If you live in Quechee, you might have seen Tom Jenkins in his Quechee Pro Shop uniform. He and brother, Will, have worked for the golf program for the past several years. On July 1, Tom donned a new uniform as he headed to Plebe Summer at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland. Once he completes this rigorous six-week introduction to life at one of our outstanding military service academies, he will be dressed in an official USNA Midshipman’s uniform.

The USNA website describes Plebe Summer as a demanding orientation that begins four years of preparation of midshipmen to become naval officers.… Read More

Upper Valley golfers had better watch out, there is a new superstar on the green and he’s ready to put you to the challenge! Quechee resident, 11-year-old Matty Du Plessis, is entertaining fans across the world with his incredible golf skills and his YouTube videos.

Despite a late start walking, Du Plessis began golfing at the age of two, using a plastic golf set to keep his balance. His parents, both avid golfers, introduced him to the sport and made it a family event. For a short while he also swam on the Quechee Swim Team, but decided on golf. Being homeschooled allows him time to focus on his golf, his entertainment skills and his academics—all while he travels around the world.… Read More

Dave Duval took over as President of the Quechee Lakes Landowners Association (QLLA) Board of Trustees in July 2014 with plenty of relevant experience and lots of enthusiasm. He has been a QLLA Trustee since 2012 and was named vice president in July 2013. He served on the Nominating, Golf Revenue, Pool Financing, Marketing and Community Affairs Committees and as Board liaison to the Golf and Greens Committees.

As Duval explains, he is a “planner by nature” with a strong background in finance and management. Following more than 20 years in venture capital helping young companies get off the ground and grow, he is now in wealth management—assisting clients to plan for and manage finances—as Managing Director with Boston Financial Management.… Read More

Nemat Odeh has been appointed the Executive Chef of The Quechee Club. Chef Odeh, has served in several leadership positions with the Four Seasons Resort, The Bellagio, Farmington Country Club in Connecticut, Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia and Shuttle Meadow Country Club. Chef Odeh was born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany. He started in the family business at age 12. After his schooling at the Culinary Academy in Frankfurt, he went to Gstaad, Switzerland, for his apprenticeship training working for three master chefs at the Palace Hotel. He continued his culinary education after college by enrolling in a year of pastry specialties.… Read More

In our last issue, QT profiled John Ferney who had just stepped down from his volunteer role as president of the Quechee Lakes Landowners Association (QLLA). Now it’s his wife, Gail’s, turn, described by her colleagues as “a special, giving person,” she is that and much more.

Admiring the artwork at the Ferney home, I found out that some of it was created by their daughter-in-law, some by a son and some is Gail’s work. I thought, “WOW – this is a talented lady!” I knew she was a great organizer, but wasn’t aware that she was a painter. Gail minimizes her artistic talent, but I loved her watercolors.… Read More

It has been so many years ago, I can’t recall the name of my first ski instructor. Maybe it was Jack. I vaguely remember his face.

It was Christmas week in Breckenridge, Colorado and the crowds were dense and intimidating, particularly for a new skier. “This is a ski!” Jack held up the odd instrument for our inspection. “These are your boots!” he pointed out, “and please don’t get the two mixed up.” Like all good teachers Jack believed strongly in emphasizing the basics. Basics are important.

“The boots should be put on with the buckles facing out!” he noted, “because if you don’t you’ll just ski around in circles and hit trees.”… Read More

In August 1995, Debbie Marcus and her husband Chet Marcus, both Massachusetts natives, were taking their two children to camp in Rutland, Vermont when they passed through Quechee.

“Wow, isn’t this beautiful?” the Marcus’s had said to each other as they took in the mountainous scenery and the stretches of golf courses—Chet is an avid golfer.

By November 1995, the Marcus’s decided to purchase a condo in Quechee. Since the two still own and run their business, Marcus Financial Advisors, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, they have been splitting their time between Quechee and Gloucester for 19 years. The Marcus’ son, Jonathan, will be taking over the family business so that the pair can retire to Vermont full time in a couple of years.… Read More

John Ferney will miss the challenges of the past several years as president of the Quechee Lakes Landowner’s Association (QLLA) Board of Trustees. His term ended in July 2014 and for the first time in many years, Ferney does not hold a formal position in QLLA governance.

Over the years, Ferney has been a member of the Nominating Committee, the Greens Committee, the Finance & Audit Committee and chairman of the Golf Committee. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2008, served as treasurer for two years, and another two years as president. Ferney spoke with the Quechee Times about his experiences.… Read More

In his essay on fly fishing titled The Happy Idiot author John Gierach notes, “There are times when fly fishing seems to be suffering from the same malady that afflicts the rest of society: too many so-called facts and not enough real experience.”

When the Quechee Times editor approached me about writing an article on my favorite places to fly fish in the area I thought, “What? This woman knows nothing about the culture of fly fishing. You never tell where you caught the fish!” Writing such an article would be much like writing a book concerning all of one’s mistresses and then giving it to one’s wife to proof read.… Read More

If life is a series of transitions, Myrna and Dick Brooks know that well. Their “transition” involved moving from urban Phoenix, Arizona, to moving to a house in the woods at the end of a dirt road in Quechee, where they now call home.

Deck Houses come to Quechee Lakes

In 2002, the Brooks bought a Deck House built in 1972, “the first house on Taft Family Road,” according to Myrna Brooks. The Deck House concept was a popular choice for early Quechee Lakes Landowners Association (QLLA) buyers. Art Garges, the owner of A.G. Design and the architect the Brooks eventually hired for their major renovation, explains that a Deck House representative and builder in the area helped advance this new concept in building to the earliest homes in QLLA.… Read More