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NEWS & POLITICS 11 From the Publisher MAGA Moderate?

In New York, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik plays up centrist image as she goes all in for Trump

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Watching the Poll Watchers Officials say they’ll have no tolerance for voter intimidation

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Seven Days got a satisfying shout-out in last Friday’s New York Times e-newsletter. In an item headlined “In Praise of Vermont,” “The Morning” noted how the state “continues to do a fabulous job” controlling the spread of the coronavirus while cases are spiking in other rural parts of the country. To explain it, the writer borrowed some theories from Ripton resident and environmentalist Bill McKibben, who wrote a piece on the subject for the New Yorker back in the summer. The e-newsletter recalled that McKibben attributed “Vermont’s success” to Gov. Phil Scott’s nonpartisan, science-first approach to the pandemic Dear Editor and to “two strong local media organizations — VTDigger and Seven Days — that keep residents informed.” More noteworthy, to McKibben, was that “both took an intriguing step early in the pandemic … They shut down their comments sections, to prevent misinformation from spreading.” Seven Days discontinued online feedback on April 6; VTDigger.org followed suit on July 17. Of course, not everybody is happy with our decision to “prioritize the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers,” as we phrased it in the letters to the editor section three weeks after the coronavirus hit Vermont. As I was writing this, we got an email from a devoted reader arguing against the policy. “If the purpose of Seven Days is to help people know what’s going on locally, then the climate of opinion is an important part of that package,” he reasoned on the same day that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows announced, “We’re not going to control the pandemic.” “I understand that the section can be misused by trolls,” wrote our reader, “and riding herd on it can take up much staff time. But … it feels like my wife and I are basically sitting in our house, talking only to each other, and not really knowing what’s going on out there in the public mind. Perhaps, if only now, as a pandemic public service, you could bring back the reader responses to help repair the general disconnection.” Alas, we’re not rebooting the digital forum anytime soon. We’ve been devoting more space to letters to the editor — the original form of reader interaction. As required at Seven Days for more than a quarter century, letter writers must use their real names, list a town of residence, disclose any conflicts of interest or relevant biographical information, and respond to a confirmation phone call — usually from me, on the weekend before publication. That’s a pandemic public service Seven Days is happy to provide. Another one: recommendations for fun things to do close to home. You’ll find lots of them in this month’s Staytripper. The special supplement was scheduled to phase out in October, but the pandemic hasn’t, so the monthly section lives on, connecting Vermonters to safe sources of food, commerce, culture and outdoor activity in dropping Interested in becoming a Super Reader? temps. Editor Carolyn Fox — who Look for the “Give Now” buttons at the top of normally manages our special sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your publications 7 Nights, BTV, address and contact info to: What’s Good and the annual All the Best — has SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS done an amazing job finding signs of life all across P.O. BOX 1164 BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164 Vermont this year. She’s already assigned stories for December For more information on making a financial and January. contribution to Seven Days, please contact At least one of us can plan beyond next Corey Grenier: Tuesday. Don’t forget to vote! VOICEMAIL: 802-865-1020, EXT. 36

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news

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COURTESY OF WILL WALDRON/TIMES UNION

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik

In New York, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik plays up centrist image as she goes all in for Trump B Y C O LI N FL A N D ER S

As she searched for her next word, Stefanik pounced: “She said it herself! Banning. Banning. She said it herself. Banning assault weapons. She said, ‘banning.’” Cobb finally explained that she had planned to say “banning gun show loopholes.” But the damage was done. The exchange epitomized Stefanik’s dogged portrayal of her opponent as a flip-flopping, far-left liberal out of touch with conservative northeastern New York. The district, which lies across Lake Champlain from Vermont, includes a 15,000-square-mile swath of territory, from the Canadian border south to Saratoga Springs and west to Watertown. More revealing was the degree to which Stefanik reveled in her role as agitator. Wielding the same take-no-prisoners style she has adopted in defense of President Donald Trump, Stefanik has drawn partisan battle lines throughout

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

B Y PAU L H EIN T Z

For nearly 14 years, Vermont Public Radio’s Jane Lindholm has asked probing questions of her guests on seemingly every topic imaginable. Now, the “Vermont Edition” host is preparing for a new role at the station — and VPR is pondering how to revamp its midday public affairs program. The station announced on Tuesday that Lindholm plans to leave the show at the end of January, following a national search for her replacement. Bob Kinzel, who typically hosts the show once a week, will continue to do so, according to news director Sarah Ashworth. Lindholm expects to spend much of her time expanding “But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids,” which she created in 2016. Melody Bodette, a VPR veteran who has produced the show on a part-time basis, will become a full-time senior producer. The two will also team up to produce special projects for the station, including documentaries and live events. FILE: JAMES BUCK

MAGA Moderate? t a debate last week in New York’s North Country congressional district, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was asked whether she believed Democrats actually want to take away people’s guns. “Yes,” the member of Congress said, noting that her Democratic rival, Tedra Cobb, was recorded two years ago telling teenage supporters that she backed a ban on assault weapons but could never publicly say so because it would kill her electoral chances. The video was taken by a teenager who was paid $1,000 by the Republican National Committee and later interned for Stefanik’s campaign. “Those are her own words, caught on camera,” Stefanik said. “She was willing to lie to voters. This is a clear difference in this race.” Cobb, a Canton business consultant and a former St. Lawrence County legislator challenging Stefanik for the second time, responded that she believes the rights of responsible gun owners should be respected. “But I also believe that we should pass meaningful legislation banning, uh, uh—” Cobb said.

Lindholm to Leave ‘Vermont Edition’ for New VPR Role

CAN ANTIGEN TESTING WORK IN VT?

the campaign, even as she touts herself as someone always willing to reach across the aisle. When she isn’t calling Cobb a “parrot” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and praising Trump’s handling of the pandemic, she is listing bipartisan bills she has worked on to deliver wins to the North Country. Stefanik beat Cobb by 14 points in their first showdown two years ago and is favored to prevail again next week. Though the district was once considered moderate, twice voting for Barack Obama, Trump flipped it red in 2016, carrying it by the same margin as Stefanik. Even some Cobb supporters concede that there may not be a blue wave big enough to overcome the realities of a district where registered Republicans hold a 45,000-voter advantage and the incumbent has raised twice as much money. Still, Stefanik’s latest reelection bid has showcased her desire to be both a

2020

ELECTION

MAGA MODERATE?

» P.14

Jane Lindholm and Melody Bodette

“Fourteen years is a long time to do anything, so I’m ready for some new creative challenges,” Lindholm said on Tuesday. “Also, it’s really hard to juggle two shows that are both competing for attention and both deserve attention.” Lindholm said she expects to continue releasing new episodes of “But Why” every other week but may supplement that schedule with “news and zeitgeist episodes” responding to current events. She hopes to tighten the show, improve its production values and expand its web presence. “But Why,” which tackles questions posed by kids, has been downloaded more than 4 million times since March, according to VPR. Lindholm and Bodette will also spend roughly 30 percent of their time working on what Lindholm described as “a mobile documentary unit” that could produce short-run podcasts or an hourlong program. “The idea is that they’d be areas of coverage that really deserve a long-form, in-depth treatment,” she said. According to Ashworth, Lindholm’s move presents an opportunity to revamp the program. “I just think about how creating a show in 2020 would look so much different than the conversations that were happening in 2006,” Ashworth said.

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Vermont primary election in August

ermonters planning to cast their ballots the old-fashioned way — in person, at their local polling place — may be wondering what to expect on November 3. Will polling places be mobbed because of heightened interest in the presidential election — or ghost towns due to the runaway popularity of advance voting? And will people suspicious of potential voting shenanigans pack polling places as observers? President Donald Trump hopes the answer to the latter question is in the affirmative. He has called for an “army” of supporters to “go to the polls and watch very closely.” At one campaign stop, Trump told a crowd: “Be poll watchers when you go. Watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing they do.” On Tuesday he took to Twitter again and demanded, “Philadelpiha [sic] MUST HAVE POLLWATCHERS!” His tweet singled out a city with the third highest Black population in the nation, in a key battleground state. Some Vermont elections officials worry that such rhetoric may cause people to believe incorrectly that they can just show up to monitor voting in any way they please.

“My concern is, this call that has gone out makes it sound like anyone and everyone can be a poll watcher,” said Barre City Clerk Carol Dawes, who chairs the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association’s Legislative Committee. That’s not quite true. To ensure transparency, members of the public can observe polling places, but strict rules apply. They must stay in a specific viewing area, cannot interfere with voters or poll workers, and cannot campaign. The number allowed depends on the building capacity and other factors, including social-distancing requirements. In addition, political parties and independent candidates are allowed to send monitors to observe voting and to challenge a voter’s status. But that process is governed by state election law, which limits the number of poll watchers to two per political party. Dawes worries that things could get dicey if multiple people show up wanting to be poll watchers and she has to turn them away because she is at capacity or for some other reason. “Everyone is so on edge this year, so amped up, that I’m concerned about

2020

ELECTION

WATCHING THE POLL WATCHERS

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news Burlington Dems, State Party Admit to Campaign Finance Violations BY C O U R TN E Y L A M D I N

The Vermont Democratic Party and the Burlington Democratic Committee will pay a $2,750 fine for violating campaign finance laws related to Burlington City Council elections last March. The political parties were required to report campaign spending for the Town Meeting Day races on February 2 and 22 and on March 17, but neither organization did, according to a settlement the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced late last week. The Vermont Progressive Party filed a complaint with the AG’s office in April after unsuccessfully trying to resolve the issue directly with the Burlington committee, according to Progressive Party executive director Josh Wronski. Progs took notice when the state Democrats hired a full-time staffer to boost the party’s chances in the local elections and started circulating a variety of campaign mailers that couldn’t be traced back to campaign reports. The Attorney General’s Office notified the parties of the complaint in May, but the city committee didn’t properly file its reports for another month; the state party finally filed them online on September 25. Officials from both organizations told Seven Days that it took time to submit the correct reports, which had to be done by hand instead of with the typical electronic filing system. Victoria Moon, press secretary for the Vermont Democrats, attributed the party’s error to a “clerical mistake.” She said information about campaign spending for city council candidates was included in other, required disclosure forms. Sam Donnelly, chair of the Burlington Democrats, said he had confused the campaign filing deadlines for local elections with those for the general election. He uploaded the local reports to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office campaign finance system on March 15 — when the first general election reports were due — forgetting that local election reports had been due twice in February. Donnelly is also the campaign manager for Attorney General T.J. Donovan’s 2020 reelection bid. The party chair declined to comment on his employment. In an emailed statement on Monday, staff at Donovan’s office said the AG “was walled off from this matter from the onset.” The office assigned Sarah London, the chief assistant attorney general, to supervise the investigation into Donnelly — and Donovan’s own party — “to avoid any appearance of a conflict,” according to the statement. m

MAGA Moderate? « P.12 champion of the polarizing president and a centrist, pragmatic lawmaker — no matter how contradictory those stances may seem. While supporters say she has walked this tightrope well, critics aren’t convinced. “She is the most partisan member of Congress that I can imagine right now with her language, which is straight out of the Trump playbook,” said Mark MacWilliams, a professor at St. Lawrence University who volunteered for Cobb’s 2018 campaign. “She treats her constituents as if we’re stupid. That we’ll take her lies about Tedra Cobb, and take her claims of her achievements, which are really all not that much, and take this flimflam in her commercials and the name-calling and the rest of it — and just vote for her.” A former aide to president George W. Bush and to vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to the House when she took office at age 30 in 2014. (A 29-year-old New York Democrat, Alexandria OcasioCortez, beat that record in 2018.) The Harvard University graduate was closely aligned to the GOP establishment during her first two terms, even as she built a reputation as one of the House’s most bipartisan members. She also demonstrated her independence, bucking her party on issues such as equal rights for LGBT people and efforts to grant legal status to young undocumented immigrants. Like many moderates, Stefanik kept her distance from Trump as he bulled his way to the party’s nomination, and she eventually pledged only to support the party’s top office seeker, avoiding mention of his name. She later spoke out against some of his chief priorities, criticizing a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries and opposing construction of a southern border wall. But Stefanik has gradually set aside her misgivings, welcoming Trump to the district for an event at Fort Drum in 2018 before later emerging as one of his staunchest defenders during impeachment proceedings. As Trump confronted the existential danger to his presidency, Stefanik frequently appeared on Fox News in his defense. She rejected claims that he had abused his power by pressuring a foreign leader to investigate his political rival. She sparred in House Intelligence Committee hearings with chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) over the Democratcontrolled process. Many Republican constituents back home cheered her on, believing the

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

COURTESY OF JOHN CARL D’ANNIBALE/TIMES UNION

POLITICS

Tedra Cobb

allegations against the president were unfounded. Stefanik’s efforts also caught the president’s attention. “A new Republican Star is born,” Trump wrote in a tweet, sharing a video of Stefanik questioning the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “Great going @EliseStefanik!” Stefanik has savored her newfound stardom. A campaign email sent out around that time described her as “the 35-year-old Republican congresswoman standing between the Democrats and our American Democracy.” In May, she flew on Air Force One to join Trump at the launch of the SpaceX rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She later hit the campaign trail for him, attending his indoor rally in Tulsa, Okla. More recently, Stefanik used a primetime slot at the Republican National Convention to decry the “baseless and illegal impeachment sham” and “Joe Biden’s far-left socialist policies,” which she contrasted with Trump’s commitment to “stand up for the American people and the Constitution.” Returning the favor last week, Trump officially endorsed her, tweeting that she was doing a “terrific” job. “She fiercely defends us and exposes the Radical Left’s lies!” he wrote. “Strong

on our Second Amendment, Vets, Military and New York Law Enforcement, Elise has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Many Republican lawmakers have shifted from Trump skeptics to cardcarrying MAGA members over the last four years. But while some are now distancing themselves from Trump as he trails Biden in national polls, Stefanik has remained loyal. “The North Country is Trump country,” she told Seven Days in an interview. “You can drive around and see the support,” said Stefanik, who lives close to the district’s southern border in Saratoga County. “It’s organic. It’s more than it was in 2016. People are energized.” Though the district has been hit hard by the pandemic’s economic crunch, its Republican voters view Trump favorably, according to several county GOP chairs. “Contrary to what you might see on the national television, people support the president,” said Donald Coon, head of the Jefferson County Republican Committee. In the southern part of the district, a New England-based merchandise company has opened two separate stores called “New York for Trump” just a 20-minute drive apart.

Stefanik employs some of the same eye to eye. She voted in late August to abrasive campaign tactics that Trump give the U.S. Postal Service $25 billion rode to the White House. She has nick- and block operational changes to ensure named her opponent “Taxin’ Tedra” that mail-in ballots would be counted and accuses her of voting more than 20 on time, making her one of only 26 times to raise taxes, which local news Republicans to support the measure. outlets call highly misleading. She But skeptics argue that she typialleges that Cobb supports controver- cally breaks ranks only when the GOP sial positions, such as defunding the doesn’t need her support. police, even though Cobb does not. “You could make the case that The combative approach seems to [Republican leaders] will let her do play well in the district; Cobb’s critics that — let her have a vote against the have flooded her Facebook party every once in a while,” page with similar language. said Ken Tingley, a recently But some Stefanik supportretired editor of the Glens ers wish she would tone Falls Post-Star. down her rhetoric. Cobb, meantime, has “I don’t like that kind of routinely slammed Stefanik campaign, to be honest,” over her failure to call out said Paul Maroun, the Trump on a number of Re p u b l i c a n m a yo r o f issues, including his refusal Tupper Lake and a Frankto respond to a reported lin County legislator who Russian plot to pay bounties supports Stefanik. “I never for the killing of American mention my opponent, and U . S . R EP. ELI S E soldiers in Afghanistan. S T EFA N I K I’ve always counseled my Stefanik argues that those people [to do the same].” reports have not been Still, implying that substantiated. Stefanik is essentially just defendSome Republicans worry that a presing herself, Maroun said it has been a ident dogged by such questions might contentious race “on both sides.” lose. The Washington Post reported last “When somebody punches you, you month that GOP insiders are speculatmay take one punch and try to walk ing that the party may need to recaliaway,” Maroun said. “But somebody hits brate should Trump be defeated. In that you two or three times, you get ready to case, the GOP might seek new leaders strike back.” among those who, like Stefanik, could Stefanik’s alignment with Trump has appeal to both the MAGA and moderate gotten her an eye-popping $11 million in wings of the party. campaign donations this cycle — four While some New York observers times her 2018 tally. About half has believe Stefanik has political ambitions come from donations under $200. She’s beyond her current job, she declined to also taken in $1.5 million from PACs and speculate about the future. “I’m focused counts major corporations among some on this district,” she said. of her biggest donors, including Blue Her supporters and critics were Cross Blue Shield, Boeing and Amazon. more willing to comment. But her rise to prominence cuts “I think she’s a great representative, both ways. The same weekend Trump but I’d like to see her move on [one dubbed Stefanik a “star,” Cobb’s day],” said Clark Currier, chair of the campaign reported a haul of more than Clinton County Republican Committee. $1 million — about two-thirds of what “She brings a lot to the table, and I think she had raised in her entire previous she could really help no matter where campaign. She, too, has raised half of she went.” her money in small contributions, while “Let’s just put it this way,” he added, receiving support from national left- “I have higher aspirations for her.” leaning groups such as EMILY’s List Others have a more cynical take. and Planned Parenthood, as well as MacWilliams, the college professor, celebrities. said Stefanik has “modified herself ” to Cobb argues that Stefanik’s support the “political realities of the moment” of Trump is a clear liability. at every turn. “She has tied herself to this presi“She’s a complete and total political dent, and she will put herself before animal who is out for power,” MacWilher own constituents,” Cobb said in an liams said, “and we are a way station interview. She later added, “When she on the road to becoming speaker of the says that the president has done a good House — or even, possibly, the presijob, it just shows how disconnected she dency.” m is from the lives that people live here.” Stefanik and Trump don’t always see Contact: colin@sevendaysvt.com

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news HEALTH

UVM Medical Center Will Host COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

All Access

How the pandemic has opened up civic life to Vermonters with disabilities BY PAUL H E I N T Z Maria Rinaldi

BY A N D R E A S UO Z Z O

GLENN RUSSELL

The University of Vermont Medical Center will be a trial site in the final testing phase of a coronavirus vaccine, officials announced on Tuesday. The hospital, working with UVM’s Vaccine Testing Center at the Larner College of Medicine, will enroll 250 participants for the phase three trial of a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The third, and last, vaccine testing phase determines whether or not a vaccine is effective; it comes after a vaccine has proven to be safe across a broad population. The AstraZeneca vaccine is one of four currently in the third stage of trials in the U.S., though testing was paused in early September after a UK participant began experiencing neurological symptoms. Following reviews by U.S. authorities and an independent monitoring board, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave the go-ahead to restart the AstraZeneca trials last week. Dr. Beth Kirkpatrick, an infectious disease specialist and the director of the Vaccine Testing Center, emphasized that more than 10,000 people across the world have already received the vaccine, which has been shown to be safe for the general population. “What we don’t know yet is whether these vaccines work, and how well they work, to prevent the actual coronavirus illness,” she said. In the U.S., the phase three trials will enroll some 30,000 people at 80 sites across the country. UVM Medical Center is recruiting 250 of those participants locally. About a third of those will receive a placebo; the rest will get the vaccine. Kirkpatrick emphasized that participants can’t get the coronavirus from the vaccine and that the trials don’t involve giving anyone COVID-19. She said the trial here is seeking out those over the age of 65, those with preexisting conditions, and those who may have a greater risk of exposure to coronavirus through their jobs, such as health care workers, teachers and police. Vermonters or residents of northern New York and New Hampshire can participate. Applicants can register now. “We’re really looking forward to working with the community to help end the global pandemic,” Dr. Kirkpatrick said.

ot long after she ran for the state legislature in 2018, Kate Larose slipped during an ice storm and hit her head. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. Until then, the St. Albans resident had lived an active civic life — volunteering for political campaigns, working with activist organizations and engaging with local government. But she soon found that the auditory and visual stimulus of a crowded conference room or a rowdy march overwhelmed her brain. “I realized this was not something I could do in my new reality. For a long time, a lot of my community and political activity was just shut down,” Larose said. “Then the pandemic happened, and my whole world of community involvement opened up again because of the virtual opportunities.” The spread of COVID-19 has threatened the health, economic security and social connections of many Vermonters. But for some members of the disability community, it’s provided new

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

opportunities to take part in previously inaccessible activities. They can phonebank from home, join remote campaign meetings and even take part in legislative committee hearings. “Things have opened up a great deal for people who have access to the internet and computers and who can do Zoom meetings,” said Sarah Launderville, executive director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living. “I think that more people have been able to be engaged in the process.” That’s been particularly important in a year that has featured an unprecedented presidential election, a national reckoning with systemic racism and the economic consequences of COVID-19. The changes, which Larose calls “a hidden gift of the pandemic,” have enabled her to engage at both the local and national levels. When her city council and school board began holding remote meetings, she was able to log in, turn off the lights, close her eyes and focus entirely on the business at hand — employing some of the strategies she’s learned to overcome

2020

ELECTION

her disability. And when she learned that the Democratic National Convention would be conducted remotely, rather than in Milwaukee, she decided to run for delegate. She won, becoming one of a dozen Vermonters representing those who voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign. “It’s created an on-ramp for people with disabilities to be able to be engaged and involved,” said Larose, who recently moved to Canaan. Four years ago, Jericho resident Maria Rinaldi also served as a Sanders delegate to the Democratic convention. Rinaldi, who is paralyzed from the chest down due to a spinal cord injury, traveled to Philadelphia with her partner, Mike Csele, in a motor home customized to accommodate her wheelchair. Though she had been promised she would have equal access to convention activities, Rinaldi spent much of her time in Philadelphia dealing with logistical nightmares, including convincing security officials to allow Csele to park the RV near the convention center. When Rinaldi finally got inside, she found that she was

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seated far from the rest of the Vermont delegation. “It was very disappointing,” she said. This time around, Rinaldi assumed she wouldn’t be able to reprise her role because her compromised immune system made a trip to Milwaukee unwise. When she learned she could attend from her house, however, she decided to run again for the delegation and won, representing Sanders voters. “As I thought about it, I realized that going remote is making it the most accessible to anyone — whether it’s someone with a disability or someone who couldn’t normally afford to go to such an event,” she said. Neither Larose nor Rinaldi believes the convention went off without a hitch. They

IT’S CREATED AN ON-RAMP FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

TO BE ABLE TO BE ENGAGED AND INVOLVED. KAT E L A ROSE

were frustrated that certain events — such as the haggling over the party’s platform — occurred without much input from rankand-file delegates. “It turned into a more controlled event than the actual process usually is,” Rinaldi said. “But that’s more about them and not the tools.” Certain aspects of pandemic life have been particularly surprising to Rinaldi. “When you’re on Zoom, people can’t necessarily see your disability. They’re just seeing me from the chest up, so I’m actually having people interact with me who don’t even know I’m in a wheelchair,” she said. “That’s a pretty interesting experience that I’ve never had before — because sometimes the way people see you is the way they treat you … It just gave me more confidence.” Emily Ahtunan of Montpelier has spent years volunteering for political campaigns and engaging in activism. But her systemic lupus has impeded her mobility and made it difficult, at times, to leave her home. “For folks like myself who are mostly homebound, pandemic normal is like our normal,” she said. “When March hit and everybody was staying at home, it was like, So now everybody gets to understand.” Ahtunan had already been volunteering her time texting voters for various political campaigns and causes. But now, she found, every campaign was holding online events, trainings and volunteer opportunities. “It just feels like there’s no escape from it, which is good because

hopefully it means that more people are tuning in. But for those of us who’ve been doing it, it’s like, Wow.” The pandemic hasn’t increased access for everybody. Launderville notes that some campaigns and public bodies have neglected to make closed captioning or American Sign Language interpretation available during online gatherings. Some legislative committees and selectboards have failed to properly broadcast their meetings. And when some voting locations were moved to more spacious venues to encourage social distancing during the state’s primaries, not all were wheelchair-accessible, Launderville said. Online participation also requires access to working computers and functioning broadband — a luxury in some regions of Vermont — as well as a certain technological savvy. That can make it more challenging for older Vermonters to take part. Earl Wright, a 77-year-old Burlington resident, readily acknowledges that digital campaigning is not for him. “I hate computer technology,” he said. Wright has been volunteering for Democratic and Progressive campaigns since he moved from Texas to Vermont in the mid-1980s, and he’s used to calling voters from crowded party headquarters. When Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman’s gubernatorial campaign went remote, volunteer coordinator Daniel Brown tried to train Wright on the software it uses to coordinate phone-banking from home. Brown eventually gave up and opted instead to print out call sheets and scripts and deliver them to Wright by bicycle. “When the weather was good, it was a good excuse to get on the bike path,” Brown said. Wright says he sometimes misses traditional phone-banking, in part because of the opportunity for social interaction it provided. “I’ve met a lot of neat people doing the phone-banking — and there’s always free food,” he said. “But one thing that is an advantage is, I’m very comfortable at home. And sometimes I’m more efficient this way because a lot of us tend to get a little absorbed with chat when we’re doing a phone bank.” It’s too soon to know whether the options that are available today will outlast the pandemic, but Rinaldi is hopeful that the experience will at least open people’s eyes to what it’s like to be stuck at home or unable to attend certain events. “People don’t really think about that,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that I have to think about that the average person doesn’t really consider.” m Contact: paul@sevendaysvt.com

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POLITICS

Scott Says He Would Replace Sanders With DemocratAffiliated Independent BY PAUL H E I N TZ

A report that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is seeking a position in a potential Joe Biden administration has raised questions about who would succeed Sanders in the Senate. Citing unnamed sources close to Sanders, Politico reported last Thursday that the Vermonter is interested in serving as Biden’s labor secretary should Biden win the presidential election. Neither Sanders nor the Biden campaign corroborated the report, and a Sanders spokesperson declined to comment when queried by Seven Days. But the possibility of a vacancy in Vermont’s congressional delegation, which hasn’t occurred since 2006, has renewed focus on the role Republican Gov. Phil Scott might play in filling it. State law dictates that the governor schedule a special election within six months of a vacancy and that the winner complete the former occupant’s term. Sanders’ current term ends in January 2025. The governor is also empowered to select an interim senator to fill the post until a special election is held. Asked in February what he would do if Sanders stepped down from the Senate, Scott told Seven Days that he would appoint an independent who had no plans to run for the seat. But he would not say whether he would expect that independent to caucus with Senate Democrats or Republicans, which could decide control of a closely divided chamber. But at an unrelated press conference last Friday, the governor changed his tune. “I want this to be fair,” he said, noting that he has filled past vacancies in the state legislature with appointees of the same party as outgoing members. “So in this case, again, Sen. Sanders has caucused with the Democrats. I would anticipate I would look at ... a more left-leaning type of independent that would obviously caucus with the Democrats.” Scott emphasized that it’s unclear whether he would even be in a position to make such a choice. “I think there’s a lot of ifs there,” he said, noting that he would have to win reelection as governor, Biden would have to win the presidency, and both Biden and Sanders would have to be interested in working together. m

Watching the Poll Watchers « P.13 people not being civil,” Dawes said. “If I say, ‘Sorry, our poll watchers are already full,’ I can imagine that in the current climate, somebody’s going to think I’m doing something nefarious.” Poll watchers representing political parties typically bring a town’s voter checklist and mark off voters as they arrive. They are free to use that information to encourage people who haven’t voted to show up, said St. Johnsbury Town Clerk Stacy Jewell. But the restrictions are significant and will likely limit interest in the activity, Jewell said: “They just get to sit there and listen. That’s it.” And this year, with the social-distancing requirements, Jewell said, she doesn’t know how she would accommodate multiple poll watchers, especially if doing so would leave voters standing out in the cold. To address clerks’ concerns, Secretary of State Jim Condos issued a directive on Monday saying that anyone who wants to represent a party as a poll watcher this year must inform clerks by Friday. Vermont Democratic Party officials said they have no intention of sending observers this year but instead are providing a hotline that people can call if they have concerns. The party will have staff on hand to answer questions, document issues and, if necessary, offer legal support to voters facing obstacles. Voters can also take up problems with their town clerk. Montpelier attorney Anthony Iarrapino has manned the Democratic hotline in recent years and said issues that arise are usually minor mix-ups, as opposed to voter suppression. Nevertheless, he’s pleased that elections officials have their guard up. “The kind of organized voter intimidation that worries people hasn’t been an issue, but that doesn’t mean it won’t materialize in isolated pockets,” Iarrapino said. VTGOP chair Deb Billado has, like Trump, railed against Condos’ decision to send mail-in ballots to all registered, active voters. But unlike Trump, she has not called publicly for aggressive monitoring of the polls. Billado said the party was “working on a poll-watching plan” with county party chairs. She did not respond to requests for additional details. Orleans County GOP chair Chet Greenwood said he was aware of no such plans. The militaristic overtones of Trump’s call for an “army” to “protect” the vote is alarming, said Rep. Tom Stevens (D-Waterbury). It calls to mind images of militia members in Michigan who brought assault-style rifles into the Statehouse to protest the governor’s extension of COVID-19 restrictions.

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

JAMES BUCK

news

Vermont primary election in August

EVERYONE IS SO ON EDGE THIS YEAR, SO AMPED UP, THAT

I’M CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE NOT BEING CIVIL.

BAR R E C ITY C L E R K C AR O L D AWES

“It’s easy for me to imagine that the people who would be most likely to take up his charge would not be Republican operatives but would be people who are interested in really making people uncomfortable,” Stevens said State officials said they won’t have it. Condos and Attorney General T.J. Donovan released a joint statement saying they wouldn’t tolerate any voter intimidation. “It is a crime to intimidate or interfere with a Vermonter’s right to vote at the polls,” Donovan said. “The Attorney General’s Office will enforce the laws as necessary to ensure that all Vermonters are able to peacefully exercise their fundamental right to vote without disruption.” Police will not be stationed at polling places, as they have been in some large cities elsewhere during early voting. “Please know that because of this talk and the heated political environment, we have been having conversations with the state and local law enforcement to stand by to assist where needed,” Will Senning, the state’s director of elections, told clerks last week. Many voters won’t be at the polls. As of Monday, 204,628 people had returned ballots by mail, well above the previous record of 95,203, set in 2016. The number

is expected to grow substantially by Election Day. “We still expect quite a few people to come in in person and vote,” Jewell. Vermont’s highest-ever general election turnout was 325,046, in 2008. To top that, as many expect will happen, tens of thousands of voters will have to turn out on November 3. For those who want the satisfaction of physically delivering their ballots but don’t care to enter a building, 173 towns have some kind of secure 24-7 drop boxes. Burlington, for instance, has three — at city hall; at the Department of Public Works, at 645 Pine Street; and behind Fire Station No. 2, at 132 North Avenue. The full list is available at the secretary of state’s website, sos.vermont.gov. Election officials say that while they can’t prepare for every possibility, they’ve taken steps to ensure voting in person this year will be as safe, smooth and peaceful as possible. “The right to vote is sacred, enshrined in our Constitution,” Condos said in a statement. “I believe all Vermonters will conduct the voting process with civility, as is our Vermont tradition, rather than echoing the divisiveness we are hearing nationally.” Huntington Town Clerk Heidi Racht isn’t too worried about disruptions. In her 15 years in office, she’s only seen one poll watcher, a young man working for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2012 reelection campaign, and he was very respectful. “He helped us take down the polling booths while we finished the election,” she said, “and then joined us for supper before leaving.” m Contact: kevin@sevendaysvt.com

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Not So Fast?

