Cannabis has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For use by individuals 21 years of age and older or registered qualifying patient only. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING. Possession or use of cannabis may carry signi cant legal penalties in some jurisdictions and under federal law. It may not be transported outside of the state of Vermont. The e ects of edible cannabis may be delayed by two hours or more. Cannabis may be habit forming and can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Persons 25 years and younger may be more likely to experience harm to the developing brain. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the in uence of this product. National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.
2h-Sweetspot101624 1
COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY
Zipping on Zyn
A nationwide surge in the use of oral nicotine pouches has hit Vermont, causing public health officials to warn that the products, favored by young adults, are highly addictive.
e Vermont Department of Health’s recently published biannual survey of adults ages 18 to 25 found that 9 percent of respondents reported using nonsmoking tobacco products within the past 30 days, up from 5 percent in 2022. at category includes products such as chewing tobacco. But state officials say the increase is likely related to the newly popular nicotine pouches, which can contain high amounts of the addictive chemical and are available with flavors such as mint and fruit. e pouches, which are sold at gas stations and convenience stores, don’t actually contain tobacco.
People tuck the small, pillow-like containers between their gums and lips. Usage has tripled in Vermont over the past several years, according to the health department, which cited Zyn as the most popular brand. A user must be 21 to buy the pouches, which are marketed as a tobacco substitute.
larly damaging to younger people with still-developing brains. And while the pouches may be a safer alternative for current cigarette smokers, they also attract users who might not have otherwise indulged in nicotine. Young people often underestimate how addictive it is and believe they will be able to easily quit.
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HARD LESSON
A data breach of the national student information portal PowerSchool a ected more than three dozen districts in Vermont. Immediate detention for the company.
That’s how much Vermont will receive in federal disaster recovery funds for the July 2023 flooding.
e long-term health effects aren’t clear, but experts say nicotine consumption can prove particu-
“ e tobacco industry targets teens and young adults,” said Rhonda Williams, chronic disease prevention chief at the Vermont Department of Health. “And what we see in the data is that ‘curiosity’ is one of the main reasons expressed for trying a product.”
e health department has responded with a public outreach campaign to educate parents and teens. Further, the state is studying vapes collected from Vermont schools over the past year to learn more about the chemicals found in the often-flavored products.
In 2024, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bill that would have banned the sale of flavored vaping and tobacco products in Vermont in part because it could cost the state a projected $15 million or more in annual revenue. He also argued that such a ban would be hypocritical at a time when the state allows flavored cannabis and alcohol sales.
Read Colin Flanders’ full story at sevendaysvt.com.
BAD SENDER
Somebody blew up mailboxes in Morristown, Wolcott and Johnson. As if the postal service didn’t have enough problems.
HOOFING IT
Some donkeys escaped their enclosure and traipsed down Main Street in Montpelier. No, it wasn’t Democratic politicians who got free of the Statehouse.
BORDER BATTLE
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he joked with president-elect Donald Trump about annexing Vermont if the U.S. tries to take Canada. If only, eh? $68 million
1. “Housing Authority Pulls Scores of Rent Subsidies” by Derek Brouwer. Burlington Housing Authority plans to yank scores of Section 8 rental assistance vouchers in anticipation of budget cuts by Congress.
2. “Nonprofit Seeks Land for New Manufactured Home Park” by Anne Wallace Allen. e Cooperative Development Institute is looking for a Vermont site for mobile homes.
3. “Majestic, a Casual Restaurant From Industry Pros, Opens in Burlington” by Melissa Pasanen. e new bar-restaurant is a partnership of seasoned industry professionals Maura O’Sullivan and Sam Tolstoi.
4. “Decker Towers Gets Reprieve From Drug Traffic, Squatters” by Derek Brouwer. Last year, residents were packing self-defense weapons. Now they’re gathering for karaoke.
5. “A CVU Graduate Is Vermont’s First Rhodes Scholar in Years” by Anne Wallace Allen. Lena Ashooh, a Harvard University student from Shelburne, is headed to Oxford University next year on a Rhodes scholarship. @WildVTPolitics
Vermont’s new Lieutenant Governor, John Rodgers, informs the press that his decorating plans for his new office are not yet set, but they will absolutely include “something dead” hanging on the wall.
STEPS AT A TIME
e University of Vermont Medical Center now has two robots that can help patients with neurological conditions learn to walk again. ose who have suffered strokes or brain injuries, have Parkinson’s disease, or need mobility and balance training can benefit from the machines.
Known as the Vector System, the robots are essentially high-tech human trolleys: Patients are strapped into harnesses suspended from a ceiling-mounted track, and the dynamic system adapts to changes in body weight, allowing them to perform tasks without fear of falling.
e robots give patients the confidence
to push themselves harder during rehab sessions, which research shows is the best way to regain vital motor functions, said Lisa Goodwin, supervisor of the hospital’s inpatient rehab therapy.
She likened it to learning how to hit a baseball: “Somebody might coach you in the beginning — ‘Do this, do that’ — but then your brain is just figuring out that error and how to correct it.”
e system also relieves health care workers, who previously risked injuring themselves when physically supporting patients.
e hospital purchased the robots and renovated its mobility gym at the Fanny Allen rehab center using a donation from Tony Cairns. He stewards a philanthropic
endowment established to benefit Fanny Allen, where his father received lifesaving care. Last year, the hospital approached Cairns with a $500,000 request, which he approved in full.
“ e robot is pretty ingenious, and there is certainly a need for the services,” Cairns said in a press release.
One morning last week, a patient with limited use of his right leg strapped in and began navigating a short obstacle course. He stepped over padded mats and sturdy platforms, and when he listed too far to the right, the harness caught him. He laughed as his physical therapist pushed a button to raise the harness high enough for him to get back on his feet — then off he went again.
Zyn pouches on display in a store
FIT TO PRINT.
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WTF, BURLINGTON?
[Re “Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak Will Prescreen Police Press Releases,” January 9, online]: I’m just checking in from central Vermont: Has everyone in Burlington completely lost their mind?
When the Burlington police chief dares to point out publicly that a criminal with “nearly 2,000 police encounters and more than three dozen convictions, including six felonies” is still roaming the streets because Vermont’s judges refuse to apply the “habitual criminal” law to him and lock him up for good, Burlington’s Progressive mayor, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, doesn’t respond by calling for replacing irresponsible judges; she responds by demanding that the police chief not issue public statements without clearing them with her first!
Heaven forbid that anyone in Burlington’s government publicly prioritize the protection of the public over the protection of “alleged” criminals — who, after all, might be completely innocent in their 2,001st police encounter! And the citizens of Burlington just elected this person mayor?
“Planet Earth calling Burlington — come in, Burlington!”
David Humphrey STRAFFORD
MAJESTIC MEMORIES
[Re “Majestic Meetup: Industry Veterans Open a Neighborhood Bar and Casual Eatery in Burlington’s South End,” January 8]: Majestic Car Rental was only a short-timer in that building. It would have been good for your story to include the original history.
The building was a longtime Shell gas station owned by Winston “Winnie” Whittemore and his wife, Connie. The Whittemores, including their three daughters, were Burlington originals.
Whittemore always made sure the property was in tip-top shape, including a garden of petunias along the east-side perimeter of the lot that he planted and personally maintained every day. He not only had two mechanics but he also gave
CORRECTION
Last week’s art review, “Drawing Attention,” misspelled the title of a James Siena painting. It is “Atoptichord.”
jobs to local high school kids to pump gas, including yours truly and Steve Koss.
Ted Cohen BURLINGTON
MORE TO THE SHANNON STORY
[“Joan Shannon to Retire From Burlington City Council,” January 2, online] raised two significant concerns: first, about Seven Days’ coverage itself. The article was little more than a repackaging of the Burlington Democratic Party’s press release and failed to dig into a significant backstory: that Joan kept her name on the ballot until three days after the deadline for anyone else to add their name.
This strategy no doubt had a chilling effect on others being willing to run, as they would have had to assume that they were running against her. (I challenged Joan at the caucus two years ago and got flattened.) While I was not interested in running this time around, I would have loved to see a bigger and more diverse field of candidates. Joan’s exclusionary strategy leading up to the caucus deserved more coverage.
Second, about the bigger picture of how Burlington selects candidates for local races. Unlike most of the rest of Vermont, we use party-run caucuses instead of local government-run primaries. This means that the process by which we decide who is on the ballot is not subject to any public oversight. And in their current virtual form, caucuses in Burlington are highly opaque and exclusionary, structurally favoring people who are already on the inside.
It’s long past time for Burlington to do away with party-run caucuses and move to city-run open primaries instead. Our
this widens the labor supply to anyone who is willing to work on a roof, not just immigrants with legal status. Because wages, workers’ comp, etc. are also the subcontractor’s duty, these too can be trimmed. Lower labor costs enable rapid growth.
If attractive low bids are the reason the University of Vermont, Beta Technologies and ReArch have hired VCC for roofing jobs, these entities and Vermont authorities should ask VCC to document the legal status and pay stub history of all workers on its job sites.
David Stoll MIDDLEBURY
‘DEEPER REPORTING’ ON LABOR
core democratic processes should not be in private hands. Let’s take them back.
Jason Van Driesche BURLINGTON
Editor’s note: Van Driesche’s letter refers to the first, breaking version of this story on sevendaysvt.com. A second iteration appeared in print six days later, on the Last 7 page of our January 8 issue. That write-up explored the timing of Shannon’s decision, including Van Driesche’s allegation and Shannon’s response that she decided not to run only after learning that other candidates were seeking the position.
SUBCONTRACTOR SCAM
Thanks for Derek Brouwer’s investigation of Vermont Construction Company [“Risky Business: Housing Violations Involving a Fast-Growing Vermont Roofing Company Expose Role of Immigrants in the Trades,” December 18]. Judging from housing violations and other complaints, VCC could be using off-thebooks immigrant roofers to underbid firms that comply with labor laws. In the Sunbelt construction industry and the New York metropolitan area, this is an old playbook that we don’t want in Vermont. Here’s what could be happening: Reliable employees with legal status turn into independent subcontractors. They then recruit young men from their family networks or neighborhoods, either in a stateside migrant enclave or in a country of origin. If workers have just arrived in the U.S., the subcontractor may have paid human smugglers for their trip and they may be working off the loan. Because verifying legal status is the subcontractor’s duty,
Alongside my Vermont Asylum Assistance Project colleagues, legal fellow Emma Matters-Wood and volunteer Sara Stowell, I appreciate Seven Days for highlighting challenges facing immigrant workers in Vermont [“Risky Business: Housing Violations Involving a Fast-Growing Vermont Roofing Company Expose Role of Immigrants in the Trades,” December 18]. However, we urge deeper reporting on systemic issues. For example, while the article noted unsafe living conditions, it failed to answer critical questions: Where did these displaced workers go? Are they now unhoused or unemployed? Such omissions risk harming the very individuals whose stories deserve uplift.
Following related coverage by WCAXTV, one VAAP client — an asylum-seeking survivor of past persecution — was summarily evicted into houselessness from similarly crowded employer-provided housing. Injured during the rushed eviction, our client lost critical legal documents essential to their asylum case. Without asylum status, they cannot access housing assistance or robust workplace protections. Our client’s precarious couch-surfing outcome underscores the dangers of incomplete reporting on immigrant worker housing.
Vermont will allow recreational cannabis dispensaries to sell tax-free, highpotency product to medical patients
Dry Generation
Younger Vermonters are drinking less alcohol and embracing sober culture
Capitol Gain?
e governor’s inaugural speech addresses cost-of-living concerns, education funding
Meeting of Minds
All Brains Belong provides neurodivergent people with health care, education and social connections
Fitness Frenzy
A reporter’s adventures at three wildly different workout classes
Weight Expectations
A new mom reflects on her postpartum body
Novel Approach
Lisa Genova uses fiction to present truths about living with bipolar disorder
Talk Therapy
Brattleboro Retreat’s “Unravelling” podcast fosters honest conversations about mental health
Sweater Weather
Ona Wöldten designs knitwear using yarn from Junction Fiber Mill
Turn Over a New Leaf
Jenn Karson’s exhibition sees an AI forest in the
Essay: How a cancer diagnosis changed a food writer’s approach to eating
Find a new job in the classifieds section on page 72 and online at jobs.sevendaysvt.com.
COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN • IMAGE JACKSON TUPPER
SUPPORTED BY:
Knitwear designer Ona Wöldten teamed up with Junction Fiber Mill to create knitting patterns using its wool yarns. Wöldten launched her Lindal sweater pattern before the 2024 New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, where attendees wore handmade versions of her sweater.
MAGNIFICENT
MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK COMPILED BY REBECCA DRISCOLL
SATURDAY 18
DOUBLE OR NOTHING
Putney’s Next Stage Arts presents a special cross-cultural collaboration by Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block kora player
In an instrumental mélange, the adroit musicians merge their respective genres — American fusion vibes and the traditional sounds of Sissoko’s native country, Mali.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 59
in Woodstock for Torchlight Snowshoe, a glowy, region’s rich history — from land use to animal tracks.
tribute band Almost Queen at the Paramount mind.” Audience members flash back to the glory
SATURDAY 18
Flyin’ High
Afroman takes the stage at Afterthoughts and master Yacouba Sissoko
Hip-hop legend in Waitsfield for an evening of cannabis-inspired musical artistry. e early-2000s icon — known for his debut earworm, “Because I Got High” — skyrocketed to fame, despite his independence from record labels, via alternative avenues such as Napster. Smash cut to today, and Afroman is still flying free from corporate influence.
four-part harmonies — executing every detail with
FRIDAY 17 & SATURDAY 18
Toe the Line
Hopkins Center for the Arts artist-in-residence Trebien Pollard brings Vegan Chitlins and the Artist Formerly Known as the N-Word to Dartmouth College’s eater on Currier in Hanover, N.H. e multidimensional work features original choreography by Pollard, who captivates and challenges viewers with his deeply personal embodiment of the Black experience through movement.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 58
MONDAY 20
Harmony and Unity
Local singing groups Montpelier Community Gospel Choir and Green Mountain Gospel Choir perform a joyful program aptly titled “Just Love” at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington. e concert celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with donation proceeds benefiting the Richard Kemp Center’s annual youth trip to Washington, D.C.
SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 60
ONGOING
Acts of Remembrance
At Diane Sophrin’s exhibition “Chaos and Catharsis: Works on a Continuum,” at the Front in Montpelier, expect collages of recycled materials: ink unwrapped packaging reassembled with tape and antique books repurposed as artist sketchbooks — striking images that invoke her time spent with artists in Central Europe. Learn more in an artist talk on Saturday, January 18.
SEE GALLERY LISTING AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ART
2025 Rebates for Your Home
If you’re planning on improving the efficiency of your home or apartment this year, take a look at Efficiency Vermont’s residential offers, including:
Air Sealing and Insulation
• Up to $9,500 off weatherization projects with an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor (depending on household income)
• Up to $15,000 for home repairs (for income-eligible households) that are necessary before weatherization
• DIY weatherization: $100 back on select do-it-yourself projects
Heating, Cooling, and Water Heating
• Air-source heat pumps: discounts starting at $350 + income bonus
• Ground source heat pump: up to $2,100/ton + $500 income bonus
• Smart thermostats: $100 rebate for select ENERGY STAR models
• Water heaters: up to $5000 for select heat pump water heaters
• Window air conditioners: $100 rebate for select ENERGY STAR models
• Wood pellet furnaces & boilers: $6,000 rebate
• Wood and pellet stoves: $400 discount at select retailers
Electric Vehicles
• Up to a $7,500 federal tax credit
ENERGY STAR® Appliances
• $25-$40 for dehumidifiers
• $200-$400 rebate on heat pump clothes dryers
• $400 for heat pump dryer/washer combination units
Lighting and Electrical
• Up to $10,000 for electric panel upgrades (for income-eligible households)
• $100 rebate for qualifying LED fixtures for indoor growing.
Income-based Assistance
• Free lighting, appliances, energy consultations, weatherization, and more — visit efficiencyvermont.com/free-products to see if you are eligible.
Not sure where to start?
Sign up for a FREE Virtual Home Energy Visit! Call 888-921-5990 to learn more (Translation services are available)
Financing options available starting at 0% interest
Additional rebates may also be available from your electric or gas utility. All rebates are subject to availability and eligibility. For the most up-to-date information, visit: www.efficiencyvermont.com/rebates
Fight to Stay Fit
While many people have made New Year’s resolutions to get in shape this winter, exercise is a yearlong endeavor for me. In truth, I’m a little fanatical about it. I don’t feel well if I can’t move my body for an hour — or two or three — every day. This routine doesn’t guarantee lifelong health, nor is it the answer for everybody, but fitness has kept me relatively sane and focused in a constantly changing world where so much is outside of my control. It has worked for me — so far.
Winter is tough. When most people are sitting down to dinner, I’m often heading to the pool. To trade the cozy comfort of my home for a cold car and dark night requires every ounce of discipline I have.
Worse: As I age, the water feels chillier than it used to. In early December, about three-quarters of a mile into my laps, I thought: Maybe I should get a wet suit?
That’s how I wound up having a panic attack at Burlington’s Waterfront Diving Center. The sole shopper on a weekday, I had hoped to find a synthetic rubber top with a front zipper, but there was only one style in stock, and it went on like a turtleneck.
The male sales clerk gave me a “small” — flattering but probably misguided — and I went into the dressing room, stripped down and poured myself into it. The top was so tight I could barely breathe. How could I possibly swim in this? Fighting claustrophobia, I immediately reversed course. But in the process of trying to get the garment off — over my head — I got stuck. I was trapped inside a straitjacket of black neoprene with my arms, pinned to my ears, outstretched overhead.
I thought about calling the guy for help, but it would have been spectacularly embarrassing for both of us. Instead, the adrenaline kicked in. I hulked out, stretching the wet suit just enough to get out of it. At some point during the contortions, I felt an odd sensation in my right elbow. A small price to pay for freedom, I thought at the time. I hadn’t hit anything hard in the course of my struggle. Whatever I tweaked would surely right itself quickly.
Maybe, that is, if I weren’t four months shy of 65 — and getting texts and mailings almost daily about how to sign up for Medicare. For five weeks, I have not been able to hold anything heavier than a cellphone with my extended right arm. Making a fist with that hand is excruciating. Every time I lift a pot or hoist a
suitcase or roll over in bed is a painful reminder: Despite the twice-weekly weight training and swimming every other night, my body is more prone to injury than it used to be. I’m calling this one “sudden-onset tennis elbow.”
As this week’s theme issue proves, year after year: “Wellness” is bigger, and more complicated, than fitness.
I finally made an appointment at the Community Health Centers of Burlington. My wet-suit story did not faze the physician’s assistant I saw there; she’s a surfer. Nor did she think the elbow was broken, but because I had fractured it once before, on the tennis court, she ordered an X-ray.
I FELT AN ODD SENSATION IN MY RIGHT ELBOW. A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR FREEDOM, I THOUGHT.
The results came back within a couple of hours. Good news: It’s not broken or dislocated. Though there are “mild degenerative changes in the elbow,” the soft tissues are “grossly unremarkable.”
Funny how in medical terminology, negative words become reasons to celebrate. The PA had already recommended regular icing, inflammation-reducing salve, a compression sleeve and physical therapy for my elbow. She said the problem should resolve eventually.
I’ll take that diagnosis — to the cold pool.
Paula Routly
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NEWCOMB
A Healthy Outlook
The Wellness Issue is no pain, all gain
So, how are you making out with those New Year’s resolutions, champ? If you’ve already dropped the ball on your plans to lose weight, drink less, read more, quit smoking, etc., you’re not alone. According to studies, you are among the nearly 90 percent of Americans who give up on their resolutions within the first two weeks of January.
The problem isn’t you; it’s the resolutions. While the turn of the calendar is a natural time to take stock, committing to making significant life changes overnight — especially if that night was New Year’s Eve — is absurd. Real change takes time, discipline and, most of all, compassion for yourself. You’re probably gonna slip up. And we’re here to say: It’s OK.
The key is not to let setbacks get you down. Equally important is finding what works for you. Because the best diet, workout, whatever is the one you’ll actually do.
Take exercise, for example. Zumba and CrossFit ain’t for everyone. Sometimes you’ve just gotta fight someone with a sword to really feel the burn, as Hannah Feuer discovered when she sampled a range of OFFBEAT FITNESS CLASSES (page 28).
Cartoonist KRISTEN SHULL has been confronted with new, impossible-tomeet body standards since becoming a mother. In a comic, she shares insights on how she lost more than six pounds in a single day — spoiler: She had a fucking baby (page 30).
Food writer Suzanne Podhaizer always thought she ate well. But when she was diagnosed with tongue cancer, it forced her to reevaluate her relationship to food. In an essay, she explains how she changed her approach to HEALTHY EATING (page 32).
One undeniable path to better health is giving up alcohol. More and more young Vermonters, especially, are turning away from drinking and instead embracing SOBER CULTURE (page 17).
Meanwhile, many folks use cannabis for medicinal purposes, but dedicated MEDICAL DISPENSARIES are sparse since recreational weed was legalized. So the state will allow recreational dispensaries to sell medical-grade weed (page 16).
Between wildfires, a divisive new president and humanitarian
disasters overseas, maintaining a healthy emotional outlook is top of mind for many folks. The Brattleboro Retreat’s “UNRAVELLING” PODCAST aims to foster more honest conversations around mental health (page 40). And author and neuroscientist LISA GENOVA visits Woodstock this week to talk about her latest novel, More or Less Maddy , about a woman with bipolar disorder (page 38).
In Montpelier, a doctor with autism founded ALL BRAINS BELONG , a medical services provider for neurodivergent people. The nonprofit provides more than just specialized clinicians: It offers education and community, as well (page 26).
Speaking of community, the VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH works to keep ours safe and healthy through its educational and entertaining social media feeds (page 41). If you need a break from doomscrolling (see: natural disasters, politics and war, above), you could do worse than to follow those folks on Insta.
DAN BOLLES
GOV URGES LAWMAKERS TO ACT
HOUSING AGENCY PULLS RENT SUBSIDIES
Going Hybrid
Vermont will allow recreational cannabis dispensaries to sell tax-free, high-potency product to medical patients
BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN • sasha@sevendaysvt.com
Vermont is preparing to embark on a major overhaul of its struggling medical cannabis program, which has steadily lost registered patients since the state made it legal for people to grow weed at home in 2018.
The decrease has accelerated since late 2022, when stores selling cannabis legally to all adults began to open in Vermont. The medical program now counts 2,700 patients, down from a high of about 5,700.
Patients who live with one or more of about a dozen conditions recognized by the state can pay $50 for a medical card that’s good for three years. They do
not pay taxes on cannabis products, have access to higher-potency concentrates and other specialized items, and are allowed to exceed the one-ounce limit on a single purchase that applies to recreational buyers in Vermont. Medical cannabis dispensaries can also deliver their merchandise and bring it curbside to patients’ vehicles, unlike shops in the recreational, or adultuse, market.
But there will be just two medical-only dispensaries left in the state — in Brandon and Montpelier — after a South Burlington dispensary, Ceres Collaborative, closes soon.
A New Housing Coalition Has a Familiar Face — Miro Weinberger
PHOTO & STORY BY ANNE WALLACE ALLEN anne@sevendaysvt.com
Former Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger is the face of a new group that is trying to get more housing built in Vermont. Let’s Build Homes launched on Tuesday with a Statehouse press conference that brought together major employers, nonprofits and policy leaders.
e nonpartisan coalition wants 30,000 new homes to be built by 2030, a goal first set by Vermont Housing Finance Agency in early 2023. at would require developers to more than double the rate of housing construction from the past 15 years, Weinberger said. A former affordable housing developer before serving 12 years as mayor, he added that many of Vermont’s problems, including a shrinking workforce and tax base, can be traced to its lack of affordable housing. Vermont had one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country last year, according to VHFA.
“ ere are so many interests that are negatively impacted by Vermont’s housing shortage, and the goal of this group is to represent all of them,” Weinberger said. He said the donationfunded group will advocate in the Statehouse and in community settings.
“We hope to not only change policy but to change the way Vermonters think about the future of the state,” he said.
A new law scheduled to take effect on July 1 would allow any of the 100-plus shops in the recreational market to apply for a “medical use endorsement.” With that permission, a shop could also operate as a medical dispensary and thus sell and deliver high-potency, taxfree weed to registered patients. The control board has published proposed rules to carry out the new law, subject to a review this winter and spring that includes a public hearing and comment period.
About 250 individuals and organizations, including major employers such as the University of Vermont Health Network and Middlebury College, have signed on as supporters of Let’s Build Homes. e press conference also brought together construction company CEOs, bankers and nonprofit leaders.
Policy makers and community leaders have been trying to promote housing construction for several years and have pushed for laws aimed at easing regulatory obstacles and mitigating costs. Affordable housing agencies such as Champlain Housing Trust have built hundreds of new apartments in the past several years. Private developers are also building new homes, mostly in Chittenden County. But the shortage remains stubbornly difficult to resolve. ➆
Miro Weinberger at the Statehouse
Dry Generation
Younger Vermonters are drinking less alcohol and embracing sober culture
BY RACHEL HELLMAN • rhellman@sevendaysvt.com
On a Saturday in December, the pop-up bar in Montpelier’s North Branch Café was packed to the walls. Twentysomethings sipped drinks laden with fancy herbs in the dimly lit space. On a makeshift stage, burlesque performers, drag queens and belly dancers took turns captivating a crowd of nearly 60 people. The café — a quiet, casual place by day — had been transformed into a standing-room-only pop-up bar called Flower Haus for the night.
Despite the swanky vibe, the evening was alcohol-free. The drinks being sipped were mocktails, and the purpose of this “dedicated sober herbal wellness” lounge was to create a comfortable venue for those who want to socialize without alcohol.
Mollie Gaito, the 28-year-old organizer of Flower Haus, has been amazed by the turnout at the two events they’ve put on since October.
“I put out as many chairs as I could at North Branch, but it’s just never enough,” Gaito said. “There’s a real desire for these types of spaces without the pressure of alcohol.”
The success of Flower Haus reflects a larger cultural moment. Gen Z and millennial Vermonters are saying goodbye to booze at record rates. Binge drinking by young adults in Vermont has decreased 15 percent in the past 10 years, according to community surveys by the Vermont Department of Health. Alcohol use among 18- to 20-year-olds has fallen nearly 10 percent in the same time period,
according to the same surveys. Nationally, drinking rates have declined at about the same rate among younger generations.
A variety of factors may be at play according to experts: the pandemic, the legalization of cannabis, the rise of the wellness industry, growing mental health awareness and, more broadly, alcohol’s declining reputation.
The result, though, is evident: Bar menus list mocktail options and nonalcoholic beers; sober meetups and alcoholfree dance party posters litter coffee shop bulletin boards.
Vermonters’ alcohol use overall remains among the highest in the country. In fact, substance misuse by Vermonters age 65 and older is increasing, according to the health department’s community surveys.
Meanwhile the number of high schoolage Vermonters who have reported trying alcohol has decreased by 10 percent in the past decade, according to the department.
One reason alcohol consumption may be down among younger Vermonters is the increase in rates of anxiety and depression in that age group. The number of young people prescribed antidepressants — which often cannot be mixed with alcohol — has increased significantly in recent years.
“A lot of the time it just comes back to mental health and how alcohol makes a client feel,” said Brittany Haskins, a Burlington-based therapist who said
A performer at Flower Haus
“This, to me, is not about injecting new life into the program,” said James Pepper, chair of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board, which regulates the industry. “It’s about making sure that the existing patients and the people that the legislature has deemed are qualified to access medical cannabis still have that access.”
It’s unclear how many of the dozens of licensed recreational shops will participate. Given the small number of registered patients, people in the industry say selling medical cannabis will not be a moneymaker. The endorsement costs $250 each year, on top of the $10,000 annual retailer license fee, and budtenders would have to complete training on how to serve this new clientele.
Shops would have to provide patients a private space for confidential consultations, if asked, and must keep medical products “physically segregated” from recreational weed. The tax-free sales would be tracked separately, too.
The Vermont Medical Society has raised concerns about potential abuse of the proposed cannabis rules. Vermont is one of a few states that have imposed a limit on the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, allowed in certain products for recreational use. Consumers, manufacturers and retailers have complained about the cap for years, saying it pushes patrons into the black market, where higher potency cannabis concentrates are readily available.
The new changes, the medical advocacy group has said, could encourage a recreational customer to register as a patient to win access to more potent merchandise. And the medical program — unlike recreational sales — is available to patients under 21, provided their doctor approves. (About 40 patients under the age of 21 are now enrolled in the medical program.)
Pepper said regulators are aware of these potential loopholes. He said certain rules will provide a check, such as one that requires a patient to get a physical exam and have at least a three-month “bona fide” relationship with their doctor. If a particular physician is signing up lots of patients, for instance, the control board can alert state licensing boards to a potential violation, Pepper said.
“It’s going to be incumbent on us to really make sure that this is rolling out the way that we intended and it’s serving the people that it’s intended for,” he said.
About a dozen retailers have expressed interest in the endorsement, according to Pepper, and several others were enthusiastic about the program in interviews with Seven Days. They described their commitment to
providing what they consider medicine to sick people who have found that cannabis soothes their symptoms — chronic pain, most commonly. Many proprietors already provide medical customers with a 20 percent discount that covers the sales and excise taxes on recreational cannabis.
Dove Sharp, co-owner of the Gas Station in Rutland, is one of those. During what she described as a typical week earlier this month, about 57 customers
THE VERMONT MEDICAL SOCIETY HAS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL ABUSE OF THE PROPOSED CANNABIS RULES.
showed their medical cards and got a discount on their purchases. She’s looking forward to providing them with the specialized items that are now available only at the medical dispensaries.
“There’s just not a lot of options for medical grade right now,” Sharp said. “Even though it may seem like a small population, it’s still an important one.”
An example of the new rules in action is sprouting in a storefront in downtown Winooski. Hello, Hi opened last week as a “co-located” dispensary that sells both recreational and medical cannabis. Inside the bright, 1,700-square-foot space, a sliding door hides a small soundproof and windowless room. That’s where patients can privately confer with budtenders about their options and openly discuss
their medical conditions, according to Christopher Walsh, a veteran of the cannabis industry who is president and CEO of Grassroots Vermont, which owns Hello, Hi. Grassroots, which is based in Brandon and delivers to patients all over the state, is one of the two remaining companies with a state medical cannabis license. Vermont law gave those businesses access to an integrated license, which enables them to grow, wholesale, test, manufacture and sell both medical and recreational cannabis.
“We are kind of the OGs in medical, and I take it very seriously,” said Walsh, who noted that Grassroots opened its Brandon dispensary in 2013. “The idea, like, ‘Oh, I’ll just pay a little extra for a medical license, get stronger product, and it’ll be more revenue’ — there’s so much more to it.”
He said he’s supportive of the medical use endorsement as a way of increasing access, but he wants more restrictions on who can obtain it. He fears some recreational shops will get into the business for the wrong reasons and thinks there should be limits on how many shops in a given geographical area can sell to medical customers.
Over the years, patients have collaborated with Grassroots budtenders to figure out what products — and what dosages — work for them, Walsh said. Because they’ve provided the service for so long, Walsh said, his budtenders have anecdotal evidence about the best treatments for certain conditions or symptoms.
“Adult use, and there’s nothing wrong with this, but it’s just purely transactional,” Walsh said. “So if that’s what you’re doing 90 percent of the time, do you have the experience, the patience and the willingness to do a lot of hand-holding?”
Eddie Furci, co-owner of the Winooski
Organics cannabis store, says he’s up for the challenge. Patients have been coming to his store and venting about the poor experiences they’ve had at the small number of medical dispensaries, he said. They’ve asked for specific products, such as transdermal patches, suppositories and custom formulations, that Furci would be able to sell once he has the medical endorsement. All products will need to be tested by a third party and registered with the state.
“The program has obviously been losing a lot of patients, and I think that’s just because of the quality of the program,” Furci said. “Patients who let their med cards lapse would probably get them again because now they have an actual reason.”
Amy Lems has been a patient for 10 years, but she’s one of those who has found little reason to use the medical program.
The Norwich resident has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues, and got her card because cannabis helped alleviate her symptoms.
But she was disappointed in the quality and selection of medical cannabis products and couldn’t get the higher-dose concentrates that she wanted. She rarely bought from a dispensary.
Instead, she mostly made her own stuff. But she said the new regime will allow her to shop for a wider variety of medicalgrade extracts that take more skill and equipment to produce.
Lems has ideas for other changes she’d like to see, such as direct-to-consumer sales, which would allow manufacturers to circumvent retail shops and bring down prices.
But for now, she said, “this is a really good step forward.” ➆
JOHN JAMES
Hello, Hi in Winooski
Burlington Mayor to Review Police Press Releases
BY COLIN FLANDERS • colin@sevendaysvt.com
In an attempt to rein in her outspoken police chief, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak signed an executive order last week that requires the city police department to get approval from her office before distributing press releases to the media.
The executive order — the mayor’s first — will remain in effect “until further notice” and “may be rescinded” should city police develop a new press release policy approved by the mayor.
Mulvaney-Stanak told Seven Days that she has raised concerns with Police Chief Jon Murad about the content of his department’s public statements in the past. The chief has used press releases in recent years to criticize the court system and a perceived lack of accountability for repeat offenders.
“People need the basic facts of situations for the sake of public safety and nothing more than that,” MulvaneyStanak said.
The comms crackdown came a day after a defense attorney asked a judge to slap a gag order on the police department in response to recent statements from Murad about Michael Reynolds, a Burlington man with nearly 2,000 police encounters and more than three dozen convictions, including six felonies.
In a December 30 press release, Murad said Reynolds has “harmed huge numbers of people” and has exhausted all avenues of help.
“We have an answer for this kind of violent, incorrigible, antisocial behavior: Vermont’s ‘habitual criminal’ statute,” Murad’s statement reads. He was referring to a state law that allows prosecutors to seek enhanced penalties — including up to life in prison — against offenders who commit a felony after having been convicted of three previously.
Early last week, WBUR Boston’s syndicated “On Point” program, which is carried by hundreds of radio stations around the country, quoted part of
Murad’s statement during a 45-minute segment about involuntarily committing mentally ill people. It included a lengthy recap of Reynolds’ criminal history.
Reynolds’ attorney filed a motion on January 8 asking a judge to prohibit the police department from making further public statements about Reynolds that could taint a potential jury pool. Murad’s comments have “no purpose aside from creating a substantial likelihood of public condemnation,” the motion read, and could harm Reynolds’ right to a fair trial.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, who has been critical of the department’s press releases in the past, supported the defense attorney’s request in court, and the two sides are working on a joint motion for a judge to consider.
It’s not the first time a Burlington mayor has used the executive pen to increase oversight of the police department. In October 2020, then-mayor Miro Weinberger issued an order that gave his office more input on disciplinary decisions related to police use of force.
Murad previously announced plans to step down this spring. Mulvaney-Stanak’s order will do little to ease tensions between her and police brass — and could factor into the city’s search for its next chief of police.
Mulvaney-Stanak isn’t worried.
“I have the same expectations for every department head,” she said.
In a Front Porch Forum post about the order on Monday, Mulvaney-Stanak cited two existing city policies related to media relations. One, Police Department Directive 30, “states that releases should not include ‘comments regarding the character or reputation of a subject,’” she wrote.
On Tuesday morning, the police department issued a press release about three encounters officers had had with Reynolds the previous day after he was accused of trespassing. The release did not contain any statements attributed to Murad. ➆
Chief administrative officer Katherine Schad and Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
more and more of her clients are deciding to become sober for that reason.
Jesse Taylor, a 31-year-old who has been sober for seven years, said depression motivated her to quit drinking. “Alcohol just really ramped up all of my depression symptoms,” she said. “I used alcohol as a numbing agent and as a form of escape.” Now Taylor is a regular attendee at local sober dance parties and a mentor for friends looking to make a change.
When the pandemic started, many people drank more: One study, by the Keck School of Medicine, found that heavy drinking among adults increased by more than 20 percent during the pandemic.
But the lockdowns may have also motivated some people to finally shift away from alcohol. Alex Frantz, a 29-year-old Burlington resident who has launched an informal series of alcohol-free gettogethers, found herself drinking more during the pandemic. It was a scary reality that led Frantz and her partner to take a pause.
“We wanted to explore what it would be like to connect with people without alcohol being what we were connecting over,” she said.
Some businesses got a jump start in that period, too. Lisa Danforth, founder of tonique — a mocktail bar catering service based in South Burlington — was motivated to start her business when she saw how much alcohol consumption was rising during the pandemic. She wanted to offer an alternative, particularly on college campuses.
Danforth wasn’t sure whether there would be enough demand, but since launching in 2023, “It’s been incredibly busy,” she told Seven Days.
Brooks Addington, the Manchesterbased founder of TÖST — an alcoholfree sparkling beverage company that launched 10 years ago — said the pandemic marked a turning point for him, as well. His company grew by more than 300 percent in 2021 alone and now has 18 distributors in more than 24 states.
Bars and restaurants offer more nonalcoholic options than ever: phony negronis, herbaceous spirits and nonalcoholic aperitifs, to name a few.
Gold Restaurant in Burlington’s Old North End launched a build-your-own mocktail menu for “Dry January” this year. The drinks have been so popular that owner Charles Spock said Gold may continue the offering when January ends.
Spock noted that it’s not just sober customers who are purchasing mocktails. He’s noticed some people alternating their alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic drinks during meals.
“The nonalc industry is rapidly growing,” Addington, the TÖST owner, said. “I think there’s much bigger recognition about what we’re putting into our bodies than there was even six months ago.”
In fact, earlier this month, the U.S. surgeon general suggested that alcoholic drinks carry labels warning about the links between alcohol and several forms of cancer.
I WAS REALLY SCARED WHEN I FIRST GOT SOBER THAT I WOULD NEVER PARTY AGAIN.
