Photograph and interview
By Jason Johns

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05072 - Strafford, Vt.

Published March 8, 2009
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Jon MacKinnon, foreman of Strafford’s road crew, loads the woodstove in the Town House at 6 a.m. in preparation for last Tuesday’s Town Meeting, which probably was the last time wood heat will warm the event. Strafford received a grant from the Vermont Arts Council to replace the three woodstoves with a propane heating system.

Jon MacKinnon, who grew up in Strafford, is the foreman of the town’s road crew. For the past 17 years, he has opened the Town House before sunrise to light the woodstoves before Town Meeting. The following is an edited interview.

The old custodian in town loved this building like it was sacred. I told a guy, if this place ever catches fire, I’m in South America. My truck’s right outside with a radio in it, so if I ever had to call dispatch I could.

I get the stoves cranked up but I ain’t going nowhere, you know what I mean? It doesn’t start until 10, but I’m staying right here. This building is 200 years old. I don’t want to be off doing something and the whole place catches fire.

I know they got a grant to pull these out of here. I think they’re going to go with propane. Fire risk and insurance and all that. Times have changed.

I came in and made it ready yesterday, so this morning all I need to do is get out my lighter. I get the fires going, move some benches away once they start getting hot. When they heat up, the doors won’t stay shut, so you’ve got to put bricks in front of them. Once the ladies get here, I help them get set up.

It takes a while to warm this building up. It’s been sitting cold all winter. It is still sitting on dirt so the moisture gets in. If you look at the floorboards, there’s frost in the cracks. You can still see your breath standing a few feet away. I don’t want to get them cranking too much and burn the place down.

Once it fills with people, it makes a difference. But the wind can be a killer. The wind was brutal last night, though it ain’t too bad now. It was pretty cold last year, too, actually, freezing rain.

I started doing it when I started working here. I did it for 10 years with the old road foreman, and I’ve been doing it seven years on my own now. Being on the road crew, I’m used to getting up early. The guys are out working right now.

I remember going to Town Meeting when I was younger. Ain’t much changed. You got your regulars, people that like to stay involved. I’m the opposite. When I ain’t working, I’m at home working on my house or my yard. I’m not a people person. Not that I don’t like them or anything. I just don’t do Town Meeting. I’m here until people start showing up, then I’m out of here.