Seven Days, December 2, 2020 by Seven Days

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Remote learning takes a toll on BHS students

V ERM ONT ’S INDEP E NDE NT V OIC E DECEMBER 2-9, 2020 VOL.26 NO.10 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

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Raj’s Revival? WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta’s purchase of Green Mountain College puts Poultney’s fate in his hands B Y D EREK BR OUWER, PA G E 3 0

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A redo for Helen Day Art Center

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THE JOY OF SNACKS A new series on local treats

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lifelines

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES Margery Gessford MacLeod Glass

NOVEMBER 26, 1923-NOVEMBER 25, 2020 BURLINGTON, VT. Margery Glass died on November 25, 2020, in Burlington, Vt. Born in Washington, D.C., on November 26, 1923, and descended from a long line of Washingtonians on both sides — including her parents, Ruth and Rodger Gessford — Margery was a graduate of George Washington University. President of her Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter, she made lifelong friends and dined with Pi Phi “sister” Margaret Truman at the White House. After World War II, Margery married John (Jack) MacLeod, whom she had met in kindergarten. There had been significant competition for her hand; one suitor came to the Gessfords’ home the morning of the wedding to try to convince Margery to marry him instead. Margery and Jack had three daughters — Sally, Anne and Lauren — while Jack’s advertising career thrived in downtown Washington. In 1960, with Jack suffering from heart disease, they settled in Burlington in search of a quieter life. They were warmly welcomed by Jack’s boyhood friend Bob Adsit and his wife, Mary Lou, as well as several other couples who formed a close-knit circle. Margery and Jack restored a house and barn/ studio on South Union Street. Jack became

a partner in the firm Wheeler, Wood and MacLeod, which produced the state marketing campaign “Vermont, the Beckoning Country”; it changed the face of Vermont forever. In 1965, Margery and Jack designed and built a house in Williston. Jack died, age 42, within months of their move. A year later, introduced by Eve Shakespeare, Margery and Eve’s brother David Glass married. Margery gained three stepchildren — Gordon, Nancy and Dickson Glass — who were mostly grown but with whom she established lasting close connections. Margery was an effortless hostess, supporting David’s career while also volunteering for numerous organizations, including the Lane Series, Mary Fletcher Hospital and Girl Scouts of America. Margery also took classes at the Shelburne Craft School to learn pottery making and went on to have a pottery studio of her own for several years. She also worked at Eve’s shop, Kado Gifts. Her family will never forget Margery’s excitement about special occasions, including birthdays. She had to be

talked out of bringing a very special fourlegged gift to Lauren inside to her through the house; the horse was undoubtedly as relieved as David was when she relented. Margery and David retired to Washington, N.C., and were delighted when Sally and her husband, Marcus, also moved to town. Volunteer activities included the Red Cross, the local library and teaching literacy skills. In 2007, she and David returned to Vermont and lived in South Burlington until his death in 2008. They had traveled repeatedly to their beloved Bermuda and to Hawaii and Europe; Margery made two solo trips to Jerusalem to visit Anne and her family. She also traveled to Greece; she was thrilled to tour the Parthenon, which she had drawn in grade school. An “it’s just a game” golf and tennis player, lifelong gardener, gifted and adventurous cook, seamstress, and antiques and animal lover, Margery was an innovator, the first in her group of friends to paint a room “Chinese red” or serve quiche. She read widely and questioned broadly. A child of the MasonDixon line, she was ecstatic to see President Barack Obama at close range in Burlington. Late in life and twice widowed, Margery met Martin Levitt, a former art teacher and painter from the New York City area. They became devoted companions, savoring the beauty of Vermont, enjoying sunsets until the last cloud faded and petting many a passing dog down by the lake. Margery’s warmth and easygoing nature came to the fore in her final years. She became unusually easy to please, inclined toward delight while sensitive to the needs of others. Margery’s unselfconscious beauty

and talents, wry humor, graciousness, and personal style are unforgettable. Margery leaves behind daughters Sally MacLeod Reichert (husband Marcus) of St. Hippolyte-du-Fort, France; Anne MacLeod, of Vergennes; and Lauren MacLeod of Rutland, Mass.; grandson Luke Brownell (a graphic designer like his grandfather Jack) (wife Cierra) and great-grandson Logan Brownell of West Boylston, Mass.; stepsons Gordon Glass of West Falmouth, Mass.; Dickson Glass (wife Mary) of South Burlington; stepdaughter Nancy Glass Angelopoulos (husband Spyros) of North Haven, Conn.; and their families including Ben Glass, Jill Campos, Hilary Glass, Matt Glass, Margo Angelopoulos and Saki Angelopoulos. She also leaves her devoted and beloved friend Emily Rossheim of Starksboro. Margery’s family is deeply indebted to the entire staff of the Converse Home; Ellen Watson, APRN; Amelia Gerlin; Bayada Hospice; and the incomparable Emily Rossheim, for their tender, expert care. Special thanks also to Lisa Simon and Diane Foulds for their love and support. In her final days, Margery was “in a zone of gratitude,” strewing “thank yous” in every direction. She was deeply thankful for her life. We, too, are profoundly grateful. A celebration of Margery’s life will be held when the COVID-19 risk has passed. Contributions to nonprofit the Converse Home in her memory would support their remarkable care for our elders. The Converse Home, 272 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401. Arrangements are in care of Stephen Gregory and Son.

Edwin Skolnick FEBRUARY 15, 1938NOVEMBER 27, 2020 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT.

Edwin Skolnick died at home, in South Burlington, Vt., on Friday, November 27, 2020, surrounded by his family. He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1938, to Sarah and Abe (Avrum) Skolnick and lived for most of his life in New York City. He taught in the New York City public schools for 36 years. Most of that time, he was teaching social studies to middle school students. Ed was passionately active in the United Federation of Teachers, both as a member and chapter leader and, after retirement, working in the UFT office, helping other retirees with health and insurance questions. He was a lifelong activist for the voiceless and, most especially, for workers’ rights. Ed was married to Susan Skolnick for more than 56 years. In their life together they enjoyed going to concerts, theater and traveling all over the world. He greatly enjoyed history, Yiddish culture (his first language), chess and all types of music. In his later years, Ed also greatly enjoyed drawing. He was a charming curmudgeon with exceedingly dry wit, often

telling one-liners or bad puns with a twinkle in his eye. Ed’s greatest joy was his family. His generous heart and his smile that could light up a room will be deeply missed by all of his family including his wife, Sue; daughter Nora (Braintree, Vt.); son Josh (Harwich, Mass.); daughter-in-laws Laura Davidson and Judy Skolnick; and grandchildren, Becky and Alex. Ed was preceded in death by his sister and her husband, Bianca and Meyer Zola. When it is safe to gather, a celebration of his life will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont or the South Burlington Food Shelf.

Mark your family’s milestones in lifelines.

sevendaysvt.com/lifelines SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN HUDDLESTON

arts news

lmost every day for the better part of a decade, photographer JOHN HUDDLESTON took his camera into the woods around his home in Weybridge and tried to capture the subtle transformation of the forest. He would return to one spot over and over to chronicle the same view through different seasons; sometimes, he trained his lens on the ground, mesmerized by the chaotic accumulation of debris. Huddleston, who taught visual art at Middlebury College from 1987 to 2017, has memorialized this slow documentary in his latest book of photography, At Home in the Northern Forest: Photographs of the Changing Vermont Landscape, a hefty 12-by-9inch hardcover published in February. “My vision is really sort of ordinary vision,” he said. “It’s not about looking for that culminating moment — like Ansel Adams and his grand landscapes, where God is in the landscape, or shining down upon the landscape, or something like that. Mine are much more matter-of-fact daily pictures, but there’s something special about them, too, if you have the patience to look for it.” For Huddleston, ordinary does not mean uncomplicated. His images of stick-season hillsides look like a sea of barbed-wire brambles; his extreme close-ups of beech tree bark resemble weathered human skin. Seven Days spoke with Huddleston about seeing the world clearly, capturing the passage of time, and the difference between the mind and the brain.

BOOKS

SEVEN DAYS: You spent all these years walking in the woods around your house, taking pictures of a landscape that must be so familiar to you that you can mentally re-create it. What are the challenges of photographing a place you know so well? How did you know when you’d managed to capture what you set out to capture? JOHN HUDDLESTON: That’s on my mind all the time — how I might be misinterpreting or mislabeling things, or constricting things or solidifying things that really aren’t solid at all, because everything is moving and changing all the time. That particularly comes to bear with trying to capture the sense of constant change in photographs of the forest. I think one of the very positive things about photography is that it teaches you to really look each time, to quiet your mind and perceive. If you don’t, your photographs 24

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

The Mind’s Eye In his latest book of photographs, John Huddleston documents an ever-changing forest BY C H E L S E A E D GAR • chelsea@sevendaysvt.com

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are going to be totally disillusioning, because when you go back to them, you’ll realize that you were trying to capture what you were thinking as opposed to what you were actually seeing. This is a big life lesson that applies to lots of things, but photography can point it out pretty quickly. As far as knowing when you’ve gotten the image, I think the success

WE’VE GOT SOMETHING

SO BEAUTIFUL AROUND US. J O H N HUD D L EST ON

rate is pretty low. I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures to make this book. Most of them did not work out — I didn’t get the right visual relationships, or it just wasn’t compelling in the way that I wanted it to be. As a photographer, you’re constantly reminded of how you’re not seeing things accurately. SD: In his introduction to your book, BILL MCKIBBEN writes that the “unintentional and mostly unnoticed renewal of the rural and mountainous East represents the great environmental story of the United States and, in some ways, the whole world.” What role do you think art can play in shaping our response to the climate crisis? JH: I hope my book can show people the value of the forest through the beauty that I find in it. In 1870, a little over 20 percent of the state was forested. The rest was cleared for farmland, which devastated a lot of species. Now, that balance has been reversed — today, 80 percent of the state is covered in forest. That regrowth happened largely because of human negligence.

We’ve got something so beautiful around us, and it’s come back from this state of devastation not too long ago. And that same destruction could happen again. So I think we have to really value what we have, to slow down and see our connection to other entities on the planet. STEPHANIE KAZA, one of the writers I quote in the book, talks about the inequality of the human voice over everything else. We don’t hear the animals or the trees talk, but they have a right to exist as much as we do. It’s our job to try to listen, to imagine what their needs might be. SD: In your foreword to the book, you refer to the philosopher Gaston Bachelard, who thought of the forest as an infinite space within the mind. You wrote: “This immensity is within us.” What does that mean to you? JH: Our minds are much bigger than our brains. In part from working on this book, I’ve come to think that we are so intimately interconnected with everything — and we’re changing, too, like everything else is changing. So to think that there’s this little concrete entity of “John” is kind of foolish, in a way. My mind is big, but it’s not exactly John that’s big: It’s my connection to everything that’s big. m

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This interview has been edited for clarity and length. A longer version is online at sevendaysvt.com.

INFO At Home in the Northern Forest: Photographs of the Changing Vermont Landscape by John Huddleston, George F. Thompson Publishing, 168 pages. $45.

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

11/23/20 10:42 AM

arts news

Time’s Up Book review: No More Time, Greg Delanty B Y B E NJA M I N AL ESHIRE • aleshire@sevendaysvt.com

BOOKS

more time no more time no more time no more time no more time no more time no more time… And so on. While this might seem at first like a repetitive act of copypasta, it happens also to be a double acrostic. Look closely and you’ll see the title also repeats vertically, on both the left and right sides of the poem. Acrostics have a close association with abecedarians, going all the way back to the Book of Lamentations in the Hebrew Bible. Not simply a nod to tradition, Delanty’s book is a lamentation, as well, one that seems calculated specifically to provoke readers into urgent awareness. The final poem, “Envoy: Zayante,” holds true to the multiple senses of its title. An envoy is a farewell, a postscript poem; it also casts the poet in the role of diplomat for humanity. After all, as Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote in an 1821 essay, poets are “the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” “Envoy: Zayante” closes with “Enough Gregorian cant and rant. We’re done. Adelante.” That last word, Spanish for onward, fits the rhyme scheme like a glove. It’s also a sly homophone for the author’s name: both a signature and a call to action.

THE RED EYE A middle-aged woman weeps down the aisle, rests her head against the windowpane. Her dyed loam-brown hair is out of style, gray creeps back at the roots. I rack my brain. Who knows why in the world she cries, what pain or hurt? I want to ask her if I can help, if she’s okay. Perhaps she’d not be embarrassed, welcome concern.

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to needless fear” he writes in “Aye-Aye.” Rather than the singsong gallop of Shakespearean sonnets readers may remember from English class, the terza rima structure allows Delanty’s deft rhymes and wordplay to permeate the poems while simultaneously feeling conversational. Divided into three parts, the alpha-bestiary comprises the first and third sections, slyly titled “A Field Guide to People.” The middle section, “Breaking News,” provides a respite from both the formal sonnet structure and the animals, and it allows the poet to stretch out and more clearly articulate the political project of the book. In “The Great Ship,” an evening song of cicadas and crickets transforms into a Titanic serenade: “…the quartet / that comes out on deck and plays away // as the great ship goes down. We listen quietly / from our deck’s lifeboat. Nearer, my God, to thee. // Nearer to thee. Play on, brave, noble souls. Play on.” Is this melodramatic? Science says no: According to a chorus of recent studies, the Earth has entered a sixth extinction, with 30 percent of North American birds already gone, in addition to, as the New York Times put it in 2017, the “insect Armageddon.” Many of the animals Delanty enumerates are on the brink of disappearing; some are already gone, as he

COURTES

he latest collection of poems from Saint Michael’s College professor Greg Delanty, No More Time, is many things: a bestiary, an abecedarius, a glittering display of formal craftsmanship. And the book is a fist shaking in the face of humanity’s failure to take meaningful action against mass extinction and eco-collapse. Sound complicated? It’s actually not at all. While the poems adhere to a rhyming structure with which few poets dare to experiment, they’re also remarkably straightforward and easy to read. “…The honeybees / are more waning than waxing, warns apiology: / queens, drones, nurses, guards, whole communities. // Protect them, the amber labor force of ecology. / Already, this word-comb is a fossilized apology,” Delanty writes in “Honeybee.” A bestiary is exactly what it sounds like: a compendium of animals. Popular since ancient times, the form has been constantly revived over the years by writers and artists, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jorge Luis Borges and, most recently, Brattleboro author GennaRose Nethercott,, whose collection of stories 50 Beasts to Break Your Heart is forthcoming from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. But because No More Time’s bestiary is also an abecedarius — that is, it proceeds in the order of the alphabet (golden toad, honeybee, ibex, and so on) — Delanty’s book bears closer resemblance to University of Vermont professor Antonello Borra’s 2011 AlphaBetaBestiario, a bilingual (Italian and English) poetry collection by Burlington’s Fomite Press and illustrated by Delia Robinson. Borra’s book endows the animal kingdom with speech, letting every creature from l’albatro (the albatross) to la zanzara (the mosquito) ruminate on their place in the family of things. How is Delanty’s alphabet-bestiary different? Well, it’s composed in formal sonnets, for one thing. As if that rigid structure weren’t enough, Delanty writes them in flawless terza rima — the three-line chain of rhymes that Dante Alighieri invented for the Divine Comedy.. Such is his control of the form that Delanty often employs a few internal rhymes, too: “Your extraterrestrial, wide-eyed dread / and manicured long nails scare, / magnify into nightmare. Folks are misled // by their imaginations

observes in “Golden Toad”: “Scary / to read frogs and toads are our coal miners’ canary.” The sonnet is an almost comical understatement of the frightening news of widespread species loss. And what about the fate of our own species facing the climate crisis? The worst-case scenarios might still be avoided if humanity takes drastic action now. Still, the late physicist Stephen Hawking once called for humanity to colonize Mars within the next century in order to save ourselves from extinction. Delanty confronts these sobering facts with honesty instead of shrugging cynicism. One poem from the book’s middle section, “Any Way You Look at It,” is an unpunctuated fugue of the book’s title:

While I shilly-shally, she closes her eyes, nowhere else now to go but sleep. The angle of her head on the pane reminds me of the tilt of the earth. Bingo, I knew she looked familiar: Gaia, leaning on the window.

Greg Delanty

INFO No More Time, by Greg Delanty, LSU Press, 84 pages. $17.95.

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New Day Coming Helen Day Art Center to rebrand in 2021

FILE: JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

BY SALLY POLL AK • sally@sevendaysvt.com

Rachel Moore

he HELEN DAY ART CENTER in Stowe will turn 40 next year. Just in time for middle age, the center will acquire a new name and a new identity. Or at least a “rebrand.” The new name and accompanying rebrand are intended to better convey the work and mission of the center, said RACHEL MOORE, executive director and director of exhibitions. These include the center’s focus as a presenter of contemporary art, a gallery that’s working with international artists, and a community organization that’s welcoming and inclusive, she said. Changing the name of the center is also a reckoning with its past: Helen Day, for whom the center is named, engaged in anti-Semitic business practices. “We really do want to complete a name change to reflect the values of our organization,” Moore said. “We have thought about this for a long time.