JAKEE ZACCOR
“Those types of public health messages do have an impact,” said Traci Sawyers, director of prevention services at the Vermont Department of Health. Sawyers said she believes the effort to educate young people about the risks of drinking is having a real impact, much like the national movement against smoking in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, cannabis consumption among young adults has increased by almost 10 percent in the past decade.
“People aren’t necessarily feeling that they have to go to alcohol to get some type of mood-altering experience,” Addington said.
Some just want to avoid hangovers. “The people at Flower Haus don’t want
to feel sick the next day after going out,” Gaito said. “They want to really be present with who they’re talking to.”
Studies show that Gen Z and millennials are also more likely to care about their overall wellness compared to past generations.
“You’re not going to meal prep and do all the things that are good for you if you’re super hungover,” said Jakee Zaccor, a 36-year-old Burlington-based graphic designer who has been sober for a decade.
Physically healthy as it is, giving up alcohol can have an isolating effect. “I was really scared when I first got sober that I would never party again,” Zaccor said.
But she found she could still enjoy going out without the social lubrication of a few drinks. While living in New York City, she started attending sober dance parties. She moved to Vermont in 2019. Missing her sober community, in 2023 she launched SHAKE, a series of sober dance parties in yoga studios across the city. SHAKE took a pause in 2024, but Zaccor said she plans to ramp back up this year.
In Addison County, Margaret Schultz has been hosting an annual substancefree music festival, Peace Fest, that attracts hundreds of attendees. Many who attend don’t live completely alcoholfree lives. Still, the substance-free aspect of the festival resonates with attendees, Schultz said.
Being young and committed to sobriety can be challenging. That’s what Frantz, the 29-year-old who quit drinking during the pandemic, learned when she and her partner shifted away from alcohol.
“When you meet someone new,” Frantz
said, “the first thing they say is: ‘Hey, can we get a drink?’”
“I realized that outside of AA, or abstinence-focused groups, there really aren’t places for people to socialize without drinking,” she added. “I felt like my life became a little more socially limited when I cut out alcohol.”
Motivated to find an “alcohol-free space that wasn’t about alcohol,” Frantz posted on a Burlington-based Facebook group in November, hoping to connect with one or two sober people. Instead, more than 90 people expressed interest. Frantz sensed she was onto something. Frantz has organized several meetups for those who responded to her post. A group of about 10 people — ranging from their early twenties to mid-forties — meet every other week for coffee. And once a month Frantz organizes a bigger evening gathering for the group.
The trend does not show signs of slowing. There’s been such high demand for Flower Haus events that Gaito is looking into renting a permanent spot in Montpelier. In fact, she said, another intentionally sober community space — Access Café — had just opened in the old Rabble Rouser building across from the fire department in Montpelier.
It’s good news, she said: more (alcoholfree) drinks to go around. ➆
Rachel Hellman covers Vermont’s small towns for Seven Days . She is a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Find out more at reportforamerica.org.
Charlie Rooks making a mocktail at Gold in Burlington
Gov. Phil Scott urged lawmakers last week to heed the message that voters sent in November by working with him to lower the cost of living for Vermonters fed up with higher taxes and fees.
During his fifth inaugural address, Scott told a joint session of the General Assembly that despite his efforts to hold the line on tax increases, lawmakers over the past two years had lost sight of how their policies were affecting the lives of constituents.
“Vermonters told us — loudly and clearly — they expect us to get back on course, to spend within their means, and above all else, make Vermont more affordable for them,” he said.
In November, voters responded to Scott’s urging and broke Democrats’ supermajority in the legislature. They boosted the ranks of Republicans in both chambers and altered the balance of power in the Statehouse.
Collaboration is now the name of the game. Democrats have said they know that only bipartisan solutions to runaway health care costs and the housing and climate crises have any hope of success this session.
After the speech, House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) said she plans to focus less on tax rates and more on making sure that Vermonters are getting their money’s worth on existing programs in public safety, housing and health care. Krowinski had been reelected for another term as speaker last Wednesday, the day before Scott’s speech.
“You’re going to hear a lot about accountability and oversight this legislative session to make sure that we’re getting a return on the investments we implemented,” she said.
As he has time and again, Scott highlighted the state’s demographic challenges as the source of many of its ills. In an aging state where fewer children attend schools and more workers are needed for childcare centers, construction and eldercare, the costs rise for everyone.
To combat these challenges, he intends to focus on building more housing and reforming the education system. He proposed what he called an “actual housing bill” that would dramatically speed the construction of homes and create incentives to renovate dilapidated properties.
The state is currently building about 2,300 new homes a year. Scott said it needs more than 8,000 new homes per year over the next five years to help grow the workforce.
He proposed reining in property taxes that fund education, which soared an average of 14 percent last year and are projected to rise another 6 percent this year. The state is spending $2.3 billion annually to educate 83,500 children in a system that he said is “out of scale and very expensive.”
Later this month, Scott said, he will lay out in his proposed budget a “multiyear plan to transform education.” The effort will include a new “student-centered”
STATEHOUSE
funding formula, a simpler governance structure and measures to help school boards cut costs.
“This session we have the rare opportunity to not only make our system more affordable for taxpayers, but to improve the quality of education for all kids — no matter their challenges or where they live,” he said.
Scott got choked up when naming lawmakers who passed away in the last year. After mentioning the passing of Bill Keogh, Curt McCormack, Dick Sears, Don Turner and Bill Doyle, Scott got to “my dear friend and mentor.” He paused for several seconds, unable to say the name. The chamber applauded to support him at that emotional moment.
As the claps faded, Scott composed himself and said, “Dick Mazza.” The Colchester grocer, a longtime and influential senator, died in May at age 84.
Scott also joked around a bit. Listing his administration’s achievements, including the restoration of rail service from Burlington to New York City, Scott noted that the state has recently had another “huge accomplishment in transportation.”
“Because this year, we had just one — one — truck stuck in Smugglers’ Notch,” he said to hearty laughter.
Some lawmakers weren’t in a jovial mood. Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (P/D-Chittenden-Central), boycotted the governor’s speech, watching it on television from the Statehouse cafeteria. Vyhovsky is one of the lawmakers
who unsuccessfully sued Scott over his interim appointment of Education Secretary Zoie Saunders.
She has also been a vocal critic of his policies about homelessness, and that’s what led her to skip the speech, she told Seven Days. She said she didn’t want to sit through a speech by a governor she blames for kicking Vermonters in need out of the motel program.
Rep. Kate Logan (P/D-Burlington), the head of the House Progressive caucus, was irked by Scott’s suggestion that legislators from far-flung communities could join forces to block legislation supported by Chittenden County lawmakers.
“He’s continuing to sow division,” Logan said.
Much of Scott’s speech was not about division, however, but about collaboration, putting party politics aside and lauding Vermonters who selflessly helped their neighbors in times of need, such as when floods hit. He asked lawmakers to take such examples to heart as they commence a session he expects to be very difficult but which also presents opportunity.
“This year, we’ve once again been asked to step up, solve big problems and help people. And there’s no doubt our challenges are great,” Scott said. “But if we meet them head-on — accept reality but refuse to settle for it — I know, when this session comes to a close, we will be able to go back to our communities with our heads held high, proud of the work we did here.” ➆
Gov. Phil Scott
FEEDback
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exploration. Immigrant workers have long filled essential labor gaps yet face barriers such as insufficient wages to cover Vermont’s high housing and health care costs. Incomplete reporting exacerbates immigration disinformation and distracts from the ways welcoming immigrants bolsters Vermont’s economy and supports critical investments. Further, employer-provided housing may be a stopgap and not necessarily reflect malice. Framing employers as villains without examining systemic factors hinders meaningful solutions. We urge Seven Days to explore solutions — affordable housing, livable wages, worker protections and immigration services — and amplify voices of immigrant and local workers alike for more equitable and informed coverage.
Jill Martin Diaz BURLINGTON
Jill Martin Diaz is the executive director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.
SAVE OLD FORESTS
[Re “Clear-Cut?: Climate Crisis Spawns a Push to Ban Logging in the Green Mountain National Forest,” August 18, 2021]:
MINI
The U.S. Forest Service recently released its final proposal for Telephone Gap, and it’s a doozy for air, water, wilderness and biodiversity. This 10,959-acre logging plan would overwhelmingly target mature and old forests, including 691 acres of old growth and 1,800 acres in one of Vermont’s largest unprotected roadless areas. While the Forest Service and its allies at Vermont Natural Resources Council and Audubon Vermont push a narrative that Telephone Gap would “balance” conservation and resource extraction, any truly balanced approach would simply leave alone this rare, intact island of mature and old forest.
Research shows that unmanaged forests store more carbon, more effectively buffer flooding and are more climate resilient than managed forests. Research is also clear that Vermont needs much more old forest in the landscape. Ninety-one percent of all the acreage slated to be cut at Telephone Gap is classified as “old” or “mature,” including 691 acres of official inventoried old growth dating back as early as 1861. With only 0.3 percent of New England forestland over 150 years old, it is hard to overstate what an important opportunity Telephone Gap presents to
protect old forests — and avoid releasing an estimated 254,556 metric tons of CO2.
The Forest Service, VNRC and Audubon may be digging in their heels for more reckless logging on our public lands, but there is still time to save Telephone Gap. To that end, anyone can submit objections to Vermont’s congressional delegation, the White House and the Forest Service until January 17.
Chris Gish CAMBRIDGE
PARTISAN PROJECT?
Why would any media operation that considers itself objective think it is OK to accept money from overtly partisan individuals who have tried to use their money to influence Vermont politics in the past?
I am referring to the so-called “Ways and Means” endeavor announced by Seven Days publisher Paula Routly [From the Publisher: “Introducing ‘Ways and Means,’” January 8].
This project is presented as a look/investigation into how the Vermont legislature “is working.” According to Seven Days, the project is funded by two Vermont philanthropists. In actuality, they are wealthy individuals with partisan politics whose influence is
amplified by their wealth. Besides the fact that any funding from partisan sources right or left calls into question the objectivity of any journalist enterprise that accepts them, the acceptance of said funds goes against accepted journalistic ethics. Or are journalistic ethics not a thing anymore? Even if the reporter(s) involved in this project try to be objective, the source of the money used to fund it will make it appear otherwise.
Ron Jacobs WINOOSKI
Editor’s note: The idea for “Ways and Means,” to scrutinize the legislature, came from Seven Days — not the two Vermonters who are supporting it financially. We pitched it to them. Countless U.S. media organizations, including Seven Days, VTDigger and Vermont Public, accept donations from opinionated philanthropists to fund their journalism. Our collective donors span the political spectrum, and some choose to be anonymous. The difference, in this case: We are naming Bruce Lisman and Paul Ralston, being transparent about their backstories, and explaining what their involvement means for the reporting produced by the project: nothing.
Burlington Housing Authority Pulls Scores of Rent Subsidies
STORY & PHOTO BY DEREK BROUWER • derek@sevendaysvt.com
Burlington Housing Authority plans to yank scores of Section 8 rental assistance vouchers in anticipation of budget cuts by Congress, despite the housing crisis that has led to hundreds living in tents in the Queen City.
The drastic step will hamper efforts to reduce homelessness in Chittenden County, which has surged in recent years. In fact, it will likely make the problem worse.
Last week, the authority suspended Section 8 vouchers issued to about 70 individuals and families who, despite having a voucher in hand, had not yet found an apartment to lease, executive director Steven Murray said. But that step alone won’t be enough to offset what the authority expects could be a multimilliondollar budget shortfall in 2025, so it’s preparing to take more extreme measures, as well.
The authority will more aggressively move to revoke vouchers from tenants who violate terms of the program, Murray said. “There will be no second chances this year,” he said.
People wait months or years to claim a Housing Choice Voucher, as the federal aid is also called. The vouchers, the primary form of federal rental assistance, typically require tenants to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent; the government covers the remainder. Recipients can rent from private landlords, nonprofits or local housing authorities.
More than 9,000 apartments across Vermont are rented using Section 8 subsidies. The vouchers can be a ticket out of homelessness for some. The subsidies help others climb out of poverty by ensuring their housing costs remain in proportion to their income.
Burlington Housing Authority is reacting to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that advised local authorities nationwide to prepare for a 2.5 percent budget reduction next year, Murray said. The estimate was based upon an early proposal in the
U.S. Senate. Congress has yet to take up the budget and likely won’t do so until the spring.
Burlington Housing Authority immediately began pulling vouchers that weren’t yet in use rather than wait for final budget figures. The housing authority expects to drop roughly 260 vouchers from the 2,400 or so it provided last year.
No other housing authority in Vermont appears to have made preemptive cuts to vouchers. Removing a tenant’s housing subsidy is typically a last resort for housing authorities because it often leads to eviction and homelessness.
Murray met with the state’s federal congressional delegation to lobby for increased funding. He is also considering asking local and state lawmakers to help backfill the budget, noting that the cost of maintaining a voucher is sometimes less than the expense of providing services or a motel room to someone who is homeless.
In a statement last Thursday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said shortchanging Section 8 funding would be “unacceptable.”
“Homelessness will increase in our state as a result of Congress’s inaction. I will continue to do all I can to make it clear to my colleagues in Congress that the needs of working families must come before the whims of billionaires,” Sanders said.
Cuts to the voucher program can have a longer-term effect on the supply of affordable housing in Vermont, Winooski Housing Authority executive director Katherine “Deac” Decarreau said. Tight market conditions have already made it difficult for housing authorities to persuade private landlords to participate in the Section 8 program.
“It will be very hard, once people move to market-rate rents, to convince anybody to go back to affordable, unless the supply and demand pushes it that way,” Decarreau said. ➆
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Steven Murray
lifelines
OBITUARIES
James Stephen Fry
AUGUST 30, 1947DECEMBER 21, 2024 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.
James Stephen Fry, educator, historian and cherished friend, passed away on December 21, 2024, at the age of 77. Born on August 30, 1947, in Queens, N.Y., Jim lived a life marked by intellectual curiosity, service, and deep connections to his community and loved ones.
Jim was the son of James Edward Fry and Catherine (née Gunzel) Fry. He attended St. Pascal Baylon elementary
John A. Spaeth
1954-2025
STAFFORD SPRING, CONN.
John A. Spaeth, 70, of Stafford Springs, Conn., passed away peacefully on January 4, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in 1954 in West Allis, Wis., to Dorothy and Gilbert Spaeth, John attended the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, earning a degree in electrical engineering. His journey led him to Vermont, where he made Essex Junction his home for more than three decades. During this time, he dedicated nearly 20 years as a controls engineer at Wyeth Nutritionals before spending a decade at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which included earning a degree from “Coffee College.”
John is survived by his devoted wife of 40 years, Dona. His legacy lives on through his beloved children, eresa
OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS
school in Queens before the family relocated to the Adirondacks in 1959. A graduate of St. Peter’s Academy in Saratoga Springs (1965) and
Siena College (1969), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and participated in ROTC, Jim was only just beginning his academic journey.
In 1969, he moved to Burlington, Vt., to pursue a graduate degree in history at the University of Vermont, which he proudly earned. His early career was devoted to serving students, first as the director of financial aid at Johnson State College and later as the assistant director of financial aid at UVM.
Jim’s passion for education and law led him back to school in 1980. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of
America in Washington, D.C., in 1983 and became a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. Upon returning to Vermont, he embarked on a remarkable 30-year career as a law professor and director of the paralegal program at Champlain College in Burlington. In 2010, his excellence in teaching was recognized with the prestigious Edward Phelps Lyman Professorship.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jim dedicated many hours as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and was a committed blood donor. His love
for the water made him a skilled sailor, crewing on Lake Champlain and participating in sailing adventures in other parts of the world.
Jim’s passion for American history was unparalleled. He was a devoted volunteer at Fort Ticonderoga, a regular participant in the War Colleges of the French and Indian War, and a proud judge for middle school history competitions. His dedication to preserving and sharing history touched countless lives.
Jim was predeceased by his parents; grandparents, Herman and Clara Fry and Christian and Katherine
Gunzel; and his twin brothers, who passed away in infancy in 1958. He is survived by his sister, Katherine Winchester (Lee); his nephew, James Winchester (Kate); and a circle of beloved friends, including Ernie Pomerleau, Bob Minetti and Michelle Miller, as well as many dear colleagues and friends.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held privately in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Fort Ticonderoga, 102 Fort Ti Rd., Ticonderoga, NY 12883, or the McClure Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, VT 05446.
(John) Urbanowicz, Caitlin (Caden Triplett) Spaeth and Jonathan (Nicole) Spaeth. He also leaves behind cherished grandchildren Jett, Quinn and Harper, who will always
treasure their memories of Grandpa’s music, adventures and shared snacks. John’s extended family includes his in-laws, Robert and Cheryl McCloskey, and their children, Patrick and Melissa.
roughout his life, John built and maintained lifelong friendships. He loved swapping news articles, photos and life updates with close friends, ensuring those bonds remained strong.
John found immense joy in spending time with his family, particularly on camping trips that spanned the country, from Maine to Texas, Florida to Montana. ese adventures often included visits to national parks, a testament to his love of nature and exploration. His sense of humor, generosity, and knack for offering advice — whether solicited or not — will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
At this time, no formal services are planned, but the family will continue to celebrate John’s life privately. In honor of his memory, donations can be made to the National Park Foundation (give.national parks.org/goto/John_Spaeth) to help preserve the places he loved so dearly.
Cecile J. Auger
SEPTEMBER 8, 1928-JANUARY 3, 2025 ESSEX CENTER, VT.
Cecile J. Auger, 96, of Essex Center, Vt., passed away peacefully on Friday, January 3, 2025, at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., after suffering a massive stroke.
She was born in Brownington Center, Vt., on September 8, 1928, to Emmanuel and Celinda (Roberts) Nadeau. She was the oldest of seven children.
On October 18, 1958, she married Raoul Auger, and they had three daughters, Marie Cookson, Carmen Cote and Claire Auger.
She relied deeply on her Catholic faith. Prayer was a daily part of her life, and it brought a great deal of comfort to her.
She is survived by her three daughters; her grandchildren, Nathan Cookson, Joshua (Caitlin Salem) Cookson and Nicole (Dusty Desautels) Cookson; and her great-grandchildren, Riley and Mason Cookson, and Cooper and Hadley Desautels.
She was predeceased by her parents; ex-husband; and siblings, Alice Daniels Locke and Armand, Maurice, Leopaul, Raymond and Roger Nadeau. She leaves behind several sisters-inlaw, nieces, nephews and close friends.
She was an avid seamstress, knitter and reader. In her later years, she traveled extensively with her daughters to Alaska, Maine, Niagara Falls, Florida and Canada.
A funeral mass will be held on January 18, 2024, 11 a.m., at St. Jude Catholic Church, 10759 Route 116, Hinesburg, VT.
Interment will follow in the spring.
OBITUARIES
Benjamin Meyers
MAY 13, 1988DECEMBER 31, 2024 WILLISTON, VT.
Benjamin “Ben” Meyers passed away in his mother’s arms on December 31, 2024, at the young age of 36.
Sergei Ushakov
AUGUST 16, 1959JANUARY 8, 2025
BURLINGTON, VT.
Sergei Vyacheslavovich Ushakov died unexpectedly at his home in Burlington, Vt. on January 8, 2025. Sergei was born on August 16, 1959, in Yaroslavl, Russia, to Vyacheslav Vasilyvich Ushakov and Praskoviya Demetrieyevna Ushakova (Bragina), a well-educated epidemiologist and high-level cook, respectively. Sergei
Ben was born in Kingston, N.Y., in May 1988. He grew up in Hurley, N.Y., where he enjoyed the outdoors and getting into adventures. As a young boy, Ben had a vivid imagination. He would craft stories for hours in his room, while playing with Playmobils and wrestling action figures. In 1996, the family moved to Williston, Vt. He graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2004 and from Vermont Tech in 2008.
Ben’s life was filled with friends. A true people person, he was a thoughtful, compassionate and loving young man who excelled in listening and encouraging others. He was genuine and confident. His exuberance and cheeky jokes would often lighten the mood of a room. He welcomed everyone with an open mind and an open heart.
spent the early years of his life at the family dacha in the village outskirts of Yaroslavl, living simply and earnestly. The origins of his immense work ethic and resourcefulness began here, where Sergei’s family grew their own food; with it, his mother taught him to cook many delicious Russian dishes that he frequently made and shared with friends and family. To no surprise, Sergei was an excellent grade school student and a member of the ensemble. By his teenage years, he was also starting to
Those who knew Ben will remember him for his infectious smile and twinkling blue eyes. He had a rare gift for making others smile and laugh and left a lasting impact on all who crossed his path. Ben loved to read, and Game of Thrones was one of his favorites. He enjoyed music, hiking and trivia. He had a passion for sports and would relay statistics at the drop of a hat while watching TV with his father.
In January 2021, Ben was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. Through all his trials and tribulations, he exemplified grace, taking on each challenge with a smile and determination. He was loved by so many as he endured countless tests and hospital stays. A huge thank-you to the University of Vermont Home Health team that supported
immerse himself in classic rock, listening to the likes of CCR and Deep Purple on black-market albums under threat of the KGB.
Sergei’s journey into music production started small, playing guitar and drums with cover bands, but was pushed further in the 1970s while playing the trumpet during compulsory conscription in the Soviet Army of the former U.S.S.R. and later building microcircuits in an aerospace factory. After an interlude of clowning around and taking care of elephants
him through years of treatment, the hospice team for his end-of-life care, and the numerous doctors and nurses who never gave up on him.
Ben was predeceased by his father, Steve. He is survived by his mother, JoAnne, and his brother, Zachary. He leaves behind his grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, who adored him dearly. His passing has left a void in the hearts of his family, friends and the many whose lives were touched by him.
A celebration of life will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Ben would prefer you donate to rawoodfoundation. org or St. Jude’s. Thank you to all who knew and loved Ben and helped make his life special. The family invites you to visit Ben’s online tribute at online-tribute.com/ benjaminmeyers.
in the traveling Russian circus, Sergei returned to music formally at the Yaroslavl Philharmonic, then, by chance, as a member of a rock band called Telephone, he had his opportunity to run sound, never turning back. For many years he was the permanent sound engineer of the Jazz Over the Volga festival in Yaroslavl, which ultimately brought him to Burlington after the formation of the sister city partnership in the late 1980s. In Burlington, he established himself as front of house in the local music scene, joining Nectar’s full time in 1994. He later toured nationally for a few years in the mid-2000s with the Samples and then Pork Tornado. His audio legacy was further cemented at many other Burlington area venues over the years with the hundreds of musicians he worked with and the thousands of pounds of equipment he set up, broke down and acoustically optimized for the space at each and every show.
Ralph Harry Orth
OCTOBER 5, 1930-JANUARY 10, 2025
Ralph Harry Orth, professor emeritus of English at the University of Vermont, passed away on January 10, 2025, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vt. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, January 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Ready Funeral HomeSouth Chapel, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington, VT. A brief service and an opportunity for family and friends to share memories will immediately follow. Interment will take place in Shelburne Village Cemetery in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please make such donations as you wish to your favorite ecological or educational nonprofit.
Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To view a complete obituary or share a message of condolence, please visit readyfuneral.com.
Those who knew Sergei well knew that he never worked a day in his life. The more hours at the club, the more difficult the repair of a mic or mixer, the more time spent surfing the internet for rare analog gear, the more joy he found in what he did. And what he did was transform the Burlington live music scene, starting in the 1990s, setting a standard of excellence and quality in music production that carried on for decades. His legacy will survive in countless recordings, future gigs at Nectar’s, and venues around Burlington and the world, as well as the uncountable pieces of sound equipment that were brought back to their former glory — or made even better — with his eBay acumen, multimeter and soldering iron. In fact, right up to the night he passed, he was fixing equipment for friends and documenting his mastery and goofiness on video.
Sergei is predeceased by both of his parents, as well as his brother, Vasily
Vyacheslavovich Ushakov. He is survived lovingly by his three children — Anna Ushakova of Yaroslavl, with former wife Lydia Ushakova (Kuchina); Steven Ushakov (and wife Bridget Ushakova) of Burlington; and Kristina Ushakova (and partner Shaun Roberts), of Richmond, Vt. — with his former wife and devoted friend, Marina Collins. He recently earned the title of “Dudja” (grandfather, in Russian), welcoming with great enthusiasm his first grandchild, Lilia, born to Steven and Bridget this past year. He leaves behind countless close friends all throughout the music industry, who will sorely miss his irreplaceable brilliance, honesty and dry Russian wit.
A fittingly loud and rockin’ celebration of Sergei’s life will take place the weekend of February 15, 2025, at Nectar’s. More details to come at liveatnectars.com.
To honor Sergei, support your local music scene by attending a live show!
Meeting of Minds
All Brains Belong provides neurodivergent people with health care, education and social connections
BY KEN PICARD • ken@sevendaysvt.com
Summer Stelter remembers being in “a rough place” in 2022. Diagnosed years earlier with borderline personality disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder, she was told throughout childhood that she was lazy, unmotivated, sometimes even frightening — traits that are inconsistent with her life today as a successful business owner. Yet when a conflict arose with her son’s elementary school about his academic struggles, it triggered her PTSD, giving her flashbacks and rekindling past suicidal thoughts.
“I was filled with shame and guilt for not living up to everyone’s standards,” Stelter said. “I was my biggest bully, telling myself I was stupid, that I can’t get this, and what’s the purpose of living?”
Then a colleague suggested she look into All Brains Belong VT. The small, nonprofit medical practice in Montpelier specializes in neurodivergent patients, or the one in five people who think, learn, communicate and experience the world differently. In April 2023, the practice diagnosed the then-38-year-old Irasburg woman with autism.
“From my very first medical appointment, I was blown away,” she recalled. “I was in tears. I found hope. This is what I’ve been searching for my whole life.”
At All Brains Belong, Stelter found more than just clinicians who understood and respected her diagnoses. She also found a community of like-minded patients who meet regularly to share their experiences of being neurodivergent and the tools they use to manage it. Some patients travel from as far away as Brattleboro to participate.
All Brains Belong also hosts community programs for neurodivergent children and teens, and it produces weekly webinars and educational materials for parents, caregivers, employers and health care practitioners to better serve the neurodivergent population and those with traumatic brain injuries. Nearly all are free and open to anyone regardless of where they live, even patients and medical professionals unaffiliated with the practice. Some of the online materials have been downloaded more than 20,000 times by people around the world.
“People don’t just join a medical practice. They are joining a community,” said Dr. Melissa “Mel” Houser, 41, who founded All Brains Belong in November 2021. The Long Island native moved to Vermont in 2008 to attend the University of Vermont’s Larner
autism, Houser said, she often missed signs of autism and other neurodivergence in her patients — and herself.
adulthood. Many are considered “highfunctioning,” with neurodivergence that flew under the radar of medical providers for years.
“I was trained in the stereotypes,” she said, “and I did not fit those stereotypes.” Houser now describes herself as “openly neurodivergent.” In addition to her autism, she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; dyslexia; dyspraxia, or difficulties with motor skills, balance and coordination; and dyscalculia, or trouble learning and understanding math.
When discussing such conditions with patients, Houser uses whatever terms they prefer. However, she eschews the expressions “on the spectrum,” which she considers euphemistic, and “autism spectrum disorder,” because she believes autism is a brain difference to be accommodated, not a dysfunction that needs fixing.
Located behind Montpelier City Hall, All Brains Belong doesn’t look or feel like a conventional medical office. In the waiting room there are fidget spinners — small, spinning toys that can help relieve nervous energy, stress or anxiety — but no ticking clocks or fluorescent lights, both of which can upset some autistic patients. Aside from a centrifuge on one counter for processing blood samples, one could easily mistake the space for a therapist’s office.
Such aesthetic choices were deliberate. As Houser explained, All Brains Belong serves a population whose medical needs were not being adequately met by the traditional, one-size-fits-all health care system. Many patients report that their previous providers dismissed their complaints as trivial or imaginary.
College of Medicine. Though she described her medical education as “excellent,” it included almost nothing about neurodiversity beyond a one-hour lecture on autism. The lesson focused entirely on the red flags for recognizing autism, such as an inability to display emotions, read social cues, make eye contact or communicate well verbally. Because such characteristics apply to only a small percentage of people with
At age 37, Houser experienced what she called “autistic burnout,” a state of severe mental and physical exhaustion caused by stress, overstimulation and not having her autistic needs met for long periods of time. When someone is in autistic burnout, she explained, they can temporarily lose skills. In her case, Houser lost the ability to camouflage her autistic traits, a safetyseeking mechanism she wasn’t even aware she was doing to fit in socially.
Houser had never suspected she was autistic. She learned later that 80 percent of women with autism are diagnosed in
If her office were to invoke memories of past medical environments where a patient felt unsafe or unwelcome, Houser said, it could trigger a nervous system response. Some neurodivergent patients lose executive functions, such as the ability to speak or remember what ailments they came in to discuss.
By the time patients find All Brains Belong, she said, it’s not uncommon for them to have as many as 40 diagnoses, most of them related to mental health. Among the most common are anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“It makes no sense that a person would have 40 things wrong with them,” Houser said. “It’s just that the health care system
Dr. Melissa Houser
is not set up for a practitioner to zoom out, because you’re only giving [patients] 10 to 15 minutes.” For comparison, All Brains Belong schedules patient visits of at least 30 minutes; some run 90 minutes or more.
Invariably, new patients also report long-standing physical ailments, such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, disrupted sleep and irritable bowel syndrome. While Houser was familiar with the research showing that these conditions are more prevalent among people with autism and ADHD, she had no idea they would dominate her practice. She has since identified a constellation of intertwined conditions present in 97 percent of her patients. She called that discovery “the biggest surprise of my whole All Brains Belong journey.”
Why was All Brains Belong established as a nonprofit? Houser said it never occurred to her to do it any other way.
“In my mind, the nonprofit sector is all about community-driven problemsolving,” she said. “And that’s what we do here.” The practice accepts Medicare, Medicaid and all of Vermont’s major health insurance providers. It also supplements its income through grants and taxdeductible donations.
A year before launching All Brains Belong, Houser and her team set up community focus groups to discuss what’s wrong with traditional health care, then built a new model based on their findings. Three years later, the focus groups still meet several times a year. They conduct patient surveys, do one-on-one interviews and even pay people for their feedback.
In her previous medical practice, Houser noticed that much of her time with patients was spent trying to solve problems that existed outside the exam room.
“You’re never going to get healthy if you’re lonely, if you’re having trouble accessing your education, if you’re getting bullied in school, if you’re an adult and can’t hold a job,” she said. “Those things are all part of health.”
Two weeks after getting her own autism diagnosis, Houser read a statistic that terrified her: People with autism are more likely to die prematurely, with an average life expectancy range of 36 to 54 years. Those people aren’t dying from autism itself, she noted, but from conditions such as premature cardiovascular disease and suicide that are closely associated with social isolation.
“How come I didn’t know this? How come none of my colleagues knew this?” she asked. Houser called it “a gaping hole in health care delivery” — a hole she aimed to fill.
If people with autism suffer from higher rates of isolation, she concluded, All Brains Belong would focus on
providing not just quality medical care but also strong social connections.
“The most important thing we do is connect patients with other patients,” she said. “When they hear their own stories reflected back to them, there’s something so transformative about that.”
That was Stelter’s experience. Soon after joining the practice, she began attending group appointments, supervised by medical staff, where patients share such challenges as managing meds, relieving pain and falling asleep.
“I was like, Oh, my gosh! I feel the same way! ” she said. “I’ve connected with people all over the world who are just like me.”
Debra Ann Pinsof-DePillis of Montpelier joined All Brains Belong soon after her son, Roo, was diagnosed with autism at 4. A bright and curious boy, Roo, now 8, doesn’t present like a stereotypical autis-
THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR MY WHOLE LIFE.
SUMMER STELTER
tic child, his mother said. He reads above his grade level, communicates well with adults and has a diverse set of interests, from soccer to weather forecasting.
“The day he asked me, ‘How do they make petroleum?’ I knew I was in over my head,” she said with a laugh.
But Roo also has trouble making friends at school. So his family joined All Brains Belong on its non-primarycare track. Pinsof-DePillis and her husband have another primary care physician for routine visits and urgent care. But their family, whose members are all neurodivergent, uses All Brains Belong for the educational and social programs.
Pinsof-DePillis attends group visits where she learns about supplements that will help their brains and how to improve her sleep. Roo joined Kid Connections, where he meets other neurodivergent children with shared interests. He’s made a few close friends through All Brains Belong.
“As a mom, I think I’m the only parent in the world experiencing what I am experiencing and my son is experiencing,” Pinsof-DePillis said. Whenever she attends Brain Club, a free, weekly online educational program about neurodiversity, there’s always an aha moment when she learns something new.
“When I think of community and I need support, this is where I go,” she said.
All Brains Belong is also focused on making neurodiversity part of employers’ diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Last year, Houser and Sierra Miller, All Brains Belong’s nurse practitioner, trained 2,500 employers on creating more neuro-inclusive workplaces. They covered such issues as employee onboarding, performance problems and evaluations, and how assistive technologies can help workers with ADHD and autism.
“We weren’t thinking about any of that stuff,” said Blake Sturcke, co-CEO at Encore Renewable Energy in Burlington. “When we became aware of this training, it was immediately something that we were super interested in.”
Sturcke said the neurodiversity training gave him and his colleagues a much better understanding of how people’s brains access, process and interpret information differently. Some employees do better with emails than phone or video calls because it gives them time to process and digest information at their own pace.
“Expanding the aperture of that lens,” he said, “was really beneficial for us.”
Now capped at 350 patients, All Brains Belong is too small to serve all the people who seek its services. The practice filled up within six weeks of opening, then added a nurse practitioner, filled up again and finally closed its waiting list. Houser expects to hire another practitioner soon and accommodate another 100 patients by year’s end. Nevertheless, she is averse to growing too quickly because it would mean her current patients might have to wait months for an appointment.
For this reason, All Brains Belong provides free educational opportunities and training materials to other medical providers. The goal is to help local clinicians adopt a new model of communitydriven health care, one that’s designed and shaped largely by patients themselves.
It’s worth noting that many highly successful people involved in designing and reimagining systems — from Leonardo da Vinci and Henry Ford to Temple Grandin and Elon Musk — were suspected or are known to be autistic. Houser is convinced that she conceived of All Brains Belong’s new approach to health care not in spite of her neurodivergence but because of it. ➆
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or text VT to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Trained counselors are available 24-7.
INFO
Learn more at allbrainsbelong.org.
Fitness Frenzy
A reporter’s adventures at three wildly different workout classes
BY HANNAH FEUER
Vermont winters are stunning, but not always kind to nonskiers like myself. On the coldest and darkest of days, I’ve found that signing up for a workout class can motivate me to stay active. Nothing gets me moving quite like peer pressure and a nonrefundable fee.
But I’ve already tried all the typical workouts: high-intensity interval training, vinyasa yoga, indoor cycling, Zumba, strength training and the like. Rather than going back for round two, for the New Year I resolved to track down three o eat classes that would spice things up and make exercise fun.
My search for the unusual took an unexpected detour: I walked into Eat and Be Hoopy at South Burlington’s University Mall, geared up for an adult Hula-Hoop class, only to find myself surrounded by elementary-age kids. Whoops! (Turns out, hoop master Karla Jones an adult class — slight miscommunication). I valiantly carried on and hooped while the kids were distracted by toys and their parents looked on in confusion.
Undeterred, I continued my quest and tried sword fighting, a waltz class and restorative yoga. Here’s how it all went down.
GOING MEDIEVAL
Sword fighting, Tuesdays and ursdays, 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m., at Noble Science Academy in Lebanon, N.H. $75 monthly membership. noblescience.org
If you’ve ever fantasized about how you’d fare in a Renaissance-era sword duel, this class is your chance to find out — without the risk of actually getting skewered.
Noble Science Academy in Lebanon, N.H., o ers classes in historical European martial arts, or HEMA, a discipline dedicated to re-creating the sword-fighting techniques of the medieval and Renaissance eras based on historical texts. Unlike modern fencing, the goal is not to score touches. Instead, participants simulate what it would have been like to fight in life-or-death combat back in the day — but in a safe, controlled environment and wearing protective gear.
Classes take place in the fittingly historic Lebanon Masonic Temple, where
I joined a group of 15 students mostly in their twenties and thirties. On a recent Tuesday night, I bravely ventured into the fray to see if I had what it takes to keep up.
Noble Science Academy was founded by Michael-Forest Meservy in Reno, Nevada, in 2008 and expanded to Lebanon in 2014. The academy also has chapters in Las Vegas and Dublin. Lebanon’s is led by Jonathan Helland, a 45-year-old Je ersonville resident who tutors at Norwich University by day. Along with an interest in martial arts, Helland is passionate about the historical side of HEMA.
“We’re gaining a window into how people actually fought with swords, which is something there are a million myths and misconceptions about,” he told me before class. “Like, every Hollywood movie gets it wrong.”
Apparently, real sword fighting involves less swashbuckling and more careful footwork. Who knew?
The headgear protected us, but I still couldn’t stop myself from flinching when my sparring partner returned the favor. My technique was less than stellar, and Helland had to correct my wrist movements multiple times.
In the second hour, we switched to rapiers: thin, sharp swords wielded with one hand. Helland compared a rapier duel to a chess match — it’s all about thinking five moves ahead and outsmarting your opponent. In a rapier match, he said, it’s possible to overcome a lack of athleticism. This sounded like
After a dynamic stretching warm-up, we split up into beginners and advanced fighters. While more experienced students sparred with real longswords — medieval-style swords designed for two-handed use — the newbies picked up plastic swords. We learned proper footwork, thrusts and cuts, and how to make a satisfying swoosh sound as the sword cut through the air.
Then it was time to spar. The protective gear, face guard and gloves made me feel slightly more confident I wasn’t about to be impaled. But it still took some getting used to. When I stopped my sword just short of hitting my sparring partner’s face, Helland shot me a look.
