NEWPORT –– A legend in Vermont journalism has taken an unexpected turn in his career. Chris Braithwaite, founder and 40-year publisher of the Barton Chronicle, now spends his days navigating the rural roads of the region—not in pursuit of a story, but as a bus driver for Rural Community Transportation (RCT).
“I think I was bored in retirement,” Braithwaite says simply, explaining his transition to public transportation work.
The 81-year-old media veteran, who was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association Hall of Fame in 2014, initially reached out to RCT about becoming a volunteer driver. But when he mentioned his commercial license from a brief career as a school bus driver, RCT quickly hired him as a paid driver instead.
For more than a year, Braithwaite has been helping residents navigate the Northeast Kingdom’s transportation challenges. It’s a far cry from his days overseeing a newspaper that became an institution in Orleans County.
As a journalist, Braithwaite spent decades collecting stories and reporting on community issues. Now, he finds himself on the receiving end of stories in a different context.
“I hear a lot,” he admits. “Some people find it a good place to unload what’s going on in life and the bus becomes a sort of safe space.”
Unlike his reporting days, Braithwaite doesn’t probe for details.
“I don’t ask a lot of questions because people tell me as much as they want somebody to know,” he says.
Perhaps most interesting is that most passengers have no idea they’re confiding in someone who once shaped the region’s media landscape.
“I’m just another one of the drivers,” he says. “I kind of like that.”
That anonymity may be part of what makes these exchanges so valuable. As Braithwaite jokes, the conversations might not be so open if passengers knew about his background in journalism.
Before he was helping people physically move around the Northeast Kingdom, Braithwaite was moving information throughout the region. In March 1974, he and his then-wife Ellen, along with friend Edward Cowan, founded the Barton Chronicle.
“It was crazy,” Braithwaite recalls of those early days. “I was scrambling for several years just to keep it running. It was very close to the line.”
Despite his early declaration that “If there’s one thing the world doesn’t need, it’s another goddamn newspaper,” the Chronicle thrived under his leadership. The paper that was once known as the “hippie paper” grew into a respected publication, even as larger papers throughout Vermont struggled.
In 2015, eleven Chronicle employees pooled their resources to purchase the paper from Braithwaite, ensuring its continued operation in the spirit he had established.
Unlike some founders who struggle to step away, Braithwaite made a clear break from the Chronicle after his retirement in 2014.
“I’m not involved at all anymore,” he says. “Only as an interested reader. I didn’t want to be the hovering presence. We sold the paper to them and I wanted it to take on its own character based off of the new owners.”
Back in 2012, he published “Stand Against the Wind,” a non-fiction book documenting protests against a wind power development on Lowell Mountain. During his reporting, Braithwaite was arrested for refusing to leave as protesters were being detained—a charge later dismissed when Green Mountain Power revealed their policy not to arrest journalists covering the project.
That experience, where he became part of the story he was covering, appears to have influenced his current approach to writing. He says he has thought about taking notes for short stories about his current occupation, but he’s cautious about the ethics of such writing.
Now, Braithwaite’s focus is on the road ahead—both literally and figuratively.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to do it,” he acknowledges. “But one good thing about having a commercial license is you have to pass an annual physical. So if I hit the point where I can’t see well enough, I’ll be shut down. I like that.”
Despite the uncertainty, he seems content with his current role and the impact he’s had on Vermont journalism. When asked about The Chronicle’s lasting influence, Braithwaite’s pride is evident.
“I feel good about it,” he says. “I’m really delighted, most of all, that the paper’s still going, doing pretty well, and still a good paper. That’s the best part.”
For a man who once shaped the narrative of the Northeast Kingdom, Braithwaite now seems happy to play a supporting role in its day-to-day operations—transporting its residents where they need to go, one bus route at a time.
RCT’s mission focuses on providing safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable public transportation that enhances the communities they serve. With drivers like Braithwaite behind the wheel, RCT continues to serve as a lifeline for many residents navigating the challenges of rural transportation.