ART

We really want people to be able to see what we are in our name.” Founded in 1981, the nonprofit art center shares a building with the library on Pond Street in the middle of town. Helen Day houses a gallery, classrooms and an “art lounge” equipped with coffee, Wi-Fi, materials related to the exhibits, and space to hang out and think about art (or something else, or nothing at all). The center is named for Helen Day, also known as Helen Day Montanari, a onetime Stowe resident. She left a bequest to the Town of Stowe for the establishment of a library and art center, according to Town Manager CHARLES SAFFORD. The $200,000 was used to help cover the cost of renovating the former Stowe High School to house both institutions, he said. In recent years, center officials determined that its name doesn’t fully reflect the organization, Moore said. NEW DAY COMING

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“He really didn’t have a choice,” Heyer said. “He used every cent he had to build the inn. He needed the business.” According to Heyer, her father was told: “‘If you want to be part of this town, don’t rock the boat. Say ‘gentiles only’ on your listing.’ He wasn’t antiJewish. He wanted to get business.” Given the historical context, the art center is “standing up to a bigoted history and turning a new chapter for Stowe and Vermont,” Fainsilber said. “This is a moment of remembering and education, a moment of reflection, hopefully on the ways in which Stowe has not always been a welcoming place, and how we all can do better and continue to grow.” Moore concurred that changing the name of Helen Day Art Center presents a time for reflection. She emphasized that the full story of the center, including its founding, will continue to be told. “I think that it’s important to be as knowledgeable as you can about MOORE history,” Moore said. “This isn’t a political move,” she went on. “We’re not trying to smear anyone’s reputation or cancel history. It’s acknowledging it and moving forward and reflecting on who we are.” LANCE VIOLETTE , a former board member, runs a brand strategy/design/ marketing agency in Stowe, the VIOLETTE STUDIO, with his wife, VANESSA VIOLETTE. The studio will work on the rebrand with the art center. The process involves identifying the center’s core, its “north star,” Lance Violette said, and building from that. The rebrand needs to reflect how the center has evolved, especially in recent years, he said, and it should convey its role in the region: a presenter of contemporary art, an education center, a place that supports the community, a space that challenges people. He lived in Stowe for seven or eight years before visiting Helen Day Art Center, Violette said, noting that he had no idea the gallery exhibited contemporary art. Rather, he thought it displayed paintings that would perhaps cater to tourists. “I remember distinctly setting foot in there, seeing the [art] and thinking, This is the reason that we take our kids to the city,” Violette said. “And here it is, right in our town.” m

In 2012, the art center undertook a “rebranding and renaming exercise,” she said. “It didn’t amount to anything at the time. We didn’t proceed with it.” This time, the name change and rebrand are part of a broader strategic plan the center is calling “Seizing the Future.” The initiative includes expanding the educational component of the center, building a ceramics studio with two kilns and 10 wheels, and creating spaces for making glass art and printmaking. “I’d love to see this building filled with people,” Moore said. She became executive director of the center in 2016. The Stowe resident is an artist herself who works in several mediums, including installation, drawing and sculpture. “I really feel strongly that art can be a catalyst for change,” Moore said, adding that art can be used as a tool to examine topics R A C HEL such as equity and inclusivity. “I want to be sure that art is presented in a safe place, where everyone feels welcome, where there’s humanity and understanding,” Moore said. The discussion of inclusivity and equity is relevant to the rebrand because a factor in changing the name concerns a business practice of Helen Day and her partner, Marguerite Lichtenthaeler. The latter was a physician in Stowe. The women owned a lodging facility called Attic & Barn. As was the practice of the time — the late 1930s and ’40s — they advertised that their inn, which accommodated 50 guests, served a “restricted” clientele. The words were “code for Jews not allowed,” said DAVID FAINSILBER, rabbi of the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe. “It was a prolific practice. The supermajority of lodging places in Stowe had this practice. Jews weren’t welcome in the area.” In a brochure from the late 1930s that lists Stowe inns and lodges, nine of 11 businesses advertise as “restricted,” including Attic & Barn. LYNDALL HEYER of Stowe, whose father, Larry Heyer, built a lodge on the Mountain Road in 1941, said the town fathers “seriously encouraged” him to run a gentiles-only business. (The inn was originally called the Larry Heyer’s, and INFO later Ski Inn.) Learn more at helenday.com.

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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

Love Art?

Mary Lacy’s “Small Figure II,” made out of dishes, grout and cement on board

EVENTS

‘Bundle Up’ Makers Market: Thursday, December 3, various Merchants Row locations in Middlebury, 3-7 p.m., experiencemiddlebury.com Chandler Artisans Holiday Market, through December 24, in person & online at Chandler Center for the Arts, 71 N. Main St., Randolph. chandlerartisansmarket.org Expanded Artisan Gift Sale: Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at River Arts, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville, riverartsvt.org

Now’s the Time to Buy It

ooking for a one-of-a-kind gift? Want to spruce up your Zoom background? Consider patronizing a local artist. In-person artist markets are rare this holiday season, but ﬁnding and buying work by Vermont artists online is easier than ever. And there are many options.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to support a local artist,” says Patricia Trafton, owner of Burlington’s Soapbox Arts. “There’s a price point for everyone.” For example, a 5-by-7-inch hand-embroidered wildﬂower garden from Jennifer Carusone of Burlington-based Pixie Twine, a vendor at this year’s Women’s Festival of Crafts, sells for $35. At the other end of the spectrum, artist Mary Lacy’s largescale self-portrait — a mosaic made of broken dishes — is listed at Soapbox for $16,000. That may be steep for many of us. But Trafton points out that people routinely spend $2,000 on a couch but “stop short of doing the same with a great piece of art.” Why? “It can feel really self-indulgent,” she suggests. But it’s actually “a beautiful thing” to support local art and the people who create it. The presence of so many local artists is “one of the reasons we all love Burlington and Vermont,” Trafton adds. “This is a place that has so much culture for its size.” Indeed. Vermont’s creative sector, including artists and arts organizations, accounts for more than 9 percent of jobs in the state — a higher than average percentage. But it’s been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In July, the Vermont Arts Council revealed that the 200 arts organizations and 400 individual artists who had applied for support grants collectively projected losses of $38.6 million.

Holiday Artist Market: Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., outdoors in Burlington, City Hall Park, burlingtoncityarts.org Moretown Artisans’ Sale, online, moretownartisan.com Women’s Festival of Crafts, through December 18, online, womensfestivalofcrafts.com

IN PERSON AND ONLINE:

Artisans Hand 89 Main St., Suite 8, Montpelier, artisanshand.com

A thriving arts and culture scene “is not a given,” warns Trafton. “It doesn’t just come with a place. It has to be supported to survive.” Supporting the art scene during the pandemic often means shopping online. Many local artists and galleries have opened digital storefronts for the ﬁrst time. The Milton Artists’ The Milton Artists’ Gui ld Guild is one of them. Its art classes and professional development workshops for artists have moved online, too. Still, its website includes just a fraction of the 135 artists on exhibit in its gallery. Fortunately, the organization is housed in a 6,200 square-foot space formerly occupied by a Hannaford. “It’s really easy to socially distance, for sure,” says executive director Caitlyn Kenney. The gallery has expanded holiday hours, she says. There are lots of items to brighten up the home oﬃce where you’ll be working this winter. “If it’s just four white walls and a laptop,” she says, “it gets to be pretty dreary pretty fast.” Happy shopping! 

THIS ARTICLE WAS COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR BY:

Artist In Residence Gallery 10 S. Main St., St. Albans, artistinresidencecoop.com Edgewater Gallery 6 Merchants Row & 1 Mill St., Middlebury, edgewatergallery.co Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery 85 Church St., Burlington, froghollow.org Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery 86 Falls Rd., Shelburne, fsgallery.com

Golden Hour Gift Co. 32 ½ Church St., Burlington; 17 E. Allen St., Winooski; & 2567 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, goldenhourgiftco.com Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery 199 Route 7, Milton, miltonartistsguild.org Soapbox Arts 266 Pine St., Suite 119, Burlington, soapboxarts.com Studio Place Arts 201 N. Main St., Barre, studioplacearts.com

Embroidery, art on canvas by Jennifer Carusone of Burlingtonbased Pixie Twine

Thirty-odd 270 Pine St., Burlington, thirtyodd.com

ONLINE OR BY APPOINTMENT:

Common Deer 210 College St., Burlington, commondeer.com Essex Art League essexartleague.com South End Arts and Business Association seaba.com/shop

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

Raj’s Revival? WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta’s purchase of Green Mountain College places Poultney’s fate in his hands B Y D EREK BR OUWE R • derek@sevendaysvt.com

here’s no mistaking who owns Raj Bhakta’s farm. The roof of the tallest barn on his Shoreham property broadcasts his surname in enormous red letters. Last year, the WhistlePig Whiskey founder purchased these remnants of a merino sheep farm, which sit behind a 220-year-old, honey-hued farmhouse along North Orwell Road that a previous owner rebuilt. This year, Bhakta set about renovating the barns, as well. “Poultney slate,” he noted of the new roof. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon in September, but Bhakta, who turns 45 this week, was dressed for the weekend. His blue NASA T-shirt, peppermint-striped shorts and Nike sneakers projected the laid-back look of someone who wouldn’t be coming home streaked with dirt or grass stains. He was walking and talking along a large swath of sod that he had laid over the summer in time to host his annual Fourth of July party, complete with professional fireworks, a New York choir and inflatable bounce houses for the kids. This year’s festivity doubled as a product launch. BHAKTA 50 — all caps, like the roof — is an aged brandy that Bhakta purchased from southwest France, then blends, finishes and bottles in his barns. The $300-per-bottle liquor is the first he’s released since leaving WhistlePig last year. He’s marketing limited batches directly to consumers, pitching his bottles as “appreciating assets” that will be worth tens of thousands of dollars over time. Each one comes with a hardbound booklet that tells the liquor’s story — and his own. When Bhakta started WhistlePig in 2010, he was a fading reality TV goof who’d flirted with Donald Trump’s assistant as a contestant on “The Apprentice,” and then tried to exploit his marginal notoriety for a congressional run in a

MARC NADEL

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

A few Main Street businesses shuttered soon after the announcement, adding to a list of casualties in recent years. Poultney also lost a theater, shop space, and the renewable supply of ingenuity that college students and faculty lent the community. While residents were relieved that the campus sold and ecstatic about the prospect of its revival as a college, some feared Bhakta’s outsize persona might loom over town. Poultney Rotary Club president Mandy Mitnik worried that the hard-charging new owner might be “a Great Gatsby kind of a guy,” referring to the opulent, irrepressible figure from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic novel whose desire becomes destructive. In other words: Is this guy for real? Bhakta says he is driven by noble inten-

That’s when he learned about the auction. “I decided, Well, what the hell, let’s take a look at it.”

‘SEE RAJ RUN’

The son of an Indian father and Irish mother, Bhakta grew up in an affluent Philadelphia suburb. His family ran car dealerships and hotels, enabling him to attend the elite Hill School as a teenager, where Donald Trump Jr. was his younger schoolmate. Bhakta then studied history and economics at Boston College, graduating in 1998 before starting a tech company focused on valuing used cars. It didn’t go

cast for the second season. Bhakta, Harper told Vail Daily, could recite Napoleon’s speeches by age 16 and sported bow ties and a walking cane. “One of the most fascinating, distinctive things that Raj has is his paradoxical nature,” he said. “He’s very old-fashioned in terms of traditional constructs, but at the same time he’s a guy who will ride his Harley-Davidson 130 miles per hour through Wyoming, will ride wild horses with me in Colombia in the jungle…” A restaurant manager in the Bhaktas’ hotel was more to the point: “Raj is a pretty boy born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he’s very intelligent,” he told Vail Daily. Bhakta thrived on the reality show, his personality a caricature of the preppy

CALEB KENNA

district outside of Philadelphia. During his campaign, he put on his then-signature bow tie and rode a circus elephant into the Rio Grande, a mariachi band playing alongside him, ostensibly to highlight a need for more border security. His BHAKTA 50 booklet says the escapade was inspired by “an entire bottle of tequila.” Bhakta carried his eccentric, at times reckless, behavior with him to WhistlePig. There, though, he found success. The company created and cornered a high-end market for aged rye whiskey, initially by blending Canadian liquors at a farm four miles north of the new Bhakta property. His clever approach established the brand while he simultaneously embarked on the more ambitious process of planting Vermont rye and distilling and aging the whiskey. Just as the business took off, WhistlePig’s investors sought to oust Bhakta, alleging shady financial practices and drunken misdeeds. A no-holds-barred power struggle ensued, and Bhakta eventually left the company with an undisclosed fortune in hand. The payday allowed him to start his new spirits enterprise unbeholden to investors. Across the street from the barns, a small vineyard is already rooted, surrounded by acres of dirt that Bhakta has cleared of thick brush. Bhakta said the company is an expression of his long-held passion for restoration, which to him is also a social imperative to return to the land. Long a fan of largerthan-life historic figures Winston Churchill and Napoleon Bonaparte, Bhakta waxes philosophical about Thomas Jefferson’s ideal of the yeoman farmer and the virtues of honest work. “Deep in my bones,” he said, “I love the idea of taking things that were failing and broken and bringing them back.” In July, with his barns finished and his new brandy ready to ship, Bhakta became intrigued by a different sort of fixer-upper. His best friend and longtime personal lawyer, Leo Gibson, sent him an advisory for a live auction of Green Mountain College, which closed in 2019 under financial pressure from declining enrollment. The 155-acre campus, the economic and cultural center of Poultney for nearly two centuries, had become a ghost town. Bhakta went to the auction in August and bested two others with his $4.55 million bid. Shortly thereafter, he floated vague plans to reopen the campus as an agriculturally focused work college where students could graduate with little debt. He’s aiming to have some students back on campus next year. The future of Poultney, population 3,300, is riding on it. Green Mountain College’s closure cost the town more than 150 jobs and hundreds of students.

I decided, Well, what the hell, let’s take a look at it. R A J B HA K TA

The Green Mountain College campus in Poultney

tions and has put his drunken escapades behind him. One of his uncles died in January, and in April, Bhakta said, he felt chest pains and feared he might be having a heart attack. He wasn’t, but the reminders of mortality left him contemplating what his personal “highest and best use” might be. “I thought, You might drop dead, so what are you doing with your life? You’re just going to go create a couple spirits companies and make a billion dollars or $10 billion and join the other ranks of the graveyards of the world that are full of rich and indispensable men?”

anywhere, and he fell into the family business as a partner in a Holiday Inn project in West Vail, Colo. Bhakta didn’t particularly enjoy working with his dad, he’s said in media interviews over the years. In Bhakta’s tellings, his boarding school friend and college roommate Henry Harper — now of high-end Tata Harper Skincare, based in Whiting — suggested he audition for “The Apprentice,” the elder Donald Trump’s entrepreneurial reality show, which debuted in early 2004, as a way to move on. Harper talked up his peculiar friend to the ski town newspaper after he was

businessman who drops a pickup line during a job interview. Trump fired him on the ninth episode, in front of roughly 16 million viewers; Bhakta asked for his assistant’s phone number on the way out. In the following months, Bhakta ventured into Republican politics, beginning with an advocacy group he dubbed the Coalition for Advancement of the Republic. Wearing a bow tie and a banker stripe shirt, he moderated a panel on Social Security reform at the Young Republicans National Convention in 2005. RAJ’S REVIVAL? SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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The following year he decided to run for U.S. Congress in the suburban district where he grew up. Against a strong Democratic incumbent, former representative Allyson Schwartz, Bhakta put together a platform that hit the same notes that Trump would ride to an insurgent victory 10 years later, with slogans like “Save the Northeast” and an emphasis on crime and border security. Most observers didn’t take his campaign seriously, especially after it came to light that the 30-year-old candidate had twice been arrested for DUI, in Massachusetts and Colorado. The shoestring campaign operated out of a conference room in a Best Western hotel his family owned. Bhakta’s craving for the spotlight seemed to overshadow his policy convictions. Bhakta hired a crew to film his every move — “See Raj Run” videos are still on YouTube — and reportedly promised to host an “Apprentice”-style contest to determine which intern he’d hire as a congressional staffer. Raymond Smalley was 23 when he worked for the campaign. Smalley’s job, he recalled, was to generate buzz for Bhakta online, especially through the bubbling political blogosphere, the midaughts predecessor to today’s online fever swamps. On most days, Smalley said, the campaign seemed to be shooting from the hip. When then-senator Joe Biden said on camera that you couldn’t go into a Dunkin’ Donuts or a 7-Eleven in Delaware “unless you have a slight Indian accent,” Smalley managed to score Bhakta an appearance on the conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt’s syndicated radio show to react to Biden’s comment. The next day, Bhakta dropped by the conference room. “Raj came in, sat down on the edge of my desk, and he’s like, ‘How do we do more with this?’” Smalley recalled. The “7-Eleven challenge” was born. Bhakta stood in front of a convenience store and filmed an ad seeking $7.11 donations to commemorate Biden’s “silly” comment. Bhakta drew even more attention for his elephantine stunt on the Texas-Mexico border, which would become a canonical episode in his personal mythology. That stunt’s aggrandizing absurdity obscured an earlier moment on the trip when Bhakta and his cameraman tried to confront two men whom they’d witnessed wading across the Rio Grande and into the United States. “Señor! Señor!” the sunglasses and polo-wearing candidate called out to the shirtless men, who kept walking as Bhakta’s staffer pointed his camera at their faces. 32

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

CALEB KENNA

Raj’s Revival? « P.31

Deep in my bones, I love the idea of taking things that were failing and broken and bringing them back. R AJ BH AK TA

In the homestretch of the losing campaign, Bhakta bombarded voters with robocalls featuring a sobbing, unnamed woman who claimed she had had an unwanted abortion at a clinic his opponent once headed. Schwartz’s staff condemned the calls, saying Bhakta’s campaign had “no decency and no shame.” Asked about that assessment, Smalley, who no longer works in politics, let out a long laugh. “Sounds about right,” he said. Bhakta got trounced, earning just 34 percent of the vote, but he continued to look for a political platform. In 2008 he started a blog — Go America Go! — that called itself “an organization dedicated to educating today’s youth about American exceptionalism.” The long-defunct site, accessible through an internet archive, featured Bhakta’s screeds about the “socialist” threat to the country, which would lead only to “managed decline and pathetic emasculation.” He called upon the words of Jefferson to promote the “tempestuous sea of liberty” and praised Trump’s protectionist policy prescriptions at a time when the reality TV host was better known for promoting the false “birther” conspiracy about thenpresident Barack Obama’s citizenship. Though Bhakta was unable to transform his own blend of showmanship and populism into a political career, he found in them the seeds of a different, more lucrative, sort of brand.

‘BOSS HOG’

Down on his luck after his failed congressional bid, Bhakta again took the advice of his longtime friend Harper, who by 2007 was living in the Champlain Valley. Harper, who did not respond to an interview request for this story, suggested the Green Mountains would help ground him, Bhakta later told Worth magazine. Bhakta bought farmland in Shoreham and figured out what to do next. He also reconnected with a friend, Wilco Faessen, from an early-career stint at a New York City investment banking firm. Bhakta and Faessen created a series of entities under the name GoAmericaGo to explore business opportunities in alcohol, an industry in which Faessen had experience. They looked at beer, vodka and a shooter drink they called Petro, but scrapped each pursuit. By late 2009, Bhakta was out of money and getting desperate. He needed a concept that could generate profit quickly. Aided by $375,000 in loans from the Vermont Economic Development Authority, Bhakta purchased barrels of aged rye whiskey, then an obscure niche, from Canada, to bottle it, he later said in a deposition, with a “cool name and a great package.” It worked. By the end of 2010, WhistlePig’s high-priced rye was moving off shelves in New York City and Chicago,

allowing the company to “effectively break even” during its first six months, the company reported. WhistlePig, actually a term for a groundhog, embraced a brash, porcine persona, with releases such as Boss Hog. The company kept two Kunekune hog mascots, Mauve and Mortimer, who joined Bhakta at public events in New York City. WhistlePig won some local admirers, including Magic Hat Brewing cofounder Alan Newman, who credits Bhakta with recognizing and capitalizing on an overlooked opportunity. Bhakta also projected WhistlePig as a craft distillery, with plans to create a farm-to-bottle product from rye grown on the company farms and aged in barrels made with Vermont lumber. “The whole story about building the farmhouse distillery was engaging,” Newman said, “and, I thought, was a great way to build that brand.” But Bhakta’s farm-to-bottle product didn’t become reality for years, held up in part by a protracted regulatory dispute with his neighbors. Bhakta built out WhistlePig without seeking an Act 250 permit, and neighboring farmers George Gross and Barbara Wilson worried that mold spores from aging whiskey barrels would spoil their berry crops. Gross and Wilson accused WhistlePig of “egregiously dodging” the state’s landmark land-use RAJ’S REVIVAL?