“You can practice not hitting people in the face at home,” he said dryly.
Helland’s simple rules of sword fighting? 1) Don’t die. 2) Kill the other person. 3) Do it in that order.
I gathered my courage and landed a hit.
my moment.
Alas, my moment was short-lived. The rapier was heavier than I’d expected, and soon my shoulder and forearm began to ache. It turns out swinging a couplepound sword for two hours is pretty
Clearly, I was not the natural-born sword fighter I had imagined myself to be. I may have left somewhat defeated, but at least I had a newfound gratitude for being born in the modern age.
TWIRLING WITH STRANGERS
Waltz class, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., at Lines Vermont in South Burlington. $100 for a five-class series. linesvt.com
I walked into the waltz class at Lines Vermont feeling slightly self-conscious. Without a dance partner, and as one of the younger faces among the middle-aged crowd, I was pretty sure I’d stick out like a sore thumb.
But the class description promised that no partner was required, and instructors Jacqueline Chant, 25, and Patrick Flaherty, 33, kept their word. After we each nailed the basic box step solo, we started rotating through partners every few minutes. By the end of the hour, I’d danced with nearly half the 20-person class, and any initial awkwardness had evaporated.
The beauty of partnered dance isn’t just in the workout, Chant and Flaherty told me after class. It’s also a social experience.
“If somebody comes to a dance and they say, ‘Oh, I only want to dance with my spouse,’ no one’s going to give them a dirty look,” Flaherty said. “But we both find it more fun to meet new people.”
Chant and Flaherty each started competitive ballroom dancing as students at the University of Vermont, where they got involved through the ballroom dance club. Their expertise was evident during class as they broke down the moves into digestible steps that even an uncoordinated reporter could master.
The Lines Vermont class was the first in a five-week series designed to help participants feel confident waltzing at social dances. Beyond ballroom, the adult-focused dance studio also o ers classes in tap, ballet, trapeze, burlesque, aerial silks and pole dance — many of which are also taught in multiclass series to help students build skills over time.
By the end of the session, I was gliding across the floor, waltzing to the rhythm of the music and even executing the underarm turn — where the lead dancer guides the follower to spin beneath their raised arm. As I twirled through the movement, I was glad I’d pushed past my initial nervousness. Waltzing with strangers wasn’t so scary after all.
CALMING THE ‘MONKEY MIND’
Restorative yoga, Sundays, 7 p.m., at Sangha Studio North in Burlington. $13 suggested donation. sanghastudio.org
I rounded out my fitness adventures with a restorative yoga session, by far the least aerobic activity of the bunch. “Yoga” felt like a misnomer for the meditative practice, which has no down dogs, stretches or even much movement at all.
The class of 15 gathered in the cozy, candlelit nonprofit studio to spend an hour doing ... well, not much. Instead of flowing through di erent poses in quick succession, we held just a few passive
poses, supported by bolsters and blocks, for several minutes at a time.
But don’t mistake the lack of movement for ease. The true di culty of restorative yoga is learning to stay in the moment and quiet wandering thoughts — or “monkey mind,” as instructor Lisa Simonsen calls it. In an age when we’re constantly distracted by our phones, contemplative, quiet moments can be few and far between.
NOTHING GETS ME MOVING QUITE LIKE PEER PRESSURE AND A
The meditative practice is ideal for anyone experiencing burnout or anxiety, according to Simonsen. Lying in stillness helps the body switch out of fight-orflight mode and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates rest and digestion.
“We’re such a move move move, go go go society that just allowing the body to be calm, even if it’s just 20 minutes, the benefits are so great,” Simonsen said. “If you have anxiety, if you’re not sleeping, there’s got to be something other than a pill to take. This practice is something that you can do.”
On a few occasions, Simonsen has heard snores coming from class participants. She’s not insulted, she said — it means they’re really relaxed.
Luckily, I was well rested going into the session and didn’t drift o . The calming music and Simonsen’s soothing voice made the class fly by as we worked our way up from shorter holds to longer ones, a progression that helped lessen fidgeting. I was shocked to learn afterward that we had held the supported fish pose — lying on our back with a bolster underneath our upper back — for 20 whole minutes!
I walked out of the studio feeling more relaxed and clearheaded than I had in a long time. ➆
The Spice of Life
Essay: How a cancer diagnosis changed a food writer’s approach to eating
BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER
On April 27, 2023, I soaked a piece of caraway-dotted rye bread in simmering chicken broth and tossed it into my new Vitamix blender with some homemade corned-beef brisket and a handful of wild leeks, foraged from the maple sugar bush a few steps from my Northeast Kingdom cabin’s front door.
I flicked on the machine, and, with a noise like an airplane motor revving up, it reduced the meaty combo to a thick, split pea soup-colored gruel. I poured it into a matchy dull green mug, took a sip and started laughing giddily — perhaps maniacally. I’ve been a food professional for decades and an afi cionado since I was a toddler, and, at that moment, the ugly, grainy sludge seemed like the best thing I’d ever “eaten.”
Seven days earlier, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., a surgeon had removed a cancerous tumor from the side of my tongue. As surgeons must, he’d also taken a perimeter of healthy flesh to reduce the risk of the cancer’s return. Flattened, the piece measured an inch by an inch-and-a-quarter.
Why was that puréed corned-beef sandwich so good? Because a week after surgery, on a diet of liquefied foods and alternating doses of Advil and Tylenol, I was starting to starve. Over the next two years — as I healed from my first surgery, was rediagnosed because the cancer had spread to a lymph node, had my neck sliced open and my lymph nodes scooped out, and then spent a grueling seven weeks doing chemoradiation treatment — I would lose my sense of taste and all the pleasure associated with eating, and happily regain it, four times.
From these seeds spring the shoots of dozens of stories I could tell: some about being dismissed by doctors; others about coping with pain; still more about the way people
treat you when something undefinable about your appearance changes. This particular story is about how I altered what I eat, hoping to make cancer less likely to return. My docs, brilliant as they are, weren’t keen on nutritional deep dives, and I’m not a medical professional (although I love a good peer-reviewed study). The changes I’ve made to the way I eat are the ones that resonated with me.
Prior to my diagnosis, I was confident I had a healthy diet. Maybe I was even braggy about it. Yeah, I was definitely braggy about it. (Sorry.)
In my early twenties back in the aughts, when I learned I was intolerant of pasteurized milk and was trying to avoid it, I started reading food labels. What I saw there gave me pause.
At the time, I was just beginning to learn about
factory farms and had a rudimentary understanding of some of the di erences between various types of agriculture — in part because one of my best friends was studying organic farming. I’d also spent a few months making gift baskets at the Cheese Outlet/ Fresh Market on Pine Street in Burlington, which was the genesis of a passion for funky, runny, weird-rinded cheeses.
I began haunting the Burlington Farmers Market, getting to know growers and learning about herbs, root vegetables and meat cuts with which I’d been unfamiliar. My fridge contained several kinds of Dijon mustard but no neon-yellow French’s or ketchup. I prepared food at home most nights using less processed, often organic ingredients, sipped small amounts of alcohol because I liked the taste, completely avoided soda and indulged in other sugary treats somewhat rarely.
We know a lot more now about the dangers of hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, microplastics and chemicals in food packaging than we did back then, and the new data bear out the wisdom of purchasing whole foods whenever possible.
For the next couple of decades, through my career as a full-time food writer at Seven Days, five years owning and cooking at Salt Café in Montpelier, and various stints as a caterer, I ate mostly gorgeous, fresh, seasonal ingredients.
I learned some of the ways these foods are prepared in far-flung places such as northern Italy, Oaxaca and Bangkok. I visited nearly every new farm-to-table restaurant that opened in central and northern Vermont. And because I adore everything about the way it feels to eat, from the weight of a fork in my hand to the sensation of fat on my tongue to the satisfaction of satiety, I
JULIANNA BRAZILL
SIDEdishes
SERVING UP FOOD NEWS
Four Quarters Brewing in Winooski Loses Founder but Brews On
The founder of FOUR QUARTERS BREWING, BRIAN ECKERT, confirmed on January 10 that he has left the business he started in 2014. Interim CEO JOHN PHINNEY said the team at Winooski’s only brewery continues to produce beer and operate its taproom with a full food menu offered daily, plus Sunday pop-ups featuring guest chefs.
Four Quarters co-owners LARRY WILLIAMS and DAN ROWELL hired Phinney, 46, to work with the existing team and lead the search for a new president. Williams is a principal in Vermont real estate and development company Redstone, while Rowell is a past president and CEO of Vermont Hard Cider in Middlebury. Phinney’s varied management experience includes a decade in the Australian craft beer sector.
Eckert, 48, said Williams and Rowell removed him from his role as CEO at the end of May. Eckert remained on the board until early July but left Four Quarters completely in October, he said, which involved relinquishing his ownership stake without compensation.
The founder said he could not legally elaborate on details of his departure, but he described himself and his former co-owners as having “had strategic differences that were insurmountable.”
Phinney declined to comment for the same reason but said, “There is an enormous debt that the business owes to
Brian for his creative spirit, his spirit of exploration.”
Eckert founded the four-barrel brewery on Winooski’s West Canal Street in 2014. In 2021, he moved the operation to a renovated 8,000-square-foot building at 70 Main Street, which has more than 80 seats between the indoors and a heated outdoor patio. The brewery grew from producing 100 barrels of beer to about 3,000 a year from a 20-barrel system.
According to Phinney, Four Quarters beer is distributed across the Northeast, and sales outside Vermont have exceeded those of the previous year for five of the past six months. He called this trend notable in the current craft beer market, in which “most businesses would be flat to down.”
Phinney said the owners remain committed to keeping the taproom open and the brewery going. This month, the taproom will continue its weekly Sunday Four Quarters Kitchen Series with HARMONY’S KITCHEN serving soul food on January 19 and GERBER’S JOINT offering Mexican food on January 26. February 2 will bring MAHARAJA SPICE’s Indian menu, followed by LAS HERMOSAS Mexican fare for the month’s remaining Sundays. DOUGY FRESH CATERING will cover March.
Four Quarters head chef DAVE HASKELL continues to offer $10 burgers on
CONNECT
Follow us for the latest food gossip! On Instagram: Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry; Melissa Pasanen: @mpasanen.
Four Quarters taproom manager Cat McDougal
consumed more calories than my body strictly needed.
As I dove into medical journals after my diagnosis, one blinding realization I had was that while something might not be bad for you on its own, if it incidentally replaces something else the body needs to repair cellular damage or fight disease, it’s doing harm nevertheless.
Similarly, if you’re consuming more than you actually need to do the work of the day — even if the excess is in the form of something otherwise virtuous — you start sliding down the wrong side of the mountain.
Simply put, each of us has a finite number of caloric slots we need to fill. According to my calculations regarding my own body, unless I go for a long run or cross-country ski for an hour or two every day, I barely have enough caloric leeway to fit in the nutrients I truly need, let alone extras. To give myself the best chance against future disease, cancer or otherwise, I needed to pare back and hone in on what is necessary.
Gustatory joy is important, perhaps even crucial to good health. But on a fundamental level, the job of food is to provide a set of chemicals — woven together in a complicated tapestry we don’t fully understand — that powers bodily functions and supports the work of the immune system.
My goal became to avoid additional damage to my body by not overindulging and not choosing foods that are less healthy. Cooking with the aim of creating incredible flavors from ingredients that happen to be the most nourishing seemed like the best of all possible worlds.
Over the years, my place-based meals centered on the meat of pastured animals and my beloved artisan cheeses. There were always fruits and vegetables on my plate. But in fall, winter or early spring, it was more likely that I’d serve a rosy-centered steak arranged atop roasted Brussels sprouts and farro risotto than whip up a mélange of plant foods. I saved dishes such as ratatouille and complex salads for summer, when cherry tomatoes of all colors and pink and purple eggplants glowed like jewels at farmstands. I limited seafoods because they don’t come from here.
The meat I ate and eat was sourced from farmers who are neighbors and friends and who treat their soil and animals with great care. I still don’t think well-cared-for chicken, beef and pork are inherently unhealthy. But instead of
I DON’T BELIEVE THAT MY DIET CAUSED MY CANCER — ALTHOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT A DIFFERENT DIET MAY HAVE HELPED SLOW OR REVERSE THE DAMAGE THAT DID.
having meat most nights, and sometimes as leftovers for lunch, it’s now only on the menu a couple of times per week. Why? It’s a problem of math. A fourounce serving of braised and pulled pork shoulder — sauce not included — weighs in at around 300 calories, depending on the pig. How else could one consume 300 calories? Here’s a sample: a red-skinned apple, a large carrot, half of a golden bell pepper, one cup of boiled spinach, four ounces of blueberries and a half cup of mashed purple sweet potato.
For the same caloric cost as a single serving of carnitas, that’s a fruit or vegetable in every color of the rainbow and as much fiber as most Americans consume in an entire day — but less than half of what an adult body really needs.
Not only do the six plant foods listed above provide a wide assortment of necessary vitamins and minerals, like most fruits and vegetables they’re packed with phytochemicals, also known as antioxidants. In essence, phytochemicals are the things that make plants colorful, aromatic or strongly flavored. Scientists believe they help the body fight diseases, such as cancer.
In fruits and vegetables, these healthy compounds are concentrated in the skins, pith and pips, so nowadays I only apply a peeler if a vegetable’s exterior is too tough to chew and swallow. In my house, squash skin and seeds, watermelon rind, citrus zest, potato peels, and the outsides of beets and turnips make it into dinner instead of into the compost.
In general, ingredients that are the most fragrant, pungent, tangy, bitter and spicy-hot contain the highest percentage of phytochemicals by weight, sometimes by orders of magnitude. This means that herbs and spices — the things we use in small quantities to add zing to our meals — are some of the healthiest foods we can eat.
In 2018, the American Gut Project, now known as the Microsetta Initiative, showed that those who consumed more than 30 different plant foods per week had a healthier gut microbiome and, by extension, better general health. The scientific inquiries that followed are too numerous to summarize here, but the upshot is that the greater variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, herbs and spices we eat on a regular basis, the better. I aim for 50 a week and hit the mark surprisingly often.
To get there, I’ve stuffed my cupboards with jars of items such as Ethiopian berbere, homemade garam masala and jerk seasoning and filled the door of the fridge
The makings of a puréed corned-beef sandwich
A spice blend
Omelette, kraut and a whole-grain English muffin
Scrambled eggs with foraged chanterelles and a daylily
Garden herbs and flowers for tea
with complex condiments such as chile crisp. I work some sort of herb or spice — and sometimes more than a dozen — into nearly every meal.
Instead of just baking with wheat flour, I stir at least five different grains into my bread dough, plus nuts, seeds and dried fruits. And rather than putting hunks of meat at the center of my plate, I’m offering up stews rich in vegetables and legumes
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Tuesdays and has added what Phinney described as a “sort of nostalgic family dinner” on Mondays, such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes for $14.
“It’s not an easy time in hospitality,” Phinney acknowledged, “but we’ve got a fantastic and dedicated team that gives me and the ownership group a lot of confidence that we’ll be able to weather the storms.”
Melissa Pasanen
Williston’s Comic Shop-Café Rebrands With New Operators
Williston’s comic shop has a new name and new doughnuts after the sudden departure of Twisted Halo in late December. Now called OLD TOWN CAFÉ & COMICS, the café within the multipurpose business at 31 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 106, is open with an expanded menu coming soon.
BEN PERRY and his wife, KELSEY, purchased the comics side of the business from founder Rory Malone when it was still Champion Comics & Coffee. They previously had a partnership/ sale agreement with TWISTED HALO’s EMMA SLATER and TAYLAN HAGEN — who ran the café from last summer until they moved out at the end of 2024 — but now own the shop in its entirety, Perry told Seven Days. (Twisted Halo’s doughnut business and café in Waitsfield remain open.)
The Perrys have hired chef PAUL TRUMAN and plan to launch a full breakfast and lunch menu in February. In the meantime, the Old Town team is offering drinks from VERMONT ARTISAN COFFEE & TEA and doughnuts from Burlington’s MISS WEINERZ Thursday through Sunday.
— so many legumes. Any time I have a chance to pack more kinds of plants into a meal without muddying flavors, I do.
These new practices mean that I rarely consume a corned-beef sandwich — and I hope to never need a puréed one again. But I do allow myself room to have an occasional indulgence and stay focused on having great everyday habits rather than aiming for perfection.
I don’t believe that my diet caused my cancer — although I do believe that a different diet may have helped slow or reverse the damage that did. And I don’t blame myself for the choices I made. Yet I do believe it’s my responsibility to use what I’ve learned going forward. My privilege and cooking background make it plausible to do so. Many people don’t have the opportunity to cook and eat this way.
“Comic books, coffee and doughnuts — that’s just a no-brainer,” Perry said. “We really don’t have another space like this
in Vermont, and now we have synergy between the two sides. It should provide nothing but smiles.”
All of this feels really weighty. The kind of cancer I have comes back more often than not. I’ve had scares with two other types of cancer since my original diagnosis. I had to quit my main job because teaching high school cooking didn’t mesh with my ongoing treatment schedule. Given all of that, it’s a solace to believe that a plate of spicy black bean chili might be part of a cure. ➆
Liquor license pending, Old Town will also add beer from BURLINGTON BEER, Perry said. He hopes that the shop, with tabletop role-playing games and card games, brings customers in after work to “blow off some steam and play a game,” he said. “Our aim is to be a one-stop shop for anything nerd-related.”
Jordan Barry
Erica’s Village Diner Coming to Cambridge
The family behind the shuttered Erica’s American Diner in Fairfax is working on opening a smaller version of their popular eatery called ERICA’S VILLAGE DINER in Cambridge this April.
LINDA and RON FREY — who also own CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE MARKET and Milton’s UNCLE RONNIE’S DELI AND CONVENIENCE and the FREY FAMILY DELI AND CONVENIENCE STORE — opened the original Erica’s in Fairfax in 2015 with their daughter, ERICA HAYES. Ron Frey, 57, said the couple were obliged to close the diner in July when they lost their lease. Then came a surprise opportunity to buy a building in Cambridge, at 51 South Main Street, in which to open a new version of the diner, Frey said.
Erica’s Village Diner will have about 35 seats, a third the count of the Fairfax location. While that restaurant served three meals, the new one will offer daily breakfast and lunch. Frey said septic capacity is the limiting factor.
Frey, who is also a sugar maker, said the new Erica’s will serve about 80 percent of the original menu, including “the world’s greatest breakfast sandwich,” which features sausage, eggs, cheese and a lashing of maple syrup on a slightly sweet telera-style roll.
Follow Erica’s Village Diner on Facebook for updates.
Comics, Miss Weinerz doughnut and coffee at Old Town Café & Comics
From left: Erica Hayes with her parents, Ron and Linda Frey, in the new Erica’s Village Diner
food+drink
DINING INN
Soup’s
On
Warm winter lunch at Blueberry Hill Inn and Outdoor Center
STORY & PHOTOS BY JORDAN BARRY • jbarry@sevendaysvt.com
When I was a kid, a big snowstorm meant poking my three-pin cross-country ski boots into their bindings and climbing the logging roads behind my house. I tolerated the family activity — and it was plenty fun on the way back down — but I mostly looked forward to a warm lunch afterward.
At Goshen’s Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center, home base for the nonprofit that manages and provides access to an expansive network of trails in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area within the Green Mountain National Forest, I found my new favorite version of those childhood memories.
Since its establishment in 1971, the outdoor center has served soup to skiers and snowshoers throughout the winter season. Offered from noon to 2 p.m., the soup is always hot, always vegetarian and almost always gluten-free. Last year, grill-your-own cheese sandwiches hit the succinct menu. Shari Brown preps it all across the street at Blueberry Hill Inn, which the late Tony Clark, her former husband, reopened the same year he started the outdoor center.
I met Brown for lunch for the second installment in our Dining Inn series, which highlights culinary offerings at the cozy inns dotting Vermont’s countryside. These lodging places for out-of-towners may not be top of mind for locals, but many B&Bs serve their fare to the public as well as guests.
Blueberry Hill’s simple winter meals in the Outdoor Center are just one way to dine at the appropriately blue-painted inn, which also offers three-course communal farmhouse dinners, soup and salad nights, occasional pancake breakfasts, and a bustling pondside pizza night in summertime.
Brown hopes to expand those offerings, if she can find someone to lead the kitchen. It’s mostly her right now, she said. Since Clark died in 2022, she’s also been the innkeeper and food shopper while overseeing the Outdoor Center’s day-to-day operations.
Still, she found time to make me a grilled cheese. The sandwiches warm up DIY-ers as they cook on the antique woodstove and when they eat them, she said.
“People love it,” Brown continued, covering our sandwiches to help melt the cheese. “I think they love the ambience of it as much as anything else. And there’s nothing like a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day.”
It was certainly cold the day I visited: 13 degrees. A hardy group of local middle schoolers huddled around the stove after tackling the snowy trails. I, less adventurous, skipped the skiing and went straight for soup and grilled cheese.
Brown preps the straightforward butter-slathered sandwiches at the inn — making them with Cabot Creamery cheddar and homemade bread or “a good Vermont bread,” she said — and stores them in the Outdoor Center’s cooler. They’re $5 a pop, just like the soup, and proceeds help support the nonprofit, which doesn’t charge trail fees.
Brown makes three to four gallons of soup per busy weekend day for the Outdoor Center, typically with leftover ingredients that might not otherwise get used. The day I visited, a perfectly seasoned miso base was packed with sautéed fennel fronds and big chunks of carrot, potato and cauliflower.
“Sometimes I think the Outdoor Center soup is better than the inn soup, which I spend a lot of money on and time,” she admitted with a chuckle.
Winter bookings at the inn tend to follow the snow, which had a slow start this season, Brown said. But Blueberry Hill is now fully covered, even if the valleys seem sparse.
“It’s a different environment up here, another world,” Brown said.
And that world is ripe for exploring, whether on skis or just for lunch. ➆
INFO
Blueberry Hill Inn, 1245 Goshen Ripton Rd., Goshen, 247-6735, blueberryhillinn.com
Vegetable soup and grilled cheese at Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center
Grilled cheese sandwiches cooking on the woodstove
Blueberry Hill Inn
Keynote Speakers Dãnia
culture
Lisa Genova couldn’t find a publisher for her first novel, about an Ivy League linguistics professor dealing with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. So she published it herself in 2007 and sold it out of the trunk of her car. Simon & Schuster eventually picked it up, and Still Alice spent 59 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. It was translated into 37 languages and adapted into a 2014 motion picture starring Julianne Moore, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Alice Howland.
Genova, who penned the story because she couldn’t find anything written from the perspective of someone living with Alzheimer’s after her grandmother was diagnosed, had her hunch confirmed: Stories about what it’s like to live with conditions such as Alzheimer’s were sorely needed. With a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University, she thought, This is what I can do. After four more novels — about ALS, autism, traumatic brain injury and Huntington’s disease — and a nonfiction book about memory, Genova turned her attention to mental illness.
In Genova’s new novel, More or Less Maddy , New York University student Maddy Banks rejects the stability and approval that a traditional career might bring to pursue standup comedy while navigating the effects bipolar disorder has on her relationships, identity and goals.
More or Less Maddy hit bookstores on Tuesday. This Thursday, January 16, Pentangle Arts presents a special screening of Still Alice at Woodstock Town Hall Theatre. Then on Friday, January 17, Genova, who lives on Cape Cod, visits the theater to discuss the new book with Woodstock-based neurologist, neuroscientist and novelist Melodie Winawer. The talk is presented by the Bookstock literary festival in partnership with the Yankee Bookshop and Pentangle Arts.
“This definitely is not going to be dry,” Winawer said of the upcoming talk. “We have, in some ways, even though our books are extremely di erent, a similar passion, which is to use fiction and storytelling to bring understanding to something not only di cult to understand — neurology, neuroscience, psychiatric disease — but also, for some people, very di cult to even think about.”
Even when writing fiction, Genova presents the science and the medicine
Novel Approach
disorder
BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com
What can fiction do to instill empathy that nonfiction cannot?
I think that a really good memoir can do that. If I have a loved one, say, with bipolar disorder, then I will maybe seek out a nonfiction book about bipolar disorder. But if it doesn’t a ect me personally, I’m probably not going to seek that out.
factually. “I take it as a very important responsibility to tell the truth under the imagined circumstances,” she said.
Genova talked with Seven Days about melding neuroscience and novels, an advantage fiction has over nonfiction, and how to take better care of our brains.
You have a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. Why did you start writing novels about neurological conditions?
Alzheimer’s was not my area of expertise, but when my grandmother was diagnosed, I figured I am the
neuroscientist in my big Italian family.
I read up on disease management and clinical treatment, and I read up on caregiving. But what was really missing was anything written from the perspective of the person with Alzheimer’s. I found that when I was spending time with my grandmother, who I loved very much, I felt really uncomfortable around her. I felt a lot of sympathy for her, but I didn’t have empathy. And that’s what you gain when reading stories. You get a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes.
I think that fiction is just more accessible. I can be anyone and read a book about a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Now, when I come across someone, maybe in the grocery store, who appears to be confused and not know how to check out because they have dementia, or someone who might be talking really fast and really loud and excitedly and is a bundle of massive energy and grandiosity, [I think] Oh, that might be a manic episode . Instead of being uncomfortable and turning away, or being judgmental, I can stay with that person from a place of kindness and compassion. And that’s social change.
More or Less Maddy represents a pivot for you. Why did you want to write about mental illness?
It’s made up that it’s called “mental illness.” Things like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD — these are classified as mental illness. There’s no biological reason for that. These are conditions that are a result of an impairment or a deregulation of neurotransmission and neural functioning in the brain. But there’s an additional level of judgment, dismissiveness and fear, I think, that’s attached to something if we call it mental illness. That’s an unfortunate and unnecessary burden layered on these already di cult conditions. [Mental illness is] so prevalent, and I think it’s hiding in plain sight everywhere. And because there’s so much stigma, we’re not talking about it.
What do you want readers to learn about bipolar disorder?
The story should lend a lot to people understanding the nuanced lived experience of becoming diagnosed, what it’s like to be on medication, how hard it is to stay on those medications, what it feels like to become hypomanic and then manic, what those depressions feel like, and how it can mess with your identity.
If you’ve got a disorder that’s a deregulation of mood, energy, sleep, thought,
I TAKE IT AS A VERY IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL THE TRUTH UNDER THE IMAGINED CIRCUMSTANCES.
LISA
GENOVA C O U RTESY OF
[and] if you start to get really excited and happy about a life experience, well, how happy are you allowed to be before you have to worry that this could be a sign that you’re swinging manic? And if you’re upset about something, how sad or bummed out are you allowed to feel without worrying that this could be a depression? Recognize how tough it is to have a disorder that makes you question your human right to feel.
How can we take care of our brains and our nervous systems?
There’s so many answers to this. The top one is sleep. Our human brains are designed to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. This is scientifically backed evidence. We are not in an unconscious state of doing nothing when we sleep. We’re very biologically busy. This is a time for repair.
In your brain, you are clearing away the metabolic debris that accumulated while you were in the business of being awake. The janitors go to work in your brain while you sleep, so if you don’t get the right amount or the quality, then those janitors won’t have completed their jobs, and so your brain won’t be as functional the next day.
We know that a Mediterranean or MIND menu of foods is optimal for your brain function today and for preventing neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s in the future. We know that daily exercise is critical for our brain health — and by daily exercise we mean at least 30 minutes of walking a day, at a bare minimum. Reduce your reactivity to chronic stress through things like yoga, mindfulness meditation. If you are chronically stressed and you’re dumping cortisol, adrenaline into your system every day, your brain’s receptors that would normally turn o the fight-or-flight response become desensitized. You’re just going to be constantly flooded in this fight-or-flight state if you don’t get a handle on chronic stress. ➆
Melodie Winawer
There’s a lot of judgment around people with bipolar who “go off their meds.” And one of the things I hope people get from my book is how challenging it is to stay on these medications, which are not designed for bipolar disorder. They are serendipitously discovered drugs — often for other illnesses — and because of their non-specificity [for bipolar disorder], they have a lot of side effects. Which, at times, would make any person question: Are these side effects that I’m dealing with worse than the symptoms of the illness that they are being used to treat?
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity and length.
INFO
Still Alice screening, ursday, January 16, 7:30 p.m., Woodstock Town Hall eatre. $810. pentanglearts.org
Lisa Genova in Conversation with Melodie Winawer, Friday, January 17, 6:45 p.m. at Woodstock Town Hall eatre. Free; ticket required. bookstockvt.org
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova, Gallery/ Scout Press, 368 pages. $28.99.
DANAMAXSON
Talk Therapy
Brattleboro Retreat’s “Unravelling” podcast fosters honest conversations about mental health
BY LAUREN DORSEY
Kurt White was fed up with how people talk about mental health. As a trained clinical social worker and therapist with two decades of experience, he knows that the subject can be far more uncomfortable and messy than the polished sound bites and tidy conclusions that dominate media coverage.
“A lot of reporting on mental health is a little bit lacking,” White said. So, last year, he began thinking about how deeper, more honest public conversations around mental health would sound — and how to spark them.
White is the vice president of community partnerships and communications at Brattleboro Retreat, a nonprofit mental health hospital. As his vision for fostering a fresh dialogue around mental health crystallized, he decided to start a podcast. The therapist enlisted the help of the hospital’s communications and media relations manager, former journalist Mary Wilson, and they launched “Unravelling” in June.
Six months in, the podcast is off to a strong start, with more than 1,800 downloads on Spotify and Apple. In its 15 episodes, it has touched on an array of subjects related to emotional well-being, from the nuances of gender-affirming care to family estrangement. Leaning on White’s training as a therapist and Wilson’s as a journalist, “Unravelling” explores mental health from both clinical and personal perspectives.
“Our sweet spot is often right at the intersection of mental health and [how] people are experiencing it,” White said.
White and Wilson typically spend at least two episodes on each topic they cover. One is dedicated to speaking with an expert in the field, while the other focuses on someone with lived experience. White said the two-pronged approach helps “Unravelling” avoid two major pitfalls: It ensures individuals’ experiences are not inappropriately generalized and prevents the “othering” of those facing mental health challenges.
Last month, “Unravelling” spent three episodes covering eating disorders. In the first two, White and Wilson spoke with Emmeline Clein and Anna Shechtman, who have both written memoirs about their struggles with disordered eating. In the third episode, the hosts shifted their approach, zooming out for a discussion with Brattleboro Retreat postdoctoral psychology fellow Mary Iellamo about
cultural narratives of eating disorders and innovations in their clinical treatment.
White’s interview with Shechtman exemplifies the complexity — and discomfort — that he and Wilson often navigate as hosts. Their conversation on the author’s 2024 book, The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle, ranged from the history of feminist resistance to the paradoxes of anorexia.
“I had zero expectations going in, and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding conversations I’ve had about the book,” Shechtman told Seven Days. “It felt as though Kurt and I were able to talk about not just every aspect of the book but the web of connections between each idea — all without ever forgetting or sacrificing the human component.”
allow her body to be sexualized.” Or, she went on, such a woman could become an anti-feminist figure through her desire “to dominate and beat all other women at the very [thing] that women are so oppressed and assessed by: their weight.”
Shechtman concluded that neither extreme encapsulated her experience, although both periodically surfaced.
OUR SWEET SPOT IS OFTEN RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND [HOW] PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING IT.
KURT WHITE
“Kurt’s questions felt really genuine. There were times when I wasn’t sure what the answer was,” Shechtman admitted, but she added that White’s comforting style allowed the two to “work towards our own mutual understanding and find these raw insights into the underlying phenomena I was writing about.”
Near the end of
compassion Kurt was modeling — I almost started crying.”
White attributes some of the show’s strength to the hosts’ ability to draw on their respective backgrounds. “The combination of a journalist and a therapist is a really nice way to do this,” he said.
White said his professional training has heavily influenced his interview style and dedication to shaking up listeners’ perspectives.
“Much of what [therapists] do is help people see their own lives through many different points of view,” he said. “There’s a real parallel [with the podcast]. If we can make familiar topics unfamiliar again in a particular way, maybe we can have that same effect.”
Meanwhile, Wilson, who spent a decade as a TV news anchor and won a New York Emmy Award for her work at an ABC affiliate in Albany, harnesses her journalism background to keep the podcast’s conversations accessible. Her experience has given her an ear for narrative flow and shaping each episode as an arc.
“It’s been a great joy and a great outlet to continue that process from journalism of storytelling, interviewing, learning something new and passing it on,” Wilson said.
The podcast has a national and international following and has been played in 25 countries. “It’s really incredible,” White said. “I’ll get a text from someone somewhere in the Midwest saying, ‘I really needed to hear this episode’ or that they’re moved by something.”
Rather than forcing neat answers, Shechtman and White embraced contradiction and dissonance. When talking about the relationship between feminism and anorexia, for instance, Shechtman admitted she doesn’t have “a clear sense of whether the anorexic is a feminist figure or an antifeminist figure.”
A woman with anorexia could be seen as “staging an anti-patriarchal protest,” she suggested, “because she refuses to
the interview, White asked Shechtman what she would say to someone currently struggling with an eating disorder.
After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Shechtman responded, “I would just want to acknowledge how hard they’re working to be so many things that are in direct conflict with each other [and] promise that there is relief in recovery.”
Looking back on the interview, Shechtman said, “No one’s ever asked me [that]. It wasn’t a question I was prepared for, and — borrowing from the tremendous
He and Wilson have no plans to slow down anytime soon. “We keep a list of ideas that we have about the show, and it’s a mile long,” White said. “They’re not all going to turn into episodes, but I think as long as we’re still feeling creative and there are interesting questions to engage with, we’ll probably keep on doing it. There’s a whole world that we’re just starting to touch on here.” ➆
INFO
“Unravelling” is available on all major podcast platforms. Learn more at brattlebororetreat.org.
Kurt White and Mary Wilson
Health Department Uses Social Media to Educate and Entertain
BY DAN BOLLES • dan@sevendaysvt.com
When it comes to fun social media feeds, government agencies aren’t typically the first place you’d think to scroll. But for the past couple of years, in between advising on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and when to schedule HPV tests, the Vermont Department of Health’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have featured a steady stream of meme-friendly content that’s both helpful and entertaining.
One two-part post last week posed a provocative question framed by the eyeballs emoji and two hand emojis pointing downward: “Do you know what’s going on … down there?” Clicking through, curious users were reminded to check their basements for radon as part of Radon Action Month. (Why, what did you think “down there” referred to?)
Other recent posts have used gags and memes to riff on the importance of getting enough sleep, keeping things light when it gets dark at 4 p.m. and figuring out how much money you spend on alcohol. During pandemic holidays, one particularly popular post localized the viral “Elf on the Shelf” meme with “Levine on the Vaccine,” a reference to Health Commissioner Mark Levine.
e architect of the health department’s feed is public health communication officer Sadie Goldfarb. For the past two and half years, the 2019 Champlain College grad has upped the department’s online game, transforming its social media feeds into fun and informative destination scrolling.
When she was hired in 2022, Goldfarb said, the department was eager for its social media to be more engaging and relatable, which aligns with a broader trend among
government agencies — follow the National Park Service on Insta for one lively example.
While the health department’s feed can be fun, the agency also has a serious mission: keeping Vermonters safe and healthy. Striking that balance is a critical and sometimes tricky aspect of Goldfarb’s job.
“We have to be really, really thoughtful about timing,” she said of making jokier posts, “and really thoughtful about the topics that we’re covering.”
Working in her favor: Most of the department’s messaging isn’t especially new, which gives her license to be creative and put a fresh spin on checking smoke alarm batteries or keeping your weed out of
the reach of kids and pets. But even when things do get heavy, Goldfarb has discovered that sometimes a good gag can lighten the mood.
Shortly after the devastating central Vermont flooding in summer 2023, Goldfarb seized on a cultural moment, the Barbie movie, to contrast the Barbie summer we thought we were getting — a picture of Margot Robbie’s Barbie — with the climate disaster we actually got: a picture of Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie.
“ at was one of the ones that had some conversation around, like, Is this too soon? Is this inappropriate?” Goldfarb recalled. But she said the post was well received
Sadie Goldfarb
because it broke up the string of “FEMA post after FEMA post” and added levity to a challenging time while still sharing critical info.
Because it is a government agency that’s focused on public health, the department’s social media is unsurprisingly a magnet for trolls. But Goldfarb said she approaches the haters the same way she does her feeds in general: with intention and good humor.
“Our duty is to combat misinformation and to stop the spread of hate, especially towards communities that are often targets,” she said.
When dealing with trolls, she went on, the goal is to engage with fact-based responses but also to consider why someone might be posting harmful comments. “Is this because there’s genuine confusion and this is an opportunity for someone to better understand a situation,” she said, “or is this someone just commenting to stir things up?”
Now that’s a healthy outlook. ➆ INFO
Follow the Vermont Department of Health on Facebook and Instagram at @healthvermont.
Among the many sweaters sported at the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival in October, one in particular had a fashion moment: the eye-catching Lindal sweater, which fiber lovers had furiously knit after its pattern was released in August.
It was designed by the Rochester artist known as Ona Wöldten. She has designed knitwear for more than two decades, but the Lindal sweater was her first attempt at creating a hand-knit sweater pattern, and she used yarn manufactured in Vermont to make it.
Wöldten teamed up with the owners of Junction Fiber Mill in White River Junction to launch the distinct leafy pattern three months before the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, a major fiber fest held in Rhinebeck. Every year attendees make popular sweater patterns and call them “Rhinebeck sweaters.” Like at the Vermont event, fiber fans loved Wöldten’s design, and many wore handmade versions of her sweater.