Rapid COVID-19 tests have arrived in Vermont, but some health officials are leery B Y AN D R EA SUO ZZO

FILE: OLIVER PARINI

apid-result antigen tests for COVID-19 are increasingly available at Vermont’s nursing homes, urgent care clinics and private testing sites. Eldercare facilities, which are receiving testing equipment for free from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have so far tested more than 700 people. The Trump administration has heralded these rapid tests as a crucial tool in allowing states to reopen. But Vermont’s guidelines strongly encourage the use of gold-standard PCR laboratory tests for the detection of the novel coronavirus — particularly in eldercare facilities. Antigen tests, the state says, should generally be used only on symptomatic people due to accuracy concerns. Twenty-nine of Vermont’s 35 nursing homes reported that they had received the antigen test machines. Fourteen of those homes have performed at least one test, and some have performed hundreds, according to data submitted on October 11 to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes. Vermont also has begun receiving shipments of an anticipated 180,000 antigen tests as part of a state-by-state mass distribution from the federal government, though local officials say they have not yet decided how they will use them. The Vermont Department of Health favors PCR tests that detect the virus’ genetic material in a sample, though the swabs must be analyzed in a lab and it can take a few hours to several days for results to be returned. Antigen tests, by contrast, detect proteins on the surface of the virus and can be performed in a matter of minutes using a tabletop or handheld diagnostic machine. That speed is a big deal, said January Reichert, nursing director at Gill Odd Fellows Home of Vermont in Ludlow. The last time she PCR-tested all staff and residents, it took the lab five days to return the results. Two test results were inconclusive, forcing her to take those staffers out of the rotation for several days and retest them. “It created a staffing issue, and it created a worry issue,” she said. Since then, Reichert said, the Broad Institute has promised quicker results. The state uses the private Massachusetts lab to handle routine testing for Vermont’s

Running coronavirus tests at the Vermont Department of Health lab

nursing homes, and officials said the contract requires a 24-hour turnaround time for results once samples reach the lab. But Reichert said she’s started using the antigen tests for additional screening of staff, as well as to test other workers who need to enter the home. To test symptomatic residents, Reichert said, she uses the PCR tests instead. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for the

AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RAPID TEST KITS ARRIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,

IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT THE STATE WILL DO WITH THEM. first COVID-19 antigen test in May. Since then, it’s authorized five other antigen tests. These tests have been vetted for their ability to detect the virus in patients experiencing symptoms within the first few days after onset. But questions remain about their accuracy, particularly when given to asymptomatic people and in areas with low prevalence of the virus. The first test to win emergency approval from the FDA, made by San Diego-based Quidel, was at the center of a July incident in which 64 people tested positive at a Manchester, Vt., urgent care clinic. Follow-up PCR

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

testing by the state Department of Health detected just four positive cases, and widespread testing found no evidence of an outbreak in the area. That incident, as well as a similar one at a Maine summer camp, raised questions about reliability. Subsequent investigations by Quidel and the FDA found no issues with the tests or the Manchester clinic’s procedures. Vermont health officials have expressed concern about the use of antigen tests for diagnostic purposes. State officials don’t count antigen test positives in daily case totals unless a laboratory test has confirmed the result. And it’s not just Vermont officials who have concerns. A national survey conducted by two eldercare industry groups and released in September found that 25 percent of the responding nursing homes had gotten at least one potential false-positive test result. Nevada health officials directed nursing homes to stop using the tests but rescinded the order after a threat of legal action from Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published guidelines in late August that require routine testing of nursing home residents and staff using either PCR or antigen tests. The frequency depends on the disease prevalence in the surrounding community. Homes in the hardest-hit areas of the country must test twice weekly; Vermont homes must test just once a month. In guidance about antigen tests

released on October 1, Vermont health officials advised nursing homes and other providers to use PCR tests whenever available. The guidance suggested that antigen tests could be useful for rapid diagnosis of symptomatic patients but that they should not be used as a diagnostic tool in other scenarios. The tests could be used to monitor the members of a high-risk population — teachers or first responders, for instance — only if those tests were performed on a very frequent basis to track the prevalence of the virus in a group of people over time. “If the clinical community uses them in an informed manner … they can be very helpful tests in our overall management of this pandemic,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at a news conference following the release of the guidance. The state also informed homes that it expects to have the capacity to perform all the required tests via the PCR method through at least the end of December. The day after the guidance came out, Pam Cota, licensing chief in the state’s Division of Licensing and Protection, sent an email to nursing home administrators explaining that “it would not be a violation of testing requirements if your facility needed to use the antigen tests instead for the required testing,” even though PCR tests are “clearly preferred” by state health officials. Dr. Richard Feifer, chief medical officer at Genesis HealthCare, said the company’s nine nursing homes in Vermont are all using PCR tests to fulfill federal testing requirements — but have also begun testing residents and staff using the antigen machines as a supplement. In a statement, Feifer said the rapid-result antigen tests can fill in the gaps when residents or staff “develop symptoms in between testing cycles.” At Wake Robin in Shelburne, health and resident services director Meagan Buckley said the facility’s nursing home received an antigen test machine and 150 test kits in September but hasn’t used them yet. “We can and will utilize these antigen test kits should we need to in the future, but at this time we have been very pleased with our arrangements locally with [the University of Vermont Medical Center] for processing PCR tests,” she said.

HEALTH

NOT SO FAST?

» P.22

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Dear Governor Scott, Democracy needs your help. As we watch this election unfold, we worry that we are seeing the death of democracy in this country: The purging of voter rolls, the resistance to mail-in voting during a pandemic, the attempted dismantling of the postal service, the reduction in polling places, the fake ballot boxes, the president’s repeated lies about the prevalence of voter fraud, and his suggestions that he will do whatever he can to stay in power regardless of what the voters decide. Here in Vermont, we trust that we will be able to vote and that our votes will be counted. But we are deeply concerned about threats to the voting process elsewhere, especially in other states with Republican governors. Governor Scott, we need you to be a model for the Republican Party. We call on you to: 1. Make a public statement against voter suppression tactics 2. Affirm your commitment to making sure every vote is counted 3. Call on your fellow Republican governors to follow Vermont’s lead in safeguarding democracy in these unstable times You have the platform and the connections to help ensure free and fair elections across the United States. Please use your power to protect our democracy. Sincerely, Susan Abbott, Marshfield Diane Abel, Brattleboro Carly Abrams, Montpelier Jackie Abrams, Brattleboro Amy Accles, Montpelier Amanda Adams, Westford Kathryn Adams, Perkinsville Mary Adams-Smith, Bristol RJ Adler, Berlin Pamela Ahlen, Barnard Cathy Aikman, Richmond Ian Albinson, Bristol June Albright, North Hartland Bob Aldrich, Brattleboro Lori Aldrich, Richmond Barry Aleshnick, Guilford Margaret Allen-Malley, Montpelier Elizabeth Almeter, Bristol Carol Altobelli, Winooski Kayla Altobelli-Libercent, Winooski Wendy Andersen, Underhill Amanda Anderson, Woodstock Kate Anderson, Richmond Linda Andrews, Bristol Jean Archibald, Underhill Kelly Armbrust, White River Junction Kurt Armbrust, Hartford Brigid Armbrust, Hartford Lindsay Armstrong, Montpelier Sarah Ashe, Middlebury Alice Astarita, Westford Susan Atwood, East Montpelier Joni Avrutick, South Burlington Lauryn Axelrod, West Pawlet Anthony Bacon, Brattleboro Linda Bailey, Brattleboro MaryDiane Baker, Brattleboro Elaine Ball, Worcester Tanya Balsley, Guilford Marsha Bancroft, Orange Kathleen Barber, Peacham Lynn Barnes, Waitsfield Louise Barreda, Tunbridge Dona Bate, Montpelier Dan Batten, Bristol Anne Baylock, Pittsford Jeremy Beaudry, Montpelier Karen Becker, Brattleboro Travis Beebe-Woodard, Underhill Cassie Bell, Barre Claire Benedict, Montpelier Elizabeth Benjamin, East Montpelier Linda Benway, Manchester Jada Berg, East Montpelier Gene Bergman, Burlington Elizabeth Bernstein, Jericho Lauren Berrizbeitia, Winooski Carol Berry, Manchester Kim Beyer, Montpelier Danika Beyer, Montpelier Rachel Bickel, Brattleboro Ashley Bies, Marlboro Lindy Biggs, Montpelier JMark Billian, Montpelier Mary Bilz, Wallingford Sarah Birgé, Middlesex Mary Alice Bisbee, Montpelier Ellie Bishop, Salisbury Richard Bissell, Putney Elizabeth Bissell, Putney Julia Blake, Jericho Sarah Blakely, Montpelier Margaret Blanchard, Montpelier Sylvia Blanchet, Brattleboro D. Mark Blank, Bennington Lynn Blevins, Williston Stuart Blood, Thetford Lucy Bogue, Colchester Margaret Bolton, Addison Michael Bosworth, Brattleboro Stephanie Boucher, East Montpelier John Bouffard, East Dummerston Stephen Bourne, Rockingham Koi Boynton, Westford Susan Brace, Rockingham Eleanor Braun, Montpelier Erica Breen, Brattleboro Lauren Breunig, Brattleboro Leeds Brewer, Berlin Margaret A. Brightman, Quechee Bill Brink, Perkinsville Emily Brodsky, Craftsbury Common Arica Bronz, Winooski Laura Brooke, Montpelier Virginia Brooke, Montpelier Joanne Brooking, Marshfield Ali Brooks, Winooski Elena Brotz, Burlington Melanie Brotz, Burlington Alex Brown, East Montpelier April Brown, Putney Elizabeth Brown, Tunbridge Erik Brown, Burlington James Brown, Burlington Barbara Bruno, Montpelier Carl Bucholt, Manchester Center Heather Buckner, Tunbridge Caitlin Burlett, Brattleboro Barbara Burnett, Montpelier John Burnett, Jericho Kate Burnim, Montpelier August Burns, North Middlesex Sally Burrell Burrell, Bristol Anya Byam, Burlington David Cain, Waitsfield Laura Cannon, Montpelier Sarah Cannon, East Calais Jill Carberry, Williston Amber Carbine-March, Wolcott Mary Ann Carlson, Arlington Renee Carpenter, East Montpelier Kristie Carr, Colchester Elizabeth Carroll, Randolph Mary Claire Carroll, Richmond Pat Carstensen, Montpelier George Carvill, Brattleboro Raven Casey, Burlington Amy Cavanagh, Middlesex Julia Cavicchi, Brattleboro Julia Chafets, Montpelier Elizabeth Champagne, East Calais Ela Chapin, East Montpelier Tiresias Chariklo, Burlington Donna Charter, Jericho Michael Charter, Jericho Margaret Chatelain, Bristol Nancy Chickering, Montpelier Bill Christian, North Bennington Andrew Christiansen, East Montpelier Elizabeth Christie, Putney Margaret Christie, Plainfield Kim Cleary, Jericho Will Cleland, Montpelier Peg Clement, Burlington Emmy Cleo, Fairlee Margaret Clerkin, Middlebury Rob Coates, East Montpelier Wendy Coe, Burlington Abby Cohen, Castleton Elizabeth Cohen, Putney Lou Colasanti, Bristol Trevor Cole, Duxbury Alice Colwell, Montpelier Joanna Colwell, Middlebury Jane Congleton, Brattleboro Priscilla Connolly, Newbury Johnny Conroy, Brattleboro Nicole Conte, Barnard Jaime Contois, Putney Lynn Conver, Essex Cindy Cook, Burlington Ruth Coppersmith, Calais Mari Cordes, Lincoln Nancy Cornell, Starksboro Christine Costello, Shaftsbury Justin Cote, Woodbury Eli Coughlin-Galbraith, Brattleboro Erin Crespo, Brattleboro Mary Crider, West Topsham Stephen Crofter, Rockingham George Cross, Winooski Kevin Cross, Richmond Susan Crowther, Rutland Megan Culp, White River Junction Juliet Cuming, Dummerston Claire Cummings, Hubbardton Timothy Cummings, Burlington Diane Cushman, Bristol Jeanne Cushman, Proctor Richard Czaplinski, Warren Anne D'Olivo, Manchester Center Rebecca Dalgin, Montpelier Judi Daly, Moretown Theodora Damaskos, Thetford Laurie Dana, Richmond Judy Davidson, Brattleboro Ashley Davies, Calais Arthur Davis, Brattleboro Carol Davis, Brattleboro Emily Davis, Brattleboro Heather Davis, Barre Rick Davis, South Hero Robin Davis, Brattleboro Janice Day, Shaftsbury Susan Day, Castleton Elizabeth Dealing, Marshfield Nancy Dean, Norwich Sally DeCicco, Montpelier Lisa Delmar, Bellows Falls Jessica Demeritt, Monkton Sara Demetry, Barnet Julie Desrochers, Berlin Sonia DeYoung, Burlington Jessica Diamondstone, Dummerston Marie DiCocco, Middlesex Debra Diegoli, Weathersfield Luke Donforth, Burlington Sophia Donforth, Burlington Mary Donnelly, Burlington Molly Doran, Burlington Libbet Downs, Reading Elliott Drinkwater, Winooski Debra Drown, Rockingham Ellen Drysdale, Berlin Diane Dubuque, Fairfax Michelle Duford, Woodbury Kathleeen Duncan, Jericho Tony Duncan, Brattleboro G. Richard Dundas, Bennington Leslie Dunn, Jericho Tom Dunne, Middlebury Sally Duston, Thetford Jane Dwinell, Alburgh Dana Dwinell-Yardley, Montpelier Maureen Dwyer, Barre Town Franny Eanet, Norwich Shanta Eastman, Burlington Marianne Eaton, Bristol Britta Eberle, Northfield Liz Edsell, Winooski Genevieve Ehlers Drutchas, Worcester Amy Ehrlich, Montpelier Irvin Eisenberg, Montpelier Rita Elder, Bristol Amy Elkins, Bristol Chris Ellis, Putney Casey Ellison, North Middlesex Ari Erlbaum, Montpelier Paul Erlbaum, East Montpelier Eve Ermer, Tunbridge Kali Erskine, Montpelier Lauren Esserman, Richmond Katherine Fanelli, Bristol Abigail Faulkner, East Montpelier Tune Faulkner, Wheelock Carol Felone, West Windsor Laura Felone, Brownsville Joseph Ferris, Marshfield John Field, Putney Mary Fillmore, Burlington Cindy Finck, Guilford Diane Fitch, Calais Heather Fitzgerald, Burlington Molly Fitzsimmons, Bristol Peter Flaherty, Plainfield L.A. Flanagan, Tunbridge Courtney Fleisher, Winooski Bunny Flint, Chelsea Peter Flint, Chelsea Amelia Fontein, Westminster Sharon Skye Forest, Montpelier Carol Forsythe, Brattleboro Courtney Forti, Burlington Samuel Foucher, Brattleboro Carol Fox, Peacham Kate Fox, Manchester Center Viveka Fox, Addison Laura Frangipane, Winooski Jean Freebern, Arlington Ben Freeman, Landgrove Julia Frew, Norwich Mark Furnari, South Burlington Lane Fury, Barre Tayo Gabler, Bristol Laurie Gagne, South Burlington Cynthia Gardner-Morse, Calais Erica Garfin, Montpelier Rochelle Garfinkel, Putney Jennie Gartner, Rutland Joanne Garton, Montpelier Holly Gathright, Burlington Laureen Gauthier, East Montpelier Marcia Gauvin, White River Junction Kate Gavin, Montpelier Olivia Gelsinon, Montpelier Julie George, East Montpelier Mollie German, Bristol Charlotte Gerstein, Rutland Town Caitlin Gildrien, Leicester Diedre Gish, Sharon Alison Glasgow, Hartford Denise Glover, Brattleboro Eileen Glover, Brattleboro Branch Gold, Brattleboro Ellen Goldstein, Rockingham Wendy Goodwin, Middlebury Adina Gordon, South Burlington Kelley Goulette, Burlington Katherine Goyette, Corinth Alex Graffeo-Cohen, Shelburne Olivia Graffeo-Cohen, Shelburne Thomas Graham, Hartland Catherine Gram, Montpelier Audrey Grant, Craftsbury Ellen Green, West Rutland Laurel Green, Bellows Falls Russell Green, West Rutland Marguerite Gregory, Starksboro Jim Grossman, South Burlington Rachael Grossman, East Montpelier Kathy Gruber, Richmond Anthony Grudin, Burlington Richard Grumbine, Putney Grace Grundhauser, Burlington Victor Guadagno, Montpelier Kathleen Guinness, Poultney Eva Gumprecht, Adamant Bud Haas, Bradford Virginia Habberfield, Shaftsbury Carolyn Hack, Thetford Center Gail Haines, Putney Joslyn Haineswood, Marlboro Gabe Halberg, Plainfield Esme Hall, Montpelier Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Cabot Ellen Halperin, Marshfield Carla Hancock, Plainfield Jim Hand, East Dorset Amy Handy, Montpelier Eric Hangen, Danby Sara Hannon, Pawlet Jessa Harger, Brattleboro Roberta Harold, Montpelier Wren Harper, Burlington Sumra Harper-Deas, Starksboro Heather Harrison, Montpelier John Harrison, Plainfield Noah Harrison, Montpelier Susan Harritt, Jericho Amanda Hart, Bellows Falls Zoe Hart, Shelburne Stefani Hartsfield, Richmond Dana Hartshorn, Shelburne John Haskell, Dummerston Warren Hathaway, Burlington Caroline Hauser, Burlington Carolann Hawkins, Rupert Kristen Hayden-West, Richmond Melissa Hays, Brattleboro Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, Brattleboro Abigail Healey, Brattleboro Martha Heath, Westford Patricia Heather-Lea, Bristol Susan Hebson, Brattleboro Nancy Hellen, South Burlington Oscar Heller, Brattleboro Cassandra Hemenway, Montpelier Katelyn Hemmer, Shaftsbury Noreen Hennessy, Pawlet John Herrington, Sunderland Rose Clark Hewes, South Royalton Richard Hibbert, Burlington Meaghan Hickey, South Burlington Jan Hilborn, Fletcher Laura Hill, Jericho Marcia Hill, Worcester Elyce Hiller, Burlington Scheller Hinkle, Burlington Andrea Hoffman, Burlington Megan Hoffmann, Burlington Bernadette Hood, Montpelier Jonathan Hoover, Putney Rebecca Hopkins, Williston David Horton, St. Johnsbury Ellen Hosford, Tunbridge Gregory Hostetler, Burlington Mary Howard, Rutland Celeste Huck, Montpelier David Huck, Montpelier Lucinda Hudson-Knapp, Pownal Marsh Hudson-Knapp, Pownal Sally Hull, White River Junction Carly Humke, Worcester Susan Humphrey, Weybridge Patricia Hunt, Bristol Susan Hurd, South Burlington Dana Hurley, Woodstock Megan Huth, South Burlington Anthony Iarrapino, Montpelier Marisa Imon, Saxtons River Jory Innes, Tunbridge Katherine M. Isaacs, Montpelier Claudia Jacobs, Brattleboro Abby Jacobson, Putney Lily Jacobson, Burlington Alison James, Shelburne McKinley James, Shelburne Jayme Jarvis, Winooski Peter Jenkins, Westford Wally Jenkins, Huntington Andy Johnson, South Burlington Chelsea Johnson, Dummerston Kathy Johnson, Montpelier Kimberlee Johnson, Montpelier Aly Johnson-Kurts, Montpelier Dvora Jonas, Montpelier Albert Jones, Wallingford Candy Jones, Rutland Rachelle Jones, North Bennington Rebecca Jones, Rutland Sharon Jones, Westminster Heather Juliussen-Stevenson, Rutland City Joan Kahn, Montpelier Joyce Kahn, Montpelier Shaina Kasper, Montpelier Marcy Kass, Williston Aylanah Katz, Brattleboro Jesse Kayan, Brattleboro Bill Keegan, Thetford Kathleen Keenan, Montpelier Rachael Keener, Burlington Marisa Keller, Brattleboro Robert Keller, Burlington Valerie Keller, Georgia Lauren Kelly, Manchester Constance Kent, Burlington Martha Kent, Essex Will Kent, Johnson Trinka Kerr, South Burlington Doug Kievit Kylar, East Montpelier Renee Kievit Kylar, East Montpelier Kelly Kimball, Burlington Penny Kimball, St. Johnsbury Center Barry King, Jericho Elizabeth King, Jericho Sarah King, Jericho Jay King, Montpelier Kathy Kinter, West Brookfield Jessica Kinzie, White River Junction Sarah Kleinman, Burlington Jane Knight, East Montpelier Bethany Knowles, Dummerston Allen Knowles III, Richmond Barbara Kono, Brattleboro Ken Kornfield, Brattleboro Lisa Kory, Richmond Marissa Kovage, Plainfield Elizabeth Kroll, Brattleboro Frances Krushenick, Montpelier Kaili Kuiper, East Montpelier Steven L'Heureux, Bristol Danielle Laberge, Wells Jeff LaBossiere, Westford Ginger Lambert, Weybridge Ember Lamberto, Plainfield Ruth Lampi, Pawlet Robert Lamprey, Newbury Jeanette Landin, Marlboro Samantha Langevin, Bristol Rachel Lapidow, South Burlington Dana LaRose, Dorset Elysia Larson, Burlington Johanne Larson, Burlington Jonathan Larson, Burlington Kate Larson, Burlington Beverly Lavin, East Montpelier Russ Layne, Pawlet Joel Lazar, Sharon Mary Lea, Brattleboro Sara Leahey, Montpelier Maxine Leary, Montpelier Alice Leeds, Bristol Matthew LeFluer, Alburgh Cynthia Legg, West Pawlet Alison Legrand, Burlington Elisabeth Lehr, Essex Margaret Leon, Middlesex Susie Leonard, New Haven Amy LePage, Montpelier Eliza Letourneau, Monkton Lisa Levangie, Calais Jeanne M Lieberman, Burlington Edward Lieberman, Bristol Carin Lilly, Burlington Baird Linde, Underhill Kaiya Linn, Richmond Mac Lippert, Jericho Ero Lippold, South Burlington Kari Little, East Montpelier Valerie Lodish, Burlington Jane Lolax, Montpelier Katherine Longfield, Richmond Louis LoRe, Plainfield Kristine Lott, Winooski Jean Lowell, Montpelier Meg Lucas, Rockingham Maryann Ludlow, East Montpelier Jo Lum, Brattleboro Barbra Lurie, Hartford Sam Lynch, Montpelier Dianne Maccario, Montpelier Greg MacDonald, St. Johnsbury Center Margaret Maclean, Peacham Julie Macuga, Burlington Marilyn Maddison, South Burlington Peter Magen, West Marlboro Erin Malloy, East Montpelier James Malloy, East Montpelier Ron Manganiello, South Burlington Joanne Mankoff, Middlesex Susan Marchand-LeBrun, Windsor Aaron Marcus, Montpelier Claudia Marieb, Norwich Paul Marlisa, Putney Mikaela Marmion, Putney Carol Martin, Plainfield David Martin, Lyndonville Amy Mason, Weybridge Ray Massucco, Rockingham Bradley Materick, Marshfield Aimmi Mathews, Troy Jennifer Mazur, Marlboro Maeve McBride, South Burlington Caylin McCamp, Williston Howie McCausland, Waitsfield Suzie McCoy, Hinesburg Kelly McCracken, Montpelier Maureen McCullough, Tunbridge Maeve McCurdy, Barre Robin McDermott, Waitsfield Lucinda McGovern, Brattleboro Meghan McGrath, South Burlington Barbara McGrew, Burlington Anna McHugh, Burlington Barbara McKay, North Ferrisburgh Andrew McLaughlin, Hartland Maura McManus, Winooski Tracey McNaughton, Marshfield Emily Megas-Russell, Brattleboro Angela Mendieta, Jericho Bethany Menkart, Cornwall Jill Merkel, Richmond Ron Merkin, Montpelier Sherry Merrick, Thetford Beth Merrill, Montpelier Deborah Messing, Montpelier Robert Messing, Montpelier Elizabeth Meyer, Jericho Melinda Meyerhoff, Thetford Center Fhar Miess, Brattleboro Sabrinajoy Milbury, South Burlington Alice Miller, Shaftsbury Emily Miller, Waterbury Gary Miller, Montpelier Terry Miller, Peacham Michelle Miller, Colchester Letha Mills, Norwich Abigail Mnookin, Brattleboro Ian Moldovan, Westford Tyler Molleur, Milton Martha Molpus, Burlington Susan Monaco, Hubbardton Kathleen Moore, Marshfield Georgia Morgan, Brattleboro Hannah Morgan, Plainfield Robin Morgan, Brattleboro Nancy Morley, Norwich Charlene Morse, Marlboro Cinda Morse, Shaftsbury Jonathan Morse, Marlboro Heather Moz, Montpelier M C Mueller, Peru Susan Munkres, Burlington Jo Anne Murad, Underhill Timothy Murad, Underhill Ryan Murphy, Montpelier Shaun Murphy, Plainfield Timothy Murphy, Montgomery Cyphrian Muse, Winooski David Muska, Calais Patricia Myette, South Burlington Joanne Necrason, South Burlington Melissa Neilson, Plainfield Kate Neufeld, Burlington Dorothy Neve, Barre Athena Newhard, Essex Murray Ngoima, South Pomfret Margaret Nichols, Westford Virginia Nickerson, Montpelier Mary Niebling, Plainfield Alison Nihart, Middlebury Cynthia Norman, Burlington Eli-Anita Norman, West Pawlet Ken Norman, West Pawlet Lucy Norman, West Pawlet Stephen Norman, Burlington Dan Nott, Hartford Timothy O'Dell, Corinth Martina O'Donnell, West Brookfield Laura O'Reilly, Jericho AJ O’Connor, South Ryegate Nancy Oakes, Woodbury Caitlin Obenauer, Brookfield Karen Obert, Jeffersonville Herbert Ogden, Mount Tabor Kate Ogden, Richmond Seward Ogden, Putney Peggy OToole, Westminster Peggy Owen Sands, Burlington Mieko Ozeki, Burlington Emily Packard, Brattleboro Ralph Palmer, Brattleboro Opeyemi Parham, East Montpelier Jean Parker, Burlington Sarah Parker-Givens, Montpelier Patricia Parrow, Winooski Isaac Patch, Richmond Penelope Patch, Lyndonville Deb Patton, Bakersfield Brooke Paxton, Manchester Amanda Payne, Williston Ann Pearce, Winooski William Pearson, Brattleboro Corinne Pelletier, Burlington Maria Peragine, West Rupert Amanda Perez, Putney Melissa Perley, Berlin Merin Perretta, Montpelier Ruby Perry, Burlington Jen Peterson, Bristol Jeff Petter, Williston Melinda Petter, Williston Joann Pettersen, Montpelier Becky Phillips, Wolcott Dave Phillips, Sharon Martha Jane Philpin, Reading John Pickens, Bristol Kimberly Pierce, Montpelier Deb Pierotti, Brattleboro Stefanie Pinard, Montpelier Tom Piper, South Burlington Katherine Plummer, Montpelier John T. Poeton, Williamstown Brendan Popp, South Burlington Linda Porter, Jericho Bruce Porth, Jericho Emily Portman, Burlington Meredith Potter, Montpelier Eve Pranis, Richmond Jonathan Pratt, Burlington Megan Prentice, Middlebury Carol Price, Bristol Toby Price, Brattleboro Donia Prince, East Montpelier Andrea Proulx, Montpelier Linda Provost, Burlington Hinton Putnam, Guilford Spencer Putnam, Weybridge Cody Quattrocci, Richmond Sophie Quest, Burlington Daniel Quipp, Brattleboro David Ramsdell, Brattleboro Deborah Ramsdell, Bristol Sheryl Rapee-Adams, Montpelier Sandra Rasco, Milton Tanya Ray, Jericho Jeremy Rayburn, Burlington Patricia Re, Burlington Mary Jo Reale, South Burlington Melody Reed, Chester Danis Regal, Montpelier Franz Reichsman, Brattleboro Ethan Reid, Williston James Reid, Milton Melissa Reid, Marlboro John Reilly, Westford David Reisman, Richmond Nicole Reisman, Brattleboro J. Tyler Resch, Shaftsbury John Reuwer, South Burlington Cathy Reynolds, Tinmouth Elizabeth Robbins, South Burlington Cara Robechek, Montpelier Elizabeth Robechek, West Berlin Martha Roberts, Montpelier Maryanne Roberts, Lincoln Karli Robertson, Winooski Deborah Robinson, Montpelier Johanna Robohm, Jacksonville Lisa Rochelle, Montpelier Helen Rock, Burlington Liz Rogers, South Burlington Susan Rohde, Brattleboro Leah Romano, Norwich Susan Romans, Stowe Gale Rome, East Montpelier Jean Rook, Burlington Sally Ross, Burlington Sally Roth, Bristol Paula Rugg, White River Junction Rick Russell, Fletcher Charlotte Rutz, Hartford Jenna Ryan, East Montpelier Albert Sabatini, Montpelier Christina Sacalis, Cabot Leslie Sachs, Brattleboro Susan Salster, Tunbridge Kyle Saltzman, Enosburg Samuel Sanders, Montpelier Susan Sanderson, Montpelier Santo Santoriello, Bristol Anne Sarcka, Montpelier Barbara Sarvis, Shaftsbury Robert Sarvis, Shaftsbury Ginny Sassaman, Calais Karen Saunders, Brattleboro Jeff Scannell, Montpelier Jesse Scarlato, Montpelier Margot Schips, Starksboro Lissa Schneckenburger, Brattleboro Taylor Schneider, Rockingham Emma Schoenberg, Burlington Barry Schoenwetter, Pawlet Carol Schoenwetter, Pawlet Karen Schonberg, Montpelier Richard Schramm, Taftsville Patricia Schroeder, Castleton Margaret Schultz, North Pomfret Gail Schwartz, Burlington Letitia Scordino, Dorset Merit Scotford, Post Mills Clinton Sears, Huntington Ellen Seeger, East Montpelier Emily Seifert, Montpelier Emily Seiffert, Montpelier Rachel Senechal, East Montpelier Bailey Seybolt, Burlington Andy Shapiro, East Montpelier Carolyn Shapiro, Montpelier Katharine Shapiro, Middlesex Cynthia Shaw, Pawlet David Shaw, Dummerston Joan Shaw, Manchester Center Diane Sherman, Fairlee Merry Shernock, Northfield Maddison Shropshire, Hartford Daniel Sicken, Putney Rachel Siegel, Burlington Diane Siegriest, Westford Donald Siegriest, Westford Alison Signorino, Montpelier Sonia Silbert, Brattleboro Alice Silverman, Montpelier Scott Silverstein, Richmond Andrew Simon, Burlington Laura Simon, Wilder Amabel Siorghlas, Marshfield Patricia Siplon, Burlington Jennifer Skinder, Montpelier Asa Skinder, Montpelier Walter Slowinski, Brattleboro Amy Small, South Burlington Taylor Small, Winooski Chelsea Smiley, North Ferrisburgh Susan Smiley, New Haven Clay Smith, Brattleboro Gary Smith, Bristol Alice Smolinsky, Vergennes Susan Smolinsky, Peacham John Snell, Montpelier Bob Soule, Wallingford Peg Soule, Wallingford Sb Sowbel, Montpelier Sara F. Sparling, New Haven Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin, Putney Amanda Spector, Westford Muffin Spencer, Montpelier Jeffrey Spiegel, Corinth Jean Squires, Berlin Kathi Squires, Montpelier Jennifer St John, South Hero Laura Stamas, Brattleboro Andrea Stander, Montpelier Claire Stanley, Putney Andrew Staudinger, East Calais Seth Steinzor, South Burlington Heather SJ Steliga, Hartland Shaun Stephens, Montpelier Kate Stephenson, Montpelier Bonitta Steuer, Richmond Jill Stevens, Rutland Netdahe Stoddard, Cabot Debra Stoleroff, Plainfield Michael Stoner, Taftsville Sarah Stott, Bristol Carter Stowell, Worcester Annie D Stratton, Brandon Suzanne Stritzler, Fletcher Christina Suarez, Montgomery Center Althea Sullycole, Thetford Rhonda Summer, Burlington Tim Swartz, Northfield Emily Swint, Burlington Anna Sykas, Norwich K T, Duxbury Sydney Taft Cole, Duxbury Paul Tagliamonte, Colchester Theo Talcott, Manchester Marcy Tanger, Mount Holly Kate Taylor, East Montpelier Kathryn Taylor, Rutland Kym Taylor, St. Albans L. Max Taylr, Brandon Mary V. Tegel, Williston Elizabeth Templeton, Brookfield Lianna Tennal, Vergennes Cole Teranes, Brattleboro Diane Tetrault, Montpelier Barbara Thibeault, Brattleboro Janine Thoma, Montpelier Thelma Thompson, Post Mills Molly Jane Thoms, Montpelier Christina Thurston, Manchester Center David Tilton, Westford Mary Tirpok, Hardwick Cindy Tolman, Guilford Carol Tremble, South Hero Stephanie Tucker, Marshfield Karen Tufano, Burlington Ally Tufenkjian, Hartford Kathryn Turnas, Brattleboro Paul Turnley, West Pawlet Melinda Underwood, Saxtons River Ellen Urman, Montpelier Laura Vahey, White River Junction Deborah Van Ness, Worcester Jessica Van Oort, Pawlet Cheyenne Vaughn, Rockingham Joanne Vecchiola, Cabot Sophi Veltrop, Montpelier Vicky Viens, Duxbury Joyce Vining Morgan, Putney Valerie Visconti, Winooski Mariquita Vitzthum, Brattleboro Alex Vlasic, Plainfield Lauren Waite, Bristol Amy Wales, Montpelier Brian J. Walsh, Jericho Emily Wanzer, Burlington Skye Ward, Barnard Vicki Ward, Barnard Meredith Warner, Montpelier Dell Waterhouse, Worcester Anne Watson, Montpelier Janet Watton, Randolph Center Holly Waysville, Bellows Falls Jacqueline Weber, Underhill Karen Weber, Bristol Steve Webster, Underhill Roger Weingarten, Montpelier Henry Weinstock, Jericho Joanna Weinstock, Jericho Debra Weisenstein, Thetford Center Michael Weitzner, Brattleboro Jonathan Weker, Montpelier Claudia Welch, Calais Carolyn Wesley, Montpelier Eliza West, Richmond Eva Westheimer, East Dummerston Karen Wheeler, Bristol Garret White, Stowe Peter White, Norwich Richard White, South Burlington Katharine Whiteley, Montpelier Dean Whitlock, Thetford Diana Whitney, Brattleboro Bonna Wieler, Strafford Jill Wilcox, Sharon Pamela Wilcox, Brattleboro Isabel Williams, Brattleboro Ruth Wilmot, Brattleboro Mary Wilson, Underhill William Wilson, Underhill Madeleine Winfield, St. Johnsbury Cate Wirth, East Montpelier Elizabeth Wirth, East Montpelier Hannah Wirth, East Montpelier Joplin Wistar, Shelburne Sari Wolf, East Montpelier Sarah Wolfe, Northfield Falls Ellen Wollensack, Burlington Guy Wood, Putney Valerie Wood-Lewis, Burlington Dana Woodruff, Plainfield Ruth Wplk, Putney Irene Wrenner, Essex Rylee Wrenner, Essex Nancy Wright & Steve Lidle, Hinesburg Henry Wu, Essex Junction Mary Yates, Bristol Kara Yelinek, Winooski Cade Yellovich, Brattleboro Barbara Yerrick, Underhill Dinah Yessne, Calais Marit Young, Montpelier Rachel Zamore, Brattleboro Laura Zeisel, Plainfield Judy Zemel, Brattleboro Betsy Ziegler, Plainfield Laura Ziegler, Plainfield Mary Ann Zielonko, Rutland Ann Zimmerman, Guilford Erica Zimmerman, East Montpelier Amanda Zoecklein, Northfield Dean Zorn, Montgomery

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news The extent of antigen testing being performed in Vermont is unclear. At Gill Odd Fellows Home, Reichert said she’s faxed records of the dozens of tests she’s run to the Vermont Department of Health, as federal law requires. But the state is not reporting positive antigen test numbers publicly. In fact, the health department said it’s recorded only 90 antigen tests conducted in the state — and just one at a long-termcare facility. That’s because the department only records positive results of those tests. Still, antigen tests are becoming more widely available to the general public, not just to staffers and residents at long-termcare facilities. Earlier this month, Essex Junction-based Garnet Transport Medicine began offering both antigen tests and PCR tests at the Burlington International Airport. The service is available to travelers and members of the community. And ClearChoiceMD, an urgent care facility on Williston Road in South Burlington, offers the tests, as well. A Seven Days staffer dropped by to request an antigen test last Friday. The clinic recommended a PCR test, as well,

ANDREA SUOZZO

Not So Fast? « P.20

Quidel Sofia 2 antigen test machine

saying that method is more accurate. Two hours later, a worker swabbed the staffer twice in the parking lot. After fifteen minutes, she returned and handed over a piece of paper. “Your Rapid COVID-19 test was

negative,” it read. “The test is roughly 86% accurate when negative, about 15% of negative test results will return positive when further testing is done, for this reason we sent out a nasal PCR COVID test for confirmation.”

