Seven Days, July 15, 2020 by Seven Days

COMPROMISED REPOSITION Del Pozo a voice for cop reform?

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89,303 That’s how many Vermonters had requested absentee ballots to vote in the August 11 primary as of press time.

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A 60-year-old inmate who spent his final hours struggling to draw breath and begging for medical attention received deficient health care within Vermont’s prison system, which ultimately cost him his life. That was the assessment of interim Corrections Commissioner Jim Baker, who said on Monday that investigations into last year’s death of Kenneth Johnson revealed significant failures within the state prison medical system, ranging from a failure to diagnose tumors blocking Johnson’s airways to an apparent disregard among nursing staff for his life-threatening symptoms. “Mr. Johnson repeatedly told staff that he could not breathe,” Baker said. “I don’t know why the reaction was not different.” Baker’s comments come as the Vermont Prisoners’ Rights Office prepares to release a report on the death. “We’ve done an exhaustive investigation — including looking closely at all the security video, interviewing witnesses and examining medical records — and run all this past a very experienced physician with experience in correctional health care,” supervising attorney Emily Tredeau said. “Absolutely, the DOC prison health care system failed him.” Seven Days first reported the circumstances of Johnson’s death last December. He was awaiting trial

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on charges of human trafficking and sexual assault of a minor. He had been having trouble breathing for more than a week before he died, according to Raymond Gadreault, a fellow inmate. Johnson and Gadreault were in the infirmary at Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport in December 2019. Gadreault said Johnson spent at least four hours of his final night “knocking on the window, telling the nurses he was having trouble breathing and needed to go to the hospital.” Nursing staff accused him of faking it and threatened to move him to a cell without a bed, Gadreault said. By morning, he wasn’t breathing. Johnson’s death certificate lists his cause of death as “Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” a type of throat cancer. Prisoner advocates called the incident yet another tragic example of the woefully insufficient medical service provided by the DOC and its former contractor, Centurion. Baker announced Monday that the state has a new health care provider and is partnering with the Department of Vermont Health Access to provide clinical oversight. He also announced the creation of an office of professional standards, which will seek to increase diversity among prison staff. Read Colin Flanders’ full story at sevendaysvt.com.

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As businesses scramble to scoop up COVID-19 cash, many are left empty-handed

Doctor Who?

Brandon del Pozo, BTV’s former top cop, reemerges as police reform expert

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ups and Downs

Paula Routly

FILE: MATTHEW THORSEN

“It takes a strong stomach to run a business.” I remember a lawyer dropping that line when Pamela Polston and I were taking the first steps to start this newspaper in July 1995, a quarter century ago. At the time, he was advising us on how to respond to a cease-and-desist letter from our former employer. The complaint was that the proposed name of our publication-to-be — Vermont Voice — was too similar to Vox, the name we had given an arts paper the two of us had created for that employer’s company. Because vox is Latin for “voice,” their lawyers argued, readers would confuse the two competing products. If we didn’t change the name, they’d sue. The setback was crushing; we had already designed a logo and printed up some preliminary ad sales materials. And we almost took the bait. A legal fight would have quickly exhausted our limited resources. Instead, we started over: Our corporate name, Da Capo, is Italian for “from the top.” We rechristened our weekly Seven Days. We also shared the threatening letter with Burlington Free Press reporter Sam Hemingway. He devoted his next column to the David-and-Goliath story of our entrepreneurial adventure — two arts writers determined to put out the kind of smart, edgy, well-written weekly newspaper that Burlington and Vermont deserved. We couldn’t have asked for better publicity. Suddenly, it seemed like everyone in town was giving us thumbs-up, from bank tellers and parking garage attendants to restaurateurs and retailers. Potential advertisers took us more seriously, too. From the darkness came the light. A lot of Vermont businesses could use a lucky break like that right now. This week’s cover story looks at a variety of local enterprises and how they’re coping four months into this crazy pandemic. Some are going gangbusters: Small Boat Exchange can’t sell enough kayaks; a company called Reconciled, which provides online bookkeeping, was working remotely before most of us had to figure out how to do it. But other businesses are really struggling. The Red Onion Café on Church Street “won’t be here this winter,” according to the owner. Randolph’s Rain or Shine Tent and Events didn’t lose a single wedding customer — they all rescheduled for next year — but the company likely won’t survive without debt relief. The Valley News is getting love — and checks — from its readers, but the advertisers that fund its news reporting are broke. Melissa Pasanen’s story of Runamok Maple perfectly illustrates the roller-coaster ride. The company had been doubling its annual Want to help Seven Days through the revenue for three years straight, and was about to pandemic? Become a Super Reader. raise capital, before its restaurant sales flatlined. Look for the “Give Now” buttons at the top of Determined to retain its workers, the partners sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your got a Paycheck Protection Program loan, pivoted address and contact info to: to filling online orders and made hand sanitizer SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS to keep the doors open. P.O. BOX 1164 BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 The stomach-churning thrill is gone for Runamok’s Eric Sorkin. “I don’t think I’ve ever For more information on making a financial less wanted to be a business owner,” he said. contribution to Seven Days, please contact Like so many of us, he’s just trying to hold on. Corey Grenier:

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B Y DER EK B R OU WER TIM NEWCOMB

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ECONOMY

As businesses scramble to scoop up COVID-19 cash, many are left empty-handed B Y K E VI N MCCA LLUM

conic Vermont businesses such as Darn Tough Vermont and the Trapp Family Lodge are among thousands of Green Mountain State businesses that received a combined $1.2 billion in federal pandemic relief through the Paycheck Protection Program. And last week, Vermont launched its own $152 million program to provide grants of up to $50,000 to hard-hit businesses. But thousands of desperate businesses are out of luck when it comes to one or both of the high-profile relief programs. Greg Ford, a wholesale car buyer from Barre, said that guidelines exclude him from the state-administered grants. “My accountant said, ‘You’re not going 12

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

to get any money,’” Ford recalled. “I said, ‘That’s a bunch of bullshit.’” Ford, 53, said he was able to qualify for a modest PPP loan. He’s not eligible for the state grant program, however, for three reasons: He’s a sole proprietor, meaning he has no employees; he’s white; and he’s male. The state set aside $5 million for soleproprietor businesses that are majority owned by women and/or people of color to keep those businesses from falling behind, explained Rep. Jean O’Sullivan (D-Burlington). Those groups, including New Americans, have traditionally lacked strong relationships with bankers. “You want a broad swath of business to survive this thing, not just the very well

connected,” O’Sullivan said. “This should not be survival of the fittest.” But it means tens of thousands of sole proprietors, including Ford, won’t be cashing in. Ford said he understands and supports the rationale behind some programs that give preferential treatment to women and minorities because they’ve historically been excluded from opportunities. But the criteria feels off in response to a pandemic that is devastating wide-ranging sectors of the economy, he said. “The virus wasn’t sexist. The virus wasn’t racist,” Ford said. “The virus said,

More than 180 of Vermont’s churches and religious groups collectively got more than $6 million in COVID-19 aid, according to Seven Days’ analysis of federal data. Most of the religious beneficiaries of the CARES Act-funded Paycheck Protection Program received forgivable loans of less than $50,000 — below the threshold at which the feds made a beneficiary’s name public. But a dozen or so got higher amounts. Most of that went to schools or groups that operate them. Rock Point School on the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont’s Burlington property received between $150,000 and $350,000, while Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, a Catholic institution, got between $350,000 and $1 million. Congress enabled churches and faith-based institutions to tap the PPP to pay salaries and utility bills while worship services were disrupted. The provision allowed Essex Alliance Church, a large evangelical congregation, and Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington to receive between $150,000 and $350,000 each. Catholic dioceses obtained at least $1.4 billion nationally at a time when some of them face sexual abuse lawsuits, the Associated Press reported last week. The Burlington diocese has paid out more than $30 million to sex abuse survivors over the years, and last year Bishop Christopher Coyne suggested the church didn’t have much left for those still coming forward. The total awarded to Vermont Catholic entities is at least $1.1 million and may be significantly higher. Neither the diocese nor Vermont Catholic Charities responded to a request for comment. Christ the King-St. Anthony parish in Burlington, St. Monica in Barre and St. Francis Xavier in Winooski each received more than $150,000, the data show. All three parishes also operate schools. Vermont Catholic Charities, which runs several eldercare homes, among other endeavors, received between $350,000 and $1 million. In a Facebook post, St. Monica disclosed and defended its $150,000 award. “None of the money was used to pay off abuse claims, or was sent to the Diocese to pay off abuse claims,” the parish wrote. About two-thirds of its money went to pay teacher salaries at the affiliated St. Monica-St. Michael School. Without it, “the loss of our Spring fundraiser, Super Bingo, and regular Bingo, would have been devastating,” the parish wrote. “So please don’t listen to any report that implies the Church should not have received the money.” Andrea Suozzo contributed reporting.

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Former Burlington police chief Brandon del Pozo

ust after 11 p.m. on June 18, Brandon del Pozo tweeted. The former Burlington Police Department chief and newly minted PhD shared a link to a BuzzFeed News video titled “Why Aren’t Police Held Accountable for Wrongdoings?” The piece examined how officers such as Derek Chauvin — the Minneapolis cop who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, killing him — could stay on the job despite racking up misconduct complaints. The six-minute video was interspersed with clips of del Pozo, the only expert featured. He opined that there should be a national registry of cops who commit serious misconduct and lamented that police unions keep “bad cops on the force.” Just 24 hours before he posted the clip, protesters assembled in front of Burlington City Hall to demand that Mayor Miro Weinberger do what del Pozo didn’t: fire three Burlington officers involved in violent incidents. Del Pozo had opted for lighter discipline. He suspended Sgt. Jason Bellavance for between two and three weeks after the officer knocked a young Black man unconscious in the fall of 2018. He didn’t punish Officer Joseph Corrow for his involvement in a similar

case. And he chose not to fire Officer Cory Campbell, whose fight with Douglas Kilburn contributed to the man’s death in spring 2019. When activists saw that a national news outlet had anointed del Pozo the spokesperson for police accountability, they were angry. The former chief created “an abrasive culture,” said Mike Fife, an outspoken critic of del Pozo. “To have [him] lifted up as this philosopher who’s going to get these platforms is disgusting.” Del Pozo had been largely silent since he resigned last December after admitting he’d created an anonymous Twitter account to harass a critic. In the last three months, however, del Pozo has made more than a dozen media appearances — in the New York Daily News and on podcasts from Slate and MSNBC, to name a few — elevating his status from ex-chief to preeminent police reform expert. In each of the media spots, del Pozo ignored or glossed over the violent incidents in his former department even as he explained what went wrong in others. DOCTOR WHO?

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news In one of his two op-eds published in the New York Times in June, del Pozo said police departments shouldn’t tolerate brutality but didn’t mention the public outcry he caused when he didn’t fire Bellavance, Corrow or Campbell. He bragged about sending a cadre of Queen City cops to an Alabama lynching memorial but left out how one officer’s choice to wear a controversial, pro-police T-shirt to the museum ignited a furor on Facebook. He also made light of lying to Seven Days when asked about his burner account last summer. “I felt like someone walked up to me in the middle of a party and asked me if I was the one who farted,” he told MSNBC personality Chris Hayes. Del Pozo’s rise to national prominence is troubling to the union that represents Howard Center employees — including Charles Winkleman, the target of the former chief ’s trolling. Members of AFSCME Local 1674 started a petition earlier this month to “drop del Pozo” from the organization’s board of trustees, on which del Pozo has served since 2018. It has amassed more than 360 signatures. Howard Center CEO Bob Bick defended del Pozo during a virtual June 11 town hall-style staff meeting. “One of the pillars of our organization is that we believe that people have the ability to change,” he said. “We believe in rehabilitation.” Del Pozo responded to questions from Seven Days via email. He said he has no intention of being quiet. He believes he can contribute to the national conversation on policing despite his issues as chief. Those who support his ideas agree. “There’s very few voices of reform from the side of the police departments that have his credentials,” said Prospero Gogo, a Burlington resident and selfdescribed moderate Democrat who has tweeted in support of del Pozo’s op-eds. “He’s a flawed character, but if you think about it, how many other police officers come out saying what he is about how there should be some wholesale reform?’ Del Pozo’s reemergence has also reawakened his critics, who say del Pozo is preaching what he didn’t practice during his four years as Burlington’s chief. “If you’re Brandon del Pozo and you’re being given this platform, you have a responsibility to be open about and own up to your wrongdoing,” City Councilor Jack Hanson (P-East District) said. “It’s critical that he is transparent.” When del Pozo told BuzzFeed that police departments need a reformist leader with “no history, no allegiances, 14

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FILE; COURTNEY LAMDIN

Doctor Who? « P.13

Charles Winkleman

who doesn’t mind ruffling feathers,” he may have been describing himself. He arrived in Burlington as a former New York Police Department deputy. Activists filled city hall to protest his appointment in 2015, fearing that del Pozo would bring the NYPD’s brutish culture to progressive Burlington. Del Pozo’s own troops didn’t always feel a kinship with their Ivy Leagueeducated philosopher in chief, who took a different approach to fighting the war on drugs. Del Pozo directed his cops to stop arresting people for illegally possessing buprenorphine, a drug that treats opioid-use disorder. Police also started carrying the overdose-reversal agent naloxone. A 50 percent reduction in overdose deaths in Chittenden County from 2017 to 2018 was largely attributed to del Pozo’s methods. Cops with a more conservative bent accused del Pozo of being too liberal, a characterization del Pozo takes in stride. “We didn’t always see eye to eye, but the officers and I had the same motivation: to protect and serve Burlington while making sense of some of the most difficult things a person can see,” he wrote to Seven Days. A year into del Pozo’s tenure, Ralph “Phil” Grenon, a 76-year-old man with schizophrenia, holed up in his downtown apartment with a knife after making threats. Del Pozo supervised the police response at the scene. Officers tried to subdue Grenon with a Taser, but when he advanced with a knife, an officer opened fire, killing him.

In November 2019, del Pozo penned an op-ed in the Times that urged police to rethink brandishing firearms when dealing with knife-wielding subjects in crisis. He neglected to mention Grenon, telling Seven Days he didn’t think the Burlington example was “topical” to a national audience.

IF YOU’RE BRANDON DEL POZO AND YOU’RE BEING GIVEN THIS PLATFORM,

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C ITY C O UNC IL O R JAC K HA N S O N

After the Grenon case, del Pozo ordered de-escalation training for the force and publicly praised officers who used restraint in tense situations. He equipped cops with ballistic shields, which he said aided in their successful apprehension of Aita Gurung, the suspect in a brutal meat cleaver attack in 2017. The department spent $157,000 to stock a new emergency response vehicle with nonlethal tools

intended to help “isolate and contain volatile situations,” del Pozo said then. The former chief also introduced an online system for citizens to file complaints against officers and gave the city’s citizen-led police commission access to all the complaints. In an interview with WDEV’s David Goodman on June 24, del Pozo said Burlington should no longer keep police disciplinary decisions a secret. “There’s discipline that I’ve undertaken as a chief of police against Burlington cops that I think is strong, aggressive, strict discipline,” he said. “No one will ever find out, because in Burlington that’s a confidential city matter. I don’t support that.” But del Pozo’s public commitment to accountability didn’t always square with the decisions he made in private. In the spring of 2019, del Pozo and Weinberger came under fire for attempting to influence the chief medical examiner’s finding that Kilburn’s death was a homicide, caused in part by Officer Campbell’s punch. City councilors’ trust in the chief was further shaken when they learned about other alleged excessive-force incidents only after the victims filed federal lawsuits. Del Pozo told MSNBC’s Hayes that he ran “the most progressive police department in America.” But as chief, he mocked activists when he thought no one was looking. Responding to the criticism about his officer’s “thin blue line” shirt at the memorial last summer, del Pozo told Seven Days that “we have to take it seriously, and we have to listen.” But in an internal email the next day, he derided the activists as “wingnuts” who were “gleeful that they could seize on left wing PC mania to undo our work and stymie our efforts.” In July of 2019, del Pozo hid behind the @WinkleWatchers account to troll his fiercest critic, firing off a handful of taunting tweets over the course of an hour. Del Pozo said in recent interviews that he acted out due to “mounting pressure” on the job and because he came back to work too soon after sustaining a head injury in a bicycle crash in June of 2018. “There was one particular guy who was a very onerous tweeter,” del Pozo told Hayes, referring to Winkleman. “Just everything I said, he was constantly insulting. It got under my skin so badly, in a way I regret, that I sent him eight anonymous tweets.” “You ended up having to resign because you were too online,” Hayes said. Del Pozo agreed, saying he decided to step down after the mayor told him, “This is a big scandal in a little city.” And it was: The del Pozo saga — and the subsequent revelation that his deputy, Jan Wright, had operated her own burner accounts — made national news.

“There’s something really human and tragic about this,” Hayes said of del Pozo’s downfall. “You tried to be a progressive police chief in a progressive city.” Winkleman takes issue with how del Pozo has been painted as a “humbled reformer” while his record is ignored. “He messed with a state investigation, and now suddenly he’s the best cop there is, the true progressive police reformer?” Winkleman said. “Maybe that was his goal all along, but that’s not how he acted in Burlington.” Fife, too, said del Pozo’s writings come across as tone-deaf. He pointed to a line in one of del Pozo’s op-eds that says police leaders “have long been content to kick the can down the road because making real change is hard.” Fife found that statement ironic given that del Pozo resisted — for two years — Fife’s efforts to get the department to adopt a social media policy. In a December 2018 email exchange, del Pozo told Fife that attempts to regulate his speech were “the beginning of the road to fascism.” Plenty of others, though, welcome del Pozo’s voice in the ongoing debate

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about police reform. Former Burlington City Council president Kurt Wright invited del Pozo on his radio show, “The Morning Drive,” on June 8, a week after the first Times opinion piece ran. It was del Pozo’s first local media appearance since he had resigned. Burlington’s excessive-force cases aren’t comparable to what happened in Minneapolis, Wright said, adding that del Pozo shouldn’t be silenced for making mistakes. Wright said he judges del Pozo on his entire career, not the hour that the former chief spent sending anonymous tweets. “Clearly there was some controversies. Not everything was handled perfectly, and I think it’s part of his whole story,” Wright said. Gogo agreed, saying that while del Pozo’s social media behavior was “awful” and “cowardly,” the former chief ’s views deserve a national platform. Del Pozo is unafraid to criticize police actions, when most cops protect their own at all costs, Gogo said. “It’s not necessarily that I forgive him for what he did; I just think that what he’s putting out there is very important,” he said.

Even members of the Burlington police union, who at times found themselves at odds with del Pozo’s thinking, said they wish him well. In an emailed response to Seven Days, the Burlington Police Officers’ Association did not address a question about del Pozo’s claim that unions keep “bad cops on the force.” “The national media and academia obviously value his decades of police experience, and the BPOA does not fault him for pursuing those outlets to further his influence on public safety,” the union’s statement says. Del Pozo said he submitted his first Times op-ed unsolicited but that the other outlets reached out to him. Neither Hayes nor Megan Vatterott, the producer for the BuzzFeed piece, responded to interview requests from Seven Days. In the months since his resignation, del Pozo earned his PhD from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York, writing a dissertation titled “The Police and the State.” He’s now researching substance use on a fellowship from Brown University. He’s also still active online.

Last week, Winkleman engaged in a heated Twitter debate about the movement to abolish police with David Simon, the writer who created the HBO police drama “The Wire.” The spat ended when Simon blocked Winkleman and another activist, labeling them “mook” and “subhuman.” Del Pozo retweeted the entire thread, cheering Simon’s takedown of his foe. “Insulated millennial white Vermonters told David Simon … that they know more than him about violence in Black communities because they’ve studied critical theory and read certain books,” he wrote. Del Pozo posted the subtweet on July 6, almost exactly a year to the day that he created the account to taunt Winkleman. It didn’t take long for some Burlingtonians to notice. “This response shows your continued obsession with Mr. Winkleman,” Melo Grant, a newly appointed member of the Burlington Police Commission, responded on Twitter. “It’s not a good look and shows that you really haven’t put this all behind you.” m Contact: courtney@sevendaysvt.com

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5/27/20 11:31 AM

news No Relief « P.12

ELECTION 2020

Scott to Debate, Engage in Limited Pre-Primary Campaigning FILE: SOPHIE MACMILLAN

BY PAUL H E I N TZ

Gov. Phil Scott

GR E G F O R D

administration was doing its best to distribute the funds allocated by the legislature. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to go back in and fill that need, as well,” Scott said. Both the PPP and state grant programs restrict eligibility. For example, the PPP was limited to businesses of fewer than 500 employees. The state grant program limits awards to businesses with typically less than $20 million in annual receipts that have lost at least 50 percent of revenue. (Some funds were set aside for those that lost 75 percent of revenue.) A hodgepodge of other restrictions has surprised some applicants. Prudish federal rules kept PPP funds from flowing to sex shop Imago in Colchester, according to owner Gerard Rainville. The Small Business Administration “has determined that financing lawful activities of a prurient sexual nature is not in the public interest,” read the guidelines that his lender forwarded to him to explain his rejection. OM WC

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

“I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE. I’M SHUTTING YOU ALL DOWN.”

THE VIRUS SAID,

TIM

When he announced in May that he would seek a third term, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said he would not campaign for the job until the state’s coronavirusinduced state of emergency was over. But in an interview on Monday, the Berlin Republican reversed course and said he would engage in some campaign activities before the August 11 primary election. “I do feel that I owe it to the competition, as well as to the process, to get myself involved in the last three or four weeks [of the campaign],” he said. “So it won’t be a robust campaign by any stretch, but I will do some of the debates.” Acknowledging that the public health crisis is nowhere near over, Scott said he would no longer tie his campaign plans to the existence of a state of emergency in Vermont. “That could go on for months,” he said. “I don’t want to use that as an excuse to not campaign.” The governor first declared a state of emergency on March 13 and has extended it four times since, most recently on Tuesday, for another month. Scott said he still plans to avoid most campaign activities for the foreseeable future. He does not intend to raise money, hire a campaign staff or put up lawn signs, for example. But in the interview with Seven Days, which he characterized as his first of the campaign season, he said he would take some questions from the press and take part in “two or three of the major debates.” Three of Scott’s opponents in the Republican primary — John Klar, Emily Peyton and Douglas Cavett — are scheduled to take part in a July 22 debate cohosted by Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS. Scott said he had not yet committed to taking part in that debate but was “leaning that way.” Scott said he wasn’t sure exactly what would make him comfortable enough to fully engage in the campaign, but he said the decision would likely hinge on the state’s coronavirus case rate and its success reopening the economy. “I can’t say at this point in time when that’s going to be, but I’ll know it when I see it,” he said.

‘I don’t care who you are. I’m shutting you all down.’” Gov. Phil Scott’s administration initially proposed a loan program that would have been available to all 60,000 estimated sole proprietors in Vermont. But legal hurdles and input from the business community resulted in a major overhaul, according to lawmakers. During that process, administration officials changed tack and argued against including sole proprietors at all, said Rep. Michael Marcotte (R-Newport), chair of the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. Legislators, meanwhile, felt pressure to get the money out quickly, Marcotte added. “One thing [the Scott administration] did ask us for was to make sure there was at least one employee, because the business community of sole proprietors was so large that they were afraid they were going to get bogged down,” he said. Excluding some businesses without employees from a relief program is a “huge elephant in the room” not being talked about amid all the press coverage, said Charles Martin, government affairs director for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, we find that pretty troubling because there are so many sole proprietors in the state, and they are the lion’s share of our business community,” he said. Small businesses are already at a disadvantage because of the complexity of the programs and the fact that they are first-come, first-served, Martin said. “I completely sympathize with businesses who don’t necessarily have on-the-spot, speed-dial legal counsel to walk them through some of the intricacies of this,” Martin said. Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington) said she fielded a spirited call from Ford, her constituent, and understands his concerns. The bill was passed at 9:30 p.m. on the Friday before the Senate adjourned and probably didn’t get the debate it might have otherwise, she said. “The reality is, we didn’t have enough money to help all of them,” Cummings said. Joan Goldstein, commissioner of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said demand for the grant program has been “robust.” As of Monday, 2,956 businesses had applied, requesting a total of $35 million. Nearly 200 applications totaling $6.8 million had been approved, and another 989 were in the queue, she said. Ninety-five had been found ineligible, while 158 applications were deemed incomplete.

She declined to weigh in on the equity of the eligibility requirements, stressing that the grant program was created specifically to help support businesses that might not have been able to benefit from the PPP. “There is help on the way,” Goldstein said. “It’s not going to help every single person in every single situation, but it’s a step in the right direction to help as many businesses as we possibly can.” Asked Tuesday about the program eligibility requirements, Scott said he was “concerned” and noted that the

Rainville had to let his seven employees go and drastically reduce his hours and expenses. He no longer takes a salary, and he’s getting unemployment. Rainville, who has owned the business since 1997, knows his shop is not for everyone. But he said he’d like to know how federal officials justify playing favorites when it comes to bailing out legal businesses. “The next time a politician comes into my store to shop, I will ask them that question,” Rainville quipped. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England finds itself in a similar pickle, except that it received $2.7 million in PPP funds — only to later have regulators order it returned. The organization has about 250 employees in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It saw the loan as its best opportunity to preserve services during a time of unprecedented stress on the nation’s health care system, spokesperson Lucy Leriche said. “We are the poster child in terms of what the program was supposed to do, and that was to prevent layoffs and furloughs,” Leriche said. Now it’s fighting to hold on to the funds the SBA is trying to claw back. After disbursing the funds, the agency concluded that Planned Parenthood affiliates are too closely aligned with the national organization to be considered independent entities and therefore exceed the 500- employee limit. Leriche said the ruling appears to only affect Planned Parenthood. “This is clearly a targeted attack against our organization and against reproductive health care for poor and vulnerable populations,” she said. Eligibility isn’t the problem for the travel and hospitality sector, though the program just might not work for those businesses, said Austin Davis, government affairs manager for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. A loan to keep staff on the payroll doesn’t cut it for businesses that can’t reopen because there are no visitors or too few to offset other expenses, Davis said. “The travel, leisure and hospitality

KATHY SPEAR, FORMER OWNER OF industries were not very well served by the PPP,” Davis said. There are some smaller pots of money available to sole proprietors, but far from what’s needed to meet demand, Marcotte said. Lawmakers will consider expanding those funds when they return in August, but it will depend on whether additional federal dollars are forthcoming. “This isn’t an easy place for any of us to be in,” he said. Julie Rohleder and her husband, John, are also in a tough spot. The couple owns the Fitch Hill Inn in Hyde Park, a bed-and-breakfast in a stately 200-yearold farmhouse they purchased in 2003. The pair didn’t apply for the PPP because they don’t have any employees and run the six-room inn themselves; they figured they wouldn’t be eligible. When they shut it down amid the pandemic, the couple began receiving unemployment insurance and, for a time, benefited from the $600 each extra in weekly federal benefits. But when they reopened their business in June, they were no longer eligible for unemployment, and bookings were anemic. Business has crept up since then but remains less than 25 percent of typical summer volumes, a level that’s not sustainable. “We’re borrowing from Peter to pay Paul at this point,” Julie said. “We’re borrowing from our unborn great-grandchildren!” She was hopeful that they might qualify for a grant under the new state recovery program because the partnership is woman-owned — her half of it, anyway. But the program only applies to businesses that are 51 percent owned by women and minorities, so they didn’t apply, she said “That’s three strikes for us,” Julie said, referring to the PPP, unemployment and recovery grant programs. Julie worries about what the state’s future holds. After a spate of recent closures, there’s just one motel left in Morrisville and two B&Bs in nearby Hyde Park, she said. Every time a lodging business closes, that’s one more hit to the local economy and to the tax base of the state, she noted, stressing that meals and rooms taxes make up a good chunk of the education budget. Her message to lawmakers: “You need to think about how many of us are out here just trying to keep our heads above water.” m Andrea Suozzo contributed reporting. Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

KATHY AND COMPANY FLOWERS, NEWS

Burlington City Council OKs ‘Black Lives Matter’ Street Mural BY C O UR TNEY L AMD IN

Volunteers can help paint a “Black Lives Matter” mural on Burlington’s Main Street this Sunday, July 19, after the city council voted unanimously on Monday to allow the project to go forward. Introduced by Councilor Karen Paul (D-Ward 6), the resolution says the artwork will likely be painted on Main Street between South Winooski Avenue and Church Street. Volunteers and the city’s Department of Public Works will maintain the mural through October 2023, “at which point the City Council will determine next steps,” according to the resolution. The painting event, which is open to all, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Paul said the project will show that Burlingtonians “are no longer bystanders in a crisis that we can actually solve.” Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1) and Tyeastia Green, the city’s racial equity director, both helped write the resolution, Paul said. Similar Black Lives Matter murals have appeared across the country after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, a Black man, in late May. The street art movement started on June 5 in Washington, D.C., where volunteers painted the slogan in 50-foot-tall yellow letters on a street leading to the White House. Copycats have cropped up on streets in New York City, Seattle, Hollywood and, locally, Montpelier. The capital city’s mural was defaced shortly after it was painted in front of the Statehouse on June 13. Other street paintings in Jericho and Underhill were also vandalized in recent days. Paul acknowledged that some people might think Burlington’s mural project is performative activism, but she said the city has taken substantive steps toward racial justice by allocating $1 million to various anti-racist initiatives. Councilor Brian Pine (P-Ward 3) agreed. “I think it’s OK and important for us, as the elected leaders in this community, to take both symbolic and substantive measures to show that we’re trying to turn a corner on 400 years of racist history,” he said. m Contact: courtney@sevendaysvt.com

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Tumultuous months leave Woodside youth lockup without a home B Y DER EK B R O UWER FILE: JAMES BUCK

ov. Phil Scott’s administration has blown by its self-imposed July 1 deadline to close the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, the state’s only youth lockup. But the coronavirus crisis nearly helped shutter the Essex facility months earlier. On March 22, officials decided to repurpose the detention center into a COVID-19 recovery site for adults with mental illness. There was plenty of space available: The building’s 30 beds at the time held just four troubled youths. Less than 48 hours later, the Vermont Department for Children and Families shuttled the kids to a hastily converted medical office in St. Albans, rented a nearby hotel room for Woodside employees and installed a new interim CEO, Brenda Dawson,to oversee the so-called “Suite 12” program. The new location was considered temporary, but Human Services Secretary Mike Smith, who approved the move, said he told DCF leaders at the time that he didn’t want the youths going back to Woodside — ever. Yet the move only plunged the heavily scrutinized program into further disarray. Suite 12 fell apart in less than two weeks, and a second location in Middlesex also failed. With no private partners willing to take over care of the kids, Smith let the program return to Woodside in May. It will remain there for the foreseeable future as the Scott administration returns to the drawing board. Five youths are currently housed at the center. As the result of a federal lawsuit about conditions at the facility, Woodside has been operating since March under the terms of a settlement agreement with the plaintiff, Disability Rights Vermont. But problems at the center have continued to mount. The last few weeks have brought new “concerning” uses of physical restraints by staff, DCF acknowledged. And on July 1, Dawson, who had been the program’s third director in less than six months, was removed from the position and placed on paid leave pending a state investigation into unrelated allegations. The state has not made any details of that public. “We thought there was a lot of momentum to sort of make a change. And we were waiting to hear what it was,” said A.J. Ruben, a supervising attorney for Disability Rights Vermont. “We don’t know still today what’s going to happen. In the meantime, youth and staff are having a hard time, and unnecessarily so.” The number of youths at Woodside has been declining for years, but efforts to rethink or abandon the prisonlike center didn’t gain traction until last November, when it sat empty for the first time since its creation in 1986. The Scott administration quickly announced its intention to shutter Woodside by July 1, reasoning that it could save much of the center’s $5.8 million annual budget by contracting services to a private provider. The move triggered a confrontation with the Vermont

CORRECTIONS

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

A resident’s room at the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center

State Employees’ Association, which accused officials of trying to privatize services at the expense of vulnerable teens. The state was also facing the civil rights lawsuit filed by Ruben’s group. The suit claimed — and a judge agreed last August — that Woodside staff were using inappropriate restraints and seclusion methods and providing poor treatment to their mentally ill wards. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford described what he called an especially “troubling” case in which a video shows staff members using plastic shields and hazmat suits to push a naked teenage girl “streaked with excrement” into a locked room. “The treatment of this girl is entirely inappropriate and demonstrates in the space of a few minutes Woodside’s limited ability to care for a child who is experiencing symptoms of serious mental illness,” Crawford concluded. The settlement includes requirements for stricter monitoring when employees use force and training on de-escalation techniques. As part of the negotiations, Woodside’s longtime director, Jay Simons, stepped into a different role, state officials said. By the time COVID-19 hit, DCF still hadn’t found a new provider. The state did receive four bids from private behavioral health organizations, Smith said, but officials weren’t satisfied with them. Closing Woodside would require legislative approval, but without an alternative caregiver for the kids, officials have not brought forth the request.