Sheep farmers Peggy Allen and Amanda Kievet opened Junction Fiber Mill in 2021. They use high-quality wool to make yarn and have fostered a growing fiber community. The two post a weekly video called “Millcast” to their followers around the world and offer monthly open house tours. Wöldten has partnered with the mill to create a number of knitting patterns, and Allen and Kievet provide fiber bundles and host knit-alongs to help Wöldten’s designs come to life.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger traveled to Junction Fiber Mill to meet everyone and watch sheep’s wool transform into colorful yarns.
Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.
Why did you pick this story?
I met Wöldten back in 2015 when I made a video about Danforth Pewter turning 40. She was a jewelry designer there at the time. Wöldten emailed me last spring about the upcoming launch of her Lindal sweater. It seemed a bit funny to me to feature a sweater during the summer, but she launched it in August so that people attending the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival in October had time to knit it. I
Sweater Weather
Ona Wöldten designs knitwear using yarn from Junction Fiber Mill
saw many posts on social media about her “Rhinebeck sweater” and all the di erent variations knitters created. It seemed like a good story for my first video of this chilly New Year.
Had you been to Junction Fiber Mill before?
This was my first time visiting, and it was a treat. I love mills and enjoyed watching all the machines and people hard at work. The air smelled of lanolin as hunks of sheep wool were sprayed and carded. It was a smorgasbord of color and sounds. And, of course, I wore some vintage knitwear to fit in. My pink vest was knit by my mother in the 1970s, and I knit my scarf and ridiculously oversize orange hat. Needless to say, I went home with one colorful hank of yarn. It’s a mix of deep blues and turquoises called Making Tracks: The Deep End, and I’ll knit it into a hat for a friend. The mill has a ton of fun yarns — think Pink Pony Club, Brat, and colors inspired by Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked
where it comes from. Like many Vermonters, I pride myself on eating and shopping locally. But it never occurred to me to buy my yarn and fabrics locally. As Kievet pointed out, synthetic fibers such as polyester are not biodegradable and can sit in a landfill for hundreds of years, whereas wool or cotton fiber can be composted. It made me think twice about buying one of those silky-soft polyester blankets at a box store.
Will you be knitting the Lindal sweater?
Episode 732: A Good Yarn
ON THE MAP
In December, Sollberger launched an interactive “Stuck in Vermont” map that marks where each episode — 732 and counting — was filmed. We asked her to tell us more. Explore the map at sevendaysvt.com/stuck-map.
What a cool map! How’d this come about?
Mapping out all the “Stuck” videos is a project I have been thinking about since 2012, so it was exciting to finally see it come to fruition. I hope people will use the map to explore the state and maybe plan future trips to visit artists, farmers and destinations. It’s also fun to see what videos were filmed in your town! You can click on a map marker and learn more about the video that was shot there — and then watch it. It’s a work in progress, and we are figuring out how to make it even more user-friendly.
What was it like to see the map after all this time?
What did you learn about the fibershed?
Talking to Amanda Kievet, the co-owner of the mill, made me think about fiber and
I am a novice knitter and probably too green to tackle this sweater. Wöldten’s pattern is incredibly complex and took her a year to create. She brought a huge stack of papers and a collection of knitted swatches to show me how she pieced together her design. Wöldten worked closely with a group of test knitters who helped her sort out the kinks and see what the sweater looked like in di erent sizes and colors. One of them was Hannah Miller, whom I featured in a 2024 video about the Haskell Free Library & Opera House on the Canadian border. Seeing all the variations of the sweater in photos from the festival was fascinating — people really made it their own. ➆
I am a visual person, so I loved seeing the past 18 years of my life mapped out in a cohesive manner. You can zoom in and out and see all the miles I’ve covered. I didn’t realize how many videos I shot at Burlington’s Flynn (15), the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction (17) and Shelburne Farms (12). Each red marker on the map brings back vivid memories, like adopting my cat Lex at the 2009 Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville or tromping through 1.5 miles of deep snow with my mom in Plymouth for the 2011 Farm & Wilderness ice harvest. For me, the map is like a scrapbook of my life. It makes me glad I’ve been stuck here for all these years.
Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes appear on the Seven Days website every other ursday and air the following night on the WCAX evening news. Sign up at sevendaysvt.com to receive an email alert each time a new one drops. And check these pages every other week for insights on the episodes.
Amanda Kievet and Ona Wöldten
on screen
Far Out: Life on & After the Commune ★★★★
It’s hard to imagine a Vermont-ier documentary than Charles Light’s homegrown phenomenon Far Out: Life on & After the Commune. The local filmmaker’s feature drew a crowd of more than 550 to its premiere at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro and played there for more than a month.
Winner of Best New England Feature at Massachusetts’ Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, Far Out chronicles the 50-year history of sister communes Packer Corners in Guilford, Vt., and Montague Farm in Montague, Mass. On Thursday, January 16, the doc lands at Essex Cinemas with a 7 p.m. screening featuring a Q&A with Light, longtime Packer Corners resident and poet Verandah Porche, and soundtrack composer and performer Patty Carpenter. A weeklong run at the Essex will follow, beginning on January 24.
The deal
Far Out sets the scene with vintage news footage of protests against the Vietnam War, when the counterculture first exploded into mainstream consciousness. Then Light zeroes in on Liberation News Service, an underground journalism outfit whose founders, Marshall Bloom and Ray Mungo, relocated in 1968 from the radical hotbed of New York City to the pastoral wilds
of Vermont and western Massachusetts. Fleeing the fallout of an ideological schism that escalated to a violent stando , the activist-journalists started two communes and went back to the land.
In interviews, commune members reminisce about how they made connections in their new communities and learned the skills they needed to survive o the grid, milking cows and plowing fields. Bloom’s 1969 suicide was a dark moment in the Montague commune’s early history. But in the 1970s, its members rallied around highprofile antinuclear protests, defeating a proposed Montague plant and organizing a massive action against one in Seabrook, N.H. Their e orts eventually produced a 1979 No Nukes concert and rally in New York City featuring stars such as Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.
Meanwhile, the Packer Corners farm staged open-air theatrical spectacles, bringing Shakespeare to new- and oldschool Vermonters alike. Many of the commune members and their o spring became active in Vermont politics and culture, helping to change the public image and the whole fabric of the state.
Will you like it?
In the 1970s, I was a kid with an idealistic
parent who gravitated toward communal living. The places where we sojourned were too rule-bound to be idyllic, and I never quite took to daily 5 a.m. chapel or being known as an “EG,” which stood for “emerging generation.”
Those memories made it tougher to join wholeheartedly in the celebration of commune life that Far Out represents, with its twangy score and those-were-thedays vibe. But I have to say, the film’s joy is infectious. The members of Montague and Packer Corners come o as a personable, articulate bunch. The elfish Mungo, who wrote a book about commune living that Robert Redford optioned for film, exemplifies a playful humor that livens much of the documentary.
For their era, these two communes had a sizable population of feminist women and openly gay men. Members of both groups speak candidly about the resistance they encountered even within their chosen radical communities. The kids get a voice, too, noting that they were on the front lines of commune-town relations in the public schools.
Part of the group in its heyday, Light chronicled the communes’ everyday life and antinuclear e orts with coproducer and cinematographer Daniel Keller. Their footage became part of the wealth of
archival material on which Light drew for Far Out, which also includes contributions from longtime local filmmakers Alan Dater and Nora Jacobson.
The result is an absorbing historical tapestry. As the documentary skips around in time, we see commune members such as Porche in exuberant youth, in middle age and, more recently, looking back wryly on their younger selves.
In an interview with Brattleboro Community Television, Light said that “What I tried to accomplish in editing was to present as honest a picture as I could,” rather than succumb to boomer nostalgia. Far Out is much more interesting for it.
The doc reminds us what was so counter about the counterculture — not just the politics or the macho feats of activism (one member describes toppling a weather tower on a planned nuke site) but the insistence on rethinking and questioning everything. Far Out has an energy that could inspire young activists despondent about the current state of American institutions to do some community building of their own.
MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com
IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY MORE LOCAL FILMS…
THE FARM BOY (2023): Filmmaker George Woodard shot most of this World War II story, about a young man who ships off right after his wedding, in black and white on his farm in Waterbury Center. is month’s screenings commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, with partial proceeds benefiting a veterans’ organization. Catch it on Sunday, January 19, at Montpelier’s Savoy eater; and on Saturday, January 25, at the Essex Cinemas, both at 1 p.m.
THE YORKIE WEREWOLF (2024): For something a little more comic and campy, try Vermonter Michael DiBiasioOrnelas’ locally shot horror flick about a teen witch caught in a paranormal mob war. See it on Tuesday, January 21, 7 p.m., at the Welden eater in St. Albans; Friday, January 24, 6 p.m., at the Hooker-Dunham eater & Gallery in Brattleboro; or Sunday, January 26, 3 p.m., at the Vermont International Film Foundation Screening Room in Burlington. It’s also rentable on VOD.
Archival footage gives depth to Charles Light’s documentary about the 50-year history of two local sister communes.
HOW’S THE RIDE
us keep the wheels rolling along with your mojo! Call for an appointment today!
NEW IN THEATERS
ONE OF THEM DAYS: Two roommates race to scare up rent money and avoid eviction in this comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA, directed by Lawrence Lamont. (119 min, R. Essex, Majestic)
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR: In Pedro Almodóvar’s acclaimed first English-language feature, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton play friends who meet after a long separation — and one wants something from the other. (107 min, PG-13. Savoy)
WOLF MAN: The modern Universal Monsters franchise returns with a new take on the 1941 werewolf classic involving a family in an isolated farmhouse. Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man) directed; Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott star. (103 min, R. City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Paramount)
CURRENTLY PLAYING
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHTHHHH1/2 Two working women sharing an apartment grapple with the problems of traditional and rule-breaking romance in this acclaimed Indian film directed by Payal Kapadia and starring Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha. (118 min, NR. Catamount, Savoy)
BABYGIRLHHHH A CEO (Nicole Kidman) embarks on a risky affair with an intern (Harris Dickinson) in this erotic thriller from Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies). (114 min, R. Majestic, Playhouse, Stowe)
A COMPLETE UNKNOWNHHH Timothée Chalamet plays the young Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s biopic, also starring Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning. (141 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Playhouse, Star, Stowe, Welden)
DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERAHHH Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. star in this sequel to the 2018 heist film, set in Europe and directed by Christian Gudegast. (144 min, R. Essex, Majestic)
FLOWHHHHH This Latvian animation follows the fate of a cat who must team up with other animals to survive a natural disaster. Gints Zilbalodis directed. (84 min, PG. Majestic, Savoy; reviewed 12/11)
THE LAST SHOWGIRLHHH1/2 Pamela Anderson scored a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as a performer facing the end of her long-running Vegas act in this drama from Gia Coppola. (89 min, R. Capitol, Essex)
MOANA 2HHH The islander heroine (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) must sail unknown seas to break a curse in the sequel to the animated Disney hit. (100 min, PG. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)
MUFASA: THE LION KINGHHH Disney’s follow-up to its 2019 “live-action” version of The Lion King explores the backstory of Simba’s dad, voiced by Aaron Pierre. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) directed. (120 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Star)
NOSFERATUHHHHH Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) offers his take on one of the foundational cinematic vampire tales, starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård. (133 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Savoy, Star, Stowe, Welden; reviewed 1/8)
QUEERHHH1/2 Daniel Craig plays a lonely American in midcentury Mexico City in this romantic drama based on a William S. Burroughs novella and directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). (136 min, R. Playhouse [Wed 15 & Thu only])
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3HHH Keanu Reeves voices a shadowy new enemy in another animated action-adventure based on the video game series. Jeff Fowler directed. (110 min, PG. Bijou, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Star, Welden)
WICKEDHHH1/2 Gregory Maguire’s subversive take on The Wizard of Oz becomes a musical becomes a movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Jon M. Chu directed. (160 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic; reviewed 11/27)
OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS
THE FARM BOY (Savoy, Sun only)
FAR OUT: LIFE ON & AFTER THE COMMUNE (Essex, Thu only)
THE GOONIES 40TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sun & Mon only)
HAROLD AND MAUDE (Catamount, Wed 15 only)
IN THE WHALE (Savoy, Sat only)
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (Catamount, Fri 17 only)
LYD (Savoy, Sun only)
THE YORKIE WEREWOLF (Welden, Tue only)
OPEN THEATERS
(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)
WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com
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Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl
art
Turn Over a New Leaf
Jenn Karson’s exhibition sees an AI forest in the trees
BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com
In an essay published in the New Yorker last August, “Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art,” science fiction writer and technologist Ted Chiang o ered what he admits is a useful generalization: “art is something that results from making a lot of choices.”
Jenn Karson’s work bears that out, perhaps especially because her choices involve AI. She uses the software not to make images from an existing sea of content but to imagine more optimistic possibilities: how the tool can help us repair what’s damaged and generate something new.
REVIEW
Karson, an artist whose work centers on technology and the natural world, presents “The Generative Tree” at the Phoenix in Waterbury through March 15. The show includes more than 600 small prints, four extremely large ones, a sound component and an interactive piece, all made with help from the Plant Machine Design Group, the AI research team she has run since 2020 at the University of Vermont.
The project took shape after a 2021 outbreak of spongy moth caterpillars devastated trees in Karson’s Colchester neighborhood and, in particular, a beautiful 170-year-old oak on her property, which died from the infestation in 2023. She started investigating its leaves and the caterpillars, and the central question of her work became, she said, “What would a symbiotic relationship be between technology and the natural world?”
Fittingly, “The Generative Tree” unfolds through the gallery in nonlinear tendrils of inquiry. Along the left and right walls are 20 “Folios,” each a group of 32 unframed 4.8-inch-square images printed on canvas or matte paper and mounted to a white plastic grid.
On the “Phantom Silk Moth Folios” wall, photos document the caterpillars in action — dangling from their webs, massed on branches, cocooning — and the pains people took to try to hold back their siege by wrapping duct tape sticky-side-out around tree trunks.
Historical images present Étienne Trouvelot, a botanical illustrator and scientist who introduced and began breeding the moths in Massachusetts during the Civil War. He hoped to create a northern alternative to cotton, unavailable because it was produced using slave labor in the South. The project failed, and Trouvelot’s story became one of many cautionary tales of a poorly understood biotechnology causing widespread and irrevocable destruction.
Other prints come from the Damaged Leaf Dataset, a collection of more than 15,000 leaves that Karson and her students amassed and photographed during 2021 and 2022. Most of them belong to two sets of leaves produced by the same tree in the same season, which can happen when spring growth is damaged and the tree tries to heal itself.
The concept of healing is central to this work. Images in “The Generative Tree Folios” on the opposite wall include selections from the Plant Machine Group’s Athena Dataset, a collection of abstract geometric shapes — first made from cut paper — that they used to train their algorithm before AI tools were widely available. Later, they introduced the machine to the Damaged Leaf Dataset and to the Whole Leaf Dataset — a corresponding collection of undamaged leaves. As the machine learned the di erence, the group asked it to create something in between, symbolically healing the leaves.
When this reviewer visited the exhibition, Camille Wodarz, a member of the Plant Machine Design Group and a senior computer science major at UVM, was installing an interactive piece that
decisions is a bit of a mystery: “We don’t actually know how a computer
Karson also collaborated with machines on four massive 60-by-90-inch prints from the “Life Lines” series. After combining leaf outlines generated by the AI with her own, more traditional hand-drawn studies of leaf structures, Karson used a CNC router to engrave the drawings into aluminum blocks. The machine created its own lines where it dragged the drill bit from one area to another. Karson said she was fascinated by the design e ciencies involved, both the plant’s organic structural growth and the machine’s determination of the best path
allows visitors to explore the selves by selecting images and choosleaf” or “be the caterpilfor etching.
RELATIONSHIP BE BETWEEN
“When I’m working with a technology,” Karson said, “I usually have to get to a point where I’m fighting with it — and I’m fighting with it because I want that artistic intention to happen.”
NATURAL WORLD?
Through various iterations, Karson coaxed the machine into drawings that aligned with her intention. Alongside the large prints, she presents the original etched aluminum blocks, painted with violet machining ink — an aesthetic choice referencing the industrial process. The dark backgrounds enhance the luminescence of the etched surfaces, a reminder that even machine-aided processes can still spark
prints of “healed” leaves, as well as images of the layers of data that the AI uses to create them.
Wodarz said how the AI makes its
The “Life Lines” prints were originally made on a smaller scale using India ink and pen plotters; these versions were digitally printed by Brooklyn Editions. From
"Leaf 84 Life Lines"
a distance, their overlapping black lines create planes that radiate into peaks and valleys. Each leaf seems to be made up of bent metal sections that meet in seams reminiscent of — but not exactly following — the veins of a real leaf. Their outlines veer off course, too, becoming blockier or wider or less symmetrical than one might expect. Looking shiny and clean, the leaves’ images read at this scale as monuments to their own imperfections, celebrating mutation.
The show also features a sound piece called “Psithuros,” a Greek word describing wind through oak leaves as Zeus’ whispers. It combines that sound with recordings Karson made of caterpillars and their frass dropping through the canopy, as well as fan noises from UVM’s advanced computing center — a reminder of the energy impact that all this computing has on the climate. The piece reflects a cycle of generation and decay that runs thematically through all of Karson’s work.
reaction to her early AI-generated images. Seeing these hundreds of prints was like “looking through these flows of creation and decay — and sometimes not being able to tell the difference.” ➆
CALLS TO ARTISTS
DIANE GABRIEL VISUAL ARTIST AWARD APPLICATIONS: Accepting applications for the fifth and final year of the award, which provides $6,000 to an emerging Vermont artist’s creative development. Apply online at burlingtoncityarts.org. BCA Center, Burlington. Deadline: Monday, March 10, at midnight. Info, 865-7166.
‘ENERGY AND STILLNESS’: Seeking submissions from current artist members of SVAC for our 2025 juried show, which will be selected by artist Janie Cohen, former director of the Fleming Museum. Up to two submissions per artist on the theme. Apply online at svac.org. Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester. Deadline: February 3. Info, 362-1405.
‘EXPOSED 2025’: Now accepting online submissions for the annual outdoor sculpture show, which will be exhibited throughout the village of Stowe from June 21 to October 18. Artists are invited to propose sculptures, site-specific installations or interventions, and participatory or exchangebased works. Apply online at thecurrentnow. org. The Current, Stowe. Deadline: February 3. Info, 253-8358.
PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT-OUT: Accepting physical submissions of photos on the theme of “contrast” during business hours. First prize-winning photographer will present a solo show at the gallery in November 2025. Limit two entries per artist. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, January 15-18. $20 per entry. Info, 244-7801.
‘SHAPE/SHIFT: OBJECTS AND NONOBJECTIVES’: Seeking abstract, nonrepresentational and nonobjective twoand three-dimensional artwork in any medium for exhibition in March and April. Info and registration at avagallery.org. AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H. Deadline: February 17. $20. Info, sam@avagallery.org.
SPRING OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND: Participants will be listed in the guide, receive marketing information and be included in the open studio weekend Google map for the event on May 24 and 25. Register online at vermontcrafts.com. Vermont Crafts Council, Montpelier. Deadline: January 16. Info, 279-9495.
OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS
MOUNT MANSFIELD UNION HIGH SCHOOL ART
EXHIBITION: A showcase of artwork by more than 40 students in all media. Jericho Town Hall, through January 31. Info, 899-4936.
‘DAILY ARTISTS OF 2024’: An exhibition by a group of artists who resolved to make art every day in 2024. Each has selected works that speak to their accomplishments during the year. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, through February 8. Free. Info, 457-3500.
VICTORIA BLEWER AND HOLLY FRIESEN: “New Work for a New Year,” contemporary landscapes in vibrant hues; Brewer presents hand-colored photographs and Friesen shows acrylic paintings. Edgewater Gallery at the Falls, Middlebury, through February 28. Info, 458-0098.
‘DREAMSCAPE’: Works by 39 artists from the Howard Center Arts Collective. Burlington City Hall, through March 10. Info, 865-7296.
After installing “The Generative Tree,” Karson said, she was reminded of her
INFO
“The Generative Tree: New Work by Jenn Karson,” on view through March 15 at the Phoenix in Waterbury. thephoenixvt.com
CRAIG HARRISON: “I Am _____: Portraits Illuminating Identity,” an exhibition of photographs taken during Catamount Arts’ LGBTQIA+-centered events over the past two years. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, through March 15. Info, 748-2600.
Top, from left: “Folio #9: Damaged Leaf Dataset Generation III" and “Folio #8: Damaged Leaf Dataset Generation II”; below: “Leaf 271 Life Lines (from Phytomechatronics)”
EXHIBITION
Great Hands Think Alike: ‘Process & Presence’ at K. Grant Fine Art
BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com
A farmer’s adage says, “What grows together goes together.” True for food, but not for art — things that look too similar become redundant, while things too different can clash. Dig deeper into how artists “grow” their work, though, and you’ll find that good pairings often come from those who think alike.
That’s the case with “Process & Presence,” the winter exhibition at K. Grant Fine Art in Vergennes that showcases drawings and prints by Jasmine Parsia and sculptures, drawings and collages by Viscaya Wagner. The two up-andcoming Burlington artists hadn’t known each other before the show opened in December, according to gallerist Kristen Grant, but their works immediately struck up a friendship.
The overall palette in the gallery is comforting and natural: wood, white paper, gray and green stone enlivened by an occasional shot of bright blue from Parsia’s prints. Both artists have a tactile sensibility and a clear appreciation of the subtleties of the materials and techniques they use. Their pieces convey an uncomplicated sense of ease, but they are not simple.
Wagner presents several small sculptures made from wood, stone and aluminum. They’re formal creations that speak the language of minimalism but veer off on their own path. While minimalist works often expend tremendous effort to eliminate the artist’s hand, Wagner lets the materials be what they are. Her blocks of wood have visible pencil lines and numbers scrawled on them; the grain, cracks and surface blemishes are still apparent. Her aluminum may have small dings and smears; her stone has flat sides and rough ones. Yet all these elements fit together in precisely cut intersections: Wagner doesn’t use glue or fasteners but lets gravity and resistance do their work.
The result is satisfyingly complete. In “Elemental Study 05,” a rounded river rock from Maine sits snugly in a notch made in an 18-inch-wide block of Douglas fir. A pencil line on the wood — maybe marked for a cut that was never made — echoes a natural ring around the stone. The wavy grain on the lumber’s surface extends to the piece’s fuzzy top edge and to the slight unevenness where the notch was chiseled. These details remind the viewer that they’re looking at one artifact of nature, gently holding another.
Next to it, Parsia’s 18-by-24-inch monotype “Moon River” depicts a cairn of similar stones from Maine, these ones debossed (pressed into the paper) as blank white forms in a sloshing blue background. Like Wagner’s sculpture, the work centers on the important line between the rock and the rest — here defined by a distinct but rounded edge, making a clear impression of weight where there’s actually empty space.
Parsia’s watery theme carries through to her prints, including “Echo,” an eerie, glowing blue 10-by-10-inch cyanotype of bulbous seaweed. That motif appears again in “Floating Through,” a 12-by-15-inch drawing made with graphite and xerox transfer. The work combines seaweed with sketches of rocks and images of swimmers Parsia took from a 1960s text, according to Grant. The exploration nicely encapsulates how Parsia investigates her subject from many angles and through a range of paper and print techniques, from Xeroxes to monotypes carefully cut and woven together.
One of the best aspects of the show is way it illustrates both artists’ processes. Grant has included a number of
Wagner’s initial sketches, selected from hundreds, as well as collages and several small sculptures made of lime-washed plaster-coated foam — they look like concrete but are as light as air. Grant said that while the sculptor mainly uses natural materials, these give her the versatility to more easily experiment with new forms.
The inclusion of elements from all stages of Wagner’s and
Parsia’s processes illuminates how they think — and why their works fit so well next to each other, perfectly snug. ➆
INFO
“Process & Presence,” on view through Jan. 31 at K. Grant Fine Art in Vergennes. kgrantfineart.com
Detail from "Elemental Study 05" by Viscaya Wagner
From left: "Floating Through"; “Double Daydream” by Jasmine Parsia
MEG REINHOLD: “Littleton Public Mural Exhibit,” a show featuring three paintings originally commissioned by the NOCO Public Mural Project and displayed on boarded-up windows in Littleton, N.H., in 2023. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, through March 15. Info, 748-2600.
LIZA BURNS: An exhibition of mixed-media giclée prints of dogs. Pierson Library, Shelburne, through March 31. Info, 985-5124.
CHRISTIANNA BOSTLEY: “Fatal Foods,” a solo show presented as part of the artist’s senior capstone project in the Art and Design program. Reception: Wednesday, January 15, 6 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, through January 18. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.
CARRIE CAOUETTE-DE LALLO: “Thresholds: Bearing Witness to Chelsea, Vermont’s Past,” an exhibition of pencil drawings of doorways and windows of homes, many of them empty, that speak to the town’s history. Reception: Thursday, January 16, 3-5 p.m. Vermont Statehouse Cafeteria, Montpelier, through January 31. Info, 279-5558.
TIMOTHY CURTIS: “The Painters’ Hands,” the artist’s inaugural solo exhibition exploring the nearly 200-year history of mark making from Kensington, Philadelphia, from 19th-century pottery to graffiti. Reception: Thursday, January 16, 5-7 p.m. The Current, Stowe, January 16-April 12. Info, 253-8358.
CHIP HAGGERTY: A pop-up exhibition by the emerging, self-taught artist with dozens of works on display. Open weekends, occasional weekdays and by appointment. Reception: Friday, January 17, 4-7 p.m. Winter Gallery, Stowe, through January 25. Free. Info, haggerty@pshift.com.
CARA ROMERO: “Panûpünüwügai (Living Light),” the first major solo exhibition by the Chemehuevi photographer, curated by Jami Powell and spanning a decade of her work. The artist presents complex images exploring Native American and Indigenous experiences. Reception: Friday, January 17, 5 p.m. Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., January 17-August 10. Info, 603-646-2808.
WINTER SOLO SHOWS: Five mini-exhibitions, including Basha Freudenburg’s oil paintings of the Vermont landscape; Dorian Sanders’ astrophotography, including images of the aurora borealis and the Milky Way; and Sandy Sherman’s still lifes of everyday objects, vintage clothing and antiques. Through February 15, MC Noyes presents paintings of dense New England forests, and Kathleen Govotski shares acrylics of landscapes and flowers. Reception: Friday, January 17, 5-7 p.m. Canal Street Art Gallery, Bellows Falls, January 17-March 16. Info, 289-0104.
‘RUBE GOLDBERG: THE WORLD OF HILARIOUS INVENTION!’: An exhibition inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist’s original illustrations and inventive storytelling. The exhibit contains a collection of new 3D, life-size machines and hands-on, interactive components that connect Rube’s hilarious cartoon contraptions to the way things work in the physical world. Exhibit Member Party: Friday, January 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, January 18-September 7. Free with museum admission; RSVP to member party. Info, 864-1848.
LEVON BISS: “Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril,” macrophotography of insects, many of extinct and endangered species shot from specimens in the American Museum of Natural History’s extensive collection. Members’ Preview Reception: Friday, January 17, 5-7 p.m. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, January 18-December 31. Info, 748-2372.
WALTER TSCHINKEL: “Ant Architecture: The Hidden World of Social Insects,” six casts of underground ant nests made by the ant biologist. Members’ Preview Reception: Friday, January 17, 5-7 p.m. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, January 18-December 31. Info, 748-2372.
‘LAYERS’: A consideration of the concept of layers by nine artists — Terry Allen, Hannah Morris, Karen Kane, Dian Parker, Serai Hinkley, Joni Clemons, Marjorie Merena, Dan Thorington and Freddie Wiss — through
painting, photography, collage, assemblage, essay, cut paper, papier-mâché and video. Reception: Saturday, January 18, 1-3 p.m. Adamant Co-op, through February 15. Info, 223-5760.
‘A HEAT WAVE’: A group show featuring works in all mediums. Reception: Saturday, January 18, 2-4 p.m. Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Backroom Gallery, St. Johnsbury, January 15-February 28. Info, 748-0158.
‘ABSTRACT SQUARED’: Abstract photographs by Lisa Dimonstein, Julie Parker and Sandra Shenk based on a David Stromeyer sculpture. Reception: Saturday, January 18, 5-7 p.m. Mad River Valley Arts Gallery, Waitsfield, through February 28. Free. Info, 496-6682.
GABY TRIBELLI: “La Nostalgia,” a solo show presented by the artist as part of a senior capstone project in the Art and Design program. Reception: Wednesday, January 22, 6 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, January 20-25. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.
JESSE THOMPSON: An exhibition of large-scale drawings by the Singapore-based artist and educator. Reception: Thursday, January 23, 12-2 p.m. Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Vermont State University-Johnson, January 21-February 21. Free. Info, 635-1469.
‘SCAFFOLDING’: A group exhibition of works by 28 artists spanning all three floors; visit website for details of one-day workshops featuring select artists. Reception: Friday, January 24, 5-7 p.m. AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H., January 17-March 1. Info, 603-448-3117.
ART EVENTS
‘FREE SELF-EXPRESSION’: An open forum where the public is invited to celebrate community by sharing performance, music, reading, speaking, dancing, and take-home art and writing. Canal Street Art Gallery, Bellows Falls, Friday, January 17, 5-8 p.m. Info, 289-0104.
ARTIST TALK: DIANE SOPHRIN: An artist discussion of her exhibition “Chaos and Catharsis: Works on a Continuum,” which incorporates reused materials that invoke her time living and working in central Europe. The Front, Montpelier, Saturday, January 18, 2-4 p.m. Info, info@thefrontvt.com.
DRAWING WORKSHOP: TARA GEER: A workshop in pencil and charcoal on paper titled “Drawing from Your Senses” led by the artist, whose work is featured in the exhibit “Desire Lines” at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. River Gallery School, Brattleboro, Saturday, January 18, 2-4 p.m. $45, $35 for BMAC members; preregistration required. Info, 257-0124.
CABARET AND SILENT AUCTION: “FACES in Harmony,” the second annual fundraiser featuring a silent auction, live music and refreshments. Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, Saturday, January 18, 6 p.m. Starting at $15; $20 at the door. Info, 775-0356.
SOCIAL SUNDAY: An opportunity for children and caregivers to stop in and complete a 15- to 30-minute activity. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, Sunday, January 19, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.
WINTER WATERCOLORS WITH PAULINE NOLTE: Weekly workshops for painters of all abilities; no experience necessary. Register via email. Waterbury Public Library, Tuesday, January 21, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
OPEN STUDIO: A guided meditation followed by an hour of art making in any medium and concluding with a share-and-witness process. Many art materials available. In-person and online. Expressive Arts Burlington, Tuesday, January 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK-
SHOPS FOR ARTISTS: A selection of free online and in-person workshops addressing the most urgent needs, challenges and opportunities facing artists in New England, presented by Assets for Artists in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council. Register online at assetsforartists.org. Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, through January 28. Info, assetsforartists@massmoca.org. ➆
S UNDbites
News and views on the local music + nightlife scene
BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH
Past Is Prologue: John Daly Revisits His Musical About a Vermont Hero
In 1798, president John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts, a set of laws that restricted immigration and free speech. At the time, our infant nation was on the verge of war with France, and Adams was looking for a handy way to remove anyone he thought might be working with the enemy. But critics, including his vice president and future successor, Thomas Je erson, accused Adams of using his power to silence dissent and infringe on Americans’ First Amendment rights.
So Adams did what any thin-skinned wannabe autocrat would do and jailed one of his leading critics, Benjamin Franklin’s grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache, the editor of the Philadelphia Aurora. He also ordered the arrest of a congressman from Vermont, Matthew Lyon of Fair Haven, who published a newspaper, The Scourge of Aristocracy and Repository of Important Political
Truth, that was critical of Adams. Lyons printed it on a press purchased from Franklin, using typeset letters made from melted-down bullets left from the Revolutionary War.
Federal marshals arrested Lyon in October 1798, marching him 40 miles north from Fair Haven to Vergennes, where he would sit in a cold jail cell while he ran for reelection — and won, handily.
If the idea of a sitting congressman being jailed for criticizing the president seems preposterous, Richmond singersongwriter JOHN DALY says, well … watch out.
“The Alien and Sedition laws that Adams signed, those are the same laws that Trump is going to use after being inaugurated to start kicking people out of the country,” Daly said, referring to incoming president Donald Trump.
“History is seriously repeating itself.”
(Three of the four Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were soon repealed or allowed to lapse. Only the Alien Enemies Act remains on the books. It allows a president to deport noncitizens in some circumstances.)
In 2017, shortly after Trump began
To that end, Daly will perform Spit’n Lyon once again on January 19 — the day before Trump is inaugurated — at the American Legion Post 49 in Fair Haven on behalf of the Fair Haven Historical Society. When he does, once again dressed for the part, Daly will be continuing a long tradition of musicians serving as truth tellers in society.
“The Green Mountain Boys had a bard named Thomas Rowley,” Daly said. “Back then you needed someone to sing songs to let you know what was going on because the vast majority of people were illiterate. The bard was the truth teller.”
It’s a role Daly believes is more important than ever, even as he sees TV networks and corporate media “kissing the ring,” as he described it, cozying up to the incoming Trump administration and paring back their criticism. He pointed to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement that Instagram and Facebook postings will no longer be subject to independent fact-checking. The decision is seen by many as designed to appease Trump, whose shaky relationship with the truth saw him banned from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook after the January 6 insurrection in 2021.
his first term, the musician and piano tuner penned a musical called Spit’n Lyon: An Unsung Soldier’s Song. Written with longtime friend and collaborator GREG GOLDMAN and aided by Hinesburgbased teacher NIEL MAURER, Spit’n Lyon is a 30-song opus telling the story of Lyon’s life, from his youth as an Irish revolutionary to his arrival in America as an indentured servant to his service in the Revolutionary War as one of the Green Mountain Boys to his battle with Adams and censorship.
Daly released the album and performed some of it at the Vermont Statehouse in 2019. Dressed in periodaccurate garb including breeches, a doublet and a tricorn hat, Daly and members of his folk-rock outfit the JOHN DALY BAND played songs and read excerpts from Lyon’s writings.
“I’m not going to lie, I was really hoping the relevance of the story would diminish,” Daly said in a phone call last week. Trump’s reelection in November caused Daly to revisit the musical. “I’m shocked and dismayed that it still parallels what’s happening in the country right now, but boy, does it ever.”
But Daly stressed that performing the musical isn’t just about drawing parallels to the present. “I also want Vermont kids to know what they’re made of,” he said. “This one person stood up to the corrupt, even when they jailed him for it. He wouldn’t bow before a king — Adams literally demanded people genuflect before him and wanted to be referred to as ‘His Majesty.’”
Daly is concerned journalists and artists could be jailed under the Trump administration.
“Some of Adams’ speeches really parallel Trump’s,” Daly said. “Adams wanted to get rid of the Irish and French, particularly, which made up a huge portion of Vermont’s population at the time, so it was an important fight for Lyon.”
In the end, Lyon’s resistance played a part in helping Je erson’s DemocraticRepublican party defeat Adams for reelection in 1800 in a nice bit of “turnabout is fair play.”
“It’s the 250th anniversary of democracy in America in 2026,” Daly said. “Thomas Je erson knew democracy couldn’t survive without an informed electorate. It’s more important than ever to look at our history. Vermonters should know about the man who fought against a fledgling nation slipping back into the clutches of monarchy, who was jailed for speaking truth to power.” ➆
John Daly as Matthew Lyon
On the Beat
The Burlington music scene lost a true legend last week when SERGEI USHAKOV died on Wednesday, January 8. The head sound engineer at Nectar’s and Club Metronome for more than 30 years, Ushakov leaves behind a legacy of making countless bands sound like they were playing a packed arena when they set up at either of the Burlington clubs.
As a musician for most of my life, I can attest to the fact that the man had some kind of secret superpower to make a 20-watt amplifier roar and the softest, jammiest drummer sound like they were in Led Zeppelin. The man just understood what it took to rock and made a science of it.
The outpouring of grief and love on social media that followed Ushakov’s death underscored how vital he was to the local scene. From SWALE’s AMANDA GUSTAFSON and ERIC OLSEN to ROUGH FRANCIS drummer URIAN HACKNEY to DJ and rapper FATTIE B, Queen City musicians took to social media to memorialize Ushakov and share stories of one of Burlington’s most distinctive characters.
One thing many of those tales had in common was being initially terrified of Ushakov, to which I can relate. I recall Sergei — he was always just “Sergei;” I don’t think I knew his last name until
last week — glaring at me from behind his thick-rimmed glasses and barking “Turn the fucking guitar down!” more times than I’d like to admit. Once you understood that it was all coming from a place of passion — Sergei really, really cared about sound in a way I’ve never seen from any producer, engineer or musician — you would see the sweeter side of the gru Russian.
Following his death, Nectar’s released a statement on social media: “Words cannot begin to describe the impact
Eye on the Scene
Last week’s live music highlights from photographer Luke Awtry
THE GRAND OLD APRÈS, MADBUSH FALLS, WAITSFIELD, SUNDAY, JANUARY 12: I’m not sure what that river in Waitsfield is so mad about, but I always find myself pretty happy after making the crossing over the Green Mountains from Burlington. It took under an hour from a downtown shove off to a landing at Madbush Falls for the kickoff of the Grand Old Après on Sunday. e inaugural edition of the winter music series featured Pappy Biondo on guitar and banjo, Brett Hughes on guitar and mandolin, and Pat Melvin on upright bass. With Hughes at the helm, the trio drifted comfortably through covers and originals with no help from amps or mics. From what I could tell, these were calm waters and the flow was just right. Joined by vocalist Kat Wright, they finished out the two-hour tour with a Hughes original, “When We Finally Come Home” — a song from which you just can’t walk away mad.
Sergei had on everyone within his orbit. He was a true master of his craft with a heart as big as his passion for analog gear. Our hearts and condolences are with the Ushakov family as well as the thousands of us who were lucky enough to know him.”