As tens of thousands of antigen test kits arrive from the federal government, it’s unclear what the state will do with them. The Trump administration cited their potential usefulness in eldercare, K-12 schools and higher education. But Vermont has an existing PCR testing plan to cover long-term-care facilities, and the 180,000 antigen tests it will receive aren’t sufficient to regularly test all public school students and staff. For now, the state does not have an immediate plan for the tests. At a press conference in early October, Levine described a cautious approach. “We need to have a good understanding of their availability and their cost … to be able to know how they fit in a long-term strategy,” he said. And since the federal government has not said whether it will send more of the tests once states have used the initial shipment, Levine said, “We’d hate to use the first set and then find that that strategy just ended because we no longer had access to them, either because of cost or because of manufacturing pipelines.” m Contact: andrea@sevendaysvt.com

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P.7

worked out. After parceling out plots to individuals, production increased exponentially with surpluses leading to Thanksgiving feasts and production increases for the next 400 years. Which would one rather see for his or her hard work: a raise for you and yours, or a “workers’ production” medal to admire while eating some very thin borscht? Best one from Helali? “Some academics … have raised serious questions about the extent and circumstances of persecutions” by Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin. Really? Some “academics” deny the Holocaust, too. I only wish my Ukrainian mother were still alive to school these fools. And yet I’ll still vote for Helali. He can’t be any worse than Welch and will be fun to watch in D.C.! Steve Merrill NORTH TROY

VETO MACHINE

[Re “Has Phil Scott Made Vermont More Affordable?” October 7]: Many of us are excited to be doing so well as a state. One great thing that Vermont has done recently is pass the Global Warming Solutions Act, which allows us, the citizens, to hold Vermont accountable for doing the things we need to prevent climate meltdown. Vermont will enjoy the results of the GWSA in spite of the fact that Gov. Phil Scott vetoed it. Luckily, Vermont representatives of both parties overrode Scott’s veto, and now the GWSA is law. I bring this up because I have heard some well-meaning friends say they plan to vote for Scott. He is benefiting from the fact that the vast majority of Vermonters are reasonable people, so he’s seen as a good leader in the time of COVID-19. The thing that bugs me is that Scott has simply been a normal leader, acting like so many other normal leaders throughout the world. We’re so accustomed to abnormal, sociopathic leaders that a leader acting reasonably now garners a level of respect they don’t necessarily deserve. Some other things that Scott has vetoed: increasing the minimum wage; requiring a 24-hour waiting period for handgun purchases; statewide family and medical leave; and holding corporations accountable for the release of toxic substances into our environment. If you want a governor who has proven experience and whose voting record is more in line with what the people of Vermont actually want, please vote for David Zuckerman. Juliet Cuming

DUMMERSTON

A handy voters’ handbook

MAKE IT MOLLY

[Re “Soapbox Derby,” September 30]: I met Molly Gray through the Vermont Suffrage Centennial Alliance. Since we connected over the importance of sharing the racial history of the 19th Amendment, I have gotten to know her. I am impressed by her lifelong work in public service and her fresh ideas. My 25-year-old son thinks many problems today are obvious and wants to hear new ideas about how to solve them. I agree, and I think Molly is not only an authentic and caring person but has new, practical ideas to solve some of our most pressing problems. She knows it will take more than minor tax incentives to bring decent broadband to all of Vermont and wants to make the investments we need to make this happen. Broadband will make it possible for many of our young people to access the new remote working opportunities that will be available after the pandemic and help all our students access high-quality education. In the past, I served as chair of the Vermont Family Network, an organization serving more than 6,000 families with children with disabilities each year. Molly understands, in part because of supporting her mother with MS, what Vermonters with children or family members with medical issues or disabilities need. She has doable ideas about how to increase family leave and make more affordable childcare available. If you have not voted yet, let’s get some fresh ideas. I urge you to vote for Molly Gray for lieutenant governor. Pamela Kraynak

BURLINGTON

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ELECTION GUIDE INSIDE!

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PROPOSED SOLUTION

Molly Gray and Scott Milne compete for the lieutenant governor’s perch BY COLIN FL ANDERS , PAGE 32

READERS RESPOND

Charged feedback

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TEST FLIGHT

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COVID-19 screening

at BTV

WEATHER REPORT

Jonathan Safran Foer

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on food, climate

I would institute a version of “Medicare for All” at the state level, the way Massachusetts did years ago. I would pay for this by raising income taxes on the rich. In my town, property taxes are so high that families, some of whom have roots here that go back hundreds of years, are being forced to sell their homes and move, often to another state. If Gov. Scott is so concerned about the population drain here, why hasn’t he done anything about the tax burdens that hardworking Vermonters simply cannot bear? Here’s a solution: I would graduate property taxes. I would create a formula where the assessed value of a piece of property is multiplied by a scale that represents income. This scale would begin with fractions at the low end. For a family earning $30,000 a year, for instance, an assessment of $100,000 would be multiplied by one half. For a family earning $3,000,000 a year, an assessment of $10,000,000 multiplied by 10. Peter Grudin

STAMFORD

‘HERE’S A SOLUTION’

[Re Voters’ Guide 2020: “Q&A With the Candidates: Governor,” September 29]: It seems to me that the choices listed for governor on your Q&A are pretty meager. We have to choose from a field that includes a subliterate, a borderline psychotic, a wish-washy wannabe Progressive and a Republican. I am not giving out names. I’ll let everyone guess where to pin these tags. I will go on to say that Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman’s plan for getting internet access to all Vermonters could be condensed to read, “One of these days we’re all gonna have it.” Ditto for Gov. Phil Scott’s plan. If I were running, I would put the screws to internet providers who are taking millions in grant money and doing next to nothing to provide internet to any area that will not reap profits for them. I would twist those screws hard.

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Vermont participated in this fight. The tenacity and perseverance that was needed to take on such a company is to be admired. Thank you.

VIENS’ MEANS

[Re Off Message: “Vermont House Candidate Proposes Segregated Police Forces,” October 20]: I wouldn’t want to have House candidate Chris Viens and his bizarre views on race and policing representing me, but give him credit where due. As an excavation contractor, he’s certainly a guy who knows how to dig himself a hole. Bill Richardson DANBY

THE COST OF ADDICTION

[Re Off Message: “Purdue Pharma to Plead Guilty in Criminal Probe Initiated by Vermont Prosecutors,” October 21]: I applaud all those who worked to hold Purdue Pharma accountable for their role in opioid addiction. I am also proud that

[Re “Battery Power,” September 23; Off Message: “Protesters Round Up Copies of Seven Days for Evening Demonstration,” September 25]: As someone who has been a part of a lot of protest movements, I’d like to weigh in on the recent protesters versus Seven Days controversy with a suggestion and a comment. The suggestion: If Seven Days doesn’t want protesters for racial justice to hate them, and if those protesters are angry at the media for trivializing, ignoring and misrepresenting them, the simplest thing would be to give the protesters a two-page spread to write a statement. They can’t accuse Seven Days of misrepresentation, and Seven Days can’t accuse them of hiding. Also, is it true Seven Days has only white reporters? The comment: Protesters are protesting something. They do so in part to draw media attention to that thing. Instead, the media draws attention to the protesters as people. This, regardless of intent, trivializes and dismisses the issue that caused the protests in the first place and, especially recently, can help fracture and destroy the movement. I have seen it happen time and time again and do not blame the Burlington protesters for their hostility toward the media. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a Black person in Vermont — a state so high on its smug self-assurance as a liberal haven for white middle-class flatlanders that it perpetuates its own gentrification, with all the accompanying poverty, drug abuse, police violence, mental health crises and homeless camps that this entails. Colin Flood

WOODBURY

FAIR PORTRAYAL

[Re “Battery Power,” September 23]: I found this to be a very well-written and objective account of the Battery Park occupation. However, I would like to venture, at the risk of being labeled racist or worse, that Suzie McCoy’s discomfort with shouting profanities in the street may not have been due to her “white fragility” but perhaps to her sense of decency and kindness. Not everything is about race. Susan Turner

MILTON

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lifelines

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES Susan Marie Moegenburg DECEMBER 13, 1966OCTOBER 20, 2020 SHELBURNE, VT.

Susan Marie Moegenburg, 53, devoted mother, avid nature lover and longtime member of the Natural Resources Committee in Shelburne, died on October 20 at the McClure Miller Respite House, finally at peace after years of declining health. A loyal Green Bay Packers fan, Susan was born December 13, 1966, in Milwaukee, Wis., to Marilyn and Frederick Moegenburg. The youngest of four children, Susan was curious, loved to learn and often could be found with a book in her hand. She spent much of her childhood traveling around the country showing horses with her older sister, Julie. But while others raced around preparing for the event, Susan would find a quiet space and calmly groom her horse — caught up in the simplicity of the moment. She liked to live life slowly and purposefully, taking the time to notice the most minute details of the natural world around her. Interested in nature from an early age, as a child she captured water fly larvae and raised them in shoeboxes. That early passion for nature blossomed over time and drove her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Wisconsin, followed by a PhD

in ecology at the University of Florida. There she focused on tropical forest conservation in Brazil, studying the interactions of birds and wildlife with acai berry harvesting. Subsequently, she received a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation to work with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center investigating the nesting patterns of blackpoll warblers at high elevations of the Green Mountains. It was at the University of Florida that she met her future husband, Toben Galvin, who was drawn to Susan’s love of birding, alligators and arugula. They were married in 2002 and settled in Shelburne, where they raised their two children, Reid and Chloe. Susan quickly immersed herself in the Shelburne

community, putting her career on hold to focus on her kids. She took them to the Pierson Library and the local Shelburne playgroup, served as a Hands-on-Nature teacher in their classes at Shelburne Community School, and helped form a babysitting co-op with a group of Shelburne moms. Susan loved to Nordic ski, kayak, hike and bike, but what she loved most of all were Reid and Chloe. She biked them to school when they were young — towing them in a trailer that the kids affectionately called “the Big Rig.” She made popovers on every family birthday, channeled her creativity into Halloween costumes and special birthday parties, and hosted soup nights for family and friends to raise money for charitable

Hunter Moulton Mackey DECEMBER 18, 1977OCTOBER 7, 2020 LOWELL, VT.

Hunter Moulton Mackey was born in Middlebury, Vt., on December 18, 1977, and raised in Bristol. As an adult, he ventured to the Northeast Kingdom, where he made Lowell his homestead and resided for 14 years. Hunter’s greatness is in what he gave. He gave everything to what he set out to do, and it was

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

causes. She served her kids kale chips and taught them to forage for edible wild plants and mushrooms. She also joined a group of Shelburne women for an annual Nordic ski trip to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Skiing with Susan meant stopping frequently to listen to birds and to “the sound of nothing.” After a day of skiing at Craftsbury, she loved to knit on the sidelines of the large-group community room gatherings and simply soak up the conversation and camaraderie. There also were the big family trips to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Costa Rica was perhaps Susan’s happiest place. Her family remembers that on a morning when hiking through the tropical forest, she spotted a rare bird and screamed with excitement, startling the rest of the family. An independent and adventurous spirit, Susan also did a lot of solo travel for research purposes. This took her to places like the Caxiuana National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon and to La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica — a protected area in the country’s tropical rain forest. Protecting the environment was one of Susan’s greatest accomplishments. She contributed her extensive knowledge and expertise in forestry, water resources and land

always his very best! He loved with every bit of his heart and hugged you with all his might all the time. He loved to laugh and boost the silliness of any moment. And when we think of him, that is what we hear: that boisterous, deep, adoration-filled voice wishing us big hellos; giving us big, teasing “ah-has”; always inquiring about our well-being and our loved ones (family and friends alike). He cared about everyone. Hunter was not only an awesome person to be around to have as a friend, cousin, partner, son, brother, nephew and uncle,

conservation to Shelburne’s Natural Resources Committee for many years, helping to preserve several parcels of land forever, including land along the LaPlatte River, by the Zen Center, farm land on Pond Road, and the land that Bread & Butter Farm sits on. She also wrote the grant that secured funding for the rain garden at Shelburne Community School and did water sampling for more than a decade as a volunteer for the Lewis Creek Association, an organization that was near and dear to her heart. Professionally, she was a lecturer at the University of Vermont from 2009 to 2016, teaching advanced classes on tropical forest ecology, conservation and non-timber forest products, and leading student trips to Costa Rica. She also taught online courses at Community College of Vermont for years and ran her own consulting business, Sustaining Traditions, which provided ecology workshops for a variety of audiences. Susan made a difference; her legacy is tangible. Lands conserved. Nature protected. Open spaces carved out for the future. She will be remembered as someone who was undeniably human, who tried her best to overcome the challenges before her, and who sought to find peace and quiet in a loud and noisy world. During the last years of her life, Susan struggled with a

but he was also an incredible father! Hunter’s passion for the outdoors — whether fishing, hunting, skiing, jack jumping or hiking — and his quest for adventure and fun were contagious. Hunter was a skilled self-employed carpenter and found joy and a devotion for farming. Being with nature and his family were two of his most precious and cherished times. Hunter had a courageous battle with mantle cell lymphoma from winter 2014, with a stem cell transplant in spring of 2017. He no longer was burdened with

rare autoimmune disorder: antisynthetase syndrome. The progressive, debilitating physical symptoms of this chronic illness took a great toll on her mental and emotional health, and her well-being was further compromised by the challenges of alcohol-use disorder. An intensely private and determined person, she struggled hard for life and never gave up believing that she could turn things around and enjoy more good times with her family and friends. Susan leaves behind her children, Reid and Chloe Galvin, now students at Champlain Valley Union High School. She also leaves behind her former husband, Toben Galvin; her beloved dog, Woodie; and a group of close friends in Shelburne. She is survived by her sister, Julie O’Halloran, and her husband, Hugh O’Halloran, of Jackson Hole, Wyo.; her brother, David Moegenburg, and his wife, Georgia Moegenburg; and her brother, Pete Moegenburg, and his wife, Laura Moegenburg, all of Wisconsin; and two nephews. A private service will be held at the Charlotte Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Susan’s memory to Lewis Creek Association (lewiscreek. org/take-action) or La Selva Biological Research Station via the Organization for Tropical Studies (tropicalstudies.org/give).

cancer but, post-transplant, with a chronic graft versus host disease. He passed away with his family by his side on October 7, 2020. Hunter is survived by his fiancée, Samantha Etesse; 7-year-old son, Sol Etesse Mackey; mother, Carol Lylis; father, Eric Mackey; and siblings, JJ , Nico and Montana Mackey. There will be a memorial summer solstice celebration for Hunter on June 19, 2021 at the same location in Vermont where he and his fiancée fell in love at first sight on the summer solstice of 2010.

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OBITUARIES Silas Skiff

of numbers and precision led him to pursue engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He later switched majors to pursue a more diversified curriculum including poetry and world music. Si was a deep thinker. Teachers spoke of his keen intellect, strong work ethic, commitment to excellence and quiet leadership. In the words of one teacher, “When you speak, people listen because what you share is meaningful.” He found a second family at UPitt, where he developed an exceptional group of friends who loved, cherished and supported him even in the darker times. He was beloved and a source of light for the entire Pitt community. He enjoyed feathering the nest at his apartments in Pittsburgh, including building custom tables and a corn hole game with the school colors.

He found brotherhood and took great pride in being a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, whose members supported him with incredible kindness and compassion. Silas proudly completed the Iron Phi challenge this past summer with his father to raise money for ALS. In the words of one of his best friends, “Silas was a brilliant and a truly amazing human. He brought a light to my day whenever I got to see him. The world lost an amazing young man who will be dearly missed.” Silas struggled with depression for years with his family by his side. He was a warrior in battling against this disease, showing remarkable courage, resilience and grace. Silas taught us many lessons throughout his life. We now have a greater understanding of the disease of depression and the challenges related to treatment. We wish to deepen public awareness to reduce stigma and open people’s hearts to those individuals suffering from mental illness and their families. It is a disease. It is not a choice or weakness. Silas loved life. Silas loved his family. Silas loved his friends. Our love for him is fierce and FOREVER. Rest in peace, our sweet boy. On October 30 at dusk, please join us and light a candle or lantern in celebration of Silas’ remarkable life. The service will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to project HOePpnEr at projecthoeppner.com or another organization promoting suicide awareness and prevention, some of which are listed on the resources page at project HOePpnEr. The family is planning on establishing a scholarship at UPitt, the Iron Si, through his fraternity in honor of Silas’ legacy and in recognition of their strong bonds of friendship and support of Silas.

the Civil War period, and he loved to read all sorts of cookbooks and watch food shows on

television. The culinary world, especially barbecuing, was his passion and life. He was also an animal lover and enjoyed them all. He is survived by his parents, Robert D. and Heidi McComiskey of Canaan; his daughter, Mollie Abigail Chase; two brothers, Joel McComiskey and partner Mary of Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Tristan Manosh and wife Brandi and their daughter Aliese of Gardnerville, Nev.; two sisters, Kyleigh Denio and husband Adam of Tilton, N.H., and Tamera Morgan of California; and his many colleagues and friends at Hobo’s Restaurant, all of whom he considered as close as family. Rob is predeceased by his mother, Julie Stanach, and his grandmother, Nadia McComiskey, to whom he was very close. A graveside memorial service will be held at the Alice Hunt Cemetery in Canaan on Friday, October 30, 2020, at 11 a.m. Expressions of sympathy in Rob’s memory can be made to the Coös Animal Sanctuary, P.O. Box 345, Colebrook, NH 03576. Condolences may be offered to the family online by going to jenkinsnewman.com.

1999-2020 WILLISTON, VT.

Silas Skiff, beloved son of Stephanie Pierce and William Skiff and treasured brother of Shane Skiff, grew up on Butternut Road in Williston surrounded by his loving family, including his maternal and fraternal grandparents (Tom and Carol Pierce, and Bill and Ruth Skiff, respectively) and many aunts, uncles and cousins. At six foot four, he was a giant in size, spirit and heart, and a rock for his family and large circle of friends. His eagerness to help, his love for family and friends, and his commitment to doing things “the right way” made him the go-to guy for so many things, including his grandparents’ daily tech issues, endless demolition projects on the farm and managing apartment finances. His smile lit up a room, and his goofy, easygoing, loving nature enriched all whom he encountered. He had a positive impact on everyone he met. He loved spending time with family at the farm, at his grandparents’ home in East Montpelier and at the family camp on Maquam Shore, where he was the master of corn hole. Silas especially cherished his many adventures with his younger brother, Shane, including mountain biking, skiing, jetting around town in the old Ranger and raucous towel wars in the kitchen. Silas was a renaissance man with a love of both precision and chaos and eclectic interests including music, art and vintage clothing. He was a skilled woodworker who took great pride in the exquisite paddleboard that he designed and created as part of his Grad Challenge at Champlain Valley Union, where he made many lifelong friends. His love

Robert J. McComiskey JUNE 3, 1983-OCTOBER 21, 2020 CANAAN, VT.

Robert J. McComiskey, 37, of Canaan, died on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Rob was born on June 3, 1983, in Pueblo, Colo., a son to Robert D. and the late Julie (Stanach) McComiskey. He was raised in Colorado and later Canaan, and he was a 2002 graduate of Canaan Memorial High School, where he excelled playing baseball. He returned to Colorado after graduation and began a lifelong journey in the world of food service, especially barbecue. He learned much of his trade at the Steamboat Smokehouse and later worked in Fort Collins, competing and refining his skill. He later returned home to the Northeast Kingdom to work with his family to establish Hobo’s Restaurant in Island Pond, which has become known far and wide for outstanding barbecue fare. Rob was an avid history buff, especially for

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arts news

Making Scents Book review: Atomizer, Elizabeth A.I. Powell B Y J I M SCHLEY

ermont poet ELIZABETH A.I. POWELL’s way with words is daring, sardonic and ingenious. She enjoys mixing registers and realms — pop and literary culture, consumerism and religion, self-help and sacrament. Her previous books of poems are The Republic of Self, published in 2001, and Willy Loman’s Reckless Daughter or Living Truthfully Under Imaginary Circumstances (2016). In 2019 she published a novel, Concerning the Holy Ghost’s Interpretation of J. Crew Catalogues. Powell returns to poetry, combining verse and prose, in her latest book, Atomizer. The title refers to the vaporizing bottle used to dispense a mist of perfume, as in “I spray an atomizer of Opium on the black dress / for Anne’s funeral.” Powell also uses the word to play on the nature of those “hypothetical particles” that compose human bodies and most other things in the universe. For this poet, the device that sprays fragrance can be an alchemical vessel or a weapon: “I hold my atomizer like a lightsaber. I am learning the kung fu of demure. I have mastered the koan of coy.” Powell is an associate professor and chair of the Writing and Literature Department at Northern Vermont University-Johnson and editor in chief of Green Mountains Review, which is based at NVU. Her writing moves at high velocity, devouring and metabolizing information, sensations, personal memories and history. She quotes physicist Richard Feynman (“I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe”), the poet Baudelaire (also the name of a perfume), the biblical Song of Songs and Coco Chanel (“My life didn’t please me so I created my life”). Powell also turns aromatic brands into incantations: Fahrenheit, Bal à Versaille, Patou pour Homme, Gardenia, Cuir de Russie, Impériale. The structure (or “scent and architecture,” as Powell puts it) of Atomizer is fascinating. Along with its zany variety of forms, the book has a powerful through line, investigating the ancient, arcane and insidious role of perfume, tangled in 28

Many of these poems have irresistible openings, like a standup comic’s first gambit or a silver-tongued suitor’s pick-up line.

BOOKS

From “Escape”: We lived in a small rentcontrolled closet. I was the daughter of lesbians. There were bats in the attic studying our ellipses. One flew down like a miniature Lucifer Stuck in a dark dress made of silky patagium.

THE DEVICE THAT SPRAYS FRAGRANCE

CAN BE AN ALCHEMICAL VESSEL OR A WEAPON. seduction and deceit. The three sections of the book are named for terms used to categorize layered qualities in synthesized scents. “Top Notes” are “that which evaporates most quickly”; “Heart Notes” are “the distinctive aspects, most … charming, most intelligent”; and “Base Notes,” the poet avers, “stay the longest … heavy and deep.”

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Atomizer is a phantasmagoria of fragrance. Celebrating “smell my only constant sense,” Powell’s poems teem with aromas, odors, even stenches, from “oranges and cloves cooked with ham for Christmas” to “tin and Russian leather and cold marble” to “a dust mote … in a sunbeam that smells of tobacco and mahogany.”

Or take this from “The Book of Sires”: “In reality it was a semen catalogue / a print precursor to online / dating, but for cows.” Amid rampant comedy, there’s a serious undercurrent: “like some love stories … smell lacks morality.” What interests Powell is the hunger and threat within or beneath or loping at the heels of romantic allure. In “Spritz,” she writes, “Whatever signal my respiration plus heartbeat plus endocrine / chemicals publicize, I attract strange bedfellows.” A recurring motif in the book is “swiping” — escapades that occur when one dates strangers via matchmaking apps. Wary but enamored of this realm of snares and subterfuge, Powell testifies in “Shulammite” to “the dynamite / of the Tinder, the flame of false / desires, marketed kisses, the sighting, / the sending off: A match / that cannot ignite.” Adventuring in romance can be a “musky trance,” euphoric but exhausting. “You live in this little box spread across / the screen of pixelated desires” (from “Chemistry.com: He’s a Match”). Several of these poems climax in disappointment. “Hidden in Plain Sight” describes how small changes in a lover’s demeanor and behavior reveal a departure that’s under way,

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FROM ATOMIZER: “A WARNING” He said what I wanted him to say, but the words came so fast. The silence after he said it. The silence not looking at me. The not looking. And I remembered how he used the same phrase we heard on NPR weeks ago — as if rehearsing a scene. There was a sort of harshness in the way he parked the car. His fingertips on the wheel. His nails so perfect they masked an imperfection. Don’t touch that, he said. I left my visor down. He had scents for every occasion — fougères, orientals, gourmands. He had costumes for everything — bright orange jumpsuit for chainsawing, special non-slip booties for sailing, the black racing spandex of a bicyclist. On the back of the car the bike wheels rolled counterclockwise and furiously.

be better than me. I must stop making men my Gods.” But will hope (or lust) spring eternal? In “Guerlain, Imperiale (Bedroom) 1853,” Powell writes: “The darkness, Dear Reader, is that everyone, / everyone is so beautiful once. The indent in the center of his chest, / where possibility resides. The thick horsehair of his head. Long finger / pushing the atomizer.” Yet, a few lines later, “There was the smell of sunshine and the smell of his meanness.” By the end of Powell’s odyssey through these erotic dangers, the poet is chastened from too much “chasing yearning.” She says in the book’s title poem, “I have lost time, and I want it back.” The poems of Atomizer keep lifting readers to the dazed heights of passion, then landing us hard on the ground. In an interview with the BBC (quoted in the poem “Spray 2”), the physicist Feynman said of atoms, “they jiggle, always jiggling” — never at ease. Nor are human desires, nor are Powell’s poems. m

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INFO Atomizer by Elizabeth A.I. Powell, Louisiana State University Press, 112 pages. $19.95. Sundog Poetry Center presents Powell and poet Anna Maria Hong in a virtual reading and discussion, Wednesday, November 11, 7 p.m. Suggested $10 donation. Register at sundogpoetry.org/events.

The way he was enunciating everything perfectly

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made my clothing feel too tight, as if his speech, like bad perfume, would never come off.

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if not yet confessed: “One day the mentalis muscle in his face changes, //only slightly. Then his tongue tastes different. // Whatever is seen cannot be unseen. // He’s begun texting in the john—.” In “An Alabaster Jar of Nard,” as the speaker’s “batterer boyfriend unbuttons his Oxford, my face lies there” This poem, which also contemplates a painting of the prostrate Mary Magdelene, concludes, “And all I can think is that Jesus loves me, but he also loves / this other woman, healed as I thought I could never be and, thus, / she must

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arts news

Major Move

Poet and UVM professor Major Jackson heads to Vanderbilt B Y S ALLY PO LL A K

AJOR JACKSON and DANIEL FOGEL

arrived at the University of Vermont in the fall of 2002, each having moved to Vermont from Louisiana. Jackson, a poet, was a young faculty member joining the English department from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. Fogel, a Henry James scholar and university administrator, arrived from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge to serve as UVM’s 25th president. The two met that fall at an English department picnic, recalled Fogel, who’s now a professor in the department. “I met Major, read some of his poems, and immediately began [working] from the president’s office and made sure that we retained him as long as we could,” Fogel said. That effort was successful for nearly two decades. Jackson, 52, will leave UVM at the end of the semester for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he’ll be the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English. During his tenure at UVM, Jackson emerged as a prominent American poet of his generation, publishing four volumes of poetry, including this year’s The Absurd Man, and editing The Best American Poetry 2019. He serves as the poetry editor of Harvard Review. In a phone interview with Seven Days, Jackson said the position at Vanderbilt and a move to Nashville appealed to him for a multitude of reasons. Chief among them was the opportunity to work with graduate students in Vanderbilt’s acclaimed MFA program in creative writing and teach alongside poets and novelists he greatly admires, Jackson said. “I have the privilege of mentoring the next generation of writers at my home institution,” he said. “Part of the allure of Vanderbilt is that I get to select students upon admission and watch them grow under the tutelage of myself and distinguished colleagues until they graduate and hopefully publish.” Jackson’s contributions to the cultural life of Vermont extend beyond the classroom and printed page. A cocktail is named for him at Leunig’s Bistro & Café in Burlington. On Town Meeting Day some years ago, he organized a poetry reading that included then-governor JIM DOUGLAS reading Dante. He’s served on the boards of the VERMONT 30

EDUCATION

Major Jackson

HUMANITIES COUNCIL, the VERMONT ARTS COUNCIL

and the VERMONT STUDIO CENTER in Johnson. At UVM, Jackson organized the Painted Word Poetry Series in collaboration with the FLEMING MUSEUM OF ART. In June, he published an essay on Literary Hub, “Letter From Vermont: Fighting for Black Interior Lives,” that discusses this moment in the nation’s struggle for racial justice. “One hopes this is the blush of some permanent fever for reciprocity and justice,” Jackson writes. Talking about his advocacy and upcoming move to Nashville, Jackson observed: “Vermont tends towards progressive ideals, which are in alignment with my history as an African American man and a Black writer. My vote counts here, for sure, but let’s just say my activism, vote and advocacy will matter even more in a state like Tennessee.” Jackson is part of a long-standing group of Vermont poets who meet regularly at one another’s homes to read and discuss work. When he moves to Tennessee, Jackson said, he’ll miss “beloved colleagues” and “very solid friendships that have bolstered and supported me. “The writers here, particularly the poets in Vermont, we’ve been a close lot,” he continued. “We’ve tended to each other’s growth and supported one another.” KERRIN MCCADDEN, an English teacher at Montpelier High School and winner of the 2015 VERMONT BOOK AWARD, has been a

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

member of the poetry group that Jackson formed for about 10 years. His departure, she said, “creates a huge vacuum in the literary arts” in Vermont. “Major’s one of the most generous literary citizens I’ve known,” McCadden said. “He shows us how we can grow. He makes us believe we’re part of this community and our work matters — and he’s always interested in ‘How could the poem be a better poem?’. There’s nothing about him that isn’t elegant and wise.” Jackson called Vermont a “literary state” that provides a strong foundation “to walk on for artists and writers who are typically independent thinkers,” he said. “That sense of independence and liberty is part of the foundation of the state.” Discussing Vermont’s poetry tradition, he cited in particular Robert Frost, the state’s first poet laureate, and LOUISE GLÜCK, a former Vermonter (and onetime Vermont state poet) who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature earlier this month. Jackson also mentioned Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the exiled Russian writer who lived in Cavendish and wrote novels and poetry. “Look,” Jackson went on, “[Vermont] has long winters that lend themselves to deep, contemplative thinking. Add to that the social transformation of Vermont in the ’60s and ’70s, and it becomes a refinement, of sorts, of how to exist and lead a life that privileges one’s creativity and one’s freedom.”

Jackson and his wife, DIDI JACKSON, a poet who will join Vanderbilt’s English department, have a house in Rochester. They’ll keep that Vermont home and spend summers, holidays and academic leaves there, Jackson said. “UVM is very dear to me,” he said. “It’s already difficult to cut those bonds ... There’s a whole host of alumni for whom I’m very proud of their growth as human beings.” He hopes to return to the university to give occasional lectures. “UVM has been quite central to my life as a writer, as a scholar and as a human being,” Jackson said. At Vanderbilt, his colleagues will include Lorrie Moore, whose short fiction frequently appears in the New Yorker, fiction writer Tony Earley and the poets Kate Daniels and Rick Hilles. The program’s founding director is poet Mark Jarman, whose work influenced Jackson when he was a graduate student at the University of Oregon, he said. “I deeply read his work; it has a level of spirituality and faith,” Jackson said. “I’m very happy to be associated with [that] group of writers. It’s one of the top programs in the country, and I’m excited to be a part of their emerging story.” The move to Nashville is a homecoming of sorts for Jackson, who grew up in Philadelphia. His mother’s family is from Tennessee, and he spent childhood summers in Nashville visiting relatives. “I get to move into a different phase of my life as a writer and activist and, maybe even more so [than in Vermont], concentrate my efforts on my creativity,” Jackson said. At UVM, Jackson holds a professorship named for Richard Dennis, the first Black chair of the university’s board of trustees. He leaves as a University Distinguished Professor. “We’re losing an extraordinarily talented person who has become a major figure in American letters,” Fogel said. “It’s not just Major’s poetry, which is very powerful and rich and original, but also the way he talks about poetry. He’s an inspirational teacher. His stature in the world is deeply earned.” Contact: sally@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Learn more at majorjackson.com.

GOT AN ARTS TIP? ARTNEWS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Unmasked RIVI HANDLER-SPITZ, who uses RIVI as her cartoon moniker, says she’s been drawing “since I could hold a crayon.” But her official art training was just a one-week course at the CENTER FOR CARTOON STUDIES in White River Junction last year. Though now on sabbatical in Middlebury, Handler-Spitz is an associate professor in the Asia Languages and Cultures Department at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.; a fellow at the National Humanities Center in North Carolina; and an author, editor and translator whose three books focus on classical Chinese and comparative literature. She has a sharp sense of (sometimes black) humor, which has helped her get through pandemic days. Handler-Spitz is a contributor to COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology, due in February from Penn State University Press. She sent this cartoon to Seven Days for consideration and, well, how could we say no? Trick or treat safely, people.

