Seven Days, February 12, 2025 by Seven Days

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$40 MILLION

MIND MATTERS

AFTER CARE

Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine, who helped steer the state through the COVID-19 pandemic, will retire at the end of March, Gov. Phil Scott’s ofﬁce announced last Friday.

Appointed in 2017, Levine, 71, became a high-profile official during frequent press conferences as Vermont locked down in 2020. He fielded epidemiological questions and offered guidance and reassurance to an anxious public.

Levine, who lives in Shelburne, said his time at the state health department has been “career- and life-changing.”

“ e work we do is so meaningful,

challenging, necessary and gratifying,” he said.

Gov. Phil Scott, who led the pandemic press conferences, in a statement recalled Levine providing “much comfort to Vermonters as our very own ‘Country Doc’” and called him a “tremendous asset.”

“I wish him well in the next chapter of his life,” the governor added.

Levine previously worked as a doctor, and he still holds positions as a professor and associate dean at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine.

e health department advanced numerous public health initiatives

under his leadership, including a visiting nurse program for newborn children and efforts to prevent teen substance use, a press release said.

“While proud of our accomplishments, none of them would have been possible without the professional, dedicated, resilient, and passionate team at the Department of Health,” Levine said in a statement. “ ey join me each day in enthusiastically getting up for work and striving to honor and accomplish the mission of the department.”

Scott has yet to name Levine’s successor.

Read Colin Flanders’ full story at sevendaysvt.com.

Vermont-trained superstar skier Mikaela Shi rin says she has PTSD after her November crash during Killington Resort’s World Cup race. Heal up!

OOPSIE

TSA o cers seized two handguns during security screenings at the Burlington airport over the weekend. Their owner said he forgot he had them.

CHECKING IMBALANCES?

Vermont and a dozen other states are suing to stop Elon Musk from accessing sensitive federal payment computer systems. Busy time for the courts.

HOT FOOT

Battery-powered heated socks caught ﬁre in a room at the Burke Mountain Hotel, sending guests ﬂeeing. Luckily, no one was injured.

That’s the estimated cost to repair Vermont’s ailing Bennington Battle Monument, the tallest structure in the state.

TOPFIVE

TOWNCRIER

LOCALLY SOURCED NEWS

Rutland Cat Featured in ‘Puppy Bowl’ Crumby, a rescue kitty in Rutland, “performed” at halftime of the Puppy Bowl, the annual four-legged cute fest that Animal Planet airs each Super Bowl Sunday, the Community News Service reported. Crumby, his two sibs and their mother have been cared for by nonproﬁt the Feline Connection since December.

CARE BEARS

A Vermont organization that sends stuffed animals to children in disaster areas and war zones is putting together a package of its signature creature comforts for victims of the Los Angeles wildﬁres.

e Teddy Bear Project, created by South Burlington peace advocate Nina Meyerhof, is raising funds for a March bear drop. Depending on how much money it can muster, the group aims to deliver 500 to 700 stuffed teddy bears to children affected by the ﬁres. Donations will help the nonproﬁt purchase the bears and cover costs associated with delivery.

Meyerhof says she plans to bring the

cuddly gifts to a children’s museum in Santa Monica. She and two other volunteers also plan to hand out bears in Altadena, an area that took the brunt of the Eaton Fire, which killed 17 people and damaged thousands of structures.

e Teddy Bear Project will host kids’ activities in downtown Stowe on Saturday, February 16, to raise money for its effort, self-identiﬁed “peace warrior” Michael Dolson said. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., families can partake in a “duck derby,” “duck cornhole” and more on the lawn next to Black Cap Coffee & Bakery on Sunset Street. e event will take place under tents in case of rain or snow.

Meyerhof, who founded the nonproﬁt Children of the Earth, ﬁrst discovered the healing potential of stuffed animals after 9/11,

when she delivered bears to relatives of the missing.

“ e children had something to hold onto,” she said. “Mothers seemed to relax a bit because they saw a child happy.”

Most recently, the group has delivered bears to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Asheville, N.C., organizers said.

e group’s gesture of emotional support to California ﬁre victims will be coupled with a delivery of material goods for parents, as well. e global products retailer Nusantara, located in the Essex Experience, has donated about 1,000 articles of adult clothing, Meyerhof said.

e Teddy Bear Project also accepts donations online at teddybearproject.org.

DEREK BROUWER

e Teddy Bear Project

Dr. Mark Levine

FROM THE HEART.

Paula Routly

Cathy Resmer

Don Eggert, Colby Roberts

NEWS & POLITICS

Matthew Roy

Goldstein

Ken Ellingwood, Candace Page

Hannah Bassett, Derek Brouwer, Colin Flanders, Rachel Hellman, Courtney Lamdin, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Anne Wallace Allen

ARTS & CULTURE

Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox

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Jen Rose Smith

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Katherine Isaacs, Martie Majoros DIGITAL & VIDEO

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Je Baron SALES & MARKETING

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Carolann Whitesell ADMINISTRATION

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Madison Storm CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jordan Adams, Justin Boland, Alex Brown, Erik Esckilsen, Steve Goldstein, Amy Lilly, Bryan Parmelee, Suzanne Podhaizer, Samantha Randlett, Jim Schley, Dayton Shafer, Carolyn Shapiro, Xenia Turner, Casey Ryan Vock CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

WAKE UP, DEMS

[Re Feedback: “Rodgers Rules,” February 5]: Reading all the letters to the editor about the cover story “Man at Work” [January 22], I’m a little more than disgusted by the reaction of my fellow Democrats who are still incredulous at the man’s win. How about a little introspection? Using all the usual claptrap buzzwords the Dems use, like “ignorant” and “racist” and “guns” in any type of sentence, they show exactly why he won. His voters are absolutely sick of being made out to be some type of common moron and looked down upon by a now-aggrieved party (and its supporters) who formerly could swing the sword of power at will

Unfortunately, we all found out that the constituency has limits to its ability to absorb abuse and ﬁscally tolerate some of these snot-nosed, holier-thanthou politicians. John Rodgers’ election wasn’t the only one; many Dems went down, all with hearing issues, apparently. They never listened to all the people they represented. And some rebelled.

Luke Awtry, Daria Bishop, James Buck, Bear Cieri, Sarah Cronin, Tim Newcomb, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur FOUNDERS

Pamela Polston, Paula Routly CIRCULATION: 35,000

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I voted for Mr. Rodgers. I had had enough of my concerns being ignored, too. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, but some of these goings-on were ﬂat-out undemocratic. Forcing policy upon the population just because you can jam it down everyone’s throat makes a mockery of the whole process. And the population gave Democrats a taste of their own medicine.

Hopefully the remaining Democrats in the House and Senate are less recalcitrant this season.

Christopher Maloney WASHINGTON

LEARN FROM PLATTSBURGH

Your excellent article on Shelburne’s controversial proposed large housing development [ Nest : “HOME Stretch,” January 22] perhaps downplayed one major drawback of the project: more tra c on the already-congested — and dangerous — Shelburne Road, aka Route 7.

The City of Plattsburgh, N.Y., addressed this budding situation several years ago by persuading the state to build Route 374 parallel with the alreadycommercially overdeveloped Route 3 west from Plattsburgh for about 12 miles. It’s a wide two-lane semi-limited access highway with long sight lines and no development of any kind, not unlike a

parkway. It’s a pleasant, open-space alternative to the crowded, stopand-go Route 3 with its malls, motels, big-box stores, chain restaurants, gas stations, endless trafﬁc lights, fender benders and so on.

accrual as an investment against the tax loss each year), and the number is astronomically bad. I already pay a relatively hefty amount of state income taxes, and buying a home would e ectively double my tax burden to a level that we cannot a ord.

I have a son who is headed to college shortly, and we cannot a ord to pay for that as well. The same tax burden for a similar living situation (with home purchase) in New Hampshire or Massachusetts amounts to approximately $10,000 less in taxes.

Unfortunately, we have recently determined we will be moving away from the state we love. We can’t a ord to live here even on a relatively good income.

Bob Kalill PUTNEY

AFGHANS BETRAYED

If this has not already been thought of, a similar road east of and paralleling Route 7 from near its Interstate 189 intersection to the south of Shelburne should be considered. The di culty is that while Plattsburgh took on the problem before there was much construction along the right-of-way, it may be too late for Shelburne — the extent of property condemnation would be a political nonstarter. Thus, the cost of not thinking ahead.

Neal Burdick SHELBURNE

Editor’s note: Shelburne has since approved the O’Brien Brothers development referenced above. For details, read our January 28 online story, “Shelburne Selectboard Approves Housing Project Agreement.”

‘PHENOMENAL WRITING’

[“Year of the Dogs,” January 29], about the winning University of Vermont soccer team, is absolutely phenomenal writing. I graduated from UVM back in 1986 and played for then-coach Ron McEachen his ﬁ rst season in 1985, my senior year. I spent some time with coach Rob Dow over the past few weeks, and

I actually played soccer with Maxi Kissel’s father in New York City back in the 1990s.

There are really no words to explain the past few months, but you have done a damn good job of coming close to making it as understandable as possible. The whole season has a book in it. Once again, great job!

Scott Wood LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED QUALITY

The quality of “Year of the Dogs” [January 29] reminds me of what I used to ﬁnd in the stories of Sports Illustrated. Such reading enjoyment!

Peter Rowan WINOOSKI

‘CAN’T

AFFORD TO LIVE HERE’

It’s not just retirees feeling the squeeze [“Green Mountain Stakes: Taxes and a High Cost of Living Make Vermont an Expensive Place to Grow Old,” January 22]. We have lived in Vermont since 2003 and are active community members. I have a good-paying job (two-thirds remote, which enables me to live here) and should not have an issue buying a home and living in Vermont.

Yet our family has been looking for a home to purchase on and o for many years now. Each time we ﬁnd one of interest, we calculate the property taxes against the value of the home (and the home’s likely

I am deeply ashamed of the actions of President Donald Trump suspending admission of refugees into the U.S. and the immediate impact upon Afghans here in Vermont who have families waiting to join them [“Vermont Afghan Group Condemns Trump Refugee Order,” January 22]. This is indeed a betrayal of the promise we gave them. Why would anyone ever trust us again? This is not the country my father fought the Nazis for in World War II. He was the son of Irish immigrants. His parents were born in Ireland. We are a nation of immigrants, and unless one’s heritage is Native American, we all came from somewhere else or our people did.

I welcome refugees. They come here for a better life. We need the Hispanic people who do the work on our farms, apple orchards, etc. People here don’t want those jobs. Illegal or not, these people work. Have we become a nation that just uses people until they don’t suit our purposes or our political leaders? Yes, this is betrayal, and I am ashamed!

Sheila Ryan ESSEX JUNCTION

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SWEET ON YOU

Falling for the Love & Marriage Issue

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AmanDa

Bethadone Clinique

AmanDa FonDell • Amy Leigh Celestial

Bethadone Clinique • Blaze • Carmen Gettit

eader, we here at Seven Days have something we’ve been meaning to tell you. But we’re nervous to say it out loud because as soon as we do, it’ll change everything. We’ve got a good thing going, and we sure don’t wanna mess it up. But the heart wants what it wants. So here goes.

We love you.

Cat Call Dance CO • Champlain College Dance Team

Seven Days readers are smart, funny and sexy. You’re thoughtful, creative and kind. Sure, sometimes you get mad at us if we say something is in Essex Junction when it’s really in Essex or we write a story you think is too liberal or conservative — or not liberal or conservative enough. But that’s all part of a healthy relationship. It’d be weird if we didn’t disagree once in a while, right?

DJ Craig Mitchell • DJ Llu • Donna Rhea Green Mountain Cabaret • House of LeMay

Kandi Kisses • Kimono Dragon • King Cocktail

Merde! Dance Co • Mike Oxready • Mikey Flexx

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Miss Chekova • Porter Starboard • Prisma Pallet

Rev. Yolanda & The Circle of Love • Rhedd Rhumm

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C e in drag !

So, yeah. We love you. (It’s OK if you don’t say it back. We know.)

Love takes many forms. That’s what’s so great about it: It’s malleable. And, as we explore in this Love & Marriage Issue, how we define love has a way of evolving over time.

Just ask GARTH AND CLARA PETERSON (page 26). The high school sweethearts eloped in 1963. Theirs was a storybook romance, filled with travel, family and lots of love. When Clara developed Alzheimer’s disease and had to move into a Burlington nursing home, their relationship changed. But their love hasn’t wavered.

The Petersons’ marriage is remarkable. But there are other ways of expressing and nurturing love. Placing friends at the center of our lives, rather than romantic partners, is an idea that’s gaining popularity, especially among younger generations. In an essay and series of creative vignettes, sex educator Sarah Diedrick describes what “PLATONIC INTIMACY” means to her (page 34).

For more varied perspectives on love, visit Vermont photographer Craig Harrison’s exhibition at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. “I AM___: PORTRAITS ILLUMINATING IDENTITY ” depicts queer folks radiating acceptance, hope and joy (page 52).

Living joyfully is part of the motive behind AARP Vermont’s new SEX EDUCATION WEBINAR FOR SENIORS (page 32). Hosted by sex ed expert Jenna Emerson, the

series’ focus is better living through intimacy.

Of course, we are rarely more joyful than on that special day when we declare our love for all the world to see. So it’s natural to want to look good. With DIY jewelry-making workshops and private bridal consultations, South Burlington boutique ELLI PARR helps wedding parties accessorize (page 30). Aesthetics are important when it comes to wedding food, too. Baker Erinn Simon of Burlington’s THAT CAKE STAND makes wedding cakes that are beautiful and delicious (page 41).

Food is a powerful love language. For proof, look no farther than the FARMER’S HAND, a new on-farm restaurant in Brookfield (page 38). It’s owned and operated by couple Kyle Doda and Betsy Simpson, farmers who grow almost everything on the menu at their 1000 Stone Farm. A labor of love, indeed.

Mike Oxready Presents

Cuts Abroad Hit Home

Trump’s cancellation of U.S. foreign aid means lost contracts and jobs in Vermont

Senate Leader Says School Choice Expansion Is O the Table

Power Move

e governor’s education overhaul would strip authority from the independent State Board of Education House Declines to Order a Revote in Bennington Race

Sandy Baird, Fierce Advocate and Lawyer, Dies at 84

FEATURES 26

Love Story

In sickness and in health, Garth and Clara Peterson paint a portrait of lasting love

Put a Ring on It

Brides say “yes” to the bling at Elli Parr in South Burlington

Boomer Booty Call

An AARP Vermont webinar series offers sex ed to seniors

Squishy Feelings

A sex educator on the virtues of platonic intimacy

ARTS+CULTURE 44

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Burlington play-reading group marks 135 years and welcomes new members

No Reservations

Indigenous comics let ﬂy uncomfortable truths in Some Stars of Native American Comedy

The Play’s the Thing eater review: e Play at Goes Wrong, Vermont Stage

Wild at Heart

Evan Perkins has been exploring wild ice for 15 years

No Fooling: Burlington City Arts Cancels Festival of Fools

Kings and Queens of the Realm

Craig Harrison takes joyous portraits of drag in the Northeast Kingdom

‘Sca olding’ at AVA Gallery Is a Scavenger Hunt for Art

‘My Father Made Thousands of Musicians Sound Incredible’

Life Stories: Sergei Ushakov, August 16, 1959-January 8, 2025

of the Art

+DRINK 38

Hands On At the Farmer’s Hand, the couple behind Brookﬁeld’s 1000 Stone Farm bring the farm to the table

Top Tier ree questions for baker Erinn Simon of Burlington’s at Cake Stand

STUCK IN VERMONT

Farmer Evan Perkins has spent the past 15 winters exploring wild ice around his

REV. DIANE SULLIVAN • COOKIES

Thanks to everyone who entered the Seven Days Sweetie Sweepstakes! We loved seeing your photos. Congratulations to Jeﬀ and Michelle Koch of Lowell – they’ve won our romantic giveaway! Details include:

• Two nights’ accommodation at The Essex Resort & Spa

• A bottle of sparkling wine & a housemade chocolate treat

• Daily spa access & a 50-minute couple’s massage

• Dinner at Junction ﬁne-dining restaurant

• Breakfast at The Lazy Goat Tavern

• A cooking class for two

MAGNIFICENT

MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK COMPILED BY REBECCA DRISCOLL

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS

, Treewild’s family-friendly sound, light and art installation at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, enhances the outdoors with projections of seasonal poetry. As folks of all ages saunter down the meandering trail, ambient music, illustrations and larger-than-life paper lanterns adorn the landscape — all generated by Vermont artists and musicians.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 65

THURSDAY 13-SUNDAY 16

Funny Girls

Richard Curtis’ 2003 rom-com Love Actually begins with a simple plea — open your eyes to love. Homegrown all-female comedy group Stealing From Work leans deeper into that request with Love ... Well, Actually at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. e offbeat, irreverent sketch show asks viewers to confront the deluge of messy and weird that love brings with it.

SEE CLUB LISTING ON PAGE 63

Sensory Special

Epicurious valentines revel in Dining in the Dark, Gold Restaurant’s unique culinary experience in Burlington. e multisensory adventure affords foodies the rare opportunity to abandon sight (via low lighting or blackout mask) in pursuit of heightened gastronomic enjoyment. Partial proceeds beneﬁt the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 67

FRIDAY 14-SUNDAY 16

Waiting in the Wings

New Works Now festival in White River Junction and Hanover, N.H., reinforces the org’s mission of developing, nurturing and mounting works by up-and-coming American playwrights. is year’s staged readings include Intimate Surveillance by Catherine Stewart and farcical madcap comedy Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret by Talene Monahon.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 67

Sowing Seeds

Vermont educator and “horticulture therapist” launches her ﬁrst book, An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees and Herbs , at the Hive on Pine in Burlington. e guide introduces readers to more than 50 plants found within the conﬁnes of concrete jungles — and inspires folks to consider with wonder how life still teems in unexpected places.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 69

OPENS SATURDAY 15

Oh, Sappy Days!

Prepare your taste buds for late winter’s gooey gift, ’cause it’s that time of year again. During the weeklong Magic of Maple event at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, guests learn about our region’s maple traditions and history, witness sap ﬂowing straight from the source, and delight in sugar on snow demos.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 70

THROUGH FEBRUARY 23

Cold Play

e Brattleboro Museum & Art Center showcases the annual “Artful Ice Shanties” outdoor exhibit at Retreat Farm, a place-based honoring of New England’s ice ﬁshing history, coupled with innovative artistic talent. From dawn to dusk, visitors drop in to admire the expressive structures. February 22 brings a lighthearted awards ceremony for more notably inventive efforts.

SEE GALLERY LISTING AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ART

“As a person with a disability and someone who also has always relied heavily on public transit for a long time now, I would appreciate it if we could come together to try to prevent routes from being cut because I know that it could be very devastating to our communities in Vermont.”

but last week city Blackwood announced the city didn’t hold

the right kind of insurance for the airport, leaving it vulnerable to lawsuits. at meant the vote couldn’t happen at Monday’s city council meeting and had to be postponed.

TOPFIVE

POLITICAL PETE

5. “Drifting Inside a Sensory-Deprivation Tank” by Ken Picard. Need inner peace? One reporter found it in a dark tank in Shelburne.

Burlingtoninin recent months. Police say someone is shooting out the windows of parked cars with a pellet or BB gun.

SCHOOL DAZE

Former governorVermont

Farewell to an X

2. “Email Trail Shows Burlington School Budget Strife” by Alicia Freese. Analyzing 3,300 pages of emails between Burlington’s school board and the district’s administration this spring reveals rising tensions.

It’s over. After publishing a Vermont-related social media post in every issue of the newspaper for nearly 16 years, Seven Days is calling it quits. The final “X Post of the Week,” formerly “Tweet of the Week,” ran last week.

Weinberger agreed that “it is time to resolve the neighborhood issue.” Meanwhile, F-35 opponents note that the new, noisier planes would place even more homes in the noise zone deemed unsuitable for human habitation. Check out Off Message for more on this story, at sevendaysvt.com/offmessage.

SOBU COUNCIL: STOP THE BUYOUTS

The Love & Marriage Issue seems an appropriate place to announce the breakup: Not all relationships last forever.

3. “Off Message: Food Giants Sue to Block Vermont’s GMO Labeling Law” by Matthew Roy. Last week, four food industry heavy hitters sued the state of Vermont.

YOUR DEGREE PATHe IS AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE.

FEELING BLUE about IBM its Essex Junction plant abound. What’ll to its 4,000 workers? No one say. Loose sink chips?

he South Burlington City Council is appealing to the Federal Aviation Administration in an effort to stop the latest round of home buyouts in a neighborhood near the airport. e federally funded noise mitigation program allows Burlington International Airport to purchase and raze homes in areas adversely impacted by the sound of runway trafﬁc. After completing the removal of about 100 homes, the airport in September launched another round that could affect 39 more.

Parents are having their say about Calendar 2.0 — and it’s mostly negative. Could be: a.) vacationSummer is still sacred. b.) Not all kids would beneﬁt. c.) d.)likesNobodychange. All of the above.

Peter Shumlin is Boston- bound to be a “visiting fellow” at Harvard Universi- ty’s Kennedy School. To be closer to “legal weed”?

UNDONE DEAL

the

TOPFIVE

week: @ dr_pyserthere is seriously a guy hand- carving a small wooden statue of buddha at this coffee shop right now.

tweet of the week:

@JessLynVT

After a contentious four-hour session on Monday night, the council voted 3-2 in support of a resolution that seeks halt the buyouts in process. It asks speciﬁcally for the FAA to undertake a new, short-term noise study — one that would take into account BTV’s reduced passenger counts and the fact that the Vermont Air National Guard’s F-35s aren’t scheduled to arrive at the airport until 2019. It also

England pulled spectacular Sunday’s Bowl, VermontersNothing about that! DOWN VTrans plows motorists clearing roads Monday’s snowstorm. Steer We need shoveling we can get.

Being a #VT-er is helping a stranger back their pick-up ﬁlled with hay into a gas pump spot even if it means you’ll be 5 min late for work.

1. “Last Rights: A Putney Woman Becomes the ird Vermonter to End Her Life Using New Law” by Terri Hallenbeck. After a nineyear struggle with cancer, Maggie Lake recently ended her life using Vermont’s death with dignity law.

Published on June 18, 2014

asks the FAA to meet with the council by next month to discuss the Residentsbuyouts. in attendance seemed as divided as the council, Molly Walsh reported on our Off Message blog. “Please try to protect us from the predator that the airport has become,” Carmine Sargent urged the council. She’s lived in the Chamberlin neighborhood for 45 years. Jason Tucker, who lives there with his mother and daughter, urged the council to reconsider the resolution. Noisy air trafﬁc has devalued his family’s home, and they hope to eventually sell to the airport, he told the council. “ is is voluntary,” he noted. “We should have the right to sell.” He added, “If we don’t sell to the airport, who’s going to buy it?” Will the resolution inﬂuence the FAA? A letter obtained by Seven Days offers some clues. In it, a regional FAA administrator told South Burlington city manager Kevin Dorn that the F-35s will be noisier than the F-16s currently based there. e FAA’s Amy Corbett also suggested that more homeowners will be affected by noise and that the FAA has declined to conduct another study before the jets arrive in 2019 or 2020. For the full post — and future coverage — go to sevendaysvt.com.

took my resume and all my classes that I’ve taken over the last 25 years and submitted them to Champlain... I found it really easy and they were very helpful.”

But also: The posts themselves are less interesting than they used to be. The quirky, revealing comments about Vermont life from people who live here have mostly vanished, either because the authors left X for other platforms such as Bluesky or because they stopped sharing their thoughts publicly online, now that doing so could mean losing a job or being targeted by a virtual mob. Because of the way X’s search functions, those locals who are still posting are now harder to find. Deputy news editor Sasha Goldstein, who picked the “X Post of the Week,” said that increasingly he was using posts from tourists.

BROTHERLY LOVE

2. “Now Tweet is: Vermont’s the Smartest State!” by Rick Kisonak. A national analysis of Twitter trafﬁc found that Vermonters’ tweets are the most literate in the nation.

CUTTING EDGE, NEED TO STAY SHARP.

3. “Seasoned Traveler: Rickie’s Indian Restaurant” by Alice Levitt. Fill up on good Indian food at this gas station-restaurant in South Barre.

It wasn’t always this way. I know because I’ve read every tweet and X post Seven Days has ever published. We launched the feature when we redesigned the paper in 2009; I was the online editor then. Creative director Don Eggert and I wanted to give digital readers a reason to pick up the newspaper. It worked: Lots of them shared photos of their tweets in the paper, proving the continued relevance of print!

On a lighter note, I laughed out loud several times at tweets that responded creatively to the news of the day, sometimes from accounts that were clearly fake. In 2014, after Fletcher Allen Health Care changed its name to the University of Vermont Medical Center, an account called @FletcherAllen tweeted “AVENGE ME.”

Former state senator Norm McAllis- ter withdrew a no-contest plea and now says he’s inno- cent — again. Here we go…

Published on October 9, 2013

1. “Scenes From the Women’s March on Montpelier” by Sasha Goldstein and Andrea Suozzo. ousands rallied in front of the Vermont Statehouse on the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration. 2. “ e Internet Branded Her a Racist. Does It Matter at She’s Bipolar?” by Sasha Goldstein. A Burlington woman’s Facebook post went viral.

In January 2017, after Donald Trump’s first inauguration, @VTFakeHeadlines tweeted “Chopper Crews Almost Ready to Lower Pussy Hat onto Camel’s Hump.”

– Sgt. Allen F., Shelburne Police Department

The “only in Vermont” tweets included three over the years from people who tried to open the wrong Subaru in a parking lot. Vermont Community Foundation president Dan Smith confessed to actually climbing into the driver’s seat before realizing he was in someone else’s car.

SAFE HAVEN

3. “Vermonters Swarm Into Montpelier for Women’s March” by Katie Jickling. Police estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 people marched in Vermont’s capital on Saturday. 4. “A Montgomery Salt Cave Might Heal What Ails You” by Ken Picard. e Vermont Salt Cave Spa & Halotherapy Center in Montgomery Center is modeled after the reputedly therapeutic natural caves in Poland and Russia.

His 2021 tweet is one of a couple dozen we collected in an online slideshow to memorialize the Tweet/X Post of the Week; view it at sevendaysvt.com, on the same page as this column.

Syrian refugees began arriving in Rutland last week — but no local media outlets have been allowed to interview them. Sad.

You can still find Seven Days’ content on X — and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky and YouTube. Eva Sollberger also shares her “Stuck in Vermont” videos on TikTok; we’re flirting with the idea of posting more there.

LEGAL LESSON

Zephyr Teachout is among the plainti s suing DonaldPresident Trump for his alleged businessconﬂicts. That didn’t take long.

5. “St. Mike’s Grad Designs Inaugural Outﬁts for Ivanka Trump’s Kids” by Molly Walsh. Kate Bowen launched her children’s wear company in Charlotte. She made the blue velvet dress and matching wool coat Arabella Kushner wore to Donald Trump’s inauguration. tweet of the week:

@VTFakeHeadlines

Chopper Crews Almost Ready To Lower Pussy Hat onto Camel’s Hump

sampler of

CANADA!

The Canadian dollar is worth about 80 U.S. cents right now, making travel there a bargain. Weekend in Montréal, anyone?

4. “Finally Cleared of Murder, Man Dies in Car Wreck” by Mark Davis. John Grega spent 18 years in the Vermont prison system before he was freed in 2012. He died in a car crash last month.

your skill set with more than 60 online and graduate programs and certificates.

To eulogize the “Tweet of the Week,” I flipped through the digital editions of every issue since October 7, 2009 — all 783 of them.

5. “WTF: Why is Burlington Often Abbreviated as BTV?” by Ken Picard. e city takes its popular shorthand from the BTV airport code — but why isn’t it abbreviated BVT?

1/28/14 2:01 PM

ough the Women’s March on Montpelier proved overwhelmingly peaceful, it resulted in at least one criminal charge — levied against a sibling of a featured speaker. William Minter, the 58-year-old brother of 2016 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Minter, got charged Saturday with disorderly conduct. Cops said he parked illegally along Interstate 89, then tried walking to the rally after police closed Exit 8 into Montpelier. Trooper James Vooris said that he asked the Waterbury man “multiple times” to return to his vehicle and ﬁnd an alternate route. When Minter allegedly refused to do so, or provide his license, registration and proof of insurance, Vooris cited him with “multiple tickets.” Reached Monday by phone, William Minter declined to comment.

DUMB MOOOVE Federal authorities said a “professional cattle thief” from Pennsylvania bought 53 Belted Galloway cows in Lyndonville with a counterfeit $100,000 check. Round him up!

I noticed a few themes. The most prominent, by far: the weather. Thundersnows, late freezes, early thaws, freezing fog, leaves turning red at the end of July. Also: flooding. The collection includes multiple references to Tropical Storm Irene and recovery efforts; ditto the catastrophic floods of 2023 and 2024.

tweet of the week:

@BrianPardy #VT roads in good shape but covered with a thick layer of people unprepared for winter.

Published on February 4, 2015

There were several celebrity sightings, including Paul McCartney — with a photo. Multiple celebrity accounts made the paper, including ones belonging to Luis Guzmán, Anaïs Mitchell and thenpresident Barack Obama, who noted the death of former senator Jim Jeffords in 2014.

Look for our replacement feature, “Town Crier,” on page 5 of this week’s paper. Rather than choose a post from another social media platform, Seven Days will highlight a local story from a news outlet instead. We’ll choose a variety of articles from trustworthy sources, including Vermont’s community weeklies. Some of the stories will likely be ones we’ve linked to in our Daily 7 email newsletter.

Published on January 25, 2017

HIKE DIDN’T PAN OUT

We want to help you find more local journalism that matters, and we hope you’ll follow and support some of these media outlets. Unlike X, they’ll love you back.

Cathy Resmer

If you like Seven Days and can help pay for it, become a Super Reader! Look for the “Donate” button at the top of sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your address and contact info to:

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Members of the Ferrisburgh Volunteer Fire Department, Vergennes Area Rescue Squad, and a Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department warden spent several hours last Friday night searching for a missing New Jersey man who disappeared after telling friends he was going out to pan for gold. According to police, Kyle Eichin, 28, rented a house on Greenbush Road with several friends, none of whom were from the area or were familiar with the 65- acre property. After an unsuccessful two-hour search, friends called 911. Rescuers located Eichin in good health about six and a half hours later.

BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164

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VOICEMAIL: 802-865-1020, EXT. 115 EMAIL: SUPERREADERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Cuts Abroad Hit Home

BY ANNE WALLACE

The Trump administration’s sudden elimination of U.S. international humanitarian aid dealt a swift blow to many Vermont nonproﬁts, companies and workers.

Jen Peterson was one of the 150 or so people who worked in Winooski for Tetra Tech, which is part of a global $5 billion company that is the third-largest USAID contractor in the U.S. She was furloughed from her position last Friday; her husband has been let go from Tetra Tech, too. She estimated that about two-thirds of the employees had been furloughed and said the rest of the sta ers were put on reduced pay.

“We still have health care until the end of March,” she said.

International development ﬁrm Resonance Global, which is based in Burlington and has a widely scattered workforce, laid o ﬁve Vermont employees, according to

a spokesperson. Overall, the company reduced its workforce from 90 to 36 by last Friday.

Plenty of people in Vermont have had roles in the delivery of international aid. While there is no readily available count, interviews reveal that dozens of Vermonters have lost their positions suddenly and that some organizations with decades of international experience have lost funding. Some people who live in Vermont have been working remotely for aid organizations that are shedding employees. Many have no expectation those jobs will return.

President Donald Trump has called for shutting down USAID, claiming “radical lunatics” were running the agency. A number of other orders — or threatened orders — that have streamed from the White House since his inauguration have economic implications for Vermont. The specter of a trade war with China, Mexico and Canada — Vermont’s largest trade

Senate Leader Says School Choice Expansion Is Off the Table

BY ALISON NOVAK alison@sevendaysvt.com

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central) said on Tuesday that he won’t support a proposal to make all students eligible for school choice through a lottery system, a key part of Gov. Phil Scott’s plan to overhaul the state’s education system.

Broadening school choice is not something Vermonters have asked for and “has the potential to sink education transformation efforts,” Baruth wrote. “Allowing that to happen would be an unforced error, and would set our reform efforts back substantially.”

Baruth’s statement is the ﬁrst formal opposition from lawmakers to at least one aspect of the Scott administration’s sweeping education proposal, which is intended to reduce costs, improve quality and rein in property taxes.

Under Vermont’s current system, only students who live in districts without a public school are allowed to use tax dollars to send their children to a public or approved independent school of their choice. Around 3,500 pupils use those funds to attend independent, or private, schools.

But a proposal outlined last ursday by Education Secretary Zoie Saunders calls for five newly formed regional school districts to designate an unlimited number of “school-choice schools.” ose institutions would be required to meet specific education quality and financial criteria set by the Agency of Education.

partner — galvanized Vermont ﬁrms that rely on cross-border trade. The president announced sweeping tariffs but then pulled them back from all but China, before saying on Sunday that he intended to levy tari s on steel and aluminum.

Trump has also set out to trim the federal workforce, which is 8,000-strong in Vermont, warning federal employees they could be furloughed if they don’t take a buyout. And he’s ordered remote workers back to their desks in Washington, D.C., a directive that has some Vermonters looking for new employment.

But the attempts to dissolve USAID have had the most immediate impact on employees in the Green Mountains. The $40 billion agency delivers humanitarian aid to dozens of countries, and Vermont nonproﬁts help coordinate those e orts and run projects overseas.

Any student in the state would be eligible to attend a “school-choice school,” but they’d have to enter a lottery to do so. ose schools would not be held to the same “academic and operational requirements” as other schools, “although school safety requirements, nondiscrimination requirements and school climate requirements would remain,” according to a memo outlining the plan.

e governor doubled down on the proposal last Friday, saying in a press release that the expansion is “misleadingly” being referred to as a “voucher system.”

e plan would create “more accountability standards for independent and public schools,” Scott said. e release also noted that the administration would not seek to lift a moratorium that’s currently in place on new independent schools.

Baruth, in his statement, urged the Scott administration to work with lawmakers on an overhaul of school governance and funding “in service of the larger goals we share.” ➆

omas Buck

Power Move

The governor’s education overhaul would strip authority from the independent State Board of Education

BY ALISON NOVAK • alison@sevendaysvt.com

For almost 170 years, Vermont has had a State Board of Education that operates independently from the state’s Agency of Education.

The board has been responsible for writing rules that govern public education in Vermont. That includes establishing standards for education quality, defining requirements for special education services and dictating the criteria that independent schools must meet to receive taxpayer dollars. The education agency, a branch of state government, is responsible for enforcing those rules.

But the administration of Gov. Phil Scott has proposed an overhaul of Vermont’s education system that includes stripping the board of its rulemaking authority and giving that power to the agency, which works for him.

their work by input from the public and experts in the field.

“If we consolidate rulemaking and implementation under a single entity, we remove an important layer of oversight that helps ensure well-rounded decision making,” Vermont Superintendents Association executive director Chelsea Myers said at a special state board meeting held last week to discuss the proposal.

The shift is among a suite of policy changes the Scott administration has unveiled to overhaul education in Vermont. Others include a new way to pay for K-12 schools, consolidation of 119 school districts into just five and expanded eligibility for school choice.

Ultimately, it will be up to the legislature to decide whether to turn Scott and Saunders’ plan into law. If the administration gets it way on the rulemaking proposal, it would further erode the state board’s power and influence, which has been diminished in recent years.

Swim Lessons + Youth Movement

Member reg opens Feb. 9 at noon

Non-Member reg opens Feb. 16

• Swim Lessons (youth + adult)

• Youth Dance: ages 3 to 6

• Youth Tumbling: ages 18 mos to 8

• Sports: ages 2 to 6 + teens

gbymca.org

JENNIFER SAMUELSON

The intent is to improve efficiency, Education Secretary Zoie Saunders told board members last week, and is “simply a practical consideration.” Because the agency is already responsible for implementing the rules, she added, it makes sense for it to craft them, too.

Educational leaders and members of the state board disagree. They argue that the change is antithetical to the democratic process and would concentrate too much power within the agency, where rules would be written outside public view. Opponents also question whether the agency has enough staff and expertise to take on the additional task. Currently, board members work in committees to make or revise rules, in consultation with legal counsel. They are guided in

The State Board of Education was created in 1856 to serve as a bridge between local schools and the legislature. Superintendents were required to provide reports about their schools to the board, which could then provide guidance to legislators as they wrote education-related laws, according to documents in the Vermont Historical Society’s archives.

The board has evolved since those early days and now includes 10 members of the public — including two students — appointed by the governor to six-year terms. In statute, the board is still tasked with engaging with local school boards and the broader education community, establishing a strategic vision for education in the state, advising the legislature and administration on educational matters, and making rules.

For many years, Vermont’s education commissioner was chosen by and reported directly to the State Board of Education. A 2012 law gave the governor the power to appoint a secretary who would answer to him or her, not the board.

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This is the Ultimate Driving Machine.®

House Declines to Order a Revote in Bennington Race

BY KEVIN MCCALLUM kevin@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont lawmakers decided last Friday to accept the results of a Benningtonarea House race despite ballot errors that were significant enough to potentially affect the election results.

The House voted 91-42 to accept the November election of Rep. Jonathan Cooper (D-Pownal) as valid, rejecting a challenge brought by his Republican opponent, Bruce Busa.

Busa lost by just 23 votes, but after the election, it emerged that as many as 56 voters in the Bennington-1 district received ballots listing the wrong House candidates.

The error occurred following a 2022 redistricting. It appears Pownal town officials improperly accounted for a new line that divides two districts.

The House decision was not a surprise, as it followed an earlier committee vote that was nearly unanimous. But it nevertheless stirred up significant partisan squabbling, with Democrats looking to defend the decision and many Republicans crying foul.

“What message are we sending to candidates and voters? Are we saying that uncounted votes don’t matter?” Rep. Chris Keyser (R-Rutland) asked.

Rep. Casey Toof (R-St. Albans Town) said he didn’t think democracy had been served.

“I feel like some people were left out of the election decision, and that’s just not OK with me,” Toof said. “I think we owe it to the people to get this right.”

Rep. Matt Birong (D-Vergennes), chair of the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee, said there was no historical precedent for the House to overturn an election result.

Detailed testimony taken over several weeks helped the committee conclude that holding a new election would be costly and would likely disenfranchise even more voters than the November election. That’s because the turnout for a special election would be far lower than one held at the same time as a presidential election. About 2,500 people voted in November in the Bennington-1 district.

“It was apparent that a revote could not re-create the time and context of the initial election,” Birong told his colleagues. ➆

Cuts Abroad Hit Home « P.14

The Trump administration has fired all but a few hundred of USAID’s 10,000 workers, according to the New York Times A judge has ordered a halt to some of those layoffs, but there’s no timeline for a ruling, leaving workers uncertain about the future.

Among the affected for-profit companies is ThinkMD, a Burlington-based medical software startup that in 2023 received $1.5 million from USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures.

ThinkMD cofounder Dr. Barry Finette said the money supported a study in Nigeria of technology meant to enable nonphysicians to evaluate patients in settings where trained practitioners aren’t available.

“The study had ramifications globally, and there are three to four years of work that people put into this grant that has now gone by the wayside,” Finette, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont, said on Sunday. He said two ThinkMD contractors in Vermont will lose their jobs.

Waitsfield-based PH International, a nonprofit previously called Project Harmony, has received more than $100 million in the past 40 years from USAID, the U.S. Department of State and private donors to operate civic education projects and cultural exchange programs. It put its six Vermont administrative employees on reduced pay on February 1, executive director Meg Harris said.

PH employed about 35 people in Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine until it suspended its two USAID projects, Harris said. The programs were run out of PH’s offices in Georgia and Armenia; the nonprofit’s headquarters in Waitsfield was responsible for all of the financial reporting.

Other Vermont workers have been laboring remotely for aid agencies. One woman who consults for a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that provides health care services in the developing world said she had been delivering the news of furloughs to the employees who report to her. She was being moved to part-time status; her future was uncertain. She said she wanted to stay in Vermont, but she wasn’t sure if she could.

“I have to go where I can get paid,” she said. Like several others who spoke to Seven Days, she asked to remain unnamed because she wasn’t authorized by her employer to talk about the cutbacks.

USAID’s employees and its contractors aren’t the only ones affected, according to Sarah Stroup, a Middlebury College political science professor who wrote an essay about the upheaval. Employees of other nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, such as World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, CARE and Save the Children,

work with USAID and are uncertain about their future, too. Some of them have employees in Vermont.

The office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been responding to pleas from Vermont aid workers. Sanders emailed a foreign aid consultant in Montpelier expressing concern about mass furloughs and abrupt stop-work orders. The consultant, who also asked to remain unnamed, works remotely in public health for a USAID contractor that is not based in Vermont. She said half of her team, about 200 people, have been furloughed in February. She was moved to part-time status.

THEIR CAREERS ARE FINISHED.

USAID IS REALLY THE ONLY GAME

IN TOWN.

THOMAS BUCK

After Trump issued an executive order on Inauguration Day imposing a pause in foreign aid spending, USAID contractors started circulating a link to a site called USAID Stop-Work. It says more than 52,000 U.S. workers could lose their jobs.

“All of this for just 1 percent of the federal budget,” the website says of USAID’s funding.

Service in the Peace Corps is a common conduit to international aid work, and the Green Mountain State — particularly UVM — has traditionally been one of the country’s most prolific producers of Peace Corps volunteers. The agency sends about 3,500 mostly young people overseas each year, said Wendy Rice, president of the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. The Peace Corps itself is not the target of cutbacks.

Katherine Daniels, a South Burlington resident who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the West African nation of Guinea in the late 1990s, worked until

last week as an independent consultant for a range of USAID-funded nonprofits. A chaplain, she’s been drawing on her pastoral skills to counsel others in her community of aid workers. She said many are devastated over the plight of the vulnerable people they have been helping overseas.

“I had no idea it would change on a dime, so drastically,” Daniels said. She doesn’t expect the work to return anytime soon. “I don’t foresee I’ll be needed by my typical clients, because there won’t be funding available.”

The Burlington firm Resonance was founded in 2005 by Steve Schmida and Nazgul Abdrazakova, a pair of community development workers with experience in the former Soviet Union. Schmida has complained publicly that the sudden cuts mean that the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is illegally withholding payments to USAID contractors for work already completed. He wants Congress to investigate.

“DOGE has weaponized the Treasury Payments System and are already using it to sow fear,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “We have to stop them before this spreads to the rest of the federal government.”

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) signed on to a bill last Friday that calls for strengthening congressional oversight of foreign aid. U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and dozens of colleagues voiced their concerns in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“USAID helps stabilize fragile states, reducing the risk of them becoming havens for terrorism,” the lawmakers said.

Thomas Buck, a Burlington resident who has spent his career in overseas aid, knew USAID would probably take a funding hit when Trump assumed office. Buck moved to Vermont in 2002 for a position at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, a Montpelier nonprofit that was then working on international development but has evolved to domestic work. Buck worked for years on USAID-funded projects and has a network of Vermont associates in international development. He now consults part time.

He did not anticipate the breadth of the change that has swept through his network.

“The suddenness was shocking,” Buck said. “The way it was done — it sounds like a coup d’état, like it’s one of the first agencies to be attacked.”

He doesn’t expect the jobs to be restored because there’s no comparable funding source.

“Their careers are finished,” he said last Thursday of his Vermont compatriots. “USAID is really the only game in town.” ➆

Rep. Jonathan Cooper (left) and Bruce Busa

JAMES BUCK

BURLINGTON

Sandy Baird, Fierce Advocate and Lawyer, Dies at 84

BY COURTNEY LAMDIN • courtney@sevendaysvt.com

Sandy Baird, a selftaught lawyer and former state legislator who spent a lifetime pursuing justice for victims of domestic violence, died early Monday. She was 84.

Baird was a tireless advocate until the end, her friends said. On Sunday afternoon, Baird had a lengthy phone call with Jared Carter, her cocounsel in a case involving two Burundian children who are navigating their late father’s estate. Not long after they’d hung up, Baird called back with more to say.

“That’s literally classic Sandy,” Carter said. “She will call you 14 times in a day to talk about one case that she’s got going, and invariably, that case is representing those people who would not otherwise be represented.”

legal advice to new Americans. Yacouba Jacob Bogre, AALV’s executive director, said Baird’s work empowered women.

BEAT THE TARIFF SALE!

Raised in Massachusetts, Baird moved to Burlington in 1968 after her then-husband, Grant Crichfield, got a position teaching French at the University of Vermont. She became a figure in the growing women’s rights movement, joining a committee that founded the first clinic in Vermont to offer legal abortions, the year before Roe v. Wade was decided.

Baird embarked on a law career in the 1970s and clerked for a judge for four years in lieu of going to law school, working on divorce and abuse cases. After an unsuccessful bid for Burlington mayor in 1989, she served two terms in the Vermont legislature, where she helped pass measures to aid women seeking legal protection from their abusers.

