Tom Candon of Shelburne, Vermont has spent a lifetime traveling his home state, following a boyhood dream of seeing and learning about all of its 251 towns. "My father, a mortgage loan officer for the Veteran's Association, crisscrossed Vermont inspecting homes that were being purchased by returning WWII veterans," recalls Tom. "As a child growing up in Rutland, I loved the opportunity to ride along."

It was not until 1972, when he accepted a position with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns that Tom began to track his visits toward 251 Club recognition.

"Perhaps I was reluctant to accept the finality of reaching my 251 goal, but a visit to Sandgate eluded me for forty-six years. Every time I drove to the Bennington County area, getting off the new Route 7 and driving to Sandgate and back seemed a bit out of the way—like I could not get there from where I was! Finally, on a weekend stay in Manchester in 2018, I purposefully made the trip to Sandgate."