Stay tuned in the next few weeks for a big Sergei story. The man certainly deserves it, and as Seven Days culture coeditor DAN BOLLES discovered when he
Listening In
(Spotify mix of local jams)
1. “NORTHERN BLOODWILLVERINE REMIX” by Reid Parsons, Willverine
2. “MR. JONES [WORKING TITLE]” by Eastern Mountain Time
3. “ANTHEMBANGER” by Rico James, Wombaticus Rex
4. “EASTER ISLAND” by Barbacoa
5. “BLACK LEATHER BARBARIANS” by the Strangulators!
6. “MORNING” by Tom Pearo
7. “PHANTOMS” by Amystera, Aram Bedrosian
Scan to listen sevendaysvt. com/playlist
Michelle Cann & Tommy Mesa 1/31
Pipo Romero Trio 2/21
Gesualdo Six, directed by Owain Park 2/28
music+nightlife
CLUB DATES
live music
WED.15
All Night Boogie Band (blues, R&B) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 8:30 p.m. $5.
BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Dark Star Project (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.
David Karl Roberts (singersongwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.
Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
Mihali (jam) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 7 p.m. $20/$25.
Ray, Russ, Rob and Gubb (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.
THU.16
Blues Without Borders (blues) at South Mountain Tavern, Bristol, 7 p.m. Free.
Charlie Uffelman, Maclan Roberts (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $5/$10. Comatose Kids (funk) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 10 p.m. $10/$15.
Dan Parks (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.
Dark Frequencies (electronic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.
e Dave Matthews Tribute Band (tribute) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 7 p.m. $15. Fossil Record, Rose Asteroid (indie rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $5.
Good Gravy (bluegrass) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Jazz with Alex Stewart and Friends (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
Jess O’Brien & Paul Miller (folk) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.
Tall Heights, Lau Noah (folk) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$23. Vermont Jazz Trio (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.
FRI.17
90 Proof (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.
Atom & the Orbits (rock) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.
beetsblog, bobbie, Silver Tree (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.
Boneyard Boogie (funk) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.
Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.
decided to shake things up after the pandemic and spent months recording with singer-songwriter Ben Folds for his . Feeling inspired after their apprenticeship, the folk act, which formed in 2009 and has also recorded with fellow New Englander Ryan Montbleau, went into a rural Massachusetts recording studio for 10 days. The , an album dedicated to breaking down the barriers of isolation. They took it to a literal point with the production, recording everything 2023 album, What Matters Most
pair emerged with , in one room and allowing sounds to bleed into one another, creating a more traditional sonic landscape. Tall Heights’ Softly Softly Tour rolls into South Burlington’s Higher Ground Showcase Lounge on Thursday, January 16, with support from Spanish multi-instrumentalist and composer
High Summer, Japhy Rider (soul, jam) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $15/$18.
Brandon Frenyea (singersongwriter) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 6 p.m. Free. e Bresetts (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free. Bushey/Bedell (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 7 p.m. Free.
Chris & Erica (acoustic) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6 p.m. Free.
Cooked, Sowing, Fifth World, Holder, Fundamental Issue (hardcore) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.
Mike Paternoster (piano) at Monkey House, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
WED.22
BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free. Stewart Foster (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.
djs
WED.15
DJ Chalango, DJ Tarzana Salsa Night (salsa DJ) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.
THU.16
DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
DJ JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.
DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.
Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.
FRI.17
Blanchface (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
DJ Ara$ (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.
DJ Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10/$15.
THU.16 // TALL HEIGHTS [FOLK]
Paul Lyons, Joy of Being Alive
(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)
There are a lot of ways to make an album. Sometimes, amid the rush and the energy of surrendering to the moment, a record pops out fully formed. Black Sabbath famously recorded their selftitled debut in 12 hours. Miles Davis, who hated to rehearse before recording, made Kind of Blue in two nine-hour sessions.
album that, according to Lyons, “follows the emotional contours of human life, from the depths of despair to the heights of profound joy, and everywhere in between,” the record took him decades to write.
While there is a lot to be said for records made with such immediacy, slow-cooked projects can be just as fascinating. Take Burlington singer-songwriter and keyboardist Paul Lyons and his latest LP, Joy of Being Alive. An eight-song concept
Tycho, Where You Are
(MOM + POP MUSIC, DIGITAL)
Maybe it’s Los Angeles burning, maybe it’s the specter of fascism darkening the globe, or maybe it’s just the fact that I still don’t have a jet pack, but I’ve been obsessed with retrofuturism of late. But classic sci-fi depictions of a rosy future with flying cars, the abolition of money and, y’know, people that are generally happy with the state of the world — well, they can be a real kick in the nuts when you consider what perception versus reality gets you in 2025.
“Two of the songs were written when I was just a teenager,” he wrote in an email. “Some in my twenties, others in my thirties … and finally, I’m releasing this album in my forties — better late than never!”
The title track opens the record with the kind of ambition one might expect from such a longgestating project. “Joy of Being Alive” is a 10-minute jam-funk odyssey, dabbling in white-dude reggae à la 10cc’s “Dreadlock Holiday” before exploding into a giant, sing-along chorus, complete with a horn
dance-adjacent meditation jams, as on 2011’s Dive, established him as a modern successor to electronic acts such as Boards of Canada.
That neon-lit paradox is all over Where You Are, the new EP from San Francisco chillwave act Tycho, which will play in South Burlington this weekend. Largely a solo project of producer/composer/multiinstrumentalist Scott Hansen, Tycho launched with the 2002 EP The Science of Patterns. Hansen’s ability to take lo-fi and ambient soundscapes and work them into shimmering pieces of
Where You Are is by no means a reinvention. Aside from the lead single, “Infinite Health,” the tracks on the EP continue Tycho’s main creative tenet: drawing warm sonic baths to bring comfort. Amid dreamlike musical trances that evoke a sense of liquid color, there’s no escaping the nigh-therapeutic immersion, either in Where You Are or in Hansen’s catalog writ large.
“Music has a unique ability to heal and help people with things they are going through,” Hansen wrote in a press release accompanying the EP. “It’s always been my goal when I consume music to find a meditation or a healing property in it. And I only hope that my music can do that for people.”
“Infinite Health,” a remixed version of the track from Tycho’s 2024 album of the same name, starts things o with an anthem to taking care of your head. Cleveland singer-songwriter
section and an army of backup vocals. Like a hyperactive 11-year-old who just downed a supersize Mountain Dew, the song simply cannot be contained. At one point, it moves into a sort of polka/ nursery rhyme-on-peyote section before shifting suddenly into live electronica as Lyons declares in a distorted vocal, “Dance! I command you! I command you!” And all of that is before Lyons goes into a spoken-word segment about breaking up with his iPad.
Having spent so long writing the songs, Lyons didn’t cut any corners when it came time to record. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, he made Joy of Being Alive at Tank Recording Studio in Burlington with producer Rob O’Dea. He also enlisted an absolute embarrassment of local musical riches, including Goose drummer Cotter Ellis; bassist Pat Markley (Breathwork); composer and trumpet player Connor Young; guitarists Marshall Dominguez, Lara Cwass,
Cautious Clay’s lyrics, which espouse the benefits of both proper breath work and psilocybin, fit Hansen’s Technicolor stabs of melody and mantra-like beats perfectly.
It’s fascinating to see how successful the aesthetic that Hansen helped popularize has become in the years since Tycho debuted. Spotify is bursting with ambient and downtempo “Music to Relax To” playlists. French music
Anthony Massaro and Erick Latrell; and Nico Suave vocalist Nicole D’Elisa.
For all that Queen City star power, Lyons’ all-over-the-map songwriting is the true standout. His love of Pink Floyd — and Richard Wright’s iconic keyboards, in particular — is impossible to miss. Witness “Being There,” which features a synth solo that could have come straight out of Wish You Were Here-era Floyd.
“Pattern Recognition” reveals a Phish influence, specifically of the Burlington jam kings’ quirkier side. It’s often poison for Vermont artists to drink too deeply from the Phish well, but Lyons navigates the dangers with a combination of skill and not giving a fuck. He’s thrown the kitchen sink into Joy of Being Alive; rather than making a mess, it really brings the room together.
Joy of Being Alive is available at paullyons.bandcamp.com.
CHRIS FARNSWORTH
producer Dmitri’s Lofi Girl — an anime character who studies beside her cat while lo-fi beats soundtrack the scene — has become a YouTube phenomenon. It’s almost as if Tycho has spawned a cottage industry of bedroom producers and (worse still) AI programs intent on creating and monetizing instrumental so-called “background music” — a complaint Tycho’s critics have often levied against Hansen.
It’s a fair critique and one Tycho doesn’t seem in a hurry to rebut. It’s tempting to envision a track like “To Everywhere Pt. 2” soundtracking a hot yoga session or helping an insomniac settle in for the night. But the nuance and flashes of deeper EDM lore in “DX Odyssey” show how Hansen’s compositions transcend simple mood music. Yes, this is music to help you feel better. But there’s nothing artificial or contrived about the songs. Tycho’s ability to create chill vibes bears little resemblance to artificially curated relaxation sounds.
Tycho’s world tour brings Hansen to the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington with a full band this Saturday, January 18. Where You Are is available on all major streaming services.
C.F.
Tycho
DJ CRE8 (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.
DJ Skippy (DJ) at Olive Ridley’s, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.
DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.
DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
John’s Jukebox (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.
Ron Stoppable (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
SAT.18
DJ Ara$ (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
DJ KDT (DJ) at the Lounge at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.
DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.
Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
Mr Cheng (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.
VIU (DJ) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.
SUN.19
Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae, dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.
open mics & jams
WED.15
Lit Club Presents: Harmony Belle Devoe (poetry open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.
Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.
Open Stage Night (open mic) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Big City Nights
Launched in Chicago by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, Drag City Records roared to life in 1989 and transformed the independent music biz in America. The home of artists such as Ty Segall, Joanna Newson, Silver Jews, Scott Walker and Burlington’s own Death, Drag City has been the “it” label for indie bands for almost 40 years. To celebrate the label, as well as raise money for Vermont nonprofit organization Migrant Justice, a collection of Burlington-area musicians is teaming up to perform songs from across Drag City’s vast catalog. Featuring EASTERN MOUNTAIN TIME (PICTURED), REMI RUSSIN, WREN KITZ, HELLO SHARK, GREG DAVIS and more, the tribute goes down on Sunday, January 19, at the Monkey House in Winooski.
THU.16
Open Mic with Artie (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.
SUN.19
Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.
MON.20
Open Mic (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
TUE.21
Venetian Soda Open Mic (open mic) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
WED.22
Irish Trad Jam (Celtic) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.
Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.
comedy
WED.15
Annual VCC Town Hall (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
Laugh Local Comedy Open Mic (comedy open mic) at the Den, Williamstown, 7 p.m. Free.
Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
Bob Marley (comedy) at Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 8 p.m. $40/$45.
SUN.19
Bob Marley (comedy) at Barre Opera House, 5 & 7:30 p.m. $37.50.
TUE.21
Open Mic Comedy with Levi Silverstein (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
WED.22
Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.
trivia, karaoke, etc.
WED.15
Food and Beverage Trivia (trivia) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.
THU.16
Radio Bean Karaoke (karaoke) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night! (trivia) at Essex Free Library, 6 p.m. Free.
FRI.17
Drag Me to the Shore (drag) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20/$25.
SUN.19
Karaoke with DJ Coco Entertainment (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free.
Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free.
Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.
MON.20
Trivia Monday (trivia) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.
Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.
Trivia with Brain (trivia) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.
TUE.21
Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.
Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.
WED.22
Live Band Karaoke (karaoke) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.
Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill Winooski, 7 p.m. Free. ➆
On the Beat « P.51
profiled him in a 2013 feature, Ushakov lived a fascinating, inspiring life.
For now, though, it’s just about saying goodbye. Nectar’s is holding a celebration of life in honor of Ushakov on Saturday, February 15, both downstairs at Nectar’s and upstairs at the Lounge, formerly Club Metronome, with more details to be announced.
In the meantime, Burlington is a little bit quieter without Sergei. I think he’d
hate that, so let’s make sure we make some noise for him in 2025, OK?
Burlington singer-songwriter SEAN HOOD has released two new singles under his EASTERN MOUNTAIN TIME project. A double A-side, the singles serve as reunions with his bandmates from the folk act
HELLO SHARK, LINCOLN HALLORAN and ALEX
DECATO
“Mr. Jones [Working Title]” and “Best I Never Had” were recorded at the Electric Cave in Portsmouth, N.H., and
mixed and mastered by JER COONS at his studio in Jericho.
The tunes push a little more into indie-rock territory than Eastern Mountain Time’s earlier, alt-country terrain. Give them a listen over at easternmountaintime.bandcamp.com.
Jazz at the Lantern returns for its third season on Thursday, January 16, at the Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe. The inn serves as an intimate, jazz clubstyle setting once a month through
the winter and spring, an ideal spot to listen to some music with a nice view of Mount Mansfield, wine and a charcuterie plate.
The series kicks off the 2025 season with a performance from MIRIAM’S WELL, a new outfit including singer MIRIAM BERNARDO, bassist ROBINSON MORSE and pianist ANDRIC SEVERANCE MSJ TRIO follows on Thursday, February 13, and BOPLICITY performs on Thursday, March 13. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit brasslanterninnevents.square.site.
SUN.19 // WELL, THIS IS A DRAG ... CITY RECORDS TRIBUTE [INDIE]
calendar
JANUARY 15-22, 2025
WED.15
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART
MARKET: Gift givers discover unique handmade items crafted by more than 35 Vermont artists. Brandon Artists Guild, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 247-4956.
business
QUEEN CITY BUSINESS
NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL
GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. BCA Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.
crafts
MAKE YOUR OWN READING
JOURNAL: The library’s resident paper artist guides crafters in designing and creating their very own journal for the New Year. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-3338.
YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other fiber artists. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780.
dance
MOVING WORDS: A TEXT & MOVEMENT WORKSHOP:
Acclaimed poet Arisa White and choreographer Katherine
Ferrier lead folks in a dynamic exploration of dance. Dance Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433. etc.
CHAMP MASTERS TOASTMASTER CLUB: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Dealer. com, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, champmasterstm@gmail.com. fairs & festivals
VERMONT BURLESQUE
FESTIVAL: The local vaudeville community comes together for an enchanting jubilee of show-stopping performances, classes and parties. See website for full schedule. Various Barre and Burlington locations. Various prices. Info, 276-6362.
food & drink
COMMUNITY COOKING: Neighbors join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.
COOK THE BOOK: CHEESE WHIZ & KITCHEN GADGET SWAP: Foodies bring fromage samples to share with the group, then swap never-used kitchen items.
These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.
LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!
All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent
Listings and spotlights are written by Rebecca Driscoll Seven Days edits for space and style. Depending on cost and other factors, classes and workshops may be listed in either the calendar or the classes section. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.
Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.
works in “Bach and Beyond.” Rollins Chapel, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 8-10 p.m. $40. Info, 603-646-2422.
seminars
Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
games
CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
health & fitness
CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT WITH BETH KRUGER: Women ages 40 and up gather for an evening focused on self-care, empowerment and balance. The Essex Resort & Spa, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $80. Info, 878-1100.
language
SPANISH
CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their vocabulario with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.
lgbtq
SAFESPACE: PODS & POD MAPPING
WORKSHOP: Pride Center of Vermont hosts an interactive workshop on how pods can be used to form access points for safety within the community. 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, eva@pridecentervt.org. music
JENNIFER KOH: A violin virtuoso leads listeners on a musical journey from the timeless elegance of Johann Sebastian Bach to dazzling contemporary
FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art
Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art. film
See what’s playing in the On Screen section. music + nightlife
Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.
= ONLINE EVENT
= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM
IMOVIE MEDIA MANAGEMENT: Visual storytellers learn the basics of managing their files and prepping for the creation of an editing project. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.
SUSTAINING THE RENT WORKSHOP: The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity helps renters develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet their housing needs. Noon-1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 660-3456.
sports
GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.
talks
LISA ELVIN-STALTARI: A teacher and public speaker discusses the role of les filles du roi — young women brought over from France to boost Québec’s population in the 17th century. Hosted by the Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 922-3971.
words
DR. SHANNON MCQUEEN: A political science professor illuminates for listeners how gender can help us better understand elections. Presented by Vermont Humanities. 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 262-2626.
NOONTIME POETRY READING SOCIETY: Verse lovers link up to share their work, reflect and write creatively. Pierson Library, Shelburne, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.
THU.16
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
business
GROW YOUR BUSINESS: Shelburne BNI hosts a weekly meeting for local professionals to exchange referrals and build meaningful connections. Connect Church, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 377-3422.
HIRING2DAYVT VIRTUAL
JOB FAIR: Time for a new gig? The Vermont Department of Labor offers a meet and greet with employers from around the state. 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 828-4000.
JANUARY MIXER: Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts an evening of networking, refreshments and community engagement. People’s Trust, 25
Kingman St., St. Albans, 5:30 p.m. $10-15; preregister. Info, 524-2444.
climate crisis
COMMUNITY ACTION
WORKSHOP: Concerned locals gather to discuss climate resilience legislation to support our state’s farms. Willey Memorial Hall, Cabot, 2-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, jessica@nofavt.org.
crafts
KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.
WOODWORKING LAB: Visionaries create a project or learn a new skill with the help of mentors and access to tools and equipment in the makerspace. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50. Info, 382-1012.
etc.
TROPICAL FISH CLUB OF BURLINGTON MEETING: Aquatic enthusiasts gather to make new friends, network and win prizes. Essex Junction VFW Post, 6:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 372-8716.
fairs & festivals
VERMONT BURLESQUE FESTIVAL: See WED.15.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: Audience members are guided through an exploration of stunning animal worlds, from frozen snowy forests to the darkest depths of the ocean. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: Never-beforeseen footage brings audience members to the farthest reaches of the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: Andy Serkis narrates the journey of a lifetime into the realm of the world’s largest mammals and the scientists who study them. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
‘FAR OUT: LIFE ON & AFTER THE COMMUNE’: 1960s counterculture in rural America is illuminated in this award-winning 2024 documentary blending contemporary interviews with archival footage. A discussion follows. Essex Cinemas
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: Incredible CGI and revelations in tyrannosaur paleontology help to chronicle a remarkable discovery in the badlands of Hell Creek. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.
WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR: A lineup of unique flicks showcases real stories about women from a variety of cultures and sports achieving their goals. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $20-25. Info, 540-3018.
food & drink
COOKBOOK CLUB: Food-focused bibliophiles share a dish and discussion inspired by German cuisine. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 748-8291.
games
BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER: Katharine Bodan leads players in a thrilling social deduction game of lies and logic, where no one is ever truly ruled out. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30-4 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.
WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies. United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, lafferty1949@gmail.com.
language
ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Semi-fluent speakers practice their skills during a conversazione with others. Best for those who can speak at least basic sentences. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
MANDARIN CONVERSATION CIRCLE: Volunteers from Vermont Chinese School help students learn or improve their fluency. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 846-4140.
music
SPRUCE PEAK UNPLUGGED:
RACHAEL & VILRAY: A Brooklyn duo featuring the lead singer of Lake Street Dive captivates listeners with jazz-infused melodies and timeless vocal harmonies. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $55. Info, 760-4634. seminars
PEER LEADER TRAINING: The Get Healthy North
FAMI LY FU N
Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.
• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun
Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.
WED.15
burlington
ART EXPLORERS: Young creatives ages 5 to 14 learn about art history and self-expression at this homeschooler-friendly program from Davis Studio. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-3403.
STEAM SPACE: Kiddos in grades K to 5 explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics with fun and engaging activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
TODDLER TIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones 12 to 24 months. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
chittenden county
BABY TIME: Infants and their caregivers enjoy a slow, soothing story featuring songs, rhymes and lap play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
GAME ON!: Kids take turns collaborating with or competing against friends using Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Caregivers must be present to supervise children below fifth grade. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
KIDS PUZZLE SWAP: Participants leave completed kids’ puzzles (24 to 125 pieces only) in a ziplock bag with an image of the finished product, then find something new to take home. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
PLAY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 build with blocks and read together. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1010:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: Caregivers and kids through age 5 listen to stories, sing songs and share toys with new friends. Richmond Free Library, 10 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 434-3036.
mad river valley/ waterbury
TEEN HANGOUT: Middle and high schoolers make friends at a no-pressure meetup. Waterbury Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
THU.16
burlington
BABY & ME CLASS: Parents and their infants ages birth to 1 explore massage, lullabies and gentle movements while discussing the struggles and joys of parenthood. Greater Burlington YMCA,
Getting Purrsonal
Meow you’re talkin’! The Burlington Cat Show at DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington is a weekend paradise for feline fanatics. From rare, exotic showstoppers to non-pedigreed breeds, the event showcases every kind of cat-titude to strike your fancy. Attendees behold with bated breath as kitties and kittens compete for one of the coveted Best in Show prizes and brush up on their cat facts at the twice-daily Parade of Breeds educational seminar. For folks who want to feel that luscious fluff, designated “Pet Me Cats” fulfill the need — but always ask permission before touching such a regal creature.
BURLINGTON CAT SHOW
Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington. $7-10; free for kids under 5. Info, 330-680-4070, cfa.org.
9:45-10:45 a.m. $10; free for members. Info, 862-9622.
BABY TIME: Pre-walking little ones experience a story time catered to their infant interests. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads kids ages 2 to 5 in songs, movement and other fun activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
chittenden county
MIDDLE SCHOOL MAKERS: COOKING: Students in grades 4 through 8 make delicious homemade dishes. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4041.
PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA
BASSICK: The singer and storyteller extraordinaire guides wee ones ages birth to 5 in indoor music and movement. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library,
Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
STORY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 learn from songs, crafts and picture books. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
barre/montpelier
POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
SIGN LANGUAGE STORY TIME: Special guest Nora leads little library patrons in stories and songs using sign language. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
STORY TIME: Kids and their caregivers meet for stories, songs and bubbles. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
stowe/smuggs
WEE ONES PLAYTIME: Caregivers bring kiddos 3 and younger to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.
LEGO BUILDERS: Mini makers explore and create new worlds with stackable blocks. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
MUSICAL STORY TIME WITH MS. LIZ: Little ones ages birth to 4 wiggle and dance to familiar songs and rhymes. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.
upper valley
STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.
SAT.18 burlington
FAMILY PLAYSHOP: Wee ones ages birth to 5 explore a range of themes and rotating activities designed to promote school readiness and foster creativity. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
chittenden county
BURLINGTON CAT SHOW: Feline fanatics enjoy educational seminars and get up close and purr-sonal with fancy breeds. See calendar spotlight. DoubleTree by Hilton, South Burlington, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $7-10; free for kids under 5. Info, 330-680-4070.
mad river valley/ waterbury
BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
northeast kingdom
ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:1510:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.
FRI.17 burlington
VISIT WITH VASYA: Kiddos of all ages flock to the beloved therapy dog for a bit of unconditional love. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
chittenden county
‘THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG’: Families enjoy Disney’s 2009 animated musical based on the German folk tale by the Brothers Grimm. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
LEGO LEAGUE VERMONT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Families witness the innovative spirit of Vermont’s K through 12 student teams as they embark on robot game matches and other demonstrations of STEM skills. GlobalFoundries, Essex Junction, 9 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister by January 15. Info, gina.derossi@gf.com.
SUN.19
chittenden county
BURLINGTON CAT SHOW: See SAT.18. SOCIAL SUNDAYS: Families participate in fun and educational art activities with diverse mediums and themes. All supplies and instruction provided. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.
MON.20
burlington
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Bookworms ages 2 to 5 enjoy a fun-filled reading time. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
Country Community Integrated Health Network hosts a virtual seminar for community members interested in helping others recognize the signs and symptoms commonly linked to chronic health conditions. 9-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 315-261-4760, ext. 239.
talks
AUBRI DRAKE: A local ultrarunner and hiker shares stories showcasing the joys and challenges of tackling the “Triple Tiara.” Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7037.
ALEX BARRETT: A forester enlightens listeners about the practice of using logging to make our forests healthier. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 229-6206.
ERIC HANSON: A Vermont Center for Ecostudies biologist sheds light on the fascinating behaviors of loons. Hosted by Green Mountain Audubon Society. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 434-3068.
RICHARD NEUGASS & DENA RUEB ROMERO: Local authors share their two family histories touched by the Holocaust and shed light on the role of media in promoting memories. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 295-6688.
words
MORNINGS, MUFFINS & MYSTERIES: Lit lovers link up to discuss the month’s twisty page-turner. St. Albans Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.
FRI.17
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
dance
‘WILLOW’S APOTHECARY’: The Dance Company of Middlebury presents an evening of dazzling original choreography featuring electronic music by McLean Macionis. Dance Theatre, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.
‘VEGAN CHITLINS AND THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE N-WORD’: Choreographer and performer Trebien Pollard captivates viewers with his provocative and personal embodiment of the Black experience through movement. Theater on Currier, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7:30-9:30 p.m. $30. Info, 603-646-2422.
etc.
ALPHA FILM SERIES: Community members enjoy a meal, watch a brief video and share their perspectives on faith in an informal, friendly environment. St. John Vianney Parish Hall, South Burlington, 6:15-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 864-4166.
fairs & festivals
SPICE ON SNOW WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL: Cajun sounds inspire a three-day fête of music, dance and workshops. See website for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various Montpelier locations, 5 p.m. Various prices. Info, 223-9604.
VERMONT BURLESQUE FESTIVAL: See WED.15.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.16.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ROPE’: Jimmy Stewart stars in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 thriller inspired by the notorious case of Leopold and Loeb. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
food & drink
COZY & CANDLELIT: FONDUE NIGHT: Foodies channel the ’70s retro vibe with an evening of craft cocktails, out-of-thisworld cheese and platters packed with dippable goodies. Adventure Dinner Clubhouse, Colchester, 6-9 p.m. $75. Info, sas@adventuredinner.com.
GIN-TER WONDERLAND: Libation lovers revel in a special cocktail menu filled with holiday cheer, including gingerbread old-fashioneds and Euro-style hot chocolate. Barr Hill, Montpelier, 2-8 p.m. Free. Info, 472-8000.
games
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.16, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
MAH-JONGG: Tile traders of all experience levels gather for a game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
health & fitness
GUIDED MEDITATION
ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.
PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS CAN EXERCISE: Folks get their bodies moving with a low-impact program that keeps joints flexible and muscles strong. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 241-4840.
lgbtq
RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together
JAN. 17-19 | FAIRS & FESTIVALS
Kick It Up a Notch
Montpelier conjures Mardi Gras-inspired entertainment citywide for its Spice on Snow Winter Music Festival. Packed with Cajun heat, the three-day fête kicks off on Friday as powerhouse zydeco act Rose & the Bros take the stage at Capitol Plaza Hotel. On Saturday, 15 bands, including headliners Richie and Rosie, perform at venues across the city, and revelers check out workshops on topics such as old-time fiddle, banjo and dance. Later, local favorite Pointe Noir — spicy enough to cut through January’s arctic chill — perform at Bent Nails Bistro. The zesty fest concludes on Sunday with a morning community sing-along and an uplifting evening concert commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
SPICE ON SNOW WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Friday, January 17, 5 p.m., Saturday, January 18, 10:15 a.m.,and Sunday, January 19, 10 a.m., at various Montpelier locations. Various prices. Info, 223-9604, montpelieralive.com.
weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.
music
ALMOST QUEEN: Chevron mustaches and face-melting guitar solos make for a startlingly authentic Queen tribute. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $45-65. Info, 775-0903.
ELENI GOVETAS & ZOE CHRISTIANSEN: Local musicians enchant listeners with a unique acoustic concert embodying the soul of Greek and Balkan traditions. The Old Meeting House, East Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Info, 249-0404.
outdoors
TORCHLIGHT SNOWSHOE: Outdoor enthusiasts experience an after-hours adventure along an illuminated loop while guides share fascinating facts about the land’s wildlife and history. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 4:306:30 p.m. $5-12; free for kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355.
tech
MORNING TECH HELP: Experts answer questions about phones, laptops, e-readers and other devices in one-on-one sessions. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 846-4140.
PHONE & TECH SUPPORT: Perplexed patrons receive aid from library staff on a first come, first served basis. Fletcher Free Library
New North End Branch, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.
words
LISA GENOVA & MELODIE WINAWER: An award-winning author and a published neurologist take center stage for a stirring conversation about their recent works. A Q&A follows. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 6:45-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 432-8182.
SAT.18
activism
STAND-IN RALLY TO SUPPORT NATIONAL WOMEN’S MARCH: In solidarity with the same-day gathering in Washington, D.C., activists gather in support of democracy and equal rights for
all. Top block of Church Street, Burlington, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 802-735-5123.
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
dance
BERLIN CONTRA DANCE: Dancers of all ages and abilities learn at a gathering that encourages joy, laughter and friendship. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. See website for callers and bands. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 8-11 p.m. $5-20 sliding scale. Info, 225-8921.
‘WILLOW’S APOTHECARY’: See FRI.17.
‘VEGAN CHITLINS AND THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE N-WORD’: See FRI.17. etc.
ANNUAL CABARET & SILENT ART AUCTION: Philanthropic partygoers enjoy live music, wine, hors d’oeuvres and an auction to benefit the center. Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, 6-9 p.m. $15-45. Info, 775-0356.
SISTERHOOD CAMPFIRE: Women and genderqueer folks gather in a safe and inclusive space to build community through journaling, storytelling, gentle music and stargazing. Leddy Park, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, sisterhoodcampfire@gmail.com. fairs & festivals
SPICE ON SNOW WINTER MUSIC
Richie and Rosie
VERMONT BURLESQUE FESTIVAL: See WED.15.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.16.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘RUSSIAN ARK’: Alexander
Sokurov’s 2002 technical marvel encompasses 300 years of Russian history in a single take. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m.
$6-12. Info, 660-2600.
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM SERIES: ‘THE ETERNAL MEMORY’:
This 2023 documentary by Maite Alberdi explores a marriage of 25 years that is forever changed by Alzheimer’s disease. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 3-5 p.m. $12-15. Info, 457-2355.
food & drink
TINIS & WEENIES POP-UP:
Libation lovers enjoy a sparkly night of martinis, mocktails and fancy hot dogs by chef Eric Hodet. Adventure Dinner Clubhouse, Colchester, 5-9 p.m. Free; à la carte menu. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.
ETHIOPIAN & ERITREAN CUISINE
TAKEOUT DINNER: Foodies from the Old North End and beyond sample Mulu Tewelde’s spicy, savory, succulent meals. O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. $23-24. Info, 8819933.
CHOCOLATE TASTING: Store staff guide sweet tooths on a sensory exploration of confectionary delights. Lake Champlain Chocolates Flagship Store, Pine St., Burlington, noon-4 p.m. Free. Info, 864-1807.
GIN-TER WONDERLAND: See FRI.17, noon-8 p.m.
CAPITAL CITY WINTER FARMERS
MARKET: Locavores sip cocktails while perusing root veggies, honey, crafts and maple syrup at an off-season showcase of locally grown food. Barr Hill, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 472-8000.
games
CHESS CLUB: All ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
D&D & TTRPG GROUP: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games embark on a new adventure with a rotating cast of game masters. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.
LEARN TO PLAY MAH-JONGG: Expert tile trader Pauline Nolte leads players through the Chinese and American versions of the ancient game. Waterbury Public
PRIDE HIKES: ETHAN ALLEN PARK: Audubon Vermont environmental educator Emily Calder leads LGBTQIA+ hikers and allies on a trek brimming with unique natural and cultural history. Ethan Allen Park, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 434-3068.
music
BRANDEE YOUNGER TRIO: A Grammy-nominated harpist and pioneer in jazz performs progressive, original music influenced by Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. Vermont Jazz Center, Brattleboro, 7:30 p.m. $25-60 sliding scale. Info, 254-9088.
CHORAL CHAMELEON: A group renowned for its innovative programming and fearless exploration of vocal artistry takes the stage with unexpected new combinations of music. See calendar spotlight. Robison Concert Hall, Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5-25. Info, 443-6433.
JAZZ AT THE PEAK: AN INTIMATE JAZZ EVENING WITH PETE
MALINVERNI: An acclaimed pianist guides listeners through the quintessential American art form’s evolution with trumpeter Bruce Harris. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $40-65. Info, 518-760-4634.
MIKE BLOCK & YACOUBA
SISSOKO: A Grammy-winning cellist and a Malian master kora player collaborate in a special performance merging their talents. Virtual option available. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7:30 p.m. $1025. Info, 387-0102.
RAMBLETREE: Come along for the craic! Local musicians Daniel Brown and Reagh Greenleaf Jr. play a dynamic mix of homegrown material, world music and Celtic folk tunes. O’Dwyer’s Public House, Killington, 6-9 p.m. Free. Info, 779-4114.
SATURDAY NIGHT SOUNDS: Listeners leave stress behind while experiencing the healing power of a sound machine built in Uruguay. The Magnetica Performance Space, Burlington, 6:30-7:30 p.m. $30. Info, events@ themagnetica.com.
TURNMUSIC QUARTET: A Vermont ensemble performs “Hurtling Toward Oblivion” — a dynamic program curated by Mary Rowell that explores the intricacies of James Brown’s musical genius. The Phoenix, Waterbury, 7:30 p.m. $0-40 sliding scale. Info, 355-5440.
seminars
DREAMS, YOUR CONNECTION TO INNER GUIDANCE & INSIGHT: Folks from Eckankar of Vermont guide listeners through an open spiritual discussion about the significance of dreams. Waterbury Public Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, eck.vermont@gmail.com.
MEDIA FACTORY ORIENTATION: Curious creatives and multimedia enthusiasts get a tour of the facilities and check out available gear. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.
talks
ERIN TALMAGE: The Birds of Vermont Museum director sheds light on our state’s wintering feathered friends. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, noon1:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
tech
PHONE & TECH SUPPORT: See FRI.17. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington.
words
WRITE NOW!: Lit lovers of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 223-3338. WRITERS’ WERTFREI: Authors both fledgling and published share their work in a nonjudgmental setting. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.
SUN.19
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
community
HUMAN CONNECTION CIRCLE: Neighbors share stories from their lives and forge deep bonds. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, humanconnectioncircle@ gmail.com.
FOMO?
Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art
Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.
film
See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section. music + nightlife
Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.
Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11. = ONLINE EVENT
Job of the Week
Vermont Truth & Reconciliation Commission
COMMISSIONER
Duties:
• Examine discriminatory VT laws and policies and establish public records.
To learn more about Act 128, job qualifications, full job description and to apply:
• Recommend actions that can repair and prevent harm caused by systemic discrimination.
• Facilitate forums for people & communities to share their truths.
Faith Yacubian, Executive Director
Truth & Reconciliation Commssion
What are the challenges of this position & why is it important?
e VTRC is about uncovering and preserving the truths of past and present state injustices. Commissioners actively listen to communities that have experienced systemic harm to document their unique experiences and understand how historical actions have shaped inequities of today. Often the work is heavy, especially when truths resonate with personal experiences, but the mission is clear: Analyze these truths, archive them permanently, and push for legislative change.
What is unique about working for the VTRC?
e Commissioner must turn these truths into legislative reform and ensure that the truths of the historically unheard are permanently part of Vermont’s historical records. is role requires balancing the preservation of truths with real-time engagement in policy making and advocacy. e work is deeply collaborative, requiring commissioners to actively listen to impacted communities, build trust and address the ongoing effects of historical injustices on present-day systems..
crafts
YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.15, 1-3 p.m.
fairs & festivals
SPICE ON SNOW WINTER MUSIC
FESTIVAL: See FRI.17, 10 a.m.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY
GRAIL’: Audience members laugh out loud at this 1975 satirical slapstick flick following King Arthur’s quest to recruit the Knights of the Round Table. Adamant Community Club, 4-6 p.m. Free. Info, 454-7103.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.16.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘THE FARM BOY’: Filmmaker George Woodward of Waterbury Center dreamed up this war-driven adventure set in 1944 Belgium. Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 1 p.m.
$12.50-15. Info, 229-0598.
PALESTINE ISRAEL FILM
FESTIVAL: Jewish Voice for Peace presents two riveting films from recent years, Lyd and The Present Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 4-6 p.m.
$8.50-10.50. Info, 229-0598.
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
WOODSTOCK VERMONT FILM
SERIES: ‘THE ETERNAL MEMORY’: See SAT.18.
food & drink
GIN-TER WONDERLAND: See FRI.17, noon-7 p.m.
games
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.16, 1-4:30 p.m.
FOMO?
Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art
Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.
film
See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.
music + nightlife
Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.
Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.
= ONLINE EVENT
= GET TICKETS ON
health & fitness
KARUNA COMMUNITY
MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@live.com.
NEW LEAF SANGHA MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: Newcomers and experienced meditators alike stretch their skills in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6:30-8:15 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@gmail.com.
holidays
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. REMEMBRANCE: Local speakers and gospel music commemorate the American minister’s legacy. Burlington City Hall Auditorium, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 233-2404. WE SHALL OVERCOME: A MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COMMEMORATIVE CONCERT: BIPOC musicians, dancers, singers and artists come together to perform songs and compositions honoring the activist’s work. Montpelier City Hall Arts Center, 4-6 p.m. $15-20; free for kids 18 and under. Info, laura.fried@ montpelierchamberorchestra. org.
music
THE MAGNETICA SOUND BATH: Audiences experience the healing power of a sound, light and music generator built in Uruguay. The Magnetica Performance Space, Burlington, 3-4 p.m. $30. Info, events@themagnetica.com.
TURNMUSIC QUARTET: See SAT.18., 4 p.m.
outdoors
MT. ABE HIKE: Adventurers join up with the Green Mountain Club for a challenging hike to the summit for beautiful Alpine views. Microspikes and snowshoes required. Call for start time. The Long Trail. Free; preregister by Jan. 17. Info, jillghiker@gmail.com.