In a cruel twist of irony, Baird’s own daughter was killed in 1998 in a domestic violence incident in Essex. That led Baird to create the Caroline Fund, a nonprofit that provides grants to women in need of shelter, food, health care and transportation.

Baird also worked for 30 years as a professor at the former Burlington College, where she organized a study program in Cuba. She was a founding member of Burlington’s sister-city program that has forged bonds with Bethlehem in the West Bank and Yaroslavl, Russia. More recently, Baird had been offering free weekly legal clinics and hosting discussions on current events on Town Meeting TV.

Baird was known for her pro bono legal work, which in recent years focused on immigrant women. She worked closely with AALV, a nonprofit that provides free

“We are at loss,” he wrote in an email. “There is so much to say about Sandy. No words can encapsulate her work and contribution to our community.”

An outspoken contrarian, Baird worked as a state representative with anti-abortion advocates on protecting the privacy of birth mothers in adoption cases — and also with male strippers and flag burners on matters of free speech.

“Whoever was in power was a problem for me, whether it was a Democrat or a Republican,” she told Seven Days in an interview for a March 1999 cover story about her. “I actually got along pretty well with the Republicans.”

Former lieutenant governor David Zuckerman, a Progressive, posted a tribute to Baird on Facebook, noting that he tried unsuccessfully to unseat her in 1994.

“She was a devoted advocate for women and people who were left behind in our economic system,” he wrote. “She was a passionate teacher of aspects of history that some people did not want taught. She was a fierce fighter.”

A peace activist through and through, Baird protested the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. Navy Seals in 2011. More recently, she attended city council meetings to support the free-speech rights of activists who post anti-transgender stickers on street signs and newspaper stands.

Burlington attorney John Franco, who knew Baird for almost 50 years, will remember her free spirit.

“The hole she will leave behind for her energy, her doggedness, her idealism, her vision — it’s pretty amazing,” he said. “You couldn’t stop her.” ➆

Sandy Baird

Not a Good Sign

A business has been advertising along rural Vermont roads. Officials say it’s violating the state’s billboard ban.

STORY & PHOTOS BY KEVIN MCCALLUM • kevin@sevendaysvt.com

It all started when Raymond Rice tried to buy a new tire for his tractor. The Westport, N.Y., hay and cattle farmer headed to a Vermont store where, he said, a salesman quoted him $1,800 for a single tire.

When Rice learned he could purchase the same tire elsewhere for about $1,450, he thought the shop — which he declined to name — was ripping him off. So, Rice, whose haying operation was struggling, decided to go into the tire business himself. Last spring, the 52-year-old entrepreneur opened Rice Farm and Tires in a modest farm building not far from where he grew up in Westport. Its slogan: “We’ll get you a square deal on a round tire.”

To get the word out about his new venture, Rice began hanging large advertising banners on 8-foot-tall hay wagons stationed in fields along the roadside in New York. Then, in December and January, he started employing the same lowtech advertising strategy along roads in Charlotte, St. George, Ferrisburgh, West Addison, Bridport and Orwell. The strategy immediately struck some Vermont residents as a violation of the state’s longstanding ban on billboards.

“It was surprising, because you don’t see billboards for so long and suddenly there’s something that looks just like one,” said Scott Wilson, a writer from Charlotte.

The banners include the business’ name, telephone number and address. “Full Service Garage,” the signs read. “From Wheelbarrows to Wheel Loaders.”

Wilson said he took a picture of one and posted it online. The overwhelming response was that it violated not only the letter but the spirit of the law, he said. Wilson wrote to Rice and asked him to remove the “eyesore” but got nowhere, he said.

Vermont officials may have better luck. They agree the signs violate the ban on billboards and have asked Rice to take them down.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” said John Kessler, an attorney for the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “The foundation of the law was to not have signs other than where the business is taking place.”

In 1968, the state banned highway billboards to reduce clutter and preserve views of the state’s natural beauty. Signs are still allowed on properties where a

business is located, but that is clearly not the case with Rice’s hay wagons, Kessler said.

“Here are signs in Vermont for a business in New York,” he said. “It’s really that simple.”

IT’S NOT ME TRYING TO CHEAT THE SYSTEM. IT’S ME TRYING TO ADVERTISE MY BUSINESS.

RAYMOND RICE

State officials have ordered Rice to cover up or remove the signs from his six hay wagon locations in Vermont or face daily fines of $50 for each sign — or $300 a day.

Rice said he got a call weeks ago from the Vermont Agency of Transportation about the issue and this week received an official letter, which he’s reviewing. He said he can’t believe that a small business’

efforts to advertise have attracted the attention of state officials.

“I would think the State of Vermont has bigger fish to fry than my hay wagons,” Rice said last week from his shop, where he also lives.

Rice said his new business can only survive by getting the word out to his target market, farmers up and down the Champlain Valley. His shop is located on a rural road outside a sleepy town in the Adirondack Park, so he can’t count on drive-by traffic. It became even less accessible after flooding last summer washed out a road, requiring customers to drive several extra miles to reach him, he said.

Rice says he can’t afford radio or television ads and doubts farmers would respond to social media ads. The signs seemed to be an inexpensive, effective way to grab some farmer eyeballs.

“This is literally about survival,” Rice said.

The signs and the zip ties he uses to string them up cost about $300. But the real estate is free. In many cases, the farmers who host the signs are friends or

customers who are just trying to help him out, he said.

“Farmers stick together,” Rice said. “Every single one of us is struggling.”

He said he understands why Vermonters want to keep their highways free of commercial clutter. He pointed to snowcovered Camel’s Hump, visible across Lake Champlain from his shop, and said he’d hate for that view to be marred.

But he argues that protecting bucolic views must be balanced with the rights of businesses and property owners.

“You can’t have these beautiful, open vistas and farm fields if there are no farms,” Rice said. “And without a tire guy, there are no farms.”

Like Wilson, Rick Kerschner considers the signs offensive. The Ferrisburgh resident spotted three of them on one wagon along Route 7, just a few hundred feet north of town hall.

“I live in Vermont because I love our views and I love the fact that we don’t have billboards,” Kerschner told Seven Days last week. “Every time I leave Vermont I’m perturbed by the billboards in our faces.”

Raymond Rice

Town officials and state lawmakers urged him to get in touch with VTrans, which enforces the billboard law. VTrans officials gave Rice 14 days to remove the signs or face “next steps,” according to emails from David Hosking, a project manager in VTrans District 5. Those steps could include fines levied by the VTrans Travel Information Council, a six-member board that mediates sign issues.

Rice hopes its doesn’t come to that. He admits he can be “mulish” but insists he’s not trying to be “that asshole in the community.”

“But at some point, everybody talks about wanting local business,” he said. “And if we can’t advertise, how are we supposed to be here?”

Rice contends that, unlike traditional stationary billboards, his are mobile — and therefore legal. He points out that they are temporary and will be taken down when the wagons are needed again for hay season.

He’s also done business at many of the farms hosting signs. Farmers or loggers don’t just drive their heavy machinery to a shop when they get a flat, he explained. The shop comes to them, and he and his employees have visited the farms to replace tractor tires, he said.

“It’s not me trying to cheat the system,” Rice said. “It’s me trying to advertise my business.”

Kerschner thinks Rice shouldn’t be the only one on the hook for his signs. The property owners on whose land they’re parked ought to be held to account, he said.

One of those property owners, Tim Van De Weert of Ferrisburgh, said it feels hypocritical for the state to line

its highways with signs flashing clever messages to drivers while telling private property owners they can’t erect billboards. His family’s farm hosted roadside signs when he was a kid, and they had to be removed after the law went into effect.

“There’s a big difference between holes drilled in the ground and a wagon sitting on tires that can be moved,” Van De Weert said.

Ethan Gevry of Addison, who runs a firewood business in town, allowed Rice, a good friend, to park one of the wagons on his property for several weeks.

“Personally, I don’t see the harm in it, but apparently some do,” Gevry said.

He welcomed Rice’s entry into the tire industry because larger competitors are often short-staffed and sometimes take weeks to respond to service requests, he said.

BUSINESS

Still, he told Rice that if officials asked him to take the sign down, he would — and that’s exactly what happened.

The town’s zoning administrator got wind of complaints, researched the issue and asked Gevry to remove the signs. Gevry relayed the request to Rice, and he relocated the wagon to a farm a few miles down the road in West Addison.

The affair has generated several news stories, including in New York and on WCAX-TV. For a business trying to get off the ground and get name recognition, that’s not a bad thing, Gevry said.

“I told him that if you’ve gotta take all your signs down, which you’re gonna have to, you’re not out anything,” Gevry recalled. “You’ve got a pile of free publicity out of this that money can’t buy.”

One of the banners in a Charlotte field along Route 7

At the time, some educational leaders, including state board members, raised concerns that the move would risk making education decisions susceptible to political pressure.

The move weakened the state board, according to Armando Vilaseca, who served as Vermont’s last commissioner, and first secretary, of education from 2009 to 2013. Before 2012, the board had stronger connections to communities and more support from the Agency of Education, Vilaseca said. Agency lawyers, for example, stood ready to help the board if needed.

“That support dropped dramatically” in 2012, Vilaseca told lawmakers in testimony last month. But the board still retained its rulemaking authority, which “balanced out some of the political ... obstacles that could occur.”

In the years since, politics have at times hampered the board’s ability to do its job. In 2016, for instance, it crafted rules that would have required independent, or private, schools to offer special education services and provide more documentation about their finances. After the Vermont Independent Schools Association and its members objected vociferously, thengovernor Peter Shumlin’s administration blocked the rules from taking effect.

Two years later, the Scott administration denied the board’s request for help from an agency attorney to draft a report related to Act 46, a law that merged school districts, according to Krista Huling, a former board chair. Huling said she subsequently appealed to the office of then-attorney general T.J. Donovan, who connected the board to outside legal counsel so it could complete its work.

The governor has always appointed state board members, and Scott has been chief executive for so long that all current members are people of his choosing. Still, the board prides itself on being an independent and politically neutral body that can raise concerns publicly when it believes the Agency of Education is off track.

In several instances over the past year, the tension between the two bodies has bubbled to the surface, primarily around oversight of independent schools.

When those institutions need state approval to receive public tuition dollars, the Agency of Education must first complete a site visit and do an initial review of their applications. The state board makes the final decision.

But recently, 63 independent schools have missed their renewal dates because the agency is behind on its part of the process. Secretary Saunders told board

members in November that the agency had a plan to address the backlog. That didn’t appease some board members, who noted with frustration that the delay impeded their work.

The sides have also been at loggerheads over a form designed by the agency that independent schools are required to fill out to prove they are able to provide

THE SHIFT IS AMONG A SUITE OF POLICY CHANGES THE SCOTT ADMINISTRATION HAS UNVEILED TO OVERHAUL EDUCATION IN VERMONT.

special education services — a new rule the state board put in place several years ago.

The conflict came to a head at a November meeting, when board members Kimberly Gleason and Tammy Kolbe sparred with the agency’s general counsel, Emily Simmons.

Gleason and Kolbe told Simmons that one of the questions on the form was written in a way that allowed independent schools to skirt the rule.

“This form is not OK,” Kolbe said. “It has to change.” (The agency did not

respond to a question about whether it has changed the form to address board members’ concerns.)

Should rulemaking be transferred to the agency, some worry it would become an opaque process that would allow the administration to make rules without accountability.

Because of open meeting laws, rulemaking currently happens in front of the public, and “they really get to see how the sausage is made,” board chair Jennifer Samuelson told legislators last week. There is also time reserved for public comment at every state board meeting. The Agency of Education, by contrast, is not bound by such requirements.

“I think the concern is that if you take away the rulemaking authority from the board and hand it to the agency, there may not be that same level of transparency,” Samuelson said.

Gleason, whose six-year term ends next month, put it more bluntly.

She said such a change would be “a travesty” because it would centralize control of K-12 education under the governor.

Jess DeCarolis, a longtime Agency of Education higher-up who left last August, also objected to the change. She told board members at last week’s meeting that she had seen “an increasing move to a politicized perspective and away from the agency being able to play a core and critical role” of providing “objective and factual information from nonpartisan individuals.”

“I do have significant concerns about our move away from a constitutionally protected and democratic process of checks and balances,” she said.

Others worry the agency does not have the capacity for additional work, given that educators in the field have said it has been unable to adequately support them in recent years.

In response to those concerns, Saunders acknowledged that she “inherited an agency with many issues” when she took office in April 2024. She told board members that she had been “very transparent and very methodical in reviewing those challenges ... and coming up with solutions to address those challenges so that we can have a stronger public education system.”

Those solutions, it appears, are part of the governor’s education transformation plan. That proposal says the state board’s primary function would be to support school boards in each of the five newly formed districts by giving them feedback on their policies.

That’s a far cry from the leadership responsibilities the board has previously had.

In testimony to the House Education Committee on February 5, board chair Samuelson and vice chair Kolbe acknowledged that the body has lost power, and clarity about its role, since 2012. But both believe the board — because of its neutrality and independence — still has a critical role to play. They want to help figure out what, exactly, that is. ➆

Education Secretary Zoie Saunders

FEEDback

« P.7

CASE FOR INDOOR CATS

[Re “Reining Cats and Dogs: Roaming Burlington at Will, Cats Fight, Poop and Kill Songbirds. Councilors Are Considering a Leash Law,” January 29]: I would point out that cats are considerably safer indoors, not only due to the risk of tra c accidents (the leading cause of death in cats) and a number of diseases, (toxoplasmosis, rabies and feline immunodeficiency virus, to name a few) but also a new threat of avian influenza or Type A H5N1, which has been reported in dozens of cats since March 2024, when it was first confirmed in dairy cattle.

Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness from bird ﬂu, often

resulting in death. This virus can be transmitted in raw food and raw milk as well as wild birds, so avoid unpasteurized milk and raw food. I agree that licensing and leash laws will be challenging for any municipality to enforce. However, owners who keep their cats indoors or conﬁned to their yard in an exercise pen or other means are more likely to see their cats live to a healthy old age.

Barbara Huibregtse, DVM

DANVILLE

HOMELESS CATS

[Re “Reining Cats and Dogs: Roaming Burlington at Will, Cats Fight, Poop and

Modernism and the World of Yesterday

Kill Songbirds. Councilors Are Considering a Leash Law,” January 29]: Burlington certainly has a feral cat problem, but people are vilifying so-called feral cats when really we’re talking about homeless cats. Cat owners wanting to absolve themselves from their own cat’s behavior is abhorrent. Just because they don’t see their cat kill birds or use their neighbors’ house as a litter box doesn’t mean they don’t shit in the woods.

Where do they think homeless cats came from? Often, they are lost because they were freeroaming, are abandoned by their people or were born on the streets from unneutered free-roaming cats. Cats don’t have a choice; people do.

John Zelig BURLINGTON

OBITUARIES

Francis X. Murray

MAY 4, 1944-JANUARY 24, 2025 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT.

Francis X. “Frank” Murray, 80, of South Burlington, Vt., passed away on January 24, 2025, in Irvine, Calif.

Born on May 4, 1944, in Darby, Pa., Frank was the second eldest of six sons of Michael and Helen Murray. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia) in 1966, while attending night school and working full time at the FBI. Frank earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1969.

In 1967, Frank married the love of his life, Mary Anne Burke. Together they moved to Burlington, Vt., in 1970, where Frank joined his law school classmate, Joseph McNeil. He served as an assistant city attorney in Burlington from 1970 to 1971; Chittenden County deputy state’s attorney from 1972 to 1974; and was elected Chittenden County state’s attorney, a role he held from 1974 to 1976. His legal career was marked by a deep commitment to justice and public service.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

Pauline (Marcotte) Lapierre

MARCH 15, 1936JANUARY 28, 2025

BURLINGTON, VT.

Act 250. In doing this, he assembled a team of urban planners and academics and then presented such a compelling case that the proposal for a “Pyramid Mall” in Williston was not approved, in a landmark decision. As a result, Frank was invited by the American Bar Association to conduct a seminar for lawyers across the country on the strategy he used.

Frank also served on the South Burlington School Board from 1992 to 1994 and on the South Burlington City Council from 2009 to 2011.

Frank and Mary Anne built a loving family, adopting two children, Ryan and Moire. Ryan resides in Irvine, Calif., with his wife, Sheryn, and their two dogs. Moire lives in Sudbury, Mass., with her husband, Chris, and their two sons.

For example, while Frank was intensely supportive of our police departments generally, and good police work in particular, he also could not abide corruption. is commitment led him to lead a major prosecution of a police ofﬁcer who had falsely accused citizens of drug dealing throughout Vermont. His work in securing a conviction received nationwide attention and resulted in the book Mocking Justice Because of Frank’s reputation for integrity, and despite being a Democrat, Republican governor Richard Snelling asked Frank to serve as Vermont’s ﬁrst lottery commissioner to make sure that the program ran free of corruption, and he did so.

In 1977, Frank and Joe cofounded the McNeil & Murray Law Firm in Burlington, where he became a respected and trusted advocate. In 1990 he transitioned to solo practice in South Burlington, where, alongside Mary Anne, he continued serving clients with skill and compassion until his retirement in 2010.

During Frank’s time in private practice, he was tasked by the City of Burlington to intervene in the ﬁrst major test of Vermont’s

In the ﬁnal years of his life, Frank battled dementia. As his condition progressed, he moved to a specialized memory care community in Irvine, Calif., at the end of February 2024, where he received the care and support he needed.

Beyond his legal career and travels, Frank’s favorite pastimes included playing, coaching and watching basketball. He spent four years coaching Moire’s teams and cheered her on throughout her high school years. As empty nesters, he and Mary Anne became devoted fans of the University of Vermont men’s basketball team. eir dedication was recognized when they were honored with the University of Vermont’s Sixth Man Award during the 1998-99 season.

Frank will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all who knew him. His legacy of kindness, dedication and integrity will live on in the many lives he touched. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Anne; children, Ryan (Sheryn) Murray and Moire (Chris) Carmody; grandchildren, Liam and Seamus Carmody; granddogs, Oliver, Charlie and Tucker; siblings Paul (Rose) Murray, Charles Murray and Dennis (Ruth) Murray; sisters-in-law Maureen Murray and Betty Jo Murray; and a large extended family. Frank was predeceased by his brothers Michael and Joe and his sister-in-law Helen Murray.

A memorial service will take place in Vermont in late spring or early summer 2025.

To view obituary or share online condolences, please visit oconnormortuary.com.

Pauline (Marcotte) (Gauthier) Lapierre, age 88, of Burlington, Vt., passed away on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

She was born on March 15, 1936, the daughter of Roland and Alma (Langlais) Marcotte.

ere is so much to say about this remarkable woman. About how she lived her life and cared for all of us who lived in her circle of love, who experienced her joyful heart that always beat in tune to the rhythms of our needs. She was the matriarch, the conciliator, the mender of all things broken. Her kindness and vitality lifted us up. She was the paciﬁer, the mediator, the raiser of fallen spirits. Her sense of humor, contagious. She was the comedienne, the prankster, the belter of songs. And so much more. She now lives in the place where you go to when life is hard and you have to dig deep to ﬁnd the wisdom or strength to pull you through. She is there. Like she always was.

Denise Louise Santerre

JUNE 14, 1928JANUARY 30, 2025 COLCHESTER, VT.

Beloved mother, Mémé, Denise Louise Santerre, 96, of Colchester, Vt., passed peacefully on ursday, January 30, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

Born in Bedford, Québec, to Charles Dery and Antoinette Lanoue, she was the ﬁfth of 14 children. She was married on December 11, 1948, to Francis Santerre. ey moved to Vermont in the early 1950s, eventually settling in Colchester, where they raised their seven children, showing them daily what strong family love is and what faith in God can do.

In addition to raising seven children, she worked in the food industry. In her later years, she attended the VNA Adult Day program, helping staff with food preparation. Denise showed love for

Pauline is survived by her daughter, Holli Gauthier; sons Mark Gauthier and partner Jessica Udvardy, and Jeff and wife Lisa Gauthier; daughter-in-law Sharrie Gauthier; grandchildren Matt Gauthier and wife Rachel Lomonaco, Luke Gauthier, Tyler Gauthier and husband Joe Aloi, Tess and Ram Srinivasan, Jennifer Camm, and Savannah Gauthier; and great-grandchildren Todd, Teegan and Savi. She is also survived by stepchildren Anna and husband Bob Dorey, Cathy Lapierre, Margaret Lapierre, Michael and wife Docia Lapierre, and Bob and wife Bonnie Lapierre, whose families also include several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brothers Tommy Marcotte and

others by welcoming them into her home as if they were family, offering a warm homecooked meal. She left recipes of love that will be cooked for generations to come. She had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren, who will miss hearing her sweet French accent.

She was predeceased by her husband, Frank; son Ronnie; and great-grandson Alexander Owens. She leaves ﬁve siblings; six children, Gaston Santerre (Michele),

Dan Marcotte and wife Mary; sisters, Jackie Johnson and Gert Laramee; and sister-inlaw Velma Marcotte.

She is predeceased by her soulmate, Maurice “Moe” Lapierre; sons Todd, David and Scott Gauthier; stepsons Steven and William Lapierre; daughter-in-law Jane Gauthier; grandson Josh Dusharm; brothers Rick and Paul Marcotte; and brothersin-law, Richard Laramee and Bruce Johnson.

e public is invited to attend visiting hours on Friday, February 21, 2025, 4 to 6 p.m., at Ready Funeral Home, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington, VT. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 22, 2025, 11 a.m., at St. Francis in Winooski, Vt. Interment will be at the Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington in the spring.

For those who wish, the family respectfully requests that, in lieu of ﬂowers, a memorial contribution may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 6655 Shelburne Rd., Suite 300, Shelburne, VT 05482.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

Diane Scichitano (Dale), Carole Santerre, Lorraine Knapp (Donald), David Santerre (Jacklyn) and Chuck Santerre (Mary); and daughter-in-law Joni Santerre. She was loved by grandchildren Chadd Santerre (Christine), Janel Maud (John), Neil Scichitano, Renee Kuehn (Brett), Erin McKenna, Tyler Santerre (Julia), Nick Santerre (Danielle), Brooke Herrera (Stephen), Mallory Geesey (Zach), Luke Santerre (Olivia), Brady Santerre, Duncan Santerre and Gavin Santerre (Madelyn); and great-grandchildren Taylor and Lance Santerre; Tessa Maud; Mayzee Scichitano; Blake, Carson and Ripley Kuehn; Olivia Owens and Xander McKenna-Staley; Kiara, Tieren, Gwen and Grifﬁn Santerre; Stella and Summer Santerre; Stella, Avila and Bennett Herrera; Weston Santerre; and, soon, baby girl Santerre. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Dr. Christopher M. Terrien Jr.

NOVEMBER 2, 1941FEBRUARY 3, 2025

SOUTH HAMILTON, MASS.

Dr. Christopher M. Terrien Jr. (“Doc” or “Butch”) passed away peacefully on February 3, 2025, at his home in South Hamilton, Mass., surrounded by his family. Born on November 2, 1941, in Burlington, Vt., he was the eldest son of Nora Finnegan and Dr. Christopher M. Terrien Sr. A proud lifelong Vermonter, Chris relocated to Massachusetts two years ago to be closer to his children. Chris attended Cathedral High School before graduating from Rice Memorial High School in 1959. He played football for Rice Memorial and skied competitively for the Mount Mansfield Ski Club. He hitchhiked to and from Stowe with his best friends, hiked the trails, and loved to ski fast — especially slalom. He met Patricia (“Patti”) Donahue skiing in 1961 and fell in love. He went on to ski for the University of Vermont.

Diane Cushman

APRIL 21, 1952JANUARY 25, 2025 BRISTOL, VT.

Diane Cushman, an intrepid traveler and devoted nurse, passed away on January 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of devotion to community and a spirit for adventure that began in her childhood in Bristol, Vt. Diane would recount the day she boarded the Greyhound bus for Nashville, Tenn., as the beginning of a great adventure! Leaving her hometown behind, Diane enrolled in the nursing program at Vanderbilt University, where she followed in her mother’s nursing footsteps. While at Vanderbilt, Diane helped to found the Student Health Coalition, which advocated for socially and economically disenfranchised populations across the landscape of health care, with social justice at the center of their advocacy. It was also at Vanderbilt that Diane found a lifelong friend in the founder of the Center Pole, an organization that empowers

His dreams of trying out for the U.S. team were curtailed by a knee injury. Never one to back down from a challenge, he skied that season on one leg, buckled down with his studies and graduated “on fumes” in 1963, the same year he married Patricia Donahue. He went on to study medicine at the UVM College of Medicine and graduated in 1967. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University and UVM, where he subspecialized in cardiology, following in his father’s footsteps. He then served in the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio,

Indigenous people on the Crow Reservation through education, entrepreneurial skills, food sovereignty and cultural ownership. Diane was deeply proud of her alma mater and remained connected to her friends and colleagues there throughout her life.

Diane lived and worked as a nurse abroad at a U.S. Army Hospital in Germany and worked stateside in Tennessee, Michigan and North Carolina. Chapel Hill, N.C., was an especially important place in Diane’s life, where she and her sister, Mary, surrounded themselves with witty and uproarious

as part of the Berry Plan. He proudly took care of and learned from hundreds of returning prisoners of war. It was during his time in the service that he developed an ability to efficiently care for a high volume of patients.

Upon returning to Vermont, he built a thriving cardiology practice at 235 Pearl Street in Burlington, working alongside his father until his father’s retirement. He remained busy in the office as well as the cath lab for more than four decades. It was not uncommon for him to evaluate and treat 30 to 60 patients a day. Despite the tempo, he took the time to know each patient’s story, who they were, what they did and what mattered to them. He always made time to cheer up a patient with one of his jokes (delivered with acumen for knowing his audience), which numbered in the hundreds.

Chris was a doctor’s doctor. The child of a doctor, a brother to doctors, a father to doctors and a doctor himself. Medicine to Chris was a life calling, not a job, and he continued to practice

friends. Diane traveled back to North Carolina beaches annually to reunite with this band of special people.

A cornerstone of Diane’s legacy is her career in Vermont as a home health pediatric nurse, serving the most vulnerable families in Addison County. Diane worked to expand and strengthen pediatric and maternal-child health care and ensured that children with special needs received the care, resources and dignity they deserved. Diane was instrumental in developing the Pediatric High-Tech Nursing program, which allowed medically complex children and adults to receive critical care safely at home. She was also a generous mentor who shaped the next generation of nurses and home health professionals with her wisdom, high standards and unshakable belief in their potential. Diane’s legacy lives on in the countless children, families and colleagues whose lives she changed for the better.

Diane’s tenacious work as a nurse enriched the

after retirement, maintaining his Vermont medical license until late in 2024. He always answered his phone and worked with a steady hand and intrepid temperament. The same stamina and resolve that got him through many long nights in the cath lab would be called upon later to battle his most formidable obstacle challenging his health late in life.

Just as he liked to work hard, he liked to play hard. Friday afternoons were often reserved for time on the lake. With his signature Finnegan twinkle in his eye and Peterson pipe in hand, he was always up for mischievous adventure, a practical joke, or a cold Budweiser with friends and family. As he aged, he hung up his skis and built up a woodshop, where he created many beautiful pieces now adorning his children’s homes. He rediscovered his love of golf, spending many winters at Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he connected with the islanders just as he had with his patients. You could often find Chris by following the laughter. With retirement in

lives of those around her in numerous ways outside of direct service. Diane was a founding member of the Vermont Global Village Project, where she colead study abroad opportunities in Ghana for Vermont high school students. The VGVP promoted personal growth and world peace through local and global community connection. Diane was fond of saying the most important outcome of VGVP was to observe the kids returning from their travels as “citizens of the world.” Diane’s time with the VGVP spawned a lifelong love affair with the country of Ghana and fostered prevailing friendships with hundreds of peers, students and leaders. Diane lived her values of global citizenship, traveling all over the globe to Australia, New Zealand, Haiti, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Botswana and all across Europe.

Diane was a proud member of the Pocock Entertainment Committee since the 1970s. Amid this group of distinguished hooligans, you might have seen Diane strut down

sight, he approached the next phase with the same gusto as he always had and found a lovely community of friends at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Fla. Here, he became a passionate member of the Muchachos golf group on Saturdays, introducing his signature one-handed putt to his teammates and friends.

Chris’ final mile was especially challenging. His loyal wife, Patti, alongside his family, worked very hard to keep him home with family. His days were filled with laughter and memories, amid a steady background of Irish music. We would like to thank Drs. Frank McDermott and Greg Abel, who worked tirelessly to care for Chris during his final days, providing him with the same level of commitment with which he served the Champlain Valley for more than 45 years.

Chris is survived by his loving wife, Patti; daughters, Courtney (Mark Kagan) and Dr. Paige (Erik Church); son, Dr. Christopher, or “Tig” (Katie O’Brien); and his cherished grandchildren, Alexandra Kagan, Caroline Kagan, Christopher Kagan, William

the street in the annual Bristol 4th of July Parade dressed as a cavewoman, an alien, a zebra mussel or a pirate, often in a pair of iconic neon camouflage leggings. Her membership in the PEC brought her immeasurable joy and, in her final days, surrounded her with boundless love.

Diane refused to be encumbered by illness. She served as Bristol’s town health officer, played board games with her friends and could be found throwing toast at a midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Diane spent time visiting family across the country, traveling to Hawaii with her son, Will, and she never missed a Tunbridge Fair. Even when Diane was in Boston receiving radiation treatment, she was a woman about town, visiting museums, learning about the historic city, going to musical shows and making countless new friends.

Diane outlived every prediction and probability with dignity, living fully and on her own terms until the very

Terrien, Eleanor Terrien and Elizabeth (Izzy) Church. He is also survived by his beloved siblings Pamela Garbelotti, Dr. Timothy Terrien, Thomas Terrien, Margaret Terrien and Dr. Edward Terrien, as well as their incredible spouses and children. He is predeceased by his parents, as well as his sister Nora Jean and brother William Terrien. In lieu of gifts, please consider donating to the Christopher M. Terrien Jr. MD ’67 Scholarship Fund at the UVM College of Medicine (go.uvm.edu/terrienscholarship). This fund will be allocated to a UVM medical student who demonstrates the same spirited work ethic and commitment to patients that Chris espoused throughout his life. Services to celebrate Chris’ life will be held on February 20, 2025, 10:30 a.m., at St. Catherine’s Church in Shelburne, Vt. A live stream of the funeral will be available on the day of or as a recording thereafter at youtube.com/@stcatherinevt/ streams. A celebration of life will also be held on March 28, 2025, 5 p.m., at John’s Island Club in Florida.

end. Diane was tremendously proud of her two children, Anna and Will, and was overjoyed by the birth of her grandson, Sebastian. Diane is predeceased by her parents, Elisabeth and Thomas Cushman, and her two brothers, Thomas and Edward Cushman. She is survived by her children, Will and Anna Smith (Ryan, Sebastian); sister, Mary Cushman, and her two children, Douglas (Sara, Aurora) and Elisabeth Porter (Quinn Doyle); and Anna and Will’s father, Bill Smith, and his family. She also leaves behind her sister-in-law, Norma Cushman (Joe, Brian, Erika, Olivia, Avery); niece Alex Harper (Jared, Evan); Ethan Ready (Elizabeth, Abe, Louis); and many cousins.

A celebration of Diane’s life will be held on May 17, 2025, 1 p.m., at the United Church of Lincoln, followed by food and fellowship at Burnham Hall in Lincoln, Vt. Diane’s family requests that you make a donation to an organization that befits her memory. She always believed in helping others.

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS OBITUARIES

Michael Pendriss Sr.

NOVEMBER 19, 1952-

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

HUNTINGTON, VT.

Michael Adin Pendriss Sr. passed away peacefully in his home on February 4, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife and children. He is survived by his wife, Lynda (Considine); four children, Michael Jr. (Elizabeth), Jennifer, Kaitlyn (Mike) and Adin (Phoebe); his granddaughter, Samara; his three siblings, MaryLou, Pam and Marty; and his nieces and nephews. Mike was known as a loving, hardworking, silly fella who won over the heart of everyone he met with his infectious laugh and unique personality.

Mike was born on November 19, 1952, to Lowella Greene and Martin Pendriss at Proctor Hospital. He grew up in Middletown Springs and graduated from West Rutland High School in 1970. He spent much of his younger years working on Ed Baker’s farm in Tinmouth. It is there he developed his tenacity as a hardworking Vermonter, which he carried into his career. Mike and Lynda were introduced by a mutual friend in Huntington and have been inseparable ever since. ey married on September 7, 1996.

Mike perfected his craft as a master painter for 50 years. ere isn’t a town in Vermont you could go through without seeing a house he painted or project he worked on. He built lifelong relationships with the people he worked with, winning them over quickly with his bold personality and dry humor as well as inspiring them to work hard with a focus and attention to detail like no other.

“Uncle Mike,” as he often liked to introduce himself, loved to spend his November birthdays with his friends

Bob, Jerry, Kyle, Bobby, Tim, Bill and Ray where they could all be found — at hunting camp. ey loved having a few beers, playing cards (45) and sharing stories from the good ole days. Mike’s passions for working and having a good time with friends were still no match for his passion for riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He took any chance he could to take his bikes out for an afternoon ride or longer road trip. He frequented Laconia Motorcycle Week and even embarked on an unforgettable solo ride to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota before seeing his brother in Washington State.

Mike always said, “If you see someone who needs help, offer a hand,” and because of this philosophy, no matter where he traveled, Mike left a positive impact and inspired those he met. Always and forever in our hearts, Mike’s warm spirit and soul will ﬁll us with comfort, patience and endurance. He loved the sound of his Harleys revving, so may he forever continue to rev in our hearts.

Family and friends may call on February 20, 2025, 4 to 7 p.m., at Sanderson Funeral Home, 117 South Main St., Middlebury. Online condolences may be left at sanderson funeralservice.com.

e family will host a celebration of life at a later date.

Stay tuned & Hootie Hoo!

Ann B. Anger

SEPTEMBER 1, 1931FEBRUARY 3, 2025 WINOOSKI, VT.

Ann B. Anger, 93, of Richard Street in Winooski died peacefully on February 3, 2025, at the McClure Miller Respite House. She was born on September 1, 1931, in Burlington, the daughter of Joseph Beaulieu and Marguerite Tatro Beaulieu. She graduated from Burlington High School and the Mary Fletcher School of Nursing. She was married to the love of her life, Joseph Anger, on December 27, 1952, in Burlington.

After short stays in Plainﬁeld and White River Junction, Joe took a job at Winooski High School, and

Dorothy “Dottie” Bennett

Nickerson

AUGUST 8, 1927FEBRUARY 7, 2025 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

We are saddened to announce the passing of Dottie on Friday, February 7, 2025. She was born on August 8, 1927, in Lowell, Mass., the daughter of the late Raymond H. and Nettie B. Bennett. She graduated from Lowell High School and Westbrook College in Portland, Maine. She worked for many years at the University of Vermont in the registrar’s ofﬁce, retiring in 1986.

Dottie shared a lifetime of love with her sweetheart and devoted husband, Howard “Nick” Nickerson. ey were married on April 17, 1949, and enjoyed 69 years ﬁlled with love, laughter and devotion. Above all, she was a devoted

they moved to Winooski in 1959, where Mom lived in the family home on Richard Street for 65-plus years. She worked in nursing early in life and until Joe and Ann had four boys in less than four years. For the next decades, her job was rearing her four sons

mother. She loved her children ﬁercely and was their biggest cheerleader. She had a way of making each of them feel special, always knowing just what to say to bring comfort, encouragement or laughter. Dottie adored her grandchildren, Kristin, Eric, Scott and Paul. She also enjoyed her greatgrandchildren, Brianne, Sawyer and Jordan. She attended St. James Episcopal Church, where she was a member of the

and homemaking, after which she started her next career, working for the IRS until she retired. She was an accomplished artist and enjoyed going to garage sales and auctions with Joe after her retirement. She was a very smart and intuitive lady, as evidenced by her ﬁling her own taxes and using her beloved iPads daily until her death. She loved family gatherings throughout the years at her home, sons’ houses and the Anger family camp in North Hero, where she got to see her three generations of offspring hanging out together.

Ann is survived by sons Joseph (Kathryn), David (Lori), Stephen and daughter-in-law Deborah Anger; her Anger grandchildren,

Women’s Group. She volunteered for many years at the Green Mountain Nursing Home, Meals on Wheels and other groups for RSVP.

After retiring, she and her husband, Nick, traveled cross-country three times, visiting places of interest before settling down and spending winters in Vero Beach, Fla. Dottie and Nick were often seen gliding across the dance ﬂoor, gazing into each other’s eyes. When not dancing, they could be found with friends enjoying a great game of bowling. She also could be found reading, gardening, doing sudokus and enjoying a spirited game of rummy. She was predeceased by her husband of 69 years, Howard “Nick” Nickerson; her parents, Raymond and Nettie Bennett; her brother, Coolidge; her sister, Barbara; and many nieces and nephews. She is survived by her daughter, Donna Gallas (Michael); her son,

Nicholas (Chiara), Amber, Joseph (Lisa), Keith (Rebecca), Robert (Tiffany), Adam and Jennifer Lavalley (Topher) and Keith Lavalley (Megan); six great-grandchildren; her sister Beverly O’Neill; her sister-in-law Marion Howard; and several nieces and nephews. Ann was predeceased by her parents and father and mother-in-law; her husband, Joseph, in 1994; her son James in 2021; and her brother, J. Ronald Beaulieu, and sister Rhea Reynolds. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m., at LaVigne Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 132 Main St., Winooski. Burial will be held later this spring. To send condolences to her family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.

Stephen Nickerson (Debra); grandchildren, Kristin Gallas (Darryl Robinson), Eric Gallas (Jessica), Scott Nickerson and Paul Nickerson (Mindy); and great-grandchildren, Brianne, Sawyer and Jordan. e family would like to thank Maple Ridge Lodge and BAYADA Hospice for the excellent care given to our mother.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2025, 1 to 3 p.m., at the Ready Funeral Home Mountain View Chapel, 68 Pinecrest Dr., Essex Junction, VT. A memorial service celebrating Dottie’s life will immediately follow. Inurnment will take place at a later date. In lieu of ﬂowers, contributions may be made to BAYADA Hospice, 463 Mountain View Dr., Colchester, VT 05446.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To share online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

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Love Story

In

sickness and in health, Garth and Clara Peterson paint a portrait of lasting love

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

This is what happily ever after looks like: Garth Peterson, who is 83, sits next to his wife, Clara, in a dining room at a Burlington nursing home, cutting the roast turkey on her plate into thin slices. He is slim, his hair white but still as neat and trim as it was in high school, when they were dating.

She was a “skinny little cheerleader,” he likes to say, three years younger. Her senior year, she was voted most likely to succeed, most cooperative, best dressed, best driver and several other silly honoriﬁcs forever memorialized in her yearbook. As Garth says, “She was everything.” They eloped when she was 19.

Clara has Alzheimer’s disease now and lives at Birchwood Terrace Rehab and Healthcare, six miles from the South Burlington home the couple bought 55 years ago, where Garth still lives. He spends four or five hours with her several days a week, always arriving in time for lunch.

“Clara, open wide,” he says and feeds her a bite of turkey. “Taste good?” She chews, quiet but content.

Garth handles the silverware, patiently working his way around the plate, from the turkey to the rice pilaf to the mixed vegetables and,

ﬁnally, to the chocolate brownie. Sixteen other residents eat lunch, most with assistance, in the memory-care dining room on this January Monday, when Garth will be among the last to return a tray.

“I love this,” he says, while they’re still on the turkey. “This is just something that I love to do.”

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

No couples know what they’re signing on for when they stand before God or a judge or a justice of the peace and promise to love ’til death do us part. There’s no ﬁne print on a marriage license. No disclaimers or list of possible side e ects. Most couples are still high on exciting new love when they take their vows. Good times and bad, sickness and health are just words that come before the kiss.

Rom-coms and fairy tales end at the altar. Romance novels need an “emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending,” advises the Romance Writers of America. But in real life, the wedding is just the beginning.

Love looks different as years pass. After 51 years of marriage, Clara, then a 70-year-old wife, mother and retired teacher with a master of education degree, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The disease only gets worse. It’s hard to ﬁnd emotional satisfaction and optimism with that plot point. Garth cared for Clara in their home for nine years before she moved to Birchwood Terrace last March. To love has meant to bathe, to dress, to feed and to continue to cherish.

“I love you,” Garth regularly tells Clara, who speaks very little now. “Do you love me?” Her blue eyes light up when he says that. She smiles and tilts her face toward his. “Mm hm,” she says on some days. “I do,” she says on better ones.

Garth and Clara have been together for 67 years. He was a junior at Waterbury High School and she an eighth grader at the middle school next door when she caught his eye. He had known who she was, the third of Malcolm and Dorothy Joslyn’s four daughters. Their families attended the same church. Her sister Diane was in his class and Donna two years behind. The Joslyn girls were popular, pretty and smart.

“If you could get a date with a Joslyn girl … you were doing well,” Garth said.

She sits in a wheelchair and wears a wide cloth bib long enough to double as a napkin on her lap. When Garth hands her a glass of milk, she drinks without help

and doesn’t spill a drop, but

Garth and Clara Peterson

Clara Joslyn (third from left) with her sisters circa 1960

back seat at the drive-in. Garth and Clara, she said, never made her feel like a pest.

After graduating from high school in 1959, Garth studied accounting at the University of Vermont. He didn’t join a fraternity because he went home to Waterbury Center every weekend to see Clara. “I was so in love with that girl,” he said. “She was a gift from heaven.”

From elegant bridal jewelry to romantic Valentine’s Day treasures, Elli Parr has the perfect pieces to celebrate love. Customize the perfect jewelry pieces or surprise someone special with timeless gifts.

All those years in church, he had thought of Clara as a little girl. Spotting her between classes one day, he reconsidered. When he and Clara began dating, their age difference raised eyebrows — girls in his class called her “the diaper kid.” But the slight didn’t deter the couple. Garth and Clara have been together ever since.

They both rode the team bus to away basketball games, though they didn’t sit together. She sat with the other cheerleaders, and he sat with the players as the team manager. But, he said, “I always knew where she was.”

On date nights, Garth would borrow his parents’ car and take Clara for root beer floats at the A&W in Montpelier or to a movie at the Capitol Theater or the Sunset Drive-In in Colchester. When he brought her home, he was required to park in the driveway to give Clara’s parents a clear line of vision lest the young couple linger in the car. Her parents needn’t have worried. “We didn’t do any of that stuff,” Garth said.

Sometimes they double-dated with Diane, who was dating Garth’s best friend. And sometimes they took along Ramie, Clara’s younger sister, who was 7 when they started seeing each other. Ramie recalls sitting on a box in the

She won a scholarship to UVM, but Garth wanted to join the U.S. Air Force after college and didn’t want to wait three years for her to relocate with him. He persuaded her to enroll in a two-year X-ray technician program at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington. When he finished his degree in 1963, a year before Clara’s program ended, he expected to be drafted into the U.S. Army. Knowing that married men were exempt, Garth and Clara eloped.

Because Clara was so young and her parents so protective, Garth asked for her father’s blessing in advance, but they didn’t tell his parents until they were married.

With one of her school friends along to witness, they drove to the Charlotte home of a justice of the peace the night of October 16, 1963. After the brief ceremony, Garth took Clara and her friend back to their dorm.

He and Clara married in a church two months later. They honeymooned in Montréal, where they stayed for two nights at the luxurious Queen Elizabeth Hotel. And to hear Garth tell it, life has been a dream ever since.

Clara and Garth Peterson in 1969

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‘EVERYTHING A MARRIAGE SHOULD BE’

Yearbooks and photo albums trigger only happy stories. Garth enlisted in the Air Force as planned, and his six years of service took the couple first to Texas, where they drove a red convertible. In Tacoma, Wash., they bowled in a Monday night couples league. “And did we love bowling. We couldn’t wait for the weekend to be over with,” he said. Finally, in Hawaii, they had bonfire parties on the beach and popped corks on the lanai.

“We learned about life together,” he said. “And boy, did we have fun.”

When he got out of the Air Force in 1970, he and Clara bought a two-bedroom ranch across from UVM’s athletic campus on Spear Street for $24,500. UVM hired Garth on the spot the day he interviewed to be a financial management trainee, and he spent the rest of his career at the university, first as assistant treasurer, ultimately as assistant controller.

“And I just loved it,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to get to work.” His earnest enthusiasm evokes the blinding initial optimism of Jim Carrey’s Truman Burbank in The Truman Show, who greets his neighbors as he bounces off to work: “Good morning! Oh! And in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!”

“I have the Holy Spirit in my heart,” Garth said. “My glass is always half full.”

When Clara couldn’t get pregnant and doctors could find no reason, she and Garth did not grieve, he said: “We knew we could always adopt.” And when Catholic Charities presented a baby boy born on October 16, 1972, the ninth anniversary of their elopement, they said, “He’s the one.”

Eric completed their family. Clara quit her hospital job to stay home with him until he started school. Then she worked as a teacher’s aide while attending Trinity College in Burlington to earn an education degree.

