Two recent speeches
Two recent speeches speak to the importance of our community. This week in Strafford there were two events that shined a light on our community and warmed the hearts of those present. On Sunday, June 4, there was a Celebration of the Life of longtime Newton School Principal Robert Murray, and on Tuesday, June 6, The Preservation Trust of Vermont held a day-long event in Strafford focusing on the importance of our rural communities. Both events were inspiring. The following two speeches give a bit of a sense of both days and a feel of how and why Strafford is so special to so many.
The first is by Russell Ward, a student at the Newton School in the mid 1960s. The second is by Sonya Schumacher who went to the Newton School worked around the country and then brought her family back to Strafford. Hope you enjoy them as much as myself.
—John Freitag, SHS Historian
Russell Ward’s speech at Mr. Murray’s Memorial —June 4, 2023
It is easy to remember stories to share about Mr. Murray. He was always kind and supportive, although occasionally very direct.
I started at the Newton School in September of 1965, which I believe was Mr. Murray’s first year as principal. His oldest, Michael, was also a first grader. Michael had really, really short hair. One of my earliest school memories is of Mr. Murray helping the kids cut up their meat during hot lunch. He stood behind our chairs and reached around us with knife and fork and whittled away. Very impressive.
I was in Mrs. Kate’s room for first grade with the second graders - two grades per classroom. Mrs. Kate kept that wooden paddle in the corner next to a little hardwood chair - any of you remember that paddle? [??.] I remember a few kids who frequently lined up at the little chair, near the paddle. Something you had to do before you could go to recess.
Mr Murray’s office was just across the hall. I think Mrs. Kate’s paddle cut down on visits to his office, but I do remember going there once. I think I must have been waiting for a ride or something. Must’ve been …
Later on, Mr. Murray hired this Canadian teacher, David Webb. Mr. Webb did a nice job and maintained a sense of humor. He used rhymes to help us learn. Once when I asked him if he was a Canook, he said, “No, Russ, it is Canuck as in …duck.”
Back then, Mr Webb was a young guy, he was what you might call spontaneous. During the live performance of the Christmas Carol, in Barrett Hall, where all the really big shows happened, Mr. Webb had an idea.
Now, just to set the STAGE for you, from my recollection, these were the days of Mrs. Roadwall directing our performances and it was serious. All the boys had to wear tights and tunics. Prior to Mr. Webb’s idea, I had one line and would be on and off stage in no time - job done.
Just before I was to go on stage as the shopkeeper and sell Gabe Linehan (AKA Scrooge) a turkey, Mr. Webb told me it should be a goose. It appeared he had not told Gabe or anyone else of this change. On stage, Gabe strode up to my shop and happily belted out that he wanted the biggest, freshest turkey I had on hand. I belted back, “No, sir, you want a goose.” Gabe was confused and insisted that he wanted a turkey. I repeated Mr. Webb’s directions that he wanted a goose and that is what I sold him. When the scene ended and my tights and I were clear of the action, Mr Murray asked me, “What was that?!” I could tell he was surprised as well.
Mr. Murray, while at school, was always professional, dressed sharp, and appeared generally unflappable. I once saw him separate two of the big boys that were well invested in a fistfight that had transitioned to the little sick cot that was kept down by the library. One guy was straddling the other and delivering blows that you could hear land. Mr. Murray reached onto the cot and pulled up one and then the other. He held them on either side of him and I am pretty sure, he started whatever he said next with, “Mr. Man!” (Sort of like Clint Eastwood’s, “Are you feeling lucky?”)
Another story I have shared before about Mr. Murray was when he got knocked on his behind from his recess-monitor squat position by Jim O’Brien’s southpaw fake during recess dodgeball. Jim thought Mr. Murray was a player and never really looked in his direction until he saw the sparks fly off Bob’s cigarette. You had to be there. The ball hit Bob on the point of the glasses as he was looking away, not to take anything away from Jim’s fake, which was excellent! Jim did graduate from Newton School.
Mr. Murray, as a teaching principal, taught math and science to the 7th and 8th graders. When he left the room one time, I took a seat at his desk. When he returned to the room, I sat in his desk chair with my feet on his desk and tapped the side of my foot with a yardstick, just like he used to do. He stopped in the middle of the room and I said in a very Bob-like tone, “Take a seat, Bob.” I only did that once. Having done this, I never felt a need to go bungee jumping.
My last favorite school memory was getting to go down and work with Mr. Murray on demoing the church, ripping out the pews, and turning it into the gym. It was awesome.