The pandemic prompted the state to take a chance at relocating the program, at least temporarily. Northwestern Counseling & Support Services, a St. Albans nonprofit, offered to sublease an office suite on the Northwestern Medical Center campus that it uses as a day center for autistic children. The organization removed furniture from the clinical spaces so DCF could convert them into bedrooms, and the hospital agreed to provide daily meals. Woodside staff would remain on-site 24 hours a day. Suite 12 was still a far cry from the fenced, locked and concrete Essex campus, but DCF was “looking into installing delayed locks and alarms on windows,” family services Deputy Commissioner Christine Johnson wrote in a memo to lawmakers, three days after the move. However, Northwestern Counseling & Support Services executive director Todd Bauman said in an interview last week that he made clear from the outset that the agency couldn’t install new locks on the premises. Bauman understood the move as an emergency “bridge” to a more permanent location, he said. Within a week, two of the four youths at Suite 12 escaped. On April 6, the state moved the program to the Middlesex Therapeutic Community Residence, a fenced facility operated by the Department of Mental Health, citing the lack of security in St. Albans. A teen escaped from that location, too, on May 12. The Agency of Human Services moved the program

SINCE 1982

back to Woodside three days later, who took over on June 29 after Ken Experienced & Professional Seamstresses ~ Specializing in Formal & Bridal Wear acknowledging to VTDigger.org at the Schatz retired, said the department is General Alterations & Tailoring ~ Emboidery/Monogramming time that the Middlesex location was not investigating the recent use-of-force the “best fit” for the particular youths incident. “We are concerned, and we SEWINGBASKETVT.COM who were there. Smith told Seven Days have additional work to do,” Brown said 159 Pearl St, Essex Junction: 878-7181, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm he had hoped to avoid a return to Wood- after hearing from staff members who 325 N. Main St, Barre: 476-8389, Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 8am-Noon side because he considered that site to be viewed video footage of the incident. No merely temporary, as well. employees were placed on leave as part 12h-SewingBasket062420.indd 1 6/23/20 4:37 PM VSEA president Steve Howard said of the review, he said. he thinks state officials exploited the He confirmed that the Department pandemic emergency to make Wood- of Human Resources is investigating side’s closure seem inevitable. Instead, separate allegations against Dawson, he said, the unsuccessful “experiments” saying only that they do not directly in St. Albans and Middlesex only proved relate to treatment of youth detainees. that Vermont needs a facility as secure Brown said he removed Dawson from as Woodside. her interim role and assigned Benning“If you don’t have ton Family Services a secure facility, it encourages violent District director Beth Sausville as the outbursts that put The Kids VT team is rounding up new interim CEO. both the adolescent resources for parents looking to The grievance issue and also the staff in TUESDAY - Trent's Bread entertain and educate their children h a s a l re a d y b e e n danger. It also allows at home. Find inspiration in the THURSDAY - Maggie T's Artisan Breads for numerous escapes addressed, he said. Wee-Mail newsletter. that threaten the public Officials now say 8 SO. MAIN STREET safety,” Howard said. they hope to shutter ST. ALBANS Subscribe at kidsvt.com Ma r s h a l l Pa h l , Woodside by year’s 524-3769 supervising attorney end, but that process Wee-Mail sponsored by: Curbside pick-up available for the Office of the is only becoming more Juvenile Defender,is complicated. The RAILC IT Y M ARK E T V T.CO M less inclined to draw delays have triggered STEVE HOWARD conclusions from those a clause in the recent recent experiences. “I legal settlement that K12V-WeeMail0620.indd 1 5/28/20 12v-RailCityMarket071520.indd 10:47 AM 1 7/8/20 3:38 PM don’t think you can look at anything requires the state to hire a PhD-level that’s happened during the pandemic clinician as director and renovate a and see it as a reflection of much besides three-bed seclusion area of the building the pandemic,” he said. known as the North Unit into a theraThe recent return to Woodside has peutic space. DCF has not started either also been rocky. Despite new training action but takes the agreement’s terms efforts, Woodside staff used “the same, “incredibly seriously,” Brown said, and or even more dangerous, pain-inflicting intends to comply. maneuvers that existed prior to this The state has separate construclitigation” to subdue a youth during a tion plans that hinge on demolishing June 29 encounter, Disability Rights the current Woodside structure. In Vermont alleged in recently filed court May, Buildings and General Services documents. State monitors and external Commissioner Christopher Cole told consultants have flagged at least three lawmakers of a proposal to build a new use-of-force incidents since April, the inpatient treatment center for mentally group said. ill adults on the site. The facility would The July 7 filing alleges that DCF replace the Middlesex one that housed isn’t complying with the terms of the Woodside in April and May. That settlement agreement and asks the building opened in 2013 as a temporary court to intervene. Disability Rights center following Tropical Storm Irene. Vermont also notes the “sudden In light of the shifting circumremoval” of Dawson as interim CEO stances, Brown and Smith said they are and criticizes Woodside for a “chilling” exploring — as one option — whether a procedure change that requires youths smaller version of Woodside could be to submit grievances to frontline staff, “colocated” with the new adult facility instead of through a confidential box. on the existing Essex property. “We have a concern that there’s a Such a solution would be closer to the heightened risk” of harm to the youths 10-bed, state-run facility that VSEA union 863-5625 and employees at Woodside, Ruben members pitched to lawmakers earlier said. “We want to make sure that there’s this year. But even that would require the HomeShareVermont.org a lot of focus on reducing that risk to remaining youths at Woodside to make everyone involved until a replacement another, temporary move. m for the facility can be identified.” DCF Commissioner Sean Brown, Contact: derek@sevendaysvt.com

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WEEK IN REVIEW

FEEDback « READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES

P.7

KEEP BURTON QUIET

Alan Newman sounds like an amazing entrepreneur [“Vanishing Act,” July 1]. I wonder if he is aware of the resistance that the residents surrounding Burton are mounting in opposition to concerts by Higher Ground at its facility. Members of the group Citizens for Responsible Zoning do not oppose other uses of the Burton plant. But over 100 concerts that end after 10 p.m. — and some after midnight — don’t belong there. Our homes, with windows open on summer nights, will not be places for sleeping when these concerts let out. Perhaps Newman can use his expertise and experience to bring his concerts to Memorial Auditorium, where we will all benefit. Stephanie Herrick

BURLINGTON

FLYING TOO LOW

[WTF: “Why Did a Chopper Haul Another Aircraft Across Lake Champlain?” June 24] struck a nerve with some Underhill and Jericho residents. Specifically, the last sentence: “Unlike the newly arrived F-35 fighter jets, Beta’s bird isn’t loud enough to rile up its neighbors.” Not true. Last year, Kyle Clark’s low-flying nonelectrical aircrafts provoked Front Porch Forum postings. When our once-peaceful community is compromised, it riles us. I have a video of a Beta Technologies aircraft just above the roof of my 35-foot house. The Federal Aviation Administration requirement of aircrafts is 500 feet in rural areas. We would hope that all pilots adhere to those regulations for the greater good. Sandy Murphy

UNDERHILL

SIEGEL UNDERSTANDS STRUGGLE

[Re Off Message: “Progressives Seek to Ward Off Perennial Vying for Party Nod,” July 7]: Brenda Siegel makes no secret of the fact that she struggles financially. So three years ago, when we attended the Women’s Convention in Detroit, it was no shock when she laid out her budget for that weekend clearly to me. It was minimal, but enough to squeak by on, especially since her room and some of the meals were sponsored. Walking to the convention together one windy day, we passed by a man sleeping on the sidewalk. He was covered in grime, nothing below him but the cold concrete. Brenda stopped, pulled out the little bit of

cash she had set aside for food money that day, leaned down to him and said, “Sir, I’m going to put some money in your hand.” He woke up enough to accept and share gratitude as she tucked it into his hand. This is just one of many examples of her selflessness. In addition to being a good human when no one is looking, Brenda is a passionate and impactful advocate to our legislature for those struggling with opioid-use disorder, an epidemic that has hit our state exceptionally hard. Proven through social justice actions, her life is devoted to bringing equality to all. Brenda truly cares about the welfare of all the people of Vermont and will filter every decision through a lens of impact. Because of all of this, I enthusiastically endorse Brenda Siegel for lieutenant governor and hope you will join me. Laura Chapman

PUTNEY

LOVE LEFFLER

I cannot tell you how happy I am you wrote about Dr. Stephen Leffler [“Doc Star,” May 27]. Years ago they wheeled me into the ER. I was in pain with pneumonia and an infection in my lungs. I thought I was going to die. His little bit of humanity may have given me the strength to fight that illness. Marie Druet

SHELBURNE

EATING EASIER

The COVID-19 pandemic has called attention to the areas of our service delivery systems and related policies that threaten the well-being of our community, state and nation. Your article [“Hunger Crisis,” May 12] not only highlighted the desperation that individuals and families face as a result of food insecurity, but the difficult decisions they make each day to determine how best to go about meeting their basic needs. We are presented with a unique opportunity to activate and advocate for innovative measures and policy changes on both state and federal levels that shift how people access available resources to meet their basic human needs. Restructuring and reorganizing Vermont’s 3SquaresVT program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to remove systemic barriers for working adults without dependents and for families with children can improve access and lead to the delivery of quality services. Let us use what we have learned from this experience to inform new practices! The application process can be streamlined to be more user-friendly; work requirements can be made more flexible, taking education level and health issues into account, and recognizing that

3SquaresVT is not just a food security program but an economic program that supports the fiscal health of Vermont. Odessa Kilby-Way

COLCHESTER

NAZI ART

[Re “Not Buying It,” July 8]: This observation is probably not original to me — I may have picked it up from a Susan Sontag essay — but the Nazi symbols and artifacts mentioned in the Duane Merrill & Company auction story are fascinating to some people because they were deliberately designed to be so by artists. Both Adolf Hitler and his propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, had been aspiring artists, and artistic values remained central to their worldview. Aside from its typically murderous calls for “justice,” Nazism was partly, or primarily, an aesthetic movement. The art deco design elements in Nazi artifacts permeated to the level of the goose-stepping marching style, the snazzy uniforms, and even to the party’s glorification of angular symmetry in the ideal human body and face — which became true institutional racism. The sophisticated films of Leni Riefenstahl powerfully imprinted that aesthetic. Striking symbols and images fascinate, regardless of the stupidity or vileness of the ideas they represent. That’s why Plato would ban poets — verbal image-makers — from his Republic, and why some people, not necessarily racist, collect Nazi artifacts despite the horror they once promoted. I’ll let others debate the ethics of putting those items up for sale. As an aside, I’m not anti-art. I just think the ideas that artists promote aren’t any more valid than anyone else’s and should be taken with a grain of salt. Andy Leader

MIDDLESEX

INGRAM CARES ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE

[Re Off Message: “Debbie Ingram Kicks Off Bid for Lieutenant Governor,” June 26]: Debbie Ingram is my choice for lieutenant governor. In the Senate, Debbie has supported issues that are near and dear to my heart, including paid family leave. Debbie is committed to creating an economy that values the dignity of all people by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and initiating paid family and medical leave. Because Debbie has served in the Senate, she is familiar with the realities of getting that work done in Vermont. Debbie’s commitment to the dignity of all people in Vermont is also evidenced in her role as the cochair of the Social Equity

Caucus and her endorsement from Justice for All. I attended a virtual town hall on racial justice that Debbie organized and moderated, in which the panelists were Bor Yang and Rev. Arnold Thomas. I was impressed by Debbie’s questions and the respect that speakers had for Debbie’s work on racial justice. When someone from the audience asked, “How will we pay for all of this?” Debbie acknowledged that funds are not unlimited but that somehow, we always manage to pay for the things we decide are important. If we don’t think there is enough money to support racial justice, maybe what we need is to sit down and talk about our priorities. There is money to tackle the issues we care about. Let’s elect people who will prioritize the things we care about. Tanya Byker

CORNWALL

ASHE IS A MODERN-DAY BERNIE

As we’ve come to realize in present-day society, “experience” in your job, especially politics, is a liability. Look no further than the embarrassment in the White House for the most glaring example. But here in Vermont, experience matters. We still have some semblance of community, decency and integrity left. I recently had the opportunity to attend a small event in Stowe where Tim Ashe was the guest speaker. Ashe is the president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate, and he is running for lieutenant governor as a Democrat [Off Message: “Ashe Kicks Off Campaign for Lieutenant Governor,” May 28]. Ashe’s mentor was Bernie Sanders. He worked directly for him, and they spent countless hours together. Whatever you think of Bernie, he is a good and decent man. The one thing I always thought Bernie lacked was the tactical skills to execute on his vision. But from a great mentor always rises a protégé. Ashe is the younger, milder, pragmatic, egoless, modern-day version of Bernie. As I sat and listened to his life story and his genuine and earnest ambition to make Vermont what it once was and can be again, I was moved. He’s put in the long hours to understand the complexity of issues facing our communities, our environment and our economy — and has formulated a vision to fix it. Let’s reward that hard work, experience and pragmatism, instead of looking for someone new and untested to take the No. 2 spot in our state government. Vote for Tim Ashe for lieutenant governor in the August 11 primary. Daniel Galdenzi

STOWE

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

lifelines

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES Ralph Preston

at a young age, and they burned bright until very late in his life. Many Vermonters in the Burlington area can still recall seeing Ralph on the dance floor at swing and ballroom dancing events. He taught himself to build models at an

early age and became the world master of the craft, having lectured widely around the world. His Charles W. Morgan model was the most valuable ship-in-bottle ever sold and now resides at the German Technical Museum. Two of his other most prized models are of the Lunar Landing vehicle, which he gave to the astronaut Michael Collins, and the USS Eagle, the training ship of the Coast Guard. His payment for that model was a trans-Atlantic ride on the Eagle itself, which became one of his life highlights. (See his work at natosongs. com/hit-the-bottle.) Ralph was an epic storyteller, complete with surprising plot twists and a cadence to keep you hanging on every word. He told of the “big cat” that followed him at night on the island in the Philippines; his Native American grandfather; and his dog, Ren, with whom he built a small cave under a tree for himself and shared his first and probably only cigarette. (Pro-tip: Want to make it to 92? Take a page out of Ralph’s handbook by not smoking or drinking.) There was that time when he diverted a stream as a young boy, which led to a feud of neighbor farmers. And, sadly, the tragedy of his first love, Nancy, the Swedish girl whose engagement to Ralph and whose life were both cut short by a drunk driver.

Ralph had a fire of strength and love that belied his age. He leaves behind hundreds of people who remember his great kindness, humor and generosity. You couldn’t go anywhere with Ralph without a fond hello from people who met him at Sweetwaters, the 99 Restaurant, his gym, ballroom dancing or St. Mike’s. Those who became his immediate family include Michelle and Anthony Tran and their children, Tiffany, Tommy, Trixie and Alexander; Kim and Greg Burbo and their son, Joshua; Tove Ohlander and Rich Arentzen and their children, Nea, Niels and Enya; Kit O’Connor and Nate Orshan; and nephews and nieces Ross and Ward Atwood, Susan Cardoza, Karen Adams and Janis Young. Ralph was predeceased by his sisters, Annie Adams and Margaret Atwood; and his wife, Edith. The family includes many of his devoted caregivers, including Federica Murgia, the staff at the Pines, the Arbors, TLC and the UVM Medical Center. We love you, Ralph. Thank you for the friendship and for being part of our family. You deserve to rest. We’ll hold down the fort for you on Earth, and you keep watch for us in “That Great Bottle in the Sky.” In keeping with his love of science and education, Ralph donated his body to the UVM medical school.

Thayer School for the next 15 years. While he was at Thayer, the school was awarded a federal grant to study how children learn. Up to that time, it was the largest individual private elementary school grant in the history of the state. It used a system of levels to evaluate how students were progressing, rather than the usual grading system. When Thayer closed due to decreasing enrollment, Fenn directed the Continuing Education Program for the

district for the next two years. During his time at Thayer, he earned a certificate of advanced studies in administration and planning at UVM. The next move was to Brooklyn, Conn., in 1986, where Fenn became the coordinator of Instruction and Pupil Services in the Brooklyn School Department. After two years there, the family moved back to Vermont (which they had hoped to do at some point), and Fenn became principal of Williamstown Elementary School. It was from this job that he retired, but later he did work for the Asian Studies Program at UVM. Visiting scholars from China and Thailand lived in the Riders’ home at various times during those years. Fenn had many other interests during his lifetime. At an early age, he became a collector of stamps and first day covers. His interest in music has already been mentioned. For several summers, he volunteered at the Dragonheart Vermont annual festivals. He was an active member of Christ Church, Presbyterian. He was involved in Burlington’s youth hockey association and coached his son’s team from 1971 to 1974. During his time with Asian Studies, he was able to visit China three times. He was enthusiastic about travel generally, having also been to Japan, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Italy and France. Fenn had been a 64-year member of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, Laurel Lodge #651 at Uniontown. He was a past member of the Chittenden County Retired

Teachers Association and Phi Delta Kappa, a professional fraternity in education. He had also participated in and attended many professional workshops and conferences throughout the years. Fenn has been described in a number of ways by those who knew him: quirky; one-ofa-kind; an original, fun-loving, out-of-the-box thinker; a straight talker; good with children. Probably the one of those he would have liked the best is knowing he was considered to be good with children. That was his life’s focus. He is survived by his wife, Bronwyn Wyble Rider; his son, Thomas Fenn Rider III, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Schiavone Rider, and grandsons Thomas Fenn Rider IV and Ian Anthony Rider of Shelburne; his daughter, Hilary Rider Green, son-in-law Edward Green, and granddaughters Anna Fiona Green and Emilyn Rose Green of Santa Cruz, Calif.; granddaughter Bridget Bronwyn Sullivan of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; nieces Deborah McDonald of Uniontown, Pa., and Lois Barthen of Franklin, Pa.; and brother-in-law Dr. John F. Wyble of Monroeville, Pa. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Hazel Doris Rider McDonald, of Erie, Pa. A memorial service will be held at a later date when it will be safe for people to gather. Arrangements are in the care of the Cremation Society of Chittenden County, a division of the Ready Family. To send online condolences, please visit cremationsocietycc.com.

JUNE 26, 1927-JUNE 8, 2020 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT. Ralph Preston died peacefully on June 8 after having lived a long, full life with many friends and a large, loving family built with love and humor throughout his many decades. Ralph was born in Lowell in 1927. His was the first house with electricity in a town almost unreachable on dirt roads in mud season. His father was a car mechanic and imparted to Ralph his love of mechanics and engineering, which Ralph pursued at the University of Vermont and University of Pennsylvania. Like many in his generation, he enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served in the South Pacific. He helped liberate a Japanese POW camp, served on a minesweeper and even disobeyed a direct order so he could save a commander from sure death using his backwoods skills honed in the Green Mountain State. He lived for most of his adult life in a Hinesburg house he built himself and taught mathematics for many decades at Saint Michael’s College. You didn’t have to spend much time with Ralph before you’d hear about either of his twin passions: swing dancing and ship-in-bottle making. The fires for both were lit in him

Thomas Fenn Rider Jr.

MAY 26, 1935-JUNE 22, 2020 BURLINGTON, VT. Thomas Fenn Rider Jr., 85, passed away at the University of Vermont Medical Center on June 22, 2020. He was born on May 26, 1935, in Uniontown, Pa., the son of Thomas Fenn Rider Sr. and Ruth Conn Rider. He was a graduate of Uniontown High School and the University of Pittsburgh in 1958. While in college, he played cornet in the University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band. One of the highlights of that time for him was playing in the Sugar Bowl when the Pitt football team played there in 1956. This instilled in him a lifelong appreciation for marching band music. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and president of his chapter. While at Pitt, he also met his future wife, Bronwyn, when his roommate and her nursing school roommate became engaged and invited them both to be in the wedding party. They were married in Apollo, Pa., on April 30, 1960. Fenn’s career in education began in 1958 in Howard and Calvert counties, Md., where he was a teacher and vice principal. He earned his master of education degree from the University of Maryland in 1965. He became principal of Parkway School in Frederick County, Md., in 1966. In 1969, the family relocated to Burlington, where Fenn was the principal of

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Shanna Wester MARCH 19, 1990JULY 7, 2020 BOISE, IDAHO

Shanna Marie Wester, 30, of Boise, Idaho, and formerly of Phoenix, Ariz.; Colchester, Vt.; and Chandler, Ariz., died on July 7, 2020. Shanna leaves her father, Tony Wester, of Kuna, Idaho; her mother, Lisa (Danielson) Wester, of Burlington, Vt.; her sister, Allie Wester, of Austin, Texas; her former husband, Grant Sanders, of Boise, Idaho; her grandmother Hillevi Wester of Taby, Sweden; her grandmother Nancy Danielson of

South Yarmouth, Mass.; and her beloved dog Bo (Bowling Ball) of Boise, Idaho. Shanna was born on March 19, 1990 in Mesa, Ariz. Her early childhood was spent in Chandler, Ariz., with lots of time playing in the backyard pool with her sister and dogs, as well as camping and skiing with her family in northern Arizona. She moved to Colchester, Vt., in 2000, graduating from Colchester High School in 2008, where she excelled academically. Shanna attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in Phoenix,

Todd Anderson OCTOBER 9, 1968JUNE 23, 2020 WATERVILLE, VT.

Todd G. Anderson, 51, of Waterville, passed away on June 23, 2020, following a boating incident on Lake Champlain. Todd was born on October 9, 1968, son of W. Thomas Anderson and Barbara Anderson (predeceased). Todd leaves his father, W. Thomas Anderson; wife, Judy, of Shelburne; daughter, Samantha Lorrain, of Burlington; son, Sean Honsinger, of Alburgh; brother, Chad Anderson, and wife Lisa of Shelburne; three grandsons, Hunter, Carter and Kolby, of Burlington;

Ariz. She was a talented writer and reporter, winning first place in the 2011 Best of the West for her feature writing in the State Press. Her love for dogs — and all animals — was a throughline of her life since childhood. After volunteering at animal shelters in her early twenties, she found her passion working as a veterinary technician in Boise. She was wonderful with dogs, and many remarked she was a “dog whisperer.” Shanna had a radiant smile and a sarcastic sense of humor, and she was so smart. She loved hiking with her dog Bo, assembling Legos, skiing and traveling. One of her favorite places to travel was Sweden, where she discovered her favorite food — kanelbullar (cinnamon buns). Shanna also had a love of bright, vibrant, cheerful colors, and they were a hallmark of her style and home décor. If you were a friend of Shanna’s, her family welcomes you to leave your favorite memory and/ or picture with her on her Facebook page. Memorial donations can be made to Wings of Rescue, a 501c3 charity that flies endangered pets from high-intake and/ or high-kill shelters to no-kill shelters, from where they have all been adopted into loving homes.

and uncles, aunts, nephews and cousins. We should also note Todd had a lot of friends who have been very supportive in these past few weeks. Todd enjoyed spending his summers on Lake Champlain boating. Todd spent a lot of his adult life buying, fixing and selling cars, trucks and campers. Todd left us unexpectedly while trying to assist a 9-year-old boy who was struggling in the water, who with Todd’s assistance did survive. But, unfortunately, Todd and his friend David King, who jumped in to assist Todd, did not survive. At this time, no services have been scheduled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Want to memorialize a loved one? We’re here to help. Our obituary and in memoriam services are affordable, accessible and handled with personal care. Share your loved one’s story with the local community in Lifelines.

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Post your obituary or in memoriam online and in print at sevendaysvt.com/lifelines. Or contact us at lifelines@sevendaysvt.com or 865-1020 ext. 10.

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arts news

Fair Play

FILM

Moonrise Cinemas brings the drive-in movie experience to NEK fairgrounds

PHOTOS: DON WHIPPLE

B Y MA R GO T HA R RISON

Scenes from the Orleans County fairgrounds

he Orleans County fairgrounds in Barton hasn’t seen much action this year, but that changed in early July. Now, Wednesdays through Sundays, it’s the site of a drive-in theater where locals can watch Vin Diesel steer his way to victory in The Fate of the Furious while enjoying popcorn, hot dogs and lots of space to lounge. MOONRISE CINEMAS is a nomad. Currently ensconced in Barton, the 52-by-26-foot screen and projection setup will move to the Caledonia County fairgrounds in Lyndonville on August 5 and to a third, to-be-announced location in September. In its current spot, “the moon literally rises above the screen,” said SATURN ROBLEE, who co-owns Moonrise Cinemas with her friend EMILY LADD. The pop-up drive-in, she noted, is actually classified as a “drive-up” by the film industry, which means it’s governed by different rules from its brick-and-mortar brethren. With one double feature per night, the business partners show a mix of semi-new and “classic” films; last week, they paired the animated The Addams Family with Knives Out and Jurassic Park with Galaxy Quest. While Wednesday through Friday are family oriented, and Saturday is “date night,” Sunday is a showcase for local artists or organizations. On July 12, Moonrise screened “The Big Top on the Big Screen,” a curated comedy collection from Greensboro’s CIRCUS SMIRKUS. With the usual summer fun of carnival 24

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rides and agricultural exhibits on hold, Moonrise isn’t the only “drive-up” popping up on Vermont fairgrounds. On July 3, Rutland’s PARAMOUNT THEATRE opened a 60-car drive-in on the Vermont State Fairgrounds, where it offers weekend showings of movies such as Footloose and Raiders of the Lost Ark. “The response has been overwhelming,” said Eric Mallette, the Paramount’s programming director. To meet community demand — shows sell out “in minutes,” Mallette said — the Paramount’s management is putting a second drive-up screen in Brandon, with plans to open it in early August. Roblee, 30, has always been a drive-in fan. “You have your own space, and you’re outside under the stars and it’s just really nice,” she said. When she arrived in West Glover in 2019, after a two-year RV road trip

from northern California, she deemed it a “perfect place for a drive-in.” Then the pandemic closed indoor movie theaters. With Vermonters eager to get outside as summer approached, the idea turned into a plan. “Maybe it’s time to open that drive-in!” Roblee recalled saying. She and Ladd, 42, went to work with the help of their respective partners, CAVAN MEESE and TITO LADD, who both have experience in live events and production. At the time, the Ladds lived in Pembroke, Mass. With their 3-year-old son, they relocated to an RV on the Barton fairgrounds — being sure to get tested first and observe Vermont’s quarantine rules for out-ofstaters, Ladd said. The venture took about a month and a half to get off the ground, with a primary

sponsorship from St. J Auto Group in St. Johnsbury. A “lot of friends” pitched in, Roblee said: “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without everybody who’s here helping us right now.” The screen, which soars 40 feet above the ground, takes about two hours for initial installation, Ladd said, and 10 minutes to raise and lower each night. Moving the entire setup to its next location will take about two and a half days. Besides installing the theater, the partners transformed a shipping container into a kitchen, where Roblee now preps Black River Meats hot dogs, nachos with queso blanco, popcorn and sweet treats. More dinner options are in the works, Roblee and Ladd said. A full bar, opening July 15, will offer products from Montpelier’s Caledonia Spirits. Moonrise charges $25 per carload of five people (extra passengers are $10 each) and has spots for 150 cars, each occupying 270 square feet. That means moviegoers can leave their stuffy vehicles to break out the lounge chairs or sit in a truck bed. Online ticketing and touchless food pickup and delivery ensure minimal contact. As for restroom facilities, Moonrise offers “three beautiful and regularly cleaned portapotties,” Roblee assured Seven Days. Response from the community has been strong so far, she said: “A lot of customers have felt safe coming here, have felt welcomed and have just felt really excited to get out into their community.” For all their precautions, the business partners have mixed feelings about touting Moonrise Cinemas as “safe,” “because then it makes you think of what’s going on,” Roblee said. Ladd suggested a substitute: “comfortable.” The objective is to give Northeast Kingdom dwellers what movie theaters have long provided — a refuge from the stress of daily life. “We’re kind of trying to create a space that’s a new normal,” Roblee said. “We want it to feel super natural when you’re here.” The moon rising over that big screen should help. Moonrise’s current slogan, Roblee said, is “When the moon goes down, the stars come out.” Contact: margot@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Moonrise Cinemas is at the Orleans County fairgrounds, 278 Roaring Brook Road, Barton, through August 2. Show schedules and tickets at moonrisecinemas.com. For the Paramount Theatre’s drive-up, find schedules and tickets at paramountvt.org.