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

assistant in 2011. The two soon became romantically involved and later married, continuing to work together. WhistlePig’s investors accused Bhakta of secretly granting Danhee a stake in the company when he hired her. They also accused him of intermingling the company with his personal property and misallocating funds. They accused him of spending $28,000 at a European bordello on a company credit card, and

employee as being “extremely intoxicated” at the time and said employees talked him into going home. Bhakta denies he was drunk, saying he showed up to invite former coworkers to a bonfire. “It was all in good Vermont country farm-life fun,” he said. The company did not respond to a request for comment, but Bhakta acknowledged that WhistlePig banned him from the property. CALEB KENNA

rules while building a multimillion-dollar “whiskey importing” company. Bhakta contended that the business should fall under the state’s agriculture exemption. He lost: WhistlePig paid a $19,000 fine and agreed to limits on its storage capacity. Bhakta’s presence proved divisive in small-town Vermont. While many respected the economic activity he brought to Addison County, others didn’t trust him. To Steve Belanus, the owner of Cornwall Auto Body, his onetime customer carried himself like a “king.” Several years ago, the two got into a dispute over the agreed-upon price for restoration work on Bhakta’s vintage black Cadillac. “We tried to discuss it politely,” Belanus said. Bhakta “was so arrogant, I told him if he didn’t leave, he’d have to pick himself off the floor and leave.” Bhakta recalled “being charged more than the agreed price for a job.” An elderly couple sued Bhakta in 2015, alleging that he had bulldozed a road through woods that they refused to sell him. Jeanne and Jon Whitaker alleged in court filings that they’d rejected his request twice — first when he stopped by their house, and again the next day when they went to WhistlePig headquarters to reiterate their position because Bhakta had appeared drunk during the first encounter. Bhakta testified that he’d never asked to purchase their land because he believed he owned it. He also countersued them. “The credibility of Mr. Bhakta is the central issue that the jury will decide,” the Whitakers’ attorneys wrote in an August 2016 filing. The parties settled later that month. Bhakta told Seven Days he had “nothing to do” with the bulldozing. In one bizarre episode, Bhakta reported being kidnapped by two men he was only trying to help. The men knocked on Bhakta’s door in the middle of a cold winter night in 2013 and asked for a hand retrieving a stuck vehicle. On the way, the men accused him of making a sexual advance on one of their ex-girlfriends during a job interview, a claim the woman later told police was untrue. Sensing a setup, Bhakta jumped out of the moving truck in his “Vermont flannel pajamas” before a confrontation in a field, a police report detailed. “Maybe 3 minutes after the point that I realized I had been kidnapped, I attempted to strike a meaningful blow on my assailant, but his accomplice shows up on my flank,” Bhakta said in a statement to police. “Not knowing if he was armed, I pulled back into a purely defensive position. The accomplice asked his thug friend to ‘fucking flatten him (being me).’”

The men, Bhakta alleged, called him a “rich mother fucker”who thinks he “owns this town.” One of the men was convicted of felony unlawful restraint and was sentenced to prison time. Drinking has fueled some of Bhakta’s misadventures. While running WhistlePig, Bhakta racked up at least two more DUI charges and one boating while intoxicated charge between 2012 and 2015. Yet Bhakta has never been convicted

Raj and Danhee Bhakta on campus

of drunk driving, only of lesser misdemeanors. Following the two more recent DUI arrests, including a wreck where he flipped his car and broke his hip, he denied the DUI charges and declined to submit to blood-alcohol tests. Today he admits to excessive drinking only in general terms. “I have drank too much at times in my life, and it’s gotten me into trouble,” he said. Bhakta said he removed alcohol from his daily life a couple years ago: “I taste, but I don’t drink.” By 2016, however, Bhakta’s investors, including Faessen, wanted Bhakta out of the way. The board orchestrated his ouster, but Bhakta refused to step aside. He sued them, which spilled the dispute into public view. Bhakta saw himself as being in a “state of war,” he later said in a deposition. Bhakta had hired a Columbia University grad named Danhee Kim as his

then lying about the trip. Bhakta, who declined to comment on other aspects of the case, insisted in a joint interview with his wife last month that he was merely a victim of fraud. “I didn’t approve those charges,” he said. “I was there; it turned out to be a bordello. And they got my credit card and started running it like hotcakes.” Bhakta eventually stepped down as a managing member of the company as part of the litigation settlement. He continued to own 30 percent of its shares, Bhakta testified in 2017, and worked for a time as “chief steward of the brand.” By early 2019, he had sold his stake and no longer had any association with WhistlePig. Later that year, Bhakta acknowledges, he showed up at his former company with a shotgun and fired a shell into the air. A redacted police report matching the incident describes a gun-toting former

RAJ RESURRECTED

As things worsened at WhistlePig, Bhakta, his wife and their children moved to Florida, where they have family connections, to escape the bitterness that had consumed their life in Vermont. “It was very emotional for us,” he said. “We built that company together from the farm. Our kids were raised on that farm.” Shortly after cashing out of WhistlePig last year, Bhakta bought a 1,000-acre ranch in Vero Beach, Fla. The property is in a designated “opportunity zone,” an impoverished area where wealthy individuals can get tax incentives for reinvesting capital gains. At the same time, Bhakta went looking for a new project. The search took him to French spirits company Maison RAJ’S REVIVAL?

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each barrel he releases — one to taste and one to save. In a recent interview conducted with one of his children on his lap, Bhakta claimed the bottles will be worth at least $10,000 in time and that he purchased 10 for his mother as an investment. (RystDupeyron’s 1868 vintage Armagnac currently ships online in Europe for the equivalent of about $5,300.) Just before the July launch, Bhakta made an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s primetime Fox News program to expound on his message of rural rejuvenation. The segment began with Carlson speaking over video of a New York City Police Department cruiser that protesters had set ablaze. “You may be dreaming about moving out of the city to somewhere pastoral, to rural America. Raj Peter Bhakta did that,” Carlson said. Bhakta appeared by teleconference, a bottle of his soon-to-be-released brandy featured in the camera frame.

the most distinctive. The brick, federalstyle Ames Hall stands elegantly at the head of Poultney’s Main Street, and on the greens around it, students learned in unconventional ways. They turned lawns into organic gardens, invested in sustainable energy and sang Welsh language hymns in a renowned college choir. Commencements were a town-wide affair, as tasseled students walked through Main Street to the college green. On a recent November afternoon, the campus was empty and eerily preserved. Banners on light posts still touted the former school’s ranking, and ethos, as “first in sustainability.” Leaves were piled in neat rings around the trees that dot the quads; the grass was freshly mowed. Raj and Danhee were standing around a couple of red barns in a far corner of campus watching their children ride horses in a small pen. They took their youngest to one of the barns and called out to an assistant for a diaper change, and

The whole story about building the farmhouse distillery was engaging and, I thought, was a great way to build that brand. AL AN NE W MAN

we’re going to tick off the neighbors,” but Saville said he appreciates the renewed activity and investment down the road. “He likes the term ‘revivalist,’ and I feel like that fits him to a T,” Saville said. Bhakta said he settled on the concept while putting together promotional material for his brandy. The 52-page booklet says the BHAKTA brand is about “reviving farming in America,” beginning with his own properties. The liquor, with its blends of history-spanning vintages, imparts the same spirit, Bhakta writes. “This bottle is a monument to Revival,” he continues. “These spirits herein were born, lived and were forgotten. Long have they lain in the cave … Now they are risen.” He’s pitching BHAKTA 50 as a mindset in a bottle, enticing prospective customers with promises of an “exquisite” product. Customers can join Bhakta’s Revivalist Society, or a recently introduced “stockholder” program, which costs $19,000 and guarantees the buyer two bottles from CALEB KENNA

Ryst-Dupeyron, whose portfolio includes cellars full of vintage Armagnac, a regional brandy, dating as far back as 1868. He bought the company’s Armagnac division and started shipping barrels across the Atlantic. The entrepreneur launched BHAKTA 50 on the Fourth of July with his typical flair, pandemic notwithstanding. Bhakta, who is Catholic, invited the head of the Vermont diocese, Bishop Christopher Coyne, to bless his new business venture and the Shoreham barns that house it. After Coyne completed the ritual, the bishop told Seven Days, Bhakta asked him to sit in on a performance. Coyne, who was dressed in liturgical vestments, complete with a cross hanging on his chest, said he didn’t quite know what he was getting into. What the bishop was getting into was a raucous online ad for Bhakta’s reemergence as an irreverent spirits maven. The nearly four-minute skit features eight men in white robes and parliamentary wigs (plus Coyne and one of Bhakta’s four children) debating the relative merits of whiskey versus brandy. Brandy, of course, wins the day. Coyne is shown raising an arm to proclaim something before the shot cuts to BHAKTA 50 being bottled. The message “Buy now and decide for yourself” flashes across the screen. In a brief interview, Coyne was quick to say he didn’t intend to promote Bhakta’s brandy, or even drinking. “I just thought it was a harmless bit of fun,” he said. The celebration spilled over into an Independence Day barbecue, though Coyne said he ducked out. “Some people weren’t being careful about wearing masks and stuff, so I said, OK, it’s time for me to leave,” he recalled. The bishop drove home with a souvenir bottle of brandy. A party under an enormous tent followed, with about 70 friends, neighbors and spirits promoters from around the

country. Francesca Scorsese, the 21-yearold actress and daughter of director Martin Scorsese, posted photos with the hashtag #bhaktafarms. One neighbor, Matt Saville, said the outdoor celebration featured a choir and bounce houses for kids, as well as fireworks. “He sure knows how to throw a party,” he said of Bhakta. Saville said their families have hit it off since the Bhaktas introduced themselves. They have children of similar ages, and Bhakta sometimes invites Saville to join him on walks along their properties. He describes the businessman as energetic and exciting. The website for B h a k t a ’s n e w farms quips that it’s “likely that

“People have got a conception that moving out to the country reduces opportunity,” he said, “but if you’ve got an optimistic, revival, positive mentality, you can find a niche, like I did.” Besides the new vineyards in Shoreham, Bhakta plans to grow sugarcane in Vero Beach to use one day for a rum product, and he recently bought an apple orchard in the Champlain Valley for use in apple brandy. Bhakta seems to be finding opportunity everywhere he looks. In mid-August, after the notion of restarting a college had percolated for a few weeks, Bhakta walked outside the Withey Hall dining room, where the Green Mountain College auction was held, as the historic campus’ soon-to-be owner. His winning bid was less than a quarter of the site’s $20 million appraised value. Wearing white pants and a green T-shirt that read “BOOKNERD” in the form of a Vermont license plate, he flashed a big smile at a WCAX-TV camera crew and promised “to do great things in Poultney and Vermont and in America.”

COLLEGE TRY

Green Mountain College is one of a handful of small Vermont colleges to close in the last two years, but it was perhaps

then led a Seven Days reporter through a darkened building to his second-floor office. Portraits of former college figureheads hung from one wall, and against another stood a beautiful display hutch lined with old books and BHAKTA 50 bottles. Bhakta has introduced his plans as a rough idea for a “work college,” where students perform practical labor as part of their studies. Some higher education institutions, including Sterling College in Craftsbury, incorporate such a model. Bhakta’s vision is much more ambitious and very experimental, even communelike. He imagines transforming the 22-building campus into an intergenerational learning community for preschoolers to seniors. Someday, at least. With the help of a local teacher, Danhee has started a small homeschool for the family’s kids, which she hopes will serve as the germ for a forward-thinking community school. Raj has talked about turning one of the old dorms into housing for “active seniors” but said plans aren’t certain. Next year’s offering, if there is one, would be modest, Bhakta said. He intends to launch with a short, perhaps “one-year RAJ’S REVIVAL?

» P.38

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postgraduate program” that trains enrollees about the ins and outs of the alcohol business as he knows it. “There’s nothing dedicated to the business of beverage alcohol, which is booming, which has its particularities and which we’re masters of,” he said. “And if I can impart that knowledge to young people who can be part of the revival, the regeneration of this campus and surrounding areas in beverage alcohol, that would be an amazing first step.” Bhakta doesn’t sound particularly interested in seeking accreditation for his new school, saying the people he’s spoken with “in the accredited world” have urged him to focus instead “on the education itself and giving your students all the tools to kick ass.” Bhakta thinks of the program as a “fellowship” in which students complete internships at companies across Vermont’s bustling craft distilling and brewing scene, including at Bhakta Farms, while also pursuing some liberal arts studies. He plans to teach some of the courses himself. Interns have figured prominently over the course of Bhakta’s careers, beginning in his days as a congressional candidate. He once told Yankee magazine that WhistlePig’s first bottling line took place on two picnic tables in a barn with the help of “four Middlebury students who liked weed.” Interns who’ve excelled have gained spots in Bhakta’s inner orbit. Johnathan Page started out as a WhistlePig intern in 2017, during which time he got WhistlePig’s “WP” logo tattooed on his middle finger. Today his job title is Bhakta’s aide-de-camp, a French military term for a general’s assistant. This year, Bhakta Farms employed interns in viniculture and marketing, drawing them with job postings such as “Spirits Baron Seeks Historian.” Bhakta is keeping the Green Mountain College name for now and plans to structure it as a nonprofit. He doesn’t yet have any board members lined up. Linked to the college, he said, will be an array of Green Mountain College brands — for-profit companies, including Bhakta Spirits — that he’ll eventually run as B Corporations, a designation for socially conscious businesses. Those companies will in turn pump some profit back into the college. As with Bhakta’s liquor brands, the college’s initial entry into the industry won’t quite reflect his longer-term vision. But Bhakta also knows the power of a good story. “I think what the novel piece is,” he said, “is that the actual sales component and the marketing component is going to 38

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

DEREK BROUWER

Raj’s Revival? « P.36

He’s either one heck of an actor, or he’s one really decent human being. CHU CK C O LVIN

be deeply interwoven into the education of the students. Because that’s the biggest problem. “I’m not telling you it’s easy to be a farmer,” he continued. “I’m not telling you it’s easy to grow great produce, but the much tougher thing is finding a market and being able to serve it.”

GREATEST SHOW IN POULTNEY

The college’s shuttering “changed the complexion of the town completely,” said longtime resident Chuck Colvin. Some staff and faculty have moved away. The longer-term livelihoods of many who remain are pinned to renewed activity on campus. “That’s their only hope, frankly,” Colvin said. Colvin and his wife, Kate, have owned the three-story Journal Press building on Main Street for decades; it long housed the family printing business. They sold the business, and it eventually shut down. The Colvins have since converted the building into a small business center, which also houses artist studios and educational space. Theirs is but one of the ways Poultney residents have adapted to economic and social change. Public and private benefactors get things done in Poultney, whether that’s lighting sidewalks or starting the community arts center, Stone Valley Arts. Hundreds turned out for a series of brainstorming sessions convened last year by the Vermont Council on Rural Development in response to the closure. They came up with an action plan to help “revitalize” the community, based on priorities such as wooing a bank and expanding the bikes and trails network.

In September, a couple of recent Green Mountain College graduates opened a nonprofit maker space, REclaimED, just off Main Street in a long-vacant metalworks facility. The name pays homage to the college’s Renewable Energy & Ecological Design program, of which cofounders Carl Diethelm and Danny Lang are alumni. On a recent tour of the partially developed space, Lang, 26, eyed potential — for textiles, ceramics, metalworks, yoga — in every unfinished corner. He sees the budding maker space as a community hub that will help keep his alma mater’s spirit alive. Bhakta’s purchase of the campus received a mixed response from alumni. The individualist businessman may not have fit in at the community-oriented former college, but Lang says he’s personally willing to give him a chance. “We don’t have the luxury to pick and choose what happens there,” he noted. Lang said he’s watching to see whether Bhakta will treat the new Green Mountain College as a community endeavor or a personal enterprise. Ben Doyle, the new president of Preservation Trust of Vermont, contends that Bhakta’s revival mission can only succeed as the former. “Revitalizing a community,” he said, “takes everyone working together.” Some locals have already sent letters to Bhakta about their ideas. Retired art professor Richard Weis said he emphasized the public value of the college’s arts amenities. Educator and Green Mountain College grad Kyle Callahan published an open letter urging Bhakta to pursue an educational model that “puts the campus at the center of the community.” The Bhaktas say they’re committed. “This isn’t some vanity project,” Danhee said of her primary school concept. “I want to work with people that ... can really

stand by what I’m trying to do and work in partnership.” Their family recently moved into the former college president’s house on Main Street and patronizes the diner down the block. Their new residence is temporary, however. They may “eventually” relocate to a larger property nearby, called the Meeting House, that currently serves as a free community meeting center and as office space for the Nature Conservancy. With four kids, they’ll need extra bedrooms, the couple said. Included in the campus purchase, the impressive Queen Anne-Colonial Revival house was restored in 2014 using a reported $750,000 in public and private donations. In exchange, the college agreed to maintain part of the home as a public venue. College trustees returned the Preservation Trust’s $100,000 contribution as part of the campus sale, Doyle said. The organization hopes to put the money to future projects, “ideally in Poultney,” he said. Early in the fall, Bhakta hosted a small, invitation-only barbecue outside Withey Hall. Colvin made the guest list — he wasn’t sure how — as did Poultney Selectboard chair Jeff King. Poultney’s newest resident lubricated the meet and greet with samples of BHAKTA 50, which a server poured directly into guests’ personal cups. The specialty spirit registered a rave review from the selectboard chair, who seemed hopeful that the drink would prove a harbinger of bigger things to come. “Oh, my goodness, it has such a flavor!” King said later. “Yeah, that was very good. That was very smooth. I’ll be buying some of that when that comes out.” In late October, Bhakta accepted an invitation to speak to the Poultney Rotary Club. He had been the “universal answer” to a member survey about their preferred guest speakers, club president Mitnik said. Members easily filled the building to its 18-person, COVID-19-compliant capacity, rapt as Bhakta gave an overview of his vision. Colvin, a rotary member, said he was as impressed by Bhakta’s casual comportment as by his ambitious plans. Bhakta’s young daughter sat in his lap, playing with her father’s tie as he made small talk with the crowd. “He’s either one heck of an actor, or he’s one really decent human being,” Colvin concluded. For Mitnik, who had been somewhat skeptical of the mysterious new owner, the event was reassuring. “It was nice to see he was not The Great Gatsby kind of a guy,” she said. “He didn’t come across like that at all.” m

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

Taking Shape

Bethany Andrews-Nichols

From bananas to boobs, Beenanza Design creates eye-catching patterns B Y M ARG A RET G RAYSON • margaret@sevendaysvt.com

ethany Andrews-Nichols has dedicated her life to patterns. Through her Burlington-based business Beenanza Design, she specializes in colorful, graphic motifs and even offers monthly downloads of funky laptop wallpaper. But her very first design job, in Minneapolis, wasn’t quite so artistically oriented. “I did Betty Crocker press kits when they were releasing a new type of stovetop potato,” she recalled in a recent phone interview. “Being 22 and actually doing work for what I went to college for, I was like, ‘I’m feeling successful, even though I’m designing these potato boxes.’” Potato boxes are a far cry from Andrews-Nichols’ work today. She creates print, package and pattern design, including fabrics. She also teaches workshops and even prints large murals at local businesses. While her patterns are contemporary, with simple repeated shapes and lively, contrasting colors, the designer’s favorite medium is an ancient one: a method of block printing — dyeing fabric or paper using carved wooden blocks — that developed in northern India. Andrews-Nichols, who lives in Burlington, said she couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t awed by beautiful prints.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

“I remember the wallpaper in my house when I was 5 years old,” she said. Growing up in Ohio and upstate New York, Andrews-Nichols took up art to entertain herself when her older siblings were out of the house. She started working at Magic Hat Brewing in 2008, when she and her partner moved to Burlington. There, she found the freedom to be creative, experimenting with projects such as designing a beer label out of felt. “The experience I had while I was [at Magic Hat] was unlike any other,” she said. “I can’t think of a better place to have developed as a designer. Because it was constantly like, ‘Make it weirder’

… If I had worked for eight years at a bank, I would’ve been a very different designer.” In 2017, Andrews-Nichols, now 36, was laid off from Magic Hat. She was ready, she said. She’d had two kids by that point and didn’t want to manage employees anymore. She’d already reduced her hours to work just four days a week and found that having a day to pursue her own projects was a boon to her creativity.