This was only briefly mentioned at the memorial as Earl Silloway told this story. [After our senior year of high school, Michael, Jimmy Kendall, John Thorp, and I worked for Earl Silloway with Mr. Murray. All of us boys rode in the back of Earl’s pickup and we would drop Bob and Michael off at their house. Jimmy may deny this, but one day he took it upon himself to nail Mr. Murray’s lunch box to the truck bed. Jimmy told us what he had done just before Bob reached over the side of the body to pull it out. It was a nice, flip-top type, with the little coffee thermos trapped in the top above your snacks. When Bob came up with it, he only had the top half, the thermos went flying. There was quite a look on his face and I am not sure how he explained it to Mrs. Murray.]
Lastly, I always thought Bob and Barbara maintained the best poker faces when Michael and I packed all our stuff into my $200 truck and headed to NYC for grad school. While still in the yard, Bob had asked me if I had spare parts and I listed them off: two tires, an alternator, a cylinder head, a starter… “No radiator?” he asked, smiling. “No”, I told him, “I just replaced that and the thermostat.”
I will always remember that smile - the one that was hard to interpret but definitely left you wondering… what was he smiling about?
Here’s to Mr. Murray. Cheers!
Sonya Schumacher’s Speech at Village Meetup —June 6, 2023
John Freitag asked if I would be willing to do this welcome and as I told him, sure I work in entertainment but backstage not ON stage. This was something I’m very uncomfortable with so bear with me.
I was born in the next town over in a cabin, 175 feet from the Strafford town line. I went to Newton School and Thetford Academy for high school. My father was married in this townhouse and I graduated from the Newton School on this stage. I played flashlight murder next door at the Justin Morrill Homestead and have done the midnight run from the green to the front door of this building many times. In my 45 years, I think I have only missed ½ a dozen 4th of July celebrations on this green.
After high school, I left Vermont and have lived and worked in many different states as well as China. I have a career in arts and entertainment and I’ve had the great fortune to work at the top levels of my field. I’ve worked on Broadway, for big Vegas shows, and have been on tour with grammy winning artists.
These experiences exposed me to cultures, people, and landscapes that I wouldn’t have been exposed to if I stayed.
But about 10 years ago as my husband and I thought about where to raising a family and where we wanted to lay roots, Vermont persisted in our minds. This village of my youth called to us.
Side story – In my early 20’s I followed a man to Montana – never follow a man to Montana. I found myself in a place where I was pretty miserable. Someone had shared with me at that time, The 3 P’s. People, Place & Purpose. Having a community around you that you love, living in a space that you enjoy and having a purpose/job that fulfills you. I didn’t have any of the P’s while living in Montana.
When my husband and I thought of VT we knew we had two of the P’s going for us: People and Place, but Purpose/jobs were tough to find in the field of entertainment in VT.
When COVID hit, we lost our jobs - If we’re not going to work, let’s not work in Vermont.
Our family faced some challenges when we moved to Strafford three years ago, including a lack of employment and difficulty finding housing. We lived in my mother’s barn for a summer, and then in that same cabin I was born in. Once again, I found myself 118 yards from the town line. But we hit the ground running and joined the large group of volunteers that make Strafford what it is.
My husband volunteers as the town Emergency Management Director & with the Lions Club. His rigging skills come in very handy when splicing the rope at our local rope tow. I’m a new trustee for Barrett Hall and, along with the Lions’ Club, am restarting up a kids’ swim program that last ran in 2014. Volunteer this summer with our soundman over there to help with the concerts on the green. Working towards renewing the annual rummage sale.
As for the three P’s:
People:
We are surrounded by family and community that we love.
Place:
We live in the most amazing place, enjoying all 5 seasons. The winters I get to live through the eyes of my kids and I’ve learned how to ski again. Enjoy the high of swimming in the white river. After living in Nashville and Vegas – you can beat summers in VT, I call them rose weather.
Purpose:
We have both found jobs here in the arts. My husband at JAG Productions in WRJ and myself at the Hopkins Center for Performing Arts.
My husband and I are just a couple of the hundreds of residents of this town that volunteer our time to keep things running smoothly. The people of Strafford donate thousands of hours every year to fill municipal offices, staff the fire department, run the PTA, and keep dozens of committees and organizations serving the needs of our community.
My hope is for the younger generation, new or returning to Strafford, to step up and take on some of the rolls for the small towns and villages of this brave little state.
If you’re not from Strafford, we welcome you to our town. It’s full of people who share your dedication to supporting the small communities of Vermont, and we’re glad to have you here.