THEATER

Toil and Trouble Envision Macbeth, a tragic tale of kings, battles and prophecies, instead as a Halloween fête that’s going great until somebody turns up dead. That’s more or less what TESS HOLBROOK created. The Bethel-based director has set Shakespeare’s famously bloody play at a spooky, modern-day costume party as a way to add a little levity to the murder and madness. Created for a 21st-century audience living with a pandemic, the production will be staged this Friday, October 30, at the CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Randolph. JUST THE PLAYERS had originally planned to perform for a limited in-person audience, but, due to rising coronavirus numbers in Vermont, the show will only be livestreamed for viewers at home. “The audience knows Macbeth,” Holbrook said, “and we’re also all fully aware of what’s going on in our real lives. I can’t change Macbeth into Much Ado About Nothing. So instead, [I asked myself], How could I make it feel lighter without insulting the text?” While the basic plotlines of the play are the same — prophecies, stabbings, revenge and the like — Holbrook has changed the setting from 11th-century Scotland to 2020. Its characters are still competing for a throne, but that seat is atop a social structure, not a kingdom’s monarchy. “Duncan is on top of this social pyramid, and he’s the popular guy,” Holbrook explained. “And now Macbeth wants to be the popular guy. Instead of winning everyone over with witty jokes and his own personality, he’s doing it by murdering people.” Holbrook, 28, has a background in TV and film directing and has worked at the CHELSEA FUNNERY, a youth Shakespeare camp, for 10 years. She said Macbeth is her first foray into a theater project since the beginning of the pandemic in March. For the Chandler, the show represents a bigger milestone:

the first performance of new community theater artists Just the Players. After KAREN DILLON became the Chandler’s executive director in 2019, she and board president RAMSEY PAPP launched the group based on requests from the local community. Just the Players held workshops earlier this year, but production plans were quickly derailed by the arrival of the coronavirus. Actors will remain six feet apart onstage and wear masks. This was part of Holbrook’s motivation to set the play at Halloween, as the masks can be incorporated into Halloween costumes. Macbeth’s inclusion of witches, ghosts and floating daggers also leant themselves to the new scene. Holbrook described the production as “a dark comedy.” Audiences at home are encouraged to dress up in costumes, too. The cast has only nine performers — another pandemicrelated caution. Holbrook said safety was her first priority. The Chandler has been approved to seat 75 in its Main Hall, but the crew decided a week before the show to nix the in-person audience. “Often in the theater world, people will go, ‘The show must go on.’ And right now, because of COVID, we are checking in every day going, ‘Do we continue? Or do we stop right now, because this show is not worth anyone dying?’” she said. The performing arts sector has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. In September, Seven Days reported that Vermont leaders were predicting that up to 45 percent of venues could close permanently by 2021. The Chandler has been one of the first Vermont venues, along with NORTHERN STAGE in White River Junction, to reopen for in-person shows with restricted audiences. Even before going entirely virtual, Holbrook was working to make the show as enjoyable on-screen as it would have been in person. “What I’ve tried to do creatively is have the actors perform to the camera,” Holbrook said. “[We’re] making sure that if you’re at home, you’re still getting the full image.

COURTESY OF CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

PAM EL A PO L S TO N

Cast member rehearsing Macbeth

“Stay home. Stay in your pajamas,” she continued. “Make popcorn. It’s going to be great.”

M A R G A R E T G R AYS ON

Contact: margaret@sevendaysvt.com

INFO Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, directed by Tess Holbrook, produced by Just the Players, Friday, October 30, 7:30 p.m., livestreamed from Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. $15; tickets at chandler-arts.org. SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

10 REASONS

TO LOVE BURLINGTON’S

CITY HALL

PHOTOS: RENEE GREENLEE | COURTESY OF BURLINGTON CITY ARTS

PARK 32

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

o more excavators and backhoes, no more chain-link fencing: After nearly a decade of planning and more than a year of construction, City Hall Park is once again open to Burlington residents, tourists, shoppers and downtown workers. To celebrate, the city held a two-day grand opening on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17. More than 1,000 masked and appropriately distanced fans of the 150-year-old park attended. In an email to Burlington residents afterward, Mayor Miro Weinberger wrote: “On this opening weekend, we achieved the central goal of renovating City Hall Park: to give it more life. In recent decades, the park was dramatically underused much of the time. The renovated park includes many features designed to change that.” Not all of its merits are immediately apparent. As landscape architect Jeffrey Hodgson pointed out, “There’s a lot more going on in the park than meets the eye.” His firm, Wagner Hodgson, designed the park, working from concepts suggested by the public and refined over years of discussions with residents, city councilors and historic preservation experts. If you haven’t been part of that process, you might not be familiar with some of the park’s main selling points. So here’s a list of 10 things to love about it, from the artfully rendered stormwater treatment system to Vermont’s only accessible public fountain. Read this, then visit the park in person and see it for yourself.

to damage from weather events such as ice storms. He chose a wide variety, too, to mitigate threats from diseases or pests. “Diversity is key,” he said. The new trees include “red sunset” maples, skyline honey locusts, a tulip tree, swamp white oaks and three “accolade” elms, a variety resistant to the Dutch elm disease that destroyed the park’s leafy canopy decades ago.

1. Lush green lawns. Unlike Central Park or Shelburne Farms, City Hall Park has always served as a multiuse civic square, with paved paths leading to and from a central hub. Pre-renovation, the paths were surrounded by scrubby, hardpacked dirt on all sides. The new design preserves a hub-and-spoke conﬁguration but also creates four large, newly planted lawns that invite lounging.

3. Locally sourced shrubbery and pollinator-friendly perennials. Grass and trees were the only vegetation in the old park. The new one is now home to 400 shrubs locally sourced from Riverwalk Farm, a wholesale grower in Charlotte, and 3,400 perennials and grasses. Most of the latter are native to Vermont, and all were purchased from wholesale grower Fairfax Perennial Farm. Comai selected the vendors and is proud that the city was able to “keep our money local,” particularly during the coronavirus pandemic this spring. Planting decisions were made in line with Burlington’s status as a “Bee City” that’s dedicated to supporting pollinators threatened by loss of habitat. Comai has witnessed the benefits firsthand. In the summer, he said, “There were butterflies and bees in there like I haven’t seen in a long time. The park really came alive ecologically.” At the end of October, black-eyed Susans and daisies are still in bloom. Watch for more color in the spring — Comai and his team are planting 500 daffodil bulbs and 300 allium bulbs that will bloom in May. A variety of hydrangeas will also return year after year.

2. New trees. Yes, construction crews cut down trees to renovate City Hall Park. But Burlington city arborist VJ Comai and his team have replaced them with new ones. The species are all native to the U.S. and “help diversify the age class of the species in the park” he said. Comai warned that older trees are more vulnerable

4. A new way to manage stormwater runoff. All those new plants aren’t just pretty, said Comai, “they’re helping to absorb and filter stormwater.” The new park captures precipitation in three rain gardens and filters it before it can end up in Lake Champlain. New permeable pavers have also increased the amount of soil that can absorb

P R O D U C E D B Y 7 D B R A N D S T U D I O — P A I D F O R B Y P O M E R L E A U R E A L E S TAT E

water. During rainstorms, drainage systems and cobblestone runnels alongside paved paths channel water toward the rain gardens. 5. More public art. An art installation is embedded in the cobblestone runnel that leads to a rain garden at the corner of Main and St. Paul streets. Mixed in with the stones are 120 ﬂat, smooth Champlain marble disks. Meant to represent raindrops, they’re imprinted with the names of tributaries in the Lake Champlain watershed — a subtle reminder that the park is part

has a new entrance and a patio where it can host events. 6. Movable furniture. Want to sit and enjoy a cup of coﬀee with a friend? Grab a chair. Colorful, lightweight folding chairs and tables are available for use free of charge. City staﬀ collect and secure them at the end of the night. This has become a common feature in urban spaces that encourages passersby to stop and relax for a while, Hodgson said. “People don’t realize there’s furniture in Times Square,” he said. “It’s out 24 hours a day.”

8. Updated infrastructure. The restroom depends on the park’s new below-ground infrastructure. The electrical, plumbing and tent-anchor upgrades will make it possible to add a future food-service kiosk and food carts, as well as pop-up stages and markets. No longer will organizers rely on power run through extension cords from city hall. Basically, Hodgson said, wherever there’s pavement, there’s accessibility to electrical power. “All these little things add up,” he said. “They just make Parks and Rec and BCA’s life a lot easier.”

WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT THIS IS

EVERYONE’S PARK.

DOREEN KRAFT, BURLINGTON CITY ARTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

of a larger ecosystem and that park goers’ actions aﬀect water quality. Artists Kat Clear and Tessa O’Brien worked closely with the design team and contractors to plan and execute the installation. The artists were inspired by the Japanese art form of kintsugi, in which broken pottery is mended with seams of metal-based powders, revitalizing it into something new and even more beautiful than the original. “More public art is yet to come,” noted Burlington City Arts executive director Doreen Kraft, including a vertical element near the center of the park. The adjacent BCA Center also

7. A new public restroom. The brand-new, gender-neutral restroom in City Hall Park provides essential relief at a time when such facilities are in scant supply downtown. The Portland Loo unit was designed a decade ago by a fabrication company working with the city of Portland, Ore. It’s now found in cities across the continent, including Boston, Miami, Seattle, Vancouver and San Antonio. Why? Because it’s durable, accessible and solar-powered, and has a graﬃtiproof surface and grating that ensures privacy while allowing people on the outside to see whether it’s occupied. And it doesn’t take up much space.

9. A dynamic new fountain. The fountain at the center of the old park was one of its deﬁning features — though not an original one. It was actually a horse trough at the Battery Park extension at Battery and College streets before being moved to City Hall Park. The new fountain consists of four rows of LED-lit jets that shoot up from the ground. Its designer, Delta Fountains, has created and installed systems all over the country, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. Landscape architect Keith Wagner described the park’s new fountain

as “the polar opposite” of the one it replaced. It’s more advanced: The jets and the LED lights can be programmed to sync with music, and can auto-adjust to changing weather conditions including wind. The water, which is treated with chlorine, runs through a UV filtration system. If that breaks down, the water shuts off and a text alert is sent to the city staff charged with monitoring it. But Wagner noted that the new fountain, though complex, is also simpler to maintain. There’s no scummy, untreated standing water, no basin with steps that chip during winter snow removal. When the new fountain shuts off for the winter, the space becomes a plaza suitable for other uses. 10. It’s all accessible! Burlington mom Annie Bourdon is excited about the new fountain because both of her 7-year-old twins — Posey and her brother, Otis — will be able to enjoy it. Otis has cerebral palsy and gets around using a wheelchair. Now Bourdon and her husband will be able to wheel him right up to the fountain jets. He’ll be able to put his hand in without having to be lifted out of his chair. “I just think it’s delightful,” she said, noting that this is the only fountain of its kind in the state. Bourdon watched the park take shape from her office on St. Paul Street — she’s the executive director of CarShare Vermont. She offered her input during the planning process and applauded the designers for widening the paved pathways, making them easier to navigate with a wheelchair or a stroller. Bourdon also pointed out that the paths aren’t as steep as they used to be; the designers were able to modify the grade in most of the park. Even a slight slope “makes a huge difference” to someone propelling their own wheelchair or using a walker, she said. BCA director Kraft agrees that accessibility is vital in this civic space: “We want people to feel that this is everyone’s park,” she said. 

THIS ARTICLE WAS COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR BY:

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

TOM MCNEIL

The legend of Joe Citro, Vermont’s “Bard of the Bizarre” B Y D A N BOL L ES

IN THE SHADOWS

he time had come to speak of dark things — madness, death and, perhaps, the devil himself. Beyond the glass doors of the tony Woodstock Inn & Resort restaurant, past socially distanced tables filled with tourists from New Jersey and Connecticut, a cool, gray rain fell, casting a perpetual gloaming even at midday. At our corner booth, Joe Citro absently stirred his coffee, long since cold, his gaze downcast and solemn as he perhaps considered (dreaded?) the question he knew I had to ask. You wouldn’t guess it from his kind, grandfatherly eyes; his bushy, white beard; or his wry and sometimes kooky sense of humor, but Citro has spent a lifetime exploring and chronicling the darkest corners of the world — or at least of Vermont. The native Vermonter seeks out the strange and diabolical the way most of the other noontime diners in the room would soon seek out changing leaves. If anyone knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men — or vampires — it’s Citro. 34

“Did you know there’s a vampire’s heart buried in the town green across the street?” he’d asked me earlier, his tone as casual as if he were inquiring about the score of the Red Sox game the night before. And I did know about the vampire, of course.

of New England Hauntings and Horrors; Green Mountains, Dark Tales; and The Vermont Ghost Guide. He’s authored 11 such collections in all.

THE GHOSTLINESS IS THE HOOK,

BUT THE HISTORY IS THE IMPORTANT PART. THE A LE W IS

I’ve been reading Citro’s books since I was a teenager. His 1994 collection of eerie local lore, Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries, owned a place on my nightstand alongside the classic macabre YA fiction of John Bellairs — and later Peter Straub, Shirley Jackson and Stephen King. I tore through Citro’s subsequent volumes, which include Passing Strange: True Tales

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

So I was indeed aware of poor Corwin the Vampire, who — or whose corpse — was a posthumous victim of the so-called “vampire panic” that swept New England in the early 1830s. Corwin died of the “wasting disease,” then known as consumption and now called tuberculosis, which produced a

Joe Citro at Calendar II

sallow appearance and fatigue, the same symptoms associated in folklore with vampirism. As Citro wrote in Green Mountain Ghosts, to prevent Corwin’s return from the grave, locals exhumed the young boy’s body, removed and burned his heart, and buried the ashes in a castiron kettle 15 feet below the Woodstock town green. That morbid tale and others, whether spun in print or during his frequent speaking engagements and appearances on radio and television, have made Citro a local celebrity — the “Bard of the Bizarre,” as the Boston Globe dubbed him.

Thea Lewis, founder of Queen City Ghostwalk, put it this way: “You can’t talk about horror in Vermont without talking about Joe Citro.” Citro has also seen success with his Vermont-based fiction. His novel Shadow Child was recently rereleased in an expanded edition and optioned for film by C. Henry Chaisson, who cowrote the forthcoming horror film Antlers, directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass). Together with the upcoming rerelease of 2016’s The Vermont Ghost Experience, featuring some 30 new tales and illustrations by Citro’s friend

pokey 55 mph to combat global warming. It’s hard to imagine him squaring off with vamps, demons or the Bennington Monster. “I’m not especially weird,” Citro said. Nor does Vermont’s “Ghost-Master General” — another honorific often used for him, this one of uncertain origin — have much patience with paranormal investigators. With some exceptions, Citro views them as carpetbaggers, frauds on par with the Eddy brothers. The latter were Vermont spiritualists who gained fame in the 1870s for séances that have since been debunked as little more than parlor tricks

Through him, their stories come alive again to the delight, and fright, of longtime fans and those just discovering his work. In his work, readers discover a Vermont history of an entirely different sort — and some find inspiration for works of their own. Lunch was winding down, and I still hadn’t asked Citro my big question. But I sought an avenue into what might be the greatest mystery of his work. As the server cleared our plates, we made small talk about politics and how parts of the vastly inferior movie version of Straub’s classic horror novel Ghost Story

Illustration of the Bennington Monster by Stephen R. Bissette

Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr., the fresh film interest makes it all the more likely that Citro will find new generations of readers. When I met Citro, some wistful part of me envisioned him as a character from Bellairs’ or King’s books. Perhaps he would be the Professor Childermass to my Johnny Dixon, the Matt Burke to my Ben Mears from ’Salem’s Lot — or, more classically, Bram Stoker’s Abraham Van Helsing. But Citro is not a fearless vampire hunter. At lunch, the genial 72-year-old Windsor resident passed on fries with his medium-well burger because he’s watching his salt intake. Beside a bumper sticker on his sensible Toyota Corolla that reads “Citro/Bigfoot: Make America Paranormal Again” is another that advises driving a

and illusion. (Their Chittenden farmhouse remains a popular haunt among ghost hunters and, Citro admits, an obsession of his own.) Humble and earnest, Citro insists he’s simply a storyteller. “For me, it’s all about the story,” he said. “That’s it.” Not that there’s no magic in what Citro does. As horror master King put it in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, “Writing is telepathy,” the transfer of ideas and imagery from one mind to another. In that sense, Citro is something like the mediums he’s spent years skeptically researching. He, too, is a conduit to the unknown, to people and places and monsters (human and otherwise) long since banished to the shadows of history.

were shot nearby. Then, in a lull, I saw my opening. “So, tell me, Joe,” I asked, still not entirely sure I really wanted to know, “do you believe in ghosts?”

Stories Told as True

Throughout his career, Citro has been coy on the question of whether he believes in ghosts. The reserved writer’s reluctance to take a stand on the supernatural could be considered a rare bit of theater designed to preserve the mystery around his stories. “One of the things I find funny about Joe is that he has this vast knowledge and has sat down with all these people and gotten all of these stories about ghosts in Vermont, but he won’t say whether or not

he believes in ghosts,” said Lewis, who leads tours of haunted places in Burlington and is herself the author of several books on spooky local lore. According to Citro, his fence-sitting has frustrated both skeptics who wish he’d simply debunk campfire tales and true believers who see in him a kindred … well, you know. “I think some people expect me to blindly believe every scary story they tell me,” he said. “That’s not quite how it works. “I’ve developed a pretty keen bullshit detector over the years, and a lot of people will bullshit you,” he continued. He paused and raised an eyebrow before adding, “But not all.” While Citro’s stories have plenty of fantastical elements — ghosts and lake monsters and pigmen — it’s their grounding in reported or at least anecdotal fact that has helped make him the preeminent keeper of dark Green Mountain lore. “In folklore studies, we use the word ‘legend,’ which has a specific meaning that is ‘a story told as true,’” said Andy Kolovos, associate director and archivist at the Vermont Folklife Center. “Often we think of legends as supernatural kinds of things,” he continued. “Joe is a legend, in all the meanings of the term, in Vermont.” Citro was born in Rutland and grew up in Chester, a small town at the southernmost end of Windsor County. His father was a machinist who worked in the nearby mill town of Springfield. He was also an avid storyteller who would bring his son around to “the places where things happened” — such as haunted houses and the site in Cavendish where, in 1848, a tamping rod blasted through railroad foreman Phineas Gage’s skull. “A lot of the stories my father told were not told accurately,” Citro said. “But those were the seeds that grew into somewhat more accurate tellings in my books.” Citro’s mother was a fan of mystery novels and encouraged her two sons to enjoy reading. In sixth grade, a teacher introduced Citro to the weird horror of H.P. Lovecraft, which he devoured alongside Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries and, especially, Doyle’s science fiction novel The Lost World. Citro dabbled in writing in high school but put it aside as a young adult. After an abbreviated stint at college in New Hampshire, he returned to the craft in the early 1980s. “I didn’t want to end up on my deathbed thinking, Gee, I wish I had written that novel,” Citro said. In fact, he wrote five novels: Shadow Child, Guardian Angels, The Gore, Lake IN THE SHADOWS

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

» P.36 35

In the Shadows « P.35 Monsters (which, though published four years after Shadow Child, was the first novel he wrote) and, finally, in 1994, DeusX. Each was born of Vermont folklore, from Champ to Sasquatch to UFOs. “They were all stories that I was repurposing for a modern audience,” Citro said. “These were old stories about the mythology of Vermont and Vermonters,” he continued. “We are an unusual breed.” Given his gothic bent, you might assume Citro is an Edgar Allan Poe fan. In fact, he said, he’s far more influenced by John Steinbeck than by the author of “The Raven.” Citro’s fusion of Lovecraftian scares with subtle humor and earnestness was a winning formula for fiction, for a while. But the author said he eventually soured on the hustle of the publishing industry. Around 1990, Citro began doing regular Vermont Public Radio commentaries on local oddities and folklore, a gig he would enjoy for 20 years. Those appearances, first weekly and later monthly, provided the framework for his collections of nonfiction. In 1994, the first of those collections, Green Mountain Ghosts, was released by Chapters Publishing in Shelburne. As the niche imprint normally specialized in cookbooks, issuing a book whose star attractions were a lake monster, extraterrestrials and the dastardly Eddy brothers was a bit of a risk. So Chapters partnered on the project with Vermont Life magazine, then under the stewardship of editor in chief Tom Slayton. “My original idea was, [the book] would be enough for a press run, a few thousand copies,” said Chapters cofounder Barry Estabrook, who coordinated the venture. “I was completely wrong. It sold and sold and sold.” Chapters’ market was national, so everyone was surprised to see such strong sales for a Vermont-focused book. “It turned out to be a real dandy,” Estabrook said. Citro also did well with his next book for Chapters, Passing Strange, which broadened his focus to New England folklore. Estabrook, a Ferrisburgh-based food writer and editor with several James Beard Foundation awards to his name, credits Citro’s success partly to his “genial, easy style and voice.” “It’s just incredibly readable. I really admire that,” he said. Estabrook also suggested that Citro’s appeal goes deeper than fantastic and ghastly tales. “He really captures the spirit of certain parts of Vermont in a way that no one else that I’ve read does,” he said. “You get the feeling like you’re sitting next to some old guy telling yarns.” 36

Illustration of the Eddy Brothers by Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr.

Living Dead History

To Citro, the tradition of sharing stories is something close to sacred. That’s likely why he’s spent his adult life scouring Vermont to find them, logging thousands of miles and exponentially more hours researching, investigating and conducting interviews. He’s probably on a first-name basis with the heads of half the historical societies and libraries in the state. Citro is as meticulous in his research as he is charming in his prose. He never sets out to debunk a myth, though that may be the end result. Rather, with a journalist’s skepticism, he endeavors to corroborate and verify as much as he can, combing though newspaper articles, eyewitness accounts and expert opinions to arrive at some reasonable version of the truth. “I look for similarities and differences,” Citro said of his approach to vetting stories. “Then I look for bridges, ways to connect pieces of the puzzle that might not seem to go together.” He acknowledged, “It’s often hard to fillet the fact from the fantasy in these stories.” One example of Citro parsing the real from the surreal is the story of “The Awful,” which he recounts in The Vermont Ghost Experience. In 2006, investigative journalist and author H.P. Albarelli Jr. wrote a pair of articles in the Enosburg Falls County Courier about a mysterious

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

winged beast terrorizing nearby Richford. Albarelli, who died in 2019, reported eyewitness accounts of the Awful as “huge, with large wings and a long, strange beak … like a pterodactyl.” Another source reported seeing “an unbelievable looking winged monster.” That latter description is perhaps closest to the truth, in Citro’s estimation: unbelievable. In his writings and a subsequent interview with Citro, Albarelli claimed the creature’s existence had been verified by none other than H.P. Lovecraft while on a fact-finding mission to Richford and environs in 1925. Citro found that notion as dubious as flying dinosaurs in modern-day Franklin County. While it’s possible — probable, even — that Lovecraft visited the Green Mountains in 1925, Citro wrote, the odds of the author investigating paranormal activity in Vermont were nil. Lovecraft was an avowed atheist and realist who staunchly did not believe in the supernatural, despite his fantastical writings. “He wouldn’t have bothered with any purported ‘paranormal activity,’” Donovan K. Loucks, keeper of the H.P. Lovecraft Archive, told Citro. Furthermore, Lovecraft never ventured farther north than Brattleboro and Guilford — because, according to Loucks, no

buses ran to northern Vermont on the days he wanted to go. Thus, through research, vetting and expert testimony, Citro debunked Albarelli’s tale — though he left open the possibility that Richford residents saw … something.

YOU GET THE FEELING LIKE YOU’RE SITTING NEXT TO

SOME OLD GUY TELLING YARNS. B A R RY ES TA B R O OK

The skeptical rigor Citro applied to the Awful also informs his perplexingly nuanced views on the afterlife. “If ghosts are the spirits of the dead, no, I don’t believe,” Citro declared. “I don’t believe the dead come back.” Why, then, spend a lifetime chasing ghosts? For one thing, it’s fun: Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? For another, just because Citro doesn’t believe ghosts are

THE FEARLESS SAV THAT’S FUN TO DRIVE. the spirits of the dead doesn’t mean he doesn’t believe in ghosts. “If ghosts are some sort of spiritual phenomenon that we don’t have a better explanation for, then, yes, I do believe,” he said. “But I don’t know what they are.” Citro is content to let others solve that mystery. He prefers to focus on finding and telling stories, which he believes is far more important work. “I collect stories. And these stories are part of our heritage as Vermonters,” he said. “Yeah, kids might get pissed at me because I don’t believe in ghosts or Champ. But if I tell them a story about a haunted house, they’ll go home and read up about it, or Phineas Gage.” He continued, “I want to engage people’s curiosity. I want them to feel like I [did] when my father was telling me these stories.” “The ghostliness is the hook, but the history is the important part,” said Lewis, who is also no stranger to weaving ghost stories with history. “Vermont history becomes real to people because of the stories. The vehicle that Joe provides makes the history stick.”

The Chamber of Secrets

While Citro is best known now for his collections of spine-tingling folklore, his masterpiece is a terrifying work of gothic fiction. Shadow Child was first published in 1987 by Zebra Books and has since been hailed as the “folk-horror classic that scared New Englanders out of the woods,” in the words of its jacket copy. It frightened more than just Yankees. Citro’s debut was a commercial success, selling, to his recollection, more than 100,000 copies. It’s been optioned for film a few times, including once to Miramax. Citro later released Lake Monsters and The Gore through publishing monolith Warner Books, which changed the titles to Dark Twilight and The Unseen, respectively — for, as Citro put it, “no good reason.” Subsequent editions printed by the University Press of New England’s Hardscrabble Books division restored the original titles. Shadow Child has enjoyed several reissues, most recently an enhanced edition released earlier this year by Macabre Ink, a subset of Crossroad Press, that features a lengthy interview with

Citro and expansive author’s notes. It also includes a photo gallery of the real-life Vermont places that inspired the story. Shadow Child is set in the Upper Valley town of Antrim, a fictional stand-in for Citro’s native Chester, where a darkness is afoot. With casual but deliberate pacing and palpable empathy, Citro conjures terror that drifts in like morning fog in a Vermont hollow — and then explodes like a nor’easter. Shadow Child is the story of Eric Nolan, an orphaned and recently widowed college professor in his thirties who returns from Long Island to his hometown of Antrim to reconnect with his family, grieve his wife and perhaps rediscover some semblance of his former self. But Antrim holds its own ghosts for Eric. When they were children, his brother Brian vanished in the woods near their grandparents’ farm and was never seen again. It’s the same farm where Eric’s cousin — with whom he was almost uncomfortably close as a teenager — now lives with her husband and son. Up a steep mountain trail behind the farm is a strange stone cavern. A root cellar, perhaps. (But who would put a root cellar there, of all places? Who indeed.) A series of inexplicable disappearances sets the plot in motion, unleashing mysterious and perhaps nefarious entities that would later become familiar to fans of Citro’s folkloric work, such as Vermont’s wicked, fairylike Little People. The story also involves the Bennington Triangle, a vaguely defined area around Glastenbury Mountain where numerous people are said to have vanished in real life — at the claws of the red-eyed Bennington Monster, according to some legends. Beyond the chilling atmosphere and the scares, Shadow Child distinguishes itself with its sense of place. Lovingly drawn composites of the people and places in Citro’s youth populate the novel, lending it a small-town Vermont authenticity. The inspiration for grizzled, eccentric mountain man Perly Greer, for instance, was an actual hermit who lived on the outskirts of Chester. Stoic police IN THE SHADOWS

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In the Shadows « P.37 chief Dick Bates is based on a childhood friend. Elizabeth McKenzie, the elderly, wheelchair-bound historian whose newspaper clippings and journal entries on strange rural tragedies frame each chapter of the book, is based on Citro’s mother. The gang that drinks and gossips at mechanic Billy Newton’s garage — and serves as something of a Greek chorus throughout the book — is taken from the Chester garage where Citro’s father used to hang out. (It sits just down the road from the mill where Clarence Adams — aka Chester’s infamous “Gentleman Burglar,” a Citro favorite — was shot in 1902.) But the true horror of Shadow Child radiates from within a mysterious stone cavern that has inspired and haunted Citro since he was a boy. The Antrim cavern is based on one near Citro’s childhood home in Chester. It has since become a ruin, after a well-intentioned farmer tried to repair it and inadvertently destroyed it. But several other such sites are scattered around New England. And no one seems to know what they are or who built them. One such structure, known as Calendar II, lies on a mountaintop in South Woodstock, about a 10-minute drive from the charred remains of Corwin the Vampire’s heart. Pictured on the cover of Shadow Child, it’s a favorite destination of Citro’s. “This place continues to hypnotize me,” he told me as we headed there after our lunch at the Woodstock Inn. The chamber sits on real estate developer Pritam Singh’s 280-acre South Woodstock estate, along with another perhaps ancient mystery: a colossal, Stonehengelike stone circle. Approaching the chamber from behind, you’d never know it was there. It looks like a grassy mound of earth rising gently from a forest of maple and pine. But from the front, it’s clear this is no natural formation. Large, unmortared stones, including several massive slabs that must weigh tons, form a 10-by-20-foot chamber — the same ratio, 2-to-1, of the King’s Chamber in Egypt’s Great Pyramid, as numerous folklore websites have noted. Inside, a ceiling flue at the rear of the chamber permits a small amount of light to filter into the otherwise dark cavern. At the solstices, the cavern’s entrance and skylight are said to align perfectly with the sunrise in a feat of ancient astrological engineering. That fact leads Citro to dismiss a commonly held notion that the chamber — which archaeological studies have revealed is very, very old — is nothing more than a root cellar. “Doesn’t that seem like an awful lot of 38

trouble to go to for potatoes?” he asked, his rich baritone reverberating through the chamber. “And why would you put a root cellar here, of all places?” (For a spookier hypothesis about what the chamber was built to hold, see this week’s WTF column on page 46.) Anglocentric theories have posited that early Celtic explorers built the chambers, as they bear similarities to ancient structures in the British Isles. Others believe they’re Native American ceremonial sites. And some credit visitors from much farther away. “Oh, some folks say it was aliens or that they’re portals to other dimensions or some such nonsense,” Citro said with a wave of his hand. “I have no idea what they are or who built them,” he continued before slipping into a slight Vermont twang: “But it sure captures the imagination, don’t it?”

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There’s Something in the Woods Citro’s is not the only imagination that Calendar II has seduced. The site is popular with Wiccans and pagans, paranormal tourists, and other mystical sorts. But it has also intrigued the man who might finally deliver Shadow Child to the silver screen. “The stone structures that feature heavily in the book still feel relevant and mysterious, and make the book feel like a living story,” filmmaker Chaisson said. The filmmaker and screenwriter discovered Citro when he read Passing Strange as a kid growing up in central Massachusetts. Chaisson and his wife recently moved from Los Angeles to an old farmhouse in New Hampshire, and he sought out Citro to ask about optioning Shadow Child for film.

“What drew me to the book was the fascination with folklore and the feeling that this is something that could still happen, even though it’s set in the ’80s,” Chaisson said. Citro is delighted by Chaisson’s interest and the possibility of realizing the decades-long dream of bringing Shadow Child to the screen. But, in typically reserved Yankee fashion, he keeps his hopes guarded. This is at least the fifth time the book has been optioned for Hollywood. None of the previous attempts resulted in a film — probably for the better, in Citro’s estimation. (His story “Soul Keeper” was made into a creepy short film in 2011 by Middlebury filmmaker Tim Joy; it starred local actors Andy Butterfield and Paul Schnabel.) Aside from the challenges of getting any movie made, the problem with the

TOM MCNEIL

Joe Citro by the Stonehenge-like stone circle in South Woodstock

previous treatments of Shadow Child, Citro said, is that the writers overlooked a crucial character in the book: Vermont. “One guy had a scene set in a tripledecker shopping mall in the Northeast Kingdom,” Citro recalled, rolling his eyes. “Does that sound like Vermont to you?” In Chaisson, Citro appears finally to have connected with a screenwriter who gets that Vermont, and Vermont lore, is as important to Shadow Child as any of its characters. “I love Shadow Child because the supernatural lore of that book really feels like it could only happen in that one town in the Connecticut River Valley, and you couldn’t transpose it onto any other place in the world,” said Chaisson, who recently toured Chester and Calendar II with Citro. “It’s really important to Joe, and to myself, to nail that sense of place, of the people and the architecture,” he continued, “and

bring the town and the more fantastical elements of the book to life.” Bringing supernatural folklore to life is something with which Chaisson has some practice. The forthcoming Antlers, which he cowrote with Nick Antosca, is a modern folkloric horror film set in the Pacific Northwest and centered on the myth of the Wendigo, a malevolent woodland spirit said to turn humans to cannibalism. “Joe and I definitely compared Wendigo notes,” Chaisson said with a chuckle. Chaisson’s background is in documentary filmmaking. In Citro, he sees a like-minded craftsman. “Joe really seems to me like a documentarian,” Chaisson explained. “He goes out and talks to people … to find the oddities and horrors in the environment around us. That’s something I see in his books: the respect for folklore that I really love.” Citro’s fusion of fiction and folklore is a large part of what makes Shadow Child so compelling. But the novel’s gnawing psychological terror is every bit as disquieting as the gore and jump scares. While protagonist Eric, like most of the book’s other figures, is a composite of real people, Citro admitted the character is largely a surrogate for himself. When he wrote Shadow Child, Citro was in his late thirties. His mother was ill and dying; he’d lost his father years earlier. He was in the throes of a failing relationship. The palpable grief that surrounds Eric is at least partially synthesized from Citro’s own struggles. That grief practically becomes a character itself, making Eric an increasingly unreliable narrator as the story progresses. “As I look back on writing the book, I can see that Eric’s marriage ending with death was drawn from the realization that my relationship was ending,” Citro said. “My mother’s death was still in the future, but I could see it coming. She influenced the Elizabeth McKenzie character quite a bit. “All this is complicated, of course, by the realization that there is no one-toone correspondence between real life and fiction,” he continued. “I think for me, at the time, writing the novel was acting like a kind of therapy.”