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“It just opened the floodgates, that one day a week,” she said. “When I was finished at Magic Hat, I was like, ‘That’s what I want my other four days to be.’” So she launched Beenanza — after a nickname a friend gave her — and went about building a freelance career. She also cofounded Vermont Womenpreneurs, a network for female business owners, with Mieko Ozeki, who’s the market director of Burlington Farmers Market. In 2017, Andrews-Nichols visited Jaipur, capital of the state of Rajasthan in northern India, to learn about block printing, which emphasizes repeated patterns and layers of color. Printers typically stamp patterns with handheld wooden blocks that are carved by artisans who specialize in the task. Though the carvers can make the blocks incredibly accurate — a perfect circle, for example — Andrews-Nichols likes the fact that the wood and the process create prints with imperfect texture. “I prefer there to be flaws,” she said, “because then you can see that someone touched it and loved it.” In Jaipur, everything clicked for Andrews-Nichols. “All of this design work that I’ve been doing my entire adult life, now it makes sense,” she explained. “I started block printing obsessively.” She had an exhibition at Burlington’s Foam Brewers, and then designed a line of beer labels for the company. She hosted her first block-printing workshop at Foam alongside Jeremy Fritzhand, the owner of Studio Bagru, a block-printing facility in India. Foam is also where Andrews-Nichols created her first mural. It’s impossible to use wood for block printing murals, so she had to find another material. She wandered around Lowe’s, “touching the bottom of all the rugs and floor mats,” she said, and eventually found a mat that would work. Since then, Andrews-Nichols has completed a banana-print mural at Momo’s Market in the Old North End and two murals in an Airbnb in Underhill. “I totally want to do more murals,” she said. “It’s so satisfying.” Walls aren’t the only unique surfaces Andrews-Nichols has block printed. She’s been collaborating with Flatlander Supply in Vershire to produce patterned leather goods, including a clutch printed with red and blue repetitions of the word “vote.” Andrews-Nichols sends her designs for woodblocks to the artisans at Studio Bagru, who carve them for her. She has also designed — and sold out of — backpacks that were printed at the India studio. “Some of the fabrics I do print myself, here, but a lot of my fabrics were printed in India by this group of amazing printers and carvers,” she said. “That is their wheelhouse. These prints are so beautiful,

I PREFER THERE TO BE FLAWS, BECAUSE THEN

YOU CAN SEE THAT SOMEONE TOUCHED IT AND LOVED IT. B E THANY AND R E W S - NIC H O L S

and I’m so lucky to be able to work with this group.” Most recently, Andrews-Nichols has sold posters and stickers of her design called “One of a Kind,” which features interlocking breast illustrations in a variety of shades. She’s donated a portion of the proceeds to Burlington’s Hope Lodge, which provides support for cancer patients and their families, and plans to donate to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, which advocates for Black maternal health.

The print, Andrews-Nichols said, has held a lot of meaning for mothers, cancer survivors and others. She wants to give back to those whose causes she aims to represent. When she first began freelancing, Andrews-Nichols said, about 70 percent of her work was creating traditional design projects; the rest was pattern work. Now, those proportions have flipped, and she’s started to become known for her patterns. She wants to introduce her colorful aesthetic to organizations and corporations that may

be tired of using stock imagery and traditional design. The patterns, Andrews-Nichols said, come to her instinctually, after years of practice. But she also believes pattern designing is for everyone, even those who think they aren’t artistic. She’ll bring woodblocks in familiar shapes to workshops and be completely surprised by students’ creative uses of them. “The beautiful thing about making prints and patterns is that it’s so accessible,” Andrews-Nichols said. “Anybody can do it. That’s why I love doing workshops and sharing my blocks and letting people explore.” m

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All the Buzz

ENVIRONMENT

Noise experts suggest that Vermont plan for the arrival of commercial drones B Y K E N PI CA RD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

SEAN METCALF

ometime in the not-too-distant future — think years, not decades — the skies above Vermont will likely hum with swarms of commercial drones completing their appointed rounds. Small, unmanned copters could deliver holiday gifts from Amazon, groceries from Walmart, and medications from CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens. They would be left at people’s doorsteps, much the way the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx deliver today. Though the above description may sound far-fetched and even dystopian to some, Eddie Duncan suggests that Vermonters get ready for it. Duncan is a noise control engineer and director of acoustics at Resources Systems Group, a Vermont-based research and analytics firm. He said the seemingly sci-fi drone scenario has already become a reality in a small but growing number of communities around the United States, where some of the nation’s largest national retailers have launched drone delivery services, or plan to shortly. According to Duncan, the sooner Vermont lays the groundwork for managing the environmental impacts of commercial drones — notably, noise pollution — the better it will be prepared when the tiny aircraft finally take off in the Green Mountain State. Three Dartmouth College professors founded RSG in 1986. The firm has since worked in all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries on a variety of projects, many involving transportation, energy and land-use planning. The employee-owned company, with offices in Burlington and White River Junction, has also made a name for itself in recent years by helping to mitigate noise from wind turbines. As Duncan put it, “We’ve had our hand in, in one form or another, virtually every wind farm in Vermont.” RSG is one of the few American companies that has studied the community-wide impacts of commercial drones — those used for business, nonprofit or educational use, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. (Drones used by amateur photographers and backyard hobbyists fall in a different category.) In September, RSG released a self-funded white paper: “Three Considerations Around Drone Noise and Strategies for Mitigation.” As the paper noted, research by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has determined that people find the “distinctive

and irregular buzzing sound of drones” incredibly irritating. That pronouncement may seem as groundbreaking as declaring that water is wet. But Duncan explained that, in order to limit drone noise pollution, it’s important to first understand the specific acoustical properties that get under people’s skin. Several factors make some sounds more irksome than others, he said. Residents who live in the flight path of Burlington International Airport may find the roar of F-35 fighter jets more aggravating than the buzz of a single-engine propeller plane, but that doesn’t necessarily mean louder noises are more annoying than quieter ones. Many

people find the rumble of a passing freight train calming, though the sound of someone chewing gum or the buzz of a mosquito can be maddening. As the white paper notes, “Think of nails on a chalkboard. This noise is not louder than a neighbor’s lawnmower, but it produces a much stronger and visceral reaction among listeners.” Indeed, drones generally aren’t louder than other transportation sounds, such as vehicles on highways, Duncan explained, but several factors make them more bothersome, including their tonality. Vehicle traffic sounds tend to be more broadband and atonal, he said, akin to white noise. In contrast, a drone’s whine is more like

the hum of an electrical transformer, and people can find it as distracting as a buzzing insect. Another reason for drones’ sonic irritation, Duncan continued, is that its tones aren’t consistent. Commercial drones may have as many as 15 propellers, each of which can spin at different speeds. Duncan likened those sound variations to a slide whistle, making their combined noise less like the buzz of a single bee and more like an entire swarm. Understanding those and other acoustical properties can help planners figure out how best to mask or mitigate drone noise, including planning routes that affect the fewest number of people on the ground.

Why did RSG undertake months of research on this topic without a client to foot the bill? As Duncan explained, he and white paper coauthors Erica Wygonik and Kenneth Kaliski found the topic an interesting acoustical challenge. Though drone technology has existed for years, he noted, currently there’s no regulatory framework governing drone noise the way there is for conventional aircraft. They also took on the research because COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of commercial drone technology for consumer use. In October 2019, Wing, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, launched the nation’s first drone delivery service in Christiansburg, Va. According to a Walgreens press release, Wing partnered with Walgreens and FedEx to enable Virginia-based pharmacy customers to get drone deliveries of more than 100 over-thecounter medications, wellness products, foods and beverages. That market took off once the pandemic began. As RSG’s white paper noted, “Wing representatives cited a 350 percent monthly increase in signups from February to April 2020 as the pandemic began and stay-at-home orders were issued.” In April, UPS announced a similar partnership with CVS in Florida to deliver prescription meds and other consumer items to the Villages, that state’s largest retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents. As the pandemic and stay-at-home orders forced people indoors and shuttered many businesses, drone-delivered items such as coffee and toilet paper became among the most sought-after items — and new applications are being identified all the time. In mid-June, Wing began delivering library books to homebound Virginia schoolchildren for their summer reading. Though Vermont is typically a year or more behind such cutting-edge trends — think of its slower adoption of ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft — new technologies arrive eventually. But Duncan advised that new commercial drone operators will need to avoid many of the pitfalls that have hampered test projects elsewhere. In October, Duncan presented a more technical version of RSG’s white paper at the Quiet Drones 2020 international symposium, originally scheduled to be held in Paris but moved online due to the pandemic. While the symposium included many highly technical presentations on the science of building quieter drones, Duncan said, he was surprised by the dearth of

information on community-wide planning for drone noise management. In Vermont, RSG used existing noise maps of the Burlington area to plot potential flight paths that commercial drones could follow, either to mask their noise or to minimize the number of people who could hear them. For example, Duncan theorized that commercial drones could be required to follow Vermont’s existing roadways before heading off to their final destinations. Other routes could take them over less-populated areas, where they wouldn’t pose much of a nuisance to humans. He envisions that some Burlington-based drones heading north and south might be routed over Lake Champlain to minimize their impact on local neighborhoods. Of course, any such decisions likely will need to consider the impacts on nonhuman ears, too, which Duncan acknowledged could be much more challenging to evaluate. “For protected species, we might have some values we can use,” he said, “but for unprotected species” — cows, sparrows, dogs, bears — “there’s just not enough research to know what levels impact certain animals.” Another critical issue to consider, he emphasized, is social equity, especially if Vermont establishes flight paths only through areas that already have high ambient noise levels. Duncan pointed out that lower-income people, through no fault of their own, tend to live in areas with more noise pollution. “So we want to be careful about strictly flying over those areas,” he added, “especially if they’re flying to a more advantaged community, where Joe, Becky and Sally are all ordering their coffees at 8 a.m. and having them delivered.” No operator has yet proposed commercial drone deliveries in Vermont, so one might assume that it’s too soon for state lawmakers and local municipalities to begin planning their regulation. But given that the commercial drone market is projected to climb to more than $63 billion by 2025, Duncan advises differently. “If we frame it like that, we don’t start thinking about [drones] until there’s a developer at the doorstep,” he said. “At that point, I think there’s a question of whether or not the regulation is being developed for the people or for the developer. “We know they’re coming,” he added. “We just can’t say exactly when.” m

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food+drink

Chicken Liver Mousse (With the Works) Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar, 1031 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 585-7717, and 388 Pine St., Burlington, 865-2368; dedaluswine.com

I’ll drive 76 miles round trip for an olive and an anchovy, but I won’t do it two days in a row. So when Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Bar in Stowe was out of its skewer that stabs a briny green olive, a salty and slimy slick of anchovy, and a pickle-y pepper, I was bummed. But I wasn’t going to return the next day, when the deli case would hold a new load of this $2 treat. My spirits picked up when I spotted a jar of chicken liver mousse. I know this item from Dedalus in Burlington, where I’m a superfan of the brandy-and-cognaclaced mousse. (Dedalus has a wine club; if they started a chicken liver mousse club, I’d be a charter member.) The mousse is

P LLY

OLL

A trio of Vermont cheeses from the odds-andends bin at Healthy Living Market & Cafe

Small Pleasures Finding joy in delicious, locally made bites and sips B Y J O R D AN BAR RY, MELISSA PASAN E N & SALLY P O L L AK

inter in Vermont can be full of joy: catching snowflakes, bluebird days, the twinkling candles and lights of beloved traditions. It also brings challenges: truncated daylight hours, holiday stress, a whole lot of cold and gray. And this year, we’re approaching a season that likely will present extra trials. In the face of all of this, the Seven Days food and drink team is aiming to bolster the joy factor while supporting local food and beverage makers, farmers, restaurants, bakeries, and food retailers. A reader email about a unique and affordable pastry prompted us to consider how a small, unexpected treat can perk up a day. It inspired us to launch a new column we’re calling Small Pleasures. Each column will feature a delicious

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

and distinctive Vermont-made snack or drink that packs a punch. We’ll share them one at a time going forward, but here are five to get the ball rolling, including the original inspiration from Graeme Hutcheon of Essex Junction. We’d love to hear from you, too! Send us your edible and quaffable small pleasures at food@sevendaysvt.com. Let’s spread joy. M.P.

Cheese, Please Healthy Living Market & Café, 222 Dorset St., South Burlington, 863-2569, and 129 Market St., Williston, 879-2020; healthylivingmarket.com

I’ve been known to stand paralyzed by indecision for many minutes in front of local cheese counters. I love cheese more

than chocolate, and I want them all: wedges of washed-rind funk, chunks of sweet cream-kissed nuttiness and rounds of spreadable, buttery velvet. Small farmstead cheeses require a big investment of time and labor, so they are not inexpensive. I’d argue they are well worth the money, but I can’t always justify the cost of buying all the cheese, especially if it’s just for me. The odds-and-ends cheese bin at Healthy Living Market solves my problem handily. Tidy, trim pieces from their impressive cheese array, which features many Vermont cheeses, are wrapped in small morsels. I can easily build a mini cheese plate of three selections for about $10 and justify returning for another set very soon.

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Chicken liver mousse from Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Bar

best at room temperature, when the slab of fat atop it melts, and the puréed liver and smear of fat go together like PB&J. I bought a jar of chicken liver mousse in Stowe as a kind of compensation for my olive/anchovy/piparra loss. At the cash register, I thought I’d gotten the wrong order when the $8 jar came with baguette slices, grainy mustard and cornichons. (In Burlington, the mousse stands alone.) Nope, I was told, this is how Dedalus does it in Stowe. “Tell your friends!” the cashier said.

M.P.

GOOD TO-GO VERMONT:

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» P.48

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Land Legacy

Butterworks Farm cofounder Jack Lazor dies at 69 JACK LAZOR, a pioneer of

organic agriculture and cofounder of BUTTERWORKS FARM in Westfield with his wife, ANNE, died at home around midnight on Saturday, according to their daughter, CHRISTINE LAZOR. Jack, who was 69, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 and had been on dialysis for seven years for cancer-related kidney failure. Christine described her father as “just an amazing presence and contributor to Vermont” who “meant lots of different things to lots of different people.” On the home farm, his daughter reflected with a chuckle, Jack “could be great and super-helpful with his thoughts and opinions, as well as a huge pain in the butt.” Until a few days before his death, she said, he continued to advocate for his priorities: “He wanted to make sure we made cottage cheese out of the skim milk so it wouldn’t get wasted.” Butterworks Farm’s flagship yogurt is made from the milk of its small, grass-fed herd of Jersey cows and sold throughout the Northeast. The farm also produces cream, buttermilk and kefir. Gross sales in 2019 were $1.2 million, Christine said. As detailed in a 2017 Seven Days cover story, the elder Lazors have been gradually shifting ownership of the business to Christine and her husband, COLLIN MAHONEY. Jack and Anne were honored in 2019 with a VERMONT AGRICULTURAL HALL OF

FAME Lifetime Achievement award. The couple always worked closely as a team, but Jack was the primary face and voice of Butterworks Farm, building a network of knowledge and mentorship that had an impact far beyond the farm’s products.