Around the time Eric graduated from high school, Clara graduated from Trinity and started teaching math at Peoples Academy High School in Morristown. Despite her hourlong commute, she studied at night to earn a master’s degree from Saint Michael’s College.

She and Garth split household chores 50-50. She cooked. He cleaned house. Or, as he likes to joke, “I told her what to do, and she told me where to go.”

Even during those whirlwind years, they managed to socialize, often with their “church family,” friends from Faith United Methodist Church. Year after year, they

stood in line in the cold waiting to hear Jon Gailmor and other entertainers during Burlington’s First Night New Year’s Eve celebration. Come summer, they spread blankets at Waterfront Park for the city’s Fourth of July fireworks. They went to chicken pie suppers at area churches, shows at Saint Michael’s Playhouse, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with the Joslyn family, and every UVM basketball and hockey game as members of the school’s Victory Club.

And on many wedding anniversaries, they went back to the “Queen E.” On their 25th, Garth gave Clara the diamond ring he couldn’t afford when they got married.

Garth has been the more gregarious half of the couple, friends say. His brother-inlaw Bob West, who was Donna’s husband, recalled the two couples walking through the French Quarter in New Orleans when he and Garth were “laughing and carrying on.” At a food truck, West placed his order

WE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE TOGETHER. AND BOY, DID WE HAVE FUN.

GARTH PETERSON

first, and when the clerk asked for his name, he said, “West.” He stepped aside, and Garth stepped up to order. The clerk asked for a name.

“And he said, ‘East,’” West said.

Friends say they’ve never heard a cross word between Garth and Clara. “You could see the respect that they felt with one another, the kindness and patience,” said Pat McGarry, a friend for 40 years. “Just everything that a marriage should be.”

A PACT WITH GOD

For years, unbeknownst to anyone, a protein called amyloid beta was amassing in Clara’s brain. Though neuroscientists debate Alzheimer’s exact molecular cause, most believe that the protein forms plaques that disrupt communication between neurons, leading to inflammation and cell death.

Eric noticed Clara’s symptoms first. His mother, who had always had an iron-clad grasp of the family calendar, started forgetting events. She began to repeat questions. Sometimes, when hearing an answer for

Love Story « P.27

Garth and Clara Peterson

Garth, Clara and Eric Peterson in the late 1970s

the second time, she’d say, “Oh, yeah. You already told me that.” At other times, she reacted as if hearing the information for the first time.

Dementia runs in the Joslyn family. Clara’s dad, his only sibling and their mother all had it. Donna was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 59 and died at 67, five years before Clara’s symptoms appeared. So Garth knew where to turn. Neurologist William Pendlebury, medical director of UVM Medical Center’s memory center, diagnosed Clara with Alzheimer’s at her first visit.

“I want you to cure her,” Garth told God. Always a churchgoing man (save for those few Sundays when he went rabbit hunting with his dad), Garth lives for the Lord. “And I thought He would cure her,” he said. “Then I realized, that’s not what He was going to do.”

So Garth had another conversation with the Lord: “OK. I understand what you want, but I need your help, both physically and mentally, to take care of her. And I will, as long as I can.”

Alzheimer’s starts in the hippocampus, disrupting the formation of new memories. As it invades other regions of the brain, patients can get lost in familiar places and lose the ability to think logically, make decisions, plan and solve problems. In his support group, Garth has heard stories about other people’s wives trying to leave their homes in the middle of the night or lashing out at their husbands and accusing them of having affairs with a caregiver. Clara has done none of that. He feels lucky.

At first, the couple continued to travel, grateful for the fact that they had retired early and bought time-shares that took them to Florida, Aruba and Hilton Head, S.C. Clara did well. But Alzheimer’s continued its ruthless rout, robbing her of bladder control, eroding her language and restricting her mobility. Eric believes the steepest decline came during the first year of COVID-19. A South Burlington resident, he stood outside on the lawn or the driveway when he visited his parents. By the time a vaccination eased social restrictions and he allowed himself back in their house, his mother’s personality was largely gone.

When Clara could no longer climb stairs, Garth moved their bedroom to the first floor. When the tub became an obstacle, he installed a walk-in shower. He put furniture on risers, built a ramp from the garage to the house, and bought a recliner with a seat that raises and tips at the push of a button.

Eventually, he hired Visiting Angels to provide in-home health care for 12 hours a week, but friends saw his trademark

energy wane. Eric worried. They all asked Garth, “If something happens to you, who will take care of Clara?” When he began talking about long-term care facilities, friends sensed that he was asking for permission to move Clara.

Garth, himself, was the last to grant it.

Bottom line, said his lifelong best friend, David Dibbell, “He’s still in love.”

The day Garth helped Clara into the car to move to Birchwood, he knew she’d never return home, but he knew it was time. “I was completely worn out,” he said. “I wanted to be her husband. I wanted somebody else to be her caregiver.”

‘YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE’

Paper snowflakes dangle from the hallway ceilings at Birchwood Terrace. A month into the New Year, Christmas trees, smiling snowmen and snappy gingerbread men, all colored in crayon, hang on the window in the memory care dining room, a décor likely similar to that of the elementary school across the street.

Brief bios of Birchwood memory care residents posted next to their bedroom doors note academic degrees, professional accomplishments, international travel and families. In the dining room, some cradle dolls when they wait for lunch.

When the food arrives on this Tuesday, Garth slowly circles Clara’s plate: from beef and cabbage casserole to cornbread and mixed vegetables. By the time they reach the pumpkin pie, all of the other trays have been cleared. “But when you’re in love, you don’t care,” he says.

At 2 p.m., musician Charlie Rice provides afternoon entertainment, opening his set of soft rock with “Feelin’ Groovy,” then moving through covers of the Eagles, Van Morrison and Sam Cooke. Garth and Clara used to win high school dance contests. Now their fingers interlock and he stares at her feet, hoping that the music will burn a path through the plaques and let the necessary neurons connect so she can tap to the beat. But her feet sit like lead weights.

When Rice sings “You Are My Sunshine,” Garth sings along, until the lyrics make him cry: “You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Rice thanks the audience for coming out. While he sings the Phil Collins love song “One More Night,” Garth’s eyes warm as he looks at Clara and taps her chin. “You’re so cute,” he tells her, still incredulous, after all these years, that the skinny little cheerleader fell for the team manager. ➆

ADULT STORE

LOCATION:

Put a Ring on It

Brides say “yes” to the bling at Elli Parr in South Burlington

BY HANNAH FEUER • hfeuer@sevendaysvt.com

When Sarah Quinttus, 34, got married at Pittsfield’s Riverside Farm in 2019, she wanted her jewelry to strike the perfect balance. It needed to be special, of course, but also a ordable and practical — not so extravagant that it would collect dust in a jewelry box after the big day.

She settled on dangly earrings with teardrop-shaped pendants featuring rainbow moonstone ($72), an iridescent white gem that shimmers with color when it catches the light.

Beyond the aesthetic, Quinttus wanted the piece to feel distinctly Vermont — something personal, not a mass-produced luxury brand such as Cartier.

“I really wanted to be able to communicate with ... and feel an attachment to the person who was making it,” she said. “That part felt special.”

Quinttus’ earrings were from Elli Parr, a jewelry boutique at Shelburne Square Shopping Center in South Burlington that specializes in helping brides and bridesmaids accessorize. At DIY jewelry-making workshops and private consultations, bridal parties can sip Champagne while selecting accessories that complement their dresses. Owner Sara Nelson, 38, designs the jewelry herself, with every Elli Parr piece featuring at least one element crafted by hand in-house. Although most molds and castings for the jewelry are produced in a New York factory, Elli Parr employees handle the beadwork and wire wrapping. A smaller number of items are produced in India, where the gemstones are sourced.

“Our customer is someone who really cares that it’s handcrafted, and they care about the story of the brand,” Nelson said. “They really love the Vermont label.”

Bridal jewelry typically consists of simple diamonds or pearls and embraces a minimalist aesthetic. Nelson’s jewelry line follows that tradition, designed to “complement, not distract,” she said. Her pieces “don’t take anything away from the bride.”

The store sells more than just bridal jewelry, including rings, hoop earrings, classic gold chains, colorful beaded bracelets and necklaces with alphabet pendants. A dedicated section for kids features at-home beading kits, body glitter described as “unicorn snot,” and beaded bracelets featuring words such as “golf,” “snowboard” and “sis.”

All items are hypoallergenic, with no metal alloys or nickel. Nelson aims to keep prices a ordable while maintaining quality through careful selection of materials. For example, a brass Elli Parr chain necklace dipped in 14-karat gold retails for $64. A solid gold version would look the same but cost upwards of $3,000, she explained.

Business typically spikes around Valentine’s Day, Nelson said, adding that she’s having trouble keeping a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant ($72) in stock.

Toward the back of the store, customers can create their own bracelets and earrings at a “bead bar” by stringing together gemstones, beads, charms and pendants. Patrons can drop in — a popular activity for kids while a parent is shopping — or book private jewelry-making workshops that range from elementary-age birthday parties to bachelorette events.

Colchester resident Jude Olson, 57, buys a gift for her daughter at Elli Parr every Christmas and hosted her daughter’s bridal shower there in 2022. The store closed to the public so that partygoers could shop privately over cake and Champagne.

“It was just cozy and wonderful,” Olson said.

Nelson began crafting jewelry in 2014 during maternity leave from a corporate recruiting job. While her daughter napped, she threaded beads into bracelets and wire-wrapped gemstones at her dining room table.

Her friend, the late Jessica PomerleauHalnon, owned the former Jess Boutique on Burlington’s Church Street and o ered to sell Nelson’s bracelets in her store.

“I thought, Nobody’s going to want this,” Nelson recalled. “But she said, ‘Let’s give it a try.’”

The bracelets quickly sold. Bolstered by the success, Nelson rented a small o ce space as a makeshift jewelry studio and quit her corporate job in 2017.

Nelson initially named the business after herself: Sara Marie Jewelry. But soon she realized the name was too common to trademark. She rebranded as Elli Parr, combining her childhood street, Elliot Avenue in Boston, with the home where she had her children, on Partridge Lane in Charlotte.

“A little bit of past and present,” she said.

She opened her first retail location in Shelburne in 2021 and a second in

Collen Carter (center) and bridesmaids wearing Elli Parr earrings

Elli Parr bracelets

Middlebury two years later. Frustrated with commuting between the two, she closed both stores and launched her South Burlington boutique last October. Elli Parr also wholesales jewelry to 90 small retailers across the U.S.

Nelson’s team has grown, too. She employs four part-time sales associates and two full-time store managers — her sister-in-law, Kirsten O’Connell, and her kids’ former babysitter, Jess Cerundolo.

OUR CUSTOMER IS SOMEONE WHO REALLY CARES THAT IT’S HANDCRAFTED.

SARA NELSON

One need only look at Nelson’s outfit to see her passion for the brand. During a reporter’s recent visit to the store, she wore stacked Elli Parr bracelets and necklaces, including a thick gold chain, a heart pendant and a gold herringbone bracelet she never takes off. Nelson completed the look with an all-denim ensemble and cheetah-print boots.

Nelson

The personal connection to the jewelry is something her customers also embrace. When Anne Muscarella got married at Killington Peak in 2021, she gave her bridesmaids matching Elli Parr earrings — three-stone “crawler” earrings that go up the ear. Nelson also custom designed pearl droplet earrings for Muscarella’s mother and mother-in-law.

Muscarella, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, said it was important to her to buy from a brand based in the state where she would be married.

“A lot of bridesmaids get Tiffany’s,” Muscarella said, “but I didn’t want to do that.”

Community ties are also reflected in Elli Parr events that draw in other local businesses. On Thursday, February 13, the store will host a Galentine’s Party featuring floral arrangements by Clayton & Co., a braiding and hair tinsel bar courtesy of the Hair Boutique, a Pilates pop-up by the Body Lab, Botox services by Glow Aesthetics Medical Spa, ear piercing, and, of course, jewelry making. ➆

INFO

Galentine’s Party, Thursday, February 13, 5-8 p.m., at Elli Parr in South Burlington. Free. elliparr.com

Boomer Booty Call

An AARP Vermont webinar series offers sex ed to seniors

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN • sgoldstein@sevendaysvt.com

As attention-getters go, “Age is not a condom” is a pretty good hook when encouraging seniors to practice safe sex. That’s just one of the slogans aimed at Vermont’s golden-agers as part of a refresher course in getting it on when you’re getting on.

Spurred by a nationwide 2023 AARP survey that revealed increasing interest in sex among older Americans, AARP Vermont commissioned “Empowered Aging: Your Guide to Sexual Health, Modern Love, and Intimacy,” a monthlong February series of weekly sex ed webinars designed for seniors.

Old dogs, new tricks this is not: The series’ focus is better living through intimacy. The four webinars cover a variety of topics, including sexual myth busting, the ins and outs of online dating, and ways to spice up long-term relationships.

Laura McDonough, AARP Vermont’s associate state director of communication, said many seniors “don’t really know where to turn to for information about this stuff … By providing information about sex and aging, modern sexuality, and online dating, we’re hoping that we find that more people are combating social isolation, living more fulﬁlling lives and [are] just happier.”

The national AARP survey also showed an uptick in seniors who consider sex important to their quality of life. Nationwide, one in four adults over 50 is having weekly nooky, and one in six over 70. McDonough said those numbers were lower in Vermont, which has among the oldest populations in the country.

Held on February 4, the ﬁrst webinar, “Myths and Mysteries of Sex and Aging,” dealt with erroneous information about sex. It also covered rates of sexually transmitted disease and how to protect oneself, bodily changes, and taking charge of your personal sexual health.

Attendees expecting someone closer to the vintage of Dr. Ruth may have been surprised to log on and see host Jenna Emerson, a 35-year-old adjunct lecturer in sex education at the University of Vermont.

“My approach is positive sexuality — I don’t use an abstinence model,” she told her virtual audience. “I want people to have options and information that is important to me as a sex educator. But I also want the material to be practical and useful.”

Emerson, a California native, did a workshop a few years ago for AARP California on online dating — including a tutorial on how to use a cellphone. McDonough saw the session and invited Emerson to pitch a series for older Vermonters.

Jenna Emerson

Most of Emerson’s 10 years in the field have been spent enlightening college students and dispensing condoms. “I ordered 45,000 for one year’s class,” she said.

Older folks are not her usual audience, so dealing in explicit terms with subjects such as masturbation and vaginal dryness could have been awkward. But Emerson projects a kind of sexeducator-next-door wholesomeness and went through the hourlong presentation very matter-of-factly with no wink-wink coyness or double meanings.

THERE ARE A LOT OF SEXUAL PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 55, OVER THE AGE OF 80.

JENNA EMERSON

In an interview before the event, Emerson described the sexual shibboleths that have stuck with seniors. “First, that older adults are not interested in sex,” she said. “As a culture, we tend to desexualize older people or see them as asexual. But there are a lot of sexual people over the age of 55, over the age of 80.”

Another misunderstanding is that seniors don’t need to worry about safe sex because pregnancy is not a concern. “That’s a myth,” she said, noting that the over-55 age group has the highest rate of increase in sexually transmitted infections.

During the webinar, Emerson addressed the “use it or lose it” axiom as applied to having sex — the belief that if you are not sexually active for years you lose the ability to enjoy it. There is no sellby or expiration date, she declared. While avoiding the “riding a bike” analogy, she acknowledged that sexual experience doesn’t always means success — erectile dysfunction and vaginal atrophy can afflict older adults.

She paused several times to respond to questions delivered anonymously through the chat feature — none of the attendees were on camera. The queries were hot and heavy right out of the box.

“What is the best way to pleasure oneself?” one attendee asked.

That question provoked some discussion about means and methods and eventually led to someone asking about a device called a “bump’n holder,”

sometimes called the bump’n joystick. Emerson explained the device could be a pillow or a pole that one hugs, which has a hole to hold a dildo or vibrator.

Emerson has seen and heard a lot in her career but admitted later to have been caught off guard by a questioner asking: “What protection options are available for oral sex (fellatio)?”

“It was surprising to me, somebody asking about dental dams and oral sex,” she said, given that older people are generally less likely to use condoms during sex.

Among the other questions:

“Do men hate the feeling of condoms?”

“Flavored condoms?”

“Doesn’t talking about protection destroy the mood?”

“What does doubling up on condoms mean?”

Emerson’s side hustle is standup comedy, which may help shape her presentations, she said. But her real go-to resource for talking to aging baby boomers has been her mom, who is in her late sixties.

“She was my chief consultant,” Emerson said, adding that her mother is “passionate” about the subject of menopause, a condition that is too rarely talked about and often not very well treated.

Her conversations with her mother came in handy when an attendee asked about hormone replacement therapy, which has proven effective at managing menopause symptoms.

“People just assume that they have to go through this experience in their body when that’s not necessarily true,” she said. “People can be in pain and really uncomfortable, and they don’t have to be.” Emerson acknowledged that this subject was “a leap into the unknown” for her.

McDonough said 160 people registered for the first webinar and 91 showed up, including 30 Vermonters. The series is offered to all state AARP chapters.

“Navigating sexual health and wellness is important, and a lot of people aren’t comfortable talking about it,” McDonough said. “We’re trying to change that so that people can do so in safe and comfortable ways.” ➆

INFO

The final two webinars in the AARP Vermont series “Empowered Aging: Your Guide to Sexual Health, Modern Love, and Intimacy” are Tuesdays, February 18 and 25, at noon. Registration is free. Learn more at events.aarp.org.

Squishy Feelings

A sex educator on the virtues of platonic intimacy

BY SARAH DIEDRICK

When I was younger, I based my worth on how wanted I was by a lover or potential partner. I was preoccupied with romantic prospects. This makes sense, given that we’ve been overfed the idea that romantic love is the highest form of love. Don’t get me wrong: I am all for partnership. But as I got older, I realized I was prioritizing romantic connections over platonic ones, unwittingly casting aside a crucial form of intimacy.

Platonic intimacy is, in essence, a deep connection and love that is nonromantic and nonsexual in nature — though it sometimes blurs those lines. Perhaps you’ve read about it: The topic has popped up everywhere from Newsweek to Cosmopolitan and inspired several books — try Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman’s Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

ESSAY

The headline of a 2020 story in the Atlantic by author Rhaina Cohen posed the provocative question: “What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?” That article planted the seed for Cohen’s best-selling 2024 book, The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life With Friendship at the Center. In it, she presents real-life friendships that redefine what intimacy between friends can look like — basically, “moving the lines further and further outward to encompass more space in each other’s lives.”

As ideas of friendship evolve, so does the language we use to describe it. You’ve probably heard of “platonic life partner” or even “queerplatonic.” But how about “squish” (that’s a nonsexual crush) or “zucchini” (another word for a queerplatonic partner)?

More and more, modern friendships are radicalizing what “platonic” means, butting up against conventional definitions. What we’ve traditionally reserved for romantic connections is bleeding into our friendships. By inviting romance, intimacy and eroticism — meaning the vitality and creative energy that can underpin sex but does not have to include it — into our connections, we are creating our own guidelines. It might feel confusing at times, but it also signals a new frontier for friendship.

In both my close circle and wider community, people are forming their futures around friendship. There is talk

of buying land together, raising kids, splitting finances, carrying out weekly rituals, putting sleepovers in the calendar. My friends and I exchange saucy selfies in a group chat and shower one another with affirmation. I light up in the safe space of their gaze. We are continually choosing how we want to belong to each other.

So, what does that look like? (The relationships, not the selfies.) If you took snapshots of platonic intimacy — such as the vignettes woven into this essay

— you’d see simple, everyday moments that speak of wholehearted, liberatory love, the kind that we might not have experienced in our upbringing but that exists within the safety net of our chosen family. A kind of tenderness that may not be as widely acknowledged but is just as life-giving. A kind of love that embraces the fullness of who we are and does not ask us to prove our desirability. A love that allows us to reclaim ourselves over and over again.

zIn the mornings I can hear you fiddling in the bathroom, the soft ding of your tongue scraper hitting the lip of the mason jar it lives in. One of us waits for the other at the kitchen table. We whisper: Buenos días, how’d you sleep?

Breakfast heats slowly on the stove as we outline our days. I pull our shared loaf of bread from its paper sleeve and laugh at how bearishly you’ve torn at it. You

start cooking something else. Something that is simple but requires time. Something that will simmer well into the evening, long enough to see us dancing in the kitchen while I ﬁx you your favorite drink.

At night we sit knee-to-knee on the couch and read to each other out loud, chewing on big ideas. We scoot around each other in our narrow bathroom as we get ready for bed, talking through occupied teeth.

I want it to stay just like this — sharing shelves in the fridge, planning dinner over breakfast, asking each other for everyday favors like turning the laundry over or picking up eggs. All of these small, ordinary moments have coalesced into our kinship, into a layered and lasting bond.

zWe don’t have as many models for friendship as romance in our society. Through movies, television and social media, we are bombarded with ideas for how to date, how to maintain healthy partnerships and how to honorably bow out of one. When it comes to friendship, however, guidelines for tending to its evolution are rarer. Luckily, people are now devoting more time to exploring friendships and how we can foster depth and growth within them.

Marisa G. Franco, author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends, speaks to how even just placing more value on friendships can validate our platonic experiences, including the grief we may feel when taking space from a friend or ending a friendship altogether:

“When society doesn’t value a relationship that you’re losing, you have trouble grieving ... because part of the way we

grieve is we get that mirroring from people around us saying, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss. This is devastating.’”

zI have experienced some of the purest forms of intimacy in the embrace of my friends. I have known the depths of devotion through how my closest friends and I show up for each other. I have experienced some of the most stinging heartbreak during friend fallouts. With fewer scripts to follow, we are tasked with writing our own stories and, in the process, discovering what it means to authentically be with one another.

zI walk out of the apartment building to a scrambling street and catch you getting out of your cab. You set your bags down on the ﬁlthy concrete to scoop me up and kiss me on the lips.

We spend the day romping around the city, holding hands and professing how happy we are to be together again. We are on a strip of street that seems to extend for miles, where the buildings aren’t high but the sun is. We close our eyes and soak it in.

We stop at some hip tinned-ﬁsh place in Brooklyn. We muse on what the bread might be served with. Ooooh, anchovy butter? I surmise, with wide eyes. at would be a huge miss if they didn’t, you reply. What comes out is four ﬂuffy, gorgeous slices of local sourdough bread next to two pathetic, undeserving packets of butter.

New York is dead, you declare, as you performatively throw the butter onto your plate. Your conviction is served with a smirk, a reminder of the bit we’re doing. Your sense of humor — slightly caustic, blunt — reminds me of my mother. It’s one of the many reasons you feel like home.

Admittedly, this expansive kind of friendship makes it harder to distinguish between friend and partner. I ﬁnd myself stuttering in conversation when trying to make that distinction. But I take pride in the fact that I’ve poured my heart into something so much that words or labels don’t do it justice. My friends are my partners, the people I entrust with my most heartfelt desires, the people I pencil into the emergency contact line, the people I consider when making life changes, the ones I turn to when I’m a wreck, the ones I want to share my most exciting news with.

IN BOTH MY CLOSE CIRCLE AND WIDER COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ARE FORMING THEIR FUTURES AROUND FRIENDSHIP.

And what about the jealousy and insecurity that might arise in our partners as they witness this kind of uninhibited intimacy? Again, this makes sense when we think about how much pressure society puts on romantic relationships, centering them as our main source of security. But I think of the ways the queer community and those exploring ethical nonmonogamy, relationship anarchy, polyamory and the like are encouraging us to challenge those narratives and reﬂect on our true relationship values.

Of course, friendships can exist in different orbits, and some might not have the romantic, emotional or physical inclinations that others do. The beauty of friendships is that they can look and feel so di erent and have di erent boundaries. But the act of setting those boundaries and

applying what we’ve been taught about healthy partnership — communication, care, emotional truthfulness, play — can be the secure and lasting foundation of a friendship.

ze width of your face is a familiar comfort, your cheekbones high like the top tier of a stadium. Your features are even more striking against the backdrop of snow. We meet on the street corner directly between our two apartments and walk to meditation, a new ritual for us. You ask how my heart is, a question that has become as common as asking what’s for dinner.

I walk with my arm looped in yours as we lay new tracks in the snow. I have two pancakes wrapped in a paper towel to eat on the way. Do you want some pannekaken?! I ask, mimicking my grandmother’s Norwegian. You stop and turn toward me, answering silently by opening your mouth. I move the paper towel out of the way with my mitten and give you a bite.

As we walk and talk, I feel my nervous system unclench. We eventually arrive, stomping up the stairs and slipping off our snow-caked boots. Before we go in, you wrap your arms around me and we sync our breath.

I am grateful for all the ways you reach out to me, for this quiet, common language we speak. I realize that today is just one blip on the long timeline of our friendship, and this reminder ﬁlls me with the deepest security I’ve ever known. ➆

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Diedrick is a Vermont writer, sex educator and yoga teacher. Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Bloomin’ Onion and Elephant Journal. She facilitates a monthly Sex Ed Book Club and her newsletter, Intimate Distance, lives on Substack at intimatedistance.substack.com.

My Bibi, You love me? I’m so lucky! Thank you for loving me.

— Bibi

Dad,

Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you!

— A.1. Steak Sauce... Sister & Mom

Michael,

You had my full attention when you came out of the wings to assist me in backing out of a tight parking space. That was the beginning of my interest. First date was the beginning of adventure.

— Cute Fan Girl

Jeny,

You’re my analog girl in a digital world. I love you, and happy Val Pal day.

— Sam

Bomber,

Isn’t it wild that five months ago we didn’t even know the other person existed? Now here we are planning trips to Maine and taking care of each other’s pets. I love you, old man, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for us.

— Denim

Tag us @sevendaysvt

CHUNGLED00R,

I know you don’t care about Valentine’s Day, but we have built a beautiful life together and our love deserves to be celebrated.

You are my favorite person and best friend. I would happily do anything (or nothing at all) with you.

I love you so much!

— AnxiousNPC

My unicorn, I am in awe of you and the magic of it all, and I love you!

— Your unicorn

Big Man, I love our morning routine, fitness journey, recipe hunts, bourbon breaks, busy weekends and everything else that happens before my head hits the pillow each night. Happy Valentine’s Day!

— Your sweetheart

Taylor, Happy Valentine’s Day! Last one as fiancée. — Jake, with love

Jordon,

I fell in mud on the day we met Now on you I always bet Handsome you are in a running vest My love for you is not a jest! Once we nearly saw a moose I promise to always buy you juice I cherish being in your arms

Accompany me to Shelburne Farms?

— A Porter Princess

Marm,

You’re the marmalade on my pork chop, the tequila in my mule and the hiss to my story. Our fire is wild. With you is the greatest adventure, and I’d choose it over and over.

PS: This is a love note.

— Chop

Rick Moulton, 55 years ago, we fell in love when you did yoga naked on my bedroom floor. We married after two children and 16 years — Valentine’s Night — 25 below zero — on skis in front of 200 friends — our son Eli gave us away. I love you more today than ever.

— Forever and ever ... Melinda

Thanks to all the readers who shared their Valentine’s greetings for this annual tradition. If you missed out this year, be sure to tell your sweetie how you feel — in person!

To My Dearest Melinda, Here’s to our 55th anniversary and 50 years in our hand-built stone home, where we raised our family. Our passion continues to radiate and glow. How grand to take your hand and step into another chapter of this exciting life together.

— The man who adores you, Rick

Charlie, I love you even more than you love Seven Days. I’d follow you to Elba again and again. Happy Valentine’s Day, sweets!

— SMOOSHY FACE

Dearest Manon, You are the greatest thing that has ever happened and will ever happen to me.

— Cowboy Jim

Green Mountain Will, Love is patient, love is kind, love never says, “I’d swear these four houseplants weren’t here yesterday!” Love you as much as I love my six-foottall Myrtillocactus geometrizans! And that is pretty special.

— Your Loving Houseplant Hero

My Porkchop, You’re my best friend, my constant, my rock. We’ve shared tough moments and countless belly laughs, and through it all, my love for you only grows stronger. I wouldn’t want to walk through life with anyone else. Thank you for choosing me every day.

— Your Moo

Malia, Izzy & Bodhi, To the coolest, kindest, most curious, most adventurous and imaginative kids out there: Mama and Mommy love you with all our hearts. Will you please be our valentines?

— Mommy and Mama

Lito,

The spiciest and sassiest pepper in BTV. With dance moves that bring Wally’s tail-wagging to an abrupt halt, thankssssss for being my fantastically entertaining sidekick (with main character energy). Summer fling -> winter cling. xoxoxo.

— Lolo AND Lemmy & Hug McSnugg

Mike, To our first year of marriage — it is so much better this way. I love you!

— K

Pinto Bean,

Sending you so much love from Boston. Working on making a big nest for us here.

— Caleb

Francie,

Your voice is sweet and soft like an angel, your eyes sparkle when you laugh, and more importantly, your personality (including your positive nature) is so rare in this world. You are a real-life unicorn! xoxo

— Tommy

Stevie,

You have the soul of a hound dog, and that is the highest compliment a man can receive. Your innocence, joy and nose for trouble have no bounds. You’re the best pooper scooper ever!

— Jenjen, forever in love

Buddy for Mayor, V❤TING for Buddy!

— South End Voters

Paige,

From the summit of Mount Philo to snuggling with Philo, every moment is an adventure!! Looking forward to more exploration along the way! I love ya!

— Kyle

Felix the Missile, I can’t stop the rain, but I’ll keep you dry. If the shore feels far away, I’ll be by your side. When the storms arise, I’ll shelter you. When your sky is gray, I’ll give you blue. I love you.

— Your Brown-Eyed Lover

John V., I am far away. But thinking of you, my dear. Happy Valentine’s!

— Lupe

ZGR,

Ping! I love you so. What a joy to live life with you. Grateful to have you by my side for every moment. Happy Valentine’s Day, my dear! To endless fettuccine and chocolate strawberries <333

— SLS

Bodhi, Izzy and Malia, We love you more than Fiyero loves singing and dancing. PS: Do you want to go sledding soon!?! — Pupa and KK

Livy, You make me so happy! I am so ready to goog the world with you! — Noah

Bug, Brown rice and soy milk, tofu and chickpeas, we’re still wholesome lesbians! Here’s to 25+ years of staying home and playing Scrabble.

— The love of your life

Oscar,

“...and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you ... I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart...” ❤

— Jessica, Always & Forever

food+drink

Hands On

When Kyle Doda ﬁrst heard Betsy Simpson’s name in 2017, he was hoping to hire a summer crew member for his then 3-year-old Brookﬁeld vegetable farm.

A mutual friend suggested Simpson, who had grown up on a nearby Braintree dairy farm. “I was basically desperate for anybody that wanted to farm,” Doda recalled. “If there was a farm kid that wanted to farm, I was like, ‘Great.’”

It gradually became clear that this farm “kid” was destined to be far more than a crew member. But neither Doda nor Simpson expected that, eight years after meeting, they’d be the married cofounders of a seasonal, on-farm restaurant.

FOOD LOVER?

For the Farmer’s Hand at 1000 Stone Farm, Simpson — a culinary school graduate who had left professional cooking behind — has happily returned to the kitchen. If it’s unusual to ﬁnd a farm kid in culinary school, it is similarly rare in Vermont for a formally trained chef to cook regularly for the public using mostly ingredients grown on her own farm. If pressed to choose a job title, Simpson said she’d pick “farmer-chef” rather than “chef-farmer.”

Simpson, now 32, earned a four-year bachelor’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America, studying at both its Hyde Park, N.Y., campus and the school’s then newly hatched farm-to-table program in Napa Valley. After graduation, she stayed in California for two years to help run the

school’s St. Helena restaurant farm before returning home to work in agriculture.

While Simpson appreciated all that she learned in culinary school, she never planned to work full time in restaurants.

“I didn’t want to get stuck in a kitchen, because I love being outside,” she said.

Doda, now 39, is originally from Virginia and studied sculpture and ceramics in college in northwestern New York. After working at several farms, he decided to try his own market garden business in Vermont. He established 1000 Stone Farm on two acres in 2014, selling vegetables through a small CSA, at farmers markets, and to restaurants and stores.

Simpson and Doda’s ﬁrst date happened sort of by default, they recalled. It was

Valentine’s Day 2018, less than a year after Simpson started working on 1000 Stone’s small farm crew. Both were single, and everyone else they knew was busy celebrating with their sweethearts, so Simpson and Doda headed together to a Northﬁeld pub for trivia night.

That March, while snowshoeing on the farm, they shared their ﬁrst kiss. By fall, Simpson had moved into Doda’s barn loft living quarters. A few years later, on a rare summer day o in August 2021, they held their wedding on the farm.

Simpson and Doda have cultivated their relationship and the farm business in tandem. Over their years together, they have added a parcel of land with several more hoop houses for year-round vegetable production; planted hundreds of apple trees and other fruits; built a temperature-controlled mushroom facility; and expanded to raise lamb, goats, chickens (for meat and eggs) and a few beef cows.

The couple have become a ﬁxture at the Burlington Farmers Market, where 1000 Stone Farm will mark a decade this summer. They run a four-season CSA with a peak count of 100 summer members; deliver to about 25 wholesale accounts; and have an on-farm store, which also stocks products from other Vermont farms. They bring complementary strengths and mutual respect to the management of their many-pronged business, the couple said. “When we butt heads,” Doda said, “even if we’re being feisty about it, we still are listening.”

In November, 1000 Stone Farm opened the Farmer’s Hand, a 30-seat restaurant and tasting room that serves casual farm-to-table food and drink on Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 8 p.m. The bright, high-ceilinged dining area boasts one wall of barnboard, another painted butternut squash-yellow and a third tomato-red. Simpson runs the kitchen with one assistant, while her husband takes orders, delivers food, and pours glasses of his farm-fermented cider and wine (from $6) behind the bar.

After a January break, the couple reopened for February and March. Though they skipped doing winter farmers markets this year to launch the restaurant, they will

Kyle Doda and Betsy Simpson of 1000 Stone Farm

SIDEdishes

Cappadocia Bistro to Bring Turkish Street Food to Burlington’s Church Street

The Oktay family, who own three Turkish eateries and two imported goods shops in Vermont, will add a Burlington restaurant specializing in Turkish street food and flatbreads this spring, JACKIE OKTAY said. She, her husband, VURAL, and his brother, HASAN, hope to open CAPPADOCIA BISTRO for lunch, dinner and late-night weekend hours by the end of March at 92 Church Street, the former home of Thorn + Roots.

“It’s a great location,” Jackie said. “It was hard to pass up.”

The new restaurant will make three Church Street storefronts for the Oktays, including ISTANBUL KEBAB HOUSE and their second LITTLE ISTANBUL store, which opened in August.

Jackie said the menu of the 50-seat, counter-service Cappadocia Bistro will resemble that of the family’s CAPPADOCIA CAFÉ, which started serving Turkish pastries and flatbreads in White River Junction in September. The Oktays also own TUCKERBOX and the original Little Istanbul store there.

Both Cappadocia restaurants are named for a famous volcanic valley in the Oktay brothers’ native Turkey. The centerpiece of each is a tiled, wood-fired oven, but the menu in Burlington will be slightly different, Jackie said, partly because the White River Junction café is open in the morning.

Both menus include Turkish

flatbreads, such as thin lahmajun and canoe-shaped pide, with vegetable or meat toppings, as well as rolled, stuffed bafra pide. But, instead of the Turkish coffee and borek served in White River Junction, Burlington’s Cappadocia will offer other street-food favorites, such as chicken doner wraps; grilled, marinated chicken wings; and baked potatoes called kumpir with toppings ranging from olives to pickled red cabbage to sliced Turkish beef sausage. Melissa Pasanen

Peace Burger Opens at Afterthoughts in Waitsfield

Nine months after launching as a popup, Peace Burger now has a long-term home in Waitsfield. PEACE BURGER AT AFTERTHOUGHTS opened at 8 Route 17 in January, serving “bootleg versions of the greatest burgers of all time,” owner AARON ZURCHER said. It was inspired by the drive-ins and classic fast-food restaurants he remembers from his childhood on the West Coast.

The burger biz is the latest addition to the revitalized building near the intersection of Routes 100 and 17, most famously Gallagher’s Bar & Grill. Now, the downstairs is home to VALLEY MEADE dispensary and the upstairs has transformed into AFTERTHOUGHTS, a bar and venue that hosts live music and line dancing.

Peace Burger currently offers its menu of smash burgers and chicken

Vural Oktay at Cappadocia Café

put the Farmer’s Hand on hiatus in April to focus on getting the summer farming season under way. They expect to reopen it in July, staffing permitting.

Restaurant traffic has been steady so far, Simpson and Doda said, but the Farmer’s Hand has to fit into the complex puzzle of their agricultural business. Opening a restaurant wasn’t what they planned when they embarked on a 3,500-square-foot barn expansion, which they intended to devote to needed vegetable storage and a cidery/ winery with apple cooler space.

As project costs climbed, they searched for another revenue stream to help chip away at $500,000 in construction loans, Doda said. But, he added, they didn’t open the Farmer’s Hand just for cash flow.

On the afternoon of February 1, Simpson paused to chat while shuttling pizzas (from $18), marinated oyster mushroom skewers ($13) and roasted cabbage salads ($12) in and out of the wood-fired oven. She said it’s fun to be back in the kitchen and to welcome people to 1000 Stone Farm “rather than us always leaving the farm to bring food elsewhere.”

Her husband noted that Farmer’s Hand diners savor food and drink within perhaps 200 yards of where the chicken on their plate was raised, in the same building where pearly oyster mushrooms sprout before being strewn over pizza. The restaurant also gives the couple a new way to connect with their customers.

“We’ve been feeding people in one way for so long,” Doda said. “To try to do it in this other way that utilizes these other

IT’S FARM

TO TABLE,

BUT IT’S ALSO A TABLE AT THE FARM.

skills we have — especially for Betsy, it’s really great.”

Doda has found it rewarding to witness his wife flexing her professional culinary muscles. “It’s really fun to see her get excited about it,” he said. “I feel like, in some ways, this project was kind of a gift to her — and to us.”

As the restaurant’s name promises, Simpson and Doda have a literal hand in almost every step of every dish preparation and in many of the glasses poured.

Doda is a cider nerd whose eyes light up when he discusses apple blends and aging methods. He started selling his dry and off-dry hard ciders by the keg to a handful of restaurants and bars in 2023, making them with classic cider and heirloom apples such as Dabinett, Kingston Black and Ashmead’s Kernel, as well as some wild apples. I particularly enjoyed the depth and tartly jammy blackberry back notes of his copper-hued Vol. 3 barrel-aged cider, fermented from the juice of Porter’s Perfection, Ashmead’s Kernel and Empire.

Almost every ingredient in the restaurant’s kitchen can be mapped back to the farm. For the tender, bronze-skinned chicken drumsticks with slaw ($16), the couple raise the chickens, cultivate the cabbage and deploy dried farm peppers in the dry rub. For the deeply satisfying goat panuozzo “pizza sandwich” with side salad ($22), they husband a small herd of goats, braise the meat with farm-grown aromatics, and layer the soft, rich hunks with their own spinach, caramelized onions and an aioli flavored with farm garlic.

A silken, bittersweet chocolate pot de

BETSY SIMPSON

Betsy Simpson

Kyle Doda

Clockwise from lower left: Mushroom “crab” cakes, veggie pizza, goat panuozzo sandwich, spinach salad and wood-fired chicken drumsticks

Hands On « P.38

crème ($9) stars farm-fresh eggs. The moist, dense carrot cake ($9), with ﬂu y maple-cream cheese frosting, sends storage carrots to new heights.

Among the few ingredients that Doda and Simpson do not grow is the main one in the cake and the sandwich’s chewy, ﬁrekissed pizza dough roll: ﬂour from Nitty Gritty Grain in Charlotte. Doda makes the weekly batches of pizza dough, which develop a subtle tang over a multiday cold ferment. Another notable exception is dairy, which the couple sources from other Vermont farmers and cheesemakers.

On the blustery afternoon when I visited, a table of two couples from Randolph had deﬁnitely received — and enjoyed — the farm-to-table memo.

Katie Rogstad, 35, said she likes to support local and was intrigued by the housemade cider. “Being on a working farm is cool,” she said.

The group rattled o a list of dishes they had tried and found “fantastic”: the kale Caesar ($12), mushroom “crab” cakes ($15), vegetable soup ($12), wood-ﬁred chicken drumsticks and goat panuozzo sandwich.

“The vegetables and meat are all grown here,” marveled Darryl Booth, 59.

“It’s the middle of winter, but everything felt so fresh,” said his partner, Lindsay Meyer, 42.

The table had not ordered pizza, but “we’re having a little bit of FOMO,” Rogstad admitted after seeing golden-crusted pies topped with mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or lamb with mint gremolata and feta pass them by.

“We’ll be back soon,” said her husband, David Narkewicz, 36.

Simpson and Doda plan to keep serving diners just two days a week. They have huge respect for the chefs to whom they sell ingredients, they said, and no aspirations to become full-time restaurateurs. With the Farmer’s Hand, they aim for something di erent, Simpson said: “It’s farm to table, but it’s also a table at the farm.”

The seventh anniversary of Simpson and Doda’s ﬁrst Valentine’s Day date falls on Friday this year, and the Farmer’s Hand already has a number of holiday reservations. After service winds down at 8 p.m., Doda said, the couple should still have time to sit down to a late meal together, maybe with a candle.

“Why not?” he said with a smile. “We have a private restaurant.” ➆

INFO

e Farmer’s Hand at 1000 Stone Farm, 1102 Stone Rd., Brookﬁeld, thefarmershandvt.com

Wedding cakes are not known for being exquisite culinary delights. Elaborately decorated, yes. Large and in charge, often. But lip-smackingly, plate-lickingly good? Not so much.

Baker Erinn Simon recalled that the cake celebrating her own union (to photographer Sam Simon) was the worst. “It was dry like a biscuit, and the frosting tasted like it was Crisco and sugar — it left that weird feeling on your tongue,” Simon said, laughing.

Twenty-two years, three kids and a thousand-plus cakes later, Erinn owns at Cake Stand, a custom cake bakery in Burlington, where she’s dedicated to making beautifully delicious cakes. “I’m pretty proud of my recipes. at part means just as much to me as that people love the design,” she said.

Simon waded into the wedding cake world after working her way up to running the food program at Burlington Children’s Space, an early education and childcare center, and writing a cooking-with-kids blog and article series for Seven Days parenting magazine, Kids VT. She started baking as a side gig, reﬁning her technique with cookbooks and online tutorials. Now, in her rented kitchen at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, she makes up to 25 cakes a week. Prices for standard cakes start at $30; for tiered cakes, $6 per serving.

Seven Days chatted with Simon about ﬁnding her niche, outlandish designs and the struggles of cake delivery.

What is your approach to the custom cake biz?

Top Tier

ree questions for baker Erinn Simon of Burlington’s at

Cake Stand

BY RACHEL STEARNS

entire job, I’m trying to remember that I don’t get paid to experiment!

before, but I thought it looked awesome.

Once they booked, they started changing things up: ey wanted all the ﬁgures to be gold and the draped fondant to be navy blue instead of white. at’s a little more complicated because getting the dark color is tougher. e night before, I was here until one o’clock in the morning, just stressing over every detail. It had so many parts that could potentially fall off, so I tried to foresee any possible disaster and have something with me to ﬁx it, just in case.

It’s, like, the most popular thing I’ve ever put on Instagram.

Best and worst parts of the job?

e long drives are tough. For summer deliveries, I have to drive with the air conditioner blasting and trying to keep the sun off the cake. It’s the most stressed I’ve ever been in my life, every time. No one in my family ever wants to come with me because I’m such a maniac.

COURTESYOFSAMSIMON

times. I like to do fancy or classy stuff, but my heart is the funkier side of things.

I will say yes to anything. It has to be pretty crazy for me to say, “I don’t think I can do that for you.” I’m much more prone to say, “I’ll ﬁgure

Wedding cakes are where the revenue is, but I never want to just do them because I love making fun birthday cakes. Fun, kooky things — that’s more who I am. My dream is to somehow connect with folks getting married who want something a little more out of the box, which I have

What is the most difﬁcult cake you’ve made

e thing I love the most is probably when — particularly with weddings — someone says, “It was exactly what we wanted, and we love it. ank you.” And I’m like, I got to be a part of that day! at’s amazing. It’s such a great feeling. ➆

so far?

is interview was edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Wars

A couple wanted a Star -themed wedding cake, and they sent a photo of an all-white done

INFO

Learn more at thatcakestand.com. it out.” Now that things are more and this is my whole managed to

do a couple of

cake. e tiers were square, which I had never

Cakes by at Cake Stand

Star Wars wedding cake

LE CREUSET FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

food+drink

SIDEdishes

sandwiches Thursday through Sunday evenings, when Afterthoughts is open. Takeout lunch service is on pause while Zurcher and business partner NATE DUNBAR, former owner of Waterbury’s VERMONT BEER COLLECTIVE, hire more staff.