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Wearing His Convictions

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DJ Craig Mitchell wearing the T-shirt

early three years ago in August, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, neo-Nazis and other far-right groups convened in Charlottesville, Va., for a Unite the Right rally. During the event, self-identified white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others. Like most people who saw or heard about the incident in media reports, RICHARD COOK was horrified. “After watching the grotesque events, and after a lot of anger and sadness and pacing around, I thought, This isn’t the last time this is going to happen,” he said. Then Cook turned that anguish into a way to bring positive energy into the world: with the words “Don’t Hurt Anyone.” The gentle imperative is now emblazoned — in blocky capital letters — on T-shirts and tote bags that Cook envisions in his Winooski condo and enlists American manufacturers to make. At first he just wore the tee himself and carried small batches of them around to hand out.

CULTURE More recently he’s established a website for online commerce. The 49-year-old is quick to note that he is not a graphic designer by training. His professional experience is in development and strategic planning for nonprofits in Washington, D.C., particularly ones with a progressive mission. He continues to offer consulting services. With some 20 years in this line of work, Cook described himself as “marketingsavvy,” a skill that informed the evolution of Don’t Hurt Anyone. He liked the idea of a strong but nonthreatening message, spelled out in a simple font and delivered on that time-tested human billboard, the T-shirt. “I used to work for the 9:30 Club,” he said, referring to the famous D.C. nightclub, “so I have a punk-rock background. I thought, What would Joe Strummer wear?” One can, indeed, visualize the politically outspoken Clash vocalist/guitarist sporting a Don’t Hurt Anyone shirt, were he still alive. The messaging works for anyone from a kindergartner to a raging granny and is germane to any number of grievances. CONVICTIONS

7/13/20 11:21 AM

SUMMER EXHIBITIONS

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JULY 22 — OCTOBER 10

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BCA Exhibitions are funded in part by a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vermont Arts Council

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SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

7/13/20 3:49 PM

arts news NETFLIX

Peter Sarsgaard in Maggie Gyllenhaal's short film "Penelope"

I could have done without Kristen Stewart’s “Crickets,” in which the star offers us a front-row seat to her own ennui. But there’s way more to Homemade than the fleeting thrill of peeking into celebrities’ quarantine refuges. IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY...

• Paris Je T’Aime (2006; Kanopy, Vudu): Twenty-two directors contributed short films about love to this anthology, set in various arrondissements of Paris. • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018; Netflix): Joel and Ethan Coen go west with this anthology of shorts that riff on classic Western cinema — sometimes comically, sometimes tragically. • Short of the Week (shortoftheweek.com): Short films are everywhere online and often free to watch, but they’re harder to discover. The makers of this addictive site curate a fresh, international selection; choose your favorite genre and start browsing.

Home Front

Contact: margot@sevendaysvt.com

Streaming video review: Homemade B Y M A R GO T HA R R ISON

here do we find entertainment these days? On our laptops and in our living rooms. The streaming options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. So, in this weekly feature, I review a movie or series that might otherwise be easy to overlook. THE FILM: Homemade (2020) WHERE TO SEE IT: Netflix

Want to check out Maggie Gyllenhaal’s home in Vermont? Here’s your chance. Let’s be clear, though: Nosiness about the celebrity next door is not the best reason to watch Homemade, Netflix’s new collection of 17 short films created by filmmakers in quarantine. With offerings from celebrated directors around the world, all pitting their creativity against the restrictions of lockdown, this wildly diverse anthology has a lot more to recommend it than voyeurism. Still, I’m guessing you are curious, so here’s a preview: In Gyllenhaal’s short film “Penelope,” her husband, Peter Sarsgaard, plays a man sheltering in the countryside from a virus that has killed half a billion people. He makes toast. He listens to the radio. He mourns a loved one and has a questionable encounter with a tree. It’s one part current events, one part Lars von Trier’s THE DEAL:

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NOW PLAYING Melancholia and one part springtime in Vermont. WILL YOU LIKE IT? While it’s nice to see your home landscape on-screen, the real power of Homemade is that it transports us into other people’s quarantined lives, making a powerful statement against isolation. Most of the films depict fairly privileged lockdown situations — well-stocked kitchens, bookcases, yards and patios. A notable counterpoint is French director Ladj Ly’s “Clichy-Montfermeil,” in which a young man sends his drone camera out the window to capture an entire neighborhood, from women standing in line for food to a couple fighting on the balcony of their crowded high-rise.

Some of the Homemade films are fiction, such as Gyllenhaal’s effort; others are memoirs or chronicles. Johnny Ma’s contribution takes the form of a bittersweet video letter to his estranged mother.

Family is a common theme, with filmmakers’ kids starring in several films. While the older ones talk about their fear and frustration, the younger ones just play, finding solace in their imaginations. For me, the most affecting film in this category was Rachel Morrison’s “The Lucky Ones,” in which the director addresses her 5-year-old son about her hopes for his future. “I hope you remember none of it,” she says bluntly about the pandemic. If there’s inevitable darkness in these shorts, there’s also a refreshing amount of comedy. Italy’s Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) contributed a primary-colored gem in which Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, both represented by souvenir figurines, find themselves in lockdown together and discover how much they have in common. The Dude from The Big Lebowski also makes an appearance. Chilean director Pablo Larraín, who also coproduced Homemade, springs a wickedly funny surprise on the viewer in “Last Call,” about a nursing home resident contacting a lost love. In “Couple Splits Up While in Lockdown LOL,” Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni uses the sole medium of text messages to tell the sidesplitting story of exes forced to share a tiny apartment. And Sebastián Lelio (Gloria) contributes an energizing musical number.

Sunset Drive-In Through Thursday, July 16: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial & Back to the Future Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix & Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Christine & Scream & Relic Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back & Black Panther Friday, July 17, through Thursday, July 23: Beauty and the Beast & Iron Man Monty Python and the Holy Grail & Ghostbusters A Nightmare on Elm Street & Friday the 13th E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial & Jurassic Park

Bethel Drive-In Wednesday, July 15 The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19: Jurassic Park

Fairlee Drive-In Friday, July 17, & Saturday, July 18: Jaws & Jurassic Park The Goonies

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Convictions « P.25

“I think he has one of every prototype I’ve “The word ‘hurt’ can mean a whole made … Craig definitely rocks the shirt.” range of things,” Cook observed. In the Mitchell confirmed that Cook reached main, though, the slogan is simply “about out to him to help spread the word about being nicer, kinder, respectful. Those things Don’t Hurt Anyone, as well as to make sure are sorely lacking.” the message wouldn’t be seen as treading Basically, Cook has reworded the Golden on that of Black Lives Matter. Mitchell felt Rule, put it in a cool typeface and offered it it did not. He wears a Don’t Hurt Anyone on merch that any of us can wear. shirt “at least two times a week,” he Cook said he has no interest said — at Red Square gigs or during in “becoming a T-shirt mogul,” one of his virtual dance parties and that appears to be a for local nonprofits, which whopper of an understatebegan during the pandemic ment. So far, his “business shutdown. model” primarily involves Wearing the message on giving the T-shirts away. his chest feels “really good — It started when Cook it’s a softer blow, not in your was on vacation a couple face,” Mitchell said. From a of years ago, staying at DJ booth or a digital platan Airbnb in Hudson, form, he hasn’t been able to N.Y. One morning he experience the multiwent out for tude of in-person coffee wearing conversations that a Don’t Hurt Cook reported, Anyone tee and but, he said, “Tons was stopped of people will by half a dozen respond with a people who smile, a wink, a asked him about nod, that kind of it, he recalled. thing.” He ended up While he getting all of still gives some them a shirt. product away, “And then I Cook is making doubled down: an effort to turn I made 100 Don’t Hurt Anyone shirts and gave into a viable busithose away. ness. His website A tote bag Another 100, displays various gave those away,” styles of shirts for Cook said. He’s handed out “probably men, women and children, as well as tote 500” of them to date. bags; subscribers to his newsletter get info Whenever he wears the shirt in public, on new designs, special offers “or other he gets the same reaction. “Total strang- perks.” He’s not really making any money, ers stop and talk to me, anywhere in the Cook said, but he’s “staying afloat.” country,” Cook said. “I’ve had a lot of great This summer, Cook was invited to apply conversations.” for what he called an “experiential network” Someone once came up to him and course at Northeastern University; in it, said, “This is kind of like ‘Life Is Good,’” he Don’t Hurt Anyone is a case study in which related, referring to another trademarked graduate students and faculty will “take an apparel company. “At first I thought that almost forensic look at everything DHA,” he was a good thing, but then I thought, No, the said. Cook dubbed the group “tech students world is not good for many people.” with a business bent.” Perhaps their assessCook has sent complimentary Don’t ment will help Don’t Hurt Anyone grow as Hurt Anyone shirts to select celebrities an online apparel enterprise. — particularly musicians and DJs — and For now, Cook seems satisfied just to see was thrilled to get a personal thank-you people wearing his shirts. “I’m elated. I’m postcard from Ian MacKaye of Fugazi. humbled,” he said. “I never imagined this Other bands have “come on board,” Cook would happen.” said, citing Wilco and Old 97’s. Here in Vermont, it’s no surprise that Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com Cook connected with popular and righteous DJ and performer CRAIG MITCHELL. INFO “Craig was an early adopter,” Cook said. Learn more at donthurtanyone.com.

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Feel Good. Do Good!

Feeling disappointed about the things you can’t do this season? Here’s how to have a feel-good summer: Step One: Explore Vermont. Step Two: Learn something new. Step Three: Be a Good Citizen. Take the Good Citizen Challenge, a youth civics program for young people in grades K-12. Each month we’ll announce new activities focusing on history, community, government, advocacy and news literacy to keep you and your family active and engaged.

Summer

2020 View Activities at

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Shelter From the Storm

Rain or Shine Tent and Events, 14 Hull Street, Randolph, rainorshinevt.com

Vermont businesses sweat out the pandemic B Y CHEL SEA ED GAR, COLIN FL ANDE RS, MARG AR E T GR AYS O N, M EL ISSA PA SA NE N & KEN PICARD

ermont may have flattened the curve of projected COVID-19related hospitalizations, but the vital signs of the state’s lifeblood — its economy — are deeply troubling. Many local businesses are struggling to survive. Postponed nuptials have sidelined photographers, caterers and florists. Closing the border to Canadian tourists keeps them from patronizing Vermont restaurants and stores that rely on their dollars. A whole summer of indoor and outdoor events has been canceled. The response of Vermont’s commercial enterprises and the employees who keep them humming: Work harder. Leverage aid dollars to stay afloat. Employ Yankee ingenuity to identify a new need and fill the niche. In June, Seven Days launched Bottom Line, a weekly account of how individual businesses are responding to the pandemic. Businesses are, in a sense, like people; each has its story, and some of those are happier than others. We’ve described how a huge company, GlobalFoundries, instituted protocols to keep 2,300 employees working as it produces computer chips at its sprawling Essex Junction campus. We detailed how a small Middleburybased mail-order company, Beau Ties LTD, quickly added dozens of patterned face masks to its offerings, sewing up the dapper mask market. Many Vermont employers have gotten temporary financial assistance through the federal CARES Act, hurried through the U.S. Congress in response to the pandemic. Nearly 12,000 of them, including Seven Days, have gotten a total of $1.2 billion in aid through the Paycheck Protection Program, aka PPP, which offers forgivable loans to employers that retain workers. The State of Vermont got a big chunk of federal money, too. Last week the Agency of Commerce and Community Development put some of it to use by accepting applications for grants of up to $50,000 for local businesses that have lost significant revenue. The state has set aside $152 million to provide that relief. This week, Seven Days is telling the stories of seven businesses affected by the pandemic — for better or worse. G OT A T I P A B O U T A B U S I N E S S ? EM AIL BOT TOM L IN E @ S E V E N D AY S V T. C O M .

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

Wedding professionals try to keep smiling even when things aren’t going well, because their clients expect them to create magical, memorable moments. But last week, on a conference call with U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), more than 40 of Vermont’s caterers, photographers, florists, innkeepers and equipment-rental entrepreneurs looked grim. Many in the state’s $400 million wedding industry said they expect to lose 80 to 90 percent of their income in 2020. Perry Armstrong, owner and president of Rain or Shine Tent and Events in Randolph, was among them. In a typical year, his company handles 200 to 250 weddings from May through October, accounting for 65 to 70 percent of his revenue. Another 15 to 20 percent comes from corporate retreats, and the rest from graduations and other small events. Normally, Armstrong would have 35 to 40 people on staff for the summer. And today? “Nobody. We had to lay everybody off because we ran out of PPP money,” Armstrong told Seven Days. “I’ve been

through four recessions. Never, ever have I seen something like this.” Armstrong, 63, is a seventh-generation Vermonter who started Rain or Shine in 1986 as a side gig to make extra cash. At the time, he recalled, Vermont had few tent rental companies, and most didn’t work weddings. Armstrong offered multicolored auctioneer tents, not the fancy white ones with windows and walls that have since become the industry standard. But after Armstrong purchased a white big top at a Houston trade show in 1988, he became known in Vermont as “the white tent guy.” “That first summer, I think I booked that tent 16 times,” he recalled. In the late 1990s, Armstrong handled his first million-dollar affair, a 700-guest wedding at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm, hosted by a wealthy New York family. By the mid-2000s, some clients were spending $1.5 million to $2 million on their events. In the years since, Vermont has become one of the nation’s premier marriage destinations, hosting an estimated 2,200 to 2,400 weddings annually for out-of-staters. Today, the state has 10 tent companies.

A Rising Tide

Small Boat Exchange, 2649 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, smallboatexchange.com If you’re looking to escape the heat and socially distance on Vermont’s lakes and rivers, be warned: Kayaks are in short supply. John Freeman, the owner of Small Boat Exchange in Shelburne, said he’s sold more than 100 in the past few months, and interest doesn’t appear to be waning. Customers want to put down deposits on boats that haven’t even arrived at his store yet. “It’s like, ‘I need that boat. You’ve got to save one for me,’” Freeman said. “People are just frantic.” Watercraft — not just kayaks, but paddleboards, sailboats, pontoons and just about anything else that floats — are about as available today as toilet paper was in April. Like that unforeseen shortage, this one is somewhat surprising. During times of economic hardship, boat sales typically take a dive. In December 2007, NPR reported that “skittish” boat buyers could be harbingers of a recession, and they were. Boats are a luxury item, and it took several years for the market to fully rebound from the Great Recession, according to Freeman. But this economic crisis is playing

out differently. With prospects of travel limited and the virus lingering, Vermont’s waterways offer an alluring escape. Boating is “a great family activity, and it’s a great activity to not be around people,” Freeman said. He’s seen many first-time boat buyers and, yes, lots of out-of-staters who are visiting Vermont. “A lot of people, I think, are fed up with being at home … and I think they’re looking at the future and saying, ‘This may not just be a flash in the pan.’” Freeman, 65, grew up with wooden boats. He repaired them as a youth and later while he attended the University of Vermont. He opened his shop in 1984, buying and selling both used and new boats and offering service and repairs, too. During the winter, he tends to focus on selling fleets of small boats to camps and resorts. In retrospect, Freeman picked a good time to start his business. The Small Boat Exchange has been riding a wave for more than three decades. “When I started, families were boating families or hiking families or golfing families,” he said. “In the ’80s, early ’90s, people were like, ‘Oh, we can do a little bit of everything.’”

BEN DEFLORIO

I’VE BEEN THROUGH FOUR RECESSIONS.

Assuming, that is, Rain or Shine survives. For weeks, Armstrong has been talking and writing to anyone who will listen — bankers, lobbyists, state and federal lawmakers — about ways to “park,” or delay payments on, his debt. As Armstrong explained, wedding equipment companies are constantly adding new inventory. “Just when you think you’ve got enough, someone decides to change the style of chairs,” he said, noting that he just bought a new set for $130,000 a few years ago. “I’ve got a million bucks’ worth of trucks sitting in the dooryard. I don’t know any restaurants with that kind of overhead.” Armstrong said he plans to apply for a new state-administered grant program intended for businesses that have lost at least 75 percent of their revenue. Additionally, he is seeking to take advantage of a program through the federal Small Business Administration, which would defer or even assume some of his debt payments for up to nine months; that application is due by late September. If he’s approved, the bridge could carry Rain or Shine to 2021. Armstrong is just hoping he doesn’t get left at the altar.

NEVER, EVER HAVE I SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS. P E R RY AR MS TR O NG

Perry Armstrong (left) and Peter Martel

Rain or Shine started getting cancellations in March from schools and colleges. Armstrong said he wasn’t too worried at first because graduations aren’t high-margin gigs. He assumed business would rebound by July. “By the second week in April, we knew we were done,” he said. Virtually every

wedding he had booked for this year had been canceled. That same month, Armstrong applied for a PPP loan and was approved for $130,000. However, due to the federal government’s initial ambiguity about how the money had to be spent, Armstrong returned $60,000 of it.

Since then, the company has picked up small jobs, such as erecting two tents for Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin for COVID-19 testing and another to provide the Vermont Foodbank more storage space. But those longer-term rentals don’t make Armstrong much money because they don’t involve the additional equipment he typically rents for weddings: tables, chairs, lights and dance floors. In recent weeks, Armstrong has booked a few small, socially distanced parties for couples who still want to get married this year. All are new clients, he noted. Previously scheduled ones have stuck with him, too. “We haven’t lost a single client,” he said with pride. “They’re all postponed until next year.”

K.P.

BEAR CIERI

Then kayaks got popular. “Burlington’s got a lot of single people, and kayaking seems to suit that” is Freeman’s theory. In the 2000s, standup paddleboarding caught on. This year, when it became obvious that the pandemic would stretch into summer, Freeman’s smallest watercrafts were the first to go. More recently, the bigger ones have begun to sell, including 20-foot pontoon boats that run $30,000. Freeman speculated that older people, who have more money to spare and less energy for paddling, are feeling more comfortable leaving their houses to pursue an outdoor activity with trusted family members. In the end, Freeman expects his sales to be up 20 percent in 2020. He hasn’t felt the need to apply for any business assistance, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy: On July 3, Freeman and his two-man crew delivered 16 boats so people could have them in time for the holiday weekend — a grueling amount of work on a hot day. He’s had to turn quite a few interested buyers away, too, but said he knows his competitors are in the same, um, boat. “There’s no new boats in the pipeline,” Freeman said. “If somebody hasn’t bought something by now, they’re going to be waiting.” M.G.

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Last Lunch?

Red Onion Café, 140 1/2 Church Street, Burlington, 865-2563 It was hard to pull Mickey West aside for a 20-minute interview last week. She was busy filling orders in her small kitchen at the Red Onion Café — something she’s been doing seven days a week for most of the last 30 years. She can’t remember exactly when she opened the lunch spot famous for jaw-stretching sandwiches on thick homemade bread, such as the Famous Red Onion: turkey, bacon, apples, red onions and smoked cheddar cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and mayo. West, 67, took a seat at a wrought-iron café table wearing a white apron. Her cozy, pink-wallpapered dining room was closed, but a front window was open for takeout orders. She paused as the bells rang at Burlington City Hall, across Church Street, before giving a frank assessment of the pandemic’s effect on her café. “I’m not going to be here this winter,” she said. “I can’t afford this place.” “There are going to be empty storefronts all over the place,” West said

of downtown. “The government responds like a snail to this … I’m watching just about everybody I know struggle.” Red Onion closed for just a single day when Gov. Phil Scott’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order took effect. West quickly laid off four of her six staffers, reopened for takeout and added late-night hours. She hired everybody back when she got a PPP loan, but the program wasn’t set up with restaurants in mind, she said, and there wasn’t enough for them to do. Last week she applied for a stateadministered grant. “Now we’re all sitting here on our fingers waiting for notification about who got the grants and who didn’t get them, and how much,” West said. Some restaurateurs have already called it quits, she added. “I just happen to be a little more stubborn.” She’s also scared. “I am. This is my life. It’s where I’ve raised both of my children.” Her young daughter and her friends used to have free run of the place and drew pictures on giant rolls of butcher’s paper, which West hung in the windows. She carried her infant son around in a backpack while working. As the kids got older, they worked in the café.

Surreal Estate

Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate, 91 Main Street, Stowe, coldwellbanker.com In Stowe, a $6.5 million estate will soon hit the market. A chalet at that price point is hardly noteworthy in a town where two-thirds of all residential properties are second homes, but this one features an on-site brewery and, in climate-controlled storage, enough food to sustain a family of four for two years. The seller “provisioned” his storeroom before the pandemic, according to McKee Macdonald, co-owner and broker of Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate; regrettably, he noted, the cache includes only a two-week supply of wine. The luxury food bunker represents the extreme end of the Stowe real estate spectrum, though it is by no means the most expensive option; that distinction belongs to a $10.95 million compound with 11 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms and heated garage space for more than a dozen vehicles. (“Yacht-like fit & finish... extravagant mini golf,” purrs the Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty blurb.) That listing has been on the market for almost two years. But many other properties in the million-dollar-plus range have been moving steadily since late spring, when 30

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

From left: Peggy Smith and Maggie and McKee Macdonald

PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

BOTTOM LINES

Zachary James making sandwiches at Red Onion Café

“Both of them can actually cook,” West added proudly. West’s husband bought out her original business partner, Michael Bourassa, and helped her run Red Onion until he died around 15 years ago. West herself has always loved to prepare food for people and relishes the moment when someone declares, “This is so good.” When she opened the restaurant, Bourassa was the baker. Curious, West watched and learned. Now, on a busy day,

THERE ARE GOING TO BE

EMPTY STOREFRONTS ALL OVER THE PLACE. MIC K E Y W E S T

she might knead 90 to 100 loaves by hand. Some get sliced up for sandwiches, and some are sold wholesale. “My fingers are all crooked now,” West said, displaying her hands with a chuckle. Hard work might not be enough to bring her business back, though.

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

the real estate market in Vermont began to emerge from its pandemic-induced hibernation. Homes around the median price point — in Stowe, just under $700,000 — are getting snapped up even more quickly, said Macdonald, who worked for the Corcoran Group in New York City before moving back to Stowe, where he grew up. For the past decade, he has co-owned Coldwell Banker Carlson

THERE’S AN URBAN FLIGHT TO VERMONT, AND SPECIFICALLY TO STOWE. M CK E E M ACD ONAL D

with his sister, Maggie Macdonald, and his mother, Peggy Smith, who has been selling real estate in Lamoille County for 44 years. Much of the interest, he noted, has been coming from out-of-state buyers, who are drawn to Stowe for the usual reasons — its proximity to outdoor recreation; its lush, getaway feel — plus a new, zombie-apocalypse one: relatively low infection rates. “Right now, there’s an urban flight to Vermont, and specifically to Stowe,” he said. “People are looking for

safe, alternative options that line up with their interest in skiing, mountain biking and the arts.” Over the past couple of months, Macdonald has been fielding calls from prospective clients in cities around the Northeast, from New York City to Washington, D.C. Real estate agents across the state are reporting a similar spike in inquiries, propelled by low mortgage interest rates and, presumably, the general sense that the world is hurtling toward cataclysm. “What we’re seeing is very much like what we experienced after 9/11,” said Macdonald. The pandemic has altered the structure of people’s daily lives in ways that seem likely to endure. After months of working from home, said Macdonald, city dwellers who came to quarantine in their vacation properties are contemplating making Vermont their primary residence. Recently, Macdonald showed houses in Stowe and the Mad River Valley to a couple of middle-aged professionals from Boston who had previously been thinking about moving to Jackson Hole, Wyo. But when the pandemic struck, they realized they didn’t want to be halfway across the country from their family in New England. “The desire to get on an airplane has dropped, and Vermont is a drivable distance from most major cities

on the East Coast,” said Macdonald. “If people can do their jobs remotely, then they can go anywhere, as long as there’s Wi-Fi.” The internet and cellphone coverage situation in Stowe is somewhat haphazard; Macdonald has a landline in his office downtown, where service is notoriously unreliable. The spotty bandwidth creates some light difficulties for virtual showings: Whenever Macdonald does a FaceTime home tour, he has to make sure that he’s connected to the property owner’s Wi-Fi. Technological strangeness notwithstanding, Macdonald estimates that half a dozen clients have put in offers on homes they toured virtually. Last week, a couple from Boston closed on a million-dollar home that Macdonald showed them on FaceTime. Between March and June, the firm sold 39 houses and condos, compared to 52 over the same period in 2019 — not a very big drop, considering Macdonald and his brokers couldn’t get into homes after the lockdown to offer virtual tours until mid-April. In addition to Macdonald’s mother and sister, the brokerage employs eight realtors as independent contractors, some of whom received PPP loans; Macdonald, an independent contractor himself, secured a PPP loan to cover the salaries of the firm’s two administrative employees.

It’s roughly 30 percent of what it was, West said, noting that many of her usual summer customers tended to be Canadians. In early June, at the urging of her daughter, West agreed to write a message for a GoFundMe online campaign, acknowledging that, without significant help from the community, Red Onion might not survive. “I didn’t want to do this,” West said. But even before COVID-19, she was “in a hole” with her landlord. Typically, West struggles to make rent in the winter, but she earns just enough in the summer to make up for it. The campaign’s goal of $20,000 would help her pay back rent and move the restaurant to a cheaper location. So far, the fundraiser has brought in just over $1,000. West said she has no idea what the future will bring. But as she spoke with a Seven Days reporter, she eyed the front window as a few customers began ordering. “It’s getting busy. I have to go,” she said, hustling back into the kitchen. M.G.

Other measures of the market give him hope. Demand — tracked in inquiries and web traffic — remains high, which Macdonald chalks up to the quarantinerelated increase in screen time. Since June 1, 28 of Coldwell Banker Carlson’s 32 listings have gone under contract. Given the appeal of rural refuges, it would seem like a strategic moment for homeowners to sell. But Macdonald isn’t seeing new properties on the market: “Generally, these homeowners aren’t struggling to carry their houses” — in other words, they’re not worried about money — “and COVID has given them pause. If it’s a second home, they’re probably using it.” Meanwhile, the children of would-be buyers appear to be taking this new reality in stride. A few weeks ago, Macdonald said, he showed a townhome in Stowe — butcher-block kitchen island, granite countertops, subway-tile backsplash — to a family from Boston. The unit, in a development that’s still under construction, was near a giant concrete hole, a future townhouse basement. It gave the couple’s elementary-school-age son an idea. “Daddy,” he said, “can we have a bunker?” C .E .

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Sweet Deal

Krishna Upadhyay checking bottles of maple syrup

Runamok Maple, 293 Fletcher Road, Fairfax, runamokmaple.com

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

PHOTOS: GLENN RUSSELL

It smelled unseasonably like Christmas in the Runamok Maple plant in Fairfax. On a hot day in July, a production team of six was infusing maple syrup with crushed cinnamon sticks and whole vanilla beans to fill a parade of elegant, squareshouldered glass bottles. Cinnamon-vanilla is one of Runamok Maple’s most popular flavors, said Laura Sorkin. The chef-farmer cofounded the company in 2016 with her husband, Eric, a former environmental lawyer, and Curt Alpeter, who was an executive at IDX Systems and MyWebGrocer. Revenue was doubling annually — until the coronavirus emerged. The staff had grown, too. In addition to the 45 employees working in the renovated Scrabble factory, 10 more run the Sorkins’ 1,200-acre Cambridge sugarbush, a separate business entity that supplies about a quarter of Runamok’s syrup; the rest comes from two dozen other Vermont sugarmakers. Prior to the pandemic, Runamok’s infused, smoked and barrel-aged syrups sold briskly through more than 1,500 outlets, including Whole Foods Markets nationwide thanks, in part, to glowing reviews from tastemakers such as the New York Times and Oprah Winfrey. Then, in the thick of sugaring season, hotel and restaurant sales plummeted to almost zero. At the same time, grocery sales increased, and labor-intensive online sales leapt 600 percent. Only half-jokingly, Eric credits that to dads in lockdown making pancakes. But the gains did not make up for foodservice losses. As a stopgap measure, Runamok partnered with Barr Hill of Montpelier for several weeks on and off starting in April to bottle hand sanitizer produced with help from three other Vermont beverage businesses. The co-packing fee covered operating overhead. “We didn’t profit off it, but it kept the business going,” Eric said, “and it felt great to be able to help.” But what Runamok really needed was a serious infusion of cash. The growing business had been poised to raise more operating capital when “our funding options virtually evaporated overnight,” Eric said. The partners also wanted to avoid layoffs and ensure employee safety. Beyond paychecks, “What does it mean to do right by our employees?” Eric reflected. “You remember how quickly things were moving and changing? I don’t think I’ve ever less wanted to be a business owner.”