FILE: JAMES BUCK

B Y M E L I SSA PASANEN

let us set your Holiday Table

Jack and Anne Lazor in 2017

In 2013, Chelsea Green Publishing put out Jack’s comprehensive The Organic Grain Grower: Small-Scale, Holistic Grain Production for the Home and Market Producer, which provided even broader access to his expertise. He was also one of 24 organic farming pioneers invited to California’s Esalen Institute for a gathering of “agrarian elders.” A 2014 New York Times article about the group quoted Jack as saying, “We went out of our way to give everything to the earth, and the earth gives back to us.” Fellow “agrarian elder” Eliot Coleman of Maine has known Jack for decades. In an email, he called Jack “a friend and … pioneer” whose “granary and processing plant were miracles of ingenuity.” Even Stonyfield Farm founder Gary Hirshberg, a competitor in the organic yogurt business, called Jack his hero in an Atlantic article. Jack grew up in Springfield, Mass., where his father was a chemist for agrochemical giant Monsanto. Young Jack filled a wagon with backyard vegetables and peddled them to neighbors. He went on to earn a self-designed degree in the history of agriculture from Tufts University. Part of the wave of backto-the-landers, Jack and Anne

and he wanted to offer it,” Darby said. When she cold-called Jack as a brand-new Extension agent, Darby recalled, she was nervous. But “it was like he was just waiting for me to call,” she said. “That’s how he made every single person feel.” Local farmers of every generation have similar stories. When MARJORIE SUSMAN and MARIAN POLLACK of ORB WEAVER FARM in Monkton arrived in Vermont in 1980, they read about the Lazors in a farming publication and wrote them a letter to which they received an immediate response. Whenever she spoke with Jack, Susman said, “You got the feeling you were the only person in the room. He was so giving with his information, Call A Single Pebble to cater your with the young people he next event and order your gift cards mentored, sharing his love of the land and his cows.” 802.865.5200 The first cows at BREAD asinglepebble.com & BUTTER FARM in Shelburne 1 3 3 B a n k S t re e t • B u r l i n g t o n , V T and South Burlington came from the Lazors back in 2009. Later, farmer-owner CORIE PIERCE recounted how 11/13/20 a colleague called Jack “out 8V-SinglePebble112520 1 of the blue to ask for advice growing grain for pigs. Jack talked to him for two hours straight. It felt like he would drop anything to talk to you.” Jack thrived on the giveand-take, but sometimes even he needed a break. When he Dinner Pickup wanted “to chill,” as Jack put it in 2008, he climbed into Wednesdays-Saturdays! the observation tower of his Call Lara to place your order. granary to relish the view of lush fields, grazing cows and “beautiful compost piles.” KTB Gift Cards for the holidays! Aside from watching his Feed your soul. daughter and her family kitchentablebistro.com settle on the farm, little seemed to give him more satisfaction than seeing the rewards of his decades of investment in the soil. Christine said the family planned to throw a big 70th birthday party for her father in May 2021 and still hopes to celebrate his life at that time. Donations in Jack’s memory can be made to a Northern Flint Corn Consortium and Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe food Closed Sunday - Tuesday sovereignty partnership at northerngraingrowers.org/ @kitchentablebistro remembering-jack-lazor.

started Butterworks Farm on a Northeast Kingdom hilltop in 1976. They bought their first 60 acres with $20,000 earmarked for sending Anne to graduate school. Christine, their only child, was born in 1979. They never planned to build a million-dollar business. But, as Jack told Seven Days in 2017, “We gradually realized we needed to make a living.” The couple made yogurt on their stove and sold it to friends and neighbors. “Jack’s such a born marketer. We would make stuff, and he would just go door-to-door,” Anne told this reporter during a 2008 interview. Jack relished the variety of challenges in farming. “It’s like going to Las Vegas, but it’s more exhilarating because it’s more direct,” he joked in 2008. “There’s no chance of getting bored.” University of Vermont Extension agronomist HEATHER DARBY partnered with Jack for 17 years on research and education, traveling with him all over North America and even to Denmark. Darby said that whatever Jack did — whether growing animal forage, developing seed stock for cold climate-hardy corn or teaching an organic graingrowing course at UVM — it always came back to taking care of the land. “He had so much to offer,

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PHOTOS: JAMES BUCK

Mama & Pop’s Café Mamajuana and Poppy Café & Market bring new ideas to the Old North End B Y J OR D AN BAR RY • jbarry@sevendaysvt.com

Good To-Go is a series featuring well-made takeout meals that highlights how restaurants and other food establishments VERMONT are adapting during the COVID-19 era. Check out GOODTOGOVERMONT.COM to see what your favorite eateries are serving up via takeout, delivery and curbside pickup.

ny business opening is a cause for celebration this year. But when the doors at 88 Oak Street in Burlington opened for not just one but two new hotly anticipated restaurants in early November, it seemed like the universe was throwing a party for all the holiday gatherings we’ve missed. Café Mamajuana and Poppy Café & Market had each built up a loyal following with pop-ups, filling holes in the local food scene and frequently selling out. Residents of the Old North End and beyond were ready for both to open something permanent. The two restaurants share one space in a cooperatively owned building. That business model was planned before the pandemic but seems uniquely suited to the challenges many restaurants now face. Poppy operates during the day, serving souped-up sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At 4 p.m., Café Mamajuana starts slinging Dominican-fusion dishes such as empanadas and whole-roasted fish for dinner. Sisters Abby and Emily Portman own and operate Poppy. Café Mamajuana owner-operator Maria Lara-Bregatta is “third-wheeling on their sisterhood,” she said with a laugh. For an hour or so each day, as Poppy cleans up and Café Mamajuana revs up, they fully embrace that sense of sorority. The three women 46

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

A stuffed canoa and empanadas at Café Mamajuana

GOOD TO-GO

— all originally from New Jersey — listen VERMONT to upbeat playlists of oldies and millennial faves while shuffling from one staff, cuisine and enterprise to the other. They weren’t sure people would get the two-in-one concept at first. But now that they’re open, Lara-Bregatta said, the model is setting a precedent — and it’s working. The building most recently housed the Chubby Muffin and a commissary kitchen as part of the Skinny Pancake restaurant group. It was purchased in late June by the Oak Street Cooperative, an effort led by founding members Emily Portman, LaraBregatta and Matt Cropp, co-executive director of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center. Café Mamajuana and Poppy lease the building from the cooperative, and they also sublease production space to All Souls Tortilleria. “The three businesses are for-profit businesses,” Emily said. “But we’re guided by some of the founding co-op principles: sharing access to space and resources.” The pandemic delayed the sale of the building and has slightly adjusted both

From left: Abby Portman, Maria Lara-Bregatta and Emily Portman

restaurants’ business plans. Poppy didn’t serve just sandwiches initially, but their practicality for takeout appealed to the sisters. Now the duo is carving out a niche with the most surprising veggie-forward sandwiches in town. “I’m happy that we’re opening now and we’re able to build this business around this crazy obstacle, rather than having to really quickly adapt to it,” Abby said. The menu at Poppy changes frequently, with one new sandwich a week rotating onto the five-sandwich list. When I first visited, I ordered what I later learned was Abby’s favorite: the Liza Fennelli ($10). I’d never considered the prospect of a fennel sandwich, let alone one with fennel five ways: roasted, salad’ed, pesto’ed, pickled and aioli’ed. The layers of flavor were an exploration of fennel’s adaptability, hugged by perfect slices of housemade focaccia. The only bad news? It’s a seasonal offering that’s no longer on the menu.

Another fleeting favorite is the Carmela ($14), which left the menu last week. The sandwich is Poppy’s take on a classic Italian sandwich. The combination of spicy eggplant, soppressata, prosciutto, arugula, radicchio, basil, ricotta salata, pickled red onions and an artichoke-Parmesan aioli on crusty Trent’s Bread is a fitting homage to my second-favorite character from “The Sopranos.” Other recent offerings include the Ramen Guy, a ramen-influenced sandwich with soy egg, miso-roasted mushrooms and nori aioli; and the vegetarian (or vegan) First Date, with tahini, dates, spiced cauliflower and preserved lemon. Poppy is not your classic deli, but if you go in with an open mind about what a sandwich can be, you won’t be disappointed. I placed my orders online at prime lunchtime during a workday, and both times they were ready to be picked up in less than 20 minutes. The takeout-only model has also benefited Café Mamajuana as the popular pop-up switches to its permanent home. Lara-Bregatta has been outspoken about her difficulties in securing traditional investment, noting that “white old men” had been wary of supporting her in the early stages of developing her business plan. “It’s funny, because all of their commentary is kind of useless nonsense now,” she said in mid-November. “They wanted me to turn the dining room 15 times in one night. It’s obsolete. I can do that through takeout.” Thanks to crowdfunding and community support, Café Mamajuana is now flying through takeout orders. I got lucky on opening night, placing an order at about 6 p.m. Online ordering opens at 4 p.m., and getting your order in early is the best way to ensure you get the pick of the whole menu. The second time I ordered, a couple weeks later, things were starting to sell out by 5. If your first choice is 86’ed for the evening, though, you get to try something new. Having tasted Café Mamajuana’s Dominican-fusion dishes several times before, I’d been hoping for a canoa de pernil the first night: caramelized plantain sliced down the center and stuffed with rice, beans, slow-roasted pork and pickled red onions. Instead, I opted for two plantain-based sides — fried sweet maduros and fried salty tostones — along with a smattering of empanadas. I also ordered the Sicilian salad, a pleasant bright and citrus-filled surprise and a nod to the Italian side of Lara-Bregatta’s DNA (another thing she shares with the Portmans). Lara-Bregatta said she and her team will soon add traditional Dominican holiday foods to the menu, such as sancocho,

food+drink the national dish of the Dominican Republic; tortilla española sandwiches on crusty bread; root-vegetable-filled pasteles; and a few seasonal beverages, such as the

American upbringing in New Jersey. Among those nostalgic treats are tadals, a crunchy Italian snack made by Racioppi’s Taralles. “It’s a tiny little Italian bakery

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eggnog-like coquito. “These festive, native dishes will bring nostalgia to Latinx folks in the community,” she said. Both businesses are sticking with takeout for the foreseeable future. Maple Hill Construction impeccably renovated the bright, welcoming space, but it’s small. Following the current 50 percent capacity guidelines, only eight customers are allowed inside at a time; a takeout window also offers pickup. “There are multiple businesses and multiple people working in here, so introducing added risk to the space just seems unnecessary right now,” Emily said. “It’ll be another exciting thing when we can fully open and invite people in here and have this be a filled, bustling space.” The venue also features a grab-andgo market. “This had been a butcher and a little corner store, so we’re trying to bring it back to that old-school glory,” Lara-Bregatta explained. For now, market items stocked by each restaurant are only available during its operating hours. The Portmans see the market space as a sort of incubator that small local producers can use to test their wares. The shelves also hold items that go well with sandwiches — Zapp’s potato chips, pickles, Savouré soda — as well as items that remind the sisters of their Italian

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in Bloomfield that our mom had always gotten them from,” Abby noted. Lara-Bregatta hopes to stock her section of the market with Latin ingredients but said it’s been time-consuming to get distributors to ship those items to Vermont. In the meantime, she’s focusing on local products made by women, including women of color. “I’m trying to support other women who are in the same position as me, working from home to grow their businesses and trying to succeed in a time where it’s hard,” Lara-Bregatta explained. “That’s my goal: to uplift and bring more people into the industry.” The restaurant owners say they’re already seeing repeat customers — including some who frequent both establishments in the same day. “People have been so vocal about that,” Abby said. Their cuisines may be different, but Poppy and Café Mamajuana have fresh energy and innovation in common. “They’re not just a sandwich shop, and I’m not just a Latin place,” Lara-Bregatta said. “There’s nothing like it in town, for either of us.” m

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First Date sandwich from Poppy Café & Market

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INFO Poppy Café & Market, poppyvt.com, and Café Mamajuana, cafemamajuana.com. Both located at 88 Oak St. in Burlington.

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Canelés from City Market, Onion River Co-op

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Reader Graeme Hutcheon wrote us in October about his wife Carol’s discovery of canelés in the bakery section of City Market, Onion River Co-op. She knew her husband loved all custard-based French pastries. At 99 cents per deeply bronzed pastry, “These have to be the best dollar spent ever,” Hutcheon gushed. The distinctively shaped, darkly caramelized traditional pastry from France’s Bordeaux region delivers a one-two punch of crunchy exterior and an alluringly tender custardy heart. Hutcheon said he’s enjoyed the canelés hot, cold, with ice cream and with a morning coffee. Extra-dark ones, he added, “remind me of a crême brûlée.” City Market executive chef Michael Clauss said the pastries have been baked in-house daily for close to a decade, thanks to a former assistant manager from Montréal. They require special copper pans coated with beeswax, and the batter must rest overnight. “They are tedious to make,” Clauss admitted, “but we have a lot of people who come specifically for them.” (Pandemic-era precautions require that each pastry be individually wrapped, which softens the crunchy exterior; they can be re-crisped for a minute or so in a very hot oven.)

Butternut Mountain Farm/The Vermont Maple Sugar Company; available at Marvin’s Country Store, 31 S. Main St., Johnson, 635-7483, marvinscountrystore.com, and from other Vermont gift and specialty stores

The Farm Powered® Vermont Vision

food+drink I’m a sucker for anything caramel, especially if it involves maple and a touch of salt, like this confection does. You can certainly eat it straight, but my preference is to pop up a big bowl of plain, salted popcorn and toss in one bag of the candied popcorn ($2.99 to $3.75 per 4-ounce bag, depending on the retailer) for the perfect salty-sweet mix. Emma Marvin, Butternut Mountain’s second-generation co-owner, said the company has offered the popcorn, which is made for them by another small Vermont food producer, as far back as she can remember. Now 40, Marvin has vivid memories of walking over after school to the family’s store in Johnson. “We had one of those big wooden barrels filled to the brim with maple popcorn bags,” she recalled. Every so often, Marvin said that her mom, who happened to be the store manager, would let her and her brother have some as an afterschool treat. Luckily, you don’t need anyone’s permission to treat yourself. M.P.

As COVID -19 cases climbed in early November — and as I made my millionth pot of chili this fall, sick of cooking and lacking any sort of creativity in the kitchen — I cracked a tallboy of Zero Gravity Craft Brewery’s Adventure Pants. I took my first sip, imagining I was sitting at a restaurant bar, chatting with strangers and tasting the newly released beer for the first time. Adventure Pants was brewed with those serendipitous restaurant experiences in mind. The special IPA is being sold “to support the vibrant community that gives our beer a home,” the Burlington brewery explained. Profits from the beer’s sale benefit the Vermont Independent Restaurants group, which is working to support restaurants during the pandemic. The benefit had already raised more than $6,000 when I checked with Zero Gravity’s director of Vermont sales, Laina Grant, on November 24. “And funds are still increasing!” she said. I paid $11.99 for my four-pack to-go from the brewery on Pine Street, but

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The secret ingredient in my chili recipe is a splash of beer. Something light and citrusy works best, with a touch of hoppy oomph. Because it’s only a splash, I get to drink the rest while I’m cooking. Win-win!

it’s available at more than 60 restaurants all over the state. Adventure Pants is a straightforward, easy-drinking IPA, a blend of Simcoe, Talus, Ekuanot and Sabro hops. It fits my chili specifications perfectly — citrusy and bright — and beyond tasting good, it does good. Win-win-win.

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

11/10/20 10:32 AM

music+nightlife

Maxine Linehan

Seasonal Impression COURTESY OF CELIA KELLY

Maxine Linehan’s new holiday album is intentionally unconventional BY JOR D AN A DAMS • jordan@sevendaysvt.com

axine Linehan knows the holidays can be hard. On her new holiday album, This Time of Year, the Irishborn, Vermont-based performer seeks to acknowledge the emotional struggles that often coincide with the arrival of twinkle lights and Advent calendars. The record simultaneously longs for the past and strives for contentment in the now. That nostalgic state of being is perfectly encapsulated in the title track, a sparkling piano ballad laced with evocative strings and a mild country vibe. In an effort to circumvent the confining traditions typical of seasonal records, Linehan selected a diverse mix of contemporary, classic, religious and secular songs.

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

She also included some explicitly nonholiday material that dwells on related themes, among them covers of pop heavy hitters Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson and a new version of the perennial classic (and geographically appropriate) “Moonlight in Vermont.” A successful musical theater performer, Linehan has drawn international acclaim for her dramatic interpretations of the songbooks of artists such as U2, Petula Clark and Barbra Streisand. In 2016, she and her producer/husband Andrew Koss left New York City and settled in Manchester, Vt., where they write and record at their state-of-the-art Studio at Strawberry Fields Lane. Seven Days recently caught up with Linehan there by phone.

SEVEN DAYS: Since there are so many holiday albums out there, I imagine there’s quite a bit of nuance to putting one together. How did you strike a good balance in your selection? MAXINE LINEHAN: People have asked me to do a holiday record for many years. I never wanted to do one, because a lot of them are very tired. People churn out a holiday album as an effort to fill a record deal with their label or just to throw something out quickly. And it’s full of covers and never feels cohesive to me. They’re not telling you something that hasn’t been said a million times. If you want to hear Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” listen to Mariah Carey singing it.

But this year was just different to me. I’m a very emotive performer. I don’t do a lot of fluff in my work. This year I realized we could make a serious Christmas record that was not about sleigh bells and Santa Claus, that could actually be about something very deep and emotional around this time of year. It’s not happy for a lot of people, and more people than ever are feeling that this year. It’s a much more universal feeling. It’s not all Champagne and joy for everyone at this time of year. SD: You wrote the title track independently of that context, correct? ML: Yes. We wrote the title track last year, thinking we would just record it as a single. And then it was gaining a lot of attention

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in Nashville for other artists. So it was on hold for a long time for some pretty huge country stars but never got picked up. This year, I said, “That song can’t sit here gathering dust.” This was the year we were going to release it, and I would sing it myself. And then we started thinking about what that song meant and started expanding on the themes of nostalgia and loss and hope, but still cloaked in this melancholy feeling. That song gave me the hook for the album. SD: Why did you rework your tune “I Think of You” into a holiday song? How does the original’s sentiment lend itself to the concepts you’re describing? ML: My husband wrote “I Think of You” as a surprise for me for my birthday. We still were living in New York at the time, and it was just the whole idea of the hustle and bustle of the city. We had both lived there for many years. Finding your sanity in New York is often linked to a person. And then, four or five years ago, he wrote the holiday version of it. It takes on a whole new meaning in the holidays with what MAX INE New York City becomes at Christmastime. We thought it was a perfect opportunity, given the world we live in today and all of the things we all relate to — and the album needed some levity, too. There’s a lot of weight in a lot of the tracks, and we really needed a moment or two for people to take a break from the Kleenex box and have a little fun.

Someone wrote to me the other day and said, “I’ll listen to this all year round. There are tracks on it that I won’t stop listening to just because Christmas is over.” And that was part of the plan. SD: Which track was the most challenging to complete? ML: It would be interesting to hear what my husband — or my music director, or the mix engineer — says about this. As a vocalist, there are two that were equally challenging for me. One was “Underneath the Tree,” because it’s a famous Kelly Clarkson song, and I don’t sound anything like her. And I have such deep admiration for her. So I really struggled with finding my version of that song. I kept listening to it and going, “No, hers is better. I don’t bring anything to this song.” Right up until the last second, I wanted to cut it. But I was convinced otherwise and gave in to democracy, because everybody else wanted to keep it. The other was “This Perfect Year.” It’s a big Broadway tune, and it’s the 11 o’clock number in Sunset Boulevard. I wanted it to be its own identity so that Broadway people weren’t LINEHAN thinking about the show when they listened to it. So we ended up restructuring the song and putting the chorus at the beginning to let people hear the hook and making it sound more like a pop tune.