Before starting Peace Burger last spring, Zurcher worked remotely as a creative director and taught snowboard lessons “to interact with humans,” he said. When winter ended, he decided to try his hand at his first food business. Six weeks later, Peace Burger was a weekly vendor at the now-defunct Waterbury Farmers Market and a regular presence at events and outside dispensaries in the Mad River Valley and beyond.

Connecting with ARON, COREY and EMILY SHEA, who own Afterthoughts and Valley Meade, “seemed like a great opportunity,” Zurcher said, noting that food vendors beside dispensaries “do awesome.”

“There’s some really cool history in this building,” he continued. “We’re excited to bring the spirit of fun and joy back into the space.”

Jordan Barry

City Market’s Downtown Café Reopens, but for Fewer Hours

After being closed for a month, the café at CITY MARKET’s downtown Burlington store reopened on February 1 for customer seating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. In an email sent to co-op members, store management said “safety issues” prompted the temporary

closure. During the café’s hiatus, the email said, City Market “made improvements to the café” and created “tools and processes to maintain safety in that space.”

City Market representatives declined to share details about the improvements and safety measures but did acknowledge that café hours have been reduced. Before the closure, the café was open for the store’s full hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

On February 10 at about 9:40 a.m., the café was roped off with a sign showing the new hours. A person in a jacket bearing the Chocolate Thunder Security logo was posted in the store exit vestibule.

The same member email also announced extended weekday hours at the downtown store’s sandwich bar. It is now open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CONNECT

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS « P.39

Aaron Zurcher and Nate Dunbar outside Peace Burger at Afterthoughts

A smash burger from Peace Burger

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Burlington play-reading group the Neighbors marks 135 years and welcomes new members

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

Members of Burlington playreading club the Neighbors met last week to mark the group’s 135th anniversary. Their forebears, “men and women of unusual intellect and culture,” according to an account of the group’s ﬁrst 50 years, might have taken issue with the agenda. Rather than conﬁning the evening’s entertainment to readings of Shakespeare, Shaw, Molière and their ilk — as has been protocol since before Henry Ford built a car — the modern members selected six of their own to read aloud the club’s history. Such a performance might seem natural for a service club such as the Kiwanis or the Lions, but for the tradition-bound Neighbors — whose orthodoxy has dictated even the particulars of food served for refreshments and the color of the punch — it represented a rather bold

choice. “Although we were founded in the ‘Gay 90’s,’” Lyman Allen wrote in a 1940 history of the club, “we took ourselves very seriously.”

But no one objected. The two dozen Neighbors gathered at the Bassett House on Burlington’s North Prospect Street — some wearing ﬂoor-length gowns and pearls in a nod to the club’s formal-attire period — formed a gracious audience. Club history, after all, contains many elements of a good play: well-drawn characters, dramatic tension and comic relief.

Descended from the city’s Shakespeare Club, the group formed in 1890 as a “Club for Social Readings.” Its objective, an undated constitution says: “to provide social intercourse and intellectual entertainment” during Burlington’s long winters. College professors and clergy, “with a sprinkling of lawyers, doctors and businessmen,” met in each others’ homes every other week, arriving by foot, trolley

car and horse-drawn sleigh, Allen wrote. Early members, he continued, included “Mr. Edward Hungerford, rotund and pompous; Professor Goodrich, with twinkling eyes and hair curling over his coat collar; Professor Torrey with his ﬁnely chiseled features, dignified mien and surprising sallies of humor.” Wives and children over 18 belonged, too.

Active membership was limited to 60, as few homes could accommodate more.

University of Vermont presidents Matthew Buckham and Lattie Coor belonged, as did governor Philip Ho and his wife, Joan. Other names on membership rosters have included Aiken, Brownell, Co rin, Hickok, Luse, Perkins and Whiting.

“A lot of those names became streets, became dormitories, became schools,” said current member Marty French, who can trace her Neighbors lineage back to her grandparents, who joined in 1900.

In her 1937 book about Burlington,

We Americans: A Study of Cleavage in an American City , nonmember Elin L. Anderson observed that Neighbors meetings “have an undoubted charm,” partially due to the camaraderie among people who are “not likely to do or think anything that is ‘not done.’” The club also, Anderson continued, had “a good deal of trouble in selecting plays, since many of the older members are prone to resent any intimation of immorality.”

Vermont historian Thomas Bassett, French’s father, picked up club history where Allen had left o , writing in 1987: “Although it is true that sex did not rear its lovely head in Neighbors productions until the 1950s, immorality is of course rampant in Shakespeare, which we continue to favor with frequent readings.”

Plays now include modern dramas, and “evenings can get a little salty,” according to secretary Jeanne Keller. But the club retains many of its longtime traditions. It meets six times a year on Monday nights. A committee selects the play for each meeting and casts the parts. Members are expected to read when called upon, but no one else knows what the play will be until they arrive and see the playbill. “It’s like a little Christmas present you open up,” Keller said.

Aside from reading one’s part in advance, rehearsals are not allowed. Cast members don’t even know who the other readers will be.

Refreshments, also assigned, include little sandwiches, cookies, nuts and punch, served in the silver bowl that jeweler and member Bill Preston and his wife, Janet, donated some 50 years ago. And, yes, there is a prescribed punch recipe: a bottle of fruit juice, a bottle of ginger ale and a bottle of club soda “so it’s sparkly and fruity,” Keller said. During the years the Neighbors met at the Klifa Club on Pearl Street, red ingredients were forbidden in order to protect the stately building’s carpet and furnishings.

When tasked to provide sandwiches, local actor Ruth Wallman brings the rather quaint cucumber or ham salad. But in many ways, the club has evolved. It cut back on cookies and introduced fresh fruit. Because recruiting in recent years has attracted fewer men than women, the club has allowed women to read men’s roles — “one can only imagine how this would have played,” Keller wrote in a history of the club’s past 35 years.

The Neighbors met on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic — when they allowed rehearsals, though not without

Linda Lane reading club history

controversy — and they no longer consider North Avenue a farflung address. Neighbors live in Shelburne, Richmond, Colchester, Jericho and South Hero, as well as Burlington. And they would like to further diversify their group.

THE CLUB’S HISTORY CONTAINS MANY ELEMENTS OF A GOOD PLAY: WELL-DRAWN CHARACTERS, DRAMATIC TENSION AND COMIC RELIEF.

“There’s a lot of gray hair now,” said Keller, who is 73 and has been a member for some 40 years. “I think this thing is ready for another generation to turn it into what would work now.” To that end, they welcome plays that are still in development, and they plan to deviate from the long-held tradition of issuing personal invitations to prospective members and start posting meetings on Front Porch Forum.

Not everyone has embraced changes over the years. When members stopped wearing formal attire in the 1990s, “one man quit saying he couldn’t bear to see old traditions die,” Keller wrote. “Another member left the first time a reader, being true to the script, ‘dropped an F-bomb.’”

No one quit when the group read The Vagina Monologues last year, though third-generation Neighbor French, 77, did not attend and declined to read. “I’m too old,” she said. “I can’t read that in mixed company.”

Meetings used to last until 10:30 or 11 p.m. One reading in the club’s early years ran long and ended just before the last trolley car was due, Allen wrote, “so most of the Neighbors hurried into their wraps, leaving the refreshments practically untouched.”

The repast is now served at intermission. Meetings run from 7 to 8:30 p.m., which presents a challenge for the play committee. “You can’t do Shakespeare

between 7 and 8:30,” Keller said. Unless they choose one-act plays, they often need to abridge. Linda Lane and Mark Conrad, who in 2017 were determined to produce Hamilton even without music, cut 80 pages.

After the reading of club history last week, members mingled over cupcakes, mixed nuts, lemon snaps with ginger and now-sanctioned red punch, then steered their meeting back onto a timehonored course. They reassembled in their seats to listen to The Actor’s Nightmare , a zany one-act play by Christopher Durang.

Chris Bartels played George Spelvin, the baffled young man who finds himself acting in roles he hasn’t prepared. Keller, as “glamorous actress” Sarah Siddons, extended her vowels and tossed her head for dramatic flair. Virginia Hood’s authentic Australian accent imbued demure sophistication into her portrayal of Dame Ellen Terry. Walter Gundel delivered a solid performance as Henry Irving, a grand actor “proud of his resonant voice.” And Lois Price, portraying stage manager Meg, who pretends to be a maid in the play within the play so she can go onstage and whisper lines to George, produced a feather duster and flicked it over the table in front of her.

It was nearly 9 p.m. when the play ended. Members applauded, then pulled on their coats and quickly dispersed. There were no trolley cars to catch, just a snowy drive home. ➆

INFO

To learn more, email the Neighbors at kelljonline@gmail.com.

Ruth Wallman (left) and Jeanne Keller reading a play at the Neighbors’ anniversary meeting

No Reservations

let

uncomfortable truths in Some Stars of Native American Comedy

BY KEN PICARD • ken@sevendaysvt.com

Navajo comic Marc Ya ee tells a joke about being born and raised not on a reservation but in “a small ﬁshing village on the Paciﬁc Coast called Los Angeles.” When people ask him whether he prefers the term “Native American,” “American Indian” or “First Nation,” Ya ee replies, “I kinda like ‘original landowner.’” Fellow Native comedian and actor Ernest Tsosie, who grew up on the Navajo Nation in Arizona, has his own bit about not actually wanting the return of land that white settlers stole from his ancestors.

“I can’t even keep my yard clean. What am I gonna do with a whole country?” Tsosie jokes. “And who wants the land back after all these years? It’s like getting back a used mattress.”

nonproﬁt that is bringing the four comedians to the area. “There’s an opportunity, every time I put people onstage, to retell the story of Native people.”

Until recently, Indigenous writers, actors and comedians had few opportunities to write and portray their own stories for mainstream audiences. For decades, white writers and directors in Hollywood reinforced long-held stereotypes about Indigenous people, often casting nonNative actors in the roles. But recent hit series such as “Reservation Dogs” on FX and “Rutherford Falls” on Peacock have allowed Native American storytellers and actors to reach a wider audience.

“Actually, that’s what we joke about. It’s remarkable how little familiarity there is with the idea of Native Americans in a modern context.”

Ruel, 52, was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis., and attended Stanford University for electrical engineering before pursuing his childhood dream of standup comedy.

Now a successful writer, director, producer and actor, Ruel was a ﬁnalist on NBC’s “Diversity Talent Search,” which led to his ﬁrst television appearance, on the comedy series “The World Stands Up.” He was also featured on Showtime’s “Goin’ Native: American Indian Comedy Slam” and “First Nations Comedy Experience” on FNX, a national network devoted to Indigenous content from around the world.

If these and other jokes about Native American life make audiences laugh but also think and squirm a little in their seats, that’s the point. of Native American Comedy showcases the work of four Indigenous comedians who’ve made names for themselves in ﬁlm, television and standup comedy. Yaffee, Tsosie, Ruel and Monique Moreau a Cree/ Saulteaux comedian, writer and voice-over actress originally from Alberta, Canada — will perform two shows on Monday, February 17, at Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover, N.H., presented by Dartmouth College’s Hopkins Center for the Arts.

At Some Stars of Native American Comedy, audiences should expect takedowns of sports team mascots, the clueless questions about spirit animals and living in teepees, and other common perceptions of life on and o the rez.

Jim Ruel, a self-described “half blood” — his father is white and his mother is Ojibwe, or Chippewa — tells a joke about his dad not remembering which tribe his kids belong to: “He’s like, ‘Uh, I think you’re the Chippendales?’”

“I’m always looking for elegant vehicles for messages, and comedy is certainly one of those,” said Andre Bouchard, executive creative producer at Indigenous Performance Productions, the Olympia, Wash.,

“As a Native comedian, if you go to a college campus, you get a lot of shocked people [who say], ‘I can’t believe you’re joking about !’” Ruel told Seven Days

Ruel, who grew up listening to white comedians such as George Carlin and Mel Brooks and Black comedians such as Bill Cosby, laments the dearth of their Native American counterparts. And comedy isn’t the only profession in which Indigenous talents have been underrepresented, he

“You can say that about any profession that potentially gets you famous: athlete, author, musician, actor, director, politician,” he continued. “There are no Native American celebrities, period, which is insane ... Our comedy

Not all the humor in Some Stars of Native American Comedy is devoted to Native American issues.

Moreau, who has autism, also ri s on her neurodiversity, including one bit aimed at dispelling the myth that autistic people don’t enjoy sex.

“I personally love sex,” she said in a recent standup performance.

“I think it’s because I like the repetition.” ➆

Some Stars of Native Monday, February 17, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., at Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover, N.H. $12-20. hop.dartmouth.edu

OUR COMEDY WAS HERE FIRST.

JIM RUEL

Ernest Tsosie (left) and Jim Ruel

Abby Maurice neatly handles both the leading lady’s exaggerated ﬂounces and some stupendous slapstick. Ry Poulin plays her lover, but he only has eyes for the audience, forever peeking at them as he yearns for applause.

Sarah Mell portrays the butler with a ﬁrm bearing and a deadly determination to say all his lines, even when he draws his fellow actors into theater’s black hole by repeating (and repeating) a circular bit of dialogue. Jon van Luling sports a ﬁne mustache as an aristo whose majesty begins and ends with layers of tweed.

As the audience settles in, there’s trouble on the set. The stage manager runs out of time to attach the manor’s mantelpiece and must dash backstage. Ready or not, the show must go on. That principle permeates The Play That Goes Wrong, a veritable (and thick!) encyclopedia of theatrical mishaps.

Chuckles begin as soon as the audience realizes it’s safe to laugh at the hapless amateur acting troupe struggling to perform a stilted murder mystery while negotiating snags that begin with a sticking door and show no sign of ending.

It’s a dynamo of a farce, spewing gags like a spinning turbine. The popular 2012 play, still running in London, was written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields to exploit the lovely terror of covering problems in live performance. Vermont Stage has assembled the eightmember cast and hazard-packed set. All the characters need is someone to laugh at them.

The ﬁctional performers are members of the Cornley Drama Society, dedicated amateurs all. The stage manager and light/sound techie are seen a little more often than such backstage roles normally allow, but emergencies arise. The other six take up the parts in a creaky,

The Play’s the Thing

mannered mystery. We have a sti butler, an overwrought leading lady, a ra sh leading man, a blowhard best friend, a police inspector and a corpse. And we have a stage set ﬁlled with hidden perils; keep your eye on the chancy second ﬂoor.

We’re all in this together as the characters face calamities no actor can hide from a spectator. Every play draws on the audience’s suspension of disbelief, but the Cornley players keep reminding us of our deal with endless lost props and mistimed entrances. The counterweight is the zeal of the characters to carry on. They’ll drink paint thinner to sustain an illusion, ignore a disintegrating set to ﬁnish a line and pantomime a sword ﬁght with sound e ects when their weapons fail them. Their commitment so exceeds their acting talent that we’re watching the pure human desire to please an audience.

Each new crisis demands that the actors wordlessly agree on a solution. It’s as exhilarating as improv, but here the ﬁxes tend to backﬁre: When has hiding in a grandfather clock ever worked?

Portraying feelings you don’t have can make acting fun, but there are limits. The script has the vampy leading lady

and the dead man’s debonair brother squealing about how they yearn to kiss, but the actors are always spared a lusty smooch by another character’s entrance. Thank goodness — the actors are repelled by each other. But in a later scene, when no one opens the door to interrupt them, their lines don’t leave much room to temporize. Proclaiming how much they want something while squirming to avoid it is pure silliness.

Director Candy Padula steers fine actors into becoming wooden thespians, emoting with their hands and facing the audience to be sure no hammy ﬂourish is lost. It’s ﬁrst-class farce, for a lot of craft goes into producing a portrait of an ingenue who seems to be perpetually auditioning or a detective stuck on a treadmill of exposition. Bad acting is an art in itself.

Jordan Gullikson conjures an actor pretentious enough to create his own posh-y accent, but what come out of the inspector’s mouth are excruciating extra syllables. William Wilder launches the show by failing to get into position as a corpse during the blackout. We see him scamper for the chaise on which to become inert, and it will not be the last time the dead man has to move.

As the stage manager, Catherine Grace revs her screw gun conﬁdently but is all nerves when she must ﬁll in for the leading lady. Then the thrill of charming an audience snares her in theater’s clutches. Vermont Stage even duplicated a plot point when the company’s actual assistant stage manager had to take on the role of the techie at Wednesday night’s show. Timothy Sheridan was as well rehearsed and funny as the varsity players.

Padula has drilled the team to deliver all the physical bits with precision, so every mistake lands in the bull’s-eye. Then she relies on the set itself to contribute a special kind of chaos. Designed by the director’s husband, Chuck Padula, it’s the essence of stagecraft: ambitious in superﬁcial grandeur and ﬂimsy in execution. Naturally, every moving piece is poised to break, but you’ll never guess how or when.

Costume designer Sarah Sophia Lidz follows the play’s more-is-more credo, piling on the patrician patterns and bright colors. The leading lady’s red dress might be the least subtle gown ever worn in a manor house, and the dead man’s gold and black suit is almost loud enough to bring him back to life.

The Play That Goes Wrong is nonstop comedy, running from satirical highs to dumb joke lows. This production does all the gags justice, though it never quite feels like the performers have lost the reins to a runaway carriage. Too often, the director freezes some players while hauling our attention over to another caper.

But, if the production is a little too much in control to ﬂ abbergast us, the sure-footed comedy is plentiful. These spirited performers know how to turn their disasters into our entertainment. ➆

INFO

e Play at Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, directed by Candy Padula, produced by Vermont Stage. Wednesday through Saturday, February 12-15, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, February 15 & 16, 2 p.m., Black Box eater at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. $39-59. vermontstage.org

Ry Poulin and Jon van Luling in e Play at Goes Wrong

Wild at Heart

Evan Perkins has been exploring wild ice for 15 years

him to capture footage, but that was not possible. Instead, I stumbled after him using his Nordic skating poles, which he also uses to test the ice.

Was it hard ﬁlming and skating?

It was 15 degrees, sunny and windy. I had a number of technical di culties. My scarf got tangled in my headphones, so I stopped using them — big mistake. I realized later that Perkins’ mic died after

IT’S ALWAYS A GIFT TO GET ONTO A BODY OF WATER ON SMOOTH ICE AND BE ABLE TO FLY ACROSS IT.

EVAN PERKINS

Since 2010, farmer Evan Perkins has spent his winters exploring the wild ice outdoors around his home in Barnet. Wild ice is ungroomed, and Perkins wears Nordic skates to glide across the uneven surface. He owns Small Axe Farm with his wife, Heidi Choate, who often joins him on skating adventures. In between food deliveries, Perkins clicks on his skates and takes o — sometimes traveling between 50 and 100 miles over different frozen bodies of water. He shares videos of these visually stunning escapades on the farm’s Instagram page, @smallaxefarmvermont.

For the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met up with Perkins at the Apple Island Marina in South Hero for a Nordic skating lesson. Perkins also shared safety tips and stressed how

‘STUCK’ ON ICE

important it is to be prepared for anything out on the ice.

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about ﬁlming the episode.

How did you learn about Evan Perkins?

A coworker sent me the farm’s Instagram page and suggested a video about wild ice skating. Perkins’ skating videos are stunning. He captures snakelike ice formations, foggy dreamscapes, clouds reﬂecting o the transparent surface and skaters silhouetted against the sunset. It’s a window onto a world that most of us won’t be able to visit, but I wanted to give it a shot.

Looks like you had a lot of safety gear. Perkins was game to do a video if I agreed to highlight the safety precautions. If you’re out on wild ice, you have to be

prepared to take a swim. I have ﬁ lmed many videos on the ice over the years and was never properly prepared. Perkins has broken through the ice a few times and educated me about safety gear. On this outing, I wore a bike helmet, a personal flotation device and ice claws around my neck. Perkins carried a dry bag with a change of clothes and a throw bag in a backpack. This would also act as a ﬂotation device if he took a dip.

Did you already have skates?

Perkins loaned me some Nordic skates and ski boots for the outing. It took me a while to get the boot attached to the long, thin blade, and once it was connected, I could barely stand upright. I guess all those hours spent skating as a kid were a long time ago. Perkins is so fast and elegant on the ice — I was hoping to skate alongside

20 minutes, so I used audio from my mic and amped it up — which is why you can hear me panting and sni ing (sorry!). The GoPro on my helmet died after about 30 minutes. I had left my camera bag with all the backup batteries in my car, which was about a quarter mile away. All of these issues are hard to solve when you’re on a windswept lake with a drippy nose and frozen hands, trying to stay upright. Perkins helped out by doing circles around me while I ﬁlmed him, and he took my phone out for a few selﬁe spins.

Were you worried about falling in?

Not really; the ice was more than a foot thick. And it was serene being out there, even though I couldn’t skate very well. Someone left a comment on one of Perkins’ videos saying that he “make[s] it look easy.” He certainly does, but there is a lot of experience, knowledge and preparation that goes into each skate. As Perkins said, “It’s always a gift to get onto a body of water on smooth ice and be able to ﬂy across it.” I will continue to enjoy Perkins’ skating adventures from the comfort of my phone. ➆

“Stuck in Vermont” ﬁlmed both the VERMONT POND HOCKEY (2011) and ICE SPORTS UNIVERSITY (2014) at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Ice can be temperamental, and some years it is better than others. Unfortunately, after numerous weather-related cancellations, both events have been permanently discontinued. But other related events have popped up, such as the Lake Champlain Pond Hockey Classic and the Frostbite Face-Off,

which went ahead as planned this year. 2025 has been a good year for ice, and hockey lovers and ice fans are rejoicing!

For those wanting to hit the ice in Fairlee, the Lake Morey Skate Trail is the longest groomed ice skating trail in the U.S. It’s now maintained by the Town of Fairlee as a free public-access trail. Learn more at fairleevt.gov/lakemorey.

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes

Episode 734: Wild Ice Skating

Evan Perkins

FESTIVALS

No Fooling: Burlington City Arts Cancels Festival of Fools

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com

Burlington City Arts announced last Friday that the popular Festival of Fools has been canceled for 2025. Citing the City of Burlington’s “unique financial difficulties” stemming from a $13 million deficit that was 45 percent higher than initially expected, as well as the expiration of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, BCA decided to pull the plug on the weekend-long celebration this summer — but said it plans to host the festival again in 2026. The free outdoor event featured world-class circus performers, acrobats, magicians and buskers along the Church Street Marketplace and in City Hall Park.

“As we continue helping the City to achieve its goals, BCA will redirect resources — including budget items and staff — to ensure that the arts remain an essential component of Burlington’s welcoming nature and cultural vibrancy,” executive director Doreen Kraft said in a press release announcing the cancellation.

The press release cited the city’s goals of protecting community safety, creating housing and addressing climate challenges,

which have led departments to “make hard but strategic decisions.”

Since its 2007 founding, Festival of Fools has become one of the largest events in the state, according to BCA, with well over 50,000 people annually flocking to downtown Burlington to attend. But putting on the festival is a daunting task for the organization.

“With something like Festival of Fools, it’s all hands on deck for months leading up to it,” Kraft said. “It takes an enormous amount of work for us, and it requires a significant amount of resources.”

To fund the festival, the city provides between $70,000 and $80,000, combined with an additional $70,000 raised by BCA through community sponsorships.

“We knew there was a cliff coming after the ARPA funds ran out,” Kraft said. “The BCA fulfilled so many community needs with those funds, but we knew it was coming and are trying to get out a little ahead of it.”

Many of the festival’s usual partners have redirected their charitable efforts in recent years, according to Kraft.

“Burlington is suffering right now with issues of the unhoused and public safety, and major institutions like our banks are reprioritizing and shifting towards food insecurity and homelessness,” she said.

While Kraft understands the shift, it leaves her and the BCA looking for new sponsors.

“I don’t see this pause as being permanent,” she said. “It’s about looking for new partnerships and a new tide to help raise all the boats.”

By pausing the festival, BCA says it will

be able to better support its other programs, including the Summer Concert Series, Splash Dance, Sunday Classical and the Highlight New Year’s Eve celebration. Meanwhile, the organization is meeting with partners across the state to reimagine what the festival might look like going forward.

“While I’m disappointed we don’t have the resources to produce the 18th annual

Festival of Fools this summer, I look forward to bringing the community together through events and concerts in City Hall Park all summer,” festival and event director Zach Williamson said. “And we’ll get back to work on Fools 2026!” ➆

Learn more at vermontfestivaloffools.com.

Restaurant Week

FEBRUARY 16–23, 2025

Come downtown during Restaurant Week to support and celebrate Montpelier’s culinary scene! Downtown Montpelier cafes, eateries, and restaurants offer deals, specials, prix fixe menus, events and more.

Stroll the streets after dark and enjoy Montpelier's illuminated bridges! 

Downtown Restaurant Challenge

Eat at 6 eateries during the week and enter a drawing to win a gift certificate for your favorite Montpelier restaurant! Pick up your Restaurant Challenge card at local eateries.

on screen

The Seed of the Sacred Fig ★★★★ Nickel Boys ★★★★★

Many classic Hollywood movies center on a miscarriage of justice, with a crusading lawyer saving the day. Much harder to portray are systemic injustices that permeate a whole society. But two 2024 ﬁlms received considerable acclaim — including Oscar nods — for doing just that.

Making The Seed of the Sacred Fig (at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury through February 20) was an act of courage.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof was already appealing prison sentences for his criticism of the government in previous ﬁlms. Not long after shooting this Tehran-set drama in secret, he was forced to ﬂee his country, along with some cast and crew members. The Seed of the Sacred Fig won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and became Germany’s submission to the Oscars.

Like Rasoulof’s There Is No Evil (2020), this ﬁlm deals with the use of the death penalty for dissent in Iran, but it goes further in its indictment by weaving real

events and even real footage into a ﬁctional drama. The story takes place during the protests against compulsory hijab wearing that erupted in 2022 after a young woman’s death in police custody.

Lawyer Iman (Missagh Zareh) has just been promoted to the role of investigator for the Revolutionary Court. His wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and their two daughters, Sana (Setareh Maleki) and Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami), are excited about moving to a larger apartment.

But if perks come with the job, so does scrutiny, as the family must exemplify strict religious values. At ﬁrst, the changes in their lives are small: Sana can’t paint her nails, and Iman is given a gun to take home for protection. But then the protests transform Tehran’s campuses, drawing a stark line between the parents and their o spring, who watch government brutality unfolding on their phones.

When Rezvan brings home a wounded protester friend, Najmeh crosses that line to help her. Even Iman is deeply troubled by the death sentences that his new job requires him to sign without viewing the evidence. But when his gun disappears

from the apartment, threatening his career, the once-tender father becomes an enforcer of tyranny in his own home.

Named for an organism that strangles its host, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a lengthy and sometimes chilling watch, much of it set in the cramped family domicile. While all the actors do powerful work, Golestani anchors the ﬁlm with her meticulously detailed performance as Najmeh. Proud of her husband’s status, she insists early on that “Work is work,” claiming home as a sphere that need never be troubled by unrest. But events will pit her concern for propriety against her sense of justice — and, ultimately, against her maternal love.

Rasoulof’s camera finds poetry in Najmeh’s domestic rituals and in the care with which she tends to a bleeding victim. The Seed of the Sacred Fig is more successful as an intense chamber drama than as a thriller, with the tension taking several switchbacks before it rises to the eventual climax. Still, the ﬁlm stands as a powerful statement against tyranny of all kinds and an eye-opening, important ﬁlm for U.S. audiences.

Nickel Boys (at the Savoy Theater in Montpelier and starting Friday at Playhouse Movie Theatre in Randolph), based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel, reminds us that systemic injustice is braided into American history, too. The story follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a bookish Black Floridian growing up during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement under the loving eye of his grandmother (Aunjanue EllisTaylor). After he unknowingly accepts a ride to college in a stolen car, he’s arrested and sent to reform school.

At Nickel Academy, based on the reallife Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, hard labor and brutal punishment are the order of the day. Struggling to survive, Elwood finds an unexpected friend in fellow student Turner (Brandon Wilson), whose savvy cynicism clashes with Elwood’s faith in the ideals preached by Martin Luther King Jr.

It might sound like an inspirational prison buddy story, but in the hands of director RaMell Ross, who made the poetic documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, Nickel Boys is much more. Ross tells the story in first-person perspective: Rather than looking at Elwood, we see the world through his eyes, glimpsing him only briefly in reflective surfaces until later in the film, when the point of view switches to Turner and then alternates between the two boys.

This is no mere gimmick. Ross (who also cowrote) has such a keen eye for the surfaces of daily life, the eloquent details, that he creates a cinematic equivalent to stream-of-consciousness narration in literary modernism. We’re immersed in Elwood’s experience, but because that experience reaches us in fractured pieces, we also have to think actively about what we’re seeing.

Add archival footage, large time jumps and occasional surreal interludes, and the story of one boy’s life derailed by injustice balloons into an American epic about racism, resistance and resilience. Nickel Boys is a tough ﬁlm, sometimes confusing on ﬁrst viewing. But it rewards our attention in countless ways.

Both of these films challenge us to weigh the price of doing more than paying lip service to our ideals. When the pragmatic Turner advises Elwood that they can’t fight the system because the fix is in, Elwood replies with a hard-won insight that resonates: “If everybody looks the other way, then everybody’s in on it.”

MARGOT HARRISON margot@sevendaysvt.com

Ethan Herisse plays a studious teenager trying to survive a brutal reform school in the immersive Nickel Boys

NEW IN THEATERS

2025 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS: Choose among separate unrated programs for Animation (85 min), Live Action (100 min) and Documentary (158 min), or catch them all. (Savoy)

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN: Bernard MacMahon’s documentary tells the story of the rock band through 1970. (121 min, PG-13. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD: The stars-and-stripes shield passes to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues. With Harrison Ford and Danny Ramirez; Julius Onah (Luce) directed. (118 min, PG-13. Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Stowe, Welden)

PADDINGTON IN PERU: The intrepid bear and his adopted family find themselves embroiled in a mystery on a visit to his Aunt Lucy. Dougal Wilson directed the family film, starring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw. (106 min, PG. Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Star, Welden)

CURRENTLY PLAYING

THE BRUTALISTHHHHH Brady Corbet’s period piece examines the relationship of a refugee architect (Adrien Brody) and his wealthy client. (214 min, R. City Cinema, Majestic; reviewed 1/29)

COMPANIONHHH A weekend getaway at a billionaire’s lakeside cabin goes badly for a group of friends in this thriller comedy starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid. (97 min, R. Bijou, Majestic, Stowe, Welden; reviewed 2/5)

A COMPLETE UNKNOWNHHH Timothée Chalamet plays the young Bob Dylan. (141 min, R. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Welden)

DOG MANHHH A half-canine hero pursues a cat supervillain in this animated adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s kids’ books. (89 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Star, Stowe, Welden)

EVERY LITTLE THINGHHH1/2 Sally Aitken’s documentary profiles a wildlife rehabilitator in Hollywood, Calif., who specializes in injured hummingbirds. (93 min, NR. Savoy)

FLIGHT RISKHH A U.S. marshal (Michelle Dockery) tries to protect a witness during a flight over the Alaskan wilderness in this action thriller directed by Mel Gibson. (91 min, R. Majestic)

HEART EYESHHH A killer targets couples on Valentine’s Day in this slasher, starring Jordana Brewster, Olivia Holt and Devon Sawa. Josh Ruben directed. (97 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star)

HOMESTEADHH A former Green Beret holes up in a prepper compound in this postapocalyptic drama from Angel Studios. Dawn Olivieri and Neal McDonough star. (110 min, PG-13. City Cinema)

LOVE HURTSH1/2 Ke Huy Quan plays a mildmannered real estate agent with a criminal past in this action comedy. With Ariana DeBose and Mustafa Shakir. (83 min, R. Capitol, Essex, Majestic)

MOANA 2HHH The islander heroine must sail unknown seas to break a curse in the sequel to the animated Disney hit. (100 min, PG. Majestic)

MUFASA: THE LION KINGHHH Disney’s follow-up to its 2019 “live-action” version of The Lion King explores the backstory of Simba’s dad. (120 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Majestic)

NICKEL BOYSHHHHH In the 1960s, a studious Black teen must survive a brutal reform school in this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel from RaMell Ross. (140 min, PG-13. Playhouse, Savoy; reviewed 2/12)

Mercedes G 580 with EQ Technology

ONE OF THEM DAYSHHH1/2 Two roommates race to scare up rent money and avoid eviction in this comedy. (119 min, R. Essex)

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIGHHHH An Iranian judge struggles with paranoia in this Oscar nominee, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. (167 min, PG-13. Catamount; reviewed 2/12)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (Savoy, Mon only)

BEFORE SUNRISE (Savoy, Sat only)

GLORY (Catamount, Wed 12 only)

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (Essex, Fri only)

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Essex, Sun only)

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Essex, Sat only)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (Essex, Thu only)

IN THE WHALE (Savoy, Fri only)

METROPOLITAN OPERA: FIDELIO (Essex, Sat only)

SPRING (Catamount, Fri only)

WHERE OLIVE TREES WEEP (Savoy, Sun only)

OPEN THEATERS

(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time)

*BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com

CAPITOL SHOWPLACE: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com

CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org

*CITY CINEMA: 137 Waterfront Plaza, Newport, 334-2610, citycinemanewport.com

ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com

MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com

MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com

PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com

PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com

SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com

STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com

STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com

*WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com

The Brutalist

Kings and Queens of the Realm

Craig Harrison takes joyous portraits of drag in the Northeast Kingdom

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Representing queerness is, appropriately, less often straightforward than full of complexity, contradiction and interrogations of self. But in the images of Vermont photographer Craig Harrison, what you see is pretty much what you get: queer folks radiating acceptance, hope and joy.

are in the community who weren’t ready to have all this happen.”

She connected with Galen Blodgett, who at the time was involved in Rutland County Pride, producer of gatherings such as the annual Rutland County Pride Festival. Catamount partnered with the organization to plan its ﬁrst drag event.

Harrison’s pictures are on view through March 30 in the exhibition “I am___: Portraits Illuminating Identity” at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. The show presents a selection of portraits taken at three drag events hosted by Catamount in 2023 and 2024: the Fall in Love Ball, the Be Mine Ball and Drag King Night at the Telegraph Club, which was copresented with Vermont Humanities.

Soon, it was indeed a big deal. Harrison shot portraits not only of drag kings and queens but of attendees o the street. He ended up staying for eight hours and returning for Catamount’s other drag events, shooting thousands of frames in total.

Both the events and the exhibition were the brainchild of Catamount Arts artistic director Molly Stone. Early in 2023, she decided to host a drag performance in the Northeast Kingdom, where Pride events had been rare to unheard-of until the ﬁrst NEK PrideFest, held in Newport in June 2023.

Stone wanted her own event to include opportunities for people to mingle and be introduced to the community, as well as see a performance. “If you drop anything like that in a rural community that hasn’t had it before — it’s new, it’s di erent,” she said. “Not only can you upset folks that might be against it, but [you can] also upset folks that

The Fall in Love Ball was held that September in the gutted, 24,000-square-foot former Sears department store at the edge of St. Johnsbury.

Blodgett drove a Chevrolet Suburban full of drag royalty straight onto the dance ﬂoor.

Stone set up a “Beauty Bar” where people could see drag performers transform before the show started — and have a chance to try glitter and false eyelashes themselves. That’s how Harrison got involved.

Harrison didn’t pose or coach his subjects. He mostly just kept his ﬁnger on the shutter, he said, and prayed the lights wouldn’t burn out. But “from the very ﬁrst shot, it was clear there was something di erent” about these pictures, he said. “You could tell they wanted to be seen.”

That honest sense of celebration is what makes the portraits so powerful. From drag king Prince Mu n’s manically energetic

Primarily a commercial photographer, Harrison does product and marketing shots for clients in and around St. Johnsbury. When Stone asked him for help lighting the Beauty Bar, he brought the backdrop and strobe setup he’d typically use for fashion shoots, just in case anyone wanted photos with their makeup before the event. “‘It’ll be done before the ball,’” Harrison said the organizers told him. “‘You’ll be there for maybe two hours, no big deal.’”

“Well,” he added, “as soon as the performers got there, they were like, ‘Pictures?!’”

pose, literally hanging on to his hat, to queen Carmen Getit pointing her Madonna-esque bustier at the viewer like a pair of bazookas, the people in these pictures are doing exactly what they want. Nonperformers grin widely in the images: beaming, energized and at ease.

Each picture is paired with pronouns and an identiﬁer — “I am Bethadone Clinique,” “We are Jessie & Courtney,” “I am Jill” — and a short statement from the participant. The narratives highlight acceptance and the importance of connecting with other LGBTQ+ people.

Hinesburg’s Jacob Boulet, now 25, attended the Fall in Love Ball to support Blodgett, his partner, who was emceeing. It was his ﬁrst experience of drag, and he was

"I am Alexis Tential Crisis"

"We are Jessie & Courtney"

dazzled. “I didn’t even know those things happened in Vermont,” Boulet said in a recent phone call. “Three days later, I was in drag for the first time.”

a stylized dandelion growing up through an open book. “We Are Joy” pictures an iris with a rainbow halo. If there are any demons here, they’re well hidden.

One couple pictured in Harrison’s show allude to Littleton’s art controversy in their statement. They describe that public altercation as one reason that Catamount’s events were “important, necessary, and welcomed.”

Boulet is pictured in the exhibition as Alexis Tential Crisis, with ﬂowing hair and a gorgeous gold dress. Having professional photos has helped Alexis and other performers build their portfolios. Alexis performed at the Be Mine Ball and will return to the stage at the 2025 Fall in Love Ball this Saturday, February 15.

Many of Harrison’s subjects comment on the need for such events in rural communities, especially this one. Poet and longtime Northeast Kingdom resident Toussaint St. Negritude, who is pictured in the exhibition, writes in his statement, “It is soooo wonderfully and necessarily important that this happened in the Kingdom, clarifying for all the room to see, that we too are free and fabulously here to be, here in the Kingdom.”

YOU COULD TELL THEY WANTED TO BE SEEN.

Such incidents have, in turn, sparked demonstrations of broad public support for the queer community in the NEK. Last fall’s 10or 15-person protest of a Drag Queen Story Hour in St. Johnsbury, for instance, brought a response of more than 100 counterprotesters.

But the voices in opposition are loud and can be demoralizing, said Avi IC Ward, cochair of the Northeast Kingdom Rainbow Coalition, who is also pictured in the exhibition. And now, those voices are being bolstered by the most powerful people in the country.

Despite the new Pride events, many queer residents of the Northeast Kingdom have felt less than welcome. The region has seen anti-LGBTQ+ protests, actions and online chatter over the past couple of years. One of the most powerful aspects of the show is how Harrison and Stone make that context apparent while banishing it from view.

Nearby Littleton, N.H., made national news just a month before the Fall in Love Ball, when city councilor Carrie Gendreau sought to ban all public art because of three identify-affirming murals by Granville artist Meg Reinhold. Gendreau told the Boston Globe that they contained “demonic hidden messages.” A monthslong controversy exploded, ending with the resignation of the town manager.

Those paintings, originally on plywood boarding up the windows of a Littleton building, are now on view at Catamount Arts in a smaller show concurrent with Harrison’s exhibition.

Reinhold’s paintings are pretty and, it must be said, extremely innocuous. “We Belong” shows two birch trees in a landscape. “We Will Not Be Banned” features

“It’s super, super scary to be queer — and especially to be trans — in the world right now,” IC Ward said. “There’s been a di erence since the election but especially since Inauguration Day … It just feels like something bad is going to happen, at any second.”

To allay those fears, Stone and Blodgett are working hard to make this year’s Fall in Love Ball fabulous, welcoming and, above all, safe. Their precautions include hiring security.

Harrison will be there with his camera. Like his photographs, he suggested, the event is only political in the eyes of its detractors. Participants simply see themselves.

“They’re just happy to be able to express who they are,” Harrison said. “I’m just lucky to be able to record it.” ➆

INFO

“I am : Portraits Illuminating Identity” by Craig Harrison, on view at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury through March 30. Reception and artist remarks, Saturday, February 15, 4-5:30 p.m., followed by the 2025 Fall in Love Ball. catamountarts.org

CRAIG HARRISON

"I am Leon AKA Donna Rhea"

EXHIBITION

‘Scaffolding’ at AVA Gallery Is a Scavenger Hunt for Art

BY ALICE DODGE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

Working at any kind of nonprofit means that sometimes you’ve just got to respond to conditions on the ground. Or, at AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H., on the floor.

Exhibition manager Samantha Eckert did just that when she realized that much-needed refinishing of the ground-level floors at AVA’s 1884 building would disrupt the usual schedule of in-depth solo and two-person shows in its large, light-filled galleries. But the art center has other space — a lot of it. Scarred and storied floorboards meander through wonky hallways on the second and third floors, connecting classrooms and studios. (Across the parking lot, the perfectly level floors in AVA’s modern ceramics, metal and wood shops are doing just fine.) So Eckert put out a call to artists for “Scaffolding,” an expansive and quirky show featuring works by more than 30 artists on display pretty much everywhere — the small gallery next to AVA’s entrance, the second- and third-floor hallways, alcoves, and walls that also display works by studio tenants.

Interpretations of the theme can be, well, as tenuous as a window washer’s rig on a skyscraper. They range from straight-up pictures of construction-site scaffolding to ideas about the body, social connections, diversity, history, memory, abstraction and even cave painting. (In “Early to Rise,” painter William Banks of Hanover, N.H., depicts an early artist using a branch as a ladder and notes in his statement that “they had to stand on something.”)

The looseness of interpretation plays well with the placement of the works — the show is like a scavenger hunt. Cabot artist Rosalind Daniels’ photographs highlight the mathematical beauty of actual scaffolding, presenting its geometry abstractly, red platforms or yellow pipes creating visual patterns. The images pair well with her quilts, including “Intersection,” where she swaps her photos’ hard edges for sewn lines crisscrossing a softer space. As with many artists in the show, Daniels’ pieces are not displayed together, though the label offers a clue that there’s more than one — you have to search to see them all.

On the third floor, a “gallery” usually used to display work from AVA’s education programs features some of the most conceptual sculpture in the show. Brandon sculptor Dasha Kalisz’s “Transmutation” combines pitted ceramic lungs with rubber tubes, fans, toilet-bowl floats and other objects to make creepy but poignant sculptures that speak to the body’s fallibility. Confronted with the fragility of lungs mediated by machines, it’s hard not to think of them as a memorial to COVID-19.

CALLS TO ARTISTS

ART FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS: The Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network is seeking artists, poets, writers, sculptors, musicians and photographers to join us for our third annual April fundraising event. Creatives will produce and virtually share work with sponsors weekly or more often throughout the month. Deadline: February 28.

On AVA’s second floor, cleverly placed clip lights lend drama to a hallway-turned-gallery. Peggy Smith from Stowe presents a pile of felt rocks, encouraging viewers to play with them. Nearby, Brunswick, Maine, artist Marcy Pope’s “Cotton/Sturdy” surrounds a visitor with a tall fence woven through with discarded textiles. A bright orange 3D-printed plastic maquette by noted Perkinsville sculptor James Payne, known for his large outdoor commissions, almost lifts off its pedestal in curving swirls.

There are even surprises in the stairwell. “A Bridge Between,” one of Eckert’s own works, is a long, knitted ribbon of a rainbow, looping on branches from one floor to another, accompanied by recorded birdsong. It doesn’t look like a scaffold, but it holds you up for a while — that might be all you need. ➆

INFO

“Scaffolding,” on view through March 1 at AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H. avagallery.org

From top: “Scaffolding with Bits of Red” by Rosalind Daniels; sculptures from “Transmutation” by Dasha Kalisz

Online. Free. Info, artsforasylumseekers@ casanvermont.org.

‘NATURE’S PALETTE’: Now accepting registrations to be included in this exhibition of art inspired by the Earth. One entry per artist in any medium; all entries will be displayed. Register at montgomerycenterforthearts.com. Montgomery Center for the Arts. Deadline: February 22. Free. Info, montgomerycenter arts@gmail.com.

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS

‘WINTER’S GOLD’: A show of wintry landscapes by Kathleen Kolb, William B. Hoyt, Rory Jackson, Dennis Sheehan and Molly Doe Wensberg. Edgewater Gallery on the Green, Middlebury, through February 22. Info, 989-7419.

SALLY GIDDINGS SMITH AND MATT BROWN: A show of Vermont landscapes as woodblock prints, collage and paintings. ART, etc., Randolph, through March 29. Info, artetcvt@gmail.com.

‘RESIST: EXPRESSIONS OF DEFIANCE, RESILIENCE AND REBIRTH’: A show in response to the emotional turbulence following the 2024 presidential election, with works by Paula Dorr, Jean Gerber, Tracy Gillespie, Steve Giroux, Prue Merton and Rachel Obbard. Long River Gallery, White River Junction, through April 1. Info, 295-4567.

MICHAEL METZ: “There’s Nothing Like the Street,” an exhibition of 50 years of street photography, including architecture, graffiti and portraits. Reception: Friday, February 14, 4-6 p.m. Village Wine and Coffee, Shelburne, through February 28. Info, 985-8925.