I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER

LESS WANTED TO BE A BUSINESS OWNER.

ER I C S O R K I N

Eric and Laura Sorkin

Runamok applied for and received a PPP loan for just over $553,000; the sugaring operation received another $81,200. The funds helped support more than 50 jobs with paid sick leave and health care benefits. Before Gov. Scott’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order, Runamok had shifted all desk jobs to remote work. The 25 employees working on-site drew on their federal food production safety standards training. “We already had handwashing guidelines where you have

to sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ twice,” Eric explained. Runamok required employees to wear masks well ahead of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation, established as much social distancing as possible, and instituted daily health questionnaires and temperature checks pre-state guidance. Questionnaires are in English, Somali and Nepali because seven of Runamok’s staffers are New Americans. Along with several other employees, most live in

Winooski and Burlington; some commute to work together. As everyone adjusted to the new normal, the early June coronavirus outbreak in Winooski compelled management to ask about potential exposure. “We had to balance privacy with everyone’s fears,” Laura said. When one person shared that a neighbor might have tested positive, that employee plus three carpool-mates were asked if they were willing to get tested with paid leave while awaiting results. After two weeks, all proved healthy, but their absence “backed us up really badly,” Eric said, expressing frustration with the lack of state guidance and slow test turnaround. Today the team is cautiously optimistic. Overall, sales are back on projection. “We set conservative targets,’ Eric explained, “and most of our business is in the second half of the year.” M.P.

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Ahead in the Cloud Reconciled, 1 Lawson Lane, Suite 40, Burlington, getreconciled.co

Michael Ly and his staff of 28 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss a beat in March, when many of Vermontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brick-and-mortar businesses closed or sent employees home to work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our business was well prepared for something like this, because we were already running all of our services with a remote and distributed team,â&#x20AC;? said Ly, cofounder and CEO of Reconciled, an online Burlington-based bookkeeping and accounting firm founded five years ago. Its secure, cloud-based systems enabled it to service its clients without interruption. Ly, 38, is a Tempe, Ariz., native and the son of Cambodian refugees who came to the U.S. in 1981 and eventually started their own businesses; his mother worked as a seamstress, and his father owned Chinese restaurants. Ly is a self-described serial entrepreneur who also worked for years for companies as comptroller and chief financial officer. He relocated from Seattle to Vermont in 2011 to be closer to his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family in Highgate Springs. For several years he worked as an independent consultant before he and business partner Bonnie Reese launched what was then called Reconciled It in 2015. Why an online company? As Ly explained, operating in the virtual space offers him the freedom to spend more time with his family while also tapping into a workforce that wants a similar lifestyle. Reconciledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business model attracts stay-at-home parents, as well as young professionals who envision careers in bookkeeping and accounting outside of traditional firms. Hiring a remote workforce provides other advantages, Ly added. It saves the company office infrastructure expenses. It enables Reconciled to hire bookkeepers, accountants and financial CSWD ScrapFoodWaste-QTR-H-7Dsnap.pdf

Michael Ly

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consultants anywhere in the United States; Lyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff is spread across nine states. And it attracts clients whose own operations are completely virtual, including e-commerce companies, online consulting firms and digital marketing agencies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because we had such a high concentration of that kind of customer,â&#x20AC;? Ly added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen our customer base thrive during3:10 this time, because they were 1 6/17/20 PM

already working from home or serving the online consumer marketplace.â&#x20AC;? Even as many businesses took financial hits at the start of the pandemic, Reconciled continued to grow. In mid-March and early April, when some clients â&#x20AC;&#x201D; mostly restaurants and small retail stores â&#x20AC;&#x201D; shut down, Reconciled offered them discounted fees. The firm accepted a $207,000 PPP loan â&#x20AC;&#x153;to ensure we could keep all employees on payroll,â&#x20AC;? Ly said, and helped its clients apply for similar assistance. Then, as street demonstrations against racism and police violence swept the country, Ly posted a message on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home page offering pro bono services to small, minority-owned businesses in communities adversely affected by protests, COVID-19 or both. Even after offering reduced rates and donating â&#x20AC;&#x153;plentyâ&#x20AC;? of services, Ly said, Reconciled remains on pace to do

$3 million in revenue this year, up from previous years. In fact, he expects to add five to seven employees by yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only real interruption for us was that all the kids of our employees are home now,â&#x20AC;? he noted. Most employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; partners have also been working remotely, and the couples divide their childcare duties. Since the lockdown began, Reconciled has been invited to lend its expertise on effective ways to work virtually. Ly and his team have put together webinars on how to hire, manage and retain remote workers, including a recent one for the Vermont Human Resource Association. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of industries that always assumed they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do work remotely quickly figured out that they could when they were put under pressure,â&#x20AC;? he said. Among the most common questions Ly hears: How do I keep remote workers involved and engaged? And: How do I ensure that my employees feel physically safe and financially secure during the pandemic? Lyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice: Stay connected. Business owners need to create ways for employees to interact socially online, he said. Reconciled uses videoconferencing throughout the week to ensure that each employee engages with their supervisor, colleagues and teams. The company also created a â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtual lunchroomâ&#x20AC;? where staff can meet daily for meals. Ly hosts a â&#x20AC;&#x153;coffee with the CEOâ&#x20AC;? videoconference every Tuesday morning â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not to discuss business, he said, but to catch up with staff about their lives outside of work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about thinking creatively about how you cultivate those â&#x20AC;Ś at-the-watercooler moments,â&#x20AC;? Ly added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very challenging to do, but if you work at it and take the time to do it, over time it becomes a habit.â&#x20AC;?

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Extra! Newspaper Stays Solvent!

Valley News, 24 Interchange Drive, West Lebanon, N.H., vnews.com PHOTOS: SARAH PRIESTAP

Editors John Gregg and Maggie Cassidy (in background) attending the daily news meeting by phone

A cruel irony of the newspaper business is that just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re thriving. In early March, while reporters at the Valley News wrote about initial COVID19 cases in Vermont and New Hampshire, business owners wondered how much longer they could remain open. Soon, most stores and restaurants were temporarily shuttered, taking with them many of the advertising dollars that represent 53 percent of the daily newspaper’s revenue. “Everything came to a screeching halt,” said publisher Dan McClory. Like anyone who counts their newspaper experience in decades, McClory had weathered economic downturns before. But poring over finances in early March, the trained accountant knew that if the paper hoped to chase — and survive — the biggest story in a generation, staffers would need to “scrape every penny we could find.”

Maggie Cassidy

There wasn’t much fat to trim: The paper had overhauled its operation in recent years, retiring its printing press, outsourcing some design services and downsizing its newsroom from 25 to 20. To further limit expenses, McClory laid off three part-time newsroom employees, opted to leave a full-time writing position vacant and let three reporters go: two on the sports desk and one in features. He also cut managers’ pay, reduced hours

for several departments, asked editors to pick up reporting duties, trimmed the paper’s page count and began sharing its production duties with its sister publication, the Concord Monitor. As McClory eyed the bottom line, Valley News reporters tracked a blizzard of news. They chased down information about one of the region’s first COVID19 cases, detailing how an infected Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center employee attended a party in White River Junction despite being told to quarantine. They covered a series of unprecedented executive mandates: the closure of restaurants, the dismissal of schools, the stay-at-home order. They documented the creative ways Upper Valley residents banded together. Though much of their work can be done remotely, newsroom staffers have found that they miss working alongside their colleagues. “It’s hard to work in newspapers these days,” said executive editor Maggie Cassidy, a 32-year-old second-generation newsie who took over in 2018. “One of the benefits is getting to work around a bunch of really smart and funny people. And obviously you lose a little bit of that when everybody’s working in their own satellite locations.” Photo editor Geoff Hansen agreed. He joined the paper fresh out of college in 1989 and has worked there his entire adult life. “Editors, reporters, photographers — we’re all commingled in one room,” he said. “So there’s always been a lot of working together, side by side.” One recent day shift, however, Hansen was one of only two people in the newsroom. “It’s very lonely,” he said. Despite the challenges, the pandemic has thrown into relief the community’s support for its 68-year-old newspaper. In April, as the shutdown dragged on, the Valley News launched a fundraising campaign. Within six weeks, the paper raised more than $150,000 from upwards of 1,500 donors.

“The outpouring was just unbelievable,” McClory said. Beyond financial support, the campaign brought a much-needed morale boost. Journalists often only hear from readers when they get something wrong. The campaign inundated staff with letters thanking them for their efforts. The messages cover several bulletin boards in the newsroom. “When you’ve been working at home alone, you sort of feel like your work is going out into the void,” health care reporter Nora Doyle-Burr said. “So it’s been really encouraging to see those words and feel that support.” The paper’s finances are trending in the right direction. Its parent company, New Hampshire-based Newspapers of New England, received a PPP loan worth between $2 million and $5 million, according to U.S. Department of the Treasury data. The company is distributing the funds across its nine daily and weekly newspapers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which employ some 270 people. Checks are still trickling in from both new subscribers and longtime readers adding money to their regular payments. And advertising revenues have ticked up in the last few months thanks to the gradual reopening of businesses. Still, revenues are nowhere near pre-pandemic levels, and McClory said he’s not sure when the paper will be able to restore the positions it cut. But while newspaper folk can be a cynical bunch, McClory is holding out hope that one of the pandemic’s silver linings may be a greater appreciation for journalism. “If we can survive the monetary aspect of it, I think newspapers could be stronger coming out of this,” he said. “The key is, it’s great that you support us now, but are you going to be supporting us in the future? That’s where the question lies.” C .F.

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VERMONTING

BY JORDAN BARRY

Burmese, Beer and Battenkill A day trip to Arlington and Manchester

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

Even as Vermont opens up from the pandemic shutdown, Gov. Phil Scott still encourages residents to stay home as much as possible. And so this summer is a good time to explore our home state. Its diminutive size makes a multitude of short trips accessible, whether for a few hours, an overnight or a longer getaway. This series, running weekly through mid-October, presents curated excursions in every corner of Vermont, based on the experiences of Seven Days reporters. The idea is to patronize the state’s restaurants, retailers, attractions and outdoor adventures — after all, we want them to still be there when the pandemic is finally over. Happy traveling, and stay safe. Moonwink’s ong noh kou swel

PHOTOS: JORDAN BARRY

o matter which route you choose, it takes two and a half hours to drive between Burlington and Arlington. It’s a trip I’ve made hundreds of times: as a kid, usually heading west into New York State up Route 22A from the small town in Bennington County where I grew up. Driving south when I was in college, I usually stuck to Route 7. On a steamy summer day last week, my husband and I headed down Shelburne Road after breakfast, ready to spend the day at my childhood stomping grounds. We packed a cooler for stocking up at our favorite bottle shop and river gear for cooling off in the Battenkill River in the afternoon. Arlington, a town of about 2,300 people, is historically notable for becoming the first capital of the Vermont Republic in 1777 and, much later, the longtime home of artist Norman Rockwell. When I lived in Brooklyn and described this place to friends, more than one insisted I’d made it up. What kind of place has two covered bridges? You went to public school and only had 35 students in your graduating class? Must be fake. It’s very real, though Arlington is sometimes overshadowed by larger and more bustling nearby towns. Showing people the small-town life of its dirt roads — tucked in the valley between the Green Mountains and the Taconic Range — always reminds me of how lucky I was to grow up there. Despite my “A-town” pride, we started our day with a few stops in Manchester. There are places to grab a bite to eat in Arlington, but Manchester has MOONWINK. If you google “Burmese restaurants in New England,” you’ll get three results. The first is in the Boston area. The third, inexplicably, is in Brooklyn. Between the two — and with higher ratings than both — you’ll find May and Wes Stannard’s counter-service spot. The Stannards opened Moonwink amid Manchester’s outlet shops in July of 2018, bringing May’s native Burmese cuisine to the town where Wes grew up. When I stopped in late last year, I was mildly shocked to find something other than

HELLO, VERMONTING

Northshire Bookstore

The West Arlington Covered Bridge

burgers and wings in town. It was long past time to go back. “We were throwing different ideas around and trying to figure out what could work up here,” Wes said on my first visit. “The quality of life here is great, but there’s no good food — there’s no different food.” Burmese cuisine shows the influence of its more heavily represented neighbors in noodle dishes evoking Thai and Yunnan specialties and saucy curries familiar in India and Malaysia, but the combination of flavors and ingredients is entirely its own. Those tangy, slightly spicy flavors shine in traditional dishes such as ong noh kou swel, a creamy, coconut-based stew with chicken and noodles that is topped with hard-boiled egg, cilantro and lime. We ordered one of those and a rice

noodle salad — nan gyi thok — mixed with chicken cooked with shallots, ginger, garlic and turmeric and topped with hard-boiled egg and peanuts. The nan gyi thok came with a crisp cucumber and cabbage salad, which was a welcome relief from both the day’s heat and the cumulative spice in both dishes. Sitting outside at a picnic table, we formulated the rest of our travel plan. I needed something new to read, so the NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE was a must-stop. Because my husband realized he’d forgotten his swimsuit, we’d have to do some outlet shopping, too. We quickly acquired the trunks and headed to the sprawling bookstore. Founded in 1976, the light-blue building is right in the middle of town, sandwiched

between two of Manchester’s slightly confusing traffic circles. Northshire is open for in-person shopping (masks required) and curbside pickup. We browsed the gardening section, the best sellers and Vermont history books before making our way to my favorite part: the sizable food and cookbook section. I picked up what might be the only M.F.K. Fisher book I didn’t already own and talked myself out of at least three cookbooks. They’re not really riverside reading material. Checking out, I squealed with delight when I noticed my coworker Melissa Pasanen’s newly published The Little Local Vermont Cookbook: Recipes for Classic Dishes prominently displayed. All that browsing made us thirsty, and we needed a few provisions for our afternoon

Beers outside at the Crooked Ram

Penny candy at Wayside Country Store

SHOWING PEOPLE THE SMALL-TOWN LIFE …

ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF HOW LUCKY I WAS TO GROW UP THERE. on the Battenkill. My husband discovered the CROOKED RAM a couple years ago while searching for good local cider (surprisingly hard to find in southwestern Vermont), and we’ve been occasional regulars ever since. The craft beer and wine bar has evolved from the tiny bottle shop it was when it opened in early 2017 into an eating and drinking destination. It carries interesting Vermont beers and ciders and one of the most dialed-in selections of natural and local wines in the state. It’s the kind of place where we intend to stop for a quick drink and a four-pack to go, then end up staying for hours and leaving with a car full of booze. We sat outside with a couple of beers and soon were deep in conversation with owner Peter Campbell and recently hired chef Nevin Taylor. Chef/co-owner Kolton Niesen popped in and out. We shared Vermont beverage intel and our excitement about the state’s nascent fermentation scene, touching on other topics such as local resilience networks, cultural appropriation and dismantling capitalism. You know, normal bar talk. I asked how the pandemic had affected the Ram’s business. Campbell said things have been busy, thanks to an influx of city folks — particularly young people — who came to quarantine in the area. So busy, in fact, that the Ram’s owners plan to expand. The crew is building out a full kitchen this summer, increasing outdoor seating with a beer garden and growing the food program. Campbell thinks many of the newcomers to Vermont may stick around, looking for a change of pace and a more pandemicproof lifestyle. The area was already getting busier, he said, with traffic jams growing during last year’s leaf-peeping

season. These days, he hears of houses selling before they hit the market. That influx was visible as we headed to Arlington from the Crooked Ram. Rather than take the quick route down Route 7A, we opted for a scenic loop through the mountains of Rupert and Sandgate, starting with Route 30 to Route 315 West. As we drove through Dorset, the longest line of parked cars I’d ever seen stretched around the popular quarry swimming hole. We spotted only two with Vermont plates. I’m all for people moving to the area and boosting business for places like the Ram — heck, I moved back from New York City, too — but my pandemic-era response to that crowd was: Get me to the middle of nowhere, fast. As the paved road turned to dirt just past Rupert, and our car started groaning at the climb, we passed the last vehicle we’d see for the next 20 minutes. That was more like it. While not the most efficient path, the drive — or bike ride, if you’re more ambitious — takes you past one vista after another: farms (including Merck Forest & Farmland Center, which is worth a stop), tiny mountain camps, and an endless expanse of trees. We didn’t have cell service, and I didn’t want it. Winding down the notch on West Sandgate Road in Sandgate — a smaller version of Smugglers’ Notch’s narrow pass — I recounted memories of riding these tight switchback turns in a school bus, amazed at the driver’s maneuvering skills. I drive a Mini Cooper, and it still seemed sketchy. As the road opened out of Sandgate into West Arlington, we turned right and headed to the COVERED BRIDGE. Built in 1852, the red bridge stretches across the Battenkill; a

white church stands on the green behind it. Just past that is the house where Rockwell lived during his years in Arlington, using residents as models for his paintings of small-town America. His home is now an inn, and the former studio is still out back. A prominent trout-fishing river, the Battenkill isn’t deep. I’d thought about renting tubes and going for a float, but with the string of hot, dry days we’d had lately, it might have been more of a wade. (Several local companies, on both sides of the Vermont-New York border, rent tubes, kayaks and canoes and facilitate drop-offs along the river.) Instead, we found a shady spot on the green and swam directly under the bridge. It’s usually deep enough there for a little jumping or swinging from a dangling rope, but visitors should check the water level first. After our swim, we walked down RIVER ROAD past Rockwell’s house. The dirt road runs directly alongside the Battenkill for more than five miles, passing farms, old stone walls, maple syrup lines and dribbling mountain streams. Back at the car and ready for a snack, we made the quick drive to WAYSIDE COUNTRY STORE. The historic general store’s motto has long been “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.” This is where my family went when we ran out of eggs, or when we wanted morning coffee and local political talk or summer lunches (always the Vermont Special sandwich, with apples, cheddar, turkey and apple butter). It’s where I selected penny candy, carefully weighed to match my allowance. This time, we stocked up on local veggies, hard-to-find hot sauce and spätzle from the Arlington-based Vermont Spätzle Company.

Norman Rockwell’s studio

Refueled and ready to spend more time in the river, we parked at a new-to-me spot by the bridge closest to town. The owners of Keelan House, which used to operate as a bed-and-breakfast, generously mow trails for hiking and maintain river access for fishing and swimming; we skipped rocks and shared one of the beers we’d gotten earlier in the day. Standing thigh-deep in the river with a good Vermont IPA in his hand, my husband said, “There’s not much that could stress me out right now.” The Battenkill, flowing through the valley where I grew up, has always had that power for me, too. For an afternoon, it stood up to a pandemic. Contact: jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

IN THE AREA •

ARLINGTON DAIRY BAR (ice cream),

•

ARLINGTON VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET,

facebook.com/arlingtondairybar

• • • • •

• • •

Friday evenings in summer, arlingtonvillagefarmersmarket.com ARLINGTON RECREATION PARK (golf, swimming, tennis), arlingtonvermont.org CROOKED RAM, Manchester, thecrookedramvt.com MOONWINK, Manchester, facebook.com/moonwinkvt NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE, Manchester, northshire.com RUSSELL VERMONTIANA COLLECTION

(rare books and chronicles about Vermont), Martha Canfield Library, Arlington, marthacanfieldlibrary.org WEST ARLINGTON COVERED BRIDGE, Covered Bridge Road, Arlington WAYSIDE COUNTRY STORE, Arlington, facebook.com/waysidecountrystore WEST MOUNTAIN INN (alpacas, hiking trails, meditation garden, restaurant), Arlington, westmountaininn.com Find more information on Vermont day trips and adventures from the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing at vermontvacation.com/staytripper. SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

food+drink

Grain Brain Demand grows for Elmore-made stone mills B Y S A LLY POL L AK

PHOTOS: JESSICA OJALA

Andrew Heyn sharpening a mill stone; inset: baguettes at Elmore Mountain Bread

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SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

he granite stones on the flour mill at Elmore Mountain Bread need sharpening, and the sifter could use an upgrade. But Andrew Heyn, who designed and built the mill, is too busy making stone mills for other bakers to work on his own machine. Heyn and his wife, baker Blair Marvin, own and operate the wholesale bread bakery in Elmore, where they use freshly milled organic flour to make woodfired breads — focaccia, country French, baguette, seven grain. The couple lives and works on a dirt road in the rural Lamoille County town that’s probably best known for its eponymous lake and mountain. But for a growing number of millers and bakers around the globe, Elmore is recognized as the home of New American Stone Mills. Heyn opened the mill shop, which is housed in a converted garage by the bakery, in 2015. New American Stone Mills produces custom mills that grind wheat berries and other grains into flour. Each machine uses, as its primary feature, millstones fashioned from gray Barre granite. Etched with a series of furrows, the stones cut the wheat with a scissorlike action as the grain goes round the stone. A kernel of grain, making one rotation, is cut 36 times by the pair of millstones. The mill produces a fine flour that retains (without separating) the full properties of the wheat, including germ, oil and bran. “Andrew has created a machine that our industry needed,” said baker Jim Williams of Backdoor Bread in Charlotte. He’s milled grain with two Heyn products: a 40-inch mill he bought five years ago for a bakery he owned in Providence, R.I., and a smaller

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model he acquired last year for his Charlotte bakery. Milling his own grain, Williams said, is “a continuum of the [baking] craft.” Heyn’s background as a baker is a key factor in the success of his design/build project, Williams said. He had an understanding of what he (and other bakers) wanted and built a machine to achieve it. “If you’re a baker worldwide and you’re looking to produce fine whole wheat flour, Andrew’s one of the first people you look to,” Williams said. Last week, Heyn and two employees at his shop were completing work on a mill for a bakeshop/café in Cambridge, Mass., and another for a baker in Madrid. The angles and shapes of each mill would please a geometry teacher. The handsome pair, one with a blue steel frame, the other framed in white, are part of a pandemicera surge in orders. Usually, New American Stone Mills has four or five machines on order; currently, there are 16. Heyn, 45, attributes the increase in business to a corresponding rise in interest in local food — and the resilience of local food systems in uncertain times. Silos were stocked with grain when the pandemic struck, yet industrial mills experienced a “bottleneck” and stores’ shelves often lacked flour. But Heyn and Marvin’s interest in and commitment to making a local product from local ingredients, eaten by people nearby, predates the pandemic. Elmore Mountain Bread sells its handmade loaves — about 1,200 a week — to stores, farms and restaurants in central and northern Vermont. Flour milled at the bakery is available at local stores. This year, Elmore Mountain Bread intends to mill and bake with 100 percent Vermont grain, Heyn said. The mill and bakery, working in tandem and showcasing grain purchased directly from local farmers, are a “model for how this can be done all over the place,” he said.

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SIDEdishes SERVING UP FOOD NEWS B Y ME LISS A PA SANE N

Cuban-style pork chops with sweet plantains, rice and beans

Josue Chanduvi

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRANDMA’S SPANISH KITCHEN

Fresh cod ceviche

GrandmaInspired NEW LATIN AMERICAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN BURLINGTON

Chef-owner JOSUE CHANDUVI opened a second outpost of his Plattsburgh, N.Y., restaurant, GRANDMA’S SPANISH KITCHEN, in ORLANDO’S BAR & LOUNGE at 1 Lawson Lane in early June. It replaced Smokey’s Pit Stop, an offshoot of South Burlington barbecue restaurant SMOKEY’S LOW N’ SLOW. Chanduvi, 28, grew up in Plattsburgh, where his culinary preferences were strongly influenced by his Peruvian mother and Cuban father, he said. He spent childhood summers visiting family in Cuba or Peru and lived in the latter country for seven months.

He opened his original New York restaurant in 2017 with no formal culinary training. Although Chanduvi had already started several small businesses, which he still owns, “I’d never worked in a restaurant a day in my life,” he said with a laugh. The restaurants are named in honor of his Peruvian grandmother, Lucia, as is his GRANDMA’S CANDY SHOP in Plattsburgh. Chanduvi said his goal is to share the foods of his dual heritage and to broaden understanding of Latin American culinary diversity. “It’s not all Mexican and spicy,” he said.

“The food represents me, and it represents my experience,” the young chef said. Peruvian food in particular, he said, varies greatly depending on whether you eat in the Amazon or the coastal or the central mountain regions. “It’s an up-andcoming cuisine in the world,” Chanduvi said. The menu at Grandma’s Spanish Kitchen ranges from home-style Cuban marinated pork chops with sweet plantains, rice and beans to elegantly plated ceviche made with marinated fresh cod with a hint of hot Peruvian chile pepper and herbs. Chanduvi also offers specials; recently, for instance, roasted baby squash with butternutsquash-and-chorizo cream was inspired by produce from HALF PINT FARM at Burlington’s INTERVALE CENTER. “It’s always been my dream to have a restaurant in Burlington,” Chanduvi said. “I feel people here understand what we’re doing and appreciate what we’re doing.” The restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to closing, for outdoor dining and takeout. The venue just added 50 seats in the courtyard in front of the building, in addition to the 20 seats on the back patio. m

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7/8/20 5:56 PM

From left: Lydia Clemmons of Clemmons Family Farm, artist Omega Jade, and Krista Scruggs of ZAFA Wines

AGRICULTURE

PHOTOS: JAMES BUCK

Planting Power

Two Black farm owners in northern Vermont collaborate to lift up their community B Y M EL I SSA PASANEN

mid 16 raised beds of black-eyed peas, collard greens, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra and more at Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, conversation turned to gumbo. “My mother grew so many tomatoes and canned them for winter to use in sauce and gumbo,” said Lydia Clemmons, who was raised on the farm. “I have my grandparents’ recipe for gumbo, but they made it without tomato,” said Krista Scruggs, founder of Burlington-based ZAFA Wines. “We always ate it at New Year’s.” “Yep,” Burlington artist Omega Jade chimed in, “it would take all day to cook.” Clemmons’ parents, the elder Lydia and Jack Clemmons, are now 97; this spring, they planted the first two raised beds in the recently constructed hoop house. Purchased by the couple in 1962, the 148-acre farm is one of the largest African American-owned farms in the state and part of Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail. According to the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture, Vermont has only 17 solely Black or African American-owned farms, accounting for 0.33 percent of all farmland. That’s slightly lower than the national percentage of 0.5 percent. The three women gathered on a recent 42

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

hot afternoon to talk about a fledgling collaboration they hope will help nudge those numbers higher. More broadly, the goal is to support Black people in reclaiming the right to grow their own food — whether in small backyard plots or on full-scale farms — as a crucial step toward improved health and equity. Clemmons, who is in her late fifties, juggles a job in international public health with a volunteer position as president of the nonprofit arts and culture organization associated with her family’s farm. Scruggs, 36, launched ZAFA in 2017 and has since earned an array of accolades, including a spot on Wine Enthusiast’s coveted “40 Under 40” list. Jade, 41, a Clemmons Family Farm collaborating artist, was commissioned to create an anthem for the hoop house. The emerging partnership between the farm and Scruggs is called And Still I Rise, a nod to the poem “Still I Rise” by writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. “Literally, it’s about plants rising and growing but also the collaborations between the two partners and the expanded network we want to create,” Clemmons explained. “The whole focus is on really helping people rise, lifting up our people.” Clemmons and Scruggs first met in March 2020 and clicked right away. Since

then — despite the pandemic — the ZAFA team has planted 75 cider apple trees at the Charlotte farm and helped with hoop house planting and maintenance. Plans for community events are on hold, but the pair envisions hosting dinners cooked by local Black chefs using farmgrown produce, as well as supplying food to those chefs’ businesses. Clemmons said her family is in discussion with local farmers of the African diaspora to expand production of traditional food crops such as teff. “This is an opportunity for us to feed and grow for the African diaspora community here,” Scruggs said. One of the first community members the project has informed and inspired is Jade. “I called her and said, ‘Can you do a hiphop song for the hoop house?’” Clemmons recalled, smiling. “And she said, ‘What’s a hoop house?’” Jade proceeded to educate herself by planting her first garden. “I still have a lot of learning to do, but it made the song more fun for me to do,” she said. “Like, I would be practicing while watering the garden, and my kids would be helping.” The compelling earworm of a song goes, in part: “Coming all together to make food and lives grow, / From earth to tabletops, let young ones know. / Stuck in lockdown pondering what will make me healthy, / In

case stores close down, supplies go to the wealthy. / Back to the old school with seeds to grow, / Give knowledge to the youth so they will know.” As her three kids played by the hoop house, Jade said, “This project has had me thinking on so many things in the future … about buying my own house, about teaching children how to provide for themselves.” Jade’s thoughts are remarkably similar to the motives that drove the Clemmonses to buy their Charlotte farm in 1962. When they moved to Vermont from Cleveland, Jack and Lydia Clemmons were a pathologist and a nurse anesthetist, respectively. They made it through medical school on oatmeal, baked beans and chocolate bars. It meant everything to her parents to be able to buy the farm, Clemmons said: “They were just looking for a place where you could really set down roots and be able to invest in something that’s home.” It took them 35 years to pay off the initial $35,000 mortgage while investing countless hours of sweat equity in renovations. They remortgaged to send five kids through college. On top of their medical careers, the Clemmonses farmed. “Both of their families thought they were out of their minds,” their daughter said. Colleagues expressed

food+drink similar views: “Why on Earth would you, who are in our elite medical community, want to farm?” But her parents wanted to raise their children around animals and plants, to teach them the value of manual labor and self-sufficiency along with the importance of academics. “They hated the idea of snobbery and elitism. They actively rebelled in their quiet, gentle way,” Clemmons said. The relationship between Black people and farming is shaped by “the stigma of

owned, while white farmers lost only about 2 percent. Scruggs pointed out that the barriers to obtaining land and nutritious food go hand in hand with contributing to the broader system of oppression. It’s no coincidence, she said, that Black people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. “Part of the problem is not having access to healthy or good food,” she said. “Control of your own food is a form of protest, because you’re not reliant on other people to feed yourself.”