IT’S NOT ALL CHAMPAGNE AND JOY

FOR EVERYONE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.

SD: How do the non-holiday songs fit into the album’s vibe? ML: Again, I didn’t want an album where you looked at the track list and went, “Ugh.” They’re not all necessarily Christmas songs — but they are if you treat them right. They really lend themselves to what we feel around, I keep saying it, this time of year. You look at Maroon 5’s “Memories.” It’s based on Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” and it’s a song where you’re toasting, you’re celebrating, but you’re also remembering the people who are not with you. It’s a sentiment we’re all feeling right now. And “Moonlight in Vermont” — I really wanted a Vermont track on the album because Vermont is quintessential Christmas. I mean, they make movies about it. This is the place, the winter wonderland.

SD: What holiday albums do you associate with your childhood? ML: Growing up, it was always really traditional. Bing Crosby and Judy Garland, that was the soundtrack. And I really do gravitate to that still, as a grown-up. I do want to hear those classic voices on a lot of the Christmas records. But there’s some good contemporary Christmas music — I won’t say there’s a lot. I feel like a lot of contemporary Christmas music is not that groundbreaking. So I definitely tend to lean toward the oldschool Christmas music. m This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

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This Time of Year is available at maxinelinehan.com and all major streaming platforms. Look for a deluxe vinyl version in late 2021. 3V-VTGas120220 1

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

11/30/20 11:50 AM

music+nightlife

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Vermont bluesman Dave Keller has made a career of playing a historically and culturally Black genre. Keller, who is white, acknowledges 7:53 AM this up front in his new album, You Get What You Give. The album’s liner notes thank a slew of Black mentors, such as Mighty Sam McClain and Fontella Bass, who helped him learn the genre and grow as an artist. But beyond these recognitions, Keller turned his new album into a showcase not just for himself and his band but for Black voices from across the continent’s blues community. (I say “continent” instead of “country” to acknowledge Canadian Dawn Tyler Watson. The Juno Award-winning singer

appears on the track “God Is Love/Love Is Everything.”) Keller celebrates how and why he’s able to do what he does by sharing the spotlight. Additionally, all proceeds from the album will be donated to racial equity nonprofits. You Get What You Give calls on the effervescent Stax Records influence heard on Keller’s other albums. As always, his horn arrangements are the lifeblood of his work, flavoring the tunes with gusto and grace. Conceptually, the album dabbles in topics related to the tumult of 2020 but is generally a reflection of the biggest concepts anyone ever wrote (or gave a damn) about: love, loss, heartache and belonging. Opening track “One More Tear” and follow-up “That Thing We Do” are thematically linked. The former, a duet with Houston-based singer Annika Chambers, wallows in a breakup. The

latter, on which Keller pairs up with Washington, D.C., vocalist Carly Harvey, celebrates finding love. Whether or not it was Keller’s intention, placing the songs in that order implies hopefulness about romance and contentment. Stark piano ballad “The Evil That Men Do” is the album’s emotional core. That it’s a group effort, vocally speaking, makes perfect sense. Keller, Chambers, Minnesota-based Annie Mack, Houston’s Trudy Lynn and the acclaimed bluesman Johnny Rawls take turns lamenting the ultimate horror of Black life, naming George Floyd in the process. Keller takes a fairly guileless approach to his songcraft, which may jar listeners who favor a more subtle or impressionistic approach to songwriting. But You Get What You Give isn’t meant to be subtle or artsy; it’s a heart-splosion of emotion and deep gratitude, not to mention a showcase for a heap of talented musicians and singers. You Get What You Give is available at davekeller.bandcamp.com.

That package comprises heavy, funky, hip-hop-influenced R&B, as heard on album opener “Clearing a Path.” It’s a Zappstyle liftoff that sets the tone for the LP: a house party at the end of the world where everyone’s on mushrooms. “Here’s a sticky situation,” Scott sings, “when we’re facing enemies we don’t even see.” Scott writes timely and topical stuff, but it’s always rooted in the personal, even spiritual, dimensions of our claustrophobic era. As he observes on “Meaning” a few songs later: “Someone’s always trying to change your mind / So how do you create meaning? / How do you create your love?” He knows better than to give prescriptive answers. And he doesn’t go it alone. Remote collaboration has always been possible, but a global pandemic has made it necessary. Scott tags in some of his longtime coconspirators, such as Adam Turner and Mike Sutton (drums), JJ Beck (piano), and fellow Nektone Alex Wolston on trumpet. Scott also brings along some surprising guest vocalists, including Philadelphia

microphone assassin Curly Castro and BTV’s own rap strongman Mavstar. The rap tracks are a solid fit here and also suggest that Elder Orange could make a monster hip-hop LP in the vein of Portishead producer Geoff Barrow’s massive Quakers project. For now, Scott has much broader ambitions. Bricks in the Bathwater is a throwback to when “trip-hop” was wide open, weird and guided by live instruments. It’s also a carefully composed journey, presented as a single, 33-minute track. Many artists insist they make albums, not singles, but seldom do you see that kind of conviction. As on Elder Orange’s 2018 debut, the sound quality is perfect. Once again, that’s due to Scott’s ongoing collaboration with 802 engineer Walter Westinghouse, who outdoes himself with the depth and detail here. Scott draws from King Crimson and Just Blaze in more or less equal measure. The result is one hell of a unique synthesis. Bricks in the Bathwater is an unpredictable and genuinely exciting experience, one of the most distinctive local albums of the year. Bricks in the Bathwater is available at elderorange.bandcamp.com.

JORDAN ADAMS

11/30/20 10:55 AM

Elder Orange, Bricks in the Bathwater (SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

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2020 has been a cruel year for the music business, but if anyone was prepared to weather this apocalypse, it was the home-studio auteurs of the world. Vermont is full of such hermit wizards, including Bennington-area resident Elder Orange, aka Matthew Scott of the Nektones. His latest offering, Bricks in the Bathwater, is a knockout mashup of a half dozen genres and the culmination of years of work. With his band on indefinite hiatus, Scott has been channeling his energies into side gigs and developing his new solo persona. His 2018 Elder Orange debut, All My Friends Believe in Ghosts, was very much a “beat tape,” with generous helpings of progressive rock and dub influences. Bricks in the Bathwater offers plenty of wild instrumentals but marks the first time Scott’s talents cohere into a total singer-songwriter package.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED: SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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JUSTIN BOLAND

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Write to Santa Santa is social distancing this year, but you can still share your wish list! Mail your letter to Santa via the magical North Pole Mail Boxes in front of the holiday tree and City Hall.

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

11/23/20 9:52 AM

movies Hillbilly Elegy ★★

Time to Move Things Inside

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Will you like it?

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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The deal

J.D. Vance (played as a kid by Owen Asztalos) is the offspring of a fiercely loyal Appalachian hill clan. His grandparents moved to the industrial town of Middletown, Ohio, in search of opportunity, but as the decades passed, the factories closed. Now J.D.’s Mamaw (Glenn Close) struggles to make ends meet, while his single mom, Bev (Amy Adams), hops from one job and boyfriend to the next, developing an opioid addiction along 4:29 PM the way. Years later, the adult J.D. (Gabriel Basso) attends Yale Law School and has a girlfriend (Freida Pinto) who makes awkward concern-faces when he tells her about his family’s troubles. Paying his tuition for the coming year depends on a single interview, but back in Ohio, his mom has just OD’d. Rushing to her side, J.D. must decide whether his future is worth putting on the line for a loved one who appears to be her own worst enemy.

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11/2/20 3:52 PM

LACEY TERRELL/NETFLIX

ur streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I watched Ron Howard’s star-studded adaptation of J.D. Vance’s best-selling 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. Released last week on Netflix, it’s currently in the streamer’s top 10.

Pretty much every review of Hillbilly Elegy mentions that when Vance’s memoir was published in 2016, media commentators seized on it as the key to “explaining” Donald Trump voters. But the resulting debates are tangential to the movie, which doesn’t come across as timely or provocative or, really, as anything much besides syrupy Oscar bait. In Howard’s hands, this is a standard take on the time-honored story of a poor boy made good who must come to terms with the people he left behind. Its main distinction is the novelty of A-list stars playing the kind of women who generally pore over celebrity rags in the checkout line rather than appear in their pages. Close and Adams are indeed convincingly de-glammed, and they act up a storm — some would say a perfect storm

DOLLAR-STORE DIVAS Close and Adams play the family J.D. Vance left behind in Howard’s adaptation of his memoir.

of camp — as the tough-talkin’, cigarettechompin’ Mamaw and the scene-making, self-destructive Bev, respectively. The rest of the film serves as a tasteful frame for these over-the-top performances — including the whole character of J.D. He seems to function partly as viewer surrogate, wincing primly at his family’s bad behavior. Neither J.D.’s own brief bad-boy stage nor his supposed deep, dysfunctional connection to his mom come across as organic aspects of his character. Perhaps that’s because of the film’s unwieldy dual-narrative structure, which alternates between scenes of J.D.’s childhood and adolescence and ones of his adulthood. The parallels never clearly emerge. Or perhaps the problem is Vanessa Taylor’s screenplay, which keeps the characters at the level of stereotype. Bev can’t seem to go anywhere or do anything without lurching off into the realm of chaos, but why is she so full of rage? A single flashback to violence in her childhood, played for lurid thrills, doesn’t do much to illuminate the character. No one in the movie ever mentions mental illness, as if “hillbillies” had no acquaintance with such concepts. Watching the movie, you might also think that no one in the audience is expected to have an everyday acquaintance with people who look or talk like Bev and Mamaw. They’re presented to us like figures in a museum diorama, unsung Americans to be elegized for their pride and toughness

and pitied for their failure to adapt to modern life. To this resident of a rural state, that kidgloves approach just seems weird. If movies are going to depict the reality of class in America — and they should! — then they need to acknowledge that “hillbillies” live in the same dynamic, ever-changing world as so-called “elites,” and that there are plenty of gradations in between.

If you like this, try...

• Frozen River (2008, rentable): Shot in the Plattsburgh, N.Y., area, Courtney Hunt’s indie drama about a low-income mom who turns to cross-border smuggling to make ends meet gave Melissa Leo the role of a lifetime. Unlike Adams’ Bev, her angry character feels lived-in and real. • Winter’s Bone (2010; Kanopy, Cinemax, rentable): Jennifer Lawrence was arguably at her best as an Ozarks teenager supporting her younger siblings and searching for her disreputable dad in this drama that doesn’t condescend to its “hillbilly” characters. • The Florida Project (2017; Netflix, rentable): Sean Baker’s drama about a 6-year-old girl and her unstable mom living in a seedy Orlando motel dares viewers to condemn its characters as the “undeserving” poor. Whether you judge them or not, their vitality comes through loud and clear. MARGO T HARRI S O N

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NEW IN THEATERS HALF BROTHERS: Two long-lost siblings with little in common, one American and one Mexican, find themselves on a road trip that retraces their dad’s immigration path. Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door) directed the comedy, starring Luis Gerardo Méndez, José Zúñiga and Connor Del Rio. (96 min, PG-13. Essex Cinemas)

NOW PLAYING THE CROODS: A NEW AGEHHH In this sequel to the animated comedy hit, a prehistoric family finds itself forced to cohabit with its more evolved neighbors. With the voice talents of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds; Joel Crawford directed. (95 min, PG; Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In) FREAKYHHH1/2 A high schooler (Kathryn Newton) gets body-swapped with a serial killer (Vince Vaughn), and … hilarity ensues? Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) directed the horror comedy. (101 min, R; Essex Cinemas) THE GRINCHHH1/2 Dr. Seuss’ tale of a green grouch determined to ruin Christmas gets a new animated rendition with the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Angela Lansbury and Pharrell Williams. Yarrow Cheney (The Secret Life of Pets) and Scott Mosier directed. (90 min, PG; Sunset Drive-In) THE LAST VERMEERHHH Guy Pearce plays an artist accused of collaborating with the Nazis and Claes Bang is the officer investigating him in this postwar period drama from director Dan Friedkin. (117 min, R; Essex Cinemas)

LET HIM GOHHH Diane Lane and Kevin Costner play a retired sheriff and his wife who are determined to find their missing grandson after their son’s death in this crime drama from director Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone). (114 min, R; Essex Cinemas)

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THE WAR WITH GRANDPAHH Forced to share a room with his grandfather (Robert De Niro), a kid (Oakes Fegley) goes on the offensive to get his space back in this family comedy directed by Tim Hill (Hop). With Uma Thurman and Rob Riggle. (94 min, PG; Essex Cinemas)

OLDER FILMS CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Fathom Events; Essex Cinemas, Sun only) DIE HARD (Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In) ELF (Sunset Drive-In) ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (SPECIAL EDITION) (Sunset Drive-In) KRAMPUS (Sunset Drive-In) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (Essex Cinemas, Sunset Drive-In)

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Marketing Communications Specialist

Salary depends on experience. Paid Vacation, retirement and heath care benefits offered.

Contributes to existing marketing programs while assisting with the development of new deliverables and initiatives.

Send inquiries, resume and cover letter to: kk@mountainviewnaturalmedicine.com.

Our AmeriCorps Outreach Specialist will use their passion for young people, learning and social justice to help give all bright Vermont students access2h-MountainViewNaturalMedicine112520.indd to life-changing GIV programs. Organized, articulate and a great writer?

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Craft Beer Delivery Driver

Full Time Receptionist

Marketing & Sales Professional

1/6/20 11:07 AM

Seeking a local, mature, and self-motivated marketing and sales professional to increase social media and online presence for established Stowe Jeweler. Jewelry knowledge is a plus.

Apply here: lawsonsfinest.com/about-us/join-our-team. 11/23/20 10:21 AM

WE’RE HIRING!

CLINICAL PATIENT SAFETY ATTENDANT

WCMHS Offers a Broad Range of Job Opportunities. For more information, visit wcmhs.org/ careers.

The Clinical Patient Safety Attendant (CPSA) is responsible for specific aspects of direct patient care and monitoring focused on safety, under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse.

Respite Staff are covering LEARN MORE & APPLY: shifts for full-time Supported Please submit emails to Housing Staff and assume the uvmmed.hn/sevendays Stephanie@Ferrojewlers.com. same overall responsibilities. Respite Staff are responsible for the overall safety of 11/30/20 3:23 PM 1 11/1/19 2v-WCMHS120220.indd 1 11/30/20 4t-UVMMedicalCenter110619.indd 12:04 PM program residents and 2v-FerroJewelers120220.indd 1 management of the supported housing facility. Staff is expected to support residents to achieve the goals outlined The role of the Executive Director is to strengthen the organization’s long-term vision, Regional Child & Youth Advocacy Project Coordination in their service plan while create innovative strategies, facilitate teamwork, and unite diverse constituencies holding them accountable for The Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence around shared solutions. Team leadership, fundraising, and communication are core program expectations. seeks a contractor to provide leadership and coordination for responsibilities. The ED must have a strong understanding of economic and racial a regional project that provides supportive services to promote Staff is expected to be an justice issues, particularly institutional racism, white privilege, classism, in addition to healing and increase safety and well-being for children and adults active part of a team and knowledge of issues related to peace, human rights, and globalization. impacted by sexual harm or/and intimate partner violence in model effective, appropriate, northeastern Vermont, as well as education and prevention. Find and timely communication Projected salary range $50,000 to $60,000, generous combined time off more information and instructions for how to submit a proposal at with others regarding client benefit, PJC does not currently offer a health plan. vtnetwork.org/employment-opportunities. updates. This position has TO APPLY: Applications must be submitted through pjcvt.org/jobs website. an immediate start date for Special Consideration Submit a cover letter, resume, professional writing sample (3-5 pages), and training however, is on an as Priority will be given to proposals from individuals or consulting entities three references, with contact information. Use pdf only. needed basis once trained. owned by individuals who identify as a person of color. BIPOC applicants

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Please visit: bit.ly/3bsF6DX to apply for this position.

FOR QUESTIONS, please contact Chuck Brewer at PJCVT@pjcvt.org. APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 11, 2020

Request for Proposals

are encouraged to identify as such in their proposal. We seek a contractor with a demonstrated commitment to anti-oppression work and ending violence, especially in the lives of children and youth.

3:43 PM

New, local, scamfree jobs posted every day!

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

65 DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

MAINTENANCE Full-Time

SHARED LIVING PROVIDER

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

Howard Center is seeking a Shared Living Provider (SLP) for overnight support (8 pm - 8 am M-F, 4:30pm-8:30am weekends) of a creative adult with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities and co-occurring issues. The provider will serve as a role model and support in the areas of: independent living, social skills, and personal care. Provider will be expected to: exhibit positive and healthy social role modeling, provide oversight of residence, comply with program safety and medication protocols and guidelines, respond to client needs and utilize emergency services as necessary, and collaborate with teammates to design, implement and maintain individual client plans. Provider will live rent-free in a house in downtown Burlington.

Interested candidates can apply online at Wakerobin.com or email a resume with cover letter to: HR@wakerobin.com.

Compensation includes annual tax-free stipend of $30,000/year and a generous respite budget. For more information or to request an application, contact Patrick Fraser at patfraser@howardcenter.org or 802-871-2902.

MULTIPLE POSITIONS OPEN

Wake Robin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) has a variety of openings available, including RNs, LNAs, Ultrasound Technologist, Radiologic Technologist, Sr. Multi-Modality Technologist and Medical Lab Technician or Medical Technologist. NVRH also has Administrative Positions, Food Service and Environmental Services openings. Shift differentials and per diem rates offered!

PROGRAM MANAGER Part Time

Our retreat center has a dual mission: by providing organizations with a spectacular residential conference center and giving families a place to have memorable special occasions, we are able to also fund free retreat space for individuals and groups doing essential community healing and organizing. The person in this job will help us run the retreat center and facilitate all the social mission work that goes on at the farm.

Full-time, part-time and per diem positions available. Excellent benefits including student loan repayment, wellness reimbursement, low cost health plan choice and more! For information to apply, visit nvrh.org/careers.

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11/30/20 2:19 PM

Read more about this job and all our seasonal positions: knollfarm.org/work-with-us.

11/24/20 11:51 AM

EXPERIENCED DIESEL TECHS WANTED • RATE OF PAY: $23-$33/HR • 2+ years of experience as Diesel Tech, with CDL License • Diagnosing & repairing medium and heavy duty vehicles • Writing up accurate & descriptive work performed details • Verifying vehicle performance by conducting test-drives

jobs.sevendaysvt.com

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Competitive hourly wages and benefits including PTO and Kenworth sponsored training. Email resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: resume@newenglandkw.com or call 802.985.2521 and ask for Parker Shenk.

