Wandering through the small towns, I talked with townspeople and heard their stories of resolve and New England Yankee ingenuity.  Vermonters are resourceful and they pull together, especially in times of trouble.  Irene was not the first flood disaster in Vermont this year, though it was the most damaging.  With harsh weather and a rugged land, Vermonters have relied on one another from the time the area was first settled.  In the days after the immediate disaster, they again brought their common resources to bear whether it be heavy equipment, horses, supplies or anything else that would help open access to their cut-off communities.  Not waiting for government assistance wrapped in red tape, residents in the town of Royalton even built a ramp (Exit 2-1/2) to Interstate 89 when their town was cut off by all other routes.

Everywhere there were signs of volunteers helping cleanup, rebuild homes, business and communities.  During my trip, rebuilding was in full swing to bring damaged buildings in these hamlets back to life.  In some cases buildings were dismantled, materials saved, sites cleaned up and the buildings reassembled.  True Yankee resourcefulness at work! The spirit of cooperation extended into homes and country inns where neighbors took in those who had lost their homes or housed volunteers from neighboring villages who were helping with the relief effort.

Almost everyone I talked to in Vermont thanked us for being there and they were glad to share their stories.  I have always enjoyed my travels in Vermont and experiencing its citizens’ independent attitude built on a rugged frontier spirit.

Many businesses and institutions could take a lesson from these folks.  It would be great to break down the growing obstacles to innovation and business expansion caused by regulations, fears and litigation.  Instead of self centered thinking, disrespectful attitudes and personal attacks wouldn’t occasionally looking out for the other guy and helping others succeed could lead to better business?  Just a thought.

Also during that trip I experienced firsthand the simplicity of maintaining Intent Digital’s Energize configurable control system.  On the way home I learned that a client needed a couple of changes to their system.  Since they were on the way home, we were able to stop by after lunch at the fabulous La Posada Turquoise Room in Winslow.  I didn’t even have to take in my laptop computer to update buttons and functionality on two touch screens in an auditorium.  It took less than 15 minutes to modify a couple audio control actions and some button updates between the touch panels.  We mad a client happy and were back on the road heading home after the 20 minute stop.  Hope you had a great summer!

Bob G.

The morning after a long first day on the floor I ran into a good friend Barry Enders and we were comparing notes on how many NAB’s we had been to over the years (it is more than quite a few).  He was telling me about NAB’s of  years ago, when the entire convention occupied a few floors of a single hotel in downtown Chicago.  Yes, things sure have changed.