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In the Shadows « P.39 says he’s on the autism spectrum, said he often struggled to fit in as a kid in Milton due to his “garbage social skills.” Then he discovered Green Mountains, Dark Tales. “Something about it really stuck with me,” Abramovich recalled. “Learning about this weird stuff that happened right in our backyard, places I pass by every day, it really opened me up.” The inspiration he drew from Citro’s work also gave Abramovich direction and a sense of self. “I was plagued with self-esteem issues, and for the longest time I had no idea who I was,” he recalled. “Reading Joe’s work helped me find my inner voice.” Over the years, Citro and Abramovich would correspond regularly and meet on occasion, sometimes to talk shop and sometimes just to talk. “Joe is so unique,” Abramovich said. “He really embraces his Vermont character, his idiosyncrasies, his weirdness. That really spoke to me. “Joe is my hero,” he continued. “He’s been my biggest influence and a mentor.” Abramovich is not alone. Citro’s influence is evident throughout Vermont’s folklore and horror circles as a new generation of writers and weird-history buffs draws inspiration from his work. Daniel Mills is a Hinesburg horror novelist and historian who produces “These Dark Mountains,” a podcast that explores some of Vermont’s most grisly and bizarre crimes. He, too, was inspired by Citro as a youngster. “I’d always been drawn to ghost stories and the macabre,” Mills said. But when he got his hands on Green Mountain Ghosts in 1994, “It was a revelation for me,” he said. “It had never occurred to me that we had those same kinds of stories right here in Vermont, in places I could go and visit.” Citro’s book, he continued, “shaped a lot of my interests by grounding my morbid sensibilities here, in the landscape I grew up in.” The second episode of “These Dark Mountains” offers a thorough examination of Clarence Adams, Chester’s famed kleptomaniac, who may or may not have faked his own death — or, in some versions of the story, risen from the grave. Citro’s account of Adams’ tale figures heavily in Mills’ telling. But Mills goes a step further, applying modern psychological knowledge to Adams to paint a more complete and tragic portrait. “Joe evokes a kind of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ dynamic that I think Adams was aware of himself,” Mill explained. “Joe tells it with a sort of wry, very New England humor that shows up in a lot of his work. But, as I dug into Adams myself, it struck me as a very sad story, a man who was trapped and unable to escape himself.” 40

I DON’T BELIEVE THE DEAD COME BACK. JOE CITRO

Illustration of Champ by Stephen R. Bissette

Illustration of Pigman by Stephen R. Bissette

Mills finds deep cultural value in Citro’s work, saying, “He’s reshaped the popular mythological landscape of Vermont.” Citro’s influence goes beyond mythmaking. Cody Sullivan and Zach Husband are the creators of “Pulp! From Beyond the Veil,” a schlocky anthology podcast that suggests “Tales From the Crypt” presented as an old-time radio play. Both writers cite Citro, their Windsor neighbor, as an influence and resource. In an email, Husband noted that the “monsters and mediums” from Green

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Mountain Ghosts have long haunted his own writing. “Every time I craft a piece in which things from beyond the veil intrude violently and abruptly into daily life, I am really doing my best to channel Joe,” he wrote. “Reading a Joe Citro book is like hearing a story late at night around a campfire, whether I’m relaxing on the couch or waiting at the DMV. Even when the stars and the darkness aren’t present, the chills are inescapable.” “Whether he’s tracking down regional folklore, or inviting the reader to step onto Main Street of his fictional town of Antrim,

his work is quintessential Vermont,” Sullivan added in an email. “When I write for Pulp!, often the settings of the stories are based on places I’ve spent a lot of time in. Joe’s way of inviting the reader — or in our case, listener — into the space continues to inspire the stories I write.” While many are ready to pick up the ghostly mantle from Citro whenever he decides to relinquish it, he’s unlikely to slow down anytime soon. The Vermont Monster Guide, originally published in 2009 and illustrated by Vermont cartoonist Stephen R. Bissette, was rereleased by an imprint of Eerie Lights earlier this year. The expanded version of The Vermont Ghost Experience is due to hit shelves before Christmas. The Monster Guide is one of several Citro titles that were first printed by the now-defunct University Press of New England under its Hardscrabble Books imprint. He hopes his other Hardscrabble titles will follow. “Books are meant to be read, not go out of print,” Citro said. He also hints that he might return to writing fiction, possibly based on the Eddy brothers or Clarence Adams, two of his oldest fascinations. “There are two or three Vermont stories that I’ve written about, but not to my own satisfaction,” he said. “Those 19th-century stories almost seem like fiction now, so that’s how I would want to approach them, not as reporting.”

TOM MCNEIL

GHOST STORIES

ARE COLLABORATIONS. J O E C ITR O

Citro views the Eddy brothers, in particular, as a kind of “Sherlock Holmes story”; at one point he even started a manuscript about them. “It’s such a mystery-by-gaslight story,” he said. October is typically Citro’s busiest month. “Halloween is like my Christmas,” he joked. But the pandemic has drastically curtailed his usual slate of spooky-season appearances. He recently filmed a piece on the haunted Bowman Mansion in Cuttingsville for the PBS show “New England Legends,” which will air on Vermont PBS on October 29. But his lone reading was earlier this month, around a bonfire outside the Windsor Public Library. Citro’s 1786 home is just a short stroll from that library, which is in turn just down the street from the former Vermont State Prison, where Mary Rogers became the last woman to be hanged in Vermont. It’s unclear whether proximity to the

Joe Citro

library or to the still-creepy former prison — now a nursing home — most swayed Citro’s choice of domicile. Citro said he’s thrilled by the continued interest in his work, and especially by those who are building on what he’s done. Because that, he said, is the nature of folklore itself. “Ghost stories are collaborations,” Citro said. “One person will tell a story, and another will add to it and run with it.” He paused before adding with a wry grin, “They spread like a pandemic in that way.” m Contact: dan@sevendaysvt.com

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Main Office: 200 Church St. Burlington, VT Storefront: 1127 North Ave. #36 Burlington, VT

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RETAIL THERAPY BY CAROLYN SHAPIRO

Gold Standard The “Circle” is unbroken on Burlington’s Church Street

Check out what other Vermont retailers are up to at shoptheregister.com. 42

PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

uring its lifetime on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, Designers’ Circle & Vintage Jewelers has kept pace with nearly 20 other fine jewelry stores in the downtown area. Today, about a dozen purveyors of gemstones and precious metals still surround the 45-year-old Designers’ Circle. And that doesn’t bother owners David Sisco and Dolores Kurjan one bit. They view their local competition as comrades in the battle against the online sellers and national chain stores that have loomed over their industry for years. Now, they are fellow merchant soldiers in the fight to survive the coronavirus. “We’re all in this together,” Sisco said last week in the Designers’ Circle showroom. “We all like to see that the business is downtown and not through some FedEx package.” Local support has a ripple effect, he added: “The City of Burlington gets a little share. The employees get some. The landlord gets some. The insurance company gets some. The people that clean the windows on Thursday get some.” These days, customers seem aware of those benefits of local spending and have stepped up to support the store. One couple recently bought a matching set of pendant, earrings and ring to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. During a normal summer, Designers’ Circle would have hosted streams of Canadian customers and tourists from across the U.S. Those out-of-town visitors, who usually account for about 25 percent of the store’s business, Sisco said, have largely vanished this year. “We have the people who come to us specifically, who drive hours to get David to repair their things,” said Braelynn Leppert, Designers’ Circle’s manager. Sisco does his design and refurbishing work in a studio upstairs from the store.

David Sisco

His forte is hand-fabricating metal with layers and textures. Sisco also has an affinity for unusually colored stones, such as blue zircon and green tsavorite garnets. He especially loves pearls and the uniqueness of the nacre, the outer coating that gives them their luster. Sisco’s bezel engagement rings and wedding bands are among the store’s best sellers; the most popular bands feature inlaid mountainscapes. The store does well with classics such as diamond stud earrings, Sisco said, but also offers unique artisan pieces, such as Asian-inspired gold-foil-wrapped cuff bracelets and other creations by Connecticut-based designer Évocateur. “The designers that we represent, it’s not just cookie-cutter three-stone rings,” Sisco emphasized. Kurjan’s specialty is scouting out those designers and the store’s vintage jewelry; some customers come in just to find those one-of-a-kind antique pieces, she said. A particularly spectacular vintage find at the store can cost as much as $30,000, Leppert said. Prices in general range from about $30 for a simple silver necklace to $10,000 for a custom-designed Sisco ring. Sisco learned how to craft wearable art by watching his stepfather, renowned Charlotte jeweler Guy Cheng. As a high

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

WE ALL LIKE TO SEE THAT THE BUSINESS IS DOWNTOWN

AND NOT THROUGH SOME FEDEX PACKAGE. D AV I D S I S C O

school sophomore, he spent a week working at Cheng’s jewelry store and gift shop. Eventually, his stepfather let him sit at the workbench, then gave him tools and a torch for melting metal. “I just loved it,” Sisco said. “First of all, you’re using your hands. But it was the creative aspect — bending, torching, hammering [metal], taking stones and making bezels, setting stones.” For 10 years postgraduation, he traveled around Colorado and California, making and selling his own bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Back in Burlington, Sisco earned a degree in social work from Trinity College, then worked on contract for national chains, such as

Zales, Kay Jewelers, Service Merchandise and Belden Jewelers. Sisco also sold his work to Designers’ Circle and did repairs for the business, then owned by Dennis Bosch. The store had begun as a partnership of five artists who sold a variety of crafts before it shifted to just jewelry. When Bosch retired in 1997, Sisco bought the store. At Designers’ Circle, Sisco met Kurjan, who started working there four years before he took over the business. Kurjan had a background in jewelry retail, beginning with now-defunct Burlington store F.J. Preston. She learned to grade and appraise stones through courses at the Gemological Institute of America.

In 2008, Kurjan left to open Vintage Jewelers on College Street, but she moved back to Designers’ Circle after marrying Sisco in 2010. For her, the allure of antiques stems from “the romantic idea of the history behind things, that it’s been loved by someone before,” Kurjan said. The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the first outside threat to Designers’ Circle. In the mid-2000s, many Church Street professionals who were among the store’s daytime shoppers vanished as their firms moved to the suburbs. “A lot of higher-paying jobs left downtown Burlington,” Kurjan said. “Certainly it affected the stores, because [workers] would shop on their lunch hour, and that’s much quieter in that respect today.” Nonetheless, Sisco said, they saw consistent modest sales growth most years until the recession of 2008 to ’09, when revenue fell dramatically. It began to pick up again in 2010. So far in 2020, Sisco estimated, the store’s sales are down about 30 to 40 percent from 2019. Designers’ Circle had no business at all in April, he noted, during Vermont’s emergency shutdown of retail business to stem the spread of COVID-19. While the store was closed, it saved utility, labor and overhead costs. Designers’ Circle also got a Paycheck Protection Program loan and other financial help from the state through federal stimulus funds. That helped the store survive the worst months, Sisco said. In May, he was in the showroom to pick up mail and deal with some online orders when he heard a knock at the door. It was a customer who wanted to buy something to give the store a boost. Since then, orders mostly for custom work have been flowing in via phone and email. Walk-in shoppers have also kept the store busy since it reopened to them in June. “This is the strength of a community, because they understood: ‘You haven’t been doing any business,’” Sisco said of the couple’s customers. “And they reached out. It was, wow, such a blessing that occurred.” m

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Spooky Roommates The quirks and pitfalls of living with ghosts B Y CH E L SEA ED GAR

ichard Bailey is an event compliance coordinator for the City of Burlington who, from 1991 to 2002, fronted a rap-rock band called Dysfunkshun. He has a generous sprinkling of tattoos on his upper right arm, and he does not immediately register as someone who’s seen a lot of ghosts. Yet he has spent much of his life in houses where paranormal activity is as routine as flossing. “Demographically, as an old punk rocker, I’m probably sort of an unusual person to have these kinds of things happen to me,” Bailey admitted. He has one possible explanation. When he was 9 or 10, Bailey had a severe allergic reaction to an iodine injection given during an X-ray and went into shock. His heart stopped; for a minute, he was functionally dead. He wonders whether his brief sojourn to the other side might explain his magnetism for the supernatural, but he’s wary of pop theories. “I just think it’s something we don’t understand, like the Neanderthals didn’t understand the dark,” he said. As the pandemic has confined us to our domiciles and the horror show that is 2020 grinds on outside, our malaise seems to have crept indoors. Across the country, paranormal investigators have reported a spike in inquiries; in May, the New York Times dedicated more than a thousand words to the phenomenon of quarantining with spirits. Thea Lewis, founder of Queen City Ghostwalk, a tour of haunted historic sites in Burlington, believes that in chaotic times we gravitate toward spookiness as a means of coping with anxiety. “Ghost stories provide a structure for our fears,” she said. For Bailey, the pandemic has marked a symbolic return to the way people lived centuries ago — at least in terms of the amount of time we spend puttering around our homes, filling the yawning void with the preparation and consumption of food. “Back then, people didn’t travel anywhere. Their homes were the center of their worlds,” he said. “I think that that intense pattern of life is why farmhouses, in particular, 44

are so active.” (By “active,” he means Spiritville.) Bailey grew up in an early 19th-century farmhouse in West Brookfield. He remembers feeling distinctly ill at ease there, as if he were an intruder. Occasionally, the piano in the living room would play on its own — sometimes melodically, sometimes just one or two repeating, insistent notes. After Bailey’s father died in a tractor accident, some of the strange happenings seemed to bear his imprint. A notebook, opened to a page of his handwriting, once appeared on the kitchen table out of the blue. Bailey’s father had collected salvaged doors and shutters and arranged them neatly on racks inside the barn, which he used as his

LUKE EASTMAN

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

work space. On several occasions, Bailey went into the barn and found the doors and shutters in complete disarray, busted and scattered erratically on the floor, as if they had been hurled in a rage. (His father’s 1932 Studebaker, meanwhile, was unscathed.) The barn door was always padlocked; after his father’s death, said Bailey, he was the only one who ever went inside.

Bailey; his wife Paula Haskell; their 13-year-old daughter, Gracie; and their goldendoodle, Sir Chuck Dingleberry, currently live in a 1800 farmhouse in Hinesburg. When they first moved in, in the spring of 2009, Bailey found bundles of burned sage and bottles of sacramental wine on the floor of the den. A few months later, Bailey attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of the elderly couple from whom they’d bought the house. Their priest was also at the party, and Bailey asked him if it was unusual to have a house blessed upon leaving it. “Not this house,” the priest told him. From the first night, said Bailey, he would see shadows moving across the walls and hear muffled voices and footsteps at all hours of the day. About a week after they moved in, Bailey was sitting in the living room with Haskell when he noticed the silhouettes of people against the wall, walking back and forth. “I feel like I’m crazy,” he recalled saying to Haskell, “but I think I just saw moving shadows.” “Oh, g o o d ,” Haskell replied. “I’ve been seeing them, too.” More unsettling things have happened. Once, about five years ago, Bailey and Gracie were in the library, playing chess by candlelight. (Bailey, who has furnished every room with American Federal-style antiques, enjoys getting into the vibe of the house.) Suddenly, a lit candle in one of the wall

COURTESY OF RICHARD BAILEY

sconces projected itself four feet into the room and dropped to the floor. “It was a little scary,” Bailey said. “I mean, we don’t need that.” He played it cool so as not to freak out his daughter, then 9; Gracie didn’t seem particularly fazed. “When she was younger, we didn’t really talk about this stuff,” Bailey said. “But as Paula and I started to become more free in our conversations around her, to try to make it more normal, she was like, ‘Oh, I knew that.’” Once, when Gracie was little, she mentioned an old woman who wandered around upstairs; another time, she told Bailey that she saw a man without a face walk into the library. Several years ago,

CULTURE

I JUST THINK IT’S SOMETHING WE DON’T UNDERSTAND,

LIKE THE NEANDERTHALS DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE DARK. R I CH AR D BA IL EY

Gracie and a friend were playing in her room when a small, translucent figure appeared in the corner. “We were in a fairy stage, so we thought it was a fairy,” Gracie recalled. “It wasn’t anything scary. It was like a child, smaller than us, and we were pretty young at that point.” The only time she ever sort of freaked out, Gracie said, was when she saw a man in a green wool uniform in an upstairs bedroom, standing in front of a mirror. He turned around and looked at her, his expression scared and confused, as if she had startled him. “At first, I thought maybe it was some kind of echo, but I felt like he heard me,” Gracie said. Bailey doesn’t like to conjecture about whether the activity is a kind of loop, a reverberation of the past with no consciousness or agency, or something else entirely. “I always joke that we’re the ghosts,” he said. Over the past decade, the ghostly visitations have become almost reassuring in their predictability. They tend to follow a seasonal pattern; the most boisterous

folded leaves of a drop-leaf table spontaneously rises, its hinges groaning audibly, then falls back down. Bailey showed the videos to Lewis, of Queen City Ghostwalk. She offered to send a paranormal expert to investigate, but he declined. “It might sound silly, but I don’t want to be disrespectful,” Bailey said. “I don’t want to, you know, rile them up or something.” Unlike in his childhood home, where Bailey always felt unwelcome, the energy of this house seems more accepting. Perhaps, he thinks, the fidelity of his restoration to the original character of the house pleases its invisible inhabitants. “I felt very much like the steward of this property from day one,” Bailey said. “Richard is such a salt-of-the-earth, honest guy,” Lewis said. “I think that the fact that he sees himself as the steward of the house is precisely why the spirits trust him enough to reveal themselves so freely.” Lewis herself has lived in several haunted houses, including one in Burlington’s Old North End, where toys frequently moved on their own. She eventually learned that a little boy had died in a fire in the upstairs bedroom, where most of the activity took place. “We were definitely unsettled by it,” Lewis said. “But we also have a lot of relatives who don’t do things we like or expect. They’re just there, and you have to make the best of it, and the same goes for your spirits.” Even Bailey gets creeped out sometimes, he admitted. Before he retires each night, he does a walk-through of the house to check that everything is battened down. Recently, as he and Sir Chuck were making their rounds, Bailey got the distinct, skin-crawling feeling that something was about to happen. As he was leaving the kitchen, he caught a sudden flicker of movement, followed by a small, sharp clatter. When he turned around, he saw that his wife’s WiteOut dispenser, which had been sitting in the middle of the kitchen table, had projected itself onto the floor. A strange sense of relief washed over him, Bailey said. He put the dispenser back on the table and went upstairs to bed. m

The chair on the left moved by itself.

period, said Bailey, is late fall through the winter holidays, or what would have been the harvest season when the property was a working farm. For weeks at a time, one event will happen repeatedly. Most recently, and aggravatingly, the smoke alarms have been going off in the middle of the night for no discernible reason. “I hate to ascribe any personality to this stuff, because I think that’s a dangerous rabbit hole,” Bailey said. “But that just feels bratty to me, for lack of a better word. Few of these things piss me off, but that really pisses me off.” Occasionally, the resident energies demonstrate something resembling

a sense of humor. When Gracie was younger, Bailey and Haskell often called her a “squirmy wormy,” a name they’d gotten from a PBS cartoon. One night, after the couple went to bed, Haskell was tossing and turning. “You’re a squirmy wormy,” Bailey told her jokingly. A few seconds later, they heard a disembodied voice echo softly: squirmy wormy. Last winter, Bailey installed cameras around the first floor to record what goes on when they’re not at home. In the spring, the camera captured a wooden chair sliding forward four or five inches from its original position. (“I push that thing back four or five times a week,” Bailey said nonchalantly.) In another video, one of the

Contact: chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

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It’s time to wrap up the 2020 season!

What Are the Stone Caves in Many Vermont Cemeteries?

ander around an old Vermont cemetery, or glance at one as you drive by, and you might notice what looks like the entrance to an underground tomb. Dug into a hillside, it often faces north, flanked by stone or brick walls We are open daily and secured with heavy wooden doors or locked wrought-iron gates. through October 31st What are these curious caverns? Subterranean parking garages for cemetery staff? Bargain-basement mausoleums? Cheese caves for ripening Vermont ALL PERENNIALS, extra-creepy cheddar? SHRUBS AND Actually, those crypt-like grottoes are called receiving vaults, and the fact that CONTAINER TREES! many Vermonters have never heard of them illustrates how far we’ve strayed Mon-Sat: 8am-4pm from the age-old custom of tending to Sunday: 10am-4pm our own dead. 802-453-5382 Receiving vaults, also known as public 2638 Ethan Allen Hwy vaults, are some of the oldest structures in New Haven, VT 05472 the state. Indeed, some historians theogreenhavengardensandnursery.com rize that ancient stone chambers found in eastern Vermont, believed to predate the arrival of European settlers in the 17th 8V-greenhaven101420.indd 1 10/13/20 10:43 AMcentury, may have served as prehistoric receiving vaults. Thomas Giffin is cemetery commissioner for the City of Rutland and president of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association. The nonprofit’s name seems a little redundant, given that the vast majority of the 1,900-plus cemeteries in the Green Mountain State are decades or centuries old. Dinner Pickup Giffin, a 10th-generation Vermonter Wednesdays-Saturdays! who can trace his family’s genealogy using old Vermont headstones, has seen Call Lara to place your order. his share of receiving vaults. He joked that he nearly ended up in one himself recently, after his appendix burst while he was working on a restoration project in a Thanksgiving Meal Prep Menu Weybridge cemetery. Seven Days caught Online at: kitchentablebistro.com up with Giffin by phone last week, during his convalescence. Receiving vaults were long used to store the bodies of Vermonters who died during the winter, when the ground was too frozen to dig graves, Giffin explained. Traditionally, every community had one, and they were usually visible from public roads because they had to be easily accessible by horsedrawn carriage during the winter. Receiving vaults were sometimes used during pandemics, too — to store corpses until gravediggers could catch up on their Closed Sunday - Tuesday backlog or until public health officials deemed the bodies safe enough to handle @kitchentablebistro for burial.

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In 1975, a retired marine biologist from Harvard [University] announced his discovery: On Vermont’s stone structures he found inscriptions in a dead Celtic language called Ogam. He concluded [that] Celts from the Iberian peninsula carved them around 1000 B.C. They all faced east and many had inscriptions. And some have symbolic markings, while others have Celtic place names.

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receiving vaults. One of the largest, Calendar II in South Woodstock, aligns with the solstice sunrise. According to the New England Historical Society’s website:

Interior of receiving vault at Prospect Cemetery

Among the most famous occupants of a Vermont receiving vault was Robert Todd Lincoln, who died at his family’s Manchester home in 1926. The body of Honest Abe’s son was stored for 597 days in the Dellwood Cemetery receiving vault in Manchester Village; in 1928, his widow arranged for his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Receiving vaults aren’t unique to Vermont; many northern cultures that bury their dead have versions of them. Eastern Vermont is home to 52 ancient stone structures that might have served as

A study done two years later by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation concluded that the stone chambers were not used as burial vaults, kilns or ovens. Whether they were receiving vaults, worship sites or something else remains a mystery. Today, most of the receiving vaults in old Vermont cemeteries no longer serve their original function. If they’re used at all, Giffin noted, they’re more likely to house shovels, lawn mowers and weed whackers. That doesn’t mean the need for them has fallen by the wayside. “They’re an absolute necessity here in Vermont,” said Randy Garner, president and co-owner of Day Funeral Home in

THE BEST MUSIC EVER M ADE! CLASSIC HITS of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s Randolph. “At least half the year, a lot of our cemeteries are closed.” As Garner noted, some local cemeteries close by mid-November regardless of outside temperature. Others, such as the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph, take a “wait-and-see approach” to the weather, he said, performing burials as long as they can break ground. Delayed burials put a strain on mourning families, Garner explained, and cemetery staff don’t want to push too many interments until spring and then have to play catch-up. Once the ground freezes, where do bodies go? Some funeral homes have their own receiving vaults in a naturally cold section of their garage or basement, Garner said. He uses a freestanding one that’s managed by the Town of Randolph. Unlike older receiving vaults, which may not be waterproof or safe from vandals, the town’s concrete building is secure, with steel doors and a large room with racks that hold multiple caskets. Families can use Randolph’s receiving vault for a one-time fee of $50, regardless of the deceased’s length of stay. Most funeral homes don’t invest in refrigerated units for such long-term storage, Garner said, as the electric bill alone would be cost prohibitive. Plus, Vermont’s winters do the job so much better for free. The state’s receiving vaults are likely to see less use in the future — and not just because a warming climate allows burials to happen later in the fall and earlier in the spring. These days, more Vermonters are getting cremated than interred. According to Vermont Department of Health records, of the 6,027 people who died in the state in 2018, 4,435 were cremated and 775 were buried. Another 313 were listed as being in “temporary storage,” which would include those in receiving vaults. The remaining 504 mortal remains were donated, entombed or shipped out of state, with the exception of those mysteriously listed as “other.” With burial numbers dropping like flies these days, cemeteries and funeral directors are the ones getting stiffed. m

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COURTESY OF KATA SASVARI

Mind Game Theater review: It’s Fine, I’m Fine, Northern Stage B Y A L EX BROW N

THEATER

Stephanie Everett

ome stories get written because a storyteller aches to tell them. It’s Fine, I’m Fine, an original play written and performed by recent Dartmouth College graduate Stephanie Everett, is a sad story made engaging — and funny — by the author’s keen perspective. Northern Stage presented the play live and is now streaming Everett’s autobiographical story of her struggle with the long-term effects of multiple concussions she sustained playing soccer. This tale of an athlete losing her body is more about Everett’s attitude than about the obstacle itself, conveying the humor and resilience she needed to survive. In a crisp hour, the one-woman show recounts several years of adaptation after blows that are portrayed onstage as lights and sounds striking the character. Northern Stage artistic director Carol Dunne directed the show after nurturing the script with Everett during the student’s experiential learning term at Dartmouth. Dunne’s staging and Everett’s story combine to produce a roller coaster of emotion for the character to navigate. Everett tells some of the story through songs, accompanying herself on guitar. The monologue is sometimes straight narration, but delivered as present tense to maintain vitality. It’s liveliest when Everett voices other characters to create 48

real scenes. That style of presentation and a self-deprecating tone energize the production from start to finish. Theater monologues all have the same two challenges to overcome: expressing time and revealing conflict. A speaker capable of telling us a story has lived through it, so the trick is making a recollection re-create suspense. Here, Everett relives many events, reaching the outcome with us, but still must summarize some long, gradual experiences. In It’s Fine, I’m Fine, the passage of time has already changed the character’s life, and she has had to weather most of those changes passively. As great a trial as it is to learn to cope with the physical and psychological impacts of concussions, the play’s action ultimately consists of being strong enough to endure. Two powerful events build to the ending, and a review shouldn’t spoil them beyond saying that Everett’s performance reaches an impressive height when the character is pushed to two different brinks. The march up to these moments rests on the performer’s storytelling skills alone. And they’re admirable; Everett readily earns compassion and rewards viewers with affecting humor. But the length of the piece presumes a high degree of fascination with small details. At times, the audience is situated less in the character’s struggle than in the unchanging contours

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

of repetitive problems. It’s as if viewers are parked on the sidelines, too. Which brings us to another challenge of monologue: creating the other characters or events that make a situation into a story. Everett is consistently sharp at bringing other people to life with mannerisms and voice. She conveys a coach’s narrow worldview by giving him a nice little pause to set his jaw and muster the brainpower to dispense the guttural insight “You’re tough. You’ll be fine.” The main character’s first therapist maintains imperial good posture and a dry storehouse of canonical truisms. Everett pivots left and right to portray the therapist and herself in rapid dialogue, slumping forward and mumbling as her own character and springing back to rigidity as the infinitely patient, infinitely indifferent shrink. Characterizations like these result in scenes of some substance. But finding love and losing it are recollected in song lyrics that don’t register with much impact on the character, though they do leave us enjoying Everett’s pleasant singing voice. And little seems at stake when she smoothly conveys her mother’s Senegal accent and cooking mannerisms during a scene in which the main character tries to kindle an argument with her mother about getting a tattoo. All we see is a mother tolerating a daughter and marshaling her

sympathy into silence. We can infer that the protagonist’s family is affected by how concussions have altered the trajectory of her life, but we don’t see that family transformed. Still, there’s merit in building a piece like this around the simple, small accommodations that Everett had to make. The play’s emotional power rests on the character’s honest acceptance of her situation. The lack of pathos is refreshing, and Everett’s tone is ultimately the vital engine of the piece. She can laugh at herself and fear for herself in equal measure. The set is a green floor with a chalkmarked sideline extending beyond a square of benches, joined at the corners. The character is literally benched. The simple structure also serves as a place for her to lie down in troubled sleep, to step outside or to pace within. Dunne’s blocking is never ostentatious, and the simple movement around the bench boundaries always strengthens the storytelling. Choreographer Beatrice Capote gives the athlete slightly stylized motions that generally complement the mood but on occasion are a little grand for the matterof-fact tone of the play. Film’s default setting is realism, so movement that worked onstage doesn’t always transfer well to a virtual viewing. Still, the bold decision to amplify experience through a hint of dance often works. The show was performed live for audiences in October, with seating limited to a quarter of the theater’s capacity. Alek Deva filmed and edited the production for streaming on demand. Though live theater doubtless gave the performance immediacy, this filmed version is inherently more intimate and suits the story well. Lighting designer Jennifer Reiser and sound designer Jane Shaw express the forces buffeting the character. Sound and light are used both as instantaneous sensations to startle and as persistent metaphors for an abstract struggle. The character observes that she liked everything about soccer except the game itself. Now her constant pain comes from something she was good at but never truly loved. To be left numb, foggy, isolated and depressed wasn’t even an intentional sacrifice for a great cause. Watching Everett build ways to cope is inspiring. This is a character to root for, especially now that she strives for something deeper than whistles and cheers. m Contact: alex@sevendaysvt.com

INFO It’s Fine, I’m Fine by Stephanie Everett, directed by Carol Dunne, produced by Northern Stage. Streaming on demand through November 29. $15. northernstage.org

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food+drink

Flannel Season Black Flannel Brewing’s beer-infused dining experience is made for fall

A beer flight, a Studio 54 cocktail and a house black bean burger with hot cheddar pork rinds at Black Flannel Brewing

B Y JOR D AN BAR RY

n the time warp that is 2020, there’s something reassuring about the signs of autumn. The leaves have done their thing and, as the weather cools, Vermonters are pulling their flannels out of storage. I realized I’d forgotten to wear mine as I parked my car in front of Black Flannel Brewing in Essex Junction last week, but that wardrobe choice might have been a little too on the nose, anyway. The brewery, distillery and brewpub in the Essex Experience had its fair share of cozy fall vibes, from the name to the smell of woodsmoke that filled the air outside. Black Flannel opened in early July, delayed only a couple of months by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’d been meaning to go sooner and eat in one of the two outdoor seating areas: the front patio, which features the full brewpub menu, and the biergarten, which offers snacks

and small plates. But it rained every day I planned to make the drive. With winter looming, I finally bit the bullet on indoor dining and made a reservation for 5 p.m., hoping to beat the crowd. My slight built-up anxiety around indoor dining didn’t last long once my husband and I were seated. Black Flannel carefully follows the state’s COVID-19 protocols: Everyone wore masks, the menus were single-use, the bathrooms were touchless, and the tables felt miles apart in the cavernous dining room. We even had our own bottle of hand sanitizer — part of a very 2020 centerpiece, next to a festive pumpkin. I was immediately struck with

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indecision when I picked up the lengthy beer list. To my relief, the menu listed three flights ($9 each) curated by the highly educated staff, which boasts four of the state’s 17 certified cicerones. Decisive drinkers can design their own flights, but I left it to the pros and ordered the Smorgasbord IV. My flight featured fourounce pours of Black Flannel’s Chapin Apfelweizen, Determinism, German Chocolate Cake and Tropical Graffiti. I tend to prefer beverages with an acidic twinge. So the Apfelweizen, a graf brewed with cider from Chapin Orchard, and the Tropical Graffiti, a Berliner Weisse-like style known as a Catharina Sour, hit all of my sweet (or sour) spots.