6/18/19 1:24 PM

Legal Assistant Busy Burlington Law Firm seeks a full-time Legal Assistant to provide support in both transactional and litigation practice areas. A minimum of two years’ experience in a law firm setting is required. The ideal candidate will be professional and service-oriented, with strong computer and organizational skills. MSK focuses its practice on real estate, commercial transactions, and related litigation. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, and a family friendly work environment. Please email your resume to Deborah Sabourin, Business Manager at dsabourin@mskvt.com.

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR TOWN OF COLCHESTER, VERMONT

The Town of Colchester is seeking a Human Resource Director to provide the overall administration, coordination, evaluation and compliance of the Human Resource Department. The ideal candidate will act as a liaison for employee/employer issues and is a resource of all levels of employment, including staff and management. The ideal candidate will also have excellent communication skills and have the ability to provide sound advice on business and policy matters to the Town Manager.

SHARED LIVING PROVIDER Howard Center is seeking a Shared Living Provider for a woman in her 50s who enjoys crocheting, reading, writing, and watching TV. The ideal provider(s) will be female, or a couple with no children in the house. Pets are welcome. The provider needs to be able to provide 24-hour support in the home, as this individual has significant behavioral needs and cannot be left alone. The provider will work with a team of clinical staff to provide support.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field desired, or nine years of experience in the HR field. Hiring range is $68,265 -$78,770 depending on qualifications and experience, plus a competitive benefit package.

Compensation includes a tax-free annual stipend of $75,000, room and board payments, and a generous respite budget. For more information or to request an application, please contact Patrick Fraser at patfraser@howardcenter.org or 802-871-2902.

Submit application, cover letter, resume, and references to Sherry LaBarge, Human Resource Director at: slabarge@colchestervt.gov. For full job description visit: colchestervt.gov/321/ Human-Resources. Application deadline is 12/17/20. E.O.E.

Vermont Economic Development Authority JOB OPPORTUNITY:

MARKETING AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

OPERATIONS ANALYST VEDA is looking to hire a full-time Operations Analyst based out of our Montpelier office (location is flexible). Due to COVID-19, this position is expected to be remote-based until sometime in 2021.

Interested in helping co-create a world where both nature and people thrive? We are looking for an organized, detail-oriented, and solutions focused individual to support our marketing initiatives that help build support for conservation science, on the ground projects, and policy initiatives that address our 21st century environmental challenges.

This new position’s primary responsibilities are to support all loan servicing functions and work with management to develop and implement procedures and workflow solutions that result in optimal operating efficiencies. The position requires a solid understanding of VEDA’s programs and services, information technology, loan systems and processes. Other responsibilities include inputting and analyzing loan data; processing loan payments; preparing reports, reconciliations, and information dashboards; synthesizing data for, and responding to, inquiries from varied audiences. VEDA’s Operations Analyst will be a member of VEDA’s Operations team, working under the supervision of the Director of Servicing. This job has a wide variety of responsibilities and will reward the right candidate with a breadth of experience within a non-profit, mission-oriented workplace.

Minimum Education/Experience • Bachelor’s Degree and 3-5 years’ related experience • Loan operations experience highly preferred

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Required

• A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, or Environmental Science with proven communications expertise

• Ability to manage multiple projects and initiatives at once • Ability to learn and adapt to new software, both front- and back-end • Excellent time management and organizational skills • Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, well versed in SQL, Access and Excel Query • Strong analytical and detail-oriented aptitude; a high degree of accuracy • Experience with Nortridge loan servicing software preferred. Working knowledge of Ventures+ and/or Lending Cloud loan management software a plus

• 2-3 years' experience in the field may be advantageous. • Strong writing, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. • Excellent organizational and management skills. • Some experience with digital marketing platforms and a willingness to learn new programs. The Nature Conservancy is a global non-profit that works in all 50 states and in over 70 countries. We offer a competitive salary with a comprehensive benefits package and professional development opportunities. For a complete position description and to apply, visit tinyurl.com/y6nch7sr. The application deadline is Midnight EST January 3, 2021.

VEDA offers a competitive salary and benefits package and is an E.O.E. We are interested in increasing staff diversity and welcome job applications from all qualified candidates. Visit veda.org to see a complete job description. Please email resume with cover letter to: Cheryl Houchens, Chief Risk and Resource Officer, Vermont Economic Development Authority: chouchens@veda.org 9t-VEDA120220.indd 1

The position is two-fold. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing multiple digital marketing platform and helping to develop content for the channels. S/he will also coordinate all online and public events, including webinars, community forums, and field trips, to better connect communities to conservation initiatives while building relationships with various stakeholders.

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11/30/20 3:19 PM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

67 DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER...

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.

PROJECT MANAGER, GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTION – MONTPELIER Lead the way in implementing Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA)! We are seeking a Project Manager to support the Vermont Climate Council and manage the crossagency work needed to implement the GWSA. Candidates should have an advanced degree in an environmental, natural resources, economics, energy or public policy discipline with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience. For more information, contact Jane Modica at Jane.Modica@ vermont.gov. Department: Agency of Natural Resources. Location: Montpelier. Status: Full Time. Job ID #10560. Application Deadline: Open until filled.

Learn more at: careers.vermont.gov

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

SHARED LIVING PROVIDER Howard Center is seeking a Shared Living Provider to provide a fulltime home to a social 16-year-old girl who likes animals and dancing. Ideal provider would be an excellent collaborator and have strong observation, interpersonal, and communication skills. This role requires a provider who is able to be engaging and compassionate while being able to establish routine/structure, provide consistent supervision, and follow a detailed support plan. Ideal applicant would have knowledge or experience related to mental health, developmental disabilities, and/or supporting teens. Compensation: $35,000 tax-free annual stipend and access to a generous respite budget. Interested applicants contact patfraser@howardcenter.org or call (802)871-2902.

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HELP DESK OPERATOR Union Bank, headquartered in Morrisville, Vermont and with offices throughout northern Vermont and New Hampshire, is seeking a Help Desk Operator for our Information Technology department. The Help Desk Operator is a key member of our IT team whose primary responsibility is to provide technical support for approximately 200 end-users. Essential tasks include excellent communication skills, a keen ability to troubleshoot and resolve technical problems, and providing software support in a LAN/WAN environment. Additional responsibilities include maintaining the help desk ticket system, knowledgebase creation, computer training, and assisting with ongoing network administration and other Information Technology operations as needed. Position requirements include proficiency in Windows, MS Office, and a basic understanding of computer networks and the ability to learn additional software and hardware is required. Experience with IBM iSeries operating systems is a plus. Computer certification and/or one to three years of related experience is preferred. Excellent written and oral communication skills, the ability to work independently, and a high degree of trust and integrity is essential. This position is located at our Morrisville corporate office. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Union Bank offers a comprehensive benefits program including 3 medical plan and 2 dental plan options, 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match, fully paid life and disability insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, and technology education opportunities. To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, references and salary requirements to:

Human Resources-Union Bank P.O. Box 667 Morrisville, Vermont 05661 – 0667 careers@unionbanknh.com

11/24/20 12:04 PM

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 two regular, year-round opportunities. Become an employee-owner 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. 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!

E.O.E. - MEMBER FDIC 7DPrint_GardenCntrYR_Adm_CSL.indd 6t-Gardener'sSupply120220.indd 1 1

11/30/20 4:22 3:57 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

Hotel Housing Advocates

Town Administrator/Manager

CVOEO has an exciting opportunity to help individuals who are most in need. We are currently running one of the largest homeless shelters in the State of Vermont at the Holiday Inn in South Burlington. Currently we have 136 guests and an amazing team of people working with them to find housing, employment and other social and health supports. Hotel Housing Advocates will assist individuals who are experiencing homelessness and who have low income to find or maintain suitable housing, including advocating for clients with local social service agencies organizations, landlords, and funding sources. Overnight week and weekend hours may be required. Successful applicants will have a Bachelor’s degree and 2 years’ relevant experience, the ability to work with diverse populations, and excellent verbal and communication skills. Bilingual abilities are a plus. Hotel Housing Advocates are temporary, 40 hour/week positions slated to run through June 30, 2021. Pay starts at $33.66/ hour. To learn more, please visit cvoeo.org/careers. To apply please submit a cover letter and resume by e-mail to: HIHousing@cvoeo.org. The review of applications begins immediately and will continue until qualified candidates are found.

The Town of Hinesburg, Vermont (population 4,600) is seeking candidates for the position of its first town manager pending a vote by Hinesburg voters in March of 2021. If the vote does not support a town manager, the position will remain a Town Administrator. Hinesburg currently has a Town Selectboard/strong Town Administrator form of government, and has a municipal budget of $4.2 million with 23 FT and PT municipal employees. Known for its engaged community, rural character, recreation opportunities, working landscape and green space, waterways (Lake Iroquois, etc.), vibrant village and a mix of industry and commerce, the town has the largest union high school enrollment in Vermont. With a great location in the Green Mountain foothills near Lake Champlain and access to Vermont’s largest city (Burlington, Chittenden County), Hinesburg is poised to grow significantly.

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Looking for a Sweet Job? Our mobile-friendly job board is buzzing with excitement.

Start applying at jobs.sevendaysvt.com

11/30/202v-jobFiller_workerbee.indd 11:58 AM 1

6/23/20

The Selectboard is seeking an individual who is a collaborative team player with strong budget and financial management skills, experience developing and managing a team, and general knowledge of HR and collective bargaining, public works and emergency response operations. Candidates should also possess excellent communication, community engagement, 12:31 PM organizational and problem-solving skills and have demonstrated leadership ability. Municipal management experience and a degree in public administration or related field are preferred, but candidates with comparable work experience are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will receive an attractive compensation package including health and retirement plans and a competitive annual salary DOQ. Hinesburg is an EOE and values diversity and inclusiveness in the community and workplace. Email resumes to dfrancis@hinesburg.org by January 19, 2021 and position will be open until filled or pending March vote.

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Seve Issue Due Size Cost

11/23/20 4:03 PM

Engaging minds that change the world

Seeking a position with a quality employer? Consider The University of Vermont, a stimulating and diverse workplace. We offer a comprehensive benefit package including tuition remission for on-going, full-time positions. Lab Research Technician - Animal & Veterinary Sciences #S2626PO - The University of Vermont is seeking a Research Technician to provide technical and laboratory management, and perform standard laboratory activities for a research laboratory studying mammary biology and lactation physiology with supervision from a designated supervisor. Activities would include: maintain, culture, and treat mammalian cells, maintain experimental animals and perform animal treatments, assistance with design, develop lab analysis methods and perform experiments, compile and analyze research data, and write reports and grant proposals. Responsible for maintaining research records, equipment and supplies and assist with supervision of support staff and student researchers. Act as a liaison between project personnel and outside individuals/organizations as necessary and appropriate. Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in animal science, or biology related fields and minimum two years of related experience. Must have the ability to travel to worksites. The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal. For further information on this position and others currently available, or to apply online, please visit www.uvmjobs.com. Applicants must apply for positions electronically. Paper resumes are not accepted. Open positions are updated daily. Please call 802-656-3150 or email employment@uvm.edu for technical support with the online application. The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. 9t-SMATConsulting120220.indd 1

11/30/20 11:44 AM 5v-Graystone120220.indd 1

11/30/20 11:54 AM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Estateand andTrust Trust Administrator/Paralegal Administrator/Paralegal Estate Estate and Trust Administrator/Paralegal Estate and Trust Administrator/Paralegal Burlington Office Estate and TrustBurlington Administrator/Paralegal Office Burlington Office Burlington Office

Prestigious law firm seeks individual with relevant education, life and

Prestigious lawfirm firmseeks seeks individual relevant education, lifelife andand administrative experience to support with state-wide estate and trust Prestigious law individual with relevant education, Burlington Office Prestigious law firm seeks individual with relevant education, life administrative experience to support state-wide estate and trust practice. Position involves intensive, ongoing client support and administrative experience to support state-wide estate and trust and administrative experience to supportof state-wide estate andfinancial trust practice. Position involves intensive, ongoing client support and management, including coordination documentation with practice. Position involves intensive, ongoing client support and Prestigious law firm seeks individual with relevant education, life management, including coordination of documentation with financial practice. Position involves intensive, ongoing client support and institutions, preparation of financial reports, probate court filings andand management, including coordination of documentation withtrust financial administrative experience to support state-wide estate and institutions, preparation of financial reports, court filings and communications, and follow up on estate andprobate trust planning management, including coordination of documentation with financial institutions, preparation of intensive, financial reports, probate court filings and practice. Position involves ongoing client support and communications, and follow up on estate and trust planning administration matters. institutions, preparation of financial reports, probate court filings and communications, and follow up on estate and trust planning management, including coordination of documentation with financial administration matters. communications, and follow up on estate and trust planning administration matters. Candidatespreparation must have initiative, a proven ability to workcourt with filings and institutions, of financial reports, probate administration matters. Candidates have initiative, a proven to work with numbers, bemust detail oriented, organized andability computer literate. communications, and follow up on estate and trust planning Candidates must have initiative, a proven ability to work with numbers, be detail oriented, organized and computer literate. administration matters. Candidates must have initiative, a proven ability to work with numbers, be detail organized andfirm’s computer literate. This position will oriented, support attorneys in the Burlington and numbers, be detail oriented, organized and computer literate. Middlebury offices, though will be based in the Burlington office. This position will support attorneys in the ability firm’s Burlington and Candidates must have initiative, a proven to work with Middlebury offices, thoughattorneys will be based in firm’s the Burlington office. This position will support in the Burlington and numbers, be detail oriented, organized andfirm’s computer literate. This position will support attorneys in the Burlington and More information on the firm’s estate and trust practice can be found Middlebury offices, though will be based in the Burlington office. Middlebury offices, though will be based thepractice Burlington office. on theinformation firm’s website at http://www.langrock.com/ourMore on the firm’s estate andin trust can be found This position will support attorneys in the firm’s Burlington and services/individuals/estate-planning-and-probate/ on the firm’s website at http://www.langrock.com/ourMore information the firm’s andintrust practice can be found Middlebury offices,on though will estate be based the Burlington office. services/individuals/estate-planning-and-probate/ More information on the firm’s estate and trust practice can be found on the firm’s website at http://www.langrock.com/ourCompetitive salary; hours flexible/negotiable. on the firm’s website at http://www.langrock.com/ourservices/individuals/estate-planning-and-probate/ More information on hours the firm’s estate and trust practice can be found Competitive salary; flexible/negotiable. services/individuals/estate-planning-and-probate/ on the firm’s website at http://www.langrock.com/ourCompetitive salary; flexible/negotiable. services/individuals/estate-planning-and-probate/ Please replyhours via email with cover letter and resume to: Competitive salary; hours flexible/negotiable. Please reply via email with cover letter and resume to: Competitive salary; hours flexible/negotiable. Hobart F. Popick, Partner Please reply via email with cover letter and resume to: Langrock F. Sperry & Wool, LLP Popick, Partner Please reply viaHobart email with cover letter and resume to: hpopick@langrock.com Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP Hobart Popick, hpopick@langrock.com Please reply via email F. with coverPartner letter and resume to:

9t-LangrockSperryWool120220.indd 1

Hobart F. Popick, Partner Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP hpopick@langrock.com Hobart F. Popick, Partner hpopick@langrock.com Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP hpopick@langrock.com

11/30/20 1:57 PM

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

69 DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

CUSTODIAL SUPERVISOR Accepting applications for a Custodial Supervisor who will manage all custodial services activities, including job and safety training, and technical expertise in custodial areas specific to cleaning techniques and floor finishing. In addition, provides supervision of approximately 40 custodial staff, which includes work allocation, training, performance evaluations, and problem resolution.

USER SUPPORT SPECIALIST With a focus on customer service, User Support Specialists are responsible for many technological functions, including answering questions directed to the Help Desk; and installing, deploying, maintaining, supporting and repairing computer hardware, peripherals, printers, data storage devices and specialty equipment. For further information & to apply for these & other great jobs:

norwich.interviewexchange.com

General Manager The Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District – a nineteen-member union municipality located in Montpelier, Vermont -- is hiring a General Manager. The General Manager oversees nine full-time and five part-time employees, manages an annual budget of $1 million and is responsible for the performance of the District. The primary role includes staff assistance to the Board of Supervisors in formulating and implementing policies, managing personnel and financial resources, and representing the District with municipalities, members of the public and solid waste partners. The General Manager’s duties include coordination of solid waste planning and implementing projects; budget and capital plan preparation and monitoring; human resources administration; oversight of ongoing programming and operations; personnel management; grant administration; compliance with federal and state laws; technical assistance to the Board of Supervisors, local officials, and persons requesting to communicate with the District. This is an exempt full-time position. Salary range of $62,000 to $82,000 (negotiated rate), plus generous benefits package. For full details please visit cvswmd.org. To apply, send resume, cover letter, writing sample and 3 references no later than December 11, 2020 to: administration@cvswmd.org. Or: General Manager Search, CVSWMD, 137 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.

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2/11/20 1:14 PM

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

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

DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

DENTAL ASSISTANT Middlebury Pediatric Dentistry is looking for a dental assistant to join our friendly, close-knit team. Help us take care of Vermont kids’ oral health! Full time. Health insurance. Paid vacation. Please contact us by email and include your resume:

frontdesk@middleburypediatricdentistry.com

PROGRAM SPECIALIST

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10/12/20 11:19 AM

Exciting full time career opportunity for someone with a passion for working with healthcare, education and community providers, and across sectors, to plan and carry out programmatic initiatives related to mental health promotion, suicide and substance misuse prevention. You will work in a team-based environment to manage projects, provide technical assistance, develop resources, and plan and offer professional development to support state and local health initiatives. This is a 1.0 FTE position offering a competitive salary with benefits. Vermont-based or regional candidates highly preferred. We strongly encourage applicants from diverse communities to apply.

GO HIRE.

Apply here: healthandlearning.org/program-specialist

Job Seekers: 4t-CenterforHealth&Learning120220.indd 1

12/1/20 11:32 AM

Train with Vermont MedED - Premier Educators of PCAs and LNAs in Vermont! VME inspires confidence and creates great careers! • Vermont MedED offers a hybrid learning experience with BOTH in-person and online learning: • Lower tuition than vocational schools with a full range of State of Vermont grant and funding options • Shorter class times - only 4 1/2 scheduled hours per week designed to respect your work and personal time • Program coursework is completed in only 4 or 6 weeks • Free and unlimited access to caregiving refresher skills sessions for all graduates! • Most knowledgeable and experienced instructors in Vermont - we have official LNA state testing experience! • Free access to all textbooks and study guides through Vermont MedED's website • In-person hands-on learning by expert instructors to give you full confidence to start your new healthcare career • Unlike other programs, VME graduates who test can get a permanent LNA license without additional work experience or employment commitments

Job Recruiters: • Post jobs using a form that includes key info about your company and open positions (location, application deadlines, video, images, etc.). • Accept applications and manage the hiring process via our applicant tracking tool.