BUNNY HARVEY: “Worlds Within Worlds,” an exhibition of landscape paintings by Vermont-based artist Bunny Harvey. Focusing on large-scale oil paintings and more intimately scaled works on paper, the exhibition debuts several new paintings created by the artist over the past year. Reception: Friday, February 14, 5 p.m. BCA Center, Burlington, February 14-May 24. Info, 865-7166.

STÉPHANIE MORISSETTE: “Speculative Futures,” an exhibition exploring the conflicting relationship between humans, nature and technology using observation and dark humor. Reception: Friday, February 14, 5 p.m. BCA Center, Burlington, February 14-May 24. Info, 865-7166.

CRAIG HARRISON: “I am _____: Portraits Illuminating Identity,” an exhibition of photographs taken during Catamount Arts’ LGBTQIA+-centered events over the past two years. Reception and artist remarks: Saturday, February 15, 4-5:30 p.m., followed by the Fall in Love Ball at 7 p.m. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, through March 30. Info, 748-2600.

ESSEX ART LEAGUE: A group exhibition of works by 31 artists from the organization, one of the oldest art leagues in the state. Reception: Sunday, February 16, 1-3 p.m. Emile A. Gruppe Gallery, Jericho, February 16-March 16. Info, 899-3211.

EMERETTE O’KEEFE: “Smile Girl,” a solo show presented by the artist as part of a senior capstone project in the Art and Design program. Reception: Friday, February 21, 5 p.m. McCarthy Art Gallery, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, February 17-21. Info, bcollier@smcvt.edu.

ARTFUL ICE SHANTIES 2025: A selection of creatively interpreted artistic shanties inspired by the rich history of ice fishing in New England. Presented by Brattleboro Museum & Art Center in partnership with Retreat Farm. Visitors welcome from dawn to dusk. Thirsty Goat Bar will be open both weekends 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Lighthearted awards will be presented to participants. Awards Ceremony: Saturday, February 22, 2 p.m. Retreat Farm, Brattleboro, February 15-23. Info, 257-0124.

PEGGY AND SHAPLEIGH SMITH: “Sharing Spaces,” an exhibition of contrasting approaches to photography by the married artists. Reception: Saturday, February 22, 5-7 p.m. Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Waterbury, February 19-March 29. Info, 244-7801.

SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS: An exhibition of works by the 157 student artists and writers from across Vermont who have been recognized by the program this year. Awards ceremony: Saturday, March 8, 12 p.m. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, February 14-March 8. Info, 257-0124.

ART EVENTS

BOOK LAUNCH: DONA ANN MCADAMS: A celebration of “Black Box,” the new photo memoir by the Sandgate photographer, including a reading by the author, music by Syd Straw, and a mini documentary on the artist by John R. Killacky and Justin Bunnell. Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, Thursday, February 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 881-0975.

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Thursday, February 13, 7-9 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

PERFORMANCE AND BOOK SIGNING: HAWLEY

HUSSEY: The artist reads from The Lonesome Threesome, a tall-tale memoir of swashbuckling polyamory, illustrated with visual ephemera. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Friday, February 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 262-6035.

ISA DEMARCO: “Nature Lover’s Night: A Queer Ecology Art Show,” a one-night exhibition and reception with music and refreshments. Slowpoke Exchange, Barre, Saturday, February 15, 7-10 p.m. Free. Info, goslow@slowpoke.exchange.

SOCIAL SUNDAY: An opportunity for children and caregivers to stop in and complete a 15- to 30-minute activity during the two-hour workshop. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, Sunday, February 16, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

ARTIST RECEPTION: V. MONTE: A meet and greet with the theater artist, whose paintings will be on display through February in the first-floor café. Waterbury Public Library, Monday, February 17, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Info, 244-7036.

PORTRAIT DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event where artists can practice skills in any medium. T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Monday, February 17, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $10 suggested donation. Info, 262-6035.

OPEN STUDIO: A guided meditation followed by an hour of art making in any medium and concluding with a share-and-witness process. Many art materials available. In person and online. Expressive Arts Burlington, Tuesday, February 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Info, 343-8172.

WINTER WATERCOLORS WITH PAULINE NOLTE: Weekly workshops for painters of all abilities; no experience necessary. Register via email. Waterbury Public Library, Tuesday, February 18, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

DRINK AND DRAW: A drop-in event organized by the T.W. Wood Gallery. No experience necessary; drawing materials provided. Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, Wednesday, February 19, 5-7 p.m. Free; $10 suggested donation; cash bar. Info, 262-6035. ➆

$20/hr BECCA@GOLDDENDOGFARM.COM

What are some speciﬁc challenges of this position?

What is unique about working for Golden Dog Farm?

You need to stay calm, even when the bees are getting agitated. is is especially important when you have guests joining you for one of our bee experiences. e keeper must anticipate what is going to happen in the near future based on the present moment. Is the hive getting crowded? Are you prepared for a swarm, or are you ready to split the hive? You have to be a problem solver. As someone once said to me, bees are like teenagers: If you don’t give them work to do, they will get into trouble. And if you don’t give them enough space, they will take off.

We are doing so many things: farm tours; producing maple syrup and honey; offering Bee Experiences, Golden Retriever Experiences and wine events. Yes, we make maple syrup, honey and wine, but our focus as a maker is on making people happy. And we are succeeding. We have guests visiting from all over the world, excited to experience all of the good things we have happening here. Many of them have never been to Vermont before. So it’s exciting for us and our team to share our world with them. And to make them happy!

music+nightlife

‘MY FATHER MADE THOUSANDS OF MUSICIANS SOUND INCREDIBLE’

Sergei Ushakov, August 16, 1959-January 8, 2025

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH • farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com

In 1991, amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a small delegation of Vermont musicians traveled to Yaroslavl, Russia. The city, located at the conﬂuence of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers, was staging its annual Jazz Over the Volga festival and had invited artists from its sister city, Burlington, Vt.

The Green Mountain jazz scene sent some of its ﬁ nest: “Big Joe” Burrell & the Unknown Blues Band. But the seasoned pros, who had toured around the U.S. and the globe, were shocked by what they found in Yaroslavl at the end of the Cold War.

“We all took some shots, and Sergei said to us, ‘You’re our guests, and we’ll take care of you while you’re in our country,’” Asbell recalled. He added that the moment felt “like an ancient ritual of protection.”

“That was the culture Sergei was from,” Asbell continued. “If you’re friends, you’re friends for life.”

LIFE STORIES 2025

“That old Soviet power grid and the World War II-era infrastructure in the cities almost undid us,” Unknown Blues Band guitarist Paul Asbell recalled. The tour was to take them from Yaroslavl to Moscow and St. Petersburg. But without help navigating Russia’s ancient electrical systems and sound equipment, Asbell said, “I honestly don’t think we could have plugged in half of our gear, much less performed.”

Asbell said that day comes to mind whenever he thinks about Sergei, who died suddenly from undisclosed causes on January 8 at his home in Burlington, where he’d lived and worked as a sound engineer since emigrating from Russia in 1993. He was 65.

“Life Stories” is a series proﬁling Vermonters who have recently died. Know of someone we should write about? Email us at lifestories@ sevendaysvt.com.

Though he toured the U.S. with bands such the Samples and Pork Tornado in the 1990s, Sergei was a ﬁxture behind the soundboard at the downtown Burlington nightclub Nectar’s. There he built a reputation as one the area’s ﬁnest — and perhaps most terrifying — sound engineers.

Fortunately, some local musicians took the Americans under their wing, led by a stoic young Russian with long hair named Sergei Ushakov.

“Sergei saved our bacon, man,” Asbell said.

Sergei, a drummer for the Russian rock band Telephone, was working as a sound technician for the jazz festival. He helped the band get sorted with power and gear. But it was the sense of camaraderie and musical fraternity with the Russian that stayed with Asbell decades after the trip. When he and his bandmates wanted to visit the nearby region of Rostov Oblast but were hesitant to leave their gear in a strange city, Asbell said, Sergei and his friends gathered the Americans together and o ered them vodka.

On Saturday, February 15, Nectar’s hosts Celebrating Sergei: An Analog Outpouring to commemorate the late sound engineer’s life. The community will have a chance to swap “Sergei stories,” many of which will likely include his exasperated exhortations to timid vocalists to “Swallow the mic!” or his typical curt response if some unsuspecting drummer asked for more guitar in the monitor — in a word, “No.”

DJs will spin selections from Sergei’s legendarily epic vinyl collection. That will be followed by exactly what Sergei would have wanted: a night of loud music with his friends, including the Grippo Funk Band, Jazz Mandolin Project, Blues for Breakfast, Al’s Pals and Pork Tornado.

“My father made thousands of musicians sound incredible from that stage,” Sergei’s son, Steven Ushakov, said. He recalled running around the darkened club

Sergei Ushakov at Nectar’s

Sergei Ushakov (center) performing with Telephone

State of the Art

e 37th annual Folk Alliance International Conference comes to Montréal

BY CHRIS FARNSWORTH • farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com

Founded in 1989 with a mission to present, preserve and promote folk music, the nonprofit Folk Alliance International strives to connect the many arms of a wide-ranging and at times hard-to-deﬁne genre. Held in a di erent North American city each year, its annual conference is the largest gathering of folk musicians and industry professionals in the world. The event brings together thousands of artists and their industry peers for ﬁve days of panels, performances and collaborations.

This year’s iteration, dubbed “Illuminate” as a nod to the northern lights, takes place in Montréal next Wednesday to Sunday, February 19 to 23, at Le Centre Sheraton Montréal. The event will feature more than 175 artists, from emerging newcomers to established and awardwinning musicians. Highlights include Basia Bulat, Lady A, Mimi O’Bonsawin, Alex Wong and headliners Bella’s Bartok.

“It’s a showcasing conference,” Folk Alliance executive director Jennifer Roe said. “So it’s really about exposing yourself and showing o your music to booking

agents, venue owners and labels. Fans are welcome, she added, “but the vast majority of the conference is about artist-to-artist networking.”

Roe considers making connections to be the most vital aspect of the conference.

“If you’re an artist out of Kansas City and want to tour in the Northeast, the best thing to do is connect with other folk musicians in the Northeast and vice versa,” she said. “We want folk musicians to help each other connect with audiences and venues in their own scenes.”

“I know a lot of bands say this, but our sound really is hard to deﬁne,” he said. “We don’t slot into a neat little label of Americana or indie folk or whatever — we like to move around, style-wise.”

The Faux Paws inject fiddle tunes with a proclivity for ﬁery jams. According to VanNorstrand, his band’s eclecticism fits perfectly under the vast canopy of the conference, which features performers working in every strain of folk from Appalachian to Zydeco — even fusion and hip-hop.

FOLK MUSIC IS THE MUSIC OF A PEOPLE’S CULTURE, WHATEVER CULTURE THAT IS.

JENNIFER ROE

“One of the challenges we see is that some people, even in the music industry, don’t understand how all-encompassing folk music is,” Roe said.

“Fans, venues, even music journalists, sometimes people might not realize they already love folk music. But they have this vision of what they think folk is, when in reality, at its root, folk music is the music of a people’s culture, whatever culture that is.”

is article is part of a travel series on Québec. e province’s destination marketing organization, Bonjour Québec, is a ﬁnancial underwriter of the project but has no inﬂuence over story selection or content. Find the complete series plus travel tips at sevendaysvt.com/quebec.

One of the local acts traveling north for the conference is Vermontbased roots trio the Faux Paws. The musicians have attended multiple conferences, both with their current band and as part of an earlier group, Great Bear. Vocalist and guitarist Andrew VanNorstrand said a highlight is the showcase performances. Unlike a festival where you’d hop from stage to stage, the majority of Folk Alliance performances happen in suites throughout the hotel.

“You sort of go room to room, with a di erent musician performing that you might or might not have heard before,” VanNorstrand said. “It’s such a cool experience.”

While VanNorstrand acknowledged the experience is “hardly similar to a music fest or show,” it’s a great way for him and his bandmates to feel connected to a larger musical world.

The future of folk will be a big topic at the conference. Sessions include “Rights, Royalties, and Resilience: A Fireside Chat with Dan Navarro and Jamie Dominguez on Empowering Creators to Be Their Own CEO,” the Black American Music Summit, and a keynote conversation between Canadian singer-songwriter and activist Allison Russell and NPR music critic Ann Powers.

“It’s a way to check in on what’s going on with the industry as well,”

music+nightlife

before it opened with his sister, Kristina, when they were kids, the floors still sticky from the night before. “It was part of our lives growing up, and it was another home to him,” Steven said. “It’s where he did what he loved.”

The no-nonsense Russian projected surliness, especially at first — also, directives to turn down an amp just sound harsher delivered in a Russian accent. But he’d soften as you got to know him and earned his respect, especially if you mentioned how great the Grand Funk Railroad track he was playing over the PA sounded. The truth was that Sergei approached music and sound with seriousness and attention to detail, and he had no patience for anyone who didn’t.

Al’s Pals bassist Alex Budney worked with Sergei at Nectar’s for many years. He said the soundman made a lasting impact on him. “Anything can remind me of him these days, from seeing his colored gaffer tape on my XLR cables,” he said, “to being at a show and realizing how annoyed he would be about the sound.”

Music was Sergei’s obsession. And it’s what eventually led him to leave Russia for Vermont.

Well, in true rock-and-roll fashion, it was music and a woman.

Sergei met Marina Collins in 1992, when he and some other Russian musicians returned the Unknown Blues Band’s favor and visited Vermont to play the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. But it wasn’t until the following year, when Collins traveled to Yaroslavl with her band Science Fixion, that she and Sergei really hit it off.

“We ended up hanging out every day and night while I was there,” Marina said. “I got my visa extended because we were having this great love affair.”

They relied on a pocket Oxford Russian Dictionary to communicate in the early days, though Sergei’s English improved quickly after some classes. When Marina returned home, she wrote him letters, though getting mail to and from Russia was no easy prospect. She soon convinced Sergei to come to Vermont. When his own visa ran out, the two married.

Marina showed her new husband around the local nightclubs and introduced him to musicians. Sergei joined a hair metal outfit called Tantrum on drums, as well as a New Hampshire band called the Regular Einsteins. He also began to get more gigs as a sound engineer and quickly established himself as one of the best — if not the best — in the area. His meticulousness and compulsive need to get the sound just right soon became the stuff of local legend.

HIS FIRST LOVE WAS ALWAYS MUSIC ... HE HAD NO ROOM FOR OTHER OBSESSIONS.

MARINA COLLINS

When they met, Sergei cautioned Marina that his first marriage had ended when his passion for music become a problem. Young and in love, she brushed off the concern. But 13 years and two kids later, the warning would prove prophetic.

“Yeah, it became a problem for us as well,” she admitted. “His first love was always music. It was all-consuming, and he had no room for other obsessions.”

As a child of the Cold War in Russia, music was Sergei’s escape. Suspicion and paranoia were rampant in Yaroslavl, a city with a history of resisting the Soviet government, including mounting an armed rebellion.

“When he was young, his neighbors would rat you out to the KGB for anything,” Marina explained. Sergei and his friends wore long hair and bought rock records on the black market. But they had to be careful. Friends of his were arrested for possessing the illegal contraband. But that didn’t stop him from secretly hoarding albums by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad and Deep Purple.

“Listening to rock and roll, that was his way of being bold and breaking the rules,” Steven said. “It was also a connection to his inner child, a place to be creative and play. That gruff exterior always masked what a big kid he was inside.”

Evidence of that youthful passion can be found in the veritable mountain of music gear left in his apartment after he died. While neither of his kids knows exactly why he hoarded it, Kristina has an idea.

“I think he had this sort of dream that one day he could bring all this gear back to Russia to share with his friends,” she said. She added that while he stayed in Vermont for family, “Burlington was also the place where he found his people and felt so seen for his extreme nerdiness.”

Though Sergei’s children and friends witnessed his tender, playful side, he was hardly an open book. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the Russian was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside a black T-shirt.

Here are some things about him that might surprise even longtime friends: He once worked in a traveling circus in Russia, cleaning animal stalls and refereeing bouts of clown wrestling. He played trumpet in the Soviet Army band while stationed in Armenia and, later, with Yaroslavl Philharmonic. And he was mostly self-taught as a sound engineer — a gifted student in school, he learned to tinker with electronics while in the army, building microcircuits in an aerospace factory.

“It took forever for Sergei to tell me anything about himself,” said Ryan Clausen, a drummer with Pulse Prophets and

Sergei and Steven Ushakov with Martin St. Louis and the Stanley Cup

Sergei and his son, Steven Ushakov

the Grift. He’s also a longtime Nectar’s employee who worked with Sergei for almost a decade. “Once you spent some time with him and earned his respect, he’d open up a little and tell you about how he built his ﬁrst [sound]board with his own hands or show you a dumb video on his phone and giggle.”

Sergei kept his emotions close to his vest, according to his daughter, Kristina. “He could be very Eastern European in that sense,” she said. “Dad was never someone who would look at you and say he was proud of you or that you did a good job — it just wasn’t how he was raised. He would tell everyone else how much he loved you, and you would eventually hear it from them.”

True to form, it came as a surprise to his family last year when he turned 65 and informed them that he’d been thinking of his own mortality. He hoped to move back to Yaroslavl for his ﬁ nal years and eventually be laid to rest in the cemetery alongside his late parents and brother.

It was the ﬁrst time he’d revealed that desire, but Kristina understood it immediately. Her father cherished his Russian roots, whether talking about his mother’s cooking and making blini — Russian pancakes — or streaming Russian state

media on his laptop at 3 a.m. after a long night running sound at the club.

His announcement spurred Kristina, who had recently turned 29, into action.

“I wrote him a letter that said how I felt like I was really just starting to get to know him,” she said. Though she and her father had never been estranged, he had been remote at times, with a stoic demeanor that could be mistaken for detachment. “I told him that I know how proud of us he was, and I told him how proud of him we are.”

She slipped the letter under her father’s door on Christmas. He died two weeks later.

As soon as she got the keys to his condo after his death, Kristina went inside to see if her father had read the letter. “My grieving process and sense of closure would be very, very di erent if he hadn’t read it,” she said.

There, among the piles of gear, gadgetry and a lifetime’s worth of electronic tinkering, she found the letter. It had been opened. ➆

INFO

Celebrating Sergei: An Analog Outpouring, Saturday, February 15, 5 p.m., at Nectar’s in Burlington. Free; donations accepted. liveatnectars.com

VanNorstrand said. “I think it’s something of an understatement to say touring is not an easy process these days, nor is releasing music. It helps to hear what everyone else is doing or trying, what’s working or not.”

The conference kicks o on Wednesday night with the 2025 International Folk Music Awards. Notable honorees include the Indigo Girls, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. A stacked Artist of the Year category features singersongwriters Russell, Nick Lowe and Sarah Jarosz. In all, more than 2,000 showcase performances are expected over the event’s ﬁve days.

“The conference is a great opportunity to show how di erent generations can deﬁne their music,” Roe said. “Folk music is a document of cultures and how they share traditions throughout generations, and it’s beautiful to bring acts of all ages and walks of life together to learn from each other.” ➆

INFO

e 37th Folk Alliance International Conference, Wednesday, February 19, to Sunday, February 23, at Le Centre Sheraton Montréal. $275-675 USD. folk.org/conference

Listening

In (Spotify mix of local jams)

1. “PORCH LIGHT” by Samantha Mae

2. “HOG OF THE FORESAKEN” by the Wormdogs

3. “ORANGE” by Mushroom Teeth

4. “GEMINI” by Moondogs

5. “BACKPACK PEOPLE” by Chris Weisman 6. “KILLER” by Danny & the Parts

“MBO VALIA AMINAHY” by Mikahely

Hourglass Dr Stowe, VT

music+nightlife

CLUB DATES

live music

WED.12

Audrey Pearl, Kiley Latham, Ben

Dexter (singer-songwriter) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m.

$5/$10.

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Grace Palmer (singer-songwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Hot 8 Brass Band, DJ Disco Phantom (jazz, funk) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $23/$28.

Irish Trad Jam (Celtic) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Tom Pearo (ambient guitar) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

THU.13

The Bad Plus (jazz) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $30/$35. Hobo, Evngwear (roots, jazz) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $15/$18.

Jazz with Alex Stewart and Friends (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free. Little Lies (Fleetwood Mac tribute) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10. Lunch, Scram! (jam) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

Moonbird (rock) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Night Zero (jam) at Stowe Cider, 7 p.m. $15.

Olivia Lurrie & the Sweetheart Band, Queen City Cut-Ups (indie) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Vermont Jazz Trio (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

The Way North (folk) at CharlieO’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

FRI.14

90 Proof (rock) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

All Night Boogie Band (R&B, blues) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Avi Salloway and Friends (indie) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

Chris Powers (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

Christie Woods-Lucas (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

Go Your Own Way

Formerly of the Burlington indie rock outfit

Community Garden, singer-songwriter ALEX RAINE went solo after the group disbanded in 2024 — see their final record Me vs Me for one glorious last word from the trio. While Community Garden were disciples of all things new wave, Raine pushes into alt-country territory. His new songs have a dreamy, heavily acoustic feel, somewhere between shoegaze and Uncle Tupelo. Raine releases his solo debut EP, For Your Health, on Friday, February 14 — Valentine’s Day, lest you forget. To celebrate the occasion, he’s playing a show at Radio Bean in Burlington with fellow Burlington act the LEATHERBOUND BOOKS on Saturday, February 15.

Garden State Radio (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 9 p.m. $10.

Glenn Roth: Instrumental Guitar for Lovers (guitar) at Shelburne Vineyard, 6 p.m. Free.

Hard Tellin’, the War Turtles (rock) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

IncaHoots (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Jaded Ravins, Bow & River (blues, folk) at the Underground, Randolph, 7:30 p.m. $17/$14.

Jared Johnson (rock) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Jeff Salisbury Band (blues, swing) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 7 p.m. Free.

Jeff Wheel (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Jeff Wilson, the Dyl McNeil Trio, Danny & the Parts (Americana) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $12/$15.

John Lackard Blues Band (blues) at Moogs Place, Morrisville, 8 p.m. Free.

Kyle Stevens (acoustic) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

Left Eye Jump (blues) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

‘Love Hurts’: Valentine’s Day

Lonely Country Duets (country) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 6 p.m. Free.

Lutalo, Dari Bay (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $18/$22.

Mary-Go-Round (acoustic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Meir Levine (acoustic) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Miriam Bernardo & Seth Eames (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Rap Night Burlington (hip-hop) at Drink, Burlington, 9 p.m. $5.

Red Hot Juba, Raised by Hippies (jazz, rock) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $15/$18.

Sarah Bell (singer-songwriter) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Soule Monde (funk) at the Shakedown Lounge at Stowe Cider, 8 p.m. $20/$25.

Spencer Lewis (singersongwriter) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

SAT.15

Alex Raine, the Leatherbound Books (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Ali T (singer-songwriter) at Shelburne Vineyard, 5 p.m. Free.

All Night Boogie Band (blues, R&B) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 8:30 p.m. $5.

Braden Lalancette (folk) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Celebrating Sergei: An Analog Outpouring (tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free; donations accepted

Connor Young & Friends (jazz) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

Dirty Looks Band (covers) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 9 p.m. Free.

Fiddlehead Hollow (folk) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m. Free.

Frank Erickson (singersongwriter) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

The Full Cleveland (yacht rock) at Stowe Cider, 8 p.m. $10.

Garden State Radio (covers) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10.

Hot Neon Magic (’80s tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Lawless (rock) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

Live Music Saturdays (live music series) at Dumb Luck Pub & Grill, Hinesburg, 7 p.m. Free.

Marc Gwinn & D.Davis (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Mountain Sugar Band (rock) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

Myra Flynn: A Concert for Lovers (soul, R&B) at Shelburne Vineyard, 7:30 p.m. $25.

The Owl Stars (folk) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 11 p.m. Free.

Paul Webb (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Pistol Fist, Magic User, Penguin (punk) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Soap, Earthshine (indie) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Soul Porpoise (soul, funk) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Steve Ellis (jazz) at Bleu Northeast Kitchen, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Tiny Heart Explosions (indie) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Winter Waves Hip-Hop Night (hip-hop) at ArtsRiot, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $5.

SUN.16

Avi Salloway and Friends (indie) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 6 p.m. $10.

Chicky Stoltz (acoustic) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Dalton & the Sheriffs (country) at Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Killington, 8 p.m. $10.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

MON.17

Sub-Radio, DOUBLECAMP (indie pop) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

TUE.18

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

Grateful Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Pony Hustle (country) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

John Lackard Blues Duo (blues) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5 p.m. Free.

The Pinkerton Raid, Jesse Taylor & Micah Plante (singersongwriter) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. $10.

Session Americana, Humbletown (Americana) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $25/$30.

Sweet Petunia, Sheepskin (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

Tyler Ramsey, Troy Millette (singer-songwriter) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

WED.19

BBQ and Bluegrass (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Jazz Sessions (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Jeff & Gina (acoustic) at Two Heroes Brewery Public House, South Hero, 6:30 p.m. Free. Wednesday Night Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10.

djs

WED.12

DJ Blaine (DJ) at Bent Nails Bistro, Montpelier, 5 p.m. Free.

DJ Chalango, DJ Tarzana Salsa Night (salsa DJ) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

The Mid Week Hump with DJs Fattie B and Craig Mitchell (DJ) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Three Needs x Zero Gravity Ski Party! (ski films, DJ) at Three Needs Taproom & Pizza Cube, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

THU.13

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 11 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night with Ken (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.14

DJ Chaston (DJ) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

SAT.15 // ALEX RAINE [INDIE ROCK]

Mushroom Teeth, Mushroom Teeth

Vol: 2

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

Is any instrument more overlooked than the bass guitar? Unless you’re listening to Primus or Victor Wooten, the bass is often in the background, doing the hard work and driving the music. Overshadowed by the ﬂashy sexiness of an electric guitar and the raw power of a drum set, the four-string rarely inspires kids to look at it and say, “Yep, that’s the one for me.”

Lucas Hall, the duo released Mushroom Teeth Vol: 1 in 2023, featuring Shiny New Toyz bassist Bradley Woodward. Vol: 2 dropped in December, this time with Joseph Tymecki handling the low-end duties.

Maybe they just need a case study in how important the bass truly is. Enter Enosburgh progressive metal band Mushroom Teeth. Composed of guitarist John Notaro and drummer

Tymecki and Woodward have noticeable di erences in their playing. There’s a melodically searching, almost funky element to Woodward’s style compared to Tymecki’s muscular and heavily harmonic playing, similar in some ways to that of Tool’s Justin Chancellor. But both drive Mushroom Teeth onward, locking in with Hall to create sophisticated yet jaggedly heavy instrumental metal music.

While Vol: 1’s songs centered thematically on the seven metals of an alchemist, Vol: 2 is built around the colors

of the rainbow, with each song named for a color. If you’re curious whether the songs correspond with a tonal character of the color, uh, me too. “Red” isn’t some heavier-than-heavy rage-stomper, though. It’s a moderate-tempo jam focused on Tymecki’s bass that gives Notaro ample time to shred to his heart’s content.

And shred he does. Notaro is one of those Vermont musicians who not only pops up in multiple projects at once but also usually does something completely di erent in each. He sings in Red Handed Betrayal, plays in a country band called Jonny Hick and the Kickers, and lays down the drums with cosmic jazz outﬁt Astral Underground.

His guitar work on Vol: 2 is suitably savage for such a heavy record, but his eclectic palette is clear in his playing. While his ri s churn and burn, the solos are like expeditionary voyages into the unknown. The squeals of pitch-shifted notes that he lets ﬂy at the beginning of

“Blue” are set against an almost languid backdrop from Hall and Tymecki, a sonic juxtaposition that Mushroom Teeth seem to glory in.

The band recorded its latest record at West Street Digital in St. Albans with producer André Maquera, who also produced Vol: 1. A shredder of some renown himself with the longrunning rock act 8084, Maquera seems to properly grok what Mushroom Teeth are going for. Vol: 2 is easily the band’s best-sounding record to date, a slick, powerfully experimental piece of music.

Whether a di erent bassist joins for a prospective Vol: 3 remains to be seen. As good as Tymecki’s tracks are, and as good as Woodward’s were on Vol: 1, the idea of a band with a rotating bassist, especially a band with chops such as Mushroom Teeth, is tantalizing.

Mushroom Teeth Vol: 2 is available on major streaming services.

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED

THE HEART OF YOUR BUSINESS.

SAT.15

Corby (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9:30 p.m. $10/$15.

DJ Collin Hagood (DJ) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 8 p.m. Free.

DJ Raul (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Malcolm Miller (DJ) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Matt Payne (DJ) at Red Square Blue Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Mjöre Björk with DJ Swan Dress (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10.

Molly Mood (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Sparkomatik (drum and bass) at Monkey House, Winooski, 9 p.m. $10.

SUN.16

Mi Yard Reggae Night with DJ Big Dog (reggae, dancehall) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

WED.12

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.13

Old Time Jam (open mic) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Artie (open mic) at Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.16

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.17

Open Mic (open mic) at Despacito, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.18

Venetian Soda Open Mic (open mic) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.19

Lit Club (poetry open mic) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 10 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Danny Lang (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy

WED.12

My Sassy Valentine (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

Second Wednesday Comedy Jam (comedy) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

WRIF Laugh, Love (comedy) at Briggs Opera House, White River Junction, 7 p.m. $10-$150.

Big Love

Self-described “fat legends” EMOJI NIGHTMARE and KATNISS EVERQUEER (both pictured) are bringing the heat this Valentine’s Day with a celebration of all things BIG. Part of the monthly Untapped series, “My Chubby Valentine,” staged by GREEN MOUNTAIN CABARET, features all the drag you can handle and more, as the queens take to the stage to celebrate bigger, buxom bodies and invite attendees to, as they put it, “feast your eyes on this fat fantasy.” Featuring drag performances by TEASY ROOSEVELT, DOMINI’QUE ANJOU, RUTHLESS RETRIBUTION, VERA WYLDE, DEVASTATING and SABRINA SPARKLES, “My Chubby Valentine” will remind everyone what Louis Prima was singing about on “The Bigger the Figure.” It all goes down on Friday, February 14, at the Monkey House in Winooski.

THU.13

Greg Stone (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $25.

Stealing From Work: ‘Love ... Well, Actually’ (sketch comedy) at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $17.

FRI.14

Greg Stone (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9 p.m. $25.

New Stage Play Festival 2025 (comedy) at Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. $5-20.

Stealing From Work: ‘Love ... Well, Actually’ (sketch comedy) at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $17. Wit & Wine (comedy) at Shelburne Vineyard, 8 p.m. $10.

SAT.15

Good Clean Fun (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 5 p.m. $5/$10.

Greg Stone (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 & 9 p.m. $25.

Jason Lorber (comedy) at Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7 p.m. $25.

New Stage Play Festival 2025 (comedy) at Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. $5-20.

Stealing From Work: ‘Love ... Well, Actually’ (sketch comedy) at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 4 & 7:30 p.m. $17.

SUN.16

New Stage Play Festival 2025 (comedy) at Grange Hall Cultural Center, Waterbury Center, 2 p.m. $5-20.

Stealing From Work: ‘Love ... Well, Actually’ (sketch comedy) at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 4 p.m. $17.

TUE.18

Open Mic Comedy with Levi Silverstein (comedy open mic) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.19

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.12

Food and Beverage Trivia (trivia) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.13

Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Nectar’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.14

Untapped: My Chubby Valentine (drag) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $20.

SAT.15

Green Mountain Cabaret (drag) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.

SUN.16

Karaoke with DJ Coco Entertainment (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m. Free. Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon. Free. Venetian Karaoke (karaoke) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

MON.17

Trivia Monday (trivia) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Barr Hill, Montpelier, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Brain (trivia) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

TUE.18

Karaoke (karaoke) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Party Bear (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m. Free.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m. Free.

WED.19

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Dumb Luck Pub and Grill Winooski, 7 p.m. Free. ➆

FRI.14 // UNTAPPED: MY CHUBBY VALENTINE [DRAG]

calendar

FEBRUARY 12-19, 2025

WED.12

activism

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

DESK: Neighbors connect with representatives from local nonprofit Steps to End Domestic Violence. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: Savvy businesspeople make crucial contacts at a weekly chapter meeting. BCA Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 829-5066.

community

CURRENT EVENTS: Folks have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

crafts

GREEN MOUNTAIN CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD OF AMERICA: Anyone with an interest in the needle arts can bring a project to this monthly meeting. Holy Family Parish Hall, Essex Junction, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, gmc.vt.ega@ gmail.com.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes

knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other fiber artists. BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3780.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

GREAT ART WEDNESDAY SERIES: ‘MY ARCHITECT’:

Director Nathaniel Kahn seeks to understand his father, an admired architect who died bankrupt, in this Academy Award-nominated documentary from 2003. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 11 a.m. $15. Info, 382-9222.

NXT ROCKUMENTARY FILM SERIES: ‘DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA’: Spike Lee’s 2020 musical documentary captures the former Talking Heads front man’s timely Broadway performance. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7 p.m. $8. Info, 387-0102.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: Neighbors join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

games

CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor

Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

holidays

PAW-LENTINE’S DAY: Howl you doin’? Beloved pups and their humans enjoy a themed celebration with mocktails, paw-print keepsakes and treats. Houndstooth, Burlington, 6-7 p.m. $20. Info, 540-0762.

language

GILLES LAPORTE: A historian discusses en français how the American Revolution inspired the 1837 patriot rebellion in Québec. Hosted by the Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, info@aflcr.org. lgbtq

House Chamber, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, 7:30-8:45 p.m. Free. Info, 864-5741. ME2 CHORUS REHEARSAL: Conductor Stefanie Weigand leads vocalists ages 16 and up in a stigma-free, supportive environment. Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, phoenix@me2music.org.

québec

‘TITANIQUE’: Theatergoers revel in the campy chaos of this off-Broadway smash hit musical featuring the songs of Céline Dion. Sylvan Adams Theatre, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Montréal, 7:30 p.m. $75-99. Info, 514-739-7944.

seminars

ESSENTIALS OF CAMERA

OPERATION: An informative evening examines the critical elements of photography and videography, covering topics from exposure to depth of field. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. $25 suggested donation; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

SUSTAINING THE RENT WORKSHOP: The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity helps renters develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet their housing needs. 5-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 660-3456.

sports

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE!

All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper. Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent

Listings and spotlights are written by Rebecca Driscoll Seven Days edits for space and style. Depending on cost and other factors, classes and workshops may be listed in either the calendar or the classes section. Class organizers may be asked to purchase a class listing.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

QUEER WRITERS’ GROUP: LGBTQ authors meet monthly to discuss their work, write from prompts, and give each other advice and feedback. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

FARMERS NIGHT: VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: Andrew Crust directs the chamber ensemble in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 with special guest artist Damascus Kafumbe.

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art. film

See what’s playing in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

= ONLINE EVENT = GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

play brings the laughs to benefit Mosaic Vermont. Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall, 7-9 p.m. $5-30 suggested donation. Info, 229-0492.

words

FFL BOOK CLUB: Fletcher Free Library patrons gab about Percival Everett’s darkly humorous 2024 novel, James 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bshatara@burlingtonvt.gov.

J. KEVIN GRAFFAGNINO: The historian discusses his latest book, Ira Allen: A Biography, shining new light on the politician’s prominent role in Vermont’s formative years. Cabot Public Library, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 563-2721.

KATHLEEN LATHAM & MARY

BONINA: Two lauded New England poets join forces to share their latest collections, The Ones and Lunch in Chinatown. The Norwich Bookstore, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

MARPHEEN CHANN: A memoirist shines a light on his search for truth and compassion in his 2022 novel, Moon in Full: A Modern Day Coming-of-Age Story. Hosted by Winooski Memorial Library. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 655-6424.

community

VERMONT TOURISM LISTENING

SESSION: The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing leads a community exploration of our state’s visitor economy and its current and future challenges, opportunities, and priorities. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 382-9222.

crafts

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: All ages and abilities knit or crochet hats and scarves for the South Burlington Food Shelf. Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of all experience levels get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

WOODWORKING LAB: Visionaries create a project or learn a new skill with the help of mentors and access to tools and equipment in the makerspace. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50. Info, 382-1012.

dance

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership. Info, 247-5913.

talks

BLACK HEALTHSTORY MONTH LECTURE SERIES: PAMELA P. REYNOLDS: A professor of medicine examines Medicare’s impact on hospital integration in the 1960s. Noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 656-2156.

theater

‘TWO TRAINS RUNNING’: The Acting Company mounts Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson’s masterpiece chronicling everyday life set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy, 7 p.m. $15-54; free for students. Info, 748-2600.

‘KING JAMES’: Northern Stage raises the curtain on Rajiv Joseph’s powerful play following two NBA superfans and their shared worship of LeBron James. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 7:30 p.m. Various prices. Info, 296-7000.

‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’: Audience members find a lot right with Vermont Stage’s Olivier Award-winning whodunit set in the 1920s. Ages 12 and up. Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $3454 sliding scale. Info, 862-1497.

‘THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES’: A staged reading of Eve Ensler’s lusty and outrageous episodic

MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF: Patrons gather in the library’s Community Room to watch the correspondent and author discuss her novel Hunt, Gather, Parent in this on-screen presentation. Virtual option available. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

NOONTIME POETRY READING

SOCIETY: Verse lovers link up to share their work, reflect and write creatively. Pierson Library, Shelburne, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.

POETRY POTLUCK: Folks who are passionate about prose gather to swap dishes and words in a welcoming environment. Whirligig Brewing, St. Johnsbury, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, acampbell@ catamountarts.org.

THU.13 agriculture

NO-TILL & COVER CROP

CONFERENCE: The University of Vermont Extension hosts a full day of exhibits and speakers relating to resiliency in cropping systems. DoubleTree by Hilton, South Burlington, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $75. Info, 656-7610.

VERMONT FARM SHOW

FEEDBACK SESSION: Folks with an interest in agriculture and working landscapes gather for a conversation about the future of this annual event. St. Albans City Hall, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, vermontfarmshow@gmail.com.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS: Shelburne BNI hosts a weekly meeting for local professionals to exchange referrals and build meaningful connections. Connect Church, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 377-3422.

THE PLAYERS CLUB STEPPERS: An award-winning step team delivers high-octane entertainment in celebration of Black History Month. Silver Maple Ballroom, Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 656-2060.

environment

WASTED FOOD: METHODS TO MANAGE FOOD

SCRAPS: Chittenden Solid Waste District hosts a webinar exploring practical, eco-friendly solutions for managing inedible and non-donatable food in Vermont. 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, kmoody@ cswd.net.

etc.

PITCHFEST 3.0: Local media makers outline their creative ideas for a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank”-style competition to bring their visions to life. Briggs Opera House, White River Junction, 5:307 p.m. Free. Info, 295-6688.

THERESA CAPUTO LIVE: THE EXPERIENCE: The beloved “Long Island Medium” shares spine-tingling stories and delivers healing messages from beyond our realm. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $62-201.50. Info, 863-5966.

TROPICAL FISH CLUB OF BURLINGTON MEETING: Aquatic enthusiasts gather to make new friends, network, listen to presentations and win prizes. Essex Junction VFW Post, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 372-8716.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: Film buffs soak up the best new global and local independent cinema, as well as social events, panels and workshops. See uvjam.org for full schedule.

FAMI LY FU N

Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.

• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun

Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

WED.12

burlington

ART EXPLORERS: Young creatives ages 5 to 14 learn about art history and self-expression at this homeschooler-friendly program from Davis Studio. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-3403.

LEGO TIME: Mini makers ages 4 to 11 design and build original, colorful creations. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

STEAM SPACE: Kiddos in grades K to 5 explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics with fun and engaging activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

TODDLER TIME: Librarians bring out books, rhymes and songs specially selected for young ones 12 to 24 months. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: Infants and their caregivers enjoy a slow, soothing story featuring songs, rhymes and lap play. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

GAME ON!: Kids take turns collaborating with or competing against friends using Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Caregivers must be present to supervise children below fifth grade. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

HAFTY CRAFTY DAY: Kiddos ages 6 and up create paper heart garlands for Valentine’s Day. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: Caregivers and kids through age 5 listen to stories, sing songs and share toys with new friends. Richmond Free Library, 10 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 434-3036.

barre/montpelier

HOMESCHOOL BOOK GROUP: Kids ages 10 to 15 who learn at home bond over books. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338. upper valley

PRE-K STORY TIME: Little ones ages 3 to 5 hear a different farm-themed tale every week. Snacks included. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 9:30-11 a.m. $10-12; preregister. Info, 457-2355.

THU.13

burlington

‘GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?’: A couple’s interracial engagement forces

FEB. 14-16 | FAMILY FUN

Ice Capades

North Hero’s Great Ice! festival transforms the town’s frosty shores into a giant winter playground with skating, snowshoeing, a chili cook-off and plenty of hot cocoa. If you’re still clinging to one very dead Christmas tree (no judgment), you can safely dispose of that popcorn-dry pine at a community bonfire before the weekend’s dazzling fireworks display. Alas, the eagerly awaited sled dog rides have already sold out, but onlookers can still observe as a team of huskies escorts guests in style. Plus, there’s another way to feel the wind in your hair — a supervised spin behind the wheel of an authentic ’74 Zamboni!

GREAT ICE!

Friday, February 14, through Sunday, February 16, at various North Hero locations. Free. Info, 777-2840, greaticevt.org.

their loved ones to confront their latent racism in Stanley Kramer’s 1967 dramedy. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

BABY & ME CLASS: Parents and their infants ages birth to 1 explore massage, lullabies and gentle movements while discussing the struggles and joys of parenthood. Greater Burlington YMCA, 9:45-10:45 a.m. $10; free for members. Info, 862-9622.

BABY TIME: Pre-walking little ones experience a story time catered to their infant interests. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga leads kids ages 2 to 5 in songs, movement and other fun activities. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

‘THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS’: Little thespians of Very Merry Theatre take the stage for a musical adaptation of the classic children’s novel about friendship and courage. O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free. Info, 355-1461. chittenden county

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAKERS: COOKING: Students in grades 4 through 8 make delicious homemade dishes. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4041.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC WITH LINDA BASSICK: The singer and storyteller extraordinaire guides wee ones ages birth to 5 in indoor music and movement. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

STORY TIME: Little ones ages birth to 5 learn from songs, crafts and picture books. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

barre/montpelier

POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu! Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME: Kids and their caregivers meet for stories, songs and bubbles. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAYTIME: Caregivers bring kiddos 3 and younger to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3853.

barre/montpelier

LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

champlain islands/ northwest

GREAT ICE!: Sled dog rides, snow sports and a Christmas tree bonfire make for a winter weekend done right. See greaticevt.org for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various North Hero locations. Free. Info, 777-2840.

upper valley

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 785-4361.

SAT.15 burlington

FAMILY PLAYSHOP: Wee ones ages birth to 5 explore a range of themes and rotating activities designed to promote school readiness and foster creativity. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

LEGACY & LIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK HERITAGE & EXCELLENCE: Attendees of all ages enjoy a festive afternoon of live music, art, treats and student presentations, hosted by the Burlington School District. Hunt Middle School, Burlington, 1-3:30 p.m. Free. Info, superintendent@bsdvt.org.

mad river valley/ waterbury

BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 745-1391.

outside vermont

COME AS YOU ARE FILM SERIES: ‘CITY LIGHTS’: Film-loving families flock to a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 rom-com with live piano accompaniment by Vermont composer Bob Merrill. Childcare available. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 603-448-0400.

FRI.14

chittenden county

LEGO BUILDERS: Mini makers explore and create new worlds with stackable blocks. Recommended for ages 6 and up. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

SING-ALONG WITH LINDA BASSICK: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers sing, dance and wiggle along with Linda. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

STORIES WITH GEOFF: Little patrons of the library’s satellite location enjoy a morning of stories and songs. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

chittenden county

KID’S CHESS CLUB: Little library patrons face off in the abstract game of strategy. No instruction provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, nliuzzi@ southburlingtonvt.gov.

TEEN ANIME CLUB: Fans in grades 6 through 12 watch their favorite shows with friends and snacks. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

WINTERDEEP: Guests follow a magical walking trail replete with ambient music, poetry projections and giant paper lantern sculptures. Proceeds benefit Treewild’s scholarship program. All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne, 6-8:30 p.m. $10-20. Info, treewild.inc@gmail. com.

champlain islands/ northwest GREAT ICE!: See FRI.14.

Briggs Opera House, White River Junction. $40-150. Info, wrif.help@ uvjam.org.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: Audience members are guided through an exploration of stunning animal worlds, from frozen snowy forests to the darkest depths of the ocean. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: Never-beforeseen footage brings audience members to the farthest reaches of the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth. Dealer.com 3D

Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: Andy Serkis narrates the journey of a lifetime into the realm of the world’s largest mammals and the scientists who study them. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

NO MAN’S LAND FILM FESTIVAL: Middlebury Outdoor Programs hosts an evening of sports flicks by women and nonbinary filmmakers that redefine what it means to be outdoorsy. Dana Auditorium, Sunderland Language Center, Middlebury College, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3176.

