Rozo McLaughlin Remembered
By Richard Radford

Honors have recently been announced for South Royalton’s own Rosemary "Rozo" McLaughlin, who died last October after a long battle with cancer. The Royalton Representative left quite a legacy in her wake, and some big shoes to fill.

A bill has been introduced to create a more permanent version of Rozo’s "farm-to-school" bill and name it after her. Additionally, a tree will be planted in honor of Rozo on the Tunbridge Fair Grounds, a project implemented by Tunbridge resident Rebecca Beguin.

Tree at the Fair

Part of a larger project by the Tunbridge World’s Fair, the tree will be planted in spring, and bear a plaque dedicating it in Rozo’s honor. Beguin said the decision to dedicate the tree was obvious for her.

"She was a dear friend of mine, and I work for the fair," she said. "Rozo loved the fair. She had a picture taken there every year with her daughter, and really had been going there, well, since high school."

Word was sent out to friends of Rozo, and Beguin said she would be happy to accept financial help toward the project (to cost $225), though she didn’t realize how far word of the dedication had spread.

"It’s not an official organization, the word was put out for friends…if they happen to want to do it," she said. "It’s really a World’s Fair project."

Farm to School

On the legislative side, several representatives from across the state have introduced a bill to make permanent Rozo’s "farm to school" bill, signed in last year as a mini-grant program to help provide access to locally produced farmers’ goods and healthy foods for students.

The new bill also requests that the program be named the "Rozo McLaughlin farm-to-school program."

Representatives Johnson of South Hero, Barnard of Richmond, Clark of Vergennes, Jerman of Essex, Kilmartin of Newport City, LaVoie of Swanton, Livingston of Manchester, Mook of Bennington and Potter of Clarendon introduced the new bill.

Friends and members of the community who desire to make a small contribution toward the tree dedication may send checks payable to "Union Agricultural Society" at Union Agricultural Society, attn: Rebecca Beguin, P.O. Box 152, Tunbridge, Vt.,  05077.