Scott Wheeler: Giving a Voice to Vermonters in Montpelier

Scott Wheeler of Derby, Vermont, is a freshman representative in the Vermont House. He represents the Northeast Kingdom communities of Brownington, Charleston, Derby, Holland, and Morgan. A Republican, Scott, who is a member of the important Healthcare Committee (a committee that is working to make healthcare and health insurance more equitable), has been quick to prove that he plans to keep his one major campaign promise – to work across party lines to do what is right for his constituents and the rest of Vermont. He has formed relationships, both professional and personal, across all parties during his short time in the State House.

In his life outside of the State House, Scott is the publisher of Vermont’s Northland Journal, a publication designed to give the people of the region a forum to share their memories (www.northlandjournal.com) He is also employed as a community relations writer for North Country Hospital in Newport.

Born and raised in Newport, Vermont, the second of three boys born into a struggling, yet proud family, Scott learned at a young age the power of hard work, education, and optimism. A 1984 graduate of North Country Union High School in Newport, Scott went on to earn his psychology degree from Johnson State College.

Scott and his wife, Penny (Curtis) Wheeler have two 21-year-old sons, Curtis and Nicholas, and a 15-year-old daughter, Emily. Curtis and Nicholas attend the University of Southern Maine pursing a career in Environmental Safety and Health. Emily is a sophomore at North Country Union High School in Newport.

For several years Scott worked as a reporter for the Chronicle, a weekly newspaper based in Barton, Vermont. While working as a reporter, he earned a New England Press Association Award for excellence in history writing for a three-part series that he wrote about life in Vermont during the Prohibition era, a series that evolved into a book, Rumrunners and Revenuers: Prohibition in Vermont. This book was published in late 2002 by New England Press of Shelburne, Vermont. It became a best seller. Scott continues to contribute work to several other Vermont publications. He also appeared on the movie, The Legend of Memphre, a movie that takes both a serious and satirical look at the legend of a mythical lake creature named Memphre that some say live in Lake Memphremagog.

In addition, Scott is a popular and respected guest speaker throughout the northern half of the state. He donates hundreds of hours each year to non-profit groups sharing the history and culture of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

In 2004, Scott was recognized by the Disabled American Veterans of Vermont for his work at supporting the state’s veterans, including raising money to send World War II veterans from the Northeast Kingdom to the unveiling of the WW II Memorial in Washington D.C. Then in 2005, the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Kingdom Recognition Award. The award was bestowed upon him, and his publication, for “preserving and chronicling our unique traditions, our storied history, and wonderful personalities…” During the 2006 legislative session, a joint House/Senate Resolution honored Scott and two other men for their work at uncovering the story of a police officer slain in Newport in 1917. Thanks to their efforts, the officer received the recognition that he was owed. And in the Fall of 2006 Scott was nominated and accepted as a member of the Center on Research on Vermont at the University of Vermont. The group is made up of some of the people most knowledgeable on Vermont history.

Scott is also the founder of the Northland Journal History Scholarship. Each year he awards a scholarship to a high school senior interested in pursuing his or her interest in Vermont history while in college.

The following is one of Scott’s musings about the Northeast Kingdom and the Northland Journal’s place in it:

Life isn’t always easy in Vermont’s last frontier. The weather is less than ideal, and the economy often lags behind the rest of the state. Despite this, most of the people of the Northeast Kingdom have adapted well over the generations – mostly through that totally unique Vermont-style wit, not the obnoxious, rude sense of humor used by comedians who poke fun at Vermonters and their way of life, but a dry humor that catches one totally off guard, a humor that is more than amusing; it also tells a message. They are a welcoming lot who enjoy sharing their history and culture with the thousands of visitors who travel to the Northeast Kingdom from around the world each year.

Some people might argue that not “white washing” traditional life in the Northeast Kingdom might scare off potential tourism. I couldn’t disagree more. I am unembarrassed and proud of the land of my birth. There is no reason to portray the Northeast Kingdom as something it isn’t, or to bend reality a bit to entice tourists. The beauty, the working landscape, and the people speak loud enough to attract visitors from every corner of the world. That’s the Northeast Kingdom I hope the Northland Journal captures, and continues to capture, for years to come.

Some people might wonder where Scott finds time to be an active husband, father, advocate of the Kingdom and its people, as well as serving in the State Legislature – that’s simple – he doesn’t sleep, or at least any more than he has to. He throws himself into everything he does, and that includes representing the people of Vermont.