‘QUEER’: Daniel Craig stars as an American immigrant in 1950s Mexico City in Luca Guadagnino’s newly released period drama. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7-9:15 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL

TYRANTS 3D’: Incredible CGI and revelations in tyrannosaur paleontology help to chronicle a remarkable discovery in the badlands of Hell Creek. Dealer.com 3D Theater: A National Geographic Experience, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $16.50-20; admission free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 864-1848.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30-4 p.m. $6. Info, 872-5722.

WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies.

United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, lafferty1949@gmail.com.

holidays

PAW-LENTINE’S DAY: See WED.12. GALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION: Gal pals shop a women-owned maker market, sip tasty creations, color love notes and win fun prizes. Vergennes Opera House, 5-8 p.m. $15. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.

MINI SUCCULENT GARDEN WORKSHOP: Crafty creators use plants and pots to make a Valentine’s Day gift for themselves or a loved one. Gardener’s Supply Company, Williston and Burlington, 1-6 p.m. Free. Info, 658-2433.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Semi-fluent speakers practice their skills during a conversazione with others. Best for those who can speak at least basic sentences. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

québec

‘TITANIQUE’: See WED.12.

seminars

PEER LEADER TRAINING:

The Get Healthy North Country Community Integrated Health Network hosts a virtual seminar for community members interested in helping others recognize the signs and symptoms commonly linked to chronic health conditions. 9-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 315-261-4760, ext. 239.

talks

WHITNEY PEARSON: A local ultrarunner and mom regales listeners with her experience hiking New Hampshire’s highest peaks — with a toddler in tow. Hosted by the Green Mountain Club. 7-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7037.

WINTER WARRIORS: THE SNOW BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND: A panel of experts sheds light on four special birds that spend their chilliest days in our region’s open landscapes. Hosted by Bobolink Project and Audubon Vermont. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, bobolink project@massaudubon.org.

theater

‘KING JAMES’: See WED.12. ‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’: See WED.12.

‘THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES’: See WED.12.

‘TWO TRAINS RUNNING’: See WED.12. A Q&A follows. Wright Memorial Theatre, Middlebury College, 7:30 p.m. $5-25. Info, 443-6433.

words

KEKLA MAGOON: An acclaimed author and speaker known for her powerful storytelling reflects on what it means to honor Black

OPENS FEB. 14 | THEATER

It’s Greek to Me

Heads up, thespians: This ain’t your grandmother’s Antigone! Spirited theater troupe BarnArts brings Sophocles’ classic tale of loyalty and morality to Barnard Town Hall — with a twist. Rather than resuscitate the Athenian tragedian’s original work from 440 BC, the players instead tackle poet Anne Carson’s 2015 translation, possibly for the first time in the state’s stage history. Carson’s reimagining employs snappy modern language and allows the nine intrepid actors to manifest a bit of freshness and humor while still remaining true to the source material. As director Erin Bennett observes, “Grief and tragedy are not relegated to the shadows.”

‘ANTIGONE’

Friday, February 14 and Saturday, February 15, 7:30-9 p.m.; and Sunday, February 16, 2-3:30 p.m., at Barnard Town Hall. See website for future dates. $15-20. Info, 234-1645, barnarts.org.

history through her work. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

SCARLETT STEEL: Down on dating? A Vermont author celebrates the release of her new book, Red Heels & Red Flags, featuring true stories about disastrous dates and the path to self-discovery. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.

FRI.14

crafts

FIBER ARTS FRIDAY: Knitters, crocheters, weavers and felters chat over passion projects at this weekly meetup. Waterbury Public

Library, noon-2 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

etc.

SPEED DATING: Single and ready to mingle? Guests gather for an evening of quick, lively conversation as they move through a series of mini dates. Ages 35 and up. Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville, 6:30-9:30 p.m. $25-30; preregister. Info, lostnationspeeddating@ gmail.com.

WRIF FILMMAKER FRIDAY: Media enthusiasts learn the ropes of scoring and sound design, production management, and storyboarding. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m. $15. Info, 295-6688.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM

FESTIVAL: See THU.13.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.13.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.13.

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM

FESTIVAL: Be moved, be inspired! Viewers explore the edge of the believable with captivating stories from the highest peaks to the steepest slopes. Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7 p.m. $22-28. Info, 603-448-0400.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

‘QUEENDOM’: A queer 21-year-old artist risks her life performing in surreal costumes throughout Moscow in this Academy Awardnominated documentary feature. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7-8:45 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.13, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

health & fitness

GUIDED MEDITATION

ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@ damlvt.org.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: Community members gather for an informal session combining stimulating discussion, sharing and sitting in silence. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS CAN EXERCISE: Folks get their bodies moving with a low-impact program that keeps joints flexible and muscles strong. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 241-4840.

holidays

DINING IN THE DARK:

Adventurous foodies try something new at a sensory-packed three-course meal and wine pairing — with optional blindfolds. Partial proceeds benefit Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Gold Restaurant, Burlington, 4:30-9:30 p.m. $100. Info, 540-1314.

LA DOLCE VITA: LOVE SONGS & SWEET TREATS: Opera Company of Middlebury presents a Valentine’s Day celebration bursting with live music, wine and local chocolates. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 5:30 p.m. $60-100. Info, 382-9222.

LOVE LETTER YOUR WORLD:

Can you feel the love tonight? Neighbors gather to pen anonymous notes of support to the community, inspired by a global phenomenon. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

PERFECT PAIR: A 7-COURSE

VALENTINE’S ADVENTURE

DINNER: Candles and champagne set the mood for gastronomes to enjoy a feast inspired by phases of love — from initial attraction to lingering sweetness. Adventure Dinner Clubhouse, Colchester, 6-9 p.m. $110. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.

VALENTINE’S TROLLEY TOUR & DINNER: Love is in the air! Couples cuddle up for a romantic ride across Burlington, then get even cozier at a dinner featuring flowers, gift bags and photo ops. The Essex Resort & Spa, 5-9 p.m. $300. Info, 912-401-3959.

VALENTINE’S DAY CABARET: Ed Morgan’s One-Man Band uses sequencers, synthesizers and other equipment to perform a mix of hits tailored for the holiday. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

YES DARLING: Audience members delight in a special Valentine’s Day performance featuring riveting musical comedy by Ryan Montbleau and Hayley Jane. Double E Performance Center’s T-Rex Theater, Essex, 8-11:30 p.m. $25-110. Info, 878-4200.

lgbtq

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

music

ANDRIANA CHOBOT: An expressive alto assumes the spotlight for an evening of genre-bending tunes to match the romantic vibe. The Mill, Westport, N.Y., 6-8 p.m. $15. Info, catherine@ themilladk.com.

LANE SERIES: ARTEMIS: An allstar quintet of female musicians performs electrifying jazz tunes. University of Vermont Recital Hall, Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $5-35. Info, 656-4455.

DWIGHT + NICOLE: In “Big Love,” a Vermont duo brings the blues and soul vibes — with a little

Americana sprinkled in for good measure. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 8 p.m. $15-35. Info, 382-9222.

GLEN DAVID ANDREWS: A dynamic vocalist and trombonist known for his powerful voice and stage presence blends New Orleans jazz, funk, gospel and rock. Virtual option available. Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7:30 p.m. $10-25. Info, 387-0102.

VERMONT AFTER HOURS: MYRA FLYNN: A local singer-songwriter performs original indie tunes that blend soulful vocals with supremely lyrical delivery. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $35. Info, 457-3981.

ROBIN SPIELBERG: Listeners embark on a musical journey with the enchanting melodies of a contemporary pianist and composer. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort, 7 p.m. $50-65. Info, 760-4634.

outdoors

THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: Birds of Vermont Museum challenges participants to observe local feathered friends from the comfort of their homes, then connect with other enthusiastic counters online. Free; preregister. Info, 434-2167.

TORCHLIGHT SNOWSHOE: Outdoor enthusiasts experience an after-hours adventure along an illuminated loop while guides share fascinating facts about the land’s wildlife and history. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 4:30-6:30 p.m. $5-12; free for kids 3 and under. Info, 457-2355.

talks

JOHN BRUMSTED: The former University of Vermont Health Network president and CEO sheds light on why health care is so expensive. Faith United Methodist Church, South Burlington, 2-3 p.m. $8 cash or check; free for members. Info, 343-5177.

tech

PHONE & TECH SUPPORT: Perplexed patrons receive aid from library staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 863-3403.

theater

‘ANTIGONE’: BarnArts’ colorful production brings Anne Carson’s modern translation of the classic Greek tragedy to life. See calendar spotlight. Barnard Town Hall, 7:30-9 p.m. $15-20. Info, 234-1645.

‘KING JAMES’: See WED.12. NEW WORKS NOW: Northern Stage brings the drama with a weekend of up-and-coming play readings, continuing the org’s mission of shepherding new productions into a bright future. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 296-7000.

‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’: See WED.12.

‘THE SCHOOL FOR LIES’: Dartmouth College’s theater department tackles the furious tempo and stunning verbal display of David Ives’ wild farce, adapted from a play by Molière. Theater on Currier, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7:30-9:30 p.m. $15. Info, 603-646-2422.

‘TWELVE INSTALLATIONS’: The Parish Players present Gray Horan’s fantastical stage play where art comes to life — and life comes to art. Eclipse Grange Theater, Thetford, 7-9 p.m. $15-25. Info, 785-4344.

‘WAKE UP, GLOUCESTER’: Viewers take in the world premiere staged reading of Jeanne Beckwith’s tale of hope, love and fear in 1930s New England. Valley Players Theater, Waitsfield, 7 p.m. $14. Info, 583-1674.

words

FRIENDS OF THE RUTLAND FREE LIBRARY BOOK SALE: A broad selection of used, rare and antique books goes on sale to benefit the library. Rutland Free Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 773-1860.

SAT.15

agriculture

NOFA-VT WINTER CONFERENCE: Featured speakers, workshops, panels and kids’ activities make for a weekend of fabulous food and farm-related fun. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. $120320 sliding scale; free for POC; preregister. Info, 434-4122.

crafts

CARNEVALE MASK DECORATING: Vermont Italian Cultural Association hosts a crafty, creative day for folks to fabricate

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11. = ONLINE

FEBRUARY

their own fascinating visages. Supplies provided. Pierson Library, Shelburne, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, vtitalian culturalassoc@gmail.com.

dance

BERLIN CONTRA DANCE: Dancers of all ages and abilities learn at a gathering that encourages joy, laughter and friendship. Bring clean, soft-soled shoes. See website for callers and bands. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 8-11 p.m. $5-20 sliding scale. Info, 225-8921. etc.

LOVE NOTES: AN ART GALLERY COCKTAIL PARTY: Adventure Dinner takes over the gallery’s floors for a glam shindig featuring artful food displays and adorable passed bites. Fancy attire encouraged. BCA Center, Burlington, 5-7:30 p.m. $54. Info, sas@ adventuredinner.com.

REAL RUTLAND FEUD: Let’s play the feud! Local businesses and organizations race to answer survey questions in a live event based on the popular television game show. Proceeds benefit the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7 p.m. $30-35. Info, 775-0570.

ROLL BOUNCE ROLLER DISCO

FUNDRAISER: Skaters come dressed in their funkiest fits and groove along to ’70s tunes by DJ V and dj tonybones. Proceeds benefit Conscious Homestead. A family-friendly session starts at 4 p.m. 20 Allen St., Burlington, 4-6 & 7-9 p.m. $15. Info, joyridersvt@ gmail.com.

SISTERHOOD CAMPFIRE: Women and genderqueer folks gather in a safe and inclusive space to build community through journaling, storytelling, gentle music and stargazing. Leddy Park, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Free. Info, sisterhoodcampfire@gmail.com.

fairs & festivals

VERMONT STATE FAIR

SNOWMOBILE FESTIVAL: Snow machine fanatics gawk at more than 100 vintage and newer models, then enjoy tasty concessions, a wintry parade and an awards ceremony. Vermont State Fairgrounds, Rutland, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 345-9257.

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: See THU.13.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.13.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.13.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

‘FROM GROUND ZERO’: Audience members take in a collection of documentary shorts from 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

‘UNION’: Through intimate cinema vérité, this 2024 documentary follows a group of Amazon workers as they mount an unprecedented campaign to unionize their warehouse. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 2 p.m. $6-12. Info, 660-2600.

food & drink

CAPITAL CITY WINTER FARMERS

MARKET: Locavores sip cocktails while perusing root veggies, honey, crafts and maple syrup at an off-season showcase of locally grown food. Barr Hill, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 472-8000.

PIES & PINTS NIGHT: Pie Empire serves up savory hand pies to pair with beer brewed on-site. Simple Roots Brewing, Burlington, 5 p.m. Cost of pies; preorder. Info, 399-2658.

games

CHESS CLUB: All ages and abilities face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

D&D & TTRPG GROUP: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games embark on a new adventure with a rotating cast of game masters. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 1-5 p.m. Free. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

LEARN TO PLAY MAH-JONGG: Expert tile trader Pauline Nolte leads players through the Chinese and American versions of the ancient game. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

health & fitness

BACH FLOWER ESSENCES & WELL-BEING: Participants learn more about a set of 38 tinctures that balance mental and emotional states, then make their own remedy to take home. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 426-3581.

lgbtq

BE MY HOT BUTTER VALENTINE: LGBTQ+ party people let loose to danceable cuts spinning late into the night. Flynn Space, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10. Info, 863-5966. FALL IN LOVE BALL: Allies and LGBTQ+ merrymakers gather for a night of glamor, dancing, tarot card readings and electrifying drag performances. Ages 18 and up. Caledonia Food Co-Op, St. Johnsbury, 8 p.m. $25. Info, 748-2600.

music

DOM FLEMONS: The Grammy Award-winning cofounder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops takes the stage with a repertoire spanning 100 years of American roots music. First Congregational Church, Lebanon, N.H., 7:30 p.m. $27. Info, 603-448-0400.

STARTS FEB. 16 | FOOD & DRINK

Season the Day

Welcome to Flavortown! Montpelier Restaurant Week — the Capital City’s inaugural nod to all things epicurean — spans the area’s many diverse cafés, bars and eateries. The toothsome event beckons both tourists and locals alike with tempting prix fixe menus, mouthwatering deals and culinary specials — good enough to make even Gordon Ramsay smile. From reliable staples such as Langdon Street Tavern to burgeoning bright spot Filibuster Restaurant & Bar, visitors find no shortage of options to choose from. After a veritable one-two punch dealt by COVID-19 and back-to-back summer floods, Montpelier continues to remind us of the indomitable strength and resilience of its community.

MONTPELIER RESTAURANT WEEK

Sunday, February 16, through Sunday, February 23, at various Montpelier locations. Price of food and drink. Info, 223-9604, montpelieralive.com.

RAMBLETREE: Come along for the craic! Local musicians Daniel Brown and Reagh Greenleaf Jr. play a dynamic mix of homegrown material, world music and Celtic folk tunes. O’Dwyer’s Public House, Killington, 6-9 p.m. Free. Info, 779-4114.

THE MAGNETICA: SATURDAY NIGHT SOUNDS: Listeners leave stress behind while experiencing the healing power of a sound machine built in Uruguay. The Magnetica Performance Space, Burlington, 6:307:30 p.m. $30. Info, events@ themagnetica.com.

TURNING TOWARD THE LIGHT: A HEALING CONCERT: Vermonters come together to enjoy a special evening of live music performances honoring Jenna Tatro’s legacy.

Jenna’s House, Johnson, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 343-8741.

VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: In “Modernism and the World of Yesterday,” Andrew Crust conducts the ensemble in two dazzling concertos with special guest pianist Sir Stephen Hough. The Flynn, Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $10-62. Info, 864-5741.

outdoors

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT AT THE MUSEUM: Avian enthusiasts congregate on museum grounds to observe our flying, feathered friends, then report their findings online. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $4.50-9; free for members. Info, 434-2167.

THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: See FRI.14.

québec

‘TITANIQUE’: See WED.12, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

seminars

MEDIA FACTORY ORIENTATION: Curious creatives and multimedia enthusiasts get a tour of the facilities and check out available gear. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES TO CONNECT WITH YOUR HIGHEST

SELF: Representatives from Eckankar in Vermont teach participants how to develop and deepen a conscious relationship with their spirits. Waterbury Municipal

Oysters on the half shell at Hugo's

Building, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 324-3551.

sports

HARRIS HILL SKI JUMP: Skiers from around the world compete to soar more than 300 feet off

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section. music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

the only Olympic-grade ski jump in New England. Harris Hill Ski Jump, Brattleboro, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $15-25; free for kids under 6. Info, info@harrishillskijump.com.

tech

PHONE & TECH SUPPORT: See FRI.14. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington.

GOOGLE WORKSPACE SERIES: Folks troubled by tech learn more about useful tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive and Google Calendar. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon1:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 865-7217.

theater

‘ANTIGONE’: See FRI.14.

‘KING JAMES’: See WED.12, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

NEW WORKS NOW: See FRI.14, 2 p.m.

‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’: See WED.12.

‘THE SCHOOL FOR LIES’: See FRI.14, 3-5 & 7:30-9:30 p.m.

‘TWELVE INSTALLATIONS’: See FRI.14.

‘WAKE UP, GLOUCESTER’: See FRI.14.

words

FRIENDS OF THE RUTLAND FREE LIBRARY BOOK SALE: See FRI.14.

MAGGIE HERSKOVITS: A Vermont educator and “horticulture therapist” launches her new book, An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees and Herbs in Your Path, with live music, tasty treats and activities. The Hive on Pine, Burlington, 4-6 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Info, 347-752-0619.

WRITE NOW!: Lit lovers of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 223-3338.

WRITERS’ WERTFREI: Authors both fledgling and published share their work in a nonjudgmental setting. Virtual option available. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

SUN.16 agriculture

NOFA-VT WINTER CONFERENCE: See SAT.15, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

community

HUMAN CONNECTION CIRCLE: Neighbors share stories from their lives and forge deep bonds. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister; limited space. Info, humanconnectioncircle@ gmail.com.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.12, 1-3 p.m.

dance

TWO-STEP DANCE: Happy feet learn how to Texas two-step and line dance, followed by an evening of salsa, cha-cha and beyond.

Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 5-8 p.m. $20. Info, 457-3500.

fairs & festivals

WHITE RIVER INDIE FILM FESTIVAL: See THU.13.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.13.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.13.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

PALESTINE ISRAEL FILM

FESTIVAL: Jewish Voice for Peace presents special back-to-back screenings of We Teach Life, Sir and Where Olive Trees Weep Savoy Theater, Montpelier, 4-6 p.m. $8.50-10.50. Info, 229-0598.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

food & drink

MONTPELIER RESTAURANT

WEEK: Gastronomes flock to the Capital City for a foodie-driven jubilee of local cafes, eateries and bars. See montpelieralive.com for full schedule. See calendar spotlight. Various Montpelier locations. Price of food and drink. Info, 223-9604.

VIRTUAL PASTA COOKING

CLASS: Cooks of all ages and abilities learn how to make delicious dishes that blend Italian tradition with fresh New England ingredients. Hosted by Trenchers Farmhouse. 5 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 650-224-5533.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.13, 1-4:30 p.m.

health & fitness

KARUNA COMMUNITY

MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, mollyzapp@live.com. NEW LEAF SANGHA

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: Newcomers and experienced meditators alike stretch their skills in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6:30-8:15 p.m. Free. Info, newleafsangha@gmail.com.

holidays

VALENTINE’S BRUNCH & SILENT

AUCTION: Neighbors enjoy a brimming buffet, live music by the Smokey Newfield Project and an auction to benefit People Helping People Global. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Jericho, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $5-50; free for kids under 3. Info, icgamm@gmail.com.

lgbtq

PRIDE SKI: Pride Center of Vermont and Audubon Vermont invite LGBTQ+ skiers and allies to enjoy a day of complimentary rentals and trail access. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

music

WESTFORD MUSIC SERIES:

AARON & ALARIA: A husbandand-wife duo performs popular, heartfelt songs celebrating love, arranged as acoustical duets. Westford Common Hall, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 734-8177.

THE MAGNETICA SOUND BATH: Audiences experience the healing power of a sound, light and music generator built in Uruguay. The Magnetica Performance Space, Burlington, 3-4 p.m. $30. Info, events@themagnetica.com.

NICK TOCCI & CLAIRE BLACK: A baritone vocalist and a pianist join forces for a rich program of works by Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss. Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington, 4 p.m. $10-25. Info, 864-0471.

PAUL MILLER & JESS O’BRIEN: Two musicians known for their seamless harmonies play original material, blues tunes and soul standards. Adamant Community Club, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 454-7103.

SPENCER LEWIS & PAPPY

BIONDO: Inimitable guitar picking and epic banjo riffs define this introspective, bluegrass-tinged performance. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 4-6 p.m. $20 suggested donation. Info, sixstrings22@gmail.com.

TOM MACKENZIE: In “Banjos and Dulcimer and Uke, Oh My,” a multi-instrumentalist and singer plays traditional tunes from New England, Canada, Appalachia and the British Isles. Adamant Community Club, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 454-7103.

outdoors

THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: See FRI.14.

WILDLIFE TRACKING CLUB: Naturalists teach trackers of all ages how to distinguish the snowy paw prints of Vermont mammals. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 229-6206.

politics

U.S. CONSTITUTION

DISCUSSION: University of Vermont political science professor Dr. Lisa Holmes moderates a thoughtful public chat about the written foundation of our federal government. Barnes & Noble, South Burlington, 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001. québec

‘TITANIQUE’: See WED.12, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

ANTARCTICA

sports

HARRIS HILL SKI JUMP: See SAT.15.

talks

DAVE BROWN: A local adventurer shares slides and tales from a 350-mile 1996 canoe trip along the northern coast of Labrador. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 7 p.m. Free. Info, director@ craftsburypubliclibrary.org.

DR. RICHARD BELL: A University of Maryland history professor illuminates the tragic life of Revolutionary War philosopher Thomas Paine. Hosted by Ethan Allen Homestead. 2-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, ethanallenhomestead@ gmail.com.

theater

‘ANTIGONE’: See FRI.14, 2-3:30 p.m.

‘KING JAMES’: See WED.12, 5 p.m.

NEW WORKS NOW: See FRI.14, 1 p.m.

‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’: See WED.12, 2 p.m.

‘TWELVE INSTALLATIONS’: See FRI.14, 3-5 p.m.

‘WAKE UP, GLOUCESTER’: See FRI.14, 2 p.m.

MON.17

crafts

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

HAND-STITCHING GROUP: Embroiderers, cross-stitchers and other needlework aficionados chat over their latest projects. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, northwaringa@ gmail.com.

dance

‘SWAN LAKE’: Grand Kyiv Ballet presents its rendition of the tragedy of Odette, Odile and Siegfried. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, 7 p.m. $39-69. Info, 728-9878.

WEST AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM CLASS: Participants learn songs, rhythms and movements to the beat of live music. Ages 13 and up. Wilson Hall, McCullough Student Center, Middlebury College, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 443-6433.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.13.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.13.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

FAMI LY FU N

upper valley

MAGIC OF MAPLE: Who could say no to sugar on snow? Families embark on an arctic adventure celebrating this delightful gift from trees. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $12-19; free for members and kids 2 and under. Info, 457-2355.

WINTER WILDLIFE CELEBRATION: Reptiles, raptors and reindeer, oh my! Curious families learn more about the many critters that call Vermont home. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $16.50-19.50; free for members and kids 3 and under. Info, 359-5000.

brattleboro/okemo valley

WINTER SUNSHINE SERIES: ‘THE AMAZING STORY MACHINE’: Doppelskope puppeteers mount a charming and interactive show with original music, fairy tales and lots of creativity. Sandglass Theater, Putney, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. $8-12. Info, 387-4051.

food & drink

MONTPELIER RESTAURANT WEEK: See SUN.16.

language

GERMAN LANGUAGE LUNCH:

Willkommen! Speakers of all experience levels brush up on conversational skills over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

lgbtq

BOARD GAME NIGHT: LGBTQ tabletop fans bring their own favorite games to the party. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 622-0692.

outdoors

THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT: See FRI.14.

seminars

PEER LEADER TRAINING: See THU.13. 1-3:30 p.m.

talks

DR. IOANA LITERAT: A Columbia University associate professor outlines the potential value of social media, both as a space for young people to experiment with their political voices and as a window into their minds. Axinn Center, Starr Library, Middlebury College, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 443-3190.

TUE.18

community

CURRENT EVENTS

DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6955.

dance

SWING DANCE PRACTICE

SESSION: All ages and experience levels shake a leg in this friendly, casual environment designed for learning. Bring clean shoes. Champlain Club, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8382.

etc.

LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST:

Locals connect with Vermont Law & Graduate School alumni over a continental spread to honor former state senator Dick McCormack’s outstanding service. Vermont Statehouse Cafeteria, Montpelier, 8-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 831-1000.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘ANIMAL KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.13.

‘ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.13.

‘BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

‘REMEMBER THE TITANS’: High school football and race take center stage in Boaz Yakin’s 2000 docudrama starring Denzel

SUN.16

chittenden county

SOCIAL SUNDAYS: Families participate in fun and educational art activities with diverse mediums and themes. All supplies and instruction provided. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-2014.

stowe/smuggs

VALENTINE’S FAMILY FUN DAY: Families enjoy a day filled with games, prizes and activities to benefit the Teddy Bear Project and support children affected by the California wildfires. 4 Sunset St., Stowe, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 578-6990.

mad river valley/ waterbury

CLAUDIA BEDRICK: The editor and art director of indie publisher Enchanted Lion Books reads Bruce Handy’s beautifully illustrated book There Was a Shadow, followed by a very special craft. Inklings Children’s Books, Waitsfield, 11 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 496-7280.

champlain islands/ northwest

GREAT ICE!: See FRI.14.

upper valley

MAGIC OF MAPLE: See SAT.15.

MON.17

burlington

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Bookworms ages 2 to 5 enjoy a fun-filled reading time. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TODDLER TIME: Little tykes ages 5 and under have a blast with songs, stories, rhymes and dancing. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

upper valley

MAGIC OF MAPLE: See SAT.15.

TUE.18

burlington

‘HARRIET THE SPY’: Very Merry Theatre’s talented performers in grades 4 through 6 present a musical adaptation of the popular children’s book. O.N.E. Community Center, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 355-1461.

Washington. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 864-7999.

‘T. REX: GREATEST OF ALL TYRANTS 3D’: See THU.13.

food &

drink

MONTPELIER RESTAURANT WEEK: See SUN.16.

games

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.13.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels and ages engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 862-5630.

language

FRENCH CONVERSATION GROUP: Francophones and language learners meet pour parler la belle langue. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

music

NEW ORLEANS SONGBOOK: Jazz at Lincoln Center brings the soul and spirit of Mardi Gras to

chittenden county

GMBA GROUP: Students in grades 9 to 12 swap thoughts about this month’s Green Mountain Book Award title. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.

RED CLOVER AWARD BOOK GROUP: Students in grades K to 4 gather to discuss two titles on the award list, followed by an activity. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.

STORY TIME: Youngsters ages birth to 5 enjoy a session of reading, rhyming and singing. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

TODDLER TIME: Wiggly wee ones ages 1 and up love this lively, interactive storybook experience featuring songs, rhymes and finger plays. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9:15-9:45 & 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

barre/montpelier

STORY TIME: See THU.13.

upper valley

MAGIC OF MAPLE: See SAT.15.

Vermont with a musical celebration of the Big Easy. Flynn Main Stage, Burlington, 7 p.m. $32.25. Info, 863-5966.

seminars

EMPOWERED AGING

SERIES: LOVE AT ANY AGE - ONLINE DATING TIPS: AARP Vermont hosts an informative workshop exploring the vital aspects of sexual health and intimacy, designed for individuals ages 50 and up. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, vt@aarp.org.

FINDING HOUSING WORKSHOP: Prospective renters learn how to build an apartment-search tool kit, presented by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 660-3455, ext. 205.

LIGHTENING THE LOAD: A clear space means a clear mind! Professional organizer Ellen Gurwitz teaches participants how to declutter with ease. Waterbury Public Library, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, judi@ waterburypubliclibrary.com.

PEER LEADER TRAINING: See THU.13.

VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: EXHIBITS — LABELS & PANELS: The Vermont Historical Society hosts a lunchtime exploration of best practices for creating exhibitions. Noon. Free; preregister. Info, 479-8500.

WED.19 burlington

‘HARRIET THE SPY’: See TUE.18.

STEAM SPACE: See WED.12.

TODDLER TIME: See WED.12.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: See WED.12.

GAME ON!: See WED.12.

KIDS PUZZLE SWAP: Participants leave completed kids’ puzzles (24 to 125 pieces only) in a ziplock bag with an image of the finished product, then find something new to take home. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 846-4140.

PLAYGROUP & STORY TIME: See WED.12.

mad river valley/ waterbury

TEEN HANGOUT: Middle and high schoolers make friends at a no-pressure meetup. Waterbury Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

upper valley

MAGIC OF MAPLE: See SAT.15. K

talks

SIGAL BEN-PORATH: The author of Cancel Wars examines free speech and campus politics in this year’s Burack Lecture. Memorial Lounge, Waterman Building, University of Vermont, Burlington, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Info, 656-3186.

CAITLIN CUSACK: A Vermont Land Trust forester outlines the many threats that require us to rethink conservation efforts in our region. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 229-6206. tech

FRENCH GOOGLE WORKSPACE SERIES: French-speaking folks troubled by tech learn more about useful tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive and Google Calendar. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-3403.

words

BURLINGTON

LITERATURE GROUP:

Bookworms analyze Nobel laureate Saul Bellow’s novels Henderson the Rain King and Herzog over the course of nine weeks. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Info, info@nereadersandwriters.com.

THE DEEP CUTS BOOK CLUB: Emma Kaas leads readers in a discussion about J. L. Carr’s overlooked classic from 1980, A Month in the Country. The Norwich Bookstore, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1114.

NOT THE END OF THE WORLD BOOK CLUB: Neighbors meet monthly for a thoughtful conversation about books on the environment and climate change. Tea and cookies provided. Virtual option available. Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister for Zoom link. Info, bshatara@ burlingtonvt.gov.

VIRTUAL WINTER BOOK

DISCUSSION GROUP: The Rokeby Museum hosts a chat about the 2019 graphic novel biography, The Life of Frederick Douglass. 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 877-3406.

WRITING CIRCLE: Words pour out when participants explore creative expression in a low-pressure environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 777-8691.

WED.19

activism

RECOVERY DAY: Neighbors unite for an annual advocacy celebration honoring the power of substance-use recovery. Capitol Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister. Info, 490-0532‬.

agriculture

SEED SAVING FOR BEGINNERS: Green thumbs learn tips and techniques for small-scale gardens, including how to select

varieties, understand pollination requirements and promote good seed set. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 863-3403.

business

QUEEN CITY BUSINESS NETWORKING INTERNATIONAL GROUP: See WED.12.

community

‘JOIN OR DIE’ SCREENING & MIXER: Vermont Public hosts a screening of Pete and Rebecca Davis’ highly acclaimed 2023 documentary, followed by a community-building social hour. Catamount Arts Center, St. Johnsbury, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, jvasquez@ vermontpublic.org.

crafts

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.12. etc.

CHAMP MASTERS

TOASTMASTER CLUB: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Dealer.com, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, champmasterstm@gmail.com.

TAYLOR SWIFT CLUB: A kids-only club opens its doors to grown-ups looking to join in on the fun, including themed activities and a discussion about what the iconic singer-songwriter means to them. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 3 p.m. Free. Info, director@ craftsburypubliclibrary.org.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FILM

SERIES: ‘THE POWER OF UTOPIA’: This captivating 2023 documentary follows famed architect Le Corbusier and his vision for the city of Chandigarh. Virtual option available. Burlington City Hall Auditorium, 6 p.m. Free. Info, adfilmseries@gmail.com.

food & drink

COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.12.

MONTPELIER RESTAURANT WEEK: See SUN.16.

games

CHESS CLUB: See WED.12.

health & fitness

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.12.

language

SPANISH CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their vocabulario with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, programs@damlvt.org.

music

FARMERS NIGHT: SHIDAA

PROJECTS: A collective of artists shares vibrant and exhilarating dances, drumming and other West African folk traditions. House Chamber, Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 262-2626.

ME2 CHORUS REHEARSAL: See WED.12.

seminars

MAKING MAGIC WITH COMPOSITION & LIGHTING:

Filmmakers move beyond the basics and learn how to frame shots, light subjects and incorporate camera movements. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister. Info, 651-9692.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE

TENNIS CLUB: See WED.12.

talks

JAMES LOCKRIDGE: A Big Heavy World cofounder shares historic and current examples of how the arts can invite change into communities. Presented by Brooks Memorial Library. 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 262-2626.

ALEXIS MYCHAJLIW & MAX

ZELTSAR: A Middlebury College biology professor and her assistant present on their camera tracking methodology used for documenting large animals crossing town roads. New Haven Town Hall, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 363-4789.

words

NOONTIME POETRY READING

SOCIETY: See WED.12. ➆

FOMO?

Find even more local events in this newspaper and online: art

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film

See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife

Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT

= GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

classes

THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID

ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS FOR AS LITTLE AS $16.75/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE). SUBMIT YOUR CLASS AD AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS.

aromatherapy

BOTANICAL PERFUME BLENDING

BAR: Celebrate Galentine’s Day with your favorite people by learning to blend botanics. Join Bloom Lab for this special event and leave with a 1-ounce bottle of eau de parfum, blended to suit your unique style. u., Feb. 20, 5:30-8 p.m. Cost: $50. Location: Cheeks Luxury Skin Clinic, 34 Blair Park Rd., Williston. Info: 355-3336, sevendaystickets.com.

culinary

GALENTINE’S DAY

COOKIE DECORATING

CLASS: Spend an evening decorating “Galentine’s”-themed confections. Learn the importance of icing consistency, how to outline and ﬂood cookies,

and how to add layers and dimension to your pastry. u., Feb. 13, 6-8 p.m. Cost: $75. Location: Queen City Brewery, 703 B Pine St., Burlington. Info: 914-610-5275, sevendays tickets.com.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Got junior chefs at home? Let them ﬂex their cooking skills. Taco Tuesday’s class includes beef tacos, beans and rice, and tasty salsa, while ursday’s baking bonanza features apple turnovers, fudgy brownie cups, and one or two other delicious delights. Tue., Feb. 18, or u., Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Cost: $45. Location: e Kitchen at Mission Farm, 367 Mission Farm Rd., Killington. Info: 265-1857, sevendaystickets. com.

VALENTINE’S

COOKING CLASS:

Ditch the overpriced chocolates and ﬂowers and do something different this Valentine’s Day. Join us to create a fabulous meal, meet nice people and enjoy a fun night out. We’ll cook, we’ll laugh, we’ll eat. Bring a friend, bring your mom or bring your favorite someone. Fri., Feb. 14, 6-9 p.m. Cost: $175. Location: e Kitchen at Mission Farm, 367 Mission Farm Rd., Killington. Info: 265-1857, sevendaystickets.com.

design/build

WOODWORKING CLASSES: Learn furniture making, skin-on-frame canoe building and more with

Timothy Clark, cabinetmaker and chairwright, at his workshop in Waltham, Vt. (on the south side of Vergennes). Classes include Making Hand-Cut Dovetails, Introduction to Chair Making and Build an Ultra-Light Solo Skin-on-Frame Canoe. Weekend or full-week classes, usually 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with some shorter sessions. Cost: generally $200/ day. Location: 2111 Green St., Waltham. Info: 989-3204, tim@ timothyclark.com, timothyclark. com/classeshome.html.

language

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE SPRING SESSION: e Alliance Française

of the Lake Champlain Region is offering a new series of French classes for adults from beginner through advanced levels. e spring session begins on Mar. 17. Registration is open now! Specific class offerings may be found at the Alliance Française website. Location: 43 King St., Burlington or on Zoom. Info: Marc Juneau, education@aflcr. org, aflcr.org.

martial arts

AIKIDO: THE POWER OF HARMONY: Cultivate core power, aerobic ﬁtness and resiliency. e dynamic, circular

movements emphasize throws, joint locks and the development of internal energy. Join our community and ﬁnd resiliency, power and grace. Inclusive training, gender-neutral dressing room/ bathrooms and a safe space for all. Visitors are always welcome to watch a class! Vermont’s only intensive aikido programs. Membership rates incl. unlimited classes 6 days/week. Contact us for info about membership rates for adults, youths & families. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: Benjamin Pincus, 951-8900, bpincus@ burlingtonaikido.org, burlingtonaikido.org.

metals

INTRO TO WELDING

FABRICATION: e course will cover welding of carbon steel using oxyacetylene torches, SMAW (arc or stick welding), GMAW (MIG or wirefeed welding), and GTAW (TIG welding). Oxy-fuel cutting and plasma cutting will also be introduced. Weld a small project of your own during the class. Every Mon. starting Mar. 10, 5:308 p.m. Cost: $375 for 5 sessions. Location: CVU High School, 369 CVU Rd., Hinesburg. Info: ACCESS CVU, 482-7194, access@cvsdvt. org, cvsdvt.ce.eleyo.com.

I’M STILL AVAILABLE!

Whiskey

AGE/SEX: 6-year-old neutered male

ARRIVAL DATE: December 7, 2024

SUMMARY: Whiskey is a sweet, soulful pup who is still searching for a place to call home. Whiskey is a true Velcro dog with a heart of gold – he loves being close to his favorite people and will always want to stick by your side. With a little patience and understanding, Whiskey will quickly become your loyal and loving companion. Could Whiskey be your new best friend? Visit him at HSCC to find out!

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Whiskey enjoys the company of other dogs. He has lived with cats in a previous home and tolerated their company. Whiskey may be most successful in a home with teens and adults.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. or Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

If you’re wondering how long it usually takes for a dog to adjust to a new home, follow the “Rule of rees”: three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine and three months to feel at home.

Humane Society of Chittenden County

Sponsored by:

CLASSIFIEDS

on the road

CARS/TRUCKS

2024 FORD MAVERICK XLT in terrain w/ sunroof, EcoBoost, AWD, 4K towing package. 1,600 miles. $38,150. Please have your ﬁ nancing in place. Located in southern Rutland County. Call 518-364-3786 or email jettaguy2@aol.com.

housing FOR RENT

ROOMY 3-BR & 2-BR

AVAIL. NOW

Heated, extra roomy 3-BR, now $1,700 + utils. Heated 2-BR, now $1,500. Call Joe at 802-318-8916.

HOUSEMATES

HOMESHARE & GREAT HIKING

Share spacious, countrystyle home in Middlesex near hiking trails. Share large kitchen, laundry room, BA. Older resident cat; other pets considered. Looking for assistance w/ light cleaning & outdoor chores. $650/mo. + $100 for plowing, utils. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application. Interview, refs., background checks req. EHO.

CLASSIFIEDS KEY

DR dining room DW dishwasher

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, handicap, presence of minor children in the family or receipt of public assistance, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. Our

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

ser vices

AUTO

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY

Running or not! Fast, free pickup. Maximum tax deduction. Support Patriotic Hearts. Your car donation helps veterans! Call 1-866559-9123. (AAN CAN)

OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE?

A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save. Call now for a no-obligation quote: 1-866-472-8309. (AAN CAN)

COUNSELING

TIRED OF THERAPY FOR YEARS?

Rapid Transformational erapy often brings major relief in 1 to 3 sessions. Upgrade your brain, upgrade your life! New Year’s special: $250. Info, sandimeyler. com, 802-878-5169.

HEALTH/ WELLNESS

BIO HACK WELLNESS 2025! You upgrade & update devices. What about your brain? Rapid Transformational erapy frees us from land mines in our heads! Interested? New Year’s special: $250. Info, 802878-5169, sandimeyler. com.

readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels he or she has encountered discrimination should contact: HUD Ofﬁce of Fair Housing 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 (617) 565-5309 — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 1-800-416-2010 hrc@vermont.gov

services: $12 (25 words) fsbos: $45 (2 weeks, 30 words, photo) jobs: michelle@sevendaysvt.com, 865-1020 x121

ASIAN RESTAURANT/GROCERY

HOME/GARDEN

AGING ROOF? NEW

HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind its work. Fast, free estimate. Financing avail. Call 1-888-292-8225. Have the zip code of the property ready when calling! (AAN CAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

In as little as 1 day! Affordable prices. No payments for 18 mos. Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts avail. Call 1-866-370-2939. (AAN CAN)

DEREKCO LLC

DerekCo Carpentry & Excavating has all of your carpentry & excavating needs covered! Visit our website & contact us for a free estimate. Info, 802-310-4090, derek@ derekco.com, derekco. com.

NEED NEW WINDOWS? Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energyefﬁ cient windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & free quote today. 1-877248-9944. You will be asked for the zip code of the property when connecting. (AAN CAN)

PEST CONTROL

Protect your home from pests safely & affordably. Roaches, bedbugs, rodents, termites, spiders & other pests. Locally owned & affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-237-1199. (AAN CAN)

WATER DAMAGE

CLEANUP & RESTORATION

A small amount of water can lead to major damage & mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to

print deadline: Mondays at 3:30 p.m. post ads online 24/7 at: sevendaysvt.com/classiﬁeds

FSBO $39,000. Well-established ramen restaurant on Route 302. Everything included upon purchase. Staff willing to train new owners. Plenty of opportunity to expand cuisine options, grocery section, and more! Serious inquiries only. Contact (802)

protect your family & your home’s value! Call 24-7: 1-888-290-2264. Have zip code of service location ready when you call! (AAN CAN)

MOVING/HAULING

MARKOSKI’S MOVE & HAUL

Markoski’s has established a local reputation for being a team of friendly professionals who treat their customers like family. Based out of Chittenden County, we go across Vermont & out of state. Contact Rick at rickmarkoski@gmail. com, & please browse

our reviews & jobs on Facebook & Front Porch Forum.

Montpelier Rd., Route 14, Barre. Early buyers $5, 8 a.m.; general $2, 9 a.m. Vendors offering antique, midcentury & vintage toys, advertising, clothing, glassware, furniture, tools, jewelry, postcards, early American, paintings, militaria & much more. Call Don Willis Antiques for info:802-751-6138, montpelierantiques market.com.

WANT TO BUY

PAYING TOP CASH FOR MEN’S SPORT WATCHES Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner & Speedmaster. Call 888-320-1052. (AAN CAN)

PORSCHE WANTED Old & rusty OK! Don’t ship to Germany; keep in Vermont! I’ll buy anything & restore. Parts, panels, engines, cars. Any year, 1950-1998. Contact 802-391-0882.

ANTIQUES MARKET Sundays Feb. 23, Mar. 9 & 23, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at Canadian Club, 414 East

TOP CASH PAID FOR OLD GUITARS 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch,

Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromber + Gibson mandolins & banjos. Call 877-589-0747. (AAN CAN)

INSTRUCTION

GUITAR INSTRUCTION All styles/levels. Emphasis on building strong technique, thorough musicianship, developing personal style. Paul Asbell (Big Joe Burrell, Kilimanjaro, UVM & Middlebury College faculty). 233-7731, pasbell@ paulasbell.com.

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

Show and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

Complete the following puzzle by using the numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

Open 24/7/365. Post & browse ads at your convenience. Extra! Extra! There’s no limit to ad length online.

WANT MORE PUZZLES?

Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test. NEW ON FRIDAYS:

CALCOKU BY JOSH

REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

SUDOKU BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers one to nine. The same numbers cannot be repeated in a row or column.

ANSWERS ON P.76

ANSWERS ON P. 76 » TYKES IN THE SADDLE

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C0069-7C,4C0680-7E 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C0069-7C,4C0680-7E from Milton Shopping Center, LLC, Attn: Ernest Pomerleau, P.O. Box 6, Burlington, VT 05402 was received on January 14, 2025 and deemed complete on February 3, 2025. The project is generally described as modification of the existing Milton Shopping Center parking lot to accommodate a relocation of the drive access at US Route 7 in coordination with VTrans Project STP 5800(3), which involves relocating the adjacent signalized intersection within the Route 7 right-of-way. The project is located at 193-207 US Route 7 in Milton, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0069-7C,4C0680-7E.”

No hearing will be held and a permit will be issued unless, on or before February 25, 2025, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this February 4, 2025.

By:Stephanie H. Monaghan

District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452

802-261-1944

stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

THE CONTENTS OF STORAGE UNIT 01-04443,

Located at 28 Adams Drive Williston, VT, 05495

Will be sold on or about the 20th of February, 2025 to satisfy the debt of Susan Waters Any person claiming a right to the goods may pay the amount claimed due and reasonable expenses before the sale, in which case the sale may not occur.

TOWN OF BOLTON PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE AND AGENDA FOR HYBRID MEETING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025 6:00 PM

The Planning Commission for the Town of Bolton will meet at the Bolton Town Office, 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Highway, in Bolton, on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will also be accessible remotely by electronic means.