The Clemmons Family Farm’s new hoop house

CONTROL OF YOUR OWN FOOD IS

A FORM OF PROTEST. K R I S TA SCR UG GS

sharecropping and slavery before that,” Clemmons acknowledged. “We have a lot of suffering tied to that relationship to the land … being forced to labor and reap no benefits.” For her parents, though, farming was about self-determination and self-reliance. “What a joy to be able to actually invest in something, own it, and see the fruits of your labor, and have your kids and grandkids see the fruits of your labor. That’s what legacy is,” Clemmons said. “That’s equity,” she added, implying the double meaning of the word: fairness and value. Both forms of equity, however, have proved elusive for Black farmers. Well-documented research chronicles decades of systemic racism that contributed to pushing many off their land. A landmark class action case against the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleged racial discrimination against African American farmers who applied for farm loans and assistance between 1981 and 1996; it was settled in 1999 in favor of thousands of plaintiffs. According to a 2019 investigative report in the Counter, a nonprofit online publication focused on the U.S. food system, from 1910 to 1997 Black farmers lost around 90 percent of the land they

The young farmer and winemaker credits her late paternal grandfather with kindling her desire to farm, even though, when she was a kid, the weekends she spent weeding his gardens in California’s Central Valley “seemed like a punishment,” she said with a chuckle. Later, Scruggs came to look forward to those visits. They bonded over a shared appreciation of Johnny Cash, and her grandfather told her about growing up in Arkansas picking cotton. It would be easier to make wine from grapes grown by others, she said, but “he’s why farming is a big part of it for me.” In Europe and California, where Scruggs spent time learning her craft, many vineyards have been in the family for generations. “It doesn’t look like that for me, nor anyone that looks like me in America,” she said. The ZAFA team currently farms two leased parcels in Huntington and Northfield, but Scruggs is about to close on her own farm in Isle La Motte with the support of the Vermont Land Trust. Her grandfather, she said, tearing up a little, would be proud. She plans to paint the number 18 on her barn to announce the 18th Black-owned PLANTING POWER

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“We’re making bread that’s unique to this range.” Heyn is a self-taught designer and builder who, as a kid, was often engaged with projects, such as fixing a car or a motorcycle. He and Marvin, who grew up in Johnson, took over Elmore Mountain Bread in 2004. About 10 years ago, working with a Burlington-based mason, Heyn helped redesign and rebuild the bakery’s oven. Soon, he got phone calls from his baker friends who said, “Hey, my oven’s falling apart. What can I do?” The oven work sparked Heyn’s interest in design/build projects. “I got itchy looking for a new challenge to take on,” he said. In 2014, a friend in Asheville, N.C., told Heyn that he was looking for someone to build a new stone mill for his small mill operation — something that used natural stone rather than a composite blend, Heyn explained. He sent a package of stone-ground, heirloom flour by priority mail to Elmore Mountain Bread. The Vermont bakers opened the package and were wowed by the flour. “It had a superfresh aroma we had never experienced,” Heyn recalled. The revelatory flour, and his friend’s inquiry, inspired Heyn to take up the millbuilding challenge. He set to work on a prototype, ordering pink granite from North Carolina, figuring out the geometry and specifications. When the mill was built, he and Marvin put it to use: They added freshly milled flour to their mix, giving the bread a darker color and fuller flavor and boosting its nutritional value. Soon, they committed to baking solely with stone-milled flour produced on-site. “After I built ours, all these bakers we’d become friends with said, ‘Can you build a mill for me?’” Heyn said. “Once people taste the difference, they get an appreciation for how much better the bread is.” In 2015, he built five mills; the next year, 10. Now the shop in Elmore is at work on its 84th stone mill. Depending on its size, a mill takes 40 to 70 hours to build once all the parts are on hand, Heyn said. The price, also size dependent, ranges from

PHOTOS: JESSICA OJALA

Grain and Granite « P.40

Local wheat to be milled at Elmore Mountain Bread

ANDREW HAS CREATED A MACHINE THAT

OUR INDUSTRY NEEDED. J IM W IL L IAMS

$12,750 to $25,000 (with custom options available). Heyn discovered that there’s no need to buy granite from North Carolina; he found a source 30 miles south of Elmore at Granite Importers in Barre City. Thirty miles in the other direction, at Morningstar Farm in Glover, Heyn sources much of his wheat. Seth and Jeannette Johnson own and run the diversified farm that’s growing 50 acres of wheat. He delivers about 2,000 pounds of grain a month to Elmore Mountain Bread. Heyn holds back some of it, milling it for Johnson the day before his next delivery, which gives Morningstar Farm a value-added product to sell. “Customers love the stone-milled flour,” Johnson said. The bread company gives

Planting Power « P.43 farm in Vermont. “From 18, it should be 118; it should be 1,800,” she said. “Collectively, with this partnership, our goal is to be that resource for our community and each other.” Asked what allies can do to help at this time of heightened awareness, Clemmons and Scruggs both noted the increase in public statements of support. But, Scruggs said frankly, “Your sign is not enough.” They requested that supporters consider sharing networks and professional expertise in the legal, 44

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

him bran, a by-product of milling, to feed his cattle. The composted manure, in turn, fertilizes the grain fields. In the spring, Johnson said, when commerce and travel were restricted to essential businesses, the grain deliveries were extra special: a chance for friends, staying six feet apart, to talk a bit and eat some bread. “Andrew and Blair are just really cool people, really chill,” Johnson said. “Now that Andrew’s building these mills, it adds a whole other element to what’s neat about it. Whatever community that goes into, it’s an opportunity for those surrounding farmers to sell grain.” Stephen Jones, a wheat breeder and director of the Bread Lab, a grain research

financial and business domains. Simply put, Clemmons said, Black people don’t have as much access to that kind of social capital. “We mean people who know people who can do something, big things,” she continued. “Give us a couple hours of your time.” “Or a day,” Scruggs suggested. While donations are helpful, knowledge and connections deliver more long-term value, she elaborated. “You’ve now empowered that person to build a business that will go beyond that $200 you gave them. It’s not a dollar right now; it’s the opportunity for us to build a dollar for tomorrow.”

Blair Marvin

center at Washington State University, has seen Heyn’s mills at locations around the U.S. and beyond. He’s familiar with their use at bakeries and milling operations. In an email to Seven Days, Jones wrote, “They are a big deal and he is almost singlehandedly changing the regional grain system for the better.” m Contact: sally@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at newamericanstonemills.com.

It all adds up to “not just a better place for Black people,” Clemmons said. “This will be a better Vermont for everyone.” m Contact: pasanen@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at clemmonsfamilyfarm.org and zafawines.com. On SoundCloud find Omega Jade’s hoop house anthem under Clemmons Family Farm and more of her music under her own name.

“I love a dynamic downtown, full of life, creativity, great food, shopping options and live music. If we don’t support downtown businesses, this thriving cultural and economic center as we know it could irreversibly decline. There is no disputing that the experience of connecting with people, touching product and seeing stores is always a more human experience than going to Amazon.” SARAH PHANEUF OWNER, SLATE

Take a break from the big guys and support local first. Vermont merchants have faced mandatory store closures and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as some open back up, others operate online only. All need your support.

WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:

PICTURED: SLATE, 89 CHURCH ST., BURLINGTON, SLATEHOME.CO (JAMES BUCK)

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Visit the Register for all the info on area shopkeepers who are selling their products online for local delivery or curbside pickup. Browse by categories ranging from jewelry to electronics, outdoor gear to apparel. Whether you need something for yourself or that perfect gift for a loved one, shop savvy and keep Vermont strong. SHOP T HE R EGIS T E R .C OM SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

6/22/20 2:21 PM

music+nightlife Chris Titchner,

Fever Dolls,

Already Gone

The Phantasm at Lake Wallenpaupack

(Self-released, CD, digital)

(Self-released, digital)

Once based in Burlington, Fever Dolls relocated to Brooklyn in the last year or so. Such is the path of many young, creative college grads who cut their teeth at one of Vermont’s institutions of higher learning. The indie-rock group originally formed in the mid-2010s at Middlebury College under the hastily chosen moniker Iron Eyes Cody. But by 2017 they had dropped the name, partially because of a problematic history associated with the once-famous Italian American actor of the same name. But the name change primarily signaled a shift in the group’s overall tone from earnest Americana-rock into something else. Cofounder Evan Allis told Seven Days in 2017 that the new name signified “a level of fantasy and theater previously reserved for the extraordinary.” The title of the band’s latest album, The Phantasm at Lake Wallenpaupack, certainly ramps up the drama, as does its old-school Hardy Boys-style album art. Of the record’s five tracks, “Out of Vogue” particularly fulfills this long-awaited prophecy, even more than Fever Dolls’ unhinged, Clinton-scandal-referencing first single, “Gennifer Flowers.” The disco-rock hybrid presents its dual vocalists, Allis and Renn Mulloy, in glorious lockstep, carving through choral outbursts, sensational swells and snarling riffs. It’s as catchy and danceable as anything the group has produced. Though the rest of the EP never quite reaches the ecstatic intensity of “Out of Vogue,” its other offerings are among the strongest the group has produced in its two lifetimes. “Death Comes (for Good Sons)” is power-pop Americana at its finest, and “From Dusk to Dawn” is a gratifying, popfolk anthem for uncertain times. Stream The Phantasm at Lake Wallenpaupack on Spotify. 46

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

File Under ‘Expat’ Four new albums from formerly local artists

BY J O R D AN AD AMS

ermont’s music community is exceptionally vast in relation to the state’s small population. It’s also incredibly eclectic. That means Seven Days never runs out of interesting albums to review. In fact, we get more submissions than we know what to do with — including records from formerly local bands and artists. Though we usually keep the focus hyper-local, once in a while we like to check up on some of our expatriate musicians. That’s especially true if they’ve just put out new music. Included below are quick hits on four recently released albums from folks who used to call the Green Mountains home.

Chris Titchner was well known in Chittenden County’s singersongwriter scene back in the ’90s, both as a solo artist and with rock band Three Mile Limit. The Shelburne native hasn’t been local for some time, having relocated to North Carolina about 20 years ago. But longtime Vermont artists and fans are likely to remember his name. It’s also been a hell of a long time since Titchner released any new music — 15 years, to be precise. As he points out in a message to Seven Days, he dropped his long-gestating record in February, just before the pandemic radically changed everything, especially for musicians on the precipice of putting out new music. Or, in Titchner’s case, those who were planning a comeback. For me personally, listening to Already Gone is like stepping back in time 25 years to the former Champlain Valley Union High School coffeehouse, a staple of the school’s ’90s arts scene. The singer’s brand of plaintive acoustic rock thrived at the time, and it still does in many circles. Think Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty. It may not be the edgiest kind of music, but plenty of people still delight in that particular sound. Titchner apparently takes exceptional care of his voice. Not only has his songwriting style remained the same, but so has his voice. He sings with an unhindered, crystal-clear wail, gliding with ease through rollicking tunes such as “No Easy Way Out” and “Waiting.” “Kerosene” is the biggest surprise, a jazzy strummer front-loaded with a full horn section. It’s a nice change, given that the album is largely guitar-centric. Already Gone is available at christitchner.bandcamp.com. Titchner performs as part of the Burlington City Arts Summer Concert Series on the Church Street Marketplace on Wednesday, July 29.

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Special Show! July 26-27th

Merry Christmas,

Ben Roque,

(Self-released, digital)

(Self-released, CD, digital)

It’s been about 10 years since we heard from St. Albans native Matthew John Thoren. Last time, the Japan-based musician had just released an album called American Audiences with a duo named West Tokyo Sound. The scrappy, off-kilter sounds of that LP reemerge on The Night the Night Fell, a grand assemblage of off-center quirk-pop from his band Merry Christmas. As Thoren points out in an email, the band is composed of five players from four different countries: Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. This cultural convergence likely informs the album’s fresh and unpredictable approach to songcraft. At times, the album recalls the glory days of early 2000s indie rock, when bands such as Deerhoof, Architecture in Helsinki and Animal Collective were just hitting their strides. Merry Christmas’ songs seem to defy all convention, an almost meticulous shunning of all things normal. Songs dart and gallop all herky-jerky through mismatched time signatures, fractal structures and free-associative melodies. They have an almost childlike vibe, not in terms of maturity but rather of unhindered creativity. “Darkness Will Find Us All” perfectly encapsulates this style. It deescalates from a frenzied choral blast to a stuttering, almost jig-like landing point. “Forest of Bones” winds two opposing melodies over a jangle of guitar. And the epic “For the Lulls” slowly reveals its strangeness through several movements that unfurl across its six minutes. The Night the Night Fell will be available on August 1 on all streaming platforms. A physical release is scheduled for October.

Is it really fair to call Ben Roque an expat? The singer-songwriter did leave Vermont in 2019 to embark on a cross-country journey of playing music and working odd jobs, intending to return at some point in the future. But the coronavirus pandemic left him more or less stranded in SoCal — which, admittedly, is not the worst place to ride out the current crisis. In an email, he says he plans to return to Vermont whenever he can. As in his 2019 effort, Amuser, Roque’s music is dark and stormy.His salty concoctions, which range from bluesy piano ballads to stripped-down glampunk stingers, bring to life sorry bastards, booze-soaked gamblers — a whole cavalcade of back-alley scum. Roque writes and performs with such flair and pomp, he makes even the dregs of humanity sound captivating. The Old Hush is full of wayfaring anthems, a travelogue of desperate times and dark intentions. Roque’s songwriting style fizzes with dark energy. His primarily piano-driven tunes saunter through minor-key signatures galore, the sour chords underscoring the dirty deeds and wanton schemes he describes. “Get Behind the Eight Ball” is a jagged, guitar-driven scorcher that evokes the Kinks and T. Rex. Roque returns to this energy later on “Widow Susan Road,” a rambunctious blast of near-hard rock. But Roque’s signature style is evident in tracks such as “Off Your Tiltawhirl” and “Name on the Moon.” On these tunes, the singer-songwriter revels in melodically haunting twists and turns. The Old Hush is available at benroque. bandcamp.com.

The Night the Night Fell

The Old Hush

Contact: jordan@sevendaysvt.com

Natalie, Donnell and Family In their home studio in Canada, our favorite performing family has recorded a special show exclusively for Stowe Performing Arts!

For a donation of $50 or more, received by midnight on July 25, you will receive a link, via email, for this event. The video will be continuously available between 7 pm, Sunday, July 26 until 10 pm, Monday, July 27. A donation of any size will help sustain Stowe Performing Arts as we plan for the future. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Lamoille Community Food Share.

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7/13/20 9:52 AM

Check out the Champlain Valley’s new SUPER station! station!

Now on

104.3 FM

in Burlington, Plattsburgh and Saint Albans Always on

100.9

ARTS NEWS + VIEWS

in Waterbury, Montpelier and Randolph

For up-to-the-minute news about the local music and arts scene, read the Live Culture blog: sevendaysvt.com/liveculture. 4T-GreatEasternRadio061720.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

6/10/20 5:51 PM

NATURE CENTER Live Bird Programs Starting July 13! Open Daily 10am to 5pm

Forest Canopy Walk Exhibits & Nature Trails

Details at vinsweb.org

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

REVIEW this Punky Brewskies, Album Bomb (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

For obvious reasons, making music in 2020 has become a different sort of beast. Everyone is basically an emotional basket 149 NATURES WAY / QUECHEE, VT / 802.359.5000 case, so how that affects songwriting in general promises to be weird as all hell. On a Untitled-9 1 7/14/20 11:35 AM technical level, making records when you can’t be in the same room with bandmates or a producer is far from ideal. Unsurprisingly, one of the first to try is local cartoonist/writer/musician CHANNEL 1074 James Kochalka, known far and wide for a glittering career in comics and a sprawling catalog of music projects. On Album Bomb, he and MONDAYS > 10:00 A.M. longtime collaborator Jason Cooley (Blue Button, the Fags) reunite in absentia as GET MORE INFO OR their hip-hop project Punky Brewskies. It’s WATCH ONLINE AT the duo’s first record under the moniker in VERMONTCAM.ORG 16 years, crafted entirely in quarantine. “Stuck Inside” is a laptop-funk track full of COVID-19-era complaints we all 16t-vcam-weekly.indd 1 7/14/20 12:04 PM recognize. “Now we’re stuck inside / Just trying to survive / We order in supplies /

PREACHING HOUR

Carling & Will, Soon Comes Night

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(SELF-RELEASED, CD, DIGITAL, VINYL)

Lil Wayne and Travis Barker. John Mulaney and Pete Davidson. Whiskey and pickle juice. These musical, comedy and flavor combos are proof that unexpected pairings can yield unpredictably awesome results. The model is true in the case of Dorset roots duo Carling & Will, who marry banjo and electric guitar on their latest album Soon Comes Night. Carling & Will’s 2016 self-titled debut EP featured mostly instrumental interpretations of traditional tunes with Carling Berkhout on banjo and Will Seeders Mosheim on acoustic guitar and fiddle. The duo enters new territory on Soon Comes Night, in terms of both songwriting and instrumentation. Released on June 5, the LP contains eight

Because we stuck inside,” Kochalka raps over a twitchy beat laid down by Cooley, who is in full producer mode throughout the record. It’s a cool, quick number. Fortunately, the album lightens up thematically from there. The duo clearly has a good time making music together, which shines through any sort of gloom quarantine might lay over the record. On “Suck Your Singles Pt. 1,” Kochalka and Cooley trade old-school MC disses about weak singles before flexing about their own prowess: “We dropped the bomb, we dropped the big album / You’re dropping singles, but nobody likes ’em.” It would be all too easy for Album Bomb to devolve into nerd-core or veer toward overindulgent bedroom rap. The songs’ vitality keeps that from happening; the undercurrent of energy recalls the postapocalyptic glee of Gorillaz’s Plastic Beach. Cooley pushes the beats and stitches together the samples — many of which have to be white-hot illegal. Warren Zevon, the Guess Who and the Cars all make prominent cameos. Kochalka’s raps are rather endearing,

full of both humor and a real love for the influences he references, as are Cooley’s MC verses. That combination of ’80s hiphop worship and self-deprecating lyrics makes for a potent mix. Some of the best lines on the album pop up on the hilarious “We Lost the Keys.” Here, Kochalka raps, “Everybody knows I like to butter the toast / Everybody says I like to butter the bread / Everybody knows that I’m not one to boast / But everybody says that I’m better off dead.” Any apprehension I had about a hiphop record by two white, middle-aged dudes made entirely in quarantine quickly went out the window. Album Bomb is straight-up fun, at times going for laughs, at others just trying to bring the jams. The interplay and chemistry between Kochalka and Cooley are on full display, and they never let the songs become parodies. Maybe you want your quarantine records full of brutal emotional honesty or coated in melancholy. I get that, and if that works for you and your emotional needs, you put on that sad-ass record right now. However, if it’s one of those days when you need a beat and some lyrics that will make you snort your lunch beer, Album Bomb is the one for you. Check it out at punkybrewskies.bandcamp.com.

original songs, along with one traditional selection. Listeners first hear the interplay between banjo and electric guitar on the album’s second track, “Lillie’s Lullaby,” an instrumental song written for Berkhout’s sister. The sound is simultaneously sweet and spooky — evoking more Lord Huron than Bill Monroe. Another standout example is “Life Is but the Shadow of a Bird on the Wing.” Here, Seeders Mosheim’s electric six-string provides an atmospheric backdrop for Berkhout’s banjo. Seeders Mosheim, 35, began his musical relationship with Berkhout, 22, as her banjo instructor starting in 2013. The pair navigates multiple tempo changes on “Life Is but the Shadow…” like champs, no doubt the result of years of playing together. Despite its questionable title, “Freshly Fucked Fox in a Forest Fire” is the most buoyant and perhaps most traditionalsounding track on the record.

The album lulls during “Mulberry Sky” and “Black Creek,” which, sequenced backto-back, are inoffensive if a bit snoozy. Just two of Soon Comes Night’s tracks incorporate vocals. Seeders Mosheim gives voice to the traditional American folk song “Mole in the Ground,” as well as the original “Salton Sea.” His voice is steadier here than on the previous EP, however it doesn’t match the beauty of the instrumentals. “Salton Sea” features southern Vermont roots musician Ida Mae Specker on vocal harmonies and Andrew Koss on drums. Koss keeps the beat with lightly sweeping brushes, adding a little pep without overpowering the duo. Carling & Will’s music evokes visions of great expanses of land and would fit seamlessly as the soundtrack to a Kelly Reichardt movie — the album’s cover art, a photo of two distant camping vans under the starriest of night skies, is apropos. Soon Comes Night’s visual and musical elements come together to set a bittersweet and lingering mood. Soon Comes Night is available at carlingandwill.com.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED: SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

8v-greenhaven071520.indd 1

7/13/20 4:14 PM

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

KRISTEN RAVIN

ARE YOU A VT ARTIST OR BAND? SEND US YOUR MUSIC! DIGITAL: MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM; SNAIL MAIL: MUSIC C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 S. CHAMPLAIN ST., SUITE 5, BURLINGTON, VT 05401

CLASS PHOTOS + MORE INFO ONLINE SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSES

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.

dance DANCE STUDIO SALSALINA: Salsa, bachata, cha-cha: Latin dancing! Salsalina Dance Studio reopening July 20 to offer private lessons only. Call to schedule, learn about pricing and safety protocols. See website for details. No dance experience or partner required, just the desire to have fun! Opening Jul. 20. Lessons avail. Mon.-Thu., 6-9 p.m. Varies. Location: 32 Malletts Bay Ave., Winooski. Info: Victoria, 598-1077, info@salsalina.com, salsalina.com.

drumming DJEMBE & TAIKO: JOIN US!: Digital classes! (No classes on-site for now.) Taiko: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Djembe: Wednesday. Kids and Parents: Tuesday and Wednesday. Private digital conga lessons by appointment. Let’s prepare for a future drum gathering outdoors! Schedule/register online. Location: Taiko Space, 208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3G, Burlington. Info: 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org.

gardening GARDENING FOR HEALTH: Learn the basics of gardening, healthy eating, mindfulness and physical activity for all abilities through workshops and home activities. Must be UVMMC patients (or

employees) who are beginner gardeners and have at least one of the following conditions: pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure or overweight. Program funded through the generosity of donors to the UVM Medical Center Fund. Starts Aug. 4, 8 weeks, every other Tue., 5-7 p.m., or Thu., 9-11 a.m. 2-hour workshops + at-home activities; all materials provided. Location: University of Vermont Medical Center Rooftop Garden, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington. Info: UVMMC and the Vermont Community Garden Network, Lisa Hoare, 847-3833, healthcaregarden@ uvmhealth.org, uvmhealth.org/ medcentergardening.

language LEARN SPANISH LIVE & ONLINE: Broaden your world. Learn Spanish online via live video conferencing. High-quality affordable instruction in the Spanish language for adults, students and children. Travelers lesson package. Our 14th year. Personal small group and individual instruction from a native speaker. See our website for complete information or contact us for details. Location: Spanish in Waterbury Center, Waterbury Center. Info: 585-1025, spanishparavos@gmail.com, spanishwaterburycenter.com.

CLASS PLANS MAY CHANGE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. PLEASE CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS IN ADVANCE.

martial arts VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: Brazilian jiujitsu is a martial arts combat style based entirely on leverage and technique. Brazilian jiujitsu self-defense curriculum is taught to Navy SEALs, CIA, FBI, military police and special forces. No training experience required. Easy-to-learn techniques that could save your life! Classes for men, women and children. Students will learn realistic bully-proofing and self-defense life skills to avoid becoming victims and help them feel safe and secure. Our sole purpose is to help empower people by giving them realistic martial arts training practices they can carry with them throughout life. IBJJF and CBJJ certified black belt sixthdegree instructor under Carlson Gracie Sr.: teaching in Vermont, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A five-time Brazilian National Champion; International World Masters Champion and IBJJF World Masters Champion. Accept no Iimitations! Location: Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Info: 598-2839, julio@bjjusa.com, vermontbjj.com.

massage ASIAN BODYWORK THERAPY PROGRAM: This program teaches two forms of massage: amma and shiatsu. We will explore oriental medicine theory and diagnosis, as well as the body’s meridian system, acupressure points, and yin-yang and five-element theory. Additionally, Western anatomy and physiology are taught. VSAC

nondegree grants are available. FSMTB-approved program. Starts Sep. 2020. Cost: $6,000/625-hour program. Location: Elements of Healing, 21 Essex Way, Suite 109, Essex Jct. Info: Scott Moylan, 2888160, scott@elementsofhealing. net, elementsofhealing.net.

nature NATURE JOURNALING: Led by teaching artist Rachel Mirus, we will spend the morning surrounded by the beautiful Horsford Gardens while practicing sketching, nature writing and strategies for identifying plants and animals. July 25: pollinators; August 22: trees. Students should bring their favorite writing/drawing tools; additional supplies provided. rachelscybercabinet.works. Sat., Jul. 25 & Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Cost: $40/2-hour class. Location: Horsford Gardens and Nursery, 2111 Greenbush Rd., Charlotte. Info: Rachel Mirus, 249-8838, rachel. marie.sargent@gmail.com, rachelscybercabinet.works.

writing

yoga

WRITING A HEALING POEM FOR PEACE and Reflection in Our Changing World. Join poet and “energy artist” JC Wayne in the beauty of nature at Horsford Gardens to explore what a healing poem is and how to write one as a source of personal peace, refuge and calm. Learn more/register by Aug. 7 at poartry.org/workshops. Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m.-noon. Cost: $35. Location: Horsford Gardens and Nursery, 2111 Greenbush Rd., Charlotte. Info: JC Wayne, poartryproject@gmail.com, horsfordnursery.com/events.

EVOLUTION YOGA: Now offering live online and recorded classes. Practice yoga with some of the most experienced teachers and therapeutic professionals in Burlington, from the comfort of your home. Sign up on our website and receive a link to join a live class; a class recording will be sent after class. Pay as you go or support us by becoming an unlimited member. Join us outside this summer for Yoga on the Lake and Yoga in the Park. Registration is open for our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training for Health and Wellness Professionals. Now offering flexible pricing based on your financial needs. Contact yoga@evolutionvt.com. Single class: $0-15. 10-class pass: $100. $55 student unlimited membership. Summer unlimited pass Jun.-Aug.: $195-275. Scholarships avail. for all pricing options. Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 8649642, evolutionvt.com.

well-being ONLINE HAPPINESS PROGRAM: Learn to relieve stress and anxiety from home. This course uses SKY (or Sudarshan Kriya), a powerful breathing technique to quiet the mind, leading to a deep experience of meditation. Beginners welcome. Three-day online course, live interactive sessions with certified instructors. Register online or call Rondi for more information: 718-207-5684. Fri., Jul. 24, 6:30-9 p.m., and Sat.Sun., Jul. 25-26, 9:30 a.m.-noon; or Fri., Aug. 7, 6:30-9 p.m., and Sat.-Sun., Aug. 8-9, 2:30-5 p.m. Cost: $190. Location: The Art of Living, online venue. Info: The Art of Living, Rondi Sewelson, 718207-5684, rondi.sewelson@ artofliving.org, eventus. artofliving.org/us-en/ online-course-2.

Starting at $18.99

Various colors/bedspread sizes

HOME

LAUGHING RIVER YOGA: Increase confidence and decrease stress. Enjoy inspirational teachings, intelligent alignment and focused workshops through daily virtual and live yoga classes. Check out our virtual library and practice with us outdoors at the Burlington Surf Club and limited capacity indoors at the Chace Mill. All bodies and abilities welcome. Daily classes, workshops, 200- & 300hour yoga teacher training. $5-$15 single class; $44-$99/mo. unlimited. Location: Laughing River Yoga, Chace Mill and Burlington Surf Club, Burlington. Info: 3438119, laughingriveryoga.com.

SHOP INSTORE, ONLINE www.homeportonline.com or CALL 802 863-4644 for CURBSIDE PICKUP, SHIPPING or LOCAL DELIVERY (select areas) 36 YEARS LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED 52 Church St., Burlington 863-4644 Sun thru Sat 10am - 6pm d e C O r . f U r n i t U r e /FINANCING AVAILABLE • h O U S e W a r e S • g i f t S • t O y S 3h-homeport071520.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

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LOOKING FOR WORK? Meet the area’s top employers at:

Hire Up!

A Live Video Q&A Session Connecting Companies with Candidates Considering a new career path? Want to get back into the field you love? These sessions will help you explore your options from a safe social distance. During each 40-minute session recruiters will explain what jobs they have available and what they’re looking for in an applicant. You can ask questions or just listen in. Attend one session or all — for free!

WED., JULY 15: TECH, HEALTH CARE AND HUMAN SERVICES JOBS 10:30 a.m Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Noon

Harbor Village Senior Communities

3 p.m.