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The great thing about flights, though, is that the pours are small enough to encourage taking chances. I took them with Determinism, a Belgian golden ale brewed with spices, and German Chocolate Cake, a pastry stout featuring chocolate from South Burlington’s Snowflake Chocolates. Both were flavorful, seasonal brews that I’d happily drink again. My husband, a hazy IPA guy, was drawn to the Journeyman IV flight composed of Disco Montage, a New England IPA; I Know Kung Fu, a double NEIPA; and the kölsch-style Dent Head. The last is a porter brewed with coffee from Uncommon Coffee, which recently opened just across the plaza from the brewery. Our varied beverage choices were a great way to start our meal. The front side

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Bilon “Richie” Bailey with takeout from Jamaican Supreme

Winter Warmth OWNER OF JAMAICAN FOOD TRUCK OPENS SOUTH BURLINGTON STOREFRONT

This year, chef-owner BILON “RICHIE” BAILEY will cook up jerk chicken, curried goat, and red pea soup in his JAMAICAN SUPREME food truck all winter. But that truck will stay parked beside a small shop at 469 Lime Kiln Road in South Burlington, behind Koenig Cedar. Bailey cooks in the truck and fills orders out of the new white-sided storefront. In addition to his patties, his hearty portions of coconut rice topped with a choice of meats, and his sides of fried plantains and cabbage, Bailey offers a few packaged products, such as canned ackee fruit and soursop leaf tea. The drinks cooler contains Jamaican sodas, such as Ting and Jamaican Kola. Bailey opened his food truck in 2015, two years after moving to Vermont from Jamaica. He usually closes in the winter, but the pandemic kept this summer and fall much quieter than usual. “Business was kind of slow,” he said. “I’m trying to stretch out the season.” PAUL KOENIG, president and owner of Koenig Cedar, became friends

with Bailey through the food truck. A frequent traveler to Jamaica, Koenig said he appreciates the food and culture. Bailey stored his two food trucks behind Koenig Cedar last winter. After seeing his friend’s business suffer from the pandemic, Koenig offered his old tool repair shop for Bailey to renovate into a storefront that he could use to stay open through the cold weather. Jamaican Supreme is open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. You can also try Bailey’s cuisine at the October 31 installment of North End Studios’ weekly multicultural takeout dinner series, served from Winooski’s O’Brien Community Center. (See page 52.) Melissa Pasanen

Bright Futures VIVID COFFEE TO OPEN A CAFÉ AND ROASTERY IN NEW MOON SPACE IN BURLINGTON NEW MOON CAFÉ is moving into its next phase: The facility at 150 Cherry Street in Burlington that housed it for the past 13 years will become the new home of VIVID COFFEE ROASTERS next month. The two businesses

have been partners since shortly after IAN BAILEY started Vivid in 2015, with New Moon serving coffee made from Vivid beans. Vivid will move its roasting operations from SCOUT & CO. in Winooski to New Moon’s space just off Church Street, where the coffee roaster will take over the street-level café. “It was a pretty natural progression, because we’ve known each other for so many years,” New Moon owner MATT BEER told Seven Days. “I love all the stuff Ian’s doing in the community ... I love his business and his product.” New Moon will shift its focus to catering, preparing its breakfast and lunch classics and weekly homestyle dinners in a kitchen above the café. The business will also expand its pandemic-era efforts to feed community members in need through ANEW PLACE and other local organizations. Vivid will start serving coffee in November, along with grab-and-go favorites from New Moon. The café will also offer breakfast sandwiches, smoothies and a retail selection of natural wines. Bailey said he looks forward to sharing the stories of the farmers from whom Vivid sources its beans and teaching his customers about the wines on offer, all in an approachable way. “Just because something is sourced excellently doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to be a jerk about it,” Bailey said. “For me, coffee and wine have always been about joy and the joy it brings to share with friends and with the community.” Jordan Barry

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Global Tastes

North End Studios’ multicultural takeout-dinner series offers chances to try new cuisines B Y M E L I SSA PASANEN

After a pandemic pause, the dinners started up again as takeout meals in May and are now a weekly Saturday event. The menus span the globe and represent culinary traditions in the greater Burlington community that are not commonly found at local restaurants. The meals so far have cost $20 per person. Recent dinners have featured Somali, Bosnian and Arab cuisine; upcoming ones will have Jamaican, Greek, Filipino and Abenaki menus. Most of the cooks are not

full-time food professionals, but they are serious about sharing their cultures through food. Tewelde came to Vermont in 2006 and lives with her family in South Burlington. In addition to her job at the Champlain Senior Center, she runs a small catering company whose business slowed almost to nothing due to the pandemic. The dinners have allowed her to keep cooking for the community. “I love cooking and sharing food,” Tewelde said. “It

Ethiopian and Eritrean lentils, carrots, beets and potatoes, collard greens, curried chicken, and spicy potatoes, served on injera bread, for a takeout dinner at the O’Brien Community Center

Mulu Tewelde

Haydee Miranda of Burlington (right) stirring a pot of curry chicken as Mulu Tewelde prepares more food for a takeout dinner

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

gives us the opportunity to introduce our food and our culture. The food is connecting people.” On Saturday, Tewelde had help in the kitchen from Haydee Miranda and Helen Koester. The two young women peeled potatoes and chopped red onions while Tewelde minced ginger and jalapeños to stir by generous spoonfuls into five pots across two stoves for spicy potatoes, lentils and collard greens. The sauces were tinted deep crimson from berbere, the signature Eritrean and PHOTOS: DARIA BISHOP

n Saturday morning, 97 injera lay stacked on a counter in the O’Brien Community Center kitchen in Winooski. Mulu Tewelde had spent about five hours on Friday making the traditional flatbreads for her sold-out Eritrean/Ethiopian takeout dinner. To make enough for the 110 meals, many ordered with extra injera, “we need to make about 40 more,” she said. In Tewelde’s native Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia, pieces of the soft, tangy, crêpelike injera are used to scoop up mouthfuls of food. “We don’t use forks. We use injera as our utensil,” Tewelde said. Making injera is time-consuming and can be a little unpredictable. Tewelde uses a sourdough starter to ferment the batter, which is made from teff, barley and wheat flours. (She also makes a gluten-free version.) “Sometimes it turns out well; sometimes it doesn’t turn out well,” she said. This batch was successful, but “it can make me frustrated,” Tewelde admitted with a smile. Tewelde’s cooking is a staple of the multicultural dinner series organized by North End Studios, an arm of the nonprofit Vermont Performing Arts League, which offers cultural and arts events and provides affordable rental spaces to organizations, artists and others. The dinners began as occasional offerings at North End Studios’ Burlington location. When the nonprofit expanded to Winooski in 2019, Tewelde was the first to do an on-site dinner there.

food+drink Ethiopian spice blend that contains chiles, When Mediha Goretic cooked her coriander, garlic, ginger, black carda- Bosnian meal for the October 10 dinner slot, mom and fenugreek. Tewelde orders she had help from her 22-year-old daughter. it in 60-pound bags from a woman in Goretic was just a couple of years older than Minnesota. her daughter is now when she left Bosnia Chicken curry and a beet, carrot and and came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2000. potato salad for vegetarians rounded She treasures memories of gathering out the meal. Tewelde had brought a with friends and family for leisurely meals little beef to cover a flurry of last-minute under grape arbors. Food, Goretic said, “is customers she hadn’t had the heart to in your blood. It’s your cultural identity.” It turn down. “It’s hard to say no,” she said. matters to her that her two children under“I appreciate them so much. I wouldn’t stand where they came from: “The food is be here without them.” connection for them to family.” The takeout meals Goretic was excited to have also helped North find Bosnian peppers from End Studios continue its a local farm for her sataraš, mission, said office manager a sautéed mix of peppers Stephanie Shohet, who and onions. She even made coordinates the series the phyllo dough from and organizes the pickup scratch for her beef-andschedule. onion burek pastries and MU LU TE WE LDE “It’s been a way for us to apple-walnut baklava. keep doing any kind of community event,” The dinner marked the first time GoreShohet said. “It gives the cooks some work tic had cooked for such a crowd, though she and a way for us to keep working with recalled watching her mother pull together them.” meals for 30 with ease. Her daughter, she Many of the cooks became involved noted, “was so proud of me.” Although through past participation in the Vermont Goretic has a full-time job, she is using the International Festival, another project dinner series as a stepping-stone to launch of the Vermont Performing Arts League. her own catering operation, Meza. The 28th annual festival will take place The chef for Saturday’s Halloween December 4 through 6 solely online, except menu will be Bilon “Richie” Bailey, owner for an abundance of takeout food. Over of the food truck Jamaican Supreme. He the weekend, people will be able to order launched the truck in 2015, two years after three dinners — African, Argentinian and he moved to Vermont, and is gearing up to Filipino — as well as a global appetizer run it through the winter. (See food news, sampler ranging from momos to samosas. page 51.) Sweet options will include a Middle EastA friend connected Bailey with the ern dessert platter, Austrian apple strudel North End Studios dinner series opporand pints of gelato. tunity. “I’m always for the multicultural Faiza Haider of Essex, who came to type of thing,” he said, noting that JamaiVermont from the United Arab Emirates can food comes with multicultural “built in 2001, will make the dessert platter with in,” courtesy of influences ranging from the help of friends. In 2019, Haider collab- Indian curries to Spanish marinating orated with friends she’d met through the techniques. “It started everywhere in the local Arab community and mosque to set world,” he said, “and we put it together up a food booth at the Vermont Interna- our way.” tional Festival. Bailey will serve a jerk chicken using his For the October 17 installment of North grandfather’s rub recipe, featuring ginger, End Studios’ dinner series, the friends took scallions, Scotch bonnet peppers and many the leap of cooking an Arabian takeout meal spices. Vegetarian options will include together. Haider toasted and ground the callaloo made with chickpeas and sturdy spice mix for the beef kofta, seasoned with greens washed in saltwater and stewed onions, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, with lots of onions, garlic, carrots and bell cardamom and nutmeg. Aya Taani repre- peppers and a little coconut. Both will come sented her Jordanian heritage with tricor- with Bailey’s signature fried plantains and nered yeast dough pastries, called sabanak, coconut rice. that are filled with spinach, onion, sumac The dinner roster continues to diversify. and lemon. Libyan native Amna Adrah “A couple of days ago, somebody walked baked babousa, a honey-and-lemon-syrup- into the office and said, ‘I want to cook one soaked semolina cake topped with crushed of these dinners,’” Shohet of North End almonds and coconut. Studios said. “They were Iraqi.” “We get together and say, ‘You are good She believes the variety helps keep at that thing; you are good at this thing. We customers coming back. About half of them can do this!’” Haider said. “The three of us, buy tickets every single week. we love cooking. We laugh. We have fun. We like to have [the] money, too.” GLOBAL TASTES » P.55

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of the brewpub’s menu features snacks, hot bites, cheese and housemade charcuterie. We settled on bourbon-caramel popcorn ($4), the Mexican-chorizo Scotch Egg ($9) and the Welsh rarebit ($8). The popcorn was a leveled-up version of caramel corn: sticky, salty and sweet, with a real oomph to the flavor. I alternated handfuls with the golden ale I was drinking, and both were gone in a flash. When I spoke with executive chef Trenton Endres and chef de cuisine Travis Williams the morning after our meal, I learned that Black Flannel’s menu changes every two or three days. We caught the chorizo version of the Scotch egg, but the soft-boiled egg might instead be snuggled into bratwurst or bierwurst. Regardless, “It’s always a Scotch egg,” Endres said. “The Scotch egg is a staple here,” Williams added. “Nobody in the area is doing it, and we do it quite well.” I agree, and foresee return trips to Black Flannel to try all of the dish’s permutations. Its crisp outside and gooey inside are a textural delight — perfect beer food. Many breweries choose food for its utilitarian value: fried stuff that soaks up the booze and keeps you drinking. At Black Flannel, the brewery and the restaurant are more organically linked. Not only are servers quick to offer pairings, but beer also shows up as an ingredient. Our Welsh rarebit featured rich beer cheese slathered on a slab of bread from Red Hen Baking. The house pretzel bites come with malted mustard, sweetened with dark malt extract that also shows up in the brewery’s stouts. Beer also appears in the form of a sour ale jam on charcuterie plates, as batter for delicata squash rings and even on chicken wings. The kitchen recently used Montezuma, an Aztec chocolate pastry stout, to make a mole sauce that coated the wings with spicy, chocolaty flavors.

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Flannel Season « P.50

Travis Williams (left) and Trenton Endres at Black Flannel Brewing

“Our mindset on approaching beer with food is to kind of mirror what happened with wine and food in the early 2000s, when it was really having its big boom and everyone was working on those pairings,” Endres said. “Everyone’s still just trying to serve food with beer; our goal is to work with the beer.” The brewery offers classes to consumers, but its emphasis on education extends to its staff, too. Williams said Black Flannel owner Chris Kesler often walks around with a server’s tray full of tasters, handing them out to get feedback, share tasting notes and make sure everyone on staff knows what they’re putting out.

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SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

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food+drink “We really play off of each other,” Williams said. “Every time we do a new menu item, we connect with the brewers and do a lineup with some of the beer to see what’s working, what goes together, what overpowers, what cuts through,” Endres added. Seasonality plays a big role in those pairings. Black Flannel sources from local farms such as Pomykala and Half Pint, changing the menu with the harvest. That produce shines on the back portion of the menu, which has sections devoted to mains, salads and “embered veggies.” The focal point of the open kitchen, which anchors the back corner of the expansive dining room, is a woodTRE NTON fired Argentine grill. Nearly all of the vegetables on the menu are grilled, toasted, smoked or embered there. “It’s a different technique of cooking and a different flavor,” Williams said. “These aren’t like the steamed vegetables you might get somewhere else, and I think people really appreciate it.” I certainly appreciated the grilled beets ($8). They were lightly charred, which brought out their earthy depth, and coated with chèvre, horseradish and a bright pop of pickled fennel. “We’re trying to push some boundaries,” Endres said. “A lot of the community is really used to traditional pub food; we have wings and burgers on the menu, but those are the dishes we have so that we can play with other stuff.” “We want everyone to try as many beers as possible and let the flavors

bounce,” Williams said. “The snacks, the hot bites and the veggies give you a chance to try as many beers as you can without getting too full.” In hindsight, I see that kind of grazing would have been a smart approach to our meal. We’d ordered both the Black Flannel burger ($14) and the house black bean burger ($14) to give them a try, but we were dangerously close to overdoing it, and the burgers were serious. My veggie burger — which I ordered with a side of red-hot pork rinds, just because I could — was a tower of smoked squash, pickled radicchio, cheddar, whipped-maple chèvre, and the most structurally sound housemade black bean burger I’ve E NDRES ever encountered. I ate slowly, hoping sips of my perfect-for-food 3 percent ABV House Beer ($4 for eight ounces, brewed with Vermont ingredients) would keep me going. I only managed half. Lesson learned, I’m already planning my next trip to Black Flannel. With an ever-changing menu of seasonal, beerinspired (and -infused) dishes, 16 beers on tap, beer cocktails, spirits from the on-site distillery and a knowledgeable staff that’s eager to guide diners through it all, this is a perfect spot to get cozy.

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the three households commune with each other — plus family around the country — over the same interesting meal. Tom Avenia of Colchester, another regular, said he likes the dinner series because it is “food that I normally wouldn’t make myself, a special kind of thing you can’t get everywhere.” Plus, Avenia continued, “I like the fact that I’m supporting these entrepreneurs, many who are immigrants. I look forward to it every week.”

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10/20/20 9:38 AM

music+nightlife Ian Doerner at Burlington Records

News and views on the local music + nightlife scene B Y J O R D A N A D A MS

Rumour Mill

On the set of The Ballad of Ethan Alien

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WESTERN TERRESTRIALS

In the past few weeks, I’ve been checking in with local record store proprietors to find out how the pandemic has been treating them. I was also particularly curious about what kinds of records have been moving, as a nod to Seven Days’ formerly weekly and long-retired inclusion of record store sales in this section. Even before I started doing this series, I’d asked record store owners in past conversations about their best sellers. I always presumed, somewhat facetiously, that they sold a lot of copies of FLEETWOOD MAC’s Rumours. Burlington Records’ IAN DOERNER recently confirmed that, indeed, the classic 1977 album is his best-selling disc. “It’s annoying to say that, because if you asked a record store clerk that in 1981 and 1991 and 2001, it’s always gonna be the same goddamn answer,” Doerner said, noting that he sells, on average, one Rumours per day. “It’s just never ending.” He also sells quite a few copies of the TAME IMPALA masterpiece Currents, TALKING HEADS’ breakthrough Speaking in Tongues, and KENDRICK LAMAR’s magnum opus Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. According to Doerner, hip-hop vinyl sales have grown the most in the past five years, joining the ranks of indie and classic rock. “A lot of indie hip-hop artists are releasing on their own, and if you’re not on top of it, the day they announce something, it’s sold out,” he said. Being attuned to artists’ social media is essential for the store not to miss out. A good example of an artist who sells out

JORDAN ADAMS

S UNDbites

Western Terrestrials

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

nearly instantly is Maine’s R.A.P. FERREIRA (fka MILO). “His stuff — he’ll sell out without anyone even knowing it happened,” Doerner said. “The collectibility of [indie hip-hop] has gone through the roof.” One question that popped into my head while I was hovering by the cash wrap was: Have social distancing and capacity limits put an end to the whole record-store-customer-talking-the record-store-owner’s-head-off-aboutmusic thing? “I haven’t scaled that back at all,” Doerner confirmed. “That’s a pretty big reason why people come to record shops. It’s why I come to work every day. I can sell Rumours all I want, but it’s not really about that. It’s actually about having discussions with people and me learning. I learn a lot from other people.” Beyond finding out what’s new and interesting at Vermont’s record shops, as well as the titles people in the area are spending their paychecks on, the purpose of these little visits is to find out what kind of outlook or wisdom store owners might have with regard to music as a commodity. Because vinyl is king right now (and hopefully forever), Doerner sees a lot of people who are just getting into records and need to set up a sound system from scratch. He sells a ton of the Audio Technica AT-LP60, the same model noted a few weeks ago in this column by XAVIER JIMENEZ, co-owner of Montpelier’s Buch Spieler Records. It retails for a reasonable $100. “For years and years, those options didn’t exist. It was either: You’re going to spend a lot of money, or you’re going to buy an all-in-one,” Doerner said. The term “all-in-one” refers to equipment sold by companies such as Crosley Radio that often feature turntables, cassette players, aux input or Bluetooth, and internal speakers. Admittedly, it’s a tempting and attractive package. But Doerner said he couldn’t even tell me how many times customers have come in shopping for turntables who had been burned by Crosley’s sleek designs, convenience and low price points only to discover that they just don’t work very well, fall apart and sound terrible. “We have to figure out a way to educate people not to buy those,” Doerner warned. I can help with that: Go to your local record store, talk to the owner, and figure

GOT MUSIC NEWS? JORDAN@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

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out what’s best for you and your budget. Then buy all the vinyl you can. I’ll continue checking in with local record shops in the weeks to come.

Alien Artistry

Everyone knows the pandemic has been especially cruel to the performing arts industry. So this summer, when NICK CHARYK released Back in the Saddle of a Fever Dream, the latest album by his band WESTERN TERRESTRIALS, he felt pretty helpless in terms of how to promote the album, since touring wasn’t possible. Instead of bending to the pandemic’s will, he and his associates decided to make a freakin’ feature-length music film, The Ballad of Ethan Alien. The flick debuts at a pair of events this weekend and early next week, first on Halloween, Saturday, October 31, at the Fairlee Drive-In, and then on Monday, November 2, at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier. “Doing livestreams and things like that — we’d done some of that, but it wasn’t that connection we were craving with the audience, or what the audience was craving,” Charyk said by phone of his band’s activity around the album’s July 4 release. Unsure exactly how to rise above the pandemic’s limitations, he knew he wanted to make some kind of multimedia piece. The album’s buzz, which in turn sparked the film, can be attributed to the song “Ethan Alien.” It originated from a social media interaction between Western Terrestrials and OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW’s KETCH SECOR, in which Secor challenged the group to pen a tune from the prompt, “ETHAN ALLEN was an alien.” For more on the backstory and creation of the song, check out Seven Days news reporter (and first-time music section contributor) PAUL HEINTZ’s July 1 story. Charyk said the project began to take shape in August after he began networking with other creative folks from around the state and the nonprofit Big Heavy World. As described by Charyk, the film is like The Rocky Horror Picture Show meets JOHN O’BRIEN’s satirical 1996 Vermont film Man With a Plan. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian, near-future Vermont wherein a fascist dictator, the Leader, has outlawed singing, dancing and creativity, The Ballad of Ethan Alien explores “different parts of the Vermont creative story” in a series of

interconnected vignettes and musical numbers. The plot involves a group of young people coming together to rebel against the Leader after learning about Vermont’s weird artistry. Charyk name-checked Bread and Puppet Theater, PHISH, and Goddard College as examples. The massive undertaking was put together with almost unbelievable speed. Filming took place in October, and, as of the writing of this column, editing was still in process. The impressive cast of locals includes actor/comedian RUSTY “THE LOGGER” DEWEES, actor LUIS GUZMAN, former state legislators KIAH MORRIS and DONNY OSMAN, drag queen EMOJI NIGHTMARE, and a slew of musicians, such as BEN DUNHAM, SARA GRACE, DYLAN GIAMBATISTA, BOB STANNARD, SARAH KING and ROUGH FRANCIS drummer URIAN HACKNEY. Many of the artists contributed to the album’s soundtrack. (Heintz also makes a “cringe-worthy” cameo. His words.) “The supposition of the whole thing is that Ethan Allen was an alien and that Vermont has always been populated by aliens,” Charyk explained. “I think something about what we’re doing is resonating in these off-kilter times.” He also noted that the timing of the November 2 screening — one day before the presidential election — is no coincidence. “It’s a pretty over-the-top, not-subtle set of metaphors about what’s going on right now in the country,” he said. “We wanted to put that perspective as loudly and proudly as we could on the eve of the apocalypse.”

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November 3rd Beginning at 7:00 pm �� Radio Vermont

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ANCHORED BY Lee Kittell & Ric Cengari Listening In If I were a superhero, my superpower would be the ability to get songs stuck in other people’s heads. Here are five songs that have been stuck in my head this week. May they also get stuck in yours. SOLID GOLD, “Get Over It” THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, “Doctor Worm” CARO EMERALD, “That Man” THE BEATLES, “Paperback Writer” FROM THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, “Masquerade”

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REVIEW this Ben Patton, The Swan, for Instance (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Ben Patton speaks my language. He’s adept at declaring his emotions and internal workings in wording that’s sharp, witty and unambiguous — and all without a trace of preciousness. Patton’s new album, The Swan, for Instance, is full of songs that operate in just such an eloquent way, while proving over and over that he’s a master of pop structures. The Swan, for Instance is a departure from Patton’s 2019 album, Our Follies, on which the Burlington singer-songwriter

tip/toe, IPSHST (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Taylor Swift’s July surprise album Folklore includes a line about letting go of bitterness toward her exes and sending their babies presents. At 35, I’ve moved on from my share of relationships, and I can say with confidence that, even though I’m way over them, I’ve never sent any of their babies presents. That’s a weird thing to do, and old feelings just aren’t that simple. As Burlington singer, songwriter and producer Connor Meehan, who goes by tip/toe, tells it on his latest indie-pop offering IPSHST (which stands for “I probably shouldn’t

teamed up with Indonesian vocalist Michelle Sudarsono. Actually, Our Follies, which mined George Gershwinera pop-jazz and musical theater, was the departure. His new LP is a return to form. Patton is back to doing what he does best, in addition to playing almost every instrument heard and producing the album. Following ’90s adultcontempo intro “If You Know Anybody,” the sonic equivalent of sliding into a warm bath of nostalgia, “What a Shame About Benjamin” truly kicks off the collection. On this timeless rock song featuring vocalist Mingo Maquera, Patton speculates about himself from the point of view of his friends and family.

Amid tightly harmonized retro background vocals (“bop shoo bop!”) and Tom Cleary’s fanciful piano work, the song’s “characters” theorize about what’s become of mysterious old Ben. “I heard he moved to some place like Brunei … I heard a rumor he smoked so much dope that he doesn’t know an ant from an antelope … He showed so much promise.” Surely the lyrics must be based on real conversations, given how reclusive Patton can be. “Getting Ready for You” is a sweet love song that could have been written for Kermit the Frog. In this slow jam, Patton preps himself for a great love that he’s sure will appear somewhere down the road. Gentle breezes blow on the jazzy “So Much at Stake.” Tapping into a bit of Getz/ Gilberto bossa nova, Patton strums his guitar in velvet strokes while drummer Caleb Bronz keeps time with soft beats.

Two bluntly titled songs, “The Ugliness” and “I Have No Faith in Anything,” are somewhat thematically linked. The former, a light pop-rock tune, abhors the toxic culture that seems to permeate, well, everything these days. The latter is infused with a country streak, its upbeat tone playfully clashing with nihilist themes. “I Wanna Buy a Piano With You” is pure loveliness. It draws a connection between the instrument’s longevity and imposing presence with that of a great love. The Swan, for Instance brims with appealing tunes. Once again, Patton strikes gold with his winsome lyrics and multiinstrumental talent. The Swan, for Instance is available at benpatton.bandcamp.com.

have said that”), closure happens in fits and starts of rejection, self-consciousness and, hopefully, self-affirmation. The album’s boldest pronouncement of strength in self, “crystalbutterfly,” is a defiant clapback to those who don’t see Meehan’s worth. It’s a moody and memorable track that would suit Halsey, Khalid or another slightly offbeat mainstream artist who flaunts their battle scars as badges of badassery. “Can’t you see this glitter on my wings? That shit ain’t free” might be my new mantra. In a fresh twist from his previous releases, 2019’s //astral// and the 2020 two-part album please the whole world [if all else fails], Meehan calls on collaborators for IPSHST. One of these is

Hawaii rapper Thomas Iannucci, whose verse on “mosaic” provides a moment of levity with bars about sliding into DMs and meeting on Kauai. The lighthearted pop number borrows its conceit from Lorde’s “Supercut,” assembling the best moments of a relationship into a work of art. Like Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Meehan says he’s a synesthete who sees concepts in color. (He made this remark in a September Q&A in Paper magazine. What he didn’t discuss is his issue with the space bar. Based on his song titles, I speculate that the key did Connor dirty somewhere along the line, because apparently it’s dead to him.) Aqua blues and teal greens saturate everything from the album cover to Meehan’s social media to the video for “lilypads,” setting a contemplative mood that somehow feels more grown up than

the pink and purple palette he used for // astral//. The production is more advanced, as well. The 23-year-old crafts layered, nuanced sounds with dynamic electronic beats and tones. This go-round, he also employed vocal filters that cushion his singing — as soft and angelic as ever and sometimes bordering on rapping — within the music. Releasing three LPs in less than a year, Meehan has put in work — and leveled up as a producer and songwriter. Through this thoughtfully constructed project, Meehan makes the point that love doesn’t happen in a straight line, and feelings — especially those belonging to other humans — don’t always do what you want them to. Visit linktr.ee/iamtiptoe to find IPSHST on various streaming platforms.

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Homeshares BURLINGTON

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Calcoku SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

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

15+

2÷

25x

numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

3 6 3 4 8 2

6+ 48x

Open 24/7/365.

View and post up to Post & browse ads Complete the following puzzle by using theconvenience. 6 photos per ad online. at your

13÷

Show and tell. Sudoku

5 7 2 5 9

Fresh. Filtered. Free.

1 9 6 4 2 5

4 9 7

CALCOKU

Difficulty - Hard

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

No. 660

SUDOKU

Difficulty: Medium

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

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.

crossword 3 2 4 6 5

9 1 4 2 7 3 6 8 5 2 3 8 1 6 5 7 4 9 ANSWERS ON 7 P. 696 5 9 8 4 3 1 2 H = MODERATE HH = CHALLENGING HHH = HOO, BOY! 3 4 1 7 2 8 5 9 6 8 7 6 4 5 9 1 2 3 C 5 ACROSS 5 2 9 6 3 1 4 7 8 ANSWERS ON P. 69 » 1 9 3 8 4 6 2 5 7 6 8 7 5 1 2 9 3 4 4 5 2 3 9 7 8 6 1

2 5

There’s no limit to ad length online.

12x 1-

Extra! Extra!

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ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C0969-6 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On October 1, 2020, Vermont Agency of Transportation, 219 North Main Street, Barre, VT 05641 filed application number 4C0969-6 for a project generally described as installation of a bioretention basin and new sidewalk, tree clearing, relocation of signage, and associated grading, as part of a larger roadway project. The Project is located along VT Route 2A (near Mountain View Road and Industrial Avenue) in Williston, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on October 20, 2020 after the receipt of supplemental information. 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 “4C0969-6.” No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before November 13, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing. If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than November 13, 2020. If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs. Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning

Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5). Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 22nd day of October, 2020. By: Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5662 stephanie.monaghan@ vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1148-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On October 12, 2020, Gardenview Associates, Inc., 349 South Willard Street, Burlington, VT 05401 filed application number 4C1148-1 for a project generally described as a two-lot subdivision with Lot 1 containing the existing Willard Street Inn and Lot 2 containing a proposed 3-bedroom single family residence and 1-bedroom auxiliary dwelling. The Project is located at 349 South Willard Street in Burlington, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on October 20, 2020 after the receipt of supplemental information. 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 “4C1148-1.” No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before November 16, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any

hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing. If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than November 16, 2020. If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs. Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5). Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 23rd day of October, 2020. By: _ /s/Stephanie H. Monaghan, Stephanie H. Monaghan, District Coordinator, 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452

802-879-5662 stephanie.monaghan@ vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION #4C1160R-1C 10 V.S.A. §§ 6001 - 6093 On October 7, 2020, South Village Communities LLC, P.O. Box 2286, South Burlington, VT 05403 filed application number 4C1160R-1C for a project generally described as construction of two residential 12-unit, three story buildings on two adjacent lots (Lots 4A and 4B) with shared drive, underground parking garage, elevator and associated infrastructure to include one-way traffic entrance and exit, parking, snow storage and landscaping. The Project is located at 64 and 96 Aiken Street in South Burlington, Vermont. The application was deemed complete on October 12, 2020 after the receipt of supplemental information. 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 “4C1160R-1C.” No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before November 13, 2020, a person notifies the Commission of an issue or issues requiring the presentation of evidence at a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing to the address below, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. Prior to submitting a request for a hearing, please

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

NOTE! This notification may be the only public notification of this work. Interested parties are

dylan.lozier@whitingturner.com Phone: 410-808-6690 Minority owned and women owned businesses are strongly encouraged to participate Publication Dates: October 28, November 3, November 10, 2020.

CITY OF BURLINGTON A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— CHAPTER 5. ONE-WAY STREETS DESIGNATED. CHAPTER 7. NOPARKING AREAS Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: _Approved Date: _9/16/2020_ Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services Published: 10/28/20 Effective: 11/18/20 It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission,

FROM P.67

Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience.

Extra! Extra! There’s no limit to ad length online.

Chapter 5, One-Way Streets Designated, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:

Phillip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services

Section 7. No-parking areas.

It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:

*** Material underlined added.

CITY OF BURLINGTON REGULATIONS IN RELATION TO BURLINGTON CODE OF ORDINANCES—

** Material stricken out deleted.

That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 11, one-hour parking, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows:

*** Material underlined added.

Section 26. Motorcycle parking.

(1) - (559) As written. (560) On the south side of Locust Street for twenty (20) feet east and fifty (50) feet west of the crosswalk at Locust Terrace.

CITY OF BURLINGTON A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— CHAPTER 7A. ACCESSIBLE SPACES DESIGNATED

Published: 10/28/20 Effective: 11/18/20

The following locations are designated for the parking of motorcycles only: (1)-(13) As written.

Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works

(14) Reserved. On the south side of College Street beginning one-hundred-thirty-six (136) feet west of Church Street and extending west for eight (8) feet.

Action: _Approved

(15)-(19) As written.

Date: _9/16/2020_

** Material stricken out deleted.

Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services Published: 10/28/20 Effective: 11/18/20 It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Chapter 7A, Accessible Spaces Designated, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: Section 7A. Accessible spaces designated. (1)-(171) As written. (172) On the east side of South Champlain Street in the fourth parking space south of Main Street. ** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added.

CITY OF BURLINGTON A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 26. MOTORCYCLE PARKING.

9 3÷ 2 7 3 28 5 1 6 4

1 3 65+ 4 7 2 9 8 5

4 8 5 1 6 9 3 7 2

FROM P.67

Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: __Approved_ Date: _10/21/2020_

*** Material underlined added.

CITY OF BURLINGTON A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 11. ONE-HOUR PARKING. Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: __Approved_ Date: _10/21/2020_ Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services

North Avenue in front of 57 North Avenue. (b)-(d) As written. ** Material stricken out deleted.

Chapter 20. Motor Vehicles and Traffic— § 56. Parking Ban— Alteration of Zone A, Addition of Zone H Appendix C. Rules and Regulations of the Traffic Commission— § 5. One-way street designations— Addition of Franklin Square Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: adopted Date: 09/16/20 Attestation of Adoption: Phillip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services Published: 10/28/20 Effective: 11/18/20 It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington, Chapter 20. Motor Vehicles and Traffic, § 56. Parking Ban, and Appendix C, Rules and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 5, One-way street designated, is hereby amended as follows: Burlington Code of Ordinances § 20-5. Parking Ban.

Published: 10/28/20

(a)—(e) As written.

Effective: 11/18/20

(f) Delineation of parking ban zones:

It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 11, one-hour parking, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: Section 11. One-hour parking. (a) No person shall park a vehicle for a period longer than one (1) hour between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Sundays and holidays excepted, in the following locations: (1)-(12) As written.

Attestation of Adoption:

(13) On the west side of

Zone A shall include all streets to the east of North Avenue, including North Avenue, beginning south of Institute Road moving north to the northern boundary of the city, with the exception of the northern and eastern portion of Franklin Square. Zones B—G. As written. Zone H shall include the northern and eastern portion of Franklin Square. Appendix C, Rules and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 5. One-way streets designated. The following streets are hereby designated

LEGALS »

15+

6 8 5 17 4 9 3 13- 2 5 9 6 1 2 3 1-4 7 8 2 Difficulty 5 -7Hard 9 3 4 8 6 1

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020 No. 660

4 7 3 6 5 85 4 2 8 12x 5 9 3 1 4 6 1 2 9 7

6 2 48x 1 9 7 25x 4 6 8 5 3

2 6+

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

Calcoku 9 7

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Burlington School District (BSD) in Burlington Vermont is planning a complete overhaul of their existing high school campus. The project will

Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

1. 21-0329CA; 323-325 College St (RH, Ward 8E) 323 Green Castle LLc, Alpha Porperties LLC, Elizabeth Demas, Peter Potts, Mary Lee, Carol Bedard potts

BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT PROJECT NOTIFICATION AND SOLICITATION OF INTEREST

Dylan Lozier, Construction Manager

Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +13126266799 or +19292056099 or +13017158592 or +13462487799 or +16699006833 or +12532158782

encouraged to request a qualification package from the Construction Manager no later than November 15, 2020.

REMOTE MEETING Zoom: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/8452935 4697?pwd=SFRsdTd jaTNVcHBCclpLMndZdHN3UT09 Webinar ID: 84529354697 Password: 842557.

BURLINGTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, 2020, 5:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Plans may be viewed upon request by contacting the Department of Permitting & Inspections between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Participation in the DRB proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. Please note that ANYTHING submitted to the Zoning office is considered public and cannot be kept confidential. This may not be the final order in which items will be heard. Please view final Agenda, at www. burlingtonvt.gov/dpi/ drb/agendas or the office notice board, one week before the hearing for the order in which items will be heard.

stephanie.monaghan@ vermont.gov

On behalf of the University of Vermont, Champlain College, and UVM Medical Center, CATMA will attend present the revised JIPMP 2020-2025

Parties entitled to participate are the Municipality, the Municipal Planning Commission, the Regional Planning Commission, affected state agencies, and adjoining property owners and other persons to the extent that they have a particularized interest that may

By: /s/Stephanie H. Monaghan, Stephanie H. Monaghan, District Coordinator, 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-879-5662

2. 2020-2025 Joint Institutional Parking Management Plan

consist of 192,000 SF of renovation and 78,000 SF of additions to the existing school buildings (circa 1964). Due to the size and complexity of the renovation & site work, the work will be strategically phased throughout the course of 4 years. Maintaining an active school with minimal disruptions will be the overall goal of the phasing plan. Scope includes extensive interior and exterior work, which will encompass all major construction divisions. The work is slated to start in 2021 and be substantially complete in the fall of 2024. The BSD invites Trade Contractors and Vendors to submit letters of interest for inclusion in bidding/ contracting. All contractors and vendors will need to be insured and all contracts over $500k will require pre-qualification and bonding. Contractors wishing to submit bids on bids packages over $500k must submit the AIA-A305 form plus additional documentation. The Owner has established specific qualification criteria, which is included in the qualification package. Qualification of interested parties will be conducted jointly by the Construction Manager and the BSD. Bidding will be phased from late spring 2021 to the end of summer 2021.

If you have a disability for which you need accommodation in order to participate in this process (including participating in a public hearing, if one is held), please notify us as soon as possible, in order to allow us as much time as possible to accommodate your needs.

Dated at Essex Junction, Vermont this 21st day of October, 2020.

Construction of 4-unit building addition with associated utility work and minor grading

If you feel that any of the District Commission members listed on the attached Certificate of Service under “For Your Information” may have a conflict of interest, or if there is any other reason a member should be disqualified from sitting on this case, please contact the District Coordinator as soon as possible, and by no later than November 13, 2020.

be affected by the proposed project under the Act 250 criteria. Non-party participants may also be allowed under 10 V.S.A. Section 6085(c)(5).

View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

contact the district coordinator at the telephone number listed below for more information. Prior to convening a hearing, the Commission must determine that substantive issues requiring a hearing have been raised. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

Show and tell.

FULL BOARD OF ABATEMENT OF TAXES, NOVEMBER 9, 2020 NOTICE CITY OF BURLINGTON FULL BOARD OF ABATEMENT OF TAXES

[CONTINUED] as one-way streets, and all traffic and travel thereon, except pedestrians, shall pass in the directions indicated and not otherwise: (1)—(7) As written. (8) Reserved. Franklin Square, in a counterclockwise direction. (9)—(42) As written. ** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added.

CITY OF BURLINGTON A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 7. NO-PARKING AREAS. Sponsor: Department of Public Works Action: Approved Date: 10/21/2020 Attestation of Adoption: Philip Peterson, Associate Engineer, Technical Services Published: 10/28/20 Effective: 11/18/20 It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows: That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, Section 11, one-hour parking, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: Section 7. No-parking areas. No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations: (1)-(251) As written. (252) Reserved. On the south side of College Street beginning onehundred-ten (110) feet west of Church Street and extending west for twenty-six (26) feet. (253)-(560) As written. ** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added.

The Full Board of Abatement of Taxes of the City of Burlington will meet in Contois Auditorium, at City Hall, 149 Church Street on Monday, November 9, 2020* to hear and act upon the requests for abatement of taxes and/or penalties from: *The City Council Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. The Full Board of Abatement of Taxes Meeting is part of this agenda, no set start time. JoAnn Lafayette Holdings LLC (also Holdings II/III) JoAnn Lafayette PO Box 9346 South Burlington, VT 05403 044-1-280-000 26 North Avenue 044-1-357-000 2 Murray Street 044-4-161-000 21 North Winooski Avenue 045-1-181-000 31 School Street 045-1-182-000 35 School Street 045-1-183-000 41 School Street BTV Invest LLC Hai Lin & Yan Feng 53 Woodlawn Road Burlington, VT 05408 044-3-174-000 156-160 North Winooski Avenue Sweetwaters LLC David Melincoff 120 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 049-3-133-000 118 Church Street Sweetwaters LLC David Melincoff 120 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 PPP25630 118 Church Street Scarlett House LLC Molly Shields 2028 S. Oceanshore Blvd. Flagler Beach, FL 32136 049-4-040-000 279 St. Paul Street Kasania Goikhberg 147 Appletree Point Road Burlington, VT 05408 031-3-022-000 147 Appletree Point Road Louis A. Slanina Trust 200 Lake Street #16 Burlington, VT 05401 043-4-010-016 200 Lake Street #16

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/ AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON NOVEMBER 16, 2020 AT 9:00AM Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on November 16, 2020 at 3466 Richville Rd. Manchester Center, VT 05255 (Units M-143) and at 1124 Charlestown Rd., Springfield, VT 05156 (Unit S-59 / 87 / 108 / 126) and online at www. storagetreasures. com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien Unit # S-59 Jonathan Chandler- Household Goods Unit # S-87 Donisha Hutchinson- Household Goods Unit # S-108 Donisha Hutchinson- Household Goods Unit #S-126 Justin Simonds- Household Goods Unit #M-143 Lisa Friendman- Household Goods

NOTICE OF SELF STORAGE LIEN SALE MALLETTS BAY SELF STORAGE, LLC 115 HEINEBERG DRIVE COLCHESTER, VT 05446 Notice is hereby given that the contents of the self storage units listed below will be sold at public auction by sealed bid. Name of Occupant Storage Unit: Tim Ashline # 35. Said sales will take place on 11/6/20, beginning at 10:00am at Malletts Bay Self Storage, LLC, (MBSS, LLC)115 Heineberg Dr, Colchester, VT 05446. Units will be opened for viewing immediately prior to auction. Sale shall be by sealed bid to the highest bidder. Contents of entire storage unit will be sold as one lot. The winning bid must remove all contents from the facility at no cost to MBSS, LLC on the day of auction. MBSS, LLC reserves the right to reject any bid lower that the amount owed by the occupant or that is not commercially reasonable as defined by statute.

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.: 244-220 CNPR In re ESTATE of: Carol Barkyoumb NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the creditors of: Carol Barkyoumb, late of Westford. I have been appointed executor of this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period. Dated: 10/22/2020 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/_Richard W. Kozlowski, Esq. Executor/ Administrator: Richard W. Kozlowski, Esq., P.O. Box 728, Burlington, VT 05402 802-864-5756 rkoz@lisman.com Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 10/28/20 and 11/4/20 Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Probate Division, PO Box 511, Burlington, VT 05402

TOWN OF MILTON’S COMBINED NOTICE OF TAX SALE The resident and non-resident owners, lienholders, mortgagees and all persons interested in the purchase of land in the Town of Milton, County of Chittenden and State of Vermont, are hereby notified that the taxes assessed by such Town for the 2019-2020 and prior fiscal years remain, either in whole or in part, unpaid on the following described lands and/or premises situated in the Town of Milton: Property No. 1: Property commonly known and numbered as 420 Route 7 South, together with buildings thereon, owned by Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC, by virtue of Confirmation Order in a foreclosure action, said Order being dated August 17, 2017, and recorded in Volume 481 at Pages 709-711 of the Town of Milton Land Records.

Property No. 2: Intentionally Left Blank.

Burlington, Vermont 05402-1507, (802) 660-2555.

Property No. 3: Being a 2008 Champion make and Titan PN 749 model mobile home, serial number 019-000-H-013806AB, property commonly known and numbered as 109 West Milton Road, located in the Birchwood Manor Mobile Home Park, owned by James M. Gabaree, Sr., conveyed to him by Vermont Mobile Home Uniform Bill of Sale of Brault’s Mobile Homes, Inc., dated September 29, 2016, and recorded in Volume 470 at Pages 689-690 of the Town of Milton Land Records.

DATED at Milton, in the County of Chittenden and State of Vermont, this 29th day of September 2020.

Property No. 4: Intentionally Left Blank Property No. 5: Being a 1979 Skyline Budget make and 0163 model mobile home, serial number 01160269N, property commonly known and numbered as 23 Sparrow Circle, located in the Milton Mobile Home Cooperative, owned by Ashley T. Haupt, conveyed to her by Vermont Mobile Home Uniform Bill of Sale of Melody-Kay Sweet and Daryll R. Sweet, dated January 26, 2016, and recorded in Volume 462 at Pages 835-836 of the Town of Milton Land Records. Property No. 6: Intentionally Left Blank.

/s/ John C. Gifford John C. Gifford, Delinquent Tax Collector Town of Milton

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FISCAL YEAR 2021 BURLINGTON HOUSING TRUST FUND OCTOBER 28, 2020 The Burlington Housing Trust Fund (BHTF) provides grants and loans for the promotion, retention, and creation of long-term affordable housing for very low, low, and moderate-income households. Nonprofi t corporations, municipal corporations, limited equity housing cooperatives, for-profi t corporations, partnerships, and individuals are eligible to apply for project funding. Capacity grants are also made for the staffing, training, planning, fundraising, and ongoing operations of non-profi t organizations creating or preserving housing for very low, low, and moderate-income households. The BHTF requests proposals for FY2021 awards. The total funding available for

Property No. 7: Intentionally Left Blank. Property No. 8: Intentionally Left Blank.

projects and capacity grants for FY2021 is approximately $206,808. Please note that through the City’s annual budget process, the Community & Economic Development Offices receives 15% of the total BHTF allocation for administrative costs. The proposals shall be for projects and organizations serving the housing needs of low-income Burlington residents. All projects must serve households having an income not exceeding 100% of median income, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and preference will be given to proposals serving households having an income not exceeding 50% of median income. Priority for funding will be given to perpetually affordable housing projects. Organizations that provide services, as distinct from housing development, are limited to capacity grants of no more than $7,500.00 per program. FY2021 BHTF awards must be expended by June 30, 2021. Proposals for FY2021 BHTF funding must be submitted on or before Wednesday, November 25, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. Proposals submitted after that time will not be considered for funding. A complete application consists of an application form and all applicable attachments. Applications

for both Projects and Capacity grants can be found at: https:// www.burlingtonvt. gov/CEDO/HousingTrust-Fund-FY21. The completed electronic application and attachments should be sent as a PDF to trawlings@ burlingtonvt.gov. Please ONLY SEND APPLICATIONS BY EMAIL. Additional information may be requested of the applicant at a later date. Applications are reviewed for eligibility by the Community &amp; Economic Development Office (CEDO). Eligible applications are then reviewed by the Housing Trust Fund Administrative Committee, which makes funding decisions. Funding decisions are expected to be made by December 16, 2020. If your organization has received previous funding from the BHTF, you must include a progress report on the project or program that was funded. Applicants who have not fully drawn down previous grant awards must request an extension in writing. For further information on this RFP, please contact CEDO Housing Program Manager Todd Rawlings at 652-4209 or by email at trawlings@ burlingtonvt.gov.

homeworks

Property No. 9: Intentionally Left Blank. Property No. 10: Intentionally Left Blank.

List your properties here and online for only $45/ week. Submit your listings by Mondays at noon.

Property No. 11: Intentionally Left Blank. Said lands and/or premises will be sold at a public auction at the Town Offices, 43 Bombardier Road, Milton, Vermont, on Tuesday the 17th day of November 2020, at One o’clock in the afternoon (1:00 p.m.), to discharge such taxes with costs, unless the same are previously paid. Information regarding the amount of taxes due may be obtained at the offices of Robert E. Fletcher, Esq., Stitzel, Page & Fletcher, P.C., P.O. Box 1507,

Call or email today to get started: 865-1020 x10, homeworks@sevendaysvt.com

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ai160383660461_1T-HireUp102820.pdf

10/27/20

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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 30-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., NOVEMBER 11 10:30 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

jobs.sevendaysvt.com/hire-up SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

72 OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 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 CARING PEOPLE WANTED Burlington Area

Maple Corner Community Store

GENERAL MANAGER - F/T

Job description and details: maplecornercommunitystore.org/ employment. Applications due November 2. Start date December 1. Submit resume, cover letter & three references to: mccsdirectors@gmail.com.

Home Instead Senior Care, a provider of personal care services to seniors in their homes, is seeking friendly and dependable people. CAREGivers assist seniors with daily living activities. P/T & F/T positions available. 12 hours/week minimum, flexible 1t-MapleCornerCommunityStore102820.indd10/27/20 1 scheduling, currently available. $13-$17.50/hour depending on experience. No heavy lifting.

Superheroes Needed! Early education and child care programs across Vermont are hiring. You can help give our youngest Vermonters a strong start. Visit: EarlyChildhoodJobsVT.org 3h-LetsGrowKids102120 1

Hiring Now!

Apply online at: homeinstead.com/483 Or call: 802.860.4663

12:30 PM

Immediate openings Full-time and flexible part-time schedules Days, early evenings, & weekend shifts 2/24/20 1:02 PM

Apply in person 210 East Main Street, Richmond, VT

Harwood Unified Union School District has a vacancy for a Food Service Assistant, Long Term Sub. This is a 35 hrs./week position, 4t-Harringtons092320.indd 5 days per week when school is in session, plus additional training and/or meeting times as requested or required. Job requires food preparation, cleaning, and transportation. Candidates must be able to work in a high pressure environment, maintain health code standards, work as part of a team, stand during their entire shift, and lift 50 lbs. Prior cooking experience is preferable but not required. Must be able to check school personal email and keep up with school announcements and regulations. Must have a vehicle. The ideal candidate must have the desire to provide healthy meals to children Position open until filled. EOE.

PAID TRAINING! Looking for LNA Training? Come talk with us!

Have you always been a caretaker by nature? Looking to impact lives through emotional and physical support? Consider starting your career in healthcare as a Support Aide. This is a non-certified position that can lead to Nursing Assistant certification (LNA). Applying to Elderwood at Burlington as a Support Aide is the first step to being accepted into our Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Training Program. Working as a Support Aide will allow you to gain valuable insight into the LNA role. The Support Aide to the LNA track can provide its own rewarding career or it can be a stepping stone to a clinical pathway that could lead to LPN or RN career. Elderwood at Burlington offers Tuition Assistance Programs, Employee Referral Bonuses & a robust benefit package.

Manufacturing Call Center Warehouse

FOOD SERVICE ASSISTANT, LONG TERM SUB

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10/20/20 11:23 AM

Apply today to start investing in your future! Class starts in early January 2021! Don't forget to ask us about how to earn a sign-on bonus of up to $2,000!

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SERVICE TEAM MEMBERS Full Time

1 9/18/204t-Elderwood102120.indd 3:34 PM

LICENSED NURSE ASSISTANT Sign On Bonus - Up to $2,000 Full-time, part-time & per-diem positions may be available*

The Nursing Assistant is responsible for specific aspects of direct and indirect patient care under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. High School diploma or equivalent. LNA, licensed in Vermont. LEARN MORE & APPLY: uvmmed.hn/sevendays

3v-HarwoodUnionUnifiedSchoolDistrictFOOD102820.indd 10/23/204t-UVMMedCenterLNA100720.indd 12:59 1 PM 1

10/20/20 2:19 PM

Vermont Energy is a Williston based HVAC company established in 1984. We are an industry leader in heat pump technology installation and service. VTE is a full service provider of heating, air conditioning, and plumbing systems. Our primary markets are residential clients and light commercial properties. We are looking for qualified individuals to join our service team. We offer an excellent compensation package. You will have a four day work week with local travel, great pay, paid vacation, medical and dental insurance, retirement plan and a tool & training account. If you have experience with service of heat pumps, boilers, furnaces and air conditioning systems we want to talk with you. Pay: $30.00 - $38.00 per hour. For consideration, send a resume to BARBARA@VTENERGY.COM

10/5/20 4t-VTEnergy&Contracting102120.indd 11:58 AM 1

10/19/20 1:44 PM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

MULTIPLE POSITIONS OPEN

Vice President of People and Culture

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has a variety of openings available, including RNs, LNAs, Ultrasound Technologist, Echocardiographer, Sr. MultiModality Technologist and Medical Lab Technician or Medical Technologist. NVRH also has Administrative Positions, Food Service and Environmental Services openings.

Exciting Opportunity to join VPR and Vermont PBS, leading nonprofit media organizations, with combined full-time staff of more than 100 and combined audience of more than 400,000 people a month. Both organizations are independent platforms for news, information, education, music and cultural exploration for the people of Vermont and the region. The Vice President of People and Culture is a newly created role and will serve separately on the senior leadership team of both VPR and Vermont PBS. You will partner with fellow senior leaders to support and guide the organization in a period of growth and potential merger. Candidates to this position should be innovative, solution-driven, collaborative and able to engage with colleagues across the organizations. QUALIFICATIONS · Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources or equivalent – preferred, but not required · 7 – 10 years of professional experience in all aspects of human resource and staff development · Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

73 OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Full, part-time and per diem positions available.

· Demonstrated expertise in strategic HR Excellent benefits available including student management i.e. planning and policy, talent loan repayment and tuition reimbursement. management, selection, compensation, benefits, training, development, employee For more information or to apply, please visit relations and performance management nvrh.org/careers. · Senior human resource certification (SPHR or equivalent) preferred · Ability to work concurrently for two separate entities and supervisors 4t-NVRH090220a.indd 1 10/9/20

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BENEFITS: Paid Time Off, 403(b) Retirement Account, Health & Dental Insurance, FSA, Life, STD, LTD, Vision

APPLY ONLINE: vpr.org/careers Equal Opportunity Employers: Vermont Public Radio and Vermont Public Television are equal opportunity employers. Qualified candidate will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

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10/16/20 4:20 PM

RESIDENT ORGANIZER

Seeking a Senior Accountant Do you dream in spreadsheets? Do you want to work for an organization with a mission to make a difference in Vermont? We are seeking a Senior Accountant to be responsible for the investment accounting of almost $370 million in assets, budgeting, financial reporting and analysis, and compliance reporting for the VCF and its supporting organizations. The Senior Accountant will support the VCF Finance and Accounting Department with other tasks as assigned, including mission-based investment tracking, and ad hoc reporting. This position has a flexible work location with periodic workdays in Middlebury or other VCF locations.

If this sounds like a good fit for you, visit vermontcf.org/careers for a complete job description and instructions for applying by Friday, November 13th.

5v-VTCommunityFoundation102820.indd 1

VT Affordable Housing Coalition seeks part-time Resident Organizer, with thorough understanding of Vermont’s affordable housing landscape, to take lead role in establishing statewide, resident-led grassroots policy advocacy initiative. Bachelor’s degree and 2-4 years of community organizing experience required. This is a one-year contracted, grant-funded position with anticipated December start date and potential for renewal and expansion in second year. To apply send cover letter and resume to: hiring@ vtaffordablehousing.org. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled.

10/23/20 3v-VTAffordableHousing102120.indd 1:18 PM 1

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE & CFO Accepting applications for an experienced individual who will lead all financial activities of the University including budgeting, planning, accounting, and investing; directing the preparation of current financial reports and summaries; and creating forecasts predicting future financial outcomes. The Vice President of Finance oversees the operations of Financial Affairs, University Budget, Human Resources, Facilities Operations, legal risk management, and vendor contracting. He or she will direct all aspects of accounting operations including all transactions related to general ledger, receivables, payables, payroll, and financial reporting. Please view our website: norwich.interviewexchange. com for a complete job description. Founded in 1819, Norwich University is the oldest private military college in the country and the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). Today we are a diversified academic institution that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and professional certificates to adult learners online and to Corps and civilian lifestyle students on campus.

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10/26/20 1:00 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

VCRD IS SEEKING A PART-TIME

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Landscape Professional

VCRD is seeking a dedicated and hardworking Development Director to work 1-2 days a week to help lead fund development, prospect outreach, donor communications and other fundraising work in line with our mission to support rural Vermont communities and advance policies that create a prosperous and sustainable future. We’re looking for someone who: • Demonstrates excellent written, oral, and social media communications skills • Is a self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team • Is eager to advance rural communities and work with our team in donor solicitation, grant writing and reporting • Has fundraising and annual campaign experience. Visit vtrural.org for the full job description and information about how to apply. Application deadline is 11/07/2020.

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Landshapes is hiring for landscape maintenance and construction positions. Past experience is a plus, but willing to train the right individual. This is a year round position with a competitive salary and great benefits. If you are interested in joining one of the largest landscape companies in northern New England please fill out an application. Send resumes to: andrew@landshapes.net.

1 10/19/20 2v-Landshapes102120.indd 10:20 AM

SPRUCE PEAK HIRING EVENT Ski for free this winter by working at Spruce Peak in Stowe! By joining our friendly and fun-loving team, you’re joining a team of like-minded adventurers dedicated to the elevated mountain lifestyle, both on and off the clock! Come learn everything that Spruce Peak has to offer at our upcoming Hiring Event. Music, individually wrapped snacks & drinks, and free-play in our arcade set the stage as we spread out in our ballrooms to provide a COVID-friendly event. Families welcome - complimentary & safe kids' activities will be provided! Managers from various front-of-house and back-of-house departments will be available to discuss opportunities and benefits - including free ski passes, discounts at Hyatt hotels worldwide, and more!

10/20/20 2:16 PM

TOWN OF WILLISTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

When: Friday, November 6, 2020 Morning Session - 9:00 am to 12 noon Evening Session - 4:00 pm-7:00 pm

HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT Apply, interview and be hired on the spot. Masks will be OPERATOR/ required. Full list of current openings and more information MAINTENANCE WORKER available on our website: sprucepeak.com/careers. Full-time position available Spruce Peak is an Equal Opportunity Employer. for a Highway Equipment Operator/Maintenance Worker. Responsibilities include snow plowing, road repairs, 5v-Lodge@SprucePeak102820.indd 1 10/27/20 and maintaining road and related facilities. Experience Join the team at Gardener’s Supply Company! We are a 100% in highway maintenance is employee-owned company and an award winning and desirable and applicant must nationally recognized socially responsible business. We work have good working knowledge of heavy equipment. Class hard AND offer a fun place to work including BBQs, staff parties, Exciting opportunity to join one of the B CDL is required. Excellent employee garden plots and much more! We also offer strong fastest growing businesses in Vermont while making benefits. E.O.E. cultural values, competitive wages and outstanding benefits! a difference in your community! https://www.town.williston.vt.us Champlain Housing Trust is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Retail Assistant Buyer: This person is responsible for driving professional to lead its real estate development activities throughout sales and profit by helping ensure appropriate inventory levels SEEKING ENGAGING, 2v-TownofWillistonHIGHWAY102820.indd 110/23/20 10:58 AMChittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties. to meet customer demand. Our ideal candidate will have 2 yrs

DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

buying experience in the garden center industry; advanced nursery horticultural knowledge preferred; and buying experience in green goods. Knowledge in POS, back office inventory management systems and intermediate Excel, Word, Outlook knowledge required.

Retail Buyer Administrative Assistant: This person has primary responsibility for the receipt of goods into store databases across all store locations ensuring accurate and timely inventory on hand and value. They will also act as the primary liaison with our accounting department, supplier and AR departments. Our ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail; 3 yrs of retail inventory or administrative experience; knowledge and experience with POS computer programs; and strong knowledge of MS Office, specifically Microsoft Excel required. Interested? Please go to our careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers and apply online!

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CARING PERSON FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT Seeking outgoing, energetic and community driven person to support a young man with high functioning Autism to become more engaged in the Burlington community. Individual is a blast to be around and loves a good brewery tour, gaming, dining out and checking out new and exciting ventures. Could be a great opportunity for a college undergrad or graduate student. Hours are 1 to 10 hours per week and can be very flexible during weekday/weekend hours.

For more information please provide a cover letter and contact:

ciscobeach97@gmail.com 2:20 PM 10/26/202v-EleanorVanderMel102820.indd 2:38 1

1:25 PM

The ideal candidate will be committed to social justice, equity, and CHT’s membership based model of community controlled and permanently affordable housing and possess a minimum of 5 years of experience in housing development, project coordination, sophisticated development financing, government housing programs, and grant writing and compliance. One of Vermont’s Best Places to Work in 2020, CHT is a socially responsible employer offering an inclusive, friendly work environment and competitive pay commensurate with experience. Our excellent benefit package includes a generous health insurance plan, three weeks of paid vacation, 14 paid holidays, sick leave, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution after one year, disability and life insurance and more. For additional details regarding this position or to apply, please visit our career page: getahome.org/about/careers.

Equal Opportunity Employer: CHT is committed to a diverse workplace and highly encourages women, persons with disabilities, Section 3 low income residents, and people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to apply.

1 10/26/20 5v-ChamplainHousingTrust102820.indd 11:41 AM

10/26/20 12:55 PM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

75 OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER...

Senior Accountant Looking for an experienced professional to manage our accounting function.

Craft Beer Delivery Driver

Customer service oriented team player to deliver Lawson’s Finest beer to retail accounts throughout Vermont. CDL required. Apply here: lawsonsfinest.com/about-us/join-our-team. 2h-LawsonsFinest092320.indd 1

ACCOUNTANT

10/27/20

Statewide affordable housing provider/ manager needs an individual to perform professional accounting & technical work related to nonprofits & limited partnerships. Knowledge of GAAP & its application is essential. Bachelor’s degree with major work in accounting, business administration plus two years’ experience with emphasis on accounting & financial management. Additional experience may be substituted for education. $19.54/ hour plus benefits. Full time position located in Montpelier, VT.

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.

S TAFF ATTORNEY – MONTPELIER The Department of Financial Regulation is seeking a Staff Attorney. Assignments may 11:50 AM include legal counsel and regulatory support, drafting legislation, administrative rules, bulletins, and also representing the Department in administrative proceedings. Experience in insurance, banking, securities, and administrative law is highly desirable. Candidates must be admitted to the Vermont Bar or eligible for admission without examination. Excellent benefits package and working environment. For more information, contact Gavin Boyles, General Counsel at gavin.boyles@vermont.gov. Department: Financial Regulation. Status: Full Time exempt. Job ID #10008. Application deadline: November 8, 2020.

Send cover letter, completed application & resume to: HR, VSHA, One Prospect St., Montpelier, Vt. 05602; contact@vsha.org.

Learn more at: careers.vermont.gov

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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10/23/20 1:14 PM

EARLY HEAD START TODDLER TEACHER BURLINGTON CHILDREN'S SPACE – BURLINGTON

Visit www.vsha.org for employment application & full position details. VSHA is an equal opportunity employer. VSHA is an equal opportunity employer.

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10/16/20 5:31 PM

Receptionist Burlington Office Prestigious law firm seeks an energetic individual to handle reception desk responsibilities. Duties include greeting clients and vendors, routing inbound phone calls, calendaring, typing and related office tasks. Candidates should possess excellent communications skills, have a pleasant telephone manner, be computer literate, organized, and be able to work in a fast paced environment. This is a fulltime position. Competitive salary and benefits package.

Head Start is a federally-funded, national child and family development program which provides comprehensive services for pregnant women, children from birth to age five, and their families. Services for children promote school readiness, and include early education, health, nutrition, mental health, and services for children with special needs. Services for parents promote family engagement, and include parent leadership and social service supports. As an Early Head Start Toddler Teacher, you will serve as co-teacher in an outcomesoriented, team environment, and provide safe, healthy, friendly, and developmentally appropriate environments and experiences for infants and toddlers. Motivated Head Start teachers improve the trajectory of children’s lives, including children’s learning outcomes, living standards, and later academic and professional success. If you want to make a difference in the lives of young children and their families, consider joining the Head Start community.

Childhood Education or related education field; Infant toddler specific education and experience that meets or exceeds the requirements for an Infant Toddler CDA Credential; knowledge and experience in developmentally appropriate early childhood practice, child outcome assessment, child behavior management, and curriculum planning, development and implementation; a commitment to social justice and to working with families with limited financial resources; excellent verbal and written communication (bilingual abilities a plus!), documentation, and record-keeping skills; valid driver’s license, clean driving record and access to reliable transportation; physical ability to carry out required tasks, and a can-do, extramile attitude.

40 hours/week, 52 weeks/year. Starting wage upon completion of 60-working day period: $20.28-$24.22/hour, depending on qualifications. Health plan and excellent benefits. Please submit cover letter, resume, and three work references to: hdstjobs@cvoeo.org. No phone calls, please.

Please reply to: Richard Dorfman, Business Manager Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP Email: rdorfman@langrock.com

THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

www.langrock.com

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REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree in Early

10/26/20 2:30 PM

10/5/20 9:43 AM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Head of School

INVESTIGATOR

The Bellwether School, a progressive education community for students ages 3-12 in Williston, Vt., is seeking a new Head of School, effective July 2021. Requirements: Masters in Education Administration, Education, or comparable degree and/or equivalent experience and experience in educational leadership and the administrative responsibilities of school operations.

Office of the Public Defender, Burlington. Demanding criminal caseload in a fast-paced office environment. Must be able to work independently and as part of a legal team. Duties may require irregular hours and travel for which private means of transportation is required. Previous criminal investigation experience preferred. Full-time, exempt PG22 (union) position with State benefits. $22.36/hr. Email resume and cover letter by Sunday, November 15th to mary.deaett@vermont.gov.

Contact Jean Lamont, Partner, Educators’ Collaborative, LLC, jlamont@ educatorscollaborative. com; phone: 203-605-6975.

E.O.E. 5h-OfficeoftheDefenderGeneral102820.indd 1

TOWN OF WILLISTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

WATER & SEWER DIVISION Now accepting applications for a Water & Sewer Division position. This is a full-time position with an excellent benefit package. The ideal candidate should be experienced in the operation and maintenance of public water and sewer systems and reside within 25 miles of Williston. Applications are available at: www.town.williston.vt.us. Applications will be received until the position is filled. EOE.

10/23/20 12:27 PM

PART-TIME ADMINISTRATOR

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100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED

GARDENER’S IS GROWING! Our Williston Garden Center is thriving, and we need YOUR help to continue to spread the joy and rewards of gardening! We have several regular, year-round opportunities. Become an employeeowner and join our award-winning, nationally recognized company! All positions are benefit eligible and based out of our Williston Garden Center. Administrative Assistant – manage inbound phone calls and e-mail, employee schedules, supply ordering, system reporting, and invoice processing.

2v-TownofWillistonWATER102820.indd 1 10/23/20 11:05 AM 10/16/20 5:34 PM

Hanover, NH/Upper Valley area

Short Order Cook

The Administrator for the NH & VT Council of Charitable Gift Planners provides staff support to the Board of Directors and the Council’s members (weekday hours). The position requires an average of 10-20 hours per month. Most of the work may be done remotely (at least until after June 2021), and the administrator must have a computer, phone and internet access.

We're looking to hire an experienced short order chef for the iconic Rochester Cafe & Country Store serving breakfast and lunch in the small town of Rochester, Vt.

For job responsibilities, please go to: nhvtgiftplanners.org/ job-opportunities. Applicants please email a cover letter and resume to: kfine@kurnhattin.org. The NH & VT Council of Charitable Gift Planners is a nonprofit chapter of the Council of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP). The NH & VT Council offers professional development opportunities related to planned giving, usually three or four annually, and other services for its members.

Please email Stephanie at steffannyg@yahoo.com with some of your past experiences, a few references would be great and what you're looking to achieve in the next few years! Pay is based on your skill and experience. Come show us what you can do!! Full job description: https://bit.ly/2H99zw0

PUBLIC WORKS SUPERVISOR/HIGHWAY FOREMAN 10/19/202v-RochesterCafe&CountryStore102120.indd 3:55 PM Field Producer 10/16/20 1

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Operations Lead – responsible for the daily supervision and direction of the buildings and grounds, yard and safety oversight. Commercial Sales Lead – responsible for driving commercial sales by developing strong relationships with clients, ensuring professional customer service, and providing advice and education. Customer Service Lead – responsible for ensuring customers are engaged and receive the best service possible and will act as the store expert on front end operations. We are 100% employee-owned and a certified B Corporation. We offer strong cultural values, competitive wages and outstanding benefits (including a tremendous discount on plants and product!). Interested? Please go to our careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers and apply online!

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The Town of Johnson Public Works Department is currently seeking a qualified candidate for a fulltime Public Works Supervisor/Highway Foreman. Successful candidates will demonstrate an eagerness to develop their professional skills and apply current best practices. The Town of Johnson offers a competitive wage and benefits package.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S., at least 18 years of age, must have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (with at least a Class B endorsement). Applicants must be able to operate heavy equipment in all weather conditions, follow all appropriate safety procedures, work outdoors, and performing a variety of physically demanding tasks. The Town of Johnson is an EOE. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. For more information and to send cover letter and resume:

11:35 AM

Lake Champlain Access Television (LCATV) is looking for motivated professionals to capture high quality video and audio of community meetings and events in Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties. These are part-time positions which require evening and some weekend work, travel, a valid driver’s license, some lifting, and high levels of self-motivation and creative problem-solving abilities. If you are interested in joining the LCATV team, please email your résumé to buddy@lcatv.org. Full job description is available:

http://bit.ly/LCATVjob

Town of Johnson - ATTN: Brian Story 293 Lower Main West, Johnson, VT 05656 Or email: jadministrator@townofjohnson.com.

10/26/204t-TownofJohnson102820.indd 2:20 PM 1

10/26/202v-LakeChamplainAccessTV102820.indd 9:31 AM 1 10/27/20 10:32 AM 110/27/20

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR Vermont-based digital content creator wanted for nonprofit. Part time salary or freelance position to create and manage website, social media, print and video content. Please email resume, and portfolio samples to Patty Smith, themillartgarden@gmail.com.

2h-A.R.T.102820.indd 1

10/26/20 Providing Innovative Mental Health and Educational Services to Vermont’s Children & Families.

