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OMYA Open House

Tuesday October 24, 2006

By Ed Barna

    Omya’s annual Open House at their Middlebury quarry on Oct. 14 attracted a huge crowd, mainly of families with children.

The 65-acre pit, which might get deepened another 150 feet before it is closed down, is impressive to people of all ages, but is doubly impressive to people who are still halflings. Also, one of Omya’s smartest moves was to bring some of their humongous equipment up next to the barnlike tent that was the event headquarters, for kids to clamber on and for parents to take pictures of them dwarfed by the machinery.

As usual, school buses took groups down to several stations in the quarry, one of which gave visitors a chance to take away interesting rocks (Omya even furnishes the bags). They were wise enough to bring away from the sometimes-hazardous wall a good deal of the pink marble that some visitors find especially attractive.

This was an Earth Sciences Week event, and as such it gave anyone who was interested in geology plenty of interesting information. Just one example: at the north end of the quarry, the marble vein dives down into the earth, so Omya doesn’t expect to enlarge the pit by increasing its acreage. Another common question answered: the company takes its name from one of its earliest holdings, a quarry in Omey, France, whose inhabitants were called Omyats.

Why go somewhere that is all white on a foliage weekend? Well, first of all, it isn’t true that the rocks are all white. Up close, the excavated rock face revealed numerous intriguing patterns, and at ground level, there was a collection of mineral specimens on loan for the occasion, some of them spectacular.

Up top, the company put on a noontime feed that exceeded most people’s expectations. Not just hamburger and hotdogs, but also veggie burgers and roasted chicken on a stick, with drinks and various condiments available as well.

Splendid weather helped to swell the crowd, and publicity was said to have been a factor, but there were visitors who said they make sure to come every year. It’s a great spectacle, a great family event, and best of all, it’s free.

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