GlobalFoundries

jobs.sevendaysvt.com/hire-up 50

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

COURTESY OF KELLY SCHULZE/MOUNTAIN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

Humane

Society of Chittenden County

Whiskahs AGE/SEX: 6-year-old spayed female ARRIVAL DATE: March 10, 2020 REASON HERE: Previous housing wouldn’t allow her. SUMMARY: A quintessential cat with a capital C, Whiskahs is all about living her best life on her terms. Friendly and loving when she’s in the mood, but independent and aloof when she wants space, this chonky lady won’t leave you guessing on how she feels! Whiskahs has made progress on her weight loss goals and would love some more help getting to a healthy size. If you’re a true cat person who can give Whiskahs the time and patience she needs, head over to hsccvt.org/cats to schedule a meeting! DOGS/CATS: Whiskahs has lived with a cat and dogs in her previous home and might do well with others if given a slow and proper introduction.

housing »

APARTMENTS, CONDOS & HOMES

DID YOU KNOW? Whiskahs is our latest Pronature Pal! This special honor means her adoption fee is $0 for the month of July, thanks to our friends at Pronature Holistic, who will also supply Whiskahs with six months of free high-quality cat food. Her new family will also receive a $50 gift card from Pet Food Warehouse to help this queen get settled into her new castle!

Sponsored by:

on the road »

CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES

pro services »

CHILDCARE, HEALTH/ WELLNESS, PAINTING

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APPLIANCES, KID STUFF, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE

music »

INSTRUCTION, CASTING, INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

jobs »

NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

NEW STUFF ONLINE EVERY DAY! PLACE YOUR ADS 24-7 AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22 , 2020

CLASSIFIEDS on the road

housing

CARS/TRUCKS

FOR RENT

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled: It doesn’t matter. Get free towing & same-day cash. Newer models, too. Call 1-866-5359689. (AAN CAN)

1ST FLOOR, NEAT, COMPLETE Living area, kitchen, BR, BA, walk-in closet. Central vac. W/D. Central air. 2 parking spaces. $950/ mo., dep. , refs., lease. No pets. Bill Kalanges 802-662-4992.

We Pick Up & Pay For Junk Automobiles!

Route 15, Hardwick

802-472-5100

3842 Dorset Ln., Williston

802-793-9133

BURLINGTON Single room, Hill Section, on bus line. No cooking. Linens furnished. 862-2389. No pets. PINECREST AT ESSEX 9 Joshua Way, Essex Jct. Independent senior living for those 55+ years. 2-BR, 2-BA corner unit avail. Sep. 15. $1,520/mo. incl. utils & parking garage. NS/ pets. 802-872-9197 or rae@fullcirclevt.com.

housing ads: $25 (25 words) legals: 52¢/word buy this stuff: free online services: $12 (25 words)

PINECREST AT ESSEX 9 Joshua Way, Essex Jct. Independent senior living for those 55+ years. 1-BR avail. Jul. 15, $1,240/mo. incl. utils. & parking garage. NS/ pets. 802-872-9197 or rae@fullcirclevt.com. TAFT FARM SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 10 Tyler Way, Williston, Independent Senior Living. Newly remodeled 1-BR unit on 2nd floor avail., $1,185/mo. inc. utils. & cable. NS/pets. Must be 55+ years of age. cintry@fullcirclevt. com or 802-879-3333. TAFT FARM SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 10 Tyler Way, Williston, independent senior living. Newly remodeled 2-BR unit on 2nd floor avail., $1,390/mo. incl. utils. & cable. NS/pets. Must be 55+ years of age. cintry@fullcirclevt. com, 802-879-3333.

HOUSEMATES NEED A ROOMMATE? Roommates.com will help you find your perfect match today! (AAN CAN)

display service ads: $25/$45 homeworks: $45 (40 words, photos, logo) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x21

OFFICE/ COMMERCIAL 3-ACRE BUILDING LOT Off Cherry Tree Hill in E. Montpelier. Private road w/ cul-de-sac. Permits in place. Utils. underground. Close to both schools. FSBO. Contact 802-272-7864.

COMPUTER

FINANCIAL/LEGAL

COMPUTER ISSUES? Geeks On Site provides free diagnosis remotely 24-7 service during COVID-19. No home visit necessary. $40 off w/ coupon 86407! Restrictions apply. 866-939-0093. (AAN CAN)

AUTO INSURANCE Starting at $49/mo.! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save. Call 855-569-1909. (AAN CAN)

EDUCATION services

BIZ OPPS BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print & distribute your work internationally. We do the work; you reap the rewards! Call for a free Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN)

print deadline: Mondays at 4:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classifieds questions? classifieds@sevendaysvt.com 865-1020 x10

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a medical office professional online at CTI! Get trained, certified & ready to work in months. Call 866-243-5931. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (AAN CAN)

ENTERTAINMENT DISH TV $59.99 for 190 channels + $14.95 high-speed internet. Free installation, smart HD DVR incl., free voice remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-855-380-2501. (AAN CAN)

BOY SCOUT COMPENSATION FUND Anyone who was inappropriately touched by a Scout leader deserves justice & financial compensation! Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call now. 844-896-8216. (AAN CAN) NEED HELP W/ FAMILY LAW? Can’t afford a $5,000 retainer? Low-cost legal services: Pay as you go, as low as $750-1,500. Get legal help now! Call 1-844-821-8249, Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-4 p.m. PCT. familycourtdirect. com/?network=1. (AAN CAN)

CLASSIFIEDS KEY

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

Foreclosure: 3BR Home w/ Accessory Building

Wednesday, July 22 @ 11AM 453-471 Church Rd., Colchester, VT

HEALTH/ WELLNESS GENTLE TOUCH MASSAGE Specializing in deep tissue, reflexology, sports massage, Swedish & relaxation massage for men. Practicing massage therapy for over 14 years. Gregg, gentletouchvt. com, motman@ymail. com, 802-234-8000 (call or text). Milton.

OPTIMAL MEN’S HEALTH! Better sexual performance at any age! Bring spontaneity back w/ cutting-edge ED treatment. GAINSWave increases stamina & function without drugs. Email gainswave@ northbranchvt.com, or call 802-828-1234.

HOME/GARDEN CLASSIC SHADES PAINTING Quality craftsmanship & courteous customer care. Interior/exterior painting. Residential/ commercial. Lead certified. Call now for your free estimate, 802345-2038, or email us at classicshadespainting@ gmail.com.

BUY THIS STUFF»

Boat, Tools, Antiques, Furnishings & Decor

Online Ends Tues., July 28 @ 12PM Lamoille County Location TBA

Buyer or Selling?

ADV Tho FRO Pho Adv

1/16 1/8=

Robbi Handy Holmes • 802-951-2128 robbihandyholmes@vtregroup.com Formerly Century 21 Jack Associates Making it happen for you!

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

EMA

TO: COM PHO

Let’s make it happen.

16t-robbihandyholmes071520.indd 1 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:

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

STRUGGLING W/ YOUR PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline: 888-670-5631. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET. (AAN CAN)

1-STOP SHOP For all your catheter needs. We accept Medicaid, Medicare & insurance. Try before you buy. Quick & easy. Give us a call: 866-2822506. (AAN CAN)

Real Estate  Commercial

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Absolute Auction: 3 Interconnected Buildings

Simulcast Thur., July 30 @ 11AM 33-67 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, VT

1,450±SF Commercial Building Tuesday, August 4 @ 11AM 4904 VT-22A, Addison, VT

Open House: Wed., July 22 from 1-3PM

TOD NAM DAT

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7/10/20 12:15 PM

Calcoku SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

Show and tell. Sudoku

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

3÷

11+

3+ 2-

5 6

2÷

Difficulty - Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

9 7 4 5

3 1 4 5 4 7 8

3 1 Difficulty: Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

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 onebox 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.

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.

9 8 7 5 1 6 2 4 3 4 1 6 3 2 9 5 8 7 ANSWERS ON P. 55 4 7 8 H6HH1= HOO, 9 BOY! 5 2 H3H = CHALLENGING H = MODERATE 6 4 2 8 9 3 1 7 5 7 3 5 1 6 4 9 2 8 INITALLY ADORED 8 9 1 7 5 2 4 3 6 ANSWERS ON P. 55 » 3 6 9 2 4 7 8 5 1 1 7 4 6 8 5 3 9 2 2 5 8 9 3 1 7 6 4

crossword 4 2 6 3 5 1

There’s no limit to ad length online.

Fresh. Filtered. Free.

No. 645

SUDOKU

Extra! Extra!

4 3 1

CALCOKU

6 5

215+

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View and post up to

Post & browse ads Complete the following puzzle by using the 6 photos per ad online. at your convenience. numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

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buzz?

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SEVENDAYSVT.COM/DAILY7 8v-daily7-coffee.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

1/13/14 1:45 PM

Avenue in Burlington, Vermont.

buy this stuff

GARAGE/ESTATE SALES BIG SALE! TOOLS & MORE! Antiques, woodworking, power tools, kitchen, automotive, vintage tech, supplies. Masks req.! 74 Marshfield Rd., East Calais. Sat.-Sun., Jul. 18-19, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Karen & Justin, 456-7456.

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS ORIENTAL RUG Beautiful, round, 8’ oriental rug. Handmade, excellent condition. Soft earth tones. No stains, cared for. Asking $225. Pic available. Replacing for new décor. Sandra, 802-343-5510.

MISCELLANEOUS ATTENTION, VIAGRA & CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50-pill special: $99 + free shipping! 100% guaranteed. Call now: 888-531-1192. (AAN CAN) STORE CLOSING Store closing in Burlington. Fixtures, displays, supplies, etc. Call Carol at 802-9228244 or carolvonrohr@ yahoo.com. Nice glass & wood display cases, bookshelves, & plenty more.

The District 4 Environmental Commission is reviewing this application under Act 250 Rule 51—Minor Applications. A copy of the application and proposed permit are available for review at the office listed below. The application and a draft permit may also be viewed on the Natural Resources Board’s web site (http://nrb.vermont. gov) by clicking on “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1316-1.”

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS: List your properties here and online for only $45/week. Submit your listings by Mondays at noon to homeworks@sevendaysvt.com or 802-865-1020, x10.

CLASSIC MID-CENTURY HOME PORT HENRY, NY | 3167 BROAD ST.

EXPANSIVE RAISED RANCH SHELBURNE | 159 HEDGEROW DRIVE

PRICE REDUCED

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or Desirable Neighborhood. Upstairs before July 29, 2020, features hardwood, large living Mid-century ranch with so many a person notifies the room, fireplace, dining room flows features of that period. Vaulted Commission of an issue into grand kitchen with island, or issues requiring the ceilings, stone fireplace and matchbright eat-in area can be a secpresentation of evidence ing built-in planter in LR/DR. 3BR, at a hearing, or the ond living room. Spacious master 2BA, large family room opens to Commission sets the bedroom, guest bathroom and flagstone patio. Attached one-car matter for a hearing updated bathroom. Lower level garage. Beautiful 3/4 ac. lot. Close on its own motion. Any Robbi Handy Holmes features media room, bedroom, 518-546-7557 to golf, marinas, school, etc. and person as defined in 10 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices results@yahoo.com office, and ¾ bath. Deck, private just a 35 minute drive from VerV.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may 802-951-2128 corner lot, beautiful gardens, & gennes/Middlebury. $124,900 request a hearing. Any robbihandyholmes@vtregroup.com pool! New roof, windows & heathearing request must be ing system in 2018. $385,000 in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria Parties entitled to gravel driveways to same A public hearing will be wearing a face covering enter the Webinar ID at issue, why a hearing STATE OF VERMONT participate are the dimension; modify entry held on Wednesday, and maintaining social (81806051038) and is required and what SUPERIOR COURT Municipality, the1 stairs to 8 Strong Street. July 29, 2020 at 6PM HW-Holmes1-071520.indd distance. To participate Password (686258) as RR-Cook-081419.indd 8/26/19 1:41 PM 1 7/13/20 3:10 PM additional evidence PROBATE DIVISION Municipal Planning No change to coverage. at the Department of in-person, pre-register instructed. will be presented at the CHITTENDEN UNIT Commission, the Public Works at 645 by emailing info@ hearing. Any hearing DOCKET NO.: 676-6-20 2. 20-0971CA/CU; 362 To request interpreter Regional Planning Pine Street, Burlington champlainparkway.com request by an adjoining CNPR South Union Street Commission, affected and virtually via Zoom or calling 802-496-8956. services, please call property owner or other In re ESTATE of : Bradley (RL, Ward 6S) William 802-496-8956 or email state agencies, and Webinar. The in-person person eligible for party Fellows and Tshen Shue There are several ways to info@champlainparkway. G. Rand adjoining property ownoption will take place in status under 10 V.S.A. Demolish detached tune in virtually: com by July 22. ers and other persons DPW’s semi-open garage §6085(c)(1)(E) must NOTICE TO CREDITORS garage. Construct garage to facilitate better (1) Join the Zoom Additional information to the extent that they include a petition for To the Creditors of: with attached accessory and the Limited-Scope have a particularized air-flow and proper social Webinar at https:// party status under the Bradley G Rand, late dwelling unit. us02web.zoom.us/j/818 Draft Supplemental interest that may be distancing. Parking is Act 250 Rules. Prior to of Milton. I have been 06051038?pwd=U01iQU Environmental Impact affected by the proposed available on-site. The submitting a request for appointed to administer Plans may be viewed puekIxeFpxV1kwWGRLTE- Statement can be found project under the Act number of in-person a hearing, please contact this estate. All creditors upon request by contact- participants will be 9Qdz09 Enter Password: on the project website at 250 criteria. Non-party the district coordinator ing the Department of 686258 www.champlainparkway. having claims against participants may also be limited. Participants at the telephone the decedent or the Permitting & Inspections with internet access (2) via Telephone com. allowed under 10 V.S.A. number listed below estate must present between the hours of Dial: +19292056099, Section 6085(c)(5). are asked to participate for more information. their claims in writing 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 +13017158592, virtually via Zoom. Prior to convening a within four (4) months p.m. Participation in Dated at Essex Junction, +13126266799, In-person attendees hearing, the Commission of the first publication the DRB proceeding is a Vermont this 8th day of +16699006833, will be required to follow must determine that of this notice. The claim July, 2020. By: Stephanie prerequisite to the right +12532158782, or applicable COVID-19 substantive issues must be presented to to take any subsequent H. Monaghan, District +13462487799 then precautions, including requiring a hearing have appeal. Please note that Coordinator, 111 West been raised. Findings of ANYTHING submitted Street, Essex Junction, Fact and Conclusions of VT 05452 802-879-5662 to the Zoning office is Law may not be prepared stephanie.monaghan@ considered public and unless the Commission cannot be kept confidenvermont.gov holds a public hearing. tial. This may not be the final order in which items If you feel that any of will be heard. Please view the District Commission BURLINGTON final Agenda, at www. members listed on the DEVELOPMENT REVIEW burlingtonvt.gov/dpi/ attached Certificate of BOARD TUESDAY, drb/agendas or the office Service under “For Your AUGUST 4, 2020, 5:00 notice board, one week Information” may have a PM PUBLIC HEARING before the hearing for Share home w/ bright woman in her 90s, seeking housemate for nighttime “just in conflict of interest, or if NOTICE the order in which items there is any other reason REMOTE MEETING case” presence & evening meal prep. Private BA. $200/mo. will be heard. a member should be Zoom: https://us02web. disqualified from sitting zoom.us/j/81648212473 on this case, please ?pwd=V2NxNTk3N1Y0aD PUBLIC HEARING FOR contact the District BiUmh2cGJQUS9HUT09 Musician in her 60s who enjoys piano, VPR & growing veggies, seeking cat-friendly Coordinator as soon as Webinar ID: 81648212473 CHAMPLAIN PARKWAY PROJECT possible, and by no later housemate. Shared BA. $400/mo. Password: 842557 than July 29, 2020. This notice is to anTelephone: nounce a public hearing +19292056099 or If you have a disand the availability of +13017158592 or ability for which you a Limited-Scope Draft +13126266799 or Share home w/delightful senior gentleman. Help w/meals, laundry, errands, properneed accommodation Supplemental +16699006833 or in order to participate in ty maintenance. Private, furnished BR/BA. $200/mo. Environmental Impact +12532158782 or this process (including Statement for the +13462487799 participating in a public proposed Southern Finding you just the right housemate for over 35 years! hearing, if one is held), 1. 20-0914CA/AP; 4-8 Connector/Champlain please notify us as soon Strong Street (RM, Ward Parkway project in Call 863-5625 or visit HomeShareVermont.org for an as possible, in order to 3C) Melissa J. Aloisi the City of Burlington, application. Interview, refs, bg check req. EHO allow us as much time Appeal of zoning permit Chittenden County, as possible to accom#20-0914CA. Restore Vermont. modate your needs.

Sue Cook

Homeshares

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1316-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On July 1, 2020, Lakeside Ovens, LLC, c/o Russ Scully, Scully Interactive, 688 Pine Street, Burlington, VT filed application number 4C1316-1 for a project generally described as demolition of an existing two-story office building and replacement with a 14,450 GSF three-story office building on the existing foundations with minimal site improvements; use and building footprint will not change. The Project is located at 32 Lakeside

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

COLCHESTER

BARRE

FLETCHER

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7/1/20 4:37 PM

List your property here for 2 weeks for only $45! Contact Katie, 865-1020, ext. 10, fsbo@sevendaysvt.com.

Expand your business to Rutland City. Currently a delicatessen, it’s ready to be reinvented. All equipment in good condition. Possibilities for a neighborhood business are endless! Plentiful parking. Contact Jim Watson, Watson Realty, 802-345-0081 for details and showings.

LAND PREMISES CONVEYED TO PATRICIA L’ESPERANCE BY QUITCLAIM DEED OF TIMOTHY A. FOWLER DATED NOVEMBER 13, 1996 AND RECORDED NOVEMBER 15, 1996 IN VOLUME 40, PAGE 213 OF THE LAND RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF PLAINFIELD. BEING THE REMAINDER OF ALL AND THE SAME LAND PREMISES CONVEYED TO JUDITH FOWLER AND HOWARD FOWLER (DECEASED) BY WARRANTY DEED OF REBECCA JANE BUCK, DATED JULY 6, 1984 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 29, PAGE 11 OF THE LAND RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF PLAINFIELD, EXCEPTING AND RESERVING LAND AND AN OLD GARAGE ON THE EASTERLY SIDE OF CREAMERY STREET, SUBSEQUENTLY CONVEYED TO ALAN B, GOLDMAN SEPTEMBER 11, 1987.

FROM P.53

4 2

8 7 1 6 3+ 2 3 42- 2 3 5 9 1 6 9 7 4 5 8

9 4 15+ 5 6 7 8 1-3 1 2

11+

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FROM P.53

1 6 2 3 4 5 3 4 68 1 7+ 7 12 6 9 7+

6 3 5 2 1 1 2- 6 2 9 27 8 9 3 6 4 5 2 4 7 8 5 3 1 6x

2 5 3 4 6

6 3 1 4 5 2

2 4 3 5 8 7 16 1 9 41 7 5 9 2 8 2÷ 2÷ 4 3 6 8 5 1 3Difficulty 9 - Medium 2 7 6 4 3-

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

Calcoku

No. 645

3 1

Difficulty: Medium

PUZZLE ANSWERS

STATE OF VERMONT VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT WASHINGTON UNIT, CIVIL DIVISION DOCKET NO: 311-5-18 WNCV U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSRMF MH MASTER PARTICIPATION

In accordance with the Judgment Order and Decree of Foreclosure entered December 23, 2019 in the above captioned action brought to foreclose that certain mortgage given by Jeri M. Keenan and the late Michael L. Keenan to First Franklin Financial Corporation , dated February 26, 2004 and recorded in Book 55 Page 99 of the land records of the Town of Plainfield, of which mortgage the Plaintiff is the present holder, by virtue of the following Assignments of Mortgage: (1) Assignment of Mortgage from First Franklin Financial Corporation to First Franklin Financial

Corporation dated To wit: January 12, 20107/1/20 and 5:19 PM All that certain property recorded in Book 55 situated in the County Page 99-A; (2) Corrective of WASHINGTON, and Assignment of Mortgage State of VERMONT, being from First Franklin described as follows: Financial Corporation to Federal National A PARCEL OF LAND, Mortgage Association WITH HOUSE THEREON, dated January 22, 2018 KNOWN AS 78 and recorded in Book CREAMERY STREET, 55 page 99-C and (3) PLAINFIELD, VERMONT; Assignment of Mortgage from Federal National AND BEING ALL AND Mortgage Corporation SAME LANDS AND to U.S. Bank Trust, N.A., PREMISES CONVEYED TO as Trustee for LSRMF PETER L’ESPERANCE AND MH Master Participation PATRICIA L’ESPERANCE, Trust II dated February TRUSTEES OF THE 18, 2020 and recorded in MINOR CHILDREN OF Book 55 page 757 all of DEBBIE FOWLER BY the land records of the QUITCLAIM DEED OF Town of Plainfield for PATRICIA L’ESPERANCE breach of the conditions DATED NOVEMBER 13, of said mortgage and 1996 AND RECORDED for the purpose of NOVEMBER 15, 1996 foreclosing the same will IN VOLUME 40, PAGE be sold at Public Auction 214 OF LAND RECORDS at 78 Creamery Street, OF THE TOWN OF Plainfield, Vermont on PLAINFIELD AND BEING August 10, 2020 at 10:00 MORE PARTICULARLY AM all and singular the DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: premises described in said mortgage, BEING ALL THE SAME

Dated: 7/10/20 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Jennifer Rand Executor/ Administrator: Jennifer Rand, 53 Arrowhead Ave., Milton, VT 05468 (802) 578-4101 jmrand@ rfsdelivers.com Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 7/15/20 Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court, P.O. Box 511, Burlington, VT 05402 jmrand@yahoo.com

TRUST II v. JERI M. KEENAN OCCUPANTS OF: 78 Creamery Street, Plainfield VT MORTGAGEE’S NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER 12 V.S.A. sec 4952 et seq.

me at the address listed FBSO-PaulaIsrael070820.indd 1 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.

TURNKEY RUTLAND DELI

One-of-a-kind property in the heart of downtown historic Middlebury, sitting right atop the falls. Commercial and/or residential,1600 sq.ft, $395,000, unbelievable view. Photos: www.calebkenna.com/ galleries/gallery/48main-street-middlebury-vermont/ 802-989-2022

This delightful small business is ready for you! Expand your current business to Rutland City. Currently a delicatessen, it comes ready to be reinvented by you. All equipment is in good condition. The possibilities for a neighborhood business are limited only by your imagination. Plentiful parking and a large lot are part of the deal. This property is listed through Watson Realty. Contact Jim Watson, 802-345-0081 for more details and to make an appointment to view.

DOWNTOWN MIDDLEBURY OPPORTUNITY

fsb

FOR SALE BY OWNER

SAID PROPERTY BEING FURTHER DESCRIBED AS 43 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, WITH DWELLING LOCATED ON TH #9, CREAMERY STREET, SO CALLED, IN PLAINFIELD, VERMONT. REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE ABOVE REFERENCED DEEDS AND TO THE REFERENCES THEREIN CONTAINED IN FURTHER AID OF THIS DESCRIPTION. SOURCE OF TITLE: BOOK 49 PAGE 93 RECORDED: FEBRUARY 13, 2002 APN: 11-100 Reference is hereby made to the above instruments and to the records and references contained therein in further aid of this description. Terms of sale: Said premises will be sold and conveyed subject to all liens, encumbrances, unpaid taxes, tax titles, municipal liens and assessments, if any, which take precedence over the said mortgage above described. TEN THOUSAND ($10,000.00) Dollars of the purchase price must be paid by a certified check, bank treasurer’s or cashier’s check at the time and place of the sale by the purchaser. The balance of the purchase price shall be paid by a certified check, bank treasurer’s or cashier’s check within sixty (60) days after the date of sale. The mortgagor is entitled to redeem the premises at any time prior to the sale by paying the full amount due under the mortgage, including the costs and expenses of the sale. Other terms to be announced at the sale. DATED : July 2, 2020 By: /S/Rachel K.

Ljunggren, Esq. Rachel K. Ljunggren, Esq. Bendett and McHugh, PC 270 Farmington Ave., Ste. 151 Farmington, CT 06032 THE CONTENTS OF STORAGE UNIT 0200220 LOCATED AT 48 INDUSTRIAL AVE , WILLISTON VT, 05495 WILL BE SOLD ON OR ABOUT THE 30TH OF JULY 2020 TO SATISFY THE DEBT OF GERALD KIRBY. 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. TOWN OF BOLTON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The DRB will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 30, 2020, starting at 6:30 pm (online/virtual only) to consider the following applications: Application 2020-28-CU: Applicants &amp; Owners: Bolton Valley Resort. Request Conditional Use approval to add a 2-story addition to Timberline base lodge at 3220 Bolton Valley Access Rd. This property is located within the Resort Village district. (Tax Map # 6-3004250) The hearings are open to the public. Additional information may be obtained via email at: zoningbolton@gmavt. net or at the Bolton Town Office, Mon.-Thur. from 8:00-4:00PM. Pursuant to 24 VSA §§4464(a)(1)(C) and 4471(a), participation in this local proceeding, by written or oral comment, is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. If you cannot attend the hearing, comments may be made in writing prior to the hearing and mailed to: Zoning Administrator, 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway (US Route 2), Bolton, Vermont 05676 or via email to: zoningbolton@gmavt. net TOWN OF BOLTON NOTICE OF SALE OF MUNICIPAL REAL ESTATE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF BOLTON, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. § 1061(a)(1), that the Town of Bolton (the “Town”) proposes to convey to Richmond Land Trust, Inc., a grant of development rights and a perpetual conservation easement and restrictions on a 13.5 acre triangular parcel of land west of Stage Road

conveyed to the Town by Warranty Deed of George W. Cunningham, Grace L. Tomlinson, Elsie C. Haskins-Rowell and Maude C. Wilder dated January 27, 1941 and recorded on February 19, 1941 in the Town of Bolton Land Records in Volume 18 at Page 135. Said conveyance will have the following terms and conditions: SALE PRICE: One Dollar ($1.00) TERMS: Grant of Development Rights and Conservation Easement to be delivered at closing. CLOSING: As soon as practicable after thirty (30) days from date of publication and posting of this notice. The above-described easements and rights-of-way will be conveyed on the terms specified unless a petition objecting to the conveyance signed by at least five percent (5%) of the legal voters of the Town is presented to the Bolton Town Clerk within thirty (30) days of the date of publication and posting of this notice pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1061(a)(2). If such a petition is presented, the Town shall cause the question of whether the Town should convey the above-described grant of development rights and conservation easement to Richmond Land Trust, Inc. on the terms set forth above to be considered at a Special Town Meeting called for that purpose, or at the next Annual Town Meeting. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR BIDS, NOR AN OFFER TO SELL THIS REAL ESTATE TO ANY PERSON ON ANY PARTICULAR TERMS OR CONDITIONS. Dated at Bolton, Vermont, this 7 th day of July 2020. By: Mica Cassara, Select Board Chair, Duly Authorized Agent

TOWN OF RICHMOND DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an online Zoom meeting is to be held in the Town of Richmond on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. to nominate the Justices of the Peace for the November 3, 2020 election period. If you would like to join the meeting, please email Sue Pochop (spochop@uvm.edu) or call (802) 318-5360 to request the Zoom link. This meeting is being conducted via Zoom due to the uncertainties of the public health situation. Marcia Lawrence, Chair Richmond Democratic Party

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

56 JULY 15-22, 2020

ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST YOUR JOBS AT: PRINT DEADLINE: FOR RATES & INFO:

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X21, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM Part-Time Beertender AWS Software Engineer For full job description and to apply go to:

ixisdigital.com/careers

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HOP HARVEST

Seeking positive minded professionals dedicated to providing world class hospitality, beer & food. Evenings & weekends required. Responsible for daily operations of canning and kegging lines in our Waitsfield brewery.

Hiring seasonal positions for hop harvest from beginning of August through late September. Champlain Valley Hops is located 30 minutes from both Burlington and Middlebury. With 37 acres in production, CVH is the largest hop farm in New England. Farming experience strongly encouraged, or other comparable physical work. Expect long, busy days! Pay: $15-$16/hr.

Visit: lawsonsfinest.com/about-us/join-our-team.

More info: champlainvalleyhops.com/jobs

Packaging Line Operator

RN, LPN, AND LNAs

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7/7/20 2h-ChamplainValleyHops071520.indd 12:10 PM 1

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has RN, LPN, and LNA openings in our ER, ICU, Med/Surg, Birth Center, and Medical Office Practices. Full-time, part-time and per-diem positions available.

MANUFACTURING OPERATORS! Location: Essex Junction, VT Night Shift: 7pm to 7am Pay Rate: $17.44 (includes shift differential) Schedules: Work approximately 14 Days per Month!! • Includes long, 4-day weekends every other week! Eligible for Benefits on Day 1: • Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage. • Paid Vacation Time: Approximately 3 weeks per year (accrued). • Paid Sick Time: 80 hours per year • 401k Investing Options. Education Assistance: Eligible after 6 months. • Up to $5,250 per year in a degree related field. Apply online at globalfoundries.com/about-us/careers or for more information email jobs@globalfoundries.com.

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR II WATER RESOURCES

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7/14/20 9:38 AM

NVRH is proud to offer competitive wages, student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, shift differentials and per-diem rates. We offer a comprehensive benefits package for full and part-time employees including a generous earned time program, 401k with company match, low cost health plans, low cost prescriptions and more. New Grads welcome! For more info or to apply visit nvrh.org/careers.

Micro Business Development CARES Coach

7/6/204t-NVRH070120.indd 9:50 AM 1

City of Winooski seeks an Equipment Operator II – Water Resources professional to join our team. “VERMONT’S This position provides an essential OPPORTUNITY CITY” service in our Public Works Department operations by supporting the underground municipal water distribution, waste water collection, and storm water conveyance systems. High School diploma or equivalent, two years of relative experience, and valid Commercial Driver’s License required.

South Burlington School District is seeking a full-time, school year Licensed Practical Nurse.

Operations Manager

Want to help small businesses survive Covid-19? CVOEO is looking for a coach to provide business counseling, technical assistance and aid in applying for relief funds to micro business owners. Coach will also help clients in financial crisis access local resources.