ARTHUR PARK & ROCK POINT PARK LOOP: Outdoor enthusiasts gather for an easy, relaxed trek of the sea caves area. Microspikes required. Call for start time. Arthur Park, Burlington. Free; preregister by Jan. 16. Info, 413-884-5932.
WILDLIFE TRACKING CLUB: Naturalists teach trackers of all ages how to distinguish the snowy paw prints of Vermont mammals. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 229-6206.
WINTER WILDLIFE TRACKING WORKSHOP: Animal lovers take a guided snowshoe hike through the Mount Tom Forest to practice identifying signs of common Vermont mammals. MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, tiffany_brocco@partner. nps.gov.
talks
ALAN STEINWEIS: A University of Vermont professor of history
JAN. 18 & 22 | MUSIC
Champions of Change
Adventurous New York vocal group Choral Chameleon return to Middlebury College’s Mahaney Arts Center for the first time since their highly regarded sold-out shows in 2022. The boundary-breaking singers bring two unique new performances to Vermont audiences: The first, a program titled “Control,” features the group’s distinct, rich harmonies and delves into the complexity of parent-child relationships. The second, four days later, is less concert and more vocal installation, with singers (including voices from the college’s community) stationed all around the building for attendees to discover at their own pace — a kind of musical “choose your own adventure.”
CHORAL CHAMELEON
Saturday, January 18, and Wednesday, January 22, 7:30 p.m., at Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College. $5-25; Wednesday event is free. Info, 443-6433, middlebury.edu.
discusses the life and work of Raul Hilberg — one of the most influential Holocaust historians in the world, as well as a Burlington local. Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 863-2345.
DR. MARGARET M. BRUCHAC: A professor emerita of anthropology captivates listeners with her enlightening presentation, “Encountering Ndakinna: Recovering Abenaki History in Vermont and New Hampshire.” Hosted by Ethan Allen Homestead. 2-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, ethanallenhomestead@gmail. com.
MON.20 bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
crafts
FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
HAND-STITCHING GROUP: Embroiderers, cross-stitchers and other needlework aficionados chat over their latest projects. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, northwaringa@ gmail.com.
etc.
TATTOO FLASH FUNDRAISER: Talented local ink artists provide arm and leg tats on-site to benefit Outright Vermont. Black Meadow, Randolph, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $100. Info, blackmeadowgallery andtattoo@gmail.com.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.16.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘HERE AM I, SEND ME: THE STORY OF JONATHAN DANIELS’: Sam Waterson narrates this 2004 documentary following the story of one man’s courage in the face
of sacrifice during the civil rights era. Bellows Falls Opera House, 7 p.m. $17.50. Info, 463-3964, ext. 1120.
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
food & drink
BEER POKING: Hopheads partake in the 17th-century German tradition of plunging a red-hot rod into their brews. Stone Corral, Richmond, 1-4 p.m. Price of beer. Info, 434-5787.
holidays
MLK DAY CELEBRATION: Families enjoy an afternoon of community building, games, crafts and creativity to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Free; nonperishable food donations accepted. Info, 343-8741.
MONTPELIER COMMUNITY
GOSPEL CHOIR AND GREEN
MOUNTAIN GOSPEL CHOIR: Two local music groups celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a joyful program titled “Just Love.” Proceeds benefit the Richard Kemp Center. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free; preregister; donations accepted. Info, 391-4335.
language
GERMAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Willkommen! Speakers of all experience levels brush up on conversational skills over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library,
Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
lgbtq
BOARD GAME NIGHT: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.
TUE.21
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
climate crisis
DR. JONATHAN PATZ: The University of Wisconsin-Madison chair of health and the environment presents on climate change, from evidence to action. Silver Maple Ballroom, Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, oshercenter@ uvm.edu.
community
CURRENT EVENTS
DISCUSSION GROUP:
Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.
dance
SWING DANCE PRACTICE
SESSION: All ages and experience levels shake a leg in this friendly, casual environment designed for learning. Bring clean shoes. Champlain Club, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8382.
environment
LOCALLY LED CONSERVATION
DINNER & MEETING: Neighbors dine and discuss key priorities for the land and environment, helping to shape the future of conservation programming and funding in the state. North Hero Community Hall, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@franklincountynrcd.org.
film
See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.
‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.16.
‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.16.
‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.16.
‘WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION’: Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich star in Billy Wilder’s 1957 legal thriller about a murder trial that unearths endless surprises. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 540-3018.
games
DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.16.
health & fitness
COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels and ages engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 862-5630.
holidays
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CONVOCATION: DR. SHAUN WHITEHEAD: A St. Lawrence University chaplain delivers the convocation’s keynote address on breaking down barriers and building inclusive, affirming relationships. Dion Family Student Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 654-2588.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CONVOCATION: DR. PAMELA N.
WALKER: The hidden-in-plainsight story of the Mississippi Box Project is illuminated for listeners by a University of Vermont associate professor. Dion Family Student Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 2:45 p.m. Free. Info, 654-2588.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. & THICH NHAT
HANH: Dr. Ray Chin and John Green lead a discussion on the profound and transformative relationship between the American minister and Vietnamese Buddhist monk. Virtual option available. Chase Community Center, Vermont Law School, South Royalton, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, sjefferson@vermontlaw.edu.
language
FRENCH CONVERSATION GROUP: Francophones and language learners meet pour parler la belle
TUE.21 burlington
mad river valley/ waterbury
TODDLER TIME: Little tykes ages 5 and under have a blast with songs, stories, rhymes and dancing. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.
ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
music
YOUNG ARTISTS’ SHOWCASE
RECITAL: High school students throughout the region assemble for this concert of Vermont’s rising classical music stars. Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 864-0471.
québec
‘STRAWBERRIES IN JANUARY’: Canadian troupe Centaur Theatre treats musical lovers to a new, English-language version of a Québécois classic. Centaur Theatre, Montréal, 8 p.m. $22-68. Info, 514-288-3161.
seminars
FINDING HOUSING
WORKSHOP: Prospective renters learn how to build an apartment-search tool kit, presented by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 660-3455, ext. 205.
PEER LEADER TRAINING: See THU.16.
VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: EXHIBITS — THEMES & STORYTELLING: The Vermont Historical Society hosts a lunchtime exploration of best practices related to creating exhibitions. Noon. Free; preregister. Info, 479-8500.
talks
CHARLIE NARDOZZI: A renowned gardener guides listeners on a virtual tour of Italy’s most enchanting gardens, from Sicily to Puglia. Hosted by the Vermont Italian Cultural Association. 7-8:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, vtitalianculturalassoc@ gmail.com.
DR. DORINNE DORFMAN: Vermont’s new literacy law, Act 139, is unpacked by an education specialist. A Q&A follows. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with Linda. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.
chittenden county
GMBA GROUP: Teens in grades 9 to 12 swap thoughts about this month’s Green Mountain Book Award title. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.
words
BURLINGTON LITERATURE GROUP: Bookworms analyze Nobel laureate Saul Bellow’s novels Henderson the Rain King and Herzog over the course of nine weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereadersandwriters.com.
THE DEEP CUTS BOOK CLUB: Emma Kaas leads readers in a discussion about Natalia Ginzburg’s overlooked classic from 1969, The Family Lexicon. Norwich Bookstore, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.
VIRTUAL WINTER BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: The Rokeby Museum hosts a chat about renowned knitter Clara Parkes’ 2019 novel, Vanishing Fleece. 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 877-3406.
WRITING CIRCLE: Words pour out when participants explore creative expression in a low-pressure environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.
WED.22
bazaars
MERRY & BRIGHT ART MARKET: See WED.15.
business
QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.15.
climate crisis
COMMUNITY ACTION WORKSHOP: See THU.16. Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, 12:30-2 p.m.
community
CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.
crafts
YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.15.
food & drink
COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.15.
RED CLOVER AWARD BOOK GROUP:
Students in grades K to 4 gather to discuss two titles on the award list, followed by an activity. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1:30-2:30 & 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.
STORY TIME: Youngsters ages birth to 5 enjoy a session of reading, rhyming and singing. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
TODDLER TIME: Wiggly wee ones ages 1 and up love this lively, interactive storybook experience featuring songs, rhymes and finger plays. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall,
games
BOARD GAME NIGHT: Locals enjoy an evening of friendly competition with staples such as Catan, Dominion, chess and card games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
CHESS CLUB: See WED.15.
health & fitness
CHAIR YOGA: See WED.15.
holidays
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CONVOCATION: TERRI GIVENS: The political science professor and author of Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides discusses issues related to leadership and inclusion. McCarthy Arts Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 654-2216.
language
GREEK CONVERSATION GROUP:
All proficiency levels chat in the modern form of the language while sharing skills and making new friends. Fletcher Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, katyhayden802@gmail.com.
music
CHORAL CHAMELEON: The group deepens its campus connection with an exciting vocal installation performed alongside Middlebury College students. See calendar spotlight. Mahaney Arts Center, Middlebury College, 7:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.
SANCTUARY MUTTS: Tim Jennings’ local folk trio plays lively Irish and Americana toe-tappers. Outer Spice Café, Plainfield, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free. Info, folktale@ mac.com.
québec
‘STRAWBERRIES IN JANUARY’: See TUE.21.
seminars
CIVIC HEALTH INDEX OF VERMONT: REPORT OVERVIEW & DISCUSSION: Vermont Community Leadership Network hosts an informative session for professionals and neighbors to discuss ideas for civic education and engagement across the state. 10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 223-6091.
9:15-9:45 & 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.
barre/montpelier
READ WITH SHADOW: Eager kiddos take turns reading to the library’s adorable therapy pup. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.
STORY TIME: See THU.16.
WED.22
burlington
STEAM SPACE: See WED.15.
IMOVIE EDITING: Visual storytellers learn how to hone their craft with a user-friendly computer program. A Q&A follows. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.
TUBELESS TIRE CLINIC: Curious cyclists hear about the benefits of “going tubeless,” including more grip, a smoother ride and fewer flats. Bootlegger Bikes Jeffersonville, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 644-8370.
sports
GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.15.
talks
ANN DÁVILA CARDINAL: A Vermont author discusses how the media’s depiction of older people must be modernized to properly reflect the demographic. 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 262-2626.
words
NOONTIME POETRY READING SOCIETY: See WED.15. ➆
FOMO?
Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art
Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.
film
See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.
music + nightlife
Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.
Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.
= ONLINE EVENT
= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM
TODDLER TIME: See WED.15. chittenden county
BABY TIME: See WED.15.
GAME ON!: See WED.15.
PLAY TIME: See WED.15.
PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: See WED.15.
READ TO A DOG: Kids of all ages get a 10-minute time slot to tell stories to Emma the therapy pup. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, sbplkids@southburlingtonvt.gov. K
Vermont’s major flooding events are still having an impact. Starting Over Strong Vermont is your FREE and local connection to the emotional support, coping skills, and resources that help you and your loved ones heal and move forward.
classes
THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS FOR AS LITTLE AS $16.75/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.
2025 CRAFT WORKSHOPS: In addition to the regular chair making and jewelry workshops, this year we are hosting guest instructors who teach dry stone walling, natural dyes, broom making, Shaker boxes, plant pressing, basket weaving, bowl carving and more. Gift certificates available. e 2025 schedule is now live at ericcannizzaro. com/classes. Location: Handmade Charlotte. Info: Eric Cannizzaro, 360-528-1952, ericcannizzaro.com.
culinary
BIKE MECHANICS 101: Get yourself out of a jam in the woods or on the side of the road, prevent bike decay, and feel empowered to help a friend with their bike. In this six-week intro course, you’ll learn about the nuts and bolts of your ride, as well as how to fix them. Wednesdays, Jan. 15-Feb. 19, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $300. Location: Old Spokes Home, 331 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 863-4475, sevendaystickets.com.
“THE BASICS” CAKE DECORATING CLASS: In this workshop, we will talk through the basics of filling a cake, crumb coating a cake, working on getting nice smooth edges, various buttercream textures and some rosette piping. You’ll leave with great new techniques, as well as a six-inch cake that serves 12. Tue., Jan. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost: $85. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-400-0700, sevendaystickets.com.
language
FRENCH CLASSES AT WINGSPAN STUDIO: Parlez-vous français?!
FIBER IS SUPERIOR!
INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN: Chef Ariel Voorhees of Gather Round Chef Service teaches you to master the skills, cuisines and back-pocket recipes you’ve always wanted to learn. You’ll walk away with a pleasantly full belly (and possibly leftovers!), recipes to keep, hands-on practice and a new understanding of building Indian flavors. Sat., Jan. 25, 4-6 p.m. Cost: $100. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury Village Historic District. Info: 203-4000700, sevendaystickets.com.
kids
SWIM LESSONS: e Vermont Swim School offers both youth and adult swimmers the opportunity to learn and develop aquatic skills in a nurturing and friendly environment. Lessons take place in the University of Vermont athletic/rec complex, in the Forbush Natatorium. Group, private and semiprivate lessons offered. Sundays. Cost varies. Location: Forbush Natatorium, 97 Spear St., Burlington. Info: 656-4483, campus.recreation@uvm.edu, uvmcampusrec.com/sports/2017/7/5/ lesson-types.aspx.
Warm up your winter and join Mme Maggie chez Wingspan Studio School for lively French conversation. Core grammatical topics covered; review material provided such as use of P.C. vs. imparfait, though much of class revolves around current events, skits to practice travel interactions/key pronouns and specific student interests. Maximum eight students. Berets optional! Private lessons available. Email to register. ursdays, Jan. 23-Feb. 13, 5-6:30 p.m. Cost: $180. Location: Wingspan Studio School, 4A Howard St., Burlington. Info: Maggie Standley, 233-7676, maggiestandley@gmail.com, wingspanstudioeduc.com.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE CLASSES: Interested in Japanese culture and/or travel to Japan? Love learning new languages? ree levels of interactive, online Japanese language classes will be offered in spring 2025, starting the week of Feb. 10. Join us for an introduction to speaking, listening, reading and writing Japanese, using everyday conversational patterns. Level 1, Mon.; Level 2, Tue.; Level 3, Wed. All classes 7-8:30 p.m. Cost: $250/10 weekly 1.5-hour classes. Location: Zoom. Info: 825-8335, jasvlanguage@gmail. com, jasv.org/language.
music
TAIKO TUESDAYS, DJEMBE
WEDNESDAYS!: Learn to drum with Stuart Paton! Drop-ins welcome. Tuesdays: Kids & Parents Taiko, 4-5:30 p.m.; Adult Intro
WTNB BIKE MECHANICS 101: Reserved for students who are woman/trans/nonbinary identifying. Folks who do not hold these identities, please sign up for the Wednesday night series. Prepare for common roadside repairs and basic at-home maintenance. Designed for beginners but will benefit more seasoned mechanics who want to freshen up their skills or review the basics. ursdays, Jan. 16- Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $300. Location: Old Spokes Home, 331 North Winooski Ave., Burlington. Info: 863-4475, sevendaystickets. com.
well-being
HIGH OCTAVE LIVING: is winter, work on life skills. Develop your most valuable personal strengths as you practice mindful living. Positive psychology has distilled the Wisdom of the Ages into a new language of human flourishing. Learn the basics in this seven-week course and enjoy a richer life experience. Tue. evenings starting Feb. 4, 7-9 p.m. Cost: $240 flex pricing for 1, 2 or 3 persons; seven 2-hour live group Zoom classes, maximum 12 participants. Location: Zoom. Info: Werner John, 272-5397, werner@evolvetogether.net, evolvetogether.net.
Photo by A.J. Murray
APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE music »
INSTRUCTION,
Whiskey
AGE/SEX: 6-year-old neutered male
ARRIVAL DATE: December 3, 2024
SUMMARY: Whiskey is a sweet, soulful pup who’s ready for a fresh start after his previous guardian’s lifestyle change brought him back into our care at HSCC. is lovable dog is searching for a new best friend and a stable, loving home where he can settle in and thrive. Whiskey is a true Velcro dog with a heart of gold – he loves being close to his favorite people and will always want to stick by your side. With a little patience and understanding, Whiskey will quickly become your loyal and loving companion. Come meet Whiskey at HSCC to see if he could be your new best friend!
DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Whiskey enjoys the company of other dogs. He has lived with cats in a previous home and tolerated their company. Whiskey may be most successful in a home with teens and adults.
Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. or Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.
DID YOU KNOW?
If you’re wondering how long it usually takes for a dog to adjust to a new home, follow the “Rule of rees”: three days to decompress; three weeks to learn your routine; and three months to feel at home.
Chittenden County
Sponsored by:
CLASSIFIEDS
on the road
CARS/TRUCKS
2024 FORD MAVERICK
AWD
XLT in terrain w/ sunroof. EcoBoost, AWD, 4K towing package. 1,600 miles. $38,150. Please have your fi nancing in place. Located in southern Rutland County. Call 518-364-3786 or email jettaguy2@aol.com.
housing FOR RENT
1-BR APT. FOR RENT
HDWD w/ new carpet, new windows. Large fenced-in yard. Freshly
painted. 2 enclosed porches. Basement w/ W/D; no coin op. 1 extra offi ce space or craft room. Garage. Very clean. For more info, call or text 802-355 4099 or email skyhorse205@ yahoo.com.
Fully furnished studio apt. avail. now in Essex Jct. Utils. incl. Walking distance to local stores, restaurants & the bus. $1,300/mo. Info, andrea. vanliew@gmail.com or 802 318-0605.
HOUSEMATES
HOMESHARE IN THE SOUTH END
Share comfortable South End home in Burlington w/ professional in her 40s & elementary-age son. Seeking dog-friendly housemate to share
CLASSIFIEDS KEY
appt. appointment apt. apartment
BA bathroom BR bedroom
DR dining room
DW dishwasher
HDWD
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our
chores & provide occasional childcare. $100/mo. Unfurnished BR, shared BA. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont.org for application. Interview, refs., background checks req. EHO.
LIVE NEAR BASIN HARBOR
Enjoy quiet setting living in Ferrisburgh close to Basin Harbor/Otter Creek w/ retired woman who seeks friendly companion. Assistance w/ household maintenance, light cleaning, snow shoveling. $200/ mo. incl. utils. Sweet indoor kitty. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont.org for application. Interview, refs., background checks req. EHO.
SHARE SPACIOUS RANCH HOME
90+-year-old woman seeks help w/ housekeeping & friendly presence in her spacious 1-fl oor house in Colchester w/ room for gardening. BR w/ private BA. Extended family in the wings. $150/mo. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs., background checks req. EHO.
ser vices
COUNSELING
TIRED OF THERAPY FOR YEARS?
Rapid Transformational erapy often brings major relief in 1 to 3 sessions. Upgrade your brain, upgrade your life! New Year’s Special: $250. Info, sandimeyler. com, 802-878-5169.
readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact: HUD Office of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov
*Live auction will be held at 813 Elmore St. Morrisville, VT No Open House: Feel free to walk the property at any time.
ENTERTAINMENT
DIGITIZE OLD VIDEO TAPES
I can transfer most types of photos & video into digital formats. Get in touch w/ me, & I can guide you through the process. Call 802-7542922 or email piettejp@ yahoo.com.
FINANCIAL/LEGAL
DISABILITY BENEFITS
You may qualify for disability benefi ts if you are between 52-63 y/o & under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now! 1-877247-6750. (AAN CAN)
HEALTH/ WELLNESS
BIO HACK WELLNESS 2025!
You upgrade & update devices. What about your brain? Rapid Transformational erapy frees us from land mines in our heads! Interested? New Year’s Special: $250.
Info, 802-878-5169, sandimeyler.com.
HOME/GARDEN
24-7 LOCKSMITH
We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We’ll get you back up & running quickly! Also, key reproductions, lock installs & repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial & auto locksmith needs! 1-833-237-1233. (AAN CAN)
AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?
You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call 1-888-292-8225. Have the zip code of the property ready when calling! (AAN CAN)
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES
In as little as 1 day! Affordable prices. No payments for 18 mos. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts avail. Call
1-866-370-2939. (AAN CAN)
DEREKCO LLC
DerekCo Carpentry & Excavating has all of your carpentry & excavating needs covered! Visit our website & contact us for a free estimate. Info, 802-310-4090, derek@ derekco.com, derekco. com.
NEED NEW WINDOWS?
Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energyefficient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & free quote today. 1-877248-9944. You will be asked for the zip code of the property when connecting. (AAN CAN)
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION
A small amount of water can lead to major damage & mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family & your home’s value! Call 24-7: 1-888-290-2264. Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (AAN CAN)
MOVING/HAULING
MARKOSKI’S MOVE & HAUL
Markoski’s has established a local reputation for being a team of friendly professionals who treat their customers like family. Based out of Chittenden County, we go across Vermont & out of state. Contact Rick at rickmarkoski@gmail. com, & please browse our reviews & jobs on Facebook & Front Porch Forum.
TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie
Hobie Cat, nice 3-piece green sectional, many weather vanes, sleeping bags, tons of artwork, twin beds, dressers, antique rugs, formal dining set, unique Asian jewelry dresser box, cast-iron items. Info, estatesalesofvermont. com.
1/10/2025
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
01152025_7D
VANITY FOR HOME & BATHROOM
Bath vanity w/ marble sink & new faucet, 37 x 22 x 30 in. $99. Call or text 540-226-4478.
logan@sevendaysvt.com; Robyn@sevendaysvt.com
WANT TO BUY
PAYING TOP CASH FOR MEN’S SPORT WATCHES Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner & Speedmaster. Call 888320-1052. (AAN CAN)
PORSCHE WANTED Old & rusty OK! Don’t ship to Germany; keep in Vermont! I’ll buy anything & restore. Parts, panels, engines, cars. Any year, 1950-1998. Contact 802-391-0882.
INSTRUCTION
DRUM LESSONS Snare, drum set & percussion lessons. $35 for 45 min. or $45 for 60 min. Experienced, well-versed & educated teacher. Contact Dave Pacheco, 802-383-8048, teachdrums2u@gmail. com.
PIANO/TROMBONE SING/COMPOSE Scott omas Carter avail. at Music & Arts. Recipient of the Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award from Who’s Who in America. Call 802-651-1013.
Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, ll the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.
CLASSIFIEDS » Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.
Complete the following puzzle by using the numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.
Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.
WANT MORE PUZZLES?
Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.
Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test. NEW ON FRIDAYS:
CALCOKU BY JOSH
REYNOLDS
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH
Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.
SUDOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.
ANSWERS ON P.68 H =
See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.
Legal Notices
CITY OF WINOOSKI
NOTICE OF FIRST & SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE FOR MARCH 4, 2025
Attend in person: Winooski City Hall (27 W Allen St) Attend on-line: https://us06web.zoom. us/j/84364849328
Due to State Law (17 V.S.A §2645) two public hearings will be held so residents can learn more about the voter-backed petition below that may result in a change to the Winooski’s City Charter. These meetings are open to all.
• Monday, January 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Claire Burke Council Chambers- Remote and In-Person
• Monday, February 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Claire Burke Council Chambers- Remote and In-Person
Winooski Just Cause Eviction Charter ChangeVoter Backed Petition- 3/4/2025
Shall the Charter of the City of Winooski, Acts of 2013, No. M-9, as amended, be further amended to give the City Council the power to provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants from evictions without ‘just cause’ by adopting and adding a new subsection 304 (b)(13) to read as follows:
“304 (b)(13)(A) To provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants, as defined in Vermont Statutes Annotated Chapter 137 of Title 9 from eviction without ‘just cause’ where just cause shall include, but is not limited to:
1. a tenant’s material breach of a written rental agreement
2. a tenant’s violation of state statutes regulating tenant obligations in residential rental agreements.
3. non-payment of rent, and 4. a tenant’s failure to accept written, reasonable, good faith renewal terms.
(B) Such ordinance shall exclude from ‘just cause’ the expiration of a rental agreement as sole grounds for termination of tenancy. In addition to the exemptions in Chapter 137 of Title 9, the ordinance shall exempt from this provision, subject
to mitigation provisions, sublets and in-unit rentals as well as the following properties but not limited to:
1. owner-occupied duplexes, and triplexes;
2. those being withdrawn from the rental market, including properties to be occupied by the owner or an immediate family members as a primary residence; and
3. those in need of substantial renovations which preclude occupancy.
(C) Such ordinance shall include provisions that:
1. mitigate potential negative impacts on tenants and other property owners, including but not limited to requirements of adequate notice and reasonable relocation expenses,
2. provide for a reasonable probationary period after initial occupancy, and
3. limit unreasonable rent increases to prevent de facto evictions or nonrenewal, although this shall not be construed to limit rents beyond the purpose of preventing individual evictions.
(D) The ordinance shall define what is ‘reasonable’ and ‘adequate notice’ in defining just cause and shall require that landlords provide notice of just cause and other legal requirements as part of the rental agreement.”?
Filed on December 27, 2024 at Winooski City Clerk’s Office.
Attest: Jennifer Willingham, City Clerk
THE CONTENTS OF STORAGE UNIT 01-04902, Located at 28 Adams Drive Williston, VT, 05495 Will be sold on or about the 23rd of January 2025 to satisfy the debt of Abdi Dhere. Any person claiming a right to the goods may pay the amount claimed due and reasonable expenses before the sale, in which case the sale may not occur.
STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT
PROBATE DIVISION ADDISON UNIT
DOCKET NO.: 24-PR-07919
In re ESTATE of Donald P. Pokrinchak
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
To the creditors of: Donald P. Pokrinchak, late of Bristol, Vermont.
I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.
Dated: January 7, 2025
Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Stephen Pokrinchak
Executor/Administrator: Stephen Pokrinchak, 34 Pearl St., Essex Junction, VT 05452
Phone: 802-879-6304
Email: cwood@bpflegal.com
Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 01/15/2025
Name of Probate Court: State of Vermont - Addison Probate Division
Address of Probate Court: 7 Mahady Court, Middlebury, VT 05753
TOWN OF WESTFORD DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 and the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations, the Westford Development Review Board will hold public hearings at the Westford Town Office (1713 Route 128) & via ZOOM on Monday, January 27, 2025 beginning at 7:00 PM to review the following applications:
Site Plan/Conditional Use and Subdivision Amendment Continued Public Hearing – Strobridge Property (approx. 82.46 acres); Applicant: Daniel and Louella Strobridge. Located off Pettingill Road in the Rural 10, Water Resource Overlay, and Flood Hazard Overlay Zoning Districts. This is a proposal to receive after-the-fact conditional use approval of a campground with 4 or more camp sites, and to re-merge two lots that were previously subdivided.
Site Plan/Conditional Use and Subdivision Amendment Public Hearing – Czapski Property (approx. 47.47 acres); Applicant: Jonathan and Sally Czapski. Located on Whitsunday Lane in
the Rural 10 and Water Resource Overlay Zoning Districts. This is a proposal to receive conditional use approval to operate a community facility and to amend building envelope locations on a previous subdivision plat.
For more information call the Town Offices at 878-4587 Monday–Thursday 8:30am–4:30pm & Friday 8:30a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Matt Wamsganz, Chairman Dated January 7, 2025
STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION WINDSOR UNIT DOCKET NO.: 24-PR-07472
In re ESTATE of Carole Van Meter
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
To the creditors of: Carole Van Meter, late of Woodstock, Vermont.
I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.
Dated: August 16, 2024
Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Whitam Kendrick Van Meter Jr.
Executor/Administrator: Whitam Kendrick Van Meter Jr., 30 Main St., 6th Floor, PO Box 66, Burlington, VT 05402 Phone: 802-865-6326
Email: acusick-loecher@sheeheyvt.com
Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 10/25/2023
Name of Probate Court: State of Vermont - Windsor Probate Division Address of Probate Court: 12 The Grn, Woodstock, VT 05091
STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION WINDSOR UNIT DOCKET NO.: 24-PR-07643
In re ESTATE of Darry Vail Alexander NOTICE TO CREDITORS
To the creditors of: Darry Vail Alexander, late of West Windsor, Vermont.
I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.
Dated: October 6, 2024
Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Deidre C. Strutz
Executor/Administrator: Deidre C. Strutz, 30 Main St., 6th Floor, PO Box 66, Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: (802) 865-6326
Email: acusick-loecher@sheeheyvt.com
Name of Publication: Seven Days
Publication Date: 01/15/2025
Name of Probate Court: State of Vermont - Windsor Probate Division Address of Probate Court: 12 The Grn, Woodstock, VT 05091
CITY OF BURLINGTON
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 19 PARKING RATES
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 19, Parking Rates, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
Section 19 Parking rates.
(a) As Written (b)
(1)-(7) As Written.
(8) College Street/Lakeview/Westlake Parking Garage Facility.
a. - c. As Written.
d. Introductory Permit Rates: Fifty dollars ($50.00) for a six (6) day per week monthly permit and fortytwo dollars ($42.00) for a five (5) day per week monthly permit, valid for a period of six (6) months. The six-month introductory permit is managed by setting an expiration date at the time of sale, with renewal communication provided at the initiation of the permit period to transition to standard rates. The permits are accessible for purchase without limit on the number per permittee.
(9) Marketplace Parking Garage.
a. - c. As Written.
d. Introductory Permit Rates: Fifty dollars ($50.00) for a six (6) day per week monthly permit and fortytwo dollars ($42.00) for a five (5) day per week monthly permit, valid for a period of six (6) months. The six-month introductory permit is managed by setting an expiration date at the time of sale, with renewal communication provided at the initiation of the permit period to transition to standard rates. The permits are accessible for purchase without limit on the number per permittee.
(e)-(f) As Written
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
BCO Appx.C, Sec 19, 12/18/24
CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—3; STOP SIGN LOCATIONS
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approval
Date: 12/18/2024
Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, PE
Senior Transportation Planner, Technical Services
Published: 01/15/25
Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 3 Stop sign locations, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
3 Stop signs locations. Stop signs are authorized at the following locations:
(1)-(183) As written
(184) Reserved At the intersection of Locust Terrace and Locust Street, causing traffic on Locust Terrace to stop.
(185-190) As written.
(191) Reserved At the intersection of Charlotte Street and Locust Street, causing traffic on Charlotte Street to stop.
(192)-(200) As written.
(201) ) Reserved At the intersection of Caroline Street and Locust Street, causing traffic on Caroline Street to stop. (202-319) As written.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
/ER: BCO Appx.C, Section 3 12/18/24
CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—3 STOP SIGN LOCATIONS.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approved Date: 12/18/2024
Attestation of Adoption:
Phillip Peterson, PE
Senior Transportation Planner, Technical Services
Published: 01/15/25
Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 3 Stop sign locations of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
3 Stop sign locations. Stop signs are authorized at the following locations: (1)-(166) As written.
(167) Reserved At the intersection of Cherry Lane and Birchcliff Parkway, causing southbound traffic on Cherry Lane to stop.
(168)-(209) As written.
(210) Reserved At the intersection of Bittersweet Lane and Birchcliff Parkway, causing southbound traffic on Bittersweet Lane to stop.
(211)-(222) As written.
(223) Reserved At the intersection of Alder Lane and Birchcliff Parkway, causing southbound traffic on Alder Lane to stop.
(224) Reserved At the intersection of Linden Terrace and Birchcliff Parkway, causing southbound traffic on Linden Terrace to stop.
(225)-(319) As written.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
BCO Appx.C, Section 3 12/18/2024
CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—12-1 NO PARKING EXCEPT VEHICLES LOADING OR UNLOADING.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission
Action: Approved Date: 12/18/2024
Attestation of Adoption:
Phillip Peterson, PE
Senior Transportation Planner, Technical Services
Published: 01/15/25
Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 12-1 No parking except vehicles loading or unloading of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
12-1 No parking except vehicles loading or unloading.
No person shall park a vehicle at the following locations unless engaged in loading or unloading the vehicle:
(1) On the east side of Lake Street beginning three hundred seventy (370) feet north of College Street and extending north for a distance of forty (40) feet, effective between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, for a maximum time limit of thirty (30) minutes On the east side of Lake Street beginning two hundred and ten (210)
and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.
feet north of College Street and extending north for a distance of forty (40) feet, effective 24 hours per day, for a maximum time limit of thirty (30) minutes.
(2)– (54) As written.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
BCO Appx.C, Section 12-1 12/18/2024
CITY OF BURLINGTON
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—7; NO PARKING AREAS.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approval Date: 12/18/2024
Attestation of Adoption:
Phillip Peterson, PE
Senior Transportation Planner, Technical Services
Published: 01/15/25
Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 7 No parking areas., of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
7 No parking areas.
No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations:
(1)-(590) As written
(591) On the north and south side of Home Avenue, from Shelburne Street to Pine Street
** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added.
/ER: BCO Appx.C, Section 7 12/18/24
CITY OF BURLINGTON
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—7A ACCESSIBLE SPACES DESIGNATED.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approved Date: 12/18/2024
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 7A Accessible spaces designated of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
7A Accessible spaces designated.
No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following location, except automobiles displaying special handicapped license plates issued pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 1325, or any amendment or renumbering thereof:
(1)-(136) As written.
(137) Reserved. On the northern leg of Franklin Square, in the first space west of the eastern leg. (138) As written. (139) Reserved. On the northern leg of Franklin Square, in the first space west of the eastern leg. (140)-(173) As written.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
BCO Appx.C, Section 7A 12/18/2024
IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098: STORAGE UNITS
3905. ENFORCEMENT OF LIEN, CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SELF STORAGE, LLC SHALL HOST A PRIVATE AUCTION OF THE FOLLOWING UNITS ON OR AFTER 1/18/25:
Location: 2211 Main St. Colchester, VT
Contents: household goods
Donald Raab: # 572
Darrell Langworthy: # 561
Scott Breveleri: #969
Zachary Garvey: #657
Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION
VERMONT LONG TERM DISASTER RECOVERY GROUP, INC.
To: Creditors of Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, Inc.
This Notice is given in accordance with Title 11B, Vermont Statutes Annotated, Section 14.07 relating to the dissolution of a Vermont Nonprofit Corporation. You are hereby notified that Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, Inc. is dissolving pursuant to Articles of Dissolution filed with the Vermont Secretary of State on or about December 4, 2024, with an effective date of December 31, 2024. If you believe you have a claim against or debt owed by Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, Inc., please provide a written claim as follows:
1) State your claim with specificity including the amount owed, the date the debt was incurred, and the service or product provided by you; 2) The claim should be mailed to Christopher Graff, 423 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602; 3) Any claims against the corporation will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce a claim is commenced within five (5) years after publication of this Notice.
NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON JANUARY 30, 2025 AT 9:00 AM
Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on January 30, 2025 at 9am EST at 205 Route 4A West, Castleton, VT 05735 (C140), 615 Route 7, Danby VT 07739 (D36), 130 Taconic Business Park, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (M226) 681 Rockingham Road, Rockingham, VT 05151 (R72), 1124 Charlestown Road, Springfield, VT 05156 (Units S22, S56, S65, S95, S108, S112) and online at www.storagetreasures.com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien
Unit # Name Contents
C140 Christopher Washburn Household Goods
D36 Jessica Terry Household Goods
M226 Robert Leite Household Goods
R72 Jeffrey Heath Household Goods
S22 Robert Walker Household Goods
S56 Helena Bundy Household Goods
S65 Cynthia Colburn Household Goods
S95 Shawna Smith Household Goods
S108 Bobbie Bennett Household Goods
S112 Robert Walker Household Goods
BURLINGTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025, 5:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
Telephone: US +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
1. ZP-24-507; 50 Mansfield Avenue (I, Ward 1) Mater Christi Elementary School / Taryn Barrett Proposed school renovation including construction of an addition and associated site improvements.
2. ZP-24-148; 49-55 Chase Street (RL, Ward 1) Chase Street 49, LLC / Missa Aloisi
Legal Notices
Time extension request for proposed subdivision of existing lot into four separate parcels. Development plan includes residential unit expansions to existing structures and construction of one new four-unit apartment building.
Plans may be viewed upon request by contacting the Department of Permitting & Inspections between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Participation in the DRB proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. Please note that ANYTHING submitted to the Zoning office is considered public and cannot be kept confidential. This may not be the final order in which items will be heard. Please view final Agenda, at www.burlingtonvt.gov/dpi/ drb/agendas or the office notice board, one week before the hearing for the order in which items will be heard.
The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. The City is also committed to providing proper access to services, facilities, and employment opportunities. For accessibility information or alternative formats, please contact Human Resources Department at (802) 540-2505.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HORRY IN THE FAMILY COURT JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
DOCKET NO. 2023-DR-261995
Vivienne Morales, Plaintiff, vs. Eric Morales Defendant.
To the Defendant above-named: Eric Morales
You are hereby notified that a hearing has been scheduled for March 21, 2025, at 9:30 am in Horry County Family Court, 1301 2nd Avenue, Conway, South Carolina 29526. Docket number: 2023-DR-261995.
SUMMONS FOR DIVORCE (One Year Continuous Separation)
Docket No. 2023-DR-261995
Vivienne Morales, Plaintiff, vs. Eric Morales Defendant.
To the DEFENDANT Above-Named: Eric Morales
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that you have been sued by the Plaintiff for DIVORCE in the Court indicated above.
You must respond in writing to the attached Complaint for Divorce and serve a copy of your Answer on the Plaintiff at the address below within thirty (30) days after the service of this Summons upon you, not counting the day of service, or thirty-five (35) days if you were served by certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested.
If you wish to retain an attorney to represent you in this matter, it is advisable to do so before submitting your Answer to the Plaintiff.
If you do not answer the Complaint within the required thirty (30) days, the Court may grant a DIVORCE and grant the Plaintiff the relief requested in the Complaint.
Date: 8/30/2023
Plaintiff’s Signature: /s/ Vivienne Morales Myrtle Beach, S.C.
FINAL HEARING Ordered to Appear March 21, 2025, 9:30am
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HORRY IN THE FAMILY COURT JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.
COMPLAINT FOR DIVORCE (One Year Continuous Separation)
Docket No. 2023-DR-261995
Vivienne Morales, Plaintiff, vs. Eric Morales Defendant.
