Eric Veden’s true tales of Falls Village life are back

FALLS VILLAGE — Eric Veden has a new installment in his video chronicle of Falls Village.

“Falls Village: Episode Twelve” is available at the David M. Hunt Library in DVD and Blu-Ray formats for $10. The episodes can also be borrowed.

Episode Twelve begins with Jim Holcomb, who is restoring a Datsun 280 ZX race car  driven by Paul Newman and Bob Sharp, for a collector in New York.

Veden cuts into the conversation with Holcomb with race footage and a couple of clips from Newman’s films.

Holcomb says that the owner does not plan to race the car.

“Whatever,” he says. “Personally I’d rather see it on a race track.”

He also reveals something interesting: He has no desire to race cars himself, despite spending decades working on them.

Susan Kelsey, a state-certified forester (among other things), talks about bears and turtles (“they have personalities”), and conservation issues in general.

She says that growing up with a large family, a small house and no television, the woods “were our personal space.”

“When you’re out in the woods, something comes over you.”

Town Clerk Mary Palmer tells her life story, starting with something that’s obvious to anyone who has ever visited Town Hall.

“I like people,” she says cheerfully.

Also from a large family, she says she learned early-on how to get along with others.

“So when there is chaos and confusion at the town hall, I’m in my element.”

This chapter includes home movie footage of Palmer’s mother explaining why she didn’t like living in New Mexico.

The disc concludes with Trudy Schaelchli demonstrating how to cane a chair, something she has been doing for 30 years.