• Search for jobs by keyword, location, category and job type. • Set up job alert emails using custom search criteria. • Save jobs to a custom list with your own notes on the positions. • Apply for jobs directly through the site.

• Easily manage your open job listings from your recruiter dashboard.

Get a quote when you post online or contact Michelle Brown: 865-1020, ext. 21, michelle@sevendaysvt.com.

jobs.sevendaysvt.com

Why would you want to learn professional caregiving skills anywhere else? COVID-19 has not stopped us! Call us at 802-349-8635 or 303-552-8258, or apply online at vermontmeded.com to become a proud VME graduate! January classes are filling quickly so enroll soon! 9v-jobsgohire-snowboarder20.indd 1

11/10/20 12:54 PM

2020 TALENT SHOW FOR The Kids VT Spectacular Spectacular is happening virtually this year — on WCAX Channel 3 — now through December 18 during the 4 p.m. newscast. Tune in every day to see kids, between the ages of 5 and 16, from all over the state showcase their talents!

VERMONT’S RISING STARS COMING UP: DEC 2 : Eliora Raiche DEC 3: Lily James DEC 4: Judah Kol DEC 7: Wilson & Rowan Goldblatt DEC 8: Sabrina Cyphers

Visit kidsvt.com/talentshow for the full schedule SPONSORED BY:

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MEDIA SPONSOR:

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

12/1/20 4:27 PM

fun stuff

RACHEL LINDSAY

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.61) CROSSWORD (P.61)

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SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL DECEMBER 3-9

ies. More than any other sign of the zodiac, you Rams want to be yourself, to inhabit your experience purely and completely — not see yourself from the perspective of outside observers. Now is a good time to emphasize this specialty.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

“Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked,” observed Sagittarian author Jane Austen. She wrote this confession in a letter to her niece, Fanny, whose boyfriend thought that the women characters in Jane’s novels were too naughty. In the coming weeks, I encourage you Sagittarians to regard pictures of perfection with a similar disdain. To accomplish all the brisk innovations you have a mandate to generate, you must cultivate a deep respect for the messiness of creativity; you must understand that your dynamic imagination needs room to experiment with possibilities that may at first appear disorderly. For inspiration, keep in mind this quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): An anonymous blogger on Tumblr writes the following: “What I’d really like is for someone to objectively watch me for a week and then sit down with me for a few hours and explain to me what I am like and how I look to others and what my personality is in detail and how I need to improve. Where do I sign up for that?” I can assure you that the person who composed this message is not an Ar-

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Humans like to be scared,” declares author Cathy Bell. “We love the wicked witch’s cackle, the wolf’s hot breath, and the old lady who eats children, because sometimes, when the scary is over, all we remember is the magic.” I suppose that what she says is a tiny bit true. But there are also many ways to access the magic that don’t require encounters with dread. And that’s exactly what I predict for you in the coming weeks, Taurus: marvelous experiences — including catharses, epiphanies and breakthroughs — that are neither spurred by fear nor infused with it. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1994, the ani-

mated movie The Lion King told the story of the difficult journey made by a young lion as he struggled to claim his destiny as rightful king. A remake of the film appeared in 2019. During the intervening 25 years, the number of real lions living in nature declined dramatically. There are now just 20,000. Why am I telling you such bad news? I hope to inspire you to make 2021 a year when you will resist trends like this. Your assignment is to nurture and foster wildness in every way that’s meaningful for you — whether that means helping to preserve habitats of animals in danger of extinction or feeding and championing the wildness inside you and those you care about. Get started!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Is there anyone whose forgiveness you would like to have? Is there anyone to whom you should make atonement? Now is a favorable phase to initiate such actions. In a related subject, would you benefit from forgiving a certain person whom you feel wronged you? Might there be healing for you in asking that person to make amends? The coming weeks will provide the best opportunity you have had in a long time to seek these changes. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Scientists know that the Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing down — but at the very slow rate of two milliseconds

every 100 years. What that means is that 200 million years from now, one day will last 25 hours. Think of how much more we humans will be able to get done with an extra hour every day! I suspect you may get a preview of this effect in the coming weeks, Leo. You’ll be extra efficient. You’ll be focused and intense in a relaxing way. Not only that: You will also be extra appreciative of the monumental privilege of being alive. As a result, you will seem to have more of the precious luxury of time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Adventurer Tim Peck says there are three kinds of fun. The first is pure pleasure, enjoyed in full as it’s happening. The second kind of fun feels challenging when it’s under way but interesting and meaningful in retrospect. Examples are giving birth to a baby or taking an arduous hike uphill through deep snow. The third variety is no fun at all. It’s irksome while you’re doing it and equally disagreeable as you think about it later. Now I’ll propose a fourth type of fun, which I suspect you’ll specialize in during the coming weeks. It’s rather boring or tedious or nondescript while it’s going on, but in retrospect you are very glad you did it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I made the wrong mistakes,” said Libran composer and jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. He had just completed an improvisatory performance he wasn’t satisfied with. On countless other occasions, however, he made the right mistakes. The unexpected notes and tempo shifts he tried often resulted in music that pleased him. I hope that in the coming weeks you make a clear demarcation between wrong mistakes and right mistakes, dear Libra. The latter could help bring about just the transformations you need. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Home is not where you were born,” writes Naguib Mahfouz. “Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.” I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the next 12 months, Scorpio. According to my astrological analysis, you will receive all the inspiration and support you need as you strive to be at peace with exactly who you are. You’ll feel an ever-diminishing urge to wish you were doing something else besides what you’re

actually doing. You’ll be less and less tempted to believe your destiny lies elsewhere, with different companions and different adventures. To your growing satisfaction, you will refrain from trying to flee from the gifts that have been given you, and you will instead accept the gifts just as they are. And it all starts now.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn novelist Anne Brontë (1820-1849) said, “Smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad.” I suspect you could have experiences like hers in the coming weeks. I bet you’ll feel a welter of unique and unfamiliar emotions. Some of them may seem paradoxical or mysterious, although I think they’ll all be interesting and catalytic. I suggest you welcome them and allow them to teach you new secrets about your deep self and the mysterious nature of your life. AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian philosopher Simone Weil formulated resolutions so as to avoid undermining herself. First, she vowed she would only deal with difficulties that actually confronted her, not far-off or hypothetical problems. Second, she would allow herself to feel only those feelings that were needed to inspire her and make her take effective action. All other feelings were to be shed, including imaginary feelings — that is, those not rooted in any real, objective situation. Third, she vowed, she would “never react to evil in such a way as to augment it.” Dear Aquarius, I think all of these resolutions would be very useful for you to adopt in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In June 2019, the young Piscean singer Justin Bieber addressed a tweet to 56-year-old actor Tom Cruise, challenging him to a mixed martial arts cage fight. “If you don’t take this fight,” said Bieber, “you will never live it down.” A few days later, Bieber retracted his dare, confessing that Cruise “would probably whoop my ass in a fight.” If Bieber had waited until December 2020 to make his proposal, he might have had more confidence to follow through — and he might also have been better able to whoop Cruise’s ass. You Pisceans are currently at the peak of your power and prowess.

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LIFE IS TOO COMPLICATED Nature is the path to peace and salvation. I am tired of game players. If you are one, don’t waste my time. I am kind, and you will find me to be fair and fun to be with. I like adventures, road trips, Maine seacoast. thoreau1, 64, seeking: W

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FLAVORFUL, SPIRITED. I CONTAIN MULTITUDES. It’s virtually impossible to condense a personality into such a small container. I happily contradict myself, if the spirit moves me. I say “yes” to life while remaining grounded. I value connection, honesty and personal insight. I’m looking for someone courageous enough to also say “yes” to life. katya, 54, seeking: M, l DREAMER Are you into conscious living? Spirituality? Nature? Honesty? Compassion? Maybe you’re a hopeless romantic? I am seeking a lasting relationship with a like-minded man. Looking for my best friend to share adventures, love and life’s ups and downs. I like to hike, ski, relax, talk, ponder and spend lots of time with you. naturgirl, 64, seeking: M, l FREE SPIRIT Love the outdoors, especially with water. I have traveled to about 70 countries and still want to travel some. Health and fitness are very important to me. I have done many sports over the years and continue to be active. I am a very curious person and enjoy learning. Waiting to hear from you. Tapbel, 62, seeking: M, l STRONG, INDEPENDENT, INTELLECTUAL Ski? Dinner? Speak any foreign languages? No rednecks or men who will break under heavy use. Must be well educated, well traveled and cultured. 420-friendly, and no man-babies looking for a mama! pip, 56, seeking: M, l 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 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

SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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 CURIOUS OF LIFE AND HUMOR Sometimes I want to be among a lot of people, and sometimes I just want to be alone with my own company. Have always been curious about people and the world around me. Love learning new things, and currently working on how to play music. I have a great sense of humor and enjoy being outdoors all spring, summer and fall. daffodil19, 64, seeking: M, l INSIGHTFUL, CREATIVE, ADVENTUROUS Outdoorsy, attractive brunette. Poet, explorer of spirituality and personal growth, lover of nature. I love hiking, paddling, exploring new mountains, towns and ideas with others ... feeling what we’re drawn to along the way, sharing thoughts and impressions. Fairly flexible and easygoing. Healthy minded; not big into alcohol, not into drugs. Waterpoet, 58, seeking: M, l PREFER BEING OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE Genuine, honest and an active listener. I like to cook and eat real food that is locally produced/raised. Gardening (veggies, not so much flowers), hiking, biking, running, snowshoeing, eradicating invasive plants — most anything outdoors will do. VTu4ia, 45, seeking: M, l READY FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE Warm, affectionate, professional lady ready to date. Working in a library has taught me never to judge a book by its cover. Let’s get together for coffee or an adult beverage and see where it leads. Redcutie, 52, seeking: M, l

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i SPY

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

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SHAMWOW Not a moment passes that I don’t think of you. —Scoots. When: Friday, May 18, 2018. Where: in my dreams. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915195

MISSING BEAN-DIP DAYS To the woman who needs fancy leggings and cozy at-home leggings: I miss the carefree days of 2019 when we could sit and laugh right next to each other, even high-five if compelled. Hopefully soon we can study and make an epic bean dip, just like old times; until then, wash your hands, wear your mask and stay home. When: Wednesday, November 20, 2019. Where: buck hunter at Akes. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #915190

KELLEE ON OKCUPID It’s been a while since we chatted on OKCupid. We corresponded about winter and a new snow blower you bought. I hope you’re well. —Chris. When: Friday, February 5, 2016. Where: OKCupid. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915194

NORTHFIELD SEPTUM RING GIRL You complimented my septum ring, and I think yours is perfect. Maybe we can do the coffee thing outside of me buying it from you? When: Friday, November 20, 2020. Where: Northfield. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915188

LISA ON BURROWS TRAIL SUNDAY We leapfrogged and stumbled down the Burrows Trail. I’m still feeling your warmth. Wondering all sorts of things. Walk in beauty, dear one. When: Sunday, November 22, 2020. Where: Camel’s Hump. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915193 THANKS FOR THE SMILE Thanks to the Goodwill worker in Williston who appreciated my mother’s antique lantern. Even small interactions can turn a bad day right around. I really appreciate it! You asked for my name and said it was great meeting me. I wish I had asked for yours. I’ll have to find more things to donate. When: Saturday, November 21, 2020. Where: Goodwill. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915192 TO MY MARILYN MONROE To my forever love, MM. Every lifetime we are drawn to each other. I am so grateful to keep finding you. Our connection is everlasting and worth everything to me. This life and the next, I love you always. Your James Dean. When: Sunday, October 9, 2016. Where: Jericho barn. You: Woman. Me: Nonbinary person. #915191 GREG, WE MATCHED ON MATCH Not sure how to connect with you. We have a lot in common, and you seem very fun! When: Friday, November 20, 2020. Where: Match. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915189

COLCHESTER AVE. Kelly, I am sorry. Please forgive me. —David. When: Thursday, November 19, 2020. Where: Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915187 MIKE B. OF NYC/BUMBLE MISS? Perhaps you were home for a short time, or COVID restrictions made you leave? I saw your match, but my right swipes are rare and can be painstakingly slow. When I finally decided, alas, you were gone. If you return to Colchester sometime soon, try again! Or reach out here. Me: 53, happily independent and active. When: Tuesday, November 10, 2020. Where: Bumble. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915186 HANNAFORD-UPON-ESSEX You were shopping with your daughter, and we made eye contact a couple times. Was it a coincidence or something more? If you would be up for meeting from a distance, I would, too! When: Monday, November 16, 2020. Where: Hannaford, Essex. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915185

Ask REVEREND 

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

Spending so much time at home during lockdown has caused me to go on a decluttering kick. I came across a big box full of photo albums that belonged to my deceased parents — mostly scenic photographs from trips they took. I don’t really want to keep them, but I can’t bring myself to throw them away. What should I do with them?

Shutterbugged (FEMALE, 51)

SUSAN Saw your profile on Match.com. I found it quite intriguing, to say the least. You are around 70. Let’s chat. Oh, you live in the Burlington area. When: Thursday, November 12, 2020. Where: Match. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915184 KINNEY DRUGS, BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD We chatted while waiting. You liked my dreads, and I liked your black T shirt that said something about “good people on earth.” We spoke again, but I should have asked for your name. Care to chat again, maybe exchange names? When: Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Where: Kinney Drugs, Barre-Montpelier Road. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915183 STRAWBERRY BREAD BAKER Sorry to have missed you at the flu clinic; it was the highlight of my 2019. Hope that you are doing well, staying healthy and continuing to make your indelible mark on the world. As always, missing you terribly. Happy birthday. When: Wednesday, November 6, 2019. Where: downtown BTV. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915182 BERLIN POND I thought I’d lost my keys (but didn’t). You offered to lend us your car. I appreciate your very kind gesture. It’s people like you who bring light into the world, and it’s my hope our paths will converge again soon. Thank you. When: Monday, November 9, 2020. Where: near Berlin Pond. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915181 CITY MARKET, TWO BEEF STICKS In front of the prepared food cooler, the woman in the silver puffy jacket gesticulated in our direction. At the checkout, I asked, “That’s it?” looking at the two Vermont beef sticks in your hand. I just wanted a snack. You said good night to everyone before driving off in your Bolt, your kindness unmasked. When: Sunday, November 8, 2020. Where: City Market, downtown Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915180 BREAK LIGHTS, BREAK LIGHTS Break lights near the barn you have spied. It’s too bad it’s still dark out. Be nice to see your smile. When: Friday, November 6, 2020. Where: ???. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915179

Dear Shutterbugged,

I’m ridiculously sentimental, so I feel your pain. Here’s what I would do. Look through the albums and take out any photos of your parents that you want to keep. Take another fast pass through them and pull out anything that grabs your heart. Don’t think about it too hard, or you’ll get bogged down. Put everything into one album as documentation of your parents’ adventures. As for the remaining photos, is there anyone in your family who might be interested in them? Know anybody who does collage? If not, send those albums on

HOPEFULHEART You have been spied! Tag, you’re it! When: Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Where: Seven Days. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915178 LOOKING GOOD IN THOSE JEANS. Looking right. Hella tight. Would love to take you out for a night. As long as you wear those jeans, anything is possible. K, if you’re waiting for a sign, this is it. Just give me the signal, and I will send her to the airport with a one-way ticket to Santa Fe. With us, we could be magic. When: Wednesday, November 4, 2020. Where: Main St. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915177 COLLIN AT COSTCO Saw you this morning in passing while running errands. Curious what’s under the mask. Caught a glimpse of your name badge as you passed by me a second time: Collin. Figured I’d take a shot in the dark here. When: Saturday, October 31, 2020. Where: Costco. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915175

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: Nonbinary person. #915166

BLUE TOYOTA TACOMA To the Blue Toyota Tacoma: Almost every morning I’m heading south and you are heading north. Would be nice to catch up sometime. You have been spied back. When: Saturday, October 31, 2020. Where: Route ???. You: Man. Me: Woman. #915174 BOBBIE I found your profile very interesting, and I am looking for a way to communicate with you. Here works for me. When: Thursday, October 29, 2020. Where: Match. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915172 BIRTHDAY GIRL AT GUILTY PLATE 1:45 p.m. Birthday girl with an amazing smile. You were with a friend with black hair. You smiled when I walked in, and we waved to each other as you drove away in your white Subaru. I would love to see you again. Maybe meet for a coffee? Me: black down jacket. When: Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Where: Guilty Plate restaurant, Colchester. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915171 AMAZING OPTIMIST ON MATCH I like all of your lessons from this year. I’m proud to vote blue. And I think you have an amazing smile. I’m not on Match, but maybe we could start our connection here. Have a great day. When: Monday, October 26, 2020. Where: on Match. com. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915170

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 convenience store. You: Woman. Me: Man. #915164 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

their own adventure and donate them to a thrift store. They might just turn into the treasure someone didn’t know they were looking for. I’m fairly certain those who have gone on to the other side are no longer concerned with the worldly goods they’ve left behind. They’ve got more important things to do. Hang on to anything that holds special memories for you. If the only reason you’re keeping something is because it belonged to someone who passed, it’s time for it to go. You won’t be hurting their feelings. Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

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Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com. SEVEN DAYS DECEMBER 2-9, 2020

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 pillow talk. #L1455 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

I’m a mid-aged male seeking a male or female in these reclusive, masked times. I’m a long-distance runner, walker and aerobic distance-goer looking to share runs in the spirit of Joy Johnstone, Ed Whitlock, Larry Legend, George Sheehan — connecting to that endorphined tranquility and making sense of our lives. Any age. #L1462 I’m a 71-and-a-half-y/o male from Rutland County seeking a female. Netflix, cable junkie. Hope to dine again post-COVID. Love the Maine coast a couple times a year. Sedate lifestyle. Retired law enforcement. #L1461

I’m here now, and you knew me as Yourdaddy921, etc. and Boomer2012, etc. Contact me via mail, please. #L1458 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 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

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SWM, 60s, seeking woman around 58 to 68. Handyman. Enjoy skiing, cooking, weekend getaways. Tired of quarantine. Are you? NEK. #L1453 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

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Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. 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. #L1450 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 Attractive 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 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. #L1445

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 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 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 looking for guys seeking fun and adventure in mid-Vermont. No text/email. Hope to hear from you. #L1441

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