Plaintiff, Vivienne Morales, would respectfully show this Court the following:
1. Plaintiff is a resident of Horry County, State of South Carolina.
2. Upon information and belief, Defendant is a resident of Chittenden County, State of Vermont.
3. Plaintiff and Defendant last shared a residence in Chittenden County, State of Vermont.
4. Subject matter jurisdiction: Plaintiff has lived in South Carolina for over one year prior to the start of this action.
5. Plaintiff is informed and believes this Court has subject matter jurisdiction over the issues and personal jurisdiction over the parties in this action.
6. Plaintiff and Defendant were married to each other on December 3, 2016 in Horry County; City of Myrtle Beach in the State of South Carolina.
7. Plaintiff and Defendant separated on or about November 3, 2020. The parties have remained living separate and apart from each other without cohabitation for more than one (1) continuous year prior to filing this action.
CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION—7; NO PARKING AREAS.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approval Date: 11/20/2024
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 7 No parking areas, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
7 No Parking Areas
No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations:
(1) – (8) As written.
(9) Reserved. On the south side of Home Avenue starting at Foster Street and extending west to its terminus.
(10) – (118) As written.
(119) On the west side of Pine Street for 40 feet south of Maple Street, and on On the east side of Pine Street for 40 feet south of Maple Street.
(120) – (220) As written.
(221) On the east or west side of Pine Street from Flynn Avenue to Ferguson Avenue and on the east side of Pine Street between Ferguson Avenue and Lyman Avenue.
(222) – (258) As written.
(259) Reserved. On the west side of Pine Street from Kilburn Street to Lakeside Avenue.
(260) – (451) As written.
(452) On the east side of Pine Street from Kilburn Street extending fifty (50) feet south of the entrance of 316 Pine Street. Reserved. (453) – (550) As written.
(551) Reserved. On the west side of Pine Street from Sears Lane to Flynn Avenue.
(552) – (565) As written.
(566) On the south side of Lakeside Avenue beginning at Conger Avenue and extending east to the driveway for 115 Lakeside Avenue. Champlain Parkway
(567) – (590) As written.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
/hm: BCO Appx.C, Section 7 11/20/24
CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— 2; TRAFFIC-CONTROL LIGHT LOCATIONS. 3; STOP SIGN LOCATIONS. 7; NO PARKING AREAS. 7A; ACCESSIBLE SPACES DESIGNATED. 10; TWO-HOUR PARKING. 11; ONE-HOUR PARKING. 20; PROHIBITION OF TURNS ON RED SIGNAL.
Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission Action: Approval
Date: 11/20/2024
Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, PE
Senior Transportation Planner, Technical Services
Published: 01/15/25
Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 2 Traffic-control light locations., 3 Stop sign locations., 7 No parking areas., 7A Accessible spaces designated., 10 Two-hour parking., 11 One-hour parking., 20 Prohibition of turns on red signal., of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
2 Traffic-control light locations. (a) Traffic-control light signals are hereby established at the following locations:
(1) – (66) As written.
(67) Reserved. Champlain Parkway and Home Avenue.
(68) – (70) As written.
(71) Reserved. Champlain Parkway and Flynn Avenue.
(72) – (73) As written.
(74) Reserved. Champlain Parkway and Sears Lane.
(75) – (76) As written.
( 77 ) Champlain Parkway and Lakeside Avenue.
3 Stop Sign Locations
Stop signs are authorized at the following locations:
(1) – (166) As written.
(167) – (183) As written.
(184) Reserved. At the intersection of Flynn Avenue and Briggs Street, causing traffic on Briggs Street to stop.
(185) – (311) As written.
(312) At the intersection of Briggs Street and Ferguson Avenue causing westbound traffic on Ferguson Avenue to stop. At the corner of Pine Street and Pine Place, causing traffic on Pine Place to stop.
(313) – (319) As written.
7 No Parking Areas
No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations:
(1) – (14) As written.
(15) On either side of Briggs Street as well as the Briggs Street cul-de-sac.
(16) – (21) As written.
(22) On the east side of Pine Street for a distance of 100 feet south of Howard Street. Reserved.
(23) – (132) As written.
(133) Reserved. On the Lyman Avenue cul-de-sac.
(134) – (148) As written.
(149) Reserved. On the south side of Locust Street beginning at Pine Street and extending eastward seventy five (75) feet.
(150) – (273) As written.
(274) Reserved. On the east side of Pine Street starting sixty-two (62) feet south of the parking lot on the north side of 412 Pine Street and extending south twenty-eight (28) feet.
(275) – (286) As written.
(287) Reserved. On either side of Champlain Parkway.
(288) – (359) As written.
(360) Reserved. On the Ferguson Avenue cul-de-sac.
(361) Reserved. On the north side of Lakeside Avenue, between the westernmost driveway to 128 Lakeside Avenue and the easternmost driveway to 128 Lakeside Avenue.
(362) – (506) As written.
(507) On the east side of Pine Street extending fifty (50) feet south of Pine Place. Reserved.
(508) – (538) As written.
(539) On the north side of Flynn Avenue from the railroad tracks starting one hundred twelve (112) feet west of the easternmost driveway to 208 Flynn Avenue and extending west to the westernmost terminus of Flynn Avenue.
(540) – (590) As written.
7A Accessible spaces designated.
No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations, except automobiles displaying special handicapped license plates issued pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 1325, or any amendment or renumbering thereof:
(1) - (76) As written.
(77) On the north side of Flynn Avenue, in the first space east of the train tracks. Reserved.
(78) – (129) As written.
(130) Reserved. On the north side of Flynn Avenue, in the first space west of the easternmost driveway to 208 Flynn Avenue.
(131) – (173) As written.
10 Two-hour parking.
No person shall park a vehicle for a period longer than two (2) hours between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Sundays and holidays excepted, in the following locations:
(1) As written.
(2) Reserved. On the north side of Flynn Avenue starting forty-five (45) feet west of the easternmost driveway to 208 Flynn Avenue and extending sixty (60) feet west.
(3) – (17) As written.
(18) On the east side of Pine Street starting one hundred five (105) feet south of Howard Street extending one hundred forty-seven (147) feet south. Reserved.
(19) – (20) As written.
11 One-hour parking.
(a) No person shall park a vehicle for a period longer than one (1) hour between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Sundays and holidays excepted, in the following locations:
(1) – (10) As written.
(11) On the east side of Pine Street starting 20 feet south of the parking lot on the North side of 412 Pine Street and extending 112 feet south forty-two (42) feet.
(12) Reserved. On the east side of Pine Street starting ninety (90) feet south of the parking lot on the North side of 412 Pine Street and extending south forty-two (42) feet.
(13) As written.
(b) – (e) As written.
(f) No person shall park a vehicle for a period longer than one (1) hour between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted, in the following locations:
(1) On the north side of Lakeside Avenue, beginning twenty (20) feet east of the westernmost driveway to 128 Lakeside Avenue and continuing east for sixty (60) feet.
20 Prohibition of turns on red signal. Notwithstanding any general authorization otherwise contained in the statutes of the State of Vermont, the ordinances of the City of Burlington or the regulations of the board of traffic commissioners, it shall be unlawful at the following intersections within the City of Burlington for an operator of a motor vehicle to make a right-hand turn against a traffic signal which is indicating red:
(a) At all times at the following locations:
(1) – (9) As written.
(10) Reserved. Lakeside Avenue and Champlain Parkway, eastbound.
(11) Reserved. The westernmost driveway to 645 Pine St and Lakeside Avenue, westbound.
(12) – (47) As written.
(48) Lakeside Avenue and Champlain Parkway, northbound.
(49) The westernmost driveway to 645 Pine St and Lakeside Avenue, southbound.
(50) Lakeside Avenue and Pine Street, eastbound.
(51) Lakeside Avenue and Pine Street, southbound.
(b) At times when an illuminated sign indicating “No Turn On Red” is displayed to drivers at the following locations:
(1) – (11) As written.
( 12) Sears Lane and Champlain Parkway, eastbound.
( 13) Sears Lane and Champlain Parkway, westbound.
( 14) Sears Lane and Champlain Parkway, northbound.
( 15) Sears Lane and Champlain Parkway, southbound.
( 16) Flynn Avenue and Champlain Parkway, eastbound.
( 17 ) Flynn Avenue and Champlain Parkway, westbound.
( 18) Flynn Avenue and Champlain Parkway, northbound.
( 19) Flynn Avenue and Champlain Parkway, southbound.
(20) Home Avenue and Champlain Parkway, eastbound.
(21) Home Avenue and Champlain Parkway, westbound.
To the creditors of: Helena M. Huva, late of Burlington, Vermont
I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.
Dated: January 9, 2025
Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Hans R. Huva
Executor/Administrator: Hans R. Huva, 74 Airport Park Way, South Burlington, VT 05403 Phone: 802-343-7701
Michael DeLeon Guerrero, Esq. and Jordan Roeske, Esq., 50 Lakeside Ave, H12, Burlington, VT 05401
Name of Publication: Seven Days
Publication Date: January 15, 2025
Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401
TOWN OF ESSEX
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET
JANUARY 27, 2025, 6:35 PM
The Selectboard of the Town of Essex, Vermont hereby gives notice that a public hearing on the 2025-2026 municipal budget for the Town of Essex will be held in person and online via Zoom:
• Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:35 PM at the Town Offices at 81 Main St., Essex Junction and online or by telephone (dial (888) 788-0099 and enter meeting ID: 98785691140, passcode: 032060
The public is invited to attend and offer comments regarding the proposed budget. The proposed FY2026 budget of $16,531,276 shows an increase in expenditures of $424,855, or 2.64% more than the current budget. Complete details can be found at www.essexvt.org/budget.
Posted at Essex Town Office, Essex Free Library, Essex Public Works, and town website.
TOWN OF ESSEX
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
JANUARY 27, 2025 6:45 PM
PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 – 2030 CAPITAL BUDGET AND FIVE-YEAR PLAN
The Town of Essex Selectboard hereby gives notice that a public hearing on the FY2026 -2030 Capital Budget and Five-Year Plan will be held in person and online via Zoom:
• Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:45 PM at the Town Offices at 81 Main St., Essex Junction and online or by telephone (dial (888) 788-0099 and enter meeting ID: 98785691140, passcode: 032060
The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit public comments on the proposed FY2026 Capital Budget and Five-Year Plan.
The proposed FY2026 Capital Plan shows capital tax additions of $487,260, spending of $2,790,059, and an ending balance of $3,035,251. Complete details can be found at www.essexvt.org/budget.
Posted at Essex Town Office, Essex Free Library, Essex Public Works, and town website.
NOTICE CITY OF BURLINGTON FULL BOARD OF ABATEMENT OF TAXES
The Full Board of Abatement of Taxes of the City of Burlington will meet in Contois Auditorium and via ZOOM: https://zoom.us/j/93534318165 on Monday, January 27, 2025* to hear and act upon the request for abatement of taxes and/or penalties from:
Alice Okuka 105 Fairmont Place 024-2-200-105
Ohavi Zedek
William Miller 472 North Street 045-1-119-000
Stephanie Seguino 865 South Prospect Street 058-3-016-000
*The City Council Meeting usually begins at 6:00 p.m. The Full Board of Abatement of Taxes Meeting is part of this agenda, no set start time.
CITY OF BURLINGTON
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE A REGULATION IN RELATION TO BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RULES AND REGULATIONS, CHAPTER II, §§ 2.8 (HANDICAPPED PARKING), 6.2 (PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS)
Sponsor(s): Airport Commission Action: Adopted Date: January 8th, 2025 Attestation of Adoption: Published: 01/15/25 Effective: 02/05/25
It is hereby Ordained by the Airport Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:
That Chapter II, §§ 2.8 (Handicapped Parking), 6.2 (Penalties for Violations) of Appendix E, 13 Burlington International Airport Rules and Regulations, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:
2.8 [ Handicapped Accessible parking.]
No person shall park any vehicles in any parking space designated by the airport for parking for the handicapped persons with disabilities unless the vehicle displays special handicapped license plates valid special registration plates or removable windowshield placards issued pursuant to 18 23 V.S.A. § 1325304a , or any amendment or renumbering thereof.
6.2 [Penalties for violations.]
The penalty for violating any parking regulation set out in this chapter, except for handicapped accessible parking violations set forth in section 2.8, shall be five seventy-five dollars ($ 75 .00).
The penalty for violating any parking regulation, except for handicapped accessible parking violations, committed within thirty (30) days of another parking violation shall be fifteen one hundred fifty dollars ($15 0 .00). The penalty for handicapped accessible parking violations as set forth in section 2.8 shall be as set forth in 23 V.S.A. § 304a, as that statute may be amended or renumbered from time to time thirty-five dollars ($35.00) . Violations of the parking regulations in this chapter shall be enforced as civil or criminal violations as provided in section 1-9 (a) of the Code of Ordinances.
** Material stricken out deleted.
*** Material underlined added.
/er: BCO Appx. E, II, 2.8, 6.2 6/26/2024
OPENINGS
BURLINGTON CITY COMMISSIONS/BOARDS
Fence Viewer Term Expires 6/30/25 Two Openings Police Commission Term Expires 6/30/26 One Opening Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board Term Expires 6/30/25 One Opening Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board Term Expires 6/30/27 One Opening
Applications may be submitted to the Clerk/ Treasurer’s Office, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Attn: Lori NO later than Wednesday, February 5, 2025, by 4:30 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Lori at (802) 865-7136 or via email lolberg@burlingtonvt.gov.
City Council President Traverse will plan for appointments to take place at the February 10, 2025 City Council Meeting/City Council With Mayor Presiding Meeting.
ATTENTION RECRUITERS:
POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM
YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM
COOK
For Winooski location
$18-$22 per hour+ depending on experience
Good hours, great work environment.
Positive attitude a must.
Contact Ed: 802-922-7024 for an interview.
Hiring for 2025 Positions
Full descriptions & to apply: trilliumhillfarm.com/ employment.html
•MANDARIN•
We’re seeking to hire servers and bartenders to join our hardworking and energetic team. If you’re interested in the opportunity, drop off a resume in person, or email to: lawrence@mandarinvt.com 1t-Mandarin082323.indd 1 6/14/24 2:45 PM
Central Clinical Educator (CCE)
Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) in St. Johnsbury is looking for a Central Clinical Educator (CCE) to help us elevate our nursing education. We want to hear from you if you’re passionate about mentoring and supporting healthcare professionals.
What You’ll Do: Manage our mandatory education programs and nursing orientation. Ensure compliance with training requirements. What We’re Looking For: An RN graduate (BSN required/MSN preferred) with at least 3 years of nursing experience. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits, such as student loan repayment, and generous paid time off. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in your community, apply today! We can’t wait to welcome you to our team! Apply now at www.nvrh.org/careers.
4t-NVRH103024.indd 1 10/25/24 11:17 AM Watershed Project Coordinator
Join Friends of the Mad River as the Watershed Project Coordinator to help support clean water, protect ecological integrity, and build resilience in our watershed community. Work with our team to coordinate a wide range of project types, from riparian buffer restoration to green stormwater infrastructure.
Position Specifics: This is a fulltime temporary position, funded by grants for up to 2 years. Continuation of the position is contingent on the successful development of projects.
Starting salary $52 - $55,000. Benefits include sick leave, paid
&
retirement plan, HSA contribution, & professional development. For details and to apply:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. Qualified candidates will have experience in child abuse prevention, human services, practice and research, leadership skills, organizational planning, staff recruitment and supervision, working with a board of directors, collaborating/partnering with local, statewide and national organizations, legislative advocacy, program marketing, and development. Applicants must have a minimum Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Social Work, Human Services or a related field (PhD preferred) or work experience equivalent. Benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, retirement plan, and paid time off. Starting Salary $90,000. PCAVT does not discriminate in the delivery of services or benefits based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. E.O.E. Interested applicants submit cover letter, resume, and 3 references to pcavt@pcavt.org
4t-PreventChildAbuse011525.indd
Executive Director
The Janet S. Munt Family Room Burlington, VT
We are a parent-child center in Burlington, VT, helping families through programs like playgroups, preschool, home visits, and more. Our goal is to support healthy child development and strengthen families. We’re looking for an Executive Director to lead our team. This role includes overseeing programs, fundraising, managing finances, and leading staff. Experience in nonprofit management and a passion for our mission is key.
How to Apply: Send your resume and cover letter to careers@thefamilyroomvt.org by January 20, 2025. In your cover letter, please answer the following questions: Why does our mission matter to you? What skills and experience do you bring to this role?
Deadline: January 20, 2025.
For more details, visit: thefamilyroomvt.org
Champlain Housing Trust is growing and we need great people to join our team. One of Vermont’s Best Places to Work in 2024, CHT is a socially responsible employer offering an inclusive, friendly work environment and competitive pay commensurate with experience.
Our excellent benefit package includes a generous health insurance plan, three weeks of paid vacation, 14 paid holidays, sick leave, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution after one year, disability and life insurance, and more.
Current openings include:
For additional details regarding these positions or to apply, please visit our career page: getahome.org/career. Equal Opportunity Employer - CHT is committed to a diverse workplace and highly encourages women, persons with disabilities, Section 3 low income residents, and people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to apply.
PRODiG+ Fellow
Assistant to the Provost
Assistant Professor, Genetics
For position details and application process, visit jobs.plattsburgh. edu and select “View Current
Openings”
SUNY Plattsburgh is an AA/EEO/ADA/VEVRAA committed to excellence through diversity and supporting an inclusive environment for all.
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
Carpenter
New Frameworks, a worker-owned cooperative design and construction company, is hiring a Carpenter to add to our team. We are a busy, fun, egalitarian-yet-structured, creative, kind, and mission-driven group of people working together towards the goal of developing ecological and social climate justice and regeneration practices in the building and design trades.
We are excited to announce that we are looking for a dynamic, results-driven National Sales Manager to execute our sales strategy in the specialty food and gifting sector. This role requires a skilled leader with a deep understanding of the specialty food industry, strong relationship-building abilities, and a proven track record in driving sales growth through a variety of channels including regional and national food retailers, independent specialty food, gift, coffee shops, online retailers, and third-party distributors, such as UNFI. The National Sales Manager will build partnerships with key retailers, distributors, and stakeholders, and execute strategies to grow market share and brand presence. Join us at Lake Champlain Chocolates and help us share our passion for chocolate with the world!
Ready to apply?
Visit LakeChamplainChocolates.com/careers for additional job details and to submit your application.
3v-PlattsburghState011525.indd 1 1/10/25 2:56 PM
Shared-Living Provider
Join Home Base Inc. in supporting an older woman with developmental disabilities as a Shared-Living Provider. We are seeking someone who owns a home (preferably in/ around Burlington/Shelburne area) with an extra bedroom on the first floor. This woman lives semi-independently (can be alone for up to 3 hours at a time) and receives community supports from Home Base staff. At home, she enjoys relaxing and keeping to herself but also values company and conversation. Provide assistance with grocery shopping, meal & medication prep, home care. Generous tax-exempt monthly stipend and room and board payment for opening your home and providing care for this woman. Training and ongoing support provided. Send resumes to: rachel@homebasevt.org
Our ideal candidate has 8+ yrs’ experience in construction, renovation, trades and/or energy & weatherization work, and at least 2 years’ experience managing a crew. If you’ve been looking for a way to use your carpentry skills to advance climate change response through the built environment; build with natural, local, and plant-based materials; and be an integral part of an equitable, intersectional feminist workplace with a strong team culture, we welcome you! This position is based in Essex Junction, Vermont, but we travel to job sites across northern and central Vermont. $26-30/hr depending on experience, plus paid time off, benefits, education, and profit sharing.
To apply, please submit a letter of interest and resume via email to info@newframeworks.com People of color, trans and gender-nonconforming people, people from poor and working-class backgrounds, queer people, and women are encouraged to apply.
NEK Delivery Driver Wanted
Want to be a hero every Wednesday? Need some cash? Get paid to drive through beautiful Vermont scenery while delivering Vermont’s most beloved newspaper! We are looking for a driver to deliver Seven Days weekly in the Orleans County (NEK) area.
Only requirements are a clean driving record (no major violations), availability on Wednesdays, a reliable vehicle (preferably station wagon style or larger), ability to lift 15 pounds and a positive attitude. If you can check all these boxes, then we want you to join the Seven Days Circulation team. Familiarity with the region is a plus. We pay hourly plus mileage reimbursement. Papers can be picked up in Newport, VT. Regular trips to Burlington not required. Email circ@sevendaysvt.com. No phone calls, please. Seven Days is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Tamarack & Pretrial Services Coordinator
The Burlington Community Justice Center is hiring!
This position is responsible for offering risk assessments and needs screenings at all pretrial points in the criminal legal system. Tamarack/PTS Coordinators provide case management supports and services to those who are referred by the Defense Attorney, Prosecutor, and the Court to provide pretrial intervention and case management supports and services. Coordinators work to rapidly connect people who are charged with a crime, and for whom the underlying cause of the criminal behavior is believed to be related to substance use and/or mental health needs, to treatment providers and other community-based services. This full-time position pays $29.59-32.98/hour and comes with a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and life insurance, tuition support, a retirement plan, an FSA, and much more!
The City of Burlington is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applicants to apply who can contribute to our growing diversity. Learn more about this position and apply: burlingtonvt.gov/903/Career-Opportunities.
ATTENTION RECRUITERS:
Customer Service Representative
Julbo Eyewear is hiring a full-time Customer Service Representative to work out of our office located at Hula Lakeside.
To view the full job description and application instructions, please visit: julbo.us/pages/careers
Senior Full Stack Software Engineer
The engineering team at Accessible Web is responsible for building & maintaining our RAMP platform and tools, as well as supporting the business needs of various departments with relation to our products. As a Senior Full Stack Software Engineer, you will be expected to live up to this expectation.
Full description and to apply: accessibleweb.com/careers/seniorfull-stack-software-engineer
Computer Technician
The Rutland City Public School District has an opening for a Computer Technician to support our growing IT infrastructure K-12. Our workplace is fast-paced and friendly, with terrific benefits and a competitive salary. We encourage our employees to grow and take on exciting challenges in information technology.
The ideal candidate will have experience diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware and software problems in a Windows and Chromebook environment. Experience with imaging products and Windows, help desk support experience.
Interested candidates should possess a minimum of an AS degree or equivalent, and at least 3 years of experience in a customer support role.
Our focus is on building a strong IT team and good customer support. Interpersonal and organizational skills along with a proven ability to support end users are essential candidate traits. Position open until filled. Candidates apply directly online to: schoolspring.com
Bookkeeper
Join VLT as our next Bookkeeper. Help us protect, care for, and connect people to the home we share using your love of numbers and exceptional attention to detail.
Our ideal candidates will advance our fiscal health through:
• Sound bookkeeping and payroll experience
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Proven ability to serve internal partners and collaborate
The annual starting salary is $60,000, plus a generous benefits package to cover the cost of health insurance. We also provide 6 weeks of time off plus sick time, a 403(b) retirement plan with match, and flexible and hybrid work schedules.
Learn more and apply at vlt.org/employment. This position will remain open until February 3, 2025.
The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We honor and invite people of all backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
(VSAC) is hiring:
Student Outreach Counselors
Are you dedicated to supporting young people in achieving their dreams? Do you want to work for an organization that values your work-life balance and well-being? How about summers off? Consider joining the VSAC team! You’ll join a team of highly committed, collaborative, and supportive colleagues who are dedicated to student success. We are currently recruiting for the following positions:
GEAR UP Outreach Counselor
Richford Middle and High School: This position works with middle through first year after high school students and their families to provide education, career, and financial aid information and counseling in support of postsecondary education goals. This position will also support students through the transition process from high school into and through their first year of postsecondary education. ($50,000 - $52,000 + comprehensive benefits package + PTO including 5-week summer vacation!)
Pre-Education and Training Services (Pre-ETS) Outreach Counselor
In Southern/South-Central Vermont to develop and facilitate post-high school planning workshops for students with disabilities. The goal of this program is to provide postsecondary education and training focused learning activities that relate to career exploration, postsecondary education, employability skills, and financial aid and literacy. ($43,000 - $47,000 + comprehensive benefits package + PTO including 9-week summer vacation!)
Visit VSAC.org/Careers
Administrative Assistant
The University of Vermont Institute for Agroecology (UVM IFA) is hiring for a remote part-time Administrative Assistant. Candidate must be able to travel to Burlington, Vermont for occasional in-person event support. Hours: 10-15 hours per week. Please send resume, cover letter, and 3 professional references to ifa@uvm.edu with subject “Administrative Assistant –[Your Name].” Apply by January 27, 2025 for priority consideration.
Bookkeeper/ Admin Assistant
Mansfield Community Fiber is a growing company providing fiberoptic Internet to rural Vermont. We are seeking an experienced bookkeeper to support customer communications, A/P accounting entries, audit procedures, company records, etc. Hours are flexible. Pay is commensurate with experience and includes employer-paid medical, dental and vision insurance, generous paid time off, flexible hours and a supportive work environment. Send letter of interest and resume, leslie.nulty@mcfibervt.com MERCHANDISER
y, Sunday) flexible job, to work
number below:
Floral Associate
Unique opportunity! SimplyReady, a division of the Bill Doran Company, is looking for a Floral Assocaite in Burlington, VT. Days of service are Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. Hours vary per week depending on seasonal volume. The ideal candidate will have some working knowledge of both cut flowers and plants.
NOW HIRING
Caledonia County NRCD Conservation Specialist
Information & job description: caledoniadistrict.org
DENTAL HYGIENIST
Full-time, part-time, and per diem options available.
For more information visit copleyvt.org/careers or contact Kaitlyn Shannon, Recruiter, at 802-888-8144 or kshannon@chsi.org.
4t-CopleyLAB01152025
Director of Accounting
Join VLT as our next Director of Accounting. Help us protect, care for, and connect people to the home we share using your love of numbers and passion for accuracy and integrity.
Our ideal candidates will advance our fiscal health through:
• Sound budgeting, bookkeeping, and financial management
• Strong attention to detail
7/12/21 6:20 PM
Job entails walking, pushing, and repetitive lifting of up to 30lbs. Reply to: cparizo@billdoran.com
• Proven ability to lead, serve internal partners, and collaborate
The annual starting salary is $94,411, plus a generous benefits package to cover the cost of health insurance. We also provide 6 weeks of time off plus sick time, a 403(b) retirement plan with match, and flexible and hybrid work schedules.
Learn more and apply at vlt.org/employment. This position will remain open until February 3, 2025.
The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We honor and invite people of all backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.
RESPITE CARE PROVIDER
Seeking a community based and in-home respite care provider for my young adult daughter who has a developmental disability. For details and to apply: andrea.vanliew@gmail.com
We are searching for a REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST for our thriving practice in the quintessential Vermont town. Join us in caring for our community in a place where quality of life is unparalleled! We are looking for the right person to support our relationship-based practice. Our hygienists partner with each other, Dr. Knott, and our administrative team to ensure the best possible experience for our patients. Truly a positive, team-oriented environment.
Hours: 7:45-5:00 Monday through Thursday. Need a part time/ flexible schedule? Let's discuss!
Salary: Commensurate with Experience. Generous Benefits Package: Health, Dental, PTO, Retirement Send resume and a cover letter outlining why you are the right person for our patients: dentalapptcoord@gmail.com Applications will be held in confidence. Find out more about us here: woodstockdentistry.com
Qualifications:
• Process driven, attention to detail
• Able to lift up to 25lbs, team player
Job Summary:
The prospective candidate will be responsible for picking and packing orders. Other responsibilities may include but are not limited to cycle counting inventory, data entry, and other administrative tasks. Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4 pm.
Benefits:
• Pay: $19.50 per hour (Hourly wage will be increased to $20.00 after probation period of 5 months)
• 401(k), Life insurance, Medical, Dental & Vision insurance
• Employee discount & monthly gratis product, Paid time o Send resume to amy@tataharper.com
JANUARY 15-22, 2025
Woodworks Finish Applicator
ATTENTION RECRUITERS:
Silver Maple Construction seeks a reliable, self-motivated cabinetry finisher to join our dynamic team. We offer a diverse range of custom products, from cabinetry and millwork to architectural masterpieces, and we are always seeking new processes, materials, and better methods to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.
We are searching for an independent self-starter who thrives with minimal supervision. If you believe you are the right fit, we invite you to embrace the opportunity to join us on our journey toward excellence and innovation.
Total Rewards:
• Competitive Weekly Pay (based on experience)
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans
• Life, Disability, Accident and EAP
• 401k Retirement Plan + Company Match
• 15 days Paid Time Off, 7 Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave And MORE!
To learn more, please visit silvermapleconstruction.com, email hr@silvermapleconstruction.com, or call our office (802) 989-7677
General Manager
The Spot is a locally-owned restaurant group in Burlington, VT. We are a fast growing company run by a small, energetic team. We are looking for a General Manager to oversee the seasonal operations of Spot on the Dock (May 1- Oct 1). The GM is responsible for all aspects of operations including: hiring, training, scheduling, managing daily operations and maintaining vendor relationships. The GM works closely with BOH and FOH staff to ensure a safe, welcoming and efficient environment for both staff and customers.
In addition to managing operations of SOTD, the GM works with the Director of Operations to ensure financial benchmarks are achieved and inventory is maintained. The GM plays an integral part of our leadership team and is heavily involved in developing growth strategy and enforcing Spot policies and procedures. This is a year round, full time position which offers flexibility, full benefit package and opportunities for advancement.
Qualifications:
• Minimum 5 years’ experience managing or supervising teams in a restaurant setting
• Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to manage a team effectively
• Comprehensive understanding of restaurant operations including FOH, BOH and Bar procedures
• Past experience working with Toast is preferred
Send resumes to: hiring@thespotvt.com
Programming Director
Artistree, a nonprofit community arts center located in South Pomfret, VT, is looking for a Programming Director to develop and ensure the e ective delivery of a diverse variety of year-round multi-disciplinary adult and children's arts programs. This role deploys a collaborative approach to program planning and management, bringing together all of Artistree's programs to advance community engagement and student learning. The ideal Programming Director will operate as a collaborative leader, be responsive to the needs of all constituents, and have strong financial and management capability and experience.
The Programming Director role is a full-time salaried position at our South Pomfret, VT campus, reporting to our Executive Director. The role is typically Monday through Friday during business hours, with some weekend and evening activities as required.
General Responsibilities:
• Develop and plan the Artistree annual programming and operational calendar, aligned to community and market interests
• Work with marketing sta and o ce manager to ensure that classes are fully subscribed
• Ensure that Artistree facilities are fully utilized throughout the year
• Plan and manage all daily program operations
• Manage program-related interactions and correspondence with public, sta and other stakeholders in a timely and professional manner
• Curate and produce special projects and events as needed
• Maintain and analyze annual program data and evaluations; propose changes to programming based on available data and patron feedback
• Develop and manage programming budgets
• Act as a liaison between Artistree, schools, and community organizations
Qualifications:
• Bachelor's Degree plus significant relevant professional experience in a related field (arts programming, arts administration, performing arts management), including five or more years in a leadership capacity;
• Strong team leader with excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills; a demonstrated team-based, consultative approach to sta management; experience in managing direct reports as well as in collaborating with a variety of stakeholders
• Strong financial management; experience developing and managing budgets
• Strong oral and written communication skill; skill and experience in public speaking
• Ability to prioritize tasks to work e ectively in a collaborative setting
• Have strong organizational skills, a flexible attitude, and a good sense of humor
Please send an application, including resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to info@artistreevt.org
Please visit our website at artistreevt.org to learn more about us.
ATTENTION RECRUITERS:
POST YOUR JOBS AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB
PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM
Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)
Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of low-income families and individuals.
We are currently hiring for the following positions:
Building Operations Technician:
Performs general maintenance work in BHA owned and managed properties. This includes building exteriors, common areas, apartments, building systems, fixtures, and grounds. Our Building Operations Techs are required to participate in the on-call rotation, which covers night and weekend emergencies.
Offender Re-entry Housing
Specialist: Provides support to men and women under the VT Department of Corrections supervision from prison back to Chittenden County. The ORHS focuses on high-risk men and women who are being released from jail and graduating transitional housing programs and in need of permanent housing. The ORHS provides intensive retention and eviction prevention services and works collaboratively with the Burlington Probation and Parole Office. Additionally, the ORHS works with various case workers, Re-Entry staff and the Administrative Staff from the VT Department of Corrections and the broad network of COSA staff as necessary throughout Chittenden County.
Resident Manager at South Square: Attends to various resident requests, assisting with emergency service, and light cleaning duties. The Resident Manager is required to live on property. The Resident Manager is provided with an apartment and along with free utilities in exchange for being on call after BHA business hours and on weekends.
*BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our vision of delivering safe
and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply. Multilingualism is a plus!
Find more about these career opportunities: burlingtonhousing.org
Our robust benefit package includes premium medical insurance with a health reimbursement account, dental, vision, short & long term disability, 10% employer funded retirement plan, 457 retirement plan, accident insurance, life insurance, cancer & critical illness insurance.
We provide a generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, BHA recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.
Interested in this opportunity? Send cover letter/resume to: humanresources@ burlingtonhousing.org
Human Resources
Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101
Burlington, VT 05401 BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Director Risk Management Services
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) seeks a new Director of Risk Management Services to lead our government insurance risk pools – including our property, casualty, liability, workers compensation, and unemployment trusts. We are seeking someone with tremendous financial acumen, a passion for local government, and experience working in the insurance industry. Daily responsibilities include overseeing the operations and strategic leadership of our two government risk pools with assets of approximately $120 million and more than $30 million in annual member contributions.
VLCT is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1967 to serve and strengthen Vermont local government. Ninety five percent of Vermont’s municipalities (about 390) receive insurance services through VLCT’s government risk pools. About half of VLCT’s 54 staff are dedicated to insurance operations, and report directly and indirectly to the Director of Risk Management Services. The Director is also responsible for providing strategic leadership and support to the trust boards comprised of municipal officials from across Vermont. The Director is a core member of the VLCT leadership team.
The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of property/ casualty and workers’ compensation insurance and experience leading in the insurance industry, preferably within a government insurance risk pool. In addition to demonstrated leadership skills, the new director must have skills and knowledge in finance, liability, risk management, contracts, legal/litigation, and risk management information software systems. VLCT recognizes that a variety of life experiences can prepare someone to serve in a leadership role and encourages leaders, especially municipal officials, with a passion for numbers, risk management, and organizational leadership to apply. Candidates with a degree in public administration, business administration, insurance or a related field are desired. Insurance industry credentials are also desired.
VLCT offers a competitive salary (starting range between $160,000 and $190,000) with participation in a state administered public retirement system, employer paid health insurance and dental premiums, generous vacation and sick time, flexible work schedules and remote work opportunities (within Vermont). For more information, including a full job description, why Vermont is an incredible place to live, work and play, and to apply, visit vlct.org/careers
The full brochure may be viewed here:
This position is open until filled; however, first review of resumes will occur on February 5th. E.O.E.
ATTENTION RECRUITERS:
Power Analyst
The Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, located in Waterbury Center, Vermont is seeking a Power Analyst to join our team. Under the direction of the Manager of Power Resources, this position shall manage and coordinate incoming and outgoing information for the power supply dept., work with databases, develop and perform electric power supply simulations for VPPSA members to support sales, power supply planning and analysis.
• Conduct data exchanges with VELCO, ISO New England and other business entities.
• Participating in negotiations for long term power purchase agreements and physical resources.
• Performing complex technical and analytical work primarily relating to resource, rate and cost-of-service activities.
• Conducting analyses and assisting with management of the Authority’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) program.
• Implementing hedging strategies to manage ongoing electricity market positions.
• Maintaining an understanding of wholesale electricity markets including but not limited to understanding rules of the Independent System Operator in New England (ISO-NE).
Duties require knowledge of the New England power market, Vermont regulatory process, and knowledge in mathematical and economic modeling, or comparable education and experience equivalent to completion of four years of college.
Three or more years of experience in energy, R programming language, utilities or related field are preferred. VPPSA is building a team of professionals who are passionate about helping Vermont towns meet their energy needs. If you are a team player and enjoy a fast-paced collaborative environment we want to hear from you.
Please send resume and salary requirements to: Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, PO Box 126, Waterbury Ctr., Vermont 05677 Attn: Amy Parah, or email to: aparah@vppsa.com with the subject: Power Analyst
Position open until filled. Full job description at: vppsa.com
The State of Vermont is seeking candidates for a Board Member opening on the Green Mountain Care Board.
Are you looking for an opportunity to provide oversight in Vermont’s efforts to control escalating health care costs, improve quality, and achieve universal health access? If so, please consider applying for this exciting and challenging position on the Green Mountain Care Board, established by Vermont’s health care reform law. For a full job description and application materials, please visit: https://humanresources. vermont.gov/GMCB-Search-2025 Application Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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Development Director
The Vermont Symphony Orchestra is searching for its next Development Director, responsible for the contributed revenue of this statewide arts organization, now in its 90th season. This position creates and implements a strategic plan to generate contributed revenue, all fundraising research, relationships, events, and reporting, and serves as a public-facing representative of the organization. The position includes a competitive salary, paid holiday, personal, and sick leave, single payer health insurance, short- and longterm disability, life and AD&D insurance, retirement contribution match, and parking in downtown Burlington.
Apply bit.ly/VSOdevDirctor
Master & Journeyman Plumbers
Silver Maple Construction is expanding its Mechanical Division. We are currently seeking full-time, benefits-eligible Master and Journeyman Plumbers focused on high-level customer service and the execution of complex and cutting-edge residential HVAC and plumbing systems.
Here at Silver Maple, we want everyone to feel valued and do the work that inspires them while maintaining a favorable work-life balance.
Total Rewards:
• Competitive Weekly Pay (based on experience)
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans
• 401k Retirement Plan + Company Match
• 15 days Paid Time Off
• 7 Paid Holidays To learn
Employment Specialist
Join our award-winning supported employment program and work with individuals to develop career goals, seek and secure employment, and build partnerships with local businesses for long term employment. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, enjoy working in a collaborative environment and have the desire to make an impact on their community.