Topic: Planning Commission Hybrid Meeting Town of Bolton is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Time: February 18, 2025 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/86860743687?pwd=HM1eiu o96yQVHek6TgiIzJ4dhWE84A.1 Meeting ID: 868 6074 3687

Passcode: 439568

One tap mobile +13126266799,,86860743687#,,,,* 439568# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,86860743 687#,,,,*439568# US (New York) Meeting ID: 868 6074 3687

Passcode: 439568

1. Call to Order

2. Additions/Deletions to Agenda

3. Public Comment

4. Approval of Past Minutes

5. General Business

•Municipal Planning Grant (MPG Grant)

•Bolton Valley Access Road

•Review Town Plan

•Act 181

6. Other Business

•Next PC Meeting – March 18, 2025

•Identify Next Agenda

7. Zoning Administrator Update

8. Other Communications

9. Adjournment

TOWN OF ESSEX NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CODE OF ETHICS INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE

FEBRUARY 24, 2025, 6:35 PM

The Selectboard of the Town of Essex, Vermont hereby gives notice that a public hearing to consider final passage of Chapter 1.05 Code of Ethics Investigation and Enforcement Ordinance, a new provision to Title 1 of the Essex Municipal Code. The hearing will be held in person and online via Zoom:

•Monday, February 24, 2025, 6:35 PM at the Town Offices at 81 Main St., Essex Junction and online or by telephone (dial (888) 788-0099 and enter meeting ID: 98785691140, passcode: 032060

CONCISE SUMMARY

The Selectboard of the Town of Essex hereby ordains changes to the Municipal Ordinance, Title 1, General Provisions. The purpose of the Ordinance is to enact procedures for the investigation of complaints that allege a municipal officer has violated Vermont’s Municipal Code of Ethics and the enforcement in instances of substantiated complaints, including methods of enforcement and available remedies.

The full text of the Ordinance may be viewed on the Town of Essex website at www.essexvt.org and examined at the Town of Essex Town Office at 81 Main Street, Essex Junction, Vermont and may be examined during regular office hours.

CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO PETITION FOR VOTE

Title 24 V.S.A. § 1973 grants citizens the right to petition for a vote at a special or annual Town Meeting to disapprove ordinances adopted by the Selectboard. To exercise this right, citizens must present to the Selectboard or the Town Clerk a petition for a vote on the question of disapproving the ordinance signed by not less than five

percent (5%) of the Town’s qualified voters. The petition must be presented within forty-four (44) days following the date of the adoption by the Selectboard.

PERSON TO CONTACT

Additional information pertaining to this Ordinance may be obtained by contacting Town Manager Greg Duggan at 81 Main Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452 or by calling (802) 878-1341 during regular office hours.

Posted at: Essex Town Office, Essex Free Library, Essex Public Works, Essex Experience kiosk,Essex Discount Beverage, Essex Post Office, and Town Website, essexvt.org.

TOWN OF BOLTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

The DRB for the Town of Bolton will meet at 3045 Theodore Roosevelt Hwy on February 27, 2025. The meeting will commence at 6:30pm at the Bolton Clerks’ Office. The meeting will also be accessible remotely by electronic means. Please join the meeting on your computer, tablet or smart phone:

Town of Bolton is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Development Review Board

Time: February 27, 2025 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83258861181?pwd=V 4KEtGB6vajh0DTgnf9SM32PUKuyfn.1 Meeting ID: 832 5886 1181 Passcode: 886124

One tap mobile +13126266799,,83258861181#,,,,*886124# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,83258861181#,,,,*886124# US (New York)

6:30 PM Introductions, Adjustments to Agenda & Public Comment 6:35 PM Warned Public Hearings: 6:35 PM 2024-16-DRB; FINAL SUBDIVISION REVIEW Applicant & Property Owner: James, Kim & Jacob Kilpeck; 895 Duxbury Road., A three-lot subdivision. (Parcel #1-036.000) 7:00 PM 2024-15-DRB; FINAL MAJOR SUBDIVISION REVIEW Applicant & Property Owner: Bolton Valley Resort, 4302 Bolton Valley Access Road. A five-lot Planned Unit Development Major Subdivision with a total of 48 residential units. 8:00 PM Zoning Administrator Report 8:40 PM Meeting Minutes: Review & approve draft minutes January 23, 2025. 8:45 PM Adjourn

Spencer Nowak, DRB Chair

Please Note: Application materials for items on this agenda can be reviewed in advance of the meeting upon request. To obtain a copy of these materials via email, contact Zoning Administrator Kelly Diglio: phone (802) 434-3064 x225 or via email at: zoningbolton@gmavt.net.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS: TOWN OF COLCHESTER LINE STRIPING 2025

The Town is requesting separate sealed bids for roadway line striping of various roads around Town. The scope of work includes a combination of line striping of the centerline and edgeline for a combined total of 469,140 linear feet. Work to be performed in accordance with the technical specifications provided in the Appendix, and the Town of Colchester Department of Public Works Specifications and Standards, effective date of August 17, 2022. All work for this project must be completed by Friday, June 20, 2025.

Questions related to the bid package are due to Lea Sanguinetti in writing by Monday, February 24, 2025. Bids will be received by Randy Alemy, DPW Senior Operations Manager at the Town of Colchester, 781 Blakely Road, Colchester, VT 05446 until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025 and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.

Each BID must be accompanied by a certified check payable to the OWNER for five percent (5%) of the total amount of the BID. A BID bond may be used in lieu of a certified check.

All bidders must notify Randy Alemy on their intent to bid so they can be placed on a Bidders List to receive any issued addenda or other pertinent information. Please notify the Town if email is not an acceptable method for receiving information and provide alternate means of contact. Please contact Randy Alemy at ralemy@ colchestervt.gov.

For the complete Bid & Contract Documents, please visit the Town website at: https://www. colchestervt.gov/bids.aspx

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Cathedral Square and Evernorth are requesting construction management firms to submit proposals for the renovation of an 8-unit building and new construction of a 16-unit building for senior housing accommodation, on one site, located in Grand Isle, Vermont. Construction Management firms must have comparable experience with new construction of senior living and multi-family housing and a bonding capacity of at least $9,000,000. For additional information or to arrange a site visit, contact Jack Turvey at Evernorth at jturvey@evernorthus.org or 802-330-1717. Site visits are mandatory for those wishing to submit a proposal. Completed qualifications are due by Friday, February 28th, 2025, at 12pm. Davis Bacon residential wage rates will apply. Minority-owned, women-owned, locallyowned and Section 3 businesses are strongly encouraged to respond.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT

PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT

DOCKET NO.: 25-PR-00005

In re ESTATE of Margo Yeadon

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of: Margo Yeadon, late of Winooski, Vermont

I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: February 2, 2025

Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ John J. Mahoney

Executor/Administrator: John J. Mahoney, PO Box 24, Essex Junction, VT 05453 Phone: 802-288-9088 Email: john@normansmithlaw.com

Name of Publication: Seven Days

Publication Date: 02/12/2025

Name of Probate Court: State of VermontChittenden Probate Division

Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2025 AT 9:00 AM

Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on February 27, 2025 at 9am EST at 205 Route 4A West, Castleton, VT 05735 (units C9, C138), 130 Taconic Business Park, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (unit M229) 3466 Richville Road, Manchester Center, VT 05255 (unit 63), 1124 Charlestown Road, Springfield, VT 05156 (Unit S58) and online at www.storagetreasures. com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien

and tell. View and post up to 6 photos per ad online.

Unit # Name Contents

C9 Tyrone English Household Goods

C138 Devin Bruno Household Goods

M229 John Wellenius Household Goods

63 Adam Conklin Household Goods

S58 Kayla Malcolm Household Goods

IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098:

Storage Units 3905. Enforcement of Lien, Champlain Valley Self Storage, LLC shall host a private auction of the following units on or after 3/1/25:

Location: 2211 Main St. Colchester, VT

Contents: household goods

Brandie Bessette: # 824

Location: 485 Nokian Tyres Dr. Colchester, VT

Felicia Hanvey: #2142

Paris Laplant: #2067

Location: 78 Lincoln St. Essex Jct, VT

Steven Vanzandt: #030

Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT

CHITTENDEN UNIT FAMILY DIVISION

DOCKET NO. 23-JV-1055

In Re: K.D.

NOTICE OF HEARING

TO: Patrick Johnson, Kazmere Wilkerson, and any other male who may be the biological Father of K.D., born on 8/4/2023, to Stephanie Duval, you are hereby notified that a hearing to terminate the parental rights of the unknown father of K.D. will be held on March 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Family Division, at 32 Cherry Street, Suite 200, Burlington, Vermont 05401. You are notified to appear in connection with this case. Failure to appear at this hearing may result in a termination of your parental rights to K.D.. The State is represented by the Attorney General’s Office, HC 2 North, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671-2080.

Kate Gallagher Superior Court Judge 2/4/2025

WARNING ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025, 7:00 PM

VOTE BY AUSTRALIAN BALLOT

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM COLCHESTER, VERMONT

The legal voters of the Town of Colchester, Vermont are notified and warned to meet at the Colchester High School Auditorium, Laker Lane, in said Town on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM to act on the following articles not involving voting by Australian ballot (Articles 1-5):

ARTICLE 1

To choose a moderator, if elected moderator is not present.

ARTICLE 2

To act on reports of the Town Officers.

ARTICLE 3

To set compensation, if any, to be paid to the Selectboard.

ARTICLE 4

To transact any other business proper to come before said meeting.

ARTICLE 5

To adjourn said meeting and to reconvene at the Colchester High School, Laker Lane, in said Town on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, for voters in District 19 and District 20 to vote for Town Officers and to transact any other business involving voting by Australian Ballot with voting to begin at 7:00 a.m. and to close at 7:00 p.m. (Early voting information below.)

ARTICLE 6 - Town Municipal Services Budget

“Shall the voters of the Town of Colchester approve total general fund expenditures of Sixteen Million, Nine Hundred Thirty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred Ninety-Three Dollars ($16,936,693) of

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

which Fourteen Million, Two Hundred Forty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred Thirty-Nine Dollars ($14,248,439) shall be raised by taxes and Two Million, Six Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand, Two Hundred Fifty-Three Dollars ($2,688,253) by non-tax revenues for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026?”

ARTICLE 7 - Technology Capital Plan

“Shall the Town of Colchester reauthorize the Selectboard to maintain a reserve fund accumulating annually in the amount of Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000) for a period of five years, for the purpose of financing technology replacements and upgrades?”

ARTICLE 8 – Communications Capital Plan

“Shall the voters of the Town of Colchester reauthorize the Selectboard to maintain a reserve fund accumulating annually in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars ($25,500) for a period of five years, for the purpose of financing telephone and radio replacements and upgrades?”

Early/Absentee Voting: You may request a ballot be mailed to you through the Vermont’s Voter Registration system at “My Voter Page” at https:// mvp.vermont.gov/, pick one up at the Town Clerk’s Office, or request one by phone to the Town Clerk’s Office at (802) 264-5520. Completed ballots can be deposited into the drive up drop box or mailed using the provided return envelope. If mailing, be sure to allow time for postal transit! Ballots must be received in the Town Clerk’s Office by 12:00 PM or Drop Box by 4:30 PM on Monday, March 3, 2025 or brought to the polling location at Colchester High School on Election Day, March 4, 2025.

Dated at Colchester this 14th Day of January 2025 Colchester Select Board Town Clerk

CITY OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT

NOTICE OF VOTE TO INCUR A BONDED DEBT

The legal voters of the City of Burlington, Vermont are hereby notified and warned to come and vote at the Annual City Meeting on: Tuesday, the 4th day of March, 2025

between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in their respective wards, at the voting places hereinafter named, for the following purposes:

To vote upon three bonding articles placed on the ballot by request of the City Council by resolutions duly adopted and approved, said articles being as follows:

PLEDGING THE CREDIT OF THE CITY TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE CITY’S FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN

“Shall the City Council be authorized to issue general obligation bonds or notes in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Twenty Million dollars and 00/100 ($20,000,000.00) to be borrowed in increments between Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2028 for the purpose of funding capital improvement infrastructure projects of the City and its departments in furtherance of the City’s 5-Year Capital Plan?”

ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS FOR WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER UTILITY PROJECTS

“Shall the City be authorized to issue revenue bonds or notes in one or more series, in a principal amount not to exceed $152,000,000 in the aggregate, to be issued pursuant to the City Charter and subchapter 2 of Chapter 53 of Title 24, Vermont Statutes annotated, on behalf of the Water Resources Division of the Department of Public Works and payable only by the net revenues of the wastewater system and stormwater system, as may be determined by the City Council, for the purpose of paying for (i) capital additions and improvements to the City’s wastewater and stormwater systems, including the City’s wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and collection system, the stormwater treatment and collection system, combined sewer overflow mitigation projects, stormwater outfall

rehabilitation, and (ii) funding a debt service reserve fund and paying costs of issuance?”

Estimated total Project Costs for Wastewater System: $138,000,000

Estimated total Project Costs for Stormwater System: $14,000,000

City Share of Total Costs: $152,000,000

ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS FOR DRINKING WATER UTILITY PROJECTS

“Shall the City be authorized to issue revenue bonds or notes in one or more series, in a principal amount not to exceed $20,000,000, to be issued pursuant to the City Charter and subchapter 2 of Chapter 53 of Title 24, Vermont Statutes annotated, on behalf of the Water Resources Division of the Department of Public Works and payable only by the net revenues of the waterworks system for the purpose of (i) paying for capital additions and improvements to the waterworks system, including the City’s drinking water reservoir and pump station, the drinking water treatment plant, underground pipe and water distribution system, and (ii) to fund debt service reserve funds and pay costs of issuance?”

Estimated total Project Cost: $ 20,000,000 City Share of Costs: $20,000,000

The following are designated as polling places:

Ward One/East District: Mater Christi School, 50 Mansfield Ave.

Ward Two/Central District: O.N.E. Community Center, 20 Allen St.

Ward Three/Central District: Sustainability Academy, 123 North St.

Ward Four/North District: Elks Lodge, 925 North Ave.

Ward Five/South District: Burlington Electric Department, 585 Pine St.

Ward Six/South District: Edmunds Elementary School, 275 Main St.

Ward Seven/North District: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, 130 Gosse Ct. Ward Eight/East District: Fletcher Free Library, 235 College St.

The polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Mayor

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C1144-7B

10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C1144-7B from Camp Holdings, LLC, 78 Precast Road, Milton, VT 05468 and was received on January 31, 2025 and deemed complete on February 5, 2025. The project is generally described as review of a previously approved project under LUP 4C1144-7 and 4C1144-7A where the construction deadline expired. The project includes construction of a 4,800 square foot warehouse in the location of a former single-family home (demolished and removed) at 3 Precast Road in Milton, Vermont. This warehouse will include a gravel access drive, parking area, floor drain, oil/water/grit separator tank, infiltrating dry swales and landscaping. The project parcel also includes an existing commercial building located at 19 Precast Road. The project is located at 3 Precast Road in Milton, Vermont.

The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont. gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1144-7B.”

Legal Notices

a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this February 7, 2025.

By: Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944

stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION

4C0611-6

10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C0611-6 from Cornerstone Commons Condominium Association, 10 Kellogg Road Unit 112, Essex, VT 05452 and The Lofts Essex, LLC, 10 Kellogg Road Suite 110, Essex, VT 05452 was received on February 4, 2025 and deemed complete on February 7, 2025. The project specifically authorizes modifications to the Cornerstone Commons parcel located at 10 Kellogg Road, including the removal of 0.13 acres of impervious surface, for a new total of 2.98 acres of impervious surface on the Project Tract. Portions of the existing parking area will be replaced with pervious geogrid surface. The Lofts Essex, LLC are co-permittees since they share a State Stormwater Permit with Cornerstone Commons. However, no physical improvements are proposed on The Lofts Essex, LLC parcel. The project is located at 10 Kellogg Road & 42 Susie Wilson Road in the Town of Essex, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0611-6.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before February 28, 2025, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https:// act250.vermont.gov/documents/party-statuspetition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this February 7, 2025.

By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes

Kaitlin Hayes District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084 kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C0576-7 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C0576-7 from Ranger Industrial Park, LLC, PO Box 96, Colchester, VT 05446 was received on January 27, 2025 and deemed complete on February 4, 2025. The project involves retrofitting an existing infiltration basin with a new

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

pretreatment forebay and installing new two-footwide stone diaphragms along the edges of existing gravel areas as part of the 3-Acre Stormwater Permit for Ranger Industrial Park.

The project is located at 1607 Mallets Bay Ave in Colchester, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0576-7.”

For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this February 7, 2025. By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes Kaitlin Hayes District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084 kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

ACT 250 NOTICE

MINOR APPLICATION 4C1308-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111

Application 4C1308-1 from Rovers North, Inc., 1319 VT Route 128, Westford, VT 05494; Mark J. Letorney Revocable Trust, 1319 VT Route 128, Westford, VT 05494; and Andrea N. Letorney Revocable Trust, 1319 VT Route 128, Westford, VT 05494 was received on January 23, 2025 and deemed complete on February 3, 2025. The project is generally described as construction of a 70’ x 115’ shipping and receiving building with a break room and rest room, along with associated access/parking & utilities infrastructure. The proposed building will be served by an on-site mound wastewater disposal system and a non-transient non-community (NTNC) public water supply to allow for a total of 50 employees. The project is located at 1319 VT Route 128 in Westford, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1308-1.”

No hearing will be held and a permit will be issued unless, on or before February 28, 2025, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https:// act250.vermont.gov/documents/party-statuspetition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number

below.

Dated this February 10, 2025. By:Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

TOWN OF JERICHO INFORMATION PUBLIC HEARING ON FY 26 BUDGET

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM, the Town of Jericho Selectboard will hold a public hearing on the proposed FY 2026 Budget. The hearing will take place at the Jericho Town Hall, located at 67 VT Route 15, Jericho, Vermont. The public is encouraged to attend and participate in the review of the proposed budget. Copies of the budget are available from the Town Administrator’s office between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM or can be accessed online at www.jerichovt.org. The Zoom link is below.

Topic: Jericho Selectboard Meeting Time: Feb 20, 2025 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89134741571?pwd=YQn DDXnPoHZJ7q76u2AJX6N3iMF0uk.1 Meeting ID: 891 3474 1571

Passcode: 419831

TOWN OF RICHMOND PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §§4441 (D) and §4444 (A)(B), the Town of Richmond Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 7:00 pm, in the Richmond Town Center meeting room at 203 Bridge Street to receive comment regarding a proposed Zoning Amendment:

PURPOSE: The purpose is to modify the Richmond Zoning Regulations (RZR) to include revisions to §3.9, the Jolina Court Zoning District, §5.12, Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Residential PUD, and the introduction of new sections §6.15, Residential Density Bonus Plan and §6.16, Affordable Housing.

GEOGRAPHIC AREA AFFECTED: All parcels within the Jolina Court District and all parcels in the Town of Richmond that are eligible to utilize the new §6.15 Residential Density Bonus Plan and §6.16, Affordable Housing. Change to §5.12, Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Residential PUD is relegated to the Jolina Court District (JC0013, JC0074) and is focused on the removal of commercial requirements for buildings not fronting on Bridge Street.

SECTION HEADINGS: The following sections are proposed to be amended or added: §3.9, Jolina Court District, §5.12 Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Residential PUD, and newly added §6.15, Residential Density Bonus Plan, §6.16, Affordable Housing.

The full text and maps of the proposed zoning amendment are available for inspection at the Richmond Town Center Offices at 203 Bridge Street between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Thursday starting 2/14/2025. For more information, please contact the Richmond Planning/Zoning Office at 802-336-2289 or koborne@richmondvt.gov

INVITATION TO BID

Greenprint Partners, acting as Project Manager, seeks qualified contractors for multiple Vermont Schools Green Infrastructure Stormwater Improvements for the locations listed below. Federal Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Minority-Owned contractors and suppliers, and Small Businesses are strongly encouraged to submit a bid proposal.

Project Description: The project consists of stormwater improvements at various schools to meet the Vermont Stormwater Rules. Locations of the work are as follows:

Bid Opening March 11, 2025

• Vergennes Union High School –

50 Monkton Road, Vergennes, VT

• Barre City Elementary & Middle School –

50 Parkside Terrace, Barre VT

• Champlain Elementary School –800 Pine Street, Burlington, VT

• JJ Flynn Elementary School –1645 North Avenue, Burlington, VT

Bid Opening March 12, 2025

• Mount Abraham Union High School –220 Airport Drive, Bristol, VT

• North Country Union Junior High School –57 Junior High Drive, Derby, VT

• Orchard School –

2 Baldwin Avenue, South Burlington, VT

Schedule: Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2025 and be substantially completed by September 2025.

The construction work involves installing various stormwater improvements, including, but not limited to, wetland creation, underground storage facilities, disconnection areas, dry wells, storm sewers, paving, erosion control, and landscaping, depending on the location.

These projects are subject to Davis Bacon wage rates compliance and with Build America Buy America provisions.

Any interested subcontractors and suppliers should visit the following website after February 10, 2025, for information on obtaining bidding documents: www.questcdn.com under Greenprint Partners or https://www.greenprintpartners.com/resources and click on Bidding opportunities.

For additional information, please send an email to the construction project manager: Hkillian@ greenprintpartners.com

EARLY NOTICE AND PUBLIC REVIEW OF A PROPOSED ACTIVITY IN A FEDERAL FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT STANDARD DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN

To: All interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals

This is to give notice that Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (“the Agency”) under 24 CFR Part 58, has determined that the following proposed action under FY2023 HUDEDI 2025-068-001 is located in the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) floodplain, and the Agency will be identifying and evaluating practicable alternatives to locating the action within the floodplain and the potential impacts on the floodplain from the proposed action, as required by Executive Order 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690 and in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands. The proposed project location is 94 Third St in Berlin, Washington County, Vermont. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain was determined using a freeboard value approach.

Weston’s Mobile Home Cooperative is an 83-lot affordable housing source on 29.57 acres of land. The project involves installing new storm water infrastructure to comply Vermont’s new “threeacre” permit rule per 10 V.S.A Chapter 47. In addition, the project involves replacing the community’s water distribution system, which has surpassed its useful lifespan and is starting to fail. Included in this work will be upgrading its water treatment and pressurizing equipment so that adequate system pressure can be provided to all of the community’s households, as well as retrofitting its water treatment building which houses this equipment so that the new system components are raised an additional 9” above base flood elevation.

Approximately 22.75 acres of the Weston property contains 71 homes that are located is located on the FFRMS floodplain. Weston’s was substantially impacted by flooding from Hurricane Irene in 2011. After this event, 68 homes located in the FEMA flood plain or floodway were raised above Base Flood Elevation (BFE) of 526 feet. A surveyor was hired in 2017 and certified that the Lowest Adjacent Grade (LAG) of these units was above

BFE. The median LAG of homes among the 68 surveyed homesites at Weston’s is 526.35 feet. The FFRMS floodplain for this Critical Action is 529 feet. The median height of the main floor of each of the 68 homes at Weston’s is 529.55 feet.

The proposed project will be undertaken by utilizing federal and state grant funding sources and seeks to replace and upgrade existing and failing infrastructure. The project does not propose the expansion of the park or the addition of new lots in the existing land.

There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in the floodplain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Commenters are encouraged to offer alternative sites outside of the floodplain, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate project impacts on the floodplain. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about the

floodplain can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in the floodplain it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.

Written comments must be received by the Agency at the following address on or before February 28th, 2025.

Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Grace Vinson, Environmental Officer 1 National Life Drive Montpelier, Vermont 05620 802-622-4336

A full description of the project may also be reviewed at cdi.coop/westons. Comments may also be submitted via email at wisp@cdi.coop.

Date: February 10th, 2025

Support Groups

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR MOTHERS OF COLOR

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Wed., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@ pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org. family-support-programs.

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Fri., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/family-support-programs.

A CIRCLE OF PARENTS W/ LGBTQ+ CHILDREN

Please join our parent-led online support group designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. We will be meeting weekly on Mon., 10-11 a.m. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/family-support-programs.

AL-ANON

For families & friends of alcoholics. Phone meetings, electronic meetings (Zoom) & an Al-Anon blog are avail. online at the Al-Anon website. For meeting info, go to vermontalanonalateen.org or call 866-972-5266.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Call the Vermont state-wide anonymous hotline: 802-802-2288. Alcoholics Anonymous holds daily meetings all over Vermont, both in-person and online. See https://www.burlingtonaa.org/ for meetings, news & events in Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. For meeting and events throughout Vermont, see https://aavt.org/

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SUPPORT GROUPS

Support groups meet to provide assistance & info on Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias. They emphasize shared experiences, emotional support & coping techniques in care for a person living w/ Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Meetings are free & open to the public. Families, caregivers

INVITATION TO BID

Greenprint Partners, acting as Project Manager, seeks qualified contractors for multiple Vermont Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) Stormwater Improvements for the locations listed below. Federal Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, MinorityOwned contractors and suppliers, and Small Businesses are strongly encouraged to submit a bid proposal.

Project Description: The project consists of stormwater improvements at various MHCs to meet the Vermont Stormwater Rules.

Locations of the work are as follows:

Bid Opening March 12, 2025

• Otter Creek Mobile Home Park – Panton Rd, Vergennes, VT

Bid Opening March 18, 2025

• Williston Woods Home Owners Association – 125 Williston Woods Drive, Williston, VT

• Lindale Mobile Home Park – Lindale Circle, Middlebury, VT

CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP

Schedule: Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2025 and be substantially completed by September 2025.

The construction work involves installing various stormwater improvements, including, but not limited to, wetland creation, disconnection areas, level spreaders, infiltration basins, sand filters, storm sewers, paving, erosion control, and landscaping, depending on the location.

These projects are subject to Davis Bacon wage rates compliance and with Build America Buy America provisions.

For additional information, please send an email to the construction project manager: vyates@ greenprintpartners.com

& friends may attend. Please call in advance to confirm the date & time. The Williston caregiver support group meets in person on the 2nd Tue. of every mo., 5-6:30 p.m., at the the Old Brick Church in Williston. Contact support group facilitators Molly at dugan@cathedralsquare.org or Mindy at moondog@ burlingtontelecom.net. The Middlebury support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets the 4th Tue. of each mo., 3 p.m., at the Residence at Otter Creek, 350 Lodge Rd., Middlebury. Contact is Daniel Hamilton, dhamilton@residenceottercreek. com or (802) 989-0097. The Shelburne support group for individuals w/ early stage dementia meets the 1st Mon. of every mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, 185 Pine Haven Shores, Shelburne. Contact is support group facilitator Lydia Raymond, lraymond@residenceshelburnebay.com.

The telephone support group meets the 2nd Tue. of each mo., 4-5:30 p.m. Preregistration is required (to receive dial-in codes for toll-free call). Please dial the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline, 800-2723900, for more info. For questions or additional support group listings, call 800-272-3900.

BABY BUMPS SUPPORT GROUP FOR MOTHERS & PREGNANT WOMEN

Pregnancy can be a wonderful time of your life. But it can also be a time of stress often compounded by hormonal swings. If you are a pregnant woman, or have recently given birth & feel you need some help w/ managing emotional bumps in the road that can come w/ motherhood, please come to this free support group led by an experienced pediatric registered nurse. Held on the 2nd & 4th Tue. of every mo., 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Birthing Center, Northwestern Medical Center, St. Albans. Info: Rhonda Desrochers, Franklin County Home Health Agency, 527-7531.

ANXIETY RELIEF GROUP

Anxiety Relief Group is a safe setting for relaxing & exploring your feelings w/ others through gentle socialization & self-expression, building up what makes you centered & strong. Wed., 4-5:30 p.m. Both in-person & Zoom options avail. In-person meetings are held at the Pathways Vermont Community Center at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for the Zoom link & more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

BETTER BREATHERS CLUB

American Lung Association support group for people w/ breathing issues, their loved ones or caregivers. Meets on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 11 a.m.-noon, at the Godnick Center, 1 Deer St., Rutland. For more info, call 802-776-5508.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP

Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil.org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR DRAGON BOAT TEAM

Looking for a fun way to do something active & health-giving? Want to connect w/ other breast cancer survivors? Come join Dragonheart Vermont. We are a breast cancer survivor & supporter dragon boat team who paddle together in Burlington. Please contact us at info@dragonheartvermont.org for info.

BURLINGTON MEN’S PEER GROUP Tue. nights, 7-9 p.m. in Burlington. Free of charge, 30 years running. Call Neils 802-877-3742 or email neils@myfairpoint.net.

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The Champlain Valley Prostate Cancer Support Group meets online on the 2nd Tue. of the mo., 6-7:30 p.m., via Zoom. Whether you are newly diagnosed, dealing w/ a reoccurrence or trying to manage the side effects of treatment, you are welcome here! More info: Andy Hatch, group leader, ahatch63@gmail.com.

CENTRAL VERMONT CELIAC SUPPORT GROUP

Last Thu. of every mo., 7:30 p.m. in Montpelier. Please contact Lisa Masé for location: lisa@ harmonizecookery.com.

CEREBRAL PALSY GUIDANCE

Cerebral Palsy Guidance is a very comprehensive informational website broadly covering the topic of cerebral palsy & associated medical conditions. Its mission is to provide the best possible info to parents of children living w/ the complex condition of cerebral palsy. Visit cerebralpalsyguidance.com/ cerebral-palsy.

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP

The Compassionate Friends international support group for parents, siblings & families grieving the loss of a child meets every 4th Tue. of the mo., 7-9 p.m., at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 160 Hinesburg Rd, S. Burlington. Call/email Alan at 802-233-0544, alanday88@gmail.com, or Claire at 802-448-3569.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE

Conversations About Suicide is a judgment-free & open space to talk about personal experiences of suicidal ideation. The group is facilitated by peer support staff w/ lived experience of suicidality. Thu., 4-5 p.m., at Pathways Vermont Community Center, located at 279 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington. Email us for more info: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org.

DISABILITY SUPPORT GROUP

Our group is a space for mutual support, open to anybody who identifies as disabled, differently abled, or having a disability. Whether your disability is visible, invisible, physical, or cognitive, this group is for you! The group meets every Monday from 1:15-2:15pm at 279 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington, VT and online on Zoom. Email us for the Zoom link and more information: pvcc@pathwaysvermont.org

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT

Steps to End Domestic Violence offers a weekly drop-in support group for female-identified survivors of intimate partner violence, including individuals who are experiencing or have been affected by domestic violence. The support group offers a safe, confidential place for survivors to connect w/ others, to heal & to recover. In support group, participants talk through their experiences & hear stories from others who have experienced abuse in their relationships. Support group is also a resource for those who are unsure of their next step, even if it involves remaining in their current relationship. Tue., 6:30-8 p.m. Childcare is provided. Info: 658-1996.

FAMILY & FRIENDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

This support group is a dedicated meeting for family, friends & community members who are supporting a loved one through a mental health crisis. Mental health crisis might include extreme states, psychosis, depression, anxiety & other types of distress. The group is a confidential space where family & friends can discuss shared experiences & receive support in an environment free of judgment & stigma w/ a trained facilitator. Wed., 7-8:30 p.m. Downtown Burlington. Info: Jess Horner, LICSW, 866-218-8586.

FAMILY RESTORED: SUPPORT GROUP FOR FRIENDS & FAMILIES OF ADDICTS & ALCOHOLICS Tue., 6-7 p.m., the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Burlington. For further info, please visit thefamilyrestored.org or contact 207-387-0015.

Marketing & Administrative Coordinator

This is a unique opportunity to work with a passionate team and directly impact the promotion of Vermont's craft beer industry. The role is a mix of marketing execution, event logistics, member engagement, and executive support, requiring excellent organizational skills, creativity, and a strong attention to detail.

Email cover letter & resume to emma@vermontbrewers.com

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

POST YOUR JOBS AT: JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB PRINT DEADLINE: NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) FOR RATES & INFO: MICHELLE BROWN, 802-865-1020 X121, MICHELLE@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

2h-GoldenDogFarm020525

Experienced Project Foreman/ Lead Carpenter Wanted!

Are you an experienced Project Foreman/ Lead Carpenter in the Addison & Chittenden County (VT) area and looking for a new opportunity to showcase your skills?

We are Vermont’s unified public media organization (formerly VPR and Vermont PBS), serving the community with trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and diverse educational programming.

• Chief Financial Officer

• Director of Philanthropy

• Broadcast Engineer, Transmitter

We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds with different skills, experience & passions.

More openings and to apply: vermontpublic.org/careers

Vermont Public is a proud equal opportunity employer.

Our leading construction company is seeking a talented foreman to join our dynamic team.

With a reputation for excellence and a commitment to quality, we offer a rewarding work environment where your expertise will be valued. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package.

Please send a resume and brief cover letter outlining your experience to admin@smithmcclain.com Come build with us!

Visitor Center Specialist

The Green Mountain Club is seeking a friendly, dynamic individual to work 1 to 3 days per week, depending on interest, from mid-April to mid-October, with opportunity for continuing in the shoulder season, in our Visitor Center in Waterbury Center. Weekend and select holidays required. $18 to $20 per hour. Great working environment.

Middlebury

Lead Energy Navigator

Help your neighbors implement climate and energy solutions!

The Climate Economy Action Center of Addison County seeks a Lead Energy Navigator. This new position will play a vital role in the dayto-day operations and success of the Energy Navigators Program (https://www.energynavigators.org) in the town of Middlebury, VT. The Lead Navigator will provide an independent and trusted resource connecting Middlebury residents to the opportunities available to make energy improvements and electrify their homes. They will also conduct research and recommend programs related to clean energy workforce development and contractor education. Immediate opening. More details and a link for applications available at ceacac.org/lead-navigator

4t-ClimateEconomyActionCenter021225.indd 1 2/10/25 10:15

CREW LEADER

Responsibilities include: greeting visitors; assisting them with hike planning; providing education and up to date information regarding the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club, and its mission; sales of GMC publications and other retail products; daily reconciliations of sales and credit card transactions; answering phone calls and e-mail inquiries; processing and fulfilling online orders; staffing after hours events as needed; opportunity to lead educational programs. Qualifications: excellent customer service skills; computer proficiency; hiking experience; personal knowledge of local hiking trails and public speaking desirable; flexible schedule preferred. Applications open until filled.

TIMBER TENDER is gearing up for our busy season and looking for hard working individuals to join our team! We are a locally-owned business out of Woodstock, VT, serving the Upper Valley of VT & NH.

We are seeking an experienced and positive individual, who enjoys all facets of arboriculture. Negotiable hourly rate depending on experience.

Responsibilities include:

• Aerial lift operations with occasional climbing

• Utilizing necessary equipment to get the job done

• Working in a team environment, problem solving

Executive Director

In this leadership role, you will serve as Executive Director of Lyric Theatre Company (Lyric), responsible for engaging our community, membership, donors, and volunteers in promoting and delivering a community theater experience to 14,000+ attendees a year, while ensuring financial stability and security of the organization. Reporting to the Lyric Board of Directors, you are responsible for overseeing the administrative, financial, and operational aspects of Lyric, supporting the artistic direction, production selection, or creative decisions related to theatrical performances.

Please note, this role is not an Artistic Director role. Send resumes to: lyricedsearch@gmail.com

Media Manager

Video + Photo Director/Producer

See job descriptions at PlaceVT.com resumes and links to: jobs@PlaceVT.com

Bookkeeper/ Admin Assistant

Mansfield Community Fiber is a growing company providing fiberoptic Internet to rural Vermont. We are seeking an experienced bookkeeper to support customer communications, A/P accounting entries, audit procedures, company records, etc. Hours are flexible. Pay is commensurate with experience and includes employer-paid medical, dental and vision insurance, generous paid time off, flexible hours and a supportive work environment. Send letter of interest and resume, leslie.nulty@mcfibervt.com

Executive Director Rokeby Museum

Full-time, Exempt, Salary

$65,000 to $75,000

Benefits: Health Insurance Stipend; 401K; Vacation and Sick Leave

Deadline: March 14, 2025

WE’RE HIRING!

Claussen’s Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm is hiring for the Spring Season!

Full-Time Drop-Off Center Operators

*Also hiring for: Saturday Only position

3v-LyricTheater012925.indd 1 1/27/25 4:37 PM

Shared-Living Provider

Join Home Base Inc. in supporting an older woman with developmental disabilities as a Shared-Living Provider. We are seeking someone who owns a home (preferably in/ around Burlington/Shelburne area) with an extra bedroom on the first floor. This woman lives semi-independently (can be alone for up to 3 hours at a time) and receives community supports from Home Base staff. At home, she enjoys relaxing and keeping to herself but also values company and conversation. Provide assistance with grocery shopping, meal & medication prep, home care. Generous tax-exempt monthly stipend and room and board payment for opening your home and providing care for this woman. Training and ongoing support provided.

Send resumes to: rachel@homebasevt.org

The Executive Director, in partnership with a responsive and experienced board, is responsible for all aspects of the institution and oversees sustaining its excellence and broadening its impact. Responsibilities range from day-to-day operations to comprehensive plans.

For complete job description, candidate requirements, and instructions on how to apply: rokeby.org/work-at-rokeby Rokeby Museum is an equal opportunity employer. Members of underrepresented groups and those committed to diversity and inclusivity are encouraged to apply.

4t-RokebyMuseum020525.indd 1

Full-time, part-time, and per diem options available.

For more information visit copleyvt.org/careers or contact Kaitlyn Shannon, Recruiter, at 802-888-8144 or kshannon@chsi.org.

CSWD is seeking a highly motivated individual to work full-time at various busy Drop-Off Centers Tuesday - Saturday 7:45am-3:45pm. Must enjoy interacting with the public, have the ability to operate a point-of-sale system (training provided) and be able to keep cool under pressure. Moderate to strenuous physical effort is required as is the ability to work outdoors year-round. Customer service experience a plus. Self-starters and those with a passion for reducing waste, recycling, and composting, are strongly encouraged to apply. $19.68 per hour with an excellent benefit package.

For more information on the position and CSWD, visit cswd.net/about-cswd/job-openings. Submit cover letter & resume to Amy Jewell: ajewell@cswd.net. Position is open until filled!

*A Saturday only position (8 hours per week) is also available.

Commercial Construction Project Manager

Silver Maple is seeking a full-time, benefits eligible Project Manager (PM) to lead its expanding Commercial Construction work. This seasoned PM will source and develop new projects and manage them from first contact through completion. The right candidate will shape the division, expand the team and build our commercial business line.

We enable our employees to do their best work, work that inspires them and supports a favorable work-life balance.

Salary & Benefits are competitive and comprehensive. Apply at silvermaple.com or send your resume to hr@silvermapleconstruction.com

I 46 River

New Haven VT

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

WORKSITE WELLNESS ASSOCIATE (2)

Centers for Wellbeing

An excellent and flexible opportunity for a passionate, responsible professional. These part-time positions (5-10+ hours a week) will promote our worksite wellness and mental health supports to our employers in the Grand Isle/Franklin County region and Bennington/Windham County region. Our ideal candidates will have:

• Outstanding presentation skills, both in-person and via video conference

• The ability to engage busy decision makers by phone

• Strong time management skills and comfort working with a high degree of autonomy

• A willingness to collaborate with our remote, multidisciplinary team to meet many deliverables and deadlines

• Articulate and engaging communication style

This position is great for a semi-retired or part-time individual who would like to stay involved in the marketplace, has an interest in health/wellness, enjoys meeting and working with new people, and would like the flexibility of managing their own part time work schedule. Access and willingness to use a personal vehicle is required.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to wellbeing@investeap.org

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“Seven Days sales rep Michelle Brown is amazing! She’s extremely responsive, and I always feel so taken care of. I can only imagine how many job connections she has facilitated for local companies in the 20 years she has been doing this.”

CAROLYN ZELLER, Intervale Center, Burlington

Developmental Disability Services DIRECTOR

• High school graduate required.

• Two years of related experience preferred.

• Direct security experience highly preferred.

• Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record required in accordance with D-H’s Driver Disqualifications Guidelines.

• Must maintain Taser, Handcuff, and Pepper Gel certification.

• Must complete all required training and pass minimal physical requirements within 90 days from date of hire and as required thereafter.

• Must obtain IAHSS Basic Security Officer Certification within 6 months of hire.

The Developmental Disability Services Director is a leadership role within the Vermont Care Partners (VCP) network, responsible for providing strategic guidance, advocacy, and coordination of developmental disability services across network agencies. This hybrid position will have an increased in-person presence during the legislative session. Apply vermontcarepartners.org/ we-are-hiring

PT School Nurse

Join our supportive work environment and help us keep our students healthy! Rock Point School is seeking a licensed RN to: counsel and educate students and staff about health issues, communicate with parents and other health providers, and manage medications for students. For more details about the position, visit: rockpointschool.org/ about-us/employment/ school-nurse

Home Health Aide working with 38 year old male with a traumatic brain injury. Helping with daily life skills, companionship, recreational activities, and strengthening his skills and talents.

Monday -Friday total of 27 hours. $25 an hour, updated flu shot. Email: wigetsch@ yahoo.com to apply.

•MANDARIN•

We’re seeking to hire servers and bartenders to join our hardworking and energetic team. If you’re interested in the opportunity, drop off a resume in person, or email to: lawrence@mandarinvt.com

HIRING:

DIRECTOR

Food Hub Coordinator

Feeding Champlain Valley, a program of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), has an opening for a Food Hub Coordinator! The Food Hub Coordinator distributes food to households unable to access local food shelves through direct household deliveries and by serving a network of dispersed distribution sites throughout the local area. Responsibilities include working with Food Hub Supervisor to sign up new clients, connecting neighbors to 3Squares and other federal nutrition programs and services and log deliveries into PantrySoft.

operationalizing strategic

The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) seeks an Enterprise Director to lead and support the enterprises of CAE and ensure alignment across operations. This position will sustain and advance the agricultural economy in the region by operationalizing strategic goals and optimizing resources to maximize program impact. If you are interested in joining a team to build food system resilience, we’d love to hear from you!

40 hours/week in Hardwick, VT

Requirements: High school diploma or GED with 1-2 years of relevant experience from which community service, advocacy and counseling skills or capacity are acquired. Ability to deal effectively, efficiently and respectfully with clients served by CVOEO and with a broad range of individuals and organizations in carrying out all assigned functions. Must have a valid driver’s license, clean driving record, access to reliable transportation, and willingness and ability to drive extensively within the CVOEO service area.

When you come to work for CVOEO you’re getting so much more than a paycheck! We offer a great working environment and an excellent benefit package including medical, dental and vision insurance, paid holidays, generous time off, a retirement plan and discounted gym membership.

To apply, please include a cover letter and resume with your application to cvoeo.org/careers

Benefit package includes 29 paid days off in the first year, comprehensive health insurance with premium as low as $30 per month, up to $6,400 to go towards medical deductibles and copays, retirement match, generous sign on bonus and so much more.

And that’s on top of working at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” for seven years in a row.

Great jobs in management, and direct support at an award-winning agency serving Vermonters with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ccs-vt.org/current-openings. 5v-ChamplainCommServices021225.indd 1

Salary Range:

$80,000 - $85,000

Generous benefits

Learn more: caevt.org/jobs

FULFILLMENT TECHNICIAN, FT

Qualiﬁcations:

• Process driven, attention to detail

• Able to lift up to 25lbs, team player

Job Summary:

The prospective candidate will be responsible for picking and packing orders. Other responsibilities may include but are not limited to cycle counting inventory, data entry, and other administrative tasks. Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4 pm.

Beneﬁts:

• Pay: $19.50 per hour (Hourly wage will be increased to $20.00 after probation period of 5 months)

• 401(k), Life insurance, Medical, Dental & Vision insurance

• Employee discount & monthly gratis product, Paid time o Send resume to amy@tataharper.com

Full-time, year-round jobs

Event & Farm Functions Coordinator

Farm Functions Chef Farm Catering Coordinator

Cheesemakers

Facilities Maintenance

Seasonal career opportunities will begin accepting

ATTENTION RECRUITERS:

Community Director

Visit jobs.plattsburgh.edu & select “View Current Openings”

SUNY Plattsburgh is an AA/EEO/ADA/VEVRAA committed to excellence through diversity and supporting an inclusive environment for all.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Line Cook

Positive and motivated, willing to get trained & take responsibility of the stations. Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

Chiuhos@asinglepebble.com

Evernorth’s vision is people in every community have an affordable place to live and opportunities to thrive. Our mission is to work with partners to connect underserved communities in the northern New England region with capital and expertise to advance projects and policies that create more inclusive places to live.

Evernorth is hiring a Director of Communications who will be responsible for developing and maintaining a consistent brand identity and messaging strategy. This role oversees public relations and marketing programs, manages internal communications, and plays a key role in developing and executing initiatives aligned with the strategic plan. The Director will foster positive relationships with state and federal officials, elected representatives and their staff, as well as organizational partners.

To apply, go to evernorthus.org/careers/

Director

of Education

SHARED FINANCE MANAGER

The Lamoille County Planning Commission (LCPC), located in Morrisville VT and the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) located in Montpelier VT are seeking a joint Finance Manager. The two organizations share overlapping missions and programs, with many matching funding sources.

The Financial Manager performs the full range of professional accounting and financial analysis functions, including account reconciliations; payroll and tax reporting; cash flow, investment, and loan management; end-of-year account auditing and closing functions; preparation of indirect rate; grant management; and data compilation and analysis as part of budget planning.