CLINICAL CASE MANAGER COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES Looking for an exciting new opportunity? NFI has one for you! CBS in South Burlington is seeking a Clinical Case Manager to join our amazing team of mental health professionals and our positive and supportive work environment. Responsibilities include working with children, adolescents, and families with mental health challenges both in the community and in their homes. Ideal candidates work well both autonomously and collaboratively on treatment teams, have a degree in mental health or social work, related work experience, a valid driver’s license, and reliable transportation. This is a full-time, 40 hour per week position with benefits. Come be a part of our positive culture! Please apply online at nfivermont.org/careers.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and celebrate the diversity of our clients and staff.

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Applicant should be able to work independently and as a team member with a commitment to professionalism and client services. Law office experience appreciated but not necessary. If you are interested in applying for this position, please forward your resume and cover letter describing your interest in being part of our workplace to Caryn@Barberwaxman.com.

10/26/20 3v-Barber&Waxman082620.indd 12:22 PM 1

CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE High Mowing Organic Seeds is an independently owned leader in the non-GMO seed, farming and food community, committed to providing high quality organic seeds to our customers. We care about the earth, each other and what we do and are seeking an experienced, full-time, seasonal Customer Service Associate that shares our vision. The Customer Service Associate is responsible for processing incoming orders and for providing excellent customer service to our broad range of customers. The successful candidate will receive and process large amounts of incoming orders by phone, web, fax, or email. He/she will answer customer questions about our products and growing practices in general, and may also be asked to represent High Mowing at tradeshows and conferences if necessary. The ideal candidate must possess excellent customer service skills, including the ability to use positive language, attentiveness and adaptability to resolve customer complaints. This person must have practical working knowledge of and experience with commercial vegetable production methods. A complete job description can be obtained on our website: highmowingseeds.com/staff-and-careers. Please email your resume, cover letter, and references to jobs@highmowingseeds. com. Please put the job title in the subject line. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No phone calls please.

10/23/20 1:08 PM

Join Our Our Team! Team! Join Join Our Team! Join Team!

The Manor is a non-profit corporation and is the The Manor is a and non-profit corporation and for is the recipient of State National recognition its The Manor Manor is aa and non-profit corporation and The is non-profit andislooking isthethe recipient of in State National recognition for its achievement quality care. Wecorporation are currently recipient of of in State and National recognition forlooking its recipient State andcare. National recognition achievement quality We are currently for a night nurse with the potential to grow for into its a achievement in quality care. are currently looking achievement in quality care. We are currently looking for a night position. nurse with the We potential to grow into a supervisory You will join a quality driven team, for a night nurse with the potential to grow into a for a night nurse with the potential to grow into supervisory position. You will join a quality driven team, along with position. excellentYou nurse management. We team, offera supervisory will join a quality driven supervisory position. You will join a quality driven team, along with excellent nurse management. We offer generous andnurse shiftmanagement. differentials along along with wages excellent We with offeran along with excellent nurse management. We offer generous wages and shift differentials along with an excellent and differentials employer 403B match. generous benefit wagespackage and shift along with an generous wages and shift differentials along with an excellent benefit package and employer 403B match. excellent benefit package and employer 403B match. excellent benefit package and employer 403B match. 577 Washington Hwy Morrisville, VT 05661 Tel:Hwy 802-888-8706 577 Hwy Morrisville,VT VT05661 05661 577 Washington Washington Morrisville, contact:.HR@themanorvt.org Tel: 802-888-8706 577 Washington Hwy Morrisville, VT 05661 Tel: 802-888-8706 www.themanorvt.org/careers contact:.HR@themanorvt.org Tel: 802-888-8706 contact:.HR@themanorvt.org www.themanorvt.org/careers contact:.HR@themanorvt.org www.themanorvt.org/careers www.themanorvt.org/careers

Education and Training Resources (ETR) is seeking to fill the following positions at

8/25/205v-theManor102820.indd 1:09 PM 1

10/23/20 11:20 AM

NORTHLANDS JOB CORPS DATA INTEGRITY

**Student Records Specialist (Full Time) High School Diploma required. 1-year experience working with heavy data entry/ office setting.

HUMAN RESOURCES

HR Assistant (Full Time) – High School Diploma Required. Two years of administrative support or business office experience. Human Resource experience preferred.

FOOD SERVICES

**Cook Assistant (2 Full Time positions available!) – High School Diploma required. Cook Assistant (On-Call) – High School Diploma required.

FACILITY MAINTENANCE

**Custodial Assistant (1 Full Time) – High School Diploma Required **Custodial Assistant (On Call) – High School Diploma Required

RECREATION

**Recreation Aide (On-Call) – High School Diploma required **Critical needs positions!

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Finance & Administration Manager - Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field along 4 years of proven work related experience in Finance and Administration

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Residential Counselors (2 Full Time/ starting at $50,000/yr) - Bachelor’s degree and 15 semester hours of social work/ social science courses required Independent Living Advisor (4 Full Time/ Overnights needed, starting at $18/hr) High School Diploma required. Split Shift Independent Living Advisor (On-Call) - High School Diploma

SECURITY, SAFETY & TRANSPORTATION

Campus Monitors (On-Call) - High School Diploma required Driver (1 Full time) – High School Diploma required, CDL license preferred. Driver (On Call) – High School Diploma required, CDL preferred.

APPLY TODAY Please submit all applications to our applicant portal at www.etrky.com for all roles in Vergennes, VT. Employment will be at a Federal Department of Labor facility. All applicants will be subject to drug testing and a full background check.

100A MacDonough Dr. • Vergennes, VT 05491 • 802-877-0159

ETR/NORTHLANDS JOB CORPS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER OF FEMALES AND MINORITIES

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WellBeing FULL TIME TIME NIGHT NURSE WellBeing FULL NIGHT NURSE WellBeing FULL TIME NIGHT NURSE WellBeing NIGHT NURSE

RECEPTIONIST/ LEGAL ASSISTANT Small Family Law firm in Burlington has an immediate opening for an in-office receptionist/legal assistant, 10:31 AM 30-40 hours per week. Position requires strong technology, organizational, administrative and communication skills.

77 OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

10/26/20 11:32 AM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATOR Population Media Center (PMC), headquartered in S. Burlington, VT, seeks an experienced HR Generalist to serve as Human Resources Administrator for its 20+ US-based employees.

IT AND NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

The HR Administrator oversees all human resources functions and ensures they are aligned with PMC’s goals. The ideal candidate will have solid experience with HR practices, HR Information Systems, and employee management. Minimum qualifications: 3-5 years of HR generalist experience. Must be analytical and goal-oriented with demonstrated proficiency in using HR metrics and thorough knowledge of federal and state employment laws and regulations. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. SHRM-CP certification preferred. 0.5 FTE with prorated benefit package. Compensation based on experience.

Vermont Legal Aid, a non-profit law firm providing legal services to low-income Vermonters in five offices across VT, seeks a full-time IT and Network Systems Administrator. A minimum of 3 years of network and systems administration experience in a Microsoft Windows environment required. The ideal candidate would have experience with Azure, Active Directory, Exchange Online, Office365, IP telephony, LAN/WAN, server and WS management (hardware and software), as well as providing help desk support to staff. Familiarity with case management systems (SaaS and proprietary), social media platforms, mobile devices, cloud migration, and cybersecurity are a plus. Applicants must have clear oral and written communication skills, an eagerness to learn, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a small IT team. In-state travel (vehicle required), some evening and/or weekend work, and the ability to occasionally lift and move up to fifty pounds is required.

For more information: populationmedia.org/about-us/jobs. Please send resume, cover letter and 3 references to jobs@populationmedia.org.

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10/26/20

We are committed to building a diverse, social justice-oriented staff, and encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. We welcome information about how your experience can 4:39 PM contribute to serving our diverse client communities. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a discrimination and harassment-free workplace. Salary is $56,820+ experience, plus 4 weeks paid vacation and other excellent benefits. Application deadline is November 13, 2020. Please send cover letter, resume, and a list of contact information for three references to Eric Avildsen c/o Betsy Whyte at bwhyte@vtlegalaid.org as a single PDF with “IT Administrator” in the subject line. The full job description can be found at vtlegalaid.org/current-openings. Please let us know how you heard about this position.

100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED 100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED 100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED

7t-VTLegalAid102820.indd 1

Join Join the the team team at at Gardener’s Gardener’s Supply! Supply!

We have immediate openings in Call team at Gardener’s WeJoin havethe immediate openings in our our Supply! Call Center! Center! We have immediate openings in our Call Center! We We are are looking looking for for part-time part-time and and full-time, full-time, We are looking for part-time and full-time, seasonal SALES & SERVICE SPECIALISTS seasonal SALES & SERVICE SPECIALISTS to to seasonalexceptional SALES & SERVICE SPECIALISTS to provide customer service to provide exceptional customer service to our our provide exceptional customer service to our customers over the phone at our Call Center customers over the phone at our Call Center customersBurlington, over the phone at our Call Center located located in in Burlington, VT. VT. located in Burlington, VT. We We offer: offer: We offer: •• Very Very flexible flexible scheduling scheduling •• Very flexible scheduling Competitive • Competitive pay pay •• Competitive pay Huge discount • Huge discount on on product product •• Huge discount onand product Amazing culture • Amazing culture and the the best best co-workers co-workers •• Amazing culture and the best co-workers Positions thru the month of December • Positions thru the month of December • Positions thru the month of December We are are 100% 100% employee-owned employee-owned and and aa We We are B100% employee-owned a Certified Corporation. Please go goand to our our Certified B Corporation. Please to Certified B Corporation. Please go to our careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers www.gardeners.com/careers careers page at careers page at www.gardeners.com/careers and apply apply online! online! and and apply online! CCC_051820.indd 1 CCC_051820.indd 1 6t-GardenersSupply090920.indd 1 CCC_051820.indd 1

New, local, scam-free jobs posted every day! jobs.sevendaysvt.com

1 5/18/20 2:26 7-postings-cmyk.indd PM 5/18/20 2:26 PM 5/18/20 2:26 PM

9/8/20 10:16 AM

10/26/20 12:48 PM

10/13/20 1:38 PM

“THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY AND THE QUALITY OF JOURNALISM ARE DEEPLY ENTWINED.” BILL MOYERS

MARKET RESEARCH

SHOWS MUST GO ON

How new regulations have changed farmers markets

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SVT.COM NO.2 SEVENDAY 7-14, 2020 VOL.26 ENT VOICE OCTOBER VERMONT ’S INDEPEND

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE MAY 27-JUNE 3, 2020 VOL.25 NO.35 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Has Phil Scottore made Vermont m

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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 OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 4

be dealing with a binary choice in your personal life. Don’t underestimate how important it is that you side with the forces of good.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21):

Scorpio politician Joe Biden wasn’t my first choice for president of the United States. During the selection process, I championed his opponents Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. But now I support Biden wholeheartedly. He has several policies I don’t agree with, but on the other hand I know it’s critical that we Americans ensure that he replaces the appalling, corrupt, incompetent Donald Trump. In the coming days, I advise you Scorpios to also consider the value of wise and pragmatic compromise in your own sphere. Don’t allow a longing for impossible perfection to derail your commitment to doing what’s right.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reed Galen is an American political consultant who has worked long and hard for conservative causes. But in next week’s election, he opposes conservative Donald Trump, whom he regards as an authoritarian tyrant. He writes, “Democracy is on the ballot. It’s a binary choice between good/bad, honorable/dishonorable, healthy/ sick, forward/backward. There has been nothing like this in our lifetimes.” If you’ve read my words for a while, you know I’m a connoisseur of ambiguity and uncertainty. I try to see all sides of every story. But now I’m departing from my tradition: I agree with Reed Galen’s assessment. The American electorate really does face a binary choice between good and bad. I also suspect, Aries, that you may

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus politician Dan Coats has belonged to the conservative Republican Party all his adult life. He served in the U.S. Congress for 24 years and later as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence. Since leaving that office, Coats has criticized his ex-boss. He has said, “Trump doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie.” In accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to be fiercely non-Trump-like in the coming weeks. It’s crucial to the welfare of you and yours that you tell the whole truth. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many stories that

were popular long ago are still studied today. One example is the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, originally told during the first century BC. Another is Homer’s epic tale the Odyssey, which harkens back to the sixth century BC. I have no problem with learning from old tales like these. It’s important to know how people of previous eras experienced life. But for you in the coming months, I think it will be crucial to find and tell new stories — tales that illuminate the unique circumstances that you are living through right now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’m surprised when I hear that fans of Donald Trump enjoy my horoscopes. My political views, which are deeply aligned with my spiritual philosophy, have always been very progressive. And I’ve never hidden that fact. How can someone who appreciates my ideas also like Trump, a vile bully who has unleashed enormous cruelty and chaos? If you yourself are a Trump fan, I understand that after reading the preceding words, you may never read my words again. But I need to follow my own astrological advice for us Cancerians, which is: Be bold and clear in expressing your devotion to the ideals you hold precious. For me, that means supporting Joe Biden, an imperfect candidate who will nevertheless be a far more compassionate and intelligent and fair-minded leader than Trump. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Dionysus was the an-

cient Greek god of drunkenness and ecstasy and madness. His followers were inclined to immerse themselves in those states. Yet as historian Robert Parker points out, Dionysus himself “was seldom drunk, seldom mad.” His relationship with his consort Ariadne was “dignified and restrained,” and “smiling tranquility” was his common mood. I recommend that in the coming weeks you act more like Dionysus than his followers — no matter how unruly the world around you may become. The rest of us need you to be a bastion of calmness and strength.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo military expert Jim Mattis enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 19 years old. Fortythree years later, having been a Marine all his adult life and a general for six years, he retired. Later, he served under President Donald Trump as the U.S. secretary of defense. After leaving that position, Mattis testified that Trump was “dangerous” and “unfit,” adding that Trump “has no moral compass.” Be inspired by Mattis, Virgo. Do your part to resist the harmful and unethical actions of powerful people who affect you. Be extra strong and clear in standing up for integrity. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Feeling too much is a hell of a lot better than feeling nothing,” declares Libran author Nora Roberts. I trust you will see the wisdom of that perspective in the coming weeks. On the downside, there might be some prickly, disorienting feelings arriving along with the rich flood of splendor. But I’m convinced that most of the surge will be interesting, invigorating and restorative — although it may take a while for the full effects to ripen. And even the prickly, disorienting stuff may ultimately turn out to be unexpectedly nurturing for your soul. SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The United States has suffered terribly from COVID-19. Of all the world’s countries, it has had more cases and more deaths. Why? One major reason is President Donald Trump. He has consistently downplayed the seriousness of the disease, has advocated many unscientific cures, and has been lax and erratic in supporting the therapeutic measures that

virtually all epidemiological experts have recommended. It’s no exaggeration to assert that Americans will reduce their coronavirus misery by electing Joe Biden as president. In this spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to meditate on how you could reduce any and all of your own personal suffering. The time is right. Be ingenious! Be proactive!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “By my love and hope I beseech you,” pleaded philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. “Do not cast away the hero in your soul! Hold holy your highest hope!” That’s always good advice, but it’s extra crucial for you now. You will generate good fortune for yourself by being in close connection with the part of you that is bravest and wisest. The people whose lives you touch will have a special need for you to express the vitalizing power of intelligent hopefulness. More than maybe ever before, you will be inspired to cultivate your heroic qualities. AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’ve been writing my horoscope column for a long time, and it has evolved dramatically. One aspect that hasn’t changed is that every four years I’ve endorsed a candidate for the president of my home country, the United States. Another unchanging aspect is that I regularly reveal my progressive views about political matters. Some people who have only recently discovered my writing express dismay about this. “I don’t want politics with my horoscopes!” they complain. But the fact is, politics have permeated my horoscopes since the beginning. Now I urge you to do what I just did, Aquarius, but in your own sphere: If there are people who are not clear about who you really are, educate them.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “The worse the state of the world grows, the more intensely I try for inner perfection and power,” wrote Piscean author Anais Nin during World War II. “I fight for a small world of humanity and tenderness.” I encourage you to adopt that perspective for the rest of 2020. It’s an excellent time to respond boldly to the outer chaos by building up your inner beauty. I also suggest this addition to Nin’s formula: Call on your resourceful compassion to bolster the resilience of your closest allies.

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

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LET’S MANIFEST A SEXY SITUATION Looking for a hot, nerdy dude who has an adventurous, sensitive, techie soul. Good with his hands. Must love cuddles. I don’t mind if you prioritize your alone time as long as you don’t mind that I can be an endearing space case. Be warned: I will ask for your natal chart and when your most recent STI test was. starsaligned, 25, seeking: M SUGARBUSH & MAD RIVER Looking for a snowman available midweek for some shared outdoor adventures followed by a good meal and conversation. P.S. I should tell you I’m a terrible cook. P.S.S. Willing to do the dishes. MidweekSkier, 52, seeking: M, l WILD-HAIRED, FUN, YET TRUE I’m kind and true. I love Vermont, all the adventures that it offers. I can’t wait to travel, only to come home to garden, hike, paint and create in Vermont. I’m looking for a “partner in crime,” someone to create and dream together. Perhaps I’ll find my best friend and lover all wrapped into one beautiful heart of a man. Verita, 58, seeking: M, l POSITIVE, CURIOUS, FUNNY, OUTGOING I seek a good man with integrity and honesty — a creative thinker and problem solver who is kind, loving, considerate, a good listener, engaged with life traveling, not a smoker or big partier. I am an extrovert, kind, considerate. Swim, read, enjoy cooking and working in my studio. I am not perfect, don’t smoke/ drink, and have been told that I am pretty. Sevevdays, 69, seeking: M FUNNY, ACTIVE ACTIVIST AND ADVENTURIST Recently moved to Vermont from D.C. Would like to meet people for social/ political activism, hiking, hanging out and socializing. Always up for new adventures, like discussing world events. Am compassionate, enjoy outdoor activities. I’m nonjudgmental and appreciate the same in others. I’ve been involved in activism around racial equity, health care and disability rights ... but don’t take myself too seriously! AnnieCA, 67, seeking: M, l INTUITIVE, CREATIVE, A GOOD LISTENER! I’m a good person who enjoys good food to eat, good wine to drink, good books to read, good stories to share and good friends to spend time with. I have been called the “Quick of Wit.” My friends say that I am funny, caring, creative, sometimes edgy, and that I not only tell good stories, I write them! Sentient, 66, seeking: M, l SUNNY, HAPPY AND FUN I love sharing fun things with a partner. I love sailing and the beach in the summer and skiing and skating in the winter. I love playing almost all sports except hunting. I also love theater, dance and music. Looking for someone who enjoys the same and is laid-back and not too serious. snowflake123, 49, seeking: M, l

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

AUTUMN LIGHT I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve...I can divine it by conscience...from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice. Theodore Parker 1835. Hope, 63, seeking: M, l CUCKOO ABOUT ADVENTURES I’m just looking for a new friend. I’m somewhat new to the area and would like to find someone who likes to talk, hike, or do anything that doesn’t involve going to the bar or lots of drinking! NDrootsNYbuds, 38, seeking: M, l HERE’S TO SECOND CHANCES Widowed, fit, fun, financially secure WF with serious BDSM/kinky fantasies that I want/need to explore. Looking to find 50- to 60-y/o male with experience in the much less vanilla side of sex for dating and/or LTR. bestisyettobe, 53, seeking: M, l INTERESTED Still standing after all these years! WayToGo, 67, seeking: M, 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, 45, seeking: M, l 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, 68, seeking: M, l

MEN seeking... FUN-LOVING, ROMANTIC, AFFECTIONATE MAN Honest businessman now flipping houses. Missing that someone special — last and only love. lovetocuddle, 63, seeking: W OUTDOORSY, FUNNY I’m kind, funny, caring, honest, respectful, easygoing, hardworking. I have a high sex drive. I like outdoor activities — kayaking, camping, fishing — and watching a movie. Looking for someone like-minded who enjoys spending time together. Maybe go for a drive to nowhere, go for a moonlit walk or to a beach, cooking a meal together. funoutdoors, 54, seeking: W OUTDOORSY MEN Friends with benefits. Sno1080, 26, seeking: M

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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: M, Cp, l

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COUPLES seeking... LOOKING FOR COUPLE OR PERSON We want to meet others in the mood to open themselves to another couple for whatever happens. Cpl4fun, 31, seeking: Cp, Gp HELP US BRANCH OUT We are a couple of over 30 years. We love to spend time together, enjoying good food, good beer/wine and good company. We enjoy the outdoors, camping, hiking, skiing. Looking for other couples to become friends with that can help us explore and branch out. We love each other very deeply and want to share that love with others. CentralVTCpl, 54, seeking: Cp, Gp OPEN-MINDED ROLE-PLAY We are an open-minded couple looking for others. Must be discreet. Please let us know your interests. If you are a male replying, you must be bi or bicurious. VTroleplaying, 47, seeking: W 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

MAGICAL MYSTERY WOMAN You’re the new kid. You have an interesting energy that could be gorgeously confident or quietly arrogant. Care to elaborate? When: Friday, October 2, 2020. Where: VGS. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915160

If you’ve been spied, go online to contact your admirer!

dating.sevendaysvt.com

LOOKING FOR SKUNK HILL? You: dark-haired, attractive woman driving a silver pickup truck looking for Skunk Hill Road. You knocked on my door asking for directions. I think you’re very attractive, and I’d love to see you again. Please knock on my door again or reply to this ad. I’d love to get to know you. When: Saturday, October 24, 2020. Where: Skunk Hill Rd., Georgia, Vt. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915169 GORGEOUS BLONDE AT M32 You changed my life 12 years ago, and I am so grateful. I couldn’t ask for a better woman to spend my life with. I may have lost sight of what I’ve had, but I never will again. You’re my best friend and the love of my life. I’m more in love with you today than ever. I love you always. When: Sunday, October 25, 2020. Where: Market 32. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915168 ADVENTURE AT SALLY’S I walked in with my good friend. He was carrying Andrew Jr. Upon entering Sally’s, we went toward the hair dye. You came out from behind the scenes. We were discussing which shade of red to get. We were flipping through the options. I said I liked blood; you said you did, too. Would you like to talk sometime? When: Thursday, October 22, 2020. Where: Dorset St. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915167 HNGRMTNCOOPQT You: cute human with rad hair and red-buckle Dr. Martens. First noticed you stocking in produce. You complimented my cherry blossom Docs in the tea aisle. Me: fellow Doc-wearing human complete with a dragonfly mask perusing the co-op on a gray day in October. Maybe we’ll meet again? When: Wednesday, October 21, 2020. Where: Hunger Mountain Co-op. You: Woman. Me: Non-binary person. #915166

WHITE ACURA To the white Acura almost every morning I’m heading north and you are heading south: Would be nice to catch up sometime. You have been spied. When: Monday, October 19, 2020. Where: Route ???. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915165 HARDWICK GAS STATION, SUNDAY 10/11 You were a lovely blond woman. I asked you if I had cut in front of you in line. You were nice and said “no,” and we smiled outside again outside. I wish I had said more but would like a rain check. You drove off in your Subaru while I leaned up against my car. When: Sunday, October 11, 2020. Where: Hardwick convience store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915164 SHELBURNE BAY PARK BEACH Me: jeans, black T-shirt, black/white generic Southern rescue pup. You (Josh, was it?) wandered onto the beach, and my pup was immediately intrigued and so was I. Your dog couldn’t have been less interested and had eyes only for the stick you were tossing into the water, but did you look my way twice after our too-short exchange? When: Thursday, August 6, 2020. Where: Shelburne Bay Park beach. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915163 GRAVEL BIKER NEAR HUNGER MOUNTAIN To the gravel biker who said hi to me as I loaded up my dogs in the afternoon today: Let’s go for a ride, and I’ll buy you a beer/coffee! —Lady runner with two pups. When: Sunday, October 11, 2020. Where: Waterbury near Hunger Mountain TH. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915162 OUR DOGS CONNECTED Ozzie loved Sam! If you ever want to go on a hike, I think the three of them would make a great pack! When: Saturday, October 10, 2020. Where: Sucker Brook, Williston. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915161

Ask REVEREND 

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

My husband always dresses up as a woman for Halloween. He’s been Marilyn Monroe, Elvira and Hillary Clinton, to name a few. This year he’s going to be Dolly Parton. He’s been wearing heels, a wig and fake boobs around the house a lot the past few weeks. He says he wants to get used to them, but I’m starting to wonder if there’s more to it.

Wigged Out

(WOMAN, 47)

SHORT-HAIRED DOG-WALKING LADY I was sitting in traffic at the light next to the high school. You were walking your black-and-white bulldog with supreme joy and confidence toward Dorset Park. I wanted to say hello, but the light turned green and you walked on by. Let’s get a drink sometime soon. Bring your dog! When: Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Where: Dorset St. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915159 LADY153 ISPYW/MYLTLI We seem to have a lot in common. Please let me know what your thoughts are. I have a few thoughts and ideas. Would love to discuss them with you. When: Sunday, October 4, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915158 WHIPPLE HOLLOW MAN You look like you have a great sense of humor with your concrete banjo. Spied you in Seven Days, and you sparked my interest. We could share a brew and learn more. When: Friday, October 2, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915157 TRACTOR SUPPLY GUY I did need a belt but remembered it a little differently. Wondered if you saw a white-haired woman. Coffee, perhaps, if you did — or a brew? When: Friday, June 5, 2020. Where: Berlin Tractor Supply. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915156 SCARED AT SAXON HILL You scared me at Saxon Hill. You were walking, and I was on my bike. We joked about you scaring me. I would enjoy joking about this some more. Hope to see you there again. When: Saturday, September 26, 2020. Where: Saxon Hill. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915154 MANDY, CHARLOTTE BRICK STORE Hey there. I get coffee sometimes on my work break. Over the course of the winter, your smile, friendliness and very cute face have put you in my mind far more times than I have gotten coffee. I’d love to know you. When: Saturday, August 1, 2020. Where: Brick Store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915150

Dear Wigged Out, If your husband were sporting stilettos and a set of double Ds around the kitchen in June for no apparent reason, I’d say you’d have good cause for concern. Seems to me that he’s just committed to his costume. Lord knows, nobody looks good wearing heels they can’t walk in. True Dolly-size falsies are a lot to maneuver, so I can’t

GREAT LEGS ON A SATURDAY You were parked in the VNA parking lot. Had to come around and see those legs again in that black dress. You were getting ready to go to a function. Would love to see those legs again. What function were you going to, and what type of car were you driving? (To know it’s you.) When: Saturday, September 26, 2020. Where: Colchester. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915153

BIKER WOMAN IN DANVILLE I saw you biking, and we spoke a few times on the trail and at the road where you got off. Let’s ride together sometime! You pedal pretty fast. When: Saturday, September 5, 2020. Where: West Danville. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915147 BLUE HAIR I saw you with your blue hair and thought you’d match my purple hair nicely. When: Friday, September 18, 2020. Where: the co-op. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915146

MOUNT ABE WITH OLLIE I was hiking with a good friend, and you, your buddy and dog Ollie were doing the same. We passed each other at least four times, counting on the road afterward, and exchanged big (masked) smiles. Probably you’re just naturally generous with smiles, but it’s worth asking if you’d like to go on a hike together? When: Saturday, September 26, 2020. Where: Mount Abe. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915155

MONTPELIER DOMINO’S You were picking up pizza while I was waiting for mine. You had red hair and a fun personality. Your name may have been Margo. How about a pizza with me sometime? When: Friday, September 11, 2020. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915145

JIM AND HIS HARLEY DAVIDSON Over six years ago, closeness developed between you and me at our church on Williston Road. Ironically, we see each other again years later in Cumberland Farms on Riverside (you were working at U-Haul at that time) — only to cross paths again in front of the bank. Did God answer you this time? When: Saturday, June 20, 2020. Where: on his motorcycle. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915152

PA TEACHER ON STEPS Sorry to stare as I went by on the motorcycle; you seemed so familiar. Thanks for the friendly wave. When: Thursday, September 3, 2020. Where: PA. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915144

BURNT ROCK MOUNTAIN You were out enjoying a pictureperfect day on the trail with Lainey, and we crossed paths a few times. After you helped me with some directions in the parking lot, we went our separate ways, but I haven’t been able to shake your beautiful smile. I’ve never I-Spied anyone before, but figured, “Why not?” Join me for a hike sometime? When: Saturday, September 19, 2020. Where: North Fayston. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915149

SHAVED HEAD CO-OP CUTIE You caught my eye with your sick outsider style at the co-op. You said you liked my outfit. Wanna chat about weird feminist art and music over coffee sometime? Signed, The Freak With the Yellow Crocs. When: Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Where: Middlebury co-op. You: Nonbinary person. Me: Woman. #915141

NEK BOUNDARIES Passed by each other several times hiking on a beautiful sunny Sunday. Would like to go on a hike with you next time, and we can debate the extents of the Northeast Kingdom. Hopefully talk about lots of other things, as well, and see more foliage. When: Sunday, September 20, 2020. Where: on the trail. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915148

blame him for wanting to get accustomed to them. The wig … well, that might just be for fun. Just kidding. A wig can be uncomfortable if it doesn’t fit right, so it’s good to do a test run before taking it out on the town. Wigs also can be pretty pricey, so he might as well get some extra wear out of the thing. You sound concerned that your husband

TIMBER JACK 240 Liked your smile. Love to dance. Interested. When: Saturday, September 5, 2020. Where: on Seven Days. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915143

GREAT NORTHERN I saw you wearing a partially unbuttoned cut-off flannel, fuzzy trapper hat and sandals with dirty socks. You were drinking a matcha latte and playing Pictionary. We locked eyes. It felt like we were suddenly on a train car, flying down the tracks. I would like to sit across from you and join your Pictionary game. When: Wednesday, January 3, 2018. Where: Great Northern. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915140

might be a cross-dresser — and there’s not a damn thing wrong with that, by the by — but I think he’s just having a little fun. We could all use more of that these days. Besides, men have been dressing as women for eons. Instead of worrying about what he’s wearing, maybe you should dress up as Burt Reynolds or Tom Selleck. Get a mustache and some chest hair, and see where that takes the two of you. Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

SF, 42, living in Chittenden County seeks SM for potential LTR. I’m a nerdy gamer, morning person, coffee drinker, nonsmoker. Kind, industrious. Seeking similar. The world is our opportunity! #L1452 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. #L1451

49-y/o SWM seeking female for friendship with benefits. I am feminine, fit, mostly vegan. I enjoy yoga, hiking and biking, books, some cooking, and cuddling to a good movie. Seeking romantic lady for friendship. #L1457 I’m a male (65) seeking a female (50 to 65). Fit, friendly, frolicsome fella favors fanciful female for fabulous fall friendship. I’m vegetarian, healthy, humorous, reflective and highly educated. Interests are hiking, gardening, dogs, creativity, Scrabble and pillowtalk. #L1455

I’m a 34-y/o male seeking 18to 45-y/o female. I’m smart, artistic, funny and open-minded. Love music, books, movies and looking at the cosmos. A cat guy, but like all animals. Looking for love and friendship. #L1456 I’m here now, and you knew me as Yourdaddy921, etc. and Boomer2012, etc. Contact me via mail, please. #L1458 I don’t live in Vermont anymore, but I’m here semiregularly. I’m a 39-y/o lady friend seeking men, but anyone for friends to write to, maybe more. Hike, ski, lounge, eat, drink, converse. It’s COVID; I’m bored/lonely. What about you? #L1454

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SEVEN DAYS OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 4, 2020

SWF seeks conservative male age 62 to 72, Addison/ Burlington area only. Turnons: har cut, shave, outdoorsy, hunter, camper. Turn-offs: smoker, drugs, tattoos. Me: 5’8, average build, blue/brown, glasses, enjoy nature, have a Shelty, birds, old Jeep, farm raised. Need phone number, please. #L1450SWM, 60s, seeking woman around 58 to 68. Handyman. Enjoy skiing, cooking, weekend getaways. Tired of quarantine. Are you? NEK. #L1453 I’m a bicurious 41-y/o male seeking bicurious married or single men, 18 to 45, for some very discreet fun. Good hygiene, hung and H&W proportional a must. Let’s text discreetly and have some DL NSA fun. #L1449

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Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. I’m a mid-aged male seeking a M or F any age or gender. Wonderful youth, caring person. Male, 5’9, 147. Older mid-aged loves long-distance running, writing, literature, poetry, drawing, folk and jazz. Looking for a great friendship for hikes, walks, talks. Best to all. #L1446 I’m a single female, mid60s, seeking a male for companionship and adventure. Retired educator who loves kayaking, swimming, skiing and travel. Well read. Life is short; let’s have fun. #L1445Attractive SWM, 51, living around the Burlington area. Seeking a curvaceous female for some casual fun with no strings attached. All it takes is some good chemistry... #L1447 Staff researcher at UVM on biostatistics. 29-y/o Chinese male. INFJ personality. Seeking a female of similar age for long-term relationship. Love is kind. Love is patient. May we all stay healthy and be happy. #L1444

SWF, 37, seeking M for some casual fun, no strings attached. I just got out of an LTR, and I’ve forgotten how it feels to be physically and sexually alive. Can you remind me? Creative meetups and play a must. #L1443 Very unique lady in early 70s seeks male. I’m a people person and very active. Love to cook, garden, read and watch good movies. Very friendly with a lot of empathy. I love to walk and the outdoors. Looking for someone who enjoys the same. #L1442 I’m a GM, 62, seeking a GM 45 to 65. Bright, bearish build with bookish interests. Still growing spiritually. Love to walk, hike, write — always learning. Looking for pen pals. Please write and share your passions in life. #L1439 I’m a petite blonde. Healthy, active SWF seeking a kind, honest SWM for conversation, walks, dinners and short trips. 70 to 80. #L1438

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Seasons Change… But Vermont’s appetite for local food and drink is still hearty.

As the days get colder and Vermonters go back inside, let Good To-Go Vermont be your guide. This digital directory, compiled by Seven Days, lists local eateries by region, offering takeout, delivery, curbside pickup and on-site dining options during the coronavirus pandemic.