This is an excellent position for someone who is looking for the next step in their career or to continue their work in this field.
Compensation is $21 per hour plus $1,000 sign on bonus. Benefit package includes comprehensive and affordable health insurance, 29 paid days off in the first year, retirement match, tuition reimbursement and so much more.
And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for six years running.
Why not have a job you love? Make a career making a difference and apply today.
Send resume to staff@ccs-vt.org
Visit our website for more information: ccs-vt.org.
Digital Campaign Manager
Pivot Marketing is a full-funnel digital marketing agency specializing in higher education. We partner with colleges/ universities to deliver data-driven campaigns that drive growth and innovation. Guided by our values of curiosity, realness, integration, approachability, and joy, we create a collaborative team culture that fosters exceptional client partnerships while balancing professional excellence with personal well-being.
We’re seeking a Digital Campaign Manager who excels in managing and optimizing digital marketing campaigns. With expertise in digital ad platforms, you’ll play a key role in delivering client success through datadriven strategies, performance monitoring, and creative problem-solving.
Key Responsibilities:
• Campaign Management: Lead and optimize paid search and social campaigns while staying current on trends.
• Quality Control & Optimization: Ensure high-quality performance and drive ROI improvements.
• Data-Driven Strategy: Conduct keyword research, audience segmentation, and develop compelling ad creative.
• Budget Management: Manage budgets to align with client objectives.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Work with internal teams and clients for smooth execution.
• Team Leadership: Mentor junior team members and uphold project deadlines.
Qualifications:
• 5+ years in paid search and social, with expertise in Meta and Google Ads (Snapchat, Spotify, TikTok, and Amazon DSP experience a plus).
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment.
• Alignment with Pivot’s core values.
• Pivot Marketing is a remote/hybrid workplace, but we’re seeking candidates for this role who can consistently be in the Burlington, VT office 2-3 days per week.
Learn more and apply: pivotmarketingvt.com/careers
GO HIRE.
Job Recruiters:
• Post jobs using a form that includes key info about your company and open positions (location, application deadlines, video, images, etc.).
• Accept applications and manage the hiring process via our applicant tracking tool.
• Easily manage your open job listings from your recruiter dashboard.
Job Seekers:
• Search for jobs by keyword, location, category and job type.
• Set up job alert emails using custom search criteria.
• Save jobs to a custom list with your own notes on the positions.
• Apply for jobs directly through the site. jobs.sevendaysvt.com
Get a quote when you post online or contact Michelle Brown: 865-1020, ext. 121, michelle@sevendaysvt.com.
Vermont Truth & Reconciliation Commission
COMMISSIONER
Duties:
• Examine discriminatory VT laws and policies and establish public records.
• Recommend actions that can repair and prevent harm caused by systemic discrimination.
• Facilitate forums for people & communities to share their truths.
To learn more about Act 128, job qualifications, full job description and to apply:
4t-VTTruth&Reconcilliation011525.indd 1
Regulatory Specialist
THE VERMONT PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY AUTHORITY, located in Waterbury Center, Vermont is seeking a Regulatory Specialist to join our team. This position is responsible for developing, advancing and representing the Authority’s interests in regulatory proceedings. In collaboration with the Finance and Power Services Dept. the Regulatory Specialist has a critical role in implementation of the Authority’s Renewable Energy Standard compliance programs.
Essential functions include but are not limited to:
• Identify, analyze, current and proposed regulatory policies.
• Develop, design and advocate for the Authority’s policy positions.
• Monitor industry trends, ISO New England market rules, and market participant related activities.
• Assist with development of legislative and regulatory compliance reports.
Duties require a combination of knowledge and experience related to regulatory rulemaking and policy proceedings equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, preferably as it relates to fully regulated electric utilities. 2+ years of experience in energy, utilities or related field. 2+ years of paralegal experience, regulatory policy and/or compliance function experience desired.
VPPSA is building a team of professionals who are passionate about helping Vermont towns meet their energy needs. If you are a team player and enjoy a fast-paced collaborative environment we want to hear from you.
Please send resume and salary requirements to: Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, PO Box 126, Waterbury Ctr., Vermont 05677 Attn: Amy Parah, or email to: aparah@vppsa.com with the subject: Regulatory Specialist.
Position open until filled. Full job description at: vppsa.com
fun stuff
JEN SORENSEN
HARRY BLISS
PHIL JOHNSON
JULIANNA BRAZILL
JONNY HAWKINS
CAPRICORN
(DEC. 22-JAN. 19)
During the next three weeks, doing the same old things and thinking the same old thoughts are strongly discouraged. For the sake of your spiritual and physical health, please do not automatically rely on methods and actions that have worked before. I beg you not to imitate your past self or indulge in worn-out traditions. Sorry to be so extreme, but I really must insist that being bored or boring will be forbidden. Stated more poetically: Shed all weak-heart conceptions and weak-soul intentions. Be of strong heart and robust soul.
ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. He has also been short-listed for four other prestigious awards. I find it odd that his acclaimed novels have received mediocre scores on the prominent book-rating website Goodreads, which has 150 million members. Why is there such a marked difference between expert critics and average readers? I speculate that those in the latter category are less likely to appreciate bold, innovative work. They don’t have the breadth and depth to properly evaluate genius. All this is my way of encouraging you to be extra discerning about whose opinions you listen to in the coming weeks, Aries — especially in regard
to your true value. Trust intelligent people who specialize in thoughtful integrity. You are in a phase when your ripening uniqueness needs to be nurtured and protected.
TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): “Every joke is a tiny revolution,” author George Orwell said. I agree, which is why I hope you will unleash an unruly abundance of humor and playfulness in the coming days. I hope you will also engage in benevolent mischief that jostles the status quo and gently shakes people out of their trances. Why? Because your world and everyone in it need a sweet, raucous revolution. And the best way to accomplish that with minimum chaos and maximum healing is to: 1) do so with kindness and compassion; 2) be amusing and joyful and full of joie de vivre.
GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): Research suggests that if you’re typical, you would have to howl with maximum fury for a month straight just to produce enough energy to toast a piece of bread. But you are not at all typical right now. Your wrath is high quality. It’s more likely than usual to generate constructive changes. And it’s more prone to energize you rather than deplete you. But don’t get overconfident in your ability to harness your rage for good causes. Be respectful of its holy potency, and don’t squander it on trivial matters. Use it only for crucial prods that would significantly change things for the better.
CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): I invite you to write a message to the person you will be in one year. Inform this Future You that you are taking a vow to achieve three specific goals by January 15, 2026. Name these goals. Say why they are so important to you. Describe what actions you will take to fulfill them. Compose collages or draw pictures that convey your excitement about them. When you’ve done all that, write the words, “I pledge to devote all my powers to accomplish these wonderful feats.” Sign your name. Place your document in an envelope, write “MY VOWS” on the front, and tape the envelope in a prominent place in your home or workplace.
LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): Congratulations on all the subtle and private work you’ve been doing to make yourself a better candidate for opti-
mal togetherness. Admitting to your need for improvement was brave! Learning more about unselfish cooperation was hard work, and so was boosting your listening skills. (I speak from personal experience, having labored diligently to enhance my own relationship skills!) Very soon now, I expect that you will begin harvesting the results of your artful efforts.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Construction on the Great Wall of China began in the seventh century BC and lasted until 1878. Let’s make this monumental accomplishment your symbol of power for the next 10 months, Virgo! May it inspire you to work tirelessly to forge your own monumental accomplishment. Take pride in the gradual progress you’re making. Be ingeniously persistent in engaging the support of those who share your grand vision. Your steady determination, skill at collaborating and ability to plan will be your superpowers as you create a labor of love that will have enduring power.
LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): We are all accustomed to dealing with complications and complexities — so much so that we may be tempted to imagine there’s never a simple solution to any dilemma. Copious nuance and mystifying paradox surround us on all sides, tempting us to think that every important decision must inevitably be taxing and timeconsuming. As someone who specializes in trying to see all sides to every story, I am especially susceptible to these perspectives. (I have three planets in Libra.) But now here’s the unexpected news: In the coming weeks, you will enjoy the luxury of quickly settling on definitive, straightforward solutions. You will get a sweet respite from relentless fuzziness and ambiguity.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When my daughter Zoe was 11 years old, she published her first collection of poems. The chapbook’s title was Secret Freedom. That’s a good theme for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. You are currently communing with a fertile mystery that could ultimately liberate you from some of your suffering and limitations. However, it’s important to be private and covert about your playful work with this fertile mystery — at least for now. Eventually, when it
ripens, there will come a time to fully unleash your beautiful thing and reveal it to the world. But until then, safeguard it with silence and discretion.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): From a distance, Brazil’s Rio Negro looks black. The water of Rio Solimões, also in Brazil, is yellowish-brown. Near the city of Manaus, these two rivers converge, flowing eastward. But they don’t blend at first. For a few miles, they move side by side, as if still autonomous. Eventually, they fuse into a single flow and become the mighty Amazon River. I suspect the behavior of Rio Negro and Rio Solimões could serve as a useful metaphor for you in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Consider the possibility of allowing, even encouraging, two separate streams to merge. Or would you prefer them to remain discrete for a while longer? Make a conscious decision about this matter.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Wilderness campers have developed humorous terms to gently mock their fears and anxieties. The theory is that this alleviates some of the stress. So a “bear burrito” refers to a hammock. It addresses the worry that one might get an unwanted visit from a bear while sleeping. A “bear fortune cookie” is another name for a tent. “Danger noodle” is an apparent stick that turns out to be a snake. “Mountain money” is also known as toilet paper. I approve of this joking approach to dealing with agitation and unease. (And scientific research confirms it’s effective.) Now is an excellent time to be creative in finding ways to diminish your mostly needless angst.
PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): If you were producing the movie of your life, what actor or actress would you want to portray you? Who would play your friends and loved ones? How about the role of God or Goddess? Who would you choose to perform the role of the Supreme Being? These will be fun meditations for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because it’s an excellent time to think big about your life story — to visualize the vast, sweeping panorama of your beautiful destiny. I would also love it if during your exploration of your history, you would arrive at interesting new interpretations of the meanings of your epic themes.
Knitwear designer Ona Wöldten teamed up with Junction Fiber Mill to create knitting patterns using its wool yarns. Wöldten launched her Lindal sweater pattern before the 2024 New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, where attendees wore handmade versions of her sweater. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger traveled to White River Junction to meet the fiber artist.
WOMEN seeking...
LAID-BACK, LIVE IN BLUE JEANS
I love live music (rock and blues) and tea, not coffee. Vermont native, one of those who will read the cereal box if there’s no book around. My only child has four feet and a curly tail. Love the Maine coast, too. Bluesandtea, 72, seeking: M
ACTIVE OUTDOORSY INQUISITIVE
VERMONT LADY
Simple, honest Vermont lady in search of my person. Long walks, spontaneous adventures and mundane necessary chores can all be fun with the right person. Must be an animal lover, curious about health and wellness, and open-minded about life in general. Oona2789, 59, seeking: M, l
POSITIVE ATTITUDE ON LIFE
I am a widow who enjoys cards, board games, yard games and would love to find the right partner to spend time and build a relationship with. I value my faith, family and friends (and my dog Poppy). Just looking for friendship and someone to hang out with — I’m fine with that as well. harlow 74, seeking: M, l
GRATEFUL
I am fun-loving and interested in exploring the world, close by or far away. I enjoy interesting conversations. I am physically active. Long walks, hiking, yoga are some of my favorite pastimes. I am looking for a kind, educated and supportive man with a great sense of humor. I take good care of myself. manderine20, 67 seeking: M, l
WANT TO RESPOND?
You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!
All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.
l See photos of this person online.
W = Women
M = Men
TW = Trans women
TM = Trans men
Q = Genderqueer people
NBP = Nonbinary people
NC = Gender nonconformists
Cp = Couples
Gp = Groups
ARE YOU MY MOUNTAIN MAN?
I live north of St. J, east of I-91. Exploring: friends, maybe LTR. My special guy thrives in his fire, adores my fire, is looking for mutual ignition of body, mind, heart and soul. Me: both contrast and contradiction. Dusty hiker, lover of creature comforts. Metaphysics, quantum physics. Stars in your eyes, stars in the sky. I love to understand why. BrightWaters, 65, seeking: M, l
INTIMIDATING GODDESS — MADE YOU LOOK!
I’m passionate about my work, my writing, and living a life of connection, learning and adventure. I’m seeking a man who is comfortable with himself and knows what he wants. I bike/hike/paddleboard, camp and would be interested in company on almost any outdoor activity. I appreciate good conversation and comfortable silence, different perspectives and anyone who can make me laugh. AuntieNunga 60, seeking: M, l
INSATIABLY CURIOUS TREKKIE
I’m not sure what I’m even looking for. But I do know that I miss having someone to snuggle up to on movie night and to hold hands with on a road trip. The last few years have me feeling more and more radicalized. If you wear a red hat, please just move on. I’m not your kind of girl.
Lillian_Mountweazel 54, seeking: M, l
SWEET FRIEND FOR YOU
I’m kind, honest and (my friends think) pretty funny. I’m looking for a long-term relationship with someone hardworking and creative like me. I enjoy the outdoors and love to dance. I’m a great listener and loyal to those I care about. VanityFair 43, seeking: M, W, l
CREATIVE, OPENHEARTED OUTDOORSWOMAN
Being outdoors immersed in nature is key to my sanity. Spontaneous outdoor adventures and exploration on land or water are the best. Reading gives nourishment and entertainment, as does preparing and savoring good food. Breakfast or dinner out, theater, music, an art opening are good fun. Looking for a like-minded companion to enjoy life with. Care to join me?
WoodsWalking 69, seeking: M, l
KIND HEART OPEN TO CONSCIOUS CONNECTION
Awakened heart aims to meet adventure, compassion, culture, creating comrades to grow chosen family. Nurture ecosystem resilience, grow/gather medicine, tend home hearth, venture into wild, play music, craft. Let’s drink tea, read poetry, cook, write songs, paddle, skin up a mountain, cuddle by a fire, tree climb, dance, practice Spanish and French. Conscious communication, friends first. Grow connection at trust speed. youthfuloldsoul, 49 seeking: M, l
INTERESTING, LIVELY, THOUGHTFUL
I’m smart, considerate, generous and with-it, in good shape and not oldfashioned. I’m looking for a man who is smart, kind, attentive, affectionate and well groomed, for companionship and closeness. Ellie 73, seeking: M, l
ACTIVE HANDY LEFTY DREAMER
Active person who enjoys travel, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, pickleball. Most often found outdoors being active or caring for animals. The past couple years have been spent renovating a historic home. I have most enjoyed building on the home’s character and transitioning it into a functional, warm, cozy space. Interested in meeting people with similar interests and values. Built_For_Adventure 52, seeking: W, l
HEART, SOUL, WATER AND EARTH
Settled, strong, self-sufficient woman seeks life partner. I enjoy my job and also love being outside playing in the dirt. I’m looking for someone who enjoys rambling conversations and long walks, is emotionally intelligent with a good sense of humor and willing to build a solid relationship. Active interests in regenerative agriculture, critters, playing music and chess a plus. Greener 62, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, NBP, l
KINDHEARTED AND TRULY HAPPY
I am new to the area and looking for male companionship. Someone to laugh with, go to the movies with, hang out with. I am funny, happy and for the most part quite content with my life. But I am lonely and want to find someone with whom I can connect. Chemistry is more important than looks. Sharilynn 66, seeking: M, l
KIND, LOVES LAUGHTER & SINCERITY
I am a caring, thoughtful, happy independent woman. I am also known to be extremely loyal and attentive. I enjoy reading, live theater, community events, exploring and dining out. Also, long walks are always a plus! Seeking a gentlemanly companion to share good conversations and fun activities. Pretty_In_Pink 71, seeking: M, l
MEN seeking...
A TRAIL LESS STRAVA-ED
Truthful, hardworking, athletic, cooperative male, looking for welleducated SF 58 to 66. My heart ain’t so fearless anymore, but still optimistic. I love to see both plants and relationships grow. I’m a project person, so happiest with a bit of time and space to express my creativity and respect similar needs. Seeking companionship exploring the unplugged outdoors on foot, bikes, paddle boards. hillasophical 63, seeking: W
CAPABLE, CONFIDENT AND EMOTIONALLY SECURE
I am by nature a tolerant and happy person who is easy to be around. I am looking for a mature woman who is trustworthy, kind, loyal, emotionally connected, and physically attractive. Humor is essential. I feel that we must begin a relationship as best friends, which may allow us to grow into fully compatible long-term partners. September17 70 seeking: W, l
EASYGOING AND LAID-BACK
Time is of the essence. Life is too short. I work way too hard seemingly for someone else’s benefit more than my own. rockme 60, seeking: W
STONE SOUP?
SWM, 68, five foot seven, HWP, healthy, down to earth, empathetic. Seeks connection and mutual attraction with a SWF, 52 to 70, HWP who cares about her health and appearance. Let’s get to know each other, then decide together what kind of relationship feels right for us. Wouldn’t it be great to share our emotional intelligence and have great chemistry too?
HumbleAndKind, 68, seeking: W, l
WHERE IS MY FEMALE HALF?
I want to find my female half for an eternal, loving relationship. I am open to getting married. RoiDeFrance 49, seeking: W
VERMONTER TO THE CORE
I’m a creative, outdoor-loving man in a marriage totally lacking intimacy (of mind, soul and body). I often go to the forest. I adore Vermont. I feel mostly content and grounded. It’s time for me to gracefully transition to increased spiritual connection and intimacy. I’m hoping you are open to tenderness and playful exploration. GrnMtn64 64, seeking: W, l
EASYGOING HARD WORKER
I am an easygoing guy — a little shy at first, but once I get to know you I will talk about anything. I am looking for someone to have conversations with, get me out of the house on a Saturday night, and someone to laugh with or cry at a tearjerker. Mechanicinvt, 52 seeking: W, l
LET’S MEET
Looking for creative, multitalented, intelligent man for LTR/open to marriage. I put my order in with the agency so apply to heaven and they will match us up. Ask for money and it’s over. ThomThomCS135, 71, seeking: M, Cp, Gp, l
LET’S SUCK EACH OTHER’S COCK
Bi-curious man, currently in committed relationship with a woman who wants me to explore fantasies that she can’t fulfill. Seeking a new friend who is interested in guiding my exploration. Casual and discrete. Let’s chat. VTPolarBear 51 seeking: M
SPIRITUAL, CREATIVE, FUNNY, LIBERAL NATURE-LOVER
Greetings! Some interests we may share include love of sunshine, Vermont, creativity, children, Bread and Puppet, hiking, kayaking, music, road trips, baking, physical affection, and deep conversations on psychology and relationships, writing and ideas, Buddhism and spirituality, hiking and nature, and the meaning of love and life. I would describe myself as kind, outdoorsy, open-minded, endlessly curious, funny, talkative, introspective, affectionate, always seeking and searching, sometimes wise, adventurous, extroverted, and introverted. Together, let’s be best friends who understand and adore each other. thatsimplelight 57, seeking: W, l
LET’S MAKE EACH OTHER SMILE
Want to spend some time with someone who wants nothing more than to make you feel good and be happy? Let me know if you are interested, and I’ll happily send pictures. Symbioticplease 54, seeking: W
HUMOR, SMILES, LOVING AND KIND HEART
Honest, caring, loving heart, no violence. Kisses and hugs, love sex, I am a happy man. I love to be romantic. Loyal, onewoman man. I want a woman who can take care of me, love me, be honest and want only me, and who enjoys a lot of warm, cuddly sex and connections to me. I love to joke around. I’m loyal. Kindlove73, 73, seeking: W, l
THOUGHTFUL, UNASSUMING, CATCH?
36, male. I am well educated, in full-time sales. Looks: Zoom-call handsome, dark hair and average build. Both shy and gregarious. Intellectual and kind. Personal growth and awareness are important to me. Love games, vistas, conversation. Seeking friendships or dating with women. Wanting something serious, open to casual or flirtatious. Please be patient, I’m new to this. What’s something that sparked your curiosity?
Spiritual_Charcoal 36, seeking: W, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l
HEAVY METAL DAD
Security officer at two locations. Busy single full-time dad. Looking for someone with whom to spend what little free time I have. bthibodeau, 46, seeking: W, l
CREATIVE ANALOG OUTDOORSY ANIMAL LOVER
“Passionate and creative” describes me. I love my friends. I love animals. Happy being by myself, but a perfect day would be with friends for a day on the water — stopping for coffee, stopping to pet dogs. Paddling, lunch on shore, campfire, guitars and singing. Appreciate women who are kind and confident in their beautiful curviness. Makeup, weight over-consciousness and shaving not required. Be yourself.
LeftTheMatrix 64 seeking: W, l
TRANS MEN seeking...
INDUSTRIOUS, NERDY, PURSUING KNOWLEDGE
Student and professional artist constantly pursuing new hobbies and studies. Looking for friends to tinker and hang with or a partner for more or less the same. Friendly and open-minded but shy to start. Still wears a mask in crowds. grimblegromble 23, seeking: W, TW, l
GENDERQUEER PEOPLE seeking...
GENDERQUEER, SINGER-SONGWRITER, INTERFAITH MINISTER
It’s me, from the “Cherie & Yolanda” show in the ’90s. Moved to NYC in 2001; met my husband, Glen; together 20 years; now in Vermont after his death. I am a transfemme genderqueer singer-songwriter and interfaith minister. Youthful looks and attitude, long gray hair, stocky build, funny, compassionate. Looking for a cisgender man who appreciates the femininity and spirituality in me. RevYolanda 28 seeking: M, l
NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...
LOOKING FOR OUTDOORSY
I’m very creative and open-minded. Spend my days foraging in the forest and gardening, working at a greenhouse days in the summer. I’m intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. Looking for a man interested in connecting with my female side to date and form a long-term relationship with. Dajag181 29, seeking: M, l
COUPLES seeking...
ENJOYING LIFE
We are an attractive, fun-loving, professional couple enjoying life together in Vermont (she, 49; he, 51). Looking for couples or the occasional single guy for fun experiences in and out of the bedroom. Onlylivingonce, 50, seeking: M, Cp, Gp, l
CROSBY’S CUTE FRIEND?
You skied past me while I was running in shorts. “Wait, are you Crosby’s friend?” you asked, flashing a gorgeous smile. I said “No,” but I wish I’d kept the conversation going somehow. If you happen to see this, I’d love to ski with you sometime. When: Friday, January 10, 2025. Where: Intervale. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916234
MOONDANCE SIREN
Your silhouette is intriguing. It reminds me of my friend LVM, another beauty. Do you rescue domesticated animals, as well? I know one who is in dire straits. When: ursday, January 9, 2025. Where: In the deep woods. You: Group. Me: Man. #916233
KENTUCKY CUTIE
I gave you a hot tip on where to find your favorite bourbon in town. Maybe we can share a whiskey sometime. Rocks or neat? When: Friday, January 3, 2025. Where: Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916232
START MAKING SENSE
Hey, Ben — lost track of you at the show. I had such an awesome time dancing next to you and felt a connection through the music, for sure. I wanted to find you to see about meeting for more local music. When: Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Where: Higher Ground. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916231
STYLE COMMENTATOR AT TRADER JOE’S
I was in the wine aisle when you came over and complimented my sense of style. A friend says you were flirting, which I didn’t pick up on, so I simply said thank you and kept selecting my wine. Were you flirting? Or do you just have great taste? When: Monday, December 23, 2024. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916229
If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!
J, MORE MUSIC PLEASE
Hi, J! We get to talk about music once or twice a month, and it makes me so so happy. e last album you recommended to me is amazing! Do you want to listen to music together sometime? When: Friday, December 20, 2024. Where: A place for music. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916230
SOY MILK IN RICHMOND
You and your grandpa offered me a ride home from the Richmond Market, to the trail that cuts through to my road. ank you! It saved me some sketchy roadside walking in the snow. I was left with lingering questions about soy milk and would’ve liked to continue that conversation. When: Saturday, December 21, 2024. Where: Richmond. You: Group. Me: Woman. #916228
LONGHORN LUNCH
I met you at noon, sitting at the bar. We talked about your dragon fruit margarita. en we started talking about your family Christmas get-together for the next day. Really enjoyed talking with you; would like to meet you and chat again. When: Friday, December 20, 2024. Where: Longhorn, Williston. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916227
DECOROUS INGÉNUE
Showed you my body without armoire. Duvet lozenge ornate mirror wardrobe — Brassica capsaicin regalia soporific ululation — Sappho, fried chicken, grandfather’s truck, blistered soul, ball game, crushed-up receipts — sturgeon, tumultuous frenetic vivisect — like worn-out shoes and my love for you. Wikipedia cannot be sold. Dribble gravy, eyes a haunt for vulture pigeons. Carrion wayward skunk, there’ll be peas before you’re dung. When: Friday, December 20, 2024. Where: Wandering. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916224
BLONDIE, I’M BEGGING
KT, I can’t hide it anymore. When you wear that blue jacket with the shoulder pads, it ignites a fire in me that cannot be extinguished. If you feel the same, meet me under the disco ball at the next Shrek rave at the stroke of midnight. I’ll be dressed as the ugly stepsister. When: Saturday, December 21, 2024. Where: Bustling Brewery. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916226
MOUSTACHE MAN
I spy, with my little eye, the cutest guy. Better femme-y than phlegm-y, I always say. You can add “cryptic” to the list. When: ursday, December 19, 2024. Where: A valley. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916225
HUNGER MOUNTAIN PARKING LOT
is was a few weeks ago, but I was walking to my car and I think we noticed each other. Not much more to go on, but I was holding soup. When: Sunday, December 1, 2024. Where: Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916223
YOUR NAME IS DAVE
You’re a night manager at a grocery store. You got blood drawn, and you asked me about my mittens. We chatted while waiting. Would love to chat again over coffee. When: Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Where: Waiting area for blood lab. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916222
CHEESECAKE LOVE TRIANGLE
Me, when I’m buying cheese, and you’re like, “Look at me, Miss I-got-a-degreeI-know-how-to-use-words, and Mr. Got-a-degree-I-draw-cute-characters, definitely can’t forget Ms. I-got-a-degreeand-can-color-a-cake,” but you guys are absolutely amazing. It was amazing to see how amazing you are! When: Monday, December 16, 2024. Where: Work. You: Group. Me: Man. #916221
LOVELY WOMAN AT CHECKOUT
We chatted eagerly at the checkout of a grocery store in the evening. You had a lovely smile and asked me questions about my recent “bright-eyed” move to Vermont. I asked about your studies (bio and computer-related). After you left, my heart felt buoyed by the connection! Lunch sometime? When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Where: South Burlington grocery store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916220
De Left Out,
De Rev end,
My wife and I have had a bumpy relationship for a couple of years. Within the past year, whenever she goes over to see her friend (who happens to be a therapist), she has a totally different attitude toward me when she comes home. She acts like this independent woman who doesn’t need anything or anybody, and I get the cold shoulder. ( e friend doesn’t talk to me.) How do I address this change of attitude?
The Left-Out (Usele ) Husband
THE DELI MAN
POOL TABLE MISHAP
I’ve been bothered for weeks now that you brought your small child in to play a round of pool and it was ruined by a rude comment. I applaud you for turning right around and would like to ask that you try again. When: Sunday, November 10, 2024. Where: Monkey. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916219
CHEEZ WHIZ WOMAN
I was shopping, and from across the aisle, I saw her slicing meats. She was with a man who smelt like bad provolone, but she smelled like a delicious Cheez Whiz with her pretty eyes and amazing bun. I wish she could be mine, with those cheesy little slicing fingers. When: Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Where: Shaw’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916218
SKATING AT GIORGETTI
Monday afternoon public skating. I loved watching how graceful you were, practicing and circling, gliding backwards, all the while keeping an eye on your young companion. You had on a vest of some bright color, maybe magenta, and while lacing up I overheard you talking to a colleague about the Grand Tetons. Anyway, you made it look easy — and fun! When: Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Where: Giorgetti Arena, Rutland. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916217
TO MY BELOVED
Happy 21st anniversary! ank you for making every day better than the last. Home will always be with you. Come grow old with me — the best is yet to be. When: Wednesday, December 20, 2023. Where: Once upon a dream. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916216
MONTGOMERY WEED SHOP
We walked in at the same time, and you thought you recognized me from somewhere. You were browsing the choices with your partner, inside. I smiled a goodbye when I left. I’m intrigued and curious about the recognition. With full respect to your attached status, should we try to figure it out? When: Monday, December 16, 2024. Where: Mary Jane shop in Montgomery. You: Couple. Me: Man. #916215
DESMOND DAN
I saw you in the Desmond Cheese aisle at the Steely Dan store. Hot! When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Where: Gnarnia. You: Group. Me: Man. #916208
It strikes me as odd that you used the phrase “independent woman” to describe the problem you’re having with your wife. Independence isn’t a bad quality, and it makes me wonder if you think your wife ought to rely on you more than she needs or wants to. But I understand that getting the cold shoulder from your spouse is never a good feeling.
ick curls, gorgeous beard, a cute little laugh; I’m crazy about you. I saw that short woman next to you, slicing a block of provolone. I bet you think she’s the love of your life. She smells like cheese wind. Whatever. Maybe when you finally come to your senses we can have a beautiful life, just us guys. When: Sunday, December 15, 2024. Where: e Deli. You: Man. Me: Man. #916212
ELIZA THE COLD PLUNGE HOTTIE
We chatted briefly after both emerging from the frigid lake at sunset. You had a big smile that warmed me right up. Want to meet for another dip? When: ursday, October 31, 2024. Where: Texaco Beach. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916211
STANDING IN THE SNACK AISLE
I was standing in the snack aisle holding a coffee. You approached me and said I have a great vibe. I thought you had a great vibe too, but my mind was too slow to say it! Very kind of you to say, and I’d love to chat more. I promise I’ll be more talkative. When: Saturday, December 14, 2024. Where: City Market. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916210
SLAP AND TICKLE
Trying to teach someone a lesson when you have yet to learn yours is entertaining. Domination and manipulation were always the wrong way to go about things. e only way, it seems, to find peace is to first cause chaos. Only after the dust settles will we see who truly led with love and who led with lust and lost. When: Friday, December 6, 2024. Where: Everywhere I go. You: Group. Me: Woman. #916209
EXITING THE INDIGO GIRLS CONCERT
treatment is better than getting yelled at, but it’s certainly no way to solve anything.
I don’t think the fact that your wife’s friend is a therapist has much to do with the issue at hand. When they hang out, the pal probably isn’t wearing their therapist hat. However, friends do tend to dish about relationship problems, and that can involve some serious shit-talking about partners.
I’d hazard a guess that’s what’s happening. When your wife comes home, she might feel like the wounds are fresh and see you as their cause. I suppose getting the silent
I don’t know the cause of the bumps in your relationship road, but communication is often the best way to smooth things out. You need to have a conversation with your wife about how you’re feeling and be completely honest. Schedule a time to do it when you’re both feeling good. If anyone starts to place blame or get angry, take a time-out. Rinse and repeat as often as necessary.
Green cargo jumpsuit, leather jacket, white Docs. Hair’s dark, curly, Mohawked. While exiting, you overheard me talking. We laughed and carried on. en you bumped into another stranger. I exclaimed “Hey, you’re supposed to bump into me!” and you playfully did. en it ended — lost in the crowd. I’m tall, queer, short brown hair, large glasses, in black jeans and gray coat. When: Monday, December 9, 2024. Where: Flynn eatre. You: Nonbinary person. Me: Woman. #916207 about two
If the two of you can’t find a way to discuss and work on your problems yourselves, find a marriage counselor or therapist who can help mediate. But keep the therapist friend out of it.
Good luck and God bless, The Rev end
What’s
SWF (50) seeking a SWM (48 to 58) to homestead and live a quiet life. I am sincere, ready to settle down, artistic and love dogs. #L1818
I’m a 60-y/o SWF seeking a 55- to 70-y/o SM. Retired, healthy, fit and outdoorsy. ISO a kindred spirit with whom to share Vermont’s trails. I enjoy mountain and gravel biking, cross-country skiing, and yearround hiking, as well as a good Vermont brew, current events, reading and eating as locally as possible. Self-deprecating sense of humor a plus! #L1816
CD into fetish? Tight and shiny clothing? #L1814
I am an 80-y/o woman seeking an 80-y/o man. I am a widow, have a son and am retired. I like going out to eat and riding around. I am looking for a very good relationship as well as companionship. #L1817
I’m a SWF, 71 y/o, seeking a white or Black man 50 to 70 y/o. I want companionship/sex, movies, warmth; I love music. Phone calls only. #L1815
GM looking for a man or men for mutual pleasure. Maybe develop into LTR or FWB. Would like regular or semiregular visits. Fun and adventurous. #L1812
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Single woman, 59. Wise, mindful. Seeking tight unit with man, friend, love. Country living, gardens, land to play on. Emotionally, intellectually engaged. Lasting chats. Appreciation for past experience. Please be kind, stable and well established. Phone number, please. #L1813
I’m an 80-y/o man in good health. I own a ranch house on Route 110 in Tunbridge, south of fairgrounds. Never married. No children, retired. Like going out to eat and riding around. Looking for a nice lady for a long-term relationship. #L1810
I miss the touch, the flirting, the taste, the smell of a woman. I’m 69, retired and disabled. I also have many facets that make me up. NEK please, thanks. #L1811
SWM, bi, seeking guys for fun. Any race. I’m 6’1, 175 pounds. Clean, safe and discreet. Love being a bottom. Respond with a phone number. #L1804
58-y/o enjoys the simple things: walks with my dogs, candlelit evenings, window shopping. I don’t have to have someone to complete me but would love to share the beauty of life with a man who also is ready to dance like nobody’s watching. #L1808
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T-girl? Transgender? CD? Gay? I’m a dom, so looking for subs. anks. #L1799
76-y/o male seeking a female. Widower, Burlington resident, gardener, fisherman and writer wants to meet you for dinner, movies, events and conversation. You: old, kind, no issues. Possible friendship, LTR. I don’t watch football. #L1807
I’m a sweet, fit, busy 48y/o DILF type seeking a 28- to 68-y/o-ish woman who wants some more affection in her life. Let’s have a great evening together every month and share good memories and joyful anticipation in between. #L1806
Handsome SWM, young-looking 60, yearning for a woman’s connection and intimacy. Seeking friendly relations with slim-average 45- to 60-y/o, kind, smart, respectful, humorous, playful. Activities indoors and outdoors — dinners, talks, walks, nature, TV, entertainment, day trips, overnights, spontaneity, hobbies, more. #L1803
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AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) seeking a
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I’m a SWM seeking a Black couple, both bi. I’m clean, a nonsmoker and don’t drink. Would like a weekly meet, on weekends. My place is private. I only date Black men and women. Age no problem. Phone. Serious. #L1802
Mid-60s, SWM, 6’, 175 pounds. Looking for a forever romance, but just meeting with new friends can work, too! Extremely romantic and passionate! I stay active as I run, hike, bike; play golf, tennis and pickleball; and work out at the Edge. Full of spontaneity and love dancing, travel. I will love you snuggling in my arms always as I shower you with love and romance! #L1801
I’m a 54-y/o male seeking a 50- to 60-y/o female. Looking for an honest person. Sex is less important. I enjoy taking walks, soft rock and movies, in or out. Love to go out to eat. No drugs, no smoking. #L1800
SWM, 69, seeking a SF. I am warm, friendly, clean and respectful, seeking a LTR. Just an ordinary guy looking for same. Phone number, please. #L1798
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Old Spokes Home Bike Mechanics 101
Winter 6-Part Series
THU., JAN. 16
OLD SPOKES HOME, BURLINGTON
Spice on Snow Winter Music Festival:
Rose and the Bros
FRI., JAN. 17
MONTPELIER CITY HALL
Cooking for the Chinese New Year
SAT., JAN. 18
FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, SOUTH BURLINGTON
Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine Takeout
Dinner
SAT., JAN. 18
O.N.E. COMMUNITY CENTER, BURLINGTON
Spice on Snow Winter Music Festival Concert: Richie and Rosie
SAT., JAN. 18
MONTPELIER CITY HALL
TURNmusic performs "Hurtling Toward Oblivion," curated by Mary Rowell
SAT., JAN. 18
THE PHOENIX, WATERBURY VILLAGE
AFROMAN with Mister Burns
SAT., JAN. 18
AFTERTHOUGHTS, WAITSFIELD
Saturday Night Sounds
SAT., JAN. 18 & SAT., JAN. 25
MAGNETICA PERFORMANCE SPACE, BURLINGTON
The Magnetica Sound Bath
SUN., JAN. 19 & SUN., JAN. 26
MAGNETICA PERFORMANCE SPACE, BURLINGTON
We Shall Overcome: MLK Jr. Commemorative Concert
SUN., JAN. 19
CITY HALL AUDITORIUM ARTS CENTER, MONTPELIER
TUE., JAN. 21
"The Basics" Cake Decorating Class
RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY VILLAGE
The Tenderbellies
FRI., JAN. 24
OPERA HOUSE AT ENOSBURG FALLS
Cobalt & Titien w/ Ed McGee
FRI., JAN. 24
THE UNDERGROUND, RANDOLPH
January Bird Monitoring Walk
SAT., JAN. 25
BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON
Capital City Concerts – Culomba: Color and Joy for a Winter Afternoon
SAT., JAN. 25
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF MONTPELIER
Indian Butter Chicken with Chef Ariel Voorhees
SAT., JAN. 25
RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY VILLAGE
Cozy Winter Cookie Decorating Class
SUN., JAN. 26
QUEEN CITY BREWERY, BURLINGTON
Culinary Mavericks - A Multi-Course Winter BBQ Dinner
MON., JAN. 27
COLD HOLLOW CIDER MILL, WATERBURY CENTER
SAM Talks // A History of the Concept of Race with William Edelglass
