Angie, the veteran of the group, started doing administrative and billing work for The Pennysaver in 1989 when it was owned by Journal Communications out of Wisconsin. She’s seen it all. 

 

Donna arrived on the scene four years later in 1993, doing reception, classified ads, paste-up, and any other type of work needed – a true “jane of all trades.”  

 

Jen joined Angie and Donna at the downtown Bennington office in 2005 as an assistant graphic designer just two years before The Pennysaver and The Vermont News Guide were both purchased by Hersam Acorn Newspapers in 2007. 

 

All three women were kept on staff under the new ownership due to their experience, reliability, and overall work ethic. They continued to remain on staff even after The Pennysaver closed, moving on to work at The Vermont News Guide office. And, of course, they were all kept on as valuable employees when Old Mill Road Media purchased The Vermont News Guide in 2019. 

 

Together, this impressive triumvirate has witnessed the growth and change of the Southern Vermont media landscape from the inside and also experienced firsthand advances in print media and technology. All have remained steady and strong forces for the publications they’ve helped produce, from The Pennysaver to The Vermont News Guide and now, The Guide.

 

As I ask questions and listen to them discuss the transition from manual to digital processes in the print media workplace, I’m struck by how flexible and willing to embrace change they’ve had to be to remain on the cutting edge of technological advances in the industry. I’m also entertained hearing about pre-digital era late nights working on the physical layout of the paper (when “clip art” really meant cutting art out of a physical book and pasting it to the paper), and delightful stories about memorable people and occasions, like their annual holiday parties. But a story about an uninvited “guest” to The Pennysaver office got the biggest guffaws.

 

“How about when the bat came in?” began Donna, laughing.

 

“That was the funniest day,” adds Jen. “There was a bat in the building, and everyone was freaking out, running around, trying to get it. A bunch of people were hiding in someone’s office. They finally got it out, and then, later that afternoon, the power went out, so a lot of us were congregated up in the front office by the big picture window,” she remembers. She then reminds Angie and Donna of a stretchy flying monkey toy one of their colleagues had. It could be snapped back and sent flying like a sling shot, all while making monkey noises.

 

“Everybody was sitting around the counter talking with their backs to me. I picked up this monkey, and I let it fly over everybody's head. Everybody was still so nervous about the bat, I think at least three people started to run out of the room!” continues Jen, bouncing with laughter. 

 

“I remember that!” giggles Donna. “We also used to dress up for Halloween. We'd have a costume contest,” adds Donna. “One year I was the Heat Miser from one of those Christmas movies.”

 

Jen jumps right in: “The Year without a Santa Claus!”

 

“We had some good times there,” Angie smiles.

 

The repartee continues, and while there is certainly more laughter, there are also heartwarming tales of local customers and community support. They recall Martha Thompson, who would bring in strawberry shortcake and pies whenever she made them for her local church events. “She always made sure that we had some,” remembers Donna fondly. “Another customer of mine would bring us a cherry cake every Christmas, and – one time – even included some poinsettias for the office.”

 

For Jen, memories of The Pennysaver go beyond her time as an employee. “You know, I remember being a kid and running out to the mailbox to get The Pennysaver to look through all the flyers, especially around my birthday, to see what toys were in there. It was a part of my growing up,” she shares.

 

Donna warmly recalls the 2015 move to The Vermont News Guide and a friendship that was formed. “The community was very good to us when we got to Manchester. They're phenomenal people. I had one person who was a classified advertiser who became my friend. One day she called and said, ‘Let's go to lunch!’ And then we started going to lunch all the time.”

 

“There was Salley Gibney with her Caring Coins,” says Jen. “The coins all had positive messages on them like ‘You Matter.’ The idea was to pass them around. It was this little wooden coin that was tied to a card explaining what to do with it. I would work with her on her ads, and she just thought that I was giving her so much, when really, I was just doing my job. One day I came into the office, and she had left me this little, tiny plant in a fox-shaped planter with a card thanking me for everything and a whole bag full of coins to pass around. It was just a tiny thing, but it made a difference.” Jen still has the fox planter to this day.

 

The conversation then shifted to long-term, loyal clients that have been a part of The Pennysaver and The Vermont News Guide history just as long as they have, like Jay’s Art Shop and Frame Gallery, realtor Alan Citron, P & F Appliance, Mother Myrick’s, rk Miles, and Equinox Terrace, to name a few. 

 

As the conversation ends, we talk about the importance of adapting to new technologies and the strong potential for growth in the digital space, making sure to balance tradition with modern approaches to media and sharing information. “For 20 years, I've watched all of this morph and change, grow and ebb, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes,” shares an optimistic Jen. Donna, Angie, and I all agree that change is necessary to evolve, and we share in Jen’s positive vision for The Guide, the next iteration of Southern Vermont’s trusted news source these past 70+ years.

 

We look forward to continuing the journey with all of you.