The financial manager works independently under the general direction of the two executive directors and provides administrative support to planning staff and the commissions’ treasurers.

Work environment is flexible with a minimum of one day in each office per week. Attendance at limited evening meetings is required. This full-time position is estimated to split its time equally between the two regional planning commissions.

Minimum requirements include:

- A Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related discipline and three to five years in a similar position; master’s degree in accounting, business or financial management preferred.

- Broad base of technical knowledge and skills in accounting theory and methods.

- Relevant knowledge of state and federal grant management and contract administration highly desirable.

The Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) seeks a bright & experienced individual for a Director of Education position to join our close-knit team. This person will develop, implement, & manage the education programs, annual conference & other events of VCIA. This is a key role & innovative educational offerings is an important value to our nearly 400 member organizations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND SKILLS

•Serve as primary liaison for all VCIA programs with the relevant external parties; develop a yearly (or multi-year) education and event plan that is consistent with the mission of the organization and the strategic plan.

•Assist in the development of association policies and procedures related to education.

•Manage the VCIA Annual Conference programing to include: topic and speaker selection process; production of timely promotional materials; serve as primary liaison to Conference Task Force, including preparation of agendas with committee chair, dissemination of supporting materials and meeting minutes.

•Report education evaluation findings to CEO and recommend changes to enhance future programs.

•Establish and maintain productive relationships with VCIA members and appropriate representatives of consumer groups.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• College degree and relevant experience in education programing;

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate all phases of the association’s education and event programming;

• Effectiveness in working with volunteers;

• Proven experience in budget and ﬁnance arenas;

• Strong marketing knowledge and experience with associations or nonproﬁts.

TO APPLY:

Applications due February 28th. Send cover letter and resume to: Kevin Mead, VCIA CEO, kmead@vcia.com.

Expected compensation: $75,000-$85,000 yearly, based on

- The LCPC will be the employer of record. Benefits include health insurance, retirement (VMERS), life and disability insurance. Salary is commensurate with experience. Salary range between $90,000$110,000 for fully qualified candidate.

Please email a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements to Tasha Wallis, Executive Director at tasha@lcpcvt.org. This position will remain open until filled. LCPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Infant and Early Childhood Family Mental Health Consultant

Lund seeks an Infant and Early Childhood Family Mental Health Consultant to enhance staff competency in trauma-informed mental health support for families with children aged 0-8. This role will help equip our team with tools and training to reduce burnout and promote reflective practice and ongoing skill development.

LEARN MORE Contract position—about 36 hours per month during fixed grant period (through end of 2025).

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)

Are you interested in a job that helps your community and makes a difference in people’s lives every day? Consider joining Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) in Burlington, VT to continue BHA’s success in promoting innovative solutions that address housing instability challenges facing our diverse population of lowincome families and individuals.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:

lundvt.org/employment

Our mission: Lund helps children thrive by empowering families to break cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse. Lund offers hope and opportunity to families through education, treatment, family support and adoption.

MULTIPLE OPENINGS!

Champlain Housing Trust is growing and we need great people to join our team. One of Vermont’s Best Places to Work in 2024, CHT is a socially responsible employer offering an inclusive, friendly work environment and competitive pay commensurate with experience.

Our excellent benefit package includes a generous health insurance plan, three weeks of paid vacation, 14 paid holidays, sick leave, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution after one year, disability and life insurance, and more.

Current openings include:

• Grounds Technician

• Property Manager

CURRENT OPENINGS INCLUDE:

• Senior Maintenance Technician

• Front Desk Manager

• Assistant Property Manager

• Administrative Assistant

For additional details regarding these positions or to apply, please visit our career page: getahome.org/career.

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

Housing Retention Services – Site Based: Responsible for supporting those who have mental health and substance use challenges and/or who have moved from homelessness to Bobbin Mill, Wharf Lane, and other BHA properties. The position works closely with property management and other site-based staff to identify challenges and respond with appropriate direct service and coordination of community services, with a goal of eviction prevention and facilitating a healthy tenancy.

Offender Re-entry Housing Specialist: Provides support to men and women under the VT Department of Corrections supervision from prison back to Chittenden County. The ORHS focuses on high-risk men and women who are being released from jail and graduating transitional housing programs and in need of permanent housing. The ORHS provides intensive retention and eviction prevention services and works collaboratively with the Burlington Probation and Parole Office. Additionally, the ORHS works with various case workers, Re-Entry staff and the Administrative Staff from the VT Department of Corrections and the broad network of COSA staff as necessary throughout Chittenden County.

Resident

Manager

at South Square:

Attends to various resident requests, assisting with emergency service, and light cleaning duties. The Resident Manager is required to live on property. The Resident Manager is provided with an apartment along with free utilities in exchange for being on call after BHA business hours and on weekends.

Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org.

BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our

vision of delivering safe and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply. Multilingualism is a plus!

Our robust benefit package includes premium medical insurance with a health reimbursement account, dental, vision, short and long term disability, 10% employer funded retirement plan, 457 retirement plan, accident insurance, life insurance, cancer and critical illness insurance.

We provide a generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, BHA recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.

Interested in this career opportunity? Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@ burlingtonhousing.org.

Human Resources

Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101 Burlington, VT 05401

Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org.

BHA is an Equal Opportunity

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Central Clinical Educator (CCE)

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION FINANCE – MONTPELIER

The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) seeks an experienced leader to serve as the Education Finance Director. This high-profile role oversees the education finance data team, revises funding mechanisms for affordability, and ensures high-quality education. Reporting to the CFO, the Director provides policy leadership, legislative testimony, and compliance oversight. Hybrid work available. For more information, contact Karen Abbott at karen. abbott@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Education. Status: Full Time. Job ID # 52096. Application Deadline: February 27, 2025.

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FINANCE – MONTPELIER

Vermont Agency of Education seeks a Director of Special Education Finance to oversee Special Education funding and School-Based Health Services (Medicaid). Reporting to the CFO, this leader ensures compliance with state and federal laws, manages funding structures and supervises a finance team. Collaboration with school districts, legislators, and education associations is key. Hybrid work available. For more information, contact Karen Abbott at karen.abbott@vermont.gov. Location: Montpelier. Department: Education. Status: Full Time. Job ID # 52097. Application Deadline: February 27, 2025.

CULINARY INSTRUCTOR

Green Mountain Technology & Career Center is seeking candidates for its Culinary Arts program instructor. Desired skills and responsibilities of the Culinary Instructor include:

• Five years or more of experience working as a chef in a restaurant or hotel.

• An Associate’s degree or better in Culinary Arts.

• Desire to teach high school students career and college readiness skills.

• Passion to integrate academic, technical, and employability skills into a program.

• A proven ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with community partners.

Qualified candidates will also demonstrate the ability to build strong and supportive relationships with students, and the capacity to create positive and inclusive cultures and environments for all students.

If you have a thirst to learn, the desire to engage students in hands-on learning, and a passion to prepare students with the skills to succeed in post-secondary education and beyond, we encourage you to apply.

Send resumes to: eremmers@gmtcc.net. Or apply at: schoolspring.com/jobdetail?jobId=4924825

Green Mountain Technology & Career Center (GMTCC) is a cutting edge career and technical education center, where eligible students in 10th, 11th and 12th grades are prepared for college and career through the acquisition of real-world skills, practical knowledge, hands-on experiences, mentoring, and networking. In addition to earning requirements for high school graduation, students have the opportunity to earn free college credits and may obtain industry certifications in their field.

In accordance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title 1F of the Higher Education Act of 1972, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, handicapping condition and/or disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

Follow us on @SevenDaysvt for the latest job opportunities Browse 100+ new job postings each week from trusted, local employers. See who’s hiring at jobs.sevendaysvt.com Find a job that makes it easier to sleep at night.

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) in St. Johnsbury is looking for a Central Clinical Educator (CCE) to help us elevate our nursing education. We want to hear from you if you’re passionate about mentoring and supporting healthcare professionals.

What You’ll Do: Manage our mandatory education programs and nursing orientation. Ensure compliance with training requirements. What We’re Looking For: An RN graduate (BSN required/MSN preferred) with at least 3 years of nursing experience. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits, such as student loan repayment, and generous paid time off. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in your community, apply today! We can’t wait to welcome you to our team!

Communications Director

VNRC is seeking a mission-driven professional to lead public relations strategy, planning and implementation for VNRC and our strategic partner, Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV). The Communications Director plays a leadership role in crafting messaging for VNRC’s many coalitions and campaigns to reach media, policymakers, membership, and the general public.

The successful candidate is an action-oriented strategist and self-starter with excellent oral and written communication skills; has proven time management skills and excellent attention to detail; is able to translate complex content for a variety of audiences and purposes; experienced in the strategic use of digital advocacy tools and social media; proficient in putting together presentations, talking points, fact-sheets, web content and other communications materials; and is committed to working on behalf of Vermont’s residents, environment and communities. Experience with policy-driven nonprofits is strongly desired, and a background in membership development and fundraising is a plus.

VNRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages applications from candidates whose identities have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement, including people who identify as Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, or people of color; people from marginalized economic backgrounds; and people living with disabilities. Applicants should share VNRC’s commitment to centering equity, environmental justice, diversity, and inclusion in our work.

The Communications Director is a full-time, hybrid (remote & in-person) position based at our Montpelier office. Starting salary is commensurate with experience, with a salary range of $60,000 to $70,000 plus a $20,000 benefits stipend. Candidates must submit a letter of interest, resume and writing sample via email to be considered.

fun stuff

“ I told you guys we never should’ve started feeding him from the table.”

JEN SORENSEN

HARRY BLISS

MAT BARTON

JULIANNA BRAZILL

KYLE BRAVO

AQUARIUS

(JAN. 20-FEB. 18)

Borrowing the words of Aquarian author Virginia Woolf, I’ve prepared a love note for you to use as your own. Feel free to give these words to the person whose destiny needs to be woven more closely together with yours. “You are the tide that sweeps through the corridors of my mind, a wild rhythm that fills my empty spaces with the echo of eternity. You are the unspoken sentence in my every thought, the shadow and the light interwoven in the fabric of my being. You are the pulse of the universe pressing against my skin, the quiet chaos of love that refuses to be named. You are my uncharted shore.”

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Love requires stability and steadiness to thrive. But it also needs unpredictability and imaginativeness. The same with friendship. Without creative touches and departures from routine, even strong alliances can atrophy into mere sentiment and boring dutifulness. With this in mind, and in accordance with astrological omens, I offer quotes to inspire your quest to keep togetherness fertile and flourishing. 1) “Love has no rules except those we invent, moment by moment.” — Anaïs Nin. 2) “The essence of love is invention. Lovers should always dream and create their own world.” — Jorge Luis Borges. 3) “A successful relationship requires falling in love many

times, always with the same person, but never in quite the same way.” — Mignon McLaughlin.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): In celebration of the valentine season, I suggest you get blithely unshackled in your approach to love. Be loose, limber and playful. To stimulate the romantic and intimate qualities I think you should emphasize, I offer you these quotes: 1) “Love is the endless apprenticeship of two souls daring to be both sanctuary and storm for one another.” — Rainer Maria Rilke. 2) “Love is the revolution in which we dismantle the prisons of our fear, building a world where our truths can stand naked and unashamed.” — Audre Lorde. 3) “Love is the rebellion that tears down walls within and between us, making room for the unruly beauty of our shared becoming.” — Adrienne Rich.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): To honor the rowdy valentine spirit, I invite you to either use the following passage or compose one like it, then offer it to a willing recipient who would love to go deeper with you: “Be my thunderclap, my cascade of shooting stars. Be my echo across the valley, my rebel hymn, my riddle with no answer. Be my just-beforeyou-wake-up dream. Be my tectonic shift. Be my black pearl, my vacation from gloom and doom, my forbidden dance. Be my riversong in F major, my wild-eyed prophet, my moonlit debate, my infinite possibility. Be my trembling, blooming, spiraling and soaring.”

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all.” One of those strange jewels in you is emerging from its hiding place. Any day now, it will reveal at least some of its spectacular beauty — to be followed by more in the subsequent weeks. Are you ready to be surprised by your secret self? Are your beloved allies ready? A bloom this magnificent could require adjustments. You and yours may have to expand your horizons together.

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): In 2025, the role that togetherness plays in your life will inspire you to achieve unexpected personal accomplishments. Companionship and alliances may even stir up destiny-changing

developments. To get you primed, I offer these quotes: 1) “Love is a trick that nature plays on us to achieve the impossible.” — William Somerset Maugham. 2) “Love is the ultimate outlaw. It won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is sign on as its accomplice.” — Tom Robbins. 3) “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Yet each day reveals new constellations in our shared sky.” — Emily Brontë.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Psychotherapist

Robin Norwood wrote that some people, mostly women, give too much love and kindness. They neglect their own self-care as they attend generously to the needs of others. They may even provide nurturing and support to those who don’t appreciate it or return the favor. Author Anne Morrow Lindbergh expressed a different perspective. She wrote, “No one has ever loved anyone too much. We just haven’t learned yet how to love enough.” What’s your position on this issue, Virgo? It’s time for you to come to a new understanding of exactly how much giving is correct for you.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Are you ready to express your affection with lush and lavish exuberance? I hope so. Now would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking. I dare you to give the following words, composed by poet Pablo Neruda, to a person who will be receptive to them. “You are the keeper of my wildest storms, the green shoot splitting the stone of my silence. Your love wraps me in galaxies, crowns me with the salt of the sea, and fills my lungs with the language of the earth. You are the voice of the rivers, the crest of the waves, the pulse of the stars. With every word you speak, you unweave my solitude and knit me into eternity.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Among its potential gifts, astrology can raise our awareness of the cyclical nature of life. When used well, it helps us know when there are favorable times to enhance and upgrade specific areas of our lives. For example, in the coming weeks, you Scorpios could make progress on building a strong foundation for the future of love. You will rouse sweet fortune for yourself and those you care for if you infuse your best relationships with extra steadiness and stability.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I want you to be moved by intimacy and friendships that buoy your soul, inspire your expansive mind and pique your sense of adventure. To boost the likelihood they will flow your way in abundance during the coming weeks, I offer you these quotes: 1) “Love is a madness so discreet that we carry its delicious wounds for a lifetime as if they were precious gems.” — Federico García Lorca. 2) “Love is not a vacation from life. It’s a parallel universe where everything ordinary becomes extraordinary.” — Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 3) “Where there is love there is life. And where there is life, there is mischief in the making.” — my Sagittarius friend Artemisia.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Every intimate alliance is unique, has its own rules and shouldn’t be compared to any standard. This is a key theme for you to embrace right now. Below are helpful quotes. 1) “Each couple’s love story is a language only they can speak, with words only they can define.” — Federico Fellini. 2) “In every true marriage, each serves as guide and companion to the other toward a shared enlightenment that no one else could possibly share.” — Joseph Campbell. 3) “The beauty of marriage is not in its uniformity but in how each couple writes their own story, following no map but the one they draw together.” — Isabel Allende. 4) “Marriages are like fingerprints; each one is different, and each one is beautiful.” — Maggie Reyes.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Love and intimacy and togetherness are fun, yes. But they’re also hard work — especially if you want to make the fun last. This will be your specialty in the coming months. I’ve assembled four quotes to inspire you. 1) “The essence of marriage is not that it provides a happy ending, but that it provides a promising beginning — and then you keep beginning again, day after day.” — Gabriel García Márquez. 2) “The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. But those who follow the art of creating it day after day come closest to discovering it.” — Pearl Buck. 3) “Love is a continuous act of forgiveness.” — Maya Angelou. 4) “In the best of relationships, daily rebuilding is a mutual process. Each partner helps the other grow.” — Virginia Satir.

Farmer Evan Perkins has spent the past 15 winters exploring wild ice around his home in Barnet and sharing his epic skating adventures on Instagram @smallaxefarmvermont.

Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger got a Nordic skating lesson from Perkins on Lake Champlain in South Hero and learned some safety tips.

WOMEN seeking...

TEAM PLAYER SEEKS COCAPTAIN

49 years old/young, living in Stowe with my young daughter, our little dog and a kitten. Two-plus years of transition to single-mom living, and finally considering how a man might fit into my life. Honestly, still unsure, but hopeful for a partner with wit, creativity, non-arrogant ambition, humor and new adventures. I love people, kids, nature, saunas/plunges, skiing! Mountain_Mama 28 seeking: M, l

LOVING EVERY MORNING!

I, first and foremost, want honesty! If you don’t feel it, just tell me and go! It’s OK! I want laughter, fun, peace, enjoyment, no drama, no lies (big with me!) and to enjoy whatever “we” are doing! I am a very fast thinker but forget stuff. My life can be chaotic at times. I like my Jeep, ’93 Mazda. MaMa_Me, 71, seeking: M, l

ENERGETIC, SARCASTIC AND LAID-BACK!

Not good at this. Let’s just give it a go and see what happens! Looking for a buddy, someone to hang and spend some time with. ForgingNewPaths 37, seeking: M

CULTURED VERMONT WOMAN

I am intellectual and creative and love to explore active and artistic hobbies like drawing, skiing, walking in the woods and journaling. I am looking for a meaningful and serious relationship with someone who is kind yet ambitious. francoisegirl 28, seeking: M

WANT TO RESPOND?

You read Seven Days, these people read Seven Days — you already have at least one thing in common!

All the action is online. Create an account or login to browse hundreds of singles with profiles including photos, habits, desires, views and more. It’s free to place your own profile online.

l See photos of this person online.

W = Women

M = Men

TW = Trans women

TM = Trans men

Q = Genderqueer people

NBP = Nonbinary people

NC = Gender nonconformists

Cp = Couples

Gp = Groups

HEADY NATURAL WORLD CARETAKER

A lover of the natural world, an artist, a lobbyist on behalf of the natural world, researcher and trainer of many kinds of animals, degreed chef and language instructor, organic gardener, daily exerciser and more online. Love to study languages and cultures. Cancer survivor, great sense of humor. Do not consent to geoengineering of our oceans and atmosphere. alphaomegafire, 72, seeking: W, l

SEEKING TALL NICE GUY

Nice gal seeks nice guy for fun: conversation, travel, meals. I like fiction, cooking garden-to-table, conversation. I don’t like motorcycles, football, TV. Please be 5’10” or taller, nonsmoker, financially secure, emotionally and physically healthy. swimwstars, 68, seeking: M

IN SEARCH OF YOU!

ISO companionship or LTR for social activities such as long walks on nature trails, browsing art galleries, attending lectures, long country back-road trips. I enjoy dining out but would prefer cooking healthy meals at home. Cozy evenings at home reading, playing board games by a roaring fire with great conversation. Biking and nightly walks, holding hands. Sunsets, farmers markets, live music.

JeezumCrow, 73, seeking: M, l

SWEET AND SASSY

I am a down-to-earth woman. I am very creative and independent. I enjoy gardening, music and dancing, reading, and doing small projects. I am also a romantic for just a nice cooked meal at home, good conversation and cuddling to watch a movie. I also enjoy spending time with my grandchildren. Dreana58, 61, seeking: M, l

GENUINE, FRIENDLY, LOYAL AND TRUE

I am single and live independently. Now retired but work part time remotely. I love nature and watching birds. I enjoy art, consignment and antique shops, music, and good movies. Looking for long-term friend and companion to love, share life, cook good food, talk, entertain and travel. Redwing 75, seeking: M, l

ACTIVE, OUTGOING, ADVENTUROUS

I am a caring, independent, professional female who loves traveling, being outdoors (skiing, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, gardening), being with friends and family, or reading a great book. Ideally I would like to meet someone who is smart, has a good sense of humor, shares some of my interests and enjoys great conversation. Hopefully they are out there and will reach out. Oreodog, 61, seeking: M, l

CURIOUS, ADVENTUROUS, CREATIVE

Most likely to cut in line at a buffet: independent, kind, impatient. Love a good road trip, museums, general stores, art and overseas travel. Group travel and cruises aren’t for me. Love cities, the seaside and forests. Not a fan of November to February in Vermont. Love great food — it doesn’t have to be complicated. Movies, history and architecture intrigue me. Jensen, 60, seeking: M, l

DYNAMIC, UPBEAT, SPORT CHIC

I like to meet people and make everyone happy. I adapt very well. I’m French American, living in the United States. I would love to discover new places, walk, sail, have new activities, go on car or motorbike trips, cook, toast with a good bottle of wine, relax at home, and share life with someone who would enjoy my company. Amie 65 seeking: M, l

CREATIVE SOUL, EASYGOING, AUTHENTIC

Openhearted, loving and kind, I bring my authentic self to everything I do. What you see is what you get. I am an artist with a creative heart and open mind. Looking for a dynamic relationship with someone who is ready to “step up to the plate” with someone they can care about. turtleheart, 69 seeking: W, l

’80S NATURE DANCER

Life is really good. I love my home, my kids, dear friends and getting outside. I practice yoga and meditate on the daily and am looking forward to meeting someone with a similar lifestyle to laugh and do little adventures with. waterandpines77, 47, seeking: M, l

LAID-BACK, LIVE IN BLUE JEANS

I love live music (rock and blues) and tea, not coffee. Vermont native, one of those who will read the cereal box if there’s no book around. My only child has four feet and a curly tail. Love the Maine coast, too. Bluesandtea 72, seeking: M

POSITIVE ATTITUDE ON LIFE

I am a widow who enjoys cards, board games, yard games and would love to find the right partner to spend time and build a relationship with. I value my faith, family and friends (and my dog Poppy). Just looking for friendship and someone to hang out with — I’m fine with that as well. harlow 74, seeking: M, l

ARE YOU MY MOUNTAIN MAN?

I live north of St. J, east of I-91. Exploring: friends, maybe LTR. My special guy thrives in his fire, adores my fire, is looking for mutual ignition of body, mind, heart and soul. Me: both contrast and contradiction. Dusty hiker, lover of creature comforts. Metaphysics, quantum physics. Stars in your eyes, stars in the sky. I love to understand why. BrightWaters, 65 seeking: M, l

MEN seeking...

KIND, THOUGHTFUL, PATIENT INTROVERT

If only I knew what to say. BonfiresAndStars 49 seeking: W, l

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOX GRADUATE

I am an honest, hardworking, single male who loves the outdoors and spending time with family. I am looking for a companion who is also honest, caring and accepting. I would like a romantic partner to join me on adventures like going for bike rides, a walk in the woods with a dog or a splash in the river. Spuds, 73, seeking: W, l

I’M SWEET, AMBITIOUS AND THOUGHTFUL

I’m funny, super positive, energetic and determined. I’m studying important historical dates. Would you like to join me? gregory1960, 64, seeking: W, l

SIMPLIFY

Hi, what’s going on? Let me know. Simplfy, 61, seeking: W

MAGNIFICENT, AWESOME, SPECTACULAR, MODEST AF

Young at heart, caring, trustworthy AF, romantic, fun and funny, completely heterosexual male interested in meeting his female counterpart for dating purposes, ideally. Age has diminished me somewhat, but still very much alive. Dan fan, witty, prefer positive over negative, and love to read or watch anything good. There’s much more to me, but this is a good start, don’t you think? Cbstrike11, 57, seeking: W, l

A RELATIONSHIP OF “YES”

Compassionate, caring, loving, ethical. As a lover, I am intimate, sensitive, passionate and communicative in all the ways available for humans to communicate. In love I can and will go as deep and fearlessly as you are willing. I’ve rebuilt buildings, built boats and a rental business, post-retirement. I want to build a life together. Communication_ Matters 65, seeking: W, l

LOOKING FOR NSA KINKY FUN

Looking for some kinky times. Like to give and receive oral and hoping to find a well-hung top. 2ndchnce 60, seeking: M

PART-TIME JOURNALIST, FULL-TIME SEEKER

You’re curious and funny, and can laugh at yourself and me. Words warm my heart, but a mechanical challenge perplexes me. I’ve taught in England and Ireland. I’m looking for someone to share the next part of my life, which will be an adventure (of travel, theater, swimming, hiking, dining, maybe golfing) before I’m whisked off to a home for the bewildered. 0hFlatlander 68 seeking: W, l

CALM, KIND AND WELL TRAVELED

Fan of many people, places and teams, with time for another person and their interests. WadeIn 61 seeking: W

BADASS ORGANIC FARMER

I own and operate my own vegetable farm. I’m looking to meet new people and see where it goes. Cole100, 39, seeking: W, l

CAPABLE, CONFIDENT AND EMOTIONALLY SECURE

I am by nature a tolerant and happy person who is easy to be around. I am looking for a mature woman who is trustworthy, kind, loyal, emotionally connected and physically attractive. Humor is essential. I feel that we must begin a relationship as best friends, which may allow us to grow into fully compatible long-term partners. September17 70 seeking: W, l

EASYGOING AND LAID-BACK

Time is of the essence. Life is too short. I work way too hard seemingly for someone else’s benefit more than my own. rockme, 60, seeking: W

VERMONTER TO THE CORE

I’m a creative, outdoor-loving man in a marriage totally lacking intimacy (of mind, soul and body). I often go to the forest. I adore Vermont. I feel mostly content and grounded. It’s time for me to gracefully transition to increased spiritual connection and intimacy. I’m hoping you are open to tenderness and playful exploration. GrnMtn64 64, seeking: W, l

LET’S MEET

Looking for creative, multitalented, intelligent man for LTR/open to marriage. I put my order in with the agency so apply to heaven and they will match us up. Ask for money and it’s over. ThomThomCS135 71, seeking: M, Cp, Gp, l

LET’S MAKE EACH OTHER SMILE

Want to spend some time with someone who wants nothing more than to make you feel good and be happy? Let me know if you are interested, and I’ll happily send pictures. Symbioticplease 54, seeking: W

THOUGHTFUL, UNASSUMING, CATCH? 36, male. I am well educated, in full-time sales. Looks: Zoom-call handsome, dark hair and average build. Both shy and gregarious. Intellectual and kind. Personal growth and awareness are important to me. Love games, vistas, conversation. Seeking friendships or dating with women. Wanting something serious, open to casual or flirtatious. Please be patient, I’m new to this. What’s something that sparked your curiosity? Spiritual_Charcoal 36, seeking: W, TW, Q, NC, NBP, l

HEAVY METAL DAD

Security officer at two locations. Busy single full-time dad. Looking for someone with whom to spend what little free time I have. bthibodeau 46, seeking: W, l

TRANS MEN seeking...

INDUSTRIOUS, NERDY, PURSUING KNOWLEDGE

Student and professional artist constantly pursuing new hobbies and studies. Looking for friends to tinker and hang with or a partner for more or less the same. Friendly and open-minded but shy to start. Still wears a mask in crowds. grimblegromble 23, seeking: W, TW, l

NONBINARY PEOPLE seeking...

OUTDOORSY, TALKATIVE, CREATIVE Hi, I am pretty fun. I listen to a lot of music. I hike a lot, backpack and garden in the summers. I’m intersex, so I’m double-gendered totally and prefer men. I like to draw a lot. I’m very creative; think of myself as a drawer of African animalistic settings, Vermont animals and astrology.

Hailuithair 30, seeking: M, l

LOOKING FOR OUTDOORSY I’m very creative and open-minded. Spend my days foraging in the forest and gardening, working at a greenhouse days in the summer. I’m intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. Looking for a man interested in connecting with my female side to date and form a long-term relationship with.

Dajag181, 30, seeking: M, l

COUPLES seeking...

ENJOYING LIFE

We are an attractive, fun-loving, professional couple enjoying life together in Vermont (she, 49; he, 51). Looking for couples or the occasional single guy for fun experiences in and out of the bedroom. Onlylivingonce, 50, seeking: M, Cp, Gp

LOOKING FOR FUN PEEPS

Fun, open-minded couple seeking playmates. Shoot us a note if interested so we can share details and desires. Jackrabbits, 61, seeking: W, Cp

YBE(ER) MY VALENTINE AND MORE

Your unique look caught my eye as you heaved heavy kegs and cases about. I noticed your strong physique and wondered if I should ask you out. Your handsome brown eyes were ﬁlled with delight as you performed your job, efﬁcient and sharp. Won’t you be my valentine and bring me back to life to save me from the dark? When: Friday, February 14, 2025. Where: Downtown Burlington. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916255

PRICE CHOPPER

You were a nice Black woman, getting dizzy and nauseous in the supermarket. I held your hand and walked you outside to your car. I asked you to wait about ﬁve to 10 minutes before taking off. I asked you if you would like me to get you something from the store. I hope you are doing well. I would like to see you again. When: Friday, February 7, 2025. Where: Price Chopper supermarket, South Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916254

HUNGER MOUNTAIN CO-OP INTRIGUE

Hi! Me: woman in her forties at the checkout line wearing blue coat and pink hat. You: guy in his ﬁfties by the candy wearing green coat and brown hat. You looked at me like you knew me or wanted to. I was hoping you would come over and say hello — maybe you can start the introduction here. When: Sunday, February 2, 2025. Where: Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916253

J. AT SPECIAL SERVICES TRANSPORTATION AGENCY

Found out recently you left the company. You were an irreplaceable asset to them. May this year bring you only good things. When: Saturday, March 2, 2024. Where: Only spoke on the phone. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916251

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

BOOK BANTER AT BARRIO

You were reading A Court of orns and Roses (book three) in a cozy gray sweater. I was reading Crying in H Mart

Before you left, we chatted brieﬂy about your book, mine and the bright winter sunshine. You piqued my interest from the very ﬁrst page. When: Saturday, February 8, 2025. Where: Barrio Bakery. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916252

SOUTH BURLINGTON DUNKIN’ GUY

Kept making eye contact with this one guy in a Dunkin’ in South Burlington. He was with two other guys (I was with two other girls). We were slightly loud/obnoxious. I think we would hit it off, honestly. Hit me up. When: Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Where: South Burlington Dunkin’. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916250

SEPTUAGENARIAN EYES

Mesmerize green eyes / Beguile, Betray Bats Burro / Reconcile swap smile. When: Sunday, February 9, 2025. Where: Running from fate. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916249

ST. ALBANS TRACTOR SUPPLY

We were both shopping, and by the third time we crossed paths, there clearly was mutual curiosity with enough sparkle for me to decide to write this. No big deal, and we might as well connect just for the fun of it. I can’t get there next Saturday, which would be an easy plan B, otherwise. When: Saturday, February 8, 2025. Where: St. Albans Tractor Supply. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916248

HOLDING DOOR IN ESSEX JUNCTION

A week or so ago, as I was leaving Fairground Beverage in Essex Junction, you held the door open for me. I just wanted to say that I think you’re a class act. anks. When: Monday, January 27, 2025. Where: Essex Junction. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916247

My best friend and I have known each other since kindergarten. We’ve done just about everything together, except now that she’s pregnant. I’ve never wanted to have kids, but I’m really happy for her. e problem is that all she ever talks about now is her pregnancy and baby stuff — and she’s only about halfway through. It’s gotten to the point that I have a hard time hanging out with her because I can only pretend to be interested for so long. Is there anything I can do to get my friend back?

$30 LOAF OF BREAD

Beauty — wisdom — humor! Dark hair, parted right to left, round glasses, beautiful smile! At 2:40 p.m., we discussed the complexities involving a $30 loaf of bread. Me: long, dark curly hair. I’d love to meet you for coffee somewhere or go for a walk with the dogs — or? So hope you see this and reach out! When: ursday, January 30, 2025. Where: East Warren Community Market. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916246

TO MY VALENTINE

Curly hair, don’t care. Brown eyes, give me butterﬂies. Britain or England, I’ll take you there. You are beautiful and perfect for me in every way! I love you and want to spend my life with you — and NB with GT! XoXO When: Friday, February 14, 2025. Where: Williston. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916245

I’D DRESS AS DONKEY

Enjoy this Haiku / I crafted it just for you / Heartfelt Healing Hope When: Monday, February 3, 2025. Where: e deep woods. You: Group. Me: Man. #916244

HANDSOME GUY AT BENT NAILS

E, thanks for making my night. I was in my groove and caught off guard — I thought you were on a date. Now I’m wishing I’d come over. Let me buy you a drink? When: Friday, January 31, 2025. Where: Bent Nails Bistro. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916243

BIRTHDAY ON 28, LOVES TIRAMISU

e way you threw your shoulder left me feeling sore. You said you loved tiramisu, could I ask for more? Yapping with you is never a bore. I can’t believe you’re not 24 anymore. When: Sunday, January 26, 2025. Where: With the goats. You: Woman. Me: Woman. #916242

GARDNER’S SUPPLY EYE CONTACT

You have longish brown hair, a dynamite smile and were wearing a blue hoodie with logos. I had a blue puffy and a trucker cap on. We made brief eye contact, but the moment passed. Does the universe grant second chances? If you think that question would be a good conversation starter, how about coffee at the Gardener’s Supply Café? When: ursday, January 23, 2025. Where: Gardner’s Supply. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916239

De May T nitty,

SALT & RIND WATERBURY

You were with friends from N.C. I was with someone. Wanted to sit at your table; still do. — Cute guy at the bar thinking about your pretty face. Now what? When: ursday, January 23, 2025. Where: Salt & Rind Waterbury. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916240

QUEEN ANNE AND LE CORBUSIER

Most people thought the chaconne would be the piece to end the recital. We agreed that the choice of the third sonata was inspired. at allegro assai is just transcendent; so joyful. I’ll take your advice and check out the recital hall — we might meet again. I wonder what the music will be? When: Friday, January 17, 2025. Where: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916237

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

anks for wishing me one. I’ve been having one of those weeks where I could really use one. I appreciate your kindness. I’m looking forward to tasting the pound cake. When: Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Where: Around town. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916236

NUT AND BOLTS

When I saw you, messy hair, alluring and determined in a trench coat and big snow boots, I said to myself, Oh, my God. I wish I had said hello. Maybe I will see you again in your beautifully beat-up Mercedes station wagon. When: Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Where: Kenyon’s. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916235

CROSBY’S CUTE FRIEND?

You skied past me while I was running in shorts. “Wait, are you Crosby’s friend?” you asked, ﬂashing a gorgeous smile. I said “No,” but I wish I’d kept the conversation going somehow. If you happen to see this, I’d love to ski with you sometime. When: Friday, January 10, 2025. Where: Intervale. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916234

MOONDANCE SIREN

Your silhouette is intriguing. It reminds me of my friend LVM, another beauty. Do you rescue domesticated animals as well? I know one who is in dire straits. When: ursday, January 9, 2025. Where: In the deep woods. You: Group. Me: Man. #916233

You need to cut your friend some slack. Being pregnant is one of the weirdest experiences a person can go through. She’s growing a human inside of her. at’s nuts. It can take a huge toll on the body and mind. While it’s not much fun to hang out with someone who is hyperfocused on a subject that doesn’t interest you all that much, you have to realize that your friend really needs your support right now. Your friendship has endured a lot of life changes since kindergarten; this is just another turn in the road. You need to be there to help her navigate this one, too.

e next time you hang out, try leading the conversation. It may sound silly, but be prepared with a mental list of things to talk about. You should also keep in mind that a pregnant person isn’t debilitated and can still do fun stuff. Take

KENTUCKY CUTIE

I gave you a hot tip on where to ﬁnd your favorite bourbon in town. Maybe we can share a whiskey sometime. Rocks or neat? When: Friday, January 3, 2025. Where: Burlington. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916232

START MAKING SENSE

Hey, Ben — lost track of you at the show. I had such an awesome time dancing next to you and felt a connection through the music, for sure. I wanted to ﬁnd you to see about meeting for more local music. When: Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Where: Higher Ground. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916231

J, MORE MUSIC, PLEASE

Hi, J! We get to talk about music once or twice a month, and it makes me so, so happy. e last album you recommended to me is amazing! Do you want to listen to music together sometime? When: Friday, December 20, 2024. Where: A place for music. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916230

STYLE COMMENTATOR AT TRADER JOE’S

I was in the wine aisle when you came over and complimented my sense of style. A friend says you were ﬂirting, which I didn’t pick up on, so I simply said thank you and kept selecting my wine. Were you ﬂirting? Or do you just have great taste? When: Monday, December 23, 2024. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916229

SOY MILK IN RICHMOND

You and your grandpa offered me a ride home from the Richmond Market, to the trail that cuts through to my road. ank you! It saved me some sketchy roadside walking in the snow. I was left with lingering questions about soy milk, and would’ve liked to continue that conversation. When: Saturday, December 21, 2024. Where: Richmond. You: Group. Me: Woman. #916228

LONGHORN LUNCH

I met you at noon, sitting at the bar. We talked about your dragon fruit margarita. en we started talking about your family Christmas get-together for the next day. Really enjoyed talking with you; would like to meet you and chat again. When: Friday, December 20, 2024. Where: Longhorn, Williston. You: Man. Me: Woman. #916227

her out to a show, or go to dinner and get some fancy mocktails. I bet your pal would appreciate the distraction of doing something not in the least baby-related.

e two of you have known each other forever, so I’m sure you can be honest with each other. If the baby talk is really getting to you, just discuss it with her. Keep in mind that she may be a little extra sensitive and you should be gentle, but you know how to best communicate with your friend.

Keeping old friendships strong takes work, especially when marriages, children and other wacky “adult” stuff get thrown in the mix. But having a best friend your whole life is something magical that not everyone gets, and it’s worth every ounce of effort.

Bonus: You can be the Fun Auntie who has a cool kid friend but doesn’t need to deal with any of the messy bits.

Good luck and God bless, The Rev end

I’m a male, 66, seeking woman around same. Hardworking man needs woman to cuddle and caress slowly! I don’t care about size or color — I’ll look at you as you! I want to love and be loved; that takes time, which I have a lot of. Please call. #L1826

Retired, happy, healthy, ﬁt and active male seeking erotic female friend. Let’s test and explore our sensual pleasures together! #L1824

I’m a 75-y/o lady seeking a 70- to 80-y/o old man for companionship and possible relationship in the Essex Junction area. #L1825

I’m a 65-y/o fun-loving and outgoing GWM seeking new friendships with other gay men. Enjoy dinners in and good conversation. Best friend material here! is is not an ad seeking sexual contacts or conquests. Looking for long-term friendships. Looking forward to hearing from you! #L1821

I’m a 34-y/o male seeking a mature female, women couple or couples for FWB. Open to exploring. I love the outdoors. I love to laugh. 420 OK but no cigarettes, please. #L1823

CD into fetish? Tight and shiny clothing? #L1814

HOW TO REPLY TO THESE LOVE LE ERS:

Seal your reply — including your preferred contact info — inside an envelope. Write your pen pal’s box number on the outside of that envelope and place it inside another envelope with payment. Responses for Love Letters must begin with the #L box number.

MAIL TO: Seven Days Love Letters PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402

PAYMENT: $5/response. Include cash or check (made out to “Seven Days”) in the outer envelope. To send unlimited replies for only $15/month, call us at 802-865-1020, ext. 161 for a membership (credit accepted).

PUBLISH YOUR MESSAGE ON THIS PAGE!

1 Submit your FREE message at sevendaysvt.com/loveletters or use the handy form at right.

We’ll publish as many messages as we can in the Love Letters section above. 2

Interested readers will send you letters in the mail. No internet required! 3

GWM looking for strong tops for playtime with fun and adventurous bottom. Age not really an issue: forties and ﬁfties a plus, will consider all ages. Will host. Talk or text. #L1822

SWF, 50, seeking a SWM, 48 to 58, to homestead and live a quiet life. I am sincere, ready to settle down, artistic and love dogs. #L1818

Single woman, 59. Wise, mindful. Seeking tight unit with man, friend, love. Country living, gardens, land to play on. Emotionally, intellectually engaged. Lasting chats. Appreciation for past experience. Please be kind, stable and well established. Phone number, please. #L1813

ree men, ages 50 and 60s. One bi, two gay. Get-together once a week at my place in Burlington. Looking for another guy to join us. Safe, sane and discreet. If interested, send phone number. Play with us! #L1820

I am an 80-y/o woman seeking a man, 76 to 80 y/o. I am looking for friendship and companionship. Be able to share life for as long as we can, and do things together for fun. Let’s enjoy life. #L1817

I’m a SWF, 71 y/o, seeking a white or Black man 50 to 70 y/o. I want companionship, movies, warmth; I love music and live in Woodstock. Phone calls only. #L1815

Int net-Free Dating!

I’m a 60-y/o SWF seeking a 55- to 70-y/o SM. Retired, healthy, ﬁt and outdoorsy. ISO a kindred spirit with whom to share Vermont’s trails. I enjoy mountain and gravel biking, cross-country skiing, and yearround hiking, as well as a good Vermont brew, current events, reading and eating as locally as possible. Self-deprecating sense of humor a plus! #L1816

I’m an 80-y/o man in good health. I own a ranch house on Route 110 in Tunbridge, south of fairgrounds. Never married. No children, retired. Like going out to eat and riding around. Looking for a nice lady for a long-term relationship. #L1810

I’m a sweet, ﬁt, busy 48y/o DILF type seeking a 28- to 68-y/o-ish woman who wants some more affection in her life. Let’s have a great evening together every month and share good memories and joyful anticipation in between. #L1806

Describe yourself and who you’re looking for in 40 words below: (OR, ATTACH A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER.)

I’m a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL) seeking a

AGE + GENDER (OPTIONAL)

76-y/o male seeking a female. Widower, Burlington resident, gardener, ﬁsherman and writer wants to meet you for dinner, movies, events and conversation. You: old, kind, no issues. Possible friendship, LTR. I don’t watch football. #L1807

I miss the touch, the ﬂirting, the taste, the smell of a woman. I’m 69, retired and disabled. I also have many facets that make me up. NEK please, thanks. #L1811

I’m a SWM seeking a Black couple, both bi. I’m clean, a nonsmoker and don’t drink. Would like a weekly meet, on weekends. My place is private. I only date Black men and women. Age no problem. Phone. Serious. #L1802

Handsome SWM, young-looking 60, yearning for a woman’s connection and intimacy. Seeking friendly relations with slim-average 45- to 60-y/o, kind, smart, respectful, humorous, playful. Activities indoors and outdoors — dinners, talks, walks, nature, TV, entertainment, day trips, overnights, spontaneity, hobbies, more. #L1803

Required conﬁdential info:

(MORE)

MAIL TO: SEVEN DAYS LOVE LETTERS • PO BOX 1164, BURLINGTON, VT 05402

OPTIONAL WEB FORM: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LOVELETTERS HELP: 802-865-1020, EXT. 161, LOVELETTERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

THIS FORM IS FOR LOVE LETTERS ONLY. Messages for the Personals and I-Spy sections must be submitted online at dating.sevendaysvt.com.

Valentine's Perfume Blending Experience

WED., FEB. 12

MIRROR MIRROR, SHELBURNE

Galentine's Day Cookie Decorating Class

THU., FEB. 13

QUEEN CITY BREWERY, BURLINGTON

Vintage Heart Cake Decorating Class

THU., FEB. 13

RED POPPY CAKERY, WATERBURY VILLAGE

Stealing From Work: 'Love . . . Well, Actually'

THU., FEB. 13 - MON., FEB. 16

OFF CENTER FOR THE DRAMATIC ARTS, BURLINGTON

The Great Backyard Bird Count

FRI., FEB. 14 ONLINE

New Stage Play Festival 2025

FRI., FEB. 14 - SUN., FEB. 16

GRANGE HALL CULTURAL CENTER, WATERBURY CENTER

Date Night Dinner: Better-ThanSteakhouse Steak and Potatoes

FRI., FEB. 14

RICHMOND COMMUNITY KITCHEN

Jaded Ravins w/ Bow & River

FRI., FEB. 14

THE UNDERGROUND, RANDOLPH

The Magnetica Saturday Night Sounds

SAT., FEB. 15

MAGNETICA PERFORMANCE SPACE, BURLINGTON

Harris Hill Ski Jump 2025

SAT., FEB. 15 & SUN., FEB. 16

HARRIS HILL SKI JUMP, BRATTLEBORO

Museum Open for Great Backyard Bird Count

SAT., FEB. 15

BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM, HUNTINGTON

The Magnetica Sound Bath

SUN., FEB. 16

MAGNETICA PERFORMANCE SPACE, BURLINGTON

SUN., FEB. 16

HAZEL BEAUTY BAR, ESSEX JCT.

Botanical Perfume Blending Bar

Nick Tocci, Baritone, Claire Black, Accompanist

SUN., FEB. 16

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PAUL, BURLINGTON

Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Class

TUE., FEB. 18 & THU., FEB. 20

THE KITCHEN AT MISSION FARM, KILLINGTON

Botanical Perfume Blending Bar

THU., FEB. 20

CHEEKS LUXURY SKIN CLINIC, WILLISTON

V! A Vivacious Night of Variety

FRI., FEB. 21

OPERA HOUSE AT ENOSBURG FALLS

Bird Boombox w/ Fly-By Ride

FRI., FEB. 21

THE UNDERGROUND, RANDOLPH

SAM Workshop // Queer Crafts with Blue Heron Art Studio

SAT., FEB. 22

SAINT ALBANS MUSEUM

SAM Talks // Stories From the Vermont Queer Archives with Meg Tamulonis

SAT., FEB. 22

SAINT ALBANS MUSEUM

Photography by: Macaulay Lerman, Sean Hood, and Kelsey Regan