Bixby.org. The library is offering digital access to movies, TV shows, music, and, of course, Books! If you have questions or need a library card, email Laksamee at [email protected]. There are also many great resources on their website.
Jean Richardson, Professor Emerita, University of Vermont, local resident and Justice of the Peace, has written a rich and thorough history of the North Ferrisburgh Village. With help from Silas Towler, local historian, the book, “A History of Village of North Ferrisburgh, 1762–2019,” is a meticulously researched narrative containing previously unpublished original documents, photographs, diaries and interviews. The book includes an extensive collection of historical photographs and documents and the references provide live links to original sources. Hard copies of the book will soon be available from the Ferrisburgh Historical Society; contact Sheri Arroyo at [email protected].
NOTE: We are always interested in including a variety of Ferrisburgh-related news in this column, so if you have news that would be of interest, contact Sally Kerschner at [email protected]. You are able to access these columns and other information about Ferrisburgh news and events by viewing the Ferrisburgh Town Website at ferrisburghvt.org.