For full position description and to apply, please visit winooskivt.gov. “The City of Winooski: Vermont’s Opportunity City”

CVOEO is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Interested candidates may apply at schoolspring.com Keyword: South Burlington School District (ID# 3313729), or forward a resume, cover letter, and 3 references to: South Burlington School District Human Resources, 500 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403.

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If you have the drive to help clients through challenging times, experience with business ownership/management, and strong skills in working with people from diverse backgrounds, we would like to hear from you. Position is 30 hours/week and temporary through 12/31/20. Coach will work remotely, connecting with team and clients via video conferencing, phone, and email. Visit cvoeo.org/careers for a complete job description and requirements. Apply by sending your cover letter and resume to: MBDPCoach2020@cvoeo.org.

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A minimum of a current VT LPN license. Two years of experience in a health-related or school setting required.

Want to be part of a team that works to save wild places? Northeast Wilderness Trust is hiring for an Operations Manager. This is a full-time position based out of our Montpelier, VT office, with salary starting between $48,000$53,000 commensurate with education and experience. Applications are due by August 15, 2020. Visit newildernesstrust.org to learn more and apply.

1 7/10/20 11:14 AM 7/13/202v-NortheastWildernessTrust071520.indd 7:02 PM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

CUSTODIAL MANAGER LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT Geri Reilly Real Estate is looking for a self motivated Real Estate agent to join our team. Must be willing to work evenings and weekends. Leads provided and willing to train. Please call or email Geri for a conﬁdential interview: geri@buyvtrealestate.com or 862-6677 x1. Check out buyvtrealestate.com to learn more about Geri Reilly Real Estate.

LEGAL ASSISTANT Bergeron, Paradis & Fitzpatrick is seeking a full or part-time legal assistant. The position requires a working knowledge of real estate transactional work, excellent computer skills and the ability to work independently and with attention to detail. Please send resumes to the attention of Robin Beane, PO Box 174, Essex Jct., VT 05453, or email to rbeane@bpflegal.com.

57 JULY 15-22, 2020

SECOND SHIFT

• Are you flexible and willing to work in a collaborative team environment? • Do you have excellent communication and organizational skills? The Burlington School District seeks a hands-on, goal-oriented Custodial Manager to assist the Director of Property Services in the daily operations and supervision of assigned employees. This position coordinates all aspects of janitorial, custodial and cleaning services while ensuring students, staff, and visitors have a safe, attractive, comfortable, clean and efficient place in which to learn, play and develop. This is a direct report to the Director of Property Services in the supervision, scheduling, and evaluation of all custodial employees of the Property Services Department. Direct supervision and oversight of custodial staff on both first and second shifts. Experience with Microsoft 360 and the suite of Google Docs and Sheets highly desirable. To apply for this position and to Join our Team: Visit BSD Careers Page: bsdvt.org/careers or apply on SchoolSpring.com (Job Posting # 3317044). 5h-BurlingtonSchoolDistrict071520.indd 1

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7/13/202v-BergeronParadisFitzpatrick070820.indd 11:04 AM 1 7/3/20 11:40 AM

DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER

7/14/20 2:33 PM

TOWN OF COLCHESTER

The Town of Colchester is seeking a Deputy Town Manager to provide day-to-day oversight of general operations and functions of the Town government, assist the Town Manager with special projects and assure the continuity of all services. In addition, the Deputy Town Manager will provide general management and business management; oversee budgeting, and coordinate public communications. The Town is engaged in long-range plans that balance economic development, respect the natural environment, community service, and physical improvements while being mindful of budgetary constraints and the impact on taxpayers. The ideal candidate will be motivated, organized, with a desire to improve the operations of the Town government; should be an experienced municipal government professional with knowledge in general management, business management, budgeting, and have excellent communication skills. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to provide sound advice on business and policy matters to the Town Manager and Selectboard. Prior successful experience negotiating business and collective bargaining agreements is a plus. The successful candidate will be able to manage his/ her own work while simultaneously leading others and overseeing tasks and projects. Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field and minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience; excellent communication skills, written and public speaking; and strong interpersonal skills. Hiring range is $77,000 to $98,000 depending on qualifications and experience, plus a competitive benefit package. Submit application, cover letter, resume, and references to Sherry LaBarge, Human Resources Director at: slabarge@colchestervt.gov. The Town of Colchester is an E.O.E. Application deadline: 8/7/20. For full job description visit: colchestervt.gov/321/Human-Resources.

EARN RESPECT AND A DEGREE You can serve part-time in the Vermont Army National Guard while pursuing your education with our programs that help pay for tuition and other expenses.

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7/3/20 1:14 PM

Visit NATIONALGUARD.com/VT

ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST YOUR JOBS AT: PRINT DEADLINE: FOR RATES & INFO: Programs and Benefits Subject to Change

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7/14/20 9:09 AM

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTMYJOB NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X21, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

6/29/15 5:11 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JULY 15-22, 2020

VETERINARY RECEPTIONIST

Executive Director The Curtis Fund

Do you value the role pets play in our lives? Then we are looking for you. River Cove Animal Hospital in Williston is seeking a hard working, energetic, organized person with excellent interpersonal skills to join our team. We are a small animal hospital that focuses on exceptional client service and high quality medicine. Our ideal client service specialist is a team player that exudes kindness and possesses exemplary communication skills. If interested, please send cover letter and resume to cfarrar@rivercove.net. 3h-RiverCoveAnimalHospital071520.indd 1

We are a small beverage manufacturing company in Williston, VT looking for a forklift operator to help run our warehouse. The ideal candidate will have experience with forklifts, be able to lift and move up to 50 lbs, basic understanding of warehouse function (shipping, receiving, pick/ pack, ect). Starting rate based on experience. 40 hours/week. Monday-Friday 8am-4:30 pm. Hiring@adropofjoy.com.

30 hours/week

The ideal candidate has strong interpersonal skills, a history of working with people from different backgrounds (race, socioeconomic, gender, ability, age, etc), and a demonstrable commitment to social justice issues. They must thrive in a fast-paced work environment, be self-motivated, and have a scrupulous attention to details.

MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE JOB: • Financial management • Database management • General operations • Allied Group support (working with groups we fiscally sponsor) • IT support – website management, phones, computer hardware, software • Human Resources • General administrative work Apply: pjcvt.org/jobs Deadline: July 20, 2020

The Executive Director will develop and execute the Curtis Fund’s fundraising strategy with particular focus on a major gifts campaign and planned giving, provide support for strategic planning and communications, and regularly collaborate with VSAC and the Vermont Community Foundation. Qualifications: Demonstrated experience in fundraising and relationship building; proven ability to successfully conduct gift solicitations; excellence in organizational and communication skills; Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 5 years fundraising experience. Hours flexible but full-time preferred; 32 hours/wk minimum. Competitive salary/benefits. Cover letter/resume to curtisfund@vermontcf.org by July 27, 2020.

Homestead – St. Albans • Wellness Director (RN) • Charge Nurse, LPNs • Care Givers • Dishwasher/Utility Aide Allen Harbor & South Harbor – South Burlington • Charge Nurse, LPNs • Care Givers • Medication Technicians

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Poulin Grain is a family owned and operated company that has a true passion for its people. The company has been serving the agriculture community for 88 years! Caring for our people and our customers has set us apart from the rest and we are now looking for the next family member that is willing to go the extra mile with us! We are seeking to fill positions at our Newport, Bennington, and Swanton locations.

CDL Truck Drivers (Newport & Bennington) Plant Positions (Swanton & Newport) Plant Maintenance (Newport) For details, and to apply, please visit poulingrain.com/careers

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T O W N O F D U X B U 7/7/20 RY

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE WORKER

2:07 PM

Pick up an application at: Duxbury Town Office 5421 VT RT 100 Duxbury VT 05676 Or email appilcations to duxburyforeman@gmail.com

7/6/20 3v-TownofDuxbury071520.indd 11:15 AM 1

7/13/20 12:18 PM

Job Type: Full-time Pay: $50,000 per year Benefits: 401(k), Dental/Vision/Health Apply at: abbey@abbeygroup.net

Town of Duxbury is seeking a Highway Department Maintenance Worker. Full-time position with benefits. Looking for team player. 4t-TheAbbey071520.indd Candidates must have Class B, CDL with manual endorsement, and must be able to operate a manual tandem truck, wheeled excavator and loader. Main duties involve plowing with and without wing, operating all town equipment and hauling material for the Town. Full job description and application here: duxburyvermont.org

CHEF

The Abbey Pub & Restaurant is looking for a full-time passionate Chef to join our team. The Abbey is a fun family-oriented restaurant. Come in and see what a great job we have available.

For information and to apply: vtms.hr@meridiansenior.com 20 Harbor View Road, S. Burlington, VT 05403 802-861-3626

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OPERATIONS MANAGER

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7/13/20 10:07 AM

HARBOR VILLAGE SENIOR COMMUNITIES IS HIRING!

WAREHOUSE OPERATOR

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The Curtis Fund is a leader in Vermont providing scholarship support for postsecondary college and career training. The Fund is seeking an Executive Director with exceptional fundraising skills to increase the numbers of students served by its new Certificate of Value Scholarship Program.

7/10/20 12:20 PM

MEDICAL ASSISTANT II COVID-19 TESTING SITE

The position will conduct specimen collection as well as supporting activities in a high volume, fast paced environment. Full-time, M-F 8:30am - 5pm, Fanny Allen Campus. Rotating weekends are required.

7/14/204t-UVMMedCenter081520.indd 2:28 PM 1

LEARN MORE & APPLY: uvmmed.hn/sevendays

7/10/20 10:33 AM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER...

DIRECTOR Home Base, Inc, a not-for-profit organization that provides services to adults with developmental disabilities, is seeking a Director(s).

When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not to mention an outstanding total compensation package.

DISABILIT Y DETERMIN ATION ADJUDICATOR I – WATERBURY

Would you like to make a difference supporting an important program? This position decides the medical eligibility of applicants for Social Security and Medicaid disability benefits in the Office of Disability Determination Services in the Department for Children and Families. Responsibilities include obtaining and analyzing medical and lay evidence, weighing medical opinions, and using all this data to evaluate disability applicants’ work capacity and medical program eligibility, as defined by law. For more information, contact Jack McCormack @ jack. mccormack@ssa.gov. Status: Full Time-Limited Service. Reference Job ID #7461. Application Deadline: July 20, 2020.

Learn more at: careers.vermont.gov

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Untitled-13 1

7/10/20 2:56 PM

News Editor

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VPR seeks a creative and thoughtful journalist who is excited about new ways to bring news content to our broadcast and digital audiences. We’re looking for someone who can help turn a breaking news story but also experiment with innovative ways to tell in depth stories. As our afternoon news editor you’ll take a lead role in shaping the essential news of the day. This is a key position that creates and edits VPR’s All Things Considered newscasts, interviews, and issues coverage. Throughout the day you’ll edit reporters’ broadcast and digital stories. You should bring a collaborative spirit and ability to develop and shape approaches to coverage. You’ll work closely with reporters and producers across the newsroom, including Vermont Edition and our people-powered podcast, Brave Little State. You must love the medium of public radio and audio storytelling, but you don’t need direct broadcast experience. We’re looking for two years of journalism experience and strong news judgment.

VPR provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

MAINTENANCE/HVAC TECHNICIAN Full-Time Wake Robin seeks a Maintenance person certified in HVAC to join our Staff. Our maintenance team utilizes a variety of technical skills to repair and maintain electrical, plumbing, security, and air quality systems throughout the facility and in resident homes. Qualified candidate will have well rounded maintenance skills and must have specific training and certification in HVAC systems, as well as a strong aptitude for computer-based operational systems. This is an opportunity to join a stable and talented team of individuals dedicated to doing good work, for great people, in a beautiful setting.

HOUSEKEEPER Vermont’s premier continuing Care Retirement Community seeks a member to join our housekeeping team. Housekeepers work collaboratively to support residents who live independently as well as those who live in residential care. Housekeepers are critical to the well-being of residents and the quality of the Wake Robin environment. Candidates must have housekeeping and/or industrial cleaning or industrial laundry experience. Wake Robin offers an excellent compensation and benefits package and an opportunity to build strong relationships with staff and residents in a dynamic community setting. Interested candidates can send their resumes to hr@wakerobin.com or fill out an application at wakerobin.com/employment.

New, local, scam-free jobs posted every day!

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If you’re an energetic, hardworking individual and enjoy working with great, cheerful people, please send us your resume! We offer a competitive salary and free delicious meals to our staff on duty during mealtime. We strive to work with our Vermont farmers to provide nutritious meals for all! Our benefits package is one of the best in the area. If interested, send resume to ddaniel@vermontcatholic.org. 7/6/20 SR. MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

Vermont’s premier continuing care retirement community is adding members to its team!

7/10/205v-WakeRobin071520.indd 2:50 PM 1

COOK

St. Joseph’s Residential Care Home has a full-time position for a Cook at our Burlington location.

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Full-Time

Find the full job description at vpr.org/careers. Applicants are required to fill out the VPR Job Application form and send it with a cover letter and resume by email to careers@vpr.net. VPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Shared half-time or full-time. Starts immediately. Send note of interest and resume to tvhg@mac.com.

59 JULY 15-22, 2020

Wake Robin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

9:57 AM

St. Joseph's Residential Care Home in Burlington, VT is looking for a handson, experienced individual for the role of Sr. Maintenance Technician to join our team. This position is responsible for facility, equipment, and building operations to ensure compliance with all government regulations. This position develops and oversees a comprehensive program for the cleaning, maintenance, and operation of the physical plant and grounds, and ensures best practices are followed. Janitorial tasks will be performed as needed. Individual must be caring and compassionate and work closely with residents and employees. Full-time, 40 hours/week with competitive wage and benefits. Must be willing to promote the vision, mission and values of the home. Send resume to ddaniel@vermontcatholic.org.

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7/3/20 11:20 AM

sevendaysvt.com/classifieds 5/28/18 3:10 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JULY 15-22, 2020

Elderwood Will Pay You to Get CNA Training!

REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST

Certified Nursing Assistants help meet the physical and emotional needs of residents at Elderwood at Burlington.

Our growing dental practice in Randolph, VT is seeking a full-time or a part-time dental hygienist to join our team. We are a fast paced, energetic office looking to add an outgoing hygienist to our team.

Approved applicants will be paid for a 3-week training starting the end of July that involves class work, facility orientation and hands-on instruction. This position is located in Burlington, VT. Learn more and apply online: elderwoodcareers.com/nurse-aide-training 3h-Elderwood071520.indd 1

Please send resume to dentist@cwilsondds.com. 7/10/20 12:36 PM

WATER SYSTEM DISTRIBUTION FOREMAN

We are seeking a full-time, yearround Operations Support person for our therapeutic program for adolescents and young adults located in Waitsfield. The ideal candidate is an adaptable team player with a positive attitude who is willing to work both indoors and outdoors performing a variety of tasks associated with the logistics of running our program. Tasks including food packing and rationing, gear outfitting, transportation and facilities maintenance. Candidates must be willing to work weekends and occasional evenings. A clean and valid driver’s license is required. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits offered. Benefits include health, dental, vision and accident insurance, an employee assistance program and a SIMPLE IRA. To apply please visit truenorthwilderness.com/careers

For more information or to submit your resume, please contact: Daniel Woodworth V.P. of Sales, Design and Architectural Interiors dwoodworth@oei-vt.com Kristen Kelley Scavone COO & Manager of Installation & Delivery Services kkelley@oei-vt.com Office Environments is an E.O.E. 802-864-3000, 800-773-5300, www.oeivt.com.

7/14/20 2:35 PM

Primary Therapists/ Operations Support

7/14/20 12:33 PM

Office Environments is looking for Qualified Sales, Design & Installation Professionals to join our dynamic team. Office Environments is Northern New England’s Leading Contract Furniture & Architectural Interiors Provider, Serving Vermont, New Hampshire and Northern New York Since 1985.

The Champlain Water District, an award winning regional water provider having the distinction of receiving the “First in the Nation Excellence In Water Treatment Award” from the Partnership for Safe Water, announces a position opening within its existing Retail Department that ensures high quality drinking water is distributed throughout Chittenden County. This position requires skilled work of a responsible and mature nature. This Water Distribution System Foreman is responsible for the leadership and liasion of the distribution personnel of the District as well as the personnel of other water departments managed by the District. Employee is responsible for the efficient day to day operation and maintenance of the water distribution systems owned and/or managed by the District Retail Department all in accordance with federal, state and local regulations, CWD policy, and prudent utility recommendations. Employee is required to make decisions and take action on his or her own without on-site supervision. This employee will perform in a variety of work situations and conditions (indoors and outdoors). Must possess a valid VT Motor Vehicle License, and be able to obtain a Vermont Class D certification within 18 months from date of hire. Start pay: $25.28/hour. Send resumes to: tracy.bessette@champlainwater.org. Reply by email with cover letter and resume to: tracy.bessette@champlainwater.org

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WE’RE GROWING!

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7/14/20 2:31 PM

Therapists in Training

Valley Vista is seeking Primary Therapists and Therapists in Training at our Vergennes facility. Join a team that works collaboratively to provide those struggling with addiction with a supportive and therapeutic experience.

OFFICE ADMIN COORDINATOR

*Other positions available. Please check full listing on Indeed.com. ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Do you have excellent communication & organizational skills?

• Provide comprehensive clinical assessments of patients • Development of patient treatment plan • Counsels patients in group or individual sessions • Provides group, individual and family counseling • Complete patient care documentation • Completes discharge & aftercare functions of the master treatment plan QUALIFICATIONS: Licensed Primary Therapist: Masters degree + Addiction and Drug Counselor License (LADC) Therapist in Training: Associates or Bachelors Degree in Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Psychology or similar. Must be working toward licensure or certification. • 2+ years’ experience as a clinician, behavioral therapist, or case manager is strongly preferred. • MSW, LADC, and/or LMHC preferred. • A minimum of two years freedom from chemical abuse problems. Job Type: Full-time Salary: $40,000 to $47,000/year Send cover letter and resumes to: jenny.gilman@vvista.net

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Are you flexible and willing to work in a collaborative team environment?

The Burlington School District is seeking two new Office Admin Coordinators to work in either the Food Service Department or Property Services Department. Responsibilities include the oversight and coordination of the general daily office operations while supporting the Program Director and key support staff. General duties include performing a wide variety of key administrative functions such as A/P, Paysheet, Time & Attendance support to the payroll office. In addition, traditional duties regularly associated with office management, including filing, faxing, creating memos and reports, and performing other clerical duties as required. Experience with Microsoft 360 and the suite of Google Docs/Sheets highly desirable. To apply for this position and to Join our Team: Visit BSD Career’s Page bsdvt.org/careers or apply on SchoolSpring.com, Job Posting # 3314264 (Food Service) or Job Posting #3290874 (Property Services).

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7/7/20 9:35 AM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Nutrition Cooperative Assistant Director

TOWN OF CHARLOTTE

ASSISTANT CLERK/TREASURER

Are you interested in supporting the successful operations of school nutrition programs in Northern Addison County with your strong organization and problem-solving abilities, enthusiasm for school nutrition and feeding children well, and ability to be innovative and creative? We are looking for an energetic individual with experience in School Nutrition to assist the Director. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: direct support and training to school nutrition managers/staff; program oversight and monitoring as requiredby USDA; management of USDA programs including FFVP, USDA Foods Program and Summer Meals; participating in local food procurement; free and reduced application processing; food safety and inventory management; and substituting in school kitchens as needed. Knowledge of food and food operations, basic computer skills including Word and Excel, and an ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and with a positive attitude are all important characteristics to be successful. Apply on School Spring & include a resume and 3 references. Inquiries can be directed to Kathy Alexander, Director, at kathy.alexander@mausd.org.

The Town of Charlotte is currently accepting applications for the Assistant Clerk/Treasurer position. The selected candidate will be under the supervision of the Clerk/Treasurer and will carry out the same statutory responsibilities and duties. Specific duties include assisting in the management of elections, tax billing and collecting, daily financial transactions, monthly bank reconciliations, bi-weekly payroll processing, recording and maintaining land and vital records and processing licenses. Experience with accounting practices and competence in using office software (Word, Excel) preferred. Candidate must have strong organizational skills, high attention to detail, excellent written and communication skills and excellent customer service skills. This is a permanent full-time position approved for 40 hours per week. The position is hourly and is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Some evening hours are necessary. Pay range is $19-$22/hr depending on qualifications. Benefits include health and dental insurance, vision plan and participation in the Vermont Municipal Retirement System. Please submit a letter of interest and resume to mary@townofcharlotte.com or mail to Town of Charlotte, c/o Mary A. Mead, PO Box 119, Charlotte VT 05445. Application deadline is Monday, July 27, 2020 at 9AM. 5h-TownofCharlotte071520.indd 1

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VHCB

AmeriCorps Program AmeriCorps positions in locations around the state serving with non-profit organizations • environmental education • home buyer education • environmental stewardship • energy conservation • homeless assistance

• SERVE • EXPERIENCE • LEAD Apply now!

vhcb.org/our-programs/ vhcb-americorps

VHCB AmeriCorps offers: • living allowance • health insurance • an education award • training opportunities • leadership development Untitled-7 1

7/14/20 3:41 PM

NOT JUST ANOTHER JOB... ...but an opportunity to work for one of the best insurance companies in the country and reap the NOT JUST ANOTHER JOB... rewards that go along with that level of success. ...but an opportunity to work for one of the best We’re a 190 year old company that works hard not to insurance companies in the country and reap the act our age; as result, have rewards thata go alongwewith thatbeen levelrecognized of success.as one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”. We’re a 190 year old company that works hardAn notopen to and collaborative coupled with exceptional compensation act our age; asenvironment, a result, we have been recognized as MOBIL DEVICE TECHNICIAN one of the help “Best to Places to Work in Vermont”. An open and benefits make us one of the most attractive employment and collaborative environment, coupled with exceptional compensation The Mobile Device Technician works directly with students to ensure opportunities in the country. We have a great benefit package! Norwich University offers medical, dental, vision, group life and long term disability insurance, flexible-spending accounts for health and dependent care, 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, employee assistance program, paid time off including parental leave, and tuition scholarships for eligible employees and their family members.

Norwich's mobile products are efficiently and effectively integrated with the University's learning environment. The Technician is responsible for helping train internal student users on the latest product features and standard mobile implementation processes to help incorporate into the new Digital Citizen Initiative.

USER SUPPORT SPECIALIST With a focus on customer service, the User Support Specialists are responsible for many technological functions, including providing computing, technology and telecommunication support via email, walk-ins and telephone; answering questions directed to the Help Desk accurately, concisely and in a timely fashion in accordance to the ITS Service Level Agreements; and installing, deploying, maintaining, supporting, and repairing computer hardware, peripherals, printers, data storage devices and specialty equipment.

and benefits help to make us one of the most attractive employment

Thanks to our incontinued opportunities the country. success, we are looking for qualified candidates high-performing following areas: Thanks totojoin ourour continued success, team we arein the looking for qualified FACILITIES TECHNICIAN candidates to join our high-performing team in the following areas: FACILITIES TECHNICIAN We are seeking a well-rounded individual to join our Facilities team We areaseeking a well-rounded individual join maintenance our Facilities team to perform wide variety of routine facilitytoand tasks in to perform a wide variety of routine facility and maintenance tasks and around our buildings on two campuses during the secondinshift. our buildings on two campuses during the second shift. The and idealaround candidate is motivated, able to carry out various minor The ideal candidate is motivated, able to carry out various minor carpentry, plumbing, electrical, paintingprojects, projects, a passion carpentry, plumbing, electrical,and and painting hashas a passion for for high-quality work with andwillwilladhere adhere all safety high-quality work withattention attention to to detail, detail, and to alltosafety standards in our 50,000 SF space. standards in our 50,000 SF space. To apply for this positionsand andto to view view other please visit: visit: To apply for this positions otheropportunities, opportunities, please VermontMutual.com/Careers VermontMutual.com/Careers

PLEASE NOTE: Hiring for and continuation of these positions is contingent upon student enrollment in late August. For further information and to apply for these and other great jobs: https://norwich.interviewexchange.com

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89 State Street, P.O. Box 188, Montpelier, VT 05601

7/2/20 3:56 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR CONTACT MICHELLE BROWN: MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JULY 15-22, 2020

FLAGGER Now Hiring in VT/NH. • $16.50 starting pay • $500 SIGN on bonus - restrictions apply • Must be 18, have a valid driving license and reliable vehicle • Must have an email address and a cell phone Apply at adavt.com. Or call: 802-923-3074

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MEDICAL OFFICE RN OR LPN I am looking for a top-notch LPN or RN with phlebotomy skills to work in my innovative, direct primary care practice in Burlington. Full time position, Monday-Friday, without any weekend or night hours.

Stone Environmental, Inc. is a 100% Employee owned company, seeking highly motivated, enthusiastic, & committed individuals to join our talented team of scientists, engineers, modelers, & project managers.

HYDROGEOLOGIST

Over time I am willing to offer salary and benefits above market for excellence.

A hydrogeologist with a strong background in contaminant hydrogeology and environmental investigation and remediation. The successful applicant will provide technical support for a variety of projects; primarily soil and groundwater investigations at hazardous waste sites as a member of our Environmental Assessment and Remediation team.

For details and application procedure, please see: aliciacunningham.com/job. Thank you!

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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER

An environmental engineer with a strong background in environmental investigation and remediation. The successful applicant will provide technical support for a variety of projects such as soil & groundwater investigations at hazardous waste sites, and design & implementation of soil, groundwater & soil gas remediation as a member of our Environmental Assessment & Remediation team.

7/13/20 3:36 PM

HV CONNECTIONS COORDINATOR HOUSING VERMONT, BURLINGTON, VT

This position is part of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board AmeriCorps (VHCB AmeriCorps) with the position located at Housing Vermont. The VHCB AmeriCorps program supports the innovative dualgoal approach to creating stable affordable housing opportunities for Vermont residents while preserving the natural and working landscape. The mission of Housing Vermont is to produce permanently affordable housing and enable investments in economic and community development to benefit Vermonters through partnerships with communities and the private sector. HV Connections is a Housing Vermont initiative with a goal of improving property performance and resident well-being within its communities by connecting outside organizations, resources and activities with the affordable housing development and measuring success of those connections through results-based accountability. The HV Connections Coordinator will assist the HV Asset Management team along with local partners, management companies, residents, and other stakeholders to identify and coordinate proven low-income resident services and eviction prevention strategies. The position will require regular travel by your personal vehicle to housing developments around Vermont and may include some evening and weekend hours. Full-time position begins September 9, 2020 and ends August 13th, 2021. To Apply: vhcb.org/americorps/menu_events/positions. For questions about this position or to send additional materials: Eric Schmitt, email: Eric@hvt.org The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) is sponsoring this AmeriCorps position through their AmeriCorps Program. VHCB is an E.O.E.

Both positions will involve travel for field work throughout Vermont and occasional travel for projects outside Vermont will be required. Please visit www.stone-env.com for full job descriptions and information about how to apply. Stone is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

New, local, scam-free jobs posted every day! sevendaysvt.com/ classifieds 7-postings-cmyk.indd 1

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7/6/20 12:06 PM

6/25/18 3:40 PM

Shaping Our Communities The 2020 Census will have a direct impact on small towns and rural areas across Vermont for the next 10 years. From disaster planning to small business development, Medicare Part B to highway construction, policymakers use census data to plan and fund many programs that affect rural communities. CENSUS DATA ALSO SHAPES PROGRAMS RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING: • • • •

Rural education Rural business enterprise grants Rural home rental assistance Water and waste disposal systems for rural communities

• • •

State wildlife grants Rural housing preservation grants Hunter education and safety

When you complete the 2020 Census, you help make sure Vermont gets its fair share of hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Make sure your voice is heard for the next decade.

Shape Your Future. START HERE > 2020Census.gov

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SE RV IC E

ANNO U NC EM ENT

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DAYS SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

7/14/20 10:14 AM

fun stuff

RACHEL LINDSAY

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.53) CROSSWORD (P.53)

Be a Tourist in Your Own State!

HARRY BLISS

“Which one is YOURS?” JEN SORENSEN

Need inspiration for your staycation?

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SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

PHOTO : NATHANAEL ASARO

Let Seven Days be your travel guide. Every month we’ll be rounding up mini excursions, dining destinations, lodging, tours and more into a curated itinerary for you to grab and go. Why? Because you’re on vacation — let us do the work.

6/30/20 3:23 PM

fun stuff RYAN RIDDLE

Making it is not :( Keep this newspaper free for all. Join the Seven Days Super Readers at sevendaysvt.com/super-readers or call us at 802-864-5684.

SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

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Have a deep, dark fear of your own? Submit it to cartoonist Fran Krause at deep-dark-fears.tumblr.com, and you may see your neurosis illustrated in these pages.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL JULY 16-22

know.’” A wise and talented woman said that: Nobel Prize-winning poet Wisława Szymborska. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’s excellent advice for you to embrace during the coming weeks. You’re close to finding and accessing a mother lode of inspiration, and one of the best ways to ensure that happens in an optimal way is to make “I don’t know” your mantra. In other words, be cheerfully devoted to shedding your certainties. Lose your attachment to the beliefs and theories you tend to overly rely on. Make yourself as empty and clear and spacious as you possibly can.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22):

GEMINI

As a Cancerian, you have a natural propensity to study and understand what author Margaret Atwood describes as “echoes and emptiness and shadow.” I believe this aspect of your repertoire will be especially active and available to you in the coming weeks. For best results, regard your attunement to these echoes and emptiness and shadow as an asset, even a precious talent. Use it to discern what’s missing or lost but could be recovered. Invoke it to help you navigate your way through murky or confusing situations. Call on it to help you see important things that are invisible to others.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time,” wrote Aries educator and activist Dorothy Height. This approach worked well during her 98 years on the planet. Her pioneering advocacy for African American women generated a number of practical improvements in their employment opportunities and civil rights. In accordance with the current astrological omens, Aries, I highly recommend her guiding principle for your use. You now have the power to ripen the time, even if no one else believes the time is ripe. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous ‘I don’t

(May 21-June 20): Gemini-born author Djuna Barnes (1892-1982) was a world traveler who wrote in several different genres, ranging from lesbian fiction to essays on boxing to plays that used poetic language. She was experimental and empirical and experiential. On one occasion, she voluntarily submitted to the force-feeding endured by hungerstriking suffragists so she could write about what it was like to be tortured. Another fun fact about Djuna: Every morning, she did up her hair and put her makeup on, then climbed into bed and wrote for many hours. In the coming weeks, Gemini, I recommend you draw inspiration from every aspect of her life — except the torture part, of course. The coming weeks will be a fine time to be versatile, exploratory and committed to expressing yourself purely in whatever ways make you comfortably excited.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Time can turn a scab into a beauty mark,” said actor and screenwriter Nia Vardalos. That’s a rousingly poetic speculation — and more metaphorically true than literally. But I suspect that if it ever might have a useful and meaningful application to an actual human struggle, it will be yours in the coming months. In my view, you are in fact capable of harnessing the magic necessary to transform a wound into a lovely asset. Be bold and imaginative as you carry out this seemingly improbable feat — which is actually not improbable. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Would you like to boost your mental and physical health in the coming weeks? Try this: Immerse yourself in the understanding that you’re interconnected

with everything in the world. Tell yourself stories about how the atoms that compose your body have previously been part of many other things. This isn’t just a poetic metaphor; it’s scientific fact. Now study this passage by science writer Ella Frances Sanders: “The carbon inside you could have existed in any number of creatures or natural disasters before finding you. That particular atom residing somewhere above your left eyebrow? It could well have been a smooth riverbed pebble before deciding to call you home. You are rock and wave and the peeling bark of trees, you are ladybirds and the smell of a garden after the rain.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It’s a favorable time to celebrate the fantastic privilege of being alive. Are you willing to believe that? Will you cooperate with my intention to nudge you in the direction of elation and exaltation? Are you open to the possibility that miracles and epiphanies may be at hand for you personally? To help get yourself in the proper mood, read this passage by Libran author Diane Ackerman: “The great affair, the love affair with life, is to live as variously as possible, to groom one’s curiosity like a highspirited thoroughbred, climb aboard, and gallop over the thick, sunstruck hills every day.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Deciding to remember, and what to remember, is how we decide who we are,” writes poet Robert Pinsky. That’s useful counsel for you right now, Scorpio. You’re entering a phase when you can substantially reframe your life story so that it serves you better. And one of the smartest ways to do that is to take an inventory of the memories you want to emphasize versus the memories you’d like to minimize. Another good trick is to reinterpret challenging past events so that you can focus on how they strengthened you and mobilized your determination to be true to yourself. SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “A person must dream a long time in order to act with grandeur,” wrote Sagittarian author and activist Jean Genet. “And dreaming is nursed in darkness.” According to my analysis of your astrological omens, this is an apt description of what has been unfolding for

you, Sagittarius — and will continue to play out for you in the next two weeks. If you’re aligned with cosmic rhythms, you have been nursing your dreams in darkness — exploring and cultivating and learning from the raw creative energy that is simmering and ripening in your inner depths. Keep doing this important work, even if there are not yet any productive results. Eventually, it will enable you to “act with grandeur,” as Genet said.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau said, “There are truths that one can only say after having won the right to say them.” In my estimation, you have recently earned the right to express a fresh batch of scintillating and useful truths. Please do us all a favor and unveil them — preferably with both candor and tact. On behalf of everyone who will benefit from your insights, I’m sending you congratulations for the work you’ve had to do on yourself so as to win them. AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “After you make a fool of yourself a few hundred times, you learn what works,” testifies musician and singer Gwen Stefani. In my own life, I’ve had to make a fool of myself more than a few hundred times to learn what works. My number is closer to a thousand — and I’m still adding new examples on a regular basis. In the coming weeks, Aquarius, I highly recommend that you try what has served me and Gwen Stefani so well. You’re entering a phase when your foolishness will generate especially useful lessons. Being innocent and wildly open-minded will also be very useful.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “It is better to err on the side of daring than the side of caution,” wrote author and futurist Alvin Toffler. While I hesitate to declare that idea absolutely and always true, I do recommend it to you in the coming weeks. Given the fact that you have recently been expanding possibilities and cultivating breakthroughs, I’d love to see you keep on pushing forward until you climax your momentum. To boost your courage, try to think of a crazy cry of exhilaration you might exclaim as you make your leaps, like “YAHOO!” or “HELL YES!” or “HERE I COME!”

CHECK OUT ROB BREZSNY’S EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES & DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES: REALASTROLOGY.COM OR 1-877-873-4888

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Respond to these people online: dating.sevendaysvt.com WOMEN seeking... GOOD MORNING! Female, vegan, 420-friendly, central Vermont. Seeking similar companion for summer (and beyond) activities: easy/moderate hiking, nature walks, swimming, biking, long drives on back roads and other warm weather adventures. In the midst of the pandemic, I take “social smartness” seriously. For the time being, I am only open to outdoor, safely distanced meetings. Thanks for reading! VtVegan2020, 57, seeking: M SO EXCITED TO BE BACK Thrilled to finally be back in Vermont! Former college art professor and currently teaching myself the banjo. My poor neighbors! I am compassionate, inclusive, liberal and down-to-earth. I love doing ceramics, reading, swimming, dancing, listening to records, cooking and traveling. I love animals, especially dogs. Compassion, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and humor are definitely important to me. Littleredbird, 34, seeking: M, TM, l HONEST, RESPECTFUL, PLANNER, CARING I’m not a girlie girl; I like my sneakers! I love to plan and know what’s going on. I have been kind of in a slump with exercise, but I have hiked, biked and skied before. I enjoy food, and I don’t aim to impress people. If they can see my caring, affectionate, hardworking side of me, they will like me. Respect2020, 44, seeking: M, l

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SEVEN DAYS JULY 15-22, 2020

INTERESTED Still standing after all these years! WayToGo, 67, seeking: M TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS I’m told that I create art in every aspect of my life; in my business, in my gardens, in my home, etc. I’d love to find a friend/ partner to collaborate and explore the world around us, all while laughing, sharing, planning the next adventure and creating amazing meals together. I am 58 years young. I am well traveled and true. Magicmaker, 58, seeking: M, l HAPPY, COMPASSIONATE AND CURIOUS I love to cook, dance, but most importantly, laugh. Favorite movie: Miracle at Morgan’s Creek; celebrity crush: Cary Grant; post-retirement dream (or if Trump gets reelected): escaping to a cottage in Connemara, Ireland. I am looking for a confident, kind, intelligent and easygoing man with a great sense of humor. Nella26, 64, seeking: M, l LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH Fun, fit, outgoing, active woman who loves to laugh and live every day to the max! Love traveling, fine dining, live music, dancing, kayaking and skiing! I’m looking for a true gentleman who is educated, fit, and emotionally and financially secure to share similar interests! LightKC, 61, seeking: M THINKING ABOUT IT... Probably everyone thinks they’re smart, funny, and reasonably good-looking, so no news there. So, what I hope to find: a reader, thinker — someone who likes movies, theater, museums, travel, music, conversation, and the Oxford comma. Three years into widowhood, I realize I could really use someone to share experiences with. The range of those experiences would have to be explored. ZanninVT, 67, seeking: M, l FEMININE, FIT, FUN-LOVING FOREST WOMAN If the sun is shining, you’ll find me outdoors. If I’m indoors pursuing my artwork or piano, it must be raining. Silent sports, camping and canoeing. Swimming every day. Looking for a fit and active outdoorsman. I’d like to see if we can become best friends and then take it from there. Charley, 67, seeking: M, l COUNTRY GIRL ON THE WATER I’m passionate about being outside. Walking, hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, horseback riding. I love food, going out or staying in. Wood fires on a snowy night. Family time. Conversation about anything interesting. I’m enjoying renovating my house. I love Vermont but enjoy traveling. Woodburygirl, 56, seeking: M, l LUCKY IN LOVE AND NICARAGUA I loved being married. Sadly, he died young. I own gorgeous land in Nicaragua and want a partner to develop it with me as an artist/surfer retreat (as soon as we get rid of the small problem of a dictator killing his own people). A perfect life is Vermont in summer and Nica in winter,but only with a terrific man. W, 72, seeking: M, l

ARE YOU SEARCHING, TOO? Seeking kind, adventurous 60ish man who likes camping, fishing, walks, sunsets and Maine. I would like a partner who can surprise me with “Let’s go...” and off we go. I’m a true Vermont gal who needs adventure. Let’s have fun. BoredCat, 57, seeking: M, l ENJOY LIFE TO THE FULLEST I enjoy gardening, animals and reading, and I split my own wood (electric splitter). I love cooking and contra dancing, and I have a new hobby: shape note singing. countrygirl1, 77, seeking: M, l OUTDOORSY, HONEST, HEALTHY MUSIC LOVER Hi there! I’m an optimistic, funny, smart, nature- and animal-loving kind of gal. Spending time together with someone who makes you smile, and has your back, is a gift. I’m a world traveler who has recently returned to Vermont. I am looking for a friend first to enjoy life and Vermont. If it turns into something more, bonus! Bella2020, 62, seeking: M, l INSIGHTFUL, CREATIVE, ADVENTUROUS Outdoorsy, attractive brunette. Poet, explorer of spirituality and personal growth, lover of nature. I love hiking, paddling, exploring new mountains, towns and ideas with others ... feeling what we’re drawn to along the way, sharing thoughts and impressions. Fairly flexible and easygoing. Healthy minded; not big into alcohol, not into drugs. Waterpoet, 58, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking... MASTURBATION PLAY AND PHONE CHATS Looking first to phone. See if we have some commonality, which leads to friendship. Hopefully I can find someone whom I can share my weird sexual fetishes with. Too many to list. Big talker with limited actual experimentation. Alone and available often to talk. Great to actually in the future develop relationship more than the phone. Waterbury/ Stowe. Bobby, 50, seeking: M CANOE CANOE? I’m looking for someone to canoe the Allagash with, preferably a beautiful woman half my age. I’m 68, and last winter I summited Mount Washington by myself; can you believe it! And I’m not too bad-looking, and occasionally I tell a funny joke. The Allagash runs low by August, so reply soon! Stilgar, 68, seeking: W, l STRONG, LOYAL, NOBLE, MODEST MAN I’m Brian from Barre, Vt. Just moved back to town after living in Santa Monica, Calif. Loyal is probably the word that describes me best. My word is my bond. I’m interested in all different relationships with a woman: friends with benefits, casual or serious long term. Let’s meet for coffee and see where it goes from there. Judeisthe14unow, 60, seeking: W, l

WIDE OPEN, ADVENTUROUS, SPONTANEOUS I recently moved back to Vermont, leaving a seven-year relationship that was like dating my mom. I want to be single, meet someone who is cool with a friends with benefits thing, let me spoil them and go home, do my own thing ‘til we meet again. I’m a closet freak. Email me, and let’s see where it goes. Tannerlove35, 35, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, Cp, l VERMONTER, GENUINE, FUN, DRINKER, ATTRACTIVE I’m here to find ladies who like to have a good time with a good guy. Satisfaction guaranteed, or I’ll keep going. Always up for sex, and I hope you’d be also. Outdoorsman76, 44, seeking: W, l HIGH ADVENTURE Adventurous, compassionate, good disposition. Positive (the glass is full). Highly active. Love life and the great outdoors. Seek sweetness, chemistry and exploration. Mountains, 67, seeking: W, l WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST I’m easygoing and love to laugh and have fun. No drama or games; life’s too short for that nonsense. High sexual drive and desire; sexy lingerie and panties make me drip. Nipple play, edging, prostate toys and e-stim make my motor purr. Massage giving and receiving is always nice, too. sandy, 62, seeking: M GENTLE MALE NEEDING LOVE Sane, humorous, kindhearted romantic. Looking for a LTR. No one-night stands. Companionship is a reality that would be nice. Retired and now relaxing to pursue gentle, sane person. Rutdavevt, 66, seeking: M, TM, TW, Q, Cp, Gp, l DREAMY BOY WANTS A LADY I’m 6’, blond, thin, and I would love to meet and romance a fun lady (age is not a problem; I’ll bring out the girl in you) for one-time or recurring meetings. Please be naughty, eager to please and vivacious. LetmeEntertainU, 26, seeking: W, Cp TERPSICHOREAN EJECTAMENTA Hello! They say the early bird gets the worm. I’d trade my worm for a sweet female partner who enjoys gardening and intelligent conversation. Vermonstah802, 46, seeking: W, l LOVING, FUNNY, COMPASSIONATE, HONEST I am not looking to get laid — at least not right away, LOL. I want a friend and maybe a lover/relationship. I’m a foodie and love to cook for others. I am a pro musician, special educator, chef and volunteer. I avoid snobs. I would prefer to hang in jeans and a tee. I love laughing, pranks, spontaneity and irreverence. Nomad, 67, seeking: W, l NEW FUTURE, UNSETTLED/EXCITING! Caring, kind, adventurous, passionate and a little bit funny seeking same (or similar). If you like the outdoors, excellent! If you own a mountain bike, we should be talking! My situation is new and unsettled. A friend to chat with, to hang out with, and who can be open to and patient with my “process” would be really nice. Maker2020, 47, seeking: W, l MINDFUL MASTURBATION PHONE JO BUDDY Interested in NoFap, semen retention, sexual energy cultivation, edging, healing from porn, meditation and mindful masturbation. I’m looking for an openminded, discreet phone friend to share this secret side of our lives and possibly stroke together on the phone. If you’re curious or want to talk about your jerk-off habits and relationship with porn, please reach out. spiritbuddy, 45, seeking: M

FOUR SEASONS MAN LOOKING FOR FUN Hello. I consider myself to be a very open-minded, nonjudgmental, easygoing guy. I’m very well-rounded, a citizen of the world. I’ve been fortunate to travel and experience life. I want to keep experiencing life. What am I looking for: like-minded people, women or couples who want to enjoy life. Let’s start off meeting and see where time takes us. Fourseasonsman, 53, seeking: W, Cp, l

TRANS WOMEN seeking... GENEROUS, OPEN, EASYGOING Warm, giving trans female with an abundance of yum to share (and already sharing it with lovers) seeks ecstatic connection for playtimes, connections, copulations, exploration and generally wonderful occasional times together. Clear communication, a willingness to venture into the whole self of you is wanted. Possibilities are wide-ranging: three, four, explorations, dreaming up an adventure are on the list! DoubleUp, 63, seeking: Cp, l

TRANS MEN seeking... WEIRDO LOOKING FOR MY PEOPLE Late twenties West Coast transplant looking to meet new friends in Burlington. Looking for folks up for biking, hiking, socially distanced coffee in the square, craft afternoons (crafternoons?), beers, bookstore browsing and dismantling the patriarchy. Please don’t be an asshole. jamesy, 29, seeking: M, W, TM, TW, Q, NC, NBP, Cp, Gp

GENDERQUEER PEOPLE seeking... COFFEE, TEA AND WALK BUDDY 48 years, now soon 49 years of age, needing to get healthy, wanting a friend to take walks on trails, someone to drink tea and coffee with, become friends. I’m funny, witty and eager for a friend. Like nature, animals. And I’m a pagan, but not to fear me being a witch; I fart spells, not casting spells, yet! LOL, JK. Charmed1971, 48, seeking: M, W

COUPLES seeking... SWINGER COUPLE Couple in early 50s looking to have fun with a male partner. Husband likes to watch but also join in. Wife is a knockout little hottie who likes to cut loose. Looking for a male between 40 and 50 for some serious adult fun. Only well-hung men need apply — at least nine inches, please. Spaguy, 52, seeking: M, Gp LOOKING FOR SOMEONE AMAZING We are a couple in an open relationship seeking a bi male, gay male or couple to join us in kinky play. Cuckholds, DP, etc. Are you a playmate (or playmates) who are open to safe, sane and crazy experiences. Lets fulfill each others fantasies. We’ll try anything twice! We are two clean, professional adults. Discretion given and expected. vtfuncouple, 44, seeking: M, Cp ATTRACTIVE MARRIED COUPLE Attractive, caring and honest married couple looking to meet a female for fun times both in and out of the bedroom. She is bi-curious; he is straight. We are very easygoing and fun to be around. Will share a photo once we communicate. Let’s see what happens. VTcouple4fun, 49, seeking: W

i SPY

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THOUGHTS OF YOU LINGER You wore a Haight Ashbury hat. I wore purple and was nervously waiting for a job interview. You said that you had been a job developer and your advice helped get that job! You showed me pictures of the beautiful marble tables that you make. You are a very sexy older man, and I am a very interested younger woman. When: Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Where: Speeder & Earlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915094

WISHINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; AND WISHINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been movinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; calm; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start no trouble with me. Trying to keep it peaceful is a struggle for me. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t phone up at 6 a.m. to cuddle with me. You know how I like it when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re loving on me. She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you love me?â&#x20AC;? I tell her, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only partly.â&#x20AC;? I only love my bed and my mama, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry! When: Thursday, July 9, 2020. Where: Shelburne. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915090

NORTH BURLINGTON, DREADED BRANDY In late February, we sat and chatted on an early flight to DC. You were headed to KC, dreads, beautiful, smart, computers. I would love to continue that talk over coffee or a drink or walk by the lake. I apologize for having to find you this way, and during a global pandemic, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all I could think of. When: Monday, February 24, 2020. Where: Burlington flight to DC. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915093

GORGEOUS BLONDE, COLCHESTER AVE To the gorgeous blonde walking by at 10 a.m. I was in a commercial work truck waiting for the light to change. You already had my full attention when I saw you look at me and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hot.â&#x20AC;? I yelled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right back at youâ&#x20AC;? and blasted the horn going up hill. Care to masquerade? When: Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Where: in front of Dominoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Colchester Ave. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915089

SUMMER 2007 You: beautiful black boy walking your bike. Me: white girl with bright brown eyes. We were so young when we stopped to flirt on the corner in front of the Shopping Bag, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been thinking about your smile for over a decade. I still hope weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll run into each other again. When: Friday, July 10, 2020. Where: North Street. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915092 WILLISTON STARBUCKS - H Hi H: Thanks for the brief chat and not laughing at my attire (button-down shirt, long underwear for skiing and flip flops for the beach); such is life in a busy remote Zoom world. In the event you find this and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite and availability to lengthen the conversation, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in. Wishing you a fantastic day! D. When: Thursday, July 9, 2020. Where: Maple Tree Place Starbucks. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915091

HOT UPS MAN, DARTMOUTH Never seen you before. Smiled and said hello, but get the sense there was more you wanted to say to me. You: sexy saltand-pepper beard, hot in your uniform. Me: 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;6 blonde, jogging near the green. Deliver me a package sometime, or start with getting my number. When: Monday, June 22, 2020. Where: the green. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915087 THE EARTH BROKE OPEN The Earth broke open when I saw you in the parking lot: white hair, enchanting blue eyes, about to enter a blue RAV4. Did you somehow see my blue eyes and white hair? I still want to meet you and hope you will take a chance. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t camp in the lot all summer long. Blessings. When: Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Where: Healthy Living. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915086

YOU AND LUCY Just checking if you and Lucy feel like hiking company with the toasted marshmallow dog and me. When: Saturday, June 27, 2020. Where: hiking. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915085 SEEKING DOBRA ASTROLOGER This is the longshottiest of longshots, but I overheard you giving an astrology and (maybe reflexology) reading in June 2018. You had this soothing, calming and grounded presence, but not in a douchey way. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give any details about what you were wearing #becauseblind, but maybe if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re meant to find this, you will. When: Tuesday, June 12, 2018. Where: Dobra. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915084 WAFFLES <3 When the world burns, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll still follow you into the dark. The rising phoenix screams out not in pain but in victory. You matter more than anything â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the ashes make great clay from which to build again. Babe, I know. There will always be water at the bottom of the ocean. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s step offshore and remember how to swim. When: Thursday, July 2, 2020. Where: in my wildest dreams, my arms... You: Man. Me: Woman. #915083 GRACIE07 Good afternoon. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been on here for a while. Not sure when you sent me a flirt, but I went to read your profile, and it is hidden. Would you mind opening it up for me or sending me a link to it? Please and thank you! When: Monday, June 29, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915081 LEDDY PARK BEACH We met at the beach with my lady-killer baby bloodhound, and I was falling in love at first sight so I bumbled words and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get your number. When: Thursday, June 25, 2020. Where: Leddy Park. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915080 AMOR (IN THE NIGHT SKY) You are in my dreams almost every night. You slip away from me in every dream, though, just as you did in real life. I so wish you would drift back to me regardless of the past. Remember the red thread. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always be connected. If you see this, please text me a heart. When: Sunday, June 28, 2020. Where: in my dreams. You: Man. Me: Man. #915079

Ask REVEREND Dear Hungry at Home, ď?´ď?¨ď?Ľ

Irreverent counsel on lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conundrums

Dear Reverend,Â

My husband and I have been quarantined since early March. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re both considered high risk, so his two daughters are shopping for us. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerned about asking too much of them, so heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been rationing food. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to rock the boat, but how do I talk to him about easing up?

Hungry at Home (FEMALE, 62)

Normally, I could understand not wanting to be a burden, but these are weird times. Rationing food seems like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making matters worse and adding unnecessary stress. I imagine that his daughters want to keep you both safe and are happy to help, but he could ask them if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to know for sure. Or you could talk to them about it, and maybe they could subtly let him know they enjoy lending a hand. Another idea: Ask them to double up on the items he tends to ration. Have you considered ordering groceries online for pickup? For example, Hannaford To Go is easy-peasy.

SITTING ACROSS FROM YOU I see your head peeking out of your shorts. When: Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Where: the boat. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915082

DELI CASE CHAT We were both getting sandwiches from Sweet Clover Market. We chatted about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good (everything). You recommended the quiche and egg rolls, and I said I like the samosas and peanut noodle salad. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m intrigued. Care to chat more? When: Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Where: Sweet Clover Market. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915072

PLAINFIELD CO-OP SANSKRIT TATTOO MAN You were 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; in front of me, waiting outside in line around 7:30. You had a blond braid and gray yoga pants on. I was in brown pants and a black tank top on a motorcycle. You asked about my tattoo, and we talked briefly about MIA book by CT. Talk sometime? Motorcycle ride? When: Thursday, June 25, 2020. Where: Plainfield Co-op. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915078 RICHMOND POST OFFICE, FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR? You: female, pretty strawberry-blond long hair and glasses, dark flowered dress, friendly smile. Me: male, tall, short dark hair, Yankees baseball cap. You live down the block from me by the market, and we keep seeing each other at/by the post office and saying hi. Care to meet? When: Thursday, June 18, 2020. Where: Richmond Post Office. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915077 COLLEGE ST., YOU FOLLOWING ME You: beautiful dark-haired woman who was walking behind me on College. We caught eyes as I stopped suddenly to enter a building. I froze and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say anything, as I was late and trying to find my building. I have regretted it since not talking to you. Me: dark, curly hair, wearing a hat with big beard. When: Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Where: College St. and St. Paul. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915076 HONEY HOLLOW SMILES Was with my pup doing our thing as we came across you doing your own thing around 12:30. We exchanged glances and smiles a couple times as you climbed up beyond sight, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on my mind. Care to do our own thing together sometime? From a socially safe distance, of course. When: Sunday, June 21, 2020. Where: Honey Hollow. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915074 BIKE PATH DETOUR, LAKESIDE Passed you at the Lakeside RR bridge as you were heading for the beach and said hi. You: in a purple bikini and orange fishnet cover. Me: office nerd out for lunch. Want to find a shady spot by the water to chat? When: Thursday, June 18, 2020. Where: Lakeside RR bridge. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915073

If neither you nor your husband feels comfortable doing the pickup, one of the daughters could do it. That way, you can do the virtual shopping yourself and really stock up, thus minimizing trips. You could also order from a site like Instacart, where someone shops for you and delivers the groceries to your house. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to sign up for an account, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a variety of local stores to choose

BRANCHES COVERED STOP SIGN 13:30ish. Not sure if you were South Burlington or Williston. I was too distracted by your ink and your eyes. And you had black leather gloves on, so I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell if there was a ring. We were driving a small commercial van. The driver would like to buy you a drink. When: Monday, June 15, 2020. Where: Gregory/Kimball intersection. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915070 USPS SPECIAL DELIVERY You delivered my Amazon package by USPS. We were cordial, but you were the special delivery. I was totally not prepared for company and looked like I had slept for five days. It is quarantine ... but I promise I clean up. Zebra PJs. Purple hair. You are probably 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;8, brown hair, clean cut. Sweet, professional. You can deliver to me anytime. When: Monday, June 15, 2020. Where: Colchester. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915069 NICE MOTORCYCLE You were behind me on the road in front of St. Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving a silver car and rocking a cute septum piercing. You yelled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nice bikeâ&#x20AC;? to me and then pulled up alongside me to say it again. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to take you for a ride. What do ya say? When: Sunday, June 14, 2020. Where: Winooski. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915068 YOUR NAME WAS ECHO You helped me out on June 9, and you caught my eye (even with a mask on). Let me know if you are interested in connecting. When: Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Where: at their workplace. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915063 SHORT HAIR, LONG SWEATER AT WALGREENS You made me smile a few times under my mask! Almost bumped into you. Maybe we will again. When: Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Where: Burlington Walgreens. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915062

from. There is a fee, and you should tip your shopper, but the convenience is worth the extra cost. There may be volunteers in your area who are helping people with their shopping. Perhaps you could find someone through your Front Porch Forum. If your town has a website, it might have listings of available resources. Burlingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s can be found atÂ burlingtonvt.gov/covid-19/ foodaccessresources. Many options are out there that would allow you to give the kids a break and keep your husband from counting your peanuts. Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

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53-y/o discreet SWM, 5’10, 156 pounds. Brown and blue. Seeking any guys 18 to 60 who like to receive oral and who are a good top. Well hung guys a plus. Chittenden County and around. No computer. Phone only, but can text or call. #L1419 I’m a GWM seeking out guys for a summer frolic. I’m intelligent, fun and adventurous. Sometimes sub, sometimes dom and always versatile. Age not so important, but would like some younger guys. No electronic communication, please. Mid-Vermont. #L1415

I’m an older male seeking a sporty 50-plus woman. I’m affectionate and enjoy long walks and conversation, trivia, Scrabble, horseshoes, reading, the beach. 420-friendly, microbrews. Please write. Love to meet you. #L1421 I’m a mid-50s man seeking a 45to 60-y/o female. Searching for fit, grounded, at-home country girl. I own a home, land and toys. Desire to travel. Love to garden. #L1420 I’m a 60-y/o bi male seeking guys to have fun with. I like everything. Mostly a bottom, but not always. Respond with a phone number. No text or email. I’ll call you. #L1418

I’m a single WM seeking 65to 70-y/o woman to share mutual oral with. Retired physician. In my home or yours. #L1417 59-y/o female seeks someone who follows the Golden Rule in my age range to adventure, read and/or watch TV with. Must be intelligent and an excellent communicator with a great sense of humor. Not into hookups. I enjoy writing, animals and great food, and I’m a bit of a news junkie. No tolerance for injustice or prejudice. Please write to share your outstanding qualities. #L1416

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I’m a guy seeking a male or female. Very caring, positive person looking for a running partner for runs. I can adapt and am now doing from 6-13 miles a run. Run on scenic roads. I’m 5’9, 155 lbs. Middleaged, politically left, creative writer, who loves philosophy, poetry, as well. #L1414 Gay white male looking for hookups, maybe more; see where it goes. 5’10 and a half, dark brown hair, good looking, brown eyes, slender. I clean and do windows for a living and run a rescue for animals and give them a forever home, so you have to be an animal lover. If you replied already, please contact me again. #L1412

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. 48-y/o single male seeking 45- to 50-y/o single female who is kind, creative and healthminded. I enjoy the arts, writing, reading, vegan food, trail running, mountain biking and road trips. Seeking a woman for dating and friendship. #L1413 I’m a 34-y/o simple guy seeking a 30- to 45-y/o male. Good-looking with a good job. Looking for my partner in crime. Must love pets, going out, chilling at home. But have your life in order. Masculine guys preferred. #L1411 I’m a 38-y/o male seeking a 30to 40-y/o female. I’m looking for love before I turn 40 years. Could you be the one? I’m into poetry, music, trying new food and drink, deep conversation, and walks by the lake. I hope you’ll give me the chance to be your man. #1410 I’m a 58-y/o SWM seeking female 50 to 60 years old for companionship and fun! I enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, art and photography, good food and drink. Ideal F would be intelligent, compassionate, able to communicate. #L1409

I’m a 31-y/o woman seeking a fun and energetic 31- to 38-y/o man. I’m seeking a God-believing, Christian faith-based man. I don’t drink or smoke. I like to go dancing, listen to music, travel. #L1408 I’m a 59-y/o male seeking a male or female age 40 to 80 who is a nudist. Want company in the woods in northern Vermont. #L1407 I’m a 61-y/o woman. Aquarian INFJ Reiki master looking to be part of or create a spiritual, artistic, self-sufficient community further south. Seeks kind, openminded, gentle kindred spirits, lightworkers, starseeds to explore life’s mysteries and help each other. Cat lovers very welcome! #L1406 I’m a GWM seeking GWM. Into everything except anal. Many interests including railroading and astrology. #L1405 Dirty old man seeks dirty old lady. Watching dirty movies. Dirty in bed. Dirty minded. Love kissing and oral. Alone and single. Age/ race, no problem. #1404

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